and therfore meaneth not that Lent and abstinence from mariage which were instituted long ago Hereto I aunswere that S. Iohn euen in his time said that there were many Antichristes and that thereby he knew the latter dayes then to be come so as if the time of the Apostles were by the holy Scriptures termed the latter dayes much better may the spirite of God in this place call those the latter dayes wherein both Lent and abstinence from mariage were brought in Infinite particularities which might be alledged will I omit as being content to haue touched some part of the grossest abuses and now will proceede to speake generally of our Doctors doctrine which I say can not be taxed of heresie Some thinges doe they hold common with the Catholickes and in some others doe they differ As well the one as the other haue some good thinges wherein they doe agree and in either of them may there be found some thinges disputable for all men are men Herein doe they differ that the Doctors which call them selues Catholickes I speake of those of our dayes haue their faces turned to superstition where as the Reformed Doctors haue as concerning that point satisfied them selues by departing from Popish superstitions Superstitious doctrine vpholdeth the worship of Images which is Idolatrie and it vpholdeth the prohibition from mariage and from the vse of meates which Gods spirite termeth the doctrine of deuils It is therfore found to be erronious sith the spirite of God doth say that such men cleaue to the spirites of error yea that they be euen reuolted from the faith shewing that they haue estranged them selues from the true groundes therof wherein it conuicted them of heresie In this then doe they differ videl that in the superstitious Doctors there is heresie but in the Reformed there is none Some matters there may be disputable in the authors of Reformation but no heresie that is no doctrine vtterly repugnant to the principles of faith I know there be Catholicke Doctors that some times doe skirmish against the Reformed to perswade men that there is errour in their writings doe often times propound such thinges as the others neuer spake of or if they haue spoken of any such do wrest their wordes into an other sence But admit that in some point there be some fault as all men are men we will not make our Doctors Apostles there is difference betweene a simple ouersight and an heresie but for that cause we may not taxe the Reformation of heresie seing that we accompt not our Doctors opinions as oracles or goundes of doctrine Moreouer we confesse that we drawe neare to the Lordes day and the day is so formed that the breake of the day goeth before the sunne rising and the sunne rising before noone The breake of day is neuer so cleare as the sunne rising neither is the sunne rising so light as high noone whereof we conclude that in the Reformation there is nothing so cleare but may be better lightened Againe a tree beareth fruicts that come not all vnto ripenesse but some part become vntimely fruictes which the tree letteth fall those are ordinarily soure bitter wormeaten c. and yet the rest of the fruict which groweth vntill it be ripe proueth very good Euen so this age hath brought forth many writers and infinite vayne writings neither haue we as yet seene for the most part other then vntimely fruicts of Reformation but when the ripe fruict appeareth then shall we know the excellencie thereof Hereupon is it said in the Reuelation let him that is holy sanctifie him selfe better which teacheth vs to labour for perfection by correcting the imperfections that be within vs. Moreouer I say that often times the Catholicke Doctors doe in their Pulpites striue against our Doctors and obteine all the victorie where as if they had to deale with a partie they might be forced to deuide it for he that maketh his own hands to play each against other is still sure to winne all but if he should set them to wrastle with an other is in daunger to lose But no man can say we haue done amisse in giuing ouer the Catholicke Doctours mainteiners of superstitious doctrines to the end to cleaue to others which mainteine no superstitions Superstitions then haue separated vs from the Pope not the state of the Clergie For we doe allow of the state of the Clergie as being ordeined by God so long as it cleaueth to Gods lawes which doe allow the estate thereof vpon condition that they renounce all superstitions repugnant to Gods word and exercise equitie charitie and mercy The Pope and his suppostes doe say that Reformation is a new matter and must therefore be authorised by miracles holding as a principle that euery new doctrine must be authorised by miracle Which if it be so I say their superstitions ought rather to be authorised by miracles as being more new then the religion of the Reformed For the Popes most auncient superstition is the same of the Crosse of Reliques which holy Crosse Helene the mother of Cōstantine the great found after the Councell of Nice the rest haue crept in since in processe of time as Images abstinence frō mariage Purgatorie such like those which were brought in by Helene the mother of great Cōstantin grand mother of superstition haue already cōtinued 1260. yeares which is the terme to thē prefixed in the Reuelation so as thereby we may know that they are come to their full periode I say therefore that the pure doctrine continued from the Apostles vnto the Councell of Nice that superstitions crept in since This doctrine then which was before the superstitions which were brought in by Helene and by the Popes augmented was pure and yet more auncient then superstition and is the doctrine which the Reformed doe shoot at The Religion therefore of the Reformed is more auncient then the Popes superstitions and therefore neede not to be authorised by miracles hauing already bene authorised by the same miracles which our Lord and the Apostles did worke and Popish superstition being the newer standeth in greater neede of authorising by miracles yea and thus much will I mainteine that albeit it had miracles yet might they not suffise to make it of authoritie For no miracles can authorise that doctrine which the holy Scripture declareth to be the doctrine of deuils Yea and Moses saith that albeit a Prophet or a dreamer should prophesie or dreame any such dreame as should peraduenture came to passe which were miracles sufficient to authorise any good doctrine yet if the same should preach false Gods he were not to be beleued but presently to be stoned to death Howbeit I say that in Popery they preach no false Gods but they doe thinges equiualent thereto For euery thing whereto man doth erect any worship is by that worship made a God so that as many Sainctes as they call
other death and therfore meant by contrarying that point to make God a lyer and not that onely but also to bring of God into suspition of enuie as vnder hand taxing him to enuie mans felicitie as if God had forbidden man the eating of the tree of good and euill for feare least he should become like vnto God by the knowledge of good and euill As for our Lord Iesus Christ it is not to be doubted but the deuill hath sclandered him For what greater sclander would any man haue thē sclanderously to put him to death So that if Satan entered into Iudas togither with the soppe to the end to cause him to bring his treason to effect who doubteth but he had likewise quoifed the Scribes and Phariseis to make them enterprise the death of the sonne of God which being so who can doubt but those goodly titles that the Phariseis gaue to our Lord Iesus Christ were forged in the same shop and by the same workmā who charged our Lord that by Beelzebub the Prince of deuils he cast out deuils If thē he durst so shamelesly set him selfe against God his only sonne is it any maruell that he dare set vpon men the seruants of God bruting abroad in all places that the faithfull which serue God vnder the puritie of Reformation are heretickes We are therefore to know that as to Satan there is nothing more familier then to sclander God Christ Iesus and his faithfull members so is there nothing more familiar to the faithfull then to see them selues sclandered by the old serpent and his angels which are his members and supposts And this is so familiar and ordinarie to thē that there neede no example For we know what sclanders and persecutions Gods people haue endured by strangers and the Prophetes by their brethren in so much that it is written that no Prophet hath bene put to death but in Hierusalem And this teacheth vs that euen such as in outward profession seeme to be Gods people do for the most part persecute Gods elect and those whō he will sanctifie and separate from the broad way that leadeth to destruction For as they that among the Israelites sacrificed vnto Baal did persecute them which bowed not vnto him euē so in the Church which is termed Christiā they that folow like superstitions do persecute those that will not cleaue to the same For this cause in the Apocalypse the Church which is compared to a woman enuironed with the sunne crowned with 12. starres standing vpon the moone is notably said to be sent into the wildernesse by the two winges of the great eagle Which great eagle hath relation to the Romaine Empire and the dependances thereof as is the Papacie which hath brought this woman into the wildernesse where being she is compared to a mightie harlot holding a cup full of the abhomination of her whoredomes which are the superstitions that separate vs from the desolate woman and replenished with the bloud of the Martyrs which hath bene shed because they would not cleaue to these superstitions Euen as the Idolatrous Church of Israell persecuted the true faithfull which serued God in purenesse so also the desolate and superstitious Church amōg the Christians doth persecute the faithfull that seeke to serue God purely and without superstition But withall the examples of the pacience of the faithfull in old tyme should be vnto vs a miror of pacience and the promises of our deliuerance which God hath made vs ought to be as it were oyle to refresh the lampe of our hope as also these fatherly corrections should be a testimonie vnto vs that God accompteth vs his children to the end that we walke worthely as children of such a father separating our selues from the vanitie and frowardnesse of the world to follow the truth in abandoning vanitie and seeking to ouercome the world by that faith which is the victorie arming our faith with charitie zeale sinceritie truth and the feare of God Now the cause why we see that the faithfull are ordinarily persecuted not onely by strangers but also by those that aduow them selues to be the people of God and of his Church is because that in the Church there be both of the children of Agar and of the children of Sara and the children of Agar do vsually despise and persecute the children of Sara albeit to their own harmes And Iacob also was an exile 20. yeares in a forem land for feare of his brother Esau so doe we ordinarily see in the Church of God that they that are borne after the flesh doe persecute those that are borne after the promise appertaining to Gods election The aduersaries of the Reformation do say that the Reformed are heretickes whereto I aunswere that reason maketh the man truth the Christiā To speake without reason is not the part of a man but to bable and to speake against the truth by charging any one in that which concerneth the conscience is to sclander and it is the deuils rhetorick Christian Religion is not built vpon auctoritie but vpon truth not vpon the auctoritie of men but vpon the truth that is of God If the aduersaries of Reformation should be driuen to proue their accusation by reason and truth they would be shreudly troubled and we may plainly say that they could not do it because that either they are ignorant wherein Reformation doth consist or if they know they can not taxe it of heresie without speaking against their owne consciences and therefore we will entreat vpō this point to the end that in few wordes it may manifestly appeare that there is no heresie in Reformation and also that all that the Reformed are charged withall is but sclander It is the part of a good archer to finde the white at the first view and to hit it with the first shaft and he shall be deemed a good and expert master so that it come not by chance S. Paule hath shewed the excellēcie of his arte in that with one only arrow he reached the end of the law and with an other the mark that was set vp as the end of the Gospell The arrow wherewith he hath hit the end of the law was but one onely worde vnder the which he hath comprehended the whole doctrine of the law and that is Charitie and the shaft wherewith he pierced the mark of the Gospell is also this onely word Faith where vnder he hath also comprehended the whole doctrine of the Gospell Now then if any man would know wherein consisteth the difference betweene Reformation and the doctrine termed Catholick it is in the superstition For take the superstition out of that Religion which in name is termed Catholick and there will remaine no difference betweene the Catholick and the Reformed and therefore I appeale to the iudgement of any discret person in this case videl whether it be heresie not to cleaue to superstition for if it be heresie Reformation
it to earthly bread for we must eate it as liuing bread sith Iesus Christ saith that he is the liuing bread and the bread of life But there is great difference betweene eating it as liuing bread and eating it as a dead sencelesse earthly and immoueable bread And transubstantiation gain saith the eating of it as liuing bread when it representeth it vnder the earthly kindes of a dead and immoueable bread which is a speach most vnworthy the body of Iesus Christ besides that we doe subiect the heauenly thing signified vnto the earthly signe which is yet more vnworthy the doctrine of the Eucharist and therefore the abandoning of such doctrine is no heresie Thereby also it appeareth that it is superstition to worship the Sacramentall bread because the thing signified ought not to be subiected to the thing signifying and his body which cōteineth all thinges can not be comprised in a dead and earthly thing This is still to worship the brasen serpent which was but brasse yet was no lesse a Sacrament of Iesus Christ hanging vpon tree then is the Sacramentall bread And therefore these matters are but superstitions whereto we are not bounde to cleaue And such as persecute vs because we will not bend our neckes to the yoke of superstitions doe lend to a good marchant who is able to pay them well again They haue a marueilous accompt to make but we thankes be to God may giue a good accompt of our conuersation not before men onely but euen before God who will not be deceaued and therefore let these men looke what accompt they be able to giue before God for men may sometimes be deceaued but God will not be dalyed with all The corrosiue of conscience may for a while suffer them to sleepe but the fire once kindled therein will neuer be quenched S. Paule saith It is an horrible thing to fall into the handes of the liuing God As touching the Masse Reformation is not an enemy simply to it but also to the superstitions wherewith it is stuffed Some Catholickes there be that say that we doe euill in that we cleaue not to the Masse because there be some good thinges therein as the Epistle and the Gospell True it is there be good things but there be also bad namely all that is superstitious therefore take away the bad and so shall we soone compound for the rest and grow to agreement Traditions haue also in part bene the cause of our separation from the Pope but who will for that accuse vs of heresie haue not both Esay and Iesus Christ taught the same yea there be such traditions as S. Paule termeth doctrine of deuils as is that of vowed chastitie for S. Paule testifieth that Gods spirite expressely doth say that in the latter dayes some shall reuolt from the faith cleauing to spirites of errour the doctrine of deuils speaking lyes in hypocrisie hauing their consciences seared with a hoate iron forbidding mariage and commanding abstinence from meates created by God for vs to vse with thankesgiuing These be S. Paules owne wordes Now let vs see who they are of whom he speaketh They are those that prohibite mariage he speaketh then of the Pope for he forbiddeth mariage in commanding chastitie For what is chastitie but a prohition from mariage But what doth he say of them First he saith that they be reuolted frō the faith they be then gone frō the groundes thereof Tell me then be not they that erre from the grounds of faith heretickes Then is the Pope an hereticke euen by the euident testimonie of Gods spirite and yet doth he accuse vs of heresie He saith well but who is he that condemneth vs of heresie It is the Pope Then is it a man and we may well appeale vnto God But he that pronounceth that the Pope is reuolted from the faith and so consequētly an hereticke is the spirite of God I pray you thē to whom shall he appeale what will he thinke that Gods spirite hath spoken vnwisely therefore is ready to recant his sentēce which he hath so solemnely pronounced Secondly he saith that they depend vpon the spirites of errour Then are not we to hang vpon them Thirdly he saith that they cleaue to the doctrine of deuils Is not that I pray you to communicate in the cup of deuils then can they not communicate in the cup of the Lord for S. Paule witnesseth that we can can not be partakers of the cup of the Lord and of the cup of deuils we can not then communicate with them but we must also communicate in the cup of deuils which we can not doe but by renouncing the cup of Christ Are we to be blamed then for departing from them Fourthly he saith that they speake lyes in hypocrisie which appeareth manifestly in the sclaunder that they charge vs with when they taxe vs with heresie For would you haue a greater lye then that what greater hypocrisie doe you require then the same which contrary to his owne conscience sclaundereth his neighbour Fifthly he saith their consciences are seared whereby we see that it is not without cause that they resist the truth For a man would greatly marueile to see these resist so euident a light for the vpholding of those superstitions wherein the darknesse is as palpable as was that of Egypt in times past But now that we know their consciences to be seared we thinke it no more straunge that they resist the truth considering that the searing of their consciences doth take from them all feeling thereof Here might some obiect that S. Paule speaketh of other heretickes that may come after vs not of the Pope I graunt he may also speake of others neuerthelesse it followeth not thereby that he speaketh not of the Pope and for proofe thereof I will for example bring Gods saying to Noah He that sheddeth a mans bloud let his bloud be shed by man How if a murtherer should say that this were not spoken by him but by his neighbour who might peraduenture haue killed a man would not the Iudge aunswere that it had relation to both yea and to all other shedders of mans bloud who thereby doe make them selues guiltie of the same offence In like maner if there were a hundred sectes which prohibited mariage and the vse of meates the spirit of God in the place before alledged doth note all the whole hundred all other consequēces would be as forcible against euery of the hundred as they be against the Pope My meaning is that all such Doctors which propound the traditiōs of vowed chastitie for a doctrine that is to make a cōscience therof are reproued by S. Paule Neuerthelesse I say that the reason is not a like when we keepe Lent vpō policie without binding the consciēce because that in that case it is no snare to the conscience Here might some man say that S. Paule there speaketh of the latter dayes
Papacie and of all the kingdomes that shall oppose them selues against Christ which shall be broken as a glasse vnder an iron scepter Hitherto it hath seemed that to raigne it needed but to turne the backe to Christ But all things haue their tyme and their course and now is the periode come and the case altered and euery kingdome must perish that shall oppose it selfe against Christes kingdome Hitherto the daughter of Babell hath made the daughter of Sion to drinke of the cup of afflictiō but hereafter her selfe shall drinke the dregs therof For the Lord shal take the cup of his wrath out of the hands of the daughter of Sion and make Babylon dronken therewith Moreouer I say tht sith God hath giuen vs a King we must loue and honor him and speake of him wisely and modestly because he is our superiour and our soueraigne we owe him all honor duetie We know how Manasses afflicted the people that defended the puritie of Gods word him selfe maintaining Idolatrie yet did God so teach his harte that through a goodly conuersion he glorified God neither is Gods power or mercy lesse now then it was then The hartes of kings are in his hands he is able to turne the harte of our King yea God can make of a hart of Manasses persecuting the Church the hart of an Ezechias or a Iosias Reforming the Church and he can doe vs more good in one day then hitherto he hath done vs harme Also we must not onely haue a respect to our King in yeelding honor to whom honor belongeth feare to whom feare and tribute to whō tribute but we must also beare our selues modestly toward all others yea albeit they be our aduersaries as knowing that they haue as it were some pretence to thinke euill of vs by reason of such false reports as haue bene made them For the deuill neuer wanteth sclaunders neither publishers of the same but we following our Lordes instructions must do good to our enemies and not returne one reproche in exchaunge for an other yea we must ouercome their euill with our goodnesse and their curses with our good speaches by speaking well of them and euill of none rather couering their vices and imperfectiōs if we know of any then casting thē in the teeth with the same for God requireth not a vaine light harebrainde and rash people but such as be wise as by Moses he teacheth which wisedome he layeth vs down in his word the beginning whereof is the feare of God the end is charitie the foundation is Gods word the building is faith the crowne of the worke is glory euerlasting But each glory hath his triumph proceeding of some victorie and the victory of faith is the victorie ouer the world howbeit our faith must be armed with discretion modestie paciēce for by such weapons shall we obteine more victories then by the sword neither is the victorie ouer the hart gottē by the sword well may it be wonne by modestie By modesty may the harts of the mighty be wonne to do vs good or at the least to do vs lesse harme then they would Besides if ye behaue your selues according to that wisedom which God requireth of his people you shal no more but opē your hands you shall finde them replenished with Gods blessinges Open your mouth saith the Psalmist and it shall be filled with meate God will stirre you vp such friends as you haue not sought He will make you to eate the fruictes which you haue neither planted nor sowen and he will giue you the victorie when you do but looke on I would not wish you to defend Religion with the sword which should be defended with spirituall weapons but in deede it is one thing to defend Religion and an other to defend the people that mainteine Religion For Religion must be defended with the sword of the word but as for Religious people God hath alwayes in store a Dauid to defend thē with the sword when soeuer neede shall require you know that Michaell and his angels doe fight for vs against the Dragon and his angels what shall we then feare Let vs feare God and we shall be freed from the feare of the world let vs be wise and circumspect in our deliberations modest in our actions and sober in our discourses let vs repose our confidence in God and endeuour to do well so will God be vpon our side and so take our partes as nothing shall be able to hurt vs. The difference betwene the Catholiques and the Reformed hath seemed greater then it is because the world hath imagined that some part of the controuersie consisted in the state yea there are some that haue supposed that simple abuses and ceremonies onely were in part cause of the schisme but now may we easily perceaue by the reasons hitherto deducted that there remaineth no farther difference but the superstition that is to say for the Idols which S. Paule tearmeth deuils and for the superstitious traditions which he calleth the doctrine of deuils so that such as hereafter shall fight against vs can not fight but for deuils which are the Dragon and his Angels whereas we do fight for the contrary part which is the part of Michael and his Angels neither fight we in doubtfull hope for we know that our Michaell who is the King of Kings shall ouercome the ten hornes of the Beast which are the confederates in the League Now therefore let the Catholques looke to their businesse to wit whether they will defend the deuils cause for whatsoeuer shift they find yet can they not escape but S. Paule will conuince them in proofe that superstitions are the cup of deuils To new occurrences we must haue new deliberations They are therefore now to deliberate vpon the argument which we propound I do here summon them to the throne of God the creator of all things and of Iesus Christ the redeemer of his people to looke well to their doings for it is no small matter that they haue in hand I wash my hands before God that if any euill happen them it shall from henceforth be through their owne fault let them consider whether they will fight for the doctrine of deuils for there is if they marke it no question but of that point and so much the better both for them and vs but if they obstinately will support the cause of deuils so much the worse for them and they shall find a punisher and yet shall we neuerthelesse be releeued If they will not see or heare the iust exhortation made vnto them their contumacie also will condemne them For contumacie is imputed to the wrongfulnesse of the cause and maketh the contumaxe guiltie of the crime whereof he is accused I summe howsoeuer it be our cause can not but be holpen because it referreth it selfe to trial and that God hath