A LEARNED AND VERY ELOQVENT Treatie writen in Latin by the famouse man Hieronymus Osorius Bishop of Sylua in Portugal wherein he confuteth a certayne Aunswere made by M. Walter Haddon against the Epistle of the said Bishoppe vnto the Queenes Maiestie Translated into English by Iohn Fen student of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Louen LOVANII Apud Ioannem Foulerum Anno 1568. Cum Gratia Priuilegio TO THE CATHOlike Reader I Was moued gentle Reader to translate this Booke into our mother tongue for diuers and sundrie causes First the fame of the authour prouoked me thereunto who is not in my priuate opinion but in the estimation of alsuch as know gim a vertuous Prieste and godly Bishoppe in the iudgement of the world for grauitie wisedome eloquence and profound knowledge in al kinde of learning in these our daies a singular yea an odde man Then I thought it expedient to impart the benefit therof vnto my vnlearned countrey men bicause as it was writen generally for the commoditie of al the Churche of Christ so it was especially meant and as it were dedicated to the Churche and cōmon weal of Englād vnto the which as it may appeere both by the epistle which he wrot before vnto the Queenes Maiestie as also by this Booke he bare siugular good will Moreouer I iudged that mylabour in translating it shuld be the more profitably emploied bicause there are in it many goodly exhortations to stirre a mā vp to the loue and feare of God many holesome lessons by the whiche a Christian man may direct and order his life many points of Catholike doctrine whiche are in these dayes called in controuersie by our Aduersaries so plainly set out that the vnlearned maie take great profit therof so lernedly disputed that such as are wel exercised in Diuinitie may find wherwith to increase their knowlege To be short the thing that most moued me to take these paines was bicause it conteineth a briefe confutation of manie erroneous opinions of much heretical and pestilēt doctrine comprised in a litle booke set out these late yeares in the name of M. Haddon wherin was pretended an answere to the Epistle of Osorius which I spake of before but in effecte was nothing els but a numbre of stout assertions faintly prooued be sprinkled here and there with bitter tauntes vnsauerie gyrdes and other the like scomme or froth of vndigested affections These were the things that cawsed me to spare some time from my study to trāslate this booke into Englishe for the commoditie of suche as vnderstande not the Latine tongue wherof if thou shalt receiue any profit as thou maist very much if thou reade it with diligence and good iudgement thanke God of it and with mindful hart acknowledge his great mercy and goodnes towards vs in that it hath pleased him in this perilous time not only to send vs at home in our owne countrie most vertuous godlie and learned men to be vnto vs a perfecte rule both of good life and true beleefe but also to moue the heart of this graue Father and reuerēt Bishop whose learned writinges haue deseruedly obteined so great authoritie thoroughout al the Church of Christ to pitie the lamentable state of our most miserably decaied Church and to laie his helping hand to the repairing of it employing thervnto the rare gyftes and graces of God with the which as thou shalt perceiue by reading this booke he is most beawtifully adourned and decked And thus I bid the heartily farewell commending my selfe to thy deuout praiers and thee to Almightie God whome thou shalt most humbly besech that it maie please him either of his mercie to turne the heartes of such as are maliciously bent against the true faith of Christe or els of his iustice to turne the wicked deuises and diuelish practises of Achitophel and all his confederacie to the glorie of his holie name and aduaunceme◠of the Catholike Churche From Louen the fyrst of Nouember Anno Domini 1568. John Fen. THE FIRST BOOKE I Thinke it a great grace and benefite of God M. Haddon that your booke which ye sette out against me a fewe yeres past with much a doe at the length this last daie came vnto my handes Such care hath God put into the hart of Henrie the Cardinal who is a most godly Prince and wise gouernour to vse al possible diligēce that no such bookes as may disteine the purenes of godly Religion be brought in emongest vs. Had it not benne that Emanuel Almada Bisshoppe of Angra a man excellently wel furnished with al good qualities and vertues to me moste intiere both for the streight friendshippe as also for the long acqueintaunce betwene vs begone and continued euen from our Auncestours had accompaigned the most vertuous Ladie Marie Princesse of Parma into the low Coūtries of Flaūders I had not as yet heard any thing either of the booke or of the Writer But he after his arriual into those parties chauncing vppon the booke thought he could no lesse doe of friendshippe but take vpon him my cause and confute your reprocheful wordes Howbeit in the worke which he wrote with singular diligence he tooke vppon him the defence not so muche of me as of Religion of pietie of godlinesse After his returne into his countrie whiche was much later then we hoped it was rumored foorthwith that an English man whose name was vnknowen had writen against Hieronymus Osorius and that the Bishoppe of Angra had earnestly taken vpon him the defence of Osorius and this much was signified vnto me by my friendes letters At the same time I was painfully occupied in visiting my Diocese the which notwithstanding I was not so letted but that I found a time to salute my frind and welcome him home by my letters in the which I required of him that he woulde send me your booke together with his defence He answered me to euery point of my letters as humanitie courtesie and frindship required But as touching your booke he said he was moued in conscience not to send it vntil he had obteined licence of the Cardinal whereby ye may perceiue how heinouse and wicked offence it is emongest vs to reade the bookes of such men as haue with many errours infected Religion This wise man albeit he had had very exact and perfect tryal of my Religion by long experience and saw that I was placed in the roome and dignitie of a Bishop and therefore might of mine owne authoritie search and trie out what soeuer wilines or craft laie hiddē vnder the couert of your writings yet durst he in no wise make me partaker of your booke before he vnderstoode our Cardinalles pleasure You wil here peraduenture scorne and laugh at his ouermuch superstition But I shal neuer thinke any diligēce that is employed to put away the contagion of such a deadlie or mortal pestilence to be ouermuch After many moneths at the length when he vnderstoode the Cardinals pleasure he
greate hinderaunce of the Church do preach ofteÌ„times Such as are not able to discharge it themselues appoint certain religious and wise persons men wel learned not in the rules of Bucer or your Martyr but in the holy scripture and in the bokes of the holy Fathers to instruct the people with chast pure and religious doctrine And as we see it come to passe especially in such as are bleare eyed that if they be either put into an extreme dark place or els loke ouer steddily vpoÌ„ the sonne beames thei leese their sight euen so if meÌ„ either be altogether turned away froÌ„ the light of God or els wil looke to intentiuely vppon it before the blearednes of their minde be healed they are striken stone blinde Wherefore it is very wisely and warily prouided of vs that we neither suffer the common people to lacke the light of Gods word any time neither do we dasel their eies so muche with the brightnesse thereof which they are not able to abide that they may be therewithall miserablie blinded We bring therfore none other thing in our sermons but that which we iudge effectual to bring men to the loue of godlines and folowing of charitie to the hatred of sinne and forsaking of vncleanes of lyfe And for this cause doe we set before their eyes oftentimes the crowne of euerlastinge glorie and the paine of the euerlasting torment But the daungerous questions of darke and secret matters we do for good consideration leaue vntowched in such sermons as are made vnto the people The authoritie of Bishops is great in so much that it is not very hard for them to restreine the vnbrideled lust of disordered persons and to remoue them that be obstinate in sin from the Communion of the Church Neither are such menne chosen to be Bishops as may be either for basenesse despised or for folishnes set at naught or for notoriouse vices reprehended and so do much hurt by their example The times of the yeare are so consecrated and diuided with ordinarie and solemne ceremonies that at all tymes there is somewhat done in the Church which may renew in vs the remembrance of Gods graces and benefites And to beginne at the Moneth of Decembre we are then styrred vp to remembre that time in the which the holy Fathers of the olde time loked for the coming of the Sonne of God into the earth and besought him with continuall prayers to hasten it and had a most earnest desire to see it that we might the better vnderstande howe muche we are bound and endebted to God which hath graunted vs the ioyfull fruition of that moste excellent fruit which the old Fathers very holy men and of God intierly beloued so griedily lusted and longed after When the daie of Christes birth is come we keepe watches and singe hymnes and Psalmes by note our organs also and others instruments sound euery where to the honour and praise of God euery thing doth then stirre vs vp to beholde the Sonne of almightie God the most excelleÌ„t Lord and maker of al the world lying naked and crying in a mangier in the weake fourme of a sucking babe We heare then with the eares of our heartes the voices of Angels bringers of that glad tydinges and we endeuour by faith to doe our homage with the sheapeâ—erdes vnto the King that is borne vnto vs and fixing our selues in the conteÌ„plation of him wee receiue the fruicte of incredible ioye The first day of Ianuarie the Churche putteth vs in minde to beholde the wound which our Sauiour receiued that daie and the Mysterie of circumcision and the moste dreadefull name of Ihesus which is the pleadge of our saluation and the lesson which was then geuen vs of that most perfect obedience and so by the strength and signification of this moste holie name we labour muche more cheerefully to atteine to the saluation which is promised vs. What should I here saie of the most bright starre which appeared to the Gentiles in the furthermost partes of the East How might I expresse the incredible ioy and pleasure of the holie man Simeon when he bare the child in his armes What should I here rehearse the exceeding gladnesse and cumfort the which Anna the widowe conceiued or els the godli prophecies which shee pronounced when shee beholde the Child All these thinges hath the Churche set before our eyes with solemne pompe and procession and candels burning to the intent they should sincke the deeper into our heartes Now when the time of fasting draweth nero we behold how Christ was baptised by Iohn in the floud Iordane we here the voice of the Father we consider the fast wherwith the sonne of God punished his owne bodie we record the tentations and wilie practises of Satan against him we endeuour our selues as muche as we can to set out the victorie of Christ we call to minde the homage of Angels which brought him meate and serued him By this exaÌ„ple of Christ we are taught that we ought to kepe ftil that puritie and cleanes whiche we receiued in the holie fount of Baptisme that we should receiue the voice of the father commaunding vs to obeye him with heart and minde that we should subdewe the body with fasting and encounter with our old enemie the dinel to the end that â–ª at the length the battaile being fought and the victorie by the mightie protection of God atchieued we might be refreshed with heauenly foode and comforted by the ministerie of Angels When the time approcheth in the which we mind to celebrate the supper of our Lord â–ª to do so holy a worke with the greater deuotion we prepare our selues much more diligently then at other tymes and we doe it with gladnes and feare together Then doe we consecrate the holy Oiles by the which are fignified diuers gyftes and graces of the holy Ghost according as S. Denyse and other holy Father write and we minister the body of our Lord to al such as are readie to receyue it and we wash the feete of poore men not only with water but also with many teares sometimes and by this example we cause suche as looke on to powre out teares abondantly But when we behold attentiuely Christ hanging on the Crosse when we consider how he was scorned reuiled tormented and put to death when we pray for the saluation of all menns when we come bare-footed to worship Christ in his Image when we bring in God him selfe complaining of our misliuing when we craue pardon for our synnes in moste humble and lowly wise what man thinke you is then in the Churche which is not foorth with stirred vp to forsake synne and to folow a better ordre of life But when Easter day is come we vse suche honour and pompe we sing suche Hymnes and Psalmes to aduaunce the victorie and triumph of Christ raised from death to set out the sacke and spoile of
You say wel if it be so But before I begynne to declare how muche the auncient Fathers dissented from your new maisters I wil tarie a litle to see howe you can proue this goodlie agreement S. Augustine saie you coÌ„platneth in his time that flouddes of ceremonies ouerflowed the Churche in so muche that the Christians were almost in worse case then euer were the Iewes You neuer read that in S. Augustine â–ª that the Ceremonies whiche we now vse are like to the Iewish ceremonies and therfore to be reiected but your maisters haue brought you like an ignorant felowe to beleeue it S. Hierome saie you wissheth that the holie scriptures which your Churche hideth froÌ„ al men might be learned without the booke euen of children and women S. Ierome writing to Paulinus disputeth to the contrarie where he complaineth of the rashnes and boldhardines of men which tooke vppon them without any good witte or vertue to handle the Scriptures with to much libertie and of the vndiscrete chatting of foolish women which taking vppon them to expounde Scriptures defined manie thinges verie vnaduisedly It foloweth Basile imploied his vacant time in the most godlie exercise of reading and teaching diuinitie It was wel don truly for Basil was none of them that take vpon them arrogantly to teache doctrine that they neuer learned Then you adde these wordes If Monkes had leued according to the rules of Basile no man woulde euer haue touched them with so much as his finger As though your quarel had ben against men and not against chastitie it selfe But admit that their manners were loose their behauiour dissolute their life wanton What then was there none emoÌ„gest them al that kept their chastitie There were without doubt And that the loue of cleane and chast life was not vtterly decaied em ngest monkes the end of the holie fathers the Carthusians declared full wel who if thei would haue yeelded their coÌ„sent to the wicked decrees neded neuer to haue suffered other punishmeÌ„t but only to be married It was not therefore the misliking of filthie pleasure that stirred you to such barbarous crueltie but the hatred of chastitie and virginitie And I know wel that not only thei were chast and perfect men but also many other that are now bannished emong vs the which whersoeuer they set their foote they leaue behind them most manifest footsteppes of bashfulnes and honesty But admit that the greater part of them had ben drowned in vice was it therefore good reason by and by to ouerthrow the whol order How much had it ben more for your honesty to haue don as the most puissaunt King Fernandus did sometime in Spaigne and Elizabeth his wife a Princesse coÌ„secrated to euerlasting fame as the most honorable king and renoumed Prince Emanuel as Iohn the third his sonne a King for his religion and godlines worthy of most high coÌ„mendation as Charles the fifth an emperour born to immortal glorie as Euricus the Cardinal sonne of king Emanuel in whom shineth a woÌ„derful light of al vertue and holines finally as all other moste religious Princes did who seing the manners of monkes to tende towardes a nicenesse sent for certaine perfecte religious menne by whose diligence their vnbridled affection and licentiousnes was tied vp their loose manners by streighter discipline restreined and their sleapie mindes styrred vp to the most feruent loue of godlines And so there are now emongest vs most holie and religious Monkes whiche folow Basile Benet and Bernarde and Dominique and Frauncis in the puritie of most chaste religion in most earnest and zealous loue of God in most notable examples of al vertue Whie then would you rather cut of that that might haue ben healed Bicause as I said a litle before it was not anie displeasure toward filthie lust or life but the hatred of perpetual chastitie that stvrred you to deface and vtteâ—lie to ouerthrow the name of Mounkes For as S. Hierome â—aith all Heretiques haue a naturall hatred and grudge against chastitie Wherefore there is no doubt but that if your Mounkes had liued according to the rules of S. Basile the greater their perfection had ben the more displeasure and hatred you wold haue born them Afterward you bring in these wordes We reuerence the Crede of Athanasius as it ought to be neither is there any controuersie betwene them and vs. What great discorde there is betwene your menne and Athanasius I haue partely declared in that my letter whiche you so muche reuile Neither skilleth it muche whether you be agreed in some pointes yea or no. For I neuer saide that your Championsdissented from the opinion of the holie Fathers in al matters But to what end tendeth al this talke what would you prooue For sooth that Luther Bucer Zwinglius Oecolampadius Caluine and other the Ministers of this your gospel are in vertue holines chastitie and religion nothing inferiour to S. Augustine Hierome Basile and Athanasius and other holie Fathers whose writinges seeme to send forth the verie swete sauour of the holie ghost But how do you proue it S Augustine you say coÌ„plaineth that whole flouddes of ceremonies ouerflowed the Church S. Ierome thought it expedient that women and children should learne the scriptures without the booke If Monkes liued according to the rule of S. Basile no man woulde once laie his singer on them and we reuereÌ„ce the Crede of Athanasius What then Can you proue by these propositions that Luther and Bucer and the rest of your Worthies are to be compared with S. Augustine Ierome Basile Athanasius in vertue coÌ„stancie chastitie cleanes of life religion and wisedom A goodlie pregnaÌ„t wit of a yong Logician he shaketh out his argumentes so fearsly that he maketh them fitte to coÌ„clude what so euer him liâ—teth to prooue Let this fourme of reasoning be once receiued and what thing is ther in the worlde so muche contrarie to al reason that maie not easily be prooued â–ª As if we should saie for example Mahumete saieth that God created the worlde S. Basile holdeth the same Basile therefore and Mahumete are moste like in godlie life Arius confessed that Christ shed his bloud for the redemption of mankinde Athanasius affirmeth the same Ergo Arius shined in vertuouse conuersation no lesse then Athanasius Luther disputeth that all good thinges are to be referred to the grace of Christe the verie same doth S â–ª Augustine declare most wisely It followeth therefore that Luther hath deserued no lesse commendation of holines then S. Augustine See you not vnderstande you not consider you not howe childishly you haue concluded howe weakelie you haue defended your newe Maisters Are you wont in skirmish so to put backe the hornes of your ennemies This was the principall and chiefest point of al in the whiche you should haue shewed al the force and strength of your witte to haue brought al the world in admiration of you You saie afterward that I doe taunt and reuile the soule
of that opinion that to despise the Sacramentes is a moste heinouse trespasse when you vnderstoode that there was a man in the worlde so lewde and wicked that he woulde goe aboute to take awaie and abolish this most worthie pleadge of the loue of God this most sure staie of all Christian Religion conteming in it all the graces and benefittes of God could you I saie speake familiarly vnto him could you salute him gentelly could you shewe him anie token of loue Haue you neuer reade in S. Iohn that he that saieth good morrowe to wicked menne is become partaker of their wickednesse But you haue not onely spoken familiarly to this Martyr but also commended him aboue the skies and you haue saied that that same golden couple of olde men were brought into your Iland by the prouidence of God to shine ouer you which had alreadie the goodly brightnesse of the newe sonne risen emongest you with a muche cleeter light Are you so sottish M Haddon that you vnderstande not howe muche you haue disteined your estimation by that countenaunce and shewe of gentlenesse towardes him For what can be more infamous then to be familiare with a fraÌ„tike and naughtie felowe But if you like his Doctrine also then is it plaine that you keepe not the Sacramentes at al for so much as you haue vppon an vnsetled pange without al order wisedome or discretion taken awaie the greatest Sacrament and that that is of al other most wonderfull Whie then say you that you wonder if there be any kind of professours in diuinitie in the worlde that despiseth and setteth at naught the Sacramentes But let vs now consider the description of your Church the which you set before our eyes to behold that we may vnderstand by it that you haue had none other maister in Religion but only the holy Ghost You say thus First of all bicause faith is by hearing we sende downe into all partes of our realme teachers of the holie Scriptures to instructe the people in all pointes of godlines and to infourme them in the true woorshipping of God Out of what fountaine sprang these Doctours If they came out of the schoole of Luther Bucer or Caluin they can teach the people no godlines being them selues open enemies to all godlinesse It were therefore muche more tolerable to haue no doctours at all then to be infected with the most corrupt Doctrine of wicked menne If they sprang out of any other heade then is it manifest that there is not emongest you any one and simple Doctrine but diuerse opinions fondly iarring within them selues It followeth Then haue we a common order of praier out of the holie Scriptures confirmed by the authoritie of a Parlament for so doe they terme the consent of the estates of our Realme from the which we suffer no man to depart By what order lawe or authoritie is this done that a Councel or as you cal it a Parlament should so impudently vsurpe the office of the Catholike Churche to make orders for praiers prescribe how religion ought to be vsed and not suffer any man to depart from the order which it hath decreed For in holie thinges it is not lawfull for these menne to geaue lawes but to take lawes For otherwise they shall disturbe the common weale if they wil not content them selues with their owne vocation but will thrust them selues into other mens doinges and they shal marre Religion if they will in matters apperteyninge to them onely that susteine the personne of the Churche take vppon them to meddle and transpose the dignitie of Priestes to them selues You say afterwarde Prouiding both in the one and in the other so muche as we coulde that the commaundement of the holie ghost be obeied the whiche willeth that such as speake in the Churche should vse the word of God and that there should be one common and agreable Doctrine emongest them all You doe verie wel vndowbtedly But wherehence riseth this so great debate and hourlie bourly for Religion in your Churches Wherefore are the confessions and Credes so often chopped and chaunged in places where Luther hath had a great name And we prouide saie you that the Sacramentes be ministred verie neere vnto the prescribed order of the holy scriptures and according to the example of the old Church in the whiche our Lorde Iesus Christ first ordeined them himselfe with his Apostles O valiant men worthie to be commended aboue the heauens O glorious attempte O liuelie courage of lustie blouddes the which thought yt not ynoughe to approche neere vnto the holines of the olde Church but they would presse euen at the verie hard heales of them It followeth All these thinges are set out in our owne mother tongue bicause it is a great madnes for a man to babble out before God he can not tell what and it is directely againste the most wholesome doctrine of S. Paule and all the auncient examples of the Apostolike Churches It is not you only that teache such as vnderstand not the Latine to praie in their owne tongue For we also doe not suffer such as are ignorant in the Latine speach to serue God but only in their own mother tongue and there are manie bookes of praiers and holy scriptures writen not by Parlament as you call it but by holie Priestes the whiche being firste examined by the prelates of the church are sent abroad euerie where and by them are children women and simple folkestrained in the knowledge of their dewtie towardes God And the thinges that are thus written they are not taken out of euerie mans fantasie but out of the holie Scriptures and out of the writinges and examples of holie men So that there lacketh not omongest vs anie discipline of manners nor example of vertue nor good bringing vp in true religion to al such as coulde not imploie them selues to the studie of learning We haue also manie sermoÌ„s by the whiche men are stirred vp to the loue of godlines and religion But in preaching we vse much discretion and warines that none of those questions be opened emongest women and ignorant folkes which are not verie necessarie vnto saluation and yet maie quickely intangle their mindes with verie troublesome dowbtes and scruples For as S. Gregorie of Nazianzene saieth verie wisely it is not conuenient to reason and dispute of God neither to al men neither in the presence of all men neither at all times neither of all matters neither without good discretioÌ„ For there is required to the doing of this thinge a meruâ—lous cleanes of sowl and body a veri calme and wel setled mind good time coÌ„uenient oportunitie earnest zeale much fearfulnes and exceding great moderarion For ther is no man so simple that he can not vnderstand the difficultie of euery question but there are few so witty that they caÌ„rid theÌ„ selues out of the briers when they are once fallen in And this is the cause whie
from God for if they had ben sent from God doubtles they had tourned those men that honoured them as goddes from their wicked life Moreouer for so much as there is no disagreement in the spirite of God if they had ben sent from God there must needes haue ben a most perfecte cōsent and agreement emōgest them But the world knoweth that there is a most bitter dissension emongest them wherfore it foloweth necessarily that they were not moued by the instincte and inspiration of the holie ghost but driuen with burning fyer brandes of the findes of hell and that they applied them selues not to instruct men but to ouerthrow them You saie that there is a meruelous goodlie agreement emongest you I speake not of you as nowe For it maie be that you maie by feare of pounishmente staie for a lytle time the furie of raging felowes the whiche remedie when the minde is not well settled can not endure longe But of others see you not howe great dissension there is emongest them that sprange of Luther See you not howe they fall out about woordes How they alter and chaunge their opinions Howe confusely doubtfully and intricately they speake With what fond reasons they labour in vaine to prooue that thing which they are bent to mainteine in so muche that they can neither agree with other men neither yet within them selues They choppe and chaūge their Creedes they affirme now one thing and now an other they are established in no one opinion They can neuer agree within them selues to whome they maie referre the determination of dowbtes You referre the matter to your parlament as you terme it or els to your babling Bucerans as the Bishoppe of Angra not vnsittely termeth them Diuers men referre the decision of questions in religion to diuers Confessions of the faith which are wont now and then to be altered and chaunged Thinke you M ▪ Haddon if as I doe now reason with you in writing so I mighte be presente wyth you and presse you with wordes and wind you to and fro by the force of argumentes that you were able to stande to your tackelinges No without dowbt But you woulde deuise a hundred diuers shiftes of descant to face out the matter and seeke out all the starting holes and blind corners in the world in such sort that it might easily appeare that neither your tongue neither yet your wit were in perfecte good plight Howbeit one poore shifte you would finde which is a singular good helpe to you in all your distresses that is to brawle chide schold and reuile You saie afterward That you maie acknowledge the authoritie of this Churche if you dowbt of it I referre you to the Apologie I know you haue writen an Apologie wherwith you labour to set out your Churche meruelously If you haue written it more wittyly and finely then this booke which you set out against me surely you haue done me great wrōg For you made light of me and therefore did not vouchesafe to put out the vttermost strength of your eloquence when you encountered with me If you vse the like stile and the like argumentes that is to saie if you contend with the like arrogancie and reprochful language I haue not so much time to spare that I wil desire to take it once in my handes For you define nothing you speake ▪ nothing sincerelie you conclude nothing by good argument You saie at the length Confute it if you can But you can not That was verie arrogantly spoken Who hath made you so loftie and high sprited Your eloquence Or elles the loue of the truthe If you truste to your eloquence you are a very babe If you beare your selfe vppon the truth you imagine manie thinges to be true that are not You saie that one hath barked againste your Apologie I haue not reade it and yet I knowe that your Apologie whiche you saie can not possiblie be confuted is alreadie excellentlie well confuted by a manne of muche grauitie godlines and learninge which thing you denie But this lesson haue you learned of your maisters who beinge openlye conuinced fall a crying being sette a gogge kepe a raging stirre and when they are able to saie nothing to the grownde of the matter they heape together manie woordes without order and besides the pourpose and yet they vaunte them selues emongest their adherentes beyond all measure and modestie But I regard not your brauerie and Iustines I esteeme not your haughtie and prowde vauntes I weye the truthe reason and argumentes And suche is the noblenes of this your Ilād the glorie and renoum◠of your kingdome so bright that neither can anie vice lie hidden in it neither yet anie vertue vnknowen Wherfore you labour but in vaine to conceale that thing whiche is euerie where cōstantly reported What you say touching the immortality of soules I wote not I neuer saied that your maisters denied the immortalitie of sowles Howbeit I am not ignorant by what degrees or steppes men are wont to clymme vp vnto the highest point of that most detestable opinion Whereas you saie that there hath ben manie men emongest you which haue confirmed the truth of the gospel by banishment nakednes hungre yea by sheading their bloud and yealding their liues I graunt it For so did the Bishop of Rochester so did Moore so did the holy Carthusians to passe ouer a numbre of others these men died a most honourable death for the glorie of Christ So doe your holy Bishops whō you haue defeated of their goods depriued of their dignities and cast into prisons So do we see many others Bishops Priests and Monks very godlie and Religiouse persons driuen out of England and Ireland liuing like banished men and outcastes the which if they had not ben able to escape out of your clammes had peraduenture ben put to a most orewel death by the ministers of this your Gospel If you meane any other of your men heare what S. Cyprian saith that such as being without the bowndes of the Church doe suffer death for the glory of Christe they doe not receiue the Croune of Martyrdome but beare the punishment for their vnbeleefe If thei therefore that breake vp the inclosure of the Church and seperate them selues from it although they yeld their bloude and liues for the Religion of Christ which the Church holdeth are not to be accounted as Martyrs but as naughty packes and Church robbers what is to be thought of such as being without the Church are not ashamed to spil their bloud and liues in the main tenance of rebellion and vngodlines I am nowe come to that place whiche is by you who are a man naturally abhorring the sleightie occupation of flatterie and lying verie clerkely handled Your woordes are these You confesse that you haue gone further in the matter then you had thought to doe Truth it is that you haue gon a great deale further then it became you to doe especiallie in the most
not while you haue time lest you doe increase through this your presumption the plague that hangeth ouer you As for the hope which I conceiued as you saie of your Quene and therfore wrote those my letters vnto her it repenteth me not as yet of my doinges If I haue donne any good it will appeare at the lengthe If I haue donne none yet the signification of my good heart towardes her can not be but wel taken of her if shee wil continue in her accustomed courtesie and gentlenes You saie I shall not bring her to be of myne opinion no althoughe I should write sixe hundred millions of Philippicall Orations I would faine knowe how you are able to auouche that Thinke you that she is of nature so barbarous and sauage that although I doe detecte the craftie dealinge and priuie practises of naughtie felowes and prooue them vnto her by Argumentes inuincible by reasons more cleere then the sonneshine at noone-tide if I set before her eyes the filthines and lewdnes of this counterfeict religion which they haue most wickedlie and heinously deuised if I declare vnto her in plaine words how childish your reasons are wherwith you goe abouâ—â— to mainteine their cause and how il fauoredly thei hang together think you I sai that she wil notwithstaÌ„ding althis rather imbrace your most detestable opinion to her certaine and vtter vndoing then cal to mind againe the true Religion which hath ben forgotteÌ„ for a time through the default and naughtines of such as should haue put her in remembrance of it to her most assured saluation and glory euerlasting If reason shal ouercome heâ— if the authoritie of holie Fathers shall cause her to yealde if the Lawe of God shall put it into her heart that shee wil desire to forsake and detest this your secte yet haue you so good affiaunce in your owne force and so little estimation of the sharpenesse of her witte and iudgemente that you dare warrant that vnlesse you geaue her leaue shee shall neuer retourne doe what shee can vnto that godly order of Religion whiche her moste noble Progenitours obserued and kepte very honourably to their great profit and immortal glorie Shall you Syr haue her at your commaundement and becke shal you take order with her shal you prescribe her what shee shal beleue in such sort that for feare of falling into your displeasure she shal not regard her owne life and dignitie but shal rather suffer her selfe to be carried awaie into euerlasting tormentes and damnation then to gainsaie your opinion be it neuer so vngodlie heinouse and wicked yea and mainteined with neuer so fond and peeuish kinde of talke But be it Admitte she be so much an vnderling vnto you that shee dare not for her life once dissente from you in any thing What if shee shalbe moued by the instinct of the holy Ghost What if Christ him selfe shal stirre her heart to consider and enioye his graciouse giftes What if God wil set vp such a light before her heart that shee may see how certaine wicked persons woorke priuie treason against herlyfe and persone And that I may say nothing els what if she shall receiue but onely such a smal quantitie of the light of God that shee may see that Luther with his disciples and folowers were neuer moued by the holy Ghoste but pricked foreward by the fendes of hel and that they came not to instructe men with wholsome doctrine but to infecte them with moste pestilente errours What Wil you this notwithstandinge holde her backe will you shackle her in such sorte that she shall not possibly geue eare to the holy warninges and counsels of God To continue in a wicked opinion being once conuinced as erroneouse is the parte of a dul and blunt wit to be afraid of the vniust displeasure of her own subiects is a token of a base and cowardlie heart but to refuse the gift of Gods mercy to reiect his gratious aid when it is offred is an argumteÌ„ of an vngodli aÌ„d naughty mid So shal it com to passe that you while you desire to put the worlde to vnderstand what a perilous felowe you are shal falsely charge that Princesse whome you reporte to be moste excellentlie fournished with all vertues passingly well adourned with many singular qualities with dulnes of wit with feintnes of heart and with the crime of impietie Truely M. Haddon she is very much beholdinge vnto you for your goodly seruice if you haue by your diligence so besette her on euery side that although she see her self tombled doune headlong into euerlasting death and damnatioÌ„ yet she may not be so hardy in her hert if you saie nay to it as once to which or step aside to auoide the daunger that hangeth ouer her lest in so doing shee might trouble your patience more grieuouslie perhappes then a man would thinke And yet am I moued to refreine to write vnto her â—ny more of the same matter for verie iust and good causes For I think I haue very wel discharged my duety both in my letters which I sent vnto her as also in this answer which I write against your booke if it happe to come to her hands Either therfore the things that I haue already written shall haue sufficiente force and strength to make her heart to yelde or els I shal not be able to doe it although I write againe And in deede I haue not so much vacante time that I may spend it without any fruict or profite Let vs now come to your good couÌ„sel wherin you aduertise me that I should not once haÌ„dle the holi scriptures you coÌ„mend my wit and my eloqueÌ„ce you do not mislike But you say that I am to be reckoned emongest the Oratours and Philosophers and not emongest the Diuines My bokes of nobility for it is like you neuer read any otheâ— bookes of myne you sale you like very wel I am right glad that my wrâ—tinges are commended by a manne so finely learned and so trymly nourtered and your friendly counsell I take it in good worth And therfore it liketh me to speake vnto you Syr newe Diuine with the selfe same verses as Horatius feineth him selfe to haue vsed to Damasippus a new Stoike Syr Waulter for your counsel true a barber maie you haue Sent from the Gods and Goddesse eke your worthie heard to shaue But howe came you to be so well acquainted with me Who tolde you that I haue not bestowed a great deale more studie in Diuinitie then in Cicero Demosthenes Aristotle and Plato You coÌ„mend my wit what then think you that the study of Diuinitie is mete for dul heads onely and drawlatohes â–ª You like my eloqueÌ„ce 〈◊〉 you therefore that the holy Scriptures would be handled of rudesbies only and homly felowes Wheras you geue authoritie to women to tinkers and tapsters to the rifferaffe of al occupations to iangle and prate at rouers in Scripture matters wil you