deliuerance from such supersticion They crake muche of blessed fathers and yet name not who they be but much it shall not skill for their dedes wil proue their holines what great holynes was thys to haue mattins at midnight when folke were on slepe in their beds Is not commen praier to be had at such houres whā the people might resort commenly vnto it cōueniently if midnyght be such a time most conuenient let the world indge I graunt in the primatiue church gods people hadde their prayers earlye afore day because at other tymes they were not suffred but in those assembles were not onelye munkes or Priestes but all sortes and degrees of men were gathered to pray here Sermons and receiue the Sacramentes for at other times of the day they durst not for the greatnes of persecution In Paules and Abbayes at their midnight prayers were none commenlye but a fewe ballynge Priestes yonge queristers and nouyces whyche vnderstode not what they said the elder sort kept their beddes or were woorse occupyed A prayer not vnderstande in the hart but spoken with the lippes is rather to be counted praiting and ballyng than prayinge wyth good deuotiō The elder sort both in Cathedrall Churches and Abbaies almost neuer came at their midnyghte prayer it was thought inough to knolle the belles and make menne beleue that they rose to praye therefore they haue not so much to crake of this their doinge The Papistes haue a rule of their owne makynge to say their mattins in which I thinke was a great cause of these early mattins and also of saying theym ouer night Ante tempus meritum in tempore debitum post tempus peccatum To saye Mattins afore the tyme due is a merit to saye them in due time it is duty but after the appoincted time is sinne But as all their religion is of their own deuysynge so is their rewarde God hais made them no suche promise and therfore they can clayme nothynge at hys handes For their continuall massynge afore noone we prayse Godde that hais delyuered vs from it as a thynge contrarye to hys holye wyll and ordynance Saint Paule sayes that whan they came together to eate the Lordes supper they shoulde tarye one for another but these shorne shaueling shameles priestes woulde neyther receyue together one of theym with another nor yet let the people haue anye part with them Enery one wold crepe into a corner to an aultar alone there lifte vppe on highe eate and drinke vp all alone sell good penyworthes and blesse them with the emptye Chalice Than all was well as they thought and Godde well serued but to breake Gods Commaundemente of receiuinge together they passed not of it so that thei might folowe their owne deuyse I know their shift in writhyng this text to their purpose and sayinge that Saint Paule spake this of that feast whych they vsed than to haue whan they receiued the communyon but that wrasting wil not serue for both for that feast and al other kind of eating to fil theyr belly s. Paul gaue that Commaundemente that folowes If any man be an hungred lette him eate at home haue ye not houses to eat and drinke in or do ye despise the congregacion of God seynge that Paul speakes there but of twoo sortes of eatynge the one for hunger to fille their belies the other fedynge the soule with the spirituall foode of Chrystes bodye and bloude for nouryshinge and feding our weake bodyes he byddes vs eat at home but for the liuelye foode of oure soules in the sacrament of his body and bloud he biddes vs tary one for another for it is the seale and band of brotherlye loue as well as the sacrament of Christes bodye and bloud Euery piller in the Churche commenlye had his altar euerye altar his priest and his God to whome the Altars were dedicate thus like menne not regarding Gods commaundement they folowed their owne deuises and yet hauing the truth reueled they harden their heartes and stop their cares that they will not learne For climbing vp to the top of the steple to sing their antimes I demaund of them to shew a reason if there be any why it is done there rather than on the ground and why on such saint dais rather than on other why that tyme of the yere rather then other Whan Baals priests were assēbled against y ◠Prophet Elias to trie whether of them serued the liuyng God and Baals priestes beganne to praye and cal on their god but he woulde not heare theym Elias said crie louder perauenture your God is busy he is chasing his enemies from home or on slepe so vnto ye finde a better aunswere I am contente freelye to lende you this wythout payinge anye peny for it that ye maye francklye saye ye goe vp to the top of the steple to call on your god that he may the more easelye heare you standing so highe rather than on the grounde so farre of and at night whan other suters take their rest for al the day long perauenture he hais bene otherwaies occupied and nowe waringe olde his hearinge decayes so muche that if ye stande not nere hande and crye loude he can not helpe you These and such other are mete for them that serue straunge Gods but he that calles on the liuinge Lord knowes him to be present in all places and therefore makes no suche difference of them Againe if according to their owne doctrine a praier made in a halowed place be better than that which is made in an vnhalowed than better it is to stand on the grounde than to climbe on height for the top of the steple was neuer halowed as the church was beneth Whā suche folishnes is wisely proued we shal streight waies beleue it First searche whether the faith and religion nowe vsed was taught wyth the blessed fathers in Christes Churche in tymes paste ye shall proue by no recorde of autoritye or Chronicle tha◠this manner of seruyce nowe vsed in the Churche was euer harde tell of afore Luthers time whyche is not xl peare agoe therefore it is to be reiected and putte awaye as a newe fangled doctryne and schismaticall therefore come backe agayne into the olde blessed fathers stepes In that he denies this faith and religion euer to be heard tel of vnto within these xl yeares and bids trie the recordes whither it be true that he sais and semes to charge vs with forsakinge the olde faith and fathers alledginge the Epistle to the Ebrewes that be that comes to Godde muste beleue and that without faith it is not possible to please God and Iere. that we shoulde searche out the olde way and walke in it I am well content to stand with him in these pointes and proue that this fayth and religion was taught in Christs church continuallye from the beginning and that this seruice nowe vsed goes nearer the order appoynted in
for so many dayes fastinge God shall rewarde hym with suche worldly blessinges as please him to appoint In Flaunders euerye saturdaye betwixt Christmas and Candelmas they eate flesh for ioy and haue pardon for it bicause our Ladye laye so longe in child bedde saye they we here may not eat so the Pope is not so good to vs yet surely it were as good reason that we should eat fleshe with them all that while that our lady lay in child bed as that we shuld beare our candel at her churchinge at Candelmas with theym as they doe It is seldome sene that men offer candels at womens churchinges sauinge at oure ladies but reason it is that she haue some preferrement if the Pope woulde be so good maister to vs as let vs fleshe with theym Euery one euen by the Popes lawe is not bounde to faste as children olde folkes women with child pilgrimes poore prisoners labouringe or iorneynge menne and by the consent of the Phisicion and gostlye father euen in the midst of blynd Poperye all sicke persons might eat fleshe at all times And those that be bounde to fast maye bee dispensed with for a litle money That is good holinesse that is bought for so litle money Our sauioure christ seing the Pharases offended with eating meat said to them That which enters in at the mouthe defiles not the manne and whan they woulde not be so satisfied he saide let them alone they be blinde and guides of the blind So surely to such obstinate blinde Papistes as will not learne the fredome of conscience taught in the Scriptures and serue the lorde in singlenes of hart but put their hole deuocion in outward obseruation of mans traditions it maye well be saide lette theym alone they be blinde and guides of the blynde It is the weake conscience that is to be born with as Saint Paul teaches sayinge I had rather neuer eat flesh than offend my brother and not the obstinate wilfull blindnesse of the supersticious that maye learne and will not Whan he hais proued that the protestantes vpon their wilfull lustes and not for such necessary considerations as is here rehersed haue contemptuouslye broken the fasting dayes appointed by commen order he may well rebuke them but there be to manye witnes whiche haue heard manye of them sundry times oute of the solemst places and pulpites in y e realme teache the contrarye therefore none can beleue these hys liynge woordes to be true Breakinge thy faste standes not so muche in eatynge anye kinde of meat as in the quantitye of it or doynge it with contempt of the higher powers and commen order appoynted or elles in offending the weake conscience whiche hais not learned his libertye geuen by god in his holy worde Where he castes in our teeth the breakinge of lent as though that were commaunded by Goddes owne mouth and shoulde be obserued without all excuse they that lust shall see how great diuersities of fastinge Lent haue bene in olde time before and than iudge whither this their one kinde of fastinge Lent be so necssarye Socrat. lib. v. ca. xxii of his ecclesiastical history writes of the diuersites of sundry thinges in the church as kepinge of Easter baptising mariage and the Communion c. Amonge whiche he touches the diuersity of lent fast and sais that the Romanes fasted iii. whole Wekes afore Easter excepte Satturdaye and Sondaye some Grecians fast vi Wekes some begynne vii Wekes afore and fast but. xv dayes in that space and those not all together They differed also in meates for some woulde eate nothing that had life some woulde eate no liuelye thinge but fish some woulde eat both fishe and fowle other forbeare Beryes and Egges other forbeare all thyngs saue dry bread and other wold not eat that some wold not eate afore the. ix houre but than woulde fede of diuers meates Some at one houre of the daye some at another c. If all these christian men serued God and yet hadde such dyuersites of fastynge their Lente why shoulde they be counted euill menne that do no worse than they dydde or swarue but a littel from thys theyr vsed Lent fast Is this so well that nothinge is well but this And bicause they sticke so muche to the Ro. Church note that he sais the Romanes fasted but. iii. wekes why should we than fast sir or how hais Rochaunged this olde custome or maye it be chaunged If it maye not why haue they done it and if it maye why blame they them that do it Polychronic lib. v â—a ir writes that Pope Gregory the. i. ordeined fastinge of all Lent who liued vi C. yeare after Christ than it lackes much of their autoritye and auncientye that they crake so muche of We reade that our Sauiour Christ eate fleshe at his last supper on mauÌ„dy thursday whiche day of all in lent is one of the holyest if Christ than fasted Lent I speake not this because I woulde haue menne to breake the commen appointed order of fastinge without lawefull cause but that I woulde euery man should know the libertye of consciens that Christe hais geuen and taught vs in his word Let euerye manne obey the ordinaunce of the rulers whiche commaunde not anye thinge contrarye to God and let them knowe also the fredom of conscience that they be not boundmen to the creatures which God of loue hais made to serue and not to rule vs. Surelye these people were christened and holye members of the church of christ and yet so shamelesly he crakes so muche of the whole church to maintein their doings Spiridion Byshoppe of a towne in Cyprus whan his fryende came to him on the fasting daye after dinner bade his daughter Irene dresse a piece of bacon because he hadde no other meate in the house naye sais the manne I am a christen man I eat no fleshe on the fastinge daye why sais Spiridion because thou art a christen manne thou shoulde eate O worthy lesson teaching both the mariage of Byshops and also libertye of meates Thirdlye where he belies vs saiynge that we call praier supersticion reade the bookes of prayers whiche the protestauntes haue made the order that they teach to pray in marke their praiers openly in their sermons with what seruent zeale it is done and iudge than how falsly he misreportes them But if he meane the praiers of munks Freers Bunnes c. we will not greatlye sticke to graunte them to be so in dede and good reasons we haue out of their owne â—oâ—tours why to say so Saint ThoÌ„ in his scdaÌ„ scde quest xcii writes that it is supersticion whan a manne is to holye As whan he is so Pope holy that he beleues thinges not to be beleued feares thinges not to be feared worships thinges not to be worshipped or does thinges as holy which be not holy in dede Conferre these sayinges with munkish prayers and suche like and see whether we saye
anye Priest that paies not the subsidy In that doing they grauÌ„t the Parliament to be aboue them from it to receiue their power Yea further to let them se how they be contrary to theÌ„selfes they giue a lay man as most part of their Collecters were power to interdite suspende and absolue a Priest whiche both be contrarye to their owne doctrine I had not thought to haue said so muche on these his fewe woordes and yet muche more hanges on this their opinion of claming their vsurped power aboue Princes and other ministers For if thys their opinyon were true that god gaue them such autority ouer his Churche as they clame it might be sayde on theym as the Poete sais Ouem lupo comisisti that God had appointed wolues to kepe his shepe There Saint Iames beynge Byshoppe and there sayd Masse ALas poore Masse that hais no better a ground work to be bylte on than false lies and so vnlerned a Proctour to speake for it I pray you who helpt Saint Iames at Masse who halowed hys Corporas Superaltare Chalice vestimentes c. Who was deacon and Subdeacon to reade the Epistle and Gospel who rang to the sacring and serued the pax for I am as sure it was a solempne feast and that these thinges were done as he is that S. Iames saide masse He that tolde you the one could haue told you the other as well as this if he had lust and ye saye your Masse can not be saide without these trinkettes I praye you what Masse was it began it with a great R. of Requiem or Scala coeli or resurrexi For the plague or murrion of beastes part of a trentall or for all christen soules if ye wil haue vs to beleue it ye must tell vs some more I praye you also which Saint Iames was it for we reade of diuers of that name both in the Scripture and other histories liuyng at that time It is not inoughe to saye so it is but ye must proue it yf ye will be beleued I pray you whose masse as they terme it vsed he and of whose makynge was it Chrisostomes or Basils Gregories or Ambrose or that whiche beares hys owne name of Saynt Iames what language spake he Hebrewe Greke or Latin these thynges must be proued afore your Latin popish patched Masse by so many Popes in so manye yeares or it was broughte to his perfection canne be proued Doe they thynke that beccausâ— my Lord Bishop Maister Docter or such Scauingers and corner crepers as thiâ— Champion is say it is so and deceiue thâ— people with lies priuely in corners thaâ—â— none dare saye against it openly but alâ—â— their sayinges must be beleued I do noâ—â— take them to be of that autoritye or credit But I will not stand with him in al these narrow pointes although I could kepe him much play in so doing I agree that Iames brother of oure Lorde was Bisshop there at Ierusalem as the auncient writers testifye but that he said or did anye thing lyke the Popyshe â—louted Latin masse that I vtterly deny For that the church alter Superaltare vesstiments Chalyce c. should be halowed afore they could haue masse said in theÌ„ on theym or with theym it is playne written in their owne law de consecra distincto .i when they haue proued that S. Iames had these halowed howe and by whome they were halowed than I will beleue he said their folish masse and not afore for their masse canne not be done without them Also if they will be beleued they muste declare what order of masse he vsed was it Chrisostomes Basils Iustines â—ertulians Austins Dionisius Isidorus Gregories Rabanus the Romaines or whose els Surely all these were vnborne manye yeares after Saint Iames died that it coulde not be theirs whi I am sure some will say is there so many diuers sortes of so manye holy fathers to minister the Lordes supper and our holye Bishops of late haue burned so many innocentes that would not vse their only one disordert order of massing as though all other were hereticall and schismatical as they terme it but that onely one which they haue deuised disguised and misused yea surelye these diuersityes al be printed and to be had wyth manye moe godlye ones and therefore they can not deny it and bicause they be prynted I will not stande to rehearse them holly for it were infinite There is yet an other liturgie in Print which worde they cal and vnlearnedlyâ— translate euer a Masse bearing the name of Saint Iames but euen in their late raging time of madnes whan they had gotten certayne copies of these Greeke liturgies or ministring the Lordes supper thinking to haue printed them and that it woulde haue stablyshed their doinges whan in triall and translatynge them they see it fall oute otherwais and to make against them they let it alone and suppressed it like as the same holye father and Cardinall fyrste prynted hys booke that he wrote against king Henry the eyght to please the Pope wythall and to sturre Themperoure to warre against England for falling from Popery and after his conscience accusing him to haue done amysse he burned all the bookes he coulde come by and yet nowe they be commonly solde to his shame as these Liturgies be to theirs Al these orders of ministring the Communion differ from their Pope holye relique their Latin masse in the chiefest poyntes that is that the Priest prayes not alone nor in a straunge language eates not nor drinkes vp all alone nor receyues it for other sels it not for money nor swepes the Popes scalding house his purgatory with it but the people pray with him in theyr mother tounge receyue wyth him for the coumforte of their owne soules and not for pockye pigges scalled horse nor scabbed shepe neyther making trentals or marchandise of it but in remembraunce of Chrystes death who dyed for theim But that Sainct Iames neuer sayde the Popysh masse as they would father it on him the Pope himselfe grauntes Pope Gregorie the first called the great for his greate holynes and learninge in comparison of the rest sais that the Apostles consecrated the host onlye with the Lordes prayer whan they minystred Than Saint Iames if he ministred anâ—e thing at al there euen by the Popes confession neuer sayd their latin Masse nor any thing like it For that consecration in latin of theirs hais many longe other prayers crossinges and blessinges and supersticious Ceremonies as all manne see beside the Lordes prayer And in that same selfe Chapter of Gregorye ye shal see other diuersites of Ceromonies and prayers there rehearsed wherein the latin masse differs from the Greke and other Wherefore it was not thoughte of old time to so many holy fathers a wicked thing to haue diuers orders in ministring the communion though our bloudye butchers will not swarue an inche from their father of lyes but burne all that gainsay them Howe manye toyes
crossinges blessinges blowinges knockinges knelinges bowinges liftinges sighinges houstinges tournynges and halfe turninges mockinges mowings slepynges and apyshe playinges softe whisperyngs and loud speakinges haue we to consecrate our owne deuises with all or it can be getten done Morcouer if Saint Iames should haue vsed our latin canon and priuitye of the Masse as they terme it in hys consecration or any such like he shoulde haue prayed to hym selfe and worshipped himselfe beynge alyue whyche were a greate absurdite to graunt For the latin canon and preuity of the Masse is full of praying to Saintes and names them particularly amoÌ„g whom Saint Iames is one himselfe Than Sainct Iames vsynge the Latiâ— Masse as they say he did he shoulde hauâ— prayed to himselfe and worshipped him selfe beinge aliue which I thinke whan they aduise themselues better they will not graunt to be true nor meete to be done and wyth suche wicked foolyshnes I trust they wyll not burden Saint Iames withal Furthermore it skils much what language Saint Iames vsed for our holy Byshops think it not mete that their holy relyques shoulde be vttered in our Englyshe tunge Saint Paule sais be had rather speake fiue wordes that he vnderstandes and to teache other than tenne thousande in a straunge tongue oure Prelates saye nay None will prepare himselfe to warre eâ—cept he vnderstand what the trumpet blowes no more can any learne his duty to God if he vnderstand not the thinge that is taught and the language Oure Prelates sayes that blinde ignoraunce is the mother of deuocion but Christ sayes ye erre because ye know not the Scripture Than ignoraunce is the cause of errour By like God eyther vnderstandes not Englyshe or els he is partiall and loues not oure Englyshe tounge so well as the latin and yet to speake or vnderstande dyuers languages is the gifte of the bolye ghost Surelye if the holye ghost geue the grace to speake and vnderstande dyuers languages God can not bate them that vse anye of theim nor disalowe the giftes of the holy ghost in any man We rede for they be tourned into latin and printed that other Countries haue vsed of olde tinie and yet do at this day their owne language in ministring the lordes supper Why than may not England do the same What faute haue we made more than other Chrisostomes order of the Communion Basils and that which beares the name of Saint Iames were written in the Greke whiche the people vnderstoode and aunswered in the same language The Sirians Athiopians Armenians Moscouites and the dominion of Prestor Ioan doe at this day and euer did vse their owne language whan they ministred and out of them are turned latin that easily it may be sene how we differ The good Christian Emperor Iustinian commaundes plainelye in hys ciuill lawes Nouell constitut 124. and. 126. that all thynges shoulde bee done in the Churches in those languages whyche were knowen in the Countries and also that the wordes of baptisme and the lordes supper shoulde bee spoken in a loude voyce that thereby the deuotion of the hearers might be stirred vp which al althoughe they were written a thousande yeares sins our holy Papistes deny and saye it was neuer done nor ought to be done nor that Princes haue anye suche autoritye to commaunde or medell in Pope Pius the seconde beares witnesse that the Sclauons whan they made sute to minister in their owne tunge and the Pope made curtsie to graunt it a voyce was hearde from heauen that euery spirite and language shoulde prayse God and so it was graunted them to vse their owne language The Popyshe kinde of mariage althoughe the rest was latin yet the best part was English I N. take thee N. to my wedded wife c. I N. take thee N. to my wedded husbaÌ„d c. If this was well why not the rest also Yf in making promises we vse that language whiche we vnderstand why shoulde we not do it to vnderstand what God commaundes vs Is a promise to man more to be considered than that which is made to God Yf these thinges shoulde be denied they be in Print that euerye man may reade and therefore I wil not stand longe in rehearsinge of theym Are these tongues more holye than oures that the holye misteryes maye bee vsed in theym and not in oures I leaue oute the Boemians and Waldenses which haue â—sed to communicate in their owne language many though not al these C C C yeres The Germans the Italians and the French I passe ouer because it is not olde But these Countries they wil say are in the East parte of the worlde and partes of the Greke Churche whiche neuer was subiecte to their holye father the Pope and in these thinges they doe erre but the west Church worshippinge the Pope would neuer suffer anye suche thing In thus sayinge they proue the Pope to be worse than the Turke Presster Ioan the Sophi or anye Heathen Prince that will not suffer Gods people to worship their God in their owne language as they doe It is great maruaile to me why oure holye Prelates will not haue the people to praye in Englishe seing the common rude sort and altogether vnlearned in all the farre Northe partes of the Realme euen the borders haue euer vsed the lordes prayer the articles of our faith and tenne commaundementes and yet do in Englysh meter differing nothing from the true sense of the scripture They neuer learned them in latin and can not nor wil not learne that they vnderstand not Surelye Gods wisedome in their rude simplicitye does confound these proude Prelates wicked Poperye Yet is there remaining one of y e foulest lyes that is commenlye red or writen in the Popes testament the decrees wheron they bylde their faith whiche if thys proctour and all his partakers can proue to be true I will saye with theym It is writen de consecra distincto i. ca. Iacobus that Saint Iames y â— brother of our lord Bysshop of Ierusalem and Eusebius Bysshop of Cesaria made their masse If this haue any likenes of a truth in it let the world iudge Saint Iames was Bysshop of Ierusalem and there liued continually not wandringe into other countryes as other Apostles didde but there suffered martirdome beynge throwne downe from the pynacle of the Temple where a Fuller smote oute his braines with a clubbe In Ierusalem then their naturall speache was Hebrewe and the prayers that they vsed in the Temple were onelye the Scriptures and in the Hebrew tounge as the Iewes do to this day in their Synagoges wherein they proue themselues better than y â— Papists which in their Churches haue few praiers of the Scripture but manye foolishe ones deuised of their own braine and in a language that the people vnderstande not Therefore whan they haue proued that the Latin toung was vsed in Ierusalem or that Sainct Iames prayed in Latin although I doubt not but he had the gift
might be fytter to godlynes but for abhomination forgettynge that all that God hais made is good and that he made both male and female lette him be correct or deposed The thirde Councell of Cartage sayes thus Let not Pryestes children make anye playes and gammes If any says the Popes canon law shuld teache that a Pryest for religyon sake should despise his wife accursed be he Distinct. xxviii Againe the next cha folowinge If any make a difference of a maried Priest as though he should not minister by occasiō of his mariage and therfore forbeare from his ministration accursed be he Whan this foolysh vnlearned Papiste hais scraped these and such like sayinges out of the Popes testament commonly called his decrees than he may say the Popes lawe hais vtterly condemned mariage of Priestes in the Latin Church But what nedes these proofes whan Saint Paule saies playne a Byshop must be the husbande of one wife and Ambrose writinge on the same place sais that he is not forbidden to haue a seconde Pope Pius ii wrytes that there were great causes why Priests were forbidden wiues but there were greater causes why they shoulde be restored Ierom grauntes that in his time manye Priestes were maried cōtr Ioui And on the vi cha of the Epistle He writes thus Let Bysshoppes and Priestes reade these which teache their children worldly learning and make them to reade Comedes and singe bawdy songes of ministrelles c. Nauclerus part vii generat xxxvii wri tes thus Gregorye vii decreed in the yeare M. lxxiii that from thencefoorth Priestes shoulde not haue wyues and they that had shoulde leaue them or be deposed He wrote to the Byshops of France and Germany that they should procure it so to be with them The hole clergy cried out against this decree callinge him hereticke who hadde forgotten the worde of the Lord who said al receiue not this sayinge and he that can not refrayne let him mary and it is better to marye than to burne Howe violent a thinge is this to compell that menne shoulde liue like Aungelles and whan he denyes the accustomed course of nature he shoulde giue lybertye to horedome If he continued to confirme this decree they had rather leaue their Priesthode than mariage Gregory not withstandinge was instaunt and rebukes the Byshops of slouthfulnesse that these thynges were not done amonge theim Tharchbyshop of Mentz perceyninge howe harde a thynge it was to breake so longe a rooted custome and to reforme the worlde in his olde age appointed his Priestes vi monethes to do that in which they must necessarily doe they purposed than to laye violent handes on the Byshoppe except he chaunged his purpose The yeare folowinge Gregorye attempted that diuorcinge of them by his legate which he coulde not bringe to passe by the Byshoppe The Priestes were so moued against the legate that they had almost torne him in peces except he had gone away and left the matter vndone A horrible plage he sais further did folow this contention of the west Churche in so much that lay men didde christen and minister sacramentes because the Priestes had rather forsake their Priesthode than their wines and would not minister c. thus far the history Marke whan thys was done the trouble in doynge it the plague that folowed and that mariage as he says was longe used afore him To the Lorde and father Nycholas the dyligent prouyder for the holye Romysh church Huldrich Bishop of Angsburgh in name only wyshes loue as a sun and scare as a seruaunt WHere I founde O father and lord your decrees for the cōtinentie of clerks which ye send me of late to be without discretion a certaine feare and heauines both troubled me fear because the iudgement of the shepeherd whither it be right or wrong is to be feared for I was afraid lest the weake hearers of the scripture whiche wil scarce obey a righteous iudgement not regarding this of yours as wrongful should boldly break this so heauy a cōmandement of the sheperd that it may not be borne Sorow or rather pity troubled me whā I douted by what meanes the members myght escape wher their head was so sore sick What can be more greuous or more to be pitied of the hole church thā that you y ◠bishop of the chefest see shuld swarue but a litle from a holy discretion Thou swarued muche from thys whan thou would that clerkes whom thou shoulde warne for the continentie of mariage shoulde be compelled to it by a certaine imperious violence Is not this worthily to be coūted a violence by the cōmen iudgment of al wise men whā any man is cōpelled to execute priuat decrees cōtrarye to the doctrine of the gospel and decree of the holy gost Therfore where there be many examples of the old testament new teachinge discretion as ye know I besech your fatherhode be content y ◠some few amōg many may be put in this writing Our lord apoynted mariage to priestes in the old law which is not redde to be forbydden theym afterwarde But he sais in the Gospel there be Euunches whiche haue geldet themselues for the kyngdome of heauen but all men receiue not this worde he that can take it let him take it Therefore Thappostle sais for Uirgins I haue no Commaundement of the Lorde but I geue counsell Ye see that al men can not take this counsell accordinge to the sayinge of the Lord. And ye see also manye flatterers of the same counsell willing to please menne and not god with this false shewe of continentie to doe more haynous thinges as to prouoke their fathers wiues not abhore to lye by beastes and menne But least the state of the whole churche should be decayed by the great mischeues of this filthines he said For fornication let euerye man haue his owne wife Yet these hipocrites falsy saye that this same belonges speciallye to laye menne whiche hipocrites althoughe they be in a moste holy order yet they doubt not to misuse other mens wyues These men vnderstode not the scripture rightlye and because they wrunge the pappe to soore they souked bloude in stede of milke For that saynge of Thapostle Let euely manne haue his owne wife exceptes no man in dede but him that professes conrotinentye or him that determines to continue his virginitye in the Lord. c. And that ye may know that they which haue not made this vowe ought not to be compelled Here Thappostle to Timothe saying It becomes a Byshoppe to be blameles the husband of one wife and least anye manne should turne this sayinge to the Churche onely he addes he that canne not rule his owne house howe can he rule the Churche of God Likewise he sais Diacons muste be the husbande of one wife whiche can well rule their children and houses I know that ye haue taught by the decrees of holye Syluester Pope that this
generall order for the hole worlde nor the hole worlde neuer obeyed nor receyued anye The Popes Portuis Missall hais bene oft chaunged as I proued afore and euery countrie hais their diuers order of seruice Aarons sonnes did plainly against gods expresse commaundement and therefore were iustly plaged Ours do not so and therfore they be not in like case but vndeseruedly blamed Clementes wordes and Ciprians whan they are proued to be truly alledged touch not vs but suche as he is for they knew no such priestes nor church as he meanes nor anye such were many yeares after The papistes differ verye litle from Iewes for both of them set their hole religioÌ„ in ceremonies and olde customes We sticke stifly to the word of God only and bilde not on such vain foundations Therfore he bringes that canon against himselfe and his sort beinge as supersticious as the Iewes and blynded obstinatlye in errours as heretickes Whether is it lawefull for Priestes that saye the Communyon also to celebrate masse THe holye Martir Saint Ciprian sayes It is not leafull by and by afore penance done to consecrate or touch with his wicked handes the body of oure Lorde and with his polluted mouth to receyue the bloud of oure â—orde but first let him doe penaunce Does thou thinke says Saint Cyprian that our Lorde wilbe so sodenly mitigated whom thou hais refused hais more esteamed thy worldly liuing then him Saint Cyprian says the blynd loue of their patrimonye and wordly goods hais deceyued many and bound them as it were in stockes and fetters that they can not folow christ A great number for feare of woordes of suche as be not good haue refused their faith not cast downe by any violence of persecutioÌ„ but by a voluntary lapse haue cast downe their selues although they haue perceyued the Byshops and a greate number of the clergie not to be afrayed to lose all their lyuinges not fearing losse of goods or imprisonment or banyshment from their fryendes yea all readye to suffer death in this case Our Sauiour in the gospell sais No manne can serue ii maisters that is to say the Communion decreed and appointed by the laite parliement against the consent of the clergye in christes Churche and also celebrate masse decreed and apointed by the clergye in sacrate synodes representinge the whole estate of christes churche S. Paule sais ye can not be partakers both of the table of our lorde and the table of the deuilles S. Ciprian sayes It is an horrible abhomidation to fare about to serue both Ball and christ it is contimely and not religion it is iniurye and not deuotion if thou communicate of the cup of christ with the deuils hitherto be S. Cyprians wordes S. Paule sais we haue an altar whereof they may not eate that serue the Tabernacie By these examples it is euident that the Priestes may not minister the communion to one sort and Masse to an other sorte In tripartita Historia it appeares the catholyckes and the Arrians did not communicate one with another Whether it be lawfull for Priestes to say Masse whiche saye no communion but only read Psalmes and chapters to the people in sâ—eade of seruyce SAint Ciprian sais the verity is not to be dissembled it is nought to halte vppon both the partes If God be the Lorde folow him If Ball folowe him Euen so it mattens and Euensonge be the ordinaunces of christes church vse theym if the Psalmes and chapters vse them It is no lesse offence to alowe a schisme with assent than to offer to idolles S. Austin sais such as be in schisme that is to say in sacraments or diuine seruice seperated from the vnity of christs mistical body not in â—oining together of christian meÌ„bers not in the band of peace which is expressed in the sacrament of the altar they may consecrate receiue this sacrament but it is not profitable to theÌ„ but very hurtful wherby they shalbe iudged more greuously of almighty god S. Paul says Not only they that do euil be worthye death but also they that consent to the doers The holy ghost does cry by his Prophete Esay saying get you hence go forth beware that you touch no vncleane thing The scripture sais thou shalte loue the lorde god with all thy heart with all thy strength c. god loues no halfe seruice As for example it is writen in the booke of kings that kinge Dauid sent his seruauntes to comfort Anon for the death of his father all be it Kynge Anon tooke theym as espies and caused the haulfe of their beardes to bee shauen and cut their clothes by their buttockes and so sent them backe agayne to Kynge Dauid But whan Kynge Dauid heard of thys he would not suffer them to come in his sight at Ierusalem but commaunded them to tarie at Hierico vntil their beardes were growen out againe euen so suche Priestes as hais gone out of Christes Church and entangled them selues with any part of this religion against the decrees of the Churche are not worthye in ministracion of sacramentes to come in the presence of the faithfull that continue still in Christes Churche vntil they be reconcyled and haue done penaunce for their lapse into schisine Whether is thys to bee called a wicked time that suche heresye and schisme does reigne NO rather it is a blessed tyme for now god tryes his family as Saint Cyprian sais for the longe rest and peace whiche hayes bene in Christes churche afore time caused the clergye to be almost on sleape by reason wherof deuout religion was not in a great number of Priestes in workes was small mercye no discipline in manners Saint Paule sais It is mete that there be herefye that the good maye be tried so that suche as haue grace to stande this troublous tyme and be not spotted with schisme shalbe kyndred more feruent in the loue and feare of God and such as be fallen in lapse if they will seke to come backe againe to oure mother holye Churche with penaunce that is with prayer satisfaction and teares she shittes her bosome from none that will so come for God is nere at hande to all that call on him in vertue and will reioyse more in theym then in other But some are not be gathered out of schisme says Cyprian so that suche as be whole and stedfast be thereby wounded nor he is not a profitable and wise pastor that gathereth the shepe that be diseased scabbed or sicke into the whole flocke afore they be whole least they infect al the flocke Nor the Byshoppe muste not haue a respect to the greatnesse of the number for better it is to haue one good Priest that feareth God than a thousande that be euill this sayes S. Ciprian Answere to the vii viii and ix UUhat a foole is he that goes about to proue by so manye balde reasons cloutinge such patched pieces together that