most florishing state of the primitiue Church to be meanly vertuous they must excell they must be wonderfull The whiche thing bicause they do it not but rather whersoeuer they put their foote they leaue the grownde embrewed with muche naughtinesse and vice it is very euident and plaine that they could not perfourme so much as they had promised For they haue brought into the common weale for the cleannes of the Gospell fowle vices for peace and loue debate for modestie pride for religion wickednes for liberty bondage for good ordre licentious liuing for pleasaunt calmenes a most crewel storme And yet you like a godly man lay before me the iudgement of God to make me afraied in the whiche you say that I poore wretch for so it pleaseth you to terme me shal yeald an accoÌ„pt of this so heinouse and wicked offence before the iudgement seat of Christ bicause I haue presumed to rebuke those holie continent and religious persons In deede there is good cause why I should feare For M. Haddon a wise man and such a one as hath familiar coÌ„ference with God at al tymes wold neuer haue said it vnlesse it had beÌ„ declared vnto him before by some heauenly reuelation Reason would therfore that I should tremble and quake for feare of that iudgement the which you your selfe feare neuer a deale and yet you threaten me very seuerely withal You say that I doe not only laugh at your Gospell and deface your Doctours whiche are very heauenlie menne but also violently wrest Hieremie The which thing how false it is I wil declare hereafter You say afterwarde that all that testimonie of Hieremie concerning false Prophetes perteyneth vnto vs. Howe so sir Hearde you euer say that there was any newe Prophete emongest vs that went about to tourne vs away from the auncient Religion That warranted vs of peace and ioylitie as though he had had commission from Christe so to doe That taught the people that synne should escape vnpunished You retourne once agayne to speake your pleasure by the holy Church the ordre wherof I haue alreadie declared in the whiche although there be some diseases yet they are suche as may be cured For we refuse not the medicine the which without the Church can not be found els where After that you commend your own Church highly The publike fermons say you you commit to certaine seely friers and they declaime after their owne fasshion in other matters they are dome As touching preaching I haue said already that this charge is in no wise to be neglected of the Bishoppes neither doth the holy Churche beare with such negligence but rather exhorteth and chargeth al Bishops most streightly to folow the office of preaching and teaching with all diligence And it is no reason that the negligeÌ„ce of a fewe men should be imputed to the whole Church the which is so careful to take good and wholesome ordre with euery particular man that he should doe his dewtie Moreouer there are as I sayd before many Bisshops emongest vs the which preach oftentymes and stirre vppe their subiectes to the loue of godlines But admitte it were alwaies so that the sermons were made by Monkes doubtlesse it is more tolerable that godly and religious persones should be appointed by the Bishops to doe that office then that base fellowes and suche as are poisoned with most pestilent and erroneous doctrine should be made rulers ouer Churches Whereas you say that at our sermons the audieÌ„ce is brought a sleepe I grauÌ„t it must needes happen so sometimes when he that preacheth can not be so eloquent and fine as you are What then Bicause some man nappeth a litle sometime therefore shall not the rest awake them selues and geaue diligent eare to the sermon shall no preacher be able to moue and exhort his hearers to serue God with greater loue and feruency In the ministring of Sacramentes say you the Priestes only are doers the rest are but lookers on Of lyke you are not pleased with that You haue no liking in modest and seemely ordre You would peraduenture that there should be made a disordre and confusion of offices and that al men should take vppon them the office of priesthood But we thinke that that comely ordre was ordeyned by God that Priestes only should minister the Sacraments and that the rest should take the profit of them with silence and not medle them selues with the diuine seruice As concerning the vnknowen tongue in the which the seruice is saide I â—â—ue spokeÌ„ sufficiently already wherfore bicause I wil not repete one thing often tymes I referre you to those thinges that are said before Let vs now enter say you into the masses in the which you would haue the very marow of religion to be powred out That is very true For they conteine in them a most seruent lifting vppe of the heart vnto God moste holy and deuout prayers the monumentes and remembraunces of Christe whiche represent vnto vs his life his passion his death and merites the ordre and woorking of our saluation and the appeasing of the displeasure of God And that I may say nothing elles in them is offered vppe the moste holie bodie of Christ the selfe same Sacrifice that taketh away the vncleane spottes of synnes that yealdeth vppe thankes to our most mighty Lord and bountiful parent that enkendleth godly mindes and inflameth deuout hearts with the loue of euerlasting life and glorie You say moreouer that no maÌ„ entermedleth with the Gospell emongest vs. You say wel in that For we can not abide that euery man should be a Reader euery man a Doctour euerie man a Prophet But we thinke it expedient to prouide that al thinges may be done honestly and orderly Where you saie that all exhortations out of the Gospell are whisshed omongest vs that is false For we haue continuall preaching and there is expounded what so euer coÌ„cerneth salualtion not vnlearnedly nor yet vnsauerly as you imagine and the hearers keepe silence after a very modest and comely sorte You come saie you to the Lordes Table once per aduenture euery yeare and that more for a solemne ceremonie then for a contrite heart This gesse of yours is very vaine also Truthe it is that al men are bownde by lawe and order to come vnto our Lordes Table once in the yeare but such as doe it but once in the yere are not wont to be coÌ„mended And emongest vs there are of such as feaste them selues at this heauenlie banket very often an exceding great number Whereas you say that it is done for a solemne ceremonie onlie and not for a contrite heart you doe but gesse as your manner it And for so muche as your gesse prooueth false it seemeth that you may woorthilie be numbred emongest the false Prophetes When you saie that in this supper the supper of our Lorde is not remembred of vs you speake with out the booke euen as you didde before
the iustice of God For almightie God is mercifull but soâ— that he is not vnmindfull of his iustice he is also iust but in suche sorte that in the ministring of his seuere iudgement he sheweth manie pointes of great mercie Moreouer this puritie or cleannes which is gotten by the grace and benefite of Christ hath certaine degrees so that he that is cleane may be yet cleaner and come vnto a cleerer knowledge of the nature of God And the encrease of this cleannes consisteth in salt and fyer that is to say in such pounishment as is appointed to pourge the remnantes of synne that the Sacrifice may be purer and holier and more acceptable to God Wherefore it is necessarie that the Sacrifice whiche is to be offered vppe vnto God with suche rites and orders as are appointed by Christe our high Priest be first cleansed yea and perfectely well pourged by laying on some pounishment vppon synne either in this lyfe or elles in the lyfe to come For euen as God when he pardoned Dauid quited him not of all punishment for he lost afterward his sonne and was chased out of his kingdome by the heynouse treason of his sonne Absolon and his howse was dishonoured in the face of the world in lyke sorte although God forgeaueth synnes yet that notwithstandinge hee wyll require some penaunce that there maye be made a satisfaction or amendes for the offence committed The which satisfaction resteth not in the weight or estimation of it selfe but in the infinite merite of Christ For otherwise there should be no end of punishment for so muche as the offence was endles in so much as the maiestie of God was offended which is endles Vnto this penaunce which is to be abiden of al such as haue not thorughly pourged the vncleannes of their sinnes in this life by dew labours looked S. Peter when he said that the iust should hardly be saued wherefore the wicked were sarre from that that they could assure them selues of saluation That there is a most certaine hope of saluation offered vnto the iust he denieth not but that it is geuen vnlesse they take great paines and trauaile before that he denieth vtterly S. Peter againe in the selfe same epistle to teach vs that the entraunce vnto saluation is not shut vppe to the dead saith that Christe preached the gospell to those sowles that were in custodie or ward He saith not that Christ going downe to hel declared that ioyfull and glad tydinges to the holy Fathers onely but also to menne which were committed to ward that is to say to men which were shut vp in prison for offences committed And left it might be thought that those meÌ„ whome Christ at that time instructed with a more cleere and exacte knowledge had ben before vtterly voide of â—aith he added Such as had been some time vnbeleeuing And againe lest some man might suspect that that sentence had ben spoken by them the which although they had sometyme coÌ„mitted some offences yet had spent the greatest part of their life in faith and religion he saith that the gospel that is to say the tidings of euerlasting saluation was brought to them which in the daies of Noe made light of the counsel and aduertisement of the holy man the whiche notwithstanding before thei were coÌ„sumed in the flud were better aduised and gat pardon of their synnes and offences but yet so that for their long offence they suffred in hell a long penaunce Out of the which place it is gathered by the autoritie of S. Peter that such as repent them selues in lyke maÌ„ner of their vncleane and synful liuing in the ende of their life and depart out of this bodie with a burning faith shal after the same fasshion be kepte in prison vntil they haue suffred suche punishment as God hath appointed and vntil being more cleerely instructed in the thinges apperteyning to God in the whiche instruction and receiuing of the light staÌ„deth as S. Denyse saith the somme of the purgation they may be caried vp into those ioyfull dwelling places of heauen S. Paule also writing to the Corinthians saith What shal they do which are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all Wherefore are they baptized for them To be baptized in in this place is to offer vppe him selfe as a satisfactorie or pourging Sacrifice to wasshe and clense the spottes of sowles Wherevpon our Lorde him selfe shewed that he was very sore pained with the earnest desire that he had of baptisme that is to say of that most wholesome wasshing wherein he should offer vp him selfe a Sacrifice vpon the Aulter of the Crosse for the synnes of mankind And of the two brethren whiche sought to haue the highest roome with him in his kingdom he demauÌ„deth whether they be â—eady to beare him coÌ„panie in the same baptisme To be baptized therefore for the dead is nothing els but to honour God with some pourging Sacrifice or offering for the saluation of the dead and to offer vp with good heart euen the Sacrifice of our body for their saluation The which thing S. Paule did as it appeereth not only for the dead but also for the liuing For immediatly after he saith thus Wherefore doe we also put our selues in ieoperdie euerie day I doe die dayly for your glorie which I haue in our Lord Iesus Christ By the whiche place it may be gathered that S. Paule so oâ—ten as he aduentured his life for the state of the holy Church so often did he administer the Sacrament and Sacrifice of this baptisme the whiche thing he did then most worthely when he died a moste honorable death for the glory of Christ and saluation of al men For he sayde that he was to be offered vp as a Sacrifice at that tyme especially when death by the which he should be deliuered out of the prison of his bodie approched neere By the which place it is euidently prooued that many other also haue offred vp most holy Sacrifices for the dead that is to say for the saluation of the deade The which thing if it were alwayes done in vaine then might it be concluded that such â—s are deade should neuer returne againe to liue But now for so much as it was not done in vaine for otherwise S. Paule would neuer haue borne withal it foloweth necessarily that prayers made for the saluation of the dead are not superfluous and that the sowles of such as are departed this lyfe are holpen by the prayers vowes and Sacrifices of the lyuing The whiche sowles so departed for so much as thei â—re neither buried in euerlasting darknesse for then could they not get out by any mans prayers neither yet placed in heauen for there should they not neede any mans prayers it followeth that they be in some other place which we are wont to call purgatorie Many other thinges might be spoken to this purpose Many things
sheweth plainly the power and cuÌ„ning of that most excellent workeman in whose handes the liuing creature was made and fashioned Neither dothe the multitude of liuing thinges minish the estimation of Gods worke but rather augment and increase it For the benefites of almightie God the more they are in number and the better they are knowen the better is the greatnes of his power and mercy sene although the reason of his workes be not vnderstood What shal I here speake of those thinges that are for the excellency of their nature farre aboue the sense and vnderstanding of man Who wil beleue that there is an infinite multitude of heauenly spirites whiche being of vnderstanding moste cleere of holines most pure of vertue and power very excellent of comelines and bewty most like vnto God are alwaies occupied in the Seruice of God euermore singing and praising his Maiestie continually burning with the flame of the loue of God What Can you conceiue by reason how the only sonne of God the veri expresse Image of the Father the brightnes of ouerlasting light being equal with the Father in nature power kingdome and maiestie toke vpon him the shape of man suffered in his mortal bodie labour misery punishment for vs redemed with his bloud our soules which were fouly spotted in sinne If these thinges are to be weyed by mans reason onely they are nothing like to be true but if we will consider them according to the faith which we haue of the bowntiful goodnes of God there is nothing more credible For passing great benefits are to be required and loked for of passing great bountie He that spared not saith S. Paul his owne sonne but gaue him vp for vs al How gaue he not vnto vs al things with him Wherfore to such as beleue vprightly I thinke ther is nothing els nedeful to be considered but how the thing that they are willed to beleue standeth with the bountie of God the which doing it is not possible that any man should doubt of any mysterie of our saluation These thinges being thus determined I will now talke not with you M. Haddon of whome as you saie the Sacramentes of the Churche are kepte butte I will take soome one of them to talke withall that rayleth with blasphemouse mouth against the blessed Sacramente of the Aulter And bicause I wil seeke no further let it be your golden Martyr whom you commend so highlie Ymagine therefore that I talke with him after this sorte O moste vile and naughtie felowe what came into thy minde to go about to deface to violate and to depraue that moste holy Mysterie the monumente of the loue of God towardes vs the comforte of our bannishment the staie of the frailtie of manne the bankette of heauen ordeyned for vs in that last Supper by the handes of Our Lord him selfe Was there none in so many hundred yeres but thou and thy Maisters that durst attempt so heinouse vile and barbarouse an acte Was there none that vnderstoode the sense of the holie Scripture the meaning of the Gospell the order of the blessed Sacramentes but you Were so many holy Martyrs so many Religious persons so many great wise men in whome shone the beames of the brightnes of God ignorant in matters of so great importance It is like forsooth that the light of the holie Ghost shewed it selfe first vnto suche saucie desperate rash and presumptuous varlettes as you are and suffered so many thousandes of holie and vertuous men to lye in darkenes and ignorance Tel me I pray thee what great thing had Christ done for vs if at what time he determined to leaue to his Disciples a speciall pleadge of his loue towardes theÌ„ he had left them nothing els but a bare remembrance of his death in the consecration of that bread It had ben a signe only meet to be nuÌ„bred emâ—gest those that you defaced and ouerthrew and nothing worthie to be celebrated with so great reuereÌ„ce of that moste holie and euerlasting Prieste Moreouer I wold faine learne of thee whether it be a wicked offence to call to remembrance the death of Christe so long as a man is in sinne No truly but coÌ„trariwise we can deuise no better medicine then that is to driue awai sinne and to recouer our health by the grace of Christ What moued S. Paul then if there be nothing elles in this sacrament but only a bare remembraÌ„ce of that death that Christ suffred vpon the Crosse to threaten so grieuous and horrible paines to suche as woulde receiue this heaueÌ„ly bread vnworthily Who so euer shall eate saieth he the bread and drinke the cup of our Lord vnworthylie shal be giltie What Is it such a greiuous offence when I am sicke to thinke vpon the medicine with the which only I may be healed What other thing did I when I receiued that bread if there be nothing els in it but a remeÌ„brance of those wouÌ„ds by the which only my wounds may be healed but cal to remeÌ„braunce the only remedy of life Wilt thou blame me when I am sicke bicause I seeke the remedie of my disease and humblie call for succour Thou canst not do it And yet â–ª if I receiue that bread vnworthily that is to say as thou expoundest it if I remember being in synne that Christ suffered death and crewel tormentes for me S. Paule maketh me terribly afraid by charging me with a crime But with what a crime I pray thee Some light or coÌ„mon crime peradueÌ„ture the which offendeth not verie much No such a crime as is of al other most heinouse and wicked He shalbe giltle saieth he of the bodie and bloude of our Lorde that is to say he shalbe gyltie of no lesse crime then if he had crucified Christ For what cause Bicause as the wicked souldiers pricked forewarde with vnbeleefe put to death the Lord and maker of al thinges so do they that presume to touch with vncleane mindes that moste excellent cleanes seeme to bring vpon them selues the selfe same plague for the likenes of their heinouse offence For bothe of them do alike despise Christe and vnreuerently abuse his holines and maiesty For otherwise what harme were it to synful men to receiue that bread None at al. The Apostle therfore bicause he sawe how grieuouse a faulte it was to touch the bodie of our Lord with an vncleane soule denouÌ„ced the punishment to fray al men from doing such a prâ—sumptuous acte And therefore he saith anon after Let a manne first trie him selfe and so eate of that breade and drinke of that cuppe And what can be more plaine then the wordes of our Lord This is saith he my bodie and doe this in remembrance of me How then Wilt thou presume to take the wordes of Christ being nothing doubtful but plaine and euident and expouÌ„d them maliciusly Wilt thou set the meaning of S. Paul at naught which expouÌ„deth the myste rie exceeding plainly and
greate hinderaunce of the Church do preach ofteÌ„times Such as are not able to discharge it themselues appoint certain religious and wise persons men wel learned not in the rules of Bucer or your Martyr but in the holy scripture and in the bokes of the holy Fathers to instruct the people with chast pure and religious doctrine And as we see it come to passe especially in such as are bleare eyed that if they be either put into an extreme dark place or els loke ouer steddily vpoÌ„ the sonne beames thei leese their sight euen so if meÌ„ either be altogether turned away froÌ„ the light of God or els wil looke to intentiuely vppon it before the blearednes of their minde be healed they are striken stone blinde Wherefore it is very wisely and warily prouided of vs that we neither suffer the common people to lacke the light of Gods word any time neither do we dasel their eies so muche with the brightnesse thereof which they are not able to abide that they may be therewithall miserablie blinded We bring therfore none other thing in our sermons but that which we iudge effectual to bring men to the loue of godlines and folowing of charitie to the hatred of sinne and forsaking of vncleanes of lyfe And for this cause doe we set before their eyes oftentimes the crowne of euerlastinge glorie and the paine of the euerlasting torment But the daungerous questions of darke and secret matters we do for good consideration leaue vntowched in such sermons as are made vnto the people The authoritie of Bishops is great in so much that it is not very hard for them to restreine the vnbrideled lust of disordered persons and to remoue them that be obstinate in sin from the Communion of the Church Neither are such menne chosen to be Bishops as may be either for basenesse despised or for folishnes set at naught or for notoriouse vices reprehended and so do much hurt by their example The times of the yeare are so consecrated and diuided with ordinarie and solemne ceremonies that at all tymes there is somewhat done in the Church which may renew in vs the remembrance of Gods graces and benefites And to beginne at the Moneth of Decembre we are then styrred vp to remembre that time in the which the holy Fathers of the olde time loked for the coming of the Sonne of God into the earth and besought him with continuall prayers to hasten it and had a most earnest desire to see it that we might the better vnderstande howe muche we are bound and endebted to God which hath graunted vs the ioyfull fruition of that moste excellent fruit which the old Fathers very holy men and of God intierly beloued so griedily lusted and longed after When the daie of Christes birth is come we keepe watches and singe hymnes and Psalmes by note our organs also and others instruments sound euery where to the honour and praise of God euery thing doth then stirre vs vp to beholde the Sonne of almightie God the most excelleÌ„t Lord and maker of al the world lying naked and crying in a mangier in the weake fourme of a sucking babe We heare then with the eares of our heartes the voices of Angels bringers of that glad tydinges and we endeuour by faith to doe our homage with the sheapeâ—erdes vnto the King that is borne vnto vs and fixing our selues in the conteÌ„plation of him wee receiue the fruicte of incredible ioye The first day of Ianuarie the Churche putteth vs in minde to beholde the wound which our Sauiour receiued that daie and the Mysterie of circumcision and the moste dreadefull name of Ihesus which is the pleadge of our saluation and the lesson which was then geuen vs of that most perfect obedience and so by the strength and signification of this moste holie name we labour muche more cheerefully to atteine to the saluation which is promised vs. What should I here saie of the most bright starre which appeared to the Gentiles in the furthermost partes of the East How might I expresse the incredible ioy and pleasure of the holie man Simeon when he bare the child in his armes What should I here rehearse the exceeding gladnesse and cumfort the which Anna the widowe conceiued or els the godli prophecies which shee pronounced when shee beholde the Child All these thinges hath the Churche set before our eyes with solemne pompe and procession and candels burning to the intent they should sincke the deeper into our heartes Now when the time of fasting draweth nero we behold how Christ was baptised by Iohn in the floud Iordane we here the voice of the Father we consider the fast wherwith the sonne of God punished his owne bodie we record the tentations and wilie practises of Satan against him we endeuour our selues as muche as we can to set out the victorie of Christ we call to minde the homage of Angels which brought him meate and serued him By this exaÌ„ple of Christ we are taught that we ought to kepe ftil that puritie and cleanes whiche we receiued in the holie fount of Baptisme that we should receiue the voice of the father commaunding vs to obeye him with heart and minde that we should subdewe the body with fasting and encounter with our old enemie the dinel to the end that â–ª at the length the battaile being fought and the victorie by the mightie protection of God atchieued we might be refreshed with heauenly foode and comforted by the ministerie of Angels When the time approcheth in the which we mind to celebrate the supper of our Lord â–ª to do so holy a worke with the greater deuotion we prepare our selues much more diligently then at other tymes and we doe it with gladnes and feare together Then doe we consecrate the holy Oiles by the which are fignified diuers gyftes and graces of the holy Ghost according as S. Denyse and other holy Father write and we minister the body of our Lord to al such as are readie to receyue it and we wash the feete of poore men not only with water but also with many teares sometimes and by this example we cause suche as looke on to powre out teares abondantly But when we behold attentiuely Christ hanging on the Crosse when we consider how he was scorned reuiled tormented and put to death when we pray for the saluation of all menns when we come bare-footed to worship Christ in his Image when we bring in God him selfe complaining of our misliuing when we craue pardon for our synnes in moste humble and lowly wise what man thinke you is then in the Churche which is not foorth with stirred vp to forsake synne and to folow a better ordre of life But when Easter day is come we vse suche honour and pompe we sing suche Hymnes and Psalmes to aduaunce the victorie and triumph of Christ raised from death to set out the sacke and spoile of
Howe be it as touching the Supper of our Lorde I can not wel tell what to saie to you For as yet I am not perfectlie infourmed whether you folowe the wicked opinion of your Martyr or no. If you doe folowe him with what reuerence or trembling can you come to the Sacrament of the Aulter seeing that you beleue that there is none other thing in it but onely a naked and bare remembrance of the death which Christ suffred vppon the Crosse for vs If you folow him not wherefore do you not abhorre and detest the naughtie and wicked felowe You find fault with vs also bicause we haue no publike or open confession of our synnes emongest vs. I woulde faine learne of you how that synne which is committed secretely is to be confessed in the face of the worlde I haue saie you declared your vsage You blamed me bicause being vnacquainted with the affaires of England I declared suche thinges as are notoriouselie knowen and caried by letters by talke by moste constante reporte of all menne into all Countreis and Coastes euen to the furthermost partes of the world to the great griefe of all such as heare them and yet you speake rashly of our matters whiche you haue neither seene nor vnderstoode and therefore you vse this word peraduenture and as though you knew very exactly al those thinges which you haue spoken you saie boldlie that you haue declared oure vsage and that very plainely After that you tourne againe to the commendation of your Church You speake much of your continuall preaching of the despising of mans traditions of your Psalmes and Hymnes and Lawdes with the which you honour the Lord. Anon after you saie thus Then foloweth the holy table of the Lord which is occupied euery holie daie The minister of God calleth vp all such as haue prepared them selues to that so heauenly a banket Do you call that a heauenlie baÌ„ket the which your Martyr whom you set out with heaueÌ„ly praises went about to bereafe of al heauenlinesse Furthermore you tel vs not how sober they are when they come to this supper how wel they are clad with their mariage garment with what examination with what feruencie and wakeful diligence they prepare them selues vnto it And of your Minister you saie neuer a worde by what meanes with what ceremouie after what ordre of Religion by whome he came to that dignitie You talke muche of the puritie of your sermons whereas in deede there can not possibly be any puritie in such a corrupt and pestilent doctrine Last of al you declare not what â—ite this your religion bringeth For you shew vs not your wonderful chaâ—…itie your puritie and holines of life your meruelous woorkes of godlines and charitie And yet you saie thus I might in this place make an opposition â— coÌ„parison lest I lacked wordes wherewith I might if I would trimme it and â—t it out I would be glad to see you doe it M. Haddon Howe greate a praise had that bene vnto you if you had laied together diuers examples of hothe sydes and shewed howe this churche whiche you set foorth so solemly is most like vnto that auncient and primitiue Church which was dedicated by the bloud of Christ and instructed in the doctrine of th' Apostles in vpright and heauenly conuersation in innocentie vertue constancie lowlinesse pacience chastitie in modest and seemelie behauiour If you had don this you had dispatched the whol matter Wherfore did you not brauelie set out that opposition or comparison which you speak of Wherfore did you not set out to the world the worthie actes and holie woorkes of your maisters Wherfore did you not clerâ— that point in the which consisted the very grouÌ„d and pith of the whol matter I assure you you had had the daie of vs if you had declared how much these newe Prophettes dooe passe in heauenlie vertues and had shewed withall that there is no difference betweene them and the olde Disciples of Christ What could a man of such a wonderfull witte and singular eloquence as you are of lacke wordes in the defence of so true and so honest a cause as this is But that conclusion of yours liketh me meruelously wel You saie thus A man may see more sorowing and sighinge in one holye Supper of the Lorde which our men doe resorte vnto then in sixe hundred of your solemne Masses First of al if you thinke that al Sacramentes are to be ministred with teares and sighes you are fowly ouerseene For there is a time of sorow and a time of gladnes as Salomon saith Then it cometh to passe ofteÌ„times that we may think of heaueÌ„ly things more earnestly aÌ„d more atteÌ„tiueli without sorow then with sorow Last of all I would faine learne of you what these your sighes doe meane Doe thei signifie a desire and longing after the olde Religion againe Or els serue they for a cloke to couer your new disguised Religion Or els is there no suche matter at all For Erasmus and certaine other learned men haue geuen this marke vnto your Religion that none of you al wil once sigh no not vppon such daies as are to be kept with teares and sorow And Luther him selfe the foreman of all this rable he neuer wept nor sorowed at the remembrance of the bitter paines and tormentes whiche Christ suffered for vs vppon the Crosse For he was a man fortified with incredible hardnes and a deadly enemie to weeping and teares As for the diuerse expositions of our Doctors which you speake of thei are altogether impertinent to our matter For there is no disagreeing omongest vs in suche matters as concerne the grownde of our faith and Religion But to what end tend al these thinges M. Waulter to what purpose do you bring them Be it that these your solemnities be kept of you with so great pompe and ceremony as you wil your selues yet can I not see hitherto that you haue by these your solemne sacramentes newly deuised by the goodlie witte of you and your companions by this Religion set vp with such diligeÌ„ce and prouident carefulnes by these dailie sermons by this sighing and sorowing brought the Churche to suche a state as your Maisters promised you to doe Wherefore you must pardon me if I require one thing of you many times if I be to importunate in asking it Restore I saie once againe restore vnto vs the puritie of the Gospell laiâ— abroad those goodly wares of heauenly vertues set out to the world the notable lessons of this worthy Religion that when we see by your wonderful workes and honourable dedes that the mightie power of the holy Ghoste is within you we may be astonished seing your miracles and confesse that those Prophetes whiche taught you were sent from God Marke diligently I pray you what our Lorde hath saied as concerning a false Prophete The Prophete saith God the whiche being seduced with pride shall presume to speake in my name