that is embrace your inuentions and execute your plottes so that his Maiestie and all his subiects of what so euer qualitie or condition should onely be vestrae voluntatis imo tyrannidis ministri to trouble and persecute all theis that will not obey you albeit it were bothe against his Maiesties honour and state Which I think his Maiestie will suffer no longer to be donne because of the danger that may eusue there vpon For what can be more perniciouse within a realme where obedience and modestie ar moste necessarie then to suffer the subiects to be corrupted either by monopoles or periuries or damnable opinions tending to a new forme of gouerment and state or to permitt a â—orme of common wealth within an other as a cotadaill or fortresse within a towne to hold the Prince and all his subiects bound sâ—aues to yow A thing I know not whether more dishonorable to the Prince or more dangerouse I say onely that the moâ—e his Maiestie beareth with you the more ye at presumptiouse and the reddier to attempt some new interprise Ye contented your selues before to raill against the state and gouerment of Scotland now as if your iurisdiction were amplified with his Maiesties empire ye ar entred in England all Britaine is fallen to your lot ye will comptroll all mens actions there ye will assist your brethren of that nation defend them their doctrine and discipline according to your reformed ministeriall othe for why should any man be so bolde as to touch in any wise your inheritance or medle with your affaires or command within your iurisdiction A surplice a square cappe or a Bishoppe may serue you for a most iust reason to trouble all so liuely is your faith finding Idolatrie in any thing that mislyketh your humour O tribus Anticris caput insâ—nabile It were best his Maiestie sent you to the vnfound lands where there is no man yet that ye might forme a common wealth at your owne fantasie without other mens griefe or trouble Certainely if ye were sent ouer sea fiue or sixe yeares to seek your meate as others haue donne ye wold perchance be more modest and vnderstand how bontifull and patient his Maiestie is suffering you so long to reigne and raill without ryme or reason Cogeâ—is aliquando per vestrum scelus iracunda louem sumere sulmina But ye the Saincts of God his elected people assured inheritance indued with only faith voide of all good workes destitute of free will and yet willfull in all your opinions predestinated to the heauens how so euer emptie of honestie and covered with vice ye zealouse brethren I say ar aboue all Kinges and Princes they at but your officers executers of your good pleasiurs and will otherwise to no purpoâ— in this world To conclude this matter I will tell you the Catholik opinion herein which is this As we ar wholly and without any exception obliged to God in matters of faith and conscience so at we absolutly and without any exception or restriction obliged bound to our Prince with all fidelitie and obedience in temporall affaires that is in matters nether repugnant to God nor good reason how soeuer they be to our dommage and hurt in worldly thinges or to out paines and against our repose There is no reason why the foote should refuse to trauaill when the head haue a doe how hote that euer it be wearinesse can serue for no excuse at the nodde of the head the rest of the membres should be reddie at sic tymes excuses ar but disguised rebellions the want of commodities maketh the way more difficill but not impossible To the foote thes thinges may seeme very hard and iniust because of the great paines and many incommodities it must suffer oftentymes not knowing the reason why except that it is a member subiect to the head and therefor obliged to obey according to the office and due function of a member as it shall please the head to command Wold ye that men should goe as Iugling tumblers doe their feete vp and their head downe ye haue some reason so â—o desyre in maters of state although there be no reason why it should be graunted to you seing by that meanes sundry of you myght hope for the highest place as being in all degrees the very dregges of the people yet being promoted without order or extraordinairely for all is one in your personnes ye at found worthie of the charge ye haue ye become so perfect raillers but how proper ye be to gouuerne Kinges and realme which ye will to â—â—pend vpon you in maters of greatest consequence I leaue the iudgement to others and principallie when it is question of your zealouse brethren who ordinairely ar caried away rather by passion and opinion thâ—n guided by discâ—etiâ—n and wisdome where vpon ar founded an infnite nomber of rash iudgements that they haue made vpon other mens actioâ—s I think it not needfull that I specifie any the exâ—mples being so frequentâ— and common A nâ—w sorte of tyrannie meâ—kill to be lamented if we â—ere not oppressed with a morâ— grieuouse â—her by it is freâ— to no maÌ„ to vse his naturall aire and inioye the sight of his friends and kinnesmen except â—e sweare him self your slaue foreswearing bothe God and Prince for a reformed folie Ouer high a price truely and ouer great subiection for the small reward that any maÌ„ can look for at your-hand What so euer banishment were more to be desyred then that dwelling at home for accepting that conditâ—on men incuâ—reth the danger of double treason diuine and humaine which being donne they were vnworthie not onely to be esteemed his Maiestiâ—s subiects but to â—e suffered to liue vpon the earth if that come of their proper consent and desyre And what fidelitie I pray you can his Maiestie look for of you who requires of other men sic othes as cutt away all assurance of fidelitie towards the Prince ye preâ—erting your vaine opinions that I say nothing more displeasant to the whol antiquitie yea to all ages passed and present in maters of religion and your iudgement to all magistrates of what so euer authoritie or experience in maters of state and your interprises to peace and quyetnesse ar good Christians and true subiects well at your case in honour and Authoriâ—ie although the greatest part of you be the first honest men of your race or rather the worst that euer was of your race shewing the common say to be very true Asperius nihib est humili cum surgit in altum â—et a beggar on horseback and he will ride â— gallop But peiceable men who haue not that turbulent presomptious spirite because they prefer the authoritie of the vniuersall kiâ—k and iudgement of the ancient pastours and Caâ—holik consent to their priuat and particulaâ—e opinion respecting the magistrates as Gods officers and lawâ—ull instruments they at Idolaters papists traitours to his Maiestie enemies to the coÌ„mon wealth excoÌ„municat
gifin to Caluin and you farre different from the commission gifin to Luther and his â—ollowers for the Lutherians according to this saying hade only charge to beginne the matter and ye to end it but beginning and ending should agree to gether and not like aegri somnia or worse They should agree I say if they be of one spirite except they come of that spirite who neuer yet could agree with him selfe The holie spirite who is the spâ—â—ite of vnion and concorde could not haue condemned by your mouth which he hath approued by Luthers or Lutherians mouthes I doubt not but ye trust al that ye haue the holie spirite yet the diuersitie of your opinions assure me the contrarie seing that the spirit who approueth and authoriseth the one and his doctrine condemneth and dischargeth the others and their doctrin If ye say that the errours hade takin so deepe roote that it was not possible to take them out of mens hartes in short space and therefore we should not maruell if there be many â—hingis in Luthers doctrine not agreable with the veritie But I pray you hade it not beene more seemely and as easie to Luther if he was sent by God whose asistence he could not want in that case to haue told the veritie at the beginning as to haue preached new errours so detestable as ye say and so contrarie to Godds worde and our saluation what spirite moued him so to doe If he â—ad winked at some or many of these poinctes that ye call errours which he found in the kirk before him because of the inueterate opinion coÌ„fiâ—med by long vse there might be some apparent excuse in your answere but to bring in errour for errour or to put out one to take in two the people being so docill to â—eceaue what so euer impression at that tyme Luther wold or cold haue giuen them or to confirme obstinatly an ancient errour is no worke of the holie spirite who should haue guided your extraordinatâ—e prophete and new sent pastour Or was the holie spiâ—ite so weake in Luthers mouth that he could not teach him the veritie or Luther so hard harted â—hat he could not receaue nor conceaue the veritie mekilles teach it to others or hade the holie spirite since that tyme found Caluin a more proper instrument to instruct the world truely and plainely in all thinges Then why was he a lying spirite in Luthers mouth seing it was oâ— him ye haue your extraordinarie calling which now is so ordinairie and established that no man may preach without it 10. I see not what can be answered here or shal we tourne baâ—ke againe to the first foundament of Luthers extraordinarie vocation where of the marke was the true doctrine which ye ar constrained to denye and disauow if ye wold proue your owen good for he condemneth you and your doctrine and ye condemne him and his doctrine which if ye denye obruam vos aduersarum vesâ—rarum partium voluminibus scriptisque contrarijs what shal become here of your vocatioÌ„ for lack of true doctrine it wil be null either in him or you or if ye say bothe true in your mutuall accusation in you both what shal become of your ministerie if this false thunder be shaken out of your hands ye will haue hard escapping out of this snare wherein ye haue feltred your selues fleing frome the Catholik kirk For if ye say that it is ynough that ye agree in the groundes and foundaments of faith and religion which ar necessarie altogether for mans saluation and in these ye agree with Luther and Lutherians they with you I wolde gladly vnderstand what ar these groundes and foundaments of faith and religion necessarie for mans saluation Is it to beleeue that there is but one God Iesus Christ to be God Gods Sonne That our saluation coÌ„sisted in Godes mercy other sic thinges as sayeth Caluin Or in the Creed Lordes prayer ten commands as thinketh Beza Or shal they be in the inuocatioÌ„ of our lord Iesus Christ as teacheth du Plessis Or shal these foundaments be the negation and detestation of the Catholik doctrine or as ye call it papistrie according to your meÌ„swearing of the true faiâ—h If ye wil hold you at your owen grouÌ„d I say onely that a negatiue faith is no faith properly and so your negations wil neuer open the heauens to you except that ye think that the Iewes gentils Turkes and heretikes oâ— all sects and at heiâ—ts may haue place as well there as ye seing they can deny heads of religion professed by the Catholiks with noth lesse assurance then ye a great part of the same with you If ye will say any of theâ—s thinges which the others hade said I ask you wherefore came Luther seing theis thinges as ye can not denieâ— were beleeued in the Catholik kirk before that euer Luther blew the trompette of sedition or as ye wold call it reformation if that honour had not beene reserued to you if the puritie of theis pointes was requesit why came Luther seing he teacheth not that puritie For that was reserued to you onely as we haue said often tymes It were out of purpos to say that God hade sent him to bring in new errours and confirme ould vnder pâ—etext of some few that he hath taken away where by an other might be sent Was it needfull that your Caluin should as an other Sainct Iohn the Baptist Parare viam Domini In the meane tyme I will conclude if there was so many errouâ—s in Luthers doctrine that it was needfull to send another in his place to teach the trueth that his extraordinarie vocation was not good or els yours who at come vpon a false token to gif him the lie But Domini moderatores why shall we beleeue Luther in some heads of religion as hauing commission of God and not in others because ye say it According to your Euâ—ngell ye at all equall not one greater theÌ„ an other why shall we gif you more credit then him or if we refuse to credit Luther why shall we not reâ—use to credit you also that ye may remaine euer Pares or why shall we beleeue your when ye improue some thinges and approue others is it not needfull here to haue a new extraordinarie calling to iudge with discretion and to our saluation and if in any thing ye be gone wrong should there not be another extraordinarie prophete to correct you as ye haue corrected others And seing that the true kirk according to your reformed opinion may erre when shâ—ll we haue lawfull pastours ye put the true doctrine the certaine mark of lawfull calling yet it can not be hade because euery man bringeth errour with him and the kirk is vncertaine and subiect to errour and so we can not trust hir And certainely as to Luther I credit you when ye accuse him of false doctrine and his followers because he
kirk because in place of his heauenly doctrine as he sayeth ye haue teached your doctrine which ye haue brought out of hell tak you to him if the words be some what sharpe to prison the wordle and for that cause in the very beginning he did excommunicat Caluin Zuinglius whom he called sacramentaries and that most iustly according to their owen opinion for they acknowledging him for that new beginning of their vocation and new reformed kirk it behoued him to haue that power aboue them So what doubt is but Luther hauing power to send them hath power also to call them back if they past the boundes of his commission I he hath called them back and broken the commission he gaue them before as in deed he hath donne what he could that is in imagination as he gaue them that power they at priuate men againe in the middes of their reformation and ye also destitute of all power and authoritie to excommunicat any man By this although Luther hath neuer called backe his power gifin to Caluin yet could it serue him for no Warrand seing that Luther denyeth planely that euer he him self receaueth any charge to speake or write sundry thinges which Caluin and Zuinglius haue spoken and written since that tyme and therefor he calles them heretiks and sacramentaries as I haue said before Or if he receaued charge to preach thes thinges why condemneth he other men who preached them There were some excuse if he did not all but there is no excuse nor reason why he should hinder other men hauing lawfull power of him self to do that which he could not do or to condemne them who teacheth the veritie that being the chief and principall end of his â—xtraordinarie vocation There is none of all â—he Prophetee Euangelists or other holie writters who haue written althinges which â—t hath pleased God to shâ—w to the world â—or so he hath though it good to distribute â—is giftes at sundry tyms to sundry personâ—es for sundry reasons as he thought it most â—xpedient for his glorie and our saluation â—ut there is none of them all who either gaine sayeth or condemneth the others meikilles stoppeth them to say or write any thing that they haue in charge to declare and publish to the world here tourne you to what syde ye will either Luther shal be a false prophete or Caluin an Apostate his vocation null and yours also 12. I mak no doubt but ye will reither forsak Luther howbeit first then Caluin your last patron I may obiect here to you the honourable titels quo iure non dispâ—to that Caluin gifeth to Luther as to a true seruant of God and not as to a false prophete which were sufficient to close your mouthes if they could be closed But I will passe this as if it were not and speak of Caluin and you because ye may say that Caluin him self was sent extraordinariely to performe that excellent worke in vaine and falsely attempted by Luther I will well by supposition prouiding that ye reformed brethren will stand there to and suffer me to examine the matter a litill for we shall see if ye can fight better vnder this new captaine Caluin or any othâ—r ye will was sent I suppose this now in case ye will not stand by Luther tak your ordinarie calling of him extraordinariely by God him self to teach the veritie and ministrate the sacraments according to the reformation â—e was to make if he did not his duetie in this most excellent and necessarie charge ye should esteeme him as he is a false prophete who being commanded by God and assisted by the holie Spirite for sure I am in your opinion he lacketh not that ioyned to his charge yet wold not declare the veritie truely plainely without admixting some lyes of his owne by the deuils suggestion where by the world mighâ— be of new poysoned with false doctrine vnder colour of Goddes soueraigne name If this be true he merites more theÌ„ to be slaine in the way by a Lyon for traÌ„sgressing of the lords command not in simple eating and drinking being forbidden to eat or drink as did the ancient prophete but for teaching of false doctrine far by his coÌ„mission which was to shew the veritie If he did his duetie â—n all thinges where from cometh it that â—undry of your brethren in France other â—laces yea your excellent Apostle-Verelian â—reat Pontif of Geneua M. Theodore Beze â—is owen good disciple dissentes from him â— many heads and as I think ye also disaâ—ow him not in few pointes Certainely I â—aue not to this day found one who approâ—eth him in all thinges For when any of â—ours ar vrged with Caluins authoritie yâ— answere that ye acknowledge not Caluin but so farre as he agreeth with the scriptures where ye find that he agreeth with the scriptures ye will receaue him what lesse can ye gif to Plato Aristotle Cicero and Seneca or any other profane writter will ye reiect them although ye find them agree with the word of God I think not Truely Caluin is meikill obliged to you if ye grauÌ„t him that which ye can not refuse to an ould wyf Is this the reuerence ye beare to him for his extraordinarie calling ar thes the thankes ye gif him for the vocation and powâ—r that ye haue receaued of him shall not the spirite that spak in him haue more credit then any of you was he sent with that condition that he should haue no credit till ye found in the bible that it was true he sayed Truely if I be not far deceaued it wil be very easie to mak you beleeue any thing ye please and otherwise impossible if the iudgement be reâ—erred to you poore Caluin so far as I vnderstand by your answers receaued not the spirite in the best sort He receaued onely the spirite to tell you many thinges in forme of proposition to your holie assemblies and ye receaued of discretion and wisdome to iudge what was good anâ— what was ill ye haue gotten a more mightiâ— inspiration then your chief prophetâ— I am glade for your cause we can not faille to go well hauing gottin you for supreme iudge to trie all thinges but as I think euery one in his owin parish for euer the further we go frome vnitie the nomber is the greater and Papes ar multiplied in your persones I loue your wittes to follow Cesar reither first in a village then second in Rome yet good sires seing ye ar sett vpon that high throne lyk to as many Salomons that euery one of you iuris nodos legum aenigmata soluit be not offended if I ask some thinges at you seing there rested me yet some litill doubtes I ask wheâ—her Caluin was sent extraordinariely to teach you the veritie or be to teached examined by you If he was sent to teach you ye should admitt him without any further triall tak the conference with the