I could wel haue pardoned you the obmyssyon of the subtill questions you vse therin searching curiously the house wherin Chryst dwelleth Item what make we of ascension or the signification of this woord heauen or the right hande of God so that you woulde teach vs the true meane to receiue Iesus Chryste into oure selues séeing it pleaseth him in respect of his goodnesse too make his dwellyng in the hearts of the faithful and regenerate Otherways of what vse is Iesus Chryst to vs being so farre from the hart of man as you make hym B. 4. 42 Touching youre place of iustifying faith I vnderstande not your language where you say that only fayth by meane whereof wée take as of a hande the benefite of Iesus Chryste too obteine iustification regeneration and health and immediatly after you saye that by the Sacramentes are imputed and applied too vs the Iustyce and merite of Iesus Chryste B. 4. 43 In the doctrine of iustification you say it is a moste harde question to knowe what is that true iustice whiche makes vs iuste and agréeable to God with atteinement of eternall lyfe but I had rather that without so many argumentes confutations and subtilties you hadde shewed to the poore and ignorant people what is the christian iustice and by what meane she is giuen to vs. B. 5. 44 Touching the point of good works you say that the works which mē ought to cal good are those which God demaūds in his word and that those which be regenerat and guided by the spirit of God are they which shew the frutes of a good Trée I beléeue it well and conclude vpon youre saying that who hath not zeale loue charitie who suffereth not all thyngs with pacience taketh euery thing in the beste parte couereth the faultes of his neighbour and laboureth not to put peace in place of dissentiō can not haue regeneration And touchyng the rest of your questions whether good woorks concurre in iustification as a cause formall or efficient the simple people hath not to do contenting themselues with this beléef that regeneration faith without good works is a mere hipocrisie and thing dead and that it is necessary that our newe obedience serue as witnesse of oure reconciliation and iustification 45 Nowe deare brethren as I am voyde of intent herein eyther to examin or exaggerate the newnesse of your confession and much lesse to confute it by argumentes so I will leaue to the consideration of the Reader your excuse in cutting off the cōmaundement of the liuing God vnder pretext of certeine gloses and distinctions vnworthy to be vttered for here we do not dispute whether the commaundement not too make any images of veneration be a commandement particular or an appendix of an other whether it be ceremoniall or morall but we will here maynteine that it is an audacitie most cursed to cut off from the law of oure God any one woord séeing specially that that summe and content of cōmaundement is so short and compendious that it conteineth but ten commaundements the which if God woulde haue abridged he knew better how to do it than we and therfore such as vndertake to correct his stile and accuse him of prolixitie giue sufficient proofe of their abhominable temeritie 46 But let vs now come to the principall poynt of your debate and auncient question the which vpon a brauery you séeme to renue vppon euery purpose and place without hauing respect to the gret slaunder of those that bée weake First you vtter the summe of your confession of the Supper in these words The opinion of Mathias Yllyricus and his companions touching the Supper Credimus igitur Christo affirmanti quòd corpus sanguis eius verè ac realiter in sacra Coena adsit deturque externo modo accipiendum cum pane vino non fide tantùm aut spiritualiter idque tam ab indignis quám à dignis sumatur contraria docentes cum Augustana confessione consentiendo damnamus That is to say Wée beléeue in Chryste who assureth vs that his body and bloud be truly and really in the sacred supper and that it is giuen vs in taking it outwardly with the bread and wyne not only with faith and spiritually the which body is eaten as wel of the vnworthy as of those that be woorthy And those that shall teache the contrary wée stickyng to the Confession of Auspurge do condemne them 47 Sée here my brethren your goodly entrie of the article of your Supper which we may not improperly liken to that of the newe inquisitors who condemne anathematize excommunicate and call Heretikes and confounders of the church all those whiche receiue not their confession which me thinke you do also as of purpose to maynteyne youres of Auspurge as though it were a fyfth Gospel or newe Symbole of the Crede What shall wée saye brethren too these matters haue you no shame that men of good iudgement and vnderstandyng shoulde reade suche haultie and rashe woordes Who are they that haue set the authour of the Confession of Auspurge or that of yours in suche authoritie or degrée of the Churche tht they may pronounce Sentence of damnation ageynste suche as wyll not admit theyr interpretation vppon a place or Text of the Scripture What is hée of any iudgement at all who wyll not feare to forsake the tyrannie of the Papistes to enter into an other almost of lyke condition Wée call the Pope Antechryst tyraunt and butcher of mens consciences bycause that without libertie to heare men speake he condemneth and excommunicates them and yet your doings are nothing inferior to his crueltie in pronouncing condemnation not onely ageinst your enimies but also ageinst suche as you receiue for youre brethren and companions in the woorke of the Lorde and who no lesse for the duetie of Christians than to take away the slaunder from the Churche of Chryste do searche by all theyr possible meanes too lyue in loue and friendship with you 48 I could willingly say to the author of your confession as the Apostle sayth my brother my frend what art thou that Rom. 14. condemnes the seruāts of an other Who hath giuen thée such power Art thou his redemer Art thou his iudge Art thou he in the name of whome he hath bin baptised Hath he not a maister who if he fall wil raise him agein and hath the power to do it But of what purpose are these words when we finde our harts so hardned that wée féele not at al the very chastisements which God lets fal vpon our heades 49 Let vs marke and consider what miserable issues our prechings confessions wrytings and commentaries bring forth Let vs also behold what frutes are brought to oure audience by oure words what reformatiō of life in our churches wherin raign still wātōnesse lubricities gluttonies dronkennesse vsurie deceits with a thousād such like vices which we let passe making our selues many tymes by winking companions to
AN EPISTLE or godlie admonition of a learned Minister of the Gospel of our Sauiour CHRIST Sent to the Pastoures of the Flemish Church in Antwerp who name themselues of the Confession of Auspurge exhorting them to concord with the other Ministers of the Gospell Translated out of French by Geffray Fenton Here may the christian Reader lerne to know what is the true participatiō of the body of CHRIST what is the lauful vse of the holy Supper PRINTED AT LONdon by Henry Bynneman ANNO. 1569. CVM PRIVILEGIO To the right worshipfull Iohn Byron Esquier Geffray Fenton wisheth a happy new yeare with a gladsome continuance of many IN obseruing sir this last yere your order condition of doing I founde the custome and course of your vertues nothing inferiour to the cōmon opinion of the same Wherof as I proued peculiarly in my self by many means times but most by a ciuile cōuersation of your companie during the best part of the sommer so I accōpt my selfe no lesse vnworthy of such benefite passed than vnmete eftsoones to vse or participate with the like if such det be not discharged by some thankefull argument of good will compounded with matter of myne own indeuor according to the qualitie of my talēt And albeit I haue at tymes heretofore protested vnto you simply my seruiceable vnfained zeale wherof I hope you doubt not yet me thinkes with the nature of a barren soyle yelding no fruite the same might seeme no lesse vnprofitable vnto you than imperfecte in my selfe if it be not approued with some absolute and vnfayned shewe and that in the publyke eye of the worlde in whiche respect I haue presumed to lay afore you this little Translation a worke neyther improper for the purpose of good doctrine nor impertinent to the profession of a true Christian and for the mater it discouereth a a most perfect Methode or plot to discerne the principall pointes of our Religion with certein speciall places of Scripture toward the ende to induce the church to vnitie and the people to imbrace the league of charitie left vs by Christ as well in the example of himselfe enduryng sundry sortes of villanous reproches as in the president of his Apostles and Prophetes who suffered with greate pacience the barbarous disposition of the enimies to their religion This as I culled out amongst other as a worke resembling your owne vertues so in the often reading it I doute not you shall finde a happie confirmation of iudgement in good things the same as the Apostle sayeth being one chiefe and principall frute of knowledge and therfore moste necessarie that we acquaint our myndes with godly exercises and meditations of Religion praying you lastly to let it receyue youre protection to the ende our countrey and Christian neighboures by youre meane the rather may plentifully participate in the benefite of the same wherin also I accompt my trauaile sufficiently aunswered if this become thankfull to you in sort of an earnest peny or first offer of my good will reseruing notwithstanding to giue a better shewe hereafter as tyme with quiet leysure shall assist me And so God giue you a good new yeare and confirme vs all in his holy feare At my lodging the tenth of Decembre 1569. Your sure frende Geffray Fenton A prayer of the Author for the concorde of doctrine and vnitie in wils in diuine things apperteyning to the aduauncement of the Gospell of CHRIST O Eternall and mercifull Lord who as thou art God of peace loue and concord so dissētions quarels and debates are hatefull vnto thée We sée how with good right thou chastisest oure malice and rebellion ageinst thée by the diuersitie of opinions and strange iudgements raigning at this day amongst men specially in the cause of religion In the beginning Lord thou hast created man to thyne own image and likenesse to the ende that he and his posteritie mighte be one thing with thée hauing one only opinion led according to thy holy worde and manifestation and one wil affected to embrace that which thou deman dest whereupon might folow workes conformable to thy diuine and holy lawe But the serpent enemie of all peace and on the cōtrarie a louer of dissention and discord taught oure first Fathers the lesson of infidelitie distrust presumption and arrogant curiositie Alas our good God and creator that we feele and make dayly experience of miserable effects of that lesson printed by Sathan in our harts for euery one of vs striues to be a god vppon earth euery one pretends to be able by the touche of his owne iudgement to discerne whiche is good or euill what is agreable or inconuenient to thy diuine Maiestie yea euery one thinkes to be the maister that ought to instruct his neighbour Take pitie of vs O Lorde and deface in oure hartes this peruerse lesson full of ambition pride make vs vnderstand in good earnest that thou art hée only to whom belongeth to discerne betwene the good and euill and betwene the truthe and dreames and that it is thou lord who by thy eternall worde Iesus Christe giuest lighte manifestation knowledge of thy secretes to those that feare thée thou art he alone who by thy holy spirit doest direct teach thy disciples which make them of thy schole and worde Withoute thée Lorde wée are lost and confounded without thy truthe wée are liers without thy doctrine we bée falsefiers without thy instruction we bée presumptuous proud Alas wée euen wée miserable creatures to giue oure selues an estimation in the world forsake thy eternall worde whiche is the trée of euerlasting life and go deuouring the frute of knowledge gyuen by Sathan From thence Lorde it comes that our knowledge and wisdome is accompanied with pride and arrogant contention not giuing place one to an other whereby wée shewe that oure wisdome and knowledge is not from aboue for by the same wée faine to searche thy glorie and to blisse and prayse thée as our GOD and Father and in the meane while to mainteyne our opinions wée accurse men fashioned to thyne owne Image and likenesse in suche sorte that out of one only mouth procéedes bothe cursse and blissing a thing whiche might séeme both impossible and incredible if dayly experience did not discouer theyr manifest and absolute effectes For howe is it possible that a fountayne should caste out of one vent or spoute water that is pleasaunt and withall bitter and salte Who can beléeue that a Figge trée can bring forth Olyues or a Vine yeld Figs Truly Lorde such contrarieties are not so contrarie in naturall things as is manifested in things spiritual wherin we deale For how should men beléeue our wordes saying we loue God when by our workes we discouer a certeyne hate ▪ to our neyghbours We saye we search no other thing than the aduauncement of the kingdome of Christ and yet wée afflict and persecute the very members of Christ We crie with open throate
that we are of the Ambassadours of the holy Gospell of peace and yet our attemptes and councels are not but of warres murders and effusions of mans bloud Oh most wretched that we are we rayse and lifte vp our handes to praye and call vpon thée which notwithstanding are all sprinkled and goared with the bloud of those whiche thou haddest made liuely by thy wonderfull prouidence Seing that such is our wisdome sprong of oure belâ—â—fe that is to say earthly sensuall and diuellishe accompanied with enute wrath trouble with all workes of peruersitie giue vs Lorde by thy bountie thy wisedome from an highe whiche may be pure peaceable moderate tractable full of mercie and good frutes and far from debates dissentions and all hipocrisie bring to passe lord that the frutes of iustice may be sowen in peace for those whiche vse make peace and by those which be the true pronouÌ„cers and shewers of the same peace bring to passe Lorde that we shewe our selues wise and well aduised not onely in vaine wordes and bable of Religion but let vs bring forth in our conuersation the frutes of the Gospell wherein we beléeue accompanying our faith with workes of humilitie and celestiall wisdome Take pitie on vs O Lorde by thy bountie and mercie for we confesse to haue offended thée greatly and withoute measure and we confesse that the rebukes whiche thou sendest vppon vs are but the iuste rewardes of our merites Thou Lord sufferest that we haue warre dissentions quarelles and debates and that we committe vnnaturall murder one vppon an other and that more for the cause of our particular opinions than in respect of zeale to thy glorie whereof notwithstanding we vaunte our selues thou sendest to vs the messangers and Heraldes of thy wrathe that is to saye infections of the aire contagious diseases pestilence famine shipwracks with other like arguments of thy heauy displeasure towardes vs and yet we harden our hartes thou sufferest that straunge Nations Barbarous and Idolaters do raise them selues against vs for the ouerthrowe of the Churches and Assemblies where thy name ought to be glorified and wée trusting in our owne forces industries and frayle wisdoms will not haue recourse to thée and therefore with good right oh Lorde thou leauest vs to the mercie of the infidelles and sufferest the superstitious to haue victorie ouer vs. Oh Father of mercie bestowe vpoÌ„ vs thy pitifull eyes reforme our hartes and oure affections engraue in vs the only zeale of thy glorie graffe in our mindes the true trée of life whiche is Iesus Christe our Sauiour and Redéemer the fruts of whom do make vs liuely let vs be filled with true fayth liuely hope mutual and brotherly charitie that we exercising in works of true mortification iustice innocencie and holinesse may be in the ende possessors of the eternal life for the obteyning whereof we haue bin chosen predestinate to the prayse of thée oh father of mercy and of thy Christ our only sauiour to whome with thy holy Spirit be glorie prayse for euer Amen A prayer to Iesus Christ for peace and vnitie in the Church by Geffray Fenton O Soueraigne Lorde who beyng the eternall worde and true GOD with God thy father didst take our nature to visite in forme of man the poore children of Adam lost by their infidelitie distruste and peruerse opinion against their Creator And also by thy meane and remedie hast eftesones restablissed the confederation betwene GOD and vs approuing the same most painfully in the mortall martyrdome of thy most innocent body bléeding on the crosse for the expiacion of our sinnes we beseche thée oh Sauiour of the world that euen as thou arte come to consuÌ„mate and confirme our recoÌ„ciliation thou wouldest also reconcile our hartes knitte oure wils and sende thy spirit of truth amongst vs to the ende that we all concurring in one iudgement and opinion may remember that we are called to bée members of one body whereof Lord we acknowledge thée to be the chiefe and supreame head and so detesting inciuill partialities we may be of one opinion agrée in one minde and vse one mutuall and charitable direction touching the matter of oure Religion Thou hast left vnto vs O Lorde the celebration of thy holly Supper as a memortal of oure communion and spirituall vnitie with thée and also to instructe vs in suche lawes of charitie as ought to be of familiar conuersation amongest vs all And yet we such is the nature of our fragilitie and condition of our vnworthinesse as we abuse the excellent benefite of that most high fauour séeing that in place to tye and conioyne our selues with thée we doe more estraunge vs from thée and that by reason of our quarelles and questions of contention In place to consider that we are one bodie one churche and one bread made of sundrie graines we shewe our selues proude and giue sundrie proues of our ambition in séeking to establishe a speciall estimation of our peculiar and priuat opinions in handling very often thy presence in thy holly Supper by subtill disputation we become farre from thy true and liuely presence in contending whether the sinners vnfaithfull may communicate thy body we make our selues sinners and incapable to receyue and enioye thy benefites lastly and in effect oh Lord our zeale is so indiscrete that in stryuing to enterteyne the puritie of the doctrine of fayth we breake the league and lawe of charitie yea in persecuting with rebuke such as we accompt to be heretikes in the doctrine of fayth our malice with want of discretion makes vs séeme transnatured into heretikes of charitie corrupting the meanes of coÌ„munication and brotherly vnitie I beseche thée therfore oh sonne of God let thy gracious pitie fall vppon vs and so open the eyes of our vnderstanding as we may discerne the true frute of thy holy institutioÌ„ and ordinance take from amongest vs all sectes and varieties of opinions and reduce vs at last to the obedience of thy holy and only worde reueale vnto vs thy holy spirite with this priuilege of grace that by hys vertue he may drawe vs all into one corporation and bodye whereof thou O Lord mayest be heade and lette him breath into vs strengthe and power to perseuer in workes of true Iustice innocencie and holynesse duryng oure course in this tragical and miserable pilgrimage and in the ende let we beséeche thee the same holy spirite translate vs into the eternall life purchased to our vses by the sacrifice and oblation of thy most precious death wherin thou raignest now gloriously with the Father and holy Ghoste and there shall remayne infinitely AMEN To my most dearely beloued in our Lorde Iesus Christ the only Redéemer and aduocate of men towards the heauenly Father my brother Ministers and Pastors in the church of Antwerp namyng them selues of the Churche of Auspurge Grace and peace from God and his Sonne IESV CHRIST to the ende that by the bond of
interpretation of these words the vine and that are you handlyng the branches coulde we say for all that that Iesus Chryst would comunicate his substance into a grape and that the Apostles should be transnatured into braunches sure who were of such opinion discouered sufficiently his ignorance and infirmitie 27 Notwithstanding you others my brethren make your principall piller vppon suche manner of speakings and all to make the poore ignorant people beleue that Chryste hath made promise to giue himselfe with the bread bycause that hauing taken bread and breaking it he said this is my body which woordes simply vnderstanded are as much as to say my body which is broken offered deliuered and sacrifised for you is bread or like too this bread whiche you breake eate and digest for the nouriture of your body In like sort I being the heuenly bread shal be broken for you to the end you may haue spiritual eternal life therfore do celebrate this that is to say this breaking and receite of bread in remembrance of me 28 To make cōclusion of this matter I vnderstand that our redéemer Iesus is Comparison betwene the first and second Adam the frute of lyfe who hauing put himself on the trée of the Crosse hath defaced the sinne and transgression whiche the frute of the trée defended brought to vs And euen as Adam hauyng eaten of suche a frute did make hymself enimie of God in contrary manner when wée participate with Iesus Christ crucified we are receiued into the good fauour and loue of oure Heauenly Father and that by the onely bountie merite and intercession of the self hée who on the trée of the crosse did constitute hymselfe the frute of lyfe for vs beyng assured that the participation of that precious Frute is not done either by water wine bread or any other creature whatsoeuer but by the woorke and operation indicible of the holy spirit who hauing called the chosen and predestinate of God doeth teache them their Meane to receiue Chryst Election Vocation Penance sinnes and abhominable transgressions by meane of the presentation of the holie Lawe hée sheweth vnto them theyr damnation sentence of eternall death the whiche they féele so in their heartes that by experience they may well assure them selues that the ire and wrathe of God hath bin so manifested to them that they haue swallowed pangs of death and The true preparation to knowe Chryst is to know the necessitie wee haue of hym séene before their eyes the throate of hell confounde and deuoure them there they fynd the frute of the trée of knowledge of good and euill they sorrowe and wéepe with a penaunce most bitter the miserable bankets or repasts whiche they haue taken of such a meate and fruite not only in the person of their father Adam but also with their proper mouth 29 After that by such means the holy spirit hath abased the arrogācie of man his pride and presumption and shewed him by experiēce the diffinitiue sentence arest irreuocable of the eternal ageinst sinners he beginneth to comfort and giue him good hope shewing him as a far off The faithefull feele the presence of Christ in their hart the Trée of lyfe and the viuifying fruite hanging vpon it the whiche by little and little degrée and degrée fayth and fayth and vertue and vertue makes him eate swallow and digest the heauenly bread Iesus Chryst yea with such experience féeling that no meat in the world of how great nouriture soeuer it be is so sensible in the bodie as the frute of life Iesus Chryst is in the soules of the faythfull with such manifestation by good woorkes outwardly that others may see knowe with what meate they be fed 30 For when we eate of euery other The life of a christiā sheweth that he hath Christ in him meate the body of him that eateth proueth only the presence of the meate But in suche as eate Chryst the true frute of the trée of life is discerned suche an example in their persons such ioy and pacience in afflictions such care to mortifie the old Adam such a renūciation of the things of the world with affection to the lyfe eternall that their neighbours and freendes acompanying them may sée that they eat other meate than the deuourers of ceremonies do 31 When they haue truely essentially and really participated of the bodie and bloud of Chryste by faith as is sayd of Iesus Chryste all entier true God and true man they assure them selues of suche a coniunction with him that they haue no néede to goe to searche hym eyther in the armorie of Préests or betwene the hands of men too receiue him either with the bread or with the water as being fully assured that Iesus Christ dwelleth in them and that they be flesh of his flesh and bones of his bones 32 And yet for all this they forbeare not to aproch to the holy table of the Lord to celebrate the holy Supper with theyr brethren and chyldren of the same heauenly father Neither go they thither to receiue Chryste of newe in bread or in wyne by grace or merite but their first cause of going thither is to certifie to al the church that they are of the number of those that receiue Iesus Christ for their only redéemer sauior for their eternal sacrificator their chief king lord souerain prophet doctor to teach them in al truth 33 Secondly they take the holy supper as a gage assurāce of the good wil of the heuenly father towards thē the same being so constant firme that it wil neuer change For euen as God hath promised by othe that the sacrificator shal be eternal euen so shall be the sacrificature and sacrifice for expiation of our sinnes 34 Thirdly they receiue in the Supper the seale of ratification cōfirmation of grace with recōciliation prononoūced by the preaching of the gospell to the end that by such mean faith might be augmented in them seing that God is not only cōtented to giue them y◠word of reconciliation to assign his promises with the bloud of his proper sonne but hath also signed and sealed his Gospell of reconciliation with seales declaring in a wonderfull maner the very things conteined in the letters patentes and promis of the gospel happy newes 35 Fourthly the faithful see in the holy Supper as in a table and liuely portrait the communion and participation which they haue inwardly in their hartes with Iesus Christ knowing also that al the noriture spiritual vigor which they see in thē comes of the presence of hym whom they consider and beholde figured represented in the holy and sacred Ceremonie of the Supper by meane of which consideration they render thanks to the Lorde Sacrifice of thanks giuing in the holy Supper for the fayth hope mortification constancie whiche they féele to be communicated to them by the power and benignitie of
contrarie are but superfluous And therefore in place to make you answer and fal into the fault which I sée in many who do nothing in all the tyme of their lyfe but dispute and debate I will praye to that good God to giue vs all a grace of participation with his light whiche chaseth away all darknesse of errour ignorance 78 I pray you what frute can proceede in writing a new booke of the questions and differences that these .xxx. yeares haue bin so sharply argued and yet without profite Would it be any other thing than in causing to bée reprinted sundrye repetitions to fil the faires of Frankefort and set the bookeprinters on work A vanitie moste greate and yet followed of many men of knowledge who desirous by these meanes too borrowe themselues an estimation wish that the world knew that they haue such a facilitie to compose bookes that in one euening after supper they can write as many quaires as may suffise a spedie Printer too imprint in a wéeke Considering alas not at all that the deuotion of a christian consists not in wordes nor in the multitude of papers bookes but in the true feare of God accompanied with liuely faith and carefull mortification with study by all our possible meanes to preserue the league of charitie one to an other giuing the worlde to knowe by our lyfe and example that our confession is the better 79 I coulde haue wished deare brethren that where in your confession you haue disgorged so many iniuries at your pleasure ageynst suche as desire youre wealth and honour at the least that you had giuen a shew of a christian modestie But it séemeth that in this vncharitable shewe you had a desire to declare an euident witnesse of the hate and euill will you beare ageinst your neighbours and that without any iust occasion in them calling them aduersaries and enimies profanors of the Supper of the Lord and darkening with corruption the words of S. Paule You call them sacramentors people that know not what meaneth the ascention of Chryste what is his ryghte hand nor what is glorification of the humanitie of the Lorde with other lyke things 80 Let vs leaue let vs leaue good brethren such maner of disputation and let vs forget to mainteine oure owne interpretation yea let vs search the edification of the churche of Chryste and not our owne glorie Let vs studie to leade men by our preachings to Iesus Christe our Soueraine Doctour and not to followe neither the coÌ„fession of Auspurge the Catechisme of Martine nor the interpretations of Iohn nor Peter Let vs make it knowne to al the princes and potentates of Germanie that all those questions bée banished wée in desire to liue in reconciliation and friendship And let not the weake haue occasion to say that we serue most as matches bellows to kindle the hearts of such personages to make them shew theÌ„selues enimies of those who coÌ„fesse one self Gospell of Chryst with theÌ„ 81 Truly the doctors pastors and ministers of the Gospell ought to be suche now as by word and writing to become suters to the Princes Protestantes to take into their protectioÌ„ and vnder their wings the churches which the Lord hath stirred vp in these lowe Countreys and that they may become humble intercessoures to the king of Spayne oure soueraine Magistrate for pitie ouer his poore and most loyall subiectes who withoute any offence vnto the maiestie of theyr Prince bée persecuted murdered afflicted as seditious and rebells and handeled with more crueltie than may bée beléeued but of suche as haue seene it 82 In the meane whyle wee triumph in the chaire with bestowyng here and there captious Inuectyues callynge some Caluinistes some Sacramentors some seditious and rebelles breakers of Images with other lyke Wee sende oure Confessyons stuffed wyth Iniurious matters debates and quarrells to the Princes of Almâ—yn to the end they may see what valiant champions we are on this syde And howe at the least the Confession of Auspurge triumpheth in the towne of Antwerpe by oure meanes In the whych meane whyle the glorie of Iesus Christ is buried or altogither forgotten and wée haue so hardened our harts that the afflictions of our brethren and neighbours doe not touche vs at all but we heare them reckened and recken them our selues with scoffes and mockerie thinking to escape better cheape bycause we are couered with the confession of Auspurge 83 No no brethren it can not be so for God knoweth how and where to find vs though it be in the bottom of the sea he hath his armes so long that he is able to drawe vs from the lappe of the greatest Monarchs of the earth And therfore lette vs not put our trust in the strength of the flesh but rather let vs march with all feare afore GOD and searche only his glorie And in place to make factions and separations of the churche let vs go with one courage and heart to batter the kyngdome of Sathan wyth the superstitions and idolatries brought into oure christian religion by him and his suppostes Let vs make warre ageynst vices and not ageynst men which bée the creatures We ought so to preach and write ageinst the abuse of the papists with a christian modesty of God bée they Papists or other discouering so the abuses as neyther the abusers nor they that be abused thynke that we crie out ageynst them rather by iniurious malice than for a zeale wée haue to drawe them to one estate 84 Of what purpose is it to vs to fill oure books and writings with iniuries ageinst the Pope Cardinalls Bishops Préestes and Moonkes and to studie for exquisite words and infamous epithetes to breath vppon them in the pulpit Are wée so forgetfull that wée remember not what we haue bin our selues Lette vs beare in mynde that there haue not passed many yeares since wée were in the same pitte and quagmier plunged vp to the chinne yea euen to the top of our heades from whence if the Lord of his goodnesse haue drawne vs displaying the tresors of his mercy vppon vs followeth it therefore that we shoulde either exclame or cry out ageinst those as vnhappily remaine yet in the place from whence we are come Were it not better to offer theÌ„ oure hand to helpe to pull them out of the pitte and to exhorte them gently to acknowledge the myserable estate wherin they are for it is impossible euer to gain their hearts by the way we take bycause man will be in libertie touchyng his beléefe and religion and the more he shall be resisted the more eiger will he be fouÌ„d in the pursute of that that is defâ—ded vntoo him employing his bodye and goods with lyfe and all if neede be to preserue his liberty in these poynts and lastly wil estéeme those as his sworne enemies who by any other meanes than gentlenesse will séeke to spoyle him of this libertie 85 Too this brethren you may