beareth vs wytnesse that we haue often walked according to the fleshe but also at the very same tyme when we seme to our selues to be conuerted we can not certaynely say that no relikes of syn do remayne in vs. But this certaynly we reade Rom. 8. They which walke in the fleshe can not please God These men wyll demaund this question agayne of me what then The fourthe obiection of heretykes for theyr speciall fayth do you councell vs to despeare God forbydd But as I deny constantly that any man is bound to beleue certaynely that his synnes be forgyuen so do I affyrme with no les stedfastnes that euery faythefull man doing his indeuoure as muche as in hym lyeth ought of dutie in this lyfe with a strong sure hope to looke for the forgyuenes of synnes and in the worlde to come lyfe euerlasting But this hope of oures ought not to be fastned vpon oure selues but vpon God whome when we do beholde we be moste certayne that he is faytfull bothe in his promises and also in his threatninges But when we loke vpon oure selues it can not be but we must nedes tremble and quake consydering oure weaknes and fraylnes thoughe we were gyltie of none other thyng For seing we knowe the Lucifer the noblest Aungell in heauen did fall that Salomon the wysest man that euer was dyd commit folly that the children of Israell God his most deare chosen people were forsakē and seing we vnderstand this also that God oweth vs no more seruice continually to defend vs to ayde vs with his grace to saue cōduict vs in the way of euerlasting lyfe then he dyd ether them afore rehersed ether Iudas called to be an Apostle ether Saul elected Kyng ether Nicolas appointed to be Deacon we can not be voyde of all feare specially seyng God dothe warne vs by hys chosen vessel Beare not thy selffe to bolde but feare Rom. 11. for seyng that God spared not the naturall braunches happly nether wyll he spare the. Philip. 2. Seing by the same vessell he exhorteth vs that with tremblyng shakyng we worke oure owne saluatiō seing also he pronounceth by an other that man to be blessed which allway stādeth in awe Pro. 28. Yet for all that this tremblyng muste not put vs cleane oute of comforte but make vs more obedient to Christ styr vp oure hope toward hym that euery one of vs may say with blessed Iob Iob. 13. Althoughe he sholde kyll me yet will I hope in hym But if this seme to any man a straunge opinion because I councell men not boldly to beleue and to assure them selues but wyll euery man to haue a sure certayne hope that in this worlde he shall obtayne remission of his synnes and in the worlde to come lyfe euerlasting let hym thus vnderstand my meaning that we can beleue nothing well and rightly I speake of the Catholyke belefe which may proue false and be other wyse then we do beleue but we may rightly hope for those thinges which many tymes chaunce cleane contrary to oure hope Therefore seyng it may be that a man may stedfastly beleue certaynelye beare hymselfe in hand that he is in the fauoure of God and yet this his opinion may deceaue hym we be rather commaunded to hope then to beleue For the cause of faythe consisteth in truthe reueled as it were of God But the moste sufficient cause of hope consisteth in possibilitie and lykelyhode of obtayning that thyng which a man may hope for by reason of God his commaundiment and promisse Agayne if you take vnderstand fidem faythe for fiducia truste or confidence as these men some to vnderstand it Caluin vpō the first of thō ca. 5 then fiducia that is trust excludeth all feare and hope hathe feare to wayte vpon her to cary vp her trayne Wherefore we be better commaunded to loke for the remission of oure synnes with a certayne and sure hope then with a certayne and sure faythe Althoughe truly nether any man is forbydden to beleue so that he be not alltogether careles Caluin in his institutiōs cap. 5. and recheles In this mynde Caluin hym selffe semeth to be when he sayth God doth cōmaund vs so to be certayne that we cast not of all care agayne in an other place Whē we do teache that fayth ought to be sure and certayne we do imagine no suche fayth as is deuyded farr from all doubt nether any suche securitie which is cut of frō all care but we say rather that faythfull men haue cōtinuall warr with they re owne mistrust doubtfullnes so farr of is it that we do lay any suche soft pillowes vnder they re consciences that they sholde fele no disquietnes of mynde at all Agayne notwithstandyng how greatly so euer they be trobled and vexed in conscience we deny that they faynte or fayle from that truste which we haue conceued of the mercie of God The coūcel of Trent in the fyft session 9 cap. But I think it good here to recite what the Father 's assembled at the generall councell of Trent haue determined vpon this matter These be theire wordes Although it be necessary to beleue that synnes nether be forgyuē nether euer were released but frely by the mercye of God for Christ his sake yet must not we saye that he is quyted of hys synnes which maketh hys boaste only leaueth on the certayne confidēce of forgiuenes of hys synnes seyng bothe of the heritykes also the scismatykes this vayne detestable confydence may be holden hereafter and at this present day is mayntayned preached moste ernestly contrary to the faythe doctryne of the Catholyke churche Nether is this to be affirmed that they which be truly iustified ought withoute all doubt to make theire accompt that they be made perfect and none other to be absolued from hys synnes and to be iustified but hym which certaynly doth beleue that he his assoyled and made ryghteouse and that this onlye faythe is cause of his absolution and iustification as thoughe that he which dothe not beleue this did doubt of God his promises of the vertue of Christ his deathe resurrection For as no good man ought to doubt of God hys mercy of Christ hys merytes of the vertue and poure of the Sacramentes so euery man whilest he cōsydereth hym selffe weygheth hys owne weakenes and vnaptnes may well feare that he is not in God his fauoure Seing no man can knowe with suche certaynete of faythe as may not be deceaued whether he haue obtayned the fauoure of God The holy Fathers do not here exclude euery kynde of certaynte An explication of the wordes of the Synode but the certaynete of that fayth only which can not be deceaued With suche certaynte they deny that any man can knowe that he is in the fauoure of God But that a man may knowe after a morall and probable certaynete or by
A MOST EXCELLENT TREATISE OF THE begynnyng of heresyes in oure tyme compyled by the Reuerend Father in God STANISLAVS HOSIVS Byshop of Wormes in Prussia To the moste renomed Prynce Lorde Sigismund myghtie Kyng of Poole greate Duke of Luten and Russia Lorde and Heyre of all Prussia Masouia Samogitia c. Translated out of Laten in to Englyshe by Richard Shacklock M. of Arte and student of the Ciuil lawes and intituled by hym The hatchet of heresies Haereses ad suam originem reuocasse est refutasse Of heresies to shewe the spryng Is them vnto an end to bryng ¶ Imprinted at Antwerp by Aeg. Diest Anno. 1565. the .10 of August CVM PRIVILEGIO THE TRANSLATOVRE vpon the figure following Sathan the sower of synfull doctrine For pastyme of late dyd pepe oute of hell Being wery of whipping Luther and Caluine To see if his sedes dyd prosper here well And seing bigg trees which no man dyd fell To be sprong of his sedes for ioy he dyd spryng That with sounde of his chaines all hell he made ryng But when with more hede aboute he dyd loke Fixing his eye on Prussian grounde He sawe holy Hosius makyng this boke Myndyng all Sathans craftes to confounde An hater of heretykes which falsely expounde Gods worde which boke so sone as he spyde An hachet an hachet oh me he cryde An hachet I see in Hosius hand Wich felleth my trees which ells myght haue stand Then hauing so sayde byting his lypp He ran agayne Luther and Caluine to whypp INSIGNE FALSITATIS INSIGNE VERITATIS SATHAN RAYLING REBELLION BLODSHED ATHEISME LYES HOSIVS DE ORIGINE HERESIVM THE TRANSLATOVRE vpon the figure before going Who planted this tree which there is set oute Sathan the sower of syn withoute doute The rote is rayling but can you tell why Take away rayling and heretykes dy Sampson Humfrey Cole with others The body is rebellion wherefore can you tell For a cap they be redy their Prince to expell The braunces is blodshed knowe you the cause Thei wold kyl if thei could al without lawes But why with lyes arre so loden the leaues Ah heresie with lyes all the worlde deceaues The apples be atheisme what doth that meane Heresie remoueth religion cleane wherefore dothe Sathan so sowrely loke Oh he is angry at Hosius boke what meaneth the crosse which here you do carue The badge of truth which neuer doth swarue what meaneth the cock which here I do fynde The badge of heretykes which waue with the wynde But what doth the ape vnder the cock Signifieth heretykes which holy thinges mock ▪ TO THE MOSTE EXCELLENT AND GRATIOVSE Pryncesse Elyzabeth by the grace of God Quene of England Fraunce and Irelande defendoure of the faythe your moste humble and obedient subiect Richard Schacklock hartily wysheth all grace and peace from God with long reigne honour helth and prosperitie ALTHOVGHE my faythefull and obedient hart towarde your Royal Maiest moste souereigne gracyouse Lady be so well knowen to God and all good men that it may seme neadeles to declare any outwarde testimoniall of it yet because as S. Chrysostome sayth God wolde neuer haue made the mouthe if it had bene inough in hart to thynck well I could not at thys tyme content my conscience onles I dyd gyue an open and euident signification of my secret fidelitie loyaltie and humble obedience toward your most excellent Maiest The which because I was not able to wytnesse vnto the world ether by famouse feates of armes for lack of experience ether in bryngyng golden gyftes for lack of abilitie ether in writyng workes of nue inuention for fault peraduenture of learnyng and knowledge I thought I myght declare no small token of a true subiectes harte towarde your gracyouse hyghenes in trauaylyng to trāslate some godly worke of some worthy wryter and when I had translated it The education of oure noble Quene to dedicate it to youre excellent Maiestie specyally seing your hyghnes euen from your tender age hath bene trayned vp in the treasure howse of learnyng not so muche bewtyfyed with byllementes and precyouse pearles as garnyshed with maruaylouse gyftes of grace and godlynes and euen with the increase of yeares hathe had an increasyng desyre of true science and knowledge in so much that I here it reported credibly and beleue it verily that euery nyght callyng your selfe to an accompt accordyng to Pythagoras councell howe you haue spent the day if by reason of consulting and caryng for youre common wealth any day scape withoute learnyng of one lesson oute of some godly authour you be wont to saye vnto them which be aboute youre noble grace Frendes this day haue I loste A golden sentence of our excellēt Quene for I haue learned neuer a lesson O sentence worthy to be pronounced of so excellent a Prynce O saying worthie to be translated in to all languages and to be written in letters of golde Truly moste noble Quene thys one saying The cause of our Englyshe Louanians wrytinges dothe encorage many of your graces faythfull and learned subiectes on this syde of the sea to wrytyng some to make nue workes neuer sene before some to translate bokes which haue bene made of other Some to wryte in Latē some in Englyshe some in verse and other some in prose All whose diligence and studye intendeth nothyng lesse then to wryte one worde wyllingly whiche myght displease youre Maiestie which may sowe any sedes of sedition A differēce betwene the wryting of the Catholikes now the heretykes in Q. Maries dayes loke knokes his bokes and others which may disquyet the peace of oure natyue countrie as in your graces deare systers dayes dyuerse sedityouse sectaryes dyd but only to further and to preferre as muche as is possible thys pryncely desyre of knowing the truthe which we heare with greate ioy to be reported of youre Maiestie This is the cause most redoubted Princesse why I am bold to present this my translacyon vnto your noble grace Not that I dyd thynk any such lack of Latten to be in your grace that your grace could not vnderstād it in the tounge in the which the fyrst author dyd wryte it for God hathe made youre grace as it were hys treasure howse of tounges youre fame florysheth for the Frenche your renome spreadeth farre for the Italian your glory glystreth for the Greke and many other laudable languages but that The cause of dedicatyng thys booke in Englishe to oure reedoubted Quene for as much as I haue learned by experyence that no man is so wel indued with the knowledge of forren tonges but when a matter of greate importaunce is tolde hym the truthe of the which he is desyrouse to knowe certaynly and to the which he is mynded to make an aunswer wysely had rather haue it declared in his natural and mother tonge be it neuer so barbarouse then in a straunge language be it neuer so eloquēt I thought that this boke
intreatyng of so weyghtye and necessari an argument for all Christian men to knowe shold be better welcome to youre grace in oure owne contrye speche for profyt then in any fyner forren language for pleasure The which boke althoughe some men thynck that I myght more boldly haue dedicated to some other yet in my iudgement I knowe certaynely I can not exhibit it to any other more worthily then to your excellent Maiestie Our souereigne Lady of al other moste worthy to haue this boke dedicated to her grace For who is more worthy to haue bokes dedicated to them of veritie which is lykened to syncere and pure virginitie then youre grace a most cleare bryght and vnspotted virgin who is more mete to receaue that precyouse iuel which was presented to the wyse vertuouse and Catholyke Kyng of Poole then you one of the best learned graciouse victoriouse mercyfull Prynces vnder the Pole Therfore most excellent and pearles Pryncesse if I haue any thyng offended in boldnes by reason of dedicatyng this my lyttell laboure vnto your hyghnes your learnyng your wysdome your mercye and all other your Quenely qualities which make your grace as it were a marke for all learned men to direct theyr bokes to our gracyouse Quene a marke for all learned mēnes bokes to be directed to are the causes of myne offence But my trust is that nether I haue offended any good man in dedicatyng thys to your hyghenes nether that youre grace shall displease God in readyng it A true prayse of the reuerēd Father Hosius For who is the Auctour of this booke but Hosius who for his prudence in polityke affayres hathe of the myghtie kyng of Poland bene sent of long tyme in moste weyghtye and honorable Embassages who for hys diuine knowledge and incomparable learnyng was made president of the moste Catholyke and Christian Councell lately holdē at Trent who for his syncere and godly lyfe is worthily called Hosius which after the Greke Etymologie signifyeth holy Althoughe some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose harte is rotten at the rote with rancor whose māner is to reproue good men with rayling whē they arre not able to doo it by reason laboure to drowne the dignitie of such a pearlesse Prelate of such a blessed Byshope of such a famouse father in saying that he will be ouercome with his Polonyshe pottes But no maruayle if Hosius be called a drōkard for euen so was hys Master Chryst before hym called a wyne bybber which is all one to say a quasser a tosse potte As for his boke that youre grace neade not to feare the displeasure of God in readyng it what is it ells but a true treatyse intytuled by the author hym selffe of the begynnyng of heresies in oure tyme and by me the translatour named the hatchet of heresies for so muche as to shewe the begynnyng of heresies The cause why this boke is named the hatchet of heresies is to bryng heresye vnto an end and to cut it downe none other wyse then an hatchet in man his hand layde to the roote of a plant sone supplāteth and ouerthroweth it Euen so truly most souereyne Ladye thys boke is the hatchet which supplanteth that euel plant which Sathā hath sowed in God his groūde what manner of plāt this hatchet heweth down whose roote is raylyng whose body is rebellion whose braunches be bloodshedde whose leaues be lyes whose frute be the aples of Atheisme that is to be of no Religion or to thynck that there is no God at all Wherefore moste humbly vpō my knees I desire your grace not only to reade this excellent treatise your selffe but also to be contented that my dearly beloued countrie men youre graces moste faythfull subiectes may do the same that they may receaue this souerayne salue of their soules withoute any harme of their bodyes that they may here gather the euerlasting treasures of theire myndes witoute any losse of their temporall possessions that they may here see that it is not the expresse worde of God which our Britānical Brētians teache but the pressed and wrested worde of God not the holy Scriptures but prophane scrapinges of dyuerse olde and nue heresies not the traditions of the Apostles but rather I desyre pardon of youre maiestie to speake reason somwhat rowghly the trayterouse additiōs of Apostates Finally that in reading of this notable boke they standyng as it were in the Castell of cōtemplation and seing howe heretykes marche malitiously on toward the other in the medowe of madnes The battayle of heretykes fight one with the other in the felde of al foly howe they one against the other bend the ordinaunce of all disorder cast the dartes of deadly displeasure shote with the crosse bowes of cursed speakyng and to be short leaue nothing vndone to vndoo one an other I say that youre faythfull subiectes my dearly beloued countrymen seing in this boke quietly all theire disquyetnes may lothe deuydyng discorde and returne to Catholyke concorde of Christ his holy Churche vnto whiche no doubt Christ returnyng to his Father sayd these wordes Pacem meam do vobis pacem meam relinquo vobis c. My peace I gyue you my peace I leaue vnto you whiche peace God graunt we may seke ernestly fynde spedily and holde stedfastly This I say moste humbly and ernestly desyring your grace beseching also that it wyll please youre hyghenes to take me as I am youre sure and sounde harted subiect in all seruice that I can I desyre God to be youre graces buckler in battayle youre pillar in peace youre leader in all the slyppery wayes of this lyff and your crowner in the blessed Kyngdome which is to come Amen You re graces faythfull and obedient subiect Richard Shacklock THE TRANSLATOVRE vpon the holy wryter Hosius Semely Susanna was iudged to dye By peruerse iudges which dyd her oppresse But godly Daniel her cause true dyd trye when contrary thynges he herd them confesse So sorrowfull Susan he dyd ryghtly redresse Her which seêmd synfull he proued to be sounde And them which seêmd godly full gylty he founde Euen so holy Hosius in oure dolefull dayes Seing the truthe to be troden with myght Of misshapt Ministers which with wyly wayes Laboure to rob the truthe of her ryght Ragyng and rayling and spyttyng theire spyte One at an other full farre from consent Here tryeth the truth against which thei be bent The truthe being tryde the truthe let vs holde Praying to God to gyue vs hys grace To hate all heretykes so blynde and so bolde which vnder fayr visardes do hide their fowle face And pray we deuoutly for our noble Quenes grace That the spryng of heresies to her being knowen She may roote vp the sedes which Sathā hath sowē TO THE MOSTE REDOVBTED AND MOSTE CHRISTIAN Prince his renomed Lorde Lorde Sigismund by the grace of God Kyng of Poole great Duke of Luten Lorde and Heyre of Russia Prussia Masouia Samogitia
Magistrate then with the pen of a learned man in so muche that the Sacramentaries cōplayne much of theyr crueltie saying that the Lutherās haue not driuen away the tyranny of the Pope oute of the land but rather haue taken it in to they re owne hand and that in steade of shaking the Popes woden yoke from theyr neckes they have put on a yoke of yron Ihon westphalus his aunswer for the Sacramentaries But Ihō Westphalus hearyng of this complaynt to excuse his brotherhoode sayth that it is no Tyranny to resist heretykes which be Tyrauntes of the sowle and to hyndre them from practising vpō Christ his flock they re cruelty outewardly coloured with fayre wordes but inwardlye kylling and destroying not with the materiall swerd which only sleaeth the body but with poyson of corrupt pestilent doctryne where with the dyvell kylleth mennes soules speakyng them fayre and feadyng them with lyes The pastor sayth he playeth not the Tyrant which chaseth away the wolues The Magistrat vseth no tyranny if according to the lawe he cut the combes of mysdoers and dothe execution of them which be giltye the rulers of the Church ought not to be accused of tyranny because they excommunicat breakers of orde and stubbourne persones because with worde of mouthe wryting they reprove false teachers because they put temporall rulers in mynde of they re dutie because they allowe the procedinges and necessary sharpnes of Magistrates in punishing syn If spirituall Magistrates Ministers wolde with more smarting remedies dryue away the daungerouse diseases which infect the members of the whole bodye the Church sholde be lesse troubled with these soule-sleaers it sholde sustayne lesse damage so many sholde not be seduced as there be nowe and being seduced sholde not stand so styfly in they re erroures He spake these wordes very truly agaynst the Sacramentaries which may also sarue fytly agaynst hym and hys fantasticall fraternitie Nowe as touching the Sacramentaries Martyn Luther dothe gyue thys verdict of them In good ernest we gyue sentēce that all Zwinglians and Sacramētaries be heretykes none of Christ his church because they say that the body and blood of Christ is not receaued with the carnall mouthe in the honorable Sacrament Who also in a certayne epistle to a noble mā Albertus Marques of Brandenburg Duke in Prussia sayth that no conferēce or disputation ought to be had with them for so muche as euen frō the begynnyng so farr as there is anie Christian grownde there hathe bene one vniforme belefe of all men concernyng thys Sacrament Therefore sayth he if any man do nowe doubt of it he dothe as thoughe he beleued not one holy and catholyke churche Who also semeth not onlye to condemne all the whole Churche of heresye but also Christ hym selff with his Apostles Prophetes with whose moste reuerend testimony this article is confirmed in the which we do professe that we beleue the holy catholyke churche For so sayth Christ I am with you vntyll the end of the worlde And Paule calleth the Churche the pyller and staye of the truthe Moreouer they re owne opinion beareth wytnesse agaynst them for so muche as in the exposition of thys text they so iarr and disagree that a man may fynde almost seuen or eyght interpretations Here Martyn Luther pronounced a moste true sentence makynge no more agaynst the Zuinglians then agaynste hym selffe and hys owne broode which scamble by the cares no lesse among them selues and set no lesse by the consent of the Churche then they doo He goeth on wryting to the forsayde duke saying in thys manner Wherefore I aduertise and beseche youre grace that you will auoyde suche men suffer them not with in the precinct of youre iurisdiction for this you must nedes assure youre selffe that if you graunt suche sowers of sectes anye quiet abyding in youre territories when you may be rydde of them it shall be an heauy burden to youre conscience you shall scantly be able euer hereafter to pull oute the worme which continually shall gnawe it Thus dyd Luther warne hys adherentes to graunt no intertaynement to the Sacramentaries whome he boldly dyd affirme to be ministers of Sathan lyars yea very lying it self hypocrisie and simulation And in that booke which he intituled De coena Christi of the supper of Christ he biddeth all men beware of Zuinglius as of the poyson of Sathan This is Luthers censure or verdict vppon the Sacramentaries what the Sacramētaries think of the Lutherans Nowe on the othersyde heare what they thinck of Luther and all hys partakers The Lutherans sayth Oecolampadius bryng with them a blase or appearaunce of the worde of God but not the worde of God in dede as the common trade of heretykes is who all will seme to haue the staffe of God hys worde to leane vpon Bucer also wryteth that euery man speaketh ill of Luther for hys comptrolyng snappishe kynde of wryting In his Dialogues against Melancthon and for that he can not abyde that any man sholde cōtrary hym If he wyll bynde men sayth Bucer not to gayne say hym in any pointe let hym proue hym selffe to be God In translatyng and expoundyng the scriptures he hathe committed very grosse faultes that not in a fewe places Thus you see that the Zuinglians thought it to become them as well to swarue frō Luther as it dyd Luther to differ from the vniuersall churche In lyke manner the ministers of Surk makyng answer to a boke which Luther a lyttell before he dyed had set oute agaynst the Zuinglians inveyhing bytterly agaynst them among other thinges speake in this wyse The Prophetes and Apostles had alwayes regarde to the glory of God not to they re owne priuat preferment not to they re owne selffe wyll prowde conceite but they only dyd seke the soule healthe of synners but Luther seketh hys owne profyt he is styff necked he is puffed vpp with pryde he strayght way gyueth them ouer to the Dyuell as many as at a beck will not subscribe to his opinion and in all his reformations there appeare many tokens of a malitiouse spiryt but not one sparck of a frendly or fatherly affection Lo this is the iudgement of the Sacramentaries vpon Luther his followers agayne the verdict of Luther concerning the Sacramētaries And it is not to be doubted but bothe verdictes be true since bothe parties came forthe of one scole and were thaught of one scolemaster the Dyuell Some there be which reporte abroade that an agreable confession was made betwene the Zuinglians the Lutherans concerning the sacrament of the altar But lest any man sholde be deceaued with this false rumor I think it good to folde vpp in a fewe wordes what I knowe certaynly of this matter I haue already opened what heauyng shoueing was betwene Luther who affirmed the breade to be the body of Christ substantially and really and Oecolampadius and Zuinglius which sayde
cōcerning his doctrine Among whō one Menno Phrisius who semeth to pass all the sorte of them in learning saythe in this wyse Certaynely o heauenly Father I can not be deceaued in this matter with thy worde I haue beleued and that haue I receaued by the holy Ghoste as the worde of truthe And with in fewe lynes after I knowe certaynely and surely that with this my doctryne which is the worde of God in the day of ryghtwise iudgement I shall iudge not onlye Lordes Princes not only the worlde but also the Aungelles them selues Thus dothe he magnifically make his vauntes of his doctrine as thoughe it were God hys worde with no lesse confidēce and corragiousnes then Luther dyd of hys doctryne Notwithstandyng Luther dyd as hottly inueyhe against this sect as he dyd agaynst the sect of the Sacramentaries and wryting a boke to two Plebanes as before I haue made mentiō among other sayinges he oseth these wordes Whereas the Anabaptistes saye that we fynde in no place of scripture that infantes either haue faythe or the they ought to be baptized we graunte in dede that it can not be proued by any scripture which saythe playnely and euidently in these or suche lyke wordes You ought to baptize younge children for they do beleue if any man be ernest with vs to shewe any suche text we must nedes gyue hym place Luther is fayne to flee for helpe to traditions agaynst the Anabaptistes and graunt hym the victorye for we fynde it not in the whole Byble But good reasonable Christians do demaunde no suche thinges of vs that is the fashion of brablers and obstinate persons to the intent that they may be accompted wyse But they for all they re Byble bablyng and crying for scripture alleadge for them selues no scripture which saythe you ought to baptize those which be of yeares of discretiō but not infantes and younge children By by after by the tradition of the Apostles allwayes obserued in the churche of God he teacheth that younge children are to be baptized all be it no scripture dothe gyue any suche commaundement And lyke as before in defending the Sacrament of the altar so now in mayntayning Christning of younge children he dothe cheifly leane vpon the authoritie of the churche which authoritie for all that he wyll not let vs laye in his way for feare of gyuing him a fall so oftē as he requireth scripture of vs for profe of any one thing be it that it hathe bene receaued and allouwed of the church neuer so many yeares The Anabaptistes wurse thē all other sectaries This therefore is the thyrde Ghospell much more pestilent then the other twayne For besyde that it taketh clene away the sacrifice of the Masse the ordre of Prestehode with the Lutherans and denieth the real presence of Christ in the Sacramēt of the Altar with the Zuinglians it hathe many other articles bothe blasphemouse also seditiouse For it forbyddeth the publyk ministery of God hys worde it defendeth that Christ toke not man hys nature vpon hym of the blyssed virgyn it reneweth the errour of the Chiliastars it despyseth rule and wyll not haue men subiect to laufull authoritie Therefore where so euer this sect taketh place it rayseth vp greate vprores and seditions Examples of thys we haue many cities in Germany especially the citie of Munster An example by the citie of Munster For as Henry Dorpius a Lutheran and he which translated hys history out of the Germane tongue in to Latten Ihon Sleidane a Zuinglian haue wrytten in they re Cronicles aboue foure and twentye yeares agone ther cam fyrst thether certayne preachers to declare vnto the people in stede of Christ hys Gospell the doctryn of Luther whome when the Catholyke Prestes thought in no wyse to be suffred Bernard Rothman with hys cōpanyons Heretykes manner to provoke catholykes to dispute before a laie iudge whome Philipp the Lantgraue of Hessia had sent to further advaunce Luthers learnyng dyd that which all heretykes vse to do that is chosyng appoynting oute certayne cheife learned men of the catholyke faythe they prouoked the Catholykes to ioyne with them in disputation that before a lay Magistrate whome they appoynted to be theyr iudge and before whome they promised to proue the doctryn which the Catholykes held to be false and erroniouse But whē the Catholyke Prestes refused to dispute with them they departed the citie after that they were forbydden to execute theyr office of preaching the worde of God After this departure of the Catholykes before a yeare was comē fully to an end the Anabaptistes lykewyse began in the same citie to sowe the seades of they re doctryn vnder the name of Christe hys Ghospell And whē they had prouoked one an other to set fote to fote in disputation but on the selffe same condition which before was offered to the Catholykes which was that nothing shold be alleaged but Canonicall scripture beholde Bernard Rothman the cheifest trumpetor in all that citie of Luthers Ghospell who makyng the lyke lawe a lyttell before had chalenged the Catholykes to come to disputation now wolde admitt no suche condition So it cam to passe that the Lutherans which not long before had thrust the Catholykes oute of the towne they themselues fearyng to mete or encounter in disputation with the Anabaptistes were shortly after by them banished the same towne No meruayle thoughe they were so handled For the Senators also were pulled downe from they re iudgement seates the churches were spoyled and burned and whosoeuer wolde not take parte with the Anabaptistes perforce was dryuen oute of the citie As for Bernard Rothmā Henry Roles Godfry Stralen sent oute of Hessia as they of Christians grewe to be Lutherans so of Lutherans they becam Anabaptistes and with tothe and nayle furthered the Ghospel of Anabaptistes shewing vs the experience howe true that is which is wrytten in the Scripture The wycked man when he cometh in to the depthe of syn careth not what he dothe For if any man do once forsake Christian Religion vnto what so euer sect he dothe afterwarde inclyne he makethe it but a pastyme to leape from one heresie to an other And this sect truly of the Anabaptistes Anabaptistes be deuided in to diuerse kyndes is diuided in to many sections For they agree not in the principall pointes of they re doctrine In certayne cities of Germany some dyd run aboute naked as thoughe they had a bumble be in theire breche exhortyng the people to repentaunce seking in the meane whyle busyly how they might fynde any opportunytie to set the people together by the eares Neither dyd thys heresie begyn yester day or the day before for it reygned also in saynt Augustyn his tyme. And as the moste parte of all other heresies be so was this in the begynnyng deuyded in to many other partes For some were called Donatistes other Rogatistes other Maximianistes other
that which is vnperfect to the holy scripture that which is perfect to the reuelations of the spyrit to which reuelations so sone as we haue attayned that which is vnperfect that is to say the preaching vse of the scripture they lyke dreaming doctours do think ougt to be cleane abolished To this purpose they strech that place of S. Peter on the laste althoughe in very dede it is contrary to this theire inspiration where he warneth vs to gyue hede to propheticall speache 2. Pet. 1. as to a bright burning candell in a darke place tyll suche tyme as the daye starr doth ryse in oure hartes They take the illusions of Sathan for the lightning of the holy Ghoste and for the morning starre which so sone as it is rysen then is there no more nede of the candell of propheticall speakyng They alleadge also those scriptures which Luther also vouched for the confirmation of his erroure in his boke of abrogating the Masse Heb. 8. Hier. 31. No man shall teache his neighboure or his brother Iacob 3. saying Knowe oure Lorde For all shall knowe me froÌ„ the leaste to the moste of them Matth. 23 There shall not be many masters among you for you haue one Master in heaueÌ„ 1. Ioan. 2. You neade not that any man sholde teache you his anoynting teacheth you Therefore they commaund men to run to this Master for succoure that they may be taught of hym not of the deade scripture or of men Suencfelde fynished that Ghospell which Sathan began by Luther Behold most godly Prince to what issue they haue brought the matter After that by the example of Luther euery man toke it to be lawfull for hym to go from the assent and consent of the whole Churche and to expounde the scriptures after hys owne brayne that what so euer he imagined sholde be receaued as the worde of God it cam to this poynte at the laste that by the autoritie of the scriptures they went aboute to make the scriptures of no autoritye and men were thaught to gyue more credit to dreames and reuelations then to the scriptures Luther toke away outewarde prestehode and the sacrament thereto belongyng when Suenckfeldius perceaued that he did this not only withoute controlemeÌ„t but also that his doing was allowed and approued of many he lykewise toke away the externall minystery of the worde by the same authoritie that Luther toke away the sacrifice For why shold Luthers authoritie be stronger then Suenckfeldius his seyng this man hath mo scriptures on his syde then he For no scripture hath gyuen contrary coÌ„maundiment that mo shold offer sacrifice but that there shold be mo maysters then one it hathe openly bene forbydden in mo places then one For seing we haue one Mayster in heauen his honoure semeth to be defaced his dignitie semeth to be diminished if any other be herd besyde hym as who wold saye that he is not fyt inoughe to teache vs as thoughe there were such lack of abilitie in hym that he coulde not performe so muche withoute the help and ministery of man So nowe the Ghospell which Sathan hathe begone by Luther he hath fynished by Suenckfeldiê that after prestehod is takeÌ„ away after the sacrifice is dispatched after that all holy thinges be brought in to vtter contempt we may see also the outewarde ministery of the worde to be taken from vs the Canonicall scriptures to be so stryped of all they re dignitie that we be charged not to beleue them that the scripture is not the worde of God but only a deade letter which is to be reputed among other creatures to the which to be wedded to muche is not the parte of a Christian man Nether is this Suenckfeldius an oute cast or rascal For Philipp saythe he is an hundred handed captayne that he hathe souldiours in euerye place which in his name do not onlye spred libelles abroade but also stirr vp seditions This pestilent heresye of Suenckfeldius rageth not onlye ouer all Germany but also ouer all Heluetia there is an huge number of them which boaste themselues that they haue this inspiration so that in many greate Cities by hearesay Mo SuenckfeldiaÌ„s theÌ„ Lutherans or Zuinglians you may fynde of the coÌ„mon sorte mo Suenckfeldians then ether Lutherans or ZuingliaÌ„s To say the truthe I knowe not the man nether haue I sene his bokes but when I went on youre Maiesties Embassage to the moste Christian Emperoure and very Catholyke King Charles the fyft of certayne graue persones such as were worthy of al credyt I heard the contrary of that to be affirmed of Suenckfeldius whiche Erasmus Roterodamê once dyd wryte of them whiche falsely vaunt them selues to be Euangelicall men Suenckfeldians meruailouse holy to se to that he knewe none of them which ioyned them selues to their company and coÌ„gregation but he proued much wurse then he was before but how many so euer embrased Suenckfeldiê doctrine it was tolde me that they were sodenly chaunged as thoughe they had bene inspyred by the holy Ghost that they dyd put of olde Adam and put on new Christ that afterwarde they walked no more after the flesh but after the spyrit so that al men myght see that they had crucified theyr fleshe with theyr synnes and concupiscences Here many we see how Sathan many tymes iuggleth him selff in to an Aungell of lyght that by a coloure of holynes he may deceaue the simple people Euen as fowlers do set certayne intising baytes to the intent they may take the byrdes with shewing them deyntie and lykersom meates Holynes of heretykes is the diuell his pytfall to catche soules Origenes so is there a certayne holynes of the dyuell that is a trap or pytfall of man his soule by the which he may with a more subtyll sleyght inuegle snare men with false and forged wordes Euen as Origenes expoundyng Ezechiel more at lardge doth declare Suche pretensed holynes was to be sene in tyme past in the Psalbanes Euchites Anthropomorphites Ebionites Tacians and other heretykes of the same sorte the lyke of the whiche is also to be sene in the Pycardes and the Suenckfeldians which is none other thing as that moste learned man Origenes dothe saye then a certayne trap priuily set and layde for man his sowle by the deceate crafty conueyaunce of the Dyuell A conclusion of the fourth new Gosballes Now haue you foure Ghospells but not according to Mathewe Luke and Ihon but after Luther Zuinglius Muncerus and Swenkfeldius These be straunge names but theire Ghospells be more straunge which you may rather call Goosebelles then Ghospells for so muche as they haue brought in with them the matter of al mischefe not proceding from Christ but from the dyuell the author and founder of them for which cause they chose rather to be called Ghospellers then Christians for that theyr conscience telleth them that they haue nothing to do with