sayth Whatsoeuer the Church teacheth mening y e Pope and the Church of Rome That same is the expresse word of God and whatsoeuer is taught against the meaning consent of the Churche is the expresse worde of the Diuel So that if this be true that he sayeth then the Romish religion which the Papists teach is Gods word and the Gospell which we teache is the worde of the Diuel What a blasphemous wretch is this to cal gods word the worde of the Diuel Hosius and other that saye so and take it so at the dreadfull terrible day of iudgement when neither proude Pope presumptuous Prelates blasphemous Byshops nor péeuish Priests nor Papists shal beare any such sway as they do now and haue done shal then know whether that which we now Preach and teach is the word of the Diuel or not I beséech God that al suche may repente before for then to repent it wil be too late Siluester Prierias sayth Whosoeuer leneth not to the doctrin of the Church of the Bishop of Rome as vnto the infallible rule of God of which doctrine the holye Scripture taketh force and authoritie he is an Heretike Let Prierias and a thousand of the Popes Doctors besids saye so for as long as Christ sayeth not so we care not if Prierias saye true then Christe and his Apostles were Heretikes and manye other for in Christs time there was no Pope of Rome for as loÌ„g as Christ himself was aliue he néeded no vicar And was y e scripturs then w tout authoritie and of no force bycause the church of Rome was vnplanted and bycause there was no Pope it was happy there came a Pope after or else the Scriptures had bin of no force nor had any aucthoritie it was maruell that Christ bad them then Search the Scriptures Did Christ send his Apostles abroad to preache a Gospell that had no aucthoritie and that was of no force it appeares that it had some force for Christe saide that They that beleeued the Gospell which they Preach and were baptized shoulde be saued and they that beleeued not shoulde bee damned Oh what a diuelish preposterous doctrine is this Papistrie y t teacheth that the holy Scripture and word of God taketh his force and aucthoritie of the Churche of Rome whereas their doctrine and all other muste take their force and aucthoritie froÌ„ it For Christ saith Euery plant that my heauenly father hath not planted shal be rooted vp And bycause Papistrie is contrary to Gods word and so not plaÌ„ted by God therefore it shall be pluckte vp by the rootes Therefore though the Churche of Rome and the Pope shoulde bothe perish as many Churches haue done and as the Romish Churche muste néedes perishe yet God hathe and wyll still gyue aucthoritie and strength to his worde This your Papisticall doctrine is suche a false and rydiculous religion that in euerye point it ouerthrowes it selfe Marke againe an other of the Popes pen-men howe blasphemously he writes for the exalting of the aucthoritie of the Romishe Churche Iohannes Maria Verractus saieth We do humbly confesse that the aucthoritiie of the Church meaning the Churche of Rome is aboue the authoritie of the Gospell if it be true that he writes thoughe he be not ashamed to write a moste abhominable lye yet I am sory to write true of him whiche is that I am moste certayne that the spirite of the Diuell hadde greater power in hym when he wrote it than the spirite of God Saint Paule is of a contrary opinion to this Ioannes Maria Verractus for he saith That the gospel of Christe is the power of God to saluation to all that beleeue and both for hys credite and for his authoritie and auncientie is to be beléeued as well as thys Papisticall writer Nowe if the Churche of Rome haue greater power than to be the power of God to saluation then I knowe not what power it shoulde be vnlesse it be the power of the Diuell to Damnation And if that be his authoritie aboue the gospel that he doth meane let him kéepe that authoritie to himselfe and much good doe it him but there is no wise man wil yéelde or submitte hym selfe to that power I thinke This fellowe belike takes his own word for a warrant for he brings neither Scripture nor auncient Doctor to confirme his sayings Well séeing hée bringeth no other aucthoritie to affyrme his saying but himselfe I will be an other that wil maintaine his assertion that the aucthoritie of the Romaine Church and of the Byshoppe of Rome is aboue the aucthoritie of the Gospell And nowe you shal knowe wherein it is greater which hée woulde not vtter for belike he was somthing ashamed of the matter forsooth it is greater for to set the Pope aboue Emperoures and Kings to make him Lord of Lordes and King of Kings to make him tread on the Emperors necke to make him claime to haue al power in heauen in earth to make al the whole earth to be his Uicarage or Dioces to set Kings and Princes togither by the eares to make true subiects rise and rebell against their Prince and King to make him take vppon him to be called the Lamb of God that takes away the sinnes of the worlde to make hym a tyraunâ—e and to burne the Scriptures to murder burn and kil the seruaunts of God that professe the Gospell to make hym commaunde the Angelles to come oute of Heauen at hys pleasure if they wyll doe so much for him and to carrye mens soules to Paradise howe wickedly soeuer they dye to make him an earthly God to make him be called our Lord God the Pope to make him do in a maner whatsoeuer God can do and to make him and Chryste to haue one Consistorie or seate of Iudgement In these béefore declared the Churche of Rome hath greater aucthoritie than Gods worde for Gods worde hathe no suche force nor authoritie This is your godly Churche of Rome In all these thinges and manye moe suche she hath aucthority aboue Gods word but in godlinesse in trueth and in all thinges that appertayne to our saluation the Scriptures and the word of God hathe force and aucthoritie aboue your Church of Rome But perhappes you wil not beléeue me though I haue sufficiently proued it by the Scriptures vnlesse I shewe you some authorities out of ancient Doctors If you looke that the Doctors ought to confirme the Scriptures then you are wide for the Scriptures must confirme and allow the Doctors But to satisfy you withall I wyl alleadge the Doctors who you shall sée wyl agrée with me that the Scriptures must allowe the Churche and that the right Church is knowne by the Scriptures and whosoeuer refuseth to bée tryed by the Scriptures is not of the right Church nor of the church of God The Churche of God is knowne only by Gods word as the auncient learned Father
for an Heretike shal be excommunicated lose al his spiritual liuing But if he shal kéep cōcubines Harlots he shal be a Catholike mā of a good religiō and kéepe al his liuings stil. Thus may y e pretious Pope the holy Church of Rome turne tosse the words meaning of Christ how they list but though they allowe and do these things yet therfore we must not think they ar good or to be liked but to be abhorred detested And I beléeue y t manye wil not allow their wicked laws and writings therein But now if y e Scriptures may haue sūdry senses at sūdry times may haue one mening at one time another mening at another time if this be so y t the Pope may chāge the senses of Christs Gospel for his pleasure thē why may not Christ change the meaning of his own Gospel for hys own pleasure therfore looke by what places of y e scripturs Peter his successors wer made Popes of Rome Christ may change the senses meaning of thē clean contrary therby vnpope them again For wheras Christ said Super han◠Petrā id est super ecclesiā Romanā edificabo ecclesiā meā which is Vpon this rocke that is to say vpō the Church of Rome I wil build my Church now Christ I thinke hath altered y e meaning sense of y e saying bicause y e order of the Church of Rome is changed therfore now to be vnderstāded thus vpon this rock being y e Church of Rome y e church of y e diuel shal be builded And wheras Christ said to Peter the first Pope as they say Whatsoeuer thou binds in Earth shall be bound in heauē now y e sense of y e scripture is changed the meaning therof is now thus whatsoeur y u binds in earth it shal be bound in Hel loke whose sins yée forgiue they shal not be forgiuen whō soeuer y u blesse in earth shal be curst in Hel whō soeuer y u curse on erth shal be blessed in heauē And wheras y e Pope sayes y t the meaning of Christ was y t the Popes being Peters successors should haue the keys which he gaue to Peter to open the gates of heauen to let vs in to it now I beleue y e same words of Christ haue another mening according to y e time chāging of y e Popes maners which are now quite contrarie to S. Peters conditions y t the keys now which the Pope hath shal shut men out of heauen open the gates of Hel let the Pope his Papistical Prelats into it thus the Pope by his chāging the sense of y e scriptures to serue for times hath made a very fair market for therby he is nether Pope nor Christs Uickar so he may binde in hel if he wil but he can binde nothing in heauen also therby he hath lost the keys of y e kingdome of Heauen hath in stead therof gotten y e keys of y e dungeō of Hel. For if y e Pope hath any spiritual keys at al as he sayth he hath by y e place of Scripture then the meaning therof is surely changed according to the time as Cusanus saieth so the Popes keys are not the keys of the kingdome of heauen but of the doleful dungeon of Hel. But though Hosius this Cusanus with other such like doth extol the Church of Rome sayth the authoritie theris aboue the scriptures that the meaning of y e scriptures are vncertain changes as the iudgement of the church of Rome changes y t nothing is takē for Christs cōmandemēt vnlesse the Church of Rome doth allow it Ther is no wise man wil beléeue them vnlesse they bring better authorities therfore thē their own bare words in y e mean space let vs giue credite to S. Aug. which was as godly a man as vertuous a mā as wel lerned a mā one y t knew what authority y e church of Rome ought to haue as wel as they who saith thus Cedamus cōsētiamus c Let vs yeld saith he consent to the holy Scriptures which can neither deceiue nor be deceiued He names not here the Churche of Rome nor sayeth that it hathe aucthority aboue the Scriptures nor yet sayth that the Scripturs haue sometimes one meaning and sometimes another and that the sense doth alter or chaunge but he bids both the Church of Rome and al other Churches whatsoeuer to yéeld and cōsent to the scripture which as he saith can neither deceiue nor be deceiued Truely if your Church of Rome had had any such aucthoritie aboue the scriptures as y e Popes proctors wold make vs beléeue then Irenaeus S. Ierome S. Augustine Tertullian Chrisost. other learned writers would haue writtē something of it nay if they had done so y e Popes doctors would haue brought thē forth for the better credite of their cause But bicause they write directly against thē as is before mētioned therefore they let thē alone Now if the scriptures according to Saint Au. can neither deceiue nor be deceiued then the Church of Rome which is inferior to the scripturs ought to giue place to y e Gospel being cleane contrary to the scripturs may deceiue vs therfore may erre ly as she cā do none other as before is very manifest but though these y e Popes prelates wold make vs beléeue y t ther were no certainty in the scriptures and y t the Gospell is vncertain the meaning therof chaunges according to y e times which is a moste diuellish doctrine yet I will approue that there is neyther certainetye trueth nor godlinesse in the Popes lawes nor in the Church of Rome Platina sayth that the Popes y t follow do euermore eyther breake or wholye abrogate the decrées of the Popes that were before now séeing there is such vncertaintie in the Popes lawes decrées are not we worthye to beléeue and credite the same Looke what lawes God did sende vnto vs by Iesus Christ his sonne which is the Gospel he neuer disanulled them nor did deliuer vs anye other since nor neuer wil his doings and iudgements are so certaine true infallible and therfore Gods law his holy gospel is so right true perfect infallible that al other doctrines ought to be iudged and tryed by it Therfore if you be the children of God you wil credite no doctrine be it neuer so auncient and séeme it neuer so glorious nor so holye no further than it doeth agrée with the Scriptures and the worde of God Therefore beléeue not the Church of Rome whose Doctours doctrine are so diuellish as before is well proued and as hereafter shal be more manifested Therefore marke well a little more of this doctrine of your church of Rome which if you be
beyng breade and wyne are signes of the bodye and bloud of Christ which is an inuisible grace for Christ is the greatest fauour and grace that euer God bestowed vpon vs or sent vs. Further this is the true diffinition of a Sacrament Sacramentum est signum rei sacrioris se. A Sacrament is a Signe of a holyer thing than it is it selfe And for that nothing is more holye than the bodye of Christ and it beyng a Sacrament is a sygne of a holyer thing than it is it selfe therefore it can not bée the body of Christ. And marke these arguments that followe Nothing is done in the remembrance of it selfe But the sacrament is vsed in the remembrance of Christ Therefore the Sacrament is not Christ. Againe Christ neuer deuoured himselfe But Christ did eate the sacrament with his Apostles Ergo the Sacrament is not Christ himselfe And againe one thing can not be both visible inuisible But the Sacrament is visible and the body of Christ is inuisible therefore they are not one Which Saint Augustine openeth well by these wordes Aliud est Sacramentum aliud res Sacramenti c. The Sacrament is one thing the thing of the Sacrament is an other thing the Sacrament is that goeth into the bodye the thing of the Sacrament is the bodye of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. Saint Augustine sayeth also Euill men haue the Sacrament but they haue not the thing of the Sacrament which is the bodye of Christ that the Sacramente doeth signifie By these sayings it appeares plainly that the Sacrament is one thing and the bodye of Christ is an other thing S. Ambrose saith of the bread and wyne Sunt quae erant c They remaine the same that they were and are chaunged into an other thing That is they are made the Sacrament of y e body bloud of Christ which before they were not S. Ambrose saith let the word be added to the elemeÌ„t or outward creature it is made a Sacrament that is to say another thing Sacraments are signes or tokens of things being by substaÌ„ce one thing signifying an other thing So saith Chrisostom of the water of Baptim when this creature of water hath receiued the holy ghost it is made a Sacrament And now it is not water to drinke but water to sanctifie not coÌ„mon water but water to refreshe Thus the Element or outward creature both remayneth and is changed S. Augustine saith it is so called after a sort that is not in truth of matter but by a mysterie signifying that the sense maye be this it is called the bodye of Christ that is to saye it signifyeth the body of Christ. Hereby it appeares by the iudgementes of these learned wâ—yters that the bread and wyne are changed by the worde into a Sacrament being breade and wine still in substaunce and so are changed into an other thing then they were before for before they were but onelye breade and wine and nowe they are a Sacramentall bread and wine signifying the body and bloud of Christ. So that the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord is a figure and signe of the body and bloud of Christ and not the verye body and bloud of Christ. These holy and learned men that wrote of this worthy excellent changing of the Sacramentes neuer knewe of the Popes changing or transubstantiation or turning of the breade and wyne into the bodye and bloud of Christe but if any were so wicked to write it so deuilish to declare it or so pestilent to persuade it of all them and all suche Saint Augustine doeth write thus This is a myserable bondage sayeth hée of the Soule to take the Sygnes in steade of the things that bee sygnified But whether there were then any suche or no hée hath fully touched you that takes the Sacrament that signifyes the bodye of Christ for the body of Christ. And therefore by his sayings you are in a myserable bondage of your soules that takes the sacrament for the body of Christ whereas it doth but signifie the body of Christ. Therefore for the loue of God release your soules and your bodyes also out of that myserable bondage and take it for a memorie and remembrance of the bodye of Christ as the Scriptures doe will you and the Doctors doe persuade you and beléeue not the Popes turning or changing or transubstantiation of the breade into the body of Christ for it is not true nay it can not bée true For it is not foure hundreth yéeres since it was first allowed or authorized by Pope Innocent the thirde and his Prelates whiche muste néedes come from the Diuell as the rest of the Popes holye Religion dyd aswell for that neyther Christ did teache it nor the Apostles did once mention it nor the auncient Doctors did affirme it or beléeue it as also for that is repugnaÌ„t to scriptures to the doctrine of the Apostles and to the writings of the holy and learned Doctors And though you haue bin persuaded that it is most sure and infallible doctrine the chiefest postes and pillers of the same are not onely in great doubt thereof but are at their wittes ende and knowe not well what to saye therein for Peter Lombard y e chiefe general of this campe of this transubstantiatioÌ„ saith thus as followeth Some meÌ„ iudge thus some saye thus some haue written thus some graunt this some other haue thought thus that the very substaunce of the breade and wine remayneth still Here is but a madde agrement of the learned to proue the same If so many learned men say by the confession of the chiefe champion of this matter that there remaynes still breade and wyne in the Sacrament then it were a verye madnesse for all you to beléeue that it is the very body and bloud of Christ neyther bread nor wyne But marke what Peter Lombard saith him selfe hereof that takes vppon hym to iudge these doubtes howe he is resolued or howe hée agréeth in iudgement wyth himselfe his aunswere is thys Si autem queritur c. If a question were moued saith he what maner of conuersion or change this is whether it be in forme or in substance or of some other sort I am not able to discusse it Here may you see saith M. Iewell the blinde leadeth the blinde he that setteth his foote before the rest and would be taken for a guide knoweth not where to set his owne foote Gabriel Biell sayeth howe the bodye of Christ is there whether it bee by chaunging of something into it or Christs bodye beginne to bee there with the breade both the substaunce and the accidentes of the breade remayning styll without chaunging it is not founde in the Cannon of the Bible c. Thus doe the learned Doctours of the Pope teache you they can not tell what But this I wyll saye if it bée not to bee founde in the Bible it shall neuer be founde
heauen aboue encountred with them Earthquakes brake out and ouerthrewe there buildings lightnings fel downe and burnt both the tooles in their hands and the coates on their backes And then was the Gospell of Christ more bewtiful and more glorious than euer it had bene before Thus the Iewes might haue perceyued that God was bothe angrie and dispised them and their Iewish sacrifices though once he estéemed them aboue all other and the Temple that he before commaunded to be buylded and wherein he appeared to the Iewes now he from heauen ouerthrewe and the builders thereof Wherby they also might well vnderstand that he had an other people and Religion that he estéemed better and would fight for And therefore séeing God ouerthrewe the building and the builders of the Temple of Hierusalem which he commaunded to be builded and that he once so well liked then he must néedes ouerthrowe as he hath begon partly well already all the dennes buildings of the temple or church of Rome which he vtterly hates and that he neuer commaunded to be builded For as Christ sayth euery plante that my heauenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted vp Therefore flie from this your Romish Church and hir doctrine which God doth daylie ouerthrowe and let the Pope and his partakers do what they can at length he wil plucke vp by the rootes and walke in the lawe of God least God powre his plagues and cursses vpon you For if they are accurst by Gods lawe that turnes out of it either to the right hande or to the left hande then thinke not that you are blessed that wilfully walke cleane oute of it and neuer come in it And let this suffise you that Woolues deuoure and Shéepe are deuoured So that the deuouryng Woolues are of the Sinagoge of Sathan and the deuoured Shéepe are of the Church of God But some of you haue saide that God in the olde lawe shewed for the better crediting of the same many wonderfull miracles that there haue bene many strange miracles for the confirmation of the Popes religiō Then belike you looke for miracles for a religion you think without miracles is nothing worth and therfore one of your religion said where be your signes where be your miracles but as Christ called the Iewes an euill aduouterous generation bicause they required a signe from heauen that they might the better credite him his doctrine so I can not count you a godly generation that wil not beléeue the gospel of Christ without miracles yea such miracles as you your selues should like And wil you not beléeue our doctrine without miracles nay will you beléeue it with great strange miracles I would you would Wel bicause yée would so faine haue myracles you shal haue myracles that other manner of miracles than euer your Romish church could shewe for the confirming of hir doctrine therfore marke them wel for they are wonderful and maruellous miracles Our litle Bible hath driuē al your great idols out of al the churches of England Our holy Communion hath put to flight all your Masses which you thought nothing could ouerthrow They that were blind the Gospell hath made them now to sée clearly the craftie iuggling of the Pope they that before were dumbe nowe speake so plainely and vehemently preach the Gospel of Christe These are wonderfull myracles I thinke But if some of you should say that these are no myracles or else no great miracles to be counted of yet I dare boldly say they are maruellous great myracles yea and passe your miracles a great deale For marke this well if you had neuer knowne that fire would increase in burning and should haue suddenly séene a whole Cittie burned and cōsumed with one litle sparke of fire and that such a huge and mightie fire shoulde come of one little sparke would you not haue thought that the same had bin a wonderfull myracle I thinke you would then why should not you thinke that the spiritual burning and enflaming with such a little sparke of the gospell at the first of such a number of peoples hartes consuming and wasting the idolatrie false religion and Papisticall superstition of Kingdomes Dukedomes Prouinces and such a great number of countries Cities and Townes and the mightie encreasing of this spirituall fire the gospell and that within so shorte a time is a maruellous myracle although the Pope and his power did what they could to quench the same Surely it is such a miracle in all wise mens eyes considering the Pope and his power do what they could were not able to quench as there can not be a greater And there is nothing that may more better persuade you that this our Religion is the very true Religion and worde of God than that God so mightily defendeth it and so miraculously increaseth it This and the other miracles before mentioned are sufficient miracles I hope for the confirming of any Christian hart to beléeue the Gospell yet you shall heare more miracles hereafter And now for that you haue called for our miracles I trust I may likewise call for your miracles What kind of miracles were they wherby your Romish religion was cōfirmed forsooth they were such as might make the wittie to become fooles but oures are such as will make fooles to become wisemen And now marke your miracles of your Romish Churche your Roodes and Images can speake if they haue a false knaue stande behinde them your Idols can roll their eies wagge there chappes and caste their armes abroade if there be one behinde them to plucke there Engines and they will sweate in Winter and colde weather if they be well oiled with Penetratiue oyles yea your images can light their owne lāps which is as great a miracle as a iack of the clocke to strike on y e bell your holy water can chase away Mise and your Priestes giuing women good counsell and blessing them for the Pope will not haue it called kissing and dallying miraculouslie make them to be with child your Popes pardons can make men die desperately and suddenly your Cardinals blessings can make Bishops breake their neckes your Agnus deis can make menne hang themselues are not these your Romish myracles wonderfull are they not woorthie to go for myracles yes I trow our miracles of the Gospel are no such they are not lyke vnto them but this you were best to beléeue that our miracles before mentioned are of God and these your miracles nowe mentioned are of the Diuell Thus I trust I haue sufficiently proued by Gods word by auncient Fathers and learned Doctours by naturall Reason by Argumentes by Similitudes by Examples by the Popes themselues by their owne wryters and by persecuting and murtheryng that the Pope and many of his predecessors Popes was and is wicked Diuelish the Diuels deputies not Christes vickars and the verie Antichrist and that his Religion is most false erronious and detestable and cleane contrarie
sides and thornes in your eyes vntill you perish out of this good land which the Lorde your God hath giuen you c. Therefore as all good things are come vppon you whiche the Lorde your God promised you so shall the Lorde bring vpon you euery euil thing vntil he hath destroyed you out of this good lande which the Lorde your God hath giuen you when ye shall trangresse the couuenant of the Lord your God which he commauÌ„ded you and shall go and serue other Gods and bow your selues to them then shall the wrath of the Lorde wax hot against you and ye shall quickly perishe out of the good land which he hath giuen you This was the lesson that Iosua a little before his death gaue vnto the Israelites his people And thus may you sée that al the charge that God and the godly giueth is to harken to the voyce of the Lord and obey his law which is his word and he wyl defend prosper and fight for vs no longer than we abide in the same So that the prosperous successe victories and other great blessings of Kings and Rulers that knowe Gods worde and professe the same is a manifest Argument that they walke rightly in his wayes and that he is wel pleased with them And such Kings Princes and Rulers as haue troubles warres euill successe and are ouercome in battell of their enemies thoughe they say they haue the true doctrine of God and that they follow it and obserue it most truely of all other yet it is an infallible token that they do offend their Lord God that they doe not walke rightly nor obserue his lawes and word as they ought and that he is not wel pleased with them And thus as God did blesse prosper Iosua and all other before him that hearkned to his voyce obeyed his worde euen so he did to other that did likewise after him For God gaue such wonderfull successe to Iudah the Captaine of the Israelites who feared God obeyed his worde against Adoni-Bezek the Cananites as he gaue to Iosua And Iudah did cut off the thumbes off his handes and off his féete according to the iust iudgement of God for his great tyrannie vsed to other for the sayde tyrant Adoni-Bezek confessed that he had vsed seauentie Kings before in like manner and they gathered bread vnder his table And then hée was compelled to say thus As I haue done God hath rewarded me God also blessed the sayde Iudah and the Israelites and gaue them many wonderfull victories after that againste their enimies the Cananites and heathen Idolators But when the Israelites hearkened not to the voyce of the Lorde and disobeyed his worde and worshipped the Gods of the Cananites and did wickedly in the sight of the Lorde then the Lordes furie and wrath kindled and waxed hote against them so that he suffered them to be ouercome and he deliuered them into their enemies handes that spoyled them and he solde them into their enemies handes so that they coulde stande no longer before their enemies and whether soeuer they went out the Lord was against them according as before he had promised And God suffered the king of Aram to preuaile against them and to carry them away wiâ—â— him And so serued him were captiues vnder him eight yéeres Consider also howe wonderfully Gedeon the Capitaine of the Israelites that hearkened to the voyce of the Lorde with thrée hundreth men through Gods power and might did ouercome the huge armie of the Madianites that were as Grassehoppers in number What a victorie did God giue to little Dauid his seruant against the mightie Giant Goliah his enemie howe did he prosper him blesse him and fight for him against the Philistines whose Images he burnt which pleased God And as God hath and doeth daylye giue victorie to such Princes Kings and Rulers that hearkened to his voyce and obeyed his worde so he hath giuen and doth giue maruellous quietnesse and peace to such Kings Princes and Rulers as do the same For God did prosper and blesse king Asa King of Iudah which hearkned to his voice and obserued his law making him raigne in a maruelous quietnesse and peace the space of fiue and thirtie yéeres bicause he tooke away the Sodomites out of the lande and put away all the Idols that his father had made and tooke away the Aultars of strange Gods and the high places and brake downe the Images cut down the Groues and commaunded Iuda to séeke the Lorde God of their fathers and to doe according to the lawe and the commaundement And he tooke awaye out of all the Cities of Iudah the high places the Images therfore the kingdome was quiet before him and the Lord gaue him rest on euery side And as the Lorde did prosper and blesse King Asa wyth suche a quietnesse and peace for breaking downe the Aultars of the straunge Gods and destroying the Images set vp by Abija his father euen so he hath blessed and prospered our most gratious Quéene with a most plentifull peace al the time of hir raigne which is thrée and twentie yéeres beséeching God to triple it with the quiet raigne of King Asa for plucking downe the Aultars for breaking and destroying the Images for abolishing the most Idolatrous Masse the Popes inuented sacrifice committed and done on these Aultars for the extirping and rooting vp the abhominable law religion of the Pope erected planted by hir sister Quéene Marie to the great dishonor of God the derogation of the passion of our sauior Iesus Christ setting forth in steade thereof not onely in euery Citie but also in euerie towne and village throughout hir whole Realme of England the pure and perfect word and lawe of God And thus it is plaine that the cause of the quiet raigne of King Asa and the peaceable and quiet raigne of our Quéene Elizabeth is all one Which is for the putting away of Idolatrie which God doth most abhorre for the setting forth of his law word which he doth chiefly desire But thoughe King Asa had peace al this while bicause he abolished Idolatrie and hearkned vnto the voice of God yet after wheÌ„ he did slide froÌ„ God put not his whole trust in him the case was then cleane altred for the Lorde tooke his peace awaye and God sent to him the Prophet Hanani who spake vnto King Asa as followeth Bycause thou hast rested vpon the King of Aram and not rested in the Lorde thy God therefore is the hoste of the King of Aram escaped out of thine hande The Aethiopians and Lybyanes were they not a great host with Chariots and horsmen exceeding many yet bycause thou didst rest vppon the Lorde he deliuered them into thine hande For the eyes of the Lorde beheld al the earth to shewe himselfe strong with them that are of perfect heart toward him Thou hast then done foolishly in
suppressed and put downe Idolatrie before Christ were then the people of God and so blessed prospered and defended of him Euen so al the Kings Princes and Rulers and their people that since Christe haue and do professe and set forth the Gospell were and are the people of God and Christes flocke and are likewise blessed prospered and defended of God For howe did God blesse and loue that worthye and godly Emperour of the Weast partes called Constantine that vanquished the army of Mâ—xentius the Tyraunt that horribly persecuted the Christians who flying oute of the battel was drowned in the riuer of Tiber. And also he ouercame Licinius the Emperor that persecuted the Christians And also God did maruellously blesse and prosper Frederike the godly and Christian Emperour thoughe the Popâ— did cursse him neuer so muche for he subdued almoste al Italie except a fewe Cities that fauoured his enimies whereby you may plainely sée that God blessed this Christian Emperour with victorie and contrary curssed the Pope with ouerthrowe they both professing to be Christians But séeing God stoode with the Emperour and gaue him the victorie and ouerthrew the Pope and gaue him the foile Therfore it is manifest according to Gods promisses before declared that the Emperour was of a true religion that God was wel pleased with him and that he was the better christian and that the Pope was of a wrong religion walkt not rightly according to Gods lawe and so no good Christian and therefore displeased God Thus you maye perfectely vnderstande that as God béefore the commyng of Christe did blesse and giue victorie to the Kings and Rulers that set forth and folowed Moses law plaguing and destroying their enimies Euen so now God dothe blesse and prosper the Christian Princes and Rulers that sette forth fauour defend the gospell of Christ and dothe plague and destroy the enimies of the true Chrystians that embrace and followe the same And as God before Christe was borne didde prosper and defende none but the Iewes that followed Moses lawe and called them onelye hys people Euen so since the time of Christ he doth prosper and defend none but onely them that professe and followe Christs gospel named Christians And as the often reading hearing and perusing of the same lawe of Moses was the chief way for the Iewes to knowe it and to knowe it perfectlye the nexte waye to followe it and to follow it truely the chiefe meane for God to blesse and defend them Euen so oure often reading perusing and hearing of the Gospell is the chiefe waye for vs to knowe Gods will and pleasure and to knowe it perfectelye is the nexte waye for vs to followe it and to followe it truely is the chiefe meane for God to blesse prosper and defend vs in this worlde and through Christe to saue vs euerlastingly in the worlde to come Nowe if there be none other waye for vs to bée blessed and defended of God than by hearing reading and perusing the Scriptures as moste certainelye there is not then they muste néedes bée vnhappy haue euil successe and be subiect to all mischiefs that wil not reade it peruse it heare it nor knowe it Therefore these Papists are vnhappy accurssed that will not reade peruse heare nor know the Scriptures the knowledge and following whereof is the fountaine of all blessednesse and happinesse Perhappes some of you will saye Were all oure fore-elders vnhappy curssed or damned that didde not heare reade and beléeue thys lawe that you now teach whome I aunsweare thus Are all the Apostles and Martyres that dyed for professyng thys oure Lawe or Gospell and all the holye olde Fathers that neuer hearde of the Pope nor of hys Lawe and also all oure and youre Fathers bréethren sisters and kinsfolkes besides manye thousandes that haue refused the Pope and his lawe vnhappy curssed or damned What particular persons or people are saued or damned I referre that to God but thus much I dare be bold to say for Christ himselfe saide it He that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued but he that beleeueth not shall be damned not meaning that he that beléeueth in the Pope and his doctrine but he that according to the Gospel doth beleue in Christ and that he is the onely sauiour of the world shal be saued Wherefore whatsoeuer the Pope teacheth there is no saluation without beléeuing in Christ. Therefore all you that cleaue to the Pope and his law and refuse the gospel which is Christs law do highly displease God If the Iewes that follow Moses law that was deliuered and commaunded by God do maruellously displease God then doe you thinke that you that followe the Popes lawe that God neuer commaunded can please God It can not be so Therefore how vnwise are you that would be thus curssed plagued be vnhappy to haue youre Idolatrous Masse here againe whiche God doth deteste and hate I beséeche you consider that the worde of God whiche we haue and the Masse which you woulde haue are so contrary the one to the other and are such Enimies that they can no more dwel togither quietly than the Arke of God could with Dagon So that the Quéenes Maiestie as a most prudent Princesse hath with al hir power and might kepte oute that Idolatrous Masse and all other the Popes trumperie thereby to obtaine Gods fauoure and his saide greate blessyngs and to kéepe hir Realme in concorde and quietnesse And as hir Grace dothe kéepe the same oute by force so if you haue it againe in hir life time it muste bée brought in by force And as the Quéene is the champion of Gods word to kéepe out Idolatrie so must some Papistes be champions to bring in Idolatrie And who woulde they be I pray you Forsooth your procured or wished souldiors of the Pope enimies to our Quéene and countrey yea and perhaps some of them disobedient to their owne Prince comming without their leaue or licence that woulde not come to maintaine or defend you as you thinke but would come to destroy you as we knowe that woulde not succour you but spoile you and woulde make you rather slaues than subiects Perhaps some of you may thinke that the straungers you wish to come hither though they be foes to the Quéen and come to fight against hir Maiestie vs will not misuse you for that you and they are of one religion Uerye wel trust you to that and we will truste to God But if they be hir foes and fight againste hir me thinkes they shoulde not be your friendes that oughte to fight with hir yet do you not sée euery day that the son being of the same religion that his father is of doth poyson destroy and kil his owne father to haue his liuing after his death Do not many kill their very friendes for their goodes and money though they be of their religion Doe not many robbe and spoile their owne countrey men though they
of God you wil scantly like The Popes Doctors say auouch it for truth that if the Priest say thus when he doth Baptise a childe Ego te Baptiso in nomine patris filij spiritus sancti diaboli that is I Baptise thee in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost and of the Diuell yet the forme of Baptisme is very good and the child is rightly christned I remember that Christ bad his Apostles Baptise in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost but that he bad them Baptise any in the name of the Diuel I neuer heard If they be rightly christned that are christned in the name of the Diuel according to the Popes law then I hope they are not falsely christned that are christned in the name of God without naming the Diuell accordyng to Gods lawe If wée shoulde allowe such Baptizing to bée good and that they were rightlye Baptized that were Baptized in the name of the Diuell you that call vs nowe Sathans broode woulde then call vs as you myght well the chyldren of the Diuell Must not this Churche of Rome bée a holy Church that hath such goldy doctrine and diuine Doctours if they bée curst that take any thing from the worde of God then they are not blest that adde the Diuell to the Baptizing of the children of God Euerye one that haue an affection to the Popes Religion woulde scantly beléeue that there is such handsome doctrine belonging to his religion This is not much vnlike other of the Romish Doctors doctrine for in the Defence of the Apologie which the learned Bishop of Sarisburie wrote against the confutation of Doctor Harding are these wordes Petrus Asotus Hosius sticke not to affirme that the same Counsell wherein our Sauiour Iesus was condemned to die had both the spirite of Prophesie and the holy Ghost and the spirite of truth And that it was no false saying when the Bishop sayd we haue a lawe and by our lawe he ought to die and that they so saying did light vpon the very truth of iudgemēt and that the same was a iust decree whereby they pronounced that Christ was worthy to die Thus the Popes Prelates take part with Annus Caiphas against Christ. If that were a good true iudgement that most shamefully wrongfully condemned the sonne of God to death then where shal we finde any false and wicked iudgement by this meanes the Popes sentences iudgements in burning the members of Christ for professing of y e Gospel cā not be false wicked or euill I feare they y t say they had the holy ghost the spirite of truth y t iudged Christ to death and that the same was a iust decrée wherby they pronounced y t Christ was worthy to die I feare I say y t they are none of them that Christ dyed for and as they y t iudged Christ most wrongfully did it not by the spirit of God Euen so Asotus Hosius and all other that say y t their iudgement was true that their decrée was iust whereby they pronounced that Christ was worthy to die spake and vttered the same by the spirit of y e diuell for if they gaue true iudgement against Christ then Christ was an offendor and deserued to die The Lorde blesse euery man from beléeuing the doctrine of such that either say or beléeue that Christ the Sonne of God that neuer offēded nor sinned was worthily or rightly condemned to die If our Bishops Preachers and Doctors shoulde preach teache or write such blasphemous doctrine you might then iustly cal vs Heretiks as we may wel cal them al other y t take their partes blasphemers the disciples of Antichrist But Caiphas sayd it is good that one man die for the people least all the people perishe Ergo sayth M. Harding Caiphas had the spirit of God To whom that learned and worthie M. Iewel late Bishop of Sarisburie replyes with these wordes But that ye may the better M. Harding espie your ouersight like as ye saye Caiphas prophesied blindly himselfe not vnderstanding what he sayd Ergo he had the holy Ghost S Paule sayth no man can say the Lorde Iesus but in the Spirit of God hereof by your Logicke you may reason thus the Diuell sayd vnto Christ I knowe that thou arte Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Ergo the Diuell had the Spirit of God c. If Caiphas had the spirit of God then he had y e holy ghost that wrote this note vpon the Popes decrée that the Iewes had committed mortall sinne if they had not nayled Christ to the Crosse. Now open your eyes and beholde whether this be good sound doctrine or not y t these Papisticall Doctors do teach They that worship God aright follow Christes Gospel wil do detest such diuellish doctrine Therefore flie from this Romish Church that taketh the Pope to be hir heade and that refuseth to be tried by the Scriptures and spéedily become members of that Churche that taketh Christ to be hir heade and is content to bée iudged by the Scriptures For they that are of Christ will heare his voyce which is the Gospell which true Church wherof Christ is the head can not be knowne but by the Scriptures Chrisostome saith now can no mā know the Church but by the scriptures S. Augustine saith Whether they haue the Church or no let them shewe by the Canonicall Bookes of the holy scriptures we must know the Church euen lykewise as we know Christ which is the head of the Churche in the holy Canonicall Scriptures Againe he saith the holy Scriptures shewes the Churche without any doubtfulnesse Againe the question or doubt is where the Churche shoulde be what then shall we doe whether shall we seeke the Churche in our owne wordes or in the wordes of hir heade which is our Lorde Iesus Christ In my iudgement wee ought rather to seeke the Churche in his wordes for that he is the trueth and best knoweth his owne body And agayne he sayeth Let vs not heare these wordes this say I This sayest thou but these wordes let vs heare Thus sayth the Lorde there let vs seeke the Churche there let vs discusse our cause And Saint Ambrose sayeth the Church shineth or is knowne not by hir owne light but by the light of Christ which is the word of God These learned holy and auntient fathers wordes are sufficient to proue vnto vs that y e Church of Christ is known and is chiefely to be discerned by the word of God But what if these auncient and learned Doctors had not written thus shoulde wée then haue taken that for the Churche of God which the Popes doctrine doeth allowe then we shoulde haue a trimme and holy Church as by the premysses doth appeare And nowe bicause nothing can describe which is the true Church better than Christ
East Church haue offended that they may not be dispenced withall to marry as wel as the Priests of the Weast Church belike the Pope thinkes that God hathe appointed the Easterne Priestes to liue in whoredome and the Westerne Priests to liue in marriage sureâ—y this your Romish religion is the fondest the vnreasonablest and most coÌ„trary to it self of al other Thus I trust you are satisfied for the marriage of Priests and Ministers which I haue not onelye proued to be lawful by Gods lawe by the ancient Doctors by reason but also haue manifested what mischiefe and wickednesse this vowed chastitie of Priests hath wrought besides the Popes abhominable lawes and shameful suffring nay rather maintaining and procuring of whordome and most vitious liuing of his Prelates and Priestes And nowe as I reproued the forbidding of Priestes marriage and other of the doctrine of the Churche of Rome manifesting the same to be moste wicked and vngodly and against the word of God euen so I will proue that your Masse is moste wicked detestable and that the Sacrament as you vse it is bothe moste abhominable Idolatrie and not the body of Christe as your Romishe religion doth teach and as you beléeue though you thinke Gods worde can not confounde it no doctrine disproue it no writers ouerthrowe it nor no reason condemne it And now to beginne therein whereas many of you are persuaded that this youre Masse was vsed of Christe and his Apostles and so came from them your opinion therein is moste vntrue false for if Christe hadde instituted it and the Apostles had vsed it then assure youre selues that Christe woulde haue made mention thereof in the Gospell or Saint Luke would haue shewed it in the Actes of the Apostles or the Apostles woulde haue written of it in their Epistles or else GOD would haue reuealed it in the Reuelations whereby Saint Iohn woulde haue vttered it in the Apocalips and therefore forasmuche as there is no mention at al in any of those places eyther of the Masse or of any part of it as you haue it wée muste néedes thinke and are moste assured that it is not to be receiued allowed vsed nor estéemed but rather to be eschewed and contemned of all true Christians for whatsoeuer is necessarye for vs Christe and hys Apostles haue vttered in the Newe Testament And therefore this that I haue alreadye sayd is sufficient to ouerthrowe and quyte to confound your Masse For where shoulde we Christians looke for Christe oure Capitaines lawe but in Christes Booke and what other Booke hath Christe but onelye the Newe Testament therefore hys lawe and wil is there to be founde and no where else and so whatsoeuer is not to be found in that booke is not the law of Christe and bycause your Masse is not to be found in the Newe Testament therefore it is not Christes lawe nor commaundement and séeyng it is not Christes lawe nor commaundement what shoulde Christians doe with it this me thinke were sufficient for you vtterly to refuse and forsake the Masse bycause it is not mentioned by Christe nor his Apostles Perhappes some of you wyll saye thoughe it be not in the Gospell yet therefore it is not to be reiected for that Christe lefte many things oute of the Gospell that hée woulde haue vs to follow whych you would séeme to proue by these wordes of Christe which he spake to his Apostles I haue many things to saye vnto you but you are not able to beare them yet c. if this be the best foundation to build your Masse on it wil be quite ouerthrowne at the firste I can tel you that this is the text whereby the Pope would proue his Purgatorie and pardons with much of his other trashe I muse that any wil be so fonde as once to thinke that a text wil proue that thing wherof it makes no mention you are very hard driuen for your Masse when you muste be faine to trye it by a sentence that neither names it nor meanes it He is harde bestadde that is enforced to go to one for the tryal of hys honestie that neyther knows him nor euer sawe him Bycause Christe saide I haue manye things to say vnto you but you are not able yet to beare them therefore you muste knéele to the Masse whiche is a Sacrifice both for the quicke and the dead Is not this a good proofe thinke you what if the Quéenes Maiestie should say to one of hir seruantes sirra I haue many thinges to saye vnto thée but bycause thou canst not nowe remember them al I wil tell thée my minde when I come againe Nowe when the Quéene is gone if the same fellowe shoulde saye that hir Grace by these wordes did giue him one of hir greatest Parkes and Lordships that he woulde choose and so hée therevppon pluckes downe hir Pales and houses putting oute hir tenauntes and buildes what he listeth vppon hir ground do you thinke therfore that this was the Quéenes meaning or doe you thinke that she will be well contente with his doynges I thinke not Nowe looke what authoritie this man had by these hir wordes to haue one of hir beste Parkes and Lordshippes and to plucke downe hir houses and Parke pales and thereon to build what he list euen so by like aucthoritie of the saide wordes of Christ the Pope hath entred and taken possession of Christes Church plucking downe his ordinaunces taking away the Scriptures whiche is the wal and defence of his Churche and putting out the Preachers of Gods worde building and setting vp insteade therof in the same this your monstrous Masse with all the Idolatrie belonging to the same which Christ neuer thought nor meant by these his words if euery seruant might construe take his Maisters wordes in this order spoken in like sorte and shoulde by aucthoritie haue it performed the Maisters within a while should become seruants the seruants would be Lords Maisters as the Popes be who make the scriptures to meane what they list But Christe to hedge you out of this libertie and that you shoulde not build your Masse nor other dreames out of these aforesaide wordes written in the 16. chap. of S. Iohn he shewes more plainely in the 14. chap. of S. Iohns gospel what things they are y t they are not yet able to bear away or remember And these are the words But that comforter the holy ghost whome my father will sende in my name he shall teache you all and bring al to your remembraunce whatsoeuer I haue tolde you Hereby it plainly appéeres y t neither the Pope nor any other can imagine out of their own brains any thing by y e same words of Christ but only such thiÌ„gs as Christ had told his disciples before al which throughe their fleshly weaknessâ— they coulde not remember vntill they had receiued the holy Ghoste who dyd then putte them in remembraunce of al thynges that Christ had tolde
vtterly damned for euer Which no true Christian will beléeue Therfore if you will néedes beléeue the Popes Transubstantiation and that the Sacramentall bread is turned into the body of Christ and that if you eate it with your mouth champe it with your téeth that then you eate the very bodie flesh of Christ then you must also beléeue that al these holy men martires yong children and the théefe that neuer did eate it with their mouthes are dāned Which Diuelish and most vntrue doctrine I hope you wil beléeue no longer but if you do yet we will rather beléeue they are saued that your Diuelish doctrine of Transubstantiation is altogither false Thus you may sée into what a great mischiefe inconuenience you are driuen by beléeuing that the Sacramentall bread is the very body of Christ. And now marke well how you are brought into an other maruelous mischiefe and inconuenience by this your Romishe doctrine Christ sayth Whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I will rayse him vp at the last day Now if your eating of the Sacrament with your mouth and téeth and your drinking of the wine is the right eating and drinking of the bodie bloud of Christ then Iudas is saued for he did eate drinke it and Iewes Turkes and the Heathen worshippers of Idols shalbe saued if they once catch holde of your bodie of Christ and eate it yea and the little Mouse shalbe saued if she catch it and eate it for I dare say for hir that she neither beléeues in Christ nor would beléeue that it were the bodie of Christ but a péece of bread or a cake for if shée did thinke it were the bodie of a man shée would not come so nie it Thus if it be the very bodie of Christ and be truely receyued whether one beléeue in Christ or not then the greatest Infidels Idolaters Tirants and the most wicked persons on the earth yea and the Mouse the Dogge or any other beast if they may once get this your Christes bodie into their mouthes mawes are sure to be saued Christ will raise them vp at the last day for Christ saith as it is before whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day And so by this your true reasonable doctrine Christ will raise vp Mise and Dogges that haue and shall eate your Sacrament at the last day and also by this meanes the théefe is damned that Christ said should be saued and Iudas is saued that Christ saide was damned When you haue red this may you not be ashamed that euer you gaue such credite to this vile Diuelish doctrine of the Romish Church Yes verily if you haue any wit or reason but especially any sparke of the grace of God Sée hereafter I praie you how Christes doctrine and your Romishe religion agrées in this point forsooth euen as it doeth in all the rest Christe sayde I am the liuing bread that came downe from Heauen but cleane came and quite contrarie you saie that your earthly dead bread is Christ that went to Heauen for I am sure that the bread that you make your Christes bodie of was neuer in Heauen therefore your bread neuer came from heauen and so your bread can not be the bodie of Christe for that hée sayth I am the liuing bread that came downe from heauen And so your dead bread can not be the bodie of Christ. And now bycause it can not be the liuing bodie of Christe it must néedes be a dead Substance or péece of bread Therefore be no longer allured by the Romishe Religion that teacheth you thus falsely and vnreasonably that the Sacramentall bread by their consecrating of it is the bodie of Christ but beléeue as the Gospell doth tell you the Apostles do shewe you as Saint Steuen doth learne you and as your Créede doth teache you that the bodie of Christe is now in Heauen on the right hande of God the father from whence hée will come to iudge the quicke and the dead And if these be not sufficient to persuade you that he in his bodie is in Heauen and no where else you shall heare the opinions of auncient godly and learned men therein S. Augustine saith Ibat per id quod homo erat manebat per id quod Deus erat c. Christ departed by that he was man but abode by that he was God he departed by that that was in one place he abode by that that is in all places Fulgentius writes as followeth concerning Christes absence and presence Secundum humanitatem suam localiter erat in terra c. Christe according to his manhood he was placed in earth but according to his godhead he filled both heauē earth The manhood of Christ is contained in place the godhead of Christ is infinite and in all places The fleshe of Christ is doubtles locall or in place the godhead of Christ is for euer in euery place There remained still in Christ the infinite godhead there was receiued of him a locall manhood how ascended he into Heauen sauing he is very man contayned in place how is he present with the faithful sauing he is infinite and true God And last of all he saith Vnus idemque Christus secundum humanam substantiam c. Christ being one according to the Substance of his manhead was absent frō Heauen when he was in earth and he forsooke earth when he was in heauen Now if we may beléeue Christ if we may credite our Créede if S. Steuen said truly if S. Paule be true of his worde If Tertullian Cyprian Augustine Chrysostome and this Fulgentius with many other godly fathers and learned writers haue not fabled herein then surely the very body of Christ that died on the Crosse is at this present time in heauen on the right hand of God the Father neither here on earth nor any where else though the Pope and his Parasites tell vs that he is here But marke further you shal sée how learnedly clarkly M. Hard. goeth about to proue this turning of a cake into Christ. Who saith that Christ made his Apostles saith M. Iewel misteriall Spirits saying Do this wherein is contained make this in my remēbrance saying a litle before that Christe was a Priest and consecrated as a Priest as S. Hier. dothe witnesse that as Melchisedech in foreshewing the figure of Christ had done Panem vinum offerens ipse quoque veritatem sui corporis sanguinis representaret Christ himselfe also should make present the truth of his body and bloud To whom that famous and learned man M. Iewell late Bishop of Sarisburie answeared as followeth Is representare Latine to make present M. Harding what Grammarian euer taught you so to say or what making finde you in this worde as you tender your credite tell vs who euer
voyce that vttereth Christ hath néede of the tongue to be the minister The Captaine at this halfe out of his witte bare in hande that the hangman deceiued the sight of the people by some subtill and craftie conueyance Not so quoth the hangman if ye suspect my déede open his mouth and searche the roote of his tongue The Captaine at length being confounded with the fortitude and courage of the Martir commaunded him to be brought backe into the prison and there to bée strangled And so he was where his sorrowfull lyfe and paines being ended he now enioyeth quiet rest in the Lord and where no Tirants can hurt him This worthy Martir in whom God thus myraculously did speake when his tongue was plucked out by the rootes and in whom God thus maruellously wrought and whom God did thus strengthen and made bolde and stoute in his cause though his name was Romanus yet he was not of your Romish religion but a professor of the Gospell and of Christes religion And as the spirite of God was plentifull in this holye Martyr and true Christian so hath he bene most aboundant in our Martyrs of late and wil be for euer in all them that professe the Gospell of Christ and are true and perfect Christians And now I will recite no moe examples of the auncient Martyrs but of such as were persecuted and suffred for the professing of Christes Gospell of late dayes wherein you shall plainely sée that as they were persecuted and tormented in Christs quarrel and cause as Romanus was so God wrought in them as he did in Romanus the holye Ghost taught them as he taught Romanus and Christ did strengthem them most wonderfully myraculously as he strengthned Romanus Therfore marke the most cruell and mercilesse dealings of these Tormentors the Papistes which they doe to shew themselues howe like they are to their father the Diuell who as Christ saith was a murtherer from the beginning and yet they will néedes be Christes shéepe and his chiefe flocke But thoughe they saye they are the Churche and flocke of Christ this moste horrible murther and slaughter doeth shewe that they are the Churche and flocke of the Diuell By that holye Father Pope Pius the fourth the professors of gods word were persecuted in Cabria wherof thys that I wil now describe and shew as wel for an example of the maruellous constancie and patience of them that were persecuted as of the crueltie of them that did persecute is to be well noted There were fourescore and eight persons that were Protestants put all into a house togyther and the executioner commeth in and amongst them taketh one and blindfoldeth him with a mufler about his eyes and so led him furth to a larger place where he commaunded him to kneéele down which so doing he did cut his throte and leauing him halfe deade he helde the bloudye knife betwéene his téeth as Butchers vse to doe and carried the mufler all of goare bloude in his hande and came againe to the rest and so he led them out one by one into that other house and cut their throtes And thus Butcherly he killed thē al like Calues and shéepe Whych was a dolefull and horrible spectacle to behold who wente so humbly and patientlye to their deathes as many wyll scantly beléeue Yet as y e true professors and persecuted for the Gospel haue alwayes vsed to doe There was a blind woman was burned at Darby for saying that the substaunce of the breade and Wine is not turned into the substaunce of the bodye and bloude of Christ which woman did offer to the Bishop that perswaded hir to beléeue that the Sacrament was the verye body of Christ that if he would before that company take it vpon his conscience that that doctrine which he would haue hir beléeue concerning the Sacrament was true and that he woulde at the dreadfull daye of iudgement aunsweare for hyr therin as Doctour Taylor before in King Edwards time in diuerse of his Sermons did offer for that that hée preached she woulde then further aunsweare them Wherevnto the Bishop sayde he would But Doctour Dracote his Chauncellour hearing that sayde my Lorde you know not what you do you maye in no case answere for an Heretike Then the Bishoppe asked hir if she wold recant or no and sayde she should answeare for hir selfe Then the poore blinde woman perceyuing this sayde if you refuse to take it on your conscience that it is true you woulde haue me beléeue I wil aunsweare no further and desired them to do their pleasure And then they gaue sentence against hir and so she was burned Were not these godly and holy Fathers and of a good and true religion that did burne innocente people bycause they did not beléeue that they themselues did not beléeue to be true for if the doctrine was true that they taught and they beléeued the same why mighte not they then haue sayde on theyr conscience that it was true and why might not they haue aunswered for them therein to God at the daye of iudgemente this notable example shewes plainely that the doctrine of these persecuting Papistes is wicked and false that they are not of the church of God but of the fellowship of the Diuell that burned these poore blinde and simple women and manye other bycause they beléeued not that the Sacramentall breade and Wine was the verye body and bloud of Christe and theyr wicked religion of the Pope whyche they themselues being learned Byshoppes and Doctoures dyd not beléeue nor stande too But our Preachers of the Gospell will take on theyr conscience and wil stand betwéen God and their hearers that the doctrine they teach is true Therfore this only example if I had writtē nothing else vnto you is sufficient to persuade you that our doctrine is true and your Romishe religion is false vnlesse you winke for the nonce bycause you wil not sée Here also is another notable example whereby you may vnderstande howe God giues his spirite of trueth to the professors of the Gospell hys seruauntes that dye for the Testimonie of the same wherein you shall heare howe maruellouslye and truelye a poore man that was burned for thys our Religion prophesied of the shamefull ende of his persecuter a wicked Papisticall Commissarie A certaine pore man of Callais saying that he woulde neuer beléeue that a Priest coulde make the Lordes body at his pleasure was therefore accused and also condemned by one Haruy Commissarie there Whiche Haruy in time of his iudgement inueighing againste him wyth opprobrious words said that he was an heretike and should dye a vile death The poore man aunswering for himself saide againe that he was no heretike but was in the faith of Christe And whereas thou saist that I shall dye a vile death thou thy selfe shalt dye a viler death and that shortly And so it came to passe for within halle a yeare after the said Haruy
was hanged drawne and quartred for treason in the saide towne of Callais Now if the holy Ghost be the teacher of trueth then the holy Ghost did teach this persecuted member of Christe to prophecie truely and if the spirite of Sathan be the teacher of lyes then the spirite of Sathan did instruct Pope Hildebrand that prophecied falsely as is before mentioned of the deposing of the Emperour Wherefore if you woulde by this notable example and by manye other consider what trueth the holy Ghoste dothe vtter by the persecuted professors of the Gospell thoughe simple and vnlearned And againe on the other side what lyes and falshoode the spirite of the Diuel doth vtter by the great learned Pope himselfe his Catholike Cardinalles and hys proude presumptuous Prelates you woulde if you loue trueth as you say forsake them and all their falshoode and lyes and embrace the Gospell of Christe the Touchstone of trueth Marke also howe maruellously the spirite of God dyd speake in another persecuted professor of the Gospel One Patricke Hamleton a godly and learned professor of y e Gospel in Scotland was condemned to be burned who in the fire did cite and appeale the Black Frier called Campbel that accused him to appeare before the high God as generall Iudge of al men to aunswere to the innocencie of hys death and whether his accusation was iust or not betwéen that and a certaine daye of the nexte moneth whiche he the sayde Hamleton then and there named And after it was verie manifest that the sayde Frier dyed immediately before the sayde day came that the saide Hamleton dyd cite him to appeare without remorse of conscience that hée had persecuted the innocent By this example so strange rare diuerse people did not only muche muse thereat but also firmely beléeue the doctrine of the sayde Hamleton to be good and iust Behold here a glasse most cleare that whosoeuer lokes in the same can not choose but both sée and say that youre Church of Rome is the Captaine of crueltie and without all pitie and mercie and so by no means can be the church of God There were thrée women condemned in Garnesey the mother and two daughters bycause they did not come to the Church whereof one of them was named Peretine great with child they were tyeâ— to thrée stakes the mother to the middle stake the eldest daughter on the right hand and the yonger daughter on the left hand they were firste strangled but the rope brake before they were dead and so the women fel in to the fire Peretine who was then greate with child did fal on her side 〈◊〉 hapned a ruthful thing not only to y e oyles of al y t stooâ— ther but also to al other true harted Christians y t heare or read y e same or as y e belly of y e womaÌ„ brust asunder by vehemencie of y e flame y e infante being a faire maÌ„ child fel into y e fire being taken out of y e fire by one William House was layde vppon the grasse Then was the Child had to the Prouost from him to y e Bayliffe who gaue iudgement that it shoulde be carryed backe againe and caste into the fire And so the Infant baptized in his owne bloude to fill vp the number of Gods innocent Saints was both borne burned and dyed a Martyre leauing behinde to the worlde whiche it neuer sawe a spectacle wherein euery one maye sée that hathe any eyes at all the Herodian crueltie of this gracelesse generation of Catholike tormentors neuer to be forgotten Yet for all this greate and many other of the Papists more than heathnish cruelties many of you are so blinded ano bewitched that you can not perceiue the vnmercifull time of your Quéene Mary nor can consider the mercifull time of our Quéene Elyzabeth If the Quéenes Maiestie shoulde vse all you that refraine from the Church bicause you wil not heare Gods worde as these thrée séely women were bycause they wente not to the Churche to committe Idolatrie you woulde then saye she were a cruell and tyrannous Prince But suffering you without any crueltie yet you wil not saye that shée is a mercifull Quéene Beholde here an other wonderfull and rare example howe God dydde strengthen a yong maide that professed the worde of God oure religion One Maister Tyrrell and other didde beset the house of one William Mount and willed to haue the dore opened whiche being done the saide Maister Tyrrell with certaine of his companye went into the Chamber where the saide father Mount and his wife did lye willing them to rise for saide he yée muste goe with vs to Colchester Castle Mother Mounte hearing that being very sicke desired that hir daughter mighte firste fetche hir some drinke for she sayde she was verye euill at ease Then he gaue hir leaue and bad hir goe So hir daughter called Rose Allen tooke a stone potte in the one hande and a Candle in the other and wente to drawe drinke for hir mother And as shée came backe againe throughe the house Mayster Tyrrell met hir and willed hir to giue hir father and mother good councell and to aduertise them to be better Catholike people To whome the saide Rose sayde Sir they haue a better instructâ—r than I am for the holye Ghoste dothe teache them I hope whyche I trust wil not suffer them to erre Then sayde Mayster Tyrrell why art thou stil in that minde thou naughtie huswife Mary it is time to looke vppon suche heretikes indéede Then saide Rose Allen Sir wyth that whych you call Heresie do I worshippe my Lorde God I tell you truth Then saide Maister Tyrrell I perceyue you wil burn gossip wyth the reste for company sake Then sayde she no sir not for companyes sake but for Christes sake if so I be compelled And I hope in his mercies if he call mée to it he wil enhable me to beare it Then Mayster Tyrrell turnyng to hys company sayde sirs this gossip will burne doe you not thinke it Marry sir quoth one proue hir and you shall sée what she will doe by and by Then that cruell Tyrrell taking the Candle from hir helde hir wreaste and the burning Candle vnder hir hand burning crosse wise ouer the backe thereof so long till the very sinnes crackte asunder In whych time of hys tyranny hée said often to hir why whoore wylt thou not cry thou yong whoore wilt thou not crye Unto whyche alwayes she aunswered that she had no cause she thanked God but rather to reioice you haue more cause to wéepe sayde shée than I if you consider the matter well In the ende when the sinews brake that al the house hearde them he then thrust hir from him violently and sayde Ah strong whoore thou shamelesse beaste thou beastly whoore and with suche like vile wordes but she quietlye suffering hys rage for the time at the laste sayde Sir haue you done what you wyll doe
spake such Latine or out of such Latine made suche English if you can shewe vs no better Author wee muste needes thinke it is your owne c. but that representare should signifie eyther to make Christes bodie or to make it present no man I trowe euer durst to say so but Maister Harding In these woordes doe this you say is conteyned make this doth Christ bid you to make this in deede Maister Harding and what this I pray you would you make ye will say Christes bodie but Christes bodie as we beleeue is made already and needeth no newe making at your handes But you will say you will make Christ in remembraunce of Christe All this is meere follie for euery way yee tell vs you make Christ. Presume not Maister Harding to make him that made you it is inough for Stella clericorum to say qui creauit me c. he that made me hath gyuen me power to make him a Priest is his makers maker by this meanes the Prieste was before he was and God was not God when he was oh abhominable doctrine But God hath made Hell fire to the destruction of all them that yeelde their mouthes to speake suche blasphemie Thus Maister Iewell answeared and confounded Maister Harding that so foolishly and falsly did expound and wrest the wordes of Christe for the making of Christ of a péece of bread Marke further howe learnedly and truely Maister Harding commendes and extolles the Masse vpon whose wordes Maister Iewell wryteth as followeth M. Harding sayth he maketh as though in their Masse the Lords banket is so purely finely truely and so delicately drest and that it is such a feast for the people as the lyke is not in any thing else saying let this banket be dight as it ought to be let the best dishe be made readie c. Good Christian reader sayth Maister Iewell the best the wholesomest the most pleasant and most comfortable dish at this table is the death of Christ that lambe of God that hath taken away the sinnes of the world Thus Christ himselfe the maister of this feast hath willed vs to dresse this dinner Do this saith he in the remembraunce of me Likewise Saint Paule sayth as often as ye shall eate of this bread and drink of this cup yee shall shewe forth and publish the Lordes death vntill he come This banket therefore is not the outwarde or bare Sacrament And as it is alleaged out of S. Ambrose this banket is not the bread of the Sacrament that passeth into the belly but the bread of euerlasting life which relieueth the Substance of the Soule c. Likewise Saint Augustine sayth hee that is blinde in his harte within seeth not Christe that is our bread And is he blessed no man will so saie vnlesse he be one as blinde as he And so Maister Iewell goeth on and sayth But what maner of feast is it that M. Harding prepareth for the people how is it seasoned how is it drest firste by vncurteous and vnciuile dealing he withdraweth the one halfe that is the cup of the new Testament and reserueth it seuerally to him selfe And yet he woulde make the people beleeue they haue the whole And this doth he when he hath the greatest companie to sup with him when his feast is best furnished otherwise he suffreth his guestes to stand aloofe he consumeth all his prouision himselfe alone Neither hath hee any thing to set before them sauing onely a cold surcharge of dead shewes and dumbe Ceremonies The poore people heareth nothing vnderstandeth nothing eateth nothing drinketh nothing tasteth nothing they publish not the Lords death they know not the Lords supper To such a bāket Pasetes the Iugler vsed sometimes to cal his friendes there was great varietie and plentie of all maner of meates and drinkes the table full but when anye of the guestes would haue touched any thing it vanished sodainly away and was turned to nothing and so when their eyes were ful they put vp their kniues rose an hungred Euen thus M. Harding feedeth and feasteth the people of God with shewes and Ceremonies suffers them in the meane while to sterue for hunger Euen as the Prophet sayeth it shall be like a dreame of a hungrie man beholde he eateth and maketh merrie but when he is awakte his soule is emptie Thus excellently and most truelye hath that famous learned Bishop M. Iewell compared your great and worthie feast in the Masse whiche M. Harding so highly commendes and maintaines to the feast of Pasetes the Iugler Your Romish religion is so fond childishe false that it bewrayeth it selfe and hir champions that séeme to defende hir doe wounde hir and quite ouerthrowe hir and the more they approue hir the more they disproue hir for though M. Harding doth praise his Masse to be such a maruellous and godlye feast yet it appeares that the maister of the feast is but a very churle for as M. Iewell sayeth he hath none to his feast or dinner but himselfe but Christes Supper though M. Harding commendes it not was more like a feast than your Masse for he did not eate his Supper by himselfe but he bad all his Apostles to it yea Iudas his enimie that betraide him and all and they did eate drinke with him and he deuided both the breade and wyne among them but the Priest at the Masse though he breake the bread yet he eates and drinkes al himselfe Therfore if the Masse be a feast it is not onely a churles feast but also it is quite contrarie to Christs feast as before is well proued Therefore in all things the Papistical religion and doings be quite contrarie to the doings of Christ. And for that in many places before it appeareth that your Romish religion doth ouerthrowe it selfe euen so I will nowe by your Doctors owne doctrine ouerthrow your Christ of bread It is concluded in a Booke called Antididagma lately set forthe by the Chapter of Colain that the bare wordes of Christes institution without the wordes of the Canon of the Masse are not sufficient to make consecration If this bée true then Christ dyd not consecrate the breade and wyne bycause the Cannon of the Masse was not then nor of a good whyle after And you saye that before the consecration the breade is not the body of Christ so that for want of consecration Christ dyd not make the breade his bodye and bycause your Priestes makyng of Christes bodye dependes wholly of Christes making the breade his bodye for that they claime to do as he did and by the wordes that he spake therefore they doe not make the breade Christes bodye bycause Christ made not the bread hys bodye and thus by your owne doctrine your changing of the breade into the bodye of Christ is cleane ouerthrowne and therefore it must néedes bée breade still and so they teache you falsely and you beléeue falsely that the Sacrament after it
is consecrate is the body and bloud of Christ. Marke further of the goodly doctrine of your Romish doctors in this point Clemens that they will call the Apostles fellow sayth Let no Mise dung be founde among the fragments or peeces of the Lords portion meaning the Sacrament if Clemens said so then he did not it to be the body of Christ. For the glorious body of Christ is not nor will bée where such filth is The Glose also saith that the bodye of Christ may be vomitted vp againe O horrible wordes not méet to be named or once thought though y e priests Christs body of their owne making may be vomitted vp yet we are sure that the body of Christ which is in heauen will suffer no such absurditie And as this their doctrine is absurd wicked concerning their transubstantiation of the bread into y e body of Christ so is the doings superstitious ceremonies of the Priest in saying of the Masse and celebrating as they call it of their said body of Christ as fond and ridiculous as may appeare by their duckings turnings crossing lycking and feyned sléeping with many other such toyes with the childish and ridiculous garments and attire that he then weares drest more like a player than a Priest But Doctor Durand sets out the Priest then as though hée were in his complete harneys Who sayeth as followeth His Amys is his heade peece his Albe is his coate of male his Girdle is his bowe his Subcingle is his quiuer his stoale is his Speere his manyple is his Club his Chyseble is his target and in the ende he sayth these be the peeces wherwith the Bishoppe or Priest must bee harneyssed that will fight agaynst Spirituall wickednesse Muste not thys bée bothe a holye and strong harneys the Diuell dare not come néere hym that hath all thys on his backe If the Diuell wyll bée afrayde it must néedes make him flye awaye for feare I remember that Saint Paul telles vs of a harneys for vs to weare to resiste our spirituall enemye and the fyrie Dartes of the Diuell but among all hys harneys hée names not one iotte of the Priestes harneys that hée weares at Masse Whose wordes are these For this cause sayeth he take vnto you the armour of GOD that ye maye bee able to resiste in the euyll daye and stand perfect in all thinges Stande therefore your loynes gyrte aboute with veritie hauyng on the breast plate of righteousnesse and shodde with shooes prepared vnto the Gospell of peace aboue all take to you the shielde of faythe wherewyth yee maye quenche all the fyrie Dartes of the wycked And take the Helmette of saluation and the sworde of the Spirite whiche is the word of GOD. And praye alwaye wyth all manner of prayer and supplication and that in the Spirite c. Loe here is not one worde of Doctor Durands harneys therfore if it be so good a harneys as he makes it to be I muche muse that S. Paule did leaue it out and spake not of it belike either S Paule knew not of it or he had forgot it or else did mislike it but bicause we are assured that the armour that S. Paule speakes of is an olde auncient harneys and is an armour of proofe and this Doctor Durands harneys is but some couÌ„terfeit new made harneys therfore y e Popes Priestes were best to throwe awaye Doctor Durands harneys and to take S. Paules sure armour of prooffe Marke I beséeche you to what streites the Popes Doctors are driuen for the prouing of this their transubstantiation and changing of the bread into the body of Christe and yet it will not be nay they are vanquished with their owne argumentes For they saye that the body of Christ in the sacrament hath neither forme nor proportion nor limitation of place nor distinction of partes and is neithâ—r highe nor lowe long nor short thicke nor thyn and yet for all this saying many of you beléeue firmely that it is the very body of Christ truely if it be so it is the strangest body that euer I hard of if they make Christ body such a body but for maners sake he were as good haue neuer a bodye This your Christes body is such a body by their saying that none can sée it féele it heare it nor perceiue it and so within a whyle they will make I hope that not none will beléeue it and when none beléeues it then farewell the Masse the flowre of your follio I haue heard diuerse of you say y t they would desire no better iudge than S. Augustine well I am content S. Augustine shall be iudge but when you haue heard hym speake I feare you will not like his iudgement But if S. Augustine or any other shoulde say that the body of Christ may be without shape proportion qualitie quantitie or be without place I would saye then that neither he nor they were worthy to be counted to be learned or at the least wel learned Nowe let vs heare what S. Augustine saith in this case These are his wordes Spatia locorum tolle corporibus nusquam erunt quia nusquam erunt nec erunt c. Take away sayth he from bodyes limitation of place and the bodyes will be no where and bicause they be no where they wil be nothing Take awaye from bodyes the qualities of bodyes there will be no place for them to be in And therefore the same bodyes must needes be no bodyes at al. And now bycause that which you call the bodie of Christ hath neither quantitie qualitie nor place neither proportion of a body Therefore by Saint Augustines iudgement it is no body And if it be no bodye then it muste be bread or else it must néedes be nothing but I truste you wil not say that it is nothing y t the Priest doth consecrate or that it is nothing that he doth holde ouer his head Therefore you were beste to take and vse it as Christe by his Gospell hath appointed and as he himselfe did vse it and so you shall haue it thoughe not Christes very bodye yet a worthye something that is a holye Sacrament a pretious pledge a singular seale a soueraigne signe and a most comfortable remembraunce of our redemption and saluation by the passion and death of our Sauiour Iesus Christe the sonne of God Marke I beséech you how wide they wander that walke in a wrong way Was there euer any thinke you did so grossely so fondly so vnlearnedly and so vntruely applye the sacred Scriptures as Maister Harding one of the Captaines of your crue hath done for the prouing of this your Transubstantiation or changing of the bread into the body of Christe I thinke but a fewe For he saith That the sonne of man came not to destroy but to saue That is He tooke breade and wine and turned them into his bodie and bloude aduauncing these creatures of breade and