sellinge feightinge and brawlinge although these be verye euill and worthie much rebuke yet there be worse abuses as blaspheming God in lyinge Sermons polluting the Temple with Schismaticall seruice destroying and pullyng downe holye aulters that were set vp by good blessed men there the sacryfice of the blessed Masse ministred according to the order of Christes catholycke Church Yea where the alter stode of the holy Ghost the new Bishops haue made a place to set their tales vpon and there sit in the iudgement of such as be Catholycke and liue in the feare of God Some they depriue from their liuinges some they commit to prison excepte they will forsake the Catholicke faith and embrase a faith and religion that hais no foundacion layde by generall Counseil nor blessed fathers in times past but inuented by Heretikes that do not agree one with another nor them selfes Thus the Bysshops that now be haue abused the Churche and polluted it as the Prophete Hiere sais they haue put offendicles in the house of God and polluted it Also the said Preacher in his Sermon at Paules Crosse didde declare the vertue of obedience to be muche decayed in these oure dayes but he leaues out who they be that cause disobedience For there is none more disobedient then the new Bisshops and Preachers now a dayes which disobey the vniuersall Church of Christ the which Churche whosoeuer will not obey our Sauiour in the Gospel commaundes vs to take them as infidels As where the vniuersall Churche of Christ commaundes Masse and seuen Sacramentes as necessary for our saluation they call it abhomination wyth their blasphemous mouthes where the Church commaundes to fast they commaunde to eate where the Churche commaundes continuall prayer of the Clergie they call it supersticion and blind ignoraunce where the Church commaundes the Clergie to liue in chastity they commaund and exhort the Clergie to mariage where the Churche and all lawes ciuill and canon yea the lawes of this Realme do prohibit mariage of Priestes they alow mariage of priestes obeying no law but folow their owne carnal lust Yea where the Quene hais geuen streyght commaundement to abstayne from flesh in Lent and other dayes commaunded by the Church these new Preachers and Protestantes haue eaten flesh openly to the great sclaunder of other so they obey neither the Quene nor the churche so that almighty God complaines by his Prophete Esai tota die blasphematur nomen meum with these menne God is continually blasphemed wo be to you sais Esai that call good euill and euill good putting darkenes light and light darkenes as by Ezechiell sais almighty God the Priestes haue contemned my law and haue polluted my Sanctuarie Also O see the Prophete does saye the bread that they doe offer is full of mourning â–ª and all that cat ther of shalbe defiled We maye see how they contemne all that blessed fathers holye Martirs and Saintes haue decreed they disobey all that haue bene vertuous and good in Christes catholick church As now of late they haue inuented a new way to make Byshops Priestes and a mannor of seruice and ministracion that Saint Augustine neuer knew Saint Edmund Lanfranc Saint Anselme nor neuer one Byshop of Canturburie sauinge onelye Crammer who forsoke his profession as Apostata so that they muste nedes condemne al the Byshops in Canturbury but Crammer and he that now is al the Bishops in yorke sauinge Holgate and he that nowe is although Saint wilâ—â—â—d Saint willyam haue bene taken for saintes and were bishops in yorke In Couâ—ntree and Lichfelde Saint Chad was Bisshop and many blessed Bishoppes And he that is Bishop now can find not any one that was made as he is nor of his religion Therefore he muste proue al Byshoppes of Lichfelde were deceyued walked in biyndnes and ignoraunce or els he that now is must needs be deceiued and be in blindnes In Duresine haue bene manye good fathers but he that is now Bishop can not find any one Predecessor in that see that was of hys religyon and made Byshop after such fort as he was so that he that now is must take in hand to condemne all the Byshops afore him that they were in ignoraunce and blindnes or els they will come to his condemnation at the daye of iudgement And this in all Bishoprickes in England some can find one and some none that euer was of their religion What arrogancy maye be thought in those men that will take in hand to contemne so many blessed fathers all to be in blindnesse But nowe they saye they haue founde a lyght and reforme religyon according to the primitiue Church Then seing they reforme religion so well as they saye it were meete as they forsake all the religion that their predecessors vsed as Masse Mattins ministracion of sacraments that they should also forsake houses â—arkes landes and reuenues that their predecessors had and go from place to place for Gods sake and preach and thâ—n were some liklyhode of reformation or els it may be called rather a deformation then a reformation In Christes Church hais euer bene a succession of Bishops from the Apostles time to this day in euery see And Tertullian saies if in any see there be a Byshop that walkes not in his fathers steps he is to be counted a bastard and no true inheritor in Chrystes Churche Saint Cypryan does say they that be made Byshops out of the order of the Church and not by tradition and ordinance of the Apostles coming by succession from time to time are not Byshops by the will of god â—ut theues and murtherers comming to kill the flocke of Christ with heresie and lies And where the saide Preacher does affirme greater matters then the brinning of Paules to haue chaunced in time of supersticion and ignoraunce as the Church of Paules was â—rent in the first yeare of Steuen and the Steple of Paules set on fire by lyghtninge in the tyme of kinge Henrie the vi they that count that to be the time of supersticion and ignoraunce when God was serued deuoutly night and day the people liued in the feare of god euery one in his vocation without reasoning contencion of matters of religion but referred all suche thinges to learned men in generall counsailes and vniuersities there to be disputed then was the commaundementes of God and vertue expressed in liuinge now all is in talke and nothinge in liuinge then was prayer now is prating then was vertue and now is vice then was buildinge vp of Churches houses of religion and hospitals where prayer was had night and day hospitalitye kept and the poore relieued now is pulling downe and destroying such houses where God should be serued hospitalitie kept and the poore releiued by meanes wherof Gods glory is destroyed and the commen welth impouerished then was plenty of all thinges now is scarcenesse of all thinges therfore Operibus credite the frute will shew
was thereon offred as those were on an altar Where so euer therfore the newe testament or olde writers vse this word altar they allude to that Sacrifice of christ fygured by Moyses and vse the word stil that Mosses vsed to signyfye the same sacrifice withall and rather it is a figuratiuâ— than a proper kinde of speache in all suche places And because altars were euer vsed for sacrifices to signifie that sacrifice whiche was to come seing our sauioure christ is comen alreadye hais fulfilled and finyshed all sacrifices we thinke it best to take away all occasions of that Popyshe sacrificinge masse for maintaynnige whereof they haue cruelly sacrificed manie innocent soules to minister on tables accordinge to these examples It greeues him that the Bishops set their tales as it pleases hym to speake whan they sytte in iudgemente where the Altars were but if they were handled as did Baals Priestes and his Altars God did them no wrong It is a commen true sayinge he that wil do no yl must do nothinge that longes there til so surely if we wil warely audid the wickednes of Popery we must fâ—e from suche thinges as maintaine their doinges There is nothinge more profitable vnto them than massinge sacrifices therefore because Altars importe and maintaine their gainefull sacrificynge it is necessary they be remoued For their sacrifice of the Masse that he so muche lamentes to be defaced and all good conscyences reioyse that God of hys vndeserued goodnesse hays ouerthrowen it I referre all menne to the fyft and laste booke that the blessed soules now lyuinge with god Bishoppes Crammer aud Ridley wrote of the Sacramente whose bodyes they cruellye tormented therfore There who so euer lust maye reade and with indifferencye wey the reasons of both parties and iudge wyth the trueth Stout Steuen woulde gladlye haue ouerthrowen that booke but God confounded hym and their names lyue for euer So longe as that booke standes vnconfuted they maye barke agaynste the trueth as the Dogge does agaynst the mone and not preuaile And if ye will call but a litle to your remembrance howe many diuers sortes of masses there were vsed in diuers couÌ„tries as appeares in the words afore rehersed ye shal se how lowd he lies in saiing here that their masse was according to the order of christes catholike church That is catholicke as the Greke word signifies which is vniuersall and general both in time person and place therfore he must proue if he will be beleued that this Popish latin patched masking masse hais bene vsed at al times of all menne and in all Countryes But I haue declared afore both many sundrye sortes of ministringe the lordes supper in seuerall countries and also howe of late yeares this his order hais bene violently and blinde ignoraunce brought in therfore it can not be catholicke None that be counted learned can be ignoraunt of the general pointes wherin the Greke East churche differs from the west latin Romish churche The Grecians neuer receyued the Pope for their head nor the doctrine of purgatory their Priestes were euer free to mary they ministred the Lords supper alwais in their owne language with leauened bread in bothe kindes to the lay people both the bred and the cup seuerally the Priestes neuer receiued alone withoute other to receyue wyth him they neuer made trentals of it nor knew transsubstantiation they neuer vsed pardons ymages with manye other moe thinges lyke as auricular shriuinge to a Priest c which all the latin Romish Church defendes and does contrary and their these religion standes in theym therefore none of these opinions can be cald catholicke because the Greke Churche which is the greater part of the worlde neuer receiued beleued nor vsed them Thus many lyes than this maister D. hais made in one word callynge it catholicke as there be thynges wherein their Romishe masse dyffers frome the the Greke liturgies and orders of ministringe the Lordes supper as I haue declared moste of theym If I shoulde particulâ—rly and throughly handell all his folysh saiynges it would growe to to great a woorke therefore brefelye I touche the chefest He charges vs with a faith and religion that hais no foundacion layde by generall counsels which sayinge whan he better considers I truste he will be content to be reckned in the same number with vs. Was not the first general counsel vnder Constantine the Emperor at Nice aboue iiii c. xxx yeres after Christ was borne Shall I say than or is he so shameles to thinke that there was no religion nor faith in the world so manye yeares together after Christ. because there was not of so many yeares a generall counsell to bilde vppon No and because we say and proue oure faithe and relygion to bee the best and auncienst we bylde not on counsels as they doe but on Goddds worde which is aboue the counsel and rules al being not ruled of any hais bene from the beginning and shall continue to the end and we say with Paule that we be bylded on the foundacion of the Apostles and Prophetes Christ himselfe beynge the head corner stone The Prophetes whereon we buyld lyued many of them a thousaunde yeare afore anye generall counsell was heard of and the Apostles liued iiii C. yere afore them Wherfore our foundacion and religion is much elder than theirs Councels are lyke to Parliamentes that that pleases one Pope in his Counsell pleases not another as the bokes do easely declare and that whiche one thinkes good makes a law one yere an other condeÌ„nes disanulles What a vayn thing is it than to bild on so vncertain a groundworke Heauen and earth shall passe chaunge and decaye but the worde of the Lorde our God from whence comes our religion remaines for euer as the Prophet sais Therfore the wise builder wil folowe that which will not fade Lastlye where he charges vs that we agree not one wyth another nor wyth oure selues I maye say to him with the Gospell Thou Hypocryte first plucke the mote out of thine own eye and than thou shalte better see to take the beame oute of thy brothers eye There is no sorte of people more giltye in this behalfe than the Papystes be The heathen Philosophers hadde not so manye sundrye sectes and oppinions amonge them selues in their scholes as the Papistes haue in their doynges D. Ponet late Byshoppe of Winton in his answere to the booke that beares Martins name for mariage of Priestes proues wel that Poperye is a monster patched of al kynds of heresy worse than they al. Where such thinges are fullye taught proued I had rather refer you to y e reding of them there than to write one thynge oft I declared to you afore also where ye shal find xxiii schismes among the popes themselues These holy Bishops y â— he craks so much on for their imprisonment and other that in losing their
deliuerance from such supersticion They crake muche of blessed fathers and yet name not who they be but much it shall not skill for their dedes wil proue their holines what great holynes was thys to haue mattins at midnight when folke were on slepe in their beds Is not commen praier to be had at such houres whā the people might resort commenly vnto it cōueniently if midnyght be such a time most conuenient let the world indge I graunt in the primatiue church gods people hadde their prayers earlye afore day because at other tymes they were not suffred but in those assembles were not onelye munkes or Priestes but all sortes and degrees of men were gathered to pray here Sermons and receiue the Sacramentes for at other times of the day they durst not for the greatnes of persecution In Paules and Abbayes at their midnight prayers were none commenlye but a fewe ballynge Priestes yonge queristers and nouyces whyche vnderstode not what they said the elder sort kept their beddes or were woorse occupyed A prayer not vnderstande in the hart but spoken with the lippes is rather to be counted praiting and ballyng than prayinge wyth good deuotiō The elder sort both in Cathedrall Churches and Abbaies almost neuer came at their midnyghte prayer it was thought inough to knolle the belles and make menne beleue that they rose to praye therefore they haue not so much to crake of this their doinge The Papistes haue a rule of their owne makynge to say their mattins in which I thinke was a great cause of these early mattins and also of saying theym ouer night Ante tempus meritum in tempore debitum post tempus peccatum To saye Mattins afore the tyme due is a merit to saye them in due time it is duty but after the appoincted time is sinne But as all their religion is of their own deuysynge so is their rewarde God hais made them no suche promise and therfore they can clayme nothynge at hys handes For their continuall massynge afore noone we prayse Godde that hais delyuered vs from it as a thynge contrarye to hys holye wyll and ordynance Saint Paule sayes that whan they came together to eate the Lordes supper they shoulde tarye one for another but these shorne shaueling shameles priestes woulde neyther receyue together one of theym with another nor yet let the people haue anye part with them Enery one wold crepe into a corner to an aultar alone there lifte vppe on highe eate and drinke vp all alone sell good penyworthes and blesse them with the emptye Chalice Than all was well as they thought and Godde well serued but to breake Gods Commaundemente of receiuinge together they passed not of it so that thei might folowe their owne deuyse I know their shift in writhyng this text to their purpose and sayinge that Saint Paule spake this of that feast whych they vsed than to haue whan they receiued the communyon but that wrasting wil not serue for both for that feast and al other kind of eating to fil theyr belly s. Paul gaue that Commaundemente that folowes If any man be an hungred lette him eate at home haue ye not houses to eat and drinke in or do ye despise the congregacion of God seynge that Paul speakes there but of twoo sortes of eatynge the one for hunger to fille their belies the other fedynge the soule with the spirituall foode of Chrystes bodye and bloude for nouryshinge and feding our weake bodyes he byddes vs eat at home but for the liuelye foode of oure soules in the sacrament of his body and bloud he biddes vs tary one for another for it is the seale and band of brotherlye loue as well as the sacrament of Christes bodye and bloud Euery piller in the Churche commenlye had his altar euerye altar his priest and his God to whome the Altars were dedicate thus like menne not regarding Gods commaundement they folowed their owne deuises and yet hauing the truth reueled they harden their heartes and stop their cares that they will not learne For climbing vp to the top of the steple to sing their antimes I demaund of them to shew a reason if there be any why it is done there rather than on the ground and why on such saint dais rather than on other why that tyme of the yere rather then other Whan Baals priests were assēbled against y ◠Prophet Elias to trie whether of them serued the liuyng God and Baals priestes beganne to praye and cal on their god but he woulde not heare theym Elias said crie louder perauenture your God is busy he is chasing his enemies from home or on slepe so vnto ye finde a better aunswere I am contente freelye to lende you this wythout payinge anye peny for it that ye maye francklye saye ye goe vp to the top of the steple to call on your god that he may the more easelye heare you standing so highe rather than on the grounde so farre of and at night whan other suters take their rest for al the day long perauenture he hais bene otherwaies occupied and nowe waringe olde his hearinge decayes so muche that if ye stande not nere hande and crye loude he can not helpe you These and such other are mete for them that serue straunge Gods but he that calles on the liuinge Lord knowes him to be present in all places and therefore makes no suche difference of them Againe if according to their owne doctrine a praier made in a halowed place be better than that which is made in an vnhalowed than better it is to stand on the grounde than to climbe on height for the top of the steple was neuer halowed as the church was beneth Whā suche folishnes is wisely proued we shal streight waies beleue it First searche whether the faith and religion nowe vsed was taught wyth the blessed fathers in Christes Churche in tymes paste ye shall proue by no recorde of autoritye or Chronicle tha◠this manner of seruyce nowe vsed in the Churche was euer harde tell of afore Luthers time whyche is not xl peare agoe therefore it is to be reiected and putte awaye as a newe fangled doctryne and schismaticall therefore come backe agayne into the olde blessed fathers stepes In that he denies this faith and religion euer to be heard tel of vnto within these xl yeares and bids trie the recordes whither it be true that he sais and semes to charge vs with forsakinge the olde faith and fathers alledginge the Epistle to the Ebrewes that be that comes to Godde muste beleue and that without faith it is not possible to please God and Iere. that we shoulde searche out the olde way and walke in it I am well content to stand with him in these pointes and proue that this fayth and religion was taught in Christs church continuallye from the beginning and that this seruice nowe vsed goes nearer the order appoynted in
the Scripture than any that euer they haue receyued from the Pope If we had not this faith spoken of to the Ebrewes we durst not so boldlye come to the throne of grace wythoute makynge anye moe medyatoures than one onelye Iesus Chryst Where as they in makynge so manye meanes and intercessoures for thē as though God were a cruel iudge and not a mercifull father declare them selues to want this faith in that they dare not so boldly come to the throne of grace without suche spokes men as we vse none for faith onely makes vs bolde to come into Gods presence and begge of his grace But accordinge to their desire let vs searche oute the olde waye whiche is good that we maye walke in it The faith of a Christian manne is generallye conteined in the Crede and particularly declared in the scripture at large and whether we kepe that better then they let wise men iudge We do esteame these articles of the Christian faith so much with the Lordes prayer and the tenne commaundements of almightye God that by commen order it is appoynted and good ministers practise it that Children shall learne theim not in a tonge that they vnderstand not as the Pope would haue theim but in their mother tong w e such a short declaratiō on it by a Catechisme that now a yong child of a ten year old can tel more of his duty towarde God and manne than an olde manne of their bringinge vp can doe of lx or lxxx yeare olde all the canonycall Scryptures we do so renerently receiue and faithfully beleue that we stande in contention with the Papistes that nothing is to be beleued as necessary to saluation but onely the old testament and the new where their faith is neuer certayne but whan it pleases the Pope or his Councell to make theym a newe artycle of their faith or condemne or chaunge any that they haue they receiue it willingly beleue it faithfully and folow it earnestlye with fire and fagor It is not longe sins that by commen autoritye where oure Creede hais but xii articles they added vi mo articles and with no lesse daunger of wythstandynge theym than of life This six stringed whippe did vere Gods people sore vnto God of his vndeserued mercy prouided a remedye And where they thincke no faith nor religion to be good alowed or receiued but that whiche is confirmed by generall counsels or written by the doctors for that I say their religious supersticion cannot be proued by general counsell nor Doctour as the reuerend Bysshop of Sarum laies against D. Coole But so farre as eyther generall counsel or the Doctoures writinges doe agree with the body of the holy scriptures we do not onelye reuerentlye and willingly receiue them but diligently so farre furth as we maye practise theym They crake much of the autoritye of a generall counsel and bleare the peoples eies with so glorious a name and also with the reuerende name of the fathers Doctoures and auncientye where in deede they make more for vs than theym If they considert what Gerson and Panormitanus write which were auncient fathers and not new protestants and were at the counsel of Basil where it was disputed what autoritye a counsell hais they woulde not so stifly sticke to so weake a staffe we must rather beleue one symple lay manne saye they alledginge the scripture than the hole counsell to the contrarye De Elect. Ca. significasti This thinge was well proued true in the greate Nicene councell where manye would haue forbidden Priestes mariage and onelye Paphnutius beinge vnmaried and alledginge the Scriptures which alow mariage in all menne did stoppe it Gregory Nazainzene sais that he neuer see good ende of a counsell They alledge muche generall Counselles whan in dede very fewe of them be generall If it be but a prouinciall Counsell they themselues graunt that it maye erre Nowe than looke bow manye maye be called or are called generall in their owne bookes and ye shall fynde verye fewe Take heede therefore of these Fores ye that will not bee deceyued whan they alledge a Counsell and trye euen by their owne booke of counselles whither it bee generall or no Ye shall fynde that euerye tenth that they alledge is not generall than beynge a particuler and prouinciall they geue vs leaue to deny it and so they condemne their owne doinge whan they alledge nothinge but prouinciall Counselles There is no Crede made at anye generall counselles nor Athanasius Crede but we willingly embrase it receyue it and beleue it Seinge than we openly professe and teache all thynges conteined in the holye Scriptures and all the artycles of anye Crede determined in generall Counsell or written by Athanasius or anye Catholycke father howe can it bee that we be oute of the fayth and howe canne it be but thys sclaunderous Proctour of the Pope hays blasphemed Godde belyed hys Minysters Gods people ▪ and his truth Thus much I haue spoken particularlye to purge vs from his liynge lyppes where he speakes generallye naminge ▪ nothinge but meaninge all that we should forsake both faith and religion and deuyse a newe one of oure owne where they themselues are gilty in this as more plainly shall appeare This shalbe sufficient I trust to them that will be satisfied to declare that we be not oute of the faith seinge we professe our faith now to trie whether we be fallen from the olde wayes of holye fathers and whether auncient recordes do testifie this maner of Church seruice to be godly and haue bene heard tell of afore Luthers time and whether it be elder than theirs I am content to wine with him in triall thereof I trust they will be content to call Moyses Dauid and the Prophetes auncient fathers whye than looke what order of prayer was in the Tabernacle of god and Salomons temple in their time and see whether it go nerer our seruice or the Popes Portuis Rede Dauids Psalme and marke howe manye of theym haue their title directed to the Chauntor or chefe singer and plaier on thinstrumentes to Asaph Hemā Dithum c. to be songe in the Temple and ye shall finde a great sorte suche Rede the xxv chap. of the first booke of the Chronicles and there it appeares whom Dauid appointes to be singers of the Psalmes in the Temple with their posteritye Rede the xiii Chap. of the art of Thapostles and there it appeares that the lawe and the Prophetes were redde in the temple euerye Sabboth daye for their seruyce with a Sermon After the reading sais Saint Luke of the lawe and the Prophetes the rulers of the Synagoge sent to Paule and Barnabas saiyng ye men and brether if ye haue any exhortacion to the people speake Againe in the. xv Chap. he sais Moyses hais of old time them that preache him in euery citye in the Sinagoges where he is red euery Sabboth daye Marke what prayers or kinde of seruice as
not ministred euery where after one sort but are handled in dyuerse places after diuers sortes Truly if they were ministred after one sorte and agreinglye through the whole church it were good and laudable notwithstanding because there be manye diuersities which differ not in the summe of the sacrament nor in the strength of it or in the faith nor all can be gathered into one custome I thinke that they are rather to be borne with agrement in peace than to be condemned with offence For we haue this from the holy fathers that if the vnytye of charity be kept in the catholike faith the diuerse custome hurtes nothing If it be demaunded wherof these diuersities of customes do springe I perceiue nothinge elles than the diuersities of wittes which althoughe they dyffer not in the strength and truth of the thing yet they agree not in the fitnesse and comelines of the mynistring For that which one iudges to â—e meter oftentimes other think it lesse mete And not to agre in suche diuersities I think it not mete to swarue from the truth of the thinge Also where the said Preacher does recite certain abuses of the said Church as talkinge biynge and sellinge feightinge and brawlinge although these be verye euill and worthie muche rebuke yet there be worse abuses as blaspheming God in lyinge Sermons pollutinge the Temple with Schismaticall seruice destroyinge and puâ—lynge downe holye aulters that were set vp by good blessed men there the sacryfice of the blessed masse ministred according to the order of Christes catholycke Churche yea where the alter of the holye Ghost stoode the newe Bisshoppes haue sette their tales vppon and theyr sit in iudgement of suche as be Catholycke and liue in the feare of God Some they depriue from their liuinges some they commit to prison excepte they wil forsake the Catholicke faith and embrase a fayth and religion that hais no foundacion layd by generall Counseil nor blessed fathers in times past but inuented by Heretikes that do not agre one with another nor them selues We both doe agree the Churche of Paules to be abused and therfore iustly plaged God graunt that hencefoorth it may be amended that worse doe not folowe Whan Iosue had conquered Ierico so maruaâ—â—ouslye with cariynge the arcke of God about it the priestes blowing their trumpettes and the people showâ—ing by the might of God rather house Goddes house must be a house of prayer and not the proud towre of Babilon nor the Popes market place nor a stewes for bawdes and Ruffians nor a horse faire for brokers no nor yet a burse for marchauntes nor a metinge place for walkinge and talkynge If a conuenient place to mete for honest assembles can not be founde nor had conuenientlye other where a particion might be had to close vppe and shit the praters from prayers the walkers and ianglers from well disposed persones that they should not trouble the deuout hearers of Gods worde so that the one should not heare nor see the other God hais once againe wyth the trumpet of his worde and the gladde receiuinge of the people throwen downe the walles of Iericho and the Popes bulwarke there by his owne might without the power of manne if man woulde so consider it and feare the Lorde No place hais bene more abused than Pauls hais bene nor more against the receyuing of Christes Gospell Wherfore it is more maruaile that God spared it so longe rather than that hee ouerthrewe it nowe From the toppe of the steple downe within the grounde no place hais bene free from the toppe of the spire at Câ—ronations or other solemne triumphes some for vâ—in glory vsed to throw themselues downe by a rope and so killed themselues vainly to please other mens eyes At the Battlementes of the steple sundrye times were vsed their Popishe antâ—ms to call vpon their Goddes with torch taper in the Euenings In the top of one of the pinacles is lollers towre where manye an innocent soule hais bene by theym cruellye tormented and murthered In the middest alley was their longe Censer reachinge from y â— roâ—e to the ground as though the holy Ghost came in their cenâ—ing down in liknes of a Doue On y â— arches though coÌ„menly men complaine of wrong and decayed iudgemente in Ecclesiasticall causes yet because I wyll not iudge by here saye I passe ouer it sauinge onely for such as haue bene condemned there by Annas Caiphas for christes cause as innocently as any Christians coulde be For their images hanged on euery walle piller and doore with their pilgrimages and worshippinge of them I will not stand to rehearse them because they can not be vnknowen to all men that haue seene Lonâ—on or hearde of them Their massing and many altars wyth the rest of their Popyshe seruyce which he so much ertolles I passe ouer because I aunswered them afore The south alley for vsurye and Poperye the north for Simony and the Horse faire in the middest for all kind of bargains metinges brawlinges murthers conspiracies and the font for ordinary paimentes of money are so well knowen to all menne as the begger knowes his dishe The Popishe clergy began and mayntained these and Godles worldlinges defende theym where the poore protestant lamentes and would amend them Iudas chappell vnder the ground with Thapostles masse so early in the morninge was counted by report as fit a place to worke a feat in as the stewes or tauerne So that without and within aboue the grounde and vnder ouer the roofe and beneath on the toppe of the steple and spire downe to the lowe flore not one spot was free from wyckednes as the said Byshop did than in his Sermon declare so that we should praise God for his mercy in sparinge it so longe and nowe tremble at his fearful iudgement in iustly reuenging such filthines god for his mercy sake graunt it may now be amended Secondlye where it pleases hym to tearme this Churche seruice nowe vsed schismaticall it is as true as afore whaÌ„ he saide that no auncient recorde made mention of anye suche afâ—re xl yeares past Why doocâ—ye call it a schismaticall Because it differs from the Popes pertuâ—s That it differs we deny not but reioyce and prayse God for it but if it agree with the holye Scriptures and the auncient fathers as I haue proued afore than be ye schismatickes in swaruinge from them and not we In one Morning and Eueninge prayer we agree with the olde prayers of Salomons temple as I proued afore In Baptisme we folowe Christ Iesus hys â–ª Appâ—stles Austin and Paulme whome Pope Gregory sente into England in the chiefe pointes whiche al christened â–ª 〈◊〉 â—â—â—oniured water without salt spit 〈…〉 oyle and chrisme c. In the Lordes supper we receiue together as S. Paule commaunded and â—â—pe Gelasius teaches either to receiue â—â—the partes or to refraine from both for â–ª it is sacrilegs to â—euide theym De
liuings liue more welthily and at ease than euer they didde afore or the Protestantes doe in their liberty nowe Marke howe like them selues they be and agreing with themselues As long as kinge Henry liued and all the time of blessed kinge Edwarde they taught they preached they subscribed they sware and beleued all thys that they now deny As oft as they had anye liuinge in anye College of the vniuersities as oft as they tooke degree in the scholes as oft as they tooke any benefice and whan they were made Priests or Byshoppes so ofte they sweare and forsweare all that nowe they denye Periurye in other menne is punished with bearinge papers losse of their eares and other worldlye shame but these menne abusinge the gentilnes of the Prince beyng thus oft forsworne are counted holye in the worlde The Papistes in their religyous monsters haue â—o kind of munkes Freers Chanons Nunnes differing in their coates than anye people haue some be white some blacke some graye differinge in their shoes some hauinge whole some halfe some nothinge but sooles vnder the foote differinge in shauinge their heades some more some lesse differing in meates some eatinge fish only some flesh and fishe at their dayes and times appointed differinge in places for some neuer go abroade but are kept stil with in the compasse of the house some walk abroode at their pleasure and some locked vp in stone walles diffring in their seruice for euery order had his diuerse order of masse and Mattins in manye pointes differinge in their Saintes or rather their Goddes whose names they beare whom they worshippe and stryuinge which of them shoulde be the holiest Some holde of Francis some of Benet some of Dominic some of Brigitte and others of other as they lust to deuise In their schole menne is founde more diuersity of opinions than among any sort of Philosophers Some hold of Thomas some of Dominus some of Albertus some of other as they like for there be so manye that almost they can not be reckened Which thinges being all considered and knowen of all men to be true except they be wilfully blind howe can they saye that they agree in one vnitye of the trueth Pilate and Herode agreed to crucifie christ so these in mischeues agree to set vp supersticion but in their priuate opinions none are more contrary and diuers In their pilgrimages pardons reliques fastinges what diuersities and striuing whiche shoulde be the greatest Amonge so manye Ladies and Roodes what striuinge in euery countrye which shoulde be the holiest and worke most miracles Amonge pardons Boston beare the name and yet other would compare among reliques the bloud of Hales passed other vnto their iugling was knowen Fastinges were mo than I know Some vsed Saint Rinians some oure ladies some the golden Fridayes some euerye Wednesdaye some halfe Lent some whole some with fishe only other as they luste What reason is it that they whyche fasted oure Ladyes faste some fastinge to bread water ended it in iii. yeares space other in eatynge fishe had vii and why shoulde they folowe the Ladye daye in lent more than other Ladie dayes and why yearelye doe they chaunge theyr daye c. Whan these and such other their doinges are proued to agree in one and good reason shewed for their doynges they maye better charge other menne wyth disagreinge but they maye thynke it shame to burthen other wyth that wherein they be most gilty themselues There is none more disobedient then the newe Byshops and Preachers now a dayes whyche disoveye the vniuersall church of Christ the whych Church who so euer wyll not obey oure sauyour in the Gospell commaundes vs to take theym as infydelles As where the vniuersall Churche of Chryst commaundes Masse and senen Sacramentes as necessary for our saluacion they call it abhomination with their blasphemous mouthes Where the â–ª Churche commaundes to faste they commaund to eat Where the Church coÌ„maunds coutynual prayer of the Clergy they cal it superslicyon blynd ignorance where the Church commaundes the clergie to liue in chastitye they commaunde and exhort the Clergy to mariage where the Churche and all lawes ciuyll and canon yea the lawes of the Realme do prohibit maryage of Pryestes they alowe maryage of Pryestes â—beyinge no lawe but folowe their owne carnall lustes Yea where the Queene hays geuen strayte commaundement to abstayne from fleshe in Lent and other dayes commaunded by the Churchâ— the newe Preachers and Protestants haue eaten flesh openly to the great sclaunder of other O God howe manye lyes in so fewe lynes The vnyuersall Churche of Chryste agrees in the necessarye Artycles of oure Saluation but in certayne outwarde orders and Ceremonies euerye Countrie differs from other wythout anye dyshonoure to Godde I declared afore how we agree with the vniuersall churche and confesse the necessarye Christian articles of our fayth religion saluation better than they also I touched some diuersities of out warde orders in the Churche whereof many or all were tollerable and nowe by occasion of these matters mynistred by him I shall touche some moe He layes to our charge that we disobey the vniuersall churche if he meane in those thinges which afterwarde folow I am content to trie with him Where vnder y â— name of masse he vnderstands the Romish latin masse it appeares afore how many sundry good sortes of ministring the Lordes supper be in other countries at this day and haue bene of olde time Therefore he makes a loude lie in sayinge or thinking that who so euer disagrees from their Popish masse disobeies the vniuersal Church for the most part of Christendome neyther does at this daye nor at any time hais vsed it In the substaunce and doctrine of the holye Communion we agree with the scripture and the catholicke Church though we differ in some peice of the outwarde order of it from other countries but we prosesse an open disagreeinge from the Romish sinagoge both in the order and substaunce thereof The Churche of God accordinge to the scriptures does professe and beleue that all faythfull Christians worthely coming to the lordes table receiue by faith in those holy misteries the body and bloude of Christ whiche was giuen broken and shed for the sinnes of the whole world this we teache beleue and folow aud exhort all men often to prepare them selues worthelie thus to receiue The Popish Synagoge contrary to Saint Paule teach practise beleue and persecute with fire and fagot all gainsayers that in the sacrifice of their bread and wine the creatures be chaÌ„ged from their natural substaunce and are made a God to be worshipt whan they lifte it ouer their heades hange it in a corde ouer the Altar or carye it aboute the fieldes and if the people will bie trentals or masses of it at their handes they can swepe purgatory cleane and make soules flie to heauen as thicke as duste These haue no ground woorke on Goddes
worde and therfore we can not beleue theym For we read that Christ tooke the substance of his fleshe of the virgin Mary but neuer of breade Onelye the Romishe prelates haue made this marchaundise put in that article taught this doctrine and beleue this contrarie to the whole churche of Christ beside theymselues Than it is they that disobey the Churche and not wee I spake sufficientlye for theyr masse and Sacramentes afore yet for their sacramentes nowe a litle more He sais here that there be vii Sacramentes necessarye to saluation and yet wythin fewe wordes folowinge he denyes maryage to Priestes and that is as much to saye as eyther that mariage is no Sacrament or that Priestes shall not be saued There is but one waye of saluation for al men than Priests must eyther be saued that way or els condemned But it is to foolyshe to saye that anye manne shall be condemned except he be maried Shall none be saued but maried folkes whan he lookes at him selfe beinge vnmaried and yet not so chaste he will saye naye Than vii sacramentes are not necessarye for saluation to euerye man for many haue bene saued without manye of theym as mariage extreme vnction order of Priesthode shriuinge Byshoppinge and the Lordes supper Who is so ignoraunt but he knowes that many children neuer yea and olde folke to neuer receiued all those his Sacramentes whiche God forbidde should all be condemned No learninge can beare this saiynge to be true that there be vii sacramentes necessarye to saluation therfore by this iudge the rest of his sayinges And least he shoulde thinke the generall order of the Churche to be thus thoughe manye particulars neuer receiue theym yet in searching he shal find that tobe vntrue to Socrat. lib. v. cap. xix Sozo lib. vii ca. xvi in their Ecclesiasticall histories wryte teach that shriuing to a Priest was not cōmaunded by god but inuented by man and therfore whan they see it abused they toke it awaye and vsed it not any more In y e time of Theodosius Themperor iiii c. yere after Christ and Nectarius being Byshop of Constantinople as they write there a Diacone of the churche get a Gentel woman wyth chylde in the Churche that came to be shreuen while she was there doing the appointed penaunce by her ghostlye father The hole churche was so offended at it that not onlye there but manye other Bishoppes beside in their churches left of afterwarde that order of shriuing and lefte euerye manne free to the examination of his owne conscience for his sinnes There hays bene nothynge more profytable to the Pope than thys care shriuinge hais besyde manye suche lyke fylthynesse done by it as thys Diacon didde for no time was fitter to woe or worke their feate in wythoute suspicion than shriuing time No prince coulde enterprise or purpose anye great thing but his confessour wold by some meanes learne it vnder confession and declare it to the Pope or his chaplains Eliseus by the spirit of God neuer told more secret thinges what the kinge of Siria did in his priuy chamber than the Pope coulde learne by these his confessours the secret pourposes of all Princes Than if confession might be taken away as here appeares it was it is not so necessary to saluacion nor the vniuersall Churche hais vsed it euer as he sais nor we disobey not the Churche in leauinge it of seing so many holy men haue done it afore vs. Ioan Dominus writing on the. iiii booke of the sentences distinc xvii and serching out where this their sacrament shoulde be bilded writes thus If we saye it is grounded on the saying of Saint Iames confesse you one to an other manye inconueniences wil folow for so euerye man might heare an others confession howe should Saint Iames Byshop of Ierusalem commaund Peter the highest and the Romyshe Church If it be grounded on Saint Ihons sayinge whose sinnes ye doe forgeue they are forgeuen yet there is no mention to do it in his eare If that will not serue than saye that it comes from Thapostles yf that serue not because y ◠Grecians vse it not than saye it comes from Ro. as does the Cōmunion in vnleuend bread thus ye see what harde shiftes they are driuen to in triynge out the autoritye and auncientye of this their sacrament and howe small it is whan it comes to profe But if ye wil iudiffrently iudge whether the newe Bishops or the olde obeye their Prince and Goddes Church better read the othe of them both and than iudge The Pope firste deuised an othe for hys Byshoppes to sweare at their creation and whan that was not thought straite inoughe he deuysed this afterwarde I N. Byshoppe of N. from this houre forwarde shalbe true to Saint Peter and the holye Romishe Churche and to my Lorde Pope N. and to his successours entrynge canonicallye I shall not be in counsell consent nor at dede that he may loose his life or that anye member maye be taken from him by deceyte or violent handes layde on him or wrong done to him by anye meanes That counsell that shall be declared to me by him selfe letters or messengers I shall not disclose to anye manne wittingly to his harme I shall helpe to defende the Popedome of the Romishe churche and the rules of holy fathers and the rialtes of Saint Peter againste all menne sauinge my order I shall not be at anye councell or dede where anye euil is deuised against the honour and power of them but to my power I shal stoppe it and so shortly as I can signify it to our lorde Pope or some other that will tell it his holiner Hereticks schismatickes and rebelles to oure lorde Pope to my power I shal pursue c. Loke how well our holy prelates kepe their othe to the Pope deny it to their lawful Prince The othe of the newe Byshoppes is in print in Englyshe and so knowen of al that lust to learn that I nede not to write it and although the Popishe prelates refuse to take that othe because it makes the Prince the chyefe gouernonr ouer them whiche they can not abide herafter in his proper place where he falles into that question I shal entreat of it Secondly where he charges vs that where the Churche commaundes to faste we commaunde to eate and haue eaten fleshe in Lente and other forbidden dayes we speake plaine Englyshe and saye he lies Under the name of the Churche he euer vnderstandes Rome yea and not whan it continued in anye pure religion but euen in these latter dayes whan it is euer whelmed wyth infinite supersticious Fasting dayes be appointed commenlye by euerye particular churche and countrye rather than by the uniuersall Churche but yf anye kynde of fasting be generall I say they breake that order rather than we Ambro writes on the. xvii cha of Luc. that for the space of l. dayes betwixt Easter and
grese a goose or shepe So that some were compelled to tether their horse in their Orcharde and yet haue these holy fathers prouided that if they be restored as they loke for as manye thinke that they shall haue al their commodities againe O notable charitye and mete for the children of suche a father The Lorde God for his mercy amend this at his good wil and pleasure The people are so blinde that they rather beleue him that fils their bely than him that teaches theym Christe so rude that they care more for y â— bodye than for the soule Euen as christ whan he filled v. M. with fiue loues they woulde haue made him a king but within few dayes after they would haue stoned him Paul wrought for his owne liuynge and would not be a burthen to any congregacion yet he sais that it was lawfull for him to take all hys necessaries of them whom he taught Chrisost. in the lxxxvi Homil. on Matth. writynge entreates the like question and tels causes why he and others had landes belonging to their Churches He sais the vnthankfulnes of the people was such that if they had not such prouision they shoulde goe a begginge So surelye I thinke nowe if the Byshops and ministers hadde not that prouisyon they might sterue for hunger Loue and dutye to Godde his worde and ministers is so decayed that to gette awaye from them is thought godlynes pastime and profet Surely God will not haue his seruauntes so mocked God turne from vs for Christes sake that whiche we deserue and prouoke him to in these oure doinges Iulianus apostata Themperour that forsaked hys fayth hearinge that the Gospell taught the Christians to liue in pouertye and suffer persecution toke their goods from theym and punyshed them sayinge he would helpe theym to heauen bycause their Gospell taught theym to lyue poore and suffer so oure papistes hearing the Protestantes preach pouerty and condemne their proude prelatie haue leased graunted and giuen awaye their lyuynges that now the pore gospeller hais scars wheron to lyue through their malice In Chrystes Church hays euer bene a succession of Byshops from the Apostles time to this daye in euerye see Tertullian sayes yf in any see there be a Byshop that walkes not in hys fathers steppes he is to be counted a bastard and no true inheritour in Christes Church Saint Ciprian does saye they that be made Byshops out of the order of the Churche and not by tradicion and ordinaunce of the Apostles coming by succession from time to time are not bishops by the will of god but theues and murtherers A succession of Byshops or ministers â—e graunt hais bene in the worlde rather than in any one see or countre sins christ which succession we say we haue and folow better than they but not after such sort as he sais and meanes God is neuer withoute hys Churche in the worlde although some countries falle and his churche neuer wantes his Ministers and true teachers at the lest priâ—elye althoughe in some ages it hais theym more plenteouslye than in other some and some times the outward face of the Churche wantes not his errours and blottes But where he sais there hais bene Byshoppes in euerye see sins Thapostles time it must nedes be false For here with vs vnto the time of king Lucius almost ii C. yeare after Christ there were no Byshops in this Realme at al but Flamines as Fabian Polychronic saye and heathen Priestes and sundrye times sins dyuers sees in thys Realme manye yeares together had no Byshops at all whan the vnchristened Saxons were here and diuers Bishopprickes here are not halfe so olde as Thapostles time Yet in all these ages were some that both knew taught priuatlye and folowed the truth thoughe they were not horned and mitred bishop pes nor oyled and sworne shauelinges to the Pope Such popishe Bishoppes I am sure no manne is able to proue to haue bene in euerye see of this Realme continuallye sins the Apostles time nor els where whan he hais proued it I wil say as he does Does the see make the bishop and his doctrine good or badde Does the place make him good or bad If his sayinge bee true that they haue such a succession the manne must nedes be good bicause he is Bishop of suche a place or suche for he meanes to haue a continuall succession of good byshoppes euery where without interruption but whether they succede in agreement of one true doctrine as they doe of one seâ— or place he cares not If succedinge in place be sufficient to proue theym good byshoppes than the Iewes and Turks haue their good bishops and religioÌ„ stil at Ierusalem Constantinople and els where for there they dwel where Thapostles did and haue their sinagoges leuites Priestes and bishops after their sort UUe do esteme and reuerence the continuall succession of good byshops in anye place if they can be founde if they can not we runne not from Godde but rather sticke fast to his worde I thinke ther is no place where euil bishops haue not bene If Corinth Galatia Ephesus Philippos Colossa Thessalonica Macedonia where Paule preached to whome he wrote his seuerall Epistles might fall and haue turkysh prelates why maye not Rome fall to the same maye bee saiâ—e of Ierusalem where S. â—a was and of Aphricke where Ciprian and Austin were and of other places where Thapostles preached now be fallen awaye Succession of good Bysshoppes is a great blessinge of God but bicause God and his trueth henges not on manne nor place we rather heng on the vndeceiuable trueth of Gods worde in all doubtes than on any Byshoppes place or manne For all men are liers and may be deceyued onely god and his word is true and neyther deceyues nor is deceyued In the. x. tribes of Israel where Iereboam made him Priestes against Gods lawe and the greater part of their religion was defaced with idolatryâ— yet were there euer some good Prophetes amonge that taughte Gods people their duetye thoughe not of the higher sort of Priestes and in autoritye as there be some fewe among the Turkes at this daye also Elias complaines that he was left alone Of all the true folowers of Gods lawe he knewe none that feared God beside hym selfe but god said he had reserued vii M. that neuer bend their knee to Baal So surely though the great number of priests and bishops hauing autority haue bene these many yeres the Popes deriyngs rather seruing Baall than God yet our good God pitâ—inge his people hais in al ages reserued some few that taught the truth and feared him God hais not promised that euerye Byshoprycke no nor anye one Bishopricke shoulde haue alwayes good Bishoppes one after an other no more than one good father should haue alwaies good children borne of him nor a good king shoulde haue good Princes to reign after him After wise Salomon reigned foolyshe Roboam
as the succession of good kinges standes not onely in enioyinge the landes goodes possessions and pleasures of the Realme but in the painefull ministrynge of iustyce defendinge hys subiects from straungers maintaining the good and punishinge the euill by holsome and godly lawes so standes the succession of the Church not in miters palaces landes or lordships but in teachinge true doctrine and roting out the contrarye by sharpe discipline to correct thoffendours and godly exhortacion to stirre vp the slouthfull and encourage the good to raise them that be fallen by comfortable promises to strengthen them that stande and bring home them that runne astraye He that does these is the true successour of the Prophetes and Apostles though he liue in wildernes as Elias did Or be tied in cheanes as Peter and Paule He that does not is not their successour in dede but in name onlye though he haue the Popes blessinge cruche and miter landes and palaces halowinges and blessinges or all that the Pope hais deuised for hys Prelates To be a Byshop is to be an officer a ruler a guide a teacher of Gods flocke in Gods Church and to be a true successour in a Bishopricke is to succede in like paines care and diligent regarde of Gods people Is he an officer that does not his office nay surelye but onelye in name for he is a thefe in his office and an vsurrer that takes the profet and not the paine An office standes properlye in doynge the duty of it and not in talkinge of it settinge in deputies bearinge a shewe bragge and face of a Byshop Whan they can bring Thapostles doctrine or life for example to be like their life and teachinge they maye say they folowe Thapostles but because they seeke to be Lordes ouer the flocke contrary to Peters doctrine and be enemies to the Gospell and murtherers of the professours of it they be traitours to their lorde God What does Tertul. make for his pourpose If he walk not in his fathers steppes sais he he is a bastard Content who be the fathers surely Thapostles for in his time the Pope had no such autority nor ther were any such horned cattell of the Popes made Bishoppes Proue than that the Pope walkes in Thapostles steps and we will reuerence him Surelye he is like no Apostle except Iudas these Popish Prelates so as the father is suche is the sonne Iudas solde and betrayed his maister for xxx pieces of syluâ—r and our Papistes sel their purgatory for xxx grotes the price of a trental Or â—ls for their pleasure I will graunt theym some thing The Pope maye be like to Peter in suche case as christ our lord said to him go after me Satan for thou vnderstandes not the thynges of god Peter was ambitious and therfore our Lorde cald him deuill and bade him go backe so the Pope desiringe to be aboue all folowes the deuill his father and therefore we maye iustlye saye to them with Christ â–ª come after me thou deuill But I put case a manne shoulde graunt that the fathers which Tertul. speakes of be the popes in dede of Ro. what thaÌ„ what makes it for this mans purpose Tertul. liued within C. lxxvii yeres after christs death why thaÌ„ proue that any of these popes and their trashe whiche he esteames so highlye to be of that autoritie and auncientye that he woulde and than lette him beginne to crake some thing He is not able to do it XXX of the first popes which liued almost iii. C. yeres after Christ were persecuted sufferd death for their religion liued in caues and had none of the rialtie of the worlde but were subiectes to princes accordinge to their dutye than these latter proude popes that woulde rule bothe God and the world by Tertullians saying be bastardes and folow not their auncient fathers the first popes And thus he hais brought a good reason agaynst hym selfe Does Cyprian make anye more for his purpose Marke his woordes and iudge They that be made Byshoppes sayes he oute the order of the Churche and not by tradicion of Thappostles by succession are not Bishops but theues c. I am content to be iudged by these wordes I proued afore by Paule and Timothe by Dyonise c. that the order by whiche oure Byshops and Priestes are made nowe is more agreeing to the order of the churche in Ciprians time and tradition of Thapostles than that misorder wherby the Popish prelates order their clergy Let theÌ„ proue by good writers that their oiling shauing vowing sacrificinge apparel c. was vsed in the Churche in Cyprians time and I submitte my selfe Ciprian was liuinge more than ii C. l. yeare after Christ in whiche time was no suche proud Pope nor Popishe order vsed in the Churche as he requires of vs but onelye suche a simplicitye as I spake of afore Thus like a tolyshe boye he hais gotten a rod to beat him selfe withall God send him more wit Where the sayde Preacher does affyrme greater matters than the burnyng of Paules to haue chaunced in the time of supersticion and ignoraunce as the church of Paules was brent in the first yeare of Steuen and the steple of Paules sette on fyre by lighthing in the tyme of kynge Henrye the vi they that count that to be the time of superstycyon and ignoraunce whan god was serued deuoutly nyght day the people lyued in the feare of god euery one in his own vocation wythout reasonynge and contention of matters of relygion but referred all suche thynges to learned menne in generall counsels and vnyuersyties there to be disputed than was the commaundementes of god and vertue expressed in lyuyng now all is in talke and nothyng in liuing than was prayer now is praytyng than was vertue now is vice than was bildyng vp of Churches houses of religion Hospitals where prayer was had night and daye hospitalitye kept and the poore releued now is pullyng downe and destroyinge such houses where god shoulde be serued hospitality kept and the poore releued By meanes wherof gods glory is destroyed and the commen wealth impoueryshed than was plenty of all thinges nowe is scarcenes Therefore Operibus credite If I shoulde fall into a comparison of the plagues in the time of popecye and the Gospell although both were great yet in supersticious times were the greater Many did not beleue that these other brennynges of Paules were true which the Byshoppe declared whan he spake it openlye there but it was eyther for ignoraunce or malice or both for all these were true as appeares in recordes many mo In the yere of our lorde M. lxxxvii and the vii day of Iuly the Church of Paules and all that was in it with a great part of the City were burned Maurice than beinge byshop of London and the. xxi yeare of Willyam Conquerour In the yeare M. C. xxxii the moste parte of the Citye of London was burned by the fire of Gilbert Beket and in
The father shal not beare the sinne of the sonne nor the sonne of the father but the soule that sinnes shall die it selfe as the Prophet sais Muche lesse shall the sinne of the Priest condemne the people but euerye one shall aunswere for himselfe Whether the people compelled wyth fear for losse of worldlye goods or temporall punishement maye receyue the Communion as breade and wine not consentinge to it in the hart SAint Paule sais it is requisite to oure saluation with oure mouthes to confesse the trueth also our Sauiour Christ sais â–ª he that denies hym afore men he will denye him afore his father in heauen And to kneie downe to receyue that cursed and polluted bread ye commit Idolatrye nor it is not lawfull to dissemble herein as we haue example Eleazarus whiche rather than he woulde dissemble to eate swynes fleshe forbidden by the law he was content to suffer a verye cruell death Also it is read in tripartita historia of a good woman one Olimpyas that rather then she would receiue the communion was content to haue her pappes writhen of or anie other punishment sayinge lay vpon me more punishment for it is not lawefull for me to do that which the good Priestes refuse to do Euen so at this time the Byshops and good priests refuse to medle wyth the Communion therfore it is euident it is not lawfull for anye of the laite to receyue it for any cause Also when Constantius the Emperour persecuted the church of god such as woulde not receyue the communion wyth the Aarians the byshoppe Macidonius put theim in prison and caused the communion to be brought vnto theym in prison and opened their mouthes wyth stickes and hote yrons Yet for no punishment the good catholick people would in any wise receyue with y â— Arrians much lesse ought we to receiue y â— comunion now vsed for any punishment For if we receyue it against our conscience we be traitours to god dissemblers with the Queene as Ustazadis did saye to the kinge of Persis lamenting that he did liue for he confessed after the Archbishoppe Symeon had rebuked him that he was worthy to haue a double death for he was a traytour to God in forsaking his profession in religion a dissembler with the kinge for to please the kinge and to auoide punishment he had done against his consciens but vtterlye he did protest that he woulde neuer dissemble againe offeringe his whole bodye to make a mendes and in conclusion had his heade stricken of woulde to God all that by dissimulation be traitours aud dissemblers with the Queene against their conscience woulde folowe the example of Ustazadis in earnest repentaunce Oure sauiour commaundes vs not to feare theym that can but onelye kill the bodye but feare him that can kill the body and after cast the soule into the fire of hell How shoulde the people do that can not haue the sacrament ministred to theym accordinge to the ordinaunce of Chrystes Church IN no wise they ought to receiue the Communion but to commend their mindes and good willes to God with deuout prayer firmely continuinge in that faith that they were christened in whych syth the Apostles time hais euer bene taught by blessed fathers in Christes catholick churche And so being in will to receiue y e blessed sacrament if he were in place where it is ministred according to the ordinance of christes church God wil accept your will good intent as if you did receiue it corporally And by that wil and intent ye be partakers of the sacramentes prayers of the vniuersall church of Christ in all christian countries and nations as well as if you were present bodilye But if you receyue this Communion ye seperate and deuide your selues from the sacramentes and prayers of all the vniuersall church of christ and so wander in the way of perdicion The aunswere to the .xi. and xii To receyue the Communion dissemblingly we graunt to be damnable as well as he and therfore we exhorte all men with an earnest faith and pure loue sorowfull repentance and ful purpose of a new life to resort vnto the lordes table deuoutly without all hipocritall dissimulation God will confounde such blasphemers as open their filthy mouthes to rail against his holy sacraments as this wicked Morian does here callynge it cursed breade Eleazarus did well in obeyinge Goddes lawe and Papistes be Goddes enemies in their doinges contrarye to Goddes lawe The Arrians were heretickes and ennemies to the trueth deniynge Christ our lorde to be God equall wyth his father and saying he was but a weake simple ruanne as we be So the Papistes be sayinge christes death is not a sufficient sacrifice for the whole worlde except their sacrifice be ioyned to They do both erre in the chefe article of our faith and saluation and surelye to communicate with such is to deny our faith and saluation therfore Olympias and other well abhorred them He that hais not a right faith of Iesus Christe that instituted the Sacrament he can not haue the true vse of the Sacramentes whiche Christ ordeyned It is well that he wyshes all dyssemblynge Papistes whiche haue tourned with euerye worlde to repent as Ustazadis did God graunt that they may If they will not if their rewarde were like his they had no wronge And thus as all dissemblinge Papistes receiuinge the communion against their consciences are worthely condemned so surelye are al dissemblinge protesrauntes resortinge to masse sor feare of worldlye losses God graunt vs all vprightlye to walke not feaning a conscience to oure selues of mannes deuise but folowinge the rule of scripture without haltinge what so euer the worlde saye of vs. If this Counsell that he geues for not receiuing the communion now vsed were turned and applied against their masse it were wel and truly applied We were neuer christened in anye faythe of the masse but in the name of the father and the sonne and the holye ghoste who in the holy scriptures condemne al sacrificing massers and surely to communicat with massemungers is to forsake gods institution and folowe the Pope to forsake Christ the head of his churche and ioyne himselfe to papistes and become a member of his synagoge robbinge Christ of his glorye and prefarringe mannes dreames and doctrine deuised of late yeares by Popes as was proued afore afore the infallyble trueth of the Gospell which Iesus Christ himselfe brought from heauen preached it and commaunded vs all diligentlye to folowe it To be partaker of prayers made in other Countryes is true that we maye and to be wished of God that it were diligentlye vsed but vnto he haue proued that we bee partakers of sacramentes wise men will not beleue it No man is christned one for another nor receyues the Communion one for another This doctrine comes from the Pope and fedde his chaplains fat whan they taught that it was sufficient to come and see the Pristes
The burnynge of Paules church in London in the yeare of oure Lord 1561. and the iiii day of Iune by lyghtnynge at three of the clocke at after noone which continued terrible and helplesse vnto nyght VVERE THESE GREATER SINners than the rest No I saye vnto you except ye repent ye shall all lykewyse peryshe Luc. 13. ¶ Imprinted at London by Willyam Seres dwellynge at the west ende of Powles at the Sygne of the Hedge-hog AN ADDICION VVITH AN APpologie to the causes of brinnynge of Paules Church the which causes were vttred at Paules Crosse by the reuerend Bysshop of Duresme the. viii of â—une 1561. ALthough almighty God be pacyente mercifull and longe sufferinge wyllinge all sinners to repent their wickednes to rise from sinne and come to his mercye yet if sinners wil not amend after monition and warninge hadde at the last God strikes sodainly and sore as appeares in the Scripture by Sodom and Gomorra vpon the whyche Cytyes God rayned fire and bremstone wherewith the fyue Cities were destroyed miserably Also Pharao and the Egiptians that wold not be moued by the wordes of Moises and Aaron nor wyth the tenne plages at last were sodainlye drowned in the Sea Also Chore Dathan and Abiron with a greate number of people that woulde not obey the ministration of Aaron and the Priestes appoynted by God but went from them seking a newe waye to serue God part of them were sodenlye swallowed vp of the earth and part brent sodainlye with fire from heauen in the tabernacle After when the people of Hierusalem would not heare the true Prophets of god but would beleue false liyng Prophetes so declined from the steps of Dauid Ezechias and Iosias which walked in the feare of god â–ª bicause they forsoke their fathers steps and fell to Idolatrye the Temple was brent the Citie destroyed and the people taken Captiues to Babilon Also our sauiour Christ for the tender â–ª loue he had to mankind came into this world by his doâ—trine he gathered xij Apostles Disciples a great multitude of people in one vnity of faith sanctified them his church by his precious bloud sheding committing the rule and gouernment of his Churche to the Byshops after his Ascencion he sende the holye Ghost in Hierusalem in lykenes of firie tongues amonge the Apostles and streight waye they preached as the holy Ghost taught them and there in Hierusalem Saint Peter conuerted a great multitude to the faith which faith at Hierusalem was first taught declared vpon by a counsel of the Apostles and Seniors there Saint Iames being Bishop and afterwarde the same faith was taught in all landes as the Prophet Dauid sayes In omnem terram exiuâ—t sonus eorum The faith of Christes Church hath bene from time to time establyshed by generall councels the whiche faith what Countrye so euer hath forsaken it hath bene miserably scourged and plaged as about fourtie yeares after the Assention of our Sauiour Christ bicause the Iues would not abide in that religion that was decreed by the Apostles and walke in their steps miserably Hierusalem was plaged with fire pestilence famine battell and murther Also in all other Countries as wel with the Grekes as other partes of the world when the people haue declyned from the feare of God forsakinge the steppes of blessed fathers miserably they haue bene plaged And in Englande where the faith of Christe and true religion was planted about the yeare of oure Lord. Cixxxij by Elutherius Pope sending Legates to Lucius then Kinge of Englande whiche conuerted this Realme to the fayth and establysshed true religion in Englande whiche continued CC. yeares but when the people dyd declyne from the feare of God and the steps of God and blessed fathers they came to greate calamitye and misery by the scourge of God Cadwaliader last kinge of the Britans did confesse by the hand of God with pestilence and famine they were dryuen out of this lande After that againe this land beinge inhabyted wyth Saxons beynge pamius Saint Gregorye Pope of Rome aboute the yeare of our Lorde God D. xcv sent Saint Augustine and other Monkes wyth hym into Englande Ethelbert being king and then Saint Augustine and his company by their doctrine and vertuous liuinge planted the faith and so establyshed a true religion in England the which faith and religion euer when the people haue declyned from it they haue felde great calamities as wel by the hande of God as by the conquest of the Danes and after by the Normans and sith the conquest from time to time God hath plaged this Realme for Synne and infidelitye And nowe whether the people of this Realme be declyned from the steps of Saint Augustine and other blessed fathers and Saintes which had Masse and seuen Sacramentes in the Church and God was honoured night and daye in the Church with deuine seruyce I thinke there is no man so simple but he may easely perceiue except malice haue blynded his heart As in Saint Paules Church in London by the decrees of blessed fathers euery night at midnight they had Mattines all the fore noone Masses in the Church with other deuine seruice and contynuall prayer and in the steple Antimes and prayers were hadde certayne tymes but consider howe farre nowe contrarye the Churche hais bene vsed and it is no maruaile yf God haue sende downe fire to brinne parte of the Churche as a signe of his wrath And where a reuerende Byshop at Paules crosse did exhort the people to to take the brinninge of Paules to be a warninge of a greater plage to folowe to the Citye of London if amendment of life be not had in all estates it was well said but we muste adde Accidentem ad deum opportet credere the Scripture sais he that will come to God muste first beleue Saint Paule sais without faith it is impossible to please God and the Prophet Hieremi saith by the sprite of God speakinge State super vias interrogate de semitis antiquis que sit bona ambulate in ea inuenietis refrigerium animabus vestris that is stand vppon the wayes of blessed fathers and consider and aske of the olde pathes and highe wayes which is the good way and walke therin and ye shal finde refreshing to youre soules First searche whether the faith and religion nowe vsed was taught with the blessed fathers in Chrystes Church in times past ye shal proue by no recorde of authoritie or Chronicle that this maner of seruice now vsed in the Churche was euer hard tell of afore Luthers time which is not xl yeares old Therefore it is to be reiected and put awaye as a newe fangled doctrine and scismaticall therefore come backe againe into the old fathers steppes as well in faith and religion as godlye conuersation and liuinge or a greater plage is at hande Also where the said Preacher did recite certain abuses of the said Church as talking biyng and
whether then was supersticion and ignoraunce or nowe in these dayes Forther where the true word of god is taught the holy ghost does so worke there with that vertue does encrease but as the Prophet sais sicut populus ita Sacerdos as the people be so God sendes them Priestes Apprehenderunt mendacium nolueruÌ„t reuerti the people haue apprehended a lye and will not come backe but trust in liyng Sermons whiche wil not profet them as almighty God says by his Prophet Hiere thinkinge they haue done wel because they haue done these abhominations says God by his Prophet Hieremi so as the Priestes be so be the people blynded in herisie as God sais by his Prophet Esai that their hartes do not vnderstande their eyes do not see their eares be stopped for hearinge the trueth so that this maye well be called the time of supersticion and ignoraunce calling darknes light and light darknes that whiche is euill good and good euill And for the brinning of Paules Church which he speakes of was in time of ciuil warre and not destroyed by thandes of God as it was at this time Whosoeuer reades the Chronicles shal perceyue that and this be not lyke Therfore beware of false Prophetes and Preachers which come with faire wordes in their mouthes of the Gospel but marke the frutes that comes of their preachinge howe they haue set the people in such case that no prayer is vsed no fasting litle almes dedes all liberty vsed What disobedience children be in against their parentes howe vntrusty seruauntes be what swearinge and blaspheming of God is vsed of all people what theft whoredome crafte subtiltye and deceipt these be frutes that come of this newe fanglet doctrine Therefore retourne backe againe to the steppes of good fathers afore vs be not caried away as S. Paule sais with a straunge and diuerse doctrine embrace the religion and faith taught in Christes Churche from time to time continually and frame your liuing accordingly or els Gods vengeance hanges ouer your heades readye sodenly to fall vpon you so sais the Scripture and let this token of brinninge of Paules be an example and token of a greater plage to folow excepte ye amende A CONFVTACION OF AN ADdicion vvyth an Appologye vvritten and east in the stretes of VVest Chester agaynst the causes of burnyug Paules Church in London vvhych causes the reuerend Byshop of Duresme declared at Paules Crosse â— Iunij 1561. OUr Sauiour Christ whan the Deuill spake the truth plainly did not confute or gayne saye it but whan he did it frowardly Christ rebuked hym sharpelye As whan the deuill said Iesus of Nazareth what haue we to do with thee art thou comen to destroy vs I knowe that thou art the holy one of god He did not refuse nor denye that truth which he spake but whan the deuill tempted him to throw himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple be rebuked him quickly bicause he alledged y e true scripture maliciously So it is not sufficient to do a good dede barely or speake the trueth only except it be done rightly with such circumstances as be necessarily required to make it good as that it be from the hart and for Goddes cause willingly c. In like maner where this scauenger sweping the stretes with his bookes as a fitteÌ„ brome and officer therto hais spoken the truth not trulye bicause it is for an euil purpose and frowardly I shal passe ouer it with silence but where he followes his maister the father of lies in falsifiyng the trueth or racking the Scripture subtilly I shal by gods grace let the world see his iugling and by truth trulye vttered disclose his shameles lyinge The firste examples that he bringes declaring how god does iustlye plague the obstinate sinners that will not repent after manye warninges giuen are true all but being alledged to bring vs backe to Poperye and for another purpose then God oure Lorde hais taught them they be craftelye misused and ye see whose fotesteppes be folowed And as he vses theym to perswade vs to supersticion so they maye and ought to be vsed specially for maintainynge true religion The Rhetoricians teach that suche kinde of beginninges as maye be applied to two contrary partes are fauty Therefore seinge I maye vse the selfe same reasons and woordes that he haâ—s from the beginning hitherto to train vs to loue and embrase oure godlye refourmed religion he can not muche crake of his wyselye placed examples or reasons But I wyll not stycke wyth hym in suche small poyntes as these although they be fautes but I wil ioine with him in matters of weight and those thefe pointes of religion whiche he hais touched and we differ from him and hys sort in them Committinge the rule and gouernement of hys Church to the Byshops c. THe first is concerning thautority and gouernment geuen to Bishops ouer Gods Church wherin his wordes are not so vntrue as they conteyne a false doctryne and meaning in them Yf ye thinke that I to boldly enter to iudge his meaning confer these wordes with such as folowe in his owne writing wherin vntruly he claimes those priuileges to his Bishops whiche neyther he nor they are able to iustifie and there at large ye shall easlye perceiue what he meanes by these fewe woordes here But I will followe him where awaye he leades me and because he does here but briefly touche it I shall likewise shortly passe ouer it and more throughly search it where he does more at large presse it In the beginninge of their late reuyued tyrannye and afore they had obtained their long desired autoritie to ragne ouer Kinges and Princes it was my chaunce to talke with one of their stoutest Champions and of those that he calles the godly Bishops in prison Among sundry thinges that were to be redressed in talke as he thoughte he toke this selfe same matter first and said it was not fitte for any temporal officer to sit as iudge on any Priest or spiritual manne specially in any spirituall matter For the same cause began Tho. Beket to rebell against his Prince not sufferinge his Priestes to be punyshed for their murthers roberyes and now like good childer they followe his steppes I asked whye for the lawes were then as they be nowe and both verye well that Iustyces in their Sessyons and Assises might and shoulde enquire who than offended the ciuill lawes and the order of religion establyshed whether he were Priest or other he aunswered that in the xx of the Actes of Thappostles it was plaine that God had set the Bishops to gouerne the Churche I saide that was another kind of gouernment that Saint Paule there grauntes to Byshops and differs from that which kinges or Princes claime and ought to haue No sais he marke the woordes and it is ad regendum Ecclesiam regere regum est therefore Byshops haue
and Princes nor to that blasphemous name to be called the vniuersall Byshop of the whole Church than this Gregory was as fully appeares in sundrye places of his workes In hys time beganne this ambitious desire to crepe into the minde of Ioan Archebisshop of Constantinople to be called the head byshop of the world because Maurice then Emperoure and heade aboue many Prynces lay than at Constantinople and not at Rome as his auncetoures did for the most parte while the Emperour lay at Rome the Byshoppe there was more reuerenced than other Byshoppes were as it is in all commen welthes where so euer the Prince lies therfore he thought that like as whan â—heÌ„perour lay at Rome y â— Bishop was preferred aboue other because comenly Princes will haue the learneder sorte here him so he thought that the Emperoure nowe lyinge at Constantinople that that Byshoppe should likewise be estemed and therfore he caused Themperour to write to Gregorye Byshop of Ro. in this behalfe and that he shoulde submit himselfe to the Byshop of Constantinople Gregory aunsweres diuers of Themperours letrers sharplye godlily wisely and learnedly sayinge that neyther he at Ro. nor the other at Constantinople nor no other in anye place shuld chalenge to him that proud name nor autority aboue other None of my predecessors sais Gregory wold vse this cursed name to be called the vniversall Byshoppe of all for if one Patriarche shoulde bee called vniuersall than the name of Patriarches shoulde be taken from other but God kepe this far from a Christian mind that any man should chalenge that to himselfe whereby he might anye thinge at all diminishe the honour of his brether Note that he sais none of his predecessours vsed this cursed name Than in hys tyme it began to be desired than also they lie sayinâ— that Christ gaue this autority of being aboue other to Peter and his successorâ— from time to time he calles it also 〈…〉 wicked and cursed name wherein theâ— glory and so muche desire wicked and cursed therfore is he that hais it or desires it be sais further they doe theiâ— brether wronge in takyng that honour from them that is due to them whiche is to bee of like power and autoritye with theym If any manne now a days shuld write thus he wold be cald a railer a foole a prater c. But seing this good Pope sais so to theÌ„ let them take it among them and beleue their Pope for it is true Againe he saies I saye boldlye that whosoeuer calles himselfe or desires to be called the vniuersall Priest in his pride he runnes afore Antichrist bycause in being proud he preferres himselfe aboue other This is their partes than that they playe to be Antichristes forerunners or rather to be Antichrist himself Much good doe it them with their Popes that so rewards their folowers and seinge their maister geues theym that name they maye bee glad of it and neyther refuse it nor be angry with them that so call theym It were an easy thinge to take many such like sayinges oute of other Doctoures but because be cries oute so ofte of this holys fathers religion I kepe me with in his comepasse and alledge his writinges onelye Gregorye in his Epistle to Maurice Themperour amonge manye other wordes sais thus Who is this that against the ordinaunce of the Gospell and agaynste the decrees of the canons presumes to take this newe name lette this blasphemous name be farre from christen mennes hartes to be called the vniuersal Byshoppe by whiche the honoure of all Priestes is taken away whan it is folishly clamed of one manne This name was offered in the Synode of Chalcedome to the Romyshe Byshoppe but none of them did take this name of singularitye nor dyd agree to vse it least while anye priuate thinge shoulde be geuen to one manne all Priestes shoulde bee robbed of their due honour He is to be bridled which does wronge to the vniuersall Church which by this priuate name settes him selfe aboue the honour of your Empire c. thus much Gregory I maruail that the later Popes scraped not these sayinges out of Gregories woorkes or els condemned not his bookes for heresye seing he does so plainly condemne their proude Prelacy But surelye as God hais preserued the true texte of the Bible by the Iewes that are his enemies to the comforte of his people So for the glorye of his name he hais saued the writinges of good Popes to condemne the foolishnes of the late presumptuous tyrannye of Popes after their times Remember that he calles it a blasphemous name and that it is againste the gospell and Canons that it was neuer vsed and is a wronge to all the rest Thus many yeares it was vi Cv. afore the pope hadde anye supremacy graunted him but streight after his death whan Phocas hadde murdered Themperour Maurice his maister and made himself Emperour Pope Boniface the iii. iiii obteined at his hand that Ro. the byshop there should be the head of other churches and Byshoppes A mete manne to set vp a Byshop like himself the one murdered his maister and thother killâ—s soules Whan they haue aunswered this Pope that denies anye of his predecessours to haue hadde this name and autority than thei may crake that they haue had it M. D. sins Saint Peters time And where he sais in the latter ende that whan the people feâ—le from this relygion that Gregory send and Austin brought in they felt greate calamites by the conquest of the Danes and the Normans if he had aduised him selfe well he would not haue said thus But as Caiphas prophecied truly saying that it was necessary that one man Christ should die for the people and not all perishe not vnderstanding what he saide so this vnlearned Proctour hais spoken more truely than he wotes of For God in deede plaged this Realme for fallinge from true religion taught in his holy word rather than by Austin submittinge them selfes to the Pope who as ye heard refused that name and autoritye The conquest of the Danes was not longe nor greate but than folowed the Normans D. yeare sins saue fiue And if ye marke euen about that tyme was Hildebrande commenly cald Gregorye the. vii Pope who with his felowes brought more wicked super sticion into the church of God than euer was afore Afore his time there was no swarme of idle munkes and Freers in Englande nor in the worlde but they wroughte for their liuynge no suche gaddinge of Pilgrimages sellynge of Masses c. And therefore God iustlye plaged the world for falling from him and defilynge theym selues so filthilye with the dregges of Poperye I speake not this bicause I thinke all was well afore or that all the doinges of Gregorye and Austin were perfecte but to lette you see that oure Papystes leaue the beste and pyke oute the worst to folowe as metest for their purpose Now whether the people
of thys Reame be declyned from the steppes of Sainct Austin and other blessed fathers and Sauntes whych hadde Masse and vii Sacramentes in the Churche and God was honoured night and daye in the Churche wyth deuyne seruyce I thynke there is no man so simple but he maye easelye perceyue except malyce haue blynded hys hearte As in Saint Paules Churche in London by the decrees of blessed Fathers euerye nyght at Mydnyght they hadde Mattyâ—s all the fore none Masses in the Churche wyth other deuyne seruyce and contiuuall prayer and in the Steple antimes and prayers were haâ— certayne tymes That the people of this Realme be swarued from the steppes of Austin I wyll not greatlye stycke wyth hym to graunte but how not in fallynge from anye goodnesse that he vsed for that they eyther keepe styll or the better in stede of it but in refusynge suche abuses as he fyrste beganne and synce hys tyme the Churche of Goode hays bene ouer loden by the Popes oppression withall And because he says that we swarue from Austin and other blessed Fathers and Saintes which hadde masse and vii sacramentes who those Fathers and Saintes be I woulde he â—adde named theym that it myghte be sene how truly he sais I thinke he durst not nor yet can least he be taken with a lowd lie I thinke he meanes that Austin which is called thapostle of Englande and not that other Austin which is taken for one of the iiii Doctors of the Churche There is great difference betwixt them two both in auncientye of time in learninge and godlynesse Thenglysh Austin lyued here vi C. yeare after Christe the other in Aphric CCCC and that the elder Austin and blessed fathers afore him agree better with our reformed religion than with their Popery I boldlye affirme and if hee or his partakers haue or can saye anye thinge to the contrarye they shoulde proue it better than they haue done hitherto or elles the worlde maye iudge that they more proudlye brag as Golias did Gods people than can truly proue it But as Dauid wyth his slinge and stone ouercome that mighty Giaunt so I doubt not but they shall finde many that with the simplicitye of Gods trueth shall be able to confounde their wicked subtilitye I am sure he meanes chefelye the doctrine of the sacrament of Christes bodye and bloude â–ª but in that he is already ouer matched I remember in the time of that blessed kinge Edwarde the. vi D. Kidlay late Bishop of London came in visitacion to Camebridge and because that doctrine of the Sacrament semed straunge than to manye he propounded this proposicion to the hole vniuersitye to dispute on That it could not be proued by any auncient writer Greke or latin which liued a thousande yeare sins or within D. yeare after Christ that the substance of the bread was chaunged in the sacrament to the substaunce of Christes bodye There was the eldest and stoutest champions of the bole vuiuersitye and the pertest lustye yonge princockes also that coulde be pyked out to saye what they coulde ii or iii. dayes together and one while they hadde liberty to speake what they could in defence of it and an other whyle to speak against them that w tstode it with what reasons or autorities they could deuise But the pithy solutions of that godlye learned Byshop were so stroÌ„g than that vnto the world chaunged his enemies praised him and wondert at his learnyng and liked the doctrine so well that their lusty yonker would haue turned Bishop Crammers boke into latin yea maried to as was nedefull if the good Kinge had liued a while longer If this be true in the chefest point of their religion as it is most true in deede that they haue not one auncient writer without wraistinge to seme to make for them it is much more true in the rest There is another conference of late betwix the reuereÌ„d Bishop of Sarum and D. Coole wherein that learned father laies to their charge that for the rest of their trashe whiche they reuerence as bolye reliques they haue neyther Scripture auncient writer Doctor nor generall counsell to defend their doinges The writinges of good Crammer and these learned Byshops are in print and yet vnconfuted and in strength althoughe one attemted with small praise of late to defende D. Coles parte but if they coulde haue gainstand it no manne doubtes of their good wil. They neede not to feare their recognisans fire nor fagot nor anye punnyshement accordinge as they deserue theyr bloudy lawes are laid on slepe though their hartes be bloudy still And because he but onely names particularly masse and. vii Sacramentes and proues it not to bee so I will not vse many wayes in desprouing it for he is not a man of that autority learning nor credite that because he sais it is so therefore streight it must be so be beleued For I maye saye it is not so wyth as good reason as he yf sayinge wythoute proofe were sufficient For their masse I saide inoughe afore and proued of what auncienty it was I declared afore how Gregories masse boke was allowed vii C. lxxvii yeares after Christ and also how Austin by Gregories commaundement oute of suche dyuerse orders of massinge as ye see in other Countries patched their order of masse together that they vsed here in Englande Seing than by their owne Doctours confession it is manifest to be so many yeares after Christ afore their masse tooke place here or els where I may boldlye saye that neuer one holye father afore Gregory knew nor alowed anye suche kinde of massinge for than was no suche thinge made nor vsed These vnto they be aunswered are sufficient For their vii sacramentes I wil not saye muche at thys tyme because he standes not anye thynge in the proofe of theym The question is meter for the learned sorte than the people to try out such narow points The controuersy is more about the woorde and name than the thynge it selfe and vse of it Wee vse vi of theym that he calles Sacramentes as well as they thoughe not without great reason we forbeare to call theym all Sacramentes and differ muche in the doctrine the order and vsinge of theym with other ceremonies and language than they do Baptisme the lordes supper confirmation of Children mariage orderinge of ministers we vse theÌ„ al as wel as they thoughe not in the same sort that they and teache the people to haue theym in reuerence better than they Confession is left free to all that fele theym selues burdened in conscience and wante eyther counsell or comfort and the weake and ignoraunt are moued to resorte to a learned minister to receyue the comfortable promises of absolution and forgeuenes of sinne by the liuely worde of God applied to so troubled a minde as a souerain salue for al such grefes The only controuersye in number than betwix vs is for extreme vnction whether that be so
consâ—â—â— distinc ii We geue the people the â—uppe of Christes bloude as well as 〈◊〉 the Priestes as Ciprian teaches saiyngâ— how do we teach or prouoke them to sheâ—e their bloude in confessinge his name if we deny them that shalbe christes soudiers the bloud of christ or how doe we make them mete to the cuppe of In burials we do not assemble a number of Priestes to swepe purgatorye or bye forgiuenes of synnes of them whiche haue no autoritye to sell but accordinge to Saint Ieroms example we folowe At the death of Fabiola sais he the people of Ro. were gathered to the solemnite of the buriall Psalmes were songe and Alleluia soundinge oute on height did shake the gildet celinges of the Temple Here was one company of yonge menne and there another which did singe the prayses and worthy dedes of the woman And no meruaile if men reioyce of her saluation of whose conuersion Thangelles in heauen be glad thus Ierom vsed burialls likewise Gregory Nazanzene hais his funerall Sermons and Orations in the commendacion of the party departed so hais Ambrose for Theodosius and Ualentinian the Emperours for his brother Satirus c. Their Dirige grotes masses and trentalles tapers and ringinges haue no foundation on the Scripture nor good auncientye to maintaine theym Ierom sais that Alleluia was songe so loude that it made the Churche roofe to shake and our Papes wil not sing Alleluia at all neither at buriall in lent nor Aduent and saye they folowe auncientye Alleluia is as much in Englyshe as praise ye the lorde as thoughe they shoulde saye praise the lorde that hais called his seruaunt out of this miserie to himselfe in heauen But the desperat Papes saye wepe reioyse not for the dead but mistrust of their saluation thinke that they bee gone from one sorowe to another and therfore bie masses apase the Popes proctoures for money inoughe will sel that whiche God can not or will not geue freely as they thinke God is wearye as they saye of wel doing and turned ouer the matter to these the Popes Proctours But Salomon teaches that in death the bodie tournes to earth from whence it came and the soule to him that gaue it Loke how both bodye and soule is bestowed whatsoeuer gredy gaping Cormorauntes do say to get money withall Blessed be the dead that die in the lorde sais Saint Ihon. For they rest from their labours the Papes saye the dead be accursed and goe into purgatory from sorowes here to greater there chose whether ye beleue In mariage as in other thinges beside we are but to much like vnto them that is our fault generally that we differ not more from them in al our ministery We haue all in Englysh where they haue but I N. take thee M. c. And here I would aske Maister schismaticks commenlye and not Protestantes Fascic tempor a booke made by one Munke of their owne sect reherses xxiii schismes betwyr Popes and their partakers whan they fynde the thirde part of to manye amonge the Protestantes than they may haue some face of apparens to cal vs schismatikes At the counseil of Constance were iii. Popes in iii. diuerse Countryes Italy Fraunce and Spayne all claymynge to be chiefe and some Countryes folowed one some another but all were deposed and a iiii chosen litle more thâ— a C. l. yeare sins It were to longe to rehearse al the schismes spoken of who so lust there maye reade This schisme that I named last and the other whan there was one Pope at Rome and another at Auinion in Fraunce rl yeares together are the notablest and troubled the worlde most in striuing who should haue the most folowers and partakers the other I passe ouer for shortnes sake vnto these be considered better of them how they maye defend them selues that they be not proued schismatikes if that be schismaticall seruice whan one differs from another than be all orders of Freers Munkes Chanons Nunnes yorks vse Sarum Bangor c. schismatical for they differ euery one froÌ„ other Now for pullinge downe Altars and ministring the Communion on tables a fewe woordes to trie whether we doe this without reason or example First our sauiour Christ ministred it sittinge at a table Than it is not wicked but but best to folow his doinges for he did all thinges well Saint Luk. sais that the hand of the traitour was with him at the table Saint Paul for the vse of it in his time sais ye can not be partakers of the Lordes table and the table of Deuils where it appeares plain that both Idolaters at their Sacrifices and the Christyans also in their holye mysteries vsed tables Theodor. writes that after Ambrose had excommunicated Themperour Theodosius and receyued him againe to the Churche the Emperour â—ynge flat on the grounde wepinge and tearinge the heare of hys head for sorowe and shame of his offenses he rose vppe and offred at such time sais he as the giftes were offered at the holy table Sozo writes lib. viii ca. vii howe Eutropius fled to the Churche as a Sanctuary for succour because he had offended Themperoure and whan Ihon Byshoppe of Constantinople see him lye afore the holye Communion table he preached vnto him and rebuked him of his pryde whan he was in autoritye The Canon of the great Nicene counsel sais thus In the godly table wee muste not lowlye cleaue to the bread and cuppe set afore vs but lifting vppe oure minde on height by faith we must consider the lambe of God to be set afore vs in that holy table Wherein I note that they all call it a table and not an altar where they ministred the communion This was iiii C. yeare after Christ aboue a thousaunde yeare sins why than Alters were not contynued from the beginninge as they saye and we are not the first that vsed tables but we would gladly restore these olde cusstomes againe If Ambrose lawfullye and well vsed tables at the Communion at Millan and the Byshop at Constantinople in Grece and elles where I see no reason why wee shoulde be rebuked for folowinge them except they can proue that they did it against the Scripture I knowe that the Scripture and olde writers also make mention of altares but that is because Moises in the lawe commaunded theym to offer their sacryfices vppon Aultars because the sacrifices than commenlye vsed were heauye as Oxen calues sheepe c. and tables were not able to stand and beare suche weyghtes contynuallye These sacrifices were a figure and shadowe of that onlye pure sacrifice whiche Christe shoulde offer on the crosse for vs all for as those innocent beasts were killed for other mennes fautes so Christ without sinne shoulde die for the sinnes of the worlde For this cause the crosse wheron Christ our lorde died is called an altar also because the sacrifice for the sins of the whole worlde
whitsondaye the Churche knowes no fastinge daye Marke what the churche vsed in his time and what it is growen to since Howe many fasting dayes in that space haue Popes broughte in synce from whence came all the gang dayes to bee fasted in the crosse weke was it from the church or no if the churche didde it than the latter churche and Popes were contrarye to the old church in Ambro. time or els the church is free in all ages to disanull that whiche was done afore them If it be free why than may not the churche nowe disanull that whiche was done afore oure tyme as well as they brake the custome of the chuch in Ambrose time afore them hais not the Churche lyke power in all ages to decree or dysanulle what they luste Are we more bounde that wee shall not breake olde customes than they were What is the reason that wee shoulde bee so or where is it so wrytten If the Churche bee ruled by generall counselles where is that counsell that decreed so many fasting dayes to be betwix Easter and Whitsunday Ambrose says none was afore hys time Is counsell so contrarye to counsell or does one counsell deface that whiche an other determined Than is that true where I saide afore that their counsels were like oure Parliamentes and they are no longer to be obserued than other couÌ„sels folowing shal think mete Whiche being true graunted who wilbe so mad to bild his faith vpon couÌ„cels whiche haue so often chaunged and one sort beleue contrarye to another And althoughe Ambrose saye that the churche knewe no fastinge day betwix Ester and whitsonday yet beside these manye fastes in the Rogation weke oure wise Popes of late yeares haue deuysed a monstrous fast on Saint Markes daye All other fastinge daies are on the holy day even only Saint Marke must haue his day fasted Tell vs a reason why so that wil not be laughen at We knowe wel ynough your reasoÌ„ of Tho. Beket and thinke you are ashamed of it tell vs where it was decreed by the churche or generall counsell Tell vs also if ye can why the one side of the strete in Cheapeside fastes that daye beinge in London diocesse and the other side beinge of Canturbury diocesse fastes not and so in other townes moe Could not Beckets holynes reache ouer the strete or woulde he not If he coulde not he is not so mighty a saint as ye make hym if he would not he was malicious that woulde not doe so muche for the Citye wherin he was borne This is his great auncient holy churche that he crakes so much Becket was liuinge sins the conquest vnder king Henry the second not â—iii C. yeares sins and yet all as they thynke that wyll not beleue their trumpry to be M. D. yere old and ought not to be broken is an hereticke disobeyes the vniuersall Churche and not mete to liue Monica Saint Austins mother seing them fast at Rome on the saturday and coming to Millan see them not fast there maâ—uailed at it and asked Austin her sonne the cause of suche diuersity of fastinge thinking that both didde not well Austin beinge yet but a yonge scholer in Christes schole asked Ambro. the cause Ambro. said Fastinge was free and therfore whan he came to Rome he fasted and dyd as they done Whan he was at Millan be fasted not but did as they did Afterwarde Austin beinge better learned gaue this lesson in the same Epistle and sayde that he found written in the newe testament that we ought to fast but he neuer fouÌ„d it there writen what dayes we should faste Therfore the time is free to all christians by the scripture to eat or not eat but they must eat so soberly euerye day as though they fasted and see that they surfet not Montanus an hereticke was the first that made lawes for fasting and they like good children make it heresy to breake their dayes or fast otherwayes than they appoint There be ii sortes of fasting from meat whiche we be bound vnto The one voluntary whan we fele our selues by to muche eatinge giuen to anye kinde of sin than the fleshe must be bridled by abstinence that it rebell not against the spirit but the minde may more frely serue the lorde The other is by commaundement on suche dayes as be appointed by commen order of the countrye wherein we must beware that we be not breakers of polities These kindes of fasting stande in outwarde disciplyne and are to be obserued with fredom of consciens so farre as the helthe of the bodye maye beare and supersticion be not maintayned There is a. iii. sort whiche Esai speakes of that standes not in forbearynge meates onely but in exercisinge the workes of mercy Is this the fast that I choose sais the Lorde that a man shoulde punishe him selfe pynche hys belye and pull downe himselfe so that for hunger and paine he crie out or fall into sickenes that he wrythe and lappe hys heade in huddes and Kercheffes No says the Lorde but thys is the fast that I haue chosen bring the poore and straungers to thy house feede the hungrye clothe the naked c. God is not delyted with a hungrye belly for meat but wyth the soule that hungers for his righteousnesse Furthermore this generall kinde of fastinge whiche standes in forbearynge fleshe and eatynge but one meale a daye to many it is no grefe nor a bridelinge to the lust of the flesh Some loue fyshe so well that they had rather feede of that than of other meat and some haue so weake stomackes or lyue so ydle lyues that they can scarce dygest one meale a daye Agayne other some haue so costlye and greate dinners that they eat more at that one dynner than the poore man can get at three scamlinges on a day Therefore I can not say that he punishes his bodye by abstinence that eates fyshe whyche he loues nor that for weakenes of stomacke can not eat more althoughe his appetite desire it nor he that gorges himselfe so ful at one meale that he can not be hungry of a whole daye after Hard it is therfore to appoint to euerye particuler manne what whan or how seldome he shal eate when he fastes but bicause generally euery man loues flesh better than fishe and eates twise a daye at the least generallye it was well appointed in fasting to forbeare flesh and eate but ones a daye thoughe it faile in many particulers Therfore whan anye is to be charged with breaking his fast the person is to be considerd whither he may doe it with the health of his body the kinde of fastynge whether it be supersticious to bye forgeuenes of sinnes and righteousnesse the time that it be not wyth Iewyshe obseruatyon of daies and the meate it selfe that it be not thought vnclean by nature and vnlawfull and the cause that it be for taminge the fleshe and not to compound with God or bargaine that
true Thinges necessary to be beleued are writen onelye in the scriptures so be thinges to be worshipt to be feared as godly or counted holy are taught there onlye Than he that beleues more than the holy Byble teaches or worshyppes feares other Gods than the onely liuing God or does any thing for the seruice of God or countes holye that which is not taught there generallye he is supersticious and the vse of the thynge it selfe is supersticion The Englyshe worde is the harder because we vse the Latin worde supersticion and makes it Englishe But the Greke woorde makes the nature of it and the things afore rehersed playner by much There be ii Greke wordes signifyinge this supersticion Ethelothresceia and deisidaemonia the further word signifies as the interpretacion of it declares all suche relygyous woorshyppinge of God as manne dcuises on hys owne heade and is not taught in the holye Scrypture So sais the glosse Colloss ii whan mannes tradicion is taken for religion than it is supersticion As eyther to worshyppe anye other God than the onelye true liuinge God or to worshyppe the onelye Godde other wayes than he hais appointed vs in his word as with Ladye Psaltars trentals pilgrimages c. And because the chefe part of godly worshippe standes in prayinge to God and callynge on him in our necessities with a stedstast beliefe of hys holye worde and promise He that cals on anye creature but Godde alone for helpe or beleues other doctrine necessary to saluation than Gods boke alone he is well called supersticious The latter word signifies that godly feare in their opinion whiche is due to Godde alone whiche who so euer gyues to anye other creature besyde the true God he is supersticious also As they that to knowe thynges to come wyll counsell wyth spirits or in their sicknes or trouble seke helpe at their hands hang vpon the sterres for lucky or unlucky dates or feare any creature more then the lord creator Al the popes creatures therfore be supersticious puttinge their holines and religion in their â—owles cloisters order inueÌ„ted of men and fearing more to breake the rule of Austin Dominie Benet than of anye Appostle Euangelyste or Chryste hymselfe They also be superstycious that put holinesse in meates dayes times places beades holy water palme crosse pardons S. Agathes letters for burninge houses thorne bushes for lightnings c. Lerne therfore to put difference betwix religion and supersticion and than ye shall easely knowe how we disalow no prayer but the supersticious The Scribes and Pharises prayed at euery corner of the stretes and fasted oft yet our Sauioure Christ rebuked them not condemninge prayer but their misusinge of it So we will euery manne to praye in euery time and place yet supersticion we abhorre in all sortes of menne prayer time and place What wicked blindenes is this than to thinke that bearing prayers written in rolles aboute wyth theym as S. Iohns Gospell the length of our lord the measure of our Lady or other like thei shal die no sodain death â—ot he hanged or yf he be hanged he shall not die There is to manye suche though ye laugh and beleue it not and not hard to shewe them with a wet finger Prayer than is of ii sorts either in begging that that we want or geuing thankes for that which we haue receyued and it is the earnest liftinge vp of a mans minde to God or a familiar and reuerent talke and complainte to oure heauenly father of oure miseries with a â—rauinge of his mercies and trusting tâ— obtayne of his mercye that whiche shall be necessarye or els an humble thankes geuinge for hys liberall benefytes so plenteouslye bestowed on vs vndeserued These stande in depe sighes and groninges wyth a ful consideration of our miserable state and Goddes maiestye in the heart and not in ynke or paper not in hangyng written scrolles about the necke but lamentinge vnfeynedlye oure sinnes from the hart accusinge aud condemninge our selues and beggynge pardon for them not in speakynge a number of woordes wyth the lippes vnconsideratlye be they neuer so holy but with bitter teares weiyng froÌ„ the heart euery syllable that he thinkes or speakes Thus prayed Anna to haue a son i. kin i. so sorowfullye pouringe out her grefes afore God in her mynde that the Priest seinge her lyppes moue and hearynge not her wordes thought she had bene dronken Thus earnestlye called Moyses on Godde in his sorowfull meditacion That the Lorde sayde to him why cries thou so to me and yet we reade not that he spake anye worde at all The other is lyplabour in speakynge much or saying a great number of their owne deuised prayers or elles a charminge thinkinge that in certayne wordes speaking they could make thinges come to passe as they lust These with suche other as popery is ful of we say be supersticious Lastlye be burdens vs with breaking al lawes of the church ciuil canon and the Realme in that we say mariage of Priestes is lawfull This is that which may not be borne this is thought so hanâ—us that Christen men should not suffer it If he were learned he could neuer haue heaped so many lyes together Al writers confesse that the greke churche in the east part of the worlde which is the greater part of christendome neuer forbade their Priestes mariage nor doe at this daye For the west and Latin Churche nowe will I trie a little whether anye suche haue bene borne by lawe or no. Hildebrand commenlye called Gregorye vii who for his deedes might be turned and cald a hell brand was the first that euer brought aboute but with muche a doe that Priestes should not marye and the maried shuld lose eyther their wiues or liuinges but the Priestes of Spane withstode him by their Byshop Some afore attemted it but neuer one coulde compasse it This Pope lyued aboute the conquest v. C. yeare sins and syns the begynnynge of the worlde vnto hys tyme it was not brought to passe There is a great difference in continuaunce of time than that mariage was alowed and a small that they were forbidden In Moyses law it was not forbidden two thousand yeare afore Christ Peter Thapostle and Philip Theuangelist were maried and had daughters Gregory Bishop of Naâ—anâ—um was Byshoppe there as hys father was afore him Polychrates Byshop of Ephesus says that vii of his cosins and auncetours had bene Byshoppes afore him Whan Phileas Bishop of Chinnâ— was ledde to martirdome the greatest reason they had to perswade him to recant was that he woulde haue pitye on his wife Eustathius and his scholers are blamed bicause they despised maried priestes These amonge the Grecians I trust proue that the Church hais had maried Priestes of olde time The. l. Canon of The Appostles says If anye Byshoppe Priest Diacon or any of the Clergye forbeare mariage fleshe and wyne not for that his mynde
wife must be blessed of the Priest The writer of the rule of clerkes liues agreing wyth these and suche sentences of the scripture sais A clerke must be chast or els bounde with the bande of one mariage Of all whiche sayinges he gethers trulye that a Bishoppe and Diacon are to be blamed if they be deuyded into manye women but if eyther Bishoppe or Diacon forsake one woman for religion sake the canonicall sentence here condemnes theym without respecte of their degrees sayinge A Byshop vnder pretense of religion must not put awaye his owne wife if he put her away let him be excommunicat but if he continue let him be deposed postea There be some which take S. Gregory for a help of this opinion whose folyshnes I laughe at and am sorye for their ignoraunce they know not that the perillous decree of this heresy made by S. Gregory was purged afterward of him by worthy fruite of repentance For on a time when he sende to his pounde for fyshe and see mo than six thousand childrens heades brought he sight moued with inwarde sorowe and confessinge that decree whiche he made for forbearinge of mariage to haue bene the cause of so greate a slaughter did purge it with worthy frute of repentaunce and condemninge his owne decree praysed that counseel of the Apostle It is better to mary than to burne addinge for hys part this It is better to marye than giue occasion of murther Thus muche among many other reasons concerning this matter this Byshop wrote a. vii c. yeare sins Frere Mantuan says that Hilary the learned writer Byshop of Poiters in Fraunce was maried The counsell Gangrēse about a iii. C. yeare after Christ says If anye man thinke that it is not lawful for a maried priest to vse his ministery or abhorre him for that cause cursed be he The Priestes of Spane did earnestlye defend their mariage againste Pope Syricius beynge angrye wyth them Thus ferre ye see of howe late yeares and howe troublesome a beginninge this forbiddinge of priests mariage had in other countries now let vs see a little howe and whan it began here in Englande that this proude prycker and vnlearned papist may see his owne folyshnes If I should begin at Wales the reliques of the old Britans whiche haue at all times suffred their Priestes to marye in al poperye parauenture some would call them concubines for a shifte rather then wiues as they be in dede but surely if papistes will suffer fathers so to bestowe their daughters and their chaplains to keepe vnlawfull women rather than their lawfull wiues as Pigius their great patrone sais it is better for a priest to keepe a whore than haue a wife they declare whose children they be Mariage is of God whoredome is of the Deuill therfore I come to more certayn things In the time of Kinge Henrye the first Paschall beinge Pope and Ansel. Bisshoppe of Cantorb about iiii C. yeares sins this diuorcynge of Priestes began chefely here with vs. The Pope willed Ansel. to do it he attemted to do it and the kinge withstode it as appeares by sūdry Epistles of Ansel concerning the same matter Epi. lxxvii iii. c. lxxvi Ansel. to his brether sunnes the lord Prior Ernulph other seruing god vnder him in Christes church in Cantorb gretinge and his blessinge As concerning Priestes of whom the kinge gaue commaundement that they shoulde haue both their Churches and their wyues as they had in the tyme of his father and of Lanfranc late archebishop yet both because the kinge hais reuested and reseased me of the whole archbishopricke and also because so cursed a mariage was forbidden in a counsell in the time of his father and the same Archbishop boldly by that autoritye which I haue by tharchbishopricke I commaunde not onlye within tharchbishopricke but also through oute England that all Priestes which kepe their wiues shalbe depriued of their churches and ecclestasticall benefice Marke the thinges conteined in these few wordes the kinges commaundement for Priestes to kepe their benefices and wyues both contrarye to Pope Gregories decree afore and yet not contrarye to the custome in his fathers tyme and Bysshop Lanfranc And where Ansel. demaunded the Popes aduise what was best to doe seinge it was so harde to diuorse theim note the Popes aunswere Epist. iii. C. xxxi Paschal Byshop seruaunt of Gods seruauntes to his reuerende brother Anselme Byshop of Cantorb gretyng and Apostolicall blessing We beleue youre brotherhode is not ignorāt what is decreed in the Romish churche concerninge Priestes chyldren but because ther is so great a multitude of such within the Realm of England that almost the greater and better part of the clarkes are reckened to be on this side we commit the order here into your charge For we graunt those to be promoted to holye offices by reason of the nede at this time and for the profet of the church whom learning and life shal commende amonge you and yet notwithstandinge the preiudice of the Ecclesiastical decree be taken hede to hereafter Here I note the Popes confession that almost the greater and better part of the Clergye here in Englande were maried than and that he suffers theym to be promoted to benefices and afterwarde as time would suffer to execute the Popes deuorcing decre Whan the Bishops coulde not wel bring those diuorces to passe the Pope sende Ioan his Cardinall to doe it and he as Polychro writes lib. vii ca. xvi was taken the same night in bedde with a doore in the time of Henrye the first O holy single life that the Pope went about The same Polychro sais also lib. vii ca. xxxi that Fuico a Frenche Prieste came to kinge Richard the. i. and bad him mary his iii. daughters the kinge said he had none yes says he Pride couetous lecherye than the king said pryde I giue to Templers couetous to white munkes and lecherye to Prelates this mariage was so knytte than that it coulde not be broken sins and this was the kinges opinion of them But not onely this hardnesse was in beginning of this diuorce but after that they were seperated dyuerse came together again as appeares in the Epistle that Ansel. wrote to Willyam his Archdiacon in this behalfe Ansel. Archebyshoppe to the reuerende Gundulph Bish. and to Ernulph Prior and to Willyam Archdiacon of Cantorb and to all in his diocesse gretinge Epi. iii. C. lxxiii Willyam our Archdiacon hais writen to me that some Priestes whiche be vnder his custodye takinge againe their Wyues that were forbidden theym haue fallen into vncleanesse from whiche they were drawen by holsome Counsell and commaundement whan Tharchdiacon woulde amende thys thynge they vtterlye despised his warninge and worthye Commaundement with a wycked pryde Than he callyng together many religious menne and obedient Priests excommunicated worthelye the proude and dysobedient which beastlie despised his curse and defyled the holy ministery as much
the xxxii yeare of king Henrye the first Of this kinred came that goodlye impe Tho. Beket In the yeare M. C. xxxvii and the first yeare of kynge Steuen began a fire at London bridge and burned all the Citye and Churche of Paules vnto ye come out at Temple barre to Saint Clementes church whiche was than called the Danes churche In the yeare M. iii. lxxxii and the xxi daye of Maye with a greate earth quake through the Realme the crosse in Paules Church yard was ouerthrowen in the. vi yere of Richard the. ii To the bylding of that crosse againe Willyam than Byshoppe of Cantorb gathered greate summes of money and enriched him selfe And because menne should be more willinge and liberal to giue he the rest of such holy Byshops graunted manye dayes of pardon to theym that would frely geue money to the bilding of that crosse again Cantor grauÌ„ted xl days London Ely Bathe Chichester Carleil LaÌ„daff Bangor euery one xl dayes the summe in all iii. C. rr dayes of pardon but not one dodkin of money came out of their purse All which thinges and more the Deane of Paules declared wel at the crosse out of the recordes of their church and Citye iii. yeare afore Lanfranc was made Byshoppe of Cantorb as Legenda sanctorum writes the hole city of Cantor almost and Christs church there was burned vp with fire in the beginninge of Willyam conquerours days Polychr tels lib. vii ca. iiii that a great piece of London and Paules Churche with the principall Cities of Englande were burned Ca. vii he sais a whirle winde threw downe a. C. houses in London and many churches also lib. viii ca. i. Basil a great Citie with many towres fel with earthquake in Edward the. iii. days and in Naples xl thousande were killed Ca. xâ—viii on Candelmas euen in mid winter Paules steple was burned wyth lyghtninge in the tyme of Henrye vi Ca. xxii the church of DurraÌ„ likewise about xl yere sins w t many other like But why shuld I stand to proue that which euerye man knowes to be true if he be of any lerning knowledge as thoughe it were a doubt or straunge thing What great town or church can ye recken within the realme or w tout almost that hais not sufferd the lyke why shuld we thaÌ„ meruail of this cal to remembrans y e late dais of popery here w e vs not vii yere sins see what horrible stormes thunders and lightninges was here by Notingam where houses Churches belles woodes and loden cartes were ouerthrowen and caried awaye But he sais these chaunced some in time of Ciuill warre and not all with fire from heauen What than what helpes that his case all were in the time of poperye and many mo like And thoughe all these were not wyth fire from heauen yet it is as great a token of Goddes anger as well as the other or more Sais not Dauid Fire haile snowe yse and windy stormes do his coÌ„maundement If they do his commaundement than the one is his doing aswell as the other Does not god rule the earth as well as the heauen These fires from heauen chaunce more seldom than the other and therefore more fearfull whan they come yet these on earth obey his word as well as the other and are not done withoute him And not without a cause it maye be a token of gods greater anger to punish vs rather with those thinges that be daily among vs and were ordeyned to serue vs for our helth than to corect vs with those that fall so seldome and are made to feare vs and declare Gods great fearefull maiestie But this greues him to call that the time of supersticion ignoraunce whan God was serued night and daye so deuoutly as he thinkes and euery one liued quietly without reasoning of y e scripture and beleued what so euer the pope sent them serued god after their owne diuise not as god himselfe taught the so that the belly were ful al was wel thoughe they maintained ideli lubbers which was no more almes afore god thaÌ„ their praitinge was praying For their munkishe night prayer how vain lippe labour it was and mumbled vp of an vnlearned sort I said inough afore and declared how farre it differed from true prayer but this is that maye not be borne whan the people haue the scripture in their owne tonge for than they are able to tell the Priestes their dutye and correcte their supersticious Idolatry It skilles not muche thoughe the Papistes would haue the people to liue in blyndnesse still for in that the Pope and the Turke agrees well that their people shalbe vnlerned and vnderstand nothing but what so euer it pleases the Priestes to teach them which is neither much nor good but God in his word the auncient fathers in their writinges do teache christian people otherwaies Dauid sais the father shoulde declare his truth to their children Moyses sais Aske thy father and he will tel thee demaunde of the elders and they will declare vnto thee Paul sais wiues if they woulde know any thing let them aske their husbandes at home If fathers must teache their children and children learne of their fathers and wyues of their husbandes howe shoulde eyther party be ignoraunt Ierom. sais men are wont women are wont and Munkes are wont to striue amonge themselues who should learne most scriptures and thinks them best that learnes most but he learned most that does most Chriso in his xxxi Homily on S. Ioan rebukes the people that were so vnwillinge to learne the scriptures seing the woman of Samaria of whom there he writes was so desirous that at home in their houses they hadde Tables and Chesses rather than bookes and if they had anye bookes they were not occupied c. In his ii Homilie on Matth. In declaringe howe the scriptures refresh the minde as a holesome aer does the bodye he moues them to the readinge of it and rebukes theym that saye it belonges to munkes and Priestes to read it and studie it and not to the people Thus in corners these ennemyes of god and hys woorde woulde drawe the people from their saluation and woulde make them beleue that it were not their duty to learne What blindnes is this to thinke ignoraunce better than learninge and blindnes than sight Saint Paul sais the Gospel of God is the power of god to saue them that beleue Saint Ia. sais the worde of god is able to saue oure soules Than surelye those theues that woulde robbe Gods people of Gods worde woulde robbe theym of their saluation by christ and sell theym such filthye salues as the Pope woulde heale his scabbed shepe withall whiche stinkes in Gods sight Christ oure lorde sais if the blinde leade the blinde bothe fall into the ditch than it is not inough to saye Sir Iohn our Priest taught me thus For
yet so god blessed the Quenes maiestye that she not onelye delyuered vs but theym from their enemies handes what relese in France the poore oppressed haue had at her highnes handes the blynde sce all her louinge subiectes reioise though the enuious Papist murmure grudge God graunt her hyghnesse grace to be thankefull to gods maiestye who does so past all mannes expectacion prosper her doinges that he onelye maye haue the praise UUhat cause we haue to prayse god for restoring religioÌ„ through the Quenes trauaile all menne of god do see praise him for it thoughe blind papists be sory therfore UUhat â—ost her highnes hais susteined in restoringe vs a fine coine from so base wise men reioise though this malicious foole say we be in great pouerty Looke howe fewe taxes she hais taken to doe this withal and howe manye and howe great were leuied afore Howe was this Realme pesterd with straunge rulers straunge Goddes straunge languages straunge religion straunge coines and howe is it nowe peaceablye ridde of theym all to the greate glorye of God that hais wroughte so manye wonderful straunge greate thinges in so shorte a time in a weake vessell which he neuer did by anye her noble progenitors whiche haue bene so manye and so worthy Coulde anye be so blinde but that malyce hays bewytched to not see or not praise Godde for these worthye dedes â–ª I woulde haue wanted the suspicyon of flatterye in rehearsinge these thinges but that I would the vnthankful world shoulde see the disdainefull blinde malice of popery which can not say well by Gods good blessinges The foolishe lynking and clouting of y â— scriptures together which folowes declares what wit he hais They may be applied all against himselfe and such as he is rather than against the professors of Gods trueth what blasphemye is it to lay all kinde of wickednes on Gods worde what euil so euer raignes in the world it is to be imputed to man not to God to mans frailnes not to gods trueth and goodnes God and his holye worde punish and condemne al false doctrine and filthines therfore God wil confounde all suche filthye mouthes as blaspheme hym or his holye woorde to be the cause of anye kynde of naughtinesse All liberty is now vsed he sais where in dede iustyce was not better ministred these manye yeares euen as the wiser and indifferenter sorte of Papistes doe graunte Call to remembraunce howe sharplye buggerye coniuringe witchcraftes sorcery c. were punished wyth death by lawe in the Gospell tyme of blessed king Edw. Whan were these lawes repealed but in the late dayes of Popery than iudge whether there was greater liberty to sinne vnder the christian kinge or vnder supersticious poperye But the sodomiticall papistes thinke these to be no sinnes and therefore beastly doe misuse them selues defilinge theym selues bothe with spiritual and Sodomitical vncleanes whether is there more libertye gyuen to sin whan such sinnes be made deathe by order of lawe or whan the lawes apoint no punishment for theym Surelye thegospel is vniustly blamed in geuing carnal liberty popery rightfully condemned in taking away the pain opening a doore to al mischefe Who liues more licentiously than the pope himself w tout al feare of god good order gods law doing what he wil so be al his scholers folowing their owne fathers steps In these my sayinges I go not about to proue vs Aungels yet surely not suche deuilles as he woulde make vs but in comparison of them we be saintes therfore let vs both amend that God maye be mercifull to bothe and glorified in both And as thexamples in his beginninge were good if they had bene well applied so is his conclusion I wil conclude with him therefore in the ryght sense and meaninge of it saiynge with him Returne to the steppes of the good fathers the Prophets and Apostles framinge your selues to folowe their doctrine be not caried away with straunge and diuerse doctrine of Popes contrary to Gods holy worde and inuented of late by men Imbrace the religion and faith taught from the beginninge in christes Church from time to time continually Flee this new fangled Popish supersticion whiche hais crept into the Church of late yeares and beleue that onelye whiche Christ hais taught and his Appostles and Martirs haue confirmed and frame your liues accordingly or elles Goddes vengeaunce hanges ouer your heades ready sodenlye to fall vppon you and let this token of brenninge of Paules be an example and token of a greater plague to folowe except ye amend whiche god graunt vs al to doe Amen A Prayer MOste ryghteouse and wise iudge eternall god and merciful father which of thy secret iudgement haste suffered false Prophetes in al ages to rise for the trial of thine elect that the worlde might knowe who woulde stedfastly sticke vnto thy vndoubted and infallible trueth and who woulde be caried awaye with euerye vayne doctrine and yet by the might of thy holye spirite hais confounded theym all to thy great glorye and comfort of thy people haue mercy vpon vs we besech thee and strengthen oure weakenes against all assaultes of our enemies confounde all Popery as thou did the doctrine of the Pharises strengthen y â— louers of thy truth to the confusion of all supersticioÌ„ and hipocrisy giue vs due loue and reuerence of thy holye worde defende vs from mannes tradicions encrease oure fayth graunte vs grace neuer to fall from thee but vprightlye to walke accordynge as thou hais taught vs swaruing neyther to the right hand nor the life neyther adding nor taking any thinge awaye from thy writen worde but submitting oure selues hollye to thy good wil and pleasure may so passe this transitorye life that through thy goodnes we may lyue euerlastinglye wyth thee in thy glory through Christ our lord who with thee and the holye Ghoste lyues and reignes one god and our Sauiour for euer and euer Haue not I hated theym O Lorde that hate thee and euen â—ined awaye because of thine ennemies Psal. Cxxxix I will giue you a mouth and wisdome whiche all your enemies can not gainsaye and wythstande Luke xxi FINIS ¶ Here folowe also certaine questions propounded by him whiche are fullye althoughe shortly aunswered whiche is the catholycke Church SAint Augustine and S. Hieroâ— do saye The Church is a visible companye of people gathered of christ our lord and the Apostles and continued vnto this day by a perpetual succession liuing in one faith Apostolicall vnder Christe the heade and his vicar in earth being the pastor and high Byshop Out of this catholicke and apostolicall church is no trust of saluation Saint Augustine sais who so euer shalbe out of this church althoughe his lyfe be esteamed to be very good and laudable by this only faut that he is disioyned and seperated from the vnitye of Christ and his Church he can haue no lyfe but the wrath of God
hanges ouer him Saint Ciprian sayes he seperates himselfe from Christ that does against the consent of the Byshop and clergy Saint Hiero. does saye we muste remayne in that Churche whiche is founded of the Apostles and does endure vnto thys daye by a succession of Byshoppes to whom the holye Ghoste hais appointed the rule and gouernement of this Churche sanctified by Christes bloud shedinge Nor let heretickes take anye comforte to theym selues if they can frame out of the Chapters of the scripture for their pourpose that whiche they saye seynge the deuill hais alledged some thinges of scripture for the scriptures consist not in readinge but true vnderstandinge If we will be members of Christes Churche we must continue firmely in that faith and religyon that was sent from the Apostolicall see of Ro. by S. Gregory into England which faith and religion was planted and stablyshed by Saint Angustine in thys Realme Saint Augustine stablyshed masse and vii sacramentes to be vsed in the latin tonge as Gâ—das does witnes and such maner of deuine seruice as is nowe vsed The aunswere to the. i. question SAint Austin in the first place alledged hais no suche definition althoughe the most parte of the wordes which he puttes there are true and woulde to God he considered howe muche he speakes against him selfe here in This is that which we defende that the Churche is gathered by Christ and Thappostles first and continues not in the Papisticall but in the Apostolicall faith vnder Christ our head who rules his churche stil by his holye spirite and worde and hais not put it into the â—andes of any one only general vicar in the earth as he vntruelye sayes whereas their church is bylded not on christ but on the Popes decrees whiche Thappostles neuer knewe and were vnwritten manye yeares after the death of Thappostles and are alwayes vncertayne chaunginge euer as it pleases the Pope for his time to determine And their Church hais had at one time iii. or iiii Popes for their heades like a monster with manye heades some Countrie folowinge one Pope some another as their heade We saye also that the Papistes haue deuided theim selues from this Churche of Christe makinge them selues sinagoges and chappelles gods and religion of their owne deuysynge as Micha did contrarye to Gods worde and therefore the wrath of God hanges ouer them except they returne howe holye so euer they pretende to be Ciprians wordes are not all together so plaine as he settes theym but if they were he meanes an other sort of Priestes and Clergye than the Popes for neyther they did take than to them nor he knew no such autoritye in them as they now vsurpe vnto theim selues for he writes as sharplye and homelye vnto Cornelius than byshop of Rome as he does to any other his felow bishops Surelye who so euer deuydes him selfe from Christes ministers and people refusinge their doctrine and discipline seperates him selfe from Christ euen as he that flees from the filthy dregges of Poperye and his Chaplaines is cut of from the Pope the father of suche wickednes In Ieroms wordes we most reioyse teachinge vs to continue in that Churche which is founded by Thapostles and not Popes endures to thys daye The wordes of succession c. folowinge are his owne and not Ieroms By thys doctrine of Ierom we flee to Thapostolicall and flee from the Papisticall Churche whiche was neuer knowen of manye yeares after Thapostles And we graunt that the deuil papistes and heretickes can alledge some wordes of the scriptures and therefore we saye that the Papistes be deuilyshe Heretickes because they racke writhe the scriptures to a contrarye meaninge to their owne damnation as the deuill did For succession and gouernement of Byshops for Austins religion massinge and vii sacramentes I said inoughe afore but where he alleges Gildas as father of his lies he does him much wroÌ„g for he hais neuer suche a word in all his writinges If he haue lette him shew it This is euer the facion of liynge Papistes to haue the names of doctours and auncient writers in their mouthes as though they were of the same opinioÌ„ that they be where in dede they be nothynge lesse and if they get a word or if that seemes to make for them they will adde a hole tale of their owne makinge as thoughe it were a piece of the same auncient mannes sayinge and by thys meanes they deceyue the simple whiche haue no learninge to iudge or haue not the bookes to trye their saiynges by as this miser goes about in these places afore Who is an hereticke HE that teaches defendes or maintaines anye erronyous oppinion agaynst the decrees iudgemente or determynatyon of Christes Catholicke Church is an hereticke Who is a schismaticke HE that is deuided or separat from the vnitye of the catholycke Church in ministration or receyuynge the sacramentes or diuine seruice is a schismaticke and in state of perdicion The aunswere to the. ii and. iii. questions HE wold gladly appeare to be wel sene in logiâ— if he had any If all be hereticks that defend an erronius opinion than many disputacions shall be condemned In disputing it is oft sene that of ignoraunce or for his learning sake manye defend an vntruth yet God forbid that they shoulde all be heretickes Austin says well I maye erre but I will not be an hereticke Then he is an hereticke properlye that defendes an errour obstinatelye and will not be corrected So teaches Saint Paule Flee from an hereticke after one or ii warnynges he sais not for ones teachinge or defending of it Also he is not a schismaticke that differs in small pointes or circumstaunces of ministringe the sacraments from other for than shoulde all the Greke church be in a schisme because they differ in some ceremonies from the Latin Churche and also one from another as I declared afore in the ministration of Basil Chrisost Saint Iames. c. the same may be said of the latin church to as for Ambrose order Gregores c. And because euer vnder the Catholicke churche he signifies Rome we saye that no countrie whiche vses other ceremonies than they doe is in this case a schismaticke for that their Romishe orders and ceremonies be of their owne deuisinge for the most part and not commaunded by god nor neuer were vsed generally in the vniuersall Catholicke churche as I proued afore and therfore they be free to vse or not vse as shalbe thought mete to differ in the substaunce and doctrine of sacramentes maye make a schisme or heresye but such ceremonies are free to all countries whiche maye edifie as appeared in Ansel. Epistle afore These fewe wordes are sufficient to lette him see his owne foolyshnes more might be said but I will not be so curious nor tedious to note all Saint Paule cals the Corinth schismatickes in henginge on mennes sleues for opinions in religion and for misusinge the
generall order for the hole worlde nor the hole worlde neuer obeyed nor receyued anye The Popes Portuis Missall hais bene oft chaunged as I proued afore and euery countrie hais their diuers order of seruice Aarons sonnes did plainly against gods expresse commaundement and therefore were iustly plaged Ours do not so and therfore they be not in like case but vndeseruedly blamed Clementes wordes and Ciprians whan they are proued to be truly alledged touch not vs but suche as he is for they knew no such priestes nor church as he meanes nor anye such were many yeares after The papistes differ verye litle from Iewes for both of them set their hole religioÌ„ in ceremonies and olde customes We sticke stifly to the word of God only and bilde not on such vain foundations Therfore he bringes that canon against himselfe and his sort beinge as supersticious as the Iewes and blynded obstinatlye in errours as heretickes Whether is it lawefull for Priestes that saye the Communyon also to celebrate masse THe holye Martir Saint Ciprian sayes It is not leafull by and by afore penance done to consecrate or touch with his wicked handes the body of oure Lorde and with his polluted mouth to receyue the bloud of oure â—orde but first let him doe penaunce Does thou thinke says Saint Cyprian that our Lorde wilbe so sodenly mitigated whom thou hais refused hais more esteamed thy worldly liuing then him Saint Cyprian says the blynd loue of their patrimonye and wordly goods hais deceyued many and bound them as it were in stockes and fetters that they can not folow christ A great number for feare of woordes of suche as be not good haue refused their faith not cast downe by any violence of persecutioÌ„ but by a voluntary lapse haue cast downe their selues although they haue perceyued the Byshops and a greate number of the clergie not to be afrayed to lose all their lyuinges not fearing losse of goods or imprisonment or banyshment from their fryendes yea all readye to suffer death in this case Our Sauiour in the gospell sais No manne can serue ii maisters that is to say the Communion decreed and appointed by the laite parliement against the consent of the clergye in christes Churche and also celebrate masse decreed and apointed by the clergye in sacrate synodes representinge the whole estate of christes churche S. Paule sais ye can not be partakers both of the table of our lorde and the table of the deuilles S. Ciprian sayes It is an horrible abhomidation to fare about to serue both Ball and christ it is contimely and not religion it is iniurye and not deuotion if thou communicate of the cup of christ with the deuils hitherto be S. Cyprians wordes S. Paule sais we haue an altar whereof they may not eate that serue the Tabernacie By these examples it is euident that the Priestes may not minister the communion to one sort and Masse to an other sorte In tripartita Historia it appeares the catholyckes and the Arrians did not communicate one with another Whether it be lawfull for Priestes to say Masse whiche saye no communion but only read Psalmes and chapters to the people in sâ—eade of seruyce SAint Ciprian sais the verity is not to be dissembled it is nought to halte vppon both the partes If God be the Lorde folow him If Ball folowe him Euen so it mattens and Euensonge be the ordinaunces of christes church vse theym if the Psalmes and chapters vse them It is no lesse offence to alowe a schisme with assent than to offer to idolles S. Austin sais such as be in schisme that is to say in sacraments or diuine seruice seperated from the vnity of christs mistical body not in â—oining together of christian meÌ„bers not in the band of peace which is expressed in the sacrament of the altar they may consecrate receiue this sacrament but it is not profitable to theÌ„ but very hurtful wherby they shalbe iudged more greuously of almighty god S. Paul says Not only they that do euil be worthye death but also they that consent to the doers The holy ghost does cry by his Prophete Esay saying get you hence go forth beware that you touch no vncleane thing The scripture sais thou shalte loue the lorde god with all thy heart with all thy strength c. god loues no halfe seruice As for example it is writen in the booke of kings that kinge Dauid sent his seruauntes to comfort Anon for the death of his father all be it Kynge Anon tooke theym as espies and caused the haulfe of their beardes to bee shauen and cut their clothes by their buttockes and so sent them backe agayne to Kynge Dauid But whan Kynge Dauid heard of thys he would not suffer them to come in his sight at Ierusalem but commaunded them to tarie at Hierico vntil their beardes were growen out againe euen so suche Priestes as hais gone out of Christes Church and entangled them selues with any part of this religion against the decrees of the Churche are not worthye in ministracion of sacramentes to come in the presence of the faithfull that continue still in Christes Churche vntil they be reconcyled and haue done penaunce for their lapse into schisine Whether is thys to bee called a wicked time that suche heresye and schisme does reigne NO rather it is a blessed tyme for now god tryes his family as Saint Cyprian sais for the longe rest and peace whiche hayes bene in Christes churche afore time caused the clergye to be almost on sleape by reason wherof deuout religion was not in a great number of Priestes in workes was small mercye no discipline in manners Saint Paule sais It is mete that there be herefye that the good maye be tried so that suche as haue grace to stande this troublous tyme and be not spotted with schisme shalbe kyndred more feruent in the loue and feare of God and such as be fallen in lapse if they will seke to come backe againe to oure mother holye Churche with penaunce that is with prayer satisfaction and teares she shittes her bosome from none that will so come for God is nere at hande to all that call on him in vertue and will reioyse more in theym then in other But some are not be gathered out of schisme says Cyprian so that suche as be whole and stedfast be thereby wounded nor he is not a profitable and wise pastor that gathereth the shepe that be diseased scabbed or sicke into the whole flocke afore they be whole least they infect al the flocke Nor the Byshoppe muste not haue a respect to the greatnesse of the number for better it is to haue one good Priest that feareth God than a thousande that be euill this sayes S. Ciprian Answere to the vii viii and ix UUhat a foole is he that goes about to proue by so manye balde reasons cloutinge such patched pieces together that
whiche is alreadye graunted him we confesse that no man ought to say masse at al much lesse they that say the communion should become masse mungers his autorities are fondlye brought to proue his pourpose and maye be turned against himselfe all for there is no sort of men that vse double dissemblynge so much as the Popes do other thinges that I proued afore I wil not repeat againe nowe but I wishe or god that as Dauid would not suffer his men that were shauen so to come in his sig ht so al christiaÌ„ princes wold banysh the Popes shauelinges for so the reason holdes in like of both The time for trial of gods people we do not greatly mislike onely this greues vs that so manye wythstande the manifest trueth whiche their conscience acknowledges to bee true and yet for feare of a chaunge or flattery of the worlde they be colde and will not or bare not openlye professe it and also that another sort of turnetipetâ—es for lacke of disciplyne occupie the place of pastours seruinge rather to fill their bely than for loue conscience or dutie where good order would that eyther such should be displaced or elles do great and worthye open penaunce solemnely afore they ministred the alledginge of these sundrye autorityes are vntrue and foolyshe Whether it is lawfull for the laite to receyue the communion as is now vsed IN receyuinge the Communion as now vled you break your profession made in baptisme and fall into schisme seperating youre selues from god and hys Church refusinge the Byshoppes youre true pastours so entringe into the malignaunt church of Sathan S. Paul dyes commaunde vs to obey the Byshoppes for they watche as to geue an accompt for oure soulde The Byshoppes be in prison readye to suffer death afore they willeyther minister or reseyue the communion like true pastours they put them selues walled and a sure defence for the people The catholicke church which we professed at our baptisme to beleue obey teacheth vs to receiue Christes bodye consecrato at inasse with prayers inuocations and benediction with the signe of the holy crosse and not bare bread and wine without consecration and benediction as is vsed in thys Communion beinge against the decrees and ordinaunce of Christes catholycke church Almightye God does commaunde vs to seperate our selues from such as take in hand a ministration of sa craments against the ordinance of Christs churche that ye touch nothing pertaining to them lest ye be lapped in their sin The Prophete O see boes say that al that receiue that bread of mourninge ouer the whiche wordes of blasphemye be spoken at the table shalbe defiled Therfore S. Ciprian says foramuch as we can exhort you by our letters that you come not to the cursed Communion with Priestes that be maculat for they be not worthye death that doe euill but all that consent to the doinge of ouill Nor let not the people perswade with theym selues that they can be free wythout spot of sinne communicating wyth a Priest in sinne No man can be well excused by ignoraunce be he neue so grosse of witte he maye perceyue it is not that whiche we haue professed to beleue but against it and if it were for a world lye gaine euery one woulde learne a longe matter and kepe it in memory The. x. aunswere IN receyuyng the communion now vsed the laite kepe their profession made in bapt where they promised like good shepe to beleue the Catholick Church which heares the voyce of their shepeherd only flees from straungers the Popishe churche and prelates haue deuised a facion of the Communion con trarye to Christes and his Apostles doinges and therefore they be worthelye abhorred Ye lie in sayinge that the catholicke Church teaches to receiue christes bodye consecrate at masse with the signe of the holy crosse or that we geue nothing but bare bread and wine now Proue where the Churche teaches so I proued afore howe many diuerse sortes of ministringe there was of olde tyme and all good therefore this youre one onelye popishe waye is not decreed by the vniuersall Churche nor neuer was generally receyued throughout all the worlde With what face can they saye we haue no consecration and geue nothinge but bare bread and wine If they haue any in their masse if the Euangelistes haue anye consecration or paul or if Thappostles we haue it also For if consecration stande in wordes we haue all the words that their masse the Gospell Saint Paul or Thapostles hadde Read Matth. Mark Luk. and the. xi to the Corinth what is written of the lordes supper and see whether oure Communion wante anye one worde that is in anye of them Than if we haue al as we haue in dede why is there no consecration with vs. Gregory sayes Thapostles consecrated only with the lordes prayer and that we vse as wel as they Ioan Duns sayes the wordes of consecratinge the bread be these This is my bodye and those wordes we haue to Further he sais Neyther Christ nor the Church hais defined which be the wordes of consecrating the cuppe and therfore he will not determine them What are we now worse than their owne doctours and why do ye lie in sayinge the Church hais defined it Duns knewe it not in his time nor the Church where is one so madde except Priestes to saye that consecration standes in crossinge or that Benedicete is to make a crosse proue it if ye can or els hold youre tong for shame Deceiue not the people Al ye workes of the lorde prayse ye the lord sais the psal Is blessing there to make a crosse or in anye other place ye canne finde I haue sene and heard many foolysh vnlearned papistes but a more asse than this I haue not he sais the people which communicate with a Priest that is in sin cannot be free from sin If the Priest be a drunkarde art thou a dronkard to in communicatynge with him if he be a hore hunter art thou one to I trust ye can iudge how false and foolish this is Saint Paule says he that eates and drinkes vnworthely eates drinkes his own damnation he sais not thy damnation or anye other mans but his owne Chrysost notes wel that he says sibijpsi non tibi He eates it and drinkes it damnation to himselfe and not to thee God forbid y e euilnes of the priest should defile theym that receiue with him for what Priest is so cleane that he hais no sinne in him If the sinne of the Priest shoulde defile the receiuer who woulde euer receyue at any priestes handes seynge all be sinners it is a generall rule and true in their owne bookes The vnworthines of the Priest hurtes not the goodnes of the sacrament God forbid that the euilnes of manne shoulde hurt or defile Gods holy ordinaunce or that the wickednes of the Priests shuld be imputed to them that receiue the sacrament at their hand