be permitted but that which hath come frō the Apostles or that those thinges should be alltogeather now autētike which were vsed in the primitiue church But if the Catholike hath ben superfluous in prouing of that which no man as you saie hath denyed if you wyll charitablie forgeaue hym this once he shall within the turnyng of one leaffe in your defence do the lyke again for you And now I trow we do agree in this one poynt that for ceremonies and thinges indifferent we are not bound vnto the Apostells tyme. In what thinges then are we bound to do after the example of the Apostels and the primitiue church In truth of doctrines and right vse of sacramētes as thinges in the church most necessarie And you doe alleage this cause of your so saying In doctrine there is but one veritie and but one right vse of the sacramentes If I were able precisely to know what you meane by the right vse of Sacramentes I could sone answer you how farfurth we agree with you in this part of your distinction For to receiue in the morning or euening to receiue fasting or after meales and to receiue with cumpanie or alone they be such thinges as you may at your pleasure vnderstand by the right vse of the Sacrament or saie to disagree from the right vse of it For in S. Paules tyme emong the Corinthians they vsed to receiue at night about supper tyme and they made no matter of conscience if they had dined that daie before And you can not saie but notwithstanding the breaking of their fastes or takyng of their suppers they dyd in that beginnyng of the church rightly vse the Sacrament Yf therefor the vse of the Sacrament ys to be taken for that manner and order which they rightly vsed at the begynnyng in receauyng of the sacramentes I denie vnto you that the right vse of them is to be accompted emong preceptes and lawes vnchangeable For the right vse is but one you saie and therefor lyke as thei of the Apostells tyme dyd sitt togeather in the church about euening and receiue either after or before other meates Christ his verie naturall body so should we do now of necessitie in these daies or els we vse not the sacrament rightly To which case if you will answer that tyme place and maner of supping with common meates which then were vsed do nothing apperteine to the right vse of the sacramēt so shall I againe inferr that number of communicantes and receiuing in one or both kyndes are as litle required to the right vse of the sacrament Therefor to auoid the occasion of stryuing which could not but be geauen if one part vnderstanded not the other our meanyng is this that in the articles of our faith and necessary doctrine we haue to keepe one veritie which hath ben from the begynnyng but in canons and orders which haue ben added sence vnto the substance of our religion the church of Christ is not so straictly bound vnto them but that she may with discretion abrogate or alter them or permit the discontinuance of them And in this kynd of orders we vnderstand the vse of the sacramētes which in substance are to this daie one with those of the primitue church do thei neuer so much differ in ceremonies circunstancies and manner of vsing them We do not therefore graunt vnto you that the right vse of the sacrament ys but one or that the vse of a sacrament is in the same authoritie and estimation as the truth of doctrine is For he which receiueth alone if he be in state of grace doth well and he which receiueth with cumpanie doth wel if his liffe be cleane And then againe a conclusion in doctrine can neuer be remoued but in receiuing of sacramentes diuers vses may be permitted except you doubt whether both parties should be thought baptised a right of which the one were but once dipped the other thrise wasshed and perfunded Wherefore the vse of the sacramentes being ▪ with vs a thing indifferēt in it selfe allthough not indifferent vnto euerie rasshe controller you speake very absurdly vnto our iudgementes first in not bynding vs vnto the obseruations of ceremonies and thinges indifferent and then againe requiring of vs to keepe the ceremonies of the primitiue church ▪ For when you had said in one sentence For the vse of ceremonies and thinges indifferent we do not bind you to the Apostles tyme and the primitiue church in the next sentence folowing you call for redresse according to the scripture and primitiue church not only for vse of sacramentes or false opinions which are referred to the first member of your distinction but allso as concerning ceremonies which allthough you call superstitious that you might seeme to haue some iust cause of taking them awaie yet you do against right dealing to call vs to the primitiue churche for ceremonies which you said before were in themselues indifferēt And here loe you make a rule and saie that nothing is to be added vnto the first ordinances of the law and that we must bring thinges vnto the institution of Christ. And againe that we must not harken what other dyd before vs but what Christ first dyd that was before all And yet againe That that ys true that was first ordeined and that ys corrupted that ys after done which rule yf you wyll haue to be vnderstanded in suche matters as cōcerne immutable doctrine then haue you proued that thing which none of ours denyeth vnto you and so you are all fallen in to the same lapse for which you misliked with others But if you vnderstand generally by truth of doctrine the vse of Sacramentes and ceremonnies then haue you much forgoten yout selfe which euen now made ceremonies indifferent But if you do it for that purpose that a Catholike should not know where to haue you allthough I seeme to aske your losse yet for truth sake amend that fasshion And perchaūse this myght be amended allso that you do not trulie alleage your testimonies saying that to be Saint Cyprianes in his Epistle vnto Cecilius which is not at all to be found there but in his goodly treatise De simplicitate praelatorum In which place the seeking vnto the head which you do mention is not vnderstanded for to seeke vnto the beginnyng of a doctrine or custome but vnto that head of whom it ys wryten Thou art Peter that is to saye a rocke and vpon this rocke I wyll buyld my church But how rightlie you alleage the doctours and how much they make for you it wyll be perceaued before we haue ended Hytherto let it be marked that we refuse your rule of resorting to the first institution for the redresse about the vse of the Sacramentes Because the vse of them is a thing indifferent and it neither maketh neither marreth to receiue alone or with cumpanie and to receiue in one or in both kyndes or at
difference to be betwyxt the priest and the people and confesse that taking blessing and breaking is so properly his that it can not rightly be the common peoples Yea marie saie you but Christ tooke the bread c. then the priest in his ministration must do as Christ dyd and no otherwyse that is to take breake and geaue vnto the people c. Speake you this of your owne mynd or do you speake it as it were vpon occasion of the Catholikes wordes Yf you thinke as you speake why find you no fault with your coÌ„munion where no rule ys apointed vnto ministers of taking the bread in to their handes or of blessing it which Christ hymselfe dyd But if you beleeue not that of necessity euery thing must be done as Christ dyd at his maundy what cause then moueth you whi distributyng should be more required then taking and blessing of the holy host which by your seruyce is omitted For the Catholike church doth teach that as the body of Christ is a sacrifice and a sacrameÌ„t so lykewyse that it ys two distinct actes â–ª his body to be offered and the same to be receiued And as S. Cypriane whom I haue alleaged doth testifie that the bread which the true Melchisedech and our high priest Christ gaue to his Disciples was both a whole burnt offering and sacriâ—ice and allso a medicine so as it is a medicine it is to be receaued of all Christians because all without exception are diseased and as it is a sacrifice it is actually to be offered for all persons by such as are properly apoynted out for that purpose because no man should take an office vpon hym before he be called Yet because one may iustly saie that to shew furth the death of our Lord vntill he come doth well agree with euery Christian man his part and office and therevpon vntruly conclud that Do this in remembrance of me which is by the interpretation of S. Paule to shew furth the death of Christ vntill he come should in all pointes be referred as well vnto the people as the priest therfor I answer further that allthough many thinges which Christ spake to the Apostles onlye and their successors may be truly applied vnto euery Christian so is it in this case of which we talke Christ saied vnto the Apostles onlye You haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you which allthough it may be truly verified of euery Christian man woman and child because that Christ in deed hath chosen vs to his people so many other besides coÌ„tinuing in their infidelitie or Iuisshnes yet it must not folow that Christ dyd not meane by those wordes that the Apostles were singularly chosen vnto the proper office of preaching and ministring his sacramentes Therfor allthough one may vse the wordes Do this in remembrance of me in respect of the common peoples affection yet it is not true that Christ had no larger or greater meanyng in them then that by eatyng of his body we should only remember that he dyed for vs which euery one may do as well as a priest Wherefor Syr as you haue coÌ„cluded that the priest is not bound to minister to other if there be none to receaue which is quickly to be graunted vnto you so I say that you haue nothing at all proued that Christ his institution stretcheth as well to the people as the priest or that the priest could not laufully receaue except there were some cumpany But where now are your scriptures your Doctours your generall councells and your crakes by which you should directly answer to that which is required of you We shall perchaunse hereafter in your defence read many great argumentes against vs but in the meane tyme you thinke it good to prouyde for a place of refuge when the ouerthrow shall be geauen vnto you And therefor you saie Yf we had no scripture at all to proue that the priest should not receaue without cumpany yf ye dyd geaue vs the ouerthrow in that yet could ye not triumph therein as though ye had wonn the field And why so I pray you Our contention you answer ys for priuate Masse c. of which sole receauyng ys but one part You pitch your campe Sir in a very wyde field and your kind of fight is such as we perceaue you would neuer be ouercummed The church of God whose armies of doctrine and verities do allwaies stand in good order if she be iustly ouercuÌ„med in any one thing which she absolutelye mainteineth she straitwaies shall be forsaken as one which is not to be credited But you in whose name I will not saie are so trimlye prepared that allthough you be ouerthrowen in one of your articles yet you will not be ouercummed in the state of your whole religion Yet how well this may be graunted lett vs consider Do not you distinct thinges some in to necessarie some in to indifferent Do not you saie that the sole receauyng of a priest by hym selfe is not a thing indifferent And do not you make a necessitie of doctrine in it that the people must receaue with the priest or els Christ his institution is broken Tell me then now further Is not the church of Christ the pillar and staie of truth And can that be possiblie his church which would sett furth a lye No truly It is impossible that the church should err in doctrine to whom the Holyghost was promised to teach her all truth and allso to tary with her for euer And if but one article which she defendeth be proued false I will not saie that all the rest which she vttered is false but this is most certen that she is not the church which is to be folowed Yet see you can so dispose your selues that allthough you be proued lyers in one of those your articles which you make necessary yet you will not be mistrusted but that neuerthelesse you be the true church of Christ. And whereas the Holyghost which was promised vnto the church doth teach her all truth yet you so vnderstand the matter that for all the ouerthrowing of one whing of your battaile you neuerthelesse will not leese the whole field and victorie Which one saying of yours alone without further stroke geaueÌ„ doth so wound your church and confound it that in deed you haue lost the victorie And it may well be that your tong is yet free and that your feete may serue you to runn in to other questions besides the purpose but as concernyng the truth which is with you in all poyntes if you be the true church you haue lost for euer the grace of it either because as we know you can not disproue sole receiuing either because yourselfe saie that if you were therein ouerthrowen you had not yet lost the victorie Which is thus much in effect that the church of Christ which honor you challenge vnto yourselfe might
is the worse for your handeling We therefore doe not straitwaies looke for a priest at an aultar but first we take your confessyon that sole receiuing is lawfull as being vsed in the primitiue church and then we inferr that Christ his institution doth not requyre of necessitie a numbre to receiue allwaies togeather Ergo then Christ his institution is not broken when a priest alone by hymselfâ— receiueth Ergo you should amend your needeles appealing vnto that institution which you doe not vnderstand and confesse that there is no impedimeÌ„t wherfor a priest maye not saie masse and receiue alone For if it had ben a substaÌ„ciall point of Christ his institution to haue coÌ„municantes no necessitie might haue made for sole receiuing but in the primitiue church ther was sole receiuing Ergo that which you terme particular communion is not of the necessitie of Christ his commaundement For as concerning the persecutions of those tymes which caused that the ChristiaÌ„s could not come togeather thei serued well to delyuer mens coÌ„sciencies from the scruples which thei might haue had for not receiuing but thei doe not liceÌ„ce them to receiue against Christ his institution As for example at an Easter tyme when all Christians do receiue of dutie if through persecution certaine of them were dryuen vnto such extremytes that thei could haue neither wheaten breade nor wyne nor priest to minister the communion vnto them this necessitie doth not make it laufull that thei celebrate in oten cakes and whey or that with their laycall handes thei take blesse and receiue in the remembrance that Christ dyed for them and be thankefull but only it maketh for their quyetnes of mynde and conscience that thei thinke not them selfes to haue transgressed the law of the church because of the present necessitie which hath none other remedye but pacience And so lykewise if thâ— Bishopes which gouerned the church in those persecutions had thought it to be â—f the substance of Christ his institution that without your particular coÌ„munion the sacrament might not haue ben receiued thei would not haue sent it home to Christians howses there to be receiued of them priuately but thei would rather haue exhorted them not to be discomforted for all the lack of the visible sacrameÌ„t and willed them to praye for a quyet and good tyme in which thei might coÌ„municate after Christ his institution But for all the trobles of persecution thei did not so Ergo it is plaine to perceiue that thei thought not as you do of Christ his institution And this being once confirmed that the institution of Christ doth not requyre of necessitie coÌ„municantes we doe rightly inferr that a priest maye receiue alone without any iniuire done to the institution of our Sauyor But good Lord how miserablie are you tormented within your selfes as it maye seeme You graunt sole receiuing in some case you confesse it to haue ben vsed in the primitiue church and yet you saye that Christ his institution doth allwaies require company To denie the authoritie of the primitiue church you dare not and reuoke your owne comment made vpon Christ his institution you will not What will ye doe poore soules you turne and wâ—nde your selfes loth to refuse the aucthoritie of the primitiue church and sorye that you can not make it agree with Christ his institution as you expound it And therefore not withstaÌ„ding your former graunt that sole receyuing was vsed in the primitiue church yet now you temper the matter signifying that it was then either tolerable or pius error but that now it shold be intolerable and impia prophanatio As who should saye In deede it can not be denyed but that in the primitiue church sole receiuing was vsed vndoubtedly against the institution of Christ and example of S. Paull in his epistle to the Corynthians but yet we must not saye so expreslie for then we shall marr all but coÌ„fesse the matter making the best that we can of it and saying that it was tolerated and not alowed or a certaine good and harmeles error in the people and not a wycked prophanation of Christ his coÌ„maundement But whether this be true or no that in the primitiue church a playne transgressing of Christ his commaundement in the substance of the sacrament would haue ben tolerated of the blessed clergiâ— of that age or that they would haue smyled at the breach of Christ his institutioÌ„ and called that fault by no worse name then pius error it will easely appeare by this that sole receyuing at home was neuer yet thought vntolerable and wicked Yes saye you Hyerome against Iouinian mencioneth that in his tyme some vsed to receyue in their houses but he earnestly inueigheth against that maner Why sayeth he doe they not come into the church Is Christ sometyme abrode in the common place sometyme at home in the howse Beleiue not euery spirit sayeth the Apostle but trye them whether thei be of God But alas how shall he vvhich knoweth none other tongue then his English trye the truth of his sayinges which speaketh vnto hym out of Latyne authors But if the simple can not or should not rather examyne these matters let the indiffereÌ„tlie learned take an example by this one place with what coÌ„science and honestie you alleage and abuse the doctors Might not a man thinke which had neuer read S. Hierome against Iouinian that he expreslie condemneth the receiuing at home out of the church Yet he sayeth nothing lesse which to make more playne vnto you consider the occasion of Saint Hierome his wordes in that place Iouinian the heretike would haue no excellencie to be in virginitie aboue mariage S. Hierome coÌ„futeth hym at large vsing emong other argumentes that weddlock is not so great a good thing seeing that prayer is hyndred by it the Apostle saying Doe ye not defraude one the other except it be vpon consent for a tyme that ye maye entend to praye He said also what maner of good thing call you that which letteth a man froÌ„ the receiuing of Christ his bodye For he presupposeth that if the Israelites did abstaine from their wyues three dayes before thei receiued the law and if Dauid the kyng with his cumpanye were examined whether they had layen with their wyues latelie before wheÌ„ they desyred to haue some of the loeues which are called propositionis panes much more a Christian should absteyne a certayne tyme from his laufull wyfe before he did presume to receiue Christ his bodye Yet saieth S. Hierome I know that this custome is in Rome that the faythfull doe at all tymes receyue the bodye of Christ which thing I doe neither reproue neither allow for euery man abundeth in his owne sense But I aske of theyr consciencies which doe communicate the same day after they haue had carnall knowledge of theyr wyues iâ—xta Persium noctem flumine purgant wherefore they dare not goe vnto the Martyrs
quarelling But aâ—ee herein yowr honest and true charitie M. D. Cole in hys first letter to the Bishope promiseth by the faith he beareth to God that he will yeld so farr as M. Iuel shall geaue him cause And he againe in the second letter â–ª to M. Iuell in most hartie and humble wyse desyreth hym to geaue eare vnto his sute and he speaketh so loulie and baselie that it may be wel marueiled why such a Catholike would submitt hym selfe vnto a protestant Yet this notwithstanding you which see further in other mens hartes then you can gather by any outward signe dare to speake it and that in print that for all M. D. Coles pretence yet in deede he went about quarelling And you speake not onlie for your selfe but you would haue other beleeue that M. Iuell allso was of the same opinion as though he had therefore made strange without further licence to shew furth the proufes for his doctrine because he had to do with a wayward and quarelling subiect Whereof you do fouly and vnworthely cause hym to be suspected â–ª as it doth clearly appeare by his answer to M. D. Coles first letter In which after he had declared the doubt of hys mynd whether without further liceÌ„ce he might safely geaue a rekonyng of his doctrine Not withstanding sayeth he for as much as I am persuaded that you charitablie desyre to be resolued I can allso charitablie be contented c. to conferr with you herein Wherefor truly Syr what so euer you be you be much to blame to report in such sort of D. Cole as neither by hym is to be gathered by the faith he oweth vnto God neither to M. Iuell ys persuaded as plainely appeareth by his letters Yf therefor D. Cole was not in such sense taken by M. Iuell as you suppose hym to haue ben receiued it is euident that as you vnderstode not the meanyng of the author of the Apologie so lykewyse you haue mistaken the mynd and saying of your Lord of Salisburie Which maketh me iustly to doubt whether you vnderstand your selfe in such matters as you haue enterprysed As in an other reason which you bring for M. Iuell it may be partly proued vntill I procede further Your reason is this In that he is orderlie called to the state of a Bishope he is in possession of the truth And therefor it were not reason he shold â—e requested first to shew his euidence What meane you then I pray you by possession of the truth Is the truth so ioyned vnto the Bishopericke of Sarum that he which is sett in possession of the landes ys straitwaies placed in the possession of the truth And because it is not so how ys M. Iuell at this daye more properly in the possession of the truth then he was seuen yeres past when he was out of all possession of land And if seuen yeres past he might haue ben required and nothing haue doubted to shew his euidence vnto a Catholike Bishope whâ— ys it against reason that at this daye for all his temporall honor he should do the lyke For allthough palace parkes reuenues seruantes horses and such lyke do make hym in the sight of the world more worthyer yet all the ryches and glorie of the world should not make hym by one iote the truer If the wyll or counsell of mightie Princes of the world or yf the consent of the commons of any realme were able to sett the studentes of diuinitie in the possession of the truth then not only such Princes or such commons might be called Lordes of the truth but allso the truth which is one in it selfe should be oftentymes changed euen as their myndes shoulde be altered whiche are letters and setters of it But the wysedome of God hath apoynted a better order And he hath geauen vnto his only-begoten and singularly welbeloued soun Ihesus Christ the nations of the world as his iust inheretance which yet is so geauen of the father that the soun by his pretiouse death hath truly deerly purchased it To take therefor the possession of the world which he might of right challenge for his obedience vnto death he sent furth his officers and Apostells and by his diuine power and shewing of miracles he placed those so few and so simple persons in the possession of hys landes and by sending vnto them all the giftes and graces of the holyghost he set them perfectly in the possession of hys truth as it ys writen when the holygost cummeth he shall teach you all truth Now that the possessioÌ„ of this truth might not be lost for euer after and that allthough the Apostells and Disciples should within few yeares depart from this world yet that such should neuer be to seekyng as might hold the possession of truth once taken therefor God which was able to performe it â–ª dyd apoynt in hys church some Apostles some Prophetes some Euangelistes other some Pastors and teachers vntill all we shall come and meete togeather in vnitie of faith and knowledge of the soun of God Such therefor as succeed the Apostells in their faith and places and such as haue coÌ„tinued in the possession of the truth euer sence Christ hytherto such also as keepe the Catholike tradition and priesthode in the most partes of Christendome are to be regarded and estemed as the right heires of the Apostles and Christ. But if in some corner of Christendome the old and auncient Bisshopes be dryuen out of their places and if a new religion be planted xvC yeres after Christ allthough it should continue without interruption in that one particular place vnto the worlds end yet could it be neuer rightly saied to haue the possession of truth by order No verely it hath not so much as the possession of place orderly and much lesse the possession of the truth For I pray yow what maÌ„ner of faith was he of whom M. Iuell succedeth in the palace of Sarum Or what order can yow number vp sence England was Christened of Bisshopes and Priestes inspired with the lyke confession of faith as now is for the tyme vsed Well Syr yet agayne if the order which any one Realme taketh be able to settle men in the possession of truth and if for the tyme of that order standyng no Bishope is to be required to shew his euidence how chaunseth it that in the disputatioÌ„ which was prepared at Westminster the catholike Bishopes which then were in possessioÌ„ were not yet permitted to enjoy their pruilege Or whi did your Bishopes now which then were out of office refuse to shew their euidences as thei were required As the church of Christ had hundred of yeares togeather vsed so dyd the Bisshopes and clergie of England obserue and keepe in their seruice and order of church what tyme you began to ryse and reason against them And whereas it was sufficient cause inowgh for them to beleiue and mainteine as thei
testimonie of S. Denyse the Areopagite in which it is proued vnto you that the supper of our Lorde is therefore called a communion because all the lyuelye membres of the church are brought thereby to an vnitie with Christ their head And if all this be not sufficient then do you further vnderstand that lyke as in our naturall bodye wheÌ„ one parte reioyseth all the rest is glad of it and if anye one be payned all the rest doth feele it so in the mysticall bodye of Christe there is a diuine entiere and charytable communion of all the fructfull paynes actioÌ„s and graces which any one of the singuler membres either receyueth eyther practiseth And this coÌ„munion is not only in respect of the vniformitie of the church in Sacramentes and scriptures as you saye but also as concerning the communicating of benefytes vvhich are receyued by those sacramentes or deserued by good deedes and meritoryous Of which fellowshipp it commeth to passe that the obedience of Abraham and pacience of Iob vvith all their vertues vvhich lyued in the feare and knowledge of God before the commyng of Christ and the humilitie of the most blessed virgyn labors of the Apostles constancie of martyrs and holynes of all good Sowles sence the Ascention of our Sauyor goe forth without enuye to the bewtifying and comforting of euery ioynt of the whole mysticall bodye Of which Christ is the head which is blessed for euer which is full of grace and truth of whose fullness euery membre receiueth a portion whom the holy ghost hath annoynted with the oyle of gladnes and reioysing which oyle from the head droppeth downe into the berde and so continueth in communicating his graces vntyll that the very skyrte of his vestimentes and the leste of all his church receyue of his influence And this heades example all the membres doe folow eche of them gladly communicating with his next felow some parte and measure of his merites and glorye vnto whom againe the inferiors do ascende with a sweete sauor of thanke and prayses so that in the whole bodye there is no one parte for it selfe but as God is for all so all they are for God and are both for their begynning and ending in most perfect socyetie Therefor in this bodye how can any parte doe anye thing for it selfe alone or how can there be but a communion betwixt all the membres of so perfect a dodye And to this end only doth the Catholikes argument come not as you grosely vnderstaÌ„d hym that he went about to proue that as one maye praye for an other so one might receyue for another Against which point the more you talke the more you make some to laugh and some to be angrie that you reason so hardly without any occasioÌ„ And yet you can not pretend ignorance herein for at length you espye your owne fault your selfe and you declare that you see wel inough what we might say against you and therefor you come in with these wordes You wyl saye perhappes you do not inferr this vpon the argument of general communion but onelye that they which are in diuers places maye communicate Yea Syr we saye so without perhappes and if you had ben a reasonable man you would neuer haue made such an earnest battaill against your owne fancye â–ª supposing one to stand before you which should saye that as one maye praye for an other so one myght receyue the Sacrament for an other Against which coÌ„clusion you myght haue some aduantage by gathering therof this absurditie that so it wold folow that our baptisme here in England myght benefite some that are in Fraunce yet oure only meaning was to shewe how they which are in diuers places maye that notwithstanding communicate togeather Of which thing what saye you now wel Syr I grawnte yow that Remembre I praye you then what you graunt you graunt vs this that they which be in diuers places maye coÌ„municate wel Syr I graunt you that but yet ye should haue inferred the other point c. That is to be lyke coÌ„munion in the Lorde his supper of one alone receyued as there is in prayer when one man in place alone prayeth for a multitude That your selfe maye not seeme to haue spoken much out of the purpose therefore you tell vs what we should haue inferred But lett the Apologie be considered agayne and if it can be proued that any such conclusion was intended as you doe speake against then shall you haue the victorie You vnderstand the catholike in this fashion that whereas he sayd there is a communion betweene all faythfull Christians as well in receyuing the Sacrament as in prayer you conclude that lyke as one alone maye praye for a multitude so that we shold inferr that one alone may receyue the SacrameÌ„t for a multitude As who should saye when a similitude or proportion is made betwyxt two thinges that they must in all partes answer one an other or els the comparison is nothing worth Yet we reade in wyse mens workes this similitude Lyke as a munkey doth counterfait and folow a mann so doe the heretykes couet to appeare lyke vnto the trew Catholykes in which so saying no man I trow doth meane that all heretikes haue tayles but only that in the acte of imitating perfect and good Christians they playe verye munkyshe partes which comparison yf you shall despyse because it is made of twoe thinges of nature very diuers and tell vs that a munkey hath an other maner of heare and coat then a maÌ„ or make sporte against the author of that similitude as though he would haue coÌ„cluded that a reasonable man is no better then a beast I would not geaue ouer so but further continew in the similitude and saye that lyke as munkeyes when thei haue spent all their other knackes doe make moppes and mowes cunninglie to delight thereby the lookers on so some men in the world when they haue no more to saye or do least they should seeme to be yâ—le resorte vnto making of newe constructions as it were distorted and madd faces For in deed it is of your owne making when you saie that the catholike shold haue proued if he had folowed good order that lyke as one may praye for a multitude so lykewise that one may receyue for a greate number For it was not said vnto you that receyuing and praying were in all thinges lyke and proportionable but only as concerning the strength of communioÌ„ which goeth through the whole mistical bodye of Christ not in praier only or receiuing of the sacrameÌ„t but in fasting almes deedes penaÌ„ce or anye other good acte or benefyte And therefor concerning the proportion which is in this respect betwyxt prayer and receyuing of the sacrament you haue to answer why there is not a communion to be graunted when one alone receiueth as you can not denie a plaine coÌ„munion when one alone prayeth We
by the worde of God there is no cause lefte to reiect it but in this case when one shall say here is Christ in Geneua an other saie here is Christ in Wyttenberge an other saie behold he is 〈◊〉 the wooddes of Bohemye euery faction pulling the symple vnto it here loe to trye such voyces whether they come of God or no the sure waye is to harken vnto the practyse and doctrine of the most part of Christendome as it hath ben for hundreds of yeares togeather And continuance of tyme in one doctrine with multitude of folowers doth make a very good persuasion to reiecte the vpstart and vnaccompanyed religion Naye say you if continuance of tyme and multitude of persons might be rulers to gouerne mens consciences then would that argument serue For the Israëlites against the Iewes for the priestes against the prophetes for the Iewes Gentiles against Christ his Apostles for the Turkes against vs Christians at this day See loe how you be deceyued For I would saye first not that a multitude of Turkes are better then a few Christians or that a long cōtynued Idolatrie is better then a new religion but in cōferring Turke with Turke Iew with Iew Christian with Christian and so furth I saye if the Mahometes law were good and that schismes and diuisions should aryse emong the professors of it that then the surest waye should be so to vnderstand and receiue that law as it hath ben taken of longest tyme before and of the most parte of all Turkes And in lyke maner when so euer emong vs which professe one Christ diuisions and taking of partes doe trouble mens consciences the best waye is by all good reason to folow that syde which hath longest continued and which hath most voyces for it And so it a Turke or panyme would alleage continuance of tyme to proue thereby his religiō to be good the next and wysest waye to aunswer hym is not to call him vnreasonable and folysh for the bringing of that argument for vndoubtedly vnto our naturall and common reason it is no tryfeling persuasion to see contynuance and multitude of folowers to be with vs but the right waye of cōuerting or confounding them in that argument is either to shew that naturall reason is against them as it was in their worshipping of stockes and stones either by myracle to persuade them as the Apostles in their dayes haue done or as good and religious persons doe in this our tyme emong the Indians or else to shew that it is no wonder if the religion of which thei be hath allreadie long contynued and shall from hense forward encreace daylie because it geaueth libertie vnto the flesh and vnto all bodely pleasures But the continuance and multitude of folowers which commend the doctrine of the church are so notable and myraculouse that except the finger of God were here it is vnpossible it should be regarded For prescript fastinges watchinges prayers preferring of virginitie before wedlock submitting of our owne willes vnto the cōmaundemēt of others confessing of our secrete faultes quiet suffring of harde penance these are verye much against the nature and appetyte of our flesh on the other syde that which the church teacheth of sainctes of sowles departed of seuen sacramentes and especiallye of that one in whiche allmightie God is receyued all this is so farr beyonde the capacitie of carnall reason that except fayth be infunded it is neuer rightly beleiued Yet this religion so repugnant vnto naturall appetyte so much surmounting all reason hath ben embraced of the poore and ryche the symple and the learned the stout and the tender the beggers and the Cesars and in spite of the dyuell the world the flesh and heretikes hath contynued these .xv. hundred yeares as we beleiue and as you be sorye for it these nyne hundred yeares togeather It is no wonder if a Turkyshe religion be much made of and cherisshed for they are permitted to haue here carnall pleasures for the worlde to come they are promysed to haue their full of them Againe I doe not maruayll if many follow Luther the Father or anye of his euyll fauored broode and children for the flesshe doth well allow it to eate what it will at all tymes to be free from earely rysing to haue short seruice in the churche to haue matrymonye no sacrament to be bounde to no ceremonye and to be subiect vnto none other authoritie then the expresse scripture But that the Catholike religion which is so exacte so deuout and so graue that it maketh the carnall men to wyssh that it were out of the worlde should haue cōtynuall folowers of it and before so long tyme preserued it is not for flessh and bloud to bring it to passe but it is the verye worke of God whom nothing can resyst and withstande Consider also their lyues and maners which haue ben emong other the maynteyners of it And because none are more odious vnto the world then prelates monkes and fryars I wysh that some of them were rightly considered For if you can beleiue historyes and monumētes what fault do you fynde in S. Francys and S. Dominike if you will reade their bookes what can you saye against S. Bernard S. Bonauenture S. Thomas of Aquyne Rupertus Anselmus Dionysius the Carthusian with a numbre of such holy and reuerende fathers whose writinges sufficiently declare how much they remembred Christ how diligently they did reade the scriptures how freely they reproued faultes and lamented the euill lyfe of Christians how much they were acquaynted with the sweete spirite of God and practysed in fightyng for the sowle against the dyuell The doctrine therfor of our church hath not only contynued meruaylouslye but contynued in many and in those many no few haue ben excellent and in such sort excellent that if not before it might our religion haue ben now alowed because such godly and graue heades did vse it Whereas on your syde if your inuentions were tollerable yet those Apostles of yours whō in these latter dayes you say God hath styrred to reproue our vice and irreligion and to reuyue his truth and testament haue ben so vyle themselues that vndoubtedly God dyd neuer sende them and a reasonable man should neuer folow them What an Apostle was Luther who gaue hym leaue to break his vow which those holye men whom euen now I named did keepe vnto death who moued hym to lye with a noune If he lyued chaste being yet within his ordre what spirite trow you was that which could not afterwardes keepe hym chaste when he was selected to preache a Ghospell Then if he lyued abominably when he was kept in Cloyster was he a meete instrument for God to worke the redemption of his church so long deceaued And if God had forgeauē his former great offences that he should be more humble in preaching of grace and mercie would he so sone haue forsakē hym that in