whose house the image was founde how being a Iewe he durst kepe the image of Christe They accused him to their highe prieste therefore I maruell not here that the Paganes and Iewes did this but I maruell and neuer can be satisfied with marueiling how they that professe the name and faithe of Christ dare doe it How the Iewes argument made to their fellow Thow art a Iewe by name and faithe therefore thow doest euell to reteine with the the image of Christ holdeth how the conclusion is inferred I see well But on the other side how this argument framed in Luthers schole thow arte a ChristiaÌ„ thow doest therefore nought to kepe with the the image of Christ how this reason I saie concludeth I confesse in good faithe I wote not nor in their newe logicke haue learned as yeat so farre The Ethnikes had a peuishe propertie although they coulde in no wise abide the image or picture of Christ to make yeat figures and pictures whereby to mocke and scorne the Christians And is not this the exercise that yow put such of youre brethern to in mocking and scorning the catholikes as being ignorant and altogether vnlearned arre for preaching or writing vttrely vnmeete Doe yow not suborne theÌ„ to poison after this sorte such by the eyes as they arre not able by the eares with their wicked handes which they can not with their doltish heades and foolishe tongues Antichrist Hippolitus an auncient bishop a learned father and constant martyr of whome S. Hierome maketh mentioÌ„ in a booke intituled De scriptoribus ecclesiasticis writing of the comming of Antichrist and of the ende of the worlde hathe of him these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sed ecclesiarum â—des sacrae tugurij instar erunt praetiosumqueue corpus sanguis Christi in diebus illis non extabit â—iturgia extinguetur But the churches that is to saie shalbe in Antichristes time like cotages the pretiouse bodie and bloud of Christ shall not be to be had the sacrifice shalbe quite extinguished Who is he that heareth this and seeth what yow haue doen that can yeat doute whether youre doinges be laufull and yowe the foreronners of Antichrist The Diuell With the Diuel to conclude although by other diuerse and sondrie waies yow haue well testified youre agreing yeat in my opinion in no one thing more either often or euidently then in that hatred that yow beare and feare that yow seme to stande in of Christes crosse Gregorius Nazianzenus and Theodoritus reporte bothe that after Iulianus the emperour had renied his faithe he kepte companie with coniurours and sorcerours With whome chauncing to be on a time as a diuell was raised â—p to doe some feate being a fearde of that terrible and vnwoonted sight more of a custome vsed in cases of feare when he was a Christian then for any deuotion he made on his foreheade the signe of the corsse whereapon the foule finde vanished awaie How flie you I praye yow and youre companions from him how seke you by all meanes to auoide his companie how wary and circumspect be yow that yow entre in to no frendeship or acquaintaunce with him whome yow once see demeane him selfe after this sorte Hethertoe touching youre agrement with the olde heretikes with infidelles and Paganes with Iewes with Antichrist and Sathan not so much I confesse as some other of greater reading had bene able to haue alleaged neither yeat so little for all that but that yow maie if you be not a lette to youre selfe take some coÌ„moditie thereby For who is there of yowe so euell aduised or voide of grace that loking on the one side to the olde heretikes Simon Magus AeÌ„rius Manichaeus Iouinianus Vigilantius the Donatistes the Arrians with the rest of that companie before rehâ—rsed and finding that they haue heretofore bene noted by the doctours and auncient writers for heretikes for molesters and troublers of the churche of Christ for maintening the same opinions and doing the same actes then which yow bothe mainteine and doe now and casting his eye on the other side to all such other heretikes as these latter times and daies of oures haue brought furth the nombre whereof is infinite and obseruing diligently that what other heresies so euer they haue propre to themselues be they Anabaptistes be they Adamites be they Libertines be they Swenckfel dians be they if yow list Dauid georgians that yeat they agree neuâ—rthelesse with yow in youre doctrine what such man is there I saie who weighing with him selfe all this can thinke other then that he hath bene and is deceauid At the leaste M. Iuell if yow can not winne of youre selfe so to thinke if you haue bene so long nooseled in this swete companie that yow will nedes continue therein still yeat blame not vs if when yowe denie the merite of good worckes with Simon magus if when yow take awaie free will with the Manichees barre the deade of the sacrifice of the churche and suffrages of the liuing as did AeÌ„rius if when yow denie the worshipping of sainctes with Vigilantius we call yowe with Irinaeus with Epiphanius with S. Hierome and with S. Austâ—Ì„ heretikes Be not offendid with vs if you goe aboute with Iouiniâ—n to compare matrimonie with virginitie to condemne vowes to ouerthrowe fasting if we vse S. Austens wordes spoken by Iouinian that did the like and call yowe moÌ„stres and youre doctrine heresie Take it not in euell parte if we note yow of sacrilege for pulling downe the altars as Optatus did the Donatistes when â—hey did the like if we answere yow when in youre inuectiues ageinst the blessed sainctes you call them with Iulian deade that yow offende therein as Cirillus answered Iulian when he so saide If yow breake the image of Christ and tomble it oute of the churche with the Ethnikes bende not the browes at vs if with the Christians we gather to gether the brokeÌ„ pieces and place it in the churche againe If yow scorne and laugh at vs for doing reuerence to Christes crosse cite vs not to the long chappell in Poules if we wepe for yow according to the councell of Chrisostome willing vs for men laughing in such a case to wepe as for them that be oute of their wittes To conclude if yow thinke to continue in this companie and yeat enioye the name of catholikes beare with me if I vse to yow the wordes of S. Austen in a cause not much vnlike by him spoken to the Donatistes The wordes arre these Quae est ista dementia vt quum malè viuitis latronum facta facitis quum iure punimini gloriam martyrum requiratis What a madnesse is this quoth he that being of euell liues as yow ar doing the actes of theues as yow doe and being therefore laufully ponished yow chalenge yeat the glorie of martyrs What a worlde is this M. Iuell that scowring olde heresies as yow and youre companions doe doing
of emperours and kinges ouer bishoppes and priestes Trulie that Iustinian did this it is but barelie affirmed nor any place in th'apologie is there coated where a maÌ„ that doubted might see it proued And therefore with the same auctoritie might it be denied with the which it is proposed to be beleued True it is that Theodora th'empresse as some write being alltogether giuen to the heresie of Eutiches after she had long trauailed first with Siluerius and after Vigilius bothe bishops of Rome to haue Menna the catholike archebishop of Constantinople depriued of his bishoprick and the heretike Anthimius remoued by Agapetus before restored again and could not obteine at their handes her wicked purpose did apon displeasure conceiued by this repulse â— procure by the meanes of Belisarius Iustinians chief â—apitaine the banishement first of th'one and after of th'other Who so euer deposed them or who so euer banâ—shed them true is it that this was the cause thereof and no other Which being as in dede it is most true let vs nowe graunte to our aduersaries that it was not the empresse but the emperour him self that deposed them and let vs see how they be hable to proue thereby that emperours and kinges may degrade priestes and depose bishoppes If they will deale vprightely they must to proue it â—eason thus Iustinian otherwise a Christian emperour but in this point a cruell heretike tirannously deposed two popes Siluerius and Vigilius onely because they would not doe wrong that is depriue him of his bishoprick to a catholike bishop and restore an heretike laufully before depriued Ergo th'emperour is aboue the pope Ergo kinges be aboue bishoppes Is not this a propre kinde of reasoning trowe yow Might they not haue reasoned after this sort that Nero deposed S. Petre that Traian put downe Clement with a nombre of such like examples For to saie that Iustinian was a christian whereas thiese wer infidelles is but a mist cast in to th'obiection to desell our eyes For who seeth not if he be not allreadie blinde that this deede if it should haue bene Iustinians to mainteine and defend an open heretike ageinst a faithefull and true catholyke had bene the act of a tyrant and infidell not of a Christian and good prince and that it is no better reason to say and conclude that he deposed them and therefore iustlie then it should be to say that he defended the heretike Anthimius and therefore rightefullie But seing this example will not serue our aduersaries turn let vs assaie to make it serue ours And first let vs examine what should be the cause why Iustinian should be so earnest with these two bishoppes of Rome to depose the B. of Constantinople and to restore the heretike that stoode depriued was he not emperour of all the worlde had he not by the meanes thereof as our newe doctours beare vs in hande the chief gouernement ouer all matters spirituall and temporall was on the other side the auctoritie of the bishoppes of Rome at that time such that it extended I will not saie out of their owne diocesse to any other bishoppes in the Latine churche but to Constantinople the chief of the Grieke Here ar they taken how so euer they answer For first if th'emperour had bene of that auctoritie that they saie the laie magistrates arre why did he not then by his owne mere and absolute power displace the one and place the other Might he not as well haue deposed one bisshop at Constantinople as two at Rome But if on the contrarie parte they answer that the pope was he that must necessarilie place and displace euen at that time and in the Grieke churche and not the emperour whie then should it be laufull at this time for emperours or kinges to doe that which was not laufull to be done then Or why should it not now be laufull for the B. of Rome which at those daies was not vnlaufull Thus may yowe see good Readers howe this history wholly and truly alleaged maketh not onely not against vs but also much with vs if it had bene true that th'apologie saieth that Iustinian had deposed those two popes Yea but say they yowe can not denie that the emperour made lawes of matters of religion that he absteined not euen in matters of the churche froÌ„ thiese termes Sancimus iubemus we ordeine we commaunde with such like Trulie this can I not denie and if I would there be whole constitutions of his ready to be brought againste me as that where he commaundeth that none be made bisshop that hath a wife and of them that haue had such as haue had oneâ—ie one the same no widowe neither deuorced from her husband neither forbidden by the holie canons and also that where he commaundeth that of priestes no other be receiued to that ordre but such as vel coelibem vitam agunt vel vxorem habuerunt aut habent legitimam eam vnam primam nequé viduam nequé diuortio separatam à viro aut alioquiî legibus aut sacris interdictam canonibus that is to saie as either leade a single life or haue had a laufull wife or presently haue and that one and the first no widowe none diuorsed from her husband or otherwise by the lawes or holie canons forbidden and that of deacons also where he giueth coÌ„maundement that if he that should be deacon haue no wife presently he be not otherwise promoted except being first asked of him which giueth the ordres whether he caÌ„ from thence furth liue without a wife he answer yea In somuch that th'emperour plainely pronounceth that he that ministreth to him the ordres can not dispence with him to mary after and that if he should so doe the bishop which suffred it should be deposed But although this be true that th'emperour Iustinian not onelie in thiese matters which touched the cleargie but in manie other also hath entremedled yet hath he alwaies so tempered the matter as he hath showed him selfe to be a folower not a leader a ministre to execute not a gouerner to prescribe The which thing his owne wordes in all such places where he entreateth of such matters placed as it wer for the nones to take awaie all such sinistre suspicioÌ„ doe manifestlie declare For either he hath these wordes Sequentes ea quae sacris definita sunt canonibus folowing the definition of the holy canons or thiese Sacras per omnia sequentes regulas in all poinctes folowing the holie rules or such like wherebi he would haue testified to the worlde that he meaneth by his penall lawes seuerelie to execute the canons of the churche and nothing lesse then to make newe him selfe In this sense vsed he the worde Sancimus we ordeine Where speaking of the first fower generall councels and the B. of Rome he hath thiese wordes Sancimus vt secundum eorum definitiones sanctissimus veteris Romae papa primus omniâ—m
that will afterwardes carpe and reproue the same proue he maie wel him selfe a foole or maliciouse or not catholike but me an heretike shall he neuer proue Hetherto S. Hierome with whome if one would after this sorte expostulate What meane yowe S. HieroÌ„ to boaste so much apon the iudgemeÌ„t of one who as he is a maÌ„ although learned yet not the learnedest in the world so maie he both dâ—ceaue and be deceauid Whie saie yow that who so euer â—â—ndeth faulte with your faithe â–ª after Damasus the popes approbation and allowance thereof shall neuer be hable to proue yowe an heretike Maie not many heades finde out that wherein one hath failed Me thincketh I saie to him that should thus question with him I heare him expounding his owne wordes and answering for him selfe in this wise What arte thow man that findest faulte with my wordes and vnderstaÌ„dest not my meaning Am I thinckest thow he that will pinne my faithe to anie mans backe what so euer he be Doe not I knowe as well as thow that Damasus is a man that he maie deceaue and be deceauid yea truelie But on thother side as I knowe all this rightwell so am I not ignoraÌ„t that he that sitteth in Peters chaire that the B. of Rome in matters of faithe can not giue wrong iudgement And therefore cease to maruell if apon the trust of this priuileage I chalenge all the whole worlde and saie that of them all there is no one that can proue me an heretike whome Damasus being thus qualified hath alowed for a good christian It is not Damasus so hath this qualitie to be the chief gouernour of Christes churche altered him that I stay my self apon It is Peter it is Christ him self If apon anie other persuasion I had vsed thiese wordes â–ª well might I haue bene saide to haue abused my self But that this was euen from the beginning my meaning and not inueÌ„ted sence for my defence loke once again to my wordes where I saie not simplie I desire to be corrected of the but of the which holdest Peters faithe and seate nor yeat spake of the alowing of my faithe by Damasus but apostolatus sui iudicio by the iudgement of his seate of his apostleship Thus much touching S. Hierom. of whose minde if any man yeat doubte in this coÌ„trouersy him shall I praie to take the paines for his better instruction to reade a certeine other epistle of his to Damasus and apon these wordes which he vttred of Peters chaire Quicunque extra hanc domuÌ„ agnuÌ„ comederit prophanus est who so euer eateth the lambe he meaneth receiueth the blessed body and bloud of Christ out of this house he is prophane to serche for the iudgement of Erasmus where he shall finde in expresse wordes that S. Hieromes opinion was that all churches should be subiect to the churche of Rome S. Austen as before yow hard called Peter B. of Rome heade of the churche he tolde Bonifacius his successor that he was placed in Christes churche aboue the rest of the bishoppes And did he not well de clare by sending to the same Bonifacius his boke written ageinst the two epistles of the PelagiaÌ„s to be iudged and examined by him that he tooke him for no lesse in deede then he had pronounced of him in wordes For trulie S. Austens learning being such as in his age there liued not his matche for the perusing of his worckes bothe had he had little neede oâ— his helpe and if he had had much there liued yet manie to haue bene consulted thereapon better learned then he and more nearer to him toe then was Rome to the place where he had his abiding had it not bene that persuading him selfe as did S. Hierome in the like case before he had made his full and sure account first that his iudgement in that that he was Peters successor and heade of the churche was by the verie mouthe of Christ him selfe warranted in matters of faithe neuer to erre and nexte that his worcke being confirmed by auctoritie such as was his should so quell and beate downe to the grounde the heretikes his aduersaries as with the worlde they should neither be hable to susteine their credite gotten nor after that gaine newe Theodoritus saide of the B. of Rome Vos enim summosesse conuenit for yow must be the chiefest of all other and of the churche it selfe that it was the greatest the noblest of all other and that which gouerned all the worlde It is euideÌ„t that he wrote as he thought wheÌ„ being vniustly deposed he appealed to the B. of Rome desired his helpe and that he would coÌ„maunde him to appeare before him there to pleade his cause and showe his righte as he did in dede and was restored by him By these auctorities it appeareth M. Iuell that the fathers of Christes churche be not so thinne soweÌ„ on our side as yow beare the worlde in hande theie ar seing that I haue here brought yow not one alone as yow demaunded but manie not their bare wordes which although of theÌ„ selfe moste plaine and manifest might perhappes haue bene subiect to your wrangling interpretations but their seuerall actes and deedes the best expositors of their owne mindes confirming most manifestly the same Will yow haue nowe some allowed example of the primitiue churche to testifie the same What better examples can yowe haue then that in all controuersies arising either betwene bishop and bishop priuatelie or in the whole churche publickelie sence the beginning the B. of Rome hath bene onelie he to whome the parties grieued wer they catholikes or heretikes good or bad haue had recourse for helpe What better examples then that emongest so manie appeales made vnto him there is not so much as one instance to be giuen of some one that laufullie and orderly appealed from him and whose such appeale toke effect Who hath cited to his coÌ„sistorie euen from the fardest parte of the Easte churche and as Theodoritus writeth ecclesiasticam secutus regulâ—â— folowing the rule of the churche offenders and transgressors of the holie canons The B. of Rome Who is it without whose licence and consent the primitiue churche forbad councels to be holden or bisshoppes to be condemned Trulie the pope The whole councell of Nice affirming the same if we will giue credite to Athanasius who was present thereat and affirmeth it to be so although the canon thereof for of 70. there agree apon we haue onelie at this daie 20. be perished and not nowe to be had Where I can not but note by the waye the circumspect manner of writing vsed by Athanasius who saieth not that the councell of Nice decreed or ordeined this but onelie that by their iudgemeÌ„tes they coÌ„firmed and renewed the same His wordes ar these In Nicena synodo 318. episcoporuÌ„ concorditer ab omnibus roboratum â–ª it was in the councell holden at Nice by ful consent of all the
so long time six hundred yeares after Christ there vvas no priuate masse in the catholike church in any countrie or coast thoroughe ovvt the vvorlde A harde matter is it M. Iuell that yow take apon yow to proue for it is a negatiue so generall that to proue it is a thing impossible To proue that there is no Masse saide imagine with your selfe in all London how harde a matter it were You ar not able for your life to proue that there is no masse saide in the diocesse whereof yow call your selfe bishopp For how shoulde yow proue it being denied but by witnesses how is it possible to haue witnesses to depose for euery church for euery corner in euery churche euery towne euery house in euery towne euery chamber and secrete place in euery house not for once in the weeke but for euery daie not for euery daye but for euery hower of the daie all which he must doe that will conclude a necessarie proufe And yet all this haue yow M. Iuell vndertaken to proue not in the citie of London or diocesse of Salesburie but in all England Fraunce Spayne Scotland Portugall Denmarck Germanie Italie emongest the Indians the MauritaniaÌ„s the Egyptians the Persians the Arabians the Armenians the Grecians or in any other place or coast thoroughout the whole worlde not that there was no priuate masse in some one of these places but in neuer a one of them in neuer a towne of al those countries in neuer a house of all those townes in neuer a place were it neuer so secrete of all those houses not for one two or thre yeares but for the continuall space of six hundred A greater matter I confesse then if yow had stoode to the lawe yow coulde peraduenture haue bene constreined to haue done but seing yow trust so much to your selfe let vs heare how yow proue it For saye yow All the vvriters that vver vvithin the compasse of that time haue lefte behinde them vvitnesse sufficient of a communion but not one of them all coulde euer tell vs of anie priuate masse Here if a man should desire of yow good sir a catalog of all such writers as wrote within the first six hundred yeares I thinck for all your greate bragges you woulde turne him ouer to your frend Gesnerus where I am sure he were like to finde many a worcke named that neither he nor yow nor any man elles a liue euer sawe yet and I thinck and feare it to the more is the pitie I maie adde no man hereafter shall see But let this passe yow kepe not your quarters so close but that a man maie râ—ache yow a rapp when he will If one shoulde aske yow whether yow haue but â—ene all those writers that beâ—ng extant and to be sene wrote within the compasse of the first six hundred yeares I thinck such a question would grauell you But if he shoulde goe farder and coniure yowe apon youre false faithe trulie to answere him of those fewe that yowe haue sene how much yow lefte behinde in them that yow neuer reade Esopes dawe neuer was cause of so greate laughter to her other fellowes being spoiled of her borowed fethers as yow woulde bring shame to your companions when your counterfeite lions skinne being plucked ouer your eares and your loftie lookes and greate bragges broughte to nought yow shoulde appeare to the worlde in your simple asses carcas But let this be graunted to your spirite of arrogancie that yow maie saie frelie that yow haue sene all the writers which no man elles aliue hath done let it be a figure of rethorick that yowe haue ransacked euery corner in their worckes who haue not reade the twentith parte thereof and of that little which you haue reade haue not borne awaie perhapps the hundreth Yet all this I saie being graunted what logike is this of youres to reason after this sort All these holy doctours haue geuen vs perfect euidence of a communion without mencion making of any priuate masse Ergo there was in Christes churche within the first six hundred yeares no priuate masse If apon your witnesse yow bring not in this conclusion yow saie nothing against vs. If this be your conclusion in effect yow saie as little forasmuch as euery childe is in a manner able to teache yow that this consequent is nought he speaketh not of such a thinge Ergo there is no such thing Or as yowe reason they did not Ergo they coulde not I would alleage your auctorities of Clemens Dionisius Iustinus martir Ambrose Hierom Austen Leo sauing that we finde in them that which we denie not that is to saie that with the priest the people did vse to communicate but that if as yow saie the people would not the priest should not thereof we finde not one worde which till yow proue to vs Chrisostome his yea wilbe taken for better then youre naie In the meane season yow maie if it please yow take this for an answere That as the catholikes forbidde no man to receiue with the priest that will but hartelie wisshe that all men would so dispose theÌ„selues that at euery Masse with the priest there might be some to coÌ„municate so neither can they constreine them to receiue whose deuotion thereto serueth them not nor maie them selues absteine from the sacrifice whereunto Christes institution bindeth them Which reason allthough it please one of youre coate I meane him that toke on him your defence of late as appeareth by a little treatise by him sent a brode to call the roote of all the abuses of the L. supper and farder to affirme that Christes institution maketh no mencion of any oblatioÌ„ or sacrifice to be done by the priest sauing onelie the sacrifice of thankes geuing Yeat ar we able well to proue that bothe the sacrifice which is offered is not of thanckes geuing onelie but of the very bodie of Christ bothe owt of Martialis the B. of Burdeaulx one of the disciples of Christ S. Ambrose S. Austen S. Chrisostome and others and also that it ought dailie to be offered and so was vsed in the primitiue churche and last of all that Christe him selfe commaunded him selfe to be offered If yow thinâ—ke that this be but a shift and that we meane nothing lesse then that the people should communiâ—ate and receiue together with the priest lookeapon that citie cast your eyes to that churche which of all other I dare saie in the worlde yow hate moste Rome I meane and there shall yow by the comon and frequent communicating of the people with the prieste well perceiue how greately yow haue iniuried vs with that selaunderouse diffamatioÌ„ that oure priestes inhibite and forbid the laitâ—e to communicate with them at their Masses Loke apon those religiouse men of the societie of Iesus whose chieffest-profession is to enstruct youthe in vertue and learning to trauaile about the worlde to bring in to Christes folde infidelles and
would coÌ„municate with the prieste some Secondarilie they teache that this sacrameÌ„t ministred in the masse was chiefelie instituted to be a sacrifice to be offred vp to god by the prieste for his owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people and nexte to be a spirituall foode for all Christian people and nexte to be a spirituall foode for all Christian people to feede apoÌ„ and that as the first vse of anie thing maie not depend apon the second but contrarie wise this apoÌ„ that so in this sacrament the oblation which is the chiefest vse thereof and whereunto the prieste is bounde maie not so depend on the peoples coÌ„municating which is the seconde and whereunto touching so often receiuing theie ar not bounde but stand at libertie that without their deuotion serue them to receiue it he maie not doe his dutie that is to offer it Thirdlie that although for lacke of company the prieste doe receiue alone the sacrifice is yeat neuer the more priuate or lesse coÌ„mon For as no man is so madde to saie that a greate riche man keping a common table for his pooer neighbours hath left his olde accustomed wont and maketh nowe his table priuate if the gates of his house standing wide open as theie wer wont to be his tables furnished with plentie of meates and all thinges in a readinesse his geastes forbeare to come euen so it fareth in this case where the table is laide the gates be open the goodman of the house the prieste supplieng the place of Christe abideth loking for his geastes who onelie refraine to come Is this table priuate is he a niggard or shall he not eate that woulde because theie will not that shoulde Is a conduict builded in the middest of the open market place of a towne the lesse publike or common if the inhabitantes for whose ease it was made refuse to fetche water thereat Last of all we saie that hethertoe yow haue not discharged your promise which was to proue that within the first six hundred yeares after Christe there was neuer Masse saide nor might be without a nombre to receiue with the priest So that now we may saye vnto yow Vbi est illa seuitia vbi est ille fremitus Leonis Nonne sagittae infantum factae sunt plagae eorum Where arre now become youre cruell wordes ageinst the Catholikes to what ende is your Lions roring O Gregory O Augustine O Hierome O Chrisostome O Leo O Dionise O Anacletus O Xistus O Paule O Christ. If we be deceiued yow haue deceiued vs to what ende I saie is it brought Nonne sagittae infantum factâ—e sunt plagae eorum Ar not the woundes that yow haue giuen vs such as childrens cockeshootelles ar wont to make Well these be the pointes that the catholike doctrine standeth apon in this article To the which if youre stomacke serue yow to replie and that yow haue digested that which yow haue allready receiued I moste hartely praie yow to kepe yow without straieng from the matter or alleaging proufes impertinent as close as yow can So shall yow doe bothe to youre selfe in writing and to me in answering a very greate pleasure while I am suer your euidence is so much that six lines I speake with the moste will receiue with ease all that yow shall haue to write THE CONCLVSION CONTEINING 12. CAVSES HABLE AS THE AVTHOR IVDGETH either to stay the wauorer in matters of religion or to calle back the wanderer in thiese perilouse times HEtherto haue yow hard M. Iuell for the confirmation of fower articles the chiefest in a manner of all the rest that arre at this daie in controuersie betwene yowe and vs the scriptures the councels the Doctours and examples of the primitiue churche not their bare names as apoticaries set furth their empty painted boxes but full euen to the toppe of moste wholesom triacle and pretiouse preseruatiues ageinst the venime and contagion of your poisoned and pestilent hereticall doctrine So that now there remaineth no more but that euen as of late yow haue bene warned allready so now by me yow be put in remembrance once againe according to your promise to returne froÌ„ your heresies to your mother the Catholike church The which to perswade yow the rather and with the better will to doe I haue thought good here to communicate with yow such causes and reasons as by parte whereof I haue by experience founde my self against oure coÌ„mon ennemie the craftie serpents assaultes at such times as he hath laboured to drawe me to youre parte not a little strengthened and confirmed in Christes true religion and his catholike faithe FIRST I beseche yow considre and weigh well with your self whether Christ at his departure from vs men left behinde him here in earthe a churche or none Whether he promised to aide the same and to be present with it to the ende of the worlde to defend it in such sorte as if hell gates wer set wide open and all the diuels there sent abroade to vexe it they should not yet all of theÌ„ be able to preuaile When all this shalbe well considered and founde to be true then marche yet one step farder I praie yow and aske as it were of youre self how this churche prospered afterwarde whether as if according to his promise he haue bene continually present therewith all it needes must it multiplied and encreased or by his absence therefro decreased and went backeward Here wote you well you must needes saie either th' one or the other If yow saie that it hath alwaies hetherto either encreased or byn at the least so mainteined that no enemie no heretike no diuell him self no not all the diuels with all the power of the worlde ioining together could euer yet preuaile ageinst it then must you also graunte that at all times sence Christes departure from hence there hath bin a churche visible such as of all men might bothe be seene and knowen for such a one left Christ behinde him to vs his xij apostles besides the nombre of disciples to be a pillar for them to leane vnto that thorough infidelitie should be in daunger of falling and a house to harbour and succour them that otherwise should be like in the tempestes and stormes of heresies to lie without the doores If yow saie thus and that he hath neuer forsaken his churche but allwaies noorished it at all times in such sorte defended it that neuer was there time yet in which for feare of all the tiraunts in the world for dread of burning hanging hedding or other torments what â—oeuer it could be forced to hide it self to seeke meanes to lurcke in cloudes or walâ—k inuisible but hath allwaies to the coÌ„trary well declared it self to be that tabernacle placed in the cleare shining sonne that citie builded on the top of the mountain that caÌ„dell which giueth light to all that arre in the house theÌ„ demaunde I hartely praie you