power ouer them be called gracious Lords but so it shal not be amongst you But whosoeuer amongst you is the greater shal be as the yonger And whosoeuer amongst you shall be chiefe shal be as a seruaunt and a minister c. And againe Christ speaking to Pilate of his kingdome declareth that his kingdome is not of this world therefore sayth Tonstall those that go about to make of Christs spirituall kingdome 〈◊〉 22. a worldly kingdome do fall into the error of some heretickes that looke that Christ after the day of iudgement shall raign with all his sayntes here in earth carnally in Hierusalem as the Iewes do beleue that Messias is yet to come and when he shall come he shall raigne worldly in Hierusalem By these and such other places it may well appere that Christ neither before his incarnation Iohn 18. as Tonstall sayth nor after his incarnation did euer alter the authoritye of worldly kinges and Princes but by his owne woorde commaunded them still to be obeyed of theyr subiectes as they had bene in the auncient time before c. And for examples of the same Math. 22. Examples of Christes humble subiection he alledgeth first y e example of Christ himselfe Mathew 22. who being asked of the Iewes whether they should geue tribute to Caesar or no he bad theÌ„ geue to Caesar those thinges that be his and to God those thinges that be his signifying that tribute was due to Caesar and that theyr soules were due to God c. Also in the 17. of Mathew it appeareth that Christ bad Peter pay tribute for him and his Disciples Math. 17. when it was demaunded of him And why Because he woulde not chaunge the order of obeysaunce to worldly Princes due by theyr subiectes c. An other example of Christe he citeth out of the 6. of Iohn Iohn 6. where after Christ had fed fiue thousand and moe with a few loaues and fewer fishes and that the Iewes would haue takeÌ„ him and made him theyr king he fled from them and woulde not consent vnto them For the kingdome sayth he that he came to set hâ—re in earth was not a worldly and temporall kingdome but an heauenly and spirituall kingdome that is to raigne spiritually by grace and fayth in the hartes of all Christen and faythfull people of what degree or of what nation soeuer they be and to turne al people and nations which at his comming were carnall liued after the lustes of the flesh to be spirituall and to liue after the lustes of the spirite that Christ with his father of heauen might reigne in the hartes of all men c. And here in these examples of Christes humility farther is to be noted how Christ the sonne of God did submit himselfe not only to the rulers and powers of this world but also deiected himselfe and in a maner became seruaunt to his owne Apostles so far of was he from all ambitious and pompous seeking of worldly honor For so appeared in him not onely by washing the feet of his Apostles but also the same time a litle before his passion when the Apostles fell at contention among themselues who among theÌ„ should be superiour he setting before them the example of his owne subiection asketh this question Who is superiour he that sitteth at the Table Luke 22. or he that serueth at the Table Is not he superior that sitteth but I am amongest you as he that ministreth and serueth c. The like examples Tonstall also inferreth of Peters humility Examples of Peters subiection Act. 10. For where we read in the Actes how the Centurion a noble man of great age did prostrate himselfe vpon the ground at the feete of Peter then Peter not suffering that eftsoones tooke him vp and bad him rise saying I am also a man as thou art So likewise did the Aungell Apocalips 19. and 22. to whom when Iohn would haue fallen downe to haue adored him which shewed him those visions Apoc. 19.22 the Aungell sayd vnto him See thou do not so for I am the seruaunt of God as thou art c. Agayne in the foresaid Peter what an example of reuerent humility is to be sene in this that notwithstaÌ„ding he with other Apostles hauing his commission to go ouer all yet neuerthelesse he being at Ioppa and sent for by Cornelius durst not go to him without the vision of a sheete let downe from heauen by the which vision he was admonished not to refuse the Gentiles or els he knew in himselfe no such primacy ouer all people and places geueÌ„ vnto him nor no such commission so large aboue the other c. Furthermore the sayd Peter being rebuked of Paule his felow brother tooke no scorne therof but was content submitting himselfe to due correction But here sayth Tonstall steppeth in the B. of Rome and sayth that Peter had authority geuen aboue all the residue of the Apostles The Popes obiections alledgeth the wordes of Christ spoken to him Math. 16. Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I wil build my Church will geue to thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth Math. 16. shall be bound in heauen This sayd Christ sayth the Pope and S. Peter is buryed at Rome whose succour I am and ought to rule the Church as Peter did and to be porter of heaueÌ„ gates as Peter was c. And Christ sayd also to Peter after his resurrection Feede my sheepe which he spake to him onely Iohn 21. so that thereby he had authority ouer all that be of Christes flocke and I as his successour haue the same And therefore who so will not obey me King or Prince I wyll curse hym The ambitious pride of the Pope and depriue him of his kingdome or seigniory For al power is geuen to me that Christ hath and I am his Uicare generall as Peter was here in earth ouer all none but I as Christ is in heauen This ambitious and pompous obiection sayth Tonstall of the Pope and his adherentes The scriptures falsely perueted by the pope hath of late yeares much troubled the world and made dissention bebate and open warre in all partes of ChristeÌ„dome all by a wrong interpretatioÌ„ of the Scripture Who if he would take those places after the right sense of them as both the Apostles themselues taught vs and all the auncient best learned interpretours do expound them the matter were soone at a poynt But otherwise sith they peruert the Scripture and preach an other Gospell in that poynt to vs then euer the apostles preached we haue therin a general rule to folow That though an Aungell came from heauen Gal. 1. and woulde tell vs such new expositions of those places as are now made to turne the wordes which were spoken for spirituall authoritye of preaching the word of God and ministring of
Such was the power of his doctrine and sinceritie of his life M. Tindall conuerted his keeper that during the time of his imprisonment whiche endured a yeare and a halfe it is sayde hee conuerted hys keeper his daughter and other of his household Also the rest that were with him conuersaunt in the Castle reported of him that if he were not a good christen man they could not tell whome to trust The Procuror generall the Emperours Attourney being there Commendation of M. Tindall 〈…〉 were about him left this testimonie of him that he was Homo doctus pius bonus that is a learned a good and a godly man The same mornyng in which he was had to the fire he deliuered a letter to the keeper of the castle which y e keeper himselfe brought to the house of y e foresayd Pointz in Autwerpe shortly after which letter with his examinatiōs other his disputations I would might haue come to our handes all which I vnderstād did remaine yet perhaps doe in the handes of the keepers daughter For so it is of him reported that as he was in the Castle prisoner there was much writyng and great disputation to and fro betwene him and them of the Uniuersitie of Louaine which was not past ix or x. myles from the place where he was prisoner in such sorte that they all had enough to do and more then they could well weld to aunswere the authorities and testimonies of the Scripture whereupō he most pithely grounded his doctrine Of Iudas that betrayed Christ it is written that he returned the money agayne to the Phariseis Gods Iudgment vpon Philippes the betrayer of Tindall afterward did hang him selfe So Philippes this miserable traytor after he had bene receaued of Tyndal borrowed money of him yet betrayed him and pursued him to death albeit he reioyced a while after y t he had done yet y e saying so goeth that he not long tyme after enioyed the price of innocent bloud but was consumed at last with lyce The worthy vertues and doings of this blessed Martyr who for his paynefull trauailes and singular zeale to his countrey may be called in these our dayes an Apostle of Englād it were long to recite Amongest many other this because it seemeth to me worthy of remembraunce I thought not in silence to ouerpasse which hath vnto me credibly bene testified by certaine graue Marchauntes some of thē also such as were present the same tyme at the fact and men yet alyue The story wherof is this There was at Antwerpe on a tyme amongest a company of Marchauntes as they were at supper a certaine iuggler which through his diabolicall inchaūtementes or Art Magicall would fetch all kyndes of viandes wyne from any place they would and set it vpon the table incōtinent before them with many other such lyke thynges The same of this iuggler beyng much talked of it chaunced that as M. Tyndall heard of it he desired certaine of the Marchants that he might also be present at supper to see him play his partes To be briefe the supper was appointed and the Marchauntes with Tyndall were there present Then the iuggler being required to play his feates and to shewe his cunning after his wonted boldnes began to vtter all that he could do but all was in vaine At the last The power of Gods saintes against the deuil with hys labour sweating and toyling when he sawe that nothyng would go forward but that all his enchauntmentes were voyde he was compelled openly to confesse that there was some man present at supper which disturbed and letted all his doings So that a man euen in the Martyrs of these our dayes can not lacke the miracles of true faith if miracles were now to be desired As concerning y e workes and bookes of Tyndall which extend to a great number thou wast tolde before louyng reader howe the Printer heereof mindeth by the Lordes leaue W. Tyndals workes looked for to be all set out in one volum◠to collect them all in one Uolume together and put them out in print Wherefore it shall not greatly at thys time be needefull to make any seuerall rehearsall of them And as touching his translation of the new Testament because his enemies did so much carpe at it pretending it to be so full of heresies to aunswere therfore to their sclanderous tongs and lieng lippes thou shalt heare and vnderstand what faithfull dealing and sincere conscience he vsed in the same by the testimonie allegation of his own words The faithfull dealing of Tindall in translating the newe testament written in his Epistle to Iohn Frith as foloweth I call God to record against the day we shall appeare before our Lord Iesus to geue a reckening of our doings y t I neuer altered one sillable of Gods word against my cōscience nor would do this day if all that is in earth whether it be honour pleasure or riches might be geuē me c. And as ye haue heard Tyndals owne words thus protesting for himselfe now let vs heare likewise the faithfull testimonie of Iohn Frith for Tindall his deare companion and brother thus declaring in his aunswere to mayster More as followeth The testimony of Iohn Frith in his booke of the Sacrament concerning William Tyndall The testimony of Iohn Frith for Tindall ANd Tyndall I trust liueth well content with suche a poore Apostles life as God gaue his sonne Christ and his faithfull Ministers in this world which is not sure of so many mites as ye be yearely of poundes although I am sure that for his learning and iudgement in Scripture he were more worthy to be promoted then all the Bishops in Englande The wordes of Tindall written to Iohn Frith I receaued a letter from him whiche was written since Christmas wherein among other matters he writeth this I call God to record against the daye wee shall appeare before our Lord Iesus to geue a reckening of our doings that I neuer altered one sillable of Gods word against my conscience nor woulde do this day if all that is in earth whether it be honour pleasure or riches might be geuen me Moreouer I take God to witnesse to my conscience that I desire of God to my selfe in this world no more then that without which I can not keepe his lawes c. Iudge Christian Reader whether these words be not spoken of a faithfull cleare innocent hart And as for his behauiour is such that I am sure no man can reproue him of any sinne howbeit no man is innocent before God which beholdeth the hart This much out of Frith And thus being about to conclude and finishe wyth the life and story of William Tindall Ex lib. Tind praxit Praelatorum it shall be requisite now that the Reader do heare some thing likewise of his supplication made to the King and nobles of the Realme as they are yet
father And seeing he hath such care for the haires of our head howe much more doeth he care for our life it selfe Wherefore let Gods aduersaries do what they lust whether they take life or take it not they can do vs no hurt for their crueltye hath no further power then God permitteth them and that which commeth vnto vs by the will of our heauenly father can be no harme no losse neither destruction vnto vs but rather gain wealth and felicitie For all troubles and aduersitie that chaunce to such as be of God by the wil of the heauenly father can be none other but gaine and aduantage That the spirite of manne may feele these consolations the geuer of them the heauenly father must be prayed vnto for the merites of Christes passion for it is not the nature of man that can be contented Prayer necessary Iames 1. 1. Cor. 1.8 vntill it be regenerated and possessed with Gods spirit to beare paciently the troubles of the minde or of the body When the minde and heart of a man seeth of euery side sorow and heauines the worldly eye beholdeth nothing but suche things as be troublous wholely bent to robbe the poore of that hee hath and also to take from him hys life except the man weighe these brittle and vncertaine treasures that be taken from him with the riches of the life to come and this life of the body with the life in Christes precious bloud and so for the loue and certaintie of the heauenly ioyes contemne all thyngs present doubtles he shall neuer be able to beare the losse of goodes life or any other things of this world Therefore S. Paule geueth a very godly and necessary lesson to all men in this short and transitorie life and therin sheweth howe a man may best beare the iniquitie and troubles of this world If ye be risen againe with Christ sayth he seeke the things which are aboue Collos. â—â— A lesson how to beare trouble where Christ sitteth at the right hande of God the father Wherefore the Christian mans faith must be alwayes vppon the resurrection of Christe when he is in trouble and in that glorious resurrection he shall not onely see continuall and perpetuall ioy and consolation but also the victorie and triumph of all persecution trouble sinne death hell the deuil and al other tyrants and persecuters of Christ and of Christes people the teares and weepings of the faithfull dryed vppe theyr woundes healed their bodies made immortall in ioy their soules for euer praising the Lord and coniunction and societie euerlasting wyth the blessed company of Gods electes in perpetuall ioy But the woordes of S. Paule in that place if they be not marked shall doe little profite to the reader or hearer and geue him no pacience at all in this impacient and cruell world In this first part S. Paule commaundeth vs to thinke or set our affections on things that are aboue Two thinges commaunded by S. Paule writing to the Collossians The first is to see and know what thiâ—ges are aboue and what thinges are beneath and and to discerne rightly betwene them The second is to set our affection vpon them that are aboue and not vpon the other And this lesson is harder then the otheâ— When he biddeth vs seeke the thyngs that are aboue hee requireth that oure mindes neuer cease from prayer and studie in Gods word vntill we see knowe and vnderstande the vanities of thys worlde the shortnesse and miserie of thys life and the treasures of the worlde to come the immortalitie thereof and the ioyes of that life and so neuer cease seeking vntill suche time as we know certainly and be perswaded what a blessed man hee is that seeketh the one and finedeth it and careth not for the other though hee loose it and in seekynge to haue ryght iudgement betwene the life present and the life to come wee shall finde howe little the paines imprysonment sclaunders lies and death it selfe is in thys worlde in respect of the paines euerlasting the prisonne infernall and dungeon of hell the sentence of Gods iust iudgement and euerlasting death When a man hath by seeking the woorde of God found out what the things aboue be then must hee as S. Paule saith set his affections vpon them And this commaundement is more harde then the other For mans knowledge many times seeth the best and knoweth that there is a life to come better then thys life present as you maye see howe daily men and women can praise and commende yea and wishe for heauen and to be at rest there yet they sette not their affection vpon it they do more affect and loue in dede a trifle of nothing in this worlde that pleaseth their affection then the treasure of all treasures in heauen which their owne iudgement sayth is better then all worldly thinges Wherefore we must set our affections vpon the things that be aboue that is to say when any thing worse then heauen vppon the earth offereth it selfe to be ours if we wil geue our good willes to it and loue it in our heartes then ought we to see by the iudgement of Gods woorde whether we may haue the worlde without offence of God and suche thyngs as be for this worldly life wythout his displeasure If wee can not S. Paules commaundement must take place Set your affections on things that are aboue If the riches of thys world may not be gotten nor kept by Gods lawe neyther our liues be continued without the deniall of hys honour we must set our affection vpon the richesse and lyfe that is aboue and not vpon things that be on the earth Therfore this second commaundement of S. Paul requireth How thinges of this world may be possessed and how not that as our minds iudge heauenly things to be better then thyngs vpon the earth and the life to come better then the life present so we should chuse them before other preferre them and haue such affection to the best that in no case we set the worst before it as the most part of the world doth and hath done for they choose the best and approoue it and yet follow the worste But these thyngs my godly wife require rather cogitation meditation and praier then wordes or talke They be easie to be spoken of but not so easie to be vsed and practised Wherefore seeing they be Gods gyftes Scriptures woulde bee mused vpon rather then talked vpon and none of ours to haue as our owne when we would we must seke them at our heauenly fathers hand who seeth and is priuy how poore and wretched we be and how naked how spoiled and destitute of all his blessed giftes we be by reason of sinne He did commaund therefore his Disciples when he shewed them that they shoulde take paciently the state of thys present life full of troubles and persecution Math. 24. Luke 2. to praye that they myghte well
done you Certainely I dare say you thinke not so of your selfe as though God were bound to preferre you or had neede of you but rather attribute this as all good thinges vnto his free mercy in Christ. Agayne I dare say that you being a wise man doe iudge of thinges wisely that is concerning this your Crosse The worlde people and wordly wisedome are euill iudges of things spirituall you iudge of it not after y e world and people which is magnus erroâ—is magister nor after the iudgement of reason and worldly wisedome which is foolishnesse to faythe nor after the present sense to the which non videtur gaudij sed molestiâ—e i. it seemeth not to bee ioyous but greeuous as Paule writeth but after the worde of God which reacheth youre Crosse to be in respecte of your selfe betweene God and you Heb. 12. Gods chastising and your fathers correction nurture schoole tryall patheway to heauen Prayse of the Crosse. glory and felicitie and the furnace to coÌ„sume the drosse and mortify the relikes of old Adam whiche yet remayne yea euen the framehouse to fashyon you like to the dearest sayntes of God here yea Christ to the Sonne of GOD that elswhere you might be like vnto him Now concerning your crosse in respecte of the worlde betweene the world and you The Crosse maketh vs witnesses to God wherein and in what thinges Gods word teacheth it to be a testimonial of Gods truth of hys prouidence of his power of his iustice of his wisedome of his anger agaynst sinne of his goodnes of his iudgement of your faith and religion so that by it you are to the world a witnes of god one of his testes that hee is true he ruleth all thinges hee is iuste wise and at the length will iudge the worlde and cast the wicked into perdition but the godly he wil take receiue into his eternall habitation I know you iudge of thinges after faythes fetche and the effectes or endes of thinges and so you see aeternum pondus gloriae i. An eterweight of glorye whiche this Crosse shall bryng vnto you dum non spectas ea quae videntur 1. Cor. 4. sed ea quae non videntur i. While you looke not on thinges which are seene but on the thinges which are not seene Let the worldlinges way thinges Subscribing to K. Edwardes will and looke vpon the affayres of men with theyr worldly and corporall eyes as did many in subscription of the kinges last will and therefore they did that for the whiche they beshrewed themselues but let vs looke on thinges with other maner of eyes as God be praysed you did in not doyng that which you were desired and driueÌ„ at to haue done You then behelde thinges not as a man but as a man of God and so you do now in Religion at y e least hetherto you haue done and that you might do so stil I humbly beseeche and pray you say with Dauid Defecerunt oculi mei in eloquium tuum Psalm 119. quando consolaberis me i. Myne eyes fayle for thy word saying when wilt thou coÌ„fort me Though you be as vter in fumo i. like a bottell in the smoke for I heare you want health yet ne obliuiscaris iustificationes Dei i. Do not forget the statutes of y e Lord but cry out quot sunt dies serui tuiâ— quando facies de persequeÌ„tibus me iudicium i. Howe many are the dayes oâ— thy seruaunt when wilt thou execute iudgement on them that persecute me And bee certayne quòd Dominus veniens veniet non tardabit Aba 2. Psalm 30. Si moram fecerit expecta illum i. The Lord will surely come and not stay though he tary wayt for him for he is but ad momentum in ira sua vita in voluntate eius Ad vesperam demorabitur fletus ad matutinum laetitia i. He is but a while in his anger but in his fauour is life weepyng may abide at euening but ioye commeth in y e morning Follow therfore Esayes counsayl Abscondere ad modicum Esay 26. ad momentum donec pertranseat indignatio eius i. Hide thy selfe for a very little while vntil the indignation passe ouer which is not indignatio in deede but to our sense and therfore in the 26. chapiter of Esay God saith of his Churche and people Esay 26. that as hee keepeth night and day so non est indignatio mihi i. There is no anger in me sayth he The mother sometime beateth the childe but yet her hart melteth vppon it euen in the very beating Gods loue in our corrections and therefore she casteth the rodde into the fire and culleth the child geueth it an apple and dandleth it most motherly And to say the trueth the loue of mothers to their children is but a trace to trayne vs to beholde the loue of God towardes vs Esay 49. and therefore sayth he can a mother forget the chylde of her wombe As who say no but if she should so do yet will not I forget thee sayth the Lorde of hostes Ah comfortable saying I will not forget thee sayth the Lord. In deede the children of God think oftentimes that God hath forgotten them and therefore they cry Ne abscondas faciem tuam â me c. i. Hide not thy face from me c. Ne deâ—elinquas me Domine c i. Leaue me not O Lorde c. Whereas in very trueth it is not so but to their present sense Psalm 25. and therefore Dauid sayd Ego dixi in excessu meo proiectus sum â facie tua i. I sayd in my agony I was cleane cast away from thy face But was it so Naye verely Reade his Psalme and you shall see Psalm 90 98.37 â—â— Psalm 31. Psalm â—2 So writeth he also in other places very often especially in the person of Christ as when he sayth Deus meus Deus meus vt quid derequisti me i. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me he sayth not vt quid derelinquis i. Why doest thou forsake me or derelinques i. Why wilt thou forsake me but vt quid dereliquisti Why hast thou forsaken me Where in deede God had not lefte hym but that it was so to hys sense that thys Psalme telleth full well which Psalme I pray you now and then reade it is the 22. and thereto ioyne the 30. and the 116. with diuers other The same we read in the Prophet Esay in his 40. chapiter where hee reprooueth Israell for saying God had forgotten them Nunquid nescis sayth hee i. Knowest thou not An non audiuisti c. i. Hast thou not heard c. Esay 40. Qui sperant in Domino mutabunt fortitudineÌ„ i. They that trust in the Lord shall renue theyr strength And in his 54. chapiter Noli timere c. Ad punctum enim in modico dereliqui te in
truth was layde so playne before al mens faces and the fact so notorious that immediately certaine of the bloudy murderers were committed to prison and shoulde no doubte haue suffered that they deserued had not the Cardinall by his authority practised for his Catholique Children The practise of Cardinall Wolsey for his clergie men at the suite o◠the Byshop of London Wherupon the Chauncellor by the kings pardon and secret shifting rather then by Gods pardon and his deseruing escaped and went as is sayd to Exeter c. Neuerthelesse though iustice tooke no place where fauour did saue yet because the innocent cause of Hunne should take no wrong the Parliament became suters vnto the kinges maiesty that whereas the goodes of the sayd Hunne were cōfiscate into the kinges hands that it would please his grace to make restitution of all the sayde goodes vnto the children of the sayd Hunne vpon which motion the king of his gracious disposition did not onely geue all the foresayde goodes vnto the foresayde children vnder his broade seale yet to be seene but also did sende out his warrantes which hereafter shall folow to those that were the cruell murderers commaunding them vpon his high displeasure to redeliuer all the sayd goodes and make restitution for the death of the sayde Richard Hunne all whyche goodes came to the summe of 1500. poundes sterling beside his plate and other Iewels ¶ The tenour of the kinges letter in the behalfe of Richard Hunne TRustye and well beloued we greete you well The kings letter for the restitution of Hunnes goods whereas by the complaynt to vs made as well as also in our high court of parliament on the behalfe and partye of Roger Whapplot of our city of London Draper and Margaret his wife late the daughter of Richard Hunne And wheras you were indicted by our lawes of and for the death of the said Richard Hunne the sayd murder cruelly cōmitted by you like as by our recordes more at large plainly it doth appeare about the 5. day of December in the sixt yeare of our raigne the same we abhorre neuerthelesse we of our espeall grace certayne science and mere motion pardoned you vpon certayne considerations vs mouing for the intent that the goods of the sayd Richard Hunne the administration of them were committed to the said Roger Whapplot we then supposed and intended your amendement and restitution to be made by you to the infantes the children of the sayde Richard Hunne as well for hys death as for his goodes embeseled wasted and consumed by your tyranny and cruell acte so committed the same being of no little value and as hitherto ye haue made no recompence accordinge to our lawes as might stand with equity iustice right and good conscience and for this cause due satisfaction ought to be made by our lawes Wherefore we will and exhort otherwise charge and commaund you by the tenoure of this our especiall letters that ye satisfy and recompence the sayde Roger Whapplot the sayd Margaret his wife according to our lawes in this cause as it may stand with right and good conscience els otherwise at your further perill so that they shall haue no cause to returne vnto vs for theyr further remedy eftsoones in this behalf as ye in the same tender to auoyd our high displeasure otherwise that ye vpon the sight hereof to set all excuses apart and to repayre vnto our presence at which your hither comming you shal be further aduertised of our minde From our Manor c. Defence of Richard Hunne agaynst Syr Thomas Moore and Alen Cope I Doubte not but by these premisses thou hast Christyan reader sufficiently to vnderstand the whol discourse and storye of Richard Hunne frō top to toe Defence of Richard Hunne First how he came in trouble for denying the bearing sheete of his young infant departed then how he was forced for succour of hymselfe to sue a Premunire And thereupon what conspiracy of the Clergy was wrought agaynst him what snares were layd what fetches were practised and Articles deuised to snarle him in the trap of heresy so to imprison him Furthermore being in prison how he was secretly murthered after his murder hanged after his hanging condemned after his condemnation burned and after his burning lastly how his death was required by the Crowner and cleared by acquitall of the Inquest Moreouer how the case was brought into the Parliament and by the Parliament the kings precept obteined for restitutiō of his goods The debating of whiche tragicall and tumultuous story with all the braunches particular euidences of the same takē out aswell of the publique actes as of the Bishops registers speciall recordes remayning in the custodye of Dunstan Whapplot Ex publicis actis Ex archiuis et Regist. Lond. Three purposes considered the sonne of the daughter of the sayde Richarde Hunne there to be seene I thought here to vnwrap and discouer so much the more for three speciall purposes First as is requisite for testimony witnesse of truth falsely slaundered of innocency wrongfully condemned of the party cruelly oppressed The second cause moueth me for sir Thomas Moores Dialogues wherin he dallieth out the matter thinking to iest poore simple truth out of countenaunce The third cause which constrayneth me be the Dialogues of Alanus Copus which two the one in English the other in Latin rayling and barking agaynst Rich. Hunne do doublewise charge him both to be an herericke and also a desperate homicide of himselfe Which as it is false in the one so is it to be foūd as vntrue in the other if simple truth which hath few frendes and many times commeth in crafty handling might freely come in indifferent hearing Wherefore as I haue hitherto described the order and maner of his handling with the circumstaunces thereof Answere for Richard Hunne agaynst Syr Thomas More Knight in plaine and naked narration of story simply layd out before all mēs faces so something here to intermit in the defence as well of his oppressed cause as also in discharge of my selfe I will now compendeously aunswere to both these foresayde aduersaries stopping as it were with one bush two gappes and the mouthes also if I can of them both together Syr Thomas More hauing many good vertues but one great vice And first agaynst sir Thomas Moore albeit in degree worshipfull in place superiour in wit and learning singular if his iudgement in Christes matters had bene corespondent to the same otherwise being a man with many worthy ornamentes beautified yet being but a man one man I lay and obiect agaynst the person of him the persons and censures of 24. questmen The person of Syr Thomas More counteruayled the deposition of so many Iurates the iudgement of the Crowner the approbation of the Parliamēt and lastly the kings Bylassigned for restitution of his goodes with his owne broade Seale confirmed c. And thus much to
the Emperour and nobles of Germany acompanied with the Emperours Heraulde and the rest of his company hauing onely xxi dayes to him graunted for his returne and no more In the which meane space of his returne hee writeth to the Emperour and to other nobles of the Empyre repeating briefely to them the whole action and order of things there done desiring of them theyr lawfull good will and fauour which as he hath alwayes stand neede of so now he moste earnestly craueth especially in this that hys cause whiche is not his but the cause of the whole church vniuersall may be hearde with indifferency and equitye and may be decised by the rule and authority of holy Scripture signifying moreouer that when so euer they shall please to send for him he shall bee ready at theyr commaundement at any time or place vppon theyr promise of safety to appeare c. During the time of these doinges the Doctours and Schoolmen of Paris were not behinde with theyr partes The doctors of Parts condemne the bookes of Luther but to shewe theyr cunning condemned the bookes of Luther extracting out of the same especially out of hys booke De Captiuitate Babilonica certayne Articles as touching the Sacramentes lawes and decrees of the Church equalitye of workes vowes contrition absolution satisfaction Purgatory free will priuiledges of holy Church coūcelles punishment of heretiques Philosophye Schole diuinity with other more Philip Melancton answereth the Parisians Unto whom Philip Melancton maketh aunsweare and also Luther himselfe albeit pleasantly and iestingly It was not long after this but Charles the new Emperour Luther outlawed by the Emperour to purchase fauor with the Pope because hee was not yet confirmed in his Empyre prouideth and directeth out a solemne writ of outlawry agaynst Luther all them that take his part commaunding the said Luther where so euer he might be gotten to be apprehended and his bookes burned By which decree proclaymed agaynst Luther the Emperour procured no small thanke with the Pope in so much that the Pope ceasing to take part with the French king ioyned himselfe whollye to the Emperour In the meane time Duke Fridericke to geue some place for the time to the Emperors Proclamation M. Luther kept aside for a while conueyed Luther a litle out of sight secretly by the helpe of certain noble men whom he well know to be faythfull and trusty vnto him in that behalfe There Luther being close and out of company wrote diuers Epistles and certayne bookes also vnto his frendes among which he dedicated one to his companye of Augustine Fryers entituled De abroganda Missa Which Friers the same time being encouraged by him Luthers booke De Abroganda Missa ad Augustinenses beganne first to lay downe theyr priuate Masses Duke Fridericke fearing least that would breede some great styrre or tumult caused the censure and iudgementes of the whole Uniuersity of Wittenberge to be asked in the matter committing the doing thereof to foure Iustus Ionas Philip Melancthō Nic. Ambsdorssius Ioh. Dulcius The mindes of the whole Uniuersity being searched it was shewed to the Duke that he shoulde doe well and Godly The Masse laide downe first at Wittenberge by the whole aduise of the learned there to commaund the vse of Masse to be abrogate through his dominion and though it could not be done without tumult yet that was no let why the course of true doctrine should be stayed The iudgement of the Vniuersitie of Wittenberge against the Masse for the multitude which commonly ouercommeth the better part Neyther ought such disturbaunce to be imputed to the doctrine taught but to the aduersaryes which willingly and wickedly kicke agaynst the trueth wherof Christ also geueth vs forewarning before For feare of such tumults therefore we ought not to surcease frō that which we know is to be done but constantly must go forward in defence of Gods truth how so euer the world doth esteeme vs or rage against it Thus shewed they their iudgemēt to Duke Fridericke Anno. 1521. It happened moreouer about the same yeare and time that king Henry also pretending an occasion to impugne the booke De Captiuitate Babylonica wrote agaynst Luther In which booke 1. He reproueth Luthers opinion about the Popes pardons 2. He defendeth the supremacy of the Byshop of Rome 3. He laboreth to refell all his doctrine of the Sacramēts of the Church This booke albeit it carryed the kinges name in the title K. Henry wryteth agaynst M. Luther yet it was an other that ministred the motion an other that framed the stile But who so euer had the labor of this booke the king had the thanke and also the rewarde For consequently vpon the same the bishop of Rome gaue to the sayd king Henry for the style agaynst Luther K. Henry made defender of the fayth by the Pope y e style and title of Defender of the Christen fayth and to his successors for euer Shortly after this within the compasse of the same yere Pope Leo after he had warred agaynst the Frenche men and had gotten from them through the Emperors ayd the Citties of Parma Placentia and Millen c. he sitting at supper reioycing at three great giftes that God had bestowed vpō him 1. That he being banished out of his coūtry was restored to Florence agayn with glory 2. That he had deserued to be called Apostolique The death of Pope Leo in the midst of his tryumphe 3. That he had driuē the Frenchmen out of Italy after he had spokē these wordes he was stroken with a sodayne feuer and dyed shortly after being of the age of 47. yeares albeit some suspect that he dyed of poyson Successour to whom was Pope Adrian the vi scholemayster sometime to Charles the Emperour Pope Adrian the 6. who liued not much aboue one yeare and a halfe in his Papacy During whose small time these three especiall thinges were incident A great pestilence in Rome wherein aboue an hundreth thousande people were consumed A great pestilence in Rome The losse of Rhodes by the Turke And thyrdly the capitall warre which the sayd Pope Adrian with the emperour and the Uenetians and the king of Englande dyd hold agaynst Fraunces the French king This pope Adrian was a Germane borne brought vp at Louane Adrian a Germaine Pope and not vnlearned and as in learning he exceded the common sort of Popes so in moderatiō of life and maners he semed not all together so intēperate as some other Popes haue bene and yet like a right Pope nothing degenerating from hys Sea Pope Adrian a great enemie to Luther he was a mortall enemy against Martin Luther and his partakers In his time shortly after the Councell of Wormes was broken vppe an other meeting or assemble was appoynted by the Emperor at Norenberge of y e princes nobles and states of Germany an 1522. Unto this assemble the sayde
all meanes do prouide how to stop the course of the word and because they see themselues too weake to bring theyr purpose about they flie to the ayde of Kings and Princes For the necessary remedie whereof if they shall thinke good to ioyne their consent there shall nothing be lacking in their behalfe what they are able eyther in counsayle or goodes to do in the matter declaring moreouer that this should haue bene seene too long before Which being so they praied and desired them to accept in good parte and diligently to expend this that they did write As for theyr owne parte they required nothing else more then peace both betweene them and all men Neither was it euer their intent to stirre any thing that should be preiudiciall against their league and bande agreed vpon betweene them But in this cause which concerneth their eternall saluation they can do no otherwise but as they haue done vnlesse their errour by learning might be proued and declared vnto them Wherefore as they did before so now they desire againe that if they thinke this their doctrine to be repugnant to the holy Scripture The Tygurines will be iudged by the scriptures they will gently shew and teach them their errour and that before the end of the moneth of May next ensuing for so long they will abide wayting for an aunswere as wel from them as from the Bishop of Constance and also from the Uniuersitie of Basill And thus much conteineth the aunswere of the Tigurines vnto the letter of their other colleagues of Heluetia In the meane time as this passed on and the moneth of May aboue mentioned was now come The B. of Constance aunswereth the Tygurines by wryting the Byshop of Constance with the aduise of his Councell about him did aunswere the Tigurines as he was requested of them to do in a certaine booke first written and afterward printed wherin he declareth what Images and pictures those were which the prophane Iewes and Gentiles in the old time did adore and what Images be these which the Churche hath from time to time receaued and admitted and what difference there is betweene those Idols of the Iewes Gentiles and these Images of the Christians A Popishe distinction betweene the Images of the Gentiles and Images of of the Christians Ex Ioan. Sled lib. 4. The conclusion hereof was this that where as the Scripture speaketh against Images and willeth them not to be suffered that is to be vnderstand of such Images and Idols as the Iewes and Idolatrous Gentiles did vse yet neuerthelesse such Images pictures which the Church hath receaued are to be vsed and reteined From this he entreth next into the discourse of the Masse where he proueth by diuers and sondry testimonies both of the Popes Canons and Councels the Masse to be a sacrifice and oblation This booke being thus compiled and wrytten hee sent it vnto the senate of Zuricke about the beginning of Iune willing and exhorting them by no manner of meanes The booke of the Byshop of Constance written to the Senate of Zuricke in defence of the Masse and Images The aunwere of the Tigurines to the Byshops booke to suffer their images or the masse to be abrogated and shortly after he published the said booke in Print sent it to the Priests and Canons of the Minster of Zuricke requiring them to folow the custome of the Church receaued and not to suffer themselues otherwise to be persuaded by any mā The Senate againe answering to the Bishops booke about the middle of August did write vnto him first declaring that they had read ouer ouer againe his booke with all diligence The which booke for somuch as the Byshop had diuulged abroad in printe they were therof right glad because the whole world thereby might iudge betwene thē the better After thys they explaned vnto hym the iudgement and doctrine of their ministers and preachers and finally by the authoritie testimonies of the Scripture conuinced his opinion and prooued the doctrine of his booke to be false But before they sent their answer to him about the 13. day of Iune they commanded al the images as wel within the Citie as throughe their dominion to be taken downe and burned quietly and without any tumult Images abolished within all the dominiō of Zuricke A few monethes after an order was taken in the sayde Citie of Zuricke betweene the Canons of the churche and citie for disposing the landes and possessions of the Colledge It would grow to a long discourse to comprehend all things by order of circumstance Certaine Pages or townes of the Suitzers complayne against the Tigurines that happened amōg the Heluetians vpō this new alteration of religion but briefly to contract and to runne ouer the chief specialties of the matter heere is first to be noted that of the Heluetians which were confederate together in 13. Pages chiefly sixe there were which most disdained and maligned thys religion of the Tigurines to witte Lucernates Urani Suitenses Unterualdij Tugiani Friburgenses These in no case could be recōciled False matter of accusation laide against the Tigurines by the other Pages The rest shewed thēselues more fauourable But the other which were their ennemies conceiued great grudge raised many sclaunderous reportes and false rumours against them and laide diuers thinges to their charge as first for refusing to ioyn theyr consent to the publique league of the other Pages with Frances the french king then for dissenting from them in religion and thirdly for refusing to stand to the Popish decree made the yeare before at Ratisborne by Ferdinandus and other bishops aboue mentioned pag. 838. They layd moreouer to their accusation for aiding the Uualsutenses theyr neyghbors against Ferdinandus their Prince which was false Also for ioyning league secretly with other Cities wythout their knowledge which was likewise false Item that they should intende some secrete conspiracie against them and inuade them with warre which was as vntrue as the rest What slaūnderous tongues can doe Many other quarels besides they pretended againste the Tigurines which were all false and cauilling sclaunders as that they should teach and preache that Mary the mother of Christ had mo sonnes that Iames the younger the Apostle did die for vs and not Christe hymselfe Against these and such other vntruthes being meere matters of cauillation and sclaunder The Tigurines aunswer againe to the complaint of the Pages the Tigurines did fully and amply purge and acquite themselues by wryting and did expostulate vehemently with them not onely for these false and wrongfull suspitions of theyr partes vndeserued but also for other manifolde iniuries receiued and borne at theyr handes among which other wrongs and iniuries thys was one that the Burghmaster of Turegia had apprehended a certaine preacher Iohn Oxlinus a preacher apprehended for religion named Ioannes Oxlinus and led him home as prisoner vnto his house
doctrine The miserable handeling of gods people in Spaine Adde moreouer to these distresses and horrors of the prison the iniuries threates whippings and scourginges yrons tortures and rackes which they endure Somtimes also they are brough out shewed forth in some higher place to the people as a spectacle of rebuke and infamy And thus are they deteyned there some many yeares and murthered by long tormentes whole dayes together entreated much more cruelly out of al comparison then if they were in the hangmās handes to be slayne at once During all this time what is done in the proces no person knoweth but onely the holy fathers and the tormentors which are sworne to execute the tormentes All is done in secret as great misteries passe not the handes of those holy ones And after all these tormentes so many yeares endured in the prison if any man shall be saued it must be by gessing For all the procedinges of the Court of that execrable Inquisition is opē to no mā but all is done in hugger mugger in close corners by ambages by couert waies and secret counselles The accuser secret the crime secret the witnes secret whatsoeuer is done is secret neither is the poore Prisoner euer aduertised of any thing If he can gesse who accused hym whereof wherfore he may be pardoned peraduēture of hys life but this is very seldome and yet he shall not incontinēt be set at liberty before he hath endured lōg time infinite tormentes and this is called theyr penitence and so is he let go and yet not so but that he is enioyned before he passe the Inquisitors handes that he shall weare a garment with yellow colours for a note of publicke infamy to him and his whole race And if he can not gesse right shewing to y e Inquisitours by whom he was accused whereof and wherfore as is afore touched incontinent the horrible sentence of condemnation is pronounced against him that he shall be burned for an obstinate hereticke and so yet the sentence is not executed by and by but after that he hath endured imprisonment in some haynous prison ¶ And thus haue ye heard the forme of the Spanish Inquisition Diuers martyrs in Spain since the tyme of Queene Elizabeth By the vigour and rigour of thys Inquisition many good true seruauntes of Iesus Christ haue bene brought to death especially in these latter yeares since the royall and peaceable reign of this our Queene Elizabeth The names and storyes of whom partly we wil here recite according as we haue faythfull recordes of suche as are come to our hands by writing The other which be not yet come to our knowledge we will deferre till further intelligence and oportunity by the Lords ayd and leaue shall serue hereafter An. 1559. Maij 21. In the towne of Ualedolid where commonly the counsell of the Inquisition is wont to be kept 30. Christian prisoners brought before the councell of the Inquisition the Inquisitors had brought together many prisoners both of high and low estate to the number of xxx also the coffin of a certayne noble womā with her picture lying vpō it which had bene dead long before there to receiue iudgement and sentence To the hearing of which sentence they had ordeined in the sayd town 3. mighty Theatries or stages Upon the first was placed Dame Iane sister to king Philip Three stages and chiefe Regimēt of his realmes also Prince Charles king Philippes sonne with other Princes and States of Spayne Upon the other scaffold mounted the Archbishop de Seuille The ceremoniall pompe of the Spanish Inquisition Prince of the Synagoge of the Inquisitors with the Coūsell of the Inquisition also other Byshops of the landes and the kinges counsell with them After that the Princes and other spirituall iudges coūsellers were thus set in theyr places wyth a great garde of Archers and Halberdiers and harnessed souldiours with 4. Herauldes also of armes geuing theyr attēdance to the same and the Earle of Buendia bearing the naked sword all the markette place where the stages were being inuironed wyth an infinite multitude of all sortes of the world there standing and gasing out of windowes houses to heare see the sentences iudgementes of this Inquisition then after all were brought forth as a spectacle and triumph the poore seruauntes and witnesses of Iesus Christ to the number as is aforesayd of thirty clothed with theyr Sanbenito The Spanish Mantell of S. Benet of yellow coulor with red crosses both before behinde called Sanbenito as the Spaniards do call it which is a maner of vesture of yellow cloth cōming both before them behind thē spangled with read Crosses hauing burning Cierges in theyr handes also before them was borne a Crucifixe couered with blacke lynen cloth in token of mourning Moreouer they which were to receiue the sentence of death had Miters of paper vpō theyr heads which y e Spaniardes call Coracas Thus they being produced were placed in theyr order one vnder an other according as they were estemed culpable So y e first of all stood vp Doctor Cacalla an Austē Frier a mā notable singular in knowledge of diuinity preacher sometime to Charles the 5. Emperor both in higher and lower Germany These thinges thus disposed thē folowed a Sermon made by a Dominicke Frier This Dominicke was M. Melchior Cano. which endured about an houre After the Sermon finished the Procurator generall with the Archbishop went to the stage where the Princes and Nobles stood to minister a solēne othe vnto them vpō the Crucifixe painted in the Massebooke the tenour of which othe was this Your Maiestyes shall sweare that you will fauor the holy Inquisitiō also geue your consēt vnto the same and not onely that you shal The oth geuen to the princes by the Inquisition of Spaine by no maner of way hinder and impeach the same but also you shall employ the vttermost of your helpe endeuour hereafter to see all them to be executed whiche shall swerue from the Church of Rome adioyne themselues to the sect of the Lutheran hereticks without all respect of any person or persons of what estate degree quality or condition soeuer they be ¶ And thus much for the first Article of the othe The second was this as foloweth Item your Maiesties shall sweare that you shal constrayne all your subiectes to submitt themselues to the Church of Rome and to haue in reuerence all the lawes and commaundementes of the same and also to geue your ayde agaynst all them whosoeuer shal hold of the heresy of the Lutheranes or take any part with them In this sort and maner when all the Princes states euery one in theyr degree had receyued theyr othe then the Archbishop lifting vp his hand gaue them his benediction saying God blesse your highnesses and geue you lōg life This solemne Pageon thus finished at last
men ought to worship God only and no Sayntes He sayd that Christian people should set vp no lightes before the Images of saynts for sayntes in heauen need no light and the Images haue no eyes to see He sayd as Ezechias destroyd the brasen Serpent that Moses made by the cōmaundemēt of God euen so should kinges and princes now a dayes destroy and burne the Images of Sayntes set vp in Churches These fiue hundred yeares there hath bene no good Pope 〈…〉 popes since Christ nor in all the time past we can finde but fiftye for they haue neither preached ne liued well or conformablye to theyr dignity Wherefore till now they haue borne the keyes of Symony Agaynst whom good people we must preache and teache vnto you For we canne not come to them it is great pitty they haue sore sclaundered the bloud of Christ. The people hath vsed foolishly of late Pilgrimages which for them had bene better to haue bene at home Many haue made certayne vowes which be not possible for them to fulfill and those nothing meritorious The preachers before this haue bene Antichristes and now it hath pleased our Sauiour Christ to shew their false errours and to teach an other way and maner of the holy Gospell of Christ to the comfort of your soules I trust that there shall and will come others besides me The prophesie of Bilney which shall shew and preach to you the same fayth and maner of liuing that I do shew and preach to you whych is the very true Gospell of our Sauiour Christ and the mind of the holy fathers wherby you shal be brought from theyr errours wherein you haue bene long seduced for before this there haue bene many that haue sclaundered you and the Gospell of our Sauior Christ of whom spake our Sauiour Math. xviij Qui scandalizauerit vnum de pusillis istis qui in me credit c. These many other such like depositions were deposed agaynste him by the deponentes and witnesses before sworne which wholy to recite would be too long and tedious wherfore these shall suffice at this time being the principall matters and in maner the effect of all the rest But now before we will returne agayne to the order of hys examination we thinke it good here to inferre a certaine Dialogue conteyning a communication betweene a Fryer named Iohn Brusierd and Mayster Thomas Bilney ADialogue which we haue thought meet for this place because it was done in Ipswich and also about the time of these examinations the Copy whereof we haue written with the friers owne hand in Latine the Copy whereof in English here ensueth ¶ A Dialogue betwene Fryer Iohn Brusierd and Mayster Thomas Bilney in Ipswich concerning worshipping of Images Brusierd A Dialogue betweene Bilney and Frier Brusierd ALthough you haue blasphemed most pernitiously the immaculate flocke of Christ with certayne blasphemyes of yours yet being moued partly with your gentle petitions partly pitying your case towardly dispositiō I am come hither to talke with you secretly before the rumor be disclosed vpon the consideration of the threefolde errors which I see in you First for that when you began to shoot the dart of your pestiferous error more vehemently thē you ought agaynst the brest of the ignorant multitude you seeme to poure vpō the ground the precious bloud of Christ as with a certein vehement violence out of the miserable vessel of your hart Wheras you sayd A great blasphemy among the Fryer to set vp Christ onely to be our mediatour that none of the sayntes do make intercession for vs nor obteine for vs any thing you haue perilously blasphemed the efficacy of the whole church cōsecrated with the precious bloud of Christ. Which thing you are not able to deny especially seing y e same so incessantly doth knocke at the gates of heauē through the continuall intercession of the sayntes according as in the seuenfolde Letany manifestly appeareth to be seene Bilney I maruell at you and doubtles cannot maruell enough but that the strong vayn custome of superstitious mē thinking themselues not to be heard but in much babling doth put an end of my admiration For our heauenly father knoweth what we haue need of before we aske Also it is written There is one mediatour of God and men the man Christ Iesus One mediator and no moe If then there be but one mediator of God and men the man Christ Iesus where is our bleessed Ladye where is then S. Peter and other Saintes Brusierd I suppose that no man is ignorāt but that the diuines of y e primitiue church haue all affirmed to be one mediator betweene God and man Neither could any at that time prayse or pray to the saynts whē as yet they liuing in the calamities of this body and wrastling with the cōtrary windes of this world The Popes Calender maketh moe Mediators now then were in the Primitiue Church were not yet come to the port of rest wherunto they were trauelling Paul I graūt did rightly affirme to be but one mediator of God men what time as yet there was no saint canonised or put into y e kalender But now seing the church doth know doth certeinly beleue through y e vndoubted reuelations of God that y e blessed virgin other saints are placed in the bosome of Abraham she therfore like a good mother hath taught and that most diligently vs her children to prayse the omnipotent Iesus in his saynts also to offer vp by the same sayntes our petitiōs vnto God Note this argument we must prayse God in his Saintes Ergo wee must pray to Saintes Rom. 1. Therof it is that the Psal. sayth Prayse ye the Lord in his sayntes Rightly also do we say and affirme that sayntes may pray for vs. One man may pray for another Ergo much more may saynts that do enioy the fruitiō of his high maiesty For so it is writtē God is my witnes whome I serue in my spirite in the Gospell of his sonne that without ceasing I remēber you in my praier alwaies for you c. Bilney I maruell doubtlesse that you a man learned are not yet deliuered out of the confuse dungeon of heresie through the helpe of the holy Gospell especially seing y t in the same Gospell it is written Verely verely I say vnto you what so euer you aske the father in my name Iohn 16. he will geue it vnto you He sayth not whatsoeuer ye aske the Father in the name of S. Peter In nomine meo S. Paule or other sayntes but in my name Let vs aske therfore helpe in the name of him which is able to obteine for vs of his father whatsoeuer we aske least peraduenture hereafter in the end of the world at the strayt iudgemēt we shall heare Hitherto in my name ye haue asked nothing Brusierd Where ye maruell with what minde I can not tel
the cause why he did it not And if he had sayd neuer a word yet thou knowest well what a witty part it is for a man to suspend his iudgemente and not to be too rash in geuing of sentence It is an olde sayd sawe Mary Magdalene profited vs lesse in her quicke beliefe that Christ was risen Wint. wryteth againâ—t the pope with aduised iudgement then Thomas that was longer in doubt A man may rightly call him Fabius that with his aduised taking of leasure restored the matter Albeit I speake not this as though Winchester had not boulted out this matter secretly with hymselfe before hand for he without doubt tried it out long ago but that running faire and softly he woulde firste with his paynefull study plucke the matter out of the darke although of it selfe it was cleare enough but by reason of sondry opinions it was lapped vp in darkenes and then did he debate it wittely too and fro and so at last after long and great deliberation had in the matter because there is no better counseller then leasure anâ— time he would resolutely with his learned and coÌ„summate iudgement confirme it Thou shouldest gentle Reader esteeme his censure and authoritie to be of more weighty credence No newe matter 〈◊〉 write againâ— the Byshop of Rome in as much as the matter was not rashly and at all aduentures but with iudgemente as thou seest and with wisedome examined and discussed And this is no new example to be against the tyrany of the Byshop of Rome seeing that not only this man but many men often times yea and right great learned men afore now haue done the same euen in writing whereby they both painted him out in his right colours and made his sleightes falshoode fraudes and deceiptfull wyles openly knowne to the world Therefore if thou at any time heeretofore haue doubted either of true obedience or of the Kinges Maiesties mariage or title either else of the Bishop of Romes false pretensed supremacy as if thou haddest a good smelling nose and a sound iudgemente I thinke thou diddest not yet hauing read this Oration which if thou fauour the truth and hate the tyranny of the Byshop of Rome and his Sathanicall fraudulente falshode shall doubtles wonderfully content thee forsake thyne errour and acknowledge the truth now freely offered thee at length considering with thy selfe that it is better late so to doo then neuer to repent Fare thou hartily well most gentle Reader Note and not only loue this most valiant King of England of France who vndoubtedly was by the prouideÌ„ce of God borne to defend the Gospell but also honor him and serue him most obediently As for this Winchester who was long ago without doubt reputed among the greatest learned men geue him thy good word wyth highest commendation The end of Byshop Boners Prologue What man reading and aduising this booke of Winchester De vera obedientia The inconstant mutabilitye of Wint. and Boner with Boners Preface before the same would euer haue thought any alteration coulde so worke in mans hart to make these men thus to turne the catte as they say in the panne and to start so sodenly from the truth so manifestly knowne so pithâ—ly proued so vehemently defended and as it seemed so faithfully subscribed If they dissembled all this that they wrote subscribed and sware vnto what periury most execrable was it before God and man If they meant good fayth and spake then as they thought what pestilent blindnes is this so sodenly fallen vpon them to make that false nowe whiche was true before or that to be now true which before was false Thus to say vnsay then to say againe to doe and vndo as a maÌ„ would say to play fast or loose with truth truly a man may say is not the doing of a man whiche is in any case to be trusted whatsoeuer he doth or saith But heere a man may see what man is of himselfe when Gods good humble spirit lacked to be his guide Furthermore to adde vnto them the iudgement also and argumentes of Tonstall Bishop of Duresme let vs see how he agreeth with them or rather much exceedeth The sermon of Tonstall before the king made on Palme Sonday them in his Sermon made before King Henry vpon Palmesonday remayning yet in print In the whiche Sermon disputing against the wrongfull supremacie of the Bishop of Rome he proueth by manifest groundes most effectuously both out of the Scripture auncient Doctors and of Councels not only that the Bishop of Rome hath no such authoritie by the worde of God committed to him as hee doth chalenge but also in requiring chaleÌ„ging the same he reproueth condemneth him with great zeale ardent spirit to be a proude Lucifer disobediente to the ordinarie Powers of God set ouer him contrary to Christ and Peter and finally in raising vp warre against vs for y e same he therefore rebuketh and defieth him as a most detestable sower of discord and murtherer of Christian men FIrst by the scripture he reasoneth thus proueth That popes and Byshops ought to be subiecte to theer soueraigns 1. Pet. 2. that all good meÌ„ ought to obey the potestates Gouernors of y e world as Emperours Kings Princes of all sortes what name soeuer the sayde supreme powers do beare or vse for theyr countreys in whiche they be for so S. Peter doth playnely teach vs 1. Pet. 2. sayeng Be yee subiect to euerye humane creature for Gods cause whether it be Kyng as chiefe head or Dukes or Gouernours c. So that S. Peter in his Epistle commaundeth all worldly Princes in their office to be obeyed as the Ministers of God by all Christian men And according vnto the same S. Paule Ro. 13. saith Let euery liuing man be subiect to the high powers Whosoeuer resisteth the high powers resisteth God The Pope resisteth the highe powers Ergo the Pope resisteth God for the high powers bee of God and who soeuer resisteth the high powers resisteth the ordinaunce of God and purchaseth thereby to himselfe damnation c. And in the same place of Tonstall it foloweth and least men should forget their duetie of obedience to their Princes it is thrise repeated that they be the ministers of God whose place in their gouernance they represent so that vnto them all men must obey Apostles Patriarches Primates Archbyshops Bishops Priestes and all of the Clergy c. And therefore saith he the Bishop of Rome oweth to his seueraigne and superior like subiection by the word of God taught vnto vs by Peter and Paule as other Bishops do to theyr princes vnder whom they be c. Also an other expresse commaundement wee haue of Christ. Luk. 22. who vpon the occasion of his disciples striuing for superiority discusseth the matter saying on thys 〈◊〉 The kinges of the people and nations haue dominion ouer them and those that haue
doth agaynst the Christ our great high vniuersall Byshop least thou excommunicate and strike him least thou shew thy wrath and iudgement agaynst him and vtterly extinct his pride and ambitious pretensed authority For thou wilt be knowne thou wilt be knowne to be God And thou art and wilt be our great vniuersall and supreme Byshop what so euer the bishop of Rome shall attempt to the contrary The stroke 〈◊〉 God is slow but 〈◊〉 and thou wilt punishe his worldly arrogancy and strike when thou seest thy time And though it be long ere thou strike yet let him beware for strike thou wilt if thou be vtterly prouoked And when thou doest strike thy stroke is great thy stroke is dreadfull and sore It vanquisheth the body it slayeth the soule it damneth both Beware therfore thou Bishop of Rome and be coÌ„tent with thine owne dioces with thine owne charge as other Byshops are with theyrs â—he Popes power stretcheth no â—ther then 〈◊〉 owne dioces For further then thine owne dioces thy iurisdiction doth not stretch A maruellous blindness in thee therefore to take vpon thee to aunswere for all the world and art not able to aunswere our great Bishop Christ for thy selfe at the dreadfull day of iudgemeÌ„t when he shall aske but these few questions of thee Quomodo intrasti Quomodo rexisti Quomodo vixisti Quomodo pauisti Quae qualia exempla dedisti Quid ad meam gloriam fecisti huiusmodi â—uestions to be asked the Pope in the last â—â—dgemente How diddest thou enter into the Bishopricke by me or by the world vnlawfully or lawfully by Symony or freely by labour by paction or called God Howe diddest thou rule thy cure thy dioces Diddest thou pray for thy people Diddest thou preach me to thy diocesans diddest thou geue them ghostly and bodely foode diddest thou minister spirituall and ghostly salues the Sacramentes I meane to heale the sores of theyr soules How didst thou liue Didst thou cast away the care the glory poÌ„pe of the world Nay rather Ghostly â—â—ctrine 〈◊〉 should 〈◊〉 Didst thou folow me in humility in charity in coÌ„passion in pouerty in cleanes in chast liuing How diddest thou gouerne thy diocesans Diddest not thou make of all things that thou diddest meddle with a money matter in selling that which was not in thee to sel nor geue which thou calledst thy pardons The Pope maketh all thinges a 〈…〉 thy commissions thy breeues thy delegacies reseruations exemptions appellations bulles and dispeÌ„sations Diddest not thou vnder these pretenses and like other doings deceiue the world What answere shalt thou make to this at that day to our and thy great Byshop Christ when he shall visite thee and all thy dioces me and all my dioces yea when he shall visite all the world What aunswere shalt thou then make I think verely thou shalt then haue enough to do yea and more theÌ„ thou canst winde thy selfe out of to make aunswere for thy selfe for thine owne dioces and for thine owne diocesans though thou vsurpe not vpon other mens as thou doest The Apostle writeth of Christ humbly 〈◊〉 â—aximus calleth him Magnum pontificem the great bishop And he of Rome is not with this word contented but wil haue a higher word for him selfe in the superlatiue degree Maximum pontificem Magnum The greatest Bishop Oh where is the humblenesse and meekenesse that should be in him Alas he that taketh on him to teach all the world how can he for shame suffer such blasphemous words to passe in his name to his great shame and rebuke â—he Popes â—â—de will â—â—ue a fall to the great daunger of his soule and to the perilous ensample vnto other Oh sie vpon pride it is a common prouerb pride will haue a fall Our bishop Christ was Humilis meeke lowly humble in hart â—â—milis He rode not vpon any palfray nor couragious horse but vp on an Asse and that but once He neuer was borne pompously abroad in a chayre vppoÌ„ mens shoulders He neuer profered hys foote to any body to kisse We read that he washed the feete of his Disciples and wyped theÌ„ Iohn 13. We read that Mary Magdalene profered to haue kissed his feete but he did prohibite her sayiâ—g Noli me tangere Touch me not He would not suffer the woman theÌ„ to touch him He neuer had garde to defend him Math. 20. He neuer followed the poÌ„pe of the world He disdained not to go vpon the grouÌ„d with his bare feet What shall I say The humility of Christ. He gaue ensamples enough to the Bishop of Rome to me and all Bishops to be meek and humble he to know himselfe and we our selues as if he and we diligently looke in scripture we shall finde And herein in meeknes we are bound to folow him Compatiens Compatiens infirmitatibus This Byshop Christ had compassion of our infirmities of our fraylties It is impossible for a man to know the afflictions of the miserable person that neuer suffered him selfe affliction that neuer had experience of paynes that neuer felt what payne menâ— But this byshop Christ had experieÌ„ce of our nature how weake how feeble the nature of man is Christ full of compassion howe weake of himselfe to doe any good worke without the helpe of God how feeble to resiste temptations Hee suffered and felte the infirmities and paynes of this naturall body He hath therefore compassion vpon man when he doth see him fall He sorroweth his ruine teaching Bishops in especial afore all other to haue copassion and pity vpon the sinner to helpe him spiritually to coÌ„fort him ghostly to helpe him to arise from sinne to allure him to penance to draw him to vertue to make him know God to feare his iustice to loue his lawes and thus to seeke all the wayes he and we can to saue the sinners soule for whom he shall make aunswere to God for his owne diocesans soule for soule Heb. 5. bloud for bloud payne for payne hell for hell damnation for damnation For which soule Luke 23. our great Bishop Christ as the Apostle doth witnesse did offer giftes and sacrifice himselfe hauing compassiâ—n of theÌ„ that by ignorance and by errour did sin offend God Euen when he was his greatest agony vpon the crosse he cryed to his father forgeue them father forgeue theÌ„ they know not what they do they are ignoraunt people they know not what is what nor what danger they runne into by this entreating me They know not theyr offences forgeue them Father forgeue them In this compassion we ought also to follow our great Byshoppe Christ. Pontifex appellatus It followeth in the former letter Est Pontifex appellatus à Deo He is a Byshop and so named of God He is the very Byshop He offered vppe the very sacrifice the sacrifice of his owne most blessed body and bloud whereby the sinne of
scripture It is written of Isaac quod proficiebat valde factus est magnus valde He profited greatly in vertue Gene. 26. and was made great great in reputation of the world Moyses was called Magnus great for his vertue Abraham and Iohn Baptist likewise Exod. 11. Now Iesus our Bishop is called magnus Episcopus magnus Sacerdos And after him neuer Byshop called Magnus in all Scripture Luke 1. neither in the reputation of man vnlesse it be in comparison one of an other and so Sayntes and holy Lyuers are called great in respect of sinners or other meane Liuers but where Christ our Byshop commeth there he not in comparison of other but simpliciter by his owne magnitude and greatnesse and of himselfe euer was and is great of whom it is written A summo coelo egressio eius occursus eius vsque ad suÌ„mum eius Psal 18. And as the apostle also proueth in many places by expresse words But now there is no Bishop or Priest in this world that may worthely of himselfe be called great nor ought to take this name Magnus vpon him This is he therefore of whom it is written Magnus Sacerdos ex frâ—tribus suis. The great Byshoppe aboue all other And as he is called and in very deed is Leuit. 21. Pastor pastorum Pontifex pontificum Propheta prophetarum Sanctus sanctorum Dominus dominantium Rex regum Ita magnus magnorum est And he is called the Heardesman of heardesmen the Byshop of Byshoppes the Prophet of prophetes the Holy of holyest the Lord of lordes the King of kinges euen so is he called and verely is Episcopus magnus Therefore the Prophet did adde Magnus Sacerdos ex fratribus suis the great Byshop or priest great of himselfe great in vertue and power great of himselfe and great in comparison afore all other And therfore the Apostle sayd Habemus PontificeÌ„ magnum The Pope enchrocheth vpon Christ. qui penetrauit coelos IESVM filium DEI. We haue a great Byshop which did penetrate the heauens Iesus the sonne of God Here may ye now see how the Byshop of Rome doth wrongfully encroch vpon our great Byshop Iesus Christ to take from him not onely this name Magnus and is not with that name yet contented but addeth more Videlicet Maximus Summus Sanctus Beatissimus Vniuersalis and such other The greater the highest the holyest the blessedst and vniuersall in the superlatiue degrees and yet there is no great Byshop but Christ onely no supreme Byshop but he onely none holy none blessed none vniuersall Bishop but only he The B. of Rome all other bishops are but vnderlinges vnworthy suffragans vnto this Bishop Christ. This our Christ as witnesseth the Apostle is Pontifex nostrae confessionis the Bishop whom we do confesse to be our great bishop our high bishop our supreme Bishop our holy blessed and vniuersall Bishop Which names are reserued onely vnto Christ and to no earthly Bishop Not to the Bishop of Rome not to the Bishop of Ierusalem not to the Bishop of Antioch nor of Constantinople nor to any other Bishop No earthly byshop to presume to take vpon him these high and holy names onely to God apropriate God of thy goodnes thou mayest and I trust wilt once make this vayneglorious bishop of Rome first to know and knowledge thy sonne Christ to be the onely supreme and vniuersal bishop of the world Secondarily to know himselfe his weakenesse his frailty and his presumption To know his office and bounden dutye vnto thee To knowe his owne Dioces and to vsurpe no further Thirdly to haue a low huÌ„ble meek hart and stomacke to feare thee God and thy iudgementes to knowledge his owne faultes and vsurpations and to redresse the same Now to returne vnto our matter it foloweth in y e letter first taken De quo edere non habent potestatem qui tabernaculo deseruiunt c. And thus much out of Iohn Longlandes Sermon agaynst the Pope You heard before by the kings Iniunctions aboue expressed and directed out an 1538. how all such Images pictures which were abused with pilgrimage of offrings of any Idolatry where abolished by vertue of which Iniunction Anno 1538. diuers Idols especially y e most notable stockes of Idolatry were taken downe the same yere 1538. as the Images of Walsingham Ipswich Worcester Images and Pilgrimages destroyed iâ— England the lady of Wilsdon Tho. Becket with many moe hauing engines to make their eies to open and role about and other parts of theyr body to styrre and many other false iugglings as the bloud of hayles such like wherewith the simple people a long time had bene deceiued All which were espyed out and destroyed Among diuers other of these foule Idols The Idoll of Daruell Gatheren in Wales there went also in the same reckoning a certayne olde Idolatrous Image in Wales named Daruell Gatheren whiche in the moneth of May in the yere aboue meÌ„tioned was brought vp to London and burnt in smithfield With the which Idol also was burnt the same time and hanged for treason Fryer Forrest of whom some meÌ„tion was partly touched before in the story of Cardinal Wolsey ¶ Frier Forest. THis Forest was an obseruaunt Frier and had secretly in confessions declared to many of the kinges subiects Frier Forest executed for rebelling agaynst the kinges supremacye that the king was not supreme head and being therof accused and appreheÌ„ded he was examined how he could say that the king was not supreme head of the Church when he himselfe had sworne to the contrary He answered that he tooke his oth with his outward man but his inwarde man neuer consented thereunto And being further accused of diuers damnable Articles and thereupon conuicted he gladlye submitted himselfe to abide the punishment of the Church Upon this his submission hauing more liberty then before he had to talke with whom he would he became as farre from his submission as euer he was And when his abiuration was sent him to read Fryer Forest burnt in Smithfielde he vtterly refused it and obstinately perseuered in his errours wherefore he was iustly condemned after hanged in Smithfield in chaynes vpon a gallowes quicke by the middle arme holes and fire was made vnder him and so was he consumed and burnt to death In the place of execution there was a scaffold prepared for the kinges most honorable Counsell and the nobles of the Realme to fitte vpon to graunt him pardon if he had any sparke of repentance in him There was also a pulpite prepared where y e right reuereÌ„d father Hugh Latimer B. of Worcester declared his errors manifestly confuted theÌ„ by the Scripture with many godly exhortations to moue him to repentance But he was so froward A Welshâ— prophesie of Daruell Gatheren that he neither would heare neither speake A litle before the foresayd Image called Daruel Gatheren coÌ„ming
beyng fast bound to a stake and Furse set on fire round about him was so scorâ—hed that he was as blacke as soote one Doctour Redyng there staÌ„ding before him with Doctour Heyre and Doct. Springwell hauyng a long white wande in his hand did knocke him vpon the right shoulder and sayd Peke recant and beleue that the Sacrament of the aultar is the very body of Christ fleshe bloud and bone after that the Priest hath spoken the words of Consecration ouer it and heere haue I in my hande to absolue thee for thy misbeliefe that hath ben in thee hauing a scrole of paper in his hande When he had spoken these wordes Peke answeared and sayde I defie it and thee also with a great violence he spit from him very bloud whiche came by reason y t his vaynes brake in his body for extreame anguishe And when the sayde Peke had so spoken then D. Reding sayd To as many as shall cast a sticke to the burning of this heretique Forty dayes of parâ—on proclaymed for casting sticks into Pekes fyer is graunted fortye dayes of pardon by my Lord Byshop of Norwich Then Barne Curson Sir Iohn Audley Knight with many others of estimation being there present did rise from their seates and wyth their swords did cut downe boughes and throw them into the fire and so did all the multitude of the people Witnes Iohn Ramsey and others who did see this acte In the yeare last before this whiche was of the Lorde 1537. it was declared how Pope Paul the third indicted a general Councel to be holden at Mantua Of this CouÌ„cell of Mantua reade before 1084. Whereunto the king of England among other Princes being called refused either to come or to sende at the Popes call and for defence of himselfe directed out a publique Apologie or Protestation rendring iust and sufficient matter why neyther he would nor was bound to obey the Popes commandement Which Protestation is before to be read page 1084. This Councell appointed to begin the 23. daye of Maye the yeare aforesayde was then stopped by the Duke of Mantua pretending that hee woulde suffer no Councell there vnlesse the Pope would fortifie the Citie with a sufficient armye c. For whiche cause the Pope proroged the sayd Councell to be celebrate in the moneth of Nouember folowing appointing at y e first no certaine place At length named and determined the citie of Uincence lyeng within the dominion of the Uenetians to be the place for the Councell Whereunto when the King the yeare next folowing which is this present yeare of the Lorde 1538. was requested by the Emperour and other states to resort eyther hymselfe or to sende he agayne refusing as hee dyd before sendeth this Protestation in waye of defence and aunsweare for hymselfe to the Emperour and other Christen princes the copie and effect whereof heere vnder foloweth and is this Henry the eight by the grace of God King of Englande and Fraunce c. saluteth the Emperour Christian princes and all true Christen men desiring peace and concord amongst them WHereas not long sithens a booke came forth in our and al our Counsailes names Anno. 1538. which coÌ„teined many causes why we refused the Councell then by the Byshop of Romes vsurped power first indicted at Mantua The kings letter to the Emperor to be kept the xxiij day of May after proroged to Nouember no place appoynted where it should be kept and whereas the same booke doth sufficiently proue that our cause could take no hurt Of thiâ— book 〈◊〉 before 〈◊〉 neither with any thing done or decreed in such a company of addict men to one sect nor in any other Councell called by his vsurped power we thinke it nothing necessarie so oft to make newe protestations The Poâ—â— doth but mocke the world with his 〈◊〉 Councelâ—â— as the Bishop of Rome and his Courts by suttletie and craft do inuent wayes to mocke the world by newe pretensed generall Councels Yet notwithstanding because that some things haue now occurred either vpon occasion geuen vs by change of the place or else through other consideratioÌ„s which now being knowne to the worlde may do muche good we thought we should do but euen as that loue enforceth vs which we owe vnto Christes fayth and religion to adde this Epistle And yet we protest Generall Councells are to be wished so they might be free vniuersally 〈◊〉 all partes that we neyther put forthe that booke neither yet wee woulde this Epistle to be set afore it that thereby we should seeme lesse to desire a generall Councell then any other Prince or Potentate but rather to be more desirous of it so it were free for all partes and vniuersall And further wee desire all good Princes Potentates and people to esteeme and thinke that no Prince would more willingly be presente at such a Councell then we suche a one we meane as we speake of in our protestation made concerning the Councell of Mantua Truely as our forefathers inuented nothyng more holyer then generall Councels vsed as they ought to be so there is almost nothing that may do more hurt to y e Christian coÌ„mon wealth to y e faith to our religion Nothing more petrâ—cious to the Church then general Councels if they be abused then general CouÌ„cels if they be abused to lucre to gaines to y e establishment of errours They be called general and euen by their name do admonish vs that all Christen meÌ„ which do dissent in any opinion may in theÌ„ openly frankly without feare of punishment or displeasure say their mind For seeing suche thyngs as are decreed in generall Councels touche equally all men that geue assent thereunto it is meete that euery man may boldly say there that hee thinketh And verily we suppose that it ought not to be called a generall Councell where alonely those men are heard which are determined for euer in all pointes to defend the Popish parte and to arme themselues to fight in the Byshop of Romes quarrell though it were against God and his Scriptures It is no generall Councell neyther it ought to be called generall where the same men be onely Aduocates and aduersaries the same accused and iudges Thâ— Popes Councels are no generall Councells The Pope in his CouÌ„cels is the party accused and also the iudge No it is against the lawe of nature either that we shoulde condescend to so vnreasonable a law against our selues eyther that we should suffer our selues to be lefte without all defence and beeing oppressed with greatest iniuries to haue no refuge to succour our selues at The Byshop of Rome and his be our great enemies as wee and all the world may well perceyue by his doings He desireth nothing more then our hurt and the destruction of our Realme Do not we then violate the iudgement of nature if we geue him power and authoritie to be our Iudge Agaynst all reason that
iust prince to cast Daniel vnto y e Lyons 〈◊〉 3. It was neuer vnseemely for a good prince to correct reforme crueâ—l and rigorous lawes as it is commoÌ„ly said to haue a second viewe and ouersight of things before passed and decreed The wise Athenians made a Decree when the Cittye of Mitilene was recouered which before had forsaken theÌ„ that all the Citizens there should be slayn and the citty vtterly destroied Wherupon there was a ship sent forth with the same commaundement to the armye Example of the Athenâ—â—ns reuoâ—â—ng their decree On the nexte morow the matter was brought agayne before the same iudges and after better aduise taken there was a contrary decree made that the whole multitude should not be put to y e sword but a fewe of the chiefe authors of theyr rebellion should be punished and the Citty saued There was therefore an other ship sent forth w t a countermaund in all haste to ouertake and preuent theyr former ship as also it happened Neither was that noble citty which then ruled and reigned farre and wide ashamed to altar and reform their former Decree Many suche examples there be the most part wherof I am sure are wel knowne vnto you But in the Church especially Princes haue many times altered reformed their Decrees and Nabuchodonosor Darius There was a Decree set forth in the name of Assuerus Ester 8. coÌ„cerning the killing of the Iewes That Decree was afterwardes called in again So did Adrianus and Antoninus also correct and reforme their Decrees Therefore although there be a decree set forth in England which threatneth straunge punishmentes and penalties disagreeing from the custome of the true Church and swaruing from the rules Canons thereof yet I thought it not vnsemely for vs to become peticioners vnto you for the mitigation of these your sharpe and seuere procedings The which when I consider Mitigation of the 6. articles desired it greeueth my minde not onely for the perill and daunger of them which professe the same doctrine that we doe but also I doe lament for youre cause that they should make you an instrument and a minister of their bloudye tyrannie and impietie And partly also I lament to see the course of Christian doctrine peruerted superstitious rites confirmed whoredome and lecherous â—uâ—tes maintained Besides al this I here of diuers good meÌ„ excelling both in doctrine and vertue to be there deteined in prisonne as Latimer Cromer Shaxton and others to whom I wish strength pacience consolation in the Lord. Unto whom albeit there can nothyng happeÌ„ more luckely or more gloriously Latimer Cromer Shaxton others imprisoned for the 6. articles then to geue their liues in the confession of the manifest truth and veritie yet would I wish that you should not distaine your handes with the bloude of such menne neyther woulde I wish suche Lanternes of lyght in youre Churche to be extinguished neither these spitefull malicious Phariseis the enemies of Christe to haue their wils so much fulfilled Neither againe woulde I wish that you shoulde so muche serue the will and desire of that Romishe Antichrist which laugheth in his sleeue to see you nowe to take part with him against vs hoping well by the helpe of his bishops to recouer againe his former possessioÌ„ whych of late by your vertuous and godly meanes be lost He seeth your Bishops The Bishops pretend outward obedience to the king but their hartes be with the Pope for the time loyall vnto you and obsequious to obey your wil but in heart he seeth them linked vnto him in a perpetual bond of fidelitie and obedience In all these feates and practises the Romish Bishops are not to seeke They see what great stormes and blastes heretofore they haue passed by bearing suffering They see that great things be brought to passe in time Neither doe they forget the olde verse of the Poete Multa dies variusque labor mutabilis aeui Retulit in melius Manye good and learned men in Germanie conceiued of you great hope that by your authoritie and example other Princes also woulde be prouoked to surcease likewise from their vniust crueltie and better to aduise them selues for the reformation of errours crept into the Church trusting that you woulde be as a guide and Captaine of that godly purpose and enterprise But nowe seeing these your contrary proceedings wee are vtterly discouraged the indignation of other Princes is confirmed the stubburnesse of the wicked is augmented and olde and great errors are thereby stablished But heere your Byshops will say agayne no doubte that they defende no errours but the very truthe of Gods holy worde And although they be not ignoraunt that they striue in very dede both against the true word of God and the Apostolicke Churche yet like craftie Sophisters they can finde out faire gloses pretending a goodly shewe outwardly to colour their errours and abuses And this sophistication not onely now in England is had in great admiration and esteemed for great wisedom The Bishops 〈◊〉 errors against their knowledge neither in Rome only raigneth where Cardinal Couterrenus Sadolet and Cardinall Poole goe about to paynte out abuses wyth newe colours and goodly gloses but also in Germany diuers noble men are likewise corrupted and seduced w t the like sophistication And therefore I nothing maruell that so manye there wyth you bee deceiued wyth these craftie iugglinges And although you for your parte lacke neyther learning nor iudgement yet some times we see it so happen that wise men also be caried away by faire and colourable perswasions from the veritie The saying of Simonides is praise worthy Falsehood ofteâ— times beareth a fayrer shew the truth Opinion sayeth hee manye times peruerteth veritie And many times falle opinion hath outwardly a fairer shewe then simple truthe And specially it so happeneth in cases of religion where y e deuil transformeth himselfe into an Angel of light setting foorth with all colourable goodly shewes false opinions Howe faire seemeth the glose of Samosatenus vppon the Gospell of S. Iohn Iohn 1. In the beginning was the word c. and yet is it full of impietie but I omitte forreine examples In these articles of yours how many thinges are craftely deceitfully deuised Confession sayth the article is necessary ought to be retayned Confession And why say they not plainly that the rehearsing numbring vp of sinnes is necessary by Gods word This the bishops knew wel to be very false therfore in the article they placed their wordes generally to bleare y e eies of the simple people that wheÌ„ they heare confession to be necessary they shuld thereby thinke the enumeration of sinnes to be necessary by Gods worde The like legerdimaine also they vse in the article of priuate Masses albeit the beginning the sayd article conteyneth a manifest vntruth where they say that it is necessary to retayne priuate
Pope Leo with what heape of tragicall wordes and exclamations doth he fare and rage agaynst y e true seruant of God poore Luther for disturbing y e church of God when it is the Pope onely his fathers house that troubleth and long hath troubled the true Church of the Lord as by his doings all the world may see enough to much In the meane time read I besech thee with iudgement this impudent false slaunderous Bull of the Pope with the appeale also of Luther agayn from the sayd pope The copy wherof because they be rare to be gotten hath not bene hetherto commonly sene being before omitted I thought to coÌ„mit here to history as I had it out of certayn Registers the maner tenor wherof is this as foloweth A copy of the Bull of Pope Leo x. no lesse sclaunderous then barbarous agaynst Martin Luther and his doctrine Leo Papa .x. LEo Episcopus seruus seruorum Dei ad perpetuam rei memoriam Exurge Domine iudica causam tuam The Bul of pope Leo agaynst M. Luther Memor esto impropriorum eorum quae ab insipientibus fiunt tota die Inclina aurem tuam ad preces nostras quoniam surrexerunt vulpes querentes demoliri veneam cuius tu torcular solus calcasti ascensurus ad patrem eius curam regimeÌ„ Que sequntur vide superiore aeditione Pag. 1459. administrationem Petro tanquam capiti tuo vicario eiusque successoribus instar triumphantis Ecclesiae commisisti c. ¶ The sayd sclaunderous and barbarous Bull of Pope Leo the x. agaynst Luther in English with the aunswere of Luther ioyned to the same LEo Byshop seruaunt of the seruauntes of God for a perpetual memory hereof Rise vp O Lord iudge thy cause Remember the rebukes wherewith we are scorned all the day loÌ„g of foolish rebukers Encline thy eare to our prayers The Popes Bull in Engliâ—he for Foxes are risen vp seeking to destroy thy vineyarde the vinepresse wherof thou onely hast trodeÌ„ and ascending vp to thy Father hast committed the charge and regiment therof vnto Peter as chiefe head and to thy Uicare and his successors The wilde Bore out of the woode seeketh to exterminate and roote vp thy Uineyard Rise vp Peter and for this thy pastorall charge committed to thee from aboue enteÌ„d to the cause of the holy Church of Rome the mother of all churches Note here and marke good reader how the Church of Rome holdeth by the bloud of S. Peter not by the bloud of Christ. and of our fayth which thou by the commaundement of God didst consecrate wyth thine owne bloud agaynst which as thou hast foretold vs false lyers haue risen vp bringing in sects of perdition to their owne spedy destruction Whose touÌ„g is like fire full of vnquietnes and replenished with deadly poysoÌ„ who hauing a wicked zeale and nourishing contentions in theyr harts do bragge and lye agaynst the verity Rise vp Paul also we pray thee which hast illuminate the same Church with thy doctrine and like martyrdome For now is sprong vp a new Porphecy who as they said Porphyry then vniustly did sclaunder the holy Apostles so semblably doth this man now sclaunder reuile rebuke byte and barcke agaynst the holy Byshops our predecessors not in beseeching them but in rebuking them And where he distrusteth his cause there he falleth to opprobrious checkes rebukes after the wonted vse of heretickes whose vttermost refuge is this as Hierome sayth y t wheÌ„ they see theyr cause go to wracke then like Serpentes they cast out theyr venime with theyr toung and when they see themselues neare to be ouercome they fall to rayling For though heresies as thou sayest must needes be for the exercise of the faythfull yet least these heresies should further encrease and these Foxes gather strength agaynst vs it is needfull that by thy meanes and helpe they be suppressed and extinguished at the beginning Finally let all the whole vniuersall Churche of Gods Saynts and Doctours rise vp whose true expounding of holy Scripture being reiected certayne persons whose hartes the father of lyes hath blinded and wise in theyr owne conceites as the maner of heretickes is do expouÌ„d the scriptures otherwise then the holy Ghost doth require folowing onely theyr owne sense of ambition and vayne-glory yea rather do wrast and adulterate the Scriptures so that as Hierome sayth now they make it not the gospel of Christ but of man or which is worse of the deuill Let all the holy church I say rise vp wiâ—h the blessed Apostles together make intercessioÌ„ to almighty God that the errors of all schismatickes being rooted stocked vp his holy Church may be conserued in peace and vnity For of late which for sorrow we can not expresse by credible information and also by publick fame it hath come to our eares yea we haue seene also read with our eyes diuers and sundry errors of which some haue bene condemned by counsels and constitutions of our predecessors containing expresly y e heresies of the Greekes of the Bohemians Respectiuely some agayn respectiuely either heretical or false or sclaunderous or offensiue to good eares or such as may seduce simple myndes newly to be raysed vp by certayne false pretensed Gospellers who by curious pride seeking worldly glory against the doctrine of the apostle would be more wise then becommeth them whose babling as S. Hierome calleth it without authority of the Scriptures should finde no credit vnlesse they should seme to coÌ„firme theyr false doctrine euen with testimonies of the scripture but yet falsely interpreted Which worketh vs so much the more grief for y t those heresies be sprong in y e noble nation of the Germaines vnto the which natioÌ„ we with our predecessors haue alwayes borne speciall fauor and affection For after the Empyre was first translated by the Church of Rome from the Greekes vnto the Germaines the said our predecessors and we haue alwayes had them as speciall fautors defenders of this our Church and they haue alwaies shewed themselues as most earnest suppressors of heresies as witnes wherof remaine yet those laudable coÌ„stitutions of the Germane Emperors set forth and confirmed by our predecessors for the liberty of the Church and for expulsing heretickes out of all Germany and that vnder greuous penalty and losse of al theyr goods and lands Which constitutioÌ„s if they were obserued this present day both we and they should now be free from thys disturbaunce The Germaines in olde tyme most addicted to popery aboue al other nations Furthermore the heresy of the Hussites Wicleuistes of Hierome of Prage being condeÌ„ned and punished in the CouÌ„cel of Constance doth witnes y e same Moreouer doth witnes the same so much bloud of y e Germanes spilt fighting agaynst the Bohemians To coÌ„clude the same also is confirmed witnessed by the learned true confutatioÌ„ reprobation and condeÌ„nation
set forth by the Uniuersities of Colene and Louane in Germany agaynst the foresayd errors Many other witnesses also we might alledge which here least we should seme to write a story we pretermâ—â— Wherfore we for the charge of our Pastorall office coÌ„mitted vnto vs can no longer forbeare or winck at the pestiferous poyson of the foresayd errors of the which errors we thought here good to recite certayne The tenor of whiche is this as foloweth It is an old heresy to say Article◠〈◊〉 Luther that the Sacramentes of the new 〈◊〉 doth geue grace to them qui non ponunt obicem i. which haue in themselues to the contrary no let In a childe after his Baptisme to deny that sinne remayneth is to tread downe Paule and Christ vnder foote The origene of sinne although no actuall sinne doe folow â—fter doth stay the soule leauing the body from the entraunce into heauen Vnperfite charity of a maÌ„ departing must needes bring wyth it great feare which of it selfe is enough to deserue the payne of Purgatory and stoppeth the entrance into the kingdome of heauen To say that penaunce standeth of three partes to wit contrition confession and satisfaction is not founded in holy Scripture nor in auncient holy and Christian Doctors ContritioÌ„ which a man stirreth vp in himselfe by discussing remembring and detestinge his sinnes in reuoluing his former yeares in bitternesse of soule and in pondering the waight number and filthinesse of his sinnes the leesing of eternall blisse and getting of eternall damnation this contrition maketh a man an hipocrite and a great sinner It is an olde prouerbe to be preferred before the doctrine of all that haue written hitherto of contrition from henceforth to transgresse no more The chiefest and the best penaunce is a new life Neither presume to confesse the veniall sinnes nor yet all thy mortall sinnes Best repâ—â—â—tance iâ— a new lyfe for it is impossible to remember all the mortall sinnes that thou hast committed and therefore in the primitiue Church they confessed the mortall sinnes which onely were manifest While we seeke to number vp all our sinnes sincerely vnto the priest we meane nothing els herein but that we will leaue nothing to the mercy of God to be forgeuen In confession no man hath his sinnes forgeuen except he beleue wheÌ„ the priest forgeueth the same to be remitted yea otherwise his sinne remayneth vnforgeueÌ„ vnles he beleue the same to be forgeuen For els remission of the priest and geuing of grace doth not suffice except beliefe come on his part that is remitted Thinke not thy sinne to be assoyled for the worthines of thy contrition but for the word of Christ Whatsoeuer thou losest c. When thou art absolued of the priest Math. 1â— trust confidently vpon these wordes and beleue firmely thy selfe to be absolued then art thou truely remitted Admit the party that is confessed were not contrite whiche is * * 〈◊〉 because 〈◊〉 can not 〈◊〉 that the fayth of 〈◊〉 true 〈◊〉 without contriâ—iâ—â— impossible or that the priest pronouÌ„ced the wordes of losing not in earnest but in iest yet if the party beleue that he is absolued he is truely absolued in deed In the sacrament of penaunce and absolution the Pope or bishop do no more then any inferior priest can do Yea and where a priest is not to be had there euery Christian man yea or Christian woman standeth in as good stead * * He meâ—â—neth thiâ— because as no 〈◊〉 knowetâ— his sinnâ— so no 〈◊〉 can be 〈◊〉 for sufficyeâ—â— None ought to say to the priest that he is contrite neither ought the priest to aske any such matter It is a great error of them which come to the holy housel trusting vpon this that they are coÌ„fessed that theyr coÌ„science grudgeth them of no deadly sinne that they haue sayd theyr prayers and done such other preparatiues before all those do eat drink to theyr owne iudgement But if they beleeue there to obteyne Gods grace this fayth maketh them pure and worthy It were good that the church should determine in a generall couÌ„cell lay men to coÌ„municate vnder both kindes the Bohemians so doing be therin neither hereticks nor schismatickes The treasures out of which the Pope doth graunt his Indulgences are not the merites of Christ nor of the Sayntes Indulgences and pardons be a deuout seducing of the faythfull and hinderance to good works and are in the number of theÌ„ which be thinges * * This 〈◊〉 correcteâ— in his Aâ—â—tioÌ„s of 〈◊〉 Articles sayth 〈◊〉 Indulgâ—â—â— be neytâ—â—â— lawfulâ—â— expedieâ—â— And liâ—â—â—wise he recteth reuokeâ—â— the 〈◊〉 lawfull but not expedient Pardons and Indulgences to them which haue them auayle not to remission of the punishment due before God for actuall sinnes committed They which thinke that Indulgences are wholesome and coÌ„ducible to the fruite of the spirite are deceiued Indulgences are onely necessary for publicke transgressions are onely graunted to them that are obstinate and impacient Indulgences and pardons are vnprofitable to 6. sortes of persons 1. to them that be dead or lye in dying 2. to theÌ„ that be weâ—â— and infirme 3. to such as haue lawful impedimentes 4. to theÌ„ that haue not offended 5. to such as haue offended but not publickly 6. to those that amend and do well Excommunications be onely outward punishmentes and doe not depriue a man of the publike spirituall prayers of the Church Christians are to be taught rather to loue excommunication then to dread it The bish of Rome successor of Peter is not the vicar of Christ ordeined by Christ and S. Peter to haue authoritie ouer all the churches in the world The wordes of Christ to Peter Whatsoeuer thou loosest c. Math 16. extend no further but onely to those things which bee bound of Peter hymselfe It is not in the hands eyther of the church or of the Pope to make articles of the fayth yea or lawes either of maners or good workes Albeit the Pope with a great part of the church teachyng so or so did not erre therein yet is it no sinne nor heresie for a man to hold contrary to them namely in such things which are not necessary to saluation so long as it is not otherwise condemned or approued by a generall Councell We haue a way made playne vnto vs to infringe the authoritie of Councels and freely to gainestand their doyngs and to iudge vpon their Decrees and boldly to speake our knowledge whatsoeuer we iudge to be true whether the same be approoued or reproued by any generall Councell Some of the articles of Iohn Hus condemned in the Councell of Constance are Christian most true and Euangelicall whome the vniuersall Church cannot condemne In euery good worke the iust man sinneth * * Euery good worke of ours when it is best done it is a veniall sinne To burne heretikes is against the will of the spirit * * To
it not be dispensed with all by the keyes If these Bull founders doe charg me with any other thing besides in this article they do nothing els but as they are wont to do For what matter or marueile is it if Antichrist do lye The 6. article Contrition whiche is gotten by examining The answere of M. Luther to the 6. article remembryng and detesting our sinnes whereby a man calleth to mynde hys yeares past in the bitternes of his soule in pondring the greatnes the multitude and filthines of his sinnes the loosing of eternall blisse and purchasing of eternall damnation this contrition maketh an hypocrite yea rather a manne to be more a sinner The Answere O the incredible blindnes and brutishnes of these Romish bulles This Article is truely mine very christian which I will not suffer to be wreasted from mee for all the Popes and papists in the world The answere of mayster Luther to the 6. aâ—ticle For thys I meant by that doctrine that repentaunce is of no force vnlesse it be done in faithe and charitie whiche thinge they also teache them selues but that they do not knowe nor teach neither what faith nor charitie is And therefore in condemning my doctrine they condemne also their owne foolishly repugnyng against themselues in their owne coÌ„tradiction I say therfore that he which teacheth repentaunce in such wise maner that he hath not a greater regard to the promised mercye of God and faith in the same then to this afflicting and vexing of the minde he teacheth the repentaunce of Iudas Iscarioth he is pestilent a deuil to mens soules and a tormentor of consciences Read the bookes of those sophisters where they wryte of repentaunce and thou shalt see there no meÌ„tion made eyther of promise or faith For these liuely parts of repeÌ„tance they cleane omitte onely do vexe meÌ„ with these dead contritions But heereof we haue and wil hereafter entreat more at large But what should I here stand vpon euery Article seeing my bookes be abroade wherein I haue geuen a reason of all sufficiently and more woulde haue done if mine aduersaries also had brought to light theirs The purpose of Luther in setting forth hys articles For what folishnesse is this that they thinke to answere me with thys one saying that they count all my sayings as damned wheras I did wryte to this ende onely that they shoulde acknowledge their errours wherewith they haue so long bewitched the people of God Neither did I looke that I should be condemned which vnderstanding knowing the same right wel haue iustified those things which they haue condemned before with sufficient authoritie bothe of scripture and reason Neither looked I that they should tel me what they thought for I knew all that well enough but that I sought of them was to knowe whether they thought right therin or not Here looked I to be taught and behold none of them all durst once put foorth his head Wherefore I see these asses nothing to vnderstand either the things that I say or yet themselues But they be suche blinde bussardes that they perceiue not what it is that I seeke in my bookes For they dreame that I haue suche an opinion of them as though they had the truthe of their side when there is nothing that I lesse thinke to be true For I foreseeing that they had condemned al these things before came foorth and shewed my selfe as one not to be condemned but as already condemned of them to accuse their condemnation to be wicked hereticall and blasphemous and so openly to denounce them as heretikes and erroneous vnles they shewed some better reason and ground of their doings doctrine where as they on the other side like foolish minstrels harping all on one string haue nothing else in theyr mouthes â— Pet. 3. but we condemne that we haue condemned proouing after a newe kinde of Logike the same thing by it selfe O most idiote huddypeaks and blockish condemners where is the saying of Peter Be alwayes ready to reÌ„der a count of that faith and hope which is in you Wherefore seeing these ignorant Papists being thus confounded doe so flie away from the face of the manifest veritie that they dare not once open their mouthes in defence of themselues or of their cause and haue blasted oute with much ado this timerous Bul of theirs I being comforted with the flight of these mine aduersaries do account this theyr dastardly damnation in sted of full allowing and iustifying of my cause and so rebounde againe theyr owne damnation vppon their owne heads for howe coulde they more condemne themselues then whiles they fearing to be founde themselues culpable of heresie if they shoulde be driuen to geue account of their doctrine do flie to this miserable and desperate refuge willingly to shutte their eyes and stop their eares and to say I will not I damne thee I heare thee not I allow thee not If I should haue plaid any such mad part how would they I pray you haue triumphed against me This dastardly feare declareth what cowardes they are Wherefore not to burden the reader with any tedious prolixitie of matter in prosecutinge euery Article I heere protest in these presents that I * * Note here good reader that amongest these articles certayne there be which because they seemed somewhat to beare wyth the Pope and his pardons Luther comming after to more knowledge that the pope was Antichrist confesseth himselfe in his 〈◊〉 that he vtterly calleth 〈◊〉 the same not 〈◊〉 king them as the 〈◊〉 would 〈◊〉 had him but rather aggrauaâ—â—â— them agaynst the Pope confesse all these thinges here condemned by this miserable Bull for pure clear and Catholike doctrine whereof I haue sufficiently geuen accompt in my bookes which be extant abroade Furthermore I wil also that the sayd my bokes being extant abroad shal be taken as a publike accusation against these wicked Sophisters seducers of the people of God so that vnlesse they shall geue a count of their doctrine and shall conuicte me with good grounde of Scripture I doe here as muche as in me lieth denounce theÌ„ as guiltie of errour heresie and sacriledge admonishing desiring and in the Lorde exhorting all them which truely confesse Christ that they will beware and take heede of their pestiferous doctrine and not to dout but that the true Antichrist raigneth by them in the world amongst vs. And if any shal contemne thys my brotherly admonition lette him knowe that I am pure and cleane from hys bloud excused froÌ„ the laste iudgement of Christe For I haue left nothing vndone whiche Christian charitie dyd binde me to doe Finally if there be no other way whereby I may resist these babling and trifeling condemners the vttermost and last which I haue I will geue and bestow in the quarrell that is this life and bloude of mine For better it were for me a thousande times to be slaine then
heard that worthy learned man speak and confesse at the houre of his death as touching the controuersies of religion wherwith the spouse of Christ is in these our dayes most miserably troubled and tormented This Doct. Redman being continually by the space of xx yeares or somewhat more exercised in the reading of the holy scripture wiâ—h such industry â—abor modesty magnanimitiâ— and prayers to almighâ—y God tryed and wayed y e controuersies of religioÌ„ that in al his doings as he would not seeme to approue that was either false or superstitious so he would neuer improue that he thought to stand wyth the true worship of God Commendation of D. Redman And albeit in certayne poyntes and articles of his fayth he seemed to diuers whiche were altogether ignoraunt of that his singular grauitie eyther for soâ—tnes â—eare or lacke of stomacke to chaunge his mind and beliefe yet they to whom his former life and conuersation by familiar acquayntaunce with him was throughlye knowne with them also which were present at his departure may easely perceaue and vnderstand how in graue weighty matters not rashly and vnaduisedly but wyth constant iudgement and vnfayned conscience he descended into that maner of beliefe which at that time of his goyng out of this world he openly professed I geue your wisedome to vnderstand that when death drew neare he casting away all hope of recouery minded talked of no other thing as we which were preseÌ„t heard but of heaueÌ„ and heauenly matters of the latter day of our Sauiour Iesus Christ with whom most feruently he desired to be whose incredible loue towardes vs miserable sinners Exhortation of Doct. Redman to them that were about him most worthely and not without teares hee often times vsed to extol and speake of and vs which wer there present he earnestly moued and exhorted to prepare oure selues to Christ to loue one an other and to beware of this most wretched corrupt world And besides that he promised calling God to witnes thereunto to whom he trusted shortly to come if any woulde demaund any question that he would answere him what he thought in his iudgement to be the truth M. Alexander Nowell now Deane of Paules At what time there were present M. Alexander Nowell a man earnestly bent to the true worshipping of God and one that had alway singularly well loued y e said M. Redman to whome he spake on this wise Your excellent learning and purity of life I haue euer both highly fauoured and had in admiration and for no other cause God be my iudge I do aske these things of you which I shall propound but that I might learne knowe of you what is your opinion and beliefe touchynge those troblous controuersies which are in these our dayes and I shall receaue and approue your wordes as oracles sent from heauen To whom when doct Redman had geuen leaue to demaund what he would and had promised that he woulde faythfully and sincerely aunswere all affection set aside what he thought to be the truth M. Nowel said I would quoth he right gladly but that I feare by my talke and communication I shal be vnto you so feeble and nowe almost spent a trouble and griefe Then sayd Doct. RedmaÌ„ replying what shall I spare my carcas quoth he whiche hath so short a time here to remaine Go to go to sayd he propound what you will TheÌ„ M. Nowell put forth certayne questions in order which I will here declare wherunto the sayd doct Redman seuerally answered as hereafter followeth The first question that he asked of him was what hee thought of the bishop of Rome Unto whoÌ„ Doct. RedmaÌ„ answered that the Sea of Rome in these our latter dayes had much swarued from the true religioÌ„ and worshipping of God is with horrible vices stayned polluted The Sea of Rome a sincke of all sinne which I therfore quoth he pronounce to be the sincke of all euill and shortly wil come to vtter ruine by scourge of God except it do fall the sooner to repentance wherewith he briefly complayned of the filthy abuse of our Englishe Church Beeing then asked what his opinion was concerning purgatory Purgatory and what the Scholemen iudged therof he answered that the subtill reasons of the Scholemen concerning purgatory seemed to him to be no lesse vayne and friuolous then disagreeing from the truth adding thereunto that when we be rapt vp to the cloudes to meete Christ comming to iudgemeÌ„t with a great number of Angels in all glory and maiesty then euery one shall be purged with fire as it is written The fire shall go before hym and shall flame round about his enemies and the fire shall burne in his sight Psal. 97. 50. and round about him shall be a great tempest saying that diuers of the old writers approued this his sentence concerning purgatory When he was asked whether wicked and vngodly people in the holy communion did eate the body of Christ and drinke his bloud he aunswered that such kind of men dyd not eate Christes most blessed flesh but only tooke the SacrameÌ„t to their own damnation The wicked eat not the fleshe of Christ. saying that Christ would not gyue his most pure and holy flesh to be eaten of suche naughty and impure persons but would withdraw hymselfe from them And that quoth hee that is obiected by S. Augustine that Iudas receiued the selfesame thing whych Peter receiued that I thinke to be vnderstanded of the externall Sacrament And the like kynde of phrase of speaking sayde hee we may vse concerning the baptisme of Magus that Simon Magus receaued that which the Apostles did receaue In deede as concerning the Sacrament of the externall baptisme Simon Magus receaued that whiche the Apostles did but that internall grace wherewith the Apostles were endued and that holy spirit wherewith by baptisme they were enspired he lacked And so quoth he the wicked and forsaken people which rashly presume to come to the holy table of the Lorde do receiue the Sacrament and the selfesame which good and godly men receiue but the body of Christ they do not receiue for Christ doth not vouchsafe to deliuer it them And thus he sayd was his opinion and beliefe although he knewe others to be of a contrary iudgement Being then after this demaunded whether he thought Christes presence to be in the Sacrament or no he answered that Christ dyd geue offer to faythfull and Christian men How Christ is present in the Sacramedt his very reall body and bloud verely really vnder sacrameÌ„ts of bread wine in somuch that they which deuoutly come to bee partakers of that holy foode are by the benefite thereof vnited and made one with Christe in hys fleshe and body And therefore he sayde that Christ dyd distribute his body spiritually that he gaue it truly The Capernaites grosse errour of Christes bodyly presence in the SacrameÌ„t not so yet
I pray you let me aske you what is a sacrament Glin. A sacrament is a visible signe of an inuisible grace Perne Augustine agaynst Maximinus the Arian Bishop maketh this diffinition of a sacrament A sacrament is a thing signifiyng one thing and shewing an other thing Glin. I refuse not his reason Perne What is the thing figured by the sacrament Glin. The thing figured is twofolde to witte the thynge conteined and the thing signified the thing signified and not conteined For there be three thinges conteyned the true body of Christ the mistical body and the fruit or benefite of the sacrament Perne The formes and signes of bread nourishe not ergo somewhat els besides the bare signe of bread doth remain which nourisheth y t is the substaunce of bread For in euery sacrament there is a similitude betwixte the signe and the thing signed but betwixt the body of Christ and the forme or kinde of bread there is no similitude ergo the nature of a sacrament is taken away Glin. I deny your minor mayster Doctor Perne The formes nourish not but the bodye nourisheth ergo there is no similitude betwixt them and so is the nature of a sacrament cleane destroyd Glin. It is sufficient to similitudes that the bread whyche was doth nourishe and yet certayne Doctors do affirme that the formes do nourish miraculously Rochester Whosoeuer taketh awaye all the similitude of substaunces consequently he taketh away the sacrament for a similitude is three folde namely of nutrition of vnity and conuersion But by a contrary similitude he is not charged into our substaunce but we into his for in nutrition this is the similitude that our bloud nourisheth our bodyes so the bloud of Christ doth nourish vs but after a wonderfull maner to wit by turning vs into himselfe Glin. I haue aunswered your reason most reuerend Father in that I sayd that the formes do nourish miraculously as certeine learned do affirme Perne By what authority can you say that bread doth not remayne Glin. By the authority of Christ who sayth this is my body Perne By the same reason may we say that bread still remayneth for S. Paule calleth it bread sundry times in hys epistles Glin. I denye not that it is breade but that it is materiall bread for Paule alwayes addeth this article which betokening as all men hold some chiefe thing Perne We are chaunged into a new creature Glin. Not substancially but actually Rochest This is that bread which came downe from heauē ergo it is not Christs body Christes body came not from heauen for his body came not from heauen Glin. We may say that Christ God man came down frō heauen for the vnity of his person or els for the mutuall cōmunity of the same his 2. natures in one for his humain nature I know came not from heauen Anno 1550. Rochester The bread is his humaine nature but y e humain nature of his came not from heauē ergo neither the bread Glin. It is true that the bread came not frō heauē as bread simply but as celestiall heauenly bread But I will aunswere to that wheras you hold that y e body of Christ came not from heauen I by the body and flesh of Christ do vnderstand whole Christ neyther separating his soule nor yet his Deity although hys humanity is not turned into his diuinity by confusion of substaunce but is one by vnity of both Or els thus I may reason the God of glory is crucified and the sonne of Mary created the world c. Rochester So it is But he is called a rocke and a vine and so after your iudgement he is both a materiall rocke Christ is called a rocke a vyne but in figure also a materiall vine Glin. The circumstances there shew playnely that there is a trope or figure for it foloweth I am the vine you are the braunches but here is no trope For after these words this is my body he addeth which is geuen for you Rochester The iudgement of the Papistes very grosse Your iudgement herein is very grosse and farre discrepant from the truth Glin. If my iudgement in this he grosse most reuerend father thē are all the auncient fathers as grosse in iudgemēt as I in this poynt and the catholicke church also Perne Shew vs one place or one Doctor who sayth that it remayneth not bread after the consecration Glin. I wōder that you are not ashamed to aske that of me for haue you not had almost infinite places and doctors alledged vnto you in my former declarations prouing as much as you request at my handes Perne He tooke bread he brake bread ergo it is bread Glin. Christ tooke brake and gaue bread I haue answered often hereunto and I graunt it is bread but not onely or materiall Perne Ireneus affirmeth that a sacramēt consisteth of a double matter of a earthly matter and of a heauenly ergo the bread remayneth Glin. Ireneus in that place by the earthly matter A Sacrament consisteth in a double matter meaneth the humanity of Christ and by the heauenly matter the deity of Christ. Rochester The humanity and the diuinity of Christ make not a sacrament which consisteth of a visible and an inuisible nature I deny that Ireneus can be so vnderstanded Therefore we desire the learned auditory to search Ireneus at home as oportunity will serue for this matter Glin. I wish them so to do also with all my hart Here Maister Grindall beginneth to dispute Grindall WHeras you say worshipful M. Doct. that we speak not now as sometimes we thought Grindall replyeth and iudged in this matter peraduenture you also iudge not so now of all thinges as you haue done tofore But what we haue once bene it forceth not God respecteth no mans person And wheras you say that you dare not contrary to Christ cal it a signe August Tertull. with many moe call it a figure or a figure August notwithstanding dareth to call it a figure and Tertullian likewise with many mo Glin. True it is but they called it not a signe or a figure onely but proue you if you can that after the consecration remayneth any other substaunce then the reall body of Christ Grindall If the formes do nourish as you contend they nourish the naturall and humayne body for they be both as one What the forme of bread wine doe nourishe and are nourished a like Glin. Your reason is meere phisicall and therfore to be reiected in matters of fayth but I graunt they nourish but miraculously Grindall If you graūt that the formes do nourish thē you graunt that bread remayneth Glin. I sayd euen now that that is true but the nature of it is chaunged and that miraculously Grindall If it be the reall and substaunciall body of Christ because Christ sayde this is my body ergo because the Lord sayd I will not drinke of the fruit of
✚ sanctifiest thou quickenest thou ✚ blessest and geuest vnto vs. Here let him w t â—couer the chalice and make a signe of the crosse with the host fiue times first beyond the chalice on euery side secondly eauen with the chalice thirdly within the chalice fourthly like as at the first Fifthly before the chalice Thorow ✚ him and with ✚ him and in him is vnto thee God father ✚ almighty in the vnitie of the ✚ holy Ghost all honour and glory Here let the Priest couer the chalice and holde hys handes still vppon the altar till the pater noster be spoken saying thus Worlde without ende Amen Let vs praye Being aduertised by holsome preceptes and taught by Gods institution we are bold to say Heere let the Deacon take the paten and holde it vncouered on the right syde of the Priest hys arme beeyng stretched out an high vntill da propitius Heere let the Priest lift vp his hands saying pater noster c. The quire must say Sed libera nos c. Deliuer vs we beseeche thee O Lorde from all euill past present and for to come and that by the intercession of the blessed glorious and our virgin Mary the mother of God and thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paule and Andrew with all Saincts Heere let the Deacon commit the patten to the Priest kissing hys hande and let the Priest kisse the patten Afterward let him put it to his left eye and then to the right After that let him make a crosse with the paten aboue vpon his head and so lay it downe againe into hys place sayeng geue peace graciously in our dayes that we being helped through the succour of thy mercy may both be alway free from sinne and safe from all trouble Heere let him vncouer the chalice and take the body doing reuerence shifting it ouer in the holow roome of the chalice holding it betweene his thombes and forefingers and let him breake it into three partes the first breaking while there is sayd Through the same our Lord Iesus Christ thy Sonne The second breaking Who with thee in the vnity of the holy Ghost liueth and reigneth God Heere let him hold two peeces in his left hand and the third peece in the right hand vpon the brinke of the chalice sayeng this with open voice World without ende Let the quire answere Amen Heere let him make three crosses within the chalice with the thirde parte of the hoste saying The peace of the Lord ✚ be alwayes ✚ with ✚ you Let the quire answere And with thy spirite To saye Agnus dei let the Deacon and subdeacon approch neere vnto the Priest both being on the right hande the Deacon neerer the subdeacon farther off And let them say priuately O lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon vs O lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon vs O lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world graunt vs peace In Masses for the dead it is sayd thus O lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world geue them rest With this addition in the third repetition Euerlasting Heere making a crosse let him put downe the said third part of the hoste into the sacrament of the bloud sayeng This holy mingling together of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesu Christ be vnto me and to all that receiue it saluation of mind and body an holesome preparation both to deserue and to receiue eternall life through the same Christ our Lord. Afore the Paxe be geuen let the Priest say O Lord holy father almighty eternall God graunt me so woorthily to take this holy body and bloud of thy Sonne our Lord Iesu Christ that by this I may merite to receyue forgeuenesse of all my synnes and be replenished wyth thy holy spirite and to haue thy peace for thou art GOD alone neyther is there anye other without thee whose glorious kingdome and Empyre endureth continuallye worlde without ende Amen Heere let the Priest kisse the corporas on the right side and the brinke of the chalice and afterwarde let hym say to the Deacon Peace be vnto thee and to the Church of God Aunswere And with thy spirite On the right hand of the Priest let the Deacon receaue the pax of him and reach it to the subdeacon Then to the step of the quere let the Deacon himselfe beare the pax vnto the rectors of the quere And let them bring it to the quere eyther of them to his owne side beginning at the eldest But in feastes and feriall dayes when the quere is not gouerned the pax is borne from the deacon vnto the quere by two of the lowest of the seconde forme like as afore After the pax geuen let the Priest say the prayers folowing priuately before he communicate holding the hoste (c) â—or falling with both his hands O God father thou fountaine originall of all goodnesse who being moued with mercye haste willed thine onely-begotten sonne for our sakes to descende into the lower partes of the worlde and to be incarnate whom I (d) Holde him fast Whyle ye haue him in your handes lest he flye from you as lyke he wil if ye mocke with him to much vnworthy hold in my handes Here let the priest bowe (e) Why notâ— if it be his maker him selfe to the hoost saying I worshippe thee I glorifie thee I prayse thee wyth whole intention of mind and hart And I beseech thee that thou (f) If it faâ—â—e your kitchen wil be the colder faile not vs thy seruauntes but forgeue our sinnes so as with pure hart and chaste body wee may be able to serue thee (g) Note that the priest speaketh all this to the host whereby it is euident how horribly they abuse Gods creatures the onely liuing and true God through the same Christ our Lord. Amen O Lord Iesu Christ thou sonne of y e liuing God who according to the will of the father the holy Ghost working with all hast quickened the world through thy death Deliuer me I beseeche thee through this thy holy body and this thy bloude from all my iniquities and from all euils And make me alway obey thy commaundements and neuer suffer me to be seperated from thee for euermore thou Sauiour of the worlde Who with God the father and the same holy Ghost liuest and raignest God worlde without end Amen O Lord Iesu Christ let not the sacrameÌ„t of thy body bloud which I receiue though vnworthy be to my iudgment and damnation but thorow thy goodnes let it profite to the saluation of my body and soule Amen To the body let him say with humilation afore he receaue Haile for euermore thou most holy (a) that neuer was borne of our Ladye flesh of Christ vnto mee afore all
the body of Christ in the sacrament c. At which wordes thus pronounced of y e Prolocutor vnwares diuers of the learned men there present considering and well weying the wordes by him vttered burst out into a great laughter as though euen in the entraunce of the disputations he had bewrayed himselfe and his Religion that termed the opinion of the verity of christes body in the Sacrament a detestable heresye The rest of his Oration tended all to this effect that it was not lawfull by Gods word to call these questions into cōtrouersy for such as doubted of the wordes of Christ myghte well be thought to doubte both of the trueth and power of God Whereunto Doctor Cranmer desiring licence aunswered in this wise We are assembled sayth he to discusse these doubtfull controuersies D. Cranmers aunswere to the preface and to lay them open before the eyes of the world whereof ye thinke it vnlawfull to dispute It is in deed no reason saith he that we should dispute of y t which is determined vpon before the trueth be tryed But if these questions be not called in controuersy surely mine answer then is looked for in vayne This was the summe and effect of his answere and this done he prepared himselfe to disputations Then Chedsey the first Opponent began in this wyse to dispute D. Chadsey Reuerend M. Doctor these 3. conclusions are put forth vnto vs at this present to dispute vpon 1 In the Sacrament of the aultar is the naturall body of Christe Articles conceiued of the Virgine Mary and also his bloud present really vnder the formes of bread wine by vertue of Gods word pronounced by the priest 2 There remayneth no substaunce of breade and wyne after the consecration nor any other substaunc but the substaunce of God and man 3 The liuely sacrifice of the Church is in the Masse propitiatory as well for the quicke as the dead These be the conclusions propounded wherupon this our present controuersye doth rest Nowe to the ende wee might not doubt how you take the same you haue already geuen vp vnto vs your opinion therof I terme it your opinion in that it disagreeth from the catholicke Wherefore thus I argue Ched Your opinion differeth from the scripture Ergo you are deceiued Argument Cranmer I deny the antecedent Ched Christ when he instituted his last supper spake to his Disciples Take eate this is my body which shall be geuen for you But his true body was geuen for vs Ergo his true body is in the sacrament ☞ The right forme of this Argument is thus to be framed Da The same which was geuē for vs is in y e sacrament Argument ri But his true body was geuen for vs j. Ergo his true body is in the sacrament Cran. His true body is truely present to them that truelye receiue him but spiritually Aunswere How Christes body is present in his Sacramēt And so is it taken after a spirituall sort For when he sayd This is my body it is all one as if he had sayde this is the breaking of my body this is the sheding of my bloud As oft as you shal do this it shal put you in remembraunce of the breaking of my body and the sheding of my bloud that as truely as you receiue this sacrament so truly shal you receiue the benefite promised by receiuing the same worthely Ched Your opinion differeth from the church which saith that the true body is in the sacrament Argument of the authority of the Church Ergo your opinion therin is false Cran. I say and agree with the Church that the bodye of Christ is in the sacrament effectually because the Passion of Christ is effectuall Aunswere Ched Christ when he spake these woordes This is my body spake of the substaunce but not of the effect Cran. I graunt he spake of the substaunce and not of the effect after a sorte and yet it is most true that the bodye of Christ is effectually in the sacrament But I denye that he is there truly presēt in bread Christes body effectually not substantially in the Sacrament or that vnder the bread in his organicall body And because it should be to tedious hee sayd to make discourse of the whole he deliuered vp there his opinion therof to D. Weston writtē at large with answeres to euery one of theyr 3. propositions which he disired D. Weston Papistes false of promise sitting there on high to read openly to the people which he promised to doe But it was not the first promise that such Papistes haue broken The copye of this writing although it were not there read yet the contentes therof here we haue drawne out as foloweth ¶ An explication of Cranmer vpon the foresayd Conclusions exhibited in writing CRan The contents of Cranmers explication geuen vp in writing In the assertions of the Church and of religion trifling and new fangled nouelties of wordes so much as may be are to be eschewed whereof riseth nothing but contention and brawling about wordes and we must follow so much as we may the maner of speaking of the scripture How Christ is really present In the first conclusion if ye vnderstand by thys worde really reipsa i. in very deede and effectuallye so Christe by the grace and efficacy of his Passion is in deed and truely present to all his true and holy members But if ye vnderstand by this word really Corporaliter i. Corporally Organicall is called that which is a perfect body hauing all the members and partes complete belonging vnto the same so that by the body of Christ is vnderstanded a natural body and organicall so the first proposition doth vary not onely from vsuall speach and the phrase of scripture but also is cleane contrary to the holy word of God christian profession when as both the scripture doth testify by these wordes and also the Catholicke church hath professed from the beginning Christ to haue left the world and to sit at the right hand of the father till he come vnto iudgement And likewise I aunswere to the second questiō that is that it swerueth from the accustomed maner and speach of Scripture Answere to the 2. Conclusion The thyrd conclusion as it is intricate and wrapped in all doubtful and ambiguous wordes Answere to the 3. Conclusion The 3. Conclusion contumelious agaynst Christ. diffring also much from the true speach of y e Scripture so as the wordes therof seeme to import in open sense it is most contumelious agaynst our onely Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus and a violating of his precious bloud which vpon the aultar of the Crosse is the onely sacrifice and oblation for the sinnes of all mankinde Ched By this your interpretation which you haue made vpon the first conclusion this I vnderstand the bodye of Christ to be in the Sacramente onely by the way
foundation do hold that the same body is offered vnto God by the Priest in his daily massings to put away the sinnes of the quicke and the dead But one sacrifice in the scripture Whereas by the Apostle to the Hebrewes it is euident that there is but one oblation and one true and liuely sacrifice of the Church offered vpon the aultar of the crosse which was is and shall be for euer the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world and where there is remission of the same there is sayth the Apostle no more offering for sinne ¶ Arguments confirming his aunswere Ce No sacrifice ought to be done but where the Priest is meete to offer the same The first argument Heb. 5. la All other Priests be vnmeete to offer sacrifice propitiatory for sinne saue only Christ rent Ergo no other Priests ought to sacrifice for sinne but Christ alone The second part of my argument is thus proued Fe No honour in Gods Church ought to be takeÌ„ whervnto a man is not called as Aaron ri It is a great honor in Gods Church to sacrifice for sin Argument son Ergo No man ought to sacrifice for sinne but onely they which are called But onely Christ is called to that honour Ergo no other priest but Christ ought to sacrifice for sin That no man is called to this degree of honour but Christ alone Heb. 7 it is euident For there are but two onely orders of Priesthood allowed in the word of God namely the order of Aaron and the order of Melchisedech But now the order of Aaron is come to an ende by reason that it was vnprofitable and weake and of the order of Melchisedech there is but one Priest alone euen Christ the Lord which hath a priesthoode that can not passe to any other Another Argument Ba That thing is in vaine and to no effect where no necessitie is wherefore it is done ro To offer vp any more sacrifice propitiatory for the quicke and the dead there is no necessitie for Christ our sauiour did that fully and perfectly once for all co Ergo to do the same in the Masse it is in vayne Heb. 9. Another Argument Fe After that eternall redemption is found and obtained there needeth no more dayly offering for the same Ab vna causa veritatis ad propositionem habentem illam causam valet consequentia ri But Christ comming an high Bishop c. found and obteined for vs eternall redemption o. Ergo there needeth now no more daily oblation for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead Another Argument Ca All remission of sinnes commeth only by shedding of bloud mes In the Masse there is no shedding of bloud tres Ergo in the Masse there is no remission of sinnes and so it foloweth also that ther is no propitiatory sacrifice Another Argument In the Masse the passion of Christ is not in verity but in a mistery representing the same yea euen there where the Lords supper is duly ministred But where Christ suffereth not there is he not offered in verity Heb â— for the Apostle sayeth Not that he might offer vp himselfe often times for then must he haue suffered often times sith the beginning of the world now where Christ is not offered there is no propitiatory sacrifice Ergo in the Masse there is no propitiatory sacrifice For Christ appeared once in the latter end of the world to put sin to flight by the offering vp of himselfe And as it is appoynted to all men that they shall once dye and then commeth the iudgement euen so Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many And vnto them that looke for him shall he appeare agayne without sinne vnto saluation Another Argument Da Where there is any sacrifice that can make the commers thereunto perfect there ought men to cease from offering any mo expiatory and propitiatory sacrifices ri But in the new testament there is one onely sacrifice now already long since offered which is able to make the commers thereto perfect for euer j. Ergo in the new testament they ought to cease from offering any more propitiatory sacrifice Sentences of the Scripture tending to the same ende and purpose out of which also may be gathered other manifest arguments for more confirmation thereof BY the which will sayth the Apostle we are sanctified by the offering vp of the body of Iesus Christ once for all Heb. 10. And in the same place But this man after that he had offered one sacrifice for sinne sitteth for euer at the right hand of God c. For with one offering hath he made perfect for euer them that are sanctifyed and by himselfe hath he purged our sinnes By â—â—mselfâ— I beseech you to marke these wordes by himselfe the whiche well wayed will without doubt cease all controuersie The Apostle playnely denieth any other sacrifice to remaine for him that treadeth vnder his feete the bloud of â—e testament by the which he was made holy Christ wil not be crucified againe he will not his death to be 〈◊〉 derision He hath reconcyled vs in the body of his flesh Coloss. 1â— Make I beseech you he sayth not in the mistery of his body But in the body of his flesh If any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father 1. Ioan. â— Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiaâ—ion for our sinnes not for ours only but for the sinnes of the â—â—ole world I know that all these places of the Scripture are auoyded by two maner of subtile shiftes The popisâ— distinction betweene bloudy and vnbloudy sacrifice the one is by the distinction of the bloudy and vnbloudy sacrifice as though our vnbloudy sacrifice of the Church were any other then the sacrifice of praise and thankesgeuing then a commemoration a shewing foorth and a sacrameÌ„tall representation of that one only bloudy sacrifice offred vp once for all The other is by deprauing and wrasting the sayings of the auncient Fathers vnto such a straunge kinde of sense The papistâ— maintayne their sacrifice propitiâ—atory by thâ— old Doctoâ— falsly wrasted as the Fathers themselues in deede neuer ment For what the meaning of the Fathers was it is euidente by that which S. Augustine writeth in his Epistle to Boniface in the 83. chapter of his 9. booke against Faustus the Manichee besides many other places likewise by Eusebius Emisene Cyprian Chrysostome Fulgentius Bertram and others Doctors making against the propitiatorâ— sacrifice of the masse which do wholy concord and agree together in this vnity in the Lord that the redemption once made in verity for the saluation of man continueth in full effect for euer and worketh without ceassing vnto the end of the world that the sacrifice once offered can not be consumed that the Lords death and passion is as effectuall the vertue of that bloud once shead as freshe at this day
vs notwythstanding when they were charged therewithall they aunsweared Obedire oportet Deo magis quam hominibus that is we ought more to obey God then man euen so we may and doe answere you God is more to be obeyed then maÌ„ your wicked lawes can not so tongue tie vs but we will speake the truthe The Apostles were beaten for theyr boldnesse and they reioyced that they suffered for Christes cause Yee haue also prouided roddes for vs and bloudy whippes yet when ye haue done that whiche Goddes hande and Counsell hathe determined that yee shall doe be it life or deathe I truste that God wil so assist vs by his holy spirite and grace that wee shall paciently suffer it praise God for it and whatsoeuer become of mee and others whiche nowe suffer for speaking and professing of the truthe yet be yee sure that Goddes woorde will preuaile and haue the ouer hande when youre bloudy lawes and wicked decrees for want of sure foundation shall fal in the dust and that which I haue spoken of your Actes of Parliament the same may be sayd of the generall Councels of these latter dayes whych haue bene wythin these fiue hundreth yeares where as the Antichrist of Rome by reason of hys vsurped authority ruled the roaste and decreed suche things as made for his gaine not regarding Goddes glorye and therefore are they to be spoken wrytten and cried against of all such as fear God and loue hys truthe And thus muche I purposed to haue sayde concerning the first poynte Nowe touching the second poynte That where as my Lorde Chauncellour hadde the daye before sayde hys pleasure of them that ruled the Realme while hee was in prysone and also reioyced as though God hadde make this alteration euen for his sake and his Catholike Churche as hee calleth it and to declare as it were by myracle that we were before in a Schisme and Heresie and the Realme was nowe brought to an vnitie and to a trueth and I can not tell whereto Thereto was I fully purposed to haue sayde Secondlye my Lorde where as yee yesterdaye so highly dispraised the gouernment of them that ruled in innocent King Edwardes dayes it maye please your Lordshippe to vnderstande that wee poore Preachers whome yee so euill allowe did moste boldly and plainely rebuke theyr euill gouernaunce in manye things speciallye theyr couetousnesse and neglecte and small regarde to liue after the Gospell as also theyr negligence to occasion other to liue thereafter wyth mo things then I can now rehearse Thys can all London testifie wyth vs I would also haue tolde hym what I my selfe for my parte did once at Pauls Crosse concerning the misuse of Abbeys and other church goodes and I am assured right well that neuer a Papiste of them all did euer so much therein as I did I thanke the Lorde therefore I was also as it is well knowen faine to aunsweare therefore before all the Counsell and manye of my brethren did the like so that wee for the not rebuking of theyr faultes shall not aunsweare before God nor be blame worthy before menne Therefore lette the Gentlemen and the Courtiers them selues and all the Citizens of London testifie what we did But my Lord you could not abide them for that which they did vnto you and for that they were of a contrary Religion vnto you Whereâ—ore in that you seeme so infest against them it is neither any iust or publique cause but it is your owne priuate hate that maketh you to reporte so euill of their gouernaunce And yee may now say what yee list of them when they be partely dead and gone and partly by you put out of office But what shal be sayde of you when your fall shall folowe yee shall then heare And I muste say my conscience to you I feare me ye haue and wil with your gouernance bring England out of Gods blessing into a warme sunne I pray God you doe not I am an Englishe manne borne and God knoweth doe naturally wishe well to my Countrey And my Lorde I haue often prooued that the thyngs which I haue much feared afore hande shoulde come to passe haue in deede followed I praye God I may faile of my gessing in thys behalfe but truely that will not be wyth expellyng the true woorde of God out of the Realme and wyth sheading of innocent bloude And as touching your reioycing as thoughe God had sette you alofte to punishe vs by myracle for so you reporte and bragge openly of yourselfe and to minister Iustice if wee will not receaue youre holye fathers mercye and thereby to declare youre churche to be true and oures false to that I aunsweare thus Goddes workes be wonderful are not to be compreheÌ„ded and perceiued by maÌ„s wisedome not by the witte of the moste wise and prudent Yea they are soonest deceiued and doe moste easely iudge amisse of Goddes wonderfull woorkes that are moste worldly wise God hathe made all the wisedome of thys worlde foolishnesse first Corrinthians the firste and the seconde Chapter Dedit dilectam animam suam in manus inimicorum eius Hierem. xij That is Hee doeth putte his beloued and deare heart into the handes of the ennemies thereof Thys thing doeth God whiche thing all wise menne accompte to be the moste foolish and vnwise parte that can be Will the wise of the worlde trowe ye putte their most deare frendes and tenderly beloued children into their enmies handes to kill slaye burne c. that is vnto them a madnesse aboue all madnesse And yet doeth God vse thys order and thys is an highe and singular wisedome in his syght which the world taketh to be most extreme madnes Canne the worlde shewe a cause whye hee suffered the greate multitude of innocente children to be murthered of Herode of Ascalon or why he putte that moste holy man Iohn Baptiste into the handes of Herode hys sonne to be headed and that in prisone secreatly wythout open iudgement moste tyrannously Whye he suffered hys beloued Apostle Iames to be beheaded of another Herode Acts 12 Whye he suffered his beloued seede of Abraham Isaac and Iacob to be foure hundred yeares in thraldome and bondage and vnder Pharao And all the stocke of Iuda and Beniamin hys beloued children and Churche to come vnder the power sweard and tyrannie of Nabuchodonosor No verely but hys true Catholicke Churche knoweth diuers causes heereof whyche are nowe too long to reherse and whych I would right gladly shew if I had time But this I am righte sure off that it was not because that the aforesayd Godly menne were in heresies and subiecte to false gods seruices and Idolatrie and that theyr aduersaries were men of God and beloued of God The contrarye was true Ihon Baptist was beloued of God and Herode hated and so foorth of the rest and Iohn Baptist the innocent children Iames the Children of Israel in Egypte and in Babylon were the catholike members and
aduersary to reioyce In conclusion this Theologicall contentiō came to this end that the bishops hauyng the vpper hand M. Hooper was faine to agree to this condition that sometymes he should in hys Sermon shewe himselfe apparelled as the other Bishoppes were Wherefore appoynted to preach before the king as a new player in a strange apparel he commeth forth on the stage His vpper garment was a long scarlet Chymere downe to the foote and vnder that a white linnen Rochet that couered all his shoulders Upon his head he had a Geometriall that is a foure squared cap albeit that his head was round What cause of shame the straungenes hereof was that day to that good preacher euery mā may easily iudge But this priuate contumely and reproch in respect of the publike profite of the Church which he onely sought hee bare and suffered paciently And I would to God in lyke maner they which tooke vpon them the other part of that tragedy had yelded their priuate cause whatsoeuer it was to the publike concord and edifieng of the Church for no man in all the Citie was one haire the better for that hote contention I will name no body partly for that hys oppugners beyng afterwards ioyned in the most sure frendship with him in one for one cause suffred martyrdome and partly for that I commonly vse accordyng to my accustomed maner The crosse maketh peace to keep my pen from presumptuous iudging of any person yet I thought to note the thyng for this consideration to admonish the reader hereby how wholesome necessary the crosse of Christ is sometyme in the church of Christ as by the sequele hereof did afterward appeare For as in a ciuill gouernance common wealth nothyng is more occasion of warre then ouermuch peace so in the church and among churchmen as nothyng is more pernitious then too much quietnes so nothyng more ceaseth priuate contentions oftentymes rising amongst thē then the publike crosse of persecution Furthermore so I persuaded my selfe the same not to be vnexpedient to haue extant such examples of holy and blessed men For if it do not a little appertaine to our publike consolation and comfort when we read in the scriptures of the foule dissension betweene Paule and Barnabie of the fall of Peter and of Dauids murder and adultery why may or should it not be as well profitable for our posteritie to heare and know the fals of these godly Martyrs The falles and infirmityes of holy Saints and Martyrs lefte for our consolation whereby we may the lesse despayre in our infirmitie consideryng the same or greater infirmities to raign in the holy Saints of God both Prophets Apostles and Martyrs And this by the way thou hast heard good Reader hitherto the weakenes of these good men plainly and simply as the truth was declared vnto thee Note how discorde reconsiliation happeneth many times amongest good men to the ende theyr fall may minister occasion to vs eyther of eschewyng the lyke or els to take hart and comfort in the lyke fall frailenes of ours Now agayne on the other part it remayneth to record after the foresayd discord the godly reconciliations of these good men in tyme of persecution who afterward beyng in pryson for the truths sake reconciled them selues agayne with most godly agreement as appeareth by this letter sent by Bishop Ridley to the sayd Bishop of Glocester The copy whereof as it was written wyth hys owne hand in Latine hereafter followeth translated into English ¶ To my deare brother and reuerend fellow Elder in Christ Iohn Hooper grace and peace MY dearely beloued brother and fellow Elder A letter of reconsiliatiation sent by Doctour Ridley to Bishop Hooper whom I reuerence in the Lord pardon me I beseech you that hitherto since your captiuity and myne I haue not saluted you by my letters where as I doe in deed confesse I haue receiued from you such was your gentlenes two letters at sundry times but yet at such tyme as I could not be suffered to write vnto you agayne or if I might yet was I in doubt how my letters myght safely come vnto your hands But now my deare brother for as much as I vnderstand by your workes which I haue but superficially seene that we throughly agree and wholy consent together in those things which are the grounds and substantial points of our Religion agaynst the which the world so furiously rageth in these our dayes howsoeuer in tyme past in certaine by matters and circumstances of Religion your wisedome and my simplicitie I graunt hath a little iarred ech of vs followyng the abundance of hys owne sense and iudgement now I say be you assured 1. Cor. 10. B. Ridley and Bishop Hooper ioyne handes togither that euen with my whole heart God is my witnes in the bowels of Christ I loue you in the truth and for the truthes sake which abideth in vs and as I am perswaded shall by the grace of God abide in vs for euermore And because the world as I perceiue brother ceaseth not to play his pageant and busily conspireth agaynst Christ our Sauiour with all possible force and power Exalting high thyngs agaynst the knowledge of God let vs ioyne handes together in Christ and if we cannot ouerthrow yet to our power and as much as in vs lyeth let vs shake those high altitudes not with carnall but with spirituall weapons and with all brother let vs prepare our selues to the day of our dissolution by the which after the short tyme of this bodily affliction by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ we shall triumph together wyth hym in eternall glory I pray you brother salute in my name your reuerend fellowe prisoner and venerable father D.C. by whome since the first day that I heard of hys most godly and fatherly constancie in confessing the truth of the gospell I haue conceyued great consolation and ioy in the Lord. For the integritie and vprightnes of that man his grauitie innocency all England I thinke hath known lōg ago Blessed be God therfore which in such abundāce of iniquitie and decay of all godlines hath geuen vnto vs in this reuerend old age such a witnesse for the truth of hys Gospell Miserable and hard harted is he whom the godlynes and constant confession of so worthy so graue and innocent a man wyll not mooue to acknowledge and confesse the truth of God I do not now brother require you to write any thing to me agayne for I stand much in feare lest your letters should be intercepted before they can come to my hands Neuertheles know you that it shall be to me great ioy to heare of your constancy fortitude in the Lordes quarell And albeit I haue not hitherto written vnto you yet haue I twise as I could sent vnto you my mynde touchyng the matter which in your letters you required to know Neyther can I yet brother be
him selfe vntill suche time as the world had thought verely y t both he al his had ben cleane destroyed and cast away as the wise man sayth of the wicked people We thought them to be foles but they be in peace Sâ—p 5. Example taken of our meate and drinke how thinges neuer come to their perfâ—â—ction before they be vtterly wasted Wee may learne by things that nourish and maintaine vs both meat and drinke to what lothsomnes and in maner abhorring they come vnto before they woorke theyr perfection in vs. From life they be brought to the fire and cleane altered from that they were when they were aliue from the fire to the trencher and knife and all to hacked from the trencher to the mouth and as small ground as the teethe can grinde them and from the mouth into the stomack and there so boyled and digested before they nourish that who soeuer saw the same would loth and abhorre hys owne nourishment before it come to hys perfection Is it then any marueile if suche Christians as GOD delighteth in be so mangled and defaced in thys worlde whych is the kitchin and mill to boyle and grinde the flesh of Gods people in till they atchieue their perfection in the worlde to come And as a man looketh for the nutriment of his meate when it is ful digested and not before so must hee looke for hys saluation when hee hath passed thys troublous worlde and not before Vnmorte fiâ—ed men be no people to God Math. 10. Rawe fleshe is not meate wholesome for man and vnmortified men and women be not creatures meete for God Therefore Christ sayeth that his people must be broken and all too torne in the mill of thys worlde and so shall they be moste fine meale vnto the heauenly father And it shall be a Christian mannes parte and the duetie of a mynde repleanished wyth the spirite of God to marke the order of God in all his things howe he dealeth wyth them and howe they suffer and be content to lette God do his will vpon them as S. Paule sayeth They waite vntill the number of the electes be fulfilled and neuer be at rest Rom. 8. but looke for the time when Gods people shall appeare in glorie We must therfore paciently suffer and willingly attend vppon Gods doings althoughe they seeme cleane contrary after our iudgement to our wealth and saluation as Abraham did when hee was bid to offer his sonne Isaac Example of Abraham Example of Ioseph in whom God promised the blessing and multiplying of hys seede Ioseph at the last came to that which God promised him although in the meane time after the iudgemeÌ„t of the worlde he was neuer like to be as God said he should be Lorde ouer hys brethren When Christe woulde make the blinde man to see he put clay vppon hys eyes whych after the iudgement of man Iohn 9. was meanes rather to make hym double blind then to geue him his sight but he obeied and knew that God could worke his desire what meanes soeuer he vsed contrary to mans reason and as touching this world he vseth all hys after the same sort If any smart 1. Pet. 4. Iudgement 〈◊〉 beginneth with the house of God Colos. 3. his people be the first if any suffer shame they begin if any be subiecte to sclaunder it is those that hee loueth so that hee sheweth no face or fauour nor loue almost in thys worlde outwardly to them but laith clay vpon their sore eyes that be sorowfull yet the pacient man seeth as S. Paul sayeth life hid vnder these miseries and aduersities and sight vnder soule clay and in the meane time he hath the testimony of a good conscience and beleueth Gods promises to be his consolation in the worlde to come whych is more woorthe vnto him then all the worlde is woorth besides and blessed is that man in whom Gods spirite beareth recorde that he is the sonne of God what soeuer troubles he suffer in thys troublesome worlde Rom. 8. And to iudge things indifferently my godly wife the troubles be not yet generally as they were in our good fathers time soone after the deathe and resurrection of oure Sauiour Christ Iesu whereof hee spake in S. Mathewe Math. 24. Of the whych place you and I haue taken manye tymes greate consolation and especially of the latter parte of the Chapter wherein is contained the last daye and ende of all troubles I doubt not both for you and me and for suche as loue the comming of our sauiour Christe to iudgement Remember therefore that place and marke it againe and yee shall in thys time see great consolation and also learne muche pacience Was there euer suche troubles as Christe threatned vppon Ierusalem was there sithens the beginning of the worlde suche affliction who was then best at ease The Apostles that suffered in body persecution and gathered of it ease and quietnesse in the promises of God And no marueile for Christ sayeth Lifte vp your heades for your redemption is at hande that is to saye your eternall rest approcheth and draweth neare The world is starke blind Luke 1. and more foolish then foolishnesse it selfe and so be the people of the worlde For when God sayth trouble shal come they will haue ease And when God sayeth be merrye and reioyce in trouble we lament and mourne as thought we were castawayes But this our flesh which is neuer merry with vertue nor sorrie with vice Flesh neuer mery with vertue not sory with 〈◊〉 neuer laugheth wyth grace nor euer weepeth wyth sinne holdeth fast wyth the worlde and letteth God slippe But my dearely beloued wife you knowe howe to perceiue and to beware of the vanitie and craftes of the deuill wel enough in Christ. And that yee may the better haue pacience in the spirite of God reade againe the 24. chap. of S. Mathew and marke what difference is betwene the destruction of Ierusalem Math. 24. and the destruction of the whole world and you shall see that then here were left aliue many offenders to repent but at the latter day there shall be absolute iudgement and sentence neuer to be reuoked of eternall life and eternal death vppon all meÌ„ and yet towards the end of the world we haue nothing so much extremitie as they had then but euen as we be able to beare So doth the mercifull father lay vpon vs now imprisonment and I suppose for my part shortly death now spoile of goodes losse of frends and the greatest losse of all the knowledge of Gods word Ann. 1555. February Gods wyll be done I wish in Christ Iesu our onely mediatour and Sauiour your constancie and consolation that you may liue for euer and euer whereof in Christ I doubt not to whome for his blessed and most paynefull passion I commit you Amen 13. October 1553. * To a certayne godly woman instructing her how she should
Lancaster the sayde George Marshe reporteth himselfe as followeth * How the Bishop came to Lancaster and of his doynges there D. Cotes bishop of Chester THe bishop being at Lancaster there set vp and confirmed all blasphemous Idolatry as holy water casting procession gadding Mattins mumbling children confirming The Bishops comming to Lancaster and setting vp Idolatry Masse hearyng Idols vp setting with such hetheâ—ishe rites forbidden by God but no Gospell preachyng which Christ Gods sonne so earnestly coÌ„manded He was informed of mee and willed to send for me examine me Which thinge he refused to doe saying he woulde haue nothing to do w t heretickes so hastely So hasty in iudgement and calling men heretickes are our bishops in their Lordly dignities The B. iudgeth Marsh to be an hereticke before he heareth him afore y e heare or see what is to be amended or condeÌ„ned contrary to the expresse commandemeÌ„t of gods word which sayth Condemne no man before thou hast tryed out the truth of the matter and when thou hast made inquisition then reforme righteouslye Hasty iudgemeÌ„t of Byshops reproued by Gods word The vnmercifull straitenes of the Byshop toward G. Marsh in prison Geue no sentence before thou hast heard the cause but first let men tell out their tale and hee that geueth sentence in a matter before he heare it is a foole worthy to be confounded And in stead of his liberalitie towardes me poore prisoner he seÌ„t for the Iaylor and rebuked him because he suffered mee to fare so well willing to haue me more straitly kept and dieted but if his Lordship were tabled but one weeke with me I do thinke he would iudge our fare but slender enough The schoolemaster of Lancaster rebuked for comming to George Marsh in prison Popish Byshops declare themselues by their fruites to be very enemies to Gods worde Also he and his Chapleines and Chancellour did finde fault with the Scholemaister and others for speaking to one as to a most heinous hereticke and also with y e Iaylor for suffering them Such is the mercy that these religious fathers shewe to the friendles and comfortles in their aduersities If we may knowe the tree by the fruites as Christ saith no man can iudge such for any other but for very enemies to Christ and his true religion God laye it neuer to their charges but forgeue them and turne their hard hartes if it be his will But it is no new thing for the bishops to persecute the truth and the Prophetes of the Lorde for their constancie in preaching of the true fayth No new thing for Byshops to be persecutors Examples of persecuting Bishops in the old tyme. for so did their Pharisaicall forefathers if ye marke well the histories of the holye Bible Phasher was the head Bishop of the Temple the ringleader of false Prophetes the chiefe hereticke taker that is as much to saye the outthruster of true godlinesse After that the dignitie of Priesthood was geuen vnto hym he abused it For he taught not neither reprooued by the word but feared the godly with crueltie Hee not onely strocke but also imprisoned the holye Prophet Ieremye though he withstoode him not but presently looked for the helpe of God Byshop Iasan steadfastly preaching the truth of God What mischiefe the vngracious bishop IasoÌ„ wrought among the Iewes B. Annas and Cayphas destroying all godlines and setting vp abhominable Idolatrous lawes ye may reade in the iiij chapter of the 2. of Machabees How the execrable blind Byshops Annas and Caiphas which neuer spake y e truth of God themselues vnlesse it were agaynst their willes vnwittingly to their vtter destruction howe I say they pressed the truth in Christe and his Apostles is so well knowne that I neede not to rehearse it And thus much hitherto concerning the prisonment of George Marsh his examinatioÌ„s before the Erle of Darby his deputies aboue named Now proceeding further in the troublesome persecution of this blessed man let vs likewise consider the latter part of his troubles and examinations which followed vnder the bishop of that same Dioces which was Doctor Cotes the effect whereof being drawne out of his own writing here brieflye is to be seene as followeth ¶ The troubles and examination of G. Marshe vnder Doct. Cotes Bishop of Chester G. Marsh appeareth before the Bishop YE heard before how G. Marsh being first imprysoned at Lathum and afterward translated vnto Lancaster was troubled by the Earle Agayne within few dayes after the said Marsh was remoued from Lancaster comming to Chester was sent for Doct. Cotes then B. to appeare before him in his Hal no body being preseÌ„t but they twayne and then he asked hym certayn questions concerning y e sacrament who made such aunsweres as the Bish. seemed therwith to be content sauing y t he vtterly denyed transubstantiation and allowed not the abuse of y e Masse nor that the lay people shuld receiue vnder one kind onely contrary to Christes institution in which poynt the bysh went about to perswade him howbeit God be thanked all in vayne Much other talke he had with hym to moue him to submit himselfe to the vniuersall church of Rome and when he saw he could not preuayle he sent him to prison again and after being there came to him diuers times one Massy a fatherly old man one Wrench the Schoolemaister one Hensham the Byshops Chaplayne Great labour to make G. Marsh to recant and the Archdeacon with many moe who with all probabilitie of words and Philosophy or worldly wisedom and deceitfull vanity after the tradition of men and the beggarly ordinaunces and lawes of the world but not after Christ as it were all singing one song went about to perswade him to submit himselfe to the church of Rome and to acknowledge the pope to be head thereof and to interprete y e scriptures none otherwise then that churche did with manye such like argumentes perswasions of fleshly wisedome To whom the sayd George Marsh answered that he did acknowledge and beleue though much euill be withall annexed one holy catholicke and apostolicke Churche The church Apostolick without which there is no saluation and that this church is but one because it euer hath doth and shall confesse and beleeue one onely god and him onely worship and one onely Messiah and in him onely trust for saluation which church also is ruled and led by one spirite one worde The church how it is one and one fayth and that this church is vniuersal and catholicke because it euer hath bene since y e worlds beginning is and shall endure to the worldes end The nature condition and notes of the true Church and comprehending with in it all natioÌ„s kinreds and languages degrees states conditions of men and that this church is builded onelye vpon the foundation of the Prophetes and Apostles Iesus Christ himselfe being the head
is none other way into the kingdome of heauen 2. Tim. â— Actes 14. Math. 5. Math. 7. Maâ—k 8. but through much tribulation And if we suffer any thing for y e kingdome of heauens sake and for righteousnes sake we haue the Prophetes Christ the Apostles and Martyrs for an ensample to comfort vs for they did all enter into the kingdome of heaueÌ„ at the strait gate and narow way that leadeth vnto life which few do find Mortification bearing of the Crosse neâ—essâ—ry for all them 〈◊〉 will raygne with Christ. And vnles we will be content to deny our owne selues and take vp the crosse of Christ and hys sayntes it is an euident argument that we shall neuer raigne with him And agayne if we can finde in our hartes paciently to suffer persecutions and tribulations it is a sure token of y e righteous iudgment of God that we are counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which we also suffer It is verily sayth the Apostle a righteous thing with God 2. Thes. 1. to recompence tribulation to them that trouble vs and rest to vs that be troubled For after this lfe y e godly being deliuered from theyr tribulations and paynes shall haue a most quiet and ioyfull rest where as the wicked and vngodly contrariwyse shal be tormented for euermore with intollerable and vnspeakable paines Luke 16. as Christ by the parable of the rich glutton wretched Lazarus doth playnly declare and teache These ought we to haue before our eyes alwayes that in time of aduersitie and persecution whereof al that wil be the children of God shal be partakers Heb. 12. and wherewith it hath pleased God to put some of vs in vre all ready we may stand steadfast in the Lord and endure euen vnto the end that we may be saued For vnlesse we like good warriours of Iesus Christ 1. Tim. 2. will endeuour our selues to please him who hath chosen vs to be souldiours and fight y e good fight of fayth euen vnto the end we shall not obtayne that crowne of righteousnes which the Lorde that is a righteous iudge shall geue to all them that loue his comming Let vs therfore receiue with meeknes the word that is graffed in vs which is able to saue our soules Iohn 2. and grouÌ„d our selues on the sure rocke Christ. For as the Apostle sayth other foundation can no man lay 1. Cor 3. besides that whiche is layd already which is Iesus Christ. If any man build on this fouÌ„dation gold siluer precious stones timber haye stubble euerye mans worke shall appeare for the day shal declare it and it shal be shewed in the fire And the fire shall try euery mans work what it is If any mans worke that he hath builded vpon abide hee shall receiue a reward if any mans work burne he shall suffer losse but he shal be safe himselfe neuerthelesse yet as it were through fire By fiâ—e here doth the Apostle vnderstand persecution trouble Fier in scriptâ—â—â— what it signifieth for they which do truely preach professe y e word of God which is called the word of the crosse shal be rayled vpon and abhorred hated thrust out of the companye persecuted and tryed in the fornace of aduersitie as golde and siluer are tryed in the fire By gold siluer and precious stones he vnderstandeth them y t in the mids of persecution abide steadfast in word 1. Cor. 3. Math. 5. Luke 6. Math. 3. Psalme 1. By tymber hay and stubble are ment such as in tyme of persecution do fall away from the truth And when Christ doth purge his floore with the winde of aduersitie these scatter away from the face of the earth like light chaffe whiche shall be burned with vnquencheable fire If they then which do beleue The place of S. Paule 1. Cor. 3. expounded do in time of persecution stand steadfastly in y e truth the builder I do meane y e preacher of the word shall receaue a reward and the work shal be preserued and saued but if so be that they go back and swarue when persecution ariseth the builder shall suffer losse that is to saye shall lose his labour and cost but yet he shal be saued if hee being tryed in the fire of persecutioÌ„ do abide fast in y e faith Wherefore my beloued geue dilligent heed 1. Pet. 2. 1. Cor. 3. that ye as liuing stones be builded vpon this sure rocke be made a spirituall house and a holy Priesthoode for to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable vnto God by Iesus Christ. For we are the true temple of God 1. Pet â— and the spirite of God dwelleth in vs if so be that we continue in the doctrine of the Gospell We are also an holy and royall Priesthode for to offer vp spirituall sacrifices oblations for the sacrifices of the new Testament are spirituall of three maners The first is the sacrifice of prayse and thankesgeuing which S. Paule doth call the fruites of those lippes which confesse the name of God Three sortes of Sacrifices of the new testament Heb. 13. Osee. 6. The second is mercy towardes our neighbours as y e Prophet Osee sayth I will haue mercy and not sacrifice Read the xxv chapter of Mathew The thyrd is wheÌ„ we make our body a quick sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God that is Rom. 12. wheÌ„ we mortifie kill our fleshly concupiscences carnall lustes so bryng our flesh thorough the helpe of the spirite vnder y e obedeÌ„ce of Gods holy lawe This is a sacrifice to God most acceptable whiche the Apostle calleth Our reasonable seruing of God And let vs be sure that vnlesse we do now at this present take better heed to our selues and vse thankfully the grace of God offered to vs by the Gospell preaching these yeares past wherby we are induced brought to y e knowledge of y e truth Ephes. 3. vnles I say we keep Christ and his holy word dwelling by fayth in y e house temple of our harts the same thing that christ threatneth vnto the Iewes shal happen vnto vs Math. 14. y t is to witte the vncleane spirite of ignorance superstitioÌ„ idolatry and infidelitie or vnbeliefe the mother head of all vices which by the grace of God was cast out of vs bringing with him 7. other spirites worse then himself Exhortation to persist in the word of God not to abuse it 2. Pet. 2. shall to our vtter destruction returne again into vs and so shall we be in worse case thaÌ„ euer we were before For if we after we haue escaped from the filthines of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ be yet tangled therin agayn and ouercome then is the latter ende worse then the beginning and it had bene better for vs not to haue knowne the way of righteousnes then after we
of armes for we are not so able to withstand hym muche lesse to preuayle agaynst him but to beseeche hym to mercifull vnto vs and according to his wonted mercye to deale wyth vs. Rising with Dauid Let vs arise with Dauid and saye Ne intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo c. i. Enter not into iudgement O Lorde with thy seruaunt for in thy sight no fleshe liuyng shal be iustified Let vs send Embassadours with the Senturion Suing with the Centurion and saye Lorde we are not worthye to come our selues vnto thee speake the word and we shall haue peace Let vs penitently with the Publicane loke downe on the earth Repenting with the Publican knocke our hard hartes to burst them and crye out Oh GOD be mercifull vnto vs wretched sinners Let vs with the lost Sonne returne and saye O Father we haue sinned agaynst heauen and earth Returâ— with thâ— lost 〈◊〉 and before thee we are vnworthy to be called thy children Let vs I say do on this sorte y t is hartily repent vs of our former euill lyfe vnthankfull gospelling past conuert and turne to God w t our whole hartes hoping in his great mercy thorough Christ and hartily calling vppon his holy name and then vndoubtedly we shall finde and feele otherwyse then yet we feele both inwardly and outwardly Inwardly we shall feele peace of conscience betweene God and vs whiche peace passeth all vnderstanding and outwardlye we shall feele muche mittigation of these miseries if not an vtter taking them away Therefore my dearely beloued in the Lorde I youre poorest brother now departing to the Lord Bradfoâ—â— vltimuâ— vale for my vale in aeternum for this present lyfe praye you beseeche you and euen from the verye bottome of my harte for all the mercies of God in Christ shewed vnto you most earnestly begge and craue of you out of prison as often out of your Pulpies I haue done that you wil repent you leaue your wicked and euill life be sorye for your offences and turne to the Lorde whose armes are wide open to receaue and embrace you whose stretched out hande to strike to death stayeth that he may shew mercy vpon you For he is the Lord of mercy and God of all comforte hee will not the death of a sinner but rather that yee shoulde returne conuert and amend He hath no pleasure in the destruction of men The day 〈◊〉 Gods 〈◊〉 at hand his long sufferyng draweth to repentaunce before the tyme of vengeance and the day of wrath which is at hand doth come Now is the axe layd to the roote of the tree vtterly to destroy the impenitente Wanton Gospell Proud Pâ—â—â—testantes False Câ—â—â—â—stians Nowe is the fire gone out before the face of the Lorde and who is able to quenche it Oh therefore repent you repent you It is enough to haue liued as we haue done It is inough to haue pleased the wanton Gospellers the proude Protestantes Hypocriticall and false Chrystians as alas wee haue done Now the Lorde speaketh to vs in mercy and grace Oh turne before hee speaketh in wrathe Yet is there mercye with the Lorde and plenteous redemption yet hee hath not forgotten to shewe mercye to them that call vppon him Oh then call vpon him while he may be found For hee is riche in mercy and plentifull to all them that call vpon hym So that hee that calleth on the name of the Lorde shal be saued If your sinnes be as redde as scarlet the Lord sayeth he will make them as white as snow He hath sworne and neuer will repent hym thereof that he will neuer remember our iniquities but as hee is good faithfull and true so will he be our God and wee shall be his people his law will he write in our hartes engraffe in our myndes and neuer will he haue in mynde our vnrighteousnesse Therefore my deare heartes in the Lorde turne you turne you to y e Lord your Father to the Lord your Sauiour to the Lord your comforter Oh why doe you stoppe your eares and harden your harts â—o day Bradford propheâ—â— of these plagues 〈◊〉 wheÌ„ you heare hys voyce by me your poorest brotâ—â—â— Oh forget not how that the Lord hath shewed hymselâ—â— true and me hys true preacher by bringyng to passe thâ—â—lagues which at my mouth you ofte heard before they came to passe specially when I entreated of Noes floud and when I preached of the 22. chapter of Saint Mathews Gospell on S. Steuens day the last tyme that I was with you And nowe by me the Lord sendeth you worde deare countrey men that if you will go on forwards in your impenitency carnalitie hypocrisie idolatry couetousnesse swearing gluttony dronkennesse whoredome c. Wherewith alas alas our countrey floweth if I say you will not turne and leaue of seyng me now burned amongst you to assure you on all sides how God seeketh you Destructâ—â—â— threatnâ—â— them 〈◊〉 repent and is sory to doe you hurt to plague you to destroy you to take vengeance vpon you oh your bloud wil be vpon your owne heades you haue bene warned and warned againe by me in preaching by me in burning As I sayd therefore I say agayne my deare harts and dearlings in the Lord turne you turne you repent you repent you cease from doyng euill study to do well Preceptes of lyfe away with idolatry flye the Romish God and seruice leaue of from swearing cut of carnalitie abandon auarice driue away dronkennesse flie from fornication and flattery murther and malice destroy deceiptfulnesse and cast away all the works of darkenes Put on pitie and godlines serue God after his word and not after custome vse your tongs to glorifie God by prayer thankesgeuing and confession of his truth c. be spirituall and by the spirit mortifie carnall affections be sober holy true louyng gentle mercyfull and then shall the Lordes wrath cease not for this our doyngs sake but for his mercies sake Goe to therefore good country men take this counsell of the Lorde by mee nowe sente vnto you as the Lordes counsell and not as mine that in the daye of iudgement I maye reioyce wyth you and for you the which thing I hartely desire and not to be a witnes agaynst you My bloud will crye for vengeaunce as agaynst the Papistes Gods enemies whome I beseech God if it be his will hartely to forgeue yea euen them which put me to death and are the causers therof for they know not what they do so will my bloud cry for vengeaunce agaynst you my dearely beloued in the Lord if ye repent not Bradfordes 〈◊〉 will agaynst 〈…〉 amend not and turne vnto the Lord. Turne vnto the Lord yet once more I hartely besech thee thou Manchester thou Ashton vnderline thou Bolton Bury Wigme Lierpoole Mottrine Stepport Winsley Eccles Priestwich Middleton Radcliefe and thou City of Westchester where I haue truely taught and
this life Rom â— are not to bee compared to the ioyes of the lyfe prepared for you You knowe the way to heauen is not the wide way of the worlde Math. â— whiche windeth to the deuill but it is a strayte waye which fewe walke in For fewe liue Godlye in Christ Iesu 2. Tim â— 2. Cor. â— Math. â— fewe regarde the lyfe to come fewe remember the daye of iudgement few remember howe Christ will denye them before his father that do deny him here few consider that Christ will be ashamed of them in the last day whiche are ashamed of his truth and true seruice few cast their accountes what wil be layed to theyr charge in the day of vengeance few regard the condemnation of theyr owne consciences in doing that which inwardly they disalow few loue god better then theyr goodes But I trust yet you are of this fewe my dearely beloued I trust you be of that little flocke which shall enherite the kingdome of heaueÌ„ I trust you are the mourners and lamenters 〈◊〉 10. which shal be comforted with comfort whyche neuer shall be taken from you if you nowe repent your former euilles if nowe you striue agaynst the euilles that are in you if now you continue to call vpon God if nowe you defile not your bodyes with any Idolatrous seruice 〈◊〉 4. vsed in the Antichristian Churches if you molest not the good spirite of God which is geuen you as a gage of eternall redemption a counseller and Mayster to lead you into all trueth whiche good spirite I beseeche the Father of mercye to geue to vs all for his deare sonnes sake Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome I commend you all and to the worde of his grace Actes 10. which is able to helpe you all and saue you all that beleue it folow it and serue GOD therafter And of this I would ye were all certayne that all the heares of your heads are numbred Math. 10. Math. spanâ— 1. Psalm 1â—4 Psalm 31. Pet. 5. so that not one of them shall perishe neither shall any man or deuill be able to attempt any thing much lesse to do any thing to you or any of you before your heauenly father which loueth you most tenderly shall geue them leaue and when he hath geuen them leaue they shall go no further then he will nor keepe you in trouble any longer then he will Therefore cast on him all your care for he is carefull for you Onely study to please hym and to keepe your consciences cleane your bodyes pure from the Idolatrous seruice whiche nowe euery where is vsed and GOD will maruellouslye and mercifully defend and comfort you which thing he doe for his holy names sake in Christ our Lord. Amen * To his dearely beloued in Christ Erkinalde Rawlins and his wife GOd our deare and moste mercyfull Father thorough Christ be with you my good Brother and Sister as with his children for euer and in all thinges so guide you with his holy spirite the leader of his people as may bee to his glory and your owne euerlasting ioy and comfort in him Amen Because I haue oftentimes receiued from either of you comfort corporall for the which I beseeche the Lorde as to make me thankefull so to recompence you both now eternally I can not but goe about Lord help hereto for thy mercyes sake to write some thing for your comfort spiritually My dearely beloued looke not vppon these dayes and the afflictions of the same here with vs 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 godly 〈◊〉 ioyfull the 〈…〉 simplye as they seeme vnto you that is as dismall dayes and dayes of Gods vengeaunce but rather as lucky dayes and dayes of Gods fatherlye kindenesse towardes you and suche as you be that is toward such as repent theyr sinnes and euill life paste and earnestly purpose to amende walking not after the will of the world and most part of men for the preseruation of theyr pelfe whiche will they nill they they shall leaue sooner or later and to whome or howe it shall be vsed they know not In deede to suche as walke in theyr wickednesse and winde on with the worlde this tyme is a tyme of wrath and vengeaunce and theyr beginning of sorrowe is but nowe because they contemne the Phisicke of theyr father whiche by this purging time and cleansing dayes would worke theyr weale whiche they will nor Clensing dayes and because they will not haue Gods blessing which both wayes he hath offered vnto them by prosperity and aduersity Gods 〈◊〉 not to 〈◊〉 refused therefore it shall be kepte farre enough from them As when the sicke man will no kinde of Phisicke at the handes of the Phisition he is lefte alone and so the malady encreaseth and destroyeth him at the length To such men in deed these dayes are and should be dolefull dayes dayes of woe and weeping because theyr damnation draweth nigh But vnto such as be penitent and are desirous to liue after the Lordes wil among whom I do not onely count you but as far as a man may iudge I know ye are vnto such I say 〈…〉 receaâ—ed with 〈◊〉 this time is and should be comfortable For first now your father chastiseth you and me for our sinnes for the which if he would haue destroyed vs then woulde hee haue letten vs alone and left vs to our selues in nothyng to take to hart his fatherly visitation which here it pleaseth him to worke presently because else where he wyll not remember our transgressions as Paule writeth He chastiseth vs in this world least with the world we should perishe Therefore my deare hartes call to minde your sinnes to lament them God punisheth not twise for one thing and to aske mercye for them in hys sight and withall vndoubtedly beleue to obteyne pardon and assured forgeuenesse of the same for twise the Lord punisheth not for one thing So that I saye first wee haue cause to reioyce for these dayes because our father suffereth vs not to lye in Iesabels bed sleeping in our owne sinnes and security but as mindefull on vs doth correct vs as his children Whereby we may be certayne that we be no bastardes but children for he chastiseth euery childe whom he receiueth Difference betweene bastards and children So that they which are not partakers of his chastising or that contemne it declare themselues to be bastardes and not children as I know ye are which as ye are chastised so do ye take it to hart accordingly And therefore be glad my deare hartes and folkes knowing certaynelye euen by these visitatioÌ„s of the Lord that ye are his deare elect children whose faultes your father doth visite with the rodde of correction but his mercy will he neuer take away from vs. Amen Secondly ye haue cause to reioyce for these dayes because they are dayes of triall wherein not onely ye your selues but also the worlde shall
I come to redemption so to iustification and so to election On thys sorte I am sure that warely and wisely a man maye walke in it easely by the light of Gods spirite in and by his woorde seeing this Faith not to be geuen to all men 2. Thes. 3. but to suche as are borne of God Predestinate before y e world was made after the purpose and good wil of God which wil we may not call into disputation but in trembling and feare submit our selues to it as to that whych can will none otherwise then that whych is holy righte and good howe farre soeuer otherwise it seeme to the iudgemeÌ„t of reason which must needes be beaten downe to be more careful for Gods glory then for mannes saluation whyche dependeth onely thereon as all Gods children full well see for they seeke not the glory whych commeth of men but the glory which commeth of God Ieremie 9. Ihon 5. They knowe God to be a God whych doeth on earthe not onely mercye but also iudgement which is hys Iustice and moste Iustice althoughe oure foolishe reason cannot see it And in thys knowledge they glory and reioice though others through vaine curiositie grudge murmure there againste Thus brieflye I haue sente you my minde and meaning concerning this matter Hereafter you shal haue I thinke your letter particularly answeared by M. Philpot as also if I haue time and so you require it I will doe Iohn Bradford Notes vpon the same Epistle and to the matter of election appertaining AS touching the doctrine of Election wherof thys letter of M. Bradforde Notes this 〈◊〉 added and manye other his letters moe doe much intreate three thinges must be considered 1 Firste what Gods election is and what is the cause thereof 2 Secondly howe Gods election proceedeth in woorking our saluation 3 Thirdly to whome Gods election pertaineth and howe a man may be certaine thereof Betweene Predestination and Election Differâ—â—â—â— betweenâ— predestination and Election thys difference there is Predestination is as well to the reprobate as to the Elect. Election onely pertaineth to them that be saued Predestination in that it respecteth the Reprobate is called Reprobation in that it respecteth the saued is called Election and is thus defined Predestination is the eternal decreement of God Definitioâ— of predâ—â—â—â—â—nation purposed before in him selfe what shall befall on all men eyther to saluation or damnation Election is the free mercy grace of God in his owne wil through faith in Christ his sonne Election defined chusing and preferring to life such as pleaseth him In thys definition of Election firste goeth before the mercy and grace of God as the causes therof whereby are excluded al woorkes of the lawe and merites of deseruing whether they goe before faith or come after So was Iacob chosen and Esau refused The 〈◊〉 of the deâ—â—â—nition examined Mercy and grace before either of them began to woorke c. Secondly in that thys mercy and grace of God in this definition is said to be free thereby is to be noted the proceeding and woorking of God not to be bounde to any ordinarie place or to any succession of chaire nor to state and dignitie of persone nor to worthinesse of bloude Free meâ—â—â— and grace c. but all goeth by the meere wil of his owne purpose as it is written Spiritus vbi vult spirat c. And thus was the outward race and stocke of Abraham after flesh refused whych seemed to haue the preeminence and an other seede after the spirite raised vp to Abraham of the stones that is of the Gentiles So was the outwarde Temple of Hierusalem and chaire of Moses whyche seemed to be of price forsaken and Gods chaire aduanced in other nations So was tall Saule refused and little Dauid accepted the riche the proude the wyse of this worlde reiected and the woorde of saluation daily opened to the poore and miserable abiects the hie mountaines caste vnder and the lowe valleys exalted c. Thirdly where it is added in his owne will by thys falleth downe the free will purpose of man The free mercy and grace of God in his owne will Rom. 9. with all hys actions counsels strength of nature according as it is written Non est volentis neque currentis sed miserentis Dei c. i. It is not in hym that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy So we see how Israel raÌ„ long yet got nothing The Gentiles vnneth begaÌ„ to set out and yet got the game So they which came at the first houre did labor more yet they which came last were rewarded with the first Math. 20. The working will of the Pharisie seemed better Math. 20. but yet the Lords will was rather to iustifie the Publicane Luke 18. Luke 18. The elder sonne had a better wil to tary by his father and so did in dede and yet y e fat Calfe was geuen to the yonger sonne that ran away Luk. 15. Wherby we haue to vnderstand Luke 15. howe the matter goeth not by the will of man but by the will of God as it pleaseth hym to accept according as it is wrytten Iohn 1. Gods mercy in 〈◊〉 the elect 〈◊〉 includeth the condition 〈◊〉 fayth in Christ. The free mercy and grace of God in 〈◊〉 owne 〈◊〉 will tâ—â—rough 〈◊〉 in Chriâ—â— his sonâ—â— our Lorâ—â— Non ex voluntate carnis neque ex voluntate viri sed ex Deo nati sunt c. i. Which are borne not of the wil of the flesh nor yet of the wil of man but of God Furthermore as al then goeth by the will of God onely and not by the wil of man so againe here is to be noted that this wil of God neuer goeth with out faith in Christ Iesus his sonne And therefore fourthly is this clause added in the definition through faith in Christe his sonne Whych faith in Christ to vs ward maketh altogether For first it certifieth vs of Gods election As this Epistle of M. Bradforde doth wel expresse For whosoeuer wil be certaine of hys election in God let him first begin with his faith in Christ which if he finde in him to stande firme he may be sure and nothing doubt but that he is one of the number of Gods elect Secondly the said faith and nothing els is the onely coÌ„dition and meanes wherupon Gods mercy grace election vocation and al Gods promises to saluation do stay according to the woordes of S. Paule Si permanseritis in fide c. i. If ye abide in the faith Colos. 1. Thirdly this faith also is the immediate and nexte cause of oure Iustification simply wythout any other condition annexed For as the mercy of God his grace election vocation and other precedent causes doe saue and iustifie vs vppon condition if we beleue in Christ so this faith onely in Christe wythout condition
thus Non sit nobis religio humanorum operum cultus Lactantius Origines contra Câ—â—sum Goldesmithes and Caruers needles 〈◊〉 common wealth meliores enim sunt ipsi artifices qui talia fabricantur quos tamen colere non debemus LactaÌ„tius also maketh strongly with the same I can not without the booke recite his saying for he teacheth largely of the same matter OrigeÌ„ also contra Celsum I trow will likewise testify where as I remember he concludeth saying that he would haue no Goldsmithes ne Grauers in a Communalty for they do but litle profite or none thereto And S. Gregory that was chiefe either inuentor that Images should be set in churches or els mainteiner therof woulde not as I haue read I trow it is in an Epistle which he writeth ad Seruum haue them worshipped And as concerning the exciting of mens memory I would suppose that it Christes doctrine were so shewed and opened that people might clearely vnderstand it and that is the principall office of prelats and curates to do by diligent teaching thereof I thinke veryly we should haue litle need of any other Images then that should by wholsome doctrine be shewed vnto vs by word of mouth writing Quoniam nihil tam efficax ad comonefaciendum discipulos quam viua vox Nothing is so effectuall to excite the remembraunce of disciples as the liuely voyce of good teachers as it is testified both by common report and also by the sentence of learned men So that I suppose if this liuely doctrine of God had afore time bene apertly diligently opened vnto the people as curates ought to haue done we should haue suche proâ—ite thereby that we should not need to contend for setting vp or taking downe of other dumme stockes lifeles stones â—he worde 〈◊〉 doctrine 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 vs in reâ—embrance 〈◊〉 not Images carued or made by men And if prelates would begin to set vp Christes word which alas for pity is not looked vpon but rather troden downe despised so that many are not ashamed to say I will haue no more learning in Christes law then my predecessors for they that magnifye it must be sore punished and taken for hereticks with such other greeuous wordes if this doctrine were yet set vp in Churches I say and truely opened that all men myght haue theyr iudgement therby reformed and made cleare I thinke we shoulde not greatly neede the profite that commeth by Images made of men to excite our remembrauÌ„ce to liue Christerily For that word which came from the brest of Christ him selfe and was writteÌ„ of other that wrote and spake by the suggestion of his spirite the holy ghost The true Image of god in his worde and his workes sheweth full perfectly his blessed will which is the true and certayne Image of his mind and deuise If this therfore were diligently inculcate I thinke we should be transformed anewe according to the minde of Paule which writing to the Colossians Colloss 3 sayth thus See that you lye not one to an other after that now you haue put of the olde man with his woorkes and haue put vpon you the new man which is transformed and renouate after the knowledge and image of him that made vs. Yea thus should we all be docti à Deo taught of God as is sayde in Iohn and all should know God both small and great Iohn 6. according to the promise recited in the Hebrues yea thus should we be restored to goodnesse Heb. 8. that we should haue the Image of God â—arned in our hartes full expressely For euery man is transformed into the fashion of vertuous thinges that he is accustomed to read and heare 〈◊〉 a man 〈◊〉 so 〈◊〉 fashioâ—â—â— And therfore it were a greate grace if we might haue the worde of God diligently and often spoken and song vnto vs in such wise that the people might vnderstand it Yea then should it come to passe that craftes meÌ„ should sing spirituall psalmes sitting at theyr worke and the husbandman at his plough as wisheth S. Hierome Yea this holy Image of Christ I meane his blessed doctrine doth appoynt vs also to coÌ„sider the works made by the hand of God The best Image of god is hys word such as no man can make like wherby as sayth S. Paule writing to the Romanes The inuisi ble power and diuinity of God is knowne and sene by the creation oâ— the world of such as will consider his workes that are therin by him made 〈◊〉 1. Looke in the Psalmes Laudate Dominum de Coelis Coeli enarrant c. Prayse ye the Lord from heaueÌ„ The heauens declare the glory of God Psal. 149. with other And these two Images Gods workes and his doctrine hath ere any Images made by men were set vppe in Churches well and sufficiently instructed the primitiue church Psal. 19. and should yet instruct vs well Gods workes and his word be the right Images of God if they were well considered so that we shoulde not neede so sore to contend for setting vp of other made by men Wherby I haue perceiued much harme to arise and no great profite nor the scripture maketh not for them but rather contrary As concerning which matter I woulde your Lordshyppe woulde please to reade the Epistle of Baruche once agayne writing of the same matter Unto the xix where you aske whether I beleue that prayers of men liuing do profite soules departed beyng in Purgatory Aâ—swere to 〈◊〉 1â— artiâ—â—â— I made answere in the xiij article Unto the xx where you doe aske whether men merite and deserue both by theyr fasting and also by other deedes of deuotion â—â—swere to 〈…〉 I haue shewed what I do think therof in the fift demaund In the xxi where you do aske whether I do beleue that men prohibited of bishops to preach â—â—swere to 〈…〉 artyâ—â—â— as suspect of heresy ought to cease from preaching teaching vntill they haue purged themselues of suspition afore an higher Iudge I say that men may be wrongfully suspected of heresy Truth takeÌ„ mâ—ny tymes for heresie and heresy for truth either because they neuer thought to beleue such errors as men by false suspition do deeme them to fauor or els when men as well of high estate as of low by sinister iudgemeÌ„t may thinke that to be error which is the very truth And of this speaketh Esay Esâ—y 5. Whether men prohibited ought to cease from preaching Wo be to them quoth he that calleth the light darckenes and the darckenes light the truth falsehood and falsehood truth as the Byshops and the Priestes with theyr Oratour Tertullus called Paule saying thus before a Iudge called Felix vnto whose Court they brought hym to be condemned to death We haue quoth they gotteÌ„ here a pestilent felow Actes 24. a sower of sedition or discord among all the Iewes of the worlde
and bringer vp of the Secte of the Nazarens which was also minded to haue polluted our temple c. Truth taken for falshode Christ taken for a seducer In what causes men forbidden ought not to cease from preaching This is to call by peruerse iudgement trueth falsehoode And thus did theyr predecessours speake of the Prophets yea and of Christ himselfe calling him a seducer and preacher of heresy which is written for our instruction And men thus being suspected as I woulde none were ought in no wise therefore to cease neither from preaching ne teaching Ensample of this we haue in the Actes of the apostles where is shewed that whē Peter Iohn had done a myracle vpon a man that had bene lame frō his natiuity whō by the power of Christ they healed Act. 4.5.6 caused to go where he pleased the people hearing of this came running about Peter Iohn Peter seeing this did exhort the people in a sermon that they should not thinke him his felow S. Iohn to haue done this wōderfull thing by their own power or holynes but by the vertue of Christ whom they theyr head rulers had slayne While they were thus speaking with the people there came vpō them the priestes officers of the temple accompanyed with the Saduces being sore displeased that they should enterprise to teach the people and preace that men should arise from death by the name of Christ whom they had caused to be crucified and therewith they layd handes vpon them and put them in warde vntill next day The next day they sent for the Apostles before them demaunding by what power and in whose name they did this myracle Peter made aunswere Act. 4. If you quoth he that are head rulers ouer the people lust by examination to knowe by what meanes we did it we woulde you should all know that we did it throvgh the name of Christ Iesu of Nazareth whom you did crucify but God did cause him to arise agayne In the vertue of hys name doth this man that afore was lame now stand before you here both whole and found For Christ is that high corner stone whō you cast away which should haue builded the peoples fayth vpon him neither is there any saluation without him These great men seing that Peter spake so freely and that he with his felow Iohn were simple men without any pompous apparel or great garde of seruaunts being like ideots and men vnlearned wondred therat At the last they did commaunde them to depart out of theyr Councell house whiles they should cōmon more largely of y e matter Peter and the Apostles prohibited by the Phariseis to preach Christ. Afterward they called y e Apostles afore them agayde commaunding them that they should no more preach ne teache in the name of Iesus But the Apostles aunswered saying I beseeche you iudge better ought we to obey you more then God or no For certaynely we must needes testify of those thinges which we haue both heard and seene Then the head Priestes threatning them sore did geue them strait charge Act. 4. not to breake theyr precept and so did let them goe not knowing any cause why they might punish them for they feared least the people would haue taken part with the Apostles for the people gaue glory to God for the myracle shewed by them Notwithstāding al these great threats Peter wrought miracles still amongst the people Peter disobeyed the precepte of the Phariseis doing thē to know that glory therfore ought to be geuē to Iesus by whose power and name they were done Wherwith the harts of the people melted for ioy so that they folowed after the Apostles whyther soeuer they went The primate of the priestes hearing of this and all that were about him repleate with indignation layd handes vpon the Apostles putting them in the common Prison But the Aungell of God in the night opened the Prison dores and brought them out saying Peter deliuered out of prison Goe you into the Temple and stand there preaching vnto the people all the wordes of life That is to say Christes doctrine and so they did earely in the morning Then came foorth the chiefe Priest and they whom he vsed to haue about him and called a Councell in which were all the Priestes of Israel or auncientes of Israel So they sent vnto the prison house for to haue the apostles brought forth before them When theyr seruaunts came to the prison house found the apostles gone thence they returned to theyr maisters saying we found the prison fast shut round about in euery part the keepers watching at the dores without full diligently But when we had opened the prison we could find no body within Then as the high priestes officers of the temple heard this they were in a great perplexity doubting what wold therof come Act. 5. Then came one vnto them shewed thē saying Behold the men that ye put in prison are standing in the temple preaching vnto the people Then wēt they thither and brought the apostles with thē without any violence but they were afrayd lest the people would haue beaten them downe with stones Then they caused the apostles to be brought into their Councell house the high priest beginning his proposition agaynst the apostles in this forme Haue we not straytly commaunded you sayd he that you should not preach in the name of Christ And see you haue filled all Hierusalem with your doctrine Will you bring this mans bloud vpō vs God to be obeyed more then men Act. 5. that we should vnrighteously haue caused him to suffer death Then aunswered Peter and the other Apostles saying We ought to obey God more then any man The God of our fathers hath raysed Iesu from death whom you did slay hanging him vpon a tree Him notwithstanding hath GOD raysed and by his power aduaunced to be our king and Sauiour by whom shal be geuen to all Israel that will take repentaunce forgeuenes of sinne These great rulers hearing this their harts were therwith clouen a sunder and they coūselled together for to slay the apostles But one good man amōg theyr multitude aduised them otherwise whose aduise they did approue Thē they called the apostles againe afore them causing them to be scourged charged them no more to preach in the name of Iesu and so did let them depart Then went they away out of the Councell reioycing that God had made thē worthye to suffer such rebukes for his name sake The counsell of Gamaliell But yet they neuer ceased to teach preach of Iesus Christ euery day in the temple and in all houses that they came into This is written in the 4.5 and 6. of the Actes of the apostles for our instruction doubt you not for such practise is shewed in all ages So that hereby you may set Act. 4.5.6 when men be wrongfully suspect or infamed