they should teache they should publishe abrode the Gospell and be vnto the beleuing a swete sauour of lyfe vnto life and vnto the vnbeleuing and vnfaithfull a sauour of death vnto death and that the mindes of godly persons being brought low by the remorce of their former lyfe and errours after they once begonne to looke vp vnto the light of the Gospel and beleue in Christ might be opened with y e worde of God eueÌ„ as a dore is opened with a keye CoÌ„trarie wise that the wicked and wilfull folke and suche as woulde not beleue nor retorne into the right waye should be lefte still as fast locked and shut vp and as S. Paul sayeth waxe worse and worse This take we to be the meaning of the keyes and that after this fashion mens consciences eyther to be opened or shut We saye that the preist in deede is Iudge in this case but yet hath no maner of right to chalenge an auctoritie or power as saith Ambrose And therfore our Sauiour Iesu Christ to reproue y e negligence of the Scribes and Phariseis in teaching dyd with these wordes rebuke them sayng Wo vnto you Scribes and Pharisies whiche haue takeÌ„ awaye the keyes of knowledge and haue shut vp the kyngdome of heauen before men Seing then the keye whereby the waye and entery to y t kingdom of God is opened vnto vs is the worde of the Gospell and thexpounding of the Lawe and Scriptures we say plainely where the same woorde is not there is not the keye And seyng one maner of worde is geuen to al and one only keye belongeth to al we say there is but one only power of all ministers as concerning opening and shutting And as touching the Bysshop of Rome for all his Parasites stateâ— ringlie singe in his eares those wordes To the will I geue y e keyes of the kingdome of heauen as though those keyes were fyt for hym alone and for no body els except he go so to woorke as mens consciences maye be made pliaunte and be subdued to the worde of God we denye y t he doth either open or shut or hath y e keyes at all And although he tought and instructed the people as woulde to God he might once truely do and perswade him selfe it were at the leaste soÌ„me peece of his duety yet we thinke his keye to be neuer a whit better or of greater force then other mens For who hath seuered hym froÌ„ the rest who hath taught him more coÌ„ningly to open or better to absolue then his bretherne We say y t matrimonie is holy and honorable in al sorts states of persones in y e patriarches in the prophetes in the apostles in holy martyrs in y e ministers of y e Churche and in Byshopps and that it is an honest and laufull thinge as Chrysostome saith for a man liuing in matrimonie to take vpon hym therewith the dignitie of a Bysshop And as Sozomenus saith of Spiridion and as Nazianzen saith of his owne father that a good and diligent Bysshopp doth serue in the ministerie neuer the worse for that he is maried but rather the better and with more ablenes to do good Further we saye that the same lawe whiche by constrainte taketh awaye this libertie from men and compelleth them against their willes to liue single is the doctrine of Dyuells as Paule saith and that euer since the tyme of this lawe a wonderful vncleanes of lyfe and maners in goddes ministers and sundrie horrible enormities haue folowed as the Bysshop of Augusta as Faber as Abbas Panormiâ—anus as Latomus as the Tripartite worke whiche is annexed to the seconde Tome of y e Councelles and other chaÌ„pious of the Popes band yea and as the matter it selfe and al histories do coÌ„fesse For it was rightly sayd by Pius the second a Bysshop of Rome that he sawe many causes why wiues should be takeÌ„ awaye from Preistes but that he sawe many moe and more weightye causes whye they ought to be restored them againe We receyue and embrace all the Canonicall Scriptures both of the oulde and new Testament geuing thankes to our God who hath raised vp vnto vs that light whiche we might euer haue before our eyes â—â—aste eyther by the sutteltie of man or by the snares of the Dyuell we shoulde be caried awaye to errours and lyes Also that these be the heauenly voices wherby God hath opened vnto vs his will and that onely in them mans hearte can haue setled reste that in them be habundantly and fullye comprehended all thinges what soeuer be nedefull for our saluatioÌ„ as Origene Augustine Chrysostom Cyrillus haue taught That they be y e very might and strength of God to attaine to saluation That they be the fouÌ„dations of the Prophetes and Apostles whereupon is buylte the Churche of God That they be y e very sure and infallible rule wherbe may be tryed whether y e Church doth stagger or erre and wherunto all ecclesiasticall Doctrine ought to be called to accompte and that against these scriptures neyther lawe nor ordinaunce nor any custom ought to be hard no though Paule his owne selfe or an Aungell froÌ„ heauen shoulde come and teache the contrarie Moreouer we alow the sacrameÌ„tes of the Churche that is to saye certaine holy signes ceremonies whiche Christ woulde wee should vse that by them he might set before our eyes the mysteries of our saluation and might more strongely confirme our faith which we haue in his bloud and might seale his grace in our heartes And those sacramentes togither with Tertullian Origene Ambrose Augustin Hierome Chrysostome Basill Dionysius and other Catholique Fathers do we call figures signes markes or badges printes copies formes seales signettes similitudes patterns representations remembraunces and memories And we make no doubt togither with the same Doctours to say that those be certaine visible wordes seales of righteousnes tokens of grace and do expresly pronounce that in the Lords supper there is truelye geueÌ„ vnto the beleuing the body and bloud of the Lord the flesshe of the sonne of God whiche quickeneth our soules the meate that cometh from aboue the foode of inmortalitie grace truth and lyfe And y â— supper to be the coÌ„munion of y e body and bloud of Christ by the partaking whereof wee be reuiued wee be strengthened and be fed vnto immortalitie wherby we are ioyned vnited incorporate vnto Christ that we may abide in him and he in vs. Besides wee acknowledge there be two sacramentes which wee iudge proprely ought to be called by this name that is to saye Baptisme and the sacrameÌ„tes of thankes giuing For thus many we see were deliuered and sanctified by Christ and well allowed of the oulde fathers Ambrose and Augustine We say y t Babtisme is a sacrament of the remissioÌ„ of sinnes and of that washing which we haue in the blood of Christe and that no persoÌ„ which wil professe Christes name
oughte to bee restraigned or kepte backe therefrom no not the very babes of ChristiaÌ„s forsomuche as they be borne in sinne and do pertaine vnto the people of God We say that Eucharistia the supper of the lorde is a sacramente that is to wytte an euident token of the body and blood of Christe wherein is set as it were before our eyes the death of Christ and his resurrectioÌ„ and what act so euer he did whilest he was in his mortall body to thende we may giue hym thankes for his deathe and for our deliueraunce And y t by the often receauinge of this sacramente wee may daily renewe the remembraunce of that matter to thintent we being fedd with the body and blood of Christ may be brought into the hope of the resurrectioÌ„ and of euerlasting life and may moste assuredly beleue that the bodye and blood of Christe dothe in like manner feede our soules as breade and wine doth feede our bodies To this baÌ„kett wee thinke the people of God ought to be earnestly bidden that they may all communicate amonge them selues and openly declare and testifie both the godly societie whiche is amonge them and also the hope which they haue in Christ Ihesu For this cause yf there had ben any which would be but a looker on and abstaine from the holy CoÌ„munion him did the old fathers Byshops of Rome in the primatiue Church before Priuate masse came vp excoÌ„municate as a wicked persoÌ„ and as a Pagan Neither was there any Christian at that tyme which dyd communicat alone whyls other looked on For so did Calixtus in times past decree that after the consecration was finished all should communicate excepte they had rather stande without the Churche doores bycause thus saith he did the Apostles apoincte and the same the holye Churche of Rome keepeth still Moreouer when the people commeth to the holy communion the Sacrament ought to be giuen them in both kindes for so both Christe hath commaunded and the apostles in euery place haue ordayned and all the auncient Fathers and Catholique Bysshops haue folowed the same And whoso doth contrary to this he as Gelasius sayth committeth sacriledge And therefore wee saye that oure Aduersaries at this daye who hauinge violentlye thruste out and quite forbidden the holye Communion dooe without the woorde of God without the authoritie of any auncient Councell without any catholique Father without any example of y e primatiue Church yea and without reason also defend and maintaine their priuate Masses and the manglinge of the Sacramentes and do this not onely against the plaine expresse commandement and bidding of Christe but also against al antiquitie do wickedly therin and are very Church robbers We affirme that breade and wine are holy and heauenly mysteries of the bodie bloud of Christ that by them Christ himselfe being y e tru bread of eternal life â—s so presently giuen vnto vs as that by faith we verely receaue his body and his bloud Yet say we not this so as though we thought that the nature of bread and wine is clearly changed and goeth to nothing as many haue dreamed in these later times which yet could neuer agree among themself of this their dreame For y t was not Christes meaning y t the wheaâ—en bread should laye apart his owne nature receaue a certain new diuinitie but y t he might rather chaunge vs to vse Theophilactus woordes might transforme vs into his bodie For what can he said more plainly then y t whiche Ambrose saith Bread wine remain stil the same thei were before yet are changed vnto an other thing or y t which Gelasius saith y e substance of y e bread or y e nature of y e wine ceaseth not so to be or y t which Theodorete saith After the consecratioÌ„ the mysticall signes do not cast of their owne propre nature for they remaine stil in their former substaunce forme and kynde Or that whiche Augustine saith That whiche ye see is the bread and Cuppe and so our eyes tell vs but that which your faith requireth to be taught is this The bread is the body of Christ the Cuppe ys his bloud Or y t whiche Origene saith Bread which is sanctified by the word of God as touching y e material substauÌ„ce therof goeth into y e belly and is cast out into the priuey Or that which Christ him selfe said not only after y e blessing of the cup but after he had ministred the Comunion I will drinke nomore of this frute of the vyne It is well knowen that the fruit of the vyne ys wine and not bloud And in spaekyng thus we meane not to abase the Lordes supper or to teache that yt is but a could ceremonie onely nothing to be wrought therin as many falsely slaunder vs we the ache For wee 〈◊〉 that Christ doth truely and presently giue his owne selfe in his Sacramentes In baptisme that wee may put him on and in his supper that we may eate him by faith spirit and may haue euerlasting lyfe by his crosse and bloud And we say not this is done slightly and couldely but effectually and truely For although we do not touche the body of Christ with teeâ—he and mouth yet wee hold him fast and eate him by faith by vnderstanding and by the spirit And this is no vaine faith whiche doth comprehend Christ and that is not receiued with colde deuotion whiche is receiued with vnderstanding with faith with 〈◊〉 For Christ him selfe altogither is so offred giuen vs in these mysteries that we may certainly know we be flesh of his fleshe and bone of his bones and that Christ continueth in vs and wee in 〈◊〉 And therefore in celebrating these mysteries y e people are to good purpose exhorted before they come to receaue the holy communion to lift vp their hearts to direct their mindes to heauen ward bicause he is there by whom we must be full fedde and liue Cyrill saith when we come to receaue these mysteries al grosse ymaginations must quite be bannished â–ª The councell of Nice as is alleadged by some in greeke plainly forbiddeth vs to be basely affectioned or bent toward the bread and wine which are set before vs. And as Chrysostome very aptly wryteth We say that the body of Christe is the dead carcas and we our selues must be the Egles â–ª meaning thereby that we must flie hye if wee will come vnto the body of Christe For this table as Chrysostome saith is a table of Egles and not of Ieyes Cyprian also This bread saith he is the foode of the soule and not the meate of the belly And Augustine How shall I holde him saith he which is absent how shall I reache my hand vp to heauen to laye holde vpon him that sitteth there He aunswereth Reache thyther thy faythe and then thou hast layde holde on
betweene themselues excepte it be peraduentur as in times past the Pharisies and Saducees or as Herod and Pylate did accorde against Christ. They were best therfore to go and sette peace at home rather amonge theeir owne selues Of a truthe vnitie and concorde dothe best become Religion yet is not vnitie the sure and certaine marke whereby to knowe the Church of God For there was the greatest consente that might bee amongest them that worshipped the Golden calfe and among them whiche with one voice ioyntly cryed against our Sauiour Iesu Christe Crucifie him Nother bicause the Corinthians were vnquieted with priuate dissensions or bicause Paule did square with Peter or Barnabas with Paule or bicause the Christians vpon the very beginning of the Gospell were at mutuall discorde touchinge some one matter may we therefore thinke there was no church of God amongest them â–ª And as for those personnes whom they vpon spite cal Zwinglians and Lutherians in very deede they of bothe sydes be Christians good friendes brethern They vary not betwixt theÌ„selues vpon the principles and foundacions of oure religioÌ„ nor as touching God nor Christ nor the holy Ghoste nor of the meanes to iustification nor yet euerlasting life but vpon one onely question whiche is neither weightie nor great neither mistrust we or make doubte at all but they will shortely be agreed And if there bee any of them whiche haue other opinion than is meete we doubt not but or it bee longe they will put apart all affections and names of parties and that God wil reueale it vnto them so that by better considering searching out of the matter as once it cam to passe in the Councel of Calcedone al causes seedes of dissension shall bee throughly pluct vp by the roote and be buried and quite forgotten for euer whiche God graunt But this is the moste greuous and heuye case that they call vs wicked and ungodly men and say we haue throwne away all care of religion Though this ought not to trouble vs muche whiles thei themselues y t thus haue charged vs knowe ful well how spitefull and false a sayinge it is for Iustine the martyr is a witnes how that all Christians were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Godlesse assone as the Gospell firste beganne to bee published and the name of Christe to be openly declared And when Polycarpus stood to be iudged the people stirred vp the President to sleye and murder all them whiche professed the Gospell with these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to saye Ridde out of the waye these wicked and Godles creatures And this was not bicause it was true that the Christians were Godlesse but bicause they woulde not worship stones and stockes whiche were then honored as God The whole worlde seeth plainelye ynough already what we and ours haue endured at these mens handes for religion and our onely Goddes cause They haue thrown vs into prison into water into fyer haâ—â— embrued themselues in oure bloude noâ— bycause wee were eyther adulterers or robbers or murtherers but only for thaâ— we confessed the Gospell of Iesu Christ and put oure confidence in the liuinge God And for that wee complained to iustly and truely Lorde thou knowest that they did breake the lawe of God for their owne moste vaine traditions And that our Aduersaries were the very foes to the Gsopel and ennemies to Christes crosse who so wittingly and willingly did obstinately dispise Gods commaundementes Wherefore when these menne sawe they could not rightly finde faulte with oure doctrine they woulde needes picke a quarel and inuey raile against our manners surmisinge how that we do condemne all well doinges how wee sette open the doore to all licenciousnes and iust and lead away the people from all loue of vertue And in very deede the lyfe of all men euen of the deuoutest and moste Christian bothe is and euermore hath been suche as one maye alwayes had some lacke euen in the very best and purest conuersation And such ys the 〈◊〉 of all creatures vnto euell and the readines of al men to suspect that the thinges whiche neither haue been done nor once ment to be done yet maye bee easely bothe heard and credited for true And like as a small spotte is soone spyed in the neatest and whytest garment euen so the least staine of dishonestie is easelye founde out in the purest sincerest lyfe Neither take we all them whyche haue at this day imbraced the doctrine of the Gospell to be Angels and to liue clerely without anye mote or wrinkle nor yet thinke we these men either so blind that yf any thing may be noted in vs they ar not able to perceaue y e same euen through the least ereuie nor so friendly that they will construe ought to the best nor yet so honest of nature nor curteous that they will looke backe vpon themselues and wey our fashions by their owne Yf so be we list to search this matter from the bottome we knowe in the very Apostle times there were Christians throughe whome the name of the Lord was blasphemed and euell spoken of amonge the Gentiles Constantius the Emperourâ— be waileth as it is writeÌ„ in Sosâ—menus how that many waxed worse after theâ— had fallen to the religion of Christe And Cyprian in a lamentable Oration setteth out the corrupt maners in his time â–ª The holsome discipline saith he whiche the Apostles left vnto vs hathe idlenesse and long rest now vtterly marred euery one studied to encrease his liuelyhode and cleane forgettinge either what they had done before whiles they were vnder the Apostles or what they ought continually to doe hauing receaued the fayth they earnestly laboured to make greate their owne welth w t an vnsatiable desire of couetousnes There is no devout religion saithe hee in Preestes no sounde faith in ministers no charitie shewed in good workes no forme of Godlinesse in their conditions men are become effeminate and womens bewty is counterfeited And before his daies said Tertullian O how wreatched be we which are called Christians at this time For wee liue as Heathens vnder the name of Christe And without reciting of manye mo wryters Gregory Nazianzene speaketh this of the pitifull state of his owne time We saith he are in hatred amoÌ„g y e Heathen for our own vyces sake we are also becomme nowe a wonder not alone to Aungels and menne but euen to all the vngodlye In this case was the Churche of Godd when the Gospell firste beganne to shyne and when the fury of Tyrauntes was not as yet cooled nor the sword taken of from the Christians neckes Surelie it is no new thinge that menne bee butte menne althoughe they bee called by the name of Christians But will these menne I praye you thinke nothing at all of the selues whiles they accuse vs so maliciously whiles they haue leasure to beholde so farre of and see both what is done in
who is so blinde that hee seeth not these menne bee the maisters by whome the people as saythe Hierome hathe been ledde into errour and lulled a sleepe Or who seeth not Rome that is their Niniue whiche sometime was paineted w t fairest colours but now her vizer being pulled of is both better seen and lesse sette by Or who seeth not that good menne beinge a waked as it were out of their deade sleepe at the lighte of the Gospell and at the voyce of God haue resorted to the hilles of the Scriptures waiting not at all for the Councelles of suche maisters Butte by your fauoure some will saye These thinges ought not to haue been attempted without the Bysshoppe of Romes commaundement forsomuche as hee onely is the knotte and bande of Christian societie he onely is that priest of Leuies order whom God signified in the Deuteronomy from whom counsell in matters of weight and true iudgemeÌ„t ought to be fetched and who so obeyeth not his iudgement the same man ought to bee killed in the sight of his brethren and that no mortall creature hathe authoritie to bee iudge ouer him whatsoeuer hee dooe that Christe reigneth in heauen and hee in earthe that hee alone canne dooe as muche as Christe or God hym selfe canne dooe bicause Christ and hee haue but one Councell house That without him is no faythe no hope no churche and who so goeth from him quite casteth awaye and renounceth his owne saluation Suche talke haue the Canonistes the Popes parasites surely but with small discretion or sobrenesse for they coulde stant saye more at leaste they coulde not speake more highlye of Christe him selfe As for vs truely we haue fallen from the Byshoppe of Rome vpon no maner of worldlye respect or commoditie and woulde to Christe hee so behaued himselfe as this falling away neded not but so the case stoode that oules we left him wee could not come to Christ. Neyther will he now make any other league w t vs then suche a one as Nahas the kyng of the Ammonites would haue made in tymes past with theÌ„ of the citie of Jabes whiche was to put out the right eye of eche one of the Inhabitantes Euen so will the Pope pluck from vs the holye Scripture the Gospell of our saluation and all the confidence which we haue in Christ Iesu. And vpon other condition can he not agree vpon peace with vs. For wheras som vse to make so great a vaunte that the Pope is onely Peters Successour as though therby he carried the holy Ghost in his bosome cannot erre this is but a matter of nothing and a very trieflyng tale Gods grace is promised to a good mynde and to one that fearith God not vnto Sees and SuccessioÌ„s Riches saith Ierome may make a Byshop to be of more might then the rest but all the Byshoppes whosoeuer they be are the Successours of the Apostles Yf so be the place and consecrating onely be sufficient why then Manasses succeded Dauid and Caiphas succeded Aaron And it hath ben often seene that an Idoll hath stand in the Temple of God In old tyme Archidamus the Lacedemonian boasted muche of hym selfe how he came of the bloud of Hercules but one Nicostratus in thys wise abated his prydes Nay quod he y u semest not to descende from Hercules for Hercules destroied yll men but thou makest good men euill And when the Pharises bragged of their linage how they wereof y e kynred and bloud of Abraham Ye saith Christ seeke to kyll me a manne whiche haue toulde you the trouth as I heard it from God thus Abraham neuer did Ye are of your Father the dyuel and wil nedes obey his will Yet notwithstandyng bycause wee will graunt somewhat to succession tell vs hath the Pope alone succeded Peter â–ª and wherein I praye you in what Religion in what Office in what peece of his lyfe hath he succeded hym What one thing tel me had Peter euer like vnto the Pope or the pope lyke unto Peter excepte paraduenture they will saye thus that Peter when he was at Rome neuer taught the Gospell neuer fedde y e flock toke away the keyes of the kingedom of heaueÌ„ hyd the treasures of his Lorde satte him downe onely in his Castle in S. Iohn Laterane poincted out with his finger al the places of Purgatorie and kyndes of punyshementes coÌ„mittyng some poore soules to be tormented and other some againe sodenlye â—â—leasing thence at his owne pleasure taking money for so doing or that he gaue order to say priuate Masses in euery cornere or that be mumbled vp the holy seruice with a lowe voice and in an vnknowen language or that he haÌ„ged vp y e Sacrament in euery TeÌ„ple and on euerie Aulter and caryed y e same about before hym whether soeuer he went vpon an ambling Iennett with lightes and belles or that he consecrated with hys holy breath oyle war wulle belles chalices churches aultres or that he solde Iubilees graces liberties aduousons preuentions first fruits Palles the wearing of Palles bulles Indulgences and pardons or that he called hym self by the name of the head of the Churche The highest Byshop Byshop of Byshopps alone Most holy or that by vsurping he tooke vpon hym selfe the right and aucthoritie ouer other folkes Churches or that he exempted him selfe froÌ„ the power of anye civilie gouernement or that he mainteined warrâ— set Princes together at variaunce or that he sytting in his Chaire with his triple Crowne full of labelles with sumptuous Persianlike gorgiousnes with his Royall scepter with his Diademe of goulde and glittering with stones was caried about not upon Paâ—lfrâ—ie but upon the shoulders of noble menne These things no doubt did Peter at Rome in times past and left them in charge to his Successours as you would say from hand to hande for these thinges be now a dayes donne at Rome by the Popes and be so done as though nothing els ought to be don Or contrarie wise paraduenture they had rather saye thus that the Pope doth now all the same thinges whyche wee knowe Peter did many a daye a goe that is that he rounneth vp and downe into euerye Countreye to Preache the Gospell not onelye openlye abroad but also priuatelye from house to house that hee is diligente and applyeth that busines in seasone and out of seasone in dewe tyme out of dew time that he doth the part of an Euangelist that he fulfilleth the worke and ministerie of Christ that he is y e watcheman of the house of Israel receaueth answeares and wordes at Goddes mouth and euen as hereceiueth them so deliuereth them ouer to the people That he is the salte of the earth That he ys the light of the world that he doth not feed his owne selfe but his flock that he doth not entangle him selfe with the worldlie eares of this lyfe that he doth not vse a soueraintye ouer the Lordes people that he seeketh not to haue