Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	according_a	order_n	time_n	2,805	5	3.1681	3	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04458	An apologie, or aunswer in defence of the Church of England concerninge the state of religion vsed in the same. Newly set forth in Latin, and nowe translated into Englishe.; Apologia Ecclesiae Anglicanae. English	Jewel, John, 1522-1571.; Parker, Matthew, 1504-1575.	1562 (1562)	STC 14590; ESTC S107763	88,955	140

they to consider howe iuste the cause of our departing is For in case they wil saye it is lawefull for thee by no means to departe from that fellowship wherein thou haste ben brought vp Thus they maye easily in oure personnes coÌ„demne both the Prophetes and the Apostles and also Christe him self For why doe they not likewise finde fawte at this that Loth departed from Sodome Abraham out of Calde the Hebrewes out of Egypte Christ from the Iewes Paule from the Pharisees For onlesse there maye be some iuste cause of suche departynges we see not why they also maye not in like sorte be accused as factious and seditious men Nowe if we ought to be condemned for heretikes bycause we doe not al thinges whiche these menne doe commaunde vs whoe I praye you or what maner of men shall we account them to be which doe despise the commaundementes of Christe and of the Apostles If we be Schismatikes that haue disseuered our selfs froÌ„ these fellowes by what name I pray you shal we call them that haue departed from the Grekes at whose haÌ„des they receyued the faith froÌ„ the primitiue church from Christ him self from the Apostels eueÌ„ as it were from their owne parentes For as for the Grekes such as at this daye doe professe the religion and name of Christ althoe they haue many thinges that ar corrupted yet they retaine to this howre a great part of those thinges which they receyued of the Apostles Therfore nother haue they priuate Masses nor their sacrameÌ„tes mangeled nor purgatory nor pardonnes As for the Popes titles and proude names so muche they doe regard them that whosoeuer doth take them vpon him and wil needes be called either the vniuersal Byshop or heade of the whole Church of him they will not sticke to saye that he is bothe an intolerable arrogant man and a personne that iniuriously defaceth all other Byshoppes his bretherne and also an heretike Now then sins the matter is plaine can not be denied y t these fellowes ar gone back froÌ„ those of whom thei receiued the gospel of whom thei receaued y e faith of whome the true religion the Churche what cause is there why they shuld not be coÌ„tent to be called home againe euen vnto the same personnes as it were to the fountaines of religion Wherfore ar they so afrayde as thoe al the Apostles old fathers sawe nothing to folow the exaÌ„ple of their times for doe they trowe ye see more or be thei more careful ouer the Churche of God then they y t first deliuered these things And now to returne to our selfs we haue departed froÌ„ that Churche wherin nother the worde of God could be hearde purely taught nor the Sacramentes rightly administered nor the name of God as it ought to be called vpoÌ„ and whiche they themselues doe confesse to be corrupted in many thinges and wherin to say the truth there was nothing that could staye any man that was wise and that had any consideration of his owne saluation To conclude we haue departed from that Churche that is now founded not from that Church that was in time past and we haue departed in such sorte as Daniel did out of the denne of Lions as the thre childreÌ„ out of the fier yea rather caste out by them with their cursinges and banninges then departed of our selfs Agayne we haue adioyned our selfes vnto that Church wherin they them selfs in case they wil speake truely and according to their owne consciences can not denie but all thynges ar soberly and reuerently handeled and so farre forth as we were able to attayne most neerely vnto the order of the olde time For lette them compare their Churches and oures together they shal see bothe that they moste shamefully haue departed froÌ„ the Apostels and we moste iustly haue forsaken them For we after the exaÌ„ple of Christe of the Apostles and of the holy fathers doe giue the whole sacrament vnto the people These men contrary to all the fathers contrary to al the Apostels and coÌ„trary to Christ him self not without as Gelasius sayth hygh sacrilege doe deuide the sacramentes and plucke the one parte awaye from the people We haue restored the Lordes supper accordyng to the institutioÌ„ of Christ and desire to haue it asmuch as maye be and to as many as may be most common and as it is called so to be in very deede a CoÌ„munion These men haue chaunged all thinges froÌ„ the institution of Christ of the holy coÌ„munion they haue made a priuate masse so that we present vnto the people a holy Supper they a vayne pagent to gase vpon We doe affirme with the moste auncient Fathers that the bodye of Christe is eaten of none other but of godly and of faithfull menne and suche as ar endued with the spirite of Christe these fellowes doe teache that the very bodye of Christe maye in very deede and as they terme it really and substantially be eaten not only of wicked and vnfaythfull men but also it is horrible to speake it of myse and dogges We doe praye in oure Churches after suche sorte that accordyng as Paule dothe admonishe vs the people may know what we doe pray and with one minde answere Amen These men powre out in the churches vnknowne and straunge wordes like vnto the noyse of soundyng brasse without any vnderstanding without sense without iudgement and this is their only endeuour that the people should not be able to vnderstande any thing at all And bycause we will not reherse all the differences betwene vs and them for they ar in maner infinite We translate the Scriptures into all languages these men wil scantly suffer them to be abroade in any tonge We doe exhorte the people to heare and reade the worde of God these menne driue them from it We woulde haue our cause hearde before all the worlde these menne flee al iudgement and triall We leane vnto knowlege they vnto ignorance We truste to the light they vnto darknesse We haue in reuerence as reason is the wordes of the Apostles and of the Prophetes these men do burne them To conclude we in Gods cause wil stande to the iudgement of God only these men will stande to their owne But if they will consider all these thinges with a quiet minde and a prepared purpose to heare and to learne thei shal not only allow our doyngs which leauing all errours haue folowed Christe his Apostles but also they themselues shal fal away from theÌ„selues and of their owne accorde encline themselues to ioyne with our felowshippe But they will saye that it was an vnlawefull attempt to goe aboute such matters without an holy generall Counsell for therein is the whole powre of the Churche there Christe hathe promised that he will alwayes be ready at hand And yet they themselues haue broken the commaundementes of God the decrees of the Apostles and as we sayde a litle before haue scatered and torne

slaunderousely agaynste vs yet thys one thynge they can not saye that wee haue aparted our selues either from the word of God or from the Apostels of Christ or from the primityue Churche But we haue alwayes estemed the firste age of the Church to be catholyke y e which was in tune of Christ and of the Apostles and of the holy fathers Nor wee doubt not to call y t Church the arke of Noe the spouse of Christ the piller and perfect stay of the truth or vpoÌ„ the same to repose the whole course of our saluation It is doutles an odyous thing for any man to forsake y t felowship whereunto he hath accustomed himselfe but specially of those men which although they be not yet at the least seeme to be are called ChristiaÌ„s And to say truth concerning their Church euen for the names sake bicause y t in time paste of what sorte so euer it be now the Gospell of Iesus Christ was truly purely set forth in it we doe not so greatly contemne it nor would not haue forsaken it but only of very necessitie and y t very much against our willes But what if an Idole be raised vp in the Church of God that same desolation whereof Christ did prophecy shoulde stande openly in the holy place What if a strong theefe or a pyrate get the possessioÌ„ of y e Arke of Noe Doubtles these meÌ„ as often as they preach vnto vs y e Church they make themselfes onely to be the Church and all those tytles they chalenge to themselfes and so they triumphe euen as they did in tymes paste that cryed The temple of the Lord The temple of the Lord or as the Pharasies and Scribes did when they boasted themselfes to be the sonnes of Abraham Thus they deceiue the simple w t a vaine apparance of gay thinges and seke vtterly to oppresse vs with y e very name of the Church euen lyke as if a theefe when that he had entered vpoÌ„ an other mans house and had other violeÌ„tly thrust out or murdered y e owner therof should afterwardes chalenge it for his owne and keepe out of possession the right heire or if Antichrist after y e he had goten himselfe into possession of the temple of God should say afterwardes that it were his owne that it appertained nothing vnto Christ. For these meÌ„ wheras in the Church of God they haue left nothing lyke to gods Churche yet they will seeme to be maintainers and defenders of the Church euen altogether as Gracchus in tymes paste defended the treasure of Rome what time as with launching out of large gifts and vndiscreat expenses he vtterlye consumed cast it away There was neuer nothing so wicked or so farre against reason that vnder the name of y e Church might not easily be couered and defeÌ„ded For euen the waspes also doe make honycombes and the wicked haue theyr assembles and fellowshyppes together lyke vnto the Church of God But not whosoeuer are called the people of God are by and by the people of God Nor all that are desceÌ„ded from their father Israell ar all Israelytes The Arryans y t were Heretiks boasted themselues that they only were Catholykes for the reste they called them al sometyme Ambrosyans sometime Athanasians sometyme Iohannites NestoriaÌ„s as Theodoret saith although he wer an Heritike yet he couered himself ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ y t is to say with a certain apparance cloke of the right faith Ebion although he agreed in opinioÌ„ with the Samaritanes yet as Epiphanius saith he would be called a Christian. And the Mahometans although it be euident out of all hystories and can not deny themselfes but that they came of Agar the bondwoman yet they had rather as though they were descended out of the stocke of Sara a free woman and the wife of Abraham be called Sarracens for the reputation of the name and of the stocke Thus the false Prophetes of all ages which did withstand the Prophets of God as Esay as Hieremy as Christ as y e Apostles had nothing more rife in their mouthes then the name of the Church Nether for any other cause did they so bitterly turmoile them or call them runnawaies and forsakers of their profession theÌ„ bicause they had gone from their fellowship and obserued not the ordiaÌ„nces of the elders And in case we wil folow the iudgement of those men onely by whom the Church was gouerned at that time haue no respect other to God or to his woorde or to any other thinge doubtles it caÌ„ not be denied but that the Apostles in as much as they declined away from the high Byshops priestes that is to say from the catholyke Church and contrary to their willes cried they neuer so much brought in an innouation a change of many thinges in religion were rightly condemned and according to law Wherfore like as thei writ of Hercules y t in wrastling with Anteus the Gyaunt he was faine to hoist him vp from the earthe his mother before he could ouercome him so our aduersaries must be lifted vp froÌ„ this mother of theirs that is to say from this counterfait shape and shadow of the Church which they mass themselues w tall for otherwise they can not giue place to y e word of God Wherfore Ieremye saith Boast not your selues so much that the temple of God is amongst you that is but a vaine confidence for these be saith he y e words of lies And y e Angel in the reuelatioÌ„ Thei say saith he thei be Iewes but thei be the Synagoge of Satan And Christ what time the Pharasies bosted themselues of the stock and kinred of Abraham You sayth he are of your father the Deuill for you doe nothing resemble your father Abraham As thoughe he shoulde saye thus You are not the men which you desire so much to be taken for you deceiue the people w t counterfait tytles and abuse the name of y e Church to the ouerthrowing of the Church Wherfore this they ought first euidently and truely to haue proued that the Church of Rome is y e true and the right beleuing Church of God and that the same according as it is gouerned by them at this day doth agree with the primitiue Church of Christ of the Apostles and of the holy fathers which no maÌ„ doubted to bee the Catholike Church True it is in deede in case we could haue beleued that ignoraÌ„ce error superstition worshipping of Idols mans inuentions such as many times are contrary to the holy Scriptures either pleased God or were sufficieÌ„t to the obtaining of euerlasting saluation or if we coulde haue perswaded our selues that the worde of God was writeÌ„ only for a fewe yeares and then to be put out of all authoritie or that at any time the saiynges and ordinances of God shoulde stande at the discretion of the will of maÌ„ that whatsoeuer God sayde or commaunded

it were at one morsell And as thoughe all these thinges had not been ynoughe they woulde haue had the whole Realme also to be tributary vnto them and out of it moste vniustly they did exacte an yerely rent So costlye forsooth was the frendship of the Citie of Rome vnto vs. But in as much as by crafty meanes and with lewde sleightes thei wrested out these things from vs there is no cause why the same againe by lawefull meanes and good lawes might not be taken from them Yea if our kings in those times of darknes ledd by some opinion of their couÌ„terfet holines of their owne accorde and liberalitie gaue them those thinges for Religion sake yet afterwardes when the errour is espied of other kinges that haue the same aucthoritie they may be taken away for that gift is of none effect that is not approued by the will of the gyuer but that can not seeme to be a will which is darkened and empeched with errour Thou haste heard Christian reader that it is no new thing y t at this day Christian Religion being restored to his former estate and as it were newe borne againe be slaulderously and shamefully spoken of For the same thing happened vnto Christ himselfe and to the Apostles Neuertheles least thou shouldest suffer thy selfe to be ledde out of the waye and to be deceiued with these outraging clamors of our aduersaries wee haue sett forth before the the whole course of our Religion what wee dooe beleue of God the Father what of his onely sonne Iesus Christe what of the holye Ghoste what of the Church what of the SacrameÌ„ts what of the Ministery what of the holy Scriptures what of Ceremonyes and what of euery parte of a Christian mans profession We haue declared how that we doe detest al olde Heresies the which other the holy Scriptures or the auncient Councels haue condemned as pestilences and poysons of mens soules and that as much as we can possiblie we doe call home againe the discipline of the Church the which our aduersaries haue vtterly brought to nothing and doe punishe according to the auncient lawes of our forefathers all losenes of lyfe and licencious manners and that with such seueritie as the cause doth require and so farre as our power will stretche that we doe vpholde the state of kingedomes in the same condition that we founde them without empairing or chaunging any thing and doe maintaine to the best of our power the Maiesty of our Princes safe and sounde that wee haue forsaken y t Church which these men had made a den of theeues and wherein they had left nothing sounde or sauering of the Church of God and which by their owne testimony had erred in many thinges none otherwise then as Loth in time past weÌ„t out of Sodoma or AbrahaÌ„ out of Chaldey not of a desire to coÌ„tend but by y e commaundement of God himselfe and y t we haue sought out of the holy Scriptures which we knowe can not deceiue vs a certaine constant forme of Religion and are now retourned vnto the primitiue Church of the Apostles and of the auncient fathers y t is to say to the first originall and to the beginnings and as it were to the very fountaines of Christes Church True it is in dede y t for the accomplishemeÌ„t hereof we haue not attended vpon the aucthoritie or consent of the councel of Trente in which we coulde not hope to see any thinge vprightly and orderly done specially where all meÌ„ are sworne to one man where our Princes Embassadors ar coÌ„temned where none of our diuines mai be heard where men ar euidently enclined vnto partes and to ambition but according as the holy fathers in tyme past and our predecessors haue done oft time we reformed our Churches by a councel gathered in our owne prouince and that as touching the yoke and tirannye of the Bysshop of Rome vnto whome wee ought no dutye and in whom there is no resemblance either of Christ or of Petre or of an Apostle or in any point of a Bysshop according as it behoued vs we haue shakeÌ„ of and cast away And last of all how y t we doe agree amongest our selues in all the principles and articles of Christian Religion and with one mouthe and one spirit doe worshippe God and the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ. Wherfore good ChristiaÌ„ reader in as much as y u seest the reasons causes both of our doings touching the restitutioÌ„ of ReligioÌ„ amoÌ„gst vs also of our departing from the fellowship of these men thou oughtest not to maruaile if y t we had rather obey our Iesus Christ then men Paule dyd admonishe vs that we shoulde not suffer our selues to be caried out of the way with these variable doctrines and thal specially wee should flye from them that woulde sowe any dissension from that doctrine which wee had receiued from Chryste and from the Apostles Their iuggeling toyes euen as the owle at the rysing of the Sunne beginne alredy to fall and flye away at the presence and light of the Gospell And although they were pyled and heaped vp euen to the highe skyes yet they fall downe againe vpon the least occasion and in manner of their owne accorde For thou oughtest not to imagine that al these things are happened at a blind auenture or by chauÌ„ce for it was goddes will that maugre the malice in maner of all men the Gospell of Iesus Christ shoulde be spredde in these dayes throughout the worlde Wherefore men beyng admonysshed by gods worde haue of their owne accorde applyed themselues to the doctrine of Christe Wee surely haue not sought to wynne vnto our selues either glory either riches either pleasure eyther ease thereby For all these thinges our aduersaries haue in great aboundance and we also what time we were amongest them had such thinges more largely and more plentifully Neither doe we abhorre from peace agrement but for conseruation of worldly peace we will wage no warres w t God Doubtles saith Hylarius the name of peace is sweete but peace saith he is one thing and thraldome is an other For to assent which is the thyng that these men doe seeke for that Chryste shoulde bee commaunded to sylence that the truthe of the Gospell shoulde bee betrayed that wicked errours should be dissembled that the eyes of Christian menne shoulde be blered that men should manifestly conspire agaynst God is not an establyshment of peace but a moste horrible couenant of thraldome There is saythe Nazianzene a certayne kinde of peace vnprofitable ther is a profitable discorde For we muste allowe peace with an exception so farre as it is laweful and so farre as we may For otherwise Christ himself brought not peace into the world but a sword Wherefore yt the Pope will haue vs to be friendes agayne with him lette him firste reconcile himselfe with God For hereof saythe Cyprian scismes doe aryse bycause the head is not sought for

An Apologie or aunswer in defence of the Church of England concerninge the state of Religion vsed in the same Newly set forth in Latine and nowe translated into Englishe Rom. 1. I am not ashamed of the Gospell of CHRIST for it is the power of GOD vnto saluation to euery one that beleueth Londini ANNO DOMINI M.D.LXII Lorde saue the Quene The Apologie of the Churche of Englande IT hathe ben alwaies an olde complainte euen from the tymes of the Patryarkes Prophets and confyrmed by the writings testimonies of all ages y t Truth dwelleth as a straunger here vpon earthe and sone findeth enemies and slaunderers amonge suche as do not knowe her The whiche thing althoughe peraduenture it maie seeme incredible vnto others suche as haue not diligently marked these thinges specially bycause y t the whole ofspringe of mankinde by very course of nature without a teacher euen of his owne inclination coueteth after truth and Christe himselfe our sauioure what tyme he was here conuersante amongest men called himselfe the Truth as by that name which moste aptly did expresse all diuine power neuerthelesse we that are exercysed in the holy Scriptures and haue redde and seene what hathe happened in manner to all godly men of al ages euen vnto the Prophets vnto the Apostles vnto the holy Martyres vnto Christ hymselfe w t what reproches what reuylinges what slaunderous names thei were vexed here in their life time for onely truthes sake we I say do se that it is a thing not onely nothing new nor incredible but also very currant and coÌ„mon to all ages Mary on the other side it might seeme muche more merueylous and vncredible in case that the Deuyl the very father of lyes and enemie to al truth shoulde nowe sodainely change his naturall disposition hope to fynde some other way then by lying to oppresse the truth or that by other sleyghtes then suche as he hathe alwaies vsed hee shoulde nowe beginne to establishe his kingedome For oute of all recordes you shall scantly finde any time other whyles religioÌ„ was newly growing and encreasing or after it was staied and setteled or when it began to sprynge againe wherin truth and innocency amongest men was not moste vnworthyly and most shamefully entreated for the Dyuill seeth whiles truth preuaileth he can not preuaile nor keepe his owne For to passe ouer and to speake nothing of the times of y e auncient Patriarkes Prophets in whose dayes as I haue sayde before there was no season voyde of slaunders and reproches against the truth We knowe that there were certaine persons that sayde and openly pronounced of y e auncient Iewes of whom we doubt not but they worshypped the onely and the trew God that in stede of God they worshipped other a Sowe or an Asse and that all their religion was nothing els but a sacrilege a contempt of al diuine power We knowe that the sonne of God oure sauioure Iesus Christ for teachinge of the truth was taken for an enchaunter for a worker of mischiefe for a Samaritane for Beelzebub for a deceiuer of the people for a man that folowed his delite in eatinge and drinkinge And who is ignorant of those thynges that were spokeÌ„ in time past agaynste that moste earnest setter forthe champion of the truth S. Paule somtime that he was a seditious person that hee gathered souldiers that hee entended vprore sometimes that he was an Heretike sometyme that he was madde somtimes that onely to make strife and for his pleasure he blasphemed the lawe of God despised the ordinaunces of the fathers Who knoweth not how that S. Stephan so sone as he had receaued into the inwarde bosome of his mynde the truth and had begon freely according as he was bounde stoutly to preache it and to professe it was by by brought to pleade for his life as though he had wickedly spoken blasphemy againste the lawe against Moses againste the Temple against God Or who is ignorant that there were men in tymes paste whiche accused the holy Scriptures of lyes saying that they conteined thinges plaine contrary and repugnant one to an other that the Apostles did dissent euery one froÌ„ an other Paule from them all And least it should be to longe to reherse all for that were infinite who is ignorannt howe that oure Fathers whiche firste began to acknowledge and to professe the name of Christe were slaunderously reported of that thei conspired togither amongest themselues and that in their secret assembles thei had consultations against the state ouer the coÌ„moÌ„ welth and that euen therefore their meetings were apointed before day in the darke that thei kylled yonge children filled them selues wyth mans fleshe and lyke moste cruell beastes dranke mans bloode howe that at the laste when the candels were out thei committed adultery and incest at auenture togither the brother with the syster the sonne with the Mother withoute any reuerence of kyndred without shame withoute difference euen a sorte of wicked men withoute all religion withoute God enemies of mankinde men vnworthy to beholde the light vnworthy of lyfe All these thinges in those daies were spoken against y e people of God against Christe Iesus against Paul against Stephan and againste al those that in the primitiue Churche embraced the truth of the Gospel and were content to be called by the name of Christians a name in those daies very odious amongest the people And albeit those thinges were not trew yet the Deuill thought it inough for him if at the least he coulde bring it to passe to cause them to be taken for trewe and that the Christians should be hated of al men and by al men persequuted vnto the death Wherfore Kings and Princes leadde by suche perswasions killed the Prophets of God euen to the laste man Esaie thei condemned to the sawe Ieremy to be stoned Daniel to the lyons Amos to the club Paule to the sworde Christe to the crosse al Christian men to prisons to tortures in horses bellyes to the gallowes to rockes to cliues to wilde beastes to fyers Yea thei sticked not to make great bonefiers of their liuing bodies onely for a light to serue them in the night season for a scorne of whom thei made none other accompt then as of moste vile donge as of accursed persons appointed to be slaine for Sacrifice and to be a scorne of all the worlde Thus I say the mainetainers and professors of the truth hathe bene alwaies delte withall So muche the more ought we that haue taken vpoÌ„ vs the profession of the Gospel of Iesus Christ to take it in better parte if in the same quarel we be handled after the same sorte and like as oure forefathers in tymes paste so we at this day without any oure desert onely bicause we teache professe the truth are vexed with slaunderous names

reproches and lyes 1. Nowe a daies thei crie euery where that all we are Heretykes that we are departed from the faithe that we with oure newe perswasions and wycked doctrine haue brokeÌ„ the coÌ„sent of the Churche That we do raise as it were out of Hell and restore to life againe olde Heresyes such as longe agoe were condemned We sowe abroade newe sectes and furious fansies that neuer before were hearde of Also that we nowe are deuided into contrary factions opinions could neuer agree by any meanes among our selues That we ar wicked meÌ„ make war after the maÌ„ner of y e Giauntes as the fable is against God himselfe do liue altogither w tout care or reuerence of God That we do despise al good dedes and vse no discipline of vertue maintaine no lawes no customes no equitie no iustice no right That we loose y e bridel to al mischiefe allure the people to al kynde of licence and luste That we go about and seke how al the states of Monarchies kingdomes might be ouerthrowen and that all thynges might be broughte vnto the rashe gouernment of the people to the rule of the vnskilful multitude That we haue rebelliouslye withdrawen our selues from the catholike Churche and shaken the whole world with a cursed schisme haue troubled the coÌ„mon peace the general quietnes of the Churche and that lyke as in tymes paste Dathan and Abiron seuered themselues from Moses and Aaron so we at this daye departe from the Pope of Rome without any sufficient iuste cause As for the authoritie of the auncient fathers and olde Councelles we do set at naught All auncient ceremonies suche as of oure grandfathers and great grandfathers nowe many ages paste when better manners and better daies did florish were approued we haue rashely and arrogantly abolyshed haue broughte into the Churche by our owne priuate authoritie without any commaundement of any holy and sacred generall Counsell newe rites and ceremonies And that we haue done all these thinges not for any respecte of religion but onely of a desire to maintaine strife and contention As for them they haue changed vtterly nothinge at all but all thinges euen as they receiued them from the Apostles were approued by the moste auncient fathers so they haue kepte them from age to age vnto this daye But now least thei shoulde seme onely to picke quarels and to speake euell of vs in corners onely to the intent to brynge vs into hatred the Romyshe Byshops haue prouided themselues of certaine men eloquente ynoughe and not vnlearned for to vndertake this desperate cause and to set it forth with bokes and long orations to the intent that the matter being coÌ„ningly handled after the best fasshion the simple and ignorant man might suppose there were somwhat in it for truely thei sawe how their cause began to decline in al places how their sleights wer now espied and therefore lesse set by and that their Garrysons decaied euery daie and therfore their cause to be such that it had great nede of helpe Now as touching those thinges whiche thei do obiecte against vs parte of them are manifestly false and euen by the iudgment of the selfe same persons that do obiect them condemned for lies parte of them although they bee as false as the other yet in asmuche as thei carrye a shewe and a counterfeat of truth in suche the symple reader if he take not hede specially if vnto the probabylitie of the matter the painted delicate speache of these fellowes be cunningly applied may easilie be entrapped and caried out of the waie part of theÌ„ againe ar such as we oughte not to decline from them as crimes but as thinges right well and aduisedly done to acknowledge to professe them and euen to tell you at a word how the matter goeth these men do slaunder all our doings euen those thinges whiche them selues can not deny to be wel and ordrely done and as thoe it were not possyble that any thinge should be other done or spoken wel of vs so all oure sayinges and doinges thei moste malitiously depraue No doubt it hadde been their part to haue gone more simply and more playnely to worke yf thei had ment to deale truly whereas now nother truly nor courteouslie nor Christianly but couertly craftily thei assault vs with lyes abusinge the blindnes of the people and the ignoraunce of Princes to bringe vs into hatred and to oppresse the truth this is the power of darkenes proprety of men that for the furtherance of their cause haue more confydence in the blockishnesse of the vnskilfull multitude in darkenes then in truth and light as S. Ierome saith of such as with closed eyes do barke against the manifest truth But we gyue thanks vnto the almighty God that our quarel is such that euen these men woulde thei neuer so faine can say nothing in reproche therof whiche might not be tourned in reprofe of the fathers of the Prophets of the Apostles of Peter of Paule and of Christe himselfe Now then in case it be lawfull for these men in railinge and speaking euil to be thus lowde and eloquent truly we in our iuste quarell answeringe for the truth ought not to be dumme and specheles for thei that haue noe regarde what is saide of them selfe or of their quarell althoe it be falsly slaunderously spoken specially when it is suche as thereby the maiestie of God and the state of religion is blasphemed thei surely declare them selfe to be dissolute men and suche as carelesly and wickedly do winke at the iniuries done to y e name of God For albeyt many times other greate and greuous iniuries of a sobre and a Christian man may be borne withal and dissembled neuerthelesse who that paciently can endure to be accounted an Heretike suche a one Ruffine was wont to denie to be a Christian. Wherfore we will now do that thinge whiche all lawes whiche the very voyce of nature commaundeth to be done and whyche Christ him selfe being in the like matter in like sort railed vpon did before vs y t is to say we wil giue a repulse to the accusations of these men and modestly and trulie defende oure cause and oure innocency For Christ what time he was accused by the Pharises of sorcery as one that had familiaritie with Deuills and did many thinges by their helpe I saith he haue no Deuill but I glorifie my father and you haue dishonored mee And Paule what time as Festus the leutenante contemned him as a madde man I saith he noble Festus am not mad as thou thinkest but I speake the wordes of truth and of sobrenesse And the Christians of the primitiue Churche what time as thei were iniuriously slaundered vnto the people as murderers of men adulterers incestuous persons and troublers of commoÌ„ wealthes and sawe that by such slaunders the religioÌ„ which thei

of heauen We do beleue that Iesus Christe the onely sonne of the eternall father accordinge as it was decreed longe sythens before all beginninges when the fulnesse of time was come toke fleshe and the whole nature of man of that same blessed and pure Uirgine to the enteÌ„t to declare vnto men the secret and hidde will of his father whyche was hydden from all ages and generations and to the entente that in the bodye and nature of man he myght accomplish the mistery of oure redemption naylinge oure Sinnes and y t same Handewriting whiche was written againste vs vnto the Crosse. We beleue that for oure sakes he dyed and was buried descended into Hell the thyrde day by diuine power retourned vnto lyfe and rose agayne after forty dayes in the sighte of his disciples he ascended into heauen for to fulfill all thinges and the very same bodye wherein he was borne wherein hee was conuersaunte vpon earthe wherein he was mocked wherein hee suffered moste greeuous tormentes and cruell kynde of deathe wherein he rose againe wherein he ascended vnto the ryghte hande of the father hee hathe placed in maiestie and glorie aboue all princely dignitie and power and vertue and rule and all names that are named not onely in this worlde but also in the worlde to come and that nowe he sitteth there and shal sitte vntill al things be perfectly fynyshed And albeit that the maiestie and diuinitie of Christe bee spred ouer all yet his bodie as Augustine saithe muste bee in one place Christe gaue vnto his bodie maiestie but the nature of his bodie hee toke not awaie Nor we muste not affirme Christe in suche sorte to be God that we shal deny him to be man And as Uygill y e martyre saithe Christ in his humaine nature did leaue vs but in his diuinitie he did not leaue vs thoughe he be absent from vs touching the forme ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ a seruant yet he is alwaies w t vs in y e forme of God From that place wee beleue that Christe shall come agayne for to execute that same publike and vniuersall Iudgemente as well ouer those whiche hee shall finde yet remayninge a liue in their bodies as those that be deade We beleue that the holy ghoste whoe is the thyrde person in the holie trinitie is very God not made not created not begotten but proceedinge from boothe the father and the sonne by a certaine waie whiche is vnknowen to menne and not able wyth wordes to be expressed that yt is hys worke to make tender the hardnesse of manes harte what tyme as other by the holsome preachynge of the Gospell or by any other meanes hee is receaued into mans harte and that he lightneth them and leadeth them into the knowledg of God and into all way of truthe and into a newnesse of their whole life and perpetuall hope of saluacion We do beleue that ther is onely one Churche of God and that the same is not shut vp as in time past among the Iewes into any one corner of kingedome butte is Catholike and vniuersall dispersed into al the world so that nowe there is no nacion that maye truely complaine that thei be excluded and can haue no parte with the Churche and people of God He doe beleue that the same Church is the kingdome is the body is the spouse of Christe and of this kingdome that Christe is the only Prince of this body that Christe is the onely heade of this spouse that Christe is the onely bridgrome and that there be in the Churche diuers ordres of ministers some be Deacons some Elders some Byshoppes vnto whom the instruction of the people and the charge and prouision for thinges appertaininge to religion is committed and yet that there is noe one man nor that any one can be superioure and ruler ouer all for wee beleue bothe that Christe is alwaies present with his Church and that he needeth no Uicare that shoulde supplie hys roume in all pointes and that it is vnpossible for anye mortall man so muche as to comprehende in his minde muche more to set in ordre and rightly and profytablye to gouern the whole vniuersall Churche that is to say all partes of the worlde that the Apostles as Cypriane saithe were all of lyke authoritie and that the rest were in the very same degree that Peter was That it was spoken indifferently to them al Feede to them all Go in to the whole worlde to them all Teache the Gospell And as S. Ierome saithe that all Byshops in what place so euer thei be other at Rome or at Eugubin or at Constantinople or at Rhegium be al of like desert of like Preesthoode And as Cyprian saith that ther is but one Bishoperike and euery one holdyng a part therof dothe administer the whole and accordinge to the sentence of the Councel of Nice that the Romaine Byshoppe hathe no more right ouer the Churche of God then the other Patriarks of Alexandria of Antioche as for the byshop of Rome who at this day chalengeth all thinges to himselfe alone vnlesse he do his office vnlesse he administer the Sacraments vnlesse he instructe the people vnlesse he admonishe vnles he teache ought not of right to be accompted a Byshoppe or so much as an Elder in the Churche for a Byshoppe as Augustine saith is the name of a worke and not of honore so that he may know assure himself to be no Bishop that coueteth to beare rule and not to profite as for to be heade of the whole Churche or an vniuersall Byshop it is no more possible for him or any other mortall man then to be the bridegrome the light the saluacion the life of the Church for these be the priuileges and names of Christ onely and vnto him alone proprely and only thei do appertaine Nother before Phoeas the Emperours tyme whoe wee knowe well inoughe by a moste detestable murder in killinge the Emperoure Maurice his Lorde master aspired vnto the Empire that is to say before sixe huÌ„dreth thirtene yeares after the byrth of Christ was there euer any Bishop of Rome that euer suffered himself to be called by so proude a name The Councell also of Carthage did expresly forbid that any Byshop shoulde be called other the highest Byshop or the chiefe preest And for the bishoppe of Rome in asmuche as he wil be called at this day after this sorte and chalengeth to hymfelfe an authoritye not due vnto hym besydes that openlye hee doothe contrarye to the olde Councels and contrary to the fathers if hee will beleue hys predecessor Gregory he taketh to himself an arrogant prophane sacrilegious Antichristian name he is the kinge of all pride he is Lucifer in asmuche as he preferreth himselfe before his brothren he hath cast away faith he is the fore runner of Antichriste We say also y t ministers

onely men may repose there conscyences In them all those thinges what soeuer are necessarye vnto oure saluation as Origen Augustine Chyrsostom and Cyryl did teache are fully and plentifully contained These be the myght and powre of God vnto saluation these be the foundacion of the prophets the Apostles whervpon is builded the Churche of God these be the moste certaine rule whereby the Churche of God in case it do stagger or erre may be directed and to the which al doctrine of the Churche ought to bee called to his triall Against the which no lawe no tradition no custome is to be hearde no not if Paule him selfe or an Aungell from heauen shoulde come and teache an other way We doe receaue the sacramentes of the Churche that is to say certen holy tokens ceremonies which Christ woulde haue vs to vse that in them he might set before our eies the mysteries of our saluatioÌ„ and more strongli confirme that faith whiche we haue in his bloude and seale vp his grace in oure hartes And these we doe call w t Tertullian Origen Ambrose Augustine Hierome Chrysostome Basile Dionyse and other Catholike fathers Figurs Signes Badges paterns counterpanes formes seals tokens Similitudes examples Images Remembrances and memories And we doubt not also to say with the selfe same fathers that they be certaine visible words seales of righteousnes badges of grace and we doe expressly pronounce that in the supper vnto suche as doe beleue there is truly deliuered the Body Bloude of the Lord the flesh of the son of God quickning our soules the foode of immortalite grace trouth life that y e same supper is the coÌ„munion of the body bloode of Christ by the partaking wherof we are quickned we are norished fed vnto immortalite and by the which we ar ocupied we are vnited grafted into y e body of Christ that we might dwell in hym and he in vs. Of Sacraments which are proprely to be reckened vnder that name we do acknowledg twoe the sacrameÌ„t of Baptisme and the sacrament of Thankes giuing for so many do we find deliuered consecrated by Christe approued of the olde fathers Ambrose Augustine And that Baptisme is a sacrament of Remission of sinnes and of that same wasshing wherby we ar clensid in the bloud of Chryst and from this sacrament no maÌ„ that will professe the name of Christe nother yet the young Infantes of Christian men in asmuche as they ar borne in sinne and do appertayne vnto the people of God ought to be put backe We do acknowledg the Lordes supper to be a sacrament that is to say an apparant symbole signe of the body and bloud of Christ wherin is set after a manner before our eis the death of Christ and his Resurrection and whatsoeuer he did here in his humane body to the intent we should gyue thanks for hys death and our deliuerance y t by often resorting vnto the sacramentes we shoulde continually renew the remembrance therof that we might be fedde with the trew body and bloode of Christ to the hope of resurrection and of lyfe euerla ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ that we might be most assured that the bodye ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ Christe is the same thing towardes the nourishing ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ our soules y t breade wine is in y e feding of our bodies Unto this baÌ„ket ought al the people to be biddeÌ„ that altogither might be partakers one with an other and might yelde an open signification and testimony of the felowship thei haue amongest them selfe and of that same hope whiche thei haue in Christe Iesu. Wherefore in case there were any that would only be a looker on abstaine from the holy communion such y e olde fathers and the Bishops of Rome in the first age of the Church before that priuate masses came vp did excommunicate as a wycked and a Heathen man neither was there any Christian man in those daies that toke vpoÌ„ him whyles other men gased on to communicate alone Suche a decree Calixtus in time paste dyd make that after the consecration all shoulde communicate vnlesse thei had rather stande without the Churche dores for so saithe he hath the Apostles ordeined the holy Church of Rome doth holde Unto the people also what time thei come to the holy communion we saye bothe the partes of the sacrament ought to be giuen for so Christe commaunded it and the Apostles in al places did ordeine it and al the olde fathers and catholike Byshops did folow it And y t if any man do the contrary he committeth as Gelasius saith sacrylege and that oure aduersaries suche as at this day reyecting and abolyshing the holy communion without gods worde without any authoritie of the olde Councells without any Catholike father yea and without reason do defende priuate Masses and the dismemberinge of sacraments and do it not onely contrary to the expresse commaundement and will of Christe but also contrary to al Antiquitie do moste wickedly therin and are cursed theues and commit sacrilege We say that the breade and wine are holy and heaueÌ„ly misteries of the bodye and bloode of Christe and that in them Christe himselfe the true breade of eternall lyfe is so presently deliuered vnto vs y t we do truly receaue his body and bloode through faith Neuerthelesse we do not so speake it as though we supposed that the natures of breade and wine were vtterly chaunged and came to nothinge as many in these laste ages haue dreamed though hetherto thei could neuer wel agre among themselfe of their dreame For Christe neuer went about to make that a wheaten cake should cast away his own nature and put vpon hit a certeine newe Godheade but rather for to chaunge vs and as Theophylactus speaketh to transelement vs into his bodye What maye be more plainely spoken then that whiche Ambrose sayth The bread wine are the same thyngs that thei were and are chaunged into an other thing Or whiche Gelasius saith It ceaseth not to be the substance of breade or nature of wine or whiche Theodorete saithe After the sanctification the mystycall signes caste not away theyr owne propre nature for thei remaine in their owne former substaunce figure and kinde or whiche Augustine saith That whiche you se is the breade and the cup the whiche thing euen your eies do tell you but that which your faith comminge to be instructed dothe require the breade is the body of Christe the cup his bloode or whiche Origen saith That breade which is sanctified by the word of God as concerninge the matter goeth into the belly and is cast into the withdrawing place Or which Christe said not onely after the consecratioÌ„ but also after the Communion ended I wil drinke no more of the frute of the vyne for it is certaine that oute of the vine cometh Wine not bloode Nother yet in

him Tertullian O sayth he how miserable are wee that in these dayes are called Christians We liue lyke Gentiles vnder y e name of Chryst. To conclude bycause wee will not rehearse all Gregory Nazianzene of the miserable state of his time speaketh thus We are now hated saith he amongst y e Gentiles for our vyces also we are made now a spectacle not only to Angels to meÌ„ but also to al wicked meÌ„ In this case was the church of God what time y e Gospel began first to shine what time the raging fury of Tyrauntes was not yet cooled or the sword drawen away from ouer the neckes of the Christians And no meruaile at all for it is no new thing that men be men though they be called Christians But these men y t so hainously accuse vs do thei in the meane season thinke nothing of themselues Thei that haue leisure to loke so farre both what is done in Germany what in Englande haue thei either forgotteÌ„ or can thei not se what is done in Rome Ar we accused by theÌ„ of whose life no maÌ„ caÌ„ speake w t honesty reuereÌ„ce We do not take vpoÌ„ vs now at this time to bring to light to the shewe of the worlde those doings which ought rather together with the Authors of them to be buried our religioÌ„ our shamfastnes our blusshiÌ„g dothe not bere it Neuertheles he y t coÌ„maundeth al men to call him Christes vicare head of y e Churche who heareth these things to be done at Rome who seeth it who suffereth it more we wil not add of what qualitie thei be he may easly consider with himself For let him call to remembraÌ„ce let him consider y t thei be his Canonystes that haue taughte the people that simple fornication is no synne as thoughe thei had learned that doctrine of Mitio in Terence where he saith It is no faulte beleue me for a yong man to lye with a harlote Let hym consider that thei be his men that haue decreed that a Preeste for fornication oughte not to be remoued from hys benefice let him remeÌ„ber that Cardinall Campegius Albert Pighiê° mani others of his affinity hath taught y t that priest liueth much more holily and more chastely y t kepeth a concubine then he that hath taken a wife in matrimony We trust he hath not yet forgotteÌ„ y t at Rome there be many thousandes of common harlots that he gathereth of them yearely by y e way of imposition about thirty thousand ducats Wherfore he can not forget y t in Rome opeÌ„ly he occupieth baudery of most filthy gaine filthely wickedly feedeth hys own delite I pray you were al things at Rome other sounde or holy ynough what time as Ione a woman of perfect age rather then of life was Pope toke vpon her to be head of y e Church after that two yeres together she had applied her selfe in y t holy seat vnto other mens lustes at the last in going a Procession aboute in the Citie in the sight of the Cardinalles and Byshoppes was openly deliuered of child in the strete But what shoulde wee speake of concubines and bawdes For that is now at Rome a common and an open no vnprofitable sin For harlots now a daies sit there not as in times past w tout the citie w t their heads couered muffeled but dwell in pallaices wander in y e market place w t open face as though it were not onely lawful but also commendable for them so to do what nedeth any more Their letcherous lustinges ar now wel ynough knoweÌ„ to all the world S. Bernard touching the Popes family eueÌ„ of y e Pope himself speaketh frely and truly Doth thy court saith he receiue good men It doeth not Euill men there goe forewardes good men go backwards And whosoeuer he was that did write that same Thre parted work which is ioyned to y e CouÌ„cel of Lateran The excesse saith he at this daie is so great not only in Clerks and Preests but also in prelates byshops y t it is horrible to here of But these things are not onely common and therefore by reason of custome and continuance of time allowed as the rest of these mens matters are in maÌ„ner al but also olde and now stinking ripe For who hath not harde what Petre Aloisius the sonne of Paul y e third did vnto Cosmus Cherius byshop of Fauense or what Ihon Casus Archbyshop of Beneuento the Popes legate at Uenice wrote of that horrible fylthinesse wher as euen that thing which ought not to be heard of out of any mans mouthe he dothe commend with most filthy wordes and diuelishe eloquence Whoe hathe not hearde how that N. Diazius a Spaniarde being sent from Rome into Germany for that purpose traiterously and wyckedly kylled Ihon Diazius hys brother a mooste innocent and holy man onely bicause he hadde embraced the Gospell of Iesus Christe and woulde not returne to Rome But these thinges will thei say maie soÌ„times happen in a wel ordered coÌ„mon welth whether y e magistrates wil or no by good lawes ar punished Be it so hardily But w t what good lawes were these beastes punished Peter Aloisius after he had don those vylanous deedes whiche wee spake of was alwaies in special fauour and in the bosom of his father Paul y e third Diaziê° after he had killed his brother by helpe of y e Pope was violently pulled away least he shold haue bene punished accordinge to good lawes Ihon Casus Archbyshop of Beneuento liueth yet and liueth euen at Rome and in the eies and sight of the moste holy Thei haue killed of our brothren an infinite numbre onelye bicause thei beleued truli and sincerely in Iesus Christ onely bicause they beleued truely and sincerely in Iesus Christ but of that huge multitude of whores whoremoÌ„gers and adulterers whome did they euer I saye not kil but other excommunicate or at any time laye hande on Ar I praye you lecherous lustes Adulteries Baudery whorhuntings Murders Incests and other more wicked doynges no sinne at Rome Or if they be sinne maye it be that in the Citie of Rome in the towre of holines of the vicare of Christe of the successor of Peter of the most holy Father they should be so easily and so mildly suffered as thoe they were no sinne at all O holy Scribes and Pharisees vnto whome this holines was neuer knowne O holines and Catholike faith These things Petre neuer taught at Rome Paul liued not at Rome after this maner They did not openly maynteine baudery they did not exacte any impositions or taxes vpon harlots They did not allowe that open adulterers and murderers should goe vnpunished They did not receaue them nother into their bosomes nother into Councell nor into theyr family nor into the assembly of Christian meÌ„ These men truly ought not so

onlesse the Byshop of Rome admitted and commaunded the same it ought to be taken as a thing vain and as vnsaid at all if wee coulde haue founde in our hartes to beleue these thinges wee confesse there had bene no cause why we should haue forsaken their fellowshipp But as touching that y t we haue now done in goyng from that Church whose errors are openly testifyed manifest and which hath it selfe moste euidently gone backe from the worde of God in as much I say as we haue departed rather from the errors therof then from it self and y t nether disorderly nor stubbernely but quietly and soberly we haue done nothing that disagreed other from Christ or froÌ„ the Apostles For the Church of God is not in that state as that it may not be blemmished with some spott or that it shall not haue neede sometimes of reformation for else what neded there so many assemblies and Councels without which as Egidius saith Christian faith can not stande For as ofte saith he as Councelles are neglected so oft is the Church forsaken of Christ. Or if ther be no daunger of any dammage that may come vnto the Church what nedeth as the case standeth now amongest these men the counterfet names of Bysshops For why be they called Shephardes if there be no sheepe that may go astraye Why are they called Watchmen if there be no Citie y t may be betraide Why are thei called Pillers if there be nothing that can fall The Church of God beganne forthwith from the beginning of the worlde to spredde abrode and was taught with the heauenly worde which God himselfe powred out of his mouth was taught with holy Ceremonies taught wyth the Spirit of God taught with the Patriarkes and Prophets and was so continued vntill those dayes when Christ shewed himselfe in fleshe But O mercifull God how often was it in that meane tyme and how horribly defaced and empaired Where was the Church at that tyme when all fleshe had defyled hys waye vpon earthe Where was it when as of the whole multitude of mankinde there was lefte but eyght personnes and they not all chaste and Godly which it pleased God to preserue oute of the common slaughter and destructyon Or when Elias the Prophet complayned so lamentablye and bitterly that amongest all them that lyued vpon earthe there was lefte none but hee alone that truely and rightlye worshipped God And when Esaye sayd The Siluer of the people of God that is to saye the Church is turned into drosse and that Citie whych sometime had been faythfull was becomme a harlott and that in hit from the hedd to the foote throughout the whole body there was nothing vncorrupted or what tyme Christe sayde that the Pharyseis and Priestes had made the howse of God a denne of theeues For the Churche euen like vnto a corne fielde except it be tylled except it be harrowed except it be laboured except it be husbanded in steade of Wheate it wyll brynge forthe Thistels Darnell and Nettels Wherefore God sent from tyme to tyme Prophetes and Apostles and also at the length his annoynted Christe which should leade the people home agayne into the ryght way and thoroughly repaire the Church at such times as it was ready to fall But least any man should say that these things happened only vnder the law and in y e shadow infancy of the Church what tyme as the truthe was couered w t figures and ceremonies what time nothing as yet was brought into perfection what tyme the law was engrauen not into mens hartes but in tables of stone although the same also be but a foolish obiection for euen at that time was also the same God the same spirit the same Christ the same Faith y e same doctrine y e same hope the same enheritaÌ„ce y e same couenaÌ„t the same force of gods word And Eusebius saith that al the faithful euen froÌ„ the time of Adam were in very deede ChristiaÌ„s although they were not so called but least I say any maÌ„ shold make this obiectioÌ„ Loe Paul the Apostle found out like errours and like faultes in y e time of the Gospel in the time of perfectioÌ„ and of light in so much that he was driueÌ„ of necessite to write vnto the Galathians whom he had before instructed after this maÌ„ner I am afraid least y t I haue labored amongest you in vaine that in vain you haue heard y e Gospell My little Children in whose birthe I trauaile againe vntil Christ be formed in you for as touching y e Church of the CorinthiaÌ„s how filthily it was defiled it is not nedefull to speake of Now I praye you then might the Churches of the Galathians and the Corinthians fal from the faith and only y e Church of Rome may neither erre nor slide away Doubtles Christ touching his Church pronounced so long aforehand that the time should come when that desolation should staÌ„d in the holy place And Paule saieth that Antichrist in time to come should set his chaire of state in y e temple of God And that it should come to passe y t meÌ„ woulde not endure to heare sound doctrine but eueÌ„ in the very Church men should turne their eares to the hearing of fables And Peter saith that in the Church ther shal be maisters of lyes And Daniel the Prophet speaking of the laste daies of Antichrist saith that in those daies truth shall be ouerthrowen and troden downe to the grounde And Christ saith that miserye and confusion amongest men shall be so great that euen the electe if it were possible should be ledd away in to errour And that all these things should come to passe not amongst the Paganes or Turkes but in the holy place in the Temple of God in the Church in the Congregation and fellowshipp of them that shall professe the name of Christe And albeit these warnings alone might suffise a wise man to beware that he suffer not himselfe vnaduisedly to be so deceiued with the name of the Church so y t he should neglect to make inquisition out of Gods word concerning the truth therof neuertheles many of the fathers also learned and Godly men hath oftimes greuously complained that all these things hath also happened in their times for God eueÌ„ in the middes of that darkenes would haue some which although they did not open so manifest and cleere light yet they shoulde kyndle as it were some sparkell wherof men sitting in darkenes might haue a glymse Hylary what time as thinges remayned yet in maÌ„ner vncorrupted pure neuerthelesse in an euill howre saith he haue you set your loue vpoÌ„ walles In an euil howre doe you worship the Church of God in great houses and buildings In an euil howre do you thrust in vnder these the name of peace Is there any doubt but Antichrist in these places shall haue his seate vnto mee

I tell you Hilles Forestes Lakes Prisonnes and Whorlepooles seme more safe a great deale for in them the Prophetes eyther remayning of their own choyse or violently dryuen prophecyed wyth the spyrite of God Gregory euen as though he had seene and perceyued aforehand the ruine of things writing vnto Iohn the Byshopp of Constantinople who first of all men toke vpon hym to be called by a name that neuer was hearde of before the vniuersall Byshop of the whole Church of Christ said thus If y e Church shall depeÌ„de vpon one man the whole shall fall to grounde And who is it that hath not seene this thing done longe agoe It is now long agoe that the Bysshop of Rome hath brought to passe that the whole Church shoulde depend vpon him alone wherefore it is no maruaile if the same now longe agoe be wholy fallen to grounde Bernarde y e Abbot writing foure hundred yeares past There is nothing saith he pure and souÌ„de in y e Clergy onely there remaineth that the man of sinne shoulde be discouered vnto the worlde The same man vpon S. Paules Conuersion It semeth saith he that persecution is now cessed no rather nowe beginneth persecution euen at their handes which beare chiefe rule in the Church Thy frendes thy neighbours hath drawen neere and stande vp against thee From the sole of the foote vnto the crowne of the head there is no soundnes at all Iniquitie hath issued out from the Elders Iudges thy vicares which seeme to gouerne thy people We can not now say As the people are so is the priest for the people are not in y e state as y e priest is Out alas O Lord God thei be in persecuting of thee the Cheefe that seme to loue y e cheefe preheminence in thy Church and to beare the cheefe rule The same vpon the song of Salomon All frendes are becomme all enemies al familiars all aduersaries the seruants of Christe serue Antichrist Beholde in my peace is my moste bitter bitternesse Roger Bacon a man of great fame after that w t a sharpe oration he had reproued the miserable state of his time These heapes of errors saith he do seeke after Antichrist Gerson complaineth that in his time al the fruite exercise of the sacred study of Diuinity was brought to an ambitious contention of wittes and to a mere Sophistrye The Friers of Lions which as touching the maner of their liuing were no euill men were wont boldly to affirme y t the Church of Rome from which onely at y t time the certen resolution of al doubtful matters were fetched was that same whore of BabyloÌ„ wherof in the Reuelation of Iohn there be so many euident prophecies and the assemble of helhoundes I know well ynough that they make light of these mennes aucthorite but what if I bring them for witnesses whome they are wonte to haue in great honour What if I saye that Adrian the Bysshop of Rome hath francklye confessed that all these euilles beganne to fall hedlonge from the toppe of the Papall dignitie Pighius dothe confesse that in this point they haue erred bicause that in to the Masse which for all other respectes he woulde haue to be accounted holye many abuses are brought in Gerson also bicause y t through the multitude of trifling Ceremonies the whole vertue of the holy Ghoste which ought to be stronge in vs and true deuotioÌ„ is altogether quenched Al Grece and Asia lykewise bycause the Popes of Rome wyth the marchandise of theyr Purgatory and pardonnes both haue oppressed mennes consciences and robbed their purses Touching the tirannie of the Byshoppes of Rome and intollerable pryde to passe ouer such as they bycause they haue freely franckly reproued their vices account paraduenture as enemies eueÌ„ thei which leade their life at Rome in the holy Citie vnder the nose of the most holy father and might se al his secrets neuer forsoke the Catholike Faith as Laurens Ualla Marril of Padoa Francis Petrarche Hieronymus Sauanorola Iochym Abbot Baptist of Mantua before theÌ„ al Bernarde the Abbot Al these I say haue greatly and often complained In so much that sometimes they declared the Pope himselfe to be Antichrist whether they spake truely or falsly we leaue it vnto others but doubtles they spake it plainely Neither is there any cause that any man should obiect that they were y e dysciples of Martin Luther or of Zuinglius For they were not onely manye yeares but also dyuers ages before these mennes names were hearde of Yea they did see also euen at that time that errours were crept into the Church and wished for y e amendment of them And what meruaile I pray you if the Church were lead away with errors specially in those dayes what tyme neither the Bishopp of Rome who had the whole rule in his owne handes nor any other maÌ„ in maÌ„ner either did hys duty or did at al vnderstaÌ„d what hys duety was For it is not easye to bee beleued that the Deuill whilest they were ydle and slept that in all y t tyme was alwaies either a sleepe or ydle For howe they in the meane time demeaned theÌ„selues and with what vprightnesse they gouerned the house of God though wee say nothing let them be content at the least to heare Bernarde a man of theirs The Byshops sayth he vnto whome the Church is coÌ„mitted at this daye ar not doctors but deceauers ar not shepeheardes but shepeweriers ar not Prelates but Pilates Thus sayd Bernard of the byshoppe that called him selfe the chiefe byshop and of the byshoppes whiche at that time helde the sterne He was no Lutherane he was no heretike he forsoke not the Church yet was he not afrayde to cal the byshops that liued in those dayes seducers deceauers and Pylates Now theÌ„ what time the people was opeÌ„ly seduced and the eyes of Christian men manifestly deceaued and when Pylate sittyng in court of IudgemeÌ„t adiugged Christ and his membres to sworde fier in what case o Lord was the Church in those dayes But of so many and so grosse errors what error haue these menne purged at any time Or what error at the leaste would these meÌ„ euer acknowledge or confesse But for asmuche as these men doe affirme that they doe stande in full possession of the catholike Churche and call vs bicause we doe dissent froÌ„ them heretikes marke I praye you what note or token this Churche hath of the Churche of God Neither is it so harde a matter in case thou wilt earnestly and diligently seeke it to finde out the Churche of God For it standeth vpoÌ„ an highe and a stately place euen on the toppe of a hill that is to say it is buylded vpon the foundation of the Prophets the Apostels There sayth S. Augustine let vs seeke the Church there let vs trie oure cause and as he saythe in an other place The Churche ought to be tried

out by the holy and canonical Scriptures and y t which can not abide the trial of theÌ„ is not y e Church Yet these men I can not tell howe whether it be of reuerence or of coÌ„science or for dispayre of the victory doe alwayes abhorre and flee Gods worde euen as a thief dothe the gallous Nother is it any maruell at al. For like as it is sayde of the golde worme that in the ioyce of Balsme an ointment to all other respectes of moste sweete and delicate sauour he is sone dispatched and killed so they in Gods worde doe see theyr cause as it were in poyson to be vtterly dispatched destroyed Wherefore to the intent they might the more easily driue the people from the scriptures as from a moste daungerous and a hurtful thing the whiche neuerthelesse our sauiour Iesus Christ did not only vse in al his coÌ„mon talke but also at the laste sealed them with his bloud thei ar wont to cal theÌ„ a colde an vncertaine an vnprofitable a dumme a killing a dead lettre Which vnto vs semeth to be asmuche as thoe they had sayd they be no scriptures at all But they sticke not to adde thereunto a similitude not al together of the beste making that thei be in maner as it were a nose of waxe that maye be fashioned and turned into all manner of shapes and serue euery mans purpose Trowe ye the Pope is ignorant that these thinges ar spoken euen by his owne derelinges Or dothe he not vnderstande that he hath such Champions Let him heare therefore how deuoutly how godly one Hosius writeth of this matter a Poloniane as he him self sayth a Byshop doutles an eloquent man not vnlearned and a very earnest and stoute defender of his cause He wil maruel I suppose that any man fearyng God coulde other thynke so wickedly of those wordes whiche he knoweth to haue proceded from the mouthe of God or write so slaunderously and that specially in suche sorte as that he would not haue it to be taken for his own iudgement alone but as the coÌ„mon iudgement of them all In deede I doe not denie but he dothe dissemble his owne personne doth so propouÌ„de the matter as thoe not he nor meÌ„ of his sorte but y e heretikes called Zuenkfeldians did speake after y t maÌ„ner We sayth he as touchyng y e very scriptures wherof we see brought in now a daies so many interpretatioÌ„s not only diuerse amoÌ„gst them self but also coÌ„trary one to an other wil bidde Away with theÌ„ And wil rather heare God speake then turne our selfs towardes these beggerly elementes in them repose y e hope of our saluatioÌ„ It is not requisit to be cuÌ„ning in the lawe in y e scriptures but to be taught of God It is but vaine labour y t which is bestowed vpoÌ„ y e scripture for y e scripture is a creature and a certain beggerly elemeÌ„t These be y e wordes of Nosius writeÌ„ no doubt w t the same spirite minde wherw t Montanus in time paste Marcion did speake of whome it is sayd y t they were woÌ„te to say at what time they would contemptuously reiect the holy scriptures that they knewe many bothe moe better thinges then euer other Christ or his Apostles did knowe What shall I saye therefore in this pointe O ye pillers of Religion o ye prelates of the Church of Christ is this the reuerence that you giue vnto Gods worde Dare you so deale with the holy Scriptures the whiche S. Paule sayth ar deliuered vnto vs by inspiracioÌ„ from God the whiche God hath adorned and set forth with so many miracles in the which the most euident footesteppes of Christes passage ar certainely imprynted whiche all the holy fathers whiche the Apostles whiche the Angels whiche Christe him selfe the sonne of God when neede required did call to witnes Dare you I say abide away with theÌ„ as though they were vnworthy to be hearde of you Is not this to commaunde God him self whoe most euidently speketh vnto you in the scriptures to kepe silence or will you call that worde by the whiche onely as S. Paule saythe we ar reconciled vnto God and whiche Dauid saith is holy and pure and shall endure for euer by the name onely of a beggerly and a dead element or will you saye that to bestowe our labour about that thing whiche Christe commaunded vs diligently to serche and alwayes to haue before our eyes is a vayne labor and to none effect And that Christ and the Apostles what time they did exhorte the people to the redyng of the holy scriptures that out of them thei might become plentifull in all wisdome and knowlege did goe about to abuse menne with lies It is no meruaile thoe these men despise vs and all that we doe or say whiche make so litle accounte of God him self and of his moste holy worde Yet was it but a folish deuise of them in seking to hurte vs to commit so haynous an iniurie agaynst the worde of God But Hosius will crie out we doe him iniurie and that these be not his but Zuinkfeldius wordes But what if Zuenkfeldius also crie that they be not his but Hosius wordes For wher did Zuinkfelde euer write theÌ„ or if he did write them and Nosius iudged them to be wicked why did he not at y e least speake one worde to coÌ„fute them how so euer the matter goe Althoe peradueÌ„ture Hosius wil not allow the wordes yet he dothe not disallow the meanyng For in all controuersies almost and namely touchyng the vse of the holy coÌ„munion vnder bothe kindes although Christes wordes be most plaine yet he coÌ„temptuously reiecteth them as colde and dead elementes and woulde haue vs beleue certain newe deuises prescribed by the Church and certain reuelations I know not what of the holy ghost And Albert Pighius saieth we ought not to beleue the wordes of the scripture althoe thei were moste manifest vnlesse the same be allowed by the interpretation and authoritie of the Churche Neuerthelesse as though this were but a smal matter they sticke not also to burne vp y e sacred scriptures as in time paste wicked kyng Aza did or as Antiochus or Maximinus did and these they ar wonte to cal heretikes bookes wherein they seeme to intende the same practise whiche Herode in time paste for the mayntenaÌ„ce of his estate went about in Iury. For he wheras he was an Edomite a very straunger to the stocke and kinred of the Iewes and neuerthelesse couetid to be taken for a Iewe to the intent he might the rather establish for him and his posteritie his kingdome ouer theÌ„ the which he had before obtained at the handes of Augustus themperour commaunded all their enrolments of petigrees whiche euen from the time of AbrahaÌ„ vnto that daye had bene diligentlie kepte amongest their recordes and by the which it might with out al error easily be

adiudged to be more glorious and more heauenly Euen so these men to the ende that their religion which they themselues haue hatched and that not so long agoe to themselues might be the eassier and better set forth vnto men that eyther were fools in deede or little coÌ„sidered what they did and where about they went are wont to say that it came vnto their handes from Augustine from Hierome froÌ„ Chrisostome froÌ„ Ambrose from the Apostls from Christ himselfe For right wel thei know that ther is nothing more plausible vnto the people theÌ„ these names or better accepted of y e common sortes of men But what if those thinges which these men would haue accounted to be new be founde to be most auncient Againe what if those thinges in maner all which these men so hyghly set forth with the name of antiquitie after that they haue been well and diligently syfted shall be founde at the last to be but grene and new Truely the lawes and Ceremonies of the Iewes although that Aman did accuse them of nouelty yet vnto any man that considered them truly and vprightly thei coulde not appeare to be new for thei were written in most auncient tables And Christe although many supposed that he did declyne from Abraham and from the olde fathers and that he brought in a new ReligioÌ„ of his owne heade yet he answered truely If you beleued Moises you should beleue mee also for my doctrine is not so new as you take it Moises a most auncient aucthor whom you doe esteme aboue all men did speake of mee And. S. Paule Although the Gospell of Iesus Christ be reputed of many to be new yet it hath saith he a most auncient testimony of the law and the Prophetes As for our doctrine the which we may cal more rightly the Catholike doctrine of Christ is so far of from all nouslty that the olde God of all ages and the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ hath commended it vnto vs in moste auncient monuments euen in the Gospell and in the bookes of the Prophetes and of the Apostles So that now it can not seeme new vnto any man except there be any to whom either the fayth of the Prophetes or the Gospell or Christ himselfe seemeth to be newe But in case their Religion bee so auncient and so olde as they woulde haue it to appere wherefore doe they not proue it oute of the examples of the primitiue Church out of the auncient fathers out of the olde Councels Why lyeth so olde a cause abandoned so longe tyme wythout a defender as for Sworde and Fyer they haue had alwayes at hande but of olde Councels and Fathers no worde at all And surely it had been altogether against reason to begin at these bloody and cruell reasons if they could haue founde any gentyler and mylder argumentes But if they haue in deede such truste in Antiquitie wythout any maner of counterfeiting why did Iohn Clement a Countrie man of oures not many yeares paste in the syght of certaine honest men and men of good credit teare and cast into the fyer certaine leaues out of a most auncient Father and a Greeke Bysshop called Theodoret in the which he dyd euidently and expressely teache that in the Sacrament the nature of bread was not taken away And that at such tyme as he thought no other example coulde be founde in anye place why dothe Albert Pighius denye that Sainct Augustine that olde Father dyd holde a right opinion of Originall synne or of such mariages as are contracted after a vowe professed And where as Augustine affirmeth it to be perfecte Matrimonye and can not be reuoked why sayth he that he dothe erre and is deceiued that he vseth no good Logike Why did thei now of late in y e printing of y t auncieÌ„t father Origene vpoÌ„ y e Gospel of Iohn leaue out y e whole sixt chapter wherin it is very credible or rather certain y t he taught many things touching the SacrameÌ„t coÌ„trary to their doctrin so had rather set forth y e boke in maner maimed theÌ„ being perfect it shold reproue their errors Is this to trust to aÌ„tiquiti to teare to suppresse to maÌ„gle to burne the bookes of the auncient fathers It is a worlde to beholde how wel these men doe agree in Religion with those fathers of whom they are wont to bragge to be on their side The olde Councell called Eliberinum decreed that nothing that y e people worshipped should be painted in Temples An auncieÌ„t father Epiphanius saith that it is an horrible wickednes and an offence vntolerable If any man should set vp so much as a painted Image though it were of Christ himselfe in the Churches of Christian men These meÌ„ as though there were no Religion without them haue filled their Church and eueri corner of them with painted and grauen Images The olde fathers Origen and Chrysostome do exhorte the people to the reading of y e holy Scriptures to bye bookes to reason of matters pertaining to religion among themselues in their own howses the husbandes with their wiues the parentes with ther ChildreÌ„ CoÌ„trariwyse these meÌ„ do condemne the Scriptures as dead elementes and by all meanes they can possibly restraine the people from them The auncient fathers Cyprian Epiphanius and Hierome say that if any hath made a vowe to liue an vnmaryed lyfe and afterwardes leadeth his lyfe in vncleanes and can not restraine the flammes of his lustinge that it is better for him to mary a wyfe and to liue chastely in wedlock And the selfe same Matrimony the olde father Augustine determineth to be lawful and good nor ought not to be reuoked These men contrariwise such as haue once bounde themselues by now although afterwardes he burne in lusting although he hunt after Hores although neuer so filthely damnably he defile himselfe yet they will not suffer him to mary or if perchaunce he do marry they deny it to be matrimony affirming y t it is much better and more godly to keepe a Concubine or a Harlot then to liue in that state That auncient father S. Augustine did complain of y e multitude of vaine Ceremonies by y t which he sawe how euen in those daies mens mindes and consciences were oppressed These meÌ„ as though God delyted in nothing els haue encreased ceremonies so out of al measure that now in their Churches holy seruice they haue left in maner nothing els Augustine an olde father denyeth y t it is lawfull for a sluggishe monke to liue in ydlenesse vnder a colour pretence of holines to liue vpon other mens labours such as liueth after y t sort an old father Apollonius saith they be like vnto theeues These men haue shall I say heardes or flockes of monkes whych albeit thei doe vtterly nothing neither trouble themselues so much as to counterfait or to beare any face of

holynes at all yet they do not only liue but also launch out riotouslye of other mens goodes The olde councel of Rome ordained that no man should be present at ani seruice of God y t were said by y t minister of whoÌ„ it was certainly knowne y t he kept a Concubine These meÌ„ for money doe bothe lett out to hyer Concubines to their priestes also driue men perforce to be present against their willes at their blasphemouse seruing of y e Deuil The olde Canones of the Apostles doe commaunde y t Byshop that will take vpon him to execute the offyce both of a cyuill gouerner and of an Ecclesiasticall minister to be remoued from his Bishopricke These men both doe take vpon them and will take vpon them both the regiments whosoeuer say nay or rather the one which they ought most chiefly to execute that they doe not once touch yet is there no man that commaundeth them out of office The olde CouÌ„sell called Gangrense commaundeth that no man shall make any such difference betwene a maried and an vnmaried priest as for his wiuelesse estate he should think the one holyer theÌ„ the other These meÌ„ doe make such difference betwene them that they ymagine al their holy misteries if they come in the handes of any godly honest maÌ„ y t hath maried a wife to be by by vnhalowed polluted That auncient Emperor Iustinian commaunded y t al things in the holy administratioÌ„ of the Church should be pronounced w t a clere a loude and an opeÌ„ voice that some fruite might come therof to the people These men least the people should vnderstande somewhat doe whysper al their holy misteries not only with an vncertaine a lowe voice but also in a straÌ„ge and a barbarouse tong The olde Councell of Carthage forbiddeth that any thing should be read in the holi coÌ„gregation other then the Canonicall Scriptures These men reade those things in their Churches which thei themselues doubt not but they be manifest lyes and vaine fables But if there be any man that doth thinke these thinges to bee weake of smale aucthorite bicause they were decreed by Emperors and certain meane Byshops Councels assembled in no great numbre and that doth better allow the aucthoritie name of the Pope Pope Iulius doth expresly forbid the priest in the administration of the holy misteries to dippe the bread in the cuppe these men contrary to the decree of Pope Iulius breake the breade and dipp it into the wyne Pope Clement denyeth it to be lawfull for a Bysshop to exercise both the Swordes saying If thou wilt haue both thou shalt both deceaue thy selfe and them that harken vnto the. Now the Pope chalengeth bothe the swordes and exerciseth them bothe wherefore it ought to seeme lesse maruaile if that hath folowed sithens which Clement spake of that he hath both deceiued himselfe and them that haue giuen eare vnto hym Leo the Pope sayth y t in one Churche and vpon one day it is lawfull to say but one Masse These men in one Churche doe saye sometymes ten sometimes twenty sometime thirtye Masses and ofte times moe in one day in so much that the vnhappy man that standeth by and is the looker on can scantly tell which way it is best to turne himselfe Pope Gelasius saith that if anye man deuide the Sacrament so that when he taketh the one parte he leaueth the other he doth lewdely and committeth sacrilege These men both contrarye to gods worde and contrary to Pope Gelasius commaunde that the one parte of the Sacrament onely be gyuen to the people and in so doyng they make al their Priestes gilty of sacrilege But in case they will say that all these matters are nowe worne out of vre become vtterly deade so that vnto these daies they appertaine nothing at al yet to the intent that all men may vnderstand what credit is to be gyuen vnto these manner of men and what good is to be looked for of those Councels which they assemble together let vs see a little what regarde they haue to those things which now in these latter yeares whils thei be yet in fresh remeÌ„beraÌ„ce thei haue decreed in opeÌ„ CouÌ„cel lawfully called to be inuiolably obserued In the last Councel of Trente yet scantly fortene yeares paste it was decreed with the generall consent of all degrees that no one man shoulde haue two benefices at one time Where is thys decree now become â–ª Is this also so sone worne out of vre become starke dead For as for these men thei giue not only two benefices but also many times diuers Abbais Bysshoprickes sometimes two somtimes three somtimes fowre vnto one maÌ„ such a one as is not only vnlearned but also oftimes a maÌ„ of warr It was decreed in the same Councel y t al Byshops should teache the Gospel These men neither teache nor neuer come in pulpit nor think y t this matter pertaineth any thing to their office TheÌ„ I pray you what a woÌ„derful ostentation of Antiquity is this Why doe they bragge of the olde fathers Why doe they glory in the names of the newe and olde CouÌ„cels Why will they seme to grounde themselues vpon the authoritie of those which when they liste they contemne at their pleasure But it doth mee good to deale rather w t the Pope himselfe to talke of these matters presently to his face Tell vs therefore O holy Pope y t crakest altogether of Antiquitie vauntest thy self y t all men are appointed to obey thee alone Amongest all the ancieÌ„t fathers which of them euer did cal the other chiefe Bisshopp or vniuersall Bishop or head of the Church Which euer said that both the swordes were committed vnto the Which that thou haste aucthorite and right to call Councelles Which that the whole worlde was thy diocesse Which that of thy fulnesse all Bisshops receiued their portion Which that all powre was gyuen vnto the aswell in heauen as in earthe Which that thou couldest be iudged neither of kinges nor of the whole Clergy nor of all the people togither Which y t all kings Emperors by the coÌ„mandemeÌ„t ordinaÌ„ce of Christ receiued their authoritie at thy haÌ„de whiche that thou after so exquisite iuste a reckening warte seuenty times seuen folde greater then the greatest kinges Whiche that a more ample authoritie was gyuen vnto thee then to the reste of the Patriarches whiche that thou warte Lorde and God or that thou warte not simply a bare man or that thou warte a certeyne thyng coÌ„clowted growen together of God and man whiche that thou alone warte the well heade of al lawes whiche that thou haddest dominioÌ„ ouer purgatory whiche that thou mightest at thy pleasure coÌ„maunde the Angels of God which of theÌ„ did euer say that thou warte king ouer kinges Lord ouer lordes We can appose

thee also of other matters after the same sorte I pray the amongest the whole numbre of olde Bishoppes and fathers where did euer any one of them teach thee either to say a priuate masse whiles the people loked on or to lifte vp the sacrament ouer thy heade in the whiche thyng all thy religioÌ„ is at this day contayned or to mangel Christes sacraments and contrary to his ordinance expresse wordes to deceaue the people of the one parte And that I may come ones to an ende of all the fathers whiche any one of them dyd teache the to dispose the bloud of Christ and merites of the holy Marters and as it were marchaundise to sell thy pardons in a common market and all the corners of purgatory These kinde of men ar oft times wonte to talke muche of their hidde and depe learnyng and of their manifolde and great variete of reading Let them therefore now bring out somwhat if they can wherby it maye at the leaste appeare that they haue readde and knowe somewhat They haue cried it out lustily in all companies where they came that all partes of their religioÌ„ were auncient and approued not only of the multitude but also by the consent and continuaÌ„ce of all nations and times Wherfore let them at one time or other shew this antiquitie which thei speake of Let theÌ„ make these things to appere whiche ar spred as they say so far so wide Let them proue that al Christian nations haue agreed vnto their religion But they flee as we sayde a litle before euen them selfs from their owne decrees and those thinges whiche so fewe yeares paste they had established to remaine for euer in so shorte time haue made to be of none effect I pray you then how shold they trust in the fathers in the olde couÌ„cels in the wordes of God They haue not O mercifull God they haue not those thinges whiche thei boaste themselues to haue nother antiquitie nor vniuersalitie nother the consent of all places nor of al times And therof they themselues although they would rather haue the matter dissembled ar not ignoraÌ„t Yea somtimes thei sticke not also plamly to confesse it And therfore thei say that the constitutions of olde Councels and fathers ar of that coÌ„dition that somtimes they may be chaunged for according to the diuersitie of times diuerse decrees ar conuenient to be had in the Church And thus they couer theÌ„ self vnder the name and title of the Church and with a counterfaite shadow doe scornfully abuse the simple wretched people And a meruayle it is that either meÌ„ should be so blinde as they can not see these thinges or if they doe see them that they be so pacient as they can thus easily endure them and with so quiet a minde But in asmuche as they haue abolished and repealed those auncient decrees as thinges that ar now become ouer olde and worne out of vse peraduenture thei haue set other in their place that be better and also more profitable For they ar wonte to say y t not euen Christ himselfe or his Apostles if they should liue agayne coulde deuise a better or a more holyer waye to direct the Church of God then that wherby it is gouerned now at their haÌ„des Trewe it is in deede that thei haue put other in their places but accordyng as Hieremias said chaffe in steade of wheate and as Esay saythe Those thynges whiche God hath not requyred at their haÌ„ds They haue stopped vp all the vaynes of the springyng water and they haue digged broken and durty pittes full of slyme and filthines whiche nother haue anye cleane water nor ar able to contayne it They haue taken from the people the holy communion the worde of God from whence shoulde haue come all comforte the true worshyppe of God the right vse of sacrameÌ„tes and of prayer Agayne thei haue giuen vnto vs of their owne store wherewith in the meane season we might chiere oure selfes salte water creame pottes spittell palmes bulles Iubiles pardonnes crosses smoky inceÌ„ce and an infinite nombre of ceremonies and mere mockes as Plautus saythe meerly to be mocked at In these thynges haue they fixed theyr whole religion With these thinges they taught that God might be well appeased that with these Devils be driuen awaye That with these mens consciences were confirmed For these forsothe be the ornamentes and denty storeboxes of Christian religion These in the sight of God be pleasant and acceptable that these thynges might be auaunced vnto honor it behoued that the ordinances of Christ and of the Apostles should be taken out of place And as the wicked kynge Hieroboam in time paste after he had taken awaye the true worship of God and had brought the people to the worshipping of golden calues leaste that afterwardes they shoulde peraduenture haue chauÌ„ged theyr mindes and slipping from him haue returned agayne vnto Hierusalem to the Temple of God he exhorted them with a long oration vnto constaÌ„cie sayng These o Israel ar thy gods after this sorte your God hath commaunded that you should worshippe him It should be a paynefull and a troublesome thing for you to vndertake so long a Iorney and euery yeare to goe to Hierusalem to the intent to honor and to worshippe God After the same maÌ„ner in all pointes these men when that for theyr owne traditioÌ„s sake they had ones made voyde the law of God least that the people should afterwardes opeÌ„ their eies and slippe an other waye and finde at others handes a more certayne course for their saluation O how often haue they cried This is y t kynde of worshippyng that pleaseth God and whiche he doth streightly require at our handes and wherewith he will be appeased in his anger By these thinges the agrement in the Church is conserued with these thinges all sinne is cleansid and consciences ar made quiet whoe that shal forsake these thinges he leaueth himself no hope of eternall saluatioÌ„ It is a paynefull and a troublesome thyng for the people to looke backe vpon Christ vpon the Apostles vpoÌ„ the olde fathers euer more to be attentife what their will and commaundement is This I warrant you is the very way to bring the people of God froÌ„ the weake elementes of the world from the leauenne of scribes Pharises and from mans traditions It behoved that the ordenaunces of Christe and of his Apostles should be thruste out of place that these might be accepted in theyr stede O this was a sufficieÌ„t cause why that good olde doctrine whiche many ages had bene approued should be abiected and a new forme of Religion should be brought into y e Church of God Neuerthelesse what so euer it is these men crie still Nothyng must be chauÌ„ged with these thinges mens mindes ar satisfied these thinges ar decreed by the churche of Rome that church can not erre for Siluester Prierias saith y t the Church of Rome is the squire rule

of truth from the whiche the holy scriptures receaue their authoritie The doctrine sayth he of the Churche of Rome is the vnfallible rule of fayth from the whiche the holy Scriptures fetcheth her strength And pardonnes sayeth he ar not come to our knowlege by the authoritie of the scriptures but thei ar knowne vnto vs by the authoritie of the Churche of Rome and of the Romane Popes the whiche is a greater authoritie Pighius also is not afrayde to saye that we ought not to beleue any texte of the scripture be it neuer so playne vnlesse we haue our warrant from the Churche of Rome Muche like as if any of these that can not speake good and pure Latine and yet can bable somwhat after the maÌ„ner of Scholemens Latine very roundly and redily woulde needes maynteyne that all other meÌ„ also ought to speake such Latine now in these times as many yeres past Mammetrect or Catholicon did speake and suche as at this daye is vsed amongest themselues in their common scholes for so both that whiche is spoken maye be well inough vnderstanded and also mens mindes wel satisfied and that it were a mockery now after so longe coÌ„tinuaÌ„ce to trouble y e world with a new kinde of speach and to cal home againe the olde purenes and elegaÌ„cy in speakyng whiche Cicero or Cesar vsed in their dayes Such is the duety forsoth that these men doe owe vnto the ignorance and darknes of the times paste Many thinges as a certaine man sayth ar ofte times in good estimatioÌ„ only bicause they had bene ones dedicated to the temples of Heathen Gods Euen so we see that these menne at this daye doe allowe many thinges and highly esteeme them not bicause they iudge them to be so much worthe but only bicause they haue bene receyued by coustume and dedicated after a certayne maÌ„ner to the Churche of God But our Church saye they can not erre the whiche thing I suppose they speake much like as in time paste the Lacedemonians were wonte to say y t in the whole state of their common welth it was not possible to finde an aduouterer wheras in deede they were rather al aduouterers in asmuch as thei cupled theÌ„self in vncertain mariages occupied their wifes together in coÌ„mon Or as the Canonistes for their bealies sake ar woÌ„te to speake nowe a dayes of the Pope That he in that he is lorde ouer all benefices although he doe sell for money Bysshoprickes Abbeys personages and suffereth nothing freely to departe from him neuerthelesse bicause he saythe that all is his thoe he would neuer so fayne he can not commit symonie But howe this argument should be good and how the wordes maye agree with reason we can not as yet surely perceiue except peraduenture like as the auÌ„cient Romanes in time past dealt with Lady Victorie so these meÌ„ after that truth came fliyng vnto them they pulled of her winges that neuer after she should be able to flie from them But what if Ieremie say vnto them accordyng as we sayde before that these be the wordes of lies What if the same man saye agayne that euen they whiche ought to haue manured the vineyarde haue wasted and destroyed the Uineyarde of the Lorde What if Christ saye that they whiche chyeflye ought to haue bene carefull ouer the Temple of the Lordes temple haue made a denne of thieues But in case the Church of Rome can not erre then muste it needes be that the happynes thereof is greater then the wisedome of these menne For suche is their lyfe doctrine and diligence that the Churche maye full well for all them not onely erre but also perishe vtterly and come to nothyng Doubtles if that Churche maye erre whiche hath vtterly gone astraye from the worde of God from the commaundementes of Christe from the ordinances of the Apostles from the examples of the primitiue Church from the constitutions of the olde fathers and auncient Councels and from the verye decrees of theyr owne makynge and whiche will not be kepte in order with no lawes nother olde nor new nother of theyr owne nor of others nother of God nor of manne then is it moste certaine not onely that the Churche of Rome mighte erre but also that moste lewdely and shamefully it hath erred But you were ones saye they of our felowship but now you ar become Apostatas ruÌ„negates haue separated your selfs froÌ„ vs. True it is y t we haue disseuered our selfs from theÌ„ and for that cause we bothe giue thankes to our moste mercyfull and mightie God and also on oure owne behalfes we doe moste hyghlye reioyce But we haue not departed at all from the primitiue Churche from the Apostles nor from Christe We can not denie but we were brought vp amongest them in darkenes and in the ignorance of God euen as Moyses was in the discipline and in the bosome of the AegyptiaÌ„s We were sayth Tertullian of your fellowshippe I coÌ„fesse and no marueile for men ar made and not borne Christians But let these men tell me wherefore they ar come downe from these seuen hils wherupon afore time Rome did stande and haue chosen rather to dwel vpon the playne whiche is called the fielde of Mars They will say peradueÌ„ture bycause the conduytes of water that were in those hils without the whiche they could not wel liue ar now decayed dried vp Then lette them giue vs that same leaue touchyng the water of euerlastyng life whiche they will haue to be graunted vnto them in this case of material water Amongest theÌ„ this water fayled longe a goe the elders as Hieremy sayeth sent theyr youÌ„gelings to y e waters but they when thei could finde nothing brought home theyr empty vessels beyng in great miserie and vtterly loste for thirste The needy sayeth Esay and the poore sought after water but they founde none in no place theyr tongues were now euen dried for thyrst these meÌ„ had broken vp all their water courses and theyr conduytes these had choked all theyr springes and had filled with myre and durte the fountayne of the water of life And like as Caligula in time paste by closing vp of all mens barnes brought vpon the people a generall hunger and famine so these men in chokyng vp of all the fouÌ„taynes of Gods worde haue brought the people into a miserable thyrste They brought as Amos the Prophete sayth hunger and thirst vpon men not a famine of bread not a thirste of water but of hearyng the worde of God The poore wretches wandered vp and downe sekyng after some litle sparke of that light of God wherwith they might chiere their consciences but it was cleane quenched out they coulde finde none at all Suche was the very state suche was the pytifull condition of the Church of God Moste miserably men liued therein without the gospell without lighte without all comforte Wherefore although our departyng be somewhat greuous vnto them yet ought

in pieces in maner all not onlye the ordinances but also the certaine principles concernyng doctrine of the primitiue Church and that without tariyng for any generall Councell But where as they say that it is not lawful for any man to appoint any new order without a CouÌ„cel who I praye you hath prescribed these lawes vnto vs or where haue they founde this decree It was folishly done of Agesilaus the kynge who beyng ones acertained of the minde and pleasure of the hyghe Iupiter woulde needes present the whole matter agayne vnto Apollo for to know whether he were of the same minde that his Father was But we should doe more foolyshlye a greate deale in case that when we doe heare God him selfe speakynge moste playnely vnto vs in the holye Scriptures and vnderstande his will and pleasure if I saye afterwardes as though al this were nothing we would refarre the whole matter to a councell The whiche is nothing els but to searche whether menne be of the same minde that God is and whether menne will allow by their authoritie the commaundementes of God What I praye you shall not the truthe be truthe or shall not God be God except a councell will and commaunde it so to be If Christe would haue handeled the matter so froÌ„ the beginnyng that he woulde haue taught or sayde nothing without the consente of the Bysshoppes and woulde haue referred ouer hys whole doctrine vnto Annas and Cayphas where should the fayth of Christ be at this day or who shoulde euer haue hearde of the gospell Peter forsothe of whome the Pope is wonte to speake more often and with more reuerence then of Iesus Christe did boldely withstande the sacred councell and sayde it was better to obeye God then men And Paule what time he had ones receyued the gospell into his minde and that not of men nor by man but only by the wil of God did not counsell with flesh and bloud nor dyd not referre the matter vnto his kinsemen or brothern but went by and by into Arabia for to publishe by the authoritie of God Gods misteries We surely doe not despyse Councels or assemblies and conferences of Bysshoppes and learned menne Nother haue we done those thinges that be done altogether without Bysshoppes or without a couÌ„cell The matter was handeled in full parlament with long deliberation and in a greate assemblie But as touchyng this councell whiche Pope Pius dothe at thys tyme counterfetly set forthe wherein men beyng nother called nor hearde nor seene ar so lightly condemned what we maye loke or hope to gette thereby it is not harde to gesse Nazianzenus longe agoe when that in his tyme he sawe menne that came to suche assemblies to bee so blinde and so obstinate that they were caryed after their owne affections and foughte rather for victorie then for truthe pronounced in playne wordes that he neuer sawe good ende of anye councell What woulde he saye nowe if he were a liue at this daye and shoulde vnderstande what these menne wente aboute For in that tyme all though they were gyuen to partes yet bothe mennes causes were hearde and manifeste errours by the common consente of all partes were taken awaye These menne agayne neyther will suffer the cause to bee freelye debated nother will endure to haue anye thyng chaunged howe many errours so euer there be For that is a thyng whiche they ar wonte often and with out all shame to boaste of that their Churche can not erre that in hit there is no blemyshe that there is nothyng to be graunted vnto vs or yf there be anye thyng that the iudgement thereof appertayneth vnto Bysshoppes and Abbots they be the directers of those matters they be the Churche of God Aristotel saythe that bastardes can not make a citie But whether the Churche of God maye be made of these fellowes or no let them consider for surely nother be they lawfull Abbots nor right Bysshoppes But let them hardely be the Churche lette them be hearde in couÌ„cels let them only haue authoritie to giue a voyce Neuerthelesse in times paste when the Church of God if it be compared with their Churche was resonably wel gouerned as Cipryan sayth bothe Elders and Deacons some parte also of the common people were called to the hearyng of Ecclesiasticall causes But what if these Abbotes and Bysshoppes haue no knowledge What yf they vnderstande not what religion is and what opinion they oughte to haue of God What if law be loste of the preeste couÌ„sel of the Elders What if the night as Micheas saythe be vnto them in stede of a vision and darkenes in stede of forseyng thynges to come What if all the watchemen of the Citie as Esaye sayth ar become blinde What if the salte hath loste his streÌ„gth and his taste and as Christ sayth is good for nothyng not so muche as to be caste out vpon the dunge hill Forsothe they will committe all thynges to the Pope whoe can not erre But that to beginne withal is a folishe deuise that the holy ghost should flie away in haste from the holy Councell to Rome to the intent that if he doubte or sticke in anye thyng and not be able to winde him selfe out he mighte take counsell of some other spyrite I wote not who better learned theÌ„ him self For if the case stande so what needed it that so many Byshops should in this time at so great charges and through so long iorneys be summoned to come to Trent It were yet a much more wiser better way sure I am it were bothe shorter and more commodious for them rather to put of all thynges to the Pope and to repayre at the firste dasshe to the heauenly determination of hys sacred breaste Moreouer it is agaynste equitie to put ouer oure cause from so manye Bysshoppes and Abbottes to the iudgemente of one man speciallye of hym whoe standeth accused by vs of moste weyghtye and greuous offences and as yet hath not brought in his answer who also hath condeÌ„ned vs without iudgement before wee were once called to bee iudged What trow ye that these be things of our own deuise Or is not this y e order of their Councels at this day Or be not all thinges committed ouer from y e holy Councels vnto the Pope alone in such sort that as though so many voices and subscriptioÌ„s serued to no purpose he alone may adde chaunge diminish take away alow release and againe restraine what him lyfteth Then I pray you of what maner of men were these words spoken Or why did the Bishops and Abbots not long agoe in the last CouÌ„cell of Trente decree after this manner at thende of their constitutions Sauing alwaies in al things the Authorite of the Apostolicall seat Or why doth Paschale the Pope write of himselfe so arrogantly As though saith he any CouÌ„cels had prescribed a lawe vnto the Church of Rome wheras all Councels both are made by

as though forsoothe that nowe also the whole worlde myght not perceiue that this is a very conspiracy and not a CouÌ„cell and that these Byshops which the Pope hath called vnto him at this time are not by their othe and affection vtterly addicted vnto his name and wil neuer do any thing but that which they shal perceiue to agre with his pleasure to make for the aduaucement of his power and to be according to his will or that amongest them euery mans reason and sentence were not rather nuÌ„bered then wayed or that the better parte were not ofte times oppressed with the greater Whereupon we know that ofte times it hath come to passe y t many good men and Catholike Bysshops what time such Councels were summoned wherin factions and parts were openly maintained knowing that they should only leese their labour in as much as the mindes of their aduersaries were bent vpon euill and therfore not possible to doe any good haue tarried at home Athanasius beyng called by Themperour to the Councell of Cesarea when he saw that he shoulde present himselfe to y e deadly hatered of his aduersaries he refused to come The same man afterwardes being come to the Councell of Syrmin when his minde gaue him by reason of the fiersenes and hatred of his enemies to what ende y e matter would come he trussed vp his baggage went his way Iohn Chrysostome although the Emperour ConstaÌ„tius had sent for him by fower letters to come to the Councell of the Arrians yet he kept himselfe at home What time as Maximus the Bysshop of Hierusalem sate in the councell of Palestine the olde man Paphnutius taking him by the hande ledde him out of the dores saying it is not lawefull for vs to sit in councell of these matters amongest these wicked men Unto the councell of Syrmin from which Athanasius did conuey himselfe away the Bysshops of the Weste countries woulde not repaire Cyril appealed bi his letters from the councell of those that were called Patropassiani Pauline the Bysshop of Trier diuers others when they saw the practise and power of Auxentius refused to come to the councell of Millane For in vaine they saw they should go vnto y t place where no reason but faction was hearde and where al causes were determinable not according to iudgemeÌ„t but according to fauor And yet they albeit they had neuer so greuous and obstinate aduersaries neuertheles if they had come at the least they shoulde haue had free liberty to speake to be hearde in the councell But as for vs in as much as it is not lawful for ani of our sort once to sitte or so much as to be seene in the assemblie of these men much lesse to be hearde freely to speake and on the other side for as much as the Popes Legates the Patriarches the Archbyshops the Bysshoppes the Abbots all coniured together al fettered in one faute al bound with one othe only haue place to sit only haue aucthoritie to giue their voice and in coÌ„clusioÌ„ as though thei had done nothing to submit al their iudgements to the Popes wil and pleasure alone euen to the intent that he who ought rather to haue pleaded his own cause at the barre should giue senteÌ„ce of himself in as much I say as that olde and ChristiaÌ„ liberty which in all Christian Councels ought chiefly to be maintained is now in couÌ„cel vtterly takeÌ„ away no good and godly man ought to maruaile if wee doe now at this time that thing which thei see the fathers and Catholike Bysshops did afore time wheÌ„ like cause was offered so that bycause in the councell we caÌ„ not be heard Princes Embassadors ar laughed to scorne and we all as though the matter were already dispatched and concluded ar before iudgement condempned if I say we had rather tary at home coÌ„mit the whole matter vnto God then to go to y e place where we shall neither haue any place nor yet any thing preuaile at al. But as touching our own iniuries we can beare them paciently quietly ynough But wherfore I pray you doe they exclude Christian Kinges and godly Princes from their councels Why doe they either so vncurtesly dispatche them out of their company or reiect them w t such reproche when that as though they were no Christian men or were not able to iudge they will not suffer them to sit in counsell in causes of Religion nor to knowe the state of their owne Churches Or in case they doe entermedle at any time by their aucthoritie doe y e thing which thei may do which thei are coÌ„manded to doe which they are bounde to do and which we know Dauid SalomoÌ„ other good priÌ„ces haue done and take vpon them other whiles the Byshops be a sleepe or whiles they doe rebellyously resist to bridle y e raging lustes of priestes and both driue them to the doing of their duty and kepe them from disorder moreouer if they plucke downe Idolls withdraw superstition set vp the true worship of God Why crie they by and by that they turne all things vpside downe that they breake into other mens offices and behaue themselues lewdely and arrogantly What Scripture hath at any time forbidden ChristiaÌ„ Princes from y e hearing of such causes Whoe did euer make these lawes but these fellowes onely But they will say Ciuile princes haue learned how to manege the common welthe and to exercise armes as for the misteries of Religion they vnderstande them not Then I pray you what other is y e Pope at this day but a Monarche or a prince What be the Cardinals which degree it is now scantly lawfull for any others to haue then Kinges and Princes sonnes What be the Patriarches what Archbisshops for the most part what Bysshops what other be the Abbots at this day in y e Popes kingdome but worldly Princes but Dukes but Earles wyth stately gardes about them whersoeuer they go and decked also many times w t collers and chaines of Golde They haue in deede sometime a peculier apparell Crosses Pillers Hattes Myters Palls the which kinde of pompe the auncient Bysshops Chrysostome Augustine and Ambrose had neuer Now besides these things what teache they what say they what do they what liue they in any point that is comlye and commeÌ„dable not onely for a Bysshop but also for a Christian man Is it so great a matter to cary a counterfait title and for onely chaunge of garmentes to bee called a Bysshop Surely y t the waight of all gouernement should be assigned ouer vnto theÌ„ only which nether do know nor will know what appertaineth to these thinges nor set not a halfpeny by any part of ReligioÌ„ further theÌ„ as it toucheth the kitchin the belly y t they onely shoulde be made iudges and be appointed as it were blind men to keepe the watche towre on the other syde to haue a Christian prince

that is well instructed to stande a very blocke and a post without giuing any voice w tout vttering his opinioÌ„ only to awaite what they wil appoint or commaunde him to doe w tout eares without eyes without stomacke without courage to receiue without exception whatsoeuer these fellowes shall lay vpon him and at a blinde auenture doe their commauÌ„dements how blasphemous and wicked soeuer thei be yea though they shoulde commaunde them to destroye Religion all together and to hange vp Christ himselfe vpon the Cross this is surely a matter bothe of great pride and of great reproch and of great iniquite also vntolerable for ChristiaÌ„ and wise Princes to endure For what think you Can Annas and Caiphas vnderstand these matters and can not Dauid and Ezechias vnderstande them Is it lawfull for a Cardinal being a man of warre and deliting in blood to sit in the couÌ„cell And is it not lawful for the Emperor or a ChristiaÌ„ king For we doe giue no aucthoritie vnto our magistrates more then y t we know is both giuen vnto them out of gods word and also approued by the example of the beste gouerned commoÌ„ welthes For besides y t God hath committed vnto euery faithfull Prince the charge of both the tables to the entent he shoulde vnderstande y t not only Ciuile matters but also religious Ecclesiasticall causes appertained to his office Besides y t kings or ofteÌ„times expresly coÌ„maÌ„ded of God to cut down superstitious groues to ouerthrowe Images of Idoles and aulters to haue at hande a copye of the boke of the law and that Esaie saith he ought to be a patron and a fosterer of the Church Besids I say al these things we see by the stories examples of the best tims for gouernement y t godly Princes neuer thought it a thing estranged from their office to take the charge of Churches Moses a ciuile magistrate and a leader of the people bothe receaued of God and also deliuered vnto the people the whole ordre of religion and of sacrifices and moreouer sharpely and greuously chastened Aaron the Byshoppe for the golden calfe and for transgression of Religion Iosue although he was none other but a cyuile magistrate neuerthelesse what time he was fyrste aduaunced to his office and appoynted to be ruler ouer the people he receiued his commission namely for religion and for the worshiping of God King Dauid what tyme as all religion by wicked kinge Saule was vtterly destroied broughte home againe the arke of God that is to saye he restored religion neither was he there as one that onely did cal vpon them and exhorte them to that worke but also he made Psalmes and Hymnes and did set in ordre euery degre and ordained their solemne araye and was in manner the chiefe amonge the Preestes Salamon the king buylded a Temple to the Lord the whiche his father Dauide had onely in purpose to set vp and when all was finished he made a goodly oration to the people touching ReligioÌ„ and the worship of God afterwards he remoued Abiathar the Bysshop out of office and did apoint in his place Sadoke and what time as the Lords Temple was afterwards through the defaulte and negligence of the priestes in most filthy wise defiled Ezechias the king commauÌ„ded that the rubbishe and filth should be caried away that lightes should be set vp that incense should be offered and sacrifices be made according to the olde appointed order also that the brasen Serpent which at that time the people did most vngodly worsship should be takeÌ„ downe and broken into powder King Iosaphat what time he saw the true worship of God was hindered that the people was w tholden by a priuate superstition froÌ„ the coÌ„mon Temple which was at IerusaleÌ„ wherunto men ought to resort yearely from al partes of the realme he ouerthrew and toke away their hill altars superstitious groues King Iosias was diligent in admonisshing the priestes and Bysshops of their dutye King Ioas corrected y e ryoting arrogancy of priests Iehu did put the wicked Prophets to death But now to speake no more of examples out of the holy Scriptures and that we may rather come to coÌ„sider in what sorte the Church hath been gouerned since the birth of Christ in the time of the gospell in time past Christian Emperors did suÌ„mon y e Bysshops to come to couÌ„cels CoÌ„stantine the Councell of Nice Theodosiê° y e first the CouÌ„cel of ConstaÌ„tinople Theodosius y e second y e couÌ„cel of Ephesus MarcioÌ„ the couÌ„cel of Calcedon what time as Rufine alleged a couÌ„cell as an aucthoritie that made for his purpose his aduersari HierÃ´e for to coÌ„fute him saith Tel me by what Emperor was it suÌ„moned The same man in an Epitaphe of Paula doth cyte the letters of Emperours which commaunded the Latine and Greeke Bysshops to appere at Rome Doubtlesse for fiue hundred yeares together Themperour alone called the holy assemblies helde the couÌ„cels of Bysshops So much the more doe we maruaile at the vntimely boldnesse of the Bysshop of Rome at this day who so vnaduisedly entyteleth himselfe alone vnto that thing which he knoweth whiles the Christian common welth was vnited in one was the Emperours right and now sythens that kynges haue encroched vpon part of the Emperors estate is the common right of all princes and yet he thinketh it sufficient for him to signifie his pleasure of holding a couÌ„cell to the greatest estate of the worlde euen as he woulde sende to his man And in case that Ferdinando paraduenture be of such modesty by reason he is not sufficiently instructed of y e Popes sleightes that he can bere this iniurye yet the Pope himselfe for his holines sake should not offer him iniury chaleÌ„g vnto himself the right of an other maÌ„ But some man will say true it is that in those daies the Emperour called the councels bicause the Bysshop of Rome was not yet come to this greatnes yet neither at that time did he sit together in councell with the Bysshops nor entermeddle his authoritie wyth anye parte of their consultation Yes truely the Emperour Constantine as Theodoret saith did not onely sitt amongest them in the councel of Nice but also admonished y e Bishops how thei ought to trie their coÌ„trouersy out of the bookes of the Prophets and of the Apostles In disputation saith he of matters of diuinitie wee haue the doctrine of the holy Ghost set before vs to the intent we should folowe it For the bookes of the EuaÌ„gelistes of y e Apostles and of the Prophets doth sufficieÌ„tly declare vnto vs what we ought to think of gods will Theodosius the Emperour as Socrates saith dyd not onely sit amongest the Bysshops but also was chiefe iudge of the controuersy and did both teare the writinges of the Heretikes and also allowed the iudgement of the Catholykes In the councel

of Chalcedon the ciuile Magistrate condemned by sentence pronounced by his own mouth Dioscorus Iuuenal and Thalassius being Bysshops for Heretykes and gaue iudgement that they should be disgraded from that dignite of the Church In the thirde councell of Constantinople Constantine a ciuile Magistrate did not onely sitt amongest the Bysshops but also subscribed with the Bysshops We haue read it saith he and we haue subscribed In the seconde councell called Aransicanum Princes embassadors being noble men did not onely declare their mindes touching Religion but also subscribed amoÌ„gest the Bysshops For it is written in thende of that councel after this sorte Petrê° Marcellinus Felix Liberius men of great honor and most renouned Lieutenantes of those countries that appertaine to Fraunce and meÌ„ of noble parentage haue subscribed their consent Siagrius Opilio Pantagathus Deodatus Cariattho Marcellus right noble men haue subscribed But if LieutenaÌ„ts generall and noble meÌ„ might subscribe in the councell might not Emperors and Kings doe the same It was not nedefull we confesse to prosequute so largly in so many words so clere a matter if we had not to doe w t such men as of contention and for desire of victory are woÌ„t to denie al things that are most plaine and euen those thinges which they see and haue daily in their eyes IustiniaÌ„ the Emperour made a law touching the amendemeÌ„t of the maners and brideling of y e arrogaÌ„cy of priestes and although he were a ChristiaÌ„ a Catholike Emperor yet he was so bolde to thrust out of y e Papal dignitie two Popes Siluerius Uigilius y e successors of Peter vicars of Christ. Now then thei which take vpoÌ„ them aucthorite ouer Byshops which receiue coÌ„mission from God touching Religion which bring home y e arke of God make holy Psalmes haue rule ouer priests builde TeÌ„ples make sermons touching y e worshipping of God which cleÌ„se temples throw downe hylle altares set fier on superstious groues which admonish priestes of their duty and prescribe lawes wherafter thei shal liue which put wicked prophets to death which depriue Bysshops which call y e assemblies of Bysshops which sit together w t the Bysshops directe them what thei shal doe which doe condemne an Heretike Bysshop to be punished which sit in iudgemeÌ„t of matters of ReligioÌ„ which subscribe which pronounce their opinioÌ„ they I say y t doe al these things not at other mens coÌ„mauÌ„dements but in their own name and y t vprightly godly shal we say y t vnto such doth not appertaine the charge of ReligioÌ„ or y t a ChristiaÌ„ magistrate entermedling w t these maters doth other leudly or arrogaÌ„tly or wickedly truly y e most ancieÌ„t most ChristiaÌ„ Emperors kings haue entermedled w t these matters yet were thei neuer therfore noted other to be vngodly or presuÌ„ptuouse And who would wishe for either more catholike Princes or more notable examples Now if this were lawful in them being only cyuile magistrates rulers of comoÌ„ welthes what haue our Princes offended which being in y e same office mai not also haue y e same liberty or what great excelleÌ„cy of lerning of iudgemeÌ„t of holynes is in these meÌ„ y t contrary to the custome of al y e olde catholike Bysshops which were wont to conferre in matters of Religion w t noble meÌ„ thei should now reiect them froÌ„ the hearing of such matters froÌ„ their coÌ„mon asseÌ„blie But ful wel do they prouide for themself for their kingdome which otherwise thei see would shortly come to ground For if thei whom God hath placed in the highest degree did se and vnderstande the sleightes of these meÌ„ how by them the coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts of Christ are despised the light of Gospell darkened vtterly put out theÌ„selues abused and at vnwares laughed to scorne also debarred froÌ„ the entry into the kingdome of God they would neuer suffer theÌ„selues to be other so proudly despised or so shamfully laughed to scorne whereas now through ignorance blindnes thei kepe theÌ„ vnder awe and in their dauÌ„ger As for vs touching the chaunge of ReligioÌ„ we haue done nothing as we said before rashly or presuÌ„ptuously nothing but leisurly and w t gret deliberatioÌ„ Neither would we euer haue takeÌ„ in hande to doe it had not the manifest the expresse wil of God declared vnto vs in y e holy scriptures the regard of our own saluatioÌ„ coÌ„pelled vs thereunto And albeit we haue forsakeÌ„ y t Church which these meÌ„ do cal Catholike by reason therof do bring vs in hatered of those y t cannot iudge neuertheles this is sufficient for vs ought to be sufficieÌ„t for euery man y t is wise and godly and careful of euerlasting life that we haue forsaken that Church which might erre which Christ himselfe that can not erre so long before did prophecy that it shoulde erre and which wee our selues did euidently see before our eyes swarue awaye from the holy Fathers from the Apostles from Christ himselfe from the Primitiue and Catholike Church Againe we are come euen as nere as we could possible to the Church of the Apostles and of the olde catholike Bysshops and Fathers euen to y t Church which wee knowe was as yet a pure and as Tertullian saith an vndefiled Uirgine infected as yet neither with anye ydolatry nor with any greuous knowen error we haue directed not our doctrine only but also our Sacraments and the forme of our common praiers according to their rules ordinances And whereas before Religion was shamefully neglected depraued at these mens handes we according as we know both Christ himself all other godly men in maÌ„ner had done heretofore haue brought it home vnto the original to the first principles For we thought it requisite ther to seke the reformation of Religion from whence the first principles therof were deriued For this argumeÌ„t sayth the most auncient father Tertullian is stronge against all Heresies That is true whatsoeuer is first whatsoeuer is of latter time that is counterfait Ireneus appealed ofte times to the most auncient Churches such as were nerest vnto Christes tyme and of which it was hardely to be beleued that they dyd erre Wherefore is not y t way folowed at thys day Wherfore doe we not retourne vnto the example of the auncient Churches Wherefore can not that sentence bee hearde nowe a daies amongest vs which in the counsell of Nice longe ago withoute the gainesaying of anye man was pronouÌ„ced of so many Byshoppes and Catholike fathers ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ Esdras what time he went about to make vp the decayed places of Gods temple he seÌ„t not to Ephesus although there was a very beutifull and gorgious temple of Diana and when he woulde restore their ceremonies and sacrifices he sente not to Rome althoe peradueÌ„ture he had hearde of their solemne sacrifices called Hecatombas Solitaurilia Lectisternia of their supplications

the Church of God wil not become wise but will abaÌ„don their dutie and harden their hartes agaynste God and his anoynted Christe and continew still in peruertyng the streyght wayes of the Lorde God will rayse vp the very stones and make litel babes eloquent that alwaies there may be some by whome the lies of these men maye be confuted For God is able not only without councels but also maugre the councels both to defende and to encrease his kyngdome There be saythe SalomoÌ„ many deuises in mans hart but the councel of the Lorde abideth stable for there is no knowlege there is no wisedome there is no councell agaynste the Lorde Thinges sayth Hilary that ar buylded vp by mannes worke doe not endure The Churche of God muste be otherwise buylded and otherwise conserued For it is grounded vpon the foundation of the Apostls and Prophetes and ioynted together with one corner stone Iesus Christ. But S. Hierome of all other speaketh most plainely and most aptly for these times WhoÌ„soeuer sayth he the Deuil hath deceiued and hath as it were with swete and impoysened enchauntment of the meremaydes entised to fall a slepe those the worde of God dothe awake and sayth Ryse thou that slepeste stande vp and Christe will giue the lighte Wherefore at the commyng of Christe and of Gods worde and of the doctrine of the Churche of the vtter ouerthrow of Niniue and of that moste beautifull harlot the people that before vnder sholemasters was rocked a slepe shall be raysed vp and with haste shal goe to the mouÌ„taynes of the Scriptures there they shall finde mountaynes Moses Iesus the sonne of Naue mountaines the Prophetes mountaynes of the newe testamente the Apostles the Euangelistes And when they shall flee vnto suche mountaines and exercise themself in the readyng of these kinde of mountaynes yf they finde no manne to teache them for the haruest shall be greate and the workemen fewe neuerthelesse bothe the endeuour of the people bycause they flee vnto these kinde of mountaynes shall be allowed and the negligence of the scholemasters shal be coÌ„trolled These be the words of Hierome so playne that there needeth no interpreter so well applied to those thinges whiche we see now before our eyes that he semeth vnto vs to foreshewe as it were with the spirite of Prophecie and to entende to set before our eyes the whole state of our times and the fall of that moste sumptuously attiered harlot of Babylone and the reformatioÌ„ of the Church the blindenesse and loytering of the Byshoppes and the endeuour cherefulnesse of the people For who is so blinde that he seeth not these menne to be those sholemasters by whome the people as Hierome sayth hath bene ledde into error therein rocked a slepe or seeth not Niniue their Rome which sometime was counterfetly beautified w t most excellent colours nowe that her visar is taken away bothe to be better perceaued and lesse set by or the seeth hot howe godly menne beyng raysed vp as it were out of a deade slepe at the light of the gospel and at the sounde of Gods worde haue gone forthe without tariyng for y e assemblies of these kinde of doctors vnto the mountaynes of the Scriptures But at y e least some maÌ„ wil say these thinges ought not to be attempted without the Pope of Romes leaue for he only is y e buckle the boÌ„d of ChristiaÌ„ felowship he only is that same Preest of the stoke of Leui which God did speake of in Deuteronomye that from him in matters of great difficultie men should fetche Councel and Iudgment of the truth and that if any man do not submit himselfe vnto his iudgment he should be slaine in the sight of his brethren he whatsoeuer he doth can not be iudged of any man Christe reigneth in heauen he vpon earth that he alone is able to do what soeuer Christ or God himself can do for he Christe haue but one consistory w tout him ther is no faithe no hope no Church that whosoeuer forsaketh him he casteth away abandoneth his own saluacioÌ„ These be y e flatteries of y e Canonists y e Popes belly seruaÌ„ts wherin forsothe thei vse not ouer much sobrenes for scarsly could they ascribe moe thinges vnto Christ him self but sure I am that greater thinges they could not And to returne againe to our own doynges We truly haue not departed froÌ„ y e pope for any worldly pleasure or for profites sake And woulde God that he woulde so behaue himself that we had no neede to forsake him But suche was our case that vnlesse we wente from him we could not come vnto Christe Neyther will he yet at this day make any other league with vs then as Naas the kynge of the Ammonites would haue made with the men of Iabes that was to put out the right eye of euery one of them For he wil plucke away from vs the holy scriptures the gospell of our saluation and al that hope whiche we haue in Christe Iesu for with other conditions we can haue no peace For as to that whiche certayne menne ar wonte so muche to speake of that the Pope only is Peters successor as thoe that by reason thereof he carieth the holy ghoste in his bosome and can not erre it is a folishe and a triflying tale The grace of God is promised vnto a well disposed minde and to him that feareth God not vnto Chayres SuccessioÌ„s Riches sayth S. Hierome may make a Byshoppe of greater powre but all Byshops what so euer they be ar the successors of the Apostels If the place and the enstalment alone be sufficient bothe Manasses succeded to Dauid Caiphas to Aaron and ofte times an idole hath stande vp in the teÌ„ple of God Archidamus a Lacedemonian was woÌ„t to auante him selfe muche bicause he was come out of the stocke of Hercules whose arrogancie Nicostratus daunted in this wise As for thou saythe he semest not to be come of Hercules for he killed euill men whereas thou of good men makest men euil And what time the Pharisees boasted their succession and kinred bloud of Abraham you sayth Christ doe seke to kill me a maÌ„ that haue spoken that truth vnto you whiche I haue hearde of God Thus dyd Abraham neuer you ar of your father the Deuil his wil you will obey Neuerthelesse that we should graunt some thing vnto succession Doth the Pope onely succede Peter In what thing I praye you in what Religion in what vse of seruice in what parte of his life doth he succede him What thing had euer either Peter like the Pope or the Pope like Peter Except paraduenture they will say this that Peter whiles he was at Rome neuer taught the Gospell neuer fedde his flocke that he toke away the keys of the kingdome of heaueÌ„ hid the treasures of his Lord only that he satt him down in Laterane and with his fynger

and menne retorne not home to the fountaynes of the holy Scriptures and the commaundementes of the heauenly doctor ar not kept For that sayth he is not peace but warre nother is he that is disseuered from the gospell ioyned to the Churche but these menne doe only set to sale the name of peace to their owne gayne for that peace which thei so muche require is nothyng but the ease and satisfaction of idle beallies For all these matters might be ended well ynough amongest vs if ambition bellychere and licencious liuyng were no hinderance therto FroÌ„ hence cometh all the sorowe their minde is vpon their platters This is hit they crie and make all this buysines for that thinges euill gotten they might more filthily and lewdly maintaine Al Pardoners Dataries Collectors Bawdes and others that thynke gayne to be godlines and serue not Iesus Christ but theyr own bellies doe greuously complayne of vs at this day For in time paste this kinde of men had good dayes in the olde worlde But nowe what so euer increase cometh vnto Christe that thinke they turneth them to losse This is hit whereon the Pope himself complaineth at this daye that charitie forsoth is waxen could bycause his rentes ar lesse nowe then they were wonte to be Thus he bringeth vs into hatered al that he maye and rayleth vpon vs and condemneth vs for heretikes to the intent that they whiche vnderstande not the matter should thinke there were no worse men vpoÌ„ earth Yet we for all this nother ar nor ought to be ashamed of the gospell For we regarde more the glory of God then the estimation of menne We knowe that all these thinges which we doe teache ar trewe neyther can we either vse violence agaynst the knowlege of our owne conscience nother yet present our selfs as witnesses agaynst God For if we denie any parte of the gospel of Iesus Christe before menne he on the other side will denie vs agayne before his father Now if there be any that will be offended and maye not endure the doctrine of Christe they be blinde themself and leaders of suche as ar blinde Neuerthelesse the truthe must be preached and set forthe by our open profession of the same and patiently we muste loke for the Iudgement of God to come In the meane while let these menne take heede what they doe let theÌ„ haue some regarde of their owne saluation and let them ceasse to hate and to persequute the gospell of the sonne of God leaste at the length they finde him to be the punisher and reuenger of his owne cause God will not suffer himselfe to be mocked Men doe see all ready how the matter goeth This flame the more it is kepte vnder so muche the more and more it breaketh out and flyeth abrode Their vnfaythfulnesse shall not deface the fayth of God but if they dispose not themselfe to laye awaye this hardnesse of their hartes and to receyue the gospell the Publicanes and sinners shall goe before them into the kingdome of God God and the father of our Lord Iesus Christ open all their eyes that they maye see that same blessed hope whereunto they ar called that we maye all together in one worshippe that same onely and true God and that same Iesus Christ whome he sente downe to vs from Heauen To whome together with the Father and the holy Ghost be giuen all honor and glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS IMPRINTED AT LONDON by Reginalde Wolfe Anno 1562. Tertull. in Apologeticâ— Trew religion was alwaies slauÌ„dered amonge men Cor. Tacitus Tertul. in Apologetico cap. 7. C. Plinius Act. 26. Epiphanius Marcion ex Tertull. Aelius Ã¨ Lactantio Euse. li. 5 ca. 2 Tertul. 3. Apologetico 1.2.3 7.8.9 Sueton. Tranquil in Nero. 1. Timoth. 4. Slaunders deuysed by Papistes A generall aunswere Slaunders that tende towardes blasphemye muste be coÌ„futed Ioan. 8. Act. 26. Quadratuâ— Iustinus Molitol Tertuli and others Pius the .iiii. Why thys Apology was writen â–ª Aunswer to the obiectioÌ„ of Heresye Act. 24. Tertul. in Apologetico 2. Timoth. 3. 2. Cor. 10. 2. Timoth. 1. De imitate Eccle. cap. 3. The same sentence is fouÌ„de against Maximum Byshop of the ArriaÌ„s lib. iii. ca. xiiii vpon the first Chapter of Agge Act. 24. The doctrine coÌ„monly receaued in the Churche of Englande Of God Of Christe Aug. tract 5â— in Ioannem Act. 3. Aug. tract 3. in Ioannem Ad DardanuÌ„ chen li 3. Fulgentius ad Regem Trasimundum Of the holy Ghooste Of the Churhe Christ hath no vniuersall depute De simplicitate Praelatorum Ad EuagriuÌ„ De simplicitate PraelatoruÌ„ 1. Tim. 3. Gregor in Regist. Li. 7. Epist. 69. cap. 47. Gregor lib. 4 Epist. 76.78 80. lib. 7. Epist. 95. The callinge of Ministers The authoritie of Ministers The keys of the kingdom of heauen 2 Timoth. 3. De poenitent dist 1. ca. uerbum Dei Luc. 11. Mat. 23. Mat. 16. Matrimony of Ministers â–ª In Titum primo hom 11. Theophyl ad Titum 10. Eu. li. 10. ca 5. In monodia sua super Basilium 1. Timoth. 4. Platina in uita Pij 2. Of the canonicall scriptures The Sacraments of the Churche The number of SacrameÌ„ts Baptisme The Lordes Supper Chrisostom ad Ephes. ser. 3. cap. 1. De Cons. dist 1. cap. omnes Dist. ca. secularis De consecra dist 2. ca. peracta Bothe kyndes appertaine to the people De Consecra Dist. 2. ca. com perimus The presence of Christe in the Supper Transubstantiation vnknowen to the Fathers In Ioan. cap. 6 De sacra li. 4. cap. 4. In Dialogis primo .2 In sermone ad infantes De Consecrat Dist. 2. ca. qui manducant In Mat. 15. Luc. 22. De Consecra .1 ca. Quando De coeno Domini In Io. tra 50. Abuses of the Lords supper Libro de Ceremoniis ecclesiae Romane How the merits of Christ ar applied vnto vs. Ad Rom. ca. 3. lib. 3. Purgatorye Aug. in psa 85 In Enchiridion cap. 67. De ciuit Dei li. 21. ca. 26. CoÌ„tra Pelagianos lib. hypognosticon 5. Of Ceremonies Ad Ianuarium epist. 119. Prayer in our owne tonge August in Psa. 18. Of intercession and worshipinge of Saintes Hier. 2. c. 11. Bernardus Of original sinne Of redemptioÌ„ by Christe The sacrifice of Christe is perfect Of good workes Of the resurrection Dist. 36. Lector In glosa Dist. 8â— Presbyter A DetestatioÌ„ of Heresye Heresies that rise with the Gospel ar not bredd by the Gospell The cause of heresies Dissension amongst those that professe the Gospell ys no certen note of heresie Sectes and Dissensions of the Papists De merito câ—â— grui coâ—â— dig ni Stephan Gaâ—â—diner in the Diuels sophi Richard Faber Recantatio Berengari Scholae Glosa GuimaÌ„dus do con dist 2. Ego Beren â–ª Thomas Gardinerus De consecra dist 2. Species in Glosa The agremeÌ„t of Papistes Euery conseÌ„t is not a true token of the Churche of God Impietie in times paste obiected againste Christians ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰

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