should be defaced for the peéuish pratyng of one Portingall Surely if the aucthoritie of a woman haue not prerogatiue in decidyng determining Ecclesiasticall causes Gregory did not demeane him selfe discreétly who in a cause of purgatiō of a certein womā named Mēna sent backe that Appeale to Brunichelda the Frenche Queéne as to her lawfull Princesse Gouernesse What shall I say of Eleutherius Pope of Rome who writyng vnto Lucius kyng of Englād called him the Uicar of God within the precinct of his owne kyngdome and therfore doth exhort and require him that he gouerne his Realme with wholesome ordinaunces established by the word of God If Christian Kynges and Princes euery one within their owne seuerall Realmes do as it were represent the Uicares of God vpon earth I beseéch you Osorius what is more proper vnto God then to prouide circumspectly for the well orderyng and good dispositiō of such thynges as apperteigne to the Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction But of this enough and more then enough But of all other this is a most pleasaunt iest very fitt for a Rhetorician Where you complayne bitterly that the Popes Byshops are dispoyled of their lawfull authoritie which seémeth to me euen as much in effect as if AEsopes Crow should take an action agaynst the litle byrdes for entryng vpon possession of their owne feathers which were their own of right But bycause this matter hath bene sufficiently enough debated already take here a resolute aunswere Osorius for the knittyng vppe of this knotte in fewe wordes Peruse throughly this whole Papane whatsoeuer which you call by the name of a lawfull aucthoritie I speake not of the personages that haue supplyed the place I say behold agayne and agayne the whole forme and proportion of that Seé and Pontificall royaltie as it is at this present the conuersation the practizes the orders the insolency the pryde the greédynes the cruelty the slaughters executed the infinite vnspeakeable Martyrdomes the Idolatryes the blasphemyes the immoderate iniuries and tyrannies of this Popish Church behold I say search out examine and circūspectly consider with your eyes and emprinte in your imaginatiō all the premisses withall compare all the same to the notes signes and Prognostifications of the Propheticall Scriptures and if it do not approue by the infallible Prophecies and most certein tokens and for eshewynges and markes of the sacred Scripture that this same Prelate◠euen he whom you do propp vpp so proudly in that Pontificall Prelacy whom you defend so stoughtly is the very naturall Antichrist that Child of perdition Behold here I will yeld ouer my right and will become your bondman But if this cā not be denyed to be an vnuanguishable veritie nor gaynsayd by you by any reason nor can be mainteyned by you by any proofe or due Argumentes what will you say then Osorius Where is that authoritie violently taken from your lawfull Byshops which you haue most wickedly vsurped so long not without execrable iniury of other Christian Princes Wherefore either defend if you can that he that doth supply the place of that Romish Papane is not very Antichrist or cease from hēceforth to barcke so currishly agaynst the gouernement of our Mayden Queéne vnto whose authoritie we Englishmen do most humbly acknowledge our dutyfull subiection by the prouident appointment and most happy ordinaūce of almighty God whose Princely prerogative established from aboue neither are you able to suppresse but you shall withall become an errand rebell agaynst Gods ordinaūce nor yeld the souereignty thereof to that proud Prelate but that you shall herein conspire with Antichrist and denounce your selfe an open traytour agaynst Christ the Sonne of the liuyng God From hence now is our Portingall Parrott taken his flight hoppyng from one treé to an other and passing ouer many bushes and brambles that he may at the last come to his appointed marke to witte that last place of his booke wherein the seély Childish babe Haddō doth sayth he teare his owne flesh with his owne nayles and hath withall geuē him selfe a very deadly wounde c. If this gallaunt challēger were as valiaunt in armes as he can face out the matter with a carde of tenne surely he were mā good enough to ouerthrow all the Pigmees in the world Here is a great noyse of woundes yea and of deadly woūdes but God be praysed not so much as one dropp of bloud shedd we heare a sounde o◠mostruous stormes and horrible thundercrackes but neuer a droppe of rayne wherein to my conceipt happeneth to Osorius a chaunce not much vnlyke to that wherof the old tale maketh mention of an husbandman not all of the wisest that did sheare his Dogge Good Lord quoth he what a noyse is here and not so much as a locke of wolle But passing ouer those outcryes and painted speaches of Osorius Let vs consider the matter it selfe somewhat aduisedly The place of Haddon wherein this Scourgeluther doth so much whyppe Haddon is on this wise What now sayth Haddon shall this most sacred doctrine of the Gospell wherein we haue alwayes cōtinued by the space of xxx yeares together except that troublesome tyme of vi yeares wherin the Queenes Maiestie hath bene trayned and instructed from her infancie wherein her highnesse hath hadd so many trialles of Gods great bountyfull liberalitie towardes her wherein hath bene a generall consent of all estates wherein hath bene a settled stay of most excellent lawes and ordinaunces shall this so pure and syncere worshipping of God so circumspectly defended and established by the Royall Maiestie of all partes be defaced and disgraced thorough the crakes of a peeuish ` Portingall These be Haddones wordes in that which place will be worthe that notyng to seé what scarres Osorius hath espyed out The first is wherein Haddon doth name the sacred doctrine of the Gospell to be the Discipline of Luther Zuinglius Bucer Caluine and such lyke frantick fellowes Truely this is a greuous wound And why so forsooth because those men haue not onely with the rules of their doctrine but also with the euill example of their lyues haue rooted out all shamefastnes Modestye Ciuilitye and obedience First here be two lyes at a chopp but lett vs search out the other woundes Moreouer in steed of fayth and freedome they haue bestowed vpon their familiars presumptiō and rashnes together with vnpunishable lycentiousnes of sinning They haue in steede of true righteousnes brought in a false and deceitfull righteousnes They haue made God the Authour of all wickednes The decayed Church which they promised to Restore to her auncient integritye they haue defiled with more abhominations so that by how much the more a man doth encline to their discipline so much the more is he estraunged from all shamefastnes and Chastitie c. These be old winde shaken Broomes worne out before to the bare stumpes and which hath bene handled before sufficiently but haue you any new
punishement befalleth him sithence that first corruption bee suffreth it righteously and deseruedly For God is sayd to harden his hart whom hee will not mollifie so is hee sayd also to reiect him whom hee will not call and to blynd them whom he will not enlighten For whom hee hath Predestinate them hath he called c. 2. Moreouer after this withdrawyng of Grace this also followeth thereupon That God doth righteously minister occasioÌ„ of sinnyng in the wicked and reprobate and maruelously enclineth the hartes of men not onely to good but also to euill If we may beleue the testimony of Augustine Who in his booke De Libero Arbit Grat. alledgyng certeine testimonies out of the Apostle Where it is sayd that God gaue them vp to vyle affections Rom. 1. And agayne hee deliuered them vp vnto a reprobate mynde And in an other place Therfore God doth send them strong delusion that they should beleeue lyes By these and such lyke testimonies of Sacred Scriptures appeareth sufficiently that God doth worke in the hartes of men to bende encline and bow their willes whereunto him listeth either to good accordyng to the riches of his mercy or to wickednesse accordyng to their owne desertes to witte by his IudgemeÌ„t sometymes reuealed in deede and sometymes secret but the same alwayes most righteous For this must be holdeÌ„ for certeine and vnshaken in our myndes That there is no iniquitie with God And for this cause when ye read in holy writte that meÌ„ are deceaued or amazed or hardened in hart doubt hereof nothyng at all but that their sinnefull deseruyngs were such before as that they did well deserue the punishment that followeth c. The premisses considered and for as much as God doth vse the peruersenes of men will they nill they to these purposes endes whereunto he hath decreéd them may any maÌ„ be doubtfull hereof but that God ought not by any meanes be excluded from the disposing of sinnes 3. Besides this also whereas the holy Ghost misdoubteth not to speake in the Scriptures after this vsuall phrase of speach to witte That God doth harden mens hartes doth deliuer vp into reprobate myndes doth dazell with blyndnesse doth make eares deafe doth lead into error and such like How shall we say that sinnes doe happen now without God Albeit neither doe we say that God is therefore properly and simply the cause of wickednesse whenas we are of our selues more then enough the true naturall cause of wickednesse Be it therfore that the will of maÌ„ is the cause of sinne but seyng this will must of Necessitie be subiect to the will of God and be directed by the same surely it may not be lawfull to exclude God from the direction and disposition of sinnes If Osorius shall thinke him selfe not yet fully satisfied with this auÌ„swere he may be resolued agayne if he will with this That the whole cause of sinne is resiaunt in man him selfe and in his corrupt will but the cause wherfore sinne doth become sinne must be ascribed to Gods good ordinaunce in the one wherof is sinne and the punishment for sinne as Augustine maketh mention Out of the other affections be ordeyned that such affectioâ—s as be may be wicked which affections notwithstandyng are not in the guidyng cause it selfe but are by hym guided to some good purpose end of which doctrine let vs heare what August doth him selfe testifie professe It is out of all controuersie sayth he That God doth well euen in suffering all things whatsoeuer yea euen in the thynges that be wickedly done for eueÌ„ those he suffereth to be done not without his most iust Iudgement now whatsoeuer is iust the same is good surely Therfore albeit the thynges that are wicked in this respect that they are wicked be not good yet that not onely good be but euill also is neuertheles good For if it were not good that wickednes should be surely the almightie goodnes it selfe would by no meanes permitte it to be done who without doubt can as easely not permit the thynges that he will not as he caÌ„ easily do the things that be done If we do not firmely beleue this the grouÌ„dworke of our faith wherein we do coÌ„fesse that we do beleue in God the Father almighty is in great hassard For God is not called omnipoteÌ„t for any other cause in very deede but bycause he is able to do what he will the operatioÌ„ of whose Deuine will the will of no creature caÌ„ hinder or preiudice by any meanes at all c. This much Augustine And bycause I will not be tedious I argue vpon Augustines wordes in this wise Euery good thyng doth proceede from God as from the Authour and guider therof But it is good that wickednesse be Ergo God is the Author and directer that wickednesse commeth to passe But here some Iulian of Pelagius sect with him our Portingall Prelate Osorius will brawle and cauill That those deédes of wickednesse are committed through the sufferaunce of God forsakyng them and not by his omnipotent power workyng in theÌ„ meanyng hereby I am sure That God doth permit wicked thynges to be done in deéde but by his power forceth no man to doe wickedly Agaynst such persones Augustine doth mightly oppose hym selfe euen to their teéche prouyng those thynges to be done by Gods power rather then by his SufferauÌ„ce and for more credite voucheth a place of S. Paule Who knittyng those two together to witte Sufferaunce and Power writeth after this maner What and if God willyng to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowen did suffer with long patience the vessels of his wrath prepared to destruction c. Rom. 9. Afterwardes produceth many examples reasons taken out here and there of the Propheticall Scriptures to make good his Assertion Achab was Deliued ouer to geue credite to the lyeng mouthes of the false Prophetes First in that he beleéued a lye you perceaue that he sinned Moreouer in that he was geuen ouer not without cause you conceaue the punishment of sinne I demaund of you now by whom hee was geuen ouer you will aunswere of Sathan neither will I deny it though it seéme rather that he was deceaued by him then deliuered ouer But goe to Who did send Sathan but he which sayd Go forth and doe so vnlesse Osorius do suppose that to send forth and to suffer be all one which besides him no man els will say I suppose By like Iudgement of God Roboam is sayd to be driuen to harken to sinister Counsell bycause he should refuse the counsell of the Elders And from wheÌ„ce came this I pray you but from him of whom it is written in holy writte For it was the ordinance of the Lord that he might performe his saying which he speake by the mouth of his Prophet 1. Kynges 15.12 The lyke must iudged of Amasias who had not fallen into that perill if he
c. First I would fayne learne what it was that these men did take vpon them to doe To call backe the life and most corrupt maners of men of that age to the perfect rule of the Gospell Truely they vndertooke a very hard charge farr exceeding all humayne power and abilitie Go to and where did Luther Zuinglius or any of the rest make any such promise of themselues by word or sillable of word so much at any time Surely I haue perused many of their works yet could I neuer finde any such thing hitherto If you haue glaunced vpon anye such thing by chaunce why do you not set down the place openly that the reader may perceaue that you deale not with forged lyes but with good matter not of any desire to cauill but of an vpright Iudgement not coldly and lyengly but simply and playnely not keeping a Iangling with vnsauory speaches and forged vntruthes which many men do blame you for but so and in such wise as you may seeme to haue made plaine demonstration of a true and iust reporte with as true and vpright a minde to haue the truth knowne by true proues and testimonies and not to mock and delude men with fables Surely it were to be wished of all good men that all Christians by profession and name would by all meanes possible leade their lyues truely Christianlike in all poyntes agreable with the doctrine which they professe And it is not to be doughted but that these new Gospellers as you call them did wishe this with all theyr hartes if wishing could haue auayled But to bryng the same to passe as was neuer in their power so did they neuer enter into any such couenaunt nor euer obliged themselues by any promise priuy or aperte that they would accomplishe the same Wherin how much you were not only deceaued in Luther but how much ye speake also against your self do ye but coniecture hereby For whereas Luther did professe that the substaunce of mans saluation did consist not in the life maners of men but in the onely fayth of the Sonne of God how doth this agree together that he whom a little earst you accused to be the subuertour of all honest accions and vertuous endeuour should nowe take vpon him to stoare and enriche the lyues and conuersacions of Christians with aboundance of vertuous plantes and seedes of godlines Albeit there neuer lacked in them a certayne Godly carefullnesse to exhort to all honest endeuours yet were they neuer so franticke as to make so glorious bragges of reformation of lyfe They trauelled earnestly euery one according to his abilitie as beseémed godly and well disposed personages if not as much as they could haue wished yet as much as was geuen them by the holy ghost And if they attayned nought els yet this they atchieued surely that though they coulde not restore the pure simplicitie of the EuaÌ„gelicall life yet they brought to passe that men by reading and comparing the holy scriptures beganne to haue a very euident feeling and a thorough taste of the corrupt and stincking matter of your absurde and filthy pernitious doctrine the durty puddle wherof albeit they mistrusted that they should not be able to clense throughly for the vnmeasurable tyranny of your aucthoritie and power Yet thought they not conuenient for the credite and function that they bare to suffer the same to be any longer cloaked and dissembled wtall And therefore stept forth amongst the rest Martine Luther and yet he was neyther the first nor yet so long agoe neyther so much of his owne voluntary will as necessarily of relieng duety not for hope of lucre ne yet to pamper vp the paunch as Hosius belieth him neyther of any hope at all to purchase any authority as Osorius mistaketh him but forced thereunto by the importunacy of others yea and that not without manifest perill of his lyfe Whereupon if any thinge chaunced afterwardes contrary to your expectations ye can iustly accuse no man but your selues which were the first authors of this flaming Beacon the heate whereof doth parch the very skinnes of your backes And what the very cause and occasion thereof was neither are the histories so obscure but that they tell playnly nor is the tyme so farre spent but you may easily call to minde the very time and season whenas Leo the Pope of Rome sending abroad hys commissioners of receipt and plaÌ„ting his treasories throughout all the Dominions of Europe appoynted a generall marte as it were of raking hys Marchandize together Whereupon diuers holy cloyster Marchauntes arriued into Germany And amongst them a certayne Fryer of S. Dominicks order named Tetcelius but in very deéde a mony marchaunt and a Regrator of the Popes markett laden with pardons and Bulles and proclayming generall fayres for the vtteraunce of them wherein remission of sinnes the kingdome of heauen and freé liberty to feede on fish or flesh were to be bought for a few pence Which proclamation seeming not a little iniurious to the people and tending to the ouerthrow of the Gospell of grace and mouing godly consciences to no small griefe and displeasaunce of mynde and that not without iust cause Luther a man continually exercized with inward agonyes and vnquiet passions of consciences thought it not in any wise tollerable for his part to permit such horrible erroneous impietie so directly a agaynst conscience and the manifest truth of the gladsome Gospell to be husht vppe and past ouer in tymerous and fearfull sâ—ilence Albeit he was well assured that this stincking and contagious weed could not be touched without present perill of life Wherefore he beganne to make a show of himselfe meaning to defend the quarrell of the Gospell but by a very sleÌ„der slight attempt as it were And first he propoundeth certayn propositioÌ„s onely and principles of questions agaynst these gainefull marketts of pardons and Bulles not of any vayne desire to concontend or dispute nor without an humble maner of submission of the cause thincking nothing lesse then that the successe thereof would be such as we now see is come to passe If the contrary part had with like moderation tempered their affections and eyther coÌ„tented themselues by saying nothing to haue yealded to the truth or to haue sought the aduauncement of Christs glory rather then to haue serued the Popes pompe and ambition these smale sparckles had neuer burst out into so great flames But now by the meanes of their owne waywardnes it came to passe in them as for the more part it falleth out with common brabblers who hauing many tymes the worst ende of the staffe and hauing no right in deéde to any part thereof striue so long till at the last they lose euery inche thereof and at the shutting vppe catch a rappe for their labour Agaynst these propositions of Pardones Tetcelius vnmeasurably ragyng not contented with no lesse intollerable arrogancie and insolency to aunswere them him selfe but sturred
vs turne out penne towardes Spayne though swaruyng but litle frō the question Not many Monethes agoe arriued there an English Shyppe richly laden with English wares in the same besides sundry Passengers were xx Mariners more or lesse who beyng vnder sayle on Seaborde did worshyp the Lord after their countrey maner in their owne mother toung This shyppe whether carried in her right course or forced by Tempest arriued at the length vpon the coast of Spayne The Shippe had scarse thrust her nose into the Hauen but by what occasion I know not the holy Inquisitours beyng flocked together flew into the shyppe They Sommon the Mariners to appeare before the Inquisition and by constraint of oathe enforced them to shew the bookes of their Common Prayers hereupon threw into prison Queéne Elizabeth hauyng intelligēce of the matter addresseth Letters vnto Kyng Phillippe for the deliuery of her Subiectes The Kyng desirous to graunt her request made aunswere that there wanted no good will in him to do what he might to the vttermost and that he had also to his power and Princely authoritie entreated for them very earnestly but that the Maiestie of the Sacred Inquisition in his kingdome was of such force that him selfe must neédes be obedient vnto it do ye not seé here a notable kyng Osorius who may commaunde nothing more in his kyngdome thē shall like the subiectes are ye wont in this sorte to obey the cōmmaundement of your kyngs Yes ye obey in deéde but such ordinaunces as your selues do make not such as they commaunde nor do ye otherwise obey then as it may serue your owne turnes and when you list your selues About fiue hundred yeares sithence more or lesse how fewe kyngs haue bene in this litle Brittaine that haue not bene greéuously molested by beggerly Monckes and amōgest all others by the Monckes of Caūterbury chiefly how insolently did Anselme withstand William Rufus and Henry 1. kynges of Englād how proudly did Theobald behaue him selfe agaynst kyng Stephen How great vnspeakeable Tragedies played Thomas Archb. of Caunterbury agaynst Henry 2. Which Thomas your holy fathers for his treachery and Treason haue shryned for a Sainte The Byshop of Elye an execrable Traytour not onely to kyng Richard 2. his own person but to all the Nobilitie of England besides it is a wonder to seé what a sturre he kept No man is ignoraunt of the manifold iniuries that kyng Iohn suffred at the handes of Stephen Langton No lesse trayterous was Edmund Archb. of Canterbury agaynst Henry the 3. Which Henry succeéded Edward his sonne whom Iohn Peccham resisted wonderfull obstinately leauyng after him a successour Robert who degeneratyng nothyng at all from his successours trechery was at continuall iarre with the kyng ech of them an Archbishop eche of them a Traytor to the Maiestie What shall we say of Gualter the Archb whom sufficed not to take away Adrian Byshop of Herford frō the Temporall Iudges in despight of the kyng and his Counsell and to set him at libertie vnpunished but he must also become a confederate of Queéne Isabels conspiracy agaynst kyng Edward the 2. And to passeouer in the meane space the sundry outragies conspiracies and seditions agaynst their owne Princes by Ludeines of that coate was there euer so beggerly a Moncke or so lowsie a cowled lozell that being supported by the popes authoritie and armed with the granneshotte of his excommunicatiō would not quickely contemne and set at nought any Potentate or Magistrate were he neuer so mighty Whereas an auncient custome was established by solemne consent amongest the auncient antiquitie that Byshopprickes the dignities and possessiōs Ecclesiasticall should not be disposed and geuen but by speciall cōfirmation of Kynges and Princes and that no Appeale should be made to the Pope of Rome for any cause without the kyngs consent Popish ambition preuailed so farre forth immediately after the enthronizyng of Hildebrand That kynges were called kynges onely in name but the rule order and administratiō of all causes caught away from kynges should remaine with Monckes and such like shauelynges who would both rule the roast and the game After Becker was slayne Kyng Henry 2. made earnest intercession with cappe in hand to the Monckes of Caunterbury Priour wherof was one Odo that for his sake they would vouchsafe an Archb. of his admittaunce and withall nominated him The request was honest yea it was a request of one which neéded not to desire it but might of very iustice by the prerogatiue Regall institute and appoint Byshops within his owne kyngdome All which notwithstandyng in contempt of the kynges authoritie and without any regard had to his humble petition was an other chosen not whom the kyng desired but whom the Monckes them selues liked best in the yeare 1173. The like vnto the same was done also in the Election of Baldwyne the next successour in the yeare 1184. In which Election the kyng was compelled to yeld to the Monckes whether he would or no. And where is now that Catholicke obedience of Monckes towardes their Monarches where is the commaundement of the Apostle Wherein kinges are commaunded to be honored I will adde hereunto one example more for to recken vppe all would make a great peéce of worke Pope Gregory the 9. sent his Legate Otto by name into England as the other Popes were accustomed before him to doe to gather vppe his haruest sheaues together plentyfull enough I warrant you they call it Procuraria This haruest was on this maner That euery particuler Church throughout all England should pay one yearely reuenew of foure Markes to the pope the summe was infinite Letters were deliuered to the Archb. And Byshops commaundyng them to assiste the Legate in gatheryng this money and withall should prouide threé hundreth of the fattest Benefices to be employed vpon iij. C. Italians of the popes appointment Kyng Henry 3. vnderstandyng the matter calleth a Synode of Byshops caused cōference to be vsed with the Byshops in their cōuocation house first addresseth his Letters to the pope touchyng their aūswere aswell in his owne name as in the behalfe of his Subiectes when he could not this way preuayle he openeth the matter to his Counsell and states assembled in Parliament writeth to euery particuler Byshop declareth vnto them the great inconueniēce that would ensue by meanes of that collection humbly beseécheth them that they would not be so earnestly affected towardes Straungers as to seéke the vtter spoyle and vndoyng of their natiue Countrey wherein they were borne nor would so empouerish their owne Churches Afterward he doth threaten them yea denounceth the penaltie of the lawes and auncient Statutes of his Realme agaynst them openly Finally vpō their allegeaunce chargeth them that they deliuer no money out of the Realme whereby the Common weale may be empouerished If ye consider the authoritie of him that doth commaūde what could
the questions whereof ariseth our controuersie were so harde and intricate that they exceeded your capacities I would not haue entruded my selfe into your presence with this maner of persuasion but would haue referred my selfe rather to the censure of the learned But for as much as this Religion of Gods holy Gospell which we professe is so resplēdisant in the eyes and eares of all men as the bright shyning Sunne in whott Sommers day the doctrine I say wherewith we are enstructed which preacheth Repētaunce to the bruysed cōscience which agayne imputeth vnto the penitent persons free righteousnesse and deliueraunce from Sinne by fayth without workes in Christ Iesu onely which forbiddeth Idolatry which restrayneth to adde or diminish any title from the prescript rule of holy Scriptures which forbiddeth the inuocation of the dead and prayeng to straūge Goddes which acknowledgeth the humanitie of Christ the Sonne of God to be in no place but at the right hand of the Father which approueth honest and honorable estate of Wedlocke in all persons indifferently which hath made all foode and sustenaunce both fishe and flesh without choyse beyng receaued with thankesgeuyng subiect to the necessary vse of man which taketh away all confidence and affiaunce vsually ascribed vnto merites and workes which calleth vs away from the opiniō of soules health to be set in obseruation of prescribed dayes and monethes which reduceth vs from the naked elementes of the world from worshippyng of signes and outward ceremonies which I say cleareth our hartes and myndes from the bondage of mens traditions and dreames and doth ensure and establish vs in mearcy and grace which allureth all persons indifferently to the readyng of holy Scriptures which denyeth to no man the participation of the Cuppe of the new Testament in the bloud of Iesu Christ which abbridgeth all Ministers of the word from desire of all worldly superiority And to stay here frō the reckoning vpp of all the rest which are more notable and manisest then the bright shynyng Sunne in mydday what cann your Maiestie atchieue more worthy or more beseemyng your highe excellency then to admitt into the secrett closett of your soule this most euident trueth of heauenly discipline If your highnesse be not as yet made acquainted therewith or if ye know the same to be infallible and true that ye will no longer shrowde vnder your protection such pestilent errours allready disclosed and repugnaunt to the knowen veritie wherewith your grace may one day hereafter paraduenture desire to be shielded before the dreadfull Iudgemēt seate of the Lord of hostes accordyng to the promise of Iesu Christ. And the trueth sayth he shall deliuer you Iohn 8. And if your highnes shal be persuaded that this reformatiō of Religion whereof I haue treated doth not apperteigne to your estate or to the charge of seculer Princes what doth the wordes of Osori emporte thē wheras writyng of our gracious Queene Elizabeth he doth so carefully admonish her Maiestie to vouchsafe especiall regard to know what the glory of Christ meaneth what the law of the Lord teacheth how much the rule of sacred religiō doth exact of her highnes Again whereas in the same Epistle he doth very learnedly pronoūce that the speciall duty of Princely gouernemēt ought to be wholy employed to the preseruatiō of true and pure Religion Pag. 10. But els otherwise if your grace do thoroughly conceaue that is most true that the gracious restitutiō of gods holy word doth no lesse cōcerne the furtheraūce of the Gospell then the preseruatiō of your Royall estate Saluation of your subiectes I most humbly then beseech you most noble kyng by that redoubled linke of pietie wherewith you are first bounde vnto the Lord That as your Maiestie shall playnly perceaue this cause which we are entred vpon not to varye or decline any iote awrye from the true touchestone of the liuely word neuer so litle that your highnesse of your excellent clemency will vouchsafe to aduertize your Bysh. Osorius That being myndfull of his professiō he do behaue him selfe in debatyng the state of Religion in the vprightenes of iudgement so as the cause requireth and frō henceforth he desiste frō backbyting his neighbours with clamorous lyeng and slaunderous reproches who haue rather deserued well of him then in any respect offended him If he be of opinion that errours ought to be rooted out of the Church lett him first cōuince those for errours which he gaynesayth and shew him selfe abler man to make proofe by Argumēt thē to resist with onely cauillyng By such meanes will he be deemed a more profitable member of the Church and procure him selfe lesse hatred It is an easie matter for euery common rascall to vomitt out disdaynefull names of infamous persons as Protagoras Diagoras Cicloppes Blindsinckes Epicures gortellguttes and monsters But it fitteth comlyer for learned men and more profitable for the Christian congregation to lay aside distompered choler and instruct the vnlearned and reclayme the obstinate with sounde Argumentes and expresse testimonies of the Scriptures If this order be not obserued euery carter may soone by aucthoritie clayme to be a cōmon rayler An other methode of writyng was requisite in Osorius more effectuall to edifie then as he hath vttered in his bookes For this sufficeth not for him to reuile men with odious names as callyng them madd impudent childish and infaūtes and to declame whole cōmon places vsed agaynst heretiques I doe know and playnly confesse That it is most necessary to oppugne erronious sectes heresies But it is not errour forthwith that hath somewhat a bitter smatclie and is vnsauory to euery queysie stomacke neither is it allwayes trueth that is plausible to eche fonde and dotyng phantasie But wise men ought chiefly haue considered how euery mans assertiō is framed to the agreablenes of the word of God Yet now a dayes I cann not tell how the carte is sett before the horse and the preposterous frowardnes of some persons haue brought to passe that bycause men shall not be guided by the Gospell they will runne before it so mens imaginatiōs shall not obey but beare the principall Banner before But where as the right squaryer of Christian fayth hath none other sure foundation but that onely which is grounded vpon the holy Scriptures our dutie hadd bene to direct the buildyng of our Religion by this lyne and leuell and to ramme fast the wallworkes hereof with this cemente and morter But now I cann not tell how it is so come to passe that many do worke guyte contrary For they despise this well fenced order and hauyng as litle regarde to the meanyng purporte of the word they rayse to them selues a Church which they call Catholicke and the same they assigne to be the onely guide and gouernesse yet notwithstandyng they make no demonstration whether it be the Church of Christ yea or nay But measuryng the same by the onely Title of the Romish See
disagreé from his frend nor the Scholer from his Maister nor the Seruaunt from his Lord ne yet the wife from the husband That is to say it is not conuenieÌ„t that the frend from his frend the Scholer from his Maister the Seruaunt from his Lord or the wife should disagreé from her husband What say you Osorius is any of these not spoken after the Latine phrase are they not vttered playnly and properly doe ye not in all these conceaue the negatiue and not the affirmatiue Are you not ashamed doe ye blush nothyng at all at this manifest fault and marke of your follie I haue a boye of sixten yeares age whom I keépe to Grammar Schoole who shoulde haue felt the smarte hereof if hee had made so foule an escape in these Grammer principles Truely I am wery long sithence gentle Reader to bee so childishly occupyed in siftyng out the titles and sillables of wordes after this maner but you may note the amazednesse and ouerthwartenes of myne aduersary to whom the fault must be imputed accordyng to reason which beyng both bussardly blynd in ponderyng bare wordes and also fondly franticke and senselesse in the substaunce of thynges doth altogether deny any difference to be in this how farre so euer a sunder the head bee separated from the members so that they be vnited in one fayth Surely experience hath not onely taught vs here in England but the practize of all other natioÌ„s also doth playnly bewray his singular ignorauÌ„ce and blockishnesse what it is to be seuered from Italy by farre distaunce of regions when as in matters of Religion iustice equitie could not bee ministred but it must bee procured with immesurable charges and tedious pursuite of many yeares From whiche inconuenieÌ„ces we have good remedy prouided through the speciall goodnesse of God For we haue in our owne Realme both Iudges and Consistories But our reuerend Father caÌ„ not disgest this by any meanes that the Queénes Maiestie should entermedle with the Churche and after a long friuolous preamble after his accustomed maner at the length choppeth downe to a sentence of myne videl The Queenes Maiestie is Lord ouer all maner of persons in England And these wordes he supposeth to be spoken barbarously bycause the gouernement of a kyng is not with force Tyranny nor tendeth to keépe his CouÌ„trey people whom he hath vndertake to defende of a fatherly loue in seruile subiection nor is referred to the consideration of his owne profite but to the publicke sauetie of his subiectes And therfore sayth he it is false that a kyng doth rule as a Lord vnlesse we should take him for a Tyraunt rather then a kyng Harken I pray you harken vnto this AldermaÌ„ brable harken vnto this most subtill corrector of the Latine toung There was neuer such an other Valla or Varro in our tyme for this our notorious Prelate doth farre surmount all Vallaes and Varroes who by his fine pythe and polished Iudgement hath fishte a Poole and caught a Foole and with his new sharpenesse of witte hath espied that wherof no man could euer conceaue so much as a shadow in his dreame what say you my Lord Byshop doth no maÌ„ rule as a Lord except he be a Tyraunt Ergo no man is a Lord vnlesse he be a tyrauÌ„t if at least he bare any rule Truly you had neéde of Helleborous to purge that Calues braynes Our Lord Iesus Christ is sayd sometymes to bee a Lord of the quicke and the dead sometymes to be a Lord in heauen and in earth and in all the holy Scriptures throughout is called by this name Lord. Therefore this your blasphemous and horrible Grammar distinction ought be accompted a TyrauÌ„t this can not be denied Becommeth you an old Byshop to vtter such mockeries can you beyng a Prelate either through fury or maddenesse to be so frame shappenly translated to bee openly franticke and make your selfe a laughyng stocke to litle boyes Truely I am ashamed in your behalfe for I did neuer seé so great so foule so monstruous absurdities in a maÌ„ of such yeares that hath bene all his life long conuersaunt in learnyng Afterwardes you do make a very subtill distinction I promise you of the authoritie of kynges that is to say though they gouerne all their subiectes yet are they not Lordes ouer all causes Yes in deéde good sir they are Lordes ouer all causes aswel Ecclesiasticall as Temporall which may seéme to apperteine to the good gouernemeÌ„t of the coÌ„mon wealth And yet they do not minister in their own persons in matters Ecclesiasticall as I wrate before for how can they so do but they doe assigne and authorise other Magistrates vnder them who may execute euery thyng in due order In like maner albeit Emperours be onely chief of their Armyes yet haue they vnder them Centurians LieutenauÌ„ts Serieauntes Corporals and other meaner officers which do trayne in due order and exercize the whole affaires the rest of the Souldiours So doe Maisters of Nauies and Shippes appointe vnder them their Mates and Boateswaynes and other meaner degreés to their seuerall offices by this meanes to preserue their course the better at Seaboorde whereby appeareth that the chief authoritie is resiaunt alwayes in the chief and knowen estates but the trauaile toyle and execution of orders is ministred by inferiour Magistrates But ye require to make demonstration how these things can be so First of all your question is worthy to bee scorned beyng so voyde of reason to haue euident demonstration to be made of those thynges which common course of mans lyfe and dayly practize of all common weales may assure you were you neuer so voide of sense But I will satisfie that captious grossehead of yours in this matter with threé wordes I do affirme that the authoritie of kynges is aboue all other and yet that kyngs them selues do not minister in Ecclesiasticall matters Which two are most manifestly proued aswell by the gouernement of kyngs in the old TestameÌ„t as also in the later age in the tyme of the new Testament For Dauid Salomon losias Ezechias and other godly kynges amongest the people of Israell did commaunde the Priestes in matters of Religion yet did not they entermedle with execution of any thyng In the tyme of the Gospell Paule that great teacher of the Gentiles coÌ„mauÌ„deth That intercessions and publicke prayers bee made with fayth and truth first of all for kinges then for all others that are set in authoritie Peter also that excellent Elder For other name then Apostle or Elder did hee neuer acknowledge howsoeuer you do coÌ„uey your false Papisticall Seé froÌ„ him Peter I say in open and expresse wordes doth verifie my saying when as he geueth commaundement in this wise Submit your selues to euery humane creature for the Lordes sake whether it â—ee to the king as most excellent or to the Magistrates as to them that are sent by him assigning the punishement of
whom though some may bee of opinioÌ„ to excell in the knowledge of the Ciuill Law yet will not forthwith vnder that title yeld vnto me the lyke commendation in the interpretyng of holy Scriptures All this matter is resolued at a word O counterfait GrammariaÌ„ For if accordyng to the doctrine of Peter and Paule certaine degreés bee limited in eche dignitie and by the same doctrine likewise determined that the royall dignitie of a Kyng doth excell aboue all other power Then is it manifest by the same decreé that the authoritie of the kyng must be honored without all coÌ„parison as chiefest But after your wonted guise ye runne at raundon with many wordes concernyng the meanyng of Paule and of a distinction to bee made betwixt the ciuill and Ecclesiasticall authoritie First of all no maÌ„ can so snaffle that vnbridled touÌ„g but that it will roue and raunge triflyngly whether it lusteth And yet the meanyng of Paule and Peter can not bee vnknowen to any men that will haue but a will to vnderstand it for they doe make a diuision or speciall distinction of Magistrates by certaine degreés and in the same doe precisely and manifestly ascribe chief rule and highest authoritie to kyngs And albeit ye triumphe iolylye in your differeÌ„ce of tymes yet this will nothyng preuayle you For ye beleue that this speache of the Apostles ought not to be applyed to ChristiaÌ„ kynges bycause it was written in the tyme of wicked Emperours which were enemies to Christian Religion Consider the sayings of the Apostles more aduisedly peéuish Prelate and acknowledge once at last your owne vnskilfulnesse Peter writeth in this maner Submit your selues to euery humane creature for the Lord whether it be to the king as to the most excelleÌ„t or to the Rulers as vnto them who are sent by him to punishe the wicked doers and to aduaunce the well doers Now therfore I demaunde this question of you Osorius whether God did send Nero that sauadge and beastly cruell Tyraunt as you know an horrible bloudsucker of Christian professioÌ„ to punish the wicked aduaunce the well doers if ye affirme that he dyd you are madde if ye deny it then all your former AssertioÌ„ lyeth in the durte Let vs seé likewise what Paule sayth Whose sentence herein is much more plentyfull Princes sayth he are not fearefull to well doers but to the wicked wilt thou not feare the power doe well then and thou shalt haue prayse of the same for they be the ministers of God appointed for thy wealth But if thou doe euill then feare thou for they beare not the sworde in vayne For they bee the ministers of God to take vengeauÌ„ce on them that do euill What say you now could this speach of Paule touch Nero in any respect whiche embrued his sword in the bloud of innumerable ChristiaÌ„s who alwayes oppressed the innocentes who wallowed all his lyfe long in all maner of outrage and crueltie No discreét or sober person will thinke so But albeit the Apostles beyng enspired with the holy Ghost gaue these preceptes in the time of tyrannous Emperours yet they had relation thereby to Christian and godly kynges because they should vndertake the defence of their subiectes and should be nurses of the congregation of Christ accordyng to the Prophecie of Esay And yet due obedience is not thereby forbidden to be geuen vnto kynges in Ciuill causes though they bee inâ—idels as appeareth manifestly both by the example and doctrine of our Sauiour Christ. You are contented that kinges should be placed aboue the Nobilitie Ciuill Magistrates and other officers in temporall causes accordyng to the saying of Peter but not to be aboue the holynesse of Churches nor the profession of Religâ—ous persons ne yet to reconcile the fauour of God Paule commaundeth euery soule to be in subiection to the hygher power amongest whom the kyng is chiefest And therfore all ye Byshops together with all other what soeuer Ecclesiasticall orders are holden subiect vnder the authoritie of the kyng vnlesse ye bee without soules as perhappes your maistershyp is if then ye be subiect to kynges ye ought to obey their commaundementes vnlesse they prescribe agaynst God And yet they beare no function in your Churches nor â—it in your Churches as rulers of them nor administer the Sacramentes but they may and ought to chastize you reduce you into good order if happely ye neglect your dueties or behaue your selfe vnseémely in your function which is to be approued by the authoritie of both the old and new Testament as it is ofteÌ„times repeated before To coÌ„firme your AssertioÌ„ you bryng for example Core Dathan and Abyron of a singular blockishnesse and ignoraunce For they made Rebellion agaynst Moses and to vse the very wordes of the holy Scriptures They were gathered together agaynst Moses and Aaron and sayd vnto them Ye take enough and to much vppon you seyng all the multitude are holy euery one of them and the Lorde is amongest them Why lifte you your selues vppe aboue the Congregation of the Lord Behold here in this their execrable speach ouer and besides a most pernitious rebellion we heare also in the same one onely equabilitie in all degrees For asmuch therefore as they did abrogate all maner of authoritie from Magistrates beyng appointed by God as the Anabaptistes of our age do practize they were accordyng to their desert swallowed vp of the gapyng gulfe prouided by God for that purpose But why do ye thrust these persons into the stage who caÌ„ occupy no part of the play For we doe neither entreate of any Rebellion nor of any trayterous suppression of Magistrates but our coÌ„munication tendeth to this ende whether kynges haue any lawfull gouernement ouer Ecclesiastical persons No lesse foolishly haue ye patcht to your purpose Oza Ozias and Balthesar whom ye do affirme to haue bene greuously plagued of the Lord bicause they did rashly handle holy thynges and thus ye say was done accordyng to their deserte Likewise should our kynges be worthely punished of the Lord if they would vndertake to minister Baptisme to infantes or would in their owne persons distribute the Lordes Supper or clymbe vp into pulpittes and vsually preache For they should entrude into other mens functions namely Ministers and Elders whom God hath peculiarly chosen to execute those orders in Ministerie Euen so the Lord hath aduaunced kynges in hyghest superioritie bycause they should commauÌ„de and prouide that all matters should be executed by others their subiectes in due conuenient order This doctrine beyng both â—ounde and profitable approued by the testimonies and examples of the purest ages and most applyable to the ordinauÌ„ce of holy Scriptures yet this our pelting Prelate seémeth so squeymishe at it that he spareth not to curse vs to the pitte of hell bycause we will not agreé with him in his most friuolous Assertions Ye maruell much why I am so hatefully bent agaynst the Byshop of Rome why
with examples of such as haue runne headlong into vtter dispayre which haue gaynesayd or withdrawen them selues from the doctrine of Luther As touchyng Frauncisce Spira who reuolted from the participation of the doctrine whiche he had once receaued by Luthers preachyng bycause the Recorde thereof is somewhat old I will for this present omit what remaineth in history of him I will more willyngly vse fresher examples of our later age and yet not all ingenerall for it neédeth not neither is any one man able so to doe But I will rehearse some of the most notable And first of all a certeine mā called Iacobus Latomus a man sometymes wellbe seéne amongest the Deuines of Louayne I can not tell whether you your selfe knew him Osorius when he liued This mā mainteinyng the same quarell wherein you do now turmoyle your selfe agaynst Luther is reported to departe this life in the selfe same Desperatiō whereof you make mention who at his very last gaspes brayeng out most horrible and feareful roaring noyse vttered none other sounde in the eares of all men that heard him but that he was vtterly damned and forsaken of God and had no hope of Saluation layed vp in store for him bycause hee did wilfully resiste the manifest truth which he knew before to be most true I will couple two others with hym of the same fraternitie Guarlacke Reader of Diuinitie Lecture amōgest the Gertrudianes and Arnolde Bomelye Scholer to Tilman of the first of whō it is sayd that euen in the last panges before his death he spake in this maner that he had liued desperately could not endure the Iudgemēt of God bycause he did acknowledge his sinnes to be greater then that they could obteyne for geuenesse The other hauyng fully gorged him selfe with the doctrine of Desperatiō wherein he was instructed by his Schoolemaister of distrust surprised at lēgth with intollerable gnawyng of conscience practised first to kill him selfe with his owne Dagger at the last beyng wholy swallowed vp of Desperation dyd cut his owne bowelles out of his body with an other mans knife It shall not be amisse to ioyne vnto those Sadolet Cardinall of Rome who after sondry disputations mainteined agaynst Luther gaue vp the ghost not without horrible trembling and torment of conscience I suppose also that you are not ignoraunt of the like that happened to Cardinall Crescentius Legate of the Apostolique Seé and President of the Tridentine Councell beyng astonyed with sodeine horrour and troublesome abashement of mynde in the same Citie 1552. of whom Iohn Sledan hath made relation in his Commentaries What shall I speake of Castellane Archbyshop of Aurelia of Ponchere Archbyshop of Turone who procured to them selues Gods indignation and vengeaunce as appeared by the wonderfull fearefull passiōs wherewith they were oppressed at the tyme of their death not bicause they did heare Luther and read his bookes but bycause they did cruelly persecute his doctrine In the same Beadroll may be reckoned the remēbraūce of Iohn Eckius whose whole course of lyfe as was nothyng els but a continuall mortall combate agaynst Luther so his yeldyng to nature was so altogether voyde of spirituall consolation that euen in the last gaspes hee vttered no other wordes but of money and certeine thousand of crownes And what neéde I here rehearse out of the Recordes of aūcient Chronicles Minerius Cassianus Renestenses Martinus that miserable Mōcke called Romanus Prattes Lysettes Rusius Morines who beyng horribly plagued by the seuere Iustice of God may be sufficiēt Presidentes to teach you what it is insolently to kicke agaynst the pricke of Gods vnsearcheable prouidence The History of the French kyng Henry the second is yet but freshe in memory and deépely emprinted not in the myndes onely but in the eyes also of all men who extremely boylyng with inward hatred agaynst the same doctrine receaued his deathes wounde in the selfe same eyes wherewith he was determined to view the execution of others and was forced him selfe to become a manifest spectacle of Gods Iustice to all the world before he could bathe his eyes in the bloud of the innocēt And not long after the sayd Henry followed also the kyng of Nauarre who procured vnto him selfe most iust cause not onely of Desperation but of death also through none other occasion but by persecutyng this doctrine which you doe slaunderously reproche to be the doctrine of Desperation I could here make a Register of an infinite nōber not in Englād onely but of other Regions also which after they had receaued wonderfull cōfort out of the sweéte iuyce of this doctrine which you call Lutherane fell headlong into miserable anguishe and gnawyng of conscience by reuoltyng from this doctrine who could neuer attayne one sparckle of quyet mynde before they had reclaymed them selues from their first Apostasie Last of all how many thousandes of men wemen and children young and old can this our age truely recorde who haue shewed them selues more willyng to yeld their carcasses to fier fagottes sword rackyngs and all maner of horrible Torture rather then they would recante and renounce that comfortable doctrine where with they were enstructed which I suppose they would neuer haue done if they had suspected neuer so small embres of Desperation to haue lurked therein But I perceaue what Osorius doth meane by this word Desperation If he could either expresse his mynde aptly and distinctly or were willyng to deale simply and playnly To the ende therefore I may frame myne aūswere hauing regarde to the meanyng of the man rather then to his speach I will examine the maner of his disputyng somewhat more aduisedly Luther doth teach sayth he that no mā ought to place affiaunce of his righteousnes in merites and good workes Goe to and what is concluded hereof Therfore Luther doth teach the doctrine of Desperation A very new founde and straūge maner of Argument framed perhappes after the rule which concludeth from the staffe to the corner I suppose men of Syluane vse this kynde of arguyng in their wooddy forrests But I make this aunswere to the Argument If God had determined that our Saluation should haue bene purchased through godly actions and vertuous endeuour of mans life it were not altogether without reason that Osorius doth speake But for as much as our hope and confidence is limited within the boundes of the fayth of Christ and the foundation thereof builded vpon this Rocke onely I suppose surely that the person which doth allure vs home vnto Christ from confidence of workes and teacheth vs to repose our whole trust in him as in the onely Sanctuary and shoteanker of our Saluation doth declare rather the true way to assured hope then abolishe the same Neither doth he by and by rende in sunder the sinewes of mans endeuour who doth but embace and disable that part from mās power which doth properly apperteine to the sonne of God I thinke that he discouereth rather the well
sprynges of the comfortable glad tydynges of the Gospell But lysten I pray you to Osorius disputation and wonder a whiles at his deépe insight in Logicke For in matters past recouery sayth he and in most assured confideÌ„ce there is no man that wil be enduced to rayse vp his mynde earnestly to any vertuous endeuour You haue here geuen vs a right Rhetoricall position now marke a concludyng determination more then Catholicke Ergo saith he Whereas Luther doth partly dispoile vs of the hope of righteousnesse and partly doth place the the same wholy in the righteousnesse of Christ which hope ought to be proper and peculiar to ech person what doth he herein els then vtterly subuerte and extinguishe all dueties and endeuours of godlynesse in vs Truely I do not deny but that in all maner of enterprises which happen in vsuall and dayly practize well conceauyng hope doth minister wonderfull courage to the mynde of man the whole force and lyuelynes wherof through DesperatioÌ„ or distrust is many tymes vtterly daunted But to what purpose is this alledged agaynst Luther Whose teachyng Lessons tende to this onely marke not so much to instruct vs in the rules of good lyfe which is the onely peculiar office of the law as to lead vs to know whether we ought in these good workes of ours to repose our affiaunce or elles to ascribe the same wholy to the freé mercy of GOD through Iesu Christ not bycause godly endeuours and vertuous workes are not prayseworthy but whether our workes be of so great estimation as may satisfie Gods iudgement and deserue eternall lyfe so establishe our conscieÌ„ces in sauetie This is the grounde and principall point of the controuersie which ought in this place to be decided For as much therfore as there be two kyndes of Desperation as we haue sayd it behoued you Osorius to haue distinguished the same before you had raysed your Battrye agaynst Luther There be some persons which doe vtterly dispayre of forgeuenes of their sinnes and of the mercy of God towardes them As for example the Desperation of Cain Saul Esau Antiochus Iudas Minerius Latomus Sadolete and such others And this kynde of DesperatioÌ„ belongeth properly to the vngodly and wicked whiche are altogether estraunged from God and nothyng agreable with Luthers doctrine There is besides this an other kynde of Desperation as in the attempt of any enterprise if a man be wholy discomfited to attaine the Maistrie and can not be the foremost will not yet bee discouraged but wil employ his abilitie as much as in him lieth that he may be the second at the left For the Archer that shooteth somewhat neare the sticke Deserueth his prayse though he hitt not the pricke In lyke manner we all euery one of vs doe marche onwarde paynefully in this warrefarre of Gods law as it were in a runnyng game to trye Maistric wherein albeit was neuer founde man whiche could in this lyfe assure him selfe to attayne the appointed goale yet are we not therewith so throwen downe in conceite as to bee in dispayre of our Saluation Neither ought we so to interprete the law as though through the practise and guidyng thereof onely and by no meanes elles we could obteine euerlastyng lyfe The law hath other purposes and endes to direct vs vnto whiche Osorius might haue learned out of Paule and Augustine and diuers others if he would not wittyngly and wilfully haue bene blynd The first Rule and vse of the Law is to represent vnto vs the inestimable righteousnesse of our creatour after whose Image we are created The next to condemne our vnrighteousnesse and abate our pride The other to bee for a tyme in steéde of a Schoolemaister to lead vs to Christ whiche albeit could not of her selfe geue full righteousnes to that people vnto whom it was deliuered first might neuertheles in the meane space through wholesome seueritie hold them backe and keépe them in feare and restrayne the vnbrideled licentiousnesse of their fleshe in some orderly comlynesse lest-they should runne headlong into all execrable and wicked impietie Truly these seéme to me bee the principall vses of the law the absolute and exact perfection wherof as neuer any man of that race hetherto was able to satisfie though vpholdeÌ„ altogether with the gracious ayde of God So if you Osorius can remember any one man sithence that tyme the sonne of God onely except that hath throughly performed all and euery part and duetie required by the law I beseéch you name him or if you caÌ„ name no one of all the ofspryng of AdaÌ„ which hath perfectly accomplished the whole law what moueth you so furiously to rage agaynst Luther who teacheth that all our righteousnes is vnperfect But be it that he hath likewise affirmed as the truth is that our righteousnesse is not onely vnperfect but had condemned all our righteousnesse to be more lothsome theÌ„ the defilynges of a foule menstruous clothe euen as Esay the Prophet did or what if accordyng to the saying of our Lord Iesus Christ hee had adiudged not onely all our deédes and wordes what soeuer though neuer so precisely handled not in the tyme of the old law onely but after the commyng of Christ also neither of vs alone or the rude vnlettered multitude but euen of the Apostles them selues performed to bee altogether vnauaylable to the purchasing of eternall lyfe yea and that theÌ„ selues also were in no better plighte and condition then seruauntes and vnprofitable bondeslaues what a sturre would this Daâ—â—s haue kept But now sithence no man can be ignoraunt of the most manifest sayings of Christ and the Apostles either must Osorius cite these felowes vnto the Chapter house together with the Lutherans or if he do acquyte them he must not from henceforth quarell with Luther in the cause Agayne where the same Lord in the Gospell doth promise a teacher the holy Ghost Which should coÌ„uince the world of sinne and of righteousnesse what shall we thinke that he mente by sendyng this teacher other then that hee purposed to establishe those two thynges especially which Osorius doth seéke chiefly to discredite That is to say that godly hartes beyng enlightened by the inspiration of the holy Ghost may bee instructed to feéle their owne weakenesse that from them selues as froÌ„ their owne power they haue no hope of Saluation and that for the attainement thereof nothyng wanteth in Christ Iesu and how that without Christ all that euer we haue is but in dispayred case but in him all thynges rest most safe and assured Out of the one wherof ariseth vnto vs a very coÌ„fortable Desperation out of the other floweth a most holy Affiaunce A Desperation I say not such a one as doth exclude true trust in Iesu Christ but which doth abrogate vayne confidence of our workes onely Neither doe I here meane the confidence whiche doth let louse the reynes to licentious boldnes and vnpunishable libertie but the same
assured and reioyce in the hope of the glory of God Rom. 5. Where is that accesse with confidence and boldenesse through fayth in him Ephe. 3. Where is that accesse to the throne of grace with assured Affiaunce Hebr. 4. To what ende doth our Lord so oft in the Gospell encourage vs to conceaue couragious boldnesse vsing this reason That he alone had ouercome the world for the behofe of all people Iohn 16. If as yet euery one of vs must be enforced to purchase to him selfe the victory by his owne endeuour Where is that fulnesse of ioye in the holy Ghost If employeng our seruice after the maner of bonde seruauntes not as children we must lyue vnder the law and hope to attayne the possession of our inheritaunce as a rewarde of our workes and not thorough freé adoption rather Where is then that Spirite of Adoption cryeng in our hartes Abba Father Wherof S. Paule doth so oftentymes make mention or if you be not yet satisfied with these sentences what aūswere shall we make to Esay the Prophet Where he foresheweth euerlasting ioye vnto them which beyng redeemed by Christ are cōuerted in Syon Where is that cherefulnesse of hart Comfort in steede of mournyng glory in steede of Ashes the oyle of gladnesse in steede of the spirite of sadnesse Promised in the behalfe of the Messias that was yet to come More ouer where the same Prophet doth wonderfully commende the feéte of those which should preach peace to the people what other thyng els doth he note in these wordes then that most excellent glory of the Churche which should aboundauntly flow through affiaunce of the Mediatour vpon all that should beleue on him what meaneth that chearefull Prophecie of Ieremie concernyng the commyng of the Messias and the comfortable consolation of the Gospell to come In those dayes sayth hee Iuda shal be saued and Israell shall dwell with confidence Agayne the same Prophet And I will make them to dwell in Sauetie Whereunto accordeth likewise the saying of the Prophet Ezechiel who prophecying of the raysing vp of a Shepheard and of the blessednesse of that age euen in the same phrase of speache almost doth promise That it should come to passe that men should dwell and rest in securitie without all feare c. Now remayneth to learne of you Osorius what this sayeng to dwell in securitie without all feare doth emporte whiche for as much as your selfe will not confesse to haue relation to the fleshe then it must follow of necessitie that we interprete the same to bee spoken of the Spirite But in what sorte shall it appeare that this saying must bee applyed to the confidence of the Spirite whenas ye shall defraude the Christian fayth of assurednesse of Affiaunce as though ye would dispoyle the world of the benefite of the Sunne Finally what certeinetie of confidence shall remayne if the same doe depende as you say wholy vpon workes and not vpon fayth of the promise freé mercy of him that doth make the promise If you graunt thereunto one of those two ye must neédes confesse either that you ought to obteyne so much by the vprightenes of your workes as shall aūswere and satisfie the Iudgement of God which you can neuer doe or els that the variablenesse of your mynde shall alwayes stagger hether and thether in perpetuall amazed vncerteinetie Doe ye not perceaue Osorius into what streightes this your Diuinitie forceth you Goe ye to therfore Maister Tertullus thinke with your self whether of you two either Luther or Osorius with your Tullianisme doe more stiffely maintaine the doctrine of Desperation Surely S. Paule will teach you a lesson farre vnlike this who abrogatyng all cōfidence in workes which is none at all or at the least most vnassured doth cōclude all thynges vnder fayth onely Therefore through fayth sayth hee that it may be knowen to proceede accordyng to grace That thereby the promise may be assured to the whole seede And wherefore I pray you so through fayth forsooth bycause if the proportion of affiaunce must bee measured by the deseruynges of our workes It is so farre of that any man may possibly conceaue neuer so litle hope of saluation that he shal be forced rather to procure vnto him selfe a headlong downfall into the bottomles gulfe of Desperation And therfore S. Paul discoursing vpō both sortes of righteousnesse aswell of that of the law as that other of fayth after that hee had very exquisitely distinguished the one from the other bycause of the mutuall contrarietie or disagreément betwixt them wherewith they do varie eche from other doth conclude at the length That the Principall substaunce of the whole matter dependeth vpō fayth wholy accordyng to grace And wherfore accordyng to grace verely bycause hauyng abandoned all the righteousnes that commeth by the law which worketh indignation and therfore engendreth vncerteinetie the soule might be established in Grace takyng holdfast of the promise through fayth might attende for nothyng els from whence she should conceaue any other assurednesse of hope to attayne euerlastyng lyfe For as it is an vsuall custome amongest men earnestly to awayte for due performaūce of these thynges that are promised so contrariwise such thyngs as are graunted conditionally are then neuer till then assured but when the conditions are obserued Now if the conditions were such as might bee throughly accomplished accordyng to that absolute perfection of fulnesse wherewith they are limited thē no doubt the law were of it selfe effectuall enough to Saluation For hee that doth keepe the Commaundementes shall lyue by them But as the case standeth now for as much as we are all will we nill we subiect to the breache of the law and that no creature can bee founde whiche dare affirme him selfe able to performe all the conditions annexed to the law of God that I may be so bold to place your Maistershyp one of the number then must we all of necessitie seéke the meanes of our Saluation not from the law but from somewhere els bycause this eternall lyfe must be ascribed to an other mans death and not to our lyfe neither after the opinion of our workes but vnto the freé mercy of God Whiche doth onely ouercome when hee is Iudged Wherein for examples sake let vs heare how Dauid him selfe though neuer so well beloued of God doth as it were tymorously humble him selfe in his prayers beseéchyng God that he will not enter into Iudgement with his seruaūt And where with was hee dismayed I pray you Bycause sayth he no fleshe shal be Iustified in thy sight If so be then this so noble a Kyng and worthy a Prophet standyng to be arrayned before almightie God durst not commit the protectiō of his cause to the deseruyngs of his workes shall then Osorius or Hosius dare bee so bold to doe it We read what remayneth in Recorde of Barnarde beyng otherwise a
had harckened to Ioas the kyng of Israell now what shall we alleadge to be the cause why he did not harken to the good counsell of Ioas Here will Osorius runne backe againe after his wounted maner to Freewill or to Sathan the mouyng cause And this is true in deéde in respect of the second and instrumentall causes But Gods sacred Oracles beyng accustomed to searche out the souereigne and principall cause of thyngs do rayse them selues higher and do aunswere that this was wrought by God him selfe who dyd not onely suffer hym but of his determinate counsell directed him also thereunto bycause hee would auenge him selfe of the kyng for his abhominable Idolatry When Dauid caused the people to be nombred I know that Sathan is sayd to prouoke hym thereunto as we read in the Chronicles But let vs marke what the Scripture speaketh els where And the wrath of the Lord being kindeled agaynst Israell he stirred vp Dauid to nomber his people 2. Sam. 24. And nothyng withstandeth truely but that both may bee true Neither is it agaynst cōueniēcie of reason as Augustine truly witnesseth that one selfe wickednesse may be a punishement scourge of sinne vpō the wicked by the malicious practize of the Deuill by Gods iust Iudgemēt also seyng it skilleth not whether God bryng it to passe by his own power or by the seruice of Sathan Esay the Prophet cryeth out in his Prophecie O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardened our hartes from thy feare And in Ezechiell GOD speaketh by the mouth of his Prophet And if the Prophet bee deceaued I the Lord haue deceaued him Let vs consider Iob hym selfe the most singular paterne of perfect patiēce whom beyng turmoyled with infinite engynes of Sathans Temptatiōs all men will confesse to be plagued by the horrible malice of Sathan True it is will you say and with Gods sufferaūce withall Be it so But I demaunde further who made the first motiō of Iob whē God sayd on this wise Hast thou considered my seruaunt Iob And wherefore did God make this motion first But that it may appeare that the Enemy is not permitted onely but made a Minister also to make triall of mans patience Furthermore after that he was robbed spoyled of all his goodes and Cattels and throwen into extreme pouertie I would fayne learne who stale those goodes from hym That dyd the Caldeans Sabees will Osorius say I am sure which is true in deéde Yet Iob doth not so acknowledge it But liftyng hym selfe vp higher and entryng into a more deépe consideration of that souereigne prouidēce which ordereth and disposeth the seruice of all the workes of his creation at his owne pleasure professeth earnestly that none els dispoyled him of his goodes but he that gaue them The Lord gaue sayth he and the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. c. But that wōderfull force and vnmeasurable power of Gods wisedome and prouidence disposing all thynges accordyng to his euerlastyng purpose with outstretched cōpasse spreadyng it selfe farre wyde abroad throughout all degreées successes of thynges is not discouered vnto vs by any one thyng more notably discernable thē in the death of his sonne Iesus Christ in that most innocent Passion of all other the most innocent death I say of our Sauiour Iesu Christ In the whiche as there were many causes goyng before and the same also not a litle differyng eche from other yet amongest them all was there none but was not onely ioyned with Gods sufferaunce but was long before also foreordeyned by his will decreéd by his wisedome yea ordered almost by his owne hand For otherwise in what sense is he called The Lambe slayne frō the beginning of the world whenas they were not yet created that should kill him and when as yet were no sinnes committed by mankynde whiche might procure Gods wrath If God from the furthest end of eternitie in his euerlastyng foreappointed wisedome and determination had decreéd vpō nothyng that should cause those thyngs to come to passe afterwardes through vnauoydeable Necessitie Out of those matters heretofore debated and argued two thyngs may you note Osorius wherof the one concerneth Luthers doctrine and is true the other toucheth your suggestions and is false For as to the first wherein Luther doth discourse vpon Necessitie agaynst the mainteynours of chaūce and fortune cā no more be denyed by you then Gods prouidence in gouernement of the present tyme and foreknowledge of thynges to come can be any wayes deceaueable On the other side where as you do with so gorgeous colours glorious titles blaze forth the beautie of mans Freewill ioynyng in league herein with the old Philosophers auncient Maisters of ignoraunce and especially Cicero bendyng your whole force to ouerthrowe the doctrine of necessitie what els doth your whole practize herein thē the same which August did long sithence worthely reprehēd in Cicero To witte Whiles you striue so much to make vs free you practize nothyng els but to make vs horrible blasphemours and withall endeuour to vndermyne the vnpenetrable Castell of Gods foreknowledge For who is able to foretell thynges to come which he neuer knew or preuente the assured certeintie of successes of thyngs without the vtter subuersion of the infallible prouidence of Gods foreknowledge Wherfore I would wishe you to be well aduised Osorius least whiles you thinke to molest Luther with your outragious barkyng for affirmyng an infallible Necessitie flowyng from aboue from out the founteine of Deuine operation in direction of thyngs ye fall your selfe headlong at the last in this cōbersome gulfe to be adiudged not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but playnly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and beyng not able to endure the doctrine of Necessitie ye entangle your selfe vnto such an inextricable maze of impietie as that ye shal be thought to practise the abādonyng of the vndeceueable certeintie of Gods most Sacred Scriptures out of heauen after the example of that your fine Cicero whiles ye affect Cicero to much in the nymblenesse of your stile For what els can be gathered out of that detestable discourse of Cicero as August calleth it or out of this execrable opiniō of Osor if he will be the man he seémes for How can those things be auoyded which God doth know shall come to passe most assuredly but that Necessitie must be graunted by the doctrine of prouidence or Necessitie beyng excluded Gods prouidence also be rent asunder withall For after this maner doth Cicero dispute in his bookes De natura Deorum If thynges to come saith he be foreknowen then it must neédes followe that euery thyng must proceéde in his due order but for as much as nothyng is done without some cause therfore must a due order and knittyng together of causes be graunted of Necessitie Whereupō must neédes ensue that all thynges that are done are performed
mention God taketh mercy sayth he on whom he taketh mercy and hardeneth whom he will harden As who neither reiecteth of Mercy nor yet taketh coÌ„passion of Iustice but executeth both accordyng to the absolute good pleasure of his will Let vs make this more manifest by exaÌ„ples Whenas God is sayd to hate Esau to loue Iacob beyng not yet borne both which had done as yet nothyng worthy to be loued or to be hated what kynde of mercy can you shew in the hatred of that one whiche may defende his Iustice or what kynde of Iustice in the loue of the other which Mercy as you say may deliuer cleare from all reproche It followeth hereupon therefore that the whole defence of Iustice consisteth not in mercy alone but that the onely will of God rather doth acquite not onely the mercy of God but his Iustice also withall froÌ„ all accusatioÌ„ of vnrighteous dealyng Be the same spoken likewise touchyng the hardenyng of the hart of Pharao Which beyng decreéd vpon in the secrete counsell of God long before any droppe of mercy was extended vnto him how then doe you referre the Iustice of his induration to Mercy onely But you will say God did call Pharao to fayth and obedience but when as he did despite that so great bountie and lyke a wilde Colte would licentiously raunge out of all order it was agreable not onely with Gods seueritie but with his mercy also to scourge him with most iuste plagues accordyng to his deserte that so by his exaÌ„ple othersmight be reclaymed to do their duety I do know the suÌ„dry singular Presidentes of Gods clemency and callyng were ministred vnto him in deéde but as all those tokens of Mercye be outward meanes which God vseth in the outward calling of men so the same do appertayne to calling onely and touch Election and Reiection nothing at all nor do in this respect expresse any defence of his Iustice for to admit that the hardning of Pharao and the casting away of Esau did happen most righteously yet this Iustice is not therefore defended agaynst the quarelling aduersary because they did abuse the lemty of God afterwardes And why so because they were first reiected from God before any Mercy which they did abuse was powred out vpoÌ„ theÌ„ And these things thus alleadged by me doo not tend to this end as though I were of opinion that this Iustice of their reiectioÌ„ were boyd of all defeÌ„ce for it hath her certeine peculiar most iust defence but not that wherof Osorius doth dreame If we seéke for the right defence of Gods Iustice what can beé more Iust the Gods will which apperteining to God as hys owne properly and effectually as the Deuines do tearme it can do nothing of her owne nature but that which standeth with equitie and Iustice neither standeth in neéde of an other defence For what soeuer God doth decreé vpon though it be neuer so farre hidde from our vnderstanding yet is it of it self defensible and absolutely perfect enough And therfore S. Paule seéketh no place of refuge els where agaynst the most terrible assaults of the aduersary then the will of God which he accompteth the strongest surest fort of defence Where he sayth God taketh mercy on whom he hath mercye and will haâ—den whom he will He doth not say he doth harden that person on whom he taketh no mercy but he doth harden whom he will And agayne he that hath predestinated vs through Iesus Christ according to the purpose of his will He sayth not of his Iustice. Ephes. 1. hauiÌ„g in deéd no one thing of greater maiestie to alleadge for hys defence agaynst the aduersary then the onely will of God wherewith alone the Aduersary might be throughly satisfied But Osorius will take exception and say that this will ought to be vpright and agreable to it selfe Who is eyther ignoraunt hereof or who can deny thys But I demaund likewise of Osorius whereas weé confesse that this will is moste righteous and lawfull whether in Reiection Mercy do sufficiently acquite this Iustice of Gods will agaynst the quarelling Cauiller or Gods will rather As for example If a vayne babling Sophister or some capciouse busibody do demaund of you what the cause should be that Esau was forsaken without all desert of euill fact committed and why also Paraoes hart was hardened before that Moses was sent vnto him why the eares of the Iewes were stopped that they might not heare before the Prophet opened his mouth vnto them All which thinges considering you cannot deny were wrought by Gods most righteous Iustice by what meanes will you defeÌ„d his Iustice herein you will say perhaps that God did therefore forsake and cast them off because he forknew by their wickednes that would ensue what they should work in after tyme. But he will tell you here that this proceéded not here of Mercye but of Iustice wh doth reÌ„der to euery man according to his desert so that now the defence of Iustice may not seeme to depend vpon mercy by this meanes but vpon Iustice it selfe Not so say you but I do affirme that the defence of Iustice hangeth wholy vpoÌ„ mercy which will acquite it cleare from all Reproche I do see what you do affirme but I do not seé yet how this will stop the mouth of the cauiller for in this wise will this wrangler replye if so be that God were pleased with Iacob of his owne meere mercy how could it be then that he should be displeased with Esau by meane of the same mercy for it hys wickednes that was yet to come were layd vnto his charge then did this reiection now belong to hys Iustice not to his mercy but if the same hys offences not yet done were pardoned through mercy by what meanes then is he sayd to be reiected Certes how this manner of defence delighteth you Osorius I know not sure I am that S. Paule tooke a farre other manner of course treating of Induration and reiection alleadging none other argument in the defence of Gods Iustice against the Aduersary then the onely decreé of Gods deuyne will what art thou o man sayth he that doest contend agaynst God Doest thou not heare the Lord himselfe declaring the reason of his Election in the propheticall scriptures I will haue mercy on whom I haue mercy And to make the same more euident S. Paule debateth the matter after this manner Therefore sayth he God doth take mercy on whom he taketh mercy doth hardeÌ„ whom he will hardeÌ„ As though he might say God in choosing or refusing hys own creatures is tyed to no Necessitie neyther is there any law to the contrary but that he may according to his good pleasure do therin what himself liketh lusteth If he dochoose thee thou hast great cause to be thaÌ„kfull vnto him for it If he cast theé of thou hast no iust cause to quarrell with hym therfore for
no vnrighteousnes with God and likewise it must be firmely beleued that God hath mercy on whom he will haue mercy and on whoÌ„ he will not haue mercy theÌ„ he hardeneth That is to say on whom he listeth he will not take mercy whereupon whether he geaue any thing or require that is dew vnto hym neyther he of whom he requireth it can well complayne of hys vniust dealing nor he to whom he geueth ought to be ouer proud and boast of hys giftes for the one neither rendereth any more then is due and the other hath nothyng but that which he hath receaued If God had commaunded vs to do the thinges that hym selfe saw were impossible for vs to do he might seeme worthely to be accused of vnrighteousnesse This obiection were perhaps to some purpose vnlesse the scriptures had prouided a Triacle for this malady namely Fayth in hys Sonne in whom when we do beleéue endeuoring in the meane whiles as much as lieth in vs we do then fulfill the whole Law of workes That is to say we do attayne full absolute righteousnes as well as if we had fulfilled the whole beyng endued wiâ—h righteousnes now albeit not properly our owne yet enioying hym notwithstanding whiche of God was made our righteousnesse by Fayth Whereupon Luther in hys booke of Christian liberty hath written very excellently That which is impossible for theé to bring to passe in the whole works of the Law sayth he which are in number many thou shalt easily accomplish with small labour Namely by Fayth Because God the Father hath placed all thinges in Fayth so that whosoeuer is indued with this Fayth may possesse all thinges and he that is voyde of this Fayth may possesse nothing at all After this maner the promises of God doe geue that which the commauÌ„dements do exact they do finish that which the law commauÌ„deth so that now he onely alone is he that may coÌ„mauÌ„d and he onely and alone is he that may bryng to passe c. To what end are ordinauÌ„ces to liue well prescribed why are threatninges added to the stifnecked and rebellious if men were not able to liue well why is a freedome of choyse set out vnto vs to enter into whether way we will if we can not be able to holde the right way who is so madde to commaund a blinde man to keepe the right path or who will commaund that man that is so fast bound as beyng vnable to moue hys arme but vnto the left side to reache hym a a thing on the right side whiche is not possible for hym to doe Augustine will aunswere That which man is not able to atteine to by nature vnto the same may he yet attayne by grace he doth meane there of liuyng commendably not of liuyng perfectly which was neuer as yet graunted to any one person in this life no though he were aided by grace but to Iesu Christ alone But ye will demaund agayne to what end then was the law published and naturall choyse set out vnto vs if that choyce be not free to make choyse of these thinges that are set forth to our Election I do aunswere That this complaynt of Nature might beé not altogether impertinent if he that gaue the lawes had created the same Nature such as we haue at this present But now whereas he did at the beginning create Nature vpright and vnspotted God according to the selfe same Nature did publishe hys law vnto men whiche shoulde be holy and vndefiled Neither could he do otherwise whose commaundemeÌ„ts if we be not able now in this corruption of Nature to accomplish with due obedience there is no cause why the fault thereof should be imputed to GOD who can neyther will nor commaund any thing but that which is most righteous but we our selues and our first parentes Authors of this disobedience and the Deuill the couÌ„sellor are to be blamed therfore God caÌ„ not be vnlike himselfe If we become vnlike to our selues whose fault is it ours or his Furthermore touching the obiection of the blind and the maÌ„ that was bound hereunto I do aunswere That the similitude is not in all respectes correspondent for this cause For if God had blynded man at the first or had chayned hym fast with such Roopes of Necessitie and afterwardes had commaunded hym whom he made blynde to keepe the right pathe or him whom he had first bounde fast to reach afterwardes ouer to the right hand this were perhappes not altogether from the purpose that is cauilled but now for as much as the cause of this blyndnes was procured by man him selfe and not sent by God he is not to be blamed that geueth necessary counsell to speake as Augustine doth but he that hath entangled him selfe into such a Necessitie out of the whiche he can by no meanes vntwyne him selfe agayne A righteous and wise Law geuer doth neuer proclayme such Statutes the performaunce whereof will exceede the abilitie and capacitie of his subiectes God is the most righteous and most wise Law geuer Ergo God in publishyng his law did prescribe nothyng beyond the capacitie and abilitie of his owne Creatures I do aunswere vnto the Maior two maner of wayes First That the same is true in deéde in those lawes whiche were established of the Lawgeuer to this onely ende that the subiectes should exactly performe the same But albeit GOD did desire this thyng chiefly that all men should precisely and throughly obserue his Ordinaunces yet besides this consideration there are many other endes and causes 1. That the Iudgement and wrath of God agaynst Sinne should be made manifest 2. That we might be more easily brought to the acknowledgemeÌ„t of our Sinnes and weakenesse 3. Thyrdly that vnderstandyng our weakenes the more we feéle our selues more heauyly oppressed with this burden the more sharpely we should be prouoked as with the Schoolemaisters rodde to fleé vnto Christ who is the end of the law 4. That by this Schoolyng as it were we may learne what way we ought to take that if it be not geuen vs at the least to atteyne the full and absolute obedience of the law yet that begynnyng to be obedient we may profitte as much as we may Secundaryly we do confesse that the Maior is true in respect of those lawes for the due obseruation of the which there is no cause to the coÌ„trary either by the Lawgeuer or in nature it selfe but such as appeareth rather in the Subiectes Whose onely fault and disorderous licentiousnes procureth the breach therof As for example If a Prince do sende foorth an Ambassadour in all respectes whole sounde and well enstructed to whom afterwardes he geueth in commaundement to put some matter in execution which he might very easily bryng to passe vnlesse through his owne default and disorder he made him selfe lame halte or vnable to execute the commaundement of his Prince Now if this Ambassadour
fire c. or where he bryngeth vpon men inward griefes by the seruice of Sathan exequutioner of hys wrathe as famine of hys holy word ignoraunce blindenes of vnderstanding hardnes of hart as appeareth euidently by the Scriptures I pray you what meane you by that whiche you reade in the 9. of Iudges God did send hys euill spirite betwixt Abimilech and the people of Sychem c. When you reade in Moyses I will harden the hart of Pharao adding a cause to the same wherefore he would do it And agayn when you heare that the Lord did harden the hart of Syhon King of Hesbon When you read in Esay the Prophet Blunt the hartes of this people stopp their eares And agayne why doest thou make vs wander from thy wayes O Lord What is this in the 3. of the kings the 22. chap Behold the Lord hath geuen the Spirite of lyeng into the mouthes of all the Prophets c. and in Iob. 12. The Lord doth take away the hartes from them that rule ouer the people of the earth and he maketh them to goe astray c. of the same sence are the wordes of the Prophet Ezechiell If the Prophet be seduced and speake a word I the Lord haue seduced that Prophet And in Amos If there shal be any euill in the Citie that the Lord hath not done And agayne in the 2. to the Thessalonians the 2. chapter God shall send vpon them strong illusione to beleue lyes c. These and innumerable like vnto these who so shall heare euery where in the scriptures can he dought hereof that the sinnes of the wicked are not hidden vtterly from the decreed will of God or that any thing is done in any of all these by Gods Permission so as hys effectuall prouidence doth not worke also withall Now as concerning the inconuenience as though it were of Necessitie that Gods Iustice shold be therfore called in questiō and that it would by that meanes come to passe that wicked mē would hereof take occasion to excuse themselues as though they should not offend through their own default but by the compulsary constraynt of Gods will if so be those thinges be so taken according to the very purporte of the bare letter wherwith God is sayd to deliuer ouer into a Reprobate minde to make blynde to harden the hartes c. then is this also eche way as false Neyther doth the conclusion of hys argument thus shuffled vp hang together All thinges that God hath foreordayned shall come to passe do chaunce through absolute Necessiitie God did foreordayne that sinne should come to passe Ergo When sinnes do come to passe they are to be imputed aswell vnto man as beyng an instrument as vnto God hymself as beyng the Authour Nay rather the conclusion ought to haue bene framed on this wise Ergo God hath ordayned that sinnes should be which for the same cause cannot but be of very Necessitie And so in deede is the conclusion right and to be graunted also For it is without all controuersie that sinnes cannot come without the ordinaunce of Gods will which ordinaunce neuertheles hauing iust cause of defence ought to be acquited of all vnrighteousnes And to shew that it hath iust causes of defence Three reasons may be rendered First This seely earthly worme had skarse yet thrust hys nose out of the dyrte whenas he would needes make hymselfe equall with God hys creator farre aboue the reach and cōpasse of his creation presuming to attayne the knowledge of good and euil then came it to passe by the most iuste iudgement of God not by hys Permission but by hys prouidence also that Freewill beyng as then throughly furnished with vnderstanding and reason but destitute of Grace could not gouerne it selfe but must needes both agaynst hys owne knowledge and conscience stumble and fall downe withall And no meruayle For assoone as God had withdrawne hys light right spirite and helping hand whereupon issued lacke of well doyng blindenes and hardnes of hart it could not otherwise be but that the grace of God being withdrawne all abillitie to do well beyng taken away this proud presumptuous Uermine must fall to the ground both of very Iustice and of very Necessitye whereof the one is ascribed to God and not to man this other not to God but to man and to hys owne Freewill And hereupon aryseth that absolute and vnauoydeable Necessitie whereof we treat so much and withall the most iust defence of Gods Iustice. Then besides this Freewill there is yet an other reason that will playnly acquite the iust prouidence of God from fault though it worke in the sinnes of men together with men themselues As when he bryngeth vppon man eyther diseases of the body or blindnes of vnderstanding for sinnes already committed punishing sinne as it were by sinne Euen so Pharao that had vsed horrible tyranny before in drowning the suckling babes of the Hebrues was himselfe afterwardes most iustly hard harted by God and at the last miserably drowned in the read Sea Euen so likewise Esay and the other Prophetes did prophesye that the Iewes should be blinded for the wickednes whiche they had committed By the like Iudgement of God came it to passe that which was spoken of the Gentiles As they would not geue themselues to know God God did deliuer them ouer to the lustes of their owne hartes c. And in an other place writing to the Thes. For this cause sayth he God will send vpon thē strong illusion to beleue lyes c. Besides these most iust causes spoken of before there is yet a thyrd no lesse rightfull and iust which although be somewhat darke vnto vs yet seémeth not so darke to the vnderstādyng and knowledge of S. Paule where Gods Deuine prouidence doth wonderfully order and dispose his workes to witte by his Iudgemēt hidden in deéde but alwayes iust leadyng and directyng all thynges to that ende whereby he may make his Iustice or his power discernable to mankynde And to this end at a word do all the counsells of God and all the effectes of the same tende and be directed whether he do fashion the vessels of his wrath to destruction or prepare the vessels of his mercy to Glory or whether he be mercyfull to whom he will or whether he do harden the hartes of whom it pleaseth hym or whensoeuer it pleaseth him so to do or when he doth styrre vppe the myndes and endeuoures of men where unto him lysteth by the seruice of Sathan minister of his wrath or whether he do comfort and make glad the hartes of his chosen by the operatiō of the holy Ghost And yet is there no cause in the meane whiles why any man should complayne that the thynges are done iniuriously which are done by Gods secrete Iudgement or that God ought to be blamed in any of all these whenas whatsoeuer is
onely begynnyng And that the pope of Rome onely if we may beleéue the Popes Parasites must now be Lord of Lordes and Kyng of Kynges to whoÌ„ is due the fulnes of all power more then Princely authoritie ouer all maner of subiectes All which beyng so vndoughtedly true ratified with the generall consent of all Historiographers that no man can be able to deny it I beseéch you Osorius by your beautyfull foreheaded if you haue not rubbed all shamefastnes away from it where is shame become where is fayth where is Catholicke obedience so many tymes bragged vpon by you wherewith you affirme boldly that you do not refuse the commauÌ„dement of any lawfull authoritie for the coÌ„futation of which wordes of yours what shall I say vnto you so much as the liues of them whoÌ„ you defend most do most of all bewray you to be a great lyar though I held my peace Chronicles and Hystories are full of examples complainyng of no one thyng more greéuously then of a certeine singular continuall and vnappeasable rebellion of this your holy order agaynst the lawfull Magistrates Call to remembraunce Osorius how discretly and humbly Pope Iohn the 12. of that name behaued him selfe who conspiryng first with Berengarius the 3. afterwardes agayne with his sonne most trayterously supported their treachery agaynst Otto the first beyng the lawfull Magistrate And how afterwardes beyng sommonned to the Councell by the Emperour he disobeyed his lawfull commaundement and refused to come And for that cause beyng deposed from his Ecclesiasticall function by the generall consent of the whole Councell did not yet so geue ouer his trayterous practizes agaynst the lawfull Maiesty Anno. 963. It would make a great Uolume to gather together all the seditions and contentions one after other that happened betwixt the Emperoures the Popes afterwardes I will here there touche and runne ouer some as many as shall suffice for the present purpose And first of all What shall I speake of Gregory the 7. of whom I can neuer speake sufficiently enough Who after that he had contrary to the auncient Decreés and receaued custome of the Elders wrested wroong out of the handes of the Emperour Henry the 4. all right of chusing the Pope of disposing the promotions of the Church of callyng Councels not satisfied as yet with this horrible treason agaynst the Imperiall Maiestie Rusheth moreouer most furiously like a brute sauadge Tyger agaynst the Emperour his own person thundereth out excommunications agaynst him dispencing with his subiectes for their Oathe of allegiance which they had sworne vnto him what shall I say that this most arrogaunt Mastigo would scarse after threé dayes admit to come within the walles of Canusium the Emperour him selfe with his Empresse and young Sonne threé dayes I say submittyng them selues bare-footed and barelegged in frost and snow at the gates of the Citie And yet beyng not herewith contented did notwithstanding not absolute him from his fault which was none at all without doing a whole yeares penauÌ„ce Besides all this the greédy Cormoraunt beyng not yet with all these reprochefull iniuries fully gorged became so monstruously madd as to prouoke by all meanes possible Rodolphe Duke of Sueâ—ia to driue him out of his Empire in the yeare 1074. Not long after this Gregory succeéded Vrbane 2. Pascalis wherof the one did teaze Conrade sonne heyre of the same Emperour by his first wife to wage warre agaynst his naturall Father the other after that Conrade was slayne enlured Henry the 5. his other sonne vnto like outrage agaynst his own Father the Emperour In the yeare 1300. O miraculous and Catholicke reuerence towardes the higher powers to speake nothyng in the meane tyme of the warres that Pascalis mainteyned agaynst Ptolome and Stephen Cursus a Romane Citizen of great power and agayne how the same Pope prouoked Anselme Archb. of Canterbury to pricke proudely and insolently agaynst Henry 1. Kyng of England After the death of the Emperour Henry the 4. succeéded in the Empire HeÌ„ry the 5. who beyng no more courteously entreated of Pascalis and Gelasius 2. and of Albert Arch. of Meniz through whose deadly practizes and infinite seditioÌ„s the Emperour beyng throughly worne out was driueÌ„ at the last to that extremitie that maugre his hart he must agreé to the Popes commaundement yeld to his will stand to his courtesie and deliueryng ouer the preéminence of the Imperiall scepter was coÌ„strained of necessitie to thrust his necke into the yoake of the Ponrificall tyranny 1122. By meanes of which submission and yeldyng of Henry 5. it is scarse credible to be spoken how monstruously these holy Fathers raysed their crestes what outragious atteÌ„ptes they practized afterwardes whereby they might bryng to passe to haue the Empire vtterly troden vnder their feéte which them selues had miserably wasted and taken out of the Emperours handes before and withall how they might reteigne vnto them selues the authoritie of the keyes of the whole Church wherof they had vnlawfully likewise dispoyled the Emperour preteÌ„ding an authoritie from aboue geuen vnto them by Christ him selfe whereby they were made Lordes my Iudges of all Churches Byshops Pastours Kyngs finally Lordes of whole ChristeÌ„dome in all causes aswell Ecclesiasticall as Temporall WhereupoÌ„ they enforced the Byshoppes to purchase their Election at the popes handestand to these keyes they annexed freé and absolute power to ordeyne dispence with and to coyne new lawes the breach and violatyng of the which must be taken for as haynous offence as if they had Sinned agaynst the holy Ghost according to the Decreé of Demasus For euen so they spake of them selues besides this also they armed them selues with those terrible gunneshottes of Excommunications of Decreés enioynyng of penaunce and cursinges and withall did rake vnto them selues a certeyne Heauenly power out of the very Heauens and exercized the same vpon the earth so that from thence forth no humane creature might be so hardy as once to mutter agaynst this new vpstart Peacocke whereupon the Decretalles of Gratian had bestowed no small plumes of gay glitteryng feathers euen now hatched and peépyng abroad at the first to establish an absolute monarchy power by the Decreés Councels of Byshops of let purpose as it were to ouerthrowe the Maiesty Imperiall Now these holy Fathers beyng thus throughly garded with this munition and engynes hauyng also subdued the highest power of the world do begyn to bende their force agaynst the Inferiour powers Potentates And first Innocent 2. choppes away at one blow the auncient order dignitie of Senatours of Rome and doth besiege Rogerius in the Castell of Gallucius in the yeare 1130. How execrable the insolency was of Alexander 3. the Cardinalles agaynst Fridericke Barbarossa agaynst whom beyng their liege Lord most worthy Emperour besides horrible thuÌ„derâ—rakes of curses they raysed all Italy and the Venetians is
lesse friuolous vaine Nay rather if I should tell you as it is in deéde you should haue sayd rather That many thynges haue bene brought into the Church by your Catholickes long sithence the tyme of the Apostles and auncient Fathers so weake of them selues so friuolous and so absurde as could by no meanes endure the glisteryng Beames of the Orient Gospell but must neédes immediately at the very sounde of the Trumpet of truth fall downe of them selues to the grounde and vanish quite out of sight yea without touch of breath as they say And hereupon came it that the Seé of that Beast was darkened hereof came it that the Denne of momishe Monckes neuer founded by God were rooted cleane vppe hereof came it that their goodes and possessions were dispersed abroad their temples destroyed their Images Altares Idolles Monumentes of prophane superstition shyuered in peéces Finally whatsoeuer was repugnaunt to Christes Gospell whatsoeuer apperteined not to his glory whatsoeuer hypocrisie had heretofore builded vpon the Sandes and not vpon the Rocke Christ came all to vtter ruine And there is no doubt but that your Mytred pride Osorius together with that intollerable arrogancy and insolent hautynes of Romish Prelates their Princely trayne Lordly and ambitious Titles and all that Luciferlyke pompe of abhominable lyfe wherein they riotte and reuell in despight of Christ his Gospell shall come to the lyke ouerthrow which doth euen now by all lykely coniectures threaten your vtter subuersion I come now to the other part of your cauill which is in all respectes as vntrue and friuolous Wherein you conclude after this sort That sithence the Preachyng of this Gospell no Reformation of life hath ensued nor that the conuersation of their Auditorie is any ioate at all bettered but rather made much more worse then before But how doe you know this to be true beyng so farre distaunt frō this end of the world Reporte hath told you so Ueryly a fitte messenger for Osorius his grauitie But do you so stoughtly warraūt all your slaunders vpon heare-say good Syr and do ye thinke it enough for you to treade down the Gospell of Christ with your graue and solemne voucher of hearesay onely what can you so quickely harken vnto Reporte geue no credite or eare to Christes Gospell Is it so in deéde hath fame so bewitched your eyes that you cā discerne nothyng but that which is altogether remoued nothyng but wickednes lechery murthers and theftes tumultes and conspiracies Finally nothing reformed nor bettered with vs sithence the embracyng of this Gospell what say you to this when the people be instructed to repose all their hope and affiaunce of Saluation in Christ onely to seéke and craue of this onely patrone and Mediatour a preseruatiue for all maladies reiectyng all peltyng drugges of mens traditions to hold them selues assured in this onely vnpenetrable Rocke to lamēte bewayle all their sinnes before him finally to make a sure couenaūt with thē selues vpō an vndeceauable Faith to haue the fruition of all things apperteinyng to saluation euerlasting cōsolatiō in him by him when godly consciēces entangled before with innumerable snares do begyn to be recomforted with that gladsome Trumpe of Euangelicall Grace and to acknowledge embrace the inestimable riches of Gods glory in Christ Iesu whēas Kyngs hauing shakē frō their shoulders that intollerable yoake of seruile Popish bondage do know how to preserue their owne Seignories and right and Subiectes to yeld due obediēce to their Princes and Magistrates finally when as Idolles and Images beyng subuerted euery person is taught to open his owne cause vnto the liuyng Lord in spirite and truth and to lead his lyfe accordyng to the prescript rule of Gods ordinaūce and not after the Apish Decreés and Decretalles of the Pope and to surcease here frō many others of the same sort which beyng in number infinite almost are you onely alone so bussardly blind that can discerne none of all these can accompt all these pointes of so necessary reformation to be altogether fruitelesse and nothyng worthe But their maners remaine yet vnreformed or rather worse then they were sith this Gospell was receaued Harkē a whiles you Portingal Truly I may selfe haue heard the Iewes obbraying vs christiās with the same faults wherwith you do reproch vs now touching disordered life And it may be peraduēture that amongest the Iewes some Phariseés may lead their liues some what more precisely accordyng to the outward integritie of the law then many Christiās do now a dayes shall the Fayth therfore which the Christians do professe be esteémed any iote lesse ualuable and sounde I beseéch you Syr in what countrey liue you that cā so earnestly reproue vs for not keépyng the discipline of our profession What and if your Auditory say you be not onely not made better c. First render an accompt of your owne Auditory Osorius then make inquisition of ours afterwardes But that we may with lesse difficultie aunswere the faultes wherof you condemne vs I would fayne learne of you first who those be that you note by the name of Auditorie If you meane the Lutherans or Zuinglians surely I know no Lutheranes nor Zuingliās here For as much as we here in England do all professe to be the disciples not of Luther nor of Zuinglius ne yet of Caluine but of Christ the Sonne of the liuyng God onely But go to bycause it hath pleased you to accuse vs by the name of Sectaries thereby to teaze mē so much the more to hate vs tell vs I pray you first this one thyng whether those Lutheranes and Zuinglians be the men with whom these haynous wickednesses murthers and theftes be so ryse vnpunished Truly I do confesse this simply and truly which also I do lament hartely that there is a great nōber of people euery where not here in Englād alone that be endued with no feélyng of Religiō at all nor moued with any earnest motion of mynde to any contemplation of heauenly thynges But such do I neither recompt Lutheranes nor yet worthy to be reckoned amongest the nomber of true Christians Of this sort of people are some the multitude whereof is infinite who like Players vpō a Stage fashioyng them selues to the present tymes maners of Princes turne returne and ouerturne them selues after euery blaste of Religiō accordyng to the tyme and place where they lyue ready alway to follow any kynde of profession now this now that wherein they may best mainteine their countenaunces dignities and worship in good likyng and without perill but as for these I vouchsafe neither the name of Lutherās nor Catholicks but Newtralls a rascall most abiect people of all others And this also your selfe do cōfesse playnly in this booke namely that you know many in this our Realme constaunt vnremoueable Catholickes whom likewise you will not haue to be nombred as the Auditorie of this
Gospell To Passe ouer withall innumerall infidels Atheistes Paganes counterfaites hypocrites false brethren false Gospellers which vnder pretence of Religion do nothyng els but cast a myste before the eyes of the world and serue their owne turnes to the great daunger and hinderaunce of the godly Now in this so huge a multitude of people and so manifold varietie of affections what people be they agaynst whom you do in so great clusters impute so great wickednesse lust outrage tumultes murthers conspiracies procured agaynst Princes and other more monstruous abhominations vnspeakeable and intollerable Euen such be say you the Auditorie of your Gospell What do I heare haue we then any other Gospell in England then is with you in Portingall is not one selfe same Gospell euery where are not Gods lawes the same in all places is Christ deuided amongest vs or doth any Christian in the world admitte any other Gospell then the Gospell of Christ But you beyng a meéry conceipted mā meant happely to sport your selfe with that nyckname agaynst such as haue harkened to Luther Zuinglius Bucer Caluine and others their lyke as vnto their Schoolemaisters Be it so yet do I seé no cause why you should call their doctrine a new Gospell But go to let vs seé yet how true your slaunder is that you charge these men withall I do confesse that there be now very many and heretofore haue bene many also who with Luther and those others do agrain in the exposition of holy Scripture whose doctrine you are not able to confoūde though ye would whose lyues you cā not iustly charge with any infamous crime no nor able to imitate them Of the liuyng at this day were not so conuenient to speake I will say somewhat of others that are gone And of those chiefly whom that furious swellyng gulfe of Mary lately swallowed vppe which beyng in number many in so fewe yeares Make Inquisition of all their lyues search out their maners studies exercizes functions speaches and deédes whatsoeuer sift them peruse them yea prye into them with that captious head pearcyng eyes of yours as narrowly as ye can And first in Cranmer Archb. of Canterbury who after by that hearyng this Gospell began to sauour of Christian profession what wickednes was euer reported of him with what outrage of lust was he enflamed what murthers what seditious tumults what secret cōspiracies were euer sene or suspected so much to proceéd from him vnlesse ye accompt him blame worthy for this That whea kyng Henry father of the same Mary vpon great displeasure conceaued was for some secret causes determined to strike of her head this Reuerend Archb. did pacifie the wrath of the father with mylde cōtinuall intercession preserued the life of the daughter who for life preserued acquited her patron with death As concernyng his Mariadge if you reprochfully impute that to lust which Paule doth dignifie with so honorable a Title I do aūswere that he was the husband of one wife with whō he cōtinued many yeares more chastly holyly then Osorius in that his stinking sole single lyfe paraduenture one moneth though he fleé neuer so often to his Catholicke Confessions And I seé no cause why the name of a wife shall not be accoumpted in eche respect as holy with the true professours of the Gospell as that name of a Concubine with the Papistes To speake nothyng els of this sort of people more vnseémely yet perhappes truly With Cranmer lyued Nicolas Ridley Byshop of Londō coupled in one partakyng of Religiō and one maner of Martyrdome who ledd such a lyfe alwayes vnmaryed as in the which all his aduersaries were not able to reprehend not onely any notorious crime but also not so much as a blemishe reprocheworthy so farre as I euer heard Not much inferiour to them both in all commendable worthynes and dignitie crowned also with the same crown of Martyrdome did shyne that famous Prelate Ferrar Byshop of S. Dauides what shall I speake of Iohn Hooper Byshop of Worcester and Glocester whose integritie of lyfe voyd of all cause of reprehension vnweryable trauaile in teachyng feédyng visityng might be not onely a notable patterne to all Romish Prelates though neuer so Catholicke but make them also ashamed in their owne behalfes To passe ouer a nomber of the like Taylours Saunders Rogers Philpottes Barnes Ieromes Garrettes whose vertues to rehearse and cōmende with condigne prayses for their vnblameable lyues neither the tyme serueth nor is my simple skill able to expresse accordyngly What one man did this litle Ilād at any time nourish vp or euer shall seé more holy and more chaste then was Thomas Bilney whom no posterity ought euer to forgette after that he beganne to harken vnto and apply his mynde seryously to this doctrine namely to the Gospell of Christ sauing that in all excellency of vertuous life Iohn Bradford seémeth worthy to be ioyned with him who wholly and altogether did so dwell in the feare of the Lord and in a certayne inward earnest meditation of heauenly life that liuing here on earth he seémed to haue bene translated as it were into an heauenly soule before he was violently taken from hence so leane spent and worne out with often abstinence vnmeasureale trauayle and so spare a dyette that he seémed an Anatomy nothing but skinne and boane In earnest prayer so continualy exercised that before he was burnt his kneés in handling seémed almost as hard as Camels hoofes Of all these and many others like vnto these which I could set downe vnto you gathered out of most faythfull hystoryes Report could not certify you but other thinges it could It could report lyes and vntruethes And no maruell If you aske the cause I will tell you For weé are carryed according to the wickednesse of this our age into sundry affections partes and factions We do esteéme of contreuersies not with that reuerence and simplicity of hart as beseémeth vs as we are taught by the prescript word of God but through sinister corrupt affections conceiue an euill opinion of them And wrest and wring the truth it selfe whether it will or no to colour and cleake Sectes and diuisions And therefore as we are for the more part more greédely carryed to harken vnto plausible matters such as concerne our owne commodity and preferment rather then the glory of the Sonne of God so neuer wanteth stoare of notable talebearers skilfull purueyors for such itching eares notorious Sicophantes euen for the same purpose raysed vp by the iust iudgement of God Hetherto haue I spoken of such onely as were famous for their learning doctrine dignity iudgement and ecclesiasticall function Besides these I could recken vppe vnto you of the meaner sort of people sixe hundred more or lesse consumed to Ashes in that fiue yeares persecution vpon whose bodyes although ye Romanists did furiously rage according to your sauadge and brutish
discrete man admitt any such person to be Iudge And yet I stand not so much vpon a Iudge herein This one thing doe I wishe onely that with the obiections of our aduersaryes our aunsweres may be heard with indifferency And I assure you if I could preuayle with wishing I would desire nothing more hartely then that the renowned king of Portingall Sebastian a prince of excellent Maiesty sith I suppose verely that the arbitriment detreminatiō iudgement of this cause doth concerne Christian Princes chiefly would vouchsafe of his singular clemēcy according to the aunciēt Lawes of Athens to geue eare indifferently to both cause and to lend his princely eares but euen a litle whiles not vnto me but to the cause it selfe whereof I shall entreate I would not doubt his highnes being iudge but that I would easely iustify that all whatsoeuer the Catholickes doe alledge at this day for their antiquitye are but bare bragges And that with vs remaineth nothing wherein they may iustly condemne vs of Nouelty And in this behalfe I can not wonder enough what came into Osorius minde to exact of vs a warrant of our Nouelty seing that of his owne Antiquitye he can yeald vs no manner of warrant at all But let vs harken a while to those notable reasons of our aduersaryes wherewith they doe defend their Antiquitye which being throughly confuted we will presently proceéde to the argumentes which they doe obiect agaynst our new masters of this new Gospell as they terme it There is a principle in the ciuill Lawe The lawes sayth they are fauorable to the party in possession in a title of prescription Yf prescription of fifty yeares doe cleane cut of all chalenge what shall be sayd then of them which affirme their continued possession in doctrine a thousand yeares and more By the same prescription of time say they the priestes of the old lawe did chalenge vnto themselues a lawfull right to sit in Moyses chayre Ergo Mans lawe doth adiudge no man a wrōgfull dissensor being able to prescribe fifty yeares possession Aunswere The priestes of the old lawe doe chalenge a right to sitt in Moyses chaire in respect of the continued prescription of time I doe confesse this to be true in deede And yet this prescription notwithstanding the Lord did call the very same priestes theéues and murtherers Agayne touching their allegation of the wrongfull disseisor by lawe and prescription of time I doe aunswere In the ciuill lawe this is true in deéd but not so in Gods lawe And yet there is also a rule in the ciuill lawe A wrōgfull disseisor shall not ohtayne though he prescribe neuer so long continuance of possession Agayne An ordinaunce begunne wickedly at the first is not sayd to be allowable for prescriptiō of tyme. But as concerning Gods lawe there be many notable testimonies of most worthy personages which disproue the same for an vntrueth Namely emongest all others the saying of Augustine chiefly The veritye being discouered custome must geue place to trueth let no man preferre custome before reason and trueth because reason and trueth doe alwayes exclude custome And Gregory Yf you pretend custome sayth he you must note what the Lord sayth I am the way the trueth and the lyfe He doth not say I am custome doughtles euery custome though neuer so auncient though neuer so generall must geue place to the trueth Emongest whome also heare what Cyprian doth say If Christ onely must be harkened vnto sayth he we may not regard what any other did thinke conuenient to be done before our time but what Christ hath done first who is aboue all other For we ought not to followe the custome of men but the trueth of God for as much as the Lord spake by the month of his Prophet Esay and sayd They worshippe me in vayne teaching the doctrines and tradicions of men Moreouer whereas themselues knowe this rule to be infallible that no custome shall prescribe agaynst the prince how much rather ought it be sayd no time or custome shall prescribe agaynst God Otherwise what shall we say of Antichrist which because he hath possessed his Seé more then an hundreth yeares shall he therfore not be accounted for Antichrist for his title of prescription Hitherto therefore the reasons wherewith the Catholickes do maintayne their Antiquitye are declared It remaineth now that we purge our selues of the cryme of Nouelty fasly obbraydid agaynst vs by Osorius especially sith Osorius doth vrge vs so earnestly thereunto wherein I would gladly conferre with that indifferent and vpright reader whome earst I spake of or with any other Catholicke man who hath any sparke of sound and vpright iudgement And I would enquire of him first his iudgement vpon this poynt of doctrine whereas we beleue and professe that our nature euen from our first creation is so vtterly lost and forlorne that in our selues remaineth no helpe at all to rise agayne without Christ agayne that Christ the sonne of God taking our nature vpon him hath made so perfect satisfaction for our sinnes that there remayneth nothing wherein his deseruings haue not sufficiently enough satisfied for all generall yea for the sinnes of the whole world Moreouer that these his merites are so by wonderfull dispensation spread abroad with ouerflowing plenty vppon all mankinde through the singuler and inestimable benefitte and mercy of God that a freé passage is made wide open for all miserable wretches penitent sinners being endued with fayth to haue freé accesse vnto Christ and so layd open as that freély through fayth without all merites of ours without all the works of the lawe they be pardoned and accepted vpon this poynt I say I would fayne heare the opinion of the godly and Catholicke Reader whether this Assertiō hane any maner of Nouelty in it which hath not proceéded from Christ himselfe from Saynt Paule frō the holy Ghost and from the sacred word of God I thinke no man will say so What meaneth this That where the same scripture doth teach vs to repose all our affyaunce not in workes but in Christ onely grounding our selues in the meane space assuredly vpon the infallible promise of God whereof we haue no mistrust but that he which promised freely the same will performe most faithfully not for any our sake but for hys Sonnes sake onely in whom we do beleue so that now there be no reason els of any our righteousnesse in the sight of God then through fayth onely Let the Godly and vpright Reader iudge here agayne with me what Nouelty or Sacriledge is in this manner of Doctrine If according to the authority of Tertullian that thing ought to be preferred that was first diliuered I will aske again of any indifferēt Reader whether this custome were receyued in the Church first namely that we should acknowledge one onely Aduocate and Mediator of God and men the man Christ Iesus Or
herein Let euery man that list compare examples with examples new with old present with tymes past what doth all this whatsoeuer you doe resemble els then like a certein skippyng and trippyng gesture of some Stagelike Comedy rather thē a Supper of the Lord wherein first you chaunged the Sacrament into a Sacrifice you haue altered the Table into an Altar transposed mysteries into Masses and translated eatyng into Adoration participation into Religion banquetyng into gazing tootyng The substaunce of bread you haue with a playne Poeticall Metamorphosis trāsubstanciated into the substaūce of flesh finally you haue brought the matter to this passe that there is no fourme of a Supper no nor so much as the name of a Supper remainyng For what is he that will euer name that to be a Supper where neither bread nor drincke nor any kynde of meate besides mās flesh and bloud onely is sett before the guestes to feéde vpō which is horrible for any mā to eate that will either follow the rule of nature or the prescript commaundement of the Scriptures What then will you abandone Christ say you from vs out of the Eucharist altogether and will you leaue no more but bare Signes onely in this most holy Sacrament For such is the question that Hosius maketh in a certein place the selfe same now doth Osorius thrust out agaynst the Lutheranes Whose accusation bycause I purpose to refute behold ye good Catholick mē that which I must speake both truly and necessaryly First this quarrell toucheth the Lutheranes very litle For others I doe aunswere on this wise That this doth not exclude Christ out of the Eucharist but you do banish Christ out of heauē altogether whiles by the same rule you force the nature and substaunce of his body into so narrow streightes as it were thruchte into a Geometricall chynker wherein what do you els then hale him out of heauen For one and the selfe same bodely nature in one the selfe same body can not be here and there at one tyme. In deede you confesse it can not be by nature but it may be be say you by miracle But cursed be that miracle whereby the true humanitie of our Christ is denyed and whereby our cōioyning together with him is broken a sunder For what partakyng shal be of our natures with his body or what agreable proportion of body betwixt vs If we be seuered ech frō other in the whole propertie substaunce of nature But Augustine a reasonable Catholicke Deuine enough I suppose will not consent vnto this that the Diuinitie of Christ ought so to be affirmed is that his humanitie shall by any meanes be defaced Therfore that rayling of Osorius agaynt vs as though we did dispoyle the holy banquet of Christes Diuinitie is some drowsie dreame of some dronckard for who did euer seclude the Diuinitie of Christ from this mysticall Supper So is also the cauilation of Hosius in eche respect as slaunderous where he chargeth vs that we sequester the body of Christ wholy from the Eucharist Which is also as vntrue For albeit we do affirme that the body of Christ is naturally in his owne propertie in heauē we do not so exclude him from the holy mysteries as that we would not haue him present therein at all but consideration must be had in what maner he is present He that doth acknowledge a true presence of Christ after a Sacramentall maner and vnder a mysticall coueryng doth not abanddon Christ out of the Sacrament but he that reiectyng the mystery doth acknowledge no presence but such as must be beleéued to be present naturally and in deéde the same if he abyde by his wordes must neédes ouerthrow all the substaūce of a Sacrament of very necessitie For whereas they do assigne the whole materiall part of the Sacrament to consiste in this that the flesh of Christ included within those mysteries must appeare discernable to the beholders not in his proper and naturall forme but in an other shape it is a friuolous deuise boulted out of the forgeshoppe of Lumbarde Which by this euident demonstration of Augustine is easily ouerthrowen All Sacramentes do represent a necessary likenesse of the same thinges whereof they be Sacramentes The outward formes of bread and wyne doe by no maner of likenesse represent any agreablenesse with the body of Christ. Ergo No materiall part of a Sacrament can be applyable to those outward formes of bread and wyne And yet this notwithstandyng we do confesse that Christ is present neuerthelesse in his mysteries But it is one thyng for Christ to be present in a mystery an other thyng to be present naturally enclosed as it were within a certein place It is one thyng to beare the name of a thyng whereof it is a remēbraūce an other thyng to be the very same thyng wherof it taketh denommatiō It is one thyng to haue a likenesse an other thyng to be in the very same substaunce Neither is it a good Argument that is fetcht from the word or letter to the substaunce Where in the one the very matter of a Sacrament is to be seéne in the other the truth of the substaunce is discerned Wherein is concluded a fallax A secundum quid ad simpliciter In a Comedy or Enterlude he that cōmeth forth vpon the Stage cladd in Kingly Roabes crowned with the Diademe of a King the same is not by and by the Kyng in deéd whose persō he doth represēt And yet is there no cause to the cōtrary but duryng the time of the Enterlude he may be after a certein sort called a Kyng to witt after the same maner as Signes similitudes of thyngs do many tymes obteine to be called by the name and title of the very thynges whereof they be representations Therefore for as much as the action of this sacred Cōmunion is of this nature as the which doth no lesse minister the body of Christ to be receaued by fayth then the bread to be eaten by the mouth these men therfore do not seclude Christ from this sacred banquet as you seé but you and your Catholickes rather whiles you do sequester the Allegory from the wordes of Christ refusing all maner Type of resemblaunce and likenesse whiles you do rende a sunder the spirite which doth quickē from the letter that doth kill whiles you banishe quite away all bread out of the Sacrament whiles you teare abroad the subiect from the accidentes Whiles ye make a miserable myngle mangle and hochepott of the thynges that are seuered by nature and agayne dissolue the thynges that are naturally ioyned together Whiles with most abhominable Idollworshyp you doe most filthyly defile the most pure and chaste Church of Christ to the intollerable discomfort and sorrow of all godly hartes you haue brought this to passe by your crafty cōueyaūce that the people now can neither partake of any bread
this one thyng suffice the Reader If that blessed nourse did geue so much Milke as is set forth euery where abroad to be seéne in holy Religious houses in the Temples of Monckes Friers Nunnes surely there would haue bene aboundance enough to haue sufficed all the Babes sucklynges Bethleem if she would haue geuen them sucke as long as she liued In the meane space I do not recite all the places whereunto pilgrimes do reporte to visite these Reliques of Milke neither do I earnestly craue to know how it may seéme credible that so much Milke might be gathered from one seely Uirgine and preserued from corruption so many hundred yeares To make any further rehearsall of the rest of this Uirgines furniture were a playne mockery surely to reckon vpp all were an infinite peéce of worke First touchyng her Smocke There is one at Carmutum an other at Ayre in Germany so wyde so large that it coūteruaileth in greatnes a Priestes long white surplice which if be her true Smocke in deéde surely she must neédes be a woman of a monstrous body Touchyng her kerchiefes whereof one is a Tryers in S. Maximes Church An other is to be seéne at Lysio in Italy As for her Kertell which the inhabitauntes of Bonony do enioy I neéde not to speake more And that she had more girdles then one appeareth hereby that the inhabitauntes of Pratt do bragge vpon one in their keepyng an other likewise is shewed forth at Moūtforte her Slipper is at S. Iaqueries her Shoe is reported to be at S. Floures she had also two Combes whereof one hangeth fast at Rome in S. Martines Churches the other in the Church of S. Iohns the great at Besanson Neither do I marueile if our Ladyes weddyng Ryng be Religiously reserued emōgest other holy most precious Iewelles I do rather marueile more how they came by the possession of Iosephes hose namely beyng so litle so slender as will scarse fitte a sucklyng Child or a dwarfe surely there is no comparison to be made of proportion betwixt these hoses and our Ladyes Smocke as they do fayne it to be Besides Iosephes hose others haue his Boanes in stoare some his Slippers also Which are to be seéne at Tyers in S. Symōs Abbey What shall I speake of Images which are not all of one sort nor yet of like holynes Some are beleéued to be made by miracle some fashioned by Angelles Some others of the common sorte Many of them are notorious for some singular vertue and speciall prerogatiue so that in some places they are of lesse power in some other agayne wonderfully miraculous There be some supposed to grow and decay in stature after the maner of mē And there want not writers that shame not in their Bookes to blow abroad that the very Crosse it selfe was growyng out of Treés by miracle yea and this also in very good earnest they sett forth for a miracle So vnmeasurable is the senselesse blockyshnes of some Emōgest many pictures of our Lady Luke the Euāgelist is supposed to be the deuisour of foure the proportion of that which he is reported to haue drawen out in Tables with his owne pencill to witte Mary that is called Inuiolata the second Mary presented to the viewe in the Church of Maria Noua which they do say was paynted by Luke whē he soiourned at Troas was afterwardes conueyed thither by an Angell The thyrd is resiaunt at S. Maryes which is called Ara Coeli grauē to the same proportion forme as she seémed to be whē she stoode by the Crosse. But the Augustine Friers do vaūt couragiously that the chiefest of all remayneth with them namely the very same which Luke did painte out for his owne vse and reserued with great reuerence I do passe ouer many Images in many places In England not many yeares agoe was an Image so cunnyngly coūterfait that by a certein crafty sleighte it was made seemyng to the beholders to tourne the head to moue the lippes and to rolle the eyes in and out into euery corner The fraude thereof beyng espyed the Image was brought to Paules Crosse in London and burnt in a pyle of wood in the reigne of Henry the viij What then was that godly and victorious Kyng franctickly madd who did thus deliuer his subiectes the seély flocke of Christ from such rauenous Idolatry or shall we accoumpt Osorius worse then madd that so maddly persuadeth him selfe that he may be a madd Proctour in so madd causes Now to proceéde orderly somewhat must be spoken of the Angelles and Sainctes and their notable Reliques Wherein I might seéme to dasly perhappes if the matters them selues were not practized by these counterfeit Catholickes so playnly sensibly yet that all men may easily espy their lieger demaine and withall so Apishly and doltishly that no man is able to refrayne from open laughter that doth behold them For what is he that will euer beleéue that the sword and buckler wherewith Michael fought agaynst the Deuill may be founde emongest mortall creatures And yet are these shewed by the inhabitaunts of Carcassone and Towers in the name of true and vnfayned Reliques The sword it selfe is altogether like vnto a litle childes Dagger and the Buckler no greater then a litle brazen Bosse of a Bridle But this of all other is most horribly impudent That within threé score yeares or a litle more a certein old crafty Crowder laden throughly with the Popes Bulles raunged the coastes braggyng that he did carry with him the very feathers of the holy Ghost as most precious Reliques whose prophane blasphemy some meary conceipted men espyeng out opened the Caskett priuily and tooke out the feathers and putt Coales in their place The next day ensuyng this pratyng Pardoner determinyng to make a shew of his miraculous feathers after a long preamble of smoath wordes vttered to the lay people findyng in his budgett a few coales in steéde of feathers with no lesse shamelesse a shift tournyng his tale began to preach vnto them that he had forgotten his feathers in his lodgyng and that these Coales were takē away from vnder S. Laurence his gredyerne It is truely recorded in the sacred scriptures that Iohn Baptyst was beheaded and his body buryed in the ground by hys Disciples Theodoret addeth further that at Sebasta his boanes were taken out of his sepulchre by Infidels and burnt and that the Ashes of the same were skattered abroad with the wynde Eusebius recordeth farther that certayn men of Ierusalē came whiles the Infidels were defacing the dead corpes and priuily pyked vpp some Rames thereof and conueyed them afterwardes to Antyoch which Athanasius did enclose afterwardes within a wall Sozomenus writeth that Theodosius the Emperour did trāslate his head to Constantinople If all these Reportes be true I appeale now to the Readers Iudgemēt in all that our late Catholickes
men not to the worshipping of the liuing God but to the inuocation of dead soules and adoration of Reliques not vnto fayth but vnto workes not vnto freé forgeuenesse but vnto Pardons not vnto grace but vnto workes not vnto the promises of God but to mens satisfactions not vnto heauen but vnto Purgatory which doth allure vs not to the spyrite but vnto the hungry letter to ceremonies to written Traditions and vnwritten verityes to the bare naked elemēts of this world to bodyly exercises which of theyr owne nature do prenayle litle or nothing at all If this be not the very naturall power and state of all your Religion almost confound me if you can but if you cannot with honesty denye it where is then that glorious bragg so often craked vpon of the first principles of your Traditions which how gaylye are liked and blazed abroad by you let other mē like as they list Surely I am of this opinion that there be no surer groundworkes of our Religion nor better layd then such as the Apostles and Prophettes haue established vnto the which if you will but call vs we will yelde gladly and ioyne with you But you doe meane some other principles and foūdations I suppose not such as were builded vpp by the Apostles and Prophets but such as haue bene inuented by Mounkes Fryers and Noonnes whose orders and institutions you iustify to be most holy and godly and haue determined with your selfe that all thinges which are swarued from thence ought to be called home agayne to the holynesse of these sacred orders howsoeuer some particuler Mounckes doe abuse theyr profession yet you do stoutly auerre that the first institutiō of the profession and foundation of their orders doth persist as at the first and ought not by any meanes be dissolued This is well But what if I be able to iustify the contrary to witt that the very first foundations of those Mounckeryes as they were erected by the first founders thereof be wicked damnable and to be detested of all christians Now I beseéch your syr Byshopp for the honor of your sacred Myter if any man doe direct you to any other redeémer then vnto Christ the sonne of God or will allure you to seéke for any other redemption then in the most precious blood of Iesus Christ Doe ye thinke such a fellow in any respect tolerable I do not beleue it Goe to then let vs take a view now of the originall causes and principles vpō the which were groūded the first foundations of Mounckeryes I will speake onely of our owne Mounckeries here in England as much as I know by experience When the first foundations of Mounckeries beganne to be erected in this Realme which was in the tyme of a certeyn Mounck called Austine whēas Ethelbert reigned king of kent in the yeare 605. We will declare euen out of his owne letters patentes the very cause that moued him chiefly to build an Abbay at Douer for the order of Benedictines And these be the very wordes of his owne charter I Ethelbert established in the kingdome of my father and enioying the crowne and dignity of my father by the permission of God in peacible tranquillity emōgest other churches that I haue builded by the persuatiō councell of our holy father Austen haue erected from the very foundation a Church to the most blessed Prince of the Apostles S. Peter and to S. Paule Doctour of the Gentiles and haue endeuoured to enriche the same with large Reuenewes and landes and haue caused there to be assembled Mounckes which do feare God Therefore entending to amplifie and to enlarge the same Church to the proportiō of a iust heighth being in perfect minde and sownde iudgement I haue geuen vnto the same church by the consent of Ealbalde my sonne and other my deare counsellors a Towne called Cistelett for the redemption of my soule in hope to attayne euerlasting reward for the same c. I do not accuse the well disposed king worthy of singuler prayse but I doe vtterlye condemne Austen the Mouncke that wicked counsellor and instrument of that doctrine Uerely if redemption of soules be purchased by buylding of Abbyes then dyed Christ in vayne and the promise is made voyde and of none effect finally what remayneth for vs by this reason but that weé haue as many redeémers as we haue Mouncks You haue heard of Ethelbert the father now harken likewise of Ealbalde hys Sonne I Ealbalde placed in my Fathers kyngdome followyng my Fathers steppes who of a valiaūt courage did build Churches of God at the earnest entreaty of Father Austen and enriched them with diuers dignities doe freély and willyngly geue and graunt a certein part of my kyngdome called Northburne to the behoofe of the Monckes of the Monastery of Peter Paule at Douer in the honour of almighty God and his holy Apostles and of S. Augustine for the Redemption of my Fathers soule myne owne soule and my predecessours soules c. I Ethelrede kyng of Mercia do graunt this Charter for the redemption of my soule and to be prayed for by the seruauntes of God the Moūckes of Malmesbury The same Charter was confirmed by kyng Berthewalde for the Saluation of his soule as his Letters Patētes do declare and for the Remission of the Sinnes that he hadd committed What shall I speake of the rest of Osricke kyng of Mercya of Oswy kyng of Northumberland of Whitrede Cissa kyng of Southsex Ethelrede Prince of Mercia Ina Renulphe Offa Alurede Athelstane Edgar William of Normandy Henry the first Stephen kyng Iohn and Edward by whom whereas many Monasteries haue bene erected euen from the first foundations and endowed with large possessions and reuenewes if we behold the originall Charters of the first founders we shall finde that they were erected for none other cause nor vnder any other Title but for the Redemptiō of soules for saluation of soules and to vse their owne wordes for the remedy and remission of sinnes For myne owne soule and all my predecessours soules for my fathers soule and mothers soule for the soule of my wife and all Christian soules for the Remission of sinnes for the prosperous estate of our kyngdome the subiectes of our Realme To the honour of the blessed Uirgine Mary for reward of eternall felicitie c. For all these titles are extaunt in the auncient Charters of the kinges grauntes After the same maner did Elfride wife to the Earle Ethelwolde builde an Abbay at Malmesbury for the death of her husband whereof she was her selfe a Procurour for the Remission of that wicked acte into the which afterwardes she made her selfe a perpetuall Recluse for euerlastyng penaūce Moreouer kyng Edgar which murthered the sayd Ethelwolde for the loue of his wife for satisfactiō of his offence and for the preseruation of his subiectes is reported to haue builded so many Abbayes as there be weékes in the yeare
With like outrage did Queéne Alfrithe kyng Edgar his wife most cruelly murther Edward the Martyr her sonne in law by meanes wherof she might place into the kyngdome her owne sonne Egelrede At the last repeÌ„tyng her of her former wickednes did erect two Abbayes in satisfactioÌ„ of her murther to witt Amesbury and Werwell about the yeare of our Lord. 979. Kyng Athelstane hauyng slayne his brother Egwyne whoÌ„ he drowned tyraÌ„nously in the Sea after the slaughter of his brother did builde two Abbayes namely Mydleton and Michelney enriched them with great reuenewes for the Redemption of his brothers soule and forgeuenes of the murther Upon the same occasioÌ„ or not much vnlike was Battell Abbay first founded which kyng William the Conquerour after he hadd wooâ—ne the fielde and slayne a great multitude of notable Souldiours did cause to be builded in the same place for the release of the soules and Sinnes of all such as were slayne in that battell I haue thought good to sett downe a brief note of these the like whereof I could haue rehearsed many more All which albeit I had rypped abroad would haue bene sufficient Presidentes that they all had one maner of begynning and one cause of foundation namely none other then which might vtterly deface the glory of Christ the assuraunce and trust of our Redemption and withall the whole Grace and comfort of Christes Gospell O holy foundation of Monckish Religion O wonderfull monumentes of maruelous holynesse O sweéte and smoathe Deuine that can so amyably persuade vs to retourne to these principles and foundations wherein he seémeth in my Iudgement to endeuour nothyng els then to bryng vs Christians in belief that forsakyng Christ and renouncyng the doctrine of the Gospell we should repose the saluation and redemption of our soules and the forgeuenes of our Sinnes not in the Sonne of God but in Monckes and Monckeries But lett vs pursue Osorius by the tracke of his foote whiles he hasteneth to the end of his booke who glauncyng away from the MouÌ„ckes at the last doth begyn to proyne his feathers and to make a shew of his proper witt to Kinges and Princes And here he rusheth vpon the poore Lutheranes with an horrible accusation of high Treason And why so I pray you whether because the life of Princes hath bene preserued by them or deâ—owred by theyr practise No. But treason hath bene conspired agaynst theyr lyues and theyr Crownes and vproares raysed As in Germany agaynst Charles the Emperour In Fraunce agaynst Henrye the Kyng in England against Edward who he doth affirme was poysoned by the Lutherans Agaynst Queene Mary In Scotland agaynst the King whom he affirmeth to be horribly murthered Yea Syr in this last you speake true indeéd but to name the Author of this murther you play mumme budgett Yea and not agaynst these Princes onely but agaynst many more prynces besides Osorius doth boldly say conspyracies to haue bene attempted by the Lutheranes And why doth he not emongest the Kynges and Princes of Germany Fraunce England and Scotland before named reckon vpp also Prynces of Turky of Scithia of Persia of India of Aethiopia with their Emperors Kinges and Potentates The great Sophye Emperour of Persia and Moskouia Prester Iohn And sithence he taketh so great a delight in lying why doth he not with as shamelesse a face exclayme that the Lutheranes haue conspired Treasons and procured poysons agaynst those persons forasmuch as hys lying therein cann beare no better countenaunce then it doth in the rest But forasmuch as these slaunders are wisely and sufficiently aunswered before by mayster Haddon in the first book it were labor lost to abuse the Readers time in refuting those vntruthes which be alreadye confounded before especiallye sithence this cause doth neither concerne the doctrine which we do professe and sithence Osorius will be proued a lyar herein by no person more easily then by the Scottish Queéne her selfe to speake nothing in the meane space of the publique and generall testimonies of Germany Fraunce and England Therefore passing ouer those Princes I will frame my selfe to the other part of his complaynt which concerneth our most gracious Queéne Elizabeth aboue all the rest And here I beseéch theé geÌ„tle Reader lett it not seéme tedious vnto theé to pawse a whyles that thou mayst perceiue how like a Deuine Osorius doth behaue himselfe For framing himselfe to discourse vpon Ecclesiasticall gouernement which he doth constantly denye is not meéte shoulde be committed to the creditte of a Temporall King much lesse to a Queéne in any respect which because the Queénes Maiesty shall not take in ill part as though he defaced any part of her honor he doth very humbly craue pardon of her grace with an honorable preface For he is not the man that will presume to extenuate any part of her honour but rather doth wishe with all hys hart that she may of all partes so abound in vertue that she may be shrined for a Saynct We do ioyfully embrace the godly modesty of this sweéte Byshopp and loe because we will not be found vnthankefull vnto him for the vertues that he doth hartely wish to our gratious Queéne we in requitall of his curtesy doe pray to GOD to endue him with as much of his heauenly grace as may conuert him from a vayneglorious papisticall Babler into a frendly follower and embracer of the infallible truth of the Gospell But lett vs returne agayne to the Ecclesiasticall supremacy of Osorius which he doth yoake so fast to the Byshopp onely that he doth vtterly exclude all other kinges and Queénes especially from all charge ecclesiasticall So that he verilye adiudgeth that there cann come no greater infamy to Religion theÌ„ that all Churches ceremonyes and all ordinaunces of the Church all priestly dignityes and holynesse should be subiect to the gouernement of a woman For these be his owne words wherein what he meaneth himselfe either he doth not sufficiently expresse in telling his tale or els my blockishnesse surely can not compreheÌ„d his deépenesse He doth so swell in hawtynesse of speéch that whiles he endeuoureth with waxed winges to fleé beyond the view of common sence aboue the bright cloudes of playne Grammer that through the heat of his skalding braynes he hath drowned himselfe in the deépe and by reaching beyond his reach he reacheth nothing at all Wherefore renouncing once at the length this curious cripsing and blazing brauery of hawtye speéch begyn once at the last to declare vnto vs in playne tearmes distinctly and playnely what your Rhetoryck meaneth by these wordes that all holynesse should be subiect to the gouernement of a woman If you meane of thinges that are of theÌ„selues holy and deuine your quarrell is altogether vntrue wherewith you charge the Queénes maiesty For where did the Queéne euer desire to gouerne or where did she euer desire to beare rule ouer all holy and sacred thinges and this holynesse whereof you make mention
Queéne despising those franticke furies of broylyng Bulles and crauyne curses would banish this proud Tarquine from out their kyngdomes territories Which if they did it were not to be doughted but that the publique tranquillitie of all Christian Nations would enioy a farre more ioyfull countenaunce of freédome and concorde And yet I speake not this to the end that I would haue godly Prelates dispossessed from their dignitie or would wish their authoritie empayred the value of a rush S. Paule doth not in vayne admonish vs to yeld double honour to Byshops and Rulers of the Church but with this prouiso annexed to witte if they rule well if they do labour mightely in doctrine and preachyng But what prerogatiue can the Romish Byshop clayme from hence more then any other particular Byshop The Pope hath his owne Prouince lett him guide that as well as he caÌ„ lett him not encroche vpon others nor hawke for hawtyer Titles of honour then beseémeth his function The Ecclesiasticall dignitie is a ministery not an Empyre a charge and a burden rather then a Lordlynes or superioritie wherein he that will presume to rule the roaste ouer others must looke aduisedly to him selfe first that he gouerne well that he labour mightely in the word doctrine If the Byshops and Priestes be not negligent and retchelesse in their owne dutyes they shall neuer be defrauded of their due honour and dutyfull obedience nor euer were denyed therof For eueÌ„ for this cause that valiauÌ„t kyng of England Constantine that noble Emperour Theodosius that famous Ludouicke Pius the French kyng and other like Princes did esteéme highely of good and godly Christian Ministers and obeyed them which instructed them in the word of God did enure them selfes to their godly exhortations as the Emperour Valentinian doth report euen as to wholesome potioÌ„s and medicinable restoratiues Euen so Theodosius beyng excluded from partakyng the holy Communion by Ambrose did most modestly obay The same Theodosius also beyng determined to exercize cruell reuenge against the Thessalonians and beyng counsayled by Ambrose that in geuyng sentence vpon lyfe and death he would take breath pause by the space of xxx dayes least in rage and fury he should accomplish that whereof he might afterwardes repent him did willyngly and obediently submitt him selfe to the graue exhortation of the godly Father Semblably many other notable Potentates also in many great and weighty matters did humbly yeld to the sweéte persuations of such as were farre their inferioursâ— Princes for the preseruation of their health do obay the direcâ—â—â—n of their Phisitions In the lawes positiue they be guided and ledd by the conduct of the Lawyers And yet for all this such subiectes do not cease to be subiectes still neither refuse their due obedience to their liege Lordes and Gouernours It happeneth oftentymes that the maister will be aduised by his seruauÌ„t and the husband guided by the discretion of the wife yet ceaseth not therefore the Maister to be Maister nor the Husband to be head ouer his Wife As in all well ordered common weales be Maior alties Bayliwickes and many degreés of Officers which doe seuerally employ their functions for the preseruation of common societie yet must there be one onely soueraigne emongest them of some greater couÌ„tenaunce who by his wisedome and authoritie may guide the inferiour Magistrates and bridle the insolency of the rude multitude But the Catholickes doe deny that the Catholicke Church ought to be subiect to this authority If vnder the name of Church they do comprehend the ordinaunces and ceremonies wherewith the Church is administred they do speake truly In deéde the word of God the Articles of doctrine and of fayth the administration of the Sacramentes and the discretioÌ„ of byndyng and excoÌ„municatyng is not attempered by the regiment and commaundement of Princes nor doth the Ciuile Magistrate entermedle with the administration of any of these thyngs But if they meane the personages of men who are exercized in this holy function or the charge dispositioÌ„ of particular matters that are incideÌ„t to the Ministery they do say vntruly for as much as there is no Ciuile potentate vnto whoÌ„ is not coÌ„mitted the order gouernement of all members of the coÌ„mon weale indifferently as well Ministers Preachers of the word as all other inferiour Magistrates Subiectes Otherwise the doctrine of Paule were in vayne Let euery soule submit it selfe to the higher power the truth whereof is to be Iustified by the most approued exaÌ„ples of both the old and new Testamentes If we begyn at Moyses who supplyed the office of a Ciuile Magistrate and from him descend to all the Ages of our owne Emperours Potentates Emongest all which Magistrates we shall finde none but hath receaued by Gods commaundement the gouernement of Ecclesiasticall persones aswell as of Ciuile Magistrates as inferiour Subiectes It would require a long discourse to treate throughly of all the names and gouernementes of Emperours and Ciuile Potentates To make a brief rehearsall of the chiefest First in the old Testament how many examples are extaunt of such Princes â—s do prescribe ceremonies for the Tabernacle which doe fetche backe agayne the Arke of the couenauÌ„t which make holy Sonettes and Psalmes Rule ouer Priestes builde Churches moreouer do cleanse them agayne after they were defiled do ouerthrow Temples Altares reforme abuses which also sometymes doe pronounce exhortations to the people touchyng the worshyppyng of God do aduertise the Priestes of their dutyes and ordeyne lawes for them to guide their lyues by which appoint Orders and obseruations in the Church which doe kill wicked Prophetes yea and many tymes also doe prophecy in their owne persones In the new Testament lykewise how many examples are to be seéne in the recordes of the best ages of kinges and Monarches who within their owne Territories and dominions haue ordayned godly and learned Byshoypes to rule ouer prouinces and haue deposed such as haue bene vnworthye haue suppressed the riott and insolencye of Priestes who haue not onely Sommoned Synodes and Councells of Byshops but do sitt emongest them geue sentence with them yea prescribe orders vnto them which they shall obay are presidents ouer their Councells doe depose hereticall Byshoppes which geue iudgement vpon matters of Religion which doe sett downe articles pronounce sentence disanull the opinions of heretiques and ratifie the Doctrine of the Catholicke fayth If the most auncieÌ„t and most Christian kinges Emperors did not entermeddle heretofore in all these causes the report of Historyes is false If our kinges and Queénes doe the lyke at this present what cause hath Osorius to frett and fume If the charge of Religion and Religious persons doe not pertayne to the ciuill pollicye in any respect surely Constantine did not behaue himselfe discretely who in his owne person decyded the causes and controuersies of Byshopps which did appeale to his Maiestye entermedled his authoritye in
EuaÌ„g lib. 1. cap. 6. Chrisost. to the Heb. Homil. 17. Eusebius demonst lib. cap. 10. Nazianzen Iustinus Martyr in Dialo cum Triphone Augustine contra aduers leg prophe August in lib. quest 61. August coÌ„tra Faust. 20. cap. 21. A comparison betwixt the passeouer and Christ. An Argument out of the Trident Councell Aunswere Aug. de ciuitat dei lib. 10. cap. 5 By what reasoÌ„ Melchizedech did represeÌ„t the Type of Christ. Melchizedech is denyed to offer bread wine for a Sacrifice A comparisoÌ„ betwixt Melchizedech and Christ. No lykenes betwixt the Sacrifice of the Masse and Melchizedech Melchizedech a king and a Priest The place of Melchizedech his offring is expounded Gene. 14. Iosephus libro 1. Antiquitat Cap. 10. The TrydeÌ„tine Councell Sess. 6. Can. 3. Aunswere Luk. 22. 1. Cor. 11. Tetullia in Apologetico ArgumeÌ„tes of the aduersaries by witnesses and coÌ„sent of Doctours Obiection out of Cyprian Lib. 2 Aunswere to CypriaÌ„s wordes August against Crescentius Heb. 11. Cyprian in the same Epistle In the 2. booke the 3. Epistle An Obiect out of Ierom out of hys Epistle written to Marcellus Aunswere An Allegoricall Argument doth conclude no truth The Obiection out of Augustine quest vete no. Testa quest 109. AuÌ„swere to the Obiection An obiection out of Hesychi writing vpoÌ„ Leuiti lib. 1 cap. 4. Aunswere out of August in the 23. Epistle Out of the Maister of the Sentences 4. book 12 distinct Glossa CoÌ„ment de Consecrat Distinct. 2. Semel An Obiection out of Iren. Lib. 4. Cap. 32. An Aunswere to the place of Irene The Sacrifice of the Masse expiatory and propitiatory Tridenti Councell Sess. 6. cap. 3. Out of Steuen Gardiner and other Irenaeus lib. 4. Cap. 32. Irenaeus Cap. 33. Ambrose treating vpon virgins Chrisost. in psal 95. Chrisost. in psal 26. August de tempore ser. 125. The second counsell of Nyce Euseb. demonst lib. 1. cap. 10. Cyrill us ad Reginas Cyrill agaynst Iulian lib. 10. The Eucharist doth not forgeue sinnes but doth represeÌ„t the memory of a true forgeuenesse Sinod Trident sessi 6. cant 3. Out of the Canon of the Masse Osort pag. 199. 202. 204. The Apostles ordinaunces Authoritie of Fathers Osor. pag. 209. Disgracementes of Religion 1. Tim. 4. Osori pag. 203. Osorius pag. 203. August coÌ„tra lib. 2. cap. 14. August in the same place The Authoritie of the Pope is denyed to be lawfull The kyngdome of Antichrist The cauillatioÌ„ of Osori of the Memory of vertue abolished A cauillation of Razyng of Church Chrisost. ad Rom. 23. Gregor Epist 64. lib. 3. Aug. contralite petilia lib. 2. cap. 33. Of Reliques The Maunger wherein Christ was layde The foreskin of Christ. The Altar whereupon Christ was Circumcised The swathling cloutes and Cradel of Christ. The Piller where vnto Christ did leane when he disputed in the temple Water pots The Shoes The Reliques of Christes bloud The Tables whereas Christ made his last supper The bread of the supper The knife that stucke the pascall Lambe The Cupp The platter The towell wherewith Christ did wash his disciples feete Broken bread The Reliques of the Crosse. The Title of the Crosse. The Nayles of the Crosse. The Speare head The crown of Thornes Christes coate without a seame The Vernycle of Veronica Christ wynding sheete The Reede The SpoÌ„ge The xxx pence The Grieces in Pilats Iudgement hall The Crosse which appeared to Constantine in the ayre The fotestepps of Christ vpon the earth Our Ladies heare Our Ladies Milke Our Ladies smocke Our Ladies kerchiefe Our Ladies kirtell Our Ladies girdle Her slipper Her Shoe Her Coambes The wedding Ring of our hady Iosephes hose and his boanes Monstruous pictures Images Out of Alanus Copus in his Dialogues The dagger the buckler of Michaell The feathers of the holy ghost The Coales of S. Laurence The Reliques of Iohn Baptiste Diuers scrappes of Iohn Baptistes head in sondry places His Iawes A peece of his eare The whole headd of Saint Iohn at Rome His Arme. His Finger His Ashes His shoe His heary shyrt His Altar A lynnen Cloath The sword that behedded him The bodies of Peter Paule Peters law Peters brayne Peters slâ—pper Peters Chayre and his massing vestmentes Peters sword The staffe wherewith he walked The blocke whereupon he was beheaded Sixe bodies of the Apostles The cupp of S. Iohn Anne the Mother of our Lady Three bodyes of Lazarus Mary Magdalen hath two bodyes S. Longius the blinde knight with his speare Three kings of Colleine S. Denis two bodies S. Stephens body His headd His bones The Stones wherewith he was Stoned to death S. Laurenceâ— body His Arme. His gredierne S. Laurence Coales His coate with long sleeues The bodies of Geruase and Protaâ—us S. Sebastian multiplied into iiij bodyes Petronilla the daughter of Peter S. Susans two bodies S. Helene Vrsula and the eleuen thousand Virgines Two bodies of Hyllary Two bodies of Honoratus Gyles Simphorianes many bodyes S. Lupus S. Ferreol The boanes of AbrahaÌ„ Isaac and Iacob August in in his book de opere MonachoruÌ„ cap. 28. Osor. pag. 204. Osor. pag. 204. Osor. pag. 205. Osorius pag. 206. Aristotel Hippodamus Milesius The principles and chiefe groundes of the Popish doctrine The cause of the first bâ—ildinges of Abbyes in England Ethelbert King of Kent Ealbalde sonne of Ethelbert Anno. 618. Ethelrede kyng of Mercia Anno. 681. Berthewalde For what cause Monasteryes were â—rected at the first Out of the Cronicle of Osberne vpon the lyfe of Dun stane and out of Malmes b. Roger HouedeÌ„ and others King Edgar Osori pag. 208. Osor. pag. 208. Osori doth exclude Princes froÌ„ Ecclesiasticall gouernement Chrisost. vpon the 13. to the Romaines Osor. pag. 208. Osor. pag. 209. How pernitious the obedience of the pope hath alwayes bene to ChristiaÌ„ Princes In the yere of our Lord 1404. To much lenitie of Princes towardes the Pope Tim. 5. Constantinus Theodosius Lndouicus Pius Ambrose did enstruct Theodosius the Emperor Rom. 3. It apperteineth to the Ciuill Magistrate to gouerne ecclesiasticall causes The Triper tite history 1. booke cap. 5. Socrates lib. 1. cap. 5. Socrates lib. 5. cap. 10. Action 2. Iustinian in cap. de Episcop Cleâ—isis Ierome Augustine Chrisostome Paule the Apostle Actes Cap. Osori pag. 209. Grego lib. 11. Epist 8. 2. quest 5. Out of the auncient recordes and Hystoryes of England AEsopes Crow Osori pag. 209. Osori pag. 209. Osor. pag. 210. Osor. pag. 211. The booke of Wisedome the first chap. Ex plutarcho de vitis The cruelty of the Portingalles agaynst Gardiner an Englishe man â—x Abbat vspergens Ex staurastico IohaÌ„ Francisci Pici Mirandule Apocal. 19. Osori pag. 211. The doctrine of the Gospell is not now first sprong vpp but is renewed froÌ„ out loÌ„g darkenes in to a more freedome of lightsomnesse Apoc. 11. The auÌ„cieÌ„t witnesses professours of the Gospell Rob. Grostred Byâ—h of Lyncolne The Gospell of Christ as it is true so is it not
doth minister to all men aboūdauntly all thynges sufficient for the obteinyng of euerlastyng health and saluation The whole earth swarmeth euery where with their bookes and wrytinges testifieng the same and this our Age is to to much pestered with them the Authours of which notwithstandyng allready are or may be satisfied if they were not altogether cast ouer into a reprobate mynde with the manifold aūsweres of many learned Fathers and faythfull seruauntes of God euen to the full So might this ghostly Byshopp Ierome Osorius vpon the learned aunswere made by M. Haddon to the slaunderous Libell of his presumptuously pearching to her highnes with flattery and lyes haue stayed his course and by scilēce prouided more wisely for his creditt and good name which otherwise hadd not bene made so notably infamous to the world if this rayling Reply agaynst M. Haddon had not bene published abroad But who can tell whether it hath pleased the Lord to rayse vpp this Iambres against Moyses and to styrre vpp this proude Popishe Holofernes a most notable champion of that Romaine Nabuchadnezer to make so prowde a challenge agaynst his poore Cittie Bethulia who can tell if the Lord haue appointed this Semey to rayle so outragiously agaynst our Dauid who can tell if God haue hardened the hart of this Pharao that so his people Israell might with greater glory passe fromout that miserable captiuitie of that oppressing Egipt Great is the God of Israell and maruelous in his workes He it is who by the onely touche of a small rodde deuided the readd Sea and made the same to become drye lande and a passable way for his people retournyng the waues thereof vpon the pursuyng Enemy to the vtter ouerthrowe of Pharao his Charettes and all his hoaste He it is that gaue the headd of that stought warriour Holofernes into the handes of a seely woman He it is that caused the rodd of Aaron to eate vpp all the roddes of thenchauntours and Sorcerers of Egipt He it is that with the onely breath of his mouth hath daunted the insolencie of this Popishe challenger who beyng esteemed emongest our Englishe Papistes the most notable Prelate of our Age is now by the hand of a weake Englishe Pastour discouered in his colours to be nought els then a vayne bablyng Rhetorician full of wordes altogether voyde of matter All which notwithstanding such is the malicious peruersenes of the world that he onely alone beareth the price and carryeth the greatest creditt and estimation of all the writers of our tyme euery whose sentence is reputed an Oracle from heauē The odde man of the whole world Ierome Osorius not able to be aunswered much lesse to be confused by any Protestaunt whatsoeuer It was hartely wished That the Authour him selfe would haue deliuered his trauayles herein in the Englishe toung that so the vnlettered Englishe man by the Argumentes herein comprised might haue bene able to stoppe the mouthes of the wayward English cauillers and supporters of his quarell But he respected an other ende though not so plausible to his owne countreymen yet much more cōmodious for the generall common weale of Christendome For he right well perceaued though Osorius roaued at England by name that yet he bent his shotte agaynst the generall state of all Christianitie and therefore most necessary that as Osorius made his challenge knowen to the whole world so the world also might be made acquainted with the encounter I would haue sayd the vtter ouerthrow of the same The benefite whereof though haue redounded to many particuler persons within this Realme yet hath not bene so vniuersall as was needefull in respect of the multitude who onely regardyng the name and fame of the man will as I sayd before scarsely be persuaded that he may possibly be aunswered I passe ouer the worthy prayses which the booke it selfe most iustly deserueth both in excellencie of matter and in worthynes of the maner as the faythfull seruaunt of Christ M. John Foxe hath handled it Yet this I dare promise and boldly pronounce that all men that will may by readyng embracyng beleeuing and followyng the doctrine conteined in this booke be throughly furnished as well with the most especiall and principall pointes of Christiā Religion namely our Iustificatiō Election Regeneratiō and Redēption by the onely merite and meane of the most pure and precious bloudshed of that immaculate Lambe slayne before the foundatiōs of the world were layed to the singuler comfort of their soules as also by the Argumentes herein conteined armed at all pointes agaynst all assaultes and practizes of all the massemoungers meritemoūgers pardonmoungers Confessionmoungers and all other of the Popish rable whatsoeuer in the world As to the trāslation I dare not affirme otherwise thē that I haue trauailed therein faythfully accordying to the measure of grace which the Lord hath geauen me not doughtyng but it will atteyne the wished successe if mē will but vouchsafe with the same simplicitie of eye and willingnesse of hart to read search examine and stand vpright in perusing of the same with the which I haue to my poore abilitie trauayled therein Certes my purpose was to profitt my countrey men generally all These fruites of my labours I haue thought good to present dedicate to your honorable patronage moued hereunto by the most cōmendable report and opinion that all men do cōceaue of your honours godly zeale and zealous godlynes to the singuler glory of your name and vnspeakeable cōfort of all the godly To the well acceptyng and good liking whereof I iudge it not altogether so necessary to seeke by any other circumstaunce and persuadible speeches to enduce your honour saue onely the bare cōsideration of the wōderfull fruite that may be reaped by readyng the contentes namely proceedyng frō so well knowen a Spirite of so godly and faythfull a seruaūt of God Wherein albeit the translation atteyne not to so absolute excellencie and perfection as the dignitie of the matter doth require as of right it ought haue bene deliuered in such wise as should not in any respect diminishe the worthynes of the Author yet for as much as it retcheth the ende whereunto it was directed namely the benefitt of the Church of God and the vtter ouerthrowe of that malignaunt Church of Sathan and his ministers I dought not but your honour will vouchsafe thereof accordyngly Iesu Christ the Sonne of our heauenly eternall and euerlastyng Father preserue your honour in all spirituall grace and heauenly wisedome prosper your proceedinges establish your fayth fructifie your studies multiply your consolations and direct all your wayes finally blesse your hartes desire with increase of much honor in this world to the glorifieng of your body and soule in that immortall and glorious kyngdome of heauen for euer and euer Amen Your honours in the Lord. Iames Bell. ¶ To the most Renowmed and Puissaunt Prince Sebastian king of Portingall euerlasting grace peace and most prosperous Reigne in our
Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. IF I hadd vndertaken this enterprise not beyng enduced more of earnest cōsideration of the cause I take in hand and present necessitie of the tyme then of any allurement of priuate commoditie or presumptuous oftentation or vayneglorious persuation of mynde most Renowmed and vertuous Prince kyng Sebastian I should not onely haue bene accoumpted blameworthy in the Iudgement of all the godly but also haue willfully plunged my selfe into deserued obloquy of all the world that beyng a poore despised abiect a seely wretched vnderlyng so meere a straunger and so farre seuered from you by distaunce of place without all maner of acquaintaunce either of name or of Title neither called nor cōmēded by any desert nor by any person cōmaūded hereunto dare so boldly presume to write vnto your highnesse beyng the mirrour of all Princely dignitie But as the occasion that moued me to attempt your Maiestie seemed of no small importaunce so the oportunitie of the matter it selfe yelded vnto me no lesse euident Argument of assured affiaunce and audacitie though in vtter apparaunce vnseemely yet pardonable I trust vpon due examination of the cause And yet besides this alleadged necessitie emplyeng reasonable excuse I wanted not many others as commendable aydes to defend my enterprise if like example applyed in like cause may be allowable For if Ierome Osorius beyng as then but a priuate man no lesse estraunged from the Societie of this common weale of ours then a professed Enemy to the Religiō which we embrace in Englād prouoked either of some vayne glorious oftentatiō or of greedy desire to maintayne his owne Religion and to deface ours vnder zeale of pretensed good will and affection borne durst be so bold not onely to write so long and tedious an Epistle to our most Royall excellent Queene Elizabeth but also so vnprouokedly to aduertize her highnes of matters inconuenient daungerous to her soules health why should I be condemned of insolency if inflamed with sincere inclinatiō of most humble dutie towardes the most valiaunt Prince Sebastian kyng of Portingall no lesse famous in Princely vertues then valiaūt in administration of power if allured by the notable Reporte of his incomparable bounty do send most humble greetyng in the Lord Iesu in two or three wordes to his Maiestie in recommendyng his highnesse to the gracious protection of the allmightie with no lesse increase of perfect peace and tranquillitie to him and his by Letter then inwardly I wishe to his Maiesty frō the bottome of my hart Neither do I see any reason to the contrary why I should be more embraced in cōceipte and driuē from my endeuour hauyng so many notable commendations vttered by euery godly personadge in the behalfe of the famous kyng Sebastian Renowmed in eche Coast for his excellencie in prowesse and Noblesse in dignitie sithence Osorius through the pleasaunt blast of the Trompe of fame hath presumed so farre vpon the vnspeakable clemency of our Queenes most excellent Maiestie whom he neuer sawe when as also her highnesse of her aboundaunt grace hath with so great lenitie entertayned the Letters of Osorius and so gently perused them though otherwise perhappes vnworthy so noble a personadge why should not I persuade my selfe to obteine as much yea more rather of your Princely magnificence and heroicall clemency especially sithence it cann not be credible that kyng Sebastian beyng a man cann any ioate be inferiour to Elizabeth a womā Queene in any Princely ornamētes or dutie of Humanitie But there will some peraduenture be founde not farre from emongest vs to whō this comparison which I do make betwixt vs two Osorius and me will seeme in no respect agreable for as much as he beyng a constaunt frend to the true and Catholicke Churche as they will alleadge doth take vpon him a most commēdable and necessary cause But my defence they will say of sett purpose proclaimyng opē warre agaynst the most aūcient Catholicke Church agaynst sincere Religion agaynst the approued supremacy of the Byshop of Rome hath bene allwayes hitherto atteinted by Iudgement of all Monarches and by consent of all degrees condemned and banished◠and ought not by any meanes be admitted into the Courtes and eares of Princes as matter exempt from all protection and priuiledge of godly Lawes This Obiection is no new thyng whereof I haue long agoe well aduisedly debated with my selfe yea the very selfe same thyng most Royall kyng wherein I am become at this presēt your Maiesties most humble Suppliaunt and whereof I determined to beseech your highnesse in the bowels of our Lord God whose aucthoritie and person you do represent in your Realme that ye would vouchsafe due consideration Ierome Osorius Byshop of Syluain bandyng and enforcing all his knowledge and skill agaynst the professed doctrine of our Religion publiquely receaued in England hath published in Printe three famous Libelles vnder the Title of an Aunswere to Maister Haddon for Reply wherof we haue framed accordyng to our slender capacitie this Apology how conueniently to the purpose I haue not to say to what successe it will come is in the handes of the Lord surely for the garnishment of phrase and Stile thereof I haue no great regard For this our contention tendeth not to the blazyng of excellency in eloquence neither treate we here of the delicacy and finesse of speach neither descant we lyke Minstrelles of warblyng of stringes ne yet tosse we our questions to and fro in vaunt of brauery of witte Sophisters vse to argue of moates in the Sunne in their triflyng and Dunsticall Schooles But we dispute as Deuines in matters of greatest importaunce of true righteousnes of the way to eternall saluation and euerlastyng damnation and of the true woshippyng of allmighty God This Apology or Aunswere to the quarrellsome and slaūderous reproches of Osorius how simple soeuer it appeare we haue thought for no man so meete to be presented as to your Maiestie most excellēt kyng Sebastian whom we most humbly craue and desire to be both a wittnes and a Iudge of the controuersie As for the questions wherewith Osorius doth inueigh agaynst vs we suppose are allready well knowen to your grace Now therefore the petition that we desire to obteyne of your highnesse is this in effect That for as much as Osorius hath vttered all his cunnyng and eloquence by all meanes he may possibly to depraue vs whō he vnhonestly reprocheth by the name of Lutheranes not onely vnto your Maiestie but to all other Princes of Christendome also thereby to bryng vs into vnappeasable hatred it may please the Royall Maiestie of all godly Princes not to conspire to geaue sentēce agaynst vs before the matter be heard and debated betwixt vs. And your highnesse especially most noble kyng of Portingall hauyng allready seene the clamours and brables of Osorius beyng the best and chiefest Arguments that he vseth to deface the orders and obseruation of our profession will vouchsafe also with
the pacyfying of quarells determined and ended complaynts and forced them to vnitye aud concord all which he ought to haue submitted to the pōtificall iurisdiction Moreouer this also was a part of no lesse insolencye in him to presume to fitt emongest the Byshopps in the Councell of Nyce as Theodoret doth testify to direct them with his councell commaunding thē earnestly to foreseé that in determining and decyding all matters of Religion they should haue a speciall regard to the wrytinges of the Apostles and Prophetts The same may be veryfied by the Emperor Theodosius who as Socrates reporteth did not onely sitt emongest the Byshopps and was present at their disputation but was president and chiefe of the Councell also and did vtterly condemne the opinions of the heretiques In the councell of Chalcedon when as Dioscorus Iuuenall Thalassius were condēned for heretiques who gaue sentence vpon them the ciuill Magistrate or the Byshoppes of Rome lett Osorius make aunswere at his best leasure In the 3. Councell of Constantinople the Emperour Constantine did not onely sitt together with the Byshopps but subscribed their decreés also with his owne hand on this wise We haue readd sayth he and haue subscribed them Lykewise in the Councell of Arausium we reade the same was done I doe not say of the Princes themselues but of thambassadours of Princes and states of the Potentates also who did not onely vtter their mindes in matters of Religion but did adde also their owne subscriptions emongest the Byshopps When as Iustinian the Emperor made a law touching the reformation of lyfe and the restrayning of the insolent licētiousnes of Priestes and when as he deposed two Popes Siluerius and Vigilius striuing together for Peters chayre In lyke maner here in our litle Brittaine when as Athelstane Edgar Egelrede and Canutus doe establishe Byshops in their Seés when as they doe make lawes touching the Sabbath touching payment of Tythes touching Ceremonies touching worshipping touching cases of Matrimony of Penaūce and Excommunication did they thinke that they had no charge committed vnto them for Reformation of Religion And what shall we aunswere to Ierome then who writyng agaynst Rufinus touching the lawfull aucthoritye of Councells Tell me sayth he what Emperour did commaund that Councell to be sommoned What shall I speake of August lykewise who taking vpon him to confute the error of the Donatistes emongest other many reasons forced this Argument chiefly Why did you conuent Cecilian Byshopp of Carthage before Constantine sayth he If it be not lawfull for an Emperour to determine vpon matter of Religion Moreouer how shall Chrisostome be aunswered who by the authoritye of that place of Paul before rehearsed doth restraine euery humaine creature not exempting the very Apostles and Euangelistes themselues to the dutiefull obedience not of one Byshopp but of euery of his owne particular Prince Furthermore what shall we say of the Apostle Paule himselfe who purposing to be tryed in the controuersie of Religion doth make his appeale not to Peter sitting as the Papistes doe say at Rome but to themperor Nero notwithstanding he was a most horrible Tyrant So that concerning the duetye of obedience on the behalfe of the subiect not the person that is in highest authority whether he be Kyng or Queéne but the estate it selfe which is ordeyned from God is to be considered Which beyng most certeynely true what cann be more voyde of shame then Osorius face more vnsauory then his writing and more false then his opinion who raking a heape of wordes together to bring vs to be more maligned and enuied Barketh agaynst vs Englishmen with his doggish Eloquence Who haue submitted the Sacred affayres of holy Churche not onely to a king which you doe accompt a haynousnes vnpardonable but also to a Queene contrary to all equitye and right contrary to the holynesse of most pure Religiō and contrary to the prescript ordinaunces of almighty God and haue translated also the Sacred dignitye of the highest Byshopp violently taken away from lawfull Byshopps to the gouernement and direction of a woman c. Loe here gentle Reader the substaunce of a most greuous complaynt agaynst the Sacrilegous Englishmen haynous enough considering the force of our accuser Osorius which because you shall not think but that it is in ech respect as true as it is cruell and odious and least his declamation may happen to light emongest such as be hard of beliefe and therefore skarse finde any place of creditt behold now with what Arguments with what force and with what kinde of proofe he iustifieth his accusation and therewith enforceth creditt not by reason onely but with aucthoritye and doth make it vnreproucable by the testimony of an Oracle so that now no man cann be so distrustfull as to conceaue any ill opinion of the Accuser being a man vncontrollable Namely because himselfe hath spoken the word euery of whose wordes be inuincible sentences Goe to then what is it that Osorius vpon his superexcellent creditt doth warrant vnto vs Marke well you wretched Englishmen you outcast and abandoned Nation which haue made subiect to a womans gouernement all holy Church and all holynesse rēnonucing the Pope of Rome his aucthoritye harkē vnto your cōplaint wherewith Osorius doth charge you Which thing verely I do affirme to be an haynous offence a beastly and sauadge wickednesse and a detestable and execrable abhomination It is enough for so our Tomme told vs. Neither hath he told it onely but hath proclaymed it also and doth so proclayme it not as the Iewes did sometyme exclayme whē Christ was accused for they cryed out on this wise We haue no king but Caesar. But Osorius pypeth vpp an other note wee haue no Kyng but the Pope And as for Priestes and Byshopps to be subiect to a womās aucthoritie he accompteth it an vnpardonable haynousnes worthy of a thousand Purgatories And I beseéch you Syr what was there done at Rome when as Ioane an English woman beyng Pope all Churches holynes were subiect not onely to the Iurisdiction of a woman but were at commaundement of a Strumpett But I lett this passe and retourne agayne to you who recompt it a matter intollerable that the affaires of holy Church should be ordered by any Magistrate other then by the Popes aucthoritie By what Argument do you proue this to be true Forsooth bycause Osorius hath spoken the word But farre otherwise spake and did Augustine Ierome and Chrisostome of whom we made mention before Otherwise also spake Gelasius a Bishop of Rome who doth franckly and boldly professe that the priuiledges of the Church are in the power of the Emperour deliuered vnto him from aboue I speake not here of the person man or woman nor yet of the maners of Princes but of the authoritie which whether happē to mā or womā if their prerogatiue be warranted by the ordinaunce of God there is no cause why it