many Prynces only vppon his owne blynd preiudices and foredeterminations and y t without hearing of them speak or without shewing cause whye But bycause he hath alredy so noted vs openlye least by holdynge oure peace we should seme to graunt a fault and specially bycause we can by no meane haue audience in y e publik assembly of the general Councel wherein he would no creature should haue power to geue his voice or declare his opinion excepte he were sworne and straightly bounde to maintaine his aucthoritie For wee haue had good experience hereof in his last conference at the councel at Trident where the embassadours diuines of the Princes of Germany and of the free Cities were quite shutte out from their company nother can we yet forget how Iulius the third aboue ten yeares past prouided warely by his writt that none of our sorte shoulde bee suffered to speake in the Councell except there were som paraduenture y t wolde recante and chaunge his opinion For this cause chieflye we thoughte it good to yelde vp an accoumpte of oure faith in writing truely and openly to make aunswere to those things wherwith wee haue ben openly charged to thende the worlde may see the partes and foundacions of that doctrine in the behalfe whereof so many good men haue litle regarded their oune lyues And y t al men may vnderstand what manner of people they be and what opinion they haue of God and of Religion whome the Bysshop of Rome before they were called to tell theire tale hath condemned for heretikes without any good consideratioÌ„ without any exaumple vtterly without lawe or righte onelye bycause he hearde tell that they did dissente from hym and his in som pointe of Religion And although S. Hierome would haue no bodie to be patient when he is suspected of heresy yet we wil deal herein nether bitterly nor brablingly nor yet be caried away w t angre heate though he ought to be reckned neither bitter nor brabler y t speaketh y e truth We willingly leaue thys kynde of eloquence to oure aduersaries who whatsoeuer they say against vs be it neuer so shrewdly or dipitefully sayde yet thinke it is sayd modestely and comely ynough and care nothing whether it be trew or false Wee neede none of these shyftes which do maintaine the truthe Further yf wee do shewe it plaine that Gods holie Gospell the aunciente Byshops and the primatiue Churche do make on our syde and that wee haue not without iust cause left these men and rather haue retourned to the Apostles and oulde catholique Fathers And yf wee shall be founde to doe the same not coulorably or craftely but in good faith before God truly honestly cleerely and plainly and yf they theÌ„selues which â—ye our doctrine and woulde be called Catholiks shall manifestly see how al those titles of antiquitie whereof they boste so much ar quite shaken out of their haÌ„ds and that there is more pith in this oure cause then they thoughte for wee then hope and trust that none of them wil be so negligent and careles of his own saluation but he will at length studye and bethinke him selfe to whether parte hee were best to ioyne him Vndoubtedlye excepte one will altogether harden his hearte and refuse to heare he shal not repent him to geue good heede to this out defence and to mark well what wee say how truly and iustly it agreeth with Christian Religion For where they call vs Heretikes it is a crime so haynous y t onles it may be seene vnles it may be felt in maÌ„ner may be holdeÌ„ with hands and fingers it ought not lightly to be iudged or beleued when it is â—aide to the charge of any Christian man For heresy is a â—orsaking of saluatioÌ„ a renouncing of Gods grace a departing from the body and spirite of Christe But this was euer an olde and solempne propretye with them and theire forefathers yf any did complaine of their errours and faultes and desired to haue true Religion restored streighte waye to coÌ„demne such one for heretikes as men new fangled factious Christe for no nother cause was called a Samaritan but onely for y t he was thoughte to haue fallen to a certaine newe Religion and to be the Aucthor of a newe sect And Paul thapostle of CHRISTE was called before the Iudges to make aunswere to a matter of heresy and therfore hee saied Acordinge to this way whiche they call Heresye I doo worshippe the God of my Fathers beleeuinge all thinges which be written in the law and in the Prophets Shortely to speake This vniuersal Religion whiche Christen men professe at this day was called firste of the heathen people a Sect Heresy With these termes did they alwaies fil priÌ„ces eares to thintent when they had once hated vs with a foredetermined opinion and had coumpted all that wee sayed to bee faction and heresy they might be so ledd away from y e truth right vnderstaÌ„ding of the cause But the more sore and outragious a crime heresye is the more it ought to be proued by plaine and strong argumentes especially in this time wheÌ„ men begin to geue lesse credite to theyre words to make more diligent searche of theyr doctrine then they were wont to do For y e people of God ar otherwyse instructed now then they were in times past when all the Bysshopps of Romes sayenges were allowed for Gospell when all Religion did depende only vpon their aucthoritie Nowe a daies the holie scripture is abroad the writinges of the Apostles Prophets ar in printe whereby all truth and Catholyke doctrine may be proued and all heresie may be disproued and confuted Sithens then they bring furth none of these for them selues and call vs neuertheles Heretiques which haue nether fallen from Christ nor from y e Apostles nor yet from the Prophets this ys an iniurious and a very spitefull dealinge With this sword did Christe put of the Dyuel when he was tempted of him w c these weapons oughte all presumption which doth auauÌ„ce it selfe against God to be ouerthrowen and coÌ„quered For al Scripture sayeth S. Paule that commeth by the inspiration of God is profitable to teach to confute to instruct and to reproue that the man of God may be perfect and throughly framed to euery good work Thus did the holy Fathers alway fight agaynst the heretikes with none other force then with y e holy scriptures S. Augustin when he disputed against Petilian an heretike of â— Donatistes Let not these woordes quod he be heard betwene vs I say or you say let vs rather speake in this wise Thus sayeth the Lorde there let vs seeke the Church ther let vs boult out our cause Lykewise S. Hâ—erome All those things sayth he which without the testimonie of the scriptures are holden as deliuered from y e Apostles be throughly smitten down by the sword of Gods worde S. Ambrose also
of the furnesse and to say trouth we haue ben cast out by these menn beyng cursed of them as they vse to saye with boke bel and candell rather then haue gon awaye from them of our selues And wee are come to that Churche wherein they themselues cannot denye if thei wil say truely and as thei thinke in their owne conscience but all thinges be gouerned purely and reuerently and asmuch as we possibly could very neere to the order vsed in the olde time Let them compare our Churches and theirs togither and they shall see that themselues haue moste shamefully gon from the Apostles and we moste iustely haue gon from them For we folowinge the exaumple of Christ of the Apostles and the holy fatherâ— giue the people the holye Communion whole and perfite But these men contrary to all y e fathers to all the Apostles and contrarye to Christ himself do seuer the sacraments and plucke away the one parte from the people and that with moste notorious sacriledge as Gelasius termeth yt Wee haue broughte againe the Lords supper vnto Christes institution and will haue it to be a Communion in very deede common and indifferent to a great number accordinge to the name But these men haue chaunged al things contrarie to Christes institution haue made a priuate Masse of the holy Communion and so it commeth to passe that we giue the Lordes supper vnto the people and they giue them a vaine pagent to gase on We affirme togither with the auncient fathers that the body of Christe is not eaten but of the good and faithfull and of those that are endued with the spirit of Christe Their doctrine is that Christes very bodie effectually as they speake really and substantially may not only be eaten of the wicked and vnfaithful men but also which is monstrous to be spoken of myse and dogges Wee vse to praye in Churches after that fashion as accordinge to Paules lesson the people maye knowe what wee pray and may answere Amen with a general consent These men like soundinge mettall yelle out in the churches vnknowen and straunge wordes w tout vnderstanding without knowledge and w tout deuotioÌ„ yea doe it of purpose bicause y e people should vnderstand nothing at all But not to tarry about rehearsing all poyntes wherein we and thei differ for they haue wel nye no end we tourne the scriptures into al tongues they scant suffer them to be had abroad in any tongue we allure y e people to reade and to heare Gods word thei driue the people froÌ„ it We desire to haue our cause knowen to al y e world they flee to come to any trial We leane vnto knowlege they vnto ignoraunce We trust vnto light thei vnto darkenes We reuerence as it becoÌ„meth vs the writings of y e Apostles and Prophetes they burne them Finally wee in Gods cause desire to stand to Goddes onely iudgement they wil stand only to their owne Wherfore if they wil waye â—ll these thinges with a quiet mind and fullye bente to heare and to learne they wil not only alow this determinatioÌ„ of oures who haue forsaken errours and folowed Christe and his Apostles butte themselues also will forsake their owne selues and ioyne of their owne accorde to oure side But peraduenture they will saye it was treason to attempt these matters without a sacred generall Councell for in that consisteth the whole force of the Churche there CHRIST hath promised he will euer bee a present assistant Yet they themselues without tarrienge for anye generall Councell haue broken the commaundementes of Godde and the decrees of the Apostles and as wee sayde a little aboue they haue spoyled and disanulled almoste all not onelye ordinaunces but euen the doctrine of the primatiue Churche And where they saye it is not laufull to make a chaunge without a Councell wâ—aâ— was he that made vs these lawes or from whence hadde they this Iniunction Kinge Agesilaus truelye didde butte fondelye whoe when hee hadde a determinate aunswere made him of the opinion and will of myghtye Iupiter woulde afterwarde bringe the whole matter before Apollo to knowe whether hee alowed thereof as his father Iupiter didde or no But yet shoulde wee dooe muche more fondelye when wee maye heare Godde him selfe plainelye speake to vs in the moste holye scriptures and maye understande by them his will and meaninge yf wee woulde afterwarde as thoughe this were of none effecte bringe oure whole cause to be tryed by a Councell which were nothinge els but to aske whether menne would allowé as God did whether meÌ„ would confirme Gods commaundement by their authority Why I besech you except a Councell wil coÌ„maund shal not truth be truth or God be God Yf Christ 〈…〉 to do so from y e beginning as that he would preache or teache nothing without the Bysshops consent but refer all his doctrine ouer to Annas and Caiphas where should nowe haue been the christian faith or who at any time should haue hearde the Gospell taught Peter verily whome the Pope hath oftener in his mouth and more reuerently vseth to speake of then he dothe of Iesu Christ did boldly stand against the holy Councel saieng It is better to obey God then men And after Paule had once intirely embraced the Gospel and had receiued it not froÌ„ men nor by man but by the only will of God he did not take aduise therin of fleshe and bloud nor brought y e case before his kinsemen brethren but went furth with into Arabia to preache Gods diuine mysteries by Goddes onelye authoritie Yet truely wee doe not despise Councelles assemblies conferences of Bysshops and learned men neyther haue we done y t wee haue done altogether â—boue Byshops or without a Councell The matter hath ben treated in open Parliament with long consultation and before a notable Synode and Conuocation But touchyng this Councell whiche is now soÌ„moned by y e Pope Pius wherin men so lightly are condemned whiche haue ben neither called hearde nor seene yt is easie to gesse what we maye looke for or hope of yt In times paste when Nazianzene sawe in his daies how men in suche assemblies were so blynde and wilfull that they were caried with affections and laboured more to get the victory then y e trueth he pronounced openly that he neuer had sene a good ende of any Councell what woulde he say now yf he were â— liue at this daye and vnderâ—â—ode the heauing and shoving of these men For at that time though the matter were laboured on all sydes yet the controuersies were wel heard and open errours were put cleane awaye by the generall voice of all partes But these men wil neyther haue the case to be freely disputed nor yet how many errours soeuer there be suffer they any to be chaunged For it is a coÌ„mon custome of theirs often and shameleslye to boast that their Churche cannot erre that in it there is no faulte
An Apologie or answere in defence of the Churche of Englande with a briefe and plaine declaration of the true Religion professed and vsed in the same Londini Anno Domini M. D. LXIIII. To the right honorable learned and vertuous Ladie A. B M. C. wisheth from God grace honoure and felicitie MADAME ACCORDING to your request I haue pâ—rused your studious labour of traÌ„slatioÌ„ profitably imploied in a right coÌ„mendable work Whereof for that it liked you to make me a Iudge and for that the thinge it selfe hath singularly pleased my iudgement and delighted my mind in reading it I haue right heartely to thanke your Ladiâ—ship both for youre owne well thinking of me and for the comforte that it hathe wrought me But far aboue these priuate respectes I am by greater causes enforced not onely to shewe my reioyse of this your doinge but also to testify the same by this my writing prefixed before the work to the commoditie of others and good incouragement of your selfe You haue vsed your accustomed modestie in submittinge it to iudgement but therin is your prayse doubled sith it hath passed iudgemeÌ„t without reproche And whereas bothe the chiefe author of the Latine worke and I seuerallye perusinge and conferringe youre whole translation haue without alteration allowed of it I must bothe desire youre Ladiship and aduertise the readers to thinke that wee haue not therein giuen any thinge to any dissemblinge affection towards you as beinge contented to winke at faultes to please you or to make you without cause to please your selfe for there be sundry respectes to drawe vs from so doinge althoughe we were so euil minded as there is no cause why we should be so thought of Your own iudgement in discerning flatterie your modestie in mislikinge it the layenge open of oure opinion to the world the truth of our friendship towardes you the vnwillingnesse of vs bothe in respecte of our vocations to haue this publike worke not truely and wel translated are good causes to perswade that our allowance is of sincere truth and vnderstanding By which your trauail Madame you haue expressed an acceptable dutye to the glorye of GOD deserued well of this Churche of Christe honourablie defended the good fame and estimation of your owne natiue tongue shewing it so able to contend with a worke originally written in the most praised speache and besides the honour ye haue done to the kinde of women and to the degree of Ladies ye haue done pleasure to the Author of the Latine boke in deliueringe him by your cleare translation from the perrils of ambiguous and doubtful constructions and in makinge his good woorke more publikely beneficiall wherby ye haue raysed vp great comforte to your friendes and haue furnished your owne conscience ioyfully with the fruit of your labour in so occupienge your time whiche must needes redounde to the encoragemente of noble youth in their good educatioÌ„ and to spend their time and knowledge in godly exercise hauinge deliuered them by you so singular a president Whiche youre doinge good Madame as God I am sure doth accept and will blesse with increase so youre and ours moste vertuous and learned soueraigne Ladie and Mastres shal see good cause to commende and all noble gentlewomen shall I trust hereby be alured from vain delights to doinges of more perfect glory And I for my part as occasion may serue shal exhort other to take profit by your worke and followe your example whose successe I beseche our heauenly father to blesse and prospere And now to thende bothe to acknowledge my good approbatioÌ„ and to spread the benefit more largely where you Ladishippe hathe sent me your boke writen I haue with most hearty thankes returned it to you as you see printed knowing that I haue therin done the beste and in this poynte vsed a reasonable pollicye that is to preuent suche excuses as your modestic woulde haue made in staye of publishinge it And thus at this time I leaue furder to trouble youre good Ladishippe An Apologie or aunswere in defence of the Church of England with a briefe and plaine declaration of the true Religion professed and used in the same IT HATH BEEN AN olde complaint euen from y e first time of y e Patriarks Prophetes and confirmed by the writinges and testimonies of euery age that y e Truth wandereth here and there as a straunger in the world doth redily fynde enemies and slaunderers amongst those that knowe her not Albeit perchaunce this may seeme vnto some a thinge harde to bee beleeued I meane to suche as haue scante well and narowly taken heed thereunto specially seing all mankind of natures very motion without a teacher doth coueite the truth of their owne accorde and seinge oure Sauioure Christe hym selfe when he was on earthe woulde bee called the Truthe as by a name moste fytte to expresse all hys diuine power yet wee whiche haue been exercised in the holie scriptures and which haue bothe redde seene what hath happened to all godly menne commonly at all tymes what to the Prophets to the Apostles to the holie Martyres and what to Christe hym selfe with what rebukes reuilings and dispightes they were continually vexed whyles they heere lyued and that onely for the truthes sake wee I saye do see y t this is not onely no newe thinge or harde to be beleued but that it is a thing already receaued and commonlye vsed from age to age Nay truly this might seeme muche rather a meruayle and beyonde all beleife yf the Diuell who is the Father of lyes and ennemye to all truthe woulde nowe vppon a sodaine chaunge his nature and hope that truthe might otherwyse be suppressed then by belyenge yt Or that he would beginne to establishe his owne kingdom by vsing now any other practises then the same whiche he hathe euer vsed from the beginning For since any mans remembraunce wee cenâ—e skante finde one time either when Religion did first growe or when it was setled or when it did a freshe springe vp againe wherin truth and innocencye were not by all vnworthy meanes and most despitâ—ully intreated Doubtlesse the Dyuell well seeth that so longe as truth is in good sauery hym selfe cannot be safe nor yet maintaine his owne estate For lettinge passe the auncient patriarkes and Prophetes who as we sayd had no parte of their lyfe free from contumelies and slaunders Wee knowe there were certaine in tymes past whiche said commonly preached that the old auÌ„cient Iewes of whom we make no doubt but thei wer the worshippers of the onely and true God did worshipp eyther a sowe or an asse in Gods steede and that all the same Religion was nothinge els but a sacriledge and a plaine contempt of all godlynes We know also that the sonne of God our Sauioure Iesu Christe when hee taughte the truthe was coumpted a Iugler and an enchanter a Samaritan Belzebub a deceiuer of the people a dronkard and
holy ghost flow in their tongues or can they with truth say We and the holy Ghoste haue thought so In dede Peter Asotus and his companion Hosius sticke not to affirme that the same Councell wherein our sauiour Iesu Christe was condemned to dye had both the spirit of prophesieng and the holy Ghost and the spirite of truth in it and that it was neither a false nor a trifflinge saieng when those Byshoppes sayde We haue a lawe and by our law he ought to dye and y e thei so sayenge did light vpon the very trouthe of iudgement for so be Hosius wordes and that the same plainelye was a iuste decree whereby they pronounced that Christ was worthy to die This me thinketh is straunge that these men are not able to speake for themselues and defend their owne cause but thei must also take parte with Annas and Caiphas For yf they will call that a laufull and a good Councell wherein the Sonne of God was moste shamfully condemned to dye what Councell will they then alowe for false and naught And yet as all their Councels to say truth commoÌ„ly be necessitie compelled them to pronouÌ„ce these thinges of the Councell holden by Annas and Caiphas But wil these men I say refourme vs the churche beinge themselues both the persons guilty and the Iudges to Will they abate their own ambitioÌ„ and pride Wil they ouerthrow their owne matter and giue sentence against them selues that they must leaue of to be vnlearned Byshoppes slowbellies heapers together of benefices takers vpon them as princes and men of warre Will the Abbottes the Popes deere darlinges iudge that monke for a theefe which laboureth not for his liuing and that it is against all lawe to suffer suche a one to liue and to be found either in citie or in countrie or yet of other mennes charges Or els that a monke ought to lye on the grouÌ„d to liue hardly with hearbes and peason to study earnestly to argue to praye to worke with hande and fully to bend him selfe to come to y e ministery of y e church In faith assone will the Pharisies and Scribes repaire agame the Temple of God and restore it vnto vs a house of prayer in steede of a theeuish denne Ther haue ben I know certain of their own selues which haue fouÌ„d fault w e many errours in y e church as Pope Adrian Eneas siluius Cardinal Poole Pighius others as is afore saide thei held afterwards their Councel at Trident in y e self same place where it is now appointed There assembled many Byshoppes and Abbottes and others whom it behoued For that matter they were alone by themselues whatsoeuer they did no body gainesaid it for they had quite shut out and barred oure syde from all manner of assemblies and there they sat sixe yeares feedinge folkes with a meruelous expectation of their doings The first sixe moneths as though it were greatly nedeful they made many determinations of the holy Trinitie of the Father of y e Son and of the holy Ghost which were godly thinges in deede but not so necessarye for that time Let vs see in all that while of so many so manifest so often confessed by them so euident errours what one errour haue they amended from what kinde of idolatrie haue they reclaimed the people What superstition haue they taken away What peece of their tyranny and pompe haue they diminished as though all the worlde may not nowe see that this is a Conspiracie and not a Councell and that these Byshopes whom the Pope hath now called to gether be wholy sworne become bounde to beare him their faithfull allegiaunce and wil do no manner of thing but that they perceiue pleaseth him and helpeth to aduaunce his power and as hee will haue it Or that they reckon not of the number of mennes voyces rather then haue weight and consideracion of the same Or that myght doth not often times ouercome the right And therefore we knowe that diuers times many good men and Catholique Bysshops did tarry at home and would not come when such Councels were called wherein men so apparauntly laboured to serue factions and to take partes bicause they knewe they should but lose their trauaile and dooe no good seeinge where vnto their enemies mindes were so wholye bent Athanasius denyed to come when hee was called by the Emperour to his Councell at Cesarea perceiuinge plaine he shoulde butte come amonge his ennemies whiche deadly hated hym The same Athanasius when he came afterwarde to the Councell at Sirmium and foresaw what would be the ende by reasone of the outrage and malyce of his ennimies hee packed vp his carriage and went away immediately Iohn Chrysostome although y e Emperour Constantius commaunded hym by four sundry lettres to come to the Arrians Councel yet kept he hym selfe at home still When Maximus the Byshop of Hierusalem sate in the Councell at Palestine the olde Father Paphnutius toke him by the hande and ledde hym out at the doores sayenge It is not â—eeful for vs to conferre of these matters with wicked menne The Bysshopes of the Easte woulde not comme to the Syrmian Councell after they knewe Athanasius had gotten hymselfe thence againe Cyrill called menne backe by letters from the Councell of them which were named Patropassians Paulinus Bysshoppe of Tryer and manye others moe refused to comme to the Councell at Millaine whenne they vnderstoode what a styrre and rule Auxentius kepte there for they sawe yt was in vaine to go thither where not reasone but faction shoulde prevayle and where folke coÌ„tended not for y e truth and right iudgement of the matter butte for partialitie and fauour And yet for all those fathers hadde suche malitious and stiffe necked ennemies yet if they hadde come they should haue hadde free speache at least in the Councelles Butte nowe sithens none of vs maye bee suffered so muche as to sitte or once to bee seene in these mennes meetinges muche lesse suffered to speake freelye oure minde and seinge the Popes Legates Patriarches Archebyshops Bysshoppes and Abbottes all beinge conspyred togeather all linked together in one kinde of fault and all bounde by one othe sit alone by themselues haue power alone to giue their consent and at last when they haue all done as though thei had done nothing bringe all their opinions to be iudged at the wil plasure of y e Pope being but one man to thend he may pronouÌ„ce his own seÌ„teÌ„ce of himselfe who ought rather to haue aunswered to his complaint sithens also y e same auncient Christian libertie which of al right shoulde speciallye bee in Christian Councelles is now vtterly taken away from the Councel for these causes I say wise and good men ought not to maruaile at this day though we doe the like now that thei see was don in times past in like case of so many Fathers and Catholike Byshops which as though we chuse rather to
sit at home and leaue our whole cause to Gode then to iorney thither whereas wee neyther shall haue place nor bee able to dooe anye good whereas wee can obtaine no audience whereas Princes Embassadours be but used as mockyng stockes and whereas also all wee be condemned alredy before trial as though y e matter were a forhaÌ„d dispatched and agreed vpon Neuertheles we can beare pacientlye quyetely our owne priuate wronges but wherfore do they shut out Christian kynges and good Princes from their Conuocation why do they so vncourteously or with such spite leaue theÌ„ out as though they were not either Christen menne or els could not iudge will not haue them made acquaynted with the cause of Christian Religion nor vnderstand y e state of their own Churches Or yf the sayd kynges Princes happen to entermedly in suche matters and take vpon them to do that they may do that they be commaunded to doe and ought of duty to do the same thinges that we know both Dauid and Salomon and other good Princes haue don that is yf they whiles the Pope and his Prelates slugge and sleepe or els mischevouslye withstande them doe bridle the Preistes sensualitie and driue them to do their dewty and kepe them still to yt yf they do ouerthrow Idols yf they take away superstition and set vp again the true worshiping of God whye do they by and by make an out crye vpon them that suche Princes trouble all and presse by violence into an other bodyes office and do therby wickedly and malepartly What scripture hath at any time forbidden a ChristiaÌ„ Prince to be made priuey to such causes Who but themselues alone made euer any suche lawe They will saye to this I gesse Ciuell Princes haue learned to gouerne a common welth and to ordre matters of warre but they vnderstande not the secret mysteries of Religion Yf that be so what is the Pope I praye you at this day other theÌ„ a Monarche or a Prince or what â—e the Cardinals who must be no nother now a days but Princes and kyngs sonnes What els be y e Patriarches and for the most part the Archebysshops the Byshops y e Abbots what be they els at this present in y e Popes kingdome but worlikely Princes but Dukes and Earles gorgiously accompanied w t bandes of men whither soeuer they go Oftentimes also gaylye arayed wyth theynes collers of golde They haue at times to certeine ornameÌ„tes by them selfes as Crosses pillers hattes miters and Palles which pompe the auncient Bysshops Chrysostom Augustine and Ambrose neuer had Setting these thinges aside what teache they what say they what doe they how lyue they I saye not as maye become a Byshopp but as may become euen a Christian man Is it so great a mater to haue a vaine title and by chaunging a garment onely to haue the name of a Byshop Surely to haue the principall staye effecte of all maters commited wholy to these mennes hands who neyther know nor will know these thinges nor yet set a iote by any poinct of Religion saue y t which concernes their belly and Ryot to haue them alone sit as Iudges and to be set vp as ouerseers in y e watch tower being no better then blynd spyes of the other side to haue a Christian Prince of good vnderstanding and of a right iudgement to stande still like a blocke or a stake not to be suffred nother to giue his voice nor to shewe his iudgement but onely to wayt what these men shall well and commaund as one whiche had neyther eares nor eyes nor wytt nor hearte and whatsoeuer they giue in charge to alowe it without exception blindly fulfilling their commaundementes be they neuer so blasphemous and wicked yea although they commaunde him quite to destroye all Religion to crucifie again Christ him selfe This surely besides that it is proud and spitefull ys also beyond all right and reason and not to be endured of ChristiaÌ„ and wyse Princes Why I praye you may Cayphas and Annas vnderstand these matters and may not Dauid and Ezechias do the same Is it laufull for a Cardinall being a man of warre and delightius in bloud to haue place in a Councell is it not lauful for a Christian Emperour or a kynge wee truely graunt no further libertie to our Magistrates then that we know hath both ben giuen theÌ„ by the word of God and also confirmed by the exaÌ„ples of the very best gouerned coÌ„mon welthes For besids that a Christian Prince hath the charge of both Tables coÌ„mited to him by God to thende he maye vnderstande that not temporall matters only but also Religious ecclesiasticall causes pertaine to his Office Besides also that God by his Prophettes often and earnestly coÌ„maundeth the king to cut down the groues to breake downe the Images and aultres of Idoles and to write out the boke of y e law for him selfe and besides that the prophet Esaias saith a kyng ought to be a patrone and nurse of the Churche I saye besides all these thinges we se by histories and by examples of the best tunes that good Princes euer tooke thadministration of ecclesiastical matters to partain to their duety Moses a Ciuile Magistrat chief guide of the people both receiued from God deliuered to y e People al the order for religion and Sacrifices and gaue Aaron the Byshop a vehemeÌ„t and so are rebuke for making the golden calfe and for suffering the corruption of Religion Iosua also though he were no nother then a Ciuil Magistrat yet assone as he was chosen by God and set as a Ruler ouer the people he receiued coÌ„maundements specially touching Religion and the seruice of God Kynge Dauid when the whole religioÌ„ was altogethers brought out of frame by wycked kyng Saul brought home againe the Arke of God that is to say he restored ReligioÌ„ again and was not onely amongest them him selfe as a counseller and furtherer of the worke but he appoincted also hymnes and Psalmes put in order the companies and was the only doer in setting furth that whole solemne shewe and in effect ruled the preistes Kyng SalomoÌ„ builte vnto the Lord the Temple which his Father Dauid had but purposed in his minde to do after the finishing ther of he made a goodly oration to the people concerning Religion and the seruice of God he afterward displaced Abiathar the Preist and set Sadock in his place After this when the TeÌ„ple of God was in shameful wyse polluted thorough the uaughtines and negligeÌ„ce of the preists Kyng Ezechias commaunded the same to be clensed from the ruble and filthe y e preistes to light vp candelles to burne Incense and to do their diuine seruice according to the olde allowed custome The same kyng also commaunded the brasen Serpent whiche then the people wickedly worshipped to be taken down and beateÌ„ to pouder Kyng Iehosaphat ouerthrew
thei do now thus reiect and cast of Christian Princes from knowing of the cause and from their meetinges Well thus doinge they wiselye and warelye prouide for them selues and for their kingedome whiche otherwise they see is like shortly to come to naught For if so be they whom God hath placed in greatest dignitie didde see and perceiue these mennes practises howe Christes commaundementes be despised by them how the light of the Gospell is darkened and quenched out by them how themselues also be subtilly begiled and mocked and vnwares be deluded by them the way to y e kingedom of heaueÌ„ stopped vp before them no doubt they would neuer so quietlye suffer them selues neyther to be disdaigned after suche a prowde sorte nor so dispitefully to be scorned and abused by them But nowe through their own lacke of vnderstanding through their owne blyndenesse these menne haue them fast yoked â–ª and in their daunger We truely for our parts as we haue sayd haue don nothing in altering Religion either vpon rashenes or arrogantie nor nothing but with good leasure and great consideration Neyther had we euer intended to do it except both the manifeste and most assured will of God opened to vs in his holy scriptures and the regarde of our owne saluation had euen constreyned vs there vnto For though wee haue departed from that Churche which these menne call catholique and by that meanes gett vs enuy amongest them that want skill to iudge yet is this ynough for vs and it ought to be ynough for euery wise and good man and one that maketh accoumpte of euerlasting lyfe that we haue gon from that Church whiche had power to erre whiche Christ who cannot erre tolde so long before it should erre and which we our selues did euidently see with our eyes to haue gon both from y e holy Fathers and from the Apostles and from Christ his own selfe from the primatiue catholique churche and wee are come as nere as we possibly could to the Church of the Apostles and of the old catholique Byshops and Fathers whiche Churche we knowe hath hetherunto ben sounde and perfite and as Tertullian termeth it a pure virgine spotted as yet with no Idolatrie nor with any foule or shamefull faulte and haue directed according to their customes and ordinaunces not onely our doctrine but also the Sacraments the fourme of common prayer And as we knowe both Christe hym selfe and all good men here to fore haue don we haue called home againe to the originall and first foundation that Religion which hath ben fowly forslowed vtterly corrupted by these men For wee thought it mere thence to take y e paterne of reforminge Religion from whence the ground of Religion was first taken Bycause this one reasone as saythe the most auncient Father Tertullian hath great force againste all Heresies Looke what soeuer was first that is trew and what soeuer is latter that is corrupt Ireneus oftentimes appealed to y e oldest Churchs which had ben nerest to Christes time and which it was hard to beleue had erred But whye at this daye is not the same respect and consideratioÌ„ had Whye returne wee not to the paterne of the ould Churches whye maye not we heare at this time amongst vs y e same saiing which was opeÌ„ly pronounced in times past in the Councel at Nice by so many Byshopes and Catholique Fathers and nobody once speakyng againste it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye hould still the old customes When Eldras went about to repayre the ruynes of the Temple of God he sent not to Ephesus although the moste beautifull and gorgious Temple of Diana was there and when he purposed to restore y e Sacrifices and ceremonies of God he send not to Rome although peraduenture he had hearde in that place were the solemne Sacrifices called Hecatombae and other called Solitaurilâ—a lectisternia and SupplicatioÌ„s and Numa Pompilius ceremoniall bokes he thought it ynoughe for hym to set before his eyes to folow the paterne of the old Temple which Salomon at the beginning builded accordyng as God had appoincted hym and also those olde customes and Ceremonies whiche God hymselfe had writen out by special words for Moses The Prophet Aggeus after the TeÌ„ple was repaired againe by Esdras and the people mighte thinke they had a very iuste cause to reioyce on their own behalfe for so great a benefit receiued of almightie God yet made he them al burst out in teares bycause that they whyche were yet aliue and had sene the former building of the Temple before the Babylonians destroyed it called to mynde how far of it was yet from that beautie and excellencie whiche it had in the olde times past before For theÌ„ in deed would they haue thought y e Temple worthely repaired yf it had aunswered to the auncient paterne and to the maiestie of the first Temple Paul bycause he wold amende the abuse of the Lordes supper which y e Corinthians euen then begonne to corrupte he sett before them Christes institution to folow sayng I haue deliuered vnto you y e which I firste receiued of the Lord. And when Christ dyd confute the errour of the Pharisees Ye must saith he retorne to the first beginning for froÌ„ the beginning yt was not thus And when he founde great faulte with y e preists for their vncleanes of lyfe and couetousnes and woulde clense the Temple from al euil abuses This house saith he at y e first beginning was a house of praier wherin all the people myght deuoutely and sincerely praye together and so were your partes to vse it nowe also at this daye For it was not builded to thende it should be a denne of theues Likewise al the good and commendable Princes mentioned of in the Scriptures were praised specially by those wordes that they had walked in the wayes of their Father Dauid That is bycause they had retorned to the first and originall foundation and had restored Religion euen to the perfection wherin Dauid left it And therfore wheÌ„ we likewise sawe all thing es were quite trodden vnder foote of these men and that nothing remained in the Temple of God but piteful spoyles and decayes we reckened it the wisest and the safest waye to sett before our eyes those Churches which we knew for a suerty that they neuer had erred nor neuer had priuate Masse nor prayers in straynge and Barbarous language nor this corrupting of Sacramentes and other toyes And forsomuche as our desire was to haue the Temple of the Lord restored a new we would seke no other foundatioÌ„ then the same which we knew was long agone layde by the Apostles that is to wyte our sauiour Iesu Christ. And forsomuch as we heard God hym selfe speaking vnto vs in his word and sawe also the notable Examples of the oulde and primatiue Churche againe how vncertaine a mater it was to wait for a generall Coucell and that the successe therof