y e thing which they haue taught in wordes for the banishing from their owne bodies at the least such thinges as they knowe not grounded on Gods worde but mans meere inuentions superstitions idolatrical papisticall and therefore very hurtful to Christs flocke committed to their charge because that such traditions are only cloakes to the transgression of Gods commaundementes Now must we the seruauntes of Christ reason with you the proctors of Antichrists inuentions what foolishnesse you can finde in this their request And that wee may agree what is Wisedome and what is Follie and so iudge who is the Foole and who is Wise let vs first consider your own texts of foolishnesse that your Proctor beginneth his preface withall Aunswere not a foole according to his foolishnesse least thou also be like him which may be vnderstand that thou mayst not be like the foole neither in worde nor deede Nowe if I can prooue the Papistes in their religion and their apish apparaile to be fooles then I trust also I shall obtayne that I maye neither defende their cause by word nor deede and he that doth defende them aunswereth to their foolishnesse and is partaker of their follies If the texte be vnderstande that we may not raile against the raging Foole as also the scripture giueth by this texte then may we learne to giue place to those that raile against Christs ministers and not to handle them as their follie deserueth but yet to warne them of their perill and to desire them to beware that they bee not wise in their owne conceites for then is there more hope of a Foole then of such Wisardes Bern. I cannot reason with Scriptures fellow Miles but me thinke that they are starke fooles that wil loose so good liuings for a cappe of two shillinges or a Surples that shall cost them nothing Mil. Oh olde Bernarde thou speakest grosely according to thy capacitie But by the same chapter of Salomon we that fight against Antichrist may exhort you that you be not like dogges turning to your vomite of beggerly traditions and popish trash for so vse the fooles to returne to their foolishnesse sayth Salomon And we counsell you eftsoone to learne of the word of God what is the true wisedome and to imbrace this wisedome once known to striue for it vnto the death as the scripture exhorteth in an other place for hath not God made the wisedome of this world foolishnesse Doth he not say that hee will cast away the wisedome of the wise and destroy it and that he will take the wise in their owne wilines and that the foolishnesse of God is wiser than men and God hath not called many wise after the fleshe but hath chosen the foolish thinges of the world to confound the wise and the weake to confounde the strong and vile thinges in the worlde and despised that no fleshe shoulde reioyce Wherefore we must seeke first of al the true wisedome which resteth not in mans brain but in Gods brest whiche hee hath by his worde vttered vnto man and is otherwise altogether hid from him as the Lorde speaketh by his Prophet Isaiah saying My thoughts are not your thoughtes neither my wayes your wayes sayth the Lorde for as the heauens are higher then the earth so are my waies higher thē your waies and my thoughts aboue your thoughts Then must we runne to the word of God onely to know which is the Wisedome that God alloweth that is to hearken vnto the lawes and ordinaunces that God doth teache and to put nothing to his worde nor take any thing therefrom Therefore crieth this wisdome of God by Salomon O yee foolishe how long will ye loue foolishnesse and the skornefull take pleasure in skorning c. Because they hated knowledge and did not chuse the feare of the Lord they wold none of my counsell but despised all my correction therefore shall they eat of the fruite of their owne wayes and bee filled with their owne deuises Beholde it is the worde of God and therefore the true wisedome that the London Ministers do follow But you and the Papistes following your owne deuises are filled therewith and content your selues and so are yee giuen vp to maintaine superstitious vanities but suche God hateth And for these London Ministers may I say as Paule sayde to the Corinthians You suffer fooles gladly because that you are wise c. You are the Ministers of Christ I speake it as a foole they are more in labours more aboundaunt in stripes aboue measure in prison more plenteouslie and in death oft I could say more Bern. It was neuer good world with vs Priestes since euerie souldier and euery Seruingmā could talk so much of the scripture and these foolishe Ministers are the cause thereof which would make all men as wise as themselues Mil. Of your state and such as you bee which can onely be known by cloutes and garmentes and neither can teache nor will learn we wil speake anon But marke thou this matter that we haue in hande This is the true wisedome allowed before God and all good men to seeke counsell at Gods worde and to suspect our wittes of foolishnesse according to the saying of Salomon That the wise man heareth coūsel though the foole seeke no further but thinke his owne way right Agayne sayeth he Heare counsell and receiue instruction that thou maist be wise in the latter ende For many deuises are in mans harte but the counsell of the Lord shall stande It is the counsell of the Lord his word that bringeth wisedome to the simple saith Dauid This counsell of the Lord teacheth the yong man to direct his wayes and maketh the childe wiser than his teacher that knoweth not the will of the Lorde For as this is the only ground of true wisedome to knowe gods will and therein to reste So is it the cause of all follie to swarue from the same And this is the cause that the foole maketh a mocke of sinne that he walketh in darknesse And the foole thus walking by y e way thinketh al other to be fooles sayth Salomō afterwarde Euen so do you foolishe priests and foolish maintainers of superstitious vanities because you haue none other ground but your owne brayne your owne will and your owne good intentes You thinke that the Lōdon Ministers we that take their parts are so foolish as your selues are y e we should only stay vpō our owne wits wills Nay we settle our consciences herein vpon the expresse commaundement of God and the examples of the most godly in all ages and especially vppon our Mayster Christe and his Apostles And as poore and vnlearned a souldier as I am yet shalt thou know that I haue ynough to say againste them And as the christian souldiers vnder Iulian that wicked Emperor would not yeelde to any shew of superstition not so muche as in the taking of their wages to burne a little
worde But as our duetie is we will praye for you and for all our Brethren in the Ministerie that God of his grace woulde graunt vs more zeale for his glorie than any of vs hath had heretofore more desire to edifie Christes people in pure simplicitie to present them a chaste Virgin vnto Christ then hitherto hath appeared that when the head shephearde shal cal to account wee bee not ashamed but being founde perfecte in all good workes may receyue the Crowne prepared As for you deare brethren whome God hath called into the brunte of the battell the Lord keepe ye constant that ye yeelde neyther to tolleration neyther to any other subtill perswasions of dispensations or licenses whiche were to fortifie theyr Romishe practises but as you fight the Lordes fight be valiaunt God will not leaue you neyther forsake you as you seeke gods glorie god wil glorifie you and as by you Christes Church is edified comforted and confirmed in Christian simplicitie so shal you receyue comfort by Christ your head Captayne when you shalbe called to giue accomptes of your stewardshippes and to be rewarded for your fidelitie The matter is not so small as the worlde doth take it It will appeare before all be ended what an harde thing it is to cut of the ragges of the Hiora of Rome It is beautiful but poysonfull there is no dallying with such a mounster beware of looking backe to Sodome or delight any whit in ther garments of Babilone neither once touche the poysoned Cuppe though it be of golde or glittering Let vs repent of our former sinnes vnfaynedly and then shall we abhorre and stampe vnder our feete these ragges that were appoynted to superstition and Idolatrie Let vs hate the blasphemous Priesthood so iniurious to Christes priesthoode that euery patche and token of it be in execration detestation and accursed and take no parte of it vpon our heades nor backes least we be accursed as it is Let vs not make the heritage of god as a byrde of many colours holding of diuers religions Let vs not mixe the Iewes with the Gentiles Let vs not in no wise mixe this our Religion with any thing of Antichrist Let vs not confirme the blinde in their blindnesse neyther the weake in their superstition But rather let vs take awaye if we can the names memories and al monuments of Poperie and that Antichristes priesthoode Let vs open our windowes with Daniel and professe what we are their crueltie shalbe our glorie Let vs followe Paul that knewe that the true gospell could not be retayned if any Iewishe cerimonies were maintayned Let vs rather neuer weare any garment then we should weare those whereby our brethren should be weakened offended or boldened to take parte with the Idolaters and so through our hautines in knoweledge our weake brethren perishe for whom Christe dyed Beholde and marke well howe they fall backewarde that yeelde in any iote and see howe they are edified and increase in godlines which holde that right way that you go in the which the Lorde increase you and vs all and strengthen vs with his holy Spirite that we may continewe to our lyues end always both by our thoughts wordes and works to aduaunce his glorie and honour dayly more and more nowe and for euer Amen A. G. ¶ Miles Monopodios the Souldiour to his Capitayne Cornelius Theophilus THERE be great controuersies here abroade God turne them to good about the displacing of godly Preachers Vpon the which occasion I falling in talke with Bernarde myne olde fellowe souldiour who is nowe a Lordes Chaplaine thought it at the firste lawfull as Horace teacheth Ridentem dicere verum with myrth to haue passed ouer this lamentable matter and so to haue made but a light skirmishe But when I was once entred our communication waxed more earnest and there followed some bitter wordes Afterwarde we had such argumentes that Sir Bernarde was almost readie to forsake his benefice as a great sorte of that order would doo if they knewe where to finde so easie liuinges they are so despised of all the worlde and some of them so troubled in conscience I sende you the whole discourse something I graunt enlarged publishe it if you please For whosoeuer other men thincke lightlie of it this displacing of Christes true Ministers for Popishe trashe doeth so grieue me at the harte that I can not but speak against it And so would I haue all men to doo that are touched with anie godly zeale so shal we not be guiltie of other mens faultes thorow our silence So long as the Parliament indured wee all had hope of amendement and kept silence but nowe that it is ended and all hope of man is past we must turne to God by prayer and that which we can do by wordes and by writing let vs do it Let vs not ceasse to fight against the remmanauntes of the Romane Antichrist and to labour to breake downe and abolishe if it be possible all his ensignes For it is of necessitie that his lawes should cease seeing his blasphemous priesthoode is renounced Let vs do our diligence in driuing away all Popishe trashe and leaue the successe vnto God Our fathers haue fought the bloodie battle and some of our owne brethren do fight against vs. Howebeit we are yet but in a light combate more is to be feared Let vs resiste the beginnings In this Dialogue that I sende vnto you if I do seeme sometimes pleasaunt knowe that it is not without some bitternes of minde as had the Prophetes when they had to do with halters neutrals whose foolishnes being counted great wisedome in the worlde they did thus deride If I seeme to angrie and to whote and earnest consider that it is not in myne owne cause or quarell but in Gods cause in the cause of his seruauntes in the common cause of this whole Church of Englande For which howe can we be to much carefull earnest and zealous And I do thinke assuredlie that God doth call vs all by this controuersie to a reckoning for our cold and carelesse trifling in Religion by the which Atheisme Papisme and Lutheranisme striue against vs fainte souldiours hoping for the victorie Therefore whom the Lorde findeth neither colde nor whote he will surelie vomit out He that is not with me is against me doeth he say But happie shall he be that fighteth manfully vnder his Captaine Christ against the patched Antichrist whose dregges who soeuer drincketh he is incountinently druncken therewith be it little be it much that he tasteth as we may see by the Lordlie Bishoppes who nowe for the dregges and patches of Poperie despise their fellow ministers and persecute those same persons whom of late they loued as brethren and bare Christes crosse with them in the late persecutions But if this Poperie continewe they wilbe younge Popes doubtlesse and poperie it self will growe vp againe The wounde of the first beast wilbe healed in that that the seconde shall
doo the same things which the firste hath done Therefore let all good men labour all that they can to plucke vp these wicked weedes of Poperie the remmenauntes of superstition and Idolatrie For Christes garden can neuer bee purged cleane inough from such poyson For if anie little twiste of Antichristes inuentions bee lefte the bodie will growe afterwarde It did so creepe vp at the beginning like a little Iuie stalke eating out the hartes of the great Oakes Kings and Emperours and destroyed the Christian congregations We Christians are commaunded to absteyne from al shewe of euil and we are straitlie charged to haue no parte with the whore of Babylon neither to haue anie fellowshippe with the fruitlesse workes of darknesse but to reprooue them And if they will not do so which will be counted the Pastours the Doctours and leaders of the flocke God can and will rayse vp others to pitie his cause and to purge his Temple as he hath done many times heretofore For in the cleare light of the Gospell God will haue Bishoppes or Ministers that shalbe discerned from the people by doctrine and conuersation and not by garmentes of straunge fashion The people are nowe to be instructed and no longer with ragges to be mocked Neither must a Priest of clowtes any longer be set before their eyes but the messengers of God must be sought to powre Gods worde into their harts the course wherof whosoeuer stoppeth or hindereth hee shall beare his iudgement what soeuer he be Playe you therefore the parte of Cornelius as you haue done heretofore Call your seruauntes and souldiours to the knowledge of Christes Gospel Chearishe the true Preachers of whome this worlde is vnworthie and though they should be murdered as they are nowe robbed and imprisoned yet let vs with honor burie their bodies as Ioseph did their Maisters From LONDON The x of May 1566. Miles your olde Seruaunt A pleasaunt Dialogue conteining a large discourse betweene a Souldier of Barwick and an English Chaplain who of a late souldier was made a Parson and had gotten a pluralitie of Benefices and yet had but one eye and no learning but he was priestly apparailed in al points and stoutely maintained his popish attire by the authoritie of a booke lately written against London Ministers This Dialogue was written almost seuen yeares ago but because there was hope of reformation soone after therefore was it of charitie by the writer suppressed But now that no hope remayneth it is thought good that the follie of the persecutors bee made knowne vnto all that will see it or read it The Speakers Miles Monopodios the Souldior lame of one foote Sir Bernarde Blynkarde a formall Priest and a Lords Chaplaine Miles WHat Bernard mine olde companion Well met I skarce knew thee thou art so disguised and chaunged Thou didst iette vp and downe so solemnely in the Churche and so like an olde popishe Prelate that a great while I doubted of thee what man art thou so strange hast thou forgotten me Thou haste a good marke whereby I must needes know thee and if I had not bin thou shouldest haue had none eye this daye to see withall Bern. Yes Miles I knewe thee and remember that thou wast euer an honest fellow towardes me and thou sauedst my life then I confesse Mil. But Bernarde I pray thee tell mee of thine honestie what was the cause that thou haste bin in so many chaunges of Apparell this forenoone nowe blacke nowe white now in silke and golde and nowe at the length in this swouping blacke gowne and this sarcenet flaunting tippet wearing moe hornes also vpon thy heade than euer did thy father vnlesse he were a man of the same order I pray thee of good fellowship tell me how thou art come to this chaunge since thou leftest our companie for surelie I haue gotten nothing by my long seruice but stripes and woundes and nowe I must needes leaue of this trade because I want my legges and ashamed I am to begge I would therefore verie fayne enter into this thy glorious trade wherein thou art so well trimmed and apparailed if I might doe it safelie Belike thou wantest none other thing for one quarter of thy gowne woulde make me a coate and a sleeue of thy surples would make me a shirt There must needes be plentie where there is so great superfluitie And I that haue liued in scarsitie in perill and labour all my life long would nowe in my old age finde some ease and safetie as for our learninges they are both like thou knowest vnlesse of late thou hast bin at some Vniuersitie Bern. No I haue bin at no Vniuersitie but in my Lordes house a yeare only and I know that thou hast more learning then I. But I must admonish thee of two thinges the one touching me the other thee in thy talke thou must vse me more reuerently and tye a Sir by your girdle whē you speake to me Mil. What in the weinyard are you entred into the order of Knighthoode you were of late in the order of the foure and twentie amongst the number of other good fellowes Bern. You may not thus ieast with me I am with in the holy orders of Priesthood Mil. Is it euen so Sir Then will I pose you Of what order I pray you of the order of Aaron or of Melchisedecke or of the Popish order There was but one after the order of Melchizedeck and the other ceased at Christ his comming so that it were a deniall of Christ to renew that order Therfore I suppose you are of the thirde euen of the Popish order and so me thought by your attire Bern. Nay I would thou knewest it I defie the Pope I am none of his order I know not what he is whether a man a woman or a beast No nor I care not for I had none orders at his hande Therefore I am no popish Priest if thou list to take it so Mil. Why sir where the Deuill then gate you your orders hauing so small learning Bern. Where Of my Metropolitane my Lord of Caūturburies good grace God saue his grace for he helpeth many such as I am forth of the brieres with his licences and dispensations Mil. God sende him better grace and pardon him of his manifolde sinnes that promoteth you and such companions to this state Bern. Why man thou knowest not what a state this is for though hee finde vs neuer so very dolts yet can he and the other Bishops by the laying on of their handes giue vs the holy Ghost for so sayde they to me and my fellowes Holde take the holy Ghost So that I am no more of the lewde laitie but of the holy spiritualtie and I haue gotten a good Benefice or twaine and am called maister Parson and may spend with the best man in our towne and doe keepe company with Gentlemen of the countrey in hauking hunting dicing carding and take my pleasure all the day long so that
paines in trauailes in perils and diligence M. Examinator whosoeuer hee was should not thus against reason haue railed on such whome their very enemies the papistes doe reuerence for their payns their care and diligence Aske at the Churches of Antline Peter Bartholmewe and at other Churches also what painefull trauailes from time to time they haue sustayned what perils in the plague they aduentured Haue not the poore sick persons and prisoners by them bin comforted and the people most diligently instructed If this be true as it is most true for the reuerence of him whose seruants they are they should haue bin more gently handled and more brotherly aunswered then thus to haue bin called fooles at y e first word though in some pointes they had fayled as men and not satisfied the great wisedome of M. Examinator Nether doth the Rhethoricall Arte of your M. teache him thus rudely to begin with them whome he shoulde perswade neither Christian charitie if either of you were euer entred into that Schoole doeth permitte you to call your Brother Foole as you may reade in our Sauiour Christ his firste Sermon Math. 5. which hee beginneth with blessing and not with brauling Bern. Maister Examinator is a wyse Gentleman and he sawe some cause why he called them fooles I warraunt you Mil. I graunt that it is counted a faulte amongest the wise of the worlde to bee so earnestlie and diligentlie occupied in preaching And for this cause the wise kinsmen of Christ called him madde would needs binde him and therfore your high Priests who are the accusers Iaylors and Iudges to these persecuted persons preache so seldome But the Spirite of God giueth an other commaūdement saying I charge thee therefore before God and his sonne Iesus Christ which shall iudge the quicke the dead at his appearing and in his kingdome Preache the worde bee instant in season and out of season improue rebuke exhorte with all long suffering and doctrine This and such like commaundements of God hath caused these good men and many others of their sorte to take theyr liues in their hands as Iob speaketh some to lose their liues and all to yeoparde theyr liues in that late plague of London when you Foure horned Gentlemen fled from your cures and hyred Iornemen in your places At what time these men shewed thē selues the good sheepheardes ieopardinge their liues for the sheepe and you were foūd hyreliuges taking stil the gayne but flying from the perilles Is this say you the cause Or is it rather for that they rebuked Poperie Idolatrie all kinde of sinne so sharpely were so feruent and zealous With the which earnestnes against sinne superstition and hypocrisie the halting gospellers and luke warme worldlinges must needes be offended and count them fooles and mad men as Festus did Paule and the olde worlde the Prophetes For the wisedome of God in his seruaunts hath euer in this poynte by y e world bin counted follie And alwayes the politike wise gentlemen count it their safetie to be like in religion with the multitude And therefore are bolde to mixe together many religions of Christ and Antichrist of God and the Deuill yea and some of them dare saye that both were good and both in their tymes to bee obeyed O miserable blindnes that nowe when light is come into the worlde men will not caste awaye the workes and fruites of darknesse and repent of them Either is this the cause that when the people haue bin taught these thirtie yeares in Englande that the Pope is the Romane Antichrist whose name ought not to remain in our bookes nor to bee spoken with our mouthes vnlesse it were in detestation now after so long trauaile against this enemie of Christe by their fathers their Brethren and themselues they seeing few or none going forwarde to roote out the remnaunts of Antichrist but many stande at a stay many casting away their weapons so that the Enemie gathereth courage many souldiors to shrinke backe not onely wearing Antichristes liueries but following that Romish Balaams couetousnesse and that old popish pompe with other his cursed conditions these faithfull Ministers will not be partakers of their sinnes least they receaue part of their plagues Loe this is the crime this is the fault lo this is the foolishnesse wherwith your wise and prudent Examinator is able to charge these true and faithfull Ministers of God If I knew what your proctor were whether he be a priest of y e popish order or of the English order or a man of the lay and lewd sort as the papists are wont to tearm them I could shew in him greater lewdnesse and more follie than you or he can proue in thē But because I doe not know his person I will answere the cause of Christs seruants and let him and you alone to your Lord and Maister giuing you both warning that you shall giue an answere before y e great Iudge for that which you doe or say agaynste these his little ones whome you call fooles But to the matter aunswere me playn Is it not meete that they which should bring others to the obedience of Christ should firste practise in themselues the same obedience and that they shoulde doe nothing without the warrant and commaundement of Christ that so not only by doctrin but also by their example of obedience they may teach their auditors only to depend vpon Christ Bern. No man will denie this thing to be meete and reasonable Mil. This is the summe of the request and supplication of the Godly Ministers of London as farre as I can heare that after so long preaching of Christ in London almost these thirtie yeares they may put in practise the doctrine of Christ and minister his holy sacraments in that simplicitie that Christ and his Apostles hath left thē without the ceremonies and garmentes abused by the papistes the enemies of Christs his Gospell which cannot in any wise make for edification in Christ that seeing their Fathers and Brethren and they with their own mouthes haue so long cried out against all popish Ceremonies as kneeling before the sacrament whereby much idolatrie hath bin and is committed as the ministration in the wafer cake whereby the people hath bin brought into vayne imaginations and haue not felt the comforte that our Sauiour Christ would haue sensibly to be presented in the vsual bread of many graines and many crummes making one body and being the vsuall foode as also against other monumentes of superstition and idolatrie as the garments of the popish priesthoode and of the popish Masse Nowe I say at the length after so many yeares teaching and so much blood of Gods Saintes sheade for the abolishing of Antichrist they themselues should not be compelled to giue any signification in their owne persons and bodies that they haue any concorde or agreement with that Romane Antichrist but that they go before their flocke to practise in worke
incense nor to weare a garlande vpon their heads because the christian souldier is commanded to abstayne from all shew of euill and to sight and striue agaynst the workes of darkenesse and to reprooue them and so striuing as hee oughte to doe waite for the Garlande So rather would I sterue vnder Barwick Walles than doe as thou doest and haste counselled me to doe either in taking of a Benefice by such vnlawful means or to enter into the popes liuerie my sworn enemie because I am an English man and to mee most detestable of all other earthly creatures because I am a christian man for I know am fully perswaded by the worde of God that the Pope is y e very Antichrist the sonne of perdition against whom with hart and hand I doe thinke my selfe moste bounde to fight Therefore my harte ariseth in my body when I see thee and thy fellows cloathed like his Chaplaines that burned the blessed Bible and our faythfull fathers and deare Brethren in our eyes You say that it is great wisdome for you to weare this Popishe geare and call other men fooles that will not doe it Then was there greater wisdome say I in the Pope and his Priestes that haue taught you thus to doe So may men say of a hundred points of poperie that you maintaine buying and selling licences dispensations pluralities absolutions and other marchandise of that Romane Antichrist And I doe aske you all as you will aunswere before God what doe you by these your deedes but approoue that Romish beast and labour to heale his deadly wounde and so to make a mocke of a reformation of religion But God wil not be mocked There was neuer yet any reformation begunne and after repented but it was terribly punished It is better not to haue known the way of truth saith Peter than after they haue knowne it to turne from the holy commaundement You began to runne well sayth Paule what carnall imaginations haue hindered your course Seeing we haue begunne the true Religiō by casting away mans traditions worshipping God in spirit as our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs he will not be content that you maynteyne these carnall beggerlie Antichristian pompes rites lawes garmentes and traditions Therefore like as Paule crieth out against the Galathians and calleth them fooles and counteth them bewitched for turning backe but to Iewishe ceremonies So might I call thee a foolishe Papiste bewitched by Antichrist that thus raylest against the Ministers of Christe for the maintenaunce of thy fooles bables borowed of the Papistes Bern. I do cal them none otherwise than all the world calleth them And thou shouldest do me great iniurie if thou didst so call me neither would I beare it at thy handes for it might put me in hazard of my liuing if I should yeeld to be a papist neither doth the garment make a man otherwise then he is as is the olde prouerbe Mil. No but the Garmente giueth men great occasion to gesse what hee is or howe he woulde bee counted a Courtier or a Carter a Collier or a Souldier as thou and I were wonte to weare Skarfes Harquibushes or Halbertes to signifie what we were and thou knowest that if we see a man in a Friers garment or a Fooles coate eyther we say he is so or else he woulde be so counted If he weare a Hares skutte or a horne we cal him a Hunter If he weare the weede of a regular we cal him by his order Mōke Frier or Hermite If he weare this secular Weede men haue hitherto counted him a secular priest for this was the playne difference amongst thē that their secular priests forth of the Churche shoulde weare this apparaile that you doe and in the Churche at the least they shoulde weare a surples also as you doe The other Sectes had likewise their Sutes some Cattes tayles some graye Amices some Lambeskinnes some white Miniuere some blacke some blew some chaungeable Sarcenet as you haue yet in your Monasteries and Cathedrall Churches The which Fooles hoodes are but a vayne pharisaicall pompe then vttering pride when they shoulde be most farre from pride when they appeare before God in prayers And therefore all these popishe fooleries should be banished from Christs church for Christ our Sauiour if he had thought them decent for his religion woulde haue commaunded them but hee forbiddeth vs suche Pharisaicall shewes and his father will not now be worshipped as the Iewes did then or as the Idolaters haue done at any time And Peter and Paule with all the other Apostles and faithful Ministers of Christ as they were otherwaies known then by garments so needed they no commaundement for garmentes neither gaue they any commaundement for their successors but onely to be known by the careful feeding of Christ his flocke and such other markes as Paule nameth in the sixt chapter of the seconde Epistle to the Corinthians But that proud Pope who is that cursed idoll sheapheard that he might be contrarie to Christ and his in all thinges and that he might haue sure marks and euident knowledge of his trayterous broode in al countreies caused al his sects and sworn souldiers men and women to chaunge their liueries from the Kinges liege people wheresoeuer they dwelt So that no King nor Emperor had any authoritie ouer them in any that tooke this Popish attire vppon their backes they had so many priuiledges and immunities Wherfore if Princes will suffer still those that should be their subiectes to weare such Popish weedes they shall not want Popishe practises of such as delite in their olde Fathers liueries by whome they had so many commodities Bern. If Maister Examinator say true these ministers are worse then the Papists for he calleth them Shrinkers Schismatikes Bellygods Deceauers Flatterers hastening to the secte of Anabaptistes and Libertines little differing from Donatistes Disturbers Factions Scoffers Biters Snappers at Superiours like Pelagians like Andians Rogatians and Circumcellians and smell of the Papistes Mil. What Of the Papistes All is like true Would to God none of your side did more smell of Papistrie nor of the other vices Are they Shrinkers that willingly giue their bodies to the prison rather then they will departe from the simplicitie of Christ his gospel was Paule a Shrinker that would not circumcise Titus for y e false brethren Nay they are Shrinkers that turne back as your men haue done Eleazar was no shrinker that would not eat swines flesh neither the Mother nor the seuen Brethren nor yet Daniell nor yet Moses that would yeeld nothing for commaundement As for Schysmatikes they cannot bee that cleaue so fast to Christe that they will suffer nothing of Antichriste to come vppon their backes and they holde onely of their heade Christe Howe farre they are from Belly gods all that knowe them can witnesse and their deedes do testifie And if you would put of those poisoned popish weedes we would aske none other
the moste foolish Apes of all other who hauing Christe and his Apostles liuelie set before their eyes still yet will followe counterfeites forfaking light for darkenesse Finallie if anie honour be obteyned it is this that the ignoraunt people is made to beleeue that the olde blasphemous Priesthoode with their Masse and the Englishe priesthood with their communion are both one And so it doeth mainteine the honour and dignitie of the Popishe Priestes and their Sacrifice but it dishonoureth Christes true Ministers and Sacramentes Christe our Sauiour and perfecte scholemaster forbiddeth his to seeke honour by pharisaicall shewes And must our Ministerie seeke honour and credite by popishe shewes garments As for Christes holie Sacraments they can bee made more honourable by no mans inuentions much lesse by suche garmentes whereby they haue bin so dishonoured and defaced by the papistes Bern. Though they bring none honour to our priesthoode whiche I must needes confesse conuicted by thy argumentes yet canst thou not denie I trowe but that they bring a comelie order Miles Thou and thy fellowes can nothing skill of Christes Religion whose decencie and order is not outward in pompe in garmentes and in outwarde shewes as is the Papistes ordure to vse Souldiours Frenche for then naked Christ in y e cradle his poore Baptisme in the Riuer his poore last Supper of so fewe dishes with his poore Apostles his naked hanging vppon the crosse should be without order and despifed and so they are contemptible to y e sence of the fleshe iudgement of the world But the comelines in Christs religion my friend Bernard stādeth in y e renouncing of al y e garish shewes of the vain world in an inward holines of y e minde which bringeth forth a modestie and sobernes towards our Brethren and a zeale feruencie diligence in doing our duties towardes all men without anie confusion or tumulte as our vocation place serueth And our maister Christ therefore taketh awaye all those outwarde trifles that were before his time as things vncomelie and vnmeete for his religiō For what a thing were this to put on a glorious coape for decencie or a fine rotchet of rains when a man must goe to prison or burning Christes Apostles and his true seruauntes are euer readie to suffer with Christ sharpe bondes and therefore will not mocke the matter with silken tippettes and stoles about theyr neckes as do the papistes So that I doo much maruaile what decencie comelines or order you do cal it y t the Maister must be tied with hempen coardes and the seruauntes must iette vp and downe in flaunting silkes and sarcenettes I praye thee Bernarde aunsweare of thy cōscience Had this bin a comely sight to see Christ on the crosse or tyed to a piller with hempen coardes mourning for our sinnes and Peter and Iohn shaken their silken coapes rotchettes and tippettes in the winde and saying Loe wee are Christes Disciples and Scholers Bern. Nay as thou sayest that had bin a madde sight and men would rather haue thought them to haue bin Iewish priestes Scribes or Pharisees Mil. Thou sayest true For these onely were they that sought comelines by outwarde shewes to please the foolishe worlde which euer delighteth in trifles they were against Christe because hee spake against such thinges Bern. Yet must they be borne with all for a space hereby to giue milke vnto children say they Mil. O my frend al is poyson that plucketh vs from the simplicitie in Christe his pouertie Therfore is al poperie not milke but poyson the roote the stalke and braunches Therefore it must bee cleane weeded forth of Christes garden or else wil it grow againe and choake the good hearbes as we haue to much experiēce And we haue borne so longe that Englande waxeth worse and worse in life and in religion Bern. Paule did be are yet w t the Iewes a long season Mil. It is a good saying to this purpose that the olde mother Synagogue was to be buried with honour But we owe no such honour to the Romane Antichrist God did appoynt Circumcision and other Ceremonies to the Iewish church but that where of Babylon that made all the Kings of the earth druncken with hir golden cupp and paynted colours appoynted these trifles to hir bastardlie broode And yet Paule rebuked Peter for vsing these ceremonies with y e Iewes and he him self refused to circumcise Titus when the false brethren sought to restraine his libertie to bring him into bondage To such would he not giue place one houre Gal. 2. 11. And must Christes Ministers giue place thirtie yeares to Antichrist in his traditions or yeelde so many yeares to them that labor to heale his wound God forbid And Paule did neuer yeeld nor Peter neither to any Idolaters whom they cōuerted to Christe to weare their garlandes or other priestlie attire to winne any of thē but alwayes cried We come to call you from these vanities to turne to the liuing God and to Christ crucified and to the receauing of the spirite that ye waske no longer in carnall ceremonies concision or other beggerlie workes elementes of this worlde preceptes of men c. And the waye to winne the Idolaters is as Augustine sayth and experience teacheth in many places to forsake their solemnities and let go their toyes Then if they agree not to our trueth let them he ashamed of their fewnes Thus haue they worne out the papistes in manie reformed Churches and their garmentes also where by oure staggeringe stayes nowe forwarde nowe backewarde thei that beare the faces of papists swarme amongest vs and drawe many backwarde to their madnes Bern. But this seemeth a straunge thing to many that men make this crime so grieuous now whereas in K. Edwardes dayes this apparell was vsed of godlie men Mil. That was but the firste shewe of the light whereof thou talkest Wee muste growe to further perfection How bee it euen then good menne also dyd refuse it as Hoper and Latimer Bradforde and many others though not so famous And Ridley him selfe which for a space by simplicitie was deceiued as he in parte confesseth in his Epistle to Bishop Hoper at his death calleth them abhominable and foolishe to fonde for a vice in a playe And howe violently and disdainefullie were all good men by disgrading turned forth of those ragges so soone as the patched Papistes came in place Agayne the maner of faste which Iohns disciples vsed becing good men though it were not Idolatrous as these things are was not therefore to be exacted of Christes disciples But rather for that it was an obseruation of mans deuise corruptelie abused by the Pharisees no more meete for the sinceritie of the Gospell than olde barelles for newe wine or newe clothe for an olde garment our Mayster Christ did reiect it So nowe the filling in and clowting vp of olde popish apparell to the newe purenes of the Gospell must eyther