Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	ancient_a	bishop_n	see_v	3,267	5	3.6763	3	false

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

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

professed mighte bee broughte in question specially if thei should seme by their silence in manner to acknoledg the fault least I say this silence sholde hinder y e course of the Gospell thei made orations thei wrote supplications spake before Emperours and Princes in the open defence of them and of theirs As for vs inasmuche as within these .20 yeares laste paste so many thousandes of our brethreÌ„ in the middest of their extreme tormeÌ„ts haue borne witnes to y e truth Princes coueting to bridel y e Gospell in moyling many waies haue lobored all in vaine and that the whole worlde in manner beginneth now to open their eies to beholde y e light we thinke that our cause is already sufficiently pleaded defended and that wheras the matter it selfe speaketh inough for it self there is no great neede of words For if the Popes themselues would or rather if thei coulde consider wyth them selues the whole matter the beginnings and the maÌ„ner of the encrease of out religion how that their trasshe in manner euery white when no man touched it withoute all helpe of man sell downe to the grounde againe how our profession at the first not withstandinge the continual resistence of Emperors of so many Kynges of Popes Bishops of all men in maÌ„ner hath encreased and by litle litle spred ouer al the earth and now also at the length is entered in to the Courtes and Palaces of kings euen these things onely might be sufficient tokens wherby to vnderstand that God himself doth fight in our defence and skorneth from heauen all their endeuours that so mighty is the power of truth y t no force of man nor yet Hel gates can withstand it For be ye sure so many free cities so many kings so many Princes as at this day haue abandoned the sea of Rome and adioyned themself to the Gospel of Christe are not become madde And albeit peraduenture hetherto the Popes haue had no leisure to thinke aduisedli earnestly vpoÌ„ these matters or if now at this day they be letted encombred w t other busines or if thei take these kinde of trauails to be base light matters to appertaine nothing to the maiestie of a Pope yet our cause oughte to seeme therefore neuer a whit the worse Nother if perhaps thei wil not see these thinges whiche thei do see but rather fighte against the knowne truthe ar we therefore by and by to be taken for Heretikes whiche do not apply our selues to their will Truly if Pope Pius had ben the man I saye not whiche he desiereth to be taken for but if he were at the least suche a one as had accounted vs to be other as his brothren or at the leaste as men he woulde fyrste haue diligently waied oure reasons bothe what we haue to saye for vs and what may be saide againste vs not so rashely onely with a blinde sentence determined afore hande in that Bul of his wherin of late he made a counterfaite shewe of a Councell haue condemned a good part of the worlde so many learned godly men so many commoÌ„ weales so many Kynges so many Princes the persons vnheard the cause not pleaded But inasmuche as he hathe now openly slaundered vs after this sorte leaste that by silence we might seeme to confesse the faulte and specially bicause that in the open Councell wherein he will suffer no man but onely suche as are sworne and addicted vnto his vsurped power to haue authoritie to gyue a voyce or to declare his minde we can in no wise be hearde for therof in the laste assemble at Trente we had ouer muche experience what time the Embassadours and diuines of the Princes and of the free citees of Germany were vtterly excluded out of all their assembles nother can we yet forget how that Iulius the 3 tenne yeares past in his bul strayghtly did forbid that no man of oure proffessyon shoulde be hearde in the councell onlesse paraduenture there were any that woulde recante and chaunge his opinioÌ„ euen for these causes specially we haue thought it good to render a reason of oure faithe by writinge vnto suche thinges as are openly obiected againste vs truly openly to answer to the enteÌ„t the whole worlde may see the partes and the foundation of that doctrine whiche so many godly men haue preferred before their owne liffes that all men may vnderstande what maÌ„ner of men thei be and what thei do thinke of God of religion whome the Byshop of Rome not wel aduised hathe condemned for Heretiks yea before thei were called to pleade their cause without lawe without example onely bicause he hearde say thei differed from him from his in some parte of Religion And although in the suspicion of Heresy S. Ierome will haue noe man to be pacient neuerthelesse we wyll demeane our selfe nother bitterly nor tantingly w t many wordes nor yet be caried into any chauffe with anger although in dede he ought not to seeme bitter or taÌ„tinge that speaketh truth But this kynde of eloquence we are content to leaue to our aduersaries who what soeuer thei speake against vs thoe it be neuer so bytterly or slanderously spoken yet it is modestly spoken and to good purpose how truly or falslye therof thei make no great account Suche kinde of sleights we haue no nede of that defende the truth But in case we doe proue that the sacred Gospell of God and the auncient Bishops together with the primitiue Churche dothe make for vs and that we haue vpon iuste cause bothe departed from these men and also retourned now againe vnto the Apostles and olde catholike fathers and that we do it in dede not couertly or craftely but with a good conscience before God truly frankly clerely plainely if thei them selues which flee oure doctrine and will be caled Catholikes shal euidently se al those tytles of aÌ„tiquitie wherin thei glorie so much wrounge out of their handes that ther is more pith in our cause then euer thei coulde imagine we trust no man amongest them wil be so negligente of his saluacioÌ„ but that he will at some time take in hande to bethynke hym selfe vnto whether parte it were best for him to sticke vnto and truly no man except suche a one as hath hardned his hart and wil not heare shal repent him selfe of his laboure to haue geuen eare vnto oure defence and to haue marked bothe what we do say and how agreably vnto y e whole course of ChristiaÌ„ religioÌ„ For wher as thei cal vs Heretikes truly the fault is so great y t vnles it be seene vnles it be felte vnles it be gryped with handes and fingers it ought not easily to be beleued of him that is a Christian maÌ„ For Heresie is a renouncing of saluation a casting awaie of the grace of God a departing from the bodi and spirit of Christ. But this thing was neuer

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

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

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

amongest these kinde of meÌ„ or to their fathers before them any thinge newe or strange that in case there were any y t wolde complayne of their errors and desire the restitution of true religioÌ„ suche by and by as inuentors of new thyngs as factious persons to be condemned for Heretiks For Christ was called for none other cause a Samaritane theÌ„ for that he was supposed to haue declined vnto a certayne new religion and vnto Heresy And Paule the Apostle of Christe was called before the Iudge aunswer for himselfe vpon Heresy I saith he do worship the God of my fathers accordinge to this waie whiche they cal Heresy beleuing al things that are written in the lawe and the Prophets To be short this whole religioÌ„ which CristiaÌ„ meÌ„ do professe at this daie in the first beginnings therof was called of Heathen men a sette an Heresye thei w t these voyces alwaies filled the eares of Princes to the enteÌ„te that thei being ones broughte vpon an opinion conceiued before hande to hate vs to take whatsoeuer shold be said on our behalfe to be factious and Heresy might be caryed from the matter it selfe and from hearinge of the cause But the greater and y e horribler the faulte is so muche ought it to be proued wyth greater and more euident arguments specially in these daies nowe that men haue begonne to giue lesse credite vnto these mens dreames and more diligently to examine their doctrine then afore thei were accustomed For the people of God is otherwyse instructed now then they were when all thinges that were set forth by the Popes of Rome wer taken for the Gospell al religion depended onely vpon their authoritie The holy scriptures are now abroade the writings of the Apostles and Prophets ar abroad out of the which bothe all truth and catholike doctrine may be proued and all Heresye confuted But wheras of all these authorities these men bring not a worde against vs neuerthelesse to be called Heretikes that haue not declined nother from Christe nor froÌ„ the Apostles nor from the Prophets it is very iniuriouse and to to greuous With this sword Christ repulsed the Deuill when he was tempted of him with these weapons all loftynesse that auaunceth it selfe agaiÌ„st god must be ouerthroweÌ„ vaÌ„quished For al scripture saith Paul inspired of God is profitable to teach to confute to instruct to reproue y t the maÌ„ of God may be perfecte furnished vnto all good workes Thus alwais y e godly fathers fought against Heretiks w t none other weapons but out of y e holy scriptures Augustine when he disputed againste Petylyan the Donatiste heretike Suffer not saith he to be hearde these words amongst vs I saie or y u saiest rather let vs speake thus This saith the Lorde ther let vs leke the Churche there let vs trie out our cause And Ierome saith All those thinges whyche withoute the testimonie of the Scriptures are affirmed as thoe thei were deliuered from the Apostles are beaten downe with the swordde of God Ambrose also vnto Gratian Let the Scriptures saith he be asked the questioÌ„ let the Apostles be asked let the Prophets be asked let Christe be asked for the Catholike fathers Byshops in those daies doubted nothing that oure religion myght be sufficiently proued oute of the Scriptures of God Nor at any tyme durste they accounte any man for an Heretike whose errore they coulde not plainely and euidently reproue out of y e selfe same scriptures We therefore do saye for to answer w t S. Paule that according vnto this waye whiche they call Heresy we do worship God the father of our Lorde Iesu Christ we receiue al things y t are writeÌ„ other in y e law or in the Prophets or in the bokes of y e Apostles Wherefore if we be Heretikes if these men be as they will be called Catholikes why do thei not that thynge whiche thei se the Fathers trew Catholike men in dede alwaies did Why do thei not conuince vs out of the holy scriptures Why do thei not cal vs to be tried by theÌ„ Why doe thei not make it appeare that we haue seuered oure selues from Christe from the Prophets from the Apostles froÌ„ the holy Fathers Why stagger they why flee thei it is Gods cause Why doubt thei to commit it to Gods worde But if we be Heretikes whiche referre all oure controuersies vnto the holy Scriptures and make oure appeale vnto the selfe same wordes whiche we knowe are sealed by God him selfe and doe preferre them before all thinges that may be deuised by manne what shall we saye to these men what manner of men or by what name were it conuenient to cal these that ar afraide to stand to the trial of the sacred scriptures that is to saie the iudgment of God himselfe and preferre before them their owne dreames and moste colde inuentions and for their owne traditions sake nowe manye yeares haue broken the ordinances of Christ and of the Apostles Sophocles the Poet when he was accused beinge an olde man to the Iudges of his sonnes for a dotarde and a foole and as one that fondely consumed his goodes and therefore seemed to haue neede of a tutor for to purge himselfe of this slaunder came into the courte after he had reade Oedipus Coloneus a tragedie which euen in the selfe same time that he was accused in he had writen wyth great diligence and very elegantly by and by he asked of the Iudges whether that verse seemed to be the verse of a dotinge man Euen so we bicause that vnto these men wee seeme to be madd and are slaundered of them as Heretiks as who woulde say we hadde now nothinge to do nother with Christe nor w t the Churche of God haue thought it shoulde not be vnconuenient nor vnprofytable if wee did plainely and freely declare vnto the worlde that faith wherin wee stande and all oure hope whiche wee haue in Iesus Christ that al men may see what we do holde touchinge euery parte of Christian religion and maye iudge with themselues whether that faith whiche they shall see confirmed with the wordes of Christ with the writinges of the Apostles with the testimonies of the Catholike fathers with the examples of many ages be only a raginge of madde menne and a conspiracie of Heretikes WEe beleue therfore that ther is one diuine nature power which we do cal GOD the same is distincted into thre equa persoÌ„s the Father the Sonne the holy Ghoste al of one power of one maiesty of one eternitie of one diuinitie of one substance And all be yt those three persons bee so distincted that nother the father is the sonne nother the sonne is the holy ghoste or the father yet that there is but one God and the same onely to haue created heauen and earthe and all things that are contained within the compasse

ought to be lawfully called rightly and ordrely appointed vnto the administration of the Churche of God and that no man maye thruste in himselfe to the holy ministerie after his owne wyll pleasure So much greater is the iniury y t these men do vnto vs in whose mouthes nothing is more common then that amongest vs nothinge is done by ordre nothinge comely al things in confusion ful of troble amongest vs all men to be preestes al men to be doctors all men to be interpreters We say that Christe hathe geuen vnto ministers authoritie to binde to lose to open and to shutte And y t the office of losinge dothe consiste herein when that other to suche as are ouerthrowen in their owne consciences and ar truly returned to a better minde the minister by the preaching of y e Gospel offereth y e merites of Christ and absolucion and doth assure him of the remission of his synnes and of the hope of eternall saluacion other when suche as in any greuous and slauderous offence by some notable publike faulte haue offended their brothrens consciences and therby haue in manner alienated themselues from the coÌ„mon societie of y e Church and from the body of Christe after that thei do returne againe to a better minde he dothe reconcile gather and restore home againe vnto the felowship and vnitie of the faithefull and the authoritie of bindinge and shutting we saie he exerciseth as ofteÌ„ as other vnto the vnbeleuers stubburne persons he shutteth vp the gates of the kingedom of heauen and threateneth vnto them the reuenge of God euerlasting punishment or when he excludeth out from the bosome of the Church such as are openly excommunicated the sentence that is geuen after thys sorte by the ministers of the Churche God doth so coÌ„firme y t whatsoeuer by their ministerie here in earthe is losed or bounde that same will he lose and binde and make good also in heauen The key whereby thei haue power other to shut vp or to open the kyngedome of heauen we say with S. Chrysostome that yt is the knowledge of the scriptures and with Tertullian the interpretation of the lawe and with Eusebius the worde of God and that the disciples of Christ receaued this authoritie not for to heare the secret coÌ„fessions of the people or to occupie theÌ„selues about priuy whysperinges whiche their sacrifisinge Prestes at this daye al of them do in euery corner in suche sorte thei do it as thoe the whole power and vse of the keys did consist therein alone butte to the entent thei shoulde go thei shoulde teache thei shoulde openly preache the Gospell that vnto suche as beleued thei mighte be a sauer of life vnto life vnto the vnbeleuing and vnfaithful persons the sauer of death vnto death to the entent y t the mindes of the godly beinge ones astonnied with the conscience of their life paste of their synnes after thei shoulde beginne to beholde the light of the Gospell and beleue in Christe euen as a dore with the key so might they be opened wyth the worde of God that the wicked and stubborne and such as woulde not beleue returne into y e high way as men y t wer faste locked shut vp should be lefte to themselues become euery day as S. Paule saith worse and worse This saie we is the reason and ordre of the keys and by this meanes mens consciences ar other opened or closed vp The minister we deny not is the Iudge but as Ambrose saith he hathe no title of right to take any rule and power vpon him Wherfore Christe for to reproue their negligence in teachinge cried out vpon the Scribes and Pharises in these words Wo saith he be vnto you Scribes and Pharises whyche haue taken away the keis of knowledge and haue shutte vp the kingedome of heauen before men And for as muche as the key wherwith the entry into the kingdome of God is opened vnto vs is the worde of the Gospel the interpretation of the law and of the scriptures whereas Gods worde is not there we say is not the key And by reason that one Word is geuen vnto al and all haue but one key the authoritie of al ministers concerninge openinge and shutting must nedes be one Yea moreouer the Pope himselfe althoughe his Parasites singe this songe neuer so sweetlye vnto him Unto thee will I giue the keys of the kingedome of heauen as though thei appertained vnto him only and to no man els vnlesse he endeuoure himselfe so that the consciences of men may be tourned and submitte themselfe vnto Gods worde we deny that other he openeth or shutteth or hath any keys at al. And albeit he should teache and instructe the people the whiche woulde God he woulde bothe do it in deede and finde in his harte at y e length to thinke y t it were at the least some part of his office yet his key shoulde be nother better nor greater than the keys of other men for who did exempt hym Who did teache him to open more cunningly or to loose better then his brothren Matrimony we say in al kindes and states of men in Patriarkes in Prophets in Apostles in holy Martyrs in Ministers of the Churche in Byshops is holy honorable And as Chrysostome saith that it is lawfull and rightefull to ascende therewith vnto the Byshopps chaire as Sozomenus saith of Spiridion and Nazianzenus of his father that a godly a diligent Byshop exerciseth hys office in the Ministerie neuer a whitte the worse for that cause but rather better and to more profite That lawe whiche violently taketh this libertie froÌ„ men and driueth them against their will to a single life we saie with S. Paul is the doctrine of Diuells And y t thervpon as the Byshop of Ausboroughe Faber the Abbot Panormitanus Latomus and the Thre parted worke whiche is added vnto the seconde Tome of the Councells with others of the Popes garde yea and the matter it selfe and al histories do confesse an vncredible vncleanes of life of manners in the ministers of God and moste horrible mischiefes haue insued And therfore Pius the seconde a Byshopp of Rome sayde very well that he sawe many causes why wyues should be taken away from the ministers of the Churche but hee sawe bothe many moe and more waightier why thei should be restored agayne We do receaue and embrace all the Canonicall scriptures bothe of the olde and of the newe Testament and we giue thankes vnto our God that he hathe raised vp that light before vs that we mighte alwaies haue it before our eies lest that other by the deceit of meÌ„ or guiles of the deuil we shoulde be caried away after errors and fables These we acknowledg to be y e heauenly wordes by the which God hath declared his will vnto vs vpon them

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

haynouslye to exclayme agaynst our life It were a great deale more wisdome for them first other to make good their owne doynges before men or at the least to couer them somwhat more conningly For we doe kepe in vre oure olde auncient lawes and so farre forth as it maye be in these dayes and maners and in so great a corruption of al thinges we doe execute diligently and earnestly Churche discipline as for stewes for coÌ„mon whores or flockes of concubines harlots we haue not Nor we doe not prefarre adultery before mariage nor we doe not occupie bawdery nor we gather no rentes vpon bawdy houses nor we doe not suffer incests and deuelish abuses of bodily luste nor such as Aloisius or as Casus or as Diazius the murderer to goe vnpunished For if these thynges had liked vs we needed not to haue departed from the felowship of these men where those thinges doe florish and ar had in price by rayson of our departing thus to fall into the hatered of men and into present perils Paule the fourth had not many moneths paste in prysonne at Rome certayn Augustine friers divers Byshops a great noÌ„bre of other godly meÌ„ for the cause of religion He put them to tortures he examined them vpoÌ„ interrogatories he assaide alwaies that might be At the laste how many coulde he finde of all these to be meÌ„ of vnordinate lustes how many whorehuÌ„ters how many adulterers how many incestes ThaÌ„kes be vnto our god although we be not such as we ought to be such as our professioÌ„ doth require yet what so euer we be if we be compared with these men euen our life and our innocencie shal easily coÌ„fute these slauÌ„ders For we doe exhorte the people not onely w t bookes and sermoÌ„s but also with examples and well doyng vnto all kinde of vertue and of good deedes We teach that the gospell is not an ostentation of knowlege but the lawe of life and as Tertullian saith that a christian maÌ„ ought not to speake nobly but to liue nobly And not the hearer but the doers of the law ar iustified before God Unto al these thinges they ar wonte also to adde this to enlarge it w t all kindes of rayling that we be seditious personnes that we pluck the scepters from out of the handes of Kinges that we arme the people that we overthrowe all courtes of Iustice that we abolyshe lawes that we bryng possessions into common that we turne kingdomes into a popular state that we confouÌ„de al thinges vpside downe To coÌ„clude we would haue nothyng in y e coÌ„mon welth to remayne vnfoyled O how often haue therwith these wordes inflamed the hartes of princes to the intent they should put out the light of the gospel whiles it were yet in kindelyng and should first begin to hate it before they might attayne to know it And that the magistrate as oft as he should see any of vs so ofte he should imagine that he sawe his enemie It would trouble vs very much to be thus odiously accused of high trayson but that we know that Christ him self before vs and the Apostles and infinite other good men and Christians were brought in hatered in maÌ„ner for the same matter For Christe although he had taught that we ought to giue vnto Cesar y t which was Cesars yet he was accused of sedition bycause he was reported to be a maÌ„ that went about newe deuises and aspired to a kyngedome For this cause in open courte of iudgemente the people cryed agaynste hym If thou lettest this man goe thou arte not Cesars friende And the Apostles although they had alwayes and constantly taught that magistrates ought to bee obeyd and that euery soule is subiecte vnto the higher powres that not onely for feare of displeasure and of punishement but also for consciens sake yet they weer reported that they troubled the people and stirred vp the multitude vnto rebellion Aman chyefly by this meanes broughte the whole nation and name of the Iewes into hatered of the kynge Assuerus in sayng that they were a rebellious a stubbern people and that they coÌ„temned the proclamations and ordinances of Princes The wicked king Achab speaking vnto Eli the prophet of God Thou sayeth he troublest Israel Amasias the prieste of Bethel accuseth Amos the Prophet vnto kyng Hieroboam of coÌ„spiracy Beholde sayeth he Amos hath made a conspiracie agaynst thee in the middest of the house of Israel To conclude Tertullian sayeth that this was a common complaint in his time agaynst all Christian men that they were traytours that they were enimies of their country that they were enemies to all mankinde Wherfore if truth now also at this time be euil spoken of and as it is the same thyng so it be intertayned with the same reproches wherewith it was wonte to be althoughe it be greuous and vnpleasant yet it can not seeme to be newe or a thing that hath not ben before accustomed It was an easye matter for these men fortie yeres paste to deuise these slaunders and other more greuous matters agaynste vs what time as in the middest of that darkenes some little lightsome beame of the truth as yet in those dayes vnknowne and not hearde of beganne first to rise and to shyne what time as Martine Luther and Huldericus Zuinglius twoe most excelleÌ„t personages sente of God to giue light vnto the world came firste vnto the Gospell what time as the matter was yet but newe and the successe vncertaine and meÌ„s mindes were waueryng and astonied and their eares open vnto slaunders and no mischief so haynous could be deuised agaynste vs whiche for the noueltie and strauÌ„gnes of the doctrine it selfe should not of y e people easily be beleued For after this maner the olde enemies of y e Gospell Simmachus Celsus Iulian Porphyry in times paste toke in hande to accuse all Christians of sedition and of treyson before that other the Prince or the people could knowe what maner of meÌ„ those Christians were or what they did professe or what they beleued or what they would haue Now after that oure very enemies doe see can not denie but that alwayes in all our wordes and writinges we haue diligeÌ„tly admonished y e people of their duety how that they ought to obey their Princes and Magistrates although they were wicked and that vse and experience doth declare thesame and the eyes of all men whatsoeuer and whersoeuer they be doe see it and beare witnes thereof It was but an vnsauery deuise to obiecte suche thinges agaynst vs and for wante of newe and fresh matter to goe aboute to brynge vs into hatred only with olde forworne lies For we giue thankes vnto oure God to whome alone this cause doth appertayne that in all the kingdoms Iurisdictions countrays and Commonweales whiche haue receaued the Gospel hytherto no such example hath ben at any

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ Euseb. lib. 4. The obiection of manners aunswered The manners of the auncyent Churche decayed De lapsâ—â— A Contrary obiection of manners Ioannes de magistris De â—â—mperantia 3. Quaest. 7. la ta Extra De Bigamis Quia circa Her Image as she traualled with childe is yet at Rome Genes 38. In consilio dâ—â— lectoruÌ„ Cardin to 3. De consideratione ad Eugenium P. Aloisius Ihon Casus â— Diasius Heynous sins vnpunnished amonge the Romysshe Of discipline In Apologet. 45. Rom. 2. The objectioÌ„ of sedition Tertull. in Apologet. 1.2 3. The same objectioÌ„ agaynst the primitiue churche Hester 3. Regum 18. Amos. 7. In Apologet. cap. 37. The Gospell doth not destroie common welthes The obiectioÌ„ turned aginst the aduersaries Aug. Steuchus Anton. de Rosellis De Maiori et obed solite De maior obed Vnam sanctam Clemens 5. in Concil Viennensi Zacharias Papa Clemens Paâ—a 7. Sabellicus Caelestinus Papa Hildebrandus Papa Innocentius 8. Psalm 90. A comparison of the obedience and doctryne of both partes Chrysost 13. ad Ro. Gregor saepe in Epist. The obediens due to magistrates The obiectioÌ„ of departing from the catholicke Church Tertull. in Apologetico ca. 16. Tertull. in Apologetico ca. 7.8.9 Idem ca. 39. Augustinus The Catholike Churche Ioan. 8. Aug. Epi. 48. ad Vince The knowen churche may erre Ioan. 8. Why we departed froÌ„ the Churche of Rome In LateraneÌ„ Concil sub Iulio The state and condicion of the Churche vpon earth iii. Kyngs .xix. Esai â—â— Mat. xxi â— i. r. ca. 1. â—al â–ª 4 â–ª Mat. 24. â— Thess. 2. â— Timo. 4. â— Pet. 2. Dani. 8. Mat. 24. Cont Auxentium Of the corrupted state of the church of Rome In Registro Epist ad Mau. Lib. 4. Epist. 32. Papistes doe confesse the errors of their Churche Serm. 33. In Libello de Idiomate linguarum Platina Platina Ad EugeniuÌ„ De Vnitate Ecclesiae ca. 3. Cap. 4. The Papistes do deface the Scriptures Pighius in Hierarchia Impietie agaynst the holye scriptures In opere Imperfecto 2. Thess. 2. The autheritie of Godes worde Aunswere to the obiection of fathers and olde couÌ„sels Dist. 27. Quidam De bonis uidâ—itatis ca. 10. Cons. 27.4.1 nuptiarum bonum In coÌ„trouersijs A comparisoÌ„ betwene the papistes and the olde fathers Origene in Leâ—â—itic ca. 16. Chrysost. in Mat. 1. hom 2 In Iob. ho. 31. Epist. 11. li. 5. coÌ„t Ap. here 61. De Virginta seruaÌ„da ad De metriadem De opere monachorum Can. 3. Can. 8. In Nouellis const 123 146. Tertium Car. ca. 47. De consecra dist 2. Cum enim nemo The popes vsurpacion is new De Maior obed VnaÌ„ sanctam In Extra Bonifacij 8. DuraÌ„dus Concil Lat. sub Iulio 2. Dist. 9. Innocentij De Maior obedien solite Ihon. 22. cap. Cum inter noÌ„nullos In glosa finali In â—dit impressa Parisijs 1503. Anton. de Rosellis What newe deuises are broughte instede of auncient and true relygyon by the Papistes Plicius The Churche of Rome may erre Summa Angelica Dist. Papa Theodoricum de schismate A comparisoÌ„ of both the Churches 1. Cor. 14. Of general Councels Galat. 1. The Pope is aboue the Councell De electione electi potestate ca. Significae Ad Euagrâ—â—â— Hostien ca. Quanto Abbaâ— de Electione ca. Venerabil Cornelius Episcopi in Concilio Trie dentino Durandus Hosius contra BrentiuÌ„ li. 2. caleth it a laufull Counsell wheriÌ„ Christ was condemned The Papystes though they acknowledge theyr errors yet wyll they not amende them Theodoreius Li. 1. ca. 28. Tripar li. 10. ca. 13. Euseb. Liâ— ca. 17. Tripar Sozome li. 5 ca. 15 Exod. 32. Iosu. â— â— Pâ—â— 13 â–ª 1. Paâ—r 1â— 2. Reg. 18. 2. PaÌ„r 17. 4. Reg. 23. 4. Reg. 12. 4. Reg. 10. Paâ—â— 4. in Bulla sua ad Imp. Ferdinandum Hist. Eccle. li. â— â–ª ca. 5. Li. 1. ca. 5. Socra li. â— cap. 10. Actio ne 2. .i. Let the old or auncient customes of manners prouayle Of prouinciall Councels In prophetam Naum. ca. 3. Of the Popes authorytye in Councels 1. Regum 11. The argumeÌ„t of succession confuted

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