Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	lord_n	people_n	word_n	2,775	5	4.0281	3	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13877	An ansvvere to a supplicatorie epistle, of G.T. for the pretended Catholiques written to the right Honorable Lords of her Maiesties priuy Councell. By VVater [sic] Trauers, minister of the worde of God.	Travers, Walter, 1547 or 8-1635.	1583 (1583)	STC 24180.7; ESTC S118501	163,528	396

conuicted so to withdraw the subiectes from our natural Prince to any forren subiection should be held giltie of hye treason against her Ma. state and dignitie executed accordingly Whereupon you HH keeping a vigilant and a carefull eye ouer those men and finding some of them giltie of treason both by that and other auncient lawes of this lande haue in deede caused iustice notwithstanding their pretence of holy conscience and religion according to all law and equitie to be done vpon them For as other malefactors escape not the seueritie of the lawe whatsoeuer they may be or pretended to be whether Catholikes or of our owne profession if they be iustly conuicted to bee fellons or murderers so likewise who soeuer by due tryall of the law hath beene found to be guiltie of treason notwithstaÌ„ding they haue bene pretended Catholikes and some of them annoynted Priestes and father Iesuites which they haue boasted could not be touched yet haue they bÃ©ene condemned and executed according to their demerites This then being the estate of the pretended Catholikes this day amongst vs what hoat persecution is this that he complaineth of what numbers are these that are persecuted except all the Catholike Rebels and Traytors as Saunders doth make his reakoning and other malefactors be comprehended in this number And so in deede I graunt some of these Catholikes after the qualitie and condition of their offence haue beene dealt with according to the auncient lawes and customes of this lande But this is an accounte voyde of all reason to esteeme that which is the punishment of treason of murder of felony and other such like offences to bÃ©e laide vpon them for their religion and conscience only Which hath bÃ©ene hetherto so spared as some of them being founde guiltie of treason and condemned for it vpoÌ„ declaring theÌ„ selues to stande so affected towardes her highnes touching their obeeience as they would neyther with the Pope nor any other take armes against her notwithstanding they remaine stil such as they were for their conscience and religion yet thorow her Maiesties exceeding clemency haue obtayned pardon after their conuiction of high treason Wherefore seing for conscience of popery onely no man hath beene touched in life nor member but onely punished by fine and imprisonment and that the iust execution of Traytors Rebels Murderers Fellons be they pretended Catholiques or whatsoeuer they be can in no reason be termed persecution I worthily conclude that the complaint of this accuser is without all cause and reason and his charge and accusation of the state most vndutifull slaunderous and vniust Now because hee will needes call to the remembrance of God and men the bloudy sinnes of their fathers sinnes as redde as crimsin and scarlet that is the fearefull and horrible persecution of the professors of the Gospell and compare the proceeding of their Catholiques against vs with ours against them both generally in other places and at other times and perticularly in England in Q. Maries daies and taketh vpon him to iustifie that our dealinges against them doe farre surmount their persecuting of vs and is incomperable more grieuous I must needes here stand a litle to compare them though it bee in deede a thing in it selfe as shall appeare voyde of all reason once to enter into the comparison of them togither What hath bene done in England against them since the time of her Maiesties raigne I haue already declared namely that no one hath yet beene touched in his body for matter of his conscience onely being neyther Rebell nor Traytor nor Murderer nor otherwise giltie of crymes capitall and worthie of death by all good Lawes The same is iustly to be affirmed of the dayes of that most noble Prince of famous memory for his rare pietie in so tender yeares King Edwarde the sixt her Maiesties worthie Brother that in the fewe yeares of his happie raigne there was not one of these Romaine Catholiques for onely matter of religion put to death or any torment of body Nor before him in the dayes of their renoumed Father King Henry the eight were any of their Catholiques put to death except a fewe which were executed for the supremacie being a matter of State and not of religion as hauing no maner of grounde for it in the worde of God and giuing a dangerous interest for the Kinges QuÃ©enes of this Land to a forreine power As for other Kingdomes and States professing the Gospell this Authour him selfe doth acknowledge their proceedinges against them not to haue bÃ©ene vnto bloude Now then let vs in the other part consider the generall and perticuler proceeding of these pretended Catholikes against our brethren not for any crime of iust desert of death but onely for their most holy faith Which though I can not here lay out at large being the argument of so many great bookes and volumes as are written of them yet I may giue the gentle Reader a generall viewe of their bloudy actes of perpetuall infamie to their pretended Catholike profession The townes of Merindall and Cabrieres with 22. other Townes and Villages were most tiranously destroyed without respect of men women or children In Cabrieres a thousand persons were slaine whereby some estimat may be made of the number which might be murdered in the rest Of which so horrible waste and so much innocent bloud most cruelly shedde there was vtterly no other cause but that the godly people of that Countrie had seperated themselues from the abhominations of the Church of Roome and sought to serue the Lorde according to his worde Likewise the people of the valleyes of Lucerne Angrogne S. Mart. Perous others were pursued with hoat persecution and cruell warres by the instigation of the Pope for many yeares Both these being faithfull and duetifull to their Princes onely for the godly faith which they professed were in most sauage and vnnaturall manner persecuted and destroyed by them Besides those who were slaine in the bloudie warres which they made for the maintenance of theire Romane superstitions in Germanie and in Scotland the Stories of those countries report sundrie cruell executions to haue beene done vpon many faithfull seruantes of God onely for the testimonie of the truth In our owne countrie since the beginning of the restoring of the knowledg of the Gospel amongst vs especially in Q. M. daies what hath bene the state of our Church what hath the enimy laid to our charge surely we were neuer charged with any treason but the only cause of our persecutioÌ„ was the refusing al coÌ„fideÌ„ce in our selues or any other creature we belieued to be saued only by the pretious death of our Sauiour Christ and that we refused to bowe downe before their Idols and to worship them These and such like matters merely concerning religion and the true faith of the Gospell were the thinges which were laide to our charge and no other And for these causes how cruelly they haue vsed vs all the

effecte whiche followed it of not esteeming of the commaundementes of GOD in comparyson of this moste vile and beggarlye tradition whereby it was againe fulfilled in that yee transgresse the commandements of God to keepe your own traditions Last of all for the damnable opinion of meryting by it the forgiuenesse of their sinne I conclude it to be neither godlinesse pollycye nor good reason to allowe it As for the true and right fasting commaunded by precepte and coÌ„mended by examples in the sciptures vnto vs it were to be wished that as at somtimes namely in the great plague in London and at the earthquake there was a godlye entrance made by authoritie to the restoring of it vnto vs so it might bee fullye reestablished amoÌ„gst vs. The vse wherof in the auncient primitiue Chur. was eyther for supplication to turne away some present or imminent danger of war pestilence famine or any other great calamitie or for suite to obteine some great perticular blessing as gratious direction in the calling of such as should serue the church specially in the ministery preaching of the word or any such waightie extraordinarye requestes greatly concerning the good estate of the Churche Which occasions to seeke to GOD in this most humble earnest maner we see by experieÌ„ce do remain stil shal continue to the end of the world For both other great graces may vpon sundry occasions fal out to be so necessarye for the state of the Churche that this way were to bee taken to obtayne them oftentimes in respect of the ministery this would be requisite And for the other cause seeing we oftentimes so multiply our prouocations against God that in iustice he threatneth to poure out his plagues euen vpon his owne people so offending against him it were most necessary that the church had the right vse of this holie order restored to it againe that hereby the hot wrath and high displeasure of GOD against vs might be pacified Wherefore it were to be wished by all good meanes of all men to bee sought for that by the authoritie of the magistrate and aduise of the preachers of Gods worde vpon any such reasons eyther generally in the whole Lande if the cause be generall or particularly in the place where the occasion may bee that the people were aduised and commaunded vppon some day fitte for the purpose to surcease their worldly affayres as they doe vppon a Sabbaoth or holie day to fast vnto the euening to the ende that they may assemble them selues at the houres accustomed vppon suche daies to the Churche to heare the worde of God fitly for the time zealously preached and also to make their earnest prayers to God for the fauour they would obtayne and their most humble supplication with rent and contrite heartes in teares strong crying in the spirit to turne away such his heauy indignatioÌ„ from vs as we may lye vnder or feare to fall vppon vs. To take one example of many in the scriptures Io. 2. we reade in the prophecy of Ioel that the L. threatning a famine exhorteth the people hereunto vpon hope that if they sought him earnestly they shoulde finde him gracious and mercifull long suffering and of greate goodnes In the same place declaring that he beyng angry no flesh could be able to beare it he giueth theÌ„ coÌ„mandemeÌ„t therof in these words Wherefore eueÌ„ now saith the L. be ye turned vnto me with al your hart in fasting weaping lamentatioÌ„ a litle after souÌ„d the truÌ„pet in Sion appoint a fast proclaim a holiday gather the people ordaine an asseÌ„bly call together the aged the litle ones euen those which such the brests let the bridegrome come out of his chamber the bride out of her chaÌ„ber Let the pristes the ministers of the Lord weepe betweene the altar the porch say O Lorde spare thy people and geue not ouer thy possession to reproche that the Gentiles should rule ouer theÌ„ why shold they say amongest the nations where is their God Thus farre the prophet in the name of God whiche I haue thought good to set down here that in coÌ„sideratioÌ„ therof it may be vnderstood to be a coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t of God giueÌ„ to the magistrates preachers of Gods word that both of theÌ„ according to the duties of their seueral calling should vpoÌ„ like occasion aduise appoint such a day of fast wherein the people shold humble themselues in true repeÌ„tance seeke with mighty prayers deliuerance froÌ„ the punishment threatned or lying vpon them Which is so much the more necessary at this time to be knoweÌ„ for that we see that the wrath of God hath broken out vpon vs of late as a flaming fire in visiting vs with the grieuous visitatioÌ„ of that pestileÌ„ce both in this citie of London and sundry other places of this land Which visitation since the great plague hath coÌ„tinued in this Citie wasting the Inhabitants as a small fire now the space of 15. yeares coÌ„tinually and sometimes raging more fiercely as it did of late And surely there are many iuste causes to feare least the L. may commaunde this furnace to be heated yet seuen tymes more and that the Angell of GOD which hath stoode ouer this Citie with his drawen swoorde to strike it not onely a fewe daies as hee did in the time of Dauid ouer Ierusalem but so manye yeares may stil pursue his execution if all holie and lawfull meanes bee not vsed to mittigate the Lords displeasure towards vs. wherefore most humbly I beseech your Honours as one who by your LL. Honourable fauour haue a parte and lotte in the ministerie within this Citie that by your Godly meanes suche order may bee taken that both at all tymes heereafter vppon like occasion signified before vnto your HH and namely at this present vpon so vrgent necessary cause as we are now pressed withall suche dayes of faste and holy assemblies may be appointed Wherein the people thorowe the blessing of God vppon the woorde zealously preached vnto them humbling their soules in true repentance as in sackloth ashes before the Lord and the Lords seruants in the midst of them praying for theÌ„ as it is in Ioel O Lord spare thy people c. It is to be hoped that such repentance prayers may stand as Aaron with his holy censors did in like case of plague in the gap and in the breach betweene the liuing and the dead that the Angell of the Lorde strike no more of vs downe with this fearefull hande and sword wherewith wee haue seene alreadie so manie slaine and fall downe on euery side round aboute vs. A wise K. sayth our Sauiour in the gospell seeing a mightier King then himselfe comming against him with so many thousands as he is not able in any sort to meete him in the filde while hee is yet a farre off sendeth an ambassage vnto him for peace Therefore seeing the Lorde of

so much more if they shall also declare themselues vnnaturall Romaine both in allegeance and religion there is no cause by the word of God why in respect thereof they should not be dealt with by the lawfull Magistrat ordained of God for the punishment of all offenders according to the lawe prouided in this behalfe And thus much for the persons Now for the end He denyeth your LL. shall euer attaine to that you pretende 2 Reasons answered by this punishment that is to bring such Catholiques to conformitie in matters of religion but rather be further off The reason whereof he addeth that such constrainte to do against their conscience and iudgement whereby he saith they must be tryed at the latter day is the losse of their soules the memorie of which iniurie can not but breede a deepe greefe and detestation of the thing they may haue beene so forced vnto But his reason shall be after considered First let vs weigh that he determineth no good will to be done vpon them by any punishment Experience in deed hath declared it to bee too true in some yet no man can iustly say therefore that there is no vse of punishmeÌ„t For both many others hereby are kept in duety that they do not in like sorte fall away and who can tell what it may please God to worke euen in them hereafter by this meanes which haue not yet profited by it Sure I am it hath done good to many in times past who by this meanes haue beene recouered from their vnduetiful disobedience vnto a godly reformation And the authoritie amongst vs doing like duety vpon the same commandement of God to punish the obstinat Heritike and Idolater what reason is there why we should not hope of like effect and fruit of it now that hath come of it at other times To let former times passe vnder the K. of Iuda and Israell Austen acknowledgeth often and plainely that the Discipline of the Magistrate had bene profitable to many of the Donatistes And if saith he it haue not profited some Ep. 48. is the medicine to be neglected bicause the pestilent contagion of certaine is incurable So likewise some amongst vs thorow the goodnes of God haue receyued profit by this meanes But if other some for the obstinat hardnes of their heart that can not repent will neuer be reclaimed is the meanes therefore to be neglected which may be profitable to many As for the reason he addeth that to be constrayned to doe against their conscience doth make them further off and more detest that which they haue so coÌ„mitted can not hold in such as receaue profit by the correction of their offence For they will thinke themselues most bounde to your H. all the dayes of their life whose meanes herein God hath vsed to bring theÌ„ out of the horrible darkenes and shadowe of death wherein they sate before into the Gospels most glorious and marueylous light To the rest if it be not profitable yet haue your H. done the worthie duetie of Christian Magistrates wherein you may quyetly rest and with great comfort For the Lord requireth nothing but obedience of vs and reserueth the blessing of all good meanes to him selfe to bestow in such measure as seemeth best to his heauenly will Thus I would leaue this reason but that there is a worde yet to be added to a speach of conscience which this Authour hath boldly set down here that is that at the latter day a man shall be tryed by his conscience and iudgement which he referreth to this end to obstinat such as haue apprehended a liking of the preteÌ„ded catholike faith and a dislike of ours as if they offended not by this recusance hauing their conscieÌ„ce so perswaded the verie grounde of all libertinisme that authority should not compell them to do that which is against their conscience for feare of condeÌ„ning their soules abusing to this end the places of the Apost in the 2. 14. to the Rom. for the 2. the Apostle there doth not affirme that a man shall be iudged in the daye by an erroneous conscience iudgement but by a conscience witnessing either to clearing or condeÌ„ning agrÃ©eably to the law of God Which appeareth both by his word in that he calleth it the law of God written in their hart by the whole purpose of that place which is to shew al both Iewes Gentiles to stand condemned by the Lawe of God the Iewes by the law written in tables of stone the Gentiles euen wtout that by the same law written in their harts Wherfore it is vtterly vntrue to affirme that any man shal be iudged by his conscience or iudgement whatsoeuer it be True it is that whatsoeuer a man doth he ought to do it of an vndoubted faith grounded vpon the word of God that such his doing is pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ and whatsoeuer he doth otherwise is sinne because it is not of faith nor this true perswasion of doing wel which is the plaine meaning of the other place in the 14. But hereof followeth not that he that is mis-led by an erroneous conscience shal be iudged and cleared according to it or that the Christian Magistrate ought not to require any lawfull duetie of the subiect what conscience soeuer he haue of it that the doing of such a thing is good or euill For it is not the erroneous or good conscience whereby we shall be iudged otherwise then by all our deedes both good and euill but it is the lawe of God against which if any man transgres either ignorantly or wilfully he is made guilty of sin and subiect to the sentence of condemnatioÌ„ by the lawe Which lawe our recusantes are conuicted grÃ©euously to offend because they breake it in not giuing to God the honour which belongeth vnto him in refusing his holy worde and Sacramentes and with them Christ Iesus and his redemption offred thereby vnto them not keeping the Lordes Sabaothes and disobeyinge the good commaundement of authoritie requyring the performance of so many holy dueties of theÌ„ Which sins though they ignorantly commit as not knowing that they sinne in such recusance but rather being perswaded that their so doing is a high seruice of God acceptable vnto him yet shall not their ignorance excuse them for the Lord wil surely beat euery seruant that doth not his Masters will Luk. 12.18 yea though he know it not because his ignorance is not of the creation of God but of his owne corruption originally drawne from Adam Neyther shall this good entent excuse them any more then the Iewe which ignorantly crucifying Christ and persecuting the Apostles were perswaded they did God great seruice For it is obedience that the Lord requireth which who soeuer yealdeth not vpon what cause or pretence soeuer is giltie by the Law On the other parte if retayninge still that wicked perswasion that to ioyne with vs in the seruice of

God as it is now established amongst vs is a wicked a sinful act yet notwithstanding for feare of punishment they conforme themselues they offend and are guilty though not of sin against the holy ghost Howlet as some late Puritan Seminarist doth affirme yet of sinne great and grieuous not in doing the thing which is lawfull and good but because they do it not well and Christianly that is in faith and true perswasion that such their doing is pleasing to God but contrariwise condemning it in their heart as vnlawfull them selues of hipocrisie so that while they dwell in that perswasion they can do nothing that may be acceptable vnto God Therefore such as are desirous to please him are with prayer to examine this their perswasion by the holy scriptures whereby finding as vndoubtedly they shall in due time whom the Lord will saue that it is not according to god they ought to chaunge their mindes by true repentance and then doing the dueties requyred of them in faith and certaine knowledge of pleasing God in them their doings shal be godly and acceptable in Christ Iesus But if they coÌ„tinew obstinat still yet is not authority to be blamed for compelling them as the noble Kings Asa and Iosia did commaund and compel the people by seueritie of their lawes and punishments to serue the Lord what ignorant and vngodly perswasion so euer they haue to the contrary For this duety God requireth at the Magistrates hand to whom hee hath not committed his sword in vaine and in it selfe it is so necessarie that if this pretence were sufficient cause why men should be respected not onely the Magistrate should become gilty of not doing the duetie which God requireth of them but also no Christian estate or pollicie coulde stand For this would soone bee euery mans answere in case of being enioyned any thing concerning God or men howe holy or iust so euer it were that did dislike him that his coÌ„science is against it Therefore it can be no cause by the word of God after the procuring of such meanes for their instruction by the Gospell sincerely duely preached vnto theÌ„ as our Sauiour Christ hath appointed for the calling of men from their errors to the knowledge of the truth why your H. should forbeare eyther to require so godly a duety of them or to punish the disobedieÌ„t as their offence may deserue At their own peril be it if thorow ignoraÌ„ce or wilfulnes they take darkenes for light and light for darkenes Such commandement punishment for disobedience is not of it selfe hurtfull vnto them but rather greatly profitable both by telling them what they ought to do and by threatning and punishing the obstinat whereby some may be wakened more seriously to examine their conscience so come to yeald obedience vnto God and to the law And thus far haue I dealt with his circumstances Now remayn his two other reasoÌ„s which are of substance and weight in deede in this matter if he were able to make them good For the one is a iustification of their cause the other a chalenge of the punishment layd vpon them But first hee blameth her M. iustice as extreeme and keeping no proportioÌ„ with the offence wherewith they are charged and secondarily mayntayneth their cause not onely to deserue no such punishment but to be worthy of all fauor First therefore I am to examine what he sayeth agaynst her M. iustice You persecute heauely saith hee vnto your H. and that in such measure as the like hath scarce been mentioned in Christianitie before albeit in some poynts more couertly then some other did This persecution he setteth out after by comparyson of the discipline as hee wryteth of the Catholicke church namely in the time of Queene Mary affirming this persecutioÌ„ in all respects far to surmount ouerreach that to be both greater incoÌ„parably more greeuous To the same effect he addeth many other like speeches in the end of his epistle which there shal receiue their answere By which complaint a man would thinke that might worthely be thought so if it exceede so far as he affyrmeth that most cruell and bloudie persecution of the true Catholicks and constant Martirs of God in Queen Maries time But of this he geueth occasion to speake more fully hereafter Now to answere his most vniust and slaunderous accusatioÌ„ of the iustice done vpon them I deny this to be tru wherw t he would charge the present State which I deny not only because they are no Catholiques and therfore no punishment of them can be properly called persecution but a iust execution of obstinate heretickes but also because that for meere conscience and matter of Religion no such thing is done or hath been done to any man since her M. most peaceable and happy Raigne Hee complayneth of the rackinges and stretching of their ioyntes the renting and dispersing of their bowels the dismembring of the partes of their bodies and maketh many such like greeuous complaints What may be done to such of them as are wilfull and obstinate seducers I leaue to your wisdomes to consider This being true that such are Heretickes seducing and deceiuing in as dangerous matters for men to be abused in as euer did any Heretickes before them which both hath beene often heretofore and may at any time bâ— sufficient argumentes and vnanswerable of their part be prooued against theÌ„ But yet I say further that notwithstanding that it is so far of that these tragicall complaints should be true that no one of all their Catholickes for cause of his conscience and religion onely being no otherwise an offeÌ„der against the lawes hath lost either life or limme since the happie day of her M. coronation vntill this time All which gracious time there hath not beene for recusance nor for being at masse nor yet for saying masse how often soeuer they so offend neither by former Statutes nor those of the last ParliameÌ„t which they most complaine off any further punishment appointed then of los of libertie and goods True it is that her Maiestye by the Sage aduise of youre Honours and of her whole Nobility and Commons hath prouyded by lawe for the punishmeÌ„t of such pretended Catholiques as shal be found gilty of any treasonnable practise against her H. estate and person being forced by most vrgent causes and many dangerous attempts of theirs dayly pressing her thereunto For considering first the bloudy resolution of the Councell of Trent the dayly attempts to put it in execution there was great and most worthy cause why your H. should seeke by all godly prouision to preuent their intended mischiefe The secret and detestable decrÃ©e of that Tridentine conspiracy against God and against his annointed was to make a League amongst all the Princes whom they had made drunck with the golden cup of their fornicatioÌ„ Buch. rerum Scot. lib. 17. to confer their meanes and ioyne all their forces

in redressing whatsoeuer may be amis in the churches of the gospel by such reformatioÌ„ recouering thousands of our pore brethren who now sitting in the darknes of that spiritual Egipt as in the vale shadow of death by such occasioÌ„ might haue their eies opened to discern where the body is whervnto as Egles they might resort also to all posteritie who hauing the holy faith of Christ according to the truth of the gospel as an enestimable treasure left coÌ„mitted to their trust to be deliuered ouer froÌ„ age to age to the end of the world shold haue infinite cause to glorify praise God for so vnspeakable a benefite reuerently to kÃ©ep with al honor the famous names of their so christian noble P. predecessors in euerlasting memory Which so honourable an enterprise for the seruice of God the infinit coÌ„modity of the church tho I be not worthy vpoÌ„ my knÃ©es to make any such motion vnto your H. yet appreheÌ„ding the seruice to be as I haue declared with your Ll fauors as knÃ©eling before your most noble court in al humility reuereÌ„ce I most huÌ„bly beseech your H. for the zeal you beare to God to his only Son Christ Iesu for the loue to the faith of the Gospel wherby in a blessed hope you wait atteÌ„d for the saluation of your soules for the pity you must nÃ©eds haue to see the renting of Christendom into so many sundry sects and partial opinions to the certen perill of the euerlasting destruction of many finally for the happy direction not onely of your owne noble children childrens childreÌ„ of your own country but of al the posterity of Christendom yea of al the world to whom the knowledge hereof may come that it may please your good Lordships to become the honourable means mediators to her moste excellent maiesty to vndertake this so christian and famous an enterprise to see it performed to the great glory of almightye God the saluation of all such as he hath appointed to euerlasting life It hath pleased God to giue her maiestye a royall K. with the treasure peace that neuer anye of her noble progenitors in such sort enioied before her wherby of all the princes professing the gospell her maiesty is most able to vndertake and perfourm so worthy an enterprise Besides her highnes honor for her moste worthye desertes is suche with them all as no doubt but the rather if her Maiestie enter into this action thei will also most gladly and willingly imbarke them selues into it and sende the chiefe of the ministerie within their dominioÌ„s for excellent giftes of God requisite for so greate a businesse into her noble Realme to further that holie fruitfull and famous worke with all the meanes whiche God hath giuen theÌ„ This shall make her grace of all Princes next vnto SolomoÌ„ in honor for the buildyng of the Lordes house and vnto Constantine surnamed the Great not onely for the glory of his great victories but also for his great zeale to aduaunce the Gospell When the Church was greeuously molested with the moste wicked Secte of Arrians this ConstaÌ„tine the great one of her Maiesties most noble Auncestors called a Generall Counsell of all Christian Kynges and Prouinces euen that most auncient famous and reuerende Counsell of Nice whereby the detestable heresie of Arrius was condemned that most true holy doctrine of our sauior Christ to bee God was notably confirmed and the daungerous troubles of the churche were in tyme happely appeased This holie and memorable example of so mightie a prince and one of her Maiesties most noble Progenitors maie bee a worthie president for her Highnesse to followe beyng a thing whiche GOD hath implanted in all noble Natures if a House Nation or Kingdome haue been honourable for any special vertue whiche hath shined in them to bee carefull to maintaine that honour wonne vnto it But there was neuer any more noble acte vertue nor honour neither in this nor in any other Kingdome or Prince whatsoeuer that maie be more glorious to the posteritie that shall maintaine it And no waie so fitly can it be maintained as it maie if it would please her Maiestie to vse her treasure her honour and creditt with all good Princes professyng the Gospell whiche GOD no doubt hath giuen her for suche vse as he did to Salomon for the buildyng of his spirituall house whiche is his Churche to so hie a seruice of immortall fame with all posteritie Wherefore beyng a matter so full of true honour to performe and so worthie for your HH to procure I hope and wish with all my harte euen for your HH sake that it may please GOD to moue and dispose your noble myndes to take in hande the sollicitation of so greate a seruice to God and his Churche and that the Lorde would vouchsafe your HH so greate fauour as to be his Speakers in suche a cause I would gladly dwell still in this my moste humble sute or the sute rather of the whole Church of Christ offered to your Lorshippes by my vnworthie hande and particulerly callyng vppon you by the names of the honourable places which vnder her highnesse you most worthely occupie moste humbly beseeche suche of you my good Lordes whiche haue fauour with her Maiestis in suites to imploye that fauour which GOD hath giuen you with her highnesse in this as worthie a suite as euer was vndertaken and suche as diffray her roiall charges for the Common seruice of the publicke state of the Churche and Kyngdome or write and seale her highnesse royall Letters and Pattentes cheerefully to incourage her Maiestie to the imploiyng of some parte of her riche treasure in so holy and noble an acte to offer cherefully your owne seruice to the furtheraunce of it Whiche maie be accoumpted to you of GOD as the noble giftes bestowed by the Princes of the Tribes at the settyng vp of the Tabernacle and againe at the buildyng of the Temple in the tyme of Dauid But because I rather wishe your Lordshippes giftes should be free cheerefull and voluntarie as beyng giuen to the Tabernacle and Temple of God then strained by importunacie of suite Therefore most humblie and earnestly praiyng God to direct your HH I leaue and conclude this cause wherevnto by occasion I haue a little disgressed with this onely woorde that if you shall become the lordes spokesmen in this the Lorde Iesu shall aboundantly reward you for it by being your Mediator for the forgiuenesse of your sinnes and the saluatioÌ„ of your soules with God his Father Thus leauyng this moste humble suite not of one nor of a fewe but of the whole Churche of Christe vnto your Lordshipps godly wisedomes I now returne againe to make aunswere to myne aduersarie To his former reasons without any sufficient reason that there must needes be infinite varieties of sondrie Sectes and opinions amongest vs He addeth this that wee

make the Temporall Prince heade of all whiche is oftentymes a child and maie easely bee driuen as the windes shall blowe hym Wherein he doeth vs as greate wroÌ„g as in the former For as he vniustly charged vs there with not obeiyng any Pastour not receiuyng the expositions of the Fathers nor determinations of Councels who teache obedience to all lawfull Pastors and bothe receiue and vse all other good meanes to the vnderstandyng of the holie Scriptures as farre as thei maie so helpe vs and especially of the lawful Councelles and learned Fathers though wee giue no Pastour the place of Christ nor any Councel or Father that which is due onely to the word of God So likewise he doeth in this place chargyng vs to giue to Caesar that whiche is due to GOD. True it is we acknowledge the lawfull Kinges Queenes of this land in respect of any earthly power to be next and immediatly vnder God and our Sauiour Christ ouer all persons and in al causes as well Ecclesiasticall as ciuill supreme heads and gouernours that by their authoritie all the will and coÌ„maundements of GOD maie bee executed and obeyed Wherein nothyng lesse is ment then to derogate from our Sauiour Christ any parte of the hye honour and prerogatiue that appertaineth to the Kyng of Heauen whiche is to subdue our spirituall enemies vnder our feete to animate and quicken the whole body with his most holy Spirite giuyng life and strength to euery parte and member of the bodie to doe that worke for which it is placed in it or to rule it otherwise then he hath appointed But the meanyng is to acknowledge in them that iust and lawfull authoritie whiche the Churche of Roome taketh from them and whiche GOD hath giuen vnto them and all the noble Kynges of Israell and Iuda did with good right and interest exercise and inioye Wee are farre froÌ„ perswadyng our Princes to take the holy Censures into their handes a presumption for whiche Vzza the Kyng was striken with Leaprosie by the hande of God But yet wee acknowledge as wee ought notwithstanding thei doe not exercise nor maie not exercise the office of the Ministerie in their owne persones yet are thei the Lieutenauntes of God to see hym worshipped and obeyed by all persones as thei ought to obeye hym and by punishment to force the Transgressours to the doyng of suche duttie as belongeth vnto their places and callyng And thus we read that Dauid and Sulomon Ezekia Iosius and other worthie Kynges did Who reformyng the state of Religion whiche had been polluted and defiled before with shamefull Idolatries appoincted the Priestes and Leuites euery one to doe his office accordyng to his function and charge Agreeably whereunto the Apostle teacheth that euery soule ought to bee subiect to the hyer powers Whereby it is manifest that he comprehendeth the Ministers of what name soeuer thei bee as well as others And our Sauiour Christ submittyng hymself vnto them what professour is it that should not obeye them but suche a Seruaunt as will be better then his Lorde and suche a Scholler as will bee aboue his Maister Herein therefore we giue nothyng vnto them but theirs whiche God the Lorde of all hath bestowed vpon them And therefore if a Childe as Iosias was be Kyng wee acknowledge and reuerence the authoritie in hym aswell as in Dauid or Salomon Wherein wee yeelding our obedience to God and to that authoritie which GOD hath sett ouer vs can giue hereby no cause of innouations as he blameth vs or daungerous hazardes to a Common-wealth nor hinder any good meanes of keepyng the Churche in a holie vnitie But monsterous in deede is the heade whiche thei make appoinctyng one man sometymes who often were vnfitte for any little charge to bee heade and gouernour of all the worlde and that in all causes bothe Temporall and Spirituall A thyng without all comparison more vnfitt and absurde then if a Sculler should bee taken from the Thames to be made Admirall of all the Ocean Sea Nay a thyng vtterly impossible for the infinite varietie of tongues and of causes and the great distaunce of places And what power doe thei attribute to this monstrous head of the worlde surely that which thei can not giue without beyng giltie of blasphemie and high Treason against our Sauiour Christe in makyng common his regalities and honors of giuyng Lawes to the Church ruling the conscience and sittyng in the middest of the Temple of God with the Vicar of Rome whiche maie not be attributed neither to any man of what giftes soeuer nor to any Angell or creature in the worlde Moreouer thei offende also against the state of worldlie Princes withdrawyng their alleagiaunce from theÌ„ as a nomber of them doe now from her Maiestie to giue it to this head and raising for it many Insurrections Rebellions and Treasons in the state and many quarrelles contentions and Scismes in the Churche Wherefore seyng that the true causes of all holie vnitie and agreement are with vs and not with them that is the obedieÌ„ce to God and his holy word and a desire of free Christian and lawful coÌ„ferences Sinodes and Councelles and that the promises of blessyng are giuen to the precious faith we holde and not to their wicked false worshippe I conclude that these his general reasons are vtterly insufficient to proue that benefite by meanes of vnitie to bee in their Romishe faith for a Commonwealth whiche he pretendeth or to disproue it to be in the Gospell of our Sauiour Christe which through his grace we professe Now he proceedeth to particuler commodities of a Chistian state Particuler commondities alleadged to growe to a Common wealth by Poperie which he saith their Religion bryngeth vnto it and ours the contrary inconueniences makyng the comparison in our owne Countrey Which if I graunted all yet were not his generall position true that their Religion doeth make a Commonwealth to prosper and ours doth hinder it sufficiently proued For Idolatrie and Paganisme maie in some respect bryng a commoditie whiche true Religion will not yeelde Shall wee then esteeme Religion by that whiche in some one regarde is best for our ease profite and peace Ieroboam perswaded the tenne Tribes by suche a like reason to leaue the true Religion whiche GOD had deliuered vnto them by Moses and the Prophetes and to receiue the worshippe of the Idolles whiche he had errected because his Idolatrous Religion brought them this particuler commoditie that thei might tarie at home in their houses and auoyde greate charge cost and expenses in goyng from Dan or Bethel the vttermost partes of the lande of Israell to worshippe in Ierusalem whereas the other required of them at certaine tymes in the yeare to leaue all they had with greate perrill and daunger of beyng spoyled of all in their absence as he would haue had them to think and to take a greate and costly iourney to their so greate expenses and trauaile Yet

was not Ieroboams Religion therefore the true Religion and the other false no nor more profitable for theim For whether was it more profite to enioye onely for a shorte tyme the ease in tariyng at home and to saue the trauaile and coste of goyng to Ierusalem then by obeiyng the Commaundement of God in yeeldyng to hym the seruice whiche he required to depende vpon hym and thereby to bee assured to haue safely kepte that whiche for the present thei enioyed and to dwell in the lande accordyng to the promise bothe thei and their posteritie for euer Or whether brought theim greater hurte in the ende true Religion whiche required their trauell and coste to worship at Ierusalem or IeroboaÌ„s Idoll whiche in the ende did caste them out of the lande and their children for euer leadyng them captiues into Assiria and makyng theim subiecte to the iuste punishement of euerlastyng death To haue tarried still in Egipt seemed to some to stande better with the wealthe and prosperitie of the people of Israell to enioye that thei had gotten there the space of fower hundred yeres thei had dwelte in it then with so many troubles carriages of their housholde stuffe and cattell into so huge a deserte to worship there But the seruice of GOD required it and in the ende it was farre more proffitable for them For in steede of beeyng slaues to the Egyptians who putt them into their Bricke houses of Claie and into their Furnace of Iron thei obtained a goodlie lande of their owne where thei dwelte as a free people euery one sitting vnder his owne Vine and drinkyng the water of his owne Well Abraham might haue thought it better to haue tarried still in Vr of the Chaldeans then to go thence he knewe not whether Yet the obedience of GOD required hym to leaue his owne Countrey whiche the Idolatrie of his Countrey did not exact of hym And in the ende not onely in regard of the life to come but euen of this life it fell out to his farre greater benefite then if he had not borne that harde condition as it seemed at the firste and tarried still For after and by this meanes GOD made Abraham a Father of many Nations his Seede as the Sande of the Sea and the Starres of heauen in multitude naie he gaue hym a sonne in whom bothe he and all Nations should bee blessed So the Apostles were coÌ„maunded to leaue all and followe Christ as in some sorte many other oftentymes are likewise to doe A hard Religion would this man saie and standeth nether with any reason or pollicie but is against their commoditie and best estate yet is not Christes Religion therefore to bee impugned For whatsoeuer it requireth yet is it the onely true Religion and therefore that whiche onely hath the promise of the blessyng of God annexed vnto it as the Apostles finally proued and all shall likewise proue whiche followe hym It semed good policie to some of the kinges of Iuda to be in league with the mightie kyng of Assiria and to confederate them selues with the people of the natioÌ„s whiche true Religion did not suffer nor allowe yet was it not the lesse the onely true Religion no nor had not been in the ende lesse profitable for their state For if thei had obeyed God and depended vpon hym then had thei continewed the Kyngdome in their lande whereas euen by their pollicie thei were caste out of it and despersed abroade Thei had been better to haue contented them selues Esa 8. with the softe runnyng and shallowe water of Silo whiche thei so muche despised for then thei had not been carried awaie to Babell But Euphrates was a goodlie deepe water a swifte flood a noble streame therefore thei desired to drinke of it and to washe theim selues in it but to their owne destruction For this strong streame tooke their feete from them carried them awaie into captiuitie There are many whiche by suche wicked pollicies forslow yea neglect the reformation of Superstition of Idolatrie of Popishe abuses and enormities of the Churche within their Dominion Thei are afraied innouations should breede daunger to their estate and therefore thei choose rather with the indignation of God to let al alone and suffer a state once established so to continue then to alter abuses and disorders though GOD and true Religion require it Yet shall suche pollicies in the ende be founde to haue no sound wisedome in theim when GOD accordyng to his woorde shall visite suche a Nation and bee auenged of them for all their impieties By like reason a man that liketh not of christianitie because thei muste suffer persecution whiche will liue godlie in Christ Iesu and because the waie is straight and narrowe maie with as good colour pretende to haue iuste matter to refuse it But christian faithe and the narrowe waie in all holie and sound wisedome are notwithstandyng to bee chosen and the broade waie wherein a man seemeth to walke at his ease for a season to be refused For in the ende he shall proue it true whiche Salomon saieth that there is a waie whiche seemeth good vnto a man the ende whereof is destruction as there are lippes that still Honie but the feete of the same bodie leade into hell It is therefore meere profaunesse Atheisme to measure religioÌ„ by euery commoditie and so farre to receiue it and so ofte to chaunge it as in the vaine discourse of fleshe and blood it seemeth to stande or not to stand with our profite For this is the profane spirite of Esau to make but a pollicie of Religion and a seruaunt to our selues But true ReligioÌ„ is to be receiued for it self because God hath coÌ„maunded it and so farre and in suche sorte as he hath prescribed what daungers or discommodities soeuer profane infidelitie and the foolishe discourse of the naturall man whiche as the Apostle Peter saieth is poore blinde and can not se farre of in these matters shall fancie and imagine Naie though in deede for triall of our faithe more precious then gold and for the honour of his name in our patience the Lorde should see it good to excercise his people with sundrie afflictions for how soeuer for suche secrete and yet alwaies iuste causes the Lorde shall see good to deale with any Nation yet in the ende if thei serue the Lorde thei shall finde it to bee moste for their comforte bothe in this life and in the life to come And therefore this remaineth alwaies firme that whatsoeuer the naturall man and carnall pollicie shall iudge yet true Religion in the groundes of the doctrine and in the exercise and practise of it is not contrary to the florishyng estate of a commonwealth but bothe in the nature of it and by meanes of the promise of blessyng annexed vnto it is the Religion by whiche alone Kyngdomes and Common-wealthes maie truely prosper and florishe Thus wishyng to bee vnderstoode of all men that Religion is to

publike causes I sawe there were also many contrarye presidents and that of many worthy men who in like times had stoode in the gap and in the breach against the enemie Moreouer Neh. 4.16.17 I considered this our time to be like that wherof we read in the booke of Neemie wherein because of the often and hot charges of these Samaritanes enuying the raysing vp againe of the new Ierusalem out of the ruines wherin they had ioy to see it we are constrayned so to buylde it as we may stand also redy armed to make head against the enemie and to beate him backe when he shal assayle vs. Which because the learned will see to be no matter of game and striuing for the golden pen but a necessarye seruice of God and his church I hope they will be satisfied better with that which may bee sure for defence then faire for shewe But chieflye this is my hope of all your H. both for the graue wisdome God hath endued you with and for the accustomed fauour you are wont to shewe to all such as to their power doe endeuour faithfully to serue the Lord. As for the enemie I know in deede his malice is bitter and his pen foule and shameful For so both others of them and especially the defendant of the late censure hath notoriously testified in his wicked slaunders of as worthie men as the sunne hath seene anye in this age of their profession But seing it lieth not in vs to make them modest and that we are called in good and il report yea in life and death to serue God his church I willingly commit any iniurie that may be done me by them for his cause to him to whome the punishment thereof appertaineth Iude Epist and who as Enoch prophecied long agoe commeth with thousands of his Saintes to doe iustice vpon them all and to reprooue those which are wicked amongst them of all the deedes which they haue wickedly committed and all the hard speaches which wicked sinners haue spoken against him Wherefore being satisfied for these doubtes and knowing no other sufficient cause to the contrary I haue thought this defence to be my most bounden duetie to almightie God to her most excellent M. to your H. and to this whole state and church Therefore I haue resolued by your LL. good fauour seeing no man els so long time had vndertaken to deale with this Plaintife to maintaine against him to my small power the glory of God in the iust defence of his trueth the honor of the authority I haue named in their most lawfull proceedings against such as vntruely are called Catholiques Thus hauing before your H. most humbly rendred some reson of this my doing I come now to ioyne with mine aduersarie The effecte of this Authours purpose is as he himselfe declareth in the beginning of his booke The answere and hath bÃ©ene touched before in presenting your LL. with the Epistle intituled of the persecution in Englande with this treatise of his own is to complaine of intollerable extremities vsed agaynst the pretended Catholiques for their only conscience sake as he affirmeth and also to become suter to your Honors in behalfe of their cause that if for the time it may not be receyued as he thinketh it worthy yet at the least it may not be so hardly intreated as hee woulde make the world beleue it hath beene hetherto Which their cause being not of the thinges of this life wherin reason and discourse may trie and discerne but of religion he ought to haue taken his reasons to perswade the religion he would maintaine to bee good out of the holy and sacred bookes of the canonicall scriptures 2. Tim. 3.17 For of these we reade that they are able to make vs wise vnto saluation thorow the faith that is in Christ Iesus as the Apostle addeth in the same place they are giuen by inspiration from God to furnish vs and to make vs fully able to instruct in that which is truth and to conuict whatsoeuer agreeth not with it Therefore as in question of mettall the touch stone is called for to shew the good and to discouer the badde so should he haue touched with this true onely touch both our mettall and his that that which is base or fine in eyther religion might haue bene discerned In doubtful controuersies in the law they were commanded to repaire vnto the hie priest into whose brest the Lorde had put Vrim and Thummim Exod. 28.30 whereby he was able to giue aunswere in all causes Christ is our hie Priest and the holy scriptures as being that wisedome of God to be reuealed to vs the Vrim and Thummim whereby we are answered as by Oracle from God in al our controuersies Therefore in this most weightie cause counsell ought to haue bene sought for there where the brest of Christ is open vnto vs and where a perfecter light then that of Vrim Thummim shineth to our most safe direction Esay 8.9.10 But this Author that we may know by the testimony of the Prophet Esay that there is no sparke of true light in him leaueth the lawe the testimony and seeketh to humane reason as to a cunning enchantres and as Saul to seeke answere hee goeth from the liuing vnto the deade Heb. 4.12 Ephe. 2.1 for the worde of God is liuing and the sonnes of men are borne deade in their sins But let vs see his reasons such as they are and howsoeuer he would flie the saymasters furnace the subtile weight yet bycause we know there is no other certain way to try what goodnes it may be of that hee bringeth we must make a say of it by the fire of the Lords altar and weigh euery thing by the weightes of his sanctuarie The reasons he bringeth are principally two Reasons vsed to perswade fauor towardes the Romane catholiques whereof the one is of the punishment laide vpon them and the other of the cause wherin they stand He toucheth briefly two other reasons which are of lesse moment rather of complemeÌ„t circumstance theÌ„ of any great weighte or substance in this question which are of the person of the ende For if it fall out as by Gods grace I vndertake to show that the punishment and the cause is such as that these falsly named Catholiques are dealt with in iustice and that mitigated with great moderation and clemencie then do these with all receaue their answere Yet something I will answere perticularly to these reasons and first to that which is taken of the persons of those who are punished In this he alleadgeth that they are of our owne bloude and Nation The first reason answered and borne subiects of the lande Wherein what doth hee pleade for them that may not be with as good reason brought for all malefactors which the lawe doth punish And to whom els doth the lawe extende but to the borne

world can testify For what part of the world hath not hard of our Sufferings and the furious and fiery wrath wherewith the enimie persecuted vs for no other cause then for the Gospels sake Some in deed fled as Iacob from the wrath of his brother Esau and thorow the goodnes of God escaped their bloudy handes But they which remayned were slaine for Gods sake as saith the Prophet all the day long and counted as sheepe appointed for the slaughter Psal 44.22 In Spaine and Italie the chÃ©efe seates of the bloudy inquisition besides many which were openly murdered poysons strangling in prisons drowning in riuers and sondrie other secret executions which came not to so open knowledge of the world according to the depth most suttle practises of Satan are reasonably thought to haue destroyed many more then haue beene consumed by the light fires of England Fraunce and Flaunders haue had also as hot a Furnace amongst them as that of Nebucad-nezers was whereinto they haue cast a great multitude of those which would not fall downe before their golden Image But besides those which they haue burned who can number the thousands and ten thousands which their bloudy sword in their so long and cruell warres haue deuoured The slaughters of Fraunce especially their cruell masacrees for of whome we haue so strang a thing we must haue also the name wherby they terme it haue beene so barbarous so many that I know not how to expresse the sauage cruelties and tragicall immanities committed in them except I should here leaue my paper all in bloud as the Paynters workers of tapestry do their table and their Tapistry when they come to paynte and worke so strange and horrible cruelties as no arte nor InstrumeÌ„t no pencill nor nÃ©edle is able to expres Thus being prouoked by mine aduersary I haue briefly touched and in generall the tyrannous and bloudy actes of this cruell generation For the more full declaration whereof I must referre the gentle Reader to the stories of the seuerall Countreys where these horrible persecutions haue beene exercised and especially to the worthy worke of the Actes and Monumentes of Martyrs written by the reuerend and learned M. Fox in our own language for the purpose I haue now in hand it may suffice thus generally to haue poynted as it were to the opening of the fift Seale and to haue shewed some view of the infinite number of the soules which lye behind the Altar and cry night and day vnto God with the voice of the bloud of Abel that the Lorde woulde require all this bloud which they haue so cruelly and vnnaturally shed at the handes of this posterity of Cain Wherby seeing it appeareth that for the onely cause of Religion they haue murthered so many that they haue made all Europe to runne with the bloud of the Prophets as Manasses did the streetes of Ierusalem and that of the other part there hath beene hetherto no proceeding against them for like cause to the shedding of one drop of their bloud all indifferent Iudges may see the bold vanity of this Plaintife in affirming our dealings towards them to ouerreach any their persecution of vs and to be incomparably more grieuous And yet this notwithstanding the aduersary hauing receaued all good for all euill done to vs cannot be ignorant off yet their Aduocate is bold to make comparison not only generally but also perticulerly concerning the persons in the number and quallitie of such as haue suffered and the maner of their vsage both in their imprisonment and in the execution Wherein first he alledgeth that manye were tollerated by them This was not any charitie in them but it was the gracious goodnes of God our most merciful father who would not suffer theÌ„ so to shake our Oliue tree but that there shoulde remaine some still vpon the tree nor so to vintage and gather the grapes of his vineyeard but that there should still be hidden here a cluster and there an other some few grapes vnder the leaues that shoulde not be gathered But what tolleration vpon hope of their repentance hath bene extended and is dayly towards them I report me to the conscience of euerie one who vnderstandeth how many there are that need this fauour and hath compared the number of theÌ„ with the number of such as haue bene called to question for these matters The second point of his comparyson of the persons is of men with men whereby he meaneth the condition and estate of such as haue suffered wherin he may remember the imprisonment of her Ma. vnder whose shadowe thorowe the goodnesse of God we are now refreshed from the burning heates wherw t they consumed vs. In which estate her highnes had so many lyoÌ„s mouthes opened against her as except the Lord had shut them in time we had neuer seene these happy dayes He may remember also the departure out of the land both of some other of the Nobilitie and of the Duches Grace of Suffolke Likewise the right reuerend Cranmer and his companions which were not so vsed in pryson that they coulde boast as some of theirs haue done that they neuer fared better nor liued more at their ease but after a hard imprysonment were burned in the fire for the testimony of the Gospell We boast not of any but of the Lord â— Cor. 1. as knowing what our calling is yet doe we reioyce glorifie God with speciall thankesgeuing when he geueth so rare a blessing to those which are of great power and authority that they not onely do beleeue but also suffer for his names sake In which respect I haue thought good to answere thus much to this second point of his comparyson Further touching the vsage of such as came in troble for religioÌ„ in their time he affirmeth it to haue beene ciuil for the prisons they were committed vnto the confereÌ„ces vsed with theÌ„ the relieuing and not tormenting of them in tyme of their imprisonment and last of all in their execution with all fauor But if such vsage as we haue had at their handes in all these respects be their ciuilitie how great neede had we to pray and to prouyde that we haue not experience of their cruelty The prysons whereinto they cast those whom they had bond as Paul with chaines for the Gospell Lollordes Tower Colehouse c. were the coÌ„mon Gaoyles and prysons of all malefactors nay some of them such as for the horror and annoyance of them they were not wont to sende the most guilty offenders into But now they I speake of such as are called to question for religion haue conuenient holesome roomes yea large houses and faire gardens for their pleasure as they vse it for their pastyme Their conferences were either threatenings or snares of death whereby they sought to extort a denyall of the trueth by terror or by deceitfull wordes to drawe out some free speach against some of their

hee hath shewed mercy to his Sion he hath raised her out of the dust he hath anoynted her with oyle and furnished her table euen in the fight of all her enimies And nowe that the Lorde hath giuen her enimies into her power to require at their hand al the bloud of her deare children which they haue shed so many yeares and to recompence them double for all that she hath receyued of them yet hetherto she hath patiently wayted if the Lord may giue them repentance and forborne to vse any like extremitie towardes them Therefore all these former poynts well considered whether he compare the persons or vsage it will be founde in deede there is no comparison but for this reason because the numbers of such of ours as haue suffered haue bene a thousand to one of theirs the persons of greater state both for birth and calling the vsage so farre diuers both in the time of imprisonment and in the execution that we in our most iust lawful punishmeÌ„t of theÌ„ haue contayned our selues within the bondes of Christian lenitie and mekenes nay I may truly say that in some obstinate and buysie seducers wee haue beene short of duty But they in their most wroÌ„g ful and tyrannical persecution of vs haue matched if not exceeded the most sauage cruelties that euer were heard off amoÌ„gst the Barbarians and the Heathen And thus much for answere to the comparison wherein I doubt not but it easily appeareth to all indifferent readers howe farre vnlike their doings are to ours It followeth now to examine whether of vs can render better reason of such our proceedinge This Aduocate iustifieth theirs by two speciall arguments wherof the first is the authoritie whereby they proceeded against vs which he saith was an ancient generall law meaning thereby the lawe of putting Heretikes to death wheras we haue only new nationall statuts as hee saith to punish them by For the lawe of putting heretikes to death I graunt it to haue beene a generall and ancient law amongst Gods people when the Magistrates haue bÃ©ene of the faith of the Church And as it is auncient and generall so hath it good warrant of the word of God For the Magistrate beareth not the sworde in vaine but is the Minister of Gods iustice and vengeance vpon all offendors according to the qualitie of their offence Further also heretikes aboue all other offenders most grieuously transgresse both against God whose holy seruice and honour they prophane and also against men whom they by poysoning of the heauenly doctrine doe destroy with death euerlasting Both which being so cleare as they need no further proofe it must needes followe that the Magistrate ought to put an Heritike to death And thus was it expresly commaunded in the lawe of Moses Deut. 13.5 2. reg 23.20 2. Chro. 15.13 and executed by Asa Iosia the noble and zealous Kings of Iuda Against which iudgmeÌ„nt in vaine do some alledge the parable of Tares to be suffered to growe till the latter day For the tares there are not onely Heretikes but as our Sauiour there doth expound it all the wicked who are called children of the deuil the seruantes not Magistrates but Angels the pulling vp not the execution of perticuler euill doers by temporall death but the destruction of all the wicked children of the deuil vnto death euerlasting Which points are so plaine to any that will consider the parable with iudgment as they can not be denied No stronger are the rest of the proofes that are by the fauorers of this cause brought in out of Celsus a principall writer for the maintenance of it Mat. 13 40.4â— nor which this new aduocate for heretickes would insinuate for this purpose though for the authority of the cannon law to the coÌ„trary he dare not plainly discouer this to be his opinion saying faith is the gift of god For this coÌ„cludeth not that no man by compulsion correctioÌ„ may so profite that he maye be occasioned to vse such meanes whereby after he may beleeue Nor that such as are obstinate heretickes ought not to be executed by death For by like reasoÌ„ no malefactors should dy for feare of destroying them euerlastingly repentance being the gifte of God aswell as faith Of this therefore wee are agreed but who is to be iudged an hereticke is all the question betweene vs. They by their Cannon law iudge al heretickes that hold not the faith which at this day is professed in the church of Roome But we deny their Cannon lawe to be any competent iudge of heresie a great part of which law is the sinke of all error and abhomination or any other cannons decrees and authorities of men whatsoeuer and affirme the onely worde of God left written in the bookes of the holy and canonicall scriptures to bee able to iudge of these matters as partly was declared in the beginning of this answere Further we affirme and that agrÃ©eably to the same holy scripture whereunto we referre our selues for tryall that the faith now taught receyued by the Church of Roome in such poynts as it differeth from vs to be nothing but a new and late superstition and heresie The cause then falling out thus betwen vs that their doctrine differing from ours is error heresie ours wherin it differeth froÌ„ them as in al the other parts therof is the pure word of god Psal 1â— swÃ©et as the swÃ©et bread of the Passouer without any leauen fine as the siluer tryed refyned seauen times in the furnace we are certainelie assured by the same worde whereby wee shall bee iudged in that day when the truth shall shine as the Sunne and they shall see it which doe not repent of this their contradiction of Core to their euerlasting confusion that the auncient generall lawe whereof he speaketh can make nothing at all with them or against vs. Of the other parte whereas he would shew vs to haue small or no authoritie to proceede against them as wee doe as hauing in his opinion onely certaine national statuts wherby our proceedings are warranted hee is to vnderstand that vpon such reasons as hath bene shewed of their doctrine and ours the same auncient and generall lawe which chargeth Magistrates with the keeping of al things written in the law and with the ciuill punishment of al offenders Deut. 17.19 Rom. 13. is a most sufficieÌ„t warrant for the authority which God hath now set ouer vs to compel all the subiectes within this Dominion to serue the Lorde our God according to that right order of his seruice which he himselfe hath appoynted and to correct their errours and obstinacie which shall be disobedient as the qualitie of their offence shall deserue Vpon the warrant of this auncient lawe Iosia in his time constrayned all Israell to serue the Lord their God which can not otherwise be vnderstood then of compelling them thereunto by new national statutes the seueritie whereof enforced

fruite of them selues of the earth and of their cattell and that they should enlarge their dominion from sea to sea and from one floud to an other Of the other parte Deu. 28. if they did not kÃ©epe the law of the Lorde their God his iudgements and his statutes which he had commaunded them then the Lord threatned to bring vpon them the plagues of Egipt to cursse them in all that they should deale withall to cast them out of the land which he had caused their Fathers to possesse and making wast their citties yea their sanctuaries and their countrye to bring vppon them famine and hunger nakednesse and pouertie dissolution and captiuitie These and such like sayinges of the lawe so vehemently vttered vnto al Israell with taking heauen and earth to witnesse Deu. 30.19 that thus they shoulde finde it in the ende doe plainely testifie that such religion must nÃ©edes be good for the establishing and prospering a common weale which the Lorde him selfe hath left vnto vs with promise of blessinge to those that kÃ©epe it and contrarywise that no false seruice of him can bÃ©e good for any state but that it continually prouoketh the curse indignation of God against it Therefore was the K. commaunded to take a copye of the lawe to haue it by him and to reade in it all the dayes of hys lyfe that he might learne to feare the Lord his God to obserue all his wordes and statutes by dooing of theÌ„ that his mind might not be lift vp aboue his brethren nor he departe froÌ„ it to the right hande or to the left that he might prolonge his dayes in his kingdome and hys Sonnes in the middest of Israell Deu. 17.18 19.20 Iosua 1.8 To lyke effecte was it sayde vnto Iosua lette not the booke of thys Lawe departe out of thy mouthe but meditate in it night day that thou mayest diligentlye obserue as it is written in it For then thou shalte prosper in thy wayes and haue successe in thy affayres Whereby lykewise it is euident that the blessyng of Kynges and Princes dependeth hereupon so that they onely which worshyppe the Lorde aryght accordynge to hys woorde Psal 2.10 11.12 haue promise of blessynge for it bothe of thys lyfe and of the life to come For this cause the Prophet exhorteth Kynges to bÃ©e wyse and Counsellers to bÃ©e well aduysed that they worshyppe GOD and hys annointed denouncyng vnto the Ennemies the almightye power of Christe to the confusion of all that sette themselues agaynste hym whereby hÃ©e shoulde bee able as easelye to breake them as a Manne wyth a barre of Yron dooth dashe in peeces a Potte of earth To thys purpose notable is the speeche of Asaria the Prophet 2. Chro. 15 vnto Kynge Asa and to all Iuda and Beniamin when the Lorde hadde miraculouslye foyled the innumerable multitude of theyr ennemyes The LORDE sayeth hÃ©e hath beene wyth you while yee haue bÃ©ene wyth hym 1 Sam 2 30 and yf yee wyll yett seeke hym hÃ©e wyll bÃ©e readye for you but yf yÃ©e forsake him hÃ©e will forsake you Accordynge to that whych the Manne of God had sayde hereof before 1. Sam. 15 23 26.28 Psal â—8 2. Sam. 22 I wyll honour those which honour mÃ©e and dispise those which dispise me Thys was sealed in the castinge away of Saule and the choosing and prosperous successe of Dauid as he often acknowledgeth Lykewise in Salomon the moste wise and Politique Prynce that euer sat in the seate of Dauid 1. Reg. 10 or ruled anye people in the woorlde who because hÃ©e fullye established the seruice of GOD accordynge to all that hadde bene commaunded by the Prophets The Lorde also established his seate increased his glory aboue all the kinges of the earth till hee beganne to decline from the Lord his God and broughte the abhominable Idoles of the straunge women whom hÃ©e looued into his owne kingdome houses and worshipped theÌ„ for then the Lorde raysed vppe hys seruaunte against him who also in the dayes of hys Sonne so rente awaye tenne Tribes of Israell from the house of Dauid 2. Chr. 12 5 that they neuer returned vnto it agayne Thys was the spÃ©eche of the Prophet Shemaiah to Roboam hys counsellers and the people of Iudah thus sayeth the Lorde you haue forsaken mÃ©e therefore wyll I also abandon you and giue you into the hande of Senacherib which was perfourmed but in mercye vppon their repentaunce 2 Chr. 13 Abiah obiected againste Jeroboam that he coulde not prosper because hÃ©e hadde erected Idoles in hys kingdome and had made hym Priestes contrarye to the lawe and assureth hym selfe of Gods assistaunce agaynste hym for thys reason because they had the Lorde for theyr God who was theyr Captayne and his lawfull Priestes the sonnes of Aaron sounding the Lordes Trumpettes in the fielde before them Therefore sayeth hÃ©e yÃ©e chyldren of Israell fighte not agaynst the Lorde the God of your Fathers for ye can not prosper And accordinglye it is added that the Isralites were ouerthrowne hauinge 50000. chosen men of warre slayne and the Iewes were strengthned because as sayth the storye they rested vpon the Lorde God of their Fathers Diuerse was the estate of the affayres of Asa accordinge as hee walked with God prosperinge when hee trusted in God and decayinge when hee followed the vayne dyscourse of fleshe and bloode and soughte to the Asserians for helpe The same is alwayes dylygentlye noted in the lyues of the reste of the Kinges Amazia Azaria Ioas Ezechia Iehosophat Manasses and the reste euen to the deportation and caryinge awaye into captiuitie of bothe the houses of Israell and Iuda wyth theyr Kynges for false worshyppe 2. Reg. 17 2. Chr. 36 and dysobedyence vnto the woorde of the Lorde theyr GOD as it is notablye declared in manye places of the holye storye and of the Prophets These and infinite suche lyke examples which are in the Bookes of Kynges For which woulde to God all Chrystian Princes and they re Counsellers dyd dyligentlye reade them and cause them to bee reade and expounded vnto them do declare true pyetye to bÃ©e the verye base and foundatyon of all sounde Wysedome and Pollicye and Impyetye what shewe soeuer it haue of outwarde profitte and commoditye for a season yett indeede and in the ende to bÃ©e the verye cause of ruine and ouerthrowe to all estates and kingdomes The reason whereof is manifeste because all Kynges and Princes hold theyr Crownes and Scepters at the wyll and pleasure of GOD who is Kynge of Kynges and Lorde of Lords as it is wrytten by mÃ©e Kynges doo raigne Pro. 8 15. Dan. 4.32 and as Nebuchadnezer by proofe and the iuste chastisement of hys pryde in beeinge caste oute seauen yeares from hys kyngdome to lyue wyth the Beastes of the fielde confesseth that GOD dysposeth of the Crownes and Kyngdomes of the world gyuynge and takynge them to and from when it pleaseth him As therefore the

Tennaunte at wyll hath no better pollicye then to please hys Lorde of whome hee holdeth so the greateste pollicye and soundest wysedome that maye bÃ©e vsed by Kynges and Prynces is to please the Lorde oure GOD in all obedience and namelye in the zealous aduauncemente of hys true religyon and seruice Therefore wycked and deuilyshe is thys rule and not to bee patyentlye hearde of Christyan Prynces that false Relygyon or anye dysobedyence vnto GOD Idolatry Hipocrisie Tyrannye or anye such lyke canne establyshe the seate of any Kinge or bring securitie wealth and honoure to anye state or people or that true religion and godlines that iustice and equitie shoulde diminishe any of these and make the state weaker or lesse assured To longe hath this moste false and wicked doctrine abused Princes of weake iudgement to the turninge of theire golde into drosse and their honor into dishonor for what can be more vnwise vnhonorable and vnprofitable in the ende then Idolatry dissimulation Iniustice and tyrannye Or what can be more vnwise and vnhonorable then a state whose wisedome is nothinge but dÃ©epe hipocrisie periury and licence of all impietie On the other parte what canne bee more wyse or honourable then a P and state by whome true relygion is zealouslye and sincerelye aduaunced iustyce vprightlye admynistred the royall othe woorde and promise of a P inviolablye obserued vertue rewarded vice punished good lawes wiselye made ryghtly construed and duelye executed and so good a course of gouernment with all christian and noble magnanimitie maintayned and auoued For surelye these two which conteyne all the rest religion and iustice pietie and equitie are the moste precious Pearles that may annorne the crownes of Princes they are Pillers stronge as Iacin and Boos which were erected in the Temple and are named of theyr stabilitye and strengthe wherby theyr state is vpholden Salomon the royall Patron of all true state and honoure by wysedome and vnderstandynge by counsell and magnanimitye by knowledge and the feare of the Lorde as by the sixe steppes of hys regall throne which were made for that purpose ascended into that glorious seate as it was noted by the Lyons at hys fÃ©ete on eyther side aboue all Kynges of the earthe and satte hym downe as a Kyng of Kyngs and Lorde of Lordes Whose glorye so sittynge was suche as he sÃ©emed to bÃ©e a newe Adam reentred into the Paradyse of God or as the sonne of God whose glorye in a sorte was represented in him In which example the Lorde hath sealed vnto vs the assuraunce of the promise hÃ©e hath made to honor Princes which honoure him and to cause the states to prosper and to flourishe which builde vpp the Temple of the Lorde and neglecte not anye thynge which hee hath commaunded for the furtheraunce and aduauncement of it And as in olde tyme these promises were confirmed in the glorious and happy kyngdome of Salomon So may wÃ©e truely acknowledge to the greate glorye of GOD a notable testimonie of the fulfillynge of them in the blessed kyngedome of our moost noble Queene whome the Lorde hath so wonderfully blest to haue as it sÃ©emeth some notable example also in these dayes to seale agayne vnto all the worlde the certayne trueth of thys doctrine That happie is the King Prince vvhose God is the Lord For howe richlye hath the Lorde blessed her highnes and her people in comparison of all the Kinges and nations rounde aboute vs wyth peace and aboundaunce accordinge to the prayer of the Psalme for Ierusalem are in all the walles and Palaces of Englande Psal 122 Such a peace and such a plentye as our Fathers neuer knewe nor our Chronicles reporte to haue beene in the dayes of anye of her Maiesties moste noble Auncestors before her Our owne Countrye yÃ©eldeth vs aboundance of all thinges that growe at home and forreine Nations serue vs wyth plentye of all commodities abroade So that what soeuer is in the Easte or West what soeuer in a manner is vnder the Poles or betweene them wÃ©e haue it brought vnto vs. Which continuinge so manye yeares in so calme a peace must nÃ©edes haue excÃ©edingly enriched the land with wealth and treasure The peace of it is miraculous in so greate and longe troubles of all our neighbours about vs and in so manye Plots and practises layd and vndertakeÌ„ by the Church of Roome and the rebellious Children thereof for the disturbaunce of our peace Further also the Lorde hath gyuen her highnes that honoure and glorye that neuer anye of her noble progenitours attayned vnto whych is in her owne so happye estate to sitte as iudge and honourable arbitratoure of the causes and controuersies of the greatest Kynges of Europe and of all her neyghbours weyinge the Ballaunce as it pleaseth her And what is the cause of all these so calme a peace so rich a treasure and so exceedinge greate honoure Surely the cause is the same for which the noble Kynge Ezechias was blessed likewise with ritches and honor Ezechias opened the doore of the temple of the Lorde which Ahaz his Father hadde shutte vppe HÃ©e caste out the Sirian Aulters and sette vppe agayne the Aulter of the Lorde in hys place hee purged the Temple from the Idoles and abhominations wherewith it hadde bene polluted hee caused the presence Breade to be sette vppon the presence Table before the Lorde the Lampes of the golden Candlesticke to shyne and gyue lyghte in the Temple of the Lorde hee called home againe the Priestes and Leuites whiche were scattered abroade and appointed liberall prouision and mayntenance for them 2. Chr. 31 21 Finallye in all the worke which hÃ©e beganne for the seruice of the house of GOD in sÃ©eking his God bothe in the Lawe and in the coÌ„maundements hÃ©e exercised him selfe with all his soule and was prospered In lyke manner it hath pleased God that her highnes shoulde caste out of hys Temple amongste vs theyr Roomishe Aulters they re Idoles of Golde and Siluer of Woode and of Stone Legendes and lyinge Fables the abhominations of the Masse and all the wycked and heriticall doctrine of the Churche of Roome seruice in straunge and vnknowne tongue wyth a thousande superstitions vsed in it In steede whereof her Maiestie hath broughte in prayers in our owne tongue the holye woorde of God to be reade and truelye expounded vnto vs. The Sacramentes which are the seales of the Gospell duely administred the pure cleane and vndefiled Water of Baptisme the Lordes Table furnished as the royall Table of a Kynge at the marryage of hys Sonne wyth the swÃ©ete breade of the finest of the Wheate and wyth Wyne of a Grape of mooste noble kynde that is wyth the precious bodye and bloode of our Sauioure Christ Iesu Her highnes hath calde backe agayne the Ministers of the Gospell sled as Elias sometime dyd into the Wildernesse so to sundrye places where they mighte finde the Lorde as hee sawe hym in the Rocke in Mounte Horeb. Further also her

honour of a large dominion then euer the Kinge of Iuda did The Assirians the firste Monarchie of the world ruled in a manner all Nacions for many yeares many Kinges succÃ©edinge one an other in the royall seate of Assiria After them arose the Persians who subduing the Assirians obtained the Monarchie and raigned likewise a space succÃ©eding one an other Then came the Grecians who preuayling against the Persians made themselues maisters of theÌ„ and almost of the world Last of all the Romaine Empire abolishing the former succÃ©eded in the souerantie possessed it first in Roome and after in Constantinople againe in the West to that decayed estate which now remaineth of it wheÌ„ the great Turke had seased vpon Constantinople and all the East part of the Empire So Tamerlan the Tartarian had a time as also many other horrible Tirantes wherein they prospered That these prospered for a season he cannot deny as he accounteth prosperitie but I think hee wyll not say that the detestable profession of Mahomet or the Pagan Heathen abhominations of the Monarches vnto Constantine in the Roman Empyre were the cause of their prosperitie It is manyfest they were not but rather the cause of their finall ruyne and ouerthrow as not ceasing to call for vengeance to God vntil he with his Thunderbolt from Heauen had striken theÌ„ What was the cause then Surelye this the goodnesse of God who dooth good euen to the vnthankfull and vngodly who letteth his Rayne to fall-vppon the FÃ©eld of the iust and vniust and causeth his Sonne to shine vpon the Christian and vpon the HeatheÌ„ An other may be that the Lorde purposing to execute his iust Iudgements vppon the Kinges of the earth for their Idolatries oppressions violences murders adulteries and all such lyke their impieties raysed vp from time to time as hee dooth also euen vnto this daye some to serue him in the execution of his high Iustice vpon theÌ„ For which cause the Lorde doth make some Nation to growe stronge and mightie as the Okes of the Forest that hee may vse it for a Staffe in his hande to chastice the Nations Whiche when it hath perfourmed hee casteth it into the fire and rayseth vp another for the consuming of them These are the true reasons the Lordes mercy and Iustice which caused them for a time to florish as the Ceder in Libanus which after he cut downe and so grubbed by the Rootes that the place of many of them is no more to be knowne and not their wicked Idolatries which the Lorde alwayes abhorred euen so doo I say of all the Kinges that haue receiued Poperie and haue prospered for a season that not their Idolatrie and Heresie but that the goodnesse of God dooing well vnto his enemies that his Iustice to punish those that loue not the trueth was the cause of any prosperitie that euer they enioyed Againe I saye that if the Bookes bee well looked it wyll easily bÃ©e founde that their pretended Catholike Faith and Roman Religion hath beene pernicious to most noble states and in the verye nature of the doctrine and the practise of it is contrarye to the wealth liberty honour and authoritye of any state or kingdome The Romaine Empyre may sufficiently beare witnes of it For the Empyre hauinge pitty to see that Church crÃ©epinge as it did in the begynning vpon the ground suffered it to growe vp by it and to embrace it as the Yuie doth vpon the Oake as some haue well compared it whereof the Empyre being amighty trÃ©e indede felt not at first any annoyance but now hath declared that it hath sucked it in such sorte as it hath drawne out all the iuyce and vygure of it and broughte it nowe to a withered stocke scarce able to beare the barren braunches that are vpon it For by meanes of excoÌ„municating and cursing the Emporors by gyuing the Empyre to whome it pleased them by forcing warres betweene the house of Fraunce and the Empire and other the noble houses of Europe the Pope hath broughte to passe that nowe there is no Emperor at all at Roome but him selfe As for other kingdomes in Europe that haue prospered nowe sÃ©eme most to florish I say thereto it rose and ryseth from other causes for it is manifest by all storyes that the Popes haue bene the very firebrands to set them afyre sowing causes of warres betwene theÌ„ They haue bene the very insatiable leaches of theyr treasure which could neuer be satisfyed Tyrants that haue oppressed not onely the lawfull libertye of the people but also the royall power and aucthority of their Princes yea of Kinges and Emperors Wherefore neither Asia Greece Egypt Africk Hungarie nor anye other haue bene ouerthrowne for abandoning that superstition neither is it to be feared of any Country that in these dayes haue altered and reformed themselues herein but the admitting and receiuing of this superstition with other wicked Heresies or the chaunging it not for better but for the worse the contempt of the worde of God and of his holye doctrine of the Gospell which euery where impugneth this as it appeareth by S. Iohn hath indeede remoued the Candlesticke and the true light from amongst them and wyll doe likewise from euerye nation that shall not bringe forth the worthy fruits thereof And thus as many other Nations hÃ©ertofore so it may well bee that both the Countries nÃ©ere vnto vs for refusing to haue Christ to raigne ouer them yea and al the worlde for the lyke contempt may be plagued with horrible calamyties These may iustlye bringe wrath vppon any Nations not the reforming of Popish superstitions accordynge to the trueth and sinceritie of the Gospell And thus muche for his experiences of this imagyned prosperitie of Popishe States his fyrste proofe in this Question Nowe let vs examine his seconde reason This Argument is from the cause which may make any State to florishe whiche hee aleadgeth to bee vnitie and affirmeth the Churche of Rome to haue the meanes to kÃ©epe it and the professors of the Gospell to want both it and the meanes therof Whereunto I answer as to the same Argument alleadged before that not euery agrÃ©ement and consent is pleasing to God or profitable to men For there are agrÃ©ements in Idolatrie in adulterie in robberie in conspiracie in murders and in all iniquitie which are all odious to God and hatefull to men and of this sort is the vnitie that is amongst them which is no better then a conspyracie against GOD and his Poeple to mayntaine Heresie and all iniquitie but let him shew vs a vnitie amongst them of Brethren not of Freres so falselye called but of Brethren that are the Sonnes of one heauenlye Father the heyres annexed with Christ yea and by him alone of that same fayth and church pertakers of the same Holy worde doctrine and Sacraments and then I will confesse that vnytie to bÃ©e both pleasant and profitable as it is in 133. Psalme And that the Lorde

exhorting herevnto gathering to this end al the chief reasons which ought to ioyne vnite the faithful one with an other as one God one Lorde Iesu Eph. 4 4.5.6 one faith one baptisme one body one spirite one hope of their calling wold neuer haue forgotten this whervpon it seemeth by theÌ„ that al this vnity should depend of one supreme pastor whom all ought to obey As this reason of vnity is alleaged for the pope so is it for all the rest of his hierarchie the very image of the beast that is of the RomaÌ„e empire some shadow of the glory wherof this Antichrist would haue expressed in his Prelates after him to whom it hath as much reason as in himself Pity it is that in so faire and cleare a lighte of the day and in this fulnesse of the brightnesse of the sunne any state shoulde not sÃ©e that as not beeing appointed of God to be any meanes of the intertaining of good agreement in the Church so contrarywise thorow his wrath and iust iudgment for the peruerting of his lawfull and holy ordinances which onely should rule the church in these cases that it hath been and yet is the most effectuall instrument of Satan to hinder the prosperous and flourishing estate of the gospel For hereby in his supreame Vicar vppon earth he sitteth as the strong man of whome we reade in the Gospel harnesed and armed in the middest of his hall and Pallaice possessing al his house in peace till his weapons wherin he trusteth most whereof this is chiefe be taken from him by our sauiour Christe who is stronger then he and so cast out of his possession The ambition of P. and of the people hath bÃ©en one cause to vphold it so long who as the prophet coÌ„plaineth delight in it and take pleasure to haue it so that their priestes should exercise authoritie by their pomp increase the state honor of theÌ„ both An other the weakenes of iudgement euen in those which were wise who seeing worldly states thus gouerned and not knowing the ordinaunces of our sauiour Christe in this case thought it a thing conuenâ—ent And it is to be feared that the allowaunce of this popishe hierarchie springeth in some pretending to be Catholicke from a most bitter roote as seeing hereby that thorow the giftes they receiue of them they shall alwayes haue them at commaundement to apply religion as may be fittest to serue their turn But wheÌ„ the Lorde shall of his goodnes vouchsafe to weâ—de out this roote of wormewood out of their harts and to lighten their eies with true knowledge they shall see both that to be true which hath been in this matter declared and further that this supremacy and whole hierarchy as it is no meanes of vnity in trueth so is it the very cause of keeping out the truth in so many places and detaining the knowledge of God vniustly and in captiuitie For whereas the fathers in their couÌ„cels bind themselues by a solemne oth to do nothing against the present state of the Pope and his Church and that the greatest parte of the abuses which are to be reformed in the Church of Rome are such as their supreme pastor his Hierarchy are guilty of if they call neuer so manye counsels for the purpose Vrspergensis yet if they be sworne vowed one to another to maintaine al their abhominatioÌ„s stil and yet all men be to follow the determination of the pope his prelats what hope is ther that euer they shold condemne them selues their gainful errors what losse soeuer it be to the world For as if things were reformed according to the truth of the Gospel his fatherhood shold part with his triple crown and leaue his riding vpoÌ„ mens shoulders so euery member of his body for his place in it must make lesse of more theÌ„ they would be willing to parte withall Wherefore their couÌ„cels are but for the establishing of their own kingdoÌ„ in the world And as are their general councels such are their national lesser synodes of like men for like purposes To consult of the best way for the reformation of abuses of furthering the seruice of God and of his people not a worde is amongst them For the chiefe abuses are in themselues It were to be wished therfore that all Christian P. or if suche as pretend to bee catholique wil not yet at the least they which make holy profession of the trueth of the Gospell as farre as this aduise may be necessary for them regarded the reformation of so great abuses and established the onely lawfull discipline in the Church which is the meane that Christ hath appointed for the kÃ©eping of the vnity of the spirite in the bonde of peace Further where he blameth vs to receiue no mans exposition but our owne and to despise councelles he is to vnderstande that wee receiue the exposition of anye man bee he neuer so simple whiche is agreeable to the word of God We allow desire we hold expedient and necessarye lawfull holy mÃ©etings of conferences of synodes councels would most willingly that our cause might be debated in a free lawful and generall Councell Which woulde to God we might see if it be the Lordes good pleasure so assembled and ordered by the meane of Christian Princes as the worde of God preuailing and all our controuersies taken awaye there might be but one flocke and one solde as there is but one shepheard Christe Iesu And if this cannot be obtained wtout most vnequal conditions of appointing him to be iudg of our cause whoÌ„ we are to charge before God his whol parliment of saints and the reuerend assembly of such a generall and frÃ©e counsel as we according to Gods word do desire to be the very same Antichrist whom the scriptures foretold shold come for iust punishmeÌ„t of the wicked by hauing power to seduce into errors apostasie suche as had not the loue of the truth and the very head of that harlot whom S. Iohn painteth out in her colours in the reuelatioÌ„ which hath made al kingdoms drunk with the cup of her fornicatioÌ„s we must for that remit ourselues to the gret day of trial wheÌ„ Christ shal come with thousands of his mighty angels to iudg the quick the dead and before men angels before heaueÌ„ earth al creatures bearing witnes of his iustice giue sentence with vs against our aduersaries But if this so greatly to be desired throw their vnreasonable demaÌ„ds to be iudges in their own cause being to stand arraigned endited of high treason against God al the states of christendom theÌ„ wold to God yet it might be obteined of such christian P. as profes the gospel that there might be a general free councel of al the churches wtin their dominions The benefit wherof thorow the blessing of god must nÃ©eds be inestimable both to the preseÌ„t state of the church

the blessing of God be sufficiently prouided to attende their studies for the seruice of the people in the ministerie of the gospel it is a most necessarie dutie which the people owe to them againe to see that they suche as depeÌ„d vpon them may sufficiently honestly liue in theyr seruice as may be seemly for the good credit of the worthie calling which God hath called them vnto The contrary whereof as I haue said wee haue from theÌ„ who by impropriating the liuings of the Ministers from the places where vnto they appertein haue left the ministery so marueylously vnprouided as that in some places there are to be found many parishes together whereof all the liuings that now remaine to theÌ„ for such vse are not sufficieÌ„t for the compitent maintenance of one man his family which lamentable estate of our ministery must needs be an infinite hinderance to the Gospel both in the iustice of GOD who will punishe so great a contempt of his worde and so carelesse a negligence of the saluation of the people and also in the nature of the thing it selfe For by this occasion such as are in some acceptable measure able to doe good seruice in the ministery withdrawe themselues from it For perceyuyng it to bee suche a calling as besides the manifolde burdens lying vpon all faithfull ministers dooing their duties is subiect to beggerie also and the discredit and other inconueniences that followe it they bestowe them selues in some other lawefull calling wherein doeing their dueties they may be able to liue both in wealth and credite by which meanes this insufficient and vnlearned ministerie whiche nowe so pestereth the land is entred into the possession of the Churche to the infinite hinderance of the Gospel and the losse of thousandes of the soules whiche Christ Iesu hath redeemed with his precious blood Which spoyle of the Church notwithstanding it to be so sore a wound as yet since the beginning of the restoring of the gospel amongest vs could not bee healed yet our hope and most humble prayer to God is that her maiestie by your HH mediation vnto her highnesse may so relieue it with her precious balme so binde it vp with her gracious handes as in time it may bee cured healed againe I am bolde to speake of your H H. mediation in this cause as in other places of such like because the dutie I owe to Almightie God and to the Lorde Iesu his only begotten sonne whom I am called to serue doth necessarily inforce me to it But it doth greatly comfort incourage mee in the performance of so necessary a duetye that I doubt not but your godly wisedomes doe consider the seruice of GOD to bee the right ende and vse of the high and honourable seates wherein hys owne right hande hath placed you Which the Lord ingrauing in your noble and Christian mindes surely hauing of God this honorable fauour to be so neere her highnesse your HH will godly and faithfully aduise her grace both of the necessary cause of the redresse of suche other matters and namely of this that all the people vnder her H. Dominions may haue the meanes by a godly sufficient learned ministerie planted amongest them to come to the knowledge and faith whereby they may the better obey God and her Ma. and saue their soules for euer to euerlasting life Whiche so necessarie seruice of Almightie GOD of her Excellente Maiestie and of the Churche of Christe amongest vs as it is nowe attended and looked for of your HH into whose handes not next vnder her Highnes God hath committed the managing guiding of this noble state and kingdome so no doubt but in that day it will be required when the Lord shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead Wherefore my good LL. as before in the behalfe of the whole Church professing the Gospel so now agayne for the Churche within her Ma. moste noble dominions of Eng. and Irel. I moste humbly vpon my knees beseech your HH to take so to hart this estate of the Church and ministery amongest vs that all abuses beyng remoued good order established all duetifull subiects may besides all other blessinges whiche nowe they enioy by your LL. meanes haue this so woorthy a cause also to prayse GOD for hauing sette so Godlye and H. Gouernours ouer them It hath a promyse to breake the Bread vnto the hungrye and to make the thrysty drinke and not to turne away the eare from him that cryeth for reliefe in his necessity Nowe so it is that this Churche in manye of her children cryeth for bread euen for the bread of life and there is no man that breaketh it vnto theÌ„ the tongues of many cleaue to their roofe for thirst whiche they are in daunger to perish in and no man giueth them the pure water of life to quicken their soules And as our Churche heretofore by other meanes hath cryed oftentimes euen till shee haue almost lost her voyce so now agayne she cryeth by this most humble supplication to your Honours to regarde her necessitie if wealth peace wisdome authoritie or any other thing be needeful for this worke the Lorde hath bountifully furnished the laÌ„d with al that needeth Some reasonable way without the iniurie of any might by your wisdomes be found whereby euery parishe might recouer againe their own to the maintenaunce of a worthy ministerie amongste them Alas that for anye cause so manye soules of the people committed to your charge should perishe Wherfore my good Lords turne your eares I beseech you to heare the humble suite of this Church that the Lord your redeemer may turn his eares vnto you in the day when you shall call vppon him So shall the saued soules of thousandes prayse God for you so shall the Lord blesse you and your noble posteritie and so both all this and suche other slaunderous mouthes shall be stopped which are now so wide open against vs. To the aunswering to whome I returne againe for my moste humble request relying vpoÌ„ the godly zeale and wisdomes of your Honours 6. of raysing of rents The sixt Article is of raysing rentes which hee saieth their religion prohibiteth except vpon some great cause and with great moderation euen to the solemne cursing of them and woulde insinuate that ours alloweth it The coÌ„moditie of which not raysing of rentes aboue measure and to the extreame vsing of the Tenauntes he saieth is manifest to bee great in a common wealth For the commoditie that commeth of it I graunt but for the doctrine I affirm that ours doeth in no sorte more fauour any extreame raysing of rents then theirs A moderate rysing of them in the raysing of the pryces of all other thinges wee allowe as they doe when it is necessarye and moderate for otherwise it shoulde bee better with the Tenante then with the Lord. And them selues when they let their farmes of the old rent were wont to binde

their Tenants also to deliuer their corne and victualles at an old price But any oppression iniustice extremitie extortion we neuer allowed but as often as good occasioÌ„ serueth not only once a yeare as he saieth they doe declare such offenders accursed according to the scripturs to more iust cause of feare and terrour then their bull canne strike into them by denouncing vnto them that the greedy rauenours and vniuste persons shall not inherite the kingdome of heauen Therfore whatsoeuer the commoditie of it may be to a coÌ„mon W. it reapeth no lesse from our doctrine pracise then theirs nay so much more from vs then them as there is more preaching against all iniury with vs then eeuer was with them Seauenthly The 7. of diuorcement hee compareth vs for diuorcements concerning which their Church holdeth that after lawefull marryage there maye be cause of separation from comming together yet saith he ther can be none graunted to the breaking of the marriage and giuing leaue to marrye againe The benefit whereof is a restraint saith hee of many mischiefes Of the other part he affyrmeth our Churche to practise the contrary wherof the coÌ„trary inconueniences of vniuste diuorces and adulteries follow I answer that our Church yet hath herein no other practcie in our courts theÌ„ they left us in their cannon lawe being after such diuorce maried againe excepte the prouision of a statute of Henry the 8. maye helpe the innocent which is of not making voyd any marriage but for the causes allowed by the word of god which I take to be so equall and godlye as I think they them selues nor any other can iustly blame it otherwise our law practise in this matter differeth not from theirs And therefore if there bee anye commoditie of it our Church may enioye it In deede I graunt that we teach agreeably to the Scriptures that in case of adulterie committed the partie innocent is at lybertie as touching his conscience to bee deuorced and marryed to another but to the guiltie we giue no such libertie but leaue the partie to the iustice of the Magistrate whereof no manner of inconuenience can arise The 8. of obedience to magistrates Now followeth a point in the eight place about obedience to Magistrates wher vnto their doctrine hee saith is very profitable and ours very hurtefull Howe their doctrine and practise dealeth with Magistrates is of longe time by the light of the Gospell so discouered as they shal bee hardly able to make the world beleeue now that Magistrates are beholding vnto them euen as the Corinthes were to the false Apostles of whom the Apostle saieth ye suffer euen if a man bryng you into bondage if a man deceiue you if a man take your goodes if a man exalt hym self aboue you if a man smite your vpon the face For as for takyng thei not onely tooke whatsoeuer Princes offered but extorted of them and their subiectes withall importunacie and extremitie And for bryngyng into bondage thei estemed all kynges to be but their vassalles and the Pope to be Kyng of Kynges and Lorde of lordes as muche greater then the Emperour as the Sonne exceedeth the Moone Therfore the Pope hath vsed them thereafter as Pages and footmen to waite and attende vppon hym for meanest seruices while he rode in his Pontificalibus He hath made theim kisse his feete and an Emperour to stande three daies barefoote at his gates before he could be admitted and then trode vpon his necke when he humbled hymself vnto hym abusing that Scripture to his pride thou shalt tread vppon the Basiliscke and stampe the Dragon vnder thy feete He hath plaied at Tennis with their Crounes tossing them from one to an other as it pleased hym accordyng as it appeareth in our Stories and the Cronicles of Fraunce And in like maner with the sacred imperiall Croune taking it from the Grecians and giuyng it to the Lumbards then taking it from them and giuing it to the Frenche and from them againe to the Germaines and from one house of the Lordes of Germany to an other He hath vsed them in all respectes as pleased hym and as if thei had helde their Crounes of his kayes he hath made them fight his warres at their owne cost and charges Wherefore hauyng thus abused the sacred and supreme authoritie of soueraigne Magistrates how should this Sollicitor of the Pope perswade that their Religion is profitable for Princes or how can he think to make them beleeue the Gospel to be contrarie vnto them whereby thei are Princes in deede subiect to no forreine power within their owne Dominion but the immediate Liutenaunts of almightie God Which hauyng in deede set their Crounes with great honour vpon their head assured their Sceptors in their handes and established their royall Seates vnderneath them It can not be but godly Magistrates must needes acknowledge thankfully to GOD and to his truthe the benefite receiued And therefore not onely not admitt any Popishe enchantment to the coÌ„trarie but to glorifie almightie God in the zealous aduauncement of the Gospell whereby thei are aduaunced again to the hye Seates from whiche thei were deposed by the Romishe faithe to bee the footestoole of a Priest But lett vs heare what cunnnyng charme he hath prepared for this purpose We teache saieth he that al Lawes of Magistrates whiche are of thynges good or indifferent yea or not expresly contrary to Gods commaundement are to bee obeyed with that conscience that a man that willyngly breaketh theim openly or secretely should think he sinneth against God because he is Gods Minister I acknowledge their doctrine but I require their grounde But he will saie whether the doctrine bee true or false yet is it profitable for Princes and States I aunswere hym as before that it is an infallible rule and to bee coÌ„stantly and inuiolably obserued by all that are not Atheistes that there is no doctrine profitable to a Common wealth that is not godly and sound what shewe of profite soeuer it may sÃ©eme to haue for a season Therfore bothe in this and in the rest if he would haue perswaded their doctrine to bee for a Common wealth he should first haue proued it true otherwise he might offer vs vnder this preteÌ„ce the wicked doctrine of Mahomet If he haue no other rule but this it is for the obedience of Kynges and Princes whether the doctrine be true or false I saie that there is no obedience good nor profitable for Magistrates to bee giuen vnto them If wee will iudge of goodnesse and profite by the worde of God as wee ought to doe but onely that whiche God hath appoincted that subiectes should giue to their Princes Therefore before it can be iudged whither of our doctrines be more profitable we must bebate the matter whither of them is better warranted by the woorde of God Our doctrine concernyng the duetie and obedience of subiectes vnto their lawfull Magistrates as it appeareth by the

vnlawfull to tollerate their abhominable prophanation of the seruice of God as appeareth by the commaundement of the Sabboth forbidding the breaking of the Sabboth day in euery Sonne and Daughter in euery Seruaunt and Mayde in Israell with out exception of any yea in euery stranger within their gates it can not in any sound reason or iudgement be borne with all euen for the very annoyaunces and hurts which it bringeth to the states which doe admit it Neither is his marginal note of the example of the great Turke and of the Byshop of Bungo sufficient to perswade the contrary For first they esteeme not the manifold dishonour where with their Romish faith dishonoreth god and our Sauioure Christe Then also I deny that eyther of both suffer that doctrine and practise of theire Religion as they teach and exercise it in these partes For is it likely that they are suffered to teach that it is of the necessity of Saluation for euerye humaine creature to bee Subiect to the Pope or that it shoulde bee in the Popes power to depose them at his pleasure Doe they suffer the Pope to challenge appeales to his Courte from them to deminishe suche multitudes of their people and to draw out the Treasure of theire Countryes No none of all this nor manye other suche like poyntes which they easily see to bee preiudiciall to theire states But beeing Heathen and prophane Princes not regarding wherein they prophane the Honour of God by theire ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ worship It may be they permit such exercise of their superstitions to some fewe of these pretended Catholickes as are scattered amongst them as doth not in any sort indaÌ„ger or hurt their kingdom But our cause beeing so farre diuerse as hath been declared there is no reason why the Turke or the Pagane king of Bungoes doing should be any president to a christian Princes making profession of the holy faith of Christ and the truth of the Gospell or why their tollerating with a few in some pointes nothing preiudiciall to their estates shoulde perswade a bearing of such pointes and practises as in the nature of theÌ„ ouerthrow the state peace authoritie strength and wealth of the kingdom that shal receiue it Therfore I conclude this point that the doctrine and practise of the Romish religion such as it is at this daie and hath beene some hundreth yeares past beeing against the Lorde God and his annoynted Sonne Christ Iesu againste his holy worde the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophetes beeing againste the good state of any nation Kingdome and P. that shall receiue it hauing infinite occasions of all wicked life taking from them their cheefest royalties and dignities oppressing the consciences soules and bodies of their people hearkning out by thousandes of intelligencers and spyes the greatest secretes of their K. diminishing by cunning practises the number of theire people and drawing oute the Treasure of the lande to theire intollerable hindraunce weakning and impouerishing of them and their Subiectes ought by the worde of God and in all sounde Wisedome reason or pollicye to bee esteemed and iudged contrarye to the honour glory of almightye God the holye and honest conuersation of Christian men contrary to the safetie assuraunce establishment honour peace strengthe and riches of euerye K. and common weale The second part of the whol epistle Thus farre this instrument of the pretended Catholikes hath mainteined their cause to bee worthye more fauoure then it findeth by the profite he would perswade vs that the K. faith woulde bring to this K. Now drawing neere to a conclusion His full heart breaketh out into scornefull patheticall speeches Wherein first he requireth a disputation and after seeketh to mooue some compassion with a pitifull complainte of imagyned tormentes suffered by his companions for theire Religion The reason of this request is pretended to be the want of the proceedinges that haue beene hitherto vsed towardes them which is noted both in the ministers and in the state To the ministers he obiecteth that they are alwayes solliciting your honors againste them and that they dare admit no lawfull tryall of the cause they moue question of vnto vs. For whom to aunswere as I am bound in the Lorde I take it to be a very surmise of his owne head that there shoulde be any neere your Honors continuallye stirring you vp to drawe out the swoord vpon them But if any eyther publiquely by preaching or priuatly beeing vouchsafed that fauour to haue speech with any of your honours do vpon iust cause put your Lordships in mynde of the greate and high calling you are called vnto that you beare the swoord of God a swoord of protection for the godly and of vengeaunce for all the wicked if they declare by the word of God that hereticks which sÃ©ek to seduce the Ll. people to a false worship and to carry them from the seruice of the liuyng God to the adoration of Idolles that traitours whiche practise a withdrawyng of her Maiesties Subiectes from her obedience and reconcilyng of them to a forraine power are suche wicked Malefactors against whom this sword of iust execution is to be drawne Thei doe herein nothing vnlawfull but discharge the duetie of good and faithfull seruauntes to God and loyall subiectes to her Maiestie For thus we reade it to be written if a false Prophet arise vp amongest you saiyng let vs goe and seeke other Gods that Prophet shall bee slaine because he hath spoken to turne you awaie from the Lorde your God to thrust thee out of the waie wherein the Lord thy God commaunded thee to walke so shall you take the euill awaie forth of the middest of you Of whiche sorte thei are conuicted to bee who leade men to the worship of Images whiche is all one with other Gods and Idolles how soeuer thei labour in vaine to distinguishe them For if it were allowed them that Idolles were the Images of Heathen men and Images the conterfaites onely of Christian men whiche is nothing so for the wordes are indifferent to bothe yet is the matter one and the same in effect For whether a man giue the honour of God to the counterfect and resemblaunce of a Heathen or Christian or to the creatures them selues what soeuer it is all one The rule is generall that he is gealous and will not giue his honor vnto an other Therfore the exhortation to the iust execution of suche false Prophetes is a duetie well becomming a seruaunt of God The other the Apostle also teacheth affirmyng that those which resist the higher powers procure condemnation to them selues And doe these men thincke that thei maie compasse Sea and Lande to seduce mens soules into destruction and Subiectes from their lawfull obedience and no man should take hÃ©ede to their doyng and oppose hym self to their wicked proceedynges Yes the same God who is the watchman of Israell and sleepeth not no nor slumbereth I hope will stirre vp the care of all men accordyng

to their callynges to looke to the doynges of these busie and sedicious Seminaristes and to further suche lawfull iustice against them as they maye by their vnlawfull deedes make them selues subiecte vnto and that your HH accordyng to the noble care you haue had hitherto of the maintenaunce of Gods true Religion of the sacred person of her most excellent Maiestie and of all the people against al which thei haue wickedly set them selues will still holde your eyes open night and daie ouer them to discouer the secrete practises of their enemies and to bryng to knowledge and iustice their vngodly and cruell deuises whiche thei conspire of vnder pretence of their confession Concernyng triall of disputation he chargeth vs with two thynges that wee refuse all triall by writyng preachyng or lawfull disputation and that wee are readie onely when we haue the aduauntage What triall he could make of any cause by preachyng I can not tell except he haue a confidence in persuasible wordes of humaine learnyng and supposeth that if it were as free for theÌ„ to preach as it is for vs that then thei should worke miracles For to trie the truth of pointes of Religion by preachyng I think was neuer taken for any waie of triall since the Gospell was first preached Therefore this part of their three waies he might well haue spared except he hope of suche their abilitie If he haue any suche confidence he is to learne that the Apostles preuailed not by preachyng in suche order but that their speeche was such as caried with it an euidence read and vnderstoode in the hartes of the hearers that thei spake by the spirite of God For their doctrine as also our sauiour Christs before was with power not as that of the Scribes and Pharises And therefore if he haue hope in this his hope is a Spiders webbe and as a brokeÌ„ Reede that wil deceiue him There were many eloquent Oratours many profounde Philosophers and many wisemen accordyng to humaine reason when the Apostles were sent to preache And thei came against them neither with persuasible woordes of mannes teachyng nor with any depe Philosophicall skill nor with any greate reachyng witte but with the worde of the Crosse as farre from any outwarde pompe of speeche as the Crosse of Christ was froÌ„ any worldly honor Yet by this woorde bare and naked in shewe by this breathe of the Lordes mouthe thei preuailed against all the enemies of the Gospel and subdued the wise and deepe the flowyng and eloquent men to the obedience of the faithe of Christe Therefore hauyng not this worde for hym but against hym if he had the tongues of Angelles yet should he no more preuaile to the subuertyng of the faithe of the electe of God then either Tertullus the Oratour or the false Apostles in the Churche of Corinth did against Paule the true seruaunt of Christe If the armour we fight with against theÌ„ were but carnall as theirs is wherewith thei striue against vs then might thei hope in deede to match learnyng with learnyng skill with skill knowledge with knowledge Eloquence with EloqueÌ„ce finally any of these giftes coÌ„mon vnto all men with as greate giftes to maintaine warre against vs. 2. Cor. 10. â— But the weapons of our warfare are spirituall and through the might of him that worketh all thynges of power to ouerthrowe euery high Tower and euery strong Bulwark that is exalted against it To vs it is who professe by the grace of God and teach the Gospell to whom is promised Mat. 10. and to whoÌ„ it hath often been performed a mouth and wisedome against whiche all our enemies should not be able to stande Wee are the weake ones by whom the Lorde confoundeth the strong the base by whom the noble the thinges of no accompt by whom he ouerthroweth those of greatest reckenyng in their opinion that the glory maie be the lordes Besides he must nedes think vs verie loose and dissolute in the administration and discipline of the Churche that should thinke it a likely matter to persuade that thei should bee suffered to come emongest vs to preache their wicked heresies of Idolatrie and all abhominations Where did the Apostles euer suffer this in any church established by theÌ„ Where did euer christian prince hauyng receiued the truth wittyngly and willyngly admitte false Apostles and erronious teachers emongest their people If the woorde of God had not made vs thus wise yet might wee haue learned this of all the worlde and of theim selues Thei themselues doe thei suffer the true Preachers of the Gospell freely and without restraint to preache emongest theÌ„ Did thei euer offer this at Rome or in any parte where their Idolatrie is established If the children of darcknesse haue so muche vnderstandyng to maintaine their Kyngdome of blindnesse muche more the childreÌ„ of light ought to be able to discerne of that whiche appertaineth to the mainteinaunce of the kyngdome of Christe This then neuer hauyng been any waie of triall nor in deede beyng not of that nature to trie a truthe there remaineth to satisfie hym for the reste He requireth yet a triall by disputation and that in twoo sortes by writyng or speeche For triall by disputation it hath been admitted alwaies and many tymes offered by the professours of the Gospell vnto them and that in bothe sortes of speaking writyng Martin Luther Phililp Melancthon Luthers worthie companion with sondrie others of the learned famous men of Germanie maintained the most holy and honorable cause of the Gospell by disputation before many of the great states of Germanie against as subtill cunnyng Instruments of Satan as euer since haue risen vp to oppugne the truthe of the Gospell In Fraunce at Poyssie Theodore Beze Peter Martir men of rare excellencie of knowledge and vtteraunce with sondrie other worthy learned menne so disputed this cause with the choise of Sorbone and of all the Papistes of Fraunce as the Cardinal of Loraine hym self wished that Beza that day had bin dombe or some of his auditours noting the chiefest had been deafe meaning thereby that God by him that daie had so laied open the truth and disciphered their errours as he feared least those that were in aucthoritie should haue receiued it I leaue to mention the disputation of Zwinglius Oecolampadius and others at Bearne Basile Strausborough and other free Citees In all which the Lorde so assisted his seruauntes the ministers of the Gospell as vpon suche triall the truthe was found to be with them And to speake here of the like at home in Kyng Edwardes tyme and also in Queene Maries when thei brought those worthy men and constant Martyrs of Christ Cranmer Ridley and Latimer and others to dispute at Oxford with the most vnreasonable inequalitie that might be yet thei so receiued and put out all the fierie dartes of the Deuill and his instrumentes cast against theÌ„ and so foiled and wounded their enemies that bothe all

whiche shall be alleadged Herevnto maie be added if there bee cause the testimonies of the Councelles Fathers Stories or other authorities of credite not to argue or proue any truthe or to coÌ„uince or disproue any vntruthe for this appertaineth to God not to man to his infallible woorde and not to the writinges of men who are all liars but as witnesses to testifie what the doctrine of the Churche was in suche a question in the sondrie ages times of the church Which beyng doen by either partie then that either of them bothe aunswere the argumentes of the other and strengthen again his owne in suche place as the aduerse partie shall thinke to be weake Which passyng thus to and fro till bothe haue said what thei are able for theÌ„ selues will leaue suche a meanes for those whiche are willing to informe their coÌ„sciences of the truthe as by gods grace it wil be easie to discerne His secoÌ„d reason wherby it maie appeare that their standyng in this cause is not without substanciall warrant is noted to be the vncertaintie of temporall fauor in matters of ReligioÌ„ but that sectioÌ„ wherevpon it is noted conteineth no suche matter but onely this that it is not inough to perswade them that we saie we haue the Gospell because other also condemne vs and saie thei haue it we are not ignoraunte that euery one maketh claime to haue the Gospell and condemne those whiche ioyne not with them AmoÌ„gest whom that he reckeneth Luther and a Scholer of his I referre him to my answere where this is alledged of hym before which answere maie serue for his Scholer too As for the Trinitaries and Anabaptistes it is but his his malice and hatred against the Gospell to recken vs with theim whom wee are as vnlike in all their vngodly opinioÌ„s as thei are vnlike the true Churche of Christ and her moste holy faith But this were an aunswere if we had nothing but the bare word and boastyng of the Gospell Wee haue made God be praised for it sufficient profe to all equall Iudges that it is bothe in woorde and in deede the true Gospell and pure woorde of GOD and the lawe of the lorde whiche is now the Religion through the goodnesse whiche hath visited vs from aboue established and preached emoÌ„gst vs. The twoo next sections haue some matter in them like this title for in the firste of theÌ„ he affirmeth the holie Religion whiche is now established to haue been brought in by an noble man after king Henries daies whiche he saieth could doe moste by bryngyng in twoo Caluinistes as he tearmeth them to read in the two Vniuersities here Whiche he so laieth out as if we had no other staie for Religion but that noble mannes pleasure who he saith if he would haue brought in twoo of any other secte might aswell haue established it whervpon he coÌ„cludeth that seyng that seculer magistrate nor temporall law is no sufficieÌ„t ground in religioÌ„ there is no cause but thei should be excused to continue stil in their opinion as thei doe And thus he retourneth againe to his request of disputation But first for this his second reason He maie remember hym self that their Dagon was fallen to the grounde though not with so greate hurte as after euen in the tyme and raigne of Kyng Henry the eight of noble memorie So that to speake in any reason he cannot laie the foundation of the Gospell now emongest vs vpon the onely meanes of the noble manne whom he noteth He might haue remembred that worthie thinges wer doen in K. H. tyme. For God had giueÌ„ that noble king besides his owne abilitie to discouer the ambitious pride and greedie couetousnesse of the Clergie the repugnance of the Popes supremacie with the souerantie of his roiall croune and dignitie the abhominations of the Dispensations of the Pope and sondrie suche like weightie and materiall poinctes of true Religion For GOD gaue vnto hym by sides some other meanes chiefe furtheraunce to the sight of these thynges by that moste vertuous and excellent Princes Ladie Anne Bulleyne the moste honourable mother of our dreade Soueraine Ladie now raignyng ouer vs whose eyes God hauyng opened to see the truthe her religious and zealous mynde louyng the wisedome that is greater then Salomon whiche the famous Queene of Saba was so delighted with and beeyng carefull for Gods people as Queene Hester was a worthy meanes to draw the noble kyng to better iudgement and knowledge in Religion then he had been of before whiche was also Godlie continued by the good and gracious Ladie Queene Katherine Par. Further also besides many other he had two as wise faithfull couÌ„sailors as euer had Christian kyng before hym The one that reuerend and learned father CraÌ„mer and the other the wise lord Cromwel counsellours worthie of eternall memorie for their Religious stout and wise dealyng against the misterie of iniquitie For hauing not to do onely with the Popes Consistory and Vestrie with his Cannon lawe beggerly wardrope with his discipline ceremonies but with his whole bodie with his whole house and teÌ„ple and that so rooted and grouÌ„ded as if the fouÌ„dations of it had been layd in the centre of the earth yet God poured suche a Christian magnanimitie into their noble hartes to vndertake and such a sound iudgement to deuise the way to performe the ouerthrowe of it and to vndermine those deepe foundations as if the lord had giuen theim a pouder to rende vp those stately houses as Bulwerkes of Sathan and Castles of superstition and Idolatrie which seemed to haue been builded to continue to the ende of the worlde Further the Gospell was taught bothe in other places and also here in Englande and was receiued beleued and professed most constantly to the death by sondrie true professors of it and constaunt martyrs of Christe long before that tyme he speaketh of Wherefore there is no reason to make the entrance of those two readers the beginning of true religioÌ„ with vs. Moreouer also in the beginnyng of the raigne of that noble princely king Edward Who knoweth not that the state of religioÌ„ was established within this land by act of Parlament before the commyng in of those readers into the vniuersitees so that this reason is vtterly voide of all reason to make theÌ„ the beginnyng of religion emongst vs who came in twoo yeres after it had been throughly and quietly established as it is at this present daie After in deede by the worthie meanes of the noble Duke of Sommersett Lorde Protector and the right reuerend Cranmer twoo famous clearkes that then were of the moste renoumed for their vertue and learnyng in all these partes of Europe Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr wer procured ouer and placed the one in Cambridge the other in Oxford to the greate seruice of almightie God and of this his Churche For thei accordyng to the Apostles exhortatioÌ„ deliuered ouer a forme of sound doctrine to many

disobedience Some of them haue beene executed according to the auncient lawes of this land without any extraordinary extremitie nay rather with fauor in case of high treasoÌ„ And yet of this sort the epistle of the persecution in England Whervnto he referreth him selfe For proofe wherof he mentioneth only pretended Catholiques that haue been so executed In deed since some more vpon like reason their cause being first iudicially heard at the K. bench and orderly proceeded in according to the course of law and iustice in such case beeing found guilty of hie treason receiued like execution And this is the greatest extremety which they can complaine of to this day But he denieth that any one act word or thought was founde in them of treason wherin he is conuicted of manifest truth both by so many as were officers of her maiesties iustice vpon them and by their owne confessions as well of other matter as also of reconciling of diuers her highnesse subiects to the pope as it appeareth by that hath bin published hereof by authoritie Whereby they acknowledge the Popes most vniust senteÌ„ce against her H. as lawfull draw her Ma. subiects from her obedience which the law of this land hath declared to bee high treason againste her Highnes royall crowne and dignitie Nether is it heere inough to say that they do it in conscience of their religion for in many good consciences they can not do it the B. of Rome by the worde of God hauing no more to do in England then any minister in EnglaÌ„d hath to do in Rome And if without the word of God they will be caried in such a course as cannot stand in any truth of religion or sound pollicie with the safetie of the state and securitie of oure moste lawfull Soueraigne oure whole common Wealth and Countrie should they cry out as if extreame cruelty were executed vpon them if their excuse of a pretensed conscience be not taken for a sufficient aunswer These cries complaints might worthely haue bene made by the poore faithful people of Merindall of the valley of Anagrogne the rest when the Popes executioners wasted destroied 7. townes of theirs Also by our brethren in Q. Maries daies which were burnt by dosens together in a fire Likewise by our brethren cruelly without any forme or processe of iustice murdred and slain in the late butcheries and massacres of France Then was it time to haue shewed compassion but the bowels of Christ were not in them Then was a time to haue shewd pitty but their merciles harts were void of grace mercye They were filled with gal and bitternes no fire was hot inough for them no sworde was sharp ynough The honourable and the common was all one to them the learned and vnlearned the reuereÌ„d age and the comly youth the man and the woman the father and the sonne the mother and the babe borne out of time and murdered as soone as hee was born by their sauage and barbarous crueltie These cry yet behinde the altar against them O Lord when wilt thou reuenge our bloud and the Lord will not refuse to hear them and reuenge their cause vpon their bloudy enemies in the day of his wrath Another reason is alleaged of the fauour they find in the Indies and vnder the Turke which I haue aunswered before and answere here again that neither do they suffer that doctrine and practise of their religion which they holde in these parts neither if they did are Christian P. to rule their Subiectes by the examples of Turks and heathen but by the law of God Who hath giuen to them this commandement to be obserued in all their dominion that neither anye man nor his children nor seruaunts that neyther home borne or strangers be suffered to prophane his Sabboth and to pollute his holy seruice leest the rest of the people of the lande learne of them and so the wrath of God come suddenly vpon vs for being accessaries to Idolatrie As for the tolleration of the Iews whosoeuer they be that suffer the exercise of their religion with the blasphemies they commonly vse against Christ make themselues giltie of al their wickednes which the Lord keepe this lande from as well as from the abhomination of the masse But they maye remember that their Holye Father can tollerate the Blasphemye of the Iews and the filthinesse of all the Curtesains and Stewes and take a yeerely rent of them for it and for no respect will allowe the exercise of our most holy religion eyther in his own dominions or wheresoeuer he may preuaile againste vs but by all meanes seeke to burne all the professors of it to ashes and to shed their bloude as water to runne downe the Streetes Further if no protestaÌ„t Prince elswhere haue executed any of these Catholiks for religioÌ„ as he coÌ„fesseth no more hath any for the cause bin put to death with vs as I haue shewed alredy which being so that neuer any professyng the Gospell put any of them to death for meere matter of their conscience let the Lorde iudge the wicked seruaunt by his own mouth Now for the barbarous crueltie and most sauage immanitie vsed by them against vs we haue shewed againe that pacience towardes theÌ„ hitherto as we haue not touched the life of any one of them But if the Catholiques had practised Rebellions and Treasons in the Dominions of other Princes professyng the Gospel as thei haue doen here with vs no doubt but thei should haue found the same reward of their wickednesse that thei haue doen here For our doctrine it is vtterly vntrue that any of the churches professyng the Gospell or this of England vnder persecution did euer thinke it vnlawfull to put to deathe a Rebell and a Traytour Naie it hath beene alwaies taught in all the reformed Churches that bothe thei and also obstinate Heretickes amongest whom thei haue alwaies accounted and doe still account all obstinate and wilfull spreadors of the Romishe faithe sett doune by the Councell of Trent are moste worthie of death that as it is in the Lawe the false Prophett and the seducyng Idolater maie bee taken from amongest vs that all Israell maie heere and feare and not dare to committ the like Wee acknowledge in deede faithe to be the gift of God whiche commeth by the preachyng of the Gospell by Ministers sent by the commaundement of God but we do not therefore think it vnlawfull for the Magistrate to execute the Lordes iust vengeaunce vppon the obstinate Heretickes and seducyng Idolaters Repentaunce and holinesse of life is also the gift of GOD and commeth by the same meanes and yet the Magistrate not onely in a good conscience maie but in duetie to God ought as he will answere it to him that shal iudge the quicke and the dead drawe out the Lordes sworde of execution of iustice and of vengeaunce against all ill doers to wounde and to kill accordyng to the qualities of the

hath commaunded his blessinge to bÃ©e amongst them euen lyfe for euer But the meanes of this vnitie he affirmeth theyr Romaine Churche to haue and denyeth to bee in the Churches that professe the Gospell The meanes and causes of vnitie he appointeth to be these 2. vnderstanding scriptures accordinge to the expossitions of their forefathers and obeying the determination of one supreme Pastor with the generall councels of Christan Prelates which kÃ©epeth their Church in vnitie and the contrary causes to bÃ©e amongst vs and to rend vs into infinit varitie of oppinions How it is with vs I will after shewe but first how it is with them The two meanes which he nameth in effect are but one For if there arise question of any exposition of the fathers who shall deciude the matter shall not this supreme Pastor of theirs with his generall councell determine aswell of the sence of the fathers as they referre to them th' exposition of the scriptures No doubt he meaneth as their scholemen write of the Pope to put all thinges vnder the fÃ©ete of him that is supreme that he myght be little lesse then the Angels crowned with glorye and honoure Nay they make Angels also subiect vnto him that at his commaundement they should come downe from heauen to fet soules out of Purgatorie and to carrie them vp with them to heauen againe as if this supreme Pastor stoode at the toppe of Iacobs ladder one of the speciall honours and regalities of our Sauiour Christ and had the Angels of God discendinge downe and ascendinge vp vnto him and at his commaundement For the exposition of the fathers vnderstandinge by this name such as liued before the Apostasie we receiue them as farre as either the aucthoritie of the holy scriptures or of the fathers themselues will suffer vs. And further neither wÃ©e nor any other ought to receiue them To admit euery exposition made by any father for good and sound or euery point of doctrine deliuered by them for Christian and Orthodoxe I thinke the aduersarie himselfe wil be ashamed to doo it For there are not a fewe matters in them euen the verye best of them contrarie to the expresse word of God euen the Church of Roome giuing sentence And the fathers themselues retractinge in their latter yeares that they wrote afore and such as succÃ©eded correcting and that many times iustlye that had beene written by those which were before them What vnitye may this be that should reste vppon authors not agrÃ©eing neyther with them selues nor one of them with an other It were needels here to repeate the sentences of the Fathers so often alledged on our part wherein they testifye that they profite wryting and wryte styll profiting that they woulde haue euery man to reade theyr works as they reade other mens where they agree wyth the holye Canonicall Scriptures to receiue them where they disagrÃ©e to leaue them The reason whereof is such as neither the fathers coulde take more neither wee giue more vnto them For the holy scripture as it is not of priuate inspiration but of the inspiration of the holy Ghost deliuered by holy personages qualified with lawfull calling froÌ„ God to be his authenticall witnesses of his truth vnto vs so likewise as S. Peter declareth it is not of priuate exposition 2. Pet. 1.20.21 This place I know is depraued by theÌ„ against vs as if our expositioÌ„s were al priuate theirs only publick which are made by the Pope and his couÌ„cel But the Apostles meaning there is plaine to oppose priuate to the inspiration of the holy ghost and to the persons of such as were qualified by a calling immediatly froÌ„ God to be the publik instruments and Ministers of it vnto vs. Which as it is plaine to be the sence of priuate in the mentioÌ„ that is made there of deliuering the scriptures so likewise is it to be vnderstood in the exposition of them Whereby appeareth that the exposition and no other is of publicke authoritie and to be receaued which proceedeth from the holy Ghost and is giuen by the Prophetes and Apostles tho it be so auowed to be but by one man and contrariwise the sense that is repugnant or not agrÃ©eing to this is a mÃ©ere priuat sense tho made by as great Godly and learned a general councell as euer was which appeareth by the memorable story of Paphuntius and the most famous councell of Nice altering their determination concerning the forbidding of the mariage of ministers at his speech discouering their error and leauing it free according to the true sence of the scriptures whereof Paphuntius did admonish them Therfore I affirme the sence of the scriptures only to be receiued which may be shewed to be of the spirit of God is grounded vpon the writings of the holy cannonical scriptures Now the way to attaine to this sence is by earnest praier to God diligent study especially of the text it self and then also of al other helpes which may further to the attaining of the true vnderstanding of it Of which sort are the tongs and the arts Grammer wherby the Etimoligie and proprietie of euery seuerall word may be known and the Syntaxis that is the coÌ„iunction and disposition of one with an other wherby the natural sence as far as the art may helpe may be vnderstood Rhetoricke to discern the tropes of seueral words which with great grace besides their first significatioÌ„ are applied to note some other thing and the figures wherewith the sentences are many times made sharpe to rebuke power ful to perswade fitly applied to bend and bow the mind to that which is intreated without the knowledge wherof many times the ful meaning of the sentence cannot be vnderstood Logicke to know how euery thing is affected to an other in a seueral regard or in the disposition of theÌ„ together to discerne of theÌ„ acording to their placing as if in a sentence of truth or vntruth of it if in profe of a thing whether it be forcible strong to proue or no or if in a longer discourse of the confusioÌ„ or the good order sute of the treatise Thus all these arts are great helpes to him that wil labor hapely with any great fruit of knowlege either in this or any other study Further also al other good sciences whatsoeuer bring a furtheraÌ„ce herevnto For as when the scripture speaketh of the creatures he that hath skil in natural philosophie shal be better able to vnderstaÌ„d that which is spokeÌ„ then another the discriptioÌ„ of sundry places shal be better conceiued by him that hath sight in Cosmogrophie so is it of al other good sciences skils in the world the knowledge wherof doth bring his gift vnto vs to further vs in this study so furnished ought he to be that shold be an interpreter of the scriptures And as he is to vse those helpes of tongues and humane sciences so especially to labour the learned

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