liuings liue more welthily and at ease than euer they didde afore or the Protestantes doe in their liberty nowe Marke howe like them selues they be and agreing with themselues As long as kinge Henry liued and all the time of blessed kinge Edwarde they taught they preached they subscribed they sware and beleued all thys that they now deny As oft as they had anye liuinge in anye College of the vniuersities as oft as they tooke degree in the scholes as oft as they tooke any benefice and whan they were made Priests or Byshoppes so ofte they sweare and forsweare all that nowe they denye Periurye in other menne is punished with bearinge papers losse of their eares and other worldlye shame but these menne abusinge the gentilnes of the Prince beyng thus oft forsworne are counted holye in the worlde The Papistes in their religyous monsters haue â—o kind of munkes Freers Chanons Nunnes differing in their coates than anye people haue some be white some blacke some graye differinge in their shoes some hauinge whole some halfe some nothinge but sooles vnder the foote differinge in shauinge their heades some more some lesse differing in meates some eatinge fish only some flesh and fishe at their dayes and times appointed differinge in places for some neuer go abroade but are kept stil with in the compasse of the house some walk abroode at their pleasure and some locked vp in stone walles diffring in their seruice for euery order had his diuerse order of masse and Mattins in manye pointes differinge in their Saintes or rather their Goddes whose names they beare whom they worshippe and stryuinge which of them shoulde be the holiest Some holde of Francis some of Benet some of Dominic some of Brigitte and others of other as they lust to deuise In their schole menne is founde more diuersity of opinions than among any sort of Philosophers Some hold of Thomas some of Dominus some of Albertus some of other as they like for there be so manye that almost they can not be reckened Which thinges being all considered and knowen of all men to be true except they be wilfully blind howe can they saye that they agree in one vnitye of the trueth Pilate and Herode agreed to crucifie christ so these in mischeues agree to set vp supersticion but in their priuate opinions none are more contrary and diuers In their pilgrimages pardons reliques fastinges what diuersities and striuing whiche shoulde be the greatest Amonge so manye Ladies and Roodes what striuinge in euery countrye which shoulde be the holiest and worke most miracles Amonge pardons Boston beare the name and yet other would compare among reliques the bloud of Hales passed other vnto their iugling was knowen Fastinges were mo than I know Some vsed Saint Rinians some oure ladies some the golden Fridayes some euerye Wednesdaye some halfe Lent some whole some with fishe only other as they luste What reason is it that they whyche fasted oure Ladyes faste some fastinge to bread water ended it in iii. yeares space other in eatynge fishe had vii and why shoulde they folowe the Ladye daye in lent more than other Ladie dayes and why yearelye doe they chaunge theyr daye c. Whan these and such other their doinges are proued to agree in one and good reason shewed for their doynges they maye better charge other menne wyth disagreinge but they maye thynke it shame to burthen other wyth that wherein they be most gilty themselues There is none more disobedient then the newe Byshops and Preachers now a dayes whyche disoveye the vniuersall church of Christ the whych Church who so euer wyll not obey oure sauyour in the Gospell commaundes vs to take theym as infydelles As where the vniuersall Churche of Chryst commaundes Masse and senen Sacramentes as necessary for our saluacion they call it abhomination with their blasphemous mouthes Where the â–ª Churche commaundes to faste they commaund to eat Where the Church coÌ„maunds coutynual prayer of the Clergy they cal it superslicyon blynd ignorance where the Church commaundes the clergie to liue in chastitye they commaunde and exhort the Clergy to mariage where the Churche and all lawes ciuyll and canon yea the lawes of the Realme do prohibit maryage of Pryestes they alowe maryage of Pryestes â—beyinge no lawe but folowe their owne carnall lustes Yea where the Queene hays geuen strayte commaundement to abstayne from fleshe in Lent and other dayes commaunded by the Churchâ— the newe Preachers and Protestants haue eaten flesh openly to the great sclaunder of other O God howe manye lyes in so fewe lynes The vnyuersall Churche of Chryste agrees in the necessarye Artycles of oure Saluation but in certayne outwarde orders and Ceremonies euerye Countrie differs from other wythout anye dyshonoure to Godde I declared afore how we agree with the vniuersall churche and confesse the necessarye Christian articles of our fayth religion saluation better than they also I touched some diuersities of out warde orders in the Churche whereof many or all were tollerable and nowe by occasion of these matters mynistred by him I shall touche some moe He layes to our charge that we disobey the vniuersall churche if he meane in those thinges which afterwarde folow I am content to trie with him Where vnder y â— name of masse he vnderstands the Romish latin masse it appeares afore how many sundry good sortes of ministring the Lordes supper be in other countries at this day and haue bene of olde time Therefore he makes a loude lie in sayinge or thinking that who so euer disagrees from their Popish masse disobeies the vniuersal Church for the most part of Christendome neyther does at this daye nor at any time hais vsed it In the substaunce and doctrine of the holye Communion we agree with the scripture and the catholicke Church though we differ in some peice of the outwarde order of it from other countries but we prosesse an open disagreeinge from the Romish sinagoge both in the order and substaunce thereof The Churche of God accordinge to the scriptures does professe and beleue that all faythfull Christians worthely coming to the lordes table receiue by faith in those holy misteries the body and bloude of Christ whiche was giuen broken and shed for the sinnes of the whole world this we teache beleue and folow aud exhort all men often to prepare them selues worthelie thus to receiue The Popish Synagoge contrary to Saint Paule teach practise beleue and persecute with fire and fagot all gainsayers that in the sacrifice of their bread and wine the creatures be chaÌ„ged from their natural substaunce and are made a God to be worshipt whan they lifte it ouer their heades hange it in a corde ouer the Altar or carye it aboute the fieldes and if the people will bie trentals or masses of it at their handes they can swepe purgatory cleane and make soules flie to heauen as thicke as duste These haue no ground woorke on Goddes
was thereon offred as those were on an altar Where so euer therfore the newe testament or olde writers vse this word altar they allude to that Sacrifice of christ fygured by Moyses and vse the word stil that Mosses vsed to signyfye the same sacrifice withall and rather it is a figuratiuâ— than a proper kinde of speache in all suche places And because altars were euer vsed for sacrifices to signifie that sacrifice whiche was to come seing our sauioure christ is comen alreadye hais fulfilled and finyshed all sacrifices we thinke it best to take away all occasions of that Popyshe sacrificinge masse for maintaynnige whereof they haue cruelly sacrificed manie innocent soules to minister on tables accordinge to these examples It greeues him that the Bishops set their tales as it pleases hym to speake whan they sytte in iudgemente where the Altars were but if they were handled as did Baals Priestes and his Altars God did them no wrong It is a commen true sayinge he that wil do no yl must do nothinge that longes there til so surely if we wil warely audid the wickednes of Popery we must fâ—e from suche thinges as maintaine their doinges There is nothinge more profitable vnto them than massinge sacrifices therefore because Altars importe and maintaine their gainefull sacrificynge it is necessary they be remoued For their sacrifice of the Masse that he so muche lamentes to be defaced and all good conscyences reioyse that God of hys vndeserued goodnesse hays ouerthrowen it I referre all menne to the fyft and laste booke that the blessed soules now lyuinge with god Bishoppes Crammer aud Ridley wrote of the Sacramente whose bodyes they cruellye tormented therfore There who so euer lust maye reade and with indifferencye wey the reasons of both parties and iudge wyth the trueth Stout Steuen woulde gladlye haue ouerthrowen that booke but God confounded hym and their names lyue for euer So longe as that booke standes vnconfuted they maye barke agaynste the trueth as the Dogge does agaynst the mone and not preuaile And if ye will call but a litle to your remembrance howe many diuers sortes of masses there were vsed in diuers couÌ„tries as appeares in the words afore rehersed ye shal se how lowd he lies in saiing here that their masse was according to the order of christes catholike church That is catholicke as the Greke word signifies which is vniuersall and general both in time person and place therfore he must proue if he will be beleued that this Popish latin patched masking masse hais bene vsed at al times of all menne and in all Countryes But I haue declared afore both many sundrye sortes of ministringe the lordes supper in seuerall countries and also howe of late yeares this his order hais bene violently and blinde ignoraunce brought in therfore it can not be catholicke None that be counted learned can be ignoraunt of the general pointes wherin the Greke East churche differs from the west latin Romish churche The Grecians neuer receyued the Pope for their head nor the doctrine of purgatory their Priestes were euer free to mary they ministred the Lords supper alwais in their owne language with leauened bread in bothe kindes to the lay people both the bred and the cup seuerally the Priestes neuer receiued alone withoute other to receyue wyth him they neuer made trentals of it nor knew transsubstantiation they neuer vsed pardons ymages with manye other moe thinges lyke as auricular shriuinge to a Priest c which all the latin Romish Church defendes and does contrary and their these religion standes in theym therefore none of these opinions can be cald catholicke because the Greke Churche which is the greater part of the worlde neuer receiued beleued nor vsed them Thus many lyes than this maister D. hais made in one word callynge it catholicke as there be thynges wherein their Romishe masse dyffers frome the the Greke liturgies and orders of ministringe the Lordes supper as I haue declared moste of theym If I shoulde particulâ—rly and throughly handell all his folysh saiynges it would growe to to great a woorke therefore brefelye I touche the chefest He charges vs with a faith and religion that hais no foundacion layde by generall counsels which sayinge whan he better considers I truste he will be content to be reckned in the same number with vs. Was not the first general counsel vnder Constantine the Emperor at Nice aboue iiii c. xxx yeres after Christ was borne Shall I say than or is he so shameles to thinke that there was no religion nor faith in the world so manye yeares together after Christ. because there was not of so many yeares a generall counsell to bilde vppon No and because we say and proue oure faithe and relygion to bee the best and auncienst we bylde not on counsels as they doe but on Goddds worde which is aboue the counsel and rules al being not ruled of any hais bene from the beginning and shall continue to the end and we say with Paule that we be bylded on the foundacion of the Apostles and Prophetes Christ himselfe beynge the head corner stone The Prophetes whereon we buyld lyued many of them a thousaunde yeare afore anye generall counsell was heard of and the Apostles liued iiii C. yere afore them Wherfore our foundacion and religion is much elder than theirs Councels are lyke to Parliamentes that that pleases one Pope in his Counsell pleases not another as the bokes do easely declare and that whiche one thinkes good makes a law one yere an other condeÌ„nes disanulles What a vayn thing is it than to bild on so vncertain a groundworke Heauen and earth shall passe chaunge and decaye but the worde of the Lorde our God from whence comes our religion remaines for euer as the Prophet sais Therfore the wise builder wil folowe that which will not fade Lastlye where he charges vs that we agree not one wyth another nor wyth oure selues I maye say to him with the Gospell Thou Hypocryte first plucke the mote out of thine own eye and than thou shalte better see to take the beame oute of thy brothers eye There is no sorte of people more giltye in this behalfe than the Papystes be The heathen Philosophers hadde not so manye sundrye sectes and oppinions amonge them selues in their scholes as the Papistes haue in their doynges D. Ponet late Byshoppe of Winton in his answere to the booke that beares Martins name for mariage of Priestes proues wel that Poperye is a monster patched of al kynds of heresy worse than they al. Where such thinges are fullye taught proued I had rather refer you to y e reding of them there than to write one thynge oft I declared to you afore also where ye shal find xxiii schismes among the popes themselues These holy Bishops y â— he craks so much on for their imprisonment and other that in losing their
hanges ouer him Saint Ciprian sayes he seperates himselfe from Christ that does against the consent of the Byshop and clergy Saint Hiero. does saye we muste remayne in that Churche whiche is founded of the Apostles and does endure vnto thys daye by a succession of Byshoppes to whom the holye Ghoste hais appointed the rule and gouernement of this Churche sanctified by Christes bloud shedinge Nor let heretickes take anye comforte to theym selues if they can frame out of the Chapters of the scripture for their pourpose that whiche they saye seynge the deuill hais alledged some thinges of scripture for the scriptures consist not in readinge but true vnderstandinge If we will be members of Christes Churche we must continue firmely in that faith and religyon that was sent from the Apostolicall see of Ro. by S. Gregory into England which faith and religion was planted and stablyshed by Saint Angustine in thys Realme Saint Augustine stablyshed masse and vii sacramentes to be vsed in the latin tonge as Gâ—das does witnes and such maner of deuine seruice as is nowe vsed The aunswere to the. i. question SAint Austin in the first place alledged hais no suche definition althoughe the most parte of the wordes which he puttes there are true and woulde to God he considered howe muche he speakes against him selfe here in This is that which we defende that the Churche is gathered by Christ and Thappostles first and continues not in the Papisticall but in the Apostolicall faith vnder Christ our head who rules his churche stil by his holye spirite and worde and hais not put it into the â—andes of any one only general vicar in the earth as he vntruelye sayes whereas their church is bylded not on christ but on the Popes decrees whiche Thappostles neuer knewe and were vnwritten manye yeares after the death of Thappostles and are alwayes vncertayne chaunginge euer as it pleases the Pope for his time to determine And their Church hais had at one time iii. or iiii Popes for their heades like a monster with manye heades some Countrie folowinge one Pope some another as their heade We saye also that the Papistes haue deuided theim selues from this Churche of Christe makinge them selues sinagoges and chappelles gods and religion of their owne deuysynge as Micha did contrarye to Gods worde and therefore the wrath of God hanges ouer them except they returne howe holye so euer they pretende to be Ciprians wordes are not all together so plaine as he settes theym but if they were he meanes an other sort of Priestes and Clergye than the Popes for neyther they did take than to them nor he knew no such autoritye in them as they now vsurpe vnto theim selues for he writes as sharplye and homelye vnto Cornelius than byshop of Rome as he does to any other his felow bishops Surelye who so euer deuydes him selfe from Christes ministers and people refusinge their doctrine and discipline seperates him selfe from Christ euen as he that flees from the filthy dregges of Poperye and his Chaplaines is cut of from the Pope the father of suche wickednes In Ieroms wordes we most reioyse teachinge vs to continue in that Churche which is founded by Thapostles and not Popes endures to thys daye The wordes of succession c. folowinge are his owne and not Ieroms By thys doctrine of Ierom we flee to Thapostolicall and flee from the Papisticall Churche whiche was neuer knowen of manye yeares after Thapostles And we graunt that the deuil papistes and heretickes can alledge some wordes of the scriptures and therefore we saye that the Papistes be deuilyshe Heretickes because they racke writhe the scriptures to a contrarye meaninge to their owne damnation as the deuill did For succession and gouernement of Byshops for Austins religion massinge and vii sacramentes I said inoughe afore but where he alleges Gildas as father of his lies he does him much wroÌ„g for he hais neuer suche a word in all his writinges If he haue lette him shew it This is euer the facion of liynge Papistes to haue the names of doctours and auncient writers in their mouthes as though they were of the same opinioÌ„ that they be where in dede they be nothynge lesse and if they get a word or if that seemes to make for them they will adde a hole tale of their owne makinge as thoughe it were a piece of the same auncient mannes sayinge and by thys meanes they deceyue the simple whiche haue no learninge to iudge or haue not the bookes to trye their saiynges by as this miser goes about in these places afore Who is an hereticke HE that teaches defendes or maintaines anye erronyous oppinion agaynst the decrees iudgemente or determynatyon of Christes Catholicke Church is an hereticke Who is a schismaticke HE that is deuided or separat from the vnitye of the catholycke Church in ministration or receyuynge the sacramentes or diuine seruice is a schismaticke and in state of perdicion The aunswere to the. ii and. iii. questions HE wold gladly appeare to be wel sene in logiâ— if he had any If all be hereticks that defend an erronius opinion than many disputacions shall be condemned In disputing it is oft sene that of ignoraunce or for his learning sake manye defend an vntruth yet God forbid that they shoulde all be heretickes Austin says well I maye erre but I will not be an hereticke Then he is an hereticke properlye that defendes an errour obstinatelye and will not be corrected So teaches Saint Paule Flee from an hereticke after one or ii warnynges he sais not for ones teachinge or defending of it Also he is not a schismaticke that differs in small pointes or circumstaunces of ministringe the sacraments from other for than shoulde all the Greke church be in a schisme because they differ in some ceremonies from the Latin Churche and also one from another as I declared afore in the ministration of Basil Chrisost Saint Iames. c. the same may be said of the latin church to as for Ambrose order Gregores c. And because euer vnder the Catholicke churche he signifies Rome we saye that no countrie whiche vses other ceremonies than they doe is in this case a schismaticke for that their Romishe orders and ceremonies be of their owne deuisinge for the most part and not commaunded by god nor neuer were vsed generally in the vniuersall Catholicke churche as I proued afore and therfore they be free to vse or not vse as shalbe thought mete to differ in the substaunce and doctrine of sacramentes maye make a schisme or heresye but such ceremonies are free to all countries whiche maye edifie as appeared in Ansel. Epistle afore These fewe wordes are sufficient to lette him see his owne foolyshnes more might be said but I will not be so curious nor tedious to note all Saint Paule cals the Corinth schismatickes in henginge on mennes sleues for opinions in religion and for misusinge the