oughte to bee restraigned or kepte backe therefrom no not the very babes of ChristiaÌ„s forsomuche as they be borne in sinne and do pertaine vnto the people of God We say that Eucharistia the supper of the lorde is a sacramente that is to wytte an euident token of the body and blood of Christe wherein is set as it were before our eyes the death of Christ and his resurrectioÌ„ and what act so euer he did whilest he was in his mortall body to thende we may giue hym thankes for his deathe and for our deliueraunce And y t by the often receauinge of this sacramente wee may daily renewe the remembraunce of that matter to thintent we being fedd with the body and blood of Christ may be brought into the hope of the resurrectioÌ„ and of euerlasting life and may moste assuredly beleue that the bodye and blood of Christe dothe in like manner feede our soules as breade and wine doth feede our bodies To this baÌ„kett wee thinke the people of God ought to be earnestly bidden that they may all communicate amonge them selues and openly declare and testifie both the godly societie whiche is amonge them and also the hope which they haue in Christ Ihesu For this cause yf there had ben any which would be but a looker on and abstaine from the holy CoÌ„munion him did the old fathers Byshops of Rome in the primatiue Church before Priuate masse came vp excoÌ„municate as a wicked persoÌ„ and as a Pagan Neither was there any Christian at that tyme which dyd communicat alone whyls other looked on For so did Calixtus in times past decree that after the consecration was finished all should communicate excepte they had rather stande without the Churche doores bycause thus saith he did the Apostles apoincte and the same the holye Churche of Rome keepeth still Moreouer when the people commeth to the holy communion the Sacrament ought to be giuen them in both kindes for so both Christe hath commaunded and the apostles in euery place haue ordayned and all the auncient Fathers and Catholique Bysshops haue folowed the same And whoso doth contrary to this he as Gelasius sayth committeth sacriledge And therefore wee saye that oure Aduersaries at this daye who hauinge violentlye thruste out and quite forbidden the holye Communion dooe without the woorde of God without the authoritie of any auncient Councell without any catholique Father without any example of y e primatiue Church yea and without reason also defend and maintaine their priuate Masses and the manglinge of the Sacramentes and do this not onely against the plaine expresse commandement and bidding of Christe but also against al antiquitie do wickedly therin and are very Church robbers We affirme that breade and wine are holy and heauenly mysteries of the bodie bloud of Christ that by them Christ himselfe being y e tru bread of eternal life â—s so presently giuen vnto vs as that by faith we verely receaue his body and his bloud Yet say we not this so as though we thought that the nature of bread and wine is clearly changed and goeth to nothing as many haue dreamed in these later times which yet could neuer agree among themself of this their dreame For y t was not Christes meaning y t the wheaâ—en bread should laye apart his owne nature receaue a certain new diuinitie but y t he might rather chaunge vs to vse Theophilactus woordes might transforme vs into his bodie For what can he said more plainly then y t whiche Ambrose saith Bread wine remain stil the same thei were before yet are changed vnto an other thing or y t which Gelasius saith y e substance of y e bread or y e nature of y e wine ceaseth not so to be or y t which Theodorete saith After the consecratioÌ„ the mysticall signes do not cast of their owne propre nature for they remaine stil in their former substaunce forme and kynde Or that whiche Augustine saith That whiche ye see is the bread and Cuppe and so our eyes tell vs but that which your faith requireth to be taught is this The bread is the body of Christ the Cuppe ys his bloud Or y t whiche Origene saith Bread which is sanctified by the word of God as touching y e material substauÌ„ce therof goeth into y e belly and is cast out into the priuey Or that which Christ him selfe said not only after y e blessing of the cup but after he had ministred the Comunion I will drinke nomore of this frute of the vyne It is well knowen that the fruit of the vyne ys wine and not bloud And in spaekyng thus we meane not to abase the Lordes supper or to teache that yt is but a could ceremonie onely nothing to be wrought therin as many falsely slaunder vs we the ache For wee 〈◊〉 that Christ doth truely and presently giue his owne selfe in his Sacramentes In baptisme that wee may put him on and in his supper that we may eate him by faith spirit and may haue euerlasting lyfe by his crosse and bloud And we say not this is done slightly and couldely but effectually and truely For although we do not touche the body of Christ with teeâ—he and mouth yet wee hold him fast and eate him by faith by vnderstanding and by the spirit And this is no vaine faith whiche doth comprehend Christ and that is not receiued with colde deuotion whiche is receiued with vnderstanding with faith with 〈◊〉 For Christ him selfe altogither is so offred giuen vs in these mysteries that we may certainly know we be flesh of his fleshe and bone of his bones and that Christ continueth in vs and wee in 〈◊〉 And therefore in celebrating these mysteries y e people are to good purpose exhorted before they come to receaue the holy communion to lift vp their hearts to direct their mindes to heauen ward bicause he is there by whom we must be full fedde and liue Cyrill saith when we come to receaue these mysteries al grosse ymaginations must quite be bannished â–ª The councell of Nice as is alleadged by some in greeke plainly forbiddeth vs to be basely affectioned or bent toward the bread and wine which are set before vs. And as Chrysostome very aptly wryteth We say that the body of Christe is the dead carcas and we our selues must be the Egles â–ª meaning thereby that we must flie hye if wee will come vnto the body of Christe For this table as Chrysostome saith is a table of Egles and not of Ieyes Cyprian also This bread saith he is the foode of the soule and not the meate of the belly And Augustine How shall I holde him saith he which is absent how shall I reache my hand vp to heauen to laye holde vpon him that sitteth there He aunswereth Reache thyther thy faythe and then thou hast layde holde on
loke for none other and forasmuche as it was to be offered but once wee commaund it not to be renewed againe And bicause it was full perfite in all points and partes wee doe not ordaine in place thereof anye continuall succession of offeringes Besides though wee saye we haue no meede at all by oure owne woorkes and deedes but apoint all the meane of oure saluation to be in Christe alone yet say we not that for this cause men ought to liue looslie and dissolutely nor that it is ynough for a Christian to be Baptized onely and to belieue as though there were nothing els required at his hande for true faith is liuely and can in no wise be idell Thus therefore â—eaâ—he wee the people that God hath called vs not to folowe ryâ—t and wantonnes but as Paul saithe vnto good woorkes to walke in them That God hath plucked vs oute from the power of darkenes to serue the liuinge God to cutte away all the remnauntes of sinne and to worke oure saluation in feare and tremblinge that it may apere how that y e Spirit of saÌ„ctification is in oure bodies and that Christ himselfe doth dwell in our heartes To conclude we beleue that this our selfe same flesh wherin we liue although it dye and come to dust yet at the last day it shall retourne againe to lyfe by the meanes of Christes spirite which dweleth in vs and that then verely whatsoeuer we suffer heere in the meane whyle for his sake Christ wil wipe from of our eies all teares lamentation that we through him shall enioy euerlasting life and shall for euer be with him in glory So be it Beholde these are the horrible heresies for the which a good parte of the world is at this day condemned by the Byshop of Rome and yet were neuer hearde to pleade their cause He should haue commenced his sute rather against Christe against the Apostles and against the holy fathers For these thinges did not only procede from them but were also apointed by them except perhaps these menne will say as I thinke they will in deede that Christe hath not instituted the holy Communion to be diuided amongest the faithfull Or that Christes apostles and the auncient fathers haue saide Priuate masses in euery corner of the Temples nowe tenne now twenty togithers in one day Or that Christ and hys Apostls bannished all the common people from the Sacrament of his bloud or that the thing whiche them selues do at this day euery wheare and do it so as they condemne him for an heritike whiche dothe otherwise ys not called of Gelasius their owne doctour plaine sacriledge or 〈◊〉 these be not y e very words of Ambrose Augustine Gelasius Theodorete Chrysostome Origene The bread and wine in the Sacramentes remaine still the same they were before The thing which is seene vpon the holye table is breade there ceaseth not to be still the substaunce of breade and nature of wyne the substance and nature of bread are not changed the selfe same breade as touchinge the materiall substaunce goâ—th into the bellie and is cast out into the pryuei Or that Christe the Apostles and holy fathers prayed not in that tongue whiche the people might vnderstande Or that Christe hath not performed all thinges by that one offering which he once offered or that the same Sacrifice was imperfect and so now we haue neede of an other All these thinges must they of neâ—cessitie say onlesse perchance thei had rather lay thus that all lawe and right is locked vp in the treasurie of the Popes breaste and that as once one of his southinge pages and clawbackes did not sticke to say the Pope is able to dispence against the Apostles against a councell against y e CanoÌ„s rules of y e Apostls and y t he is not bound to stand neither to y e examples nor to the ordinuÌ„aces nor to y e lawes of Christ. We for our parts haue learned these thinges of Christe of the Apostles of the deuout fathers and dooe sincerely and with good faith teache the people of God the same Whiche thinge is the onely cause whye wee at this daye ar called heretikes of the chiefe prelates no doubt of ReligioÌ„ O immortal God hath Christ him selfe then y e Apostles so many Fathers al at once gon a stray were then Origene Ambrose Augustin Chrysostome Gelasius Theodoret forsakers of the catholique faith was so notable a consent of so manye auncient Byshoppes and learned menne nothing els but a conspiracye of heretiques Or is that nowe condemned in vs whiche was then commended in them Or is the thyng nowe by alteration onely of mens affection sodenly becoÌ„me shismatique whiche in them was compted catholique Or shall that whiche in times past was true nowe by and by bycause it liketh not these men be iudged false Let them then bring furth another Gospell and let them shew the causes why these thinges which so long haue openly ben obserued and well alowed in the Churche of God ought nowe in thend be called in againe Wee knowe well ynoughe that the same worde whiche was opened by Christ spred abrode by the Apostles is sufficient both our saluacion and al trueth to vp holde mayntein and also to confounde all maner of heresie By that Woâ—d only do we condemne all sortes of the olde heretiques whom these men say we haue called out of hell againe â–ª As for the Arrians the Eutychians the Marcionites y e Ebionites the Valentinians the Carpocratians the Tatians the Nouatians and shortelie all them which haue had a wicked opinion eyther of God the Father or of Christ or of the holy Ghoste or of any other poinct of Christian Religion â–ª for somuche as they be confuted by the Gospell of Christ we plainly pronunâ—â— them for detestable and cast awaye personnes and defye them euen vnto the dyuell Neyther do wee leaue them so but we also seuerely and straitely hold them in by lawful and politick punishemeÌ„tes yf they fortune to breake out any wherâ— and bewraye themselues In deede we graunt that certain new and very straunge sectes as the Anabaptistes Libertines MeneniaÌ„s Zuenkfeldians haue ben stirring in the worlde euersence the Gospel did first spring But the worlde seeth now right wel thankes be giuen to our God that wee neyther haue bredd nor taught nor kept vp these Monstres In good fellowship I pray the whosoeuer thou be read our bokes they are to be sould in euery placeâ— What hath there euer ben written by any of our coÌ„pany which might plainely beare with the madnes of any of those heretiques Nay I saye vnto you there is no countrie at this daye so free from their pestilent infections as they be wherein the gospel is freely and coÌ„monly taught So that yf they wey the very matter w t earnest and vpright aduisement this thing is a great argumeÌ„t y t this same is the very truth
many Prynces only vppon his owne blynd preiudices and foredeterminations and y t without hearing of them speak or without shewing cause whye But bycause he hath alredy so noted vs openlye least by holdynge oure peace we should seme to graunt a fault and specially bycause we can by no meane haue audience in y e publik assembly of the general Councel wherein he would no creature should haue power to geue his voice or declare his opinion excepte he were sworne and straightly bounde to maintaine his aucthoritie For wee haue had good experience hereof in his last conference at the councel at Trident where the embassadours diuines of the Princes of Germany and of the free Cities were quite shutte out from their company nother can we yet forget how Iulius the third aboue ten yeares past prouided warely by his writt that none of our sorte shoulde bee suffered to speake in the Councell except there were som paraduenture y t wolde recante and chaunge his opinion For this cause chieflye we thoughte it good to yelde vp an accoumpte of oure faith in writing truely and openly to make aunswere to those things wherwith wee haue ben openly charged to thende the worlde may see the partes and foundacions of that doctrine in the behalfe whereof so many good men haue litle regarded their oune lyues And y t al men may vnderstand what manner of people they be and what opinion they haue of God and of Religion whome the Bysshop of Rome before they were called to tell theire tale hath condemned for heretikes without any good consideratioÌ„ without any exaumple vtterly without lawe or righte onelye bycause he hearde tell that they did dissente from hym and his in som pointe of Religion And although S. Hierome would haue no bodie to be patient when he is suspected of heresy yet we wil deal herein nether bitterly nor brablingly nor yet be caried away w t angre heate though he ought to be reckned neither bitter nor brabler y t speaketh y e truth We willingly leaue thys kynde of eloquence to oure aduersaries who whatsoeuer they say against vs be it neuer so shrewdly or dipitefully sayde yet thinke it is sayd modestely and comely ynough and care nothing whether it be trew or false Wee neede none of these shyftes which do maintaine the truthe Further yf wee do shewe it plaine that Gods holie Gospell the aunciente Byshops and the primatiue Churche do make on our syde and that wee haue not without iust cause left these men and rather haue retourned to the Apostles and oulde catholique Fathers And yf wee shall be founde to doe the same not coulorably or craftely but in good faith before God truly honestly cleerely and plainly and yf they theÌ„selues which â—ye our doctrine and woulde be called Catholiks shall manifestly see how al those titles of antiquitie whereof they boste so much ar quite shaken out of their haÌ„ds and that there is more pith in this oure cause then they thoughte for wee then hope and trust that none of them wil be so negligent and careles of his own saluation but he will at length studye and bethinke him selfe to whether parte hee were best to ioyne him Vndoubtedlye excepte one will altogether harden his hearte and refuse to heare he shal not repent him to geue good heede to this out defence and to mark well what wee say how truly and iustly it agreeth with Christian Religion For where they call vs Heretikes it is a crime so haynous y t onles it may be seene vnles it may be felt in maÌ„ner may be holdeÌ„ with hands and fingers it ought not lightly to be iudged or beleued when it is â—aide to the charge of any Christian man For heresy is a â—orsaking of saluatioÌ„ a renouncing of Gods grace a departing from the body and spirite of Christe But this was euer an olde and solempne propretye with them and theire forefathers yf any did complaine of their errours and faultes and desired to haue true Religion restored streighte waye to coÌ„demne such one for heretikes as men new fangled factious Christe for no nother cause was called a Samaritan but onely for y t he was thoughte to haue fallen to a certaine newe Religion and to be the Aucthor of a newe sect And Paul thapostle of CHRISTE was called before the Iudges to make aunswere to a matter of heresy and therfore hee saied Acordinge to this way whiche they call Heresye I doo worshippe the God of my Fathers beleeuinge all thinges which be written in the law and in the Prophets Shortely to speake This vniuersal Religion whiche Christen men professe at this day was called firste of the heathen people a Sect Heresy With these termes did they alwaies fil priÌ„ces eares to thintent when they had once hated vs with a foredetermined opinion and had coumpted all that wee sayed to bee faction and heresy they might be so ledd away from y e truth right vnderstaÌ„ding of the cause But the more sore and outragious a crime heresye is the more it ought to be proued by plaine and strong argumentes especially in this time wheÌ„ men begin to geue lesse credite to theyre words to make more diligent searche of theyr doctrine then they were wont to do For y e people of God ar otherwyse instructed now then they were in times past when all the Bysshopps of Romes sayenges were allowed for Gospell when all Religion did depende only vpon their aucthoritie Nowe a daies the holie scripture is abroad the writinges of the Apostles Prophets ar in printe whereby all truth and Catholyke doctrine may be proued and all heresie may be disproued and confuted Sithens then they bring furth none of these for them selues and call vs neuertheles Heretiques which haue nether fallen from Christ nor from y e Apostles nor yet from the Prophets this ys an iniurious and a very spitefull dealinge With this sword did Christe put of the Dyuel when he was tempted of him w c these weapons oughte all presumption which doth auauÌ„ce it selfe against God to be ouerthrowen and coÌ„quered For al Scripture sayeth S. Paule that commeth by the inspiration of God is profitable to teach to confute to instruct and to reproue that the man of God may be perfect and throughly framed to euery good work Thus did the holy Fathers alway fight agaynst the heretikes with none other force then with y e holy scriptures S. Augustin when he disputed against Petilian an heretike of â— Donatistes Let not these woordes quod he be heard betwene vs I say or you say let vs rather speake in this wise Thus sayeth the Lorde there let vs seeke the Church ther let vs boult out our cause Lykewise S. Hâ—erome All those things sayth he which without the testimonie of the scriptures are holden as deliuered from y e Apostles be throughly smitten down by the sword of Gods worde S. Ambrose also
Prophetes and continued so euen till the tyme y t Christe shewed himselfe to vs in the flesh This notwithstaÌ„ding how often o good God in the meane whyle and howe horribly was thesame Churche darkened and decayed where was that Churche then when all fleshe vpon earth had defyled their owne waye where was it when amoÌ„gest the nombre of the whole world there were only eyght persones they neither all chast and good whom Gods will was shoulde be saued aliue from that vniuersall destruction and mortalitie â–ª When Ely the Prophete so lamentaâ—â—â—e and byterly made mone that onelye himselfe was left of all the whole world whiche dyd truely and dewly worshipp God And when Esay said The siluer of Goddes people that is of the Churche was become Drosse and that the same Citie which a foretime had ben faithful was now become an harlot and that in y e same was no part sound thoroughout the whol body from the head to the fote Or els when Christ him selfe sayde that the house of God was made by y e Pharasies and Preistes a Denne of theues Of a trouth the Church euen as a cornefyld except it be ared manured tilled trimmed in stede of wheate it wil bring furthe thystles darnell and nettilles For this cause did God send euer among both Prophettes Apostles last of al his own Son who might bring home the people into the right waye and repayre a new the tottering Church after she had erred But least some manne should say that the forsaid thinges happened in y e tyme of the law onely of shadowes and of infancie when truth laye hid vnder figures and ceremonies wheÌ„ nothing as yet was brought to perfection when the law was not graueÌ„ in mennes heartes but in stone and yet is that but a foolishe saying for euen at those dayes was there the very same God that is now the same spirite the same Christe thesame faith the same doctrine the same hope the same inheritaunce the same league and the same efficacie and vertue of Goddes worde â–ª Eusebius also saith all the faithfull euen from Adam vntil Christ were in very dede ChristiaÌ„s though they were not so termed But as I said leaste men should thus speake still Paul the apostle found the like faultes and falles euen then in the prime and chiefe of the Gospel in chiefe perfection and in lighte so that he was compelled to write in this sorte to the Galatians whom he had wel before that instructed I feare me quod he leaste I haue laboured emongest you in vayne and leaste ye haue heard y e Gospel in vaine O my litle Children of whom I trauaile a new til Christ be fashioned againe in you And as for the Churche of the Corinthians how fouly it was defiled is nothing needeful to rehearce Now tel me might the Churches of the Galathians and Corinthians goe amisse and the churche of Rome alone may it not fayle ner goe amysse Surely Christ prophecyed long before of his churche that y e time should come when dessolation should stande in the holy place And Paul saith that Antichrist should once set vp his owne tabernacle and stately seath in the temple of God and that the time shuld be wheÌ„ men should not awaye with holesome doctrin but he turned back vnto fables lies and that wythin the very Church Peter likewise tellyth how there should be teachers of lyes in y e church of Christ Daniell the Prophete speaking of the later times of Antichrist Truthe sayth he in that seasone shalbe throwen vnder foote and troden vppon in the worlde And Christ sayeth how the calamitie confusion of thinges shalbe so exceding great that euen the chosen yf it were possible shalbe brought into errour and how all these thinges shal come to passe not amoÌ„gest Gentiles and Turkes but that they should be in the holye place in the Temple of God â–ª in the churche and in the companie an felowship of those whiche professe the name of Christ. Albeit these same warnynges alone may suffice a wyseman to take heede he do not suffer hym selfe rashelye to be deserued with the name of the Churche not to staye to make further inquisition therof by Gods worde yet bysyde al this many Fathers also manye learned and godly men haue often and carefully complained how all these thinges haue chaunced in their lyfe time For eueÌ„ in the middest of that thick myst of darknes God would yet ther should be som whoe thoughe they gaue not a cleare bright light yet shuld they kyndle were it but some sparke which menne might espye being in the darkenes Hylarius when thinges as yet were almoste vncorrupt and in good case to ye are yll deceyued saith he with yÌ„e loue of walles ye do ill worship the Church in that ye worship it in houses and buildinges ye do yll bryng in the name of peace vnder roofes Is there anye doubt but Antichrist will haue his seate vnder the same I rather recken hilles wodes pools maryshes prisons quauemires to be places of more safetie for in these the Prophetes either abiding of their accorde or drowned by violence didde prophecie by the spirite of God Gregorie as one which perceaued and forsaw in his mind y e wrack of al things wrote thus to Iohn Bysshop of Constantinople who was the firste of all others that commaunded himselfe to bee called by this newe name the vniuersall Bishop of whole Christes Church Yf y e Churche saith he shall depend vpon one manne it will at once fall downe to the grownd Who is he y e seeth not how this is come to passe longe since for longe aâ— gone hathe the Bysshop of Rome willed to haue the whole Churche depende vpon himselfe alone Wherefore it is no meruail though it be clean fallen downe longe agone Bernard y e Abbot aboue foure hundred yeares past writeth thus Nothinge is nowe of sinceritie and purenes emongest the Cleargie wherfore it resteth that the man of sin should be reuealed The same Bernarde in his worke of the conuersion of Paul It semeth now saith he thaâ— persecution hath ceased no no persecution seemeth but nowe to beginne euen from them whiche haue chieâ—e preeminence in the Churche Thy friendes and neighbours haue drawen neere â–ª stoode vp against thee from the sole of thy foot to the crowne of thy heade there is no part whole Iniquitie is proceeded from the Elders the Iudges and deputies which pretende â—o rule thy people Wee cannot saye nowe Loke how the people be so is the priest For the people be not so ill as the priest is Alas alas o Lorde God the selfe same persons be the chiefe in persecutinge thee which seeme to loue the highest place and beare moste rule in thy church The same Bernard again vpon y e Canticles writeth thus All they are thy friendes yet are they all thy foes â–ª
of the furnesse and to say trouth we haue ben cast out by these menn beyng cursed of them as they vse to saye with boke bel and candell rather then haue gon awaye from them of our selues And wee are come to that Churche wherein they themselues cannot denye if thei wil say truely and as thei thinke in their owne conscience but all thinges be gouerned purely and reuerently and asmuch as we possibly could very neere to the order vsed in the olde time Let them compare our Churches and theirs togither and they shall see that themselues haue moste shamefully gon from the Apostles and we moste iustely haue gon from them For we folowinge the exaumple of Christ of the Apostles and the holy fatherâ— giue the people the holye Communion whole and perfite But these men contrary to all y e fathers to all the Apostles and contrarye to Christ himself do seuer the sacraments and plucke away the one parte from the people and that with moste notorious sacriledge as Gelasius termeth yt Wee haue broughte againe the Lords supper vnto Christes institution and will haue it to be a Communion in very deede common and indifferent to a great number accordinge to the name But these men haue chaunged al things contrarie to Christes institution haue made a priuate Masse of the holy Communion and so it commeth to passe that we giue the Lordes supper vnto the people and they giue them a vaine pagent to gase on We affirme togither with the auncient fathers that the body of Christe is not eaten but of the good and faithfull and of those that are endued with the spirit of Christe Their doctrine is that Christes very bodie effectually as they speake really and substantially may not only be eaten of the wicked and vnfaithful men but also which is monstrous to be spoken of myse and dogges Wee vse to praye in Churches after that fashion as accordinge to Paules lesson the people maye knowe what wee pray and may answere Amen with a general consent These men like soundinge mettall yelle out in the churches vnknowen and straunge wordes w tout vnderstanding without knowledge and w tout deuotioÌ„ yea doe it of purpose bicause y e people should vnderstand nothing at all But not to tarry about rehearsing all poyntes wherein we and thei differ for they haue wel nye no end we tourne the scriptures into al tongues they scant suffer them to be had abroad in any tongue we allure y e people to reade and to heare Gods word thei driue the people froÌ„ it We desire to haue our cause knowen to al y e world they flee to come to any trial We leane vnto knowlege they vnto ignoraunce We trust vnto light thei vnto darkenes We reuerence as it becoÌ„meth vs the writings of y e Apostles and Prophetes they burne them Finally wee in Gods cause desire to stand to Goddes onely iudgement they wil stand only to their owne Wherfore if they wil waye â—ll these thinges with a quiet mind and fullye bente to heare and to learne they wil not only alow this determinatioÌ„ of oures who haue forsaken errours and folowed Christe and his Apostles butte themselues also will forsake their owne selues and ioyne of their owne accorde to oure side But peraduenture they will saye it was treason to attempt these matters without a sacred generall Councell for in that consisteth the whole force of the Churche there CHRIST hath promised he will euer bee a present assistant Yet they themselues without tarrienge for anye generall Councell haue broken the commaundementes of Godde and the decrees of the Apostles and as wee sayde a little aboue they haue spoyled and disanulled almoste all not onelye ordinaunces but euen the doctrine of the primatiue Churche And where they saye it is not laufull to make a chaunge without a Councell wâ—aâ— was he that made vs these lawes or from whence hadde they this Iniunction Kinge Agesilaus truelye didde butte fondelye whoe when hee hadde a determinate aunswere made him of the opinion and will of myghtye Iupiter woulde afterwarde bringe the whole matter before Apollo to knowe whether hee alowed thereof as his father Iupiter didde or no But yet shoulde wee dooe muche more fondelye when wee maye heare Godde him selfe plainelye speake to vs in the moste holye scriptures and maye understande by them his will and meaninge yf wee woulde afterwarde as thoughe this were of none effecte bringe oure whole cause to be tryed by a Councell which were nothinge els but to aske whether menne would allowé as God did whether meÌ„ would confirme Gods commaundement by their authority Why I besech you except a Councell wil coÌ„maund shal not truth be truth or God be God Yf Christ 〈…〉 to do so from y e beginning as that he would preache or teache nothing without the Bysshops consent but refer all his doctrine ouer to Annas and Caiphas where should nowe haue been the christian faith or who at any time should haue hearde the Gospell taught Peter verily whome the Pope hath oftener in his mouth and more reuerently vseth to speake of then he dothe of Iesu Christ did boldly stand against the holy Councel saieng It is better to obey God then men And after Paule had once intirely embraced the Gospel and had receiued it not froÌ„ men nor by man but by the only will of God he did not take aduise therin of fleshe and bloud nor brought y e case before his kinsemen brethren but went furth with into Arabia to preache Gods diuine mysteries by Goddes onelye authoritie Yet truely wee doe not despise Councelles assemblies conferences of Bysshops and learned men neyther haue we done y t wee haue done altogether â—boue Byshops or without a Councell The matter hath ben treated in open Parliament with long consultation and before a notable Synode and Conuocation But touchyng this Councell whiche is now soÌ„moned by y e Pope Pius wherin men so lightly are condemned whiche haue ben neither called hearde nor seene yt is easie to gesse what we maye looke for or hope of yt In times paste when Nazianzene sawe in his daies how men in suche assemblies were so blynde and wilfull that they were caried with affections and laboured more to get the victory then y e trueth he pronounced openly that he neuer had sene a good ende of any Councell what woulde he say now yf he were â— liue at this daye and vnderâ—â—ode the heauing and shoving of these men For at that time though the matter were laboured on all sydes yet the controuersies were wel heard and open errours were put cleane awaye by the generall voice of all partes But these men wil neyther haue the case to be freely disputed nor yet how many errours soeuer there be suffer they any to be chaunged For it is a coÌ„mon custome of theirs often and shameleslye to boast that their Churche cannot erre that in it there is no faulte
holy ghost flow in their tongues or can they with truth say We and the holy Ghoste haue thought so In dede Peter Asotus and his companion Hosius sticke not to affirme that the same Councell wherein our sauiour Iesu Christe was condemned to dye had both the spirit of prophesieng and the holy Ghost and the spirite of truth in it and that it was neither a false nor a trifflinge saieng when those Byshoppes sayde We haue a lawe and by our law he ought to dye and y e thei so sayenge did light vpon the very trouthe of iudgement for so be Hosius wordes and that the same plainelye was a iuste decree whereby they pronounced that Christ was worthy to die This me thinketh is straunge that these men are not able to speake for themselues and defend their owne cause but thei must also take parte with Annas and Caiphas For yf they will call that a laufull and a good Councell wherein the Sonne of God was moste shamfully condemned to dye what Councell will they then alowe for false and naught And yet as all their Councels to say truth commoÌ„ly be necessitie compelled them to pronouÌ„ce these thinges of the Councell holden by Annas and Caiphas But wil these men I say refourme vs the churche beinge themselues both the persons guilty and the Iudges to Will they abate their own ambitioÌ„ and pride Wil they ouerthrow their owne matter and giue sentence against them selues that they must leaue of to be vnlearned Byshoppes slowbellies heapers together of benefices takers vpon them as princes and men of warre Will the Abbottes the Popes deere darlinges iudge that monke for a theefe which laboureth not for his liuing and that it is against all lawe to suffer suche a one to liue and to be found either in citie or in countrie or yet of other mennes charges Or els that a monke ought to lye on the grouÌ„d to liue hardly with hearbes and peason to study earnestly to argue to praye to worke with hande and fully to bend him selfe to come to y e ministery of y e church In faith assone will the Pharisies and Scribes repaire agame the Temple of God and restore it vnto vs a house of prayer in steede of a theeuish denne Ther haue ben I know certain of their own selues which haue fouÌ„d fault w e many errours in y e church as Pope Adrian Eneas siluius Cardinal Poole Pighius others as is afore saide thei held afterwards their Councel at Trident in y e self same place where it is now appointed There assembled many Byshoppes and Abbottes and others whom it behoued For that matter they were alone by themselues whatsoeuer they did no body gainesaid it for they had quite shut out and barred oure syde from all manner of assemblies and there they sat sixe yeares feedinge folkes with a meruelous expectation of their doings The first sixe moneths as though it were greatly nedeful they made many determinations of the holy Trinitie of the Father of y e Son and of the holy Ghost which were godly thinges in deede but not so necessarye for that time Let vs see in all that while of so many so manifest so often confessed by them so euident errours what one errour haue they amended from what kinde of idolatrie haue they reclaimed the people What superstition haue they taken away What peece of their tyranny and pompe haue they diminished as though all the worlde may not nowe see that this is a Conspiracie and not a Councell and that these Byshopes whom the Pope hath now called to gether be wholy sworne become bounde to beare him their faithfull allegiaunce and wil do no manner of thing but that they perceiue pleaseth him and helpeth to aduaunce his power and as hee will haue it Or that they reckon not of the number of mennes voyces rather then haue weight and consideracion of the same Or that myght doth not often times ouercome the right And therefore we knowe that diuers times many good men and Catholique Bysshops did tarry at home and would not come when such Councels were called wherein men so apparauntly laboured to serue factions and to take partes bicause they knewe they should but lose their trauaile and dooe no good seeinge where vnto their enemies mindes were so wholye bent Athanasius denyed to come when hee was called by the Emperour to his Councell at Cesarea perceiuinge plaine he shoulde butte come amonge his ennemies whiche deadly hated hym The same Athanasius when he came afterwarde to the Councell at Sirmium and foresaw what would be the ende by reasone of the outrage and malyce of his ennimies hee packed vp his carriage and went away immediately Iohn Chrysostome although y e Emperour Constantius commaunded hym by four sundry lettres to come to the Arrians Councel yet kept he hym selfe at home still When Maximus the Byshop of Hierusalem sate in the Councell at Palestine the olde Father Paphnutius toke him by the hande and ledde hym out at the doores sayenge It is not â—eeful for vs to conferre of these matters with wicked menne The Bysshopes of the Easte woulde not comme to the Syrmian Councell after they knewe Athanasius had gotten hymselfe thence againe Cyrill called menne backe by letters from the Councell of them which were named Patropassians Paulinus Bysshoppe of Tryer and manye others moe refused to comme to the Councell at Millaine whenne they vnderstoode what a styrre and rule Auxentius kepte there for they sawe yt was in vaine to go thither where not reasone but faction shoulde prevayle and where folke coÌ„tended not for y e truth and right iudgement of the matter butte for partialitie and fauour And yet for all those fathers hadde suche malitious and stiffe necked ennemies yet if they hadde come they should haue hadde free speache at least in the Councelles Butte nowe sithens none of vs maye bee suffered so muche as to sitte or once to bee seene in these mennes meetinges muche lesse suffered to speake freelye oure minde and seinge the Popes Legates Patriarches Archebyshops Bysshoppes and Abbottes all beinge conspyred togeather all linked together in one kinde of fault and all bounde by one othe sit alone by themselues haue power alone to giue their consent and at last when they haue all done as though thei had done nothing bringe all their opinions to be iudged at the wil plasure of y e Pope being but one man to thend he may pronouÌ„ce his own seÌ„teÌ„ce of himselfe who ought rather to haue aunswered to his complaint sithens also y e same auncient Christian libertie which of al right shoulde speciallye bee in Christian Councelles is now vtterly taken away from the Councel for these causes I say wise and good men ought not to maruaile at this day though we doe the like now that thei see was don in times past in like case of so many Fathers and Catholike Byshops which as though we chuse rather to
at Cambrydge in Magdalene colledge and New colledge of Oxford besides the rest which we now passe ouer Euery one of the Colleges haue their Professours of the tonges and of the liberal Sciences as they cal them which do trade vp youth priuatly whithin their Halles to thend they may afterward be able to go furth thence into the common scholes as to open disputatioÌ„ as it were into plain battail there to try themselfe In the coÌ„mon Scholes of both the Vniuersities there are found at the Kinges charge and that very largely fyue Professours Readers that is to saye The Reader of Diuinitie The Readeâ— of the Ciuill lawe The Reader of Physike The Reader of the Hebrewe tongue and The Reader of the Greeke tongue And for the other Professours as of Phylosophie of Logique of Rethorike and of the Mathematicalles the Vniuersities themselues doe allowe stipendes vnto them And these Professours haue the ruling of the DisputacioÌ„s and other schole exercises whiche be dayly vsed in the common Scholes Amongest whome they that by the same Disputations exercises are thought to be come to any tipenes in knowledge are wont according to y e vse in other vniuersities soleniply to take degrees euery one in y e same science and facultie which he professeth Wee thought good to annexe these thinges to thende wee might confute confounde those that spread abroad rumours how y t with vs nothinge is don in order as ought to be don y t there is no ReligioÌ„ at al no Ecclesiastical Discipline obserued no regard had of the saluacion of mennes soules but that all is don quite out of ordre and seditiouslye y t all antiquitie is despised that libertie is giuen to all sensualitie and lewde lustes of folkes that the liuings of the Church be conuerted to prophane and worldlye vses wheras in very trouth we seke nothing els but that that God aboue all moste good may haue still his honoure truely and purely reserued vnto hym that the rule and waye to euerlastinge Saluacion maye be taken from out of his very word and not from mens fantasies that the Sacramentes maye be ministred not like a Maskary or a stage playe but religiously and reuerently according to the rule prescribed vnto vs by Christ and after the example of the holy Fathers whiche florished in the primatiue Churche that that most holye and godly fourme of discipline whiche was commonly vsed amongest them may be called home againe that the goodes of y e Churche may not be lauÌ„ched out amoÌ„gest worldlinges ydel persoÌ„s but may be bestowed vpon the godlye Ministers and Pastours which take paine both in Preaching and teaching that there may from tyme to tyme arise vp out of the Vniuersities learned good ministers others meete to serue y e coÌ„mon welth And finally that all vncleane and wicked lyfe may be utterly abandoned and banyshed as vnworthy for the name of any Christian. And albeit we are not as yet able to obteine this y t we haue said fully perfitlie for this same Stable as one may rightly call it of y e Romish Augias cannot so soone be thorouglye cleansed and ridd from the long growen filth and mucke neuerthelesse this is it whereunto we haue regarde hether doe wee tende to this marke do wee direct our paine and trauaile and that hitherto thorough God his gracious fauour not without good successe and plenteous encrease whiche thing may easily appeere to euery body yf either we be coÌ„pared with our own selues in what maner of case wee haue ben but few yeares synce or els be compared with our false accusers or rather our malicious slaunderours The Lorde defende his Churche gouerne it with his holy Spirite blesse the same with all prosperous felicitie Amen Imprinted at London in Paules churche yard at the signe of the Brasen serpent by Reginalde Wolfe Anno Domini M. D. LXIIII Faultes escaped in the printinge Erase Faultes Correction B. 4. suche one for heretikes such ones F. 5. p. 2. Peter did not this did not thus F. â— p. 2. yet beare they yet bare theyâ— F. 8. they were a rebellious they be a rebel G. 3. p. 2 pardon◠〈◊〉 pardoÌ„s so largeâ—â— K. 5. p. 2. intend beare intende to beare N. 1. haue thought so â–ª thought good so Tertull. in Apologetico Iohn 8. Cornel. Tacitus Mar. 11. Marcion ex Tertul. Aelius è Lactantio Eusib. li. 5. cap 11. Tertull. in Apologe 3. Idem 1.2.3 7.8.9 Tertull. in Apolo cap. 3. Suctoni in Tranquill in Nerone Act. â—4 Tertull in Apologe â—â—ico 2. Tim. ◠〈…〉 cap. 3. â—ontra â—â—iminuÌ„â—anorum â—op â—i 3. â— 14 â—rimum 〈◊〉 Aggâ— Augustine tracta 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 Act. â— 3 In Epist ad Dardâ—â—â—m 〈…〉 lib. 1. â—â—lgoâ—â— ad Thrafâ—◠〈◊〉 De Simpli praelat Ad Euagriâ— De Simpli praelatorum Ca. 47. Gregor epistola li 4. epist. 76.78.80 Et lib. 7 epist. 6.6 2. Tim. 1. De poeniteâ—â— dist 1. cap. Verbum 〈◊〉 Luk. â—â— Math. 2â— Chrystost in epist. ad Titâ—m Hom. 11. Euseb liâ— Cap. 5. Nazianzin monoâ— de Basilie â— Tim. 4. â—â—â—ina in 〈…〉 Chrysost. â—â— Ephe. hom Dis. 2. Ca. Seculares De Consec dist 2. cap Perasta Conse 〈◊〉 2. Ca. â—mperi Iohan. cap. 6. De Sacra lib. 4. cap. 4. Dialogis 2. sermone infantes â—e consecrat â—â—st 2. Cap. â—â— mandu Origene in â—at Hom. 15. con dist 1. Quando â—â— Obiecti â—eodoreti â—ysost in 10 Corinth â— Coâ— â—â—â—mini Iohan â—â—acta 50. In libro de Ceremonijâ— Romanae Ecclesiae â—rigen ad 〈…〉 cap. 3. Augustin psal 85. â— Enchiriâ— cap. 67. De Câ—â—it 21. Cap. 2 Hypogâ—â— â–ª 〈◊〉 â—â—a 119. â—e â–ª ca. 2 â— â—â—dus â—â—st 36 lect in Glâ—sâ— â—istinct 82. Presbyter Stepha 〈◊〉 in Diâ—olâ—â— Sophisti◠〈◊〉 Richard 〈◊〉 Smith De consec RecaÌ„t Peâ— Scholae Glose 〈◊〉 Thomas Aquinas Stephanus â—ardiner 〈◊〉 dist Glosa 〈◊〉 Sent. â—holâ— Eusebâ—â— lib. 4 â–ª Cyprian de â—apsis Iohan. de magist Dâ— temperaÌ„â— 3.4.7 laâ—â— Extra de bigamis Quia circ â—he image this woman Pope â—ng in traâ—l â—s yet be seene Rome Gen. 38. 〈◊〉 concilio â—lect Card. 〈◊〉 1. De coÌ„sid ad Eugeni◠〈◊〉 Apoll 〈…〉 〈◊〉 ho Apolloâ— ca. 1.2.3 In the booke of Hesâ—â— 3.0 Reg. 1 â—â— Amos. â— In Apolâ— cap. 37. August â—teuehuâ— Antonius 〈◊〉 Rosellio De Maior obedi Solite De maior â–ª obed en Vnam sactâ— menâ— 5. Concilio enmensi 〈…〉 Zacharia papa Clemens papa 7. IdeÌ„ Clâ— Sâ—hellieâ—â— Coelestin â—d papa Hildebram papa Innocentiâ— papa 3. Chrysost. â— cap. â—â— Romanâ— Gregoriâ— papae â–ª say in epist. Tertull. in Apol. 〈…〉 Tertull in Apologeâ— ca. 〈…〉 Tertull. 〈…〉 〈…〉 Augustinâ—s in epist. 41 ad vincent Ioban 8. 〈◊〉 Concil â—â—teranâ—se 〈◊〉 Iulio 2. 3. Regumâ—â—â— Esai 1. Math. â—◠〈…〉 cap. â—â— â— Tess. 2. 2. Tim. 4. â— Peâ—ri 2. Daniel 8. â—ath 24. Conâ—â—â— Aurâ—â—◠〈◊〉 In Registro â—b 4. epist. ad Maâ—ri 〈◊〉 libello de 〈…〉 Bernarde ad Eugnium August de Vnitate Eâ— cap. 3. I dem câ— 4. â—lberius â—bius Iiâ—raâ— Hosius 〈◊〉 expresso verbo Dâ— Ensebius Chrysost. â— opere 〈◊〉 â—inâ—t 27. â—daem August â— bono uide cap. 10.27 Nuptiarâ—â— bonum Liber hodâ— extat circumferâ—â—ur 〈◊〉 â—rigen in â—it â—a 16. â—â—â—sost in â—tha 〈…〉 〈◊〉 epist. 〈◊〉 1. 〈…〉 〈…〉 â—â—stolicas â—si 6â— Hieronym ad Demet dem Ad Ianuarium 〈…〉 de 〈…〉 â— Rom. ◠〈…〉 8. In None CoÌ„dition 146. â—eil Cart. â— cap. 47. â—â—os dist 〈…〉 â—â— Maior â—obâ— dientia 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 ateraâ—â—â—se â—ub Iulio 2. â—istinct 9. 〈…〉 De Maior et obediens Solite Extrâ— Ioan 22. CuÌ„ inter In glosa in edâ—tione imperssa parisies et Lugâ—um Antonine de Roselli◠〈◊〉 Augelâ—â—◠〈…〉 papa Thèodor de Schil Plutarch 〈◊〉 14 Plutâ—â—â— chus Dâ— ElecÌ„â— Elect potesflaâ—e Signifâ—e◠〈…〉 â—ostism cap. Quanto â—bas Pano â— Elect. ea â—enerabilâ— Cornelius Eposcopus â— Conâ—il Tridetino Durandus Hosius coÌ„ Brentium Lib. 2. â—pa tita â— lib. 10 â—â— â—ib 1. Exod. â—â— â–ª Iosua 〈…〉 〈…〉 2. Parâ—l â—â— 3. Regum â—â— 2. Parcl 2â— 4. Regum â–ª â— Parall 17. Regum 23. Regum 12. Regum â–ª 10. â— pius 4. â—â—lla sua Imperat. â—dinanduÌ„ â—ist â—â—cli â—â—b 1 cap. 5. Socrat. lâ—â— cap. 5 Socrat. 〈◊〉 cap. 10. 〈◊〉 2. Hieron i Naum. cap. 3. 1. Regâ—â—