grese a goose or shepe So that some were compelled to tether their horse in their Orcharde and yet haue these holy fathers prouided that if they be restored as they loke for as manye thinke that they shall haue al their commodities againe O notable charitye and mete for the children of suche a father The Lorde God for his mercy amend this at his good wil and pleasure The people are so blinde that they rather beleue him that fils their bely than him that teaches theym Christe so rude that they care more for y â— bodye than for the soule Euen as christ whan he filled v. M. with fiue loues they woulde haue made him a king but within few dayes after they would haue stoned him Paul wrought for his owne liuynge and would not be a burthen to any congregacion yet he sais that it was lawfull for him to take all hys necessaries of them whom he taught Chrisost. in the lxxxvi Homil. on Matth. writynge entreates the like question and tels causes why he and others had landes belonging to their Churches He sais the vnthankfulnes of the people was such that if they had not such prouision they shoulde goe a begginge So surelye I thinke nowe if the Byshops and ministers hadde not that prouisyon they might sterue for hunger Loue and dutye to Godde his worde and ministers is so decayed that to gette awaye from them is thought godlynes pastime and profet Surely God will not haue his seruauntes so mocked God turne from vs for Christes sake that whiche we deserue and prouoke him to in these oure doinges Iulianus apostata Themperour that forsaked hys fayth hearinge that the Gospell taught the Christians to liue in pouertye and suffer persecution toke their goods from theym and punyshed them sayinge he would helpe theym to heauen bycause their Gospell taught theym to lyue poore and suffer so oure papistes hearing the Protestantes preach pouerty and condemne their proude prelatie haue leased graunted and giuen awaye their lyuynges that now the pore gospeller hais scars wheron to lyue through their malice In Chrystes Church hays euer bene a succession of Byshops from the Apostles time to this daye in euerye see Tertullian sayes yf in any see there be a Byshop that walkes not in hys fathers steppes he is to be counted a bastard and no true inheritour in Christes Church Saint Ciprian does saye they that be made Byshops out of the order of the Churche and not by tradicion and ordinaunce of the Apostles coming by succession from time to time are not bishops by the will of god but theues and murtherers A succession of Byshops or ministers â—e graunt hais bene in the worlde rather than in any one see or countre sins christ which succession we say we haue and folow better than they but not after such sort as he sais and meanes God is neuer withoute hys Churche in the worlde although some countries falle and his churche neuer wantes his Ministers and true teachers at the lest priâ—elye althoughe in some ages it hais theym more plenteouslye than in other some and some times the outward face of the Churche wantes not his errours and blottes But where he sais there hais bene Byshoppes in euerye see sins Thapostles time it must nedes be false For here with vs vnto the time of king Lucius almost ii C. yeare after Christ there were no Byshops in this Realme at al but Flamines as Fabian Polychronic saye and heathen Priestes and sundrye times sins dyuers sees in thys Realme manye yeares together had no Byshops at all whan the vnchristened Saxons were here and diuers Bishopprickes here are not halfe so olde as Thapostles time Yet in all these ages were some that both knew taught priuatlye and folowed the truth thoughe they were not horned and mitred bishop pes nor oyled and sworne shauelinges to the Pope Such popishe Bishoppes I am sure no manne is able to proue to haue bene in euerye see of this Realme continuallye sins the Apostles time nor els where whan he hais proued it I wil say as he does Does the see make the bishop and his doctrine good or badde Does the place make him good or bad If his sayinge bee true that they haue such a succession the manne must nedes be good bicause he is Bishop of suche a place or suche for he meanes to haue a continuall succession of good byshoppes euery where without interruption but whether they succede in agreement of one true doctrine as they doe of one seâ— or place he cares not If succedinge in place be sufficient to proue theym good byshoppes than the Iewes and Turks haue their good bishops and religioÌ„ stil at Ierusalem Constantinople and els where for there they dwel where Thapostles did and haue their sinagoges leuites Priestes and bishops after their sort UUe do esteme and reuerence the continuall succession of good byshops in anye place if they can be founde if they can not we runne not from Godde but rather sticke fast to his worde I thinke ther is no place where euil bishops haue not bene If Corinth Galatia Ephesus Philippos Colossa Thessalonica Macedonia where Paule preached to whome he wrote his seuerall Epistles might fall and haue turkysh prelates why maye not Rome fall to the same maye bee saiâ—e of Ierusalem where S. â—a was and of Aphricke where Ciprian and Austin were and of other places where Thapostles preached now be fallen awaye Succession of good Bysshoppes is a great blessinge of God but bicause God and his trueth henges not on manne nor place we rather heng on the vndeceiuable trueth of Gods worde in all doubtes than on any Byshoppes place or manne For all men are liers and may be deceyued onely god and his word is true and neyther deceyues nor is deceyued In the. x. tribes of Israel where Iereboam made him Priestes against Gods lawe and the greater part of their religion was defaced with idolatryâ— yet were there euer some good Prophetes amonge that taughte Gods people their duetye thoughe not of the higher sort of Priestes and in autoritye as there be some fewe among the Turkes at this daye also Elias complaines that he was left alone Of all the true folowers of Gods lawe he knewe none that feared God beside hym selfe but god said he had reserued vii M. that neuer bend their knee to Baal So surely though the great number of priests and bishops hauing autority haue bene these many yeres the Popes deriyngs rather seruing Baall than God yet our good God pitâ—inge his people hais in al ages reserued some few that taught the truth and feared him God hais not promised that euerye Byshoprycke no nor anye one Bishopricke shoulde haue alwayes good Bishoppes one after an other no more than one good father should haue alwaies good children borne of him nor a good king shoulde haue good Princes to reign after him After wise Salomon reigned foolyshe Roboam
after godlye Ezechias reigned wicked Manasses and after Iesus the son of Iosedeâ— folowed not long after Annas and Caiphas and many wicked ones afore them Contrary wise of sinful auncetors came the innocent Lambe of God Christ Iesus and after the traitour Iudas folowed y â— good Apostle Matthias So that both in king doms and Priesthode the good hais folowed the bad the bad the good The Gospell sais that in Moyses cheare the Scribes Pharises sit if after Moyses followed the wicked scribes and Pharises what priuilege haue our bishops or Popes more than Moises that their successoures shoulde continue in purenesse of religyon and not fall awaye as the Pharises didde Are they better than Moyses â—r where is thys their promise writen in Goddes booke â–ª the gloriynge of this succession is lyke the proude bragges of the Iewes for their genealogies and pety gres saiyng we haue Abraham for oure father but our Sauiour Christ saide ye are of the deuill your father and his workes will ye do So it maye be said to these which crake that they haue Thappostles for their fathers that they haue the Pope their father for his works and doctrine they folowe and not Thapostles As Christ our lord therfore proued the Iewes to be of y â— deuil because they filled his desires and therfore not the children of Abraham so it is easye to see whose children these be whan they folowe the Pope and not Thappostles Succession in doctrine makes theym the sonnes of the Prophetes and Apostles and not sittinge in the same seate nor beynge byshop of the same place There is one of his holy byshoppes that he crakes so much of a litle wiser and subtiller than he in wordes althoughe in sense they agres He sais that in euerye see there hais bene a succession but for example he takes Cantor sais in a litle scrolle that he wrote for the autorytye of the churche and sent it priuely to his frendes to comfort and confirme them with that they shoulde sticke fast thus UUe can recken al the byshops there sins S. Austin that was the first and from him goe to Gregorye byshop of Rome who sent Austin hither and from Gregorye vppe to Peter and so proue that all our religion came from Rome by succession and therefore we must heng on Ro. stil. He sais y e like may be done in euery see and whan it is proued I will beleue it But I am content to stand with him in triall of this If Austin was the first as he sais than Cantorb hais not hadde a continuall succession sins Thappostles time It is since Austin liued a vii C lx yere but since Thapostles it is M. D. lx Howe is there than a continuall succession in Cantorb sins Thapostles time if they wanted bishops the space of viii C. yeare The same reason is against other byshoprickes to and there can not bee proued a succession of their byshops in anye one place of thys Realme since Thapostles And for a succession of agrement in one doctryne relygion and other their doinges they can not find it in Rome neyther afore Gregory nor after Clemens in the booke that goes in his name sais that wyues ought to bee comen whych God forbiddes And here of I thinke the Papists are so bold with other mennes wyues and wyll none of their owne Alexander made holy water as they saye to driue awaye diuels and heale diseases as thoughe it were more holye than Christ himself for the deuill temted him and yet runnes away from their coniured water as they wold make fooles to beleue But what papist was euer so mad to forsake the Phisicions helpe in his sicknes and say he was healed by the Popes holye water If that were true phisicions might put vppe their pipes Pope Pius bade kepe Ester in the full mone what daye in the weke so euer it light on and not alwaies to kepe it on the sonday as we do nowe Marcellinus in persecution sacrificed idols Liberius Felix and Anastasius Popes were Arrians and great heretickes deniynge Chryst to be God equall with his father Pope Leo cut of his hande because a woman kissed it and he felt himselfe some thinge tempted Ioan. i. was send to Themperour as Embassadour from the king of Gâ—thes to counsell him to restore the Churches to Tharrians heretickes Sergius Pope set forthe yearely a piece of a crosse whiche he said was Christs to be worshipt and kissed Gregorye iii. graunted licence to marye hys uncles wyfe plaine against the scripture Zachar i. Pope absolued the Frenche men from obeyinge their king deposed him and confirmed Pipine for their kinge and so did Pope Steuen to Leo. iii. alowed the bloude of Christ at Mantua suche a one as was the swete bloude of Halis here Ioan viii a harlot wearing mannes apparell was made Pope and gote with childe and delyuered as she went in procession solemly Nicholas i. was so proude that he said it was not lawful to reproue the Popes iudgementes Syluester ii and Benet ix gaue themselues to the deuill and offered sacrifice to hym that he woulde make theym Popes and promised after their death wholy to be his they entised women to naughtines with them by witch craft Innocent iii. dispensed with the Emperor Otho to mary his Nese plain contrary to Gods worde Ioan. xxiii denied the soules to lyue after this lyfe the Cardinalles finding no faute with him but the Frenche kinge compelled hym to recante Thys is the goodlye succession that he woulde haue vs to folowe of doctrine in Romyshe Popes written by Platina and suche like no Protestauntes these be the successours and fathers whom he woulde haue vs to be lyke vnto God defende all good folke from all suche doinges saiynges beleuynge liuyng louing or folowing Except god dwel and be tied in cheares seates and places he can not dwell in suche wycked men as these Popes be God dwelles not in houses made wyth mans handes nor in the mighty Prelates of the worlde but he dwelles in the pure mindes and consciences of his elect people of what Estate or degree so euer they be Compare the doings preachinges and troublesom life of Peter Thapostle from time to time with the wicked blasphemyes of these Romyshe prelates and with their lordly idlenes and mark in what thing he is lyke to them or they to him They are no more like than an apple and Oister than canne not he bee their Predecessour nor they his successours If they clame to be Iudas successoures I will not sticke with theym In temporall enheritaunce an euyll man maye succede as ryght heire to a good but in matters of pure religion an heretycke or he that dyffers from the trueth can not be a lawful folower in Goddes Church and defender of the same relygion and trueth from which he is fallen and becomen an enemy Therfore
yet so god blessed the Quenes maiestye that she not onelye delyuered vs but theym from their enemies handes what relese in France the poore oppressed haue had at her highnes handes the blynde sce all her louinge subiectes reioise though the enuious Papist murmure grudge God graunt her hyghnesse grace to be thankefull to gods maiestye who does so past all mannes expectacion prosper her doinges that he onelye maye haue the praise UUhat cause we haue to prayse god for restoring religioÌ„ through the Quenes trauaile all menne of god do see praise him for it thoughe blind papists be sory therfore UUhat â—ost her highnes hais susteined in restoringe vs a fine coine from so base wise men reioise though this malicious foole say we be in great pouerty Looke howe fewe taxes she hais taken to doe this withal and howe manye and howe great were leuied afore Howe was this Realme pesterd with straunge rulers straunge Goddes straunge languages straunge religion straunge coines and howe is it nowe peaceablye ridde of theym all to the greate glorye of God that hais wroughte so manye wonderful straunge greate thinges in so shorte a time in a weake vessell which he neuer did by anye her noble progenitors whiche haue bene so manye and so worthy Coulde anye be so blinde but that malyce hays bewytched to not see or not praise Godde for these worthye dedes â–ª I woulde haue wanted the suspicyon of flatterye in rehearsinge these thinges but that I would the vnthankful world shoulde see the disdainefull blinde malice of popery which can not say well by Gods good blessinges The foolishe lynking and clouting of y â— scriptures together which folowes declares what wit he hais They may be applied all against himselfe and such as he is rather than against the professors of Gods trueth what blasphemye is it to lay all kinde of wickednes on Gods worde what euil so euer raignes in the world it is to be imputed to man not to God to mans frailnes not to gods trueth and goodnes God and his holye worde punish and condemne al false doctrine and filthines therfore God wil confounde all suche filthye mouthes as blaspheme hym or his holye woorde to be the cause of anye kynde of naughtinesse All liberty is now vsed he sais where in dede iustyce was not better ministred these manye yeares euen as the wiser and indifferenter sorte of Papistes doe graunte Call to remembraunce howe sharplye buggerye coniuringe witchcraftes sorcery c. were punished wyth death by lawe in the Gospell tyme of blessed king Edw. Whan were these lawes repealed but in the late dayes of Popery than iudge whether there was greater liberty to sinne vnder the christian kinge or vnder supersticious poperye But the sodomiticall papistes thinke these to be no sinnes and therefore beastly doe misuse them selues defilinge theym selues bothe with spiritual and Sodomitical vncleanes whether is there more libertye gyuen to sin whan such sinnes be made deathe by order of lawe or whan the lawes apoint no punishment for theym Surelye thegospel is vniustly blamed in geuing carnal liberty popery rightfully condemned in taking away the pain opening a doore to al mischefe Who liues more licentiously than the pope himself w tout al feare of god good order gods law doing what he wil so be al his scholers folowing their owne fathers steps In these my sayinges I go not about to proue vs Aungels yet surely not suche deuilles as he woulde make vs but in comparison of them we be saintes therfore let vs both amend that God maye be mercifull to bothe and glorified in both And as thexamples in his beginninge were good if they had bene well applied so is his conclusion I wil conclude with him therefore in the ryght sense and meaninge of it saiynge with him Returne to the steppes of the good fathers the Prophets and Apostles framinge your selues to folowe their doctrine be not caried away with straunge and diuerse doctrine of Popes contrary to Gods holy worde and inuented of late by men Imbrace the religion and faith taught from the beginninge in christes Church from time to time continually Flee this new fangled Popish supersticion whiche hais crept into the Church of late yeares and beleue that onelye whiche Christ hais taught and his Appostles and Martirs haue confirmed and frame your liues accordingly or elles Goddes vengeaunce hanges ouer your heades ready sodenlye to fall vppon you and let this token of brenninge of Paules be an example and token of a greater plague to folowe except ye amend whiche god graunt vs al to doe Amen A Prayer MOste ryghteouse and wise iudge eternall god and merciful father which of thy secret iudgement haste suffered false Prophetes in al ages to rise for the trial of thine elect that the worlde might knowe who woulde stedfastly sticke vnto thy vndoubted and infallible trueth and who woulde be caried awaye with euerye vayne doctrine and yet by the might of thy holye spirite hais confounded theym all to thy great glorye and comfort of thy people haue mercy vpon vs we besech thee and strengthen oure weakenes against all assaultes of our enemies confounde all Popery as thou did the doctrine of the Pharises strengthen y â— louers of thy truth to the confusion of all supersticioÌ„ and hipocrisy giue vs due loue and reuerence of thy holye worde defende vs from mannes tradicions encrease oure fayth graunte vs grace neuer to fall from thee but vprightlye to walke accordynge as thou hais taught vs swaruing neyther to the right hand nor the life neyther adding nor taking any thinge awaye from thy writen worde but submitting oure selues hollye to thy good wil and pleasure may so passe this transitorye life that through thy goodnes we may lyue euerlastinglye wyth thee in thy glory through Christ our lord who with thee and the holye Ghoste lyues and reignes one god and our Sauiour for euer and euer Haue not I hated theym O Lorde that hate thee and euen â—ined awaye because of thine ennemies Psal. Cxxxix I will giue you a mouth and wisdome whiche all your enemies can not gainsaye and wythstande Luke xxi FINIS ¶ Here folowe also certaine questions propounded by him whiche are fullye althoughe shortly aunswered whiche is the catholycke Church SAint Augustine and S. Hieroâ— do saye The Church is a visible companye of people gathered of christ our lord and the Apostles and continued vnto this day by a perpetual succession liuing in one faith Apostolicall vnder Christe the heade and his vicar in earth being the pastor and high Byshop Out of this catholicke and apostolicall church is no trust of saluation Saint Augustine sais who so euer shalbe out of this church althoughe his lyfe be esteamed to be very good and laudable by this only faut that he is disioyned and seperated from the vnitye of Christ and his Church he can haue no lyfe but the wrath of God
vii deacons whē they put away the ceremonies of the old lawe Such decrees as the Apostles and clergye made at Ierusal without anye counsell of the laitie Saint Paule and other of the Apostles taught all Countries and Nations to obey and obserue and sith the Apostles time the clergye hais euer decreed matters of religion and fayth Nor it can not be proued that euer the laite in anye countrie or Nation afore the last parliament did presume to set forth a religion against the whole consent of the clergye Therefore this manner of ministration of sacramentes nowe vsed beinge against the consent and determinacyon of Christes Church which ought to be ruled and gouerned by Byshops it must nedes be schismaticall and they that vse this maner of ministration muste nedes be in schisme The blessed martir Saint Ciprian does declare what daunger they doe stand in that do vse this maner of ministration against the order of christes churche sayinge these wordes They be ennemies of the altar and rebelles against the sacrifice of christ contemninge the Bishoppes and forsakinge the Priestes of God they are bolde to sette vp an other Alter with vnlawfull voyces to make an other maner of prayer to prophane with false sacrifices the veritie of the blessed sacrament of the Alter nor they wyll not knowe theym that fare about to doe againste the ordinance of God For their bold rashnes by the punishment of god they shalbe punyshed as he punished Chore Dathan and Abiron which woulde offer vp Sacrifice againste the consente of Moyses and Aaron some were swalowed vp of the earth and the rest brent with fire to the terrible example of all others Hitherto be Saint Cyprians wordes Also almightye God by his holye Prophete Malachi does crye oute vpon suche Priestes as minister against the ordinaunce of Christes churche sayinge they dispise his name in offeringe vp poluted bread The Prophet Osee does call the sacrifyce of suche Priestes breade of mourninge and all that eate thereof shalbe defiled sayes the Prophet Almightye God does complaine by his Prophet Ezechiel sayinge the Priestes haue condemned my lawe and haue polluted my Sanctuarye woe bee vnto you that goo◠from the truth sayes our lorde by Esai Our lord sayes by his Prophete except suche Priestes will amende quicklye and geue glorye to his name they shall be brought into great necessitye and pouerty and he wyll curse their blessinges and bicause they haue made voyde the pact of Leui they shall be in contempt in all people The. v. aunswere UUhat if this order of ministringe and commen prayer was not agreed on by the vniuersall churche in generall councell Is it not good therefore Than is neyther their latin Portuis nor Missall and masse booke good for the generall churche neuer alowed them as I declared afore It is free for all countries to differ in outwarde order of prayer and ceremonies so that they agree in substaunce of doctrine with the scripture But the laite he sais hais nothinge ado with spirituall matters and religion and alledges Thactes of Apostles how wil he proue that none of the elders there were of the laite nor none of the multitude in the choisinge of the Deacons vnto it be wel proued it maye well be doubted on As in other things so in this he shewes him self how learned he is whan the lawe of God was neglect in the dayes of Saul Dauid commyng to be king and moued with loue of religion cals all the nobility and worshippe of the Realme together thirty thousande and also the leuites and Priestes to knowe their mindes whither they woulde bringe home the arke of God and restore the religion decaied or no and they aunswered al yea what a great parliament was this and full of the laite to determine for receyuynge of religion Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosias good kinges sent their visiters abroade throughe the Realme ioyninge in commission from the king noble menne of the laite to go in visitacion with the Leuites Legenda sanctorū telles howe king Dswi cald a synode at Whithy for takinge awaye that diuersitye of kepinge Easter which was here in the Realme whan some kepte it in the ful mone what daye of the weke so euer it fell on other onely on the sonday folowinge Wherein appeares thautoritye that the king iustly clames to him selfe in religion euen in that blinde age whan he cals the learned men together to dispute on it heares what they can saye and concludes so the matter himselfe that all other didde folowe his sentence Ioan Gerson and Panormitanus as I alleged afore no new protestantes but auncient catholicks and both being present in the last counsels at Constance and Basil said they woulde rather beleue a pore simple learned lay man that bringes and alleges the holy scripture than all the whole counsell hauinge no scripture for theym Gods trueth is not bound to miters Byshops and Priestes alone but lay menne may haue and oft haue better the true vnderstandinge of it than those that looke highest in the clergye and therfore they are to be beleued and hearde aswell as the Priestes Did not king Dauid no Priest set in order the leuites howe they shoulde resort in course to serue in y e tabernacle made the Psalmes appointed theym howe where and whan they shoulde be songe Ezechias and Iosias pulled downe the brasen serpent and other Images Did not Prescilia and Aquila teache Apollo the misteries of the scripture By these I trust it appeares that lay menne may doe some thing in religion If these may not serue looke the statutes of Queene Marie how she takes away one religion and bringes in an other and there is no more done now howe blynde be they in their owne causes and partiall to them selfes But it was neuer hard of he sais that the laite in any countrie presumed to set forth a religion agaynste the hole consent of the clergye afore the last parliament O proude bragge was all the clergy of the realme conteyned in a few horned popyshe Byshoppes Was there no Clergye in the vniuersitie nor other partes of the Realme beside those fewe Byshops did not manye in the vniuersitye and abrode in the Realme vse thys seruyce openlye and commenly in their churches afore it was receyued or enacted by parliament Bicause the rulers the Scribes and all the Priestes Act. iiii ▪ forbade Thappostles in their Parliament and counsel that they shoulde not preache Christ anye more were not the Apostles therfore of the clergye or was not their doctrine good because it was condēned in that wicked counsell Was there not a disputacion for religion appointed by the Quenes maiestie wherein youre Clergye was afraide to vtter their foolyshnes in defendinge their supersticion least they hadde taken more shame in aunsweringe than they did in holdinge their peace whiche well they coulde not I thinke the vniuersities with so manye places of the Realme recayuing