extortion that is in the mighty the oppression that is in the wealthy the vnsatiable desire of hauing vnreasonable practise of getting which is in both of thē these are causes of discorde dissention The corruptiō of such as giue bribes the periury of those that take bribes the buying of othes in the one the selling of cōscience that is in the other ouermuch winking at both of them these are causes of discord and dissention Gréedie séeking for law against iustice diuellish counsell giuē for mony against law enuy in the Client crafte in the Councellour and a couetous hearte reygning in both of them these are causes of discorde and dissention The impietie of tale hearers the impunitie of tale tellers mallice in the one to séeke them falsehoode and flatterie in the other to bryng them and an euill conscience in bothe of them these are causes of discorde and dissention Pryde and disdaine in the higher sorte stubbernesse disobedience in the lower sort lacke of loue in the one neglect of dutie in the other a froward stomack in both of them these are causes of discord and dissention The making repeling of many lawes the executing and obseruing of fewe lawes boldnesse vnto sinne in euery state zeale vnto godlynesse in no state loosenesse in the people negligence in the magistrates a number of Iustices and yet wante of Iustice these are causes of discord dissention These vices therfore or these defects of Vertue extortion oppression bryberie periurie enuie in the clyente craste in the councellour unpietie of tale hearers impunitie of tale bearers pryde in one sorte stubbernesse in an other sort many lawes made fewe lawes executed the licentious life of the people the carelesse securitie of the gouernours with suche other like these vices I say and those men that are frayghted therwith these vices and those men in whom these vices do raigne are the very causes causers of all discord dissētion of al strife variance of all stirres troubles and finally of all manner of disorder in the common wealth whatsoeuer it be Héere you haue a short summe of the whole I néede say no more Looke vppon these fewe poyntes and mende them and you haue mended all Thus much briefely for discord and dissention in the temporall state and in temporall causes Now let vs come to the other kynde of discord whiche troubleth the Churche so much And héere is a greate controuersie or question amongst men whence these troubles of the Churche shoulde arise and who are chiefe authoures of them And the controuersie resteth speciallye betwéene the Catholikes and vs I meane the Papistes and vs And héere when I speake of Papistes you may not take me that I meane euerye one that is not throughly resolued in euery poynte of Religion For there may be many whose eyes God hath not yet opened but will do when it shall please him and yet in the meane time are good subiectes to the Quéene and necessarie members of the common wealth whome we must not despise but pray for But vnder the name of Papistes I comprehende those whyche cleaue altogither vnto the Pope and Papacie and by open worde and writing mainteyne the vsurped authoritie of the Bishop of Rome contrary to the word of God and the lawes and Statutes of thys Realme Betwéene these Papistes therefore and vs is all the question whiche of vs two shuld be disturbers of the Church we or they They lay it to our charge and saye that we are those that trouble the Church and their reason is this that before we beganne to decline from the Church of Rome and to spurne against the Popes authoritie all was well ynough all was quiet at home all was peaceable abroade there were no stirres nor troubles in the common wealth there was no discord nor dissention in the Churche but one vniforme and generall agréemente and consente of all men togither in matters of Religion and Faith but after that we had once reuolted from that Catholike Church and had shaken off from vs the obedience whiche we owe to oure holy father the Pope then beganne all this discorde and dissention then began all these stirres and troubles then beganne all this hurlie burlie to be in the Churche and not only in the Church but in all places of the worlde where the Churche is planted then beganne men to fall togyther by the eares then nation and nation beganne to be at warre one with another yea and nations within themselues beganne to haue ciuill warre and bloudshead to the great disturbance of all good policie and gouernement as at this daye we sée is come to passe in France in Flāders in Scotland elsewhere to the great wōder of the world and al this by our falling frō the Church of Rome therfore we that are fallen from that Church haue swarued from it are the only cause of al the stirres and troubles now in the Churche and so consequentlye of all the stirres and troubles that be in the whale worlde This is their reason that they bryng against vs a great reason doubtles marke it well this it is in fewer words We are those that haue swarued from the Church of Rome Ergo we are those that trouble the Church and the whole world Do yée not marke their argument it is a muche like reason as if the old scribes and Pharises of the Iewish Sinagog should come againe and saye vnto Christ that before he and his Apostles beganne to speake againste them and their authoritie and to preach against their doctrine and traditions and so to carrie the people another way all things were very well all was quiet with them there were no stirres no troubles no tumultes amongst the people there was no discord nor dissention in the Churche nor in Church matters but all men agréed very well togither in doctrine in ceremonies in traditions in religion and so forth all was hush peace yea forsooth the Diuell might sléepe quietly there was none to wake him none to trouble his Kingdome but after that he and his Apostles had once shaken their holy Mother the sinagogue and had disputed againste their abuses and defaced their doctrine and discouered their hipocrisie and so by that meanes had blemished their authoritie and estimation why now the worlde was changed the people were not as they were wonte to be they shewed not their accustomed obedience and reuerence to their olde holy fathers and guydes the Scribes and Pharises but beganne to fall from them yea and to murmure and grudge agaynste them as seducers and deceyuers of the people and all thys came by hym and hys Apostles speaking againste them therefore he and his Apostles were the onely cause of all stirres and troubles in Iewry A muche like reason also as if wicked Acab should come againe and say to the good Prophet Helias that before he beganne to open his mouth against Iezabel and hir
Chaplens and to inueigh so vehemētly against Baal and his sacrificing Priests Israell was quiet ynough there was no stirre amongst the people but after that he had shaken that Idoll and had shamed and confounded his Idolatrous Priests then beganne to be some stirres amongst the people therefore it was he that troubled all Israell These were the reasons which the Scribes and Pharises and wicked Achab brought against Christ and Helias and I pray you are they not all one with that which our aduersaries bring against vs You are those say they that speake against the Churche of Rome and haue dissented from it therfore you are authours of all stirres and troubles in the Church and in the whole world May they not euen with the selfesame reason conclude as well against Christ and say that hée was Authour of all tumults in Iewry against Helias that he was Authour of all troubles in Israell bycause the one spake against the Scribes and Pharises and dissented from their corruptions the other against Baall his Priestes would not assent to their Idolatrie Surely the reason is all one but no man I thinke will say that Christ indéede was the Authour of al tumults in Iewry though he dissented from the Iewish Sinagog nor that Helias was the Authour of all troubles in Israell though he dissented from Baals Priests And euē so I thinke no man will saye of vs or at leastwise can say iustly that we are Authours now of all stirres troubles in the Church though we haue dissented do stil dissent from the Church of Rome For it is not our dissenting frō the Church of Rome that bréedes these troubles in the Church but it is the Church of Rome it selfe which would haue al men to consent with hir against the truth of the Gospell against God himself al Gods forbod I grant indéede we dissent frō the Church of Rome but why bycause the Church of Rome dissenteth from Christ and his Church I grant also that vpon this our dissenting from them much parts taking dothe followe and of partes taking commeth discorde and of discorde oft times ensueth battell and bloudshead and much ado But who are in the fault we that dissent from them in their errour or they whiche will not assent vnto vs in the truth we tell them that they erre and we proue out of Gods worde howe and wherein they erre and this forsooth can not they and theirs abide but are angrie with vs and reply against vs and héere of commeth all those troubles and tragicall stirres that be now in the Churche But in the meane time whiche side is it that troubles the Churche do we trouble the Churche which tell them of these things or do they trouble the Church whiche can not abide to heare of these things in deede if telling them truth or Preaching the Gospell vnto them doe trouble them and the world I must needes say that we are those men that trouble them and that trouble the world But yet how not properlie of our selues nor of set purpose but as the Logitians saye Peraccidens accidentallye and by occasiō bycause they can not abide to heare the truth For it is not the proper effecte and worke of the Gospell to bring trouble with it vnto men but rather to bring ioy and peace of conscience vnto those that heare it and embrace it And if it happen to fall out otherwise as oft times we sée it doth the faulte is not to be imputed to the Preaching of the Gospell nor to the Gospell it selfe but to the euill disposition of such men as can not brooke it nor abide to heare it And so we may say that Christ also troubled Iurie and all the world bycause he preached the Gospell amongst the Iewes whyche could not abide to heare it and bycause he sent his Apostles abroade into the worlde to preache the same amongst the Gentiles whyche lykewise could not abide to heare it For the preaching of the Gospell whiche is called of Saincte Paule Sermo crucis the Preaching of Christ crucifyed was vnto the Iewes a stumbling blocke or offence and vnto the Gréekes or Gentiles it was foolishnesse and a very vnsauerie thing It was offensiue to the Iewes and vnsaucrie to the Gentiles and therefore they coulde not abide to heare it and if they heard it at any time as sometimes they did against their will it séemed vnto them not onely to bée méere discorde and dissention but also it séemed to be a very sword vnto them and a kinde of warre against their state as in déede after a sorte it was For the Preaching of the Gospell was a spirituall discorde and dissention againste their worldlie vnitie the preaching of the Gospell was a spirituall warre againste their carnall peace the preaching of the Gospell was a spirituall sword against their humane doctrine and traditions it was a sworde to cutte away their blindnesse and ignorance to cutte away their hypocrisie and dissimulation to cutte away their errour superstition and idolatrie to cutte away their vaine worshipping of God false worshipping of Idols It was a sword to rippe thē vp lay thē open to the world that all mē might sée them discerne them of what spirit they were how cōtrary to the spirit of God of Christ And as the Preaching of the Gospel was then vnto the Iewes Gentiles euen so is it still at this day to all carnall and worldly minded men the can not abide to heare it it is a kind of warre vnto them a very sword to their heartes And in this respect is it to this sense that our sauiour Christ though he were the Prince of peace yet thus saith of himself in the Gospell Non veni in mundum vt pacem afferam c. I am not come sayeth he into the Worlde to bring peace with me to the worlde but rather to send a sword into it Meaning therby the he came not to rocke men asléepe to crie peace peace where was no peace he came not to crie peace vnto mē in their wickednes he came not to crie peace vnto thē in their blindnes in their ignorāce in their errour in their superstitiō in their idolatrie c he came not thus to rocke men asséepe nor to crye peace to the worlde in these things wherein could be no peace but hée came rather with a sword into the worlde to sight against these things and to fighte against the worlde bycause of these things he came to sight as Saina Paule sayth against rule and power against worldly rulers of the darkenesse of this worlde and againste spirituall craftinesse in heauenly things that is to saye againste the Diuell and his subtill illusions againste these things came he to fight and not only to fight himselfe against these things but also to muster his Souldioures and Captaines his Apostles his Euangelists hys Prophets his Martirs and all other good
Ministers and members of his Churche he came to muster them I say and to put them in readines that they togither with him yea and after him also when he was gone might be ready to make warre and to fight not againste God and his people but against the hipocriticall Scribes and Pharises and the whole Iewishe Sinagog which seduced Gods people agaynst the arrogante and vayneglorious Philosophers whiche seduced the Heathen and Gentiles againste Antechrist and his ministers whiche seduced the whole worlde againste these I say and such other lyke came he and his Apostles to fighte But with what sworde not with a temporall sworde not with that sworde whiche the Pope giueth so liuely in his Scutchion where he crosseth the key with the sword and ioyneth them togither in his armes signifying thereby that not onely spirituall iurisdiction is committed vnto him but also that he hathe the power of the temporall sworde in his hande Chryste and his Apostles came not to fight wyth thys sworde nor with fire nor with faggot nor with hatchet nor with halter wherewith the Pope hathe murthered a great number of the good Saincts and seruants of God nor to make any ciuill war or tumults amongst the nations whereof the Pope hath alway bin a great author Christe I say and his Apostles came not to fight with any such sword nor after any such sorte but he came to fight with a spirituall sworde with preaching of the Gospell and with the word of God which of Sainct Paule is called the sword of the spirit Take vnto you saith he the sword of the spirite whiche is the worde of God. This therefore is the sword that Chryste brought into the world this is the sworde that he fought withall against the world So then you sée now that Christ also him selfe troubled the worlde after a sorte but yet you heare how he troubled it you sée that he vsed the sworde and foughte wyth the sworde but you heare what sworde it was that he fought withal you sée that he himselfe broughte discorde and dissention with him into the world but you beare againste whome and againste what hée brought it And euē so we likewise whom they accuse to be troublers of the worlde we confesse of our selues indéede that we trouble the worlde after a sorte but yet so as Christ troubled it we consesse that we vse the sword and fight with it but such a sword as Christ himselfe vsed and fought withall we confesse that we bring discord and dissention amongst men but yet against such as we shoulde bring it and against such as we ought to bring it We bring not discord and dissention againste God nor against Christ nor againste the Gospell nor against the word of God nor againste the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets we bring no suche discord dissention into the worlde but we bring discord dissention against palpable blindnesse ignorance we bring discorde dissention againste errour superstition and Idolatrie we bring discord and dissention against mens doctrines traditiōs which are cōtrary to gods word we bring discord dissentiō against Papistrie Atheisme we bring discord dissention against Antechrist and his Kingdome we bring discord dissentiō against the diuelish vnitie of Gods conspired eminies whiche disagrée from vs in the truth but cā agrée amōgst themselues too well in all falschoode and wickednesse if it may serue to their owne filthy gaine and aduantage Against these is it that we bring discord and dissention if it may be called discord that is againste the eninnies of god But in déede it is no discord at all or at leastwise no such kind of discorde as the Apostle héere giueth vs warning to beware of and auoyde and therefore consequently the discord which we are charged with being eyther no discorde at all or no suche discord as is héere reproued by the Apostle it must néedes followe that eyther we are no authoures at all of discorde as they accuse vs or if we be authoures of discorde it is of suche as is good and commendable and so yet we are good authoures and commendable authours of good cōmendable discorde authors of such discord as is necessary for the Church to haue and of such discord as without which the doctrine of the Gospel can not take place or if it do cannot long hold and cōtinue For if there be no dissenting from falshoode and lyes whiche haue béen and are and will be to the worldes ende so long as the Diuell hath to do with the world if there be no dissenting I say frō them doubtlesse the trueth of the Gospell can neuer take sure roote nor be throughly setled but will be soone ouer-growne or rather ouerthrowne and weyed downe with the stinking wéedes of mants witte which the Diuell doth still heepe occupyed with odde toyes and deuises of their owne contrarie to the word of God only to shake or shadowe the trueth withall So then oure Discorde you see is no discorde or if it be it is good and necessarre Discorde and thus are we deliuered of that infamie and slaunder whiche they bring vppon vs and are not to be charged in déede with those sturs and troubles of the Church whych they name vs to bée Fathers of Well then what shall we saye to the matter sturres troubles there are in the Church great discord and dissention there is amongest vs whence shall we searche for the cause hereof or whome shall wée make to be authours of it that the worlde may knowe them and eschewe them we wil go no further but to the rule that the Apostle here setteth downe for tryall of the matter I praye you brethren sayeth he haue an eye vnto those men whiche cause Discorde and dissention amongst you and giue occasion of offences contrane to the doctrine that you haue receyued and eschewe them Here is the rule sette downe Now therfore let vs looke about and sée whether we can espye where anye discorde is raysed or where anye occasion of offence is giuen againste the doctrine which we haue receyned of the Apostles And if we finde any matter that bréedeth anye suche Discorde or anye manne that ministreth anye suche matter to bréede Discorde withall againste the doctrine of the Apostles lette vs be bolde to saye that the same matter bréeding suche Discorde and the same man ministring such matter are the verye causes and causers of al sturres and troubles that be nowe in the Churche And here wil it please oure gentle friendes the Catholickes to giue vs leaue nowe another whyle to be bolde with them as they haue bene with vs and to tel them in their eare that al this matter will lighte vppon their owne neckes I wil not holde you long the time is some what paste and I desire of my self to bée shorte and I wyll be the shorter bycause I goe not nowe aboute so muche to proue matters vnto you whyche