curiously pryeth into the Popish relligion he was inforced to acknowledge that very many errours were crept into the Church which hinder and obsâ—ure the matter of our salvation insomuch that they are no small offence to as many as hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and the knowledge of the truth He discovered many corruptioâ—s and changes of sound doctrine he found not so much as word touching seven Sacraments before Peter Lumbard and that the vse of the Supper was delivered vnder one kinde onely contrary to expresse Scriptures that Transubstantiation was a devise of the Schoolemen that the doctrine of the worke wrought called Opuâ— operatum was newly risen that the Masse was turned from a Sacrament to a Sacrifice that in the Church wherein all things were ordeined for the edification of the people all things were now done to the non-edification of them that the adoration of Images was instituted against the expresse commandement of God Demurring for a while as distracted with these thoughts behold the rule of faith lately changed in the Councel of Trâ—nâ— vtterly astonished him For he had observed out of the auncient Writers as well as out of the later ones Luâ— baâ—d Scotus Aqâ—inas and the rest that the rule of faith was to be drawne onely from the holy Scriptures but in the Councel of Trent he beheld humane traditions made equall wiâ—h the Scriptures And seeing he vnderstood these traditions to be nothing else but peevish and crosse expositions of the holy Scriptures devised by the Bishops of Rome and thrust in among the Decretall Epistles as also that the said Decretall Epistles were meerely feigned and suppositions as is confirmed by the testimonies of many learned men and indeed by the confession of the very Papists themselues is acknowledged to be out of all doubt this so great a confusion of things being risen in the Church in these latter ages enforced Gilpin now earnestly desiring nothing so much as true piety to begin to doubt whether the Pope might not be that Antichrist foretould in the Scriptures and the Popish Church plainly Antichristian For what is it to exalt and set vp himselfe against all that is called God insomuch that he sitteth as God in the Temple of God behaving himselfe as God if not this that the Pope is head of the vniversall Church the Lord the Monarch and as it were the God thereof And that the word of the Pope is defended as the very word of God For how shall not he whose word is as the word of God be as God opposing himselfe to God and shewing himselfe that he is God But this word is called the vnwritten word or verbum non scriptâ—m is drawne out of the stinking puddles of the Decretals that is to say patched vp together out of false and fictitious writings And this word which is in no respect worthy to be compared with the word of an honest man is the vnwritten word of God and to be enterteined with the same pious affection as are the holy Scriptures Can Antichrist when he shall come if yet there be another to come more grievously wrong and blaspheme Christ and the holy Scriptures then the Pope doeth And here at the last he demurred as in an exceeding great doubt For who would haue thought the Pope to be Antichrist who durst to speake such a word before Martin Luther Therefore thus he argued with himselfe If the Pope be Antichrist I fee not onely probable but even necessary causes to depart from the Popish Church But if the Pope be not Antichrist I see no sufficient ground for such a departure It is not lawfull to make a seperation from the Church but we are not onely enioyned to come out of the Church of Antichrist but we see the fearefull anger of the living God and heare his dreadfull threates thundered out against those who shall remaine in Babiloâ— that Sinagogue of Antichrist Forasmuch as a voice from heaven speaketh vnto vs. Apoc. 18 Come out of her my people it is denounced that they shal receiue of her plagues whosoever haue beene partakers of her sinnes Here therfore he stoppeda while because except the Pope were manifestly detected to be Antichrist he did not vnderstand how he might seperate from the Church and therefore he applied himselfe by searching reading prayer and meditation to be resolved of this truth He observed out of the Auncient Fathers Tertullian Iâ—rom Ambrose Augustine Chrysostome Cyrill and others that passage wherein Antichrist is described 2 Thess. 2 7. He which now withhouldeth shall let till he be taken out of the way to be so interpreted as vnderstood of the Romane Empire that the Romane Empire which now held preheminence should keepe possession vntill Antichrist shall come who shall possesse the seat of the Romane Empire And moreover whereas it is said in the same place that Christ shall not come againe except there be a departâ—râ— first he observed this thing to be fulfilled likewise He perceived first a very maine departure of the Church of Rome from her primitiue simplicity and truth And secondly a second departure or seperation no lesse manifest to wit of that of the Reformed Churches from the Church of Rome Mr. Gilpin would often say that the Churches of the Protestants were not able to giue any firme and solid reason of their seperation besides this to wit that the Pope is Antichrist For he vnderstood that a departure was commanded from the Church of Antichrist by that heavenly iniunction Goe out of her my people and be not partakers of her sinnes lest ye reciue also of her plagues Revel 18. 4. In which place S. lohn wisely foretelleth that the people of God should be called out of the Synagogue of Antichrist that here was no third thing to be thought vpon that either the Church of Christ was not to be forsaken or the Pope to be accounted Antichrist out of whose Church the Church of God is called forth by an heavenly voice command And now event which is the most vndoubted interpreter of Prophecies hath prooved all these things vnto vs We haue seene already many Ages agoe that Kingdome taken away which ruled over all in the time of the Apostles and in the roome thereof an Ecclesiasticall Kingdome erected such an one as was never seene in the Church in former Ages We haue beheld the fearfull departure of the Church of Rome from the auncient purity and integrity of the Church We haue observed and doe daily the people called as it were by a voice from heaven comming out of Babylon that is to say out of the Church of Antichrist Our eyes haue seene these things fulfilled which we haue read of as being foretould so many Ages agoe These things mooved the mind of Mr. Gilpin wonderfully to follow that Church which was shewed vnto him out of the word of God The Church of Rome kept the rule of faith intire vntill that rule was changed and altered by the
vnpardonable to offend the least of these locusts The holy Frier at supper time eate like a glutton and like a beast could not giue over tossing the pot vntill being overcome with drinke he exposed himselfe a shamefull spectacle to so chast and sober a family But in the morning as if he had beene some young Saint lately dropped from heaven he causeth the Bell to towle to the Sermon and in the midst thereof blustering out certaine good words he presumed to grow hot against some sinnes of the time and amongst the rest to thunder bouldly against drunkennesse Young Gilpin who had but newly got the vse of his tongue having observed as it seemed the hatefull basenesse of the man by his oversight the night before and now hearing the beast cry out so loud against these crimes which himselfe had so lately beene guilty of as he was sitting neere to his Mothers lap in the Church sodainly crieth out in these words O Mother doe you heare how this fellow dare speak against drunkennesse who was drunke himselfe yesternight at our house The Mother made speed to stop the childes mouth with her hand that he might speake no further After this the parents of the boy perceiving his disposition by many evident testimonies were diligently carefull to make him a scholler He had a schoolfellow one Edwin Airy whom afterwards he loved intirely for his good disposition and approoved honesty but Gilpin did farre excell the rest in acutenesse of wit Having therefore with great approbation passed his time in the Grammar-schoole he is by his parents who had now conceived great hope of their sonne sent to Oxford At that time in Oxford both learning and Relligion were in all things out of ioynt and over-grown with the rust of Barbarisme And now was young Gilpiâ— sixteene yeares of age at his comming to Oxford being in the yeare of our Lord 1533. Being entred in Queenes Colledge he profited wondrously in humane learning He became as almost all the good wits of that time very conversant in the writings of Erasmus He fell very close to the study Logick and Philosophy wherein he was observed to grow excellent and to beare away the bell in schooles He added to this his humane learning the singular knowledge of the Greeke and Hebrew wherein he made vse of the assistance and friendship of one Neale betwixt whom and this Gilpin was growne much familiarity by the affinity of their studies This Neale was a Fellow of New-Colledge and afterwards Professour of the Hebrew in Oxford And now after some few yeares carefully spent in these studies Gilpin began to be so famous and so beloved in Oxford that there was hardly any place of preferment for a scholler whereof the eminency of Gupâ—ns vertue had not rendred him worthy in the publick estimation There was then an enquiry made for men of more then ordinary learning and fame who might make vp a number of schollers in christ-Christ-Church at that time newly begun and honour it with the commendation of learning Amongst these was our Gilpin one of the first elected At that time he had not fully attained to truth and sincerity in Relligion as having beene alwayes instructed in the traditions of the Church of Rome for in those dayes the most part of men did not regulate their Relligion and peity by the rule of Gods word but according to the Traditions of their Fathers received from hand to hand His minde although disposed to holinesse did for a while remaine in darknesse and being over-clouded with preiudiciall respects laboured vnder the burthen of superstition not without some shadow of Antiquity being more earnest against vices and corruptions of the time then against the traditions of the Fathers Therefore at that time Gilpin seemed a great vphoulder of the Popish Relligion He held disputation publickly against Iohn Hâ—â—per who was afterwards Bishop of Worcester and at the last a glorious Martyr of Christ. After the death of King Henry the eight when Edward the sixt was King Peter Martyr induced by the piety and Munificence of such a Prince read the Divinity Lecture in Oxford Against whom the Sophisters indeavoured to make opposition Chedsey Weston and Morgan who desired also to draw in Gilpin on their side that by his advise and help they might the more distract Peter Martir and the matter at last came to this push that Gilpin was produced to hould disputation against the positions of Peter Martir Vpon occasion of which dispute Gilpin to the end that he might defend his cause in hand adventureth more diligently then ordinary to examine the Scriptures and the auncient Fathers And by how much the more he studied to defend the cause which he had vndertaken so much the lesse confidence he began to haue therein because he supposed that he ought to stand for the truth which he stroue with all his might to discover and finde out But whiles he was zealously searching for the truth he began by little and little to haue a sight of his owne errours Whereupon Peter Martir was wont often to say that he was not much troubled either for Weston Morgan or the like but as for that Gilpin saith he I am very much mooved concerning him for he doth and speaketh all things with an vpright heart The rest seeme to me to be men who regard their bellies most of all and being most vnconstant are carried away as it were with every blast of ambition and covetousnesse But Gilpin reâ—ting firmely vpon gravity of manners and the testimony of a most laudable life seemeth to honour with his owne goodnesse the cause which he vndertaketh Yea and he did often pray vnto God that he would be pleased at the last to convert vnto his truth the heart of Gilpin being so inclinable to all honest desires And doubtlesse God heard the prayer of Peter Martir For from that time forward Gilpin drew neere to the knowledge of the truth not vpon a sodaine but as himselfe confessed by degrees Peter Martir had much illuminated Oxford with the truth of Divinity and the knowledge of humane learning Whereupon Gilpin resolved more earnestly to apply himselfe both by study and prayer to search out the truth To which purpose he determined to put in writing the disputation which had beene betwixt himselfe and Hooper But in the expressing and vnfoulding of the said controversie while he dwelt for a time vpon an accurate examination of the points which he had resolved to confute whiles he searcheth them to the bottome and regulateth the institutions of the Church to the authority of Scripture without which he well vnderstood that there could be no true Church at all he felt himselfe easily overcome and was not sory to be overcome by the truth Those draughts being found amongst Mr. Gilpiâ—s writings reserved in his private deske doe testifie his ingenuous and free confession together with the power of the truth and Gods great mercy in his conversion Whiles he
though any other should teach and preach for me as constantly and industriously as ever Saint Augustine did yet cannot I thinke my selfe discharged by another mans paines-taking But if yet I should be persuaded thus to offer violence to my conscience vpon condition to remaine either here or in any other Vniversity my disquiet of conscience would never permit me to profit in my study At his present I praise God I haue obtained a comfortable privacy in my studies neere to a Monastery of Minorite Friers so that I haue opportunity to make vse of an excellent library of theirs so often as I will I frequent the company of the best schollers nor was I ever more desirous to learne Hereupon being given to vnderstand by my brother George that your Lordship had some thoughts of bestowing a living vpon me which thing might interrupt the course of my studies I emboldened my selfe vpon the experience which I haue had of your Lordships loue towards me to vnlock the closet of my thoughts vnto your goodnesse freely Humbly beseeching that your Lordship will be pleased to permit me to live free from a Pastorall charge that I may the more quietly apply my studies And forasmuch as I vnderstand that your Lordship is sollicitous how I should be provided for if God should call your Lordship who are now well in yeares out of this world I beseech you that the thought thereof may no more disturbe you For if I shall be brought low in meanes I doubt not but in short time to be able to obtaine some lecture either in this Vniversity or else where where I shall not lose my time a course which is much more pleasing vnto me then if I should take vpon me a Pastorall charge I beseech Christ preserue your Lordship From Lovaine the 22. of November 1554. Thus farre Mr. Gilpins Letter Now tell me what one of all those gaping rookes of our time hath indeavoured with more art to acquire theâ— this man to decline a spirituall living At his first comming over into the parts beyond the Seas he resided for the most part at Lovaine afterwards he went to Paris Whiles he abode in Paris Bishop Tonstall was carefull that a certaine booke which himselfe had written at that time concerning the truth of the body blood of Christ our Lord in the Eucharist should be published in print by the diligence of Mr. Gilpin I am not ignorant that some Papists haue obiected to Mr. Gilpin that the same worke was by him corrupted coÌ„trary to the mind of the Author And even in mine hearing when after these things I was a scholler vnder him at Houghtoâ— Francis Wickliff gaue notice vnto Mr. Gilpin what was mattered touching the corrupt edition Whereupon he having disprooved that suspicion by many reasons at the last produced the letters of Cuthbert Tonstall wherein the Bishop gaue him very great thankes because he had beene both faithfull and diligent in the edition of that worke At Paris Mr. Gilpin resided in the house of Vascosâ—nus and conversed with learned men And whiles he asked the opinions of learned men concerning these things which had troubled his minde for the most part they answered him in that manner not as if they regarded the pacification of conscience which he aimed at onely but the establishment of the traditions of the Church At that time was Nealâ— at Paris also with whom Mr. Gilpin dealt somewhat freely that both of them together might ioyne in pursuit of the truth They had by chance some discourse touching the adoration of Images Mr. Gilpin was much troubled hearing the Papists condemne Idolatry in their discourses and yet permitting to the people every where the adoration of Images He demaunded with what comfort of conscience any man could bow himselfe before an Image and is not this saith he the idolatry forbidden in the second commandement This did Mr. Gilpin demand of him the rather because he observed the man a little too much addicted to the Popish opinions Neale answered with that vsuall distinction of an Idol and an Image That the Images of the Saints were not Idols and so consequently that the worshipping of their Images was no idolatry Mr. Gilpin replyed there is no mention of an Idol in the second commandement but there is a prohibition of bowing before a gâ—aven Image or the likenesse of any thing that is in heaven aboue or in the earth beneath or in the waters vnder the earth wheresoever they are we are forbidden to fall downe before the likenesse of them And what saith he maketh an Idol The workeman frameth the similitude of some man the graven Image is not an Idol but adoâ—ation maketh it an Idol Therefore the Apostle saith that an Idol is nothing because there is but one God In the opinion of the person adoring it seemeth to be something but that which the fancy of the party adoring apprehendeth is indced nothing in the world therefore Idolatry is when the worship due to God onely is bestowed vpon the creature But whosoever in prayer boweth downe himselfe before any creature whatsoever giveth vnto the creature the worship due to God alone The commandement of God forbiddeth vs to make vnto our selues any graven Image or the likenesse of any creature But they make it vnto themselues who make it for a religious vse We are also forbidden to bow downe ourselues before any such creature for those who doe so doe serue and worship the same creature And in this place that distinction of Laâ—râ—a and Doulâ—â— is frivolous which are words of the same signification forasmuch as that distinction is taken away by the express words of the commandement Thou shalt not bow down vnto them So that bowing downe vnto them is forbidden notwithstanding we see it practised every where To this Neale answereth that the ordinances of the Church are not to be altered without mature deliberation Gilpin replyeth that it is not in ourpower to alter the ordinances of the Church But seeing I cannot alter things already determined in the Church it remaineth that I especially indeavour to charge my selfe and to draw neere to the sincere worship of God as his grace shall inable me Mr. Gilpin did often professe that when he lived amongst the Papists he had observed many things which had estranged his heart from that religion He vnderstood that a mans chiefest comfort consisted in the Article of iustification which Article he saw so obscured in Popery that true consolation was vtterly excluded Therefore he did with all diligence enquire into the Scriptures and writings of the Fachers Returning into England in the dayes of Queene Mary he beheld to his great griefe the Church oppressed with blood and fire and being placed by Bishop Tonstall in the Rectory of Essingdon he began to preach the word of God and sharply to taxe some vices which then raigned in the Church He propounded the doctrine of salvation plainly and soundly which thing procured him
member of Iesus Christ. If you approoue of none interpretation of Scriptures but what proceeds from Rome you may easily affirme whatsoever you please There is nothing so absurd or so contrary to the truth of the eternall God which may not be wrested by their corrupt glosses as it may seeme to serue to a wicked cause With such kinde of men is no disputation to be held As for that which you inferre touching Arrius and the rest of that ranke it is nothing to the purpose For all the writings of the Prophets together with other manifest Scriptures whereunto we ought to haue recourse in doubts of this nature and to be concluded by them doe evidently confound Arrius and all the rest his partakers Consubstantiality which the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is confirmed by very many evident testimonies of Scripture But so is not Transubstantiation which hath so molested the braines of Scotus Occam Biel and all the schoole Divines that many a time they are shrowdly put to it what they had best stay for removing the absurdities which arise therefrom Therefore it is apparant that it is a meere fiction without any foundation of Scripture So that Scotus as Bishop Tonstall did many times ingenuously confesse was of opinion that the Church might better and with more ease make vse of some more commodious exposition of those words in the holy Supper And the Bishop was of the minde that we ought to speake reverently of â—he holy Supper as did the auncient Fathers but that the opinion of Transubstantiation might well be let alone This thing also the same Bishop Tonstall was wont to affirme both in words and writings that Innocent the third knew not what he did when he put Transubstantiation among the Articles of faith and he said that Innocentius wanted learned men about him and indeed saith the Bishop if I had beene of his Councell I make no doubt but I might haue beene able to haue disswaded him from that resolution When Mr. Cheasey said that the Catholicks should doe well to giue way in the Article of Transubstantiation I heard not himselfe speak the words but one which heard him tolde me Whereas you write touching the imprisonment of him and others truly I am of the opinion that as for this present life they liue most quietly Nor doe I think that themselues could haue made choice of a more retired kinde of life if the sting of conscience trouble them not for maintaining a cause that is not good but built vpon the sand But if you will needes haue it that men must of necessity conniue at the beastly and abominable liues of so many Romane Bishops aboue thirty you may also finde fault with our Saviour himselfe for discovering so plainly the pernicious enormities both of the Pharises who in those times were accounted forfooth the holy Fathers and also of their Fathers then dead you may blame also the Prophet Esay who will not haue evill men to be called good denouncing a curse against that man who calleth him holy that is not holy find fault also with Saint Bernard who calleth them the Ministers of Antichrist Those things which other godly men haue written to this purpose doe worthily excuse vs. He blameth those things openly concerning which he confesseth that it is a shame to speake I reveale not hidden things saith he but I reprooue things publickely knowne vnto which thing we are even obliged by the commandement of God Esaia 58. 1. Shew my people their sinnes whereas you say that fiue Sacraments are rejected by vs you doe not say well rejected for wee vse them reverently according to the word of God nor doe we take away the name of a Sacrament as the word Sacrament is generally vsed as was the washing of feete and many other things which may retaine the name of a Sacrament in generall as also they doe among the Fathers But the auncient Fathers and some Schoole men doe aâ—firme that onely Baptisme and the Eucharist are properly called Sacraments It is also the testimony of Bessarion We read saith he of these two Sacraments onely manifestly delivered in the Gospell I wonder at you that you doe so wrest the words of Saint Paul to such a sence as that out of those words all the Ceremonies of the Masse may be established whereas you cannot be ignorant that the greatest part of them hath ben added many ages after by the Bishops of Rome Wee reade also that the Apostles consecrated with the words of the Gospell and with the Lords prayer Moreover whereas Saint Paul had even at that time ordayned already that the people should not only eate the bread with the Minister as his owne words doe manifestly prooue but also drinke of the cup you see how there fellowes haue vtterly â—obbed the Church of that ordiâ—ation of Christ and his Apostles but how iustly or by what good authority they haue done thus let theÌ„â—elues looke vnto it I could never in my reading find 〈…〉 ground of that authority I find the contrary to 〈◊〉 that all men are altogether forbidden to alter any thing touching the word and will of God delivered in the holy scriptures You say that the Scriptures allow prayer for the dead and that you know this well enough Saint Hierom saith that the booke of Macchaâ—â—s is profitable for manners not to establish doctrine You alledge that Saint Augustine doubted in many places whether there be a Purgatorie If that be a doubtfull poynt then it is not to be obtruded as an Article of faith but to be left indifferent For faith is a substance Heb 11. 1 and faith ought not to wauer saith Saint Iames The Bishop of Rochester writeth concerning Purgatory that amongst the Auncients there was either little or no mention of it And so long as there was no care taken for Prgatorie no man sought after Indulgences And so those innumerable gaynes by Pardons were never knowne before Purgatory was found out What shall we now say to bee meant by those words of Saint Paul esteeming gayne godline if this be not it This Mart hath fed and still doth feed many idle bellyes who stoutly driue away the word of God to the best of their abillity that they may not loose their Swine Howbeit at the last the truth shall prevaile how ever these men haue conspired together As touching that which you adde concerning the Invocation of Saints Saint Augustine exhorteth vs rather to stand to the Scriptures then either to his writings or the writings of others and not to build vpon his writings without the authoritie of Scriptures And surely in this poynt my conscience is resolued that there is not one poynt of all these which are controverted that is proved by more evident testimonyes of Scripture then this that God alone is to be prayed vnto and by one mediator namely Iesus Christ. Rom. 10. 13. How shall they call on him in whome they haue not beleeued We must beleeue