in daunger to bee turned into coldnesse of zeale Psal 6 and feare to professe the truth which God had made knowne vnto him Luther was to him as the Aungel was to the Prophet Esay Es 6. which by the burning coales of the Lordes Altar kindled and inflamed his zeale For by his noble spirit of magnanimitie he strengthned and fortifyed the other against the feare of flesh and bloud Such was the comfort and benefit which they receyued of their mutuall giftes to the great edification of the Church And this is the golden payre of two of the worthiest Ministers of the Gospel that Germany hath brought forth in any age Out of whose large volumes the pretended differences obiected vnto vs are taken and gathered The third is Iohn Caluin one of the soundest Diuines and of deepest iudgement in matters of religion both of doctrine and of discipline that God gaue to his Church this thousand yeares whose good name is in déed as the wise man saith a most sweete and excellent oyntment Eccle. 7.3 For howsoeuer Bolsec and the slaunderous defender of the late Censure haue rayled in the spirit of Semei against him and sought to their power to spoyle and marre this pretious oyntment yet all that are of the Church in these partes of Europe smell the sauour of it as the Apostles did the narde of Marie Iohn 2.3 which she powred vpon the heade of our Sauiour Christ and as they that were in the Temple did the sweete and fragrant odor of the holy oyntment when it was powred out vpon Aarons heade Ex. 30.23.24 25.30 Psal 133.2 and trickled downe to the hemme of his garment This worthie man of God like a goodly Starre rising first in Fraunce and after ascending to Geneua where also it went downe so shined in his time in the middes of the Church as if all the Firmament thereof had beene but one Starre and as if in all the Cope of Heauen there had shined none other And these three worthies of all the Lordes hoste at once this weake Authour hath specially chosen to encounter and to deface with contrarietie to themselues and one with another putting his trust as it seemeth in this that his surmysed contrarieties should neuer come to be examined The poyntes wherein hee chargeth them with contrarietie are of the Sacramentes and first in generall of the number of them whereof hee affirmeth that Luther acknowledged but one Caluin two Melancton three or foure For Caluin I confesse hee saith there are but two and in deede there are neyther more nor lesse For a Sacrament being a seale of our Communion with Christ Rom. 4.11 it can not bee shewed that our Sauiour Christ appoynted any more or lesse Seales of the righteousnesse that is by faith and our coniunction with him then onely two namely Baptisme and the Supper of the Lorde Which without any manner of question or difference is manifestly declared to bee the generall iudgement of the Churches professing the Gospell by the booke of the harmony of the confessions of their faith Which hauing beene long agoe exhibited to the seuerall Princes of the Countries states and kingdomes where these Churches are are nowe of late very profitably published to the iust conuiction of all such as slaunder the reformed Churches to be variably distracted rent in sonder with infinit differences of faith For it appeareth by that most profitable labor that the Lorde hath knit and vnited them together with a holy vnitie both sweete as the oyntment of Aaron and also profitable and rich as the due of Sion Psal 133. and of Hermon By which pleasant hermony of the confessions both of this Church and many others it appeareth that the generall iudgement and faith of our Churches acknowledgeth onely two Sacraments Wherein the Churches of God agreeing so well together the diuers opinion of a particular man or two if it were so culd not preiudice their holy vnitie in the faith But how vntrue it is that is here obiected to Luther Melancton will plainly be discouered For Luther that hee euer helde or taught that there should bee but one Sacrament as the Authour chargeth I say is an vniust slaunderous accusatiō In the places hee alleadgeth for his proofe in the beginning of his booke of the Babilonicall captiuitie after the denying of the seauen Sacraments and graunting of three which he there expresly nameth Baptisme the Lords Supper and Penance His wordes are these Although saith hee if I would speake after the vse of the scripture I should haue but one Sacrament and three Sacramentall signes whereof more largely in his time By which wordes it is euident that Luther ment nothing lesse then to teach but one Sacrament in that sense wee here speake of a Sacrament which conteyneth in it both the signe of the Sacrament or holy thing signifyed by it and also the Sacrament or holy thing it selfe for such hee playnely confesseth three Baptisme the Lords Supper and Penance But by one Sacracrament vnderstandeth the matter and substance of the sacramentall signs which is in deede but one namely our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ Which manifestly discouereth the simplicitie of this Authour if not hauing redde nor eonsidered the place himselfe he vouched it vpon confidence of the collection of some other or his verie euill conscience if knowing this to bee Luthers meaning hee haue so wrongfully and vniustly slaundered him Thus for one Sacrament hee hath his answere Nowe to that hee obiecteth of three or foure For foure hee cyteth Melanctons common places where Melancton hauing named three Baptisme the Lords Supper and Penance hee addeth after these wordes It liketh mee most that ordinacion also bee added whereunto he annexeth this reason that it is commaunded of God and that great promise is made to the ministry and preaching of the word For answere whereunto it is to be noted that first in the place alledged hee nameth onely three then after adioyneth this that he could like also the ordinance of the ministeries for the commaundement of God to ordayne Ministers and the promise of God to assist and blesse the Ministery of such as are lawfully called were also named a Sacrament Which importeth as if hee had said that in some sense ordination also may be called a Sacrament Further the confession of Ausb and the Apologie of it as he truly alledgeth both endyted by Melancton maketh mention onely of three Whereby it appeareth that Melancton taught not simply foure but onely three and that the name of a Sacrament in some sense might bee attributed to the fourth and for teaching sake as he speaketh in his Apologie in the title of the number vse of Sacraments Where handling this matter expresly hee vseth these words wee doe not thinke it any great matter although some for teaching doe otherwise number so that they duely keepe the things which are deliuered in the Scriptures neyther did the auncient Fathers number
more enrich your Noble harts with the true and holy feare of him with the zealous loue of his Gospell with magnanimitie and courage and all other princely and heroicall vertues fitte for Christian Counsellors to so Christian a Quéene professing the Gospell and namely with that true wisedome which is from aboue which as the Apostle Iames teacheth is first pure Iam. 3.17 then peaceable moderat easie to be perswaded ful of mercy of good fruits without disputing and without hipocrisie For as the Prophet Ieremy saide to the false Prophets and lying Priestes of his time so may it bee truly said vnto this whole Church of theirs Ier. 8.9 How doe ye say we are wise and the Lawe of the Lorde is with vs for certenly the pen worketh falshood the expert in the Lawe worke for falshood Haue their wise men caused them to blush haue they beene cast downe and taken Behold they dispise the worde of the Lorde Can any manner of wisedome then bee in them Surely there can bee no true wisedome in them which is as S. Iames saith from aboue spirituall of god but that which is falsly so named and is carnall as the Apostle saith Which true wisedome howsoeuer this Authour boasteth to bee in their Romaine religion by a sweete enchantment of great pollicie to entice whome hee may to a liking of it yet being well considered it will be found to bee to those that tast it nothing but as the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of good euil wherewith Sathan in the beginning deceaued Eue as S. Ia. saith earthly natural diuelish Earthly because it is not from Heauen Natural because it is not spirituall but onely the vaine and foolish discourse of flesh and bloud and of a naturall man who can not conceyue the things which are of God Deuilish which followeth next to carnal wisedome and sheweth that they which are ledde by their naturall and humaine vnderstanding are straight abused by the subtilties of Sathan because it is not of God but of the diuill that olde and sutle serpent It is not pure as S. Iames declareth the heauenly wisedome to bee which is pure as the gold that is seauen times refyned but base and vile because it is allaied and imbased with all earthly and vile respectes of their owne gaine and ambition whereunto they pretend in their Hierarchie pilgrimages pardons purgatorie and all other cunning inuentions and politike deuyses of their religion No more can it bee saide to bee as true wisedome is by the same Apostle peaceable moderate tractable full of mercy and of good fruits because it is full of Emulation of bitternesse of contentions quarrels reuenges not to be pacifyed and hates neuer to be reconciled full of bloudy crueltie and of euery euill worke It is not humble and voyde of dispute and contradiction as is the wisedome which is from aboue but is full of oppositions and replyes encountring the wisedome of God with vaine discourses of flesh and bloude Where our Sauiour Christ hath appoynted the word of his Crosse to bee set forth in a sort like it selfe and the State of his Ministers to be agreeable thereunto their wisedome controlling this for great simplicitie haue deuised as they suppose a wiser and a more politike way whereby it might obtaine more fauour and credit which is to make it sweete to the outward senses gorgeous for rich apparrel sumpteous for all costly furniture statly and princely for pompe as representing in it the image of a kingdome last of all it is not sincere but rather full of hipocrisie because vnder an outwarde appearance of humblenesse and not sparing of the body Widowes Orphanes houses were deuoured Idlenesse Pride Superstition Idolatrie and all impietie was hidden and couered Thus a faire coulor was cast vpon a fowle Sepulchre of deade and stinking bones and in a cup of golde the Kings and Princes of the earth were presented with a poysoned wyne of all fornication Which the stories of their filthinesse of their warres of their pursuing one another to the death yea and after death aboundantly testifie Therefore it came neuer howsoeuer hee vaunteth from our Sauiour Christ the wisedome of God nor from his Apostles which true wisedome onely maketh Commonweales to florish but from vnpure carnal profane and diuelish wits Neyther hath it at any time or can by any meanes soundly vphold establish a Christian Commonwealth but alwayes hath beene and both thorow the iustice of God and by the very nature of it must needes be the certaine ruin distruction of all estates which doe receyue it But ere I enter any further into the debating of this matter with him I will first set downe the state of the question betwene vs in this poynt as he himselfe hath done That is saith he that the practise of our doctrine as we hold it Pag. 27. of our aduersaries as they teach it whether it be true or false which at other times places is to be discussed of ours I say do follow infinit vtilities to a Christian Common wealth which do not frō the doctrine of our aduersaries but rather the cleane contrary hurts damages and this is the state of our question in this place In which wordes it appeareth that hée vndertaketh to proue that their Romaine fayth be it true or false bringeth infinite commodities to a cōmon weale and ours on the other parte be it true or false the cleane contrarye discommodities This is a straunge point in diuinitie and such as scarse one woulde haue looked to haue heard of a Ievve or a Turke acknowledging any God and trueth in religion much lesse of one pretending to be a Christian and a Catholique and a solliciter as hee would seeme for persecuted Catholiques either that a false fayth can make a wise and flourishing common weale or that true religion should bee but folly and the ruine of the state wher it is embraced For the Prophets and Apostles teache vs that no kingdōe nor state can prosper no Prince no potētate or people can be wise or blessed in their gouernment but by honoring obeying almighty God in such sort as he hath appointed Which doctrine oftentymes is repeated in the lawe wherein it is declared vnto the people of God that this should be their wisedome with all nations which shoulde saye surelye this onely is a wise and a politike people if they kept without adding or diminishing all the precepts which God cōmaunded Likewise that this obedience shoulde bee their blessing that it should be well with them yf they kéepe hys cōmaundements that the Lord would hate such as hated them and afflict such as afflicted them that the angell of the Lord should cutte downe the Cananites before them and bring them into the promised lande that they should abide in it and multiplye and be blessed in all that they shoulde putte their handes vnto aboue all other people Blessed in the
their Tenants also to deliuer their corne and victualles at an old price But any oppression iniustice extremitie extortion we neuer allowed but as often as good occasiō serueth not only once a yeare as he saieth they doe declare such offenders accursed according to the scripturs to more iust cause of feare and terrour then their bull canne strike into them by denouncing vnto them that the greedy rauenours and vniuste persons shall not inherite the kingdome of heauen Therfore whatsoeuer the commoditie of it may be to a cōmon W. it reapeth no lesse from our doctrine pracise then theirs nay so much more from vs then them as there is more preaching against all iniury with vs then eeuer was with them Seauenthly The 7. of diuorcement hee compareth vs for diuorcements concerning which their Church holdeth that after lawefull marryage there maye be cause of separation from comming together yet saith he ther can be none graunted to the breaking of the marriage and giuing leaue to marrye againe The benefit whereof is a restraint saith hee of many mischiefes Of the other part he affyrmeth our Churche to practise the contrary wherof the cōtrary inconueniences of vniuste diuorces and adulteries follow I answer that our Church yet hath herein no other practcie in our courts thē they left us in their cannon lawe being after such diuorce maried againe excepte the prouision of a statute of Henry the 8. maye helpe the innocent which is of not making voyd any marriage but for the causes allowed by the word of god which I take to be so equall and godlye as I think they them selues nor any other can iustly blame it otherwise our law practise in this matter differeth not from theirs And therefore if there bee anye commoditie of it our Church may enioye it In deede I graunt that we teach agreeably to the Scriptures that in case of adulterie committed the partie innocent is at lybertie as touching his conscience to bee deuorced and marryed to another but to the guiltie we giue no such libertie but leaue the partie to the iustice of the Magistrate whereof no manner of inconuenience can arise The 8. of obedience to magistrates Now followeth a point in the eight place about obedience to Magistrates wher vnto their doctrine hee saith is very profitable and ours very hurtefull Howe their doctrine and practise dealeth with Magistrates is of longe time by the light of the Gospell so discouered as they shal bee hardly able to make the world beleeue now that Magistrates are beholding vnto them euen as the Corinthes were to the false Apostles of whom the Apostle saieth ye suffer euen if a man bryng you into bondage if a man deceiue you if a man take your goodes if a man exalt hym self aboue you if a man smite your vpon the face For as for takyng thei not onely tooke whatsoeuer Princes offered but extorted of them and their subiectes withall importunacie and extremitie And for bryngyng into bondage thei estemed all kynges to be but their vassalles and the Pope to be Kyng of Kynges and Lorde of lordes as muche greater then the Emperour as the Sonne exceedeth the Moone Therfore the Pope hath vsed them thereafter as Pages and footmen to waite and attende vppon hym for meanest seruices while he rode in his Pontificalibus He hath made theim kisse his feete and an Emperour to stande three daies barefoote at his gates before he could be admitted and then trode vpon his necke when he humbled hymself vnto hym abusing that Scripture to his pride thou shalt tread vppon the Basiliscke and stampe the Dragon vnder thy feete He hath plaied at Tennis with their Crounes tossing them from one to an other as it pleased hym accordyng as it appeareth in our Stories and the Cronicles of Fraunce And in like maner with the sacred imperiall Croune taking it from the Grecians and giuyng it to the Lumbards then taking it from them and giuing it to the Frenche and from them againe to the Germaines and from one house of the Lordes of Germany to an other He hath vsed them in all respectes as pleased hym and as if thei had helde their Crounes of his kayes he hath made them fight his warres at their owne cost and charges Wherefore hauyng thus abused the sacred and supreme authoritie of soueraigne Magistrates how should this Sollicitor of the Pope perswade that their Religion is profitable for Princes or how can he think to make them beleeue the Gospel to be contrarie vnto them whereby thei are Princes in deede subiect to no forreine power within their owne Dominion but the immediate Liutenaunts of almightie God Which hauyng in deede set their Crounes with great honour vpon their head assured their Sceptors in their handes and established their royall Seates vnderneath them It can not be but godly Magistrates must needes acknowledge thankfully to GOD and to his truthe the benefite receiued And therefore not onely not admitt any Popishe enchantment to the cōtrarie but to glorifie almightie God in the zealous aduauncement of the Gospell whereby thei are aduaunced again to the hye Seates from whiche thei were deposed by the Romishe faithe to bee the footestoole of a Priest But lett vs heare what cunnnyng charme he hath prepared for this purpose We teache saieth he that al Lawes of Magistrates whiche are of thynges good or indifferent yea or not expresly contrary to Gods commaundement are to bee obeyed with that conscience that a man that willyngly breaketh theim openly or secretely should think he sinneth against God because he is Gods Minister I acknowledge their doctrine but I require their grounde But he will saie whether the doctrine bee true or false yet is it profitable for Princes and States I aunswere hym as before that it is an infallible rule and to bee cōstantly and inuiolably obserued by all that are not Atheistes that there is no doctrine profitable to a Common wealth that is not godly and sound what shewe of profite soeuer it may séeme to haue for a season Therfore bothe in this and in the rest if he would haue perswaded their doctrine to bee for a Common wealth he should first haue proued it true otherwise he might offer vs vnder this pretēce the wicked doctrine of Mahomet If he haue no other rule but this it is for the obedience of Kynges and Princes whether the doctrine be true or false I saie that there is no obedience good nor profitable for Magistrates to bee giuen vnto them If wee will iudge of goodnesse and profite by the worde of God as wee ought to doe but onely that whiche God hath appoincted that subiectes should giue to their Princes Therefore before it can be iudged whither of our doctrines be more profitable we must bebate the matter whither of them is better warranted by the woorde of God Our doctrine concernyng the duetie and obedience of subiectes vnto their lawfull Magistrates as it appeareth by the
whiche shall be alleadged Herevnto maie be added if there bee cause the testimonies of the Councelles Fathers Stories or other authorities of credite not to argue or proue any truthe or to cōuince or disproue any vntruthe for this appertaineth to God not to man to his infallible woorde and not to the writinges of men who are all liars but as witnesses to testifie what the doctrine of the Churche was in suche a question in the sondrie ages times of the church Which beyng doen by either partie then that either of them bothe aunswere the argumentes of the other and strengthen again his owne in suche place as the aduerse partie shall thinke to be weake Which passyng thus to and fro till bothe haue said what thei are able for thē selues will leaue suche a meanes for those whiche are willing to informe their cōsciences of the truthe as by gods grace it wil be easie to discerne His secōd reason wherby it maie appeare that their standyng in this cause is not without substanciall warrant is noted to be the vncertaintie of temporall fauor in matters of Religiō but that sectiō wherevpon it is noted conteineth no suche matter but onely this that it is not inough to perswade them that we saie we haue the Gospell because other also condemne vs and saie thei haue it we are not ignoraunte that euery one maketh claime to haue the Gospell and condemne those whiche ioyne not with them Amōgest whom that he reckeneth Luther and a Scholer of his I referre him to my answere where this is alledged of hym before which answere maie serue for his Scholer too As for the Trinitaries and Anabaptistes it is but his his malice and hatred against the Gospell to recken vs with theim whom wee are as vnlike in all their vngodly opiniōs as thei are vnlike the true Churche of Christ and her moste holy faith But this were an aunswere if we had nothing but the bare word and boastyng of the Gospell Wee haue made God be praised for it sufficient profe to all equall Iudges that it is bothe in woorde and in deede the true Gospell and pure woorde of GOD and the lawe of the lorde whiche is now the Religion through the goodnesse whiche hath visited vs from aboue established and preached emōgst vs. The twoo next sections haue some matter in them like this title for in the firste of thē he affirmeth the holie Religion whiche is now established to haue been brought in by an noble man after king Henries daies whiche he saieth could doe moste by bryngyng in twoo Caluinistes as he tearmeth them to read in the two Vniuersities here Whiche he so laieth out as if we had no other staie for Religion but that noble mannes pleasure who he saith if he would haue brought in twoo of any other secte might aswell haue established it whervpon he cōcludeth that seyng that seculer magistrate nor temporall law is no sufficiēt ground in religiō there is no cause but thei should be excused to continue stil in their opinion as thei doe And thus he retourneth againe to his request of disputation But first for this his second reason He maie remember hym self that their Dagon was fallen to the grounde though not with so greate hurte as after euen in the tyme and raigne of Kyng Henry the eight of noble memorie So that to speake in any reason he cannot laie the foundation of the Gospell now emongest vs vpon the onely meanes of the noble manne whom he noteth He might haue remembred that worthie thinges wer doen in K. H. tyme. For God had giuē that noble king besides his owne abilitie to discouer the ambitious pride and greedie couetousnesse of the Clergie the repugnance of the Popes supremacie with the souerantie of his roiall croune and dignitie the abhominations of the Dispensations of the Pope and sondrie suche like weightie and materiall poinctes of true Religion For GOD gaue vnto hym by sides some other meanes chiefe furtheraunce to the sight of these thynges by that moste vertuous and excellent Princes Ladie Anne Bulleyne the moste honourable mother of our dreade Soueraine Ladie now raignyng ouer vs whose eyes God hauyng opened to see the truthe her religious and zealous mynde louyng the wisedome that is greater then Salomon whiche the famous Queene of Saba was so delighted with and beeyng carefull for Gods people as Queene Hester was a worthy meanes to draw the noble kyng to better iudgement and knowledge in Religion then he had been of before whiche was also Godlie continued by the good and gracious Ladie Queene Katherine Par. Further also besides many other he had two as wise faithfull coūsailors as euer had Christian kyng before hym The one that reuerend and learned father Crāmer and the other the wise lord Cromwel counsellours worthie of eternall memorie for their Religious stout and wise dealyng against the misterie of iniquitie For hauing not to do onely with the Popes Consistory and Vestrie with his Cannon lawe beggerly wardrope with his discipline ceremonies but with his whole bodie with his whole house and tēple and that so rooted and groūded as if the foūdations of it had been layd in the centre of the earth yet God poured suche a Christian magnanimitie into their noble hartes to vndertake and such a sound iudgement to deuise the way to performe the ouerthrowe of it and to vndermine those deepe foundations as if the lord had giuen theim a pouder to rende vp those stately houses as Bulwerkes of Sathan and Castles of superstition and Idolatrie which seemed to haue been builded to continue to the ende of the worlde Further the Gospell was taught bothe in other places and also here in Englande and was receiued beleued and professed most constantly to the death by sondrie true professors of it and constaunt martyrs of Christe long before that tyme he speaketh of Wherefore there is no reason to make the entrance of those two readers the beginning of true religiō with vs. Moreouer also in the beginnyng of the raigne of that noble princely king Edward Who knoweth not that the state of religiō was established within this land by act of Parlament before the commyng in of those readers into the vniuersitees so that this reason is vtterly voide of all reason to make thē the beginnyng of religion emongst vs who came in twoo yeres after it had been throughly and quietly established as it is at this present daie After in deede by the worthie meanes of the noble Duke of Sommersett Lorde Protector and the right reuerend Cranmer twoo famous clearkes that then were of the moste renoumed for their vertue and learnyng in all these partes of Europe Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr wer procured ouer and placed the one in Cambridge the other in Oxford to the greate seruice of almightie God and of this his Churche For thei accordyng to the Apostles exhortatiō deliuered ouer a forme of sound doctrine to many
vnto for your sakes Suche dishonour shal be exceedingly recompensed with a waightie Croune of glorie suche woundes are the woundes of Christ which the Apostle more boasteth of with a holie boaste then euer did soldiour of the woundes he had in the field for the defence of his Prince and Countrey and suche woundes shal be healed againe yea suche death shall be turned to a happie and euerlastyng life Therefore my humble praier to God for al your honourable Lordships is that it maie please hym to fortifie and strengthen your noble hartes to continue and proceade forwarde in this moste holie course to the aduauncyng daiely of the truthe of the Gospell and the rootyng out of Antichristianitie despisyng all the threates plattes and practises of the aduersarie with assurance that the watchman of Israll sleepeth not If his eyes bee open ouer all Israell night and daie to turne awaie all daungers from them how carefull and vigilant an eye doth he keepe ouer Ierusalem and most of all watchfull and ielous is he ouer the house and freendes of Dauid In the life to come he supposeth the Traytors worthely executed and other recusantes imprisoned shall be made equall to these who haue doen this iustice vppon theim and that then all their paines shall bee asswaged their teares wyped awaie their racked partes resetled and thei receiued to euerlastyng peace and glorie This I graunt shall in that daie be performed to those which suffer in Gods cause and for bearyng witnesse to our Sauiour and the truthe of his Gospell For so are we taught by our Sauiour himself that he that leeseth his life for him shall finde it by receiuyng in the world to come life euerlastyng Therefore I nothyng doubt but through the grace of God doe stedfastly beleeue that in that daie all our worthy fathers and brethren the noble hoste of Martirs and true Souldiers of Christ Iesu whiche haue suffered bothe in former tymes and in these latter daies els where and here in Englande in the tyme of their most cruell and bloudie raigne bothe suffered for the true profession of the Gospell of Christ and shall be raised againe in that daie to raigne with hym in glorie Then vndoubtedly though thei were burnt to ashes or slaine with the murdring sworde or howsoeuer openly or secretly destroyed the Lorde will restore their bodies vnto them againe Then the ashes whiche the bones were burnt vnto and are carefully laied vp by the Lorde in his treasurie by the power whereby he is able to doe al thinges shall be restored to their former nature and be made bones again Then according to the vision of Ezechiell euery bone shall come and ioyne it self againe to the bone wherewith it is to bee ioyned the sinewes shall come vppon the bones the fleshe shall couer the sinewes and the breath of life shal be breathed into them So they whom they thought thei had confounded for euer shall stande vppon their feete againe as a triumphant and victorious hoste ouer all their enemies With the least of which the saintes of God in whom the Lorde will be marueilous at his cōmyng not the proudest of the aduersaries of the Gospell shall be equall as he boasteth but in tremblyng and in feare shall stande before them who shall assist the great Iudge in his hye Courte accordyng as it is saied you shall iudge the Aungelles Therfore let them not boast them selues of a vaine hope for certainly there is no peace for the wicked saith the lorde To trauel and torment them as he obiecteth there is no man taketh any pleasure in it God forbidd we should feede our eyes with the miserable spectacle of their execution or our hartes in any their sufferinges We are so farre from it by the grace of God that if we enioye any thyng that is good wee wishe as good parte of it to them as to our selues Especially beeyng vouchsafed that high fauour of God to beleeue in Christe accordyng to the truth of the Gospell and thereby to liue thorow the same grace in the feare of his name seruyng hym and our brethren with all our power in a happy assuraunce of the forgiuenesse of our synnes and a blessed hope and expectation of the glorie of God to be made manifest in vs as in his sonnes at the glorious commyng of Christ with thousandes of his mightie Aungelles We wishe them the like precious faith together with vs and the same vndoubted and vnmoueable hope of the life to come Wherein as through the same gracious promise of God in Christe we are assured by the Sacred truthe of his Gospell to haue our parte of the hidden Manna and of the Tree of life whiche is in the middest of the Paradise of God so we desire with all our hartes if it bee so good in his eyes who is onely wise onely mercifull and onely holie that thei maie haue their part of that Manna that Tree of life and newe wine of a heauenly grape reioysyng the harte of God and man together with vs as the Lord speaketh in the Gospell eating and drinkyng at the heauenly table and that we maie altogether raigne with Christ in his kyngdome for euer As for the benefites of this life I would to God their offences hindered theim not to enioye theim aswell as wee If the Lorde haue giuen vs a good lande as he hath in deede plentiful of all good commodities of this life we wish thei were partakers of thē all together with vs. We take no pleasure in their banishment abroad our coūtry is their countrie our peace is their peace our libertie theirs We can wel afforde thē and that with ioy roome emongest vs yea prefermentes and places of any good and honorable seruice in the churche or cōmonwealth accordyng to their worthinesse and abilitie to deale in them Therefore as Iuda somtimes exhorted Israel so we exhort thē retourne ye children of Israell Fight not against the Lorde God of your Fathers for you can not prospere When the Prodigall sonne had wasted his fathers goods with harlots in a straunge countrey beyng in pouertie and neede longed after his fathers house again he aduised to returne to hūble himself to his father and saie father I haue sinned against heauen against thee am no more worthy to be called thy sōne make me but as one of thy hired seruants and his father receiued hym with a greate feast at his own table with noise of Musick and with all ioye So wee assure our selues vpon the merciful nature of our souerain Ladie whō God hath made to be a mother in Israel that thei should be graciously louyngly receiued if thei would know their owne miserie and did lothe their spirituall Fornications with the whore of Babilon vpon whō thei spend wast what giftes so euer God hath bestowed vpon thē Let them be ashamed of their féeding of the draffe of mens inuentiōs who may feede with their brethren at home
of the woorde of God as of the finest of the Wheate let them at the last begin to long after the Lordes house and Table againe which thei haue so despised Let them come fall doune before her excellent Maiestie and say We haue sinned against God and against your highnesse and are not worthie to be accounted as subiectes make vs but as seruauntes in the lande Then no doubt but her gracious hart will melt ouer them and her highnesse will receiue them againe with ioy And wheras thei lay al the blame vpon vs whiche are their brethren if thei so returne we wil be so farr from enuiyng it that with the Aungelles of God we wil moste willyngly and chearfully reioyce at their conuersion returning home again to God our heauenly father when he whiche was loste shall bee founde and the sonne which was ded shal be restored to life again Loe the malice that we whoÌ„ thei call their aduersaries and saie to bee alwaies at the Magistrates elbowes to stirre them vp against them doe beare vnto them God beyng witnesse to our consciences that wee wishe all this good vnto them But to conclude if thei shal continue their wilfull obstinate course to subuerte the Gospell of God and all the professors of it as much as maie lie in them euen to the Nobilitie and to Princes to Kinges and Queenes without respecte of any If thei will needes bestowe their wittes their riches their fauour with men to aduaunce their execrable Idolatrie and false worshippe If there be no remedie but thei will haue their part in the sinnes of the Whore of Babilon in her Idolatrie and in the bloud of the sainctes which she hath shed as if it had been but water in all the partes of the worlde then are thei to knowe that the Lorde will confounde all their deuises against his truthe and his seruauntes that sincerely and zealously professe it and make so many of theÌ„ as will needes haue their portion in the sinnes of Babilon to be also partakers of her plagues Let theÌ„ assure them selues as S. Ihon hath Prophesied in his Reuelation the Babilon shall fal and rise vp no more there shal bee no more light seen in her the voyce of ioye shal bee no more heard in her The Aples whiche her soule lusted after shal be taken from her all her fatt thinges and al her poÌ„pous thinges shal be taken awaie and found no more in her And because the cupp of inchantmentes wherwith she hath poisoned the worlde and made dronke the dwellers of it and inchanted the kynges of the yearth withall is in her hande and beause the bloud of the Prophetes and Saintes of God is vppon her therefore shal her bloud bee shed againe The Beast with his false Prophett whiche wrought wonders before hym shall bee cast into the lake of fire and the rest shall bee slaine with the sworde whiche commeth out of the Lordes mouthe and all the foules shall bee filled full with their flesh Then shal they whiche haue washed their garmentes in the bloud of the Lambe haue all teares wiped from their eyes and be receiued to euerlastyng glorie So Idolatrie and all the wicked maintainers of it shall perish and the word of God with the true professours of it shall remaine for euer TheÌ„ shal be fulfilled that whiche is written the grasse withereth and the flower fadeth awaie but the worde of the Lorde abideth for euer whiche worde is this that is Preached vnto you FINIS ¶ The good reader is to be praied for his owne reliefe and the authors first to correct the errors of the print and theÌ„ to read iudge REade p. 2. l. 21. and an auoucher p. 3. l. 6. of all the readers of it and l. 12. land p. 4. l. 18. some frendes p. 5. l. 15. wherof l. 16. seised p. 9. l. 12. called for p. 11. l. 13. for to whom doeth the law chiefly extende p. 12. l. 24. a priest p. 18. l. 3. will be p. 20. l. 1. heresie that l. 3. iudgement which p. 23. l. 15. repentaunce and l. 22. did constraine and p. 25. against l. 3. aunswere to the 3. reason p. 26. l. 2. that Nabucadnezers Furnase were made hoate amongst vs for Shâ—drache and his companions And it l. 3. exceeded p. 27. l. 21. liuelyhood pa. 32. li. 2. wherof the first and l. 17. Princesse p. 42. l. 5. language For and l. 29. yet notwithstandyng p. 43. l. 3. of this l. 7. and concernyng p. 46. l. 15. rest As for any torment p. 47. l. 17. reade said l. 22. as the rackinges of Anne Askew Simson Stout as Samson to the death the burnyng of the hand of Rose Allen and some such other p. 48. l. 8. fauour For. p. 49. l. 1. and is p. 58. against l. 9. answere to the 4. reason of the cause p. 67. against l. 12. Answere to the 3. of vnitie p. 68. li. 29. Popes p. 71. l. 2. An other l. 4. their l. 17. had with Clement l. 19. Armache l. 22. Franciscans p. 73. l. 25. now and before in p. 87. l. 16. before that p. 89. again l. 6. Institut p. 90. against l. 25. Answere to the 4. reason whiche is of pollicie p. 104. l. 4. desolation p. 108. l. 12. 500000 p. 110 l. 10. whom p. 112. l. 3. remoued p. 113. l. 25. the Prince and people whose p. 114. l. 2. vs. Peace p. 118. l. 8. finished l. 14. so far p. 119. l. 14. all the. p. 120. l. 12. worke for so l. 27. honourable p. 130. l. 20. the same p. 133. l. 11. then l. 15. needelesse p. 135. in K. li. 16. consonant p. 135. K. l. 1. vs. l. 5. of R l. 8. of R l. 28. Pharises pa. 136. li. 3. the fleete li. 9. the bye Priest li. 6. Caiphas hye Prieste line 9. the Scribes line 17. any pag. 137. K. line 13. Nor K. line 28. K. vnder hym in whom p. 139. K. l. 8. some pretending p. 124. K. l. 7. if all l. 16. losse p. 141. K. l. 27. obtained of them p. 142. K. l. 20. desired p. 143. K. l. 10. resort p. 144. K. li. 26. besides p. 145. L. li. 19. Princes p. 148. li. 27. for he p. 149. L. li. 17. within their dominions pa. 150. L. li. 1. body of his churche li. 4. finally to rule it as he hath appointed by his word p. 151. L. li. 28. man who p. 160. L. li. afflictions yet in the end p. 177. M. l. 1. it is l. 3. that no. l. 6 it I. l. 18. saith he in the margeÌ„t weale which is of restoryng il gotten goodes li. 27. their chief M. p. 178. li. 20. petilarcinie l. 28. Prelate For. p. 181. l. 11. quarrel of l. 14. when by p. 183. M. l. 1. P. man l. 17. endited arrained adiudged p. 185. M. l. 18. our practise in the coÌ„mon letter p. 190. M. li. 8. for whether li. 24. of the K. p. 192. M. l. 9.
works and bookes written by some of our profession which may seeme to haue a shew of repugnance betwene themselues If a man should deale thus not onely with their wrangling writers which are full of quarrels controuersies but euen with the ancient and learned fathers it were an easie matter to note a multitude of differences and contrarieties in them in matters of greater importance then any hee chargeth vs withall He hath made choyse especially of three in whose workes hee will shew a difference in some poynts These three are the famous and worthie Clarkes of blessed memorie in the Church of God M. Luther P. Melancthon â— Sam. 23.8.9.10.11 and Iohn Caluin Three such worthies in the Campe and Tentes of the Lorde God of Hostes as Ioshab Eleazer and Shammah are reported to haue beene in the Hoast of Dauid For though many haue done worthily and therefore may iustly bee accounted in the honorable places of the thirtie of Dauids worthie Soldiers and some of them of the second thrée yet hardly haue they attayned to these three Of which three Luther and Melancton were the burning Lampes and the shining lights of Germany Luther cleare as the light shined first as in a darke place and as the appearing of the day to those which sate in the shadow of death He was endued of God with a spirit of power as Elias so as he stoode not onely against 400. false Prophets of Baal but against almost 400000. The Lorde had made him as he had done Ieremy a defensed Citie and as a piller of yron and wall of brasse to al the Kings Princes Priests and people of Europe He was a chosen instrument in the Lordes hande an elect vessell euen a vessell of gold made of God to beare his name before Princes and rulers and to present the truth of the Gospell to Kinges and Kesars as he did at Wormes in the imperiall assemblie to Charles the fift to the Princes Electors and other the great States and Princes of Germanie If hee were rude in speach as he truly wrote to Erasmus yet was hee not so in knowledge Nay both his skill in diuinitie was profound and his tongue was eloquent to vtter it Notwithstanding as the elect vessell so first called â— Cor. 12.7 and the Doctor of the Gentiles least hee should bee lifted vp with the Reuelations which had beene shewed vnto him in Paradise being rapt into the third heauens receyued some blowes and buffets of the Aungell of Sathan so no maruell if the Lorde suffered Luther likewise some other way to take a blowe of Sathan and in some respect to be foiled that he might humble him and teach vs to trust in God and not in men Iacob hauing seene the face of God in Peniell Gen. 32.24 and wrastled with him all the night yea preuayled against him by which victorie he got that new and honorable name of Israell whereby to this day he is more renoumed in the Church then all the Affricani Germanici which had their praise of men yet caried not away such a victory and so great glory without such a blowe that he halted of after all the dayes of his life In like maner this worthie Israelite so sawe God and so wrastled to his euerlasting prayse before God and man as yet he halted and was blemished in some part al the dayes of his life Which was for the humbling of him that the sight which hee had seene as in Peniel that the Reuelations which he had as if he had beene taken to the third Heauen and Paradise of God should not lift him vp aboue measure and that the Church hereby shuld be instructed to depend vpon no mortall creature but onely vpon the Lorde Therefore if hee fayled in a poynt or two this is not so much to be obiected against him much lesse against vs as his name is to be esteemed for the fauour he was vouchsafed of God to be his chosen instrument vnto vs to discouer so farre as he did the truth which our aduersaries had drowned in the bottom of the sea His spirit indéed was vehement and hote as fire his style and pen as a sharpe two edged sworde in his hand and cut like a Rasor which was giuen him of God to cut in sunder the Troupes and companies of the enimies of the Gospell Which if he were not alwaies able so to wealde and handle but that sometime also the sworde fell vpon those whome hee ought not onely not to haue hurt but to haue defended it was his weakenesse and infirmitie yet such as ought not to preiudice his other honorable seruice done to God and to his Church against their enimies And so much the lesse ought it to bee preiudiciall because sometimes hee founde his vehemency that waye not very wel bestowed and sought to heale againe the woundes which he had made Which hee did both at other times subscribing to the same poynts he had oppugned as appeareth by sundrie letters of diuers men and by the sollemne agréement made with the Churches of Heluâ—tia and Suenia and by his owne confession to Melancton as it is sufficiently testifyed at his last farewell from him before his death Melancton the second light of Germany was giuen of God as a great blessing and helpe to Luther in all his battailes who was faithfull to him as was Ionathan to Dauid He was excellently learned not onely in Diuinitie but also in the tongues and sciences and generally in all good learning as appeareth by his worthie labours in them vnto this day For what arte or science was not polished with his learned hand He fyled the tongue with his precepts of rhetorike He made reason more reasonable by his skilfull rules of logike He lift vp our heads to behold the Starres taught vs to looke backe into the times that are past Finally all good learning receyued helpe of his excellent wit God gaue him a soffter and a milder spirit a nature more easie to be dealt with louely and amiable gratious and curteous to all men Whereby the Lord ioyning those two excellent wittes of contrarie nature together so tempered them both as they might bee fittest for his seruice Luthers fierie nature needefull for him being to stande in the Front of all the battell least it should haue beene too hot was mittigated with a gratious aspect of this sweete nature of the other and a fitte cast of his temperat beames for the purpose Whereby hee so increased the light and aswaged the heate of Luther that the Church of God receyued great benefit by their happy coniunction 2. Re. 3.19 For when Luthers vehement spirit was moued as was the spirit of Elizeus when Iehoram came to aske counsell of him then Melanctons company and conuersation mittigated his extreme heats and hye displeasures euen as the musike which pacifyed Elizeus and quyeted his minde that was sore offended So of the other part wheras Melanctons méekenesse was