particuler man lyst to take yt for by this mean all heresies are defended but that we ought to resorte to the moste certein Iudgement of the churche vniuersall at the least way moste auncient which being directed by the spirit of God doeth laye downe before vs the true naturall sense of scriptures And because the ministers dyd not admitt this grownd nor yet refell yt but as theyr fashion is runne into corners creakes and starting holes he put downe in writing being but a lay mā not muche trauailed in scriptures six strong reasons to fortifie his opinion whereunto he desired that the ministers wolde answere there with all requested that it might be lawfull for him by speche or penne to confute their answers yf they shoulde seme to hym eyther impertinent and doubtfull or otherwyse weake and insufficient VVell when these ministers had got the writinge thense they packe in haste to the superintēdēt of londō they go to hym they cōplain of the mans pertinacie how notwithstanding their aduises and motions he refused to be a Caluinian yea and that he durst take vpō hym to defend his opinion by writing This superintendent as in verie dede he is a fumish hasty man and by nature cholerick being outragiouslie incensed with ire desineth the gentleman by and by in his mynd to some speciall payne purposing to punish hym throughlye And thereupon he thrusteth him so delulie oute of lōdō īto a streicter kynde of imprisonment he locketh hym vp in an olde decayed castell a raw vnhaunted and obscure place vhere he could neyther haue the sight of the Sunne or other light nor yet of men he loadeth hym wyth yrons and not to recite all particulars he afflicteth hym with calamities meruailouse withoute all measure Now these ministers being thus put owte of all doubt feare of their aduersarie do sett forth a booke and make a kinde of answer to the reasons by hym before layde downe vnto them and as in other things so especiallie in this they delt moste iniuriouslie with him for they conceale and dissemble the verie state and principall point of the question and controuersie charging hym to haue sayde that the scriptures are in his opiniō of lesse authoritie than the churche where in truthe he talked not of the authoritie of suche scriptures as are euidentlie knowne to be diuine scriptures but his talke was eyther touching the knoweing and discerning of such vncertein scriptures as haue bene called in question and doubted of or touching the vnderstanding of the sēse true meaning of darke obscure places of diuine scripture Moreouer a certaine diuine doctor and one of some authoritie among oure aduersaries came one day with no small ostentation nor light traine of folowers to a certain prison for disputation sake as he pretended for these felowes wold gladlie beare the people on hand make them belieue that they do offer to oure men disputations thick and threfolde there this gloriouse doctor calleth to gether in to the halle euery prisoner which whas shut vp in that prison for religion bothe yong and olde priests and lay folke he telleth them that he is come to dispute he and his associates take their seats on the benche sitt downe solemnelre And first of all though the prisoners were in nūber manye yet he demaundeth of eche man his name dwelling place Yf any answer not readilie the diuine by and by wolde fall in a terrible chafe and shake vp the prisoner outragiouslie Then before the disputatiō dyd begynne one of the prisoners vpon occasion dyd alleige forth of holie scripture some thinge whiche the doctor had denied whervpon the sely old man waxeth verie augrie in no case will admitt that any suche thing is to be found in scripture the booke is brought forth and the thing is recited verie clearlie worde for worde as it had bene alleged The olde man taketh his spectables and readeth but for that the booke was an other mans booke he wold not credit ye but called for his owne his cōpanions fall to laughing And to be short withoute further proceding they all arose departed and thus the disputation was ended before it beganne Then the sorye olde felow when he seeth that he could not preuaile falleth a cursing wisheth mischef and destruction to the howse and to all the prisoners there And all this fell oute thus the keper of that prison being present and ashamed of the matter Now what can be sayd more fonde or more ridiculous than this And yet neuerthelesse yt was reported for certein and sure that this mightie Hercules had ouerthrowen and beaten downe the Catholiques albeit in verie dede he neuer vsed argumēt but onelie a bare brabling and contention in woords There is allso among oure aduersaries one other odde minister a bygge man in his owne opinion yet in other mens iudgements he is but meane how be yt in tongue not vnreadie yet rashe and headlong by reason that he knoweth not hym selfe This felow not long agoe hoping to pick owt some peece of estimation by contending with greate personages crept vnlooked for into a prisō where the aforesayde learned and reuerend fathers the byshop of Lincoln and Abbot of west minister with others of good accompt are imprisoned for religion And at his first entree he gyueth in commaundement that they all appears personallie before hym he telleth them that he his come to conferre aboute the chefe litigiouse points of religion and signifieth his will and pleasure that they should beginne the dispision But when those good fathers as they are wise dyd perceiue the man to doe all this withoute warrant and vvithoute anie certein order or forme of conference but onlie vppon a rashe and vndiscrete heade of his owne and meerlie for vainglorie they make smale accompt of him but contemne such ridiculouse vanitie of the arrogāt yong felowe And therfore when they had spoken something abowte the vnreasonable condition then offred and of their want of bookes tyme and other things they leaue the man to his owne folies as best besemed their grauitie they lett hym passe away as one by them contēned rather than vexed But yet the yong peacocke as his maner is aduaunced vp his tayle triumphed abroode with all brauerye and publisheth a pamphlet of his great conquests and victories ouer captiues In which pamphlet there are many vntruthes very many friuolouse toyes and nothing to serue his turne nothing to make for his side but mere vanitie and that euen by his owne declaration as he hym selfe telleth his owne tale But when suche huddling shyfting of matters was knowne so as manye euen of oure aduersaries dyd mislike yt for it had allmoste bredde a cōmon quarell had wellnigh putt into the peoples heades some suspition that theire cause was ouer throwen Some there were which to salue this sore and to take away the infamie made a certaine
surely if after kinge henryes death the noble man vvhich thē could doe most consultinge vvith his frindes to bringe in a nevv religion had pleased to bringe in tovv Lutherans Anabaptistes or of any othersecte as he did tvvo Caluinistes to reade in the tvvo vniuersities of Englande as he might very easelye haue donne for any resistāce or triall that then vvas vsed had not that religiō byn novv called the ghospell the pure vvorde the lavv of the lorde the establissed religion and the like as novv this is called in Englāde and as thes other sectes are called by their professors in the places vvhere they beare rule And should not vve haue byn punished as muche for resistinge of them as vve are novv for resistinge this yes verelye and no reason to the contrary VVherfore seinge a man may not alvvayes depende safelye of the seculer magistrate in religion nor make repose of his sovvle vppon the fovvndation of a temporall lavv vve are in iustice to craue pardon of your honours for not conforminge our opinions to yours in this matter vve can not doe it vvithout dissimulation and most greeuouse remorse of an accusinge conscience Yf your honours vvoulde graunte suche indifferent triall betvvixt the learned of bothe our sydes as vve demaunde for our instruction and devv reformation in iudgement if vve err the matter perhaps might sone be ended But that beinge denied and the aduerse partye shevvinge manifest distruct therby as it semeth to vs vve remaine as before of contrarye opinion in poyntes of beleefe but in all other matters as becommeth devvtifull subiectes most readie to serue her maiestie your honours to the vttermost of all our earthlye mortall abilitie Our desyre vve haue to be rightlye informed may appeare not only by our often and earnest petitions of lavvfull tryall in poyntes of controuersie but also by this that vve require not anye longe or tediouse satisfaction in matters but onlye a demōstration of one necessarye pointe vvherof our resolution in other thinges vvoolde soone ensevve And this pointe is that seinge the religion of Christ and his Apostles vvas by all partyes confession the verie trevv religion for vvhich vve stryue and vvherby vve must be saued and so for a hundred or tvvo hundred yeres after vvithout contradiction of either partie the religion vvas pure vvhich vvas deliuered by the Christian churche ouer all the vvolde lett demonstration be made vvhich of our religions beganne sence that tyme for that must needes be false hauinge not his beginninge from Christ and his Apostles and this maie be don as it semeth to vs bothe easely apparentlye and sensiblye in this manner VVhen anie religion is once publiquelye planted and receaued as the trevv religion vvas by our aduersaries confession in the first tvvo or three hundred yeres after Christ it is impossible to bringe in a nevv religion contrary to that or any articles of faithe repugnant to these before vvithout some cōtradiction or resistāce of them that then lyued possessed in the former religion This is a proposition euident bothe by experience and reason For first reason teacheth vs to be impossible for one man or manye to bringe in a nevv religion contrarie to all and to make it to be receaued generallie of all vvithout resistance of some especiallie the thinge beinge a manifest falshoode to vvchinge matter of saluation as they saye our opinions are This I saye is impossible in common reason For if one citie vvould receaue it yet an other vvould not if one countrye or kyngdome vvould allovve it yet an other vvoulde make resistance atleast vvise for a tyme. And if no Citie nor countrye nor kyngdome had controlled it yet some good man or other vvould haue donne it in the vvorlde abrode Secondlye the same appearethe by experience for that there vvas neuer yet heresie or error that rose against any one clause or iote of the truethe before receaued but it vvas controlled presently and resisted by voices and vvritinges of infinite men And in Englande beinge but a litle corner in respect of the vvhole vvorlde there coulde neuer yet appeare anye one opinion contrary to the doctrine before receaued but it vvas straight vvaie noted and rebuked as the religion of Caluine by the Catholiques before in possession after that the fansie of the puritane by the pretestant after that the deuise of the familie of loue by bothe protestant and puritane and generally there vvas neuer yet heresye offered to the church or to any peece of the same but that it vvas straight vvaie knovven vvhoe vvere the beginners therof at vvhat tyme vvhat multitude first left the former religion and followed the same vvhoe resisted vvhoe spake and vvrote against it and the like and this is a trevvth more cleare than the Sonne it selfe This then beinge so the issevv vvhiche vve desyre to ioyne is euident and plaine to vvitt that of these articles vvherin vve dissent from them and vvhiche they call heresyes as inuented by vs sence the Apostles tyme as the reall presence the sacrifice of the masse purgatorye prayer for the dead intercession of sayntes meritt of good vvoorckes grace inherent fyue sacramentes denyed by them and the like let thē shevve by anie one father historiographer or other autēticall testimonie vvhen any of these pointes vvere brought first into the churche and resisted by them that then lyued as they must needes be if they vvere contrary to the vniuersall doctrine then receaued in christianitie and vve remayne satisfied vvithout any furder particuler tryall This is a most reasonable demaunde so one aunsvvered if the trevvth be vvith our aduersaries For vve take vppon vs to shevv all thes particulers before recited in euery pointe of doctrine vvherin they dissent from vs that is vvhen it began to be first knovvē in the church by vvhat man vvho first controlled it and the like but let them doe the same by vs and the matter is ended But if they can finde no one booke extant in the vvorlde against anie article of our difference from them at the first commynge of the same into the church nor can finde recorde of anye man that ether reprehended or controlled it vvhen it vvas first inuented as they saye by our forefathers but that it vvas receaued vvithe silence and approbation not onlye in one countrye but thoroughovvt the vvorlde not in one pointe but in many and they most important as for example the fayninge of fyue sacramentes together although vve holde in our doctrine that none but Christ can institute a sacrament no not the vvhole churche together nor all the Apostles vvhen they vvere alyue if I saie they can finde no recorde at all that any man resisted or controlled thes horrible blasphemous poyntes at their first entringe into the churche if it be trevv that they entred in since the Apostles tyme then must thei thincke that men vvere senseles and madd at that time that vvoolde suffer so manye
were he willyngly absolued vppon his owne sute or wittingly dyd but suffer hym selfe to be absolued thoughe he neuer desired it yet yf he any waye succoure or conceale hym or do not geue notice of hym as is aforesayde he shall haue the same punishement VVho so euer knoweth anie to haue dissuaded an other frō the religiō nowe publiklie vsed in Englād of intēt to draw hym to the obedience of the bysopp and religion of Rome or knoweth any to haue bene a procurer mouer or counseler to such dissuadyng of any other and doeth by any way or meane helpe conceale or not discouer hym to a magistrate withein the space of twentie dayes as is a foresayd he shall endure the same penalties punishements and paynes so often now remembred vvhiche is asmuche to saye in effect as he shall lose all the ioyes comforthes commodities which this mortall life can velde to mā And thus muche for so farras I now doe remēber towching the penall lawes By these onelye though ther were no capitall lawes a man may easilye coniecture in how hard termes the Catholiques now in Englande doe stande against whome so many dredefull and moste perilous lawes are layed lyke snares for their destructiō who can haue a quiet mynde whan he is withoute securitie to enioye but one houre the verye necessaries wher with he showld lyue beinge on euerie syde hedged and listed yn with so many menasing lawes the dawngers whereof he is not able to eschewe except he wold be come impiouse how great a swaye doe cauills beare among these Lawes how great force hath malice here how muche oportunitie is geuen to iniquitye Behold I praye you Yf any persone do eyther ayd or cōceale the reconciler or the reconciled the absoluer or the absolued the procurer counceler dissuader or suche like he is guiltie saith the law of an haynouse crime worthie to be punished with losse of al his goods yea and of his libertie allso Let the matter it selfe passe consider but onelye how wyde open to all iniustice the Catholiques do lye by meanes of thes lawes yf one by chaunce or vnwittingly should receaue in to his house some of the a foresayd persones and a quareling felow wold accuse hym that he dyd yt wittinglie how cowld he be hable in this case to defend him selfe or what supportatiō might he finde for his owne innocēcye If one wold dissuade a man from the heresie of Caluin and neuer speake word at all of the byshopp of Rome howe shall it appeare that he is not guiltie of treason I meane how shall he be able to bring in euidence that he dyd not dissuade with this intent that the other should reiect the phātasies of Caluin and submitt hym selfe to the bisshopp churche of Rome Yes yow will say the perill may be easilie auoyded if this felow showlde plain lye moue one to the religion of puritanes Anabaptists Arians or yet of Atheists In verie trueth I beleue it well And surelie yt is not vnproblable that this same clause was so smothelye couched to the rest by the penner of the lawe in fauoure and maintenance of these and suche like heresies Oh how miserable is the condicion of these owre dayes And thus muche touching cauillation and surmise Novv as to the vnequalitie of these lavves what should a man say thereof syth therbye at this daye in England the father is bownde to accuse hys sonne the husband hys wyfe the brother his brother the penitent his ghostlie father the seruant hys master as yf it were for a myschoeuouse crime And wherfore I praye yow forsoothe for the Catholique religion vnder which we were borne with which we were brought vpp and instructed and the verie same whiche all other princes doe embrace and defende The like to this withoute doubt no age past hath tasted no memorie of oure forefathers hathe heard no antiquitie of former worldes hathe sene These are the braynsick phantasies onlie of oure dayes the variable innouacions of particular places the flexible willfullnesse of mans mynde the moste vaine cogitatiōs of fleshe and bloode whereby men doe attempt to exchaunge the vnmutable truthe of Christ for their owne phantasies to serue their owne turnes in respect of their owne commodities But let vs yet see mo of these seuere lawes that ys the capitall lawes whiche before I haue called bloodye lawes in this respect for that they lye in wayte of bloode and doe assaile the verie lyfe of man And in these lawes first of all there is one thing not vnmete to be noted that all thes lawes doe concern religiō onlye and yet neuer the lesse they doe inferr not only the payne of deathe but suche a payne as ys prouided for offenses committed against her maiesties persone whiche of all other is a most greuouse moste odiouse payne as due for the most flagitiouse crime and that ys treason or rebellion And this course oure aduersaries doe take of speciall purpose that the deathe of Catholiques snoulde not seeme to be a martyrdome but rather might be conueyed throughe the eares of the ignorāt people vnder the infamouse blott of an haynouse crime and to the intent allso that the prince might more easilie be persuaded the Catholique religion to stand styfflie bent against her roiall scepter and daungerous to the securitie ofher regiment Now when this foundacion was ones laied yt was no hard matter for thē to procure what lawes they lusted against Catholiques Albeit in verye dede she of her owne disposition abhorreth suche violence and effusion of mans bloode But nowe I come to the lawes thus the first beginneth VVho so euer shall saye write affirme or by any maner of ciphar shall vtter or yet being demaunded shall confesse that the byshopp of Rome is heade of the churche of England or hathe there anie Iurisdiction in causes ecclesiasticall shall be reputed and taken for a traitor and shall endure such pains of deathe for faitures penalties as are prouided in cases of high treasō cōmitted against the state He which for any cause doth hereafter appeale to the Byssopp of Rome and obtein from hym bulls or other instrumēts and bring the same in to England shall endure the punishement of highe treason Yf any persone do hereafter bringe in to Englande any Agnus Dei as they call thē rosaries hallowed grains medalles crucifixes or any other thinge halowed of the Byshopp of Rome shall be reputed demed and taken for a traitor VVhat persone so euer beinge vnder the degree of a baron to whome the othe or abiuration against the popes authoritie and in the behalfe of the Quenes supreme powre ī causes ecclesisticall shall be thryse tendred doe at the third tyme refuse to sweare shall suffer the pains ordeined for highe treason VVo so euer by anie waie or meane doethe from hensefourthe say write signifie or beinge demaunded doeth cōfesse that the quene is