bloode of oure sauiour Christe now are defiledd with heresie might with disceptation by gods grace be recalled and recouered VVherupon they gaue to the aduersaries the whole libertie and choyse eyther to vse their owne homemates or to call for others forthe of forraigne countries for the defense of their cause yea and to appoint the day to chose the place to moue the question to prescribe the order and forme to beginne to ende and to doe all things after their owne will phantasie so allwayes and vpon such condition as some lawe rule forme and order of a disputation might be obserued and kept But to make a short tale the aduersarie will none of these For he did foresee and not vnwiselye that his partie wolde go to wracke yf the matter were once to be tried by combate hāde to hande in open fielde And therfore he refused this open cooping at barriers in Scholes as to lightsome a place for their dark dealings and to famouse a triall of their deceit and guile according to the sayeing of oure Saluioure euerie one that doeth euill hateth the light and cometh not to the light to the end that his vvorkes be not reproued but he that vvorketh truthe cometh to the light that his vvorks may be manifest for they are vvrooght in god Yet in fine two practises oure aduersaries lest they might seme to doe nothing dyd put in executiō for their more securitie and estimation sake First they sturre vp sharper persecution against all Catholiques but speciallie against the more learned and against suche as were thought able in this conflict to annoye them with reasonyng Therfore they remoued from london the Lorde bishopp of lincolne the Lorde Abbot of westminster with others of sownd learning profownd knowledge verie muche grauitie greate vertue not a fewe All these they cast into an vplandisne dongeon spoile them cleane of all their bookes debarre them from all intercourse of talke and cōference one with an other except at meale time and shutt them vp close seuerallie in darke corners And yf anie besydes of name and accompt were left oute them allso they call vnto these Iron grates of prisons that this waye at the least they may put all to silence Secondlie when they had contriued all these things according to their owne desires thē they conuey them selues with greate secrecie in to prisons There they sett vpō the captiue Catholiques sodainlie ere they be aware and call them in all haste to dispute of faithe withoute anie time before hād to thinke on the matter or libertie to talke thereof among them selues And leste they might help or cōfort one an other or testifie one for an other they assaile them for the moste parte seuerallie euery man alone by him selfe And yfanie of oure partie dyd obiect their vneauen dealing or desire time to consider bookes for studie or speche with his companions for instruction and other things requisite for his defense and yf anie alleiged further as some dyd that there wanted an indifferente Iudge to geue the sentence cōuenient auditorie to beare witnesse and faithfull notaries to sett downe the arguments in writinge then loe oure aduersaries exclamed that we refuse the combate that we stand vpō bare shyfts of woords that we seke for excuses and flye in to holes and corners In so muche as manie on oure syde moued with the importunate clamoure of these felowes dyd yelde them selues to all maner of conditions that were offred puttinge their on lie confidence in the goodnesse of their cause But what so euer oure men alleiged yt serued to small purpose there For either dyd oure aduersaries cōtumeliouslie reiect it or odiouslie drawe and wrest it to treason or else moste vniustlie depraue peruert and misreporte yt to the people And thereof I haue many examples but here a fewe maye suffise First yt fell oute of late that after the sētēce of deathe was pronounced against Maister hanse the good priest for the Catholique faith and he nowe in prison preparing hym selfe to die there came vnto hym a certein minister vnder coloure of frindeshipp with a countenaunce setled and framed to an hipocrisie of holynesse but the yssewe of the matter proued hym to be full of bitter malice and of euerye subtile shyft to deceiue the poore man For in speche betwene them two this minister besides many other reprochefull woords dyd charge that martyr of Christe with treason against the Quenes persone where vpō when the same martyr had made this answere that he had neuer offended against the Quenes Maiestie that he had but onelie made a profession of the Catholike faith and religion whiche cannot betraie nor hurt the Maiestie of anie humane creature for so muche as aboue all other things it moste pleaseth the Maiestie of God VVhen good maister hanse I say had spoken these and other like woords and said further that he moste willinglie wolde embrase this deathe sithe he was then cleare in his conscience that he had neuer committed anie haynouse crime against her maiestie but rather according to his dutie hade commended her to God in his prayers and that this crime of treason against her maiestie imputed vnto hym by his aduersaries is in truthe neyther anie crime of treason at all nor any synn in the sight of God Loe this goodlie gospeller as one that had catched plenty of matter wherevpon to forge a malitious surmise passeth forth of the prison bruteth abrood to the people publisheth in a libell writen and printed that hanse affirmed no treason to be a sinne before God Maister hanse hauinge intelligence hereof complained of this iniurie openlie to the people when he was brought to the place of execution and there he opened his meaning towchinge his former woords and besought god to perdō the accuser for so vniust and so odious an vntruthe Likewise two ministers for conferēce sake came into a prison to a gentleman whiche had bene some tyme a courtier and then was become a prisoner so had bene many yeres for his faith And when they had onerworne and waisted all their matter with contumeliouse and lewed woords and had wearied the gentle man with blasphemies as he him selfe by letters complayned and yet for their parts had not eyther concluded vpon any matter or refuted any thinge by argumēt then this gentleman lest their talke should haue bene alltogether ydle and vnprofitable moued them at length to conclude vpon some certein principall points whervpon they might afterward procede to discusse the rest And the poīt was this whether the priuate spirit of eche particular persone or the common spirit of the vniuersall churche ought to iudge of the sense of holie scripture For when he had heard them alleige scripture oute of all places and wrongfullie he affirmed that in these matters of controuersie a man shoulde not runne to the bare letter of scripture in suche sense as euerie
particuler man lyst to take yt for by this mean all heresies are defended but that we ought to resorte to the moste certein Iudgement of the churche vniuersall at the least way moste auncient which being directed by the spirit of God doeth laye downe before vs the true naturall sense of scriptures And because the ministers dyd not admitt this grownd nor yet refell yt but as theyr fashion is runne into corners creakes and starting holes he put downe in writing being but a lay mā not muche trauailed in scriptures six strong reasons to fortifie his opinion whereunto he desired that the ministers wolde answere there with all requested that it might be lawfull for him by speche or penne to confute their answers yf they shoulde seme to hym eyther impertinent and doubtfull or otherwyse weake and insufficient VVell when these ministers had got the writinge thense they packe in haste to the superintēdēt of londō they go to hym they cōplain of the mans pertinacie how notwithstanding their aduises and motions he refused to be a Caluinian yea and that he durst take vpō hym to defend his opinion by writing This superintendent as in verie dede he is a fumish hasty man and by nature cholerick being outragiouslie incensed with ire desineth the gentleman by and by in his mynd to some speciall payne purposing to punish hym throughlye And thereupon he thrusteth him so delulie oute of lōdō īto a streicter kynde of imprisonment he locketh hym vp in an olde decayed castell a raw vnhaunted and obscure place vhere he could neyther haue the sight of the Sunne or other light nor yet of men he loadeth hym wyth yrons and not to recite all particulars he afflicteth hym with calamities meruailouse withoute all measure Now these ministers being thus put owte of all doubt feare of their aduersarie do sett forth a booke and make a kinde of answer to the reasons by hym before layde downe vnto them and as in other things so especiallie in this they delt moste iniuriouslie with him for they conceale and dissemble the verie state and principall point of the question and controuersie charging hym to haue sayde that the scriptures are in his opiniō of lesse authoritie than the churche where in truthe he talked not of the authoritie of suche scriptures as are euidentlie knowne to be diuine scriptures but his talke was eyther touching the knoweing and discerning of such vncertein scriptures as haue bene called in question and doubted of or touching the vnderstanding of the sēse true meaning of darke obscure places of diuine scripture Moreouer a certaine diuine doctor and one of some authoritie among oure aduersaries came one day with no small ostentation nor light traine of folowers to a certain prison for disputation sake as he pretended for these felowes wold gladlie beare the people on hand make them belieue that they do offer to oure men disputations thick and threfolde there this gloriouse doctor calleth to gether in to the halle euery prisoner which whas shut vp in that prison for religion bothe yong and olde priests and lay folke he telleth them that he is come to dispute he and his associates take their seats on the benche sitt downe solemnelre And first of all though the prisoners were in nūber manye yet he demaundeth of eche man his name dwelling place Yf any answer not readilie the diuine by and by wolde fall in a terrible chafe and shake vp the prisoner outragiouslie Then before the disputatiō dyd begynne one of the prisoners vpon occasion dyd alleige forth of holie scripture some thinge whiche the doctor had denied whervpon the sely old man waxeth verie augrie in no case will admitt that any suche thing is to be found in scripture the booke is brought forth and the thing is recited verie clearlie worde for worde as it had bene alleged The olde man taketh his spectables and readeth but for that the booke was an other mans booke he wold not credit ye but called for his owne his cōpanions fall to laughing And to be short withoute further proceding they all arose departed and thus the disputation was ended before it beganne Then the sorye olde felow when he seeth that he could not preuaile falleth a cursing wisheth mischef and destruction to the howse and to all the prisoners there And all this fell oute thus the keper of that prison being present and ashamed of the matter Now what can be sayd more fonde or more ridiculous than this And yet neuerthelesse yt was reported for certein and sure that this mightie Hercules had ouerthrowen and beaten downe the Catholiques albeit in verie dede he neuer vsed argumēt but onelie a bare brabling and contention in woords There is allso among oure aduersaries one other odde minister a bygge man in his owne opinion yet in other mens iudgements he is but meane how be yt in tongue not vnreadie yet rashe and headlong by reason that he knoweth not hym selfe This felow not long agoe hoping to pick owt some peece of estimation by contending with greate personages crept vnlooked for into a prisō where the aforesayde learned and reuerend fathers the byshop of Lincoln and Abbot of west minister with others of good accompt are imprisoned for religion And at his first entree he gyueth in commaundement that they all appears personallie before hym he telleth them that he his come to conferre aboute the chefe litigiouse points of religion and signifieth his will and pleasure that they should beginne the dispision But when those good fathers as they are wise dyd perceiue the man to doe all this withoute warrant and vvithoute anie certein order or forme of conference but onlie vppon a rashe and vndiscrete heade of his owne and meerlie for vainglorie they make smale accompt of him but contemne such ridiculouse vanitie of the arrogāt yong felowe And therfore when they had spoken something abowte the vnreasonable condition then offred and of their want of bookes tyme and other things they leaue the man to his owne folies as best besemed their grauitie they lett hym passe away as one by them contēned rather than vexed But yet the yong peacocke as his maner is aduaunced vp his tayle triumphed abroode with all brauerye and publisheth a pamphlet of his great conquests and victories ouer captiues In which pamphlet there are many vntruthes very many friuolouse toyes and nothing to serue his turne nothing to make for his side but mere vanitie and that euen by his owne declaration as he hym selfe telleth his owne tale But when suche huddling shyfting of matters was knowne so as manye euen of oure aduersaries dyd mislike yt for it had allmoste bredde a cōmon quarell had wellnigh putt into the peoples heades some suspition that theire cause was ouer throwen Some there were which to salue this sore and to take away the infamie made a certaine
surely if after kinge henryes death the noble man vvhich thē could doe most consultinge vvith his frindes to bringe in a nevv religion had pleased to bringe in tovv Lutherans Anabaptistes or of any othersecte as he did tvvo Caluinistes to reade in the tvvo vniuersities of Englande as he might very easelye haue donne for any resistāce or triall that then vvas vsed had not that religiō byn novv called the ghospell the pure vvorde the lavv of the lorde the establissed religion and the like as novv this is called in Englāde and as thes other sectes are called by their professors in the places vvhere they beare rule And should not vve haue byn punished as muche for resistinge of them as vve are novv for resistinge this yes verelye and no reason to the contrary VVherfore seinge a man may not alvvayes depende safelye of the seculer magistrate in religion nor make repose of his sovvle vppon the fovvndation of a temporall lavv vve are in iustice to craue pardon of your honours for not conforminge our opinions to yours in this matter vve can not doe it vvithout dissimulation and most greeuouse remorse of an accusinge conscience Yf your honours vvoulde graunte suche indifferent triall betvvixt the learned of bothe our sydes as vve demaunde for our instruction and devv reformation in iudgement if vve err the matter perhaps might sone be ended But that beinge denied and the aduerse partye shevvinge manifest distruct therby as it semeth to vs vve remaine as before of contrarye opinion in poyntes of beleefe but in all other matters as becommeth devvtifull subiectes most readie to serue her maiestie your honours to the vttermost of all our earthlye mortall abilitie Our desyre vve haue to be rightlye informed may appeare not only by our often and earnest petitions of lavvfull tryall in poyntes of controuersie but also by this that vve require not anye longe or tediouse satisfaction in matters but onlye a demōstration of one necessarye pointe vvherof our resolution in other thinges vvoolde soone ensevve And this pointe is that seinge the religion of Christ and his Apostles vvas by all partyes confession the verie trevv religion for vvhich vve stryue and vvherby vve must be saued and so for a hundred or tvvo hundred yeres after vvithout contradiction of either partie the religion vvas pure vvhich vvas deliuered by the Christian churche ouer all the vvolde lett demonstration be made vvhich of our religions beganne sence that tyme for that must needes be false hauinge not his beginninge from Christ and his Apostles and this maie be don as it semeth to vs bothe easely apparentlye and sensiblye in this manner VVhen anie religion is once publiquelye planted and receaued as the trevv religion vvas by our aduersaries confession in the first tvvo or three hundred yeres after Christ it is impossible to bringe in a nevv religion contrary to that or any articles of faithe repugnant to these before vvithout some cōtradiction or resistāce of them that then lyued possessed in the former religion This is a proposition euident bothe by experience and reason For first reason teacheth vs to be impossible for one man or manye to bringe in a nevv religion contrarie to all and to make it to be receaued generallie of all vvithout resistance of some especiallie the thinge beinge a manifest falshoode to vvchinge matter of saluation as they saye our opinions are This I saye is impossible in common reason For if one citie vvould receaue it yet an other vvould not if one countrye or kyngdome vvould allovve it yet an other vvoulde make resistance atleast vvise for a tyme. And if no Citie nor countrye nor kyngdome had controlled it yet some good man or other vvould haue donne it in the vvorlde abrode Secondlye the same appearethe by experience for that there vvas neuer yet heresie or error that rose against any one clause or iote of the truethe before receaued but it vvas controlled presently and resisted by voices and vvritinges of infinite men And in Englande beinge but a litle corner in respect of the vvhole vvorlde there coulde neuer yet appeare anye one opinion contrary to the doctrine before receaued but it vvas straight vvaie noted and rebuked as the religion of Caluine by the Catholiques before in possession after that the fansie of the puritane by the pretestant after that the deuise of the familie of loue by bothe protestant and puritane and generally there vvas neuer yet heresye offered to the church or to any peece of the same but that it vvas straight vvaie knovven vvhoe vvere the beginners therof at vvhat tyme vvhat multitude first left the former religion and followed the same vvhoe resisted vvhoe spake and vvrote against it and the like and this is a trevvth more cleare than the Sonne it selfe This then beinge so the issevv vvhiche vve desyre to ioyne is euident and plaine to vvitt that of these articles vvherin vve dissent from them and vvhiche they call heresyes as inuented by vs sence the Apostles tyme as the reall presence the sacrifice of the masse purgatorye prayer for the dead intercession of sayntes meritt of good vvoorckes grace inherent fyue sacramentes denyed by them and the like let thē shevve by anie one father historiographer or other autēticall testimonie vvhen any of these pointes vvere brought first into the churche and resisted by them that then lyued as they must needes be if they vvere contrary to the vniuersall doctrine then receaued in christianitie and vve remayne satisfied vvithout any furder particuler tryall This is a most reasonable demaunde so one aunsvvered if the trevvth be vvith our aduersaries For vve take vppon vs to shevv all thes particulers before recited in euery pointe of doctrine vvherin they dissent from vs that is vvhen it began to be first knovvē in the church by vvhat man vvho first controlled it and the like but let them doe the same by vs and the matter is ended But if they can finde no one booke extant in the vvorlde against anie article of our difference from them at the first commynge of the same into the church nor can finde recorde of anye man that ether reprehended or controlled it vvhen it vvas first inuented as they saye by our forefathers but that it vvas receaued vvithe silence and approbation not onlye in one countrye but thoroughovvt the vvorlde not in one pointe but in many and they most important as for example the fayninge of fyue sacramentes together although vve holde in our doctrine that none but Christ can institute a sacrament no not the vvhole churche together nor all the Apostles vvhen they vvere alyue if I saie they can finde no recorde at all that any man resisted or controlled thes horrible blasphemous poyntes at their first entringe into the churche if it be trevv that they entred in since the Apostles tyme then must thei thincke that men vvere senseles and madd at that time that vvoolde suffer so manye
aggrauated by the seueritie of a Iudge as a priest in whose chāber the copie was fownd was for that same cause put to a moste cruell deathe and a gentleman of greate woorshipp though ignorant of the matter yet beause he enterteined the same priest in his howse was by the sentence of the same Iudge turned owte of all his goods possessiōs which were very worshipfull and cast in to perpetuall prison Again before the same Iudge and promoter for he executeth bothe those offices against Catholiques a certein honest man was arraigned of highe treason vpon the one and twentieth capitall lawe before mentioned because he had geuen a reason to one of his neyghboures whie he hym selfe might not goe to the churches of protestants with a safe cōscience Nowe this Iudge dyd interprete the mās wordes in suche a sense as yf by the reasō which he gaue he ment to haue drawne his neighboure to his owne opinion and cōsequentlie to haue dissuaded him from the Religion of England and by an other cōsequence to bring him to the obediēce of the byshopp of Rome So long are the snares which are sett to intrapp oure bloode But ther is yet an other seuere practise of this Iudge to geue more showe of his cruell mynde in this mattēr For when yt was referred to a Iurie as the custome of the countrie requireth and that the inquest could not fynde the offēce to be so greuouse as deserued deathe they were compelled by the authoritie of the same Iudge to fynd it to be a matter of treason suche a practise as was neuer wont to be vsed nor ought to be vsed against any man were he neuer so farr past hope of grace neuer so detestable naughtie And where there is a law in England that suche slouthefull beggars as will not abyde ī one certain place but idelie roaue abroad frō place to place like vagabunds should be whipped and burned in the ears with an hote yron yt so fel owte that a vong man born of honest and riche parēts sikillfull in humame learning hauing left his studie for a tyme and going from Londō to visit his fryndes was apprehēded and brought before a Iudge for religion VVhat affinitie is here with the persones noted to be punishable by this lawe yet because the yonge man was thē latelie come forth of ffraunce had bene trayned vp in the popes Seminarie therfore and hastie froward Iudge in despite and malice that he beareth to the Christian religion Catholique cause wolde not dimisse the poore man before he was whipped throughe Londō and odiouslie burned in the eare The like punishement touching burning in the eare was executed verie latelye at the Citie of yorcke as I haue hearde vpō a priest And I could recken vp a great nomber of like strict dealinges of Iudges against Catholiques but this may suffice for a complaint God which Iudgeth the poore in iustice and requiteth the provvde abundantlye Oure Lorde vvhich is bothe Iudge and vvitnesse as Ieremie saithe vvill Iudge in measure against measure vvhen measure shall be caste avvaye pardone these Iudges for so wicked and so vniust iudgements But what might a man say to the wickednesse of this tyme whether now good God whether now haue these exulcerate and rancorouse controuersies towching matters of faith and religion thruste vs how haue they plucked vs downe no nation in the worlde adourned with ciuil maners no countrie indued with the holie lighte of Christs Gospell no people īstructed with Christiā lawes customes was euer eyther better framed to courtesie and humanitie more disposed to beneficence and fryndelie behauioure more inclined to the loue of equitie more bent to pitie and mercie than this English people and nation was before suche time as this vnluckye detestable and pestiferous heresie had hardened the hart and intrailes of loue infecting them with deadelie poysons of malice For this is she that hathe shaken in sunder the bolts and bares of right and equitie this is she that hathe dissolued the bonds of loue and amitie this is she that hath blowen vpp the fowndations of mercie and beneficence this is she that hath cutt in sūder the veines sinewes of the cōmon societie of men and with a fyendelie force and tempestuous violence hath knocked together the membres thereof and beaten them one against an other into miserable disorder confusion But now perhaps frinde Gerard the time wolde require me to make some ende of this epistle for me thinks I am verie long and I owght to haue care that I wearie yow not with a reporte so greuouse and lamentable as in truth it can not but vehemently trouble yow I think whils youe are reding it seing yt woorketh suche passions in my selfe in writing it as some times I can not refraine frō weping whiles I considre eyther what I haue writen or what I haue omitted For there be farr moe things that ought to be suppressed and passed ouer in silence rather than here to be cōmitted to writing partly for that I should charge my selfe with an infinite laboure in reciting all the particulars partly because the certain knowlege of very many things in these difficulties and troubles of tymes and causes can not be had but moste especiallye for that the explication notice of the principall matters and the discouerie of the persones whome they concern do runne to gether in such sort as they can not be so seperated that the matters may be well vnderstoode nor so annexed as the persones may not be damnified For the things can not be committed to publick speche or writing but that the persones may be drawne therby in to priuate perill Lett vs ther fore leaue these things to them which are to come after vs that they may eyther cōmit them to writing whan oportunitye shall serue or elles in the meane time with inward amasednesse secret sorow meruaile and be waile the case Now these things whiche I haue tolde may suffice to minister matter eyther for sorow and heuines or for a lesson and example For oure calamitie ought to be a perpetuall lesson not onlie to oure selues and oure posteritie but to all Catholiques allso through the woorlde howe terrible a thing it is as the Apostle sayeth to fall in to the hāds of the liueing god And to refuse to doe the vvoorthie vvoorkes of pennance yea after mē haue bene therūto admonished For oure owne synns and the synns of oure parents and auncetours haue layde vpon vs this moste heuye and painfull scourge of God whiche will wax heuyer withowte doubt and reache further yf the Iustice of God by due repētance of Catholiques and amendement of their sinfull lyues be not preuented And as for sorow particular or common frind Gerard who wolde not iudge that the things now by me recited may procure sorowe and heuynesse enough eyther to yow