and dayly sute of all that feare GOD and vnderstande this matter within this lande is that it maie please God to touche your HH hartes with that zealous care of his glorie and loue of the saluation of the people that by your HH meanes to her moste excellent Maiestie order maie bee taken for the establishyng hereof In the meane season we haue to aunswere our Aduersarie in this case that the preaching of the Gospell by the blessing of God maie be of power to those in whō God shall worke by it to keepe them in his feare And for the regiment of the churche the abuses being theirs that thei of all other haue not to charge vs in this respect As for their auriculer Confession the famous storie of abolishing of it by that worthie and reuerend Bishop of Constantinople Nectarius vpon occasion of wicked companie betweene a Matrone of the Citie and one of the Churche doeth sufficiently shewe for how iust cause it is to bee abolished in a Christian state and Cōmonwealth So doth also the experience of these 300. yeares wherein it hath been so vniuersally commaūded practised which hath discouered it to haue been one of the fittest instruments of Sathan for nourishyng and maintainyng all the abhominations in these partes of the world and the very seede of all priuate contentions publique warres of open violences and secrete treasons So that when I thinke of the consequence of it I maruaile how Christian states and people could indure it so long By this meanes thei had the best intelligence of the greatest secretes of the publique states in Christendome whiche thei traiterously vsed to the troublyng of the worlde and for their owne aduauntage Thei searched and gaged by this meanes bothe publique states and priuate houses so as there was nothing in any Kyngdome Citie or Towne no nor in any house or familie but was knowne to them Which was suche a politicke point in deede for thē to keepe the world in awe of them and to holde them still in captiuitie to sett vp and put doune whom thei listed to make their freendes to subdue their foes as a stronger wall for the maintenance of this Antichristian tyrannie could not be deuised And this is his dosen of pointes whiche he thinketh to bee worthe so many millions to a Common wealthe whiche if he maie sell at his owne price wee shall buye them deare enough But I hope I haue sufficiently shewed them to be so little worthe as no man but hymself and his fellowes that esteeme their graines relique pouders and suche other pedlary as thei bryng in now into the lande for riche Marchaundrise will make any great reckenyng of thē Wherein I haue so dealt as I thincke he can not iustly complayne that I haue followed impartiment matter and left the state of his question as he wrongfully chargeth the reuerend D. Fulke whose learned writings al the sort of them will neuer be able with truth to aunswere Because hee wold be answered to his mind he is careful we should vnderstād his ful meaning which is sayth hee not whether doctrine be true or false theirs or ours but whither bee more politicke or profitable to a cōmon wealth Wherin he is to be admonished that to prooue his doctrin fitter for the establishing of a K. and state in peace wealth and honour to bring vppon it all good promises and blessinges of God his next and readiest way had bene to haue prooued the truth of it by the scriptures For this is a most certain ground the true religion hath the promises of this life the life to come which are so farre in this life bestowed vpon vs as God seeth to be most expedient and may be without the greater losse and hinderaunce of the other Therefore in leauing to prooue that hee left the way he should haue followed and hath takē a cleane contrary course which is that it bringeth greate commodities which if it were so yet could not suffice to prooue it true For the Turk and other heathen which apply their religion as may be fittest for the maintenaunce and securitie of their state they receiue no doubt by their detestable false worshippe many benefites to the assuring of their estates for a season yet is it but an execrable false seruice of God which is so commodious vnto them For whether commodities be blessings from God or no dependeth vpon this whether the people be his people and honor him as he hath appointed For to such we are sure hauing warrant of the truth of religion that all benefites are the effectes of the gracious promise of God to those which feare him and are in deed blessings proceeding from the tender loue of God vnto his people and seales of the euerlasting blessinges promised vnto vs in his kingdome But what blessing so euer is bestowed vpon any other is turned in th' end into a cursse it is but feeding of the Oxe for the slaughter a lifting of them vp that when they are cast downe they may fall with greater violence and more easely be dasht in pieces Finally it maketh them the more giltie and bringeth a heauier destruction vpon them For how should they be blessed that feare not the Lorde vpon whose fauour or displeasure dependeth the prosperity or hard estate of euery K and people Therfore to perswade that he pretended he hath taken a clean contrary way For if a man graunt him al that he affirmeth yet is it easy to aunswere that this benefit in the end must needes turne to a losse and this shew of securitie to all vnquietnesse this setled estate to captiuitie bondage For how many exāples haue we of this frō the beginning that is of K common weales that haue flourished for a season and in the end haue been broken al too pieces As the state of the K. of Tyre which is described by the prophet to haue been so exceeding prosperous that in respect thereof the King of Tyre for his glory is compared with the morning Star yea sayd to shyne as a Cherub from amōgst the stones of fire yet euen he as the same prophet threatned him is now cast down from his high seat and from all his glory And Tyre whose marchantes were as P. of the earth and her chapmen as the Nobles of the worlde is now become more like a poore fisher Towne then that olde Citie or greatly renoumed amongst the Ylands and in al the world We see the Ro. empire and the K. of Italy how notwithstanding the former honor wealth glorie of it yet now and that by the meanes of their Popedome it is dasht in a maner all in pieces cut into so many little seingnories Dukedoms L and free cities that they are as the potsherds of the earthen vessell which the lord as he threatneth in the Psalme hath burst in fitters with his barre of yron Whereby it appeareth to be the right way to prooue anye
works and bookes written by some of our profession which may seeme to haue a shew of repugnance betwene themselues If a man should deale thus not onely with their wrangling writers which are full of quarrels controuersies but euen with the ancient and learned fathers it were an easie matter to note a multitude of differences and contrarieties in them in matters of greater importance then any hee chargeth vs withall He hath made choyse especially of three in whose workes hee will shew a difference in some poynts These three are the famous and worthie Clarkes of blessed memorie in the Church of God M. Luther P. Melancthon â— Sam. 23.8.9.10.11 and Iohn Caluin Three such worthies in the Campe and Tentes of the Lorde God of Hostes as Ioshab Eleazer and Shammah are reported to haue beene in the Hoast of Dauid For though many haue done worthily and therefore may iustly bee accounted in the honorable places of the thirtie of Dauids worthie Soldiers and some of them of the second thrée yet hardly haue they attayned to these three Of which three Luther and Melancton were the burning Lampes and the shining lights of Germany Luther cleare as the light shined first as in a darke place and as the appearing of the day to those which sate in the shadow of death He was endued of God with a spirit of power as Elias so as he stoode not onely against 400. false Prophets of Baal but against almost 400000. The Lorde had made him as he had done Ieremy a defensed Citie and as a piller of yron and wall of brasse to al the Kings Princes Priests and people of Europe He was a chosen instrument in the Lordes hande an elect vessell euen a vessell of gold made of God to beare his name before Princes and rulers and to present the truth of the Gospell to Kinges and Kesars as he did at Wormes in the imperiall assemblie to Charles the fift to the Princes Electors and other the great States and Princes of Germanie If hee were rude in speach as he truly wrote to Erasmus yet was hee not so in knowledge Nay both his skill in diuinitie was profound and his tongue was eloquent to vtter it Notwithstanding as the elect vessell so first called â— Cor. 12.7 and the Doctor of the Gentiles least hee should bee lifted vp with the Reuelations which had beene shewed vnto him in Paradise being rapt into the third heauens receyued some blowes and buffets of the Aungell of Sathan so no maruell if the Lorde suffered Luther likewise some other way to take a blowe of Sathan and in some respect to be foiled that he might humble him and teach vs to trust in God and not in men Iacob hauing seene the face of God in Peniell Gen. 32.24 and wrastled with him all the night yea preuayled against him by which victorie he got that new and honorable name of Israell whereby to this day he is more renoumed in the Church then all the Affricani Germanici which had their praise of men yet caried not away such a victory and so great glory without such a blowe that he halted of after all the dayes of his life In like maner this worthie Israelite so sawe God and so wrastled to his euerlasting prayse before God and man as yet he halted and was blemished in some part al the dayes of his life Which was for the humbling of him that the sight which hee had seene as in Peniel that the Reuelations which he had as if he had beene taken to the third Heauen and Paradise of God should not lift him vp aboue measure and that the Church hereby shuld be instructed to depend vpon no mortall creature but onely vpon the Lorde Therefore if hee fayled in a poynt or two this is not so much to be obiected against him much lesse against vs as his name is to be esteemed for the fauour he was vouchsafed of God to be his chosen instrument vnto vs to discouer so farre as he did the truth which our aduersaries had drowned in the bottom of the sea His spirit indéed was vehement and hote as fire his style and pen as a sharpe two edged sworde in his hand and cut like a Rasor which was giuen him of God to cut in sunder the Troupes and companies of the enimies of the Gospell Which if he were not alwaies able so to wealde and handle but that sometime also the sworde fell vpon those whome hee ought not onely not to haue hurt but to haue defended it was his weakenesse and infirmitie yet such as ought not to preiudice his other honorable seruice done to God and to his Church against their enimies And so much the lesse ought it to bee preiudiciall because sometimes hee founde his vehemency that waye not very wel bestowed and sought to heale againe the woundes which he had made Which hee did both at other times subscribing to the same poynts he had oppugned as appeareth by sundrie letters of diuers men and by the sollemne agréement made with the Churches of Heluâ—tia and Suenia and by his owne confession to Melancton as it is sufficiently testifyed at his last farewell from him before his death Melancton the second light of Germany was giuen of God as a great blessing and helpe to Luther in all his battailes who was faithfull to him as was Ionathan to Dauid He was excellently learned not onely in Diuinitie but also in the tongues and sciences and generally in all good learning as appeareth by his worthie labours in them vnto this day For what arte or science was not polished with his learned hand He fyled the tongue with his precepts of rhetorike He made reason more reasonable by his skilfull rules of logike He lift vp our heads to behold the Starres taught vs to looke backe into the times that are past Finally all good learning receyued helpe of his excellent wit God gaue him a soffter and a milder spirit a nature more easie to be dealt with louely and amiable gratious and curteous to all men Whereby the Lord ioyning those two excellent wittes of contrarie nature together so tempered them both as they might bee fittest for his seruice Luthers fierie nature needefull for him being to stande in the Front of all the battell least it should haue beene too hot was mittigated with a gratious aspect of this sweete nature of the other and a fitte cast of his temperat beames for the purpose Whereby hee so increased the light and aswaged the heate of Luther that the Church of God receyued great benefit by their happy coniunction 2. Re. 3.19 For when Luthers vehement spirit was moued as was the spirit of Elizeus when Iehoram came to aske counsell of him then Melanctons company and conuersation mittigated his extreme heats and hye displeasures euen as the musike which pacifyed Elizeus and quyeted his minde that was sore offended So of the other part wheras Melanctons méekenesse was
hath commaunded his blessinge to bée amongst them euen lyfe for euer But the meanes of this vnitie he affirmeth theyr Romaine Churche to haue and denyeth to bee in the Churches that professe the Gospell The meanes and causes of vnitie he appointeth to be these 2. vnderstanding scriptures accordinge to the expossitions of their forefathers and obeying the determination of one supreme Pastor with the generall councels of Christan Prelates which kéepeth their Church in vnitie and the contrary causes to bée amongst vs and to rend vs into infinit varitie of oppinions How it is with vs I will after shewe but first how it is with them The two meanes which he nameth in effect are but one For if there arise question of any exposition of the fathers who shall deciude the matter shall not this supreme Pastor of theirs with his generall councell determine aswell of the sence of the fathers as they referre to them th' exposition of the scriptures No doubt he meaneth as their scholemen write of the Pope to put all thinges vnder the féete of him that is supreme that he myght be little lesse then the Angels crowned with glorye and honoure Nay they make Angels also subiect vnto him that at his commaundement they should come downe from heauen to fet soules out of Purgatorie and to carrie them vp with them to heauen againe as if this supreme Pastor stoode at the toppe of Iacobs ladder one of the speciall honours and regalities of our Sauiour Christ and had the Angels of God discendinge downe and ascendinge vp vnto him and at his commaundement For the exposition of the fathers vnderstandinge by this name such as liued before the Apostasie we receiue them as farre as either the aucthoritie of the holy scriptures or of the fathers themselues will suffer vs. And further neither wée nor any other ought to receiue them To admit euery exposition made by any father for good and sound or euery point of doctrine deliuered by them for Christian and Orthodoxe I thinke the aduersarie himselfe wil be ashamed to doo it For there are not a fewe matters in them euen the verye best of them contrarie to the expresse word of God euen the Church of Roome giuing sentence And the fathers themselues retractinge in their latter yeares that they wrote afore and such as succéeded correcting and that many times iustlye that had beene written by those which were before them What vnitye may this be that should reste vppon authors not agréeing neyther with them selues nor one of them with an other It were needels here to repeate the sentences of the Fathers so often alledged on our part wherein they testifye that they profite wryting and wryte styll profiting that they woulde haue euery man to reade theyr works as they reade other mens where they agree wyth the holye Canonicall Scriptures to receiue them where they disagrée to leaue them The reason whereof is such as neither the fathers coulde take more neither wee giue more vnto them For the holy scripture as it is not of priuate inspiration but of the inspiration of the holy Ghost deliuered by holy personages qualified with lawfull calling frō God to be his authenticall witnesses of his truth vnto vs so likewise as S. Peter declareth it is not of priuate exposition 2. Pet. 1.20.21 This place I know is depraued by thē against vs as if our expositiōs were al priuate theirs only publick which are made by the Pope and his coūcel But the Apostles meaning there is plaine to oppose priuate to the inspiration of the holy ghost and to the persons of such as were qualified by a calling immediatly frō God to be the publik instruments and Ministers of it vnto vs. Which as it is plaine to be the sence of priuate in the mentiō that is made there of deliuering the scriptures so likewise is it to be vnderstood in the exposition of them Whereby appeareth that the exposition and no other is of publicke authoritie and to be receaued which proceedeth from the holy Ghost and is giuen by the Prophetes and Apostles tho it be so auowed to be but by one man and contrariwise the sense that is repugnant or not agréeing to this is a méere priuat sense tho made by as great Godly and learned a general councell as euer was which appeareth by the memorable story of Paphuntius and the most famous councell of Nice altering their determination concerning the forbidding of the mariage of ministers at his speech discouering their error and leauing it free according to the true sence of the scriptures whereof Paphuntius did admonish them Therfore I affirme the sence of the scriptures only to be receiued which may be shewed to be of the spirit of God is grounded vpon the writings of the holy cannonical scriptures Now the way to attaine to this sence is by earnest praier to God diligent study especially of the text it self and then also of al other helpes which may further to the attaining of the true vnderstanding of it Of which sort are the tongs and the arts Grammer wherby the Etimoligie and proprietie of euery seuerall word may be known and the Syntaxis that is the cōiunction and disposition of one with an other wherby the natural sence as far as the art may helpe may be vnderstood Rhetoricke to discern the tropes of seueral words which with great grace besides their first significatiō are applied to note some other thing and the figures wherewith the sentences are many times made sharpe to rebuke power ful to perswade fitly applied to bend and bow the mind to that which is intreated without the knowledge wherof many times the ful meaning of the sentence cannot be vnderstood Logicke to know how euery thing is affected to an other in a seueral regard or in the disposition of thē together to discerne of thē acording to their placing as if in a sentence of truth or vntruth of it if in profe of a thing whether it be forcible strong to proue or no or if in a longer discourse of the confusiō or the good order sute of the treatise Thus all these arts are great helpes to him that wil labor hapely with any great fruit of knowlege either in this or any other study Further also al other good sciences whatsoeuer bring a furtherāce herevnto For as when the scripture speaketh of the creatures he that hath skil in natural philosophie shal be better able to vnderstād that which is spokē then another the discriptiō of sundry places shal be better conceiued by him that hath sight in Cosmogrophie so is it of al other good sciences skils in the world the knowledge wherof doth bring his gift vnto vs to further vs in this study so furnished ought he to be that shold be an interpreter of the scriptures And as he is to vse those helpes of tongues and humane sciences so especially to labour the learned
workes of suche good writers as haue profitably trauailed in that study Amongst whom the ancient fathers are worthely accounted who no doubt by their earnest praier to God by help of the tongs and many artes and sciences and especially study and exercise in the worde of God haue left vs great helpe and furtheraunce in many things Which age was surely a happie and golden age in respect of many excellent wits which the Lord gaue to his church in those daies much about one time in an age or two togeather For both their mutual examples greatly furthered their diligence and the daungers of many subtle and cunning heretickes with whome they were to deale for the maintenance of the truth By which and such like meanes it pleased God singularly to blesse the moste of them with greate skill and iudgement in the scriptures especially in such points as their wits were most exercised in by occasion of aduersaries For which as they shyned in their time like burning lamps in the golden candlestick and as faire and bright stars in the firmament of the Church so we both reuerence their worthy memory and read diligently their learned writings Wherin if we find that by al the meanes God gaue vnto thē they shewe vs by conference of the scriptures the true meaning of them and help to teache vs where an Apostle plainly expoundeth a Prophet or where a Prophet giueth light to vnderstand that which is obscure in an Apostle We receiue it with their iust cōmendation and praise and with thanksgiuing to God and vse it to the edification of the church But if at any time for want of leasure and diligence or for some humane affectiō or because it pleased God they shold be cōtented with such a measure of his giftes who bestoweth his spirite as pleaseth him we find any thing mistaken in some place of scripture not vnderstood or wrested from his sence some pointe of faith not agreable to the body of doctrine deliuered vnto vs by the prophets Apostles thē without their reproch with acknowledgement of the infirmitie that is in man we leaue them and rest vpon the authority of those who are fathers both to them and vs. More then this what he can giue to the fathers I doe not see if he will binde vs alwaies to their exposition thē let him shew vs to what fathers and to what points of thē séeing want hath bin found in the best of thē If to the consent then let him shew whō and how many he wil consort sufficient ground why the doctrine of religion shold be ruled by thē For our sauior Christ his Apostles neuer left vs any such rule And yet if it were lawful for vs to leaue the trial of the word to argue it by their authority we are neuer a whit the nerer for any end of our controuersies For if the writings of the holy scriptures endited thorowout by the spirit of truth euery where cōsorant to it self be subiecte to this to be diuersly expounded how much more shal the writings of mē not only by possibility subiect to erre to dissent frō them selues but which indéed haue erred forgotten them selues so far as in one place to contrary that which they haue set down in another how much more I say shal such writings be diuersly drawn into sundry expositions And thē who shal determine of the true meaning of the fathers If it might be iuged according to truth we doubt not but euen by them to proue against our aduersaries most of the things which are in questiō betweene vs he apointeth a way which is the secōd cause he assigneth of the vniō of their churh that is the determinatiō of the suprem pastor meaning that B. of R. wherby he maketh cōmon the roial stile title of christ with euery Boniface Gregory euery vnlearned monk vngodly priest which shal come to be B. of R. with the general coūcel of christiā prelats But I put the case that prelates their suprem pastor do not agrée Which is a possible case for it hath fallen out more thā once or twise thē wold I know whether the pope should be aboue the coūcel or the councel aboue that P. I see both by that generally our english papists ar more giuē to hold with the P. by this authors setting this down that the pope with thē is to bear the bel away And so the truth of God which is not to be ouer ruled by al mē shal be cōtrolled by one many times an ignorāt frier of litle learning an ambitious prelate of great presumptiō folly But if they shold agrée yet is that no sufficiēt warrant for vs. For daily is it fulfilled in the doctrine of the gospel that which once was performed in the person of our sau Christ that the Mr. builders of the house of god reiect the chiefe corner stone The hie priests the Scribes Pharises Elders the hie consistory of the whole visible church thē vpō earth cōdemned the holy one of god Mat. 26.65.66 Es 53.7 they pulled fléece frō the lamb and droue the sheepe before thē to the slaughter who opened not his mouth Likewise Annas high priest Chaiphas high priests at the cōdemnatiō of Christ with Iohn Alexander all the rest of the house stock of the high priest with Scribes Elders of the people condemned the doctrine of the gospel Acts. 4.5.6.17.18 and forbad the Apostles with straight charge comminations to preach any more in the name of Iesu These whatsoeuer our aduersaries vainely apply to this purpose which is otherwise true of the greter grace of the gospel had more lawfull calling larger promises thē their B. of Rome can pretend any yet they erred not only in a mattter of fact but of faith not as priuate men but as hie priestes and that in their iudicial sentences sitting in the midst of the consistory How much more then may he who hath no such calling of supreme iurisdiction in the church nor any more by the word of God thē any minister of the gospel tho he were lawful B. be deceiued and erre euen in matters of faith and that in his iudgements pronoūced from his seat of pride And if then he be subiect to error being the head it must needs follow that the inferior members must needs be in danger of the same For which cause this can by no means be sufficient to keep the church in the vnity of one true holy faith If it had béen so fit and necessary for this purpose surely our Sauiour Christ wold neuer haue forgotten to haue mencioned it exhorted vs to obedience vnto it Ioh 13.34.14.27 who was so careful that his disciples shold cōtinue after him in the same peace which he gaue left vnto thē and the same loue wherewith he loued thē Now the Apostle so earnestly
exhorting herevnto gathering to this end al the chief reasons which ought to ioyne vnite the faithful one with an other as one God one Lorde Iesu Eph. 4 4.5.6 one faith one baptisme one body one spirite one hope of their calling wold neuer haue forgotten this whervpon it seemeth by theÌ„ that al this vnity should depend of one supreme pastor whom all ought to obey As this reason of vnity is alleaged for the pope so is it for all the rest of his hierarchie the very image of the beast that is of the RomaÌ„e empire some shadow of the glory wherof this Antichrist would haue expressed in his Prelates after him to whom it hath as much reason as in himself Pity it is that in so faire and cleare a lighte of the day and in this fulnesse of the brightnesse of the sunne any state shoulde not sée that as not beeing appointed of God to be any meanes of the intertaining of good agreement in the Church so contrarywise thorow his wrath and iust iudgment for the peruerting of his lawfull and holy ordinances which onely should rule the church in these cases that it hath been and yet is the most effectuall instrument of Satan to hinder the prosperous and flourishing estate of the gospel For hereby in his supreame Vicar vppon earth he sitteth as the strong man of whome we reade in the Gospel harnesed and armed in the middest of his hall and Pallaice possessing al his house in peace till his weapons wherin he trusteth most whereof this is chiefe be taken from him by our sauiour Christe who is stronger then he and so cast out of his possession The ambition of P. and of the people hath béen one cause to vphold it so long who as the prophet coÌ„plaineth delight in it and take pleasure to haue it so that their priestes should exercise authoritie by their pomp increase the state honor of theÌ„ both An other the weakenes of iudgement euen in those which were wise who seeing worldly states thus gouerned and not knowing the ordinaunces of our sauiour Christe in this case thought it a thing conuenâ—ent And it is to be feared that the allowaunce of this popishe hierarchie springeth in some pretending to be Catholicke from a most bitter roote as seeing hereby that thorow the giftes they receiue of them they shall alwayes haue them at commaundement to apply religion as may be fittest to serue their turn But wheÌ„ the Lorde shall of his goodnes vouchsafe to weâ—de out this roote of wormewood out of their harts and to lighten their eies with true knowledge they shall see both that to be true which hath been in this matter declared and further that this supremacy and whole hierarchy as it is no meanes of vnity in trueth so is it the very cause of keeping out the truth in so many places and detaining the knowledge of God vniustly and in captiuitie For whereas the fathers in their couÌ„cels bind themselues by a solemne oth to do nothing against the present state of the Pope and his Church and that the greatest parte of the abuses which are to be reformed in the Church of Rome are such as their supreme pastor his Hierarchy are guilty of if they call neuer so manye counsels for the purpose Vrspergensis yet if they be sworne vowed one to another to maintaine al their abhominatioÌ„s stil and yet all men be to follow the determination of the pope his prelats what hope is ther that euer they shold condemne them selues their gainful errors what losse soeuer it be to the world For as if things were reformed according to the truth of the Gospel his fatherhood shold part with his triple crown and leaue his riding vpoÌ„ mens shoulders so euery member of his body for his place in it must make lesse of more theÌ„ they would be willing to parte withall Wherefore their couÌ„cels are but for the establishing of their own kingdoÌ„ in the world And as are their general councels such are their national lesser synodes of like men for like purposes To consult of the best way for the reformation of abuses of furthering the seruice of God and of his people not a worde is amongst them For the chiefe abuses are in themselues It were to be wished therfore that all Christian P. or if suche as pretend to bee catholique wil not yet at the least they which make holy profession of the trueth of the Gospell as farre as this aduise may be necessary for them regarded the reformation of so great abuses and established the onely lawfull discipline in the Church which is the meane that Christ hath appointed for the kéeping of the vnity of the spirite in the bonde of peace Further where he blameth vs to receiue no mans exposition but our owne and to despise councelles he is to vnderstande that wee receiue the exposition of anye man bee he neuer so simple whiche is agreeable to the word of God We allow desire we hold expedient and necessarye lawfull holy méetings of conferences of synodes councels would most willingly that our cause might be debated in a free lawful and generall Councell Which woulde to God we might see if it be the Lordes good pleasure so assembled and ordered by the meane of Christian Princes as the worde of God preuailing and all our controuersies taken awaye there might be but one flocke and one solde as there is but one shepheard Christe Iesu And if this cannot be obtained wtout most vnequal conditions of appointing him to be iudg of our cause whoÌ„ we are to charge before God his whol parliment of saints and the reuerend assembly of such a generall and frée counsel as we according to Gods word do desire to be the very same Antichrist whom the scriptures foretold shold come for iust punishmeÌ„t of the wicked by hauing power to seduce into errors apostasie suche as had not the loue of the truth and the very head of that harlot whom S. Iohn painteth out in her colours in the reuelatioÌ„ which hath made al kingdoms drunk with the cup of her fornicatioÌ„s we must for that remit ourselues to the gret day of trial wheÌ„ Christ shal come with thousands of his mighty angels to iudg the quick the dead and before men angels before heaueÌ„ earth al creatures bearing witnes of his iustice giue sentence with vs against our aduersaries But if this so greatly to be desired throw their vnreasonable demaÌ„ds to be iudges in their own cause being to stand arraigned endited of high treason against God al the states of christendom theÌ„ wold to God yet it might be obteined of such christian P. as profes the gospel that there might be a general free councel of al the churches wtin their dominions The benefit wherof thorow the blessing of god must néeds be inestimable both to the preseÌ„t state of the church
whiche shall be alleadged Herevnto maie be added if there bee cause the testimonies of the Councelles Fathers Stories or other authorities of credite not to argue or proue any truthe or to cōuince or disproue any vntruthe for this appertaineth to God not to man to his infallible woorde and not to the writinges of men who are all liars but as witnesses to testifie what the doctrine of the Churche was in suche a question in the sondrie ages times of the church Which beyng doen by either partie then that either of them bothe aunswere the argumentes of the other and strengthen again his owne in suche place as the aduerse partie shall thinke to be weake Which passyng thus to and fro till bothe haue said what thei are able for thē selues will leaue suche a meanes for those whiche are willing to informe their cōsciences of the truthe as by gods grace it wil be easie to discerne His secōd reason wherby it maie appeare that their standyng in this cause is not without substanciall warrant is noted to be the vncertaintie of temporall fauor in matters of Religiō but that sectiō wherevpon it is noted conteineth no suche matter but onely this that it is not inough to perswade them that we saie we haue the Gospell because other also condemne vs and saie thei haue it we are not ignoraunte that euery one maketh claime to haue the Gospell and condemne those whiche ioyne not with them Amōgest whom that he reckeneth Luther and a Scholer of his I referre him to my answere where this is alledged of hym before which answere maie serue for his Scholer too As for the Trinitaries and Anabaptistes it is but his his malice and hatred against the Gospell to recken vs with theim whom wee are as vnlike in all their vngodly opiniōs as thei are vnlike the true Churche of Christ and her moste holy faith But this were an aunswere if we had nothing but the bare word and boastyng of the Gospell Wee haue made God be praised for it sufficient profe to all equall Iudges that it is bothe in woorde and in deede the true Gospell and pure woorde of GOD and the lawe of the lorde whiche is now the Religion through the goodnesse whiche hath visited vs from aboue established and preached emōgst vs. The twoo next sections haue some matter in them like this title for in the firste of thē he affirmeth the holie Religion whiche is now established to haue been brought in by an noble man after king Henries daies whiche he saieth could doe moste by bryngyng in twoo Caluinistes as he tearmeth them to read in the two Vniuersities here Whiche he so laieth out as if we had no other staie for Religion but that noble mannes pleasure who he saith if he would haue brought in twoo of any other secte might aswell haue established it whervpon he cōcludeth that seyng that seculer magistrate nor temporall law is no sufficiēt ground in religiō there is no cause but thei should be excused to continue stil in their opinion as thei doe And thus he retourneth againe to his request of disputation But first for this his second reason He maie remember hym self that their Dagon was fallen to the grounde though not with so greate hurte as after euen in the tyme and raigne of Kyng Henry the eight of noble memorie So that to speake in any reason he cannot laie the foundation of the Gospell now emongest vs vpon the onely meanes of the noble manne whom he noteth He might haue remembred that worthie thinges wer doen in K. H. tyme. For God had giuē that noble king besides his owne abilitie to discouer the ambitious pride and greedie couetousnesse of the Clergie the repugnance of the Popes supremacie with the souerantie of his roiall croune and dignitie the abhominations of the Dispensations of the Pope and sondrie suche like weightie and materiall poinctes of true Religion For GOD gaue vnto hym by sides some other meanes chiefe furtheraunce to the sight of these thynges by that moste vertuous and excellent Princes Ladie Anne Bulleyne the moste honourable mother of our dreade Soueraine Ladie now raignyng ouer vs whose eyes God hauyng opened to see the truthe her religious and zealous mynde louyng the wisedome that is greater then Salomon whiche the famous Queene of Saba was so delighted with and beeyng carefull for Gods people as Queene Hester was a worthy meanes to draw the noble kyng to better iudgement and knowledge in Religion then he had been of before whiche was also Godlie continued by the good and gracious Ladie Queene Katherine Par. Further also besides many other he had two as wise faithfull coūsailors as euer had Christian kyng before hym The one that reuerend and learned father Crāmer and the other the wise lord Cromwel counsellours worthie of eternall memorie for their Religious stout and wise dealyng against the misterie of iniquitie For hauing not to do onely with the Popes Consistory and Vestrie with his Cannon lawe beggerly wardrope with his discipline ceremonies but with his whole bodie with his whole house and tēple and that so rooted and groūded as if the foūdations of it had been layd in the centre of the earth yet God poured suche a Christian magnanimitie into their noble hartes to vndertake and such a sound iudgement to deuise the way to performe the ouerthrowe of it and to vndermine those deepe foundations as if the lord had giuen theim a pouder to rende vp those stately houses as Bulwerkes of Sathan and Castles of superstition and Idolatrie which seemed to haue been builded to continue to the ende of the worlde Further the Gospell was taught bothe in other places and also here in Englande and was receiued beleued and professed most constantly to the death by sondrie true professors of it and constaunt martyrs of Christe long before that tyme he speaketh of Wherefore there is no reason to make the entrance of those two readers the beginning of true religiō with vs. Moreouer also in the beginnyng of the raigne of that noble princely king Edward Who knoweth not that the state of religiō was established within this land by act of Parlament before the commyng in of those readers into the vniuersitees so that this reason is vtterly voide of all reason to make thē the beginnyng of religion emongst vs who came in twoo yeres after it had been throughly and quietly established as it is at this present daie After in deede by the worthie meanes of the noble Duke of Sommersett Lorde Protector and the right reuerend Cranmer twoo famous clearkes that then were of the moste renoumed for their vertue and learnyng in all these partes of Europe Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr wer procured ouer and placed the one in Cambridge the other in Oxford to the greate seruice of almightie God and of this his Churche For thei accordyng to the Apostles exhortatiō deliuered ouer a forme of sound doctrine to many
therby the cheefest and worthiest seruauntes of God in those daies and best able to discouer his falshoode doeth euidently shew that in other writynges which should neuer come to like examination and tryall they would make small conscience of like corruptions so thei might serue their turnes Further the creditte they obtained in the Church by some good Bishoppes of Roome in the beginning and cōstant Martirs of Christ was a great meanes whereby these whiche succeeded in their places but not in their pietie and holye profession togeather with the power and authoritie which they had gotten of the Emperours coulde not so easily and openly bee discouered as that the tyme of their beginning to fall awaie and theire secrete procéeding and growing forwarde shoulde bee openly controlled Which we may see in the declinations and conuersions of common welths For the lawfull gouernement of Kinges or of a senate of Princes or of the states of a land after an equall and iust regiment of some yeares either of purpose or thorow the weaknes of mans nature which is not able to maintaine thinges long in any perfect state may decline in time to a tyranny or confusion But if the whéele of such a state be not turned with any suddaine violent motion but softly in many yeres almost without any noyse then I say that in a certaine periode of tyme the lawfull and iust gouernement will be chaunged in déed into an vnlawfull tyranny or confusion But yet while it is a turning especially in the beginning when the motions are leaste and hardest to be discerned no man almoste can bee able to saye when this wheele was firste moued or whose hand first began to turne it And this shal yet be harder if such as haue finest senses to discerne euen of the most still and insensible motions vppon their discouering of them be charged and condemned as traitours to the state For by this meanes others which perceiue no sensible alteration are greatly hindred to discerne of their exact and exquisite iudgement and thinke rather that they were deceiued worthely executed for some Treason against the state Whereas notwithstanding after when the motions grow more forcible and violent euerye meane wit will be able to discerne it and in the ende no man so blind nor dull but must needes perceiue it And such hath beene the conuersion of the Church of Rome In the tyme of the Apostle Paules preaching in it for of Peters beeing there we haue no certaine ground in the scriptures The state of that Churche both for doctrine and discipline was perfect and such as the Lorde Iesu him selfe had appoynted After his tyme it continued in good state while it was vnder persecution euen to Constantines time yet so that euen then the whéele began to turne And tho the motions were so easie stil as all men perceiued them not yet some of exquisite iudgement did discerne in it a slyding forwardes to this supersticion and tyrannie Amongest whome Ireneus noted Victor in the Question of the daye to bee kept for Easter daye to haue beene to peremptory and to take to much vppon him to excommunicate the East churches for it the matter being in it selfe indifferent and Victor hauing no authoritie ouer those Churches After when it had peace and rest from persecution the motions grew faster and swifter For then it began to seeke for wealth after wealth taking occasion by the honour of the place being then the seat of the Empyre began to affect some like preeminence in the church and to draw as it were in the church the image of the Empyre Whereof tho the rough draught was imperfect and a shadow of lyues not easie to be discerned yet after the cole came the pensill and then the colours til at the last the whole image of the Empyre was to be seene in the state of the Church In which tyme fell out the falsification of the Canons of the counsell of Nice reprooued by Austen and all the fathers of that coūsell Which liberty of theirs and the free estate of other churches as counterwholes so checked his course that it could not goe fast forward til by the authoritie of Phocas hee had obtained the name of vniuersall Byshop Which being once obtained with in a while after it grew to be such as all were declared Heretiques which should speake against it And then the wheele was violently carried to this apostasie from the trueth of the Gospell and as the motions were more sensible so more there were which perceyued it and spake against it But notwithstanding al the difficulties which might hinder this purpose it appeareth for all the secresie subtletie hipocrisie authoritie force and cunning whereby they sought to hide their wickednesse from the worlde yet by the grace of God the beginners and authours of certaine of the degrees of this mysticall iniquitie are to bee discouered Concerning the reste we vndertake to prooue that what time or by whom soeuer they were brought in that they were not taught by Christ nor his Apostles nor in their tyme which is our immoueable ground where on we build that at what time or by whome so euer it began it is not to be alowed nor receiued M. Iewell of reuerend memory did vndertake and perfourme againste them that twenty nine points Wherin they differ from vs the primitiue church Whensoeuer after they were brought in yet were not knowne nor taught in the church for sixe hundred yeres after Christ Amōgst which this is one which he nameth of the real presence and consequently Their masse which is another for their Masse can not stande without a real presence And if neither in the time of Christ nor sixe hundred yéers after they can prooue them to haue beene receiued to what purpose is it to aske when they began let them rather shewe vs when they began and prooue that so many points as haue beene offered them were receiued in so manye sundry ages and times of the Church Which if they can not doe then let them acknowledge their iuste cause of satisfaction and their wilfull ostinacy against the truth but to satisfy him further in the particulers he hath set down I say first touching the question of the real presence it began to be moued after the daies of Charles the great in the raigne of Charles his neuew At what time Bertram an excellent clarke wrote a large volume of it and prooued the words of the Supper were to be vnderstood in a mistery and figure and not really After whom Paschasius began to write for the vnderstanding of the words of a real presence And after thē both Bertrams iudgemēt was maintained by Berengarius the French churches and the opinion of Pascasius by Lanfranc and others Thus diuersly was this controuersie handled till the Laterane counsell defyned of it which yet the French churches especially of Aniou and Yours for a long time yéelded not vnto Of this errour
offence So likewise ought he in this case And though conscience and Religion bee not putt in by tormentes yet maie one as Austen also cōfesseth hauyng his obstinacie chastened by the aucthoritie of the Magistrate bee stirred vpp to consider more seriously of the course he helde and by suche occasion growyng to a deeper exanimation of the cause through the grace of GOD attaine to the true faithe And if thei should not yet is not the punishment in vaine For by it many which otherwise by a dissolute lenity would be incouraged with impunitie and followe the same wicked waies are better aduised and kept from destruction els were it in vaine saied whiche I haue alledged before take awaie the euill one from amongst you that al Israell maie heare and feare and not dare to doe the like But stil he standeth vpō their cause vrging it to be vnworthie suche extremitie and why so because our fathers haue beene as giltie herein as thei hauyng professed the same auncient Religion that thei doe now But what is here in this reason that might not serue all Heathen men before the preaching of the Apostles amongest them most of thē yet to this daye If there were now any kingdome amongst thē reformed according to the Gospell some should still maintaine their auncient Idolatrie and pleade for them selues that they are no more giltie then their fathers and the fathers of their Magistrates had beene before them were this a sufficient cause why thei should be exempted from punishment If our fathers were deceiued by theim it standeth vs their children posteritie muche the more in hand to take heede of their damnable waies and doctrine It is more then we can aunswere that our fathers haue sinned It were wisedome therefore that wee tooke heede we ad not sinne to sinne Those were the tymes whiche the Lorde regarded not in respect of vouchsauing them this exceedyng fauour of the true knowledge of the Gospell but now he hath visited vs from aboue and called all men to Repentance Whiche gracious goodnesse of God toward this tyme it were fitter for them to acknowledge and receiue with thanckesgiuing then thus to obstinate themselues to fill vp the measure of their Fathers iniquitie that all the Idolatrie that hath been since the worshippyng of the golden Calfe at mount Horeb maie bee brought vppon theim Haue thei forgotten that it is written To daie if ye will heare his voice harden not your hartes as your fathers did in the wildernesse who tempted and prouoked God till he sware thei should not enter into his reste Againe he retourneth to the takyng awaie of that effecte whiche this Iustice pretendeth to woorke affirmyng vpon the woordes of Gamaliell that those men whiche of meere zeale as he saieth after the Apostles maner are come emongst vs to endaunger them selues to maintaine the faithe can not bee made desiste if their counsell be of God But I saie their counsell cannot bee of God because the Faithe thei seeke to maintaine is against God as giuyng to Idolls the honor of him of whō it is saied thou shalt worship the Lorde thy God and hym onely shalte thou serue and againste his anointed as settyng vp many Sauiours many Mediators whereas it is said there is saluation in no other and if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with God the Father who is Iesu Christe the righteous he is the propitiation for our sinnes Further I saie thei runne and are not sent of GOD who sendeth not any now adaies after the Apostles maner to preache in all the worlde Their ministerie was necessarie for a tyme that the voice of the Lorde might bee heard in all coastes and the sounde of it to the ende of the yearth But now that the world hath heard it their Ministerie is ceased and the Lorde calleth by their doctrine and the ministerie of Pastours and teachers of seuerall Congregations Therefore well might an vnskilfull Souldier bee father to these Iesuites that knewe not what he did For if he had vnderstoode any thyng of the woorde of God he should haue knowne that there is now no suche callyng whiche thei maie professe without more special warrāt thē thei haue any Therfore Gamaliell that honourable Counsellour and Senatour beeyng their Iudge thei must needes desist and al their purposes come to naught because thei are not of God Your lordships honorable meanes whiche hath releeued straūgers giueth hym hope that thei maye also finde some comfort of the same whiche I doubt not but if thei were as neere in faithe and the communion of Sainctes as these straungers are but thei should vndoubtedly finde at your honours handes But if thei that are of Dauids counsell and sit at his table lift vp their heeles againste hym a straunger that feareth God without all comparison is more deepely to taste of your Lorshipps honourable succour comfort then such a one though he were bred at home Now againe what the effects of these your Lordships proceadynges maie bee whiche for a farewell is diuersly exaggerated Firste in this life and then in the life to come In this life thei must needes he saith to speake plainly bee subiecte to horror obloquie grudge hatred diuers breaches and moste daungerous woundes as all extremities are wont to doe and after that it can woorke no estimation loue or securitie to your posteritie Is this a duetifull speeche of a suppliant vpon his knees as he pretendeth to bee before your honourable assembly or agreeth this well with his often protestations of reuerence and duetie But the lorde that hath hetherto blessed your honors notwithstandyng the curse of their chief cursers I doubte not but if your honours shall yet further indeauor to serue the lorde in the sincere aduaūcyng of his truthe and the iuste punishment of his enemies accordyng to the greate and honourable seruice he hath called you vnto but that the same Lorde whom you shall so serue will tourne awaie all these threates of hatred and woūdes in your owne persones and your posteritie from your honours and your noble children vpon an Idolatrous and bloudie generation that knowe hym not nor feare his name Therefore as our Sauior Christ speaketh in a like case when it was tolde hym that Herod threatned to kil him this Foxe is to remember that there are twelue howres in the daie wherin who so walketh can take no hurte Your honours all that professe the truthe walke vnder the shadowe and protection of the highest who hath numbred the heares of your head and without his will not one of theim shall fall vnto the ground Thei whiche receiue the truthe are to serue GOD in their sondrie callynges to the mainteinaunce of it in honour and dishonour in wealthe and woe in life and death If there fall out any dishonour it can not bee like the shame of the crosse of Christe If any woundes not like those precious woundes whiche he offered his holy body