vs to himselfe or any for him let vs learne to knowe him and them Let vs marke our losse and take heede of the change though they that heare this Counsell shall bee accompted of the Papistes 〈◊〉 Schismatikes and I wot not what for leauing the Idole of Rome it maketh no matter the gaine and vantage is so passing great as it will easily satisfie and recompence all A great losse think say you to parte from the Churche of Rome an inestimable gaine say and thinke we more 〈◊〉 to win Jesus Christ which will not bee in stifely cleauing to the other Christ and Antichist light and darkenesse the temple of God Idoles haue no agreement The things that were vantage vnto Saint Paul the same counted hee losse for Christes sake But let vs see what the losses bee that by parting from Poperie men haue They are saieth this reasoner sixe in nomber whereof let vs see particularly the first losse is men leese the benefite of the sacrifice of the Masse a great matter and often repeated by you without sounde of the goodnesse thereof but with vs a happie losse sure beyng of all blasphemies and idolatries the most abhominable But sayth this discourser here our Sauiour Christ appointed his bodie to bee offered vp dayly in the oblation of the Masse for the commoditie of the whole worlde quicke and dead c. I heare you say so sir but I aske you where what our sauiour Christe appointed is faithfully recorded vnto vs by the foure Euangelists the faithfull witnesses of all that Christ 〈◊〉 did and taught neuer a worde of your Massing sacrifice there No yes I pray you Do this in remembrance of mee Do this that is sacrifice this for do is to sacrifice so doth the Heathen 〈◊〉 Uirgile vse the worde and so may we by the Poet expounde Christes meaning to bee gentle stuffe and a Clarkelye proofe to corrupt the sacred scriptures with prophane gloses If you haue any better proofe for your massing sacrifice out of the Euangelists whiche tell vs faithfully what was appointed by our Sauiour Christ let vs heare of it Else hearken to S. Paul who receiued of the Lorde that which he also deliuered vnto the Church and is a faithful and trustie expounder of the three Euangelistes Now he in his exposition of these wordes not onely ouerthroweth your counterfaite sacrifice but your newe deuised transubstantiation also who repeating this doe in remembrance of mee expoundeth the same of eating and drinking not of Sacrificing and saith for as often as yee shall 〈◊〉 this bread and drinke this cup yee shewe the Lordes death till hee come c. Marke these wordes well So that where yee say this was appointed by our Sauiour to offer vp his body dayly c. We say you say vntruly and are founde a false witnesse bearer but yee runne to the fathers finding nothing in the Euangelistes or Scriptures to make for you but as in time and place wee reuerence the fathers so agayne tell wee you that wee are not bounde to follow the errors of the fathers but what if the fathers call the Supper of the Lorde sometime a Sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they say or by a figure what if they say it is a Sacrifice because there is offered to God thankes giuing of which it taketh also the name and because the remembrance of that one Sacrifice of Christ once offered is therein celebrated by the Church according to S. Paules exposition as often as ye shal eate this 〈◊〉 and drinke this cup ye shew the Lords death till hee come c. What maketh this for your Massing propiciatorie sacrifice or the offering of Christes bodie for obtaining of grace auoiding of all euils for the remission of sinnes both of quicke and dead or dayly in the oblation of the Masse for the cōmoditie of y e whole world quick dead as you speake whiche commeth all to one Why may not we reconcile the fathers with the scriptures Giue vs leaue I pray you heerein y wis your owne Maister sayth that which is offered and consecrated of the Priest is called 〈◊〉 and oblation because it is a remembrance and representation of the true sacrifice and holy oblation made on the 〈◊〉 of the Crosse. And againe because in the Sacramēt there is a remēbrance of that which was once done c. In this sense denie wee not the Supper of the Lorde to bee called a sacrifice because praise and thanksgiuing are there offered vnto the Lorde and wee are not without this kinde of sacrifice in the celebration of the Lordes Supper as I saide before And if by haunting our Churche assemblies you had been aswel acquainted with our booke of common Praier as nowe blinded with malice ye are readie to cauill and slaunder yee might haue founde wee reiect not the worde of sacrifice of prayse and thanksgiuing in the action of the Lorde his Supper Nay that wee offer not only that but our selues also c. to bee a reasonable holy and liuely sacrifice vnto the Lorde according to the doctrine of the Apostle beside the sacrifice of almes c. That yee neede neyther say we haue no sacrifice because wee haue not your abhominable Idoll of the Masse nor that they depriue them selues of participation of the sacrifice of Christes body and blood that haunt our Churche assemblies Euery one of vs by the working of God his spirite in vs and by faith applyeth to 〈◊〉 Christe and his sacrifice with the fruit of his death and passion more effectually and more faithfully thā any mortal man besides can apply y e same vnto vs. We aduaunce 〈◊〉 our faith therein with the participation that is by the often vse and 〈◊〉 of this holy Sacrament with the worde preached withall Wee trust not your Popish application in his Masse who commonly sacrificeth for money as indeede all your religion is for gaine No penny no pater noster they say with you If the Churche of God shoulde receiue no commoditie of Christes sacrifice or of his death and passion till your priest applyed the same it woulde neuer bee Keepe this your application therefore with the commoditie thereof to your selues we wil hearkē to y e holy ghost a better scholemaister then you who by the Apostle thus speaketh amongst other thinges The cup of blessing which wee blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christe The bread whiche wee breake is it not the Communion of the bodie of Christe Seeing therefore brethren that by the blood of Iesus wee bee bold to enter into the holy place by the newe and liuing way whiche hee hath prepared for vs through the vayle whiche is his fleshe and seeing wee haue an High priest which is ouer the house of God Let vs draw neere with a true hearte in assurance of faith sprinckled in our heartes from
message vttereth it with his owne wordes Wee crye out of the ryot c. Hee may issue from Pope Iohn the three and twentiethes spirit well inough as one of that broode for the agreement that is betweene both As for vs wee may not dislike nor maruel at this choyse of these fathers like Pope like spirite the rather for that wee reade that this foule and vnluckie birde I meane madge Howlet hath aforetime waited vpon the Pope and serued his vnholy holynesse euen in counsell as his familiar spirite whiche is as worshipfull an office I tell you as this carrier and letter bringer serueth in now howeuer the ill fauoured madge Howlet be wondred at among men or other birdes or be taken to be but an vnluckie messenger Let mee bee bolde with thee 〈◊〉 Reader for the satisfaction of some here vpon such resemblance and agreement betweene the parties and other circumstances to set downe the olde storie of the madge Howlet not taken out of newe writers of these dayes which yet haue faithfully and truely deliuered vs the same in wryting as to leaue other those reuerende and learned fathers Maister Iohn Bale in Latine and Maister Iohn Foxe in Englishe our owne Countrey men haue done Neuerthelesse though I agree with them and namely with Maister Foxes storie and allowe the same as fully agreeing heerein with the first Authour and truthe wrangle the aduersarie against those woorthie fathers worthye woorkes as much as he list yet haue I thought good to fetch this nowe out of a worthye Doctour and Archdeacon of our aduersaries owne Church called Nicholas de Clamengiis to whom maister Foxe honestly and truely sendeth vs and with whom also I sawe the booke This Nichol de Clamengiis liuing in the time whē the thing happened wrote the same His booke also was since printed publishd in a Popish time a popish place c. That I say nothing of Orthuinus Gratius cēsure thereon who being a popish priest yet in setting this forth amōg other things denieth not the truth heereof So as the aduersarie cannot easily cauil After this Archdeacon had declared the notoriousnesse of the matter and the good testimonie hee had thereof thus setteth he vs downe the storie aboue eight score yeeres since Balthasar Cossa sayth hee about foure yeeres since called a Councel at Rome c. Nowe at the entrie or before the first session of the 〈◊〉 when Masse for the holy Ghost as the manner is was done and the Councel nowe were set and Balthasar himselfe in a chayre prouided for him on high aboue the rest behold a foule vnluckie Owle which is alwayes a messenger of some corps or other misfortune as they say commeth out of his hole and flickering about with his shreeching noyse stayes himselfe vpon the midle beame of S. Martines temple where they sate in the Councell casting his brode eyes directly vppon Balthasar All there present fel in a wonderment that a night birde which shunneth the light came in the middes of the assembly at brode day light by which wonder and strange sight they did not without cause thinke some mischiefe to bee foreshewed Behold saide they one to another softly the spirit is come in the shape of an Owle And when the rest looking one on an other vpō Balthasar could scarsely forbear laugh ter Balthasar himself vpon whome alone this madge Howlet casting his eyes stedfastly looked did blushe for shame sweate for anger and fretted in his minde and at length not knowing how to helpe otherwise this his so great disgrace breaking vp the councell arose and went his way There followed after another session wherein againe after the same maner the madge Howlet though as I thinke not called failed not to bee present casting still his foule eyes vpon Balthasar which m. Howlet he seeing to be returned was not without iust cause more troubled and striken with shame than afore and not being able to abide the sight of the madge Howlet any longer he commanded him to be beaten away with libbets and clubbes and with crying noyse but M. Howlet neuer a whit disquieted either with their shreeching noyse or other disturbaunce woulde not flie away till with muche cudgeling at him being very sore beaten hee fell downe dead before them all These things saith our Authour learned I of a certaine faithfull and trustie friende who at that time came straight and directly from Rome of whiche I making doubt by reason of the strangenesse thereof my friende being very earnestly sworne Assured me hee told mee that was moste true and added further that all that were present were hereby brought into an vtter contempt disdaine and mocking of that councell and the whole companie by little and little falling away hee affirmed there was nothing at all there doone to any purpose Thus farre Clamengius cited very truely by maister Foxe For the Gentleman the authours worshipfull friende as hee speaketh if there be any suche and he not too farre gone I wish him to bee aduised and take heede what scholemaisters hee betake his conscience to be framed by the matter is of no small importance let him at leastwise without preiudicate opinion heare and reade both sides before hee iudge or thruste himselfe too farre ouer the shoes for our part what euer opinion the aduersaries bee of leauing the rest to hym that is aboue wee desire no more at his handes this is it wee haue from the beginning and many a day sought and requested If hee will heare this counsell hee shall first see that wee drawe him not from the Pope and Popishe religion to carry him to depende vppon any mortall man in the case of religion and conscience bee he neuer so high or mightie but only vppon the true and immortall God of heauen and his sacred mouth Next that wee propounde him not doctrines deuised by mans braine and after recōmended vnder title of the Church to intangle his cōscienee and without eyther grounde or good reason make him perplexed and doubtfull by subtill quidities and questions as these men doe but after we haue brought him to feede in the pleasant and sweete pasture and to drinke of the pure and liuely fountaine of Gods holy woorde which is the trueth hee shall see wee endeuour to vnwrap and vnfoulde his conscience from snares to quiet the same with the true peace of God teaching him to make conscience where God and his woorde woulde and no where els and to looke well to these two points in the case of conscience God may and doth make lawes to bynde conscience withall and onely God may deale therein and no mortall man muche lesse that man of sinne the Pope In summe the more precisely in these matters pertayning to his soules health he shall cleaue to God and his holye truth contayned in the Scriptures renouncing all sectes and partes of whomesoeuer aswell Pope as other the better shall he please I will not say
an euill conscience For with one offering hath hee made perfect for euer them 〈◊〉 are sanctified c. To Chrysostome and his hyperbolicall speeches you haue your answere elsewhere and to Pope Gregories testimonie seeing Masses bee thought to bee so cheape with you as the hearing of one is so well worth an hundred markes c. where you haue a good pennieworth blame not her Maiestie and the State it were pittie you shoulde haue your masses too good cheape that make suche price thereof I perceiue if they were dogge cheape they were 〈◊〉 worth howe say you to two hundred markes and a yeres imprisonment for hearing of a Masse It is too good cheape it is well worth more yee thinke You are in your hundreds and thousande liues you amplyfie in wordes iolily woulde you needes haue it death which in wordes and tearmes ye so talke of heere at pleasure Take heed make not to great account neither of saying nor hearing Masse for raysing the price Of naughtie behauiour I tell you growe good lawes Cast your number together by Arithmetike and tell vs plainely howe many liues the hearing of one Masse is well worth and howe many you can be content to affoorde in that case But bee wiser and better aduised that is it I wishe You abuse to grosly and childishly the holy scriptures For your Popish Bishops confirmation and your extreeme vnction or aneling whiche is the seconde losse yee thinke yee haue and therefore yee put grace in euery place heere These myraculous giftes in the Primitiue Church serue your Popishe Church neuer a whit to take away all your Popishe graces euen in the whole seuen sacraments Why adde you not to your gresie oyle your spittle c and your Ephata after Christes example to make deafe infants to heare and by touching their tongue to make them speak If it were as easie a matter to bestowe the heauenly and extraordinary giftes or as you heere speake the grace as it is easie to counterfaite the outwarde Ceremonie you woulde bee meruellous men But Apishe imitation is without good grace hee is very simple that in looking on the places yee alleadge only cannot make you answere When wee see the visible graces and giftes of the holy Ghoste come vppon them that your Bishops confirme as speaking tongues c. which are saide to haue beene giuen those the Apostles layde their handes on we will make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in your comparison You tell vs of the grace of Priesthood But Saint Paule neither to Timothie who was an Euangelist and Preacher of the Gospell neither any where els speaketh of your Popish Priesthood as I tolde you before Priestes you say were ordayned for your Masse sacrifice and they cannot other wise bee called Priesces but in respect of y t sacrisice Now the Popishe Masse beareth too late a date besides the naughtines of it to haue beene in the Apostles time and ye prooue nothing An 〈◊〉 and double taking of the worde Masse helpeth but little no not taken out of mens 〈◊〉 nor of sacrifice neither The Apostle thus reasoneth that If Christ should haue offered himselfe often then must hee haue often suffered since the foundation of the world c. If the sacrifice of Christes body and blood to God his father be linked so narrowly with his suffering that is w t his death passion as it cannot bee without the same Then muste you leaue your dayly Sacrificing of him in the Masse whiche you 〈◊〉 commende so highly or els bee founde among them to crucifie againe to themselues the sonne of God make a mocke of him c If Christe be dayly offered Christe is put dayly to suffer But Christe is dayly offered by Popishe Priestes in the Masse say you ergo Christe is put dayly to suffer by you Otherwise thus If Christ be dayly or often offered then muste hee dayly or often suffer But he can not nor needeth not dayly or often suffer Ergo hee cannot nor needeth not dayly or often to bee offred Answere hereto directly shift not thinges off cauill not with your fonde distinction of bloody and vnbloody you professe your Masse sacrifice to be propitiatorie and all one with that Christ offred on the crosse nowe that I tell you was not vnbloody nor without shedding of blood This is the cause that seeing the doctrine of the holy Ghost on the one side and your bad shiftes on the other side maketh vs to abhorre your blasphemous Masse and to crye out against it that I touche not other many and many grosse abuses therin Thus much against your abhominable popish masse which you so much commende though you bring nothing for proofe thereof but bare wordes I see you woulde make vs beleeue that all your sacramentes giue grace therfore ye say the grace of priesthood also howe hap there be so many vngracious priestes and so many graceles priestes then if the order of priesthood giue grace or be a conduite of grace as you speake Belike they that take the order of priesthood leese grace that they that take not that order may finde haue the same Againe how make you this argument common for all those that come to our Churches shall they leese the grace of priesthood why many of them will tel you they neuer minde to be priestes and so shall leese nothing by that but that whiche a great many papistes among you shall leese as well as they which haunt your Churches and abstaine from ours which are called Laymen Againe sir how is priesthood a sacrament by it self I haue heard of your popish sacrament of orders of priesthood neuer The grace of Matrimonie all your wiuelesse priestes Nunnes c. shall leese they are very vnholy belike that so holy an order of God as Mariage can not beseeme them will they reiect the grace of God ye call it the grace of Matrimonie Mariage c. are conduites of grace ye say heere ye belie saint Paul sir and corrupt the text when you make Mariage a sacrament your common translation is no good president to make vs sacramentes Else must you make vs yet againe moe then seuen by him as the learned knowe and I thinke you be not ignoraunt Againe the Apostle sayth expresly there I speake concerning Christ and concerning his Church that is the mysterie hee speaketh of there I leaue to speake of the beastlines of Pope Siricius who wickedly applieth to honorable mariage that sentence of the Apostle They that are in the flesh can not please God to shewe howe contraryly you iudge and speake of Mariage You tell vs of seuen sacramentes siue moe then 〈◊〉 Christ instituted but is that all I wene if ye describe a sacrament to 〈◊〉 it to the number of seuen ye shall finde many moe yee will followe the common opinion of the Romishe Churche I trowe And 〈◊〉 not your glose tell vs euen in mariage that there are two sacraments so shall wee finde eight