olde testament the Prince was otherwise than in the foresayde respects inferiour to the Priest and people It remaineth sayth he that we proue the king of the Hebrue nation to haue ben lesse than his nation and his Bishop VVho shall bee a better iudge in this cause than euen God himselfe For he entreating of sacrifices for sinne committed by ignorance distinguisheth foure sortes of men For either the anoynted priest sinneth or the people or the Prince or the priuate person Of these foure sortes the anoynted Prieste helde the firste place the people of Israell the seconde place the Prince the third place the priuate man the last place If the Prieste that is anoynted shall haue sinned making the people to offende he shall offer for his sinne an vnspotted ' Bullocke without blemishe vnto the Lorde But if all the people of Israell shall haue doone of ignorance that whiche is contrarie to the commaundement of the Lorde and shall afterwarde vnderstande their sinne the people shall offer a Bullocke for their sinne If the Prince shall haue sinned and among many thinges shall doe ought by ignorance that is forbidden by the Lawe of the Lorde and shall afterwarde vnderstande his sinne he shall offer for an offering to the Lorde from among the she Goates an he Goate vnspotted But if any soule of the people of the lande shall haue sinned through ignorance hee shall offer a shee Goate vnspotted Loe foure sacrifices whereof the moste worthy is the Bullocke whiche is offered as well for the Prieste as for all the people The hee Goate is but of the nexte worthynesse the which the King offered Therefore euen as the Prince is prefered before the priuate man so al the people is preferred before the Prince but the anoynted Prieste is preferred before them both This argument is taken from the Sacrifices for sinnes in the olde Testament and is nothing pertayning to gouernment and therfore can infer no necessarie but wrested conclusion therevnto Nowe as this matter is nothing to the present purpose so his argumentes thereon argue the greater follie the more nicely he standeth on them He driueth thē to infer a superioritie by two reasons the one of the more worthy Sacrifice the other of the order placing the discription of these Sacrifices Of the Sacrifice he reasoneth on the more worthy beast as thus He that offered the more worthy beast was the more worthy in authoritie But the highe Prieste and the people offered a more worthe beaste than dyd the Prince Ergo the highe Priest and the people were more worthy in authoritie than the Prince The Maior he taketh for graunted after his manner ▪ The Minor he proueth thus A Bullocke is a more worthie beast than a Goate But the highe Priest and the people offered a Bullocke the Prince but a Goate Ergo they offered a more worthie beaste I aunswere to this worthy if not rather beastly argument made from a Bullocke as I remember once a Papiste sayde in Cambridge of a righte worthie Doctor of hys owne Popishe Church his name quoth he is Doctor Bullocke but per contractionem it maye be Doctor Blocke and so this is a Bullockishe argument but per contractionem it is a very blockishe argument and farre more fitte for Doctour Bullock thā for Doctor Sanders to haue made except that he be made Bullatus Doctor I graunt there was great differences to be obserued in the thinges offered howe beit the worthynesse of the Sacrifice laye not in the things offered but euery Sacrifice had this or that kynd of matter appointed to be offered as the wisdome of God thoughte fittest to expresse the nature of that sinne or propitiation whereof it was a Sacrifice A Lyon is counted a more worthy beast than a Bullocke and yet was it counted an vncleane beast In the second chapter going before this alledged God saith of flower and Corne offered which is not so worthy a thing as is a beast it is the most holy of the offerings of the Lorde made by fire In the thirde Chapter he saithe if he offer a Lambe for his oblation and afterwarde he sayth and if his offerings be a Goate A Goate is a more worthy beast than Lambe But what shall we conclude hereon for the more worthynesse of the Persons authoritie that offered all these and other more different things But nowe if a Bullocke be the moste worthy beast dyd not many Kings many times offer many Bullockes Did not also the high Priests offer other things for themselues besides bullockes in the. 8. chapter of Leuit. a bullocke and ◅ ram was offered for Aaron and his sonnes but here the bullocke is still placed before the ram as a more worthie beast by maister Saunders reason But in the ninth chapter he sayth And in the. 8. daye Moyses called Aaron and his sonnes and the elders of Israel and then he said to Aaron take thee a yong calfe for a sinne offering and a ram for a burnte offering both without blemishe and bring them before the Lorde and vnto the Children of Israel saying take ye an hee Goate for a sinne offering and a Calfe and a Lambe both of a yeare olde without blemishe for a burnt offering also a Bullocke and a ram for a peace offering here is a yong calfe preferred before a bullocke for the Priests sin offering and a ram before a Calfe yea a bullocke and a ram for the people and but a yong calfe and a ram for the high Priest and so the people by this reason shoulde be more worthie than the high Priest and equall at the least they are made euen in this place that M. Saunders so narrowly examineth for the Priest and the people offer a bullocke both of them Now if the dignitie of the beast sacrificed will not inferre the dignitie of the man offering the sacrifice yet wil master Saunders enforce his argument furder from the dignitie of the place in the order of naming eche persons sacrifyce as thus He that is former placed is former in dignitie and hee that is placed later is inferior in dignitie But the priest annointed held the first place the people of Israel the second place the Prince the thirde place the priuate man the last place Ergo the Prince is inferior in dignitie to the Priest and the people and onely superior to the priuate man. I answere this is as meane if not a worser argumente than the other from the former place in recitall to the former place in dignitie Maister Saunders owne order of his booke in this selfe same treatise confuteth himselfe In hys firste booke he examineth the peoples authoritie In his seconde booke the Princes authoritie in his thirde booke the Priests authoritie shall wee v◅gehim herevpon that he ment to giue the people superior authoritie to Princes and Princes superior authoritie vnto Priests he will saye be ment it not
¶ The Supremacie of Christian Princes ouer all persons throughout their dominions in all causes so wel Ecclesiastical as temporall both against the Counterblast of Thomas Stapleton replying on the Reuerend father in Christe Robert Bishop of VVinchester and also Against Nicolas Sanders his Uisible Monarchie of the Romaine Church touching this controuersie of the Princes Supremacie Ansvvered by Iohn Bridges The Princes charge in his institution to ouersee the direction of Gods lawe DEVTER 17. After he shall be settled in the throne of his kingdom he shal write out for himself in a volume the copie of this Law taking the same of the Priests of the Leuitical tribe and he shal haue it with him reade it al the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and keepe the wordes and ceremonies of him which are written in this law c. ¶ PRINTED AT LONDON by Henrie Bynneman for Humfrey Toye 1573. · HONI · SOIT · QVI · MAL · Y · PENSE · E. R ¶ To the moste high and moste excellent Princesse Elizabeth by the grace of God Queene of Englande France and Ireland defender of the Faith of Christ and in earth next vnder God of the Church of England and Ireland in all Ecclesiastical and temporall causes the supreme Head Gouernor ALbeit most Gracious Soueraigne I might be vvoorthily noted of presumption in dedicating these my trauailes to your Maiestie as vvel for the basenesse of my skill calling as for the vnreuerent demeanour of the aduersaries that here I ansvvere vnvvorthie vvhom your Highnesse should deigne to loke vpon yet bothe bicause the matter entreateth moste of a Princes estate and that vpon the chiefest point therof belonging in general to al Christian Princes but in especiall to your Maiestie against vvhom they chiefly direct their malice and in maintenaunce vvhereof your Maiestie direct your gouernement and herein haue giuen a mirror to al christian Princes to folovv and be partakers in their common vveales of the lyke blessings wherwith God hath beautified your Highnesse and established youre authoritie I thought it therfore not vnfit setting my self and them aside with all such by matters as incidently fal out in disputation betvvixt the Bishop and master Feckenham of me these my aduersaries â–ª to conâ—…ecrate this argumente of Supremacie to youre moste excellent Maiestie as to vvhom chiefly in your dominions next vnder Christ it dothe pertaine VVhich your Highnesse so nobly maintaines by practise of godlie gouernment hovve euer we by the vvord and argument do defend it There is no controuersie at this day betvvixt vs and the enimies of the gospel more impughed thaÌ„ this one of the Supremacie nor more bookes compiled more libels scattered more vaunts made of truth on their partie more sclaunders deuised of oure doctrine and your Maiesties Title more secrete conspiracies and open treasons against your Royal person and state of the Realme than our aduersaries make only for this Supremacie Shall Sathan then vse al this double diligence in promoting the pride tyrannie of his Antichrist the man of sinne the foreigne vsurper of all Christian kingdoms and shall the children of god be negligent in defence of the kingdom of Christ of the Lordes anoynted of the dutifull office and lavvfull authoritie of their naturall Soueraigne â–ª Other meanes I graunt may be had to suppresse their furious dealing And God bee blessed therefore that hath furnished your Maiestie vvith povver couÌ„sell authoritie lavv vvisedome learning vertue courage and al other Princely habilities â–ª suffiâ—…iet to maintein your Highnesse Title protect that portion of Christes Church vvhich he hath committed to your most Gracious gouernment in peace and truth prosperously 〈◊〉 your enemies VVherein as your Maiestie hath euer most zâ—…lously sought and set forth the glorie of god â—…e hath so glorified you again as he hath promised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glorificabo that your highnesse may say as king Dauid sayd â–ª he hath deliuered you out of your enimies hands and defeated all their purposes he hath established you a kingdom here on earth in peace and righteousnesse and hath prepared in heauen a Kingdom for you in glorie and eternitie Novv although this be so cleeâ—…e that euen the enimies themselues coÌ„fesse God vvorks vvith you God fights for you God hath takeÌ„ your hart into his handes that haue taken his quarel into yours yet sith the 〈◊〉 do mutteâ—… sclander your Highnesse to take suche kind of GouernmeÌ„t on you as vvere not coÌ„petent as the Pope had vvont to do your Highnes is furthest from if this your claime be not proued to be grouÌ„dedon Gods vvord if those enuious be not coÌ„â—…inced by euident argumeÌ„ts of the seripture al the foresaid prosperitie is couÌ„ted but earthly blessings and such as other vvorldly Princes haue All the due authoritie is 〈◊〉 but extorted violence neither is the mouth of the adoersarie stopped neyther is the mind of the subiect satisfied And therfore vvhen al is don â–ª there is no better meanâ—… to may 〈◊〉 this Title than euen by learning 〈◊〉 for to me it to the vttermost and to fight vvitâ—… the vveapon of Gods vvord for it vvhicheâ—…s sharpeâ—… to vvoâ—…nde the aduersaries heart and conscience than any tvvo edged svvord But some vvil say this is sufficiently done by otherâ—… learned labours vvhen both in the dayes of your Maiesties Father of most renoumed memorie euen the best learned of our aduersaries did not only confesse it but vvrote so effectually in defence therof that shamefully aftervvard reuolting their guiltie conscieÌ„cebore vvitnesse against themselues nor they coulde euer ansvvere their ovvne vvritings And also after that in the godlie gouernment of youre Highnesse blessed Brother many other more excellent fathers in vvriting did confirme it And novv lastly in this your Maiesties happie Reigne diuers famous and lerned men to the further confirming of the godlie and confounding the enimie therein haue vvritten vppon this argument Yet sith oure aduersaries haue neuer doone thervvith but sette on a freshe lyke to him that vvhen in vvrastling he was euer cast of pride and vainglorie vvoulde neuer acknovvledge that he had any fall I thought good to make euident to all your Maiesties subiects euen to the enimies themselues the places vvhere they shamefully fel and lie stil in their errour rather than to vvrastle vvith such vvarblers And yet if they start vp again to trie a further pluck vvith them and by the strength of Gods inuincible truth so to ouerthrovv them that as fast as they boast cauill and sclaunder the truth of our cause and the goodnesse of your Maiesties quarell shall shevve it selfe the cleerer although the simplier handled A number of other vvhom I knovve coulde haue done it farre better vvho may also at their discretions further trauaile in it And in deede vvhere the most of this vvas done a good vvhile sith it vvas layde aside thus long expecting if any other vvould attempte it
your saying And so not onely ye playnly reuile the Lordes anoynted the Quéenes most excellent maiestie but also hir highnesse brother and father whom so muche ye praysed before For neither of them did forgo it no not Quéene Mary hir selfe that dyd forgoe it did euer forgoe it so ye rayle at hir also Besides many other godly princes of this other realmes for the eccl. iurisdiction as ye call it whiche some of them did neuer some of them did not euer forgoe And therfore ye both reuile them and belye theÌ„ but chiefly the Quéenes highnesse and is not this neither a preparation to rebellion But M. Stap. muste néedes be let goe whether he list to range and therefore let him goe First he asketh vvho vvere they that set foorth deuises of their ovvne for the succession of the crovvne vvithout the Princes knovvledge Surely sayth he no Catholikes but the very Protestantes them selues Ye doill M. Stap. to make a generall conclusion of the Protestantes simply from the priuate dooinges of some Should a man say that the pedigrée that M. Christoferson set from Iohn of Gaunt for king Philips title to the Crowne of Englande prouing him to be euen nearer than Quéene Mary hir selfe was the dooing of all the Papistes No the Papistes mystiked and corrected it Howebeit when it was best corrected it tended to a farre worsse ende which ende was all their dooings and fetche to bring this Realme to perpetuall slauery and bondage of Aliens than dyd these mens facte in deuising for the succession which though it were not lawfull to be done vvithout the Princes knovvledge as ye say yet was their entent farre otherwise than to make a preparation to rebellion yea rather to stoppe all gappes as they thought the better from Popishe rebellion althoughe they medled further than became them to do But what excuseth this the Papistes disobedience thinke ye these faultes of the Protestantes be couerings large inoughe to hyde the Papistes wickednesse but to stretche them further he discourseth on the writinges of master Knox and master Goodman For we shall haue all layde in our dishe noughte shall be lefte behinde concealed that any Protestants vnaduisedly euer dyd or spake And it is good to sée our owne faâ—…ts and follies this profite of foes Plutarche teacheth vs to be one of the greatest commodities for that that our friendes would not tell vs our enimies will not layne but spâ—…e out all that they knowe to our shame good and badde false and true togither And therfore we had néede beware that professe the word of God how circumspectly we lead our liues least we giue occasion to the aduersarie and his ministers to slaunder the Gospell and that the vncircumcised Philistians rayle not of the God of Israell by reason of our defaults as héere this enimie dothe Howbeit his argument is all insufficient either to proue any disobedience in vs or to excuse the Papistes disobedience the argument is this M. Knox and M. Goodman wrote agaynst the raygne of women Ergo the Protestantes acknowledge not the Quéenes supremacie in all causes ecclesiasticall Such slender arguments he gleaneth togither agaynst vs séeking bye matters But what should he do else should he haue nought to furnishe his counterblast withall At last giuing ouer the pursuite of the Protestantes he returneth to the defence of his clyent that this can be layde of all men least to M. Feck And héere lyke a wel enstructed proctor he reckneth what good déedes he did in Q. Maries dayes and appealeth to certayne Right honorables as the Lorde Earle of Leicester the lorde Earle of Bedforde the lorde Earle of VVarwike Sir VVilliam Cecill secretarie Yea the Queenes maiestie hir selfe to defende and purge him The good déedes that he reckneth vp are these two First that sir Iohn Cheekes life landes and goodes by his trauayle and humble suite were saued The other His hope is that the Queenes highnesse his soueraigne good Lady will thus muche reporte of hym how in the beginning of hir highnesse trouble hir highnesse then beeing imprisoned in the Court at VVestm and before hir committie to the Towre his good hap was to preache a sermon before Queene Mary and hir honorable councell in the Courte where he moued hir highnesse and them also to mercy and to haue consideration of the Queenes highnesse that now is then in trouble and newly entred in prison VVhat displeasure he susteined therfore I do heere saith M. St. omit to expresse but this I certenly know that he hath reported and hath most humbly thanked almightie God and hir highnesse that hir highnesse had the same in remeÌ„brance at the first last talke that euer he had with hir in hir palace at VVestin before hir highnes coronation I trust these are suffycient personages for M. Feck purgation and discharge against your false 〈◊〉 And so he concludeth with a prayer that M. Feck may be made partaker of the like dooinges as he then shewed to other men That downe M. St. God hath graunted him long time M. Fec hath felt it nor if he be not too vnthaÌ„kful can deny it yea your selfe graunt that he confesseth the Q. highnesse to be his soueraigne good lady reported that hir highnesse forgot not the same I warrant you forslacked not the large recompence of his sermon not only if he would haue reuoked his errars superâ—…titions but also euen as he wilfully refused hir highnes fauourable inclinatioÌ„ towards him I haue herd him ofteÌ„ times my selfe publikely priuately acknowledge what the Q. maiestie most liberally gaue him at the reducing of the Minster to the former estate But what doth this Pharisaicall repetition of his former good déedes then excuse his obstinate disobedience now or proue that his booke set foorth agaynst the Queenes maiesties authoritie dispersed among hir subiects is notnowe a very preparation to rebellion if he did any thing then to deserue fauour now let him now so behaue him selfe that he may finde it the Quéenes maiestie is most mercyful and beneficiall What hindreth him then but his owne rebellions obstinacie and yet he hathe founde since what little fauour so euer he got for other then tenfolde muche more doubled to him agayne Little fauoure God knoweth and hir Highnesse felte founde she in that hir trouble and streight imprisonment after M. Feck sermon But ye will not expresse what displeasure M. Fec susteined for mouing Quéene Mary and hir Councell to mercy and to haue but consideration of the Queenes highnesse that now is What gotte he so great displeasure for thus much M. St was it so sore a matter to moue them to mercy and consideration of their doinges I had thought they had done all thinges with mercy and great consideration But why will ye not expresse it forsooth ye should then expresse what excéeding crueltie whiche can hardly be expressed what inconsiderate doings the Papistes vsed then neither coulde they
the booke of the lawe your texte sayth not so â—…ir but Describet sibi Denteronomium legis huius in volumine he shall write out this second law in a booke as Edmund Beck a man of your sect truly hath translated This is the least matter saith M. Stapl. and yet this is so great a matter that as a notable reproche he fasteneth it also in the margine as it were with a tenne penny nayle to vse his own phrase M. Hornes vnskilfulnesse â–ª But if M. St. did not play the vnskilfull hypocrite him selfe but had pulled the beame of vnskilfulnesse out of his owne eye he should then haue cleerely séene that the Bishop vsed good skill in citing his text faithfully and he in thus reprâ—…heÌ„ding the Bishop hath shewed so litle skill and so much infidelitie that though he him selfe be paste shame yet M. Feckenham and all his fréendes may well â—…e ashamed of him Ye say saith M. Stapleton the King is commaunded to haue by him the booke of the lawe your text saith not so sir. Forsooth sir the text saith so by your leaue the text hath bothe and therefore it is not the Bishop but you that lie both vnskilfully and also vnfaithfully therein Put on your spectacles reade your text againe and I dare say except your lippes hang in your lighte ye shall within sixe woordes following finde these woordes Et habebit secum and he shall haue it with or by him or as Munsterus translateth it Eritque illud penâ—…s eâ—…m and it shal be about him or appertayning vnto him So that here appeareth plainly your skilfull fidelitie if it be not done rather of peruersitie and malice to vse your owne woordes in deniyng the Scripture to say that which in plaine woordes it saithe and in calling that an vntruth in translation which euidently is a very true translation This vntruth therefore must be cutte of from your talie and nicked vpon your score The second fault founde with the Bishop in his antecebent is an vntruth as M. Stapleton hath scored it vp in leauing out a parte of the sentence materiall Wherein he noteth the Bishop of infidelitie Your infidelitie saith he appeareth in the curtalling of your texte and leauing out the woordes that immediatly go before those that ye alleage What were these woordes that the Bishop did alleage That he haue by him the Booke of the lawe Say ye me so M. Stapleton then if the Bishop haue left out the wordes of Moses that immediatly go before those that he alleaged euen by your owne confession these wordes alleaged do come immediatly after those that ye say the Bishop left out Dâ—…ye not sée what a manifest lier your owne testimonie proueth you Within sixe lines folowing ye affirme that the text hath not these wordes and here ye say they follow immediately You are full of gathering contradictions what call ye this it followeth in the text immediatly and it is not in the text at all Where is your Logike that ye boaste of are not these contradictories so that vnlesse ye caÌ„â—…ake two contradictions true ye haue made your selfe in the one an open lier Alacke M. Stapleton where was your remembrance Mendacem memorem esse oportet a lier should haue a good memorie least he faulter Well will you say here ye tooke me tardie But how say ye to this the Bishop hath leaft out a parte of the sentence materiall he hath curtalled his â–ª text The later worde he hath bicause they make directly against him quite least out Hath he so M. St. verily that were a foule faulte and infidelitie in deede But what againe if he haue not done so if he haue left out no parte of the sentence which he cited what if those wordes which M. Stapleton would adde out of another sentence would not make any thing against the Bishop were he not then cléered of this faulte and might it not redounde to the faultfinder And by your leaue M. Stapl. though I will not herein charge ye with infidelitie vnlesse ye wist it but impute it rather to want of knowledge yet at the least it is one of your vnskilfull lies for the sentence Et habebit seâ—…um c. and he shall haue it by him and shall reade it all the daies of his life that he may learne to feare the Lorde his God and keepe his woordes and ceremonies whiche are commaunded in the Lawe is an whole and perfect sentence and as the Hebrues call it a Pasuk which if not so much as perusing the Hebrue or Chaldee text yet if meaning a truth ye would haue looked vpon the translation of Sanstes Pagninu or Munsterus ye should haue séene it to be a full period and sentence of it selfe So that the Bishop is sufficiently discharged of all vnfaithfulnesse nor hath curtalled any sentence that he alleaged nor left out any later former or middle parte materiall or not materiall thereof But now M. Stapleton looke you to it least you be founde herein a passing vnfaithfull lyer not onely on the Bishop but on the holy Scripture also Ye say he hath curtalled his text What was his text he shall haue by him the booke of the lawe What woordes follow immediatly after and he shall reade it all the dayes of his lyfe to the ende that he may learne to feare the Lorde his God and keepe all his wordes and ceremonies that are commaunded in the lawe All this the Byshop cited and expounded also hath he then curtalled his text M. Stap. that so throughly and so largely hath set out the same Tushe saye you he lefte oute the wordes that immediatly go before those that he alledged Why M. Stay. call ye that curtalling curtalling is to cut off those wordes that come behinde To cut off those wordes that immediatly go before was rather to behead his text than to curtall it And do ye not sée withall how contrarie ye speake to your selfe they be the latter wordes and they be the words that immediatly go before If they be the wordes that go before they be not the latter wordes if they be the latter they be not those that went before vnlesse they come twise bothe before and after and so the head and the tayle of the sentence is al one and the byshop cutteth off both head and tayle away according to your popishe vsage of the Scripture But then where ye say he leaueth out a material parte of the sentence ye should haue sayde he tooke away all that is materiall and not one materiall parte thereof But the byshop citeth the full sentence And those words which ye say come after and that the byshop leaueth them out bicause ye say they make directly agaynst him they come not after at all but playnly are set before And I muche maruell with what impudent face ye durst chalenge the byshop for curtalling his texte when he telleth all the wordes that followe both of the sentence he cited and of that
whiche commeth after also and yet your selfe so flatly belye the Scripture for malice to the byshop in saying suche wordes that the byshop lefte out do followe which neither followe at all and your selfe before confessed they went immediatly before Sée see howe enuie hath blinded this mans sighte Lesse maruell it is that ye sawe not the period for although those wordes whiche ye cite as lefte oute taking a copie of the Priest and the Leuiticall tribe â—…e wordes going before the bishops sentence and he shall haue by him c. yet is there a ful period betweene them which you saw not or would not sée so that those former words are no materiall part of the sentence following cited by the byshop but a material part of the senteÌ„ce going before which the byshop cited not But M. St. citeth falsly threapeth that the bishop did cite it and in citing it lefte out a materiall parte thereof charging the byshop in these wordes after suche order as your owne text appoynteth â–ª saying VVhen he is set vpon the seate of hys kingdome he shal write him out this second law in a booke taking a copie of the Priestes of the Leuiticall tribe VVhich latter wordes ye haue bicause they make directly agaynst you quite lefte out Why M. Stap. he left out bothe the latter middle first wordes and all of this sentence he mentioned it not at all ye doe but threapen kindnesse on him to fasten withall vpon him your chalenge of infidelitie Onely he alleaged the nexte sentence and that expounding it so fully that he leaueth oute neither former latter or any materiall poynte at all thereof .. And thus muche doth your selfe also witnesse agaynst your selfe saying that he lefte oâ—…t vvordes that immediatly goe before the vvordes vvhich he alleadged And what were those he shall haue by him c. This then was the texte that he alleaged by your owne confession And therfore when ye vrge him with the former texte that he alleaged not to proue infidelitie in him ye contrarie your selfe ye cleare him ye shewe your owne excéeding vnfaythfull dealing bothe to the scripture and to him also But wherefore should the Byshop haue left out as ye charge him any materiall parte of his texte bycause say you it maketh directly agaynst him In déede that were a shrewde cause and would iolily cloke M. St. infidelitie and cause men to suspect infidelitie in the bishop if he had concealed any thing in his text that directly made against him Which infidelitie who vseth and who approueth it for the poynt of a wise man to conceale that that maketh agaynst him shal after wel appeare But now although it be plainly proued that the byshop in his text left out no part therof Yet for further tryall of this also let vs take not onely the latter wordes of the next period going before which words he complayneth are lefte out but euery worde also of the same sentence concluding two or thrée periodes vnder one bicause we would haue nothing left out and ioyne them to the sentence following cited by the byshop and then behold what maner of conclusion either directly or indirectly they make agaynst him Wherin shall appeare that M. St. hath so besotted himselfe in diuinitie that he had quite forget the logike that so ofte he crakes vpon These textes are these VVhen he is set on the seate of his kingdome he shall write for him selfe out of this seconde law in a booke taking a copy of the Priests of the Leuiticall tribe And he shall haue it with him and he shall reade of it all the dayes of his life that he may learne to feare the Lorde his God and keepe all the wordes and ceremonies that are written in the lawe Upon these words M. St. frameth his argument The king shal write out this second law in a booke taking a copy of the Priestes of the Leuiticall tribe Ergo a king ought not to take vpon him suche gouernement in ecclesiasticall causes as the Quéenes maiestie doth chalenge and take vpon hir For this is the conclusion that directly maketh agaynst the bishop but as herein his logike is altogither vnskilfull so is his diuinitie yet more vnfaithfull For hauing chalenged the bishop for leauing out these words taking a copie of the priests of the Leuiticall trybe as directly against him and theÌ„ immediately foloweth sayth he how he shall busily reade the sayde booke and so foorth In which words he maketh another toto manifest lie falsifying the text yet once againe For these words Et habebit secâ—… he shal haue with him which word he leaueth quite out go betwéene therfore followe not as he sayth immediatly But sée héere whether it be of malice to the byshop or to the Scripture that all this while in quarelling with this little poore text habebit secum he shall haue with him he findeth fault with translating he accuseth the byshop of infidelitie and vnskilfulnesse he complaineth of leauing out wordes going immediatly before of curtalling the texte and leauing out latter wordes of leauing out a material part of words following immediatly he citeth and reciteth these and those wordes in Latin and Englishe he scanneth and descanteth on translations and all this while those onely three wordes habebit secum which the byshop alleaged wrinching and wresting he euer glaunceth by them he will not once name them but leaueth them quite out which was the materiall thing that the byshop alleaged And yet all the while he whineth of leauing oute and leaueth oute him selfe that he should chiefly answere What shall we thinke is the cause that he dothe thus surely there is some force in those wordes that he sawe were more directly against him or else he would neuer do so for very shame But I remember a tale that he hath patched vp into his counterblast of the Simoniacall Priest that béeing commaunded to say In nomine patris filij spiritus sanctâ—… could rehearse all well inough till he came to spiritus sancti as for that he could not pronounce it in any maner of wise But sée your chance M. Stap. that ye there fabled howe here your selfe haue playde the like part The byshop vrgeth you with thrée wordes habebit secum â–ª ye will not onely answere nothing thereto but ye will not in any wise whyle ye repeate the sentences so muche as name those wordes and yet ye goe rounde about them On the other side those wordes that the bishop cited not as no parte of his sentence alleaged Lorde what a doe ye make of curtalling of leauing out of infidelitie vnskilfulnesse peruersitie malice and I can not tell what Onely bicause ye thinke those wordes séeme to make for your massing Priests authoritie bicause they name Priests and yet God wot they make nothing for you nor agaynst the byshop directly or indirectly But you thinke this sentence maketh thus much for your priestes that if the
novv But then is it most euident that the Popishe Churche is not the true Churche nor was figured hereby at all For first the popishe Prestes deliuered not a coppie of the lawe of God to wete of the Old and New testament vp into their Kings Queenes and Princes handes to write it out and haue it alwaies by them to studie vppon but rather do the contrary as did the Pharisies keping the key of knowledge away from them of purpose telling them it appertaineth not to their estates but that they may go play them or employ them selues in other foreigne matters onely the worde of God they must in no case meddle withall which belongeth alonely to the Priests Nor they will be bounde to deliuer vp to their Princes any coppie thereof at all But thus much yet they will do for their Princes to giue them a péece here and there and that either must be the bare letter as M. Stapleton calleth it or els such expositions as it shall please them to leauen the dough withall And is this now the perfect bodie of that shadow the veritie of that figure set forth in Moses order or not rather the full accomplishing of the Scribes and Pharisies doings whom they haue so followed in not giuing vp a coppie to their Princes in wresting defacing and taking away Gods worde that theirs may better be said to be a very shadow and figure of the Popish priests dealings herein And that we rather expresse the veritie of that figure and shadow of Moses order rendring vp to our Princes a full perfect and sincere coppie of Gods lawe that they may write it out set it forth haue it by them and meditate therein day and night as King Dauid counsayleth to learne thereby to be wise and feare the Lord their God and by them all their subiects And thus his importune vrging of this place hath so properly helpt his matter forwarde that where he saith the Bishop left it quite out as making directry against him what soeuer the Bishop did it had bene better for M. Stapl. to haue left it quite out also or not to haue triumphed so much on that which at the better view thereof so directly maketh against all his popishe Priestes But for all this M. Stapleton will proue that the popish priestes must not onely haue the handling of Gods worde but also that they can not be deceyued nor erre in the sense thereof And this will he proue euen by the Protestants them selues For sayth he as the Protestants them selues are forced by plaine wordes to confesse that they knowe not the true worde or booke of God but by the Churche whiche from time to time deliuered these bookes euen so by all reason and learning they shoulde also confesse that the Churche can no more be deceyued in deliuering the sense of the sayde worde than in deliuering the worde it selfe VVhich seeing they will not confesse for then we were forthwith at a point and ende with all their errours and heresies they must nedes continue in the same The argument is this The Protestants confesse that they know not the worde of God but by the Churche of Christ that kéepeth witnesseth and agnizeth the same from time to time Ergo the Protestants must néedes confesse that the Church he meaneth the Popishe priestes in deliuering of the worde can not be deceyued in the sense thereof In stéede of aunswere hereto master Stapleton him selfe maketh a preoccupation for perceyuing the falsenesse and follie thereof woulde soone be reiected VVhich seeing sayth he they will not confesse for then we were at a point with all their errours and heresies they must needes continue in the same Do we not confesse master Stapleton that ye woulde haue vs confesse why then haue ye reasoned all this while thus fondly taking that for confessed which your selfe now are forced by plain wordes to confesse that we confesse not but vtterly denie that you be the Catholike Church that you haue deliuered these bookes from time to time which you haue rather hid away that you can not erre in the sense â—…f the scripture and such like wrong principles Which in déede if we shoulde falsely confesse with you then all the matter were at a poynt and ende as ye saye But since we denie it and reiect your fonde reasoning à petitione principij it is tyme that ye séeke out other arguments more substantiall or else as your cause is at a poynte or not worth a poynt so in conclusion ye stande on this poynt to slaunder vs as following euery man his owne heade and that we shal neuer haue done and errours will neuer cease more and more to encrease and multiplie vnlesse we take forth say you the lesson I haue shewed you And what lesson is that Forsooth that we must graunt and confesse to be most true all these your false principles And then we shall be your white sonnes and good scholers I dare say if once we would conne that lesson Ye would giue vs a fat remedie and leaue to play the fooles truands all day long if we would learne that lesson of yours But such scholemasters as yâ—… are such schollers ye desire to haue and suche lessons ye take them forth Caecus autem si caeco ducatum prestet ambo in foueam cadunt If the blinde leade the blinde both of them fall into the ditch Thus ye deceyued the princes and people in tymes past But God be praysed both Princes and people haue now taken forth that lesson out of Gods holy word that ye could not or neuer would teach read or expound vnto them Nowe when ye haue redde this lesson vnto vs with so false a glosse and commentarie vpon the text as ye complaine left out ye determine that the best remedie were the exact obseruation of this place that ye haue say you so wilyly and sleightly slipt ouer This is but a poynt of your apparant impudencie master Stapleton to set a beâ—…de face on the matter for God knoweth ye would nothing lesse than that the diligent reader shoulde exactly obserue this place Whiche if he did this place alone were there no more woulde sufficiently shewe howe ye haue haled and racked it and all the lawe of God besides That this place therefore if the exact obseruation thereof be the best remedie to your cause as ye say might remedie your cause the better I haue somewhat the more exactly obserued it and if your cause haue founde any remedie thereby muche good doe it you ye shall haue more of it So that I trust yée shall not néede to complaine of ouerslipping any thing materiall Which least ye should doe the Chapter shall be yet more exactly obserued than perchaunce ye would haue it to be And to begin with that ye quarrell at next as wilily and sleightly slipt ouer But most of all say you another sentence in the verie said Chapter And euen the next to this
therfore he was neyther the Priestes nor the Prophets executioner in them If ye say God had determined that they should so be done ye say true and we denie not but that the Princes power and authoritie did execute Gods determination yea it was readie and seruiceable as ye say thereto And so it ought to be in all princes But what conclude you herevppon Bicause the princes power and authoritie is ready and seruiceable to execute Gods determinate purpose yea or his open commaundement either and that by the mouth of any Priest or Prophete Ergo he is not supreme gouernour vnder God therein In déede ye might well conclude he is not an absolute supreme gouernour ouer God whose determination he doth execute so seruiceably but this ye might conclude agaynst your Pope that exalteth him selfe aboue all that is called God and despiseth to execute seruiceably Gods open determination and maketh all Princes to bee seruiceable executioners of his own determinations Thus doth not the Quéenes Maiestie nor any Godly Prince but obeyeth and executeth Gods determination with all hir power and authoritie most readie and seruiceable therevnto and yet is neyther hir supreme power nor authoritie vnder God any whitte empayred thereby And if this be an argument to abase the Princes supreme power and authoritie how shall it not also abase the Priests ought they to doe any other things then execute Gods determinations ought not their power authoritie be ready and seruiceable herevnto Ergo â–ª they can be no supreme gouernors neyther But ye will say the Prince is yet inferiour to them bycause they executed Gods commaundement immediately and the Prince theirs What now if it fall out quite contrary that Ezechias executed seruiceably Gods commaundement they againe executed although their seruice was not ouer readie such was their corruption yet tandem at the length they executed the Princes commaundement doth it not then followe that they were therein inferiour to the Prince But that he commaunded and appointed them and that they executed in these spirituall things his commaundement and appoyntment the scripture is most apparant He brought in the Priestes and gathered them togither in atrium sacerdotum sayth Lyra into the porche of the priests The Priests called not him and his nobilitie togither And therefore sayth Lyra vnder him was made Primo expiatio legalis c. First the clensing of the lawes sacrifice Secondly the celebration of the benefite of the passeouer Thirdly the repayring of the Priestly ministerie He as a commaunder sayde vnto the Priestes séeing them sâ—…owly deâ—…ed Audite me Leuitae sanctificamint c. Heare me O you Leuites and be ye sanctified clense the house of the God of your fathers and take away all vnciennesse from the sanctuarie Which are not wordes of entreatie but flatte commaundements as Lyra sayth Ezechias cupiens renouare foedâ—… cum domino primo pracepit c. Ezechias desirous to renew the couenant with the Lorde First did commaund the Leuites to be sanctified Secondly by them being sanctified the temple to be clensed Thirdly by those which were clensed sacrifice to be made for the offence of the people Fourthly by sacrificing God to be praysed Fiftly by clensing the holy burnt-offrings to be offred vp Thus were all these thinges done by his commaundement by his constitution and at his pleasure Nunc igitur placet mihi vt 〈◊〉 foedus cum domino It is now therefore my pleasure sayth he that we enter into a couenant with the Lorde And in this doing euen in the place where he putteth them in minde of their high office he calleth them not his fathers which worde hereafter ye stande much vpon but calleth them being the Priestes Leuites his sonnes Filij meâ—… sayth he nolite negligere O my sonnes be not negligent being him selfe in yeares but a childe in respect of them of the age of xx yeares sauing that in respect of hys royall power and estate he considered he was the father of all Gods people so well the clergie as the laitie and so the clergie tooke him and obeyed him Et ingressi sunt iuxta mandatum regis imperiâ—… domini And they entred in according to the Kings commaundement and the commaundement of the Lorde Iuxta mandatum regis sayth Lyra ad purgandum templum domini To clense the temple of the Lorde according to the Kings commaundement And Lyra praysing all these doings sayth Et sic Ezechias in dâ—… coronationis c. And so Ezechias in the day of his coronation opened the doores of the temple of the Lorde and euen there gathering the Priestes and the Leuites togither he enioyned vnto them the sayde purging Lo here is againe the kings owne iniunction whereat ye quarreled in the former Chapter And on the morrow after they began it and in this appeareth the great prayse of Ezechias that euen foorthwyth from the first day of his coronation he commaunded the renuing of the diuine worship that was destroied by his father Lyra shewing further of the pollution of the temple telleth out of the Hebrue glosse that there were many Images of Idolatrie fastened in the walles of the Temple with such strong and great nailes that they were hardly pulled away A liuely patterne of your popish Temples Master Stapleton decked vp euen so with Images in the walles and withall it confuteth your fonde distinction of Image and Idoll since as well ye may haue Idolatrie of Images as of Idolles If ye thinke to escape by distinguishing of the Images of holy Saintes and the Images of the wicked heathen that they onely be Idolles not the other I pray you what was the brasen serpent was it the Image of any prophane thing or not rather a representer of Christ and yet it became an Idoll and this godly King not the Priestes destroyed it and called it in contempt a péece of brasse as a man might call your Images or Idolles whether ye will a stocke or stone Thus did this notable Prince which I tell by the way not onely to shewe his supreme authoritie in the doing but besides to aunswere your ordinarie cauillation in defence of your manifest Idolatrie The Temple being clensed from these Images the Priestes offered first for the King Pro Regno for the Kingdome that is sayth Lyra pro Rege Principibus for the King and the Princes and after for themselues the people The King â—…ad them offer on the aultar of the Lord and they obeyed offred sayth Lyra pro peccatis Regis Principum Sacerdotum Leuitarum communis populi For the sinnes of the King of the Princes and of the Priestes and of the Leuites and of the common people Thus in their degrée reckoning euery sort Hée appoynted also the singers Againe he commaunded the Priestes to offer the burnt offrings and he and his Princes commaunded them to sing Psalmes When they had
euen the name of Ministers as euen your selfe do M. St. other where how soeuer here it came vppon you to pretende to bestow a reuerent speach thereon But the Apostles thought not scorne of the name but willed men so to estéeme them as the ministers of God and the dispensers of his mysteries but as your papall Bishops and Priestes be nothing like Gods ministers so least of all are they like the Prophets that were then except ye meane the prophets of Baal that maintayned idolatrie and pleasant leasings to maintayne them selues at Achabs table and fill their paunches with the chéere of Beel and the Dragon The Lords prophets they be not like neither in preaching propheciyng or ought els And yet saith M. Stapl. they be the onely ministers of God now in spirituall matters as prophets were then in the like Why M. Stapl. were the prophets then onely gods ministers in spirituall matters if ye say no how doth your tale hang togither why say ye they are onely Gods ministers now as Prophets were then in the like since the Prophetes were not onely Gods ministers then as ye pretende for your Bishops and Priestes to be onely now If they were not onely then no more be yours only now admitting they were in the like If ye say yea they were onely then Gods ministers as the Bishops and Priests be now what were the Bishops Priestes and Leuites then that were no prophetes were not they Gods ministers in spirituall matters also if yea then were not the Prophets in the like to your Bishops and Priestes that are as ye say only gods ministers now Make your tale for shame hang better togither and withall tell what you meane by this dubble shuffling Ye tolde vs before that your Bishops and Priestes now are like the Bishops and Priestes then and that not the Prophets but the Priestes had that prerogatiue which ye haue so often craked vpon your generall rule of iudgemeÌ„t whereby ye vrged then a supremacie not in the Prophets but in the Bishops Priests And now seing that ye caÌ„ not proue it in these examples where the Bishops Priests obey the Princes ordinance as his inferiours ye shift of the matter to the Prophetes say now your priests prelates succéede are like the Prophetes let go the former claime of priests But these are but your shifts for if the Prophets had this supreme gouernment then the priests had it not If it appertained to the hie priestes chayre so long as the priesthoode of Moses continued then it belonged not to the Prophetes and thus ye contrary your selfe But in very déede neither of theÌ„ both had it but the Prince vnder god They were both Gods ministers in their diuerse functioÌ„s and yet subiecte to their Princes as for the popish Bishops and priestes are like to neither of both The. 17. Diuision THe Bishop with the like example of Iosias concludeth his collection of the Princes in the Old Testament and herevppon maketh in effect this reason All these doinges of these kinges are commended as acceptable seruice and right in the sight of God But the clayming taking vppon them the supreme gouernment ouer the ecclesiasticall persons of all degrees the ruling gouerning and directing them in all their functions in al manner causes belonging to religion were the doings of all these kinges Ergo For Princes to clayme and take vppon them the like supreme gouernment is their right and acceptable seruice in the sight of God. The counterblast of master Stapleton to this diuision is thrée folde First to the example of Iosias Secondly to the argument Thirdly by setting vp newe issues and markes to improue all that the Bishop hath hitherto exemplified as vnsufficient to proue the issue To the first part sayth Master Stapleton King Iosias traueled full godly in suppressing Idolatrie by his kingly authoritie VVhat then so doe good catholike Princes also to plucke downe the Idolles that yee and your brethren haue of late set vp and yet none of them take them selues for supreme heades in all causes spirituall This is all that he aunswereth to the example of Iosias First where the Bishop sayd Iosias had the like care to the foresayde Princes for religion and vsed in the same sorte his Princely authoritie in reforming all abuses in al maner causes ecclesiastical To this aunswereth master Stapleton He traueled full godly in suppressing Idolatrie by his kingly authoritie As though this were a full aunswere denying or graunting the Bishops assertion or as thoughe besides the suppressing of Idolatrie he did nothing else Where as the scripture is plaine how hee also redde the lawe before all his subiects how he made the couenant with God that all hys subiectes shoulde walke after the Lorde and obserue all hys commaundements testimonies and ceremonies Howe hée sware them all to kéepe this couenant Howe he commaunded them to kéepe suche a solemne passeouer as was neuer kept by any of all the kings before him How the Priestes appoynted not themselues but he appoynted them in their offices Howe they exhorted not him but howe he exhorted them to prepare themselues sayth Lyra dutifully to celebrate with deuotion the solemnitie of the passeouer Howe he commaunded the arke to be set vp in the Sanctuarie and to beare it no more on their shoulders Howe he commaunded theÌ„ to minister to the Lord and to his people Israel How he commaunded theÌ„ to prepare them selues according to the houses of their auÌ„cesters in their orders aâ—… Dauid had appointed them How he coÌ„maunded them to minister in the sanctuary by their families and Leuiticall courses How he commaunded them to be sanctified and then to offer the passeouer How he commauÌ„ded them also to prepare or sanctifie the residue of their brethren And when al things were prepared how the Priestes kept their stations and the Leuites were in their orders according as the king had commaunded them And so saith the text after it hath reckened vp the manner of the Priests Leuites singers and porters ministeries all the seruice or worship was orderly accomplished in that day to keepe the passeouer and offer their burnt offrings vppon the aultare of the Lorde according to the commaundement of Iosias the King. All these things M. Stapl. were done by his authoritie and commaundement But all these thinges are matters and causes ecclesiasticall Ergo his authoritie and commaundement stretched furder than in suppressing Idolatrie yea â—…uen ouer the chiefest matters ecclesiasticall But all this had M. Stap. quite forgotten and therefore we must beare with him though he answere the Bishop only with this Iosias traueled full godly in suppressing Idolatrie by his kingly authoritie Wherein we sée also how doubtfully he speaketh for when he perceyued it could not be denied but that which he did he did by his kingly authoritie yet would he not say that he suppressed Idolatrie by
and profitable to the soule yet vvill he not that any should be constrayned Thus sayth Alfonsus of Aerius opinion for fasting and not as you say master Stapleton that he made no dyfference betvveene him that fasted and that fasted not Whereas Aerius made a great difference and Alfonsus cleareth him of that you accuse him But howsoeuer Alfonsus in the other poynt wherin you let him go frée accuseth Aerius by S. Augustines testimonie if he altogither contemned all maner of fasting ordeyned by the Churche then are we cleared from béeing charged with him for we refuse onely the superstitious necessitis of the Popishe Churches lawes As for the true Churche of Christe if vpon any occasion some lawes of fasting should be made by hir toll vs where we haue sayd we would contemne them Yea it is apparant we yéelde obediently to those lawes of fasting ordeyned by the Quéenes Maiestie and hir realme the Churche of Englande whiche be not superstitious fastes nor binding the minde of the faster with any necessitie of conscience but made for the necessitie and policie of the Realme and state of our countrey And if the whole Church of Christ ordeine like lawes for fasting we shewe hereby how little we would with Aerius despise the same but we with the word of God and with the true Church of Christ in the Apostles times in the Primatiue age and in the auncient fathers dayes reiect all suche superstitions in fastes as the Popishe lawes and customes â—…o burden the Churche withall And thus dothe euen S. Augustine that noteth Aerius writing to Casulanus agaynst one Urbicus in Rome who would haue it obserued for a lawe and made a foolish booke theron that men should fast on Saterday and other dayes saying that Peter did so whom he calleth as the papistes do the head of the Apostles the porter of heauen and the foundation of the Church when he conuicted Simon Magus S Augustine improueth this tale by Peters concorde with all his fellow Disciples that vsed no suche faste And after long prouing and improuing he concludeth thus Si autem quontam huic quantum potus c. But bicause I thinke I haue answered this as sufficiently as I could if ye aske my sentence hereon I reuoluing it in my minde do see that in the Euangelicall and Apostolicall writings and in the whole instrument that is called the new Testament fasting is coÌ„maunded But on what dayes we shoulde not fast and on what dayes we should fast I finde it not defined by the commaundement of the Lorde or of the Apostles And by this I deeme that fasting agreeth fitter not in deede to obtayne righteousnesse which fayth obteineth wherein is the beautie inwarde of the kings daughter c. Howbeit in this fast or dinner on the Saterday nothing seemeth to me heerein to be kepte more safely and quietly than that he which eateth dispise not him that eateth not nor he which eateth not dispise not him which eateth For neither if we eate we shall abounde neither shall we want if we do not eate That is to say while we keepe companie with those among whome we liue and with whome we liue to God without offence taking in these things For as for that the Apostle saythe is true it is ill for the man that eateth through offence so is it ill for the man that by offence doth fast c. Thus farre saint Augustine agaynst the precise appointing of fast on the Saterday in whose time it was frée for euery Church to vse hir owne custome Yea as he concludeth with aunswere of Ambrose hereon VVhen I am at Millaine I fast not on the Saterday when I am at Rome I fast on the Saterday And to what Church ye come keepe the order thereof if ye will neither giue nor take offence Thus we sée first how the fastes of the Church of Rome were no such lawe to all other Churches to receyue from hir their order or dayes of fasting or else they had bene Aerians for then had both S. Augustine Ambrose to béene Aerians by master Stapletons rule and by the Popes obtrusion of his Churches fastes to all other Churches nowe But the Church of Millayne euen vnder his nose besydes those of Affrick were at that time of contrarie orders Secondly as it was of Saterdayes fast so was it also for Fridayes fast or any other daies or day as appeareth by Saint Augustines generall rule in appealing to the Scripture and there finding no day at all appoynted As he sayth afterward againe Sed quoniam noÌ„ inâ—…enimus c. But bicause we finde not as I haue rehearsed aboue in the Euangelicall and Apostolicall writings which properly perteyne to the reuealing of the newe Testament that on any certaine dayes it is euidently commaunded we should keepe fastes c. Thirdly that what dayes soeuer they did kéepe fast they did it not as any meritorious act to obteyne righteousnesse thereby For this was the difference that the Papists put betwene him that fasted and that fasted not which is a thousand partes worse heresie than was that of Aerius I aske none other witnesse herein than euen one of your owne side Frier Ferus who inueying agaynst the Phariseys for ascribing righteousnesse to their sacrifices and ceremonies But wee sayth he do all things preposterously placing righteousnesse in these things which of themselues are neither good nor bad neglecting those things wherein true righteousnesse consisteth But one errour draweth on another For from hence followeth first that we make to our selues a greater conscience of the transgression of the Churches or Monkishe decrees than of the transgression of the diuine precepts Secondly hereon it commeth that we easily iudge other that obserue not the same as here did the disciples of Iohn VVhen Paule notwithstanding teacheth let no man iudge you in meate or in drinke or by reason of a feast day c. Item he that eateth not let him not iudge him that eateth c. To conclude it is farre an other thing to doe the worke than to put a trust in the worke It is good to fast and to keepe the Churches decrees but to put a trust in them is not only not good but wicked For this cause therfore Christ required not fasting other bodily obseruations he exacted not of those that are his or prescribed ought at all of these things not that he iudged such things of theÌ„selues to be euill or vnlawfull but that they should not â—…all thither againe that is to were to a trust of workes from whiche he woulde haue them most farre The which surely had chauÌ„ced if he had exacted any such thing of those that are his as nowe we perceyne is committed in the Churches constitutions For euen as sone as euer these coÌ„stitutions began to be giuen men began also therwith to trust in them And so by little little we haue
any pointe derogate from his holynesse â–ª than 〈◊〉 there 〈◊〉 not a greater as our Sauiour dothe 〈◊〉 For to 〈◊〉 myracles addeth no holynesse or 〈◊〉 to a man siâ—…he it serueth aswell for the ill and reprobate as the Lorde wit nesseth haue not we sayd the Hypocrites O Lorde caste out diuels in thy name And therefore sayth Chrisostome to suche as in his 〈◊〉 required myracles and asked why they had not myracles so well 〈◊〉 the olde time Si fidelis eâ—… 〈◊〉 If 〈◊〉 arte faythfull as thou oughtest to be if thou louest Chryst â–ª as he oughte to be loued thou needest no myracles for myracles are giuen to those that are vnbeleeuers It is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 M. Stap. that your Churche is an vnbeléeâ—…ing Churche since it so vaunteth of myracles and that of such myracles as either are plaine illusions of wicked spiritâ—…s working strongly in the children of vnbeleeâ—…e to deâ—…ayne them still in errour or else are nothing but maâ—…yfest forgeâ—…ies and iugglings suche in very déede as the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the christians then withall But that your 〈◊〉 are not sâ—…aundered there with now I report me to those your Images that could sweate roll their eyes â–ª moue their handes turne rounde aboute sense the Church walke vp and downe the aultare speake wéepe laugh frowne and do many other pretie miraculous knackes Of which 〈◊〉 all the worlde now seeth the marueytous legerdemaine the best of your sâ—…rt are either forced with shame to confesse the abuses or else to â—…est out the matter with scoffes as sir Thomas Mooâ—…in in his booke of pilgrimages and myracles doth But none durst crake of them so impudently as doe you comparing your false myracles to the auncient true miracles calling vs Arians and 〈◊〉 aâ—… though we denyed those when we onely denie yours at the which if not the Deuill himselfe yet his ministers sate if not at saintestombes yet at your Zoolatrous shrines to illude yea to robbe and spoyle the simple people to derke your gorgious shrines and Images but chiefly to enriche your â—…es But as Christ come sayth Martyres non gaudent c. The Martyres reioyce not when they are honoured with that money â–ª for which the poore doe weepe VVhat vertue of iustice is that to rewarde the deade and spoyle the liuing c. what maner of men then be they that spoyle men and make buyldings of 〈◊〉 What woulde Chrysostome haue sayde had he séene with what rapineâ—… your Popishe shrines were decked nothing like the reuereÌ„t tombes of those holy Martyrs which yet they worshipped not nor the Martyrs in theÌ„ what true myracles 〈◊〉 were wrought at them â–ª â—…nd therefore Chrysostome waâ—…th Ne aâ—…endas cinâ—…res of the â—…es bodies nor the imbeâ—… of the flâ—… reliques and all their bones which in time 〈◊〉 coÌ„sumed but open the eyes of thy sayth and see the 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 power And in such sort sayth saint Augustine â–ª Honoramus sanè memorias martyrum tanque sanctorum hoâ—… Des. VVe honour in dâ—…ede the memorie of the martyrs â–ª as the holy men of God Not as he sayth afterwarde as the heathen doe that to their Gods buyâ—…de Churches and erect aultars ordeyne Priestes and make sacrifices Nos autem c. But wee sayth he doe not buyâ—…de Churches to our Martyrs as though they were Gods but make memories of them as deade men whose soules do liue with God neyther doe we erect altars there whereon we might sacrifice to Martyrs but we offer Sacrifice to the one God both of the Martyrs and of vs At the which Sacrifice the men of god which in the acknowledging of him haue ouercome the worlde are in their place and order named but not of the Priest that sacrificeth although he sacrifice in the memorie of them bicause he is Gods Priest not theirs But the sacrifice is the bodie of Christ which is not offered to them bicause they are this same bodie Which saying of Saint Augustine as it confoundeth your grosse opinion of this spirituall sacrifice that next ye lay to our charge for he sayth the sacrifice is that bodie of Christ the which they them selues be also that is the mysticall bodie and not his naturall bodie so it sheweth what a difference betweene those olde tombes of true Martyrs and your Saints shrines there is You builded and dedicated Churches to them so did not they Your schooemen say they haue numina and therefore ought to be worshipped so did not they You erected altars to them so did not they You sacrificed to theÌ„ so did not they You ordeyned Priestes vnto them and besides Priestes you instituted Monkes Nunnes Friers and Chanons to them so did not they You worshipped them with diuine honour so did not they and yet ye call vs by the name of those Heretikes that reiected theyr Martyrs miracles and memories bicause we reiect your illusions and Idolatries Now as you thus meruelously slaunder vs so are yée eyther deceyued your selfe or would deceyue others vnder Saint Ambrose name where as the booke ye cite whiche also Alfonsus standeth much vpon is none of Ambrose his workes but some fayned forgers in his name as Erasmus very well doth proue If ye will know the very minde of S. Amb. turne to his commentarie on the first to the Rom. where he saith quanta agritudo c. VVhat a great griefe what a great folly is it for those to call themselues wise men to their owne damnation among whom the deade can do more than the liuing and the deade are of better power than those that are aliue These are Ambrose his owne wordes making flatly agaynst you But whosoeuer those Sermons be that ye quote they touch not vs as is declared We yelde to the olde Martyrs so much as these fathers require We only denie to yours that you require and woulde extort to enriche your selues and delude the people neyther sparing to belie vs nor the fathers and face vs out with false cardes in their names But letting go your forgeries of the fathers what say ye once againe to Frier Ferus herein Uulgus hominum c. The common people sayth hée esteemeth Saintes by myracles and counteth him the greater that hath done more myracles but they erre manifestly that so iudge myracles are in deede to vse Saint Paules wordes the operation of great workes the gift of the holy ghost But hereon they are not onely esteemed Saints else the blessed virgin Iohn Baptist were of all saints the least that are read to haue wrought no myracle VVe may not therefore esteeme Saintes hereupon Moreouer oftentimes myracles are giuen to the euill for many shall say in that day Lorde Lorde haue wee not cast out Deuilles in thy name and I shall say to them I haue not knowne you c. And thus will Christe say of your myracles master Stapleton and therefore let him be a Bogomile with you also
no quoth he that will I neuer doe I had rather alway begge my breade And so the matter was dasht The yong man retourning came by a chapell where was the picture of the blessed Virgin holding hir childe in hir armes and he began to inuocate hir with all his heart and by the merites of hir repented earnestly calling instantly vpon the Virgin Marie for he durst not call vppon the highest whom he had denied VVith that he hearde the mother speake to hir sonne in hir armes saying my most sweete Sonne be mercifull to this man To whom hir Sonne would not speake one worde but writhed his face from hir And when againe she besought hir Sonne for him he turned his backe to his mother and said he hath renied me what shall I doe to him when she saw this she set downe the childe on the altare and fell at his feet saying I beseech thee sonne that for me thou wilt forgiue him and streight the infant lift vp his mother and sayde O mother I coulde neuer denie thee any thing beholde for thy sake I forgiue him all Thus ye made the mother farre more mercyfull and louing than Christe and that forgiuenesse of sinnes is in hir name and for hir sake And made the people by these tales beléeue that it was a more heynous offence to denye the blessed Uirgin than it was to renounce oure Sauioure Christe The same authour telleth yet a more fonde and wicked tale How S. Dominike on a night saw Christe standing in the ayre shaking in his hand three speares against the world and his mother ranne hastily againste him and demaunded him what he would doe and he sayd to hir All the worlde is full of vices of pride of luxurie and of auarice and therfore I will destroye them with these three speares then the blessed virgin fell downe at his feete ▪ and sayd Deare sonne haue pitie and tarrie thy iustice by thy mercie And Iesus Christ sayd to hir Seest thou not howe many vvrongs and iniuries they haue done to mee And she answered Son attemper thy wrathe and tarie a little I haue a true seruaunt and a noble fighter against the vices he shal runne ouer all and vanquishe the worlde and subdue them vnder thy seignorie and I shall giue him an other seruaunt into his helpe that shall fighte as hee dothe And oure Lorde her sonne sayde I am appeased and receyue thy prayer But I woulde see vvhome thou wilte sende in so greate offence And so the tale telleth howe she fette and presented vnto him Saincte Dominicke and S. Frauncis and howe Christe praysed them And thus once the worlde was saued by hir and hir two champions On the other syde of the leafe as a confirmation to this is declared howe an other tyme a deuout Ladies chaplein called sir William dyd see Christe sitte in his throne and on his right hand an angell standing with a trumpet whom Christe with a cleere voyce in the hearyng of all the armie of heauen bad blowe And when he had blovven the blast was so mightie that all the worlde shooke as it had bene a leafe on a tree to whome Christe sayde the seconde tyme Blovve and he blevve as before But the Virgin Mary mother of mercie knovvyng that yf he blevve agayne all the vvorlde vvere ended the other Sainctes being all husht shee starte vp and fell at hir Sonnes feete and besoughte him vvith muche adoe to deferre his sentence and spare the worlde To vvhome Christe aunsvvered Mother all the vvorlde is sette on wickednesse and doe so prouoke me vvith their sinnes that neither I ought to suspende my sentence nor spare man Sith not only the laitie but the clergie also yea the Monkes haue vtterly corrupted theyr vvayes and offende me from day to daye And then sayde his mother My deare son spare them though not for those wicked ones yet at the least for my frends sakes and so Christ vvas pleased once againe An other tyme the matter wente so harde that the Uirgin Maries image fell a sweating so fast in the Church that all the people maruelled And the cause was this The sonne of Marie had euen stretched oute his arme to strike the vvorld and if his mother had not run the quicklier and stayed his arme the vvorlde had bene destroyed ere novve This is the intercession that youre Church ascribeth to hir M. Stapleton makyng hir a greate deale more prone to mercie than Christ the fountain of mercie and mercie it selfe by these youre wicked and blasphemous fables But what said I ▪ I should haue said by these your holy histories and deuoute sermons But sée withall what true doctrine ye teache that the sainctes do pray for the deferring of the kingdome of God where Christe teacheth vs to pray that he would vouchsafe to hasten his kingdom saying Let thy kingdome come And willeth the godlie to lift vp their heads when they shall heare of the signes thereof and sayth that vnlesse God should shorten those dayes no fleshe should be saued and he will cut them off for the electes sake And the Martirs slaine for the worde of God doe long still for his cōming and crie How long O Lord which art holie and true wilt thou not iudge the worlde and reuenge oure bloud of those that dwell in the earth And there were giuen to them white garmentes and they were bidde rest a whyle till the number of theyr felow seruants and brethren were fulfilled that should be slayne likewise And the spirite and the spouse sayth come and he that heareth let him say Come c. And Christe sayeth Yea I come quickly Amen Yea Lorde Iesu come quickly sayth S. Iohn And your Church saith As an harlot that is afrayde of the husbands comming come not And ye tell vs that the blessed Uirgin hath nowe thrée tymes stayed backe his arme and wil not lette him come You haue hitherto ascribed verie muche and much more than ought to be ascribed to a creature but do ye go no further ye pretende that the death of Christ is auaylable but no further than the blessed virgin doth obtain it at his hād by hir mercie What a tale is that ye tel vs euen where as ye mention the bloud of Christe howe a certains noughtie religious man vsing notwithstāding to say an hundreth Aue Maries euery day the deuils brought him béeing dead in his sinnes before Christ to be iudged Christ pronounced him to be eternally condemned With that came the blessed virgin and offred the papers wherein the Aue Maries wer written desiring Christ to go to iudgemēt once again The deuils seeing that brought all the bookes of his sinnes and when the balance was peysed his sinnes did ouerwey the Auies which séeing the virgin besought Christ saying Thou art my sonne the bloud that thou hast thou hast of me I pray thee giue me one droppe thereof
virgin Marie Quilibet tanque per portam in coelum ascendit Euery man euen as by a gate ascendeth to heauen By these immoderate prayses or rather outragious blasphemies Master Stapleton ye stirred the people quite neglecting Christ to inuocate the Uirgine Marie And ye exemplifie it by fables to confirme the people therein Ye tell vs how an Abbot and his holy Couent sayling in a tempest one called on Saint Nicholas an other on Saint Andrewe and euerie one vppon his peculier Patrone but none called vpoÌ„ God the Abbot chod them all and bad them call on the mother of mercie Which when they did forthwith the Seas were calme Ye tell vs of many other that being vexed with spirites haue sought manye remedies nowe holy water nowe one thing nowe another yea they haue called vpon Christ vpon the Trinitie and haue had so little helpe that they haue rather bene much worse onely when they were taught to lift vp their handes and crie Saint Marie helpe me then forthwith the spirite hath fled away all afrayde as he had beene smitten with a stone and sayde the cursed deuill enter into his mouth that hath taught thee that and so being vanquished neuer came againe Ye tell vs a noble Storie of a Spanish woman called Lucie to whome for saluting the virgin Marie the virgin at the deliuerance of hir childe came and was the midwife and at the Christning the Godmother and Christ the Godfather and the childe was named after the Godmother and called Marianus And how at hir Churching Christ himselfe sang Masse and how at the offertorie Lucie was preferred to go and offer and kisse the Priestes hande before the virgine Marie and what honour the Uirgin gaue hir aboue hir selfe saying This is your day of Churching now I was churched long ago And all for saying the Aue Marie Ye tell vs of a Strumpet that all hir life did no good work saue that she would say an Aue Marie and heare a Masse on Saterday which ye call our Ladies day as Sunday is called the Lordes day and on hir death bed this harlot sayde O Ladie Queene and mother though I did neuer any good yet I trust to thy mercie and to thee I commende my spirite And when the fiends would haue taken hir soule the mother of mercie tooke hir soule from them saying do ye not knowe that shee saluted me dayly and euery Saterday heard a Masse and at hir death commended hir soule to me And when they alleaged hir sinnes I tell you quoth shée that soule was neuer damned that serued mee and commended it selfe to me and so she draue them away and caryed the soule with hir Ye tell vs of a knight that neuer did other good but at morning and Euening say an Aue Marie and by the grace of the Virgin he was saued And hereon ye conclude a rule Quod orandum sit c. That at the poynt of death we must pray mother of grace mother of mercie defende thou vs from the enimie and keepe vs in the hower of death And then we are safe Yea as Anselme sayth Impossibile est vt pereat It is impossible hee should perish syth by the vertue of the Aue Marie the worlde was renued And that Redempturus deus genus humanuâ—… vniuersum precium contulit in Mariam sine ea nihil possumuâ—… sine ea miseri sumus sine ea factum est nihil God going about to redeeme mankinde conferred al the price therof vpon Mary VVithout hir we caÌ„ do nothing without hir we are wretches without hir nothing was made To conclude ye make hir to be all in all And as Albertus Magnus in his booke of hir prayses saith Est autem opus c. The booke of the beginning of the Lordes incarnation describing the mysterie of our redemption to the prayse honour and glorie of the most glorious and alonly truly honorable aboue euery Creature the virgin mother of god By the most speciall confidence of whole helpe we take this worke in hande And in the mercie of hir euen as in the most firme anchore of our hope we looke for the ende of the perfourmance and the rewarde of the labour VVho is the moouer of the wil the cause of the worke and the beholder of the intention Thus blasphemously ascribeth Albertus all these things to hir euen in the Preface of his booke But what excéeding more blasphemies he filleth his volume withall were infinite to recite Looke your selfe M. St. if with shame ye can sustaine to reade them Neither is all this the errours of priuate men but the dooing of all your whole Church For euen in the solemnities of your Masse haue ye not in the Sequences of our Ladies Masses as ye cal them Aue terrarum domina c. Haile ladie of the earth holy queene of heaueÌ„ let the heauens and all the company of saincts bring forth melodie to thee the laÌ„ds the floudes the woods and groaues resound c. By thee mother we craue that the childrens sinnes be abolished and we be all brought to the euerlasting ioyes of Paradise Againe Seda nobis bella Appease thou warres hayle starre of the seas thou mother giue to vs the true peace giue vs help changing the name of Eue. Driue away our euils drawing vs without bitternesse forgiue vs our crimes aske al good things let the Sonne and the Father be giuen by thee O mother c. that which Eue hath taken away thou only O mother giuest Through thee the people recouer their former lost strength thou art the gate of the high King by the which gate we enter into the court c. And againe The ladie of the world c. is the cause of our saluation the gate of life Againe Pray euery man to hir in euery houre and call thou vppon hir defence Sing sing Aue Maria with the force of thy harte â–ª with thy voice with thy vow c. And in the third reason that ye giue why ye dedicate the Saterday to hir as the Sonday to the Lord ye say in redde letters Tertia ratio est c. The third reason is bicause the Saterday is the gate and entraÌ„ce to the Sonday but the Sonday is the day of rest and betokeneth eternall life VVherevpon when we be in the grace of our Ladie we are as it were in the gate of Paradise Therefore bicause euen she is to vs the gate to the kingdome of heauen which is figured by the Sonday we keepe for the solemnitie of hir the Seuenth day which goeth before the Sonday Thus doth your whole Church yea and that in your holy Masse booke ascribe to hir euen as much as any of the other What say ye now to all this M. Stap. haue ye any shifte of descant to runne vnto any distinction behinde to alleage any figge leafe to couer your shame that all this kinde of inuocation may be thought
who moste pernitiously raysed vp a schisme of the whole Churche and had Circumcelions bothe a madde and fierce kinde of men whiche murthered with swordes maymed with Sythes and with Lyme mingled with Vinegar put oute the eyes of the true beleeuers And what coulde the Emperour do but chastise suche that deserued any punishement whatsoeuer although they had helde no hereticall errour besides and yet notwithanding euen agaynst these the punishement of death was so little defired that euen S. Augustine did withstande the Shiriffe when he sent out a sharper edict fearing that he should kill any And so broughte to passe that a more milde edicte was set foorth For as then all the Emperours punishment consisted in a forfeit of money in taking away their goods froÌ„ the Donatistes churches giuing theÌ„ to the churches of the true beleuers And if the bishops could not be corrected by any remedie they were banished but of killing there was no mention at al. And therfore against Pelagius there was neuer any motion of crauing the Emperors aide bicause he did not on this sort trouble the traÌ„quilitie of the coÌ„mon weale yea and that is more by the entreatie of the Bishop they which had payed their forfeiture had their money giuen theÌ„ agayne and their bishops reteyned their dignitie still in their Churches if they would change their opinioÌ„s So great was the lenitie of those daies towards heretikes and that such heretikes to There are many kindes of punishing besides the punishment of death Very farre in deede are they from this lenitie which now a dayes for euery word that either is strange to them or not vnderstoode they crie foorthwith to the fyre to the fyre Heere therefore betweene these deuines and me thereis no dissention but this that they considering what a great plague of religion it is that the church should be deuided into such factioÌ„s seeme more enclined to slaughter On the other side I am more slow considering wherto the parable of the Lord wherto the most holy mens interpretations wherto the lenitie and mildnesse of the ancient Bishops and of the Emperours against heretikes calleth vs then also thinking on this howe nowe and then mens affections mingle them selues in this businesse and how often suche remedies fall out otherwise last of all that sometymes the truthe is doubtfull and nowe and then it hapneth that he is in errour himselfe that layeth the heresie to an others charge many times neither partie vnderstaÌ„deth other and they agree in matter whyle they iarre in wordes neither dothe S. Hierome speake rashely in the dialogue agaynst the Luciferians vnder the person of the true beleeuer after this maner no body saythe he can take vpon him Christes victorie no body can iudge of men before the daye of iudgement if the Churche be nowe clensed whye reserue we the clensing to the Lorde there is a waye that to men seemeth righte but the endes of it leade euen to the bottome of hell In this errour of iudgement what certayne sentence can there be c. VVhat Hierome ment by these wordes is cleare to the learned Truely they haue hitherto so moued me that I am of opinion that we oughte not to come to the laste remedie before all meanes be tryed Least perchaunce either through a corrupt iudgement the innocent or at the least he that might be recouered do perish or else euen that which is right be condemned for euer Thus muche and a great deale more writeth Erasmus on this matter But by this first we sée Erasmus iudgement and yet is he not counted a Donatiste Secondly he so describeth the Donatistes that these two witnesses of Iesu Christe which moste paciently tooke their death nor inuaded any others lyfe be fully cleared of this criâ—… Thirdly he so setteth the Donatistes out that beyonde all the former comparisons the Papistes of all other rome néerest them in cruell bloudsucking in prouoking and setting vpon other that prouoks them not in farre more cruell tormentes than of swordes sythes lime and vinegar yea they haue lefte no vnnaturall cruelties nor mischieuous trecheries vndeuised and vnpractised Fourthly he sheweth agaynst this popishe tyrannie euen where they will not suffer the examination of the truthe howe contrarie it is to the fathers and auncient Byshops whome they crake to succéede Fifthly where you M. Stap. falsely cite S. Augustine agaynst vs Erasmus truely â—…iteth him agaynst you shewing what clemencie the Emperours vsed euen to manyfest heretikes and what crueltie you practise agaynst the true beléeuers In times past saith Erasmus the Ecclesiasticall mildnesse did mitigate the seueritie of Princes And now the crueltie of certaine Monkes except it were mitigated by the mildnesse of Princes would burst out into more than the Scithians vnmercifull rage Thus we séethese two that ye â—…ayte at are not alone they shall haue good companie if they be Donatistes for disallowing manslaughter But now what if these twoo reiected it not at all but onely shewed the exact difference betwéene the old lawe or manâ—… politike lawes and the Gospell Will you denie that the Gospell that is to say the glad tidings of reconciliation forgiuenesse and saluation wrought by Iesus Christ is the lawe of grace and full of mercie I thinke M. St. ye will not denie this for shame Then should ye consider that the Gospell in it selfe killeth not but laboureth to saâ—…e it sendeth killing to the lawe the exercise threates and external punishment whereof is not altogither taken away by the Gospell but is forcible to the transgressours Nor the Gospell taketh away ciuill or polytike lawes from Princes nor the sworde to execute them on the euil doers And yet is there a manifest distinction betiâ—…éene the one and the other and so are euen your Sorbonists driuen to yéeld to Erasmus Quamuis Euangelium c. Although the Gospell do not expresly and plainly shew that Heretikes should be burned yet the lawes ciuill which are conformed to the law naturall which the Gospell doth not abrogate do decree that they should be put to death and burned So that neither be such lawes comprehended in the Gospell nor otherwise allowed than indirectly that is to say for the importunitie of the wicked And in this sense their wordes are not amisse But what sense soeuer ye make of their wordes ye can not proue them Donatists And yet if thus much also were graunted you doth this either charge vs that we be Donatists not allowing them therein if they had any such opinion â–ª or doth it cléere you Nay it once againe proueth you more Donatists For in very déede the Denatistes refused not simplie that the Prince should punish heretikes no nor by death neither if he would haue held with them and at their bare instigations haue punished the true beleuers by death they would haue then allowed it set him more on yea haue layed to their owne hands and
horrible wauering But go to let it do so presuppose that the bishop alleaged no more but this one sentence or that all the other little or nothing further the cause Yet dothe this onely sentence fully comprehende as muche as this marginall note conteâ—…neth Yea set also aside the word supreme that master St. quarell is at that in so horrible wauering and errour in matters beginning to faynte and to perishe as it were with shipwracke the Prince is the mightie and very holy anker or stay Sacris simul prophanis both in holy and prophane matters Doth not this mightie stay onely or chiefly vnder God of the Prince for al kinde of persons agaynst errors playnely argue a soueraigne helping power or supremacie in repayring of religion beeing decayed But M. Stapl. letting goe all this girdeth onely at this worde supreme bicause the byshop translated suprema anchora not the laste anchor but supreme anchor Héere first he falleth out with a Cooper I can not tell whome for missinforming the byshop As though the interpretatioÌ„ of supremus were so high a poynte that the byshop muste be taught of some â–ª Grammarian or scholemaster the English therof And bicause it is not englished in good Englishe full scholemaster like he taketh vpon him to expounde the same For what other is sayth he suprema anchora in good English than the laste anchor the laste refuge the extreme holde and stay to rest vpon Be it euen as you would haue it M. Stap. And thankes be to God that when you haue nothing to say agaynst the bishops allegation this is your last anchor your last refuge and extreme stay to rest vpon to finde faulte with the byshops englishe for not good english Though héere neither you can proue any false englishing which is common with you and when you haue all done supremus is bothe laste and chiefe and which way soeuer ye conster it supremus is supreme take it howe you list Although in the very proper derâ—…uation of the worde supremus comming of supra signifieth the chiefe or hyest And that it is called laste is but accessorie and improperly spoken for properly vltimus is last or extreâ—… by reason that the last things as added for the most part vppermost and the last doings are commonly the chiefest But what neede contention here de laua caprina of a matter of nothing It were more fitte ye had reserued this your earnest answere to some earnest matter But as they say In refrigidissima feruâ—… in fâ—…entissima friges In the coldest matters you be boyling hoâ—…te and in the hottest matters you be key colde To auoyde therfore contention as ye ought not to controll the Bishops English being not false so am I for my parte content to admit your English and I thinke so will the Bishop toâ—… For setting aside your quareling it coâ—…th not hiâ—… but all in the ende commeth to one effect You say it signifieth the last anchor the last refuge the extreme holde and stay to rest vpon Uery well sayde M. St. 〈◊〉 is not that the chiefe which we must flée vnto holde stay and rest vpon when all other helpes do faylâ—… And so ye graunt the Prince vnder God to be the chiefest refuge and stay both to the lay and Clergie in all wâ—…rings of doctrine and errâ—… of Religion â–ª Is not this now asmuch as the Bishops note contained the Princes supremacie in restoring Religion decayed You exemplifiâ—… the matter thus As suprema verba do signifie the last wordes of a man in his last will as 〈◊〉 dies the last day supremum iudicium â–ª the last iudgement â–ª with a number of the like phrases â–ª True in déede M. St. but ye should withall remember â—…uen in these examples that the last will is the chiefest will and al the other former willes giue place to the last will. And the last day is the chiefest day and by a speciall prerogatiue called Dies Doâ—…ni the day of the Lorde and Dies magnus â–ª the great day And the last iudgement is the chiefest iudgement when all iudges shall be iudged and therefore God the father hath onely giuen it to Christ bicaâ—…se he is simply the chiefest of all And here in earth also he is the chiefest iudge that is last appealed vnto Thus M. St. your owne phrases fitte the Bishop well And as it doth in these so in this present phrase Suprema anchora say you Is the last anchor signifying the last hold stay as in the perill of teÌ„pest the last refuge is to cast anchor And is not this then also the chiefest refuge and stay In such a sense say you Nicephorus calleth his Emperour the last the mightie the holy anchor or stay so in horrible wauering and errour signifying that now by him they were stayed from the storine of schisme as from a storme in the sea by casting the anchor the shippe is stayed This is in déeâ—… M. St. the meaning of Nicephorus And do ye not sée what chiefe dealing it giueth aboue all other only to the Prince in the storme of a schisme or errour or other ecclesiasticall matter wauering is not the anchor in a storme the chiefest and most principall stay doth any thing stay the ship more or better than an anchor or is there any other ordinarie stay therof Then by your own expositioÌ„ the Prince is made here the chiefe the principal the only stay in such cases which fully coÌ„cludeth all the matter notwithstaÌ„ding al your scoffes therfore where ye coÌ„clude saying But by the metaphore of an anchor to conclude a supremacie is as wise as by the metaphore of a Cow to conclude a Saddle For aswell doth a saddle fit a Cow as the qualitie of an anchor resemble supremacie But by such beggerly shiftes a barren cause must be vpholded Ye haue sadled the Cow M. St. haÌ„dsomly ye are the fittest maÌ„ that I sée to ride vpoÌ„ hir for this coÌ„clusion sheweth you as wise a maÌ„ according to the old saying as euer spurred a Cow for admitting the metaphore of an anchor no further than your selfe haue sayed that as by it the ship is stayed froÌ„ stormes in the seas so by the Prince all the people are stayed froÌ„ Schisme wauering errours in religion if the anchor be the chiefest stay next to Gods help in the one is not the Prince the chiefest stay next to Gods helpe in the other although therfore ye â—…elie the B. to say he concluded only therevpon for before ye sayde he concluded on the worde Suprema which he did not neither but on all the whole allegacions altogither yet holdeth this conclusion euen by your owne sayings better I â—…row than you will holde on your sadled Cowes backe as fit a rider as ye be except ye sit the faster that the Cow cast not a calfe as bigge as M. St. As for the B. shifts what they are what beggerly shifts they are
the sonnes of strangers shall build vp thy walles Kings shall serue thee And to this he addeth the other sentence in the same Chap. And the sonnes of them that afflicted thee shall come to thee humbly and shall bowe themselues euen to the plantes of thy feete eueÌ„ all they that dispised thee and call thee the citie of the Lorde Sion of the holy Israell Had you set the sentence downe thus farre you had marred al Maister Saunders â–ª For then you had bewrayed your wresting of this vnto the Bishops And had you set downe all the chapter you had shewed suche inconueniences in vnderstanding this glory of the Church and seruice of Princes in the literall sense and after a worldly fashion that you must néedes haue confessed all these things to haue other spirituall meanings Which the Iewes not marking in these and such like prophecies of the kingdome of the Messias and the glory of Sion but taking the same in the bare sense of the words as you doe were so sotted on a worldly glory kingdome that they quite dispised the pouertie of Christ and to this day dispise it looking for a Messias that as they sansie shall raigne in al worldly pompe and subdue all kingdomes and people to him and therefore they scrape vp money so fast to helpe him And so you Papists in these prophecies of the kingdom of Christ and the glory of his Church haue as grosse vnderstanding as the Iewes and dispising the simplicitie of the Gospell nor beholdyng the spirituall ornamentes of the spouse of Christ thinke the worship of God lyeth in suche outwarde glory And hearing of obedience seruice of Kings to Christ and to his Church thinke it consistes in this that Kings muste sweare to you to renounce their kingdomes and holde them of the Pope and be obedient to him and he his Prelats must florishe in all worldly pompe and ryches Is not this the Iewes error vp and downe howbeit in oppressing of Kings you are worse than the Iewes and in seâ—…ing 〈◊〉 honor here verie CerinthiaÌ„s and shall neuer haue it else where excepte you forsake your errors Your third sentence Luk. 10. he that dispiseth you dispiseth me as it maketh nothing for you being nothing suche as those were whoÌ„ Christ did sende so being vnderstood of those that are in deede sent of Christe is nothing to this purpose We graunt that no godly ministers ought to be dispised And if they be Christ their sender is dispised But as they ought not in their calling to be dispised of the Prince so no more ought the Prince to be dispised of them much lesse to be troden vnder their féete and their kingdomes to be taken from them as your Popes haue vsed them and you woulde haue theÌ„ here be spoiled Wherby it appéereth that you are not such as Christ doth sende but are of Sathans sending to bréede contempts seditioÌ„s treasons against Princes to maintain your pride and carnall pleasures of whome Saint Iude did prophecie that defiling your fleshe you despise authoritie râ—…yle on the Maiestie of your Soueraignes Your fourth sentence Mat. 16. of Christ saying to Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Churche and the gates of hell shall not preuaile againste it is altogether besides the matter It is your chiefe place wrested for your Popes vsurpatioÌ„ but I sée not how it is brought in here against the Princes authoritie except you will make a kings estate to be the gates of hell But as the Princes estate is the ordinaunce of God so I rather thinke the attempte to depose the Prince to be if not the gates of hell â–ª yet one of the readiest wayes to hell as we haue example of Core Dathan and Abiron that went not by the gate nor by the posterne but were swallowed vp and toombled in quicke to hell And although the rebellious Papists go not downe that wayes yet shall they be sure to come to hell and I thinke rebellion be one of the broadest gates that hell hath for Papists on a plompe to enter Nowe that M. Samders hath as he thinketh with thesâ—… texts confirmed the Bishops refusall of Baptising the king he will admitte the Bishop will Baptise him and see what inconuenience shall ensue For saith he if the Bishop will baptise him whom he heareth by name saying that he will not submit his Diademe to Christ or that is all one he not will make his kingdom subiect to the ministers of Christ euen in the cause of faith where is that obedience of faith which the Apostles were sent to procure in all nations is it meete that he which denounceth that he will not want his empire for no fault at all should notwithstanding be armed with the name of a Christian and with the sacramentes of Christ to lay the greater ambushments against his Church for who doubteth that there is greater daunger of the domesticall than of the foraigne enemie Surely M. Saunders I am of your opinioÌ„ in this last senteÌ„ce Out of doubt there is greater dauÌ„ger of the domesticall than of the foraigne enimie We sée the apparaÌ„t experience in your Pope that is so much the more perilous enimie to the ChristiaÌ„ faith as he preteÌ„deth to be the Uicar of Christ the seruant of the seruaÌ„ts of God a father of fathers in Christes Church for so his name Papa signifieth is in dede a robber of Christs glory a hider of Christs Gospell a setter vp of his owne decrees a spoyler of all kings and kingdomes a begniler of the people vnder a shew of holinesse an Angel of darknesse shyning like an Angell of light a rauening wolfe in a shéepes clothing a child of perdition himself and pretending to saue other from perdition the man of sin calling himself a god There is greater dauÌ„ger of such a puppet of the deuill thus disguised like a God than is of the heathen thaÌ„ is of the Iewes than is of Mahomet than is of the greate Turke than is of the Deuill hymselfe And the like greater daunger is of all dissemblyng Papistes in the Courtes and Realmes of protestant Princes than is of open Papists apparant enemies I beseech God they may be loked vnto remoued froÌ„ such places that there may be lesse danger of theÌ„ As for this Prince and Byshop that M. Saunders maketh his presupposals vpon there is farre greater daunger to the Church of God in this Byshop than in this Prince For first the Prince not of compulsion but of his owne voluntarie not of crafte or malice or any other sinister affection but of good hearte and méere deuotion for so king Lucius and Clodoueus did commeth to the Byshop to be baptized and humbly offereth to acknowledge the faithe of Christe What danger is here towarde the Church of Christ by this good Princes offer or not rather gret benefite to the Church
of Christe for Ieremie is interpreted the highe one of the Lorde who destroyed the kingdomes of the Diuell whiche he shewed vnto him on the toppe of the Mountayne hee destroyed the aduersarie powers blotting out the handewriting of errour in his Crosse. Of whome nexte to the hystoricall truthe it is sayde in a figure VVherefore did the Nations frette and the people imagine vayne thinges the Kinges of the earthe stoode vp and the Princes came togither in one In the place of all these beeing destroyed loste and pulled downe into hell the Churche of God is builded vp and planted Thus saith your owne Glosse in applying this sentence from Ieremie to Christe concerning Christes pulling downe and setting vp of kingdomes And on this wyse oughte the Ministers of Christe to pull downe and set vp kingdomes that is with the sworde of Gods worde to beate down â–ª the power of Sathan the kingdome of errour the buylding on the sandes the workes of sinne to roote vp vices and to beate downe as S. Paule termeth them all strong holdes resisting the truthe of God and to set vp the kingdome of Christ to edifie his Church to builde vpon the rocke to plante vertues and by doctrine and ensample enstruct the faythfull people And so dothe youre owne Glosse interprete it Vt euellas mala destruas regna Diaboli That thou shouldest pull vp euils and destroy the Kingdomes of the Diuell c. and shouldest edifie the Churche Wherevpon saythe the Glosse To foure heauie thinges two ioyfull thynges succeede for neyther can good thinges be buylded except the euill thinges be destroyed neither can the best thinges be planted excepte the worste thinges be rooted vp For euery plante that my heauenly father hathe not planted shall be pulled vp by the rootes and that buylding whiche is not buylded on the rocke but vpon the sandes is digged vp and destroyed with the worde of god But that which the Lorde shall consume with the spirite of his mouthe that is all sacrilegious and peruerse doctrine he shall destroy it for euer and those things that lifte vp them selues agaynst the kingdome of God and truste in their wisedome VVhiche before God is foolishnesse he shall scatter and put them downe that for these the humble thinges mighte be edified And in place of the former thinges that are destroyed and pulled vp those things may be buylded and planted that are conuenient to the ecclesiastical truth of whom it is saide you are the buylding of God you are the tilth of God. Héere M. sand euen by your owne glosse is described what this building and pulling downe is that belongeth to the ministers of Christ so farre vnlike your Popishe buylding that it sheweth the ouerthrowe and rooting vp of your plantes and buylding and howe your kingdome shall vtterly be destroyed In the ouerthrowing of whiche munitions and buylding the truth of God the ministers of Christ muste so set themselues agaynst all worldly kingdomes that fearing not their mighte and tyrannie agaynst the truthe they ouercome them As God sayde to Ieremie Girde vp thy loynes and arise and speake vnto them all those thinges that I commaunde thee Feare not their faces for I wil make thee not to feare their faces For I haue made thee this day a strong citie and an yron piller and a brasen wall ouer al the lande to the Kings of Iuda and to the Princes therof and to the Priests and to the people thereof and they shall not preuaile for I am with thee saithe the Lorde and wil deliuer thee If the kinges of Iuda sayth the Glosse whiche is interpreted confession and the Princes and Priestes and people of it to witte the Bishops the Priestes and Deacons and the vile and vnnoble vulgar people will arise agaynst an holy man let him haue a strong faithe and feare not let him trust in God and he shall conquere them Héere is the conquest of these kingdomes whereby the true Ministers of God shall ouercome all Kings and Princes all Bishops Priestes and Deacons and all the people that resist them But this is as farre from deposing kings from their estates from ruling possessing and translating earthly kingdomes as you that séeke after all these things are farre from Ieremies from Christes and from his Ministers conquests But sayth M. Saunders the Protestantes who can not suffer that the fleshe giue place vnto the spirite or the temporall kingdome to the spirituall for euery where they fauour too muche the fleshe and the worlde before all thinges they alleage agaynst vs the saying of Christe my kingdome is not of this worlde we muste see therefore what Christe in those wordes woulde haue vnderstoode For the Protestantes wrest them hitherto as thoughe the Ministers of the Church of Christ which is the kingdom of God may haue at any time no power ouer Christian Princes or ouer their earthly kingdomes and causes subiect to them bicause the kingdome of Christ himselfe is not of this worlde But in this thing they are too fouly deceyued For it is another thing â–ª not to be of this worlde and farre another thing that the Christian kingdome that is in this world shoulde not be subiect to Christ and to the Ministers of christ VVhen Christ denieth his kingdome to be of this worlde either by the name of this world is vnderstoode sinne and the tyrannie of sinne and the masse of the reprobate as the Lorde otherwhere faithe you are not of the worlde if you were of the worlde the world would loue his owne but I haue chosen you out of the worlde or else by the name of the worlde is vnderstoode all this visible creature whereof the faythfull also are parte so long as they liue heere If therefore by the worlde we vnderstand darknesse and sinne and the reprobates of this world certaine it is the kingdome of Christ is by no meanes of this world bicause all the kingdome of Christe is lighte and darknesse is not in his kingdome who lightneth euery man comming into this worlde But if by the worlde we meane the visible creatures and among them compreheÌ„d the Churche of God verily â—…e denieth not that those creatures are subiect vnto him or that these temporal kingdomes that beleeue in him are comprehended vnder his eternall kingdome But he denieth that his kingdome is from hence that is to say taketh his originall of this world as other kingdomes are wonte to do For the kingdome of Christe sâ—…rang not from the law of nations as other kingdomes do but from the diuine and naturall yea and from the supernatural lawe VVherevpon Augustine marked that Christe saide not my kingdome is not heere but it is not from hence for in the worlde it is but of the â—…orlde it is not but of heauen Héere M. sand hauing as he thinketh confirmed his opinion will now assay to confute our obiection agaynst it And to this purpose
vnderstande this present exhortation to haue the libertie or power to forsake the heathen Magistrates obedience and iudgements and to erecte a nevv Magistrate and Iudge to rule among them For this had bene the readie pathe to all Rebellion And to proue that this is the readiest way to Rebellion sée howe Master Saūders gathereth hereon that nevve Kings are to be made of the Churche rather than vve shoulde be compelled to pleade our causes before hereticall and scismaticall Kings So that if the Prieste shall say the King is an heretike or a scismatike not only the people must so account him but they muste account him no longer to be their King they muste not be compelled to appeare in his Courtes and Consistories they must pleade no cause at all before him or his Iustices but must forthwith choose a nevv King to be their gouernour Howe far this is differing from Saint Paules doctrine from this sentence from subiectes obedience and howe neare to set all the world in an vprore I dout not but if this Nota that M. sand sets it out withal be wel noted it wil not only bréede in the Readers mindes a note of suspicion of priuie conspiracies trayterous packing but openly shew a manifest proclamatiō of plain rebelliō Now to proue that the subiects should thus rebel he sheweth the dangers that should ensue if they should remaine in their obedience For certaine it is that there is more danger of heretical Kings thā is of vnfaithful Iudges For vnfaithful Iudges do not iudge but of matters of this world and that according to the law either of nature which is alwayes right or ciuil vvhiche is seldome vvrong Moreouer vvhat if I suffered vvrong at the tribunall of a Pagane Iudge the losse is small to suffer the spoyle of tēporal goods vvhich good men beare vvith ioye But heretical Kings compel their subiects casting away the catholike faith to embrace their heresie the whiche can not be done vvithout the detriment of eternall saluation It is altogither lavvfull to the Churche of Christe to remoue from his gouernement an heretical a scismatical a symoniacal King and to conclude to remoue him that vvill not amende himselfe and to place another among the Christians in his rome This argument is drawne from the danger of suffering the king is alreadie answered diuers times The lawiers woulde briefly say to this better suffer a mischiefe than an inconuenience but were this an inconuenience too we may not take away one inconuenience with an other greater inconuenience for ther are conuenient remedies of pacience constancie against these inconueniences and not rebellion althoughe the inconuenience were muche greater than M. Sād makes it And yet to aggrauate the same he makes cōparison of a King and a Iudge as though the Iudge represented not the king He compareth the daunger of the losse by the one and by the other as thoughe the heathen Iudges and Princes dealt not also in cases of Religion Who although they were deceiued herein yet they conuented people before them for Religion to driue them from the worship of God to the worship of their Idols and laboured by all persuasions and meanes they coulde to bring them to their Religiō And verie many they brought to their Idolatrie which was more thā the losse of temporal goods euē the detriment of eternal saluatiō Neither did they vse their iudgemēts always according to the lavv of nature or the ciuil neyther doth the one iudge alvvayes right considering the great corruption of nature chiefly in the heathen neyther did the other sildome wrong but often wrong among them neither medled the ciuill Lawe of the Pagans onely with matters of temporall goodes and of this vvorlde but also with matters of the worlde to come and therefore there was further daunger of the iudgementes of those heathen Princes and vnfaythefull Iudges than here Maister Saunders woulde séeme to acknowledge there was mitigating all that he can the daunger ensuing from them to aggrauate the greater daūgers from naughtie Christian Princes But he nede not run to these vntruthes to aggrauate his comparison For we denie not but that if the Prince were such a wicked Prince as he speaketh of it were in dede very daungerous to the faithfull subiects vnder him and so muche the more daungerous that he pretendeth to the faithfull to be a faithfull Prince and is not But what a daungerous doctrine is this that the people should therfore rebell and reuolt vnto another Might the Christiā people in the primitue Church for all the daūger of eternall life that they and all the faithfull were in when the heathen Princes would haue them worship Idols which is as ill as heresie when the heretical scismaticall Emperors being Arians Monothelites c. in the ancient time compelled their subiectes casting away the Catholike faith to embrace their heresies might they remoue thē from their gouernment and place another in his roome ouer the Christians and that that shoulde streight be heresie which the B ▪ of Rome should say were heresie he should be a scismatike that should not consent to him Yea he must be deposed for symonie too ▪ by symonie forsooth we must vnderstand that if the Prince do appoint and inuest a Bishop then streight he is a simoniake and must out of hande be depesed What a greater daūger is here not onely to Christiā Princes but to all the Church of Christ whose sauegarde is here pretended But if we reason of daūgers the greatest daūger of all is of the Pope himselfe his prelates the more daunger that Princes people be thus beguiled by them and yet the king may not meddle with them although his duetie neuer so much require he hath good warrant in the scripture 〈◊〉 remoue them so haue not they of him were they neuer 〈◊〉 good and were he a great deale worse than M. Saunders makes him But Maister Saunders will nowe proue that the Bishops haue warrant out of the scripture for them and once againe he alleageth the example of King Saul and Samuel For if the kingdome of Saul stoode not euen for this that he obserued not the precept of Samuel in wayting for him seuen dayes before he sacrificed Yea if the Lord cast off Saul that he shuld not be the king bicause he fulfilled not also another precept of the Lorde declared by the Ministerie of Samuel in killing Agag if for this disobedience of Saul while he yet raigned Samuel was bidden to anoynt Dauid to be the King of the Iewes and Samuel did it priuily in Bethleem Neither after the holy Ghost sent downe from heauen the spirituall power of the Church can now be lesse than in times past was in the Synagog we must now also confesse that that King which shall dispise to heare the Lord speaking by the mouth of the highest Bishop maye
He toucheth two reasons The one in that he saith to my Lorde The other To the Lordes anoynted But bicause that was the chiefest reason for that Saule was anoynted of the most highe God that onely he nameth twyse Whereby we sée he accempted Saule still as his lawfull king and himselfe to be his dutifull and obedient subiect And so he acknowledged him selfe to Saule when he cried after him saying O my Lord the king â–ª and when Saule looked behind him Dauid enelined his face to the earth and bowed himselfe And Dauid sayd to Saul wherefore giuest thou eare to mennes words that say beholde Dauid seeketh euill against thee Beholde this day thine eyes haue seene that the Lorde hath deliuered thee this day into my hand in the caue and some badde me kill thee But I had compassion on thee and sayd I will not lay my hande on my Maister For he is the Lordes anoynted Moreouer my father behold I say the lappe of thy garment in my hande For when I cut off the lappe of thy garment I killed thee not Vnderstande and see that there is no euill nor wickednesse in me neither haue I sinned against thee According to the Hebrue saith Caietane neither is rebellion in me c. He excludeth all sinne by repeating his worke backwarde For last of all he excludeth sinne against Saul and before rebellion against the King and first of all euill vniuersally And vpon these words The Lord be iudge betwen thee and me And the Lord auenge me of thee and let not my hand be on thee This he said saith Lyra in the zeale of Iustice and not of reuengement For no body ought to take vengeance on his own iniurie by himself except it lye vpon him by his office and euen then it were better that he did it by another All these words saith Caietane are not of him that wisheth but foretelleth and expecteth For they are in the Hebrue texte of the future tence and the indicatiue mode He shall iudge and he shall auenge So farre is Dauid from wishing any euil vnto the king And he so humbleth himselfe vnto him that he calleth himselfe in comparisoÌ„ of the King a dead dogge and a flie Sith I am saith Lyra of no moment or nothing worth in regarde of thee Thus farre was Dauid froÌ„ euer attempting to depose King Saul after Samuel had anoynted him And that not onely where Ionathas but euen where Saul himselfe acknowledged that Dauid shoulde be Kâ—…ng after him saying and nowe I know of a certaintie that thou shalt raigne and the kingdome of Israel shall be established in thy hand But yet he saith not that he then presently raigned neither doth he resigne vnto him but make a couenant and take an othe of Dauid that when he should raigne he shoulde not destroy his séede after him nor take away his name from his fathers house this Dauid swore vnto him Wherin he acknowledgeth though a state to come yet no state in present The like occasion falling out againe 1. Reg. 26. Dauid behaued himselfe to Saul in semblable wise For when he might haue killed him and Abisai would haue killed him â—…he not onely woulde not doe it nor suffer it to be done But he sayth to Abisai destroye him not For who can laye his handes on the Lords anoynted and be giltlesse Dauid sayth Lyra wold gyue this to the person of him so long as he was suffered of God in the Kingdome Alwayes sayth Caietane Dauid had fixed in his harte and in his mouth the honour of the moste high God in so muche that he thoughte none innocent that stretched hys hande vpon the anoynted of god As the Lorde lyueth saith he either the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to dye or he shall descende into battell and perishe The Lorde keepe me from laying my hand vpon the Lords anoynted By this saith Lira Dauid entended that by no meanes he would be the efficient cause of his death excepte perhaps in defending himselfe so that he could not otherwise escape And when Dauid called to Abner he challenged him to be worthy of death for keping the Kings person no better and when Saul knowing his voice said is this thy voyce my sonne Dauid and Dauid sayd it is my voyce my Lorde O king And he sayde wherefore doth my Lord thus persecute his seruant for what haue I done or what euil is in my hand Now therefore I beseeche thee let my Lorde the King heare the wordes of his seruaunt c. thus humbleth he himselfe in his purgation and sayth the King of Israell is come out to seeke a flie as one woulde hunte a Partridge in the mountaynes So lowly abasing himselfe in comparison of Saul whome he calleth the King of Israel Neyther dissembled he but spake Bona fide euen as he thought in his hart So farre was Dauid from not acknowledging Saul to be still hys soueraigne Lorde and lawfull King so farre from gathering anye vnlawfull assemblyes againste him so farre from any priuie conspiracie or open rebellion so farre from so much as thinking to depose him that when he had him in his daunger he woulde not onely not hurt him nor suffer other to doeit but gaue him so great honour as any subiecte can giue his Prince How then is not the storie of Saule and Dauid wrested for a Christian subiect that hath no such authoritie as Dauid had to depose or take armes against his Christian Prince or to go from the obedience of him as no longer lawfull Kyng after the Byshop shall saye he hathe deposed him and to obey any other that the Bishop shal appoint for King The third thing that Master Saunders inferreth is this that althoughe the Pope and his Bishops may doe thus to Princes yet Princes were very tyrants if they should doe oughte to them And hereto he alleageth that when the high Priest Achimelech asked counsell of the Lord for Dauid Saul hauing intelligence thereof commaunded his seruants to fall vpon the Priests of the Lord no man durst execute so cruell a commaundement besides onely Doeg the Idumean For Achimelechs asking counsell of the Lord for Dauid Whâ—… Dauid fled vnto him first the case Maister Saunders is not so cléere but that as Lyra confesseth a question is made theron for there appéereth no such thing in the. 21. Chapter Althoughe Doeg so accused him and Achimelech standeth not to the deniall thereof but vpon his innocencie Lyra sayth Dicunt aliqui c. Some saye that he lyed as tale bearers are wont to saye more than is in deede but the contrary seemeth rather to bee true So that this is not so cleare a case as you make it But what is all thys storye to the purpose or not rather againste you especially that that followeth of Saules puttyng the Priestes to death Wherein although he dyd a wycked and tyrannous acte yet it argueth
that he had authoritie ouer the Priestes Firste in that he cyted them to come before him Secondly in that they obeyed his citation and came before the king Thirdly in that the high Priest calleth the King his Lord saying here I am my Lord. Fourthly when the King layde treason to his charge he replyeth not that he could be no traitor to the King beyng his superior but as inferior pleadeth he was no traytor Fiftly he acknowledgeth both Dauid to be Saules seruaunt himselfe also saying be it farre from mee let not the King impute any thing vnto his seruaunt nor to all the house of my father for thy seruaunt knew nothing of all this lesse or more Wherby it appeareth that the high Priest and all his familie were vnder the Kings obedience and so still continued after that Samuel had declared how that the Lord had rent his kingdome from him As for that the Prince abused his authoritie to the cruell murdering of innocentes we graunt it was so detestable that his souldiors did well in refusing to execute his wicked commaundement We defend no suche authoritie in Princes nor such obedience in subiectes as murdereth innocents without all lawe and Iustice and that after suche a cruell sort as did the doggishe Doeg being not content to murder the innocent ministers of God but besides to put to the edge of thes worde all the men and women in their Citie yea the Children sucking babes also You can finde no protestant Prince M. Saunders that euer did the like déede But Popishe Princes haue not onely done the like but farre surmounted both Saul and Doeg and all other cruel Princes in such vnnaturall Tragedies So fitte all Maister Saunders ensamples serue his purpose that euerye one maketh cleane against him But now saith he least any man should thinke at the least the power of those Kings that sprang from Dauid to be greater than the spirituall power of the Synagog let him besides this consider that Ahias the Silonite while Salomon was yet aliue foretolde that Ieroboam should gouerne the ten tribes VVhervpon is vnderstood that either the whole kingdome or some part therof may be taken away from a wicked King by the spirituall power of the Churche For what power was in times past in the Priests and Prophets the same is now in the pastors and teachers whose duetie it is so to consulte for the soules health that they suffer not by the disobedience and tyrannie of a wicked King the people of an infinite multitude to be compelled and drawne to scisme and heresie The argument is still as before from the spirituall power in Priests Prophets then in the Synagog to the spiritual power of popishe pastors teachers in the Church now To this besides the former answere I answere againe first the popishe pastors teachers being false pastors false teachers except it be from such Priestes Prophetes as were of Baal Balaam Bel. c. can frame no good conclusion Secondly admit they were which they pretend true pastors teachers yet the argument is not true from any particular especial charge giueÌ„ vnto some one or two of them by gods expresse commaundement to foretell this or that thing to come to conclude therevpon an ordinarie spirituall power in all the priests prophets then and the like to succéede in the pastors teachers now Thirdly neither any such thing is described or ment by S. Paulâ—… Epâ—…e 4. in the office of pastors teachers now neither this example of the old testament 2 Reg. 11. inferreth any such thing done by the priests or prophets then The example of 〈◊〉 he alleaged before but he thinketh here to frame it better to his purpose His argument is thus The prophet Ahias while King Salomon liued foretold Ieroboam that he should raigne ouer ten Tribes Ergo either the whole kingdome or a part therof may be taken from a wicked King by the spiritull power that is by the pastors and teachers of the Church I denie the argument M. sand from foretelling the taking away thereof to the taking away thereof in déede The foretelling belonged to that Prophet to whoÌ„ God not onely reuealed it but commaunded to foretell it The taking away therof either in part or in whole beloÌ„ged only to God working by his secrete or open Iustice and to those as instruments of his wrath whom he ordained to do it that is by Ieroboam and such as rebelled with him And howbeit this fact when â–ª it was done was such a specialtie as can not be drawne to an example no more than can the attempt of Abraham to kill his sonne yet was not this facte done in Salomons dayes Who all his life long raigned King of the whole kingdome notwithstanding all this Prophecie In dede Ieroboam which was a wicked man lifte vp his hand and rebelled against Salomon not tarying the Lords oportunitie as Dauid did but following his owne ambition he abused the prophetes message Who although he tolde him that God woulde giue him ten tribes yet he tolde him that Salomon shoulde raigne all his life time But I will take the kingdome saythe God by the Prophete vnto Ieroboam oute of his sonnes hande and will giue tenne Tribes to thee c. so that this serueth not Maister Saunders purpose to dispossesse the presente estate of the Prince lyuing Neyther sayth the Prophet he will doe it neyther byddeth he Ieroboam to rebel eyther against Salomon or his sonne but he sayth God him selfe would doe it To the which sentence and worke of God Ieroboam ought to haue obeyed Which in so much as he did not he disobeyed God and was a traytor to his Prince and deserued death Althoughe God by his secrete iustice so punished Salomons séede that he confirmed the Kingdome in Ieroboams handes and made him a lawfull king But in all these things here was nothyng done by the Prophete but the foretelling of Gods purpose Which notwithstanding was enioyned hym by Gods especiall commaundemente For otherwyse had he presumed thus of his owne heade by reason of the authoritie of hys Propheticall office whatsoeuer Salomen had deserued he had for his parte béene but a â—…rayterous Prophete and so are all those Popishe Pastors and teachers that teache subiectes to rebell against their Soueraignes on pretence of these examples True Pastors and teachers by thys particular example maye learne thus muche in generall to teache Princes to feare God and dreade his Iustice to beware of Idolatrie and of ioyning themseluâ—…s in mariage or in other leagâ—…es of friendship wyth the enimyes of gods truth As Salomon â—…ell to Idolatrie by marying of Infidels Achab for ioyning in friendshippe with Benadab was punished and marying the wicked Iesabell did euen â—…ell him selfe to wickednesse Yea the good King Iosaphat for ioyning in league with the wicked King Ochozias Achabs sonne was reproued sharpely and his ships perished These
of Europe that neuer obeyed him and yet are Christian Kings then is not the obedience of the Pope necessarie to christianitie else not some but al Christian kings obey him he that obeyed him not were no Christian King. But novv say you there is no neede of myracles Then say I there is no need of such examples But if you deny the need of myracles why doth your Churche pleade vpon them abuse the world so much by them what be you become a Bogomile M. Sant nay then I wilturne you lose to M. Stapl. But why wil you not stand on myracles now Nowe say you want not faithful Princes whiche may performe and execute all this Then say I faithfull Princes haue authoritie to destroy false Pastors and not false Pastors no nor true Pastors to destroy neyther faythfull nor yet vnfaythfull Princes You cite the Prophecie of Zacharie That so great a fouÌ„taine of grace shoulde be open to all after the comming of Christe that euen ones father and mother should thrust him through vvhome they should vnderstande to speake a lye Truâ—… M. Saunders suche a prophecie there is in déede But had your selfe not bene giltie in your conscience to haue bene one of these lyers that the Prophete speaketh of you would not thus haue snatched at the sentence here and ther a piece like the Egiptian Dogge that M. Stapleton telleth vs of drinking in Nilus ryuer and dare not drinke a full draught for feare he be caught by the lyppes And so woulde you be caught by those lying lippes of yours if you hadde so fully set downe the prophecie that the Reader might haue perceiued who the lier is The wordes are these In that day there shall be a fountaine opened to the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Hierusalem for sinne and for vncleannesse And in that daye saith the Lord of Hostes I vvill cut off the names of the Idols out of the land they shall no more be remembred And I vvil cause the Prophetes and the vncleane spirites to depart out of the lande And vvhen any shall yet prophecie his father and his mother that begat him shall say vnto him thou shalt not liue for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lorde And his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through vvhen he prophecieth and in that daye shal the Prophetes be ashamed euery one of his vision when he hath prophecied Neither shall they weare a rough garment to deceiue but he shal say I am no Prophet I am a husbandman For man taught me to be an herdman from my youth vp And one shall say vnto him vvhat are these vvoundes in thy handes then shall he ansvvere thus vvas I vvounded in the house of my friendes By this sentence it appeareth that by this lier is not ment a Prince but a false Prophete Whereby you can not infer the present question that Priestes may punishe Princes but the contrary that Princes may punish priests may wel be inferred theron For by the fathers mothers thrusting through is not ment priuate punishment eche one to kil another nor that â—…his thrusting through belongeth to the Priests who take vpon theÌ„ to be the Prophets themselues to whose calling killing beloÌ„geth not but it appertaineth to Kings Quéens to ciuil Princes Magistrats that are the fathers mothers of gods people â—…o whom of right as hauing the sword from God the punishment of false Prophets appertaineth But who be these false prophets M. Saunders that the Prince shall punishe First all they which denie that fountayne of grace to be the only washing away of sinne and vncleannesse Whether your Pope your Prelats and you seke not other things besides this fountain of grace for the washing awaye of sin vncleannesse all the world knoweth and your owne practise confessions as is before proued to M. Stapleton charge you therwith Secondly these false prophets are those that mainteine Idolatrie which whether the popishe Priests maintaine or no as it is so apparant that no figge lease can hyde it so we haue harde your owne testimonies openly coÌ„fesse it Thirdly the false prophets are they that teach lyes in the name of the Lorde which what is it else but to teache other doctrines as necessarie to saluation than Christ and his Apostles taught their owne traditions and constitutions in the steade of the worde of god Howe this also toucheth the Popishe pastors besides the apparance therof we haue hard alreadie their owne witnesse Fourthly these false Prophetes were such that for their blinde and grosse ignorance they were more fitte to goe to carte than to schole to holde the plowe than to holde the place of a pastor suche blinde guides leadyng the blynde that a Childe scarce seuen yeere olde can giue more readily a better aunswere of the Christian fayth than many a Popishe Priest yea than some Doctors in diuinitie of twentie yeares continnance coulde haue done Fiftly these false Prophetes were such hipocrits as with counterfeit austeritie with sacke hearecloth with linsywooâ—…ie with long graue disguised prescribed rough garments haue borne to the simples eyes the counseâ—…ance of holy fathers and onely religious men These M. Saunders these are the lyers these are the false prophets that the true Prophet Zatharie here describeth foretelleth of their destruction How the fountaine of grace should be opened that you had stopped howe the death of Christ not such meanes as you had deuised should wash away all sinnes and vncleanneste how your Idolacrie should be pulled downe the very names of your Idols become odious How your lyes forgeries should be espied howe Princes should punishe you eueÌ„ to death how you should be so athamed of your lyes trumperies that you should cast of your cowles hyde your markes for shame say you were neuer Priests Monkes nor Friers but husbandmen â–ª All which how it hath come to passe all the worlde séeth and many of your owne side haue confessed and be ashamed and cry God mercie and haue forsaken their superstitious prelaties and haue chosen rather to liue like husbandmen than to deceiue the people and abuse gods name with lies any longer And if this prophecie haue not wrought this effect in you but that you remaine yet a shamelesse lying Prophet and would obstinately â—…naintaine these things it is a shrewd token you be giuen vp to a reprobate sense are blynded by gods righteous Iustice for refusing his mercie and that godly Princes should runne you through and execute the seueritie of gods iustice vpon you Now all this that detected you to be these lying prophets and that shewed the Princes authoritie and office to punishe you as you steightly passe it ouer so you wreste it cleane to another purpose as though they shuld be runne through that would not obey the Pope For so you
was giuen not to a fewe being yet but â—…elie Christians of putting confidence rather in Sainctes bones than in the liuing God which ought not to haue bene done And thus do your own Pope Councels and writers condemne your selues for the horrible abuses of these your blessed Reliques and therefore we may worthely reiect them To your Lightes I answere true it is the Churche in the time of S. Hierome loÌ„g before vsed Lights But as he witnesseth himself they vsed theÌ„ for their necessitie in their Morning and Euening prayers which first sprang of this that the Churche in time of persecution assembled as they might closely in caues in cellars and other priuy places comming togither very early in the morning and very late in the euening yea in the dead of the night to inuocate God to heare his worde and participate the Lords supper so that lights were necessarie for them After the time of persecution kéeping still those howres of prayer they likewise serued for their vse till by litle litle as other things they also began eueÌ„ about S. Hieromes time to be abused And not long after about Gregories time to be kept light euen in the broade day and to be set in goldeÌ„ candlestickes which the former fathers counted and called heathen customes For the Heathen vsed lampes burning day night and tapers before their Idols on their aulters besides their torche lights euen as the Papists vsed But you wil say not they onely vsed lights but God also ordeyned lightes to be vsed in the Temple Indéede if ye could proue vs to be bounde to the ceremonies of the olde lawe or that Christ had renewed them and not rather abrogated them nor ordayned any other like them in their places then should ye say something to the matter But what néede ye labour to reduce the lawe since ye are not ashamed to confesse it came from the Heathen vsage Polygrane confesseth and braggeth of it that all your candles on Candlemasse day came from the wicked and old superstition of the Ethnikes Tradunt enim hystoriographi c. For the historiographers tell that the heathen Romaines had a custome that alwaies at the fift yeare in the moneth of February they kept the feast of going about the clensing with torches and lightes in the honour of Februa the mother of Mars whom they tooke for the God of battayle And also in the same moneth the Romaine women with the like worship of candels kept the memorie of Proserpina whome being rauished of Pluto the God of hell they feigne that hir mother Ceres sought hir eueÌ„ to mount Aetna VVhich superstition was first of the Grecians bicause of a most grieuous pestilence in the yeare of health 551. turned into the foresayde worship of solemnitie But afterwarde of Sergius Byshop of Rome who first chaunged his name for the deformitie thereof being called Os Porci Swines face or Hogges snout it was turned into a common religion as also the feast of all the Gods was dedicate to all Saints VVhich was about the yeare of the Lorde 694 â–ª that the Christian people should make memorials not so much of Februa and Proserpine as of Christ and Marie Iacobus de Uoragine agréeth somwhat herewith though herein he agrée little to himself and least of all to the truth besides his impudent Idolatrie to the Uirgine Marie quite forgetting Christ and ascribing all the honour of your candels vnto hir First he sayth it came vp herevppon Quod Simeon lumen Christum vocauit ideo consuetudo inoleuit in Ecclesia vt hodie lumina deferamus Bicause Simeon called Christ a light therefore grewe the custome of the Church that on this day we carie lightes For euen as this day Marie Ioseph Simeon and Anna did after the order of Procession carie a light in the Church so do we after the order of Procession carie Candles light vnto the Church As this is a most euident and grosse lie for neyther then nor long after they knewe what Procession mâ—…nt nor caried any light in the Temple which had bene quite beyond Gods commaundement nor any such doing is in the scripture but onely that this blinde authour followed to much the pictures in the Primer or the Masse booke that painte out the midwife or Ioseph holding a Taper so it neyther agréeth with the other common opinion nor yet with himselfe For euen immediately after But we must note saith he that there is a triple reason of this obseruance aud custome the one a literall the other a spirituall the thirde a morall The literall reason iâ—… this for bicause the Romaynes in the olde time did celebrate three feastes with lightes the First in the honour of Proserpina the Seconde in the honour of Februa the Third in the honor of all the Court of hell â–ª c. to appease them and induce them to mercie that they would more mildely punishe the soules of their friendes departed But bicause it is a hard matter to forsake things accustomed the Romaynes after they receyued the sayth of Christ did yet also kepe these feasts of lightes in Februarie Pope Gregorie therefore did chaunge this feast into the honour of the mother of light That in hir honour we should beare lightes that bare vnto vs the true light Nor that now it shoulde bee made to Februa the mother of the God of battell but to the honour of the mother of the GOD of peace That it should not nowe be to the honour of the court of Deuils but to the honour of the Queene of all Angels and worthily was this translation made The Romaynes did therefore honour Proserpina that so she might obtaine grace of hir husbande They honored Februa to obtain victorie of hir sonne They honored the Deuils that punished the soules to encline them to mercie But these three things we receyue of the mother of God that is to wit grace mercie and victorie And therefore the Church singeth Marie mother of grace mother of mercie For shee gyueth grace to the lyuing and therefore is called the mother of grace And to the deade obteyneth mercie and therefore it followeth mother of mercie And to the vniuersall Church shee obteyneth victorie of their enimyes and therefore it followeth defende thou vs from the enimie c. Thus sayeth Iacobus de Uoragine of the originall of your feast of lightes That it was but a chaungeling of the Infidels hatched of your Pope on this grounde that it was harde to forsake an olde Heathen custome But thinking to chaunge these lightes to the better haue yée not blasphemed God euen by his Saints as yll or worse than they did by theyr Idols Your Legende disagréeth from thys latter deuise of Proserpina c. And sayeth This feast is called Candlemasse and is made in remembraunce of the offering that oure Ladie offered in the Temple as sayde is And eueryeche beareth this day a Candle of VVaxe
vvhiche representeth oure Lorde Iesu Christ. This is yet somewhat better than the other And yet in effecte no better for as this mysterie was not vnderstoode so was it not regarded All the honour was to hir And therefore your Legend telleth vs a full worthie storie that euen in hir honour of hir lights Christ himselfe sang Masse to his mother VVee reade an ensample sayth your Legende of a noble Ladie vvhiche had a great deuotion in the blessed Virgin Marie and shee had a Chappell in the vvhiche shee did do say Masse of our Ladie dayly by hir Chaplaine It happened that the day of the Purification of our Ladie hir Chaplaine vvas out so that the Ladie might that daye haue no Masse and she durst not go to another Church bicause shee had giuen hir mantell to a poore man for the loue of our Ladie She vvas much sorovvfull bicause shee might not heare Masse And for to make hir deuotioÌ„ she went into the Chappell and tofore the aultar she kneeled dovvne for to make hir prayers to our Ladie and anon shee fel a slepe In vvhich shee had a vision and hir seemed that she vvas in a Church and savve come into the Churche a great companie of Virgins tofore vvhom shee favve come a right noble Virgin crowned right preciously and when they were all set eche in order came a companie of yong men which sat dovvne eche after other in order like the other after entred one that bare a burthen of Candles and departed them to them aboue first and so to ech of them by order he gaue one and at last came this man to this Ladie aforesayd and gaue to hir also a Candle of vvax The vvich Ladie savv also come a Priest a Deacon and a Subdeacon all reuested going to the aultar as for to say Masse And hir seemed that S. Laurence and S. Vincent vvere Deacon and Subdeacon Iesu Christ the Priest and two angels bearing tofore them Candles and two yong angels began the introit oâ—… the Masse and all the coÌ„panie of the virgins soong the Masse And when the Masse was soong vnto the offring hir semed that thick virgin so crowned went tofore and after all the other followed and offered to the Priest kneeling much deuoutly their Candles And when the Priest taried for this Ladie that shee shoulde also haue commen to the offring the glorious Queene of Virgins sent to hir to say that she was not curteous to make the Priest so long to â—…arie for hir And the Ladie answered that the Priest should proceede in his Masse forth for she would keepe hir Candle and not offer it And the glorious Virgine sent yet once to hir And shee sayde she would not offer hir Candle The thirde time the Queene sayde to the Messenger go and pray hir that shee come and offer hir Candle or else take it from hir by force The Messenger came to this Ladie and bicause in no wise shee woulde not come and offer vp hir Candle he set hande on the Candle that the Ladie helde drew fast And so long he drewe and haled that the Candle brake in two peeces and the one halfe abode still in the hand of the Ladie aforesayde which anon awooke and came to hir selfe and found the peece of the Candle in hir hande whereof she much marueyled and thanked our Lorde and the glorious Virgin Marie deuoutly which had suffered hir that day not to be without Masse And all the dayes of hir life after shee kept that peece of that Candle muche preciously like an holy relique And all they that were touched therwith were guarished and healed of their maladies and sicknesse Thus worde for worde sayth your golden Legende in the honour of your Candles And is not here a golden â–ª péece of worke for a waxen péece of Candle Here is loe one of your blessed Reliques that before ye spake of but it was gotten with hard hold hale and pull not all they coulde get it out of hir fingers neither the Aungel coulde pull it away nor our Ladie was obeyed any whitte yea Christ the poore Masse Priest was caused to tarie and coulde not go foorth with his Masse If this then be true as it must needes be being written in so holy a golden Legende where forsâ—…th is no lie neyther was it a dreame for the Candles end was in hir hande to make mencion of hir holde fast Is not this a foyle to Christ to his mother and all the Saints in heauen that a Candles ende was thus wroong from them all Well howsoeuer that was will ye say this sheweth a further originall of Candles euen Christ his Aungels and Saints in heauen do vse them at their Masses I thinke well master Stapleton at their Masses But if they haue no Masses in heauen and if they haue no Candles in heauen then leauing these childish and impudent lyes for very shame of Candles originall ye were best to stande to the former deuising of them from the heathen custome and returne to your Popes chaunge at Rome Now after these Romishe Pagan customes aforesayde were taken vp in Christendome they began in Spain and after in other Countreys to fall after a coniuring maner to hallow Pascall lightâ—… with exorcismes But vppon what simple reasons Alphonsus declareth in the defence thereof Concerning the halowing of lights â–ª I will onely birng saith he the decree of the fourth Toletane CouÌ„cell Ca. 18. At certaine Churches a Candle and a Taper are not hallowed at their Vigils and they enquire of vs why we hallow them VVe hallow them solemnly that we may receyue the glorious mysterie that came at the time of this auowed night by the blessing of the hallowed Candle And bicause this obseruation is commended in many Countreyes and Kingdomes of Spaine it is fit that for the vnitie of peace it should also be kept in the French Churches Neither shall any escape vnpunished but be vnder the fathers rules that contemneth this Thus we sée the originall and créeping vp of your lights to depende on men Wherevppon though Alphonsus crie out most bitterly calling vs coniurers and enchaunâ—…ers of the people from the truth of the fayth bicause we set not by them but call such superstitious maner of halowing lights to be the verie coniuring in déede as euen their names of exorcismes doth import yet is he faine to confesse that Talis ceres benedictionem omiâ—…ere noÌ„ sit contra fidem The omitting the hallowing of suche a Taper is not agaynst the fayth And if it be not agaynst the fayth to omitte them then are not we Heretikes for omitting them especially in so iust considerations of so great supersition and horrible abuses as of late time more and more they haue growne vnto being at their best but constitutions of men and growne at the length to a very plaine coniuring that an holy Candle coulde driue away lightning and tempests yea the
Pigghius who might for his writing be called Hogghius wel inough one of your chiefest porkelings in his defence of the inuocatioÌ„ of Saincts against the worde of God He groyneth out this saying Ego certè maiore ratione c. Truly I will with greater reason denie thee the authoritie of all the Scriptures than that thou shalt call me into doubte the beliefe and authoritie of the catholike Church since that vnto me the Scriptures haue no authoritie but all onely of the Churche What a wicked and swynish saying is this of a proude Popish borepigge against the euerlasting worde of God that it hath no authoritie at all from God the author of it but all from man all from the Churche of Rome for that is the Catholike Church that he meaneth the Pope his College of Cardinals and his assemblies of Priests for this they call the oecumenicall and representatiue Church All the authoritie that the worde of God hath it hath it from them alone Which if it were true then indéede as he saithe by better reason he may denie all the Scriptures than so much as call into doubt the beléefe and authoritie of the popish Bishops and Priests Why may they not then adde too and take from and make what and as many Ceremonies as they please and good reason to But since it is no reason that the worde of God should be thus trod vnder the foote of man that Gods worde should giue place to mans worde that Gods worde should haue all his authoritie of the worde of Priests and none at all of God that the Wiues worde should controll checke mate and châ—…ks vp hir husbandes worde that the wife may speake and appointe as much as she thinkes good and the husbande which hath but a few wordes to say can not be heard that the wiues worde should beare the streake and giue authoritie to the husbandes worde according to the common saying As the good man saith so say we but as the goodwife saith so it must be if this be no good reason nor any reason but cleane against all reason then may we replie to Pigghius and you M. St. that with better reason â–ª all your Churches authoritie and beleefe ought net onely to be called in doubte â–ª whether it agrée to Gods worde or no but also ought to depend wholy and onely on the authoritie of Gods worde And rather than the authoritie of the worde of God should be called into doubte much lesse denied as wickedly he presumeth to speake it were much better reason that he were cast into the sea as Christ saith and in sléede of a milstone that all his ceremonies were hanged aboute his necke all such blasphemous swine as this Pigghius were caried hedloÌ„g into the sea with him Yea saith Christ Heauen and earth shall passe but my worde shall not passe If your Catholike Church M. St. were the true wife and spouse of the Sonne of God she would with all lowlinesse humilitie reuerence here regarde obey Christ hir husbandes worde And be content to be commaunded by it not to countermaunde it not to thinke it were not of force vnlesse she gaue authoritie thereunto not to adde or diminishe to or from it not to commaunde one thing when he commaundes another not to compell the children and houshold of the faith to obserue hir worde more than hir husbandes not to haue twentie commaundements for hir husbandes tenne not to vse other fashions and customes than hir husband bids hir yea such as he forbids hir not to haue all the wordes and hir husbande not one worde yea to shut vp his mouthe and not to heare his worde these are impudent whores and bolde strumpets fashions a godly Christian matrone a vertuouse and faithfull spouse would neuer do thus But since your Church doth thus call hir catholike so fast as ye lust she is nothing else but a common catholike queane and not the humble and faithfull spouse of christ And your selues that defende hir haue good reason indéede to defende your Mother but such Mother such children that to holde with their mother dispise their Father and make hir worde to giue authoritie to his and say that with better reason they may denie the authoritie of their Fathers worde than so much as make a doubte of the beleefe and authoritie of their mother Yea that is a good ladde I warrant him and a well taught childe that will helpe the Mother to beate the Father is he not worthie his Mothers blessing for his labour but suche bastarde rebelles shal be sure of the Fathers curse For indéede they are not his Children Ues ex patre vestro Diabolo estis You are of your Father the Diuell Qui ex Deo est verba Dei audit propterea vos non auditis quia ex Deo non estis He that is of God heareth the worde of God therefore you heare it not bicause yeare not of God. The true children of God aboue all other thinges yea more than Father mother wife children fréendes yea than their owne life loue God and the hearing of his woorde Otherwise they were not worthie of god Thus do all the shéepe of Christ 〈◊〉 meae vâ—…cem meam audiunt My sheepe heare my voice As the Father hath bidden them Hunc audite c. This is my welbeloued Sonne in whom I am delighted heare him that is to say Leuell all your faith and life by the onely authoritie of his worde Who onely knoweth the Fathers will and in whom all the treasures of his fathers glorie are couched Who is the wisedome of God the truth the way the life and the worde it selfe The Sonne which is in the fathers bosome he hath declared it Heare him Auditus autem per verbum Dei But hearing commeth not by the Mothers authoritie but by the worde of God. Thus did the godly children vnto God whome we call Fathers vnto vs both before in Uigilantius time Nullum imitemur c. Let vs follow none saith Origen and if we will follow any Iesus Christ is set forth vnto vs to follow the Actes of the Apostles are described and we acknowledge the doyngs of the Prophets out of the holy volumes that is the firme example that is the â—…ounde purpose which who so desireth to follow goeth safe Thus also saith Cyprian both for Gods worde for your Mothers ceremonies The Heretike saith let nothing be deuised of newe besides that which is by tradition deliuered From whence came this tradition came it from the authoritie of the Lorde and of his Gospell or came it from the commandements of the Apostles and their Epistles for indeede that those things which are written ought to be done God witnesseth and setteth forth to Iesus of Nauee saying let not the booke of this law departe out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou obserue all things
that are written Likewise the Lorde sending his Apostles commandeth that the nations be baptized and taught to obserue all those things that he commaunded If therefore it be commaunded in the Gospell or in the Apostles Epistles or be contayned in the Acts. c. Then let also this holy tradition be kepte And anone after he sayth Quae ista obstinatio VVhat an obstinacie is this or what a presumption to preferre an humane tradition before Gods ordinance Nor to consider that God taketh indignation and wrath so often as an humaine tradition looseth goeth beyonde the commaundements of God as he cryeth by his Prophet Esay and sayth this people honoreth me with their lippes but their hart is separate frō me they worship me in vayne whyle they teache the cōmaundements and doctrines of men The Lorde also in the Gospell blaming likewise and reprouing putteth foorth and sayth ye haue reiected Gods commaundement to establishe your tradition Of whiche commaundement S. Paule beeing mindefull dothe likewise warne and instructe ◅aying if anye teache otherwise and contenteth not him selfe with the wordes of our Lorde Iesus Christ and his doctrine ▪ he is pufte vp with blockishnesse hauing skill of nothing From suche an one we ought for to departe c. And in the same Epistle he sayth further But if so be O moste deare brother the feare of God be before vs if the tenor of fayth preuayle if we keepe Christes cōmaundements if we maynteyne the holynesse of his espouse incorrupte and inuiolate if these wordes of the Lorde sticke faste in oure vnderstanding and in oure hartes whiche he sayde thinke ye that when the sonne of man shall come he shall finde fayth in the earthe Bicause then we bee the faythfull souldiours of God bicause we wage vnder him with faythe and sincere religion let vs with a faythfull manhoode keepe hys campe committed to vs of god Nor the custome that crepte in among some oughte to hinder vs that the truthe mighte the lesse preuayle and vanquishe For custome without truthe is the antiquitie of errour VVherfore forsaking errour let vs followe the truthe Knowing that the truthe saythe as it is written in Esdras The truth florisheth and preuayleth for euer c. If we returne to the head and originall of Gods tradition mans errour ceaseth And beholde the reason of the heauenly sacraments what obscuritie soeuer lurked vnder the miste and cloude of darknesse it is opened with the light of the truthe If a conduite of water whiche before dyd slowe plentyfully and largely do sodaynely fayle do we not go to the spring there to knowe the reason why it fayleth whether by the encreasing of the vaynes it be dryed in the head or else flowing from thence whole and full it stoppe in the middle course And if it come to passe by reason the pype is broke or if it soke vp the water whereby the streame can not still keepe on his course continually the pype beeing repayred and amended the water is fette agayne as plentyfully and as holesomely as it springeth from the fountayne VVhich thing now also the Priestes of God ought to doe keeping the commaundements of god That if so bee the truth stagger and wauer in any poynt let vs then returne backe to the Lords and his Gospels original and the Apostles tradition And from whence bothe the order and originall arose from thence let the reason of our doing arise Marke this generall rule of S. Cyprian M. Sta. and I pray you set all your ceremonies vnto it and ye shall tell me another tale and say with Hilarie they are well taken away Omnem plantationem c. Euery plant which is not of my fathers setting is to be pulled vp that is to say the tradition of man is to be rooted out by the loue whereof they transgressed the commaundementes of the Lawe And therefore are they blynde leaders of the blynde promising the waye of eternall lyfe which them selues can not see and so beeing blinde them selues and guides of the blynde they tumble into the ditche togither Suche Pharisies are you M. St. with your blynde ceremonies and suche Chrisostome if the worke be hys calleth you and all other that s◅ande so muche on ceremonies Per obseruationes c. They enlarge their owne sayinges by the obseruations of dayes as thoughe it were euen the Phariseis broade gardes and in their preaching they shewe them continually to the people as thoughe they were the full keeping of the Lawe and the getting of their saluation Suche were they of whome Christe sayde they worship me in vayne teaching the doctrines and commaundementes of men The large hemmes of their garmentes he calleth the magnificall extolling of their commandements For when they prayse those trif◅ing and superstitious obseruations of their owne righteousnesse as though they were excellent and very much pleasing God then do they set out the hemmes of their garments If y◅ saye it is to be doubted whether this be Chrisostomes owne opinion of ceremonies or no in likenyng them to the Pharifeis hemmes ye shall heare euen his owne opinion Unde patet multa c. It appeareth heerevpon that many thinges were of newe broughte in by the priestes and althoughe Moyses wyth a greate terrour hadde threatned them that they shoulde neither adde too nor take awaye anything ye shall not saythe hee adde any thyng to the worde that I speake to you thys daye nor take therefrom yet for all thys had they brought in very many new thinges suche as were those not to eate meate with vnwashed handes to rince their cuppes and brasen vessell and to washe themselues And whereas they oughte in processe of tyme to haue contemned suche obseruations they tyed them selues to more and greater VVhich thing came to so gret wickednesse that their precepts were more kept than were the commaundements of god In so muche that now they seemed worthily to be reprehēded that did neglect their obseruations In which doings they committed a double fault for bothe the bringing in it selfe of the newe thinges was no small crime and in that they sharpely punished the contemner of their obseruations hauing no regarde of the commaundementes of God they became thrall to greeuous offences So right in euery poynt thefe doings of the Phariseis hit on the thumbes and liuely portray out your popish Priestes doings M. St. that oppressed the church of Christ with the like and m◅ superstitious ceremonies than euer the Phariseis did Nowe where they pretended as you do that they receiued these ceremonies of their auncestors Although sayth Chrisostome he make no mention of their Elders yet in accusing these he so dasheth downe those that he sheweth euen that to be a double fault first in that they obeyed not God then that they did them for bicause of men as though he shoulde say I tell you euen this destroyeth you bicause in euery thing ye will obey your elders whiche is one of your