other a Popishe startvppe bored through the eare whose writinges you may iudge not onely by this monstrouslye but also by many others receyued by tradition fom his predecessours Hosius Staphilus Lyndane and the rest as impudente and sclaunderous wretches And as true is this reporte as the rest wherewith their predecessours the Scribes and the Pharisees haue charged not onelye Christe and his Apostles but also these seruaunts of Christe that followed him long after They charged Christ that hee had the Deuill that he wrought his myracles by Beelzebub the chiefe of the Deuilles They charged his Apostles with the like and after them the Christians in the primatiue Church with many enormities and detestable factes whereof yet they were neuer guiltie and so yet they cease not to spue out their venim without all colour and grounde of trueth against those excellent seruauntes of God whose shooe 〈◊〉 they are not woorthy to loose and al because their crowne is reached at and theyr belly is pynched which yet must downe tugge they neuer so harde for it And hence come all these deuises of Satan being lewde and lowde lyes without all colour of probabilitie or coniecture Hence it is that 〈◊〉 must needes beethe sonne of the deuill that he must dye drunke that 〈◊〉 must needes eyther be killed by him or by his owne handes that Peter Martyr must haue a familyar Martin Bucer must consulte with his Cowe and his Calfe Iewel must haue all his knowledge from his Cat or from a Wesel and muste dye recanting his opinions imbracing a popishe Crosse with protestation that hee sinned against his owne conscience and knowledge with a thousand such other deuises and fictions And he that can be the firste to deuisesuch a ground for thē to worke vpō that they may deface god his truth these mē thogh they be the 〈◊〉 rascals landlopers y t are amōgst men though they be so branded y t they deserue no credit amōgst honest men especially amōgst godly mē yet these they receiue 〈◊〉 aboue the skies And suche a one is this Pontacus whome hee woulde boarde in steede of Iustus Ionas Such a one is Bolsecke of whome hee speaketh afterwarde an impure Apostata and a trouble coast an enuious and malicious wretch as afterwards shall more plainely bee proued And for the credite of this reporte concerning Luthers death I referre the Reader to that story written by Iustus Ionas and testified by Selius and others that Martyn Luther died in a good age with great peace and excellent 〈◊〉 of great personages and godly men who being sicke not vpon the sodaine but as he was in his iourney towardes Islib at the instant request of the noble Earles of Mansfielde departed from Wittenberge the 23. of Ianuarie in the yeere 1546. The first night going to Bitterfielde the next day comming to Haulis about eleuen of the clocke hee remained there that day and three dayes after in the house of this Iustus Ionas being a Doctor in Diuinitie whom this sorte and the rest woulde make to bee his cooke On the twentie eight day after he departed from Haulis with his good hoast and his three sonnes 〈◊〉 him and 〈◊〉 ouer a dangerous flood in a small 〈◊〉 by and by afterwardes hee fell so sore ficke y t euerie man thought him in great danger and thereupon not only tooke vp the next harborow but made such necessarie prouisiō as was fit till hee was som what better relieued recouered Afterwhich though he were not fully cōfirmed yet he folowed y t matter about which he wēt he oftentimes preached was euermore occupied about the affaires of y t Church And for the aduācement of the kingdō of Christ his exercises in study in expoūding the Scriptures in writing in prayer were wonderful All done with wōderfull zeale singuler 〈◊〉 But all this 〈◊〉 hee was as a crased man and thereupon was desired by those princes and many others to take vp his chamber aforehande that his health might bee the better prouided for but hee woulde not but thought it a great dutie still to be occupied in thinges appertaining to his function And therefore as a prediction of his ende hee made a worthie Sermon of death and of the ioyes of the life to come of the great tentations that euerie Christian indureth and when afterwardes hee waxed sicker and sicker hee was often founde in prayer hee was visited by the Earle Albeis and receiued medicines such as were appointed for him beeing had to his bed hee vttered these wordes The euerlasting God bee my comfort for now I goe to my bedde Into thy handas O Lorde I commende my spirite And whereas this wretch reporteth that hee should will thē to pray to God for our Lord God for his Gospell it is a foule lye fit for the mouth of a Papist For the storie is thus that whē his clothes were done off he was layd in his naked bed he gaue each of thē his hand and said Farewell to you all sweete brethren in the Lord pray for the congregation and holy Gospell of God that they may haue prosperous successe for that wicked councell of Trident and that abhominable Pope hath sought and yet seeketh to do them both great harme What villanie therefore is this not onely to lye vppon a man that is dead but that the lye may bee credited to father it vpon Iustus Ionas beeing reported by Pontacus Howe woulde this impudent Friar haue triumphed against M. Charke that hauing but a little holde in a matter of diuorce for that M. Charke sawe not the latter ende of Luthers wordes as hee did the beginning and maketh yet such styrre about it if hee had had the like aduantage as heere hee hath yeelded But God and his holy angels heauen and earth men and all creatures must needes beare witnesse against such a false witnesse If hee will say still that these Reporters are partiall what are his If these that were present coulde not tell the truth because they imbraced true religion can Papists tell it that are absent imbracing superstition Can this Harlots forehead say that any Papist did heare it howesoeuer they haue shamelesly reported it Or is there any publike seale of the states present that euer did confirme it No no for the storie saith that afterwards hee fell a sleepe and beeing awaked when 〈◊〉 was asked howe hee did hee aunswered not like a drunken man but thus O my Lord God how sicke am I this houre Oh M. Ionaes I make no other account but here in Izlibe where I was both borne baptised to lay my mortall bones And afterwardes beeing desirous to bee carried into a stoue when they began to comfort him hee still cryed out O Lorde into thy handes I commende my soule as before c Then going to his bed againe beeing visited with Phisitions Noble men and Ladies and others of all sortes
in that cankered heart of yours for all men of God know by the grace of God wilconfesse that these men in deed were holy men and Saints of God and whatsoeuer infirmities they had yet the Lorde hauing appointed them to a singuler work did inrich and beautifie them with 〈◊〉 and singuler giftes neither yet do we say that these men were the first beginners or restorers of our Gospell For our Gospell was before all beginnings deliuered and restored to the Churche of God in all ages 〈◊〉 in it selfe and shining into the hearts of all the faithfull from time to time to their euerlasting saluation In deede some of these men were rare instrumentes in the generall Eclipse of the worlde when Antichriste your Pope had preuailed and had now corrupted and confounded the truth and true religion of God these were instruments to scatter that doctrine to scoure of that filth and rust that in length and continuance of time was growne vpon it bringing foorth that worde of God that long had lyen hidden and the Lorde gaue a singuler blessing vnto their labours reclaiming a great part of the world from your heresies and being also godly vertuous men your supposition being false all that you inferre vpon it must likewise bee false And as for your recapitulation it is proued before vpon occasion of that you haue obiected that the vocation life and doctrine of M. Luther was from God not from Satan as you blasphemously speake from whome can proceede no good thing but the religion of Iesus Christe which by the 〈◊〉 of God Martyn Luther professed was as I haue saide the wisedome of God hidden in a misterie with God from before all beginninges Of the publishing whereof although it pleased God to make Martin Luther an instument and others after him yet were they not neither 〈◊〉 nor beginners As for that you 〈◊〉 in Carolostadius with Occolampadius and 〈◊〉 the one beeing in deede an heretike and the other sounde and godly learned fathers It is but your olde practise to the ende you might deface them For concerning Carolostadius hee was a man so corrupt and euil in religion as hee was instly sequestred from their vnity and in that Sleidan our owne historiographer doth set foorth his banishment and miserable ende it sheweth how both hee and wee did like of it The other two in deede were hardly thought of by Luther and there was some difference betwixt them concerning a poynt of the sacrament but this was not in any suche matter of substance as coulde or did break that same vnitie that is amongest the children of God As for 〈◊〉 hee was a worthie man and it cannot bee shewed by any testimonie that hee came to any suche death that was an ende that 〈◊〉 out to some of their Popes who were carried as their stories witnesse euen as a man may say quicke to the Diuell Of like truth is it that out of lying Lyndan who hath laboured to discredit all religion and to bring the scriptures of God into doubt concerning the originalles both Heberwe and Greeke that hee deliuereth vnto vs that he should kyll himselfe with his owne handes for that is the ende of that desperate doctrine of poperie which teacheth satisfaction to the iustice of God by their owne 〈◊〉 which when any of them haue felt them selues too short of they haue bin their own hangmen and come to miserable ends Mention hath beene made before of some and I referre the reader vnto those places that are quoted If I would enter into that field and make comparison betweene both the one and the other euery man should see what litle cause Parsons hath to speak of the end of anye that prosessed the Gospel of Iesus Christ For a man might reckon vp al sortes amongst them that haue died most wretchedly in great dispaire in 〈◊〉 of conscience in doubtful wauering of their saluation the most smitten by the hand of God and for lacke of peace smiting them selues wheras the others died ioyfully in great peace and assurance of the fauour and mercye of God And so did not onely Oecolampadius but also Zwinglius whom impudently also hee would make to haue receaued his doctrine of the Sacrament from a spirit as hee had charged Luther before him whose ende though it were in the field hee dooing the duety of a good Pastor and not forsaking his flocke died gloriously because hee dyed in mayntenaunce of the trueth against the enemies of the Gospell And as for Caluine besides that that hath beene said the noble 〈◊〉 of his woonderful learning great paines excellent knowledge sincere iudgement c. shall be enough to stoppe the mouthes of al his enemies whose doctrine though hee would seuer and set at oddes from that which Zwinglius taught by the testimonie of two false witnesses like him self Andreas Sebedeus preacher of Noion and Iohannes Angelus pracher of Burtin both zwinglians which they did take vppon them to prooue against Caluine beefore the Magistrates of Berna Caluine him selfe beeing present whereupon should proceede a decree from those Magistrats in the yeere 1555. that none of their dominions should go and communicate with Caluine at Geneua c. It is euen as true as the rest for if there had beene such difference in so many Articles why are not those Articles sette downe Why is not an extract of that edict also set forth that men might see the causes of that restraint But all this is nothing but malice For shall we thinke that the Lords of Berne who are ioyned to the other Churches in the same profession and maintaine the Gospel that there should be suche difference betwit them Indeede in well reformed Churches the people are bounde not to runne where they lyst and to communicate where they will but they are sorted into flockes and euerye flocke hath their owne Pastors and such an edicte might passe from the Magistrates But whoe is this Pontas by whose credit this is deliuered vnto vs If it be your lying Potacus which you haue mentioned before hee deserueth as little credit in this as in the other thinges that he brought before As concerning Beza who you say hath brought our doctrine to perfection that is as you expound to Puritanisme in whom you say M. Charke may greatly reioyce for that he sheweth him selfe in his reply a most zealous Puritane I aunswere that wee thanke God for those notable helpes which we haue receiued by the excellent ministerie of that worthy man M. Beza The trueth of God though it be so perfect in it selfe as no man can bring perfection to it yet then it is moste cleare and gloryous when it is separated and purified from the corruption and 〈◊〉 of Poperie wherein if M Bexa his paynes haue beene further imployed then others why shoulde this bee imputed vnto him as worthy of blame and as if hee were an heretique he be
shall not haue any quiet 〈◊〉 in our possession which you cal intrusiō because we entred not by your popes permissiō You wil forsooth cōtinue your claim title 〈◊〉 surely we tel you that we meane to maintaine our iust lawful right possessiō you shal haue hard getting it except you come with better euidēce It is not the rowt of your Iesuites nor of your new Annūcionists or Assūptionists that can so winne it of vs. And therfore I giue you 〈◊〉 that if you come not better appointed thē your father 〈◊〉 the rest haue done you are like to gaine no more then they haue done in your vniust claime heretofore so strong is truth against forgerie so mightie is the sincerity of Christ against y e heresie treasō of Antichrist But now you say the credite of our cause is crushed seeing we flie opēly and with furie moue the magistrate against you which yet you will beare with patiēce not be discomfited in the middest of al your afflictions to resist our falshood more then before Example of your good Cāpion the rest of his companions who died ioyfully protested their 〈◊〉 forgaue al frankly in the middest of al resisting our foule heresy and so became pure constant Martyrs of their Lorde and maister Iesus Christ c. Al this is but a stiffe bladder strowted out with wind For who tolde you that in our owne conceite the truth is crushed If we had flyen before you doth the credite of the truth stand vpon our standing If all we were fallen must the trueth therefore bee fallen No no though none of vs were able to defend that the truth shall defend it selfe It is an armour of proofe whereinto your counterfeite pelfe cannot once pearce or enter If we moue the magistrates against suche daungerous enimies we doe but our duetie You are Gods and the Queenes enimies vnder pretence of Religion you haue continually practised Treason you stil dishonour her amongest her enemies you clip her gouernement and holde that she is no Queene of yours nor of ours because she is an excommunicate person by the sentence of your Pope a forteigne priest whom you holde a God in earth that cannot erre and therefore dare not disauouch any his doinges For this cause you came ouer to reconcile her subiectes to the Sea of Rome to discharge them of loyaltie duetie towards her Think you not then that it is our parts to perswade thē to iustice to giue thē warning to take heed to looke about them seeing also by your bellowes both at home in englād abroad in Irelād the fire of rebeliō hath set on fire the highest beacons amongest vs her subiectes led vnder your captaines cōductors in armes against her highnes against their own natural countrey I say nothing of other nations but it shalbe found whē mē shal learne to iudge aright that the pope such as depend vpon him are the common traytors to all Christian Princes in Europe As for your patience proceeding not from faith it may welbe a Philosophical patience but it cannot be the patience of Christiās And yet what your patience hath bin your outcries stirres insolencies your vnquiet vnpacified minds can testifie The maner of the death of your new martirs shal witnes to al posterities that they die not with that ioy comfort assurance of truth that the childrē of God feele tast that maketh thē to sleepe sweetly resolutely where as yours die doubtingly therfore with feare horror But I leaue thē to him who knoweth his own But this is certaine an euil cōscience that is not resolute in faith which you teach to be presumption cannot haue that christian ioy patience that a faithful man doth feele As for protesting their innocency it was an aggrauating of their sin villany that being so notoriously conuicted by so many proofes euidence and testimonies they would not yet confesse their offence against God and her Maiestie As for their forgiuenesse whether it were franke or fainte that I thinke you cannot tell There was no cause why they should not forgiue all that had so offended all But they would not craue forgiuenes there where they had most trespassed and therefore they dyed not in perfect charitie And as for their detesting of our religion the more they detested it the more miserable and desperate was their estate and condition that setting themselues against the truth had not grace to confesse it but dyed as it were in the field against it Concerning the fighting of theyr blood against vs we feare not the force of it For being shed for treasō falshood truth cannot bee guiltie of it neither can it gaine any victorie against true religion It is not the death but the cause nor the shedding of blood but the cause of shedding it that is to be regarded If you wil stil poure foorth your blood for treason and in maintenance of an vsurped and forraine iurisdiction your blood shalbe vpon your owne heads we are cleare frō it your blood is no innocent blood to crie for any vengeance but it is the blood of Achab not of Abel blessed are the hands that are first vpon you It is the sworde of Gedeon and that sworde of the Lorde that Christian magistrates beare to execute his iudgementes against such vnnaturall wretches that rebel against God and seeke the destruction of their owne people And seeing yee account them so well bestowed especially Campion and Sherwin and all the rest I am of mind with you that they were best bestowed so in deede Idolaters Theeues murderers and traitours be neuer better bestowed then on the gallows and the Lorde in mercie that loueth Syon and forsaketh not his poore Church bee praysed for pursuing his enemies to the graue And he that in his iust iudgement hath thus found them out will finde you out also that you shall not goe downe to the graue in peace except you repente and turne to him which I pray God you may doe if it bee his blessed wil to your owne saluation and the comfort of many The two thinges which you speake of concerning master Charks person the one of his writing the other of his behauiour they shall bee considered in their proper place Master Charke craueth no further credite of the Church of God then he shalbe found to haue dealt faithfully and sincerely according to the worde of God Hee craueth no testimonie of you nor such as you are hee boasteth no further of his knowledge then is meete for a man of his profession that knoweth what soeuer he hath he hath receaued it by the meere dispensation fauour of God If he come short in any thing he refuseth not to bee taught As for his behauiour towards Campion when for sooth hee was within the reach of his ministeriall power by
you talke of For her Maiesties warrant I can say nothing but if it should please her to graunt it I doubt you woulde not bee so readie to performe your promise and yet there is great oddes betwixt the promise of a faithfull princesse and your promise that alwayes haue beene false And I see not what cause we haue more to trust your safe conduit of the coūcel of Trent then Iohn Husse Hierom of Prage had to trust the councell of Constance You are large and gentle in promising but scant and cruell in perfourming and that may appeare not onely by your Popes Popish princes and confederates but euen by you all who holde it for a principle that to dissemble with an heretike such as you slannder vs to bee is a good pollicie And this trusting of your popish generation hath cost many a thousand godly men their liues What iudgement others are of I cannot tell but for my part I will truste you no further then I see you Howsoeuer a woolfe shall counterfet a lambe 〈◊〉 liue in a house like a dogge as many of you doe yet you cannot but shewe your woluish natures And therefore I am of minde there is no trusting of any of your offers There is small profite in disputing with obstinate heretikes And whatsoeuer you prate of disputation you cannot abide that true disputation which shall maintaine the truth but as Augustine once saide you loue to ouercome by a most impudent manner that you may gather that which you neuer brought 〈◊〉 that as the manner of all heretikes hath beene you may deface men and beeing conuicted of your treason and 〈◊〉 yee may 〈◊〉 to backiting and slaundering As for your prouoking of vs out of the lande it is all one with vs either at home or abrode to stande for the truth Wee feare not 〈◊〉 owne people we can be content before them to yeelde a reason of our hope though their iudgement may bee weake sometimes to 〈◊〉 it But seeing you are so francke if you will sende vs worde of your resolution vnder a conuenient number of your hands that you are readie in all places to trie this matter For wee woulde beeloth vpon suche a fickle man his word as your selfe is whose name wee knowe not vnlesse it be som great Parson to bee so prouoked but I say if you will send vs woorde your names and abiding places wee will become suiters for you that at Geneua or in some other Vniuersitie vnder the gouernment of the Gospell some conuenient number of you may bee admitted to set vp your questions and say what you can As for making of fermons you shall receiue our answere when we know your abiding and howe to send you word For the passage of your bookes it is not in vs to graunt they that are in authoritie are wise to consider how tollerable they are being the very bellowes of rebellion full of falshood slaunder and lying full of false doctrine heresie and cursed abhomination being full fraught of all kind of wicked immanitie and crueltie not touching the liuing but the deade not the common sort of men but the honour of the moste excellent men whom God in great mercies towardes his Churche hath raysed vp in these last times to display your cursed doctrine and moste abhominable liues 〈◊〉 is the cause of your bitter galle and spite against them A defence of master Charkes Preface to the answerer IN the first section there are nothing but wordes barely affirmed in the 〈◊〉 of their readinesse to haue their spirits proued And this hee prooueth by their bookes extant calling to tryall all sectaries and heere hee maketh an hotchpotch matching with true Ministers of Christe such heretikes as are them selues For hee matcheth Luther Carolostadius together that were at great oddes Zwinglius and Munser Caluine and Stancarus and yet hee knewe well enough that neyther Caluine nor anye of the rest did euer agree with anye that fell to heresies or did maintayne them But forsooth they haue confuted them Surely so as wicked men are wonte with darkenesse to confute light in them that were sounde or to confute heresies in heretikes themselues being the greatest heretikes that euer were as Tinkers who are wont when they indeuour to mend one hole to set downe another or rather in steede of mending one to make many O but they offer daily and take great paines yea they come with danger of their liues to make trial Indeede they proclaime defiance dare not come to the battle for notwithstanding the cōmandement of their superiors of voluntary trial I neuer knewe any to come in but against their willes to aduouche their errors But how wil they be tried Why forsooth they wil be tried by themselues they are the Church we are heretikes intruders and what not The spirits of the Prophets must be subiect to the Prophets Nowe they are the Prophetes to whom wee must render account of al our doinges But Sir defender that I may vse Hardinges owne phrase who made you iudge in your owne cause You begge shamefully that which is in question For first wee say that you are no true Prophetes but false Prophetes you vsurpe the name of the true Church being a false of the vniuersal if you be any being but a particular and therfore may 〈◊〉 as men as your owne Doctors haue confessed Whither thē shal we goe for the trial of spirits Surely the spirite must be iudged by the spirite For whatsoeuer sauoureth of the spirite shalbe tried by the spirite in those that are enlightened by it in whom the Churche consisteth and where the spirite is For the spirite is not without the Church and the Church is found in the Scriptures and no where els And therefore the Apostle saith The spirituall man iudgeth al things What better way can there be to finde out the spirite of error but by the spirite of truth And how shal they be discerned that boast of the spirite but by the only word of God suggested by the spirite When we offer therefore our spirites to be tried by the rule of S. Iohn concerning a true confession of Iesus Christ first also as the Apostle saith beleued with the heart and then confessed with the mouth which also hath this further 〈◊〉 to make vs cal vppon him and to acknowledge him our onelie Prophete king Priest derogating from him none of his offices but receiuing his whole worde and bringing into knowledge his whole counsels submitting our selues vnto his will This must needes be a plaine euident trial which indeed the Papists could neuer abide This is the cause that they shunne onely Scripture as a terrible bugge For if the trial should once come to that as indeede it ought to doe the matter would soone be at an ende I say it ought in all matters of Religion being necessary to the faith of a christian man whatsoeuer
abhominable Idol of the Masse As for their authoritie out of their counterfet Hyppolitus whose testimonie yet they wrest against vs it cannot bee admitted for currant As for the antiquitie of our Churche wee proue it by the Testament of 〈◊〉 Christe And where the doctrine of this is confessed and receiued they cannot denie but there is the Church of God My sheepe saith Christ heare my voice they followe me and I giue them euerlasting life In deede it is not alwayes so visible vpon earth neither needeth it such a visible heade as the Pope is to whome as Saunders saith it must bee ioyned or els bee schismaticall It is enough that Christe is the head thereof to comfort it leade it and teach it Wee know that in the worlde iniquitie shall abounde All nations shall bee persecuted that loue his name Mat. 24. 9. And Paule mentioneth that there shall come an Apostacie before the comming of Christe that is a falling away of men from Christe to Antichriste 2. Thessa. 2. 4 1 Tim. 4. 2. and Saint Iohn saith that the kings of the earth and all nations shall worship Antichriste Apocalips 13. 16. and 18. 3. That also the churche for a time shall bee so hid and inuisible in the earth that Christe fore warneth his to beeware of them as of lyers that shall say Heere is Christe or there is Christe as it were to point out by places where the churche is Matthew 14. 23. And hee hath not appointed it to bee knowen by such 〈◊〉 Luk. 17. But as he saith where the carkasse is thither will the Eagles bee gathered so where Chiriste is holden by faith there is his churche which though oftentimes we see not in that beautie and glorie that were meet in that ministerie and gouernment which doe liuely paint her foorth as it were in her coulers yet we must bee of good comfort and not faint For such greeuous times are foretolde that our faith may bee strengthned I beleeue the holy Catholike Church and that as Paule saith The foundation standeth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who be his 2. Tim. 1. 19. Now for consent wherein hee woulde haue vs to imbrace the definitions and opinions either of all or the most part of Priestes and teachers in Antiquitie what doth hee els heerein but goe about still to drawe vs from God to men What would he els but wrap vs in those inextricable Labyrynthes of mens opinions and contrarieties that we shoulde neuer bee able to wind 〈◊〉 and in meane time depriue vs of that worde of life Heerein also they not onely renue that great reproch of stainyng the scriptures with insufficiencie but also in a manner they despite the authour of them as though hee had not sufficiently prouided for them or had depriued them of that whiche is necessarie to their saluation As if there were more sufficiencie in men then in God as if men shoulde supplie that whiche God either coulde not or woulde not This they doe when they binde vs to their definitions and opinions of their priestes and teachers and yet dare call the booke of God a matter of strife affirming it to bee no direction nor guide but this to bee left to them and that in such an vnderstanding and meaning as they giue of it By them wee must vnderstand the church of Rome in whose interpretation without any further adoe we must rest vpon paine of the blacke curse and for this cause they binde all their generation to acknowledge that I may vse their owne words The holy Catholike and Apostolicall Church of Rome to bee the true mother of all churches and congregations And againe that the holy scripture is to bee beleeued according to such vnderstanding interpretation meaning signification as our mother the holy Church hath alwayes allowed for good and at this present doth to whome of right doeth appertaine to giue the scripture a right vnderstanding sense and interpretation yea her creatures most solemnely promise that they will neuer vnderstande not interprete the same otherwise then according to the interpretation of the fathers They haue therefore their speciall daliances in the interpretation shifting it off some time with a litterall sense some times with a spirituall sometimes it is allegoricall and sometimes it is Tropologicall and Anagogicall But of all it is not that it shoulde bee but they turne it and winde it like a weathercock to serue all turnes and to mainteine all their errours and when no way will serue their turne then they leaue them and runne to men I speake not this as though I denyed all these wayes of interpretation but to shew their shiftes that hauing deuised so many will cleaue to none but still stay vpon men in whose writinges there can bee no certaintie both because they agree not amongest them selues as also because their bookes and workes especially of the most auncient that were either in or next to the primatiue Churche haue not come vncorrupted to our handes many haue beene foysted out vnder the names of the best and others are 〈◊〉 And those that wee are agreed vpon haue many errours Who will admit for naturall children the bastarde writinges of Clemens Romanus who woulde haue both goods and wiues common of Dionisius Areopagita who builded forsooth a Temple and yet is said to haue been so poore that he had not a place to lay his head in of Ignatius of master Hardings Abdias of Martialis and of an infinite number of such like as farre vnlike the naturall children of auncient naturall fathers as you Papists are those fathers whose children you boast to bee and the Popes that are now those first good Bishops and martyres that were in Rome and yet spite of their heartes whether they wil or no you will bee their sonnes and wheresoeuer the name of churche is founde in any Doctor or father it must by and by bee vnderstood forsooth of that Babylonicall strumpet of Rome Such also is your succession vpon whiche you stande so much vsed as you say by the fathers against heretikes for proofe of their religion And yet who knoweth not that the succession whereof you boast is only personall Whereof Saint Augustine in his tyme spake not in that Epistle by you alleadged but had speciall regarde vnto truth from which thitherunto they had not declined in the greatest and most substancial points of religion and so may bee saide of the rest As for that ordinary succession the scripture is manifest that it faileth in the church as by the example of Ismael who followed Abraham and Esau who followed Isaack the Iewes at this day followe their fathers in all whom is the image of the churche and yet God chaunged this ordinarie course chose extraordinarily Isaack Iacob vs that be Gētiles the other 〈◊〉 because that first righteousnesse cleaueth in him and so of 〈◊〉 bee getteth
therfore true 〈◊〉 trine wee receiue him and admit him As for that which like a Spider hee hath sucked out of that booke hee wrote against K. Henrie and vrgeth that hee might bring him and the doctrine which he taught which was not his but Christes into hatred with some great personages of authoritie I answere generally vnto it that wheresoeuer hee hath not kept that modestie that became one that was carefull for the saluation of them with whom he dealt wee do not nor will not defende him But I cannot thinke but that Luther knewe well enough that king Henrie was not authour of that booke hee was wise enough to consider that though the booke did carrie the kinges name yet some pelting popish Proctor was the authour whom hee repayeth in the same name wherein it was published It is plaine that not long before that hee had written verie gently vnto him And if hee being misseled by such as he gaue credite vnto did ouer 〈◊〉 set himselfe against the truth in which wee ought to respect no mans person Luther coulde doe no lesse but looking vpp to God set himselfe againste him Neither is this gathered by Parsons or obiected by the rest of the Papistes for that hee or they haue any regarde to the Matestie of a 〈◊〉 or for any loue they did beare to that famous king but to bring this excellent man and the truth whiche is far worse into hatred for all stories are full howe their Pope and they togeather haue offered violence from time to time against Princes Noblemen and Gentlemen of all sortes and degrees They haue not onely defaced them with euill woordes bearing Gods person bearing his swoorde as beeing his Ministers when they haue stoode for Gods truth and in their lawfull right and libertie but they haue plucked their crownes from their heads stamped vpon their neckes and hunted them to death This pelting Parsons keeping his olde nature is still vppon the soares and the offalles and reuedge pleaseth him best The matter beeing sounde and good hee passeth ouer hee considereth no circumstances but like a malicious wretch as farre from duetifull regard of 〈◊〉 and authoritie as anye might bee yet hee will 〈◊〉 a regarde in him and those of his sorte And yet they loued king Henrie not so well as the 〈◊〉 their holy water for beeing his owne inuention and deuised for the better furnishing of Idolatrie hee coulde not but loue it too well but as well as the wicked are wont to loue God which is neuer a deal For of all the Princes that euer were in Englande king Henrie was hee that gaue the Pope the wounde And no doubt had hee liued but till these times wherein the light of the knowledge of God doth so abounde and breake foorth hee would haue seene all their treacherie and as he abandoned the popes authoritie opened a passage vnto the holy scriptures ouerthrewe their shrines and grosse Idolatries brought downe their Abbeys and dennes of filthinesse and knauerie so woulde he haue chased out all the reste of their abhominations But if in a modest spirite this heate of Luther had beene founde fault with with no disfauour of the truth I would not for my part haue founde great faulte with it But considering Luther wrote for the truth and not against it considering also that this 〈◊〉 and those of his fether neither honour the name of that nobleking nor his memorie for the causes aforesaide I truste I shall finde fauour of those that are in authoritie to speake the more plainely in it and 〈◊〉 report what their speeches also haue beene of him In all their bookes and writings where they mention his name they account of him as of an 〈◊〉 fallen from their church They had it once in deliberation whether they should haue taken vp his bodye from the place where it was interred to haue burned it to ashes as they did Wickliefes long after his death and that in the time of the reigne of his owne daughter In his life the Pope excommunicated him and sought all the meane she coulde to set all the Princes of the worlde vppon his 〈◊〉 It was his practise and the practise of his shauelinges and prelates to make that breach betwixt him and the Emperour that had beene at such concord Cardinall Poole was the instrument to stirre vp the French king against him They are wont to alleadge that place vpon Amos out of M. Caluin against him against others for taking the name of supreme head of the Church But is it because they would giue it And yet themselues gaue it king Henry and subscribed to it and wrote bookes in defence of it when not wihstanding those good men that professed the Gospel were deceiued not knowing in what meaning it was either giuen or taken And those kinges that tooke it neuer chalenged it as the Papistes gaue it neyther was it euer giuen by Protestantes to the ende that they shoulde bee heades of the Church by any absolute authoritie to giue it newe lawes against the worde or gouernment as some home Pope to 〈◊〉 it according to their owne willes against the trueth of God but as was meet being Gods Lieuetenauntes they were acknowledged to bee the chiefe and that the care both of the Churche and common wealth did belong vnto them that it was their duetie as did good Ezechias Iehosap hat other kinges aboue all thinges to care that the religion of God 〈◊〉 be established and floorishe according to his written worde And if the Papistes made king Henrie head of the Churche in their sense or if hee tooke it otherwise they neyther gaue him that title aright neither did he take it as he ought and in truth it was themselues I meane the papists that gaue it as I haue saide before But our Soueraigne nowe Princesse doth neither receiue it nor take it in that meaning for this were to make the Churche a monster not subiect vnto her head Iesus Christ but subiecte to a mortall man whiche were indeede to erect a newe Popedome But if any thing were so amisse then they shoulde not muche maruell at it seeing those that were reformers then were suche as were but newelie called from Poperie and therfore could not but smell of that corruption Againe the trueth was not discouered at the first dash King Henry was not a Prince of a yeres standing Many thinges fel out in his 〈◊〉 and vppon manie occasions that brought him from the worse to the better and made him see and know also much more then he could put in practise for feare as his owne prouerbe was of bringing an old wal vpon his head No doubt he had a singuler courage yet these monstars were then so big so were they harnessed with power such poysō had they in their 〈◊〉 that they must be vanquished by the grouth of truth in time season not vppon the sodaine And which of
like tale is that of those in Leyden and the note in the margent out of Lyndā insinuating plainly to the world that Caluinists worship the Image of the diuel maintain worship that together with the images of the theeues hanged with Christ but abolish al other Saints both he Goddes and shee Gods But the truth is and doth appeare to all that feare him that the whole lumpe of Poperie is nothing els but a heape of Idolatrie and hauing no commandement from God either for the setting vppe or adoring of Images it muste needes bee that they adore their owne imaginations suggested by the Diuell and so honour not God in truth but the Diuell from whome is all falshood and lyes And from that spirite proceeded those monstrous and ridiculous lyes wherewith hee hath filled his whole booke as that Luther vnder pretence of keeping some fewe ceremonies hath consumed al the florishing 〈◊〉 of the Lordes garden and that retayning the others hee hath done it to deceiue the simple that 〈◊〉 as hee calleth them become Turkes that Caluine Beza and Marlorate were Arrians denying the Diuinitie of Christe and therewith also they charge Luther affirming him to haue trusted more in his Kate Philip then in Christ. So they begge at our handes that we holde that the Gospel of Christe and the worde of God hath failed in the Churche of God and beene a straunger from it as though they were the Churche of Christe and that Caluine and Luther teache that God compelleth men to all kinde of iniqeitie that Melancthon woulde haue all the liberall artes vtterly taken away and onely 〈◊〉 to remaine It woulde wearie a man to reckon vp all their abhominable slaunders and lyes which no man will beleeue 〈◊〉 it be such as God hath giuen vp that forsaking the truth in his iust iudgement being lead by lyes they may in the ende receiue with their father the Diuell a lyer from the beginning euerlasting damnation But admit that thinges had beene set downe by some particuler fewe men yea euen by the best men that might haue beene controuled by the worde of God what reason is there to charge our Churche or vs with all that neither maintaine nor hold nor by the grace of God will maintaine or hold any errours in them or in our selues if we shalbe conuicted by the woorde of GOD Whiche seeing it is so why shoulde wee bee driuen to defende the errors of men standing against your falshoodes for the truth and why shoulde mens faults preiudice the trueth whiche whatsoeuer men shall be the truth of GOD shall stande againste whiche whosoeuer set them selues they shall knowe that they fighte not with men but againste God But he saith that for the Diuels crying out in Luthers mouth M. Charke bringeth not one syllable to disproue it Cocleus hauing affirmed it that liued in Germanie with Luth. no Lutheran euer hauing beene able to reproue it The reasons are set before handeled more at large by M. Charke why Cocleus shoulde not bee credited in suche a case no more then Lyndan Staphilus and the rest Besides though Cocleus liued in Germanie yet I am sure he liued not so with Luther as hee coulde say hee hearde it and therefore his master that taught him and the rest of his fether to lye in that taught him to lye in the other His modestie in other of his woorkes stande as a scarre in his forehead or rather as a hole in his care to declare what credite hee ought to haue in this and so doe these ruffianlike woordes of yours in this place and els where of coping with Nunnes set foorth of what spirite you are calling lawfull matrimonie 〈◊〉 letcherie which the Lorde hath ordeined as a remedie against sinne to all men that haue not the gift of continencie either in the ministerie or out of it of what calling soeuer they are as may appeare by those places set downe before out of the scriptures farre aboue the credite of any councels or doctors whatsoeuer As for Luthers doctrines whereof you haue not beene the first gatherer but haue stolne them out of such as were before you and therefore are answered by such as answered them and neede not so often to bee repeated yet that you may see our minde to bee as it was wee say concerning Luther Melancthon 〈◊〉 Beza and all the rest that howesoeuer we esteeme them as rare singuler instrumentes of God whome hee hath vsed against your Pope that Antichriste for the worke of the ministerie to the edifiyng of his Saints whose prayses shall indure maugre your beardes as long as Christes Churche shall endure yet wee esteeme them but as men and this honour we giue onelie to God that he is onely wise absolutely holy without sault and his woorde without may me or impersection and therefore we say that all mens writings are to bee examined by that worde and if any gooe from it therein wee leaue them as men that might bee deceiued As for Luthers doctrine which you haue so often charged wee protest in the feare of God that the most thinges wherewith you charge them are malitiously gathered contrarie to the true meaning of them and otherwise then euer Luther intended As first in that doctrine of incredulitie though M. Charke haue cleered the matter by conferryng other places of Luthers writings yet Syr Robert this blind bayard kicketh and wincheth as if hee were madde and will needes haue it that Luther must say there is no sinne but incredulitie that no other sinnes can damne a man and that the poore man must say somewhat for credites sake in ther broken cause This you may see though Bayarde be blinde yet hee is bolde and in deede past all shame For whosoeuer will reade M. Charke shall finde that hee hath cleered Luther both in the one and the other Neither are M. Chark and M. Hanmer at such ods in this matter but that the poore wretch in deede must needes say somwhat though it be not to the purpose For M. Charke denieth not Luthers wordes but sheweth his meaning by other places and M. Hanmer saith truly that you haue maliciously racked Luthers wordes But that all other sinnes lye soking in the roote of infidelitie it is too fine for your grosse head Surely I thinke so who are disposed to vnderstand nothing as you ought to vnderstande but aboue that you ought which hath carryed you so farre beyond the listes of truth and true religion But it myght haue pleased you to vnderstande if God had opened your vnderstanding that infidelitie as Augustine calleth it is the mother of sinnes that it is the onelie sinne that separateth from God and though there bee many sinnes all which fall in account in the wicked yet in the elect of God if they beleeue in Christe though all sinnes are sinnes in them and they are condemned by the lawe and to bee condemned
both in them selues and others yet they are pardoned and blotted out in them which is a most comfortable doctrine in deede farre of another nature then your desperate doctrine of iustification by workes The repetition therefore of Luthers woordes whiche you might haue spared together with the rest you haue stoln out of Staphilus and others The second concerning the ten commandements whether they appertaine to vs or no howe they appertaine to vs and howe they doe not is sufficiently declared by M. Charke how and in what sense Luther spake it but what wil satisfie a wrangling Iesuite who hath sworn to gainsay whatsoeuer is saide by vs be it neuer so truely saide For I appeale to all the Papistes and Iesuites in the world Did not Luther Doe not wee teache the commaundementes of GOD Doe wee not expounde them in our churches and schooles and set them as rules of our obedience But what will not suche 〈◊〉 instrumentes doe that theye maye deface the trueth and bring the teachers of it into hatred O blinde malice Wee neuer blotted out one of them as it is plain they haue done in al their Breuiaries Masse books Catechismes The like is that of the foure Gospels wheras in truth the gospell is one contayned in those prophetical Promises before the cōming of Christ as in those Euāgelists that were the 4. notaries therof as also in Paules Epistles And if he haue any such wordes of S. Iohns Gospel hee speaketh it onely by way of comparison not to discredite the other as this Sycophant woulde employ but to declare how diuinely S. Iohn wrote of the Diuinitie of Christ and other profound matters of our religion As for that he cauilleth because M. Charke cannot finde euery thing cited by him The truth is that himself as should appeare neuer read Luthers works but hath stoln these accusatiōs frō Staphilus others that wrote before them and onelye hath a little smoothed them as though they were some fresh merchandize neuer offered to the sale before True it is that Luthers workes haue been often published and some I thinke that he wrote wer yet neuer published but what maketh this for his excuse in not setting down places out of known books quoted directed in their seueral editions for the better triall of the truth and ease of the Reader Is there anie booke extant of Luthers that we who are more conuersant in thē then they should not find out if they would but direct vs to them But I ghesse and I suppose truelie that Luther wrote more as lecherous and godlesse a man as they would make him then the most of thē haue read those that are extant may be founde and had so that if there were any sincerity in them they should not lye by tradition or sende vs at aduenture to finde them we cannot tell where which is a token of their ignorance and taking things at the second hand not seeing them themselues The like is to be said of their cauil for the diuersitie of editions betweene the soft and the rough Lutherans Wee denie not but Luthers woorkes may be subiect to mens affections as other of the auncient Fathers haue beene and he may be made father of many children that are most vnlike him as was Augustine and other of the Doctours but what helpeth this their cause when he and his workes both are no farther allowed of vs then they agree with the woorde of God Wee knowe that euen as there is difference in fruites and mettals of wines in the first and latter vintage so we know that Luthers workes are to be considered according to the times wherein he wrote He writ many thinges being 〈◊〉 in his cowle soone after he had cast it of which 〈◊〉 somwhat 〈◊〉 it and GOD gaue him grothe according to that measure of grace in knowledge vnderstanding according as he saw meete for his church for the bulding of it He saw not al at once neither had he that sinceritie in the beginning whilest he would scarse come frō among you 〈◊〉 afterwards by the grace of God he attained vnto If therfore his works wer filed by himself or by others with his cōsent during his life or after I know not why he should not inioy this priuiledg as wel as al other authours writers who are woont as they grow in knowledge either to adde or detract inlarge or abridge their own works as they haue seene good yet ought not hereby to be therfore esteemed inconstāt or not like thē selues As for the cōplaynt of Iohn Alusco cōcerning the confessiō of Auspurge perhaps too toghly too much vrged stood vpō by Luthers schollers afterwardes in respect of the matter of the Sacramēt as it was first set out it helpeth not your cause For besides that it was found faulte with by some of our side the oftē setting of it forth was to better it being but written for a interim for the according of both sides which although it seemed a thing altogether impossible yet for the greatest matters and substāce of Doctrin it was in a maner brought to passe had not some intemperat spirits by the mallice of Sathan fought too too egarly and bitterly against it standing vpon tearmes and tautologies that haue in them no edification at al. That which he addeth out of that place alledged by M. Charke to proue that he spake in detraction of the Euāgelistes because he saith Paules Epistles may bee called more rightly the Gospel which he would make vs beleeue to be done of some tooth against the other is altogether friuolous and foolish which shewes that he hath a tooth against whatsoeuer Luther vttereth As though there were no Gospel in Paules Epistles or as though al were not the gospel of equal authority hauing bin indited by one the same spirit It appeareth y t this man measureth the Gospel by the titles set ouer those stories written by these principal notaries making so many Gospels as there were writers Authours who cannot forsooth abide y t Paules Epist. should be the Gospel or that the Gospel should be one And yet Paule doubteth not to call it his Gospel Here you cry out against M. Charke for not finding out that which you neuer found out your self but as you receyued it by tradition one from an other as often answered as euer it was obiected which I suppose you sawe not with your owne eyes and that made you to refer vs to Coclaens from whom you tooke it at the second hand thē taking an hold of our hemme by all edging Gesner that maketh mention of such a preface wherin by way of comparison onely he speaketh so off I am Epistle not denying the authority therof which you Campion falsely say both he we haue cut off from the body of the scripture yet Luther commendeth that Epistle in his Preface vpon it
dwelt And if thou couldest be ashamed thou wouldest neuer insinuate to the Reader that Luther shoulde holde that if a man shoulde haue tenne wiues fledde from him that hee might take more For although he be too vehement against that disobedience both in men and women that submit not them selues to the ordinance of God yet it was neuer his minde that any man or woman shoulde doe that of themselues without the Magistrate and the appoyntment of the church And as for Alberus writing against Carolostadius that thereupon Iohn Leiden should take many wiues Kipperdolinge thirteen for his part It is an horrible lye y e euer it was vpon any such occasion For as Luther resisted Carolostadius when he departed from the trueth so it is well knowne testified in al his writings that he was a sharpe aduersarie against al the Anabaptistes and wrote to the Magistrates to suppresse them So that he neither taught any such doctrine neither was it practised by his authoritie But such 〈◊〉 writers care not what they set downe to the world so they may deface the trueth of God and the true Professors of it though this byrde were hatched in their owne nest and if Luther helde it hee learned it in their owne schoole and not in the schoole of Christ and therfore they haue small cause to caste it in our teeth being their owne filth and dounge The fift doctrine in the like case is also answered as the fourth and differeth not from it being a case wherein Luther one man teinted with their corruptions thought that there ought to be a diuorse but M. Charke hath interpreted Luthers meaning neyther hath this proude Parsons brought any sounde consutation against it And as longe as we allowe no suche diuorses and yet them selues doe they haue no cause to charge vs with it or so to raue against Luther being not at one with themselues As for Sebastian Flaskes confession it deserueth no more credit at our hands then the confession of an 〈◊〉 falne from the trueth lyeing in a number of thinges besides and therfore like also to lye in this And whether he lie or no concerning the matter perhappes much lasciuiousnes being in Germany though nor vpon that occasion yet was it no sufficient ground vnto him to haue departed from the trueth of God for the vices of men But the trueth is those opiniōs of Diuorsements sprung from Antichriste with the vtter reiecting of matrimonie in the Romishe kingdom else wher where such corruptions haue bin entertained maintained haue bin are the causes of al abhomination Therfore this being also their own as the former Parsons had good cause to haue laid his hand vpon his mouth that he might haue hidden the shame of his owne nest not to haue so declaymed against Luther And if the dutch Booke were suppressed hee had the lesse cause to be grieued at vs that eyther woulde haue smothered such a monster or were ashamed of it And whether Luther recanted it or no that can no whit help his cause For if he had recanted then he had renounced an opinion of their own and so could not please them or if he did not which is vncertaine yet I doubt not but the Lorde might burye it amongest other his ignorances as he doeth great and manye in his children who holding the substaunce and foundation of saluation are not in iustice separated and cast downe into euerlasting damnation But here I woulde haue the reader to vnderstande that these Papistes nowe a dayes that come so freshly vpon vs out of their Seminaries and make bookes so faste as if they had read all mens wrytinges both olde and newe I saye they haue nothing but such as they steale from others Bellarminus hauing holpen them with his Dictates and common places and this Apologie of Staphilus hauing beene the verye Storehouse of this rayling defence As for the opinion which hee maintayneth of Diuorse from a bonde woman and also from one being couetous if thee shoulde fall to steale because they haue no grounde in the woorde of God I will vouchsafe it no confutation Only this maye be noted that if Luther had remayned still in Poperie and then taught their doctrine of Diuorse for inhabilitie or obstinacie of eyther partie hee woulde neuer haue founde faulte more with the one then with the other It is foule and lasciuious in Luther but it is good and maintainable in the Pope and his Church Loe their equitie and Father Parsons honestie The laste foure doctrines which you asfyrme M. Charke to aduouche as cleare and vndoubted and which you labour to bringe into doubte they are clearer as they are defended and sette downe by Martyn Luther then that you are able with anye the leaste colour to blemishe them For for the firste whether Matrimonie be to be preferred beefore Virganitie yea or no or be equall with it It is certayne that in respecte of GOD and as you vnderstande by merite a deseruing of prayse with GOD of congruence there is neyther merite in the one nor in the other It is cleare that Matrimonie is the ordinaunce of God sanctified vnto all that haue not the gifte of continencie and of so great worthinesse the state beeing honourable that your goatishe Virgines are not woorthy to come neere and stande at the thresholde Neyther doe wee 〈◊〉 from the spirite of the 〈◊〉 Church who when they preferred single life before marriage 〈◊〉 preserred it as it was sincere and without spotte of 〈◊〉 and incontinencie which your brockish boares wanton Nuns neuer attained vnto and then againe did it not simply but by way of comparison in respect of time as when the Church was vnder persecution and other circumstances they being true virgins in deede As for Hierome against Iouinian it is wel knowne that howsoeuer hee was ouer egar that way and waded in an argument for which he had no such ground yet we take him at the best and interprete him to haue dealt against Iouinian because he perswaded some to marry who had no need of it And so wheras August in Haeresie 42. speaketh much of the merite of single life and Ambrose in that Epistle to Syricius c. affirming that mariage is not of equal merite with virginitie I answere that you abuse your reader with the doubtfull name of Merite For they meant not by merite as was sayde before any deserte to make them more acceptable to God but a worthines wherby they were freed from those incumbrances that those that were married were subiect vnto as Paule 1. Cor. 7. And M. Luther and. M. Charke doe no otherwise prefer marriage then so Neither doe those auncient Doctours that haue written such volumes in the prayse of Virginitie prayse it as a thing more acceptable to GOD in it selfe Beesides the comparison which M. Luther maketh betwixt virginitie and marryage preferring marryage as golde and reiecting the other as dounge
consisted not in those thinges whiche papistes take to bee their greatest glory For it was not so much for the virgine to haue borne Christe as to beleeue in Christe nor for the Apostles to haue seene Christe in the fleshe and to haue beene presente at his myracles as to see him in spirite and faith beeing assured that he was the true Messias Euen therefore like as all the members of a bodie being knit in the same body are partakers of the gouernement direction grace righteousnes glory of the head to that whole bodie so the members of Christ are alike directed gouerned iustified sāctified and saued howe soeuer their places bee different in that mysticall body the grace and merite of Christe are equally dispensed to all that are his The saints that were then the saints that are nowe are alike sainted And as for our merite wee knowe none nor claime it howsoeuer the saints of God haue difference of giftes doe differ by offices by times and places and according thereunto shall differ in glory one from another And this is the inequalitie that the Doctors which you speake of doe mention And therefore Christe our best scholemaster hath taught vs which also is to bee learned of you when the woman cryed out that the wombe was blessed that bare him and the paps that gaue him sucke hee replied Yea blessed are they that heare the worde of God and keepe it Againe when they tolde him that his mother and brethren were without to seeke him hee replyed they are my mother and my brethrē that doethe will of my father Euen as they are the right sonnes of Abraham that are his sonnes not according to the fleshe but according to faith and the promise of God And as for your Dionisius Areopagita whome you woulde of a forrenner make a free 〈◊〉 by the bare mention of his name in two generall councels and yet name but one and infinite other testimonies wherof you name none yet it is plaine by the starre in his forehead that hee is not that Dionysius but some bastard and stranger in deed far from that natiue knowledge sinceritie iudgement religion that the other was like to bee of As for the place out of the first Epistle of Iohn the thirde Chapter whereby you woulde proue that they onely are holy and righteous whiche so woorke righteousnesse that they comprehende all righteousnesse If this be true then not onelie Peter and Paul and the blessed virgine but also all the saints of God are without this working iustice and so not iust But if this bee true righteousnesse to beleeue in Christe who fulfilled all righteosnesse not for him selfe but for vs who by faith communicated the same righteousnesse vnto vs which is not of vs nor cleauing in vs but in him who is made our righteousnesse then no onelie they but also wee doe exercise that righteousnesse and walking as the children of God the time that wee are heere fighting against 〈◊〉 and expecting his glory we shal be glorified together with him for euer Thus you might see if God had opened your eyes what smal cause you the rest haue had thus to storme vniustly to carp against the doctrine of that excellent man of God Martyn Luther whose flaunders howe you haue iustified I leaue it to the iudgement of the Churche of GOD and howe M. Charke hath dealte it is set downe and cannot bee carried with the preiudice of an aduersarie with blustering and storming lying and facing to deface it but beeing the truth shall cleere it selfe and stande when suche poore deuises and beggarly shiftes shall fall and come to nothing For the truth beeing of God must needes bee true Diuinitie against whiche though Satan rage and bestirre himselfe neuer so busily to ouerthrowe yet the more hee sweateth the greater glory shall bee set vpon it tyll it bee beautified sined and cleered from the corruption of man and all his 〈◊〉 Againe that whiche is from the Diuell though it come into the worlde with strong winges and as a mightie streame with great beautie as he is a very cunning painter and that which is nought needeth greater curiositie to set it out That whoore is a rose coloured whoore and that whiche is in the cuppe though it bee a cuppe of golde to allure the wicked though the mouth of the beast speake great and terrible things and the whole worlde be taken with the hewe of it yet in the end it shall appeare from whence it came and take such foile fall as truth can giue If the doctrine that M. Luther taught had beene suche black diuinitie learned from the Diuel which this blasphemer aduoucheth it neither had proceeded from God could haue stoode so long nor haue endured such tryall nor haue so ouerthrowne Satans kingdome nor weakened the power of Antichriste as thanks bee to God it hath done and shall doe daylie more and more All heresies that haue proceeded from the Diuell and from his instruments carrie with them a sufficient marke who was their father As they had a beginning so they haue had shall haue an ending but the truth of God which is without beginning which is not learned from man as the authour of it it cannot perishe because GOD cannot perishe and whatsoeuer man builde vpon it whiche may perishe yet the foundation shall remaine sure Therefore to call this a licentious and carnall doctrine is to blotte not Luther but God seeing it hath beene prooued according to the trueth of God that incredulitie is the roots of all finne and iniqnitie that true christians truely beleeuing in Christ howsoeuer they sinne there canbe no dānation vnto them that 〈◊〉 soeuer the 〈◊〉 of god belong vnto vs there is no iustificatiō but by the keeping of thē yet forasmuch as Christ hath fulfilled thē satisfiyng y e righteousnes of his father for vs we are discharged from that yooke of death and condemnation so as their power cannot come neare vs. As for the other thinges heaped vp in the conclusion the premisses beeing confuted they are also confuted And therefore this is but a countrie Bagpype whereupon Syr Robert stil bloweth and as it were is stil twanging vpon one string like a Iesuiticall Friar to delight those that followe the diuels daunce to bring them to vtter destruction As touching that whiche followeth concerning other absurde doctrines whiche M. Charke thought that Parsons passed ouer by an hyperbole that hee may not bee founde a 〈◊〉 as hee is he taketh vpon him yet to 〈◊〉 many grosse absurdities first generally accusing M. Luther that of all other writers he hath written the most absurdly Whiche by threatening some kindnesse vpon M. Charke hauing reade some of his workes hee saith hee must needes knowe In deede the truth is that the nearer he was vnto his Friers coule the more appeared his weakenesse But as God drew him further out
AN Answeare for the time vnto that foule and wicked Defence of the Censure that was giuen vpon M. Charkes Booke and Meredith Hanmers Contayning a maintenance of the credite and persons of all those woorthie men namely of M. Luther Caluin Bucer Beza and the rest of those Godlie 〈◊〉 of Gods worde whom he with a shamelesse 〈◊〉 most slanderously hath sought to deface finished sometime sithence And now published for the stay of the Christian Reader till Maister Charkes Booke come foorth Exod. 20. 16. Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour Receiue not an accusation against an Elder but vnder two or three witnesses 1. Tim. 5. 19. ⧠Imprinted at London by Thomas Dawson and Tobie Smith 1583. ⧠To the Christian Reader Grace and peace from God the father and from our Lorde Iesus Christ by the holie Ghost sealed in thy heart for euer Amen MAruel not good Christiā Reader that I haue taken vpon me before the publishing of M. Charkes fuller answere to say somewhat vnto that same shameles impudent defender of his proud vngodly Censure For first I cōsider the great hurte that may come by reason that the common sort lacke iudgement when such outragious vniust slāders are spewed foorth the common sort being giuen rather to measure the truth by mens persons then their persons by the truth which is a very absurd vnequal trial to trye the trueth by For why should the naughtines of men preiudice the truth of God Why should Iudas a 〈◊〉 tor deface the doctrine of Iesus Christ or discountenance any of the rest of the Apostles Why shold Peters inconstancie feare in denying his Maister disaduantage the constant truth for which he afterwards suffred al the rest of the Apostles so constantly aduouched Marke therfore good Reader that this wretch against whom I write that he may deface the Gospel of thy redēption laboureth for nothing more then to deface their persons that haue bin some of the most singuler instruments that euer God raised vp in his church since the Apostles times With what truth grounds he chargeth thē vpon what testimony we shal see afterwards when we come to it In the meane time I doubt not but the whole Church specially M. Charke will take it well that I keepe his hands from raking in their filth ease him of this foule work wherunto though I be drawn by the aduersary against my wil yet it shal appeare that we haue athousad for one to charge them with in the persons not only of their late restorers of Romish religion but in their very fathers founders wherin also if they haue made me to rake deeper 〈◊〉 was meete to the raysing vp of such a filthy sauour that al the world may be annoyed with let thē thāk thēselues If they say it be against charitie let them remember that it stādeth with charity to mainteine innocēcie against their cursed teeth and if it be against charity in vs why was it not so in themselues who yet are most guilty in giuing the first example let thē learne the 〈◊〉 betwixt the truth error betwixt the light the darknes In very deed we do not measure Gods trueth by men nor religion simplye by mēs liues as they do We know that al mē are liars in the professiō of the Gospel there are haue been shalbe many Hypocrites such as cause the euerlasting truth of God to be euil spoken of amongest such as are without and such as they are 〈◊〉 to whō they are stones of offence set vp in Gods iust iudgement that they may stūble at them forsake the truth and be confirmed in error cōfounded to their vtter destruction But why should this withdraw from truth Why should the darknes of mē put out the cleere light of the gospel seeing it shineth not only to discouer the vnrighteousnes of the world but also 〈◊〉 chase away errors euē in the best Why shold we be charged with the faults of mē priuate mē which our profession doe not allowe neither in our selues nor others Nay rather we teach according to the doctrine ofregeneratiō mortificatiō sanctification that holines of life which is not in our selues yet we wish in others We teach the killing of the corruption of old Adā newnes of life which these men neuer vnderstood to whō if the professors of the gospel be 〈◊〉 if conuersation be layd with cōuer satiō in theirs ours in their seueral professiōs ours their holines with ours we shalbe Angels they diuels we may as we are 〈◊〉 shew our infirmities but they as they are men al their abhominations not of men but of Antichrist that both in life doctrine set thēselues against Iesus Christ the 〈◊〉 of God that same blessed spirit of 〈◊〉 We in professing the truth acknowledge our errors find them out and iudge them by the truth condemne them in our selues and in others yea we condēne the very motions and should or doe punish according to Gods worde both priuate and publike offenders to the vttermost of our powers these in professing falshood and false religion doe mainteine euery cursed abhomination and though they say they haue free wil cā fulfil al the cōmandeméts of God yet boldly impudently they breake thē al they make no accoūt of concupiscéce vnlesse they cōsent vnto it and though the fome breake foorth into cursed attemptes into idolatry swearing and blasphemy into prophaning the 〈◊〉 Sabaoths with their deuised religiō contrary to his word though they dishonour them to whom honor belongeth commit adultery buggerie sodomitrie al kinde of filthines thogh they kill steale lie and slaunder beare false witnes and suffer euery affectiō to roue at his pleasure yet these with them are either no sinnes or very light sinnes which they wil satisfie for with a litle bodily punishment which they hypocritically and voluntarily deuise and lay vpon thēselues Wherefore good Christian Reader I be seech thee in the bowels of Iesus Christe beware of these pestilēt hissing adders whose poyson is not only in their cursed doctrine manifestly against gods euerlasting word but also in their sinful shamefull abhominable liues their head beeing that mā of sin childe of perdition And albeit in vs our sinnes ought not to weigh against the truth which the truth condēneth punisheth we condemne in our selues neither to discredit it nor shake thy faith because we measure it not by mens liues which were to measure light by darknes yet in them it ought in whom both are ioyned together false doctrine euill life and of these thou oughtest to be warned y t thou maiest learne to iudge thē to know thē by their fruites For as their professiō is wicked so their liues are accursed as they are Idolaters so they
are abhominable liuers iustifiyng sin maintaining it lesning it as afterwardes shal more plainely appeare Neither is this to vncouer our fathers priutties though they belaide open naked For they are nofathers of ours but monsters they are those cursed Cammites that feede theyr lustfull eyes in the sight of our priuities who are their fathers in deede which they should hide because wee professe and honour the truth of God they are enemies of it They are those swine rauens that delight in nothing but carion letting passe whatsoeuer is wholsome good as not agreeing to their grosse appetite and humour Therfore good Reader euen as thou louest thine owne saluation beware of thē learne to haue iudgement that thou maiest discerne Let none steale thy heart from the loue of the truth men are mē and these are worse then men if any prusate man come short of that he professeth why should we be charged with it rather pray that thou as God in mercie hath opened thy hearte to beleeue his truth so it will please him to strengthen thee against all offences that thou mayest also liue according to it stopping their foule mouthes from 〈◊〉 it holding out the excellent praise and glory of it by an holy profession to many to his honour thy euerlasting saluatiō in him Amē Amen AS for Maister Correctors Declenson of a Nomen Heretique I omit as a Bable for a foole to play with It appeareth the man trauelled with follie and coulde not tell where to lay his burden els but in the forefront of Parsons Book euen vnder his nose that it might be as a taste to the Reader of the stuffe contained in it It is pitie that his name was not set to it For now he must needs forgoe the fame and praise of so woordie and foolishe a worke Belike he was some Vsher that was appoynted to be a Corrector and rather then he woulde say nothing he woulde censure his Maisters worke both to shame himselfe and his Maister also Dixi. ⧠A Briefe consideration of the Publishers Preface to Maister Charke I Meane not to stande vpon words otherwise then as they comprehend most manifest and palpable vntruthes such as all the world may euen handle For I know and can witnes that there is no cause so euil no doctrine so false and wicked but that Sathans instruments are furnished from that strong spirite of illusion to say somewhat in maintenance of it Wee are eloquent enough by nature to speake naughtily and what errour was there euer so grosse that you Papistes coulde not pounze out and cast some cunning colour vpon it we know that Antichrist your head shalbe furnished from Sathan his Grandsier with al efficacie of deceipt yea he shal come with al power with signes and lying wonders with al deceipt of vnrighteousnes in them that perish hauing a shameful mouth and a shamelesse forehead to deceiue the reprobate But al this cannot deceaue vs to whom the Lord hath vouchsafed mercie and hath giuen a discerning spirite Concerning M. Charkes long expectation therfore of your promised reioynder for any truth or honestie that he may find in it it had bin better for the credite of the Writer it had beene smothered in the begetting and bringing forth then to haue seene the light being such an vnnaturall monster and whiche for the goodnes of it might haue come foorth in as sodaine and vntimely a birth as the former did But where you say that he should ghesse at the long trauel nay that he knoweth is 〈◊〉 to the cause thereof Surely herein you shew your impudencie For if he had looked for it why might it not haue come out long or this Assoone as the former for any thing that is in it better O but Persecution hath letted you are destitute of al helpes Indeede it is great pitie that you should not haue fullibertie rest Libraries Conference c. to write against the truth to disquiet her Maiesties subiects to turne our happie peace into trouble to practise your treasons and to broche your heresies to the whole worlde You complaine like murtherers and theeues because you cannot murther and kil freely Where you threaten further kindnes that bee inpart knew that the authour addressed himselfe to a defense and that the print was dispersed that is euen as true as the other For ought that euer hee coulde heare or vnderstande there was no such copie taken with your seditious furniture In deede some other of your follies were met withall your nest was discouered and your cockatrises egges before they were fully hatched were broken and dispearsed But all this is to shew how master defender was hindered and yet what a man he is that amidst so many losses hath wrought such a wonder Parturiunt montes nascitur ridiculus mus The mountaines swell and there is borne a ridiculous mouse Againe it was pitie that hee kept not his first resolution vppon the difficulties alleadged but a wauering minded man is inconstant in all his wayes hee woulde and hee woulde not answere Especially master Charkes booke answering it self being very obscure in many places and very weake so as it needed no confutation and most of all because Campion the subiect of the whole matter was now taken whome wee had so long desired and thirsted after but I wonder whence you drewe such a conclusion that therefore you looked hee should bee disputed withal according to reason and al our owne promises openly and publikely c. Was it like that this should giue you any hope make you slacke so necessarie a work no no you knewe full well that whensoeuer you attempted to confute the truth you should but wash a tile and if master Charkes booke had beene so easie a pill for you to swallowe wee should haue heard of it long ere this or if it had answered it self your foolish paines might haue been well enough spared And as for Campions being taken whom you call the subiect of the matter whereby you confesse a man to bee the foundation of your whole work 〈◊〉 shold his being takē hinder your co urse Where did any one of vs. much lesse al promise him or you any such opē free disputatiō Should wee promise that which was not in our power or if we had been so foo lish being 〈◊〉 men to haue promised as he and the rest of you haue been 〈◊〉 to challenge how should we haue perfourmed it Surely I thinke you suppose vs to bee princes to doe what we lift because you are insolent take vpon you that for which you haue no warrant Of like consequence is it that you say we desired his taking whereby you would insinuate that we thirsted for his death no no it is you who haue alwayes thirsted for blood we wished him more feare of God and grace to haue holden him in duety
is to denie all Fathers Doctours Councelles histories examples Presidents customes 〈◊〉 and prescriptions and to make our selues Iudges ouer them Yea it is to denie the Bookes of Scripture them selues and the sense reseruing all interpretation to our selues But what is this els but to begge that which is in question To charge vs with that whiche your selues vsurpe and put in continual practise And howe is this to denye the bookes of Scripture when wee staye onelie vppon the Scripture And howe is this to denie the sense of the Scripture when wee staye vppon that interpretation of the scripture whiche is by scripture whiche is not priuate of or by any man but from the holye Ghost And is this to denie Councelles Fathers Doctours Hystories and Examples c When wee reade them consider of them thanke GOD for the lighte and helpes they yeelde to vs by these giftes God hath giuen them yet alwayes trying them and all things by the onely touchstone which is the scripture Is this that Iesuiticall Logicke that will make vp the mouth of Poperie against whiche no man shall dare to wagge Surelie it is peeuishe it is foolishe Yea but Catholikes though they giue soueraigntie in all thinges to it yet they bynde them selues also to other thinges besides Verie well that is to saye though the scriptures be chiefe yet they set other thinges equall with them And what other thinges bee they If they bee of men Why then it must followe that you matche the thinges of men with GOD you make earth equal with heauen the wisedome of the 〈◊〉 you couple to the wisedome of the spirite And this is one of your chiefest Abhominations your wittes are vnhappie enough to abuse the truth But 〈◊〉 whether they haue more libertie to roaue abroade that haue the wyde worlde to wander in or they that are sh ut vp in a parlar Whether are they looser to choppe and chaunge affirme and denie allowe and mislike that rest in the Scriptures or they that wil wander in euerye wildernesse of mens deuises customes prescriptions and I cannot tell what Indeede I know that the word of God is larger then al the world and he is at greater libertie that is bound vnto it then he that wandreth after men and yet we acknowledge Gods giftes in men and when the fathers speake as the worde we acknowledge the worde in them and reuerence them for the wordes sake But if they speake as Chrisostome sayth With the voyce of a stranger then we cannot hearken vnto them We know the voyce of Christ but not the voyce of a stranger And al that are Christes doe alwayes speake in Christes voyce and if this exception be to be taken of them that are Christes How should we except against them that haue plainely prooued themselues to be none of Christes You may therefore put vp your pipes concerning those whom by supposition you cal Heretikes but yet could neuer proue them so to be for standing only to the Scripture As for the interpretation of the Scripture it is from the Authour of the Scripture not from mens writings but from the Scriptures themselues which are not of any priuate interpretation as the Apostle saith Maister Charke chanteth therefore worthilie as a good Musition vpon this special point treading the path of al faithful Christians before him in keeping himselfe fast to the Scriptures and you like a rouing Heretike followe the pathes of your forefathers that dare not be tried by that rule of righteousnesse but followe your owne sinneful deuise and as you are a corrupt flesh flie so you feede vpon the corruptions and soares of men because you loue that which is moste agreeable to your corrupt nature That Spirites must be tried you confesse but that full and 〈◊〉 rule out of the Apostle vexeth you to the heart and howsoeuer you raue at it bringing in a diuersity of interpretations to set them at oddes with M. Charkes as that the auncient fathers interpreted it of the Iewes and against Ebion and Cerinthus that denied the Godhead of Christ and 〈◊〉 his comming in the flesh and rather against M. Charke and his fellowes yet it wil sit neerer your skirts then that you can so easily remoue it For albeit it be nothing to the purpose if you shoulde bring twenty diuers interpretations of sundry to preiudice the true meaning gathered naturally out of the circumstances of the text yet what letteth that interpretation of the Doctors that it should not bee also applyed to you For Christe is resisted by some one way and by some another As the Iewes therefore Ebion and Cerinthus denied Christe dissolued Iesus that I may vse your owne worde so doe you in truth though you confesse him with your mouthes For of him with the Iewes you denie him to bee a sole sufficient and onely Sauiour You destroy his true humanitie and crucifie him continually as they did You stand vpon former priuiledges pretend a personall succession and fathers euen as they did when yet they crucified the Lord of glory for which act you praise them and teache they had sinned deadly if they had not done it Euen as the Ebionites also taught that faith was not only sufficient to saluation but that the keeping of the lawe must bee ioyned with it so doe you Againe you holde with them that Christe was not before the Virgin Mary What heresie is there in the worlde that you doe not communicate withall in one poynt or other I haue shewed it largely in another place and therefore meane not no we to stand vpon it With the Valentinians you haue deuised an infinite number of Goddes As the Collyridians sacrificed to the virgin Mary and worshipped her so doe you As the Angelists gaue diuine honour to the angels so doe you As Montanus deuisyd lawes for fasting and dissolued Matrimonie so do you As the Tatians Eucratians and Manichees cryed out that mariage was a carnall kinde of life and forbade it to those that woulde bee perfect so doe you As the Pellagians denied concupiscence of it selfe without consent to bee sinne and ascribed to the naturall powers strength to doe spirituall thinges and affirmed that a man is saued by keepyng the lawe so doe you and it is the greatest matter handeled in this booke Master Charkes good grace therefore in interpreting that place of Iohn cannot bee so easily wyped away For if Christ must bee confessed as hee must in deede then the controuersie is not of the confession of his name in bare wordes and with the mouth only but of his power of his offices that is to say of his prophetship of his kingdome and of his priesthood acknowledged also from the hearte And though all the papists in the worlde sweare that they allowe these in Christe and answeare the matter with a 〈◊〉 flam that they allowe Prophetes teache kinges to raigne vnder
the same thing to trouble the Readers I omit As for general Councels which you say you admitte and refuse none that euer antiquitie vsed for the trial of a Catholique and Hereticall Spirite I aunsweare that though you sayde true as you doe not yet these can bee no safe wayes to trie the trueth by for as hath beene sayde afore these haue beene contrary one to another and as there haue beene more then one Pope at once so there haue beene Councelles according to their seuerall factions in those same Schismes the moste and greatest and of longest continuaunce in your Church that euer were in anie Churche in the worlde Besides that they haue erred in greate and weightie matters and most of all your late Chapter of Trent whither if wee had vppon your safe conduite come wee shoulde haue had the same intertaynment that Iohu Husse and Hierome of Prague had comming to the councell of Constance against your faith and promise which you aduouch is to bee holden or broken as shall bee best for the commoditie of the church And this is your receiued doctrine that no promise is to bee kept with an heretike and wee are as you say heretikes therefore you are not bound to stande to any promise you make vs. This is not onely practised by your Pope and his Cardinalles but also by such popishe Princes as stay vpon this his doctrine and direction And yet for all this great bragge it is plaine that you admit no generall councels but wherein they resist your errour you resist them As for example you refuse the councell of Franck ford because it determined against the worshipping of Images that of Nice that permitted Ministers to marry those of Constance and Basill that subiected the Pope vnder the Church and made him equall with other Bishops that of Carthage also that curseth him that calleth himselfe vniuersal Bishop which your Pope doth and all the rest if there be any point maintained against your popish religion Concerning the Doctors which you bring againe and againe to fill vp your booke sufficient hath beene saide before And yet wee say Augustine did well in vrging Iulian the Pelagian with the consent of the Fathers and so did Theodosius to hearken to Sysinninus and Nectarius good aduise against the Arrians For the consent of holy fathers professing the truth against errours and heresies is not lightly to bee esteemed Neither did we set light by that common iudgemente of these Orthodoxall and sounde fathers that haue liued before vs especially because their iudgement is grounded vpon the Scriptures But what serueth this to binde vs against the truth for tryall of it to bee iudged by men full of errours and seeing that immediatly after the Apostles times the churche was combred with many heresies I suppose in the first foure hundred yeeres there were not so fewe as foure hundred heresies all disagreeing one from another and all dissenting from the truth of God In which time yet God raised vp many notable and singulerinstrumentes that helde vp right the glorious profession of the Gospell whereby they resisted these heresies and errours and not by their owne worde or by their owne authoritie For how can these bee any warrant or strength of that hope which is for euer Such presumption hath notbeen founde in Gods children but in those of your fort who haue lifted vp your selues aboue Angels and made your selues Iudges ouer the lawe of God As for vniuersalitie antiquitie consent succession of Popes which you haue neuer done with and bring so often sometime as markes and sometime as tryalles as you doe in this place they are nothing to the purpose For Vniuersalitie whiche you call multitude is rather a marke of the Diuels Synagogue then of the Church of Christ. Mat. 7. 13. as for the Churche of Christe it is a little flocke neither doth the woorde Catholique whiche signifieth vniuersall helpe you one whit whereby is noted not a multitude but that how many or how fewe soeuer wee are haue beene or shall be heereafter that professe the Gospell of Iesus Christe wee make all but one Church So that the name Catholique 〈◊〉 all Christians that euer haue beene are or shalbe and agreeth as vnfitly to you as generall to particuler the whole Churche to Rome which is but a Citie and a lesse corner of the worlde then was that part of Affricke wherein the Donatistes would haue shut vp the vniuersall Churche As for departing we haue no otherwise departed from you then you are departed from the Church by whom is verified that which was prophesied that many should fal in the last times from the faith and giue heede to spirites of errour And the same helping causes that helde Augustine to continue his sincere profession against the Manichees doe also holde vs for we are in deede true Catholikes and you heretikes wee are retained in the lappe and bosome of the Church sucking that pure and vndefiled milke and you are in the lap of a strumpet drawing the filth and corruption of mans superstition and abhomination wee haue the consent of all peoples and nations that are gathered by this voice with vs and you ioyne in the conspiracie and treason of all that are stiffnecked and rebellious against the Gospell In whose 〈◊〉 though there be no end yea though we be but an handfull in respect of your confuse heape yet we haue the consent and you the dissent we are Catholike and you schismaticall rent from the fellowship and body of Iesus Christe The place of 〈◊〉 which you alleadge is plaine for vs. For speaking of the true Catholike church of Christ whereof wee are members wee also holde it very needefull that wee retaine that truth whiche hath beene is or shall bee retained of all or moste Christians But Vincentius is not of minde that wee shoulde follow the most the eldest and the greatest consent as thinges to trie the truth of God by and as they are considered in themselues For who knoweth not that the most are worste that errour is very olde and there may be and is many times consent in iniquitie as well as in veritie I am 〈◊〉 that Antichriste hath beene in the worlde these thousande and fiue hundred yeeres Ioh. 2. 18. The misterie of iniquitie beganne to worke and preuaile euen in Saint Paules dayes 2. Thes. 1. 2. and in deede this is the antiquitie of your Romishe Churche whereof you so muche boaste That the corruption of it in that Antichristian pride and ambition that inuaded it and by little and little afterwardes crept along till it had ouercome and choked it till that abhomination of desolation foretolde was nowe placed in that holy place and temple of God not so much consisting in the remouing of those first sacrifices of the lawe seruice then established as in bringing in a Maozim and vnblooddy sacrifice such as Christe neuer instituted I meane that
reconciliation at length euerlasting life an this you call the mercy of 〈◊〉 that God hath promised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them that worke well that is to them that fulfill the law of God So that you make all our life and saluation to consist in the commandement of the lawe the fulnesse whereof is loue And yet the scriptures proue quite contrary that our whole health and saluation consisteth in the merite of Christe and Paule teacheth that men are iusufied freely without the workes of the lawe whose righteousnesse perfourmed and paide to the lawe is imputed to euery beleeuer and hee addeth to proue this the example of Abraham of whome it is saide Hee beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnesse Nowe to him that worketh rewarde is not imputed according to grace or 〈◊〉 but according to debt But to him which worketh not but beleeueth in him which iustifieth the vngodly his faith is reputed to righteousnesse according to the purpose of Gods grace To this ende is that saying alleadged out of Dauid Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered that is are not imputed And hee writeth els where of himselfe that hee woulde bee found in Christe not hauing his owne righteousnes but that which was of the faith of Christe and of God c. So that wee see heere a plaine exchange our vnrighteousnesse is the debt that Christ hath paide of his meere goodnesse and this paiment is accounted ours by imputation And on the otherside all our sinnes are laide againe vpon Christe and that righteousnesse of Christe wherby he satisfied the lawe and pacified the wrath of his father is become ours through faith and is translated vnto vs. What shoulde I speake of your other heresies most blasphemous in iustifiyng concupiscence to bee no sinne and this lawe of concupiscence Thou shalt not lust you affirme not to belong to vs that it doth not forbid vs to haue euill desires that this euill that dwelleth in our fleshe is forbidden by no lawe when as the scriptures teache that sinne is simply called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Paule proueth that by the lawe wee knowe sinne and that if the lawe had not saide Thou shalte not luste hee had not knowen that to luste had beene sinne and yet sorsooth this is one of the greatest matters of Diuinitie handeled in this your rayling defence of the Censure against the whole course of the Scripture and all sounde writers that euer wrote who not onlie condemne that consent to luste but euen that titling of our corrupt nature which according to the newe man is hated whiche sinne dwelling in vs not only begetteth but also nourisheth bringeth forth Your other heresies I wil not speake of in this place which albeit you wil not confesse to be heresies yet as long as they are so proued by the word of God and are stil defended by your church they put an ende to al controuersie about it As for your two conditions to make it a lawful trial to be obserued of his part that will obiect an heresie to another one that the accused partie doe holde such an heresie indeede and not the likelihood of it The other that the heresie be indeede an heresie so accounted and condemned in the primatiue church although you might haue brought both into one yet we easily admit them For we in truth charge you not with anie thing where of you are not guiltie Neither doe we say because suche an heretike and such an heretike held this or that therefore it is an heresie we reason not so that is your wonted manner of reasoning But we saie such an heresie contrary to the word of God was holden by such such an heretike which you hold in like sort against the word therfore in those thinges you iumpe with them and are Heretikes Concerning the heresie of Pelagius it is certaine as may appeare out of infinite your writinges that as hee with his disciples and followers were enimies to the grace of God so are you as they mainteined those natural powers by which they had as they said an election to doe or leaue vndone that which was good or euill so say you And in your opinion set downe you iumble together mans wil and the grace of God teaching that the wil of man holpen with the grace of God may not onely doe well but may fulfill the law of God expuris naturalibus and so be saued whiche is so much the more monstrous because you ioy ne thinges contrarie in one subiect talking of the grace of God and of those pure naturals together wherat the Apostle saith If of grace then not of works If of pure naturals then what needeth grace There is no grace where there is desert Neither did the Pelagians vtterly denye grace when in disputation they were pressed but confessed more of it then you doe as may appeare by Augustine his booke ad Innocentium But this is your religion and alwaies hath beene that it hath neuer beene at a stay You boast of 〈◊〉 and consent but looke howe many heads there are amongest you so manie monstrous opinions also you holde euen in the greatest weightiest matter of iustification Some times you attribute to one thing sometime to another and yee are not at one with your selues You and we both 〈◊〉 that good woorkes are necessarie and wee agree that what 〈◊〉 we doe which is good wee doe it by the grace of GOD whereby we are strengthened through faith to testifie a sincere an holy profession but wee saye that our woorkes are imperfect wee saye that the fullest and best that wee canne doe are too weake to iustifie vs in the fight of God that they deserue nothing but death and euerlasting destruction you contratiwise affirme that good workes serue to clense your sinnes to pacifie Gods wrath and to attaine euerlasting life yea you say that there are three thinges that must be obtained by merite that is euerlasting life the increase of grace and the forgiuenes of the punishment of sinne And yet that these woorkes commaunded of God are not the woorkes that onelie please God but also there are freewill workes done at the choyse of man and that without Faith as Andradius fayneth But we knowe by the Scriptures that these works of mans choyce can stand vs in no steed S. Paule condēneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and whatsoeuer saith he is not of faith it is sinne and it cannot please God Good fruites must needes haue a good tree The branches are worth nothing that are not engrafted into Christe neither haue they anielife 〈◊〉 Christ their life And therefore if you wil magnifie the grace of God as you ought you must confesse that we are saued by grace throughly not of workes least anie shoulde boast You must goe farther of
a Church yard Do you not thinke that this passeth sacrificing to the Virgin Mary And doe we not greate wrong vnto them When wee charge them with heresies Who care not what they holde nor what they set downe but agree as I haue saide with all and those the most grosse heretikes that cuerliued not in anie good thinges that they helde for these are none of theirs but euen in their greatest corruptions and villanies against God and his worde as may appeare by their doctrine and liues deliuered in all times and ages And this is verified of them concerning prayer for the dead as master Fulke hath iustly charged them ioyning with the Montanistes among whose heresies that is written though Augustine Ambrose Chrysostome did also in some sort hold it For they held it not as these do besides the foundation of faith though it bee an errour in faith nor in suche grosse manner though the corruption of that time had preuailed with them to make them erre Wee doe not therefore abuse the people but doe holde that whatsoeuer is condemned for heresie in the worde of God and so was accounted and conuinced as stood in and mainteined in the primatiue Church that we account condemne styll for heresie But where hee saith that wee holde heresies and culleth out those which are in deede no heresies but manifest truethes according to the worde of God as that of Aerius against prayer for the dead and that of Vigilantius for praying vnto Saintes it needeth no other answere then that which is set downe alreadie by writers from amongest vs of all sortes And it is a good answere that euery thing is not an errour which good men haue reckoned for errours for so without all cause the truth should be condemned and that which is false shoulde be vpholden and maintained The conditions therefore you speake of are not maintained seeing of the greatest heresies you cannot for all your malice accuse vs of any one And as for these errours which you woulde haue made so great heresies they are none but are according to the truth of God as those fathers held them were not so blasphemous as they are in you that hold litle or nothing of the foundation of faith As for the maner of heretikes wherewith you fit vs and still with your former two conditions whether our or your manners best 〈◊〉 them and agree with them shall in a fitter place appeare As for Augustines note of that propertie of the Donatistes that hated as you say the sea of Rome and called it Cathedram pestilentiae the chayre of Pestilence if wee shoulde graunte that Rome nowe were the same Rome that it was then how can it fit vs that neuer called any member of the Churche the chayre of Pestilence The Donatists in deede 〈◊〉 shut vp the Catholike Churche into a corner of the worlde and thought other Churches and Rome amongest the rest to bee no Church against whome Saint Augustine disputeth in the fiftie Chapter But of that you mention and specially of Rome which you name there is no worde not sillable in the fiftie and one Chapter But this is alwayes your propertie like obstinate heretikes as you are to abuse your Readers with quoting places out of the Doctors for a shewe onely of that which is not there as though all went of your side when neither worde nor matter tending that way can bee founde in the places by you alleadged But euen as heretikes are wont you ly by tradition and make no conscience to be daube your margent with shewe of Authorities when you haue not so much as a syllable to maintaine your errours Bring mee therefore that place directly out of Augustine When you answere againe that heretikes call the Church of Rome Cathedram Pestilentiae when in deede it was a member of the true Church if they did so they beare a iust condemnation But as it is now it is in deede the seate of Antichriste despising and persecuting the Catholike Churche of Christe and forsaking the scriptures by which it refuseth to be prooued mainteining false doctrine liuing therewithall abhominably And therefore must needes bee the chaire of Pestilence It must needes heerein agree with the Donatists that dreamed of a decay of the Church of an Apostacie and falling awaye so as though all were headged in at Rome and you onely as the two Tribes as Angustine speaketh had remayned in the temple that is in the Church No we aske you with Augustin Seeing wee doe not beleeue you howe will yee conuince vs Will you not 〈◊〉 vs by the holy scriptures where with so great manifestation they are reade to the ende that whosoeuer hee bee that once beleeueth those letters hee cannot but confesse these thinges to bee most true Againe if I must therefore bee compelled to beleeue these examples to bee true because they are there written when I cannot say they are false which are written Why doe not they also themselues beleeue the same Scriptures concerning the Church spread throughout the world Loe wee beleeue all those things let them also beleeue that which the Lorde saith that repentance and remission of sinnes is preached in his name throughout all nations beginning at Herusalem But what maketh all this for Rome or against vs vnlesse wee shoulde giue that they beg which is too too absurd that a particuler Church is the Catholike churche that Rome is the vniuersall churche which though we should giue them yet they are neuer the neare seeing God neuer forsaketh his and they are his whome hee hath foreknowen whom hee hath chosen whom he doth neuer reiect but keepeth them amidst all tryals and tentations bringing them to rest in the end Another propertie whiche must needes bee ours is for hating and cōdemning the life of Monkes and also for drawing Nunnes out of their cloisters and ioyning our selues with the same in pretended wedlocke First for that place out of the second booke against the Epistle of Parmenian there is not one worde tending that way and as for that Epistle to Eusebius In deede Augustine there complaineth of the breach of their discipline that two were allured by the Cyrcumcelians not because they woulde marry but because they woulde shake of the yoke of the Lordes discipline they went gadding vp and downe like vagabonds and gaue themselues to drunkennesse and so hee complaineth of a Subdeacon but what maketh this against vs We drawe them not like Circumcelians from the religion and discipline of Christe but beeing Christians and hauing not the gift of continencie wee giue them counsaile to marrie The Monkes and Nunnes which Augustine spake of are as like theirs as they are vnlike to Christians whose names they boast wee drawe them not out in any disordered sort to bring them to ryot and to allure them from God to make them harlots as themselues commonly did but wee shewe them of that libertie God hath left 〈◊〉
them to honestie not to villanie as it is too euident they did when scarse amongest a number fewe escaped from their filthie abuse by which they were defloured many bastardes begotten and murthered many buggeries con tinually committed against the worde of God As for the Arrians Saint Augustine had good cause disputing against them that abused the scripture in that same sacred misterie of the Trinitie to stande vpon that liuely tradition of the Apostles which is no suche thing as you intende by tradidion contrary to the written word of God but the same was receiued from hande to hand agreed with the doctrine of Christe and his Apostles written and set downe to all posteritie In this respect that misterie of beleeuing in the father the sonne and the holy Ghoste was so called in the councell of Constantinople by Tertullian and Basill and of such like speaketh the Apostle when hee saith Holde fast those traditions which you haue receiued eyther by our worde or by our Epistle In this respect Augustine disputing against Maximinus an heretike appealeth to the tradition of the Apostles But what serueth this to maintaine your false named traditions vnder the name of the Apostles that are but byrdes hatched yesterday yet calow and scarse couered with feathers as vnlike those whom you woulde make their dammes as your selues are who in all thinges are degenerated from them Of like consequence for proofe of your Masse Altars Chalices Chrisme and Priestes vestiments is that you set downe as you say noted by Optatus before Augustine Surely the place by you alleadged serueth as little to your helpe as the other Wee denie not but that in the waste made by those barbarous Vandalles There was great spoyle in the iust iudgemente of God brought vpon the churche all kinde of learning ceasing almost and the monuments thereof being vtterly decayed which one of your great pillers master Harding saith was because of their schisme from the church of Rome which was neither so nor so in which yet Rome it selfe was taken possessed and 〈◊〉 by sundrie men aboue 6. times in a small space But would you hereby insinuate your Idolatrous Masse which then had not halfe the Idolatrous patches that since haue been added woulde you insinuate your chalices which then were no otherwise knowen and taken then as cuppes fit for that seruice woulde you insinuate your aulters of stone that tooke their first beginning from Pope Sixtus as both Uolateran Vernerius testifie For as in Christs time there were not many temples builded so there were not many alters erected and therefore in Origens time it was obiected by Celsus that they had neither images nor aulters nor temples and so Arnobius sayth that the Heathen cast this likewise in their teeth whereby it appeareth that in their times the church was not acquainted with your prophanations In deede the name of Masse of latter times hath been vsed but it sheweth not that it was vsed then or that it was yours wherof they spake I mean your priuat Masse no it was the communion and according to that they had tables of wood and no aulters They might sometime call the communion tables by the name of aulters as also some other things by those names that you yet retaine but this was by Metaphor and as a man would say improperly rather for the receiued maner of speech of the auncient worship instituted vnder the lawe before the comming of Christe whilest sacrifices endured then now to prooue such a blasphemous sacrifice or aulter as yours is For Siluester the first as some of you write though falsly was he that commanded that none shoulde consecrate at a woodden aulter and Bonifacius was he that first deuided the priest from the people And S. Augustine complaineth that the Donatistes on a time in great rage brake the boords of the aulter and wounded the priestes And that they were made of wood and stoode in the middest of the Church c. It may appeare by this that hee saith it was the subdeacons office to remoue the table which he could not haue done if either it had beene of stone or fast fixed against any wall Eastward as your superstitious maner is And is this your burning charitie to compare vs with those barbarous heretikes the Donatists or those Vandals being in deede Arrians as all the rest were that made suche hauocke not onely of the Churche of Rome but of the Churches in Affricke of Antioche of Hippo where Augustine was and sundrie others These were madde against the truth and we stand for it It is not we that trouble Israell but Achab and his fathers house Is it all one to rage againste the people of God to execute Gods sentence vpon Baals priests For with as good right Baals priestes might haue blamed Helias and Helizeus Iehu and such godly princes for destroying their aulters ouerthrowing their temples shedding their blood as you blame and charge vs. The difference is plaine they were Donatistes and Arrians wee Christians they like sauage and brutish Boares brake in vpon the Lords inheritance we labour to keepe out such Boars Wolues and beastes as you are and haue proued your selues to bee The same may bee saide of that obiected by Basill against Iulian the 〈◊〉 his fellowes You are the Iulians and wee those whome you persecute in Christe in his members But for qualities we shall say more hereafter For your contentednesse to admit now what soeuer triall wee will for the finding out of your spirites surely wee cannot but congratulate your kindenesse But is this the opinion of all your fellowes or of yourselfe alone If of all then let vs see their handes authentikclie vppon recorde deliuered vnto vs. Once wee are sure of this that it is against their generall doctrine as hath beene saide before If it bee or your selfe that I may vse your owne phrase you are somewhat too cockishe against the common opinion of your Church to offer so franckly and yet as you saide to M. Hanmer I thinke when it shall come to triall you shall be none of the disputers As for that you write that you are not daunted For that Campion and Sherwinn that were foreward that way are taken away by death surely we thinke so If the tryall of your cause had depended vppon them then your religion had falne with their treason And thankes be to God howe harde soeuer your heartes bee yet you haue and had cause to feare seeing vnder pretence of Disputation they were prooued to practise 〈◊〉 and to establish an Antichristian iurisdiction against the crowne dignitie and peace of our Soueraigne Queene and Princesse I giue you warning therefore before Looke ere you leape for without doubt your religion and treason are so clasped and twined together that they will hardly bee sundered Woulde you dispute with vs who are to bee shunned Come you to
must be solitarie they may not buyld their monasteries in cities they must not be vagrauntes but get their liuing by the labour of their handes their Nunnes must not cut their haire they must deuise no more newe orders but rather keepe one of the best approued Their auricular confession is not necessary to saluation but rather an ordinance of man And as their canons are so also are their councels their interpretations one against another as hath beene shewed before The councel of Basil condemneth Eugenius the pope and hee againe condemneth the whole councel The contentions brawles of Monkes and Friers they are infinite and known their schismes long horrible during many yeres the mendicāts against the vniuersitie of Paris al other orders nowe the lesuires 〈◊〉 the bel a way ourgoe al others The Sententionarists and schoolmen they also agree like cattes and dogges the writings of Catharin the Archbish are against de Soto Caietane is against others Tapper both a gainst Pighius Catharine Durand al the rest Sometimes they teach concerning iustification that by only faith in the passion of Christ our sinnes are forgiuen and the promise of pardon to be laide holde of by this onely meane Another time they teach that Christ hath satisfied for original sins actual sins going before baptisme but that we must satisfie for the rest afterwards Againe Christ hath satisfied through sufficiencie but not by efficiency and participation of fruit Christ hath satisfied for the fault but not for the 〈◊〉 for wee must satisfie for that Faith doth iustifie initiatiuè but not consummatiuè that is it begins to iustifie but it doth not performe it Also precedent workes prepare to iustification but workes consequent make it perfect These are their dissentions and horrible disagreements which they cannot discerne in themselues not begun yesterday but such as haue bin continual amōgst them as touching their greatest matters and yet they can see into our differēces in smal matters to make vs at the greater oddes they can matche vs with such here tikes indeed as we no more allow of then themselues nor so much neither no party protestāts or rather christians with vs but with them against Christ and his truth But the maiestie of Christendome in comparison of our poore faction as he calleth it doth much cōfort him Thankes be to God though the least that yet are best cannot compare for multitude with the worst that are most yet he may remember that wee are not such a poore companie as he would haue vs. For God hath caused his people to grow and increase not from Paganisme to popisme the mother of al here sies as they boast to haue done in the Indies but from paganisme and false religion indeed to true christianitie in 〈◊〉 Flaurders Germanie Spaine England Scotland some whole countries hauing vtterly abandoned their idolatries and corruptions And this not 〈◊〉 Maister Charke whom he dreameth to sit by the fire in his personage wherein as in great matters so in this also he is taken with a foule lie may see but al other christians whose eies God hath not shut vp in 〈◊〉 to their owne destruction Nowe being growen to some conclusion he setteth downe what order he wil keepe And for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will set downe his owne censure wholly againe For the man 〈◊〉 to heare himselfe speake But hee pretendeth to doe that bicause M. Charke is obscure But the truth is hee prouideth to haue that which he setteth down red fullie of his Catholike broode but as for M. Charks answere he knoweth that none of his confederates must once touch it vpon paine of the blacke curse vnlesse he be licensed and authorized thereunto This is the way that they take when all the world knoweth that we reade their bookes and answeare thē thorowly and they like butchers curres 〈◊〉 at the worst morsels of ours and neuer marke the whole drift of the matter as Sit Parsons or what parson soeuer els be the defender hath done thorow this defence of his censure ageinst M. Charks replie and in al the rest of his bookes Thus I haue answeared these prefaces minding not to deale so particularly with the booke only I wil hereafter deale with those thinges that are personal which this runnegate prodigal Parsons as he is commonly taken if he be not a parson of another parrish as some thinke as a heape of filth hath raked together to discredite those excellent instrumentes of God which the Lord hath reared vp in his church for the edifiyng of his Sayntes And although it could no whit preiudice the truth as their own writers witnesse though men had their notorious faults yet because the holy ghost wil haue the ministers of God to be blameles I will mainteyn their innocencie by examining his reasons and witnesses in order of ech as they haue liued in their seuerall times and as occasion serueth I will lay out of their owne stories the liues of some of their chiefest popes the heades and pillers of their owne popish church and this also I wil doe as briefly as possibly I can 〈◊〉 An Aunsweare for the time vnto that foule and wicked defence of the Censure IN that you set downe your whole Censure and doe but croppe heere and there out of Maister Charkes replye without either replye or aunsweare to Maister Charkes reasons and arguments you deale with suche equitie as a man maye looke for at a Papistes handes that vse neyther Fayth nor sinceritye in any theyr dealinges But you haue done it for good causes as I haue noted before to witte that you may bee sure to broche out to the worlde your falshood and conceale the trueth of God If there had beene anye purpose of playne dealing you woulde as well haue set downe full and wholly your aduersaries replye as your Censure and defence And if you had made as shorte woorke of your owne as you haue done of his we shoulde not haue had after so long time but a first parte in steed of both firste and seconde nor in so manye sheets that might haue beene comprehended in a fewe But you neyther make conscience what you write nor howe you write howe often nor howe weakelie so you may seeme to your deceyued followers and superstitious Idiottes still to haue somewhat to saie And in verie trueth you set down nothing newe All is of that worme eaten store that was longe 〈◊〉 spent and haue receyued as often aunsweares as they haue beene obiected vnto vs. Of all M. Charkes replye to that prowde challenge of a Runnegate Iesuite ye take only a word or two for your entrance What is Campion or who are the rest of these Seedemen that they should auow popishe religion c. Heere you exclaime euen beeynge out of breath your selfe that Maister Charke entred in choller and if his beginning or entrie were so hotte
no more in this then in the other For you say that the commaundementes are so possible to bee kepte that euery one maye keepe them that will and that this is the keeping of them if we doe as much as lyeth in vs then we attayne the full perfection of the lawe and keepe it in this life when we are renewed and haue charitie That Hierom and Augustine had no such meaning concerning our fulfilling of the law that is that it was possible to be fulfilled in vs it is plaine in other places of their workes For in his dialogue against the Pelagians he saith they are possible through grace but impossible to the strength of nature as Paule saith I 〈◊〉 doe all thinges in him that comforteth mee agayne of our selues we cannot thinke a good thought In Christe the commandementes of God are absolutely fulfilled but not in vs whether we be regenerate or vnregenerate that in him we may assure our selues of all righteousnesse and saluation For this cause hee came to fulfill the Lawe for vs and to take away the curse thereof and therefore Aug. giueth this counsaile if a man saith he think that any thing is impossible or hard in keeping the commandements let him not dwell in himselfe but runne to him that helpeth who therefore hath giuen the commaundement that he may stirre vp our desire and so may giue helpe And againe this then is to fulfil the law not to lust but who is there that liueth and can doe this The Psalme saith he helpeth vs that was euen now 〈◊〉 O Lord heare me in thy righteousnesse not in mine owne c. I am sure the Pharisie had as perfect a righteousnesse according to the lawe without Christe as any Papist in the worlde coulde haue and the publicane as little in himselfe and yet the one was iustified and the other reiected in his hypocrisie because that whiche the one had was without Christe and the other with Christe that is by fayth in him and not in him selfe quite contrary to that doctrine of your conspiracie of Trent who teache with the rest of your faction an inherent righteousnesse whereby you and they both pleade iustification before God of deserte and merite whiche is no lesse then blasphemous against the death passion and satisfaction of Christe and of like sorte is that you bring for the mayntenaunce of that counsel out of Saynt Augustine concerning Baptisme of taking faultes vtterly away and not racing them Saint Augustine against the Pelagians aduoucheth truely that the Sacrament of Baptisme to the children is the seale of their ingraffement and adoption into Christ and is the vndoubted token of the forgiuenes of all their sinnes But hereby Saynt Augustine doth not confirme with you that after Baptisme there remaine no sinnes in the children of God or that the Sacramentes of themselues in the very administration thereof as of the worke wrought doe so conferre grace and take away sinne as that whosoeuer is baptized with outward baptisme foorth with is saued or receiueth that grace which they had not before or afterwards as you blasphemously teach when as rather Baptisme is the ratification of those graces and giftes that are bestowed vpon vs. So that this neither declareth M. Hanmer to be a man of small reading nor your selfe of any sincere iudgement reading or learning that thus picke vniust quarrels agaynst his person when no occasion was offered And thus much for M. Hanmer whom albeit you pinch now and then afterwards yet this being the greatest gripe you giue him when your nayles were at length I trust you shal doe him lesse hurt hereafter seeing now they are payred and made more short In that you picke also a quarrell both with Maister Charke and him for passing ouer your vncomely iestes concerning his good fellowlyke dealing it deserued no aunsweare at all as neither this defence of yours doth from which if there were taken the rayling lying and vayne repeating of thinges obiected and long agoe aunsweared wherewith you haue enlarged and adorned it it woulde carry but a verie small bulke But you say these thinges are not personall but concerne his falshood and folly in doctrine and yet you cannot in trueth sette downe anie one poynt of false doctrine but are driuen to shamefull beggerie whiche is that because you account them false and foolishe whiche you doe the truest and wisest set downe by vs that teache not as you doe therefore forsooth it must needes be so And farther to witnesse what a manne of charitie you are you coulde bee content to wishe him as good a parsonage as 〈◊〉 desireth so it were without the hurte of his Parishioners wherein yet your charitie is mixed with suche gaule that you insinuate him to bee as ambitious as you perhappes woulde bee if the time serued ambitiously to seeke that wherunto you had no warrantable calling and if of your liberalitie you coulde affoarde him such a liuing yet it should be with the renouncing of the truth and so to his own condemnation But yet that you might seeme to speake vpon some ground and not to haue giuen your proude Censure without cause You runne through his whole firste booke and to bring both your aduersaries into hatred sometime you commende Maister Charke in respecte of Maister Hanmer to haue aunsweared to the purpose and sometime commende Maister 〈◊〉 in respecte of Maister Charke to haue answeared more plainly and more quietly with lesse rayling and more goodfellow like sauinge forsooth a foule lie or two Thus 〈◊〉 turne and wynde and please your selfe trimly in your toyes and follies Where you are iustly touched that with you is called rayling and if you be familiarly dealt with why then wee are presumptuous if wee exhorte you wee flatter you and if wee 〈◊〉 you your owne we raile As for Campions credite and woorship in Oxeford when M. Hanmer was a ladde it may bee aunsweared that M. Hanmer within a little was as olde as hee and though hee came to place of countenance yet hee had more then euer hee deserued and what if he had had the greatest that might bee when hee came once to bee a Traytour enemie to GOD and to his countrey all those things were iustely loste As for Maister Hanmers perswasion that he should haue lefte his vowes to bee performed by others and haue ioyned with the ministers of Christ abandoning that Frierlike life and haue tasted howe sweete the Lorde was it was a more friendlye and faithfull perswasion then hee had grace to hearken vnto If hee had harkened vnto it hee neyther had died so shamefull a death nor beene suche an offence to the Churche of GOD. And one thing I warne you of that vyle spirite that openeth your mouth in suche Expositions as you 〈◊〉 vppon those places of holie Scriptures Taste and see how sweete the Lorde is which scoffingly you expounde to bee thus muche Take a Wife and a Benefice and other sweete
that it shoulde stande like stuble it shall perishe but wee shall bee saued If I should to requite him gather all that dung and filth together of raylinge and scurrilitie which is in their bookes I should euen choke the worlde and infect the uery ayre with their filthe As the cause is so are their wordes and therefore the comparison that hee maketh betwixt D. Fulk Allen Stapleton and Martiall is very vnequall and whatsoeuer such lewde lossels and spende thriftes as Parsons is with the rest of that popish crewe thinke of suche cubbes yet wee knowe howe to esteeme of them wee by the grace of God can discerne of them and what credite soeuer they haue with the worlde with men that are blinded and partial that are wont to praise them in those thinges that are most vnworthie of praise and haue their Parsons in admiration wonder at their giftes and extoll them aboue the Moone as if they were dropped out of heauen yet wee knowe that this is a plaine argument of their corruption and of their shame wherein they so much glory Neyther is it of any credite with vs though like Mules thty rub one another and dub one anothers sayinges though they haue some good giftes seeing they are abused by them and their illusions made the stronger to deceiue others And in deede the Gentiles of whom this Parson Parsons prateth had a greater measure then euer they had but all were nothing without Christe As for that hee calleth vs good fellowes wee desire no fellowship with suche and as for calling M. Fulke Minister in derision whome also from the Censure of one of his owne haire hee calleth the poste horse of the Protestants agreeing to that popish rayling spirite whereby he is lead shall receiue no other answere but this that M. Fulke may reioice to bee so reuiled for the defence of Gods glorious truth This deserueth no shame but prayse amongest all Gods people if in the zeale of God he bee carried with a swift course to answere their peeuish and pelting writings neither doth he it as poste alone For God be thanked hee knoweth and you shall find that there are a great number his inferiours both in yeeres and in the labour of the Gospel and after him in Christe that yet may bee your masters and can answere you well enough Hee doth it not therefore of penurie as a man beeing left alone and woulde carry the burden himselfe but of a readie and forwarde minde to serue the Lorde and his Churche And if hee alone and so swiftly doe it belike if all the Lordes armie shoulde come vpon you and with preparation and furniture where then woulde bee your glorie I knowe your prowde Philistinians heart and the contempt wherewith you reproche the glory of the Israel of God but bee assured this reaching to God hee will bee auenged of it The name of Minister beeing the name of his office hee thinketh no reproche to beare it but the name of a Popish Prieste instituted by Anticriste that hath no ground in the worde of God but hath written in the forehead of it the name of shame blasphemie this name if they were not past blushing might make them ashamed As for Martiall the laste of the three the argument was so grosse and the defence so blockishe that hee tooke in hande as might not only prouoke M. Fulk to call him by those names but they might blushe that I may vse their owne woordes of suche worshipfull writers The other contumelie of attributing this to the pot is iustly returned vpon his owne head For their Doctors are commonlie fitter for the pot then for the pulpit and for an ale benche or a stage then for the Church of God with whome when rayling is done they are mumme and the tragidie is ended Now hauing done as hee saith with the schollers he letteth driue also at the Masters and heere Caluine is set in the first ranke and yet hee might knowe that how soeuer wee esteeme of Caluine as of an excellent and notable personage yet wee haue but one master neyther dyd hee in regarde of those excellent giftes God had bestowed vppon him euer challenge any such prerogatiue or authoritie That is only common to popery and what are his sharpe wordes forsooth his ordinarie tearme against the Papistes is knaues Surely as fitte a name for them in the highest signification as can bee and specially if a fitte Epitheton bee ioyned to it and yet who knoweth not that hath anye skylll either in the Latine Englishe Frenche or Scottishe tongues that it carryeth no suche odious contumelie with it If malice had not blinded this mans hearte hee woulde haue looked vpon his godly and great labours set foorth with so notable profite of the whole Church of God he would haue looked vpon his zeale for the glory and maintenance of the truth of God against such enemies and resisters as himselfe and the Papistes are And what Bishops forsooth are his Superiours Still this Parsons will bee a beggar as though M. Caluine shoulde confesse that the Pope and his Cardinalles are the Churche and suche as hee hath proudly aduaunced and appointed were his Superiours which for his heart he cannot proue eyther by the law of God or man As for Staphilus when hee will forsooth dubbe a counsailour and dare sausily compare with some of ours beeing men of honour all the worlde knoweth what an Apostatate and runnagate hee was first falling from the truth of God and then afterwardes for the glorye of men embracing false religion and following this present euill worlde What his spirite of rayling was hee that shall reade his workes especially his booke against Andreas his Hyppodromus and suche like see at large hee was one of the first deuisers of those notable lyes against Luther after whom followed Cochcteus Eccius and the rest such another as that wretch Bolsecke is of whom we shall speake afterwards Nowe as though hee had taken his leaue of Caluine hee passeth foorth to see what hee may finde in Luther whome they call the Dutch Beare This man he calleth our father as hee did Caluine before our Master and wee are newe ympes who haue receaued from our father the first fruites of his spirite as the Apostles had of the holy spirite Thus doth this prophane wretch with an impure mouth and an vnholy spirite abuse the most comfortable and holy woorde of God But as wee answered euen nowe for hauing anye man to bee our Master in matters of God so wee acknowledge but one father And though Papistes haue manye fathers of whom they receiue religion by imitation and tradition and depend vpon them being men they are newe fathers and new imps 〈◊〉 of that old father of ours which was before all times in whom we were beloued chosen called regenerated and sanctified euen bofore the foundation of the worlde was layde And so farre forth as Luther taught this old and first and
vs I pray you were euer so bolde malapert or vnreuerent in the raigne eares of his owne daughter to compare him to an ape at Paules crosse in other places as one of your whelps did for pulling down of Abbeis We neuer cōceiued secretly that which they haue rung out alowde in the eares of al and thorow out the whole worlde concerning that worthy prince by whom God gaue the pope such a deadly wound as I trust he shal neuer reuiue in that strength power that he had in this yle againe We neuer practised treasons rebellions when he was sharpest set against vs but alwayes with 〈◊〉 endured whatsoeuer was laid vpon vs when vpon small occasions diuers of our brethren were put to death by the instigation of suche as were about him when the sixe articles were procured and according to the faction that then was some were burned as they called it for here sie and others were executed for the supremacie and conspiracie In their Cronologies and writinges they euermore cal him beast tyrant not withstanding they are home borne men whiche Luther was not they speake a great deale woorse against him for good thinges then euer Luther did whō we make no prophet as you say for setting himselfe against GOD and his Gospel As for his termes of Ruffians and Rakehels they agree not to the Gospell but all knowe that Papists are Rakehelles For their Popes are the Gaylers of hell and they canfetch them thence with their Trentalles masses Diriges such other trūperies which are the rakes indeede and harrowes that they haue deuised to rake and harrowe hell As for Ruffianrie it is proper to poperye to their straightest and holyest orders Example of Campion and others who were founde in their apparrell as Ruffianlike as might bee As for that whiche hee obiecteth afterwardes of Luthers bitternesse against his brethren for the matter of the Sacrament whom hee calleth Caluinistes speaking of it there and afterwardes in the seuentie two seuentie three seuentie foure seuētie fiue seuentie sixe seuentie seuen pages vnder the Title of Protestantes dissention I shall neede to saye little in it it beeing but a quarrell 〈◊〉 of them to discredite the trueth wherein howesoeuer menne varie yet that is alwayes one and like it selfe Neyther ought the brawles of men to discourage anie from the loue of the Gospell 〈◊〉 wee see euen amongest the Apostles themselues as they were men sometimes that bitternesse that shewed them to bee men and yet was it no breach of that vnitie of the Spirite and of that agreement whiche in an holie profession of doctrine was helde amongest them And as I haue sayde before their contentions were not for matters of waight and substaunce but eyther for ceremonies or els for some suche errors as notwithstanding they were errors yet the foundation of faith might be kept 〈◊〉 and they might be saued of which sort wee take the errours that were amongest the auncient Fathers to be and these of the Lutherans Amongest whom of late though some intemperate spirites haue gone further then euer did their forefathers of whom they would seem to holde as Smediline Brentius Kemnitius 〈◊〉 Hamelmanus Holderus and the rest that mainteine grosser thinges and gather greater discordes then indeede there are or then euer Luther did and are 〈◊〉 bent to maintein al Luthers writings doctrine namely that first confession called the Augustine confession offred to the estates as a rule of faith from which none ought any whit to depart which yet was written in a time wherein they could not haue so mature and ripe iudgement when they studied to carrie those pointes of Religion whiche 〈◊〉 not best lyked nor receiued of those chief Princes more darkly closely then was 〈◊〉 yet being but a few and very rawe writing it as shoulde appeare but for an interim vntil the Lord should giue a clearer waye and make a freer passage for it What should all this preiudice the truth whiche we by the grace of God alwaies indeuouring to mainteine haue and doe set our selues against those that gainstand it And why shoulde those that fell into manifest heresies be iumbled in amongst vs For as wel you might match Simon Magus and Iudas with the 〈◊〉 and Augustin with Manicheus with Pelagius and the rest of those heretikes against whom he wrote and cried out Dissention Dissention and as well you might gather the bitter tauntes that passed betweene him and all the rest as to gather these therupon so to insult ouer vs as though it were not lawfull for vs to write against errors be they little or great at home or abroade but by the truth muste bee deuided Nay therein it is one and they are one that professe it when it discouereth errour and they that professe it stand for it and not against it Error and 〈◊〉 is not at one because they are manye and all agaynst trueth If we set our selues against Heretikes why should wee bee accounted amongest them or they amongest vs And though those iarres that fall out amongest brethren as many times we graunt there may be bytter and egar yet what make these to helpe you Papistes who agree not as hath beene noted before in the greatest and waightiest poynts of your religion As for our agreementes in substaunce of doctrine I referre them vnto that harmony published of late of the confessions of those reformed Churches that professe the Gospel as Heluetia Basil Bohemia Englande Fraunce Scotlande The lowe Countries and many other places and to that learned admonition written as an answeare to that booke of Concord set out by those called the Lutheranes wherein you shall find one and the same euerlasting truth whiche was from the beginning by vs and them mainteyned and professed Reade also that pithie and shorte Treatise written in the Latine tongue by Hieronyme Zanchus and dedicated to M. Henrie Knoles of the dissention about the Supper I leaue to speake of your contentions amongest your selues innumerable implacable betweene Thomists and Scotistes about meritum congrui condigni betweene your Friers blacke and white about originall sinne in the blessed virgine about solemne and single vowes auticular confession Transubstantiation and a thousand other greate pointes in discussing of which there neuer passed greater heate betwixt Zwinglians and Lutherans as they will needes call vs then hath passed amongest them who haue so thundered and lightened one against another as if they woulde haue set the whole world on fire and these brawles and contentions haue occupied their churches many yeeres Their vnitie therefore is in nothing els but in that they conspire against Christ as Herode and Pylate did I name not their nominalles and realles nor other light matters betweene Franciscans and Dominicans and betwixte those that were of sundrie orders amongest whom there was and are manie bitter emulations contentions raylings and strifes not onelie
about apparrell difference of meates obseruing of dayes diuersitie of orders but also about the waightiest matters not one teaching like another nor the same thinges but quite contrary Though therefore Luther in ouer great heat wryteth against the Tygurine Church and they reproue him againe for it sharpely as he deserued yet wherefore was this It was not about any such matter as could shake them off the foundation of faith neither doth this burden M. Charke with any shamelesse lie in defence of Luther For Luther might bee verye well called by him an holye and Diuine manne and by M. Whitaker a man of holy and blessed memorie and yet carrye the skarre of his rough and intemperate heate against so blessed and holy a Church as Tigurine was and specially in suche a matter And whereas you speake affirmatiuely and simplie that they called him an Arch-heretike it is not true they gaue him warning hee hauing vniustly called them a damnable sect that he should take heede least he declared him selfe an Archheritike And whereas you farther conclude that Luther had Diuelles which M. Charke denied because they wrote that he betrayed himselfe in these outragious speeches with his Diuels because they were 〈◊〉 you shewe your selfe too too malicious For they speake onlie of those intemperate spirites that had so inflamed him against them It is therefore no dissimulation in them to blind the people to giue him that praise that was due to him For howsoeuer he failed as a man in some pointes of lesse moment which was no maruel darknes hauing then couered the face of the earth the church of God being grieuously ecclipsed he being in a Friers cowle to the end it might humble him and those that woulde depend to much vpon his person to make them rest vppon that infallible rule of the trueth of God yet in trueth hee was both an holie and Diuine man of blessed and holie memorie whose praise we neither can nor wil enuie endued with most rare and excellent giftes from God of an excellent vnderstanding being enlightened of God himselfe with the light and knowledge of an heauenly doctrine a man of as exquisite learning wisedom eloquence courage zeale for the glory of god as that time might yeeld yet it is not meet neither do we make his writinges or any other mens sithens which haue beene more excellent equal with the word of God or rules of iudgement to stand vpon to the preiudice of that This honour we giue and reserue to God and to his holie worde alone Neither doeth this gainesaye Maister Charke for their care of concorde and vnitie in the Gospel For it maye appeare by their sundrie meetinges yeeldinges and greate toleration that at 〈◊〉 first they shewed one towardes another the studie and endeuoure they vsed for auoyding of termes when they agreed vppon the matter and taking suche as might beste fitte and expresse the trueth by their sundrye meetinges and presence of Princes on both partes and afterwardes when heates growe sorer and sorer from sparkes to flames and from flames to fires yet were there sundrie bookes written by men of more temperate spirites if it had beene the will of GOD to haue quenched the flame that that hurtefull contention might haue ceassed and as for the reformed Churches so farre foorth as they might without the betraying of the truth it is certayne they haue euermore kept peace and accounted them as brethren howesoeuer some amongest the others haue rather choosen to ioyne with you Papists and you with them as they haue beene 〈◊〉 in Religion to you and you to them The rest concerning this matter I leaue to Maister Charke himselfe And so doe I those Treatises whether the Iesuites be 〈◊〉 and of Friers Nunnes which you wil needs haue Religious seeing they are matters of doctrine only I wil note some weake collectiōs a few vncomely slanderous speeches vttered by you so passe it ouer as filth vnworthy to be ouerturned hauing also touched them as much as I thought necessary Heere you cauil againe at M. Charkes confuse order when hee is compelled of necessitie to followe yours and not his owne which in verie deede is nothing but a confuse heape without all order wholly besides the matter For what a reason is this to proue a different life from others from the examples of Elizeus Daniel Iohn Baptist and such extraordinarie persons Because they extraordinarily called of God fell from the common course of men to liue extraordinarily Why therefore the liues of Monkes Friers Iesuites and the rest leading a different life from the rest doe it by their authoritie and lawfully according to the word of God But if it be plaine euidēt that these extraordinary things which were in these extraordinary men that measure of the spirite working of miracles and manner of life be ceassed together with thē and haue not bin found in anie of that sort it followeth that they are ceassed how soeuer such brainsicke heades shal boast of them This argument of yours is like the rest of your arguments Elizeus to make the water sweete cast in salt Ergo we must haue holy water God said let vs make man according to our image Ergo images are to be made in the Church These extraordinary men exempted from men led a different life from the commō sort of men Ergo they were Monks Friers ergo a different life is set downe for vs which is a Non sequitur vnlesse you can proue that Iesuites from Elias from Elizeus Iohn Baptist and Christ haue that spirit of theirs doubled vpon them so as they haue the same testimonie from God of their calling and the same giftes to warrant their calling by And what though Hierō setting before these that were in the beginning far better then these later wicked ones idle lossels that consume the fat of the earth and are as the plague of caterpillers doth stir vp those that in his time liued in out places laboured and were vigilant in studying the holie Scriptures not mē of any professed religiō in the ministery but such as indeuoured to be made fit for the ministery of the gospel by som things that were in those singuler and extraordinarie men must these therefore be drawen in Rule and by and by make a newe ministerie and order so we shoulde not haue so manie notable men so many names and professiōs but indeed so many orders to hang vpō them as vpon their patrons And in deede this hath alwayes beene the patcherie of Poperie not to looke to Christianitie and to follow those things which are to be followed of vs but to looke to men and to beare their profession and order frō men so that among them in trueth Christ was vtterly lost and forgotten and this they receiued from the Gentiles as they did most of their things besides Neither is M. Charkes argument absurd that if
also but he wold not haue their good offices to be condemned for their euill liues Surely no more would we But in that he matcheth Bishoppes and princes with Monkes and Friers as though they had a like warrantable calling out of the worde he is besides the cushin For we know that the office of princes whatsoeuer their liues be is of God so is the office of Bishops or ministers but let him proue with all the Logike he can out of the worde of God that his Pope Cardinalles Iesuites Friers of al sortes are officers in the Church of God that is haue their places in Christ his bodie which is his Church by the appointment of God and then the controuersie is at end That concession of M. Fulkes doth not hinder this cause for hee matcheth the old Mōks with the new but he speaketh not of the lawfulnes of their calling and though he did as being lawfull in them who like Studēts liued for the supplie of the ministery yet these latter doe not so vnlesse it be to the supplye of a blasphemous priesthood against Christe and his Church Neither doth the name alwayes warrant the vocation no more then the name of Popish Bishops who are Lords ouerrule the church like tyrants doth warrāt their office to be agreeable with that of bishops and pastors in his church or to be that very office wherein they haue nothing but the bare name As for that he boasteth of their learnednesse painfulnesse and holinesse iustifiyng them against M. Charke he remembreth not that this maketh litle for the iustification of their office besides he shamefully beggeth at our doors that which we wil neuer graūt him For their learning leading thēselues others from God maketh them neuer the better Christians as for their painfulnesse if they take any it is not to bring any to God but to the Diuel their holines is no true holines but hipocrisy because it is without the holines of Christ from whō they derogate in the greatest point of his glory euen in the matter of saluation As for their being preachers they of whō M. Chark writeth were preachers of the truth these of whom you write are preachers of lies running from place to place where they haue no calling in the Churche of God because the Church of Rome is not that church of God neither doth M. Charke nor any other of vs iudge of them otherwise then wee ought as the scriptures haue taught vs wee iudge the fruites by the trees we condemne them as they are and continue in their errors And for labouring with their handes wee doe not bynde all men vnto it For we know y t he that laboreth in his calling doth please God thogh he hold not the plow You might as wel haue brought in their scullions cookes gardiners but we say that these old Monks laboured with their hāds to shew a differēce betwixt thē you They were not the Lords of the earth they had no such faire houses possessiōs as you haue gotten through your hipocrisie wrōg frō the iust possessors Againe though Pius 5. other your popes shold haue thousāds of thē out of their houses his erected seminaries to supplye his churche as you saye not as M. Chark doth to serue but to gouerne the church within so little space yet al this helpeth not your caufe For their head is Antichrist the pope that is that aduersary not Iesus christ into whose body if they were iustly knit cōpact as the Apostle speaketh they should draw their life beeyng from him but that they do not they are but of yesterdaies hatching and whē that king of glory in the day as it were of his coronation ascending into glory did giue giftes vnto men for the ful furnishing of his church these were not found in his bande nor a manye more besides whiche the Pope hath since deuised by the counsaile of Sathan for the 〈◊〉 of his kingdome As for that girde at M. Charkes benefice the trueth is hee hath none if he had as he is wel worthy of one yet 〈◊〉 might haue missed in such an obscure place belike hee vnderstood this in some Barbers shop among other newes comming as disguised thither in his apparrel as Campion did when he was taken and whether he did or no for the truth of it there he might haue had it Besides he stil boasteth of that he hath not for though Christendome containe al such places countreies as are separated by the profession of Christ from the Turke other infidels yet neither is popery or Iesuitical Monkery christianity therefore he iudgeth no otherwise of them then he ought As for his three sortes of vowes to wit of pouertie obedience and chastitie which he maketh to be the essential points of a religious life he might haue remembred his own answeare that they who haue not made these vowes haue yet their places amongest the religious and it was necessary for Christ being asked of one that stood vpon the keeping of the law and would be saued by it that he should knowe the perfection of it though he could not doe it that he might haue sought vnto Christe And howsoeuer those old Monks vowed pouertie obedience chastity whiche yet resteth to be proued by that authority that cannot bee replied against yet it followeth not bicause they did naught therfore we must do so For good men haue done many things amisse And what warrand had they or haue any now to take vpon thē to do that which they cānot performe or which they ought not to do Christiā religiō in the greatest perfection letteth not men to inioy the commodities of this life neither did these votaries specially the later abandon them but rather vnder that pretence inioy thē more rob al the world besides of thē And as for obediēce if it be not in al christiās their professiō is in vaine but if you meane it of submitting thēselues to their rules that are y e deuises of mē why thē it is a slauish subiection to men against God his word in those thinges wherein God hath set thē free The other of chastity is no more in anye mās power to perform without those meanes lawful remedies y t God hath appointed thē as if a mā wold vowe to fly without winges or with wings of his own making It is a rare special gifte of God And whilest men haue attēpted that which was not in their power in steed of chastity they haue euen filled the worlde teinted it with al impurity villany And this was the complaint of those fathers whom you bring in for the maintenance of your forgerie calling it by an vnciuil name better becomming your mouth to vtter it considering your parson quality thē to be verified by M. Charke who vseth neither cogging nor foysting that is
with damnable wickednes open shame reproofe of all y e godly slaūderous false lies against gods saints namely against Luther And first he wil examine the reports with a perhaps that they wil yeeld som occasiō of iustifiyng their reporters nay surely not a whit For if the reporters be such branded knaues their reports must needes be suspected of al good men This Parsons is no Eagle for he is still catching at flies yet he misseth thē or els rather is become a flie himself for he is alwaies vpō other mēs soares For that which M. Chark thought he had omitted of modesty wherein he was yet deceiued Concerning Prateolus report of Luthers being begottē of a diuel he followeth as thogh it 〈◊〉 needs be so because Prateolus was so impudēt to set it down for sooth by the report of as very knaues as himself by a matrone of Lipsia that belike was som popish drab that loued rather the cōpany of such lecherous 〈◊〉 thē the asseblies of the righteous And y t which is shameful in Prateolus to set downe reports in print especially against Luther a publike person is yet made a vertue by him in cōparisō of vs Protestāis who are wont as he saith to set downe things as absolutely done when we do but 〈◊〉 thē he set this downe but by heare say But what impudencie is this in M. Charke to say that Prateolus 〈◊〉 uoucheth it when he doth but set it downe as reported but first gentle Syr Robert tel vs where M. Charke saith he doth aduouch it and then 〈◊〉 vs also if to set a thing downe in print by report be not as much as to aduouch a thing by report his meaning is plaine that he would haue it left in the minde of the hearers that Luther being begotten of a Diuel his doctrine and all his doings was from the Diuell But where should Antichristes state haue been then This had beene to put the pope out of his inheritance and to doe him open wrong who though hee be not begotten of the Diuel in any corporall generation yet he is his eldest sonne in nature bearing his image in himselfe and in his members euen as Christe is the image of his father and beeing the only head of his Churche beareth his resemblance in him selfe and all his members As for that hee leapeth at out of an Epistle of Erasmus ad Epistolam 〈◊〉 non sobriam which his sobre spirite englisheth to Luthers drunken 〈◊〉 whereby hee woulde insinuate that Erasmus shoulde confesse some such thing or seeme to bee priuie to it it is but 〈◊〉 Hee that shall reade that Epistle cannot but thinke him to bee 〈◊〉 that will gather any suche thing out of it Besides it is well knowen that howesoeuer Erasmus houered betweene the gospel and poperie and kept him selfe close that hee might retaine his libertie yet hee thought wrote and spake honorably to great princes of Luther and iustified his doctrine so farre foorth as the Papists thēselues disclaime him for an heretike which he would neuer haue done if he had thought that he had been begotten of the Diuell And because Syr Robert will preuent all daungers vppon his owne imagination he deemeth that M. Charke will denie it in regard not so much of the fact for sooth as of the nature of the thing it self to wit that spirites can so abuse lewde women c. I thinke if I should deny it I should put him to his shiftes to proue it For although there may be strong delusions of Satan yet there cannot be any generation or com mixtion of such vnequall substances I know that not onely Augustine and Ludouicus vines vpon him but many others tell strange thinges of Incubi and succubi of such filthie spirites but doth this follow such a thing may bee therefore it is so or such strange thinges haue happened among Paganes and infidels therefore Luthers mother was oppressed so and he was begotten by the Diuell or els pratling Prateolus saith it was reported by a woman For as impudent as hee was yet he durst not say it for shame and from him and from others deadly affected 〈◊〉 the truth of the Gospell others haue receiued that horrible lye by tradition therefore it must needes bee true that these enemies to God and all good men affirme to deface the truth But for farther answere herin I referre him to that learned booke of Wierus de Praestigiis demonum and also to his booke de Lamiis Chap. 13. Wherein hee shall finde plainely proued against Malleus Malleficarum and all the pack of those fooles that it is a phansye and when he hath answered those reasons he shall heare what I can say farther in that point both against him and all the rest that are so 〈◊〉 to defend it The like may bee saide of the Thunderbolte which whether there were any such thing or not it neither helpeth nor hindereth the cause It rather sheweth by what meanes Luther beeing then ignorant and yet desirous to serue God as hee thought first after the studie of the Lawe bent himselfe to enter into a Monasterie And this beeing done in an vnsetled state when hee knewe not God and yet fauouring his iudgements was desirous to enter a religious life as it is to his speciall prayse so it disaduantageth your superstitious religion and your whole faction that by such deuised and voluntarie seruice that hath no warrant or ground in Gods worde thinke to please God As for 〈◊〉 credite and Coclaeus and the rest M. Charkes reasons stande yet vn touched which hath broken their heades and yet Syr Robert hath not healed them All men who haue any sparke of Gods feare whome the God of this worlde hath not blinded may easily see in all their bookes and writings that they haue written not only against Luther but against others the seruants of God that they make no conscience of lying Let them but reade Staphilus Apologie against Smideline of the dissentions of Lutherans as hee calleth them and that same pestilent booke of Pratcolus entituled Elenchus Heraeticorum Staphilus his Table of heresies and Coclaeus seuen headed beast with Fabius Antiologies with this booke of Lyndanus and the rest you shall finde nothing but horrible lyes gathered either directly against the meaning of the authours or els craftily and colourably against the truth to bring it into discredite And yet this monster amongest men saith wee belie Lyndan when wee say that he chargeth English men that professe the Gospel to worship the Diuell when yet it is euident that he saith casting down other images wee yet fauour the Image of the Diuell telling a tale of a 〈◊〉 that in Paules Churche looking about for images and finding none but the Image of the Diuel whiche was brought in by Papistes themselues and placed amongest their saintes drewe out his swoord thrust the diuel through bidding him to pack with the rest The
our helpe shal be needefull for you you shall finde vs euermore readie to euery brotherly duetie Fare you well deare and reuerende brethren The Lord gouerne you by his spirite and blesse al your labours and maintaine and defend your Church At Geneua If Parsons will saye that M. Caluine might be partiall yet hee cannot take any iust exception against the whole Senate and against the other Ministers that wrote as they were perswaded and as the trueth was against this wretched and vile man who beeing thus corrupt in the beeginning when he would seeme hauing now cast off his coule to bee in exile for the Gospell and yet standing against it coulde not giue anye great hope of imbracing it afterwardes He was now fled from his vow which is the greatest sacriledge that can be amongst Papistes and therefore deserueth no credit amonge them And towardes vs you see what credit he deserueth For though he had cast off his cowle yet he had not cast off his cowlish superstition In this matter he is a partie prouoked prouoking others and therfore his testimonie is as the testimonie of a man boared through the eare neither to bee credited of one or other who although he make neuer so earnest protestation is no more to bee credited in that then in the other thinges for whiche you 〈◊〉 him Neyther coulde hee write the lyfe of Caluine without suspicion and reproofe both of Caluines friendes and Caluines enemies Of his friendes who were the Churches from whom he both dissented was condemned Of you from whome he was nowe departed and as you accounted beecame an horrible Apostatate But this is your fashion euen as common shifting mates are woont to doe to auowe that they are sette at so much and so much in the Queenes bookes that they may be counted as free-holders and sufficientsuerties so doe you you woulde neuer vse els to bring in euery rife raffe whome you can get in any cause to speake any thing against vs whether it be with you or against you because your selues are heretiques you ioyne with al heretiques against Christ and his trueth So as you haue borrowed some sclaunders from some such knaues and 〈◊〉 as were notorious troublesome to the whole worlde and stincke almost in the nostrelles of al such as were Baldwine Blandrat Heshusius Fickler Frarin and the like so when you haue no authour to followe rather then you wil lacke to charge vs you will deuise thinges that were neuer sayd or done as this impure Apostate hath done in writing so long after the death of Caluine so many horrible and palpable lyes of him that all the worlde can witnesse to be false and shamelesse And as that Epistle sent to the Churches of Heluetia did witnesse what the whole Church thought of him so there was another Letter written to the Ministers of Basyll that giueth sufficient testimonie of him which beecause also it maketh for the more clearing of the matter and containeth many profitable thinges against Bolseckes false doctrine I will not thinke it much to 〈◊〉 it downe Caluine to the Ministers of Basil grace be with you and peace from God our father from our Lord Iesus Christ most dearely beloued and honourable 〈◊〉 Although concerning the question propounded vnto you you haue giuen a lesse full and cleare aunswere then peraduenture was meete and in good sooth otherwise then our hope and desire was yet notwithstanding we imbraced with thankeful heartes that same forwarde and gentle readinesse of yours to haue helped vs. And further we 〈◊〉 nothing to bee contayned therein but godly and sounde I woulde to God such a confession might haue beene obtayned of Bolsecke for then wee shoulde haue had no cause to haue troubled you But that which we haue testified of him that hee is a man of more then a brasen forehead this prooueth it true for that hee falsely lyeth to haue subscribed to your iudgement Neither was hee ashamed before our Senate to boaste of the same But being confounded thorowe a stronge confutation which was at hande he was at length quite dumbe Further whether he holde anye thing neere your doctrine there is no harde iudgement Let not our Letters and testimonie bee credited Our Senate hath sente you his aunsweres written out of our publique actes in which you shall finde worde for word that our faith hangeth not of our election also that election is of fayth also that no man remaineth in his blindnes by reason of the corruption of his nature because all men are rightly enlightened of God and that God is reproched if any man shal say that God hath left some in their blindenesse beecause it seemed good vnto him Also that al reasonable creatures are drawn of God or that any is forsaken of God from the beginning but onely he whoe hath wrestled against God oftentimes Also that a fleshie heart is made of a 〈◊〉 of stone is nothing else but y t a heart capable of vnderstanding is giuen vnto him And that this grace is general also y t these rather thē they are predestinate to saluation When that place was obiected vnto him out of the first Chap. of the Ephe. he answereth after his woonted desperate impudēcie that ther y t apstole intreated not of the cōmon saluatiō of the godly but that Paule with his companions was to be elected into the offyce of the Apostleship Whē it was again excepted of vs that thē the Apostles onelye were partakers of the free adoption were onelye reconciled to GOD and onelye assured of the forgiuenesse of theyr sinnes hee was so farre from beeing mooued that with a doggish laughter hee tooke those lyghteninges vnto him Conferre these frantique dreames with your iudgemente and what is more vnlike Farre bee it from vs that wee shoulde saye that you maintaine his wicked errours from which that you are moste farre your Epistle plainely sheweth Yea when that same deceauer attempted to wynde you in with him hauing manysested his deceit wee mightilye brydled his leawdenes Of which thing we haue our Senate a most plentifull witnesse And when hee was banyshed it was publiquelye pronounced out of a solemne wryting that he had obstinately despysed the iudgementes of the Churches to which hee sayde he would haue stoode Let Falesius write that hee is not a man altogether so 〈◊〉 and in fauour of an vnknowne knaue let him pawne his credite to bee mocked for his labour For it wil shortly appeare to a greater hurte of the Church then we woulde what an hurtfull pestilence hee was For there are manye other fitte witnesses that he nourisheth within his brest many other monstrous errours And now when he openly resisted our fayth by a deceitfull counterfeiting of consente hee went about to get letters from you vnder colour whereof hee might the eafilier abuse the rude and simple But you as it became brethren and friendly towardes vs differred what to aunswere vntill you were certified of
Surelye the reason is because it was deuised that beeing the further off and nowe brought in cunninglye to bee auenged vppon a dead man it might bee currande amongest Papistes amongest whome nothinge is so vsuall as lying and sclaundering As for Bolsecke his learning credite wisedome and honestie Parsons in praysing them sheweth his partial iudgement one Mule dooth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another in it For for the proofe of the firste to witte of learning there is no other proofe but this onely booke of Caluins life whiche beeing a barne of so longe a byrth and a woorke of so many yeeres vttered so out of season it carryeth nothing in the forheade but barbarous ignoraunce and scurrilitie And if hee bee of credite wisdome or honestie let Parsons also bee wise and honest As for the place of his lyuing I suppose Parsons knoweth not where Bolsecke lyueth whether in heauen or in hell I haue hearde credibly reported that for the time hee lyued 〈◊〉 nowe I heare hee is deade hee lyued like a fugitiue neyther in credite nor estimation eyther with Protestant or Papiste although I cannot thinke but the Papistes had cause to make some accounte of him that hauing grounde forth such a deale of stuffe for them against Caluine and Beza and beeing then of a Friar become a prieste amongst them as they saye hee was they should for his good seruicehaue set some greater price vppon him and rewarded him eyther to haue made him a Cardinal or at the least some Iesuite Thus much concerning Bolseckes and his protestation till we come afterwardes to speake of M. Beza Where hee saieth that Iohn Caluine was borne at Noion in 〈◊〉 the yeere 1509. hee saieth true beecause hee learned it of them that sette it downe beefore him that better knewe it then hee coulde tell them but in that hee saieth that hee was in his youth a horrible blasphemer of GOD we aske him how he knew it The place of his byrth hee knewe by information but Caluines 〈◊〉 hee coulde not knowe because it was not set downe in anye storie nor giuen him to vnderstande by any sincere information And although it had not beene much to the purpose nor ought not to waye against the trueth if 〈◊〉 youth ignoraunce and blindenesse hee had shewed him selfe suche a one yet they that knewe his parentage his friendes and the course of his youth beeing not partiall haue testified that hee was towardly his lyberal bringing vp in knowledge and his profiting in it that made him a man of so worthy gifts plainely confirming it And if hee had beene suche an execrable blasphemer in his youth is it likelye that hee eyther did or coulde so applye his booke as to come to such perfection euen in his youth at the age of 24. yeeres somewhat vnder to haue written those notable commentaries vpon 〈◊〉 de Clementia Againe when hee saieth that he became at length a Prieste by shiftes and had the cure of a certaine Chappel in Noton It is true that by his fathers procurement being a man of good reputation hee had a prebende in the Cathedrall Church of Noion but that hee euer came by it by anye shfting meanes it is the sclaunder of an impudent Fryar And if hee had come vnto it by any after that sorte yet this ought not muche to preiudice the trueth which then hee neyther knewe nor professed seeing the Popishe Church maketh no conscience of simony and shifting meanes to gette fatte By shopprickes and benefices the most of their Popes buying and selling their Popedomes and benefices as in a common market But yet that he was a priest though hee had a cure and preached certaine Sermons to the people it is vncertaine both because his yeeres had not fitted him to that highest place in their Antichristian kingdome by their owne Canons whoe might not bee a prieste vnder the age of xxx and also because he continued not longe in it his father chaunging his minde in 〈◊〉 to sette him to the studie of the Lawe and M. Caluine 〈◊〉 hauing receyued some light of the trueth by meanes of his 〈◊〉 M. Peter Oliuentanus that made him to withdraw from that abhomination As for beeing taken and conuicted in that horrible sinne of Sodomie if there were any such thing it was a fruite not of the Gospell but of Poperye amongst whome holye Matrimonie beeing detested and shunned as vncleaene and filthy in their Popishe vnction what other fruites coulde it yeeld but Sodometrie Buggerie Whoredome and all other kinde of filthinesse but that it was vnlikely that Caluine was euer teynted with anye such cryme Fyrst wee must thinke that if there had beene any such conuiction or condemnation it would haue 〈◊〉 set downe vppon recorde Besides who euer heard that the Papistes retayned any such law in Fraunce for that sinne hauing so many Abbeyes Nunneries and religious houses as they call them but most irreligious where they made no account of that sinne but alwayes accounted it as a sporte their Popes hauing dispensed with it in some Countries and some of their Cardinalles hauing written bookes in the prayse of it And if hee had beene condemned to haue beene burnte alyue why did not this villaine and wretched lyer set downe the manner of processe the fourme of pardon that was graunted and she we the like practise of anye burnte in the shoulder for the like offence The like is to be said of chaunging his name to make him agree with Luther which impudentlye hee saieth the whole Citie did testifie to Bertilier Secretarie of the councell of Geneua vnder the hande of a publique and sworne Notarie the same beeing extaunt and to bee seene c. For I aske what man of credite did euer see anye such testimony If it were a publique instrument it was not so easily concealed Againe who was this Bertilier Surely a knaue one of Bolsecks companions and of Seruetus faction that troubled the Church that hauing stoode excommunicate of the Church a longe time striued against the discipline of the Churche to bee admitted to the Lordes Supper which Caluine dutifullye resisting hee hated him for it to the death Nowe if Bertilier firste a secretarie and afterwardes a deuiser and vnderminer of the Church haue faigned some such thing what credit can it deserue amongest the godly M. Caluine witnesseth of him in an Epistle to M. Bullinger that beeing thrust from the Lordes Table for his vnbridled lustes and manifolde wickednesses till he should shewe amendemente hee despising the iudgemente of the Church woulde needes notwithstandinge bee admitted and when openlye through his contumacie hee woulde haue ouerthrowen the right of the Consistorie he had obtained of the Senate that which was necessarie for me to denye Furthermore because the brasen forhead of the man was known vnto me the wicked of purpose had set him against me that either he might ouercome me with his wayward stubbornnesse or
worde of God That hee vsed no such practises of strengthening his side or brought in any straunger but that such straungers as from other places were harboured there had nothing a doe in that businesse If there were any great personages by the goodnes of God conuerted from Poperie that fauoured so notable and singuler an instrument and set forwarde so worthie a worke as to recall him backe whose feete were beautiful vnto them bringing the gospel of peace they did but their duetie And the Lorde multiplie many suche amongest his people that aboue all thinges they may haue care to seeke the meanes of their saluation As for that hee alleadgeth concerning Caluines behauionr against his enemies this was not his least prayse that alwayes such were his enemies as were not friendes to God impure men teynted with heresies suche as hee reckoneth vp heere Castalio Caroly Bernardyn Ochine and Peter Morell euery one abandoned and banished by the Censure of the Churche not in respect of any quarrell betwixt him and them but because they walked not with an vpright foote in the trueth of the Gospell but were founde to bee obstinate and runnagate heretiks And as for Perinus Petrus Wandalus the Balthasars and others that he speaketh of as hath been noted before God found out these in their sinnes after M. Caluine was banished the towne and their Acts remain in publike recorde that they were practisers of treason and receiued their iuste rewarde all or the most of them notorious and wicked men fauourers and boulsterers of wickednesse and wicked men such as could not digest the discipline of Christe nor endure that sweete yoke And therfore all that hee addeth of forged letters and other inuentions to bring these men in suspition of betraying the Citie they are forged lyes suche as whereof hee can bring no testimonie from that Courcel of Berna and though hee coulde yet were that no acquiting of them seeing for the time they might bee abused And if they had not beene abused why is not the subornation of M. Caluine set downe Why doth hee not set downe the deniall of his accusation and proue vnder the seale of that Courte this mans 〈◊〉 and what price was paide in his purse who was his paymaster and into what apparrell hee was disguised ' Where is that publike testimonie of the Lordes of Berna 〈◊〉 their common Notaries hande And whie is it not set downe to cleare them if it can of that notable crime whiche by all likelyhoode if it coulde 〈◊〉 beene shewed Caluines faction was not so strong hee beeing but one man and the fauourers of the truth but an handefull in respect of the multitude they might haue been wel restored againe As for those other examples that hee bringeth in to proue Caluins tyrannie against suche as offended hym and namely againste Mountofet a Lutheran Almer to the Queene of Nauarre whome 〈◊〉 sayth hee made to flee Geneua for speaking a worde or two against his partiall distributyng of the Queenes almes sente in greate quantitie to the poore Protestantes of that Citie and as he saith 〈◊〉 and deuoured by Caluine him selfe it is oflike credite as all the rest for who knoweth not that Caluine beeing subiect to the order of the Churche where hee liued coulde not of hymselfe do any thing against the determination of the whole Churche And if he woulde haue doone it yet Montoset beeing Almer to the Queene and therefore hauing in his owne power the distribution thereof and also beeing a Lutheran and therefore coulde not fauour Caluine how coulde it bee that Caluine coulde bee auenged of him and dryue hym out of Geneua for speaking a 〈◊〉 or-two againste his partiall distribution For eyther hee muste bee an Almer absolute to dispose of the queenes almes or els hee must bee none but hee was one as this man affirmeth therefore Caluine coulde haue nothing to do to deale in it Againe if hee parted his right with him or were onelie a messenger to bryng the queenes 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 infected and corrupted woulde haue disposed 〈◊〉 of it 〈◊〉 he ought yet Caluine did but his duetie in 〈◊〉 it there where was most 〈◊〉 And as for deuouring of it himselfe his sober diet life and death 〈◊〉 knowne and his 〈◊〉 amounting 〈◊〉 to so small a summe it muste needes bee a shamelesse sclaunder wherewith hee is charged hauing no greater grounde then the impudent asseueration of a shamelesse Friar And concerning Peter Ameau whome hee saith hee shoulde make to walke thorowe the Citie naked in his shirt with a torche in his hand and to aske him openly forgiuenes for that hee had spoken at a supper in his dishonour c. It is too shamelesse for this man was knowen to be a wicked euill man aduer sarie to Gods 〈◊〉 trueth againste whome if any sentence were pronounced it was neither pronounced nor procured by M. Caluin hym self but by that solemne assemblie whiche by indgemente both coulde and did discerne and discusse of euery faulte as it deserued These Curres therefore that barked so againste M. Caluine for hatred of the truthe were iustly musseled by those to whome God had committed authoritie whose duetie it was to defende the innocencie of their Pastours and Doctours against their rauening mouthes and cursed teethe As for that same wretche Seruetus otherwise called Michaell vella 〈◊〉 Doctour of Phisicke in Uienna of Dolphin c. Whome hee him selfe calleth an heretike and yet for all that bryngeth him in as a witnesse againste Caluine what shoulde a man blotte paper about suche a monster who was not enuious of Caluines glorie but of the glorie of him whome Caluine serued one of the moste monstrous and moste blasphemous heretikes that euer sawe light in this world compounded of al the auncient and newe 〈◊〉 and an execrable blasphemer againste the blessed Trinitie and namely against the eternitie of the sonne of GOD whiche heresies hee had nowe maintained for the space of aboue thirtie yeeres and more vomiting them out both by mouthe and writing And doe you not thinke nowe that this is a fit man to bee brought in as witnesse by Bolsecke and Parsons two cowpled companions in the same mischiefe against M. 〈◊〉 of blessed memorie But so they may haue some what and some bodie against him they care not whome they ioyne with them whether it bee the Diuell himselfe or any of the vilest heretikes that 〈◊〉 liued in the worlde Is it therefore like or probable that hee shoulde write thirtie Epistles directed to Caluine together with a little booke in written hande in the yeere of our Lorde 1546. comming all at once as a Captaine with his troupe vpon M. Caluine to finde so many faultes escaped in his Institutions I suppose a man of a meane sense may smell this or euer hee come at it For was not hee like to bee a good Corrector and to finde faulte to the purpose that was so notable an
heretike But a man may see whither enuie and rage will carry a man But if M. Caluine were greeued as hee had good cause hauyng knowne him in those heresies so long and God casting the heretike into the Magistrates handes there where hee had corrupted many as the sequele prooued why shoulde any man blame M. Caluine who like a good Pastour resisted the Woolfe and endeuoured to drawe his sheepe out of his mouthe That hee therefore shoulde purpose his deathe and that vppon a priuate quarrell for finding faulte with his Institutions And also shoulde accuse him of heresie alluring him to come to Geneua it is a most horrible and monstrous Sclaunder For if M. Caluine had had any such purpose or had but barely accused him he beeing in truth no heretike then had master Caluine beene disappointed But whosoeuer acccused him because hee was both founde an obstinate heretike and also was crept thyther to trouble the Church vnallured and vnsent for by any the Magistrates did their duetie to purge their citie to the terrour of others of such a monster This was not done by Caluine alone as the storie of his life declareth who vsed all good meanes to reclaime him and as appeareth by sundry his Epistles was a suiter to haue had his punshimente mitigated And therefore it is but a tale that he telleth of any such secrete Letter written to Virette that should shewe the purposing of his death for any such quarrell And of like trueth is that of Seruets speedie passing thorow the towne howsoeuer M. Caluine hauing intelligence that he was there and also hauing knowne him long before in Paris to bee 〈◊〉 with that heresie and 〈◊〉 to holde it and spreade it to the infection of the worlde caused processe to bee serued and the suite to bee followed against him till the Magistrates had giuen him his iust rewarde As for that hee further 〈◊〉 M. Caluine that he should cause him to bee burnt aliue and that with a softe fier for his greater tormente making him like his Pope and his adherentes who yet burnt men quick not for heresie indeede as this man was but 〈◊〉 the euerlasting trueth of God it is moste false and sclaunderous seeing nothing was doone here but by the Magistrates and by the consent of the common Councel who had authoritie in such matters Of like trueth also is that 〈◊〉 be saieth that M. Caluine had written a booke a little beefore that heretiques should not be put to death and that nowe he shewed the contrary by his practise whereupon also hee giueth that marginall note that heretiques hold not a doctrine longer then it serueth their turne that forsooth manye Protestauntes hereby were offended and as hee speaketh grieuously scandalized If euer Caluine wrote such a booke I am sure some must haue seene it and yet if hee had in his time beefore God gaue him a sincere knowledge and iudgement delyuered out any such thing yet this prooueth not but vpon better aduise and iudgement he might haue the same 〈◊〉 that all other writers haue to retract it And of this I amsure that by the occasion of the death of this monster both he and M. Beza set out worthy woorkes of that argumente to prooue the trueth of that doctrine to all posterities And if there were any that were offended herewith they were no true christians but some such heretiques as were fauourers to that cursed wretch and to his cause Indeede Arrians Anabaptistes and those heretiques of the 〈◊〉 lye of loue and such like can at no hande indure that doctrine because they woulde liue as they lyste and spread their heresies abroade to the destruction of others Furdermore whereas hee accuseth M. Caluine for his maners that he shouldbe teinted with intollerable ambition and pride and thereof taketh vpon him to set downe some examples as y t to make himself famous he should deuise diuers letters and other workes in prayse of himselfe and publishe them vnder the name of Galasius and others that he should sende them to Viret who acquainted with the stile shoulde espie the deuise hee beeing offended shoulde be pacified with an aunswere that it was neces sarie for the credite of their cause and that he woulde shortly doe as much for Viret For proofe whereof hee saith 〈◊〉 these letters were founde in the studie of Viret with fortie more at what tyme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 away from Lausanna and they were shewed to the Lords of Berne who could neuer afterwards abide Caluine for it c. For confutation of all this they that knew Caluine in his life time and were throughly acquainted with him did knowe him to bee the moste simple and humble man considering his great giftes that lyued in the woorlde whoe 〈◊〉 in all his writinges and in his expositions vpon the Scriptures without anye ostentation or subtill deuises whereof he could haue found out as great store as others yet did he refer al to the edifying of the people and to Gods onelye glory and that hee shoulde deuise letters and woorkes in his owne 〈◊〉 and publishe them vnder the name of another it is shamelesse and villanous well becomming 〈◊〉 Bolsecke an Apostate Fryar to deuise it and 〈◊〉 Robert Parsons a shamelesse Iesuite to credit and publishe 〈◊〉 For Galasius hee was a woorthy and learned 〈◊〉 then and nowe as I suppose lyuing and whose name coulde not bee so abused Indeede Galasius did gather some of 〈◊〉 Lectures as from his mouth or which being gathered by others hee might translate into the Latine tongue out of the French which might as was 〈◊〉 both bee reuised and also published by M. Caluin But what is this to prooue that it was done in his owne prayse Againe what should it haue 〈◊〉 to haue sent them if any such thing had beene to Virette alone when others also could haue iudged and discerned of Caluines stile hee writing not 〈◊〉 in a corner but much to the whol world Furder if Viret were offended and wrote so to Caluine and that these Letters with one and fortie more were founde 〈◊〉 Virets studie and that they were shewed to the Lordes of Berne and they could neuer abide him for it why is there not so much as one set downe And why did those Lords of Berne afterwardes by so manye honorable testimonies and entercourse of messages testifie their loue both to M. Caluine and also to that state and towne And againe where was the perfourmance of that promise to Viret and Farrel concerning the setting forth of 〈◊〉 prayse As for that he addeth concerning his breaking downe of Images and raizing the pictures of Christ and all Saintes in Geneua and causing his owne to be drawen and set in place and giuing them also to diuers Gentlemen and Gentlewomen to hange about their neckes it is as monstrous a lye as any of the rest It is true that when the Gospel was
appointed for the saluation of his people Campian in the disputations had at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. fol. 309. Of the 13. to the Romaines The new Testament of Rhemes translated now into English by them selues which in 〈◊〉 was accounted an 〈◊〉 Newe Test. 〈◊〉 in Actes 10. Num. 15. Gen. 21. Printed 1560 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hier. in Dialog Aug. de 〈◊〉 Ser. 63. De lib. 〈◊〉 cap. 16. super 〈◊〉 tract 〈◊〉 Concil Tride sess 5. Sharpe speache wher it is right ly and best bestowed Mat. 12. Acts. 8. Deut. 〈◊〉 18. Act. 8. 20. 21 22. Sharpnesse not against the mildnesse of Christians Matth. 3 Luke 3 Esay 1. The first foun der of the order of Iesuits a lame souldier one that had li ued wickedlie and was brought to this touche by reading the Le gend Laurent Surius de 〈◊〉 gest fol. 455. Staphilus a runnagate so farre from honour that he was ne 〈◊〉 honest This boke was translated by Surius one of his owne 〈◊〉 writtē against Smidiline Read 〈◊〉 the sixth letter to the princes of Germanie against 〈◊〉 and his instructiōs giuen to his Legate Frideric primus Gregor 7. alias Hilde brandus ex Auentino Honorius 〈◊〉 The Papistes honor not king Henry the 8. Reade 〈◊〉 Duraeus in Whitakerum Genebrardus in hist. In Queene Maries time 〈◊〉 de reb gest S and de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fol. 564. fol. 〈◊〉 Loquens de Episco po Roffensi When he 〈◊〉 the death of Abel Poret Forest in his preface vpon that booke of Images read 75. 76. 77. 78 diuision c. Duraeus 〈◊〉 fol 7. Harmonia Eccle. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Io. Cas. fol. 16. 17. 18. c. 〈◊〉 Tbeo palat fol. 198. Sleidan lib. 6. lib. 13. 14. Collo 〈◊〉 VVormaciensco 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Smucaldense Asteburgense In Rates proto collo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boni viri and sundry others Reade all their bookes writen in his matter Monkes friers drawn by srō Parsons Elizeus Daniel Ioh. Baptist. Popish argumē 〈◊〉 Gene. 1. Mat. 28. Mar. 16. Mat. 10. New testament of Rhemes in Mat. Chap. 10. Harding against Apol. Fol. 162. Discouerie of Iohn Nichols fol. 40. Pope 〈◊〉 builded the stewes for both kindes gaue leaue for Sodomitrie 〈◊〉 a Casa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rusti 〈◊〉 lib. 13. Math. 19. 16. All 〈◊〉 must renounce the worlde So did the Friars before the Franciscans Dominicans others In the description of their Seminarie of Rome wqich was taken before it was fully imprinted The Papistes vse their owne Names in derision The Pope his Cardinals Friers Monkes and Iesuitss no 〈◊〉 in Gods church What the lear nimg paines and holines of Papists are Mat. 7. Ephe. 4. Of wilfull chastitie Mat. 19. pag. 32. Reade Aug. 〈◊〉 Psal. 75. in medio De morib Eccle. cap. 31. De opere 〈◊〉 cap. 14. 15. Aug. in Psal. 75. 1 Cor. 7. Heb. 13. De bono 〈◊〉 cap. 9. Aug. 〈◊〉 lib. 〈◊〉 10. lib. de bono Coniug 〈◊〉 27. quest 1. 〈◊〉 Nuptiarum Epiphan lib. 2. 〈◊〉 1. 〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉 Al these places are set downe by others long ago haue receiued their answeare Of voluntarie pouerty Remember Pope Iulie that wold haue his pecocke in despite of God In S. 〈◊〉 orders Example by the Monkes of the Charter house Ezech. 16. 9. The pleasures and commodities that were in Abbcis Nūneries 〈◊〉 47. 11. Of selling all how that place is to be vnderstood 〈◊〉 5. 3. Rom. 16. New testament of Rhemes in Rom. Chap. 16. Parsons booke of resolutions the prim Of Luther of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 enough 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no bishops neither learned nor reuerend Doe you not thinke that it was Catella that intertained Canisius so brauely who for the affinitie 〈◊〉 their names went together as dogs in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 Epistle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad Frideric 〈◊〉 ducem ad 〈◊〉 ad Campegiū Card. ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1519. Linda de 〈◊〉 Idolis 〈◊〉 See page 110. Fol. 10. 11. of the same book Fol. 40. In professio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de vero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 〈◊〉 fol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perticuler mēs faults ought not to bee obiected againste the Church or against the 〈◊〉 How infidelity may bee called the only sinne Howe the ten cōmandemētes 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 Of the 〈◊〉 Gospels Touching Luthers works Luthers works to be considered according to the times wherin they were written Confession of Auspurge Libro de 〈◊〉 Ab its qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Gospel is one The Gospell is the same glad tydings of saluation compre hended in the wholscripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disputat 〈◊〉 in prof in Iaco. Campion chalengeth al professours of the Gospel and 〈◊〉 in a chief matter is ignorant wher that is written that 〈◊〉 deliuereth Read M. Whitakers preface aduersus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ri This concerning Iames is one of their chiese strings yet not one amongst an hundred haue felt it them selus but blind ly hit by 〈◊〉 at they were directed by others Dutch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 129 VVe neither do nor will defend any 〈◊〉 priuate opiniō further then it is warranted by gods word 〈◊〉 If any errours were in Luther he had them from the Papistes Pope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quest 7. cap. Quod 〈◊〉 Error conditio 〈◊〉 cognatio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disparsbus vis ordo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sisis 〈◊〉 si forte coire 〈◊〉 Iolius Coelest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cap. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad lib. 〈◊〉 Most impudēt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VVhether matrimony and virginitie be equall Of the honourable state of Marriage In what respect Luther preferred marriage before 〈◊〉 The fathers caried with an excessiue affection to the praise of virginitie 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 The filthinesse of the popes virgins S. Paule saith hee hath no commandemēt and therfore it is a counsaile Parents must prouide for their children they may coun saile them but not compell them Hieroms sentence The third 〈◊〉 cleered from 〈◊〉 Howe wee esteeme our 〈◊〉 See their seruices and offices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Absurdities of the Ros. of the virgin Fol. 99. A. 〈◊〉 13. Fol. 99. b line 10 Fol. 101. b. line 3. Fol. 106. a. line 19. 〈◊〉 6. Fol. 105. Line 〈◊〉 Fol. 107 line 10. The causes that moued 〈◊〉 ther to write as he did to bring men from the virgin to Christe The giftes of God equally dispersed to al that are his howsoeuer it be according to measure Euery member hath not a like place nor 〈◊〉 Of Dionisius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 17. Act. 〈◊〉 Tbeod Gaza in 〈◊〉 Proble 〈◊〉 Our righteousnes is the righteousnes of Christe Truth shall pre uail It is as impossible to plucke the wings of the wind that it shoulde not blow as to stop Gods euerlasting truth Falshod thogh it be beautified haue many followers yet it shalbe destroyed Martyn Luther taught 〈◊〉 truth of God because it was from God and ouerthrowethe al false doctrin and heresie The truth is euerlasting The 〈◊〉 no 〈◊〉 doctrine These absurde doctrins 〈◊〉 ed
together by 〈◊〉 out of Luther Of Luthers Howe the aduersaries are wont to 〈◊〉 our assertions contrary to our true meaning Euerie iust mā sinneth ther ar imperfectiōs in our best workes The doctrine of the councell of Trent It cutteth not the sinewes of vertue to draw men from confidēce in them selues to truste in God neither doth it hinder good workes because we teach that wee are not iustified by workes Apocalyps How a man hath in his power to doe euill Iohn 15. August lib. de spiritu litera Cap. 4. In resp Luth. ad Articulum 36. Of fighting against the Turke How we fight against God 〈◊〉 we striue against his iudgements The Popes impietie who vnder pretence of waging 〈◊〉 againste the Turke hath kept in his owne tyranny and infidelitie So he did in the time of Henry the 3. Concerning the Popes pride in taking vpon him to make new articles of our fayth This is commōly set down in all Popish writers How lawes are not to be layde vpon Christians He meaneth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Canon spiritual lawes as they call them made equal with 〈◊〉 word VVhether Luther bodily cōferred with the deuill Luthers assaults many Read his Cōmentaries vpō the Epistle to the Galathiás Luthers doctrine not frō Satan nor frō man but from God Read al the histories that make mention of Pope Martyn Siluester the second of Boniface the 8. the 9. of Greg. the 7. 9. 10. the 12. of Heldeb Iobn Stella Antoni 〈◊〉 Nauclerus The Deuil the authour of the popish religiō Liber 〈◊〉 Iohn Capgraue Lombard bist Luther had no bodily conference with the Deuil though Dunston had when he held him by the nose with his tōges The godly haue many assalts with that enemy of their saluation The Papistes are the deuilles own darlinges by profession cōuersation Concerning Luthers death Iohn Sleidan a godly learned man These 〈◊〉 historio graphers partial because they were deadlye affected towardes the trueth Gropper Charles the Emperour How Luther was called a third Elias Pontacus Burdegalensis a liing historiographer Iustus Ionas is onely named and then Pontacus is alleadged Iohn 7. 8. Mark 11. Acts. 26. 〈◊〉 in A pol. Mertian ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lacta The grosse horrible 〈◊〉 of the papistes deuised against Reuerend and godly men Bolseck what he was Martyn Luthers death when it was and where The labours of Luther in his ministerie 〈◊〉 ching reading confuting confirming were wōderful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luthers praier Luthers godly prayer a little before his death Ex Melanct. Ex Sleidano 〈◊〉 Acts monuments fol. 966. 967. 981. 982. c. Abbas V sperg Casp. 〈◊〉 Luther con stant in his doctrine Our differēces Colloquium Mar purg in 1529. where Luther and Zwinglius were present agreed vpon all the chiefe points of religion Caluins life The works of Caluin many sincere Reade their Catalogue in the end of his life written by Beza set before his Commentaries vpon Iosua The giftes of God should be praysed in his seruants The nature of the wicked Bolsecks description set out by Parsons to the ende his testimonie might be 〈◊〉 Ephe. 1. 〈◊〉 Bolseck a 〈◊〉 Carmelite 〈◊〉 in vita 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 M. Caluin vpō the 〈◊〉 cōfuteth Bolseck out of the scrip 〈◊〉 out of 〈◊〉 Augustine 〈◊〉 inconstant a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vita 〈◊〉 Cal. de 〈◊〉 Apostata 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 downe in 〈◊〉 before Iosua 〈◊〉 1574. 〈◊〉 80. The whole Church of Geneua to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sters of 〈◊〉 Fol. 〈◊〉 140. Anthony Cathaline against whom Caluin wrote being a companion of his was such a scholler that wrote in the end of an Epistle Perme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where 〈◊〉 was borne 〈◊〉 borne of good parentage and well brought vp Caluin no blasphemer Caluine vnder the age of 24. writeth those notable books of Clemencie 〈◊〉 extaunt In the papacie nothing but shifting chopping and changing 〈◊〉 and selling Reade their own stories Caluine by all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No 〈◊〉 Pope Sixtus 〈◊〉 is alleadged before and sundry 〈◊〉 Bertilier an vngodly man one of 〈◊〉 faction Fol. 127. 〈◊〉 M. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See it answered in the preface beSaunders reasons These thinges areset down in 〈◊〉 storie Whē K. Henry caused the religious houses to be visited anno 1538. D. Lee. D. 〈◊〉 D. Bedel others being 〈◊〉 Thomas 〈◊〉 being the publike notarie 〈◊〉 All these ditches came srom that 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 where that sinne was not accounted of 〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉 Epist. Farrel fol. 10. The vvōderful iudgements of God against such as resisted the truth 〈◊〉 Epist. 24. Caluins behauiour against his enemies He shold haue set the letters downe A likely matter that the Lords of Berna wold 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 banished 〈◊〉 amongst them of any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Michael Seruetus the vilest heretike that euer liued The malice of papists 〈◊〉 they care not what witnesses they take so they may haue some to bring in against vs. Caluins Institutions were like to be well corrected if 〈◊〉 might 〈◊〉 been put in trust with them Griefe for iniquity is a good griefe The Papists crueltie exceeding for one executed and burned aliue for heresie indeede in many yeeres they haue burned thousands in a few yeeres Who euer saw that booke Such Protestāts as him self belike he meaneth some Anabaptists or such like The notable works of M. Beza and Caluin occasioned by 〈◊〉 Horrible 〈◊〉 absurd false 〈◊〉 great humilitie Galasius hath turned some of Caluines treatises written in French into Latine So Claudius Zantes and Baldwine charge Beza Images ought to 〈◊〉 down Lying the sosidation of the Popes kingdō Caluin no miracle worker that belongs to Iesuits Bristow in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A miracle wrought vpon a whore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Bristow 〈◊〉 sorth solemnlye in three sundrye bookes in his motiues in 〈◊〉 Epitome therof by it self Copus in his dialogues Ex epist. Indicis The Papistes Coniurers such as had great familiaritie with the Deuill Apol. 〈◊〉 fo 347 The 〈◊〉 killed by a young 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Friar Iuniper Booke of 〈◊〉 Friar 〈◊〉 or Friar Rush. In Confo 211 Pope Hildebrād carried the deuil aboute with him in the lilcenes of a Sparrow 〈◊〉 prandium Trim knauery O horrible blasphemy 〈◊〉 the name of Prophet 〈◊〉 to Caluin of Elias to Luther in respect of his 〈◊〉 zeale In lib. Conform 〈◊〉 17. a litle after fol. 49. The stories are mentioned in euery 〈◊〉 Caluins 〈◊〉 Belike Bolseck was both his Cooke baker and butler or els very well acquáinted with him It is meruell you put not in that he had some iellies iunckets and comfects also What an enuious knaue is 〈◊〉 In the papacie nothing but 〈◊〉 cheere 〈◊〉 Apolo Sten fol. 325. In 〈◊〉 Tri. 〈◊〉 Fulgosa lib. 9. cap. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All filthie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 con cerning M. Cal uines death most shameles and impudent See M. Beza his answere to Claud. Xaintes 〈◊〉 fol. 392. CaIuin visited by many excellent persōages By the foure Syndiques of Geneua By the ministers If he had had such a soule dis ease is it like so litle while beefore his death that he would haue come forth and syt amongst them the end of M. Caluin was in the Lord proued by many reasons and argumentes Reade M. 〈◊〉 his desence of Caluin against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fol. 388. 389 390. c. The iudgements of God wonderfull fearefull against his enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ante 〈◊〉 de morte Ioh. 〈◊〉 Ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2298. M. Beza The purpose of the ad uersarie Whether M. Beza his father did curse him and disinherite him yea or no. A cursse for righteousnes is a blessing Concerning Beza his father reade his owne 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 of his owne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praefat. in Trage. Abrahami pag. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his wife 〈◊〉 chast 〈◊〉 Frarine in 〈◊〉 railing 〈◊〉 translated The Poets cōmonly read allowed com mēded amōgst the Papists most filthy wicked Amadis Oliue Cassandra siderid Neae c A 〈◊〉 filthy knaue there is no such word in the Epigram I blushe to 〈◊〉 downe the wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Platina 〈◊〉 Meiero Abbas 〈◊〉 Les 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fraunce Cronic Cronicor Mare bist 〈◊〉 Coucil 〈◊〉 tom 2. See the Articles to the num ber of 54. put in against him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called Stephana 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Textor 〈◊〉 de Monte This was a very strong 〈◊〉 for the purpose Cronicon Sigeberti 〈◊〉 Polonus 〈◊〉 temp Concil 〈◊〉 Plat. Naucl. Ioh. de 〈◊〉 Mariā 〈◊〉 Alexāder Borg. called Alex. the 6. His daughters name was 〈◊〉 who lay with the Pope her Father and with Valentin 〈◊〉 her own 〈◊〉 This was Anthonie Cathalyne as I ghesse All the histories in a maner written in the French tongue doe acquite the Admirall and the Protestāts Nothing 〈◊〉 alone in reformed Churches but by 〈◊〉 Rome had his beginning frō such a foundation Rome the mother of carnalitie carnall 〈◊〉 Men are not the beginners of the gospell Religion is not frō man thogh God giue his giftes vnto mē 〈◊〉 Zvvinglius The Papistes 〈◊〉 heretikes amongst those that are sounde professors to the end to deface them 〈◊〉 As was Siluester the seconde when hee saide Masse in a chappell called Hierusalem in Rome and Alexander the sixth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 The death of Gods saintes precious in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in not forsakinge his flock in the field did the dutie of a saith ful Pastor The people in well reformed Churches sorted to their own parrishes 〈◊〉