should the Byshop of Rome haue done if wormyng out this ragyng ringworme of madd ambition and keépyng him selfe within his owne limittes and boundes of Scriptures modestly he would endeuour to bring to passe to become faultlesse him selfe and voyde of all iust reproche of deserued infamie Now beyng so pestered with botches blaynes on all partes what maruell is it if he complaine of pinching at the least touch of an vlcer Moreouer neither should our Osorius also demeane him selfe in any respect lesse discretly if laying aside this foule fashiō of flattering he would more simply and plainly deale herein with Authorities and testimonies of Scriptures rather then with disordered affections nor would enter into so contentious a brablyng about the Popes Authoritie before he had by good and warrantable proofes made manifest to the world by what right the Pope were able to mainteyne his challenge touchyng the sayd Authoritie Concernyng the ouerthrow of Mōckeries and Nunneries and their goodes and possessions scattered and spoyled although I can not deny but that they might haue bene in some places cōuerted to better vses yet are there no small nomber of Regiōs and freé Cities where those goodes and Selles are conuerted into Schooles of learning hospitals for Straungers and sicke persons and other good vses farre more seémely and profitable then when they were receptacles and dennes of idlenes slouth I dolatry and superstition I speake not now of the liues of these Caterpillers I touch not their hypocrisie I sturre not out the stenche of that puddle Bycause these are externall and incident to mās nature As for these beyng naturall diseases of the belly and the flesh I leaue to thē selues But I enter now into the due consideration of the very inward and best part of Monckish profession to witte the Rules of the order their ordinaunces their Statutes and the very foundations of their Religion I meane the whole course of Monckery which I do altogether accuse Agaynst this I do with full mouth exclame from the very bottome of my hart professe that this order of Monckery is wicked and detestable finally such and so wicked that if all thinges els within the same were founde yet this their very lurking in dennes after that maner of liuing can haue no maner of partaking with the kyngdome of Christ. Of other Monasteries other may Iudge better then I but of such as were in England I can speake fully of myne owne knowledge the first foundations erections wherof if a man behold it will euidently appeare that they were instituted for none other end and purpose then for the redeémyng of soules out of Purgatory for Remission of sinnes and for obteinyng of life euerlasting And what could haue bene deuised more cruell agaynst Christian Relligion or more repugnaunt to Christes Gospell Therfore as touchyng these Temples Dennes and buildyngs of Relligious houses I do not so much maruell that they are thus razed to the grounde as I maruell more at this that they could so long cōtinue to so great preiudice cōtumely and reproche of the Sonne of GOD. But it is euen the selfe thyng wherof the Lord him selfe did long sithence Prophecie Euery building that my heauēly Father hath not planted sayth he shal be pluckt vppe by the rootes But what holynes of Ceremonies do you tell vs of here Osorius If ye meane those old shadowes of Ceremonies prescribed in old tyme by God surely these vanished quite away immediatly vpon the discouery of the cleare light and bright beames of the Gospell And yet they did not so vanish away as I supose That ceremonies for ceremonies shadowes for shadowes or newes shapes should supply the old for what had this bene els then frō Iewishnes to reuolt backe agayne to Iewishnes But if you meane of Ceremonies deuised by men surely of such you may read the Scriptures greuously complatnyng euery where They do worship me in vayne teachyng the Doctrines traditiōs of mē And in an other place The houre cōmeth and now is whēas the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth And how often do we heare Paule the Apostle callyng vs backe from those hungry elementes of ceremonies and that very feruently If you be dead with Christ sayth he from the elementes of this world why are you then holden backe with ceremonies as though you were liuing in the worlde And to the Galat. How is it that you turne agayne to the weake and beggerly ceremonies whereunto agayne ye desire to be in bondage a fresh Now by what reason can you ascribe holynes to those thinges which are called in Paule Beggerly Elementes and are onely corporall exercizes scarse profitable to any thyng and which do rather make a Iew then a Christian man For what is Christianitie els then a spirituall life and worshipping Euen as God him selfe whom we do worship is a Spirite And the armour wherewith we mainteyne his warfare is spirituall our inheritaunce and countrey is sayd to be heauenly and not earthly For although we be clogged yet with infirmities of the flesh we do not liue as bondslaues to the flesh But are risen agayne together with Christ in Fayth Spirite and Truth seékyng not the uisible thinges of this world but heauenly neither betrayeng the freédome wherein we were called and agayne not abusing the freédome wherein we do dwell to the lust of the flesh But what fréedome of Religiō is this if we be holdē as yet bōdslaues to the Traditions of men Paule crieth out That one of vs should not Iudge an other in meate and drinke or in the part of the holy day or new moone or of Sabbathes And will Osorius tye necessity to the keépyng of these Be I not here taken at the worst I speake not this as though I thought simply that no constitutions of men nor ceremonies are tollerable in the Church without the which there can be no Congregations nor Churches of Christians in this life But this present treaty concerneth those ceremonies not which are brought in by any kynde of necessitie but by way of superstition not which come in for decency or order but are instituted as especiall matter of piety godlynesse In the which many men haue grounded their hope of Saluation the chief foundation of Relligion and hauen of affiaunce wherein they flatter thē selues and condemne others vpon the which the greater part of Catholickes now a dayes do fawne ouer greédely nor do onely dwell vpō them but euē bury thē selues aliue in thē And euē these Ceremonies do so nothing at all agreé with the pure and sincere Relligiō of Christ as that no pestilent botche can be more deadly cōtagious vnto it Of that which many famous godly men haue sundry tymes complayned bitterly and not without cause For wise men and men of experience did perceaue this to be true as it is most true that the effectuall force of the Gospell was
doctrine And in the meane time to passe ouer that whereat I cannot choose but laugh I meane this addicion not ioyned with any rashe or vayne confidence As though any one thing vnder the heauens can be more arrogant vayne thē that perswasion of yours whereby you are wont to bring poore simple soules in beliefe that such as are buryed in the cowle weéde of a Francifcane Fryer are forthwith defensible enough agaynst all the Deuilles and furies of hell Againe in buing your pardōs who soeuer shall make best stake with you as soone as theyr coyne shall cry chink in your boxes shall haue as many soules as they will deliuered out of purgatory and send them vp presently fleéing rype to heauen To passe ouer in the meane tyme other gamboldes toyes not a few in nūber much more foolish apishe then these being desirous to make an end once not for lack of such good matter more then sufficient Euen as fruiolous and vayne may I say is all the rest that followeth concerning your Church vpon the which when yeé haue bestowed neuer so many delicate colours and besmeaared her with neuer so freshe and oryent oyles berduers yet shall you seeme to doe nothing but bedawbe olde rotten putrified walles with new morter Let no man sinisterly interprete of these wordes as spoken agaynst the true church of Christ. I do knowe and confesse that Christ neuer wanted neyther shall euer want his Church which shall continue one vniforme holy Apostolicke and truely Catholicke which being builded vpon the rock of the Apostles shall enioy generall participation in one body and within one bowells as it were with the whole cōmunion of all the saynetes and godly faythfull throughout all the whole world And I cannot wonder enough truely with what face you dare so hedge vp within the boundes of the Romish particuler Church onely this vniuersall Church which is not restrayned within any limittes of place nor tytles of persōs by the publique authoritie of the christian Fayth but is dispersed abroad generally and without compasse farre and wide vpon the face of the whole earth wheresoeuer the Apostolique Fayth is of any force in so much that to your seéming may beé no Catholique Church now but that Romishe at Rome from which your Church and Synagogue ye banish and expell all such as professe Christ after any other maner then after the Romish Fashion none otherwise then as if they professe no Fayth nor followed any order of any Church at all And hereof aryseth that your crabbed and snappish accusation agaynst Luther Melanchton Zuinglius Caluine Haddon and others not because they are not Christianes but because they are not Romanistes not because they haue swarued an heare breadth from the doctrine of the Apostles and Euangelistes but because they will not become treacherous traytours agaynst the Apostles and the expresse worde of God as your high Bishop is O singuler cause O profound and Catholique accusation But how wisely should you haue done in this if you hadde brought to passe that it might haue bene notified to the Christian people that your Romish Church were and is a sound member of the true Church of Christ rather then that the vniuersalitie of Christes Church should be forced to so narrow a hoale of subiection as Rome is For this sufficeth not Osorius though you cry out a thousād times wider the you do that your church was foūded by Christ established by the Apostles defēded with the army of Martirs amplified beautified with the traditions of godly men and made strong and for euer inuincible agaynst all the battery and countermoyles of Heretiques by power of the holy ghost without the whiche no hope of Saluation may be hoped for c. If besides vayne crakes of smoky speeches ye shewe no demonstration of sounde proofe why these bragges of yours should be true let vs graunt your saying Or els if onely speeches shall be credited and if to babble and prate whatsoeuer a man listeth may like you to allow of for an vndoughted Oracle Why may not I as well with the like lauishnes of tongue gene lill for loll and saye that thys Church of Rome whereupon you bragge so much was neuer erected by Christ but hath degēdered frō Christ vnto Antichrist from the auncient primer paterne of the primitiue Church of Rome to a certayne new fangled kynde of lyfe doctrine not Instituted by the Apostles but frō the Apostles quite fallen away into Apostasye not garded with the army of Martyrs but gorged embrued yea and drucken with the bloud slaughter of infinite Martyrs such so many as neuer any Nero or Maxentius did euer send more to heauē thē this Babilonicall strūpeth hath done Now where you adde beautified with the traditions of holy and godly men and made strong and for euer inuincible against all assaults and battrry of Heretiques and shall so continue permanent by the ayd of the holy Ghost Truely in these very wordes you feéme to resemble those persons which in the Prophett did call darcknes light and light darcknes euill good and good euill First as concerning mens traditions how holy those men were I know not this is most true that your Church is fully fraught with traditions and doctrine of men in deed in so much that who so shall vncloache your Church of those traditions and Implementes of mens patcheries shall leaue her altogether naked without all kynde of furniture to couer her shame except it be a poore ragge of Moyses Iaunitas solitudo Haue we not heard the Romishe church very notably defended by this Camille Camell I had almost sayd now sake an other vnuāquishable argumēt such as all the Heretiques wedges with all their Beatelles and malles can not beate abroad when they haue done all that they can where he knitteth vpp the knott forsooth on this wise Agaynst all the assaultes of Heretiques defensible by the power of the holy ghost shall cōtinue inuinciblefor euer How shall this be knowne forsooth because the Numa of our age Osorius doth Iustifie the same with hys wordes who is no more able to make a lye then the Pope is able to erre what remayneth therefore for vs to do but that beyng vanquished with the truth we become the Popes vassalles and worshippe the foothstoole of hys feete But to aunswere briefly to this Parrotte I will demaund this one thing first not of Osor. but of the whole brotherhood fraternitie of Shauelinges If they beleue themselues to be so garded by the power and force of the holyghost agaynst all the assaultes of heretiques as this reuerend Lord the Lord Bishop of Sylu doth boast why do they vphold their pylfe with such outrage and Tirannye with such boochery and blood with such horrible burninges stiflinges fryer fagotts emprisonmentes Rackinges Constrayntes to recantation Famine and sword Finally with all maner of horrible tortures without
discrete man admitt any such person to be Iudge And yet I stand not so much vpon a Iudge herein This one thing doe I wishe onely that with the obiections of our aduersaryes our aunsweres may be heard with indifferency And I assure you if I could preuayle with wishing I would desire nothing more hartely then that the renowned king of Portingall Sebastian a prince of excellent Maiesty sith I suppose verely that the arbitriment detreminatiō iudgement of this cause doth concerne Christian Princes chiefly would vouchsafe of his singular clemēcy according to the aunciēt Lawes of Athens to geue eare indifferently to both cause and to lend his princely eares but euen a litle whiles not vnto me but to the cause it selfe whereof I shall entreate I would not doubt his highnes being iudge but that I would easely iustify that all whatsoeuer the Catholickes doe alledge at this day for their antiquitye are but bare bragges And that with vs remaineth nothing wherein they may iustly condemne vs of Nouelty And in this behalfe I can not wonder enough what came into Osorius minde to exact of vs a warrant of our Nouelty seing that of his owne Antiquitye he can yeald vs no manner of warrant at all But let vs harken a while to those notable reasons of our aduersaryes wherewith they doe defend their Antiquitye which being throughly confuted we will presently proceéde to the argumentes which they doe obiect agaynst our new masters of this new Gospell as they terme it There is a principle in the ciuill Lawe The lawes sayth they are fauorable to the party in possession in a title of prescription Yf prescription of fifty yeares doe cleane cut of all chalenge what shall be sayd then of them which affirme their continued possession in doctrine a thousand yeares and more By the same prescription of time say they the priestes of the old lawe did chalenge vnto themselues a lawfull right to sit in Moyses chayre Ergo Mans lawe doth adiudge no man a wrōgfull dissensor being able to prescribe fifty yeares possession Aunswere The priestes of the old lawe doe chalenge a right to sitt in Moyses chaire in respect of the continued prescription of time I doe confesse this to be true in deede And yet this prescription notwithstanding the Lord did call the very same priestes theéues and murtherers Agayne touching their allegation of the wrongfull disseisor by lawe and prescription of time I doe aunswere In the ciuill lawe this is true in deéd but not so in Gods lawe And yet there is also a rule in the ciuill lawe A wrōgfull disseisor shall not ohtayne though he prescribe neuer so long continuance of possession Agayne An ordinaunce begunne wickedly at the first is not sayd to be allowable for prescriptiō of tyme. But as concerning Gods lawe there be many notable testimonies of most worthy personages which disproue the same for an vntrueth Namely emongest all others the saying of Augustine chiefly The veritye being discouered custome must geue place to trueth let no man preferre custome before reason and trueth because reason and trueth doe alwayes exclude custome And Gregory Yf you pretend custome sayth he you must note what the Lord sayth I am the way the trueth and the lyfe He doth not say I am custome doughtles euery custome though neuer so auncient though neuer so generall must geue place to the trueth Emongest whome also heare what Cyprian doth say If Christ onely must be harkened vnto sayth he we may not regard what any other did thinke conuenient to be done before our time but what Christ hath done first who is aboue all other For we ought not to followe the custome of men but the trueth of God for as much as the Lord spake by the month of his Prophet Esay and sayd They worshippe me in vayne teaching the doctrines and tradicions of men Moreouer whereas themselues knowe this rule to be infallible that no custome shall prescribe agaynst the prince how much rather ought it be sayd no time or custome shall prescribe agaynst God Otherwise what shall we say of Antichrist which because he hath possessed his Seé more then an hundreth yeares shall he therfore not be accounted for Antichrist for his title of prescription Hitherto therefore the reasons wherewith the Catholickes do maintayne their Antiquitye are declared It remaineth now that we purge our selues of the cryme of Nouelty fasly obbraydid agaynst vs by Osorius especially sith Osorius doth vrge vs so earnestly thereunto wherein I would gladly conferre with that indifferent and vpright reader whome earst I spake of or with any other Catholicke man who hath any sparke of sound and vpright iudgement And I would enquire of him first his iudgement vpon this poynt of doctrine whereas we beleue and professe that our nature euen from our first creation is so vtterly lost and forlorne that in our selues remaineth no helpe at all to rise agayne without Christ agayne that Christ the sonne of God taking our nature vpon him hath made so perfect satisfaction for our sinnes that there remayneth nothing wherein his deseruings haue not sufficiently enough satisfied for all generall yea for the sinnes of the whole world Moreouer that these his merites are so by wonderfull dispensation spread abroad with ouerflowing plenty vppon all mankinde through the singuler and inestimable benefitte and mercy of God that a freé passage is made wide open for all miserable wretches penitent sinners being endued with fayth to haue freé accesse vnto Christ and so layd open as that freély through fayth without all merites of ours without all the works of the lawe they be pardoned and accepted vpon this poynt I say I would fayne heare the opinion of the godly and Catholicke Reader whether this Assertiō hane any maner of Nouelty in it which hath not proceéded from Christ himselfe from Saynt Paule frō the holy Ghost and from the sacred word of God I thinke no man will say so What meaneth this That where the same scripture doth teach vs to repose all our affyaunce not in workes but in Christ onely grounding our selues in the meane space assuredly vpon the infallible promise of God whereof we haue no mistrust but that he which promised freely the same will performe most faithfully not for any our sake but for hys Sonnes sake onely in whom we do beleue so that now there be no reason els of any our righteousnesse in the sight of God then through fayth onely Let the Godly and vpright Reader iudge here agayne with me what Nouelty or Sacriledge is in this manner of Doctrine If according to the authority of Tertullian that thing ought to be preferred that was first diliuered I will aske again of any indifferēt Reader whether this custome were receyued in the Church first namely that we should acknowledge one onely Aduocate and Mediator of God and men the man Christ Iesus Or
haue taught They acknowledge him to be heauenly you make him earthly Theyr doctrine doth rayse vs from the earth vppe on high where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Your doctrine what doth it whereunto tendeth it whether doth it call the mindes of Christians but from aboue downeward out of heauen into the earth withdrawing the senses from the Spirite to the flesh So that we must seéke for Christ there not where he is but where you imagine him to be present The Apostle Paule when he preacheth vnto vs the liuely feature of this Christ who taking vpon him the shape of a Seruaunt suffered death in the same shape once for our sinnes vnder Pontius Pilate and afterwardes accomplishing the mistery of our redemption rose agayne for our iustification doth teach vs playnly that he ascended into heauen not leauing his body wherein he suffered behinde him here on earth but taking vpp the same body into heauen was with the same receiued into glory whom also he affirmeth he knew no more now according to his fleshlye presence that is to say according to the capacity of his carnall senses And that besides this Christ onely he knew none other Christ nor this Christ otherwise then according to the new creature onely namely visible in spirite with the eyes of fayth and not with fleshlye eies Let vs make now a comparison betwixt this Christ of our Gospell with that your Christ of the Pope in the same manner as you do fashion him and make a gaze of him to the eies and eares of the people after the order of your Gospel which seémeth to me to be after this manner not as hauing taken vpon him the shape of a seruaunt but the forme of bread is in the same forme of bread and vnder the accidents of bread made of wheat set out to the gaze of the people to be tooted vpon and is of Christians worshipped and offered to God the Father and this not once but dayly not vnder Pontius Pilate but vnder the Pope of Rome not a Sacrifice onely for the quicke but for the soules in Purgatory also to the washing away of theyr synnes Which Sacrifice being ended he is buried in deéd but buryed or rather drowned in the paunch of a priest from whence he neither riseth agayne nor ascendeth afterwardes but descendeth rather nor is euer looked for to come agayne from thence And this is that same Christ not the Euangelicall Christ but the Papisticall and poeticall Christ whom thought the Apostles or Euangelistes neuer knew yet must we be enforced will we nyll we to honor and worshippe neuerthelesse as the very Sauiour of the world forsooth Whom may not suffice to lift vppe hartes and mindes on high to him onely which dwelleth in heauen vnlesse we also lift vppe our fleshly eyes to this visible Christ and kneéle and crootche vnto him with great reuerence yea although the eyes themselues do behold nothing but bread and wine yet the eyes must lye and all the sences must be deceiued neither may in any wise be reputed other then verye herityques but in despyght of eyes and senses all we must of infallible persuasion of fayth firmely beleue that it is now no more bread and wine that is seéne But the bread and wine being thrust cleane on t of dores Chryst onely yea whole Christ doth possesse euery part of that place who though be not present in his owne naturall shape nor in the same proportion of body which he tooke of the Uirgine Mary yet in the selfe same nature trueth substaunce Identity notwithstanding vnder other formes forsooth and yet not figuratiuely but truely most absolutely perfectly and fully must in the same whole body and the same naturall blood be contayned felt seene and without all contradition worshipped These be the misteries of your diuinity as I suppose by the which you haue begotten vnto the world a new Christ I knowe not whom altogether an other Christ neuer borne of the Uirgine Mary doubtles whom the Gospell neuer knew nor the Apostles euer taught nor the Euangelystes euer saw I adde also whom neuer any of you hath seéne hetherto yet nor shall euer seé hereafter And yet these so wittelesse so dotish and monstruous deuises of drowsy dreames then which nothing can be spoken or imagyned more false and more monstruous you shame not at all to vaunt to be most auntient and most true as the Gabyonites of olde time did theyr shooes And for the same your Popish Christ made of bread you stick not to aduēture limm life more earnestly then for the true Glory of that Christ whom we do most certaynely know to be in heauen where also we do worshippe him And euen this doth your horrible butchery of an infinite number of our Martyres declare to be true by most plain and euident demonstration With the blood of whom because your holy mother the church seémeth so beastly dronken long sithence this one thing would I fayne learne of you what special cause was it that enforced you to vtter such outrage in the shedding of so much blood of your naturall brethren was it because they defrauded Christ the Sonne of God which was borne for our sakes crucified rose agayne ascended vp into heauē sitting now a Lord in heauē of one dramm so much of his due honor nothing lesse Was it because they abused or defiled the Gospel I thinke not so Was it because they brake the auntient ordinaūces and approued doctrine of the holy Apostles and Prophettes in any one thing or because they went beyond the bondes prescribed by the auntient fathers none of all these But the cause was for that they refused to allow of that newfangled and vpstart Idoll of the Popish Masse and that lately sprōg vppe Breadworshippe contrary to the doctrine of the Apostles yea contrary to Christ himselfe and because they would not in this behalfe be as furiously franticke as the Papistes themselues In the meane time we speake not this as though we were of opiniō that Sacramentes should be defrauded of theyr dewe honor For it is one thing to reuerence the Sacramentes accordyngly and an other thyng to conuert the Sacramente of Christ into Christ him selfe and to worshippe earthly Sygnes for the heauenly Christ in the one whereof is a kynde of Religion in the other manifest Idolatry To the whiche wanteth nothyng now but that they chaunt lustely together with Ieroboam These be thy Gods O Israell But we shall be vrged perhappes with the wordes of Christ in the Gospell This is my body c. As though in the wordes of Christ which be Spirite and life it be so rare vnaccustomed phrase of speaking to vse Tropes and figures now and then seing there is no kinde of doctrine that more vsually delighteth in figures Tropes parables Similitudes metaphors allegoryes mysteryes thē the mystycall speéch of the sacred
more commodious for vs namely sith him selfe hath spoken in the Gospell It behoveth you that I go for if I go not the comforter can not come If the corporall presence of Christ seéme in your conceiptes so necessary and so effectuall vnto Saluation Then bethinke this with your selfe how long the Apostles should haue neéded the vse of his bodyly presence how weake they were how grosse their vnderstandyng was notwithstandyng their dayly familiaritie and acquaintaunce with God and man notwithstandyng so may miracles seéne with their eyes notwithstanding so many apparaunt demonstrations notwithstādyng their dayly teachyng proceédyng from that heauenly voyce yet loe whē he should ascēde into heauē doth he not cast their incredulitie in their teéth And what was the cause hereof els but bycause the effectuall power and mighty force of the comforter could not enlighten their hartes vnlesse the fleshly presence of Christ had bene first takē away from them And do you not yet cease so drowsily to dreame vpon Christes flesh and euen for that cause haue you made such an horrible slaughter of so many thousand soules continuyng still in that sauadge and vnappeasable vnmercyfulnes And yet after this so great and cruell a bootchery may ye not endure to haue that your notable Prelate called by the name of Antichrist In deéde is this your aūcient Religion my Lord to speake nothyng in the meane space of that wherevnto the Rhetoriciās are wont to fleé whē they assayle their aduersaries most greéuously by an Impossibilitie of proofe as this that it is not possible for you to proue that your fleshly Assertiō of the Sacrament by any reason or by any deuise or imagination For how can you possibly bryng to passe that two contradictories may be verified of one selfe same body at one selfe instaunt so that the same selfe body of Christ seyng you will haue it one selfe body may be at one selfe same tyme in one and in diuerse places at one instaunt of tyme both glorified not glorified visible and not visible corruptible incorruptible which is not onely wonderfully absurde to be spoken but as impossible to be done and which also will admitte no miracle at all namely that the thyng that is true by nature should be false by miracle and be conceaued both true false at one instaunt of tyme. But bycause we determined not to prosecute Disputation hereof in this place but to treate onely of the antiquitie of doctrine I returne agayne to your Church which you garnish with a very gorgeous but in very deéde counterfaite and false title of Antiquitie wherein you deale also as subtelly and craftely Not much vnlyke to harlottes who when they will be atcompted for honest do as much as they may frame them selues to the resemblaunce of vertuous matrones from whose conuersatiō and maners they do varry notwithstandyng altogether Euen so fareth it with your Church I speake of that shape and countenaunce of the Church that now is not that which was long agoe For as I may not deny that the Church of Rome in that pure and primer age deserued wonderfull yea the principall commendation of all others not onely in respect of the noumber of Martyrs that suffred there but also in respect of her vnstayned sinceritie and Fayth euen so comparyng the Church that now is with the Church that then was The example is so farre of frō any liuely resemblaunce of the first patterne that it seémeth quite transformed and I can not tell how mishapen into a certeine chaungelyng Else without any mauer of likely applyable nesse to the feature or countenaunce of that first and auncient simplicitie and sinceritie For such was the lyfe of Christians in that purer age that they would not swerue one tytle so much from their profession Moreouer such was their profession that it would not raunge an hearebredth from the prescript rule of the Institutions Apostolique And such was the rage of persecution then as would now supper them to be Idely sluggish or to geaue themselues to vnlusty Lazines As for delightes and pleasures to rake riches together to build pallaces to seéke the exalting of themselues by honorable titles and dignityes they had neuer one minute of spare tyme to bestowe their wittes vpon Their dayly exercise then was a continuall wresting agaynst the world and the Deuill They spent all their tyme in labors and perills their whole lyfe was a paynfull turmoyle all their power was nought els but prayer Their fortresse was grounded vpon Christ Yea for Christ onely was their whole warfare Neither were those valiant souldiours destitute in the meane time of a singuler Chefetayne Christ himselfe was the chief generall of this Army who did either mitigate the horror and cruelty of their agonyes by his omnipotent power or with some comfortable restoratyue qualifie their greéues so ordering and attempering the proceédyngs and alterations of his Church that he would neither suffer the vaynes and sinowes of the same to gather any infection by ouerflowing plenty of ytching delights of this flattering world nor to be discouraged or vanquished with any immoderat assaultes or excessiue stormes of aduerse fortune and at the last would conduct them to a ioyfull Triumph and end of all their Troubles and afflictions And this was the very order of the first foundation and building of that auncient Church So that neither tickeling enticementes of the world could defile the lyfe of the godly nor any contagious error infect their doctrine For the very same ordinaunces and rules of doctrine which thapostles receaued of Christ and the holy ghost the same also which came from the Apostles vnto the Church were reteined with vnremoueable cōstancye So also was nothing at all mingled or chopt in for vse or worshippe vnlesse being deliuered from Christ or his Apostles had the rootes thereof vnseparably planted in the knowen authoritye of the sacred worde Inuielable as yet was that sacred rule of this commaundement See that you adde nothing nor diminishe any thing And that other also of Saint Paule Whosoeuer shall teach you any other Gospell lett him be holden accursed And this also They doe worshippe me in vayne teaching the doctrine and traditions of men c. Those superfluous swarmes of superstitious traditions of men were not yet growen in vre men were not yet ouercloyed with the cumbersume clusters of crabbed constitutions For it seemed good to the holye ghost not to burdeine the Gentiles with the ordinaunces prescribed in the old lawe That vnmeasurable heape of ragged Rytes were not yet raked together nor hard of in the Church Nor was there any neéde of naked ceremonies where sufficed to euery person to serue and worshippe God in spirite and trueth Nether was any thing worshipped then but his Deitye alone Afterwardes in deéde the age of the Apostles being runne ouer and the number of Christians encreasing certaine ordinaunces were instituted by
entred into any order Ecclesiasticall foreswearing to be coupled in wedlock should sweare them selues to obserue perpetuall vow of vnmaried lyfe If any man be of opiniō that this Tyrāny was brought in by the Apostles and not rather directly agaynst the ordinaūce of the Apostolicke Church is much deceaued in imagination whereas that law was neuer begon nor euer heard of before the tyme of Hildebrand And although I can not deny that there were many vnmaried Ministers many dayes agoe in the Church of Christ at that tyme when as there was not such a huge multitude of Priestes and more plentyfull giftes of chastitie possessed Christian Churches yet did neuer any man read or heare that this necessitie of vowyng chastitie became a publique cōmon coaction before Hildebrād was borne How earnestly the Germaines did set them selues agaynst this wicked prohibition decreéd by Pope Gregory the 7. at what tyme the Archbyshop of Mentz Sollicitour of this Popish decreé was almost slayne let the Histories beare witnesse As touchyng what was done in England I will note somewhat my selfe For on this wise writeth Henry Huntyngton in his Chronicle Anselme sayth he did prohibite Mariadge of Priestes in England which was neuer prohibited before Which seemed to some a matter of wonderfull continēcie but to other very pernitious and perillous least whiles they should couet for a cleannes that surmounted their power they might rushe healong into horrible filthynes to the great reproche and dishonour of Christian name This much he with whom also accordeth the testimony of Monumetensis touchyng the same matter Herbert Byshop of Norwiche sayth he by the commaundement of Anselme and a Decree of a Prouinciall Synode did endeuour by all meanes possible to sequester the Priestes from their Wiues in his Diocese And when he could not bring it to passe he was constrained to send to Anselme for Counsell This is to be founde in a written History pag. 240. The same also happened to Gerrarde Archb. of Yorke about the same tyme. Now what will Osorius say to this If I shall be able to shew him out of our own auncient Recordes more then 40. Recordes and Rolles which doe make mention not onely of our Priestes companying together with their Wiues but also that do by publique authoritie and law of the land prouide that their Wiues ought to be endowed in landes and possessions There was an old Decreé in the Councell of Gangren That no man should make any difference betwixt an vnmaried Priest a maried Priest as to Iudge the one more holy then the other in respect of his vnmaried lyfe I will annexe the wordes of the Coūcell If any man doe take exception betwixt a Maried Priest at that in respect of his Mariadge he ought not to minister the Communion and so sequester him selfe from Communicating with him let him be accursed There ensued after this the Councell of Areletens the 2. wherein was a contrary Decreé made that no person should be admitted to Priesthood that was Married to a Wife vnlesse he vowed to depart from his Wife c. Whereunto also agreéd a Decreé of Pope Lucius long after the other Whereby Priestes and Deacons and such as serued the Altares should lyue continently And this hetherto tollerable enough But what kynde of cōtinency he did meane let vs marke by the sequele But if it happen sayth he that a Minister doe go to bedd to his Wife after he haue once receaued orders let him not enter within the Chaūcell nor be made bearer of the Sacrament nor yet come a neare the Altar c. As touchyng Images Inuocation Sacrifies for Sinnes and Freéwil hath bene spoken sufficiently before And what shall I adde more of the rest of the rascall rable to witte of Purgatory of Satisfactory Constitutions of vowes of other lyke peltyng pelfe of the newfangled Romish Traditions and of the antiquitie of all the rest but euen as they be in deéde namely that in them all appeareth no countenaunce of true Antiquitie but are deuises altogether of mens inuētions bastardes and misbegotten chaungelyngs of Scholeianglers and cowled crauens not grounded vpon any authoritie of the Scripture altogether vnknowen vnto the aūcient primitiue Church the most part wherof hath bene hatcht thrust abroad into the world within these 500. yeares within which compasse of tyme that noumber of yeares began to be fulfilled which was long before Prophecied of for the lettyng louse of Sathan into the world whose libertie out of that bottomles gulfe of hell was foretold by the Propheticall Scriptures should be after a thousand yeares to the end he might now preuaile to deceaue the people dwelling vpon the foure corners of the earth Gog and Magog c. By meane of which pestiferous deceauing it is scarse credible to be spoken what mōstruous ruine dissipation of Empires and Kyngdomes with in these 500. yeares what an alteration hath ensued in that church chiefly how much of Christian force hath bene decayed through Ciuill warres priuate grudgynges how greatly the power of foreine Nations hath increased to our destruction and vndoyng And how in the meane tyme whiles the Turke doth inuade the Christian Church without seékyng with foreine force to vndermine it The Popish Prelates be no lesse busily bent to builde vppe their fortresse of furious Tyranny euen within the bowels of the same Church and to fill vppe their Coffers with Treasures they moyle and turmoyle all thynges Procure warres and bloudshed for the establishment of their primacy sturre vppe Ciuill warres and commotions turne all thynges vpsidowne Wherupō commeth to passe that doctrine is nought sett by by how much their treasory aboundeth in ouer flowing-plenty by so much to speake with Ierome their vertues are pyned away with famine skarsity Idolatry ambitiō superstitiō haue growne to an vnmeasurable excesse all things are defiled with abuse Religiō ruleth the roast with violence cruelty Finally all things are come to nought Trueth is turned to playne lying and treachery The place of sincere fayth possesseth false hipocrisie Praying for the dead kneéling and crowching to Images supplyeth the place of the true and pure worshipping of God The word of the Lord is troden downe with mans authoritye The most godly and auncient ordinaunces are transformed into new fangled traditiōs the simple meaning of the Scriptures is entāgled with scholetrickes and Sophystrye Luste and vnbrideled licentious outrages preuayle aboue godly conuersation and seueritye of discipline Presūptuous pride and greédy desire of Lordlynes and superioritye doe wrestle agaynst lowlynes and humilitye huge heapes of new Noueltyes increase dayly errors and falshode flocke abroad vnmeasurably Finally the whole state of the auncient Church is become a very stage of an earthly Monarchye and a filthy forgeshoppe of foolishe fond ceremonies But now assoone as the Lord of his louing mercy good pleasure towardes vs vouchsafed to amend this dayly drowsy darkenes with
accomplished once and in one place onely It remayneth therefore that this propheticall sacrifice of Malachy must signifie the vnbloudy sacrifice of the Masse according to the Testimonyes of the Ecclesiasticall writers Irene Augustine Ierome Damascene c. The same Argument in a forme Logicall In the new testament suche a sacrifice must remayne as may be dayly and perpetuall and celebrated in euery place as appeareth by the wordes of Malachy There can be no suche kynde of Sacrifice els but the sacrifice of the Masse proued by the Reasons before mentioned Ergo The sacrifice of the Masse is that perpetuall sacrifice whereof Malachy doth prophecy and which can not be dissolued The words of the Prophet do so throughly expound the meaning of the Prophett as that they neéd none other interpretation A pure offering sayth Malachy is offered vnto my name because my name is great amongest the Gentiles The Prophet doth playnely prophecy of the Church which is to be gathered together from out emongest the Gentiles of the enlarging of the Gospell of fayth of the knowledge of God of calling vpon his name of confessing his name and geuing of thankes And this pure and acceptable offering of the Gentiles by how farre it is outstretched and proclaymed ouer all the world so much the more euidently it doth disclose the meaning of the Prophet The Sacrifices of the Synagogue and of the Leuiticall worshipping which were ministred with outward Ceremonies be abolished to the end that spirituall Sacrifices wherein God doth take greater pleasure should supplye theyr place who as he is himselfe a spirite doth delight to be worshipped in spirite and trueth And because this heauenlye and celestiall kinde of worshipping must be proclaymed euery where ouer all the face of the earth therefore the Lord doth foreshew by the mouth of the Prophet that it shall come to passe that the great name of god should waxe mighty in all places should be generally worshipped with worthy sacrifices true honor And by what meanes can this saying vphold this outward applicatory Sacrifices of the Masse as they call it And yet if they will neédes haue it so what shall this be els thē to descēd frō flesh to flesh to make a chaūge of the old Iewishnes with a new Iewishnes S. Paule doth testifie playnly of this Propheticall Sacrifice Rom. 15. That the Gētiles may glorifie God for his mercy as it is writtē For this cause will I prayse thee emongest the Gentiles c. Prayse the Lord all ye Gētiles Psal. 117. And there shall spring a braunche out of the roote of lesse in him shall the Gentiles trust Esay 11. That the offeringes of the Gentiles sayth Paule might be acceptable Of the same Sacrifice let vs now heare what Epiphanius and other writers doe write in their Commentaries vpon these wordes of Malachy Sacrificing the Gospell sayth Epiphanius ouer all the face of the earth Agayne Tertullian agaynst Marcion in his 4. booke I haue no pleasure in you bycause from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same my name is glorified in all places a Sacrifice is offred vnto my name yea and that a pure Sacrifice what kinde of Sacrifice he doth not say the Sacrifice of the Altar but pure prayer powred forth of a cleare conscience c. And in his thyrd booke he doth him selfe expresse what kynde of Sacrifice this is Namely the proclamation of glory thankesgeuing and prayse and Psalme c. The same Tertullian also Contra Iudaeos Fol. 4. Wherfore thē doth the spirite Prophecie afterwardes by the Prophetes that it shall come to passe that ouer all the earth and in all places sacrifices should be offred vnto God as he spake by the mouth of Malachy I will not accept the sacrifice of your handes doubtles bycause the sounde of the preaching of the Apostles should be heard ouer all the world Because God must be worshipped not with earthly sacrifices but with spirituall we read this where it is written A contrite hart is a sacrifice vnto God And in an other place Offer vnto God the sacrifice of prayse and paye thy vowes to the highest After this maner therfore are the spirituall sacrifices of prayse noted such an acceptable sacrifice to God is a contrite hart knowen to be c. Moreouer if you will learne what kynde of sacrifice of the Church this must be Let vs heare the wordes of the same Tertullian to Scapula And therfore we do offer sacrifice for the good preseruation of the Emperour but we do sacrifice vnto our God and his but how euen as God hath commaunded vs namely with pure prayers Thus much out of Tertullian Irene is his fourth booke agaynst the heresies of Valentine and other like vnto him cityng this place of Malachy doth say that by these wordes he made a most manyfest demonstratiō that the first people did cease to sacrifice vnto God but in all places a sacrifice is offered vnto God yea and that a pure sacrifice But his name shal be glorified emongest the Gentiles And in the 33. Chap. Iohn in his Reuelatiō sayth he doth call the prayer of the Sainctes by the name of Incense vnto the Lord. And in his 34. Chap. expoundyng the same place of Malachy And therfore he will haue vs offerre an offryng at the altar without intermission This Altar therfore is in the heauens for vnto that Altar must our prayers and oblations be directed and to that Temple c. What shall we say to Augustine Who writyng vpon the same place doth affirme the Incense there is taken for the prayers of the faythfull And immediately annexyng thereunto When he sayd I will not accept the Calues of thyne house Offer vnto God the sacrifice of prayse The same God by the mouth of this foretelling the thing that should come to passe as though it were done already doth say From the rising of the sunne to the going down of the same my name is glorified emongest the Gentiles and in euery place Incense is offered to my name and a pure oblation c. You seé therfore Osorius by the testimonie of Augu. what kinde of pure sacrifice this is in Malachy namely That Prayse and Thankesgeuing is the continuall and dayly sacrifice of the Christians but especially when we doe represent the death of Christ wherewith he redeémed us and the cōioynyng of his mysticall body by the partakyng of the holy Communion of the bread and wyne Of the same mynde also is Eusebius who doth interprete this sacrifice of Malachy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which is as much to say Incēse of prayer What shall I say of Ierome Whose Exposition upō the same place of the Prophet doth not vary from the Expositiō of Tertullian affirming that the prayers of the faithfull must be offred vnto the Lord not in one onely prouince of Iury but in all places
for asmuch as we also be made so freé from any guilte of Sinne and bondage of death by the one onely Sacrifice of the Lordes passion as that there is no neéde now of any Sacrifice from henceforth for the full redemption of Sinnes to vs now is this most blessed Supper Eucharist instituted for a perpetuall memoriall of that inestimable benefitt which albeit haue no power nor effectuallnesse of the oblation which it doth represent yet is it dignified with the name of that Sacrifice in respect of the honorable representation of the thing represented And thus much hitherto touching Malachy Now let vs seé what moates these Sophisters doe knitt together touching Melchizedech It behoued that the figure of Melchizedech should be fulfilled in the true Priesthood of Christ. Melchizedech did offer bread and wine vnto God which was a figure of the body and bloud of Christ vnder the formes of bread and wine Ergo Christ did offer at his last supper his body and bloud vnto God the Father vnder the formes of bread and wine As touching the necessary agreéablenesse of the things and the Types mentioned in the Maior we doe agreé together For it is vndoughted true that Augustine teacheth in his 10. booke De Ciuitate Dei the 5. Chap. That the thinges of the olde Testament be representations of the things of the new Testament But all that which is assumed in the Minor concerning the Sacrifice is of all partes false both in respect of Christ and in respect of Melchizedech For as much as neither of thē did euer institute any Sacrifice for sinnes in bread what then will you say did not Melchizedech represent the Type of Christ our Sauior there is nothing more true But we must cōsider wherin and by what meanes this agreéablenes may be correspondēt In the Priesthood I suppose and not in the Sacrifice For comparison is made of a Priest with a Priest not of a Sacrifice with a Sacrifice Thou art an euerlasting Priest sayth he after the order of Melchizedech which in mine opinion is in threé respectes First in the participation of kingly name For they were both called kinges of Iustice and peace 2. by reason of the Priestly kindred whereas both were Priests without knowing any Parentage of whom they came .3 according to the perpetuity of priesthood because the priesthood in thē both was wtout beginning without ending vnto whom in the Priesthood was neuer assigned Successor or predecessor The playne explanation whereof doth appeare in no place more euidently then in the very Epistle of Paul to the Hebrues Which making a collection of many braunches in comparing the Priesthood of Melchisedech together with the Priesthood of Christ yet in all the same maketh no mention at all of any Sacrifice of bread and wine But they take exception and say forasmuch as Melchisedech was a Priest by what reasō could he be a Priest without a Sacrifice And who doth exclude Melchisedech being a Priest from his Sacrifice But there is none other Sacrifice of his extant say they in the holy scriptures but in the bread and the wine which were offred as ornamentes of his Priesthood A deép reason as though he that so many thousād yeares agoe was a Priest without all beginning of tyme did not at any tyme during this whole entercourse of tyme offerr any Sacrifice vnto God besides this one Sacrifice onely Which being an vnreasonable absurditie yet not to contend long vpon this poynt I would fayne be resolued of these Catholickes in one question When Melchisedech did offer bread and wine whether he did Sacrifice for Sinnes yea or no I doe maruell what aunswere they will make hereunto If they say nay how then did he prefigure the Type of Christ if they say yea I aske agayne whether the Sacrifices that are ordayned for the clensing of sinnes must be done vnto God or vnto men If he did Sacrifice to Abraham a good fellowship tell vs what had Abraham to doe with our sinnes Moreouer I would learne this also for as much as there cann no expiation of sinnes consist in Sacrifices without shedding of bloud and whereas in all this preparation of Melchisedech was no bloudshed at all what force and efficacy of expiation could there be in that Sacrifice or how could it be accompted a Sacrifice at all Forsooth say you because these thinges offred did prefigure a certein resemblaunce of this to come But what resemblaunce might be there where no lykenesse could be appliable If in the Sacrifice of Melchizedech was nothing seéne but bread and wine onely what is this to the purpose to establish the Satisfactory Sacrifice of the Masse wherein is left no croome of bread nor droppe of wine But Melchizedech is called the Type of our Sauiour That is true in deéde But the Type is past and the veritye supplyeth the place Lett vs make a comparison betwixt the sampler and the trueth Melchizedech did bring bread and wine into the Armye which he did offerr to Abraham and not vnto God neither did he bring bread and wine to be gazed vpon nor to be worshipped not to release offences but he deliuered it to Abraham to refresh him and his Souldiors after their long and paynefull Iourney The same which Melchizedech did in the Army Christ hath perfourmed in his supper who taking the bread and the cupp in his handes did not offer there his body vnto his Father but did distribute the bread wine peécemeale in the name of his body and he commaunded them to eate where is there yet any Institution or any signification of a Sacryfice I doe behold in Melchizedech a figure but I acknowledge the veritye in Christ I doe conceaue also a participation made of bread and wine by them both yet all this while I seé no Sacrifice Both of them offred bread and wine to nourish namely Melchizedech vnto the Patriarche and to his souldiours and not vnto God Christ to his disciples not to the Father but vnto men after the vsuall maner of men that vse mutually to present eche other with giftes Besides this also the Patriarche with his people Christ with his disciples were altogethers pertakers of that which was geuen Goe to now and in what sense may all this be applied to the holy sacrifice of the Masse Surely if you deriue the reason of your sacrifice from Melchizedech he brought forth nothing but bare bread and wine but you retayne neither bread nor wine and in all the rest make no man partaker of your action But one man alone deuoureth vpp all the Supper yet not the supper for he maketh a sacrifice of the Supper rather the bread heé chaungeth into the body being chaūged he vaunceth it on high to be tooted vpon being gazed vpon throughly he doth sacrifice it for the quicke and the dead Truely I beleéue neither Melchizedech in his actiō nor Christ in his supper did
cloth there is also in the same Cathedrall Church at Rome the very Cradle wherein he was rockt and the peticoate which hys mother Mary did knitt for him yet we read in the Gospell that the Maunger was the onely cradle that the Child had As meére a mockery also is this that in an other place of the same City the Piller whereunto Christ did leane when he disputed in the Temple is brought forth to be looked vpon brought vnto Rome as they say together with eleuen other pillers out of Salomōs Temple which if be true was done doubtlesse after the Popedome of Gregory For it is euidently knowne by his owne writynges that in his tyme was no such Bables at Rome There be Monasteries which make a shew of the water pottes in the which Christ did turne water into wine At Aurelia also they do bragge that they haue the very wine that was turned out of water which is sayd to be the wyne of the mayster of the feast Euery yeare once it is offered to be licked with the toung to them that will geue money for the same out of the topp of a spoone alleadging that it is the very wine that our Lord did will the Master of the feast to drinke of at the marriage what a fitter place for exclamation were heare O shamelesse Impudency O wittlesse folly O grosse mockeryes At Rome in a place which they call Sancta Sanctorum they doe shew forth the shoes of Christ. But what shoes did Christ weare then whenas Mary Magdalen did power forth sweéte oyntment vpon hys bare feéte I thinke and wyped them with the heares of her head as he sate in the house of Simon at Dyner It is skarse credible that any dropp of Christes blood which was altogether powred forth vpon the ground is remaynyng at this present And yet that naturall blood of Christ is shewed more then in an hundred places There is a solemne Pilgrimage made to a few droppes thereof at Rochell in Poytiers in Fraunce which as they say Nichodemus did gather vpp reserue in his gloaue At Mantua also greate gobletts full be to be seéne At Byblion in Auuergne in Fraunce it is brought forth to be seéne cleare renning in a Christall glasse In an other litle towne neére adioyning the same blood is shewed clotted together At Rome it is poured forth in broad platters full in the church of Sainct Eustathius but in the same City at Saynct Iohn of Laterane it is found mixt with water euen as it gushed out of hys side In England in the Abbay of hayles was solemne pylgrimage made great worshipp geuen to that which the Moūcks did bring forth in a cleare Christall glasse in steéd of Christes blood to be gazed vpon of the pylgrimes where if Osorius had come on Pylgrimage what would he haue done I dought not but he would haue worshypped it very religiously But if he had done so he should in steéd of the Reliques of holy bloud haue surely worshypped the bloud of a Ducke The Table wherupon Christ made his last supper standeth at Rome in the Churche of Iohn of Laterane There is in a Church called Saynt Sauiour in Spayne a crust of the bread also that he brake at his last supper The knyfe wherewith the Paschall Lambe was cutt in pieces is at Tryers in Germany The cupp wherein Christ gaue the Sacrament of his blood is to be seéne neére vnto Lions in Fraunce in the Church of Maria Insulana The same Cuppe also is in Switzerland in a certeyn Mounckery of Austine Fryers The platter wherin the pascall Lambe was put is at Rome at Genes and at Orleaunce That is to say threé manyfest lyes about one poore platter And yet these raynebeaten Ruffians be not ashamed to delude the world with such kinde of Mockeryes Neyther is Osorius ashamed to become as shamelesse a patron for those open guegawes But let vs proceéd to the rest of those lying Reliques The Towell wherewith Chryst did wype the disciples feéte is to be seéne at Rome at Saynt Iohns of Laterane The same also is at Ayre in Germanye It is shewed likewise all at one time in S. Cornelies Church A crust of the broken bread wherewith fiue thousand people were fedd in the desert is worshypped at Rome at S. Maria noua An other litle crust thereof is worshipped at Saynt Sauiours in Spayne which I thinke flew directly out of the Baskettes into Spayne But thys is but a Trysle to preserue barly breade there if they did not also shewe at the same Saynt Sauiours a braūch of palme which Christ did beare in his handes on palme-sonday whē he came vnto Ierusalem Emongest the which most holy Reliques is reserued a clodd of earth which they doe affirme was vnder Christes feéte when he raysed Lazarus from death to lyfe Many sundry reportes are made emongest the writers of the Ecclesiasticall history concerning the Crosse. The first that found it out is sayd to be Queéne Helene who did send a piece thereof to the Emperour her sonne an other part very curiously enclosed in a Chest of Golde she delyuered to the Byshopp of Ierusalē to be preserued If it be true that thys Crosse was deuided betwixt the Emperour the Byshop Then must the other Reportes made touching the Relyques of the same Crosse neédes be fables especially sith there is skarce any so litle a City wherein some gobbet of that Crosse is not residēt First chiefly at Parys in the holy chappell at Poytew and at Rome where a whole Crucifixe of a meane stature made of the same Crosse is to be seéne Goe to what will Osorius say to me here For whereas we are certeynly assured by the hystory of the Gospell that the Crosse whereupō Christ suffered was no greater thē that it might he carryed vpon one mans shoulder now it is growen to so vnmeasureable a quantity in greatnesse in breadth and in lēgth that if all chyppes and gobbets thereof that are skattered throughout the whole world were gathered together I am well assured that a great Carrick would be skarce able to beare them all Moreouer who may beleéue the deuise of the Cityzens of Poytew that the skrapp of the Crosse remayning amongest them was stollen from Helene by a certayn mayd and by her conueyed vnto them after that she had runne away from her Princesse wandring abroad lame and halt chaunced to come at the last vpon their coast And I maruell if there be no fragmēt of the same Crosse in Portingall the trueth whereof I commit to Osorius one of the Inquisitors of Portingall to finde out This one thing would I fayne learne what Osorius would doe If Osorius had the very true Crosse it selfe within his owne Byshoppricke I suppose he would worshipp it and why so forsooth because it did heare the body of Christ. That is well I aske further what if the