cōcerning his doctrine Among whō one Menno Phrisius who semeth to pass all the sorte of them in learning saythe in this wyse Certaynely o heauenly Father I can not be deceaued in this matter with thy worde I haue beleued and that haue I receaued by the holy Ghoste as the worde of truthe And with in fewe lynes after I knowe certaynely and surely that with this my doctryne which is the worde of God in the day of ryghtwise iudgement I shall iudge not onlye Lordes Princes not only the worlde but also the Aungelles them selues Thus dothe he magnifically make his vauntes of his doctrine as thoughe it were God hys worde with no lesse confidēce and corragiousnes then Luther dyd of hys doctryne Notwithstandyng Luther dyd as hottly inueyhe against this sect as he dyd agaynst the sect of the Sacramentaries and wryting a boke to two Plebanes as before I haue made mentiō among other sayinges he oseth these wordes Whereas the Anabaptistes saye that we fynde in no place of scripture that infantes either haue faythe or the they ought to be baptized we graunte in dede that it can not be proued by any scripture which saythe playnely and euidently in these or suche lyke wordes You ought to baptize younge children for they do beleue if any man be ernest with vs to shewe any suche text we must nedes gyue hym place Luther is fayne to flee for helpe to traditions agaynst the Anabaptistes and graunt hym the victorye for we fynde it not in the whole Byble But good reasonable Christians do demaunde no suche thinges of vs that is the fashion of brablers and obstinate persons to the intent that they may be accompted wyse But they for all they re Byble bablyng and crying for scripture alleadge for them selues no scripture which saythe you ought to baptize those which be of yeares of discretiō but not infantes and younge children By by after by the tradition of the Apostles allwayes obserued in the churche of God he teacheth that younge children are to be baptized all be it no scripture dothe gyue any suche commaundement And lyke as before in defending the Sacrament of the altar so now in mayntayning Christning of younge children he dothe cheifly leane vpon the authoritie of the churche which authoritie for all that he wyll not let vs laye in his way for feare of gyuing him a fall so oftē as he requireth scripture of vs for profe of any one thing be it that it hathe bene receaued and allouwed of the church neuer so many yeares The Anabaptistes wurse thē all other sectaries This therefore is the thyrde Ghospell much more pestilent then the other twayne For besyde that it taketh clene away the sacrifice of the Masse the ordre of Prestehode with the Lutherans and denieth the real presence of Christ in the Sacramēt of the Altar with the Zuinglians it hathe many other articles bothe blasphemouse also seditiouse For it forbyddeth the publyk ministery of God hys worde it defendeth that Christ toke not man hys nature vpon hym of the blyssed virgyn it reneweth the errour of the Chiliastars it despyseth rule and wyll not haue men subiect to laufull authoritie Therefore where so euer this sect taketh place it rayseth vp greate vprores and seditions Examples of thys we haue many cities in Germany especially the citie of Munster An example by the citie of Munster For as Henry Dorpius a Lutheran and he which translated hys history out of the Germane tongue in to Latten Ihon Sleidane a Zuinglian haue wrytten in they re Cronicles aboue foure and twentye yeares agone ther cam fyrst thether certayne preachers to declare vnto the people in stede of Christ hys Gospell the doctryn of Luther whome when the Catholyke Prestes thought in no wyse to be suffred Bernard Rothman with hys cōpanyons Heretykes manner to provoke catholykes to dispute before a laie iudge whome Philipp the Lantgraue of Hessia had sent to further advaunce Luthers learnyng dyd that which all heretykes vse to do that is chosyng appoynting oute certayne cheife learned men of the catholyke faythe they prouoked the Catholykes to ioyne with them in disputation that before a lay Magistrate whome they appoynted to be theyr iudge and before whome they promised to proue the doctryn which the Catholykes held to be false and erroniouse But whē the Catholyke Prestes refused to dispute with them they departed the citie after that they were forbydden to execute theyr office of preaching the worde of God After this departure of the Catholykes before a yeare was comē fully to an end the Anabaptistes lykewyse began in the same citie to sowe the seades of they re doctryn vnder the name of Christe hys Ghospell And whē they had prouoked one an other to set fote to fote in disputation but on the selffe same condition which before was offered to the Catholykes which was that nothing shold be alleaged but Canonicall scripture beholde Bernard Rothman the cheifest trumpetor in all that citie of Luthers Ghospell who makyng the lyke lawe a lyttell before had chalenged the Catholykes to come to disputation now wolde admitt no suche condition So it cam to passe that the Lutherans which not long before had thrust the Catholykes oute of the towne they themselues fearyng to mete or encounter in disputation with the Anabaptistes were shortly after by them banished the same towne No meruayle thoughe they were so handled For the Senators also were pulled downe from they re iudgement seates the churches were spoyled and burned and whosoeuer wolde not take parte with the Anabaptistes perforce was dryuen oute of the citie As for Bernard Rothmā Henry Roles Godfry Stralen sent oute of Hessia as they of Christians grewe to be Lutherans so of Lutherans they becam Anabaptistes and with tothe and nayle furthered the Ghospel of Anabaptistes shewing vs the experience howe true that is which is wrytten in the Scripture The wycked man when he cometh in to the depthe of syn careth not what he dothe For if any man do once forsake Christian Religion vnto what so euer sect he dothe afterwarde inclyne he makethe it but a pastyme to leape from one heresie to an other And this sect truly of the Anabaptistes Anabaptistes be deuided in to diuerse kyndes is diuided in to many sections For they agree not in the principall pointes of they re doctrine In certayne cities of Germany some dyd run aboute naked as thoughe they had a bumble be in theire breche exhortyng the people to repentaunce seking in the meane whyle busyly how they might fynde any opportunytie to set the people together by the eares Neither dyd thys heresie begyn yester day or the day before for it reygned also in saynt Augustyn his tyme. And as the moste parte of all other heresies be so was this in the begynnyng deuyded in to many other partes For some were called Donatistes other Rogatistes other Maximianistes other
that which is vnperfect to the holy scripture that which is perfect to the reuelations of the spyrit to which reuelations so sone as we haue attayned that which is vnperfect that is to say the preaching vse of the scripture they lyke dreaming doctours do think ougt to be cleane abolished To this purpose they strech that place of S. Peter on the laste althoughe in very dede it is contrary to this theire inspiration where he warneth vs to gyue hede to propheticall speache 2. Pet. 1. as to a bright burning candell in a darke place tyll suche tyme as the daye starr doth ryse in oure hartes They take the illusions of Sathan for the lightning of the holy Ghoste and for the morning starre which so sone as it is rysen then is there no more nede of the candell of propheticall speakyng They alleadge also those scriptures which Luther also vouched for the confirmation of his erroure in his boke of abrogating the Masse Heb. 8. Hier. 31. No man shall teache his neighboure or his brother Iacob 3. saying Knowe oure Lorde For all shall knowe me froÌ„ the leaste to the moste of them Matth. 23 There shall not be many masters among you for you haue one Master in heaueÌ„ 1. Ioan. 2. You neade not that any man sholde teache you his anoynting teacheth you Therefore they commaund men to run to this Master for succoure that they may be taught of hym not of the deade scripture or of men Suencfelde fynished that Ghospell which Sathan began by Luther Behold most godly Prince to what issue they haue brought the matter After that by the example of Luther euery man toke it to be lawfull for hym to go from the assent and consent of the whole Churche and to expounde the scriptures after hys owne brayne that what so euer he imagined sholde be receaued as the worde of God it cam to this poynte at the laste that by the autoritie of the scriptures they went aboute to make the scriptures of no autoritye and men were thaught to gyue more credit to dreames and reuelations then to the scriptures Luther toke away outewarde prestehode and the sacrament thereto belongyng when Suenckfeldius perceaued that he did this not only withoute controlemeÌ„t but also that his doing was allowed and approued of many he lykewise toke away the externall minystery of the worde by the same authoritie that Luther toke away the sacrifice For why shold Luthers authoritie be stronger then Suenckfeldius his seyng this man hath mo scriptures on his syde then he For no scripture hath gyuen contrary coÌ„maundiment that mo shold offer sacrifice but that there shold be mo maysters then one it hathe openly bene forbydden in mo places then one For seing we haue one Mayster in heauen his honoure semeth to be defaced his dignitie semeth to be diminished if any other be herd besyde hym as who wold saye that he is not fyt inoughe to teache vs as thoughe there were such lack of abilitie in hym that he coulde not performe so muche withoute the help and ministery of man So nowe the Ghospell which Sathan hathe begone by Luther he hath fynished by Suenckfeldiê that after prestehod is takeÌ„ away after the sacrifice is dispatched after that all holy thinges be brought in to vtter contempt we may see also the outewarde ministery of the worde to be taken from vs the Canonicall scriptures to be so stryped of all they re dignitie that we be charged not to beleue them that the scripture is not the worde of God but only a deade letter which is to be reputed among other creatures to the which to be wedded to muche is not the parte of a Christian man Nether is this Suenckfeldius an oute cast or rascal For Philipp saythe he is an hundred handed captayne that he hathe souldiours in euerye place which in his name do not onlye spred libelles abroade but also stirr vp seditions This pestilent heresye of Suenckfeldius rageth not onlye ouer all Germany but also ouer all Heluetia there is an huge number of them which boaste themselues that they haue this inspiration so that in many greate Cities by hearesay Mo SuenckfeldiaÌ„s theÌ„ Lutherans or Zuinglians you may fynde of the coÌ„mon sorte mo Suenckfeldians then ether Lutherans or ZuingliaÌ„s To say the truthe I knowe not the man nether haue I sene his bokes but when I went on youre Maiesties Embassage to the moste Christian Emperoure and very Catholyke King Charles the fyft of certayne graue persones such as were worthy of al credyt I heard the contrary of that to be affirmed of Suenckfeldius whiche Erasmus Roterodamê once dyd wryte of them whiche falsely vaunt them selues to be Euangelicall men Suenckfeldians meruailouse holy to se to that he knewe none of them which ioyned them selues to their company and coÌ„gregation but he proued much wurse then he was before but how many so euer embrased Suenckfeldiê doctrine it was tolde me that they were sodenly chaunged as thoughe they had bene inspyred by the holy Ghost that they dyd put of olde Adam and put on new Christ that afterwarde they walked no more after the flesh but after the spyrit so that al men myght see that they had crucified theyr fleshe with theyr synnes and concupiscences Here many we see how Sathan many tymes iuggleth him selff in to an Aungell of lyght that by a coloure of holynes he may deceaue the simple people Euen as fowlers do set certayne intising baytes to the intent they may take the byrdes with shewing them deyntie and lykersom meates Holynes of heretykes is the diuell his pytfall to catche soules Origenes so is there a certayne holynes of the dyuell that is a trap or pytfall of man his soule by the which he may with a more subtyll sleyght inuegle snare men with false and forged wordes Euen as Origenes expoundyng Ezechiel more at lardge doth declare Suche pretensed holynes was to be sene in tyme past in the Psalbanes Euchites Anthropomorphites Ebionites Tacians and other heretykes of the same sorte the lyke of the whiche is also to be sene in the Pycardes and the Suenckfeldians which is none other thing as that moste learned man Origenes dothe saye then a certayne trap priuily set and layde for man his sowle by the deceate crafty conueyaunce of the Dyuell A conclusion of the fourth new Gosballes Now haue you foure Ghospells but not according to Mathewe Luke and Ihon but after Luther Zuinglius Muncerus and Swenkfeldius These be straunge names but theire Ghospells be more straunge which you may rather call Goosebelles then Ghospells for so muche as they haue brought in with them the matter of al mischefe not proceding from Christ but from the dyuell the author and founder of them for which cause they chose rather to be called Ghospellers then Christians for that theyr conscience telleth them that they haue nothing to do with
twynklyng of an eye it is inforsed to depart oute of the body Which thyng he wryteth to haue many tymes almost chaunsed to hym Luther his dronken deathe And in dede it happened so vnto hym at the last For being ouer nyght well whittled with wyne and in his mery cuppes next day early he was found dead in hys bed after that he had for the space of nyne thirtie yeares raysed many troblesome tempestes in the churche of God And lo this is that worde and Gospell of God which many do so vaunt of not established by Christ but invented of SathaÌ„ as he hymselff confesseth which first dyd set it abroche For he dothe make hys crakes that the Dyuell dyd ministre hym argumentes with the which he myght cleane coÌ„found bothe the order of Prestehode and also the Sacrifice The whiche twoe thinges being ouerthrouwen dothe not God seme either to be vtterly denyed or at the least to be spoyled of a greate pece of hys honoure For where is no Prestehode no Sacrifice it followeth that there is no acknowledgyng of God Wherefore seing Luthers conscieÌ„ce dyd crye oute agaynst hym that anie other rather then Christ was the author of hys Gospell if so be it be lawfull to terme so Dyuellishe doctryne by so notable a name he wolde not haue his followers to be called ChristiaÌ„s which was a coÌ„mon name to al men which professed Christ before these late fourtye yeares in the which Luthers lewde lore began to be spred abroade but he called them Ghospellers that by this name he myght gyue it to be knoweÌ„ that bothe he and his were a sute by themselues forced and sequestred from Christ his body that is one holy Catholyke and Apostolyke Churche and that nothing appartaynyng to Christ dyd belong vnto hym Thus youre Maiestie vnderstandeth from whens this is fetcht Why Luther his lore can not be allowed which some name the Gospell and the syncere worde of God yea and that by that owne confessyon of the author hym selff who as Christ once sayde Ioan. 7. My doctrine is not myne but my fathers which sent me meanyng his heauenly father So he was not ashamed to say My doctrine is not myne owne but my fathers the Diuelles which sent me Of whome he dothe bragg that he borrowed argumeÌ„tes with the which he myght ouerwhelme Priestehode Sacrifice that so doing he might rasse quite out of remembraunce all true worshippyng of the true God Thoughe Luther hym selff sholde deny this yet wolde the thyng it selffe be a sufficient profe that it is the Dyuelles worde and not the worde of God which he dyd first blase abroade in this oure age For as we reade in S. Paule God is the God of peace and loue 2. Cor. 13. 1. Cor. 14. not of dissention and hatred But he which maketh diuisyon betwene Christian brethern is the Dyuell sayth the Prophet Therefor seing oute of this worde of Luther Osee 13. suche greate diuisyon and separatyon is growen as we nowe see more is the pitie in the churche for so muche as so many sectes sundry one froÌ„ an other are ingendred of it vpon whome ells shall we father this worde but eueÌ„ vpon the Dyuell Euery spyrit sayth S. IhoÌ„ which divideth Iesus is not of God 1. Ihon. 4. this is Antichrist But he devideth Iesus To devyde Iesus as we haue proued at large oute of S. Augustyn in that place where we dyd intreate of traditions which divideth either the churche from Christ the heade August in the .6 treatise vpon the Epistle of Ihon. either hym selffe from the churche or the church with in it selff Christ vouchesaffed to dye that he myght gather to gether the chyldreÌ„ of God which were scattered abroade Luther dyd direct all his doinges and wrytinges to this end that he myght scatter those whome Christ had vnited together with his pÌ„ciouse blood Moreouer Christ dyd declare by the manner of his deathe howe displeasaunt all kynde of division is to hym Christ by the maÌ„ner of his death declared that he loueth not diuision For neither wolde he dye as S. Ihon Baptist who was beheaded neither as Esay the Prophet who was cutt a sundre with a sawe that in very death he myght preserue all the membres of his body with oute any manglyng that so no occasyon myght be offred to them which couet nothing more then to make chyppes of the churche and to myâ—se it in to many gobbetes But Luther all the dayes of his lyfe after that he fell in to heresye applyed nothing more ernestly then that the body of Christ which remayned whole sounde vpon the crosse amyd the clawes of the persecutours sholde hereafter no longer continewe vnbroken and vntorne among the handes of Christians So then that crueltie Luther more cruel then the wycked soldyars which dyd put Christ to deathe which the synfull souldioure swolde not commit in breaking the body of Christ Luther hauyng an outeward shewe of godlynes but yet denying the vertue thereof feared not to put in practyse but dyd as muche as lay in hym to make maÌ„mockes of Christ his body which is one holy Catholyke and Apostolyke churche And is there yet any which wyll make a doubt whether his worde be the worde of the dyuell or no to whome it is as naturall a coÌ„dition to diuide teare and scatter as it is the propertye of Christ to gather those thinges together which be scattered Luther author of sectes And that you may not thinke that I withoute a cause lay to Martin Luthers charge the diuision and separacion which is brought in to the Churche I pray you heare most vertuouse Prince in to how manye sondry sectes he hathe hewed and hacked the most noble bodie of Christ For after that he puffed vpp with a prowde conceite of hym selffe thought that it becam hym well in certayne articles opinions to depart from the vniforme assent consent of the Churche see I pray you what a wyde wyndowe of making diuision and separacioÌ„ he afterward opened to others One named Andrewe Carolstadius Andrewe Carolstad his behauioure in the absence of his deare frende Luther was in a manner his sworne brother he had hym fastened as he thought with an insoluble knot of stedfast frendship yet for all that dyd not he continew in one iudgement and opinion with Luther the terme of .ij. whole yeares For whist Luther was a way from Wittenberge Carolstadius vnknowing to him abolished the Mass cast of his religiouse apparell caused the most blessed SacrameÌ„t to be touched with lay mennes handes persuaded the sedicious people that thronging as it were oute of wyde open gates it sholde byd battayle to the Churches and Altars and that it sholde whurle all images oute of them Althoughe Luther returning to Wittenberge dyd not disalowe the thyng it selff yet because it was done withoute his authoritie he founde greate fault with it as being vndiscretely done
that it was but a signe bare figure only The which contention so sone as it begā to be made hotte in cōtinuaunce of tyme it grewe to suche a greate flame that they tossed the fyar brandes of this controuersie one at an others heade aboute the space of fyften yeares because as Calvyn wryteth they coulde not abyde to heare one an other quietlye to speake they re myndes For sayth he althoughe they met once together to discusse thys matter yet they so helde one an other at the staffes end that they brake of and left the matter in as euell a pyckell as they founde it So that when they sholde haue come to some agrement they shronke backward more and more myndyng no thing elles then to mayntayne they re owne opynion and to comptroll and confute them whiche sayde the contrarye When Caluin spyed that Caluin taking vpon hym to be a iudge betwene the Lutherans the Zuingliās raysed vpp an heresie never heard of before he toke vpon him to be iudge betwene them bothe as Muncerus intermedled hym selffe betwene the Pope and Luther condemnyng as well Zuinglius and Oecolampadius hys opinyon as Luthers brought in a newe heresye neuer heard of before not only vnknowen to the auncient Fathers and Doctours but also straunge to the late vppstart dyuellishe proctoures the Sacramentaries For he taught that breade and wyne vsed in oure Lorde hys supper be nothing elles then an assuraunce and as it were a certayne seale confirmyng all the promisses made vnto vs in Christ and thys dyd he teache withoute the authoritie of the scriptures withoute the warrant of the holy fathers without the consent of hys owne fraternitie With which doing besyde offending of Luther he gat greate displeasure of the scole of Tigurine the whiche scole for so muche as it dothe reuercene Vlryke Zuinglius as the fyrst founder of they re doctryne coulde not abyde the Caluyne sholde fynde faulte with hym with out any warrāt of scripture forge a newe fangled opynion of the sacramēt Caluyn afterward glad and fayne to quenche this hott displeasure kyndled against hym dyd wryght an Epistle in which he labored to shewe that he dyd not swarue from Zuinglius and others his good masters of that scole in the doctryne of the supper of oure Lorde whereas in very dede he varyed greatly frō them Caluin cōvicted of a lye Yea he went aboute to beare the people in hand that all they which held and beleued the Confession of Ausbourch a citie of the Vandales dyd ioyne with hym in hys doctryne of oure Lorde hys supper Of the which thing seuen yeare before he set furthe a certayne booke intituled A sum of the confession of the sacramentes Called in Laten Augusta Vindelicorum in which he plyet it a pase to declare that the Confessionistes of Ausbourge do not once wrynckell but go smothely away with that opinion of the sacrament of oure Lordes supper which the Confessionistes of Tigure or Surk do teache among whome Caluin hym selffe is numbred Nowe for so muche as by the space of one yeare or twayne no mā did wryght agaynst that forsayde booke of Caluine many dyd gesse by thys long silence that Caluin hys councell was accepted and allowed and then began thys to be bruted abroade that the Confessionistes of Ausbourch of Lutherans were become Zuinglians Dyuerse of Luthers scollers stormed at thys that they sholde be reported to haue bene traytours to Luther lyke runagates to haue fled to Zuinglius syde for so muche as it was vnknowē to no man howe ernestly Luther dyd set against the opinion of Zuinglius concernyng the Sacrament of oure Lorde hys supper Therefore there stepped forth some which with contrary bokes confuted that fornamed boke of Caluine agaynst whome it is nowe more then .ij. yeares agone synce Caluin dyd wryte a booke intituled A defence of the sounde doctrine of the Sacramentes whiche the Ministers of the Tyguryn and Geneva Churche had comprehended before in a brefe forme of Confession contayninge a confutatyon of those reproches with the whiche vnlearned and euell tonged men do slaunder it not long after he also dyd set forthe an other defence agaynst the false accusations of Ioachim Westphalus whose bokes which he namely dyd wryght agaynst Caluin as yet I could neuer come to syght of yet for all that whylst I was wryting this worcke there happened to come in to my handes a lyttell boke of the sayde Ioachim Westphalus a Lutheran which boke hath this name A iuste defence against the lowde lyes of Ihon a Lasko which he telleth agaynst the Churches of Saxonie in his Epistle to the moste excellent Kyng of Poyle In a letter sent to the Senatoures of Franckforde he maketh twyse mentyon the whylst Luther lyued there were certayne at Frācforde vpō the ryver Meyne which taught Zuinglius his heresie that very craftily vnder thys cloke that they swarued nothing from the Churches of Saxonie of whome that they sholde take diligēt hede Luth. hym selffe dyd ernestly exhorte them by writyng But after that Luther was deade he saythe that they more boldly and more shawfully dyd set lyes a broche saying that in the Sacrament of oure Lorde hys supper they dyd agree with the Confessionistes of Ausbourgh when in dede as he sayth there is greate difference betwene the Confession of Ausbourgh and the doctryne of the Sacramentaries for so muche as the Confessionistes of Ausbourgh do teache that the breade is truly the body of Christ that the body bloode of Christ is truly distributed by the handes of the ministre and is receaued in this sacramēt with the mouthe of them which cōmunicate contrariwyse the Sacramentaries do teache that it is only a token or signifycation of Christ his body which is absent that the minister gyueth but bare breade and wyne and that the receauer taketh but bare breade wyne Wherefore he exhorteth the Magistrates of Franckford that they wyll be ruled by Luthers councell that they auoyde suche false teachers and banyshe them cleane oute of theyr citie A scabbed shepe sayth he is sequestred least it infect the whole flock Heretykes are to be handled punyshed seuerely A putrifyed member is cut of least it corrupt the resydue Leprouse men be shut oute of all companye least they poyson them which be hole howe much more ought those which be taynted with the spirituall leprosy of the sowle be abandoned and remoued farre least they spill infect the shepe of Christ The Apostle forbyddeth to receaue in to house those which bryng not with them Apostolyke doctryne least the receauers may be partakers of theyr euell doinges then howe shall they be intertayned in to Christian mennes company which bring a doctryn cleane contrary to the Apostolyke veritie The scripture dothe oftentymes prayse hospitalitie it cōmaundeth to vse mercifull and charitable dedes toward banished men and straungers but so that we hurt not oure fayth so that for doing good
cherefullnes in suffring persecutions the Anabaptistes run farr before all other heretykes If you will haue regarde to the number it is lyke that in multitude they wolde swarme aboue al other if they were not greuously plaged cut of with the knyfe of persecution Yf you haue an eye to the outewarde appearaunce of godlynes bothe the Lutherans and the Zuinglians muste nedes graunte that they farr passe them Yf you wyll be moued with the boasting of the worde of God these be no lesse bolde theÌ„ Caluin to preache that theire doctrin must stand aloft aboue all the glory of the worlde must stand inuincible aboue al poure because it is not they re worde but the worde of the lyuing God Nether do they crye with lesse lowdenes then Luther Anabaptistes not able otherwyse to be ouercomed but by the authoritie of the churche the fourth sect which Suencfeld raysed that with theire doctryn which is the worde of God they shall iudge the Aungelles And surely howe many so euer haue wrytten agaynst this heresie whether they were Catholykes or Heretykes they were able to ouerthrowe it not so muche by the testimony of the scriptures as by the autoritie of the Churche Do you think peraduenture that we be nowe at an end of these Gospelles Nay we be yet very farr from the end For Suenckfeldius hathe broched a fourthe gospell agaynste whome I haue sene fyue bookes wrytten in the Germane tounge in that which one Flaccus brauleth scoldeth with hym When he sawe the Lutherans the Sacramentaries the Anabaptistes and al the heretykes not of oure tyme only but also in tyme past to establyshe they re errours by the Scriptures the which is so certayne sure that the heade carpenter of all heresies in oure tyme Martyn Luther could not deny it Luther in that boke which he intytuled that these wordes of Christ do as yet stand inuincible in so muche that he saythe that the Canonicall Scripture hath at laste gotten thys name that it is called the boke of heretykes because all heresies take theire beginning of it because all heretykes do fly to the scripture for succoure therfore when Suenckfeldius had perceaued this and had peraduenture readen it in Luthers bokes he hym selffe deuysed a newe heresie and leauing to the ayde helpe of the scripture ment aboute to take away all autoritie from the scripture For this talke he was wont to haue among his Disciples It behoueth not a man to be coning in the lawe or in the Scripture but to be taught and instructed of God Althoughe thou reade ouer the Byble a thousand tymes yet for all that shalt thou proue only skylfull in the Scripture but yet neuer learned of God The labour is but loste which is bestowed on the scripture for the scripture is but a creature It is not mete that a Christian man shold be addicted to muche to a creature We must gyue eare to God we must loke to heare his voyce from heauen that it may teache vs. Blessed is the man saythe Dauid whome thou shalt teache O Lorde Psal 43. He teacheth vs nowe a dayes as well as he taught the prophetes and the Patriarches by visions We must gyue hede to dreames for by them God speaketh vnto vs. the voyce of God dothe teache vs a ryght the scripture is not the worde of God but only a deade letter to be rekoned among other creatures Thinck not thy selffe to be learned oute of the scriptures you must loke for the oute of heauen not oute of bokes The holy goste descendeth downe from heaueÌ„ with oute any meane not by the outewarde hearing and preaching by the mouthe ether reading of the scriptures Althoughe that one Thomas Muncerus semeth to be the fyrst Author of visions dreames and reuelations who also was the fyrst which shronck from Luthers sect as Philippus sheweth in that story which he dyd wryte of hym so that Luther was worthye of no lesse condemnation for stretching mennes consciences as it were vpon tentre hokes then the Pope was for bindyng them in Yet among those errours which Philipp layeth to his charge Philipp in his history of Muncer he rekoneth vp only these that he prescribed these wayes and rules of enbrasing Christian godlynes Fyrst that men sholde refrayne from manifest crimes as adulteries murders and blasphemies then that they sholde chasteÌ„ theire bodies with fastinges vyle apparel speakyng lyttell loking sowrely wearing a long bearde then that they sholde go in to secrete places and that they sholde ofteÌ„ think vpon God what God is whether he haue any care of vs whether our fayth be true and that also they sholde requyre signes of God by the which he sholde shew vs that he is carefull for vs and that oure faythe is ryght That they sholde put no confidence in the wrytten worde of God And that they sholde persuade themselues verilye dreames to be the moste certayne tokens that they haue receaued the holy ghoste The same Muncerus dyd say that he had commaundimeÌ„t to chaunge all secular gouernement Wherefore when he was at Alstete he made a boke in the which he wrote the names of all them which had coÌ„spyred with hym to punishe all Princes which were not so Christian lyke as they ought to be to institute a ChristiaÌ„ Magistrate These be the thinges which Philip ascribeth vnto Muncerus As coÌ„cernyng Suenckfeldius whome in despyte he nameth Stenckfeldius Philip. concerning Stencfeld the same man in the preface of hys commentaries which he set furthe the laste yeare vpon the Epistle of Saynt Paule to the Romanes wryteth the Stencfeldius hath a hundred handes that he hathe soldyoures euery where which in his name do not onlye scatter libelles but also moue seditions boste of diuyne inspirations leade men from the publyke ministerye from reading and from thinking of teaching And nowe also in certayne papers set oute agaynst me in the name of Stenckfeldius is repeted that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pleasaunt song to madd men that God dothe not make men partakers of him by any helpe of wrytten doctryne but withoute all outewarde meanes Nether Philipp only but also Caluine and diuerse others do seme to make Suenckfeldius to be the author of these thinges For allthoughe before hym there were heauenly Prophetes against whome Luther hathe wrytten two indifferent greate volumes of whome Thomas Muncerus is beleued to haue bene captayne and ring leader yet they dyd not so openly fray men from the publyke ministre of the worde from reading the scriptures as Suenckfeldiê with his companions do nowe a dayes which be not ashamed to drawe this place of S. Paule to the mayntenaunce of theire madnes 1. Cor. 13. where he compareth the knowledge of this present lyfe which is by the worde what scriptures SteÌ„ckfeld stayeth his sect vpon with the perfect and reueled knowledge which shall be in the lyffe to come These they wrest to this lyfe ascribyng
kynde of learning which they re Master had taught them yet they thought good to take away certayne new orders which he had brought in and to restore most of the olde orders according to the forme prescribed in the parlement boke They called these orders or cerimonies by a Greke name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latten you may call them indifferentia that is thinges which of theyr owne nature be suche what the Catholykes thynk of outward cerimonies and howe far the Adiaphoristâ—s do agree with them Psal 44. that it skylleth nothyng to soule healthe whether one leaue them or receaue them For we oure selues which be Catholykes do deny that the cheyfe poyntes of ChristiaÌ„ godlynes do rest in these thinges whiche be done outewardly seyng all the glorie of the Kynges daughter is inwardly Chryst seeth inwardly he loueth inwardly he speaketh vnto vs inwardly and he neither punisheth or rewardeth but those thynges which be inwardly but were Christ is truly worshipped inwardly it can not be almoste but that such a worshipping sholde vtter it selff and appeare to mennes eyes by certayne sygnes and tokens And these outewarde cerimonies haue thys propertye that where so euer they be obserued a lyke of all men they be wytnesses of a certayne agreemeÌ„t and consent Therfore in these thynges the neuters of Mittenberdge thought good to coÌ„sent to the Christians that by them they myght gyue it oute to be vnderstanded that they began a lyttell to inclyne from Luther to Christ and that they myght put the world in hope that in continuaunce of tyme it wolde come to passe that reiecting Luthers learning they wolde embrace the Christian Catholyke doctrine Flaccus had this in the wynde Illiricus vexeth the Adiaphoristes as one that hathe a very nice nose of his owne therefore he resisted by all meanes that there might be no chaunge or alteration And when he sawe that he coulde not preuayle with warnyng praying and beseching then he spared not to tayle and scolde sometyme darckly sometyme plainely vpon his masters and especially vpon Melancthon complayning that they forsoke Christ his cause and quarrel For he knewe none other Christ but hym which was borne at Eylzleube Islebij and feared nothing to call them hogges of the Epicures kynde regarding not the truthe but theyr bely as whose bely were theyr God At the last when he perceaued that nether by fayre nor soule meanes he coulde fray them from theyr purpose he gaue them all vp to the dyuell Illiricê° his sentence of excoÌ„munication vpoÌ„ the Adiaphoristes And whereas before he gaue them the name tytle of Adiaphoristes yet sytting as it were on his iudgement seate he condemned them with this sentence For so muche as I perceaue that they remayne in theyr inpenitencye and agaynst theyr consciences further the Adiaphoricall constitutions and not to refrayne to make wyndowes for the papacye to entre in I gyue senteÌ„ce that all vnpenitent Adiaphoristes shall be taken as Ethnikes Publicanes that is that no Godly man ought to holde any familiarity conuersation or frendeship with them And especially to suche as being compelled by no ordre of lawe shall do other wyse I declare that they be infected with they re leprosy so consequently I warrant them of God his heauye angre displeasure You see what authoritye Flaccus taketh vpon him which feareth not to pronunce all the Vniuersitie of Wittenberge oute of the which came the same Martyn Luther whome he maketh a God of accursed to forbyd all good men to haue any thing to do with the vniuersitie The which his forbydding as I wolde wyshe it to take place among all other godly people so especially among them whiche be youre Maiestyes subiectes then sholde we se in youre Realme lesse disquietnes But I pray you what cause moueth hym to condemne these Adiaphoricall constitutions None other but that he smelled that wyndowes were made to conueye in the Papacye whiche sholde followe after them Alac for you Syr is it so greate a faulte to buylde windowes for the Pope his supremacie Luther made windowes for sathanisme and not to make wyndowes for Sathanisme that is Dyuellyshe doctryne to entre in which no man can deny that Luther made with these choppynges and chaungynges enterprysed of hys owne heade and autoritie For whence came the Sacramentaries oute of what rote sprang the Anabaptistes howe began the Suenckfeldians where had we the Seruetians surely oute of nothing elles but of these turnynges and tossynges which Luther hathe begone Hym may we thanck that we be taught that Christ his body and blood is not in the sacrament that children be forbydden to be baptized that all autoritie is taken away from the Canonicall scripture that some beleue that there is nether heauen nor hell that Chryst is denyed to be true God and the Sone of God Caluin hym selffe confesseth this Balthasar Pacimontanus graunteth the same as I haue declared before that they haue drawen theire doctrine oute of his bokes Caluin writeth that Luther taught the fyrst principles of true doctryn Caluin his senteÌ„ce vpon Luth. and shewed the way But in the meane season he sayth he was of an ouerthwart witte which being entred in to the right way so sone as he had tolde other men which way they sholde walcke he hym selffe turneth a syde and pitching his fote obstinately in one place wold not remoue one inche farther Therfore Caluine went beyonde those principles and croked rewes I wolde a sayde Crosse rewes and began to be more fyne and at all assayes better appoynted and denyed Christ to be present in the Sacrament Yet Baltasar lept on lyne lenghte farther who as Caluin dyd with the Sacrament of the altar so he althoughe not discentyng from Caluin toke all vertue from the Sacrament of Baptisme especially as touching the baptising of younge children But for all this greate leape yet Suenckfeldius oute reached it for he bereaued the scriptures of all autoritie at the lengthe loke at what marke the Dyuell shotte at the beginnyng the same marke his ministers Campanus and Seruetus dyd hytte at the laste in denying Christ to be very God and the sone of God and in so doyng finished that Gospell whose foundation Luther dyd laye So it cam to passe that when Luther had pearsed those bankes which were cast vpp to kepe oute the rage of the floodes the mayne streames of the waters dyd beate downe the bankes ouerflowed and drowned farr neare the feldes corne and villages Aristotle gaue a very wyse precept Arist Polit. 2. as you remember M. Flaceus the which also befor hym his Master Plato dyd teache in the seuenth boke of his lawes that chaunges of lawes ciuiles policies are to be auoyded and that it is better many tymes to wynk at the faultes of the lawe makers and Magistrates Nether cometh there so muche profit many tymes if one correct chaunge as there
euery man recouereth that which is his owne by whose protection we may leade our lyffe in quietnes and saffitie Onlesse peradueÌ„ture you wyll saye that scripture is not to be vnder standed of euery temporall Prince He is the minister of God to defend that which is good Rom. 13. The sworde is not borne before hym in vayne for he is the minister of God to punishe those which be malefactoures Zenacherib was a moste myghtie Kyng Esa 20. our Lorde calleth hym not only a ministre but also a rodde and staffe of his fury but there is no slaue so vyle but he is to be preferred before a rod or a staffe What then shall Kynges haue theire heades tyde vnder the peoples gyrdell and not haue the people rather vnder theire obedience Because by theire meanes God gyueth that to euery man which is due vnto hym encorageth good men with rewardes discorageth euel men with worthie punishmeÌ„t Brentius bendeth an other text of scripture agaynst vs. Brentius secoÌ„d profe All is oures whether it be Paule whether it be Apollo whether it be Cephas whether it be the worlde Brentius what conclude you by that scripture Make you this conclusion Ergo Paule 1. Cor. 3. Apollo Cephas the whole world was subiect to the Corinthians Why Sigismund is oures But I pray you is he as oure subiect and vnderlyng God forbyd but as one which beareth lawfull rule ouer vs as oure Kyng and oure Lorde Here euery man may see howe true that is which Hilarius wryteth of heretykes They alleadge the scriptures not knowing the meaning of them And these Burning Brentians dyd sounde alaruÌ„ to the countrie clownes Hilarius in his boke to coÌ„stantius by the which they were styrred vp agaynst theyr land Lordes Masters by crying thus in theyr cares all is youres whether it be Paule whether it be Apollo whether it be Cephas ether the worlde ether Kynges ether Princes all be youre seruauntes and you the seruauntes of Chryst so that those thinges seme best to be applyed to Brentiê his Bretherne which he telleth of seruauntes which dyd rebel agaynst theyr Masters They alleadge also a thyrde scripture Brentius thyrde profe We do not preache in oure owne prayse but we preache Iesus Christ who is oure Master and we youre seruauntes By these three places vouched oute of S. Paule 2. Cor 4. Brentius proueth that Paule maketh the Bishopes subiect to the Churche setteth the Church as a Mystresse ouer them But as for vs we be so farre from being ashamed to be called the seruauntes and ministers of the Churche that he which is the Cheife of all Bishoppes the vicar of Christ in yearth dothe reioyce greatly in this rytle that he wryteth hym selff to be the seruauÌ„t of the seruauntes of God For so muche as it is wrytten Gen. 25. Let him which is hyghest do him seruice which is lowest and it is so in very dede Rom. 12. 1. Cor. 9. that no men do greater seruyce then they which be carefull in theyr office as he was whose authoritye was euen nowe recyted who when he was free made hym selffe seruaunt to all that he myght wyn many 2. Cor. 11. who was not a lyttell trobled in mynde for so much as he was carefull for all Churches so that he coulde not chose but make exclamation Who is weake I am not weake also who is hurt in the fayth and my hart burneth not who wyll denye but that Bishopes be suche manner of seruauntes Kynges be after a sorte seruauntes yea Kynges and Prynces haue the lyke yoke of seruitude layde vpoÌ„ theire neckes For if they prouyde not for the profyt of theire subiectes if they cast away all care of theire healthe and wealthe if they set all theire mynde vpon pleasure if they loke to the lyckyng of they re owne fyngers with oute doubt suche deserue not to be called other right kinges or right Byshopes Salomon gyueth this councell Art thou set in autoritie Eccle. 32. be not proude of it Be among them as one of them and be carefull for them This then to be a seruaunt not a subiect is not to take those whome thou bearest rule ouer to be they Masters who sholde appoynte the what thou sholdest beleue but that thou sholdest not therefore set vp they peacockes fethers but take care for them study to do them goode ouer whome God hath gyuen the authoritye and preeminence After this sorte the Apostles their successoures bothe seruauntes and Lordes the Apostles were seruauntes and lykewyse be the Byshopes theire successoures to whome S. Paule speaketh after this forte Take diligeÌ„t hede to your selues to your whole flocke in the which the holy Ghoste hathe made you Bishopes to rule the Churche of God to rule saythe he and not to be ruled to be aboue in autoritie not to be vnder in subiection But vnto the flock he vseth these wordes Obey those which haue rule ouer you Act. 20. and be ruled by them for thei so watche as thei which must gyue an accoumpt for youre soules Dothe he say here rule them coÌ„maunde and comptrole them appoynte them how they shall teache you to beleue nothing lesse but obey saythe he and be ordred by them I pray you coulde any thing be spoken more playnely could there a more manifest difference be made betwene shepherdes and shepe then that he wolde haue them to rule and these to be ruled And fearest not thou to resist the holy Ghost giuyng sentence so playnely by the mouthe of Saynte Paule But let vs see Master Brentius what manner a seruaunt Saint Paule was who wheÌ„ he was free paule what manner of seruauÌ„t he was made himselffe seruaunt to all he wrytyng to the Corinthians whose seruaunt he professeth himselffe to be speaketh to them in this wyse What wyl you haue me to do 1. Cor. 4. wyl you that I come vnto you with the rod of correctioÌ„ I pray you Brentius doo seruauntes vse to come to theire masters to correct punishe them And with in fewe wordes after I heare that there is fornication among you yea and such fornication as is not among the heathen that is that one slepeth with his father his wyfe 1. Cor. 5. and you haue swelled and not rather sorrowed that he myght be rydde from among you which hath committed this shamfull act I being absent froÌ„ you in body but present with you in soule as if I were bodily present amoÌ„g you in the name of oure Lorde Iesu Christ haue iudged hym which hathe wrought this wyckednes to be giuen vpp in to the powre of Sathan to the destructioÌ„ of his body that his soule may saued Here you see in what rod he came to them after what manner a sorte he behaued hymselfe lyke a seruaunt toward his Masters not only to them 1. Tim. 1. but certane other also namely Alexander Hymeneê
thinges but of diuine thinges These thinges afore sayd be common to them to the but these which follow are proper to thy selffe Thou lyest in saying thou art a Christian thou art a nue ennimie of Christ thou art that foreruÌ„ner of Antichrist thou behauest thy selff lyke one of his priuie councell Thou forgest a faythe leading a faytheles lyfe thou hast vnhappy learning inoughe but no skyl at all invertue thou crepest in to mennes bosomes with a goodly tytle thou sleast vnder the pretence of religion thou workest nothing elles but wyckednes Being a false preacher of Christ thou puttest oute the candell of Christian fayth And in a fewe leaues after I woulde nowe fayne knowe of the Constantius in wath faythe thou art settled For I knowe not they faythe by reason that thou hast chaunged it so many tymes by the whiche chaungeable tymes euerye man hathe run hedlong as it were by stepe stares downe in to the bothomelesse pyt of blasphemie For after the first determination of true fayth thou dydest put oute a nue faythe to making calling together a nue Councel at Antioche But it is with you as it is with vnskilful builders which being not able to discerne a thing when it is well fynd faulte allway where none is pullyng allwayes downe which allwayes they must repayre reedifie agayne an in the booke following Surely it sholde become youre gentlenes to heare the voyces of them which make lowde exclamatioÌ„s vnto you I am a Catholyke many crye thus in England who me ChristeÌ„dome hopeth that oure graciouse Quene wyll at the laste here I wyll be no heretyke I am a Christian not an Arrian it is better for me to lese my lyfe in this worlde then by the compulsion of any one priuate man I sholde stayne and defyle the chaste virginitie of syncere veritie Nowe you haue heard what manner of seruauntes the Bishopes of that tyme Liberius Hosius Athanasius Hilariê were Howe stoutely they dyd withstand the wicked entrepryses not of any one Prince Lorde of one land A comparison betwene the olde churche with the church of oure time in defeÌ„ding the ecclesiastical autoritie doctryne but the Emperoure of the whole worlde how coragiously one of them durst say Take not vpon the o Emperoure to rule the roste in Ecclesiasticall matters tel not vs what we haue to do in such cases but rather learne those thinges at vs. What if they were a liue in oure age which almoste is no lesse accursed then theire age was yf they dyd see not only euery prouince but also euery citie almost to haue a seuerall faythe by them selues and to prescribe what the councell sholde do and determyne I say what wold they then do no doubt they wolde say the very same thinges which they sayde before we we be Catholykes not heretykes we be Christians not Lutherans or Brentians better were it for vs to suffer deathe then through any priuate man his compulsion bereaue the truth of her maydenhode dyd Ambrose in the lyke case behaue hym selff vnlykely the younger Valentinianê Emperoure when he was yet but a chylde vy the inforcyng of his mother almost toke vpon hym to iudge of matters of faythe What sayde Ambrosius to this Dalmatius sayth he the Tribune and Notarye brought me a message from youre grace desyring me that I sholde chose Iudges lyke as Aurentius had done Yet he tolde not theyr names whiche were required to be iudges but he sayde thus much that theyr sholde be a controuersie in the Consistory which shold be determined by youre iudgement to whome as I suppose I shape a resonable answer nether any maÌ„ ought to counte me obstinate in saying that which youre father of worthye memory hath vttered not onlye by worde of mouthe but also hathe enacted by his lawes In matters of faythe or of any Ecclesiastical order he ought to iudge whiche nether is vnequall in office nor vnlyke in lawe For these be the wordes of the decree whiche his meanyng was that Prestes sholde be iudges of Prestes Besyde this if it hapned that any Byshop were coÌ„playned on and that a tryall or examination shold be made of his manners and behauyoure he wolde also that suche a cause shold be iudged by an other Byshop Therefore who dothe answer youre grace stubbornely he which desyreth to haue you lyke youre father or he whiche wolde haue you vnlyke to hym onles peraduenture some man do think that the verdict of such an Emperoure is not worthe a strawe whose fayth was proued by his stedfast constant confessioÌ„ whose wysdome is also praysed farre and neare for profyting bettryng the coÌ„mon weale haue you heard most gentle Emperoure that lay men haue at anye tyme set as iudges ouer an Bishop in causes of faythe Therefore arre we so wone with courte holy water that is fayre and flattring wordes that we sholde forgette oure prestly authoritie that which God hathe gyuen me sholde I put it from my selff to an other If a lay man must teache a Bishop what followeth ergo let a lay man dispute ergo let a Byshop stand by as an auditor ergo let a Byshopp learne his lesson of a lay man But truly if we wyl peruse ether the whole course of holy scriptures ether the Cronicles of olde tyme what man can deny Byshoppes iudges ouer Emperours in matters of faythe but that in cases of faythe I saye in cases of faythe Bishopes were wont to be iudges ouer Emperoures and not Emperoures ouer Bishopes By God his grace you shall lyue tyll you be an olde man and then shal you be able to iudge what manner of Bishop he is which can be content that the key of prestly preemineÌ„ce shold hang at lay mennes girdles Your father being a man come to ful rypenes of yeares sayd as God dyd put him in mynde it is not myne office to be iudge betwene Bishopes Your grace sayth now I ought to iudge Amb. Epit. 33. Saint Ambrose doth not only write these thynges but also he dyd vtter them by worde of mouthe as he him selffe declareth writing to his syster neuer troble your selff Emperoure sayth he thinkyng that you haue any imperial authoritie ouer diuyne thynges Extoll not your selffe Mat. 22. submitt youre selffe to God it is wrytten Gyue to God that which is due vnto God gyue to Cesar that which appartayneth to Cesar What was this to say but euen as Petrê a Soto semed to saye come behynde me Sathan this he dyd not by letters only whiche blushe not but euen face to face in his presence Caluin prayseth Petrus a Soto Althoughe that Caluin be as sworne an enimie to our syde as you Brentius for youre harte yet bothe he highely commend the singular modestie and wysdome of this holye fryar Petrus a Soto ioyned with a ioly couragiousnes stoutenes of mynde He denyeth saythe Caluine the Emperoure to be a mete iudge of so weyghtie a
controuersye whiche in dede was contrary both to the present necessitie of that tyme and also to the continuall condition and nature of the cause Caluin his opinioÌ„ that the Emperour caÌ„not be iudge in Ecclesiasticall causes Lo Caluine dothe say that the very nature of the thyng required that the Emperoure sholde be no iudge of Ecclesiasticall causes especially in poyntes and matters of fayth As Saint Ambrose behaued him selffe toward Valentinian so dyd he towarde Theodosius the Emperoure whome he dyd forbyd to entre in to the churche when he nuely returned from the bloody victory which he had ouer his ennimies at Thessalonies And when he had done the peâ—aunce inioyned hym he commaunded hym to departe the chauncell where the mysteries were celebrated Theodore lib. 5. ca. 8. of his Ecclesiast hist saying those places of mysteries were for the Prestes only to come in to And that the purple robe made Emperoures but not Prestes The which his doyng the Emperoure dyd take in so good parte that he sayde afterwarde that he knew none which could take vpon him lyke a Byshopp but only Ambrose This dyd Ambrose nothing disamayde with the cruell tyranny which before was vsed of a certayne Emperoure to the blessed Martyr Babila Babila a Martyr of whome Chrysostome dothe wryte notably the which holye man after he had excoÌ„municated the Emperoure put hym oute of the Churche lyke a vyle pernitiouse person euen as a shephard dothe cast oute of the folde a scabbed and infected shepe he had his heade stroken of Whose foote steppes the only pryme rose pearlesse and singular example of holynes in oure contrie Stanislaus a Martyr Stanislaus Bishop of Cracouia followed Who when he had excoÌ„municated the wycked Tyrant Boleslaus for many mischeifes coÌ„mitted feared not to suffer a gloriouse deathe for the name of Christ Nowe haue you such a brasen face M. Brentius that you dare call them wycked seruauntes whose prayse is spoken of in the vniuersall church of God A comparison betwene the Ecclesiasticall Autorytye of Bishoppes and the temporall authoritie of Princes who doubtles lyue a blyned lyffe in heauen I saye dare you call these and suche lyke whome it were to long a laboure to rekon vp naughtie seruauÌ„tes who feare not to stirre sedition agaynst theyr Masters which make mo bones to pull them oute of theyr places whilst ether they doo bequeathe them to the dyuell for their abhominable offences or do not suffer them to medle with those matters which pertayne not to their office some tymes laying these wordes in theire dyshe come behynde me Sathan I graunt that Bishopes be seruauntes but suche as of whome it is wrytten Psal 44. Thou shalt make them kynges ouer al the land Whose preemineÌ„ce and rule dothe so farr excell all temporall regiment Chrysost li. 3. of prestohod and of the wordes of Esa 4. concernyng the preeminence of Byshopes as we reade in Chrysostome and Gregorius Nazianzene in the oration whiche he made of the wordes of Hierimie before the Emperoure as it is possible that any difference may be betwene the Spirit and the fleshe betwene heauen and yearthe betwene diuine thinges and prophane But heare in what reuerence the moste holy martyr Ignatius hathe them Ignatius epist 7. ad Smyrnenses concerning honoryng of Byshopes It is written saythe he my sone honoure God and the Kyng But I say honoure in dede God as the author and Lorde of all thing but the Bishop as the Prince of Prestes bearing the image of God principalitie according to God but prestehode accordyng to Christ And next vnto hym thou must honoure the kyng For no man is better than God or lyke vnto hym nether is there any more honorable in the churche then the Bishope beryng presthode vnto God for the healthe of the worlde nether to the kyng in battayle prouiding to make peace good wyll among al Princes For he which honoureth the Bishop shall be honoured of God and who so dishonoreth hym shall be dishonored of God Howe often dothe he beate in to mennes heades to be obedient to the Bishope that they controle hym in no case for it is a terrible thing to gayne say such an one For a man despyseth not this visible man but that inuisible God in hym who can not abyde to be despysed of any mortall man For such an one is promoted not of man but of God 1. Reg. 8. For God saythe to Samuel of them which despised hym They haue not contemned the Exod. 16. but me Lykewyse Moses spake vnto the people which murmured against him you haue not murmured agaynst vs but agaynst God He reciteth the punishement which dyd fall vpon Core Dathan and Abiron More ouer what became to Osias and Saul the kynges whilst they presumed to take the prestes office vpon them so that there was neuer any nation so varbarouse and vnciuile but it thought theire prestes worthie of greate honowre and reuerence The presthode of the Iues was but a shadowe in comparison of oute ChristiaÌ„ prestehode yet for all that the Bishopes of that tyme where had in suche reuereÌ„ce that not only the Iues them selues but also many of the gentiles dyd greate honoure vnto them Ioseph lib. 11. cap. 8 of the antiquitie of the Iewes Origin against Celsus lib. 5. Iosephus wryteth and Origines dothe report the same and many of them which haue cronicled the worthye Actes of Alexander that Alexander king of the Macedonians when he obtayned not his request of Iadus the highe Bishopp of the Iues stormyng and stomakyng at the matter very sore came to Hierusalem with an armye mynding to destroy the citie and especially to vse all kynde of crueltie agaynst the Bishope But when the Byshoppe wearing on an holy stole cam and met him of hys owne accorde accompaned with a greate nuÌ„ber of prestes and lay people beholde the kyng which came in an anger so sone as he spyed the Bishope ouercoming his furye drue neare vnto the Bishoppe and worshipped hym And afterwarde when Parmenon demaunded of the kyng why he which was worshipped of all men nowe hymselffe did homage vnto the Byshoppe of the Iues he made aunswer that he dyd not homage to the man but to God whose Bishopp he was And I pray you Attila his reuerence towarde Pape Leo. is that vnlyke vnto thys which the Story maketh mention of the Barbarouse kyng Attila who when he had inuaded a greate part of Italie had sâ—oyled all with fyarr and sworde had shewed no mercie or pitie of any man wheÌ„ he was almost at the citye the moste holy Bishopp Leo came oute and met him and requested him to go no farther Attila being a fearce man otherwyse cruell blody who had not so muche as taken pitie vpoÌ„ his brother germane Paul li. 15. of the Romane affayres whome he murdred because he coulde not abyde that he sholde be partaker with him of the