out by the holy and canonical Scriptures and y t which can not abide the trial of thē is not y e Church Yet these men I can not tell howe whether it be of reuerence or of cōscience or for dispayre of the victory doe alwayes abhorre and flee Gods worde euen as a thief dothe the gallous Nother is it any maruell at al. For like as it is sayde of the golde worme that in the ioyce of Balsme an ointment to all other respectes of moste sweete and delicate sauour he is sone dispatched and killed so they in Gods worde doe see theyr cause as it were in poyson to be vtterly dispatched destroyed Wherefore to the intent they might the more easily driue the people from the scriptures as from a moste daungerous and a hurtful thing the whiche neuerthelesse our sauiour Iesus Christ did not only vse in al his cōmon talke but also at the laste sealed them with his bloud thei ar wont to cal thē a colde an vncertaine an vnprofitable a dumme a killing a dead lettre Which vnto vs semeth to be asmuche as thoe they had sayd they be no scriptures at all But they sticke not to adde thereunto a similitude not al together of the beste making that thei be in maner as it were a nose of waxe that maye be fashioned and turned into all manner of shapes and serue euery mans purpose Trowe ye the Pope is ignorant that these thinges ar spoken euen by his owne derelinges Or dothe he not vnderstande that he hath such Champions Let him heare therefore how deuoutly how godly one Hosius writeth of this matter a Poloniane as he him self sayth a Byshop doutles an eloquent man not vnlearned and a very earnest and stoute defender of his cause He wil maruel I suppose that any man fearyng God coulde other thynke so wickedly of those wordes whiche he knoweth to haue proceded from the mouthe of God or write so slaunderously and that specially in suche sorte as that he would not haue it to be taken for his own iudgement alone but as the cōmon iudgement of them all In deede I doe not denie but he dothe dissemble his owne personne doth so propoūde the matter as thoe not he nor mē of his sorte but y e heretikes called Zuenkfeldians did speake after y t māner We sayth he as touchyng y e very scriptures wherof we see brought in now a daies so many interpretatiōs not only diuerse amōgst them self but also cōtrary one to an other wil bidde Away with thē And wil rather heare God speake then turne our selfs towardes these beggerly elementes in them repose y e hope of our saluatiō It is not requisit to be cūning in the lawe in y e scriptures but to be taught of God It is but vaine labour y t which is bestowed vpō y e scripture for y e scripture is a creature and a certain beggerly elemēt These be y e wordes of Nosius writē no doubt w t the same spirite minde wherw t Montanus in time paste Marcion did speake of whome it is sayd y t they were wōte to say at what time they would contemptuously reiect the holy scriptures that they knewe many bothe moe better thinges then euer other Christ or his Apostles did knowe What shall I saye therefore in this pointe O ye pillers of Religion o ye prelates of the Church of Christ is this the reuerence that you giue vnto Gods worde Dare you so deale with the holy Scriptures the whiche S. Paule sayth ar deliuered vnto vs by inspiraciō from God the whiche God hath adorned and set forth with so many miracles in the which the most euident footesteppes of Christes passage ar certainely imprynted whiche all the holy fathers whiche the Apostles whiche the Angels whiche Christe him selfe the sonne of God when neede required did call to witnes Dare you I say abide away with thē as though they were vnworthy to be hearde of you Is not this to commaunde God him self whoe most euidently speketh vnto you in the scriptures to kepe silence or will you call that worde by the whiche onely as S. Paule saythe we ar reconciled vnto God and whiche Dauid saith is holy and pure and shall endure for euer by the name onely of a beggerly and a dead element or will you saye that to bestowe our labour about that thing whiche Christe commaunded vs diligently to serche and alwayes to haue before our eyes is a vayne labor and to none effect And that Christ and the Apostles what time they did exhorte the people to the redyng of the holy scriptures that out of them thei might become plentifull in all wisdome and knowlege did goe about to abuse menne with lies It is no meruaile thoe these men despise vs and all that we doe or say whiche make so litle accounte of God him self and of his moste holy worde Yet was it but a folish deuise of them in seking to hurte vs to commit so haynous an iniurie agaynst the worde of God But Hosius will crie out we doe him iniurie and that these be not his but Zuinkfeldius wordes But what if Zuenkfeldius also crie that they be not his but Hosius wordes For wher did Zuinkfelde euer write thē or if he did write them and Nosius iudged them to be wicked why did he not at y e least speake one worde to cōfute them how so euer the matter goe Althoe peraduēture Hosius wil not allow the wordes yet he dothe not disallow the meanyng For in all controuersies almost and namely touchyng the vse of the holy cōmunion vnder bothe kindes although Christes wordes be most plaine yet he cōtemptuously reiecteth them as colde and dead elementes and woulde haue vs beleue certain newe deuises prescribed by the Church and certain reuelations I know not what of the holy ghost And Albert Pighius saieth we ought not to beleue the wordes of the scripture althoe thei were moste manifest vnlesse the same be allowed by the interpretation and authoritie of the Churche Neuerthelesse as though this were but a smal matter they sticke not also to burne vp y e sacred scriptures as in time paste wicked kyng Aza did or as Antiochus or Maximinus did and these they ar wonte to cal heretikes bookes wherein they seeme to intende the same practise whiche Herode in time paste for the mayntenāce of his estate went about in Iury. For he wheras he was an Edomite a very straunger to the stocke and kinred of the Iewes and neuerthelesse couetid to be taken for a Iewe to the intent he might the rather establish for him and his posteritie his kingdome ouer thē the which he had before obtained at the handes of Augustus themperour commaunded all their enrolments of petigrees whiche euen from the time of Abrahā vnto that daye had bene diligentlie kepte amongest their recordes and by the which it might with out al error easily be
of heauen We do beleue that Iesus Christe the onely sonne of the eternall father accordinge as it was decreed longe sythens before all beginninges when the fulnesse of time was come toke fleshe and the whole nature of man of that same blessed and pure Uirgine to the entēt to declare vnto men the secret and hidde will of his father whyche was hydden from all ages and generations and to the entente that in the bodye and nature of man he myght accomplish the mistery of oure redemption naylinge oure Sinnes and y t same Handewriting whiche was written againste vs vnto the Crosse. We beleue that for oure sakes he dyed and was buried descended into Hell the thyrde day by diuine power retourned vnto lyfe and rose agayne after forty dayes in the sighte of his disciples he ascended into heauen for to fulfill all thinges and the very same bodye wherein he was borne wherein hee was conuersaunte vpon earthe wherein he was mocked wherein hee suffered moste greeuous tormentes and cruell kynde of deathe wherein he rose againe wherein he ascended vnto the ryghte hande of the father hee hathe placed in maiestie and glorie aboue all princely dignitie and power and vertue and rule and all names that are named not onely in this worlde but also in the worlde to come and that nowe he sitteth there and shal sitte vntill al things be perfectly fynyshed And albeit that the maiestie and diuinitie of Christe bee spred ouer all yet his bodie as Augustine saithe muste bee in one place Christe gaue vnto his bodie maiestie but the nature of his bodie hee toke not awaie Nor we muste not affirme Christe in suche sorte to be God that we shal deny him to be man And as Uygill y e martyre saithe Christ in his humaine nature did leaue vs but in his diuinitie he did not leaue vs thoughe he be absent from vs touching the forme 〈◊〉 a seruant yet he is alwaies w t vs in y e forme of God From that place wee beleue that Christe shall come agayne for to execute that same publike and vniuersall Iudgemente as well ouer those whiche hee shall finde yet remayninge a liue in their bodies as those that be deade We beleue that the holy ghoste whoe is the thyrde person in the holie trinitie is very God not made not created not begotten but proceedinge from boothe the father and the sonne by a certaine waie whiche is vnknowen to menne and not able wyth wordes to be expressed that yt is hys worke to make tender the hardnesse of manes harte what tyme as other by the holsome preachynge of the Gospell or by any other meanes hee is receaued into mans harte and that he lightneth them and leadeth them into the knowledg of God and into all way of truthe and into a newnesse of their whole life and perpetuall hope of saluacion We do beleue that ther is onely one Churche of God and that the same is not shut vp as in time past among the Iewes into any one corner of kingedome butte is Catholike and vniuersall dispersed into al the world so that nowe there is no nacion that maye truely complaine that thei be excluded and can haue no parte with the Churche and people of God He doe beleue that the same Church is the kingdome is the body is the spouse of Christe and of this kingdome that Christe is the only Prince of this body that Christe is the onely heade of this spouse that Christe is the onely bridgrome and that there be in the Churche diuers ordres of ministers some be Deacons some Elders some Byshoppes vnto whom the instruction of the people and the charge and prouision for thinges appertaininge to religion is committed and yet that there is noe one man nor that any one can be superioure and ruler ouer all for wee beleue bothe that Christe is alwaies present with his Church and that he needeth no Uicare that shoulde supplie hys roume in all pointes and that it is vnpossible for anye mortall man so muche as to comprehende in his minde muche more to set in ordre and rightly and profytablye to gouern the whole vniuersall Churche that is to say all partes of the worlde that the Apostles as Cypriane saithe were all of lyke authoritie and that the rest were in the very same degree that Peter was That it was spoken indifferently to them al Feede to them all Go in to the whole worlde to them all Teache the Gospell And as S. Ierome saithe that all Byshops in what place so euer thei be other at Rome or at Eugubin or at Constantinople or at Rhegium be al of like desert of like Preesthoode And as Cyprian saith that ther is but one Bishoperike and euery one holdyng a part therof dothe administer the whole and accordinge to the sentence of the Councel of Nice that the Romaine Byshoppe hathe no more right ouer the Churche of God then the other Patriarks of Alexandria of Antioche as for the byshop of Rome who at this day chalengeth all thinges to himselfe alone vnlesse he do his office vnlesse he administer the Sacraments vnlesse he instructe the people vnlesse he admonishe vnles he teache ought not of right to be accompted a Byshoppe or so much as an Elder in the Churche for a Byshoppe as Augustine saith is the name of a worke and not of honore so that he may know assure himself to be no Bishop that coueteth to beare rule and not to profite as for to be heade of the whole Churche or an vniuersall Byshop it is no more possible for him or any other mortall man then to be the bridegrome the light the saluacion the life of the Church for these be the priuileges and names of Christ onely and vnto him alone proprely and only thei do appertaine Nother before Phoeas the Emperours tyme whoe wee knowe well inoughe by a moste detestable murder in killinge the Emperoure Maurice his Lorde master aspired vnto the Empire that is to say before sixe hūdreth thirtene yeares after the byrth of Christ was there euer any Bishop of Rome that euer suffered himself to be called by so proude a name The Councell also of Carthage did expresly forbid that any Byshop shoulde be called other the highest Byshop or the chiefe preest And for the bishoppe of Rome in asmuche as he wil be called at this day after this sorte and chalengeth to hymfelfe an authoritye not due vnto hym besydes that openlye hee doothe contrarye to the olde Councels and contrary to the fathers if hee will beleue hys predecessor Gregory he taketh to himself an arrogant prophane sacrilegious Antichristian name he is the kinge of all pride he is Lucifer in asmuche as he preferreth himselfe before his brothren he hath cast away faith he is the fore runner of Antichriste We say also y t ministers
time For we haue ouerthrowne no kyngdome we haue deminished no mans rule or right of possessiō we haue disordered no cōmon welth They remayne yet in their place and in their auncient dignitie The kynges of our country of England of Scotlande of Denmarke of Suetia the Dukes of Saxonie the Erles of Palse the Marqueses of Brandeburgh the Lantgraues of Hess the common weales of the Heluetians and of the Grysonnes the free cities Strausborough Basile Francforde Ulme Anguste Norinberge all these I say remayne in the same right in the same state wherein they were before or rather by rayson that for the gospels sake they haue the people more obediēt in a much better estate Let them goe hardely into those places whereas nowe through the goodnes of God the gospell is hearde where is more Maiestie where is lesse ostentatiō and tiranny where is the prince more honored where doth the people lesse ryse into vprores and tumultes where was there euer anye common weale where any Churche more calme and quiet But you will say that at the beginning of this doctrine the husbande men of the country beganne to rage to make vprores in Germany Admit it were so But Martine Luther y e setter forthe of this doctrine wrote vehemently and sharply many thinges agaynst them and brought them againe to peace to dewe obediens Now as to that that is wonte to be sometimes obiected of men not well acquaynted with matters of the world touchyng the alteratiō of the state of Suycherlande and the killynge of Leopolde duke of Austria and restorynge of theyr countrye into libertie all this was done as it is euident ynoughe by all the Histories towe hondred and threscore yeres past vnder pope Boniface the eight at what tyme the Popes authoritie dyd chiefly florishe the whiche was aboute towe hūdred yeres before Hulderichus Zuinglius either begāne to teache the gospel or yet was borne From that time hetherto they haue euer kepte all thinges in reste and peace not only frō outward enemies but also frō ciuile warres and vprores at home But admit it were an offence to deliuer their coūtrie from the rule of straungers specially when they were arrogantly and tirannously ouerpressed yet were it agaynst all right and rayson eyther to burden vs with faultes that appertayne nothing vnto vs or thē with the offences of theyr forefathers But o merciful God will the Bysshop of Rome accuse vs of trayson wil he teache y e people to be obediēt subiect vnto magistrates or hath he any regarde to magistrates at al why thē doth he at this day y e which thyng none of the aūcient bysshops of Rome euer did suffer himself euē as though he would haue at Kinges and Princes whosoeuer or where so euer thei be to become his seruātes of his parasites and hierlinges to be called lord of lordes why doth he auaunt himselfe to be king of kinges and that he hath ouer them as his subiectes a kinges authoritie Why dothe he compell all Emperours and princes to promise by their othe true obedience vnto him why doth he boaste that the imperiall maiestie is a thousandfolde inferior to his estate grounding him self chiefly vpon this rayson that God made twoe lightes in Heauen and bicause heauen and earth were not in twoe beginninges but in one wherfore hath he and all of his marke like to the Anabaptistes and Libertines to the intent they might the more losely and safely range in al mischief shakē of the yoke of obedience and exempted themselues from vnder all ciuil authoritie wherefore hath he his legates that is to saye most crafty spies to lie as it were in a waite in the courtes in the councels in the chambers of all kinges Wherefore dothe he when it liketh him set christian princes together by the eares and to serue his owne luste turmoileth the whole wolrd with seditiōs why dothe he excommunicate and commaunde him to be takē for an Heathen mā and a Pagane if any Christian Prince doe refuse to obeye him and moreouer promiseth so liberalli his Purgatory pardones to any man that by any meanes dothe kill his enemie Doth he I pray you mainteine Empires and Kingdomes or hath he any desire at al that common weales shold be at reste and quiet Thou must pardon vs good reader if we shal seeme to vtter these thinges with more vehemencie and bitternes then should become diuines For the matter of it self is so shamefull and the desire of dominion is so great and outrageth so farre in the Pope that with other wordes it can not be vttered or after any more quiet maner For he was not afrayd to say in open Councell that the whole poure of all kinges depēded altogether vpō him He through ambition and desire of dominion hath plucked the Romane Empire in sondre and hath tossed and torne into peces al christendome he trayterously discharged the Romanes and the Italiās and also himself of that othe wherby he ought his allegiāce to the Emperour that remained in Grece and prouoked the subiectes vnto rebellion and called Charles Martel out of Frāce into Italy beginning a newe forme of regimēt made him Emperour He did caste out Chilperiche kyng of Fraunce beyng no euill prince from his kingedome onely bicause he liked hym not and made Pipine king in his place He decreed and iudged the kyngedome of Fraunce vnto Alberte the kynge of Romanes And that Philip should be caste out if his powre mighte haue serued hym thereto He brake the force of the moste florisshynge citie and common welth of Florence his owne coūtry and out of a free and quiet state he deliuered it vppe to be ruled after the luste of one mā He through his setting on brought to passe that all Sauoy on the one side by the Emperour Charles the fyft by Fraunces the Frenche king on the other was miserably torne in peeces so that the poore Duke had seātli one citie left him to repaire vnto I am weary of examples and it would be ouer tedious to reherse all the notable deedes of the Popes of Rome Of what religiō I pray you were thei that poisonned Henry the Emperour in the consecrated breade that poysonned Pope Uictor in the holy Chalyce that poysonned Ihon our king here in Englande in a drinking cuppe Sure I am who soeuer thei were and of what secte so euer thei were thei were nother Lutherans nor Zuinglians Who is it that is content at this daie to lette the greatest Kynges and Monarches of the worlde to come and kisse his blessed fete Who is he that commaundeth the Emperour to holde his horse by the bridel and the French kinge to holde his stirrope when he goeth to horsebak Who was he that toke Fraunces Dandalo Duke of Uenice kynge of Candy and of Cypres bounde him in chaines and threwe him vnder his table there to gnaw bones amongst the dogges Who
in pieces in maner all not onlye the ordinances but also the certaine principles concernyng doctrine of the primitiue Church and that without tariyng for any generall Councell But where as they say that it is not lawful for any man to appoint any new order without a Coūcel who I praye you hath prescribed these lawes vnto vs or where haue they founde this decree It was folishly done of Agesilaus the kynge who beyng ones acertained of the minde and pleasure of the hyghe Iupiter woulde needes present the whole matter agayne vnto Apollo for to know whether he were of the same minde that his Father was But we should doe more foolyshlye a greate deale in case that when we doe heare God him selfe speakynge moste playnely vnto vs in the holye Scriptures and vnderstande his will and pleasure if I saye afterwardes as though al this were nothing we would refarre the whole matter to a councell The whiche is nothing els but to searche whether menne be of the same minde that God is and whether menne will allow by their authoritie the commaundementes of God What I praye you shall not the truthe be truthe or shall not God be God except a councell will and commaunde it so to be If Christe would haue handeled the matter so frō the beginnyng that he woulde haue taught or sayde nothing without the consente of the Bysshoppes and woulde haue referred ouer hys whole doctrine vnto Annas and Cayphas where should the fayth of Christ be at this day or who shoulde euer haue hearde of the gospell Peter forsothe of whome the Pope is wonte to speake more often and with more reuerence then of Iesus Christe did boldely withstande the sacred councell and sayde it was better to obeye God then men And Paule what time he had ones receyued the gospell into his minde and that not of men nor by man but only by the wil of God did not counsell with flesh and bloud nor dyd not referre the matter vnto his kinsemen or brothern but went by and by into Arabia for to publishe by the authoritie of God Gods misteries We surely doe not despyse Councels or assemblies and conferences of Bysshoppes and learned menne Nother haue we done those thinges that be done altogether without Bysshoppes or without a coūcell The matter was handeled in full parlament with long deliberation and in a greate assemblie But as touchyng this councell whiche Pope Pius dothe at thys tyme counterfetly set forthe wherein men beyng nother called nor hearde nor seene ar so lightly condemned what we maye loke or hope to gette thereby it is not harde to gesse Nazianzenus longe agoe when that in his tyme he sawe menne that came to suche assemblies to bee so blinde and so obstinate that they were caryed after their owne affections and foughte rather for victorie then for truthe pronounced in playne wordes that he neuer sawe good ende of anye councell What woulde he saye nowe if he were a liue at this daye and shoulde vnderstande what these menne wente aboute For in that tyme all though they were gyuen to partes yet bothe mennes causes were hearde and manifeste errours by the common consente of all partes were taken awaye These menne agayne neyther will suffer the cause to bee freelye debated nother will endure to haue anye thyng chaunged howe many errours so euer there be For that is a thyng whiche they ar wonte often and with out all shame to boaste of that their Churche can not erre that in hit there is no blemyshe that there is nothyng to be graunted vnto vs or yf there be anye thyng that the iudgement thereof appertayneth vnto Bysshoppes and Abbots they be the directers of those matters they be the Churche of God Aristotel saythe that bastardes can not make a citie But whether the Churche of God maye be made of these fellowes or no let them consider for surely nother be they lawfull Abbots nor right Bysshoppes But let them hardely be the Churche lette them be hearde in coūcels let them only haue authoritie to giue a voyce Neuerthelesse in times paste when the Church of God if it be compared with their Churche was resonably wel gouerned as Cipryan sayth bothe Elders and Deacons some parte also of the common people were called to the hearyng of Ecclesiasticall causes But what if these Abbotes and Bysshoppes haue no knowledge What yf they vnderstande not what religion is and what opinion they oughte to haue of God What if law be loste of the preeste coūsel of the Elders What if the night as Micheas saythe be vnto them in stede of a vision and darkenes in stede of forseyng thynges to come What if all the watchemen of the Citie as Esaye sayth ar become blinde What if the salte hath loste his strēgth and his taste and as Christ sayth is good for nothyng not so muche as to be caste out vpon the dunge hill Forsothe they will committe all thynges to the Pope whoe can not erre But that to beginne withal is a folishe deuise that the holy ghost should flie away in haste from the holy Councell to Rome to the intent that if he doubte or sticke in anye thyng and not be able to winde him selfe out he mighte take counsell of some other spyrite I wote not who better learned thē him self For if the case stande so what needed it that so many Byshops should in this time at so great charges and through so long iorneys be summoned to come to Trent It were yet a much more wiser better way sure I am it were bothe shorter and more commodious for them rather to put of all thynges to the Pope and to repayre at the firste dasshe to the heauenly determination of hys sacred breaste Moreouer it is agaynste equitie to put ouer oure cause from so manye Bysshoppes and Abbottes to the iudgemente of one man speciallye of hym whoe standeth accused by vs of moste weyghtye and greuous offences and as yet hath not brought in his answer who also hath condēned vs without iudgement before wee were once called to bee iudged What trow ye that these be things of our own deuise Or is not this y e order of their Councels at this day Or be not all thinges committed ouer from y e holy Councels vnto the Pope alone in such sort that as though so many voices and subscriptiōs serued to no purpose he alone may adde chaunge diminish take away alow release and againe restraine what him lyfteth Then I pray you of what maner of men were these words spoken Or why did the Bishops and Abbots not long agoe in the last Coūcell of Trente decree after this manner at thende of their constitutions Sauing alwaies in al things the Authorite of the Apostolicall seat Or why doth Paschale the Pope write of himselfe so arrogantly As though saith he any Coūcels had prescribed a lawe vnto the Church of Rome wheras all Councels both are made by