euill and peruerse disposed persons Yet such is the maner of of Osorius disputation as though no man could be founde that would amende his life or embrace godlynes at the preachyngs of the Gospell And as though nothyng ensued therof els but vnbrideled licentiousnesse and outragious boldnesse to rushe and range headlong into all vnpunishable libertie and lust the decay and ouerthrowe of all vertue the subuersion and drownyng of all godly discipline finally the very sinke and receptacle of all abhomination whiche as is most falsely belyed vpon him so I can not yet gesse to what end it is alledged vnlesse he meane thereby to persuade vs to abandone and banish the preachyng of the freé mercy of the Gospell and so to slide backe agayne to old Iewishnesse with the Scribes and Phariseés and that in steéde of Christ Paule Moyses may rule ouer our consciences agayne Cicero may be preached in our Churches Truely this is the marke that Osorius or rather in Osorius the auncient enemy of mankyng seémeth to shoot at who hauyng now spent all his shot and pouder vnable at the last to enfeéble or resiste the glory of Christ any longer practizeth by subtill engynes of crafty lyeng and slaunderous cauillations to vndermyne and batter his doctrine and to bryng this deuise to passe findeth none so fitte an instrument as Osorius chief champion of his garde I haue now set out vnto theé gentle Reader the substaūce of Osorius Diuinitie the grauitie of his doctrine and the forme of his accusation Whereby thou mayest perceaue the poysoned fistula whereof he would empeache Luther For this is his practize to enduce men to beleue that Luther doth teach extreme Desperation boldnesse to sinne and contempt of good workes Now remaineth to discusse by the sequele of his discourse what force of Argumentes and sleight of deuise he is furnished withall to mainteine his challenge And therefore Paule doth not in any wise promise inheritaunce of the kyngdome of heauen to those persons who rest them selues vpon the onely fayth of Luther but vnto them which do exercize them selues in good workes and do direct all their labour and trauaile to set forth the glory of Christ through the whole course of their lyfe c. In one sentence two euident lyes the one imagined agaynst Luther the other deuilishly deuised agaynst S. Paule First of all wheras hee burtheneth Luther to be the founder of this doctrine of Onely Fayth it is as false as there is no truth in Osori mouth In deéde Luther wrate much touchyng Fayth onely but neither he alone nor he the first nor taught he other doctrine then many famous Doctours of aūcient antiquitie did teache besides him Who did not onely excell him farre in learnyng but lyued many hundred yeares before he was borne And namely amongest all other S. Paule who through all his whole Epistles doth with a wonderfull vehemencie harpe as it were alwayes vpō this one string That true righteousnes cōmeth to no man by the law nor by the workes of the law but through the fayth of Christ freely without workes and so without workes as it hath often bene spoken before that if any mā will take hold of workes he is excludeth forthwith from Fayth But Osorius will say That no mention is made any where in S. Paule of this exclusiue word Onely Whereupon these Lutherans doe stand so much In Letters perhaps as you say Osorius or in sillables But why prye we after sillables when we hold the substaunce of the worde or to what purpose striue we about wordes when we are assured of the matter First of all I suppose no man will deny but that Paule doth denounce men to be Iustified by fayth Now hee that doth tye righteousnesse so fast to fayth that he vtterly abandoneth the law and all the workes of the law from Iustification what doth he meane els thereby though he professe it not in bare wordes then that fayth is the chief yea and onely foundation and builder of Iustification vsing herein the very same rule that Logicians doe vse in their Schooles framyng a sounde probable Argument from the proposition Exponent to the Exclusiue Euen as if a man disputyng with you would proue by Argument That Christ is the knowen and assured head of the Churche would argue thus that besides Christ is none other head of the whole Church vpon earth I beseéch you Syr what meaneth he elles that argueth so then that Christ onely ought to be acknowledged the head of the whole Church If it be so that this word Onely seéme so haynous to you and others of your fraternitie that it may not be admitted as in any respect tolerable yet can ye not accuse Luther for the same but you must withall endite guiltie of the same crime the best and most approued Doctours and interpretours of elder age who to expresse the meanyng of the Apostles doctrine more liuely haue not onely accustomed them selues sundry tymes to this word Onely in their Commentaries but also deliuered the same to the posteritie to be vsually frequented so that Luther now shal be founde to coyne no new thyng herein but rather make report of the studious carefulnesse and carefull trauaile of the auncient Father in this behalfe And first of all we will begyn with Ambrose vnto whom I pray you geue eare what he writeth herein who as it were one of the same number whō Osorius doth reproch to be wholy bent to this doctrine of Luther many hundred yeares before the name of Luther was knowen hath written in this maner God hath decreéd from eternitie sayth hee that the beleuyng man shal be Iustified by Fayth Onely Whereby appeareth that this word Onely came not first from Luther but from Ambrose rather But bycause the truth shall not want substaunciall witnesse and authoritie worthy the same witnesses we will adioyne to Ambrose the like testimony of Ierome whose wordes if may obteyne any credite with Osorius will be of such force efficacie for our present purpose as that they will seéme to haue bene written for none other entent then to cōuince this Iewish opinion of Osorius And these are his wordes The Iewes sayth he did affirme that he which trusted to Fayth Onely was to bee abhorred But Paule on the contrary part doth auerre that whosoeuer trusteth in Fayth Onely is blessed c. I beseéche you tell me for your Myters sake what can be spoken agaynst you more substaūcially Let vs now conferre your saying with Chrisostome You do adhorre them as Lutherans which doe rest them selues vpon Fayth Onely bycause Paule doth promise the kyngdome of heauen as you say to them that worke good deédes on the contrary part Chrisostome doth note them for Iewes especially and accompteth them execrable which deny that men ought to trust to fayth vsing this reason bycause Paule sayth hee doth professe those men blessed that trust to Fayth
EuaÌ„g lib. 1. cap. 6. Chrisost. to the Heb. Homil. 17. Eusebius demonst lib. cap. 10. Nazianzen Iustinus Martyr in Dialo cum Triphone Augustine contra aduers leg prophe August in lib. quest 61. August coÌ„tra Faust. 20. cap. 21. A comparison betwixt the passeouer and Christ. An Argument out of the Trident Councell Aunswere Aug. de ciuitat dei lib. 10. cap. 5 By what reasoÌ„ Melchizedech did represeÌ„t the Type of Christ. Melchizedech is denyed to offer bread wine for a Sacrifice A comparisoÌ„ betwixt Melchizedech and Christ. No lykenes betwixt the Sacrifice of the Masse and Melchizedech Melchizedech a king and a Priest The place of Melchizedech his offring is expounded Gene. 14. Iosephus libro 1. Antiquitat Cap. 10. The TrydeÌ„tine Councell Sess. 6. Can. 3. Aunswere Luk. 22. 1. Cor. 11. Tetullia in Apologetico ArgumeÌ„tes of the aduersaries by witnesses and coÌ„sent of Doctours Obiection out of Cyprian Lib. 2 Aunswere to CypriaÌ„s wordes August against Crescentius Heb. 11. Cyprian in the same Epistle In the 2. booke the 3. Epistle An Obiect out of Ierom out of hys Epistle written to Marcellus Aunswere An Allegoricall Argument doth conclude no truth The Obiection out of Augustine quest vete no. Testa quest 109. AuÌ„swere to the Obiection An obiection out of Hesychi writing vpoÌ„ Leuiti lib. 1 cap. 4. Aunswere out of August in the 23. Epistle Out of the Maister of the Sentences 4. book 12 distinct Glossa CoÌ„ment de Consecrat Distinct. 2. Semel An Obiection out of Iren. Lib. 4. Cap. 32. An Aunswere to the place of Irene The Sacrifice of the Masse expiatory and propitiatory Tridenti Councell Sess. 6. cap. 3. Out of Steuen Gardiner and other Irenaeus lib. 4. Cap. 32. Irenaeus Cap. 33. Ambrose treating vpon virgins Chrisost. in psal 95. Chrisost. in psal 26. August de tempore ser. 125. The second counsell of Nyce Euseb. demonst lib. 1. cap. 10. Cyrill us ad Reginas Cyrill agaynst Iulian lib. 10. The Eucharist doth not forgeue sinnes but doth represeÌ„t the memory of a true forgeuenesse Sinod Trident sessi 6. cant 3. Out of the Canon of the Masse Osort pag. 199. 202. 204. The Apostles ordinaunces Authoritie of Fathers Osor. pag. 209. Disgracementes of Religion 1. Tim. 4. Osori pag. 203. Osorius pag. 203. August coÌ„tra lib. 2. cap. 14. August in the same place The Authoritie of the Pope is denyed to be lawfull The kyngdome of Antichrist The cauillatioÌ„ of Osori of the Memory of vertue abolished A cauillation of Razyng of Church Chrisost. ad Rom. 23. Gregor Epist 64. lib. 3. Aug. contralite petilia lib. 2. cap. 33. Of Reliques The Maunger wherein Christ was layde The foreskin of Christ. The Altar whereupon Christ was Circumcised The swathling cloutes and Cradel of Christ. The Piller where vnto Christ did leane when he disputed in the temple Water pots The Shoes The Reliques of Christes bloud The Tables whereas Christ made his last supper The bread of the supper The knife that stucke the pascall Lambe The Cupp The platter The towell wherewith Christ did wash his disciples feete Broken bread The Reliques of the Crosse. The Title of the Crosse. The Nayles of the Crosse. The Speare head The crown of Thornes Christes coate without a seame The Vernycle of Veronica Christ wynding sheete The Reede The SpoÌ„ge The xxx pence The Grieces in Pilats Iudgement hall The Crosse which appeared to Constantine in the ayre The fotestepps of Christ vpon the earth Our Ladies heare Our Ladies Milke Our Ladies smocke Our Ladies kerchiefe Our Ladies kirtell Our Ladies girdle Her slipper Her Shoe Her Coambes The wedding Ring of our hady Iosephes hose and his boanes Monstruous pictures Images Out of Alanus Copus in his Dialogues The dagger the buckler of Michaell The feathers of the holy ghost The Coales of S. Laurence The Reliques of Iohn Baptiste Diuers scrappes of Iohn Baptistes head in sondry places His Iawes A peece of his eare The whole headd of Saint Iohn at Rome His Arme. His Finger His Ashes His shoe His heary shyrt His Altar A lynnen Cloath The sword that behedded him The bodies of Peter Paule Peters law Peters brayne Peters slâ—pper Peters Chayre and his massing vestmentes Peters sword The staffe wherewith he walked The blocke whereupon he was beheaded Sixe bodies of the Apostles The cupp of S. Iohn Anne the Mother of our Lady Three bodyes of Lazarus Mary Magdalen hath two bodyes S. Longius the blinde knight with his speare Three kings of Colleine S. Denis two bodies S. Stephens body His headd His bones The Stones wherewith he was Stoned to death S. Laurenceâ— body His Arme. His gredierne S. Laurence Coales His coate with long sleeues The bodies of Geruase and Protaâ—us S. Sebastian multiplied into iiij bodyes Petronilla the daughter of Peter S. Susans two bodies S. Helene Vrsula and the eleuen thousand Virgines Two bodies of Hyllary Two bodies of Honoratus Gyles Simphorianes many bodyes S. Lupus S. Ferreol The boanes of AbrahaÌ„ Isaac and Iacob August in in his book de opere MonachoruÌ„ cap. 28. Osor. pag. 204. Osor. pag. 204. Osor. pag. 205. Osorius pag. 206. Aristotel Hippodamus Milesius The principles and chiefe groundes of the Popish doctrine The cause of the first bâ—ildinges of Abbyes in England Ethelbert King of Kent Ealbalde sonne of Ethelbert Anno. 618. Ethelrede kyng of Mercia Anno. 681. Berthewalde For what cause Monasteryes were â—rected at the first Out of the Cronicle of Osberne vpon the lyfe of Dun stane and out of Malmes b. Roger HouedeÌ„ and others King Edgar Osori pag. 208. Osor. pag. 208. Osori doth exclude Princes froÌ„ Ecclesiasticall gouernement Chrisost. vpon the 13. to the Romaines Osor. pag. 208. Osor. pag. 209. How pernitious the obedience of the pope hath alwayes bene to ChristiaÌ„ Princes In the yere of our Lord 1404. To much lenitie of Princes towardes the Pope Tim. 5. Constantinus Theodosius Lndouicus Pius Ambrose did enstruct Theodosius the Emperor Rom. 3. It apperteineth to the Ciuill Magistrate to gouerne ecclesiasticall causes The Triper tite history 1. booke cap. 5. Socrates lib. 1. cap. 5. Socrates lib. 5. cap. 10. Action 2. Iustinian in cap. de Episcop Cleâ—isis Ierome Augustine Chrisostome Paule the Apostle Actes Cap. Osori pag. 209. Grego lib. 11. Epist 8. 2. quest 5. Out of the auncient recordes and Hystoryes of England AEsopes Crow Osori pag. 209. Osori pag. 209. Osor. pag. 210. Osor. pag. 211. The booke of Wisedome the first chap. Ex plutarcho de vitis The cruelty of the Portingalles agaynst Gardiner an Englishe man â—x Abbat vspergens Ex staurastico IohaÌ„ Francisci Pici Mirandule Apocal. 19. Osori pag. 211. The doctrine of the Gospell is not now first sprong vpp but is renewed froÌ„ out loÌ„g darkenes in to a more freedome of lightsomnesse Apoc. 11. The auÌ„cieÌ„t witnesses professours of the Gospell Rob. Grostred Byâ—h of Lyncolne The Gospell of Christ as it is true so is it not
the questions whereof ariseth our controuersie were so harde and intricate that they exceeded your capacities I would not haue entruded my selfe into your presence with this maner of persuasion but would haue referred my selfe rather to the censure of the learned But for as much as this Religion of Gods holy Gospell which we professe is so resplēdisant in the eyes and eares of all men as the bright shyning Sunne in whott Sommers day the doctrine I say wherewith we are enstructed which preacheth Repētaunce to the bruysed cōscience which agayne imputeth vnto the penitent persons free righteousnesse and deliueraunce from Sinne by fayth without workes in Christ Iesu onely which forbiddeth Idolatry which restrayneth to adde or diminish any title from the prescript rule of holy Scriptures which forbiddeth the inuocation of the dead and prayeng to straūge Goddes which acknowledgeth the humanitie of Christ the Sonne of God to be in no place but at the right hand of the Father which approueth honest and honorable estate of Wedlocke in all persons indifferently which hath made all foode and sustenaunce both fishe and flesh without choyse beyng receaued with thankesgeuyng subiect to the necessary vse of man which taketh away all confidence and affiaunce vsually ascribed vnto merites and workes which calleth vs away from the opiniō of soules health to be set in obseruation of prescribed dayes and monethes which reduceth vs from the naked elementes of the world from worshippyng of signes and outward ceremonies which I say cleareth our hartes and myndes from the bondage of mens traditions and dreames and doth ensure and establish vs in mearcy and grace which allureth all persons indifferently to the readyng of holy Scriptures which denyeth to no man the participation of the Cuppe of the new Testament in the bloud of Iesu Christ which abbridgeth all Ministers of the word from desire of all worldly superiority And to stay here frō the reckoning vpp of all the rest which are more notable and manisest then the bright shynyng Sunne in mydday what cann your Maiestie atchieue more worthy or more beseemyng your highe excellency then to admitt into the secrett closett of your soule this most euident trueth of heauenly discipline If your highnesse be not as yet made acquainted therewith or if ye know the same to be infallible and true that ye will no longer shrowde vnder your protection such pestilent errours allready disclosed and repugnaunt to the knowen veritie wherewith your grace may one day hereafter paraduenture desire to be shielded before the dreadfull Iudgemēt seate of the Lord of hostes accordyng to the promise of Iesu Christ. And the trueth sayth he shall deliuer you Iohn 8. And if your highnes shal be persuaded that this reformatiō of Religion whereof I haue treated doth not apperteigne to your estate or to the charge of seculer Princes what doth the wordes of Osori emporte thē wheras writyng of our gracious Queene Elizabeth he doth so carefully admonish her Maiestie to vouchsafe especiall regard to know what the glory of Christ meaneth what the law of the Lord teacheth how much the rule of sacred religiō doth exact of her highnes Again whereas in the same Epistle he doth very learnedly pronoūce that the speciall duty of Princely gouernemēt ought to be wholy employed to the preseruatiō of true and pure Religion Pag. 10. But els otherwise if your grace do thoroughly conceaue that is most true that the gracious restitutiō of gods holy word doth no lesse cōcerne the furtheraūce of the Gospell then the preseruatiō of your Royall estate Saluation of your subiectes I most humbly then beseech you most noble kyng by that redoubled linke of pietie wherewith you are first bounde vnto the Lord That as your Maiestie shall playnly perceaue this cause which we are entred vpon not to varye or decline any iote awrye from the true touchestone of the liuely word neuer so litle that your highnesse of your excellent clemency will vouchsafe to aduertize your Bysh. Osorius That being myndfull of his professiō he do behaue him selfe in debatyng the state of Religion in the vprightenes of iudgement so as the cause requireth and frō henceforth he desiste frō backbyting his neighbours with clamorous lyeng and slaunderous reproches who haue rather deserued well of him then in any respect offended him If he be of opinion that errours ought to be rooted out of the Church lett him first cōuince those for errours which he gaynesayth and shew him selfe abler man to make proofe by Argumēt thē to resist with onely cauillyng By such meanes will he be deemed a more profitable member of the Church and procure him selfe lesse hatred It is an easie matter for euery common rascall to vomitt out disdaynefull names of infamous persons as Protagoras Diagoras Cicloppes Blindsinckes Epicures gortellguttes and monsters But it fitteth comlyer for learned men and more profitable for the Christian congregation to lay aside distompered choler and instruct the vnlearned and reclayme the obstinate with sounde Argumentes and expresse testimonies of the Scriptures If this order be not obserued euery carter may soone by aucthoritie clayme to be a cōmon rayler An other methode of writyng was requisite in Osorius more effectuall to edifie then as he hath vttered in his bookes For this sufficeth not for him to reuile men with odious names as callyng them madd impudent childish and infaūtes and to declame whole cōmon places vsed agaynst heretiques I doe know and playnly confesse That it is most necessary to oppugne erronious sectes heresies But it is not errour forthwith that hath somewhat a bitter smatclie and is vnsauory to euery queysie stomacke neither is it allwayes trueth that is plausible to eche fonde and dotyng phantasie But wise men ought chiefly haue considered how euery mans assertiō is framed to the agreablenes of the word of God Yet now a dayes I cann not tell how the carte is sett before the horse and the preposterous frowardnes of some persons haue brought to passe that bycause men shall not be guided by the Gospell they will runne before it so mens imaginatiōs shall not obey but beare the principall Banner before But where as the right squaryer of Christian fayth hath none other sure foundation but that onely which is grounded vpon the holy Scriptures our dutie hadd bene to direct the buildyng of our Religion by this lyne and leuell and to ramme fast the wallworkes hereof with this cemente and morter But now I cann not tell how it is so come to passe that many do worke guyte contrary For they despise this well fenced order and hauyng as litle regarde to the meanyng purporte of the word they rayse to them selues a Church which they call Catholicke and the same they assigne to be the onely guide and gouernesse yet notwithstandyng they make no demonstration whether it be the Church of Christ yea or nay But measuryng the same by the onely Title of the Romish See
the Gospel a visitour as he reporteth of him selfe and an Inquisitour of heretiques O pleasaūt parasites O delicate deuises Tully hath a pretie sentēce worthy to be noted in this place which sayth That hee can not but wonder to ése how two Southsayers talkyng together can refrayne frō open laughter when they make mentiō of their blind superstitious opinions Euen so do I much marueile truely how you two worshipfull Prelates cā keépe your countenaunces when you meéte together vsing such fonde dotyng ceremonies touchyng the reiectyng of our bookes When I name you I comprehend you two alone your selfe and your sweéte brother Emanuell of the rest bicause I know no certeintie I conceaue frendly as reason requireth After this superstitious nycetie you begyn to declare the causes that moued you to inueigh against my poore defence And here you note if especiall causes wherof the one you assigne to the holynesse of Religion which beyng defiled by me you must of necessitie purifie agayne As though I accused your Religion and did not rather defend our owne or as though I moued this cōtrouersie first and not rather prouoked by you did vndertake the defence of my coūtrey agaynst your malicious snarling except perhaps ye be of opinion that a Porting all borne may with greater reason cauil agaynst Englād then an English man stād to succour the same But we will see hereafter whereunto this tendeth Your second cause you say proceéded of dutiefull charitie that so you might depraue me for some lacke of modestie in that to your iudgement my writinges doe represent I know not what arrogancie so that I seeme to you in some places to ouer reache so much as standyng still amased in myne owne cōceite I seéme to gape after my frendes cōmendations This is a new kinde of charitie truely with such viperous rācour of wordes to charge your Christiā brother of that horrible crime of arrogancie whom you neuer saw nor knew S. Paule doth detest this charitie pronouncyng that man inexcusable whiche iudgeth an other And therfore redreth a reason Bicause saith he in that he iudgeth an other he cōdemneth him selfe In this therfore Osorius being hym selfe a most vayne arrogant mā bewrayeth his owne beastly canckred stomacke vpbraydyng hawtines to Haddō especially sithēce the demeanour of Haddon by the testimonie I trust of such as doe know him doth as farre differre from all hawtines as the poysoned Pamphlet of Osorius is voyde of all ciuilitie shamefastnesse But what shall I say to this babler who is so captious that he will not admit one good word of my mouth For hee vtterly disdayneth the prayses that I do geue hym as where I denounce him to be artificiall in his wordes and phrases hee thinketh I mocke him or els that I doe so commende his vtteraunce in stile as otherwise I doe discommend him for lacke of iudgement and knowledge You are to to nyce Osorius to prye so narrowly into your own prayses And yet to cōfesse the truth simply you are not to be reprehended for it For thus I iudged at the first and euen the same I iudge of you still that you are plentifully flowyng in very apt wordes but are so drowned in them that you haue very slender or no vnderstandyng at all in science Neither shall I neéde any long search to discouer the same for in your gallant writyng euen at hand is there a very exquisite discourse vpon this worde Priuate the whiche I will so expresse by peéce meale that all the world may discerne how much skill and wit is in Osorius First you repeate my wordes in the whiche I seéme to reprehend your saweynesse that beyng a Priuate man a meére straunger to our common wealth so farre distaunt by land and sea would yet so malapertly write to the Queénes Maiestie And forthwith you moue a deépe questiō and desire to know what I thought this word Priuate might signifie There is no Carter but knoweth it and you if you doubt therof must be sent to women and childrē to schoole Then you demaūd whether it be a word of reproche As though you do at any time doubt hereof wherein you doe erre very childishly For this name Priuate doth alwayes signifie a difference in degreé but is neuer named by way of Reproche But you are not yet contented and require to be taught farther whether all persons that be not Maisters of Requestes ought to be restrained from their Princes presence Whom euer heard you say so And how came this into your braynes vayne Tritler As it seémely for an old mā yea and a bishop to daunce thus in a net And doth Osorius so openly shewe him selfe so vnskilfull in all mēs sight hearyng But at the last you come to the pricke that seémeth most to rubbe you on the gal Ye do vpbraide me say you with this name Priuate as though ye iudged it a word of Reproche This is your owne dreame Osorius very fitte for so rotten a mazer Did I name you to be a Priuate mā And what if I did were you not so in deéde Truly all mē knew this to bee true For when you wrote your letters to the Queénes Maiestie you had not yet purchased the dignitie of a Byshop as you are now yea long time after the receipt of your famous Epistle it was reported that you were a bishop elect But I did obiect this name Priuate as in Reproche ye say how I pray you whē as this name Priuate is in no respect contuinelious nay rather is many tymes applyed as your selfe doe know to most honest and honorable Personages That you may therfore know playnly what my meanyng was therein and withall learne some witte of me By this word Priuate I had respect to your estate onely as whē being a Priuate person scarse peépyng out of your cowle and not yet credited with administration of any publicke functiō it was nothing sitting for your personage to be an entermedler in fore in Princes causes such especially as were already established and most firmely ratified by expresse Edict and agreable cōsent of all Estates meanyng hereby to call you home from your vnaduised rashnes nothing seémely for your degreé This was my purpose This I thought and by this meanes of frendly aduise I supposed you would the better bee reclaymed to some modestie beyng otherwise vndiscreét by nature And yet ye make no end of your triflyng for immediatly you proceéde on this wise As though you would say that I came of some clownes race and fostered in some base Villadge and neuer beheld any kyng in the face and therefore had committed some haynous offence worthy of punishmēt that durst presume to write to Queene Elizabeth whom for the honor due to Princely Maiestie I alwayes name Gracious Are ye not ashamed of so many lyes couched into one sentence As though I tooke any exception to your birth or parentage or that I could be ignoraunt
And whereas you write that it is reported vnto you that a great number of our subiectes do remaine in their old Mumpsimus either this is not true as it is most vntrue or if it were true it would easily argue you to be a common lyar Who haue slaundered all England with a certeine new Religion in generally yet alledge no persō particularly You turne this also to my reproch that promising to vndertake the defence of my countrey against you without any dissente of mynde yet contrary to promise I do wonderfully dissente frō you What may any man or beast iudge me so mad that I would promise to differre from myne aduersary without any cōtrary affection of mynde what haue I thē professed what haue I spoken myne aūswere is extant I referre me to bee tryed by the same Wherefore with good reason you should haue pardoned me if I an English man borne the Queéne highnes subiect did in myne aunswere vnto you deale somwhat franckly without all rācour of minde without all bitternesse of dissention c. I make promise to dispute with you without all disagreéyng of stomacke without all bitternesse of contention but you peruert my saying as if I would differe frō you without contradiction of cōsent Which no mā cā honestly promise much lesse performe Are you not ashamed of this your cold friuolous quarell Surely you may be ashamed therof But this childish fault is commō with you as I will make euident hereafter in place fit for the same Then ensueth your lamentable complaint concernyng the death of the Bishop of Rochester Thomas Moore and certein Charterhouse Monckes who were you say must cruelly murthered and that England hath euer sithence remained in marueilous infamie Uerely I confesse that Moore and Rossens were both endued with great store of singular learning and lament to seé such excellent learned men runne headlōg into such absurde and pesfilēt errour as to preferre a foreine and extraordinarie power before their liege and soueraigne Kyng But when as it was enacted by the law of the land that this crime should be deémed high Treason it was requisite that all such subiectes as would wilfully infringe that law should incurre the punishment prouided in that behalfe As for the Charterhouse Monckes the losse was the lesse how much more they liued to them selues vnprofitable to their countrey and could alledge nothyng in their defence but custome and contumacie The Statutes and Lawes in that behalfe prouided could not iustly be challēged or accoūted blameworthie nor were at any tyme vnlesse with you and such as you are whose disliking we accept for our prayse Other trifles of myne aūswere you hunt after with a great kennell of superfluous wordes plodding often vpon one thyng But I will passe thē ouer bicause you note nothyng in them worthy defence Two points you carpe at in the ordering of our lawes the one is that euery man particularly may not geue his voyce as though any cōmon wealth doth admit such custome Sūmons are made by wordes by courtes by hundreds but it was neuer seéne that euery particular person should bee required by Poll. And therfore that sentēce of Liuie The greater part preuaileth oftentymes agaynst the wiser hath alwayes bene seéne in all auncient ages and our predecessours also that a speciall choise beyng selected out of all estates the same should be adiudged for law which the greater number approued and not that whiche the fewer liked of what order obserue you in making you lawes Doe you take together Cobblers Tynkers Butchers Cookes Mullettours c. other like dregges and outcastes of the people enquire their seuerall opinions or do ye reduce your infinite multitude to the choice of your wiser Citizes But ye accuse this in vs that our voyces are wrested out from vs violently and agaynst our willes No truely there is no where els more freédome whiche is wel knowen to all mē that are but meanely acquainted with the proceédynges of our assemblies which we name our Parliament But here you vrge vs with exāples and with vnsatiable practfling you runne backe agayne to Moore and Rochester and demaunde What those holy and most pure persons had committed A very small offence pardye and I can not tell how they offended nothyng at all forsooth they were condemned for high treason which is accoumpted the most execrable and horrible fact vnder heauen But here you cauill say that force was vsed in the law or in the iudgement agaynst them Neither of thē both Syr. It was orderly proceéded agaynst them accordyng to the auncient custome and statutes of the Realme For when as they violated the dutie of allegeaūce which they did owe vnto their coūtrey ordinaunces and to their liege and souereigne Lord lineally discended and true inheritour of the Crowne erected to thē selues a foreine Romish monarche through their waywardnes of opinion they were worthely punished as decestable traytours to their coūtrey But in this point they seémed vnto your iudgement propre holy and pretie Religious men what then Syr We expect not your bald sentence nor esteéme it of a rushe We doe not preiudice you in your ordinaunces no more is it meéte that you should entermedle with vs in our Statutes Whereas you haue placed in your headroll the terrours of imprisonement and chaines and the horrible punishmentes that our late Byshops do endure we doe playnly confesse that this their rebellious obstinacie whereby they refuse the most lawfull authoritie of their souereigne Princes established by the lawes of the lād ought to be yoked and tamed with extremest punishments prouided in that behalfe Neither was any iniurie done vnto those men in administratiō of Iustice as you do imagine But they were worthely dismissed frō all benefite of law for their intollerable pride and pestilent example that refused to bee ordered by the expresse and knowen authoritie of the law Lament you therfore and howle as loude as ye list they were neuerthelesse rightfully punished For in all well ordered common weales high treason hath bene alwayes accoumpted most horrible and worthy of death You prayse your purpose of writyng to the Queenes Maiestie as procoedyng of a very zelous affection that you beare to the truth and to the publicke sauetie of soules and this you auowe with a very solemne protestatiō Touchyng the secretes of your thoughtes I referre you ouer to God whō you take to witness herein But as farre as men may discerne by your wordes and phrases of speache That stile of yours is enflamed as hoate as fier agaynst the truth of God against the publicke state of our saluation And yet you beare fayre wether with vs and would make vs beleéue that you cōceaue no malice against vs but loue vs with a bagge full of loue The rather bycause you do vnderstand the some English mē haue your Epistle in great admiration I wene If this be true what obteine you
that huge lumpe of idle wordes scattered abroad by you euery where without reason or measure more then the necessitie of the cause will require After that you haue waded in your accustomed grosse rayling agaynst the lyfe of our preacheâ—s imputyng vnto them all maner of wickednesse where with your Sinagogue swarmeth most euidently you recite at the last certeine of my wordes vouched out of Augustine which be as followeth Augustine doth greuously coÌ„playne that in his tyme such a rabble of beggerly ceremonies did ouerwhelme the Churche of Christians that the estate of Iewes was much more tollerable Osorius affirmeth that I did neuer read this sentence in Augustine This is well I will cite Augustine his owne wordes which are these For although it can not bee founde how they are agaynst the fayth yet doe they ouerwhelme Religion it selfe which the mercy of God willed to be freély exercised vnder a very fewe most euident Sacramentes with seruile burdens That the estate of the Iewes is much more tollerable who though knew not the tyme of libertie were subiect onely to the ordinaunces of the law and not to mens constitutions What say you haue I not cited Augustine truly doth he not speake the same and in the selfe same wordes playnly that I speake doth hee not render a reason also why the state of the Iewes was more tollerable in ceremonies then ours which beyng coÌ„fessed is not your ignoraunce linked with singular vnshamefastnes manifestly conuinced deny it if you can may rather bycause you can not yeld to the truth in the open light For manifest lyers are not to be winked at though they bee Byshops In lyke maner you be ouerseéne in that godly Father Ierome who requiryng all persons to searche the Scriptures and to learne them you would notwithstandyng coyne vs out of the same Ierome a contrary doctrine Bycuase he wrate vnto Paulinus that certeine persons hauing no vnderstandying nor being commendable in coÌ„uersation of lyfe did handle the Scriptures to licenciously In whiche speach of yours what would you haue vnderstoode els but that certeine wicked persons doe abuse the benefite of the Scriptures wherof no wise maÌ„ doth doubt You are ouerseéne therfore Ierome that will so foolishly and so wyde from the matter obiect Ierome agaynst hym selfe If you seéke to be further satisfied herein peruse Chrisostome who hath written of the same matter so much and so plentyfully as nothyng can bee more copious and more manifest I praysed Basile and besides him also those later Monckes which obserued Basiles rules as men that suffred lest losse Osorius denyeth it and affirmeth that we doe not contend with men but with chastitie it selfe What say you dotterell how happeneth that you rehearse the name of chastitie whereof I made no mention at all And with what face do you make our Nation guiltie of monstruous and barbarous crueltie as though it employed her whole endeuour to the rootyng out of chastitie from out our coastes whereas that kynde of sauagenes can not be seéne amongest the Turkes You proue it by the example of certeine Charterhouse Monckes forsooth whiche were worthely executed for hygh treasoÌ„ about xxx yeares past If those men say you would haue yelded to the wicked decrees of mariage then should they haue bene acquited of all other punishment As though the estate of Wedlocke were in any Realme accoumpted a punishment or as though we did constrayne Monckes to marry Wiues agaynst their willes or as though this most impudent father and shamelesse Byshop caÌ„vtter any thing in word or deéde sensibly When as he bealcheth out such foolish and filthy speaches agaynst our common weale beyng so voyde of all credite and truth as hauing no droppe of any probabilitie at all But let vs heare what a worthy conclusion this deépe wise man hath brought for his Lurdeines those mockemonckes But admit sayth hee that the greater part of them were full of all filthynes was it therfore forth with necessarie to suppresse the whole order First of all you doe notably defend your order which you confesse was full of all vice Then we deny that we subuerted any order but that those disorderous runneagates were reduced to the commoÌ„ societie of subiectes their own commoditie by meanes of our wholesome Statutes and Lawes In deéde traytours were executed accordyng to their desert as belonged to equitie The rest we remoued from their stinckyng Smynestyes defiled with all lazynes and fithynes deliuered whole and Iustie to publicke labour and exercise to prouide so for their liuyng accordyng to brotherly charitie But in the meane space say you they forsooke their orders of Dominicke and Benedicte Barnarde and Frauncisce of whom Portingall hath many perfect professours Let Portingall reteine such Ioselles a Gods name We hold our selues contented with that heauenly Oracle whiche was heard from heauen Thou art my welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased Him doe we attende vpon we harken vnto his Prophetes and Apostles and withall do performe our profession in Baptisme as farre forth as the frayltie of mans nature will permit other teachers other rules other orders we neither esteéme nor admit So do we also feéle and throughly know your superstitious vanitie herein You do inueigh bytterly agaynst me bycause I do compare our later Deuines in all maner of commeÌ„dation to the auncient fathers and herein you turmoyle your selfe wonderfully You shoote at randone my Lord. I do not make comparison betwixt them nor euer thought to compare them together and therefore you striue here in vayne and your whole Turkish eloquence is not worthe a straw My meanyng was to declare that the auncient Fathers did agreé with out Deuines And for examples sake I noted specially some common places reseruyng the rest for more conuenient place bycause all can not be expounded at once Ouerthrow this my course if you can but abuse not your tyme nor myne nor the Readers with such friuolous lyes nor seéme to be ouer eloquent where you haue no aduersary You are highly offended bycause I prayse Luther Let not this couÌ„ber you I will prayse him for a very prayse worthy man so will all the posteritie also and his studious trauaile in the enlargyng of the Gospell will remaine to that worldes end to his euerlastyng renowme though you and such as you are chaufe and fume neuer so much agaynst him And yet I thinke there be few like vnto you besides that durty pigge of Angrence your sweéte cabbemnate resemblyng you as it seémeth in nature and maners nearest But as to that you accuse Luther as authour of the vprores in Germany herein you reporte a manifest vntruth for no man did more earnestly defend all obedience due to the Magistrates and higher powers then Luther Whereas you adde hereunto the tumultes in Sueuya You do erre therein more then childishly where as the Switzers are farre vnlike vnto him in nature in situatioÌ„ in maners and
peruert the myndes and eares of all men You quarell with Paule and demaunde where he learned that those persons should be restrained from the communion and societie of Christians which retayned Circūcision Hee did learne it of Christ our new lawgeuer as I recited before hee did learne it of the holy Ghost whom by the singular benefite of God he knew to be that reuealer of the truth hee did learne it of God by whom he was by especiall callyng chosen to preache the Gospell He did not say you alledge therfore the old Law to this effect As though any man is so madde besides your selfe that will mainteine sundry sentēces to be alledged out of the old Testamēt which are not conteined there This do I say This is my meanyng This do I verifie that our Lord Iesus Christ did obserue this order continually in enlargyng the Gospell to witte to vouche testimonies out of the law and the Prophetes and the same order was also continued by the Apostles This to be vndoubted true not onely all Deuines and Byshops but all mowers also carters children and women do know and confesse if they haue either them selues handled or heard the Gospell preached by others And yet this our graue grayheaded Prelate in this so manifest light cauillously quarelleth as though the matter were doubtfull and stuffeth whole leaues with toyes gayly knittyng vp the knot at the length on this wise What is it sayth he which the Apostles speake in their assembly It seemeth good to the holy Ghost and vnto vs. They do not say It is written in the Scriptures O rotten gyd dye brayne How could the Apostles vouch the old Testament in a new matter when they made a new ordinaunce But in all thynges that were conteined in the law and the Prophetes these wordes were alwayes vttered in the speaches of our Sauiour Iesu Christ and his Apostles These selfe same wordes I say we shall finde many tymes repeated and euery where redoubled whiche you doe reiect maliciously and impudently It is writtē And this also That the Scriptures might be fulfilled Shall I annexe hereunto examples It neédeth not say you The matter is euident So is this also manifest that you doe wickedly abuse the holy Scriptures to peruert the truth of the Gospell For where as you do demaunde of me a litle after How I dare be so bold to say that the auncient Fathers dyd adde nothyng to the gouernement of the Church but that they founde in the Scriptures I will likewise demaunde of you what came into your braynes beyng an old man a Byshop and so reuerend a father to burden me with wordes which I neuer spake neuer wrate neuer once thought vpon If it shame you nothyng to make so open a lye to the manifest viewe of all the world how will you behaue your selfe in matters of Diuinitie wherein the vnleattered people haue no iudgement I affirmed that the auncient Fathers of the primitiue Church did vouch the Scriptures and the holy Ghost I do acknowledge these wordes to be myne owne Tosse them tumble them as ye list and the more ye gnawe vpon them the more will your teéth be on edge For as then your Councels whereunto you leane so much were not hatched neither any interpretours as yet fully plumed These two wherof I made mention were the onely soūde foūdations and pillers namely the holy Ghost the Scriptures after them whole flockes of interpretours flusht in all which I do not generally condēne Neither had any iust cause of contētion bene betwixt vs in this matter if you were not vnmeasurably quarellsome For wheras I had set downe in playne wordes that our late Deuines do produce the Assertions of the Fathers in their bookes as euidently appeareth by their monumentes what neéde you to prouoke me to a tedious and vnnecessary an aunswere and to plunge your selfe into questions partly false partly impertinent as I haue heretofore declared But our gentle Byshop is so vnmeasurably geuen to chatteryng wherein he delighteth beyond reason that he will willyngly permit nothyng to proceéde in order though it be altogether contrary to the purporce of the disputation Out of this corruption of your mynde commeth to passe That you deny that lust Rebellion and outrage are reckoned sinnes with vs What say you reuerend father do not we accoūpt lust rebellion outrage to be sinnes For this do you affirme in these wordes Here I aske an other questiō of you if you had but one crūme of shamefastnes humanitie wit or modestie would you with such foule slaunders dissame any kynde of people liuyng in the world yet not so foule as foolish for nothyng cā be imagined more foolish then to rayle so absurdely aswell without all shew as likelyhode of truth Pause here a whiles Osorius ponder well this your vndiscreét accusation and henceforth write more aduisedly except you meane to bewray your amazed madnesse to all the worlde But how can you handle any matter discreétly that to pike a quarell to brawle vpon will wrangle about playne wordes nay rather gnaw in gobettes seély sillables and titles of wordes For where as I wrate on this wise You do accuse vs as though we had turned out our Nunnes and droues of Monckes to lust and lowsnes of lyfe and had sold their houses for money This sentence our proper witted Aristarchus doth not cōceaue and doth beleue that these wordes Their houses sold for money should bee construed as though I did meane that the Selles of Nunnes and Monckes were sold for their owne behoofe When as I affirmed playnly that their houses were sold to the vse of the weale publique whiche wordes no man could haue wrested so monstruously but this brablyng rascall Paraduenture this will seéme a great fault to call a Byshop rascall And I confesse no lesse in deéde But I do not argue with a Byshop but with a very Beast crowned with a Myter who oftentymes calleth me franticke sometymes dronken euery where wicked and lyar Wherfore sithence he hath forgotten and vtterly layd away the personage of a Byshop he may not gape for any softer speach from me But if he chaunce to call him selfe home hereafter and gather agayne some grauitie and modestie agreable to his profession it shal be very easle for me to returne to mildnesse and fayre speach which I doe commonly vse with myne acquaintaunce and with straungers also vnlesse they bragge in brawlyng praūce proudly as Princes in ostentation of learnyng and pietie disdaynefully despising all other mens iudgementes in respect of them selues It displeaseth this our Gentleman also that my stile is so inflamed agaynst those stinckyng sinckeholes of that cowled generatiō I spake of ours which I might more easily accuse then you can defend for I knew them better you did my Lord. So had they bene lesse knowen vnto me if by the especiall prouidence of God I had not happely escaped out of these
the father in Paradise confirmed by the Patriarches and Prophetes established by the Apostles and Martyrs continued most honorable in the best and purest ages of the world and by most notable personages Dare you with so blasphemous a mouth defile the dignitie of this Matrimonie beautified with so many ornamentes Dare you name that execrable furie of hell to be President at this honorable Mariage Beseémeth an old man a Byshop a Minister of the Sacraments so to dally and scoffe in matters of so great importaunce Forsoth I do reprehend say you the Mariages which the Votaries do contract together Uery well remēbred Syr what monument then can you geue vs of those gay professours of chastitie in that golden age of the primitiue Church when our Lord Iesus Christ and his Apostles did dwell vpon the earth If you can shewe vs no one exāple of those chast soules in that most blessed tyme Nay rather if that pestilent cōtagion of Uotaries did long after begyn to infect the Churche Packe ye hence with that deuilishe Priest of hell from vs and acknowledge your owne Priest that Satanish hellhounde Hildebrand who first of all enacted by publicke authoritie that infamous Canon of cōstrained vnmaried life Curse ye that your own hellhounde Priest and batter him with your thunderboltes of wordes and Sentences For Beelzebub him selfe withall the furies of hell could neuer haue practized a more pestilent infection of lyfe You proceéde to defend Images wherein you fight so stoutly agaynst your selfe that you neéde none other aduersary But first ye furnish your selfe with a startyng hole wherein you may shroude your selfe from a showre For you deny that Images are worshypped that pictures are honored but you confesse that in them is a certeine naturall power which may bryng some helpe to vnlettered persons If it were so Osorius we could be somewhat tractable herein would somewhat frendly tollerate the rude weakenesse and grosse ignoraunce of the people But how say you Is not worshyp geuen to Images Truly people fall prostrate before thē they stretch out their handes vnto them they perfume them with frankencense they set cādles before them they call vpō them by name they decke them gorgeously they carry them solēnely abroad and make a shew of them openly they waxe hoarse with scrichyng and cryeng out vnto them in their sicknes and diseases They gadde many a wéerysome iourney on pilgrimage vnto them they powre out prayers vnto them with great reuerence they enlarge vnto then magnificently yea they do beléeue that they do worke miracles If all these doe not playnly denounce worshyppyng by what other Argument may a man discerne the nature of worshyppyng But if ye yeld not that these blasphemies are committed in your Romishe Church yea in your owne Temples of Siluania it is very well and I would to God it were true for your credites sake But if you graūt it as ye can not deny it why doe you so impudently deny in wordes the thyng whiche you know to bee haynously handled in dayly practize How much better had it bene for you Osorius to haue defended worshyppyng of Images as well as ye could though without all colour of truth thē so stoutly to deny that which your women and childrē do sée to be dayly hourely frequented in your Churches yea your selues the very Authours therof ministryng example to others But you haue lost both your witte and modestie that in so dayly and manifest abuses will séeme to be ignoraunt and withall mainteine your vntruth with pretie popet demaundes so blockish and so farre from the purpose that a man may iudge you to be fast a sleépe with your eyes open You demaunde earnestly of me whether the Images of the Cherubines were placed before the Arcke of Couenaunt in the old tyme and whether the Brasen Serpent were erected that such as were wounded with Serpentes might behold it and be made hole what then wise man as though any man could or would deny that Images pictures were made in all ages or that it came euer into my thought to condemne the commendable Arte of Engrauyng Paintyng I graunt that there may bee some vse of Images but I deny worshyppyng of them I doe allow that there may be pictures but I do abhorre all honor in them And the same hath our Lord and heauenly father prohibited by expresse commaundement You tell vs that the Auncient Israelites had diuers Images of Cherubines I confesse it but you can not shew that they were worshypped at any tyme. The Image of the Brasen Serpent◠as a remedy for them that were bytten with Serpentes I graunt it But when in processe of tyme the people came at length to worshyp it the godly kyng Ezechias detestyng their Idolatry cōmaūded the Image to be taken downe and broken in peéces and herein your selfe do wonderfully cōmende him You marre therfore all your owne matter Osorius by this your owne example For ye graunt that the worshyppyng of Images is damnable defiled with poysoned Idolatry Ye deny that men are now at this present or euer heretofore were at any tyme so blockish and senselesse as to beleue that godlynesse was included in Images and withall yeld your selues to be accoūpted for madde and buzzardly blynd if this can be iustified agaynst you What els do ye then whenas you throw your selues prostrate before pictures and neuer make any end almost of embracyng them lickyng them kissyng them deckyng them presentyng them with giftes goyng on pilgrimage vnto them when you call vpon inuocate the Images of dead persons by the proper names of your Saintes pictured there when you keépe such a sturre before stockes and stones and confesse neuerthelesse that in thē is neither vertue nor sense your selues surely be worse thē rotten blockes that will geue such reuerēce to dead stockes But I will sticke somewhat neare to your skinne in this matter The people of Israell as ye know were a chosen Nation an holy kinred a peculiar and elect people and yet in the absence of Moyses they forged a golden Calfe and beleued that there was in this Image not onely lyfe and sense but with open mouth did professe also that it was God yea the very same God that brought them out of the land of Egypt For when they had commaunded that this Image should be borne before them as the cōduct of their iourney they added hereunto these blasphemous wordes also These be thy Gods O Israell whiche brought to passe that thou were deliuered out of the land of Egipt There followeth yet more And Aaron seyng this erected an Aultar before it What say you Osorius Truely though you conceaue neuer so well of your selfe and loue your coūtrey as meéte is you should neuer so much yet you do not beleéue I suppose that those your countrey men what soeuer they be are more deare now vnto God then the children of Israell
at all where so manifold so great treasures of good workes doe flow so plētyfully out of that riuer of fayth which workes do prepare an assured way to perfect righteousnes For what mā is he that dare presume to challenge the name of a righteous man in respect of his vnrighteous dealyng or who is he that repenteth him of his good deédes But let vs marke the sequele of this tale Agayne whenas the same Lord doth say you shall bee my frendes if ye do the thynges that I commaunde you If I do geue credite to Christes wordes and doe earnestly desire to be receaued vnto his frēdshyp I will employ all the power of my soule to fulfill all his Commaundements c. Truely I do commēde you Osorius and accompt you an happy man also if you performe in deédes that ye protest in wordes But what neédeth then to make any playster of Repentaunce for as much as you do accomplish all Gods commaundementes as you say No but I doe apply all the power of my soule that I may accomplish them How so I pray you Bycause I doe beleue Christes wordes and therfore yeld my carefull endeuour that if I doe any thyng amisse I may purge the same with Repentaunce and that I may obserue all his good preceptes to the vtterest of my abilitie Behold now Reader the platforme of Osorius his fayth Whiche by succeédyng encreasinges of dayly buddyng blossomes yeldeth continuall fruites of most beautifull and holy workes cōteined in the sappe braunches and barke of that pleasaūt stocke How commeth this to passe First of all bycause hee is endued with that fayth which fayth is proper and peculiar to holy Church Thē bycause he doth beleue the wordes of Christ Furthermore bycause he doth prepare him selfe through this fayth that he may clense his sinnes with Repentaunce and what shall become in the meane space of righteousnesse of workes in the Confession of sinnes Lastly bycause he doth addresse the conuersation of his lyfe as neare as he can after the line and leuell of Christes rules Go to Let vs compare this platforme of his fayth and the fayth of Luther and Haddon together Osorius a Gods name doth credite Christes wordes Luther and Haddon distrusting Christ hath geuen no credit at all to the wordes of Christ. Osorius beleuyng Christ and esteémyng aright of his wordes gaue him selfe to Repentaunce as became a good Christian mā and so enured him selfe thereunto that hee abhorreth his owne wickednesse and is become obedient to Christes Commaundementes These iollyfellowes haue raunged all their lyfe long in such carelesse securitie as men neuer touched with any remorse of Repentaūce or regarde of amendemēt of lyfe after the doctrine of Christ. Auaunte therefore cursed Luther and his cōpanion Haddon both byrdes of an ill feather with this your vnbelief which could neuer be enduced to haue a will neither to beleue Christ nor to come to Repentaunce nor yet to accomplish Christes preceptes You might at least haue taken example by Osorius patterne and thereby haue learned fayth and bytternesse of Repentaunce But goe to now Bycause Osorius doth triumph so gloriously of the credite that hee geueth to Christes wordes Let vs discusse the truth of his speach and search out the difference betwixt this his fayth whereof he maketh such bragges and Luthers Fayth Take an example The wordes of Christ in the Gospell are these This is the will of my Father that hath sent me that euery one that seeth the Sonne and beleeueth in him shall haue euerlastyng lyfe and I will rayse him vp in the last day Iohn 6. And immediatly after the same Christ redoubleth the same wordes agayne and agayne thereby to emprinte thē more deépely into their mindes Veryly veryly I say vnto you he that beleueth in me hath euerlasting lyfe Agayne Iohn the first To as many as beleeued in him he gaue power to be made the Sonnes of God And by by in the 3. Chapter He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath lyfe euerlasting And how oft doe you heare in the Gospell the sondry sentences and the notable titles and Testimonies wherewith the Lord doth aduaūce the fayth of his Elect and the wonderfull commēdation wherewith he doth amplifie the force and efficacy therof Thy fayth sayth hee hath saued thee Be it vnto you accordyng to your faith Math. 9. Be it vnto thee as thou hast beleeued Math. 8. Feare not beleeue onely Mar. 5. Beleeue onely and thy daughter shal be made whole Luc. 8. If thou canst beleeue all things be possible to the beleuing mā Math. 9. And he that beleueth in me shall do the workes which I do and greater workes thē I do shall he do Iohn 14. You doe acknowledge these wordes of Christ I suppose which you can not deny I demaūde of you now whether your fayth or Luthers fayth do agreé better with the wordes of Christ Luthers that doth call backe all thyngs vnto fayth Or yours that doth yeld ouer all to the workes of righteousnesse Whenas the Lord being dayly conuersaunt with the Publicanes as the Gospell reporteth doth preferre the Publicane before the Pharisee Mary Magdalene before Simō Banqueteth his prodigall Sonne more sumptuously then his obedient brother whenas he carrieth vpon his shoulders his scattered and lost sheepe looketh narrowly for his lost groate bindeth vp the woundes of him that fell among theeues offereth him selfe a Phisition to the sicke more gladly then to them that were sounde and whole whenas hee placeth Harlottes and Sinners in the kingdome of God before the Pharisees when hee requiteth their trauaile with equall wages that came to worke the last houre of the day with them that bare the brunte and heate of the whole day in the Vynearde when hee compareth and setteth the last before the first when hee promiseth Paradise to the theefe for his faithes sake onely when he fashioneth Paule of a deadly Enemie to be an Apostle whenas he doth not onely receaue to mercy the Gentiles castawayes by nature excluded from the promise voyde of all hope Reprobates for their Idolatrie but hath them in greater estimation then his naturall Sonnes What did hee meane els by all these examples then to disclose vnto vs the secret mystery of our Iustification Which consisteth rather in forgeuenesse of Sinnes then in doyng good deédes which is to be esteémed by the onely mercy and promise of God wherof we take hold fast through fayth and is not to be wayed by the valew of righteousnes nor any merites of workes Therfore sithence all you opinion doth so wholy discene from this kynde of Doctrine with what face can you affirme that your Fayth is consonaunt with the wordes of Christ and Luthers discrepaunt The Apostle doth in so many places throughout his whole Epistles thunder out as it were that there is no righteousnesse but through the faith of Iesu Christ that no saluatiō is to be obteined
much as in vs lyeth all his cauillations Sophisticall subtelties For thus would I wish theé to be persuaded frendly Reader that besides naturall scoldyng and meére cauteles of wordes voyde of all substaunce of truth there is els nothyng of all whatsoeuer he doth brabble in all this discourse yea that also stroakyng him selfe rather with vayne conceipt of his own opinion then of any grounded knowledge or Iudgement at all And first as touchyng Freewill In steéde of a proofe testimonie of Luthers owne workes and yet the same also neither doth he alledge whole as they be nor fully nor doth hee couple the first with the last nor directeth to any certeine place of the Authour But goe to What maner of haynous crime is this a Gods name wherewith this Portingall Inquisitour doth charge Luther so greéuously cruelly Forsooth it is this That he did dare mutter against Freewill Saying that it was a thing in tittle onely and whiles it followeth his owne nature it doth nothyng but sinne deadly And where is this written In the volumes of Luther I suppose or els in Sybilles leaues Seéke there Reader or els where if thou wilt For as our Reuerēd Maister Inquisitour assigneth no place to the Reader so I thinke he neuer did read in Luther the thyng whereat he cauilleth nor thinketh that it concerneth his credite at all to vtter whatsoeuer him listeth in what sense with what phrase of speache by what authoritie or with what testimonies it bee bolstered so that somewhat bee suggested whereat hee may frame some quarell But proceéde on and what followeth Then afterwardes the same Luther correctyng him selfe what sayth he farther I haue erred sayd hee I spake vntruely that Freewill is a thyng in name onely before the tyme of grace but I should haue sayd simply That Freewill is a fayned deuise or a tittle without all substaunce Luther in his Assertions written to Leo the tenth the 36. Article Well and what is it at last that this Maister Inquisitour will frame vnto vs out of this Ergo Luther is an heretique who dispoyleth man of all his Freewill and traueileth chiefly to this end to affirme that mans mynde is alwayes holden captiue his will fast bound all power of workyng taken away in so much that we can do neither good nor euill nor cā thinke a thought so much by any meanes And this doth not Luther teach onely but Melancthon also aboundauntly yea much more plentyfully Caluine doth debate the same I not heare you Osorius do aunswere not I for Luther but Luther shall aunswere fully for him selfe And first touchyng that whiche we terme mans choyse whether ye conster it to be reason or will surely Luther did neuer deny The same dare I boldly affirme in the behalfe of Melancthon and Caluine also Certes these men were neuer so reasonably madde as to despoyle man whom they define to be endued with reason of reason and of will For by no reason cā the operation of will be sequested from that part where the vse of reason resteth Howsoeuer nature was corrupted through the first originall of Sinne yet remaineth neuerthelesse that thyng after a certeine sort within vs still which we receaued of the treé of knowledge of good and euill but thus must be noted chiefly in what wise it remayneth not that it can auayle any way to saluation but that it hurteth rather thereunto And therfore as concernyng those naturall properties of will Luther was neuer so foolishe nor any of all the Lutheranes as to exclude that will from nature by any meanes which nature it selfe had engraffed into men Let this therfore remayne vnshaken in this cōtrouersie as touchyng the substaūce of Freewill that the essenciall substaūce therof vnited together with sensible reason doth alwayes cleaue inseparably to nature which neither Luther deny nor any of all the Lutheranes did euer deny What is it then will you say that Luther did deny in Freewill I will tell you so that your vnderstandyng be able to conceaue it It is out of all controuersie that Adam in his first creation was endued with wonderfull and absolute freédome of will to the vpholdyng of which freédome of will the grace of God was not wantyng at that tyme without the which he could not stand fast in that good will wherein he was created though he would now to haue a will to stand fast was not geuen him but was left in the power of his Freewill and so left that if hee would haue stoode fast hee had neuer bene euill if he would not bene euill And yet neither could he bee good through the force of his owne Freewill without Gods speciall grace But what did he Beyng thus left in the power of his owne Freewill when he neither would stand fast nor could fall without sinne By Sinnyng abusing his owne freédome he brought to passe that he both lost and cast away him selfe and his freédome withall and yet not in such wise as that there remained in him neither sense nor feélyng nor vse of will but he so lost it that whereas he was before immortall and freé now hath he both lost his freédome and also his immortalitie and righteousnesse withall Whereby it came to passe that the wretched man by losing that pure freédome of good will which he receaued in his first creation purchased to him selfe and all his posteritie most miserable and lamentable bondage Now therfore beyng clogged and fastened to this state of bondage as it were cloyed in claye albeit after a certeine sorte we reteine still that power of vnderstandyng and appetite whereby the mynde of her freé motiō is able to discerne betwixt sensible obiectes yet can we neuer of our selues aspire agayne to that vprightenesse and immortalitie which we haue lost for beyng now fast yoaked and sold vnder this yoake of seruitude we doe serue such a seruile thraldome in this fleshe that we can turne our selues to no one side through any force of freédome but we shall alwayes be the bondslaues of sinne death vnlesse the grace of Christ do helpe vs and set vs at libertie Whereby you may easily perceaue Osorius what is the state and condition of Freewill to witte that in one sense it may be taken not altogether freé and agayne in an other sense not otherwise but freé For if ye call backe the nature of mankynd to her first creation and then will demaunde generally whether there be no freé will in nature I doe aunswere That nature it selfe was created vpright at the first that God the good Creatour endued it with Freewill but that man him selfe became enemy to that freédome destroyed the same in nature vtterly But if you will proceéde make a further question demaūde what kynde of will after sinne entred once was in man towardes naturall euill thyngs and towardes deceitfull good thynges I do aunswere that mās will which they call
ouerwhelmed the glorious Maiestie of the Grace of the Gospell did of an incomparable shamelesse excessiue Impudencie extoll aboue Moone and Starres yea beyond all compasse of reason the force of mans Freewill in such wise that nothyng might beare palme besides mans merites onely and the workes of Freewill the mercy of God beyng vtterly banished and exiled Or if they did at any tyme admitte Grace to be cape marchaunt as it were with Freewill least they might seéme vtterly to exclude Grace Yet did they so admitte her as they dyd the Article of Iustification Wherein as they did with most vayne practize enforce this one point cōtinually to witte That fayth onely without workes could not Iustifie euen so and in lyk◠maner in this question of Freewill they would neédes haue this to bee graunted that the Grace of God was not the onely foundresse of good workes and of our Electiō but a seruaūt rather or at the most a companion of Freewill Whose vnmeasurable errour forced Martin Luther to that vehemet sharpnesse of speach and not without good cause And yet in all that his heate of wordes what can any man I pray you finde beyng not otherwise lead by corrupt affection that is cōtrary to the naturall truth of thyngs or that is not in all respectes faithfully agreable with the very spirite wordes of Gods Scriptures Freewill is denyed to be of any value not bycause it is of it selfe nothyng if you respect the substaunce of it but in respect of the operation therof it is sayd to be altogether vneffectuall to that worke whereunto it is supposed to be conducible not much vnlike to that figuratiue phrase of speach wherewith Paule doth esteéme of Circumcision and Uncircumcision to be nothyng worth wherewith Esay the Prophet doth tearme Idolles and Idollmakers to be nothyng and wherewith Ieremy beholdyng the earth with open eyes was sayd hee saw nought Or as a man might say that Osorius doth say nothyng at all when as otherwise he is ouer lauishe of toung if you regard his wordes and sillables but nothyng at all to the purpose if ye cōsider his Argumentes Semblably Freewill is called a fayned deuise amongest thynges or a tittle without substaunce from whence ariseth no preiudice to mās nature onely the corruption of nature is discouered hereby For it is vndoubted as Augustine truly teacheth that we do will when we will and that we doe worke when we worke But to be able to will and to be able to worke bee bringeth to passe in vs of whom it is sayd God is hee that worketh in vs both to will and to doe geuing most effectuall power to our will whiche sayd I will bring to passe that you shall doe Aud agayne in other place Thinking sayth he we do beleue thinking we doe speake thinking we doe all whatsoeuer we doe c. Loe here you haue the tittle of Freewill And forthwith in the same Chap. But to the attaining the way of righteousnesse and the true worshipping of God we are altogether of our selues insufficient for all our sufficiencie herein proceedeth frō God c. Where you may easily conceaue the substaūce it selfe which Augustine acknowledgeth to be none at all in Freewill but affirmeth boldly to cōsiste wholy in God Albeit neither doth Luther him selfe when he tearmeth Freewill to be a fantasie or deuise in thyngs simply and barely affirme the same to be so but annexeth thereunto an addition namely Post peccatum ante gratiam That is to say After Sinne and before Grace Whereby the godly Reader may vnderstand that those persones are not noted here whom either the Grace of Christ hath vouchsafed into Freédome or whō after Grace receaued Christ will crowne in glory to come For there be certeine distinct differences of tymes and persons if you know them not Osorius whiche ought chiefly to be obserued wherein if you be as yet vnskillfull ye may repayre to your M. Lumbard who will lead you to a descriptiō of Free-will deuidyng it into foure braunches as it were Wherof the first is The same that was created ioyntly with mans nature at mans first creation sounde and perfect The second whiche after mans fall was throwen downe in them that were not regenerated The third whiche is proper and peculiar to the godly after their conuersion vnto Grace The last which shal be accomplished in those that shal be glorified As touchyng the first and last whereof the Deuines make no question at all as I suppose Agayne if you will assigne Freewill to the thyrd braunche Luther will nothyng gaynsay you whose disputation concerneth those persons chiefly who after Sinne before their conuersion beyng wounded with originall Sinne haue not as yet recouered health in Christ Iesu through the triacle of better Grace In which sort of people if you be of opinion that the state of Freewill ought by any meanes to be defended I would fayne learne of you first whether ye will inueste those persons with Freewill playnly perfectly whole and not diminished or otherwise If you will attribute such a freédome vnto them it remayneth then that by way of definition ye expounde the difference betwixt the state and condition of the first man before his fall and this latter state and condition after his fall But if you will dismember it and will graunt vnto them certeine vnperfect dregges thereof onely neither will Luther vary much from you herein so that ye will yeld some distinctiō thereunto and vtter playnly and distinctly what kynde of libertie you meane in what thynges you settle it and how it ought to be taken what this word Freewill emporteth and to what actions of mans lyfe it ought to be referred and withall will vnlose those crabbed knottes of equiuocatiōs wherewith ye seéke to entrappe the truth For whereas the actions of mans lyfe are not all of one sort or kynde some wherof proceédyng from nature it selfe be naturall others altogether faultie and corrupt others politique and apperteinyng to maners are morall called good Agayne some other spirituall and consiste in the worshyppyng of God It behoued you here to make manifest vnto vs whiche of those actions you do meane If you speake of the first kynde certes euē vnto these by the very law of cōmon nature it selfe we are all fastened boūde of necessitie wherby we are bereft of the greatest part of our freédome For what freédome can bee so mighty in mans wil as to preserue mā so that he neuer neéde to sleépe but be alwayes watchfull that he neuer be sicke but alwayes healthy neuer receaue sustenaūce not to disgest the foode receaued not to prouide for his houshold not to be carefull for him selfe his family not to be busied abroad not to rest at home not to enioy the commō ayre not to lyue not to dye not to performe the other dueties apperteinyng to mans lyfe whereunto we are forcibly drawen by course of
worke Nay rather let them vnderstand if they be the children of God that they are made plyable by Gods Spirite to doe the thynges that ought to be done and when they haue done so to yeld thankes to him by whom they were made to do so For they are made plyable bycause they should do something not bycause they should do nothing c. Which saying doth make euident vnto vs that eche of these two are to be founde in Freewill both that it is made to do when it doth well and agayne that it selfe also doth when it is made to do So that herein is no contrarietie at all but that it may both demeane it selfe by suffering and also by doing and to aunswere for Luther with Luthers owne wordes to witte after diuers and seuerall sortes and after the common phrase of speach in diuers and seuerall respectes For in respect of the worke it selfe whenas will occupyeth the place of an Instrument or toole it both doth is made to do euen as other tooles do in any matter whereunto they are applyed But if you haue relation to the efficient cause or workeman to whose vse it serueth in steéde of a toole in this respect the will of man demeaneth it selfe altogether sufferyngly as the which in respect of procuryng of Gods Grace from whence issueth all motion of good will it worketh nothyng at all but simply obeyeth suffereth For in any good worke what is mans will elles then an instrument of the holy Ghost voluntary in deéde bycause it is moued whether soeuer it is moued of her owne accord yet is it an instrument notwithstandyng bycause of thynges well done it is neither the cause it selfe nor any sparcke of the cause in respect of the worker but a seruaunt rather and a handmayde onely whose seruice the Spirite of God being the worker doth apply to do these things which it pleaseth him to haue to be done in vs for the accomplishyng wherof it ministreth no helpe at all as of her selfe But the Papisticall generation can not disgest this by any meanes to whom sufficeth not that Freewill shal be taken as an instrument or as it were a workeshoppe onely vnlesse it beare as great a stroke or rather with Gods Spirite workyng together with it nor doe they thinke it sufficient that the whole action of our Election and regeneration bee ascribed to the onely freé mercy of God vnlesse we also as felow workemē be coadiutours of this worke together with God For euen the same doe Osorius wordes emporte manifestly which folow in this wise Do ye not therefore perceaue sayth he by Paules owne wordes that Freewill is approued by his authoritie which Luther doth practise to ouerthrowe For to what ende would he haue called vs fellow workers with God if none of vs did further the worke that GOD worketh in vs to what purpose would he haue admonished vs to worke our owne Saluation if to do it were not in our owne power We are together Gods labourers as Paule reporteth 1. Corinth 3. Where I know that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie together labourers But what is this at the length to the purpose doe you not here playnly put the old Prouerbe in practize to witte I aske you for Garlicke and you offer me Oynyones I desire to borrow sickles and you lyke a churlishe neighbour deny that you haue any Mattockes How carefull the Apostles were in plantyng the doctrine of the Gospell we are not ignoraunt nor do deny And it is not to be doubted that Gods prouidence vsed them as most choyse instrumentes to addresse and husband his Uynearde yea and that not without singular profite But we make no enquiry here as now how much mans industry did bryng to passe by the outward preachyng of the word or whom it profited most but the question is here touchyng the fruite of inward cōuersion whether Freewill of her selfe do worke or not worke any furtheraunce towardes the embracyng of fayth towardes repentaūce towardes spirituall righteousnes towards attainement of Saluation and towardes the regeneration of lyfe So that the state of the question be now to witte Whether mās mynde and will beyng of the selfe same nature that it was when we were first borne be endued with any actuall or effectuall power able to worke together with Gods holy Spirite towardes the begynnyng of our conuersion and entryng into our godly consideration of good purposes and actions of inward obedience Wherein many writers doe vary in Iudgement and opinion yea that not a litle But Osorius propositiō alledged here of the Apostles together workers maketh nothyng to the purpose nor auayleth to the maintenaunce of Freewill a rushe For to admit that the Apostles were together workers with God yet that those same together workemē should be hypred to worke in this Uyneard and sent abroad into the Lordes haruest proceéded not of their owne voluntary motion or Freewill but of the freé Election and callyng of God onely Agayne this their Ministery as farre forth as concerneth their own persons euen then when they laboured most earnestly was extended no further then to the outward preachyng dispensation of the word for as touchyng the inward conuersion of the hearers nourishment of their fayth this was the onely worke of the holy Ghost and not of the Apostles Paule did plante Apollo did water But what doth this helpe to Freewill when as neither he that plāteth nor he that watereth are any thing at all but God onely who geueth the encrease And what is the reason then why they are sayd to bee nothyng Is it bycause he that plāteth and he that watereth and he that ploweth doth nothyng at all was Paule nothyng or did he not worke at all who beyng continually trauailyng is reported to haue laboured more then all the rest or shall we say that the rest of the Apostles did nothyng which did employ not their trauaile onely but shedd their bloud also in furtheryng the worke of the Gospell Yeas veryly wonderfull much if you respect the outward Ministery of Preachyng the word and their function But we doe enquyre of the inward operation of conuersion and the renewyng of the myndes which is the onely worke of God not of Freewill nor of mans outward endeuour Godly Preachers in deéde doe pearce into the eares of men with outward voyce set downe before them the wordes of fayth and truth And yet thus to do springeth not of their own Freewill but from the freé callyng of God whereby they are lead to do the same but to beleue the doctrine inwardly to become faithful hearers of the wholesome word is the onely worke of the holy Ghost who by secret inspiration doth dispose the myndes doth renew the hartes doth inspire with fayth finally of unwillyng doth make willyng so that here is no place left now for Freewill to challēge but that he onely possesse
are sequestred froÌ„ all felicitie euen so farre seéme we to be cut of from all freédome without the Grace of the Redeémer For shyppe wracke beyng once made of vniuersall blessednesse I can seé none other remedy but that freédome must be drowned withall Therefore the selfe same thyng whiche doth open Paradise beyng shut fast agaynst vs must of necessitie restore freédome agayne which can not by any meanes be brought to passe through force of nature or through any power of our owne It consisteth onely in the Grace of the Redeémer As our Redeémer him selfe witnesseth in S. Iohns Gospell If the Sonne shall make you free then shall you be free in deede Notyng vnto vs this one thyng chiefly by those wordes the state of our bondage to be such as except it be renewed with Grace of the Redeémer that in all this nature of ours is nothyng freé Moreouer as concernyng the vsuall maner of speach that men are called good holy and wise I know that men haue bene accustomed to bee tearmed so But what is this to the purpose The question here is not by what name meÌ„ are called but of what value euery thyng is in the sight of God And yet do I not doubt at all but that many men may bee in their kinde good holy and wise euen so to be esteémed well enough But howsoeuer this holynesse godlynesse and wisedome of meÌ„ seémeth in mans Iudgement yet is nothyng whatsoeuer it be if it proceéde not from the grace of God For what hast thou that thou hast not receaued After the same sorte do I aunswere touchyng freédome whiche beyng once lost through Freewill must of necessitie sticke fast cloyed in the puddle of thraldome vnlesse it be renewed agayne by Gods grace WhereupoÌ„ August very aptly Freedome sayth he without grace is no freedome but coâ—tumacle And as in this place August denyeth that to be liberty which is seuered froÌ„ grace so in an other place he will not graunt that to bee named will except it be conuersaunt in good things Will sayth he is not will but in good thyngs for in euill wicked thinges it is properly called Luste not will Wherfore if there be neither freédome where Gods grace is not present nor will where wickednesse is practized by what meanes then will Osorius mainteyne that Freewill is in euill thinges whenas in that respect there is neither freédome nor will There is also in the same August in the same his Epistle to Hillary that may well be gathered and framed into an Argument on this wise The lyfe of libertie is the perfect soundenesse of will But in doyng euill mans will is not sounde Ergo In doyng euill mans will is not freé For euen so are we taught vp Augustines wordes The lyfe of libertie sayth he is the soundenesse of will and by so much euery man is more free by how much his will is most sound Albeit I will not striue much about the contention of tearmes If any maÌ„ be minded to name the choyse of will applyable towardes good or euill to be voluntary rather then freé he shall not erre much in my Iudgement Neither will I be offended if a man do say as Augustine doth that maÌ„s will is freé towardes euill thinges so that he hold the meanyng of Augustine as well as the wordes For I am of this mynde that when Augustine doth name mans Freewill couple it to grace he calleth it freé in this respect bycause beyng freé froÌ„ all forcible constrainte it beÌ„deth it selfe through voluntary motioÌ„ that way whereunto it is directed be it to goodnes through Grace or to euill through naturall lust And in this sense accordyng to August meanyng the ConfessioÌ„ of Auspurgh doth expouÌ„de maÌ„s will to be freé that is to say yeldyng of his owne accord The selfe same do Bucer and Melancthou also this also doth Caluine not deny who doth neither striue much about this tearme of freédome doth learnedly also professe that the originall cause of euill is not to be sought elles where then in euery mans owne will But as concernyng Luther for that he doth vpon some occasion sometyme expresse his minde in writing somewhat roughly wherein afterwards he discouereth his meanyng in a more mylde phrase of speach it was not seémely in my conceite to racke out those thynges onely whiche might breéde offence cloakyng meane whiles those thynges fraudulently which do wipe away all mislikyng He doth set downe in his Assertion thus That it is not in mans freé power to thinke a good or euill thought Agayne in the same Assertion the same Luther doth not deny that all mans imaginations of their owne inclination are carried to all kynde of naughtynesse that Freewill can do nothyng of it selfe but Sinne. On this wise with lyke heate of disputation rather then of any errour he calleth Freewill sometyme a fayned or deuised tearme not to bee founde in deéde any where makyng all thynges to be gouerned by vnauoydeable necessitie Which vehemencie of speach many men do cast in his teéth reprochfully now and then And yet in other places agayne expâ—undyng him selfe he doth grauÌ„t without all Hyperbolicall speéche that in inferiour causes Freewill can do somewhat and withall doth franckely affirme that it can do all thynges beyng assisted with Grace And why is hee not holden excused as well for this as snatcht at for the other why doe the aduersaries shut fast their eyes and blindfold them selues willyngly at matter well spokeÌ„ and neuer looke abroad but when they liste to carpe and cauill Was there euer any so circuÌ„spect a writer whose latter diligence more attentiue heédefulnes might not alwayes amend some ouersight escaped at the first either in Exposition or Iudgement of thynges The more that Solon the Sage grewe in yeares the more he increased in knowledge and may it not bee lawfull for vs to encrease vnderstaÌ„dyng with our age likewise Surely August could not excuse the errours of his youth neither shamed he to confesse in his age the ouersight that escaped his penne in youth vnaduisedly not onely to reforme them by ouerlickyng them as the Beare licketh her whelpes but also to reuoke them openly with an open graue and grayheaded retractation and to pray Pardon of his errours franckly nor doth in vayne permitte those bookes to be preiudiciall vnto him whiche hee wrate beyng a young man saying very modestly of him selfe that hee began then to write like a learner but not aâ— grounded in Iudgement Neither was such perfection to be required in Luther who albeit vttered somewhat at the first in wordes otherwise then common custome of Schooles were acquainted with it had bene the partes of graue Deuines not to prye narrowly into the vnaccustomed phrase of wordes so much as to sift out the substaunce of the doctrine how agreably it accorded with the Scriptures in truth and sinceritie And if
the Apostles doctrine ye may now at the last I warrant you learne of this Portingall Thales the pure and sincere Interpretation of Paules discourse touching the Predestination of the Gentiles and the reiection of the Iewes whereof he debateth in all those his three Chapters 9.10.11 The vnderstanding whereof because neyther Luther himselfe nor any of all the rest of Luthers Schoole were able to conceaue it is good reason that we not onely attentiuely harken vnto but also without controlement beleue this new pyked caruer not of sentences onely but a planer of wordes also whiles he do lay open before our eyes the very naturall meanyng of that place to be sensibly felt euen to the vttermost tittle thereof And for as much as there be two thinges chiefly handled by Paule in these three chapters First wherein he reioyseth with the Gentiles for that their calling and most prosperous knowledge of the light of the Gospell Secōdarily wherein he lamenteth the lamentable fall of the Iewes their most sorowfull blindenes and taking occasiō hereupon doth forth with enter into a discourse of fayth and the infallible certeintye of Gods promises For whereas that blessednes was promised to the posterity of Abraham here might some scrupule haue troubled his minde as there wanted not of the Iewes some that pyked hereout matter to cauill vpon as though God had broken the promise that he once had made as one that hauing obliged hymselfe before with so many couenauntes and promises to this generation did now contrary to his othe cast them of and despise them S. Paule valiauntly impugning the disorderous reproches and cauillations of these with sondry forcible reasons doth fortifie this his defence with iiij Argumētes chiefly First that this promise of the blessing was made in deede to Abraham and Israell and to their posteritie but this promise in as much as is spiritually to be taken did not so restrayne it selfe onely to that externall Family alone after the kinred of the fleshe as that it noted not vnder the same fellowshyppe and kinred of Israell the Gentiles also such especially as were endued with like sincerity of fayth He addeth furthermore that albeit the same promise did concerne those Gentiles chiefly which ioyned themselues to Christ yet the same was not so wholy translated to the Gentiles the Iewes beyng forsakē but that a great portiō of these also remnaunts as it were of that lamētable shipwracke beyng preserued should be partakers of the same promise and blessednes together with the Gentiles In the third place that it came to passe through their own villany vnbelief not of any inconstancie on Gods behalfe that this promise of God did so much fayle them but that they did exclude themselues rather from the benefite of Gods promise Lastly that neyther this reiection shoulde continue so for euer but that it should once come to passe as the Apostle prophecieth that the fulnes of the Gentiles beyng accomplished the whole nation of the Israelites recouering at the length the former grace of their auncient promise shoulde be restored agayne to the benefite of their former blessing Uerily I do confesse that this interpretation of Osorius is not altogether amisse wherein I seé nothing yet false or newly deuised moreouer nothing spoken of here that hath not long sithence bene spoken yea and with a farre more playne lightsomnesse by our expositors for we beyng long agoe sufficienly enstructed in Paules schoole haue vnderstood well inough without Osorius schooling the that promise was peculiar to the seede of Israell beyng the children of promise and not to the Children after the flesh Moreouer neither are we ignorant hereof that that blindenes happened not to all Israell but in part onely not of any inconstancy on Gods behalfe but that they fell themselues from true righteousnes by their owne default as people following the righteousnesse whiche came not by fayth but flattering themselues in obseruing the workes of the lawe Furthermore that whiche Thapostle doth prophecie shall come to passe concerning the restoring agayne of that whole nation at the length as we all hartily wish for so no man I suppose is so blockishe but doth vnderstand sufficiently all whatsoeuer Paule hath spoken of this matter by his owne writing though Osorius did neuer interprete it And agayne touching the examples of Isaac and Iacob set downe by Paule whom Gods election would should be preferred before their brethren though elder in birth in the deuision of the Fathers patrimonye We are neither ignoraunt nor forgetfull thereof whereupon we do nothing disagreé frō Osorius in conceauing the same thing vnder the types and figures of those persons and doe professe in as many wordes that neyther the prerogatiue of kinred nor workes nor yet the lawe but that Gods election calling and grace doth make the true Israelites Forasmuch therefore as our expositours in all these poynts of doctrine haue nothing at all hitherto swarued from the truth of Paules doctrine or your interpretation what corrupt exposition is that at the length of these our Interpretours wherewith you are so much offended forsooth say you because they doe not sufficiently enough conceaue the very ende whereunto Paule did referre those argumentes Goe to then sith you prouoke vs hereunto Let vs first seé what argumentes those be of Paule then to what ende they be applied Because the Iewes did challenge to thēselues a title of righteousnes through the obseruaunce of the law which neuerthelesse they did not obserue in very deéde partely because swelling w e pryde for the Nobilitie of their race they did promise vnto thēselues a certaine peculiar election with God before all other nations Paule entending to treate very sharply agaynst the insolent arrogancie of them doth argue agaynst thē with most forcible argumentes taken out of holy Scriptures namely That the substance of Gods election neither did hang vpon the works of the Law neyther vpon the roialtie of race not yet vpon auncient of parentage but did depend vpon the onely freemercy of Gods compassion and Fayth of the Gospell And to make the same appeare more euidently he putteth foorth vnto them the example of Isaac and Ismaell whereof the one though by byrth were yonger yet obtained through grace to be the first and was thereby aduaunced to the dignity of inheritaunce where as they both were generall issues of one and the same father Abraham though they had not both one mother And to auoyde the daūger of scrupule that might ensue by reason of the two mothers hee doth yet confirme the same with a more notable exāple Namely the example of the two brothers that were twinnes Iacob and Esau who issuing of one Father of one mother and one birth and before they had done any thing good or euill God did translate the honour of birthright and blessing to the yonger to beare rule ouer the elder And whereof came this but from the freé
of God do loue do wish and earnestly desire to be saued But yet we do call these the effectes not the causes of mercy who beyng now made the Uessells of mercy could neuerthelesse not haue bene able of thēselues to bryng to passe that they should haue attayned the first primitiue Election of God August sayth that men are worthely cast away for sinne Ergo On the contrary if men are reiected for their sinnes why should they not aswell be predestinate for their good workes Augustine doth not meane here that reprobation that is cōtrary to predestination but vnder this reprobation he doth vnderstand the last end effect of Reprobation namely damnatiō And in this sence it is true that men are dāned for their sinnes not forsaken as they are neyther predestinate for their good works Luther and Caluine doth deny that it is in mans power before grace receaued to seeke and desire it But Augustine affirmeth the contrary Nay rather what is more common in Augustines mouth then these speaches Couldest thou be conuerted vnlesse thou were called Did not he that called thee back agayne bring to passe that thou shouldest be cōuerted And agayn do not presume vpō thy cōuersion for vnlesse he had called the back agayne thou couldest not haue bene conuerted And in an other place God doth not onely make willing of the vnwilling but maketh also obedient of such as are stifnecked and stubborne The doctours of the popish faction although deny not that nature is very much corrupted in originall sinne yet yeald they not thys much that man can do nothyng els but sinne Neyther that any thing els is taken away from Nature besides the supernaturall gift onely whereby Nature might haue bene made more perfect if it had not fallen And therefore that Nature was beautified with those supernaturall giftes of the which she is now spoiled the naturall power and abilitie of will remayning in her force notwithstanding This is most vntrue whereas Nature and will it selfe not by alteration of Substaunce but by accesse of sinne and disposition is so depraued and reuolted from God so weakened and spoyled through it own operation as that it may be not conuerted but by the onely grace of God hauing of her self no part in thys work but as farre forth as it is preuented by God Whereupon Augustine doth witnes That will doth not goe before but is handmayd to well doyng Wherefore the same Nature and substaunce of will remayneth still not chaunged into a new shape by Gods creation but defiled with the corruption and filthe of Nature The same affections also do remayne that were before in respect of their substaūce but in respect of their disposition they be so putrified and stincking that nothing can be found in them now that bringeth not with it some matter of filthines Who soeuer is holpen he doth worke somewhat together with hym that helpeth hym and suffereth not him self to be applyed meerely passiuely Will beyng not renued is holpen of Grace Ergo Freewill euen sithence the first creation seemeth to bring much to passe and not to be altogether applyed passiuely In the Maior proposition should haue bene added perse by it selfe For what soeuer worketh by it selfe hauing the help of an other is not altogether plyed passiuely but with this exception the Minor must be denyed for freedome of choyse when as it selfe neuer preuenteth grace following her but is altogether holpen of Grace goyng before according to the testimony of Augustine what can it bryng to passe at all of it selfe Or if it can do any thing at all by it selfe that whiche it is able to doe it doth in morall good thinges externall and ciuill exercises certes to deserue eternall lyfe to purchase the fauour of God Saluation Iustification and the euerlasting kingdome Freéwill is altogether vneffectuall but is a meere sufferer onely nor hath any thing but that which it hath receaued and is altogether vnprofitable yea when it hath done all that it can possibly do And this is it that Luther seemeth to stand vpon Let hym be accursed that will say that God commaundeth thynges impossible Melancton doth aunswere what soeuer were the occasion of this saying surely those wh vouch the same so busily vrge it seéme voyde of vnderstanding in the causes why the law of God was geuen worldly wisedome supposeth that lawes are published onely because they should be obserued But the Lawe of the Lord was ordayned for this cause chiefly that the Iudgement and wrath of God should be layd open agaynst sinne that it should conuince vs of wickednes and increase the horror therof that wickednes might be restrayned from to much licensiousnes that putting vs in remēbraunce of our own weakenes frayltie it should in steed of a schoole master enstruct vs to Christ as it is declared before And there was no lye found in their mouthes Apoc. 14. to this August maketh aunswere aduertising vs how man may be in this sorte sayd to be true of hys worde through the grace and truth of God who otherwise of hym selfe without all doubt is a lyer As is that saying You were sometymes darcknesse but now are ye light in the Lord when he spake of darcknesse he added not in the Lord but when he spake of light he annexed by and by in the Lord. But Osorius will vrge agaynst vs here Ergo Nature beyng holpen through grace sayth he may eschew all lying and sinning To aunswere hereunto agayne out of Augustine he that will speake so let hym be well aduised how he deale with the Lords prayer where we say Lord forgeue vs our Trespasses which we needed not to say except I be not deceaued If our consents neuer yelded to false speaking nor to the lust of the flesh Neyther would the Apostle Iames haue sayd We are trespassers all in many thinges for that man doth not offend but he whom flattering lust hath allured to consent contrary to the rule of righteousnes Thus much Augustine Out of the wordes of Ieremy If I speake of any Nation that I may destroy them and they do repent them c. And if I say the word that I may plant them and they tourn away from me c. vpon this the Romanistes do build as followeth Euen as men behaue themselues such shall the potters vessels be afterwardes Ergo it is false that the Lutheranes teach that the regard of worke doth fight agaynst Freedome and the power of God in chusing or refusing The Prophet doth treate here properly of the punishment rewardes which do follow mens workes at the last Iudgemēt and not of the maner of eternall Electiō which doth preceéde all our workes either goyng before as August reporteth which were none at all or comming after which were not as yet If the aduersaries of Luther shall wrest these words of the Prophet to the cause of Electiō as though
doctrine were of such authoritie with you why did you shut vppe your eares from your Masters lessones If you betooke your selues to Armes through occasion of one sentence wrongfully vnderstoode or misconstrued why dyd ye not forsake the field for so many my exhortatiōs and notable exclamations to the contrary But go to Osorius bycause vnder the person of the Boores complaynte you do so vehemently wrest all this false suggestion of mischief agaynst me What if I deny your Assumpsit how will you be able to proue it perhappes by heare say amongest the clownes what of any that be liuyng or that be dead But when the poore clownes lyued and were drawen to execution tormented and stretched out vpon the rackes in which extremitie men are wont for the more part to vtter more thē they know If there were one so much of that whole rable muttered euer halfe a sillable of me such as your Carterlyke and senselesse Imagination hath deuised agaynst me I will willyngly yeld to this accusation of suspitiō But by your occasion say you this tumult might haue bene raysed easily So might the Blacke Moore chaūge his skinne And Osor. also might leaue his lyeng But all thynges are not by and by done that may be done But onward how proue you that it might haue bene so Bycause say you that God worketh all in all in vs accordyng to Luthers Assertion and we be instrumentes onely applyed and wrest with his handes hereupon followeth it therefore sithe God onely raysed vppe these tumultes and was the onely procurour deuisour and accomplisher of this sturre that the Boores of necessitie must be guiltlesse and innocēt hereof Go to And do ye suppose Osorius that these wordes were the whole seédeplotte of all this Rebellion what shall we say thē to that which we read in Paul That it is God that worketh all in all And agayne That worketh all according to the purpose of his will And in the Prophet Amos. There is no euill in the Citie that the Lord hath not done And agayne whē we heare on euery side aswell amongest the Prophetes as the Apostle That men are made blinde of God are deliuered ouer into a Reprobate mynde Why might not the Boores haue taken occasion of these wordes aswell as of myne Go to And what and if I had writtē these wordes also namely That it is in the power of our Freewill to dispose our selues whereunto we lyst either to make our selues earthen vessels or golden vessels in the house of the Lord would the Boores haue the sooner bene quieted for this cause And yet this is the generall proclamation of that notorious Seé of Rome dispersed throughout all Catholicke Nations the same doe all their Recordes and Canons noyse abroad wheresoeuer they crawle yea many yeares before Luther was borne and the very same also doth Osorius write at this day in Portingall and many other of the lyke fraternitie elles where what was there neuer any cōmotions therfore of the rude multitude before Luther was borne in Portingall none in Italy Germany Fraunce England Cycill other Nations Could this or any other portiō of Scripture or doctrine euē so bridle the affections of the vnruly but that they would at one tyme or other burst out into outragious extremities I adde moreouer Admit that my wordes beyng either misconceaued or misconstrued might suggest some matter of euill occasiō shall it be lesse lawfull therfore to beare testimony of the truth bycause there be some that are so beastly brutish that will mishandle the wordes and deédes of others be they neuer so well spoken By this reason away with the Bible bycause out of the same the most parte of heretiques haue sucked their poyson what dyd not Paule therfore not commende the Iustice of God aright by our vnrighteousnesse bycause there wanted not that would abuse his saying to occasion of euill Let vs doe euill say they that good may come thereby The auncient godly Christians were wont to assemble together and sing Psalmes before day light and to receaue the Sacrament of bread wyne Hereupon began rumours to be scattered abroad that the Christiās dyd worshyp the rysing of the Sunne dyd sacrifice to Ceres Bacohus And what hath bene so well spoken or established at any tyme that the peéuishenesse of peruerse and froward persons will not depraue◠if they lyst to pyke a quarell or slaunder the good wordes and well doynges of men The same came to passe with Augustine him selfe through the Pelagians who after had once brought in the name and commendation of grace hereupon forthwith they began to quarell with him as though he should affirme that men are made good by fatall Necessitie And agayne where he denyed that Grace was distributed accordyng to mēs deseruyngs this saying they gnawed at as though he should say That no endeuour ought to be looked for from the will of man contrary that saying in the Gospell where the Lord spake Aske and it shal be geuen you seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shal be opened vnto you for euery one that doth aske shall receaue c. And all this haue I debated with you euen as it were truth that your counterfaite imagination hath deuised to witte that I should be the originall of all that rebellious insolencie I come now to that pynche of my true defence Namely to deny that there is or euer was any Boore in all Germany that did euer Iustifie this slaunder agaynst me This was neuer the speéche of any Boore but the rude vnshamefastnesse of Osorius voyde of all matter of probabilitie to make me authour of all this mischief The very authour wherof if as yet you do not know and would fayne know him in deéde I will tell him you but briefly yet truly Osorius When Sathan perceaued that the kyngdome of your pride was ready to haue a fall and that the Romishe Prelate could now no longer mainteyne his erroneous sacriledges agaynst the glorious excellency of the gladsome Gospell he entred by a notable pollicie into this deuise vnder the pretence of the Gospell to tickle vppe madd braynes thereby to bryng the Gospell in obloquy and infamy the ouerthrow whereof he perceaued now past his compasse as the which he was now no longer able to withstand Then also vnlesse this lying Osorius had sett him selfe forth as an especiall Instrument of this wyly Serpent vpon whose shauen sconse not so much as a herebreadth may be founde growing of an honest or sober man ye would neuer haue so filthyly infamed the good reporte and credite of honest personages standyng in the defence of the Gospell with so many slaunderous lyes and cursed reproches If Luther should vse this or the lyke counterbuffe accordyng to the frankenes of his speéche agaynst your rusty clownish and illfauored false Diuinitie I do not aske what you could answere him agayne Osorius But I feare this rather least as he should not
seéme to speake sufficiently in the honest defence of him selfe so in respect of your deserte he were not able to vtter enough agaynst you After all this ye adde moreouer and demaunde with what honest reason Luther doth ioyne the constancy of hys Discipline with the defence of Gods Iustice. To answere briefly Certes with much more honester reason then your bloudy Bishop or you his skraping catchpolles who hauing embrued your rotchets in so much Christian bloud play the Butchers more like then Byshops can ioyne your pryde vayneglorious Tytles Pompe Arrogancy Cruelty Tyranny Treason Lust Lechery Opinions Heresies Determinations and intollerable Canones of mans Traditions together with Peter with Paule with Christ and with hys Gospell not to speake of the rest of your secret abhominations I am come now at the length to the triumphaunt end of this glorious booke where leauing Luther in the field sounding the retraiâ—t from the great battell of Freewill Osor. doth furbush hys furniture for the Triumph agaynst poore Gualter HaddoÌ„ and not without cause for because this quarelling CiuiliaÌ„ who a little before did yelde ouer the preéminence of Eloquence to Osorius and confessed him to be the chiefe carpenter of speach and named hym also the scholer of Cicero many tymes he seémeth so variable vnconstant now That he dare affirme that Osorius writing is vnsauory voyde of likelyhoode of truth and without sense argument and proofe which Haddon is so childishe in hys style making skarse anye semblaunce of witte in hys vtteraunce that he deserueth no commendation of witte at all but such as seemeth to stand in darckenesse of speach Finally whereas he doth so oftentimes obiect agaynst Osorius the name of Cicero by way of reproche He him selfe did very carefully foresee that no man shoulde be able to reproche hym with the name of Cicero for he speaketh nothing very eloquently nothing playnely nothing distinctly nothing pitthely nothing substancially nothing loftely What soeuer pleaseth hym he hath thrust into hys wrytinge and that also he doth confirme not by reason or argument but with skolding and lauishnes of tongue Lastly hys whole wryting is so bluntish so base so colde that it moueth Osorius to pity it rather then to hate it And that is the cause That Osorius cannot according to hys promise condiscend with hart and mynde to hys opinions as he promised he would do if he could winne the victory of the cause which he vndertooke with apte and conuenient arguments But now sithence he hath not done it sitheÌ„ce he hath brought no argument nor vsed any proofe to the purpose sithence also hys reasons be such as haue no force to mayntayne credite but such as rather doe disclose a token of some miserable frensye hereof therefore it commeth to passe that he seemeth to be acquited of hys promise if hee remayne as yet in hys opinion vnuanquished And therefore that Haddon did very vaynely take in hand to wryte that they did not lesse vndiscretely that set hym a worke Moreouer that neyther hys Schoolemaister was voyde of blame whosoeuer he were that did not instruct hym at the first in what place and in what forme he ought to apply his interrogation making to the substaunce of the matter Nowe hast thou gentle reader the last acte of Osorius fable which whether I may tearme to be Comicall or Tragicall I can not well tell but that it seemeth in myne opinion to resemble rather the shape of a Comedye more neerely For what glorious Thraso I pray you could euer haue handled hys part vppon a stage more rufflingly moue the beholders to lowd laughter more pleasauntly To haue the whole fruition of his sweet pigsnye Cicero as it were of Thais or Phillida what a sturr doth he keepe And because he perceaueth that Haddon hath a fansie to hys mynion which maketh him to stand in some feare least he wil beguile him how hatefully despightfully doth he exclame vpon him to driue him out of countenaunce not onely treading hym vnder hys feete but so furiouslye boyling agaynst hym That if this Parasiticall Gallaunt were now in England with hys cogging companion Sanga and but an handfull of Catholicke Monkes with them Uerely I beleue he would as Thraso pretended agaynst Thais also burst open the gates vpon him whom he doth now thrust downe in the belfry amongest boyes as one that deserueth no title of good word for his witt in whom is neyther any force of seÌ„tence nor any likelihood of truth in whose writings no examples finally which HaddoÌ„ no reseÌ„blance of Ciceroes delectable pronuÌ„ciatioÌ„ doth appeare but a certayn piteous staÌ„mering of speach vttred in hys writings vntowardnes childishnes in disputiÌ„g obscure a certein vnskilfull applicatioÌ„ of Rhetoricall interrogatioÌ„s learned of an vnskilfull Maister but as one that can skarse expresse hys meaning by his vtteraunce hath no pertaking of Ciceroes finesse nor coÌ„meth so much as any thing neere the maiesty of Cicero expresseth nothing purely nothing playnly nothiÌ„g distinctly nothing substaÌ„cially nothing loftely Finally vttereth nothyng but a vayne sound of foolishe wordes that it woulde pittie a man to see it Wherefore O wretched man that thou art poore stammering Haddon O piteous estate of this seély Phedria And in the meane tyme thys vayneglorious proud pecocke is bedeckt with all these Distritch feathers and glittering plumes wrapt vp together in a great brush perdie so that here is no want of any thing nowe but of some gyering Gnato which may lowt this Thraso out of hys paynted Coate But go to Let these thinges passe Osorius Although this vnbrydeled and cottquenelike maner of scolding and lauishnes of toung doth of right require that we shoulde likewise blaze out your braynsicknesse in the right colour and make you as it were a mockery for boyes yet dismissing now at the last those toyes and merry conceites of your dame deynty wherewith she hath as you say besmeared Haddons lips we will deale in earnest with you and therefore let vs see what it is wherewith you reproche Haddon so vnmanerly He sayd that you were Ciceroes scholler and a conning coyner of words what euill was in this Afterwardes himselfe doth confesse that your writinges are vnsauorye and without reason wherin sayd he amisse meaning this in effect as I think that you busye your selfe about a straunge matter as though you were raking after the Moone wherein ye neyther sauour any thing at all you are not able to teache nor willing to learne You doe slaunder certayne godly and learned personages here in England yea euen to their Queéne whom despightfully ye call by a nickname new Gospellers And thus do ye eyther of no reason at all or in such wise as if onely exchaunge of names were made would easily be more appliable vnto the forgers and counterfayte stagers of the Romish Gospell yea would accord much more fittely with them then with those that you do accuse moreouer where you
say that he vttereth nothing purely nothing playnely nothing pitthily nothing substancially or with good grace if any man els besides Osorius should speake this perhappes he might be credited But as now what shall any discrete or indifferēt man iudge of your opiniō herein for what merucile is it if a mā practise by all meanes possible to deface the credite of the Aduersary agaynst whom he writeth And yet here men may easily seé that as you haue no great stoare of modesty discretion so you are not ouerladen with the rules principles of Rhetorick For the skilfull in Rhetoricke are wont to extoll and aduaunce the power excellency of the Aduer agaynst whō they mayntaine quarrell to th end to make thēselues more famous thereby if happely they gett the victory I come now to that part of thaccusacion which concerneth the forme and phrase of hys style wherein I cannot but wonder enough at your exceeding childish pardō me I pray you Osor. and more then womanishe malepartnes for in this sorte hoyes wont to brawle for nuttes And women as Ierome reporteth when they are a goshipping speake ill of them that are absent and crake lustely ouer men as if they were stronger then they you take it to be a goodly matter to resemble Cicero in Eloquence and finesse of phrase or at least to come very neere it And think it not inough to treate of Christ of the Gospell of holy thinges and sacred religion aptely soundly and learnedly vnlesse a man paynt it out with the glorious brauery of Ciceroes Eloquence And bicause Haddons style doth not rayse it selfe to Ciceroes loftynes sufficiently as you Iudge therfore he is not accompted worthy to sitte amongst the punyes no nor yet fitt to be a scholler in Ciceroes schoole as one that vttereth nothing purely nothing playnly nothīg pitthily nothīg loftely c. whē wise men I say shall read these words of yours this your Iudgemēt cōcerning Haddō how will they esteéme of you in their secret conceiptes think you Will they smile in their sleaues at this your folly or will they laugh openly at it will not all men clapp their hands and spitt at that singuler inhumanity of thys Portugall wrangler will they not abhorre his detestable shamelessenesse for why do ye say that Haddon speaketh nothing purely nothing playnly c. is there anye man that hath euer read any of Haddons writinges so vnshamefast besides Osorius onely that would say so Are yee nothing ashamed of this your so manifest vanity Are ye so altogether dispoyled of feéling of modesty and humanity as you are barraine in scriptures and voyde of Iudgement that whereas ietting at your own shadow you can be contented so bountifully to bestow the best and the fayrest vpon your selfe that ye will finde in your hart to empart nothing but poore ragges to others For to confesse in deede that Haddon did not reache to that grace and dexteritie of phrase that was in Cicero Will ye therefore yelde him no commendation of the latine style nor so much as anye meane knowledge therin nor yet will suffer him in your cōpany to beare the name of a poore scholler in Ciceroes schoole And who hath made you vsher I pray you or pepositour of Ciceroes schoole that no man may be admitted into that fellowship vnles you allowe of hym And yet in respect of this friuolous title what matter maketh who beare the name But what kynde of discourtesy is this so to embase Haddon of all ornamentes of an artificiall Rhethorician so to throw him down amongest the Apsy boyes as to leaue him nothing but babishnes and stammering of speache and withall condemne hym for so doltish and rascall a wryter that yee cannot choose but meruayle also what collpixe had so bewitched hym to make him a writer But ye ought to haue marueled at this O meruelous man in others rather and posted ouer this taunting check to them rather ouer many of whose pelting workes are flowne abroad out of your cloysters into the worlde so Mosy vnsauory harshe vnpleasaunt that the learned are enforced many tymes to turne ouer their stomackes in reading thē the vnlearned suck nothing out of them but smoake and puddle In which notwithstanding I would not be so squeimish at their rudenes barbarous grossenesse of speach if euen in their most excellent writinges they might be found to cary any resemblaunce of any sound doctrine or sauoring of wholesome knowledge at the least and were not more disorderous in the substance of the matters then they are grosse of speache For otherwise as concerning that exquisite excellency of Eloquence for asmuch as neyther Cicero that graund captayne of Eloquence himselfe doth at all times speak so exquisitely neither forceth so much if it be not altogether artificiall in a Philosopher so that his maners and doctrine be substanciall what cause is there to the contrary but if there be some defect thereof in a deuine that he may as well beé borne withall so that the simplicitie of hys speach agree with the truth and be cleare from barbarous grossenesse and so that the want of Eloquence be supplyed with the soundnes of the truth But as now how vnreasonable is your communication Osorius that can so courteously allow of those your vnsauory and vnpleasaunt Ianglers and shew your self so whotte a Censor against Haddon onely as that ye affirme him to write nothing eloquently nor yet able to expresse his meaning any thing playnely But yet truely whereunto soeuer Haddon is fitte or vnfitte or whatsoeuer Haddon can do or cannot do This is most certayne and true That the want of Eloquence is not the matter that rubbes you on the gall so extremely Haddon is not therfore expelled from Ciceroes Colledge because he cannot expresse Ciceroes finesse liuely enough which your selfe cannot do more finely though ye would burst asunder Osorius But there is an other thing yea an other thing in deede there is an other padde in the straw for who cannot easily perceiue out of what puddle this bubling froathe doth issue and whereunto this tendeth that Haddō may not seeme worthy to be named a Ciceroniane not because he is not a Ciceroniane but bicause he is not a Romayne not because he writeth scarse plainely nor connīgly with the Orator of Rome but bicause he taketh not part with the Bishop of Rome because he will not blindfolde himselfe with Osorius not because he doth not sufficiently expresse the elegancy of the Romanes eloquence but because he would attempt his penne agaynst Osorius and against the doctrine of Rome and take vpon him to fauour the cleare veritie of the gospell and apply his minde to the defence of true religion hereupon ariseth the reproche of the stammering tongue of the childish speach and of the vnskilfull style In the which I cannot well conceaue the meaning of Osor. For if according to this rule all wryters that do not attayne the cleane and
vp agaynst Luther a neast of Dominicke hornettes caused his propositions and Assertion of Pardones to be openly burned framed Articles agaynst the man exclamed with open mouth agaynst him that he ought to be burnt like an hereticke And bycause the Popes power should not be destitute of frendes in a matter of so great importaunce immediately started vp one Prierias the Prouost of the Friers who like a Lordlike fellow challengeth Luther into the field After them stept forth a thyrd of the same crew Iames Hochstratus who espyeng a fit tyme to purchase credite and fame would ieopard a ioynte amongest them and as though there wanted furniture sufficient enough to mainteyne the challenge thrust more coales into the fire and teazed vp the Uniuersities of Paris Coleyne and Louaine agaynst poore Luther to condemne him Luther beyng thus vexed through the madd outrage of these Friers was driuen to this issue that of necessitie he must prosecute his propositions with a more large and ample discourse so sent the same to Leo then Pope of Rome with Letters emportyng his humble submission most humbly beseéchyng that he would not geue credite to the slaunderous reportes of his aduersaries alledgyng for his excuse that he published his propositions touchyng Pardons not of any euill will or malice towards his grace but onely by way of disputatiō wherof he hath now treated more at large and therfore would most humbly beseéch him to vouchsaue benyngly to read and accept it As touchyng his owne person he was so affected towardes that Seé that he would willingly submit to the authoritie therof not onely his writings but his sauetie and life also withall in all humilitie and lowlynesse and whatsoeuer his Maiestie should determine thereupon he would no lesse reuerently esteéme of then as a decreé of the chief Uicare of Christ vnto whom he did acknowledge all obedience due in earth next vnder Christ. In this so humble lowly submission of this prostrate person in so weightie a matter and in so wholesome counsell what this Uicare of Christ did and how this heyre and Successour of S. Peter behaued him selfe I doe make no great inquiry after This one thyng I aske and demaunde of you Osorius that you would vouchsafe to aunswere me what thinke you would Christ him selfe or Peter haue done in this case First would not Christ him selfe haue throwen to the grounde those money tables and Bowthes of Choppers and Chaungers and scourged those vagaraunt regrators cruelly byeng and sellyng in the Temple of god with whippes of knotted cordes would he euer haue suffered his Church which was appointed for Prayer and Preachyng to be tourned into a denne of Theéues a Bowthe of brothells and market of auarice what would Peter haue done whose successours these Byshops challenge them selues to be who on a tyme not keépyng the right course of the Gospell and therfore reproued of Paule yelded so humbly would he haue refused the offered obediēce of so humble a submission or would he not haue vouchsaued it very gently or els would he not haue thanked the partie for so gentle a remembraunce and frendly counsell But now what this most humble seruaunt of the seruaūts of God did who vpō earth representeth vnto vs the person of Christ and the Maiesticall chayre of Peter how insolently and outragiously he dealt in this matter what Tragedies he raysed what thunderboltes and wildefire he threw out of his bloudy turrettes agaynst Luthers life is neédelesse to make any mention in this place sithence it is faythfully set downe in Histories and all men remember it well enough Euen such were the begynnynges of this troublesome tempest which ganne spread it selfe abroad in euery coast Whereby you may easily vnderstand I suppose that Luther thought vpō nothyng lesse at the first thē to heare of any innouatiō or alteratiō of customes or ceremonies but enduced partly through the necessitie of the matter partly by the prouocation of some peéuishe waywardes did onely set downe a few propositions wherein he gaue no attempt agaynst the state of the Romishe Seé neither did as yet vtterly abandone all Pardons Bulles but required onely a moderation to be vsed in them And it was not to be doughted but if the vnsatiable greédynesse or the vnspeakeable crueltie of the aduersaries could haue restrayned it selfe within the boundes and limittes of modestie and measure Luther would haue holden his peace As appeareth by his Letters directed both to the Bishop of Rome and to Cardinall Caietane signifieng vnto them his vnfayned scilēce therein so that his aduersaries mouthes might be stopped also which request was not onely reasonable but agreable also to pietie in men of their profession especially for as much as Luthers Assertions conteyned nothyng preiudiciall to the Byshop of Rome and the matter had not as yet gone so farre forth but might haue bene easily husht vp if at least they could not otherwise finde in their hartes to yeld to the manifest truth But the Pontificall courage of the Byshop would not so be daunted neither could the vnmeasurable mawe of his greédy Cormorauntes be so easily satisfied and at the last the old Prouerbe Gold is good chaffer howsoeuer it come bare the Bell away After this hūble maner therfore assoone as Luther had propoūded the sayd question Prierias gaue the first onset agaynst him after him preste in place diuers Coronelles and Captaines of that band Thē rusht in whole routes of Monckes and Friers with their hoeboobe to the people Out flewe Articles Restraintes curses with booke bell and candell countermandes finally the Byshops of Rome his thunderboltes with a terrible Bull linkte thereunto In this perplexitie here would I fayne learne of Osorius if he would vouchsafe to tell me what Luther should do he will say Luther should not haue entermedled in the cause at all But what man of any reasonable Iudgemēt could or ought to endure so horrible impiette But whē he saw he could not preuayle he should haue forsaken his tackle But by this meanes he must haue put his conscience in daūger of drownyng Then yet at the least he should haue behaued him selfe in the matter somewhat more modestly Who could haue expressed more humblenes and modestie He should haue submitted him selfe and his cause to the tribunall seat of the Pope And herein what part of duetie left he vndone if humble submission could haue auayled any thyng at all The truth wherof to the end may be more apparaūt vnto you and to the Reader also harken I pray you to the secōd Letters of Luther written to the Pope as him selfe endited them Euerlasting peace be vnto you most holy Father Necessitie forceth me agayne beyng a poore outcast of men and an abiect of the earth to presume with a word or two to your holynes and the whole Maiestie May it please your holynesse therfore mercyfully to encline your Fatherly eares as the eares of Christes very Uicare
your stoughtnes herein But because I neuer chaunced to see anye such Gospelles I do earnestly desire you O holy father for the loue ye beare to S. Fraunces to S. Bruno Finally for the loue of that fifth and euerlasting Gospell which the Dominick Fryers not long sithence beganne at Paris in the yeare of our Lord 1256. in the tyme of Pope Alexander the iiij That your holines will not be squeimish to acquaynte me what maner of gospells those be of Luther Melanchton Bucer Caluine c. whereof you make mencion If you can shewe none such it remayneth therefore that we hang vppe this accusation also vpon the file of your other staūderous lyes so long vntill in your next false inuectiues you acquite you of this cryme We haue heard touching the Gospelles Let vs now seé the fayth of hys Church Which he vaunteth franckly not to be of many coates but one Vniforme not lately risen vp and ioyned with vayne confidence but deliuered from the Apostles themselues not depraued with any peeuish interpretation or corruption of madde or franrick usage Go to and what if in like phrase of speeche I make euident that Luthers fayth was one and vniforme yea the same that all the Catholicke fathers of the primitiue churche did professe not start vppe yesterday or for a few dayes agoe not grounding vpō any variblenes nor toste to and fro by any vnsteadfast assurance but proclaymed by the Apostles themselues and wholly cleared from all madnesse and outrage What if I shall shewe playnely that all these quallities be in Luthers fayth what shall remayne then but that Osorius shall become a Lutherane whether he will or no if it be one vniforme fayth that he so much esteémeth or if he hold a contrary fayth then must he needes proue an open lyar But Osorius will not credite my wordes which I shall speake touching Luther and why then shall I creditte Osor speaking for his owne fayth namely sithe he voucheth nothing in proofe but bare wordes But if the truth thereof shall be decyded not with wordes but with substanciall matter by howe many euident demonstrations shall I be able to Iustifie that there is nothing in Luthers fayth but is agreable with the truth and the Auncient age of the primitiue Church in euery poynt And that in Osorius fayth be many thinges whiche do not onely vary cleane frō thē both but are also manifestly repugnaunt and contrary to them both But let vs drawe neere to the matter The fayth that you professe is vniforme you say If by this generall word Fayth you meane the Articles of the common Creéde forasmuch as there is no Churche of the Lutheranes but doth professe the same as well as you I seé no cause here why you should challenge a more speciall prerogatiue in vniformitie in this poynt then the Lutheranes And I would to God the Fayth of your Church would stay it self with the Lutheranes vpon those Articles onely where doughtles is matter sufficient enough for our saluation But now how many by hangers do you couple to this vniforme common Creéd how many new straunge stragglers bussardly blynde and vnknowne Raggmalles to the Auncient fathers And so couple them together as thinges most necessary to mans Saluation and for these also keepe a greater coyle then for the very articles of the Creéde Wherof we shall treate more at large in place fitt for it by Gods grace And therefore whereas you say that you obserue one vniformitie of fayth I would first learne what poynts you do ground this vniformitie vpon For although I may not deny but that in certayne Decrees and Decretalles is a certeine consent and agreément of conspiring doctrine such a one as it is yet if a mā will thoroughly sist many of thē wherein Luther doth dissent frō you he shall easily perceaue that Luth. hath not so much swarued from your vniformitie as your fayth is raunged altogether out of the right pathe of the true Christian fayth from the doctrine of both Testamentes from the Apostles and Prophetts yea and from the footsteppes of the Fayth of your owne predecessors of Rome whereby appeareth euidently that this fayth which you so gloriously vaunt is not auncient but new fangled not deliuered from the Apostles but patched together with mens Tradicious not grounded vpon any certaynty but full of vayneglorious braggery finally not vniforme but of many shapes and vtterly a Bastard vnlike the true vniformitie of Fayth Such as procure to themselues so many hyreling aduocates patrones and intercessours in heauen besides the onely Sonne of God Such as do worhip God otherwise then in spirite and truth with alters superalters Images Pictures Signes Formes and Shapes grauen in wood and in marble Such as before God do hunt after true righteousnes by other meanes and merytes then by onely fayth in the Sonne of God or do apply to themselues the effectuall grace of his great liberalitie otherwise then by this only Fayth Such as do promise Remission of Sinnes by any other meanes to themselues or to others but through the onely bloudshed of the Immaculate Lambe Such as with the price of pardons do sel that to others which Christ gaue freely Such as do dayly sacrifice him for the quick and the dead who by one onely oblation once for all did make attonement for all things in heauen and in earth such as make to thēselues a way passable to the kingdome of God life euerlasting by any other meanes and wayes to witte thorough the merites of Saintes through vowes Masses orders and Rules and through straightnes of profession by the merite of holy orders humble confessions mens absolutions and satisfactions through building of Abbyes and such other trumpery barganing as it were with God for merite meritorious and not for the onely death of Christ crucified for vs Such as do thrust into Churches other Sacramentes then Christ dyd euer Institute and commaund to be kept Such as robbe that lay people of one part of the sacrament contrary to the ordinaunce of the church and in the other part leaue nothing but that which can be no where els then in heauen and which if were present naturally ought not to be ministred as meate according to the veritie of the scriptures All these I say and an infinite table more of the same hiewe cleane contrary to the scriptures Such as do retayne in fayth mayntayne in vse clogge consciences withall and proclayme to be obserued in their Temples how dare they be so shamelesse to vaunt an obseruing of one vniforme Fayth agreéing with the Prophettes and Apostles vndefiled and cleare from all spotte of Noueltie or wrinckle of deformytie Wherfore you must either cōuince all these patcheries to be falsly burdened vpon your Church as I haue rehearsed them or els you must needes confesse that your fayth is neyther vniform nor Auncient nor sprong vppe with the Apostles nor yet consonaut to sound
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
the Lord and there let the Church be sought out Now what the experience of Osorius doth seé let him selfe looke thereto Sure I am that Cyprian seémeth to haue experimented an other kynde of experimeÌ„t where he writeth Hereupon grow all maner of Scismes sayth he bycause the head is not sought for meÌ„ come not to the wellspring it selfe neither are the ordinaunces and rules of the heauenly Maister kept nor obserued Wherein I thinke you seé matter sufficieÌ„t enough by how much the testimony of this Martyr doth differre from you whereas you do racke all thynges to humaine authoritie onely he calleth all men backe to the very founteines of the Scriptures rather And yet doe I not deny but that humaine authoritie doth many tymes auayle very much to bridle the vnruly raungyng of sectes if Osorius would limitte this authoritie humaine within certeine measurable boundes But he raketh all thynges now to the authoritie of the Romishe Seé onely as though there were none other authoritie elles that might stay sectes and Schismes besides this Romishe Pope onely Which Assumption is altogether vntrue And therefore to make the same appeare more euidently Let vs note the wonderfull Logicke of Osorius somewhat more aduisedly The Authoritie of the Romishe See beyng taken away sayth he will be an occasion that heresies will grow in vse How shall this be knowen bycause Osorius doth seé it for such are the strongest pyllers of Osorius buildyng for the more part Thus sayth Osorius Thus is well knowen to the world who doth not see this Experience teacheth all men this But what if some meéry conceipted Carneades of the Academickes schoole will deny your bare Affirmatiues to your teéth what if he will geue no credite to your opinions no nor yet to your wapper eyes that are bleared dimme with raÌ„cour malice as it is a kynde of Philosophers you know well enough very hard laced scarse applyable to credite any maner of bare Affirmatiues Nay rather what if some other hauyng bene enured to contrary experieÌ„ce will contend with you on this wise say That he doth seé with his eyes that this Romish Seé wherof you speake is the chief Metropolitane of all sectes and heresies what shall become of this your notable defeÌ„ce The thyngs which are seene with the eyes say you whiche are knowen which are notorious in all mens mouthes which experieÌ„ce witnessing also doth ratifie to be true which are sensibly felt with eares and eyes to call these thynges in question whether they be true or no is meare ignoraunce but to deny them is a point of most shamelesse impudency Not so Osorius we do not deny the thynges that men do seé with their eyes But the thyngs that you do Assume falsely for thinges certeine concludyng false and slaunderous cauilles for meére truth those thynges we do constantly deny to be true not bycause we trust not mens senses which be of souÌ„de IudgemeÌ„t but bycause we geue to credite no Osorius lyeng But goe to Let vs moue forewardes a litle that we may seé the thyng at the length that this sharpe sighted Lynx doth so easily seé Forsooth he doth see sayth he that noysome sectes and troublesome controuersies would forthwith raunge in the Churche if the authoritie of the Romishe see should be cleane put downe I beleéue it in deéde But with what eyes doth he seé this with that left eye I thinke which is couered with a pynne and webbe of desire to slaunder But if he would vouchsafe to open agayne that right eye I would not dought but that experience wherof he speaketh would teach him a new lesson For if this Romish authoritie were vtterly abolished he shall by experience proue that this will forthwith ensue which many of vs through the inestimable benefite of God haue proued to be most true in all places namely that common weales shall recouer their auÌ„cient priuiledges consciences shall possesse their wonted freédome men shall be restored to the sauetie of their lyues all Christendome shall enioy peace and tranquilitie he shall seé horrible fiers quenched whole pyles of Fagottes and fier coÌ„sumyng â— bodyes of Christians to Ashes to be extinguished stockes to be set wyde open imprisonmentes rackynges recantations and Fagottes to be shaken from mens shoulders he shall seé the lyues and goodes of many thousands to be saued out of the â—awes of death and froÌ„ the bloudy bootchers knife he shall seé pilladge polladge confiscations of goodes Popish exaction deceiptfull buyng and sellyng of Pardons fayres and gaynefull marketts of dispensations taxes of Citizens spoylinges of the CoÌ„mons tenthes first fruites of benefices yearely contributions of Byshops great impositions of Monasteries payementes of pentions for Palles for mysters for ringes for liberties for exemptions Finally for whores and concubines to be diminished and vtterly abolished he shall seé their drousie superstitions and ceremonies and their triflyng traditioÌ„s geue place to the Orient bright Sunne shynne of the truth Temples cleansed agayne from filthy Idolatry Kynges to become Kynges and Lordes of their own and once agayne at the last to beare their sword theÌ„ selues which before bare nothyng but bare titles and scarse titles onely he shall seé Citizens and Subiectes deliuered from straunge Tyranny and subiect to their lawfull authoritie â—o them onely to yeld obedience vnto whom they ought to doe Finally he shall seé coÌ„moÌ„ weales begyn to take breath agayne after a certeine sort now at the length and the hartes of the faythfull to rayse them selues vp at the ioyfull countenaunce of their auncient sauetie and to geue most humble thankes to almightie God for their most happy peace and deliueraunce Certes Osorius if the chaunges and chaunces of thynges which men seé with their eyes feéle by practize and dayly experience may without checke be open to the viewe of the worlde you should playnly discerne and seé all those thynges if you were here in England and not in England onely but in Germany in Denmarke Sweuland Scotland Polande and the more part of FrauÌ„ce in SwitzerlaÌ„d finally throughout all incorporatioÌ„s and freé Citties this authoritie vtterly abolished Goe to And where now are those sectes Schismaticall dissentions which you do obiect agaynst vs If you know not this to be true Osorius or if happely you be ashamed to confesse the thynges that you know I will confesse the same for you and will speake the same as frankely as truely If I shall say that euen with you in the very Court of Rome in your Churches in your Monasteries Colledges Rules and Orders of Friers briefly wheresoeuer that shauelyng marke of the Romish Prelate is emprinted or wheresoeuer that authoritie is of most force that there are whole swarmes and sectes most outragiously raungyng I feare nothyng lesse least that my wordes may seéme to emporte more then the truth Nay rather I am sure I haue yet spoken very litle I should haue spoken in this maner
Gospell To Passe ouer withall innumerall infidels Atheistes Paganes counterfaites hypocrites false brethren false Gospellers which vnder pretence of Religion do nothyng els but cast a myste before the eyes of the world and serue their owne turnes to the great daunger and hinderaunce of the godly Now in this so huge a multitude of people and so manifold varietie of affections what people be they agaynst whom you do in so great clusters impute so great wickednesse lust outrage tumultes murthers conspiracies procured agaynst Princes and other more monstruous abhominations vnspeakeable and intollerable Euen such be say you the Auditorie of your Gospell What do I heare haue we then any other Gospell in England then is with you in Portingall is not one selfe same Gospell euery where are not Gods lawes the same in all places is Christ deuided amongest vs or doth any Christian in the world admitte any other Gospell then the Gospell of Christ But you beyng a meéry conceipted mā meant happely to sport your selfe with that nyckname agaynst such as haue harkened to Luther Zuinglius Bucer Caluine and others their lyke as vnto their Schoolemaisters Be it so yet do I seé no cause why you should call their doctrine a new Gospell But go to let vs seé yet how true your slaunder is that you charge these men withall I do confesse that there be now very many and heretofore haue bene many also who with Luther and those others do agrain in the exposition of holy Scripture whose doctrine you are not able to confoūde though ye would whose lyues you cā not iustly charge with any infamous crime no nor able to imitate them Of the liuyng at this day were not so conuenient to speake I will say somewhat of others that are gone And of those chiefly whom that furious swellyng gulfe of Mary lately swallowed vppe which beyng in number many in so fewe yeares Make Inquisition of all their lyues search out their maners studies exercizes functions speaches and deédes whatsoeuer sift them peruse them yea prye into them with that captious head pearcyng eyes of yours as narrowly as ye can And first in Cranmer Archb. of Canterbury who after by that hearyng this Gospell began to sauour of Christian profession what wickednes was euer reported of him with what outrage of lust was he enflamed what murthers what seditious tumults what secret cōspiracies were euer sene or suspected so much to proceéd from him vnlesse ye accompt him blame worthy for this That whea kyng Henry father of the same Mary vpon great displeasure conceaued was for some secret causes determined to strike of her head this Reuerend Archb. did pacifie the wrath of the father with mylde cōtinuall intercession preserued the life of the daughter who for life preserued acquited her patron with death As concernyng his Mariadge if you reprochfully impute that to lust which Paule doth dignifie with so honorable a Title I do aūswere that he was the husband of one wife with whō he cōtinued many yeares more chastly holyly then Osorius in that his stinking sole single lyfe paraduenture one moneth though he fleé neuer so often to his Catholicke Confessions And I seé no cause why the name of a wife shall not be accoumpted in eche respect as holy with the true professours of the Gospell as that name of a Concubine with the Papistes To speake nothyng els of this sort of people more vnseémely yet perhappes truly With Cranmer lyued Nicolas Ridley Byshop of Londō coupled in one partakyng of Religiō and one maner of Martyrdome who ledd such a lyfe alwayes vnmaryed as in the which all his aduersaries were not able to reprehend not onely any notorious crime but also not so much as a blemishe reprocheworthy so farre as I euer heard Not much inferiour to them both in all commendable worthynes and dignitie crowned also with the same crown of Martyrdome did shyne that famous Prelate Ferrar Byshop of S. Dauides what shall I speake of Iohn Hooper Byshop of Worcester and Glocester whose integritie of lyfe voyd of all cause of reprehension vnweryable trauaile in teachyng feédyng visityng might be not onely a notable patterne to all Romish Prelates though neuer so Catholicke but make them also ashamed in their owne behalfes To passe ouer a nomber of the like Taylours Saunders Rogers Philpottes Barnes Ieromes Garrettes whose vertues to rehearse and cōmende with condigne prayses for their vnblameable lyues neither the tyme serueth nor is my simple skill able to expresse accordyngly What one man did this litle Ilād at any time nourish vp or euer shall seé more holy and more chaste then was Thomas Bilney whom no posterity ought euer to forgette after that he beganne to harken vnto and apply his mynde seryously to this doctrine namely to the Gospell of Christ sauing that in all excellency of vertuous life Iohn Bradford seémeth worthy to be ioyned with him who wholly and altogether did so dwell in the feare of the Lord and in a certayne inward earnest meditation of heauenly life that liuing here on earth he seémed to haue bene translated as it were into an heauenly soule before he was violently taken from hence so leane spent and worne out with often abstinence vnmeasureale trauayle and so spare a dyette that he seémed an Anatomy nothing but skinne and boane In earnest prayer so continualy exercised that before he was burnt his kneés in handling seémed almost as hard as Camels hoofes Of all these and many others like vnto these which I could set downe vnto you gathered out of most faythfull hystoryes Report could not certify you but other thinges it could It could report lyes and vntruethes And no maruell If you aske the cause I will tell you For weé are carryed according to the wickednesse of this our age into sundry affections partes and factions We do esteéme of contreuersies not with that reuerence and simplicity of hart as beseémeth vs as we are taught by the prescript word of God but through sinister corrupt affections conceiue an euill opinion of them And wrest and wring the truth it selfe whether it will or no to colour and cleake Sectes and diuisions And therefore as we are for the more part more greédely carryed to harken vnto plausible matters such as concerne our owne commodity and preferment rather then the glory of the Sonne of God so neuer wanteth stoare of notable talebearers skilfull purueyors for such itching eares notorious Sicophantes euen for the same purpose raysed vp by the iust iudgement of God Hetherto haue I spoken of such onely as were famous for their learning doctrine dignity iudgement and ecclesiasticall function Besides these I could recken vppe vnto you of the meaner sort of people sixe hundred more or lesse consumed to Ashes in that fiue yeares persecution vpon whose bodyes although ye Romanists did furiously rage according to your sauadge and brutish
foretold the people of God good and gladsome tidings yet I thinke you will not nūber him emongest the Godly Prophets of God The Spirite that was raysed by Saul in the name of Samuel to foreshew what should become of the successe of the battell dyd not tell otherwise then as it came to passe afterwardes Lykewise also in the Acts of thapostles The Prophetisse at Phillippos dyd prophecye many things of Paul and Timothe which were true and maruailous yet will no man assigne her a place emongest the true Prophetisses What shall we say of the Deuil himselfe which dyd foretell to Siluerster the Pope that he should neuer dye before he came vnto Ierusalem what was not the sequel aunswerable to hys former tale How then Osorius are those then to be accōpted the true Prophets of God which doe foretell the thinges that shall come to passe I thinke not so Neither doth the Scripture affirme the same to be true The true Prophets of God doe pronounce truely from out the true treasures of the hart And not contrarywise all they that doe tell true thinges altogether ought alwayes to be takē for true Prophets of God But whatsoeuer he be that teacheth false Doctrine and is found a lyar it is most certein that he is not sent of God Telling trueth therfore namely in Successes humaine doth not alwaye asrgue him that doth foretell the same to be a true Prophet of God But lying doth alwayes bewray a false Prophet And this is it wherof the Scripture would haue vs to be forewarned in this place For the wordes of the Scripture doe not so directly determine that euery person whosoeuer foretelleth the trueth of euery thing is therefore sent from God But it setteth downe this speciall marke That yf any Prophet haue foretold any thing in the name of the Lord which doth not afterwades come to passe By thys marke sayth the Scripture shall you know that a man hath spoken it and not the Lord Then which signe say you no thing can be more sure nothing more euident nothing more commodious for our sauetye And thys also doe we confesse as well as you doe And so much hitherto for the Maior But to aūswere the Minor now what is any of all this to Luther Melancthon and their companyons Because they haue promised say you so largely and so lowdly whereas they gaue so great a hope of themselues by their glorious promises that it should come to passe that they would call backe agayne the decayed lyfe of the Christians and the dissolute maners of the Church to the auncient purity of the Gospell they did so performe nothing of that they promised that they left all thinges in far worse case then they receaued them I will aunswere to both And first your allegation of their promises we haue shewed already how it is altogether vntrue to the iustyfying of which flaunder agaynst thē you haue not brought forth one sillable so much hitherto out of all the writinges of Luther or Melancton wherewith you are able to charge thē Whereas on thother side it will be no matter of difficultye for me to conuince you for an open lyar by innumerable places out of Luther himselfe Emōgest many I will cyte one by the which the Reader may easily vnderstand how farre of Luther was from that glorious kinde of braggery of Reformation wherewith you doe slaunder him most Impudently For after this manner doth he make a reporte of himselfe writing vpon the Psalmes of degreés I doe gladly vse sayth Luther mine owne experience for what is it or how much is it that he hath geuen to me alone I did desire no thing els then that this abuse of pardons might be taken away But behold what an vnmeasurable Sea of Gods marueilous bounty and liberality ensued therupon So that it is generall true that no man dare wishe so much as God is ready to geue The cause is the mistrust fulnesse of our hart the lacke of hope and weakenes of fayth Thus much Luther Go to now and where is now that glorious hope promised and bragge of promise whereas himselfe cōplaineth of wāt of hope of mistrustfulnes of hart and weakenesse of fayth or vpon what confidence could he dare promyse so largely and boldly to others that which him selfe confesseth playnely he durst not be so bold as to wish for But put the case they promised all that you haue spoken what then you adde forthwith But they dyd not performe their promises◠what they performed or what they did not performe in the reformation of manners I doe not so much stand vpon Nor do I speake all here that I could But leaue it to the iudgement of him that shall iudge the quicke and the dead Euery person canne iudge himselfe and his owne cause best but of others it is very hard to determine any certaynty Malice is alwayes a blinde iudge Malepart slaunder is a lying witnesse It had bene more sittyng for you and your modesty beginning at your owne home to haue first purged your owne faultes to haue pluckt the beames out of your owne eyes before you had vttered such insolent waywardnesse in troubling of other mens studies Admitte that it may be freé for a man to proclaime openly to the world the notorious faultes and offences of others which either himselfe doth seé or doth gather vpon common report yet this iudgement as it may be frée so ought it be vpright iust But you enflamed with I know not what outragious insolency of minde not of any iudgement but of a certayne franticke fury do so handle your cause as though he were no good man nor could be a good man whosoeuer doth beare the name of a Lutherane that is to say a professed Christian and as though neuer any such abhominations could haue infected the world if Luther had nener taught at all thē which slannderous maner of speéch what could impudency it selfe haue spoken more impudently or more vntruely But not to tary long vpon this poynte and to graunt you also that you Assume so impudently For this I suppose you assume as matter most certayne that these men did performe no part of that which they promised Goe to and when weé yelde you all that you will to witte that they entred into large promises and that they performed nothing and that all things became worsse to what end tēd all these at the last what doe these mountaynes of Gilboe bring forth at the length Come of Luther now with all thy Lutheranes and take a full con̄clusion of all and goe hang your selues Ergo You be false Prophets deceitfull and fraudulent seducers not onely to be eschued of men but by Gods law worthy to be burnt also The Cocke crewe and it was day all abroad But that weé may be so bolde to sift out this rusticall Logicke what doe I heare Osorius Is it so ought all such as breake theyr promises and couenauntes
and so left not that we should seéke for forgeuenes of Sinnes out of the same but that these outward signes deliuered vnto vs to Eate might putt vs in remembraunce of that euerlasting remission of sinnes which Christ should purchase for vs by the shedding of his precious bloud And for this cause he doth call it the upp in his bloud which shall be shedd for many sayth he into the remission of sinnes not transitory remission I suppose Osorius but into euerlasting forgeuenes of sinnes For other wise if it be a forgeuenes Temporall how will that saying of Ieremy be true And I will make with them an euerlasting couenaunt that I may not remember their sinnes any more If it be an euerlasting Release what neéde we then any further Sacrifices or what shall be sayd of that your holynes of Religion which doth make that thing transitory to vs that God hath vouchsafed for vs to be vnremoueable and to continue beyond all ages To be briefe that we may now knitt vp the matter by that that hath bene spoken before Behold here in few wordes the trueth and substaunce of this Sacrament Iustified with most true and approued Argumēts Whereunto if you will aunswere in your next letters to the Queénes Maiestie at your conuenient leasure you shall do vs a great pleasure 1. The Lord departing from hence did carry away with him out of the earth the substaunce of his body Ergo. He did not leaue the same substaunce behinde him 2. Christ did deliuer vnto vs a Mistery of his body onely Ergo. He did not deliuer his very naturall body 3. Christ did institute a Mistery of his body to be eaten onely Ergo. Not to be sacrificed In the remembraunce of forgeuenes of sinnes onely Ergo. Not a Sacrifice of cleansing and forgeuing of Sinnes 4 Saluation and remission of Sinnes is promised to them onely that beleue in Christ. Ergo not to them that doe sacrifice Christ. 5 Remission of Sinnes is not geuen without shedding of bloud Heb. 9 In the vnbloudy Sacrifice of the Masse there is no effusion of bloud Ergo. In the Sacrifice of the Masse is no Remission of sinnes 6. Saluation and free Remission of Sinnes doth consist of the promise through fayth The Sacrifice of the Masse is not free but meritorious nor cōsisteth of fayth but of merite Meritorious Ergo. The Sacrifice of the Masse is vneffectuall to Saluation and to the Reconciling of God 7. There is no Materiall cause of forgeuenes of Sinnes but the onely shedding of Christes bloud and no formall cause but fayth The vnbloudy Sacrifice of the Masse is neither fayth neither hath in it any effusion of bloud Ergo in the Sacrifice of the Masse there is neither Materiall nor Formall cause of Remission of Sinnes 8. The Sacrifices that doe not cease to be offred for Sinnes doe not satisfie for Sinnes Heb. 10. The oblatiōs of the Lawe can neuer make the receauers thereof perfect for if they could they would neuer haue ceased to be offred c. The Sacrifices of the Altar doe not cease to be offred doth name it a Sacramentall ministration In Clement it is called a representation of the kingly body of Christ. Others doe call it a signe of a true Sacrifice sometymes it is called the Sacrifice of prayer and thankesgeuyng by a certein mysticall figure of speakyng As in a certein place Ambrose doth call our Soules Altares Where writyng of virgines I dare boldly affirme sayth he that your Soules are Altares In the which Christ is dayly offred for the redemption of the body Not bycause our Soules be Altares or that the flesh of Christ is naturally or materially offered of vs but these sayinges are to be taken in the same sence as many other like sayings of the old writers are to be vnderstanded As where Ierome writeth on this wise That which was borne of the Virgine is dayly borne vnto vs Christ is Crucified vnto vs dayly c. After the same maner also doth Augustine speake Then is Christ dayly slayne to euery of vs whē we beleeue in him that he was slayne And the same Augustine in an other place vpon the wordes of the Lord. Christ doth ryse agayne dayly vnto thee And in his 10. booke De Ciuit ate Dei Cap. 5. God is not delighted in the Sacrifices of slayne beastes but of a slayne hart Euen as Chrisostome speaketh likewise In the holy mysteries the death of Christ is executed Besides this also as Gregory de Consecrat Dist. 2. Christ doth dye agayne in this mystery c. And yet is there no man so senselesse to say that Christ is borne euery day or is Crucified ryseth agayne oftentymes or that his death is executed in the mysteries accordyng to the very substaunce thereof But these be figuratiue and vnproper kyndes of speaches wherein is celebrated a certein mysticall execution of those thynges for a Remembraunce so that the thyngs them selues be not present properly which were long sithence finished but are representations by certein applyable resemblaūces of thinges signified onely whereby our fayth may as it were from hād to hand be admonished by the application of these outward signes what was accomplished before spiritually for vs in that most excellent Sacrifice of Christ. Euē as the Natiō of the Hebrues were sometyme fedd with the visible Manna as our bodyes are at this present strenghthened with dayly food of nourishyng sustenaunce which would otherwise perish through want Semblably bycause there can be no saluation for our forlorne nature besides the bloud of Christ Christ is therfore worthely called the bread of our lyfe and the foode of the world whereby the bodies are not fed for a few yeares but the soules are nourished to euerlastyng lyfe And for this cause Christ takyng an occasion of their communication which were cōferryng together of Manna and the eatyng of his flesh not vnaptly alluding to that heauenly banquett in Moyses which dyd refresh the hunger of the body for a tyme did call him selfe bread in deéde and spake the same also truly And why truly bycause he is truly and in deéde the bread and foode of lyfe not onely of this trāsitory and temporall lyfe but of euerlastyng lyfe not this lyfe onely which we doe now enioy in this world but which we shall lyue much more truly in the world to come And for this cause purposing euen then to suffer death for vs he did note vnto vs his body and bloud vnder the names of bread wyne This is my body sayth he This is the cuppe of my bloud Not bycause that bread and that cuppe were chaunged into his body and his bloud naturally substauncially and in deéde but bycause he could not before his death represent vnto vs the force and efficacy of that euerlastyng and spirituall Sacrifice by any more apt similitude or application of any other likenes which might continually preserue the remembraunce of him in
herein Let euery man that list compare examples with examples new with old present with tymes past what doth all this whatsoeuer you doe resemble els then like a certein skippyng and trippyng gesture of some Stagelike Comedy rather thē a Supper of the Lord wherein first you chaunged the Sacrament into a Sacrifice you haue altered the Table into an Altar transposed mysteries into Masses and translated eatyng into Adoration participation into Religion banquetyng into gazing tootyng The substaunce of bread you haue with a playne Poeticall Metamorphosis trāsubstanciated into the substaūce of flesh finally you haue brought the matter to this passe that there is no fourme of a Supper no nor so much as the name of a Supper remainyng For what is he that will euer name that to be a Supper where neither bread nor drincke nor any kynde of meate besides mās flesh and bloud onely is sett before the guestes to feéde vpō which is horrible for any mā to eate that will either follow the rule of nature or the prescript commaundement of the Scriptures What then will you abandone Christ say you from vs out of the Eucharist altogether and will you leaue no more but bare Signes onely in this most holy Sacrament For such is the question that Hosius maketh in a certein place the selfe same now doth Osorius thrust out agaynst the Lutheranes Whose accusation bycause I purpose to refute behold ye good Catholick mē that which I must speake both truly and necessaryly First this quarrell toucheth the Lutheranes very litle For others I doe aunswere on this wise That this doth not exclude Christ out of the Eucharist but you do banish Christ out of heauē altogether whiles by the same rule you force the nature and substaunce of his body into so narrow streightes as it were thruchte into a Geometricall chynker wherein what do you els then hale him out of heauen For one and the selfe same bodely nature in one the selfe same body can not be here and there at one tyme. In deede you confesse it can not be by nature but it may be be say you by miracle But cursed be that miracle whereby the true humanitie of our Christ is denyed and whereby our cōioyning together with him is broken a sunder For what partakyng shal be of our natures with his body or what agreable proportion of body betwixt vs If we be seuered ech frō other in the whole propertie substaunce of nature But Augustine a reasonable Catholicke Deuine enough I suppose will not consent vnto this that the Diuinitie of Christ ought so to be affirmed is that his humanitie shall by any meanes be defaced Therfore that rayling of Osorius agaynt vs as though we did dispoyle the holy banquet of Christes Diuinitie is some drowsie dreame of some dronckard for who did euer seclude the Diuinitie of Christ from this mysticall Supper So is also the cauilation of Hosius in eche respect as slaunderous where he chargeth vs that we sequester the body of Christ wholy from the Eucharist Which is also as vntrue For albeit we do affirme that the body of Christ is naturally in his owne propertie in heauē we do not so exclude him from the holy mysteries as that we would not haue him present therein at all but consideration must be had in what maner he is present He that doth acknowledge a true presence of Christ after a Sacramentall maner and vnder a mysticall coueryng doth not abanddon Christ out of the Sacrament but he that reiectyng the mystery doth acknowledge no presence but such as must be beleéued to be present naturally and in deéde the same if he abyde by his wordes must neédes ouerthrow all the substaūce of a Sacrament of very necessitie For whereas they do assigne the whole materiall part of the Sacrament to consiste in this that the flesh of Christ included within those mysteries must appeare discernable to the beholders not in his proper and naturall forme but in an other shape it is a friuolous deuise boulted out of the forgeshoppe of Lumbarde Which by this euident demonstration of Augustine is easily ouerthrowen All Sacramentes do represent a necessary likenesse of the same thinges whereof they be Sacramentes The outward formes of bread and wyne doe by no maner of likenesse represent any agreablenesse with the body of Christ. Ergo No materiall part of a Sacrament can be applyable to those outward formes of bread and wyne And yet this notwithstandyng we do confesse that Christ is present neuerthelesse in his mysteries But it is one thyng for Christ to be present in a mystery an other thyng to be present naturally enclosed as it were within a certein place It is one thyng to beare the name of a thyng whereof it is a remēbraūce an other thyng to be the very same thyng wherof it taketh denommatiō It is one thyng to haue a likenesse an other thyng to be in the very same substaunce Neither is it a good Argument that is fetcht from the word or letter to the substaunce Where in the one the very matter of a Sacrament is to be seéne in the other the truth of the substaunce is discerned Wherein is concluded a fallax A secundum quid ad simpliciter In a Comedy or Enterlude he that cōmeth forth vpon the Stage cladd in Kingly Roabes crowned with the Diademe of a King the same is not by and by the Kyng in deéd whose persō he doth represēt And yet is there no cause to the cōtrary but duryng the time of the Enterlude he may be after a certein sort called a Kyng to witt after the same maner as Signes similitudes of thyngs do many tymes obteine to be called by the name and title of the very thynges whereof they be representations Therefore for as much as the action of this sacred Cōmunion is of this nature as the which doth no lesse minister the body of Christ to be receaued by fayth then the bread to be eaten by the mouth these men therfore do not seclude Christ from this sacred banquet as you seé but you and your Catholickes rather whiles you do sequester the Allegory from the wordes of Christ refusing all maner Type of resemblaunce and likenesse whiles you do rende a sunder the spirite which doth quickē from the letter that doth kill whiles you banishe quite away all bread out of the Sacrament whiles you teare abroad the subiect from the accidentes Whiles ye make a miserable myngle mangle and hochepott of the thynges that are seuered by nature and agayne dissolue the thynges that are naturally ioyned together Whiles with most abhominable Idollworshyp you doe most filthyly defile the most pure and chaste Church of Christ to the intollerable discomfort and sorrow of all godly hartes you haue brought this to passe by your crafty cōueyaūce that the people now can neither partake of any bread
word of God Ergo They are worthy to be accursed whosoeuer will spurne agaynst this Catholicke doctrine And because they may seéme to speake this not without some good ground they haue scraped together a few shreddes out of Auncient Fathers namely Cyprian Hesychius Ierome Ambrose Irene Oecumenicus wherewith they may bolster vpp not their credytt but their false packyng shuffled in among to delude the simple people withall Out of Cyprian is vouched first this sentence in an Epistle of hys For why rather sayth he the priest of the high God then our Lord Iesus Christ who did offer a sacrifice vnto God the Father and did offer the selfe same that Melchizedech did namely bread and wine to witt his body and bloud c. And immediately after As therefore it is sayd in Genesis that the representatiō of the sacrifice did goe before by Melchizedech consisting of bread and wine which thing the Lord performing and accomplishing did offer the bread and the cupp mingled with wine and he that it fulnesse it selfe hath fulfilled the verity of the prefigured representation Whereupon groweth this Argument We are commaunded to do the same that Christ did Christ did at his supper offer the Sacrifyce of his bodye and bloud Ergo We also ought to do the same if we beleeue Cyprian I do acknowledge the wordes of Cyprian I doe allow the authority neyther doe I sist out ouer narrowly how he doth agreé herein with the trueth of the hebrue letter because he sayth that Melchizedech did offer bread and wine and that vpon this offring hys Pryesthood was grounded because he did offer bread and wine As though Melchizedech were not a Pryest before he offered bread and wine Neyther doe I presume to take vpon me to aunswere herein as Augustine did aūswere Crescentius I am not bound to the authority of this Epistle because I doe not accompt the Epistles of Cyprian as canonicall but I do measure thē by the Canonicall scriptures And whatsoeuer I finde in him agreable with the authority of Gods word I doe allow of it and cōmend him therefore but whatsoeuer is contrary to Gods word I do by his patience refuse it c. And therefore lett those sayinges of Cyprian be true and autentick for me Goe to then and what aduantage hereof may be gathered for the ratyfiyng of the popish sacrifice wherein they do say that they do offer the sonne of God really for a propitiatory sacrifice which is auayleable not to the Receauer onely but to the quicke and dead also We are commaunded sayth he to do the same that Christ did at his last supper But he did not offer sacrifice for himselfe at his last supper as I suppose And how then doth the Pryest do the same thing that Chryst did yet neuerthelesse he did offer at his supper his owne body and bloud Did he offer it for sinnes yea or nay If you say yea The Apostle will deny it who did acknowledge none other sacrifice of Christ but onely one and doth likewise affirme that Christ was offered once onely to purge and wype away the sinnes of many If you say nay how then doe the Priestes the selfe same who do sacrifyce for sinnes as they say But I returne agayne to Cyprian Christ sayth he accomplishing in effect and trueth that which went before in a shadow dyd offer his owne body and bloud This is true in deéd But where did he offer it at his supper surely so say the Papistes But Cypriā doth not say so For whereas he speaketh of bread and wyne mixt together what he meaneth thereby he doth imediately declare in the same Epistle very playnely and doth interpret himselfe openly that it may appeare that this was not done at the tyme of hys supper but doth confesse that the same was performed at the passion and death of our Lord which was foreshewed and prefigured before And agayn a whiles after he shall wash sayth he his garment in wyne and his vesture in the blood of the grape Now when it is named the blood of the grape what els is declared then the wine of the cupp of the blood of the Lord And thus much Cyprian not meaning the supper surely but the crosse of Christ which doth appeare euidently by this that he annexeth forthwith in the same place denying that we are able to drinke the blood of Christ vnlesse Christ had bene troden and prest in the wine presse first and had dronken of the Cupp before of which Cupp he should haue tasted first to the beleeuers Which speéch of Cyprian forasmuch as can not be aptly applied to any other thyng then to the sacrifyce of the Crosse it may easily appeare hereby what aunswere ought to be framed to the Argument The same which Christ did must be imitated of vs. Christ did offer at his supper hys bodye and his bloud according to the Testimony of Cyprian But this is false For Cyprian throughout all that whole Epistle did neuer affirme that Christ dyd offer his bodye and bloud at hys supper but vpon the Crosse. If an Argument must neédes be framed from out the wordes of Cyprian we shall argue much more probably on thys wyse The same that Christ did offer we must offer also Christ did offer the same that Melchizedech did Ergo We must offer the same that Melchizedech did But Melchizedech did offer bread wine according as Cyprian doth witnesse Ergo We also must offer bread and wine Is there any sillable here that may helpe the Papistes cause or vtterly ouerthrow it rather Here is an other boane to pycke vpon raked out of Ierome where he sayth Melchizedech in the Type of Chryst dyd offer bread and wyne and dyd dedycate a Christian Mystery in the bloud and body of our sauiour c. This knott also is cleane cutt away with the very same two-edged Axe for I am not ignoraunt that the Ecclesiasticall writers doe make comparison now and then betwixt the presentes of Melchizedech which he gaue to Abraham and the sacrifice of Christ vpon the Crosse to witte that one figuratiuely this other truely and in veryty Be it now as they say Yet is thys no good proofe notwithstandyng to iustify that the Priest doth forth with offer the Sonne of GOD in the mysticall Supper really to God the Father in full remyssion of sinnes And yet here also do not all the holy Doctours agreé amongest themselues in all poyntes whereas some do compare the oblation of Melchyzedech with the Sacrifice of the Crosse Agayne other do compare it with the Celebrating of the holy communion yea and do make it equiualent therewyth Some do neyther agreé with thēselues applying the Allegory now this way now that way and many times both waies Finally though they should be vniforme in theyr Allegory yet how true that Argument is that is deriued from an Allegory accordyng to that saying which is commōly frequēted in
also in S. Seuerines Church at Burdeauâ— so that the same Rodd wh was once tourned into a Serpent is tourned now into threé Rodds The multiplying of whiche Rodd seémeth not much vnlyke the Toath of Saincte Appolyne here with vs in England of the which a certein Abbot of Almesbury named Andrew doth make relation For it chaunced on a tyme that as Edward theÌ„ king of EnglaÌ„d was greuously tormented with the toath ach he commaunded by generall proclamation that all the teéth of S. Appolline that were reserued for Reliques within all the Churches of his Realme should be brought vnto him there were such a multitude of one poore Relique of S. Appolline his teéth Raked together that two or threé Toones were skarse able to receaue them when they were throwen together on a heape I Haue abused thy leasure perhappes gentle Reader longer then was conuenient in reckonyng vpp this Raggemarow of rusty Reliques howbeit I haue not rehearsed the thousandth part of the lyke religious Ragges So farre and so wide hath this pestilent canker crept ouer all the partes of Christendome that almost there is no Cathedrall Church Parish Church Mounckery Abbay Fryerhouse Selle Brotherhood or neuer so litle a Chappell but is poysoned with some contagion of this Serpigo And I would to God that the lyke endeuor were generally employed that Iohn Caluine perfourmed in seéking out those Reliques wherof I haue made meÌ„tioÌ„ that a generall view might be taken of all the Reliques remayning in all Christendome in Monasteries Selles Shrynes Boxes Caskets Glasses and such lyke deuises that the world might be made acquainted with them It is incredible to be spoken what legerdemaine Iuggling and peéuish pelting what monstruous lyes aud crafty packing what horrible forgery and apish halting would appeare to be fostered by these rakers of Reliques and fabâ—ing Fathers But I will not deteigne theé Reader in these tryfles any longer Onely this by the way I wishe theé not so to interprett my trauayle herein as though I would that all reuerence vsually ascribed to the true monuments and true Reliques of Martyres and other godly personages should be vtterly suppressed such especially as is meéte and conuenient for them But hereof neuerthelesse must be had a double consideration First That we defraud not Christ of his due honor and worshipp transferring the same ouer to Saintes and their monuments Next That we vaunte not to the gaze counterfeites for truethes and falshoods for verityes and abuse not the simplicitie of the vnlettered vnder the visor of true Religion Which kinde of fraude as is of all other most execrable so is there not any one more dayly frequented at this present by the rowled generation Howbeit this is no new griefe of a yeare or two continuaunce but is an olde wound long lurking euen emongest the boanes and gnawing dayly vpon the Synowes of all Christendome Of the which Augustine complayneth greuously in his owne tyme in his booke De Opere Monachorum writing on this wise He hath skattered abroad so many hipocrites vnder the weede of Mounckes in euery place gadding lyke Vagabounds about the Countries sent to no certein place remaining no where settled in no place nor making abode any where Some carry about the Reliques of Martyrs if they be not rather the boanes of other dead men but they do all begg they doe all rake for money all make gaynefull marchaundise either of their cloaked holynesse or of their deceiptfull needynes c. But of Reliques hath bene sufficiently spoken now for the confutation of the which what shall I neéde to say any more sithence to the sound witted Reader this may suffice that I haue made him an open shew onely of these mockeryes and trumperies The controuersies which concerne the strongest pillers of their Religion being on this wise dispatcht now that we be escaped out of these crabbed rowgh and vnsauery subtiltyes of disputation I seé no cause to the contrary but that I might make an end of this booke sauing that there remaine yet a fewe dregges in the cloasing vp of Osorius cauillations that are not lightly to be passed ouer though also they apperteigne not so necessarily to the cause as to require any speciall aunswere Whereof I purpose neuerthelesse to speake somewhat by Gods grace And first touching his solemne protestation wherein he accurseth and denounceth himselfe for a damned creature if he haue written any thing in his booke fayningly and counterfetly or colorably Lett vs heare him speake in his owne words I doe here protest before Iesus Christ Iudge of the quick and the dead that if I do not write the trueth which I do determine vpon which I iudge to be true and which I doe vnfainedly and firmely beleue to be the true and vndoughted Religion that he will exclude me from entraunce within that heauenly Citty and possession of that euerlasting glory not suffer me to enioy his glory world without end c. In which protestatioÌ„ I doe easily beleue you Osorius though you hadd neuer made so deépe a Protestation Neither doe I suppose that you doe dally with vs in these matters contrary to the very meaning of your minde but vtter in deéde the very bottome of your thought according as you haue cauilled in these bookes But this sufficeth not to haue your phrase of wryting agreé outwardly with your profession vnlesse your minde within differ not nor be discrepaunt from the right rule of trueth Neither doth it matter so much that you haue vttered in writing according as the fancy of your mind hath carried you but you ought rather to be well aduised that your hart be so instructed wtin as it may conceaue that which is wholesome sound that your penn be not violently whyrled at Randone by the vayne suggestions of your brainesicke headd to endite false matter instead of the trueth For herein consisteth the whole substaunce of our controuersie not in the vtteraunce of thinges which are conceaued in minde but in the discouerye of the meaning and sence of the trueth Such as in tymes past did persequute the Gospell of Christ and such as at this present doe seéke the ouerthrow thereof euen whiles they doe embrue their bloudy hands with goare of the Saintes being seduced by glauering conceipt of colorable error did and doe thinke to doe good seruice herein to God Not much vnlyke vnto them of whom we heare mention made in S. Paule and whereof the number is infinite at this present Which hauing zeale but not according to knowledge doe seéme to erre very much in the affection which they seéme to beare to godlynes but wander altogether out of the way in their choyse lyke as seémeth to haue happened at this present to Osorius in defending this cause of the Popes supremacy of Purgatorye of the Sacrifice of the Masse of Pardons of Reliques and worshipping and of many other Misteries of the Romishe counterfettes wherein I doe confesse that
or all the holy ordinaunces and benefices of Ministers But if you vnderstand of the personages of men that is to say of the Ministers themselues and of Byshoppes by whom those holy thynges are frequented If you do exempt those persons from the lawfull gouernement of theyr owne Prince herein you shew your selfe no lesse iniurious to our Queéne then a manifest rebell to S. Paule who geueth a farr other commaundement in the scriptures To witt That euery soule ought to submitt it selfe to the power of their owne Magistrates Upon which place of Paule Chrisostome making an exposition doth so exempt no kinde of people from this subiection that he spareth not to comprehend vnder the gouernement of the higher powers all persons by one law aswell Apostles themselues Prophettes and Euangelistes as Mounkes But lett vs peruse the Argumentes wherewith this gentle and obedient childe of the Popes good grace doth make his wordes warrantable Tell I pray you if you please fayth he where did you euer reade that a Christian Prynce dyd take vpon hym the office of the Pope Truely to confesse the trueth I did heare neuer of any For there was neuer any Christian Prynce so shamelesse to presume to take vpon him so grat a function to professe himselfe to be the head of the vniuersall Church to challenge the prerogatiue of the consistory in common with God and to vsurpe both swordes spirituall and temporall to compell all humayne creatures vpon payne of damnation to sweare him allegeaunce and to yelde all power and authority vnder him And therefore that I may be so bolde to demaund a like question of you in as few wordes I pray you tell vs if it may please you Osorius where did you euer discerne so shamelesse an Impudency in any mortall creature at any tyme that would presume so arrogaÌ„tly to entrude vpoÌ„ the onely possession and inheritauÌ„ce of almighty God and challenge an interest therein in his owne right besides this onely high Byshopp of yours But lett vs heare Osorius how he doth prosecute his argumentes Nay rather all Princes sayth he which did embrace godlynesse and iustice did reuerence the iudgementes of Priestes did obay the Byshoppes without any refusall and did most wiselye accompt it the greatest part of theyr honour to be subiect to theyr commaundementes And because his saying shall not be voyd of creditt for want of examples and witnesses there is vouched agaynst vs Englishmen our owne Countreyman Constantine the singuler ornament of our English Nation The Emperour Theodosius Lodowicke the French Kyng Princes aboue all other most famous All which besides that they were notably renowmed for theyr worthy actes and Princely exploytes yet deserued they not so great commendation and renowme for any one thing more then in that they did shew themselues so humble and obedient to the commaundementes of the Popes We are taught by the rules and principles of the ciuill law that matters of equity are not determinable by examples but by Law what Princes haue done or what they haue not done doth not make so much to the purpose But if right must be decided by law to witt what ought haue bene done I do auÌ„swere that there hath bene many and mighty Monarches whose ouermuch tendernesse and lenity towardes Popes and Byshoppes hath procured the destruction and vtter ruyne of theyr owne esâ—ate and theyr Realmes withall Whenas Rodolph Duke of SwelaÌ„d reuolted against his owne Emperor HeÌ„ry the 4. by the instigation of the Pope what successe his obedience to the Pope came vnto let Historyes report Henry the fifth became a Traytor agaynst the Emperour his owne Father by the procurement of the Pope he did obay the Pope vanquished his Father and famished him in Pryson Osor. is not ignoraunt what ensued vpon that obedieÌ„ce Phillipp the french Prince french Kinges sonne was teazed to lead an army agaynst Iohn King of England by the commaundement of the Pope he obayed and bidd him battell what he wann at the length by that submission obedience besides many miserable calamities appertayneth not for this place to make report There was a truce takeÌ„ with Amurathes the Turkish Emperour for tenn yeares by the HuÌ„garianes not long after league being broken contrary to the law of Armes by the abetting of the Pope Ladislaus King of Hungary is brought forth into the field to encounter with the Turke and ouerthrowen in the conflict In which battell the King was not onely bereft of life but Christendome also lost almost all Hungary withall I could make a great Register of the warres of Henry the 4. and Henry the v. agayne of Fredericke the first Fredericke the secoÌ„d After those of the battell of Ludouicke Prince of Bauiere Fredericke Duke of Austriche withall of the slaughter of many Christian Princes and Dukes But for as much as hath bene treated sufficiently hereof before it shall suffice to haue touched these fewe by the way by comparison whereof the Readers may vnderstand what kynde a thyng this obedience towardes this notorious Seé hath bene which hath bene the nourse of so many treasons conspiracies tumultes and vproares emongest Emperours Kynges Princes and Subiectes and which doth dayly inuade the Christian commoÌ„ weales with horrible outragies doth rende a sunder Ciuill societie doth disturbe the quiet calme of Christes Church with seditious Bulles and cruell curses doth entangle the most mighty Monarches of the world with vnappeasable mutynes vproares tumultes finally doth ouerwhelme the whole state of the world with vnrecouerable perniciousnes destruction dissipation For as it is a neédeles matter to reuiue the remembraunce of the old broyles of the late scattered world which doth flicke fast in our skyrtes yet scarse able to be shaken from the shoulders of all Chistendome euen yesterday almost in the fresh beholdyng of vs that are liuyng what one other grudge did prouoke the late Emperour Charles the v. to inuade the Germaines enflamed the Spaniardes to the bloudy spoyle of so many of their own bowels In EnglaÌ„d likewise what one thing did procure so many rebellions of the subiectes agaynst their liege Lordes Henry the 8. and Edward the 6 What thing teazed Mary the Queéne to so sauadge a cruelty agaynst her owne naturall subiectes rakyng together â—o many Fagottes loades of woodes to the broylyng of so many Martyrs finally what one thyng at this present doth captiuate and deteigne the whole Realme of Fraunce in such an vnentreatable massacre but this Popishe obedience wherewith Princes as Osorius doth suppose do most circumspectly thrust their neckes vnder the Popes gyrdle But I am of a contrary mynde and beleéue veryly that Princes might haue demeaned them selues much more wisely and prudently if in steéde of this childish submissioÌ„ seruile subiectioÌ„ they would with Princely seueritie haue snaâ—â—led the outragious insoleÌ„cy of so shameles arrogaÌ„cy in that proude Prelate folowyng the President of our most gracious
Queéne despising those franticke furies of broylyng Bulles and crauyne curses would banish this proud Tarquine from out their kyngdomes territories Which if they did it were not to be doughted but that the publique tranquillitie of all Christian Nations would enioy a farre more ioyfull countenaunce of freédome and concorde And yet I speake not this to the end that I would haue godly Prelates dispossessed from their dignitie or would wish their authoritie empayred the value of a rush S. Paule doth not in vayne admonish vs to yeld double honour to Byshops and Rulers of the Church but with this prouiso annexed to witte if they rule well if they do labour mightely in doctrine and preachyng But what prerogatiue can the Romish Byshop clayme from hence more then any other particular Byshop The Pope hath his owne Prouince lett him guide that as well as he caÌ„ lett him not encroche vpon others nor hawke for hawtyer Titles of honour then beseémeth his function The Ecclesiasticall dignitie is a ministery not an Empyre a charge and a burden rather then a Lordlynes or superioritie wherein he that will presume to rule the roaste ouer others must looke aduisedly to him selfe first that he gouerne well that he labour mightely in the word doctrine If the Byshops and Priestes be not negligent and retchelesse in their owne dutyes they shall neuer be defrauded of their due honour and dutyfull obedience nor euer were denyed therof For eueÌ„ for this cause that valiauÌ„t kyng of England Constantine that noble Emperour Theodosius that famous Ludouicke Pius the French kyng and other like Princes did esteéme highely of good and godly Christian Ministers and obeyed them which instructed them in the word of God did enure them selfes to their godly exhortations as the Emperour Valentinian doth report euen as to wholesome potioÌ„s and medicinable restoratiues Euen so Theodosius beyng excluded from partakyng the holy Communion by Ambrose did most modestly obay The same Theodosius also beyng determined to exercize cruell reuenge against the Thessalonians and beyng counsayled by Ambrose that in geuyng sentence vpon lyfe and death he would take breath pause by the space of xxx dayes least in rage and fury he should accomplish that whereof he might afterwardes repent him did willyngly and obediently submitt him selfe to the graue exhortation of the godly Father Semblably many other notable Potentates also in many great and weighty matters did humbly yeld to the sweéte persuations of such as were farre their inferioursâ— Princes for the preseruation of their health do obay the direcâ—â—â—n of their Phisitions In the lawes positiue they be guided and ledd by the conduct of the Lawyers And yet for all this such subiectes do not cease to be subiectes still neither refuse their due obedience to their liege Lordes and Gouernours It happeneth oftentymes that the maister will be aduised by his seruauÌ„t and the husband guided by the discretion of the wife yet ceaseth not therefore the Maister to be Maister nor the Husband to be head ouer his Wife As in all well ordered common weales be Maior alties Bayliwickes and many degreés of Officers which doe seuerally employ their functions for the preseruation of common societie yet must there be one onely soueraigne emongest them of some greater couÌ„tenaunce who by his wisedome and authoritie may guide the inferiour Magistrates and bridle the insolency of the rude multitude But the Catholickes doe deny that the Catholicke Church ought to be subiect to this authority If vnder the name of Church they do comprehend the ordinaunces and ceremonies wherewith the Church is administred they do speake truly In deéde the word of God the Articles of doctrine and of fayth the administration of the Sacramentes and the discretioÌ„ of byndyng and excoÌ„municatyng is not attempered by the regiment and commaundement of Princes nor doth the Ciuile Magistrate entermedle with the administration of any of these thyngs But if they meane the personages of men who are exercized in this holy function or the charge dispositioÌ„ of particular matters that are incideÌ„t to the Ministery they do say vntruly for as much as there is no Ciuile potentate vnto whoÌ„ is not coÌ„mitted the order gouernement of all members of the coÌ„mon weale indifferently as well Ministers Preachers of the word as all other inferiour Magistrates Subiectes Otherwise the doctrine of Paule were in vayne Let euery soule submit it selfe to the higher power the truth whereof is to be Iustified by the most approued exaÌ„ples of both the old and new Testamentes If we begyn at Moyses who supplyed the office of a Ciuile Magistrate and from him descend to all the Ages of our owne Emperours Potentates Emongest all which Magistrates we shall finde none but hath receaued by Gods commaundement the gouernement of Ecclesiasticall persones aswell as of Ciuile Magistrates as inferiour Subiectes It would require a long discourse to treate throughly of all the names and gouernementes of Emperours and Ciuile Potentates To make a brief rehearsall of the chiefest First in the old Testament how many examples are extaunt of such Princes â—s do prescribe ceremonies for the Tabernacle which doe fetche backe agayne the Arke of the couenauÌ„t which make holy Sonettes and Psalmes Rule ouer Priestes builde Churches moreouer do cleanse them agayne after they were defiled do ouerthrow Temples Altares reforme abuses which also sometymes doe pronounce exhortations to the people touchyng the worshyppyng of God do aduertise the Priestes of their dutyes and ordeyne lawes for them to guide their lyues by which appoint Orders and obseruations in the Church which doe kill wicked Prophetes yea and many tymes also doe prophecy in their owne persones In the new Testament lykewise how many examples are to be seéne in the recordes of the best ages of kinges and Monarches who within their owne Territories and dominions haue ordayned godly and learned Byshoypes to rule ouer prouinces and haue deposed such as haue bene vnworthye haue suppressed the riott and insolencye of Priestes who haue not onely Sommoned Synodes and Councells of Byshops but do sitt emongest them geue sentence with them yea prescribe orders vnto them which they shall obay are presidents ouer their Councells doe depose hereticall Byshoppes which geue iudgement vpon matters of Religion which doe sett downe articles pronounce sentence disanull the opinions of heretiques and ratifie the Doctrine of the Catholicke fayth If the most auncieÌ„t and most Christian kinges Emperors did not entermeddle heretofore in all these causes the report of Historyes is false If our kinges and Queénes doe the lyke at this present what cause hath Osorius to frett and fume If the charge of Religion and Religious persons doe not pertayne to the ciuill pollicye in any respect surely Constantine did not behaue himselfe discretely who in his owne person decyded the causes and controuersies of Byshopps which did appeale to his Maiestye entermedled his authoritye in
of the very bowels of Hystories and philosophy wherein I do not so much mislike with him for his good councell But whereunto were these glorious flooryshes framed more for Queéne Elizabeth then for anye other Potentate or Prince of the world then for the King of Portingall or for his proper pigsnye the Pope When or in what place hath our soueraygne Lady whose Princely mildenes doth surmount all her Predecessors in lenity and temperaunce so demeaned her selfe in all her most fortunate and prosperous calme of happy Reigne that her Maiesty may seéme to stand in neéd of this your Philosophicall persuasions more then any other Prince Wherein hath she euer vaunted her Royaltye in such sort that she must be enstructed by this Portingall Solon to haue regard to the slippery state of this fickle life Declare a good fellowshipp Osorius what matter haue you noted at anye time or heard of by report done by her Maiesty wherin you may iustly reprehend want of wisedome in counsell or lacke of clemeÌ„cy in iustice beseéming the most vertuous prince of the world I will boldely also adde hereunto wherein this mayden Queéne may not worthely compare with the most mighty and auncient Monarche of most famous memory And if you thinke that this litle Isle of England is so voyd and barreyne of councell that Kinges and Queénes must of necessitye be enstructed of Osorius How happened it that you did not vtter your skill and signifye your good will rather to Queéne Marye her graces Sister whom you might haue persuaded to temperaunce and lenity whenas she executed Tyrannye without all measure and meane in shedding her owne subiectes blood where was theÌ„ this Portingall Clawbacke whiche should haue remembred the Queéne of humayne weakenesse and imbecillity that was so forgettfull of all humanity and her owne fraylty Reioyse therefore Elizabeth our most noble and vertuous soueraigne for this your Alcion dayes you may well seé nowe howe muche you be indebted for this your most prosperous raigne For if that mighty MacedoÌ„ King Phillipp were so ioyously affected in his sonne Alexanders behalfe that it chaunced him to be borne in the time of the famous philosopher Aristotle why should not ye rather clappe your handes for ioy in respect of your most happy happynesse more then AlexaÌ„ders felicity whom it happeneth to raygne now in the time of this notorious Solon the eighth wise in number or the third Cato of this age who is able to replenish your eares with most wholesome preceptes of life and fashion your fayth with true catholicke institution and doctrine who if your Maiesty will vouchsafe to beleue his lessons is able to direct your grace by lyne and by leuell to know the difference betwixt true religion and false howe your highnesse ought to discerne betwixt true and false Prophets how you ought to coÌ„ceiue of Purgatory of pardoÌ„s of auriculer coÌ„fession of compulsary single life of the sacrifice of the Masse of Images Pictures and Reliques of Saynctes Who cann restore your owne person to her auncient freédome from out of that Tyrannous bondage of false flatterers wherein your grace is now holden captiue To with that of a freé Queéne you may at the last become a seruile bondmayd of the Pope For vpon this onely bunch of thraldome hang all the Keyes of Osorius freé Manumissions And therefore sith the matter is come to this passe what remayneth Most renowmed and vertuous Queéne but that you finde meanes to send for this new Solon by all meanes possible and assigne him a place emoÌ„gest the chiefe of your priuye councell and alter the whole state of your Realme after his directioÌ„ and appoyntment who will guyde your Maiestye on this wise First that renouncing this Religion whereunto you haue bene enured euen from your Cradle you may now straggle away to the trimme Traditions of the Romish Religion which Osorius doth mayntayne that where as you haue begonne in the spirite you may end afterwardes in the flesh that you may banish the scriptures from your subiectes hearing That you may conuert your publique preaching into mumbling Massing That your subiects may beginn to learne to call vpoÌ„ God in an vnknowen toung that excluding that righteousnesse which doth consist in the fayth of Iesu Christ your people may be noosled in confidence and assuraunce of theyr owne workes and merites that you should dispoyle the communion of the one part of the Sacrament that you should dissolue lawfull marriages of Christes Ministers That in your owne Realme you should establish a kingdome to the Pope of Rome that he may gouerne your scepter and you carry his Crosier That he may haue full skope in your kingdome to distribute benefices to geue Byshopprickes to exact first fruites tenthes and yearely pencions that after he hath once swept away the cropp of English Golde you may come after gather the drosse Finally that you make a cleare dispatch of these Lutheran Heretiques kill them spoyle them â—â—ll England full of fagott fier so that the English blood being spilte and the name of English Nation being vtterly rooted out the Portingalles may freély be propt vpp in theyr possessions Surely this is notable councell Osorius and right well beseéming your dignity which whatsoeuer colourable shew it pretend in wordes doth in trueth and in deéd sound and breath forth nothing els but slaughter and bloud For hereof you can not be ignoraunt that this Romish counterfait could neuer be receiued into this Region without wonderfull disturbaunce of the state and losse of many liues And for this cause I suppose you directed your bloody and murtherous Inuectiues to our noble Queéne whereunto if she would haue bene pliable the whole Realme had bene long sithence replenished with fire and flame wherewith you would haue made boanefiers with the blood of many good Preachers But you come to late gentle Synon with these fables and bables and may keépe your breath to keale your potage The late lauish lewdnes of Queéne Maryes madd daies hath made vs to well acquaynted with that Romish Iennett to graunt him any grasing within English soyle or to permitt any pasture for such a popish palfray Christ Iesu be thanked for euer and euer now that this Romish Ruffler is excluded we liue in godly calme who as now cann neuer hope to haue anye footing here before concorde be exiled and peace vtterly banished Wherefore if that your superexcellent Byshopp of Rome be rauished with so hott a zeale of Ambicion that he can not reigne without a kingdome if he will follow my simple councell either lett him seéke out for some straunge vnknowen Islandes where he may rule ouer such as do not know him or els lett him chauÌ„ge the state of his Religion In like maner I would aduertize Osorius if he be of that courage that he can not stay the outrage of his quill but must neédes presume to perke and preach to kings and to Queénes
the lesse was he minded to throw you out of your right But in the meane space as was most cōueniēt for him and most commodius for you he thought it not amisse to geue you frendly aduise according to the sage Counsayle of Aristophanes Lett euery man deale in the matters wherein he is skilfull exercized Not because he would haue you estraūge your affection from the knowledge of Gods trueth but because he sawe you abuse the sacred Scriptures of God most peruersly wrested by you to deface the veritye of Christes gospell therefore he gaue you this counsayle not that you should renounce your profession but that you should restrayne the vnbridled insolency of your penne not that you should not reade any thing in these profound misteryes of heauenly wisedome but that in reading those bookes you should learne first to vnderstand well what you doe reade in them before you take vpon you the person of an Expositor not because he cōplayned of any defect of witt or pregnaunt capacitye in you but because in explaning these controuersies he found in you a greater mayme of iudgement then want of witt and thys also not he onely and alone sawe in you For I know many besides him both godly learned who conceaue of you herein as much as Haddon did And I thinke there is no man though but meanely exercised in the conference of holy Scriptures who perusing these your Inuectiues that will not easily descry the same mayme and want of Iudgement that others doe finde in you and withall wishe and geue aduise with Haddon that your industry may from henceforth be wholy applyed to this kinde of learning to your singuler profite and increase in knowledge but would hartely desire that your penne sithence it delighteth so much to vaunt out her skill may be employed to such kinde of matter as may procure your greater commendation in disputing and may lesse abuse the Reader by your Iudgement Bidd adiewe to these dispightfull reproches and peruersnesse of brabbling sett a side partialitye cursed custome of euill speaking and blind affections And let vs now weye in vpright ballaunces of indifferent iudgement those your bookes so exquisitely slaūderous which you haue hitherto published touching the order and administratiō of most sacred Religiō euen as it were in despight of Diuinytye What may any man finde in them commendable for a learned Deuine or aunswerable to the soūd doctrine of Christes Euangelye There be skattered here and there certein sentences takē out of the very bowells of holy scriptures but I pray you how vnaptly applyed how contraryly misconstrued and how iniuriously mangled In how great choler doe you moūt as it were an vnentreatable Orbilius against godly and learned men whom you call enemies of Religion of whom it might haue beseémed you to haue learned your lesson rather then to haue controlled them with your Ferula You say that you haue entred vpon a most iust complaynt and most true discouery of our wickednesse and abhominable filthynesse of lyfe In slaundering and reproching whereof you doe employ the greater part of your discourse which being layd open by you shall finde no place to be shrowded or coloured by any protection of mine Yet in the meane time you may not be ignoraunt hereof good Syr that it is not enough for a man to snarle and barcke openly at other mens faultes vnlesse he ioyne withall an vpright consideration namely with what affection vpon what occasion by whose perswasion and vpon what certeintye in trueth he may iustifye his raunging so at ryott If you haue taken vpon you to inueigh so insolently agaynst other mens maners carryed by ouermuch creditt of tale-bearers and secret whisperers or the report of fleeing fame as ye confesse in one place of your writing which is commonly geuen to speake the worst and to make a Camell of a gnatt what doe you herein els then willingly bring your selfe into deserued obloquy and to be noted of that filthy disease of gyddy credulitye But if you haue coyned the same out of your owne ydle braynes how can you cleare your selfe of intollerable Sychophancye In both which you may doe very well to enquire what your owne conscience will tell you in your eare In maners lykewise common conuersatiō of lyfe in the order and discipline of vertues you doe alledge much matter the same not altogether amisse but yet in such wise as you make no distinctiō betwixt the gospell and the law and by vtter shew expresse your selfe a morall Philosopher rather then a Christian Deuine or at least not vnlike those Deuines whom S. Paule in his Epistle to Timothe doth note by these wordes They would fayne seeme to be Doctours of the Law sayth he and yet vnderstand not what they speake nor what they doe iustifie c. Neuerthelesse you proceéde on still and keépe a foule coyle but with bare brawlyng onely and castyng your cappe agaynst the wynde you kicke sturdely but altogether agaynst the pricke you are a prety bow man but your luck is very ill you are a good Piper but an illfauoured Fiddler you prate hard but you proue nought you builde a pace but not vpon the Rocke nor doe you couch your stoanes with Euangelicall lyme and morter but with Babylonicall durte and playster wherein you builde not the consciences of men but highe steépe Memphyticall steéples as I may tearme them very stately and notorious in stately turretts of lofty speaches but groūded vpon no sure foundation of truth Of all which if we should make a proportionable accompt accordyng to the noumber of wordes heaped vpp together with a tedious lauishenes of toung and hoyste vpp a loft euen beyond the cloudes they be infinite and incomprehēsible but if we measure them accordyng to the qualitie of their substaunce they be wythered wyndeshakē leaues If we consider the truth of them they be vntruthes lyes If we sift them accordyng to the rules and fourme of Logicke there will almost nothyng els appeare in all this glorious Iocado akane of wordes then as was some tyme noted in Anaximenes by Theocritus A great floodd of wordes but neuer a droppe of water Lett any man peruse the will or that can spare so much tyme this whole discourse of the true and false Church of the Romish Lordly Maiestie of the inuocation of Sainctes of worshypping of Images of Mounckery of coacted single lyfe of vowes of ceremonies of Sacramentes of Ecclesiasticall and Temporall preéminence and of all other thynges which this monstruous deépe Deuine so long and so much exercised in Readyng Diuinitie as he persuadeth him selfe hath either forged of his owne imagination or scraped from some where els not out of the closettes of Crispine but botched and patcht vpp together out of the ragges and refuse of Hosius Pighius Latomus Eckius Roffensis and such like clouters euery where the discourse and the handlyng of the matter will easily discouer it selfe how in
speakyng infinite wordes he hath vttered litle or nought at all agreable with the truth and aunswerable to the cause so that the saying not of Thucidides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that other tourned backeward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be aptly and worthely applyed And bycause it shall appeare more euidently Go to Lett vs Imagine that some one Logician either of the auncient Uniuersity of Philosophers or of the crew of these new Schoolemen did take in hand those bookes of Osor wherein he treateth so busily of Catholick Diuinitie who rippyng away this outward huske of gaye paynted speach may take a perfect view of the soundenesse of the shell and the inward kernell of his best Argumentes and reduce them by particularities to the playne rules forme of Logicke and may pare away all rotten and vnsauory subtilties may cutt cleane away all lyeng and vntruthes may pruyne all idle and vntymely applications wherewith his discourse is altogether bedawbedd may shrowde of all vnprofitable and withered superfluities and reduplications may banish away all slaunders reproches tragicall exclamations and Thrasonicall crakes quyte voyd and impertinent to the matter what will he leaue behinde then in all his whole threé bookes In so manifest a truth what neéde any probation I will describe one for example sake and from no where els but euen out of his principall and exquisite exhortation directed to our most Royall and noble Queéne of England In which Epistle if at least it may deserue the name of an Epistle then the which her Maiestie neuer receaued any one more talkatiue nor I euer sawe more wittlesse you seéme good my Lord Byshopp somewhat willyng and desirous to aduertize her highnes of matters of great emportaūce and highly Catholicke to witte That if the Queene will be wise if she will be desirous to haue especiall regarde and consideration of her person of the Realme and of the preseruation of her soule and body If she will vouchsafe to geue creditt to Osorius beyng a Portingall geuyng wholesome and godly coūsell proceedyng dutyfully from godly affection of pure loue What must she do at the length Forsooth That renouncyng in season this entangled crabedd doctrine of the Lutheranes maisters of misrule and errours Captaines of knauery and villany pernicious botches of auncient discipline counterfect coyners of a new Gospell open Enemies of publique and priuate tranquillitie she retourne agayne to the auncient obedience of the mother Church of Rome and yeld her humble obeysaunce to the Pope hygh Byshopp thereof as next vnto Christ and Christ his owne generall Vicar ouer all the face of the earth For if I be not deceaued this is the very scope of all your persuasion to this end tendeth the whole force of your glorious Epistle wherein if we shall haue regarde to your wordes I seé that you haue spoken very much but if we consider the matter it selfe you haue spoken nothyng at all or at the most no more thē may seéme to be compreheuded and concluded in threé propositious onely The Maior whereof maketh nothyng for your purpose The Minor is simply false and wickedly slaunderous The Conclusion such as may be more fittly reuersed agaynst you the rest of your Catholickes If you be desirous to haue a view hereof by some playne demonstration I will not refuse for your sake Osorius to represent to the Reader the whole substaunce of your Epistle and the whole force thereof concluded in a briefe forme in full proportionable partes and propositions Behold therefore the whole forme maner of your Sillogisme Maior Whosoeuer are enemyes of sounde doctrine and do procure assured destruction and decay of honest conuersation of cyuill society who may dought but that the Prince may banish them farre from out her Realme and that she ought not in any wise support them Minor The Lutheranes wheresoeuer they sett foote on groūd do infect the soundnes of doctrine as it were with a botche they do kill mēs bodyes they do destroy mens soules they do disturbe the state of the common weale in sowyng seditions they do ouerthrow lawfull Regimentes they do sow abroad euery where outragious and close kyndes of licentiousnes of lyfe they doe tourne vpsidowne and bryng to confusion all lawes spirituall and politique Conclusion Ergo Whosoeuer wil be adiudged a godly Prince especially Queene Elizabeth cā do nothyng better more cōmodious then to banish quyte frō out her Realme these pestilēt impostumes and Caterpillers of the earth and exclude them from all partakyng with the common wealth If this be not the whole drift of all your discourse lett the matter it selfe conuince me If it be so lett vs then take a tast how coldly and vnskillfully you haue behaued your selfe in prouyng this Argument For the proposition which you assume for matter confessed and make the surest foundation of your whole discourse what if we deny altogether at a word Osorius to what end then will all your tedious lofty lauishenes puffed vpp with so many vayne and triflyng amplifications and lyes tend You do assume that all Lutheranes ought to be abandoned from out all common weales as open enemies of Religiō ranke rebells common Barretours and Traytours On the contrary part whereas we do affirme boldy that all your vayne suggestion agaynst the Lutheranes is false on their behalfe most true on the Papistes behalfe hadd it not bene your part to haue Iustified first by probable and sure Argumentes the whole matter which we do by good right and duely deny yea with Scriptures and Doctours if you be a learned Deuine what did you accōpt this sufficient proofe to perswade your Assertion bycause your Lordshypp did boldly pronounce it to be so or suppose you that there is no more required in an Accuser but to rayle outragiously and slaunderously alleadgyng no firme or honest proofe of the crimes that be forged or forced agaynst the aduerse partie I beseéch you good courteous Gentleman tell me for your courteous modesties sake To hale men into hassard of their liues vpō trust of raungyng rumours if not altogether innocent yet altogether vnknowen to you agaynst whom you are altogether vnable to Iustifie any probable crime besides bare and naked affirmatiues Is this to deale with Princes and to write vnto Queénes Doe you behaue your selfe at home with your owne Kyng in this wise to accuse men whom you know not onely vpon Hearesay reporte And what if the Queéne her selfe who by dayly proofe may be acquainted with the dayly conuersation of her Subiectes better then Osorius beyng an alyen straunger do of her owne knowledge feéle all this to be vntrue which you so maliciously enforce and in her secret conceipt doe vtterly detest those your stinckyng lyes haue you not made then a fayre speake and geuen your selfe a foule fall without touche or trippe of your aduersary Goe to yet and what if some defect or disorder be in the Lutheranes lyues as
you call them is this therefore by and by a good consequent that whatsoeuer blemish or reproche be in mens conuersations shal be forthwith imputed to the reproofe and reproche of doctrine Did holy Diuinitie teache you to argue on this wise or doth your Mistres Dame Slaunder rather teache you so to doe And thus much hitherto of your Epistle not much vnlyke hereunto are all the rest that follow in all your Inuectiues against Haddon which if any man will take the paynes to examine exactlye by the common rules and principles of Logick as he shall finde in them many wordes nothing to the purpose so shall he want two things chiefly and especially required in a deuine namely Trueth and Charitye Which two vertues the farther they be estraunged from your writinges so much the more causelesse was your choler agaynst Haddon for his good counsayle that he gaue you and his iudgement whereby he accompted you more lyke a Cobler then a foreman of the shopp vnapt and vnskilfull yet to cutt such large thonges out of other mens leather And yet meaning nothing lesse herewith then to dryue you frō touching the testament of Christ whether because he conceaued that the labor which he employed vpon this kinde of exercise was either very small or altogether fruitlesse but hauing regard rather to make manifest what the right consideration of that doctrine is and how much you were short yet of a true and perfect knowledge in the true doctrine of Diuinitye For if this be a true definition of Dyuinitye that it be a profession of Gods heauenly wisedome and trueth what one thing is more contrary and repugnaunt to Gods trueth then your opiniōs wherin you doe enterlace vntruethes for verityes newfanglenesse for auncientye mens traditions for true Dyuinitye None otherwise then as false Pedlers are wont to choppe and chaunge false deceitfull wares for good or as some our horse-coursers in England vse to bring into open fayres and markets outrydden Iades pampered vp in fleshe fayre braue and smoathe to the eye garnished with fine Saddle and trappers being otherwise full of windegalles stuft with glaunders yelowes and hundred horse euills vnprofitable and vnapt to hackney and to draw or to carry Sauing that this one difference is betwixt you and them whereas they by crafty dissimulation and artificiall Conueyaunce doe beguyle the simple and such as be without skill but you as you seéme vtter your wares not as of any sett purpose or skilfull craft but because you haue no better wares in stoare and withall seéme not willing to buye any better But I will presse you no further onely this one thing will I say If your industry had bene employed in the study of holy Scriptures as much as you would haue it seéme to be truely I must neédes accompt you a very vnciuill and vngentle person who couering your knowledge as it were vnder a Bushell will vouchsafe to expresse out of that sacred treasury of holy Scriptures so litle and out of auncient Doctors scarse one sentence through out all this your whole discourse But hereof enough It followeth now that I touch somewhat of the manaces and threatninges of Haddon with the force whereof he would make you dismayd as you say in these wordes wherewith you bring him selfe in place speakyng and threatning you in this wise If you be determined to make a shew of your skill to some of your owne faction by rushing so rudely vpon vs any more from henceforth I tell you before hand come heareafter better furnished then you be now Further where you declare that it will come to passe that if you happen to dye there will not want some that will breake of my force These be the wordes of Haddon as Osorius doth cyte them wherein I doe perceaue that he doth not conceaue so much as by any probable coniecture what the meaning of Haddon is For what doe these wordes emport els then to sturre you vpp and sett you on edge as it were by this frendly admonition to make you more earnestly bent to the reading of holy Scriptures that if you did determine with your selfe to offer any freshe skarmish in this kinde of conflict you might feéde your owne humour herein as you lifted but yet you should foreseé to be better prouided with more skilfull and more warrantable reasons yea much more defensible and armed as it were with armour of proofe for that you be perhappes to greéne a souldiour as yet not able to endure the force of this Combat with so slender prouision Well now what kynde of threatninges be these good Syr that may geaue you any cause of terror After this Haddon proceadeth because he would not haue you deceaue your selfe with this vayne perswasion as though there were not in England besides Haddon onely any other which in this defence of the Euangelicall veritye both would and could skilfully enough encounter with you by the helpe of Christ herein lykewise hys meaning was to geue you to vnderstand That you should finde here in England not one or two onely but very many not onely in our Churches and vniuersityes also but euen emongest the Courtyers which did farre excell him in learning and knowledge and were in all respectes comparable with you These be Haddons wordes wherein I seé a certein comparison made but no threatninges at all as yet Wherefore comfort your selfe Osorius there be no bugges here to make you affrayd And surely I can not choose but commend you for your naturall countrey courage which lyke a lusty Portingall Prelate will not be dasht out of countenaunce for any bygge lookes of any of all those men whom Haddon doth compare you withall And in deéde there is no reason why you should For why should Osorius be agast of seély English dwarfes or babish wretched Haddons And yet though you be without all feare of men it will not be the least commendation of your wisedome to feare the Lord your God Osorius and to stand in awe of hys threatnings For being so studious a Reader of holy Scripture you can not be ignoraunt of the plagues which the Lord doth threaten to the Enemies of his Gospell for how sharpely and greuously he will be auenged of such the dayly and continuall examples of his wrath may be good lessous and warnynges vnto you Lett the recordes of Historyes be perused if your memory comprehend it not what happened to the Emperour Sigismund and his whole forlorne houshold not long after the death and Martyrdome of Iohn Husse what chaunced also to Iulian the Cardinall and to themperour Albert sonne in law to Sigismund after the Tyranny executed agaynst the Bohemians what fortuned to Henry the 2. the French King what also to Francisce the 2. his Sonne lykewise also what happened to Charles the 9 his other Sonne after the great murther and slaughter in Fraunce Were not Syr Thomas Moore and Roffensis after they had burned Iohn