were the better in thys case I am sure T. I must nedes graunt Eusebius that a great number were at that poynte and I must confesse also that libertye had caused many men to waxe wylde the whiche woulde haue been tamed by good lawes right well and were in maner prouided If Satan had not enuied the profit therof But yet they say there can be neuer a better wheras there is neuer a good but as touchyng dyet doutlesse I thynke there were some good men of both sides I meane suche men as wyth good moderacion vsed gods creatures for there necessitie and not for theyr wanton lust And so likewise in other outward obseruaunces I suppose there be of both sides that meane wel and wyshe well vnto all men and I doe not thynke the contrarye but if there were charitie in oure heartes we could fynd in our heartes to loue one another we should agree and prosper well inough but Sathan hath sowed the seade of discorde among vs and we cannot loue eche other but wyth moste spite that may be we persecute one another to destruccion and thys wylbe our own confusion E. Yea Theophilus that is in dede a lamentable thyng and the greatest grefe to me that you beyng an honest man and I am I hope not of the worst sort of men for my hartye desier is that all moughte be well thys therfore greueth me that we should be of diuers opinions and not of one mynd specially in religioÌ„ and therefore dyd I couet to talke wyth you to th ende I moughte if I coulde bryng you to the same mynd I am my selfe and to say the trueth I vnderstande not so great contrauersye but as you sayd with charite and frendly debating the matter we shal agree and so would I wyshe all men to doe for I lyke not thys crueltye assuredly and therfore let me understande wherein we vary we beleue both al the Articles of the Christen fayth what causeth the contrauersye therefore T. I wyll tell you Eusebius the name of the catholyke churche the holy churche the vniuersall churche that marreth altogether Euse What man say not so god forbydde but Chryst shoulde haue a churche heare in earth T. loe syr howe sone ye misunderstande me I remember now that when master Latymer beganne fyrst to preache he taughte the people to putte theyr hole confydence in Iesus Chryst and that he only was our redempcion and that there was no health in any other no not in the blessed virgyn Mary sayeth he I wil not say but she was the most excellent woman vpoÌ„ earth and sauoured altogether of Chryst as the bagge wherein saffron hath been smelleth altogether of saffroÌ„ yet is not the bagge the saffron it selfe and so was not she the saueoure selfe thoughe she bare hym that was saueour of the world to as many as beleued in hym thys wyth more Eloquent wordes did he set forth as he was a maÌ„ passing al other for that purpose now what sayd the people of thys Forsouth that he had despysed our lady and had made her no better then a saffroÌ„ bagge I bryng thys tale by the way nowe not so much for that you mistoke me in thys as to put you in remembraunce of the great foly that is in many now a daies whiche when they heare and peraduenture vnderstande not the matter yet wyll they goe and tell a whole storye and euer they wyll make the wurste of it thys it is almoste in euery commen matter betwene neyghboure and neyghbour there be such a sort of peace breakers that delite in nothing so much as in telling of newes and thus setteth one neyghboure agaynst another all whiche encreaseth oure damage E. But dyd I then misunderstande you Theophilus Theo Yea brother Eusebius but thankes be to god there can be no hurt in that I speake all thys for no other thyng but that you should note the great mischeffe that insueth of those flatterers whyche gooe flerynge to picke thanke and tell all they heare and more to and that to woorke mischefe but this is no suche matter for althoughe you toke me that I sayed that Chrystes churche or the holy catholyke churche marred altogether yet shall we debate the matter before we goe so that we shall vnderstande one another but these men seake no suche thing that I spake of before E. But then I pray you let me vnderstande your meaning for so I toke it in dede as for suche peace breakers as ye spake of I knowe and coulde declare howe by suche of a sparcle was made a whole fyer inough to haue set a whole contree on a heate but let that passe and goe forth I pray you T. Thus I sayed Eusebius that the name of the holye catholyke churche the vniuersall churche or of Chrystes churche if ye wyll that dooeth marre altogether Eusebius Why so Theophilus for thys cause that they whyche pretende to bee Christes church are nothing lesse then Christes in dede Eusebius doe ye thinke so Theophilus yea and I wil proue it so to that you shal vnderstande that your selfe Eusebius say on I pray you and I wil geue eare Theophilus this know ye first then that in the .24 Chapter of Saincte Mathewes gospell Chryst gaue hys disciples thys warnyng and sayed take hede for many shal come in my name saye there are Christes be not deceaued c. Nowe ye muste vnderstaÌ„d that Christus is as much to say as annointed so that many shall come in Chrystes name and say they be the annoynted marke wel this warning and take good hede vnto it E. Well forth yet I doe vnderstande you wel thys farre T. Verye well then note thys also that as the Lorde Iesus gaue thys warning a litel before hys death so dyd Saincte Paull also a greate whyle after Chryst had suffred cal the Bishops and elders of Ephesus together and taking hys leaue as one that should see them no more gaue them also thys warning and sayed take hede vnto your selues and to the flocke wherof ye haue charge for after my departyng shall enter in among you greuous wolues Acte â—0 which shal not spare the flocke c. Marke well now that Christe the Lord and hys Apostles lykewyse howe diligently and ernestly they gaue vs warninge to take hede and beware of deceauers and false Prophetes yea as it were almoste theyr laste woordes whyche of all other for the moste parte are to be noted and were it not reason we dyd take hede Euse Yes doutlesse we muste and ought to take hede or els we shal be deceaued But nowe saye oure Preachers that we oughte to take hede of you for of you were these woordes spoken T. Naye then marke Sainct Paules wordes agayne for he sayeth after my departing c. And they shal be men that shall ryse euen of your own selues sayeth he Iohn 2. And Saincte Iohn in hys Epistles sayeth also that euen then in hys tyme were
to oxforde thys the frydaye and the saterdaye folowyng were the .iii. prysoners called forth before them and appointed to dispute the monday tuesdaye and weddensdaye folowyng and beefore that I dare saye they knewe of no disputacion and assone as the disputacion was appointed Immediatly were they separated and coulde not conferre nor talke together theyr owne bokes that they had laboured and there commun places that they had gathered was all taken from them when they came firste to pryson and when they shoulde come foorthe to dispute they were brought wyth bylles and glayues as if they should haue gone to hāging and there must one of thē alone aunswere some tymes .vi. speaking to hym at one time and euer would they crye vpon him to cutte short for the tyme was spent And whē as it came to master Rydleys torne he had prouided hys supposition thinkynge to haue reade it but they woulde not suffer hym And yet he alledged for himself the order of the scoles and that al that litel time he had bestowed in deuising the same wherein he mynded to haue declared the substaunce of his assercion of hys fayth and beleue touching that matter then in question but he coulde not be suffred in any wise and sondry tymes in hys talke they woulde take hym at aduauntage and when he woulde open hys meaninge hys tale could not be heard of the audiēce but yet there were that noted hys woordes Nowe I praye you what indifferency is thys a man wythout study wythout bokes without cōference with other and almost without hearing shal dispute for hys lyfe And they so many clappyng at one tyme agaynst one poore man alas it was a grefe And yet for all thys I warrant you they be not hasty in puttyng forth the disputations in print as much as they bragge I dare say they wyl neuer put them forth E. But is thys true that ye haue now sayd in thys matter E. Yea as trewe as god lyueth And I dare saye If ye talke with the doctours themselues that disputed agaynst them they can deny none of al thys that I haue said wel they may couler it with some other thyng but assuredly they cannot alter it it is so openly knowen E. Well brother Theophilus cōsider that whē men be in authorite and haue the gouernaūce In theyr hand some what they will doe And consider also that in kynge Edwardes tyme your doctours dealte in lyke case with our learned men And therfore blame thē not though they now show a litell of the same curtesy againe T. Nay then marke what I wil saye vnto you brother Eusebius And tell me whether the case bee lyke In king Edwardes tyme there was appoynted a disputaciō wherin were .iii. of your learned against one of ours they had leysure as muche as they woulde axe they were not taken frō theyr bokes neither put in pryson they mought cōferre wyth whō they would and go whether they would they were not so much as checkte for defendyng their opinion Another tyme also I doe remember wel that before Kyng Edward died I was present at the disputacion In oxford where one Grene waye a bacheler of diuinitie and the vice presydēt of Corporis Christi Colledge aunswered and hys question was whether Christes natural body mought be in more places then one there was one of the opponentes that openlye professed hymselfe to bee of a contrarie mynd and so disputed and yet I neuer knewe so much as one euil woorde spoken to hym Note nowe the tiranny that is vsed of the one syde whyche Chryst neuer taught And marke there great gētlenes agayne of the other syde And this were inough almost to perswade an honest heart E. Surely brother Theophi I woulde Charitie mought rule thys matter for I doe verely beeleue that if wyth loue and frendeshyp they dyd gentely commen together of these matters they should much rather agree then by suche proude disputations or rather scoldyng and brawling one with another For to what purpose serueth thys cankored malice but the one to seke the others destruction And while we goe about mischeffe to eche other there be that wyl destroye vs both and then we haue spun a fayer threde T. In dede your gathering standeth with good reason and not without good authoryte of the holy Scriptures For thys sayeth the Lord Iesus Euery kyngdome within it selfe deuydede shal be destroied Math. 12 Luke 11. Gala. 5. and euery house deuided with in it selfe shall not stande And Saincte Paule sayeth also if ye bite one another take hede lest ye be consumed one of an other E. I praye you brother The. In what place is it the Christ saith Euery kyngdome deuided wythin it selfe shall be destroyed E. In the .12 Chapter of Mathes gospel and in the .11 of Luke likewise E. Now surely I am affrayed lest those wordes are to trewe and lest we shal haue to much experiēce of the same T. Wel brother Euse You nede not care for you are a good Catholyke man and therefore no harme can happen to you for the game goeth on your syde As for me ye know I am halfe suspected and more And therefore I loke when I shal be called forth corānobis and so to the fyer a cruell death I tell you E. Wil ye beleue me brother Theophi As god helpe me I am none of those that desireth the hurt of my neybour and I tel you truth I lyke thys religion the worsse for there crueltie For vndoutedly If the matter were in my hande there shoulde none be put to death except he would obstinatly rebell by commocions or otherwyse moleste a whole commen wealth as for hys conscyence let hym discharge that betwene God and hym selfe he should chose for me for any trouble I would worke him for me thinkes it standes not with Charitie 1. Cor. 1◠T. I mistrust you not brother Euse I know you to wel and like you the better And in dede sainct Paul sayth If I had fayth that I could moue mountaynes out of there places If I had not loue I am nothyng And Chryste hym selfe saieth also Iohn 14 by thys shal al men knowe that ye are my disciples yf ye loue one another the which loue springeth from a faith vnfained in the promise of god and causeth good workes to procede as the frutes come of the buddinges of the tree E. What bee those good workes ye meane T. Mary callyng vpon the name of the lyuing god by diligent feruent and continual prayer in watchyng the deuill that neyther by the lust of thys fleshe neyther yet by ambicion and coueteousnes of thys wycked world or by any other meanes he should ouercome vs and subdue vs vnto synne And therfore as we feel our selues prone and apte to euil so stil to mortifie these members of ours by fastynge and prayer with such like Godly exercises to visete and comforte our nedy neybours and so forth E. But I pray you now
al the fortes in Englande with his owne men for I would not thinke him wise to trust straūgers so muche as his own countre men whē he hath therefore brought the to passe he may at all times bring an army either out of flaunders or spain the shyppes being also at hys commaundemēt and thorow Englande may he goe at hys wyll and pleasure who wil say hym naye Alas miserable case T. Nay nay Eusebius he shal nede none army to bryng this matter to passe for if the Quene liue seuen yeres to an ende he wyll so vse the matter that Englande shal be easy inough to rule for marke ye now how fast the gentle men go to the tower yea and some to hanging also And ye see the gentlemen for the most part be of this newe learnyng and therfore ye know vnder pretence of religion there wil be matters Inough to ridde the most part of the nobilite of Englande and all thys shal we be made to doe within our selues we shal be inueigled thus to doe one agaynst another by traynes and baites to seake one anothers destruccion wherunto many are very prest and al to do the Quene a pleasure Marke how thys geare commeth to passe for the Spaniard hath nothing to doe in al this as we suppose but rather getteth pardōs and showeth great fauour to Englyshe men but ye may be sure they haue debated thys matter in theyr heades in all this they make the Quene serue their turne and her own fancy also Now when al these heretike gentlemen be dispatched which wylbe the greatest part of the nobilitie of Englande then shal there be other inuencyons had for the rest which shal be easy inough for they shal be fewe And thynke you he wil thē trust Englishe men for the gouernment of hys kyngedome when he hath so weakened it and may take the matter in hande No for then peraduenture the poore Englishe men maye take a ioye in their heades when they once begyn to feale the smarte and an Englyshe Lorde wil be deinte at that tyme and they wyll begynne to loue eche other when they see howe the game wil goe and so shewe themselues in their olde lykenes and so make a foule worke But I warrant you these men whiche can so compasse the matter to bryng it so farre forth wil not be ouer sene in thys of that ye may be sure And therefore of goe their heades also let them poynt vpon it and thus farewel the glory of Englande for euer and a day E. O Lord whether there be no remedy for Englande that it mought be preserued from thys miserye T. Surelye there is but one and that is a generall repentaunce with the Niniuites fastyng and praying moste earenestly calling vpon the trew liuing god to haue mercy vpon vs for his sonne Christes sake and so leaue enuieng and hating ech other and seake loue together as it becōmeth brethren this way and none other can I see to escape E. Well god be mercifull vnto vs what shoulde I say I can not tell T. Your holy Prelates Eusebius haue preached a great whyle agaynste our pore ministers and haue layde to their charge that they haue ben great hinderers of a common wealth and haue marred altogether by there doctrine in pullyng down Abbeys and Colledges wyth such like wherin although they spake agaynste their supersticion and idle lyfe yet was it not redressed by their aduise therefore dyd they continually preache agaynste the coueteous handeling therof and the euil bestowyng of such treasure ye they feared not to tell them to their faces of there faultes so openly and playnelye as all Englande can ryghte well witnes the same And yet for all that doe not your Prelates cease to cast them in the teth as though they mought haue ruled the rost beholde the fruites of their doctryne say they for al was coueteousnes I can not tel what but if ye note well the fruite of their doctrine ye shal perceaue that they haue brought another maner of thyng to passe the is the destruccion of vs al the whych thing vndoutedly must nedes come to passe if god doe not wonderfully worke for our preseruacion contrary to al mens expectacion contrary also to our deseruing that shortly for it is at hand E. Welcome by the grace of god For euery kingdome deuided wtin it selfe shal be destroyed I haue learned that lessō and I shall not forget it as longe as I lyue but yet I am not fully satisfied of that matter wherof I entēded most to reason with you but now the euēing draweth on peraduenture I let you from your busines T. In dede myne houre is almost come wherein I promysed to mete a frende of myne But if it please you to pointe any time to morowe I wil mete you here by Goddes grace And we wyl haue the matter debated at full E. Syr I praye you hartely let it be to morow after dyner T. Wyth a good wil fare ye wel E. and I pray god geue you his holy spirite to order rule your goinges that whatsoeuer ye go about it maye be to the honour glory of his name to the profit of this commē wealth E. I thanke you T. with all my hearte I pray god it may so come to passe Amē ¶ The seconde DIALOGVE OR communicacion betwene Eusebius and Theophilus EVsebius well mette brother Theophilus you haue made good shifte I thought to haue been heare before you you wente to diner betyme I perceaue T. Euen as I doe commonly when I haue no busynes betwene nyne ten me thinkes it is a good houre for by that meanes I saue a breakefast whyche for suche idlers as I am is moste fittest E. In dede to say truth it were inough for the moste part of men if they could be so cōtented T. Yea brother Eusebius and a greate deale of those two meales in one daye would be better spente also I meane of such as vse muche banketynge and costly fare dayly in theyr houses with such superfluyte as surely is in mine opiniō to much and none vse it more then your Prelates of the Churche for they suppose thēselues to fast sufficiently if they abstayne from fleshe frydayes and saterdayes and suche lyke dayes as they haue appoynted they thynke it no matter to banket other dayes and so are all the rest of youre religion perswaded And yet alas consyderyng the miserable state we stande in it were mere to mourne wepe fast and pray I meane not frydayes onely but all the dayes of the weake to leaue our bely chere and to take an other waye then to banket and play setting cocke in the houpe and care not what beecome of vs. E. Ye haue sayed well Theophilus I promyse you but yet geue me leaue to saye agayne your sort of the other syde despysed so muche our superstycyous fast that they fasted not at all and therfore our men
for if ye can answere me to this I haue no more to say Theophilus Then heare me I pray you I graunt you that Chryst hath had a churche or congregacion heare in yearth whyche hath continually preached hys gospell hys testamente hys holy worde from his resurreccion yea from the begynnyng vnto thys daye these have been visible and knowen as Iohn the Baptyst was knowen to Herode Chryste was knowen to the Iewes for Iohn was behedded and Chryste was crucified and whiche of the Apostles escaped that was not putte to death some hanged some broiled some rosted some one cruel death and some another and therefore ye may be sure they were knowen And yet because ye shall not saye but euen the Apostles hydde them selues and fledde ye reade howe Saincte Paule was lette down in a basket ouer the wall and wente hys waye and I praye you howe many yeares after the Apostles were the menne of God vexed and persecuted And all this was for preaching the gospel of Iesus Christ Nowe whereas ye laye to oure charge that our churche beganne but of late your churche is the more to be suspected for that which haue so longe space kepte downe the gospell for we professe none other doctrine then the Apostles and Martyrs did whiche died for it as ye see howe our preachers and diuers other good brethren are contēted to geue ouer theyr lyues lykewyse for the same as the Apostles dyd For Chryste hath taughte in dyuers places that we should suffer for his doctrine but he neuer taught to kyll any for it The rule that your Prelates haue taken ouer the churches hath been and yet is like princes and not lyke Apostles they playe the destroyers but not the saueours they folow their master the deuill and not oure master Chryste And therefore lette no man thynke that Chryste mayntayneth hys churche in suche pompe and pryde but rather layeth on them the crosse for he sayeth the seruaunte is not greater then hys Lorde yf they haue persecuted me they shall also persecute you and so foorth But nowe youre Prelates fynde oute suche balde reasons to perswade the symple to be of theyr side and say they where are these new felowes become they be gone but Christes churche is a visible churche a knowen churche not hydde in corners But sheweth her selfe openlye And suche like But I praye you where was theyr churche in Kinge Edwardes dayes If there were no more reasons to proue it a false church but that same one it were sufficiente to proue them false dissemblers For where as Christes Apostles disciples and many Martyrs after that would rather lose theyr lyues then denye theyr master or his doctryne they were contented not onely to subscribe but also to preach earnestly against that whiche they nowe defende if ye will haue one named axe the Byshoppe of London whether he haue not preached agaynste the Pope Yea and whyche of them hath not where was there any of them that woulde burne hys lytell fynger for the maintenaunce of theyr doctryne And nowe ye see the other companye hauinge another maner of hope of the resurreccyon they come and offer themselues I tel you trueth heare is a great difference and if yet for al this you wyll haue that Chrystes churche which is so addycted to the worlde that for safegard of their liues and liuinges they wil say whatsoeuer they shal then Christes churche were wonderfully chaunged from that it was in the beegynnynge Weye you the matter in your conscience brother Eusebius Yea behold what pleasure they haue in shedding of bloud Eusebius Surely ye haue layde soore to my charge brother Theophilus and to saye the trueth theyr tyrannye my stomake dooeth abhorre But yet tell me one thynge if these signes and tokens be vncerten to knowe Chrystes churche howe doe you know the trewe spouse of Christ what tokens canne you showe me whereby I mighte assuredly knowe Chrystes churche and not bee deceaued Theophilus I will tell you brother Eusebius but firste call to remembraunce the warninge that Chryste gaue vs to be ware of false Prophetes and also the admonycyon of Sayncte Paull to the same ende and the wytnesse of Sayncte Iohn who affyrmed that many were come in his tyme and in many places of Sayncte Paull ye shall see howe he complaineth of them that they wente aboute to subuert the ghospell of Chryste and that in the name of Christe And therefore to thentente we shoulde not bee deceaued vnder the couler of holy aunciente fathers or any such lyke Gala. 1. he gaue vs thys moste certeyne and infallyble rule sayinge If we oure selues marke well hys wordes if we oure selues or an Aungell from heauen preache vnto you a gospell that hath not been preached already to you holde hym accursed As I sayd so I saye agayne sayeth he if we or an Aungell from heauen preache vnto you another doctryne whiche hath not been by vs preached already lette hym bee accursed and so foorth Now tell me Eusebius If youre catholyke churche doe preache any doctryne besyde or contrarye to the doctryne of Saynct Paul and the reste of the Apostles haue we not here a playn rule to refuse them and holde them accursed And haue we not here sufficiente instruccion howe to knowe the perfect true churche Eusebius Verely I cannot tell what to saye for ye haue almoste caughte me in youre nette but yet I will learne more argumentes to oppose againste you the whiche if you canne lykewyse solute I wyll geue place for me thynkes ye meane well and I partlye doute whether in verye dede ye haue the veritie on youre syde the whyche being certenlye knowen I will not bee ashamed to confesse mine ignoraunce For what shoulde we seake but the glory of Chryste Theophilus Woulde God all Englyshe men were lyke minded I meane not that they shoulde strayghte waye geue place to vs but that they would quietlye bee contented to debate the matter charitably brotherly and frendly some there bee that woulde but they beare not the sweye and therefore with pacience we must remaine and beholde what the good wil and pleasure of oure Lorde God is vpon vs for our offences and sinnes Eusebius Now surely the sentence is geuen in euery kingedome within it selfe deuided shal bee destroyed Theophi Well the good wil of god be don Except we may deceaue his Prophetes by earnest repentaunce with the Niniuites as is sayd before as Ionas was deceaued els there is no remedy But yet who so putteth his trust in the lord shal not be confounded therfore whatsoeuer become of the rest happy are they that put theyr trust in the lord Brother Eusebius when your argumentes be ready let vs haue them in communicacion I shall bee ready at all tymes by Goddes grace to heare you In the meane season I commytte you to god E Fare ye wel brother Theo Wyth all my hearte FINIS Dominus mà chì adiutor nò timebo quid faciat mihi homo ¶ P. N ¶ The Lordes prayer OVr father which in heauen art And makest vs all one brotherhod To call vpon thee with one heart Our heauenly father and our god Graunt we pray not with lyppes alone But wyth the heart depe sigthe and grone Thy blessed name be sanctifyed Thy heauenly worde mought vs inflame In holy lyfe for to abide To magnifie thyne holy name From all errours defende and kepe The litell flocke of thy pore shepe Thy kyngdome come euen at thys houre And henceforth euerlastingly Thyne holy gost into vs power Wyth all hys gyftes most plenteously From Satans rage and fylthy bande Defende vs with thy myghtie hande Thy wyll be done with diligence Lyke as in heauen in earth also In trouble graunt vs pacience And thee to obeye in wealth and woe Let not fleshe bloud or any ill Preuayle agaynst thy holy wyll Geue vs thys day our dayly bread And all other good thynges of thyne Kepe vs from warre and from bloudesheade Also from sickenes dearth and pyne That we may lyue in quietnes Wythout all gredy carefulnes Forgeue vs our offences all Reliue our carefull conscience As we forgeue both great and small Which vnto vs haue done offence Prepare vs lord for to serue thee In perfect loue and vnitie O Lord into temptacion Leade vs not when the fynde doth rage To wythstande his inuasion Geue power and strength in euery age Arme and make strong thy feable hoste Wyth faith and with the holy goste O Lord from euill deliuer vs The dayes and tymes are daungerous From euerlasting death saue vs And in our last neade comforte vs. A blessed ende to vs bequeath Into thyne handes our soules receaue For thou o Lord art kyng of kynges And thou hast power ouer al Thy glory shineth in all thynges In the wyde world vniuersall Amen let it be done o Lorde That we haue prayed with one accorde AMEN