you then to defende your ceremonies affirme that time to be the state of infancie in the churche Doo you not remember that immediatly after ye attribute to the primatiue church passing feruent charitée with excéedyng holynesse of life contempte of the world To this latter time keycolde charitée slacke deuocion loue of the worlde and contempte of vertue Whereof I pray you commeth this Not because in the firste time they were stronge in godlynes abundante in liuely spirite and grace of God and wée now féeble and fainte to all vertuous doinge lackinge wisedome and as it were dotinge for age For what other cause was yonge age of children called infancie then for that it had not the vse of the tonge nor coulde not speake But the primatiue Church coulde speake and continually declare the good will of God and his great benefites to his people S. Paule spake with a loude voice and a stronge spirite Woe be to me if I preache not the gospell The same was the voice of all the olde fathers and godly men in the beginning They were occupied in nothinge but either in teaching and confirminge trueth or in reprouinge and defacinge falshode and heresée but after 600. yeres the prelates of the churche wel nere cleane loste their voyces Wealth of the worlde honour and ryches had stopped their mouthes in such sorte that within few yeres it came to passe that it was a rare mattier and almoste a reproche to see a bishoppe in the pulpite and heare him speake to the people Wherefore ye can not so aprely resemble the primatiue churche to infancie as ye may this latter time to dotinge olde age wherin they that should doo nothinge but preache the worde of God and teache the people haue either cleane loste the vse of their speache throughe infancie and ignorance or els bable they wot not what through dotage and folly That ye may not thinke mée to speake of stomake more then trueth reade the histories of this latter time rede those that write particularly of the Bishoppes of Rome sée howe many bée praised for preachinge to the people and for teachinge the worde of god either by speakinge or writinge So that they may not only séeme for age to haue loste the strength of their voice but as it were with a paulsie to haue loste the vse of their handes onles it weare in wrytinge of decrées or fingringe of pence In that ye attribute vnto the primatiue Churche so good deuotion C. An aunswere to the comparison of this time with the primatiue churche so earnest zeale so feruente charitée and there by that they came dayly to the receiuing of the Sacrament it is most true that ye say But you must againe consider that the often frequenting of the Lordes Supper by grace therein conferred did bothe bréede and increase that same liuely faith and feruent charitée that in mutuall loue and contempte of the worlde so flourishingly did shewe it selfe in them So that their earnest zeale dyd not so muche cause them to come often to the Lordes Supper as the often frequenting therof did increase their so greate zeale and charitée For by that meanes it was alwayes freshe in their memory not only by hearinge but also by féeling in them selfe that they were all members of one body all the children of one father all deliuered oute of bondage by one raunsome all fed with one foode and norished at one table And therefor that it was as méete and necessary for them to imbrace one another as for one limme of the body to healpe another for one brother to loue another one deliuered oute of thraldome to reioyce with the other One housholde companion to tender the good estate of the other Therfore that kaycolde charitée that you say and truly say doeth reigne in these dayes may not more iustly bée attributed to any one thinge then to your priuate masse Colde charitie is not so muche cause of priuate masse as priuate masse is of colde charitie For there by the common vse and frequentation of the holy Sacramente of vnitée loue and concorde hath bene taken from amonge the people of God beinge perswaded by you that it was sufficient for them to bée present in the churche when one of you alone dyd saye a priuate masse You laye the cause of priuate masse vpon the keicolde charitée of the people and perhappes the first occasion came therof in déede but your scaulding hotte and firebourning charitée may bee more iustly charged with the continuance thereof And therfore the people of God may worthely crie out vpon the chiefe maisters and mainteiners of it for all the mischiefe and diueleshnes either in naughtiues of life or corruption of doctrine that the Churche hath ben drowned in this certaine hundred yeres may séeme to be drawen in firste by that occasion Hasten you saith signatiue to the sacrament of thankes geninge and to the glory of god For when that is continually frequented all the powers of the deuil are expelled Then muste it of necessitée be that the slacke vse of the same doth bringe in weakenes of faith coldnesse of charitée contempte of vertue loue of the worlde and the hole heape of those things that the deuill moste desireth and chiefely sheweth his power in Therefore not without a cause that perpetual enemy of mankinde quickely did séeke occasion euen in S. Paules time to corrupt the right vse of this Sacrament and bring them to faccions in receiuinge of it He did wel sée of how greate force it was to mainteine concorde loue and charitée which is as it weare the very cognisance of a Christian man For that cause hee indeueringe as hee doeth alway traiterously to traine away the seruauntes of God firste alway by the abuse of this Sacramente of vnitie he as it weare cutteth of the cognisance from their liueries that not beinge knowen whose Souldiours they are he may the sooner conueigh them into his campe and there put on his badge of hatred malice dissencion Your faute therfore in furtheryng his indeuour cannot be excused But is to be taken of Christian people as very gréeuous and heinous An obiection But ye wil say that the priest doeth not imbarre any that will communicate that he wolde reioyse to se them dispose them selues vnto it that they doo lament to se the contrarie The aunswere These be faire wordes without any sounde trueth at all I assure you sir if the matter were so indéede vnfeinedly not you by force of truth against you driuen to séeke that interpretacion for a shifte your soole receiuyng had ben muche more tollerable But when I pray you did any of you vse in priuate masses to cal for the people to reproue their slacknes to shew them the daunger of beyng priesente and not receiuyng to tell them of the greate commoditées that commeth by the vse of it When did any of you stande at the aulter as Chrisostom did
Christe that they folow or to his doctrine that they seeme to professe I will iudge and hope better of this wryter to whom with all my harte I wishe much more good trustinge that god shall once agayne open his hearte to receiue the trueth which I cannot but thinke God hathe taken from him in punishment of that naughtie conscience that hee witnesseth hath ben in him selfe But what soeuer he be let him stande or fall to his lorde god I will not take vppon mee to iudge him neither would I haue spoken this much of him but that hee doeth odiously excuse his owne euill mynde by the good doctrine of Christes gospel My purpose is to confute his doctrine I wil not meddle with his person I intende to answere his cauelinge at other mens wordes and doinges I minde not to discredite or deface his estimation or honestie And yet in this pointe I know some maye iudge me presumptuous and arrogant that I seeme to take vppon me his quarell who is farre better able to aunswere for him selfe then I am But I would desire those whiche so thinke to consider Firste that this is a common quarell touchinge not only him that is named but all other that either teacheth or beleueth as he doth Secondly that he against whom this writing is directed either knoweth not that any such thinge is spred or if he doe know it either thinketh it not worthy answere of it selfe or els hath not at this present such leasure as he may intend to answere it Thirdly and chiefely that by priuate conference with certaine persons I vnderstande perhappes more then either he or any other doth thinke how much this treatise is estemed amonge many which otherwise happely mighte bee perswaded to imbrace the gospell Therefore I haue bene moued the soner my selfe in suche sorte as I might to shape an aunswere vnto it For to all suche of the contrary opinion as haue feare of God and staye vpon conscience rather then selfe wil I acknowlage my self in christian charitie to owe this muche of dutie as that I should to my power trauaile to lift this stumbling blocke out of theyr way that it maye not be a let or staie vnto them to come vnto Christe at this daye by his worde callinge them Wherfore gentle Reader seing thou doest vnderstand my meaning and the occasion of my doinge I will cease any more to trouble thee and will tourne the residew of my talke vnto the aucthour of this wryting with whom I will make my entrie there where he first beginneth to confute the reasons that were alleged why accompte should not bee made to Docter Cole of that religion that now is taught In this parte I wil be the shorter partly because those thinges bee sufficiently answered in the conference already published althoughe this wryter seemeth to dissemble it partly because the questions haue more captiousnes of words then profit of good matter ⧠The defence of the trueth WHere you reason againste my lorde of Salesburée 1. Cap. for refusinge to bringe proufe of his doctrin because he was a Bishop and at that time preached before the Quéenes grace and hir counsel You deale somewhat like with him as you doo afterwarde with the Doctours that you doo alledge For you first bring your owne sence vnto their wordes and so alledge them for your purpose where as they meane nothynge lesse So in the wordes of the firste epistle to Doctor Cole you applie your owne sence vnto them and after reason against it as though it were his meanyng Whether this be to be compted a cauilling rather then a confutyng I leaue to the iudgement of other He neuer sayde simply A. that he should make no recknynge of his doctrine because he was a bishop For he doeth the contrarie dayly aswell in his preachinge as otherwise He neuer saide that the consent of the prince and realme was a sufficient proufe of doctrine in christian religioÌ„ as you would haue men thinke of him by your reasonyng against him He sayd this that for so muche as he was called to the state of a bishop and at that time vttered before the prince and hir counsell that doctrine which was confirmed by the aucthoritée of the whole realme he might séeme to doo vnaduisedly I iuste cause of his refusâ—ll if he shoulde make accompte therof to a subiecte and especially suche a subiecte as alway hath professed him selfe to muslike it and at that time vnder pretence of learnyng but in déede quarellyng required a proufe therof Were it good reason thinke you that a magistrate at the demaunde of euery subiect should bryng reason to proue any law publisshed by the prince to bee good which the same subiecte would proteste to be an euill and vniust law and therfore woulde not obey it If that should be so a gappe might be opened to euerie busie person to picke a quarell against the law If that should be so beside other inconueniences he might séeme to submit the iudgement of the prince and realme to the mislikynge of one waywarde subiecte Which coulde not be doone without greate impeachement to the princes aucthoritée and wisedome of the whole state of the coÌ„mon weale That this was his meanyng it may appere in those wordes where he saith he might not doo it with out farther licence Wherfore in this parte of his answere knowyng with whome he had to doo he respected his doctrine as it was a law confirmed by the prince and states of the realme and not as it might be a controuersie of religion before the law publisshed More ouer in that he is orderly called to the state of a bisshop say you what you wil to the contrarie he is in possession of the trueth And therefore it were not reason that he should be requested first to shew his euidence and take vpon him the person of the plaintife especially towarde those men that make exception to his possession and claime the right therof them selues He ought not lightly to geue ouer to you in this poincte he ought to acknowledge and stande in defence of that benefit wherby through gods worde and aucthoritée of the prince he is sette in open possession of that which you before vsurped Séeyng then it is the plaintifes parte first to shew euidence and he now god be thanked standeth with other as defendante You doo disorderly and contrarie to reason to will him to doo that which by order your selfe shoulde first doo He profered openly to geue ouer to you if you coulde shew any reasonable euidence for your part out of the scriptures doctours or counsels If you refuse it all men will thinke that either you haue no euidence at all to shew or els that whiche you haue is suche as you are well assured wyll not abide the triall B. In like maner doo you mistake his restyng vpon the negatiue You write not against his meanyng but against that your selfe conceiueth to be
for your defence in so weightie mattiers Which now seyng your selender and féeble groundes will beginne I doubte not as they haue the feare of God to mistrust your dealyng and more diligently examine the residue of your doctrine It is not good for them any lenger to walke on other mens féete nor to be guided by other mens eyes but them selfe to se what way they go least their guides either by ignorance or wilfulnesse leade them into the pitte of continuall errour Of reseruacion The third poincte that you gather out of these testimonies is reseruacion of the sacrament which to deny say you is extreame impudencie I thinke you haue not mette with any whiche haue flatly denied that in the primatiue churche diuers vsed reseruacion But it foloweth not therevpon but that a man may deny without any impudencie at all either that wée haue any testimonie in the worde of God to iustifie it or that all the holy fathers did approue it Or if ye wyll say the contrarie I wyll not doubte to make the crime of impudencie that you charge vs withal to rebounde vpon your self But you will say you haue witnesse that it was vsed and that of good men whiche is sufficient Indéede it is sufficient to shew that it was then vsed but it is not sufficient to proue that it must therfore be alwayes vsed or that all did well at that time in vsing of it Oh ye will say this is your olde maner so longe as the fathers make with you you wil admit them if they séeme to be any thynge agaynst you ye will reiecte their aucthoritie What authoritie is to be attributed to the doctours Because you cōmonly take holde here and through this odious reporte often vse to stirre mens stomackes agaynst vs before I answere your reseruacion I will protest what aucthoritie wée attribute vnto the olde fathers This will I doo not with my owne wordes but S. Augustines in his epistle to Hierome I confesse that I haue learned to attribute this reuerēce and honour only to the canonical scriptures to beleeue stedfastly without controuersie all that is written in them As for other I so reade them that be they neuer so excellent in great holynes and learnyng I do not therfore counte it true because they were of that opinion but because they coulde perswade me either by scripture or good reason that it was not against the truth Here you may obiecte that men of such learning holinesse and deuocion woulde neuer haue written any suche thynge if they had not thought it to be agréeable with Gods worde Ye sir I thinke they as good men were so perswaded but that they did leaue in writyng many thynges not onely beside the worde of God but also against it I thynke it is not vnknowen to you And that other also may know it and therby holde vs excused when wée doo not in all poinctes agrée vnto them I will recite some proufes therof Clemens Alexand. with Iustine and diuers other taught that Angels fell from their estate for the carnall loue of earthly women Whiche doctrine I thinke you wil not say riseth of true interpretacion of the scripture The same Clement Strom. 2. 6. writeth that mens soules are transformed into Angels and first learne a thousande yeres of other Angels afterwarde teaching other new transformed Angels at the length become Archangels Whiche can not be soundly taken out of the scriptures Iustine Lactantius Iraeneus and other wrote that good men after the resurrection shoulde liue a thousande yeres in all ioye before Christe shoulde come to iudgement And yet is that but a misunderstandynge of the scripture Tertullian séemeth to attribute a bodily substance to God and in diuers places De trinitate speaketh dangerously of Christe for whiche and like thinges many would haue had his workes counted Apócrypha Therfore he doth not alwaies agrée with scripture Cyprian would haue Heretikes to be rebaptised and speaketh so dangerously of them that are fallen from the faith that he might séeme to geue some occasion to Nouatians heresie What shall we say of Origine in whom be founde so many perilous doctrines as both I in this place am loth to rehearse them and in the primatiue churche diuers greate learned men woulde haue had his bookes burned for the same I coulde say the like of diuers other but that I feare some will maliciously gather that I rehearse these thynges of purpose so muche as in me lieth to deface the aucthoritie of the holy fathers Which God is my witnesse I meane not but onely to signifie that when wee measure their doctrine by Goddes wordes or teache not in all poinctes as they did wée be not so muche to be blamed as that men should counte vs as you doo to controlle the doctours and as it were to set them to schoole For if God hath suffered them to erre in so weightie mattiers as is before mencioned although for good cause I haue omitted the greatest it may be also that they haue taught amisse in some other lighter thinges and therfore are to be reade with iudgement as Augustine counselleth bothe in himselfe and in other Nothwithstandynge wée doo greatly estéeme the fathers not only as holy mē indued with singuler grace of God but also as right good witnesses and strong defendours of the chiefe articles of our faith at that time when Sathan indeuoured partely by crueltie of persecution partely by infinite numbers of Heresies to deface and extinguishe the same Therefore who doth not muche honour them when trueth constreineth with reuerence go from their opinion is scantly worthie the name of a christian mā Neuerthelesse I think not the contrary but if they had séene what abuses and supersticions woulde haue folowed vpon diuers thynges that they either taught or for the state of that time winked at and suffered vndoubtedly they woulde either haue recanted those thinges as Augustine did many or els would haue made a more perfit interpretacion of their mindes Before the Pelagians Herisie beganne to be spredde S Augustine so wrote of frée will as he séemed not to himselfe afterwarde sufficiently and as the trueth required to expresse the mere grace of God Therfore vpon occasion of that Herisie he writeth more perfitly of that and of predestination then either the other doctours do or then it is to be thought that himselfe would haue done if that occasion had not been So doubtelesse both he and many other woulde haue doone of diuers thinges now in controuersie if at that time they had been brought in question This much by the way haue I spoken of my opinion in the doctours so muche as I can to eschew the malicious reporte that your sorte is moste readie to spreade of vs in this mattier Now I wyll returne to reseruation Of reseruacion Wee denie not as I sayd that some in that time did vse it as it appereth by your witnes of Ciril As touchinge
setters forth of the sameâ— There lacked not gods promisses amonge the Iewes There lacked not succession of bishops and â—â—istes There lacked not opinion of great holinesse and austeritie of life There lacked â—â—â—t great sâ—il and knowledge of the law of god And yet is it moste euident that they erred that they refused the trueth that vnder the name and gay shewe of the church in very déede they persecuted the church Why shal we not thinke that the like maybee in this time Yea why should wee not surely perswade our selues by the course of gods beinges and by the testimonies of holy scripture that the like is now in this â—urtime Our sauiour Chirst and hys Aposties haue left warning abundantly that it would hee so in his churcheâ— and especially towarde the ende of the â—hâ—â—lde Christe him selfe prophesied that desolacion should stand in the holy place that is in the churche Sainâ— Paule witnesseth that Antichrist shold sit in the temple of god that is in the church Where it is also signified not that he should be an abiecte in the churche but a power auantinge him selfâ— aboue the name of god Peter saiâ—th that in the church should bee maisters and teachers of lies Paule affirmeth for suretie that in the latter dayes suche shall come as shall geue eate to doctrine of the dyuel for bidding to mary and eate suche meates as god had created to bée taken with thanken geuinge These thinges were prophecied to come not amonge Turkes and Sarasens not amonge Infidels and Paganes but in the temple of god in the church of god in the societie of them that did professe Christ We haue therfore great cause to marke the working of god by the example of the old church amonge the Iewes Wee see that the Prophetes were firste vered by those that bare the name of the churche and shold haue most gladly receiued them We sée that in Christes time and the Apostles not the Gentils first refused the comfortable tidinges of the gospel but they that called them selfe the people of god and had amonge them the custodie of his lawe and ceremonies Euen in like maner we haue to thinke that he wyll doo in this time seinge â—ée hath of the same forewarned vs. For euen as the olde lawe and religion of the Iewes was a shadow and paterne of the true relygion brought in by Christ so the state and maner of that church may well resemble the state of Christes church in the latter time As the olde church therefore to warde the â—ndedid forsake this lawe and right vse of gods ceremonies and beinge denyeded in sundry sectes deuised new worshippinges accordinge to theyr dâ—â—â—â— phantasies in so muche that for the mainteraÌ„ce therof they refused Christ and his Apostlê So in like maner and wée iustly thinke that the church after Christ towarde the ende of the world shall departe from the trueth of Gods worde right ministration of his sacramentê cleautinge to theyr owne inter pretacions beinge deuided in sundry sectes of religion for the defence of the saine shal refuse and cast out of the church such as god will sende so renew the trueth of his holy word and gospel Wherfore it ought to comfort and confirme vs and cause vs to thinke that wée be in déede in the churche rather then to feare vs seinge they that in the pompe and glorious face of the worlde séeme to haue the gouernmente of the churche doth refuse vs and take vs to bee none of the church For suche they were alwaies that from the beginnynge refused and oppressed the trueth Such they were that vexed the Prophetes Such they were that refused Christ Such they were that persecuted his Apostels Here perhappes some curious conscience wil be pricked and thinke it is not likely that god of his great mercy would suffer his churche and so great a number of people to erre so many hundred yeares But wée must beware how by oure reason of likelihodde wée enter into gods iudgement and vnscrutable prouidence We must thinke of him as the courte of his doingeâ— sheweth vs Wée must thinke of him as his holy worde teacheth vs. Wée must not thinke of him as oure soâ—de reason wyll leade vs. Is it not merueilous thinke you and to oure iudgement vnscrutable that thousands of yeres hee suffered all the nationâ—â— of the earth to bee â—â—selled in Polaâ—â—y and opened his knowledge to only one little people of the Iewes Is it not merueâ—lous that of .xij. partes of that one people he suffered .x. and a halse to forsake him at one time yea that one parte that remained not a fold tymes cleane to geue ouel the trus worshyppinge of god so that in those dayes he might scante séente to haue any true church vpon the whole face of that earth Be not these thinges beyonde the likelyhoddes of mans féeble reason Nay â—â—â—e not say with S. Paule O vnscruâ—â—sse and Botomlesse deepenes of his diuâ—â—â—e iudgemente and leaue to séeke what is likely in his ddinges The Iewes were his chosen people from whiche the sausour of the worldâ— should rise â–ª They had among them his law aâ—â—â— ceremonies his aboundant promisses and sacramentes They had his tabernacle out of the which he as presente spake vnto them If then the depenes of gods iudgement were suche towarde them that hee suffered them so ofte and so longe to go astraie and sence Christes time most miserably 1560. yeres hath scattered them vpon the earth may 〈◊〉 not feare the like also amonge vs in this latter time Doth not S. Paule put vs in feare that if god did breake away the naturall braunches of the Oliue he would also if cause were geuen cut of those that were but grassed on beside nature Doth not Christe in the gospell forewarne vs that in the latter dayes should bée suche mischiefe and blindnes in the churche that euen the electe should be in daunger to be seduced And shall we then hope at that time to seacute e the true churche in so triumphant glory of the world as it shal make euen the greatest Emperours and Princes of the earth in worlde might power subiect vnto it Truly that agreeth not with Christes prephecie nor the warninges of the Apostels wherein they tel vs of the greate daunger that shal happen in the churche towarde the ende of the worlde â–ª That it may not be thought to be my euely phantasie that the aduersarie of Christe shall in the latter daies sit in the churche and beare the face of religion Heare you what Hylarie sayth Conrra Auxentiuâ—â—n In whose time the Arrians by the furtherance of the Emperour and a number of Bishops tooke on them the name of the Catholikes and persecuted the true christian churche Ye do ill saith he to be infout with walles ye do ill to worship the churche of God in gay honfes and buildinges ye do ill to bryng the name of peace vnder them Vs it not certaine that Antichrist
shall sit in them Mountaines woddes marriceâ— prisonâ— denneâ— are more safe for me For in those the Prophetes either vosuntarely abydinge or cast thether by violence did prophesie by the spirite of god How could a man more plainely declare that the true churche both then was and after shuld be vexed and persecuted by those that in sight and power of external gouernment were taken for the church At is notable also that Augustine hath Deciuit dei lib. 20. speaking of Antichriste Rectius putant etiam latine dici sicut in graeco est non in templo sed in teÌ„plum dei sedeat â—â—nq ipse sit templum dei quod est ecclesia Some thinke it were better spoken in Latine as it is in the Greâ—e as to say that Aâ—â—ithriste shoâ—th sit not in thâ— temple of God but as the temple of God aâ— thoughe himselfe were the temple of God â–ª which is the churche What Bernarde dyd thinke of the churche in his time aboue 400. yeares agoe it appereth in viuers places There is no sounde parte now faith he in the clergie it remaineth therfore that the man of sinne be reuealed And in an other place All my friendes vt now become my foes all my mainteinere â—â—e now become aduetsariâ—â— â–ª The 〈◊〉 of Christe â—o seruice so Antichrist If I should â—â—eite out of authourâ— and Histories al such testimonies as serueth to this purpose I shoulde be a greate deale longer then this place requireth I will therfore at this time omitte them Seting therfore it doeth euidently appere that in the latter time they shall beare the name of the churche whiche in déede be not the right churche wée must booke diligently that wée gene not ouer to euery power that wil claime the name of the churche but consider whither the true marke of the holy churche be amonge them What is the true marke of Christes churche Christe the true pastour noting whiche were his shéepe faseth 〈◊〉 sheepe will here my voyce And as by his worde and voyce he calleth them into his folde so by his sacramentes there he marketh them The right churche therfore as the folde of Christe hath the true worde of God and vse of his sacramentes accordyng to the same for the due markes therof So much then as the worde of God and vse of the sacramentes be corrupted amonge ady people or congregacion so farre shall that company be from the shate of the true and perfit churche of Christe Therfore it is easie to iudge what is to be thought of them that leaue the worde of God and worship him well nere altogether with their owne deuised phaÌ„tasies That the scripture which is the voyce and worde of God is the true triall of the church wée haue good authoritie in the auncient fathers S. Augustine contra PetilianuÌ„ cap. 2. The controuersie is betweene veâ— the Donatisteâ— saith he where the churche is Therefore what shall wee dot shall wee seeke if in our owne wordes or in the wordes of out forde Iesus Christe the head therof thinke wee ought rather to seeke it in his wordes that is trueth and best knoweth hie body Therfore they be not to be compted the churche that with their owne wordes will san they he the churche but they whose doctrine â—â—â—réeth with the worde of Christe that is head of the churche In like maner hath Chrisostome in Mat. cap. 14. wherfore saith he in this thâ—â— off chaifâ—ouâ— men ought to resorte to the seâ—â—â—â— tureâ— â—ecause in this time since theresie is come into the churches there can be no other proufe of true christianitie nor any other refuge for christian men desyryng to know the tune faith but onely the holy for iptureâ— for before it was she wed by many meanes which was the churche of Christe which was gentilitie But now to them that will knowe whiche is the right churche of Christe there is no meanes but only by the scriptures S. Augustine hath the like in many wordes in the. 16. cap. contra epistolam Periliani whiche I let passe here for breuiries sake The place beginneth in this wise Vtrum Donatistae ecclesiam teneant non nisi diuinatu scripturarum canonicis libris ostendant Quianee nos ppterea dicimus nobis credere oportere quod in ecclesia Christ sumus c. Wherfore a Christian conscience that in this daungerous time wyll walke safely must take the word of god to be his only state must â—ake the holy scripture to be as well the rule whereby his shall measure the true paterne of the church as the very touchstone wherby he must trie al the doctrine of the same For god in time paste spoke by his prophetes many and sundry waies but last of all by his dere sonne Whose doctrine how perfite it was the woman of Samaria witnesseth sayinge When Messias commeth he shall telâ—â— all thinges And the same Messias hym selfe saieth I haue made knowen to you all that I haue heard of my father And therefore sendinge his Apostles hee saith Teach them to obserue all that I haue commaunded As if he had sayd ye shall declare vnto the gentils not whatsoeuer shal seeme good to your selfe but those thinges that I haue commaunded you Those thinges therfore are to be hard those thinges we must stay vppon In those we must séeke our saluation and life What soeuer is not agreinge with them must be cast of and compted of no forse So saieth Origine Wee must nedes cal the holy scriptures to witnes In Hierem Hom. 1. For our senses and declaracions withoute those witnesses haue no credite So saith Hierom. That hath not aucthoritie in the scripture in euen as lighily contenmed as it is spoken And againe in psal 86. Consider what hee saith Which were in it not which be in it So that except the Apostles whatsoeuer should be spoken afterwarde let it bee cutte of let it not haue authoritie Therfore be one neuer so holy after the Apostlee bee hee neuer so eloquent he hath not authority Because the lord wyll make his declaracion in the writinge of people and princes that were in it In that place Hierome at large declareth that the doctrine of god must bee proued by such wrytinges as were in the churche vntil the Apostles time and those that after folowed to bee of no sufficient authority were they neuer so holy Let vs stay therefore vpon the canonical scriptures and holy worde of god For saith S. Cyprian Hereof arise schismes because we selâ—e not to the head nor haue recourse to the springe nor kepe the commaundementes of the heauenly maister Let he aske Peter saith Ambrose let vs aske Paule if we wyl finde out the trueth And Christ him selfe biddeth vs searche the scriptures and not presume of our owne spirite vppon vnwritten verities beside the worde of god What credite is to bee geuen to those that so speake Chrisostome teacheth vs. As Christ saith he when hee vnderstode that they sayde
Christ by his vnfallible promisse vnfeinedly geueth to the faith of his people the very fruition of his body and bloud with the hole benefite of his precious death and passion and by the workinge of the holy ghost merueilously ioyneth vs in one body together with him Is not this thinke you a merueilous change and to mans estimation a miraculous worke when by the power of the holy ghost worde of god of commen breade and wine such as we daily féede our bodies with is made the dredful and reuerent sacramentes and mysteries of Iesus Christ wherby as I saide he doth not by a bare signe only but verely and in déede endow is faithfull people and make them partakers of his body and bloud Yea and that in such sorte that euen as truly as the bread doth norishe our body and euen as truly as the wine doeth comforte our spiritê so truly and vnfeinedly doeth the heauenly foode of his body and bloud toren and shed for vs by fait h in time of that holy supper no ryshe strengthen and comforte our soule and by the wonderfull workinge of his spirite make our bodies also apte to resurrection Truly when I earnestly consider the effecte of this sacrament as it must néedes be by the trueth of Christes promises I confesse I am not able with wordes to vtter so muche as in my minde I doo conceiue and together withal eschew the absurditie of your reall presence and transsubstantion Wherfore I merueile not if those holy fathers fearinge no suche inconueniences but lokinge rather pithely to expresse the thinge dyd vse those earnest wordes and manners of speakinge and yet mente not as you now of their wordes doo gather All though no similitude can sufficiently declare the thinge I wyll for the simplar forte so muche as I can indeuour by a comparison to set for the that I do conceiue If a temporal prince for certaine causes mouinge him would geue you a thousand pound land by the yere and for that purpose had caused the wrytinges to be made The same wrytinge vntill it bee confirmed by the prince is nothinge but common parchment and inke framed into letters by some inferiour mans hand neither doth it bring any effect but when the prince hath once added to his seale confirmed the graunt it is no more called parchement or common writing but the kinges letters patents And now hath that reuerence that all to whom they be shewed doo veile there bonetes as bringinge with it some parte of the princes maiesty Such a change is now made in those trifelinge thinges that before no man estemed You also to whom this lande should bee geuen would not thinke this writinge common parchement blotted with inke but the perfite déede of your prince wherby you were assuredly possessed of the foresaid lands Moreouer when the prince at the deliuery of the same should say sir here is a thousand pound land that I geue fréely to you and to your heires I thinke you would not be so fonde to thinke either that the Prince doeth mocke you because you sée not the laÌ„ds presently or els to conceiue with your selfe that you haue the landes really inclosed within the compasse of your writing For the kinges aucthoritie in the writyng geueth you as ful possession of the landes as though you helde theÌ„ if it were possible in your hande And you in this case might iustly saye to your friende shewing your letters patents Lo here is a thousande pounde lande that my prince hath geuen me If then there bee so greate a change made in framyng the couenant déede of an earthly prince If his seale doo bryng such force effecte to his gifte and letters patentes How much more merueilous change alteracioÌ„ or transmutacion muste wée thinke it to bee when the base creatures of breade and wine be consecrated into the sacrament of the euerlastyng couenante and testament of Iesu Christ wherin he geueth vs not earthly vanities but the precious foode of his body and bloude remission of sinnes and the heritage of his heauenly kingdome how muche more of effecte must this sacrament be that is sealed with the promisse and wordes of our sauiour Christ who is truth it selfe and cannot deceiue any that trusteth in him Wherefore to expresse this change of the externall elementes into so heauenly misteries to shewe the effecte of this sacrament to withdrawe the ignorant mindes of the people from the prophane cogitacion of a bare signe in this mattier the auncient fathers had good cause to vse suche wordes And yet therein doo they nothyng at all defende your miraculous workes that you deuise to be made in the Lordes supper As for the similitude wherewith you woulde declare the necessitie of your Labels depending vpon the first founded absurditie it is both of as smal force as other that you before vsed and you handle it with more sluttish eloquence then is méete for suche a mattier as this is For the drawyng of the Capons the scumming of the potte the stinkyng water the hewyng of wodde the puttyng on the broche with guttes garbage and al. c. Be phrases and termes more méete for the kitchinne then for the Diuinitee schoole and such as your self I thinke woulde not haue vsed if your mockyng spirite had not so rauisshed you as you wist not what you did If wée had resembled your Labels whiche you cutte out by drift of reason vnto so base mattiers you woulde haue sayd that wée had rayled and done otherwise then it became vs. But sens your selfe doth so take them wée must thinke that God oftentimes moueth his aduersaries to vtter trueth against them selues But if the same maister that you imagine to commaunde his seruaunte to make readie that hee may dine did meane onely that he should set vpon the table suche colde meate as was in the house because he saw no cause or necessitie of greater prouision And the seruaunte vpon his owne foolish head would mistake his maisters commaundement conceyuing that he woulde haue great straungers did kill his Capons Chickens and other prouision aboute his house and busied himselfe with more labour then thanke to make them readie Doo you not thinke I pray you that he might iustly be compted an vnprofitable seruaunt and worthy by correction to bee taught more witte for that he putteth his maister to greater chargies and himselfe to more paines then the mattier required if he had rightly vnderstanded his maisters will and commaundemente Euen so sir those thynges that you say foloweth by force of reason and argument vpon the first sentence do folow indéede only vpon that sence that your selfe doth imagine mistakyng your maisters wil and pleasure and not vpon that meanyng that Christe himselfe would haue his wordes to be taken in For all that he woulde haue done may be sufficiently done without the working of so manie miracles as you in this case would driue his omnipotencie vnto Wherefore wée are not