for the maintenaunce of their opinions alleaged the autoritie of the Councell of Arimine Lette vs grounde our selfe saith he neyther I vpon the Councel of Nice whiche neuerthelesse is the moste auncient approued Councell neither you vpon the Councel of Arimine but lette vs cleaue and stand fast to the holy Scriptures Saint Chrisostome was of the same opinion who in his seconde expositioÌ„ vpon Saint Matthew in his xlix Homely sayth The Churche stayeth it selfe vpon the foundacion of the Prophetes and the Apostles And to conclude in this matter we do receiue and take the holie Scriptures for an entier and a perfect declaration of all thinges necessary for oure saluation And touching suche matter as may be found in Councels or the bookes of any auncient doctours we can not nor ought not to let you but that you maye alleage them to your ayde and we also so as it be grounded vpon the expresse tistimonie of the holy Scripture But for the loue of God bring not to vs their bare authoritis vnlesse the same be throughly examined vpon the touch stone before mencioned For we saye with Saint Augustine in his seconde booke of Christian doctrine in the vi Chapter If there fall any difficultie in the interpretation of anye one passage the holye Goste hath so tempered the holy Scripture as that whiche is in one place obscuredly spokeÌ„ is in an other place spoken more clerely And thus much for this pointe which I haue drawen some what the more at length to the intente that all men may vnderstand that we be not enemies to councelles neither to the holy fathers by the whiche it hath pleased God to teache and instruct his Church There are yet two matters behynde to witte the matter of the Sacramentes and the discipline and pollicie of the Church Touching the firste trueth it is that it were requisite it were treated of at good length because of the difficulties that be this day thereof in the state of Christendome But because I haue not at this tyme taken vpon me to dispute but rather to sette foorth shortely the principall poyntes of oure conference I will contente my selfe to declare summarelie what we do thynke and holde therein We be as I take it concerning this word Sacrament of one accord to witte that Sacraments be signes visible by meanes whereof the coniunction and vnitie whiche we haue with oure Lord Iesus Christ is not to vs simplie signified or figured but is to vs verelye and truely offered on the behalfe of the Lord and consequently ratified sealed and as it were grauen by the vertue of the holie Gost in suche as by true faith do apprehend and take hold of that whiche is to them so signified and presented I vse this worde signified my Lordes not meaninge thereby to weake or to diminishe the dignitie of the Sacramentes but to note a difference betwene the signe and the thinge that signifieth it in all vertue and efficacie We do also agree that to the Sacramentes there is necessarilie required a celestiall and supernaturall mutation For we do not say that the water of the holy Baptisme is simplie water but that it is a true Sacrament of oure regeneration and of the washing of oure soules by the blood of Iesus Christe In like sort we do not say that in the holy Supper of the Lord the brrad is simplie bread but that it is the Sacrament of the precious body of oure Lord Iesus Christ which was deliuered for vs. Neither that wine is only and simplie wine but that it is the Sacrament of the precious blood which was shed for vs. But here with we do not say that this mutation is made in the substaunce of the signes but in the vse and end for the which they be ordeined Neither do we saye that they bee made by vertue of certaine wordes pronounced neither by the entent of him that pronounceth the same but by the onely power and will of him that ordeined this heauenly and godly action whose ordinaunce in this behalfe ought to bee rehearsed with a loude voyce and in suche language as the assistauntes do vnderstand to whom it ought also to bee plainely expounded to the intent they may vnderstande it and receiue it accordingly And thus muche concerninge the outwarde signes Let vs nowe come to that that is testified and exhibited of the Lord by these signes We do not say as some for lacke of good vnderstanding of vs do iudge that we do teache that is to say that in the holie Supper of the Lord there is nothing but a simple and naked remembraunce of the death of Iesus Christ Neither do we say that by the sayde holye Supper we be made partakers onely of the fruite of his death and passion but we do ioyne the grounde with the fruites that come of it saying with Saint Paule in his first Epistle to the Corinthians the tenth Chapiter That the bread whiche we breake in suche sort as he hath ordeined is the communication of the very body of Iesus Christ that was deliuered for vs. And the Cuppe whereof we drinke is the Communication of the verye blood that was shedde for vs yea in the same substaunce that he toke in the womb of the virgin Marie and that he caried from vs into heauen And I pray you my Lordes in the Name of God what canne you seeke or finde in this holye Sacrament but we do seeke and sinde the same also I do vnderstand what you wil say straight Some of you wil require vs to confesse that the bread and wine be transfourmed I saye not into the Sacramentes of the bodie and blood of our Lord Iesus Christ for that haue we confessed all readie but into the very naturall body the proper and naturall blood of Christ Others peraduenture will not presse vs so narowly but will require vs to agree that the bodie and blood be reallye and corporally other within or with or vnder the bread In whiche point my Lordes I beseche you for the honour of God to geue eare to vs paciently without takinge anye offence of oure sayinges and for a tyme to put away all the yll opinion that you haue conceiued of vs. When either the one or the other of these two opinions shal be by the holy Scripture proued to vs we yelde oure selues readie to embrace it and to stande to it to the death But for the small measure of knowledge that it hath pleased God to impart vnto vs it semeth that this transubstantiation agreeth not in any similitud and conuenienâ—ie of our faith farasmuche as it is directly contrary to the true nature of the Sacramentes In the whiche it is necessary that the substanciall Sygnes contymie being true Signes of the substaunce of the body and blood of Iesus Christe And besides this it ouerthroweth the veritie of mans nature in Christe â–ª and of his ascention The same do I saye of the seconde opinion that is of the consubstanciation
whiche hath no foundation vpon the worde of Iesus Christ and is neuer a whit necessarie to make vs partakers of the fruite of the Sacramentes If heerupon anye man will This place he hād leth againe in his declaration aske vs whether our mindes bee to seelude Iesus Christ from his Supper we say we meane no such mater But if we haue regarde to the distaunce of places as muste nedes haue when the question riseth of the corporall presence and of his humanitie distinctly considered we saye his bodie is so farre from the bread and wine as the greatest heigth of heauen is distaunte from the earth forsomuche as touching vs we bee vpon the earth and so be the Sacramentes also and touching him his fleshe is in heauen in such sort glorified that as Saint Augustine sayeth hath not taken away the nature of a verye bodye but hath rydde from it all infirmities and imperfections belonging naturallie thereunto And if anye body will hereof conclude that hereby we make Iesus Christ to be away from his holy Supper we answere that he concludeth a wrye for we doe to God this honour that we beleue according to his word that albeit his body presently is in heauen and in none other place and we vpon the earth and not elles where we bee neuertheles made partakers of his bodie and blood in a spirituall sort by meane of faith as verely as we se the Sacramentes with oure eyes touch them with oure handes put them in our mouthes and liue with the substaunce of them in this corporall life You see in a summe my Lordes what our beliefe is in this point which as semeth to vs and in case we be deceiued we woulde be glad to vnderstād it offered no violence to the wordes of Iesus Christ neither yet to the article of Ascētion neither to the ordinaūce and foūdation of the Sacramentes neither yet openeth away to any questiōs or distinctiōs curious and combersome to be dissolued ▪ And further it hindreth not our coniunction and vnitie with Iesus Christe for the whiche ende principally the sayde Sacramentes were ordeined and not to be worshipped shewed kept or caried about neither yet offered to God And to make an ende This beliefe if we be not deceiued importeth more honor to the power and worde of the Sonne of God then doth the other that supposeth the body of Christ to be really coupled with the signes or els we mought not be partakers thereof I shall not nede to touche any point of that may concerne the administration of Baptisme for that I am sure none of you my Lordes will thinke so ill of vs as to accoumpte vs to be of the ranke of the Anabaptistes which sect hath this day no greater enemies then we be to it And as for other particuler questions in this matter we trust with the ayde of God that being the principal controuersie agreed vpon by this frendly and quiet conference the rest will take end of it selfe Touching other commonlie called holy Sacramentes trueth it is that we can not gene thē that name tyll we be better taught so to do by holy Scriptures And yet in the meane tyme we Confirmation thinke we haue sufficiently astablisihed the true confirmation the office whereof is to catechise and to instruct suche as haue bene baptized in their infancie and generally all persons before they ought to be admitted to the holy Supper We teache also true penitence Penaunce whiche lyeth in the true knowledge of oure fautes and the satisfaction of the parties by vs offended either publikelie or perticulerlye and in the absolution whiche we haue by the blood of Christe and in the amendinge of our liues We do allowe Matrimonie according Matrimonie to the ordinaunce of S. Paule in all them that haue not the gyfte of continencie to the whiche we think not to be lawful to binde any person by vowe or perpetuall profession and with that we condemne all whordome wantounesse and loosenes both in wordes gesture and dedes We do very wel admit degrees in Ecclesiasticall charges in suche Orders sort as God hath ordained them in his house by his holy worde We do also allowe visitations of the sicke as a principall part of the holy ministery of the Gospel We do teache with S. Paule no man to be iudged in the difference of dayes and meates knowing that the kingdome of God lieth not in suche corruptible thinges But in this parte we condemne all dissolution exhorting incessauntly all men to sober lyuing to the mortification of the flesh according to eche mans necessitie and to continuall prayer The laste point nowe resteth whiche is touching outwarde order and pollicie of the ecclesiasticall estate wherin we thinke my Lordes we may saye without offence that all is at this daye so peruerted so confounded in such ruyne as it will be harde for the best Maisters deuisers of works that be at this time aliue wel considering the cōmune order and state at this presente of the Churche with the lifes maners conuersation of the ecclesiastical persons to espy out the old signes markes of the buildinge so well deuised compassed and framed by the Apostles whereof your selues can somwhat bear witnesse hauing these dayes passed trauailed about the reformation thereof And because these matters be so well knowen we minde not to holde any further purpose of them being specially thinges better to be kept in silence then to be spoken of abrode And to conclude we proteste before God and his holie Aungels before your Maiestie and this right honorable companie that sitteth rounde aboute you that oure desire and entent is nothing but to haue the fourme of the Churche brought againe to the naturall purenes and bewtie in the which it so greatly florished in the tyme of the Apostles and of our Lord Iesus Christ And touching those thinges that sithen that tyme haue bene added and haue crepte into the Churche such of them as shall appeare clerely to be supersticious or manifestlye contrarie to the worde of God to be vtterlye abolished such as be superfluous to be cut of and suche as by experience we haue sene to leade men to supersticion to be taken quite awaye And if anye shall be founde expedient and seruinge to edifyinge beinge iudged to be of that sorte after ripe wayinge of them by the auncient Canons and authoritie of the fathers let them continue and be reteined kepte and obserued in the Name of God according as may be thought to be conuenient for the tyme place and persons to the intent that drawing all by one string we may serue God in spirite and trueth vnder your protection and obedience Sire and vnder the gouernement of suche as God hathe appoynted vnder your Maiestie to haue the order of the administratiō of this Realme And if ther be any Sire that yet do thinke that the doctrine wherof we make profession doth by anye meane
diuert and draw subiectes from their obedience which they ought to beare to their Princes and superiours we haue Sire to answere theÌ„ withal in good and vpright consciences Trueth it is that we do teache the chiese and principall obedienonce to be due to God kinge of kinges and Lord ouer all lordes For the rest if oure writinges be not sufficient to purge vs of that foule faute laid vnto oure charge we will for oure defence Sire alleage the example of so manie prouinces Seignories Principalities yea and Realmes refourmed accordinge vnto this selfe same doctrine whiche God be thanked may serue vs for good and sufficient witnesses to discharge vs. To be shorte we do in this point cleane to S. Paules saying in the 13. Chapiter of his Epistle to the Romains where speaking of the temporall pollicie he enioyneth enery man expressely to be subiect to the higher powers Yea saith Saint Chrisostome vpon the same place though thou were an Apostle or Euangeliste for such subiection taketh nothing awaye from the seruice of God And in case it hath heretofore happened or may hereafter happen that any cloking them selues with oure doctrine shal be founde culpable of Râ—bellion to the worste of youre officers Sire we proteste before God and your Maiestie that they be none of ours and that they can haue no greater enemies to them so doing then we be so farre as oure poore estate and condition can reach To make an end Sire oure bounden duetie to do the beste we can for the aduauncing of Gods glorie the obedience and humble seruice whiche we owe to your Maiestie the zeale and affection that we beare to oure countrey and specialie to the Churche of God hath this daye brought vs hyther trustynge to Almyghtye God that folowing the course of his goodnes and mercies he will with his grace work in you as he did in litle king Iosias ij thousand two hundred and two yeres 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 auarâ—â—â— sithen And that vnder your gracious gouernement Madame being assisted with you Sire and other right honorable Princes and Lordes of the Councell the auncient memorie of the most famous Quene Clotilde shal be renued by whose good meane as Gods instrument the knowledge of his religion was brought into this Realine This is our full trust Sire for the bringing of whiche thing to passe we are readye to employ oure liues to the end that seruing your Maiestie in a thinge so holy and so commendable we may se and enioye the true golden world in the which our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ maye be serued to whome be honour and glorie for euer Amen Here Master de Beze and his companie bowed their knees to the grounde and afterwarde rysing againe he presented a confession to the king containing the faith of certaine refourmed Churches in Fraunce in suche sort as foloweth Sire we beseche your Maiestie that it maye please the same to haue no regarde to oure rude and yll polyshed language but to waye oure good wylles and affections altogether dedicated to you And forasmuche as the pointes and articles of our faith and doctrine bee plainely and at better lenght conteined in this present confession af oure faith which we haue once already presented to your Maiestie whereupon the present conference is to procede we humbly beseche youre Maiestie to shewe vs againe so muche fauour as to receiue it at oure â—andes in this place trusting by the helpe of the grace of almightie God that after we shall haue conferred together in all sobrietie and reuerence of his Name you sâ—all finde vs all of one accorde And in case oure sinnes shal be a let that it shall not so come to passe yet doubt we not but that your Maiestie with his good Councel shal be hable to bringe the thing to a quiet ende without preiudice of either partie as to reason and Gods honour shal seme beste to appertaine FINIS A briefe writing exhibited by Master Theodore de Beze to the Quene Mother at Poissy the x. day of September containing a declaration of certaine pointes proponed by him the day before in the presence of the King the Quene Mother the king of Nauarre c. Being present also there a nomber of Cardinalles and Bisshoppes and other Ministers of the Church 1561. ⧠To the Quene MADAME whereas your right humble seruaunt Theodore de Beze hath some occasion to feare that your Maiestie should not remaine satisfied with a speache that passed from him yesterday in the declaration of a matter whiche to his great griefe was by my Lordes the Prelates fouÌ„de verye strange He moste humble desireth your Maistie that it maye please you to vnderstand at better lenght suche purpose as he could not then sufficiently expresse by reason of a noyse reased in suche sort as the knitting vp of his matter was not harde nor conceiued of the hearers accordynge as his desire was it shoulde haue bene and as he ment to haue had it Madame the cause that ledde me to enter to that matter was for that there are manye that for lack of good vnderstanding of the confession of oure faith do thinke oure teaching to be to shutte out Iesus Christ from his holy Supper whiche were a manifest impietie For we do knowe thankes be geuen to God that that blessed Sacrament was ordeined by the Sonne of God to the ende that being made more and more partakers of the substaunce of his very bodye and of his very blood we mought be so muche the nere vnited and incorporated with him to drawe to vs thereby the eternall lyfe And doutlesse if it were otherwise it should not be the Supper of the Lord. And Madame so farre be we from willing or meaning to say that Christe is absente from his Supper as contrarily there are no kinde of menne that can lesse beare such a sacriledge then we Trueth it is that there is a great difference to say that Iesus Christ is present at his holy Supper geuing vnto vs there at his very body and very blood and to say that his body and blood are ioyned with the breade and the wine I haue confessed the firste which is the principall The last I haue denied for that I take it to be directely against the veritie of the humaine nature of the bodye of Christ and to the article of the Ascention as it is conteined in the holie Scripture and declared by all the auncient Doctours of the Church I will not here alleage manye places and reasons Onely Madame I beseche your Maiestie moste humbly to waye and consider with your selfe whether of the two opinions carieth with it the more honour to the word and ordinaunce of God eyther that which woulde make vs to beleue that we can not be made partakers of the body of Christe vnlesse it be put and ioyned really with the Sacrament or els the other that teacheth vs that albeit his body doth presently remaine in heauen and not elswhere
â–ª yet by the spirituall vertue of it and by the meane of a right true faith we that be on the earth and do beleue in him be made partakers of his very body and his very blood as truely and as certainlye as we see with our eyes and touche with our handes the holye visible Sacramentes of the bread and wine whiche he hath ordeyned to that effect If this declaration Madame which long tyme sithen hath bene set forth amonges my wrytynges albeit I could not yesterdaye do you to vnderstande the same may satisfie youre Maiestie I shall haue greate cause to prayse and thanke God hyghly therefore If not I will be so bolde as to desire yet so much fauour at your hand as that I may satisfie your Maiestie more fully by mouth in the presence yf it shall so be thought nedefull of such as by whom you shall thinke I may receiue knowledge and learnynge as one that hath great nede thereof and that doth desire nothynge so muche as to learne more and more whereby I may be the more hable to do your Maiestie seruice in the establishing of so holsome and so holye a concorde and agreement These be the very wordes by me spoken where with my Lordes the Prelats seme to be much offended If thereupon they will aske if Rehearsal of the wordes spoken the daye before my meaninge be to make Christe absent from his Supper I saye nay Beleuing neuerthelesse that waying the distaunce of the plates for so muste we do when the question toucheth corporall presence and considering distinctly his humanitie his bodye is as farre from the breade and wine as the highest parte of heauen is from the earth If any man will conclude hereof that we make Christe absent from his Supper we thinke him to conclude yll For this honoure do we geue to God that according to his holye Worde albeit the body of Christe be in heauen and we on the earth yet be we made partakers of his body and blood as verely in a spirituall maner and by faith as we do see the Sacramentes with our eyes and put them into our mouthes do lyue with the substaunce of them in this corporall lyfe â–ª These were my wordes For the confirmation whereof â–ª here what S. Augustine sayth in his fifte treatie vpon S. Iohn When Iesus Christ sayde you shall not alwaye haue me with you he speake of the presence of his bodye For concerninge his Maiestie his prouidence and his inuisible grace he hath fully accomplished his promyse made in an other place I wil be with you til the ende of the world But concerning the nature of man taken of him concerning that he was borne of the virgin Mary concernynge that he was crucified buried and raysed from death to lyfe this sentence is accomplished you shall not alwaye haue me with you And whye for that touching his body he was conuersaunt 40. dayes with his disciples and from the same disciples folowing him with their eyes and not going after him he ascended into heauen at the ende of 40. dayes and is no more here The same S Augustine in his Epistle to Dardanus In asmuch as he is God he is euery where in that he is man he is in heauen Vigilins Byshoppe of Trent which wrot against the heresie of the Eutychians about the yere of Christ 500. saieth The Sonne of God is deparred from vs touching his humanitie but touching his diuinitie he sayeth vnto vs I am with you till the ende of the worlde He is with vs and he is not with vs for he hath not lefte nor forsaken touching his diuinitie them that he hath left and is departed from vs touchinge his humanitie Touchinge the fourme of a seruaunte whiche he hath lift vp into heauen out of our company he is absent but touchinge the fourme of God which departeth not from vs he is present with vs. Againe when his fleshe was on the earth certainly it was not in heauen now that it is in heauen as certainely it is not on the earth and so is he absent as we do styll loke for him which we do beleue to be with vs on the earth in that he is the word to come again from hâ—auen corporally and fleshly And in an other place The onely Sonne of God with was also made man is conceaued in one place by the nature of the flesh and is contained in no place touchynge the nature of his diuinitie ⧠The confession asweall of the Protestants as of there aduersary partie of lait dayes assembled at Poissy in Fraunce concerning the presence of Iesus Christ in the holie Supper whereof let our Papistes chose which best liketh them and so remoue the errour of transubstantiation ⧠La Confession du dernier iour de Septembre 1561. ENtant que la Foy rend les choses promises presentes que ceste Foy prent tresueritablement le corps le sang de nostre seigneur Iesus Christ par la vertu du sainct Esprit en cestegard nous confessons la presence du corps du sang diceluy en la saincte Cene en la quelle il nous presente donne exhibe veritablement la substance de son corps de son sang par loperatioÌ„ de son sainct Esprit nous receuons mangeons spirituelement par foy cest corps qui est mort pour nous pour estre os de ses os chair de sa chair a fin den estre vinifiez parceuoir tout ce qui sy recoit a nostre salut ⧠Autre Confession du premier Dottobre 1561. ⧠The Confession of the one partie presented the last day of September 1561. FOr asmuch as faith maketh present the thinges that be promised and that the sam faith receaueth most assuredly the body and the blood of our lord Iesus by the vertue of the holie Spirit In this respect we coÌ„fesse the presence of the body of the blood of the sam our lord Iesus in the holy Supper In the which he presenteth geueth exhibiteth verely the substance of his body of his blood by operatioÌ„ of his holy Spirit we receaue eat spiritually by faith the body which dead for vs to be bon of his bones and flesh of his flesh to the end that we may be quickened and to receaue all that which is requisit for our saluation ⧠The Confession of the other parte presented the first of October 1561. NOus confessons que Iesus Christ en sa saincte Cene nous presente donne exhibe veritablemeÌ„t la substaÌ„ce de son corps de son sang par loperation de son sainct Esprit que nous receuons mangeons sacramentellement spirituellement parfoy ce propre corps qui est mort pour nous pour estre os de sesos chair de sa chair a fin den estre viuifiez parcenoir tout ce qui est requis a nostre salut Et pource que la foy appuyee sur la parolle de Dieu rend fait les choses promises presentes que par ceste foy nous y prenons vraiement de faict le vray naturel corps sang de nostre Seigneur par la vertu de son sainct Esprit en cest egard nous confessons la presence du corps sang diceluy en la saincte Cene. WE confesse that Iesus Christ in his holy Supper presenteth geueth verely offereth vnto vs the substance of his body and his blood by the operatioÌ„ of his holy Spirit And that we receaue and eat sacramentally spiritually and by faith that sam body which died for vs to be bon of his bones and flesh of his flesh to the end that we may be quickened and perceaue all that which is requiset for our saluation And because that faith grounded vpon the word of God maketh and geueth present the thinges promised and that by this faith we verely and in effect receaue the naturall body and blood of our Lord by the vertue of his holy Spirit in this respecte we confesse the presence of his body and blood in the holy Supper De la part des ministres Maistres Pierre Martyr Theodore de Beze Nic. des Gallars Augustin Marlorat Iean de Lespine Pourla part des do creurs euesques Messieurs Leuesque de ValaÌ„ce Leuesque de Sees Salinac Bouteiller Despence For the parte of the ministers Masters Peter Martyr Theodore de Beze Nicolas de Gallas Augustin Marlorat Iohn de Lespine For the part of the doct bischoppes My lords Bischop of Valence Bischoppe of Sees Sallignac Bouceiller Despence WE know not whiche of the Confessions was presented by the partie of the Protestants neither which by the Bischoppes but let oure Papistes chese either and let vs geue glory vnto God whose veritie compelleth his enemies to confesse that whiche they haue long denied Arise o Lord let thy enemies be confounded Amen The end Imprinted at Edinburgh by Robet Lekprewik Cum priuilegio 1561.
⧠Ane oration made by master Theodore de Beze Minister of the word of God accompanied with xi other Ministers and xx deputies of the refourmed Churches of the Realme of Fraunce in the presence of the King the Quene mother the king of Nauarre the princes of Conde and of La Roche Surion monsieur de Guise the Constable and other great Princes Lordes of the Kinges counsel being there also presente vj. Cardinalles xxxvj Archbishoppes Bishoppes besides a great number of Abbots Priours Doctours of the Sorbone and other Scooles Tuesday the ix day of September 1561. in the Noonnery of Poyssy Truely gathered and set forth in such sort as it was spoken by the said de Beze Whereunto is added a brief declaration exhibited by the said Beze to the Quene the mother the next morowe after the making of the said Oration touching certain poyntes conteyned in the same Ane Oration made by Master Theodore de Beze Minister of the worde of God accompanied with xi other Ministers and with xx deputies of the refourmed Churche of Fraunce in the presence of the King the Quene the mother the king of Nauarre the Princes of Conde and of La Rochesuryon and sundrie other Princes and Lordes of the Counsel SIRE forasmuch as the successe of all enterprises be they great or smal doth depend vpon Gods assistence especiallye when the matter in question appertaineth to his seruice and doth surmount the capacities of our vnderstanding we trust your Maiestie will neither thinke it straunge nor amisse if we begin with the callinge of his Name makynge to hym oure prayer in such sort as foloweth LOrd God Father eternall and almightie we confesse and acknowledge before thy holie maiestie that we be poore wretched and miserable sinners conceiued and borne in sinne inclined and giuen to yll and vnprofitable to all that good is we transgresse continually thy holye commaundementes whereby we do purchase to our selfe by thy iust iudgemēt ruine and destruction Neuerthelesse Lord we are right sorie that we haue offended thee do condemne our selues and our sinnes with true repentaūce desiring that thy grace may aide our rewfull misery And forasmuch as it hath pleased the to shew this day so much fauour to thy poore vnprofitable seruaūtes as to geue them meane to declare freely in the presence of the king whome thou hast established to reigne ouer them and of the most noble and worthy company of the worlde such matter as it hath liked thee to geue them knowledge of touchīg thy holy trueth it may also please thee O Lord Father of heauē and earth according to thy accustomed goodnes and mercies so to kindle our vnderstādinges so to gouerne guide our affectiōs framinge them to yelde to true teaching so to conduct our speache that after we shal haue conceiued according to the measure that it shal like thee to impart to vs the secrets which thou hast shewed to men for their saluacion we maye with all trueth and sinceritie set furth bothe with harte and tongue such matter as may serue to the glory honour of thy holy name to the prosperitie and aduaūcement in honour of our king and of all them that belong vnto him with the rest quietnesse and comfort of the whole state of Christendom and specially of this Realme of Fraunce And this O Lord and father almightie we do require in the Name for the sake of Iesus Christe thy sonne our Sauiour praying to thee in such sorte as him selfe hath taught vs to praye Our Father which art in heauen c. All the aboue writtē was spoken by Theodore de Beze kneeling al his companie being in like sort vpon their knees who after the prayers made rising cōtinued his speache as foloweth Sire it is no sinal felicitie to a faithfull seruaunt bearing his harty affection to his maister to se the face and person of his liege Lord forsomuche as the same representyng it selfe to him as the Maiestie as it were of God visible it can not be but the Subiect must thereby be greatly stirred to call to remembraunce the duetie obedience and subiection whiche he is bounde to owe vnto him For being suche by nature as we be that that we do beholde with the corporal eye foreseing the eye be good and that the thing loked vpon do aunswer to that that is conceiued of it is of muche more effecte then that that is considered onely with a simple and naked apprehension of the minde And in case it come so to passe that the said Subiect be not onely admitted to his Princes sight but receiueth so muche fauour as the Prince wyll be content to haue also a sight of him and moreouer wyll vouchsafe to geue eare vnto him and finally like suche matter as shal by him be vttered he must nedes thereof receiue a meruelous ioye and singuler comfort and contentacion The fruite and comfort of the which four pointes Sire it hath pleased God vsing therein his secrete iudgementes that some of your right humble and most obedient subiectes haue of long tyme laked to their greate griefe and sorowe vntyll that at the length by his infinite mercy harkening vnto our teares continual mourninges he hath shewed vs suche grace as this daye hath brought to vs the good fortune that hytherto we haue wished rather then loked for which is to se your maiestie Sire and that more is to be sene and harde of the same and of such a noble and worthye company as harde were it in the worlde to finde the like So as if we had neuer before receiued any benefite at your hand neither hereafter shoulde euer bee partakers of any from you all the time that we haue to liue coulde not suffise to prayse God for this his benefite and to geue worthy thankes therfore to your maiestie But with this when we consider that this saide day doth not onely open a meane to vs but calleth vs and as a man may say by the gentle cortoyse gracious countenaunce and demeanour whiche wee see in you so well becoomyng your Maiestie driueth vs to witnesse altogether our dueties to cōfesse the Name of our God and to declare the obedience that we beare to you we must nedes confesse that our vnderstandinge is not hable once to conceiue the greatnesse of such a benefite and our tongues muche lesse hable to vtter that that our affections and good willes geueth them in charge to set forth In such sorte Sire that this fauour passing all the eloquence of man we thinke it is a great deal better to confesse our weaknesse with a shamefaste scilence then to diminishe the grace of the benefite by the lacke of conuenient speache for the due setting foorth of the same Our chief desire is Sire to obtaine most speciallye the fourth principal point that is to saye that our seruice whiche we offer this day may be agreable and liked to your Maiestie whiche grace we trust
to winne at your Maiesties handes the rather yf thereby it come to passe which God graunt it may that this our comming hither may bring with it an end not so muche of oure owne thraldomes and miseries the memory whereof is halfe extincte by the good happe of this daye as of a number of troubles disorders whiche hath ben alwayes to vs more greuous then death coulde haue ben fallen vpon the Realme with the ruyne and destruction of so great a number of your subiectes Manye and diuerse occasions be there that hath hytherto kept vs from the enioyinge of so great a grace whereof we should yet be in dispaire were it not that one the other side many other thinges do maintaine our good hope and put vs in some assuraunce First there is by the malice and iniquitie of the tyme an assured perswasion rooted in manye mens heartes that we be vnquiet troublesome and ambitious men geuen to our fantasies and enemies of al concorde and tranquilitie Others there be perhaps who suppose that albeit it may be that we be not altogether enemies of concord yet that we do demaund it and bee content to come to it with so sharpe and heard condicions as were not conuenient we should with them be receyued as though we preteÌ„ded to ouerturne the present state of the world and to make a new of our owne fashionyng and to spoyle a number of their goods and riches to enriche our selues withall There are besides these Sire sundry other lyke or rather greater lettes but we desire rather that the memorie of them may be buried then to renewe by the rehearsall of them olde sores being now come not to complaine or to open griefes but to seke out the most conuenient spedie remedye for them And who then geueth vs such an assuraunce in the middes of so many lettes and hinderaunces It is not Sire the leaning to any thinge that is in oure selues who be in all respectes the basest and most vile in estimacion of any sort of men Neither is it GOD therefore bee thanked vaine presumption or arrogauncie for oure poore low estate beareth it not It is Sire rather our vpryght conscience which assureth vs that our cause is good and iust of the which we trust God wil be protectour and defendour It is also the natural goodnes whiche we doe note in your face speache countenance It is the equitie which To the Quene mother we see and learne by experience to be grauen in your heart Madame It is the righteousnes and To the King of Nauarre vpryghtnesse in iudgement which we finde in you Sire and in the rest of thee blood royall And a great and manifest occasion haue we to hope well in that our trust is that you my right honorable lordes of the Counsayle reducing The coâ—â— saâ—â—e yourselfe all to one conformitie of good meaninge will haue no lesse good will and affection to graunt vnto vs so holy and necessarie an agreement as we haue to receiue it And what more There is yet one thinge that enterteineth vs in right good confidence And that is that we do presume according to the rule of charitie that you my lordes the Prelates with Prelates whome we haue to conferre will rather do your best with vs according to oure little measure to set forth and bring to light the trueth then to darken it to teach rather then to contende to waye our reasons rather theÌ„ to trauaill to argue against them And finallye rather to staye that the disease go no further then to make it incurable and deadly This is the Prelates opinion we haue conceiued of you my Lordes beseching you in the Name of that great God the hath brought vs here together and that shal be iudge bothe of our thoughtes and sayinges that notwithstanding whatsoeuer hathe bene spoken written or done in the space of these xl yeares paste or there about you will spoile your selues like as for oure parte we minde to do the same of all suche passions and preiudices as maye hinder the good fruite that is to be trusted shall succede of so holy and commandable an enterprise and that it may please you to perswade your selfes in the whiche opinion God willing you shal not be deceiued that you shall fynde in vs a sprite tractable and ready to receiue whatsoeuer shal be proued by the pure worde of God Thinke not that we be come hither to maintaine anye errour but to disclose and to amende whatsoeuer may be founde out of the waye eyther on your syde or on ours Esteme vs not so outragiouslye presumptuous that we wolde once pretend to ouerthrow that we knowe to be eternall to witt the Churche of God Neyther do you beleue that we go about and seke meanes to mak you like vnto vs in our poore and vile effate wherewith neuerthelesse thankes be geuen to God we find our selues very well contented Our desire is to haue the ruynes of Ierusalem repaired the spirituall temple to be set vp agayne the house of God whiche is builte with liuing stones to be sette agayne in his entier estate and that the flockes so scattered and strayed by the iust vengeaunce of God and negligence of man may be knitte together againe and brought in one companye to the shepefolde of him that is the soueraigne and onely shepheard This is the mark we shoote at This is our whole meanyng desire intent my Lordes whiche in case heretofore you haue hardly beleued our truste is that you will be easely brought to the belief of it when we shall haue declared to you by conference suche matter as hath pleased God to endue vs with in all modestie and pacience And woulde God that without any further trauaylling we mought in the stede of arguing one against the other all with one voyce synge a songe vnto the Lord and offer oure handes the one syde to the other as it hath chaunsed at some tymes past betwene two armyes of Pagans Infidelles set in battaile array A foule shame must it nedes be to vs that professinge the state of preachers of the doctrine of peace and concorde we be so easely set a sunder and so harde â–ª and vneasy â–ª to be tyed againe together in â—ne vnitie But what shall we say â–ª Men maye and ought to wyshe that all thinges were well but it is God alone that must graunt â—t whiche he wyll do when it shall please him to couer oure sinnes with his goodnesse and chase awaye oure darkenesse with his lyght And hauing thus muche said Sire to the intent it may be knowen that our meaning is to proceade with good and vpright consciences simply plainly and roundly we meane if your Maiestie geue vs leaue so to do to declare in a short fourme the principal points of this conference in such sort as God willing no man shall haue iust cause to be therwith offended There are some men that
theÌ„ heate and light can bee saperated from the fyre And we say with S. Iohn in his first Canonicall Epistell that he that saieth he knoweth God and kepeth not his coÌ„maundamentes lieth and no trueth is in him But concerning this purpose we confesse plainly that we disagree in thre principall pointes The first touching the beginning the spring from the which good workes do procede The seconde what workes bee good workes The third to what respect they bee good Touchinge the first we finde none other free will in man but that whiche receiueth freedome by the only grace of our Lord Iesus Christe And we say that our nature being in the state whiche it is fallen into nedeth before all other thinges not to be aided and vpholden but to be mortified and killed by the vertue of the Spirite of God for so muche as his grace findeth it not onely wounded much weakned but altogether destitute of force and repugning to al good yea dead rotten in sinne and corruption And therefore do we not to him so much dishonour as to make oure selues parteners with him to whose grace and mercie working in vs is to be geuen the beginninge the myddle and the ende of our good workes Touching the second point we do not receiue anye other rule of iustice and obedience before God but his commaundementes as they be written and registred in his holy worde to the which we do not take it lawefull for anye man to adde or diminish to binde therwith mans conscience Touchinge the thirde point to witte in what respect they bee good our beliefe is that so farre foorth as they procede from the Spirite of God working in vs they ought to be called good for that they issue froÌ„ so good a spring and yet yf God shoulde examine them rigorously there wolde be â—ounde matter inough and inough â—o the disaduauntage of them We saye further that they be good in another respecte that is â—o saye forsomuche as God is by them glorified men bee drawen to the knowledge of him and we all bee assured the Spirite of God being in vs which is knowen by his effectes that we bee of the number of the elected and of them that be predestinated to saluation But if a question be moued by what title euerlastinge life doth appertaine vnto vs we say with S. Paule that it is a free gyft of God and no recompence any way due vnto oure merites For Iesus Christ in this behalfe instifieth vs by his onely iustice being imparted to vs sanctifieth vs by his onely holynes beinge by him freely geuen to vs and hath redemed vs by his onely Sacrifice which is auailable to vs hauing in vs a true and a liuely faith by the grace onely and liberalitie of God All those treasures be communicated to vs by the power of the holie Gost vsinge for that effect the preachinge of the Gospell of God and the administratioÌ„ of his holy Sacramentes Not for that he nedeth any such matter for the putting in vre of his said power he being almightie but for that it pleaseth him to be serued with these ordinary meanes to breede and nourishe in vs the precious gift of faith whiche is as it were the onely hand and the onely vessell to take holde of Iesus Christ and to receiue him with all his treasures to our saluation And to the intent we maye declare what we doe admitte for the worde of GOD we admitte nothinge but the doctrine written in the holie Prophetes and the Apostles tearmed the newe and olde Testament For by whom shall we assure vs of oure saluation but by suche a◠〈…〉 thereof without reprothe against whom none exceptions can be taken And touching the writinges of auncient doctours and Councelles we thinke it conuenient before we do receiue them as matter whereunto nothing can be agayne sayde to conferre them throughly and to see them to agree with the holy Scriptures amonges them selues also considering that the Spirite of God is neuer disagreing from it selfe Whiche we beleue my Lords you wil neuer go about to enterprise yf you do yt shall lyke you to pardon vs yf we do not beleue till we do see it doone that you shall euer be hable to bringe it to passe Howe then are we of the cursed race of Cam the sonne of Noe who disconered the priâ—â—â—â— of his Father Do we thinke oure selues more conning and better learned then so many auncient doctours bothe Greekes and Latiues Be we so presumptuous as to thinke that we are the first that brought trueth to light and to condemne the whole worlde of ignoraunce God forbyd my Lordes that we should be suche but it maye like you to remember that there hathe ben Councels and Councels doctours and doctours for these he not the firste dayes that false prophetes haue ben in the Churche of God of whom the Apostles haue geuen vs warning in diuers places namely in the fourth Chapter of the firste to Timothye and Act. the xx Secondly touchinge the sayde auncient writtinges forasmuche as all trueth that may be founde in them must of necessitie by drawen out of holy Scripture what more sure waye can we finde to studie and vse them to oure profite then to trye them by that touche stone and to waye and consider the testimonies and reasons of the Scriptures vpon the whiche they haue grounded their expositions Surely no man can or ought to attribute anye more to them then their selues do require wherupon harken what S. Iherome saith vpon the Epistle to the Galathians The doctrine saith he of the holy Goste is that which is set foorth in the Scripture and Canonicall writtinges againste the whiche if Councelles shall ordeine any thinge it is vnlawfull and not to be admitted And S. Augustine writtinge to Fortunatian We ought not saith he to accompte the reasons and dispntacions of men of what estimacion and howe Catholike soeuer they be or haue bene in equal degree with the Canonicall Scriptures or of suche an aucthoritie as it maye not be lawfull for vs the reuerence due to suche personages reserued to reproue and reiecte any thinge in their wrytinges wharein it may be founde that they haue iudged other wise then trueth will beare them being so founde and vnderstode with the helpe of Gods grace by me or by any others This thinke I of other mens wrytinges and the same libertie do I geue to such as shall take the paines to be readers of any thinge that my selfe shall write As muche to the same sence writeth he in his 11â— Epistle and in lyke sorte in his seconde booke 37. Chapiter against Chresconius Saint Ciprian also writteth in the same wise saying that it behoueth vs not to regarde what this man or that man hath done before our times but what Iesus Christ hath done before all mens tymes And the same rule geueth S. Augustine writting to Saint Iherome And in another place disputing against them that