the Fathers and Elders which did apperteine to the well ordering and gouernmēt of outward discipline Yet euen in these was such a moderation consonauncy obserued as should nether extinguishe the glory of the Gospell nor entāgle consciences with combersome charge but serue onely for preseruation of necessarye orders For due obseruation of the which was graunted to the Church a certayne authoritye and power to dispose and determine according to the nature of places and necessitye of tymes such thinges as might seéme most agreéable and couenable for their assemblies But this authority hedged in as it were within her certein limits and boundes as was but humaine so forced it not such a necessitye of obseruance as did those other commaunded immediately from God For lyke consideration may not be taken of humaine precepts commaunded by men onely as must be had of thordinaunces of God Hereof commeth it that the breach or not performaunce of that one being done without arrogant cōtēpt or reprochful disdayn is not punishable as mortall deadly sinne In lyke maner the godly ministers of the Church were not without their due honor and authority yet such it was as exceéded not the appointed lymittes and measure For as then function ecclesiasticall was a Ministery and seruice not a Maistry or Lordshippe which consisteth in two thinges chiefly In preaching the worde and ministring the Sacraments and in directing outward discipline and ordering maners and misdemeanours In which kinde of ministery although cōmaundement be geuē to yeald due obediēce vnto the pastors yea though we heare these wordes spoken of Ministers He that heareth you heareth me Yet tend they not to this end that they may after their owne wittes and pleasures make new innouations frame new fashions of doctrine and coyne new Sacraments thrust in new worshippings and new Gods or thereby to erect a kingdome in the Church But their whole power and authoritye is restrayned to the prescript rule of the Gospell not to dispence and dispose thinges after their owne luste but to be the dispensors and disposers of the misteries of God Wherevpon in matters appertayning to Gods Lawe conscience is bound to yealde due obediēce to the pastoures according to this saying He that refuseth you refuseth me In other thinges that concerne the Tradicions of men or that haue no assurance of their creation by any principle of doctrine herein ought speciall regard to be had First to what end they are commaunded then also by what authoritye they are brought into the Church For the ordinaunces which are thrust in vnder such maner and condition as may enfeéble true confidence in the Mediator as may dispoyle cōsciences of their freédome and ouerthrowe the maiestie of gods grace or are linked together with a vayne opinion of righteousnes of worshipping of remission of sinnes of merites of Saluation or of vnauoydable necessitye Such I say ought without all respect to be hauished and abandoned as pestilent batches from the communion and congregation of the Church Consideration also must be had of the difference betwixt these thinges which the Church doth charge mens consciences withall by mans authoritye onely and the thinges which are established and proclaimed by the expresse word and commaundement of God For although the Church may of duety require a certein subiuection to the ecclesiasticall ministers as that we ought to obey the ordinaunces that are instituted for preseruation of ciuill societye and couenable decency Yet must the ministers be well aduised least vnder pretence and colour of ecclesiasticall authoritie they eyther commaund the things that are not expedient or oppresse the simple people with vnmeasurable Burdeines or thinke with them selues that the Church is tyed of neccessity to any Lawes established by men Euen so and the same that hath bene spoken of mēs Constitutions may in effect be applyed to Iudicall Courts Iudgementes For although authoritye be committed to the Church to iudge and determine of doctrines and outward misdemeanours although the resolution of doubtfull cōtrouersies the discouerie and opening of matters obscure the declaring and debatyng of matters confuse the reformation and amendement of matters amysse be left ouer to the Censure and iudgement of the Church many tymes Yet is not this ordinary authoritye so arbitrary and absolute but is also fast tyed to the direct rule of the worde So that in matters of controuersie this Authoritie came conclude commaunde nothing but that which the word of the Gospel must make warrantable Neither hath this authoritye any such prerogatiue to make any alteration of Gods Scriptures or to forge false and vntrue interpretations which may auaile to establishe an authoritye of men or of orders or to make any new articles of fayth or to bring in straunge Inuocations which are directly repugnant to the manifest authoritye of the Scriptures And therfore we creditt the Church as a Mistres and a teacher foreshewing the truth yet after an other maner altogether then as we be bound to obey the word of the Gospell preached in the Church by the mouth of Gods faythfull ministers which authoritye when they put in execution according to the authoritye of Gods word we doe beleue them yet so neuerthelesse beleue them as that our creditt is not grounded now vpon the testimonie of the Church nor vpon men but vpon the worde of God namely because their iudgemēt is agreable and consonant with the rule of the sacred scriptures and with a free confession of the Godly iudging directly accordyng to the voyce and worde of God The Church therfore hath authoritie in decyding controuersies of doctrine Yet so that it selfe must be ouerruled by the authoritie of the word Otherwise the Church hath neither authoritye nor iudgement contrary to the consonancy of the Scriptures In lyke maner in discipline and reformation of maners the Church may determine and iudge But here also consideration must be had of the differēce For the censures ecclesiasticall are of one kinde but Iudgements temporall of an other kinde For in forinsicall and temporall causes when Iudgementés are geuen although they receaue their authoritie from the word of God yet are they in force in respect of the authoritye of the Prince and the Magistrate And therefore they minister correction with punishment corporall according to the qualitye of the trespasse But the iudgements of the Church are farre vnlyke For in those maner of offences which appertayne to the ecclesiasticall Consistorye the Church hath her proper iudgements and peculiar punishments Wherewith it doth not afflict or crucifie mens bodyes notwithstandyng nor pursue vnto death but cutteth of from the congregation onely and common society of men such as doe wilfully and stubburnely sett themselues agaynst the Ministerye and such as doe harden themselues and obstinately perseuer in wickednes agaynst order and conscience and continue in errors and other notorious crimes contrary to the prescript rule of sound doctrine
publique offences only Euē so and in such wise Releases Pardōs were esteémed not to be in any respect valuable to clense the sinnes of guiltye consciences in the sight of God simply but should be as pledges and witnesses of a full releasing their penaunce enioyned vnto thē by the Church or of mitigating the same with some gentle quallification As appeareth by a Transcript drawen out of the Penitentiall of Rome vp Burchard treating much of those exchaunges of satisfactions namely that in stead of this penaunce where a man was enioyned to fast one whole day with bread and water heé should be released thereof and say fifty psalmes or Lxx. psalmes kneéling relieue some one begger with food If he were a rich man and vnlettered he should redeéme one dayes penaunce by paying iij. pence if he were poore and vnlettered he should paye one peny or feéd threé poore folke The penaūce of a whole weékes fast was redeémed with CCC Psalmes a whole mouethes fast by saying xij hundred Psalmes for one yeares fast he shoulde geue in almes to the poore xxij shillinges c. Many other like exchaunges of penaunces are mentioned in Burchard all which respected none other end but that they might quallify the rigor of the olde Canons touching publique penaunce ministred to this end not as necessary instrumentes to obtayne remission of sinnes and to pacify the wrath of God but instituted for exāples sake that they might be speciall prickes and prouokementes to sturre vpp such as were fallen and allurementes to earnest amendement of life On the contrary part the custome of our time and of our Popes hath so farre degendred from the auncient ordinaunces of the Elders in dispensing with Pardons and Satisfactions that it may seéme to haue ouerwhelmed not onely all discipline of the auncient Church but also almost ouerthrowen the whole force and efficacy of Christian fayth For whereas the Summe and Substaunce of all our Religion consisteth in the cleansing and purging of Sinnes and the same comprehended also in the onely obedience and passion of Christ these new vpstart Popes haue translated all this Release and satisfaction for our sinnes from the merite of Christ to I know not what newfangled absolutions and Pardons And whereas the olde penitentiall Canons were onely mens constitutions wherein men might dyspence with men according to the necessity of the tyme hereupon our Popes taking hart of grasse are become so shamelesse impudent that with theyr Pardons they dare presume to dispense with mens sinnes yea and theyr consciences also and to make their satisfactory merites by merite meritorious as it were worthye and able to encounter the wrath and iudgement of God And now behold how many pumples and fretts lurke vnder this one skabbe of the popish doctrine First they do so ouerlade mens consciences with a commaundement of confession without all authority of scripture and contrary to all the presidents of the primitiue Church they force all persons to render an account of theyr sinnes whether they be contrite or not contrite and this also vpon payne of eternall damnation As for Absolution they leaue cleane naked of all effectualnesse denying it to be auayleable without workes precedent ouer and besides thys also they do clogge them that are confessed with an vnauoydable necessity of doing penaūce they do thrust in Pardō of sinnes graunted by mans authority which they call Satisfaction for sinnes to deserue freé release from that punishment payne which the iustice of God may duely exact Out of which Syncke proceéd many vntimely and vyperous birthes full of lyes sacrilege and blasphemy agaynst God Namely Mounckes vowes The Sacrifice of the Masse for the quick and the dead Pilgrimages to stockes and stoanes Iubiles Pardons and Purgatory and out of that Purgatory sprang forth that momish maxime of Scotus Scottish and crabbed enough to this effect That Sinners after absolution ar either turned ouer to pardones or to Purgatory I do not here complayne or expostulate for those portesales and crafty conueyaunces of Pardōs Let Pardōs be as francke and freé as they would seéme to be for me But this is the thyng that I do demaund by what title by what scripture by what example finally by what I do not say authority but by what honest colour the Pope of Rome may presume so much vpon hys authority as to challenge to himselfe an interest and as it were an inheritable possessiō of those things wh Gods owne mouth and the promises of the whole scripture doe geue franckely and freély vnto all them that repent and beleue euen by theyr fayth in Christ Iesu and how he dare also affirme that such men are not otherwise to be dispēsed withall then by his Bulles of Pardons and his deputary Cōmissaryes Saynt Peter cryeth out with a loud voyce and confirmeth his saying with the authority of all the Prophets that shall receiue forgeuenesse of Synnes as many as do beleue in Christ. So doth also the Apostle Paule proclayme boldly that all thinges are pacified by the bloud of Christ both in heauen and in earth and addeth moreouer And in him sayth he you are made perfect And because no man shall be of opinion here after that there wanteth any thing to the full accomplishment of our saluation read in Iohn The bloud of Christ doth clense vs from all Sinne. And immediatly after He is the propitiation for our sinnes not our sinnes onely but for the sinnes of the whole world And Iohn Baptist poynting to Christ with his finger doth affirme Christ to be the Lambe appoynted by God to take away the sinnes of the world And Paule to the Hebrues By one onely oblation Christ made perfect for euer them that were sanctified And in an other place we are taught that our hartes are purified by fayth To conclude The whole meaning and intent of the scripture being nothing els but a certayn neuer interrupted course of recomfortable refreshyng in Christ it doth so allure vs all vnto hym that it leaueth none other medicine or restoratiue for our ouerladen and encombred consciences but the onely bloud of the Sonne of God And therefore if the onely death of Christ once offred for all be a full Raūsome for our Sinnes and the full price of our Redemption If Christes onely death and Passion be imputed to the faythfull beleuer for righteousnesse What neéde then any other Pardōs If Christ pacified all thinges in heauē in earth why could he not aswell pacifie all thynges in Purgatory When full power was geuen vnto him ouer all thinges in heauen and in earth what shall Christ haue nothyng to doe in Purgatory but that the Pope must be onely Prince of that Region The bloud of Christ say they did Raunsome vs from guilt and euerlasting punishment But there remaineth yet a Temporall punishment to be endured partely in this lyfe partly in Purgatory out of the which
the questions whereof ariseth our controuersie were so harde and intricate that they exceeded your capacities I would not haue entruded my selfe into your presence with this maner of persuasion but would haue referred my selfe rather to the censure of the learned But for as much as this Religion of Gods holy Gospell which we professe is so resplēdisant in the eyes and eares of all men as the bright shyning Sunne in whott Sommers day the doctrine I say wherewith we are enstructed which preacheth Repētaunce to the bruysed cōscience which agayne imputeth vnto the penitent persons free righteousnesse and deliueraunce from Sinne by fayth without workes in Christ Iesu onely which forbiddeth Idolatry which restrayneth to adde or diminish any title from the prescript rule of holy Scriptures which forbiddeth the inuocation of the dead and prayeng to straūge Goddes which acknowledgeth the humanitie of Christ the Sonne of God to be in no place but at the right hand of the Father which approueth honest and honorable estate of Wedlocke in all persons indifferently which hath made all foode and sustenaunce both fishe and flesh without choyse beyng receaued with thankesgeuyng subiect to the necessary vse of man which taketh away all confidence and affiaunce vsually ascribed vnto merites and workes which calleth vs away from the opiniō of soules health to be set in obseruation of prescribed dayes and monethes which reduceth vs from the naked elementes of the world from worshippyng of signes and outward ceremonies which I say cleareth our hartes and myndes from the bondage of mens traditions and dreames and doth ensure and establish vs in mearcy and grace which allureth all persons indifferently to the readyng of holy Scriptures which denyeth to no man the participation of the Cuppe of the new Testament in the bloud of Iesu Christ which abbridgeth all Ministers of the word from desire of all worldly superiority And to stay here frō the reckoning vpp of all the rest which are more notable and manisest then the bright shynyng Sunne in mydday what cann your Maiestie atchieue more worthy or more beseemyng your highe excellency then to admitt into the secrett closett of your soule this most euident trueth of heauenly discipline If your highnesse be not as yet made acquainted therewith or if ye know the same to be infallible and true that ye will no longer shrowde vnder your protection such pestilent errours allready disclosed and repugnaunt to the knowen veritie wherewith your grace may one day hereafter paraduenture desire to be shielded before the dreadfull Iudgemēt seate of the Lord of hostes accordyng to the promise of Iesu Christ. And the trueth sayth he shall deliuer you Iohn 8. And if your highnes shal be persuaded that this reformatiō of Religion whereof I haue treated doth not apperteigne to your estate or to the charge of seculer Princes what doth the wordes of Osori emporte thē wheras writyng of our gracious Queene Elizabeth he doth so carefully admonish her Maiestie to vouchsafe especiall regard to know what the glory of Christ meaneth what the law of the Lord teacheth how much the rule of sacred religiō doth exact of her highnes Again whereas in the same Epistle he doth very learnedly pronoūce that the speciall duty of Princely gouernemēt ought to be wholy employed to the preseruatiō of true and pure Religion Pag. 10. But els otherwise if your grace do thoroughly conceaue that is most true that the gracious restitutiō of gods holy word doth no lesse cōcerne the furtheraūce of the Gospell then the preseruatiō of your Royall estate Saluation of your subiectes I most humbly then beseech you most noble kyng by that redoubled linke of pietie wherewith you are first bounde vnto the Lord That as your Maiestie shall playnly perceaue this cause which we are entred vpon not to varye or decline any iote awrye from the true touchestone of the liuely word neuer so litle that your highnesse of your excellent clemency will vouchsafe to aduertize your Bysh. Osorius That being myndfull of his professiō he do behaue him selfe in debatyng the state of Religion in the vprightenes of iudgement so as the cause requireth and frō henceforth he desiste frō backbyting his neighbours with clamorous lyeng and slaunderous reproches who haue rather deserued well of him then in any respect offended him If he be of opinion that errours ought to be rooted out of the Church lett him first cōuince those for errours which he gaynesayth and shew him selfe abler man to make proofe by Argumēt thē to resist with onely cauillyng By such meanes will he be deemed a more profitable member of the Church and procure him selfe lesse hatred It is an easie matter for euery common rascall to vomitt out disdaynefull names of infamous persons as Protagoras Diagoras Cicloppes Blindsinckes Epicures gortellguttes and monsters But it fitteth comlyer for learned men and more profitable for the Christian congregation to lay aside distompered choler and instruct the vnlearned and reclayme the obstinate with sounde Argumentes and expresse testimonies of the Scriptures If this order be not obserued euery carter may soone by aucthoritie clayme to be a cōmon rayler An other methode of writyng was requisite in Osorius more effectuall to edifie then as he hath vttered in his bookes For this sufficeth not for him to reuile men with odious names as callyng them madd impudent childish and infaūtes and to declame whole cōmon places vsed agaynst heretiques I doe know and playnly confesse That it is most necessary to oppugne erronious sectes heresies But it is not errour forthwith that hath somewhat a bitter smatclie and is vnsauory to euery queysie stomacke neither is it allwayes trueth that is plausible to eche fonde and dotyng phantasie But wise men ought chiefly haue considered how euery mans assertiō is framed to the agreablenes of the word of God Yet now a dayes I cann not tell how the carte is sett before the horse and the preposterous frowardnes of some persons haue brought to passe that bycause men shall not be guided by the Gospell they will runne before it so mens imaginatiōs shall not obey but beare the principall Banner before But where as the right squaryer of Christian fayth hath none other sure foundation but that onely which is grounded vpon the holy Scriptures our dutie hadd bene to direct the buildyng of our Religion by this lyne and leuell and to ramme fast the wallworkes hereof with this cemente and morter But now I cann not tell how it is so come to passe that many do worke guyte contrary For they despise this well fenced order and hauyng as litle regarde to the meanyng purporte of the word they rayse to them selues a Church which they call Catholicke and the same they assigne to be the onely guide and gouernesse yet notwithstandyng they make no demonstration whether it be the Church of Christ yea or nay But measuryng the same by the onely Title of the Romish See
your owne Doctours and their whole doctrine is yours They were tractable for a tyme in the mariage of Priestes in the receauyng of the Sacrament vsing the necessitie of the present tyme but in all the rest as much as in them was they did gorgiously garnishe their Romish kyngdome And therefore in this last place you were fondly foolishe to affirme that your owne chieftaines displayed banner vnder your enemyes enseignes Truly either your memory is very slipperie or your wittes went a wollgatheryng when you were ouer earnest in your slaunderous imagination Yet are you much miscontented with these men likewise bycause they seéme to varie amongest them selues For they correct I will vse your intricate wordes by your leaue they alter they turne in and out they blotte out the old and make new places c. When you name places I suppose you meane common places of Scriptures or litle bookes of common places If it be so you ought to haue remembred the Grecian Prouerbe The secoÌ„d determinations are accoÌ„pted wiser then the first Neither can any thyng resemble the Christian modesty more nearely then if we amend our selues as neéde requireth We haue a notable example hereof Aurel. Augustine who made a booke of his errours entitled a Retractation But you are in an other predicament That is to say you are apprentices and so addicted bondslaues to these drowsie dreames the dayly practize whereof hath so betwitched your senses that no streÌ„gth of the truth caÌ„ mollifie your harts cloyed altogether in that phantasticall puddle of schoolemyre But howsoeuer you shall remaine stiffenecked your selues you ought not yet reproue the modestie of others whiche fashion them selues nearest to Christian simplicitie Neither was any exaÌ„ple at any tyme more coÌ„mendable in the Church of Christ then this of Augustine was You seé now what a stinckyng reward you haue gotten for this pursuyte of Sectaries and yet as if you had besturred your stumpes haÌ„dsomely you triumph in these wordes What can you Replie to this was there a generall consent betwixt them that sprang out of Luther no disagreement no contradiction in opinions But how much better had it bene for you to haue reuerenced that lead whereat you scorne so much then to haue opened such a gappe to so moÌ„struous pestiferours errours I aunswere that these your metie questions concerne me nothyng at all For I am an English man not a Lutherane I stand for England and not for Luther agaynst you Yet do I pronouÌ„ce this also that there was a generall consent amongest the Lutherans no disagreément no contradiction in opinions For they all sticke fast to Augustines coÌ„fession nor will suffer them selues to be drawen from it But that confession say you I do not allow Neither is this matter now in question what maner of confession that was for howsoeuer that be it is most certeine that the Lutherans did perseuer stedfastly therein As for the rest whiche you heape together are either fayned or coyned by you or banished from all men as well from vs as from you Or els they be your owne sweéte sworne brethren sauyng that they haue somewhat more modestie discretion then you Therfore this is but a slender ArgumeÌ„t to enduce me to reuerence your lead except I were too too leaddish by nature But sithence you haue shronke from your tackle and forsaken the leaden Bulles of your Monarche in so succourlesse a shipwracke without helme or cable in such dispayred perplexitie you are to be esteémed not onely a leadden and woodden but a durtie aduocate also of your Romish Monarchie if at the least any thyng may be more filthy then durte Yet that ye may the better proceéde you spitte on your handes and take hold of my wordes which are these But there came a thundercracke into our eares out of the heauenly authoritie of the sacred Scriptures that made our consciences afrayde and compelled vs to abandonne and forsake all mens Traditions and too putte our whole confidence in the onely freémercy of God Well I acknowledge this speache to be myne owne yea and gladly also And I finde nothyng therein blameworthy But what sayth Osorius to this grace Doe ye not say gramercy to Luther sayth hee that linked you so fast with such a singular benefite to abandonne all fearefulnes from you What is the matter my Lord what Planet hath distempered you I haue nothyng here to do with Luther nor with his doctrine of fayth I shewed that our consciences were terrified with the authoritie of sacred Scriptures and constrained to fleé to the freé mercy of God you say Luther hath written erroniously touchyng fayth forsooth these two hang together like a sicke mans dreame As if a man would argue in this wise Osorius is a most impudent rayler Ergo his companion of Angrence is a perfect Logician Are you not ashamed to cite whole sentences from an other writer beyng vnable to frame any probable obiections agaynst any one of them For as concernyng Luther albeit I haue not vndertaken to defende him as I haue oftentymes protected yet this doe I suppose that neither he nor any other interpretour of that Scriptures ought to bee admitted vpon euery particular Assertion but to haue relation to the whole discourse and meanyng of the Authour If this especiall regard bee had vnto Luther as in deéde it ought he shal be founde a profounde scholemaster both of fayth and a good workes and so farre to excell you in learnyng that ye shall not be worthy to beare his bookes after him howsoeuer you delight your selfe to gnaw vpon a few wordes of his vnaduisedly throwen out in some heate of disputation But by the way you stuÌ„ble also at an other straw of myne bycause I wrate that we haue forsaken and reiected the traditions of men And with many iâ—gglyng wordes challenge vs that we are beholdyng herein to Luther Zuinglius Melancthon Bucer Caluin and Peter Martyr O my ouer tedious and toylesome lucke that hoped to dispute with a learned and discrete Diuine who would without good grounde haue blamed nothyng nor vsed any cauillatioÌ„s but now finde all contrary For I am pestered with a fonde brabblyng clatterer which delightyng altogether in vncessaunt chatteryng snatcheth and snarleth at thynges ratified and approued by all men I am therfore constrayned now to play the child agayne in the principles of Diuinitie as he doth and those questions must be debated wherof no man hauyng any skill can be ignoraunt In the same maner therfore we haue cast away traditioÌ„s of men as our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ hath pronounced in the Gospell vnder the person of Esay the Propet But in vayne they worshyppe me teachyng the doctrine and traditions of men And as our Lord Iesu a litle before rebuked the Phariseis You haue made frustrate sayth he the commaundement of God through your owne traditions We geue eare vnto men as they be men but if they ones teach contrary
that huge lumpe of idle wordes scattered abroad by you euery where without reason or measure more then the necessitie of the cause will require After that you haue waded in your accustomed grosse rayling agaynst the lyfe of our preacheâ—s imputyng vnto them all maner of wickednesse where with your Sinagogue swarmeth most euidently you recite at the last certeine of my wordes vouched out of Augustine which be as followeth Augustine doth greuously coÌ„playne that in his tyme such a rabble of beggerly ceremonies did ouerwhelme the Churche of Christians that the estate of Iewes was much more tollerable Osorius affirmeth that I did neuer read this sentence in Augustine This is well I will cite Augustine his owne wordes which are these For although it can not bee founde how they are agaynst the fayth yet doe they ouerwhelme Religion it selfe which the mercy of God willed to be freély exercised vnder a very fewe most euident Sacramentes with seruile burdens That the estate of the Iewes is much more tollerable who though knew not the tyme of libertie were subiect onely to the ordinaunces of the law and not to mens constitutions What say you haue I not cited Augustine truly doth he not speake the same and in the selfe same wordes playnly that I speake doth hee not render a reason also why the state of the Iewes was more tollerable in ceremonies then ours which beyng coÌ„fessed is not your ignoraunce linked with singular vnshamefastnes manifestly conuinced deny it if you can may rather bycause you can not yeld to the truth in the open light For manifest lyers are not to be winked at though they bee Byshops In lyke maner you be ouerseéne in that godly Father Ierome who requiryng all persons to searche the Scriptures and to learne them you would notwithstandyng coyne vs out of the same Ierome a contrary doctrine Bycuase he wrate vnto Paulinus that certeine persons hauing no vnderstandying nor being commendable in coÌ„uersation of lyfe did handle the Scriptures to licenciously In whiche speach of yours what would you haue vnderstoode els but that certeine wicked persons doe abuse the benefite of the Scriptures wherof no wise maÌ„ doth doubt You are ouerseéne therfore Ierome that will so foolishly and so wyde from the matter obiect Ierome agaynst hym selfe If you seéke to be further satisfied herein peruse Chrisostome who hath written of the same matter so much and so plentyfully as nothyng can bee more copious and more manifest I praysed Basile and besides him also those later Monckes which obserued Basiles rules as men that suffred lest losse Osorius denyeth it and affirmeth that we doe not contend with men but with chastitie it selfe What say you dotterell how happeneth that you rehearse the name of chastitie whereof I made no mention at all And with what face do you make our Nation guiltie of monstruous and barbarous crueltie as though it employed her whole endeuour to the rootyng out of chastitie from out our coastes whereas that kynde of sauagenes can not be seéne amongest the Turkes You proue it by the example of certeine Charterhouse Monckes forsooth whiche were worthely executed for hygh treasoÌ„ about xxx yeares past If those men say you would haue yelded to the wicked decrees of mariage then should they haue bene acquited of all other punishment As though the estate of Wedlocke were in any Realme accoumpted a punishment or as though we did constrayne Monckes to marry Wiues agaynst their willes or as though this most impudent father and shamelesse Byshop caÌ„vtter any thing in word or deéde sensibly When as he bealcheth out such foolish and filthy speaches agaynst our common weale beyng so voyde of all credite and truth as hauing no droppe of any probabilitie at all But let vs heare what a worthy conclusion this deépe wise man hath brought for his Lurdeines those mockemonckes But admit sayth hee that the greater part of them were full of all filthynes was it therfore forth with necessarie to suppresse the whole order First of all you doe notably defend your order which you confesse was full of all vice Then we deny that we subuerted any order but that those disorderous runneagates were reduced to the commoÌ„ societie of subiectes their own commoditie by meanes of our wholesome Statutes and Lawes In deéde traytours were executed accordyng to their desert as belonged to equitie The rest we remoued from their stinckyng Smynestyes defiled with all lazynes and fithynes deliuered whole and Iustie to publicke labour and exercise to prouide so for their liuyng accordyng to brotherly charitie But in the meane space say you they forsooke their orders of Dominicke and Benedicte Barnarde and Frauncisce of whom Portingall hath many perfect professours Let Portingall reteine such Ioselles a Gods name We hold our selues contented with that heauenly Oracle whiche was heard from heauen Thou art my welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased Him doe we attende vpon we harken vnto his Prophetes and Apostles and withall do performe our profession in Baptisme as farre forth as the frayltie of mans nature will permit other teachers other rules other orders we neither esteéme nor admit So do we also feéle and throughly know your superstitious vanitie herein You do inueigh bytterly agaynst me bycause I do compare our later Deuines in all maner of commeÌ„dation to the auncient fathers and herein you turmoyle your selfe wonderfully You shoote at randone my Lord. I do not make comparison betwixt them nor euer thought to compare them together and therefore you striue here in vayne and your whole Turkish eloquence is not worthe a straw My meanyng was to declare that the auncient Fathers did agreé with out Deuines And for examples sake I noted specially some common places reseruyng the rest for more conuenient place bycause all can not be expounded at once Ouerthrow this my course if you can but abuse not your tyme nor myne nor the Readers with such friuolous lyes nor seéme to be ouer eloquent where you haue no aduersary You are highly offended bycause I prayse Luther Let not this couÌ„ber you I will prayse him for a very prayse worthy man so will all the posteritie also and his studious trauaile in the enlargyng of the Gospell will remaine to that worldes end to his euerlastyng renowme though you and such as you are chaufe and fume neuer so much agaynst him And yet I thinke there be few like vnto you besides that durty pigge of Angrence your sweéte cabbemnate resemblyng you as it seémeth in nature and maners nearest But as to that you accuse Luther as authour of the vprores in Germany herein you reporte a manifest vntruth for no man did more earnestly defend all obedience due to the Magistrates and higher powers then Luther Whereas you adde hereunto the tumultes in Sueuya You do erre therein more then childishly where as the Switzers are farre vnlike vnto him in nature in situatioÌ„ in maners and
cause it to shieuer in peéces to the grounde Osorius doth preferre vnmaryed lyfe before wedlocke alleadgyng hereunto Paule to the Corinthes We also confesse euen as much as Paule sayth yea very gladly so that ye alledge Paule whole and vnmangled It is good sayth Paule for a man not to touche a wife but hee addeth a correction yet for auoyding fornication let euery man haue his owne wife I would sayth Paule euery man were as I am hereunto hee knitteth fast a correction likewise But euery man hath his proper gift of God one after this maner an other after that I might rehearse more to the same effect out of the same Chapter But Paules meanyng is conceaued sufficiently in these few sentences And yet to confesse the truth this your disputation of single lyfe auayleth not properly to mainteine your Monckerie for vnmaried life extendeth it selfe to all estates of Christians generally and is not restrained to Monckes onely But you oppresse vs with exāples partly auncient as of Basile Paule Ierome Nazianzene Partly of these later yeares as Dominicke Bruno Fraūcisce Here I might take lawfull exception to your testimonies if I would for Frauncisce was no Moncke besides that also vnlearned altogether a forger of friuolous superstitions as appeareth by those durtie dregges whiche you call Golden Legendes And who that Bruno was must be enquired amongest the Friers for els where is no mētion made of him neither yet of Dominicke The residue of the Fathers except Gregory professed a solitarie lyfe but enduced hereunto partly through desire of learnyng partly for vprightnesse of lyfe yelded more commoditie to the Christian profession then may easily be expressed whose dayly conuersatiou rules of maners did as farre differre from the rules of our Mōckes as the heauens are distant from the earth and good from euill But let vs graunt all that you will and admit those Monckes whom you speake of to bee godly and commendable persons for in deéde some were such may they therfore be compared in equabilitie of estimatiō to those men who were conuersaunt amongest the fellowshyp and common societte of men will you know whom I will name I will first of all name Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour then some that were before him Abrahā Isaac Iacob the Patriarches Esay Ieremie notable Prophetes next after the commyng of Christ the glorious cōpany of the Apostles All these almost except Christ alone were maryed and euery of them adioyned them selues to the commō societie of men that they might profite the generall felowshyp of mankynd What say you M. Ierome May your Monckes though neuer so commendable be compared to this felowshyp of so excellent and famous personages May any equabilitie seéme to bee betwixt them either in the excellencie of the holy Ghost or in sinceritie of lyfe or in antiquitie of tyme There can be no comparison betwixt them my Lord neither was any neéde at all to rehearse these examples if you had well ordered your talke herein for this generall company beyng the floure of the auncient primitiue Church standyng in the face of your drowsie lozelles will so dazell their sight that they shall not be able to lift vp their eyelyddes for the inaccessible brightnesse of them And yet do not I condemne vnmaried lyfe or that kynde of sole lyfe I condemne your false and wicked argument whereby you would persuade the vnmaried Christian to be better and more holy then the maried and the solitarie better then the Citizen S. Paule is of a contrary iudgement But the righteousnesse of God by the Faith of Iesus Christ is with all men and vpon all men that beleue for there is no differēce We haue all sinned and haue neede of the glorie of God but we are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Iesu. Paul doth speake here playnly There is no difference Osorius doth make a difference whom shall we beleue Agayne The same Paule Glorie honor and peace to euery person that worketh good to the Iewe first then to the Gentile for there is no respect of persons before God If God doe not respect the person where is then the singularitie of your Mōckes if he regard not the place as appeareth by the wordes of Christ to the womā of Samarie The tyme shall come and now is c. whereunto tendeth your solitarines wherof you dispute so idlely All persons sayth Paule which are Baptized haue put on Christ here is nother Iewe nor Gentile bonde nor free man nor womā for we are all one in Christ Iesu. If Christians bee all one in Christ Iesu as S. Paule witnesseth what shall become of your differēces of tymes and professions But we will leaue the scriptures whiche euery where do confute your vayne superstitions and false forged distinction How shall we satisfie the auncient fathers who do prayse Monckery wonderfully They doe commende men excellent in learnyng and vertue which doe employ their quyet leysures to the commoditie of the Church Such men will I aboundaūtly prayse as well as they For Iohn Baptist liued in the deserte then whom arose not a greater amōgest the childrē of women But what will ye conclude hereof Was Iohn Baptist a more perfect Christian liuyng in the wildernes then our Lord Iesus Christ that was cōuersaunt amongest men Truly your wicked distinction doth emplye this doctrine in effect but the auncient Fathers say not so of whō you rehearse nothyng besides bare names although they would iustifie your wordes I would not beleue them agaynst the Scriptures neither do they desire to be credited otherwise And to this point forsooth your gay defence of Monckerie so stoutly trauailed garnished with such a trimme Coape of paynted wordes wherew̄t whole leaues are beblotted is come at the last as to be adiudged either altogether superstitious or wicked or nothyng necessary At the last you departe from men and come to women and with a flat deniall affirme that virgines were not forced into Nunneries I neéde not to make any great proofe hereof for all mē that do know any thyng at all are well acquainted herewith I will therfore for this tyme content me with your own wordes For you say that it was forbidden by the Tridentine Councell that frō thence forth they should do so any more How say you fine man He that forebyddeth a thyng to be done in after tyme doth hee not couertly emplye that the same was done before Write more circumspectly my Lord if you can and if you can not you were better speake nothyng at all But our reuerend father is now at very good leysure for he now begynnes to Fable with vs. He sayth that he had much conference with an idiot or simple Moncke who was often as any mention is made of the loue of God so often he falleth grouelyng on the grounde as if his senses were rauished and yet the mā is prettie witted
and most excellent seruaunt of God Paul trauaileth very earnestly in this place partly by course of nature partly by reason partly by examples partly by similitudes to proue that coÌ„mon prayers should bee ministred in Churches in the vulgare and knowen language and herein is so plentyfull and so abouÌ„daunt and vseth so many infallible Argumentes that if the whole swarmes of SchooleiaÌ„glers and Friers and couled generation did conspire together they were not able to abyde the force and strength of his disputation And therefore Osorius craftely cloakyng this matter slydeth away from thence to the vices of men And sayth that some of our Preachers are puffed vp with pride of their science many of them be entangled in snares and difficulties and doubtfull questioÌ„s This is true this also is as true that there is a great rable of false ChristiaÌ„s amoÌ„gest whom our Doctour Ierome seémeth chieftaine standard bearer which call light darkenes darkenesse light whiche forbid wedlocke deny lawfull vse of meates obserue serue dayes and monethes yeares minutes of tymes which are turned to the naked and beggerly elementes Enemyes of the Crosse of Christ flow bellyes And yet may not godly men be defrauded of the Gospell bycause such Lurdaines do abuse the holy Scriptures to their lust filthy lucre For our Lord Iesus Christ doth thunder with manifold curses agaynst such Pharisies Maisters of ignoraunce and darkenesse saying Wo be to you Lawyers for you haue taken away the keye of knowledge and haue not entred in your selues and those that would haue entred in you haue forbidden And agayne Woe bee to you Scribes and ` Pharisies hypocrites For you shut fast the kingdome of heauen from men whereunto you enter not your selues nor will suffer others to enter in that would enter You are a Byshop Osorius you haue the keyes of knowledge or ought to haue but you keépe it close and hyde it and will not suffer it to bee opened to your selfe nor to others You are a Shepheard of Christes flocke or you ought to bee you locke fast the Gospell wherein is the kyngdome of God from your sheépe and enter not your selfe nor will suffer others to enter This is daungerous this is damnable you are accursed by the very mouth of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ yea euen by the testimonie of your owne mouth Osorius For after your long idle and counterfaite deuises imagined vpon the wordes of Paule you conclude at length in this maner Paule doth not forbid to vse straunge language Yet he doth preferre and commende prophecyeng that is to say the expouÌ„dyng of the will of God the maner of edifieng the Church If Paule doe preferre prophecieng more why do you embace it if Paule would haue the congregations to be edified why do you practize to destroy them If Paule of an infinite loue do commaunde all thynges to be expounded in Churches by an interpretour by what tyraÌ„nie do you procure all thynges to be kept in couert in Churches and the people to bee defrauded in all thynges of vnderstandyng by meanes of straunge tounges For it is true in deéde that you say that to speake with touÌ„ges is allowed of Paul if you admit also an interpretour whiche may expresse the meanyng of the tounges But it is false that straunge languages shal be receaued in coÌ„gregations without an interpretour For this speaketh Paul If a man speake with tounges let the same be done by two or at the most by three and so by turnes let one interprete if there be no interpretour let him holde his peace in the congregation or let him speake to him selfe and to God Saint Paule commaundeth straunge laÌ„guages to be silent in the congregation if there be no interpretour Let vs therfore obey him or rather the holy Ghost speakyng in him with all humilitie and banish from vs this chatteryng chough of languages to his Confessours and cowled generation But we can not so driue away this vnportunate fleshfly froÌ„ the godly banguets of soules for he is alwayes bussing about theÌ„ at the last fleéth to this desperate carioÌ„ That this doctrine of Paule was but for a tyme and enioyned to be receaued to the Corinthians and not of vs bycause we are not so apte to be taught therein as they were and are also more incâ—inable to arrogancie Doth this kynde of ExpositioÌ„ please you Osorius and will you be accompted a Deuine and a Byshop in this your Diuinitie to say that the doctrine of the holy Ghost in matters of fayth in thynges eternall in ordinauÌ„ces assured permanent not in any part chauÌ„geable in them selues is but a doctrine for a tyme Our Lord Iesus commauÌ„deth otherwise Searche the Scriptures sayth he the same be they which beare recorde of me How shall we searche that whiche we do not vnderstand or how shall we receaue testimonie in a toung vnknowen vnto vs There is a commaundement of God the Father from heauen This is my beloued sonne heare ye him And how shall we heare him except he speake vnto vs in a knowen touÌ„g The Lord Iesus commaundeth vs to watch and to pray yea to do the same continually for that we know not in what houre he will come what therfore shall we pray in an vnknowen language Truly if it bee so the spirite shall pray but the soule shall receaue no fruite therof by the euident teâ—â—â—monie of Paule WheÌ„ I name the spirite I doe meane thereby the breath that issueth out of the mouth for so doth Paule interprete it in that place Did our Lord Iesus vse a knoweÌ„ or a strauÌ„ge language wheÌ„ he taught the Apostles the forme of prayer Lastly I demauÌ„de of you whether you can finde one sillable in the whole doctrine of the primitiue Churche or whether any remembraunce or vse of this praying in a straunge toung was frequented in the tyme of the Apostles I adde hereunto that after the opinion of S. Augustine prayer is nothing els theÌ„ a communicatioÌ„ betwixt vs almightie God What request then shall we make vnto God the father for our necessities when we vnderstand not what we aske No sober man will seéme so franticke before men much lesse will he trifle so pernitiously with God That foule mouth Osorius that foule mouth therfore would be choaked vp with euerlastyng infamie whiche contrary to the manifest doctrine of the holy Ghost contrary to the receaued custome of the Apostolicke Churches contrary to nature to reason and contrary to all feélyng of common capacitie will auowe that prayers ought to bee made in the congregation in straunge and vnknowen tounges You demaunde further of me Why we haue coÌ„mitted the interpretatioÌ„ of Scriptures to all Carters and Porters I aske of you likewise with what face you could write so vnshamefast a lye in your paper You say that all order is subuerted with vs for that all are Pastours all are Prophetes all
are teachers and therupō that confusiō of all thyngs doth ensue amōgest vs. Both these are false Osorius and it becōmeth you nothyng at all beyng a Bishop and an old man to imagine all thynges so licentiously disorderly in the face of the whole world after your owne phantasie Yet make you no ende of demaundyng And therfore you desire to know what we dyd lacke at any tyme heretofore to the sober discipline of good myndes There lacked both the old and the new Testament which is the onely instrumēt of the health of our soules beyng close locked fast from vs by the wicked practize of your Confessours and Friers and Monckes we wanted godly Pastours and especially good Byshops vnlike vnto you whiche should haue fed the flocke of Christ committed to their charge with that heauenly foode of the holy Scriptures accordyng to Christ his own institution And yet ye demaunde once agayne Whether we wanted learned Priestes who could deliuer out so much of the holy mysteries as was needefull which without daunger might haue bene expoūded to vnlearned men What is this that you say Osorius so much as is neédefull do ye beleue that in the Scriptures is any thing to much will ye prescribe any boundes or limites to the holy Ghost our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ was of an other mynde who spake in this maner Man doth not liue by bread onely but by euery word proceedyng from the mouth of God Your meanyng is that some tast bee taken onely of the holy Scriptures Christ commaundeth vs to be instructed in euery word you teach that men should warely touch so much of the heauēly doctrine as farre forth as may be without daunger But the holy Ghost by the mouth of Paule teacheth farre otherwise in these wordes All Scripture inspired by the holy Ghost is profitable to teach to admonishe to reproue to instruction which is in righteousnesse that the mā of God may be made perfect prepared to all good workes Paule doth commende vnto vs all heauenly Scripture iudgeth that we ought to be instructed with the same vnto all perfection of godlynes It pleaseth Osorius that so much onely be taken as may be deliuered without daunger O blasphemous toung do you feare ieopardie in the doctrine of the holy Ghost do you thinke that there is to much in the Scriptures or any thyng neédelesse that may be cut of and left out But this foolish demaunder proceédeth yet forewardes and enquireth If heretofore wanted any that might supply the place of the vnlearned that might pronounce this worde Amen Truly I dare not tearme you by the name of an Idiot my Lord beyng a stately Prelate and a profound Deuine but I shall not do amisse if I call you a playne blockish Asse Paule commaundeth all doctrine and all prayer to bee vttered in the congregation in a knowen tounge that all the people vnderstāding the matter may say Amen You in steade of the whole cōgregation do appoint some one Idiote or vnlearned Parish Clarke to vtter this word Amen But I beseéch you with what reason by what Custome with what Argumēt do you proue your Assertion except you will obiect vnto vs the monstruous rable of your Cowled generation and Confessours late vpstartes whose wickednesse and ignoraunce we do condemne as execrable and abhominable at the last our Syr Ierome concludeth That errours vprores pride and a thousand other discommodities are wont to ensue by the vnderstanding of Scriptures These do so in deéde as you say Osorius but they come from the deuill they proceéde out of the durtie pudles of your Massemongers Confessours and Monckes not from the pure riuers of holy Scriptures whiche are plentyfull vnto vs into euerlastyng lyfe Not from the engraffed worde which is able to saue our soules not out of the preachynges of the Prophetes to whom we must geue diligent heede as to a candle geuyng light in the darke Lastly not from the readyng of holy Scriptures whiche our Lord Iesu Christ commaunded vs to searche bycause they bee the same that hold most faithfull testimonie of our Sauiour Iesu Christ. You may now perceiue by these most true and inuincible sentences partly taken out of the Decreés of our Lord Iesus partly out of the Apostles how detestable blasphemous your conclusion is which doth make the Scriptures to be Authours of all wickednes when as by the infallible testimony of the holy Ghost The law of the Lord is an vndefiled law conuertyng soules the testimonie of the Lord is true and geueth wisedome to the simple whenas the Statutes of the Lord are right and reioyce the hart and geueth light vnto the eyes In deéde this is the wisedome of your scarlet Doctours whiles you are not cōtented to persecute the professours of the Gospell with all maner of crueltie but also diffame the Gospell it selfe make it guiltie of all naughtines When notwithstandyng that godly reuerend Elder Peter whom ye do shamefully alledge as founder of your Churche doth in expresse wordes pronounce That the word of the Lord which endureth for euer is deliuered vnto vs by the Gospell Now you doe perceaue Osorius or the Christian Reader may easely vnderstand although ye will exclame agaynst it how you haue behaued your selfe in this question not onely mischieuously and wickedly but blockishly and ignoraūtly whiles ye doe so blasphemously defend that prayers should be ministred in the cōgregation in an vnknowen language cōtrary to reason contrary to auncient Custome contrary to nature and contrary to the holy Ghost And now glauncyng along by the rest of the doctrine of the Church you make a long rehearsall of my wordes yet touch not one sillable of thē so much as to confute them Surely my Lord you are at very good leysure when you can spare so much tyme to entermixt whole sentences of myne in your writyngs play mumme budget in thē all if you do allow them why doe ye recite them if you doe not allow them why do ye not reprehēd some one of them was euer any man besides your selfe so franticke that would in a long discourse recite whole sentēces out of the writyngs of his aduersary and would refell nothyng in any one of them This is very fond foolish childish vtterly to be scorned at but it is altogether your owne the common fault of your selfe Osorius Consider I pray theé Christian Reader and behold what a sage and wise aduersary I haue At the last you take vp that by the toe which I did confesse That we had shaken from our neckes the Popes yoke At this you seéme to bee wonderfully displeased yet I know no cause why you should not be pleased withall For you proue nothyng you discouer nothyng with any Argument but after your old maner heape vp a number of slaunders together wherein is neither truth nor any likelyhoode of truth At the last you adde hereunto a
deuise no lesse wicked then false To witte that the auncient Churche is peruerted by our Deuines and a new Church fashioned after our owne phantasies Whiche doe you call the auncient Church Osorius truly you name the Catholicke and Apostolique Churche to be auncient or so you ought to say founded in the Patriarches and Prophetes enlarged by our Lorde Iesu and his Disciples with vndefiled doctrine and vprightenesse of conuersation Haue we peruerted this holy Church Osorius haue we erected a new nay rather the matter is quite contrary We do most reuerently embrace this blessed Churche sealed vnto vs by the finger of our Lord Iesu and ordered by the pure ordinaunces of his Disciples we do appeale vnto this Church the same Church do we urge agaynst you and the same we do oppose agaynst you we combate agaynst all your filthy corruptions with the decreés of this Churche Herein we do persiste and cleaue fast vnto this Church and fight agaynst you in her defence directly with her owne weapons You are fallen away by litle and litle from this auncient Churche the inuincible fortresse of all truth and haue set your trust vpō the whyueryng reéde of the Romish Seé Then also you are so whirled vp downe as it were with whirlewyndes with the whirlyng and vnsauory Constitutions of Schoolemē ech contrary to other that ye cā finde no ankerhold any where Out of these tempests and whirlewindes of vpstart doctrines out of this immoderate gulfe of your idle braynes so manifold routes of fayned Gods peéped abroad so many sundry sortes of prayers made vnto them so many and so tedious pilgrimages to dumme blockes so many impieties of offrynges inuocations massinges adorations Finally so many blasphemous markets and fayres of pardons and redeémyng of soules out of Purgatory pickpurse are made To this beadroll may bee linked superstitious swarmes of Friers Mōckes Nunnes sproutyng and dayly buddyng one out of an other in infinite droues and innumerable factions This euen this is the true Image of your Church Osorius wherupon you doe bragge so much increased with the ofscombe of rascall brothells made dronken with the drousie dregges of Schoolemen and so farre estranged from the right trade of the auncient and Apostolicke Church that there is scarse any hope that it wil euer haue any regarde to her former duetie or euer returne frō whence it is estrayed In this your new Churche or rather Conuenticle of lozelles which you haue newly erected vnto your selues with the motheaten mockertes of your Schoolemen you moyle and wallow after your accustomed maner We are desirous to renewe the auncient dignitie of the Catholique Church as much as in vs lyeth Hereunto we do employ all our endeuoures to this we doe direct all our thoughtes that siftyng through and throwyng away all the dānable darnell whiche the enemy hath scattered abroad at this present in these newe Churches we may at the lēgth be vnited and gathered agayne into the true and auncient worshyppyng of God prescribed vnto vs by Iesu Christ in his Gospell And here our old peéuish wayward piketh a new quarell agaynst me bycause I will not acknowledge any other chief Bishop but Iesus Christ and that I do also by the name of a Byshop call him a kyng Truly I hartely confesse that our Lord Iesus was both a Byshop and a Kyng but that the name of a kyng is cōteined vnder the tearme of a Byshop is false as you haue set it downe as all other your doynges are for the most part Osorius But our vnconquerable Logiciā goeth onward demaūdeth Why we do admit any other kyng besides the Lord Iesus and yet abandone the chief Byshop whereas both dignities are conteined in the person of our Lord Iesu and in this place our glorious Peacocke pounceth out his feathers and the same question repeateth agayne and agayne very boyeshly in other wordes and sentences If it be lawfull sayth he that ye may haue vpon earth an other Kyng Vicare of that great kyng what reason is there that ye will not haue an other most holy Byshop Vicare of that hygh Byshop Will ye know why we do acknowledge a kyng vpon earth Uicare of that great and heauenly kyng The holy Ghost shall most euidently and expressely aunswere for vs and shall aunswere by the mouth of Peter from whom you deriue your clayme of supreme Byshop Bee ye subiect sayth hee to euery humane creature for the Lord whether it bee to the king as chief ouer the rest or to the Magistrates whiche are appointed by him to the punishment of the euill doers and the commendation of well doers for this is the will of God c. Behold how playnly how distinctly and how plētyfully Peter doth aunswere you which by expresse speache hath settled the Maiestie of kynges in the highest place aboue all vnto whom hee commaundeth vs to be subiect for the Lord. Then next vnder that authoritie he placeth other Magistrates whom notwithstandyng he ordeineth to be Ministers of his highe power Besides this heé instructeth vs withall how commodious this authoritie of kynges is and whereunto it ought to belong Lastly to take away all doubt he concludeth that this Is the will of God If you had any droppe of shame at all in you Osorius You would not haue moued this question so malapertly Why we doe acknowledge a kynges authoritie vpon earth When as ye can not be ignoraūt of this doctrine of Peter nay rather of the holy ghost being so euidēt so firme so notable so plētyful and so of all partes defensible When as also Peter a litle after cōmaundeth in this wise Feare God honor the king When as Paule likewise doth pronounce that A king is the Minister of God to whom he commaundeth euery soule to bee subiect to whom hee geueth the sword and willeth Tribute to be payde in euery of which thynges most royall and principall souereignetie is conteined And to the end the sentēce of Paule should stand firme out of all controuersie he commaundeth That prayers intercessions petitions thankesgeuynges be frequented for kinges and all others that are set in authoritie What say you now brablyng Sophister what cā you hisse out agaynst so many so strong and so notable testimonies approuyng the authoritie of kynges What shal be done vnto you brablyng Sophister that will so maddely so proudly so blasphemously kicke agaynst the doctrine of the holy Ghost But ye allowe of the authoritie of a kyng say you in some respect so that we will likewise admit the supremacie of the hyghe Byshop We haue already iustified the authoritie of a kyng by the inuincible testimonies of the holy scriptures if you can in lyke maner coyne vnto vs out of the same Scriptures a chief Byshop we will yeld But you can not for there is not one sillable of chief Byshop to bee founde in the Gospell besides our Lord Iesus alone and besides that question moued of the rites and
whom though some may bee of opinioÌ„ to excell in the knowledge of the Ciuill Law yet will not forthwith vnder that title yeld vnto me the lyke commendation in the interpretyng of holy Scriptures All this matter is resolued at a word O counterfait GrammariaÌ„ For if accordyng to the doctrine of Peter and Paule certaine degreés bee limited in eche dignitie and by the same doctrine likewise determined that the royall dignitie of a Kyng doth excell aboue all other power Then is it manifest by the same decreé that the authoritie of the kyng must be honored without all coÌ„parison as chiefest But after your wonted guise ye runne at raundon with many wordes concernyng the meanyng of Paule and of a distinction to bee made betwixt the ciuill and Ecclesiasticall authoritie First of all no maÌ„ can so snaffle that vnbridled touÌ„g but that it will roue and raunge triflyngly whether it lusteth And yet the meanyng of Paule and Peter can not bee vnknowen to any men that will haue but a will to vnderstand it for they doe make a diuision or speciall distinction of Magistrates by certaine degreés and in the same doe precisely and manifestly ascribe chief rule and highest authoritie to kyngs And albeit ye triumphe iolylye in your differeÌ„ce of tymes yet this will nothyng preuayle you For ye beleue that this speache of the Apostles ought not to be applyed to ChristiaÌ„ kynges bycause it was written in the tyme of wicked Emperours which were enemies to Christian Religion Consider the sayings of the Apostles more aduisedly peéuish Prelate and acknowledge once at last your owne vnskilfulnesse Peter writeth in this maner Submit your selues to euery humane creature for the Lord whether it be to the king as to the most excelleÌ„t or to the Rulers as vnto them who are sent by him to punishe the wicked doers and to aduaunce the well doers Now therfore I demaunde this question of you Osorius whether God did send Nero that sauadge and beastly cruell Tyraunt as you know an horrible bloudsucker of Christian professioÌ„ to punish the wicked aduaunce the well doers if ye affirme that he dyd you are madde if ye deny it then all your former AssertioÌ„ lyeth in the durte Let vs seé likewise what Paule sayth Whose sentence herein is much more plentyfull Princes sayth he are not fearefull to well doers but to the wicked wilt thou not feare the power doe well then and thou shalt haue prayse of the same for they be the ministers of God appointed for thy wealth But if thou doe euill then feare thou for they beare not the sworde in vayne For they bee the ministers of God to take vengeauÌ„ce on them that do euill What say you now could this speach of Paule touch Nero in any respect whiche embrued his sword in the bloud of innumerable ChristiaÌ„s who alwayes oppressed the innocentes who wallowed all his lyfe long in all maner of outrage and crueltie No discreét or sober person will thinke so But albeit the Apostles beyng enspired with the holy Ghost gaue these preceptes in the time of tyrannous Emperours yet they had relation thereby to Christian and godly kynges because they should vndertake the defence of their subiectes and should be nurses of the congregation of Christ accordyng to the Prophecie of Esay And yet due obedience is not thereby forbidden to be geuen vnto kynges in Ciuill causes though they bee inâ—idels as appeareth manifestly both by the example and doctrine of our Sauiour Christ. You are contented that kinges should be placed aboue the Nobilitie Ciuill Magistrates and other officers in temporall causes accordyng to the saying of Peter but not to be aboue the holynesse of Churches nor the profession of Religâ—ous persons ne yet to reconcile the fauour of God Paule commaundeth euery soule to be in subiection to the hygher power amongest whom the kyng is chiefest And therfore all ye Byshops together with all other what soeuer Ecclesiasticall orders are holden subiect vnder the authoritie of the kyng vnlesse ye bee without soules as perhappes your maistershyp is if then ye be subiect to kynges ye ought to obey their commaundementes vnlesse they prescribe agaynst God And yet they beare no function in your Churches nor â—it in your Churches as rulers of them nor administer the Sacramentes but they may and ought to chastize you reduce you into good order if happely ye neglect your dueties or behaue your selfe vnseémely in your function which is to be approued by the authoritie of both the old and new Testament as it is ofteÌ„times repeated before To coÌ„firme your AssertioÌ„ you bryng for example Core Dathan and Abyron of a singular blockishnesse and ignoraunce For they made Rebellion agaynst Moses and to vse the very wordes of the holy Scriptures They were gathered together agaynst Moses and Aaron and sayd vnto them Ye take enough and to much vppon you seyng all the multitude are holy euery one of them and the Lorde is amongest them Why lifte you your selues vppe aboue the Congregation of the Lord Behold here in this their execrable speach ouer and besides a most pernitious rebellion we heare also in the same one onely equabilitie in all degrees For asmuch therefore as they did abrogate all maner of authoritie from Magistrates beyng appointed by God as the Anabaptistes of our age do practize they were accordyng to their desert swallowed vp of the gapyng gulfe prouided by God for that purpose But why do ye thrust these persons into the stage who caÌ„ occupy no part of the play For we doe neither entreate of any Rebellion nor of any trayterous suppression of Magistrates but our coÌ„munication tendeth to this ende whether kynges haue any lawfull gouernement ouer Ecclesiastical persons No lesse foolishly haue ye patcht to your purpose Oza Ozias and Balthesar whom ye do affirme to haue bene greuously plagued of the Lord bicause they did rashly handle holy thynges and thus ye say was done accordyng to their deserte Likewise should our kynges be worthely punished of the Lord if they would vndertake to minister Baptisme to infantes or would in their owne persons distribute the Lordes Supper or clymbe vp into pulpittes and vsually preache For they should entrude into other mens functions namely Ministers and Elders whom God hath peculiarly chosen to execute those orders in Ministerie Euen so the Lord hath aduaunced kynges in hyghest superioritie bycause they should commauÌ„de and prouide that all matters should be executed by others their subiectes in due conuenient order This doctrine beyng both â—ounde and profitable approued by the testimonies and examples of the purest ages and most applyable to the ordinauÌ„ce of holy Scriptures yet this our pelting Prelate seémeth so squeymishe at it that he spareth not to curse vs to the pitte of hell bycause we will not agreé with him in his most friuolous Assertions Ye maruell much why I am so hatefully bent agaynst the Byshop of Rome why
prayseworthy man that when her foresawe the ende of his lyfe to approche and that he was then Summoned to appeare before the Iudgement seate of the eternall God that he began to expresse a wonderfull fearefulnesse and to bee very much dismayed in his mynde whom as his frendes standyng about him would haue recomforted and encouraged to cheare him selfe with confidence of the good lyfe that hee had lead in deéde sayth he I perceaue I may seéme to bee in such estimation amongest you but I feare me least the Iudgement of God is farre vnlike the Iudgement of men Truely this was aptly remembred of Barnarde Who albeit knew it well enough before paraduenture yet as then beyng at the pointe of death he perceaued much more effectually Euen as we seé to haue chaunced to many others of this Popishe brood Who though they delite and flatter them selues neuer so much in the glory of their merites and vprightnesse of their workes yet when death knocketh at the doore of their consciences and willeth them to bidde adiew to the worlde then forthwith castyng away all trust of merites and as it were accordyng a recantation of the doctrine they shrowde them selues wholy in the death of Christ and hereupon fasten the chiefest shooteanker of sauety as it were in the most assured hauen of perfect blessednesse Whereby you may vnderstand ye Porting all Prelate how all that your frame of righteousnesse which you builded vpon the deseruynges of workes is vnioynted and shaken in peéces the force wherof was neuer yet of such efficacie and valew in any creature as could not onely not abyde the incomprehensible vnmeasurablenesse of Gods Iudgement but also bee so wholy appalled at the encouÌ„tryng of death that it can not endure the sight thereof but must neédes yelde as throughly vanquished Moreouer sithence this place offereth it selfe to debate of vertues I would wish you to coÌ„sider aduisedly with your selfe what that wellknowen saying of Augustine doth purporte and how farre it doth dissent from this your contentious quarell of righteousnesse whereas treatyng of vertue and charitie he speaketh in this wise Uertue sayth he is a kynde of charitie wherewith we loue that thing which ought to be beloued This charitie appeareth more in some in others lesse in some also nothyng at all But the fulnes thereof whiche can not be increased whiles man liueth in this world was neuer seéne in any for as loÌ„g as it may be encreased truely all what soeuer is lesse then ought to be will admitte a supply commeth of default through which default all flesh can not be Iustified in his sight wherein pause a whiles I pray you with me debate throughly with your selfe whether if that charitie whiche is in Christâ—ans though it be neuer so apparauntly discernable yea after their regeneration also be lame and defectiue what may be thought of them in whom scarse appeareth any meane resemblaunce thereof but what shal be iudged of your selfe Osorius chiefly amongest all other in whom not one sparcke so much of true charitie nor any iote so much of humanitie can be seéne in so much that who so shall read those Inuectiues of yours may easely coniecture that he heareth not the modestie of Osorius a Christian Byshop but rather some Tragicall Orestes furiously ragyng vpon some Stage But to returne to Augustine of whose iudgement in Diuinitie I know not how well Osorius will allow truely what small accoumpt he made of the worthynesse of our righteousnesse he could neuer haue more vehemeÌ„tly vttered then in these wordes wee be to the most vpright life of maÌ„ sayth he if God examine the same settyng mercy aside In like maner Gregory doth very litle varie from Augustine in wordes though nothyng in sence But altogether dissenteth from you Osorius where expoundyng the sayeng of Iob in their Chapter videl Man can not bee iustified beyng compared to God The holy man sayth hee doth perceaue that all the deseruynges of our best workes are faultie if they be wayed in the righteous ballaunce of the iust Iudge And by and by in the xi Chapter as it were redoublyng the selfe saying of Augustine Bycause sayth he if excludyng mercy workes be examined the lyfe of the most righteous wil be founde to folter and faynte vnder the burthen of Sinne. Hereunto may be annexed the consent of Barnarde of whom we made mention before worthy to be noted touchyng the same matter Who makyng a long discourse of the vnrighteousnesse of mans righteousnesse demaundeth a question at the last of what valew all our righteousnesse may be in the sight of God Shall it not be reputed filthy sayth he lyke vnto a foule menstruous clothe according to the saying of the Prophet and if strickte and narrow examination be made therof shall not all our righteousnesse be fouÌ„de vnrighteous nothyng worthe at the last as though the matter were confessed and without all coÌ„trouersie he coÌ„cludeth saying And what shall become then of sinne whenas righteousnesse it selfe hath nothyng to alledge for defence For as much therefore as it is so and that this doctrine is so manifold so manifest confirmed by so many and so famous Authours emprinted in holy writte allowed with so many inuincible testimonies of sacred Scripture published by the approued writynges of the best learned interpretour established with the vnuanquishable authoritie of the holy Ghost ratified with the common consent of the auncient primitiue Church finally so manifestly knowen by experience of all ages where is then that haynous crime that cruell offence that shameles trespasse and that intellerable facte as you say not to bee suffered in Luther Nay rather to speake as the truth is from wheÌ„ce or out of what puddle haue you sucked the shameles impudencie Osorius singular foolishnes vnmeasurable SycophaÌ„ticall rage frantique tragicall furye and so cruell and vnreasonable a custome of raylyng agaynst your Christian brethren without all cause or reason who haue rather deserued well theÌ„ euill at your handes I know not whether this proceéded from any cankred malice lurkyng within you or through corruption of your nature Sure I am that you neuer learned that insolencie out of holy Scriptures or out of the rules of the Gospell or by ensuyng the example of Christ and his Apostles or their mylde and curteous conuersation But perhaps Osorius hath determined with him selfe to leaue to the posteritie some especiall Iewell as a monument of his eloquence as Cicero did his Inuectiues called Phillipica c. Yea it had bene more coÌ„uenient for him to haue chosen some other Methode to treate vpon and farre more seémely to haue bent the rage of his penne agaynst some others rather then agaynst Luther Bucer and others the lyke For if he were willyng to confesse the truth simply what other doctrine doth Luther Bucer Haddon and all others who discourse vpon one selfe same Gospell teache then the very same matter that
if he lifted to prosecute euery of theÌ„ but bycause they were beyond number the maÌ„ beyng otherwise occupied in other studies pardy seémeth well enough furnished with these few whiche he hath piked out of Hosius if I be not deceaued and so thought good to rehearse no more Well now Let vs seé what peéce of worke hee meaneth to frame out of these places of Scriptures so raked together and whereunto to he bendeth his force We shall all be summoned before the Iudgement seate of Christ. This is true Euery person shal be clothed agayne with his own body Those that haue done well shal be crowned with immortall felicitie and those that haue done euill shal be throwen into euerlastyng torments This is also vndoubtedly true Agayne the most iust and vpright Iudge shal be present which shall reward euery one accordyng to his workes and deseruynges I heare it and confesseâ—t to be true For who is ignoraunt hereof But what hereof at length what will Osorius Logicke conclude vpon this Ergo not fayth but workes sayth he doe iustifie which shall purchase for vs Saluation or Damnation But this ilfauored shapen consequent which you haue most falsely deriued from true thynges and confessed we doe vtterly deny vnto you and not we onely but the holy Scripture doth deny coÌ„demne all holy write doth reiect the whole fayth of the Euangelistes and doctrine of the Apostle and all the promises of God with generall consent do crye out agaynst hisse at it If out of these places of Scripture you would haue framed an Argument a right and accordyng to the true meanyng of the holy Ghost ye should more aptly haue concluded in this wise For as much therfore as there remayneth for euery of vs such a Iudgement wherein euery one must yeld an accoumpt of his lyfe speÌ„t there is no cause why any maÌ„ should flatter and beguile him selfe with a vayne promise that his wicked deédes or wordes shall escape vnpunished after this lyfe but rather that euery man so behaue him selfe in this transitory world that neither his good workes may appeare without fayth nor his faith want testimony of good workes Truely this conclusion would haue bene preached to them the number of whom is infinite not onely amongest the Papistes but also euen amongest the professours of the Gospel who professing the name fayth of Christ liue notwithstandyng so dissolutely as they bryng the name and doctrine of Christ into open obloquy And as though it sufficed them to professe Christes most sacred Religion in wordes onely or as though there should be no Iudgement at all to come make no accompt of their callyng but are caryed headlong agaynst equitie conscience into the gulfe of all licentious filthyues to the great dishonour of almightye God and the manifest ruine of their owne Saluation Surely I am of opinion if you had directed your conclusion in this maner agaynst those persons and others lyke vnto them which do so wilfully rash and throw them selues carelessely into manifest abhominations without all respect of equitie and conscience the consequent would more aptly haue bene applyed and of more force We shall all be summoned before the Iudgement seate of the hygh Iudge where accoumpt shal be made of the whole course of our lyfe Ergo who that wil be carefull for his Saluation let him haue especial regard to the vttermost of his abilitie that his life be agreable to his professioÌ„ and stand assured as much as in him lyeth in the testimony of a good conscience knit together with a true fayth voyde of all hypocrisie For otherwise we doe heare what the truth it selfe speaketh And those that haue done euill shall goe into the resurrection of Iudgement We shall likewise heare what Paule sayth Euen for these thynges sayth he the wrath of God doth come vpon the children of disobedience But to what purpose Osorius is this alledged agaynst the Iustification of fayth in them who hauyng receaued the fayth of Christ doe ioyne withall fruites of obedience as companions if not altogether pure and absolutely perfect yet do yeld their endeuour and abilitie at the least such as it is after the small proportion and measure of their weakenesse This trauaile endeuour though it be farre distaunt from that exact requireth perfection of the law is yet neuertheles accepted in place of most full and absolute Iustification in the sight of God who doth supply the want of our workes with his owne freé Imputation for the fayth sake in his sonne onely whiche is not Imputed for righteousnesse to them that do worke but to them that do beleue in him For what although the horrible rebellion of the vngodly whiche walke not after the spirite but after the fleshe doe procure vnto them selues most iust Iudgement of condeÌ„nation yet shall this saying stand alwayes inuiolable notwithstandyng and remayne assured for euer The righteous shall liue by fayth And he that beleueth in me shall not dye for euer Iohn 11. But yet that promise say you doth abyde most euident and vnuanquishable whiche doth promise resurrection of lyfe to them that do liue godly and good deédes Goe to and what conclude ye hereof Ergo Faith onely doth not iustifie vs say you Nay rather neither Faith Onely nor fayth any way els taken doth Iustifie a man or auayle any thyng at all to Iustification if workes accordyng to your interpretation bee examined by them selues by the waightes and ballauÌ„ces of Gods Iudgement shall make full satisfaction But ye conceaue amisse of the matter Osorius and therfore your coÌ„clusion is as ilfauoredly shapen Doe ye expect a reason Forsooth bycause you fayle in the rule Topicke whereby we are taught to apply true proper Causes to true effectes And therfore your consequent is faultie and a Sophisticall cautell deriued from that which is not the cause to that which is the proper cause Let vs discusse the very order of your wordes And they which haue done well What they shall come sayth he into the resurrection of life c. First of all ye perceaue that the workes alone are not treated of simply but the persons that doe the workes Surely in Iudiciall Courtes is no small obseruation vsed chiefly of the difference betwixt the circumstaunces of the Causes and circumstaunces of the persons As when a Seruaunt shall commit the very same which a Sonne shall doe although the factes be of all partes equall yet I suppose that the Sonne shall finde more mercy in his cause of his Father being Iudge then the seruaunt of his Maister being Iudge especially where the Iudge is not constreined to yeld Iudgement by any coaction or expresse rigour of Statute and Law but is at libertie to vse consideration of the trespasse accordyng to his own discretion EueÌ„ so neither do I thinke it all one if a Christian maÌ„ I say a true Christian man shall mainteine his cause before Christ his Redeémer as
are sequestred froÌ„ all felicitie euen so farre seéme we to be cut of from all freédome without the Grace of the Redeémer For shyppe wracke beyng once made of vniuersall blessednesse I can seé none other remedy but that freédome must be drowned withall Therefore the selfe same thyng whiche doth open Paradise beyng shut fast agaynst vs must of necessitie restore freédome agayne which can not by any meanes be brought to passe through force of nature or through any power of our owne It consisteth onely in the Grace of the Redeémer As our Redeémer him selfe witnesseth in S. Iohns Gospell If the Sonne shall make you free then shall you be free in deede Notyng vnto vs this one thyng chiefly by those wordes the state of our bondage to be such as except it be renewed with Grace of the Redeémer that in all this nature of ours is nothyng freé Moreouer as concernyng the vsuall maner of speach that men are called good holy and wise I know that men haue bene accustomed to bee tearmed so But what is this to the purpose The question here is not by what name meÌ„ are called but of what value euery thyng is in the sight of God And yet do I not doubt at all but that many men may bee in their kinde good holy and wise euen so to be esteémed well enough But howsoeuer this holynesse godlynesse and wisedome of meÌ„ seémeth in mans Iudgement yet is nothyng whatsoeuer it be if it proceéde not from the grace of God For what hast thou that thou hast not receaued After the same sorte do I aunswere touchyng freédome whiche beyng once lost through Freewill must of necessitie sticke fast cloyed in the puddle of thraldome vnlesse it be renewed agayne by Gods grace WhereupoÌ„ August very aptly Freedome sayth he without grace is no freedome but coâ—tumacle And as in this place August denyeth that to be liberty which is seuered froÌ„ grace so in an other place he will not graunt that to bee named will except it be conuersaunt in good things Will sayth he is not will but in good thyngs for in euill wicked thinges it is properly called Luste not will Wherfore if there be neither freédome where Gods grace is not present nor will where wickednesse is practized by what meanes then will Osorius mainteyne that Freewill is in euill thinges whenas in that respect there is neither freédome nor will There is also in the same August in the same his Epistle to Hillary that may well be gathered and framed into an Argument on this wise The lyfe of libertie is the perfect soundenesse of will But in doyng euill mans will is not sounde Ergo In doyng euill mans will is not freé For euen so are we taught vp Augustines wordes The lyfe of libertie sayth he is the soundenesse of will and by so much euery man is more free by how much his will is most sound Albeit I will not striue much about the contention of tearmes If any maÌ„ be minded to name the choyse of will applyable towardes good or euill to be voluntary rather then freé he shall not erre much in my Iudgement Neither will I be offended if a man do say as Augustine doth that maÌ„s will is freé towardes euill thinges so that he hold the meanyng of Augustine as well as the wordes For I am of this mynde that when Augustine doth name mans Freewill couple it to grace he calleth it freé in this respect bycause beyng freé froÌ„ all forcible constrainte it beÌ„deth it selfe through voluntary motioÌ„ that way whereunto it is directed be it to goodnes through Grace or to euill through naturall lust And in this sense accordyng to August meanyng the ConfessioÌ„ of Auspurgh doth expouÌ„de maÌ„s will to be freé that is to say yeldyng of his owne accord The selfe same do Bucer and Melancthou also this also doth Caluine not deny who doth neither striue much about this tearme of freédome doth learnedly also professe that the originall cause of euill is not to be sought elles where then in euery mans owne will But as concernyng Luther for that he doth vpon some occasion sometyme expresse his minde in writing somewhat roughly wherein afterwards he discouereth his meanyng in a more mylde phrase of speach it was not seémely in my conceite to racke out those thynges onely whiche might breéde offence cloakyng meane whiles those thynges fraudulently which do wipe away all mislikyng He doth set downe in his Assertion thus That it is not in mans freé power to thinke a good or euill thought Agayne in the same Assertion the same Luther doth not deny that all mans imaginations of their owne inclination are carried to all kynde of naughtynesse that Freewill can do nothyng of it selfe but Sinne. On this wise with lyke heate of disputation rather then of any errour he calleth Freewill sometyme a fayned or deuised tearme not to bee founde in deéde any where makyng all thynges to be gouerned by vnauoydeable necessitie Which vehemencie of speach many men do cast in his teéth reprochfully now and then And yet in other places agayne expâ—undyng him selfe he doth grauÌ„t without all Hyperbolicall speéche that in inferiour causes Freewill can do somewhat and withall doth franckely affirme that it can do all thynges beyng assisted with Grace And why is hee not holden excused as well for this as snatcht at for the other why doe the aduersaries shut fast their eyes and blindfold them selues willyngly at matter well spokeÌ„ and neuer looke abroad but when they liste to carpe and cauill Was there euer any so circuÌ„spect a writer whose latter diligence more attentiue heédefulnes might not alwayes amend some ouersight escaped at the first either in Exposition or Iudgement of thynges The more that Solon the Sage grewe in yeares the more he increased in knowledge and may it not bee lawfull for vs to encrease vnderstaÌ„dyng with our age likewise Surely August could not excuse the errours of his youth neither shamed he to confesse in his age the ouersight that escaped his penne in youth vnaduisedly not onely to reforme them by ouerlickyng them as the Beare licketh her whelpes but also to reuoke them openly with an open graue and grayheaded retractation and to pray Pardon of his errours franckly nor doth in vayne permitte those bookes to be preiudiciall vnto him whiche hee wrate beyng a young man saying very modestly of him selfe that hee began then to write like a learner but not aâ— grounded in Iudgement Neither was such perfection to be required in Luther who albeit vttered somewhat at the first in wordes otherwise then common custome of Schooles were acquainted with it had bene the partes of graue Deuines not to prye narrowly into the vnaccustomed phrase of wordes so much as to sift out the substaunce of the doctrine how agreably it accorded with the Scriptures in truth and sinceritie And if
man hath Freewill that may not bee founde either to bee geuen of Gods liberalitie or required to set forth the assistaunce of his grace This much Augustine Briefly to knitte vp the matter in a word or two if you will know to what end commaundementes couenaunts and exhortations are deliuered by God Learne this out of S. Paule if Augustine caÌ„not satisfie you That is to say Bycause after the knowledge of good euill is once receaued we are therfore vnder the law of Necessitie bycause also we are vnder the law whether we be able or not able to performe the law speaketh vnto vs of Necessitie that if we be able to performe them we should lyâ—e by them and that if we despise them euery mouth should be stopped and all the world be culpable before God And withall that such as are not yet regenerate in Christ vnderstandyng how much is coÌ„maunded beyond their habilitie power may fleé to prayer and seéke for the Mediatour and call vpon him for assistaunce of Grace on the other side such as the holy Ghost hath endued with more bountyfull giftes of his gracious liberalitie may with more earnest bent affection yeld them selues thankefull to God who hath geuen them strength to be able to walke in his wayes Whereby it is come to passe that neither the Necessitie of the commaundement is made frustrate by our imbecillitie nor mans endeuour any thyng weakened by the Necessitie of infallible certeintie nor yet freédome or will disabled by Gods prouidence all which you do most falsely reporte to ensue vpon the doctrine of Luther I come now at the last to that great and most haynous matter the very chief and well-spryng of all the other absurdities To witte Wherein Luther maketh God to be the Authour of all mischief and chargeth him with vnrighteous dealyng in this ArgumeÌ„t for sooth For where as Luther doth attribute the successes of all things be they good be they euill to God as to the chief and principall originall and doth conclude all thynges vnder the absolute Necessitie of prouidence hereupon the aduersary doth gather threé moustruous inconueniences The first that by this meanes men haue not freédome vpon their owne willes The second that men are not Authours of their owne sinne The thyrd that God doth execute his Iudgementes vpon men vniustly for the Sinnes whereof they be not the Authours but God Whereupon Simme Suttle argueth from destruction of the consequent on this wise Osorius Argument God doth not take away freedome from mans will nor is Authour of euill but euery man is Authour of his owne euill Neither is God iniurious to any man in executyng his punishment vpon him for his offence Ergo Luthers doctrine is wicked and haynous whiche teacheth absolute Necessitie of doyng good or euill by the foreknowlede of God and whereby he imagineth God to be the Authour of wickednesse There are extant in the Scriptures many famous and notable testimonies touchyng the truth of Gods Praedestination and foreknowledge of thynges to come which neither Osorius nor all Portingall are able to gaynsay Whereupon Necessitie of al the actions which we do must neédes ensue in respect of the Hypothesis as SchoolemeÌ„ tearme it But as touchyng his glorious assumption of the haynous inconueniences concurraunt withall that is most false For first neither doth the freédome of mans will perish so but that men may alwayes willyngly voluntaryly chuse that whiche they will Neither is any man charged with such Necessitie as the force of coÌ„straint may compell him to doe that whiche he would not And it may come to passe as is mentioned before that the thinges which be Necessary vpoÌ„ the Hypothesis beyng done without the same Hypothesis may seéme to be chauÌ„ceable and not Necessary And by what meanes then is will bereft of freédome vnlesse paraduenture bycause God seyng mans wil inclinable to all wickednesse doth not restrayne it when he may for this cause he may be sayd to take away freédome from will But this withstandeth our disputation of Necessitie nothyng at all For although this freédome be holpen to good yet remayneth the same neuerthelesse freé to wickednesse in the sense spoken of before But he might haue holpen you say In deéde nothyng was more easie For what caÌ„ not his omnipoteÌ„cie bryng to passe wtout any difficultie but what then I pray you Ergo God is vnrighteous bycause wheÌ„ he could geue grace he would not Truth in deéde if god did owe this grace to any maÌ„ of duety but by what law will you auerre that God was bouÌ„de to geue this grace of duetie First God did at the first creatioÌ„ endue the whole nature of mankynd with Freewill So also if he did suffer mankynd aftewardes to be directed by the same Freewill I pray you what vnrighteousnesse was there in him hitherto as yet But ye will say that this Freewill is spoiled and vneffectuall to worke spirituall good thynges through whose default I pray you through Gods default or mans default If it were maÌ„s default for what cause then is God accused as either vniust for not geuyng assitauÌ„ce or cruell for punishyng the Sinne which euery of vs doe committe of no coaction but of our owne voluntary will But besides this he chargeth GOD to be the originall cause of all mischief If that be true then must this needes follow whiche were execrable to be spoken that wicked meÌ„ are vnrighteously damned as whom him selfe had created to the end they should be damned and so doth punish them for the offences whereof him selfe was Authour and procurer at the first For this is Osorius obiection For remedy whereof I perceaue that I had neéde to goe circumspectly to worke least God be disabled in any thyng that is due to his omnipotencie or that more be ascribed to his power then is agreable with his Iustice. Moreouer as there want not testimonies in the Scriptures which in vtter apparaunce may seéme very well inclinable to either part so I thinke it not amysse to vse herein some ayde for the better discouerie thereof Besides this must be had no small consideration of the simple and vnlettered multitude who once hearyng God to bee named the Authour of wickednesse and not vnderstandyng the matter aright will forthwith interprete thereof as though it might bee lawfull for them forthwith to rush into all disorder whatsoeuer that they are vniustly punished if they doe the euill which God doth both will and cause to be done Whiche kynde of people I wishe to be aduertized when they heare the direction and orderyng of all thynges good or euill to be ascribed vnto God that they Imagine not these wordes to be so spoken as though God were willyng to haue iniquitie committed That is to say as though GOD were either delighted with wickednesse or as though wicked men when they do wickedly did therein accomplishe Gods will simply
had harckened to Ioas the kyng of Israell now what shall we alleadge to be the cause why he did not harken to the good counsell of Ioas Here will Osorius runne backe againe after his wounted maner to Freewill or to Sathan the mouyng cause And this is true in deéde in respect of the second and instrumentall causes But Gods sacred Oracles beyng accustomed to searche out the souereigne and principall cause of thyngs do rayse them selues higher and do aunswere that this was wrought by God him selfe who dyd not onely suffer hym but of his determinate counsell directed him also thereunto bycause hee would auenge him selfe of the kyng for his abhominable Idolatry When Dauid caused the people to be nombred I know that Sathan is sayd to prouoke hym thereunto as we read in the Chronicles But let vs marke what the Scripture speaketh els where And the wrath of the Lord being kindeled agaynst Israell he stirred vp Dauid to nomber his people 2. Sam. 24. And nothyng withstandeth truely but that both may bee true Neither is it agaynst cōueniēcie of reason as Augustine truly witnesseth that one selfe wickednesse may be a punishement scourge of sinne vpō the wicked by the malicious practize of the Deuill by Gods iust Iudgemēt also seyng it skilleth not whether God bryng it to passe by his own power or by the seruice of Sathan Esay the Prophet cryeth out in his Prophecie O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardened our hartes from thy feare And in Ezechiell GOD speaketh by the mouth of his Prophet And if the Prophet bee deceaued I the Lord haue deceaued him Let vs consider Iob hym selfe the most singular paterne of perfect patiēce whom beyng turmoyled with infinite engynes of Sathans Temptatiōs all men will confesse to be plagued by the horrible malice of Sathan True it is will you say and with Gods sufferaūce withall Be it so But I demaunde further who made the first motiō of Iob whē God sayd on this wise Hast thou considered my seruaunt Iob And wherefore did God make this motion first But that it may appeare that the Enemy is not permitted onely but made a Minister also to make triall of mans patience Furthermore after that he was robbed spoyled of all his goodes and Cattels and throwen into extreme pouertie I would fayne learne who stale those goodes from hym That dyd the Caldeans Sabees will Osorius say I am sure which is true in deéde Yet Iob doth not so acknowledge it But liftyng hym selfe vp higher and entryng into a more deépe consideration of that souereigne prouidēce which ordereth and disposeth the seruice of all the workes of his creation at his owne pleasure professeth earnestly that none els dispoyled him of his goodes but he that gaue them The Lord gaue sayth he and the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. c. But that wōderfull force and vnmeasurable power of Gods wisedome and prouidence disposing all thynges accordyng to his euerlastyng purpose with outstretched cōpasse spreadyng it selfe farre wyde abroad throughout all degreées successes of thynges is not discouered vnto vs by any one thyng more notably discernable thē in the death of his sonne Iesus Christ in that most innocent Passion of all other the most innocent death I say of our Sauiour Iesu Christ In the whiche as there were many causes goyng before and the same also not a litle differyng eche from other yet amongest them all was there none but was not onely ioyned with Gods sufferaunce but was long before also foreordeyned by his will decreéd by his wisedome yea ordered almost by his owne hand For otherwise in what sense is he called The Lambe slayne frō the beginning of the world whenas they were not yet created that should kill him and when as yet were no sinnes committed by mankynde whiche might procure Gods wrath If God from the furthest end of eternitie in his euerlastyng foreappointed wisedome and determination had decreéd vpō nothyng that should cause those thyngs to come to passe afterwardes through vnauoydeable Necessitie Out of those matters heretofore debated and argued two thyngs may you note Osorius wherof the one concerneth Luthers doctrine and is true the other toucheth your suggestions and is false For as to the first wherein Luther doth discourse vpon Necessitie agaynst the mainteynours of chaūce and fortune cā no more be denyed by you then Gods prouidence in gouernement of the present tyme and foreknowledge of thynges to come can be any wayes deceaueable On the other side where as you do with so gorgeous colours glorious titles blaze forth the beautie of mans Freewill ioynyng in league herein with the old Philosophers auncient Maisters of ignoraunce and especially Cicero bendyng your whole force to ouerthrowe the doctrine of necessitie what els doth your whole practize herein thē the same which August did long sithence worthely reprehēd in Cicero To witte Whiles you striue so much to make vs free you practize nothyng els but to make vs horrible blasphemours and withall endeuour to vndermyne the vnpenetrable Castell of Gods foreknowledge For who is able to foretell thynges to come which he neuer knew or preuente the assured certeintie of successes of thyngs without the vtter subuersion of the infallible prouidence of Gods foreknowledge Wherfore I would wishe you to be well aduised Osorius least whiles you thinke to molest Luther with your outragious barkyng for affirmyng an infallible Necessitie flowyng from aboue from out the founteine of Deuine operation in direction of thyngs ye fall your selfe headlong at the last in this cōbersome gulfe to be adiudged not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but playnly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and beyng not able to endure the doctrine of Necessitie ye entangle your selfe vnto such an inextricable maze of impietie as that ye shal be thought to practise the abādonyng of the vndeceueable certeintie of Gods most Sacred Scriptures out of heauen after the example of that your fine Cicero whiles ye affect Cicero to much in the nymblenesse of your stile For what els can be gathered out of that detestable discourse of Cicero as August calleth it or out of this execrable opiniō of Osor if he will be the man he seémes for How can those things be auoyded which God doth know shall come to passe most assuredly but that Necessitie must be graunted by the doctrine of prouidence or Necessitie beyng excluded Gods prouidence also be rent asunder withall For after this maner doth Cicero dispute in his bookes De natura Deorum If thynges to come saith he be foreknowen then it must neédes followe that euery thyng must proceéde in his due order but for as much as nothyng is done without some cause therfore must a due order and knittyng together of causes be graunted of Necessitie Whereupō must neédes ensue that all thynges that are done are performed
of the Grace of God and so should he haue spoken more aptly in thys wise that the remnaunt were saued according to the Election of workes And how then shall God be sayd to haue mercy on whom he will haue mercye and so harden whom hee will harden if that he will nothing but that whiche is due of verye right nor doth receaue any to mercy vnlesse it appeared that he rewarded them both according to their workes forseéne But what kinde of duety can that be called which is freely geuen or what kinde of mercy is it whiche is not poured foorth vpon any but such as do deserue it If it be of Grace sayth the Apostle now is it not then of workes or els were Grace no more Grace Whereunto Augustine doth further annexe Not of workes done already sayth he but where the Apostle vseth this generall phrase of speech Not of works there he doth meane this to be spokeÌ„ both of workes past and workes to come c. Whereof let Osorius beé well aduised lest whiles he immagine in hys mynde vnder the colour of purging Gods Iustice of due reproche to escape the iutte of a moulehill he breake hys neck ouer a Rock by putting Gods mercy out of doores for what place will there be left for mercy or what office will Osorius assigne vnto her If Gods Iustice doe measure all thinges by lyne and leuell of hys foreknowledge of things to come For Osorius in this disputation of Election and of the purpose of God calling backe all things to the foreknowledge of thinges which God doth perceaue will came to passe Osorius doth not in wordes onely professe but with the whole bent of his skill practize that ouerthrowe of Grace Goe to And what be those goodly workes good Syr whiche God doth foreseé shal come If they be good and righteous what is more agreable to equitie then that the workes which be good should be worthely embraced and accompted prayse worthye But if they be euill that then also they should euen of very right be forsaken And what shall become of Mercye in the meane space but that shee sitt mute in a corner with her handes in her bosome like a dumbe stocke play mumme budget in Osorius Stage of merites But here forthwith will Osorius rayse vp hys Bristles and merueile it is but that we shall heare him belching out agayne in most beastly braying noyse Feuers quartanes tertians furies woodnes frensies helhoundes botches shamelessnes and what soeuer outragies els he hath suckt out of the olde tragicall deuises What will he say haue I euer spoken or imagined any thing of Gods mercy otherwise then becommeth me what kynde of foolehardinesse is this what vnmeasurable and disorderous kynde of liyeng Doe I thrust the grace of God out of doores with what face dare you aâ—ow this vpon me where when in what place in what phrase of wordes to whom in whose presence in whose hearing in what booke can ye approue that I euer vttered any such thing who haue alwayes most reuerently esteemed of the Grace of God and do yelde euery where so much to Gods mercy that I haue affirmed that in Gods mercye onely the whole protection of Gods Iustice doth consiste whiche if were not otherwise fortified with the ayde of mercy could neuer be free from reproche And how is it that I am so sodenly accompted a changeling fugitiue a traytor to Gods grace and a cutthroate of mercy I doe heare you well good Syr surely these bee smoothe wordes that you speake But may I be so bolde by your leaue as to cyte your owne wordes before the Inquisition and to rack the same after the maner of an Inquisitour to seé whether ye approue the same man in deéde which you so boldly pronouÌ„ce to be in wordes you say that ye diminish not so much as the value of a myte of Gods grace and that you doe not so exclude Gods mercy out of doores but that ye rather coÌ„clude all things vnder her as vnder the most especiall and onely fortresse of all other Goe to then Let vs take a taste both of your selfe and your doctrine And forasmuch as there be iiij thinges in the whiche all our saluation and doctrine is chiefly conteyned Namely Election Vocation Iustification the Glory of immortalitie forasmuch also as the whole purporte of the sacred Scriptures and the generall profession of Christian doctrine do consent in this one thing aboue all others that the whole hope and confidence of our Saluation consisteth in no one thing els but in the onely mercy of God promised vnto vs in all these now would I fayne learne how much Osorius wisedome doth yeald vnto mercy whiles he ascribeth so much to Gods Iustice. First as touching Election and Predestination if workes foreknowne do beare the whole sway here and that Gods Election falleth vppon no man but whose whole course of lyfe being knowne before hath made not vnworthy of this honorable dignitie of Election what place I pray you then is left here for mercy seéing this whole worke of Election seémeth to be ascribed to Iustice rather For as Iustice vouchsaffeth none but the good and such as deserue it euen so Grace and mercy doe relieue none for the more part but abiectes outcastes such as are altogether vnworthy therof Moreouer as concernyng VocatioÌ„ and CoÌ„uersioÌ„ if the habilitie of mans Freewill be such accordyng to this new Maister Doctour that it may not onely worke together with God but may also as well preuent the grace of God by some good motioÌ„ as follow it and that Grace is none otherwise either offred vnto vs vnlesse we put forth our willes thereunto before or that it is not otherwise effectuall in vs but whiles we stand fast to our tacklyng and hold fast the helpe offred vnto vs yea and encrease it with our owne strength and that no man is holpen of GOD but who that both willyng hopyng and prayeng doth make him selfe apte thereunto truly whosoeuer teach this doctrine let them set neuer so glorious a face towardes the blazyng of mercy in wordes yet in very deéde they be nothyng els but very Rebelles to Gods Grace or at the least manglers and spoylers of the best part and power of Gods Grace whiles they attribute part to grace and part to Nature The same is also to be adiudged of the worke of Iustification from the whiche though you seème not to exclude the Free-mercy of God altogether yet doe you gelde the most forrible partes therof surely and yeld them ouer to workes flowyng froÌ„ out the fouÌ„teyne of Freewill wherein also you make such a myngle mangle that ye will neither graunt onely fayth in the worke of Iustification nor onely Grace on the worke of Election by any meanes Lastly what shall we say of the reward of Glory for if our workes beyng wayed in the righteous ballaunces of Gods
bookes name out of your mouth the tearme of Iustification or of Predestination Yea truly I maruell also why ye durst name the name of Christ also amōgest your writyngs sith that Cicero neuer made mention therof in all his bookes But this ridiculous Silenus doth neuer play his part more pleasauntly then whenas takyng the rodde in his hād and sittyng in the Schoolemaisters chayre he calleth forth poore seély Haddon into the middes of the Schoole and cōmaundeth him to harken to him to learne of his Maister And no maruell for he is full of such cōmaundementes But good M. Osorius you must beare with poore Haddō in this behalfe for he is occupied about other matters he can not come to your Schoole now And if he could be presēt he would not be so foolish yet though otherwise in eloquēce neuer so childishly ignoraūt as to be much afrayde of this vgly Buggebeare in a Lyons skynne but he would sooner espye him to be an Asse by his lollyng eares then a Lyon by his pawes Wherfore keépe these Maisterly preceptes now to your selfe which you may then at the length with shame enough lay vpon others neckes when you haue your selfe learned to vse them well before For if we lysted to set downe here to the viewe how oft your Reasons and Argumentes fayle you how vndiscretly how fayntly you roaue and raunge to vnseasonable exclamations and vntymely scornefull braggynges braying out as it were a madd man where no cause is triumphyng there where is no victory yea and many tymes where no aduersary is how stoughtly sometymes ye stād by incōgruitie I could easily shew that the faultes which you carpe at to be in Haddon cā be applyable to no mā more fitly then to your selfe Now whereas you adde last of all that there is no man of any Iudgement which will blame Haddon for that he is addicted to Cicero more then is neédefull as I am not ignoraunt whereunto that your vnsauory and more then foolishe scoffe tendeth so can I not sufficiently coniecture what this malicious bragge of the name of a Ciceronian and emulation of speache should emporte amōgest Christiās It is not my part to Iudge rashly of your meanyng And it may be that ye write this agaynst Haddon not so much of any true knowledge as to vnlade you of some cholericke humours And yet if you will geue me leaue to tell you in your care what I thinke if you thinke as you haue writtē and be of the very same mynde in deéde certeinly there can not be hidden vnder this couerte meanyng of yours any other thyng then very lurkyng Heathenish infidelitie For if you be carried into such a wonderfull admiration of Cicero that ye thinke him worthy to be noted for infamous that is not more then enough addicted to Cicero for so doe your wordes emporte and ou the contrary part thinke also a speciall poynt of hyghe commēdation if a man with whole bent of affection endeuour to become a Ciceronian◠where is thē I pray you the Glory of Christ where is that mynde that knoweth not to reioyce in any thyng but in the Crosse of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ The Lord in the Gospell doth playnly deny that a man may serue two Maisters at once And the Apostle doth exhorte not in one place alone that we frame not our selues to the fashiō of this world But you will say that by these wordes Mammon is vnderstāded Be it so in deéde Ergo who so is addicted ouermuch vnto Mammon him you deny to be the seruaunt of Iesu Christ. And shall he be the seruaūt of Christ that is addicted to Cicero more then enough But it is prayseworthy to imitate the gorgeous neattnes of Ciceroes speach worthy of great cōmēdatiō to matche him in excellēcy nor is it any thyng preiudiciall to Christes glory But what if Christ will not be glorified on this wise what if the simplicity of the gospell will not admit such pyrlyd pyked delicate speéch what if the same that Synesius spake of the young man may be as aptly verified of speach that is to say That fine poolished speach is alwayes impudēt But eloquēce was alwayes had in great estimatiō amongest all men you will say As though that whatsoeuer were vnlike vnto Ciceroes phrase were by by barbarous and as though Cicero him selfe if he were now aliue agayne would not vse an other phrase of speach in the doctrine of the Scriptures thē he vsed at that tyme. And as I suppose this one mā Cicero did not accomplish all maner of learnyng Neither is one phrase of speach meéte applyable to all persons causes and Argumēts But now Maister Osorius other maner of matters are in hand we lyue now in an other world In that which we may not occupy our wittes so much about the poolishyng of speach but rather with earnest bent affectiōs seéke for life euerlasting for remissiō of sinnes for the kyngdome of God learne how to turne away the seueritie of Gods wrath Iudgemēt frō vs for that day surely hāgeth ouer our heades which shall bring vs either to euerlastyng glory or els to euerlasting destruction We must be well aduized how we shall aūswere in that Parliament before that Iudgemēt seate For the Iudge may not be dealt withall with floorishyng wordes but with substaunciall matter This must be all our care endeuour hereunto must we enforce all the powers of our soules not how measurably or aboundaūtly our toung may be framed to pretie cōceiptes not how loftely our style mayaduaūced But by what meanes the terrible coūtenaūce of God may be pacified All other thynges whatsoeuer are but shadowes though they delight prophane eyes of this world with neuer so glorious spectackles Undoughtedly whosoeuer is strickē with an earnest feare of God whose soule beyng terrified with the multitude of his haynous sinnes doth with inward harty sorrow sighe and scrytche out vnto Christ whom the holy Ghost hath endued with a true and liuely contemplation of this transitory world who hath in hart and mynde vtterly renoūced the world with the pompe therof Finally whom the vnmeasurable magnificence and vnspeakeable Maiestie of the kyngdome of the Sonne of GOD doth wholy possesse what shall he regarde the lofty grace of Cicero or the proude stately wordes of his phrase or his myniō deuises and toyes so that he speake purely plainly lightsomely and directly to purpose so that his speach be cleane ioyned with a meane comlynesse what neédes there any more aboundaunce be required in that man But he speaketh not lyke a Ciceronian veryly Christ him selfe spake not like a Ciceronian yea although he had so spoken he should haue profited lesse For it commeth to passe I can not tell by what secret operation and influence of thinges that the humilitie of the Crosse which consisteth wholy in Deuine inspiration will not agreé with this hauty and lofty
where none was Nay rather why dyd not the Pope rather throw away his proude ambition and filthy Iucre and embrace the wholesome counsell of his brother and sithence he disdayned the maÌ„ why did he not douchâ—afe to yeld to the truth If he be so humble a seruaunt of the seruauntes of God as in name title he professeth to be why shamed he to harken vnto a godly man a learned Doctour and a graue Deuine not onely teachyng the truth but also castyng him selfe downe so humbly Nay rather why shamed he not to abuse the name of his Christ his Gospell in so false and filthy a matter Why shamed he not to blind the eyes of the people with such smoakes and to delude theÌ„ for whom Christ shedd his most precious bloud so craftely finally why durst he spurne so malapertly agaynst the expresse authoritie of the word and for as much as there is nothyng of more valour and more excelleÌ„t in this life then freé remission and forgeuenesse of Sinnes which we do enioy by the onely bloud of the sonne of God what more pestilent practize of lyeng and deceite could haue bene imagined or what ought he to be adiudged els then the very enemy of mans saluation who betrayeng vs of the most precious iewell in the world doth sell vnto vs smoake and dead coales in steéde of true and perfect Treasure These thynges beyng so manifest and cleare as nothyng caÌ„ be more manifest and cleare for as much also as Luther defended so honest and rightfull a cause as no man euer better and whereunto he was not allured by any his owne affectioÌ„ but forced rather by the peéuishe frowardnesse and manifold iniuries of others euen agaynst his will which also he could neither recant without haynous offence nor mainteyne without perill of lyfe where be those ianglers now which slaunder Luther as that he sought meanes of him selfe to disturbe alter ceremonies where be those whoÌ„ you rayle at so much I pray Osorius Who do set vppe Schoole no where but that they make all thynges more abhominable Finally where be these new Gospellers who so vayne gloriously tooke vpoÌ„ them to restoare the puritie of Gods pure Euangely Nay rather where was your shamefastnesse where was your honesty when you wrate this where was your Logicke wheÌ„ you ouerflowed so monstruously with filthy lyes in steéde of true honest Argumentes For what so simple a witted maÌ„ may be fouÌ„de that caÌ„ not seé a great mayme want to Iudgement in you in this kynde of Logicke when he shall view and read so wynde shaken and rotten Argumentes where in all your Assumptions ye vouche no maner of truth nor yet of all the same Assumptions any one hangeth agreably with the other For first begynnyng with a manifestlye you Assume on this wise Your Prophetes say you and your Apostles tooke vppon them and bounde them selues with an oathe that they would restore the pure and liuely wellsprynges of the Gospell Which is most false where dyd they vtter any such promise in word or halfe a sillable of a word so much But what doe you assume hereof But nothyng is ameÌ„ded in your Churches through their endeuour Hereof we shall seé the proofe hereafter Goe to conclude at the length Therefore those new Gospellers of yours be not of God O wonderfully not concluded but confused Argument of yours as are all your Argumentes els But if I may be permitted to builde such scattered Cobbewebbes together without morter or lyme why may not I as lawfully argue on this wise Ierome Osorius Bishop of Siluano hath taken vpon hym to confute the Lutheranes But his attempt hath little preuayled vnlesse it be to make their cause more manifest Ergo The purest Elleborus doth grow in Antycyra But let vs proceéde and because you haue taken your pleasure hitherto with our Gospellers teachers reasonably well Syr Ierome may we be so bold to enquire likewise what your Gospellers and great Doctours haue performed at the leÌ„gth what fruites what notable marchaundizes they haue enriched their people withall what aunswere will you make to this They did neuer promise any such thing say you I do beleue you But I demaund not of you what they promised but what they performed howe much they profited to the restoring of the puritie of your Churche what they ought to haue done this is the thing that I do aske You suppose that they haue well acquited themselues when by your testimonye they neuer made any vaunt of themselues to bring any thyng to passe euen as though when your friend shall staÌ„d destitute of your helpe you care not how naked you leaue him so that you binde not your selfe vnto him with any parcell of promise But I am of an other opinion and this I reason with you not because you haue not profited nor giuen any hope of profiting or help towardes the restitution of the puritie of your Churche but this I say and do expostulate with you because the most pure doctrine ordayned instituted by Christ himselfe for our behoofe ratified by the Prophets and Apostles and most wisely deliuered ouer vnto vs by our elders is wholy altogether or surely for the most part therof I say not not conuerted but vtterly subuerted by you because you haue obtruded vpoÌ„ vs such an estate of the Church is neyther Christ nor his Apostles if they were nowe aliue would euer acknowledge which if any man will dought whether be true or no from whence shall be he better certified then if he throughly peruse the very shape and lyuely Image of that Romish Church which your self do represent vnto vs here comparing the samewith the true Apostolique and that auncient Romaine Church that was for many yeares agoe Therefore let vs now harcken to Osorius preaching of hys owne Church First sayth he we haue neyther the Gospels of Luther nor of Melancthon nor of Carolostadius nor of Zuinglius nor of Caluine nor of Bucer but we do firmelye retaine the Gospells of Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn c. This is well done indeéde if it be true that you say and I wolde to god it were so I would to God Osor. you woulde stande faste and vnremoueable within the limytts and bowndes of that doctryne which the Actes wrytinges of the Apostles and Euangelistes haue deliuered ouer vnto vs and beyng contented with the same Gospelles you would not seeke for any other meanes of Saluation but such as in these sacred Scriptures is ensealed vnto vs by the finger of the holy Ghost But what is the cause then that yee defraud the godly of these Gospelles why do you hyde them in darcknes and why do you ouerwhelm them not vnder a Bushell onely but with fagott also and fire and by all meanes possible els consume them As to that where you say that you renounce the Gospelles of Luther MelaÌ„chton and Caluine truely I doe wonderfully commend
Gospell To Passe ouer withall innumerall infidels Atheistes Paganes counterfaites hypocrites false brethren false Gospellers which vnder pretence of Religion do nothyng els but cast a myste before the eyes of the world and serue their owne turnes to the great daunger and hinderaunce of the godly Now in this so huge a multitude of people and so manifold varietie of affections what people be they agaynst whom you do in so great clusters impute so great wickednesse lust outrage tumultes murthers conspiracies procured agaynst Princes and other more monstruous abhominations vnspeakeable and intollerable Euen such be say you the Auditorie of your Gospell What do I heare haue we then any other Gospell in England then is with you in Portingall is not one selfe same Gospell euery where are not Gods lawes the same in all places is Christ deuided amongest vs or doth any Christian in the world admitte any other Gospell then the Gospell of Christ But you beyng a meéry conceipted mā meant happely to sport your selfe with that nyckname agaynst such as haue harkened to Luther Zuinglius Bucer Caluine and others their lyke as vnto their Schoolemaisters Be it so yet do I seé no cause why you should call their doctrine a new Gospell But go to let vs seé yet how true your slaunder is that you charge these men withall I do confesse that there be now very many and heretofore haue bene many also who with Luther and those others do agrain in the exposition of holy Scripture whose doctrine you are not able to confoūde though ye would whose lyues you cā not iustly charge with any infamous crime no nor able to imitate them Of the liuyng at this day were not so conuenient to speake I will say somewhat of others that are gone And of those chiefly whom that furious swellyng gulfe of Mary lately swallowed vppe which beyng in number many in so fewe yeares Make Inquisition of all their lyues search out their maners studies exercizes functions speaches and deédes whatsoeuer sift them peruse them yea prye into them with that captious head pearcyng eyes of yours as narrowly as ye can And first in Cranmer Archb. of Canterbury who after by that hearyng this Gospell began to sauour of Christian profession what wickednes was euer reported of him with what outrage of lust was he enflamed what murthers what seditious tumults what secret cōspiracies were euer sene or suspected so much to proceéd from him vnlesse ye accompt him blame worthy for this That whea kyng Henry father of the same Mary vpon great displeasure conceaued was for some secret causes determined to strike of her head this Reuerend Archb. did pacifie the wrath of the father with mylde cōtinuall intercession preserued the life of the daughter who for life preserued acquited her patron with death As concernyng his Mariadge if you reprochfully impute that to lust which Paule doth dignifie with so honorable a Title I do aūswere that he was the husband of one wife with whō he cōtinued many yeares more chastly holyly then Osorius in that his stinking sole single lyfe paraduenture one moneth though he fleé neuer so often to his Catholicke Confessions And I seé no cause why the name of a wife shall not be accoumpted in eche respect as holy with the true professours of the Gospell as that name of a Concubine with the Papistes To speake nothyng els of this sort of people more vnseémely yet perhappes truly With Cranmer lyued Nicolas Ridley Byshop of Londō coupled in one partakyng of Religiō and one maner of Martyrdome who ledd such a lyfe alwayes vnmaryed as in the which all his aduersaries were not able to reprehend not onely any notorious crime but also not so much as a blemishe reprocheworthy so farre as I euer heard Not much inferiour to them both in all commendable worthynes and dignitie crowned also with the same crown of Martyrdome did shyne that famous Prelate Ferrar Byshop of S. Dauides what shall I speake of Iohn Hooper Byshop of Worcester and Glocester whose integritie of lyfe voyd of all cause of reprehension vnweryable trauaile in teachyng feédyng visityng might be not onely a notable patterne to all Romish Prelates though neuer so Catholicke but make them also ashamed in their owne behalfes To passe ouer a nomber of the like Taylours Saunders Rogers Philpottes Barnes Ieromes Garrettes whose vertues to rehearse and cōmende with condigne prayses for their vnblameable lyues neither the tyme serueth nor is my simple skill able to expresse accordyngly What one man did this litle Ilād at any time nourish vp or euer shall seé more holy and more chaste then was Thomas Bilney whom no posterity ought euer to forgette after that he beganne to harken vnto and apply his mynde seryously to this doctrine namely to the Gospell of Christ sauing that in all excellency of vertuous life Iohn Bradford seémeth worthy to be ioyned with him who wholly and altogether did so dwell in the feare of the Lord and in a certayne inward earnest meditation of heauenly life that liuing here on earth he seémed to haue bene translated as it were into an heauenly soule before he was violently taken from hence so leane spent and worne out with often abstinence vnmeasureale trauayle and so spare a dyette that he seémed an Anatomy nothing but skinne and boane In earnest prayer so continualy exercised that before he was burnt his kneés in handling seémed almost as hard as Camels hoofes Of all these and many others like vnto these which I could set downe vnto you gathered out of most faythfull hystoryes Report could not certify you but other thinges it could It could report lyes and vntruethes And no maruell If you aske the cause I will tell you For weé are carryed according to the wickednesse of this our age into sundry affections partes and factions We do esteéme of contreuersies not with that reuerence and simplicity of hart as beseémeth vs as we are taught by the prescript word of God but through sinister corrupt affections conceiue an euill opinion of them And wrest and wring the truth it selfe whether it will or no to colour and cleake Sectes and diuisions And therefore as we are for the more part more greédely carryed to harken vnto plausible matters such as concerne our owne commodity and preferment rather then the glory of the Sonne of God so neuer wanteth stoare of notable talebearers skilfull purueyors for such itching eares notorious Sicophantes euen for the same purpose raysed vp by the iust iudgement of God Hetherto haue I spoken of such onely as were famous for their learning doctrine dignity iudgement and ecclesiasticall function Besides these I could recken vppe vnto you of the meaner sort of people sixe hundred more or lesse consumed to Ashes in that fiue yeares persecution vpon whose bodyes although ye Romanists did furiously rage according to your sauadge and brutish
natures yet shall you neuer be able to raze out the remembraunce of them from the posterity so long as this world doth endure And as for theyr vertuous liues and cōmendable monumentes of their godlynesse left behinde them all the packe of your popish prelacy priestes and parasites will neuer be able to reach vnto Let me be so bolde to annexe somewhat of Luther himselfe Reported euen of him who is so much the more to be beleued as he seémed to be wholly seuered from partaking his doctrine For after this maner Erasmus writing to Thomas Arch. of Yorke in a certayne Epistle concerning Luther doth constātly affirme that his life was irreproueable by all mens iudgement and addeth furthermore which he confesseth to be no smal argument of his commendation That he was of such integrity of maners and common conuersation of life that his enemies could finde nothing whereat they might cauill And albeit the credite of this testimony seéme but of small estimation with you as appereth by your writing Yet whoseuer is endued with sound iudgement shall easily perceiue that in respect of theyr age and countrey wherein they were both borne he was better acquaynted with the whole life and cause of Luther then you were I could also recite vnto you the testimony of Fisher Byshoppe of Rochester touching the same Luther out of an Epistle of his written to Erasmus who although was more outragiously bent agaynst Luthers doctrine then beseémed him yet made he much more honest and commēdable report of Luther then you do The words of Roffensis as I finde them are these Luther of whom you wrate vnto me is a man endued with singuler dexterity of witte and hath the scriptures at his fingers endes For I haue readde ouer his writinges very earnestly And as willingly would I haue some conference with the man if I might with out any preiudice to my person that I might debate many matters with him which trouble me c. Agayne in an other Epistle to Erasmus I doe heare say that Luthers Commentaries vpon the Psalmes and vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians shall shortly come forth in print I am maruey lously delighted with the mans witte and his wonderfull knowledge in the scriptures Truely I could wish that he had quallified his speeches agaynst the high Byshoppe and masters appertayning to the See Apostolicke c. But go to if this be your reason Osorius that the soundnes of the doctrine shal be aportioned according to the liues of the teachers I beseech you forgette a whiles that your collericke passion of your blinde affection vouchsafe to aunswere vprightly What fault finde you in the liues of Phil. Melancthon Mart Bucer Oecolampadius Zuinglius Peter Martyr and Iohn Caluyne For their liues were not led in hugger mugger nor theyr conuersations so closely cloystered but that there be yet eye witnesses liuing Recordes by whome this question may easily be decided betwixt vs whether I doe Imagine or flater more in praysing then you erre more monstrously in slaundering them And where are now those horrible wickednesses mōstruous sacrileges murthers lust outrages and Treasons Surelye wheresoeuer they be they are not in Luther nor euer published by his doctrine sithēce his doctrine is none other maner of doctrine then is of all true Christiās therfore let Osorius him selfe looke out who these be and what Auditory of what Gospell they be whom he accuseth guilty of such horrible crimes whatsoeuer they be surely they are neither Lutheranes nor Gospellers And forasmuch as there is none so holy a profession but doth shrowd oftentymes many such persons as in deéd are nothing lesse then they seéme in outward countenaunce Osorius doth argue skarse Clarkly like a doctor herein that valueth the dignity of the doctrine by the quallity of the Auditory Logitians call it Fallax consequentis For whereas Signes are not all of one nature but some called accidentes some likely hoodes many perpetuall and necessary he learned Logitians therefore teach that an argument can not lightly be deduced from Signes except it be from snch Signes onely which in their owne nature appropried to the thinges it selfe haue alwayes a perpetuall and necessary cause of consequence coupled with them For Parentes are not alwayes to be adiudged wicked though their childrē be vnthrifty and go out of kinde Nor is the scholemayster to be blamed alwayes if his schollers profitte not in learnyng accordingly Nero was enstructed by a very godly Mayster in all godly and vertuous preceptes of learning and life yet what man was euer more wicked The soundnes of doctrine doth not alwayes appeare in the maners of the Schollers And sometimes also the matter fareth quite contrary as that vnder the veyle of vertuous maners may lurcke perilous poyson of most contagious doctrine Doctrine therefore ought alwayes to be measured by her owne principles and groundes chiefly from whence it taketh her Roote Otherwise whereas all those are accounted Christians in name and profession which are infected with semblable vyces and corruptions It should follow vpon this rule of Logick that Christian doctrine were in this respect worthy to be blamed because many Christians at this day do abuse the name of Christians to cloake and couer theyr wicked and abhominable lustes I haue aunswered all the partes of Osorius Inuectiue reasonably well Wherein he bringeth himselfe expostulating with the Lutheranes by a figure called Apostrophe or a Rhethoricall sleight rather but in such wise as that you may not so easily discerne Osorius as that old witch called Slaunder it selfe speaking in the wordes of Osorius This quarrell therefore being now throughly canuassed which seémed to pinch Haddós maisters most He remoueth his camp bendeth his whole force now agaynst his opposed enemy Haddon whom he determineth to assayle on euery syde First touching the most auncient profession of the Church next concerning a comparison made betwixt both Churches to seé whether of thē do resemble the Apostles Church nearest In which part many things are discoursed of all partes of the ordinaunces of both Churches of manners and lyfe of preaching of Masses of the communion of the variablenesse of opinions of the Papane of Images of praying to Sayntes of sacrifice and of Purgatory For these be almost the chiefest furniture of this wiffeler And first as touching Prescription of Antiquity Osorius perpleding demaūdeth of Haddon in what wise he defendeth that his innouation or new gospell If Haddon were present this matter could not be destitute of a sufficient Aduocate And because Haddon can not now come I will by your patience aunswere not so artificially peraduenture as him selfe could haue done yet as effectually in his behalfe as shall satisfie the cause though can not stopp your ianglyng which cause neuerthelesse remaineth vnuāquishable not so much by any my defēce as fortified thoroughly with her owne strength and force of the truth And that I may know first
some glymering of dawning day and to refresh the razed Rent of his ruynous Church and to restore a recouery of his auncient recordes of written veritye the Braynesuck beastes of Romyshe rowte ganne fret aud fume and our sweéte shauelinges seéke at the length that we render them a reason of our Noueltye And because veritye Euangelicall oppressed with Tyranny through the Reuell of Sathās raunging abroad these few yeares eyther durst not shewe it selfe into the open world or could not be heard to plead for it selfe through their outragious vilaines being now quickened from aboue beginneth to display her oryent beames she is called to corā before these cloisterers as though Christe and the doctrine Apostolicall were some straunger in the world and commaunded to Iustifie her chalenge of Antiquitye to them which are neither able to render any reason of theyr counterfayt Antiquitie nor Iustify the trueth of their own cause by any recordes or reportes of probable auncienty or by any testimonie or president of the prymatyue Churche whatsoeuer Wherein me seémeth they behaue themselues no more modestly and shamefastly then theéues and murtherers which breakyng in by nyght into an other mans house hauing by violnce and wrong either slayne or thrust the true owner out of dores chalenge vnto themselues a title of possession And so pleadyng in possession by wrongfull disseisin for tearme of certeyne yeares doe plead occupation and prescription of time agaynst the lawfull heire that hath right by lawe to recouer and demaund Iudgement thrusting the true heire out from his true inheritaunce who in ryght equitye demaundeth restitution For what other thing doe they herein who finding their cause to be no way bettered by vouching of Scriptures which make nothing for thē at all fleé ouer forthwith to yt. Fathers Custome continued of olde by long prescription of time crying out agaynst vs with full mouthes that they haue enioyed their possession in the Church more then xv hundreth yeares and commaund vs to tell them where our Church was litle aboue xl yeares sithence And because they aske it I will tell them conditionally that they will distinctly tell me first what they doe meane by this worde Church If they meane the people perhappes we were not all borne then if they vnderstand the Roofes Walls and Tymber of the Churches they stand euen now in the same place where they were wont to stand are enuironed with the same churchyardes where they stood of old But yf they speake of the doctrine verely it was in the word of God and in the Scriptures discernable enough where also it resteth now rested euer heretofore and shall rest hereafter for euer If they demaund of the forme of gouernment It was in the primitiue Church and many yeares after in Asia Greece Affrick Europe dispersed abroad in all Churches at what tyme euery particular Church was gouerned by theyr peculiar Patriarches and not pente vppe and straighted into one hole vnder the commaundement of one man onely when also neither was any Byshoppe called vniuersall Byshoppe no nor my Lord Byshoppe of Rome called as then vniuersall Byshoppe I haue now told where our Church was before these fourtye yeares It remayneth that I be so bold to demaund agayne of them but especially of our Osorius that he vouchsafe to declare vnto vs where this fine Ciceronisme thys braue poolyshed speach where thys exquisited eloquence of writyng and speaking where this gorgeous furniture of fyled toūges this pyked and straunge statelynes of style was fourty yeares agoe where this wonderfull increase of Artes and Mathematicall sciences was will he eyther say that it is newely found out now or restored agayne rather and deliuered long sithence from olde auncient teachers If he will confesse that they be not new nor speciall deuises of our proper wittes but renewed and reuiued rather out of auncient authors let him then so account him selfe satisfied in his question touching the state of the Church not that it is a newe vpstart but reuiued from olde not garnished with new Coapes but returning agayne in her old Fryse gown For we doe not now build a new Church but we bring forth and beautifye the olde Church But now if any man will seéme to maruell what the verye cause reason should be that these artes and disciplines do rather in these dayes now florishe agayne at length after so long scylence and so long continuaunce in exile and banishment and would neédes know the very true naturall cause hereof What better aūswere shall I make him then that it is done by the speciall prouidence of GOD who of his inestimable goodnesse vouchsafed in these latter dayes to discouer abroad into the world the famous Art of Emprinting By meanes wherof aswell the seédes and principles of all liberall sciences as the knowledge of Diuinitye are extant and in dayly exercise not newly begon now but sproughted vppe of the olde Rootes and recouering their olde beauty So that you haue lesse cause to wonder Osorius that our Deuines beyng enlightened thus with so opē a light of the manifest scriptures and furnyshed with so great store of bookes and helpes of learning doe seé much more in matters of Diuinitye than many our Elders haue done Which helpes and furnitures of bookes if had bene so plentifull in those aūcient yeares of Gregory 7. Nicholas 2. and Innocent 3. for the exercise of wittes as we seé them now dayly and hourely handled and frequented beleue me Osorius The Pope of Rome had neuer so long lurcked in his lazye denne nor so long had bewitched the senses of selly ones with his leger demayne and crafty conueyaunce Nor had Osorius euer sturred his stumpes so stoughtly in this quarell agaynst Haddon Nor had Haddon bene forced to this streight to make defence of his Noueltye at this present But here some one of Osorius Impes will say peraduenture For as much as the state condition of the Church is such that wheresoeuer it be it must neédes be visible and apparaunt to be seéne not thrust vnder a bushell but set on hygh vpon an hill that it may shyne clearely vnto all and for as much also as the Churche of Rome was euer euē from the very swathlyng cloutes of Christian Religion of that excellency as to be able to Iustifie her dignitie and renowme by the whole and full agreable consent of all estates times and places euen vnto this day and that none other Church besides this one alone can mainteyne so lōg a continuaunce of yeares and so great a title of authoritie who may dought hereof but that this Seé of Rome is the onely Seé where onely is refiaunt a true face and profession of the true Church And that on the contrary part the Lutheranes Church beyng but of a few yeares continuaunce and neuer heard of before must therfore be accoumpted not worthy of place or name of a Church
assault agaynst vs as finding nothing offensiue to any man in our fayth in our Religion in our manner of worshypping nor our Church ordinaunces he presently rusheth vpon our liues and rippeth abroad the vnhonest behauiour of men and in this discourse he spendeth all his powder and shotte of slaunders lyes outcries figures and all his exclamations of accusation And therefore it behoueth me also to alter the state of my defence so that from henceforth I shall not need to aūswere for our doctrine our fayth our Sacramēts and the institution of our Churches which differ not frō the institution Apostolicke but for the liues onely and the outward conuersations and maners of our Ministers And first It is well truely and I do prayse you Osorius so do all the rest of vs likewise acknowledge our selues indebted vnto you in a whole Cartlode of thankes in this behalfe For sithence you apply all the force of your accusation to reproue our euill demeanor and corruption of maners onely hauing els no matter of reproch iustly to charge vs withall surely euen by this onely testimony of your owne mouth you doe fully acquite vs in such wise as all men may well playnely perceaue that all thinges els are well stayed and sound with vs concerning other poyntes of our doctrine and christian profession All which if you thinke may be tollerable enough amongest vs why may ye not aswell release vs of your action of heresy and schisme in so much as all hereticall waywardnesse consisteth not in conuersation of life properly but in doctrine and Religiō But if it be our doctrine that you and your Catholickes doe mislike chiefly why do you not prosequute this action agaynst vs why do ye not stay here why runne you away like a coward from your challenge wherefore do ye turne ouer all the substāce and rigor of your accusation agaynst our liues and manners leauing our doctrine in the field why are ye so lusty and frolicke in that one and so white liuered and caponlike in this other You do accuse vs of Nouelty If you charge the doctrine of our Religion with this Noueltye declare them in playne wordes in what part of Doctrine and in which one article of the commō Creéd we do vary frō the Apostolique or propheticall scriptures Nay rather what doe our Churches professe at this day that we haue not drawen taken from the Apostles the Euangelistes yea and from Christ himselfe the very author and foūder of fayth which also we mayntayne and keép very Religiously you haue tofore treated I confesse of freéwill of righteousnesse of workes and of certayne other principles somewhat but so haue you handled your selfe therein that it had bene better for you to haue bene silent and mumme for the further you roll in this puddle the more durt cleaueth to your backe and both bewrayeth where you haue bene and maketh you to loase the whole grace of your market And now perceauing your selfe destitute of ayde in this kinde of conflict you flye the field cowardly and renew your skirmish in narrow streights inuading the corruptions and escapes of maners and lyues with lyeng and slauntyng Wherein I would not so much reprehend you as though you had delt much amisse if in this behalfe you proceéded against vs with a good simple meaning and as we do all with you altogether who are no lesse agreéued with that outragious corruption of maners thē your selues are Now euē here also you shew your selfe so cold and vnprouided as that by your vnskilfull hādling of the matter you disclose rather the scabbe of your owne Fistula then minister salue to any others soare For you do not therfore so earnestly reproue our lewdenes and misdemeanour how horrible so euer it be bycause your mynde is so much agreéued thereat or bycause you haue any earnest desire to bryng vs to amendemēt but this rather is the whole scope of your scoldyng that as it were occasioned by these you might pyke out some fitt matter to whett your cursed and slaunderous toung more freély agaynst Luther and other godly Ministers and bryng them into hatred contempt conceauyng in your imagination to bryng this to passe that if the world would by your meanes but conceaue euill of the Lutheranes as that their Churches did swarme and were ouerwhelmed with abhomination of life then the credite of our doctrine should be easily crackt those godly personages which tooke vpon them to restore the sinceritie of the Gospell should be accounted for errant heretiques most execrable false Prophetes for hereunto is your whole Rhetoricke strayned Osorius But let vs seé how well this Rhetoricke doth agreé with the Rules of Logicke And bycause as your selfe say it is not sufficient for a mā to affirme what him listeth with bare wordes onely let vs behold not your vayne ianglyng but the very substaūce of your meanyng And to begyn now with the principall part of the controuersie to witte whereas in the defence of our Church Haddon had sayd as true it was in deéde that our doctrine was neither new nor did differre any iote from the Institution and discipline of the Apostles all this saying of Haddon Osorius doth vtterly deny doth Reply agaynst it that our Church hath no affinitie at all with the Institution and discipline of the Apostles nor any continuaūce in Antiquitie And who so Now marke his reasons gentle Reader and marueile a whiles at the wonderfull dexteritie of this Portingall Prelate For Haddon sayth he doth bryng no president or example of that auncient vertue Fourth a Gods name Moreouer in all that Church appeare no exāples of that heauenly vertue What vertues speake you of here good Syr Miracles What doe ye looke for such miracles in these dayes No. But luste say you raungeth in your Churches wickednes is ryfe hygh wayes and passadges are replenished with theeues treasons and conspiracies are common practizes of the people treachery and villany bringeth all thynges into perill for the simple puritie of the Gospell these fellowes haue in all cōmon weales scattered abroad horrible wickednes for concorde and charitie execrable dissentions pride in steade of modestie for Religiō Sacriledge for freedome seruile bondage for Ciuill orders outrage finally for trāquilitie and peace cruell and detestable tumultes and commotions And who be they I pray you Luther I thinke Melācthon Bucer Caluine Zuinglius Haddon and such others their like Go to is there any more yet And all these mischieues say you after the doctrine of these men tooke place were in such wise not rooted out as that they encrease rather dayly more and more amongest vs and are growen to greater heapes all which mischieues notwithstandyng if were but light or meane at the least the matter were not so great for that might haue bene pardonable in respect of the weakenesse of mans Nature But what shall we say now of that most horrible and execrable haynousnes
To witt if there be not a Purgatory Osorius doth lye if he be a lyar Ergo he is not sent froÌ„ God but from the Deuill the father of lyes Which counterbuffe is so much the more probably applyable agaynst Osorius then agaynst Luther by how much he persisteth more obstinately in the maintenaunce of that filthy quauemyre of Purgatory For as much as although Luther did erre somewhat in that matter at the first yet afterwardes knowing the trueth did reduce himselfe to a more sound iudgement so that now he neither maketh for the Papistes in affirming Purgatory neither by that his former vntrueth error sinneth agaynst God at all Therefore as touching his forked and double horned argumeÌ„t wherein the first part of Osorius his Position If there be no Purgatory Luther doth lye If Osorius here doe vnderstand of a lye Formaliter Luther doth not lye but Osorius doth lye But if Luther be adiudged according to that which he once thought and taught once why should he be more reproched with a lye in affirming Purgatory then commended in the trueth in denying Purgatory afterwardes Moreouer if a lye be such a kinde of thing as you doe affirme in your other Position wh doth separate vs from God surely he is to be accoumpted a lyar not that reuoketh the error which he maintayned before but he that still persisteth obstinately in his ouerthwart opinion manifestly agaynst the trueth But the Scholemen that in their Schooles dispute somewhat more subtilly of the nature of a lye do ioyne together to the full proportion or making of a lye the will also of him that doth make the lye to speake the schole tearmes with the part of the false surmise In the one whereof they ground the matter or substaunce in the other the forme or qualitye Therefore for asmuch as there is no sinne but that which is voluntary if we will speake after the proprietye of speéch he that in teaching or disputing doth mainteyne a falshoode thinking that he doth maintayne a trueth he is to be sayd that he erreth and is deceaued in opinion but doth not make a lye properly but per accidens as the schoole men speake and materialiter And therfore touching the one horne of your sophisme If there be not a Purgatorye Luther doth lye If you meane it formaliter as I sayd it is vntrue and a deuise of Osorius Now remayneth thother horne whereof we must be well aduised how wee doe aunswere it If he did lye say you Ergo He was not sent from God If this be true that neuer any man was sent from God that did make any kinde of lye at any tyme Lett Osorius looke well to the matter how he may be able to crack me these two nuttes that I will lykewise geue vnto him as euidently in ech respect agaynst him If Sara were not Abraham his sister then did Abraham lye If Abraham did lye then was he not sent from God Yea further also to adde hereunto an intent of deceauing Here is yet an other matter If Iacob were not the first begotten sonne of Isaack by Rebecca his wyfe both Iacob lyed and the Mother also If the Myddwyues did not drowne the young sucklings of the Hebrues then did they make a lye vnto Pharao If king Saul gaue vnto Dauid no commaundement by worde of mouth commiâ—g to Achimelech then did Dauid make a lye 1. Kinges Chap. 21. If all these of whom I haue spoken Iacob Rebecca the Middwiues Dauid did lye Ergo they were not sent from God which if Osor. will not deny to be a most arrogant vntrueth what remaineth but that this cruell Sauadge two horned beast together with Luther goare the holy Patriarches also with his hornes or casting away his hornes acquite Luther and the Patriarches also both together Now I put Osorius to his choyse to take which he will Howbeit I speake not this to acquite Luther cleare from all spott of error NotwithstaÌ„ding it is not all one to hold an error and to maintayne a lye It is one thing to be vnskilfull and ignoraunt and an other thing to reuoke in season assoone as a man doth know his error The first whereof is a speciall poynt of humaine infirmitye thother a singuler benefite of Gods mercy Both which we haue seéne to haue chaunced euen in the most holy ones of all We reade of the most holy messenger and forerunner of the Lord speaking on this wise And I sayth he knew him not Neuerthelesse in an other place we heare the same speaking on this wise Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world And what maruell was it if Luther were ignoraunt in some thinges a whiles which were discouered vnto him afterwardes And where hath euer bene so quicksighted a Spinx that was able to seé all things at once which prerogatiue the Barnardines dare not geue vnto Barnard himselfe But Osorius will not leaue of his handfast And would gladly know as he sayth Whether senteÌ„ce of Luther Haddon will determine vpoÌ„ to be true seing Luther is Author of both Of the first wherein he affirmeth a Purgatory to be or the last wherein he denyeth the same thing agayne That I may passe ouer in the meane space whose Cartloades full of Tauntes Mockes and Mountaynes of lyes which he vomiteth out in the bosome of the good man most brutishly euen to the ridding of his gorge almost I will aunswere to the matter and the reprochfull Taunt it selfe briefly without Tauntes As concerning the very trueth and naturall substaunce of Doctrine howsoeuer mens opinions and Iudgements be carryed hither and thither in wauering vncerteynty yet trueth is neuer vnlyke it selfe but remayneth alwayes one and the same also vnchaungeable which suffreth not it selfe to be toste to and fro after the whirling variablenes of mens imaginations but standeth alwayes sound and vnshaken builded vpon the vnpenetrable Rocke of the Scriptures of God Now if Luthers rule be agreably apporcioned accordyng to the infallible squarier of that holy staÌ„dard whether it be first or whether it be last why should it not be worthely embraced not because it is the last but because it is the truest On the other side if in all his doctrine be any assertion that deserueth to be reprehended as repugnauÌ„t or varying from the true touchestone of Christian profession there be extant the holy Scriptures of God manifest and layd open there be auÌ„cient ordinauÌ„ces of the Primitiue Church There be approued Testimonies of learned men There be groundes and principles of doctrine wherewith ye may lawfully conuince him Yet orderly notwithstanding and courteously that the Readers may finde you to be a learned Deuine or skilfull Logician not a rayling Slaunderer and fryuolous brabbler Now to what purpose serueth so much cursed rayling no lesse vnseasonable then vnreasonable so many Tauntes so many slaunders so many subtiltyes and so many bitter skoffes what neéded
conuey ouer by tradicion to the Posteritye afterwardes neither is any question made here whether Christ after he had taken bread and the cupp did say that it was his body and his bloud but whether the bread which the Priest doth offer in his Masse be really and substantially and in trueth of nature the body of Christ which himselfe hath appoynted and ordeyned to be offred in his Church by thapostles and their successors as Priestes of the new Testament for a dayly expiation of sinnes This foule absurdity whereas we and the whole consent of the Scripture doe vtterly deny you ought to haue deliuered cleare from inconuenience which as yet you haue not done out of Irene Although he doe make mention of a new oblation of a new Testament yet this doth not argue notwithstanding that either Christ should be supposed to offer him selfe at his last supper or that the Priest should be imagined to make a dayly Sacrifice in his Masse for sinnes w̄t the selfe same body wherein he suffered his Passion once vpon the Crosse for the sinnes of the world In deéde Irene doth tearme it by the name of an oblation And it is true so is it also many tymes called of many of the auncient Fathers Neither doe we mislyke the word nor yet doe abbridge the ecclesiasticall writers from libertye to frequent their Metaphors and hyperbolicall speéches as lyketh them best Howbeit the Scripture doth not acknowledge any such wordes Neuerthelesse sith it pleaseth them to accustome themselues with such speéches lett them vse this name of oblation a gods name and call this an oblation which we doe call the Eucharist we contend not about words it is the matter it selfe that we stand vpon The auncient Fathers because they seé a Communion instituted in rembraunce of the Lordes Sacrifice doe call it by the name of a Sacrifice by the same reason wherby they doe vsually ascribe vnto signes the names and effectes of the thinges signified These Catholickes on the contrary side doe cry out and exclame that he is an Heretique that will dare to say that the Sacrifice of the Masse is a bare memoriall of the Sacrifice of Christ accomplished vpon the Crosse. Neither thinke this to be sufficient that it be reputed as a memoriall but besides this bare memoriall they proceéde yet to his outrage that they endowe it also with the very power and effectuallnesse of the Lords Sacrifice so that whereas the passion of Christ is the onely meritorious cause of our redemption yet will they shamefully attribute the whole efficacye and operatiō of that inestimable benefitt to the Masse and in that respect they dare presumptuously commaund it to be called a sacrifice not a Sacramentall or a memoriall sacrifice but an Expiatory Propietatory sacrifice that I may be so bold to speake their owne tearmes And allthough they doe not deny that all our whole perfection doth proceéde frō the onely oblatiō of Christ Yet because this perfection is not made so absolutely perfect by the vertue and grace of Baptisme but that after our regeneration by grace we slippe and fail many tymes into many offensiue bypathes in this transitorye lyfe they doe affirme that this Sacrifice of the Church was prouided for a medicine to solue all those soares amperinges out of the fleshe as a restoratiue not onely to them that receaue it but very medictable for the quick for the dead also as though forsooth the merites of Christes bloud could not heale our woūdes without this minglemangle of these Satisfactory druggs How trymly this iugglyng doctrine doth agreé with the naturall proportioned squarier of the Scriptures let others Iudge as they liste I for my part that do now then exercise my tyme in the conference readyng of Scriptures auncient writers do verily iudge that these notorious Maximes can not by any meanes be of any importaunce except we plucke vppe our fayth by the rootes and banish cleane away the very sinowes and marrow of the sacred Scriptures For whereas the whole doctrine of Christes Gospell hath established all the treasure and riches of Gods promises yea Christ him selfe wholy withall his deseruyngs in fayth onely what shall remayne thē for this Sacrifice but that it represent vnto vs a memory remembraunce of the Lordes death onely and for this cause taketh the denomination of an oblation by the testimony of Irene and others The holy and sacred monumentes of aunciēt Doctours be full of Testimonies which do playnly declare that the Euchariste is not an oblation properly but is called an Oblation in respect that it is a memoriall of Christes oblation performed once vpon the Crosse. Furthermore as concernyng the application that it is ministred not by any other outward Instrument them by the preachyng of the Gospell of Christ and the dispensation of his Sacramentes and that the benefitt thereof is receaued by none other meane then by force of fayth onely Now therefore let vs first heare Irene as it were expoūdyng him selfe We doe offer vnto God sayth he the first fruites of his creatures with thankesgeuing He declareth that out of those first fruites of Gods creatures the substaūce therof was taken which was cōsecrated into the body bloud of Christ. And in this respect he doth call the whole action of the Minister an oblation And agayne emongest other thynges treatyng of the oblation of the new Testament he willeth vs also to offer a gift at the Altar cōtinually and dayly Therfore sayth he there is an Altar in heauen and thither must our prayers and oblations be directed c. First if the Church doe offer vnto God a gift of his owne creature I suppose now that ye Catholicke children will not affirme that the Chruch doth offer the Sonne of God then Moreouer if our Altar be in heauē as Irene did truly say to what purpose shall these Altares stand in the Church whenas we are taught to direct the Sacrifices of our supplicatiōs to the Altar not these stony Altares in the Churches but to that heauenly Altar that is in heauen Moreouer what shall we say to Ambrose who treatyng of Uirginitie was not afrayed to call the Uirgines hartes by the name of Altares in the which Christ was dayly offred And hereunto accordeth the Iudgemēt of Chrisostome The gift of the Gospell sayth he doth ascend on high without bloud without smoake without an Altar and without other the like c. So also Ierome Euery faythfull person hath an Altar within him selfe which is fayth Augustine likewise The Sacrifice of the new Testament is when we do offer cleane and pure Altares of our hartes in the presence of Gods maiestie And the second Councell of Nyce We Christians do scarsely know what is an Altar and what is an oblation Agreable to the Testimonies before recited is the notable and playne Testimonie of Eusebius We do sacrifice sayth he and do
he hath debated somewhat and so debated as himselfe doth confesse not of any gredy desire of flattering as speaking the thing that â—he doth know to be plausible to his Catholickes but hath written the very same doctrine which he doth firmely beleue to be true which I doe yeld vnto that you haue perfourmed accordingly For as much as hitherto you haue alleadged nothing but phantasticall conceiptes of your owne wandring imagination and fryuolous opinions of your owne gyddy deuise Thoroughout all your bookes no sparke of Scripture no sentence at all of auncient writers besides bare names onely is vouched able to geue any creditt to your cause And therefore you haue sayd well in deéde that your writing doth agreé with your meanyng in all pointes but there is nothing more corrupt then that iudgemeÌ„t of yours nor any thing more vayne then your writing And for the thinges themselues whereof you make mention hath bene spoken sufficiently allready to witt of the Popes supremacy of the Popes warres of Purgatory of Sacrifices of Marketts of Pardons of the vncleanesse of Priestes and of their filthy superstition All which disgracementes of Religion from whence they issued out at the first although Haddon affirmed that you were not your selfe ignoraunt albeit you dissembled the contrary yet surely of this you ought not to be vnskilfull except you list to be reputed an open counterfaite that all those Trincketts which you thrust vpon vs vnder the cognizaunce of Religion did sauour nothing of the foundation of Christes Religion of his Apostles or of the Prophetts doctrine but haue bene deuised by other men long sithence the comming of Christ and by couert creéping by litle litle into the Church are growÌ„e to this vnmeasurable Rable Which hath bene displayed abroad aboundantly enough before as I Iudge in these same bookes After all these ensueth a common place of the filthy and wicked lyfe of Priestes which being more notorious then can be couered more filthy then can be excused Osorius is driuen to this streight that he can not deny but many thinges are amisse in the maners of Priestes and many things out of order which require seuere and sharpe correction howbeit he doth so extenuate this cryme as that he shameth not to confesse but that the greater part of these Catholick shauelings doe liue most chastely without all blemish of worthy reproch Of the rest he hath good hope yea and doughteth not thereof vpon the confidence that he hath of the good beginnings of the most holy Father the Pope Pius the fifte whose wonderfull godlynes ioyned with marueilous zeale of true Religion cleare and voyde from all ambition greedynesse and rashe temerytye doth geaue vs especiall comfort that it will shortly come to passe that the disorders and dissolute misdemeanours of Superstition and Priestes will attayne to a better reformation But if happely this hope happen not to good successe and though all thinges doe runne into further outrage yea although also no man minister medicine and remedye to this diseased Church yet is not this forthwith a good consequent that good and godly ordinaunces shall for the retchlesse trechery of some euill disposed persons be vtterly taken away And that humaine actions did neuer staÌ„d in so blessed an estate as to be cleare froÌ„ all matter worthy of reprehension not onely emongest Priestes and MouÌ„ckes but also through all the conuersation of Christian congregatioÌ„s And that it standeth not therefore with Reason for the negligence of a few disordered Mounckes to roote out the whole order of Mounckerye and for the wickednes of some Priestes therefore to subuert the whole dignitye of Priesthood and authoritye of Byshopps None otherwise then as if in the holy state of Matrymony many thinges chaunce sundry tymes not all of the best and vnseemely handled yea and that wantonnes grow euen to brech of wedlock yet is it not reasonable that for this cause the whole bond and vowe of mutuall loue and lawfull vniting should be cutt asunder Semblably ought we to determine of the orders of Priestes and Mounckes Emongest whom though all thinges be not done orderly and decently yet such thinges are not by and by to be discontinued which were instituted for godly purposes nor followeth not forthwith if there be some festered members in the coÌ„mon weale which must of necessitye be cutt of that for this cause the whole state of the coÌ„mon weale shall be tourned vpsidowne but rather that the ouergroweÌ„ weeds be pluckt vpp and such as be scattering brauÌ„ches be applyed to better order and reduced to their first patterne And that there is nothing more perillous in Common Weales then the often innouation of good and commendable established ordinaunces and lawes which doth commonly breed not onely a generall contempt of wholesome statutes but for the more part procure an vtter ouerthrow of the whole state according to the testimony of Aristotel who did sometime openly withstaÌ„d the decree of Hippodamus Milesius made for the aduauncement of such as should deuise good and profitable lawes being of this opinioÌ„ that lawes should be comprised within measurable lymitts and boundes that the well keeping of tollerable lawes emported more safetye then the innouation of new To Aunswere this large discourse briefly Osorius could haue alledged nothing more coÌ„modious in the defence of Luthers cause and nothing more vehemently agaynst these newfangled Romaines For if Aristotel did worthely reproue Hippodamus Milesius Who being not contented with the present state of his owne Countrey did practise an alteration of the state What shall be sayd vnto you who haue so chopt and chaunged all things in the Church that there is not left therein one title so much of Apostolick antiquity or auÌ„cieÌ„t Doctrine Therefore if all matters must be reduced to the first foundations what one thing can preuayle more to further the LutheraÌ„s desire who in all theyr writings and wishinges haue neuer endeuoured any thing more carefully then that a reformation might be had of the Publicke abuses and corruptions of the churche according to the first most godly institutions to the vtter abolishing of all newfangled vpstartes wickedly supported And those first Institutions I doe call the very first foundations of the Apostolyque doctrine most godlye grounded vpon the holye ghost and the Testament of Christ. From the which how much your doctrine and Traditions do varry I haue sufficiently discouered before For whereas Christ is an infallible principle ground of the Apostolicke doctrine and whereas the chiefe pillers of the Euangelicall buildyng do stand principally vpon this poynt to preach vnto vs euerlasting life promised by the freé gift of God through fayth in Iesu Christ euen by this one marke may easily be discerned of what value and estimation the whole state of the Romish religioÌ„ may be accounted which doth not direct vs to Christ but to the Pope not to the onely sonne of God but to the sonnes of
of the Euangelicall doctrine to glister and shyne farre and wyde abroad ouer all Christendome at this tyme which because was not so resplendisaunt and lightsome in the tyme of certeine of our forefathers of late yeares whereas neuerthelesse Christ did alwayes preserue embrace his Church with lyke mercye and fauour therefore he accompteth this Gospell of Christ to be a new straunge Doctrine contrary to Christ and this also not Osorius alone supposeth to be so but many other Deuines wandring inlyke error who are maliciously wroth agaynst Luther as though he a few others were the first deuisours and coyners of this Gospell Thē which vntrueth can nothing be more vntrue Nay rather if Luther had neuer bene borne if Bucer or Caluine had neuer taught yet could your ignoraunce and shamelesse errors haue no longer lurked in darknes through one singuler and especiall prouidēce of God not that whereby Luther was sent abroad into the world but by that inestimable benefite of Gods blessing prepared for the behoofe of his Church I meane the singuler and most excellet Art of Emprinting By this meanes it pleased Gods good mercy both to prouide for the weaknes of his Church withall auēge himselfe vpon your Tyrannous cruelty by a certein secret vnsearchable maner For imediately after Iohn Husse Ierome of Prage the most holy Martyrs of God were by your horrible fury and wickednes consumed to ashes and the veritye of the Gospell suppressed by your Tyranny could neither be suffred to speake franckly nor shew her face abroad boldely nor eskape your rauenous gaping freély skarse x. yeres were come gonne before that in place of two poore Prophetts almighty God had raysed vpp all the holy Prophetts Patriarches Apostles Euangelistes and all the holy doctours of the Church Martyrs Confessours and Interpretours of holy Scripture as it were a certeine army of heauenly knightes armed at all poyntes to encounter your outragious assaultes who because could not be permitted to speake openly in the Church through your tyranny begann to presse forth boldly now in the open Printers shopps and to leape into euery mans bosome and handes and withall to bewray your ignoraunce and Tretchery and to discouer not new wellsprings of Doctrine but to skoure and make cleane the olde fountaines and Conduyt pypes of the Gospell of grace stoppt vp by the popish Philistines And hereupon begann to spreadd abroad with glystering beames the large encrease of this gladsome Doctrine which if be so combersome a block in your way you may not therefore wreake your anger vpon Luther but deuise make some prouiso for these Printers for these bookes for learning and for Languages and to tell you as the trueth is you must excommunicate God himselfe Who durst be so hardy to bestow his vnspeakable mercy vpō this later and declining age of his Church in relieuing comforting her long and werysome trauaile with so many and so plentifull graces and aydes of true Doctrine and sound vnderstanding that would prouide for her sicknes so many learned Phisitions and Doctors not Luther Zuinglius Bucer and Caluine but Moses the Prophetts Apostles Euangelistes and cannonicall Scriptures through the reading and dayly perusing of the which if Christian hartes being better enlightened doe now feéle and perceaue sensybly that which our forefathers were forced to groape after in darkenes you ought not to muse thereat at much lesse to enuye and maligne it Wherefore as touching the grayheadded age of this Doctrine whereat you doe barke so impudently with your currish snarling for as much as we doe professe nothing els then the same that is comprehended within Gods booke and which before our tyme was taught by Moses aucthorized by the Prophetts Apostles what meaneth this your I will not say reason but vnreasonable insensibilytye with such vnsauery subtlety so to wryth wrest that to the defacing of this Doctrine which Haddon did conceaue of the outward lybertye and freédome of the Preachers only as though this doctrine were of no better creditt and no longer continuaunce then these last thyrty yeares and so shamelesly by many hundred yeares to preferre the auncienty of Mahumets sect before the knowledge of this Gospell But it had bene more conuenient for you good syr to haue learned by diligent enquirye whether this comparison of sectes doe not serue more fittly with that your pampered Papane for asmuch as that heathenish Paganisme and your prophane Papacye were both whelped nere about one tyme and almost within the compasse of one yeare which yeare we doe accompt by the reueled computation in S. Iohn to be the sixe hūdreth sixty and sixe Now that this deépe Deuine hath reasonably well beaten his braynes about matters of Diuynitye he doth beginne to cast a new floorish about and will haue a cast at the prosperitye and stayed estate of Princes presuming vpon his politique wisedome to councell kinges and Queénes and chiefly aboue others our gracious Queéne Elizabeth with what modesty she ought to attemper the prosperous successes and happy tranquillitye of her estate That she trust not to much to fawning fortune that there is nothing certeine in the course of this lyfe and many perills are to be feared in matters most pleasaunt and prosperous to the viewe and that no thing is more daungerous then carelesse securitye because as after light followeth darkenesse and after Calme come Clowdes euen so the whole course of this lyfe hath his continuall enterchaunges Ioy sometymes surprised with sodeyne sorrow agayne heauinesse chaunged into honour that all thinges are carryed about in a certaine vehement whyrling vnstablenesse as it were the fleyng vanes of a windemill forced about with Boreas blastes The thinges that are now aloft be sodenly throwen downe and contrarywise the things that be simple base doe at an instant mount aloft And that it commeth oftē to passe that whom God is most displeased withall those same he will ouershadow with more fruitfull aboundaunce of vertue grace and endue them with happy assuraunce not of fyue yeares onely but of many yeares continuaunce that so the greater that their fall is the deeper may their wound be according to the old prouerbe the higher wall the greater fall Briefly that there is no state of honour so firme so sure garded wherein a man may assure himselfe of a minute in safetye which doth euidently appeare by the example of Craesus who being vanquished of Cyrus and prepared vpō a pyle of wood ready to be bourned did cry vpō Solon with a lowd voyce and being demaunded by Cyrus who that Solon was Craesus doth declare the councell that he long before had receaued of that Solon whereupon Cyrus commaunding him to be taken downe from the stacke of wood after that he had thereby learned to bridle his Choler did not onely preserue him on lyue but hadd him in great reuerence and estimation This farre forth Osorius euen out
slaunderous cauill which you haue so malapertly and grossely imagined and whereof you accuse Haddon so vndeseruedly For Haddō was neuer that kinde of man as would permitt his imaginatiō to be whirled about with any such vaine arrogancy Neither was Queéne Elizabeth euer so embased or apalled in courage or euer will be so daunted in spirite as to be afrayd of any her subiectes lowring or browbeating or that euer cann be vndermined from that inuincible fortresse of her Religion with all the Engynes and Crampes that Osorius can deuise And therefore if your imagination haue heretofore bene deluded with any vayne hope of winning the castle of the Queénes Maiestyes constancy in fayth and profession trust not frō henceforth to any such cōceipt for what likelyhood of successe can you hope or persuade your selfe in whenas your selfe open nothing that deserueth any creditt define or deuide nothing that ought to be discussed make proofe of nothing soundly or substantially conclude nothing but altogether ridiculously how can any such thought I say comber your braines as to beleue you shal be able with any smooth fawning or delicate speéches as it were with Syrenes melody so to bewitch the Queénes highnesse that she shall renounce her Christ and follow Antichrist that renoūcing the doctrine of fayth in the assuraunce whereof she is grounded and rooted by the infallible testimonies of holy scriptures which she hath sucked out of the Source and welspring of the Apostles Prophetts Euangelistes yea and from Christ himselfe she shall be carryed away with the deuises I do not say of deuines but drowsy dreames of dronken Sophisters that abandoning the true and assured consolation of minde which she hath reposed on high in the bosome and boweles of the freé mercy and promise of God through fayth in Christ Iesu she shall decline to the hungry and naked elementes of this world to windeshaken rotten postes of your Satisfactions to pardons to Masses to Sacrifices to Purgatory to Freéwill to Traditions that cowardly fleéing from the freédome of the Gospell of grace she shall yelde her selfe Captiue to the Law and shrowd her selfe vnder the ruinous roofe of the Law and of merites Finally that by the sinister enticementes of Osor. flattery she shall make an exchaunge of the safety of her soule of the infallible hope and possession of euerlasting glory and the eternall loue and fruition of the Lord of Lordes for a peéuish blessing of a Romish Pope Could you be at any time so Braynesicke as to conceiue any such vayne toy in your head to be able to perswade her thereto Next herunto you adde But be it that she be so subiect to your cōmaundement that she dare not gaynesay you in any thing what if she be enlightened by the inspiration of the holy ghost what if Christ himselfe will encline her hart to haue a desire to behold his inestimable riches and to enioy it what if he will open her vnderstāding that she may euidētly see the plattformes of Trayterous Trecherous conspiring agaynst her life what if but meanely ouershadowed with the enlighteninge of Gods spirite to say nothing els she shall easilye perceiue that Luther and his sectaryes were neuer raysed vpp by the spirite of God but sturred vpp by the furyes of hell c. I doe heare how you do barcke agaynst Luther and his Sectaries Osorius Now therefore do you harkē againe what aunswere I will make in the behalfe of Luther and his wellwillers And first where you speake of the inspiration of the holye Ghost this is an vndoughted trueth vnlesse that Queéne Elizabeth had bene raysed vpp and aduaunced by the speciall prouidence of Gods spirit to the dignity Regall vnlesse that the Lord Christ had opened the eyes of her hart with a marueilous and singuler grace of his enlightening not onely to looke vpon and behold the precious Iewell of his Gospell but also to be a patronesse and defendresse thereof vnlesse the same goodnesse liberality and mercy of the most sweét Sauiour had with that profound and vnsearchable power of his omnipotency both guyded her coūcells and preserued her life for the safety of this commō weale it could not possibly haue come to passe that her life might haue eskaped safe and defensible from those raging stormes of that swelling Gulfe procured by the priuy practizes of popish pirates in her Sisters dayes At what time that sauadge Leopard the professed enemye of Christ that stately Stephen greédye Gardiner attempted all meanes and wayes possible to take her head from her shoulders Unlesse the Lord himselfe I say miraculously and beyond all expectation had at that present as it were with his outstretched hand raught her from the bloodye pawes of her enemies and had shielded her with his Targett and Armes and caught away Gardiners life amiddes his furyous attemptes and Trayterous snares and withall bereft the crowne from Mary her Sister within a whiles after surely the head of Elizabeth and the whole hope of Christes Gospell had bene chopt of at a blow And therefore whereas the happy felicitye of the most vertuous Queéne preuayled as then whereas she now liueth and raigneth at this present and is vaūced in Throane enioying so calme a continuaunce and whereas also the glory of the Gospell doth florish and stand vnshaken in a certein meane state of tranquillity we do herein most ioyfully and thankefully acknowledge our selues indebted not to any pollicy of man but to the power of the almighty and his heauenly benediction and do most humbly thanke him with all our hartes in all reuerence humility power out in his presence most thankefull prayers with outstretched handes vnto heauen by whose vnspeakeable mercy as the life of her Maiesty was preserued frō that slaughterhouse so were the powers of her soule enlumined with the orient beames of his diuine inspiration wherwith she was enabled to pearce into the knowledge not of the furious outragies of these Lutherans wherewith you say they be enflamed but to preserue them harmelesse and deliuer them from your franticke maddnesse and rampaunt clawes and cleare them from the fierce fierbrandes and raging flames of your bloody bootchers In which wonderfull brightnesse of Gods inestimable bounty and liberality if the canckred clowd of mischieuous malice had not dazeled the sight of your harish head you should easily discerne a most euident token and singuler testimony of Gods fauour and mercy not onely in the miraculous preseruatiō of her Maiesty but much more discernable in the restoring and relieuing the dispeired cause of his distressed Church and mangled Gospell agaynst the which you raue at this present so barbarously And if it may please that heauēly grace to ouershadow the afflicted members of his weake Church with the bright beames of his fauorable countenaunce some longer time yet as he hath already most mercifully begonne and pardone our sinnes and vnthankefullnesse and will vouchsafe also to heape vpp vnto the dayes
the lesse was he minded to throw you out of your right But in the meane space as was most cōueniēt for him and most commodius for you he thought it not amisse to geue you frendly aduise according to the sage Counsayle of Aristophanes Lett euery man deale in the matters wherein he is skilfull exercized Not because he would haue you estraūge your affection from the knowledge of Gods trueth but because he sawe you abuse the sacred Scriptures of God most peruersly wrested by you to deface the veritye of Christes gospell therefore he gaue you this counsayle not that you should renounce your profession but that you should restrayne the vnbridled insolency of your penne not that you should not reade any thing in these profound misteryes of heauenly wisedome but that in reading those bookes you should learne first to vnderstand well what you doe reade in them before you take vpon you the person of an Expositor not because he cōplayned of any defect of witt or pregnaunt capacitye in you but because in explaning these controuersies he found in you a greater mayme of iudgement then want of witt and thys also not he onely and alone sawe in you For I know many besides him both godly learned who conceaue of you herein as much as Haddon did And I thinke there is no man though but meanely exercised in the conference of holy Scriptures who perusing these your Inuectiues that will not easily descry the same mayme and want of Iudgement that others doe finde in you and withall wishe and geue aduise with Haddon that your industry may from henceforth be wholy applyed to this kinde of learning to your singuler profite and increase in knowledge but would hartely desire that your penne sithence it delighteth so much to vaunt out her skill may be employed to such kinde of matter as may procure your greater commendation in disputing and may lesse abuse the Reader by your Iudgement Bidd adiewe to these dispightfull reproches and peruersnesse of brabbling sett a side partialitye cursed custome of euill speaking and blind affections And let vs now weye in vpright ballaunces of indifferent iudgement those your bookes so exquisitely slaūderous which you haue hitherto published touching the order and administratiō of most sacred Religiō euen as it were in despight of Diuinytye What may any man finde in them commendable for a learned Deuine or aunswerable to the soūd doctrine of Christes Euangelye There be skattered here and there certein sentences takē out of the very bowells of holy scriptures but I pray you how vnaptly applyed how contraryly misconstrued and how iniuriously mangled In how great choler doe you moūt as it were an vnentreatable Orbilius against godly and learned men whom you call enemies of Religion of whom it might haue beseémed you to haue learned your lesson rather then to haue controlled them with your Ferula You say that you haue entred vpon a most iust complaynt and most true discouery of our wickednesse and abhominable filthynesse of lyfe In slaundering and reproching whereof you doe employ the greater part of your discourse which being layd open by you shall finde no place to be shrowded or coloured by any protection of mine Yet in the meane time you may not be ignoraunt hereof good Syr that it is not enough for a man to snarle and barcke openly at other mens faultes vnlesse he ioyne withall an vpright consideration namely with what affection vpon what occasion by whose perswasion and vpon what certeintye in trueth he may iustifye his raunging so at ryott If you haue taken vpon you to inueigh so insolently agaynst other mens maners carryed by ouermuch creditt of tale-bearers and secret whisperers or the report of fleeing fame as ye confesse in one place of your writing which is commonly geuen to speake the worst and to make a Camell of a gnatt what doe you herein els then willingly bring your selfe into deserued obloquy and to be noted of that filthy disease of gyddy credulitye But if you haue coyned the same out of your owne ydle braynes how can you cleare your selfe of intollerable Sychophancye In both which you may doe very well to enquire what your owne conscience will tell you in your eare In maners lykewise common conuersatiō of lyfe in the order and discipline of vertues you doe alledge much matter the same not altogether amisse but yet in such wise as you make no distinctiō betwixt the gospell and the law and by vtter shew expresse your selfe a morall Philosopher rather then a Christian Deuine or at least not vnlike those Deuines whom S. Paule in his Epistle to Timothe doth note by these wordes They would fayne seeme to be Doctours of the Law sayth he and yet vnderstand not what they speake nor what they doe iustifie c. Neuerthelesse you proceéde on still and keépe a foule coyle but with bare brawlyng onely and castyng your cappe agaynst the wynde you kicke sturdely but altogether agaynst the pricke you are a prety bow man but your luck is very ill you are a good Piper but an illfauoured Fiddler you prate hard but you proue nought you builde a pace but not vpon the Rocke nor doe you couch your stoanes with Euangelicall lyme and morter but with Babylonicall durte and playster wherein you builde not the consciences of men but highe steépe Memphyticall steéples as I may tearme them very stately and notorious in stately turretts of lofty speaches but groūded vpon no sure foundation of truth Of all which if we should make a proportionable accompt accordyng to the noumber of wordes heaped vpp together with a tedious lauishenes of toung and hoyste vpp a loft euen beyond the cloudes they be infinite and incomprehēsible but if we measure them accordyng to the qualitie of their substaunce they be wythered wyndeshakē leaues If we consider the truth of them they be vntruthes lyes If we sift them accordyng to the rules and fourme of Logicke there will almost nothyng els appeare in all this glorious Iocado akane of wordes then as was some tyme noted in Anaximenes by Theocritus A great floodd of wordes but neuer a droppe of water Lett any man peruse the will or that can spare so much tyme this whole discourse of the true and false Church of the Romish Lordly Maiestie of the inuocation of Sainctes of worshypping of Images of Mounckery of coacted single lyfe of vowes of ceremonies of Sacramentes of Ecclesiasticall and Temporall preéminence and of all other thynges which this monstruous deépe Deuine so long and so much exercised in Readyng Diuinitie as he persuadeth him selfe hath either forged of his owne imagination or scraped from some where els not out of the closettes of Crispine but botched and patcht vpp together out of the ragges and refuse of Hosius Pighius Latomus Eckius Roffensis and such like clouters euery where the discourse and the handlyng of the matter will easily discouer it selfe how in
Fryth that excellent learned young man and his companion imediately after committed to prison and suffred iust plague for their vniust crueltye And to passe ouer other what end Eckius and Iames Latomus came vnto I suppose you be not ignoraunt Mary Queéne of England after she had consumed so many godly Martyrs to Ashes being first forsaken of her husband and afterwardes raught away so quickly with such an vntymely death shall we thinke the same came to passe without some great iudgement of God Can you tell vs of nothing happening in your owne Countrey of Portingall after the horrible tortures and execution of William Gardiner which might haue bene a manifest token of Gods vengeaunce agaynst you But why doe I stay vpon these when as besides these infinite lyke presidentes be manifestly extaunt which ought worthely to terrify you and others also in the lyke For as for those Englishmen whom Haddon doth make mencion of there is no cause why you should be discouraged Especially sithence this litle Island is as your selfe doth confesse replenished with so many notable godly men excellent of witt of learning and of pietye who will neuer molest you as you say because they doe wonderfully agree and consent with you in Religion c. Surely Osorius in this you lye nothing at all wherein yet you haue forgotteÌ„ somewhat your olde wont For this is to true that you speake that here be ouermanye companyons and confederates of your errors in this Realme whereof some are roonne away of late more afrayd a great deale then hurt There be behind yet many tarryers I will not say Traytors to the Common weale whose witt and learning as we doe not despise so also doe we not feare any harme they can do vs for there is no question to be made at all of their witt nor of their learning but of other matters the direction and disposition whereof resteth wholy in the power of the Lord and not in any pollicye or force of men Lett these therefore whosoeuer they be whom you prayse so much haue their deserued prayse for their excellencye of learning and actyuitye of witt as much as you will who if they be of your sect may happely be learned doughtlesse godly they can not be Agayne if they be godly I am sure they will neuer agreé with you in thys Doctryne But as for mens agreément in opinion is not so much materiall Neyther is any part of our coÌ„trouersye at this present touching matters determinable by common consent multitude or wittes of men but must be decided by the infallible and vnchaungeable rules ordinaunces of the sacred Scriptures whereunto if your opinions be consonant as meéte is we will all together lykewise consent and agreé with you If otherwise what shall it preuaile you to be lincked in any vniforme consent of those men though they be neuer so excellently well learned but onely that you may seéme to become a raunging rouer emongest straggling Starters From thence you proceéd leauing them whom you say be of your minde and turne backe agayne to these Lutheranes and Haddonistes Who if would contend with you as you say with reasons with argumentes or with Testimonies you promise that you will not refuse the conflict But if they will brawle with cauntes and cursed speaking you will not be persuaded by any meanes to make them any aunswere c. Loe here a very pleasaunt panion and Maister of his Arte After that your gaye goodly choler had cought vpp as many slaunderous reprochfull croomes as it could eueÌ„ to the casting vpp of your gorge to the poysoning and infecting of godly and learned personages now at the last you prohibite them for pleading their causes least happely some one or other in making his purgation will sâ—â—t somewhat neare your holy Reuerent skirtes or least with some corrysiue in auÌ„sweryng he frett to much vpon the skabbe of your delicate conscience For that your Nature is of that complexion as will not lightly be offended with any slauÌ„derous touÌ„ges nor accompt it any ioate prayseworthy to exceede by any meanes in so filthy a kynde of contention Moreouer that it is no wisedome to spend your tyme so vnprofitably whereof you haue skarse any breathing from other more weighty afâ—ayres And therefore if HaddoÌ„ or any other of that Crew shal be so disposed as to rush vpon you with snatching and taunting more rigorously then shall beseeme them you will geue them free skoape to chauffe foame and exclayme agaynst you as much as they list and as much as they can And that it is not conuenient for your personage in respect of the charge that is committed vnto you that either you ought to be distempered with rayling or that you should aunswere to all cursed speaking If to these wordes and speéches all his other doinges and writinges were in eche respect correspondent what siner man might any man finde in this world what more noble mind what more excellent nature which hauing so throughly mortified his affections will not suffer him selfe to become impatieÌ„t with any iniuries or rayling raging agaynst him But if his doinges be called to an accompt before strickt Inquisitors and if they will examine his wordes by his deédes I beseéch you gentle Syr where was this mildnesse of spirit so gloriously commended by your selfe where was this lenity of nature where was this contempt of reproches exiled at that time whenas your reuerence being neuer prouoked with any iniury offered of our natioÌ„ nor so much as euer molested by word could not measure your insolent malice and wrath nor make any end of slaundering backbiting and rayling in so excessiue outrage agaynst the godly and learned Preachers of Christ both altogether vnknowen vnto you and withall neuer deseruing to be thought ill of at your handes Euery man must suffer the penalty of the breach of Law that himselfe maketh sayth Ausonius You require vs to cutt of all contentious brawling and to deale with you with sound Argumentes and Testimonyes We do like well your law For what can be more seémely for discreét Deuines then a calme and peaceable modesty in disputation not disquieted with any naturall motions nor waxing wroth with other mens rayling But who doth obserue this order that you doe prescribe worsse then your selfe good Syr If waÌ„t of time which you alleage in excuse or consideration of your function as you say be such an estoppell vnto you that you haue no leysure to aunswere to all mens raylinges how is it theÌ„ that in this your auÌ„swere to HaddoÌ„ be so many slauÌ„ders heaped vpp vpon slauÌ„ders so muche rayling in such skorpionlike nipping bitternesse wherein how vnmeasurably lauish you seéme beyond all coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of your personage all this your owne whole discourse remayneth a sufficient witnes against you wch doth breath out bray out and spew out nothing els but flames fierbraÌ„ds furyes botches madnes frensies outrages drouÌ„kenes feuers childishnes
not to be marueâ—led that Monckeries were so soone ouerthrowen as that they stode so long Of the holynesse of ceremonies with Osorius Luke Iohn Collos. 2. Galat. 4. Mens traditioÌ„s ceremonies are not altogether sequestred from a Christian mans lyfe How great a perill is in ceremonies Christian RelligioÌ„ almost wholy turned into ceremonies Images Crosses Altars throweÌ„ downe Ezechiah Iosiah Iozaphat Gedeon Epiphanius in an Epistle to Iohn Byshopp of Ierusalem Phillippicus Leo Isaurick CoÌ„stantine Leo 4. Greeke Emperours agaynst Images Images banished by the couÌ„cels of ConstaÌ„tinople Elibertine and francksord Out of the councell of ConstaÌ„tinople Ex Elibertino coâ—cil can 36. Lactant. instit book 2. cap. 19. ChrisostoÌ„e Amphilochius Theodore Byshopp of Ancira Portraictes Eusebius Bysh. of Pamphil. The reasoÌ„s of Bysh. alleadged in the counsell of Constantinople Deut. 20. 2. Cor. 6. A figure called contraposition betwixt the decrees of God and the Popes Math. 10. 1. Iohn 5. Out of the Decrees of the Trydentine counsel 9. Sesio Iere. 10. Abacuâ— 3. The wicked and preposterous iudgements of the Papists in worshipping of Images Osor. pag. 178. Osorius slaunder agaynst Luther touching contrition and good workes condeÌ„ned is confuted Articul 31. How this sentence that the Righteous man doth offend in euery good worke is to be taken Gregory vpon Ioh. 9. August in his 3. booke of confess cap. 7. August to Boniface 3. book ca. 7. The words of Constantine to Acesius Aug. in his 1. booke de perfectione iustitiae Aug. in his booke of the perfection of righteousnes Of the auntient ordinaunces of the Church The ordinaunces of the primitiue church taken away now by our Catholicks The complaynt of abolishing the auntieÌ„t ordinaunces of the Church appliable to none so much as to the Papists By what meanes the Romanistes haue altered al thinges in the Church Osorius pag. 178. Osor. pag. 180. An aunswere in the behalfe of the Lutheranes liues agaynst slauÌ„deryng It is one thyng to iudge of maners an other thing to iudge of doctrine Dogges in the pallace of Rome Osori pag. 180.181 The popes blynd Decrees caÌ„ not away with the light of the Gospell The cauill of Osorius agaynst the lyues of Lutherans Osori rayseth all his slaunders of hearesay The fruites of the Gospell beyng restoared Doctrine ought not to be iudged after the qualities of mens manners Osorius malice agaynst the Lutherans Many are vntruely termed Lutherans that be no Lutherans Mauy counterfets lurke in the Church vnder presence of the Gospell The approued integritye of the-ProtestaÌ„ts The lyfe of Cranmer Archb. of Cant. The marriage of CraÌ„mer defended The name of a Concubine more holy with the Papistes then the name of a wife Nichol. Ridley Byshop of London Ferrar Bish. of Saynt Dauids Iohn Hooper Bish. of Worcest Glocester Famous men martyrred vnder Queene Mary Tho. Bilney Ioh. Bradford The liues of those which were burnt in Queene Maries raigne Erasmus testimony coÌ„cerning Luther See Osorius in his 1. booke 69. Roffensis of the doctrine of Luther Luthers doctrine not other then all other true Christians The Fallax of the consequent An Argument rightly deduced froÌ„ Signes Doctrine not to be applyed to maners but maners to doctrine Osorius pag. 181. 182. Of prescription of Antiquitye Osorius doth accuse the reformed Churches of Noueltye The reformed Churches now a dayes doe not vary froÌ„ the Apostles institution in doctrine Maner of lyfe thought neuer so disorderous maketh not an heretique The cause that enflameth Osor. agaynst the Lutheranes is not the life but the state of their doctrine The foundation of the questioÌ„ is not of maners but of the principles and grouÌ„des of Religion The condition agreed vpoÌ„ concerneth the triall of antiquitie The papists exception agaynst the obscurenes of the scriptures Of an vnpier in Ecclesiasticall causes A Request to the excellent king of Portingall The Antiquity of the Romish Religion couÌ„terfaite The false accusation of Noueltie agaynst the Lutherans The law of PrescriptioÌ„ Distinct. 8. August Gregory Custome Antiquitye PrescriptioÌ„ Cyprian distinc 8. No custome may prescribe agaynst the king much lesse anye Custome may prescribe agaynst god A defence agaynst the accusation of Nouelty falsly charged vpon the reformed Churches by Osorius Of the merites of Christ. Of true coÌ„fidence Tertulian touching prescription agaynst Heretiques Exod. 20. Of inuocation worshipping c. Of Sacraments Out of Iustine Of the freedome of Mariage Heb. 13. 1. Timo. 4. The mother tongue in Churches The Communion vnder both kindes Of Images Of rightâ— and Ceremonies Of the power of free-will Of iustifiyng fayth Rom. 3. Galat. Galat. How fayth onely doth iustifie and whom Luther Caluine MelancthoÌ„ Musculus Bullinger P. Martyr Hul. Zuinglius Occolampadius Iohn Iuell Gualter Rodolfe Theodore Beza The Lutherans acquited from all reprehention of Noueltye An olde quarrell of the Catholicks touching Noueltye Of the supremacy titles of the Pope The titles of the Romaine pope Math. 23. The outragious dignitie of the pope Chrisost. ad Romanos homil 23. Gregory The supremacy was first graunted by Phocas to Boniface The fulnes of power beganne in the tyme of Hildebrand Pope Cardinalls The election of the Pope translated from the Emperour and the people of Rome vnto the Cardinalls Of the Masse and her appurtenaunces The vse of Corpes in the Church Priuate Masses The Communion of the laye people abbridged froÌ„ thrice to once in a yeare by Clement 3 Vnleauened bread One part of the CoÌ„munion taken away from the lay people Corpus Christi day Of Image Of transubstantion of Eleuation of carying abroad of the Sacrament Of marriage of priestes and choyse of meates Of the Popes decrees and decretals Extrauaga de Maiorit obed cap. vnam De maior it obedientia cap. Solitae Of MouÌ„cks Fryers Three vows of MouÌ„kerye Sixe wings of Seraphin Aemilius in his 5. booke Carthusianes Castersianes Templars Premonstratenses Gilbertines Dominicanes Franciscans Eremites Augustines Carmelites Nuns of S. Clares order Out of the Councell of Lateran Innocent 3. Cap. 13. Minorites Augustine anes Crossebeabeares Whippers Iesuites In the Romish Churche are many things new altogether nothing auncient sauoring of thapostolique Antiquitye The carnall presence of Christ no where but in heauen The carnall presence of Christ one of the Popish doctrine How the Papistes dp doe differ from the Apostles in the ministring of the communioÌ„ Priuate Masse Hebr. 9. 8 10. 1. Tim. â— The true doctrine of traÌ„substantion iuuented by the paâ—istes TransubstaÌ„tiation was neuer knowen to the Apostles Many thou sandes of Martyrs lost theyr liues for this TransubstaÌ„tiatioÌ„ The Churche of the Pope a Murtherer The papist caÌ„ reÌ„der no iust cause of spâ—llyng so much Christian bloud It is one thing to reuerence the SacrameÌ„ts an other thyng to turne Christ into a Sacrament The words of Christ. This is my body Christs wordes bespirit and lyfe Christ is called by sondry names in the Scriptures Christ is called bread in the Gospell By what similitude the
Sacrament of bread and wine is called the body and bloud of Christ. August to Boniface 13. Episto August vppon the psalme 89. August agaynst Adimant 13. The circumstaunces about the Supper of the Lord are to be considered August vpon the wordes of the Lord in Lake Ser. 33. August in Ioh. tractar 25.26 The abseÌ„ce of the body of Christ more profitable for vstheÌ„ his presence An Argument in respect of the profit therof Antichrist An argument from Impossibilitye Contradictiories cann not be together not so much as by miracle A great diuersitie betwixt the auncient Church of Rome and this vpstart Church The lynes and couersatioÌ„ of the auncieÌ„t Fathers of the primitiue Church The first age of the Church Deut. 12. Gala. 1. Math. 7. In processe of time the maners and ordinaunce of ChristiaÌ„s were chauÌ„ged The middle age of the Church How sure forth humayne authoritye doth binde Ecclesiasticall function consisteth in two thinges chiefly How farre ecclesiasticall power doth extend it selfe In matters appertayning vnto God dew obedience ought to be geuen to the Pastors and Ministers How farre forth obedieÌ„ce ought to be geuen or not geueÌ„ to Pastours of the churche in matters of mens constitutioÌ„ What ministers ought to consider in makyng new ordinaunces Of iudiciall power of Churches The difference betwixt Ecclesiasticall temporall IudgemeÌ„ts Ecclesiasticall discipline in the primitiue Church The first institution of the primitiue church compared with the tymes of the latter Church The foundation of the christiaÌ„ Church The foundation of the Romyshe Church The Popes doctrine coÌ„uinced by foure principall pointes The popes Church more like an earthly kyngdome then the kyngdome of Christ. A smale discription of the Romishe Ierarchye A comparison betwixt the kingdome of the Pope and the kingdome of this world Iohn 20. A comparison betwixt the popes kyngdome and Christs kyngdome Luke 20. Mar. 10. Luce. 12. 2. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 4. 2. Cor. 1. 1. Pet. 5. Rom. 12. The shape of the Romish Ierarchy The counteâ—faite authoritie of popes The church wickedly defined by the papistes How the Romishe stagers doe counterfayt olde Antiquitye A manifest declaration of the Romish church as it is now to be nothing at all Gregor 4. booke 30. Epistle The order of Cardinalles The electioÌ„ of the pope of Rome Cyprian 4. booke Epistle 2. The auncient authoritie of Emperours in sommoning Councelles and in chusing popes A Decree of Charles the great Otto Distinct 6 3. The olde Canons do abhorre priuate Masses Canon 8. The power of both swords coÌ„trary to the old CanoÌ„s The thyrd CouÌ„cell of Carthage Cap. 47. In the new Constitutions 123. 146. Cap. 3. Antiquitie agaynst Images in Churches Origene vpon Leuit. Cap. 16. Chrisost. vpon Math. 1. Homel 2. Vpon Iohn Homel 31. August de opera Monach Malburiensis de pontificibus Lib. 1. An auncieÌ„t law of EnglaÌ„d against pluralities All thynges altered by the pope Out of the Tridentine Councell Generall Councels accordyng to the old constitutioÌ„s aboue the pope The Church of Rome as it is now is conuinced of Nouelty The Councell of Laterane A new doctrine first instituted in the same vnder Pope Innocent 3. Cap. 1. Of the sacrifice of the Masse Of priuate confession The Laterane councell vnder Innocent 3. Cap. 21. Chrisost. in his fourth Sermon of Lazarus Chrisost. vp on the psal 50. hom 2. Chriso vpon the Epistle to the Hebrues homi 31. Tripart histo lib. 9 Cap. 35. Erasmus iu his Apolo The Sacraments of the Romish Church Out of Huntington the 7. booke Out of the Chronicles of Monumetensis Councell of Gangren Cap. 4. Out of the 2. councel of Arelaten 2. cap. Pope Lucius decree distinâ— 81. Ministri The greatest part of the Romish doctrine newly fouÌ„d out and brought in within thâ—s 500. yeares Apoc. 21. Trueth suffereth violence A figure called Hypotiposis Whereby the state of the RomaÌ„s Church and the Reformed Churche is expressed In the question of the Churche many things are conteined People buildyng doctrine forme of gouernement Where the Churche of Lutheranes was fourtie yeares ago A Similitude betwixt the restitutioÌ„ of Religion the finest of the tounges Reason reÌ„dered why Religion is more pure at this tyme in the Churches then it was in many yeares before The Arte of Emprintyng The reason and obiection of the Catholicks in the defeÌ„ce of their Church Probable with Deuines Rome built vpon seuen hilles Apocal. 13. The reason of the papistes touchyng the consent and proofe of their vniuersalitie The captious conclusion of the Catholicks The aunswere to the Argument Distinct. 40. Non loca Distinct. 4. Non est A fallax in the Equiuocum which is of diuers significations The Rom. Church doth combate against the true Church of Christ vnder a coulour of christian name Origen vpon Mathew cap. 17. Irene 3. book cap. 4. The trueth is the life of the church Lactant. 5. institu cap. 30. ArgumeÌ„tes made from consent and multitude of authors are weake Math. 10. Eccle. 1. Ieremy 8. Osorious accusation which was properly bent against Doctrine is transposed to maners To what end tendeth the force of Osorius Accusation Osorius doth deny that Luthers doctrine hath any affinitye with the Apostolique Scriptures Pag. 181. Osor. pag. 182. Osorius lying Rhetorick The Argument of Osorius The Aunswere to the Argument Osorius quarell of lyfe and maners Tit. 1. Ill may the Snight the Woodcock twight for his long bill The lyfe of the Lutheranes compared with the Catholickes The vices of maners are not to be imputed to his doctrine The fruites of Luthres doctrine Osor pag. 182. The confutation of hisl aunder Artic. 21. The scoffe of Luthers doctrine Luther offeÌ„ded with the life of his countrey men Osor. pag. 187. Deut. 18. The argument of Osorius 1. Kinges Act. 1â— A true difference betwixt the false and the true Prophett Luther vpon the 130. Psalme Mens iudgemeÌ„ts in findyng faulte may be free so that they be vpright Out of Valer Ansel. Iohn Stella Out of BeÌ„uo a Cardinall Of couenauntes and promises not alwayes holden true emoÌ„gest the papistes Iere. cap. 23. Osorius argument out of Ieremy Aunswere to the argument The fallax of the consequent The aunswere to the Maior The reason to discerne betwixt false and true Prophetes accordyng to Osorius The aunswere of the Minor Osori pag. 190. The place of Ieremy expounded Iohn Husse The prophecy of Iohn Husse touchyng the doctrine of the Gospell to be restored by Luther A small coÌ„trouersy betwixt Luther and Zuinglius Osor. pag. 191. Of diuisioÌ„s of the churche Dissentions in the Papane church Dissentions amoÌ„gst the most godly A full consent of doctrine in reformatioÌ„ of Churches The Articles of the chief grouÌ„des of Religion wherin the Ministers of the Church do well agree together How great a concord is ctetwixt many Churches in the matter of the Sacrament Papistes murtherers of Martyrs Osori pag. 192. Osori doth beleue fame Authour of all his vntruthes A prouerbe
of Epicharmus Seuen SacrameÌ„ts ordeined by the pope but by Christ two onely were Instituted There is no cause to the coÌ„trary but that the Churche may be gouerned in the best maner though we be neuer acquainted with the popes supremacy Haddon a Babe in the Latine touÌ„g but Osor. a Gyaunt in Eloquence Osor pag. 193. Cyprian in his 4. booke and 2. Epistle The Papistes doe wrongfully define the Church of Christ. Cipria in his 4. booke and 2. Epist. Apoc. 18. Esay 52. 2. Cor. 6. The peace and the vnitye of the Church according to Cypriane The definition of the Church after the meaning of the Romishe Church The Popish definition is confuted What is required to the true definition of a Church The description of a true church according to the rule of the scripture Osorius Reasons The fallacy in the AequiuocatioÌ„ that is to say in the word of diuers significatioÌ„ A necessary coniunction of souÌ„d doctrine with vnitye Vnitye of the Church Succession Multitude Gods promise made vnto the Church Popes and Cardinalles will not admitte examinatioÌ„s of their cause Osori pag. 195. Papane Redeeming of Sinnes Markett of Purgatory Worthy ppyng of images Pilgrimage goyng Masses Sacrificatory for the quicke and the dead Osori pag. 196. Osori doth deale with wordes and no matter Apocal. 14 17. 18. Of Fayres and markets of Pardons Pag. 196. Out of Chris. Masseus Iohn Sleidonne M. Luther What darnell groweth in the Popes fieldes Putt in putt in putt in Masseus Iohn SleidoÌ„ M. Luther The horrible impudencye of the Romanistes Out of the Decretalles Gregory 5. in the title of Repentaunce and RemissioÌ„ of Sinnes Cum ex co Chrisosto Homel 38. vpon Math. Tridentine Councell The pardoÌ„s of the popish church Nicene Canon 11. Antycira Canon 21. Antycira Canon 22. Agathe Councell Canon 37. Eusebius 6. booke Cap. 35. Cyprian 3. booke Epistle 15. 16. 18. Antyciran Canon 5. Nicene couÌ„cell Cannon 5. New satisfactioÌ„s crept into the Romishe Church vnknowen to the Antiquitye Burchard How much the order of the old discipline doth varry from the Romish Nouelty The errours of the Popish discipline The ordinaunces of the Pope are contrary to Christ his Scriptures Act. 20. Collos. 1. Iohn 1.2 Iohn 1. Heb. 10. Rom. 3 4. The absurditie of the Romishe doctrine Eccius interpretation vppon the Popes decretalls Out of the Commentary of M. Luther to the Galath cap. 2. The Papisticall absolutions How great an absurditie is in the popes pardons Math. 16. The Keyes and Chayre of Peter Lucian 2. part pag. 525. Orpheus Harpe maketh not a Harper not doth Peters Chayre make an Apostle The succession of Peter the Apostle The circuÌ„stauÌ„ces must he considered wherefore the keyes were deliuered vnto Peter Math. 16. The foundatioÌ„ of the Churche is fayth the knowledge of the Sonne of God What Circumstaunces do goe before the true keyes of Christ what doe come after Peter receiued the keyes first but not onely Out of Eusebius third book cap. 7. The Succession Apostolique is not to be measured by place or tyme. The nature of the Gospell is altogether spirituall nor regardeth earthly and carnall thinges The spirite of Christe The succession of Peter doth consist in spirite not in externall thinges Pardons Succession The Keyes The 5. Canon of the councell of Ancyra Ex titulo de penitent Remiss cap. cuÌ„ ex eo The fulnes of power first brought in by Innocent .3 first Authour therof The fulnes of power Esay 55.12 Out of a decree in the Lateran Councell Anno. 1215. A decree of Boniface 8. Extraua A shamelesse abuse of the keyes The Byshops of Rome can challenge to themselues fulnes of power by no Argument of proofe Apoc. 3. An obiection The state of the Question is mistourned by-the Romanistes The wordes of August vnto Peter haue no playne application vnlesse they be referred to the churche Thomas Aqui. lib. 4. distinct 18. Extrauade Re. paen Cap. Cum ex eo nostro Thomas Aqui lib. 4. dist 18. Extrau de Re poeni ca. Cum ex eo nostro The Keyes were geuen for the necessary benefite of the Church nor to meÌ„s lust nor yet to Reuenge The Iudiciall vse of Keyes Tho. lib. 4. dist 18. Actes 2â— The power of the keyes how great and to whom are geuen Whether no RemissioÌ„ of sins is in the Church without the vse of the keyes How much the publike keye and how much euery mans fayth is effectuall to the Remission of Sinnes Rom. 5. Luke 8. Math. 9. When the vse of the Keies ought to be ministred Thomas lib 4. dist 18. The error of Thomas Aquinas The discoÌ„modities of the Shauelinges confession Iohn Scotus The Rom. See doth sell nothing forsooth Mantuan in his booke of Lamentation The matter doth agree if you reade the verses backward CanoÌ„s penitentiall described by Burchard and Gratian. When began fayres and markettes of Pardons first Ex CoÌ„cillo Latera Extran de poena Remi Cap. Cum ex co The Councell of Vienna 1311. Ex ClemeÌ„t 5. Lib. 6. Deâ—creta Cap. Abusionibus Ex ClemeÌ„t Cap. Abusionibus in Glossa The first 〈◊〉 of â—uâ—â—â—â— instituâ—â—â— Extrauag de Pâ—nit Remi Ca. AntiquoruÌ„ Out of the GreuauÌ„ces of Germany Out of Polydore Virgill The pardoÌ„s of Boston A History of Flaunders The Papists flee to denyals Osori pag. 196. It is one thyng to prayse Martyrs and an other thing to worshyp Images The Oration of Gregory Nissenus in the prayse of Theodorus Martyr Osorius Argument pag. 197. Osorius ill-fauoured Argument deriued froÌ„ Resemblaunce to worshipping Who be called Saintes Saintes not to be worshypped Apocal. 22. Of Purgatory the Popes Kater Why the Papistes doe striue so earnestly for Purgatorye Osorius great sturre about Purgatory The popes Pnrgatory Mores folly The new IlaÌ„d of Purgatory newly found by the Deuines What day Purgatory was made Gregory Alcuinus At what tyme the flame of Purgatory was kyndled at the first Whether God be author of Purgatory or the Pope Other questions of Purgatory Thomas Aquinas opinion of Purgatory Luther is vouched to defend Purgatory Osor. pag. 197. Roffensis agaynst Luther in praefatione veritatis Luther in the 15 Conclus Osor. pag. 198. Osor. subtill Sophisme Ex Thoma secunda secunduÌ„ dist quest 110. cap. 1. Diâ—ers kindes of lyes Abraham Iacob Rebecca The Midwiues of Egipt Dauid Luther is not cleared from all error Iohn 1. Osor. pag. 198. Truth is alwayes one Errour ought to be refuted by Scripture doctrine not with tauntey and reproches Faultes layd Luthers charge Osor. mainteineth his cause with slauÌ„ders nor with Argumentes Osori pag. 199. Luther doth deny that Purgatory can be proued by the scriptures in the declaration of his 37. Articl Mar. 9. Osori pag. 200. Lynceus was a man that could eâ—ery a ship at the Sea xxx myle of Osorius reason of Salt very fresh and vnsauery Osorius pag. 200. The words of Osorius pag. 200. Wordes of Blasphemy
haue taught They acknowledge him to be heauenly you make him earthly Theyr doctrine doth rayse vs from the earth vppe on high where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Your doctrine what doth it whereunto tendeth it whether doth it call the mindes of Christians but from aboue downeward out of heauen into the earth withdrawing the senses from the Spirite to the flesh So that we must seéke for Christ there not where he is but where you imagine him to be present The Apostle Paule when he preacheth vnto vs the liuely feature of this Christ who taking vpon him the shape of a Seruaunt suffered death in the same shape once for our sinnes vnder Pontius Pilate and afterwardes accomplishing the mistery of our redemption rose agayne for our iustification doth teach vs playnly that he ascended into heauen not leauing his body wherein he suffered behinde him here on earth but taking vpp the same body into heauen was with the same receiued into glory whom also he affirmeth he knew no more now according to his fleshlye presence that is to say according to the capacity of his carnall senses And that besides this Christ onely he knew none other Christ nor this Christ otherwise then according to the new creature onely namely visible in spirite with the eyes of fayth and not with fleshlye eies Let vs make now a comparison betwixt this Christ of our Gospell with that your Christ of the Pope in the same manner as you do fashion him and make a gaze of him to the eies and eares of the people after the order of your Gospel which seémeth to me to be after this manner not as hauing taken vpon him the shape of a seruaunt but the forme of bread is in the same forme of bread and vnder the accidents of bread made of wheat set out to the gaze of the people to be tooted vpon and is of Christians worshipped and offered to God the Father and this not once but dayly not vnder Pontius Pilate but vnder the Pope of Rome not a Sacrifice onely for the quicke but for the soules in Purgatory also to the washing away of theyr synnes Which Sacrifice being ended he is buried in deéd but buryed or rather drowned in the paunch of a priest from whence he neither riseth agayne nor ascendeth afterwardes but descendeth rather nor is euer looked for to come agayne from thence And this is that same Christ not the Euangelicall Christ but the Papisticall and poeticall Christ whom thought the Apostles or Euangelistes neuer knew yet must we be enforced will we nyll we to honor and worshippe neuerthelesse as the very Sauiour of the world forsooth Whom may not suffice to lift vppe hartes and mindes on high to him onely which dwelleth in heauen vnlesse we also lift vppe our fleshly eyes to this visible Christ and kneéle and crootche vnto him with great reuerence yea although the eyes themselues do behold nothing but bread and wine yet the eyes must lye and all the sences must be deceiued neither may in any wise be reputed other then verye herityques but in despyght of eyes and senses all we must of infallible persuasion of fayth firmely beleue that it is now no more bread and wine that is seéne But the bread and wine being thrust cleane on t of dores Chryst onely yea whole Christ doth possesse euery part of that place who though be not present in his owne naturall shape nor in the same proportion of body which he tooke of the Uirgine Mary yet in the selfe same nature trueth substaunce Identity notwithstanding vnder other formes forsooth and yet not figuratiuely but truely most absolutely perfectly and fully must in the same whole body and the same naturall blood be contayned felt seene and without all contradition worshipped These be the misteries of your diuinity as I suppose by the which you haue begotten vnto the world a new Christ I knowe not whom altogether an other Christ neuer borne of the Uirgine Mary doubtles whom the Gospell neuer knew nor the Apostles euer taught nor the Euangelystes euer saw I adde also whom neuer any of you hath seéne hetherto yet nor shall euer seé hereafter And yet these so wittelesse so dotish and monstruous deuises of drowsy dreames then which nothing can be spoken or imagyned more false and more monstruous you shame not at all to vaunt to be most auntient and most true as the Gabyonites of olde time did theyr shooes And for the same your Popish Christ made of bread you stick not to aduēture limm life more earnestly then for the true Glory of that Christ whom we do most certaynely know to be in heauen where also we do worshippe him And euen this doth your horrible butchery of an infinite number of our Martyres declare to be true by most plain and euident demonstration With the blood of whom because your holy mother the church seémeth so beastly dronken long sithence this one thing would I fayne learne of you what special cause was it that enforced you to vtter such outrage in the shedding of so much blood of your naturall brethren was it because they defrauded Christ the Sonne of God which was borne for our sakes crucified rose agayne ascended vp into heauē sitting now a Lord in heauē of one dramm so much of his due honor nothing lesse Was it because they abused or defiled the Gospel I thinke not so Was it because they brake the auntient ordinaūces and approued doctrine of the holy Apostles and Prophettes in any one thing or because they went beyond the bondes prescribed by the auntient fathers none of all these But the cause was for that they refused to allow of that newfangled and vpstart Idoll of the Popish Masse and that lately sprōg vppe Breadworshippe contrary to the doctrine of the Apostles yea contrary to Christ himselfe and because they would not in this behalfe be as furiously franticke as the Papistes themselues In the meane time we speake not this as though we were of opiniō that Sacramentes should be defrauded of theyr dewe honor For it is one thing to reuerence the Sacramentes accordyngly and an other thyng to conuert the Sacramente of Christ into Christ him selfe and to worshippe earthly Sygnes for the heauenly Christ in the one whereof is a kynde of Religion in the other manifest Idolatry To the whiche wanteth nothyng now but that they chaunt lustely together with Ieroboam These be thy Gods O Israell But we shall be vrged perhappes with the wordes of Christ in the Gospell This is my body c. As though in the wordes of Christ which be Spirite and life it be so rare vnaccustomed phrase of speaking to vse Tropes and figures now and then seing there is no kinde of doctrine that more vsually delighteth in figures Tropes parables Similitudes metaphors allegoryes mysteryes thē the mystycall speéch of the sacred
scripture especially when mētion is made of Christ hymselfe or when Chryst hymself would vouchsafe to expresse hys great and inestimable benefittes towardes vs and the euerlasting efficacy of hys death and passion I know not how it had rather vnder certayne shadowes and mystycall resemblaunces as vnder Allegoricall cloudes to speake as Ierome doth signyfye the same more modestly rather then to proclayme it openly in wordes By meanes whereof we ought many tymes to consider That in the Propheticall Scriptures Christ our Lord Sauiour is called by sondry and seuerall names accordyng to the diuers seuerall operation and effectuall power and workyng of his Diuine Maiestie and pleasure towardes vs. For in that he doth enlighten the Darckenes of our mindes he is called the light of the worlde In respect of his wonderfull might and power surmounting all power whatsoeuer he is called the Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda In respect that he guideth vs he is called the way In respect that he leadeth in he is called the dore In respect that we are none otherwise engraffed then in him he is called the Vine and we the Braunches And so according to the nature of his Innocency and our deliueraunce he is called the Lambe of God in respect that he loueth his Church with more thē an husbandly loue doth cherish it endow it cloath it beutyfy it he is called an husband he is called also the Rock sometime a grayne of Corne dead in the earth many times a Serpent set vppe vpon a Crosse sometymes a wellspring gushing out into life euerlasting And so in diuers and seuerall respectes he is called by diuers seuerall names In like maner bycause he feédeth and defendeth vs he is called A good Shepherd and bycause he feédeth vs with none other thyng thē with the death of his owne body shedding of his bloud He is also called our meate our bread and our drinke Moreouer bycause this bread and this drinke is of the Lordes owne mouth cōmaunded to be receaued to renew the remēbraunce of him for this cause those elementes do put on the nature of a Sacramēt and so vnder this very couer and mystery of a Sacrament are called his owne body and bloud Whiche least I shall seéme to iustifie of myne owne proper knowledge Let vs heare the testimony and agreable consent of Augustine Who reasonyng of Sacramentes and of the likenesse of thyngs wherof they be Sacramentes doth vtterly deny the Sacramentes can be in any respect Sacramentes at all vnlesse they haue a likenesse of some things and for that cause in respect of the likenesse of the thyngs them selues he affirmeth that they are many tymes called by the name of the thynges them selues So an Argumēt may be framed out of August on this wise The Sacrament of the last Supper hath a likenesse of the body of the Lord. No likenesse is the thing it selfe wherof it is the likenesse Ergo The Sacramēt of the Eucharist is not the body of Christ. But if Osorius be of opinion that Christes wordes ought to be taken simply accordyng to the bare letter of the flesh let him harken agayne to the same Augustine This is a Mystery sayth he that I tell you which if it be vnderstoode spiritually will quicken and geue life And the same Augustine in an other place opening playnly the figure of the same wordes doth witnesse directly on this wise The lord doughted not to say This is my body when he gaue the signe of his body I could vouche many other graue and auncient Testimonies witnessing the same namely Tertullian Origene Ierome Chrisostome Theodorete Gelasius and others But of this matter I do not meane to make any curious discourse as now There shal be hereafter more fitte place for the same more at large by Gods grace In the meane space for my learnyng I would fayne learne one Questiō of Osorius who albeit hath not bene ouer much studied in Augustine yet hath at the least bene busied amongest the Rhetoriciās Let vs therefore consider the matter by the circumstaunces of Rhetoricke And to graunt this much first that Christ is omnipotent which accordyng to the power of his Diuine omnipotency can and is able to do all thyngs in heauē and in earth what matter should moue him now both to take away his owne body from hence which was but one onely body from vs yet withall should leaue the selfe same body behynde him with vs which though could not be done accordyng to the nature of humanitie yet to graunt that it might be done miraculously what profit then or what necessitie was there to worke a miracle herein You will say bycause the spouse the Churche could not lacke the presence of her owne husband Christ. And wherfore I pray you For this is the thyng wherein I desire to be taught of you chiefly Osorius sithence it is not credible that miracles which are wrought agaynst nature should be wrought rashly without some singuler or especiall consideration I am now therfore desirous to know what cause you will alledge To feede vs with his body you will say What to feéde our bellyes or our soules Surely our soules he hath fed already sufficiently enough long sithence in that very day wherein he washt away the Sinnes of the whole world and pacified all thynges both in heauen and in earth once for all What to feéde our bellyes then But he doth aboundauntly feéde vs with other foode dayly Moreouer neither cā Augustine nor yet the Scripture it selfe disgest this that man shal be fed with mans flesh and drinke mans bloud Do not prepare your teeth sayth he but your hart And agayne in an other place as many tymes els also inuityng vs to a spirituall eating of Christ Why doest thou make ready thy teeth and thy belly sayth he beleeue and thou hast eaten Agayne to beleeue in him sayth he is to eate that liuely bread Moreouer annexe hereunto That whenas Christ hath accomplished all the partes and duties of his holy office which neéded the vse of his flesh to performe the worke of our redemption In the which flesh he satisfied all the partes of the law pacified the wrath of his Father ouercame Sinne and death and the Deuill him selfe beyng the authour of death hath troden vnder foote for euer euer In which flesh he rose agayne and ascended into heauen like a most triumphaunt Conquerour Frō whence he doth euen now also miraculously nourish preserue and comfort his Church here on earth through the vnspeakeable power of his excellent omnipotency so that now to the full accomplishment of our Saluation seémeth no one thyng at all to remaine vnperformed but that onely last day of Iudgement These matters therfore beyng vndoughted true what thyng may that be now Osorius wherein his fleshly presence may seéme in any respect necessary from hence forth and not rather his absence in the flesh