quiet and to be contented with my death which I am most willing to suffer and let vs now ioyne in praier vnto the Lord for the preseruation of the Kings Maiestie vnto whome hitherto I haue alwaies shewed my selfe a most faithfull and true subiecte I haue alwayes bene most diligent about his Maiestie in his affayres both at home and abroade and no lesse diligent in seeking the common commoditie of the whole Realme At whyche words all the people cried out and said it was most true Then the Duke proceeding said Unto whose Maiestie I wish continuall health with all felicitie all prosperous successe Whereunto the people againe cryed out Amen Moreouer I do wishe vnto all his Counsaylours the grace and fauour of God whereby they may rule in all things vprightly with iustice Unto whome I exhort you all in the Lord to shew your selues obedient as it is your bounden duety vnder the payne of condemnation and also most profitable for the preseruation and safegarde of the Kings Maiestie Moreouer for so much as heeretofore I haue had oftentimes affaires with diuers men The confession of the Duke of Somerset hard it is to please euery man therfore if there be any that hath ben offended iniuried by me I most humbly require aske him forgeuenes but especially almighty God whome throughout all my life I haue most greeuously offended and all other whatsoeuer they be that haue offended me I do with my whole hart forgeue them Now I once againe require you dearly beloued in the Lord that you wil keepe your selues quiete and still least through your tumult you might trouble me For albeit the spirite be willing and ready the flesh is fraile and wauering and through your quietnesse I shall be much more quieter The Duke â—f Someâ—set 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 of Ieâ—â—â— Christ. Moreouer I desire you all to beare me witnes that I dye heere in the fayth of Iesus Christ desiring you to helpe me with your prayers that I may perseuere constant in the same vnto my liues end After this hee turning himselfe agayne aboute like a meeke lambe â— Coxe 〈◊〉 ghostly 〈◊〉 kneeled down vpon his knees Then doctor Coxe which was there present to counsell and aduertise him deliuered a certaine scroll into his hand wherin was conteined a briefe confession vnto God Which being read he stoode vp againe vpon his feete without any trouble of mind as it appeared and first bad the Sheriffes farewel then the Lieutenant of the Tower and other taking them all by the handes which were vpon the scaffold with hym Then he gaue the Hangman certaine money Which done he put off his gowne and kneeling downe againe in the straw vntied his shyrt strings After that the hangman comming vnto him turned downe his coller round about his necke and al other things which did let or hinder him Then lifting vp his eyes to heauen where his only hope remained and couering his face with his owne handkercher he layd himselfe downe along shewing no maner of token of trouble or feare neyther did his countenaunce chaunge but that before his eyes were couered there began to appeare a red colour in the middest of his cheekes Thus this most meeke and gentle Duke lying along and looking for the stroke because his doublet couered his necke he was coÌ„maunded to rise vp and put it off and then laying himselfe downe againe vpon the blocke The godly 〈◊〉 of the Duke of Soâ—erset and calling thrise vpon the name of Iesus saying Lord Iesu saue mee as he was the thyrd tyme repeating the same euen as the name of Iesu was in vttering in a moment he was bereft both of head life slept in the Lord Iesus being taken away from all the daungers and euils of this life and resting now in the peace of God in the preferment of whose truth and Gospell he alwaies shewed himselfe an excellent instrument and member and therefore hath receyued the reward of his labours Thus gentle Reader thou hast the true history of this worthy and noble Duke and if any man report it otherwise let it be counted as a lye As touching the maners disposition life and conuersation of the said Duke and the Kings vncle what shall we neede to speake when as he can not be sufficiently commeÌ„ded according to the dignitie of his vertues There was alwaies in him great humanitie and suche meekenes and gentlenes as is rare to be found in so high estate He was prone and ready to geue care vnto the coÌ„plaints and supplicatioÌ„s of the poore The vertues of the Duke of Somerset declared no lesse attentiue vnto the affaires of the coÌ„mon wealth Which if he had liued together wyth king Edward was like to do much good in reforming many misorders within this realme He was vtterly ignoraÌ„t of al craft and deceit and as farre void of all pride and ambition as he was froÌ„ doing of iniury being indeede vtterly voyd of both He was of a gentle dispositioÌ„ not coueting to be reuenged more apt ready to be deceiued then to deceiue His auncient loue zeale of the Gospell of religion he brought with him to the state of this his dignitie The proofe whereof sufficiently was seene in his constant standing to gods truth and zealous defence therof The zealous standing of the Duke of Somerset in defence of the truth against the Bishops at Winsore against the Bishops of Chichester Norwich Lincolne London and others moe in the Consultation had at Windsore the first yeare of the kinges raigne Briefly considering the nature and vertues of this Duke I may as seemeth not vnaptly compare and resemble him vnto Duke Humfrey the good Duke of Glocester Who likewise being vncle vnto king Henry 6. and Protector of the Realme as this was also to king Edw. the 6. yet he wanted not his enemies and priuy enueyers especially Henry Beauford Cardinal Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellour of England A comparison betweene Duke Humfrey Vncle to K. Henry 6. and the Duke of Somerset Vncle to K. Edward 6. who at that time disdayning and enuying the rule and authoritie of thys Duke procured much trouble agaynst him and great deuision in the whole realme in so muche that all the Shops within the Cittie of London were shutte in for feare of the fauourers of these two great personages For ech part had assembled no small number of people For pacifying wherof the Archbishop of Caunterbury and the Duke of Quimber called the Prince of Portugale rode eight times in one day betwene the two aduersaries Such were then the troubles of these tumultuous diuision within the realme betweene these two Touching the trouble of the Duke of Glocester read before pag. 67â— as is before expressed pag. 679. not much vnlike to y e troublesome discord betwixt parties in this Protectors dayes And as in their afflictions and troubles these two Dukes seemed not
cyuill and also the lawes of God be on our side For a free man borne doth not lose his liberty no nor hurt the plee of his libertie though he write himselfe a bond man Againe if they leane to custome we send them to sainct Ciprian which saith that custome Custome if trouth be not ioyned with it is nothing but erroris vetustas that is an old error Christ sayd Ego sum via veritas vita I am y e way trouth and life He neuer sayd Ego sum consuetudo I am the custome Wherfore seeing custome serueth you on y e one side and Scripture vs vppon the other are ye able to matche vs In how many places doth Christ monish you to seek no primacie to preferre your selues before no body no The Popes 〈◊〉 and his digniâ—â— agree not to geather to be obedient vnto all creatures Your old title Seruus seruorum euill agreeth with your new forged dignitie But we will not tary in matters playne We onely desire God y t Cesar other Christian Princes would agree vpoÌ„ some holy Councell where trouth may be tried and ReligioÌ„ set vp which hath bene hurt by nothing so sore as by general not generall Councels Errours and abuses grow to fast Best that euery Prince reforme his owne realme and tary not for generall Councells Erudimini erudimini qui iudicatis terram Get you learning you y t iudge the earth excogitate some remedy for these so many diseases of y e sick Church They that be wisest do dispayre of a generall Councel Wherfore we think it now best that euery Prince call a Councell prouincial and euery Prince to redresse his owne Realme We make all men priuy what we thinke best to be done for the redresse of religion If they like it we doubt not but they wil follow it or some other better Our trust is that all Princes will so handle themselues in this behalfe that Princes may enioy their own and Priests of Rome content themselues with that they ought to haue Princes as we trust will no longer nourish Wolues whelpes they wil subscribe no more to popish pride to the Papacie c. Fauour our doinges O Christen Princes Your honor ancient Maiestie is restored RemeÌ„ber there is nothing pertaining so muche to a Princes honour as to set forth truth and to helpe religion Take you heed that their deceite worke not more mischief then your vertue can doe good euerlasting warre we would all Princes had with this Papacie As for their Decrees so harken to them that if in this Mantua assemble thynges be well done ye take them but not as authorised by them but that trouth and thyngs that mainteyne ReligioÌ„ are to be taken at all meÌ„s haÌ„des And eueÌ„ as we will admit thynges well made so if there be any thyng determined in preiudice of trouth for mainteinauÌ„ce of their euill grounded primacy or that may hurt y e authoritie of kings we protest vnto y e whole world that we neither allow it nor will at any tyme allow it Ye haue Christen Readers our mynde coÌ„cernyng the generall Councell We thinke you all see that Paule his Cardinals Byshops Abbots Monkes Friers with the rest of the rablemeÌ„t do nothing lesse inteÌ„d then the knowledge or search of trouth Ye see this is no tyme meete MaÌ„tua no place meete for a generall CouÌ„cell And though they were both meete yet except some other cal this CouÌ„cell you see that we neither neede to come nor to seÌ„d You haue heard how euery Prince in his owne Realme may quiet thynges amisse If there be any of you that can shew vs a better way we promise w t all harty desire to do that that shal be thought best for the setlyng of Religion that we wil leaue our owne aduises if any maÌ„ shew vs better Which mynde of ours we most hartly pray GOD that gaue it vs not onely to encrease in vs but also to send it vnto all Christen Princes all Christen Prelates and all Christen people A little before the death of Queene Anne there was a ParliameÌ„t at Westminster wherin was geueÌ„ to the kyng by coÌ„sent of the Abbots all such houses of religioÌ„ as were vnder 300. markes Which was a shrewde prognosticate of the ruine of greater houses which in deede folowed shortly after as was might easely be perceaued before of many who theÌ„ sayd that the low bushes and brambles were cut downe before but great okes would folow after Although the proceedyng of these thyngs did not well like the myndes of the Popes frendes in EnglaÌ„d The Papistes purpose disapointed Queene Iane maryed to the king yet notwithstandyng they began agayne to take some breath of comfort when they sawe the foresayd Queene Anne dispatched Neuerthelesse they were frustrate of their purpose as is aforeshewed and that doblewise For first after they had their willes of Queene Anne the Lord raysed vp an other Queene not greatly for their purpose with her sonne kyng Edward L. Cromwell groweth in authoritye And also for that the Lord CroÌ„well the same tyme began to growe in authoritie Who like a mighty piller set vp in the Churche of Christ was enough alone to confounde and ouerthrow all the malignant deuises of the aduersaries so long as God gaue him in lyfe here to continue whose story hereafter followeth more at large Shortly after this foresayd Mariage of the kyng with this Queene Iane Semer aboue mentioned in y e moneth of Iune duryng the continuation of the Parliament by the consent of the Clergy holdyng theÌ„ a solemne conuocation in the Church of S. Paule Alteration of religion a little beginneth a booke was set forth conteyning certaine Articles of religon necessary to be taught to the people wherein they intreated specially but of three Sacramentes Baptisme Penaunce the Lordes Supper Where also diuers other thyngs were published concernyng the alteration of certaine pointes of Religion as that certaine holy dayes were forbiddeÌ„ and many Abbayes began to bee suppressed For the whiche cause the rude multitude of Lincolneshyre fearing the vtter subuersion of their old Religion Commotion in Lincolnshire wherein they had bene so long nousled did rise vp in a great coÌ„motion to the nuÌ„ber welneare of 20. thousaÌ„d hauyng for their Captaine a Monke named D. Makerell calling himselfe then Captaine Cobbler but these rebels being repressed by the kyngs power and desiryng pardon A moÌ„ke stirrer of the coÌ„motioÌ„ soone brake vp their assembly For they hearing of the royal army of the king coÌ„ming against them wyth his owne persone there present fearing what would follow of this first the noble men and Gentlemen which before fauoured them began to w tdraw themselues so that they were destitute of Captaines and at the laste they in writing made certaine petitions to the king protesting that they neuer intended hurt toward his royal person These petitions the king
of heresy and so prohibited by Bishops for to preach the worde of God Wrongfull prohibytion oughte not to stoppe the preaching of Gods worde that they ought for no mans commaundement to leaue or stop though they do neuer purge themselues afore them for such will admitte no iust purgation many times but iudge in theyr own causes and that as they lust which me thinketh is not all comely Therfore in the old law the priestes and other Iudges do sit together hearing of matters that were in controuersy Yet this I thinke reasonable that a man iustly and not causelesse suspect Popish prelates iudges in their owne causes and namely if he be so found faultye of heresy ought to cease from preaching after he is inhibited vntill he haue made his purgation before some Iudge But in my rude opinion it were necessary and conuenient that our heades should not be ouer ready of suspition Swiftnes of suspition reproued and so inhibiting men approued from preaching specially in this Session when the people doth suspect them to doe it more for loue of themselues and mainteining of their priuate lucre or honor then to do it for loue of God and maintenance of his honor In the xxij where you demaund whether I beleue that it is lawfull for all Pristes freely to preache the woorde of God or no Answere to the 22. article and that in all places at all seasons to al persons to whom they shall please although they be not sent I say that priestes are called in Scripture by two distinct wordes that is to wit Praesbiteri Sacerdotes The fyrst is to say auncient men Seniors or elders and by that word or vocable Priestes whether they ought to preach though they be not sent are the seculer iudges or such like head officers sometime also signified as we reade in Daniel that they were called which defamed and wrongfully accused Susanna that this is seldome and nothing so customably as those to be called Praesbiteri which are set to be Prelates in the Church to guide the same by the word of God and his blessed doctrine Episcopi and Praesbyteri all one that is the roode of direction and the foundation of Christes fayth And Priestes thus called Praesbiteri in the Primitiue Church what time were but few traditions and ordinaunces to let vs from the strayt trade or institution made by Christ and his Apostles were the very same and none other but Bishops as I shewed you in the first part of mine aunswere by authoritye of Saynt Hierome Paul also recordeth the same right euidently in the first to Titus in this fourme I left thee Titus quoth blessed Paule behinde me in Crete that thou shouldest set in a due order such thinges as lacke or be not els perfectly framed and that thou shouldest set priestes in euery towne Priestes haue two names in Scripture Presbyteri Sacerdotes like as I did appoynt thee if any be without reproche or blamelesse the husbande of one wife hauing faythfull children not geuen to ryote or that be not vnruely for so ought a Bishop to be c. These are not my words but S. Paules in the Epistle to Titus Tit. 1. Where you may see that a priest called Praesbiter shuld be the same that we call a byshop whom he requireth a litle after to be able by wholesome doctrine of Gods Scripture Descripâ—â—â—â— of a 〈◊〉 Priest Gainesayâ—â—â— of truth 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 by scriptures 〈◊〉 by authority only oâ— traditions of men made in generall Councels What miâ—â—sters be 〈◊〉 to exhort the good to â—olow the same doctrine if any shall speake agaynst it to reproue them thereby And marke you how he would haue a bishop otherwise called an auncient man or a priest to make exhortation by holy scripture therby to reproue them that shall speake agaynst the trueth not to condemne them by might or authority onely or els by traditions of men made in generall Councels And as many as are in this wise Priestes whiche are called commonlye Praesbiteri otherwise Bishops such as in the church are set to take cure of soule and to be spirituall pastors ought to preach freely the word of God in all places and times conuenient and to whom soeuer it shall please theÌ„ if they suppose and see that theyr preaching should edify and profite And where as you adde this particle Though they were not sent I say that all suche are chosen to be preachers and therfore sent for of this speaketh S. Gregorye in his Pastorals in this wise Grigor in Pastoral Praedicationis quippe officium suscipit quisquis ad sacerdotium accedit Whosoeuer taketh priesthood vpoÌ„ him taketh also vpon him the office of preaching Yea your lawe reporteth in like maner Distinct. 43. where it is thus sayd A Priest ought to be honest that he may shew honesty both in wordes and conditions Dist. 43. Wherfore it is sayd in the Canticles The Cheekes of the spouse that is to wit of preachers are to be compared to a Turtle doue Where is moreouer added He must also haue the gift of teaching because as sayth S. Hierome innocent coÌ„uersation without speach or preaching how much it is auaylable by example geuing so much doth it hurt agayn by sileÌ„ce keping for wolues must be driueÌ„ away by barking of dogs by the shepheards staffe which as y e glose sheweth signifieth preaching sharpe words of the priest And this I vnderstaÌ„d of such as should be priestes elect both by god and men in Gods church whose office is to preach And though many of them which now doe minister in the church and are elect by bishops otherwise theÌ„ after the maner of Christes institution and the forme of the primitiue Church neither do ne can preach Multitude serueth for authority yet ought not the multitude of such to be layd for an authority agaynst me or other that are compelled to shew the truth and right ordinance of the apostles that was vsed afore time in the Primitiue church God bring it in agayn Neither ought we for the negligence of bishops which haue chosen such an ignorant multitude wherby the principal duty of priestes is growen out of knowledge when we do shew you therof to be so enforced by a booke othe and therfore noted as heretickes imprisoned and burned Sacerdotes Other be called priestes in the new Testament by thys word Sacerdotes that is to say I thinke sacrificers And thus as Christ was called Rex Sacerdos Kyng Prieste so be all true Christen men in the newe Testament as is testified Apocal. 1. by Christ made Kinges and Priestes The wordes in the Apocal. be thus Apoc. 1. To Iesu Christ whyche hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes through his bloud and made vs kinges and priestes vnto God euen his father vnto him be glory and rule for euer and euer Amen
Thus sayth S. Iohn speaking of all Christen people 1. Peter 2. In like maner is it sayde 1. Peter 2. where he writeth vnto all Christen men You quoth he be a chosen generation a regall priest hood an holy people Beede vpon the epistle of S. Peter S. Bede expounding the same as my remembraunce doth serue shall testify playnely with me And S. Augustine I wot well in diuers places recordeth that all Christen men be so called Regale Lacerdotium And likewise doth Faber in his Commentaries vpon the same place Whosoeuer looketh vpon the treatise called Vnio dissidentium shall finde a multitude of auncient Fathers sayinges declaring the same But this may yet seme a strange thing a new that al persons should be called priests that in scripture which can not lye Truth it is in deede it may seeme straunge to diuers as it did to me and many other How all men are Priestes when we read it first because we neuer read ne heard of the same before and so did Christes doctrine and his apostles seeme new to his audience when he himselfe preached Albeit he yet proued his doing and sayinges by authority of the law and Prophetes as is shewed in the first to the Romanes where Paule reporteth Rom. 1. That he was chosen a part to be a minister of the Gospell that was promised before by the Prophettes And our Sauiour testifieth the same in Saynt Iohn saying to the Iewes Iohn â— Thinke you not quoth he that I shall accuse you before my Father There is one to accuse you which is Moyses in whome ye doe trust But if you beleued Moyses you should certaynely beleue me for he writeth of me c. Likewise a litle aboue he biddeth theÌ„ search the Scriptures for they make report of him But although these sayinges doe seeme newe for lacke that we haue not had olde familiarity with Scripture and vsage in reading the same God amend and help it when it shall please him yet truely so standeth it written as I haue sayd and so is interpreted by the Doctors aboue named and so was it preached of a certayne Doctour also of Diuinity in London the second day of Aduent last past in this sentence I wote not whether these were the selfe wordes or no. The church quoth the doctor is nothing els but the congregatioÌ„ of faythfull people The saying of a Doctour preaching at Paules and you all quoth he to the people are of the church as well as I or any other if you be of God And likewise we all men are priestes but yet are not all alike ordeyned Ministers sayd he for to consecrate the body of Christ in the Churche All 〈◊〉 priestes but not all ministers publicke Thus sayd the preacher whom when I see oportunity I dare be bolde to name And these I say ought not all to preach openly in generall conuentions or assembles neither canne they but they rather should come to learne yet priuatelye are they bound for instructions of theyr seruauntes children Euery man mynister of good instruction in his owne house Eph. â— kinsfolke and such like to speak that should be for the destruction of vice and encrease or vpholding of vertue whensoeuer time and place so behoueth as sheweth Saint Paul saying in this wise You that are fathers prouoke noâ— your children to wrath or anger but bring them vp in the doctrine and discipline of the Lord. In the xxiij where you doe aske whether I beleeue that it is lawefull for lay people of both kindes Answere to the 23. article that is to wit both men and women to sacrifice and preach the word of God I say that it is not meet for none in mine opinion to preach openly the word of God No man to preach opeÌ„ly except he be chosen Gal. 1. Rom. 5. except they be chosen elect to the same either by God or solemnly by men or els by both and therefore S. Paule calleth him selfe in all his Epistles an Apostle of God that is to wit a messenger of God And to the Galathians he writeth thus Paule an Apostle not sent by men nor by man but by Iesus Christ. Also to the Romanes How shall men preach truely quoth he excepte they be sent Notwithstanding I say this both by supportation of Gods law In tyme of great necessity lay people man or woman may preach 1. Cor. 1â— 1. Cor. 11. and also of lawes written in the Decrees that in time of great necessity laye people may preach and that of both kindes both men and women as you may see in the Epistle to the Corinthians where as he sayth That it is a shame for a woman to speake in a multitude or congregation Yet in an other place he sayth That euery woman praying or prophecying hauing nothing vpoÌ„ her head doth dishonor her head To this accordeth the prophesye of Ioel recited Act. 2. where in the person of God is sayd thus Ioell 2. Act. 2. Luke 2. Wâ—men that prophesied in the scripture I shall poure out of my spirit vpon all flesh both your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecy Thus did Anna the Prophetesse daughter of Phanuel geue prayse vnto Christ in the Temple spake of him to all men of Hierusalem that looked after the redeÌ„tion of Israel This also doth yet speake vnto vs in Scripture the virgine Mary by the song which she made that is dayly recited in the Church called Magnificat Yea Stephen also being no Priest Act. 7. but a Deacon made a wonderful good sermon Actes 7. This also willeth your Decrees Dist. 9. de Conse Distin. 9. de consecrat where is thus sayde A woman although shee is learned holy may not presume to teach men in the congregation ne baptise except necessity requireth So that where need is I shall adde this but not without the mind of him that wrote the Lawe like as a woman maye baptise Cap. 16. quest 1. Dist. 1â— cap abijcimus so may she teach the woord of God or preach as is declared more playnely Cap. 16. quest 1. in Glosa 11. Cap adijcimus dist 18. And I beseeche God that for lacke of true and well learned Officers suche necessity doe not come now vpon vs that such shal need to take vpon them to preach There is a learned man which in a Dialogue that he maketh betwixt a rude Abbot a Gentlewoman He meaneth the dialogue of Erasmus intituled Abbas Eâ—udita hauing skill in learning iesteth but with prety earnest as his maner is and geueth a watch worde touching somewhat my purpose It is in the end of the Dialogue The gentlewoman aunswering the Abbot for that he had partly checked her because she was quicke in vtterance of learning Syr quoth she if you continue therin so dull as you haue done and dayly do the world perceiuing it as they begin fast to grow quicke in
accused indited or presented should be admitted to chaleÌ„ge any that shoulde be enpanelled for the triall of any matter or cause other theÌ„ for malice or enuy which chaleÌ„ge should forthwith be tryed in like maner as in cases of felony c. Prouided moreouer that euery person that shoulde be named Commissioner in this inquisition should first take a corporall oth the tenor of which oth here ensueth * The oth of the Commissioners The othe geuen to the Commissioners to enquire vppon true Christians YE shall swere that ye to your cunning witte and power shall truely and indifferently execute the authority to you geuen by the kinges Commission made for correction of heretickes other offenders mentioned in the same Commission without any fauor affection corruption dread or malice to be borne to any person or persons as God you helpe and all Sayntes And thus much briefly collected out of the act and Originals Stat. an 31. Reg Henr. 8. which more largely are to be sene in y e statute an 31 Reg. Henr. 8. concerning the sixe Articles which otherwyse for the bloudy cruelty thereof are called the whip with sixe stringes set forth after the death of Queene Anne and of good Iohn Lambert deuised by the cruelty of y e Bishops but specially of the Bishop of Wint. and at length also subscribed by K. Henry But herein as in many other parts moe the crafty pollicy of that Bishop appeared who like a lurking Serpent most slyly watching his time if he had not taken the king comming out vpon a soddayne there where it was I spare here to report as I heard it it was thought and affirmed by certaine which then were perteining to the king that Winchester had not obteined y e matter so easely to be subscribed as he did These sixe Articles aboue specified although they conteined manifest errours Truth in danger left desolate heresies and absurdities agaynst all Scripture and learning as all men hauing any iudgemeÌ„t in Gods word may plainly vnderstand yet such was the miserable aduersity of that time the power of darcknes that the simple cause of truth and of religion was vtterly left desolate and forsakeÌ„ of all frends For euery man seing the kinges minde so fully addict vpon polliticke respectes to haue these articles to passe forward few or none in all that Parliament would appeare Cranmer stood openly in the Parliament against the 6. articles which either could perceiue that was to be defended or durst defend that they vnderstood to be true saue onely Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury who then being maryed as is supposed like a constant Patron of Gods cause tooke vpon him the earnest defence of the trueth oppressed in the ParliameÌ„t three dayes together disputing against those sixe wicked articles bringing forth suche allegations and authorities as might easely haue helped the cause nisi pars maior vicâ—sset vt saepe solet meliorem Who in the sayd disputation Cranmer willed to departe 〈◊〉 of the Parliament house for his consâ—â—ence Cranmer refused to goe out of the Parliament for matter against his conscience behaued himselfe with such humble modesty and with such obedience in words toward his Prince protesting the cause not to be his but the cause of almighty God that neither his enterprise was misliked of the king agayne his reasons and allegatioÌ„s were so strong that well they could not be refuted Wherfore the king who euer bare speciall fauour vnto him well liking his zealous defeÌ„ce onely willed him to depart out of the Parliament house into the Councell Chamber for a time for sauegarde of his conscience til the Acte should passe and be graunted which he notwithstanding with humble protestation refused to do After the Parliament was finished that matter concluded the king considering the constant zeale of the Archbishoppe in defence of his cause and partly also weighing y e many authorities reasons wherby he had substantially confirmed the same sent the Lord Cromwell which w tin few dayes after was apprehended the ij dukes of Norfolke and Suffolke and all the Lordes of the Parliament to dine with hym at Lambeth where they signified vnto him that it was the kinges pleasure that they all shoulde in his hignes behalfe cherish comfort animate hym Cranmer comforted againe by the king as one that for his trauell in that parliameÌ„t had declared him selfe both greatly learned and also a man descreet wyse and therfore they willed him not to be discouraged in any thing that was passed in that Parliament contrary to hys allegations He most humbly thanked first y e kinges highnes of his singuler good affection towardes him and them all for theyr paynes adding moreouer that he so hoped in God that hereafter his allegations and authorities should take place to the glory of god commodity of the realme Which allegations and authorities of his I wish were amongest vs extant to be seene and read no doubt but they would stand in time to come in great good stead for y e ouer throw of the wicked and pernicious Articles aforesayd Allegations agaynst the vi Articles IN the meane while for so much as the sayd hereticall articles are not so lightly to be passed ouer Allegationâ— agaynst the 6. articles wherby y e rude ignorant multitude hereafter may be deceiued in the false erroneous doctrine of them any more as they haue bene in times past for lack of right instructioÌ„ and experience of the auÌ„cient state course of times in our fore elders dayes I thought therefore the Lord therunto assisting so much as antiquity of stories may helpe to the restoring agayn of truth and doctrine decayed to annexe hereunto some allegations out of auncient recordes which may geue some light to the conuincing of these newfangled Articles and heresies aboue touched And first as touching the Article of transubstantiation wherin this Parliament doth enact that the Sacrament of the Altar is the very naturall body of Christ the selfe same which was borne of the virgin Mary and that in such sort as there remayneth no substance of bread wine after the Priestes consecration but only the body bloud of Christ vnder the outward formes of bread and wine First here is to be noted that this monstrous article of theyrs in that forme of words as in standeth was neuer obtruded receiued or holden either in the Greek Church or in the Latine Church vniuersally for a Catholicke that is for a generall opinion or article of doctrine before y e time of the Laterane Counsell at Rome vnder Pope Innocent the 3. an 1216. And for so much as it hath bene a common persuasioÌ„ amongest the most sort of people The article of transubstantiatioâ— that this article in y e forme of words as here standeth is hath bene euer since Christ his time a true Catholick generall doctrine commonly receiued and taught in the Church being
sacrament had stande in the open confession therof according to the auncient veritie of the doctrine receaued in the Churche before he was so handled by certaine malignaunt superstitious monks that what by euill entreatie and what for feare of deathe such is the weake frailty of man he began to shrinke and afterward did in deede recant the truth Of these malicious ennemies againste Berengarius the chiefest troubler was Lancfranke Abbot of Codune afterward Archbishop of Canterbury Guimond monke likewise first of the abbey of Leufrede afterward Archb. of Auersane Algerius also monke of Corbein Fulbertus also monke and byshop and Hildebrand sometime monke of Cluniake and then Archdeacon of Turon afterward Bishop of Rome By these and such other monkes of the like fraternitie the errour and heresie of transubstantiation began firste to be defended and partes publikely in wryting to be taken about that matter Lancfrancke a persecutor of Berengarius Of the which sides and partes the firste that began to set vp that faction by wryting seemeth to be Paschasius who was a little before Berengarius aboute the time of Bertrame and likewise Lancfrancke the firste that brought it into England Paschasius the first beginner of the faction of transubstantiation On the contrary side againe the firste that was openly impugned and troubled for denying transubstantiation was this Berengarius with whom Lancfranck also was supposed at the first beginning to holde and take part but afterward to cleare himselfe he stoode openly against hym in the Councell and wrote against him It foloweth then in the Acte of the Councel that when the Synode of Archbishops Bishops Abbots and other Prelates were together assembled y e greater number saith the storie did holde that the breade and wine were turned substantially into the body and bloud of Christ. Notwithstanding sayeth he diuers there were in the sayde Councel whych helde the contrary wyth Berengarius Ex W. Malmesb but at laste were driuen to geue ouer Berengarius amonge the rest after he had long stand in the constant defence of the truth at last relented to their willes confessing his errour where none was and desired pardon of the Councell And thys was as seemeth to W. Malmesb. hys firste geuing ouer Who afterwarde returning to hymselfe agayne after the death of Pope Leo The story recantation of Berengaâ—ius declaâ—â—d by W. Malmesb. De gestis Anglorum Lib. 3. and prickte with the stinge of conscience was driuen againe to recognise the truthe whych he before had denied The Pope sayeth Malmesb. perceauing this would not leaue him so but sent into Fraunce Hildebrande hys Cardinall Chaplaine as meete a mate for such a feate as was in all Satans courte and made him with a wany and to come againe coram nobis who so handled Berengarius and bringing hym before the face of the Councel bolden at Turon that he made him to say erraui once again against whome stoode vp in that Councell Lanfrancus and Guimundus aforesaid impugning his assertion And thus staÌ„deth the narration of W. Malmesbery But by the actes of y e Councel of Rome appeareth an other declaration which is that thys latter recantation of Berengarius shoulde be at Rome vnder Hildebrand being then Pope The order of his recantation declared Ex actis Romani Concilij in the yere of our Lord. 1076. and in the moneth of February and that in the sayde Councell holden in Ecclesia Saluatoris thys recantation of Ego Berengarius was made and he enioyned by the sayd Pope Hildebrand vpon hys oth neuer hereafter to teache or dispute contrary to that faith of the Sacrament there holden c. Againe Henry Bullinger in his booke The order of the sayd recantation reported out of Henr. Bulling De origine erroris cap. 10. De origine erroris following belike some other authour expresseth the order of the foresayd recantation after thys sorte and sayeth that in the time of Pope Leo. 9. Anno. 1051. there was a Romane Councell holden at Uercellense in the whyche Councell Lanfrancke beinge then present the Booke of Ioh. Scotus was openly read and there condemned Also Berengarius was sent for Concilium Vercellenâ—e who seeing the preiudiciall proceeding of that Councell refused himselfe to come but sent two Clerkes which openly there defended hys cause and quarell and were for the same committed vnto prison Such is the freedome of the Popes generall Councels w t prisons and violence to defend their verities Against the doings of this Councel notwithstanding the French men stoode stiffe both at Angew and Turon ioyning and consenting wyth Berengarius Not long after this died Pope Leo and after him succeeded Pope Uictor Concilium Florentinum by whom an other Synode was kept at Florence where the Actes and doings of the foresayde Councel of Uercellense were confirmed and a Legate also appointed to be sent to Turon in Fraunce This legate was Hildebrand aboue mentioned Concilium Turonense who calling the clergy of Fraunce together in a Synode fell there in hande wyth the cause of the Sacrament Berengarius not being ignoraunt of these Romaine Councels so kept himselfe that in all his action he would geue none other answere but that he beleeued and consented with the faith of the Catholicke Churche so for that time did frustrate the purpose of the councel rather deluding the preteÌ„ses of his ennemies then freely confessing the simple truth Againe Concilium Romanum â—ub Nicol. 2. after Uictor came Pope Nicholas 2. who congregating an other Councell at Rome An. 1058. sent for Berengarius there to appeare who being present argued what he could for the iustnesse of his cause but all woulde not serue In the Popes generall Councels such a stroke and mastership beareth authoritie aboue veritie Berengarius being thus borne downe on euery side by might superioritie when no remedye woulde serue Might beareth downe right but hee muste needes recant againe for the law of relapse was not yet in season he desired to know what other confession of the sacrament the Pope woulde require of him The last recantation of Berengarius Humbertus author of the decree Ego Berengarius besides y t whych hee hadde there confessed Then Pope Nicolas committed that charge to Humbart a Monke of Lotharinge and after a Cardinall y t he should draw out in formable wordes the order of his recantatioÌ„ after the prescription of Rome whych hee shoulde reade and publickely professe before the people The forme of which words is registred in the Decrees De consecrat dist 2. Ego Berengarius c. The effecte whereof is thys That hee pretendeth with heart and mouth to professe that he acknowledging the true catholicke De consecra Dist. 2. cap. Ego Berengarius and Apostolicall faith doth execrate all heresie namely that wherewyth hee hath lately bene infamed as holding that the bread and wine vpon the Altare after the
tread them vnder their feete For so then had Hildebrand taught them that those were no Priestes neither that they were Sacramentes whiche they did consecrate So that by this occasion many false Prophets rose seducing the people from the truth of Christ by forged Fables and false miracles and feyned Gloses wrastyng the Scriptures as serued best for their owne purposes Of whom few there were that kept any true chastity Many could make glorious boastes brags thereof but the greatest part vnder the shew pretence of honesty purenes of life coÌ„mitted incest fornication adultery euery where almost and no punishment was for the same c. Thus much out of Auentinus Lib. 5. Annal. To this testimony of Auentinus aboue mentioned we will also adioyne the recorde of Gebuilerus a writer of this our latter tyme and one also of their owne crewe Gebuilerus who doth testifie that in tyme of the Emperour Henricus the fourth Isidorus de vita clericorum an 1057. the number of 24. Byshops both in Germany Spayne and in Fraunce were maryed with the Cleargie also of their dioces Of the which Spanish Byshops we reade also in Isidorus whiche wrote more then sixe hundreth yeares after Christ and the place also cited in the Popes Distinctions in his booke De clericorum vita Dist. 23. cap. Ius igitur how they ought eyther to leade an honest chaste life or else to keepe themselues within the bande of matrimonie c. Whereby is declared the single life of Priests eyther to be then voluntary or else their mariage not to be restrained as yet by any law Moreouer such Calistian Priestes as be nowe adayes counting Priests mariage as a new deuise and not standing with auncient times Calistian priests that is of Calixtus secte who chiefly forbad priestes mariage let them looke vpon the Decree of Pope Symmachus and answeare there to the Glose Dist. 81. where it is written Let Priests be all restrained from the conuersation of all women except it be their mother sister or their owne wife c. Where the glose in the margent geueth a note saieng Hic loquitur secundum antiqua tempora Thus if either the voyce of scripture might take place with these men which be so rigorous against Priestes mariage All the Apostles were maried except Iohn and Paule Ex Ambrose 2. Cor. 11. or if the examples of the Apostles might moue them whome S. Ambrose witnesseth to haue bene all married except onely Paule and Iohn or else if the multitude of maried Bishops and Priestes might preuaile with them heere might be rehearsed That Tertullian was a married Prieste as witnesseth Hierome Ex Epist Hilarij ad Abram filiaÌ„ Spiridion Byshop of Cyprus had wife and children Hylary Byshop of Poytiers was also maried Gregory Byshop of Nyssa Gregory Byshop of Nazianzum Ex Ruffino lib. 2. cap. 9. Prosper Byshop of Rhegium Cheremon Byshop of Nylus All these were married Byshops Ex Nazianzeno Of Polychrates and his 7. aunciters Byshops and maried men we spake before Epiphanius Byshop of Constantinople in Iustinians tyme was the more commended because his father aunciters before him Ex Nouel constit 3. ¶ Finali were Priests and Byshops marryed Hierome sayth that in his time Plurimi Sacerdotes habebant matrimonia That is many Priestes were then married men Pope Damasus reciteth vp a great number of Byshops of Rome Ex Hiero. aduersus Iouinian lib. 1. Distinct. 56. Hosius which were Priests sonnes as Syluerius an 544. Deus dedit aboute the yeare 622. Adrianus 2. aboute the yeare 873. Ex Vicelio de sacrificio missae Foelix 3. about the yeare 474. Hosius Agapetus an 534. Gelasius 484. Bonifacius Theodorus whose Father was Byshoppe of Hierusalem aboute the yeare 634. Ioannes 10. an 924. Ioannes 15. the sonne of Leo a Priest aboute the yeare 984. Richarde Archdeacon of Couentry Henry ArchdeacoÌ„ of Huntingdon Volusianus Byshop of Carthage Tho. Archbishop of Yorke sonne of Sampson Byshop of Worcester And howe many other Byshops and Priestes in other countreys besides these Bishops of Rome might be annexed to this Catalogue if our leasure were such to make a whole beaderole of them all In the meane time the wordes of Siluius Cardinall afterward B. of Rome are not to be forgotten whiche he wrote to a certeyne frende of his Ex Aenea Siluio Epist. 321. whiche after his orders taken was disposed to mariage To whome the foresayde Syluius aunswereth agayne in these wordes folowing Credimus te vti non insulso consilio si cum nequeas continere coniugium quaeris quamuis id prius cogitandum fuerat anteaquam initiaueris sacris ordinibus Sed non sumus dij omnes qui futura prospicere valeamus Quando huc ventum est vt legi resistere nequeas melius est nubere quà m vri c. That is We beleeue that you in so doing follow no sinister counsayle in that you choose to be maried when otherwise you are not able to liue chaste Albeit this counsayle should haue come into your heade before that you entred into Ecclesiasticall orders But we are not all gods to foresee before what shall happen heereafter Now for so much as the matter and case standeth so that you are not able to resist the lawe better it is to marry then to burne c. All these premisses well considered it shall suffice I trust though no more were sayd to proue that this general law and prohibition of priests mariage pretended to be so auncient is of no such great time nor loÌ„g coÌ„tinuance of yeres as they make it but rather to be a late deuised doctrine geÌ„dered by the Monkes and grounded vpoÌ„ no reason law nor scripture but that certeine which be repiners against the truth do racke and wrast a few places out of Doctors and ij or iij. Councels for their pretensed purpose Whose obiections and blinde cauillations I as professing heete but to write stories referre to the further discussion of Diuines in whose bookes this matter is more at large to bee sought and searched In the meane season so muche as apperteyneth to the searching of times and antiquitie and to the conseruation of such Actes and monuments as are behoueable for the Churche I thought heereunto not vnprofitable to be adioined a certaine Epistle learned and auncient of Uolusianus Bishop sometimes of Carthage tending to the defence of Priests lawfull wedlocke Volusiâ—â—â—â— Byshop of Carthage which Aeneas Syluius in Descriptione Germaniae also Illyricus in Catal and Melancth Lib. De coniugio do father vpon Huldericus Byshop of Augusta in the time of Pope Nicholas 2. but as I finde it in an old written example sent by Iohn Bale to Math. Archbishop of Canterbury as it is ioyned in the same booke Hulderiâ—â—â— Byshop of August about the yeare of 〈◊〉 Lord. 9â—â— so it beareth also the same title and name of Uolusianus Byshop of
the Moone were no Idoles for suche thinges there be as the Sunne and the Moone and they were in the Image then so represented as painting caruing doth represent them And the Image of Ninus and Cesar The 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 is false therforâ— Winchesters 〈◊〉 to be abâ—â—lished and as some writeth the Images of al the 12. chosen Gods as they called theÌ„ were the Images of once liuing men And it might be sayde that the Image of God the father hath no such eies nose lippes and a long gray beard with a furred robe nor neuer had as they kerue paint him to haue But if that be a false Image and an Idoll which is otherwise worshipped accepted then it ought to be as the brasen Serpent being a true Image and representation of Christ by abuse was made an Idoll it may be thought in times past and peraduenture howe at this time in some places the Images not onely of S. Iohn or S. Anne but of our Lady Christ be false Images and Idols representing to foolish blind ignorant mens harts and thoughtes that which was not in them and they ought not to be made forâ— The whiche were by you my Lord to haue bene remoued sooner and before that y e captayn there should haue need to haue done 〈◊〉 But if your Lordship be slacke in such matters he that remoueth false images and Idols abused doth not a thing worthy blame Christ called not the mony hauing Cesars Image in it an Idoll when it was vsed to lawfull vses and to pay the due tâ—ibute with all But when a man doth not vse those Images grauen in mony to do his neighbor good and the common wealth seruice S. Paule Christes disciple called that couetousnes and the seruing and bondage to Idols So that eueÌ„ in mony may be idolatry if we make to much of those Images whiche Christ here doth not reprehend There be some so ticklish and so feareful one wayes and so tender stomacked that they can abide no old abuses to be reformed but thinke euery reformatioÌ„ to be a capitall enterprise agaynst al Religion and good order as there be on the contrary side some to rash who hauing no consideration what is to be done headlong wil set vpoÌ„ euery thing The Magistrates duety is betwixte these so in a meane to sit and prouide that olde doting should not take further or deeper ruâ—t in the common wealth neyther auncient error ouercome the seene and tryed trueth nor long abuse for the age and space of time onely still be suffered and yet all these with quietnesse and gentlenesse and without all contention if it were possible to be reformed To the whyche your Lordship as a man to whom God hath geuen greate qualities of witte learning and persuasion coulde bring great helpe and furtherance if it were your pleasure with great thankes of men reward of God The which thing is our full desire and purpose and our harty dayly prayer to God that in the kinges Maiesties time whose Maiesties reigne God preserue al abuses with wisedom reformed Christes Religion with good and polliticke order of the commom wealth without any contention and strife among the kinges Subiectes might florish and daylye encrease And thys to youre Lordships letter sent to maister Uaughan of Portesmouth Winchester to the Lord Protector MAy it please your Grace to vnderstande that I haue noted some poyntes in my Lord of S. Dauids Sermon which I sende vnto you here with whereby to declare vnto you some part what I thinke for the whole I cannot expresse somewhat I shall encomber you with my â—abling but he hath encombred some freÌ„des more with his taâ—ling And alas my Lord this is a piteous case that hauing so muche businesse as ye haue these inward disorders should be added vnto theÌ„ to the courage of such as would this Realme any wayes euill For this is the thinge they would desire with hope therby to disorder this realme being now a time rather to repayre that needeth reparation theÌ„ to make any new buildings which they preteÌ„d Quiet tranquility vnity coÌ„cord shall mainteine estimatioÌ„ The conÌ„trary may animate the enemy to atteÌ„pt that was neuer thought on which God forbid There was neuer attemptate or alteration made in England but vpon coÌ„fort of discorde at home and woe be to them that mindeth it If my Lord of S. Dauides or such others haue theyr head coÌ„bred with any new platforme I would wish they were coÌ„mauÌ„ded betwene this and the kings maiesties full age to draw the plat diligently to hewe the stones dig the sand chop the chalke in the vnseasonable time of building and when the kings maiesty commeth to full age to present theyr labors to him and in the meane time not to disturbe the state of the realme whereof your Grace is Protectior but that you may in euery part of religion lawes landes and decrees which foure contein the state deliuer the same to our soueraygn Lord according to the trust you be put in whiche shall be much to your honor as all honest men wish and desire To which desired effect there can be nothyng so noysome coÌ„trarious as trouble disquiet Wherin your Grace shal be specially troubled as on whose shoulders al the weight lieth and what so euer shall happen amisse by the faultes of other shal be imputed to your Grace as doer therof or wanting foresight in time to withstand the same And albeit that you minde not to be faulty in either yet if the effecte be not to the Realme as were to be wished the prince and though he were of age should be excused and y e gouernors here the blame And this is y e infelicity of preheminence and authority and specially in this Realme as storyes make mention which should not discourage you for you neede feare nothing without if quiet be reserued at home and at home if the beginning be resisted the inteÌ„ded folly may easily bee interrupted But if my brother of S. Dauids may like a champion with his sword in his hand make enter for the rest the doore of licence opened there shal moâ— by folly thrust in with him theÌ„ your grace would wish Thus as I thinke I write homely to your grace Wyly Winchester vnder pretense of geuing sage councell craâ—tely goeth about to incense set the Lorde Protectour agaynst all good men and all Godly proceedinges because you were content I should write wherin I consider onely to haue all thinges well And because your grace is the Protector and the chiefe dirâ—etor of the realme to preseÌ„t vnto your wisedome what my folly is I haue bene oftentimes blamed for fearing ouermuch and yet I haue had an incling that they that so blamed me feared eueÌ„ as much as I. Being in the state that you be iâ— it shal be euer coÌ„meÌ„dable to foresee the worst In quiet ye be strong in trouble ye
is my body Wherefore if at y e day of iudgemeÌ„t Christ should say vnto me why hast y u beleued y t this is my body I would aunswere him because thou hast so called it I beleued it not to be a figure because thou saydst not that it was a figure Other reasons to auouch I know not Of the worde it self I contend not but the thing it selfe I defend for we must speake regularly Thus Christ thus the Apostles thus all the ancient fathers haue spoke our fathers hadde but onely figures and shadowes but the Churche of God hath the truth itselfe with the signes Tertullian sayth one figure conteyneth not another but Melthizedech was a figure ergo this is the body The Sacramentes of the Iewes weare signes and tokens but ours be both the signes and the thing signed also Luther himselfe confessed that the body was present with the bread and could not denye it Oecolampadius tooke it for a figure onely Chrisostome demaunding wherefore Christ gaue his body before his passion rather then at any other time aunswereth that hee might tye the trueth to the figure saying tâ—ke eate this is my body not a figure of my body And the same Chrisostome sayth agayne if it were but bare bread or but a figure wherefore should his Disciples haue bene offended in eating a fygure Agayne in his 83. Homely vpon Mathew They are not any humayne workes which he did worke at his last supper he it is that worketh he maketh perfect we are his ministers but it is he that sanctifieth and chauÌ„geth the elementes of breade and wine into his bodye and bloud Agayne doest thou see bread and wine doe they passe into the priuy like other meates God forbid c. Theophilus Alexandrinus vpon these wordes of Marke the Euangelist this is my body sayth This whiche I geue and which you receiue â—s not onely bread or a figure of Christâ—s body but the trueth it selfe for if it should appeare as it is in forme of flesh bloud we should loth it and therefore the Lord condescendyng to our weakenesse reteyneth the formes of bread and wine and yet conuerteth the same into the trueth of his body and bloud Theophilactus sayeth the bread and the wine is the very body bloud of Christ and not a figure onely If you stand in suspeÌ„se of the author or approue him not yet know you that he is counted and taken amongest all the learned for a most faythfull interpreter of Chrisostome the bread sayth he is transelementate and transmitted into an other substaunce then it was before Augustine sayth there was great heede taken in the primitiue Church least any part of the Sacrament should fall downe to the grounde c. Cyrillus sayth leaste wee shoulde abhorre fleshe and bloud in the Sacrament of the Aultar God humbleth himselfe to our weakenesse pouring and infusing the force of life into it and making it the very trueth of his owne blessed body and bloud Damasceâ—e calleth it a diuine body or a body deifyed Origene Ireneus Eusebius Hieronimus with al the rest of the auncient Catholicke Fathers are of the same opinion with me all which to produce it were too long ¶ The Declaration of Doctor Glin vpon his second conclusion THe sacrifice and offering vppe of Christes body in the Sacrament of the Aulter right honourable and worshipfull I will defend euen to the effusion of bloud as a thing consonant to scripture whereof Paule speaketh to y e Hebrues But perchaunce some will obiect Christ offered vp himselfe ergo you ought not to offer him I aunswere yea because he offered himselfe therfore I offer him for except he had offered himselfe I could not haue offered hym But you will say Christes death is sufficient and therfore you ought not to offer him agayne I aunswere So may we say we neede neyther to fast nor pray for Christe hath done both sufficiently for vs. Agayne you will obiect if you offer him vppe agayne you crucify him anew I answere not so for many haue offered him that haue not crucified him as Abraham Isaac Moyses the Leuites Anna Samuel We offer Christ but not to the death but incoÌ„memoration of his death there being not onely commemoration thereof but also the very presence of Christes body and bloud Ireneus sayth Christ counselled his Disciples to offer the first fruites of all theyr goodes to God not that he needed any of them but for that they shoulde not shewe themselues fruitless or vngratefull and therefore Christ tooke the creature of bread gaue thankes and sayde this is my body and likewise the creature of the cuppe and confessed saying this is my bloud of the new Testament Thus Christe hath taught a newe kinde of oblation whiche the Church receiuing from the Apostles offereth to God thorow out all the whole world who onely geueth vnto vs all kynd of foode and the first fruites of his gracious giftes in the newe Testament whereof Malachye thus sayth I haue no pleasure in you sayth the Lorde of Hostes I will not receiue any sacrifices at your handes because my name is glorified amongest the Nations from the East to the West sayth the Lord and in euery place is incense and pure sacrifice offered to my name But here may be obiected Christe is the onely sacrifice for sinne and wythout hym there is no moe I aunswere Christ is the only true sacrifice for sinne and without him there are no moe notwithstanding wee haue this commaundement doe this in rememberaunce of me besides that I denye not that it is a commemoration but I denye that it is an onely commemoration I denye his absence and I affirme his presence Here endeth the declaration of Doctor Glin. Mayster Perne WHere as you say most reuerend mayster Doctor in your proposition I beleued and therefore I spake and we beleue and therefore doe speake our consciences suggesting the same vnto vs and agayne that misteryes are not to be searched and the like it semeth you go about to restrayne the searching of holye Scriptures whereas Christe sayth scrutamini scripturas searche the Scriptures The Papistes refrayne the vse of Scriptures Moreouer you haue cited the Fathers confusedly without order you left transubstantiation and endeuour your selfe to proue the reall prâ—sence in the Sacrament wheras we denye nothing lesse then his corporall presence or the absence of his substaunce in the bread Glin. You inueigh wonderfully you knowe not agaynste what for neyther I nor yet August doe denie the searching of the scriptures but I sayd out of Augustine misteries are not to be searched it is an other thing to search misteryes then it is to searche the Scriptures whereas you requyre of me a regulate order of citing the Doctours I had not as all men know the liberty of tyme so to do but if you desire me so earnestly to performe that if time may be grauÌ„ted me I will easely fulfill your request Perne
the deuill and defendeth meÌ„ from deceptions of phantasy c. Thus ye haue heard the author and father of holly water which some also ascribe to Pope Sixtus which succeeded Alexander But as y e Papists do not agree in the fyrst authour or institutor of this hallowing of Elementes so I thinke the same vntruely to be ascribed to either but leauing the probation of this to farther leasure let vs nowe heare in our owne tongue theyr owne words which y e vse in this theyr coniuration The forme and wordes vsed of the Priest in coniuring Salt I coniure thee thou creature of Salte by the ✚ liuyng God Salt coniured by the ✚ true God by the holy God c. That thou mayest be made a coniured Salte to the saluation of them that beleue And that vnto all suche as receiue thee thou mayest be health of soule and body and that from out of y e place wherein thou shalt be sprinckled may flie away and depart all phantasy wickednes or craftines of the deuils subtlety and euery foule spirit c. The forme of coniuring water Water coniured I coniure thee thou creature of water in the name of ✚ God the father almighty and in the name of Iesu Christ his sonne our Lord and in the vertue ✚ of the holy Ghost that thou become a coniured water to expell all power of the enemy c. Who seeth not in these wordes blasphemye intollerable how that which only is due to the bloud of Christ and promised to fayth onely in him the same is transferred to earthly and insensate creatures to be saluation both to bodye and spirite inwardlye to geue remission of sinnes to geue health and remedy agaynst euils and deuils against all phantasies wickednesse and all foule spirites and to expell the power of the enemy c. If this be true whereto serueth the bloud of Christ and the vertue of Christian fayth Therfore iudge thy selfe gentle Reader whether thou thinke this trompery rightly to be fathered vpon those ancient fathers aforenamed or els whether it may seme more like trueth that Iohn Sleydan writeth whose woordes in his second booke de Monarchijs are these Ioan 〈◊〉 danu◠〈◊〉 de 4. â—â—â—narch Horum decreta sunt in libris inserta conciliorum sed ex his plaeraque tam sunt leuicula tam nugatoria tam aliena prorsus a sacris literis vt credibile sit ab alijs longo post teÌ„pore fuisse conficta c. That is The decrees of these foresaid Bishops and Martyrs be inserted in the booke of Counsels but of these decrees many therof be so childish so trifling and so farre disagreeing from the holy scripture Many 〈…〉 imputeâ— the oldâ— theâ—â— which 〈◊〉 none oâ— theirs that it is very like that the same were fayned and counterfayted of others long after theyr time c. Thus muche sayth Sleydane with moe woordes in that place Unto whose testimony if I might be so bolde also to adde my coniecture I would suppose the coniuration of this foresayd water and Salte to spring out of the same fountayne from whence proceeded the coniuring of flowers and braunches because I see the order and manner of them both to be so like and vniforme as may appeare The maner of halowing flowers and braunches I coniure thee thou creature of flowers and brauÌ„ches in the name of ✚ God the father almighty Floures braunch hallowâ— and in the name ✚ of Iesu Christ his sonne our Lord and in the vertue of the holy ✚ Ghost Therfore be thou rooted out and displaÌ„ted from this creature of flowers and braunches all thou strength of the aduersary all thou host of the deuill and all the power of the enemy eueÌ„ euery assault of the deuils c. And thus much concerning the antiquity of holy bread and holy water wherby thou mayst partly coniecture the same not to be so olde as Steuen Gardiner in hys Letter agaynst mayster Ridley aboue mentioned woulde haue Pag. 753. being both deceiued himselfe and also goyng about to seduce other Furthermore as touching the reseruing of reliques the memoriall of sayntes brought into the masse Ex Actiâ— Rom. 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 Gregoriâ—â— Gregory the thyrd is the author therof who also added to the canon therof this clause Quorum solennitates hodie in coÌ„spectu diuinae maiestatis tuae celebrantur c. Finally it were to long to recite euery thing in order deuised and brought in particularly to the masse and to y e Church For after that mans brayne was once set on deuising it neuer coulde make an end of heaping rite vppon rite and ceremony vpon ceremonye till all religion was turned well nighe to superstition Thereof commeth oyle and creame brought in by Pope Siluester not wont to be hallowed but by a byshop Oyle 〈◊〉 creame The 〈◊〉 onelâ— linnen That the corporas shuld not be of silcke but onely of fine linnen cloth That the Psalmes should be song on sides the one side of the quier singing one verse the other an other with gloria patri c. That baptisme should be ministred at no other time in the yere but onely at Easter and at whitsontide saue onely to infantes and such as were in extreame infirmity and that it should be requyred 40. dayes before Autor 〈◊〉 Conciliâ—â— Tomo 〈◊〉 Hallow of the 〈◊〉 at Easteâ—â— Whitsoâ—â—tide Christ iâ— of bellâ— Ex ponâ— cali 〈…〉 No beaâ—â— so determined by Pope Siricius and therfore was it that fontes were halowed onely at these two seasons the which hallowing they keep yet still but the ordinaunce they haue reiecte Item that belles also were Christened Item no Prieste shoulde weare a beard or haue long hayre so appoynted by Pope Martine the first Item that auriculare confession shoulde be made that the booke of decrees and decretals should be stablished and transubstauntiation confirmed in whiche three Actes Pope Innocentius the thyrd was the chiefest doer Transuâ—â—stantiatâ—â— about the yeare of our Lord. 1215. And thus haue ye in sum the gatheringes of the masse with the Chanon and all the appurtenaunce of the same which not much vnlike to the Crow of Esope being patched with the feathers of so manye byrdes was so long a gethering that the temple of Salomon was not so long in building as the Popes Masse was in making Whereby iudge now thy selfe good Reader whether this Masse did proceede from Iames and other Apostles or no. And yet this was one of the principall causes for which so much turmoyle was made in the Church with the bloudshed of so many Godly men suffering in so many quarters of this realme some consumed by fire some pined away with huÌ„ger some hanged some slayne some racked some tormented one way some another and that onely or chiefelye for the cause of this aforesayd popish Masse as by the reading of this story folowing by the grace of Christ our Lord shall appeare more
so away for feare from the way of truth writeth her minde vnto him in a sharp and vehement letter which as it appeareth to proceede of an earnest and zealous hart so woulde God it might take such effect with him as to reduce him to repentaunce and to take better holde againe for the health and wealth of his owne soule The copie of the letter is thys as followeth ¶ Another letter of the Lady Iane to M. Harding late Chaplayne to the Duke of Suffolke her father and then fallen from the truth of Gods most holy worde SO oft as I call to mynde the dreadfull and fearefull saying of God That he which layeth holde vpon the plough and looketh backe Luke 9. A sharpe letter or exhortation of the â—ady Iane to M. Harding is not meete for the kingdome of heauen and on the other side the comfortable words of our Sauiour Christ to all those that forsaking themselues do folow him I can not but maruell at thee and lament thy case which seemedst somtime to be the liuely member of Christ but now the deformed impe of the deuil sometime the beutifull temple of God but now the stinking and filthy kenel of Sathan sometime the vnspotted spouse of Christ but now the vnshamefast paramour of Antichrist sometyme my faythfull brother but now a straunger and Apostata sometime a stoute Christen souldiour but now a cowardly runneaway Yea when I consider these things I can not but speake to thee and cry out vpon thee thou seede of Sathan and not of Iuda whome the deuill hath deceyued the world hath begiled and the desire of life subuerted and made thee of a Christian an Infidell wherefore hast thou taken the Testament of the Lord in thy mouth * This man a little before K. Edward dyed was heard openly in his 〈◊〉 in London to exhort the people with great vehemency after thys soâ—te that if trouble came they shoulde neuer shrinke from the true doctrine of the Gospell whiche they had receiued but should take it rather for a tryall sent of God to proue them whether they would abide by it or no All which to be true they can testify that heard him and be yet aliue who also foreseeing the plague to come were then muche confirmed by hys wordes Wherfore hast thou preached the law and the wil of God to others Wherefore hast thou instructed other to be strong in Christ when y u thy selfe doest now so shamefully shrinke and so horrible abuse the Testament and lawe of the Lord When thou thy selfe preachest not to steale yet most abhominably stealest not from men but from God and committing most haynous sacriledge robbest Christ thy Lorde of his right members thy bodye and soule and chosest rather to liue miserably with shame to the worlde then to dye and gloriously with honor to reigne with christ in whome euen in death is life Why doest thou now shew thy selfe most weake when in deede thou oughtest to bee most strong The strength of a forâ— is vnknowne before the assault but thou yeldest thy hold before anye battrie be made Oh wretched and vnhappy man what art thou but dust and ashes and wilt thou resist thy maker that fashioned thee and framed thee Wilt thou nowe forsake hym y t called thee from the custome gathering amoÌ„g y e Romish Antichristians to be an Ambassadour messenger of hys eternall worde Hee that first framed thee and since thy first creation and byrth preserued thee nourished and kept thee yea and inspired thee with the spirit of knowledge I cannot say of grace shall he not now possesse thee Darest thou deliuer vp thy selfe to an other Anno. 1554. being not thine owne but his How caÌ„st thou hauing knowledge or how darest thou neglect the law of the Lord and follow the vayn traditions of men Februarye and whereas thou hast bene a publicke professor of his name become now a defacer of his glorye Wilt thou refuse the true God and worship the inuention of man the golden calfe the whore of Babilon y e Romish Religion the abhominable Idoll the most wicked masse Wilt thou torment agayne rent and teare the most precious body of our Sauior Christ with thy bodily and fleshly teeth Wilt thou take vpon thee to offer vp anye sacrifice vnto God for our sinnes considering that Christ offered vp himselfe as Paule sayth vppon the crosse a liuely sacrifice once for all Can neither the punishment of the Israelites which for their Idolatry they so oft receaued nor the terrible threatninges of the Prophetes nor the curses of Gods owne mouth feare thee to honour anye other God then him Doest thou so regard him that spared not hys deare and onely sonne for thee so diminishing yea vtterly extinguishing his glory that thou wilt attribute the prayse and honour due vnto him to the Idols which haue mouthes and speak not eyes and see not eares and heare not which shall perish with them that made them What sayth the Prophet Baruc Baruch 6. where hee recited the Epistle of Ieremy written to the captiue Iewes Did hee not forwarne them that in Babilon they should see Gods of gold siluer wood stone borne vpon mens shoulders to cast a feare before the Heathen But be not ye afrayd of them sayth Ieremy nor doe as other doe But when you see other worship theÌ„ say you in your hartes it is thou O Lord that oughtest onely to be worshipped for as for those Gods the Carpenter framed them and polished them yea gilded be they and layde ouer with siluer and vayne thinges and cannot speake He sheweth moreouer the abuse of theyr deckings howe the Priestes tooke off their ornamentes and aparelled their women withall how one holdeth a scepter an other a sworde in his hand and yet can they iudge in no matter nor defend themselues much lesse anye other from either battell or murther nor yet from gnawing of wormes nor any other euill thing These such like wordes speaketh Ieremy vnto them whereby he proueth them to be but vayne thinges and no Gods And at last he concludeth thus Confounded be they that worship them They were warned by Ieremy and thou as Ieremye hast warned other and art warned thy selfe by many Scriptures in many places God sayth he is a ielous God which will haue all honour glory and worship geuen to him onely And Christ saith in the 4. of Luke to Sathan which tempted him euen to the same Sathan the same Belzebub the same deuill whiche hath preuayled agaynst thee Math. â— It is written saith he thou shalt honor the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue These and such like doe prohibite thee and all Christians to worship anye other God then whiche was before all worldes and layd the foundations both of heauen and earth and wilt thou honour a detestable Idol inuented by Romish Popes and the abhominable Colledge of craftye Cardinals Christ offered himselfe vp once for
our selues and say our soules serue him whatsoeuer our bodoyes doe the contrary for ciuill order and pollicy But alas I know by my selfe what troubleth you that is the great daunger of the worlde that will reuenge ye thinke your seruice to God with sword and fire with losse of goodes and landes But deare brethren way of the other side that your enemies and Gods enemies shal not do so much as they would but as much as God shall suffer them who can trap them in their own counsels Gods enemies can do no more then he geâ—eth them leaue Math. 20. and destroy them in the midst of their furies Remember ye be the workemen of the Lord and called into his Uineyard there to labour till euening tide that ye may receaue your peny which is more worth then al the kinges of the earth But he that calleth vs into hys vineyard hath not told vs how sore and how feruently the sunne shall trouble vs in our labour But hath bid vs labour and committe the bitternes thereof vnto him who can and will so moderate al afflictions that no man shall haue more layd vppon him then in Christ hee shall be able to beare Unto whose mercifull tuition and defence I commend both your soules and bodyes 2. September 1554. Yours with my poore prayer Iohn Hooper To a Marchant of London by whose meanes he had receaued much comfort in his great necessitie in the Fleete GRace mercy and peace in Christ Iesus our Lorde I thanke God and you for the great helpe and consolation I haue receaued in the time of aduersity by your charitable meanes but most reioice that you be not altered from trueth An other letter of M. Hooper to a helper of his although falshoode cruelly seeketh to distayne her Iudge not my brother truth by outward appearaunee for truth now worse appeareth and more vilely is reiected then falshoode Leaue the outwarde shewe and see by the worde of God what truth is Truth is not to be esteemed by outward appearaunce and accept truth and dislike her not though man call her falshoode As it is now so hath it bene heretofore the truth reiected and falshode receaued Such as haue professed truth for truth haue smarted and the frendes of falshode laughed them to scorne The tryall of both hath bene by contrary successe the one hauing the coÌ„mendation of truth by man but the condemnation of falshode by God flourishing for a tyme with endles destruction the other afflicted a little season but ending with immortall ioyes Wherfore deare brother aske and demaund of your book the Testament of Iesus Christ in these woefull and wretched dayes what you should thinke and what you should stay vpon for a certayne truth and whatsoeuer you heare taught try it by your booke whether it be true or false The dayes be dangerous and full of perill not only for the world and worldly things but for heauen and heauenly things It is a trouble to lose the treasures of this life but yet a very payne if they be kept with the offence of God Cry call pray and in Christ dayly require helpe succour mercy wisedome grace and defence that the wickednes of thys world preuayle not against vs. We began well God preserue vs vntill the end I would write more often vnto you but I do perceaue you be at so much charges with me that I feare you would thinke when I write I craue Send me nothing till I send to you for it and so tell the good men your partners and when I neede I will be bold of you 3. December 1554. Yours with my prayer Iohn Hooper ¶ To Maistres Wilkinson a woman harty in Gods cause and comfortable to his afflicted members THe grace of God and the comforte of his holy spirit be with you Amen This Misteries WilkinsoÌ„ afterward â—yed in Exile at Franckford I am very glad to heare of your health and do thanke you for your louing tokens But I am a great deale more glad to heare how Christianly you auoyd Idolatry prepare your selfe to suffer y e extremity of the world rather theÌ„ to endaunger your selfe to God You doe as you ought to do in this behalfe and in suffering of traÌ„sitory paynes you shall auoyd permanent tormeÌ„ts in the world to come Use your life Gaynes with Gods displeasure is beggary and keepe it with as much quietnes as you can so that you offende not God The ease that commeth wyth his displeasure turneth at length to vnspeakeable paynes and the gaynes of the world with the losse of his fauour is beggery and wretchednes Reason is to be amended in this cause of Religion For it will choose and follow an errour with the multitude if it may be allowed rather then turne to faith and folow the truth with the people of God Moyses found the same fault in himselfe and did amende it choosing rather to be afflicted with the people of God then to vse the libertie of the kings daughter that accounted him as her sonne Heb. 11. Math. 5. Pray for contentation and peace of the spirit and reioyce in such troubles as shall happen vnto you for the truthes sake for in that part Christ saith you be happy Pray also for me I pray you that I may do in all things the will of our heauenly father to whose tuition and defence I commend you * To my deere frendes in God Mayster Iohn Hall and his wyfe THe grace of God be with you Amen I thanke you for your louing and gentle frendship at all times An other letter exhorting to stand fast in the truth praying God to shew vnto you such fauour that whatsoeuer trouble and aduersitie happen yâ— go not backe from him These dayes be daungerous and full of perill but yet let vs comfort our selues in calling to remembrance the dayes of our forefathers vpon whom the Lord sent such troubles that many hundrethes yea many thousandes dyed for the testimonie of Iesus Christ both men and women suffering with patience and constancie as much cruelty as Tyrants could deuise and so departed out of this miserable world to the blisse euerlasting where as now they remaine for euer lookyng alwayes for the end of this sinfull world when they shall receiue their bodies againe in immortalitie and see the number of the elects associated with them in full and consummate ioyes Heb. 11. And as vertuous men suffering Martyrdome and tarying a little whyle in this world with paynes by and by rested in ioyes euerlastyng and as their paynes ended their sorowes and began ease Consolation taken by the example of the ancient martyrs so dyd their constancie and stedfastnes animate and confirme all good people in the truth and gaue them encouragement and lust to suffer the like rather then to fall with the world to consent vnto wickednes and Idolatry Wherefore my deare frends seeing God of his part hath illuminated you with the