disobedience Some of them haue beene executed according to the auncient lawes of this land without any extraordinary extremitie nay rather with fauor in case of high treasō And yet of this sort the epistle of the persecution in England Whervnto he referreth him selfe For proofe wherof he mentioneth only pretended Catholiques that haue been so executed In deed since some more vpon like reason their cause being first iudicially heard at the K. bench and orderly proceeded in according to the course of law and iustice in such case beeing found guilty of hie treason receiued like execution And this is the greatest extremety which they can complaine of to this day But he denieth that any one act word or thought was founde in them of treason wherin he is conuicted of manifest truth both by so many as were officers of her maiesties iustice vpon them and by their owne confessions as well of other matter as also of reconciling of diuers her highnesse subiects to the pope as it appeareth by that hath bin published hereof by authoritie Whereby they acknowledge the Popes most vniust sentēce against her H. as lawfull draw her Ma. subiects from her obedience which the law of this land hath declared to bee high treason againste her Highnes royall crowne and dignitie Nether is it heere inough to say that they do it in conscience of their religion for in many good consciences they can not do it the B. of Rome by the worde of God hauing no more to do in England then any minister in Englād hath to do in Rome And if without the word of God they will be caried in such a course as cannot stand in any truth of religion or sound pollicie with the safetie of the state and securitie of oure moste lawfull Soueraigne oure whole common Wealth and Countrie should they cry out as if extreame cruelty were executed vpon them if their excuse of a pretensed conscience be not taken for a sufficient aunswer These cries complaints might worthely haue bene made by the poore faithful people of Merindall of the valley of Anagrogne the rest when the Popes executioners wasted destroied 7. townes of theirs Also by our brethren in Q. Maries daies which were burnt by dosens together in a fire Likewise by our brethren cruelly without any forme or processe of iustice murdred and slain in the late butcheries and massacres of France Then was it time to haue shewed compassion but the bowels of Christ were not in them Then was a time to haue shewd pitty but their merciles harts were void of grace mercye They were filled with gal and bitternes no fire was hot inough for them no sworde was sharp ynough The honourable and the common was all one to them the learned and vnlearned the reuerēd age and the comly youth the man and the woman the father and the sonne the mother and the babe borne out of time and murdered as soone as hee was born by their sauage and barbarous crueltie These cry yet behinde the altar against them O Lord when wilt thou reuenge our bloud and the Lord will not refuse to hear them and reuenge their cause vpon their bloudy enemies in the day of his wrath Another reason is alleaged of the fauour they find in the Indies and vnder the Turke which I haue aunswered before and answere here again that neither do they suffer that doctrine and practise of their religion which they holde in these parts neither if they did are Christian P. to rule their Subiectes by the examples of Turks and heathen but by the law of God Who hath giuen to them this commandement to be obserued in all their dominion that neither anye man nor his children nor seruaunts that neyther home borne or strangers be suffered to prophane his Sabboth and to pollute his holy seruice leest the rest of the people of the lande learne of them and so the wrath of God come suddenly vpon vs for being accessaries to Idolatrie As for the tolleration of the Iews whosoeuer they be that suffer the exercise of their religion with the blasphemies they commonly vse against Christ make themselues giltie of al their wickednes which the Lord keepe this lande from as well as from the abhomination of the masse But they maye remember that their Holye Father can tollerate the Blasphemye of the Iews and the filthinesse of all the Curtesains and Stewes and take a yeerely rent of them for it and for no respect will allowe the exercise of our most holy religion eyther in his own dominions or wheresoeuer he may preuaile againste vs but by all meanes seeke to burne all the professors of it to ashes and to shed their bloude as water to runne downe the Streetes Further if no protestāt Prince elswhere haue executed any of these Catholiks for religiō as he cōfesseth no more hath any for the cause bin put to death with vs as I haue shewed alredy which being so that neuer any professyng the Gospell put any of them to death for meere matter of their conscience let the Lorde iudge the wicked seruaunt by his own mouth Now for the barbarous crueltie and most sauage immanitie vsed by them against vs we haue shewed againe that pacience towardes thē hitherto as we haue not touched the life of any one of them But if the Catholiques had practised Rebellions and Treasons in the Dominions of other Princes professyng the Gospel as thei haue doen here with vs no doubt but thei should haue found the same reward of their wickednesse that thei haue doen here For our doctrine it is vtterly vntrue that any of the churches professyng the Gospell or this of England vnder persecution did euer thinke it vnlawfull to put to deathe a Rebell and a Traytour Naie it hath beene alwaies taught in all the reformed Churches that bothe thei and also obstinate Heretickes amongest whom thei haue alwaies accounted and doe still account all obstinate and wilfull spreadors of the Romishe faithe sett doune by the Councell of Trent are moste worthie of death that as it is in the Lawe the false Prophett and the seducyng Idolater maie bee taken from amongest vs that all Israell maie heere and feare and not dare to committ the like Wee acknowledge in deede faithe to be the gift of God whiche commeth by the preachyng of the Gospell by Ministers sent by the commaundement of God but we do not therefore think it vnlawfull for the Magistrate to execute the Lordes iust vengeaunce vppon the obstinate Heretickes and seducyng Idolaters Repentaunce and holinesse of life is also the gift of GOD and commeth by the same meanes and yet the Magistrate not onely in a good conscience maie but in duetie to God ought as he will answere it to him that shal iudge the quicke and the dead drawe out the Lordes sworde of execution of iustice and of vengeaunce against all ill doers to wounde and to kill accordyng to the qualities of the
hee hath shewed mercy to his Sion he hath raised her out of the dust he hath anoynted her with oyle and furnished her table euen in the fight of all her enimies And nowe that the Lorde hath giuen her enimies into her power to require at their hand al the bloud of her deare children which they haue shed so many yeares and to recompence them double for all that she hath receyued of them yet hetherto she hath patiently wayted if the Lord may giue them repentance and forborne to vse any like extremitie towardes them Therefore all these former poynts well considered whether he compare the persons or vsage it will be founde in deede there is no comparison but for this reason because the numbers of such of ours as haue suffered haue bene a thousand to one of theirs the persons of greater state both for birth and calling the vsage so farre diuers both in the time of imprisonment and in the execution that we in our most iust lawful punishmēt of thē haue contayned our selues within the bondes of Christian lenitie and mekenes nay I may truly say that in some obstinate and buysie seducers wee haue beene short of duty But they in their most wrōg ful and tyrannical persecution of vs haue matched if not exceeded the most sauage cruelties that euer were heard off amōgst the Barbarians and the Heathen And thus much for answere to the comparison wherein I doubt not but it easily appeareth to all indifferent readers howe farre vnlike their doings are to ours It followeth now to examine whether of vs can render better reason of such our proceedinge This Aduocate iustifieth theirs by two speciall arguments wherof the first is the authoritie whereby they proceeded against vs which he saith was an ancient generall law meaning thereby the lawe of putting Heretikes to death wheras we haue only new nationall statuts as hee saith to punish them by For the lawe of putting heretikes to death I graunt it to haue beene a generall and ancient law amongst Gods people when the Magistrates haue béene of the faith of the Church And as it is auncient and generall so hath it good warrant of the word of God For the Magistrate beareth not the sworde in vaine but is the Minister of Gods iustice and vengeance vpon all offendors according to the qualitie of their offence Further also heretikes aboue all other offenders most grieuously transgresse both against God whose holy seruice and honour they prophane and also against men whom they by poysoning of the heauenly doctrine doe destroy with death euerlasting Both which being so cleare as they need no further proofe it must needes followe that the Magistrate ought to put an Heritike to death And thus was it expresly commaunded in the lawe of Moses Deut. 13.5 2. reg 23.20 2. Chro. 15.13 and executed by Asa Iosia the noble and zealous Kings of Iuda Against which iudgmēnt in vaine do some alledge the parable of Tares to be suffered to growe till the latter day For the tares there are not onely Heretikes but as our Sauiour there doth expound it all the wicked who are called children of the deuil the seruantes not Magistrates but Angels the pulling vp not the execution of perticuler euill doers by temporall death but the destruction of all the wicked children of the deuil vnto death euerlasting Which points are so plaine to any that will consider the parable with iudgment as they can not be denied No stronger are the rest of the proofes that are by the fauorers of this cause brought in out of Celsus a principall writer for the maintenance of it Mat. 13 40.4◠nor which this new aduocate for heretickes would insinuate for this purpose though for the authority of the cannon law to the cōtrary he dare not plainly discouer this to be his opinion saying faith is the gift of god For this cōcludeth not that no man by compulsion correctiō may so profite that he maye be occasioned to vse such meanes whereby after he may beleeue Nor that such as are obstinate heretickes ought not to be executed by death For by like reasō no malefactors should dy for feare of destroying them euerlastingly repentance being the gifte of God aswell as faith Of this therefore wee are agreed but who is to be iudged an hereticke is all the question betweene vs. They by their Cannon law iudge al heretickes that hold not the faith which at this day is professed in the church of Roome But we deny their Cannon lawe to be any competent iudge of heresie a great part of which law is the sinke of all error and abhomination or any other cannons decrees and authorities of men whatsoeuer and affirme the onely worde of God left written in the bookes of the holy and canonicall scriptures to bee able to iudge of these matters as partly was declared in the beginning of this answere Further we affirme and that agréeably to the same holy scripture whereunto we referre our selues for tryall that the faith now taught receyued by the Church of Roome in such poynts as it differeth from vs to be nothing but a new and late superstition and heresie The cause then falling out thus betwen vs that their doctrine differing from ours is error heresie ours wherin it differeth frō them as in al the other parts therof is the pure word of god Psal 1◠swéet as the swéet bread of the Passouer without any leauen fine as the siluer tryed refyned seauen times in the furnace we are certainelie assured by the same worde whereby wee shall bee iudged in that day when the truth shall shine as the Sunne and they shall see it which doe not repent of this their contradiction of Core to their euerlasting confusion that the auncient generall lawe whereof he speaketh can make nothing at all with them or against vs. Of the other parte whereas he would shew vs to haue small or no authoritie to proceede against them as wee doe as hauing in his opinion onely certaine national statuts wherby our proceedings are warranted hee is to vnderstand that vpon such reasons as hath bene shewed of their doctrine and ours the same auncient and generall lawe which chargeth Magistrates with the keeping of al things written in the law and with the ciuill punishment of al offenders Deut. 17.19 Rom. 13. is a most sufficiēt warrant for the authority which God hath now set ouer vs to compel all the subiectes within this Dominion to serue the Lorde our God according to that right order of his seruice which he himselfe hath appoynted and to correct their errours and obstinacie which shall be disobedient as the qualitie of their offence shall deserue Vpon the warrant of this auncient lawe Iosia in his time constrayned all Israell to serue the Lord their God which can not otherwise be vnderstood then of compelling them thereunto by new national statutes the seueritie whereof enforced
which at the same time in all the worlde professe by publike ministerie Christian religion as a most graue reuerent testimony ought worthily to be regarded by all her modest and humble children Yet because it may bee subiect to error in some poynt yea most substantiall and materiall poyntes as the experience of the apostasie which the Apostle prophecied off doth sufficiētly declare euen that can be no sufficient warrant of the truth Only the written word of God is sufficient which alone hath this prerogatiue aboue all creatures to certifie assure our consciences in matters of religiō Whereby we being taught the faith which wee haue belieued as wee are readie thorowe the grace of God to make good at all times before all men our faith can not be any newe or perticuler opinion as he wrongfully chargeth it but is the auncient and generall faith of the Church which hath testimony giuen vnto it by the lawe and by al the Prophets which spake from Moses to Samuell Rom. 3.22 Act. 3.24 and those which folowed after These are auncient Fathers in deede whose heades are all white as woll In comparison of whom the fathers they boast off haue neuer a one of them a graye haire vpon his heade they may seeme to haue beene borne but yesterdaye In which respect according to the Lawe Leuit. 19.32 they are to rise vp and giue place and doe their duetie to these who are aged Fathers in deede For where as simply there is nothing auncient but that which is euerlasting and all other thinges are auncient in respect and in comparison of that which is yonger Wee most truly affirme our faith to be so farre more auncient then theirs as that for euery hundreth yeares their doctrine is olde which at this day the Church of Roome teacheth that which our Churches professe is auncient 1000. as being the faith of the righteousnes of God witnessed vnto by the lawe and by the Prophetes Therefore if it had neuer bene heard of in England before and though it haue beene condemned by that vngodly Pius Quintus and his successor of like impietie Rom. 3.21 and their folowers as Christ was by Caiphas and the Apostles by Annas and his whole consistory yet remaineth it still and shall remaine for euer no newe nor perticuler opinion but the auncient and generall faith of the Church the Apostolicall and propheticall doctrine whereby in all partes of the world haue beene and shall be saued whosoeuer were appoynted to euerlasting life For which cause godly hath it beene procured by your HH and established by her highnesse authoritie amongst vs as was the obedience of the lawe by Iosias when it was founde after that it had beene lost by negligence of the priestes for certaine yeares In like sort the true Gospell being found againe which had beene lost by the negligence of their Priestes if not also by their malice and for the furtherance of their pompe and riches which it serued not for hath beene in deed aduised by the right Reuerend Synod of the ministerie of this our whole Nation and restored to his former auncient authoritie by the high Court of Parliament enacting ordeyning by statute the approbation and allowance of it Which if it haue bene done as here he cōplayneth without tryall or disputation and confuting of the aduersary openly the blame is to be laide vpon none but themselues For who can make a coward to fight he may be challenged hee may haue his day appoynted and by some meanes be brought into the fielde but if his heart shall faile him when he seeth his enimie in the face and that the euill quarrell he commeth in doth take away his courage so that he yeeld himselfe to the pleasure of his aduersary without striking of any stroke hath he after any reason to complayne that he was not fought withall Euen so it is not vnknowne to your HH and to this whole state that our aduersaries were called to disputation and the day appoynted at which also they came as if they would haue disputed but belike considering there is no wisedome against the Lord nor power that can preuaile against his truth they began to picke quarrels to auoyde the brunt of the battell and forsooke the fielde refusing to dispute Our reuerend Fathers of worthie memory Cranmer Ridley Latimer c. dealt not so with them in Q. Maries dayes but encountred with them both in the conuocation house also at Oxford to their shamefull foyle and iust reproch howsoeuer after they hauing the lawe in their owne handes did most vniust and cruell execution vpon them by burning them in the fire An argument voyde of all reason and full of vyolence and wrong which yet by the grace of God they fully answered receyuing vertue from aboue and being fortified with an heroicall magnanimitie and a most christian and noble spirit whereby they endured the cruell torment of the flaming fire with great patience and comfort reioycing they were vouchsafed not onely to belieue but also to suffer and that vnto death and so cruel a death for the testimony of the Lord Iesu and the witnesse of his truth And yet these men according to the Prouerbe that he that flyeth may fight againe not being ashamed that men should remember the foyle of that day when they were not able to stand with those who were appoynted to dispute with them now as if they had gotten new hart of grace some good armor of proofe which euen the verie word of God the spiritual sword wherby we fight against these men were not able to pearce haue nothing in their mouthes nor in their pennes but disputation whereof if they came to it againe as their late chāplan did I doubt not but they would haue soone inough But of this I haue ocasion to speak more herafter Now let vs proceede to his other reasons The other two reasons which are debated by him more at large are of vnity and pollicie both which he affirmeth to bee in their religion denyeth to be in ours For vnitie I say as in the other that neyther if they had that vnitie agreement amongst themselues wherof they boast that they were thereby sufficiently warranted and then that they haue it not Of the other part that in ours is the true vnitie which is in veritie For the first that al agreemēt is no sufficient proofe of the goodnesse of the matter wherein they agree it may easily appeare for that al malefactors haue a kinde of agréement So likewise haue the enimies of the Gospel of Christ as the Apostles out of the 2. Psal declare that the Iewes the Romaines the auncient enimies of Christ that the Gentiles the people of Israel the state ciuil ecclesiasticall did al agrée cōspire together against God against his annointed Therfore except he can proue that faith wherein they agree to be the true ancient faith of Gods
Church his vnity is nothing but a conspiracie and their hye consistory as the cōsistory of the hie priests cōfederat together against Christ and against his Apostles or as the agreemēt betwene Core Dathan Abiram with their rebellious companies against Moses and Aaron Further I say their Church is so farre off from that vnitie and agreement which he boasteth off that contrarywise it hath beene and is full of contentions and controuersies Which if we consider in the publike state of their Church is most manifest in the infinit varietie difference of Saintes meanes of saluation chosen to worship and to trust vnto by sundry Nations Townes companies and persons as it liked them best Likewise by the diuers Missales Breuiaries and Ceremonies vsed amongst them Further also by their sundry sectes of Monkes Nunnes which they haue so multiplied of late whereas not many hundred yeares agoe they had onely the order of Bennet But especially in the Popes counsels vniuersities and brotherhoodes of Monkes and Freers it appeareth that the Lorde burst their Church as a vessell of claye and an earthen pot stricken with a barre of yron into so many peeces and fitters that there scarse remayneth whole any one potsheard so big as might serue to fetch fire withall The agreement of the Popes was such about Formosus that for some yeares euery Pope disanulled his predecessors actes they condemned one another yea they followed their cause with such bitter mallice Platina their owne writer reporting it that Formosus was takē vp after his death and burned and his ashes cast into the riuer The scisme of two or three Popes at once which continued so many yeares and occupyed all Christian Princes to the perpetuall infamie of their malitious discordes doth witnesse to all posteritie how farre their Church is from this vnitie they would boast off Further their booke of decrees though Gratiā would force them to agree declareth what contrarie and repugnant sentences haue beene pronounced by them in sundry causes and poynts of great importance And this hath beene the vnitie of the Popes amongst themselues with others they haue agreed thus They haue moued and mainteyned wars both with Kinges and Kesars and those both Greeke French and Germans Many counsels haue beene excomunicated by them and they againe by the counsels Most famous and noble Churches haue likewise had experience what bitter spirit of contention and discorde hath possessed them They haue alienated and cleane cut off the renoumed Churches of Asia whereof a great manie were planted with the Apostles owne handes In like manner haue they contended and striuen with the Churches of Africa And in Europe the seate of their impietie neyther the Churches of Germanye Fraunce England Denmarke nor sondrie other but haue beene deuided and rent a sunder with their quarrels and in a manner brought to waste by meanes of the controuersies they haue had with them and others raysed and nourished by them But especially their owne Italy as other monumentes and the pertialities and factions of the Guelphes and Gibellines and their present estate doth witnesse Moreouer Clement the fift maintayned a great contention with the famous vniuersitie of Paris about his indulgences And other of them had a great quarrell with the begging Fryers concerning the order of Monkery And this hath beene the vnitie which the Popes haue had amongst themselues and with others Their Councels also as being the vnquiet bodie of so restlesse and contentious a head haue beene at variance one with annother as those of Basile and Constance and sondrie others Their Monkes and Fryers haue had greate warres both amongst themselues and with others both with the Popes themselues with the vniuersities and with their cheefe Prelates as that which they had with Gad with Clement the fift with the vniuersitie of Paris and the Archb. of Arnach with whome they agreed litle better then the Popes Nuntie at Paris this last yeare agreed with the Dominicans to the most shamefull reproch of their whole Church The Canonistes and the Scholemen byte one another according to the Apostle till they be consumed one of another The Scholemen they are also diuided amongst themselues into Reales and Nominals and acording to their captaines vnder whose auncient bāner they fight some are Thomists some Scotists some hold of Occam This is not according to him that said Ioh. 14.27 My peace I leaue with you my peace I giue vnto you Is Christ diuided According to these publike examples 1. Cor. 1.13 their priuat Doctors writers haue behaued thēselues euē of late yeares in writing one against another as Catharinus an Archb. and one of the Popes Minions Dominicus de Soto confessor to Charles the fift Caietanus Tapperus Pighius with sundrie other and the Fathers of the Councell of Trent all which so agreed that according as it is saide of Ismaell their handes were euery one against all others and all others against them Their agreement was like that which was amongst the Babilonians after the Lorde had striken them with the confusion of their tongues that one vnderstoode not another and like the discorde of the Madianites who thrust euery man his sworde into the side of his owne Countryman Which their contentions and debates were of no small matters but of originall sinne of iustification by faith of the certayntie of hope of the vertue of the death of Christ of the vertue of Baptisme of the supremacie of the higher authoritie of the Pope or of the Counsels of the Church or of the Scripture of the residence of Bishoppes and such like I might here also shewe howe their doctrine disagreeth with it selfe one poynt ouerthrowing another but this may suffice to rebuke the vanitie of the boast of their agreement and to laye out some part of the euidences which I am to shew against them to proue that their Church is not that friend that Doue that Spouse of Christ which is but one whereof they so often vaunt but a contentious and quarrellous company at continuall warres with others and amonst themselues as the posteritie of Ismael and as the host and tents of Madian Nowe let vs see with what dissention hee can charge our Church in Englād Wherin if he would haue proceeded soundly to the iust charging of vs he ought if he had bene able to haue brought out the publike confession and articles of faith agreed vnto in King Edwardes time and haue shewed any in England that professing the Gospell dissenteth from them Or if he would haue vs to answere for all that professe our faith in all the world yet ought he to haue sought out the ancient recordes and authentike confessions of faith which the professors in the seuerall Countries where they are haue exhibited by common consent and agreement vnto their Princes But being not able so to doe as shall appeare after in the particulers that hee alleadgeth he seeketh some fewe places out of the infinite
honour of a large dominion then euer the Kinge of Iuda did The Assirians the firste Monarchie of the world ruled in a manner all Nacions for many yeares many Kinges succéedinge one an other in the royall seate of Assiria After them arose the Persians who subduing the Assirians obtained the Monarchie and raigned likewise a space succéeding one an other Then came the Grecians who preuayling against the Persians made themselues maisters of thē and almost of the world Last of all the Romaine Empire abolishing the former succéeded in the souerantie possessed it first in Roome and after in Constantinople againe in the West to that decayed estate which now remaineth of it whē the great Turke had seased vpon Constantinople and all the East part of the Empire So Tamerlan the Tartarian had a time as also many other horrible Tirantes wherein they prospered That these prospered for a season he cannot deny as he accounteth prosperitie but I think hee wyll not say that the detestable profession of Mahomet or the Pagan Heathen abhominations of the Monarches vnto Constantine in the Roman Empyre were the cause of their prosperitie It is manyfest they were not but rather the cause of their finall ruyne and ouerthrow as not ceasing to call for vengeance to God vntil he with his Thunderbolt from Heauen had striken thē What was the cause then Surelye this the goodnesse of God who dooth good euen to the vnthankfull and vngodly who letteth his Rayne to fall-vppon the Féeld of the iust and vniust and causeth his Sonne to shine vpon the Christian and vpon the Heathē An other may be that the Lorde purposing to execute his iust Iudgements vppon the Kinges of the earth for their Idolatries oppressions violences murders adulteries and all such lyke their impieties raysed vp from time to time as hee dooth also euen vnto this daye some to serue him in the execution of his high Iustice vpon thē For which cause the Lorde doth make some Nation to growe stronge and mightie as the Okes of the Forest that hee may vse it for a Staffe in his hande to chastice the Nations Whiche when it hath perfourmed hee casteth it into the fire and rayseth vp another for the consuming of them These are the true reasons the Lordes mercy and Iustice which caused them for a time to florish as the Ceder in Libanus which after he cut downe and so grubbed by the Rootes that the place of many of them is no more to be knowne and not their wicked Idolatries which the Lorde alwayes abhorred euen so doo I say of all the Kinges that haue receiued Poperie and haue prospered for a season that not their Idolatrie and Heresie but that the goodnesse of God dooing well vnto his enemies that his Iustice to punish those that loue not the trueth was the cause of any prosperitie that euer they enioyed Againe I saye that if the Bookes bee well looked it wyll easily bée founde that their pretended Catholike Faith and Roman Religion hath beene pernicious to most noble states and in the verye nature of the doctrine and the practise of it is contrarye to the wealth liberty honour and authoritye of any state or kingdome The Romaine Empyre may sufficiently beare witnes of it For the Empyre hauinge pitty to see that Church créepinge as it did in the begynning vpon the ground suffered it to growe vp by it and to embrace it as the Yuie doth vpon the Oake as some haue well compared it whereof the Empyre being amighty trée indede felt not at first any annoyance but now hath declared that it hath sucked it in such sorte as it hath drawne out all the iuyce and vygure of it and broughte it nowe to a withered stocke scarce able to beare the barren braunches that are vpon it For by meanes of excōmunicating and cursing the Emporors by gyuing the Empyre to whome it pleased them by forcing warres betweene the house of Fraunce and the Empire and other the noble houses of Europe the Pope hath broughte to passe that nowe there is no Emperor at all at Roome but him selfe As for other kingdomes in Europe that haue prospered nowe séeme most to florish I say thereto it rose and ryseth from other causes for it is manifest by all storyes that the Popes haue bene the very firebrands to set them afyre sowing causes of warres betwene thē They haue bene the very insatiable leaches of theyr treasure which could neuer be satisfyed Tyrants that haue oppressed not onely the lawfull libertye of the people but also the royall power and aucthority of their Princes yea of Kinges and Emperors Wherefore neither Asia Greece Egypt Africk Hungarie nor anye other haue bene ouerthrowne for abandoning that superstition neither is it to be feared of any Country that in these dayes haue altered and reformed themselues herein but the admitting and receiuing of this superstition with other wicked Heresies or the chaunging it not for better but for the worse the contempt of the worde of God and of his holye doctrine of the Gospell which euery where impugneth this as it appeareth by S. Iohn hath indeede remoued the Candlesticke and the true light from amongst them and wyll doe likewise from euerye nation that shall not bringe forth the worthy fruits thereof And thus as many other Nations héertofore so it may well bee that both the Countries néere vnto vs for refusing to haue Christ to raigne ouer them yea and al the worlde for the lyke contempt may be plagued with horrible calamyties These may iustlye bringe wrath vppon any Nations not the reforming of Popish superstitions accordynge to the trueth and sinceritie of the Gospell And thus muche for his experiences of this imagyned prosperitie of Popishe States his fyrste proofe in this Question Nowe let vs examine his seconde reason This Argument is from the cause which may make any State to florishe whiche hee aleadgeth to bee vnitie and affirmeth the Churche of Rome to haue the meanes to kéepe it and the professors of the Gospell to want both it and the meanes therof Whereunto I answer as to the same Argument alleadged before that not euery agréement and consent is pleasing to God or profitable to men For there are agréements in Idolatrie in adulterie in robberie in conspiracie in murders and in all iniquitie which are all odious to God and hatefull to men and of this sort is the vnitie that is amongst them which is no better then a conspyracie against GOD and his Poeple to mayntaine Heresie and all iniquitie but let him shew vs a vnitie amongst them of Brethren not of Freres so falselye called but of Brethren that are the Sonnes of one heauenlye Father the heyres annexed with Christ yea and by him alone of that same fayth and church pertakers of the same Holy worde doctrine and Sacraments and then I will confesse that vnytie to bée both pleasant and profitable as it is in 133. Psalme And that the Lorde
bee imbraced for Religions sake and not for policie and that therefore how soeuer it please GOD to deale with those whiche shall receiue it in this life thei are notwithstandyng to abide by that truthe whereby onely their soules maie bee saued to euerlastyng life and also that the doctrine and practise of true Religion bothe by the nature thereof and by reason of the promise of blessyng annexed to it aboue is the only religion which may prosper a K. or common wealth therefore no false worship what shewe so euer it may haue of some particuler cōmodity for a season can in trueth and in the end proue commodious to it I proceede further to answeare that he obiecteth of certayne particular commodities and discommodities of our holy faith and their Idolatrous superstition The first point he dealeth with is of restitution of goodes wrongfully gotten An answeare to the first point of the aduersaries profitable doctrine for a common weale which their Churche he saith teacheth so precisely as neither by absolution nor dispensation of any Prelate hee may bee pardoned without will of restitution but dying so is esteemed a reprobate and not prayed for in their Churche And this faith hee is their doctrine the commodities whereof hee adioyneth but first let vs examyne both our doctrines That their doctrine and practise is such as hee here affirmeth I deny for they haue sundry waies to hinder the actuall restitution of goodes wrongfully gotten Whereof that is chiefe and principall whiche hee heere denieth of the dispensations of the chiefe Prelate for if his Fatherhoode may dispense with the sinnes to be committed in time to come and giue a sealed pardon afore the offence as it is notoriously knowen to all the worlde he taketh vpon him to doe if neede be the buls thē selues may bee shewed other most sufficient and strong proofes of it are to be made then in case of any wrōg extortion theft vsury brybery Symony or such like after committed he hath his pardon afore hand and is dispensed with for it many yeares before hee haue done the deede Further he that may dispense with the greater may surely pardō the lesse but his Fatherhoode taketh vpon him to dispense with greater sinnes then these for proofe wherof all the world is wittnesse of his dispensation with marriage of the neece and that he gaue leaue to the brother to marry with his brothers wife can not hee then dispence wiih a petilarcin or a bribe What power they affirme hee hath herein appeareth by theyr shamelesse Flatterers that attribute vnto him power to dispense with al things and that what soeuer GOD maye geue pardon of that may hee As for his owne prophane holinesse it is as the Canons say a Sacriledge to dispute of his doynges whose offences sayeth the Canon are to be excused as the thefte of the Hebrewes the murders of Sampson and the incest of Lot If the Pope bee a Theefe or an Extortioner and yet to be excused as the Israelites then if he dispense with all he maye not bee accused And if his murder and incest bee not to bee iudged who shal iudge him for giuing pardon for extortion Their Canons teache that hee hath full power of God to dispense aboue right and lawe and make iustice of iniustice in chaunging and correcting of rightes He alone hath the right to take from one and giue to another all the worlde is his Dioces he is the ordinary of all hauing full and entyre power in thinges spirituall and temporall For he is L. of L. and K. of K. hauing the right of K. ouer his Subiectes Hee is all and aboue all and it is necessarye to Saluation to bee Subiect to the Pope of Rome seeyng that God the Pope haue but one consistory I am loth to turne vp this dunghill and such lyke the odyous noysome stinke whereof may infect the worlde but that as the Prophete saith their owne dung is to be caste in their faces What a shamefull and Diuelishe presumption is this to take vppon him these things and yet this man woulde make vs beleeue that no Prelate can dispense for goodes vniustly gottē True it is that they cannot indeede but that he taketh vppon him to be able to doe it is too too manifest For besides that hath beene alleadged out of the Canons if wee regard either his dealing in this age or in former times we shal find he hath not onely giuen pardon for the doing of it but expresly commanded committed such violent wrongful oppressiōs what part of Europe hath not the Pope oppressed with as grieuous exactions as euer Roboam did Israel His little finger hath been heauier to the people which admitted his tyrannie then the whole bodie of any other tyrant For they haue beaten their people with rods but he hath scourged them with whippes of wyre Oftentimes both this noble Island other greate states kingdoms of the West haue groned vnder these his burdēs as the Israelites did vnder the exactions of Pharao the Egyptians grieuously complained of thē besides many vniust paimēts which he hath imposed vpon the people he hath not spared to do wrōg to Princes thēselues that in their regal crownes dignities taking thē from whom he liked to spoyle bestowing them vpon whō it pleased him as sundry exāples of the K. of Englād of France yea of the Emperours doe aboundantly testifie yet he wil seeme an enemy to thefte and himselfe cōmit spoiles robberies like those which the pirate obiected to Alexander The warre for recouery of the holy land the Pope hath bin Author incourager of with giuing for that purpose pardons of sins to al that would fight in the quarrell of what an infinitie of warres vniust oppressions haue they beene causes both in other places in the West Indies wherby their own story since the inuasiō of such as he hath sent thither hath bin partly by warres partly by cunning and crafty dealing toyling the people with extreame labor to the death wasted cōsumed of that poore and harmles people 1500000. But these warres they will say were lawfull tēding to the inlarging of the faith of Christ which is cleane contrary For besides that if they receaue that faith he bringeth they shal be litle the better if it were indeed the true faith of Christ which they would plant there yet for that reason it were not lawfull to inuade a people with whom there is no cause of any other iust quarrell For God hath as wel determined the dominions of Princes as he hath the possessions of priuate mē without which parke wherin they are impaled by him they may not walk without iust cause of their necessarye defence Wherefore this was very bolde that hee durste affirme no Prelate to haue power to forgiue it Nay not onelye the Pope taketh this vppon him but euerye hedge Priest will vsurpe a
a two edged sword to the diuision of the soule and of the spirit of the ioynts and of the marrowe of the thoughts and cogitations of the hart For there is no creature hidden in his sight but all things naked and as cut vp in anatomy before him with whō we haue to deale His confirmation is a fond lewd tale of a priest that was cōmitted not for any such matter as he pretendeth but for being discouered to be suspicious of beeing a dealer in the popishe practises against the state And thus much for his first point The second point of vowes The second is their doctrine of the obseruation of vowes made to god which they teach being made of thingss lawful honest possible ought to be kept If this were their doctrine thē shoulde our doctrine in this point agree and consequētly the benefit of it to be reaped aswell by vs as by thē but their doctrine accounteth the vowes of pilgrimages of offering to Idols which they call saints a thousande suche like abhominations honest lawful vowes being in deed wicked prophanations of the name seruice of God in this behalf Likewise they hold that a vow of perpetual single life is an honest lawfull possible vow but in al such as in their single life cānot cōtein it is neither honest nor lawful The commādemēt of god by the apstole is contrary to it if they conteine not let them mary speaking in the forme where in commaundements are vttered But he will say it is possible by spirituall exercise so to preuaile against the lust of the fleshe as the single lyfe may be both honest and lawfull I graunt in some to whome God shall vouchsafe it it may beso but God hath made no promise to giue anye man that gifte what exercise soeuer he vse to obtaine it Therefore such vowes as hauing beene vngodly and vndiscreetely made of perpetuall sole lyfe by any not hauing the gift of continēce if for a time not hauing it al his life and bynding him to continue in restlesse burning and vnquietnesse distracting him from all his businesse and disabling him from doing any acceptable seruice to God or men but flaming in his lustes and defyling continually his soule and his bodye with dishonourable thoughtes and deedes We affirme in deede that such vowes hauing been rashly vnaduisedly and vngodly made ought discreetly and godly to be broken that the lawefull remedy appoynted of God being vsed he may possesse his soule and bodye in cleannesse and honour in the honourable and vndefiled estate of marriage who in his single life was not able to doe it And all this we teach most agreeably to the scriptures Contrariwise they teach that such a vow is neuer for any cause to be broken casting a snare vpon the conscience which the Apostle would not doe and forcing a state of life contrary to Gods commandement The consequēce wherof what it hath beene heauen and earth can witnesse against them whether the spirituall fornications of this whore of Babilō as s Iohn speaketh in his Reuelation or the fornications of her body committed by this occasiō of vowes of single lyfe were more may wel be doubted but in both she hath iustified her two elder Sisters Egypt for Idolatry and Sodome for the vile and shamefull abuses of the body I am loth to discouer the filthy nakednesse and shame of this harlot La polygamie le cabinet du Roy. Balesvotaries in suche sorte as she deserueth and therefore referre the Reader to such Writers as haue not spared to stripppe her and laye open her iust confusion to all the worlde As the Authours of the polygamie of the Popish Churches and of the Cabinete and Bale our countreimanne in his votaries haue done For which causes worthilye saide a Bishop of their owne that there was greater reason to allow them againe to marye then euer there was to forbid them For which and the like causes we also say that such vowes as binde men to liue in a wicked and vncleane life not onely lawfully maye but in duetie ought no lesse to bee broken then the wicked vowes of Herode and of the 40. men which had vowed the killing of Paule the Apostle As for other vowes that are lawefully made may be kept in the feare of god we teach they ought inuiolably to be obserued denouncing to those which shall not keepe them that the Lorde will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine And this touching vowes is the doctrine of both our Churches The commodities of their doctrine saieth hee is iuste and true dealing with men who wil reason thus with them selues that if a vowe to GOD be to be kept then also a promyse whiche is a kinde of vowe that byndeth more then any obligation to a man is to be obserued The benefit of not their but of our doctrine I graunt by an exercise of the feare of God in keeping lawefull vowes maye bee a meanes to woorke faythfull and iust dealinges amongst men Which if the professours of the Gospell should not vse their blame offence should be exceeding great to lie in darkenesse after the day be broken and the Sunne bee vpp But yet the doctrine remayneth still without reproofe which teacheth faithfulnesse both to God and man But this kinde of reasoning affirmatiuely from the greater to the lesse that if they will keepe promise to God they will keepe also to men is such as cannot deserue the logicke Lecture in either of their Seminarie Colledges And that a word and as we commonly speake a bare word and promise shoulde binde more then a solemned instrument and obligation as he writeth is neither good diuinitie nor humanitie And this is my aunswere to the seconde poynte The third and fourth he pretendeth to be great common welth poyntes as hee tearmeth them but let vs see what they are The 3. is of abstinence whereof they teach that 106. dayes in the yeare flesh is to bee abstayned from and the vse thereof forborne for punishing the bodye for the more feruent seruing of God beesids the religious obseruances perticuler deuotions the commoditie whereof hee saieth is inestimable to a common wealth For aunswer to this I saye that let the cōmoditie of it be what it may be we haue as many besides euery Wedensday thorowe out the yeare wherin a certeine rate is appointed to be obserued of fishe which wee haue more then they to counterpease their obseruaunces and deuotions But whereas he saieth they abstain from fleshe to punish the bodye for more feruent seruing of God This is a new deuice of this old learning that when men will more seuerelye serue God at certeine tymes then other they should then abstain from flesh For that purpose of fasting we read to haue bin cōmāded at such times but of abstinence from flesh in no place This neither our Sauiour Christ nor his Apostles nor anye other of the
Hostes is already come out against vs with his armies which we are in no sort able to encounter it were wisedome for vs while it is yet time to sēd out an ambassage of praiers of teares and of true repentance to make our peace and reconciliation with him to restore vs to his gracious and accustomed fauour againe Why shoulde we carry till the firste begotten in euery house bee slaine as it came to passe in the day of the vnrepentance of Egypt or til the Angel of Zennacharib be sent amongest vs and that thousands fall down besides vs at our right hand and at our left Thus I am bold as in the dutie of my calling to god to his church But yet with al humilitie an reuerence as speaking to thē of whō it is writtē You are Gods to stirre vp your godly wisedomes to the remembrance of the duety which at this time the Lord God requireth of vs. Now I returne to my answere againe wherein I haue alreadie shewed the R. fast not only to want commandement promise or exāple in the word of God to approue it but also to be ful of damnable and pharysaicall hypocrisie and pride further briefly proued referring the good Reader that is desirous to be more fully instructed herein to a godly and learned treatise written expresly of this matter in our own language both commandement promise example for the true and right order of fast Wherby it is euident that the one prouoketh vengeance against a superstitious people and the other mercy the blessing of God wherupō dependeth the good estate of euery common wealth to those which are truely humbled Therefore I will proceed now forward to the fift article of his comparison The fift point of sole life The fift is that their doctrine commandeth sole life to all cleargie men and religious people as he speketh meaning priests cloisterers such of the Laitie as were officers amōgst them wherof he noteth a double cōmodity But first for their doctrine I say it is expresly contrary to the woorde of God which doth declare the gifte of continencie to be giuen but to a few therfore not to so very great a number as he speaketh of accoūteth of Priestes Monks Friers Nuns other officers attendant vpon thē Wherupon I conclude this doctrine to be flat contrary to the rule of the apostle who saith for auoyding of fornication let euery man haue his owne wife and euery woman her owne husband And againe If they do not contein let thē marry Nowe let him tell mee what may come of disobeying the commandement of God despising his holy ordenance graciously prouided for remedie of incontinēcie Surely euē that which experiēce hath declared with was such as it is maruel the L. hath not iudged that filthie and whorishe Churche with the iudgement of an adultres many yeres ago But he supposing thē all to haue liued chast contrary to the doctrine of our Sauiour Christ as hath ben daclared sheweth a great commoditie of it in that the multitude of the people by such meanes was greatly diminished But Sal. commended by the holy ghoste for a wise pollitike prince saith the honor of a king is in the multitude of his subiects And common reason doeth sufficientlye teache it that the strength and power of a prince is in the great number of his people as the experience of al ages and stories of al times doth plainely testifie Therfore being so very great a number as he saith and as they were in deede what high point of policie this may be I think few can vnderstand Now of the other part our doctrine is such as we leaue it free to all men according as they shall finde them selues to bee called of God and beste able to serue him and his people in that place they ar appointed vnto either to marry or to abstaine If any man haue that rare gift of continencie while the Lorde continueth that fauour towards him he may vse his blessing Againe they that finde themselues to neede the help of marryiage that they may liue in holines and in honour as the Lorde hath commanded wee teach according to the doctrine of the Apostle that it is a diuelishe doctrine to forbid them marriage and affirme it to bee honorable amongst al men without any exception of degree or calling And surely if this commandement thou shalt not commit adultrie be giuen vnto all men If all bee to possesse by the commandement of God their vessels in honour then they which without marriage cannot liue chaste and holy not onely lawfully may but of necessarie duetie ought to marry In whiche estate to feare the increase of the L. people is to feare the blessing of the Lord. For as a blessing was it promised to Abraham that his seede should bee as the sande of the Sea in multitude and as the Starres of heauen which is oftentimes also noted as a greate fauour bestowed vppon the people of Israel both by Moses and by the Prophets Which being as it is a blessing to the land in any of the people so is it especially to the ministers of the word 1. Tim. 3. if according to their duetie the exhortation of the Apostle they bring vp their children in awe and feare of God free from any iust charge of ryot intemperance with all grace comelinesse and decent honestie who otherwyse are vnworthie to haue charge of the Church and house of God For then the common wealth shall bee happie not onely for that the people thereof are mnny but that they are both many and those both wise and godly And what greater strength can any state or P. inioy then then such a people As for his feare that there shoulde want prouision for them all if it were so no godlinesse nor wisedome coulde cast this inconuenience vpon them rather then others But this feare as it is voide of all reason so is it full of infidelitie and conuicted by the present experience For thorow the blessing of God the abundance of all store is heere so exceeding great notwithstanding both this increase of people nowe so many yeeres against which he disputeth and a greate multitude of godly strangers that our neyghbours also taste of the comfort of it Whereas in the late time of their fastes and sole life notwithstanding al their pollicies of sauing the prouision by their dayes of abstinence and fasting and forbidding the marriage of so great a number of the people yet the land was sore visited with famine And this for answere to his first commoditie The second commodity he presumeth to rise to the common Wealth of the single life of their cleargie is that they are able to keepe hospitalitie to spare the offalles of their liuings as leases copie holdes and suche like and to builde Colledges Churches and other Monumentes of pietie the contrarye inconuenience he sayeth the married life of our ministers bringeth who
Harmonie of our confessions is this That subiectes are bounde to be subiect vnto all lawfull Magistrates hye or lowe good or euill and that not onely for angre that is for feare of the punishement whiche the Magistrate maie punishe the Rebellious with but also for conscience sake Whiche woordes of the Apostle for conscience sake we thus vnderstande Magistrates are ministers of God appoincted and ordeined by hym for defence and praise of the good and for iuste punishement and execution of the wicked Therefore he that shall resiste the Magistrate shal bee giltie in conscience of makyng resistance againste God Further also God in his moste holy Lawe of the ten Commaundementes vnder the precept of honoryng our Parentes doeth commaūde vs as to do to other all suche duties whiche for any perticuler respect we owe vnto thē as the Apostle expoundeth it in the same place so chiefly to yeeld vnto Magistrates all dueties belōgyng vnto them emongest whiche subiection and obedience is the principall By whiche commaundment as by all the preceptes of the Morall Lawe of God our conscience standeth bound before hym to giue to Magistrates whiche are the Ministers of his Iustice in punishmentes or rewarders properly cōcernyng this life suche duetie as by the right of their place ministerie and seruice vnder hym doeth appertaine vnto theim Of whiche sorte are subiection obedience loue honor paimentes seruice praiers and suche like declared by the worde of God to belong to their hye and honourable callyng And all suche we affirme Subiectes ought not against their willes and for feare but hartely and chearfully to giue vnto them for conscience sake as knowyng theim to bee appoincted of GOD and for conscience of Gods Commaundement whiche bindeth vs vnto it For God because he is our creatour and reedemer bothe of our soules and bodies hath iuste aucthoritie to giue lawes whiche should binde them bothe and as he hath right to commaund our soules and bodies so is he able to punishe bothe for the breache and transgression of his lawe Therefore worthely Saincte Iames saieth that there is one Lawgiuer who cā saue and destroye that is euerlastyngly and that but one onely For this conscience of the Commaundement of God all the Prophetes and Apostles yea our Sauior hym self was subiecte vnto Magistrates and so taught al men to giue to Cesar that which is his By whose doctrine and example we must willyngly euen for conscience of the ordinaunce and commaundement of God of what callyng soeuer we be that professe the Gospell submit our selues in all humilitie and reuerence vnto them and their lawes whatsoeuer not repugnaunte to the Commaundementes of almightie GOD. We seke not by any maner of pretēce to exēpt our selues from their Courtes and aucthoritie nor from bearing the burden and charges whiche thei lawfully laye vpō all their Subiectes for the necessarie seruice of the Commonwealthe We hold Princes notwithstandyng any censure of the Churche to remaine our lawfull Princes still in the possession and right of their Croune state and dignities as before and the subiectes bounde in conscience of the ordenance and commaundement of God to obeie them as their lawfull Princes yea though thei bee Heathen men and to performe al the good dueties of Subiectes vnto them bothe in their goodes and bodies And this by the grace of GOD is bothe our doctrine and practise well and soundly grounded vpon the holie worde of God contrary to which no churche professing the Gospell no good writer neither Caluine whom he noteth nor any other haue taught or mainteined any doctrine Now let vs compare the doctrine and practise of the pretended Catholikes with ours Their Cleargie howsoeuer as this man goeth about thei would binde heauie burdens like the Pharisies vpon other mennes shoulders yet would thei not touche theim with one of their fingers Thei would in deede haue other men beleue thei ought to haue a conscience not onely of the Lawe of God but of humaine Lawes whiche muste holde onely till the Pope doe discharge theim for then thei teache thei maie depose euen the highest from their places and that by force of Armes But their Cleargie that binde other men thus exempte theim selues from the Courtes of ciuill Magistrates from paiementes and other seruices due vnto them and giue all suche dueties to a forrain Ecclesiastical Court and to the Popes chamber Thei content not theim selues with suche Priuiledges as their lawfull Prince and Countrie shall see cause to bestowe vpon theim but challenge of right and dutie freedome from all Ciuill burdens by vertue of their Cleargie Thei compound with the Popes Chamber for suche thynges as thei paie and in all respectes carrie theim selues as subiectes to the Pope and to none other And thus thei vse the Ciuill Magistrate euen whē thei deale best with them and whiles thei are ministers of their superstition and crueltie But if thei once displease theim a little and that the Pope begin to Thunder and Excommunicate then thei depose kynges and Emperours from their Regall seates and Imperiall thrones thei holde theim no more for lawfull Princes thei absolue and sette free all their Subiectes from their othe and obedience due vnto them thei Excomunicate and curse all suche as shall obeye any their lawes or by any acte yeelde the duetie of a subiect vnto them Finally thei cōmaunde the subiectes to take Armes against suche their Princes and by force and violence to take their Crounes from their heddes and sette them vpon some other And thus as other heretofore haue dealte with the twoo Henries and Frederickes Emperours with Philip le Bell and other the Frenche kynges and with sondrie kinges of this noble lande So also he that of late did sitt and he that now sitteth in the chaire of Pestilence haue dealte with our Soueraigne Ladie and Queene Elizabeth This then being their doctrine and practise and ours so contrarie to it whereby according to the right due vnto Princes from God wee honour and obeye them and thei to the hye offence of God and men dishonor and depose euen at their pleasure How can any man touche vs in any respecte as wantyng duetie in this behalfe or excuse these Catholique Traitors and Heritickes from beeyng giltie of hye Treason against the Croune and dignitie of all lawful Princes as thei are also against the honour of God and his sonne Christ Iesus But this Author chargeth vs that Caluin saieth No law of man can binde the conscience Whereof saith he it must needes followe that the obedience wee yeeld is onely for pollicie and feare For aunswere whereunto I denie the consequent and affirme the first not to proue or inferre the second For the first if bothe Caluin and we saie that there is but one Lawgiuer Saint Iames hath taught it before vs and giueth an euident reason of it whiche is that there is but one who euerlastyngly is able to saue and to destroye For his law onely can binde the soule
the Subiecte from their othe and obedience to their lawfull Prince and filled their Countries with insurrection and rebellions againste them I neede not to vouche many authors for their so notorious actes whiche cannot bee forgotten whiles the famous memorie of the Henries and Frederickes Emperours and also sundrie Kynges bothe in Fraunce and in this noble lande so dishonoured and iniuried by theim shall continue But if all monumentes of tymes past were forgotten this present age doeth furnishe so many examples of their vnfaithful disobedience to Princes both in other partes and here at home as I can want no euidence againste hym in this matter For their continual practises of rebellion their procuryng of Bulles from Roome against her Maiestie their writyng of Libells and infamous bookes to the dishonour of her highnesse renowned Father and many other suche dealynges of theirs maie sufficiently beare witnesse hereof Therefore it is to late now for them to plaie the Hypocrites and pretende to aduaunce the honour and state of Princes whereas their Religion hath so intreated other Princes abroade as hath beene declared and so offended their owne naturall Prince at home as her Maiestie hath beene constrained to make straight lawes for her moste necessarie and iust defence against them They should now cūningly perswade they sought to aduaunce the ciuill authoritie of Princes whereas Kinges and Emperours haue had almost continuall warres with thē to keepe thetr own For through their ambition thei neuer contented themselues with their own place but would affect bothe the swordes seekyng and bearyng the honourable charges of the ciuill estate their Consistories vsurpyng the lawfull iurisdiction of Princes so as the Kynges of this lande haue been constrained to prouide for their authoritie by lawes of Premunire and suche like to bridle their intollerable and ambicious vsurpation Therefore of all other he might best haue left out this Article For it is manifest thei were neuer longer freendes to Princes thē thei might abuse them as their vassalles to bee the Ministers of their wickednesse And so muche for aunswere to this point Of sinnes veniall and mortall and of concupiscence The nineth Article is the differences of sinne and of concupiscences whiche he saith is of no smal importaunce to a Christian cōmonwealth whose ende saieth he is to kepe men within the limites of vertue and honestie All this I graunt with this addition that the duetie of the Magistrate is not onely to regard that the life of his subiectes bee ciuill and honest but also that it be religious and godly Therfore we are taught to praie for theim that wee maie liue vnder theim a peaceable life not onely in all honestie but also in all godlinesse or true worshippe of GOD as the woorde vsed by the Apostle doeth signifie And to the Roma the Magistrate is declared to be the Minister of God for the praise and punishement of those that doe well and ill without restraint Whereby the Apostle sheweth it to be the duetie of the Magistrate to protecte and incourage not onely quiet and ciuill men but also and that chiefly those whiche most endeuour to liue in the feare of God in his true worshipp and obedience Whiche duetie what Magistrate soeuer shall not performe but moste dislike with and discourage the godlie whiche shine as lights afore a wicked generation standeth giltie and aunswerable before God for the abuse of the aucthoritie he hath receiued of GOD especially for this purpose to bee a comfort to suche as moste zealously and sincerely seeke to serue him On the other part for the punishment of euil the Magistrate is boūd to punish transgressors accordyng to the qualitie of their offence not onely Theeues and Murderers and disturbers of the Common peace but also profane Atheistes contemners of all that is holy al Heretickes and obstinate recusantes to serue hym in the holie and publique excercises of true religion stubborne Idolaters whiche what Magistrate soeuer shall not do is guiltie of absoluyng the wicked whiche the Lorde will require at their hands Therefore the king was cōmaunded to take a copie of the whole lawe and not of the second Table onely that he should looke to the execution as well of the firste Table yea and that in the firste place as to the seconde Which we see in the holie Storie to haue beene executed by the zealous noble Kynges of Israell and Iuda commaunding by their authoritie the purgyng of the lande of Idolatrie the settyng vp and restoryng Gods true Religion and seruice and the iust execution of the Priestes of Baall And of Asa it is written that he made a lawe after he had restored the state of Religion that whosoeuer should not seeke the Lorde God of their fathers that is worship him in suche order as by the lawe of Moises was commaunded that he should dye for it Thus muche I haue thought necessarie by the waie to set doune touching this matter vpon occasion of the Magistrates office vnder God restrained by this author to the procuryng of a Ciuill life onely emongest their Subiectes referryng all abuses of the Churche and of the seruice of God to their supreme Pastour as thei call hym Now let vs see the diuerse doctrine of theim and vs touchyng bothe these poinctes Of sinne he saieth thei teache some are mortall and some veniall and we teach that al are mortall I graunt this to be their and our doctrine but the exposition of it and the conclusion he inferreth would bee well obserued If by mortall and veniall sinnes thei vnderstood onely that there is greate difference of sinnes and that some are more greeuous and therefore with greater seueritie to be punished then others some againe are lesse and not to bee punished with like horrible tormentes as the other we were well agreed For this appeareth to bee our doctrine by the confession of our Churches and all our good writers and that agreably to the holy scriptures For so our sauiour teacheth vs that the firste Table whiche is of dueties immediatly respectyng God is the greatest and cheefest commaundement and that the ignoraunt seruaunt is to be beaten but with fewe stripes but he that knoweth and yet doeth not his maisters will is to be beaten with many stripes Likewise of suche people and Cities as shall contemne and refuse the holie doctrine of the Gospell our sauiour saieth it shall bee easier in that daie for Tyre and Sidon for Sodom and Gomorrha then for that Citie Whereby it appeareth that there is a greate difference of sinnes Which we so acknowledge as that we graunt euery pretept to bee greater then other accordyng to the place it hath in the twoo Tables and consequently the transgression of it to bee greater then the breach of any that follow it Yet if the cōparison be made of sinnes in like degree and proportiō offendyng against both as of thought with thought acte with acte and these in their diuers kindes as
contrary this doctrin is to al christian states and common wealths whatsoeuer whose end ought to be cheefly that their subiects liue in al true religion and honesty But how vnfit soeuer it be for christian K. and estates I confes it was a very pollitique point of doctrine for the popes kingdome For hereby he receiued a double commodity First that casting by this means his feare vpon the simple and ignorant he enioyed more quietly the possession of his tiranny ouer the Church al men standing in neede of his fatherhood and fearing to prouoke him that had suche a power to keepe them in purgatory stil or to release them Another that by his pardons and indulgences deliuering men frō this prison which he had painted in their heds he filled his coffers with treasure Where by he enioyed the more easely al the contentmentes that he desired and was the better able to maintaine his proud Antichristiā kingdome against al power that should rise against it And thus in respect of the maintenaunce of their owne kingdome I thinke there was neuer so politicke a supersticion and false worship in the world as this of the Ro. faith which whosoeuer try fro point to point shal easelie discern to be most true To the further consideration wherof leauing the discreet Reader I will procéed to the other point which remayneth which is of the reward of good and euill in the worlde to come Wherof our doctrine is sayth he that all the paynes of hell are equall and that the most wicked man that euer was shal endure no greater torment then he that is the least offender which his report of our doctrine is vtterly vntrue Wherefore let him eyther iustifie this to be true out of the confession of the faith of our Church which he ought to doe if he chalenge vs for doctrine and not to charge vs with euery thing which hath beene written by any that professe the gospell or by any wryter of ours of credite in the church or let him feare with out repentance satisfaction for it by confessing his ignorance or malice in thus slaundering the church of God the iust condemnation of lyars false witnesses whose porcion is with hypocrites He saith we teach further also that the glory of al the redeemed elect of God shal be equal that euery one shal be in as great glory as Peter Paule which is not the general doctrine of our Church Wee acknowledge that they which otherwise shal be beautifull as the firmament and they which iustifie manye shall shine is Daniel teacheth like the starres of heauē Our sauiour denied not that there should be a place at his right hande and at his left in his kingdome in the worlde to come but in this worlde tolde his Disciples that the pompe of earthly states shold not be seene in him nor in his ministers He promised vnto the Apostles seates to sit vpon to iudge the 12. Tribes of Israell And the Apostle reioyced in the hope hee had that the Thesalonians shoulde bee his Crowne in the daye of the Lorde Whereby it appeareth that as all the members are partakers of the power of the soul and haue their place and honour in the body yet they receiue not all power to doe the same worke nor are of like honour so in the misticall bodye of Christ al shal be as members of him partakers of his spirit and be filled with it for the full worke and honour of that part which they shal be in the body but not al inabled for the same worke nor of like honour But they wil say how can this be except heauen be a rewarde due vnto the worke I aunswere that according to the same grace that god giueth a diuerse measure of faith according to the diuerse measure of it the fruits thereof many or few in this life so also he disposeth of the degrees of glory in the life to come wherby it appeareth that as we truely deny all men Therefore looke what profite a Christian Common wealthe maie receiue of the doctrine of the diffrence of glory and pain in the worlde to come it receiueth it of the doctrine whiche wee teache Drawyng towardes an ende our aucthour beginneth confusedlie to heape vp many thynges together by whiche order one point might haue serued hym as well as the whole dosen For in this tenth he hath dealt with the doctrines of Repentaunce Confession Satisfaction Purgatorie of Heauen and Helle. In the eleuenth whiche followeth Of workes merite freewill and predestination he intreateth of Workes Merite Frewill and Predestination Concernyng the doctrine of Predestination wee teache saieth he In the Churche of Rome that all the Sainctes of God are Predestinate before the foundations of the worlde were laied And I saie we teache the same Therefore our doctrine herein beyng the same it must needes be no lesse profitable to any state then theirs and so no cause of this cōparison Of Freewill we teache saieth he That a man hath libertie and freedome of his will whereby beeyng preuented and assisted by Grace he maie at his pleasure doe any good Workes or refuse to doe them This doctrine in deede is neither ours nor the doctrine of Christe and his Apostles For accordyng to the truthe wee haue receiued of theim we teache that the Nature of man through the sinne of Adam is so wholy corrupted that there is no good thyng in it that of it self it cannot thinke a good thought that it is solde vnder sinne Phil. 3. Rom. 7.8 Ephes 2. and that it is enemy against God is not subiect to the lawe of GOD nor in deede can be made subiect finally that we are borne dead in our sinnes Whervpon it followeth that the will of manne beeyng a principal power of his soule it is subiect to the corruption of the whole and therefore hath no will to do that whiche is good willeth not of it self any good is seruaunt vnto sinne willeth nothyng but sinne and ennemitie with God willeth not that whiche the Law cōmaundeth but is dead in sinne Whereof it must needes followe that wee are not free in our will to will that whiche is good for our will is seruaunte to synne and therefore can not dooe the woorke of righteousnesse Our will is deade in sinne and therfore can not be a liue to righteousnesse For as a deade man can not dooe the actions of a man that liueth no more can the man that is deade in synne doe any action of will or any other that he doeth that liueth to God I meane not that our will is dead altogether no more thē that a man deade in his synnes should not liue the life of a naturall man and of this worlde but that whatsoeuer naturall power it hath it is dead as touchyng the doyng or willyng of any thyng that God hath commaunded in suche sorte as the lawe requireth There remaineth still notwithstandyng the punishement of
intelligence being the most certain as vttered of conscience and most priuy as put only into a priests ear so manye imploied herein bringeth to passe that no P. in the world hath the vnderstāding by al the means he can possibly vse of the affaires of the state next to him or with whom he hath most to do which the pope hath of al the states K. where his religion is maintained Which intelligēce as euery mean man may easily vnderstād being a matter of so great importance in al causes publike priuate it is to be considered howe easy a matter it is for him by means herof to disturb the quiet estate of any natiō or K. at his plesure For which cause of late he hath sent in new Confessors shriuers and absoluers who vnder pretence hereof may both vnderstand the secrets of the land and deliuer Agnus deis grains medalls to his reconciled as tokens of their conspiracie Whereby they maye bee prepared for a daye to rise vp againste the lande disturb the quietnesse of it Which is so euident a meanes to disquiet a state as I esteme that none which wil receiue their auriculer confession can bee longer quiet then it shall please the Pope Herevnto if we adioyne the consideration of the infinite power whiche most vngodly and iniuriously to al states this R. church giueth to their pope it wil easely appeare how contrary their doctrine and practise is to the welfare of all K. cōmon weales For their doctrine is as I haue partly touched before to shew the repugnance of popery the hie authoritie and souerainetie of any state and here repeate because the same is also against the peace and quietnes of all commons that in certain cases the pope may depose P. frō their imperial seats thrones of iustice and giue their crownes and K. vnto others Their doctrine is that hee may absolue al subiectes of such P. from their alleageance and oth made vnto them yea that hee may excomminicate all such subiects as shall obey the authoritie lawes and commaundements of such a Prince And their practise agreeth with their doctrin For thus they dealt both with diuers other P. here to fore and thus also of late the impietie of Pius the fift brake forth to the excommunicating and depriuing her Ma in his proud bul much like the blasphemous letters of Rabs sent to king Ezechias yea to the accursing of all such her graces loyal subiects as according to their most bounden duety obey her wholsome lawes and statutes in these words We charge and forbid all and euery the Nobles and subiectes and people and others afore said that they be not so hardy as to obey her or her will or commandementes or Lawes vppon paine of like cursse vppon them Which clause of that presumptuous and wicked writ is so important in the cause we are now in hand withall that I desire all those that shal read this to take good héede vnto it For how can this author affirme that there should be cause to tollerate the rebellious practisers of this wicked forraine P. Seeing it cannot be in any reason that they can be faithful dutiful subiects to her maiesty which obey this execrable bull For he can not be a liege man nor a dutiful subiect of her maiesty that will not obey her lawes and statutes and take her for his natural and lawful P. and much lesse he that shal perswade others herevnto But none of those which are reconciled to this their R church may doe so and their priestes and seminarie men perswade them there vnto Therefore no such reconciled papistes much lesse they which reconcile them can be good and obedient subiectes of her Ma. That such as are recōciled to their church may not bee obedient to her H appeareth by the Popes bul curssing excommunicating out of their church al such as do obey her H. laws where vpon it followeth that they which are reconciled are reconciled vpon that condition For otherwyse in case of their obedience they are accursed but the reconciled are not in case of excommunication therefore they haue denied their obedience Howe can it bee then that this doctrine may be tollerated that her maiesties subiects by such means shoulde bee drawne from obedience of her lawes and acknowledging her lawfull power ouer them without the certain hazard of the state Christ and his Apostles neuer taught any such doctrine or practise as this is The primatiue Church neuer heard of it Ambrose that worthy bishop of Millayne When hee for a cruell murder and massacre of the Citizens of Thessal had excommunicated Theod. the Emperour yet did he not take vppon him to depose him from his Emperiall Crowne and dignitye but howsoeuer in the charge of his ministery hee declared him to haue no right to the Lordes table and suche other Spiritual diet and entertainment of Gods children yet as touching the things of this life hee reuerenced his authority and was obedient to him in all thinges But of this practise of the Romish Churche except it be of their owne doing I suppose there is no president to be shewed from Christ to this day Further as touching the strength of a Lande to resist her enemies the practise of this Romish fayth doth bothe weaken it for people and impouerishe it for treasure where it is receyued This may appeare if we cal to minde that which hee boasteth of in this example that is the greate number of Priestes Professors Votaries and other supersticious persons whom he falsly calleth religious which waited and attended vppon them The number wherof aryseth by his owne account to so many thousandes and all exempted from the seruice of the P. warres yea and from anye contribution and payment to maintaine them could not be but a great infeebling to the state Further they al being restrained from marriage wherby either if they had no childrē or not daring to auow then most cruelly murdered them the posteritie coulde not multiply any thing in such sort as if it had beene lawful for them to marry But this wise politicke esteemeth it a high point of wisdome to diminish the multitude of Christ people of the children of Abraham which is promised as a blessing to be multiplied as the Starrs of heauen that cannot be numbred Concerning the treasure of the land it is not his eating of whit meat that can recōpence the great infinite summes of treasure which their pretended catholique religion by a thousand means drew from al the states K. where it was receiued For the ordinary reuenews and profits of their religious men as he falsly calleth them rose here to one third of all the land more in the raigne of the noble K. Henry the eight The furniture of their churches with so many surplesses and Copes of all sortes of riche stuffe such as no King or Prince coulde wear better then many of them were of Their great
and Massy crosses of siluer gold their Idols of finest mettals most exquisite workmanship the rather to deceiue the people as if they had been aliue Their other ordinarie charges of waxe incense Orgaines the plate and Iewels of their Abbeys Pryories other supersticious houses were of infinite valure and price as I think the court of augmentation might sufficiētly testifie Beside al these the extraordinary charges of appeals folowing sutes at R. the paimentes imposed by most tirannous oppression both of the king nobles al the people of this land to their most iust and gréeuous complaint as appereth by their letters drawn out of this other K. by names of Peter pence Palles collatiōs first fruits a 1000 such crafty and subtle titles most extreeme exactions did so impouerishe the state as both the K. the Nobles and all the people did often and greeuously cōplaine as finding in deed the Court of Rome to be the very leech that suckt the bloud of all the land and could neuer be satisfied Of this we haue sundry statutes testifying the popes proceedings here to haue beene to the defuming of the Kings person the derogatiō and minishing of the Kinges crowne and regalities the destruction of the law and all his realm the appayring confounding of the auncient lawes customs vsages franchises of the Realme Further that by them the nobilitie gentrie were impeached in their Patronages and other rightes The commons and subiectes trauailed in body and impouerished in their goods deuine seruice Hospitallity and Almesse deeds hindered the benefices of holy Church wasted and destroyed the riches and treasure of the Realme carryed away as also the leige Personnes of the Kinges councell with out his assent whereby the Realme was left destitute as well of councell as of substaunce to the destruction of the same Lyke complaint hath beene made in Fraunce also at sundry tymes and namely by Phillip le Bell in that famous act of his which was called Pragmatica sanctio Which paymentes are now greatly encreased Where accounting the Churches of the French tongue in the lowe Countries with them Le cabinet du Roy Des Finances the ordinary reuenue of the cleargie came to about a two hundred Millians of French Crownes Germany and the state of the Empyre helde at Norinberge made complaint of an hundred Greuaunces sent a note of them to the Pope with a request to be eased of suche exactions and practises of impouershing the people as the Pope and his cleargie did continually charge them with and that the people might be left in their auncient and lawfull freedome and libertie by his meanes or else they woulde aduise them selues how to helpe it because they coulde not nor woulde not anye longer beare suche theire intollerable burdens Whereby it may appeare howe contrarye this Romishe doctrine and practise is to all good estates and pollicies In deede in respect of their owne Antichristian kingdome I must needes confesse that for the establishment continuance security wealth and honour of it there coulde nothing haue beene deuised more politique or fit by anye Sathans meanes whose depthes their Popes and Prelates vnderstood then that which was deuised by them For what coulde be fitter for them then this doctrine of the Popes supremacie ouer all of his fulnesse of power of receiuing both the scriptures and their exposition of thē of obeying that hee commāded of not iudging him tho he carried ten thousand to hell of deuout ignorance of iudging heretickes who so euer spake against them of pursuing and persecuting them with fire and swoorde of purgatorie Auriculer confession priuiledges of his Cleargie the Pompe and idlenesse of his Hierarchie and of all their most subtle and Serpentlike contriued false worship The practises of Egipt toyling Israell with all base seruice and villanie and of killing their male children or of the barbarouse tyranny of wasting the West Indies was not nor is not more subtlely and diuelishly deuised to detaine those free Nations in perpetuall bondage and slauerie then their Romishe doctrine and practise was to haue established the kingdome of Antichrist and to haue detained the people of God in euerlasting seruitude and slauerie both of body and soule Thus then we see that for pietie and true religion the doctrin of the Church of Rome that is in effect of the Pope who is steare man of this shippe Concerning their power to make any writinges Canonicall scriptures to make new Articles of Christian fayth to appoynt God to be serued according to their owne deuises and imagination of men of ignoraunce to be the Mother of deuotion of worshipping of Idols and Sauiours of so many sortes Finally of all their false worship is a Pharisaicall leauen to be purged out of all Christian Churches and states the Cup of spirituall fornications that all Kinges and Princes are to take heede of to bee partakers of it that they bee not partakers of their plagues And for Christian honesty of lyfe and duetyes towardes men their doctrine of absolutions of dispensations of satisfactions and of Sanctuaries are for the impunitie or easie discharge of all malefactors so great causes of all abhominations and wickednesse and particulerly their sundry rules and orders of hypocrisie contention and idlenesse their constrayned abstinencie from marryage of all enormityes of vncleanenesse and infinite murders and such like other causes of speciall offences that the waters of Noe did not so high drowne all the olde worlde as those floudes of wickednesse which by such occasions had rysen did ouer flow all such kingdomes and Nations as this doctrine of theirs like a Sea of sinne mighte breake into For other thinges how much a doe haue our Pr. had to prouide by all the wysedome that was possible to be vsed to make lawes and statutes against the daungers that this their religion continually threatned against the state They sought to maintaine their lawfull and most iust authoritie by forbiding appeals from their courtes by premunire other such like seuere and rigorous lawes yet necessarie for the garding of their authoritie from the breaking in of these men whom yet no defence could hold out They sought to maintain the wealth of their people subiects by lawes of mortuaryes other such like necessarie lawes and statutes least these men shoulde draw all the riches of the land vnto them And yet neither coulde the premunire sufficiently represse their proud ambition nor the mortmaine their insatiable couetousnesse So that their wealth intelligence and power considered it appeareth to be the same mighty hand and stretched out arme of God that hath deliuered vs which freed Israell from the slauish subiection of Pharao and of the land of Egipt which being so no maruail the Christian princes whose eyes God hath opened to see the light of the Gospell doe not tollerate theire Religion and the practise of it For besides the impiety of it for which it is simply
that were present whose eyes the Lorde had vouchsafed to open to see the truthe and whosoeuer shall yet reade it to this daie maie easily see that the sheilde of faithe was their defence that thei fought valiauntly with the sworde of the spirite to the confusion of those that stroue againste theim And though their bodies were vsed afterward at the pleasure of their aduersaries hauyng no regard of their callyng no reuerence of their learnyng no respecte of their age yet after the example of Samson and the true Samson Christ Iesus by death thei obtained victorie against theim In the beginnyng of the happie raigne of her Maiestie now sittyng in the Royall seate of her Fathers their Bishoppes and greatest Clerkes were prouoked and appoincted by aucthoritie to dispute if thei were able to maintain their doctrine with suche ministers of the Gospell as were called to deale with them in it Which action as it appeareth by the storie and testimonie of many that were present at it was so fōdly and ridiculously handled on the parte of the greatest Pillers of their pretended Catholike Churche that al men maruell that the memorie of the confusion and shame of that daie doeth not with hold them once to moue the matter of disputatiō with vs. For after a little impertinent speeche thei gaue ouer their cause in the plain field But thei saie he that runneth awaie maie fight againe and so peraduenture these men haue now gotten more harte of grace then thei had before or els these Romistes and Remistes thinke peraduenture their Bishops were vnlearned but that thei in so many yeres trauell and study abroad haue better furnished theim selues for the battaill But their weakenesse was notably discouered in their greate Champion and Father Iesuite who offeryng defiaunce with Goliah to the hoste of Israell as if the staffe of his Speare had been as a Weauers beame he was bolde to caste vs his Gloue and throw vs his Gauntlet to prouoke vs to fight with hym boastyng to maintaine his cause by Scripture Councells Fathers by all Lawes Common Ciuill and Canon and all Stories A man would thinke suche a Chāpion had been able to haue doen great matters but whē he was after encountred with his glorie was tourned to shame and the Diuinitie he boasted of was founde to bee but certaine of the boldest and moste vnreasonable asseuerations of the fondest and moste absurde distinctions that euer were heard of wherby he supposed to haue been well armed againste all obiections For a taste whereof I offer the gentle Reader some fewe whiche I heard beeyng present at the disputation In the matters of iustification of faithe onely whereas he had falsly and slanderously charged vs of late to haue brought into the Church this new doctrine of iustification by faith onely and that there were places cited out of the Fathers Greeke and Latin who liued aboue 1000. yeares agoe expresly hauyng these words that faithe onely iustifieth He aunswered that it was to bee vnderstoode of the vngodly wherein hauyng confessed a truthe for so the Apostle saieth that God iustifieth the vngodly by faithe that is holdeth hym godly in Christ in whom he beleeueth who in himself is vngodly by suggestiō of his companion he fought againe to ouerthrowe that he had saied by a fond distinction of two iustifications a thyng meerely deuised in the braine of man For who euer read in the Scriptures that a man is iustified before God any more then once but that thei whō GOD had once reputed for iust he holdeth them so for euer Otherwise the reason of the Apostles iustification by faithe were nothyng if the Iewes might haue aunswered thus that when he was first conuerted from Idolatrie Abraham was in deede iustified by faithe onely but after he was circumcised and had offered vp his sonne he was iustified againe and that was by his workes but this was a fancy not once dreamed of by them Therefore the Apostle taketh it for a grounde that beyng once iustified by faith onely he was alwaies iustified before God by faithe alone An other folly of a suche like distinction was ioyned with this that onely in the Fathers alleadged shatteth out onely the workes goyng before his faith whereby he forgat that he ouerthrewe their workes of congruitie whiche thei pretende to confirme out of Cornelius exāple but not the grace giuen together with faith whiche is hope and charitie whiche aunswere is as flat contrarie to the doctrine of the Apostle as darkenesse is to light For if Abraham were iustified by faithe hope and charitie then was he not iustified without the woorkes of the lawe for hope and charitie are workes of the lawe It is contrarie also to their owne doctrine for if the first iustification be by faithe hope and charitie what second iustification can there be or what other thyng will thei require besides faithe hope and charitie to iustifie with a seconde iustification This seconde iustification he would haue confirmed by the helpe of their vulgare Latine translation whiche hath Qui iustus est iustificetur adhuc but very corruptly for the Greeke is he that doeth iustice let him doe iustice stil as if he should saie he that doth well let hym doe well still and he that doeth ill lett hym doe ill still whiche is as farre from the question of iustification as the East is from the West In the question of transubstanciation to the place of Ireneus that there is a spirituall thyng in the Sacrament and also a materiall whiche he expresly speaketh of the very substaunce of bread His aunswere was that the materiall thing was the accidentes that appeared the whitenesse lightnesse roundnesse c. To Oregen affirmyng that whiche is receiued at the mouthe to goe to the stomacke and to nourishe the bodie and to bee cast into the draught His aunswere was that the accidentes doe nourishe and that the accidentes are voyded Contrary to all lawe and order of nature whiche God hath appointed For it is no more possible that accidents being not in any substance should nourishe as it is that darkenesse should at the same tyme bee bothe darkenesse and light To Theodor affirmyng the nature and substaunce of the bread to remaine He aunswered that Theodor vnderstoode it of the substaunce of the accidentes and a generall substaunce whereby an accident hath a beyng and not of the speciall substaunce of bread whereas it is as cleare as the daie at noone that Theodor meant plainly that the very substaunce of the bread remaineth still in the speciall substaunce of breade and is not altered otherwise then in the vse whereto it is applied that is that beyng naturally appoincted of GOD for the feedyng of the bodie it hath hereby the institution of that Sacrament a heauenly vse whiche is to feede our soules A nomber of these fonde and vnreasonable absurde and vnlearned distinctiōs of his I could alledge but thei are now at large reported and published to
whiche shall be alleadged Herevnto maie be added if there bee cause the testimonies of the Councelles Fathers Stories or other authorities of credite not to argue or proue any truthe or to cōuince or disproue any vntruthe for this appertaineth to God not to man to his infallible woorde and not to the writinges of men who are all liars but as witnesses to testifie what the doctrine of the Churche was in suche a question in the sondrie ages times of the church Which beyng doen by either partie then that either of them bothe aunswere the argumentes of the other and strengthen again his owne in suche place as the aduerse partie shall thinke to be weake Which passyng thus to and fro till bothe haue said what thei are able for thē selues will leaue suche a meanes for those whiche are willing to informe their cōsciences of the truthe as by gods grace it wil be easie to discerne His secōd reason wherby it maie appeare that their standyng in this cause is not without substanciall warrant is noted to be the vncertaintie of temporall fauor in matters of Religiō but that sectiō wherevpon it is noted conteineth no suche matter but onely this that it is not inough to perswade them that we saie we haue the Gospell because other also condemne vs and saie thei haue it we are not ignoraunte that euery one maketh claime to haue the Gospell and condemne those whiche ioyne not with them Amōgest whom that he reckeneth Luther and a Scholer of his I referre him to my answere where this is alledged of hym before which answere maie serue for his Scholer too As for the Trinitaries and Anabaptistes it is but his his malice and hatred against the Gospell to recken vs with theim whom wee are as vnlike in all their vngodly opiniōs as thei are vnlike the true Churche of Christ and her moste holy faith But this were an aunswere if we had nothing but the bare word and boastyng of the Gospell Wee haue made God be praised for it sufficient profe to all equall Iudges that it is bothe in woorde and in deede the true Gospell and pure woorde of GOD and the lawe of the lorde whiche is now the Religion through the goodnesse whiche hath visited vs from aboue established and preached emōgst vs. The twoo next sections haue some matter in them like this title for in the firste of thē he affirmeth the holie Religion whiche is now established to haue been brought in by an noble man after king Henries daies whiche he saieth could doe moste by bryngyng in twoo Caluinistes as he tearmeth them to read in the two Vniuersities here Whiche he so laieth out as if we had no other staie for Religion but that noble mannes pleasure who he saith if he would haue brought in twoo of any other secte might aswell haue established it whervpon he cōcludeth that seyng that seculer magistrate nor temporall law is no sufficiēt ground in religiō there is no cause but thei should be excused to continue stil in their opinion as thei doe And thus he retourneth againe to his request of disputation But first for this his second reason He maie remember hym self that their Dagon was fallen to the grounde though not with so greate hurte as after euen in the tyme and raigne of Kyng Henry the eight of noble memorie So that to speake in any reason he cannot laie the foundation of the Gospell now emongest vs vpon the onely meanes of the noble manne whom he noteth He might haue remembred that worthie thinges wer doen in K. H. tyme. For God had giuē that noble king besides his owne abilitie to discouer the ambitious pride and greedie couetousnesse of the Clergie the repugnance of the Popes supremacie with the souerantie of his roiall croune and dignitie the abhominations of the Dispensations of the Pope and sondrie suche like weightie and materiall poinctes of true Religion For GOD gaue vnto hym by sides some other meanes chiefe furtheraunce to the sight of these thynges by that moste vertuous and excellent Princes Ladie Anne Bulleyne the moste honourable mother of our dreade Soueraine Ladie now raignyng ouer vs whose eyes God hauyng opened to see the truthe her religious and zealous mynde louyng the wisedome that is greater then Salomon whiche the famous Queene of Saba was so delighted with and beeyng carefull for Gods people as Queene Hester was a worthy meanes to draw the noble kyng to better iudgement and knowledge in Religion then he had been of before whiche was also Godlie continued by the good and gracious Ladie Queene Katherine Par. Further also besides many other he had two as wise faithfull coūsailors as euer had Christian kyng before hym The one that reuerend and learned father Crāmer and the other the wise lord Cromwel counsellours worthie of eternall memorie for their Religious stout and wise dealyng against the misterie of iniquitie For hauing not to do onely with the Popes Consistory and Vestrie with his Cannon lawe beggerly wardrope with his discipline ceremonies but with his whole bodie with his whole house and tēple and that so rooted and groūded as if the foūdations of it had been layd in the centre of the earth yet God poured suche a Christian magnanimitie into their noble hartes to vndertake and such a sound iudgement to deuise the way to performe the ouerthrowe of it and to vndermine those deepe foundations as if the lord had giuen theim a pouder to rende vp those stately houses as Bulwerkes of Sathan and Castles of superstition and Idolatrie which seemed to haue been builded to continue to the ende of the worlde Further the Gospell was taught bothe in other places and also here in Englande and was receiued beleued and professed most constantly to the death by sondrie true professors of it and constaunt martyrs of Christe long before that tyme he speaketh of Wherefore there is no reason to make the entrance of those two readers the beginning of true religiō with vs. Moreouer also in the beginnyng of the raigne of that noble princely king Edward Who knoweth not that the state of religiō was established within this land by act of Parlament before the commyng in of those readers into the vniuersitees so that this reason is vtterly voide of all reason to make thē the beginnyng of religion emongst vs who came in twoo yeres after it had been throughly and quietly established as it is at this present daie After in deede by the worthie meanes of the noble Duke of Sommersett Lorde Protector and the right reuerend Cranmer twoo famous clearkes that then were of the moste renoumed for their vertue and learnyng in all these partes of Europe Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr wer procured ouer and placed the one in Cambridge the other in Oxford to the greate seruice of almightie God and of this his Churche For thei accordyng to the Apostles exhortatiō deliuered ouer a forme of sound doctrine to many
therby the cheefest and worthiest seruauntes of God in those daies and best able to discouer his falshoode doeth euidently shew that in other writynges which should neuer come to like examination and tryall they would make small conscience of like corruptions so thei might serue their turnes Further the creditte they obtained in the Church by some good Bishoppes of Roome in the beginning and cōstant Martirs of Christ was a great meanes whereby these whiche succeeded in their places but not in their pietie and holye profession togeather with the power and authoritie which they had gotten of the Emperours coulde not so easily and openly bee discouered as that the tyme of their beginning to fall awaie and theire secrete procéeding and growing forwarde shoulde bee openly controlled Which we may see in the declinations and conuersions of common welths For the lawfull gouernement of Kinges or of a senate of Princes or of the states of a land after an equall and iust regiment of some yeares either of purpose or thorow the weaknes of mans nature which is not able to maintaine thinges long in any perfect state may decline in time to a tyranny or confusion But if the whéele of such a state be not turned with any suddaine violent motion but softly in many yeres almost without any noyse then I say that in a certaine periode of tyme the lawfull and iust gouernement will be chaunged in déed into an vnlawfull tyranny or confusion But yet while it is a turning especially in the beginning when the motions are leaste and hardest to be discerned no man almoste can bee able to saye when this wheele was firste moued or whose hand first began to turne it And this shal yet be harder if such as haue finest senses to discerne euen of the most still and insensible motions vppon their discouering of them be charged and condemned as traitours to the state For by this meanes others which perceiue no sensible alteration are greatly hindred to discerne of their exact and exquisite iudgement and thinke rather that they were deceiued worthely executed for some Treason against the state Whereas notwithstanding after when the motions grow more forcible and violent euerye meane wit will be able to discerne it and in the ende no man so blind nor dull but must needes perceiue it And such hath beene the conuersion of the Church of Rome In the tyme of the Apostle Paules preaching in it for of Peters beeing there we haue no certaine ground in the scriptures The state of that Churche both for doctrine and discipline was perfect and such as the Lorde Iesu him selfe had appoynted After his tyme it continued in good state while it was vnder persecution euen to Constantines time yet so that euen then the whéele began to turne And tho the motions were so easie stil as all men perceiued them not yet some of exquisite iudgement did discerne in it a slyding forwardes to this supersticion and tyrannie Amongest whome Ireneus noted Victor in the Question of the daye to bee kept for Easter daye to haue beene to peremptory and to take to much vppon him to excommunicate the East churches for it the matter being in it selfe indifferent and Victor hauing no authoritie ouer those Churches After when it had peace and rest from persecution the motions grew faster and swifter For then it began to seeke for wealth after wealth taking occasion by the honour of the place being then the seat of the Empyre began to affect some like preeminence in the church and to draw as it were in the church the image of the Empyre Whereof tho the rough draught was imperfect and a shadow of lyues not easie to be discerned yet after the cole came the pensill and then the colours til at the last the whole image of the Empyre was to be seene in the state of the Church In which tyme fell out the falsification of the Canons of the counsell of Nice reprooued by Austen and all the fathers of that coūsell Which liberty of theirs and the free estate of other churches as counterwholes so checked his course that it could not goe fast forward til by the authoritie of Phocas hee had obtained the name of vniuersall Byshop Which being once obtained with in a while after it grew to be such as all were declared Heretiques which should speake against it And then the wheele was violently carried to this apostasie from the trueth of the Gospell and as the motions were more sensible so more there were which perceyued it and spake against it But notwithstanding al the difficulties which might hinder this purpose it appeareth for all the secresie subtletie hipocrisie authoritie force and cunning whereby they sought to hide their wickednesse from the worlde yet by the grace of God the beginners and authours of certaine of the degrees of this mysticall iniquitie are to bee discouered Concerning the reste we vndertake to prooue that what time or by whom soeuer they were brought in that they were not taught by Christ nor his Apostles nor in their tyme which is our immoueable ground where on we build that at what time or by whome so euer it began it is not to be alowed nor receiued M. Iewell of reuerend memory did vndertake and perfourme againste them that twenty nine points Wherin they differ from vs the primitiue church Whensoeuer after they were brought in yet were not knowne nor taught in the church for sixe hundred yeres after Christ Amōgst which this is one which he nameth of the real presence and consequently Their masse which is another for their Masse can not stande without a real presence And if neither in the time of Christ nor sixe hundred yéers after they can prooue them to haue beene receiued to what purpose is it to aske when they began let them rather shewe vs when they began and prooue that so many points as haue beene offered them were receiued in so manye sundry ages and times of the Church Which if they can not doe then let them acknowledge their iuste cause of satisfaction and their wilfull ostinacy against the truth but to satisfy him further in the particulers he hath set down I say first touching the question of the real presence it began to be moued after the daies of Charles the great in the raigne of Charles his neuew At what time Bertram an excellent clarke wrote a large volume of it and prooued the words of the Supper were to be vnderstood in a mistery and figure and not really After whom Paschasius began to write for the vnderstanding of the words of a real presence And after thē both Bertrams iudgemēt was maintained by Berengarius the French churches and the opinion of Pascasius by Lanfranc and others Thus diuersly was this controuersie handled till the Laterane counsell defyned of it which yet the French churches especially of Aniou and Yours for a long time yéelded not vnto Of this errour
worthy scholers whiche receiued it of thē and deliuered it ouer againe to others In a happie tyme came thei ouer to our Vniuersities to turne them which had been in tyme past as heathes dry groundes voide of the true knowledge of God into springs of water whose brookes might issue forth to the refreshyng and cōfort of all the land their desolatiō and liyng wast as Sodom and Gomorrha thei tourned through the grace of GOD into a fruitfull place like mount Carmell and the garden of Eden full of good fruite and medicinable to the soules of men Therefore blessed bee their noble memorie whosoeuer thei were that brought thē ouer But to saie that Religion stoode then in such termes here in England that if those two had been Anabaptistes our religion this day in England had been such and thei should aswel haue béen punished for not receiuing it as thei are for refusing that is now established is a malicious slaunder of a hatefull harte to the Gospell of Christe and the professors of the same seing that before their comming in as hath been declared religion was fully setled and established here as it continueth to this daie As for that he calleth them Caluinistes to passe by that for age Caluin might rather haue been named of them then thei of hym He is to vnderstande wee haue no suche custome nor the Churche of God to name our selues of any men Christ is not deuided with vs we all content our selues with that honourable name of Christians To be a Franciscane or a Dominicane a Thomist or a Scotist we leaue to them who haue deuided rent asunder both Christes coate and bodie We knowe by the grace of God how to respect the giftes of God in his holy Organes and Instrumentes of his glorie without derogatyng from God his honor to giue it to an other Thus it appeareth that Religion with vs had his beginnyng of the worde of God knowne to many and professed to the deathe by sondrie of this Nation afore the lawe whereby it was established Wherby it is manifest that Religion was not groūded vpon the Temporall lawe and the Magistrates authoritie but that the godly Magistrates and the wise men of all the lande assembled together in the high Courte of Parliament hauyng vnderstoode before by the worde of God and many expresse testimonies bothe here at home and els where abroade whereby God gaue witnesse vnto it that the Religion which of auncient tyme had been taught in this lande though for a tyme it had beene eclipsed and darckened and then beganne euery where through the power of GOD to bee renewed againe that that I saie was in deede the holy word and seruice of God and the true doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles thei agreed withall obedience vnto God so to acknowledge it and as Asa and Darius though not with any thing like seueritie of punishmēt commaunded it to bee receiued and embraced by all the Subiectes of this state and Kyngdome We depend not therfore vpon a Temporall lawe for matter of Religion but bothe the lawe and we vpon the eternall lawe and word of God but this iniury must be doen to the hye state of this noble lande that these men maie be admitted to dispute Therefore here he falleth in againe to the mention of a disputation and reneweth the petition of his fellowes for it promisyng largely that if suche indifferent triall maie bee graunted betweene the learned of bothe sides as thei demaunde for their instruction due reformatiō in iudgement if thei erre the matter perhappes maie sone bee ended 〈◊〉 they bee conuicted to erre he giueth vs hope that perhappes thei will be reformed Would to God thei desired it for their instruction and reformation in iudgement if thei did there is inough already written for their iuste cause of satisfaction or if not thei maie be satisfied by writyng But whē thei haue all graunted that thei desire though thei were conuicted to erre is there no more hope of their obedience to God and to her Maiestie but that Then perhaps they will be reformed If there were the feare of God in them thei ought without all peraduenture to yeeld them selues obedient to the voyce of God to bewaile with compunction of harte and remorse of conscience the Superstition and Idolatrie thei haue liued in hitherto and abused the worlde withall and blesse the daie wherein the Lorde of glorie maie appeare vnto them But suche is their wilful obstinacie that notwithstanding thei were as mightely conuicted and confounded as were the Iewes by Apollos and by the Apostle Againe of disputation yet perhappes thei would erre still and goe on in their wilfulnesse to their vtter confusion and ruine Acts. 18.28 If thei bee denyed disputation then thei remaine for their beleefe as before yet good and dutifull Subiectes But this implyeth a manifest and necessarie contradiction For if thei remaine stil obedient to the Pope who curseth them if thei acknowledge the Queene to bee the lawfull Prince by obedience of her lawes then is it not possible thei should bee good Subiectes For a good Subiect doeth willyngly obeye her Maiesties godly lawes acknowledge her lawfull authoritie ouer them Whiche thei deniyng to doe as thei are bound vpon the Popes curse it can in no sorte stande together that thei can kepe their Romishe faithe and their obedience to her Maiestie two such maisters as God and Mammon the Lieutenaunt of Christ and of Antechrist can no man serue but he must forsake the one Mat. 6. and follow the other he must cleaue to the one deny the other There followeth proofe for the equitie of their former demaunde whiche is that thei desire to bee satisfied in one onely point An issue demaunded that is when the articles of their difference from vs came into the churche and by whom thei were rebuked Whiche issue that he would so faine ioyne with vs he confirmeth to bee reasonable by the antiquitie of the true religion and the commyng in of the false Of the first he saieth that whiche is graunted on bothe partes that the religiō taught by Christ and his Apostles is the true religion Herevpō he inferreth that the false is later entred in since whiche I also graūt It remaineth therfore to be tried whether entred in since This saieth he is to be shewed by notyng the time of the entrāce and the author of it with the names of suche as did cōtrol it And this he would proue to be the onely argument and sufficient demonstration in these causes by twoo kindes of profe and first by reason Answere to his arguments proued necessary by reason Wherein he esteemeth it strong that there cannot rise a false Religion the churche standing possessed of a true one but that some companie or particuler man should rebuke it This reason I saie is not strong to prooue that he bryngeth it for that is that no false
doctrine can rise without cōtradiction of some I graūt in open and apparaunte errours this maie hold but not in al namely in suche as crepe into the Churche by Hypocrisie of whiche sorte is this hereticall false worship of Poperie For thus the Apostle teacheth forewarning that the mistery of iniquitie begā euen then to work Whiche is therfore called a mistery of iniquitie because th'iniquity of it was not manifest but should be then discouered whē Antechrist should exalt him self to sit in the tēple of God and boast him self as God Whereby it appereth that the Apostle sheweth that as a buildyng is not seen while the worke is vnder ground but onely whē it sheweth aboue the ground so likewise there was a tyme when this Synagog of Sathan was in building but the stones of the foūdation of it beyng laied very deepe it was long ere it appered or was to be discerned vpon the earth Our sauiour Christe giueth warnyng that there should come that falsly would chalenge the name of Christ and his Apostles vnto them who should bee able by their liyng Signes and wonders to deceiue if it wer possible euen the elect In the Parable of tares he saith that the housebandman beyng a sleepe the enemie came sowed Tares in the night Which notwithstandyng that no man discerned in the night nor could tell who had doen it yet when the spring came forward sure thei wer that was not of the good séede that was sowne in the field by their maister but Tares therfore though thei could not discerne it nor knewe not any enemy that had entred into the field to sow Tares in it yet whē thei were sprong vp thei knew the Tares to be Tares because their Maisters séede that was sowne was good the seruantes are assured that the enemie which is satan had sowne them though thei knew not by what hand and instrument nor at what hower of the night he sowed thē Euen so in this case while men feared no suche daunger the Enemie sowed these Heresies in the church which for a time after were not to be discerned till this euill seede was growne and came to shew it self vpō the ground which beyng now sprong vp can we not bee sure that Tares are Tares and heresies be heresies except we be able to tel who when did sowe thē It is inough for vs to knowe that our Maisters seede is perfect good whatsoeuer els commeth vp with it that is not of the seede we are sure it is a stinkyng weede or a vile graine sitter for beastes thē for men and not the fine wheate the fruite of the precious seede of our Maister This doctrine of our Sauiour Christ was this precious seede as he expoūdeth it Whatsoeuer therefore groweth vp with it though for a season it can not bee discouered yet if after it discouereth it self not to bee agreeable to the sounde and wholsome doctrine of Christe but a wicked heresie and the cursed fruite of a naughtie seede though wee can neither tell by whom nor at what tyme the Enemie did sowe it yet sure wee are it is hereticall and hath beene sowne since the tyme that our Maister sowed his fielde with good Seede Therefore his reason can not proue the issue to bee reasonable Muche lesse doeth his experience His second profe herein which is to be vnderstood as the reason before of opē errors which shew themselues at the first manifestly cōtrary to the holy doctrine of the church As for his examples by hudlyng vp together the Protestāt Puritane and Family as if thei wer all alike it is but the heate of his cholerike stomacke By experience For all the worlde knoweth how farr the true professors of the Gospell are frō that execrable heresies of the Family which sprōg vp in the time of their deteinyng of the worlde in captiuitie yet whiche of them euer once rebuked or controlled it by word or writyng but now the light hath discouered it shal the light be said to haue brought it forth or shall it not now be rebuked because none of the pretended Catholikes haue rebuked it let theim bee their Iudges Cōcerning the Puritane if he meane suche as thinke themselues pure and frée from sinne thei are al one with the Family and farre more like thē who boast of their own iustice then thei are to vs who deny our own righteousnesse that we maie haue the righteousnesse of Christ which is by faith If he meane such as desire to haue the state of the church yet fréer frō their disorders and confusions more nerely reformed to the ordenance of our sauiour Christ and the example of the Apostles and other Churches so reformed in many other places professyng the same Gospell with vs Then I think euery good Protestant and Professour is a Puritane and few that are otherwise minded except it be such to whō the corruptions they haue left behinde thē and we haue not yet cast out after them be glorious and gainful But for the purpose thei are here alledged these exāples make nothing for him If thei reproued vs it was not because thei were able iustly to charge vs but because wee discouered their shame to the worlde because we detected their heresies against God and their conspiracies against Princes and people If any professour of the Gospell haue reproued the Familist as thei in deede haue beene confuted by vs when these men neglected the matter he might easely doe it the Gospell clerely discoueryng the error his reward is with GOD. And if any for seekyng a further reformation by orderly meanes haue been reproued the reprouer the reproued haue both their iudge who will giue to euery one according to his deedes Thus then it appeareth to bee no reasonable issue which thei offer that except we can tell the tymes and Authors of their sondrie heresies that we should acknowledge them of the Apostles It is enough for vs that we know heresie to bee heresie and that by the worde of God And if thei will ioyne a reasonable issue with vs we offer them one farre more reasonable thē this Let thē shew out of the authenticke writynges of Christ and his Apostles the poinctes thei varie from vs in as wee vndertake and by Gods grace are able to performe of ours that thei are contained and left in them These writynges are perfect exact and incorrupt What doe thei seeke vncertaine Hystories and demaunde for recordes not to be had or found and refuse these the onely sufficient and authenticall He boasteth a Goliahes boaste to shewe all the poinctes wherein wee differ from them their Parentes their Cradle the calculation of the tyme of their Birthe Which I maruell not at for our Sauiour Christe and his Apostles are Authours of them thei were laied with hym in his Cradle and published in his tyme by hym self and then after by his Apostles So that as of an noble childe borne of knowne