many Prynces only vppon his owne blynd preiudices and foredeterminations and y t without hearing of them speak or without shewing cause whye But bycause he hath alredy so noted vs openlye least by holdynge oure peace we should seme to graunt a fault and specially bycause we can by no meane haue audience in y e publik assembly of the general Councel wherein he would no creature should haue power to geue his voice or declare his opinion excepte he were sworne and straightly bounde to maintaine his aucthoritie For wee haue had good experience hereof in his last conference at the councel at Trident where the embassadours diuines of the Princes of Germany and of the free Cities were quite shutte out from their company nother can we yet forget how Iulius the third aboue ten yeares past prouided warely by his writt that none of our sorte shoulde bee suffered to speake in the Councell except there were som paraduenture y t wolde recante and chaunge his opinion For this cause chieflye we thoughte it good to yelde vp an accoumpte of oure faith in writing truely and openly to make aunswere to those things wherwith wee haue ben openly charged to thende the worlde may see the partes and foundacions of that doctrine in the behalfe whereof so many good men haue litle regarded their oune lyues And y t al men may vnderstand what manner of people they be and what opinion they haue of God and of Religion whome the Bysshop of Rome before they were called to tell theire tale hath condemned for heretikes without any good consideratioÌ„ without any exaumple vtterly without lawe or righte onelye bycause he hearde tell that they did dissente from hym and his in som pointe of Religion And although S. Hierome would haue no bodie to be patient when he is suspected of heresy yet we wil deal herein nether bitterly nor brablingly nor yet be caried away w t angre heate though he ought to be reckned neither bitter nor brabler y t speaketh y e truth We willingly leaue thys kynde of eloquence to oure aduersaries who whatsoeuer they say against vs be it neuer so shrewdly or dipitefully sayde yet thinke it is sayd modestely and comely ynough and care nothing whether it be trew or false Wee neede none of these shyftes which do maintaine the truthe Further yf wee do shewe it plaine that Gods holie Gospell the aunciente Byshops and the primatiue Churche do make on our syde and that wee haue not without iust cause left these men and rather haue retourned to the Apostles and oulde catholique Fathers And yf wee shall be founde to doe the same not coulorably or craftely but in good faith before God truly honestly cleerely and plainly and yf they theÌ„selues which â—ye our doctrine and woulde be called Catholiks shall manifestly see how al those titles of antiquitie whereof they boste so much ar quite shaken out of their haÌ„ds and that there is more pith in this oure cause then they thoughte for wee then hope and trust that none of them wil be so negligent and careles of his own saluation but he will at length studye and bethinke him selfe to whether parte hee were best to ioyne him Vndoubtedlye excepte one will altogether harden his hearte and refuse to heare he shal not repent him to geue good heede to this out defence and to mark well what wee say how truly and iustly it agreeth with Christian Religion For where they call vs Heretikes it is a crime so haynous y t onles it may be seene vnles it may be felt in maÌ„ner may be holdeÌ„ with hands and fingers it ought not lightly to be iudged or beleued when it is â—aide to the charge of any Christian man For heresy is a â—orsaking of saluatioÌ„ a renouncing of Gods grace a departing from the body and spirite of Christe But this was euer an olde and solempne propretye with them and theire forefathers yf any did complaine of their errours and faultes and desired to haue true Religion restored streighte waye to coÌ„demne such one for heretikes as men new fangled factious Christe for no nother cause was called a Samaritan but onely for y t he was thoughte to haue fallen to a certaine newe Religion and to be the Aucthor of a newe sect And Paul thapostle of CHRISTE was called before the Iudges to make aunswere to a matter of heresy and therfore hee saied Acordinge to this way whiche they call Heresye I doo worshippe the God of my Fathers beleeuinge all thinges which be written in the law and in the Prophets Shortely to speake This vniuersal Religion whiche Christen men professe at this day was called firste of the heathen people a Sect Heresy With these termes did they alwaies fil priÌ„ces eares to thintent when they had once hated vs with a foredetermined opinion and had coumpted all that wee sayed to bee faction and heresy they might be so ledd away from y e truth right vnderstaÌ„ding of the cause But the more sore and outragious a crime heresye is the more it ought to be proued by plaine and strong argumentes especially in this time wheÌ„ men begin to geue lesse credite to theyre words to make more diligent searche of theyr doctrine then they were wont to do For y e people of God ar otherwyse instructed now then they were in times past when all the Bysshopps of Romes sayenges were allowed for Gospell when all Religion did depende only vpon their aucthoritie Nowe a daies the holie scripture is abroad the writinges of the Apostles Prophets ar in printe whereby all truth and Catholyke doctrine may be proued and all heresie may be disproued and confuted Sithens then they bring furth none of these for them selues and call vs neuertheles Heretiques which haue nether fallen from Christ nor from y e Apostles nor yet from the Prophets this ys an iniurious and a very spitefull dealinge With this sword did Christe put of the Dyuel when he was tempted of him w c these weapons oughte all presumption which doth auauÌ„ce it selfe against God to be ouerthrowen and coÌ„quered For al Scripture sayeth S. Paule that commeth by the inspiration of God is profitable to teach to confute to instruct and to reproue that the man of God may be perfect and throughly framed to euery good work Thus did the holy Fathers alway fight agaynst the heretikes with none other force then with y e holy scriptures S. Augustin when he disputed against Petilian an heretike of â— Donatistes Let not these woordes quod he be heard betwene vs I say or you say let vs rather speake in this wise Thus sayeth the Lorde there let vs seeke the Church ther let vs boult out our cause Lykewise S. Hâ—erome All those things sayth he which without the testimonie of the scriptures are holden as deliuered from y e Apostles be throughly smitten down by the sword of Gods worde S. Ambrose also
cryed The temple of the Lorde The temple of the lorde or as the Phariseis and Scribes dyd whiche craked they were Abrahams children Thus with a gay and iolie shewe deceiue they the simple and seke to choke vs with the very name of the church Muche like as yf a theefe when he hath gotten into an other mans house and by violence eyther hath thrust out or slayne the owner should afterwarde assigne the same house to hym selfe casting furthe of possession the right inheritour Or yâ— Antichrist after he hath once entred into the Temple of God should afterward saye This house is myne own Christ hath nothinge to do withall â–ª For these menne nowe after they have left nothyng remaining in y e churche of God y t hath any liknes of this Church yet will they seeme the Patrones and the valiaunte maynteners of the Churche very like as Grachus amongest the Romaynes stoode in defence of the treasury not withstanding with his prodigalitie and fond expences he had vtterlye wasted the whole stocke of the treasurie And yet was there neuer any thing so wicked or so far out of reason but lightelye yt might be couered defended by the name of the church For the waspes also make honyecombes as well as Bees wicked men haue companyes lyke to the Churche of God yet for all that they be not streight wâ—y the people of God which ar called y e people of God neither be they al Israelits of many as ar com of Israell y e father The Arrians notwitstanding thei were heretiques yet bragged they that they alone were Catholiques calling all the test now AmbrosiaÌ„s now AthanasiaÌ„s now Iohannites And Nestorius as saith Theodorete for all he was an Heretique yet couered he hym selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to weete with a certaine cloke and colour of the true right faith Ebion though he agreed in opinion with y e Samaritanes yet as saith Epiphanius he would be called a Christian. The Mahomytes at this day for all y e al histories make plaine mention and themselues also cannot denye but they toke their first begynning of Agar the bonde woman yet for the very name and stockes sake chuse they rather to be caled Saracenes as though they came of Sara the free woman and Abrahams wyfe So likewise the false Prophetes of all ages whiche stode vp against the Prophetes of God whiche resisted Eâ—ayas Ieremye Christ and the Appostles at no tyme craked of any thing somuche as they dyd of the name of the Churche And for no nother cause did they so fearcely vexe them and cal theÌ„ Ronneawayes and Apostatas then for that they forsoke their fellowshipp and kepte no thordinaunces of the Elders wherfore yf we would folow the iudgementes of those men only who then gouerned the Churche and would respecte nothing els neyther God nor his word yt muste nedes bee confessed that the Apostles were rightlie and by iust lawe condemned of theÌ„ to death bycause they fell from the Byshops and preistes that is you must thiÌ„ke from the Catholique Churche and bycause they made many new alterations in Religion contrarie to the Byshops and Preistes willes yea and for all their spurninge so ernestlye against it wherfore like as it is written that Hercules in olde time was forced in striving w t Antaeus that huge giaunt to â—yâ—te him quite vp from the earth that was his Mother â—re he could conqueere him euen so must our Aduersaries be heaued from their Mother that is from this vaine colour shadow of y e church wherewith they so disguise and defende themselues otherwyse they cannot be brought to yelde vnto the word of God And therefore saith Ieremye the Prophete Make not suche â—reat boaste that the Temple of the Lorde is with you this is but a vaine confidence for these are lyes The Aungell also saith in the Apocalyps They say theybe Iewes but they be y e Synagoge of Sathan And Christ sayd to the Pharisies when they vaunted them selfe of the kynred bloud of Abraham Ye are of your father the Devel for you resemble not your father Abraham â–ª asmuche to saye ye are not the men ye woulde so faine be called ye 〈◊〉 the people with vaine titles and abuse the name of the Churche to the ouerthrowing of the Churche So that these mens parte had ben first to haue clearely and truely proued that the Romishe churche is the true and right instructed Churche of God that the same as they do order it at this day dothe agre with y e primatiue church of Christ of the Apostles and of the holye Fathers whiche we doubt not but was in dede y e true catholique Church For our partes yf we could haue iudged ignoraunce errour superstition Idolatrie mennes Inuentions and the same coÌ„moÌ„lie disagreinge with y e holy Scriptures eyther pleased God or to be sufficient for thobtainige euerlastyng saluation or yf we could assertaine our selues that the worde of God was written but for a time only and afterwarde againe ought to be abrogated and put awaye or els that the sayinges and commaundementes of God ought to be subiecte to mans will that whatsoeuer God sayeth and commaundeth except the Byshopp of Rome willeth and commaundeth the same it must be taken as void an vnspoken Yf we coulde haue brought our selues to beleue these thinges we graunt there had ben no cause at all why wee should haue lefte these mennes coÌ„panie As touching that we haue now den to departe from that Churche whose errours were proued made manifest to y e world which Church also had alredy euideÌ„tly departed from Gods worde yet not to departe somuche from it selfe as from therrours therof not to do this disorderlye or wickedly but quietlie and sobrelye we haue don nothing herein against the doctrine eyther of Christ or of his Apostles For neyther is the Church of God suche as it may not be dusked w t some spot or asketh not sometime reparation els what nedith there so many assembles and Councelles without the which as saith Egidius the Christian saith is not hable to stand For loke saith he howe often Councelles are discontinued so often is the Church destitute of Christ. Or yf there be no peryle that harme maye come to the church what nede is there to reteyne to no purpose y e names of Byshops as is now commenlye vsed amonge them For yf there be no shepe that may strey whye be they called shepardes yf there be no Citie that may be betraied why be they called watchemen yf there be nothing that may ronne to ruyne why be thei called Pillers Anone after the first creation of the worlde the churche of God began to spreade abrode and the same was instructed wyth the heauenly word whiche God hym selfe pronounced with his owne mouth It was also furnished with diuine ceremonies It was taught by y e spirit of God by the Patriarches and
a Glutton Againe who wotteth noâ— what woordes were spoken agaynste Sainct Paule the most earnest and vehement preacher and maintainour of y e truth Somtime that he was a sediâ—â—ous and busy man a raiser of tumultes a causer of rebellion somtime againe that he was an heretique sometime y t he was mad Somtime that onely vppon strife and stomacke he was bothe a blasphemer of Gods lawe and a despiser of the Fathers ordinances Further who knoweth not howe Sainct Stephan after he had throughly sincerely embraced the truth and beganne franklye and stoutly to preache and set forthe the same as he ought to do was immediatlye called to aunswere for his life as one that had wickedly vtered disdainâ—ul and haynous wordes against the lawe against Moyses against the Temple and against God Or who is ignorant that in tymes past there werre some which reproued the holye Scriptures of falsehood saying they conteined thinges both contrary and quite one against an other and howe that the Apostles of Christe did seuerallye disagree betwixt them selues and that S. Paule did vary from them all And not to make rehearsal of al for that were an endles labour who knoweth not after what sorte our Fathers were railed vpon in times past which first began to acknowledge and professe the name of Christe howe they made priuat conspiracies deuised secrete councels against the common welth to that end made earelie and priuie meetinges in the darke kylled yonge babes fedd themselues w t mens fleshe and lyke sauage and brute beastes didde drinke their bloude In conclusion howe that after they had put out the candels they committed adulterye betweene themselues and without regarde wrought incest one with an other that Brethren laie with their sisters sonnes with their Mothers without any reuerence of nature or kynne without shame without difference and that thei wer wicked men without all care of Religion and without anye opinion of God being the very ennemies of mankinde vnworthy to be suffered in the worlde and vnworthie of lyfe All these thinges wer spoken in those daies against the people of God against Christ Iesu against Paul against Stephan and against all them whosoeuer they were which at the first beginninge imbraced the truthe of the Gospell and were contented to be called by the name of Christians which was then an hatefull name amonge the common people And although the thinges whiche they said wer not true yet the Diuel thought it shoulde be sufficient for him yf at the least he coulde bringe iâ— so to passe as they might bee beleeued for true and that the Christians might bee brought into a commoÌ„ hatred of euery body and haue their death and destruction sought of all sortes Herevpon Kings and Princes beinge ledde then by suche perswasions killed all the Prophetes of God lettinge none escape Esai with a sawe Ieremy with stones Daniell with Lyons Amos with an yron barre Paule with the sword Christ vpon y e crosse and condemned all Christians to imprisonmentes to tormentes to the pikes to be thrwone doune headlong from rocks stepe places to be caste to wild beastes and to be burnt made great syres of their quicke bodies for y e only purpose to giue light by night for a very scorne mockinge stocke and didde compt them no better then the vilest fylth thofscouringes and laughing games of y e whole worlde Thus as ye see haue the Authors and professours of the trueth euer ben entreated Wherefore wee oughte to beare yt the more quyetlye which haue taken vppon vs to professe the Gospell of Christ yf we for the same cause be handled after the same sorte and yf wee as our forefathers weare longe ago bee lykewyse at thys day tormented bayted with raylings with spitefull dealinges and with lyes and that for no desert of our owne but onely bicause we teach and acknowledge the truthe They crye out vpon vs at thys present euery wheare that we are all heretiques and haue forsaken the fayth and haue with newe perswasions and wicked learninge vtterly dyssolued the concorde of the Churche that we renew as it weare fetche againe from hell the olde and many a daye condempned heresyes that we sow abroade newe sects and suche broyles as neuer yearst weare hearde of also that we are already deuided into contrarye partes and opinions and coulde yet by no meanes agree well amonge oure selues that wee be cursed creatures lyke y e Gyauntes do warre againste God him selfe and lyue cleane without any regarde or worshippinge of God that we despise all good deedes that we vse noe discipline of vertue no lawes no customes that we esteeme neither righte nor order nor equitie nor iustice that we geue y e brydell to al naugh tines and prouoke the people to all lycenciousnes and lust that we labour seke to ouerthrowe the state of Monarchies and Kyngdomes and to bringe al thinges vnder the rule of the rashe incoÌ„stante people and vnlearned multitude that wee haue seditiously fallen from y e Catholique Churche and by a wycked schisme and diuision haue shaken the whole worlde and trobled the common peace and vniuersal quiet of the church and that as Dathan and Abyron conspired in times past against Moises and Aaron euen so wee at this day haue renounced the Byshop of Rome without anye cause resonable y t we set nought by the aucthoritie of thauncient fathers and Councels of oulde time that wee haue rashly and presumptuously disanulled the olde cerimonies which haue ben well alowed by oure fathers and forefathers manye hundreth yeare past bothe by good customes and also in ages of more puritie and that wee haue by our owne priuate head without the aucthoritie of any sacred and general Councell brought new traditions into y e Church and haue don all these thinges not for Religions sake but only vppon a desyre of contention and stryfe But that they for theyr parte haue chaunged no maner of thinge but haue helde and kepte still suche a nomber of yeares to this verye day all thinges as they were deliuered from the Apostles and well approued by the most auncient Fathers And that thys matter shoulde not seeme to be don but vppon priuie slaunder and to be tossed to and fro in a corner onely to spyte vs there haue ben besides wyâ—ely procured by the Bysshop of Rome certaine parsons of eloquence yenough and not vnlearned neyther whiche shoulde put theyre helpe to thys cause now almost despaired of should polyshe and set furth the same both in bookes and with long tales to the end that when the matter was trymlye and eloquently handled ignorant and vnskilfull persons mighte suspecte there was som great thing in it In deede they perceiued that their owne cause did euerye where go to wracke that their sleightes were nowe espyed and lesse esteemed that their helpes did dayly fayle them that their matter stoode altogether in great neede of
loke for none other and forasmuche as it was to be offered but once wee commaund it not to be renewed againe And bicause it was full perfite in all points and partes wee doe not ordaine in place thereof anye continuall succession of offeringes Besides though wee saye we haue no meede at all by oure owne woorkes and deedes but apoint all the meane of oure saluation to be in Christe alone yet say we not that for this cause men ought to liue looslie and dissolutely nor that it is ynough for a Christian to be Baptized onely and to belieue as though there were nothing els required at his hande for true faith is liuely and can in no wise be idell Thus therefore â—eaâ—he wee the people that God hath called vs not to folowe ryâ—t and wantonnes but as Paul saithe vnto good woorkes to walke in them That God hath plucked vs oute from the power of darkenes to serue the liuinge God to cutte away all the remnauntes of sinne and to worke oure saluation in feare and tremblinge that it may apere how that y e Spirit of saÌ„ctification is in oure bodies and that Christ himselfe doth dwell in our heartes To conclude we beleue that this our selfe same flesh wherin we liue although it dye and come to dust yet at the last day it shall retourne againe to lyfe by the meanes of Christes spirite which dweleth in vs and that then verely whatsoeuer we suffer heere in the meane whyle for his sake Christ wil wipe from of our eies all teares lamentation that we through him shall enioy euerlasting life and shall for euer be with him in glory So be it Beholde these are the horrible heresies for the which a good parte of the world is at this day condemned by the Byshop of Rome and yet were neuer hearde to pleade their cause He should haue commenced his sute rather against Christe against the Apostles and against the holy fathers For these thinges did not only procede from them but were also apointed by them except perhaps these menne will say as I thinke they will in deede that Christe hath not instituted the holy Communion to be diuided amongest the faithfull Or that Christes apostles and the auncient fathers haue saide Priuate masses in euery corner of the Temples nowe tenne now twenty togithers in one day Or that Christ and hys Apostls bannished all the common people from the Sacrament of his bloud or that the thing whiche them selues do at this day euery wheare and do it so as they condemne him for an heritike whiche dothe otherwise ys not called of Gelasius their owne doctour plaine sacriledge or 〈◊〉 these be not y e very words of Ambrose Augustine Gelasius Theodorete Chrysostome Origene The bread and wine in the Sacramentes remaine still the same they were before The thing which is seene vpon the holye table is breade there ceaseth not to be still the substaunce of breade and nature of wyne the substance and nature of bread are not changed the selfe same breade as touchinge the materiall substaunce goâ—th into the bellie and is cast out into the pryuei Or that Christe the Apostles and holy fathers prayed not in that tongue whiche the people might vnderstande Or that Christe hath not performed all thinges by that one offering which he once offered or that the same Sacrifice was imperfect and so now we haue neede of an other All these thinges must they of neâ—cessitie say onlesse perchance thei had rather lay thus that all lawe and right is locked vp in the treasurie of the Popes breaste and that as once one of his southinge pages and clawbackes did not sticke to say the Pope is able to dispence against the Apostles against a councell against y e CanoÌ„s rules of y e Apostls and y t he is not bound to stand neither to y e examples nor to the ordinuÌ„aces nor to y e lawes of Christ. We for our parts haue learned these thinges of Christe of the Apostles of the deuout fathers and dooe sincerely and with good faith teache the people of God the same Whiche thinge is the onely cause whye wee at this daye ar called heretikes of the chiefe prelates no doubt of ReligioÌ„ O immortal God hath Christ him selfe then y e Apostles so many Fathers al at once gon a stray were then Origene Ambrose Augustin Chrysostome Gelasius Theodoret forsakers of the catholique faith was so notable a consent of so manye auncient Byshoppes and learned menne nothing els but a conspiracye of heretiques Or is that nowe condemned in vs whiche was then commended in them Or is the thyng nowe by alteration onely of mens affection sodenly becoÌ„me shismatique whiche in them was compted catholique Or shall that whiche in times past was true nowe by and by bycause it liketh not these men be iudged false Let them then bring furth another Gospell and let them shew the causes why these thinges which so long haue openly ben obserued and well alowed in the Churche of God ought nowe in thend be called in againe Wee knowe well ynoughe that the same worde whiche was opened by Christ spred abrode by the Apostles is sufficient both our saluacion and al trueth to vp holde mayntein and also to confounde all maner of heresie By that Woâ—d only do we condemne all sortes of the olde heretiques whom these men say we haue called out of hell againe â–ª As for the Arrians the Eutychians the Marcionites y e Ebionites the Valentinians the Carpocratians the Tatians the Nouatians and shortelie all them which haue had a wicked opinion eyther of God the Father or of Christ or of the holy Ghoste or of any other poinct of Christian Religion â–ª for somuche as they be confuted by the Gospell of Christ we plainly pronunâ—â— them for detestable and cast awaye personnes and defye them euen vnto the dyuell Neyther do wee leaue them so but we also seuerely and straitely hold them in by lawful and politick punishemeÌ„tes yf they fortune to breake out any wherâ— and bewraye themselues In deede we graunt that certain new and very straunge sectes as the Anabaptistes Libertines MeneniaÌ„s Zuenkfeldians haue ben stirring in the worlde euersence the Gospel did first spring But the worlde seeth now right wel thankes be giuen to our God that wee neyther haue bredd nor taught nor kept vp these Monstres In good fellowship I pray the whosoeuer thou be read our bokes they are to be sould in euery placeâ— What hath there euer ben written by any of our coÌ„pany which might plainely beare with the madnes of any of those heretiques Nay I saye vnto you there is no countrie at this daye so free from their pestilent infections as they be wherein the gospel is freely and coÌ„monly taught So that yf they wey the very matter w t earnest and vpright aduisement this thing is a great argumeÌ„t y t this same is the very truth
Prophetes and continued so euen till the tyme y t Christe shewed himselfe to vs in the flesh This notwithstaÌ„ding how often o good God in the meane whyle and howe horribly was thesame Churche darkened and decayed where was that Churche then when all fleshe vpon earth had defyled their owne waye where was it when amoÌ„gest the nombre of the whole world there were only eyght persones they neither all chast and good whom Gods will was shoulde be saued aliue from that vniuersall destruction and mortalitie â–ª When Ely the Prophete so lamentaâ—â—â—e and byterly made mone that onelye himselfe was left of all the whole world whiche dyd truely and dewly worshipp God And when Esay said The siluer of Goddes people that is of the Churche was become Drosse and that the same Citie which a foretime had ben faithful was now become an harlot and that in y e same was no part sound thoroughout the whol body from the head to the fote Or els when Christ him selfe sayde that the house of God was made by y e Pharasies and Preistes a Denne of theues Of a trouth the Church euen as a cornefyld except it be ared manured tilled trimmed in stede of wheate it wil bring furthe thystles darnell and nettilles For this cause did God send euer among both Prophettes Apostles last of al his own Son who might bring home the people into the right waye and repayre a new the tottering Church after she had erred But least some manne should say that the forsaid thinges happened in y e tyme of the law onely of shadowes and of infancie when truth laye hid vnder figures and ceremonies wheÌ„ nothing as yet was brought to perfection when the law was not graueÌ„ in mennes heartes but in stone and yet is that but a foolishe saying for euen at those dayes was there the very same God that is now the same spirite the same Christe thesame faith the same doctrine the same hope the same inheritaunce the same league and the same efficacie and vertue of Goddes worde â–ª Eusebius also saith all the faithfull euen from Adam vntil Christ were in very dede ChristiaÌ„s though they were not so termed But as I said leaste men should thus speake still Paul the apostle found the like faultes and falles euen then in the prime and chiefe of the Gospel in chiefe perfection and in lighte so that he was compelled to write in this sorte to the Galatians whom he had wel before that instructed I feare me quod he leaste I haue laboured emongest you in vayne and leaste ye haue heard y e Gospel in vaine O my litle Children of whom I trauaile a new til Christ be fashioned againe in you And as for the Churche of the Corinthians how fouly it was defiled is nothing needeful to rehearce Now tel me might the Churches of the Galathians and Corinthians goe amisse and the churche of Rome alone may it not fayle ner goe amysse Surely Christ prophecyed long before of his churche that y e time should come when dessolation should stande in the holy place And Paul saith that Antichrist should once set vp his owne tabernacle and stately seath in the temple of God and that the time shuld be wheÌ„ men should not awaye with holesome doctrin but he turned back vnto fables lies and that wythin the very Church Peter likewise tellyth how there should be teachers of lyes in y e church of Christ Daniell the Prophete speaking of the later times of Antichrist Truthe sayth he in that seasone shalbe throwen vnder foote and troden vppon in the worlde And Christ sayeth how the calamitie confusion of thinges shalbe so exceding great that euen the chosen yf it were possible shalbe brought into errour and how all these thinges shal come to passe not amoÌ„gest Gentiles and Turkes but that they should be in the holye place in the Temple of God â–ª in the churche and in the companie an felowship of those whiche professe the name of Christ. Albeit these same warnynges alone may suffice a wyseman to take heede he do not suffer hym selfe rashelye to be deserued with the name of the Churche not to staye to make further inquisition therof by Gods worde yet bysyde al this many Fathers also manye learned and godly men haue often and carefully complained how all these thinges haue chaunced in their lyfe time For eueÌ„ in the middest of that thick myst of darknes God would yet ther should be som whoe thoughe they gaue not a cleare bright light yet shuld they kyndle were it but some sparke which menne might espye being in the darkenes Hylarius when thinges as yet were almoste vncorrupt and in good case to ye are yll deceyued saith he with yÌ„e loue of walles ye do ill worship the Church in that ye worship it in houses and buildinges ye do yll bryng in the name of peace vnder roofes Is there anye doubt but Antichrist will haue his seate vnder the same I rather recken hilles wodes pools maryshes prisons quauemires to be places of more safetie for in these the Prophetes either abiding of their accorde or drowned by violence didde prophecie by the spirite of God Gregorie as one which perceaued and forsaw in his mind y e wrack of al things wrote thus to Iohn Bysshop of Constantinople who was the firste of all others that commaunded himselfe to bee called by this newe name the vniuersall Bishop of whole Christes Church Yf y e Churche saith he shall depend vpon one manne it will at once fall downe to the grownd Who is he y e seeth not how this is come to passe longe since for longe aâ— gone hathe the Bysshop of Rome willed to haue the whole Churche depende vpon himselfe alone Wherefore it is no meruail though it be clean fallen downe longe agone Bernard y e Abbot aboue foure hundred yeares past writeth thus Nothinge is nowe of sinceritie and purenes emongest the Cleargie wherfore it resteth that the man of sin should be reuealed The same Bernarde in his worke of the conuersion of Paul It semeth now saith he thaâ— persecution hath ceased no no persecution seemeth but nowe to beginne euen from them whiche haue chieâ—e preeminence in the Churche Thy friendes and neighbours haue drawen neere â–ª stoode vp against thee from the sole of thy foot to the crowne of thy heade there is no part whole Iniquitie is proceeded from the Elders the Iudges and deputies which pretende â—o rule thy people Wee cannot saye nowe Loke how the people be so is the priest For the people be not so ill as the priest is Alas alas o Lorde God the selfe same persons be the chiefe in persecutinge thee which seeme to loue the highest place and beare moste rule in thy church The same Bernard again vpon y e Canticles writeth thus All they are thy friendes yet are they all thy foes â–ª
why doe they not proue it so by the exaumples of the Primatiue Churche and by the Fathers and Councells of olde tymes Whye lyeth so auncient a cause thus longe in the duste destitute of an Aduocate Fyer and sworde they haue had alwayes ready at hande but as for the olde Councels the fathers al Mum not a word They did surely against all reason to beginne first with these so bloudy and extreme means if thei could haue found other more easy and gentle wayes And yf they truste so fully to antiquitie and vse no dissimulation why didde Iohn Clement a countrye manne of owres but fewe yeares past in the presence of certaine honest menne and of good credite teare and cast into the fyer certaine leaues of Theodorete the moste aunciente Father and a greeke Bysshoppe wherein he plainelye and euidentlye taughte that the nature of breade in the Communion was not chāged abolished or brought to nothing And this didde he of purpose bicause he thought ther was no other copy thereof to be foūd Why saith Albertus Pighius y t the auncient father Augustine had a wronge opinion of originall sinne And that he erred and lyed and vsed false logique as touching the case of matrimonie concluded after a vow made which Augustin affirmeth to be perfect matrimony in dede and cannot be vndone again Also when they did of late put in printe the auncient father Origenes worke vpon the Gospell of Iohn why left they quyte out y e whole sixth Capirre wherin it is likely yea rather of verye suerty that the sayd Origene had written many thinges concerning the Sacrament of the holye Communion contrarie to these mennes myndes and woulde put furthe that booke mangled rather then ful and perfit for feare it should reproue them their parteners of their errour Call ye thys trusting to antiquitie whē ye rente in peces kepe back mayme and burne the aunciēt Fathers workes It is a worlde to see how wel fauouredlye and howe towardlye touchinge Religion these men agree with the Fathers of whom they vse to vaunte that they be their own good The old Councel Eliberine made a decree that nothing that is honored of the people shoulde be painted in the Churches The olde father Epiphanius saith it is an horrible wickednes and a sinne not to be suffered for any man to set vp any picture in the Churches of the Christians yea though it were the picture of Christe himselfe Yet these menne store all their temples and eche corner of them with paynted and carued ymages as though without them religion were nothinge worth The olde fathers Origene and Chrysostome exhorte the people to reade the scriptures to buy them bokes to reason at home betwixte themselues of diuine matters wiues with their husbāds and parentes with their children These men condemne the scriptures as dead elemēts and asmuche as euer thei maye barre the people from them The Auncient fathers Cyprian Epiphanius Hierome say it is better for one whoe perchaunce hathe made a vowe to leade a sole lyfe and afterwarde lyueth vnchastely and cannot quenche the flames of luste to marye a wyfe and to lyue honestlye in wedlocke And the ould Father Augustine iudgeth the selfe same mariage to be good and perfit and ought not to be brokē again These menne yf a man haue once bound hym selfe by a vome though afterward he burne kepe queanes and defile hym selfe with neuer so sinfull and desperate a lyfe yet they suffer not that persone to marye a wyfe or yf he chaunce to mary they alow it not for mariage And they comonlye teache it is muche better and more godlye to kepe a Concubine and 〈◊〉 harlot then to liue that kynde of mariage The ould Father Augustine complained of the multitude of vayne ceremonies wherew t he euē thē sawe mēs mindes and consciences ouercharged These men as though God regarded nothyng els but their ceremonies haue so out of measure increased them y t there is now almoste none other thinge left in theire Churches and places of prayer Again that old father Augustin denieth it to be leefull for a Monke to spende his tyme slouthfully and ydleye and vnder a pretensed and counterfeite holines to liue all vpon others And who so thus lyueth an olde father Apollonius likeneth hym to a theefe These men haue I wote not whither to name them droues or heardes of monkes who for all they do nothīg nor yet once intend beare any shew of holines yet lyue they not onelye vppon others but also ryot lauyshly of other folkes labours The olde Councell at Rome decreed that no man should come to the seruice sayd by a Preist well knowen to keepe a Concubine These menne let to fearme Concubines to their preistes and yet cōstreigne men by force against their will to heare their cursed paltrie seruice The oulde Canons of the Appostles commaunde that Byshop to be remoued from his Office whiche will both supplie the place of a ciuill Magistrate and also of an ecclesiastical persō These menne for all that both do and will needes serue both places Nay rather y e one Office which they ought chiefly to execute they once touch not and yet no body commaundeth them to be displaced The olde Councell Gangrense commaundeth that none should make suche difference betwen an vnmaried Preist a maried preist as he ought to think the one more holye then the other for single lyfe sake These menne put suche a difference betwene them that they streight waye thinke al their holie seruice to be defiled yf it be done by a good and honest man that hath a wyfe The aūcient Emperour Iustinian commaunded that in the holy administratiō all thinges should be pronounced with a cleare lowde and tretable voyce that y e people might receiue some fruite therby These menn least the people shoulde vnderstande them mumble vp all their seruice not onlye with a drowned and hollowe voice but also in a straūge and Barbarous tonge The ould Councell at Carthage cōmaunded nothing to be read in Christes congregation but the canonicall Scriptures These menne read suche thinges in their Churches as themselues knowe for a trouthe to be starke lyes and fonde fables But yf there be any that thinke that these aboue rehersed auctorities be but weake and slender bycause they were decreed by Emperours and certein petie Byshopps and not by so full and perfit Councelles taking pleasure rather in y e auctoritie and name of y e Pope let suche a one know that Pope Iulius doth euidently forbid that a priest in ministring the Communion shoulde dippe y e bread in the Cuppe These menne contrarie to Pope Iulius decree diuide y e bread and dip it in the wyne Pope Clement saith it is not laufull for a Byshop to deale with both swords for yf thou wilt haue both saith he thou shalt deceiue both thy selfe and those that obey
lyes what yf y e same Prophete saye in an other place that the selfe same menne who ought to be kepers of the vineyarde haue brought to naught and destroyed the Lordes vynearde How yf Christ saye that the same persones who chiefely ought to haue a care ouer the Temple haue made of y e Lords Temple a denne of Theues Yf it be so that the Churche of Rome cannot erre it must nedes folowe that the good lucke therof is farre greater then al these mennes policie For suche is their lyfe their doctrine and their diligence that for all them the Churche may not onely erre but also vtterly be spoyled and peryshe No doubt yf that Churche maye erre whiche hath departed from Godds worde from Christes commaundementes from the Apostls ordinaunces from the primatiue Churches examples from the old Fathers and Councelles orders and from their own Decrees and which wil be bound w t in the compasse of none neither oulde nor new nor their owne nor other folkes nor mannes lawe nor Goddes law then yt is out of all question that the Roâ—yshe Churche hath not onely had power to erre but that it hath shamefully and most wickedly erred in very deed But say they ye haue ben once of our felowship but now ye are become forsakers of your profession and haue departed from vs. It is trew we haue departed from them and for so doing we both giue thankes to almightie God great lye reioyce on our owne behalfe But yet for all this from the primatiue Church from the Apostles and from Christ wee haue not departed true it is We were brought vp with these menne in darkenes and in y e lack of knowledge of God as Moses was taught vp in the learning and the bosome of the Egyptians We haue ben of youre company saith Tertullian I confesse it and no maruaile at all for saith he menne be made and not borne Christians But wherefore I pray you haue they them selfe the citizens and dweliers of Rome remoued and come downe from those seauen hilles whervpon Rome sometime stood to dwel rather in the plaine called Mars his field They wil say peraduenture by cause the conductes of water wher with out menne cannot commodiouslye liue haue now failed and ar dried vp in those hilles Well then lett them giue vs lyke leaue inseeking the water of eternal lyfe that they giue them selfes in seekyng the water of the well for the water verely fayled amongest them Thelders of the Iewes sayth Ieremye sent their litle ones to the waterings and they finding no water beyng in a miserable case and vtterly marred for thurst brought home againe their vessells emptie The nedye poore folke saith Esaye sought about for water but no wheare founde they any their tonge was eueÌ„ withered with thirst Euen so these menne haue broken in peeces al the pypes and coÌ„duites they haue stopped vp al the springs choked vp the fountaine of liuyng water with durte and myre And as Caligula many yeres past locked fast vp al the storehouses of corne in Rome thereby brought a generall derth and famyne amongest the people eueÌ„ so these men by damming vp all the fountaines of Goddes word haue brought the people into a peetiful thirst They haue brought into y e world as saith the Prophete Amos a hungre and a thurst not the hunger of breade nor the thurst of water but of hearing the worde of God With greate distresse went they scattering about seeking some sparke of heauenly light to refresh their consciences withall but that light was alredy thoroughly quenched out so that they could finde none This was a rueful state This was a lamentable forme of Goddes Churche It was a miserie to liue therin without the Gospel without light and without all comfort Wherfore though our departing wer a trouble to them yet ought they to consider withall how iust cause wee had of our departure For yf they wil saye it is in no wise lawfull for one to leaue the felowship wherein he hath beÌ„ brought vp they maye aswell in our names or vpon our heades condemne both the Prophetes the Apostles and Christ him selfe For whye complayne they not also of this that Lot went quitte his way out of Sodome Abraham out of Calde the Israelites out of Egypte Christ froÌ„ the Iewes and Paule from the Pharisees For except it be possible there maye be a lawful cause of departing we see no reasone whye Lot Abraham the Israelites Christ and Paule may not be accused of sectes and seditioÌ„ aswel as others And yfâ— these men will needes condemne vs for Heretiques bycause we do not all thinges at their commauÌ„dement whom in gods name or what kynde of menne ought they them selues to be taken for whiche despise the commaundement of Christ of the Apostles If we be scismatiques bycause we haue lefte them by what name shall they be called themselues which haue forsaken the Grekes froÌ„ whom they first receiued their faith forsaken the primatiue Church forsaken Christ hymselfe and the Apostls euen as Children should forsake their parentes For though those Grekes who at this daye professe religion and Christes name haue many thinges corrupted amoÌ„gest them yet houlde they still a greate numbre of those thinges whiche they receiued from the Apostles They haue neyther priuate Masses nor mangled Sacramentes nor Purgatories nor Pardons And as for the titles of hygh Byshops those glorious names they estime them so as whosoeuer he were that woulde take vpon hym the same woulde be called eyther Vniuersall bysshop or the Hed of the vniuersal church they make no doubt to call suche a one both a passing proude man a man that worketh despite against all y â— other Bysshoppes his bretherne and a plaine Heretique Now then synce it is manifest and out of all peraduenture that these men are fallen from y â— Grekes of whom they receiued the Gospell of whome they receiued the faith the true Religion and y e Church what is y e mater why they will not now be called home again to y e same men as it were to their originals first founders And whye be they afraide to take a paterne of the Apostles and olde Fathers tymes as though they all had ben voyde of vnderstanding Do these menne wene ye see more or set more by the Church of God then they dede who firste deliuered vs these thinges We truely haue renounced that church wherin we could neyther haue y e worde of God sincerely taught nor the Sacraments rightlye administred nor the name of God dewly called vppon whyche Churche also themselues confesse to be faulty in many poinâ—tes And wherein was nothing able to stay any wise maÌ„ or one y t hath consideration of his owne lavetie To conclud wee haue forsaken the Church as it is now not as it was in olde time and haue so gon from it as Daniell went out of the Lyons denne and y e three Children out