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
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
and honourable Parentes it is no harde matter to poinct out bothe the Parentes and tyme of the natiuitie of it But as of a base sonne of a common Harlott no man can tell the father So their Romishe Superstition beyng the base issue of the whore of Bablilon no maruell though wee can not tell who it was that begot it That Harlot hath had so many louers as it is not easie for her selfe to tell who was father of her sondrie Bastards But though neither their father nor tyme of birthe be knowne is it therefore to bee concluded that thei are right and noble borne nothyng lesse But any other Parentes and Authours of our faithe then our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles neither he nor all the sonnes of Romulus at Roome nor of Remus at Rhemes shall euer bee able to shewe Thei maie easily shewe by whose blessed ministerie the Lorde of late hath restored vnto vs this Gospell again as it was easie in Iosias tyme to saie that the booke of the lawe was founde in Iosias tyme the 13. yeare of his reigne by Hilcia the Priest whiche was no preiudice to the lawe For if it had not been founde till of late when the Gospell accordyng to the truthe of it was found yet had it been neuerthelesse the law of God and that most holy and auncient law whiche had been giuen sometymes by the ministerie of Moses So likewise thei may name in what Kynges daies what yeare of his reigne Luther began to discouer the abhomination of the Popes indulgences after both he and others restored to vs againe after a lōg apostasie time of darknesse the knowledge of the truth yet were thei no Authors of it no more then Helcia of the law but Moses of the law and Christ of the Gospell whiche thei preached and other Authors shall thei neuer be able to shewe But for their Romishe faithe we will ioyne this issue with them to shewe it is not of Christ nor of his Apostles Further also notwithstandyng that thei and others who haue ruled the worlde haue wasted all the recordes of many auncient Writers that we can not haue the writynges of all that did controlle them and that in some fewe 100. yeares in the beginnyng their faithe crept in by little and little by soft and flowe paces and that with greate hypocrisie that it could not bee well discouered and therfore not easily controlled for suche tyme yet will wee shewe that when the buildyng and seede appeared aboue the grounde the seruauntes of God discouered Antichristes Sinagoge and his Tares and haue freely complained to the Lorde against it The reason why it is hard to discouer the Authors and tymes of the seuerall pointes of this Popishe heresie are these First it entered not into the Churche all at once but in sondry ages declined from the truthe of the Gospell till it came to this full apostasie wherein it hath beene now some hundred yeres The degrees of which declination were so small at the beginnyng that thei were not easily to be spied Reasons why this issue is not to be ioyned For as the grasse and wheate growe as wee reade in the Gospell yet no man can discerne the growyng of it or see how muche of it shooteth vp in a daie So likewise doe the Tares A man maie well discerne them when thei are growne but while thei are growing it is not easie to discerne Secondly the hypocriticall shewe that these beginnynges of declination caried with them was a greate meanes to deceiue the worlde For if it bee not easie to know the Wolfe in a Sheepes skinne nor the Beast in his shewe of two hornes like a Lambe nor the Angell of darknesse when he transformeth hymself like to an Aungell of light so most of all this hath place in little and small beginninges of Superstition couered and clothed with a shewe of good deuotion For these and suche like causes the auncient Fathers within the first 4. or 500. yeares tooke no greate heede to the little and small beginnynges that were then laied of this misterie of iniquitie Further also those tymes were exercised greatly in striuing with maine Heretickes seekyng to ouerturne openly the groundes and foundations of our faithe concernyng the twoo natures and vnitie of the persone of Christ Iesu Thei had to striue with Ebion Cerinthus Arius Eutiches Eunomius Nestorius and after with the Donasties Pelagians and many other who euidently and manifestly sought the subuersion of the chiefe groundes of Christianitie Wherfore hauyng to deale with many open enemies and of those some of greate abilitie to hurt the churche for speciall giftes of knoledge and eloquēce thei set them selues as there was great cause thei should to resist the forcible violence of those mightie enemies whereby it was scarse possible for those worthie learned fathers to take heede to those degrees of superstition that by little and little so suttely and hypocritically crept into the church Besides this if any of them did discerne the soft slidyng awaie from true religion and deuotion into superstition yet sure thei neuer feared the issue would haue been suche as experience hath taught vs. And if thei gaue any token of their dislike hereof the wastes and confusions of the world since that time haue been suche as it maie be well enough that some of them reproued more thē can now be shewed by any workes that are extant There were many worthie and famous mē which wrote infinite volumes of whō now little remaineth and some nothyng but their names Origen wrote exceedyng muche yet there remaineth now little in comparison of that he wrote and that which remaineth is so corrupted that it nothing aunswereth the famous reporte of learnyng which Origen had in the church in his tyme. To this maie be added that the B. of R. by meanes of the R. Emperors whiche were Monarches of the worlde with whom thei were in credit had the meanes to deface abolishe all writynges rolles and recordes whiche might hinder the growyng of their superstitions And that this is no vaine surmise of a thyng that might bee it appeareth that thei were so diligent to doe it as ther was nothyng so authentike and reuerende that for their purpose thei were not ready to corrupt and falsifie What was more reuerēd in Austens tyme then the famous councell of Nice and the Cannons agreed of by the Fathers assembled together in that reuerend Consistory Senate yet the B. of R. corrupted falsified the 9. Cannon of that Councell to lay the foūdations of the Primacy whiche thei pretended vnto ouer all Churches For so the Story reporteth that Faustine the B. of R. Legate or Deputie alledged that Cannon for the Supremacy which being after diligently sought for by Austen the rest of the Fathers was found to bee corrupted and so thei wrote vnto the B. whiche foule act to corrupt the Cannōs of so reuerende a Councell and to seeke to abuse
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
which at the same time in all the worlde professe by publike ministerie Christian religion as a most graue reuerent testimony ought worthily to be regarded by all her modest and humble children Yet because it may bee subiect to error in some poynt yea most substantiall and materiall poyntes as the experience of the apostasie which the Apostle prophecied off doth sufficiētly declare euen that can be no sufficient warrant of the truth Only the written word of God is sufficient which alone hath this prerogatiue aboue all creatures to certifie assure our consciences in matters of religiō Whereby we being taught the faith which wee haue belieued as wee are readie thorowe the grace of God to make good at all times before all men our faith can not be any newe or perticuler opinion as he wrongfully chargeth it but is the auncient and generall faith of the Church which hath testimony giuen vnto it by the lawe and by al the Prophets which spake from Moses to Samuell Rom. 3.22 Act. 3.24 and those which folowed after These are auncient Fathers in deede whose heades are all white as woll In comparison of whom the fathers they boast off haue neuer a one of them a graye haire vpon his heade they may seeme to haue beene borne but yesterdaye In which respect according to the Lawe Leuit. 19.32 they are to rise vp and giue place and doe their duetie to these who are aged Fathers in deede For where as simply there is nothing auncient but that which is euerlasting and all other thinges are auncient in respect and in comparison of that which is yonger Wee most truly affirme our faith to be so farre more auncient then theirs as that for euery hundreth yeares their doctrine is olde which at this day the Church of Roome teacheth that which our Churches professe is auncient 1000. as being the faith of the righteousnes of God witnessed vnto by the lawe and by the Prophetes Therefore if it had neuer bene heard of in England before and though it haue beene condemned by that vngodly Pius Quintus and his successor of like impietie Rom. 3.21 and their folowers as Christ was by Caiphas and the Apostles by Annas and his whole consistory yet remaineth it still and shall remaine for euer no newe nor perticuler opinion but the auncient and generall faith of the Church the Apostolicall and propheticall doctrine whereby in all partes of the world haue beene and shall be saued whosoeuer were appoynted to euerlasting life For which cause godly hath it beene procured by your HH and established by her highnesse authoritie amongst vs as was the obedience of the lawe by Iosias when it was founde after that it had beene lost by negligence of the priestes for certaine yeares In like sort the true Gospell being found againe which had beene lost by the negligence of their Priestes if not also by their malice and for the furtherance of their pompe and riches which it serued not for hath beene in deed aduised by the right Reuerend Synod of the ministerie of this our whole Nation and restored to his former auncient authoritie by the high Court of Parliament enacting ordeyning by statute the approbation and allowance of it Which if it haue bene done as here he cōplayneth without tryall or disputation and confuting of the aduersary openly the blame is to be laide vpon none but themselues For who can make a coward to fight he may be challenged hee may haue his day appoynted and by some meanes be brought into the fielde but if his heart shall faile him when he seeth his enimie in the face and that the euill quarrell he commeth in doth take away his courage so that he yeeld himselfe to the pleasure of his aduersary without striking of any stroke hath he after any reason to complayne that he was not fought withall Euen so it is not vnknowne to your HH and to this whole state that our aduersaries were called to disputation and the day appoynted at which also they came as if they would haue disputed but belike considering there is no wisedome against the Lord nor power that can preuaile against his truth they began to picke quarrels to auoyde the brunt of the battell and forsooke the fielde refusing to dispute Our reuerend Fathers of worthie memory Cranmer Ridley Latimer c. dealt not so with them in Q. Maries dayes but encountred with them both in the conuocation house also at Oxford to their shamefull foyle and iust reproch howsoeuer after they hauing the lawe in their owne handes did most vniust and cruell execution vpon them by burning them in the fire An argument voyde of all reason and full of vyolence and wrong which yet by the grace of God they fully answered receyuing vertue from aboue and being fortified with an heroicall magnanimitie and a most christian and noble spirit whereby they endured the cruell torment of the flaming fire with great patience and comfort reioycing they were vouchsafed not onely to belieue but also to suffer and that vnto death and so cruel a death for the testimony of the Lord Iesu and the witnesse of his truth And yet these men according to the Prouerbe that he that flyeth may fight againe not being ashamed that men should remember the foyle of that day when they were not able to stand with those who were appoynted to dispute with them now as if they had gotten new hart of grace some good armor of proofe which euen the verie word of God the spiritual sword wherby we fight against these men were not able to pearce haue nothing in their mouthes nor in their pennes but disputation whereof if they came to it againe as their late chāplan did I doubt not but they would haue soone inough But of this I haue ocasion to speak more herafter Now let vs proceede to his other reasons The other two reasons which are debated by him more at large are of vnity and pollicie both which he affirmeth to bee in their religion denyeth to be in ours For vnitie I say as in the other that neyther if they had that vnitie agreement amongst themselues wherof they boast that they were thereby sufficiently warranted and then that they haue it not Of the other part that in ours is the true vnitie which is in veritie For the first that al agreemēt is no sufficient proofe of the goodnesse of the matter wherein they agree it may easily appeare for that al malefactors haue a kinde of agréement So likewise haue the enimies of the Gospel of Christ as the Apostles out of the 2. Psal declare that the Iewes the Romaines the auncient enimies of Christ that the Gentiles the people of Israel the state ciuil ecclesiasticall did al agrée cōspire together against God against his annointed Therfore except he can proue that faith wherein they agree to be the true ancient faith of Gods
to their callynges to looke to the doynges of these busie and sedicious Seminaristes and to further suche lawfull iustice against them as they maye by their vnlawfull deedes make them selues subiecte vnto and that your HH accordyng to the noble care you haue had hitherto of the maintenaunce of Gods true Religion of the sacred person of her most excellent Maiestie and of all the people against al which thei haue wickedly set them selues will still holde your eyes open night and daie ouer them to discouer the secrete practises of their enemies and to bryng to knowledge and iustice their vngodly and cruell deuises whiche thei conspire of vnder pretence of their confession Concernyng triall of disputation he chargeth vs with two thynges that wee refuse all triall by writyng preachyng or lawfull disputation and that wee are readie onely when we haue the aduauntage What triall he could make of any cause by preachyng I can not tell except he haue a confidence in persuasible wordes of humaine learnyng and supposeth that if it were as free for thē to preach as it is for vs that then thei should worke miracles For to trie the truth of pointes of Religion by preachyng I think was neuer taken for any waie of triall since the Gospell was first preached Therefore this part of their three waies he might well haue spared except he hope of suche their abilitie If he haue any suche confidence he is to learne that the Apostles preuailed not by preachyng in suche order but that their speeche was such as caried with it an euidence read and vnderstoode in the hartes of the hearers that thei spake by the spirite of God For their doctrine as also our sauiour Christs before was with power not as that of the Scribes and Pharises And therefore if he haue hope in this his hope is a Spiders webbe and as a brokē Reede that wil deceiue him There were many eloquent Oratours many profounde Philosophers and many wisemen accordyng to humaine reason when the Apostles were sent to preache And thei came against them neither with persuasible woordes of mannes teachyng nor with any depe Philosophicall skill nor with any greate reachyng witte but with the worde of the Crosse as farre from any outwarde pompe of speeche as the Crosse of Christ was frō any worldly honor Yet by this woorde bare and naked in shewe by this breathe of the Lordes mouthe thei preuailed against all the enemies of the Gospel and subdued the wise and deepe the flowyng and eloquent men to the obedience of the faithe of Christe Therefore hauyng not this worde for hym but against hym if he had the tongues of Angelles yet should he no more preuaile to the subuertyng of the faithe of the electe of God then either Tertullus the Oratour or the false Apostles in the Churche of Corinth did against Paule the true seruaunt of Christe If the armour we fight with against thē were but carnall as theirs is wherewith thei striue against vs then might thei hope in deede to match learnyng with learnyng skill with skill knowledge with knowledge Eloquence with Eloquēce finally any of these giftes cōmon vnto all men with as greate giftes to maintaine warre against vs. 2. Cor. 10. ◠But the weapons of our warfare are spirituall and through the might of him that worketh all thynges of power to ouerthrowe euery high Tower and euery strong Bulwark that is exalted against it To vs it is who professe by the grace of God and teach the Gospell to whom is promised Mat. 10. and to whō it hath often been performed a mouth and wisedome against whiche all our enemies should not be able to stande Wee are the weake ones by whom the Lorde confoundeth the strong the base by whom the noble the thinges of no accompt by whom he ouerthroweth those of greatest reckenyng in their opinion that the glory maie be the lordes Besides he must nedes think vs verie loose and dissolute in the administration and discipline of the Churche that should thinke it a likely matter to persuade that thei should bee suffered to come emongest vs to preache their wicked heresies of Idolatrie and all abhominations Where did the Apostles euer suffer this in any church established by thē Where did euer christian prince hauyng receiued the truth wittyngly and willyngly admitte false Apostles and erronious teachers emongest their people If the woorde of God had not made vs thus wise yet might wee haue learned this of all the worlde and of theim selues Thei themselues doe thei suffer the true Preachers of the Gospell freely and without restraint to preache emongest thē Did thei euer offer this at Rome or in any parte where their Idolatrie is established If the children of darcknesse haue so muche vnderstandyng to maintaine their Kyngdome of blindnesse muche more the childrē of light ought to be able to discerne of that whiche appertaineth to the mainteinaunce of the kyngdome of Christe This then neuer hauyng been any waie of triall nor in deede beyng not of that nature to trie a truthe there remaineth to satisfie hym for the reste He requireth yet a triall by disputation and that in twoo sortes by writyng or speeche For triall by disputation it hath been admitted alwaies and many tymes offered by the professours of the Gospell vnto them and that in bothe sortes of speaking writyng Martin Luther Phililp Melancthon Luthers worthie companion with sondrie others of the learned famous men of Germanie maintained the most holy and honorable cause of the Gospell by disputation before many of the great states of Germanie against as subtill cunnyng Instruments of Satan as euer since haue risen vp to oppugne the truthe of the Gospell In Fraunce at Poyssie Theodore Beze Peter Martir men of rare excellencie of knowledge and vtteraunce with sondrie other worthy learned menne so disputed this cause with the choise of Sorbone and of all the Papistes of Fraunce as the Cardinal of Loraine hym self wished that Beza that day had bin dombe or some of his auditours noting the chiefest had been deafe meaning thereby that God by him that daie had so laied open the truth and disciphered their errours as he feared least those that were in aucthoritie should haue receiued it I leaue to mention the disputation of Zwinglius Oecolampadius and others at Bearne Basile Strausborough and other free Citees In all which the Lorde so assisted his seruauntes the ministers of the Gospell as vpon suche triall the truthe was found to be with them And to speake here of the like at home in Kyng Edwardes tyme and also in Queene Maries when thei brought those worthy men and constant Martyrs of Christ Cranmer Ridley and Latimer and others to dispute at Oxford with the most vnreasonable inequalitie that might be yet thei so receiued and put out all the fierie dartes of the Deuill and his instrumentes cast against thē and so foiled and wounded their enemies that bothe all
out the filthe and pollutions wherewith thei had defiled the Lordes Temple and to reforme it so as the primitiue and auncient beautie and holinesse of it maie shine and appeare in it again How should wee fall before them in the battaile or feare the daie of encountryng with them in disputation The Lord goeth out before our armies his holie Arke dwelleth emongest vs his siluer Trumpets sound continually in our eares Which are sure vndoubted arguments that as heretofore we haue often preuailed against them so now muche more that our enemie so oftentimes foiled bee he neuer so obstinate yet can neuer be able to hurte vs or if he doe it shal be onely thus accordyng to the promise he maie bruse our heele but we shall burst his head in péeces Thus much for his first way sf disputation wherein I haue shewed that oftentymes by conference in speeche thei haue fled before vs. Concerning disputatiō by writyng al the world is full of the learned workes of our worthy fathers and brethrē wherein thei haue bothe taught the truthe and worthely maintained it againste the wicked flaunders and obiection of the aduersarie and conuicted theim of as notorious and pernicious heresies as euer haue been since the misterie of Iniquitie began to woorke What should I recken vp here whiche are infinite the names whiche are written in the booke of life of our moste worthie fathers and brethren who beyonde the Seas haue aunswered all their Challengers confuted their erronious and hereticall writynges and cōfirmed the truth to abide for euer Our owne countriemen haue in like sort maintained the Lords most iuste and honourable quarrell againste all suche as from emongest our selues haue beene raised vp to blaspheme the truthe Cranmer that moste reuerende and learned Father aunswered Gardener in the question of the Lordes Supper to the iustifiyng of the truthe and his owne euerlasting praise with God and men and the iust confusion of his aduersarie For their bolde Hardyng in whom they trusted for a tyme wee had a precious Iewell riche in spirituall graces of infinite more valewe without comparison Their Marshalles Rastalles Dormans and the rest of that olde rabble and of this newe charge their Allens Bristowes and Campions haue all found men to aunswere them through the grace of God of suche godly learnyng sufficiencie and blessyng vppon their labours as by the Lordes mercie we maie saie with the Prophett Thei came about vs like Bees but are extinct as a fire of thornes thei came in confidence of them selues but in the name of the Lorde of Hostes we haue preuailed against them Wherefore hauyng thus been fought with at all the weapons wherein they supposed they had any skill and their shieldes beaten to their heades so often and pearced through what a wrangling contencious and obstinate Aduersarie is this that will yet renewe more chalenges and boast that we dare Neither abroade with neuer so muche securitie nor at home vppon our owne grounde shewe our selues in disputatiō against them Whether would they haue vs to goe to Roome or to Rhemes to dispute with them there What indifferent Iudges or witnesses maie wee haue to dispute of the goodnesse of the finest Wheate and the naughtinesse of weedes in a Seminarie of tares What securitie can we looke for at their handes whose Religion it is to deale vnfaithfully with vs and to breake any faithe of a holy Priest as thei would bee thought or the royall worde and faithe of Kynges and Princes to feede their cruell eyes to see vs burne in the middest of their flamyng fires Their Cannons teache that faithe is not to bee kept with an Heriticke and such they iudge vs as Tertulles did the Apostle And this is no olde forgotten Cannon and worne out of vse but reuiued by the wicked practise of the faithlesse councell of Constance and the disloyall Emperour Sigismund constrained by them to that dishonor cōtrary to his safe conduit graūted to those constant Martirs of Christ faithful plaine Ihon Hus and the learned and eloquēt Ierome of Prage If euer thei would keepe any faithe with vs thei would surely haue kept that beyng giuen in the worde and solemne instrument of an Emperour And if that were not sufficient what securitie will they giue vs or because wee can not safely rest vpon any warrant of theirs who so traiterously disloyally haue falsified their owne deede and therfore haue iustly lost their creditte with vs and are banckeruptes as touchyng their faithe Will thei because we neuer brake with them come to suche places as we shall appoint them If we shall wish thē to come to Geneua in Sauoy to Newstade in Bauire to Rochell in Fraunce or such like places wil thei not complaine that their audience can not bee indifferent what remaineth then but to dispute in writyng whiche as we haue doen hitherto to the iust defence of the truthe against them so by the grace of God some of vs wil be alwaies readie to doe hereafter But if thei would haue their bookes to pas fréely without restraint and all men to be allowed to reade them let thē first assure vs that thei will leaue it free for all suche as are abused by them to reade ours For we are not ignorant of their discipline though most dissolute where it should be straitest yet herein applied to the keping of the poore and ignorant which depend vppon them in that captiuitie that thei maie not once dare to reade our writynges least thei should be conuerted and repent that the Lorde might saue them For except a fewe whom thei estéeme desperate of beyng turned by any meanes to the truth thei restraine al with whom their discipline maie preuaile frō reading of our works If thei so straightly prouide to hinder the truth and to keepe captiue simple soules in their blind kyngdōe of darkenesse Muche more reason haue our Magistrates to prouide that the children of light bee not lead into darkenesse by them But if this discipline remainyng on bothe parties thei bee yet disposed to dispute to informe them selues in the truth if thei wil leaue this large maner of discoursing bitter taunts and other impertinent speeches not so fitt for tryall of a truthe and come to the sharpe poinctes of naked argumentes we are willyng to deale with them in suche order as maie be most indifferent for bothe and fittest for the information in truthe of all suche as shall after examine what hath past on bothe partes For whiche purpose it would be fittest that in euery question the contradictorie beyng taken the one parte for that whiche he holdeth in the question laied out his argumentes taken onely out of the holy Scriptures whiche is the onely competent Iudge in this cause concluded in good forme of Syllogisme without any further deduction of the matter then should be necessarie for the better vnderstanding of the termes which needes must be vsed of the application of the places