chaste both in bodie and spirit For those night visions by the which either the mind is troubled or the bodie defiled are certeine punishments of sinne especiallie of that which hath béene drawne from our first creation For so it should not haue béene in paradise if Adam had abidden in that truth wherein he was made as Augustine wrote in his fift booke and eight chapter against Iulian. Looke In Gen. chapter 20 verse 3. The sixt Chapter Of the holie scriptures out of the Preface vpon the first epistle to the Corinthians NOw wée must speake something of the holie scriptures whereby wée are both encouraged to studie them and somewhat also are holpen in the following of that studie A diuision and this shall be doon if I touch first in few words the woorthines and profit of them secondlie if we shew by what certeine marks tokens we may be able to iudge and saie what is the sense or meaning of them and lastlie if we shall open the waie and means how to challenge them vnto our selues Of the dignitie and vtilitie of the holie scriptures This diuision I mind to folowe as being most conuenient for the vnderstanding of those things which shall be spoken And first of al bicause we are to speake of the worthines and profit of the holie scriptures A definition of the holie scriptures I will giue this plaine and homelie definition of them For it is a hard matter for anie man perfectlie and exactlie to define those things which are of God The holie scripture inspired by the spirit of God Wherefore let vs define the holie scriptures to be a certeine declaration of the wisdome of God inspired by the holie Ghost into godlie men and then set downe in monuments writings That it is inspired by the inward motion of the holie Ghost for the saluation and restoring of vs Peter testifieth in the first chapter of his latter epistle when he saith 2. Pet. 1 21 that Prophesie came not in old time by the will of men but holie men of GOD spake as they were mooued by the holie Ghost And verie great honour hath come therevnto bicause as well Christ as the apostles The sute proofes of diuine things are takē out of the scriptures onlie and sound councels haue vsed the testimonie of it for the confirmation of those things which were decréed yea we may not thinke that anie traditions be necessarie to saluation which are not surelie and stronglie grounded therevpon And we must alwaies beare in mind Christ sent vs to the reading of the scriptures Iohn 5 39. how wée are sent awaie by Christ the best teacher of the church to search out the scripture when he saith in the fift of Iohns gospell Search ye the scriptures Moreouer euerie facultie and learning borroweth his woorthines from the matter about which it is occupied For according as that dooth excell so is anie science accounted of more or lesse estimation Wherefore séeing this science of ours intreateth of nothing else but of Christ The sum of all that is done in the scripture is Christ it is so much the more to be accounted the head of all other as Christ is the most excellent aboue all other things And as I suppose no man doubteth but that the new testament speaketh chieflie of Christ But bicause some man perhaps doubteth whether the old testament doo so likewise let him heare euen Paule writing to the Romans the 10. chapter Christ is the end of the lawe Rom. 10. And in the fift of Iohn when the Lord had said that which euen now I recited Search the scriptures Iohn 5 39. he added incontinent For they beare witnes of me And in the same chapter it is said of Moses He hath written of me Iohn 5 46. And manie other places may be brought to confirme this selfe-same thing but let vs content our selues with these for this time 2 The holie scriptures also are highlie commended The notable properties of the holie scripture They shine as a candle in the darknes through those excellent properties wherwith God hath adorned them For they are so glorious that they séeme vnto vs which walke as it were in darknes to be like a candle lighted of God whereof Peter hath admonished vs in the first chapter of the second epistle And we haue a sure speech of prophesie wherevnto if you giue heed as vnto a light shining in a darke place 2. Pet. 1 19. ye doo well till the daie appeare and the daie star arise in your harts The holie scriptures be sure and certeine In which words thou shalt note this also that they be verie sure For godlie men are so assured of the truth of them that for them they feare not to suffer anie cruell death which thing hath seldome or neuer happened among naturall philosophers or mathematicians To the godlie they be cleere and perspicuous that they confirmed the opinions of their knowledge with their blood and with the losse of their liues And vnto faithfull and godlie harts there is in the scriptures no want of cléerenes which the Gréeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latines perspicuitie For whatsoeuer the sounder Diuines dispute they alwaies finish their conclusion according to the testimonies of the scriptures as rules commonlie knowne among christians whereof it is not lawfull for any man to doubt So that this ought to be estéemed as the chéefe principle They are the cheefe principles of diuinitie by the which all matters of true diuinitie are to be resolued and examined to wit The Lord hath said But yet this perspicuitie is not to be sought at the light of mans sense reason but at the light of faith The clearenes of them is discerned by the light of faith Luke 24 45. whereby we ought to be most certainlie persuaded of whatsoeuer is contained in the holie scriptures For as we read in the last chapter of Luke when Christ was about to send out his disciples to preach throughout the world that they might increse the number of his disciples he opened vnto them the meaning of the scriptures which declareth that otherwise they were not able by their owne industrie to vnderstand them 1. Tim. 3 15. And in the first of Timothie the third chapter the church is for no other cause said to be the piller and ground of truth Why the church is called the piller and ground of truth but bicause it hath the word of God and vseth the same perpetuallie in hir opinions and definitions which when it doth not it dealeth not as the church of Christ should doo Augustine Augustine Contra epistolam Fundamenti saith that things defined in the scriptures must be preferred aboue all other Besides this the truth of them hath an euerlasting continuance The truth of the scripture is euerlasting Matt. 24 35. Which thing Christ taught vs when
men in déed might giue certeine gifts vnto their wiues Iointures called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the marriages which were called iointures as some certeiye recompensings of the dowrie Yet neuerthelesse when they were once married togither the Romane lawes permitted not that they should giue gifts one to an other Plutarch Whereof Plutarch also hath made mention out of whom neuerthelesse is brought an other reason than that which I declared to be taken of the verie laws These be the words in the 35. and 36. precept of matrimonie Certeine bodies are said to consist of seuered things as an armie and a nauie other bodies of things ioined togither as a house and a ship and other some are vnited and compact togither as all liuing creatures are Wherefore matrimonie which consisteth of liuing creatures is vnited and compact but the matrimonie which is made either for dowrie sake or for children belongeth to bodies ioined togither And that which consisteth for pleasure or carnall copulation thou maist number among the seuered bodies for there man and wife may be said to dwell togither but not to liue togither And as in liuing creatures the temperatures of humors runne through all parts so marriage must mingle bodies monie friends and kinsfolke togither And the maker of the Romane lawes forbad persons coupled in matrimonie to take or to giue gifts one to an other not to the intent they should not be partakers of anie one thing but that they should thinke all things to be common Howbeit these things are to be vnderstood of frée gifts and not of dowries Dowries of maides giuen out of the common treasurie which otherwise were both lawfull and much vsed in the Romane publike we le For the daughters of Scipio Curius and Cincinnatus had dowries out of the treasurie bicause of the pouertie of their parents to the intent they should not be married without dowries The councell of Arls made a false decree Yea and the generall Councell of Arls as it is rehearsed in the thirtie question the fift chapter Nullum sine decréed that no matrimonie should be contracted without a dowrie Let the dowrie saith it be according to the abilitie neither let anie woman presume to take a husband or anie husband a wife without publike marriage This canon I willinglie allow in that it condemneth secret marriages but where it decréeth that marriages cannot be contracted without a dowrie séeing that is not confirmed by the testimonie of Gods word I cannot admit For there are and haue béene verie manie which haue married wiues altogither without dowrie yea and these men of so great honestie and authoritie as it should séeme a rash part to condemne their dooing séeing the holie scriptures are not against it Neither doo I iudge that matrimonie should by anie meanes be denied to those women which are without a dowrie if marriage be necessarie for them Moreouer Paule testifieth Ephes 5 23. that matrimonie dooth shadowe the coniunction that Christ hath with his church Wherfore if the truth of the matter be well considered the church had nothing to offer vnto Christ in the name of a dowrie naie rather as Ezechiel teacheth the same was found wrapped in bloud and mire Ezec. 16 30 Also the fathers in the old testament séeme sometimes to haue had wiues without dowries So then it séemeth méet to be decréed that men may and that it is lawfull to receiue dowries when they are giuen and that the same custome is honest so that a iust measure be not excéeded and that he which marrieth be not allured therevnto through the name of the dowrie as being the principall cause The maners and godlinesse of the wife ought chéeflie to be regarded Neither ought anie man foorthwith to persuade himselfe If I shall marrie a wife without a dowrie I shall therefore haue hir the better and the more at quiet Ierom. sith as Ierom declareth in his first booke against Iouinian Cato Censorius had Actoria Paula to wife The wife of Cato borne of a base kindred who was poore also and without a dowrie and yet neuerthelesse she was a droonkard impotent and behaued hir selfe proudlie toward Cato Of Diuorsements and putting awaie of wiues In 1. Cor. 7 verse 10. 52 Vnto the Hebrues and Ethniks it was but a light matter to put away their wiues and it was lawfull vpon euerie occasion but vnto the Christians it ought not so to be This hath Christ declared in the 5. and 19. of Matthew Matth. 5 31 and 19 7. There when he saith Moses gaue you a bill of diuorsement it ought not so to be vnderstood as though Moses did this of himselfe without the commandement of God for he was most faithfull Heb. 3 2. as GOD beareth record of him And that which is decréed in the lawe Deut. 24 1. touching diuorsement afterward is commanded in Malachie to wit Mal. 2 16. If thou hate thy wife put hir awale For the Lord would not that hatred and enimitie should be reteined in so néere fréendship Wherfore Christ calleth vs hom vnto the first institution in the new testament Christ calleth vs home vnto the first institution For insomuch as now the spirit is more plentifull and grace more abundant men ought to vse greater patience and charitie towards their wiues and not so to deale against them as they should reiect them for euerie cause In like maner there is required of the wiues a greater obedience and modestie 53 Here thou wilt saie vnto me What if thou shalt find at this daie among Christians such as be so hard-harted and so obstinate in reteining of hatred and enimitie in wedlocke as they be not onelie equall to the Iewes but also go beyond them therein Séeing then the disease is all one why is not the same remedie left Vnto whom we answer that they which be of such sort be strangers from Christ wherfore we commit them to the Common-weale to determine of them as it shall séeme most expedient For when they cannot be amended by the church let vs count them for Ethniks and Publicans let vs deale with them by the ciuill lawes Why Paule intermitteth the exception of adulterie 1. Cor. 7. We haue it plainelie enough declared by the word of Christ that a diuorse ought not to be doone vnlesse it be for the cause of adulterie The which exception if it be intermitted by Paule it is no maruell for when Paule saith that he speketh not these things but the Lord he sendeth vs to the Lords owne words neither dooth he plucke anie thing awaie from his commandement And when he saith that he commandeth not but the Lord he maketh not those things of small force which he taught before when they are not read to be expresselie spoken of Christ sith euen those things are of the Lord for he saith And I thinke that I also haue the spirit of God 1. Cor. 7
belong vnto religion are only knowē by faith and not by the sense But vnto faith the Scriptures are better knowen than bée the fathers Ro. 10. 17. For faith is by hearing hearing by the worde of God not by the worde of the Fathers But we must specially note that which Paul hath in the first to the Corinthians Comparing spirituall things with spirituall things 1. Cor. 2. 13 for a carnall man doeth not perceiue those things which belong to the spirit of God So then a cōparison must be made that our spirit may be confirmed by spirituall things What is so spirituall as be the diuine Scriptures For they procéeded as I may say immediatlie from the spirit of God But they say that the fathers also are spirituall I confesse for they were faithfull and regenerate But how were they spirituall Verilie not in that they were fathers but in that they were Christians and this is a thing common to all the faithfull And be it they were spirituall fathers yet were they not so altogether of the spirit as they had nothing of the flesh or humane affection for they did not alwaies speake or write or iudge according to the spirit they are euen at variance sometime among themselues So be not the holie Scriptures I adde that in Christ there is neither man nor woman Gal. 3. 28. neither bond nor free but onelie a new creature For the spirit of God is not bound to persons that it should be in this man because he is a king or in that man because he is a subiect for it is common vnto all men A father hath the spirit of God but not in that respect that he is a father A young man hath the spirit of God yet not therefore because he is a young man Augustine against the Donatists the 2. Augustine Booke and 3. Chapter Who knoweth not that the holie Canonicall scripture aswell of the olde Testament as of the new is contained within his owne certaine boundes and that the same is so preferred before all the latter writings of Bishops as thereof may in no wise be anie doubt or disputation But the writings of Bishops which after the Canon confirmed either haue bin written or now are in writing we knowe if that any thing in them haue perhaps scaped the truth must bee reprehended both by a spéech perhaps more wise of some man that is more skilfull in that matter and by a grauer authoritie of other Bishops also by the wisedome and counsels of them that bee better learned And these Councels which are made by particular Regions or Prouinces must giue place without casting any doubtes to the authoritie of more fuller councels which are held by the whole Christian world And that the more full Councels themselues being the former are oftentimes mended by the latter when that which was closed vp is by some experience opened and that which was hidden is knowen And against Maximinus the Arrian Bishop Now saieth he neither I ought to alleage the Councell of Nice nor thou the Councel of Ariminum as it were to giue iudgement before hand Neither must I staie my selfe vppon the authoritie of this nor thou vpon the authoritie of that Let vs contend by the authoritie of the Scriptures which are not eche mans owne but common witnesses of both so that matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason maie encounter together And in his treatise De bono viduitatis what shoulde I more teache thée than that which we reade in the Apostle For the holie Scripture ioyneth a rule with our doctrine that we shoulde not presume to vnderstand more than we ought to vnderstand but that as he saieth we should vnderstand according to sobrietie euē as the Lord hath dealt vnto euerie man the measure of faith 22 But they obiect vnto vs that Paul in the Epistle vnto Timothie 1. Tim. 3. 15. calleth the Church the pillar of trueth Paul calleth the Church the pillar of trueth Whereof the Church is so called I graunt it it is in déede the pillar of truth but not alwaies but when it is staied vp by the word of God And it is called a Church of the Gréek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to stirre vp and it is stirred vp and called forth by the word of God and as long as it doth according thereunto so long it is the pillar of trueth What then Doe we reiect the fathers No not at all But as concerning the authoritie of the Fathers we diminish the superstition of many who accoūt their wordes in the same place and number as if they were the wordes of God In verie déede they wrought and founde out manie things which we peraduenture shoulde neuer haue founde out Yet haue they not so written all things but that we must iudge and weigh what they haue written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two waies of iudging obscure things But in iudging of things obscure we must set forth two markes The one of which is inwarde that is the spirit the other is outward that is the worde of God Then if vnto these things there come also the authoritie of the fathers it shall be verie much worth So in ciuil causes Orators when the thing is confirmed do adde other agreements taken from things alreadie iudged and those otherwhile are of verie much weight howbeit the Iudge pronounceth not according to those things for we liue by lawes as saith Demosthenes not by examples Hereby is vnderstoode that saying of Augustine Contra Epistolam Fundamenti Augustine I would not beléeue the Gospell saith he vnlesse the authoritie of the Church should mooue me Here doe the aduersaries marueilouslie boast themselues and crie out that the authoritie of the Church is greater than is the authoritie of the word of God And they bring forth the rule of Logicke Propter quod vnumquodque est tale A rule in Logicke illud ipsum est magis tale that is That whereby any thing is such as it is that it selfe is more such but for the Churches sake say they we beléeue the Gospell therefore much rather we must beléeue the Church An examination of the former rule Let vs examine that rule and sée howe much it maketh for them A schoolemaister was the cause why Virgil should be a Poet therefore his maister was more a Poet than Virgil. By reason of wine a man is drunke or furious therefore wine is more drunken and furious Why doe not these things followe Because in efficient causes this rule doeth not holde vnlesse it be both the whole cause and the next cause not the remooued or instrumental cause But the Church is not the whole cause why we beléeue the Gospell the spirit helpeth also without which we neuer beléeue In déede the scriptures are preserued in the Church and the Testaments are kept safe by the Bishop or Magistrate A proofe that the Church
called honorable amongst all men Hebr. 13. 4. And vnto the Corinthians it is written 1. Cor. 7. 9. They that doe not containe let them marrie Ibid. And it is better to marrie than to burne But they by their decrées and expositions exclude a great part of the world from marriages namelie all the holy Ministerie Exod. 20. 4. The Law of God commandeth that we should not make vnto our selues images to worship them these men commaund that images should be had and worshipped Col. 2. 16. Paul saieth Let no man iudge you in meate and drinke These in their interpretations haue peruerted this libertie and haue brought in a most seuere or rather ridiculous and superstitious choise of meates The holy scripture hath decréed That we by faith are iustified without workes Rom. 3. 28. They by their exposition affirme that wee are also iustified by workes Therefore their glosses be verie much against the text Neither are their interpretations anie thing else than corruptions Where the word of God commaundeth that we should set our mindes on high their interpretations draw vs downeward This power of expounding the scriptures haue the Popes therefore drawen onelie vnto themselues or vnto the Councels to the intent that they might after their owne pleasure bring in straunge opinions into the Church and contend against the worde of God howsoeuer they thought good Neither did the Iewish high Priests Scribes and Pharisées otherwise behaue themselues But Christ receiued not their peruerse interpretations Matt. 15. 4. c. Christ reiected false interpretations God commanded in the Lawe that children should obey their parents But the Priests being driuen by couetousnesse tooke away the strength of this commaundement in absoluing of children from the burthen of maintaining their parents perswading them to offer excellent and riche giftes the which should profit their parents much more than sustenance The Lord hath cryed out also against this craftie interpretation he testified that the commandement of God is made voide Matt. 5. 33. Also by their exposition they haue lessened the strength of others and haue taught that some are of strength and some féeble Here also the Lorde hath gainesaide hath confuted their Sophisticall interpretations Matt. 5. 20. They also taught that men satisfie the Law if onelie they conforme themselues vnto the same Christ reiecting these peruerse glosses hath declared that the law requireth not onelie outward works but also good motions of the minde Wherefore there is no cause why the aduersaries should compell vs without iudgement to repose our selues in their expositions Augustine wrote bookes of Christian doctrine where he teacheth manie wayes to interprete the Scriptures but among thē there is not one wherin he sendeth vs vnto the Pope or vnto the church In obscure things he willeth vs to vse the skilfulnesse of tongues to consider those things which goe before and which followe to expound a doubtfull place by another place which is more easie and manifest and such like things Thou canst no where finde in the Fathers that the Scriptures are in such sort that this or that Councell hath interpreted the same after this or that maner 14 But hereat they crie out that it is sufficient that Christ hath saide Mat. 18. 17 If he will not heare the Church let him be vnto thee as an Ethnick and Publicane Howe that saying of Christ to wit that the Church must be heard is to be vnderstoode Vnto this I answer that it may séeme that Christ spake not there as touching the exposition of the scriptures but of brotherlie correction But setting this answere aside I saie that the Church must be heard so farre forth as it answereth or speaketh out of the word of God but if it bring forth onelie the deuises and traditions of men we must with deafe eares pretermit the same and specially then when it setteth foorth things that be against the worde of God To conclude we include the true Church in the word of God the which as a firme and certaine rule is fixed vnto it But as concerning power aboue the Scriptures The olde Fathers acknowledged not any power of the Church to which the word of God should be subiect which these men challenge to themselues the olde Fathers neither acknowledged nor sought In the Councell of Nice as the Historie of Theodoretus sheweth Constantine commāded the Fathers that were assembled together to define the controuersie as touching one substance of the Father and the Sonne by the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles there none withstoode him in saying that the Church of her own authoritie ought to iudge the controuersie because the same should not be subiect to the Scriptures but should rather haue them in her power Neither did they complaine that the Emperour plucked any thing from the Church séeing it subiected the same to the rule of the Scriptures 15 But they crie out that the Church is the pillar and ground of the trueth How that is to be vnderstoode which Paul saith The Church is the ground of trueth 1. Tim. 3. 15 as it is written in the first Epistle vnto Timothie Here I saie that the wordes of the Apostle must not so bee vnderstoode as though the Church doeth vrge confirme and compare her authoritie with the word of God The case doeth not so stande The word of God is of it selfe most firme it indureth for euer neither hath it anie néede to be propped vp by men naie rather it sustaineth all things Heauen and earth passeth Matt. 5. 18. the wordes of God doe not passe But the Church is the pillar and ground of the trueth so farre forth as it hath the word of god with it as it preacheth retaineth and kéepeth it within it selfe as it defendeth and maintaineth it neither is the word heard without it but not as though that ground did yéelde strength or authoritie vnto the word wauering or like to fall So farre forth then as it speaketh out of it it erreth not nor cannot erre Whether the Pope may erre in the matter of faith but speaking or dealing without it not onelie it can erre but it doeth erre But our men on Gods name doe also attribute this vnto Popes that in the matter of faith as they call it they cannot erre When as neuerthelesse it most certainelie appeareth that Iohn the xxj The heresie of Pope Iohn the xx◠most shamefullie fell séeing he affirmed that the soules of men perish together with the body or as some more modestlie say doe sléepe and shall finallie be raised vp when as our bodies also shall rise againe from the dead at the latter daie Neither did the Bishops nor Cardidinals whom they saie doe represent the Church resist the Pope that erred so soulie and shamefullie The schoole of Paris resisted him and so informed the French king of his errour as he forbad all his the Communion of the Pope
and ceremonies For as yet by the ordinances of Moses they retaine the sacrifices and Ceremonies and no man was constrained to giue assent vnto their false opinions But we are forced by the Popes and Bishops to professe wicked doctrines neither can we by reason of them receiue the Sacraments according to the institution of Christ sincerelie call vpon the name of the Lord. Wherefore the consideration of both partes is not alike neither can the example which they haue brought be applied vnto the present cause The crime of breach of Charitie They accuse vs also that we haue broken charitie with them neither doe they remember that charitie dependeth of faith And so séeing they retaine not the same but haue renounced it we cannot as touching Ecclesiasticall communion exercise brotherlie charitie with them neuerthelesse we withdraw not Christian loue from them we continuallie wishe and praie for their bettering namelie that they maie conuert to the Gospell of the sonne of God and that they will at length correct and reforme those things which they haue marde corrupted in the Church Further they disquiet vs They obiect that wee haue departed of our owne priuate authoritie for that we are departed not by publike but by priuate authoritie Neither consider they that God commaunded euerie man to haue a care of his owne saluation What if others will not assent vnto the truth and auoide the corruptions of Religion shall he that is bound to the studie of Gods commandements glory of Christ neglect to doe what he can and that which belongeth vnto him Moreouer all men maie sée that our Churches are not without publike authoritie séeing in them dwell both Magistrates and Princes Neither doeth that subtiltie which they often vse hinder vs in saying that it is not the part of this or that common weale or of this or that Prince thus to doe but that we must expect the consent of all Christendome Here doe they excéedinglie erre séeing God hath commanded both euerie Magistrate euerie Prince that they should with singular diligence and watchfull studie be carefull for the saluation of them which be committed to their charge Ouer and besides Constance and Constantine when they had imbraced Christ they did not expect a consent in Christian Religion of Dioclesian Maximianus Licinius and of their Emperours or Caesars which were their fellowe Magistrates and had then the rule in their hands And ill came to Tiberius for that he expected the consent of the Senate in appointing of Christ to be among the number of the Goddes 34 Hitherto I haue taught howe iust causes they be for the which we haue departed from the communion of the Papists and as I thinke haue sufficientlie to the nature of this place answered their argumentes wherewith they rent and teare vs. So then remaineth that I should descend to the other point of the treatise whereby I maie declare that this was altogether necessarie Which shall thrée wayes appeare First shall be shewed that the commandement of God which is the strongest weapon vnto godlie mindes did vrge vs. Further that it behooued vs to flie least our mindes and consciences shoulde be polluted by the vnpurenesse of doctrine and idolatrie of our aduersaries And finally least we shoulde be in daunger of the wrath and punishments of God which they bée in daunger of As to the first Commandements of GOD by which we are bidden to depart from the companie of the vnfaithfull there be verie manie and sundrie precepts of God extant in the holie scriptures which commaund this separation Yet all those I will not recite because it would be ouer long but I will onlie repeate some Christ saide Matt. 7. 15. Beware ye of false Prophets for although they be in sheeps cloathing they be rauening wolues Wherefore euen as we should flie from Wolues so should they be auoided which destroy soules by peruerse doctrine and religion He in like maner as we reade in Iohn said Ioh. 10. 27. My sheepe heare my voyce and follow not the voyce of strangers Therefore séeing the aduersaries haue alienated thēselues frō Christ we cannot cleaue vnto them vnlesse we will cease to be the shéepe of Christ The same Lord saide Mat. 15. 14 If the blind followe the blinde both of them shall fall into the ditch so as we haue renounced the conduct of the Papists least we should fall headlong together with them It is also written in Iohn Ioh. 12. 48. that manie of the Princes beléeued in Christ who neuerthelesse because of the Pharisées confessed not Christ least they shoulde be estranged from the Synagogues because they rather sought the glorie of men than of God Wherefore if we had taried with our aduersaries it had bin also néedefull for vs to haue feared least we should haue more hunted for glorie and honour at their handes than to haue entirelie loued the sincere truth of the Gospell We haue heard also that Christ said Mat. 10. 34 I came not to send peace but a sword and to separate euerie faithfull man from his owne housholde which would hinder them from the doctrine of the Gospell Then séeing our enemies studie earnestlie indeuour nothing more than to turne vs awaie from the trueth receiued we haue vpon iust cause departed frō them But in the Epistle to the Galathians the first Chapter Gal. 1. 8. there appeareth a most plaine testimonie of this matter for there the Apostle commandeth that whosouer shall bring another Gospel than that which he had preached vnto them he shoulde be accursed vnto vs he goeth so farre as he testifieth the verie same thing of himselfe and he ascendeth from himselfe euen to the Angels Nor doeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that place signifie anie other thing than a malediction or curse And who séeth not that it behooueth euerie Christian man speciallie to beware that he runne not into the curse of God And if so be that Paul once wished to be accursed for the brethren Rom. 9. 1. he sawe that it redounded to the glorie of God But in this cause by adioyning our selues to the Papistes we should become accursed together with them doubtlesse not vnto their saluation but through our consenting they would be more and more hardened in their errors Whereof would procéede not the glorie of God but rather the dishonor of his name Augustine expounding this place in the Epistle to the Galathians brought in an excellent exposition of the Apostles meaning namelie that the trueth for it self is worthie to be desired but not for their sakes which set forth and publish the same For if it should be admitted for feare of thē it might easilie be that we woulde also receiue lyes for dread of them And we are not to thinke that the Apostle in that place rashlie vsed a repetition because the matter was both weightie and doubtfull for euen the aduersaries themselues will séeme to
and by this they inferred that betwéene the sonne of God and the father there happeneth no other vnion or coniunction than this Wherfore it was the part of Hilarie to shew that we be naturallie vnited with Christ to the intent he might conclude that the sonne also is naturally ioyned to the Father His proofe is on this wise If the word of GOD did truelie take vppon it the nature of man hée doeth naturallie communicate in his fleshe with vs and we are said to remaine in him because he hath in himselfe our nature And semblablie in the Lords supper if we truelie receaue his flesh we doe participate naturallie with him and he doth truelie dwel in vs. And thus Hilarie argueth from the trueth of Sacraments which we denie not And this was the vse of the old fathers that they drewe their Arguments from Sacramentes as from thinges best knowen But there is none of these things against our opinion For Hilarie contendeth not that the flesh of Christ is hidden and couered vnder Accidentes or in this Sacrament but hee onelie affirmeth that we in communicating are trulie ioyned to the flesh of Christ the which we denie not But consider with mee that the selfe same father not much before those words which he speaketh of the Eucharist saith the same of Baptisme that by it we are ioyned vnto Christ and one with an other not onelie in the vnitie of assent and will but also in the vnitie of nature So that ye shall be constrayned there also to appoint Transubstantiation if for that cause yee bring it into the Sacrament Chrysostome is not farre from this vse of taking Arguments from Sacramentes who in the 83. Homilie vppon Matthew saith as we cited before that these be signes of the Lord Iesus whereby we both bridle and stoppe the mouthes of Heretikes For they saie verie often Howe did Christ suffer And wee on the other side obiect If Christ had not true flesh these signes be in vayne And this doth rightlie follow because they shoulde else represent vnto vs fained things And thus were the Manichees Marcionites and such like pestilent sectes put to silence by them 53 As touching Leo the Byshop of Rome To Leo. there is no cause why we should trouble our selues much because he in the sentence obiected against vs both affirmeth a mysticall distribution and setteth downe a spirituall sustenance and a vertue celestiall and sayth that we doe passe into the flesh of Christ euen as he tooke our flesh vpon him They cite Emisenus whose wordes are read To Emisenus De Consecratione distinct the first but there if thou looke well vppon it thou shalt finde these wordes Touch thou with thy minde and with the hand of thy heart take hold of the bodie of Christ By which wordes it is plain that he affirmeth vs to eate the bodie of the Lorde spirituallie Further he vehementlie vrgeth as other of the fathers doe our changing into Christ the wich neuerthelesse as we sée is without Transubstantiation Why we so often make mencion of the chāging of our selues in receiuing of the Sacramentes I know that some may woonder why we so oftentimes oppose the changing of our selues against the changing that the fathers séeme to affirme to be in the signes which they constantlie say are all one and some imagine that there is a farre other cōiunction betwéen the bodie of Christ and the signes than is betwéene vs and the bodie of Christ and that therefore the Analogie and proportion holdeth not although the fathers doe appoint both the one and the other To this we aunswer and say that our Argument is most strong because it is from the greater to the lesse by a negatiue For the ioyning together of Christ vnto vs and with them which communicate is greater than it can be with the signes The communicants are more ioyned vnto Christ than are the signes Seeing therefore in respect of vs transubstātiation is not required much lesse shall it be in signes But that we be more ioyned together vnto Christ than the signes be it thereby appeareth insomuch as that coniunctiō was inuēted bicause of this Further the words and the spirit whereby the signes are consecrated do much lesse belong vnto other things than vnto men Vnto Theophilact 54 Of Theophilact we say that he is a late writer and who perhappes liued in those times when as many questions were begunne to be mooued touching Tansubstantiation vnder Nicholas the Byshop of Rome in the time of Lanfranck and Berengarius Further he was a man of no great iudgement as it may appeare by his interpretation of Iohn the 3. Chapter at the ende where he blameth the Church of the Latins by name as touching the procéeding of the holy Ghost that it procéedeth from the father and the sonne So as we will not thinke his authoritie to be so great as it ought to preiudice the trueth yet neuerthelesse we will examine his sayings He affirmeth bread not to be the figure of the bodie of Christ and that in his treatise vppon Matthew But and if he meane a voyd and vaine figure he saith rghtlie neither doe we appoint such a figure And we doubt not but that this is his interpretation because vpon Marke he saith that it is not a figure onelie otherwise if he should vtterlie denie it to be a figure he should be against the rest of the fathers whom we haue manifestlie prooued to affirme that it is both a signe and a figure He saith that breade is transformed that it is chaunged and transelementated which spéeches if hee vnderstand sacramentally we mislike them not For bread and wine be sacraments and doe passe into the Elements of diuine things they put on a signifying forme But they say that this Father writeth Therfore the flesh and bloud is not séene least we should abhorre it But if thou wilt sharply vrge these words we will obiect that which hee writeth vpon Marke That the kindes of bread and wine are changed into the vertue of the bodie and bloud to wit that the kinds of bread and wine are chaunged into the vertue of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. And if thou wilt say that he in an other place saieth not Into the vertue but into the bodie bloud of the Lord we aunswere that this is the interpretation of those wordes that these signes take vnto them the vertue of the things by which vertue the Sacramentes haue no lesse than if the things themselues were there and as I haue saide the abhorring is taken away if wee appoint the signes to be chaunged not into the thing but into the vertue More violent séemeth an other saying of his which he hath vpon the 6. Chapter of Iohn where he writeth Euen as while Christ liued vpon the earth the bread was chaunged into his fleshe by an vsuall way of nourishment through naturall transmutation so this bread is chaunged into
things putting my trust in him which promiseth to the professours of his name Luk. 21 14. saieng Laie it vp in your hearts that ye cast not before hand what ye shall answer for I will giue you a mouth and wisdome which all your aduersaries shall not be able to wrest and gainesaie Now then most learned Peter I arme my selfe to examine your conclusions The first whereof is this In the sacrament of the Eucharist there is no transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the bodie and bloud of Christ The second is that the bodie and bloud of Christ is not substantiallie and naturallie in the Eucharist vnder the formes of bread and wine Vnto which conclusions as I giue no credit at all euen so I certeinlie persuade my selfe as I will alwaies saie that they be false most strange from christian religion And that thus it is as I haue said I will not refuse in due time to declare and shew most euidentlie by the holie scriptures and by manie testimonies of the fathers So likewise haue I this day taken vpon me to defend and confirme the truth hitherto receiued by the church plaine contrarie and as they speake by a right diameter line repugnant to your conclusions This disputation haue I taken in hand not to the intent I would supplie the roome of D. Smith being absent of whose purpose without doubt I was not priuie but I haue doone it onelie to extoll the glorie of Christ the veritie of the faith And let not anie man thinke that I am led to like of this my opinion of a certeine light credulitie but through great and most vrgent causes Whereof the first is the agréement and vniforme consent of the holy Euangelists and of Saint Paule the apostle which make for our assertion from whence a consent of the whole world and perpetuall vse of the thing hath flowed euen to vs. The second cause is the great authoritie of our holie mother the church the which euen by publike edicts decréed as touching the certeine truth of this sacrament against Beringarius Wickliffe and such as were of their opinion Thirdlie there be most euident testimonies of the right catholike fathers which vnlesse they be otherwise expounded than those fathers ment they make most chéerlie for our assertion The fourth and last cause is for that the edict of our most noble prince king Edward the sixt and the act of his maiesties Councell dooth not a litle warrant me the verie which causes séeme vnto me sufficient for to beléeue as I doo Wherefore most learned Peter whatsoeuer force of arguments you haue to vtter and alledge against me speake and declare them all at your owne pleasure it is lawfull for you I haue said and you sée how I answer your conclusions D. Peter Martyr THe praises which you attribute to me I acknowledge not your good wil towards me I imbrase And whereas you saie that you were chalenged of me that is nothing so for I rather am drawne foorth by others to dispute as it is knowne vnto all men And as for the causes which you saie moued you to dispute against me I doo not much passe for of what importance they be I will then acknowledge when it shall be your part to oppose Onelie of the last namelie as touching the kings edict since I vnderstand no English this I saie that I know nothing at all thereof but I hope that in proceeding of the disputation if it shall make anie thing against mee I shall vnderstand the same Wherfore omitting these things I come vnto the arguments Heere beginneth the disputation D. Peter Martyr FOr the first question the Scriptures are on my side which doo very plainlie acknowledge bread and wine in this sacrament Mat. 26. Mark 14. Luke 22. It is said in the Euangelists that the Lord tooke bread blessed it Bicause the scriptures acknowlege bread in the Eucharist therefore it must be receiued brake it and gaue it vnto his disciples And Paule hath the verie same in the first epistle to the Corinthians the tenth and eleuenth chapters where if you will diligentlie consider it he maketh often mention of bread Wherefore we also must togither with the scripture reteine the natures of the symbols or signes D. Tresham It is also found in the holie scriptures that man is called earth or ashes Eue a bone a rod a serpent and water wine where yet they were not these things but were so called Moreouer the argument is reciprocall and may be returned vpon your selfe for euen in the scriptures it is oftentimes called the bodie of the Lord and that therefore by the verie selfe-same reason the bodie of Christ is trulie present in this sacrament which you denie in the second question and therefore your argument is returned vpon your owne head D. Martyr As for the former part of your answer you affirme that the saieng of the holie scripture when it nameth bread is figuratiue bicause the things reteine the names of their natures from whence they were turned Wherein I maruell verie much that you so readilie flie vnto figures the which ye so greatlie abhor when we are in hand with this sacrament But this I let passe and I answer that in the places alledged the holie scripture dooth expresselie put vs in mind of the conuersions of those things for it plainelie sheweth that mans bodie was fashioned out of the earth that Eue was made of Adams rib that the râ—d was turned into a serpent that the water was made wine Wherefore we are forced to admit these figures Now then prooue ye vnto vs out of the holie scriptures that the bread is turned as touching substance into the bodie of Christ and so we will grant your figure that is to wit to call bread not that which is now bread but that which was so before And moreouer those things which ye bring in haue so cast awaie their old substance as they reteine not the accidents of them And that which you haue added in the other part of the answer that it maketh against me that the bodie of Christ is reallie present sith the holie scripture calleth it the bodie as also bread how much it maketh against me I will answer when my turne of answering commeth if you shall obiect the same vnto me D. Tresham I was determined that we should vse short arguments but you interlace manie things Howbeit as touching conuersion which you denie to be had in the holie scripture that doo I prooue out of Matthew where Christ saith Matt. 26 26. This is my bodie It is no indicatiue or significatiue saieng of God but an effectuall actiue and working spéech For Augustine saith vpon the 73. psalme The sacraments of the old lawe promise a sauiour but the new giue saluation and therefore I prooue the bread to be turned into the bodie of the Lord. D. Martyr I vse both now and hereafter will vse bréefe arguments so far
awaie That custome haue I alwayes most allowed of all other as that which is the purer most sauoreth of the Apostles Church And I beséeche the immortall God that both in that place it may euermore be preserued and that at the length it may bee receiued wheresoeuer the church of Christ is restored You sée therefore that in the chiefe and principall point I doe not disagrée from you but doe earnestly desire that the same which you indeuour to bring to passe may take place My desire is kindled partly for that in Ceremonies I would come as néere as might be vnto the holie Scriptures and would continue in the imitation of the better times of the Church and partly that I perceiue the Popes followers indeuour still by these reliques to renew at the least wise some shewe of the Masse and doe more cleaue vnto these things than the nature of things indifferent can require But yet neither these things nor yet the reasons alleaged by you doe bring me to that passe that I shoulde affirme the vse of such garments to be verie wicked or that in their owne nature they be contrarie to the worde of God which in any wise I thinke to bee a matter indifferent being not ignoraunt that those things which be indifferent may sometimes be vsed and sometimes ought to be remooued To eate a thing strangled is an indifferent thing but yet it behooueth sometimes to set aside the vse thereof and another while it is in the frée choise to eate the same And by this meanes although I saide that I thinke a diuersitie of garments ought not to be retained in holy seruices yet neuerthelesse woulde I not say that it is a wicked thing so as I would be so bold to condemne whomsoeuer I shoulde perceiue to vse the same Certainelie if I were so perswaded I would neuer haue communicated with the Church héere in Englande wherein there is as yet kept still such a diuersitie For although as I haue saide I allowe but a litle héereof yet doe I sée that sometimes in these things indifferent some things although they be grieuous and burthensome are to bee borne withall so long as it cannot otherwise bee least if wee contend for them more bitterly than behooueth it may both be a hindrance to the procéeding of the Gospel and those things which in their owne nature be indifferent may be taught by our vehement contention to be wicked Which things vnlesse I be deceaued bring with them two most grieuous discommodities For if we woulde first suffer the Gospell to be spread abroade and to take déepe roote perhaps men woulde better and more easilie be perswaded to remooue awaie these outward attires A similitude While a man is sicke and is some what vppon the mending hande he grieuouslie suffereth certaine light and vnfit things to bée remooued from him aswel in meate as in drinke but yet the very same man hauing recouered health doeth euen of himselfe reiect them as things vnacceptable and vnprofitable If England were first wel and diligently instructed and confirmed in the chiefe and most necessarie points of Religion so farre as mee thinkes I sée it wil not at the length take in ill part that these things in some sort superfluous shoulde bée remooued But nowe when there is brought in a change in the chiefe necessarie points of religion and that with so great disquietnesse if wée shoulde also declare those things to bée wicked which be things indifferent al mens mindes in a manner woulde be so alienated from vs as they woulde no more shewe themselues to be attentiue and pacient hearers of sounde doctrine and necessarie Sermons Greatly beholding doubtlesse is your England vnto you for so much as you haue laboured verie earnestly in teaching and preaching and on the other side you haue wun to your selfe by the same England great fauour and authoritie whereby you may profitablie bring many things to passe to the glorie of God Onelie beware of this least by vnseasonable and ouer sharpe Sermons you be a let vnto your owne selfe Howbeit doe not gather hereby that I iudge we should neuer contend by the Ministerie of the Gospell for assuring the trueth of the scriptures and doctrines This doe not I affirme who continuallie oppose my selfe in disputations both publike and priuate and in the greatest controuersies for Religions sake but this I say that these things which be of lesse importance ought not to be a let through our contention Neither is there any great account to be made of them either if they be brought in or being brought in be confirmed Further if we procéede in disswading from these indifferent things as being pernicious and wicked wée condemne manie Churches which are not straunge from the Gospel and too earnestly reprooue innumerable Churches which in times past were celebrated with singular great praise I am not ignoraunt that the authoritie of Churches whether they be present or past ought not to be of such force as by them the trueth of Gods worde shoulde be pressed for that must remaine firme and vnshaken although the whole world shoulde faile in his foundation but this I stande to prooue that for thinges indifferent I holde we may not worke that either they be condemned or that we speake otherwise than well of them And because I perceiue that you iudge not these to be indifferent things perhaps it will bée profitable to examine the reasons whereby you perswade your selfe hereof Wherefore to contriue them in briefe as you doe I will gather them chiefely into principall pointes First you say that the Priesthood of Aaron whereunto this diuersitie of garments séemeth to belong must not be restored For since wee haue Christ for the Priest the ceremonies of Aaron are abrogated neither ought they with the safetie of godlinesse bee called againe Another foundation of your reasons is that these are the inuentions of Antichrist and since that wee ought to bée straunge not onelie from the Pope but also from all his false inuentions you woulde that the diuers apparellings and attirings of ministers should be abolished Since these be your two principall Arguments we will first consider of them and then will we adde what we shall else remember to be brought by you for the confirmation of your opinion In the lawe or Priesthood of Aaron there were sacraments by which it pleased GOD to seale the promises of Christ to come A distinctiō of the ceremonies of the old Fathers all which I knowe were abrogated and wee must beléeue that Christ is alreadie giuen not to be giuen and séeing there bee other pledges giuen by the Lorde himselfe vnder the Gospell I meane breade wine and water we ought not to renewe againe the olde tokens Neuerthelesse some thinges were there so appointed as they cannot properly bee called Sacraments for they serued vnto comelinesse vnto order and vnto some commoditie the which as things agréeable vnto the light of nature
and the bodie but that though the bodie die and be dissolued into dust yet the soule is immortall and neuer perisheth And therefore all people in the world in what countrie soeuer they liue and what maner of God soeuer they serue doo most highlie esteeme their owne religion whereby they thinke of mortall and corrupt creatures to make a long and euerlasting generation and of a dailie dissolued knot of societie to make a perpetuall bond of friendship And for this cause when all other questions and debates betweene man man betweene state and state betweene kingdome and kingdome whether they concerne the bodie or the temporall goods possessions are easilie decided and in processe of time are finished and the aduersaries at the length reconciled yet the controuersie in religion which toucheth the conscience which concerneth soules which perteineth to eternall saluation not of one onlie but of innumerable others is neuer finished is neuer pacified is neuer quieted And as this happeneth generallie betweene all religions in the world so the neerer that religions be of likenesse the harder it is to discerne the difference the neerer the aduersaries be of countrie and kindred the sharper is the contention and the more desperate is the hope of reconciliation Now then if euer this position haue beene found true betweene anie religions or anie people in the world how cleerelie is it seene in the differences of the Christian religion but how sensiblie is it perceiued here among our owne nation For who can without great lamentation and greefe yea without abundance of teares flowing from his hart remember the endlesse strife which groweth as well by words as writing betweene the Romanists and vs for the cause of religion Or what hart dooth not melt to fee the intollerable rage vnmercifull crueltie which the pretended Catholiks execute against the poore professors of the Gospell Would to God that once all we which be as it were of one faith and for whom Christ shed but one and the selfe same bloud and which hold the grounds of one and the selfe-same religion and which haue but one and the selfe-same word for the comfort of all our soules would once condescend to one and the selfe-same doctrine Which we might easilie bring to passe if they that make themselues the rulers of the Lords house would seeke not their owne but Iesus Christs if they would not trust in their owne righteousnesse but in the righteousnesse of faith which Christ hath obteined for vs if they would iudge themselues that they might not be iudged of the Lord if they would once with indifferent eares and obedient harts giue place to the truth when it is laid before them out of the holie word or when their errors be plainlie confuted by inuincible arguments and authorities if they would shake off the dregs of their owne vaine opinions and the maliciousnesse of their owne cruell minds towards vs and with a single hart and faithfull zeale towards God and his truth would read and vnderstand and laieng aside all the trust and confidence that they haue of their owne cause would come and confer charitablie with vs with all desire of true knowledge and sincere vnderstanding of the heauenlie word Or if they that call themselues ancient and catholike would once effectuallie shew that their doctrine was written or taught either by the apostles or by the primitiue church Or else when they call vs new masters would shew where any one opinion which we hold is newlie sproong vp and deuised of vs and which we doo not sensiblie prooue to be deriued from Christ and his apostles Wherfore to the intent that all ye my beloued brethren whose saluation in Christ I regard as mine owne may haue continuallie before your eies if ye be of the reformed church how to answer your aduersaries or if ye be of the deformed synagog how to discerne your errors I haue laid before your eies in your owne mother toong the summe of all D. Martyrs doctrine not your countrieman indeed but yet one that for your sakes passed manie dangerous brunts by sea and by land before kings and princes publikelie and priuatelie that left his owne welth and quietnes to instruct you in truth and godlinesse that rested neither daie nor night to teach you the right waie of the Lord and who contemned his owne life to gaine you to the Gospell of Christ Innumerable books at this daie are written by manie zealous and faithfull men wherein the errors of the Romish church haue beene discouered but yet in none nor scarselie of all are so cleerelie confuted all the arguments of the aduersaries as in this booke Manie hard questions in the scriptures by manie haue beene assoiled but no-where so manie and so difficult as in this booke Behold therefore here in the steed of all volumes one to satisfie both the learned and vnlearned the true professor and the false worshiper in all the waies of godlinesse and all the principall points of true religion If this will not suffice thee in all the controuersies handled therein and therein are handled in a maner all of what opinion soeuer thou be thou wilt neuer be satisfied Fiue yeeres continuallie haue I trauelled herein that since the Lord hath not indued me with such sufficient knowledge and vtterance as I might be accounted woorthie the roome of a builder in the church yet at the least-wise I might serue the seruants of the Lord in bringing to their hands such excellent stuffe and matter as the most skilfull artificers and messengers of Christ haue alreadie prepared for the worke What paines diligence and faithfulnesse I haue vsed therein I shall not need to be mine owne witnesse others will testifie for me And to shew the maner of my proceeding and the manifold lets I had before I could atchieue to my purpose by reason of the heape of Editions and multitude of Additions that came foortn togither while the worke was in hand were ouer-long to recite Neuerthelesse by comparing of this booke with the last edition in Latine printed this present yeere of the Lord 1583 which also at my speciall request and instance was in manie places amended and greatlie increased the same will most euidentlie appeere Yet this must I needs shew you good Reader both for your contentment and mine owne discharge that if you find that the number of Common places herein and euerie particular section in euerie place concur not in each respect with the said last Latine copie vnderstand that we haue gained somwhat thereby seeing you shall there perceiue that I haue heaped more matter of Common place out of Master Martyrs Commentaries than did Massonius a learned and painfull man who gathered togither the Latine booke or else I haue placed some certeine things in a more exquisite order All which notwithstanding I did by the aduise of verie learned and excellent men And besides sundrie and manifold additions which out of the Commentaries I haue
of the spirit And although some spirituall men maie perhappes agrée with them verie fewe they be and are ouermatched both in number and authoritie of the carnall sort neither deale they alwaies valiantlie as they ought to do And in trueth as the case now standeth it is the Pope which gouerneth the councell For he summoneth suspendeth alloweth and refuseth the same at his owne pleasure Who how truelie he maie be called spirituall all men vnderstand Besides further séeing the holie Scriptures be inspired by God therefore most spirituall none that be spirituall can decrée in councels anie thing against them For spirites are not one against an other But in Councels they haue sundrie times defined against the decrées of the holie Scripture There the communion was mangled Matrimonie was forbidden the ministers of the Church Innumerable abuses were brought in of masses namelie Inuocation of Saints the vse of Images the superstition of Purgatorie and infinite pestilences of this kinde were confirmed And what authoritie a councel should haue Augustine sheweth in the 3. Augustine booke against Maximinus the bishop of the Arrians when he saith But now neither ought I alleadge the councell of Nice nor thou the Councell of Ariminum as though we would preiudice one an other neither must I be tyed to the authoritie of this not yet thou to the authoritie of that We must appeale frō the Councels and Fathers to the scriptures Let thing with thing cause with cause reason with reason striue together by the authorities of the scriptures not being each mans owne testimonies but by those which bée common to both partes Where thou séest that this father doth appeale from the Councels vnto the Scriptures The same father in the 2. Augustine booke against the Donatistes the 3. Chapter saith The letlers of bishoppes and the decrées of Prouincial councels giue place to the greater councels but the Canonicall Scripture giueth place to none And the same father writing vnto Ierom with whom he disputed as touching the reprehending of Peter which is spoken of to the Galathians he most manifestly appealed from the Fathers which Ierom cited Look in the booke of bowes pag. 72. set forth at Basil Anno 59. pag. 235. 419. Ioh. 16. 12. vnto the words of the holie Scripture 12 Neither must we passe vpon that which they often times obiect vnto vs namely that Christ saide vnto his Apostles I haue manie things to speake vnto you but ye cannot nowe beare them away Whereof they will gather that many things as touching the worshipping of God and Religion may be appointed by them which the holy Scriptures haue not taught Nothing necessarie to saluatiō remaineth in man to appoint As though Christ in those words had spoken of worshippings and Ceremonies Might not the Apostles then abide such things who both had bin borne and were conuersant from their childhood in ceremonies and rytes Was Moses able to teach those things to the ignoraunt people and could not Christ teach the Apostles those things which be of the same kinde The case doeth not so stande but those manie things were the same which he had alreadie tolde them and they were more expressedly and effectuallie to be expounded vnto them and to be printed in their mindes by the power of the holy ghost which he promised vnto them For a little after he saieth When the comforter shall come Ioh. 16. 13. he shall prompt you in all things that I haue shewed you Moreouer he testified that all things which he heard of his father he tolde it vnto them Ioh. 14. 26. Ioh. 15. 15. All things saith he which I haue heard of my father I haue made them knowen vnto you So as there shall be nothing left necessary vnto saluation which is lawful for these men to decrée Neither are these things spoken The authoritie of Councels must not be reiected when they deale by the word of God to the intent that the authoritie of councels should be vtterlie reiected For if so be they shall reprehend excommunicate or absolue by the word of God and shall pray together by the power of the spirit these things shal not be in vaine and without fruite Yea and Paule went to Peter and to the Apostles vnto Ierusalem Gal. 2. 6. not to deriue doctrine from them but least he should runne in vaine he went for the commoditie of others that they might vnderstand that his kind of doctrine did not disagrée from the opinions of the Apostles as some boasted that it did For what cause Councels should be sometimes had If Councels were otherwhile had for this purpose that all Churches might acknowledge a consent in the veritie of the Scriptures they might verie well be borne withal But when they decrée against the testimonies of the holie Scriptures they are not to be suffered For Paul if he had perceiued any thing to haue bin defined eyther by Peter or by the other Apostles otherwise than he himself had heard of Christ he would not haue giuen his assent no verilie Not to an Angell if he had shewed from heauen any thing other than the Gospell which he had receiued Gal. 1. 8. so as we also must estéeme none to be spirituall nor yet to iudge aright if they haue decréed against the scriptures 13 Wherefore that which Paul writeth of the Corinthians iudgement In 1. Cor. 4. verse 3. Look part 1 pl. 6. Act. 7. wee must retaine if we be iudged either by a Councell or by the Papisticall Church against the scriptures we may boldly saie with Paule we estéeme it least of all to be iudged by you Neither must our aduersaries be heard who say that the iudgement of the Church must bée preferred aboue the Scriptures and they thinke that they haue prooued it by a sufficient reason when they say the Church hath iudged of the Scriptures by receiuing some and refusing some which it might not haue done vnlesse the iudgement thereof had excelled the Scriptures But these men must consider that there hath bin euen from the beginning some men replenished with the spirit of God by whom God hath set foorth his Oracles vnto men the which he woulde haue to bee registred in writings These wordes of God when as others eyther heard or read it happened by the benefite of the spirit that the faithfull acknowledged those to be the naturall and sincere woordes of God Hereof it came to passe that the holie scriptures be admitted But if they which being illuminated with the holy Ghost acknowledged the holie scriptures to be the worde of God had bin demaunded whether they woulde not haue their owne authoritie to be preferred aboue them they would not haue suffered it but on the other side those being knowen receiued they altogether submitted themselues and agreed that they should be reputed for the most sure rule of their faith life Wherefore it is but a weake consequent
authour of this booke helde not the trueth but either the booke is faultie or the Interpretour erred or else thou doest not vnderstand it But in the workes of them that came after the which are contained in innumerable bookes but are in no respect made equall vnto that most sacred excellencie of the Canonicall scriptures yea in which soeuer of them is found one and the same truth yet the authoritie is farre vnequal Wherefore if perhappes anie things in them are therefore thought to dissent from the trueth because they be not vnderstoode as they be spoken yet the reader or hearer hath there a frée iudgement whereby he maie allowe that which shall please him or disallowe that which shall offende him And all which be of that sort vnlesse they be by sure reason or else by that Canonicall authoritie defended so as it maie be plainelie shewed that that which is either there disputed or declared is altogether so or that it might be so if it shall displease anie man or that he will not beléeue it he is not blamed And in the 19. Epistle vnto Ierom This frée seruice I owe vnto the diuine Scriptures whereby I so followe them alone as I doubt not but that the writers of them erred nothing at all nor put anie thing guilefullie in them And there is no antiquitie or dignitie of person so great as can prescribe vnto the word of God Whether we our selues saith Paul or an Angell from heauen shall preach vnto you anie other gospell than we haue preached let him be accursed 19 But our aduersaries continuallie make much a doe of yeares of times and of the holinesse of fathers But all these things ought to be of none importance against the word of God Christ and the Apostles neuer cited the Rabbins and Fathers although manie were verie well learned but they taught all the things out of the lawe and the Prophets Ierom. Ierom vppon Esay the 18. booke and 65. Chapter That they should not hasten to beléeue without reason let them follow Nathanael who was praised by the mouth of the Lord Iohn 1. 47. Behold a true Israelite in whom there is no guile He sought Christ by the authoritie of the scriptures and was desirous to haue knowledge of the Prophets saying Can there anie good thing come out of Nazareth And the sense is why bring ye me Messias out of Galile and from Nazareth whom I know was sent before out of Bethleem Iuda Wherefore the Apostles and Apostolicall men will so beget their children as they maie instruct them in the holie scriptures The same father vppon the 23. chapter of Matthew vppon these words Verse 35. And vpon you shall come all the bloud which hath beene shedde from the bloud of Abell the iust vntill the bloud of Zacharie dealeth with the place in controuersie who was that Zacharie that was slaine betwéene the Temple and the Altar And he alleadgeth the opinion of them which would haue him to be the father of Iohn Baptist who was slaine because he had preached Christ Wherof he thus speaketh Because this thing hath no authoritie of the Scriptures it is as easilie reiected as it is prooued And by these words he closelie quippeth Basil who was of the same mind So in the seuentéenth cha of the Actes Verse 11. when Paul had preached Christ to the Thessalonians they did not straight waie giue credite to his words but they tooke counsell of the scriptures whether the thing were so or no. 1. Cor. 3. 11. And vnto the Corinthians whē he had said An other foundation can no man laie than that which is laide euen Christ Iesus he addeth that some but not all doe build vppon it gold and siluer or pretious stones but othersome haie others stubble 20 When I read Augustine in the third booke de Doctrina Christiana in manie places where he intreateth of the interpretation of the Scriptures I neuer sée him send the reader vnto the fathers Howe the harder places of the scripture must be expoūded Look in the treatise against Gardiner pag. 279. If saith he there happen anie obscure or hard place in the scriptures conferre the same with an other place in the scriptures either more manifest or with the like Then if out of one place many senses maie he gathered chiefelie imbrace thou that which shall most séeme to edifie Thirdlie indeuour saith he that béeing instructed in the tongues thou maist come to the interpretation of the scriptures For it oftentimes commeth to passe that what thou vnderstandest not in one language thou maist vnderstand in an other Fourthlie let it not gréene thée to take counsell of sundrie interpretours for that which one hath expounded somewhat obscurelie an other hath expressed oftentimes more plainelie Fifthlie all circumstances must be diligentlie considered Sixtlie thou must sée what went before and what foloweth but speciallie saith he neuer remooue thine eyes from the purpose of the writer By this waie and meanes Augustine thought that we might most easily attaine to the sense and vnderstanding of the Scriptures Although I disallow not but that young men maie also take counsell of men better learned of interpretours Howbeit this let them remember that they whosoeuer they be although neuer so well learned cannot prescribe against the manifest word of God There is an excellent Epistle of Cyprian vnto Caecilius the 2. booke the 3. Epistle Cyprian We must not regard saith he what this man or that man shall iudge but what Christ shall doe and teach In that place was disputed against the Aquarian heretikes who in the celebration of the Lords supper vsed water in stéede of wine Those did Cypriā blame because they did it against the word of God At this daie the Papistes vse not water indéede instéed of wine but they teare and mangle the Sacrament and the one part they plucke awaie from the people neither doe they consider in the meane time what Christ taught or did but onelie what some men haue decréed against the word of God Euen so in those ancient times of the Iewes when all things were weighed according to the Scriptures all things were sound and perfect But when the controuersies were reuoked vnto the Rabbins who sate in the chaire of Moses all thinges were mard and corrupted And therefore the Pharises were reprooued by Christ because for their owne traditions they violated the commaundements of God 21 Further what else is there sought but that the minde maie be in quiet But the minde cannot be in quiet vnlesse it be in the word of God But the word of God say they is obscure Admit it be and the Fathers also be oftentimes obscure Wherefore they must néedes wauer alwayes in minde and conscience which take awaie this anchor from themselues This order also the Ethnicke writers followed For from things say they that be better knowen we must goe to things that be lesse knowen But those things which
they run togither in heapes and crie with the siluer-smith Great is Diana of the Ephesians Howbeit they should haue considered that they are no lesse to be accused which attribute ouer-much vnto sacraments and doo make an idoll of them than those which neglect the same both which extremities we haue alwaies to our power auoided But now when I sée that thorough your authoritie all things are at quiet I am become of better courage and I gladlie take vpon me this labour of disputation Neither will I repeate the particular causes why I would not dispute when I was chalenged vpon the sudden least I might séeme to vtter my stomach And therefore I come to the questions wherein some doo slander me that I haue not obserued an order of Logike and spoken that which should first haue béene in question to wit Whether the bodie of Christ be in the sacrament and that afterward the maner how should be sought out But I affirme the contrarie to wit euen that the best method is here obserued yea and that dialecticall And I am not ignorant of Aristotles doctrine in his Analytiks wherein he teacheth that first we must séeke whether a thing be or no and afterward we must sée why what and for what it is But forsomuch as neither of vs doubteth but that there is a bodie of Christ and that I am asked whether it be in the Eucharist I answer them fitlie by my thrée questions first that he is not there by transubstantiation secondlie that he is not ioined to the bread and wine or to the shewes of them corporallie and carnallie or as these men will reallie and substantiallie but that he is there onelie by a sacramentall coniunction which is a most effectuall signification You haue therfore a verie perfect method which yet that it may the plainlier appéere shal be declared after this maner Some coniunctiō there is of the bodie bloud of Christ with the signes and this on both sides is agréed vpon but what maner of coniunction it is therin standeth the controuersie Wherefore this I doo open in my thrée questions and I begin at the groser and that is at transubstantiation the which I doo refell afterward I procéed to the other kind to wit the corporall and carnall presence or the reall or substantiall as they speake which I account all alike and assent not therevnto since I prooue a third kind of presence namelie by a sacramentall signification But as to the words corporallie carnallie which séeme to be ambiguous I saie that I vnderstand them as if it should be said reallie and substantiallie neither in disputing will I trouble them about this difference But why I deriued aduerbes from the nounes flesh and bodie rather than from thing and substance is to the intent I might accommodate my selfe vnto the holie scriptures the which in making mention of a sacrament haue not the names of thing and substance but onelie of bodie flesh and bloud and therefore haue I written corporallie and carnallie And this also my aduersaries contend that the latter question is superfluous for they saie If you shall remooue transubstantiation and reall presence it followeth of necessitie that in the sacrament there is left nothing but a signification Whom I answer that they are Anabaptists which would haue this sacrament to be nothing else but a badge and profession of our societie which we haue among vs through charitie they make no reckoning of the efficacie of the holie Ghost which we testifie to be in this sacrament Moreouer the Marcionites Valentinians Manicheis and such kind of heretiks since they denied Christ to haue had a true bodie could not abide this signification which we here confirme Wherefore the third question is not vnprofitable against this kind of pestilent men Lastlie besides all these things I haue taken this course bicause I would haue these questions to be correspondent with those things which I haue taught in the Schooles where I haue obserued the verie same method Now remaineth that we enter into the matter But first of all according to the accustomed maner let vs call for the help of God by praier The Praier SInce thou O almightie God hast for thy mercie sake promised to gouerne vs by thy holy spirit and to lead vs into all truth first of all we giue thee infinit thanks for so gratious and bountifull a promise which I doubt not but thou wilt effectuallie fulfill And further bicause we are gathered togither in thy name and that those things which must be disputed of are of verie great importance therefore with all our hart we praie and beseech thee that thou wilt giue vnto vs thy promised grace and that thou wilt so vouchsafe to moderate and direct that which we haue taken vpon vs to handle that thereby may be giuen glorie vnto thy name the truth to this schoole and edification vnto the holie church We humblie beseech thee that thou wilt remooue all euill affections that thou wilt illuminate both our harts the harts of the hearers with the light of the holie scriptures and those things which therin shall seeme to be obscure make thou them to be plaine and suffer vs not to erre in them and whatsoeuer matters perhaps of manie haue not hitherto beene rightly vnderstood grant that they may now be more sincerelie and faithfullie perceiued through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen The Oration of D. VVilliam Tresham I Am come right honourable to bring the truth vnto light A hard matter to him that shall consider of it I laie vpon my selfe a weightie burthen For I haue taken vpon me to incounter and dispute with one that both is learned sharpe of wit and exercised in all kind of learning both humane and diuine and that in a most weightie matter in an assemblie of most learned men Wherefore since I vndertake a hard matter which vndoubtedly manie other students of this Vniuersitie are able if they will much better more exactlie and happilie to performe bring to passe than I which am but a weake disputer It shall be in your courtesie Right honourable Commissioners who haue vouchsafed by your honorable presence to adorne and set foorth these disputations to take in good part whatsoeuer this daie shall be vttered of me in disputing and to interpret to the best all those things which vnfeinedlie shall for no other cause be declared but for godlinesse sake Assuredlie it was not my meaning of anie malice spight or hatred to be an aduersarie to this learned man but bicause he himselfe after a sort prouoked me and my conscience mooued me and finallie bicause your authoritie allowed me I am come to contend in this field of learning To contend I saie as with a fréend and familiar but yet I prefer a truth before a fréend for the defense whereof I will indeuour to my power to resist this Doctour being a man most throughlie exercised in these matters but yet aboue all
against all commers Againe whereas he vndertooke to dispute he disprooued the vaine saiengs of vaine men which spread enuious and odious things against him namelie that he would not or durst not defend his doctrine Finallie that he so singularlie well answered the expectation of the great magistrates yea and of the Kings maiestie while he not onelie hath deliuered vnto the Vniuersitie the doctrine of Christ out of the liuelie fountaines of the word of God but so far as laie in him hath not suffered anie man either to trouble or stop the fountaines Wee haue heard this christian contention the which was taken in hand for the trieng and searching out of the truth The verie which maner of proceeding ought to bee as the onelie marke whervnto all men doo bend their eie in euerie disputation This ought all men to search out which haue a loue to sincere religion For what else meaneth that saieng Search the scriptures but diligentlie to search the truth out of the scriptures Howbeit wee are not now minded to giue iudgement of these controuersies and vtterlie to breake the strife But then shall it be determined when it shall seeme good vnto the Kings Maiestie and the Estates of the church of England Neuerthelesse if I whome you of your courtesie haue chosen to be your Chancellor did not now supplie the place of an other person for the Kings authoritie hath now otherwise appointed mee I would most gladlie yeeld an account of my faith in these propositions For I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ nor yet of the truth which shineth vnto all men out of his word and this doubtlesse will I be readie to doo at an other time when oportunitie shall be offered And now in the meane time I exhort you that be strangers and forrenners if now there be anie that ye will returne to your owne home I would not haue you continuallie to wander in the fathers and Councels as in your countrie doo not you suppose that those be your principles I would not haue you to be deceiued in the probable words of mans wisedome What principles had the fathers What Councels had they How shamefullie did the fathers fall in manie things How fowlie did the Councels erre I will not here rehearse their errours I will not here stir this puddle And yet for all this shall the fathers and the Councels be the grounds of disputations There haue beene heretofore heretikes which denied either a part of the scripture or else the whole And at this daie there be Libertines which be infected with the selfe-same madnesse those doo denie and tread vnder foote the cheefe principles of our christianitie who place the word of God in the highest watchtower and haue it in verie great reuerence and from hence onelie doo seeke for life and saluation holding principles which bee most assured sound and holie And yet in the meane time not reiecting the most holsome testimonies of godlie fathers naie rather imbracing and reuerencing them as bright beames of the holie Ghost which after some sort doo lighten the darknesse of our eies Wherefore I beseech you for your saluation sake and for the mercie of GOD as well you that be yoong as old that you will performe two things First that you will now at the last laie awaie those controuersies which haue disquieted and rent in sunder the church of Christ these manie ages as touching transubstantiation and I wot not what reall presence There is no end of quarelling these be the diuels snares wherein he perpetuallie wrappeth vs and letteth vs from true godlinesse But it behooueth vs that be godlie christians cheeflie yea generally to regard what Christ did and what he hath commanded vs to do Let vs consider those be the most holie and dreadfull mysteries of Christ Let vs vse them verie oftentimes vnto our saluation let vs come vnto them with feare and trembling least we at anie time come vnworthilie and receiue the same to our iudgement and condemnation Secondlie that ye betake your selues to the studie of the word of God Vnto this marke direct all your darts herevnto refer all your studies Whether they be philosophicall or mathematicall or matters physicall or whatsoeuer else they be let them be as it were the waiting maids of this Queene From hence seeke all your faith From hence let your religion be established and made perfect Heauen and earth shall passe but my word shall not passe By this as it were by a certeine rule let all controuersies be examined and defined Besides this there is one thing wherof we must admonish you all namelie that ye abandoning all papisticall vanities superstitious feined worshipping of God you giue diligent indeuour to search out the truth or at the leastwise that ye be no impediment but that they which be desirous of the truth may proceed in the worke of godlinesse For wee knowe and bee certeinlie assured that there be some vnquiet and troublesome persons mooued of a preposterous zeale to hinder the proceeding of the truth We knowe there bee some which doo perniciouslie follow the example of their father while they spread euerie where the seed of discord and doo inuentlies I knowe there be false and enuious rumors carried about We knowe that vaine men when they cannot by true meanes further their cause they woorke by slanderous speeches so easilie intreated is an euill custome to worke against the truth Howbeit to make an end if yee bee indued with anie loue of the truth seeke out the same with patient minds require it with feruent praiers of almightie God Atteine to the knowledge thereof by a sincere comparing of places togither Let christian charitie wax hot in you Hee that is weake in faith receiue him For the stronger saith Paule ought to susteine the imbecillities of the weake ones and not please themselues let euerie man please his neighbour vnto good edifieng Beware of the wilinesse of Satan which lieth in wait for you least you should yeeld to the words of our Lord Iesus Christ that you may dote about questions and differences and strifes of words whereof arise enuies contentions blasphemies ill suspicion c. We may by our authoritie command you and threaten the obstinate with due punishment yet we had rather for the loue we beare you desire and exhort you Wherefore if there be anie consolation in Christ if anie comfort of loue if anie fellowship of the spirit if anie bowels of compassion fulfill you our ioie And our ioie is that we see manie in this Vniuersitie to grow vp notablie in good learning and godlinesse Our ioie is that wee see you so modest and readie to obeie Fulfill you therefore our ioie that is search ye the truth which hath now manie ages lien hidden as it were in a darke dungion when yee haue found it out receiue it with a sincere faith and beeing receiued beautifie the same with good maners So shall your light shine before
flying away wherein you forsake vs wee shoulde be left vtterlie destitute neither should there be anie either to comfort or instruct vs out of the Gospel Be not therefore dismaied my most déerelie beloued brethren neither doe you dispaire For although I haue béene taken away from you yet will not God our most mercifull Father forsake you but will euermore raise vp some man that shal teach you the truth I haue prayed and againe do pray for that which I iudge profitable for you but I am no God that I can giue you this before the time appointed The most merciful God for his infinite wisedome sake shal in place and time most conuenient establishe your Church which séemeth nowe to be dismaied and ouerthrowen which certeinlie appeareth not to be altogether destitute of the strength of the spirite For in banishment and persecutions wherewith it is dailie vexed it bringeth foorth no lesse fruite of faith than doe these Churches which by the benefite of God inioy peace and quietnesse Besides although yee shoulde be altogether destitute of ministers of the worde to whom the charge of preaching the Gospell is committed which inconueniences God forbid yet shal neuer the spirit of God be wanting who shall be in your heartes in the stéede of Preachers Moreouer there are among you which by the grace of God are so greatly illumined with the light of the trueth as they can also giue light vnto others and giue a testimonie vnto the truth and besides those whome the Lord hath now indued with this grace hee shall alwaies stirre vp others Wherefore I gather by all these things that my departure hath bin no cause of dammage vnto you I acknowledge that it cannot be but that ye take it gréeuouslie to bee depriued of that spiritual comfort which God sometime gaue you by my sermons lectures and conferences which I had with you Howbeit when as God recompenseth this losse with a greater strength of the spirite it is manifest that there is no damage brought vnto your saluation Besides that these sermons lectures and conferences coulde not indure anie longer vnlesse I woulde either haue darkened the trueth or haue professed thinges which are plainelie false The one of which namelie obscuring of the trueth it gréeueth mée that I did it at anie time but to teach falselie that shoulde not in anie wise haue béene doone There hath béene alreadie rumor spreade abroade at Rome amongest those which were conuersaunt in these matters that it is chéefelie to be attributed vnto mee that your citie did continue in errour Yea and this was cast in my téeth at Luca that I maie by my sermons and authoritie remedie all these things Yea and those Monkes also of mine murmured euerie daie that our Monasterie was for my sake woorse reported of than the Monasterie of the Augustinians that I might ridde awaie this blemishe by thrée words in the pulpit The verie which bruite was nowe come to the chéefe gouernour and to the principals of the order Wherfore I foresaw that it wold by some meanes come to passe that I shoulde be forbidden the office of Preaching either by the Pope or by your Citie or else by our societie and that bodilie punishmentes besides shoulde be laid vppon me nothing at al to your commoditie For wherein I haue béene a helpe vnto you by my silence especiallie when in so manie sermons and lectures I expounded vnto men if they were not deafe those principal points of heauenlie doctrine which are necessarie vnto saluation yea in a manner all those thinges which I my selfe vnderstoode Yée will obiect Flying from persecution defended You shoulde haue continued and expected while the imminent oppressions had come vppon you and those to haue suffered with a pacient minde which at the length wold greatlie haue furthered the building of the Church for by your example you shoulde haue animated others vnto constancie Of all other thinges it is least of all to be allowed that you fled awaie when no necessitie vrged Herein standeth the whole summe of the controuersie to vnderstande when necessitie shall vrge Such manner of necessitie and opportunitie God reueileth vnto them which wholie commit themselues in aduersities vnto his protection But that the same moment of time wherein I departed was fit for that purpose I so perswaded my selfe as I doubt not but that this perswasion is the inspiration of God And although that I did not abide the bitter troubles before my departure yet coulde I not vtterlie auoide all What troubles I suffered at Naples and there where you are I knowe well enough Let you your selues be iudge what disquietnesse and how manie aduersities I indured al the last yere which although they were not most gréeuous calamities yet were they messengers and tokens of them Wherfore it séemes to me that I haue suffered so manie as I haue not preached the Gospell without afflictions afterward I neglected not a fit occasion of safetie offered While I am in this place I serue by the benefite of God vnto some vse If God shall giue anie quietnesse to your state perhappes I will lead my life againe with you neither will I shunne anie danger whereunto God shall call me for the saluation of soules Moreouer ye be not ignorant of the troubles wherewith my conscience was vexed because of that state of life which I followed I should euerie day haue wincked at an innumerable sort of superstitions I should not onelie my selfe haue executed superstitious rites but should also without all reason haue required them of others manie thinges should I haue doone otherwise than I iudged or taught Your Pastor I was what I was able to bring to passe by Lectures and Sermons that I did when I could not gouerne the Church as Christian trueth requireth I thought it better in giuing ouer so difficult a charge to withdrawe my selfe into some place from whence I might at the least wise exhort you by letters than to remaine in that place where I should haue bin depriued of al conuersation with you and not to haue bin lawfull to deale with you either in presence or by letters I am not priuie that anie man hath bin brought in perill through my flying away In such a place am I by the benefite of GOD as I may interpret the holie scriptures comfort you by letters and exhort you to retaine the purenesse of the Gospell And to say the trueth this departing of mine which I speake for setting foorth the glorie of God being diligentlie considered is not without a mortification of mine owne selfe nor without neglect of promotion and honours wherewith in the sight of men I was largelie indued nor without lesse commodities whereof I had plentie on euerie side nor yet without resignation of authoritie wherein I could doe much among all men And all these thinges I might haue augmented manie wayes if I would haue departed from the trueth and Gospel of God Wherefore since
fall not downe if not deade yet like those that are deade Furthermore when yée be partakers of the communion once euerie yeare or oftner with what minde with what heart vpon what purpose doe yee corrupt doe yée confounde doe yée rent in sunder the order of this noble sacrament instituted by Christ Hebr. 6. 4. Séeing yée haue tasted the gift of God and haue knowen the trueth and yet will euen with your owne hands handle the greatest hypocrisie iniuries and blasphemies contained in those diuelish rites and seruices verilie I am euen besides my selfe so often as I consider that yee burst not for sorrowe when yee come together to doe those thinges Therefore since your state is so vnhappie and miserable what is a let vnto you héerein Natiue countrie house farme kinsfolke riches the pleasures of this world Wherefore you estéeme these things more than you doe God himselfe these things are your God since in comparison of these you despise any other thing by which meanes doubtlesse you discouer the idolatrie of your heart If it seeme to be a harde matter to forsake patrimonie heritages and possessions what will yée doe when yée shall die then shall yée be constrained will yée nill yée to forsake them If yée continue in dealing wickedly how can you euer truelie say that yée are heartilie sorie for this abiuration Take away the euill from among you then will we beléeue that yée haue repented Christ to the intent hée might wholie certifie vs of his incomparaloue towards vs forsooke his owne glorie laide aside his kingdome became a straunger and poore man for vs despised not infamie and a contumelious death Oh howe ill shall we answere him who for him or rather for our owne saluation refuse to suffer so smal a thing I should be ouer long if besides the example of Christ I woulde alledge the examples of the Apostles and of all the other Saints which liue and reigne with him Wherefore setting them aside I will speake of your brethren who least they should commit such things forsooke their countrie prouoking you to the imitation of them These are made of flesh as well as you of the same countrie of the same condition They also had rather as touching the desire of the flesh tary in their coūtry be recreated with their cities and houshold pleasures be conuersant with their friends and inioy their fathers possessions Howbeit Christ by his grace did more mooue them than did the worlde They vanquished themselues they followed Christ to the intent they might haue a quiet conscience that they might not be plucked away from God finallie that they might giue a cleare testimonie vnto the Gospel Wherefore there is no cause why you should say that this cannot be doone since it was not onelie vsed of the faithfull in times past but nowe also fullie perfected of your brethren I exhort you therefore that yée wil giue eare vnto this calling and that ye wil not feigne deafenesse weigh with your selues that the whips are made readie and that the daunger is at hand that yee shall shortlie euen against your willes forsake those thinges which of your owne accorde faith vertue and guide of the spirite you shoulde forsake Hitherto haue I desired you but nowe I desire and will desire Christ that according to his owne counsel which is full of compassion he will open your hearts he will incourage your will and will giue strength vnto your spirit that you will chéerefully take in hande the one or other of the two remedies set foorth which in this case are the fruites of a sounde repentaunce If yee shall despise both which God forbid although there come no other calamitie vnto you thereby yet shall this miserie followe you ye shall be depriued of the light of the trueth ye shall euerie day goe further backe from the heauenly father your heart shall so greatly bee hardened as ye shall bee destitute of your minde and vnderstanding And what other beginning of eternall damnation is there if this be not Turne awaie I beséeche thée my Lorde Iesus Christ this horrible misfortune from these deare brethren from thy brused members and from these miserable strayed shéepe Thou which hast first created them afterwarde fashioned them anewe fed them with heauenly foode thy worde I meane and thy flesh quickened them with thy spirit and endued them with most precious giftes succour them with thy mightie and stretched out arme wherewith thou in times past brought the Hebrewes out of Egypt Exo. 14. 21. Acts. 12. 8. Acts. 28 44 Gen. 12. 1. the thrée companions out of the burning furnace Peter out of prison Paule from shipwracke Abraham out of his owne lande and kindred Despise not I beséeche thée thine inheritaunce giue eare for thy holy names sake deliuer them from sinne raise them vp from perdition leade them vnto thy faithful flocke that they may there acknowledge their brethren and may in like manner of them bee receiued instructed and confirmed with spirituall peace with the gladnesse of charitie and syncere loue that they may find an assured peace and rest to their owne consciences to the intent that all of them ioyned in a good and holie fellowship they with vs and wee with them may come vnto thée when it shall bee thy good pleasure to inioy thine euerlasting giftes To Peter Sturmius 48. RIght reuerend sir forasmuch as I am not ignorant that wise and learned men doe verie well allowe that sentence of Cicero which he wrote vnto Curio namely that it is the part of a franke heart to desire to bee excéedingly beholding to him to whom he is alreadie much beholding therefore coueting to haue a liberall heart and hating the contrarie I desire also to bée excéedingly beholding vnto you since I haue bin much beholding before not onely to you but also vnto your most deare beloued brother Iames a famous and singular patron of godlinesse and learning And therefore being desirous to satisfie I hope my honest desire I craue somewhat boldly of you that you will not refuse to inlarge my debt vnto you by a certaine newe benefite The which is that with such authoritie as you haue you will vouchsafe to protect Doctor Zanchus so far foorth as trueth and iustice will permit otherwise I shoulde be verie impudent if I woulde require any thing especially of you which any maner of waie is against these vertues And in this respect doe I desire this because manie young men of Zuricke which for learnings sake haue liued for a time in Strasborough haue returned hither a fewe dayes since of whom I vnderstand that this man whom I haue alwayes accounted both godlie and verie well learned and these xxv yéeres at the least haue helde for the most deare friend is nowe so greatly pressed with slaunders and accusations as he standeth in ieopardie of all his good estimation For it is reported that his function of teaching is either nowe taken vtterly from
in the iudgement of all men But hee neuer instructed more nor was more to bee maruelled at than in publike disputations For if anie disputers were to be moderated hee shewed himselfe so equall a iudge and was mooued with those reasons onely which were of force to perswade as no man coulde euer suspect him to bee parciall he depressed not the sounde argumentes of aduersaries he winked not at the errors false argumentes of friends if they would wander out of the bounds of disputation he reuoked thē courteously to the matter propounded but if the matter proceeded to braules he quieted them by his authoritie And he so finished those incounters that alwayes at the first hee repeated the thinges that were most necessarie and then at the last pronounced of the whole cause that both trueth might haue the victorie and that thereby also might redounde to the hearers no small commoditie And if so he it came to his part to dispute he alwayes so behaued himselfe both in propounding and aunswering as there was no suspition of anie desire either of chiding or of carying away the victorie from an ouerthrowen aduersarie but his minde being free from affections hee rather taught that which was the trueth than contended with anie about wordes And therefore when oftentimes afterwarde he encountered with the stout defenders of the Popes Religion neither was hee mooued to anger at anie time by their rayling speeches neither yet by the acclamations and prayses of our side was he made anie thing the loftier by vayne glory but he perpetuallie kept one and the same modestie equalitie of mind And what perspicuitie of speaking he vsed in publike readings the same did he followe much more diligently in disputing For he iudged that a darkenesse of speech and ambiguitie of wordes is the cause of verie manie contentions And hereof doe his writinges giue a manifest testimonie For whereas he wrote manie things of the iustification of man of Gods predestination not a litle verilie he wrote most of all of the Supper of the Lorde in the explication whereof verie manie learned men vse a certaine affected obscuritie but in his writinges there is nothing read but that which is proper plaine and manifest And when Bucer whom he honoured and greatly esteemed woulde oftentimes exhort him that in the question of the Lordes supper he woulde vse some certaine obscure and doubtfull kinde of speaking which hee himselfe therefore vsed because the good man perswaded himselfe that by this meanes might be taken away the great controuersie which is about this matter and so the long desired peace to be restored to the Church at the length he gaue place to him and vsed the selfe same formes of speaking that hee did But perceyuing within a while the daunger that woulde ensue he chaunged his minde for hee sawe that they coulde not be satisfied by this meanes which affirme the grosse and carnall presence of the bodie of Christ in the supper vnlesse that also their grosse kinde of speech be receaued with a full and grosse interpretation And againe hee had tryed that the weaker brethren by this doubtfulnesse of speech were in part greatly offended and in part so intangled troubled as they scarcely knew what they were to iudge in this matter Wherfore leauing to Bucer his owne phrase of speech he folowed also in this doctrine the selfe same perspicuitie which he did in other things and yet neuerthelesse betweene them remained a firme and constant friendship for neither did Bucer disallow of Martyrs iudgement neither was Martyr ignorant of Bucers meaning although he vsed doubtful speeches so that although the maner of their teaching in this matter was diuerse yet was there a ful consent of them in al the doctrine of Religion and a perpetuall friendshippe and coniunction of life which if I woulde expresse and rehearse all the pleasures whereby they declared their mutuall loue rather wordes woulde frayle than matter Wherefore leauing these thinges I will come to priuate matters and speake of his domesticall life For at Strasborough hee first beganne to haue a house and familie And first he liued without a wife all in one house with his friendes that followed him out of Italie being content with a meane or rather a verie small stipende which neuerthelesse was afterwarde augmented For since he left his countrie and great riches and high honours for Christ his sake hee thought it woulde not become anie to bee agreeued at the increase of his stipende speciallie since he was of so spare a life that this which hee had was not onelie sufficient for himselfe but that there also remained somewhat for the helping of friendes Nowe since for diuers causes hee disallowed of single life by the counsell of his friends he betrothed himselfe to an honest and noble Virgin Catherin Dampmartin who liuing at Metes and louing true religion was sent for to Strasborough by godlie men and afterwarde was married to Martyr This woman died afterward in Englande without anie issue when shee had liued viii yeares with her husbande Vnto this woman all that knewe her gaue such prayse as is due to a good and excellent Matrone For first shee was one that feared GOD loued her husbande wise and industrious in gouerning of her domesticall affaires bountifull towardes the poore who not onelie ayded them with her substance but also with all the counsell and helpe she could Moreouer in the whole course of her life she was godlie modest and sober It is reported that the common sort in Oxford loued her not onely as a benefactor and as it were a mother of the needie but that they also woondred at her as though shee had bin indued with some diuine power because that in sicknesses and especiallie in childbirth their wiues by her counsell and helpe obtained for the most part vndoubted safetie The dead bodie of this woman Cardinall Pole commaunded to be digged vp and to be cast into a dunghill and that he might seeme to deale iustlie when he had no other thing to accuse her of he ascribed this cause to wit that she was buried hard by the bodie of S. Fridesuide and that she was the wife of an Hereticke Verilie this Cardinall which was sometime a speciall friend of Martyr after his departure out of Italie not onelie forsooke his friendship but he vtterly cast awaie the care of true Religion which for a time he had fained and became an earnest enemie and persecuter of our professors Therefore sith he could not burne Martyr himselfe as he desired and with greater pleasure would haue seene it he shewed his crueltie vpon a dead carkasse which had bin Martyrs wife But after that England vnder the most excellent Queene Elizabeth had receiued the former light of the Gospell to abolish this note of infamie the bodie by the commandement of the Bishops was againe digged out of the filth and dunghill and in a great assemblie of people was solemnlie buried
difference made betwéene him and the Pope 4 38a The state of his soule separated from his bodie 2 622 a The saying of Hylarius howe he had sinne to bée marked 2 227 b He tooke flesh vpon him in one respect Angels in another 1 115 b What kind of creature the Arrians taught him to be 1 106 b Whether he be inferiour to his father 3 306 b Of his bodie much spokeÌ„ too fro worth the noting out of the fathers 1 116. 117. What his bodie hath respect vnto 3 78 b The later Dauid with what stones he smote the head of Goliah 1 44 b He grounded his doctrine vpon scriptures 3 340b Of his exaltation to glory 2 622 a A Iewe borne 3 30â— a Wherefore he is called our mediator 3 308 a What his soule did when it was departed from the bodie 2 621 a Of the first and second comming of Christ 3 383 ab 2 625 ab 597 b The opinion of Apelles the heretike touching his flesh that it was not borne but brought from heauen confuted 1 115 b He was borne and brought not a body from heauen proued 1 117 b 118 a Nothing ca. bée doone without him and why 3 102 a Of his conceptioÌ„ by the holy ghost 2 616 b What we haue to note in that hee did eate after he was risen 1 88a b In what sense he is called the first begotten 1 108 a 2 â—16 a The head and chiefe of new exorcists 4 130 a The scornings that he suffered at his death 2 619 a Why he called himselfe the sonne of man 1 117 b A most effectuall example of patience constancie 2 620 a How he is ioyned with all men 3 77 b 78 a Whether it wereof necesittie that he should die 2 610 b Why he departed this life loden with shame c. 2 618 b His humanitie is definite 2 611 b Of his sitting at his rathers right hande and what it meaneth 2 611 b Frée from sinne 2 615 ab The blowes wounds that he suffered at his death 2 619 a His death most ignominious 2 618 ab How he is said to haue left the world 4 156 b 157 a Their reasoÌ„s which say that he brought his bodie out of heauen 2 603 ab 604 a Why he is called the onely sonne of God 2 â—15b He came from heauen though hée had his bodie out of the earth â— 602 b 603 a How he had true sleâ—… when he appeared vnto Abraham the fathers 1 117 b 118a Diuerse properties of his body set downe 2 638a Howe hee dwelleth in our hearts 2 60â— a 3 162 a Why hée is called Lord 2 606 b 600 b 614 b 615 a How he is said to haue dyed for vs all 3 31 a The Manichies defame his genealogie and how 1 51 a All his passion reduced to foure chéefe parts 2 618 b 619 ab More oppugned his diuinitie than his humanity 2 614 b The difference betwéene his prayers and ones 3 368 b His death voluntary and noâ— voluntary 3 298 b Of his affections how ours his differ 3 298 ab How he satisfied his father 3 222 b 223 a He was not deliuered to the crosse against his fathers wil 2 276 ab What his healing of the diseased teacheth vs. 3 129 b How he saw not the graue 3 343 a 344 b 345 a Himselfe was the cause of his owne comming 2 600 a Whether his kingdome shall haue an end 2 607 a He was not annoynted with oile 2 6â—6 b What he did for vs at his ascending 2 624 a Vnto whom his nobilitie is communicated 4 313 b Fine things to be noted in his person 2 614 a His innocency obscured 2 618 b Adam and he compared and howe 3 31 a Both the old and the new testament do speake of him 1 39 b He dyed not altogether without sin 3 12 b 43 a How God is said to be made visible in him 1 30b 31 a His death resurrection represented in types shadowes 2 581 b 582a The very name of him is the knot wherein al the articles of the faith are conteined saieth Augustine 1 22 a How the prophets apply their doctrine vnto him 2 596 b Against such as helde that he had no true body 2 601 ab How the false Apostles woulde take him from the law 2 585 b 586 a He Manna most excellently compared 2 591 ab Against certaine heretikes that affirmed him to be a méere man 2 600b Howe farfoorth he concerning his humane nature is the full image of God 1 124 a Whether he were the sonne of God by nature or adoption 3 81 a Hee was otherwise in the loines of Abraham than of Leuy 2 245 a Augustine iudgeth that he hath restored vs vnto more than Adam tooke from vs 2 246 b Vnder his name is contained all the articles of the faith as saith Augustine 1 22 a Whether he may haue hope as yet 3 88 a The end of his predestination 3 25a Accused of sedition 4 319 a Of his death and buriall 3 342b Of his felicity now in heauen 2 598 a Of his kingdome 2 597 ab Christians A difference of Christians 3 105 b Why they are called annoynted 2 606 ab Wickedly accounted dogs 3 311 a Whether they may vse or desire helpe of infidels 4 296. 295. Their boÌ„dage greater now than that of the Iewes 3 172 a How it commeth to passe that some are iudged to damnation some to saluation 2 626b Against the counterfait or such as are but so in name 2 628 b The common profession of all Christians 4 310 a ¶ Looke Beleeuers and Faithfull Christianitie Wherein the whole sum of Christianitie consisteth 2 625 a ¶ Looke Religion Chronicles Aulus Gellius opinion of Chronicles and hystories 1 48 b The difference betwéene them and histories 1 48 ab 49 a Ciceroes opinion touching the same 1 48 ab ¶ Looke Histories Church militant The Church defined 4 1 a She cannot be well gouerned without troubles 4 63 a By what meanes she is increased 2 633 a 637 a Augustines meaning in saying I would not beléeue the scriptures vnlesse the authoritie of the Church mooued me 1 43 a 3 586. The Catholike Church is the communion of saints 3 78 b She of her owne authoritie cannot decide controuersies 4 75 b Whence the name is deriued 4 1 a 54 a 1 45 b 2 630 a In what cases euill men must not be excluded thereout 4 2 a How it is ment that she is the pâ—…ier and ground of truth 4 75 b Her dutie towards the excommunicated 4 59 a Whereof so great corruption in the same commeth 4 63 b Whether two heads may be therein one visible another inuisible 4 35 a Who be indéede of the Church and who not 4 1 b 2 a 3 79 a Dissentions in the Church of the Iewes and of the Apostles 4 3 a 2 425 ab The Church hath alwayes iudged by the