did sett an order for all the roumes in purgatory and for al kindes of punishment as for the poore vnhappy soules some he assigned vnto punishement some againe for money he toke out by and by at his pleasure also that he toke order for priuate masses that they should be said in euery corner That he whispered the holy misteries wyth a lowe voice and in a strange tonge set vp the Sacrament in all Churches and vpon euery altare caried it whersoeuer he went with lightes and sacring belles before him vpon an ambeling Genet that hee consecrated Oyle Waxe Woolle Belles Chalices Churches Alters with his holy brethe that he solde Iubilees graces licences expectations preuentions Annates Palles the vse of Palles Bulles pardons charters y t he called himselfe the head of the Church the chief Bysshop and Byshop of Bysshops and the only Most holy y t by vsurpation he tooke vpon hym a right and aucthorite ouer other mens Churches exempted himselfe frō vnder all ciuill power y t he made warres set Princes together by the eares and y t hauing his crown garnished w t goldē pendantes his pompous apparell comparable w t the Persians hys royal Sceptre hys golden diademe glyttering with precious stones he rode in a chayre of golde caried vpon noble mennes shoulders these thynges forsoothe dyd Peter when he was at Rome and the very same he deliuered as it were from hande to hande vnto his successours For these thinges be done by the Popes at this daye in Rome and be so done as though nothing else ought to be done Or excepte paraduenture they had rather aunswere thus that the Pope at this daye doth all those thinges which we knowe Peter did in time paste that he trauaileth heare and there in to all Coūtries preaching the Gospell not only in opē assemblies but also priually from howse to howse y t he plieth his businesse in season oute of season in time out of time that he doth the duty of an Euāgelist accomplisheth the ministery of Christ becommeth a watchman ouer the howse of Israell receiueth y e scriptures and worde of God and as he hath receiued them so deliuereth them againe to y e people that he is the salt of y e earth the light of the world that he fedeth not himselfe but hys flocke that he dothe not entangle hymselfe with worldly buisines appertaining to this life nor vsurpeth no dominion ouer the Lords people y t he seketh not to be serued himself of others but rather himself to serue others that he accoūteth all Bysshops for his fellowes and equalles that he is a subiect vnto Princes as vnto those that are sent of God giueth vnto Cesar that which appertaineth to Cesar and that according as the auncient Byshops of Rome did without exception he calleth the Emperour his Lorde Now onles the Popes doe these thinges at this day and except Peter doe those thinges which we spake of before there is no cause why they should bragge so much of the name of Peter and of this succession and lesse a great deale why they should complaine of our departing cal vs home againe vnto their faith and felowship It is said that a certaine Lacedemonian called Cobilo what time he was sent Embassadour to make a league with the Kinge of Persia and founde by chaunce certaine courtyers playing at the dise by and by without further consideration of his busines retourned home againe and when he was asked wherfore he had so little regarde to the doing of those things which he had in commission by common aucthoritie for to doe he answered that he thought it shoulde haue tourned to the slaunder of the common welth if he should haue made a league w t diseplaiers But if we should dispose our selues to retourn againe vnto the Pope and to his errors and make a league not onli with diseplaiers but also with men of much lewder condition then disers this shoulde be not onely slaunderous towardes our good name but also towardes the procuring of gods wrathe against vs and the oppressyon and vtter ouerwhelming of our owne consciences full of presente myschyefe For wee surelye departed from hym whom we sawe had blynded the worlde nowe manye yeares together from hym that was wonte ouer arrogantelye to auaunte hymselfe that hee coulde not erre and what soeuer he dyd that hee myght not be iudged of any mortall man not of kinges not of Emperours not of the whole clergye not of all the worlde together no not if he shoulde carye with hym a thousande soules to Hell from him that toke vpon him to commaunde not only men but also the Angels of God to goe to come to leade soules into purgatory to bring them back againe when it liked him whom Gregory did most plainly affirme to be the Uaunteurrer and standerdberer of Antichrist and that he had renounced the catholike Faith frō whom not long agoe those countrie men of oures that be the ringleders of such as bende themself against the Gospell and against the knowne truth did of their owne choyse and gladly euery one of them disseuer themself neither yet would they be vnwilling to doe it at this day were it not that that the blemishe of inconstancye and shame and their estimatiō amongst the people did let them To cōclude we haue forsaken him to whom we were not bounde and who had nothing except it were onely a certaine fonde ymagination of preeminence of the place and succession that he coulde saye for hymselfe And yet we of all other nations had most iust cause to departe from him for our Kinges euen those also which most carefully inclined themselfe to obey the Authorite and faith of the Bishops of Rome haue felt sufficiētly now long agoe the yoke tiranny of the Popes kingdome For both from our king Henry the second of that name the Romaine Bysshops did plucke the Crowne from his heade commaunding him all his Maiestye laide a parte and in a priuate arraye to the intent he shoulde be a laughinge stocke to all hys people to present himselfe as an humble petitioner and suter before his legate And also against oure king Ihon armed the Byshops and Monks and some parte also of the nobilitie and discharged all his subiects of the othe of their allegeance wherby thei were bound vnto him and last of all moste wyckedly they spoyled hym by trayterous meanes not onely of his kingdome but also of his lyfe And vpon king Henry the eight of y t name a most noble Prince thei thundered out their curses and lightnings of excommunication and stirred vp against him sometimes the Emperoure somtimes the Frenche king so much as was in them gaue ouer the whole Realme to the praie and to y e spoyle doubtles very madde and foolished men that could beleue that either so great a kyng might be made a gaste with bugges and with clyckets or that so mighty a kingdome might be so easily deuoured as
professed mighte bee broughte in question specially if thei should seme by their silence in manner to acknoledg the fault least I say this silence sholde hinder y e course of the Gospell thei made orations thei wrote supplications spake before Emperours and Princes in the open defence of them and of theirs As for vs inasmuche as within these .20 yeares laste paste so many thousandes of our brethrē in the middest of their extreme tormēts haue borne witnes to y e truth Princes coueting to bridel y e Gospell in moyling many waies haue lobored all in vaine and that the whole worlde in manner beginneth now to open their eies to beholde y e light we thinke that our cause is already sufficiently pleaded defended and that wheras the matter it selfe speaketh inough for it self there is no great neede of words For if the Popes themselues would or rather if thei coulde consider wyth them selues the whole matter the beginnings and the māner of the encrease of out religion how that their trasshe in manner euery white when no man touched it withoute all helpe of man sell downe to the grounde againe how our profession at the first not withstandinge the continual resistence of Emperors of so many Kynges of Popes Bishops of all men in māner hath encreased and by litle litle spred ouer al the earth and now also at the length is entered in to the Courtes and Palaces of kings euen these things onely might be sufficient tokens wherby to vnderstand that God himself doth fight in our defence and skorneth from heauen all their endeuours that so mighty is the power of truth y t no force of man nor yet Hel gates can withstand it For be ye sure so many free cities so many kings so many Princes as at this day haue abandoned the sea of Rome and adioyned themself to the Gospel of Christe are not become madde And albeit peraduenture hetherto the Popes haue had no leisure to thinke aduisedli earnestly vpō these matters or if now at this day they be letted encombred w t other busines or if thei take these kinde of trauails to be base light matters to appertaine nothing to the maiestie of a Pope yet our cause oughte to seeme therefore neuer a whit the worse Nother if perhaps thei wil not see these thinges whiche thei do see but rather fighte against the knowne truthe ar we therefore by and by to be taken for Heretikes whiche do not apply our selues to their will Truly if Pope Pius had ben the man I saye not whiche he desiereth to be taken for but if he were at the least suche a one as had accounted vs to be other as his brothren or at the leaste as men he woulde fyrste haue diligently waied oure reasons bothe what we haue to saye for vs and what may be saide againste vs not so rashely onely with a blinde sentence determined afore hande in that Bul of his wherin of late he made a counterfaite shewe of a Councell haue condemned a good part of the worlde so many learned godly men so many commō weales so many Kynges so many Princes the persons vnheard the cause not pleaded But inasmuche as he hathe now openly slaundered vs after this sorte leaste that by silence we might seeme to confesse the faulte and specially bicause that in the open Councell wherein he will suffer no man but onely suche as are sworne and addicted vnto his vsurped power to haue authoritie to gyue a voyce or to declare his minde we can in no wise be hearde for therof in the laste assemble at Trente we had ouer muche experience what time the Embassadours and diuines of the Princes and of the free citees of Germany were vtterly excluded out of all their assembles nother can we yet forget how that Iulius the 3 tenne yeares past in his bul strayghtly did forbid that no man of oure proffessyon shoulde be hearde in the councell onlesse paraduenture there were any that woulde recante and chaunge his opiniō euen for these causes specially we haue thought it good to render a reason of oure faithe by writinge vnto suche thinges as are openly obiected againste vs truly openly to answer to the entēt the whole worlde may see the partes and the foundation of that doctrine whiche so many godly men haue preferred before their owne liffes that all men may vnderstande what māner of men thei be and what thei do thinke of God of religion whome the Byshop of Rome not wel aduised hathe condemned for Heretiks yea before thei were called to pleade their cause without lawe without example onely bicause he hearde say thei differed from him from his in some parte of Religion And although in the suspicion of Heresy S. Ierome will haue noe man to be pacient neuerthelesse we wyll demeane our selfe nother bitterly nor tantingly w t many wordes nor yet be caried into any chauffe with anger although in dede he ought not to seeme bitter or tātinge that speaketh truth But this kynde of eloquence we are content to leaue to our aduersaries who what soeuer thei speake against vs thoe it be neuer so bytterly or slanderously spoken yet it is modestly spoken and to good purpose how truly or falslye therof thei make no great account Suche kinde of sleights we haue no nede of that defende the truth But in case we doe proue that the sacred Gospell of God and the auncient Bishops together with the primitiue Churche dothe make for vs and that we haue vpon iuste cause bothe departed from these men and also retourned now againe vnto the Apostles and olde catholike fathers and that we do it in dede not couertly or craftely but with a good conscience before God truly frankly clerely plainely if thei them selues which flee oure doctrine and will be caled Catholikes shal euidently se al those tytles of ātiquitie wherin thei glorie so much wrounge out of their handes that ther is more pith in our cause then euer thei coulde imagine we trust no man amongest them wil be so negligente of his saluaciō but that he will at some time take in hande to bethynke hym selfe vnto whether parte it were best for him to sticke vnto and truly no man except suche a one as hath hardned his hart and wil not heare shal repent him selfe of his laboure to haue geuen eare vnto oure defence and to haue marked bothe what we do say and how agreably vnto y e whole course of Christiā religiō For wher as thei cal vs Heretikes truly the fault is so great y t vnles it be seene vnles it be felte vnles it be gryped with handes and fingers it ought not easily to be beleued of him that is a Christian mā For Heresie is a renouncing of saluation a casting awaie of the grace of God a departing from the bodi and spirit of Christ. But this thing was neuer
perceaued out of what kinred euery man was descendid to be burned and vtterly to be defaced onely to this ende that nothing hereafter should remayne in recorde wherby it might appeare that he were a stranger Euen so doe these men in all pointes when as bicause they would haue all their deuises to be had in as great price as though they had bene deliuered from the Apostels or from Christe leaste that any thyng should at any time remayne that might reproue such dreames and lies other they burne the holy scriptures or craftely conueye them from the people Chrysostome surely writeth very well and agaynst the endeuour of these men excedyng aptly Heretikes sayth he shut vp the gates agaynst the truthe for they know right well if they be open the Churche shall not be on theyr side And Theophylacte The worde of God saythe he is the lanterne of light whereby the thief is espied And Tertullian sayth The holy scripture doth trie out the guyles theftes of heretikes For why doe thei hyde why doe they kepe vnder couert that gospel which Christ would haue to sounde from the toppes of houses Why doe they conuey y t light vnder a busshel whiche ought to stande vpon the candelstike why doe thei repose their trust rather in the blindnes ignorāce of the vnskilful multitude than in the goodnes of their cause Doe they suppose that theyr sleyghts be not yet espied or that they can nowe as thoe they had Gyges ring walke inuisible Assure your selfe now all menne seeth well inough what is within that same storeboxe of the Popes bosome euen this thing onely maye be a good argument y t they deale not vprightly and truely That cause ought of right to be suspected that flyeth the triall light For he that doeth euil as Christ saith seketh after darkenes and hateth the light A cleare cōsciēce offereth him self willingly to the shew that those workes whiche doe procede from God maye be seene They ar not so vtterly blinde but that they see this wel inough that if the scriptures haue the vpper hāde their kingdome is by and by ouerthrowen and that like as it is sayd of the Idols of the Gētyles frō whome in old time they fetched all oracles answers that at the presence of Christe when he came into the world they sodenly became dumme euen so now also at the sight of the gospel al theyr sleightes by and by fall headlong to the grounde For Antichrist is not ouerthrowē but by the clearnesse of Christes commyng We flee not as these menne are wonte to doe to the fyre but to the scriptures nor we doe not besege them with the sworde but with the worde of God thereby as Tertullian sayth we doe nurrish our fayth thereby we doe rayse vp our hope thereby we doe establish our assurāce For we know that the gospel of Iesus Christ is the powre of God vnto saluation and that in hit is euerlasting life And therfore we giue no eare according as S. Paule doth admonish vs no not to an Angel of God cōming from heauē in case he goe about to withdrawe vs frō any parte of this doctrine No as y e right holy mā Iustinus martyr sayth of him self We wold not beleue God himself in case he would teach vs an other gospel For where as these mē doe shake of y e scriptures as things y t cā not speake ar good for nothing and appeale rather vnto God himselfe speaking in the Church in councels y t is to say to their owne fansies opiniōs y t is bothe a very uncertain way to finde out the truth very ful of daunger somwhat like y e heathenysh māner of illudynge the people w t their furious inspirations such a waye as of the holy fathers was neuer approued Chrysostome saythe y t ofte times there be many that bragge of the holy ghoste but certainely sayth he they y t speake of their owne heades doe vntruly boaste thē selfe to haue the spirit of God For like as Christe sayeth he what time he spake out of the lawe and the Prophetes denied that he spake of him self euē so nowe if any other thyng but the gospell be enforced vpon vs vnder the name of the holy ghost we ought not to beleue it for as Christ is the fulfilling of the law the Prophetes so is the Spirite the fulfillyng of the gospell these be the wordes of S. Chrysostome But these menne although they haue not the holy scriptures yet peraduēture they haue the auncient doctors and holy fathers For in this they haue alwayes made their vaunt that all antiquite and the vniuersall consent of al ages was on their side Againe that al our opiniōs ar newe and grene and neuer hearde of before these fewe yeres nowe laste paste Doubtles there is nothing can be spoken of greater weight against the religion of God then when it is accused of noueltie for like as in God him self so in his religion there ought to be nothyng newe neuerthelesse we can not tel how it cometh to passe that from the beginning of the world we haue alwaies seene it in experiēce that as oftē as God wolde as it were kindle and disclose his truth vnto men althoe it were of it self not onely most aunciēt but also euerlastyng yet of wicked men and of such as were enemies therunto it was called grene and newe stuffe A man that wicked bloudy man onely to brynge the Iewes into hatered accused them to the king Assuerus after this sorte Thou haste here saieth he O king a people which in vsing certain newe lawes ar agaynst al thy lawes stobberne and rebellious Paule also at Athens so sone as he beganne to teache and to set forth the gospel was reported to be a setter forth of new goddes that is to say of newe religion And may we not saye they learne of the what māner of new doctrine is this And Celsus what time he wrote of purpose against Christ to the intent that after a more contemptuous māner he might scoffe out the Gospel with a slaunder of nouelty Hath God saith he now at the length after so many ages called himself to so late a rememberance Eusebius saith also that Christiā religion euen from the beginning was called in reproche 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye new and strange Euen after the same sorte these men doe condemne all things that we doe allow for new and straunge their owne thinges againe whatsoeuer they be they will haue them to be commended as moste auncient And lyke as Necromanciers and Witches at this day such as haue to doe with Deuils are wont to say that thei haue their bookes and all their sacred hidd misteries from Athanasius from Cyprian from Moises from Abel from Adam and also from Raphael the Archangel to the intent that that skil which had proceded frō such authors and inuentours might be
as though forsoothe that nowe also the whole worlde myght not perceiue that this is a very conspiracy and not a Coūcell and that these Byshops which the Pope hath called vnto him at this time are not by their othe and affection vtterly addicted vnto his name and wil neuer do any thing but that which they shal perceiue to agre with his pleasure to make for the aduaucement of his power and to be according to his will or that amongest them euery mans reason and sentence were not rather nūbered then wayed or that the better parte were not ofte times oppressed with the greater Whereupon we know that ofte times it hath come to passe y t many good men and Catholike Bysshops what time such Councels were summoned wherin factions and parts were openly maintained knowing that they should only leese their labour in as much as the mindes of their aduersaries were bent vpon euill and therfore not possible to doe any good haue tarried at home Athanasius beyng called by Themperour to the Councell of Cesarea when he saw that he shoulde present himselfe to y e deadly hatered of his aduersaries he refused to come The same man afterwardes being come to the Councell of Syrmin when his minde gaue him by reason of the fiersenes and hatred of his enemies to what ende y e matter would come he trussed vp his baggage went his way Iohn Chrysostome although the Emperour Constātius had sent for him by fower letters to come to the Councell of the Arrians yet he kept himselfe at home What time as Maximus the Bysshop of Hierusalem sate in the councell of Palestine the olde man Paphnutius taking him by the hande ledde him out of the dores saying it is not lawefull for vs to sit in councell of these matters amongest these wicked men Unto the councell of Syrmin from which Athanasius did conuey himselfe away the Bysshops of the Weste countries woulde not repaire Cyril appealed bi his letters from the councell of those that were called Patropassiani Pauline the Bysshop of Trier diuers others when they saw the practise and power of Auxentius refused to come to the councell of Millane For in vaine they saw they should go vnto y t place where no reason but faction was hearde and where al causes were determinable not according to iudgemēt but according to fauor And yet they albeit they had neuer so greuous and obstinate aduersaries neuertheles if they had come at the least they shoulde haue had free liberty to speake to be hearde in the councell But as for vs in as much as it is not lawful for ani of our sort once to sitte or so much as to be seene in the assemblie of these men much lesse to be hearde freely to speake and on the other side for as much as the Popes Legates the Patriarches the Archbyshops the Bysshoppes the Abbots all coniured together al fettered in one faute al bound with one othe only haue place to sit only haue aucthoritie to giue their voice and in cōclusiō as though thei had done nothing to submit al their iudgements to the Popes wil and pleasure alone euen to the intent that he who ought rather to haue pleaded his own cause at the barre should giue sentēce of himself in as much I say as that olde and Christiā liberty which in all Christian Councels ought chiefly to be maintained is now in coūcel vtterly takē away no good and godly man ought to maruaile if wee doe now at this time that thing which thei see the fathers and Catholike Bysshops did afore time whē like cause was offered so that bycause in the councell we cā not be heard Princes Embassadors ar laughed to scorne and we all as though the matter were already dispatched and concluded ar before iudgement condempned if I say we had rather tary at home cōmit the whole matter vnto God then to go to y e place where we shall neither haue any place nor yet any thing preuaile at al. But as touching our own iniuries we can beare them paciently quietly ynough But wherfore I pray you doe they exclude Christian Kinges and godly Princes from their councels Why doe they either so vncurtesly dispatche them out of their company or reiect them w t such reproche when that as though they were no Christian men or were not able to iudge they will not suffer them to sit in counsell in causes of Religion nor to knowe the state of their owne Churches Or in case they doe entermedle at any time by their aucthoritie doe y e thing which thei may do which thei are cōmanded to doe which they are bounde to do and which we know Dauid Salomō other good prīces haue done and take vpon them other whiles the Byshops be a sleepe or whiles they doe rebellyously resist to bridle y e raging lustes of priestes and both driue them to the doing of their duty and kepe them from disorder moreouer if they plucke downe Idolls withdraw superstition set vp the true worship of God Why crie they by and by that they turne all things vpside downe that they breake into other mens offices and behaue themselues lewdely and arrogantly What Scripture hath at any time forbidden Christiā Princes from y e hearing of such causes Whoe did euer make these lawes but these fellowes onely But they will say Ciuile princes haue learned how to manege the common welthe and to exercise armes as for the misteries of Religion they vnderstande them not Then I pray you what other is y e Pope at this day but a Monarche or a prince What be the Cardinals which degree it is now scantly lawfull for any others to haue then Kinges and Princes sonnes What be the Patriarches what Archbisshops for the most part what Bysshops what other be the Abbots at this day in y e Popes kingdome but worldly Princes but Dukes but Earles wyth stately gardes about them whersoeuer they go and decked also many times w t collers and chaines of Golde They haue in deede sometime a peculier apparell Crosses Pillers Hattes Myters Palls the which kinde of pompe the auncient Bysshops Chrysostome Augustine and Ambrose had neuer Now besides these things what teache they what say they what do they what liue they in any point that is comlye and commēdable not onely for a Bysshop but also for a Christian man Is it so great a matter to cary a counterfait title and for onely chaunge of garmentes to bee called a Bysshop Surely y t the waight of all gouernement should be assigned ouer vnto thē only which nether do know nor will know what appertaineth to these thinges nor set not a halfpeny by any part of Religiō further thē as it toucheth the kitchin the belly y t they onely shoulde be made iudges and be appointed as it were blind men to keepe the watche towre on the other syde to haue a Christian prince