cōsiderations a cōtrary custome hath grown in vse being by y e church praysed com maūded which cōmaūdemēt appeareth by such a custome which is y e best interpreter of laws such a receiuing is rash presūptuous offēsiue sedicious a disturbing of Ecclesiastical rite cōsequētly inducing to eternal dampnation Now hast thou after y e reasōs rehersed here as it were in one word again repeted in a sūme what the counsell of Cōstāce thinketh of y e cōmunion vnder both kinds namly that the receauing of it nether is nor euer was by y e law of god And y t thei which endeuor themselues to put it in vse ar rash presumptuous seditious disturbers of y e church of God which incurre the blame of geuing of offence it iudgeth them worthy of eternal destruction and hel fire But thereason wherebye they proue the deniall of the cuppe and the vse of one kinde doe not onelye wante the woorde of Godde but are moreouer folyshe ridiculous blasphemous against Christe and contumelious against◅ the church of God as it is manifest by those things whych we haue before spoken But graunt that ther wer some daūger if the vse of the Cup should be retained what was the prouidence of these fathers greater than the wisedome of Christ of his Apostles Could not they also see these daungers and admonish the church thereof that so great a Sacrament of God shoul◅ not be prophaned Of these reasons soundeth the second Canon of y e Coūsel of Trent wher it saith If any man shal say that the holy catholike Churche was not by iust causes and reasons led that the laimen also the Clergy which celebrate not should cōmunicate vnder the forme of bread onelye or that it therin erred let him be accursed Thou seest christiā reader that by the authority of the Counsel of Trent reasōs that are foolish blasphemous contumelious agaynst the Churche of God are counted and allowed for iust causes which if any man shal gainsay let him be accursed Many haue hitherto doubted certaine also haue vtterlye denied that the Counsell of Trent is ruled gouerned by the holy ghost But I do not onely nothing doubt thereof but am fulli persuaded y e the coūsel assēbled vnder Pius y e. 4 B. of Rome is not at al gouerned or ruled by y e holy gost For men y ◠ar sober left onely vnto humane iudgemēt or sense would neuer ordain things so absurde which hitherto haue ben mencioned to haue come from this coūsel But bicause the fathers of this counsel haue once fully determined vtterly to plucke vp by the rootes blot out extinguish the doctrine which we professe God punisheth in them the syn of obstinate malice euen w t the synne of most grosse errors as y e apostle hath left in writing God saith he sendeth on them the efficacy of illusion y ◠they shoulde beleue lies to the end al they might be iudged which haue not beleued the truth but haue consented vnto iniquitye And thys grosse ignorance blasphemy of the counsel is so directed of the lord that it profiteth the Church of God For al y e true faithful do now not only se but also euē fele with their hands y e the fathers of the counsel ar deliuered vp into a reprobate minde that they defend most grosse palpable errors tread vnder foote the manifest truth In the third Canon is confyrmed y e self same sacrilege manifest idolatry that vnder the paine of a curse we must beleue that whole Christ is receaued vnder one kind onely But how can the faithful beleue this when as it wanteth the woord of promise For faith leaneth vnto y e word of God but ther was neuer any word of God that Christe would in the bread only dispense his body blood there is no wher such thing extant in the Euangelicall historye or writing of y e Apostles These subtilties as touching christ y t he is not deuided ar of no force We know that fyrmly beleue it But here the question is not of the integritye of Christ but of the dispēsation of his body blood He receiuing the cup said Drinke ye al of this this is my blood c. This cup being abrogated how canst thou w c a true faith settle thy self y ◠in the vse of y e bread thou art made partaker of his blood For when he toke the bread he said not this is my blood or eate ye my blood How subtile soeuer this impiety be yet can they neuer defende support thys sacriledge In the. 4. canon they deale very hardly with the holy fathers especially w t Cyprian Augustine also with the church y t was at that time wherin was accustomed y t vnto infants also of Christiās the Eucharist was geuen But although we also disalowe this custome neither thinke it mete to be called again into the church yet iudge we y ◠the holye Fathers ought more gentlye to be delt with in this matter But farre bee it from me that I shoulde prescribe any thing to y e spirite of this counsell which seing it hath vpon iust causes cōfirmed this sacrilege in this sacramēt it shall also vndoubtedly if God will haue most wayghtye most iust reasons of this curse which reasons to resyst is to sin against the holy ghost To these four canons they adde other two articles whither for any cause or consideration the vse of the cup is to be permitted vnto any man Also whether that for certain honest reasons such which agree with Christiā charity y e vse of the cup is to be graūted to any nation or kingdom vnder certayn conditions what cōditions they are The examinatiō definīg of these they reserue to an other time Undoubtedly a worthy deliberation consultation of so long time in a thing so obscure doubtfull wherof childrē that are but seuen yeres of age are able to geue sudgemēt if they be but well enstructed in theyr catechisme But the words of the counsell are diligently to be marked whither for any cause or consideration the vse of the cuppe is to be permitted vnto any man The institution of Christ is w t the coūsel of Trēt no cause or reasō at al why ye good holy fathers can bring or deuise anye other reason than the precept cōmaundemēt of Christ yea his very expres wil What wil ye be wiser thā Christ thā the apo stles than y e primatiue church Or what sacrilegious bold nes is this that ye wil not but vpon certain conditions those as we shal a litle afterwarde heare most vngodlye graūt the vse of the cup not to the vniuersal church but to som certain nations kingdoms ◅e vnderstand as I suppose Germany England Denmark now peraduēture Fraunce also which for the most part hauing left the fylthinesse of the babilonish whore
†A godly and necessarye admonition of the Decrees and Canons of the Counsel of Trent celebrated vnder Pius the fourth Byshop of Rome in the yeares of our Lord. M. D. LXII and. M. D. LXIII Wrytten for those godlye disposed persons sakes whych looke for amendement of Doctrine and Ceremonies to bee made by generall Counsels Lately translated out of Latine Psalm xxvi Odi ecclesiam malignantium I haue hated the Congregations of the wycked Math. xv What soeuer my heauenlye father hath not planted shalbe plucked vp by the rootes ¶ Imprinted at London by Iohn Day dwellyng ouer Aldersgate beneath Saint Martins ¶ Cum gratia et priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per septennium The. xix of February 1564. These bookes are to be sold at hys shop vnder the Gate ⧠The Preface to the Reader OUr Lorde and Sauioure Iesus Christ when he hadde confirmed the mindes of his Disciples agaynste the daungers of persecution whych they shoulde be in daunger of for the confession of the truth of his doctrine with a spirite thurstyng our saluation brake foorth into these woordes What profiteth it a man sayd he though he win al the world if he lose hys own soule Or what recompence shal a man geue for his soule And his meaning was to admonish not onely his Disciples but also al vs together with them how much the saluation of soules is to be made of which being deliuered from the bodye and once abiected from God can by no price or recompence he redemed agayne But then are they most of al endaungered when they straye from the true knowledge of God and his syncere woorshipping For God is lyfe and truth and therefore the death of the soule is to decline froÌ„ the rule of the wyl of God reuealed in Christ. But bicause the Lorde speaketh not vnto vs from heauen but hath vpoÌ„ earth instituted the ministery of teaching whereby men are instructed of the wil of God we see that for that cause I say men are diuerslye affected For they which teach in the churche of God doo not euerye where professe one and the selfe same doctrine And when Christ sayde of true teachers He that heareth you heareth me And agayne If he shal not heare the church let hym bee vnto thee as an Ethnicke and a Publicane they excedinglye doubt vnto what congregation in so great a diuersitye of opinions they ought to soyne them selues For on the one syde they are holden by ordinary succession as they caâ—… it and custome and consent of very long tyme in whose congregation yet neuerthelesse they see very many errours and no small abuses which they them selues vnderstand and iudge that they ought of necessity to be amended On the other side against humane traditions they heare the expresse woorde of God brought foorth and vrged but for asmuch as they fynde among those meÌ„ also occasion to be offended and chiefely bicause they thinke that the chaunging of doctrine and ceremonies pertaineth not vnto euery man but vnto the ordinarye power they can scarse tel which way to turne them selues They flye therefore vnto the authority of a Counsel as to an onely sanctuary whereby they iudge that dissension sprong in the Church may most commodiously be taken awaye Of which thyng when deliberation was had long tyme and often by the orders of the Empyre neither yet by any conditions whereby on eyther syde it was requyred it could be obtained the saluation of many men hath by the stay of so long tyme bene miserably endaungered And although such are iustly to be reproued whych neglecting the very sounding from heauen of the sonne of God Heare him haue a regarde vnto the authority of men for the consideration of our saluation is not so obscurelye taught but that euen the moste simplest in fayth may comprehende it yet I thinke not that this kinde of men is to bee abiected But rather in that part wherin we see that they ar sicke we must after the exaÌ„ple of the Apostels to our power study to heale theÌ„ For that happeneth in this our time which we reade happened at Ierusalem on the day of Pentecost after the ascention of Christe into heauen For when the people saw and heard the Apostels with sundry tounges celebrate the wonderful things of God whom yet the Priestes Scribâ—…s and Phariseis had a litle before condemned and persecuted they were vtterly at their wyts ende and in doubte whose doctrine they should embrace For Christ seemed no lesse to commend the doctrine of the Phariseis than the doctrine of the Apostels when he said Upon the chaire of Moses syt the Scribes and Phariseis that which they say doo ye What maruaile is it if the rude and vnlearned people were doubtfull For the Phariseis vnto whom they were so long tyme addicted in learning the woorshippyng of God taught one thing and the Apostels an other thing The selfe same thing vndoubtedlye wee see happeneth in this our age For with our Elders great hath bene the authority of the Church of Rome wherewith the eyes of many men are yet styl blinded But no lesse yea rather farre greater is the authority of the woord of God whereby are reproued errours and abuses which haue throughe the negligence and auarice of men crept into the Church A man that wyl ryd him selfe our of these difficulties ought not vtterly to be vnskilful in holy matters and so to be addicted vnto the Church that in the meane tyme he same not against the manifest wil of God expressed in the woord of the Gospel But there are two rockes betwene which godlye men must wyth great care and diligence sayle For some by reason of lightnes of mind without iudgement and true faith embrace euery maner of religion But other some to stubbornlye resist and wyll not once so muche as vauchsafe to know the doctrine set foorth bicause their minde is bent vnto an opinion which they defend for the truth Or bring ouercome with the pleasures of this worlde they haue no care of the truth nor saluation of their soules But there is none amongest them that are trulye godlye so rude to thinke that so great inconstancye of minde in the doctrine of religion or stubbornes in errors should be numbred among vertues but by the holy scriptures they are taught that either of them is to be auoyded For against inconstancy the Apostle speaketh Let vs not be as â—…ytile ones wauering neither let vs be caried about with euerye wynde of doctrine But against stubbornes in errour Iohn hath left in writing Proue the spirites whether they be of God Wherwith the selfe same Apostle agreeth Quench not saith he the spirite despise not prophecies But proue ye al thing that which is good hold But bicause it is a singular gift of God to proue spirites and as the Apostle saith prophecye that is the naturall interpretation of the holy scripture belongeth not to euery man Manye suppose that thys
of the whole world These testimonies of the holy Scripture of the olde and newe Testament doo manifestlye teache that besides the obedience of Christe made in the fleshe there is no other satisfaction for synnes and that they are fowlely deceaued which do put some part of satisfaction eyther in theyr owne passions or elles in their fained purgatorye To deuide in halfe the merite of the passion of Christ is vtterly to abolish his meryte for he is no halfe or vnperfect redemer but a perfect redemer with one oblatiō saieth the Epistle to the Hebrewes hath he for euer made perfect those which are sanctified Heb. x. But bycause they see that the expiation or satisfaction for synnes is by moste manifeste testimonyes of the scripture attributed onely vnto Christe they goe aboute to auoyde them by a vayne distinction when they teache that the synnes themselues are not expiated but that for the eternall payne dew vnto synnes the satisfaction of temporall payne is expiation made but in affyrmyng of these thynges they shewe in very deede that they are vtterly ignoraunt what remission of synnes is For what other thyng ells is remission of synne than that God fyrst receaueth vs into fauoure and forgeueth the faulte of synnes then also he remitteth the punyshemente whiche we haue deserued by our synnes Wherfore where there is not a full and perfecte remission of payne but that some satisfaction is requyred there also is not a full and perfecte remission of synnes I knowe the Councell of Trent can not vnloose thys knotte and if thys be manifest to be the doctrine of the holy Ghost then will fal away theyr satisfactions for synnes and the fyre of purgatorye shal easiy be quenched And although the Lord somtimes do some what more seuerely chastē those whose sinnes he remitteth according to hys will as he vnderstandeth to bee expediente for them yet is that by no meanes to be counted a satisfaction for y e payne of sinne but a healthfull discipline to kepe them in doing theyr dutie and to cause them to woorke theyr saluation in feare and trembling When we are iudged sayth the Apostle we are corrected of the Lorde least we should be condemned with the world He sayeth not that we are corrected to the ende we shoulde satisfye part of the iustice of God but to the entent we should not synne hereafter or flatter our selues in sinnes Also y t fayned fyre of Purgatorye is manifestly against this sentence of Christ wherin he sayth Uerely I say vnto you he whiche heareth my worde and beleueth in him which sent me hath eternal lyfe shal not come to iudgement but hath passed from death to life It is also contra ry vnto the most sweete consolation of the Apostle which is written vnto the Thessalonians where the death of the Godly is called a sleepe I will not sayth the Apostle that you shoulde be ignoraunte brethren of those whiche haue fallen on slepe c. But it might be called a wonderfull sleepe if it were ioyned with so greate a tormente of purgatory fyer Which the Sophisters affyrme differeth nothing from the infernall fyre but only in respecte of duraunce of time Whereof you shall heare what the Disciple sayth in his Sermon of soules whose words are these For if all the coales of the whole worlde being gathered together vpō one heape were on fyre and if a man shoulde stande in the middest of them he shoulde not susstaine so greate heate as the soules sustaine in purgatory Of thys fayned fyre of purgatory the holy prophetes and Apostles know nothing y e holy scripture is ignorant therof neyther knoweth it of any other fyre after thys life than of the infernal euerlasting fyre of the damned which shall neuer be quenched but al the misery of those y ◠shal be saued endeth in this world wherein yet also is the beginning of eternall life And although y ◠Byshops of Rome with their Cardinalles Byshoppes Sacrificers and monkes were man◅ yeares ago admonished of all these pernitious errors ye◅ se great is their stubborn◅es and security in defending of errors that in s◅ manifest a lyght of the doctrine of y e Gospell they are bolde to obtrude them agayne vnto Christian people so muche are they bewitched by the spirite of lying that they shoulde not geue place vnto the truth of the heauenly doctrine whiche the Lord hath raysed vp againe in the latter times hath kindled the true lyght in the hartes of many I thought good to admonishe the godly reader of all these thinges before I tooke in hande to confute the rest of the decrees and Canons whiche were made vnder the Bishop of Rome Pius the fourth concerning the Sacramentes all which namely decrees and Canons seing they were allowed by the Counsell gathered together the laste yeare they whiche are but meanely instructed in the doctrine of pietie may most manifestly see y ◠there is no good thing to be hoped for at their handes For what but euen briefly to repeate all things pietie or sounde doctrine canst thou looke for of them which acknowledge not the disease of the corrupt nature of man dare denye it to be sinne contrary to the Apostle Which denye that man is dead thorough sinne and doo attribute vnto him strengthes yet remayning wherby he may apply him selfe vnto grace Whiche also excuse workes of the Ethnikes and infidels from sinne Whiche are ignorant of the nature difference of the law and of the Gospell Which condemne the righteousnesse of faith which thorough the obedience of Christ resteth onely in the mercy of God Whiche teache a man continually to doubt of the grace and fauor of God Whiche dreame y ◠the faythfull can fulfill the lawe of God Whiche besides the passion and death of Christ do teache vs to seeke other satisfactiō in this life in y e world to come What good thing I saye can a Christian Publique welth hope or loke for from suche fathers when as with their peruerse and vngodly decrees they do not o◅ely peruert the foundations and principall poyntes of Christian Religion but also as much as lieth in them vtterly ◅uerthrow them Where as there are fiue principall feast dayes wherein the benefites of the sonne of God are yearely celebrated in the Churche the feastes of the Natiuitie of Christ of hys Passion Resurrection and Ascencion into heauen also the feast of Whitsontyde Of all these feastes the Fathers of the Counsell of Trent haue left vs nothyng but the names and truth of the historye whiche is also in the deuilles vnto whiche fathers thou mayst most aptly apply this sayeng of Paul They professe that they know God but in dedes they deny hym when as they are abhominable and not harknyng to his worde and reprobate to all good workes For the power and fruite of the holye Natiuitie of Christe is to purge and make cleane our vnpure Natiuitie whiche were
haue turned agayn vnto their fyrste husbande and neglecting humane traditions haue returned vnto the fyrst institution of Christ. They of the Papacy not long synce miserablye handled Luther a man of godlye memorye bicause he wrote that if the Counsell woulde graunt bothe kindes hee woulde vse but one kinde onelye But it was the farthest thyng from his thought to haue the institution of Christ abrogated or the Sacramēt deuided in halfes But his meanyng was to haue the Churche admonished of the sacrilegious holdnes of the Papistes and that it shoulde not vse bothe kindes bicause of the decree of the Counsel but bicause of the institution of Christ. For it lieth not in the arbitremēt of the Counsel Church or anye other man to abrogate or graunt the cup being of Christ not onelye graunted vnto his Church but also bidden and commaunded Wherfore the romish bishop may dispense w t whom it liketh him we care as much for his dispensation as we do for his curses whych wee iudge as vayne thynges that are vsed to make children afeard with and as the saying is a thunder clap made of a bladder The testament institution and last wil of Christ sufficeth vnto vs which is perspicuous and manifest wherwith if any man wyll not be content let hym then vse the foolish and wicked reasons of the Counsell of Constance the sacrilege confirmed by y e authoriti therof The decree concerning the vse the Cup. FArthermore forasmuch as the selfe same holye Synode in the laste former Session reserued two articles before tyme proposed and not yet dis cussed namely beginning Whether the reasōs c and to be at an other time examined as soone as occasion shalbe offered and successiuely at the instāce of the chiefest it was required that the same articles myghte bee examined and defined by the selfe same holy Synode and that for waightye manifold causes agreing to christiā charity now laid before vs the vse of the cup may be graunted vnto certaine nations vpon the conditions vnder written either libertye for Ordinaries of places to graunt it them and moreouer where oportunity serueth to be dispensed with them The holy Synode as a godly mother desiring healthfully as muche as is graunted in the lord to foresee for the saluation of all men knowyng yet that it selfe can not presently with safetye vtterlye absolue and define suche a matter but the thing being first diligently vewed and examined and all things maturely considered it hath at the length thus decreed That our most holy Lorde such knowledge of the cause had which shal seme good to his Blessednes maye graunt vnto those Nations and peoples vnto which his holynesse shal thinke to be commodious and profitable vpon the conditions vnder written or also vpon other which the holi ghost shal minister vnto him and if it shall seeme meete vnto hys holynes also at the request counsell and approbation of thys holy Synode the aboue sayde vse of the cup and maye graunt also the power required and maye moreouer also mercyfullye and according to hys Apostolical benignity dispense with them The conditions vpon which it is thought good that the vse of the Cup may be graunted FIrst that they whych wyll communicate vnder both kindes doo agree in hart and confession of mouth in al other things as wel touching this Sacrament as the other Sacramentes also in any other matter what soeuer it be as touching faith doctrine rites y t they agree I say w t all those thinges whiche are receaued of the holy Church of Rome y t they also religiously admitte obserue all the decrees of this holy Sinode as well those that are alredy published abrode as those that are to be published abrode Secondly y t the Pastors preachers of y e sayd natiōs do beleue teache y ◠the custome allowed long tyme obserued of y ◠Churche namely of the communicating vnder one kynde only is not repugnāt vnto the law of God yea rather that it is laudably to be obserued and to be kept as a lawe vnlesse it be otherwise decreed by y e Church And that they whiche stubbornly thinke otherwise are to be counted heretikes neither that they deliuer the communion vnder both kyndes vnto none but vnto suche whiche shall beleue and confesse thys truth Thyrdly that they ought with a faithfull and sincere minde as reuerent children geue al reuerence vnto our most holy Lorde the Pope as to the legitimate Bishoppe and Pastor of the vniuersall Churche Fourthly that they lykewyse geue due reuerence vnto their Archebyshoppes Byshops and other their Prelates Fifthly that this vse of the cup be permitted vnto them onely whiche are contrite and confessed accordyng to the custome of the Catholike Churche Also that the ordinaryes do moste diligently with al cautions prouide that in the administration of the bloud there be no sacrilege or prophanation committed and vpon all these foresayde thynges let theyr consciences be burdened That whiche hath bene many yeares desired and wyshed for the same now at the length also certayne kinges and Princes whiche yet holde on the Byshop of Romes syde were bolde to require of the Counsell namely the communion vnder both kyndes the mariage of Priests if in case they will that their subiectes should be kepte in their due obedience But for as muche as both these or either of them can not come to passe without the consent of the Byshop of Rome the holy fathers of the Counsell haue deliberated of certayne conditions vpon whiche the Byshop of Rome maye dispense with certayne nations for the vse of the Cup. All the wordes of this decree are diligently to be obserued For they are very ware lest they shoulde seme to be Authors of this alteration so great and hainous an offence is it to communicate vnder both kyndes accordyng vnto the institution of Christ. Wherfore they decree that the Popes good holynesse may graunt the libertye required and by his Apostolicall benignitie dispense therwith Let all y e faithful therfore know that the vse of the cup is in no case allowed by y e Counsel that they thinke it cā by no ryght be required of the laymen but being required it may by the meere Apostolical benignitye be graunted But they which are rightly instructed in the C◅istian Ca thechisme playnly vnderstande that therein ◅ey haue no nede at all of the Popes dispensation bycause Christe hath not onely graunted vnto hys Churche but also seuerely hydden and commaunded Drinke ye all sayth he of thys Math. 26. For euen as he hath not commaunded to drynke hys body so also hath he not commaunded to eate hys bloud Neither is it any lesse absurde to eate the bloud of Christe than to drynke the body of Christe For by distinct Symboles Christe would erhibite these giftes of hys body and hys bloud But let vs see the conditions whereupon the Counsell of Trent decreeth that the vse of the
from the way of the Lord. Your manners are not in thys place reprehended whiche are not agreable vnto the dignitye of a priest Here is chiefely entreated of the true worshipping of God whiche ye haue corrupted and contaminated and therefore also accordyng to this oure Prophet all your sacrifyces are contaminated and ye are in very dede made vile vnto all men Neyther can I beleue that all you whiche are assembled together at Trent are a lyke so vtterly ignoraunte of the holy Scriptures that ye vnderstand not these thinges Wherfore the greater daunger and greuouser punish ment of God is to be loked for if agaynst your conscience ye condemne the manifest truth But rather if ye desyre to mayntayne your name honour and dignity returne vnto the couenaunt and law of the Lord that is to the doctrine of the Prophets of Christ and of the Apostels see that ye embrace it casting awaye the inuentions of humane traditions Seeke the glorye of the Lorde eudeuour your selues to extoll hys name and honour and hee wyll on the other syde glorifye you and which thyng ye only desyre wyl subdue the whole world vnto your ministery And ye shall bee no more a reproche vnto all your neyghbours Neyther thynke ye it to bee a shame to acknowledge an errour The Priestes of the olde Testament also were bewytched wyth thys opinion who sayd We are wyse and the lawe of the Lorde is wyth vs. Unto whom the Prophet speaketh Put ye no confidence in the woordes of lying saying The temple of the Lorde the temple of the Lorde For they thought that God was so bounde vnto this temple that his grace was perpetually present although they taught thynges contrary vnto the law and woorshipped hym otherwyse than hee had commaunded them Come sayd they and let vs imagine some deuise agaynste Ieremy for the law shall not perysh from the Priest nor counsel from the wyse man nor the woorde from the Prophet come and let vs smyte hym wyth the toung and let vs not geue heede to any of his woordes Let not such thoughtes for Gods sake possesse your myndes that ye should harden your hartes against the woord of God being falselye perswaded that the law can not perishe from the Priest that is that ye cannot erre For I suppose that by this short admonition ye maye vnderstand that the lawe is perished from the Priest and y â— horryble errours are brought in into the Church of God by your Prophetes that is by your interpreters of the holy scripture Whych errours if ye haue determined wyth to othe and nayle styll to retayne and if ye wyll not geue heede vnto al the woordes of the Prophetes and of the Apostels then knowe ye that accordyng to the example of these Priestes your destruction is at hande vnto whom God threatened perdition I beseche you hate not your owne soules so that ye wyll bee blynde leaders vnto the blynde but remember the commaundement of Christe Teache ye the Churche to keepe the thynges whyche hee hath commaunded that ye maye at length shine as stars of the Fyrmament for euer and euer Whyche thyng the Lorde hathe by the Prophet promysed vnto godlye Teachers whyche instructe other in the true ryghteousnesse The Priestes Leuites and Scribes and all the people could for a time oppres the Prophetes whose dâ—…ctrine they repelled sâ—…ying The woorde that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lorde wee wyll not heare it of thee 〈◊〉 Unto whom the Prophet agayne aunswered Dyd not the Lorde remember the Sacrifice whyche ye sacrificâ—…d in the Cityes of Iudah and in the streetes of Ierusalem both you and your Fathers your Kynges and Princes and the people of the lande and hath he not considered it And the Lorde coulde no lâ—…nger forbeare bycause of the wyckednesse of your inuentions and bycause of the abominations whych ye haue committed and your lande is turned into desolation and made an astonyshment and a curse and wythout inhabitaunt as appeareth thys daye So also maye wee pronounce of you if you go on as you haue be gonne ye maye in deede condemne the doctrine of our Churches whych is Apostolicall and ye may persecute the godlye Teachers but take heede that ye also haue not experience of the selfe same fortune whyche the people of God felte whom he abiected for theyr obstynate malice whereby they endeuoured themselues to defende Idolatrye and myghtely saued the Prophet wonderfull farre aboue the expectation of that people and contrary to the wyll of all hys enemyes Be myndefull I beseche you of your saluation and of the saluation of all Christians preferre not so lyttle glorye and pleasure that soone vanysheth awaye before the truthe of the heauenlye doctrine I beseche you remember that whych was spoken vnto Paule the persecutour from heauen Saule Saule why persecutest thou mee It is hard for thee to kycke agaynste the prycke Your enterpryse vndoubtedly shall be in vayne and turne to your owne destruction yf ye shall endeuour your selues to oppresse the doctrine whyche hath put foorthe the beames of hys lyght into all the kyngdomes of the world And they myserablye deceaue you whyche go about falselye to persuade you that your authoritye is styll of force The eyes of all men in a maner are open that they see what blyndnes of mynde ye are infected wyth And your owne menne whyche yet you haue for defendours euen they accuse you and godly admonishe you to take in hand an other doctrine and amendement of ceremonies maners than was instituted of you in thys also the former Counsell of Trent For they see that their Churches can neither consist neither their Subiectes can be kept and contayned in tranquilitye and doyng their dutye vnlesse suche thinges be graunted vnto them whych thing euen the Magistrates also which are on the Popes syde vnderstaÌ„d to be neither vniust nor vngodly Apply your mindes I beseche you vnto the godly and true reformation of the Church of Christe and to whom God in this your assembly hath reuealed hys wyll lyfte vp in the Counsell your voyces as a Trumpet crye out and cease not crye out I say Our fathers and we haue synned and haue departed from the law of the Lord. Let vs returne vnto our fyrste husbande Let the woord of the Lorde bee the onelye rule and Captayne of our Counsels and Canons Let vs bee addicted vnto his glory and vnto the health of the church and let vs restore vnto it a godlye peace being disturbed with dissensions and we shall receaue a rewarde worthy the studye of peace and truthe But I shall desyre you to pardon me if I haue helde you longer in consideration of this thyng than I woulde than which there is none more holy and more woorthy and healthfull both vnto you and vnto the Church of Christ. He hath reserued as I thinke vnto himselfe and vnto vs many which both vnderstand these thinges