to Gratianus y e Emperour Let the scripture sayeth he bee asked the question let the Apostles be asked let y e Prophets be asked let Christ be asked For at that time made the Catholik Fathers and Bysshops no doubt but that our Religion mighte be proued out of y e holy scriptures Neither were they euer so hardy to take any for an heâ—itike whose errour they coulde not euidently apparently reproue by the selfe same scripturs And we verely to make aunswere on this wise as S. Paul did According to this way which they cal heresie we do worship God and the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ do allowe all thinges which haue ben written either in y e Law or in the Prophetâ— or in y e Apostles workes Wherefore yf we be heretikes and they as they woulde faine be called bee Catholikes why do they not as they see the fathers which were Catholike men haue alwaies don why do they not conuince and maister vs by the diuine scriptures â–ª why do they not call vs agayn to be tryed by them why do they not lay before vs howe wee haue gon away froÌ„ Christ from the Prophets from the Apostels and from the holy fathers why stick they to do it why are they afraide of it It is Gods cause whye are they doubtful to commit it to y e trial of gods worde yf wee be heretkes which referre all our controuersies vnto the holy scriptures report vs to y e selfe same words which wee knowe were sealed by God him self and in comparison of them set little by all other thinges whatsoeuer may be deuised by men howe shall wee say to these folke I pray you what maÌ„ner of men be they howe is it meete to call them which feare the iudgement of the holy scriptures that is to say y e iudgement of God hym self and do preferre before them theyr owne Dreames and full colde Inuentions and to maintaine their owne traditions haue defaced and corrupted now these many hundred yeares the ordinances of Christe and of the Apostles Men say that Sophocles the tragicall Poet when in his oulde dayes he was by his own sonnes accused before the Iudges for a dotinge and sottishe man as one that fondelye wasted hys owne substaunce and seemed to neede a Gouernour to see vnto him to thintent he might cleere him selfe of the faulte he came into the place of Iudgemente and when he had rehearsed before them his Tragedye called Oedipus Coloneus which he had written at the verye tyme of his accusation maruelous exactly and conningly did of him selfe aske the Iudges whether they thought any sottish or doting man could do the like peece of worke In like manner bycause these men take vs to be mad and appeache vs for heretikes as men which haue nothing to do neyther with CHRIST nor with the Churche of GOD wee haue iudged yt shoulde be to good purpose and not vnprofitable yt wee doe openlye and frankely set furth our faith wherein we stande and shew al that confidence which wee haue in CHRISTE IHESV to the intent al men may se what is oure iudgement of euery paâ—te of Christian religion and may resolue w t them selues whether y e faith which they shall see coÌ„firmed by the words of Christ by the writinges of the Apostles by the testimonies of the catholique Fathers and by the exaumples of many ages be but a certain rage of furious and mad men and a compicacie of heretikes This therefore is oure Beliâ—ffe WE BELEEVE that there is one certaine nature and diuine power whiche wee call GOD and that the same is diuided into three equall persons into y e Father into the Sonn and into the holy Ghoste and that they all be of owne power of one Maiestie of one eternitie of one Godhed and of one substaÌ„ce And although these three persons be so diuided that neither the Father is the sonne nor the sonn is the holy Ghost or the Father yet neuertheles wee beleeue y e there is but one very God And that the same one God hath created heaueÌ„ and earth and al thinges contained vnder heauen Wee beleeue that IESVS Christe y e onely Sonne of the eternall Father as long before it was determined before all beginninges when the fullnes of tyme was com did take of that blessed pure Virgin bothe â—â—eshe all the nature of man that he might declare to the world the secret hid will of his father which will had ben laide vp from before all ages and generacioÌ„s And that he might full finishe in his humaine bodie the misterie of our redeÌ„ption might fasten to the crosse our sinnes and also that handwritinge which was made againstâ— vs. We beleue that â—or our sake he dyed and was buried descenâ—yâ— into helâ— the third day by the power of his Godhed retorned to â—yfe aâ—d rose again and that y e fourtyth day after his resurrectioÌ„ â–ª whiles his Disciples behelde and loked vppon him he ascendid into heauen to fulfill all thinges and did place in maiestie and glory the selfe same body wherwith he was borne wherin he liued on earth wherein he was â—ested at where in he had suffred most painful torments cruell kinde of death wherein he rose againe and wherein be ascendid to the right hand of the Father aboue all rule aboue all power all force all DominioÌ„ and aboue euery name which is named not onely in this worlde but also in the world to com And that there he now sitteth and shall syt till all thinges be full perfetted And althoughe the Maiestie and Godhed of Christ be euery wheare habundauntly dispersed yet wee beleeue y e his body as S. Augustine saâ—eth must needes be still in one place that Christ hath geuen maiesty vnto his bodye but yet hath not takeÌ„ away from it y e nature of a body and that wee must not so affirme Christ to be God that wee deny hym to be man and as the Martyr Vigilius sayth that Christ hath left vs as touching his humaine nature but hath not left vs as touchinge his diuine nature And that the same Christ though he bee absent from vs concerning his maÌ„hood yet is euer present with vs concerning his Godhed From that place also wee beleeue that Christ shall com againe to execute that general iudgemeÌ„t aswel of them whom he shall then synde aliue in the bodye as of them that be already dead Wee beleeue that the holy Ghoste who is the third person in the holie Trinitie is very God not made not â—reat not begotten but proceding from both the Father and the Sonne by a certain meane vnknowen vnto men vnspeakable and that it is his propretie to mollifie and soften y e hardnes of mans heart when he is once receiued thereunto eyther by y e holsom preaching of the Gospell or by any other way that he dothe geue men light and guide them vnto the
they should teache they should publishe abrode the Gospell and be vnto the beleuing a swete sauour of lyfe vnto life and vnto the vnbeleuing and vnfaithfull a sauour of death vnto death and that the mindes of godly persons being brought low by the remorce of their former lyfe and errours after they once begonne to looke vp vnto the light of the Gospel and beleue in Christ might be opened with y e worde of God eueÌ„ as a dore is opened with a keye CoÌ„trarie wise that the wicked and wilfull folke and suche as woulde not beleue nor retorne into the right waye should be lefte still as fast locked and shut vp and as S. Paul sayeth waxe worse and worse This take we to be the meaning of the keyes and that after this fashion mens consciences eyther to be opened or shut We saye that the preist in deede is Iudge in this case but yet hath no maner of right to chalenge an auctoritie or power as saith Ambrose And therfore our Sauiour Iesu Christ to reproue y e negligence of the Scribes and Phariseis in teaching dyd with these wordes rebuke them sayng Wo vnto you Scribes and Pharisies whiche haue takeÌ„ awaye the keyes of knowledge and haue shut vp the kyngdome of heauen before men Seing then the keye whereby the waye and entery to y t kingdom of God is opened vnto vs is the worde of the Gospell and thexpounding of the Lawe and Scriptures we say plainely where the same woorde is not there is not the keye And seyng one maner of worde is geuen to al and one only keye belongeth to al we say there is but one only power of all ministers as concerning opening and shutting And as touching the Bysshop of Rome for all his Parasites stateâ— ringlie singe in his eares those wordes To the will I geue y e keyes of the kingdome of heauen as though those keyes were fyt for hym alone and for no body els except he go so to woorke as mens consciences maye be made pliaunte and be subdued to the worde of God we denye y t he doth either open or shut or hath y e keyes at all And although he tought and instructed the people as woulde to God he might once truely do and perswade him selfe it were at the leaste soÌ„me peece of his duety yet we thinke his keye to be neuer a whit better or of greater force then other mens For who hath seuered hym froÌ„ the rest who hath taught him more coÌ„ningly to open or better to absolue then his bretherne We say y t matrimonie is holy and honorable in al sorts states of persones in y e patriarches in the prophetes in the apostles in holy martyrs in y e ministers of y e Churche and in Byshopps and that it is an honest and laufull thinge as Chrysostome saith for a man liuing in matrimonie to take vpon hym therewith the dignitie of a Bysshop And as Sozomenus saith of Spiridion and as Nazianzen saith of his owne father that a good and diligent Bysshopp doth serue in the ministerie neuer the worse for that he is maried but rather the better and with more ablenes to do good Further we saye that the same lawe whiche by constrainte taketh awaye this libertie from men and compelleth them against their willes to liue single is the doctrine of Dyuells as Paule saith and that euer since the tyme of this lawe a wonderful vncleanes of lyfe and maners in goddes ministers and sundrie horrible enormities haue folowed as the Bysshop of Augusta as Faber as Abbas Panormiâ—anus as Latomus as the Tripartite worke whiche is annexed to the seconde Tome of y e Councelles and other chaÌ„pious of the Popes band yea and as the matter it selfe and al histories do coÌ„fesse For it was rightly sayd by Pius the second a Bysshop of Rome that he sawe many causes why wiues should be takeÌ„ awaye from Preistes but that he sawe many moe and more weightye causes whye they ought to be restored them againe We receyue and embrace all the Canonicall Scriptures both of the oulde and new Testament geuing thankes to our God who hath raised vp vnto vs that light whiche we might euer haue before our eyes â—â—aste eyther by the sutteltie of man or by the snares of the Dyuell we shoulde be caried awaye to errours and lyes Also that these be the heauenly voices wherby God hath opened vnto vs his will and that onely in them mans hearte can haue setled reste that in them be habundantly and fullye comprehended all thinges what soeuer be nedefull for our saluatioÌ„ as Origene Augustine Chrysostom Cyrillus haue taught That they be y e very might and strength of God to attaine to saluation That they be the fouÌ„dations of the Prophetes and Apostles whereupon is buylte the Churche of God That they be y e very sure and infallible rule wherbe may be tryed whether y e Church doth stagger or erre and wherunto all ecclesiasticall Doctrine ought to be called to accompte and that against these scriptures neyther lawe nor ordinaunce nor any custom ought to be hard no though Paule his owne selfe or an Aungell froÌ„ heauen shoulde come and teache the contrarie Moreouer we alow the sacrameÌ„tes of the Churche that is to saye certaine holy signes ceremonies whiche Christ woulde wee should vse that by them he might set before our eyes the mysteries of our saluation and might more strongely confirme our faith which we haue in his bloud and might seale his grace in our heartes And those sacramentes togither with Tertullian Origene Ambrose Augustin Hierome Chrysostome Basill Dionysius and other Catholique Fathers do we call figures signes markes or badges printes copies formes seales signettes similitudes patterns representations remembraunces and memories And we make no doubt togither with the same Doctours to say that those be certaine visible wordes seales of righteousnes tokens of grace and do expresly pronounce that in the Lords supper there is truelye geueÌ„ vnto the beleuing the body and bloud of the Lord the flesshe of the sonne of God whiche quickeneth our soules the meate that cometh from aboue the foode of inmortalitie grace truth and lyfe And y â— supper to be the coÌ„munion of y e body and bloud of Christ by the partaking whereof wee be reuiued wee be strengthened and be fed vnto immortalitie wherby we are ioyned vnited incorporate vnto Christ that we may abide in him and he in vs. Besides wee acknowledge there be two sacramentes which wee iudge proprely ought to be called by this name that is to saye Baptisme and the sacrameÌ„tes of thankes giuing For thus many we see were deliuered and sanctified by Christ and well allowed of the oulde fathers Ambrose and Augustine We say y t Babtisme is a sacrament of the remissioÌ„ of sinnes and of that washing which we haue in the blood of Christe and that no persoÌ„ which wil professe Christes name
cryed The temple of the Lorde The temple of the lorde or as the Phariseis and Scribes dyd whiche craked they were Abrahams children Thus with a gay and iolie shewe deceiue they the simple and seke to choke vs with the very name of the church Muche like as yf a theefe when he hath gotten into an other mans house and by violence eyther hath thrust out or slayne the owner should afterwarde assigne the same house to hym selfe casting furthe of possession the right inheritour Or yâ— Antichrist after he hath once entred into the Temple of God should afterward saye This house is myne own Christ hath nothinge to do withall â–ª For these menne nowe after they have left nothyng remaining in y e churche of God y t hath any liknes of this Church yet will they seeme the Patrones and the valiaunte maynteners of the Churche very like as Grachus amongest the Romaynes stoode in defence of the treasury not withstanding with his prodigalitie and fond expences he had vtterlye wasted the whole stocke of the treasurie And yet was there neuer any thing so wicked or so far out of reason but lightelye yt might be couered defended by the name of the church For the waspes also make honyecombes as well as Bees wicked men haue companyes lyke to the Churche of God yet for all that they be not streight wâ—y the people of God which ar called y e people of God neither be they al Israelits of many as ar com of Israell y e father The Arrians notwitstanding thei were heretiques yet bragged they that they alone were Catholiques calling all the test now AmbrosiaÌ„s now AthanasiaÌ„s now Iohannites And Nestorius as saith Theodorete for all he was an Heretique yet couered he hym selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to weete with a certaine cloke and colour of the true right faith Ebion though he agreed in opinion with y e Samaritanes yet as saith Epiphanius he would be called a Christian. The Mahomytes at this day for all y e al histories make plaine mention and themselues also cannot denye but they toke their first begynning of Agar the bonde woman yet for the very name and stockes sake chuse they rather to be caled Saracenes as though they came of Sara the free woman and Abrahams wyfe So likewise the false Prophetes of all ages whiche stode vp against the Prophetes of God whiche resisted Eâ—ayas Ieremye Christ and the Appostles at no tyme craked of any thing somuche as they dyd of the name of the Churche And for no nother cause did they so fearcely vexe them and cal theÌ„ Ronneawayes and Apostatas then for that they forsoke their fellowshipp and kepte no thordinaunces of the Elders wherfore yf we would folow the iudgementes of those men only who then gouerned the Churche and would respecte nothing els neyther God nor his word yt muste nedes bee confessed that the Apostles were rightlie and by iust lawe condemned of theÌ„ to death bycause they fell from the Byshops and preistes that is you must thiÌ„ke from the Catholique Churche and bycause they made many new alterations in Religion contrarie to the Byshops and Preistes willes yea and for all their spurninge so ernestlye against it wherfore like as it is written that Hercules in olde time was forced in striving w t Antaeus that huge giaunt to â—yâ—te him quite vp from the earth that was his Mother â—re he could conqueere him euen so must our Aduersaries be heaued from their Mother that is from this vaine colour shadow of y e church wherewith they so disguise and defende themselues otherwyse they cannot be brought to yelde vnto the word of God And therefore saith Ieremye the Prophete Make not suche â—reat boaste that the Temple of the Lorde is with you this is but a vaine confidence for these are lyes The Aungell also saith in the Apocalyps They say theybe Iewes but they be y e Synagoge of Sathan And Christ sayd to the Pharisies when they vaunted them selfe of the kynred bloud of Abraham Ye are of your father the Devel for you resemble not your father Abraham â–ª asmuche to saye ye are not the men ye woulde so faine be called ye 〈◊〉 the people with vaine titles and abuse the name of the Churche to the ouerthrowing of the Churche So that these mens parte had ben first to haue clearely and truely proued that the Romishe churche is the true and right instructed Churche of God that the same as they do order it at this day dothe agre with y e primatiue church of Christ of the Apostles and of the holye Fathers whiche we doubt not but was in dede y e true catholique Church For our partes yf we could haue iudged ignoraunce errour superstition Idolatrie mennes Inuentions and the same coÌ„moÌ„lie disagreinge with y e holy Scriptures eyther pleased God or to be sufficient for thobtainige euerlastyng saluation or yf we could assertaine our selues that the worde of God was written but for a time only and afterwarde againe ought to be abrogated and put awaye or els that the sayinges and commaundementes of God ought to be subiecte to mans will that whatsoeuer God sayeth and commaundeth except the Byshopp of Rome willeth and commaundeth the same it must be taken as void an vnspoken Yf we coulde haue brought our selues to beleue these thinges we graunt there had ben no cause at all why wee should haue lefte these mennes coÌ„panie As touching that we haue now den to departe from that Churche whose errours were proued made manifest to y e world which Church also had alredy euideÌ„tly departed from Gods worde yet not to departe somuche from it selfe as from therrours therof not to do this disorderlye or wickedly but quietlie and sobrelye we haue don nothing herein against the doctrine eyther of Christ or of his Apostles For neyther is the Church of God suche as it may not be dusked w t some spot or asketh not sometime reparation els what nedith there so many assembles and Councelles without the which as saith Egidius the Christian saith is not hable to stand For loke saith he howe often Councelles are discontinued so often is the Church destitute of Christ. Or yf there be no peryle that harme maye come to the church what nede is there to reteyne to no purpose y e names of Byshops as is now commenlye vsed amonge them For yf there be no shepe that may strey whye be they called shepardes yf there be no Citie that may be betraied why be they called watchemen yf there be nothing that may ronne to ruyne why be thei called Pillers Anone after the first creation of the worlde the churche of God began to spreade abrode and the same was instructed wyth the heauenly word whiche God hym selfe pronounced with his owne mouth It was also furnished with diuine ceremonies It was taught by y e spirit of God by the Patriarches and
all thy kinsefolke yet are they all thy aduersaries being Christs seruants thei serue Antichrist Beholde in my rest my bitternes is moste bitter Roger Bacon also a man of great fame after he had in a vehement Oration touched to the quicke the wofull state of his owne time These so many errours saith he require loke for Antichrist GersoÌ„ coÌ„plaineth how in his daies al y e substaÌ„ce efficacie of sacred diuinitie was brought into a glorious contention osteÌ„tatioÌ„ of wits to very sophistrie The Friers of Lions meÌ„ as touchiÌ„g y e maner of their life not to be misliked wer woÌ„t boldly to affirm y t the Romish church froÌ„ whence alone al counsel ordres was theÌ„ sought was the very same harlot of Babylon rowt of Diuels wherof is prophesied so plainely in y e Apocalyps I know wel enough y e authoritie of y e forsaid persoÌ„s is but lightly regarded amoÌ„gest these men How theÌ„ if I cal furth those for witnesses whoÌ„ themselues haue vsed to honor what if I say y e Adryan the Bysshop of Rome did franklye confesse that all these mischieues brast out first from the highe â—hrone of the Poper Pighius acknowlegeth herein to be a fault that many abuses are brought in euen into the verye Masse which Masse otherwise he wold haue seeme to be a reuerend matter Gerson saithe that through the number of moste fonde ceremonies all the vertue of the holye Ghoste whiche ought to haue full operation in vs all true Godlines is vtterlye quenched and deade Whole Grecia and Asia complaine howe the Bysshoppes of Rome with the martes of their Purgatories Pardons haue both tormented mennes consciences and picked their purses As touching y e tyranny of the Byshops of Rome and their barbarous Persian-like pride to leaue out others whom perchauÌ„ce thei reckeÌ„ for enemes bicause thei freely liberally find fault with their vices the selfe same men whiche haue ledd their lyfe at Rome in the holye Citie in the face of the moste holye Father whoe also were able to see all their secretes and at no tyme departed from y e Catholike faith As for example Laurentius Valla Marsilius Patauinus Fraunces Petrarke Hierome Sauanocola Abbott Ioakim Baptist of Mantua and before all these Bernarde the Abbotte haue manye a tyme and muche complayned of yt geuinge the worlde also sometyme to vnderstande that the Bysshoppe of Rome hymselfe by youre leaue is verye Antichriste Whether they spake yt truelye or falselye lette that goeâ— sure I am they spake it plainelye Neyther canne anye manne alledge that those authors were Luthers or Zwinglius schollers for they were not onelye certaine yeares but also certaine ages or euer Luther or Zwinglius names were hearde of They well sawe that euen in their dayes errours had crept into the Churche and wished earnestly they might be amended And what maruaile yf the Churche 〈◊〉 then caryed a waye with errours in that time specially when neither the Byshop of Rome who theÌ„ only ruled y e to 〈◊〉 nor almoste any other either didde his 〈◊〉 or once vnderstoode what was his duetie For it is harde to be belieued whyles they were ydle and fast a â—â—eâ—ne that the Diuell also all that whyle either fell a sleepe or els continually lay ydle For how they were occupied in the meane time and with what faithfulnesse they tooke care of Goddes house though wee holde oure peace yet â— playe you lette them heare Bernarde their owne friend The Bysshops saith he who now haue the charge of Gods churche are not teachers but deceauers they are not feeders butte begylers they are not Prelates butte Pylates These woordes spake Bernarde of that Bysshoppe who named himselfe the highest Bysshoppe of all and of the other Bysshoppes like wyse whiche then hadde the place of gouernement Bernard was no Lutherian Bernard was no heretike he had not forsaken the Catholike churche yet neuertheles he didde not lette to call the Bishoppes that then were deceiuers begilers and Pylates Nowe when the people was openly deceiued and Christian mennes eyes were craftely bleared and when Pilat satte in iudgement place and condemned Christ Christes members to the swoorde and fyer Oh good Lord in what case was Christes church then But yet tell me of so manye and grosse errours what one haue these men at anye time refourmed or what faulte haue they once acknowleged coÌ„fessed But for so muche as these men auouche the vniuersall possession of the catholike Churche to bee their owne and call vs Heretiques bicaucause wee agree not in iudgemente with them let vs knowe I beseeche you what propre marke and badge hathe that Churche of theyrs whereby it maye bee knowen to bee the Church of God I wys it is not so hard a matter to finde out Goddes Churche of a mantle will seeke it earnestlye and 〈◊〉 For the Churche of Godde is lette vpon a highe and glisteringe place in the toppe of an hill and buylte vpon the foundacion of the Apostles and prophettes There saith Augustine â—ette â—â— seeke the Churche there lette vs â—â—ye ourâ— matter And as he saith againe in an other place The Churche must be shewed out of the holy and canonicall scriptures and that whiche can not bee shewed out of them is not the Churche Yet for all this I wote not howe whether it be for feare or for conscience or despearing of victory these meÌ„ alway abhor and flie the woorde of God euen as the theefe fleeth the gallowes And no wonder truely for lyke as men saye the Cantharus by and by perisheth and dyeth assone as it is laide in balme notwithstandinge balme be otherwise a most sweete smellynge ointment euen so these men well see their owne matter is dampped and destroyed in the woorde of God as if it were in poyson Therefore the holy scriptures whiche oure Sauioure Iesu Christe didd not onely vse for authoritie in all his speache butte didde also at last seale vp the same with his owne bloude these menne to the entent they myghte with lesse busines driue the people from the same as from a thinge daungerous and deadlye haue vsed to call theim A bare letter vncertaine vnprofitable domme killing and dead which seemeth to vs all one as yf they shoulde say The scriptures are to no purpose or as good as none Hereunto they adde also a similitude not very agreeable howe the scriptures be like to a nose of war or a shipmans hose how they may be fashioned and plyed al manner of waies and serue al mennes turnes Wotteth not the Bysshop of Rome that these thinges are spoken by his owne minions or vnderstandeth he not he hath suche champions to fight him Let him harken then how 〈◊〉 how godlye one Hosius writeth of 〈◊〉 matter a Byshop in Polonia as he testifieth of himselfe a man doubtlesse wer spokeÌ„ not vnlerned a very sharp and 〈◊〉 mainteinour of that syde One
will maruaile I suppose howe a good manne coulde either conceaue so wickedlye or wryte so dispytefullye of those woordes whiche hee knewe proceeded 〈◊〉 Goddes mouthe and speciallye in 〈◊〉 sorte as hee woulde not haue it 〈◊〉 owne priuate opinion alone 〈◊〉 the common opinion of all that â—and He dissembleth I graunt you in deede and hydeth what hee is and setteth fourth the matter so as though it were nâ—â— hee and his syde butte the Zwenkfeldian heretiques that so didd speake Wee faythe hee will bidde awaye with the same scriptures whereof wee see brought not onelye diuerse butte also contrarye interpretations and wee will heare God speake rather then wee will resorte to these naked elementes and appoynt oure saluation to reste in them It behoueth not a manne to bee experte in the lawe and scripture butte to bee taught of God It is butte loste labour that a manne bestoweth in the scriptures for the scripture is a creature and a certaine bare letter This is Hosius saying vttered altogether with the same spirit and the same mind wherwith in times past Montane and Martion were moued whoe as men reporte vsed to saye when with a contempt they reiected the holye scriptures that themselues knew many mo and better things then eyther Christe or the Apostles euer knewe What thenne shall I saye heere O ye principall postes of Religion O ye Archegouernours of CHRISTES Churche is this that youre reuerence which ye geue to Goddes woorde The holye Scriptures whiche S. Paule saith came by the inspiration of Godde whiche God dyd commende by so many miracles wherin are the moste perfit 〈◊〉 of Christes owne steppes which all the holy Fathers Apostles and Aunâ—â—les â–ª whiche Christ hym selfe the sonne of God as often as was nedefull dyd alleadge for testimonie and proufe will ye as though they were vnworthie for you to heare had them AuauÌ„t away that is wil ye inioyne God to kepe silence who speakith to you mostclearely by his own mouth in y e Scriptures Or that word wherby alone as Paul saith we are reconciled to God and whiche the Prophet Dauid saith ys holye and pure and shall last foreuer will ye call that but a bare and dead lettre Or wil ye say that all our labour is lost whiche is bestoued in that thinge which Christ hath commauÌ„ded vs diligently to searche and to haue euermore before our eyes And wil ye faye that Christ and the Apostlâ— ment with subtelty to deceiue the people when they exhorted them to reade the holie Scriptures that therby they might sâ—ow in al wisedom and knowledge No maruaile at al though these men dispise vs and all our doinges which set so litle by God himselfe his infallible saiengs Yet was it but want of witt in them to thintent they might hurt vs to do so extreme iniury to the word of God But Hosius will here make exclamation saieng we do him wrong and that these be not his owne wordes but the words of the heretique Zwenkfeldius But how than yf Zwenkfeldius make exclamation on the other syde and saye that the same very wordes be not his but Hosius owne wordes For tell me where hath Zwenkfeldius euer writteÌ„ thee Or yf he haue writteÌ„ them Hosius haue iudged the same to be wicked why hath not Hosius spoken somuch as one worde to confute them Howsoeuer the mater goeth although Hosius paradueÌ„ture wil not allowe of those wordes yet he doth not disallow the meaning of the wordes For wel nere in all controuersies and namely touching the vse of the holy communion vnder both kindes although the wordes of Christ be plaine and euident yet doth Hosius disdainefully reiect them as no better then colde and dead elementes and commaundeth to giue faith to certaine new lessons apointed by the Church to I wot not what reuelations of the holye Ghoste And Pighius saieth men ought not to beleue no not y e most cleare and manifest wordes of the scriptures onles the same be allowed for good by the interpretatioÌ„ and auctoritie of the churche And yet as though this were to litle they also burne the holye scriptures as in times paste wicked kyng Aza dyd or as Antiochus or Maximinus did and are wont to name theÌ„ Heretiques boks And out of doubt to see to they woulde faine do as Herode in oulde time dyd in Iewrie that hee myghte with more surety kepe still his dominioÌ„ Who being an Idumean borne and a straunger to the stocke and kinred of the Iewes and yet coueting much to be takeÌ„ for a Iew so thende he might establish to him and his posteritie y e kyngdom of that countrey which he had gotten of Augustus Cesar he commaunded all the Genealogies and Petigrees to be burnte made out of the waye so as there shoulde remaine no recorde wherby he might be knowen to them that came after that he was an Aliaunt in bloud wheras euen from Abrahams time these monumeÌ„tes had been safelye kepte amongeste the Iewes and layde vp in theire thresury bicause in them it might easely moste assuredly be found of what linage euery one did descende So in good faith doe these menne when they woulde haue all their owne doinges in estimation as though they had ben deliuered to vs eueÌ„ from the Apostles or from Christe hymselfe to thende there might be founde no where any thinge able to conuince such their dreames and lies either they burne the holie Scriptures or els they crastely conueye them from the people surely Very rightlye and aptly doth Chrysostome writte against these menne Heretiques saith he shutt vp the doores against the trueth for they know ful wel yf the doore were open the Churche shuld be none of theirs Theophylact also Gods worde saith he is the Candle whereby the theefe is espyed and Tertullian saith the holy Scripture manifestlye findeth out the fraude and theafte of Heretiques For why do they hyde why do they kepe vnder the Gospell whiche Christ would haue preched alowde from the house top Why whealine they that light vnder a Bushell whiche ought to stande on a Candlestick why trust they more to the blyndenes of the vnskilfull multitude and to ignoraunce then to the goodnes of their cause thinke they their slightes are not alredy perceiued and y t they caÌ„ walke now vnespied as though they had Giges tyng to go inuisible by vpon theyre finger No no all men see nowe well and well agayne what good stuffe is in that Chest of the Bysshop of Romes bosome This thinge alone of it selfe maye be an argumente sufficiente that they worke not vprightly and truely Worthely ought that mater seme suspicious which fleeth trial and is afrayde of the light for he that doth euill as Christ saith seekith darkenesse hateth light A conscience y t knowith it selfe cleere coÌ„meth willingly into open shew that the workes whiche procede of God may be seen Neither be they so very blind but they se this wel ynogh howe