need to brag of your obedience towards your superiors But while you frame a good scholasticall argument to mainteine your Popish religion that teacheth and practiseth disobedience and rebellion against our common Soueraigne and Queene which will be a good while to I hauing spoken thus much in generall will further and more particularly therewhilest enter to speake of your doctrine and demeanour heerein Then will I so much as shall be necessarie answere to those particulars ye obiect here against vs our religion And yet here entring into a large fielde to rip vp your corrupt doctrine and rebellious demeanour towardes princes there is so much matter to treate of that in suche plentie it is harde to keepe measure to giue ouer and come out againe wherof notwithstanding I must haue special regarde and minde so to doe This haue I to desire you not to bee offended with all If I be any where founde in the matter to vse the same lawe towardes you that you doe towardes vs. For your doctrine therefore of obedience and demeanour also first I must admonishe without you were better that we may not call you that bee the children of the Pope and Popishe religion at this day to the Apostles doctrine and their rule and practise set vs downe in the scriptures at the beginning the things bee too vnequall and we may be no bolder with you then so farre as your Churche teacheth you and your supreme Pastors voyce that is the Pope calleth you herein and yet here fal some good words from you contrary to the rest of your doctrine set vs down in your bookes and your demeanour at this day towardes our soueraigne I heare what glorious shewe your words haue and I see you set vs downe in your margin Rom. 13. Which heauenly doctrine we receiue we teach we stedfast ly holde and practise The Scriptures are the foundation and grounde of our profession we can not we may not we will not refuse them our bookes as publique recordes testifie the same Euery soule must bring euery mothers child of yours to be subiect to our Soueraigne Queene as to the chiefe it is not spoken to lay men as your glose vpō the decretals expoundeth it* But I see you sende vs further in your margin to Saint Thomas and om Doct. that is all your doctors there is a Vide afore it that is a watche worde to looke vpon the matter As for Augustin Chrysostom Ambros. that come after your D. Tho. om Doct. They teache all one doctrine heerein with the Apostles and therefore trying that they say by that rule finding it conformable wee receiue it w t their iust cōmendation They are no Popishe teachers but better expoūders of the scriptures morefaithful sounde in this point the your late schole Doctors bicause M. How bidsvs looke I wish the reader that vnderstandeth Latin to looke and see their Popishe doctrine of the authoritie of a King or Emperour in the Decretalles hee shall see howe the Pope playeth legerdemain falsefieth the Scriptures and doeth worse if worse may bee shewing what spirite hee is ledde with If that chapter and the glose were in English it would lothe any Christian eares And again looke Dist. xcvi And yet many of that age are somewhat more indifferent teachers and dealers than you whot and bad Catholikes bee for the most parte nowe adayes that so grossely folowe the Pope and Poperie that by writings dooings ye stirre him vp and raise sedition against our natural Soueraigne Prince and yours and this State and Realme too vnnaturally vnduetifully and vnchristianly Iwis I haue looked syr as your Authour whome you followe willeth vpon the place of your S. Tho. wee are sent vnto In seeking I finde neuer a word of this matter of Magistrats and obedience there as which deuided into three Articles treateth of the vsing of Gods name in adiuring which belongeth to the thirde commaundement but you following your Authour in citing and quoting places who for his greate haste in wryting had not tyme to suruiew or reede any parte of his treatise ouer againe and is therefore according to his request to bee borne withall it may bee you were deceiued also with him But let that goe as a small matter Tell vs your selues to what place of D. Thom. you sende vs rather than to that you name In the meane while as you and your Authour say and set vs downe one and the selfe same thing So your D. Thom. by your leaue where in his summe he treateth of that argumēt disagreeth from you both which that the reader may some what perceiue thogh I lyke not to be so occupied I wil shortly set down both your words some parte of his also Thus your Authour whome you follow The Catholyke churche hath alwayes taught her children that how hardly soeuer their Prince should deale with them yet are they bounde to beare it patiently obay him for conscience sake as substitute of God placed in that roome for their punishement if he rule not wel which apertaineth not to the sub iect to iudge of Good wordes howe cōmeth it to passe that you Catholikes vse not your selues thus towards her Maiestie then how commeth it to passe that your fellowes in their bookes printed abroade teache otherwise stirre vp sedition here then Ye shewe your selues to bee another Baalams or Cayphas children whose mouths must serue the holy Ghost at this time to vtter y e trueth though the instrument meanes be very vnfit the whole serue your side to litle purpose who elsewhere teache practise the contrary Be not angrie at the comparison your owne side 〈◊〉 Popish Prelates to Baalam Cayphas But your D. Thom. to whom you send vs disputing whether mans law put necessitte on vs in the Court of conscience and hauing obiected to the contrarie as his manner is out of the tenth of Esay Wo be to them that make vniust lawes c. Hee answereth and saith that that place speaketh of a lawe that laieth an vniust burden vpon subiects whereunto the order of power graunted of God streacheth not it self Wherfore in such cases man is not bounde to obay the lawe if hee bee able to resist without Scandale that I may keepe his word and your treatises or greater detriment And againe wee must say that a man is bound so farre to obay secular princes as the order of Iustice requyreth And therefore if they haue not iust but vsurped principalitie or if they commande vniust things their subiects are not bounde to obay them except peraduenture by some accident for the auoyding of scandale or danger and can yee make that obedience for conscience sake Againe in another place agreeing with the Decrees and alledging the authoritie of Pope Gregory the seuenth hee wryteth as perillously for her Maiestie and this state and all one with that which y e wicked
I content me with this sūmall and short declaration thereof When marriages are to be made and celebrated children to be baptized c where and how shall this and the like be honestly and orderly perfourmed and doone if wee refuse church assemblies here It were not hard to runne ouer all this authours nine reasons to turne thē all on the aduersaries owne head As to giue example for infection and the danger thereof which they cannot be free from that abstaine from comming to Church here lying open to the enimie of our saluation and so not in danger to be infected only but by the Diuels infection and poyson vtterly consumed and destroyed also for explanation and tryall whēreof marke the nature power and propertie of the Diuell with whome wee poore wretches haue to deale Marke on the other side the nature of preaching the Gospel namely marke that our Sauiour Christe speaking to Ierusalem expresseth it to bee How often would I haue gathered thy childrē together as the henne doeth her chicken vnder her wings and yee woulde not and consider what danger of the Puttock and Kyte the little chickin bee in not being vnder the Hennes winges vpon this clucking and calling Againe marke what danger the sheepe be in of the theefe and of the woolfe if either they runne astray out of the folde or bee not dayly fedde and lookt vnto by the vigilaunt Pastour and Minister of Gods holy worde c. And it will not be harde to finde out how necessarie it is for vs dayly and often to come to the Church to heare the preaching of the gospel to receiue the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper c. And how hurtfull the abstaining therefrom is vnto vs. Ywts if Poperie and Popith religion if ignorant sir Johns had but halfe as much to alleadge out of Gods boke the holy scriptures yea but a cloke and coulor for their mumpsimus 〈◊〉 seruice and abhominable masse and for their blasphemous sacrificing priesthood as we haue for our holy assemblies the preaching ministerie of the Gospell by faythfull Pastors in the Church at this day they would brag mightily and triumph But thankes be vnto God they haue not somuch as one cleere syllable ne yet hardly any pretence We beare what our Sauiour Christ saith blessed are they that heare the word of god keep it c Tel vs you if you can what he saith for hearing masse and Popish seruice The other Reasons of offence of note to distinguish and know our religion by of schisme participation c might bee dealt in and the like sayd thereof as in the first of perill of infectiō But heere I leaue y t to the Christian Readers consideration especially seeing this argument is at large entreated of by diuerse godly learned in their writings I pray God all we his people her Maiesties subiectes referring things to the right ende may better then hitherto vse to our saluation these comfortable meanes of Church assemblies that we may reape plentifull profit by hearing the worde preached c. and not sticke in outwarde ceremonies or doing of thinges for a fashion which is but too common in the worlde and the redresse hardly compassed howbeit let vs not flatter our selues God hath dealt mercifully with vs and her maiestie hath not onely cleered her selfe herein towards vs but greatly deserued at our handes also so as al the fault is and resteth in our selues alone and the matter will be but badly answered before God another day if we looke not to it in time I am not ignorant that the enemie wil cauil herevpon but meerely cauill indeede as is easie to bee seene in the rest without all good ground So as he can hardely deceiue any but such as offer themselues willingly to be deceiued But I respect as I sayd others besides the enemie If there be any found in this Church and reformation some defect As what church is pure from all spottes liuing in this world vpon the earth yet the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of Christes Sacraments concerning the substance being kept hole and the desire and meaning not being to nourishe and maintaine any vngodlines abuse c contrary to the Scriptures but according to thmeasure of faith and knowledge geuen of God as oportunitie may serue to reforme and redresse the same There is no cause or reason why we should leaue the communion with the church or leese the benefites offered vnto vs in the same by the preaching of the Gospell and the administration of the Sacraments without neuerthelesse allowing in this our ioyning with the Church any abuses or deuises of men or their additions which through ignorance and imperfection that yet remaine euen in Gods churche too easily crepe in One of these extremities will the diuell our common enemie assay to bring vs vnto if he can And we haue great cause and neede to looke about vs and to take heede of his slightes on both sides And herein not to dissentble or to flatter with those of authoritie and publike charge as is her maiestie and those of the state here But to begin with them with al reuerence and dutifull consideration and their good accepcation I doubt not I am bolde vnder correction to say that for the training vp of vs their people in Gods true religion it is their partes in matters of Gods Kingdome and Christian Religion to looke narrowly and well to their proceeding and doing to trye and examine the same by the touch of Gods holy word as well on the parte of the churche Ministers and ministerie as the rest of Church gouernment that all to Gods glory may answer the paterne set downe in his written worde They pray I ani sure as wel as we dayly at our heauenly maisters commandements Hallowed beethy name Thy kingdome come Thy will bee done in earth as it is in heauen They haue not therfore to content themselues if the matter be wel marked with a beginning or halfe a reformation of that is amisse such as may please man but godly wisely and zealously to aduance by the worde of God and continually to set forwarde the worke begunne and not to leaue be weery geue ouer or rest in y t they haue once aduised or thought of till the whole by their Godly care and trauaile bee so purged and fined with the fire of Gods worde as is vnto his heauenly will correspondent and most agreeable At least if they cānot or do not y t same at the first at once they haue more and more daylie to contend to bring their woorke to that passe which thing is with great affection and hope longed and looked for at their hands and not only wished and desired but earnestly hartely prayed for also by al the godly Rome they are wont to say was not built in a day but howe much more iustly may y t be verified in y t spirituall building vp of G O D his
proue this as he onely affirmeth the same and occupieth himselfe in prouing that requireth no proofe with vs wee shoulde haue more a doe with him He is occupied in shewing at large howe bad Schisme and Schismatiks heresie and heretiks bee how to bee detested and their company shunned what punishment they deserue and haue to looke for c. But that our religion and we are such and in this case there is hee for proofe in effect muet And yet except that be prooued not supposed onely the rest serueth to little purpose For the vnitie of Christes Church we haue diligently to obserue that as it is and ought to bee with euery of vs precious so to consider again that the same is grounded in the vnitie that we haue with our Sauiour Christ the father without whom there is no sound vnitie Further we haue to note that it is called the vnitie of the spirit for that it is begunne continued and kept by the spi rit of God in spirituall and heauenly matters And these two pointes be expressed in the very textes here cited by this Reasoner out of the Gospell and S. Paule for one 〈◊〉 forme of beliefe one forme of Seruice one forme of Sacramentes and the like that this man sayth shoulde bee in Christes Churche as it is very obscurely and shortly spoken so I see no such 〈◊〉 thereof So we may haue the substance and matter for formes we will not greatly striue If there be any matter of importance we like well the synceritie of Christian religion and Apostolike simplicitie bee alwaies kept The wayght force of Christian vnity lieth in deed in greater pointes than in outwarde formes wherof ye make mention out of S Paule and may see more in the Acts of the Apostles c. Concerning the testimonies of the Fathers we graunt with Irenaee that heretikes that bring strange fire to the Lordes Aulter that is as hee expoundeth strange doctrines shalbe burned as Nadab and Abiu They that rise vp against the truth and exhort other against the Church of God remaine in hell swallowed vp with y t opening of the earth as they about Chore Dathan and Abirom They that cut and seuer the vnitie of the Church haue the same punishment of God that Ieroboam had What is this against vs why may not the same bee applyed vnto you and your doctrines and dealinges with this Church Let the Gospel and Spirit of life be the Piller and strength of the Church Let it bee the foundation and Piller of our Fayth as the same Irenaee speaketh Doe not as Irenaee sayth heretikes doe and we finde you to doe who whē they are reproued by y t scriptures are turned into the accusation of the scriptures themselues as though they were not right nor were of authoritie both because they are diuersly vttered and also because the Truth cannot be found out by them of such as know not Tradition c and you will haue little vantage Augustine also in his book or Epistle of the vnitie of the Church against Petilians Epistle helpeth you and your case very little For the question was then where the Church was whether euery where or bounde to a certaine place person and sect or no As for example Aphrica Donatus and Donatistes then Rome Pope and Papistes nowe Augustine there tyeth the Churche to no Sea maketh Christe alone the heade thereof and the Churche Christes body dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth Againe Augustine alleadgeth and prooueth also out of the holy Scriptures as none can deny the same but hee that professeth himselfe to bee an enimie to the same Scriptures Let vs not heare saith hee I say thus thou sayest thus but let vs heare Thus saith the Lord. There be verily the bookes of the Lord to the authoritie whereof we both agree we both giue credite we both serue There let vs seeke the Churche there let vs discusse our cause I will not haue the holy Church shewed by the doctrines of men but by heauenly Oracles on infallible truth of God Nowe adde your wordes that you heere alleadge out of Augustine yet so if it please you as ye take the beginning of the chapter afore you and so come orderly to your wordes here cited which are after the beginning of the chapter whole Christ sayth hee is the heade the body The head is the onely begotten sonne of God and the bodie his Church the Bridegroome and the Bride Two in one fleshe Whosoeuer dissent from the scriptures concerning the head himselfe thus doe you in making vs two spirituall heades of the Church Christ and the Pope though they be found in all places wherin there is a church to be pointed they are not in the Church And againe whoeuer agree to the holy scriptures concerning the head himselfe and communicate not with the vnitie of the Churche are not in the Church because they dissent from Christes owne testimonie of Christes body which is the Church c. These be Austens woords agreeing with that is afore that we learne to discerne and know the true Church of Christe aright by the scriptures and not otherwise And that wee learne to beginne with Christ the heade and so come downe to the Church his bodie and keepe no preposte rous order Now let the reader hardly reade and examine your wordes and iudge of the whole In y e eleuenth chapter of the same booke of the vnitie of the Churche doth Austen notably write hereof Touching Cyprian Chrisostome and the rest for the vnitie of the Church we willingly admitte that they say so as with Cyprian yee will saye concerning false peace and agreement That is no peace but warr neither is he ioyned to the Church that is separated from the Gospell And w t Chrisostome or who euer it were ioyned w t Chrisostomes works for them that will knowe whiche is the true Church of Christ There is now no way to know y e same but only by the scriptures c. The ignorāce wherof brought foorth heresie corrupt life and mingled and turned all vpside downe as Chrisostome sayth elsewhere As for vs we ioyn with those that are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ him selfe being the head corner stone c. We broch no newe doctrine no newe religion we make no separation But as we beleeue that there is a Holy catholike church and a communion of Saintes so as members and partes we ioyne our selues to the same dispersed ouer the whole worlde in vnitie of Christes true doctrine and in loue and peace with all reuerence The Antichristian Sinagogue of Rome as it reiecteth vs with Christ and his doctrine so againe doe we detest and goe out from it as from that Babylon whereof mētion is so oft and much made in the scriptures In summe whether we be heritikes or you Let Christ let the worde
message vttereth it with his owne wordes Wee crye out of the ryot c. Hee may issue from Pope Iohn the three and twentiethes spirit well inough as one of that broode for the agreement that is betweene both As for vs wee may not dislike nor maruel at this choyse of these fathers like Pope like spirite the rather for that wee reade that this foule and vnluckie birde I meane madge Howlet hath aforetime waited vpon the Pope and serued his vnholy holynesse euen in counsell as his familiar spirite whiche is as worshipfull an office I tell you as this carrier and letter bringer serueth in now howeuer the ill fauoured madge Howlet be wondred at among men or other birdes or be taken to be but an vnluckie messenger Let mee bee bolde with thee 〈◊〉 Reader for the satisfaction of some here vpon such resemblance and agreement betweene the parties and other circumstances to set downe the olde storie of the madge Howlet not taken out of newe writers of these dayes which yet haue faithfully and truely deliuered vs the same in wryting as to leaue other those reuerende and learned fathers Maister Iohn Bale in Latine and Maister Iohn Foxe in Englishe our owne Countrey men haue done Neuerthelesse though I agree with them and namely with Maister Foxes storie and allowe the same as fully agreeing heerein with the first Authour and truthe wrangle the aduersarie against those woorthie fathers worthye woorkes as much as he list yet haue I thought good to fetch this nowe out of a worthye Doctour and Archdeacon of our aduersaries owne Church called Nicholas de Clamengiis to whom maister Foxe honestly and truely sendeth vs and with whom also I sawe the booke This Nichol de Clamengiis liuing in the time whē the thing happened wrote the same His booke also was since printed publishd in a Popish time a popish place c. That I say nothing of Orthuinus Gratius cēsure thereon who being a popish priest yet in setting this forth amōg other things denieth not the truth heereof So as the aduersarie cannot easily cauil After this Archdeacon had declared the notoriousnesse of the matter and the good testimonie hee had thereof thus setteth he vs downe the storie aboue eight score yeeres since Balthasar Cossa sayth hee about foure yeeres since called a Councel at Rome c. Nowe at the entrie or before the first session of the 〈◊〉 when Masse for the holy Ghost as the manner is was done and the Councel nowe were set and Balthasar himselfe in a chayre prouided for him on high aboue the rest behold a foule vnluckie Owle which is alwayes a messenger of some corps or other misfortune as they say commeth out of his hole and flickering about with his shreeching noyse stayes himselfe vpon the midle beame of S. Martines temple where they sate in the Councell casting his brode eyes directly vppon Balthasar All there present fel in a wonderment that a night birde which shunneth the light came in the middes of the assembly at brode day light by which wonder and strange sight they did not without cause thinke some mischiefe to bee foreshewed Behold saide they one to another softly the spirit is come in the shape of an Owle And when the rest looking one on an other vpō Balthasar could scarsely forbear laugh ter Balthasar himself vpon whome alone this madge Howlet casting his eyes stedfastly looked did blushe for shame sweate for anger and fretted in his minde and at length not knowing how to helpe otherwise this his so great disgrace breaking vp the councell arose and went his way There followed after another session wherein againe after the same maner the madge Howlet though as I thinke not called failed not to bee present casting still his foule eyes vpon Balthasar which m. Howlet he seeing to be returned was not without iust cause more troubled and striken with shame than afore and not being able to abide the sight of the madge Howlet any longer he commanded him to be beaten away with libbets and clubbes and with crying noyse but M. Howlet neuer a whit disquieted either with their shreeching noyse or other disturbaunce woulde not flie away till with muche cudgeling at him being very sore beaten hee fell downe dead before them all These things saith our Authour learned I of a certaine faithfull and trustie friende who at that time came straight and directly from Rome of whiche I making doubt by reason of the strangenesse thereof my friende being very earnestly sworne Assured me hee told mee that was moste true and added further that all that were present were hereby brought into an vtter contempt disdaine and mocking of that councell and the whole companie by little and little falling away hee affirmed there was nothing at all there doone to any purpose Thus farre Clamengius cited very truely by maister Foxe For the Gentleman the authours worshipfull friende as hee speaketh if there be any suche and he not too farre gone I wish him to bee aduised and take heede what scholemaisters hee betake his conscience to be framed by the matter is of no small importance let him at leastwise without preiudicate opinion heare and reade both sides before hee iudge or thruste himselfe too farre ouer the shoes for our part what euer opinion the aduersaries bee of leauing the rest to hym that is aboue wee desire no more at his handes this is it wee haue from the beginning and many a day sought and requested If hee will heare this counsell hee shall first see that wee drawe him not from the Pope and Popishe religion to carry him to depende vppon any mortall man in the case of religion and conscience bee he neuer so high or mightie but only vppon the true and immortall God of heauen and his sacred mouth Next that wee propounde him not doctrines deuised by mans braine and after recōmended vnder title of the Church to intangle his cōscienee and without eyther grounde or good reason make him perplexed and doubtfull by subtill quidities and questions as these men doe but after we haue brought him to feede in the pleasant and sweete pasture and to drinke of the pure and liuely fountaine of Gods holy woorde which is the trueth hee shall see wee endeuour to vnwrap and vnfoulde his conscience from snares to quiet the same with the true peace of God teaching him to make conscience where God and his woorde woulde and no where els and to looke well to these two points in the case of conscience God may and doth make lawes to bynde conscience withall and onely God may deale therein and no mortall man muche lesse that man of sinne the Pope In summe the more precisely in these matters pertayning to his soules health he shall cleaue to God and his holye truth contayned in the Scriptures renouncing all sectes and partes of whomesoeuer aswell Pope as other the better shall he please I will not say
the Law made by Protestants prohibiting the practise of other religions besides their owne allotteth out the same punishment to al thē that do any way varie from the publike Communion booke or otherwise say seruice than is appointed there as it doeth to the Catholikes for hearing or saying of a Masse What haue you to plaine of in y t fauourablenes of this law towards you Is this straightnesse to Catholikes what more equitie and bearing with woulde you in these times haue an Immunitie to be exempted from all lawes and penalties I blame you not yee so fast and so many waies indanger your selues by breache of lawes that yee neede this remedie greatly but yee deserue it ill the penaltie and the execution of the lawe is that yee plaine of and yet is no more done than lawe if alwaies so much It grieueth you that other fare not as hardly as you The comparison is odious the cause is not equall your minde also is enuious your opinion and affection parciall An enuyous man they say pyneth away at another mans welfare Is your eye euil because her Maiestie is good Murmure not you haue no wrong They that are iustly punished when other of grace and fauour are spared cannot plaine of Iniustice as though they had wrong It is a priuiledge that God in his matters and Princes States and other ciuile Magistrates haue in iniuries done vnto them by iustice to exact and execute penalties where they bee due and by mercie sometime to pardō and release offences done against their Persons vpon great consideration to some certaine without doing any iniustice Iustice mercy may goe stand together and both of them are seuered from extremitie and parcialitie You might spare well ynough many of your exoruations and 〈◊〉 figures you neede not make such exclamation as you doe You thinke that saying and hearing of Masse is too hardly handled by our lawes heere You weigh not the matter aright nor indifferently First what is the Masse Next what meane you to buy such Deuilishe tromperie so deere Your Masse for both saying and hearing is iustly abrogated heere as a thing that in respect of the sacrifice thereof containeth blasphemie against God is iniurious to Christs death and Passion is an Idoll erected directly contrarie to the institution of the Supper of the Lorde and a meere profanation thereof farced and stuft full of grosse superstitions to poison mens soules with so farre from edifying that it destroieth that I speake nothing of the Apishe toyes therein containing great mysteries with you fitter indeede for a stage then for the holie house of GOD. You heare briefly and in summe our opinion of your Masse If you can say better for it out of Gods booke let vs heare that and yee shall God willing heare of vs againe In the meane while for breuitie because you do but touche it in passing I surcease also from doing that nowe which is so often and well done already and rest thervpon and to answere you I denie your suppositiōs till you bring vs some proofe which you doe not heere If ye cannot liue without saying and hearing this abhominable Masse plaine no longer of the miseries that yee willingly runne headlong into the punishement is very moderate and gentle nothing so harde as your desert is in this behalfe It is your honour as seemeth you trauell to recouer your Helena a rare perle a precious iewell mych good dite you with it draffe is good inough for Swine Refuse neither heate nor colde Runne I pray you thorowe fire and water to come to it if yee needes will but yee were better bee admonished and aduised At least all the godly wise will if it bee but for so hainously dishonouring God and deadly wounding their owne soules Thus writeth your Authour in his booke the hearing of Masse is not onely woorth the ventering of a hundred Markes or sixe moneths imprisonment but also of an hundred thousand liues if a man coulde loose euery one for that cause sixe tymes and an hundred tymes miserable is that man which for any worldely respect doeth depriue himselfe of so great a benefite as the participation of this sacrifice is The lyke to this I say of the practise of the other particulars that ye mention and the penalties layed thereon yet is it not harde to spye out your cloaking and colouring of thinges in speeche It is vnnaturall vnreasonable vnconscionable vnduetifull It is against the lawe of GOD and man and namely of this our Countrey that an Englishe man shoulde refuse the othe of allegeance and obedience to our most naturall and dread Soueraigne and vnder pretence of Religion giue it to that proude Prelate of Rome If you haue any thing to say to the contrary bring it foorth our answere you heare our grounds and proofes are so pregnant as if yee considered them wel they might shame or winne you but your religion possible hindreth you from reading the bookes on that side as your Authours opinion is least indeede that good shoulde come therof and therefore it auaileth litle to wryte for you What mischiefs haue beene wrought by your deuised eareshrifte What is nowe sought thereby in your reconciliation what the foundation and vse thereof hath afore time been What a 〈◊〉 and slaughter house to mens consciences Is to well knowen at this day to thinke it may bee set out with colours to commende it the worlde waxeth too wise to bee abused with such grosse absurdities yee talke of a reconciling to God I 〈◊〉 to say in trueth to whome Yet in your reconcilement by your Ghostly father your confiteor must go before his Misereatur In reconcilemēt of your selues to her Maiestie and the State take at leastwyse if yee will followe no better the worldly wise mans counsaile if your stomackes bee come downe confesse and submit your selues to mercie Yee talke much of death as though yee suffered paine of death heere for your religion yee repyne are grieued and offended that other haue not beene put to death for practise of their religion and yet doe I not knowe any of your side that hath suffered the same as I sayde for his Religion in all her Maiesties most happy raigne vnlesse there haue beene founde besides seditious and trayterous dealing in the partie against her Maiesties Royall dignitie and personne and the State of this 〈◊〉 which by wholesome lawes it behoueth her Maiestie to conserue as lyke a good mother of her Countreys shee hath hithertoo done and still doth Yee say among other thinges it is death heere for geuing the supreme Pastour supreme authoritie in causes of the Churche Speake plainely wee say it is for geuing away to the Pope GOD his and Christ his right and tytle and for denying vnder them her Maiesties souerainety in her dominions Wee say yee say vntruelie as the woordes lye It is so farre of from beeing death to giue to the supreme Pastor supreme
authoritie in causes of the Churche that without checke of our Soueraigne yea with her Maiesties good lyking wee doubte not we heere maintaine and defende the same by the scriptures and ouerthrowe your proude Prelates vsurpation thereby Yee shoulde therefore haue done that heere dealing with her 〈◊〉 at least which you and your Author going by supposition lightly neuer doe to wit haue shewed who this supreme Pastour is and haue proued the Pope to bee hee In the meane whyle as we graunt the supreme chiefe Pastor in Christ his Church supreme and chiefe authoritie in causes of the same so insteede of your Romame Pope wee ascribe that title and office to Jesus Christe alone by the warrant of GOD his ho-spirite and word which call him Archpastor or chiefe and Supreme Pastour and finde not that title imparted in the newe Testament to any in Churche Ministerie much lesse to the Pope of Rome If you nowe finde as good warrant for your Pope in God his booke lay it vs downe and wee wil yeelde But that neither haue you hitherto done neither yet shall yee be able to doe wrangle as long and as much as yee will your best daies are past For the rest wee reporte vs to any indifferent bodie whether it bee more to God his glorie and beseeming God his people the Churche to holde with the Scriptures that Iesus Christe alone the sonne of God is the Arche and chiefe Shepheard or without warrant of Scripture to giue the same to the Pope Nowe Syr and when the Lawes of this Realme giue to the Princes heere their Soueraigntie and require the subiects to acknowledge the same in this Church and Realme and the Kinges and Queenes from time to time challenge and accept the same neither doe the one professe to giue nor the other to take Gods place or Christes from them nor yet so much as to incroch vpō the Church ministerie in taking authoritie to Preache administer Sacraments and execute other Church Ministeries functions yea by meanes of your malicious interpretation the contrary is protested but according to dutie from God to maintaine and see those thinges doone by Pastours and suche as to whome those charges likewise from God do appertaine not admitting therewhilest which is your griefe the immunities that the Popes aforetime haue giuen Cleargie men in exempting them from the ciuil authoritie and iurisdiction What haue faithfull subiects heerein to repine at What haue they to plaine of Yeelde with vs vnto it and yee shall finde wee haue all great cause to praise God for her Maiestie and for ciuill authoritie wee denie then that any forraigne Prince and Potentate Ecclesiasticall or Ciuil if yee will is aboue her Maiestie and her people in these her dominions in any manner of causes or haue to deale here but vnder her by her leaue liking And to God his glory our cōforts haue we still w t all thākfulnes to obserue that her Maiestie doeth not sit in mens consciences nor professe to make lawes to binde the same as your supreme pastour doth but leaueth cōscience to God Christ his spirite and worde to be ruled and framed thereby without further pressing the same then the expresse woordè of God doth in so much that for her Maiesties owne respect in matters 〈◊〉 vnto her soule and conscience she yeeldeth her selfe obediently to heare receyue and obey as euery other christian the voice of God and Christ speaking vnto her in y e holy scriptures by true pastours and other ministers meere Church gouernours leauing to them there seuerall charges whole without diminishing any part therof as reason is Nowe sir if the Pope and Popelings namely her Maiesties natural borne subiects especially by their vnnatural styrres to the danger of her Royall person and the state of the Church and Realme haue caused any lawes to be made that be preiudiciall to their attempts let them thanke themselues and leaue their busie and perillous practises neyther pretend conscience where no good consciēce cā be nor thinke y t the Prince hath to giue ouer her Royal prerogatiues or to altar the state for their pleasure this is the very state of this matter If this can not call you home nor content you we say further that the supreme pastour yee haue made choise of for it is not hard to guesse at your meaning though your wordes be doubtfull is a woolfe or woorse then a wolfe To giue your Pope supreme authority in this Church besides that it is treason against her Maiestie and the state it is to commit the poore lambes to no better then the rauening wolues keeping Howe many good lambes hee and his whelpes deuoured here in a very fewe yeeres when he had last to doe with this sheepefolde the memory and smart is yet freshe and before 〈◊〉 eyes The more haue we to praise God for our dread soueraigne y e in tender care of God his sheepe and lambs and her maiesties shee hath eased our neckes and shoulders of that yoke and hell like bondage Besides this M. Howlet where you giue to the Pope as supreame Pastour supreame authoritie in causes of the Churche yee had neede to explayne this some what playner for your owne religions sake and those of your side as whether the Pope bee aboue the Counsell or the Counsell aboue the Pope Also what ye call Churche causes and whether yee denie his supremacie aboue Emperours Kinges and so foorth in other then Churche causes or yee subiecte him to them Whether as Peter his Successour yee giue him all Peter his Patrimonie and priueleges c. and so because as one Pope sayeth and your Cannon lawe approoueth Christ committed to blessed Peter no where in deede the right both of worldly and heauenly Empire will yee abridge that or no What should I speake of your Reliques yee may say of all as yee doe of one a seely paire of beades seely and single stuffe surely Why make yee such accompt of this seely ware that is but tromperie and trashe cast such baggage from you and there is an ende of all troubles for that Yee talke of the Catholike religion and of your owne religion saying my religion Lieth the Catholike religion and yours in these pointes in deede M. Howlet yee heere name will yee needes lie in perpetuall prison leese goods landes and life for the same After by eareshrift to your Ghostly father yee bee discharged of lawfull and duetifull obedience to our Soueraigne as vice gerent in God his place to whom yee owe obedience for conscience sake as to God him selfe whose roome she possesseth as the substitute and Angel of God thus speake ye some tymes to yeelde the same to a Priest and proude prelate to a forrainer and forerunner to Antichrist if not himselfe rather to the Pope of Rome that hath nothing to doe with Englishe subiectes after this inuerted and peruerted othe and bowe You call it your reconciliation Lieth your religion
I say in a masking Masse in a crucifixe Medall agnus Det and such other images yee call them lay mens bookes in a seely payre of beads so you speake your selfe and such other reliques then woulde I surely haue all men consider well the dayly exercises of our Religion which is Catechising and instructing of youth and the ruder sort in y e Articles of the beliefe the tenne cōmandements the Lord his prayer and other the principles of christian religion preaching and hearing preached God his holy woorde ministring and receiuing the Sacramentes of Baptisme and y e Lord his supper according to Christ his holy institution in the Gospel prayers to God for necessities and thankesgiuing for benefites with confession of sinnes and of our faith also and singing of Psalmes c. These are the vsuall and ordinarie exercises and the principal of our religion in our dayly meetings kept among Englishe men in the Englishe tongue Nowe let these be compared with your exercises that you set vs heere downe and with the other ceremonies of your Catholique Romane Churche and their Latine seruice at this day and then let iudgement hardly bee giuen whether of the two bee more to God his glorye the Churches that is God his peoples edification to heauenwarde and as God his religion best grounded on his holy worde as comformable thereto and so consequently to be receiued and imbraced with all thankfulnesse to God and our soueraigne I am perswaded M. Howlet that as in your motiues for alteration in so bad and corrupt a religion as yours is you moue very litle her Maiesties resolute and setled conscience on better groundes then yours for all your cunning and sugred speeches so this well weighed and rightly your friendes reasons and your glosing will gaine as litle to your side I can not followe particularly all your impudent 〈◊〉 slāders without vsing to much vnseemely tearms in geuing you that you deserue I will but touche so much as I shall thinke requisite the things that seeme needefull vnto me for the readers satisfaction and admonition I cannot let passe that ye say heere we were borne baptized bred vp c. in the Catholike Religion still ambiguitie of speeche but I guesse at your meaning you meane your selfe and your fellowes I suppose for we renounce and vtterly denie with thankes to God that wee or any of vs were baptised in Popishe or in any man his religion Wee were baptised In the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost in the name of Christ and into Christian religion and therefore is Baptisme called Christening and Christendome not Popening and Popedome I will not calculate your age M. Howlet and yet it may bee you were borne and bred vp in the time of the Gospel and profession of this religion many of your side I am sure were yet shal not neede to be rebaptised as though yee had been baptised in heretical religion by your opinion You were baptised wee hope In the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghoste for euery Popishe Priests forme in baptising wee haue not to answere looke you vnto it We finde in your owne decrees among other your corruptions of Gods holy orders his Institution recorded euen in the ministring of this sacrament of Baptisme in the Latine tongue that a Priest in Pope Zacharies time baptised a childe in too too barbarous vnto ward and vile a forme as is set downe in the margine Therefore not without cause bid I you looke to your Priestes and their doings afore time One may iudge there bee many holy things euill fauouredly 〈◊〉 vp among you I haue tolde you the order of Baptizing in our Churches for the circumstance of tyme when it is no great matter in this case looke to the substance Antichrist with all his corruptions and mischief coulde neuer ouerthrow the forme substance of Baptisme hithertoo not in the tyme of Poperie Let your Antichrist take his corruptions y t is his religiō Let vs thāke God for the substance of our Baptisme that wee neede not be Baptised againe reserued by God for vs and vnto vs in spight of Antichriste and the diuell in all ages To God greatly yea wholly To these wee are nothing beholding for the same and as litle or lesse for the corruptions they mingled therewith What ye meane when ye say we were borne in the Catholike religion is somewhat darke in a thing is diuersly taken consulte with your M. Aristot. we were borne and you too in iniquitie dead in trespasses and sinnes and are by nature the children of wrath aswell as others Thus speake the Scriptures If you meane as I thinke yee doe that wee were borne your selfe and all and Baptised in the tyme of Poperye wee graunt it But in or into Popishe religion wee denie it It is one thynge to bee Baptised in a Popishe tyme and another in Popishe religion keepe the woordes wherewith we were baptised In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost This is neyther Poperie nor Popishe religion Here vpon wee say your argument and your fellowes is taken from Sophistrie and is a Sophisticall and brabbling quarrell You may easily finde the fallacion Thus falleth the Bulwarke alone and of it selfe or is taken very easily that yee imagine impregnaable till it bee tryed or assaulted wee see and heare well inough what accompt yee make of this argument abroade to deceiue the simple Distinguishe whiche is not harde to bee done Betweene God and the Diuell Christe and Antichriste Poperie and True Religion Gods holy word and mens Inuentions Let eche one haue that is proper to him and it And this argument of being Baptised in the Catholike Romane religion as these men speake that is Popishe religion as wee truely speake will easily bee answered Her Maiesties clemencie that yee talke of and great mercie as it hangeth not on your commendation as needing the same so both it and the cares wherewith you disquiet her peaceable and quiet estate and perce her tender heart so much as in you lieth should make your hearts to bleed in your bellies rather then hers if they were not harder then flint neuer praise your loue to her Maiestie you are litle beholding to your neighbours that neede to praise your selues for no body els can Say not to excuse your peruerse wilfulnesse that ye are not able to remooue the cause because it is your conscience iudgment in religiō You haue framed your selues a conscience ye may as well remoue it Ye haue freewill 〈◊〉 yee say on both sides Yee could freely enough fall arise as freely I pray you by reforming your conscience and iudgement Lie not still in your owne myre and say yee bee perplexed because some of your doctours talke and teache perplixetie that men are sometime brought into whiche is but a foolishe opinion We will
that the crime of Disloyaltie is obiected vnto you c. Heereuppon you puffe and fume or woulde seeme to bee angry yee amplifie the matter yee apeale yee protest yee bestirre you euery way heere is praeda Mysorum expounded and set out with dogge Rhetorike and much adoe The thing might haue been 〈◊〉 taken and vttered with more 〈◊〉 and modestie and your deedes if yee had any might better cleere you with wyse men than wordes will Your iudgement of the man in this passion and in your owne case will hardly bee esteemed This vpbrayding of imprisonment this charging with phantasticall opinions and shewing none and saying that the man with whome yee are 〈◊〉 can deuise any newe Religion at any time vppon 〈◊〉 weekes warning giuen him grounded but vppon this if men reporte truely This vncharitable and naughty dealing I say may sauour of immoderat choler and heate but of litle trueth or honest modestie you would scarsely be content to bee so vsed your selfe Though it bee no parte of the matter to stande in defence of particular men and their 〈◊〉 neither take I great delight in that course yet if that be the partie ye quote in your margine M. Howlet I answere not by reporte and heare say as you too lightly doe but vppon better knowledge that it is very vntrue a slaunder that you reporte of his deuising of any newe Religion vppon a weekes warning c. And that hee hath beene knowen neuer to haue altered his iudgement in Religion since hee first entred the profession thereof and at this day also thankes bee to God keepeth the true paterne of the wholesome doctrine of saluation and constantly trauaileth for the mainteynance of the Fayth against you and such other as fallen into Heresie impugne the same It maketh no great matter what you reporte of him or such other when almost yee can say well of no good man the worse hee heareth of you in this case the better wil hee bee liked among the godly Touching the matter I would your deedes M. Howlet and your fellowes did not plainely confirme and approoue that hee writeth if you bee so stifly addicted vnto Popishe heresie as yee seeme to professe and so obstinate in refusing by othe to acknowledge her Maiesties Soueraigntie giuen of GOD and by lawe propounded to her subiects heere Thinke not that it is this man his singular opinion in wryting and printing but the common opinion heere of the best that in the case you are ye be enemies to God her Royall Maiestie and the State that worse tearmes also may beseeme you your deserts wel ynough Bee not angrie therefore at this your to much stirring will but increase the opinion of you Haue you beene all this while in laying downe your griefes in disclosing your miseries and vnfolding at large nowe your pittifull afflicted case and such intollerable molestations as you cannot beare brought into such extremitie as neuer was hearde of in Englande before And is all come to this that the geuing out publikely in print of these woordes that al Papists are enemies to GOD and her Royall Maiestie is aboue all things the most grieuous iniurious and intollerable Is this the deepest wounde and the greatest hurte yee haue Is this such extremitie as was neuer hearde of in England before Alas seely mouse that appeareth after the mountaines great trauaile I woulde when your side commaunded wee had beene persecuted but by tongue and penne Is that bloody persecutiō forgotten nowe these 〈◊〉 man but wordes and in your owne estimation but the wordes and opinion of a straunge brainsicke fellowe holding phantastical opinions and vyle in the reputation of the worlde what neede you bee so much moued thereat Yee are of a noble courage file not your handes vppon euery one yee meete I see M. Howlet your choise and meaning heerein cunningly to seeke to treade vpon the hedge where it is lowest you are commonly in extremities either with the greatest or the least you can hardly keepe the golden measure and meane in any thing This renteth your Catholique hartes forsooth which are priuey of your owne trueth and duetifull affection towardes her highnesse estate and personne woulde to God that that is so priuey to your selues vnknowen to others her Maiestie at least to whome it appertaineth might bee made priuey to in deede by your submissions to her authoritie renouncing all foreigne power I woulde yee woulde haue made her Maiestie priuey before yee ran away made your selues slaues to that Beast of Rome I woulde before you had thus dealt with her Subiectes and Printed your booke without her leaue and against her minde you would haue made her Maiestie priuey of y e matter I would you would yet now at the lēgth returne home vpō her Maiesties commandement and intimation giuen vnto you of her pleasure and doe as some of your fellowes companie doe repent and stande to her Maiesties mercy Ye need not be ashamed nor afrayde you shal haue examples here before your eyes of honester men I feare than some of you will prooue except you doe the lyke This is good sooth and trueth and the duetifull and bounden affection of subiects this is good plaine English dealing man without Romish farded 〈◊〉 or deepe Italian fetches if yee bee so desirous to cleere your selues as yee pretende yeelde to this motion in time Otherwise your Rhetorique is but colde it perswadeth not all that you say or can say for your selues hath been is considered it is hardly worth the hearing Hee that prayseth him selfe is not allowed but hee whome the Lorde prayseth How if her Maiestie reply relie as you speake vpon her iust interest how if shee say ye plaine more than ye neede or haue cause for if this mans wordes be the worst is done vnto you that you make much adoe of a litle or nothing in comparison howe if her Maiestie tell you where the trueth of the matter is to bee tryed in deedes and good euidence words are in vaine and preuaile not howe if therefore shee 〈◊〉 you leaue flourishing that is a vaine praysing and vaunting your Loyaltie in glorious wordes set out with colors of petre Rhetorique 〈◊〉 you for her satisfaction and assurance goe to the matter and by taking the othe of submission testifie and approoue your obedience and shame your aduersaries that way Let another man praise thee saith the wise man and not thyne owne mouth a stranger and not thyne owne lippes Namely wee are bidden there Not to boaste our selues before the King You keepe no measure 〈◊〉 M. Howlet And in refusing conformitie to take the othe of obedience and to goe to Church vpon the reasons of the treatise folowing Ye maintaine a very corrupt conscience if it may beare the name of conscience which is so ill staied If words may be receiued your pay verely is good if deeds bee required your money is not currant That
Pope in his wicked Bulls hath at this day most wickedlie published and set abroade contayning a most diuelish Doctrine of Disobedience and a lyke practise what euer you nowe tel in faire wordes to flatter withall in opinion you agree with these woordes of D. Thom. and apply all to and against our noble Queene and this State as your practises too much prooue The wise man saieth Hee that hateth wil counterfaict with his lippes but in his heart he layeth vppe deceite Though hee speake fauourably beleeue him not for there are seuen abhominations in his heart Hatred may bee couered by deceit but the malice thereof shalbee discouered in the Congregation And that this that I tell you of is true among you hot Catholikes as you wil be called I wil at this tyme wade no farther in your S. Thomases summe nor in your Popes Decrees and other wryters of your side in former times But let me be bold as you doe obiect vnto vs the doctrine of one or two of our men so for all to set you downe y e words at least of one of your cōpaniōs or great pillers doctors rather of your present Popishe church that is fled from his Countrey Prince vs here to Rome and abroade there thence like a Popish Priest by practises wrytings seeking to stirre vp among other seditious rebellions and treasons against her Maiestie and this State which partly by wryting partly by posting betweene is according to Commission and trust performed by him so farre as hee may to the vttermost Saunders trauaile more laborious and 〈◊〉 then sounde Godly or wise in his huge peece of woorke of the visible Monarchy of the Church is against the present state of this Churche and Realme of Englande there needeth no other applier of the whole then himselfe I suppose all you hot Romaine Catholikes agree and bee all of one minde in this behalfe in the name of you all he speaketh for the rest especially seing their voices being asked they disagree not any I know for but 〈◊〉 y e same rather in their wryting In Saunders Epistle therefore To the most vnreuerend Cardinals Iohn Moron and twoo other before his visible Monarchie not only Iyingly and slaunderously chargeth he the godly lawes of this Realme with impietie tyrannie and that this I 〈◊〉 almost alone at this day in all Christendome plentifully yeeldeth foorth Martyrs so hee calleth the Traytours that haue been and a litle before the wryting heere of were executed heere for their trayterous attempts and other English Romaine Catholikes whereof in 〈◊〉 beaderoll hee reckeneth vs vp a rable But furthermore also 〈◊〉 stirreth vp the saide Cardinals as though it were very earnestly from hence sued for vnto them to trauaile by such meanes as they can to deliuer the people heere hee meaneth such as himselfe is from this so great and cruel tyrannie so hee calleth the most moderate and peaceable gouernement of her Maiestie whereunto also after congratulation and commendation for his former late dealing with this Realme her Maiestie and the State hee exciteth the vnholinesse of the Pope in his Epistle Dedicatory to him cōforting himself feeding other and namely his Pope with vaine hope this was about ten yeeres since that very shortly after the runnegate Catholikes and their fellowes shoulde bee restored to their Religion and places heere againe hee dreamed of a drie sommer Wee may easily gather howe and whence all the stirres here since arise and growe and what the drifte of al is If this bee not seditious doctrine and demeneanor rebellious and trayterous what is I pray you God lōg blesse and keepe her Maiestie among vs. Proceeding furder in his visible Monarchie thus mryteth he amōg other things It belongeth vetily to the Bishoppes especially both to pronounce the king himselfe an Heretike or an Apostata and also to declare that his subiects are afterward free from geuing him any obedience and that they ought to doe their endeuour that another bee out of hande put in his place Nowe if the subiects doe not looke to their office in this behalfe it longeth to the Pastors to prouide by any meanes they can that he that sitteth in the chaire of Pestilence raigne not in the Church of God this is the true obedience your Catholike Churche teacheth her children to yeelde to their Princes for conscience sake Is not saith Saunders the matter so c do not the Pastors watche for the soules as wel of kings as of those which obay kings It is their duetie therefore to omit nothing that they shall knowe to bee expedient for the soules health who seeth not that it is cleane contrarie to the soules health that hee should bee suffered to raigne ouer the Faithfull which is himself vnfaythful c Shal he then be worthie the name of a man that shal affirme that a wicked king ought not to be compelled to cleere and put himselfe out of his publique charge If at al surely hee must bee put out for Heresie How shal that controuersie be iudged without the resolution of the Doctors of the church c. Now Pastors Teachers of the churche can bee no Iudges of a king except the king be in that thing lesse and inferior vnto thē For neither hath an equal power ouer an equal nor an inferior ouer his superior We affirme therfore iustly that al Christian kings in matters appertayning to Fayth are so subiect to Bishops Priests that obstinately continuing in offending against Christian religion after one or two admonitions for the same cause they may ought by the sentence of the Bishops to be put from other tēporal gouernement which they haue ouer Christiās And yet againe after in the same chapter out of a great many I take but a fewe sentences Since therfore the wisedome of God hath not left his churche which is a Citie very well built defensed without a medicine for such a disease ne yet can any other medicine helpe than that may take away so euil a king from among the people and giue his kingdome to a better man Wee must beleeue that such power at least was graūted to the supreme pastour of the church hee commeth nowe from meaner Bishops to the Pope of Rome whome hee meaneth by that tytle in these words Feede my sheepe whatsoeuer thou shalt bind vpon earth shalbe bounde also in Heauen To foule and shamelesse 〈◊〉 of the holy woorde of God That the supreme Pastour may not onely excommunicate a wicked king but also free and set his subiectes at libertie frō all obedience vnto him For if so bee whatsoeuer Peter or Peters successour vppon earth loose bee also loosed in heauen then truely when rightly and orderly hee setteth faythful subiects at libertie from the obedience of a wicked king vppon earth the same subiects also are freed in heauen from the obedience of the same king Againe if whatsoeuer
his iudgement in that matter ye should haue repaired and sent vs to y e place where at large of purpose he ētreateth thereof which he doth in the twentie or last chapter of the fourth booke of his Institution expressely handlyng there the heauenly authoritie of Magistrates and the duetie of good and obedient subiectes whiche Chapter is written wholly of Politique gouermnent Wherein M. Howlet prooue him if you can to haue written vngodly seditiously or vntruely No as hee writeth very godly and with great authoritie of scriptures and reason so doth he very reuerently and modestly also if any other writer old or new as they say doe so after another manner and sort then eyther you here doe to her Maiestie for all your flattering floures or then your sort haue of late or now doe of Princes and 〈◊〉 els where I woulde wishe the godly and christian reader to bee well acquainted with this M. Caluins writings and I doubt not to affirme to bee true here that was else where saide Let him thinke he hath greatly 〈◊〉 in matters of religion who is brought into a loue and liking of Caluins writings And yet I make neither him my God nor his writings my Byble for all this reuerent thinking and speaking of him and his writings Euen in this matter of Magistrates I praye thee gentle reader looke but into that last Chapter and thou shalt see it shal be hard for thee to read else where 〈◊〉 or profoūder iudgement of a diuine for the excellent dignitie of ciuill Princes and Magistrates or for subiectes and priuate mens obedience to thy satisfaction and contentmēt and to be able with all to confute whateuer M. Howlet or his side can cauill against this seruaunt of GOD or Christes religion here 〈◊〉 I will not nowe stande in diducting this matter but note thus much by the way and nowe come M. Howlet to answere your glenings and pyckings out of his writings In the 10. Chapter of the 4. booke of his Institution he treateth of the authoritie of the Churche in making lawes and of the Popes and popishe Prelates tyrannie ouer mens consciences in that behalfe and namely handling this question whether it be lawfull for the Church by her lawes to binde mens consciences he freely inueigheth against your popish Churches licentiousnes in that behalf without any whit preiudicing politique order onely reseruing mens soules and consciences free to bee spiritually guided by God Christ and his holy woorde in the matters appertayning to the soules health and saluation Nowe M. Howlet if this doctrine mislike you that mens soules and consciences should be aboue the cōpasse of mens authoritie and lawes then condemne our 〈◊〉 Christ the Prophetes and Apostles with M. Caluin who make one spirituall Judge King Lorde and Lawgiuer ouer mens soules that is able to saue and destroy willing vs so to giue to Ceasar those thinges that are Caesars that we giue to God the thinges that are Gods to feare him that hath authoritie to cast into hell and to destroy both soule and body there Whereas men what power soeuer they haue ouer the body afterwarde can doe nothing more nor are not able to kill the soule Againe Yee are bought with a price be not the seruantes of men Stande in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made vs free and be not intangled agayne with the yoke of bondage In the kingdome of God there is neyther Iewe nor Grecian circumcision nor vncircumcision bonde nor free male nor female but ye are all one in Christ he is all in all thinges And yet in place may this distinction bee made and must also be as I noted before Your faulte herein is that yee distinguishe not aright betweene the ciuill and outwarde Courte and the Spirituall Courte of conscience as they speake and Maister Caluin here noteth and else where also howe euer your Fafather and Church haue taken vpon them to deale with mens consctences which is Gods seat to sit and rule there wherein they shewe what they bee yet neither our 〈◊〉 nor other ciuill Princes vsurpe so much ouer Gods right that is proper to Antechrist and your faction Concerning the first Article your corruption and false collection therein are so shamelesse that they may be easily espied I wishe the reader to haue but recourse to the place ye quote to finde out your trecherie or false allegatiō in peruerting the authours woordes and sense to be able to answere the same Excellently well doth M. Caluin in that place defining and treating of conscience reconcile these two pointes togethcr First that mens consciences for their spirituall gouernment are aboue mens reaches reserued only to God which also in time of ignorance as y e said M. Caluin sayth was seene and obserued by your Popish writers though practise were to the contrary as may name ly be seene in your Saint Thomas Next that we must bee subiect to our ciuill Magistrates and that for conscience sake according to the doctrine of the Apostle not so much respecting the thinges commaunded or forbidden by them which of them selues touche not conscience as the generall ende and commandement of the eternall God that hath appointed this order and willed vs by his commandement to be subiect to autoritie And this is it the Apostle tendeth to in his epistle to the Romanes so as leauing your caueling in wordes and syllables if you coulde and woulde distinguishe betwene the ciuill Courte and the court of conscience and betweene generall and particular as M. Caluin speaketh All scrupule auoyded this matter might bee eased and better matter gathered from this godly wryter then you too 〈◊〉 pretende to bee there The booke being both in Englishe and in Latine let the reder iudge of the whole you M. Howlet and your fellowes shall neuer be able to stayne M. Caluin and his doctrine nor cleare your selues from malice c. while you liue if you deale plainely Set vs downe the booke Chapter Section and Caluins wordes for we haue no cause other wise to trust you as you doe your fellowes The second place or article that yee take out of Caluin is so plaine true as I maruell what yee meant to charge him therewith for speaking of Christian libertie hee saith That the consciences of the faithfull are exempted from the power of all men by reason of the libertie giuen thē by Christ so as they are not to be intangled in the snares of constitutions in those things wherein the Lord would haue them free But adde I pray you as hee doth there That as the matter is very worthie and meete to bee knowne so needeth it a large and plaine declaration by reason of the adoe that partly seditious persons partly quarell pickers make as though all obedience of men which is not meant were thereby also taken away and ouerthrowne To preuent this inconuenience doth maister Caluin there a
authour of in his Lawe As distinction of meates and dayes which while the Iewes being wonne to the Gospel did in those dayes retaine though they did it ignorantly not knowing the libertie of the Gospel yet till they might be fully perswaded therin by fayth which is grounded on doctrine and the word they were vounde to keepe by the commandement of God himselfe These circumstances considered it will not be harde to spy out M. Howlets and his fellowes ill dealing in this place to haue the true sense meaning which if it be not wrapped and obscured with subtill quidities taken out of schoole questions will playnely enough fall out of it felfe thus that the faythfull for his particular regarde being in doubt or lacking the ful persuasion of Faith whiche is giuen by measure and hath his time of growing and encreasing can not without danger nor shoulde not attempt to doe that wherin he is not by the word of God and faith yet throughly resolued when he may without danger of offending abstaine from the outwarde action not stiffely standing nor flatering himself in his opinion but moderating his doing by the gifte and measure of faith which he hath readie vpon further instruction and knowledge to growe forwarde and to profite A thing verily in his kinde much to be commended and greatly to be borne with is this respect of conscience not to rushe into the doing of euery thing without all sense or remorce of conscience not to attempt things or presume to doe the same except the minde be thorowly persuaded that God is therewith pleased which it cannot bee but by faith and faith is grounded on the woorde of God Christ shall not breake a brused reade nor quenche the smoking flaxe saith the holy Ghost I would we all considered this point better then we commonly doe both in our selues and in those with whom wee dayly and vsually liue But what maketh all this doctrine of the Apostle eyther for Gentiles and Dogs that neuer were in the church or for papistes and other obstinate and wilful heretikes that breake out of Christes true church doe flatter themselues in there follyes vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure saith the Apostle but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled c. What maketh it against her Maiestie and her vpright and equall lawes to stay the execution thereof against superstitious sedicious persons bursting foorth into violent actes and attempts against her Maiesties royall person and the state and her most peaceable and quiet gouernement to followe that man of sinne the Pope of Rome it maketh greatly Against you M. Howlet and your felowes that abuse so great lenitie much to the cleering of her Maiestie and the state in meeting with your obstinacy maketh it greatly M. How let telles vs here of an Insidell that should say there were a Messias c. And his fellow in his discourse of a Iewe too sweare that there were a blessed Trinitie against their cōsciences What a sinne it were to the doer and to the inforcer But this is none of their case nor her Maiestie or her lawes in dealing with thē They haue had now aboue these twentie yeeres the preaching of the Gospel And I trust if not they that too vnchristianly and vnnaturallye of late haue withdrawne themselues from God prince to betake themselues to the Pope yet those that liue vnder her Maiesties gouernment and in her dominions shall more and more which God also graunt haue the same dayly to informe and direct their consciences aright in all godlinesse and honestie Such is her highnes godly and tender care ouer vs al. She like our good Prince forceth nones consciences but very mildely proceedeth by order and lawe as she needes must to restraine the fury and pride onely of such as make dissention in Christ his bodie corrupt his sincere religion and growe perillousto her royall estate and the realmes If this touch you M. Howlet or your fellow hot catholikes thanke your selues you teach here that it is lawful to restraine by temporal punishment such felowes and her Maiestie taketh it so to Not as allowed by the church which is your popish opinion but as geuen of God and warranted by his word For heerein also I tell you we differ from you that you make the ciuill magistrates authoritie to hang of the churches allowance as you here insinuate so to bring princes vnder the popes check Wee goe higher and say that the autoritie is immediately geuen them of God and from him ouer euery soule within their gouernment and so dependeth on the ordinance of the eternal God and his woord We say your church challengeth too muche and haleth things too fast to it Magistrates waxe euery day more godly wise than other and will not be easily abused as afore time Yee speake of recalling home by temporall punishment such as you accoūt heretikes to y e vnity of Christ his body agayn Your doctrine herein your violent practise scarcely agree when you get the temporall swoorde on your side Is that to recall them home By fire and fagot to con sume them to asshes which is your manner These are two diuers endes ye know learned vnlearned young olde men women no sort and degree spared If her maiestie and her lawes repute you papistes for heretikes as iustly yee may be reputed what haue ye to say for your selues A bare deniall onelye retaining still poperie and heresie in opinion and broching the same still among vs will hardly serue your turne if you be put to it Be more equall milde towardes other vnlesse yee looke to haue the same measure measured to you that yee meat to others and that with a great deale more vprightnes and better conscience But I am in doubt your Catholike Church will neuer leaue the trickes of a Stepmother or a strumpet rather Ye know y e story of y e two womens pleading before king Salomō for a childe eyther alleadging her selfe to be the mother but whē the liuing child should haue beene killed and deuided at the Kinges commandement the true mothers heart was mooued with compassion and could by no meanes yeelde or abide to haue the childe killed but the other that pretended onely and was not indeede the mother was very forwarde to haue it killed and deuided I will saye no more but I woulde you hot Catholikes and your popish church had but halfe that compassion and tendernes of hearte and respect to mens liues that the profession and the professors of the Gospell haue But it is not in you there is a contrary nature and a contrary dealing in the wolfe and in the shepherd the sheep Your handes haue been too lōg imbrued in the. blood of Gods saintes it is the proper marke of your bloodte Antichristian church It is that ye glorie in God amend you if it be his blessed will or else cut you
telleth expressely Yee may bee compelled to perfourme that ye haue promised and holde that yee haue once receiued And bringeth good testimonies against you out of Augustine You I say that haue been baptized into the fayth of Christ not of Rome nor the Popish church and hardely any one of you founde within this Realme or among you English Romanistes that being of age now leaue this Realme that haue not in the time of the profession of the Gospel here gone to Church and done other actes of our religion at one time or other in blessed king Edwards dayes now or both Againe yee know that your D. Thomas his manner in his summe commonly is after he hath obiected agaynst the truth to set on the contra ry side that he taketh to be the truth in this question after he hath out of other men obiected That Infidelles are by no meanes to be compelled to the fayth he addeth as it were of his own But of the cōtrarie side is y t which is sayd in the. 14. of Luke Goe out into the wayes and hedges compell them to come in that my house may bee filled But men enter into the house of God that is into the holy church by fayth Therefore some saith he are to be com pelled to the fayth This haue I set downe that you may see what vātage you haue by sending vs to your S. Thomas and your other doctours for indeed sir to shew you might here haue spared wel enough in your margin Omnes doct I could further alleadge to the contrary your subtil Doctor Iohn Scot who had great followers He holdeth herein that it were godly and well done If Infidels were compelled of their Princes with threats feare to faith religiō Euen against your D. Thomas that you here set vs downe You knowe or may knowe howe common a thing it is in your religion not in this Article onely to finde the Scotists against the Thomists Doctor against Doctor c. But I had rather vnfoulde my selfe and the reader out of these contradictions and braules of your Popishe wryters then sticke therein Her Maiestie besides that she simply and vtterly taketh not vpon her by force and violence to compell to fayth as though shee coulde giue and imprint the same in mens heartes though shee set forth maynteine and binde all her subiectes to outwarde meanes and exercises of religion as I haue sayde thereby shewing what shee wisheth and driueth vnto which shee also vseth her self neither sitteth shee in the conscience of any which is proper to your Pope his lawes and your religion besides that her Maiestie is free herein I say Shee moreouer vseth her selfe in this case so godly so wisely so vprightly and so moderately towards you that deserue so ill as if any faulte may iustly bee founde it is in this that some of you are not straightlier lookt vnto and more roundlier proceeded withall But her Maiestie is wise ynough Zizebutus a prince is commended in one of the councelles and in your owne Decrees and counted very religious in compelling to Christianitie This is that in summe I woulde say vnto you for answere in this matter For as much as there is no societie of people so barbarous lyghtly that liue without some outwarde exercise of Religion and God hath beautified and commended Ciuill Magistrates in kingdomes Common wealthes and Cities vnder the tytle of Gods and hath ordayned them as his Ministers for our good that we may receiue prayse frō autortie in doyng well and in doing otherwise stande in feare as who beareth not the swoorde in vayne for hee is the Minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill Againe forasmuch as this Image of God is in nothing more seene namely in publike persons those of Autoritie then in procuring promoting aduancing dayly of Gods honour and seruice by their power and by giuing shewing good exāple to others for which cause principally they are aduanced as on a mountain placed in Royall chaire that therefore I say those Christian Kings Queens whō God hath called to this honor to be Foster Fathers and Nurses to his Churche and people doe well and very acceptable seruice to GOD and are highly highly to bee commended and heartily and continually to bee prayed for of all for that the aduersarie on the other side is mightie and suttle not onely for ranging them selues to Gods holy and true Religion taken out of the sacred Scriptures and the outward exercises of the same but for inducing also by the wisedome and power giuen them of GOD all people and personnes subiect to them vnto the like by making good and wholsome lawes by encouragement and by feare according as the qualitie and circumstance of place tyme and person require without all tyranny and vsurpation of the roome and place of the most high God of heauen ouer mens consciences on the one side and yet without all loosenesse on the other side in omitting such oportunitie and meanes as God offereth for the benefite of the holye people the Saintes of the moste High I speake of these and of suche as are by office called to publique and high charge among them in Churche cōmon wealth euen christian Kings Queens c. Of whō thus it is prophecied The kingdome and dominion and the greatnes of the kingdome vnder the whole heauen shall be giuen to the holy people of the most high whose kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome and all powers shall serue and obey him This seemeth to bee spoken of Christ his kingdome and the time of the Gospel c. Nowe this consecrating of her selfe and her authoritie wholly to GOD and his seruice to the benefite of his Church is it and it alone which her Maiestie in this case of many yeeres hath stil doth to Gods glory her singular cōmendation put in executiō amōg vs her people growing I hope dayly from good to better And this is that also which no honest faithfull good man can iustly bee offended withall This haue I if not ouerthrowne in your opinion perhappes your bulwarkes yet sufficiently for this matter cleared the trueth I trust her Maiestie also and the state against your vniust quarrels and slanders 13 Nowe proceede I with your wordes Besides this say you as no wise Noble man after many Ages of quiet possession would suffer another to recouer his Barronie without shewinge of verie good euidence So wee in reason are not to bee blamed if wee 〈◊〉 helde the possession of the Catholike Churche in Englande for these thousand yeres by our aduer saries confession do stande with them yet and require some euidence before we consent to giue vp the same Hereto they haue shewed vs none but onely woordes and forgerie they entred into possession without tryall of the tytle they thrust vs out before sentence or proofe wee crye out of the
scriptures directing ruling your consciences thereby On the other side againe wyll you as honest dutifull Subiects renouncing all forraigne power of Prelate Prince or Potentate whatsoeuer betake your selues hence forwarde to bee gouerned by her Maiestie and the temporall lawes of this lande and such Statutes as for the good and peaceable guiding thereof be by her Maiestie the State made agreed vpon in the high court of 〈◊〉 according to the order of this Realme What say you to this condition I aske you because I am in doubt whether you will in the ende stand to the resolution and iudgement of her Maiestie the State herein Nor to any in deed but vnto your Pope your selues and yet had yee neede I tell you resolue be resolued in this point before you make sute to her maiestie so earnest sute to haue publike disputation as wherevpon your eternall saluation dependeth c. And to this point answere hardly in your next writing for in this Epistle DEDICATORIE your wordes hetherto seeme to imploy som cōtradictiō in this matter or els your sute seemeth yf not hollowly yet cunningly made to your vantage but preiudiciall and perillous to this quiet and peaceable state setled nowe aboue these xxii yeeres together in this kind of gouernement of reiecting the authoritie of the Pope of Rome and Popish religion and receiuing the profession of the Gospel and acknowledging her Maiesties Royall soueraigntie ouer all States and degrees All which is wel and sufficiently warranted and maintained by the expresse testimonie of Gods holy worde and the wholesome lawes of this Realme as hath beene and is still both for the one the other by proofe published to the viewe of all the worlde You M. Howlet and your late start vp Iesuites and other English Romanistes or Rhemistes to be plaine with you are too weake in the shoulders God haue the glory to take in hande by disputation or otherwise to vndermine or shake this Godly State or to prooue your owne cause good Yee are but princockes and babes for the most part in comparison of those of your side aforetime that stoode in the front of the battaile whose force yet God be thanked haue beene well tryed and met with all It is vnto you a harde 〈◊〉 of the decay and vtter ruine shortly to fall vpon your huge Antichristian kingdome as that was an after demonstration in the Poet Naeuius that Tullie mencioneth when newe Oratours foolish young men arise and take in hande the administration of the common wealth who were wont so to bragge of gray haires olde men c. Yea 〈◊〉 is that that hath alreadie beene a great part of the vndoing ofit on your behalfes Young men I speake not to reproch age nor to touche towardly youth may haue good heades fresh memorie quicke sight sharpe wit ioly art and prompt and readie tongues and wordes at will which thinges if they bee well applyed wherein is all haue their commendation as in young men But in heauenly matters Gods truth reuealed in his written worde his feare a setled vnderstanding and iudgement framed by Gods holy spirite ioyned with simplicitie and sinceritie in Christes religion and a reuerent humble minde to Godwarde directed alwayes by the sacred Scriptures in young or olde are a great deale more worth and yet by your vaunt you seeme to trust much to the other and thereupon are you so earnest for disputation Of your vaine Scholasticall disputations and arguments pro contra that can make quidlibet ex quolibet or as wee speake Make men beleeue that the Moone is made of greene cheese or that the Crowe is white by your sophistrie The Churche of God to the hurt thereof hath had too great experience afore time and the faithfull at this day see but too muche of this stuffe in your subtill Doctor Scotus your Angelicall Doctors Quodlibetal questions and in numbers of bookes of that stampe We haue beene faithfully warned by the holy ghost to take heed of admitting that kind of dealing a great while since namely in Saint Paules Epistles to Timothie And in deed by tryall we find dayly that by wrangling iangling and vaine disputiug the truth commonly goeth to wracke and is lost besides other inconueniences that arise thereby There be other meanes to try out the truth by then this This kinde of exercise vnlesse it bee very soberly kept and vsed with great moderation is very dangerous in matters of diuinitie And yet God be thanked for his gifts you may be and are euen in this exercise matcheable and to bee matched if neede were with your equals heere at home You that make these great bragges were but yesterday to talke of in Oxeford you haue left your fellowes and your betters too behind you in Oxeford Cābrige abrod also if you will giue other besides your selues leaue to iudge but let vs heare what you tell vs more of y e particulars for you offer also of your liberalitie two other wayes of dealing besides publike disputation These are your wordes 15 ANd as for the particulars wee shall easily agree with them For wee offer all these three wayes both iointly and seuerally that is either by trying out the truthe by briefe scholasticall arguments or by continuall speeche for a certaine space to be allotted out the other part presently or vpon studie to answere the same or finally by preaching before your Maiestie or where els your Maiestie shall appoint And for our safeties we aske nothing els but only your Maiesties worde set downe vnto vs in no ampler maner then the Councell of Trent made the safe conduct to our aduersaries which they notwithstanding refused to accept But I hope they shall see that wee will not refuse or mistrust your Maiesties worde if we may once see it set downe by proclamation or otherwise by letters pattents for our safetie but that within 80. dayes after by the grace of God wee shall appeare before your highnesse with what danger soeuer to our liues otherwise for the try all of Gods truth which we make no doubt but to be cleare on our side 16 If our aduersaries refuse this offer they shall shewe too muche distrust in their owne case for it is with great labour perill and disaduantage on our partes and on their sides nothing at all I woulde they durst make but halfe the like offer for their comming hyther on this side the Seas it shoulde bee most thankefully taken and they with great safetie and all gentle intreatie disputed withall aud made to see as I presume their owne weakenesse But seeing this is not to bee hoped for wee relye vpon the other beseeching your Maiestie most humbly instantly that our iust demaund may be graunted for the tryall of Gods truth most necessary for vs all too our eternall saluation YEE talke vnto vs of three wayes of conference both ioyntly and seuerally as yee speake but all must
Germanes in the generall congregation Wee haue not thought it also to be amisse to cal to repētāce al those that are fallen into any heresies and are yet entangled therein with a large graunt of a safe conduct and promise of great and singular clemencie and Gentlenes so that they returne to hearte or repent and acknowledg the power of the holy Catholike church If you desire so greatly to be solemnely called home Construe of this condition then by your owne rule Yee talke of her Maiesties woorde and you say you will aske onely her Maiesties worde And yet to goe further by your leaue you being subiectes will see her Maiesties worde set down by Proclamatiō y t al y t world may be witnesses of it such trust you repose in her maiesties word or letters Pattents Her Maiesties becke might serue suche as you bee well enough in this case ye seeme too distrustfull to be plaine meaning and dealing men It is a harde case when her maiesties commandement cannot serue with those that will pretende to be subiects with whom the least signification of her highnes pleasure shoulde be enough and enough againe without prescribing an order for her maiesty to deale by in a mere ciuil case too as this is to cōmand her people to carry at home or to return home being abroad And yet more you must appoint your selues y t time to of cōming home before you will stir Foure score dayes iust no lesse wil serue you You are honorable men and long a making readie many things to take order in before you can set your selues into your voyage yet your best surest pillers that of englishmen ye haue to trust in be here in england among vs. If neede were and it were for your vantage three or four dayes would serue your turne to 〈◊〉 before her maiestie Her maiestie hath nothing else to doe you thinke but to attend and hearken after you and your sutes cunningly made for your aduantage Unlesse you caried better more duetifull mindes yee may tary where yee bee still Your roome is better then your companie When you haue afore hande prouided for the safetie of your persons more then reason and honestie can aske beeing subiectes Then you tell vs what danger you will put your selues into for the trial of Gods trueth c Babling and vaine folly as all the rest This is the matter eyther you would haue a furder ouverture to doe more hurte then you now doe or can doe while you craue disputation c. not for to haue your own doubtful consciences satisfied but to bring moe into perplexity w t you to more cōfirme such as bee too obstinate alreadie in errour or else it may be you are weary of being beyonde the Seas and would fain come home and after many attemptes you thinke at last you haue found out a way whereby you may bee honourably called home Ah craft But peace for shame no more of this Is all the labour peril and disaduantage on your partes as ye say on the other part nothing at all let her maiestie the state other here say for themselues and not you It is enough for you to speake for your owne side leaue the rest to bee waied by them whom it toucheth neerer then you you are but in a dreame The best and enowe of your side to take this matter in hād be here in england that there needeth no sending ouer sea for helpe to be had at englishmens handes thence You M. Howlet and your companions for the most parte haue your sires and dammes heere of whom you suckt your poperie From this you come to shewe If your offer be refused by vs that is with your so great labour perill and disaduantage wee shall shewe our selues too much distrustfull in our owne cause c. Of your perill and safetie wee haue seene before for your so great labour Take no more paines to leese your labor I pray you thē you need When there is any vse thereof it will bee called for profered seruice c. If ye finde disaduantage thanke your selues that make the match wee haue not to regarde that Yee make many offers we see and hide you in corners when you haue 〈◊〉 or like proper fellowes betake you to your heeles runne away that one cannot tell where to haue you nor where to seeke you sauing that some of you by Gods prouidence are sometime ouertaken ere yee bee aware and taken napping as they say You haue alwayes some let or some excuse or other why you keepe not touche when your matters goe not forwarde according to your expectation and mynde This is playne double dealing you cast vs the gloue of defiance I am not disposed to contende with you in bragging and vaunting yet let me warne you M. Howlet and the proudest of your fellowes that yee take heede if you be wise Little Dauids bagge hath a stone in it that flung at you before you come to hande strokes will make you grouel on the grounde if ye abide it were ye as stoute as euer was great Goliah Yee dare vs and would haue vs come ouer the Sea to make offer to you It is not in our handes neither conuenient to accept offers made by you at pleasure nor to go ouer Sea vnto you to make you offers Haue yee not enow beyonde the Seas to dispute withall Is all the worlde there one your side Ywis there be moe M. Howlet and y t singular men thē you well woulde there were and then while you liue you shalbe able to deale withall but to your shames Neuer crye hoo hoo at the matter like an Owle there will be no lacke of them I tell you whose faces yee dare not abide neither are yee able to stande in their handes let it without bragge bee spoken to Gods glory either you dissemble egregiously or yee knowe not the greate power and giftes of God in the learned professours of the Gospell beyonde the Seas but who is more bolde then blinde Bayard As though there were not heere to be talked dayly withall as profound learned English men of your side as any of you that hauing for the most part beene of late young men in Oxeforde and some in Cambridge haue since fled beyonde Sea Doth the very name and sight of Rome and those quarters make now a daies so great Clarks I weene not A cocke I'perceiue on his dounghill The not accepting of your proud bragges is no distrust in our cause but a great pride in you ioyned with a dastardly cowardlinesse who putting fire into y t house runaway as they say by the light plucking your neckes out of the collor most of all of obedience to her maiestie No dealing with you except you may haue your own offers your owne oddes and your owne lawes You say that our comming ouer vnto you is not to bee hoped and therefore you relie vpon disputatiō to be
this Treatile for them and take paynes to set downe Reasons for the due reforming of them being in better hope then of the former but if all thinges bee well considered there will bee found falshood in felowship and very hollow dealing You cut them off from you and yet you woulde fayne holde them in still what opinion you hot Catholikes haue of all besides your selues euen such of your owne side whom ye speake farest vnto let me be bolde shortly to giue here a taste Generally you count no better of all them that goe to Churche heere for what respect soeuer other then such as the Pope will allowe whereof you speake and we shall see more in your qualifications afterwardes then of Apostataes renouncers of the Catholike religion perfidious betrayers of Gods Catholike cause traytours to God no Christians Heathen men and Publicanes c. And yet good sir all these as badde as they bee are byrdes of one feather and one neste Schollers of your owne teaching and none of our religion yea they defie it as you suppose hollowe geare still and nothing but hollowe Catholikes All the Catholikes in Englande that goe to Church directly denie their religion yea the yeelding therein is a flatte and euident denying of God and of his fayth And yet they remaine be accounted Catholiks stil what a religion call you that wherein men may denie not onely their religion but God and his fayth too and yet be of the religion stil Your Catholikes you speake of be such yet bee they in your heape still that is Catholikes and of the Catholike Religion They bee out of the Church so without hope of Saluation Scismatikes excommunicate persons and yet Catholiks still and of no other religion A good religion sure and a commendable is that they holde who bee Atheists and godlesse men in your opinion if they be not which directly and slatly renounce God and his fayth and yet iudge all other religions false and erronious besides their owne opinion and will neuerthelesse communicate with the same for some worldly respect and condenme other that will not doe as they doe Nowe if Athiests c. bee Catholikes I can not tell what to make of you Catholikes you bee neyther fishe nor fleshe nor yet I weene good redde hering as they say the wrong and perillous perswaūon that these men are sayde here to bee in builded onely on their owne fantasie may beseeme a fantasticall religion not grounded on Gods woorde but on vnwrttten verities traditions doctrines of men custom multitude c. as popery is Litle reformatiō as hithetto may serue such a deformed religion for these two sortes of Catholikes as you call them wee thinke yee doe in the one as in the other that is but imagine and goe all by supposition it is your Clearklie dealing whereof you heare what I say The aduise that I can giue them is that they leaue not only that perillous perswasion of communicating with contrary Religions but also and principally their Popery and the opinion they haue of that religion which as the rest is builded onely on fantasie Nowe haue wee viewed your Catholikes that you haue set vs here downe agreeing all in Poperie though but ill fauouredly and among them selues also hardely if your reasons following proceede from such a Catholike minde as you haue described vs in these men surely they are hollowe and can carrie no great waight with them with such as liue here in her maiesties dominions I verily think they can litle or nothing at all preuaile if they haue especially any wisedome or feare of God before their eyes for them y t being in heart of your religion do cleane contrary thervnto I wot not howe easily they will be led by you but surely if they will depende vppon God and his woorde they neede neither feare your threates nor regarde your Reasons for any value or waight that is in the same But before I enter into the particular examination of your nine Reasons hauing respect to the rude and simple sort I wil make bolde to set downe a reason contrary vnto yours whereby I meane to shewe that all men here liuing if they bee not too farre gone are bounde to haunt Church assemblies and the exercises of Religion vsed among vs. And yet before I set downe my reason both for the iust defence and cleering of her Maiestie and the State heere against such quarelpikers as you be And also for y t better satisfiyng of all her Maiesties duetifull subiectes and people I say to gods glory y t her maiestie y t state haue not pretēded to renounce Poperie a hollowe and rotten religion grounded vpon whatsoeuer not vppon Gods holie worde surely contayned in the Canonicall Scriptures as at this day is cleare to all that haue eyes to see to establishe another Religion though not so badde as Poperie yet not auowable deuised eyther by her selfe or by any other men but professeth to set vp the onely true religion of Iesus Christ taken out of the Scriptures Her Maiestie and the State haue and doe declare to the worlde dayly that in steede of mens inuentions and glorious shewes or voluntary Religion and will woorship as the Apostle noteth Superstition Shee and they esteeme the worde of God alone to bee the foundation of true religion The Apologie of this Church of Englande The Articles of religion set foorth by publike authoritie and suche other writings doe sufficiently proue this godly purpose and meaning and euen of late in the proclamation for the recalling home of her Maiesties subiectes from beyonde the seas c. is the same by expresse words mencioned None though the Papistes and enemies woulde make the worlde beleeue so are here called to the King and Queenes religion but with her Maiestie all degrees and persons are called to Gods and Christes true religion onely which shee with her people professeth Actes of Parliament and Statutes are not set into Churches in steade of Masse bookes Grayles Legends Portuises Images c. But the Sacred Byble the booke of the High and Immortall God of Heauen faithfully translated into the mother tongue to be read expounded heard and vnderstood of all to the vnspeakable comfort her Maiesties Ciuill Ministers As counsellers Judges Justices and so forth are not the Churche Ministers but spiritual Pastors and Teachers which are and by faithfull preaching ought to shewe themselues to bee the faythfull Ministers of Christ Iesus the Prince of Pastours or Shepheard and Byshop of our Soules Her Maiestie hath not taken away the Popes Antichristian office and vsurped tytle here to set her selfe in his place nor to take on the other side Christes office in hande or to infeoffe her selfe of his titles who leaueth euen to Christs Ministers their proper functions and charges whole of preaching the worde administring the Sacraments publike prayer Church discipline how euer this wrangler and his fellowes would beare the worlde in hande
all Church Ministerie and functions are heere exercised by meere lay men and yet in the meane while her Maiestie accounteth iustly it to be her office and duetie and to appertaine to a kingly authoritie according to the high dignitie of her royall throne and princely estate calling to moderate by al meanes to assist according to Gods holy worde and to see the same faithfully executed by euery particular in their degree which who so 〈◊〉 or deny her Maiestie prouoke Gods heauie wrath and displeasure and she we them selues vnwoorthy to liue much lesse to enioy so great blessinges vnder so gracious a Soueraigne She taketh only y t which is by Gods word due to Princes and Ciuill Magistrates shee will suffer no one besides her selfe to be the chiefe Gouernour in her dominions vnder God Christ and the worde call yee him Prince or Prelate shee requireth her subiectes first and principally to be Gods faithfull seruauntes in duely and reuerently keeping the exercises of true Christian religion euery one in their calling expressed in the two Cables of Gods holy commaundementes which by her authoritie giuen of God shee mainteyueth and like a godly Prynce purposeth still so to doe Next vnfaynedlye to acknowledge the Soueraigntie giuen to her Maiestie from God for all outwarde and Ciuill pollicie in her dominions This iustly may shee chalenge and more she requireth not and who is there that iustly can refuse or denie her Maiesty this Out of Gods booke rere religion confirme faith edifie conscience growe and profite dayly in godly knowledge and practise thereof In summe walke in single vprightnesse of heart with God and man and where this is the more seene there are the parties the better liked and commended by her Maiestie the State y t both God may bee the truelyer serued her Maiestie obeyed and others by good example in life and conuersation edified This is that I say briefly that the profession of religion here at this day in her Matestie the State and her people is no newe profession nor any other but such as is common with the Patriarches Prophetes Apostles and all Gods faythful people that haue liued in any age and is warranted by Gods holy worde written Nowe if in bending and contendyng hereto her Maiestie the State and people euery one in their place haue not thorowly and fully attayned to their purpose in reformation and practise hitherto yet is not the profession and purpose to be blamed yea their will and affection is much to be commended and they to be encouraged and stirred vp to growe dayly from good to better in these cold naughty daies while other seeing in so waightie and necessarie a matter many and great abuses sit still and either maintaine or winke thereat Prayer in this great worke is of all and aboue all to be adioyned and such helpe of Godly knowledge wisedome counsell and other giftes as God bestoweth on any woulde bee brought forth to the aduauncement of this heauenly worke euery one keeping his boundes and calling The foule and filthie dung hill of Poperie and superstition is not so soone voy ded our sinnes are the onely or the greatest impediment and let of the full finishing of this worke if there bee any thing wanting it is our heartie repentance and vnfayned turning to GOD with thankfull heartes expressed in wordes and deedes for the graces 〈◊〉 vpon vs. In the meane while where the profession I haue spokē of is and the worke taken in hande and entred as wee see here among vs I say there are none but very obstinate and wilfull men that will refuse to come to the publike Churche assemblies to heare the worde of God preached the Sacraments of Christe and publike prayers c. comfortablie administred which that I may in other wordes somewhat formally for our aduersaries pleasure expresse thus now I frame my reason None supposed to haue Gods feare before their eies to haue care of their owne saluation to haue respect to her Maiestie and their dutie towardes so vertuous and gracious a Soueraigne her godly wholsome lawes Againe to haue due and charitable consideration of the Church of God and their Christian brethrē and common honesty among men No such I say can or ought to refuse to come to church exercises vsed here amōg vs at this day But all persons of what state or condition soeuer they be liuing in Englande are supposed to be such that is to haue Gods feare before their eies to haue care of their owne saluation to haue respect to her Maiestie and their dutie towardes so vertuous and gracious a Soueraigne and her godly and wholesome lawes Againe to haue due and charitable consideration of the churche of God and their christian brethren and common honestie among men Wherefore no persons of what state and condition soeuer they ve liuing in Englande can or ought to refuse to come to Churche exercises vsed here amongst vs at this day The conclusion or the sequell of this argument and reason being so well grounded the aduersaries cannot nor will not I thinke denie me if they will let them turne mee to the proofe of the goodnesse thereof or of the fourme of any argument I haue made them The grounde of the first part of mine argument and the reason is because amongst other godly thinges as publike prayers prouision for the poore c. Here is professed and set foorth principally in Church assemblies the Ministerie or Preaching of Gods holy worde Gospel professed the obedient hearing and receyuing thereof with the administration of Christes Sacraments according to the rule of Gods booke which be notes exercises of Gods true and faithfull congregation whereunto euery true christian ought to associate and ioyne himselfe The seconde or middle part of my reason there is none I take it would be thought so wicked as to make question or doubt of Though the 〈◊〉 and flender dealing of our aduersarie in particularly seeking to find out faultes in our church exercise in his seuenth reason bee a sufficient cleering therof to him and his worde with those y t list aduisedly and with indifferency to weigh y e same when they see he 〈◊〉 chargeth it and 〈◊〉 it vntouched for ought he 〈◊〉 where 〈◊〉 we shall see God willing when 〈◊〉 come thither yet because I haue not to regarde the aduersarie only but some other also and among the rest suche especially as are sunple rude somwhat ignorant Therefore will I bee bold a little to wade here in the proofe of the particular partes of that peece of mine argument wherein may seeme any 〈◊〉 or to shew the head of the fountaine spring whēce the whole is deriued Marke well the argument namely the first part of it for some furder better proofe whereof I note this that followeth None that are supposed to haue Gods feare before their eyes will refuse to come to Churche heere Why so For
because God is the authour of such assemblies requireth this dutie is present there and blesseth the same This if comparison bee made is proued not only by the practise and example of Gods people in all ages vnder the Lawe and the Prophets before Christes comming in the fleshe in going then to the Tabernacle the temple c. and of the Disciples and faithful after Christes Ascention as the story of the Actes of the Apostles doth witnesse according to whose direction and steppes so neere as we may heerein we professe and endeuour our selues to walke But by the expresse doctrine of our Sauiour Christe himselfe also Verily I say vnto you that if two of you shal agree in earth vpon any thing whatsoeuer they shall desire it shalbe giuen them of my father whiche is in heauen for where two or three are gathered togeather in my name there am I in the midst of them c. Now that we are bounde to honour loue obey worship God according as he appointeth vs deserue very euil in doing the contrary none I trust doubt then surely can none iustly doubt of this point of comming together to heare our dutie tolde vs out of Gods booke by preaching to make publik confessiō of our sinnes of y e christian faith to make prayers to God for our necessities others namely those of his church to giue him thanks and prayse his name in Psalmes to celebrate the Sacraments of Baptisine and the Lordes Supper c. which be the substance and principall ends of our Church meetings The next point is of the care of our saluation which none also I trust among vs be voide of Then cannot they doubt likewise whether they ought to practise and vse such outward meanes as God hath appointed to bring men to saluation by Publike church assemblies were first instituted and appointed of God for our vse and for our good and the principal thinges there to be vsed are the preaching of y e Gospell and the ministering of the Sacraments to wit Baptisme and the Lordes Supper according to Christes holy institution for the 〈◊〉 and increase of our faith whereof they are seales as the cōmission giuen to the Apostles their 〈◊〉 practise and the vse of the Primitiue Church sufficiently declare And in this respect is the Gospell called not onely the worde of God but the worde of 〈◊〉 also of grace of faith of saluation c As that which is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeueth c. If then we will receiue the ende of our faith which is the saluation of our soules we must walke the way that leadeth thither and vse while we may those meanes that God hath appointed to bring vs thereto by contemning whereof wee shall shewe our selues to haue no care of our saluation For the benefit that redoundeth to men by this exercise remember what the Apostle writeth When the whole Churche is come togeather in one c. If all Prophesie and there come in one that beleeueth not or one vnlearned he is rebuked of al men and is iudged of all And so are the secretes of his heart made manifest and so he will fall downe on his face and worship God and say plainly that God is in you indeed And a little after Let all things be doone vnto edifiyng Wee as workers togeather beseech you with the holy Ghost that yee receiue not the grace of God in vaine and beholde nowe is the accepted time Behold nowe is the day of saluation c. The dutifull respect we ought to haue to our Soueraigne and the present State our common mother and her Maiesties godly lawes is next to bee considered which they that duly shal do besides other matter and occasion of thanksgiuing to God offered to euery one in priuate cannot besides refuse to haunt publike church assemblies That it pleaseth her Maiestie to haue care of our soules healths that are her Subiects to take paine to make lawes and set orders for the aduauncement thereof is the part of a good and blessed nurse in Gods church and a singular benefite to vs-warde It is nothing to cause Preachers and preaching of Christes Gospel to be sent abrode in al quarters of her Dominions c all must needes be in 〈◊〉 on our behalfes and so turne to our greater and more iust condemnation if we thankefully accept not and carefully vse to Gods glory and our owne profite this so great a grace of God offered and take the oportunitie Againe as dutie greatly bindeth vs to our princes soueraignes to obey their autoritie to honor them especially being godly so among other things haue wee to pray for them not in priuate onely but in publike also with other and thereby receiue we also great benefite many wayes Notable is that heauenly sentence of the blessed Apostle I exh ort therefore that first of all supplicatiōs praiers intercessions giuing of thanks be made for al men for kinges and for all that are in authoritie that we may liue a godly a quiet apeaceable life in al godlines honesty for this is good acceptable in the sight of God our Sauiour who will that all men shal bee saued and come to the knowledge of the truth c. This one sentence alone well weighed if there were no moe might suffice for the matter wee speake of They can surely be no friendes to the Queenes Maiestie and the State and so consequently not to themselues y t refuse in publike with other continually to pray for the prosperitie and good of her Highnesse and the State c. The last point is the Church of God and our christian brethren Countriemen others amongst whō we liue Unto whom I thinke there is no man doubteth but we ought to haue a charitable regard and like respect to our liuing honestly among thē Now what charitable regard is that to refuse in so holy as Church actions bee to ioyne with the Church where wee liue to 〈◊〉 from giuing publike testimonie of our faith and religion shewing our selues to the worlde in so doing to be of no religion And so by example to offende many wayes and many men the strong the weake the faithfull the vnbeleeuers c. When of dutie wee shoulde not onely auoide that but euery way 〈◊〉 all namely one another in all godlinesse and honestie vpon paine of Gods displeasure keepe entertaine and testifie by all meanes the vnitie we haue with Christes Churche which thinges are singularly perfourmed by vs in haunting Churche assemblies Let vs keepe the profession of our hope saith the Apostle without wauering for hee is faithfull that promised let vs consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes not forsaking the fellowship that we haue among our selues as the maner of some is c. Though this be an ample matter and might very easily bee waded in at large yet
house citie and kingdome among men But this when it shal please God wil be as vnto vs al most comfortable so vnto our superiours very glorious and honourable to the procurement and continuance of Gods fauour and liberall blessings long among vs. I enter not into particulars because I am not to prescribe nor yet to distrust the Godlines wisedome and care of so religious a Prince and state as God hath giuen vs. For the rest therfore as in this imperfection and weakenes of mankind and the hardnes of the worke these cogitations these meditations these endeuours are in this case worthy and very necessary and meete for Christian Princes states and publique persons in Church and common welth often and much to bee occupied in euery one according to their place and calling so prouiding that they and their people Gods Churche bee not abused with mens inuentions and dreames in steede of Gods pure and holye worde So againe subiectes and priuate persons where this matter is attempted and taken in hand with vantage and to Gods glory with paine care laboured in dayly haue not onely with all thankefulnes and reuerent dutifulnes to acknowledge and accept this great blessing and goodnes of God in and by our Prince state with helpe of hartye prayer for successe to the delight and encouragement of Christian Magistrates and Superiours But further also if in thus proceeding all thinges euery way answer not the godly mindes and expectation of the faythfull to the full We haue first to lay the fault and hinderance where it is charging generally our selues and our owne 〈◊〉 therewith as the proper cause of all and farther euery one of vs particularly examining our selues haue to ioyne our seuer all sinnes with the sinnes of our peo ple and hartely as in publike so a parte to lament and be waile the matter in humble and plaine confession to God and in testifiyng to men as occasion is offered or dislike with that is amisse earnestly purposing and endeuouring to redresse that is amisse in our selues and to help the same in other as we maye keeping in all things the boundes and compasse of our calling Nexte beeing thus in all godlinesse and modestie affected haue wee to consider there whilest according to our bounden dutie wherein and howe farre wee maye and oughte to ioyne our selues in communion and fellowshippe with the Christian and holye Churche or Congregation wherein we liue in all Christian humilitie patience meekenesse bearing and forbearing without breaking the vnitie thereof so farre as is possible Christian and holy I call this Church in respect of that honour that God hath called it vnto and the good benefite of his holy worde Sacraments c. Wherewith hee hath vouchsafed to blesse the same not doubting in the meane while of good successe increase and dayly edification from God by these meanes so farre as he seeth expedient according to his promise though in the meane while there may be founde among vs but too many defects not in life and conuersation onely but in church policie and orders likewise which defectes like spots blemishes and staynes of the face we may behold not nowe adayes first but in these and some greater matters also euen in the Apostles times and afterwards in the olde and former Churches by themselues planted though in this behalf they be to be accounted sicke and imperfect which retaine yet still in Scripture the title and honour of Churches and of the church of God As for example The churches of the countrie of Asia in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn the churches of the Countrie of Galatia and of the Citie of Corinth and such like I speake not as though Churches shoulde or might please themselues in their follies or to flatter any I haue saide my minde thereof I tell here only what Christians particular dutie is for bearing in this behalfe where thinges be not too too intollerable especially this haue we well to consider of when we be not required by the Church authoritie to approue or imbrace in God his matters and religion any thing but that which is warranted by God his holy worde and we commended thereby in framing our consciences and liues according to that rule in all dutifulnesse towards God our Prince and other our neighbours And the Church they of authoritie likewise be content to heare and to be admonished of such defects and faultes wherein they may bee thought not to haue rightly applied nor iustly followed the rule of all reformation the worde of God so the same be Christianly doone and modestly as I haue said and we stil liue in good hope of redresse of that is a misse as the same may once be founde out perceiued and knowne by those to whome publike reformation thereof doth orderly appertaine which be the very same whom God hath placed in publike authoritie and calling Hereby is it not hard to be seene that I shut out of this account that Apostaticall vnholy Synagogue of Rome by the titles before mentioned as wherewith wee cannot ioyne our selues without renounsing the vnitie we haue with Christe and his holy vniuersall churche And againe we must thinke that they that excommunicate shut out and cut of from all Spirituall communion and societie with them outward and inwarde leauing them without all hope of reconciliation either in this worlde or in the worlde to come suche I say as are of one religion of one and the same profession with them that as they haue doone and doe so will no easiliar handle vs hence foorth seeke we peace as muche as we will and in vs lyeth The summe therefore of that we haue to rest vpon is that walking in God his feare in obedience and charitie towardes all men which is the effect of a Christian life we so edifie our selues and other with whom we liue in all godlinesse and honestie that in Godly zeale 〈◊〉 with wisedome and humblenesse of minde we take heed there whilest least declining or turning to much on one hande without neede we seperate our selues from the societie of them that approue and shewe them selues to be God his people vpon a dislike of some thinges amisse that lie not in our power or hands to redresse that bee priuate men if the same bee not intollerable to be borne with As they be when they plucke vp the very foundations of doctrine and the rootes of Christian Religion which doyng may be imputed to too much curiositie selfe loue and wilfulnesse c. Wee haue to take heede on the other hande for all this least by ioyning our selues vnto thē we receiue approue or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things confusedly euē abuses y t do or may creep in hand ouer head as they say w tout any distinction or differēce w t may argue wāt of knowledge zeale true godlines When I would expresse full my meaning herein I can vtter it in no better or fitter wordes then
many waies Examine the doctrine of those ye name and ye shall finde it was in the world before Luther was borne Then maye you not say they al sprung of that first sect of Lutherans and they of Luther So as if Luther had not beene heard there had not beene now in the world any of them c. Consult but with N. Sanders and tell vs from him whether Adamians and Adamites Trinitaries c. were not their doctrine professed in the worlde before Luther was borne how then sprung they all thence how know you their would not be at this day one in the world of them if Luther had not beene hearde M. Howlet sayth Wickliffe was one of the progenetours of some of these yee heere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee was many and many dayes beefore Luther was borne How then is that true you heere affirme Heere is a large fielde to walke in but let vs passe ouer it If in England at this day her Maiestie and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 higher for their profession and religion then Luther I 〈◊〉 you will shut all them out of this heape of 〈◊〉 not charge them to haue had the beginning of Luther sprung thence otherwise you doe them wrong But 〈◊〉 doe so that is 〈◊〉 higher leaue therefore charging with these names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deuised and called 〈◊〉 by you You playe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heede of 〈◊〉 spirite that saide he woulde be a lying spirite in the mouth of the Prophets Ye take vpon you to tell not onely what had beene in the worlde nowe if Luther had not beene hearde a great while since But as though you were yet nearer and more 〈◊〉 of Gods councell ye wrap men in eternall damnation yet aliue and presume to tell what sentence shall bee giuen vpon these and these men at the day of iudgement Great and rash is your audacitie in this behalfe It is happie Sir you haue not euerlasting fier at commaundement to flashe and fling amongst vs at your pleasure nor a throne yet set you to giue sentence like a iudge in this case You will needes be a Prophet and you tell vs what you haue persuaded your selfe but we tell you againe many a man persuades himselfe in his dreame of many thinges 〈◊〉 when he awaketh he findeth to be false and vaine we y t stand by seeing you in a dreame iog you as hard as we can wee put you in remembrance what he saith Awake thou that sleepest stand vp 〈◊〉 the dead and Christ shal giue thee 〈◊〉 If that will not serue to doe you good then for the 〈◊〉 of others we say The Prophet that hath 〈◊〉 dreame let him tell a dreame and he that hath my word let him speake my worde faithfully what is the chaffe to the wheate saith the Lorde But Syr if the talke of our side be so greatly to be auoyded and it be so dangerous for you your fellowes and such 〈◊〉 to giue our side the hearing whence commeth it ye so earnestly now seeme to sue to her Maiestie that you may heare vs talke and reason the matter with vs for otherwise we cannot Preache answere or vse 〈◊〉 a certaine space continuall speech whervnto M. Howlet in all your names prouoketh To conclude this part we may iustly say to you herein if none had giuen eare to the Serpentes talke in your Antichristian 〈◊〉 if the Church 〈◊〉 a virgin had not been presented to an other to be corrupted but kept pure to her one and owne husbande Christe as the holy Ghost by the Apostle witnesseth shee shoulde be as for whom alone she is prepared and 〈◊〉 if an other then Christes Gospell had not beene preached and receiued Popery had not now been in the worlde nor yet should the same be troubled with papists as it nowe is c. Let the Reader consider that whiche the Apostle writeth to the Corinthians And let them that haue any zeale to Christes Churche here shew and vse the same in cleering it from Popish corruptions and restoring it to the simplicitie that is in Christe In the next and second Reason you are muche in Scandale I wel wote not why ye so purposedly leaue here that english worde of offence but let that goe Here you exaggerate here you amplifie here you set out the sinne of scandale like an Oratour In a thing not doubtfull you spend vnnecessary florishes of proofes you paint and set out your iudgement to the ix degree And all of your scandale and scandalizing vsing the same in some textes where you finde it not such loue are ye in w t this new English worde scandale And thus you reason All scandale is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c A 〈◊〉 going to our 〈◊〉 is scandale 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 c. As in the former reason so here is it not hard to turne this in truth vpon you and your religion goe you vpon persuasion and supposition as much and as long as you will The thing is 〈◊〉 and well done by the sacred scriptures of those of our 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 it vnlawfull to goe to your abhominable Masse and Idolatrous and superstitious Latine Seruice I haue heere to answere your argument in explanation and proofe of your first proposition you are busily occupied and deuide scandale into three partes The first is by 〈◊〉 any to 〈◊〉 by doing or saying that which is naught The second by doing a thing in it selfe lawefull the thirde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the enimie The whole is doone neither scholastically 〈◊〉 nor plainely but let vs admit this your diuision and that you say of scandale in generall Let vs examine your Hypothesis or second or next proposition and the application of the whole particularly wherein I tell you you fault and faile And I say your second and middle proposition ACatholikes going to our church is scandale is false and you shall neuer be able to prooue it For this Reason there fore bend your self to doe that or els you doe nothing That you nowe say doth it not We graunt that for the first point to giue offence by euill doing or speaking in life or doctrine c is a heynous sinne ye might haue spared your trauel in that point we admit your examples one and other here because they beset vs in the Canonicall Scriptures and agreeable to that heauenly doctrine Your application is naught It wyll be very right well when you apply all to your side and corrupt religion You are like 〈◊〉 Priestes in the olde law like the Moabites you are Prophets like Balaam and very like to Ieroboam that ye cite out of the Scriptures in inducing to sinne to Idolatrie and superstition which is easily followed and craftily vnder couert of wordes by you broched couloured The example ye bryng out of 〈◊〉 no lesse perteineth to you Cyprians very wordes well considered will prooue it who in Christendome bring vp their youth in ignorance more then you Who persuade there the
of hypocrisie and hypocrites whom that religion maketh such ye might haue spared to talke of this kinde of men here They that knowe him not you say as in deede no man doth furder then hee vttereth and sheweth him selfe must needes presume him to goe of conscience and as a fauourer of that Religion and so be brought to like the better of that religion and the worse of the Catholike by his example You say true This is and if not needes must bee all christian and honest mens opinion of him yea ours vnlesse he must be taken to bee the diuels childe and of his religion And then knowe you him inwardely to be a Catholike a true Christian or of Christes religion and that we follow we denie him to be ridde him from vs and take him to your heape for his religion if he bee suchy a one You say Anibrose did accuse Valentinian the Emperour for giuing a publike Scandale to the worlde because he did but permit certaine altars to the Gentiles saying that men woulde thinke that he priuily fauoured them Ye giue a good lesson to warne Princes that bee professours of the Gospell to take heede they permit Papistes to haue no altars to sacrifice vpon in their dominions for giuing the like offence And for you Romane Catholikes that sue for tolleration for the free exercise of your Romane religion may her Maiestie answere you by your own rule and Reason We thanke you sir for giuing vs still so good weapons to beate your selues withall This is your very case Nowe let the Reader applye and make his profite of the rest The thirde reason is this When and where going and not going to Churche is made a signe 〈◊〉 betwixt a Catholike and a 〈◊〉 then and there is it not lawefull for a Catholike to goe to the Protestants Churches But so is it heere nowe wherefore it is not lawefull c. The first part of this reason he explaneth by diuision of the wayes whereby the professour of any religion may be 〈◊〉 which he maketh there by wordes workes and signe hee setteth out the whole by example of the Iewe in Italie familiarly knowne by our English Romanistes among whom the Iewe liueth in free profession of his religion and therefore had neede to be distinguished from christians by some markes But among vs heere in Englande where there is no such faction and diuersitie of religion by order of lawe vnder our gracious Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth tollerated but all bounde to professe the true christian religion to Gods glory and her Maiesties singular commendation neither is there neither needeth there in this policie any such distinction deuised by mē to seuer betwene religion and religion that is betweene truth and falshood Protestants and Papistes we content our selues with the notes and markes to knowe the professours of christian religion in Englande which are set vs downe in the holy worde of God which also depende not on mens cpinions nor are at their pleasure variable but are stayed vpon a 〈◊〉 better groūd And therfore we returne thcse voluntarie marks signes to note religiō the professors therof by to you to Rome to Italie where volūtary religiō or superstitiō raigne gaine is thought to be godlines We thank God and her Maiestie for our freedom frō the same and that we may liue at home in England in good conscience and sincere professiō of Christes religion without needing to runne into Italy where there is suche danger to denie the christian faith as yee tell vs of Looke you English Italianates to that and other the like dangers that ye haue willingly cast your selues headlong into And thus much concerning your first deuise in this reason 〈◊〉 that where telling vs of a Iewe yee affirme that to keep the Saterday holy day is a work proper to Iudaisme And againe that 〈◊〉 a christian yeelde therein to vse the same he sinneth greeuously and in effect denieth his faith Due might demaunde whether you English Romanistes and such other Catholikes in Italie do 〈◊〉 beare to keepe holy euen any of your late Pope canonized Saints dayes falling on the Saterday for feare of conformitie with the Iewes in that behalfe I weene not Thē in an externall signe as a yeallow cap wearing on the head which is a matter of lesse importance bee not too harde wherein though I thinke not the whole waight of our religion to consist yet speak I not on the other side as though I liked conformitie of the professours of Christes religion to antichriste and his ministers in any tokens and marks of their religion whatsoeuer I speake heere nothing of your grosse prophane exāple of a Tauern bush in liken ng the same to holy signes of religiō which too prophanely in my iudgement yee byd the Reader marke hee may also marke that as yee make going to Churche to seuer vs from you and to distinguish our religion from yours which is knowne by not going to Churche or by abstaining from Church so the haunting of Churche assemblies argueth some religion to bee in our men and that they carry religious mindes and abstaining from Churche assemblies which ye make a proper and peculiar signe of a true catholike argueth as much religion as is in a Horse For the proofe of the seconde part of your reason that the going to Churche in Englande is an apparant signe of a schismatike and the not going of a catholike It is manifestly to be proved yee say but it is not so easily doone as saide for vnlesse we will presume going to the Protestants churches to be hereticall as you doe and say a Catholike must so doe which is starke false your proofe will not goe forwarde All is still grounded on your false supposition and on the double and doubtfull taking of the termes of catholike and schismatike Al is but hollow and double dealing and belongeth for those wordes to the fallation of equiuocation that yee may finde moe slights then one in your reasoning Must the Protestant be a schismatik and a Papist a catholike because you presume and thinke so presume and thinke otherwise and as the truth is or at least notwithstanding your presumption giue vs leaue to thinke and say the contrary as the truth enforceth vs. But let vs see howe by presumption you prooue going to Church to be a peculiar signe distinctiue betwixt religion and religion First yee prooue it by the commanndement and exaction thereof You take vpon you to make a Cōmentarie to expounde the proceedings heere You make your self priuie of her Maiesties meaning and the Sates you 〈◊〉 imagine no other ende that men are commaunded to come to churche but to shewe themselues conformable to the religion heere professed You might knowe Sir there be and may bee diuers ends of one thing Considering that God hath instituted church assemblies to the good and benefite of his people if to the end his Maiestie may be obeyed accordingly and
such commoditie reaped as is there to bee had it be answered among the rest bee the ende of the commaundement of the exaction and of the going to church what haue you to say there against Yf the Cōmissioners deale not onely equally but very mildely and courteously without too farre racking mens consciences and hoping that in exercises of religion and matters apperteining to God men will not play the hypocrites but haue farder respect then to make it an eye seruice outwardly to satisfie and please the worlde and knowing that comming to church they shall heare and finde better matter of instruction and so learne their dutie towardes G O D and their Prince they moue suche as by you are peruerted to come to churche what cause haue you or they to make such Tragicall adoe vpon this vpright and fauourable proceeding To playne of the seueritie and suche cruell extremitie of this State as neuer was hearde of in England before c. This confession of your owne mouth greatly condemneth you As you finde your owne religion to be but hypocrisie so imagine you of the religion here professed but amisse For her Maiestie and the lawes seeke not to make men hypocrites they delight in no such their meaning is to haue men religious to God warde and thereto tende their commaundements in this behalfe c. If you make going to churche heere to bee a renouncing of Popery and of your pretended catholike religion as you say it is we graunte and we wish as many as goe to church to leaue halting on both sides or dissembling to cast away that corrupt religion and all superstition out of their heartes to take a newe and better course and to testifie by that meanes and all other as they may their religious and honest minds to Godwarde the worlde which is so farre of that wee thinke too bee hurtfull vnto them as wee iudge it a singular benefits if they can consider thereof accordingly Where on the contrary part we iudge their not going to church or their going with another minde then wee haue expressed not only to bee to themselues dangerously hurtful and to others but impious also and wicked before God The other and seconde proofe yee take from those of your owne side that are heere indurance which being many in number and of long time suffering imprisonment for this onely thing as yee say doe make abstaining from church to bee a proper and peculiar signe of a true Catholike For what doth make a thing to be a proper and peculiar signe but the iudgement and opinion of men Heereto you adioyne your example of the Tauerne bushe to be the signe of wine wee answere the similitude is vnapt and vnlikely that is taken from signes and tokens of ciuill thinges appertaining to the vse of this life which are in mens power and will to dispose and order at their pleasure where it is otherwise in cases of Gods true religion for therein men haue not that libertie but must take the holy signes thereof from the holy God But you adde also your former example brought with you out of Italie of a Iewes yellowe Bonnet and ye fetche vs a thirde out of Turkie for to knowe a Turke and his profession by his yellowe Torbant which and all the like are vnseemely and vnfitt to match in this case with the true religion of Iesus Christ. Let then the worlde or men in ciuill and outwarde matters of this life make their representations and signes as they will let the like serue if yee will among the Iewes the Turkes In fidels Papistes Whose religion is pleasurable a will worship and consisting for the most part in ceremonies and deuises inuented by men Let them deuise and haue their proper and peculiar signes markes cognisances and badges to bee knowne by let vs abstaine from the same Let vs content our selues with those that we haue receiued from the Authour of our Religion Let vs religiously frequent and vse the same When our Sauiour Christ asketh whence the Baptisme of Iohn was whether from heauen or from men He noteth fitly the diuerse fountaines and beginning of signes in religiō The example of wearing a garlande in the Primitiue Church wherewith out of Tertulian yee amplifie the matter perteyneth as litle to the purpose as the rest For it was heathenishly wickedly made by the heathen a signe to distinguish them by and to represent their heathenish religion to the dammage of Christians and true Christian religion marke that wee speake still of publike religious signes not of other in outwarde ciuill thinges and for mens particular vses wherein men haue more libertie then in Gods religion and seruice prophane or ciuill matters wee here deale not with That such thinges haue beene and are from time to time done by the diuell and wicked men in wicked religion is not harde to be founde and that true Christians haue to abstaine from such markes and proper signes of superstitious and naughtie religion as for example frō your Popish ceremonies at this day may well and fitly bee prooued hereby and farder can ye not stretche it vnlesse ye coulde proue the haunting of holye Churche assemblies here first and principally to proceede from men or from the diuell Which you shall neuer be able to doe God himselfe being the Authour and the same being sufficiently grounded in his holie worde Make you and your compagnions of going to Churche here what you will and of abstayning there from We make thereof as God and his worde doe and no more If for your contempt of God her Maiestie and her wholsome lawes made for the abolishing of superstition and idolatrie ye suffer any thing Thanke your selues that so oppose your selues Blame 〈◊〉 God her Maiestie nor the State here therefore If for this onely thing your men suffer that they goe not to Church then suffer they not belike for defence of the Popes supremacie nor other pointes of Poperie if they doe then is it not for abstayning from Church onely which in deede is but a late taken vp scrupulositie among the moste of you yet let all marke and obserue that ye here affirme and giue vs that the onely thing Papistes suffer for here in Englande is for not going to Churche or abstaining therefrom A worthy cause to stande with the Prince and State in if all be well weighed The vanitie of the three next Reasons of Schisme participation and dissimulation do I nothing doubt but that euery Christian can easily espie and answere the same That therefore which hath been sayde before being well weighed I shall neede the lesse to tarrie thereupon If this discourser coulde as easily proue it to be Schisme to haunt our Churches vs to be Heretikes and those hollowe hearted that hauing afore time in the dayes of ignoraunce been of their Popish religion nowe haunt our Churches which wee yet hope well they doe of synceritie of heart If I say hee coulde as easily
iudge and as many as thereafter and according thereunto list to iudge and as much say I of Schismatikes in Augustines wordes thus if you will whether we be Schismatiks or you neither I nor thou but let Christ be asked that hee may iudge or shewe his Church In the application of this to vs and our assemblies and to your men that haunt the same yee say The communion of the Church confisteth in three thinges that all christians haue one sacrifice one and the selfe same seruice of God There bee greater in warde spirituall thinges wherein the vnitie of the Church doth 〈◊〉 consist In the vnitie of the spirit one heart one minde loue peace consent in one Christian doctrine fayth c. But let vs see these that yee thought made for your purpose What is the sacrifice yee meane If it be that which Christ offered vpon the Crosse to his Father for the redemption of the worlde wee say it is common to all Christians all are partakers of it and we are directed thereunto contially both by doctrine and also by the vse of the Supper among vs. If you meane the Sacrifice of your blasphemous masse thē thank we God y t we are free frō it as frō a most abhominable blasphemie The giuing vp of our bodies A liuing Sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God c. The sacrifice of distributing and doing good the sacrifice of Praise and thankesgiuing c. These grounded on Gods word in vse among vs are belike no sacrifices we haue no sacrifice at al say you none w t you but your massing sacrifice as seemeth we are al made priests though to offer vp these spirituall sacrifices wherewith God is pleased You haue of your selues without all warrant of Gods worde erected a massing priesthood Keep it we bid you to your selues Of Sacraments we haue in deede but two Baptisme and the Lords Supper As those which Christ instituted and lefte in his Church we acknowledge not your number of seuen sacraments for that the word warranteth them not Those that Christ hath lefte the lesse they haue of your superstitions and ceremonies the more neerely they be administred according to Christes Institution the better is God pleased therewith the better are wee contented also Thus speaketh the holy Ghost of the benefite and of the vnitie represented and bestowed on the Church in our sacraments of Baptisme and the Lordes Supper In one Spirit are wee all baptised into one body and haue beene all made to drinke into one spirit And agayne we that are many are one breade and one bodie because we all are partakers of one breade therhood c. Let the reader cōpare your translation with Cyprians or M. Hardings translation if yee will to see your slight then considering all circumstances Let him iudge whether Cyprians time beare anie such orders and degrees as ye imagine to be aboue a Byshop in those times Thus writeth and speaketh Cyprian in the assembly of many byshops in those daies at Carthage in coūsel which is also repeated by Augustine None of vs appointeth him self to be a bishop of bishops or driueth his fellowes w t tyrannous feare to necessitie of obedience seeing euery Byshop according to his free libertie and power is at his own choyse as one that can not bee iudged of another as hee him selfe also can not iudge another But let vs all looke for the iudgement of our Lord Jesus Christ who one alone hath power both to place vs in the gouernement of his Church and to iudge also of our doyng Here is more plaine wordes for the equalitie of Byshoppes in those dayes and against that one Byshop shoulde bee iudge ouer all other Byshops then can be pickt out of the other place for an vniuersall or generall Pastour ouer all or thorough the worlde yea here is plainly shewed there was no one Bishop of Bishops or iudge ouer his fellowe Byshops in those dayes And that the Byshop of Rome was fellowe Byshop and Brother with therest and so reputed and called And let none cauill on that y t this Epistle was written to the Byshoppe of Rome and therfore these words by a prerogatiue are to be vnderstood of him when as Cyprian vseth the same testimonies to shewe the dignitie and authoritie of a Byshop in his owne respect and speaking of himselfe and sayth whence sprang and spring Schismes and 〈◊〉 but hence whilest the Byshop that is one and gouerneth the church is contemned by the proude presumption of certaine men and a man vouchsafed with honour of God is iudged of vnworthie men This Cyprian of himfelfe being Byshop of Carthage whome though Christians seemed then to name their Pope as is reported yet I thinke these men doe not nor will not accompt him general Pastour of all the world nor to haue such preeminence and prerogatiue as they chalenge to the Pope at this day heade of the Church c. For al this Rome must needes haue that alone he nor none els shall haue it It is not the worde of one Byshop wherewith Cyprian here calleth himself much lesse of one Priest as this Reasoners place reporteth that will enforce that he woulde gather or such iurisdiction and authoritie as he imagineth where findeth hee one generall Pastour ouer al the worlde not here sure Is not your general Pastours soueraintie y t you dreame of grounded on Peters supremacie whereof there is not one worde in all the scriptures and doth not this noble Martyre Saint Cyprian aboue thirteene hundred yeeres agoe say thus of the Apostles The rest were that that Peter was endewed with all honour and power and after him another Father speaking of the Byshops sayeth where euer they bee they are of one and the same merite or estimation and of the same Priesthod and Ministerie The whole brotherhood was that particular congregation where hee was Byshop of whom hee treateth were it the Bishop of Rome or any other Bishop For there is one Bishopricke a part whreof is throughly holden of euery one in particular saith Cyprian but let Cyprian and his place goe which is at large answered by other for them that list to see more Let this man if he will gaine his cause against vs reason soundely out of the scripturs and booke of God which he can not doe and that maketh him to seeke these outleapes But when all is sayde the best and surest holde for this generall Byshop ouer all is that wicked Emperour Phocas and his authoritie and gift to Boniface a pope of Rome many C. yeres after Cyprians time Considering the course that this Reasoner holdeth howe easie it is to answere all that he bringeth foorth and that the same is alreadie answered elsewhere by diuers in their bookes and lately by a godly and learned brother for troubling the reader ouer long and not to repeat one the same things
Councell No verily Let matter with matter saith he cause with cause Reason with reason pleade by the authorities of the scriptures not proper witnesses of euery bodie but common to both c. This am I the bolder with the Reader to set downe that we may see your skill and trust in citing the fathers If one should followe all he should make great volumes which I doubt whether for your pleasures it bee necessarie For the diuels talke with Christ how I pray you did our 〈◊〉 confute him was it not by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afore I sayde Augustine did the heretike Yes yes still and all by the scriptures so necessary and profitable 〈◊〉 are they say or thinke you what you will Though we finde not for that which followeth the wordes in Hierome where ye sende vs to seeke them yet because it may be the fault of the Printer I presse it not you shoulde haue prooued and shewed vs to be heretikes before ye should haue applied that to our seruice supposition is a bare proofe and serueth not The strange howling as of wolues and bellowing noyse of mad Bullockes that in your Synagogues you make by your piping and singing in a strange tongue in that you call your diuine seruice seemeth to bee liuely expressed by Hierome both in this sentence and elsewhere also when vppon these wordes of the Prophet Amos Take from me the confused noyse of thy Hymnes I will not heare the musicke of thy Organes that worde doeth Hierome set downe according to the Septuagints translation The Prayer sayth he of the Iewes and the Psalmes whiche they sing in their Synagogues and the heretikes curious and set hymne or prayer as one would say artificially done with descant and quauering is a trouble vnto the Lord that I may so speake it is the grunting of a hog and the braying of Asses c And in the new Testament vpon these wordes of the Apostle Singing and making melodie vnto the Lord Let them heare saith Hierome whose office it is to sing in the Church that God is to bee sung to not with voice but with heart and that their throate and iawes are not to be annointed and cleered with oyntmēts like players that measure and stagelike noise and songues maye by hearde in the Churche but in feare in deede in knowledge of the scriptures although there be some man as they are wonte to speake of an euell brest or voyce If hee haue good woorkes hee is a sweete singer with God Let the seruant of Christ so sing that not the voyce of the singer but the wordes that are read may delight and please c. Thus much out of Hierome whome ye cite vpon occasion of wolues howling and the bellowing noise of mad bullockes that the reader may see whether the same and the like agree better with your curious pricksong and descant in your latin seruice or with our moderate and plain singing of Dauid his Psalines in the mother tongue Hee that is desirous to see more how fitly your wanton and fleshly melodie or roring rather in your Popish Churches is represented by Hierom. Let him looke vpon Cornelius Agrippa Erasmus Polidore Virgil and such like who euen in our time so great plained of y t vnreasonable brutishe disorder in your popish Churches and namely heere in England for that is by expresse wordes noted of Erasmus Yee cite Augustin here twise together and still of the Donatist Heretikes it was the first place ye cited in the entrance of your discourse how litle to purpose we there examined wee tel you againe again we are neither donatists nor other heretikes that shoulde you haue bent your selfe first to haue prooued that these testimonies might haue seemed to haue beene 〈◊〉 applied as that vnprooued and so is like to remaine they iustly maye nowe bee applyed to you Betweene your two places here alleadged out of Augustine the same Augustine vpon the words of Dauid I cryed vnto the Lorde sayeth well and that to the Donatiste Crye you to the Lorde not to Donatus So say we to you popishe Heretikes Crye to the Lorde not to this Patrone and that which you haue made to your selues not to this canonized Saint of your Popes nor to that whereof some like ynough are farre from heauen and so from helping of you Take the lustie prelate of Englande Your S. Thomas Becket for example if ye will or some such like Saint of your making wee say as Augustine sayde in his dayes according to the perpetual doctrine of the sacred scriptures Crie vnto the Lorde not to any creature wee adde furder with him euen in this place Let no man be thy Lorde for the Lorde hee meaneth in steade of the true Lorde of heauen which vnder the Lorde woulde not bee thy fellowe seruaunt Whether it bee in heauen Let God in prayer be 〈◊〉 per se A as they say Or vppon earth to shut out your Lorde god the Pope and to bring him to bee but a fellowe seruaunt with other Let that God of heauen keep his prerogatiue or else bee you in exalting and setting vp that man of sinne Heretikes with the Donatistes Briefly to shut vp this place finde no fault with our seruice for that it hath the scriptures and put a difference between the Iewes Heretiks and the diuelishe peruerting and abusing the same and the right vse thereof with reuerence to our instruction and learning that through pacience and comfort we may haue hope which is an ende the Apostles setteth vs down the same to be written for Let it in all things be A lanterne to our feete and a light to our path as holy Dauid speaketh For which causes also the same is nowe published and made common vnto vs by her Maiestie and the State Marke the great benefite the Churche of God here hath reaped thereby and still doth and yee shall shewe your selfe besides your impietie to Gods worde very vncharitable and enuious to grudge vs the Scriptures or to reproche the same vnto vs. Nowe whether wee be Heretikes that sticke to the scriptures and to the sincere plaine and sure interpretation therof by themselues that one place may sufficiently expounde another that wee neede not run to men to haue the true sense but to let the holy 〈◊〉 euer expounde himselfe Or you that cannot nor will not bee content with this but call for this doctours exposition that doctours sense and so foorth rouing and running at randon if the worlde may not be iudge yet I pray you let your owne Cannon Lawe be iudge betweene vs Wee must take the sense and meaning of the Truth out of the scriptures themselues sayth Gratian out of Pope Clement And yet furder out of Hierome Whosoeuer otherwise vnderstandeth the scripture then the sense and meaning of the holy Ghost by whom it was written requireth Although he be not departed
and gone out of the Churche yet may hee bee called an Heretike and it is among the workes of the fleshe chosen those things that are the worse c. Wee knowe the Queenes coyne by the stampe by the Image by the inscription if it carry not that marke wee may lawfully refuse it euen so in the matters and truth of God c. But it is time to proceede with you After you haue thus declamed agaynst the Scriptures in our seruice you goe about to recken vp all the faultes ye can imagine to bee therein which in a bedroll yee recken vs vp to be in all about sixe whereof you make two heads one the thinges that be in it the other the thinges it wanteth It is happie yee can spie no moe faultes in particular but sixe Surely your Latine seruice were lesse daungerous and hurtfull if a man coulde in the whole finde but halfe so many good thinges amongst an infinite number of faultes nay the whole must needes bee not in part altered but quite vndone reiected and newe begunne againe or els wil there bee no Gods his seruice among you at all For our seruice it may haue some faultes wee denie not As it commeth to passe in things that goe through mens hands wee accompt not our bookes of seruice a Byble wee make it not equall with G O D his Booke But this wee hold what imperfections so euer there may be therein yet all layed together will be no sufficient Reason for you or anye man els to abstaine from Churche assemblies here which is the ende of this your Reason and that it driueth vnto You say our seruice is so naught as it may not be haunted we denie it Let vs see howe you proue it first in particular you say it is deuised by our selues different frō your Romish Catholike seruice through Christendome so I take your words and meaning As this is no warrant for the goodnesse of our seruice so is it not hereby prooued to bee naught so that yee vnderstande the same to bee so deuised by vs as it haue a farder warrant then mans head and fancy as being grounded and directed by Gods holy word The summe the grounde the substance Gods the 〈◊〉 forme and manner or order done by godly men There is in deede no Lyturgie or outwarde forme of 〈◊〉 Prayer for euery congregation set downe and particularly described in God his worde it had been a matter endelesse and needelesse to haue prescribed euery particular thing beongling to seruerall Church assemblies The substaunce and generall direction is to bee had in the worde of God and thence to be taken and thereby in euery particular circumstance to be ordred for diuers and seuerall congregations dispersed in many Countreys The rest is the Application is to bee perfourmed by the Churches for their necessitie and vse accordingly and so may be lawful for 〈◊〉 Church to doe the like without your checke and controlement Yee hearde before of the diuers and sundrye orders and manners of Masses in your Romaine Church as yee call it in Italie France Englande and so forth And your S. Gregorie as is recorded by Bede willed Augustine the Monke to take that frō other Churches here and there for this Englishe Churchs seruice that shoulde bee most conuentent Is it not knowne to all the worlde that your Mattens Euensong Complyn Dirige Masse and so foorth was of diuers Byshops of Romes patching c. And a long time a doyng before it was in that order you nowe vse it Did not your Trent meeting of late agree and appoint your Church seruice shoulde bee reformed did not your Pope according to that decree euen of late yeres reforme your breuiary and Missall ywis sir wee giue no such scope of reformation in our Gospelling Churches but teach and holde that all shoulde be doen by and according to the rule of God his booke and holy Scriptures as in matters appertayning to his Maiestie with all godly reuerence and humblenesse of minde You say it is altogether different from your seruice so woulde wee haue it to bee for that Poperie is too bad a paterne to reforme Christes Churche by It is euen as vnfit to bee an example for a reformed Church to followe as a fylthy hogstie is to frame and build a Princes Palace by and more vnfitte too The freer our Churches and assemblies be from Popishe corruptions the more happie be they a great deale You knowe in that olde and vnhappie controuersie about keeping of Easter in the 〈◊〉 Church home the fathers 〈◊〉 it vnmeete to followe the wicked Iewes who had crucifted Christ in obseruing their Easter on the foureteenth day of the first moneth as Constantine then emperour wryteth And y e gospel I am sure no better but a great deale woorse agreeth w t poperie our christiā religiō w t your romish seruice 〈◊〉 we easily admit that it is false that our seruice differeth in nothing from yours but that it is now in English which was then in latin so were our English seruice too too bad We would haue you and all the worlde thinke otherwise of the matter and we wishe you take no occasion thereat to thinke so wee are content to ease you of the paine to compare or prooue that point You say the hotter sort of protestants called Puritanes condemne the seruice of the protestants here and refraine from it as much as Catholikes doe Though there be that wish a more full reformation of the whole Churche and religion yet knowe I none of the godly learned that say with you it is vnlawfull to come at Church assemblish heere nor themselues refraine frō them There may bee some fewe simple vnlearned folke that of hatred to your superstitious and intollerable bloodie dealings afore time wherewith by their wills they would haue no communion or fellowship that may make some scruple therin for that they of zeale defie y e remnants steps traces ceremonies and all affinitie and likelihood with Poperie but howe agree they with you and you with them euen as as dogge and cat as they say so little vauntage haue you by them Your mindes and purposes beeing so contrarie the one to the other I minde not to bee a Patrone of euery bodies cause yee haue heard what I said before of that matter whither I here referre you till I heare your answere Such godly moderation woulde I haue kept in this matter as I trust can and will offende none that are godly Wisedome may not quenche zeale zeale may not destroy wisedome godly zeale and godly wisdome may stande together and goe together and so must doe and in Gods matters the worde of God must direct and order both Let mee I pray you aske of you whether they of your side that wished and sought for reformation of your Popishe seruice at Trent meeting condemned the same refrained from resorting to your Popishe Churche and seruice
as much as Protestants or no I weene you will answere me no. Then let that serue to answere you in this point heere You say the Scriptures are read among vs in false and shamelesse translations c. This is the next particular fault you find And this were to be hearkened vnto if it werē true as it is most impudent and false still you goe about to bereaue vs of the Scriptures which I would haue the Reader mark it is your olde practise Yee say this hath beene shewed in particular by many learned men ye say so onely and there you leaue them and that they haue saide And vntill you particular out of your learned men wee can say nothing but that they haue carried shame for their malicious lying and slaundering Yee threaten wee shalbe iolily quayled in this matter shortly and by whome I prap you Forsooth one of your coat telleth vs by Gregory Martin Alas poore man hee is but one and farre inferiour and too weake to deale with those and so many graue learned and godly fathers that haue to God his glory the Churches inestimable benefite and their owne singular commendation trauelled in translating the English Bible But let him goe and your bragge and threate till wee see more and heare furder from him It may bee wee shall receiue some profite and benefite by him to amend some little faultes that may haue escaped men aforetime You know howe harde a thing it is to doe such a work so absolutely as nothing may be missing or wanting therein Though he bee an enimie yet wee will not refuse to bee admonished by him wee will maintaine no faulte as you doe wee will stande in no errour Let it bee shewed and prooued a faulte and it will be mended with all thankefulnesse to the admonisher But I am afraide all will bee but poore spight and this maketh mee the rather to thinke so because your faultes heere set downe are no better you are pickling and carping at our English translation of the Bible You cannot tarry tyll your friendes booke come foorth I remember what was said in Queene Maries dayes when yee burned the English Bibles to excuse so horrible a fact withall ye said the Bible was naughtily translated and being demaunded a better by the people that were loth to forgoe that till they had a better yee promised they shoulde haue it better translated that promise since that time you haue forgotten at least you haue not vntill this day perfourmed the same possible you will better thinke thereof nowe and yet I hardly beleeue that But let vs heare howe clarkely and woorthily you handle your selfe to shewe manifest and wilful corruptions in our translations to drawe the Scripture to our owne purposes Throughout the scripture where Idols are forbidden they translate it Images say you Howe can this be better checked and prooued a plaine lye and a slaunder then in looking vpon our Bibles which in the old Testament and the newe also vse the worde of Idols and Idolatrie Wee neither refuse in time and place as occasion serueth to set downe y t name of Idols nor yet are we in fond loue with the name of Images Let the Christian Reader try herein this discoursers trustie truth by looking into the English Byble heere authorised and vsed in Churche assemblies vnder her Maiestie Yee say throughout the scripture where Idols are forbidden wee translate it Images If this be an impudent vntruth and no better but a lewde rayling against our godly translations of the Bible then who may trust you in other matters Howe shall wee thinke ye deale honestly and plainely in this cause And that it is no better will I vndertake briefly to shewe to giue the Reader herein also a taste of your hollowe double dealing though I be 〈◊〉 in following you it commeth so often First in our Scripture seruice then in some Chapters of the Bible in the old and newe Testament besides let the Reader looke in the 115. Psalme the 4. verse there shall hee finde that thus it is Monethly read in our Churches on the three twentieth day of the moneth at Euening prayer Their Idols are siluer and golde euen the work of mens hands c. Is not heere the worde Idols and Images In the Epistle read on Easter day taken out of the 3. Chapter to the Collossians Couetousnesse which is worshipping of Idols Heere is againe read Idols not Images in our trāslation Then are your wordes of vs vntrue a slaunder of our English translation of the Bible Aboue these 40. yeeres hath it beene thus translated in our English Bibles Lying it seemeth cost you no money But how is it in your Romish translation in both places Images thē condemne you that and yet me doe not so for that nor in that respect wee say all commeth to one in both places howe say you But let vs leaue your translation answere for our owne You say throughout the scripture where Idols are forbidden wee translate it Images This is your example to shewe our translations in Englishe to be naught let mee reprooue this your saying by contrary examples taken out of our English trāslations yet will I alleadge no other translation herein then y t which is aboue fortie yeres olde The other yee haue lesse to complaine of that haue beene since translated And yet I diminish nothing of the fidelitie and 〈◊〉 of that translation in King Henrie the eight his dayes which it wel deserueth among al y e godly If any bee well translated in Englishe Allowe English Churche that Bibles some bee faultlesse euen in these places for that you carpe other for at least before you burned all you should haue giuen vs a better of your owne translating which you will neuer doe vnlesse you woulde be accounted enimies rather to the Bible and matter it self then to the translation But I will proceede with the word and name of Idols which yee say wee throughout the scriptures translate Images take vpon you to shewe why wee doe so full Clarkelye Besides that I haue alredie sayd and that the diligent reader may obserue and gather of himselfe let among other these places be read in the Bybles translated in our noble King Henry his dayes her maiesties worthie Father to shew the 〈◊〉 cauilling and lying vanitie first in the Law and the Prophets that is the olde Testament then in the newe Genes 31. 35. Thus readeth the English Byble So searched he but found not those Idols Leuit 19. 4. Ye shal not turn vnto Idols 4. Kings 17. 12. They serued most vile Idols For the Prophets looke Esay 42. 17. and 44. thrise verse 〈◊〉 17. 19. A God and an Idol an abhominable Idol c and 45. 20. Haue they any vnderstanding that set vp the stockes of their Idols pray vnto a God that cannot helpe them c. Ezek 8. 〈◊〉 and the 6. foure times verse 4. 9. 13. twise
to denie but that Cutbert Tonstall a piller of the popish Church here Bishop then of Durresme and in Queene Maries time also was a principall man in perusing that translation at the king his commaundement If your self had looked but on the very first chapter of the first booke of the Maccabees in the Englishe Byble and the latter ende of the Chapter besides that you might haue seene whose successours the Pope and you Papistes bee in renting cutting burning and destroying Bybles 1. Maccabees 1. 59. 60. Yee might haue founde the woord idole and idoles foure times vsed there in the Englishe Bible translated in that our renoumed Prince his dayes king Henry the 8 once more in deede than in your common translation that ye make so much of Let the reader looke the Chapter and iudge So farre are we off from that you vainely surmise and put vpon vs measuring vs by your owne foote The seconde fault you finde is for that our God his seruice and sacraments is not sayed and ministred by Priestes but by meere lay men so ye speake though wee haue but too many of your Popishe Priestes among vs But Sir for this grounde of your Reason Is the seruice or sacramentes therefore to be accompted naught because the partie that ministreth the same is not a conuenient minister Ye doe not make I take it the sacrament to depend on the worthinesse of the Minister As for saying Church seruice that God his Ministers are bounde vnto it is the preaching of God his word and gospel the administring of Christ his Sacrament Baptisme and the Lord his Supper and withall to make publique Prayers with the Assemblie As in deede these thinges can not bee perfourmed without publique Prayer c. Other seruice as your Popishe Mattens Masse Euensong Compline 〈◊〉 c. Wee leaue willingly to your popishe Priestes of whom and their office in Christe his Churche no more then of this kinde of your seruice wee haue no mention nor warrant in al the Newe Testament But for sacramentes doe you not holde I pray you and teach with your Canon lawe taken out of Austin that Baptisme is holie of it selfe which is giuen in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost so that there is also in the same sacrament the authoritie of tradition by our Lord to the Apostles and by them to the Bishops other Priestes and laye persons also that are Christians comming from the same beginning and stocke c. And in the glose there the Lord deliuered the forme of Baptising to the Apostles and by them to others euen lay persons And in another place pope Iohn saith to do this work of baptising if it be need ful is freely graūted to faithful lay mē according to cano nical authoritie First therfore I say for this place y t your Priestes be intruders into Church offices without lawfull calling from God Next if lay men haue any thing to doe in this businesse of Churche ministerie I say they take the authoritie from your popishe religion not from Christ nor the Christian religion that we professe Thirdly I say that this is no sufficient reason to stay from our Church assemblies whereto you driue neither is one bounde alwayes to enquire of the person or certainely to vnderstand whether hee be a Priest or no before they come to the Church or receiue but to respect the matter which is God his the edifiyng of our owne consciences thereby c. and for the rest to suppose the man that executeth that charge is a publike church minister lawfully called or standeth and is reputed for such a one at least while the Church and state disaloweth him not I speake not in defence of any that without lawefull calling medle in Church functions nor that they of authoritie may suffer and beare with such or let them alone I speake only for the satisfying of priuate mens consciences in this case Lastly I say if that be your let of comming to Church it may be soone eased For there be diuers and to many as I sayed here in the Ministerie that haue bin afore time priestes Chuse your place your person and come to Church but you meane it not I weene it is but a shift and a cloke to couer more mischiefe vnder For the name of priestes because it is somewhat doubtfully taken and wee loue to speake playnely Therefore we call such Christ his Ministers Pastours Byshops or Ouerseers and such other names as we finde in the Apostles wrytings doe wee giue our church ministers agreeable to their holy functiōs We leaue the name of Priestes and their sacrifieing office as vnwonted and vnused by the holie Ghost in the newe Testament in Church functions in the time of the Gospel whō and whose phrase of speaking in his matters especially we like well to followe so much as we may though wee loue not in the meane while to striue about names where the matter is plain You quot your margin but you set vs down the words of no expresse testimonie neyther in deede is it materiall to stande vpon wordes or to coulour thinges by doubtfulnesse of speach when the matter is euident And therefore leauing your priests and priesthood without all foundation and staye of God his booke yee turne to the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews whiche after your manner yee cite falsely against vs and runne at large that no man may take vnto him this honour but he that is called of GOD shoulde yee haue say de as Aaron was Ye say true For in deede no man is meete to bee our high Priest but Iesus Christ who was appointed and called therto of God and of whom and his preisthood Aaron was a figure The more wrong a great deale doth your pope to Christ and to his church also to take vpō him y e title office of high Priest in Christ his Church without warrant from God seeing it was allotted by a singular prerogatiue to our Sauiour Christ alone of his Father As the Apostle 〈◊〉 by in the next verse declareth Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee And againe yet straight way Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedec The greater and more is your fault still that will needes succeede him in the office of Priesthood whether he will or no When hee neither needeth nor shall haue any successor As who liueth a Priest for euer And calling all Christians into the fellowship of his Priesthood hath made vs a Royall priesthood and Kings and Priests to God euen his Father without appointing any to serue the office of a sacrificing priest in Church Ministerie Shewe as good a warrant of God his calling you to the office of Priesthood to sacrifice the Sonne of God dayly for the quicke and the dead c. and wee will yeelde but yee can not Nay yee cite the scripture
against your selfe ye tell vs much of men of fathers counselles fained Canons of the Apostles and the authoritie of the Catholike Church You say because Ministers be not ordained by such a Byshop and Priest as the Catholike Church hath put in that authoritie therefore they haue no autoritie in Church matters I finde two faults here with you one for clipping the king of heauen his lawfull coyne or leauing out a worde of importance in this text of the 5. to the Hebrews For ye should say that is called of God But it is your mauer ye can doe it well enough we haue nowe taken tryall thereof but too much and yee thinke ye may doe herein what ye list without coutrolement The other fault is that when you haue put God his name out of the text in whome the Apostle sayeth the authoritie is to call and appoint c. If yee did cite that text to proue that all Church Ministeries and ministers must haue God for their foundation and Authour and must be called of him wee woulde finde no fault But you place in God his steade your Catholike Church of Rome you meane I trowe This dealing wee cannot away with where God is shut out what haue we to doe with men or the Churches authoritie c. The sentence of S. Paule to Timothie speaketh nothing of the dignitte of the high Priest Ye neede not haue put in therefore this dignitie there neither speaketh 〈◊〉 one worde of your Popishe priesthood and Priestes but of those he called before Ancients or Elders in that Chapter where ye finde laying on of handes ye dreame of making Priests and giuing orders by and by But that ye like any pharse better than the Scriptures ye might haue also called Timothie with S. Paul an Euangelist c. as wel as by a name which y e scripture giueth him not 〈◊〉 is not nowe y e first time you call him thus The name I denie not is honest lawfull vsed in the scriptures But because it is diuersly taken sometime generally sometime particularly and in vse of speeche with vs sometime for such a one as is a Popish or false Bishop somtime for a true 〈◊〉 of Christe there needeth distinction 〈◊〉 plaine exposition for feare of mistaking the worde in a wrong sense And nothing is better in such abuse of the office and name and varietie doubtfulnesse of speech in my opinion then to followe the simplicitie of the Scriptures and to keepe the phrase and maner of speeche vsed of the holy 〈◊〉 in all sinceritie especially seeing properly to speake the office of an Euangelist and of a Bishop Bee distinct and two seuerall offices but let that goe The holy Churche functions instituted by our Sauiour Christe and in the Scriptures recommended vnto vs for to continue ordinarie Ministeries among vs as Preaching Pastours which are sometime called Bishops or Ouerseers somtime otherwise Teachers Elders Deacons doe we receiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uerence as becōmeth Your vnder orders w t your sacrificing Priesthood as deuised by men doe I not see howe our Churche is tyed vnto nor why it should be Our Ministers that preache the Gospell heere besides the inwarde assurance of God his sending after they be called haue their admission with imposition of handes and prayer and that publikely in the face of the Churche with the approbation 〈◊〉 being first examined 〈◊〉 their giftes serue thē for that office and testimonie being giuen for their honest life and behauiour This is more religiously doone and is more agreeable to the Apostles doctrine to Timothie admonition by you here alleadged then your Ceremonious doing is as their office is better groūded on God his booke then yours Court thē you lay men or call them so as much and as long as yee list The summe is you doe but goe about with slaunder to deceiue the simple The third particular faulte of our God his seruice is alleadged to bee this that wee haue diuers falle and blasphemous thinges therein saith this Papists blasphemous mouth so placed as they may seeme to be very scripture hee giueth example in the ende of a certaine Geneua Psalme as lyingly hee speaketh like himselfe You papists haue a poore spight at that 〈◊〉 Citie Geneua to cal that a Geneua Psalme whiche I thinke was neuer saide songe nor heard in Geneua And I am sure the Psalmes beeing printed in English meeter at Geneua and there songue when there was an Englishe congregation assembled there in time of our persecution this Canticle was not in the booke nor knowne of nor any but Dauid his Psalmes Besides this is not neither euer was any part of the seruice heere vsed But beeing since made by a godly man after the Psalmes by the Printer set in y e end of the booke w t the Authour his name according to his discretion wherein I wishe for mine owne part Printers tooke not themselues so much libertie especially in these matters and if that may appease or content and winne you to the professiō of Christ his Gospel to tell you mine opinion I would not care if both that and all other songues besides Dauid his Psalmes and Scriptures Were layde aside and 〈◊〉 out of our congregations Wee haue not to answere for euery particular man his fact Howebeit the thing is 〈◊〉 so much disliked of by you for that it is not Scripture for then would you dislike your owne seruice a great deale more but because your corrupt religion is therein touched and namely your God the Pope this is 〈◊〉 griefe but not iust Syr. Yee cannot like that we haue the scriptures in our Church assemblies yee cannot like that is not scriptures though it bee godly and not against the Scriptures in any part Sumine liking or disliking all must bee as liketh you Wee pray yee say to God to keepe vs from Pope Turke and Papistrie And why not Can we lightly pray to be kept from worser thinges than from these mischieuous breakenecks of mens soules Of Papistrie I haue said enough through this whole booke what in deed it is what mē shall find it to be if 〈◊〉 call it to good iust tryal And y e 〈◊〉 at this day seeth thāks be to God wel enough thereinto sauing a certaine that are and needes will be wilfully obstinate and blinde Concerning that your Pope is ioyned with the Turke the match we say is 〈◊〉 fit they may well drawe both in one yoke sauing that if there be any difference or oddes the Pope is y e worse because he doth not only persecute and slay with the sworde as the Turke but slaieth moe and more cunningly by persuasion of word not God his worde and Scripture 〈◊〉 graunt but his owne dreames glosed and vnder pretence as appeareth in you that are his Imps come from him for that purpose You are very readie to lay blasphemie to the charge of others we
vs to himselfe or any for him let vs learne to knowe him and them Let vs marke our losse and take heede of the change though they that heare this Counsell shall bee accompted of the Papistes 〈◊〉 Schismatikes and I wot not what for leauing the Idole of Rome it maketh no matter the gaine and vantage is so passing great as it will easily satisfie and recompence all A great losse think say you to parte from the Churche of Rome an inestimable gaine say and thinke we more 〈◊〉 to win Jesus Christ which will not bee in stifely cleauing to the other Christ and Antichist light and darkenesse the temple of God Idoles haue no agreement The things that were vantage vnto Saint Paul the same counted hee losse for Christes sake But let vs see what the losses bee that by parting from Poperie men haue They are saieth this reasoner sixe in nomber whereof let vs see particularly the first losse is men leese the benefite of the sacrifice of the Masse a great matter and often repeated by you without sounde of the goodnesse thereof but with vs a happie losse sure beyng of all blasphemies and idolatries the most abhominable But sayth this discourser here our Sauiour Christ appointed his bodie to bee offered vp dayly in the oblation of the Masse for the commoditie of the whole worlde quicke and dead c. I heare you say so sir but I aske you where what our sauiour Christe appointed is faithfully recorded vnto vs by the foure Euangelists the faithfull witnesses of all that Christ 〈◊〉 did and taught neuer a worde of your Massing sacrifice there No yes I pray you Do this in remembrance of mee Do this that is sacrifice this for do is to sacrifice so doth the Heathen 〈◊〉 Uirgile vse the worde and so may we by the Poet expounde Christes meaning to bee gentle stuffe and a Clarkelye proofe to corrupt the sacred scriptures with prophane gloses If you haue any better proofe for your massing sacrifice out of the Euangelists whiche tell vs faithfully what was appointed by our Sauiour Christ let vs heare of it Else hearken to S. Paul who receiued of the Lorde that which he also deliuered vnto the Church and is a faithful and trustie expounder of the three Euangelistes Now he in his exposition of these wordes not onely ouerthroweth your counterfaite sacrifice but your newe deuised transubstantiation also who repeating this doe in remembrance of mee expoundeth the same of eating and drinking not of Sacrificing and saith for as often as yee shall 〈◊〉 this bread and drinke this cup yee shewe the Lordes death till hee come c. Marke these wordes well So that where yee say this was appointed by our Sauiour to offer vp his body dayly c. We say you say vntruly and are founde a false witnesse bearer but yee runne to the fathers finding nothing in the Euangelistes or Scriptures to make for you but as in time and place wee reuerence the fathers so agayne tell wee you that wee are not bounde to follow the errors of the fathers but what if the fathers call the Supper of the Lorde sometime a Sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they say or by a figure what if they say it is a Sacrifice because there is offered to God thankes giuing of which it taketh also the name and because the remembrance of that one Sacrifice of Christ once offered is therein celebrated by the Church according to S. Paules exposition as often as ye shal eate this 〈◊〉 and drinke this cup ye shew the Lords death till hee come c. What maketh this for your Massing propiciatorie sacrifice or the offering of Christes bodie for obtaining of grace auoiding of all euils for the remission of sinnes both of quicke and dead or dayly in the oblation of the Masse for the cōmoditie of y e whole world quick dead as you speake whiche commeth all to one Why may not we reconcile the fathers with the scriptures Giue vs leaue I pray you heerein y wis your owne Maister sayth that which is offered and consecrated of the Priest is called 〈◊〉 and oblation because it is a remembrance and representation of the true sacrifice and holy oblation made on the 〈◊〉 of the Crosse. And againe because in the Sacramēt there is a remēbrance of that which was once done c. In this sense denie wee not the Supper of the Lorde to bee called a sacrifice because praise and thanksgiuing are there offered vnto the Lorde and wee are not without this kinde of sacrifice in the celebration of the Lordes Supper as I saide before And if by haunting our Churche assemblies you had been aswel acquainted with our booke of common Praier as nowe blinded with malice ye are readie to cauill and slaunder yee might haue founde wee reiect not the worde of sacrifice of prayse and thanksgiuing in the action of the Lorde his Supper Nay that wee offer not only that but our selues also c. to bee a reasonable holy and liuely sacrifice vnto the Lorde according to the doctrine of the Apostle beside the sacrifice of almes c. That yee neede neyther say we haue no sacrifice because wee haue not your abhominable Idoll of the Masse nor that they depriue them selues of participation of the sacrifice of Christes body and blood that haunt our Churche assemblies Euery one of vs by the working of God his spirite in vs and by faith applyeth to 〈◊〉 Christe and his sacrifice with the fruit of his death and passion more effectually and more faithfully thā any mortal man besides can apply y e same vnto vs. We aduaunce 〈◊〉 our faith therein with the participation that is by the often vse and 〈◊〉 of this holy Sacrament with the worde preached withall Wee trust not your Popish application in his Masse who commonly sacrificeth for money as indeede all your religion is for gaine No penny no pater noster they say with you If the Churche of God shoulde receiue no commoditie of Christes sacrifice or of his death and passion till your priest applyed the same it woulde neuer bee Keepe this your application therefore with the commoditie thereof to your selues we wil hearkē to y e holy ghost a better scholemaister then you who by the Apostle thus speaketh amongst other thinges The cup of blessing which wee blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christe The bread whiche wee breake is it not the Communion of the bodie of Christe Seeing therefore brethren that by the blood of Iesus wee bee bold to enter into the holy place by the newe and liuing way whiche hee hath prepared for vs through the vayle whiche is his fleshe and seeing wee haue an High priest which is ouer the house of God Let vs draw neere with a true hearte in assurance of faith sprinckled in our heartes from
by your doctrine And one looke well it will not be harde to finde nine and moe too so shall we haue no ende nor keepe any measure if wee followe you herein Your seuen sacraments as you recken them heere are these Baptisme Confirmation Priesthood Matrimonie Extreme vnction Penance the sacrament of the Altar The grace of Baptisme you leaue vntouched not deniyng but wee enioye it moe of your 〈◊〉 for sacramentes of Christes Church properly to speake doe not wee acknowledge But in steed of your counterfaite sacrament and Idol of the Altar wee haue restored vnto vs the sacrament of the Lords Supper or of the body and blood of Christ instituted by this our good master him selfe As for mariage we esteeme it honourable among all and a bed vndefiled as the Apostle speaketh and say with him on the other side that whore mongers and adulterers God will iudge So then wee repute it as the institution of the holy God and his order to liue in according to his worde in his feare A sacrament as holy Baptisme and the Supper are doe we not repute it to be none depende therein on your doctrine In steede of your 〈◊〉 Priesthood haue wee among vs such Church 〈◊〉 as Christ also hath left vs by his institution and worde as namely Pastours or Ministers of the worde and Gospell In stead of your dumbe ceremonies and Popishe confirmation haue we a continuall Catechising of the youth and ruder sort in the principles of Religion As for your extreeme vnction we shut it out as a thing deuised by your selues for saint Iames place maketh nothing for you If priesthood be a sacrament the other orders lesse and great will claime the like priuiledge euery one so shall we haue a great many moe particular sacramentes in number than seuen and euery one in kinde seuerally from other the sacrament of 〈◊〉 the sacrament of subdeaconship of reading also of exorcisme or coniuring c. Where and when shall we crie ho and stay As euery one here can tell you wee haue visitation of the sicke counsaile and prayers with him and for him to his comfort as the rule of Charitie prescribeth Repentance is continually taught here and perswaded publike confession of sinnes is made in our assemblies vnto God dayly The power and authoritie of binding and loosmg or the keyes as you speake of the church are heere by the ministerie of the worde and preaching as occasion serueth more faithfully and vprightly vsed then with you In steade of your Ashewednesday ashes and displing on mens bare heades and womens bare hands c. we haue some forme of publike discipline and correction though not such and so perfect as were to be wished Nowe let the Godly iudge of the gaine that you bragge is to bee had by the profession of your popishe religion and haunting your Antichristian Synagogue and the losse that you imagine is to be had in the profession of the Gospel and our religion ro in haunting our Church assemblyes you that are blynded partiall and take no tryall of our Church meetinges no maruel though ye corruptly iudge of the whole For the authoritie of the true Church of Christ there is no greate strife betweene vs there is more for your Pope and Popish prelates and Clergie for their appropriating and abusing of the keyes of the kingdome of heauen for taking away the key of knowledge neyther entring themselues forbidding them that came in Sauing that euen in the Churches authoritie wee denie that our 〈◊〉 Christ did at his departure as you speake heere leaue all his authoritie with his Church which he had receiued of his father hee hath not resigned his authoritie to any he liueth raigneth and continually guideth and gouerneth his Churche himselfe prouiding for the same as our onely king high priest lawegiuer prince of pastours so forth after a farre better manner than any mortall man can or will performe that office yetin the meane while hee hath appointed vnder him offices and officers such as he thought requisite keeping the Soueraigntie in the Church still to himselfe of which offices and officers yee may see to the Romanes Corinthians Ephesians c. Whose offices are limitted and bounded so as they may not goe without their compasse That which you confesse Christ to haue giuen to his Church let no man take from the Church Let no creature vsurpe ouer the same keep well to the Church that ye here speake of the Churches authoritie Concerning Confession in that place which ye 〈◊〉 out of the Acts or out of your Gratian rather as appeareth you put in of your selfe that they came to the Apostles it is not in the text though your Gratian haue it there was none of the Apostles there but Paul that wee reade of to whomsoeuer the confession was made it was publique as of the fruites it is reported that immediatly many whiche vsed curious artes brought their bookes and burned them before all men You cite vs a long place out of a bastardely booke cast for credite vpon Augustines backe for the former place maketh nothing for auricular confession And yet woulde I the learned reader woulde conferre Gratian and you together from whome you tooke this but you thought good more strongly to confirme it with Hob Nobs authoritie of whom for answere I say as that learned man in his Censor before the same booke sayth A Praters talke neither learned wise nor eloquēt what faces or minds had they y t put vpon vs such writings in Augustines name For the matter of your forged Auricular cōfession to a Ghostly Father that is a popish Priest and so foorth you might haue found that your owne doctors agree not some thinking confession with the mouth to man not necessary for forgiuenes of sinnes some thinking otherwise and good authorities are by your M. Gratian that mooueth the question alleadged against y t kinde of cōfession how euer you doctorlike decide the matter to the contrary as though all the world must goe with you one way that is a Popish way Doeth not your he owne glose vpon Gratian where he bringeth in mens authorities to proue confession as he doth also against it say alleadgeth meaning Gratian for the other parte to witte that sinne is not forgiuen one of yeeres of discretion without confession of the mouth whiche yet sayth the Glosse is false For our Churches doctrine in the matter of confession of sinnes though we condemne your 〈◊〉 order and the butcherly straitnes of reckoning vp all our sinnes particularly in the priestes eare c. Yet with the scriptures wee teach and exhort men to acknowledge their faultes one to another And where either the church publikely or any man priuately is offended there for reconcilement we teach that it is necessary not onely that ones fault bee acknowledged but farder testimonie also giuen of repentance and sorrowe
to the churches satisfaction or the parties according to the degree of the fault be it publike be it priuate Moreouer where one feeleth his conscience burdened or intangled with sinne and the remorce thereof and is not able to helpe or rid himselfe out of the snares of the Diuell there doe wee aduise him to choose for his comfort and help some godly learned and discreet man minister or other to breake his minde to to aske councel and to learne that may be for the benefite of his soule and conscience Thus whilest confession proceedeth from a religious and willing minde prepared by doctrine and exhortation in steede of your deuised downefall and breake necke to mens soules is it made by vs a soueraigne medicine and plaister to cure woundes withal and sicke soules For the often receiuing of the holy communinion this is no losse in our Churches whereunto menare dayly exhorted to come often and may receiue it in most places monethly or as often as the parish will and that in both kindes according to Christes institution comfortably where in the popish Churches to be houzeld once a yeere and then to receiue but a dry host without the consecrated cuppe as they call it too diuelishly was enough wordes are but winde you giue vs nothing but wordes either for your selfe or against vs and yet am I driuen to answer euen bare wordes How much a doe we haue to bring our countrie people to an often receiuing of this most comfortable sacrament vy reason of your popish custome of rare and seldome receiuing that they haue beene so long acquainted withall and thereby infected And what people they here be that moste refraine 〈◊〉 the communion not of superstition but of an opinion 〈◊〉 the seldome receiuing as they were wont afore time in popery may suffise none that knoweth but meanely the state of this Church can be ignorant In your talke of good workes leaue out merit and meritorious that ye bable of without all ground after a popish manner and let Gods order be kept and good workes ranged within the compasse of Gods law and commandements and esteemed by his iudgement and not by our fansie Let will worship and superstitiously deuised good workes goe and that being marked which I haue before written there will be no difficultie The Communion of Saintes as I shewed before your masse seruice Creede leaueth out how euer you vrge it heere and yet would I not haue obiected this as anye faulte but that you beginne deale so hardly with vs about the article of Descending into hell without cause and will needes make so haynous a matter of this doing Still I did you applye this to your selues and your religion 〈◊〉 keepe your owne law But sir this communion of Saintes is not to be had in your Church where the Pope is heade frō whō al the members of that body must take influence as you call it The true communion of Saintes is among the members of Christes mysticall bodye whereof hee alone is the heade from whom all must take spirituall 〈◊〉 being by God his spirit engrafted into him and coupled vnto him by fayth or which is all one hauing him by the same spirit dwell in our hearts by fayth On this and in this is the true Communion of Saintes grounded whereof for answere to you there is enough sayde before The summe is the communion with the Pope cutteth of the communiō with Christ so ioyning vs to Antichrist as head destroyeth also the Communion of Saintes VVEE are come to the nienth and last Reason which is taken from the example of Infidels heretikes meete mates for you and a fit paterne in religion for those of your side to follow a good sure foundation for your erroneous consciences meete as a poore helpe to bee kept for the last place but if your cause were good you would make better choise The Diuell is the father of such and their religion naughtie consciences and doings wherein the more 〈◊〉 they be the woorse they be for want of a good foundation and a good guide Obstinacie and peeuishnes in steede of Godlines may bee learned at these schoolemaisters and their doings falshood errour and lyes may bee 〈◊〉 from them truth and goodnes not at all or very ylfauouredly but where there is any sparke left in them it may be better fetched from a clearer fountaine So we may be free then frō learning a rule of conscience from such 〈◊〉 Let them serue you and your erroneous consciences if you wil learne no better Suppositions 〈◊〉 rayling at the profession of Christes religion here and nothing but such stuffe amplified by comparison similitude and example not woorth the answering I haue so much answered of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I neede not stand therein now It 〈◊〉 to be your best Anchre and last refuge when your matters cannot be maintained with a good conscience and therefor both M. Howlet and you pleade it so hard in the beginning in the middest and here in the end for a conclusion of the whole treatise Good intents in poperie or your well meaning mindes as you can call them when ye list to speake thereof haue a great force The matter though it bee had though it be hurtfull to other is mended nay is made good by that intent or well meaning minde of yours Thus may heresie be good Idolatry good theft good whordome good treason good rebellion good and what not good and godly at leaste by his Dispensation all maye bee made good that hath so infinite power and 〈◊〉 as your GOD the Pope hath Ca mee Ca thee say they Excuse you the Popes whoredomes as 〈◊〉 whoredome c. As the 〈◊〉 be fore willeth and ye shall not leese all by his blessing absolution or dispensation c. Yee shal gaine somewhat he is no Churle he will playe the good fellow where he taketh His doctrine and canon law giueth greate scope hee can enlarge the same for his Darlinges But it cannot be so taken of her Maiestie our dreade 〈◊〉 here it will not serue to excuse that is amisse for that which is supposed and vaunted by you to be so forcible and strong as to persuade any to draw all is found what shoulde I say by her Maiesties and the States great wisedome Nay by any that list with indifferencie to examine it to be as weake as water Wherefore be aduised Leaue this hollow hollownes of poperie Embrace Christes true religion prescribed and described in Gods book cast away vice embrace vertue Be faithfull and true hearted to our dread Soueraigne and the state 〈◊〉 your selues and other Paply and profit in all godlines liuing together with vs in godly peace and vuitie to your owne ioye and ours Let God in all be praised and yee are welcome home otherwise as wee had as leeue haue your roome as your companie so for a watch worde and fare well take heede to your selues and prouide for an
euill day I counsayle you And yet I meane not so much in this world as in that to come God giue vs all his grace Amen Imprinted at London at the three Cranes in the Vintree by Thomas Dawson for Toby Smyth dwelling in Paules Churchyarde at the signe of the Crane 1581. An appendix or addition for aunsweare to the Authors recapitulation in the ende of his Treatise BEfore you conclude vp this first parte of your discourse you gather for 〈◊〉 sake to the vnlearned foure conclusions takē out of y t you haue to fore said which being falsly supposed rather then duely proued might easily haue been heere omitted But it is to the vnlearned You may not bee gaine standed You wil haue no nay You wil not nowe dispute of the matter you say all must be supposed indeede the vnlearned vnstable are easeliest seduced and brought to wrest euen the Scriptures to their owne destruction as blessed Peter reporteth The godlier learned wise wil cal you know for sounde proofe of the matter you thinke to carrie all afore you vpon your owne credite it is no reason it may not be Going to Hereticall assemblies we graunt you is prohibited Christians by the lawe of nature of God and of his true Church not to be dispensed with by any mortall man but where when and how proue you that our Church assēblies be hereticall this would haue beene proued which you put off before you had beene so rash to haue without warrāt or ground pronounced it vnlawfull to haunt our Churche assemblies What it aduauntageth your side to suppose that which you cannot proue and lieth in controuersie betweene vs I wote not but easily may one perceiue that it sauoureth neyther of trueth nor of learning which you so confidently affirme Till you can conuince vs therefore of heresie our assemblies to be hereticall which while we may be hearde to make answere will neuer bee giue vs leaue to turne on your owne heades that which you charge vs with And forasmuch as our men haue prooued Papistes Heretikes and their Idolatrous assemblies heretical giue the Pastors and other godlie Learned leaue to admonish all the faithfull to abstayne therefrom as frō prohibited vnlawfull things where you especially haue nothing to doe or not to commād at least And seeing the case thus standeth nowe betweene these two religious that of the Protestantes and Papists In the meane while till you can more sufficiently then hitherto reproue our Church assemblies let vs craue at your hands to shewe that the whole act of going to Churche is as it is of you Papistes sayde to bee prohibited also Iure diuino naturali that is by the Lawe of GOD and nature For wee holde the contrary not by Supposition as you doe but by good warrant of God his woorde reason and experience to witte that to haunt Churche assemblies is a thing 〈◊〉 on GOD his Lawe Whether we respect the olde Testament or the newe and also on the Lawe of nature as not experience onelye taken from the Heathen and the example of them that haue amongest them any exercise of Religion but reason also sufficiently teache and not to haunt Churche meetinges on the other side or vttetly to abstayne therefrom is a contempt and vtter denying of all Religion If therfore you will needes busie your selfe where you haue no cause and little thanke of autoritye for your laboure shewe eyther your selfe more religious and fauourable in speaking for Churche meetinges or prooue more substantially then hitherto the faultes wherewith you charge the same heere amonge vs especially seeing all the worlde maye knowe and iudge that our meetinges in the excercise of Religion daylye are not onelye voyde of Idolatrye wherewith your meetinges are 〈◊〉 but tende also to the 〈◊〉 and comforte of our consciences vnto the good example of other in making publike confession of our sinnes and the Christian fayth in hearing GOD his holie woorde making publike prayers participating of the holye Sacraments c. which we take to be the principall endes and chiefest vses of Christian assemblies in steede of gasing crooching crossing pyping singing and other ceremoniall fashions in vse among you For the rest whether it bee impossible to bee so that your Pope shoulde offer too her Maiestye to confirme the Englishe seruice vppon condition to recouer his Supremacie heere in Englande whiche hee is farre from and GOD so keepe him still and whether his authoritie be aboue the Scriptures so as hee may dispense with thinges agaynst GOD his Lawe or no I leaue to the Authoures that first inuented such brabbles to occupie mens heades with all Onelye this in perusing of late I remember N. Saunders an Archepapiste among you English Romanists handeling this latter question of the Popes authoritie in dispensing against the woorde of God disputeth whether the Pope may not dispence agaynst the Apostle thus mynceth hee thinges and for his aduantage propoundeth this question and hee affirmeth as one put to his shiftes therein that the Pope may doe or suffer to bee doone sometime otherwise then the Apostle commaundeth and ordereth As for example where the Apostle commaundeth if any brother haue a wife that beleeueth not If she be content to dwell with him let him not forsake her The Pope may for some respect dispēce giue the man leaue to put a way such a wife cōtent desirous to dwell with her husband and further he may giue him leaue to marry an other contrary to the Apostles doctrine and cōmaundement With which he hath authoritie to dispense though the former wife haue committed no fault against her husband after their mariage And why not I pray you when hee hath done still doth and can doe greater thinges then this whereof I enter not now to entr eate vpon this occasion particularly nor to examine Saunders cauilles and meere shifts indeede and no better The Learned know this man of sinne well ynough and the excessiue authoritie he vsurpeth and chalengeth The vnlearned I thinke are sufficiently warned before Let all that are Godlie take heede of dealing with Pope or Papistes in mariage or otherwise In the seconde conclusion you bring no newe matter but turne vs ouer to the olde and therefore I also send the Reader to that I haue before particularly answeared In the thirde conclusion it greeueth you her Maiesties Subiectes bee and shoulde bee so obedient to her godlie commaundements and therefore where obedience for going to Churche is alleadged you call it a A vayne pretence As the holie Scriptures for the grounde of our G O D his seruice were a greate blocke lying in your way wherewith you were troubled before and therevppon trauelled to inuay agaynst the sacred Scriptures So now heere her Maiesties authoritie grounded on the Scriptures and ioyning therein with the Mynisters doctrine and exhortation to call her Subiectes to holie assemblies lyeth in your way agayne and combreth you greately
A Checke or reproofe of M. Howlets vntimely shreeching in her Maiesties eares with an answeare to the reasons alleadged in a discourse therunto annexed why Catholikes as they are called refuse to goe to church Wherein among other things the Papists traiterous and treacherous doctrine and demeanour towardes our Soueraigne and the State is somewhat at large vpon occasion vnfolded their diuelish pretended conscience also examined and the foundation thereof vndermined And lastly shevved that it is the duety of all true Christians and subiectes to haunt publike Church assemblies 2. Cor. 4. 3. If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost c. I Imprinted in London at the three Cranes in the Vintree by Thomas Dawson for Toby Smyth 1581. The Preface to the Reader IT is no maruell though that Antichrist the Pope of Rome seeing his kingdome of darknesse decay apace in these dayes and fearing the vtter ouerthrowe of it for euer being rowzed bestirre himselfe as hee doth He is in high place hath of some yeres growen too mightie in this world by his owne ambitious pride and the grace hee hath founde in the eies of great princes and their people God so iustly punishing mens ingratitude towardes his maiestie This lawlesse man therefore of whom I speake will no doubt leaue no meanes vnattempted so long as hee may to vpholde this his pompe and estate whiche thing will not in these daies be perfourmed without much ado especially when he cannot bee content to keepe himselfe within boundes that is as a Romane at home in his owne Citie and Countrie where hee dwelleth or as a Churche man in Church matters but will needes roue ouer the worlde sitting in Gods seate and hauing an Oare in euery mans boate as they say yea and ruffle euen among Monarques and great Princes and that in and for their kingdomes giuing the same taking placing displacing disposing c. at his will and pleasure But playing thus his parte like himselfe that is so impudently and Godlesly in the sight nowe of all the worlde bewraying himselfe to bee in deede that man of sinne that is prophesied of Gods spirit on the other side detecting and reuealing dayly vnto vs by the cleare light of the Gospell the treacherie and sleightes of this sonne of perdition some possible may maruell howe hee shoulde finde fauour grace and good liking with any that beare but a shewe of godlinesse and honestie sauing that wee are sufficiently admonished afore hande that the God of this worlde hath blinded the mindes of them that belesue not that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christe Iesus which is the image of God should not shine vnto them And againe because they that perishe haue not receiued the loue of the truth that they might be saued therefore God will sende them stronge delusion to 〈◊〉 lyes that al may bee damned which haue not beleeued the truth c. A necessary caueat to stay vs in these troublesome dayes on Gods truth immoueable and a iudgement of God with feare and trembling to be reuerensed of all So then such thinges as wee see come to passe at this day and set abrod for the vpholding of that beast the Pope of Rome and his rotten religion ought so little to seeme strange vnto the faithfull that being assured the Lorde will destroy that lawlesse man with the spirite of his mouth take him away by the appearing of his cōming We should take cōfort incouragemēt therby manfully rather oppose our selues against him his ministers euery one in our calling then bee any whit weakened by such accidents putting differēce as we are taught haue compassion of some and saue other with feare plucking them out of the fire and hate euen the garment spotted by the fleshe The moe stumbling blockes wee see Satan and his suppostes to cast before men the more diligent and paineful ought we againe to be in setting our hands shoulders to the worke for the remoouing thereof out of mens way if God at any time will giue suche as are intangled in the snares of the Diuell repentance to knowe the truth leauing euer in good hope the successe to God and his blessing The consideration heereof in confidence of Gods mercifull 〈◊〉 mooued mee though among his seruants of a thousande the vnfittest whyle other bee otherwise occupied to take in hande vppon request of diuers godly and well disposed to answere a certaine seditious booke of late imprinted and set out to the viewe of the worlde by I. Howlet the title whereof is A briefe discourse containing certaine reasons why Catholikes so hee calleth the earnest and hot Papistes heere in Englande reconciled of late yeeres vnto the Pope refuse to goe to Churche written by a learned vertuous man as hee saieth to a friend of his in Englande Whome hee nameth not neither the one nor the other Why not to her Maiestie as these men vse to suppose and wee must beleeue what they say The whole for the woorthinesse thereof forsooth with a long Epistle Dedicatorie is offered by I. H. To the Queenes most excellent Maiestie and printed as is pretended at Doway By Iohn Lyon with priuiledge Though wee knowe it was printed not at Doway but in Englande without priuiledge or good leaue yet wee may not say so nor doubte of the other such suppositions bee these Catholiques principles wee may not cal them in question nor iudge of them they be aboue our reache For the Authours name of these reasons because they list not to vtter the same I am not curious whether the same proceed from him that wrote the Dedicatory Epistle to her Maiestie or no it is not greatly material sauing if they did not M. Howlet seemeth to doe his fellowe some iniurie in taking out of his handes that which hee promiseth in his booke in the second place to performe and nowe omitteth to wit to shewe the way and meanes that Catholiques as he calleth thē haue to remedie or ease themselues of this affliction now laide vpon them for their consciences with reasons and motiues to induce her Maiesty the rather to tollerate them in their religiō in respect of God her selfe and her whole Realme This peece of dealing with her Maiestie shoulde haue come after the treatise sauing that M. Howlet either doubting of the performance or seeking that glorie as one loth to tarie so long or for some other respect gleaning as appeareth from his friend setteth the same out afore hande and putteth it in the forefronte For I. Howlets person who hath the chief dealing in publishing deliuering this whole matter vnto vs as one supposed to be a good faythfull and stout proctour for the Popish Church and a fit instrument to bring vs such an vnto warde and like a shrich Owle sodenly and vntimely to make a great noyse in her Maiesties eares or as hee in his fellowes names and vnluckie