your yeares great exercyse do excell therin but fayth coÌ„systeth not only in learning but in simplicytie of beleuing that which Godes word teacheth therfore I wil be glad to heare bothe of your lordship or of any other that god hath reuealed vnto by his worde the true doctrine therof thanke you that it dothe please you to take paynes herein Chiche You take the first alleged amisse as though al meÌ„ should be taught by inspiration not by learnyng Howe do we beleue the Gospel but by the authoritie of the church and because the same hath allowed it Phil. S. Paule sayeth he learned not the Gospel by men neyther of men but by the reuelatioÌ„ of Iesus Christ which is a sufficieÌ„t profe that the gospel taketh not his authoritie of maÌ„ but of God only Chichest S. Paule speaketh but of his owne knowlage how he came therto Phil. Naye he speaketh of the Gospel generally which coÌ„meth not from maÌ„ but from God that the churche must only teache that which coÌ„meth froÌ„ God and not mans preceptes Chiches Doth not S. Austine saye I would not beleue the Gospel yf the authoritie of the churche dyd not moue me therto phil I grauÌ„t that the authoritie of the churche dothe moue the vnbeleuers to beleue but yet the churche geueth not the worde his authoritie for the worde hath his authoritie only froÌ„ God not of man Men be but disposers therof for fyrst the worde hath his beyng before the churche and the worde is the foundacion of the churche and first is the foundacion sure before the buyldyng theron can be stedfast Chiches I perceaue you mistake me I speake of the knowlage of the Gospell and not of the authoritie for by the churche we haue all knowlage of the Gospel phil I confesse that For fayth cometh by hearyng and hearyng by the worde and I acknowlage that God appointeth an ordinary meanes for meÌ„ to come vnto knowlage nowe and not miraculously as he hath done in tymes paste yet we that be taught by men must take hede that we learne nothing else but that which was taught in the primatiue churche by reuelation Here came in the B. of Yorke and the bishop of Bathe and after they had saluted one an other and commoned a whyle together the Archbishop of Yorke called me vnto them sayeng Yorke Syr we hearyng that you are out of the waye are come of charitie to enforme you and to bring you into the true fayth to the catholike churche agayne willyng you first to haue humilitie and to be humble and willyng to learne of your betters for else we can do no good wyth you and God sayeth by the Prophete On whome shall I reste but on the humble and meke and suche as tremble at my worde Nowe yf you will so be we wil be glad to trauail with you phil I know that humilitie is the dore wherby we enter vnto Christ I thaÌ„ke his goodnes I haue entred in at the same vnto him wil with al humilitie heare whatsoeuer truth you shal speake vnto me Yorke What be the maters you staÌ„de on and require to be satisfyed Phil. My lorde and it please your grace we were entred in a good mater before you came of the churche and howe we should knowe the truth but by the churche Yorke In dede that is the heade we nede to beginne at for the churche beyng truly knoweÌ„ we shal soner agre in the particular thynges phil Yf your lordships can proue the churche of Rome to be the true catholike churche it shall do muche to persuade me towarde that you would haue me inclyne vnto Yorke Why let vs go to the definition of the churche what is it phil It is a coÌ„gregation of people dispersed through the worlde agreyng together in the worde of God vsyng the sacramentes and al other thinges accordyng to the same Yorke This diffinitioÌ„ is of many wordes to no purpose Phil. I do not precisely diffyne the churche but declare vnto you what I thinke the church is Yorke Is the church visible or inuisible Phil. It is bothe visible and inuisible the inuisible church is of all the electes of God only the visible consisteth of bothe good and bad vsing all thinges in fayth according to Goddes word Yorke The churche is an vniuersal coÌ„gregacioÌ„ of faythful people in Christ through the worlde which this word catholik doth wel expresse for what is catholike elles doth it not signifie vniuersal Phil. The churche is diffined by S. Austen to be called catholike in this wyse Ecclesia ideo dicitur catholica quia vniuersaliter perfecta est in nullo claudicat The church is called therfore catholike bicause it is throughly perfyt and halteth in nothing Yorke Nay it is called catholyke bycause it is vniuersally receyued of all Chrystian nations for the most parte Phil. The churche was catholike in the Apostles tyme yet was it not vniuersally receyued of the world but bicause their doctrine which they had receyued of Christ was perfect and appointed to be preached and receaued of the hole world therfore it is caled the catholike fayth all persons receyuing the same be to be counted the catholike churche And S. Austine in an other place writeth ad Neophitos that the catholike church is the which beleueth a right Yorke Yf you will learne I wil shewe you by S. Austine writing against the Donatistes that he proueth the catholike churche by two principall pointes which is vniuersalitie and successioÌ„ of bishops in one apostolycal sea from tyme to tyme. Nowe thus wil I make myn argumeÌ„t The churche of Rome is vniuersal hath had his succession of bishops from tyme tyme Ergo it is the catholike churche howe answere you to this argumeÌ„t phil I deny the antecedent That the catholike churche is only knowen by vniuersalitie by succession of bishops Yorke I wil proue it And with that he brought furthe a boke which he had noted out of the doctors and turned to his commoÌ„ places therin of the churche recyted one or two out of S Austen specially out of his epistle written against the Donatistes Here S. Austen manifestly proueth that the Donatistes were not the catholike churche bicause they had no succession of bishops in their opinion neyther vniuersalitie and the same force hath S. Austins argument against you phil My lord I haue wayed the force of that argument before nowe And I perceiue it maketh nothing against me nether it commeth to your purpose for I will stand to the tryall of S. Austen for the apê“bacion of the catholike churche where of I am For S. Austine speaketh of vniuersalitie ioyned with veritie of faythful successours of Peter before corruption came into the churche and so yf you can deduce your argumeÌ„t for the sea of Rome now as S. Austen might do in his tyme I would say it might be of some force otherwise not Yorke S. Austine proueth the catholike churche
do as you do Phil. No my lorde I do not as I do for that cause For I am taught otherwyse by the Gospel not altogether to refuse the minister for his euell lyuyng so that he bryng sounde doctrine out of Goddes boke worce Do you thinke that the vniuersal churche may be deceyued Phil. S. Paule to the Thessalonians prophecied that ther should come an vniuersall departing from the fayth in the latter dayes before the comming of Christ sayeng Non veniet Christus nisi venerit defectio prius That is Christ shall not come tyl ther come a departing fyrst Cole Yea I pray you howe take you the departyng there in S. Paul It is not ment of fayth but of the departing from the empyre For it is in Greke Apostasia Phil. Mary in dede you M. Doctour put me in good remembraunce of the meanyng of saynt Paule in that place For Apostasia is properlye a departyng from the faythe and therof commeth Apostata whiche properlye sygnyfyeth one that departeth from his fayth And saynt Paule in the same place after speaketh of the decaye of the Empire Cole Apostasia doth not only signifie a departing from the fayth but also frō the Empyre as I am hable to shewe phil I neuer red it so taken and when you shal be hable to shewe it as you saye in wordes I wil beleue it and not before morc I am sorye that you should be agaynst the christen world phil The worlde cōmonly and such as be called christians for the multitude hathe hated the truth and ben enemyes to the same Gloue Why maister Philpot do you thynke that the vniuersall churche hathe erred and you only to be in the truthe phil The churche that you are of was neuer vniuersal For two partes of the worlde which is Asia and Affrica neuer consented to the supremacie of the bishop of Rome as at this daye they do not neither do folowe his decrees Gloce. Yes in Florentines coūsel they did agree phil It was sayd so by false reporte after they of Asia and Affrica were gone home But it was not so in dede as the sequel of them al hitherto doth proue the contrarye Gloce. I praye you by whom wyl you be iudged in matters of controuersie which happen dayly phil By the worde of God For Christ sayeth in S Iohn̄ the worde that he spake shal be iudge in the later daye Gloc. What yf you take the worde one waye and I an other waye who shal be iudge then phil The primatiue Churche Gloc. I knowe you meane the doctours that wrote therof Phil. I meane verely so Gloc. What yf you take the doctours in one sence and I in an other who shal be iudge then Phil. Then let that be taken which is most agreable to Goddes worde Cole My lordes why do you trouble your selues to answer him in this mater it is not the thing which is layd to his charge but his errour of the sacrament and he to shyfte him selfe of that brought in an other matter Phil. This is the mater maister Cole to the which I haue referred al other questions and desire to be satisfyed worce It is wonder to se howe he stādeth with a fewe against a great multitude Phil. We haue almost as many as you For we haue Asya Affryca Germany Denmarke and a great part of Fraunce and daylye the nombre of the Gospel dothe increase so that I am credibly informed that for this religion in the which I stād and for that which I am like to diē a great multytude dothe daily com out of Fraūce through persecucion that the cities of Germanie be scarse hable to receaue them And therfore your lordship may be sure the worde of God wil one day take place So what you can to the contrarie worcest They were wel occupied to bring you suche newes and you haue ben well kept to haue suche resort vnto you thou art the arrogauntest and stoutest fond felowe that euer I knewe Phil. I pray your lordshipe to beare with my hastye speache for it is parte of my corrupte nature to speake somwhat hastly But for all that I meane with humilitie to do my dewty to your lordships London Master Philpot my lordes wil troble you no further at this tyme But you shall goo from whence you cam and haue suche fauour as in the meane while I can shew you and vpon wednesdaye next you shal be called agayne to be heard what you cā say for the mayntenaunce of your error Phil. My lord my desire is to be satisfied of you in that I haue required and your lordship shall fynde me as I haue said worcest We wyshe you as well as our selues Phil. I thinke the same my lordes but I feare you are deaceuyd and haue a zeale of your selues not according to knowledge worcest God send you more grace Phil. And also God increase the same in you open your eyes Nay God ryd his shepe from such wolues that you maie se to maintaine his truthe and his true church Than the bishopes rose vp and cōsulted together and caused a writing to be made In the which I thinke my bloude by them was bought and sold and therto they put to theyr handes and after this I was caryed to my cole howse agayne Thus endeth the fourth parte of this tragedye God hasten the ende therof to his glorye Amen BEcause I haue begonne to write vnto you of myne examinacions before the B. other more to satisfie your desire than it is any thing worthy to be written I haue thought yt good to write vnto you also that which hath ben of late that the same myght come to light which they do in darkenes priuy corners and that the world nowe the posteritie herafter might knowe howe vnorderlye vniustlye and vnlearnedlye these rauening wolues do procede agaynst the selye and faithful flocke of Christ and condēpne and persecute the syncere doctrine of Christ in vs which they are not hable by honest meanes to resyst but only by tyrannie and violence The examinacion of Iohn Philpot had before the bishoppes of Lōdon Rochester Couētre S. Asses I trow one other whose seas I know not Doctor storie Curtop D. Sauerson D. Pendletō with diuers other chaplaynes and gētlemen of the Quenes chamber with diuers other gentilmen in a galerye of my lord of Londons palace MAster Philpot come you hyther London I haue desired my lordes here other learned men to take som paynes once agayne and to do you good and because I do mynd to sit in iudgemēt on you to morowe as I am commaunded yet I would you should haue as muche fauour as I can shewe you yf you wil be any thing conformable Therfore plaie the wyse mā and be not singular in your opinion but be ruled by these learned men phil My lorde that you saye you will sit on me in iudgement to morowe I am glad therof For I was promised by them
dog sware by his christendom sence al the catholyke churche vntil these fewe yeares haue taken hym to be supreme head of the churche besydes this good man Ireneus Phil. That is not lykely that Ireneus so toke him or the primatiue churche For I am hable to shewe seuen general coūsels after Ireneus time wherin he was neuer so taken which maye be a sufficient profe that the catholike primatiue churche neuer toke hym for supreme head The other Bis This man wil neuer be satisfyed saye what we can It is but folly to reason any more with him Phil. Oh my lordes would you haue me satisfyed with nothing Iudge I praye you who of vs hath better autoritie he which bringeth the exāple of one man goyng to Rome or I that by these many general councelles am hable to proue that he was neuer so taken in many hūdreth yeres after Christ as by Nicene Ephesyne the fyrst and the second Calcedonen̄ Constantinopolitane Carthaginen̄ Auilien̄ Couentre Why wil ye not admit the churche of Rome to be the Catholyke churche phil Bicause it foloweth not the primatiue catholyke churche neyther agreeth with the same no more then an apple is lyke a nutte Couentre Wherin doth it discent Phil. Yt were to long to recite all but two thinge I wil name the supremacie and transubstāciation Curtop As for transubstantiation albeyt yt was set furth and decreed for an article of fayth not muche aboue thre hūdreth yeres yet yt was alwayes beleued in the churche London Yea that it was very well sayd of you master Curtoppe phil Ye haue sayd right that transubstanciation is but a late plantacion of the bishop of Rome and you are not hable to shew any auncient wryter that the primatiue churche did beleue any suche thinges And with this Curtop shranke awaye And immediatly after the ambassadoure of spayne cam in To whom my lord of London went leauing the other with me To whō I said my lordes yf you can shewe me that this churche of Rome wherof you are membres is the true chatolik churche I shal be content to be one therof And as conformable to the same as you can require me in all thīges For I knowe ther is no saluacion but within the churche Couentre Can you disproue that the churche of Rome is not the catholike churche phil Yea that I am hable but I desire rather to heare of you for the profe therof And seyng I can not haue my request at your handes neyther be satisfied with any probable auctoritie I wil shewe yowe good profe why it is not the catholike churche as it was in deade and owght to be the forme and scolemaistres of the churche to the worldes ende than is not the churche of Rome nowe the catholike churche which dissenteth so farre from the same bothe in doctrine and vse of the sacramentes Couentre Howe proue you that the churche of Rome nowe dissenteth in doctrine and vse of the sacramentes from the primatiue church Phil. Compare the one with the other yt wil sone appeare as you maye see both in Eusebius and in other Ecclesiasticall and auncient writers Couentre What haue you to saye more why it is not the catholike churche Phil. Because it is not by your owne interpretacion of the catholike vniuersall neyther neuer was albeyt you falsely persuade the people that it is soo For the world being diuided in three partes Asia Affrica Europa twoo parts therof Asia and Affrica professīg Christ as well as we did neuer consēt to the church of Rome which is of Europa which is a sufficient testimonie that your faith was neuer vniuersall Couentre How proue you that Phil. All the historiographers which write of the procedinges of the churche do testifie the same Besides that this present tyme doth declare that to be true which I saye For at this present the churche of Asia and Affrica do not consent to the churche of Rome Yea and besides al this the most part of Europa doth not agre neyther alowe the churche of Rome As Germanie the kingdome of Denmarcke the kingdome of Poole a great part of Fraūce England and Zealande which is a manifest probacion that your churche is not vniuersall And after this the bishop of London called awaye the other bishops left with me diuers gentlemen with certayne of his chaplaynes as doctor Sauerson an englisheman which had proceded doctor in Bonnony who after began with me in this maner D. sauer Master Philpot I remembre you beyonde the sea synce the tyme you reasoned with a fryer a notable learned man comming from Venece to Padua in a barge Phil. I can not forgett that for the fryer thretned me to accuse me of heresye as sone as he cam to Padua for that I talked with him so boldly of the truth He was no suche learned man as you name hym to be but onlye in his scoole poynts a good purgatorie frier D. sauer Well he was a learned man for all that And I am sorye to heare that you this daye hauing communed with so many notable learned men are no more conformable to them than you be Phil. I wil be conformable to all them that be conformable to Christ in his worde And I praye you good master Doctor be not soo cōformable to please men more than God contrarie to your learnīg for worldly estimaciōs sake D. sauer No that I am not vpon what occasiō should you thinke thus of me Phil. Vpō no euil that I do knowe of you master doctor but I speake as one wishing that you should not be led away frō the truthe for promocions sake as many doctors doo nowe a dayes D. sauer I haue heard your argumētacions hitherto me thinketh that a great many of the olde auncient writers be agaynst you in that you do not alowe the churche of Rome neyther the supremacie For S. Cipriane which is an olde aunciēt writer doth allowe the bishop of Rome to be the supreme head of the churche Phil. That I am sure of he doth not For he writing vnto Cornelius then bishop of Rome calleth hym but his cōpanyon and felowe bishop neither attributed to hym the name eyther of Pope or elles of any other vsurped termes which now be ascribed to the bishop of Rome to the setting forth of his dignitie Sauer You can not be hable to shewe that S. Ciprian calleth Cornelius his felow bishop Phil. I wil wager with you that I am hable to make that I can shewe it you in Ciprian as I haue sayd Sauer I wil lay non other wager with you but booke for booke it is not so Phil. I agre therto and I pray you one of my lordes chaplaynes to set vs Cipriane hyther for the triall herof And with that one of thē went to my lordes studie brought furth Cipriā And by by he turned to the fyrst booke of his epistles the .4 epistle and there woulde haue semed to haue gathered a strong
haue in hast scribled out all myne examinacioÌ„ hitherto that the same which hath ben done vnto me in darke might come to light and that the papistes vniust ê“cedinges and nakednes in theyr false religion might be knowen to their confusion AMEM. Iesus is God with vs Amen 1555. The examination of IohnÌ„ Philpot had on S. Andrewes day last before the bishop of Duresme the B. of Chichester the bishop of Bathe the bishop of London the Prolocutor master Christoforson Doctor Chadsey D. Morgan of Oxforde master Hussey of the Arches D. weston D. Harpsfild Archdeacon master Cosins and master IohnÌ„son regester to the bishop of London in his palace I Was coÌ„ming being sent for with my keper and the bishop of LoÌ„don met me at his hal dore and full manerly he played the geÌ„tilmaÌ„ 〈◊〉 to bring me before the lordes sayeÌ„g London My lordes I shall desire you to take some paynes with this man he is a gentilman and I would be should do wel but he wil wilfully cast away him selfe Duresme Come hither syr what is your name phil My name is Philpot. Duresme I haue heard of that name to be a worshipfull stocke and synce you be a gentilman do as you may lyue worshipfully among other gentilmeÌ„ what is the cause of your troble now phil I told him the cause as in my former examinacions is expressed Duresme Well al causes set apart will you nowe be a conformable man to the catholike fayth and leaue al new fangled opinions and heresies I wis I was in Germany with Luter at the beginning of this and can tell howe they began Leaue them and folowe the catholike churche through out the world as the hole realme nowe doth Phil. My lord I am of the catholike fayth and desire to lyue and die in the same But it is not vnknoweÌ„ to your lordship that I with others these twenty yeres haue ben taught an other maner of fayth than you nowe go about to compell vs vnto Wherfore it is requisite that we haue a tyme to waigh the same and to heare howe it agreeth with Goddes worde For fayth is not at a soden nether won nether remoued but as S. Paule sayth fayth coÌ„meth by hearing heariÌ„g by the word Fides ex auâ—iuâ— auditus per verbum Chiche And if you wil geue m leaue my lord I wil shewe him howe he taketh the sayeng of S Paul amisse as many other now of dayes allegeing the same do that they ought not be coÌ„pelled to beleue where as S. Paul meaneth of infideles and not of the faythfull And so S. Austin writing against the Donatistes sayth that the faythfull may be compelled to beleue phil S. Barnard and it please your lordship doth take that sense of S. Paul as I do sayeng that Fides est suadenda non imponenda fayth must be persuaded to a man and not enioyned And S. Austin speaketh of suche as were fyrst throughly persuaded by manifest scriptures yet would resyst of stubburn wilfulnes Chichest So Bernard meaneth of infidels also phil No my lord that he doth not for he writeth not of the infideles for he writeth of such as were deceyued by errours Chichest My lord of Duresme I haue ben so bold to interrupt your lordship of your tale I pray you now ê“cede on Duresme M. Philpot wil you be of the same catholike fayth churche with vs you wer baptized in and your godfathers ê“mised for you and hold as we do and then may you be rydd out of trouble I perceyue you are lerned and it is pitie but you should do wel phil I am of the same catholike fayth catholicke church I was baptized vnto and in that will I liue and dye Duresme That is wel sayd yf you hold ther you can not do but well Chichest Yea my lord but he meaneth otherwise than you do Are you of the same fayth your godfathers and godmothers were or no Phil. I can not tel what fayth they were of certaynly but I am of the fayth I was baptized vnto which is in the fayth of Christ for I was not baptized in the faith of my godfathers but in the faith of christ Christo S. Austin sayth that infantes are baptized in fide susceptorum In the fayth of theyr godfathers Phil. S. Austin yet in so sayeng meaneth of the faith of Christ which the godfathers do or ought to beleue not otherwise Dures Howe say you wil you beleue as we do al the learned of the realme or no and be of one churche with vs My lordes it is not vnknoweÌ„ vnto you Phil. that ther hath ben alwayes two churches Chichest Nay that is not so there is but one catholike churche phil I shal desyre your lordships to heare out my tale and to take my meaniÌ„g for I know there is but one trewe churche but alwayes from the beginning ther hath ben ioyned to the same true churche a false churche aduersarye to the true and that was declared at the fyrst in Abel and Cayn who persecuted and slewe his brother in whom as S. Austine witnesseth is represented the false and true church And after that as sone as God had chosen his peculiar people and shewed vnto them his sanctuary holy statutes and wil anone after arose the false church ten of the .xij. tribes of Israel diuided theÌ„ selues from the true churche of Iuda and Beniamin and made to theÌ„ selues at Bethel and set vp golden calues and yet preteÌ„ded therwith to serue God so abused his worde No withstaÌ„ding God was displeased with them and ceassed not his wrathe vntil he had vtterly destroyed them Chichest I wil grauÌ„t you before the coÌ„ming of Christ ther were two churches in the olde lawe but in the newe lawe sence Christes coÌ„myng you can not shewe it to be so by the scripture phil Yes my lorde that I can yf you wil geue me leaue After Christ had chosen his twelue Apostles was ther not a Iudas in the newe lawe and a Symon Magus And were not they of the false churche Chichest Yea but I meane after the Gospel was written where can you fynde me two churches after Christ had ascended and sent the holy Goost phil The Gospell was within eyght yeres after the AscensioÌ„ written by S. Mathieu the wryting therof is not material to the declaration of these two churches to haue ben alwayes from tyme to tyme as by examples it maye be shewed And yet as euill as my memorie is I remeÌ„bre in the newe testameÌ„t is mencion made of two churches as it appeareth in the Apocalips and also S. Paule to the Thessalonians maketh mention that Antichrist with his false generacioÌ„ shal sit in the temple of God to the which Chichester replied not Duresme The church in the scripture is likned to a great fishers net which contayneth in it both good fishes and bad fyshes I truste you wil be of the better sorte and leane to the trueth phil My lorde it
father he be one And none in the spirite of God can deuide Christ frō the substaunce of God the father onles a natural sonne may be of an other substaūce than his father which nature dothe abhorre Who can abyde the eternall generacion of the sonne of God to be denied synce it is written of him his generacion who shal be able to declare Esa 53. Is ther any true christiā hart that grudged not at suche faythles blasphemours Can the eye eare tongue or the other senses of the body be cōtent to heare their creatour blasphemed not repyned should not the mouth declare the zeale of his maker by spittyng on him that depraueth his diuine maiestie which was is and shal be God for euer Apoc. 3. Yf God as it is mencioned in the Apocalipse wil spew ypocrites out of his mouthe suche as he neither hotte nor colde in his worde why maye not than a man of God spitte on hym that is worsse than an hipocrite enemye to the godhead manifested in the blessed Trinitie which wil in no wyse be persuaded to the cōtrarie Iohan. 2. Yf Christ with a whippe droue out the of temple suche as were prophaners therof ought not the seruaūt of God by some lyke outwarde significacion reproue the villanie of those as go about to take awaye the glorie of him that was the buylder of the tēple Yf there were as muche zeale in men of the truth as there is talkatiue knowlege they would neuer be offended with that which is done in the reproche and cōdemnacion of frowarde vngodlye men whome nothing can please but singularities and diuisions from the churche of Christ which ought to be the mother and mystres of vs al to leade vs Gala. 4. into al true knowledge of the worde of God and not ymagine by ignoraūce takyng the word of God dayly an other Gospel and an other Christ as euery sect dothe separating thē selues frō Christes spouse which is the same that is the accōplishement of truthe Ephe. 1. hitherto neuer knewe O insatiable curiositie O arrogaunt selfe loue the original of al these heresies O pestilent canker of thyne owne saluacion O Arrian the ryght inheritour to Lucifer Esay 14. that would exalte his seate and be lyke to the hyghest whose fal shal be lyke where the synne is equal Yf God dyd hyghly allowe the minister of Ephesus Apoca. 2. for that he could in no wise abyde such as said they were Apostles and were not indede howe maye any laye vncharitablenes vnto me which for the loue of my swete Christ do abhorre al phantastical Arrians in suche sorte as al men ought to do that loue the sonne of God vnfaynedly Yf Moses be cōmended by the scriptures Act. 8. for strykyng an Egiptian that dyd iniurie to one of the people of God howe may he iustly be blamed which dyd spit at him that doth suche iniurie and sacrilege to the sonne of God as to plucke him from his eternal and propre godhead was there euer creature so vnkynde was there euer man so temerarious to stryue against the glory of his glorifier was there euer heretike so bolde and impudent as the Arrian is that durst take frō the sōne of God the glorie which he had with the father frō the beginning Yf Christ be the beginning Apoca. 1. ending of all thing as he testifyeth him self to S. Iohn how may he be but a creature like vnto others who may dissemble such blasphemy that hath any sparke of the spirite of God who may heare with patience the right wayes of the Lorde peruerted by these deuilishe holi Arriās hold his peace A lyuely fayth is not dōme but is alwayes ready to resist the gainesayers as Dauid sayth I haue beleued therfore I haue spoken Speake than you that haue tonges to prayse confesse against these Arriās exalte your voice lyke a trompet that the simple people maye beware of their Pharisaical venome and be not deceaued as now many are vnwares of simplicitie Suffre them not to passe by you vnpointed at yea yf they be so stonte that they will not ceasse to speake against God our saueour and Christ as they are al newe baptised enemies therto refraine not to spit at suche inordidate swyne as are not ashamed to tread vnder their fete the precious godhead of our saueour Iesus Christ Our God is a gelous God and requireth vs to be zelous in his cause Yf we can not abyde our owne name to be euel spoken of without great indignacion shall we be quiet to heare the name of our God defaced and not declare any signe of wrath against thē It is writtē be angry and synne not A man than maye shewe tokens of angre in a cause which he ought to defende without breache of charitie The prophet Dauid sayeth shal I not hate them O Lorde that hate thee Psal 138. vpon thyne ennemyes shall I not be wrathful I wil hate them with a perfect hatred they are become myne enemyes Aaron bycause he was not more zelous in goddes cause whan he perceiued the people bent to ydolatry entred not into the lande of promyse God loueth not luke warme souidiars in the batel of fayth but suche as be earnest and violent shall inherite his kyngdome Therfore S. Paule biddeth vs to be feruent in spirit you that are to colde in these dayes of the cōntet of the gospel aswel against these arch heretiks as others wherof there be at these daies stered vp by the Deuill an infinite swarme to the ouerthrow of the gospell if it were possible I exhort you not to iudge that euil which God highlie commedeth But rather to pray that God will geue you the lyke zeale to withstande the enemies of the gospel neyther to haue any maner of felowship with these Antichristes whom the deuil hathe shitten out in these dayes to defyle the Gospel which go aboute to teache you any other doctrine The gospel pure in K. Edw. dayes than you haue receyued in kyng Edwardes dayes in the whiche praysed be God al the synceritie of the gospel was reuealed according to the pure vse of the primatiue church and as it is at this present of the trew catholike church allowed through the worlde The spirite of God the holye Goost the thirde persone in Trinitie whom these wicked Arrians do elude and mocke hath taught the church according to Christes promise al truth and shal we nowe receyue an other vaine spirite whome the holy fathers neuer knewe Trye the spirites of mē by goddes worde and by the interpretacion of the primatiue churche who had promyse of Christ to receyue by the cōming of the holy goost the true vnderstanding of al that he had spokē and taught after the which we haue ben truely taught to beleue three persones in one deitie God the father frō whom and God the sonne by whom God the holy Goost in whō al
light The Arrians lurke in corners and be coy to shew ther faith lest his doynges should be reê“ued By this ye may know that these Arrians with other heretikes are borne of that prince of darkenes who walke continually vnder cloudes with great difficultie will shew them selues onles it be to some simple personnes whom they thinke apt to be deceaued Therfore turne your eares froÌ„ them al ye that be vnlearned when they endeuour to depraue your faith with an other Christ and meanes of saluacioÌ„ thaÌ„ you haue heard before of And byd them fyrst shew their new founde saith to the elders and ministers of Christes trew church and afterwarde yf they allow the same as sound and pure you will gladlie harken vnto them otherwise not for no ê‘son ought to take vpoÌ„ him the office of a doctour except he be called thervnto by the ordinarie alowauÌ„ce of the church of God Rom. 10. as S. Paule testifieth how shal they preache except they be seÌ„t Marc. 4. Therfore Christ in S Mark biddeth al ê‘soÌ„nes take hede what they heare There are innumerable sorts of heresies entred into the world so that we may iustly gather these to be the euill daies that Christ spake of before Math. 24 in the which yf it were possible the very electes should be deceaued be ye therfore strong in your faith grouÌ„ded vpon the rocke vnmoueable what soeuer storme come vpon you or mystie winde blowe against you Many inordinat personnes of this tyme do runne Iere. 23. whom the Lord hath not sent as hieremie sayeth and saye the Lorde sayeth thus thus where as the Lorde neuer spake any suche thing as they of their phantastical brayne do ymagine and thorough ignorauÌ„cy do misconstre to deceyue others and themselues also Therfore the Lorde biddeth vs not to harken to their wordes Proue these wandering glittering spirites by this rule which I haue tolde you and than be you assured ye can not be deceaued though there aryse ten thousande more heresies thaÌ„ there be It maye trouble an inconstaunt mynde to se so many at once but he that knoweth the deuils diligence to deface Christes Gospel maye not wonder therat for he knoweth his tyme is but short and seeth the gospel so triumphe thorough the death of faythful martirs that he is wood therat therfore worketh his vttermost trusteth to make some stoute arrogaunt martirs for the stabishement increase of his kingdome that vnder the name of christ as he hath had in tymes past that the simple people might be brought in a mamering of their faith stande in doubte whome they myght beleue that therby he might more lyghtly seduce them into his snares Beholde I haue gyuen you warnyng that ye be not deceaued by these wanderyng starres and emptie cloudes which nowe a dayes are caried about with so vncertayne wyndes that a man can not tel where to fynde them neyther they themselues knowe from whence they came neither whither they would They wil entre into heauen by the wyndow and not by the dore and therfore lyke erraunt theues shal be cast out Beware of curiosite my dere brethren and systerne for she is an vnsatiable beast and the cause of muche infidelitie and wyckednes she is alwayes desirous of alteration to heare newes and can not be permanent on one sure grounde Dyna as it is wrytten in the Genesis beyng ful of curiositie Gene. 34. and desyrous to see the women of a straunge countrey was rauished lost her virginitie and was the destruction of Sichem Dauid was curious to behold the beautie of Bethzabe 2. Reg. 11. and became therby an adulterer a murtherer was the cause of many thousandes destruction 2. Reg. 24. by the curiouse nombring of his people Therfore of experieÌ„ce he geueth good counsel sayeng in the psalmes turne awaye thyne eyes that they se not vanitie Turne I saye awaye from these heretikes shewe not them a cheareful countenaunce lest they receyue an incouragement therby to wynne the vnto them and thou by curiositie be entangled thorough their hipocrisie and peruerse talke As many as abode in the Arke of Noe were not drowned by the flood of Noe. Euen so as many as abyde in the true church of Christ shall receyue no hurte by all the blustering and corrupt waters which the dragoÌ„ that persecuteth the church into wildernesse dothe in thapocalips cast out after her to the ende to drowne her therwith Apoca. 12 You that staÌ„de in doubt of any thyng by the suggestion of these newe founde heretikes runne to the pure catholike churche of Christ for your sure instructioÌ„ which praysed be God at this daye dothe gloriouslye appeare and shyne spyte of the gates of hell in all Germany and in the borders of Fraunce at Geneue and in the kyngdomes of Denmarke and Pole besydes that whiche of late ye haue sene in your owne countrey in Englande now by the wyl of God vnder affliction and persecution aswel for our synnes as for the trial of the people of God for as an auncient father S. Ciprian sayeth He that hath not the churche for his mother hathe not God for his father we haue but one mother sayeth Salomon in his Ballets Cant. 6. and she coueteth to gather vs vnder her winges lyke a louyng heÌ„ne her chekins and yf we abide there we are assured from al the rauening vermyne of heretikes and though there shal fal on euery syde of thee milliaÌ„s yet shall they not aproche nere vnto thee But yf after curiositie thou go out astraye some Kyte or other will snatche thee vp to the prince of the ayre from where thy fal wil be great Yf thou wilt be assured of the eternal kingdome of God be stable in thy faith flee from sectes and heresyes abyde in the vnitie of Christes spouse his true churche Remembre that in olde tyme it was forbydden the people of God to mary with any foreyn nacioÌ„ that was not of the house of Israel in significacioÌ„ that the church of God should neuer ioyne them selues with suche as be of a straunge religioÌ„ and of hereticall opinions contrary the catholike faith cursed is he saith Hieremie that dothe the worke of the lorde negligentlie and with drawith his swerd from blood Iere. 48. In the lawe he is commaunded to be stoned that goeth about to turne vs froÌ„ the lyuing Lord Gent. 13 and to moue vs to worship creatures for the creatour and that the same should cast the first stone at him whom he went about to peruert And what do these Arrians els go about but to wil vs to worshippe their new founde Christ whom they affirme to be but a creature in place of our true Christ the eternall sonne of God our creatour redemer and gouernour who is God to be praised honoured with the father and the holy goost world without ende The Prophet saith in the psalmes there must be no new God among Goddes people but if Christ shoulde be as they say but a made and appoincted God of the father as princes of the earthe be called Gods theÌ„ should he be a new God and so by the worde of God not to be taken of vs for God neyther to be worshipped or called vppon Iere. 17. for as the Prophet Ieremy testifieth cursed is the person which putteth his confidens in man and setteth fleshe to be his strenght These wicked Arrians are worse than the Iewes for they were offended with Christ whom they toke but for a creature for saieng he was the sonne of God But the Arrians blinder than the Iewes taking him for God would haue him to be onlye a creature lyke to them selfes in all poinctes and not very God of Goddes substaÌ„ce They make the Iewes more ryghteous than Christ and do iustifie them for crucifieng of him for the chieffe cause why they crucified him was as it doth appeare by S. Iohn bicause he made him selfe equall with God being but a maÌ„ as they toke him to be onely What ChristiaÌ„s eares do not glome at this great impiety who hauing any zeale of God wil not cry out ah deuil ah Lucefers brood ah Marathans cursed of God vntil his commiÌ„g wo be to the Arius the father of this wicked progeny woo be vnto you vile childerne folowers of his horrible impietie God of his mercy turne froÌ„ you suche as of ignorauncy simplicitie be deceaued but you that be arrogant vncurable in your blasphemy The lord for his glory sake and for example to others to beware of suche detestable impietie consume you with fyer froÌ„ heaueÌ„ as he did Chore Dathan and Abiron let the grounde oh lord open and let hem go downe alyue vnto hell let them be put out of the boke of lyfe and let them not be reckoned amoÌ„g the righteous let theÌ„ haue thy traitour Iudas rewarde let theÌ„ breake a sonder in the middest let their bowelles gushe out to their shame for euer let their guttes issue out behinde as Arrius guts did let them die in their owne dong with their father and be abhorred of al the world for euer let their porcion be with Zodome and Gomor let their stinking smoke be done out neuer let the iust reioyce when they shall see the reuengaunce of the glory of Christ let them praise him one God with the father the holy goost for euer and euer AMEN FINIS Vincit qui patitur