they should teache they should publishe abrode the Gospell and be vnto the beleuing a swete sauour of lyfe vnto life and vnto the vnbeleuing and vnfaithfull a sauour of death vnto death and that the mindes of godly persons being brought low by the remorce of their former lyfe and errours after they once begonne to looke vp vnto the light of the Gospel and beleue in Christ might be opened with y e worde of God eueÌ„ as a dore is opened with a keye CoÌ„trarie wise that the wicked and wilfull folke and suche as woulde not beleue nor retorne into the right waye should be lefte still as fast locked and shut vp and as S. Paul sayeth waxe worse and worse This take we to be the meaning of the keyes and that after this fashion mens consciences eyther to be opened or shut We saye that the preist in deede is Iudge in this case but yet hath no maner of right to chalenge an auctoritie or power as saith Ambrose And therfore our Sauiour Iesu Christ to reproue y e negligence of the Scribes and Phariseis in teaching dyd with these wordes rebuke them sayng Wo vnto you Scribes and Pharisies whiche haue takeÌ„ awaye the keyes of knowledge and haue shut vp the kyngdome of heauen before men Seing then the keye whereby the waye and entery to y t kingdom of God is opened vnto vs is the worde of the Gospell and thexpounding of the Lawe and Scriptures we say plainely where the same woorde is not there is not the keye And seyng one maner of worde is geuen to al and one only keye belongeth to al we say there is but one only power of all ministers as concerning opening and shutting And as touching the Bysshop of Rome for all his Parasites stateâ— ringlie singe in his eares those wordes To the will I geue y e keyes of the kingdome of heauen as though those keyes were fyt for hym alone and for no body els except he go so to woorke as mens consciences maye be made pliaunte and be subdued to the worde of God we denye y t he doth either open or shut or hath y e keyes at all And although he tought and instructed the people as woulde to God he might once truely do and perswade him selfe it were at the leaste soÌ„me peece of his duety yet we thinke his keye to be neuer a whit better or of greater force then other mens For who hath seuered hym froÌ„ the rest who hath taught him more coÌ„ningly to open or better to absolue then his bretherne We say y t matrimonie is holy and honorable in al sorts states of persones in y e patriarches in the prophetes in the apostles in holy martyrs in y e ministers of y e Churche and in Byshopps and that it is an honest and laufull thinge as Chrysostome saith for a man liuing in matrimonie to take vpon hym therewith the dignitie of a Bysshop And as Sozomenus saith of Spiridion and as Nazianzen saith of his owne father that a good and diligent Bysshopp doth serue in the ministerie neuer the worse for that he is maried but rather the better and with more ablenes to do good Further we saye that the same lawe whiche by constrainte taketh awaye this libertie from men and compelleth them against their willes to liue single is the doctrine of Dyuells as Paule saith and that euer since the tyme of this lawe a wonderful vncleanes of lyfe and maners in goddes ministers and sundrie horrible enormities haue folowed as the Bysshop of Augusta as Faber as Abbas Panormiâ—anus as Latomus as the Tripartite worke whiche is annexed to the seconde Tome of y e Councelles and other chaÌ„pious of the Popes band yea and as the matter it selfe and al histories do coÌ„fesse For it was rightly sayd by Pius the second a Bysshop of Rome that he sawe many causes why wiues should be takeÌ„ awaye from Preistes but that he sawe many moe and more weightye causes whye they ought to be restored them againe We receyue and embrace all the Canonicall Scriptures both of the oulde and new Testament geuing thankes to our God who hath raised vp vnto vs that light whiche we might euer haue before our eyes â—â—aste eyther by the sutteltie of man or by the snares of the Dyuell we shoulde be caried awaye to errours and lyes Also that these be the heauenly voices wherby God hath opened vnto vs his will and that onely in them mans hearte can haue setled reste that in them be habundantly and fullye comprehended all thinges what soeuer be nedefull for our saluatioÌ„ as Origene Augustine Chrysostom Cyrillus haue taught That they be y e very might and strength of God to attaine to saluation That they be the fouÌ„dations of the Prophetes and Apostles whereupon is buylte the Churche of God That they be y e very sure and infallible rule wherbe may be tryed whether y e Church doth stagger or erre and wherunto all ecclesiasticall Doctrine ought to be called to accompte and that against these scriptures neyther lawe nor ordinaunce nor any custom ought to be hard no though Paule his owne selfe or an Aungell froÌ„ heauen shoulde come and teache the contrarie Moreouer we alow the sacrameÌ„tes of the Churche that is to saye certaine holy signes ceremonies whiche Christ woulde wee should vse that by them he might set before our eyes the mysteries of our saluation and might more strongely confirme our faith which we haue in his bloud and might seale his grace in our heartes And those sacramentes togither with Tertullian Origene Ambrose Augustin Hierome Chrysostome Basill Dionysius and other Catholique Fathers do we call figures signes markes or badges printes copies formes seales signettes similitudes patterns representations remembraunces and memories And we make no doubt togither with the same Doctours to say that those be certaine visible wordes seales of righteousnes tokens of grace and do expresly pronounce that in the Lords supper there is truelye geueÌ„ vnto the beleuing the body and bloud of the Lord the flesshe of the sonne of God whiche quickeneth our soules the meate that cometh from aboue the foode of inmortalitie grace truth and lyfe And y â— supper to be the coÌ„munion of y e body and bloud of Christ by the partaking whereof wee be reuiued wee be strengthened and be fed vnto immortalitie wherby we are ioyned vnited incorporate vnto Christ that we may abide in him and he in vs. Besides wee acknowledge there be two sacramentes which wee iudge proprely ought to be called by this name that is to saye Baptisme and the sacrameÌ„tes of thankes giuing For thus many we see were deliuered and sanctified by Christ and well allowed of the oulde fathers Ambrose and Augustine We say y t Babtisme is a sacrament of the remissioÌ„ of sinnes and of that washing which we haue in the blood of Christe and that no persoÌ„ which wil professe Christes name
Prophetes and continued so euen till the tyme y t Christe shewed himselfe to vs in the flesh This notwithstaÌ„ding how often o good God in the meane whyle and howe horribly was thesame Churche darkened and decayed where was that Churche then when all fleshe vpon earth had defyled their owne waye where was it when amoÌ„gest the nombre of the whole world there were only eyght persones they neither all chast and good whom Gods will was shoulde be saued aliue from that vniuersall destruction and mortalitie â–ª When Ely the Prophete so lamentaâ—â—â—e and byterly made mone that onelye himselfe was left of all the whole world whiche dyd truely and dewly worshipp God And when Esay said The siluer of Goddes people that is of the Churche was become Drosse and that the same Citie which a foretime had ben faithful was now become an harlot and that in y e same was no part sound thoroughout the whol body from the head to the fote Or els when Christ him selfe sayde that the house of God was made by y e Pharasies and Preistes a Denne of theues Of a trouth the Church euen as a cornefyld except it be ared manured tilled trimmed in stede of wheate it wil bring furthe thystles darnell and nettilles For this cause did God send euer among both Prophettes Apostles last of al his own Son who might bring home the people into the right waye and repayre a new the tottering Church after she had erred But least some manne should say that the forsaid thinges happened in y e tyme of the law onely of shadowes and of infancie when truth laye hid vnder figures and ceremonies wheÌ„ nothing as yet was brought to perfection when the law was not graueÌ„ in mennes heartes but in stone and yet is that but a foolishe saying for euen at those dayes was there the very same God that is now the same spirite the same Christe thesame faith the same doctrine the same hope the same inheritaunce the same league and the same efficacie and vertue of Goddes worde â–ª Eusebius also saith all the faithfull euen from Adam vntil Christ were in very dede ChristiaÌ„s though they were not so termed But as I said leaste men should thus speake still Paul the apostle found the like faultes and falles euen then in the prime and chiefe of the Gospel in chiefe perfection and in lighte so that he was compelled to write in this sorte to the Galatians whom he had wel before that instructed I feare me quod he leaste I haue laboured emongest you in vayne and leaste ye haue heard y e Gospel in vaine O my litle Children of whom I trauaile a new til Christ be fashioned againe in you And as for the Churche of the Corinthians how fouly it was defiled is nothing needeful to rehearce Now tel me might the Churches of the Galathians and Corinthians goe amisse and the churche of Rome alone may it not fayle ner goe amysse Surely Christ prophecyed long before of his churche that y e time should come when dessolation should stande in the holy place And Paul saith that Antichrist should once set vp his owne tabernacle and stately seath in the temple of God and that the time shuld be wheÌ„ men should not awaye with holesome doctrin but he turned back vnto fables lies and that wythin the very Church Peter likewise tellyth how there should be teachers of lyes in y e church of Christ Daniell the Prophete speaking of the later times of Antichrist Truthe sayth he in that seasone shalbe throwen vnder foote and troden vppon in the worlde And Christ sayeth how the calamitie confusion of thinges shalbe so exceding great that euen the chosen yf it were possible shalbe brought into errour and how all these thinges shal come to passe not amoÌ„gest Gentiles and Turkes but that they should be in the holye place in the Temple of God â–ª in the churche and in the companie an felowship of those whiche professe the name of Christ. Albeit these same warnynges alone may suffice a wyseman to take heede he do not suffer hym selfe rashelye to be deserued with the name of the Churche not to staye to make further inquisition therof by Gods worde yet bysyde al this many Fathers also manye learned and godly men haue often and carefully complained how all these thinges haue chaunced in their lyfe time For eueÌ„ in the middest of that thick myst of darknes God would yet ther should be som whoe thoughe they gaue not a cleare bright light yet shuld they kyndle were it but some sparke which menne might espye being in the darkenes Hylarius when thinges as yet were almoste vncorrupt and in good case to ye are yll deceyued saith he with yÌ„e loue of walles ye do ill worship the Church in that ye worship it in houses and buildinges ye do yll bryng in the name of peace vnder roofes Is there anye doubt but Antichrist will haue his seate vnder the same I rather recken hilles wodes pools maryshes prisons quauemires to be places of more safetie for in these the Prophetes either abiding of their accorde or drowned by violence didde prophecie by the spirite of God Gregorie as one which perceaued and forsaw in his mind y e wrack of al things wrote thus to Iohn Bysshop of Constantinople who was the firste of all others that commaunded himselfe to bee called by this newe name the vniuersall Bishop of whole Christes Church Yf y e Churche saith he shall depend vpon one manne it will at once fall downe to the grownd Who is he y e seeth not how this is come to passe longe since for longe aâ— gone hathe the Bysshop of Rome willed to haue the whole Churche depende vpon himselfe alone Wherefore it is no meruail though it be clean fallen downe longe agone Bernard y e Abbot aboue foure hundred yeares past writeth thus Nothinge is nowe of sinceritie and purenes emongest the Cleargie wherfore it resteth that the man of sin should be reuealed The same Bernarde in his worke of the conuersion of Paul It semeth now saith he thaâ— persecution hath ceased no no persecution seemeth but nowe to beginne euen from them whiche haue chieâ—e preeminence in the Churche Thy friendes and neighbours haue drawen neere â–ª stoode vp against thee from the sole of thy foot to the crowne of thy heade there is no part whole Iniquitie is proceeded from the Elders the Iudges and deputies which pretende â—o rule thy people Wee cannot saye nowe Loke how the people be so is the priest For the people be not so ill as the priest is Alas alas o Lorde God the selfe same persons be the chiefe in persecutinge thee which seeme to loue the highest place and beare moste rule in thy church The same Bernard again vpon y e Canticles writeth thus All they are thy friendes yet are they all thy foes â–ª
of the furnesse and to say trouth we haue ben cast out by these menn beyng cursed of them as they vse to saye with boke bel and candell rather then haue gon awaye from them of our selues And wee are come to that Churche wherein they themselues cannot denye if thei wil say truely and as thei thinke in their owne conscience but all thinges be gouerned purely and reuerently and asmuch as we possibly could very neere to the order vsed in the olde time Let them compare our Churches and theirs togither and they shall see that themselues haue moste shamefully gon from the Apostles and we moste iustely haue gon from them For we folowinge the exaumple of Christ of the Apostles and the holy fatherâ— giue the people the holye Communion whole and perfite But these men contrary to all y e fathers to all the Apostles and contrarye to Christ himself do seuer the sacraments and plucke away the one parte from the people and that with moste notorious sacriledge as Gelasius termeth yt Wee haue broughte againe the Lords supper vnto Christes institution and will haue it to be a Communion in very deede common and indifferent to a great number accordinge to the name But these men haue chaunged al things contrarie to Christes institution haue made a priuate Masse of the holy Communion and so it commeth to passe that we giue the Lordes supper vnto the people and they giue them a vaine pagent to gase on We affirme togither with the auncient fathers that the body of Christe is not eaten but of the good and faithfull and of those that are endued with the spirit of Christe Their doctrine is that Christes very bodie effectually as they speake really and substantially may not only be eaten of the wicked and vnfaithful men but also which is monstrous to be spoken of myse and dogges Wee vse to praye in Churches after that fashion as accordinge to Paules lesson the people maye knowe what wee pray and may answere Amen with a general consent These men like soundinge mettall yelle out in the churches vnknowen and straunge wordes w tout vnderstanding without knowledge and w tout deuotioÌ„ yea doe it of purpose bicause y e people should vnderstand nothing at all But not to tarry about rehearsing all poyntes wherein we and thei differ for they haue wel nye no end we tourne the scriptures into al tongues they scant suffer them to be had abroad in any tongue we allure y e people to reade and to heare Gods word thei driue the people froÌ„ it We desire to haue our cause knowen to al y e world they flee to come to any trial We leane vnto knowlege they vnto ignoraunce We trust vnto light thei vnto darkenes We reuerence as it becoÌ„meth vs the writings of y e Apostles and Prophetes they burne them Finally wee in Gods cause desire to stand to Goddes onely iudgement they wil stand only to their owne Wherfore if they wil waye â—ll these thinges with a quiet mind and fullye bente to heare and to learne they wil not only alow this determinatioÌ„ of oures who haue forsaken errours and folowed Christe and his Apostles butte themselues also will forsake their owne selues and ioyne of their owne accorde to oure side But peraduenture they will saye it was treason to attempt these matters without a sacred generall Councell for in that consisteth the whole force of the Churche there CHRIST hath promised he will euer bee a present assistant Yet they themselues without tarrienge for anye generall Councell haue broken the commaundementes of Godde and the decrees of the Apostles and as wee sayde a little aboue they haue spoyled and disanulled almoste all not onelye ordinaunces but euen the doctrine of the primatiue Churche And where they saye it is not laufull to make a chaunge without a Councell wâ—aâ— was he that made vs these lawes or from whence hadde they this Iniunction Kinge Agesilaus truelye didde butte fondelye whoe when hee hadde a determinate aunswere made him of the opinion and will of myghtye Iupiter woulde afterwarde bringe the whole matter before Apollo to knowe whether hee alowed thereof as his father Iupiter didde or no But yet shoulde wee dooe muche more fondelye when wee maye heare Godde him selfe plainelye speake to vs in the moste holye scriptures and maye understande by them his will and meaninge yf wee woulde afterwarde as thoughe this were of none effecte bringe oure whole cause to be tryed by a Councell which were nothinge els but to aske whether menne would allowé as God did whether meÌ„ would confirme Gods commaundement by their authority Why I besech you except a Councell wil coÌ„maund shal not truth be truth or God be God Yf Christ 〈…〉 to do so from y e beginning as that he would preache or teache nothing without the Bysshops consent but refer all his doctrine ouer to Annas and Caiphas where should nowe haue been the christian faith or who at any time should haue hearde the Gospell taught Peter verily whome the Pope hath oftener in his mouth and more reuerently vseth to speake of then he dothe of Iesu Christ did boldly stand against the holy Councel saieng It is better to obey God then men And after Paule had once intirely embraced the Gospel and had receiued it not froÌ„ men nor by man but by the only will of God he did not take aduise therin of fleshe and bloud nor brought y e case before his kinsemen brethren but went furth with into Arabia to preache Gods diuine mysteries by Goddes onelye authoritie Yet truely wee doe not despise Councelles assemblies conferences of Bysshops and learned men neyther haue we done y t wee haue done altogether â—boue Byshops or without a Councell The matter hath ben treated in open Parliament with long consultation and before a notable Synode and Conuocation But touchyng this Councell whiche is now soÌ„moned by y e Pope Pius wherin men so lightly are condemned whiche haue ben neither called hearde nor seene yt is easie to gesse what we maye looke for or hope of yt In times paste when Nazianzene sawe in his daies how men in suche assemblies were so blynde and wilfull that they were caried with affections and laboured more to get the victory then y e trueth he pronounced openly that he neuer had sene a good ende of any Councell what woulde he say now yf he were â— liue at this daye and vnderâ—â—ode the heauing and shoving of these men For at that time though the matter were laboured on all sydes yet the controuersies were wel heard and open errours were put cleane awaye by the generall voice of all partes But these men wil neyther haue the case to be freely disputed nor yet how many errours soeuer there be suffer they any to be chaunged For it is a coÌ„mon custome of theirs often and shameleslye to boast that their Churche cannot erre that in it there is no faulte
thei do now thus reiect and cast of Christian Princes from knowing of the cause and from their meetinges Well thus doinge they wiselye and warelye prouide for them selues and for their kingedome whiche otherwise they see is like shortly to come to naught For if so be they whom God hath placed in greatest dignitie didde see and perceiue these mennes practises howe Christes commaundementes be despised by them how the light of the Gospell is darkened and quenched out by them how themselues also be subtilly begiled and mocked and vnwares be deluded by them the way to y e kingedom of heaueÌ„ stopped vp before them no doubt they would neuer so quietlye suffer them selues neyther to be disdaigned after suche a prowde sorte nor so dispitefully to be scorned and abused by them But nowe through their own lacke of vnderstanding through their owne blyndenesse these menne haue them fast yoked â–ª and in their daunger We truely for our parts as we haue sayd haue don nothing in altering Religion either vpon rashenes or arrogantie nor nothing but with good leasure and great consideration Neyther had we euer intended to do it except both the manifeste and most assured will of God opened to vs in his holy scriptures and the regarde of our owne saluation had euen constreyned vs there vnto For though wee haue departed from that Churche which these menne call catholique and by that meanes gett vs enuy amongest them that want skill to iudge yet is this ynough for vs and it ought to be ynough for euery wise and good man and one that maketh accoumpte of euerlasting lyfe that we haue gon from that Church whiche had power to erre whiche Christ who cannot erre tolde so long before it should erre and which we our selues did euidently see with our eyes to haue gon both from y e holy Fathers and from the Apostles and from Christ his own selfe from the primatiue catholique churche and wee are come as nere as we possibly could to the Church of the Apostles and of the old catholique Byshops and Fathers whiche Churche we knowe hath hetherunto ben sounde and perfite and as Tertullian termeth it a pure virgine spotted as yet with no Idolatrie nor with any foule or shamefull faulte and haue directed according to their customes and ordinaunces not onely our doctrine but also the Sacraments the fourme of common prayer And as we knowe both Christe hym selfe and all good men here to fore haue don we haue called home againe to the originall and first foundation that Religion which hath ben fowly forslowed vtterly corrupted by these men For wee thought it mere thence to take y e paterne of reforminge Religion from whence the ground of Religion was first taken Bycause this one reasone as saythe the most auncient Father Tertullian hath great force againste all Heresies Looke what soeuer was first that is trew and what soeuer is latter that is corrupt Ireneus oftentimes appealed to y e oldest Churchs which had ben nerest to Christes time and which it was hard to beleue had erred But whye at this daye is not the same respect and consideratioÌ„ had Whye returne wee not to the paterne of the ould Churches whye maye not we heare at this time amongst vs y e same saiing which was opeÌ„ly pronounced in times past in the Councel at Nice by so many Byshopes and Catholique Fathers and nobody once speakyng againste it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye hould still the old customes When Eldras went about to repayre the ruynes of the Temple of God he sent not to Ephesus although the moste beautifull and gorgious Temple of Diana was there and when he purposed to restore y e Sacrifices and ceremonies of God he send not to Rome although peraduenture he had hearde in that place were the solemne Sacrifices called Hecatombae and other called Solitaurilâ—a lectisternia and SupplicatioÌ„s and Numa Pompilius ceremoniall bokes he thought it ynoughe for hym to set before his eyes to folow the paterne of the old Temple which Salomon at the beginning builded accordyng as God had appoincted hym and also those olde customes and Ceremonies whiche God hymselfe had writen out by special words for Moses The Prophet Aggeus after the TeÌ„ple was repaired againe by Esdras and the people mighte thinke they had a very iuste cause to reioyce on their own behalfe for so great a benefit receiued of almightie God yet made he them al burst out in teares bycause that they whyche were yet aliue and had sene the former building of the Temple before the Babylonians destroyed it called to mynde how far of it was yet from that beautie and excellencie whiche it had in the olde times past before For theÌ„ in deed would they haue thought y e Temple worthely repaired yf it had aunswered to the auncient paterne and to the maiestie of the first Temple Paul bycause he wold amende the abuse of the Lordes supper which y e Corinthians euen then begonne to corrupte he sett before them Christes institution to folow sayng I haue deliuered vnto you y e which I firste receiued of the Lord. And when Christ dyd confute the errour of the Pharisees Ye must saith he retorne to the first beginning for froÌ„ the beginning yt was not thus And when he founde great faulte with y e preists for their vncleanes of lyfe and couetousnes and woulde clense the Temple from al euil abuses This house saith he at y e first beginning was a house of praier wherin all the people myght deuoutely and sincerely praye together and so were your partes to vse it nowe also at this daye For it was not builded to thende it should be a denne of theues Likewise al the good and commendable Princes mentioned of in the Scriptures were praised specially by those wordes that they had walked in the wayes of their Father Dauid That is bycause they had retorned to the first and originall foundation and had restored Religion euen to the perfection wherin Dauid left it And therfore wheÌ„ we likewise sawe all thing es were quite trodden vnder foote of these men and that nothing remained in the Temple of God but piteful spoyles and decayes we reckened it the wisest and the safest waye to sett before our eyes those Churches which we knew for a suerty that they neuer had erred nor neuer had priuate Masse nor prayers in straynge and Barbarous language nor this corrupting of Sacramentes and other toyes And forsomuche as our desire was to haue the Temple of the Lord restored a new we would seke no other foundatioÌ„ then the same which we knew was long agone layde by the Apostles that is to wyte our sauiour Iesu Christ. And forsomuch as we heard God hym selfe speaking vnto vs in his word and sawe also the notable Examples of the oulde and primatiue Churche againe how vncertaine a mater it was to wait for a generall Coucell and that the successe therof
many Prynces only vppon his owne blynd preiudices and foredeterminations and y t without hearing of them speak or without shewing cause whye But bycause he hath alredy so noted vs openlye least by holdynge oure peace we should seme to graunt a fault and specially bycause we can by no meane haue audience in y e publik assembly of the general Councel wherein he would no creature should haue power to geue his voice or declare his opinion excepte he were sworne and straightly bounde to maintaine his aucthoritie For wee haue had good experience hereof in his last conference at the councel at Trident where the embassadours diuines of the Princes of Germany and of the free Cities were quite shutte out from their company nother can we yet forget how Iulius the third aboue ten yeares past prouided warely by his writt that none of our sorte shoulde bee suffered to speake in the Councell except there were som paraduenture y t wolde recante and chaunge his opinion For this cause chieflye we thoughte it good to yelde vp an accoumpte of oure faith in writing truely and openly to make aunswere to those things wherwith wee haue ben openly charged to thende the worlde may see the partes and foundacions of that doctrine in the behalfe whereof so many good men haue litle regarded their oune lyues And y t al men may vnderstand what manner of people they be and what opinion they haue of God and of Religion whome the Bysshop of Rome before they were called to tell theire tale hath condemned for heretikes without any good consideratioÌ„ without any exaumple vtterly without lawe or righte onelye bycause he hearde tell that they did dissente from hym and his in som pointe of Religion And although S. Hierome would haue no bodie to be patient when he is suspected of heresy yet we wil deal herein nether bitterly nor brablingly nor yet be caried away w t angre heate though he ought to be reckned neither bitter nor brabler y t speaketh y e truth We willingly leaue thys kynde of eloquence to oure aduersaries who whatsoeuer they say against vs be it neuer so shrewdly or dipitefully sayde yet thinke it is sayd modestely and comely ynough and care nothing whether it be trew or false Wee neede none of these shyftes which do maintaine the truthe Further yf wee do shewe it plaine that Gods holie Gospell the aunciente Byshops and the primatiue Churche do make on our syde and that wee haue not without iust cause left these men and rather haue retourned to the Apostles and oulde catholique Fathers And yf wee shall be founde to doe the same not coulorably or craftely but in good faith before God truly honestly cleerely and plainly and yf they theÌ„selues which â—ye our doctrine and woulde be called Catholiks shall manifestly see how al those titles of antiquitie whereof they boste so much ar quite shaken out of their haÌ„ds and that there is more pith in this oure cause then they thoughte for wee then hope and trust that none of them wil be so negligent and careles of his own saluation but he will at length studye and bethinke him selfe to whether parte hee were best to ioyne him Vndoubtedlye excepte one will altogether harden his hearte and refuse to heare he shal not repent him to geue good heede to this out defence and to mark well what wee say how truly and iustly it agreeth with Christian Religion For where they call vs Heretikes it is a crime so haynous y t onles it may be seene vnles it may be felt in maÌ„ner may be holdeÌ„ with hands and fingers it ought not lightly to be iudged or beleued when it is â—aide to the charge of any Christian man For heresy is a â—orsaking of saluatioÌ„ a renouncing of Gods grace a departing from the body and spirite of Christe But this was euer an olde and solempne propretye with them and theire forefathers yf any did complaine of their errours and faultes and desired to haue true Religion restored streighte waye to coÌ„demne such one for heretikes as men new fangled factious Christe for no nother cause was called a Samaritan but onely for y t he was thoughte to haue fallen to a certaine newe Religion and to be the Aucthor of a newe sect And Paul thapostle of CHRISTE was called before the Iudges to make aunswere to a matter of heresy and therfore hee saied Acordinge to this way whiche they call Heresye I doo worshippe the God of my Fathers beleeuinge all thinges which be written in the law and in the Prophets Shortely to speake This vniuersal Religion whiche Christen men professe at this day was called firste of the heathen people a Sect Heresy With these termes did they alwaies fil priÌ„ces eares to thintent when they had once hated vs with a foredetermined opinion and had coumpted all that wee sayed to bee faction and heresy they might be so ledd away from y e truth right vnderstaÌ„ding of the cause But the more sore and outragious a crime heresye is the more it ought to be proued by plaine and strong argumentes especially in this time wheÌ„ men begin to geue lesse credite to theyre words to make more diligent searche of theyr doctrine then they were wont to do For y e people of God ar otherwyse instructed now then they were in times past when all the Bysshopps of Romes sayenges were allowed for Gospell when all Religion did depende only vpon their aucthoritie Nowe a daies the holie scripture is abroad the writinges of the Apostles Prophets ar in printe whereby all truth and Catholyke doctrine may be proued and all heresie may be disproued and confuted Sithens then they bring furth none of these for them selues and call vs neuertheles Heretiques which haue nether fallen from Christ nor from y e Apostles nor yet from the Prophets this ys an iniurious and a very spitefull dealinge With this sword did Christe put of the Dyuel when he was tempted of him w c these weapons oughte all presumption which doth auauÌ„ce it selfe against God to be ouerthrowen and coÌ„quered For al Scripture sayeth S. Paule that commeth by the inspiration of God is profitable to teach to confute to instruct and to reproue that the man of God may be perfect and throughly framed to euery good work Thus did the holy Fathers alway fight agaynst the heretikes with none other force then with y e holy scriptures S. Augustin when he disputed against Petilian an heretike of â— Donatistes Let not these woordes quod he be heard betwene vs I say or you say let vs rather speake in this wise Thus sayeth the Lorde there let vs seeke the Church ther let vs boult out our cause Lykewise S. Hâ—erome All those things sayth he which without the testimonie of the scriptures are holden as deliuered from y e Apostles be throughly smitten down by the sword of Gods worde S. Ambrose also
their owne kyngedome strayght way is at a pointe yf the scripture once haue the vpper hande and that lyke as men say the Idolles of diuells in times past of whom menne in doubtfull matters were then wont to receiue auÌ„swers were sodâ—nly striken domme at the sight of Christ when he was borne and came into the world euen so they see that now al their suttle practises wil sone fal down hedlong vpon the sight of the Gospell For Antichrist is not ouerthrowen but with the brightnes of Christes coÌ„ming As for vs we runne not for succour to the fyer as these mennes guyse is but we runne to the scriptures neyther doe we reason with the sworde but with y e worde of God and therewith as saythe Tertullian do we feed our fayth by it do we styr vp our hope and strengthen our confidence For wee knowe that the Gospell of IESV CHRIST is the power of God vnto saluation and that therein consisteth eternall lyfe And as Paule warneth vs wee do not heare no not an Aungel of God coming from heauen yf he go about to pull vs from any parte of this doctrine Yea more then this as the holy martyr Iustine spekith of hym selfe we would giue no credence to God him selfe yf he should teache vs any other Gospell For where these menne byd the holie Scriptures away as domme and frutles and procure vs to come to God him selfe rather who speaketh in the Church and in Councelles whiche is to saye to beleue their fansies and opinions This waye of fynding out the truth is verye vncertaine and exceding daungerous in maÌ„ner a Fantastical a mad way and by no meanes allowed of the holye Fathers Chrysostom saith there be many oftentymes whiche boast themselues of the holye Ghoste but truelye who so speake of their owne head doe falselye boast they haue the spirite of God For like as saith he Christ denied he spake of him selfe when he spake out of the lawe and Prophets euen so now yf any thing be preassed vpon vs in the name of the holy Ghoste saue the Gospell we ought not to beleue it For as Christ is the fulfilling of the lawe and the Prophetes so is the holye Ghoste the fulfyllinge of the Gospell Thus farre goeth Chrysostom But here I looke thei wil say though they haue not the Scriptures yet maye chaunce they haue the Auncient Doctours and the holy Fathers with them For this is a high bragge they haue euer made how that al antiquity and a continuall consent of all ages dothe make on their side and that all our cases be but new yester dayes worke vntill these fewe laste yeares neuer heard of Questionlesse there can nothing be more spitfully spoken against the religion of God theÌ„ to acuse it of noueltie as a new comeÌ„ vp matter For as ther can be no chauÌ„ge in God him selfe no more ought there to be in his religion Yet neuertheles we wote not by what meanes but we haue euer seene it come so to passe from the first beginning of al that as often as God did giue but some light and did open his truth vnto men though y e truth wer not only of greatest antiquitie but also from euerlasting yet of wicked men of the aduersaries was it called NewfaÌ„gled and of late deuised That vngracious and bloud thristâ— Haman when he sought to procure the king Assueruses displeasure against y e Iewes this was his accusation to him Thou hast here saith he a kinde of people that vseth certaine new lawes of their owne but stifnecked rebellious against al thy lawes When Paule also began first to preach expouÌ„d y e Gospel at Athenes he was called A tidinges bringer of newe Gods as muche to saye as of new religion for said the Athenians maye wee not knowe of thee what newe doctrine this is Celsus likewise when he of set purpose wrote against Christ to thende he might more scornefully scoffe out the Gospel by the name of noueltye What saith he hath God after so many ages nowe at last and so late bethought himselfe Eusebius also wryteth that Christian religion from the beginning for very spite was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say New strange After like sorte these men coÌ„demne all our matters as strange newe but they will haue their owne whatsoeuer thei are to be praised as thinges of long coÌ„tinuaÌ„ce Doing much like to yÌ„e enchauÌ„ters sorcerers now a daies which working w t diuels vse to say thei haue their bokes and al their holy hidd mysteries from Athanasius Cyprian Moses Abell Adam from the Archaungell Raphael because y t their connig comming from suche patrones founders might be iudged the more high and holy After the same fasshion these men bicause they would haue their owne religion whiche they themselues and that not longe since haue brought forth into the world to be the eaâ—â—lier and rather accepted of foolishe persons or of suche as caste little whereabouts thei or other do go thei are wont to say they had it from Augustine Hierome Chrysostome froÌ„ the Apostles and from Christe himselfe Ful wel knowe thei y t nothinge is more in the peoples fauour or better liketh the common sorte then these names But how if the thinges whiche these men are so desirous to haue seeme newe be found of greatest antiquitie Contrariwise howe if all the thinges well nye whiche they so greatly set out with the name of antiquitie hauing been wel and throughly examined be at length founde to be but new and deuised of verye late Southly to say no man that had a true and right coÌ„sideracion would think the Iewes lawes and cerimonies to be new for all Hammans accusation for they were grauen in very auncient Tables of most antiquitie And although many did take Christ to haue swarued from Abraham the old fathers to haue brought in a certaine newe religion in his owne name yet aunswered hee them directly Yf ye beleeued Moyses ye woulde beleeue mee also for my doctrine is not so new as you make yt For Moses an author of greatest antiquitie and one to whome ye geue al honor hath spoken of me Paule likewise though the Gospell of Iesus Christe be of many counted to be but new yet hath it saith he the testimonie most old both of the law and prophetes As for our doctrine whiche wee may rightlier cal Christes catholik doctrine it is so farre of from newe that God who is aboue all most auncient the father of our Lorde Iesus Christe hath left the same vnto vs in y e Gospel in y e prophets Apostles woorkes beinge monuments of greatest age So that no man can nowe thinke oure doctrine to be newe onlesse the same thinke either the prophetes faithe or the Gospell or els Christe himselfe to be newe And as for their religion if it be of so longe continuance as thei woulde haue men weene it is
and vtterly made awaye the hil aultres and Groues wherby he saw Goddes honoure hindered and the people holden backe with a priuate superstition from the ordinarie Tēple whiche was at Ierusalem wherto they should by ordre haue resorted yearely from euery part of the Realme Kynge Iosias w t great diligence put the Preists and Byshops in myde of their duety Kyng Iohas bridled the Ryot and arrogancie of the preistes Iehu put to death the wicked Prophetes And to rehearse no more exampls out of the old law let vs rather cōsider since the birthe of Christ howe the Churche hath ben gouerned in the Gospels time The Christian Emperours in old time appoincted the Councelles of the Bysshops Constantine called the Councell at Nice Theodotius the first called the Councell at Constātinople Theodotius the second the councel at Ephesus Martian the Councell at Chalcedone and when Rufine the heretike had alleadged for authoritie a Councell whiche as hee thought shoulde make for him Hieroin his aduerrsarie to confute him Tell vs quod hee what Emperour commaunded that Councell to be called The same Hierome againe in his Epitaphe vpon Paula maketh mention of the Emperours letters whiche gaue commaundement to call the Bysshoppes of Italie and Grecia to Rome to a Councel Continuallye for the space of fiue hundreth yeares Themperoure alone appointed thecclesiasticall assemblies and called the Councelles of the Bysshops togither We nowe therefore maruail the more at the vnreasonable dealinge of the Bysshoppe of Rome who knowinge what was the Emperoures right when the Churche was well ordered knowinge also that it is nowe a common right to all princes for so muche as Kinges are now fully possessed in the seuerall partes of the whole Empire dothe so without consideration assigne that office alone to himselfe and taketh it sufficient in summoning a general Councel to make a man that is prince of the whole world no otherwise partaker thereof then hee woulde make his owne seruaunte And although the modestie and mildenes of the Emperour Ferdinando be so greate that hee canne beare this wronge bycause peraduenture hee vnderstandeth not well the Popes packinge yet ought not the Pope of his holines to offer him that wronge nor to claime as his owne an other mans right But hereto some will replye the Emperour in deede called Councelles at that tyme ye speake of bycause the Bysshop of Rome was not yet growen so greate as hee is nowe but yet the Emperour didde not then sitte togeather with the Bysshoppes in Councell or once bare any stroke with his authoritie in their consultation I aunswere nay that it is not so for as witnesseth Theodorete Themperour Constantine sate not only together with them in the Councell at Nice butte gaue also aduice to the Bysshoppes howe it was best to trye out the matter by the Apostles and Prophettes writinges as apeereth by these his own woordes In disputation saithe hee of matters of diuinitie wee haue sette before vs to followe the doctrine of the holye Ghoste For the Euangelistes and the Apostles woorkes and the Prophettes sayinges shewe vs sufficientlye what opinion wee ought to haue of the will of God The Emperour Theodotius as sayeth Socrates didde not onely sitte amongest the Byshoppes but also ordered the whole arguinge of the cause and tare in peeces the Heritiques bookes and allowed for good the iudgemente of the Catholiques In the Coūcell at Chalridone a Ciuile magistrate condemned for heretikes by the sentence of hys owne mouthe the Bysshoppes Dioseorus Iuuenall and Thalasius and gaue iudgement to put them down from that promotion in the Curche In the third Councell at Constantinople Constantine a ciuile Magistrate dyd not only sit amongest the Byshops but dyd also subscribe with them For saith he we haue both read and subscribed In the second Councell called Arausicanum the Princes Embassadours being noble menne borne not only spake their minde touching Religion but set to their handes also aswel as the Byshops For thus is it writen in the later end of that Coūcel Petrus Marcellinus Felix and Liberius being most noble menne and the famous Lieutenauntes and Capitaines of Fraunce also Peeres of the Realm haue giuen their consent and set to their handes Further Syagrius Opilio Pantagattus Deodatus Cariattho and Marcellus menne of very great honour haue subscribed Yf it be so then that Lieutenauntes chyefe Capitaines and Peeres haue had authoritie to subscribe in Councell haue not Emperours and kinges the like authoritie Truely there hadde been no neede to handle so plaine a matter as this is with so many wordes and so at length if wee hadde not to doe with those menne who for a desire they haue to striue and to winne the mastery vse of course to deny all thinges be thei neuer so cleere yea the very same which they presentlye see and beholde with their owne eyes The Emperour Iustinian made a law to correct the behauiour of y e Cleargie and to cutt shorte the insolencie of the priestes And albeit hee were a Christian and a Catholique prince yet putte hee downe from their Papall Throne twooe Popes Syluerius and Vigilius not withstandinge they were Peters successours and Christes vicars Lette vs see then suche men as haue authoritie ouer the Bysshoppes suche menne as receaue from God commaundementes concerning Religion suche as brynge home againe the Arke of God make holy hymnes ouer see the preistes builde the Temple make Orations touching diuine seruice clense the Temples destroye the hil Aultres burne the Idolles groues teache the preistes their dewtie write them out Preceptes how they should lyue kill the wicked Prophetes displace the high Preistes call togyther the Councelles of Byshops sit togither wich the Byshoppes instructing them what they ought to doe condemne and punysh an Hereticall Byshop be made acquaynted with matters of Religion whiche subscribe and giue sentence and do al these things not by an other mans Commissiō but in their own name and that both vprightly and godly Shall we say it perteineth not to suche men to haue to do with Religion or shall wee saye a Christian Magistrate whyche dealith amongest others in these maters doth either naughtelie or presumpteouslye or wickedlye The moste aunciente and Christian Emperoures and kinges that euer were didde busy themselus with these matters and yet were they neuer for this cause noted eyther of wickednesse or of presumption And what is hee that canne finde oute either more catholique princes or more notable exaumples Wherefore yf it were lawfull for them to dooe thus beinge but Ciuile Magistrates and hauinge the chiefe rule of common weales what offence haue oure Princes at thys daye made whiche maye not haue leaue to dooe the lyke beinge in the like degree Or what especiall gifte of learninge or of iudgemente or of holynes haue these menne nowe that contrarye to the custome of all the aunciente and Catholique Bysshoppes who vsed to conferre with princes and peeres concerning religiō