these thinges whiche so longe time hath bene openlye obserued and approued in the Churche of God ought now at the laste to be reuoked But we doe certenly knowe that that same worde which by Christ was reueled and published abrode by the Apostles is sufficient as well for our saluation as also to defende al truthe and to conuince al heresie By that same onely we doe condemne all kinde of olde heretickes whiche these men saye we do rayse vp agayne out of Hell the Arrians Eutychians Marcionites Ebions Ualentinians Carpocratians Tatians Nouatians and at a worde all such as haue had wicked opinioÌ„ other of God the father or of Christ or of y e holy Ghost or of any other parte of christian Religion in as much as by the gospell of Christ they are reproued them we doe openly pronounce to be wicked and damned and euen vnto Hell gates doe detest them And not only this but also in case they breake out in any place vtter them self we doe seuerely earnestly correct them with lawefull and conuenient punishmentes We coÌ„fesse in deede that certen newe sectes and such as before hath not ben hearde of as Anabaptistes Libertines Mennonions Zuenkfeldians by by at the springyng of the Gospell did starte vp But we giue thaÌ„kes vnto our God the world seeth now wel inough that we nother haue bred nor taught nor fostered these monsters Reade I praye thee whoe so euer thou arte our bookes they be in euery place to be solde what was euer written by any of oure men that might euidently fauer the madnes of these fellowes No there is no countre so free from these pestilent fellowes as these be wherein the Gospell is freely openly taught But yf menne will consider the very matter diligently rightly this is a great argumente that this doctrine whiche we teache is the truthe of the Gospell For nother is darnell commonly wonte to grow but with some kinde of grayne nor chaffe but with corne By and by after the time of the Apostles what time the Gospel was first spred abrode who knoweth not how many heresies sodenly sprang vp together Whoe euer hearde before of Simon Menander Saturnine Basilides Carpocrates Cherinthus Ebion Ualentine Secundus Marcosius Colorbasius Heracleo Luciane Seuerus And what shoulde we reherse these Epiphanius reckeneth fourescore Augustine moe and that distincte heresies whiche grewe vp together with the gospell Howe then was the gospell no gospell bycause that heresies sprange vp together with it other was Christ therfore no Christ And yet as we sayd this seede buddeth not amongst vs that openly freely teache the gospell AmoÌ„gest our aduersaries eueÌ„ in blindnes in y e darke these pestileÌ„ces doe rise and gather encrease strength wheras truthe is oppressed with tiranny cruelty can not be hearde but onely in corners and in secrete metinges Let them make a profe let them giue free course to the ghospell suffer the truthe of Iesus Christe to shine and to caste forth his beames into all partes they shal see by and by these shadowes at the lighte of the gospell to vanishe awaye euen as the darkenes of the night at the appearyng ot the Sunne For al those heresies whiche these men doe flaunder vs to foster and to nurrishe we dayely whyles they sit still and ar otherwise occupied doe confute and chase awaye Where as they saye that we are fallen into diuerse sectes and that some will be called Lutherans some Zuinglians that we could neuer wel agree amongst our selfs touchyng the summe of our doctrine what I praye you woulde they haue sayde if they had bene in the firste age of the Apostles and of the Fathers when one sayd I holde of Paule an other I of Cephas an other I of Apollo or when Paule reproued Peter when vpon occasion of stryfe Barnabas departed from Paule when that as Origene dothe testifye the Christians were deuided into so many factions that thei retained onely the name of Christians commune to them al els nothing that was like vnto Christian meÌ„ And as Socrates saithe y t for their dissensions sectes thei were scorned openly in stage plaies of the people when that as the Emperour Constantine dothe saye ther were so many dissensions braules in the Church that the misery therof might seeme to passe all the other miseries that were before Also wheÌ„ that Theophilus Epiphaniê° Chrysostome Augustine Rufine Ierome all being ChristiaÌ„s al Fathers al Catholikes did striue amongst themselues with most bitter contentions and such as coulde not be appeased when that as Nazianzenus saith the membres of one body one destroied an other when the Easte parte of the worlde was deuyded froÌ„ the West about leuened breade and for Easter matters of no great waighte when in all Councells nowe and then new Creedes and new Decrees wer stamped what trowe ye these menne woulde haue saide in those daies To whiche woulde thei haue chiefly applied theÌ„selfe From which woulde thei haue fledde Which Gospel would thei haue beleued Which would thei haue taken for Heretikes which for Catholikes Now for two names onely Luther Zuinglius what a busines do thei make Only to the enteÌ„t that bicause there is somthing whervpon thei two do not yet agree we shoulde ymagine that bothe of them erred nother of them had the Gospell and that nother of them did teache rightlye and truelie But Lorde what men trowe ye be these that fynde faulte with dissensions amongest vs Do thei all agree amongst themselfe Hathe euery one of them wel aduysed himselfe what waye to folowe Was there neuer no dissensions no braules amongst them How happeneth it then that the Scotistes and the Thomistes do agree no better about merytes of conueniency and merites of duety about oryginall sinne in the blessed virgine about a solemne and a simple vowe why doe the Canonistes say that eare confession is ordained by humayne positiue law and the SchoolemeÌ„ contrary by gods law Why doth Albert Pighius dissent from the Cardinall of Caieta Thomas from Lumbarde Scotus from Thomas Occame froÌ„ the Scot Alliensis from Occame the Nominales from the Reales And although we passe ouer the infinite dissensions of Friers and Monkes wherof some of them doe appoint their holines to be in fishe some in herbes some in shooes some in slippers some in a linnen garment some in a wollen some go in white some in blacke some are shauen broder some narrower some are shodde some are barefoote some girded some vngirded yet they ought to remember that there be some among them that say the body of Christ is present in the supper naturallye againe there be some euen of their owne company also that deny it that there be some that saye the bodye of Christ in the holy Communion is torne and crusshed w t teeth againe there be some that deny it that there be some that write that
slaunderousely agaynste vs yet thys one thynge they can not saye that wee haue aparted our selues either from the word of God or from the Apostels of Christ or from the primityue Churche But we haue alwayes estemed the firste age of the Church to be catholyke y e which was in tune of Christ and of the Apostles and of the holy fathers Nor wee doubt not to call y t Church the arke of Noe the spouse of Christ the piller and perfect stay of the truth or vpō the same to repose the whole course of our saluation It is doutles an odyous thing for any man to forsake y t felowship whereunto he hath accustomed himselfe but specially of those men which although they be not yet at the least seeme to be are called Christiās And to say truth concerning their Church euen for the names sake bicause y t in time paste of what sorte so euer it be now the Gospell of Iesus Christ was truly purely set forth in it we doe not so greatly contemne it nor would not haue forsaken it but only of very necessitie and y t very much against our willes But what if an Idole be raised vp in the Church of God that same desolation whereof Christ did prophecy shoulde stande openly in the holy place What if a strong theefe or a pyrate get the possessiō of y e Arke of Noe Doubtles these mē as often as they preach vnto vs y e Church they make themselfes onely to be the Church and all those tytles they chalenge to themselfes and so they triumphe euen as they did in tymes paste that cryed The temple of the Lord The temple of the Lord or as the Pharasies and Scribes did when they boasted themselfes to be the sonnes of Abraham Thus they deceiue the simple w t a vaine apparance of gay thinges and seke vtterly to oppresse vs with y e very name of the Church euen lyke as if a theefe when that he had entered vpō an other mans house and had other violētly thrust out or murdered y e owner therof should afterwardes chalenge it for his owne and keepe out of possession the right heire or if Antichrist after y e he had goten himselfe into possession of the temple of God should say afterwardes that it were his owne that it appertained nothing vnto Christ. For these mē wheras in the Church of God they haue left nothing lyke to gods Churche yet they will seeme to be maintainers and defenders of the Church euen altogether as Gracchus in tymes paste defended the treasure of Rome what time as with launching out of large gifts and vndiscreat expenses he vtterlye consumed cast it away There was neuer nothing so wicked or so farre against reason that vnder the name of y e Church might not easily be couered and defēded For euen the waspes also doe make honycombes and the wicked haue theyr assembles and fellowshyppes together lyke vnto the Church of God But not whosoeuer are called the people of God are by and by the people of God Nor all that are descēded from their father Israell ar all Israelytes The Arryans y t were Heretiks boasted themselues that they only were Catholykes for the reste they called them al sometyme Ambrosyans sometime Athanasians sometyme Iohannites Nestoriās as Theodoret saith although he wer an Heritike yet he couered himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y t is to say with a certain apparance cloke of the right faith Ebion although he agreed in opiniō with the Samaritanes yet as Epiphanius saith he would be called a Christian. And the Mahometans although it be euident out of all hystories and can not deny themselfes but that they came of Agar the bondwoman yet they had rather as though they were descended out of the stocke of Sara a free woman and the wife of Abraham be called Sarracens for the reputation of the name and of the stocke Thus the false Prophetes of all ages which did withstand the Prophets of God as Esay as Hieremy as Christ as y e Apostles had nothing more rife in their mouthes then the name of the Church Nether for any other cause did they so bitterly turmoile them or call them runnawaies and forsakers of their profession thē bicause they had gone from their fellowship and obserued not the ordiānces of the elders And in case we wil folow the iudgement of those men onely by whom the Church was gouerned at that time haue no respect other to God or to his woorde or to any other thinge doubtles it cā not be denied but that the Apostles in as much as they declined away from the high Byshops priestes that is to say from the catholyke Church and contrary to their willes cried they neuer so much brought in an innouation a change of many thinges in religion were rightly condemned and according to law Wherfore like as thei writ of Hercules y t in wrastling with Anteus the Gyaunt he was faine to hoist him vp from the earthe his mother before he could ouercome him so our aduersaries must be lifted vp frō this mother of theirs that is to say from this counterfait shape and shadow of the Church which they mass themselues w tall for otherwise they can not giue place to y e word of God Wherfore Ieremye saith Boast not your selues so much that the temple of God is amongst you that is but a vaine confidence for these be saith he y e words of lies And y e Angel in the reuelatiō Thei say saith he thei be Iewes but thei be the Synagoge of Satan And Christ what time the Pharasies bosted themselues of the stock and kinred of Abraham You sayth he are of your father the Deuill for you doe nothing resemble your father Abraham As thoughe he shoulde saye thus You are not the men which you desire so much to be taken for you deceiue the people w t counterfait tytles and abuse the name of y e Church to the ouerthrowing of the Church Wherfore this they ought first euidently and truely to haue proued that the Church of Rome is y e true and the right beleuing Church of God and that the same according as it is gouerned by them at this day doth agree with the primitiue Church of Christ of the Apostles and of the holy fathers which no mā doubted to bee the Catholike Church True it is in deede in case we could haue beleued that ignorāce error superstition worshipping of Idols mans inuentions such as many times are contrary to the holy Scriptures either pleased God or were sufficiēt to the obtaining of euerlasting saluation or if we coulde haue perswaded our selues that the worde of God was writē only for a fewe yeares and then to be put out of all authoritie or that at any time the saiynges and ordinances of God shoulde stande at the discretion of the will of mā that whatsoeuer God sayde or commaunded
An Apologie or aunswer in defence of the Church of England concerninge the state of Religion vsed in the same Newly set forth in Latine and nowe translated into Englishe Rom. 1. I am not ashamed of the Gospell of CHRIST for it is the power of GOD vnto saluation to euery one that beleueth Londini ANNO DOMINI M.D.LXII Lorde saue the Quene The Apologie of the Churche of Englande IT hathe ben alwaies an olde complainte euen from the tymes of the Patryarkes Prophets and confyrmed by the writings testimonies of all ages y t Truth dwelleth as a straunger here vpon earthe and sone findeth enemies and slaunderers amonge suche as do not knowe her The whiche thing althoughe peraduenture it maie seeme incredible vnto others suche as haue not diligently marked these thinges specially bycause y t the whole ofspringe of mankinde by very course of nature without a teacher euen of his owne inclination coueteth after truth and Christe himselfe our sauioure what tyme he was here conuersante amongest men called himselfe the Truth as by that name which moste aptly did expresse all diuine power neuerthelesse we that are exercysed in the holy Scriptures and haue redde and seene what hathe happened in manner to all godly men of al ages euen vnto the Prophets vnto the Apostles vnto the holy Martyres vnto Christ hymselfe w t what reproches what reuylinges what slaunderous names thei were vexed here in their life time for onely truthes sake we I say do se that it is a thing not onely nothing new nor incredible but also very currant and cōmon to all ages Mary on the other side it might seeme muche more merueylous and vncredible in case that the Deuyl the very father of lyes and enemie to al truth shoulde nowe sodainely change his naturall disposition hope to fynde some other way then by lying to oppresse the truth or that by other sleyghtes then suche as he hathe alwaies vsed hee shoulde nowe beginne to establishe his kingedome For oute of all recordes you shall scantly finde any time other whyles religiō was newly growing and encreasing or after it was staied and setteled or when it began to sprynge againe wherin truth and innocency amongest men was not moste vnworthyly and most shamefully entreated for the Dyuill seeth whiles truth preuaileth he can not preuaile nor keepe his owne For to passe ouer and to speake nothing of the times of y e auncient Patriarkes Prophets in whose dayes as I haue sayde before there was no season voyde of slaunders and reproches against the truth We knowe that there were certaine persons that sayde and openly pronounced of y e auncient Iewes of whom we doubt not but they worshypped the onely and the trew God that in stede of God they worshipped other a Sowe or an Asse and that all their religion was nothing els but a sacrilege a contempt of al diuine power We knowe that the sonne of God oure sauioure Iesus Christ for teachinge of the truth was taken for an enchaunter for a worker of mischiefe for a Samaritane for Beelzebub for a deceiuer of the people for a man that folowed his delite in eatinge and drinkinge And who is ignorant of those thynges that were spokē in time past agaynste that moste earnest setter forthe champion of the truth S. Paule somtime that he was a seditious person that hee gathered souldiers that hee entended vprore sometimes that he was an Heretike sometyme that he was madde somtimes that onely to make strife and for his pleasure he blasphemed the lawe of God despised the ordinaunces of the fathers Who knoweth not how that S. Stephan so sone as he had receaued into the inwarde bosome of his mynde the truth and had begon freely according as he was bounde stoutly to preache it and to professe it was by by brought to pleade for his life as though he had wickedly spoken blasphemy againste the lawe against Moses againste the Temple against God Or who is ignorant that there were men in tymes paste whiche accused the holy Scriptures of lyes saying that they conteined thinges plaine contrary and repugnant one to an other that the Apostles did dissent euery one frō an other Paule from them all And least it should be to longe to reherse all for that were infinite who is ignorannt howe that oure Fathers whiche firste began to acknowledge and to professe the name of Christe were slaunderously reported of that thei conspired togither amongest themselues and that in their secret assembles thei had consultations against the state ouer the cōmō welth and that euen therefore their meetings were apointed before day in the darke that thei kylled yonge children filled them selues wyth mans fleshe and lyke moste cruell beastes dranke mans bloode howe that at the laste when the candels were out thei committed adultery and incest at auenture togither the brother with the syster the sonne with the Mother withoute any reuerence of kyndred without shame withoute difference euen a sorte of wicked men withoute all religion withoute God enemies of mankinde men vnworthy to beholde the light vnworthy of lyfe All these thinges in those daies were spoken against y e people of God against Christe Iesus against Paul against Stephan and againste al those that in the primitiue Churche embraced the truth of the Gospel and were content to be called by the name of Christians a name in those daies very odious amongest the people And albeit those thinges were not trew yet the Deuill thought it inough for him if at the least he coulde bring it to passe to cause them to be taken for trewe and that the Christians should be hated of al men and by al men persequuted vnto the death Wherfore Kings and Princes leadde by suche perswasions killed the Prophets of God euen to the laste man Esaie thei condemned to the sawe Ieremy to be stoned Daniel to the lyons Amos to the club Paule to the sworde Christe to the crosse al Christian men to prisons to tortures in horses bellyes to the gallowes to rockes to cliues to wilde beastes to fyers Yea thei sticked not to make great bonefiers of their liuing bodies onely for a light to serue them in the night season for a scorne of whom thei made none other accompt then as of moste vile donge as of accursed persons appointed to be slaine for Sacrifice and to be a scorne of all the worlde Thus I say the mainetainers and professors of the truth hathe bene alwaies delte withall So muche the more ought we that haue taken vpō vs the profession of the Gospel of Iesus Christ to take it in better parte if in the same quarel we be handled after the same sorte and like as oure forefathers in tymes paste so we at this day without any oure desert onely bicause we teache professe the truth are vexed with slaunderous names
reproches and lyes 1. Nowe a daies thei crie euery where that all we are Heretykes that we are departed from the faithe that we with oure newe perswasions and wycked doctrine haue brokē the cōsent of the Churche That we do raise as it were out of Hell and restore to life againe olde Heresyes such as longe agoe were condemned We sowe abroade newe sectes and furious fansies that neuer before were hearde of Also that we nowe are deuided into contrary factions opinions could neuer agree by any meanes among our selues That we ar wicked mē make war after the māner of y e Giauntes as the fable is against God himselfe do liue altogither w tout care or reuerence of God That we do despise al good dedes and vse no discipline of vertue maintaine no lawes no customes no equitie no iustice no right That we loose y e bridel to al mischiefe allure the people to al kynde of licence and luste That we go about and seke how al the states of Monarchies kingdomes might be ouerthrowen and that all thynges might be broughte vnto the rashe gouernment of the people to the rule of the vnskilful multitude That we haue rebelliouslye withdrawen our selues from the catholike Churche and shaken the whole world with a cursed schisme haue troubled the cōmon peace the general quietnes of the Churche and that lyke as in tymes paste Dathan and Abiron seuered themselues from Moses and Aaron so we at this daye departe from the Pope of Rome without any sufficient iuste cause As for the authoritie of the auncient fathers and olde Councelles we do set at naught All auncient ceremonies suche as of oure grandfathers and great grandfathers nowe many ages paste when better manners and better daies did florish were approued we haue rashely and arrogantly abolyshed haue broughte into the Churche by our owne priuate authoritie without any commaundement of any holy and sacred generall Counsell newe rites and ceremonies And that we haue done all these thinges not for any respecte of religion but onely of a desire to maintaine strife and contention As for them they haue changed vtterly nothinge at all but all thinges euen as they receiued them from the Apostles were approued by the moste auncient fathers so they haue kepte them from age to age vnto this daye But now least thei shoulde seme onely to picke quarels and to speake euell of vs in corners onely to the intent to brynge vs into hatred the Romyshe Byshops haue prouided themselues of certaine men eloquente ynoughe and not vnlearned for to vndertake this desperate cause and to set it forth with bokes and long orations to the intent that the matter being cōningly handled after the best fasshion the simple and ignorant man might suppose there were somwhat in it for truely thei sawe how their cause began to decline in al places how their sleights wer now espied and therefore lesse set by and that their Garrysons decaied euery daie and therfore their cause to be such that it had great nede of helpe Now as touching those thinges whiche thei do obiecte against vs parte of them are manifestly false and euen by the iudgment of the selfe same persons that do obiect them condemned for lies parte of them although they bee as false as the other yet in asmuche as thei carrye a shewe and a counterfeat of truth in suche the symple reader if he take not hede specially if vnto the probabylitie of the matter the painted delicate speache of these fellowes be cunningly applied may easilie be entrapped and caried out of the waie part of thē againe ar such as we oughte not to decline from them as crimes but as thinges right well and aduisedly done to acknowledge to professe them and euen to tell you at a word how the matter goeth these men do slaunder all our doings euen those thinges whiche them selues can not deny to be wel and ordrely done and as thoe it were not possyble that any thinge should be other done or spoken wel of vs so all oure sayinges and doinges thei moste malitiously depraue No doubt it hadde been their part to haue gone more simply and more playnely to worke yf thei had ment to deale truly whereas now nother truly nor courteouslie nor Christianly but couertly craftily thei assault vs with lyes abusinge the blindnes of the people and the ignoraunce of Princes to bringe vs into hatred and to oppresse the truth this is the power of darkenes proprety of men that for the furtherance of their cause haue more confydence in the blockishnesse of the vnskilfull multitude in darkenes then in truth and light as S. Ierome saith of such as with closed eyes do barke against the manifest truth But we gyue thanks vnto the almighty God that our quarel is such that euen these men woulde thei neuer so faine can say nothing in reproche therof whiche might not be tourned in reprofe of the fathers of the Prophets of the Apostles of Peter of Paule and of Christe himselfe Now then in case it be lawfull for these men in railinge and speaking euil to be thus lowde and eloquent truly we in our iuste quarell answeringe for the truth ought not to be dumme and specheles for thei that haue noe regarde what is saide of them selfe or of their quarell althoe it be falsly slaunderously spoken specially when it is suche as thereby the maiestie of God and the state of religion is blasphemed thei surely declare them selfe to be dissolute men and suche as carelesly and wickedly do winke at the iniuries done to y e name of God For albeyt many times other greate and greuous iniuries of a sobre and a Christian man may be borne withal and dissembled neuerthelesse who that paciently can endure to be accounted an Heretike suche a one Ruffine was wont to denie to be a Christian. Wherfore we will now do that thinge whiche all lawes whiche the very voyce of nature commaundeth to be done and whyche Christ him selfe being in the like matter in like sort railed vpon did before vs y t is to say we wil giue a repulse to the accusations of these men and modestly and trulie defende oure cause and oure innocency For Christ what time he was accused by the Pharises of sorcery as one that had familiaritie with Deuills and did many thinges by their helpe I saith he haue no Deuill but I glorifie my father and you haue dishonored mee And Paule what time as Festus the leutenante contemned him as a madde man I saith he noble Festus am not mad as thou thinkest but I speake the wordes of truth and of sobrenesse And the Christians of the primitiue Churche what time as thei were iniuriously slaundered vnto the people as murderers of men adulterers incestuous persons and troublers of commō wealthes and sawe that by such slaunders the religiō which thei
amongest these kinde of mē or to their fathers before them any thinge newe or strange that in case there were any y t wolde complayne of their errors and desire the restitution of true religiō suche by and by as inuentors of new thyngs as factious persons to be condemned for Heretiks For Christ was called for none other cause a Samaritane thē for that he was supposed to haue declined vnto a certayne new religion and vnto Heresy And Paule the Apostle of Christe was called before the Iudge aunswer for himselfe vpon Heresy I saith he do worship the God of my fathers accordinge to this waie whiche they cal Heresy beleuing al things that are written in the lawe and the Prophets To be short this whole religiō which Cristiā mē do professe at this daie in the first beginnings therof was called of Heathen men a sette an Heresye thei w t these voyces alwaies filled the eares of Princes to the entēte that thei being ones broughte vpon an opinion conceiued before hande to hate vs to take whatsoeuer shold be said on our behalfe to be factious and Heresy might be caryed from the matter it selfe and from hearinge of the cause But the greater and y e horribler the faulte is so muche ought it to be proued wyth greater and more euident arguments specially in these daies nowe that men haue begonne to giue lesse credite vnto these mens dreames and more diligently to examine their doctrine then afore thei were accustomed For the people of God is otherwyse instructed now then they were when all thinges that were set forth by the Popes of Rome wer taken for the Gospell al religion depended onely vpon their authoritie The holy scriptures are now abroade the writings of the Apostles and Prophets ar abroad out of the which bothe all truth and catholike doctrine may be proued and all Heresye confuted But wheras of all these authorities these men bring not a worde against vs neuerthelesse to be called Heretikes that haue not declined nother from Christe nor frō the Apostles nor from the Prophets it is very iniuriouse and to to greuous With this sword Christ repulsed the Deuill when he was tempted of him with these weapons all loftynesse that auaunceth it selfe agaīst god must be ouerthrowē vāquished For al scripture saith Paul inspired of God is profitable to teach to confute to instruct to reproue y t the mā of God may be perfecte furnished vnto all good workes Thus alwais y e godly fathers fought against Heretiks w t none other weapons but out of y e holy scriptures Augustine when he disputed againste Petylyan the Donatiste heretike Suffer not saith he to be hearde these words amongst vs I saie or y u saiest rather let vs speake thus This saith the Lorde ther let vs leke the Churche there let vs trie out our cause And Ierome saith All those thinges whyche withoute the testimonie of the Scriptures are affirmed as thoe thei were deliuered from the Apostles are beaten downe with the swordde of God Ambrose also vnto Gratian Let the Scriptures saith he be asked the questiō let the Apostles be asked let the Prophets be asked let Christe be asked for the Catholike fathers Byshops in those daies doubted nothing that oure religion myght be sufficiently proued oute of the Scriptures of God Nor at any tyme durste they accounte any man for an Heretike whose errore they coulde not plainely and euidently reproue out of y e selfe same scriptures We therefore do saye for to answer w t S. Paule that according vnto this waye whiche they call Heresy we do worship God the father of our Lorde Iesu Christ we receiue al things y t are writē other in y e law or in the Prophets or in the bokes of y e Apostles Wherefore if we be Heretikes if these men be as they will be called Catholikes why do thei not that thynge whiche thei se the Fathers trew Catholike men in dede alwaies did Why do thei not conuince vs out of the holy scriptures Why do thei not cal vs to be tried by thē Why doe thei not make it appeare that we haue seuered oure selues from Christe from the Prophets from the Apostles frō the holy Fathers Why stagger they why flee thei it is Gods cause Why doubt thei to commit it to Gods worde But if we be Heretikes whiche referre all oure controuersies vnto the holy Scriptures and make oure appeale vnto the selfe same wordes whiche we knowe are sealed by God him selfe and doe preferre them before all thinges that may be deuised by manne what shall we saye to these men what manner of men or by what name were it conuenient to cal these that ar afraide to stand to the trial of the sacred scriptures that is to saie the iudgment of God himselfe and preferre before them their owne dreames and moste colde inuentions and for their owne traditions sake nowe manye yeares haue broken the ordinances of Christ and of the Apostles Sophocles the Poet when he was accused beinge an olde man to the Iudges of his sonnes for a dotarde and a foole and as one that fondely consumed his goodes and therefore seemed to haue neede of a tutor for to purge himselfe of this slaunder came into the courte after he had reade Oedipus Coloneus a tragedie which euen in the selfe same time that he was accused in he had writen wyth great diligence and very elegantly by and by he asked of the Iudges whether that verse seemed to be the verse of a dotinge man Euen so we bicause that vnto these men wee seeme to be madd and are slaundered of them as Heretiks as who woulde say we hadde now nothinge to do nother with Christe nor w t the Churche of God haue thought it shoulde not be vnconuenient nor vnprofytable if wee did plainely and freely declare vnto the worlde that faith wherin wee stande and all oure hope whiche wee haue in Iesus Christ that al men may see what we do holde touchinge euery parte of Christian religion and maye iudge with themselues whether that faith whiche they shall see confirmed with the wordes of Christ with the writinges of the Apostles with the testimonies of the Catholike fathers with the examples of many ages be only a raginge of madde menne and a conspiracie of Heretikes WEe beleue therfore that ther is one diuine nature power which we do cal GOD the same is distincted into thre equa persōs the Father the Sonne the holy Ghoste al of one power of one maiesty of one eternitie of one diuinitie of one substance And all be yt those three persons bee so distincted that nother the father is the sonne nother the sonne is the holy ghoste or the father yet that there is but one God and the same onely to haue created heauen and earthe and all things that are contained within the compasse
the Church of God wil not become wise but will abādon their dutie and harden their hartes agaynste God and his anoynted Christe and continew still in peruertyng the streyght wayes of the Lorde God will rayse vp the very stones and make litel babes eloquent that alwaies there may be some by whome the lies of these men maye be confuted For God is able not only without councels but also maugre the councels both to defende and to encrease his kyngdome There be saythe Salomō many deuises in mans hart but the councel of the Lorde abideth stable for there is no knowlege there is no wisedome there is no councell agaynste the Lorde Thinges sayth Hilary that ar buylded vp by mannes worke doe not endure The Churche of God muste be otherwise buylded and otherwise conserued For it is grounded vpon the foundation of the Apostls and Prophetes and ioynted together with one corner stone Iesus Christ. But S. Hierome of all other speaketh most plainely and most aptly for these times Whōsoeuer sayth he the Deuil hath deceiued and hath as it were with swete and impoysened enchauntment of the meremaydes entised to fall a slepe those the worde of God dothe awake and sayth Ryse thou that slepeste stande vp and Christe will giue the lighte Wherefore at the commyng of Christe and of Gods worde and of the doctrine of the Churche of the vtter ouerthrow of Niniue and of that moste beautifull harlot the people that before vnder sholemasters was rocked a slepe shall be raysed vp and with haste shal goe to the moūtaynes of the Scriptures there they shall finde mountaynes Moses Iesus the sonne of Naue mountaines the Prophetes mountaynes of the newe testamente the Apostles the Euangelistes And when they shall flee vnto suche mountaines and exercise themself in the readyng of these kinde of mountaynes yf they finde no manne to teache them for the haruest shall be greate and the workemen fewe neuerthelesse bothe the endeuour of the people bycause they flee vnto these kinde of mountaynes shall be allowed and the negligence of the scholemasters shal be cōtrolled These be the words of Hierome so playne that there needeth no interpreter so well applied to those thinges whiche we see now before our eyes that he semeth vnto vs to foreshewe as it were with the spirite of Prophecie and to entende to set before our eyes the whole state of our times and the fall of that moste sumptuously attiered harlot of Babylone and the reformatiō of the Church the blindenesse and loytering of the Byshoppes and the endeuour cherefulnesse of the people For who is so blinde that he seeth not these menne to be those sholemasters by whome the people as Hierome sayth hath bene ledde into error therein rocked a slepe or seeth not Niniue their Rome which sometime was counterfetly beautified w t most excellent colours nowe that her visar is taken away bothe to be better perceaued and lesse set by or the seeth hot howe godly menne beyng raysed vp as it were out of a deade slepe at the light of the gospel and at the sounde of Gods worde haue gone forthe without tariyng for y e assemblies of these kinde of doctors vnto the mountaynes of the Scriptures But at y e least some mā wil say these thinges ought not to be attempted without the Pope of Romes leaue for he only is y e buckle the bōd of Christiā felowship he only is that same Preest of the stoke of Leui which God did speake of in Deuteronomye that from him in matters of great difficultie men should fetche Councel and Iudgment of the truth and that if any man do not submit himselfe vnto his iudgment he should be slaine in the sight of his brethren he whatsoeuer he doth can not be iudged of any man Christe reigneth in heauen he vpon earth that he alone is able to do what soeuer Christ or God himself can do for he Christe haue but one consistory w tout him ther is no faithe no hope no Church that whosoeuer forsaketh him he casteth away abandoneth his own saluaciō These be y e flatteries of y e Canonists y e Popes belly seruāts wherin forsothe thei vse not ouer much sobrenes for scarsly could they ascribe moe thinges vnto Christ him self but sure I am that greater thinges they could not And to returne againe to our own doynges We truly haue not departed frō y e pope for any worldly pleasure or for profites sake And woulde God that he woulde so behaue himself that we had no neede to forsake him But suche was our case that vnlesse we wente from him we could not come vnto Christe Neyther will he yet at this day make any other league with vs then as Naas the kynge of the Ammonites would haue made with the men of Iabes that was to put out the right eye of euery one of them For he wil plucke away from vs the holy scriptures the gospell of our saluation and al that hope whiche we haue in Christe Iesu for with other conditions we can haue no peace For as to that whiche certayne menne ar wonte so muche to speake of that the Pope only is Peters successor as thoe that by reason thereof he carieth the holy ghoste in his bosome and can not erre it is a folishe and a triflying tale The grace of God is promised vnto a well disposed minde and to him that feareth God not vnto Chayres Successiōs Riches sayth S. Hierome may make a Byshoppe of greater powre but all Byshops what so euer they be ar the successors of the Apostels If the place and the enstalment alone be sufficient bothe Manasses succeded to Dauid Caiphas to Aaron and ofte times an idole hath stande vp in the tēple of God Archidamus a Lacedemonian was wōt to auante him selfe muche bicause he was come out of the stocke of Hercules whose arrogancie Nicostratus daunted in this wise As for thou saythe he semest not to be come of Hercules for he killed euill men whereas thou of good men makest men euil And what time the Pharisees boasted their succession and kinred bloud of Abraham you sayth Christ doe seke to kill me a mā that haue spoken that truth vnto you whiche I haue hearde of God Thus dyd Abraham neuer you ar of your father the Deuil his wil you will obey Neuerthelesse that we should graunt some thing vnto succession Doth the Pope onely succede Peter In what thing I praye you in what Religion in what vse of seruice in what parte of his life doth he succede him What thing had euer either Peter like the Pope or the Pope like Peter Except paraduenture they will say this that Peter whiles he was at Rome neuer taught the Gospell neuer fedde his flocke that he toke away the keys of the kingdome of heauē hid the treasures of his Lord only that he satt him down in Laterane and with his fynger