out the filthe and pollutions wherewith thei had defiled the Lordes Temple and to reforme it so as the primitiue and auncient beautie and holinesse of it maie shine and appeare in it again How should wee fall before them in the battaile or feare the daie of encountryng with them in disputation The Lord goeth out before our armies his holie Arke dwelleth emongest vs his siluer Trumpets sound continually in our eares Which are sure vndoubted arguments that as heretofore we haue often preuailed against them so now muche more that our enemie so oftentimes foiled bee he neuer so obstinate yet can neuer be able to hurte vs or if he doe it shal be onely thus accordyng to the promise he maie bruse our heele but we shall burst his head in péeces Thus much for his first way sf disputation wherein I haue shewed that oftentymes by conference in speeche thei haue fled before vs. Concerning disputatiō by writyng al the world is full of the learned workes of our worthy fathers and brethrē wherein thei haue bothe taught the truthe and worthely maintained it againste the wicked flaunders and obiection of the aduersarie and conuicted theim of as notorious and pernicious heresies as euer haue been since the misterie of Iniquitie began to woorke What should I recken vp here whiche are infinite the names whiche are written in the booke of life of our moste worthie fathers and brethren who beyonde the Seas haue aunswered all their Challengers confuted their erronious and hereticall writynges and cōfirmed the truth to abide for euer Our owne countriemen haue in like sort maintained the Lords most iuste and honourable quarrell againste all suche as from emongest our selues haue beene raised vp to blaspheme the truthe Cranmer that moste reuerende and learned Father aunswered Gardener in the question of the Lordes Supper to the iustifiyng of the truthe and his owne euerlasting praise with God and men and the iust confusion of his aduersarie For their bolde Hardyng in whom they trusted for a tyme wee had a precious Iewell riche in spirituall graces of infinite more valewe without comparison Their Marshalles Rastalles Dormans and the rest of that olde rabble and of this newe charge their Allens Bristowes and Campions haue all found men to aunswere them through the grace of God of suche godly learnyng sufficiencie and blessyng vppon their labours as by the Lordes mercie we maie saie with the Prophett Thei came about vs like Bees but are extinct as a fire of thornes thei came in confidence of them selues but in the name of the Lorde of Hostes we haue preuailed against them Wherefore hauyng thus been fought with at all the weapons wherein they supposed they had any skill and their shieldes beaten to their heades so often and pearced through what a wrangling contencious and obstinate Aduersarie is this that will yet renewe more chalenges and boast that we dare Neither abroade with neuer so muche securitie nor at home vppon our owne grounde shewe our selues in disputatiō against them Whether would they haue vs to goe to Roome or to Rhemes to dispute with them there What indifferent Iudges or witnesses maie wee haue to dispute of the goodnesse of the finest Wheate and the naughtinesse of weedes in a Seminarie of tares What securitie can we looke for at their handes whose Religion it is to deale vnfaithfully with vs and to breake any faithe of a holy Priest as thei would bee thought or the royall worde and faithe of Kynges and Princes to feede their cruell eyes to see vs burne in the middest of their flamyng fires Their Cannons teache that faithe is not to bee kept with an Heriticke and such they iudge vs as Tertulles did the Apostle And this is no olde forgotten Cannon and worne out of vse but reuiued by the wicked practise of the faithlesse councell of Constance and the disloyall Emperour Sigismund constrained by them to that dishonor cōtrary to his safe conduit graūted to those constant Martirs of Christ faithful plaine Ihon Hus and the learned and eloquēt Ierome of Prage If euer thei would keepe any faithe with vs thei would surely haue kept that beyng giuen in the worde and solemne instrument of an Emperour And if that were not sufficient what securitie will they giue vs or because wee can not safely rest vpon any warrant of theirs who so traiterously disloyally haue falsified their owne deede and therfore haue iustly lost their creditte with vs and are banckeruptes as touchyng their faithe Will thei because we neuer brake with them come to suche places as we shall appoint them If we shall wish thē to come to Geneua in Sauoy to Newstade in Bauire to Rochell in Fraunce or such like places wil thei not complaine that their audience can not bee indifferent what remaineth then but to dispute in writyng whiche as we haue doen hitherto to the iust defence of the truthe against them so by the grace of God some of vs wil be alwaies readie to doe hereafter But if thei would haue their bookes to pas fréely without restraint and all men to be allowed to reade them let thē first assure vs that thei will leaue it free for all suche as are abused by them to reade ours For we are not ignorant of their discipline though most dissolute where it should be straitest yet herein applied to the keping of the poore and ignorant which depend vppon them in that captiuitie that thei maie not once dare to reade our writynges least thei should be conuerted and repent that the Lorde might saue them For except a fewe whom thei estéeme desperate of beyng turned by any meanes to the truth thei restraine al with whom their discipline maie preuaile frō reading of our works If thei so straightly prouide to hinder the truth and to keepe captiue simple soules in their blind kyngdōe of darkenesse Muche more reason haue our Magistrates to prouide that the children of light bee not lead into darkenesse by them But if this discipline remainyng on bothe parties thei bee yet disposed to dispute to informe them selues in the truth if thei wil leaue this large maner of discoursing bitter taunts and other impertinent speeches not so fitt for tryall of a truthe and come to the sharpe poinctes of naked argumentes we are willyng to deale with them in suche order as maie be most indifferent for bothe and fittest for the information in truthe of all suche as shall after examine what hath past on bothe partes For whiche purpose it would be fittest that in euery question the contradictorie beyng taken the one parte for that whiche he holdeth in the question laied out his argumentes taken onely out of the holy Scriptures whiche is the onely competent Iudge in this cause concluded in good forme of Syllogisme without any further deduction of the matter then should be necessarie for the better vnderstanding of the termes which needes must be vsed of the application of the places
in daunger to bee turned into coldnesse of zeale Psal 6 and feare to professe the truth which God had made knowne vnto him Luther was to him as the Aungel was to the Prophet Esay Es 6. which by the burning coales of the Lordes Altar kindled and inflamed his zeale For by his noble spirit of magnanimitie he strengthned and fortifyed the other against the feare of flesh and bloud Such was the comfort and benefit which they receyued of their mutuall giftes to the great edification of the Church And this is the golden payre of two of the worthiest Ministers of the Gospel that Germany hath brought forth in any age Out of whose large volumes the pretended differences obiected vnto vs are taken and gathered The third is Iohn Caluin one of the soundest Diuines and of deepest iudgement in matters of religion both of doctrine and of discipline that God gaue to his Church this thousand yeares whose good name is in déed as the wise man saith a most sweete and excellent oyntment Eccle. 7.3 For howsoeuer Bolsec and the slaunderous defender of the late Censure haue rayled in the spirit of Semei against him and sought to their power to spoyle and marre this pretious oyntment yet all that are of the Church in these partes of Europe smell the sauour of it as the Apostles did the narde of Marie Iohn 2.3 which she powred vpon the heade of our Sauiour Christ and as they that were in the Temple did the sweete and fragrant odor of the holy oyntment when it was powred out vpon Aarons heade Ex. 30.23.24 25.30 Psal 133.2 and trickled downe to the hemme of his garment This worthie man of God like a goodly Starre rising first in Fraunce and after ascending to Geneua where also it went downe so shined in his time in the middes of the Church as if all the Firmament thereof had beene but one Starre and as if in all the Cope of Heauen there had shined none other And these three worthies of all the Lordes hoste at once this weake Authour hath specially chosen to encounter and to deface with contrarietie to themselues and one with another putting his trust as it seemeth in this that his surmysed contrarieties should neuer come to be examined The poyntes wherein hee chargeth them with contrarietie are of the Sacramentes and first in generall of the number of them whereof hee affirmeth that Luther acknowledged but one Caluin two Melancton three or foure For Caluin I confesse hee saith there are but two and in deede there are neyther more nor lesse For a Sacrament being a seale of our Communion with Christ Rom. 4.11 it can not bee shewed that our Sauiour Christ appoynted any more or lesse Seales of the righteousnesse that is by faith and our coniunction with him then onely two namely Baptisme and the Supper of the Lorde Which without any manner of question or difference is manifestly declared to bee the generall iudgement of the Churches professing the Gospell by the booke of the harmony of the confessions of their faith Which hauing beene long agoe exhibited to the seuerall Princes of the Countries states and kingdomes where these Churches are are nowe of late very profitably published to the iust conuiction of all such as slaunder the reformed Churches to be variably distracted rent in sonder with infinit differences of faith For it appeareth by that most profitable labor that the Lorde hath knit and vnited them together with a holy vnitie both sweete as the oyntment of Aaron and also profitable and rich as the due of Sion Psal 133. and of Hermon By which pleasant hermony of the confessions both of this Church and many others it appeareth that the generall iudgement and faith of our Churches acknowledgeth onely two Sacraments Wherein the Churches of God agreeing so well together the diuers opinion of a particular man or two if it were so culd not preiudice their holy vnitie in the faith But how vntrue it is that is here obiected to Luther Melancton will plainly be discouered For Luther that hee euer helde or taught that there should bee but one Sacrament as the Authour chargeth I say is an vniust slaunderous accusatiō In the places hee alleadgeth for his proofe in the beginning of his booke of the Babilonicall captiuitie after the denying of the seauen Sacraments and graunting of three which he there expresly nameth Baptisme the Lords Supper and Penance His wordes are these Although saith hee if I would speake after the vse of the scripture I should haue but one Sacrament and three Sacramentall signes whereof more largely in his time By which wordes it is euident that Luther ment nothing lesse then to teach but one Sacrament in that sense wee here speake of a Sacrament which conteyneth in it both the signe of the Sacrament or holy thing signifyed by it and also the Sacrament or holy thing it selfe for such hee playnely confesseth three Baptisme the Lords Supper and Penance But by one Sacracrament vnderstandeth the matter and substance of the sacramentall signs which is in deede but one namely our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ Which manifestly discouereth the simplicitie of this Authour if not hauing redde nor eonsidered the place himselfe he vouched it vpon confidence of the collection of some other or his verie euill conscience if knowing this to bee Luthers meaning hee haue so wrongfully and vniustly slaundered him Thus for one Sacrament hee hath his answere Nowe to that hee obiecteth of three or foure For foure hee cyteth Melanctons common places where Melancton hauing named three Baptisme the Lords Supper and Penance hee addeth after these wordes It liketh mee most that ordinacion also bee added whereunto he annexeth this reason that it is commaunded of God and that great promise is made to the ministry and preaching of the word For answere whereunto it is to be noted that first in the place alledged hee nameth onely three then after adioyneth this that he could like also the ordinance of the ministeries for the commaundement of God to ordayne Ministers and the promise of God to assist and blesse the Ministery of such as are lawfully called were also named a Sacrament Which importeth as if hee had said that in some sense ordination also may be called a Sacrament Further the confession of Ausb and the Apologie of it as he truly alledgeth both endyted by Melancton maketh mention onely of three Whereby it appeareth that Melancton taught not simply foure but onely three and that the name of a Sacrament in some sense might bee attributed to the fourth and for teaching sake as he speaketh in his Apologie in the title of the number vse of Sacraments Where handling this matter expresly hee vseth these words wee doe not thinke it any great matter although some for teaching doe otherwise number so that they duely keepe the things which are deliuered in the Scriptures neyther did the auncient Fathers number
abhominations for which after they might condemne them to the fire But we confer with them as desirous to delyuer their soules from the wrath to come and their present estate from such punishment as the law doth lay vpon them Releeuing of the prisoners of Christ was thorowe their extreme dealing an occasion to sundrie of great troubles But who hath heard of any Act. and Mo. who for this onely cause hath fallen into any trouble amongst vs. They killed fiue prisoners for the Gospell at Canterbury with famine and miserably relieued the rest for any torment As in time of imprysonment not one of theirs hath bene offered any for religions sake In deed if vnder color of conscience they haue intermedled so far in matters of State as that they haue bene to be tainted of treason it may be such haue beene examined vpon the Rack according to the auncient order both of this and other States in like cases that therby they might be constrayned to confesse that to the safety of many which otherwise they would obstinately conceale to the ouerthrowe of their Countrey Whereof not hauing vs in suspicion at any time but persecuting vs only for the Gospels sake yet some with Ioseph haue had the yron enter into their soule and other with Paul and Silas haue beene layd in the dungeons and there also had their feete put into the stockes Act. 16.25 singing to God as if they had byn in heauen Act. 5. I might name also a great nūber who with Peter and Iohn were whipped and scourged and reioyced that they were vouchsafed to suffer for the word of the Lord Iesu whereof as there were many so a young child amongst the rest was so sore beaten that he dyed of it who before his death was sent to his father whom they had put in the stockes in Lollards Tower Actes and Mo. setting a dish of water by him with a stone in it not much vnlike that of the Iewes which as they read said of Ieremie let vs put wood into his bread to torment the poore man with the pittiful sight of his child so shamefully beaten and many other such foule extremities I could remember them off How they dealt with Hun as it is like with some other which dyed in pryson is partly vnderstoode to their iust reproch and will be plainly discouered in the day when all secretes shal be reuealed It were to long to examine their like dealings in other countreys therfore I referre the Reader to their stories and namely to the 6. and 9. Chapters of the Spanish Inquisition where he shall see what close prysons what spare and lothsome dyet what strange and barbarous extremities are vsed by them The last poynt of the comparyson of vsage is in the execution of death which hee sayth hath beene done of their part in all fauor for iust reproofe wherof let the gentle Reader looke ouer the Storie of D. Tayler who being cruelly vsed all the way he went to execution there being ready for it was stroken a great stroke vpon the head with a waster and hurt againe with a fagot cast at him which light vpon his head brake his face that the bloud ran downe after stricken vpon the lips and last of all so smitten with a Halbard that hys braynes fell out But of all other horrible was the execution of the Garnesey woman Perotine both in her own person in that she was executed being great with child also in her child which being taken vp out of the fire viewed by the offycers was to the perpetual reproach of their most barbarous cruelty cast againe to his mother into the fire In elder time also terible was the executiō death of Sir Iohn Oldcastle the worthie L. Cobham is a witnesse to all ages of their barbarous executions It were to long to rehearse the stories of their most cruell executions in other Countries in all ages Therefore I referre the reader to the bookes themselues namely to the 12. chap. of the Spanish Inquisition Only two examples I will set down for a shewe one of more auncient time and the other of verie late In the low Countries at Tourney Bertram a zealous professor of the Gospell found such fauour as this man speaketh in his execution that after many rackings and tormentes before he had his right hande and foot pressed and mishapen with hot irons his tongue cut of his mouth stopt with a ball of iron his body let vp and downe to the fire till it was burned to ashes which were cast into the riuer Of late in the yeare 1581. at Roome Atkines an English man a zealous professor of the Gospell for a like matter as Bertrames was before which was the taking of their masse Idol from their altar and throwing it vpon the ground had this fauour shewed him in his execution that al the way he went to it as it is reported by such as saw it there were foure did nothing but thrust at his naked body with burning Torches and by a deuise for the purpose was burned so as his legges were burned first that the Tyrantes might feede their eyes with a horrible spectacle of so strange tormentes of the constant Martyr witnesse of Christ this hath bene their execution with al fauour Thus we see the chastisement layd vpon them is the rod of a tender most louing mother correcting her obstinate sonnes to bring thē to her obediēce duety but they haue beaten the true church of God with Scorpions as the Sirians did to the Israelites in Galaad they haue threshed it with flayles of yron Their greatest restraint is such I speak of those which are restrained for matter of religiō that they haue cōuenient roomes houses with gardēs to walke in but they thrust our poore brethren into their darkest dungeōs into the caues holes of the earth as into the dens of Dragons Their dyet is liberall and such as pleaseth them selues to haue but they so fedde the true Church of God in their time and yet doe where their authoritie may serue that she might and yet may in such places renewe the complaint of the olde church of Israell and of her cheefe heade and captaine Christ Iesus I haue eaten ashes as breade and mingled my drinke with weeping They gaue me gall and wormewoode to eate Psal 22. and vineger for to drinke they opened their mouthes vpon me as roaring Lyons they made me so spare that I might tell my bones my heart melted in me like waxe my tongue did cleaue to the roofe of my mouth for drought and I sate me downe vpon the earth Psal 2◠and in the dust But the Lorde whose right hand worketh such changes and alterations hath had compassion of our estate in this land his name be praysed for it and hath opened the prison doores he hath deliuered those which were vowed to death when his appoynted time was come
hee hath shewed mercy to his Sion he hath raised her out of the dust he hath anoynted her with oyle and furnished her table euen in the fight of all her enimies And nowe that the Lorde hath giuen her enimies into her power to require at their hand al the bloud of her deare children which they haue shed so many yeares and to recompence them double for all that she hath receyued of them yet hetherto she hath patiently wayted if the Lord may giue them repentance and forborne to vse any like extremitie towardes them Therefore all these former poynts well considered whether he compare the persons or vsage it will be founde in deede there is no comparison but for this reason because the numbers of such of ours as haue suffered haue bene a thousand to one of theirs the persons of greater state both for birth and calling the vsage so farre diuers both in the time of imprisonment and in the execution that we in our most iust lawful punishmēt of thē haue contayned our selues within the bondes of Christian lenitie and mekenes nay I may truly say that in some obstinate and buysie seducers wee haue beene short of duty But they in their most wrōg ful and tyrannical persecution of vs haue matched if not exceeded the most sauage cruelties that euer were heard off amōgst the Barbarians and the Heathen And thus much for answere to the comparison wherein I doubt not but it easily appeareth to all indifferent readers howe farre vnlike their doings are to ours It followeth now to examine whether of vs can render better reason of such our proceedinge This Aduocate iustifieth theirs by two speciall arguments wherof the first is the authoritie whereby they proceeded against vs which he saith was an ancient generall law meaning thereby the lawe of putting Heretikes to death wheras we haue only new nationall statuts as hee saith to punish them by For the lawe of putting heretikes to death I graunt it to haue beene a generall and ancient law amongst Gods people when the Magistrates haue béene of the faith of the Church And as it is auncient and generall so hath it good warrant of the word of God For the Magistrate beareth not the sworde in vaine but is the Minister of Gods iustice and vengeance vpon all offendors according to the qualitie of their offence Further also heretikes aboue all other offenders most grieuously transgresse both against God whose holy seruice and honour they prophane and also against men whom they by poysoning of the heauenly doctrine doe destroy with death euerlasting Both which being so cleare as they need no further proofe it must needes followe that the Magistrate ought to put an Heritike to death And thus was it expresly commaunded in the lawe of Moses Deut. 13.5 2. reg 23.20 2. Chro. 15.13 and executed by Asa Iosia the noble and zealous Kings of Iuda Against which iudgmēnt in vaine do some alledge the parable of Tares to be suffered to growe till the latter day For the tares there are not onely Heretikes but as our Sauiour there doth expound it all the wicked who are called children of the deuil the seruantes not Magistrates but Angels the pulling vp not the execution of perticuler euill doers by temporall death but the destruction of all the wicked children of the deuil vnto death euerlasting Which points are so plaine to any that will consider the parable with iudgment as they can not be denied No stronger are the rest of the proofes that are by the fauorers of this cause brought in out of Celsus a principall writer for the maintenance of it Mat. 13 40.4◠nor which this new aduocate for heretickes would insinuate for this purpose though for the authority of the cannon law to the cōtrary he dare not plainly discouer this to be his opinion saying faith is the gift of god For this cōcludeth not that no man by compulsion correctiō may so profite that he maye be occasioned to vse such meanes whereby after he may beleeue Nor that such as are obstinate heretickes ought not to be executed by death For by like reasō no malefactors should dy for feare of destroying them euerlastingly repentance being the gifte of God aswell as faith Of this therefore wee are agreed but who is to be iudged an hereticke is all the question betweene vs. They by their Cannon law iudge al heretickes that hold not the faith which at this day is professed in the church of Roome But we deny their Cannon lawe to be any competent iudge of heresie a great part of which law is the sinke of all error and abhomination or any other cannons decrees and authorities of men whatsoeuer and affirme the onely worde of God left written in the bookes of the holy and canonicall scriptures to bee able to iudge of these matters as partly was declared in the beginning of this answere Further we affirme and that agréeably to the same holy scripture whereunto we referre our selues for tryall that the faith now taught receyued by the Church of Roome in such poynts as it differeth from vs to be nothing but a new and late superstition and heresie The cause then falling out thus betwen vs that their doctrine differing from ours is error heresie ours wherin it differeth frō them as in al the other parts therof is the pure word of god Psal 1◠swéet as the swéet bread of the Passouer without any leauen fine as the siluer tryed refyned seauen times in the furnace we are certainelie assured by the same worde whereby wee shall bee iudged in that day when the truth shall shine as the Sunne and they shall see it which doe not repent of this their contradiction of Core to their euerlasting confusion that the auncient generall lawe whereof he speaketh can make nothing at all with them or against vs. Of the other parte whereas he would shew vs to haue small or no authoritie to proceede against them as wee doe as hauing in his opinion onely certaine national statuts wherby our proceedings are warranted hee is to vnderstand that vpon such reasons as hath bene shewed of their doctrine and ours the same auncient and generall lawe which chargeth Magistrates with the keeping of al things written in the law and with the ciuill punishment of al offenders Deut. 17.19 Rom. 13. is a most sufficiēt warrant for the authority which God hath now set ouer vs to compel all the subiectes within this Dominion to serue the Lorde our God according to that right order of his seruice which he himselfe hath appoynted and to correct their errours and obstinacie which shall be disobedient as the qualitie of their offence shall deserue Vpon the warrant of this auncient lawe Iosia in his time constrayned all Israell to serue the Lord their God which can not otherwise be vnderstood then of compelling them thereunto by new national statutes the seueritie whereof enforced