other place whatsoeuer is set before you eate it and aske no question for conscience sake These sayings cannot stande with Maister Hardings religion about such questions how the word of God might agrée with it selfe Those busye heades might haue ben better occupied then in mouing such doubtes as a Christian heart adhorreth to remember But if they had ben so occupyed in Gods most holy euangelies as they were in Peter Lumberdes fancies they woulde soone haue turned ouer these winde shaken opinions Now while Maister Hardings friendes shal muse how these sayinges may agrée I will shewe thée godly reader how the Eucharist hath no vse except it be receiued Consecrate while they will crosse round about the bread breath ouer it at their pleasure looke demurely as they can intend what they list except the breade be receiued no maner conueyaunce can bring Christes presence Somewhat for proufe of this maye appeare by the vsage of the pascall Lambe and of Manna Of the lambe nothing might be reserued til the morning what did remaine should be burnt with fire Therfore we may coniecture it should not be lawfull to reserue the sacrament So likewise of Manna nothing might be reserued till morning if ought were had it was turned into wormes and stanke These being both figures of our sacrament the coniecture is not euill to thinke lykewise the Eucharist might not be reserued then the case were plaine it had no vertue but being receiued Howe be it I wyll not force any suche comparisons God doth lighten whom it pleaseth him The scriptures doe other where testifie plentifullye this that we teache First the Eucharist is to vs as the peace offerings among the Iewes which was a sacrifice or thanks giuing offered for peace or prosperitie and as they that made any such offering must doe it before the doore of the Tabernacle of the congregation c so Aarons sonnes sprinckled the bloude about the aultar otherwise it had bene no peace offering So we in the Eucharist must come to the Congregation gyue thankes and prayses vnto God preache out the death of hys sonne Christ and eate and drink of that heauenly mysteries or els it is not the Eucharist And the church naming this sacrament Eucharistia hath well declared that without open thankes-geuing there is no suche sacrament But who can doubt any whyt of thys matter that readeth the woordes of our sauiour Christ reported by S. Iohn or the other Euangelists and S. Paule Labour for the meate sayth Christ that the sonne of man shall giue vnto you He sayth not for the meate which is hanged vp in the Pixe And the people make their aunswere Lord giue vs euermore of this bread Againe Christ sayth The breade which I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world Ther is then no benefite where this bread is not giuen and in this chapter it is often repeated that we must eate this flesh or els we haue no lyfe in vs. Yet in all this place nor in any place of scripture any one word is found y â— commendeth either mencioneth this sacrameÌ„t without the vse of it So if we wil apply this .6 chap. of Iohn to the sacrament as M. Harding in anye wyse will doe we sée how there is no grace no vertue in it if it be not vsed Concerning the woordes of this sacrament reported by the other Euangelistes and by saint Paule they are very plain Take and eate thys is my bodye saye they and of the Cup Drinke ye all of this thys is my bloude c. But by M. Hardings doctrine the holye ghost might haue spoken in this sorte Looke all vpon this and worship it this is my body And of the cup Drinke none of you of this yet it is my bloud Such is the sacriledge of that wicked masse in doing to vndoe that our Sauiour hath saide But here I cannot a little wonder at them In their owne inuentions they haue placed in their Masse these words accipite manducate and some thinke they are very requisite to transsubstanciation yet when they vtter them they meane nothing lesse than that any other but them selues should take part They prepare but a litle cake and a draught of wyne to make sporte with They intende not to communicate with other yet they saye alway take and eate A lye is very euill in any maner doing but in the seruice of God it is very detestable God when he will turne their hartes Here we se concerning this sacrament Christ commaunded nothing but that we shoulde in a holy company eate and drinke in remembrauncâ— of his death and passion But how turneth the Pope our sauiours commaundement He careth neither for eating nor drinking but when he goeth forth he setteth vp his sacrament vpon a white horse backe and men of eche syde with tapers and litle belles and so teacheth the horse that he will go to the aultare and there knéele vpon his knées till his Maisters god be taken downe Thus will the Pope teach horses to worship God euen as somtyme the Leuites woulde cary the Arke in a newe carte when they brought it out of the house of Aminadab For neyther haue we any one word to cary about the sacrament neyther had they of the carte And this is a greate misery that hauing no warrant for our Marchandise our candels our sensors our vestiments our oyle boxes our corporasse our porâ—uisse and sixe hundred thousandes suche other yet we make no account of them as though they pleased God If any thing séeme somewhat doubtfull then we turne vs to Doctors to councels to decrees to scholemen and to the holy closet of the Popes owne brest as thoughe Gods worde were not our wisedome and our vnderstanding in the sight of all people But God be thanked for his owne ordinaunces and lawes that are so righteous Now to the next marke that Maister Harding coulde neuer shoote at and this marke hath a great many péeces and such as is not easly discerned which is the greatest so I knowe not certainelye wher at to measure The first péece is this there is no difference betwixt the Priest and the people in the mystery of the sacrifice But what meaneth Maister Harding to finde the marke him selfe and then refuse to shoote at it Would he haue vs thinke this were Maister Iuels marke He saith no such thing Sure M. Harding hath verye straunge artillery His bow is made of slaunders and it will shoote nothing else but lies He can get nothing with cunning therfore he would saue him selfe by facing This stode them in good stede in the disputations at Oxford wher their friends wer moderators but in a booke that is written to all men this shift is shameles Let vs sée what saith M. Iuell of this marke Not one word Why doth Maister Harding reporte it He is disposed to lye But whervpon doth he gather it Forsoth out of Bernard
earth But Macte ista virtute tua â–ª yet let your worship reioyce in Gods mercies for not withstanding these daungerous rockes yet you are passed in to narrow way and the Lorde God be praised who shall encrease the number you haue some companye There be men of great honoure and estimation yet louers of Gods truthe and voide of all courtly wickednesse Would God their doings were registred in Ceder trees and they had golden pictures in the Citie OLYMPIA â–ª that they might be spectacles to all noble posteritie God hath sure giuen them double happinesse Their liues shall ende here in honoure and then it pleaseth their father to giue vnto them his kingdome There are other great gouernours of this common wealth beautifull and comely members of Christes body â–ª which make not policie their religion nor blasphemie Gods ordinaunce where mannes lawe doth not establishe it They haue chosen the good parte which shall not be taken from them God shall make their dwelling places sure when the aduersarie shall be throwen downe out of his seat Some other there be of good estatâ— and vertuous not entangled with vanitie nor blinded with superstition which make not gaine their rightuousnesse nor contempt of Gods ministers their estimation They shall receiue an hundred folde in this life and when they haue run their course they shall haue the crowne of glory And as in the time of ELIAS when the Prophet thought that all the children of Israel had forsaken Gods couenaunt broken downe his altares and slaine his Prophets with the sworde yet God made answere I haue reserued vnto me 7000. men which haue not bowed their knee to DAAL euen so at this present time there is a remnant through the election of grace that haue not their inwarde thoughts spotted with papistrie nor their outwarde life with especiall crimes With these and other bicause your worship doth walke togither in the straight path of true obedience God hath giuen vnto you this fruit of your aucthoritie to be beloued among them where you dwell and this comfort of your conscience that by your example they learne to know God Nowe what remaineth but that you pray vnto God that he which hath bâ—gon this good worke in you will make it perfect vnto the ende that as your youth hath not bene fed with suche wantonnesse as in like estate and fortune do the vsually abounde so your further yeares should be voide of all vngodly desires and you found faithfull vnto your death in the which hope and confidence the Lorde God through his sonne Iesus Christ sende you long life and happy yeares to the maintenaunce of his glory and comfort of his Church Fare you well in the Lord from Christes colledge in Cambridge the .2 of Aprill 1568. Youres bounde as his owne Edwarde Dering ¶ To the Christian Reader WHen I first perused this Reioinder of master Hardings good Christian Reader and savve in vvhat sort he made answere to M. Iuels Replie I vvas grieued bothe for his own sake that so many good giftes should be so yll applied and especially for thy sake least peraduenture his deceitful talk should beguile thee I sawe on the one side the inclination of many very daungerously bent to the loue of that religion On the other side much wordly wisdome and vnderstanding countenaunced with suche a singulare boldnesse and impudencie that without the especiall working of almighty God I saw but litle hope of their further libertie whose hart was set to receiue bondage I coulde not be ignoraunt of the common prouerb which I had heard so often that fair words do make fooles faine and I sawe againe the subtile kinde of wryting the sugred words and entising speaches which the enimie did vse to call away the simple vnto their destruction These euils the more perillous they were so I thought it appertained vnto all good men by what meanes possible to seke the spedier remedie And therefore in the great businesse which that good Bishop had in hande whose happy Sermon did first so much enflame the enimie I thought it some parte of my duetie according to the gift that God had giuen me so to make aunswere vnto the subtile aduersarie and helpe to confirme in Gods truthe suche our simple brethren as were falling away Vpon this occasion I first toke vpon me to meddle with this Reioinder And when in reading it I founde the whole nothing worthy answer I did chuse only so farre to touche it as I might bothe make a sufficient discharge of all suche blame as was laid vpon maister Iuel and shewe forthe an open and vndoubted proofe of the residue of maister Hardings labour Then I toke vpon me the aunswer of his long Epistle written to M. Iuell wherein he spareth nothing saue only truthe to allure his reader and the defence of those .225 vntruthes whereby he would discredite Gods true religion By this meanes I did trust that some would quench their longing thirst to drinke of that golden cuppe full of poison and spirituall whoredomes and perceiuing the whole grounde of their religion to be nothing else but quarels and wranglings would at last runne forthe of their vngodly synagoges and most frowarde assemblies This labor I had finished more than .xij. monthes since with so little diligence that it made wiser men to consider better of it whose wisdome was also a longer stay vnto me least either my true meaning might run in blame for want of consideration or my vnripe writing might giue occasion to the enimie of triumph But afterwarde remembring the good councell of Plutarche 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So I after some continuaunce of time read ouer againe mine owne doing in which as I could haue wished something altered if I had sought the commendation of learning so I sawe nothing but truthe maintained and that in suche sort as maister Harding might not wel contemne it Then knowing assuredly that bothe the defence of truthe might edifie the learned and the manner of my wryting minister grace vnto the godly Reader I would no longer suppresse that which being set abroade might be fruitful And vpon this aduise I deliuered it vnto the Printer but after perusing it I espied in the Printing many faultes which the indifferent reader will not lay vpoÌ„ me Only for my discharge I thought good in this Epistle to admonishe thee of some that by them thou mightest knowe whome to blame for the rest In the .38 leafe for the house of 〈◊〉 thou shalt finde printed the churche of Rome and straight after modest for immodest In the .40 leafe such language for such laughing In the .46 leaf the same hath made vs free for the sonne hath made vs free In the .53 leafe way for â—ay fol. 64. corner it for couer it fol. 65. is not yet for is yet In the .96 leafe thou shalt find king Ionathas yet good reâ—der I wrote king Iosaphat If that fault had ben mine I wold theÌ„ haue alowed M. Harding
of the Apostels heresies our sauiour Christ a Samaritan But as for your Portuise which is your light whether it be darknesse or no I craue no Arbitrer I require but triall and as Elias saide to the priests of Baal let vs take eyther our bullock and laie the péeces on our aultars and on which God sendeth fire let that be the light You haue halted to long on both sides it is now time to walke vp right Offer vp your Portuise to Maister Iuell if he proue it not a heape of lies a sincke of iniquitie a déepe dungion of blasphemouse herisies agaynst the eternall sonne of God his euerlasting priesthood we will all subscribe And for the assuraunce of our meaning we saie with the Apostle behold before God we lie not if you dare not doe this the Christian Reader must remember you are woorse then Baals prophets Consider then Maister Harding in what waters you wade and looke better what is light darknesse For the ignoraunce of gods worde the Gentiles were said to sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death the vnbeléeuing Iewes to be blinde leaders of the blinde and he that knewe it not to go he wist not whether But the darckning of that worde hath bene your chiefest light and ignoraunce the mother of your deuotion and as in the sacrifices of Isis and Serapis you haue made Harpocrates image with his finger on his lyps in token that your misteries must be kept secrete and as the Egiptians you haue your two diuers caracters that Robin Hoode and Gui of Warwick and Beuis of Hampton such like shoulde be had of the people in english letters But the misteries of our redemption the glorious tidings of the death of Christ were in straunge figures for the hasarde of deuotion they might not be made common So that of Launcelot Dulake of Lamorake de Galis of Sir Tristram de Lyones or Marlin the Prophet we could tell many weary tales but of Paule of Peter Iames or Iohn â–ª besides the bare names not one among a hundred could tell a lyne not withstanding the continual crying of wysdome in the stréetes the callyng of our Sauiour for the sielie lyttleones O M. Hardyng this is no light It was the tyme of Dioclesian when the Scriptures were burned the abhominations of Manasses when they were hyd in the Temple the kingdome of Antiochus when they were cut in péeces and to compare lyke with lyke your Antichristian iurisdiction where they are kept in couert Wherin you shew that great plague to rest vpoÌ„ you which who so heareth eyther eare shall tingle that you haue the famine of the woord of God When the cogitacion of maÌ„s hart euen from hys youth was euyll the worlde ouerrun w t couetousnesse God purged that iniquitie with his drowning waters when the crie of Sodome and Gomor did ascende to heauen God quenched their filthie lustes wyth fire and brimstone the frowardnesse of hys people the breach of his lawes the bloud of hys prophetes with pestilence famine banishments such other sundrie and diuers plagues but the death of hys onely heire wyth the letting out of the Uineyard to others and the bloud of hys beloued Sonne with the scourge of ignoraunce that vnto this daie they beleue not his glorious Gospel And how must the Popes kingdom néedes tremble feare that acknowledgeth the punishments of Christes death to maintaine their religion Now for our deliuerie from the maintenaunce of darkenes S. Paul biddeth vs not beleue an Angel of heauen that bringeth an other Gospell therefore we dare not be led with any blinde custome to shadowe the same light we haue receiued If you shall otherwyse be alway minded I se in an Etnick hart the effect of that etnicks praier virtutem vt videant intabesâ—antque relicta that you might sée vertue and pine away with want of it After this foloweth a sober excuse that Maister Harding maketh of him selfe that although through infirmitie he oftentimes offend yet in matters of faith he hath no peruerse iudgement The reason is bicause he doth submit him self to the church of Rome â–ª Much better this argument would hold the other way bicause he is in the church of Rome he is in all filthinesse superstition of a sinfull lyfe and of a corrupt religion hauing the heauie hand of God ouer him that except he repent the same woe shall light vppon him which so vnwisely he hath deriued to other Hardyng ¶ This matter is well to be weighed the case you stand in is deeplie to be considered This much you cannot denie you haue for your parte broken the vnitie that is so much commended vnto vs in the scriptures and all holy fathers The Catholicke churche sayth Saint Cyprian can be one it can not be cut and deuided a sunder The catholicke Churche alone is the bodie of Christ saith S. Augustine whereof he is the head the sauiour of his bodie Without hys body the holye Ghost giueth life to none Therefore in an other place he saith whosoeuer is seperat from the catholick churche how lawdable so euer he thinketh himselfe to liue for this onely wickednesse that he is deuided from the vnity of Christ he shall not haue lyfe but the wrath of God remaineth vpon him Dering Here is a sad admonition concerning the catholike Churche which we acknowledge to be the bodie of Christ and he the onely heade of it so that without it there is no saluation But for the triall of this Church we go to the Scriptures and doe examine ech spirit whether he be of God or no and such as saie they be Apostles and be none we haue founde them lyars therefore we run out from among them as out of the middest of Babilon out of their wicked assemblies and donne of théeues from their abominations of Moab and spirituall fornications and ar come againe to our merciful Father that hath prepared his fatlings for vs and put on vs our wedding garment and placed vs at his great Supper in the felowship of his church where we abide thorough his mercie and looke for our resolucion that our ioy maie be full And for our assurance to be of that number we haue the warraÌ„t of the Scriptures first for that we harken onely to Christ and heare not the voice of any stranger then for that we confesse that they alone can saue our soules And as S. Paul saith can make the man of God perfit to all good workes And considering that Prophecie came not in the olde time by the wyll of man but holie men of God spake as they were mooued by y e holy ghost we dare not admit any priuate interpretation but take héede vnto the worde as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place for that is the daye starre which is risen in our harts Therefore we presume not to vnderstand aboue that which
heresie was in the greatest rage which was after that Valens hadde raised the great persecution for it And this also thou shalt finde written in Socrates Now these authorities standing thus as thou shalt finde them by examination what will Maister Hardings perhaps excuse him Sure that these manie vntruthes stande vpon no grounde but his impudent facings The B. of Saris. Maister Hardings Amphilochius saith that Basil foretolde the death of Iulian Theodoretus saith it was one Iulianus Sabba and not S. Basil. Harding The .190 vn Theodoretus saith not that Sabba foretold it The .192 vn ▪ He saith not that Basil did not tell it Dering Maister Harding hath but a little way to go and hath yet a great manie vntruths to make Therfore taking good holde in time in these words Sabba foretold it and not Basil he picketh it two vntruths One that Sabba tolde it not the other that Basil tolde it He might with as much facilitie haue made the thirde that and is a coniunction should couple two wordes and sentences together But here by the way note that Amphilochius telleth a fowle popish tale an ilfauored vntruth which Maister Harding thinketh good to skip ouer for shame and with a good courage goeth forward making the reader beleue al is wel Reade the Replie Fol. 83. Now to these vntruthes If Sabba dyd foretell the death of Iulian then notwithstanding Maister Hardings numbring yet Basil foretolde it not Then héere is the controuersie whether Theodorete saith that Iulianus Sabba did tell it first Then reade the place and thou shalt finde it thus When Libanius doeth aske of Sabba what the Carpenters sonne was now a doing Sabba aunswereth that the maker of the worlde whome he in mockage dyd call the Carpenters sonne was making sandapilam a héere to carie dead bodies and sone after the Emperour dyed Then it foloweth in y e next chapter that the same day that Iulian died Resciuit cecidisse Sabba knew he was dead and tolde it vnto his felowes Now iudge who was the first teller of these newes before the Emperour was dead Sabba tolde Libanius his beare was a making the same daye that he died he tolde it abrode Now Basil being then not present with the Emperour as likewise Sabba was not but did know it miraculouslie how could S. Basil tell it before him No doubt good Reader when Maister Harding made two vntruthes of this he had either slender iudgement or verie yll choise The B. of Saris. Maister Hardings Amphilochius saith Nazianzen was present at Basils death Nazianzen him selfe saith he came afterwarde Harding The .193 vntruth Nazianzen saith not so in his Monodia Dering Maister Harding saith in his reioinder he will not denie that this is true Reade his booke is not this a strange matter y t he noteth that for an vntruth which he will not denie but it is a truth Yf he haue no thing to say but that it is not in his Monodia what skilleth it so the thing be truely reported whether the place be noted at all or no I doe easely graunt that Maister Iuel may be well deceiued in keping iust reconing of bookes and chapters but that is a slender fault when he reporteth all that is written truely Now to proue that this is true and that Nazianzen was not at Basils death it is manifest that he was at Arianzum his owne patrimonie and made his Epitaphe and oration vpon Basil one whole yeare after Basil was dead And whē he hadde done he went home againe as it is sufficiently proued by Grigorie Nissene And Gregorius Presbiter doeth witnesse the same that Nazianzen came long after that Basil was dead thus graunting that it be not founde in Nazianzens Monodia yet by other good witnesse Amphilochius is proued a lier Now for misnaming the place alleaging the authoritie truely I shall néede to make no longe aunswere The fault is so small that it doth excuse it selfe The B. of Saris. Maister Hardings Amphilochius is so impudent to say Nazianzen came in all hast and saw the blessed bodie and fell vpon it when it was buried Harding The .194 vntruthe Amphilochius saith not he fell vpon him vvhen he vvas buried Dering In this vntruth is nothing but a little wrangling about this saying when he was buried Which wordes whether they be in Amphilochius or no I meane not yet to go to Verona and looke Sure it is he could not fall on him when he was couered with moulde and sith the matter is no weightier let it rest for me Now Maister Harding skippeth ouer one other lie and maketh no defence of Amphilochius writing it but leaues that altogither vntouched for a testimonie what him selfe thinketh of Amphilochius After all this a doe about him he giueth him ouer with this round conclusion be he as he is I neither defend him nor condemne him he is ashamed any further to defende him bicause he is a shamelesse lier and yet he wil not condemne him bicause he maketh a tale for Maister Hardings Masse In the meane season we haue some gesse what the author is when his great friendes dare not defend him Now Maister Harding skippeth ouer two leaues at once and so draweth to an ende The B. of Saris. Chrysostome saith some are called and some are brought to receiue with the Priest diuis 34. Harding The .195 vntruth Chrisostome saith not so Dering If M. Harding did now begin his wrangling it were peraduenture requisite more at large to blame it but bicause it is common y e reader I trust is alredie forewarned to beleue nothing that he saith without some other witnesse Therefore his credit being thus broken the proofe of this vntruth being so slender there is no great daunger least any man should take hurt by it I will omit therefore further proofe of Maister Iuels saying and I onely require to consider this maner of vntruth Thus Maister Iuel alleageth Chrisostoms words Some are called some brought to receiue with y e priest That is not so saith Maister Harding they are not called to receiue with the Priest This then must be iudged by Chrisostome he writeth thus The Deacon standing vpright in the sight of all the people c. Some he calleth to communicate and some he putteth off Now how can any indifferent man say ▪ that Maister Iuell misreporteth these wordes But so it is Maister Harding hath shut from him all indifferencie and doeth let affection miserably blinde his vnderstanding and by that meanes hath espied this vntruth and the vntruth is that Chrisostome hath not these wordes with the Priest but they are Maister Iuels owne addition But what meaneth he Doth he think the people did receiue without y e priest or if they did not when Chrisostome saith they were called to receiue how is it vntrue to report his saying they were called to receiue with the priest Doe these vntruths néede many words to
not we are all of like worthinesse to receiue the mysteries And what saith he else How doeth M. Harding otherwise interprete him Forsoth saith he these woords similiter omnes vt illa percipiamus digni habemur must be thus Englished We are accompted worthy of the selfe same things in like sort not we are all of one worthinesse to receiue them Who hath hearde one in so graue a matter speake so childishly the very woords of Chrysostome vt percipiamus he wil not haue Englished as they lie And bicause M. Iuel doth so English them suche is his impudencie he notes it for an vntruthe But suche to whome God hath giuen the spirite of knowledge and truth they will confesse how he doeth wrangle and if he haue any grace himselfe as oft as he remembreth these vntruthes he wisheth they were againe vnder his file The B. of Saris. Missa in the time of Tertullian and Cyprian was especially applied vnto the Communion Harding The .223 vntruthe It is not so as you meane Dering M. Hard. harpeth much on M. Iuels meaning But vntruths must not be built vpon gesses Read the .169 vntruthe The B. of Saris. Cataechumeni were present at the Communion till the Gospell was done Harding The .224 It was not the Communion they were present at Dering I graunt it wrangle on M. Iuel confesseth when the Gospel was done they were bid depart what a single vntruthe is this What troweth M. Harding we doe not know that that part of seruice which they heard was called Missa cathechumenorum Or doeth he thinke that the gospel was not red in that seruice This vntruthe ariseth bicause he wil not vnderstand not bicause he doeth not M. Iuel calleth that the Communion which was the whole seruice appointed for the celebration of the Lordes supper At the beginning whereof the Nouices in the faithe of Christ might be present till the deacon cried Exeunto catechumeni which was after the gospell was red The B. of Saris. We pray not aide of sicke folkes for the proofe of our holy Communion as M. Harding is driuen to doe for his Masse Harding The .225 vntruthe I proue not the Masse by them Dering This vntruthe is before sixe times Read the .215 vntruthe ¶ Thus are we come to an ende of this weary Reioinder wherein we sée to what issue M. Hardings great vaunts are come his tragicall exclamations in how small matters there be ended and his multitude of vntruthes how without truth they be gathered He tolde vs that this Replie was altogither corrupt and false yet are there a great many leaues in this first article of which he hath not confuted one word what he would haue done in case it had bene blameable this Reioinder dothe sufficiently witnesse He cried out of corruptions alterations manglings and I wote not what of the olde fathers but quid dignum tulit hic tanto promissor hiatu what hath he brought forthe worthy of so wide gaping These vntruthes that were so many in number are now proued none The controlling of so many aucthorities is found nothing but wrangling The often blaming of diuers interpretations is tried either childishe or wilful ignoraunce And some of his owne Doctors on whome with much boasting he had grounded his priuate Masse in the ende he hathe turned to their owne defence With so ill successe he hath impugned truthe And with so slender proofe he hath defended falshood Of these 225. vntruthes which he hath brought some he saithe may be coloured some be shamelesse lies And in déede his testimonie well applied is true For most of them without shame are impudently gathered Some as he hathe vsed them may bring suspition of ouersight But what they are and howe voide of deserued blame it shall appeare if thou reade this Confutation in the which for thy contentation good Christian Reader I must assure thée that I haue not alleaged one aucthoritie wherein I either abridge the authors wordes or enterlace any other of mine owne either else misconstrue his meaning Only sometime bicause the wryting is tedious I alleage the sense and referre thée vnto the place where thou maist examine the wordes If any one of all the lande of Louanists be able to reproue me I wil not let openly to preache it that I haue offended God giue them and vs bothe grace to consider that it is now no time to dally The matter is not suche that it may abide any wrangling The cause is Gods and he néedeth not to be defended with lies If in his cause we goe about deceite by vttering falshoode or by concealing truthe by making moe distinctions or by framing Latine as we liste God is not mocked How so euer we will paint our doings or what clokes of shame so euer we will vse it is true that the Poete saythe Ille dolum ridens quo vincula nectitis inquit He laughing at oure deceitfulnesse shall aske to what purpose we haue tied suche deuises He is truth and he will be defended by truthe and he hateth all those that doe speake lies Therefore good Christian Reader persuade thy selfe that as we haue our accomptes to make vnto him that iudgeth truely so wittingly and willingly we will speake nothing that shall burden oure owne Consciences before his iudgement seate True it is we be menne and as menne we may be deceiued The Prophet hath pronounced the vniuersall sentence and we be all borne vnder the lawe of it that euery manne is a lier therfore to chalēge vnto my doing any such absolute veritie as though no piece of it might be blamed it wer great arrogācie and extreme folly this is sufficient to the indifferent mā and a full contentation vnto mine owne conscience that the Lord is witnesse I know not of any one vntruth I haue vttred And for this great number wherewith M. Iuel is charged better it had bene for M. Harding to haue made them fewer more it might haue hindred M. Iuels cause To deny that any wher he might be deceiued were to exempt him out of the condition of man But these .225 vntruthes in one article while they must be multiplied M. Harding telleth one many times maketh straunge interpretations diuiseth new distinctions in suche sort that euery man may espie his folly God for his mercyes sake lighten once his heart y t yet again he may sée whether he goeth and leade them the way back◠againe vnto rightuousnesse before whome he hath runne so long towarde the kingdome of iniquitie that in the day of anger when euery one shall giue accompt of his doings we may be all founde together in the way of obedience and by grace receiue that eternal kingdome which is not due vnto our workes Which kingdome God graunt vs through the death and passion of his sonne our sauioure Iesus Christ to whome with the father the holy ghost be al honor and glory world without ende Amen Ierem. 8.9 The wise men as ashamed they