hanges ouer him Saint Ciprian sayes he seperates himselfe from Christ that does against the consent of the Byshop and clergy Saint Hiero. does saye we muste remayne in that Churche whiche is founded of the Apostles and does endure vnto thys daye by a succession of Byshoppes to whom the holye Ghoste hais appointed the rule and gouernement of this Churche sanctified by Christes bloud shedinge Nor let heretickes take anye comforte to theym selues if they can frame out of the Chapters of the scripture for their pourpose that whiche they saye seynge the deuill hais alledged some thinges of scripture for the scriptures consist not in readinge but true vnderstandinge If we will be members of Christes Churche we must continue firmely in that faith and religyon that was sent from the Apostolicall see of Ro. by S. Gregory into England which faith and religion was planted and stablyshed by Saint Angustine in thys Realme Saint Augustine stablyshed masse and vii sacramentes to be vsed in the latin tonge as Gâ—das does witnes and such maner of deuine seruice as is nowe vsed The aunswere to the. i. question SAint Austin in the first place alledged hais no suche definition althoughe the most parte of the wordes which he puttes there are true and woulde to God he considered howe muche he speakes against him selfe here in This is that which we defende that the Churche is gathered by Christ and Thappostles first and continues not in the Papisticall but in the Apostolicall faith vnder Christ our head who rules his churche stil by his holye spirite and worde and hais not put it into the â—andes of any one only general vicar in the earth as he vntruelye sayes whereas their church is bylded not on christ but on the Popes decrees whiche Thappostles neuer knewe and were vnwritten manye yeares after the death of Thappostles and are alwayes vncertayne chaunginge euer as it pleases the Pope for his time to determine And their Church hais had at one time iii. or iiii Popes for their heades like a monster with manye heades some Countrie folowinge one Pope some another as their heade We saye also that the Papistes haue deuided theim selues from this Churche of Christe makinge them selues sinagoges and chappelles gods and religion of their owne deuysynge as Micha did contrarye to Gods worde and therefore the wrath of God hanges ouer them except they returne howe holye so euer they pretende to be Ciprians wordes are not all together so plaine as he settes theym but if they were he meanes an other sort of Priestes and Clergye than the Popes for neyther they did take than to them nor he knew no such autoritye in them as they now vsurpe vnto theim selues for he writes as sharplye and homelye vnto Cornelius than byshop of Rome as he does to any other his felow bishops Surelye who so euer deuydes him selfe from Christes ministers and people refusinge their doctrine and discipline seperates him selfe from Christ euen as he that flees from the filthy dregges of Poperye and his Chaplaines is cut of from the Pope the father of suche wickednes In Ieroms wordes we most reioyse teachinge vs to continue in that Churche which is founded by Thapostles and not Popes endures to thys daye The wordes of succession c. folowinge are his owne and not Ieroms By thys doctrine of Ierom we flee to Thapostolicall and flee from the Papisticall Churche whiche was neuer knowen of manye yeares after Thapostles And we graunt that the deuil papistes and heretickes can alledge some wordes of the scriptures and therefore we saye that the Papistes be deuilyshe Heretickes because they racke writhe the scriptures to a contrarye meaninge to their owne damnation as the deuill did For succession and gouernement of Byshops for Austins religion massinge and vii sacramentes I said inoughe afore but where he alleges Gildas as father of his lies he does him much wroÌ„g for he hais neuer suche a word in all his writinges If he haue lette him shew it This is euer the facion of liynge Papistes to haue the names of doctours and auncient writers in their mouthes as though they were of the same opinioÌ„ that they be where in dede they be nothynge lesse and if they get a word or if that seemes to make for them they will adde a hole tale of their owne makinge as thoughe it were a piece of the same auncient mannes sayinge and by thys meanes they deceyue the simple whiche haue no learninge to iudge or haue not the bookes to trye their saiynges by as this miser goes about in these places afore Who is an hereticke HE that teaches defendes or maintaines anye erronyous oppinion agaynst the decrees iudgemente or determynatyon of Christes Catholicke Church is an hereticke Who is a schismaticke HE that is deuided or separat from the vnitye of the catholycke Church in ministration or receyuynge the sacramentes or diuine seruice is a schismaticke and in state of perdicion The aunswere to the. ii and. iii. questions HE wold gladly appeare to be wel sene in logiâ— if he had any If all be hereticks that defend an erronius opinion than many disputacions shall be condemned In disputing it is oft sene that of ignoraunce or for his learning sake manye defend an vntruth yet God forbid that they shoulde all be heretickes Austin says well I maye erre but I will not be an hereticke Then he is an hereticke properlye that defendes an errour obstinatelye and will not be corrected So teaches Saint Paule Flee from an hereticke after one or ii warnynges he sais not for ones teachinge or defending of it Also he is not a schismaticke that differs in small pointes or circumstaunces of ministringe the sacraments from other for than shoulde all the Greke church be in a schisme because they differ in some ceremonies from the Latin Churche and also one from another as I declared afore in the ministration of Basil Chrisost Saint Iames. c. the same may be said of the latin church to as for Ambrose order Gregores c. And because euer vnder the Catholicke churche he signifies Rome we saye that no countrie whiche vses other ceremonies than they doe is in this case a schismaticke for that their Romishe orders and ceremonies be of their owne deuisinge for the most part and not commaunded by god nor neuer were vsed generally in the vniuersall Catholicke churche as I proued afore and therfore they be free to vse or not vse as shalbe thought mete to differ in the substaunce and doctrine of sacramentes maye make a schisme or heresye but such ceremonies are free to all countries whiche maye edifie as appeared in Ansel. Epistle afore These fewe wordes are sufficient to lette him see his owne foolyshnes more might be said but I will not be so curious nor tedious to note all Saint Paule cals the Corinth schismatickes in henginge on mennes sleues for opinions in religion and for misusinge the
The burnynge of Paules church in London in the yeare of oure Lord 1561. and the iiii day of Iune by lyghtnynge at three of the clocke at after noone which continued terrible and helplesse vnto nyght VVERE THESE GREATER SINners than the rest No I saye vnto you except ye repent ye shall all lykewyse peryshe Luc. 13. ¶ Imprinted at London by Willyam Seres dwellynge at the west ende of Powles at the Sygne of the Hedge-hog AN ADDICION VVITH AN APpologie to the causes of brinnynge of Paules Church the which causes were vttred at Paules Crosse by the reuerend Bysshop of Duresme the. viii of â—une 1561. ALthough almighty God be pacyente mercifull and longe sufferinge wyllinge all sinners to repent their wickednes to rise from sinne and come to his mercye yet if sinners wil not amend after monition and warninge hadde at the last God strikes sodainly and sore as appeares in the Scripture by Sodom and Gomorra vpon the whyche Cytyes God rayned fire and bremstone wherewith the fyue Cities were destroyed miserably Also Pharao and the Egiptians that wold not be moued by the wordes of Moises and Aaron nor wyth the tenne plages at last were sodainlye drowned in the Sea Also Chore Dathan and Abiron with a greate number of people that woulde not obey the ministration of Aaron and the Priestes appoynted by God but went from them seking a newe waye to serue God part of them were sodenlye swallowed vp of the earth and part brent sodainlye with fire from heauen in the tabernacle After when the people of Hierusalem would not heare the true Prophets of god but would beleue false liyng Prophetes so declined from the steps of Dauid Ezechias and Iosias which walked in the feare of god â–ª bicause they forsoke their fathers steps and fell to Idolatrye the Temple was brent the Citie destroyed and the people taken Captiues to Babilon Also our sauiour Christ for the tender â–ª loue he had to mankind came into this world by his doâ—trine he gathered xij Apostles Disciples a great multitude of people in one vnity of faith sanctified them his church by his precious bloud sheding committing the rule and gouernment of his Churche to the Byshops after his Ascencion he sende the holye Ghost in Hierusalem in lykenes of firie tongues amonge the Apostles and streight waye they preached as the holy Ghost taught them and there in Hierusalem Saint Peter conuerted a great multitude to the faith which faith at Hierusalem was first taught declared vpon by a counsel of the Apostles and Seniors there Saint Iames being Bishop and afterwarde the same faith was taught in all landes as the Prophet Dauid sayes In omnem terram exiuâ—t sonus eorum The faith of Christes Church hath bene from time to time establyshed by generall councels the whiche faith what Countrye so euer hath forsaken it hath bene miserably scourged and plaged as about fourtie yeares after the Assention of our Sauiour Christ bicause the Iues would not abide in that religion that was decreed by the Apostles and walke in their steps miserably Hierusalem was plaged with fire pestilence famine battell and murther Also in all other Countries as wel with the Grekes as other partes of the world when the people haue declyned from the feare of God forsakinge the steppes of blessed fathers miserably they haue bene plaged And in Englande where the faith of Christe and true religion was planted about the yeare of oure Lord. Cixxxij by Elutherius Pope sending Legates to Lucius then Kinge of Englande whiche conuerted this Realme to the fayth and establysshed true religion in Englande whiche continued CC. yeares but when the people dyd declyne from the feare of God and the steps of God and blessed fathers they came to greate calamitye and misery by the scourge of God Cadwaliader last kinge of the Britans did confesse by the hand of God with pestilence and famine they were dryuen out of this lande After that againe this land beinge inhabyted wyth Saxons beynge pamius Saint Gregorye Pope of Rome aboute the yeare of our Lorde God D. xcv sent Saint Augustine and other Monkes wyth hym into Englande Ethelbert being king and then Saint Augustine and his company by their doctrine and vertuous liuinge planted the faith and so establyshed a true religion in England the which faith and religion euer when the people haue declyned from it they haue felde great calamities as wel by the hande of God as by the conquest of the Danes and after by the Normans and sith the conquest from time to time God hath plaged this Realme for Synne and infidelitye And nowe whether the people of this Realme be declyned from the steps of Saint Augustine and other blessed fathers and Saintes which had Masse and seuen Sacramentes in the Church and God was honoured night and daye in the Church with deuine seruyce I thinke there is no man so simple but he may easely perceiue except malice haue blynded his heart As in Saint Paules Church in London by the decrees of blessed fathers euery night at midnight they had Mattines all the fore noone Masses in the Church with other deuine seruice and contynuall prayer and in the steple Antimes and prayers were hadde certayne tymes but consider howe farre nowe contrarye the Churche hais bene vsed and it is no maruaile yf God haue sende downe fire to brinne parte of the Churche as a signe of his wrath And where a reuerende Byshop at Paules crosse did exhort the people to to take the brinninge of Paules to be a warninge of a greater plage to folowe to the Citye of London if amendment of life be not had in all estates it was well said but we muste adde Accidentem ad deum opportet credere the Scripture sais he that will come to God muste first beleue Saint Paule sais without faith it is impossible to please God and the Prophet Hieremi saith by the sprite of God speakinge State super vias interrogate de semitis antiquis que sit bona ambulate in ea inuenietis refrigerium animabus vestris that is stand vppon the wayes of blessed fathers and consider and aske of the olde pathes and highe wayes which is the good way and walke therin and ye shal finde refreshing to youre soules First searche whether the faith and religion nowe vsed was taught with the blessed fathers in Chrystes Church in times past ye shal proue by no recorde of authoritie or Chronicle that this maner of seruice now vsed in the Churche was euer hard tell of afore Luthers time which is not xl yeares old Therefore it is to be reiected and put awaye as a newe fangled doctrine and scismaticall therefore come backe againe into the old fathers steppes as well in faith and religion as godlye conuersation and liuinge or a greater plage is at hande Also where the said Preacher did recite certain abuses of the said Church as talking biyng and
sellinge feightinge and brawlinge although these be verye euill and worthie much rebuke yet there be worse abuses as blaspheming God in lyinge Sermons polluting the Temple with Schismaticall seruice destroying and pullyng downe holye aulters that were set vp by good blessed men there the sacryfice of the blessed Masse ministred according to the order of Christes catholycke Church Yea where the alter stode of the holy Ghost the new Bishops haue made a place to set their tales vpon and there sit in the iudgement of such as be Catholycke and liue in the feare of God Some they depriue from their liuinges some they commit to prison excepte they will forsake the Catholicke faith and embrase a faith and religion that hais no foundacion layde by generall Counseil nor blessed fathers in times past but inuented by Heretikes that do not agree one with another nor them selfes Thus the Bysshops that now be haue abused the Churche and polluted it as the Prophete Hiere sais they haue put offendicles in the house of God and polluted it Also the said Preacher in his Sermon at Paules Crosse didde declare the vertue of obedience to be muche decayed in these oure dayes but he leaues out who they be that cause disobedience For there is none more disobedient then the new Bisshops and Preachers now a dayes which disobey the vniuersall Church of Christ the which Churche whosoeuer will not obey our Sauiour in the Gospel commaundes vs to take them as infidels As where the vniuersall Churche of Christ commaundes Masse and seuen Sacramentes as necessary for our saluation they call it abhomination wyth their blasphemous mouthes where the Church commaundes to fast they commaunde to eate where the Churche commaundes continuall prayer of the Clergie they call it supersticion and blind ignoraunce where the Church commaundes the Clergie to liue in chastity they commaund and exhort the Clergie to mariage where the Churche and all lawes ciuill and canon yea the lawes of this Realme do prohibit mariage of Priestes they alow mariage of priestes obeying no law but folow their owne carnal lust Yea where the Quene hais geuen streyght commaundement to abstayne from flesh in Lent and other dayes commaunded by the Church these new Preachers and Protestantes haue eaten flesh openly to the great sclaunder of other so they obey neither the Quene nor the churche so that almighty God complaines by his Prophete Esai tota die blasphematur nomen meum with these menne God is continually blasphemed wo be to you sais Esai that call good euill and euill good putting darkenes light and light darkenes as by Ezechiell sais almighty God the Priestes haue contemned my law and haue polluted my Sanctuarie Also O see the Prophete does saye the bread that they doe offer is full of mourning â–ª and all that cat ther of shalbe defiled We maye see how they contemne all that blessed fathers holye Martirs and Saintes haue decreed they disobey all that haue bene vertuous and good in Christes catholick church As now of late they haue inuented a new way to make Byshops Priestes and a mannor of seruice and ministracion that Saint Augustine neuer knew Saint Edmund Lanfranc Saint Anselme nor neuer one Byshop of Canturburie sauinge onelye Crammer who forsoke his profession as Apostata so that they muste nedes condemne al the Byshops in Canturbury but Crammer and he that now is al the Bishops in yorke sauinge Holgate and he that nowe is although Saint wilâ—â—â—d Saint willyam haue bene taken for saintes and were bishops in yorke In Couâ—ntree and Lichfelde Saint Chad was Bisshop and many blessed Bishoppes And he that is Bishop now can find not any one that was made as he is nor of his religion Therefore he muste proue al Byshoppes of Lichfelde were deceyued walked in biyndnes and ignoraunce or els he that now is must needs be deceiued and be in blindnes In Duresine haue bene manye good fathers but he that is now Bishop can not find any one Predecessor in that see that was of hys religyon and made Byshop after such fort as he was so that he that now is must take in hand to condemne all the Byshops afore him that they were in ignoraunce and blindnes or els they will come to his condemnation at the daye of iudgement And this in all Bishoprickes in England some can find one and some none that euer was of their religion What arrogancy maye be thought in those men that will take in hand to contemne so many blessed fathers all to be in blindnesse But nowe they saye they haue founde a lyght and reforme religyon according to the primitiue Church Then seing they reforme religion so well as they saye it were meete as they forsake all the religion that their predecessors vsed as Masse Mattins ministracion of sacraments that they should also forsake houses â—arkes landes and reuenues that their predecessors had and go from place to place for Gods sake and preach and thâ—n were some liklyhode of reformation or els it may be called rather a deformation then a reformation In Christes Church hais euer bene a succession of Bishops from the Apostles time to this day in euery see And Tertullian saies if in any see there be a Byshop that walkes not in his fathers steps he is to be counted a bastard and no true inheritor in Chrystes Churche Saint Cypryan does say they that be made Byshops out of the order of the Church and not by tradition and ordinance of the Apostles coming by succession from time to time are not Byshops by the will of god â—ut theues and murtherers comming to kill the flocke of Christ with heresie and lies And where the saide Preacher does affirme greater matters then the brinning of Paules to haue chaunced in time of supersticion and ignoraunce as the Church of Paules was â—rent in the first yeare of Steuen and the Steple of Paules set on fire by lyghtninge in the tyme of kinge Henrie the vi they that count that to be the time of supersticion and ignoraunce when God was serued deuoutly night and day the people liued in the feare of god euery one in his vocation without reasoning contencion of matters of religion but referred all suche thinges to learned men in generall counsailes and vniuersities there to be disputed then was the commaundementes of God and vertue expressed in liuinge now all is in talke and nothinge in liuinge then was prayer now is prating then was vertue and now is vice then was buildinge vp of Churches houses of religion and hospitals where prayer was had night and day hospitalitye kept and the poore relieued now is pulling downe and destroying such houses where God should be serued hospitalitie kept and the poore releiued by meanes wherof Gods glory is destroyed and the commen welth impouerished then was plenty of all thinges now is scarcenesse of all thinges therfore Operibus credite the frute will shew
autoritie to rule as kynges No said I if ye wil be iudged by the worde the Greke worde must be iudge in this case For in Greke it was first written and spoken there wil appeare an other kind of gouernement far diuers from that whyche belonges to Princes the Greke worde in that place is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which signifies to fede as the sheperde fedes his sheepe and yet not without all gouernment or autority but only such a simple kinde of rule and autoritye as shepeherdes haue ouer their flocke If ye wil conferre one place of the scripture with another where this word is red or found which is the best kinde of interpretinge the Scripture rightlye as S. Austin teaches and see what kind of gouernment it signifies there than this place shall more easely be vnderstand Fede the flocke that is among you sais Saint Peter Fede my shepe sais our sauiour Christ to Peter Where in other like places also the same Greke worde that is commenly translated in the Actes regere to rule is put and signifies as ye â—s to feede The same word is aplied also to our sauiour Christ in the Gospel where is declared plainly what kind of autority it signifies Thou Bethleem in the land of Iuda thou art not the lest of the Prynces of Iuda for oute of thee shal there come to mee a Prynce that shall rule or feede my people Israel Also I am the good shepeherd sais Chryste where likewise is the same Greke word placed Than if Christ our Lorde had any temporall iurisdiction or these other places vsing the same Greke worde conteine any such thing they might haue some appearaunce to clame their vsurped autority elles it is not probable to giue the same word in that place alone that meaning contrarye to so manye other places hauing the selfe same word Nay further to say did not our Lord and Maister Iesus Christ refuse this wordlye autoritye himselfe when it was offered vnto him and the one brother desired hym to deuide the enheritaunce betwixt hym and his other brother he would not but said who apointed me a deuider betwixt you as though he shoulde saye It is not my callinge nor belonges to me his kyngdome was not of this worlde but he came to teache his fathers will likewise he taught his Appostles not to chalenge this superiority sayinge the Princes of the people haue rule ouer theym but it shall not be so amonge you but he that woulde be the greatest shalbe the least that they might folow his steppes truly But the manyfest place where the proper signification of this word appeares is in Paule Where he reckens what officers God hais set in his Church and sais Firste he sette some Apostles other Prophetes some Euangelystes other shepeherdes and teachers These shepeherdes whiche are noted there by the same word that they clayme their autority by are placed by S. Paul almost the lowest officers in Goddes Church than much more they can not haue the highest rowme in the common welth and Churche both I knowe the Greke Poetes attribute this word to kynges but I trust they build not on heathen mennes writinges and yet that name there is geuen theym for their fatherlye loue towarde their Subiectes rather then their royall autority But compare them with shepeherdes that keepe oure sheepe in dede of whom they haue their name and easely their nature property office and autority shalbe spied Gods people are cald oft in the Scripture sheepe as we thy people the shepe of thy pasture will praise thee and their teachers are called shepeherdes because the one should in liuyng followe the simplicitye and obedience of shepe and the other the carefull paines and diligence of shepeherdes in fedynge healynge releuinge guydynge correctynge c. Looke than what temporall autoritye the sheepeherde hais ouer his sheepe and the same spirituall power haue the Byshoppes ouer the Churche The good shepeherde will not lette hys shepe feede in hurtful and roating pastures but wil remoue them to good feding grouÌ„des No more wil Gods good shepeherbes let Gods people and his brethren be poisoned wyth false doctrines but by his autority roote out and confute them The true shepeherd if he see the wolfe or foxe come to deuoure the flocke he will watche and defende the folde so shoulde the good Bishop by his office The good shepeherde will saue the scabbed sheepe bring home the stray and fede the weaks and hungry so wil the good Byshop according to his duty The good shepeherde if his shepe be vnrulye wil set his dogge to pul him downe and tame him yf any can not be healed he will cutte it of and kil it for infecting the rest so wil Gods good Byshop with the threatninges of Gods vengeaunce pul downe the vnbridled stomaches of the people make them to tremble and quake at Gods iudgementes and if anye can not be reclaymed he wil cut him of by excomunication seperate hym from the felowshyp of gods people not suffer him to communicate the Lordes Supper whyche is the bande of brotherly loue and forbidde all good folke his company y â— through suche shame he may be brought to knowledge his faut amend that he may ioifully be receaued as a brother in the companye and felowship of Gods people agayne and communicate with them in prayer doctrine discipline and sacramentes as afore In these pointes the autoritye of Byshops is so great that it extendes to Prince pope prelate none is exempt but as they be subiect to Gods word sacraments and doctrine so must they obey Gods true minister and discipline As for example the good Byshop Ambrose dyd sharplye correct and excommunicate the Emperour Theodosius for a rashe murther done by his commaundement and whether he is more praise worthye that would or durst rebuke and excommunicate so mightye a Prince or the good Emperor that willingly submitted him self and obeyed his correction it may be doubted the power and autority than of Bishoppes is spirituall belonginge to mans soule as their office and ministery is and it standes cheiflye in these twoo pointes in doctrine and disciplyne As the temporall officer in the comen welth hais not the swearde committed to hym in vaine but to defend the good and punishe the euill to smite the ennemy and saue the subiect to prison the frowarde and loose the giltles so hais gods minister in his Church full power and autority to teache sound doctrine and confut the false to beate downe hawty mindes and raise the weake to bind loose the conscience by vertue of Gods worde to throw into hell the obstinate or lift into heauen the penitent to cast out of Gods Church and receiue agayne suche as he rightlye iudges by the Scriptures mete for mercy or iustice And as Saint Peter calles Christ our lord the shepeherd and Bishop of oure soules so those Bishops that folow
grese a goose or shepe So that some were compelled to tether their horse in their Orcharde and yet haue these holy fathers prouided that if they be restored as they loke for as manye thinke that they shall haue al their commodities againe O notable charitye and mete for the children of suche a father The Lorde God for his mercy amend this at his good wil and pleasure The people are so blinde that they rather beleue him that fils their bely than him that teaches theym Christe so rude that they care more for y â— bodye than for the soule Euen as christ whan he filled v. M. with fiue loues they woulde haue made him a king but within few dayes after they would haue stoned him Paul wrought for his owne liuynge and would not be a burthen to any congregacion yet he sais that it was lawfull for him to take all hys necessaries of them whom he taught Chrisost. in the lxxxvi Homil. on Matth. writynge entreates the like question and tels causes why he and others had landes belonging to their Churches He sais the vnthankfulnes of the people was such that if they had not such prouision they shoulde goe a begginge So surelye I thinke nowe if the Byshops and ministers hadde not that prouisyon they might sterue for hunger Loue and dutye to Godde his worde and ministers is so decayed that to gette awaye from them is thought godlynes pastime and profet Surely God will not haue his seruauntes so mocked God turne from vs for Christes sake that whiche we deserue and prouoke him to in these oure doinges Iulianus apostata Themperour that forsaked hys fayth hearinge that the Gospell taught the Christians to liue in pouertye and suffer persecution toke their goods from theym and punyshed them sayinge he would helpe theym to heauen bycause their Gospell taught theym to lyue poore and suffer so oure papistes hearing the Protestantes preach pouerty and condemne their proude prelatie haue leased graunted and giuen awaye their lyuynges that now the pore gospeller hais scars wheron to lyue through their malice In Chrystes Church hays euer bene a succession of Byshops from the Apostles time to this daye in euerye see Tertullian sayes yf in any see there be a Byshop that walkes not in hys fathers steppes he is to be counted a bastard and no true inheritour in Christes Church Saint Ciprian does saye they that be made Byshops out of the order of the Churche and not by tradicion and ordinaunce of the Apostles coming by succession from time to time are not bishops by the will of god but theues and murtherers A succession of Byshops or ministers â—e graunt hais bene in the worlde rather than in any one see or countre sins christ which succession we say we haue and folow better than they but not after such sort as he sais and meanes God is neuer withoute hys Churche in the worlde although some countries falle and his churche neuer wantes his Ministers and true teachers at the lest priâ—elye althoughe in some ages it hais theym more plenteouslye than in other some and some times the outward face of the Churche wantes not his errours and blottes But where he sais there hais bene Byshoppes in euerye see sins Thapostles time it must nedes be false For here with vs vnto the time of king Lucius almost ii C. yeare after Christ there were no Byshops in this Realme at al but Flamines as Fabian Polychronic saye and heathen Priestes and sundrye times sins dyuers sees in thys Realme manye yeares together had no Byshops at all whan the vnchristened Saxons were here and diuers Bishopprickes here are not halfe so olde as Thapostles time Yet in all these ages were some that both knew taught priuatlye and folowed the truth thoughe they were not horned and mitred bishop pes nor oyled and sworne shauelinges to the Pope Such popishe Bishoppes I am sure no manne is able to proue to haue bene in euerye see of this Realme continuallye sins the Apostles time nor els where whan he hais proued it I wil say as he does Does the see make the bishop and his doctrine good or badde Does the place make him good or bad If his sayinge bee true that they haue such a succession the manne must nedes be good bicause he is Bishop of suche a place or suche for he meanes to haue a continuall succession of good byshoppes euery where without interruption but whether they succede in agreement of one true doctrine as they doe of one seâ— or place he cares not If succedinge in place be sufficient to proue theym good byshoppes than the Iewes and Turks haue their good bishops and religioÌ„ stil at Ierusalem Constantinople and els where for there they dwel where Thapostles did and haue their sinagoges leuites Priestes and bishops after their sort UUe do esteme and reuerence the continuall succession of good byshops in anye place if they can be founde if they can not we runne not from Godde but rather sticke fast to his worde I thinke ther is no place where euil bishops haue not bene If Corinth Galatia Ephesus Philippos Colossa Thessalonica Macedonia where Paule preached to whome he wrote his seuerall Epistles might fall and haue turkysh prelates why maye not Rome fall to the same maye bee saiâ—e of Ierusalem where S. â—a was and of Aphricke where Ciprian and Austin were and of other places where Thapostles preached now be fallen awaye Succession of good Bysshoppes is a great blessinge of God but bicause God and his trueth henges not on manne nor place we rather heng on the vndeceiuable trueth of Gods worde in all doubtes than on any Byshoppes place or manne For all men are liers and may be deceyued onely god and his word is true and neyther deceyues nor is deceyued In the. x. tribes of Israel where Iereboam made him Priestes against Gods lawe and the greater part of their religion was defaced with idolatryâ— yet were there euer some good Prophetes amonge that taughte Gods people their duetye thoughe not of the higher sort of Priestes and in autoritye as there be some fewe among the Turkes at this daye also Elias complaines that he was left alone Of all the true folowers of Gods lawe he knewe none that feared God beside hym selfe but god said he had reserued vii M. that neuer bend their knee to Baal So surely though the great number of priests and bishops hauing autority haue bene these many yeres the Popes deriyngs rather seruing Baall than God yet our good God pitâ—inge his people hais in al ages reserued some few that taught the truth and feared him God hais not promised that euerye Byshoprycke no nor anye one Bishopricke shoulde haue alwayes good Bishoppes one after an other no more than one good father should haue alwaies good children borne of him nor a good king shoulde haue good Princes to reign after him After wise Salomon reigned foolyshe Roboam
yet so god blessed the Quenes maiestye that she not onelye delyuered vs but theym from their enemies handes what relese in France the poore oppressed haue had at her highnes handes the blynde sce all her louinge subiectes reioise though the enuious Papist murmure grudge God graunt her hyghnesse grace to be thankefull to gods maiestye who does so past all mannes expectacion prosper her doinges that he onelye maye haue the praise UUhat cause we haue to prayse god for restoring religioÌ„ through the Quenes trauaile all menne of god do see praise him for it thoughe blind papists be sory therfore UUhat â—ost her highnes hais susteined in restoringe vs a fine coine from so base wise men reioise though this malicious foole say we be in great pouerty Looke howe fewe taxes she hais taken to doe this withal and howe manye and howe great were leuied afore Howe was this Realme pesterd with straunge rulers straunge Goddes straunge languages straunge religion straunge coines and howe is it nowe peaceablye ridde of theym all to the greate glorye of God that hais wroughte so manye wonderful straunge greate thinges in so shorte a time in a weake vessell which he neuer did by anye her noble progenitors whiche haue bene so manye and so worthy Coulde anye be so blinde but that malyce hays bewytched to not see or not praise Godde for these worthye dedes â–ª I woulde haue wanted the suspicyon of flatterye in rehearsinge these thinges but that I would the vnthankful world shoulde see the disdainefull blinde malice of popery which can not say well by Gods good blessinges The foolishe lynking and clouting of y â— scriptures together which folowes declares what wit he hais They may be applied all against himselfe and such as he is rather than against the professors of Gods trueth what blasphemye is it to lay all kinde of wickednes on Gods worde what euil so euer raignes in the world it is to be imputed to man not to God to mans frailnes not to gods trueth and goodnes God and his holye worde punish and condemne al false doctrine and filthines therfore God wil confounde all suche filthye mouthes as blaspheme hym or his holye woorde to be the cause of anye kynde of naughtinesse All liberty is now vsed he sais where in dede iustyce was not better ministred these manye yeares euen as the wiser and indifferenter sorte of Papistes doe graunte Call to remembraunce howe sharplye buggerye coniuringe witchcraftes sorcery c. were punished wyth death by lawe in the Gospell tyme of blessed king Edw. Whan were these lawes repealed but in the late dayes of Popery than iudge whether there was greater liberty to sinne vnder the christian kinge or vnder supersticious poperye But the sodomiticall papistes thinke these to be no sinnes and therefore beastly doe misuse them selues defilinge theym selues bothe with spiritual and Sodomitical vncleanes whether is there more libertye gyuen to sin whan such sinnes be made deathe by order of lawe or whan the lawes apoint no punishment for theym Surelye thegospel is vniustly blamed in geuing carnal liberty popery rightfully condemned in taking away the pain opening a doore to al mischefe Who liues more licentiously than the pope himself w tout al feare of god good order gods law doing what he wil so be al his scholers folowing their owne fathers steps In these my sayinges I go not about to proue vs Aungels yet surely not suche deuilles as he woulde make vs but in comparison of them we be saintes therfore let vs both amend that God maye be mercifull to bothe and glorified in both And as thexamples in his beginninge were good if they had bene well applied so is his conclusion I wil conclude with him therefore in the ryght sense and meaninge of it saiynge with him Returne to the steppes of the good fathers the Prophets and Apostles framinge your selues to folowe their doctrine be not caried away with straunge and diuerse doctrine of Popes contrary to Gods holy worde and inuented of late by men Imbrace the religion and faith taught from the beginninge in christes Church from time to time continually Flee this new fangled Popish supersticion whiche hais crept into the Church of late yeares and beleue that onelye whiche Christ hais taught and his Appostles and Martirs haue confirmed and frame your liues accordingly or elles Goddes vengeaunce hanges ouer your heades ready sodenlye to fall vppon you and let this token of brenninge of Paules be an example and token of a greater plague to folowe except ye amend whiche god graunt vs al to doe Amen A Prayer MOste ryghteouse and wise iudge eternall god and merciful father which of thy secret iudgement haste suffered false Prophetes in al ages to rise for the trial of thine elect that the worlde might knowe who woulde stedfastly sticke vnto thy vndoubted and infallible trueth and who woulde be caried awaye with euerye vayne doctrine and yet by the might of thy holye spirite hais confounded theym all to thy great glorye and comfort of thy people haue mercy vpon vs we besech thee and strengthen oure weakenes against all assaultes of our enemies confounde all Popery as thou did the doctrine of the Pharises strengthen y â— louers of thy truth to the confusion of all supersticioÌ„ and hipocrisy giue vs due loue and reuerence of thy holye worde defende vs from mannes tradicions encrease oure fayth graunte vs grace neuer to fall from thee but vprightlye to walke accordynge as thou hais taught vs swaruing neyther to the right hand nor the life neyther adding nor taking any thinge awaye from thy writen worde but submitting oure selues hollye to thy good wil and pleasure may so passe this transitorye life that through thy goodnes we may lyue euerlastinglye wyth thee in thy glory through Christ our lord who with thee and the holye Ghoste lyues and reignes one god and our Sauiour for euer and euer Haue not I hated theym O Lorde that hate thee and euen â—ined awaye because of thine ennemies Psal. Cxxxix I will giue you a mouth and wisdome whiche all your enemies can not gainsaye and wythstande Luke xxi FINIS ¶ Here folowe also certaine questions propounded by him whiche are fullye althoughe shortly aunswered whiche is the catholycke Church SAint Augustine and S. Hieroâ— do saye The Church is a visible companye of people gathered of christ our lord and the Apostles and continued vnto this day by a perpetual succession liuing in one faith Apostolicall vnder Christe the heade and his vicar in earth being the pastor and high Byshop Out of this catholicke and apostolicall church is no trust of saluation Saint Augustine sais who so euer shalbe out of this church althoughe his lyfe be esteamed to be very good and laudable by this only faut that he is disioyned and seperated from the vnitye of Christ and his Church he can haue no lyfe but the wrath of God
religion and these other disputinge for it maye be counted to be some part of the Clergy of the Realme and so it was not receyued wythout consent of the Clergye But these were not of the Parlyamente What than Is religion to be determined no where but in parliament he is wonte to saye and did afore In vniuersities and counsels To make a religion as he termes it no manne hais autoritye for that belonges to God alone but to restore pure religion which hais bene defaced by supersticion Princes in their Countries ought to doe thoughe their prelates be against it Did not king Ioas coÌ„maund the Priestes to restore the Temple and first ordeyned the poores mans chist in the Churche Did not Nabuchodo and Darius make proclamation through al their countries without and against the consent of their priestes that all people shoulde worship Daniels God though there was not a perfect order than sette forth by theym to doe it in yet it was much for heathen Princes to do so and it teaches christen Princes howe to doe in the like case But as Ioas Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosias dyd not make a newe religion but restore that whiche afore was defaced and hadde long lien buried so oure Parliament did not set forth a newe religion but restore that which was godly begonne vnder good kinge Edw. confirmed by the Parlyament and the clergy than but sodenlye by violens troden vnder fete by bloudy papistes a littell after yet all this satisfies not them for nothinge can be concluded as a lawe by Parliament saye they without consent of the clergy there present but this hauinge not their consent can not be counted a lawe as they thinke â–ª I had rather leaue this to be answered by the lawers than otherwise bicause it is a mere temporall case to dispute on and concernes theyr profession yet that the worlde maye see that some thing may be said in it we graunt him not this to be true that no lawe at all can be made without consent of the byshops Loke your olde statutes of parliment whan byshoppes were highest afore Edward iii. and ye shall read that they passed by the consent of the Lordes temporall and commens without anye mention of the Lordes spirituall which statutes many of them stand in strength at this day Than it may wel be gathered that the consent of the clergy was not alwayes so necessary as they thinke it If it be so strong a reason as he thinkes it to be to haue consent of the Bysshoppes I will proue by the same reason that it is as necessarye to haue Abbots of the Parliament For they were present of olde time and their consent was required as well as the Bishops and but of late yeares they were put of the parliament and it is not longe sins the conuocation house was seperat from the parliament to The lawers Iudges and Iustices put in practise and execute these lawes therfore their doinges may be a sufficient reason to lead the vnlearned what opinion they haue of these statutes for religion except Iustice Rascal first executing them and after running awaye may condemne the rest whiche I trust he may not I thinke they wold not execute theym except they had the strength and nature of lawes If they doe contrarye to their knowledge and opinion they canne not be able to aunswere their doinges But I thinke no wyse menne are of this oppinion onely these corner crepers that dare not shew their face and woulde deceyue the people go about thus to deface al good and godly order that displeases them In the dayes of blessed kinge Edw. they hadde the like fond opinion that a king could not make lawes in his minoritie vnto he come to full age But this and that was onely to hynder relygion and to make the people disobeye their Prince Yet God hais and I trust wil confound all such wicked deuises Ciprians wordes are not trulye alledged and if they were what doe they make against vs Howe could Ciprian write against our order whiche he neuer knewe beinge founde of so late yeres as they say And he does not meane them that differed in outward order of prayer but that swarued from the substance veritye taught in the scriptures In ceremonies he him selfe differd from other countries and euery countrye almost from others as I declared afore and the Byshops whiche he speakes of are as like our popish Prelates as Will Fletcher and the swete rode The Prophetes words may all be tourned against him and his so wiselye he applyes them whether be they in schisme that minister no sacrameut but onely in stede of diuine seruyce read chapters and Psalmes c. afore the people TO read afore the people in stede of diuine seruyce Psalmes and Chapters or other such like beinge not appointed by the vniuersall consent of the Church of God but against the decrees of the churche must nedes be schismaticall and they in schisme that doe it For as the. ii sonnes of Aaron were striken with sodaine death because they offered vppe straunge fire which was not appointed to theym by Moises and Aaron euen so doe they offende that will in stede of Mattins and Euensong and other diuyne seruice appointed by the Church read psalmes and Chapters and such like not apointed by the Catholycke Byshops lawfully consecrated For our sauiour sayes in the Gospell he that will not heare and obey the church that is to saye the Byshoppes take him as an infidelâ— And Saint Clement does saye in an Epistle that he writes to S. Iames by the iudgement of God they shal suffer euerlasting torment in the fire of hâ—il that neglect the decrees of the Churche Therefore the holye Martir Saint Ciprian does saye he that hais not denÌ„ied his handes wyth these wycked sacramentes hais polluted his conscience otherwise let him not comfort him selfe that he nedes to do no penaunce for he hais broken hys professyon and canonicall obedience that he made to the Byshops when he was made Priest Also this decree was made in the canons of the Apostles Si quis câ—erâ—cus aut laicus synagogam Iudâ—oâ—um auâ— conuenticulum heâ—eticorum ingressus fuerit vt preces cum illis coâ—â—ungatâ— deponatur that is If anye of the clergy or laite shall enter into the synagoge of the Iewes or the companye of the heretickes to saye prayers with him let him be deposed The. vi aunswere THe cuckoe hais but one song and that is vnpleasant no more hais this cokewolde maker but one foolyshe false principle to grounde his sayinges on that is the Romishe Churche I sayd afore and no man is able to improue it that the vniuersall Churche neuer made any one order of seruice to be vsed through the hole worlde but euery country hais and may haue diuers without affending so they agree in one substaunce of true doctrine He knowes no church but Ro. and yet â—o neuer decreed anye one
whether then was supersticion and ignoraunce or nowe in these dayes Forther where the true word of god is taught the holy ghost does so worke there with that vertue does encrease but as the Prophet sais sicut populus ita Sacerdos as the people be so God sendes them Priestes Apprehenderunt mendacium nolueruÌ„t reuerti the people haue apprehended a lye and will not come backe but trust in liyng Sermons whiche wil not profet them as almighty God says by his Prophet Hiere thinkinge they haue done wel because they haue done these abhominations says God by his Prophet Hieremi so as the Priestes be so be the people blynded in herisie as God sais by his Prophet Esai that their hartes do not vnderstande their eyes do not see their eares be stopped for hearinge the trueth so that this maye well be called the time of supersticion and ignoraunce calling darknes light and light darknes that whiche is euill good and good euill And for the brinning of Paules Church which he speakes of was in time of ciuil warre and not destroyed by thandes of God as it was at this time Whosoeuer reades the Chronicles shal perceyue that and this be not lyke Therfore beware of false Prophetes and Preachers which come with faire wordes in their mouthes of the Gospel but marke the frutes that comes of their preachinge howe they haue set the people in such case that no prayer is vsed no fasting litle almes dedes all liberty vsed What disobedience children be in against their parentes howe vntrusty seruauntes be what swearinge and blaspheming of God is vsed of all people what theft whoredome crafte subtiltye and deceipt these be frutes that come of this newe fanglet doctrine Therefore retourne backe againe to the steppes of good fathers afore vs be not caried away as S. Paule sais with a straunge and diuerse doctrine embrace the religion and faith taught in Christes Churche from time to time continually and frame your liuing accordingly or els Gods vengeance hanges ouer your heades readye sodenly to fall vpon you so sais the Scripture and let this token of brinninge of Paules be an example and token of a greater plage to folow excepte ye amende A CONFVTACION OF AN ADdicion vvyth an Appologye vvritten and east in the stretes of VVest Chester agaynst the causes of burnyug Paules Church in London vvhych causes the reuerend Byshop of Duresme declared at Paules Crosse â— Iunij 1561. OUr Sauiour Christ whan the Deuill spake the truth plainly did not confute or gayne saye it but whan he did it frowardly Christ rebuked hym sharpelye As whan the deuill said Iesus of Nazareth what haue we to do with thee art thou comen to destroy vs I knowe that thou art the holy one of god He did not refuse nor denye that truth which he spake but whan the deuill tempted him to throw himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple be rebuked him quickly bicause he alledged y e true scripture maliciously So it is not sufficient to do a good dede barely or speake the trueth only except it be done rightly with such circumstances as be necessarily required to make it good as that it be from the hart and for Goddes cause willingly c. In like maner where this scauenger sweping the stretes with his bookes as a fitteÌ„ brome and officer therto hais spoken the truth not trulye bicause it is for an euil purpose and frowardly I shal passe ouer it with silence but where he followes his maister the father of lies in falsifiyng the trueth or racking the Scripture subtilly I shal by gods grace let the world see his iugling and by truth trulye vttered disclose his shameles lyinge The firste examples that he bringes declaring how god does iustlye plague the obstinate sinners that will not repent after manye warninges giuen are true all but being alledged to bring vs backe to Poperye and for another purpose then God oure Lorde hais taught them they be craftelye misused and ye see whose fotesteppes be folowed And as he vses theym to perswade vs to supersticion so they maye and ought to be vsed specially for maintainynge true religion The Rhetoricians teach that suche kinde of beginninges as maye be applied to two contrary partes are fauty Therefore seinge I maye vse the selfe same reasons and woordes that he haâ—s from the beginning hitherto to train vs to loue and embrase oure godlye refourmed religion he can not muche crake of his wyselye placed examples or reasons But I wyll not stycke wyth hym in suche small poyntes as these although they be fautes but I wil ioine with him in matters of weight and those thefe pointes of religion whiche he hais touched and we differ from him and hys sort in them Committinge the rule and gouernement of hys Church to the Byshops c. THe first is concerning thautority and gouernment geuen to Bishops ouer Gods Church wherin his wordes are not so vntrue as they conteyne a false doctryne and meaning in them Yf ye thinke that I to boldly enter to iudge his meaning confer these wordes with such as folowe in his owne writing wherin vntruly he claimes those priuileges to his Bishops whiche neyther he nor they are able to iustifie and there at large ye shall easlye perceiue what he meanes by these fewe woordes here But I will followe him where awaye he leades me and because he does here but briefly touche it I shall likewise shortly passe ouer it and more throughly search it where he does more at large presse it In the beginninge of their late reuyued tyrannye and afore they had obtained their long desired autoritie to ragne ouer Kinges and Princes it was my chaunce to talke with one of their stoutest Champions and of those that he calles the godly Bishops in prison Among sundry thinges that were to be redressed in talke as he thoughte he toke this selfe same matter first and said it was not fitte for any temporal officer to sit as iudge on any Priest or spiritual manne specially in any spirituall matter For the same cause began Tho. Beket to rebell against his Prince not sufferinge his Priestes to be punyshed for their murthers roberyes and now like good childer they followe his steppes I asked whye for the lawes were then as they be nowe and both verye well that Iustyces in their Sessyons and Assises might and shoulde enquire who than offended the ciuill lawes and the order of religion establyshed whether he were Priest or other he aunswered that in the xx of the Actes of Thappostles it was plaine that God had set the Bishops to gouerne the Churche I saide that was another kind of gouernment that Saint Paule there grauntes to Byshops and differs from that which kinges or Princes claime and ought to haue No sais he marke the woordes and it is ad regendum Ecclesiam regere regum est therefore Byshops haue
Christ will chalenge no more autoritye to theym than their Maister Christ had I am sure thys pleases hym well to heare speciallye of my mouthe that such spirituall autoritye is geuen to spiritual ministers to execute on all sortes of people for as they belie vs in other thinges saying we teach false doctrine and moue the people to sinne so they saye that in deniyng them their vsurped autority we take from theym that whyche is due to them Yet in graunting thus much vnto them I meane as they teach that Priestes and Byshoppes haue this power of theym selues or whan they be greased wyth the Popes oyle that they may execute it whan and on whome it pleases theym but that God workes it by them as his wisdom thinkes good whan they vse them as he appointed them For as the iudge or pursauant that bringes the kinges pardon to saue a thiefe on the galowes is but the Princes seruaunt and not the chiefe Sauiour and delyuerer of the condemned so in this absoluing and raysing vp the sinful clogged conscience the chyefe praise and worke is gods and the Bishop or minister is but Gods seruaunt goinge his message by his worde and commaundement to saue and loose them whom it pleases God to offer this grace vnto But mee thinke I heare him saye If Byshops in temporall causes haue not thys autority why sit they so oft by commission now vnder y e gospel in temporal maters In dede forsomuch as they sit by commission it proues that it belonges not to their offyce as appointed by god but in y â— they serue the Prince as they be bounden Who wils and commaundes theÌ„ by Comission to serue in such place and tyme. The Byshops offyce is chiefly taught in the scripture by the holy ghost and from him he receiues his Commission and is not inuented by Pope or man Yf ye compare together Saint Paules Byshop described in Timothe and Tiâ—us with such toyes as the Popes Prelates are ordeyned to play and feede the people withal they are as lyke as blacke and white Saint Paules Byshoppe is in the firste place licensed to marye the Popes are forbidden wiues and alowed hoores for money Saint Paules Bishop must preache the Popes thinke it shame to stand in the Pulpit Saint Paul wils his Bishop to haue his children obedient with al reuerence the Popyshe Priestes Children sit by other mennes fires and brought vp most wantonly The Pope hais commauÌ„ded his Bishops to christen belles and shippes to halow Miters and staues ringes Churche yardes Altars Superaltares albes vestimentes Chalices corporas Palmes ashes candels water fire bread oyle creame flowers strippes swordes crownes fingers c. This is their holle lyfe and yet not one suche worde appointed theym by God in Scripture What is this but to forsake Gods ordinaunce and folow their owne deuyses to prefer man and his doinges to the wisdom of the holye ghost Whan he hais done all these thinges he maye say he hais serued bis maister the Pope and done his commaundement but not one thing that God biddes him Yet remaynes one doubt vnanswered in these few wordes whan he sayes that the gouernemente of the Churche was commytted to Byshoppes as thoughe they bad receyued a larger higher commission from god of doctrine discipline thaÌ„ other lawer priests or ministers haue and thereby might chalenge a greater prerogatiue But this is to be vnderstand that the Priuileges and superiorites which Byshoppes haue aboue other ministers are rather graunted by manne for maintaining of better order and quietnesse in commen wealthes then commaunded by God in his word Ministers haue better knowledge and vtteraunce some than other but their ministerye is of equal dignitye Gods commission and commaundement is like and indifferent to all Priest Byshop Archbyshop Prelate by what name so euer he be called goe and teach baptisinge in the name of the father the Son and the holye ghost And againe whose sinnes so euer ye forgeue they are forgeuen and what soe-euer ye loose in earth it is loosed in heauen c. Likewise the Lordes supper by whom soeuer being lawfully called it be ministred it is of lyke strength power and holines Saint Paule calles the Elders of Ephesus together and sais the holy ghost made them Byshops to rule the Church of god he writes also to the Byshops of Philippos meaninge the Ministers for neyther Ephesus nor Philippos were so great townes but one lytle Byshopricke is a greater compasse of ground than they needed not manye Byshops therefore this diuersitye of absoluing sinnes inuented by idle braines that a simple Priest maye absolue some small ones other greater belonge to the Byshop Tharchbyshop clames an other higher sort the rest and fowlest sort pertein to Popes and Cardinals as the fathers maintainers of them these I say are so foolish childish to beleue that I think it not nedeful to speake of theÌ„ they are not grounded on Gods word therfore must nedes be vntrue and not to be credited because our faith hangs only on the holy scripture greadye couetousnes to enriche theÌ„selues hais inuented these as also the rest of their supersticion whiche they tearme religion Saint Ierom in his commentarye on the. i. Chapter ad Tit sais that a Byshoppe and a Priest is all one and in hys Epystle ad Euagrium he sayes that the Byshop wher so euer he be he is of the same power and Priesthoode Rome makes him not better nor Englande makes him worse A Byshop is a name of office labour and paynes rather then of dignytye ease welth or ydlenes The word Episcopus is Greke and signifies a Scoutwatche an ouerloker or Spie because he shoulde euer be watching and warning that the deuill our enemye do not enter to spoyle or destroy And as in warre the watchemen Scoutes or Spies yf they fall on slepe or be negligent they betraye their felowes and deserue death so in Gods Church if the Byshops watch not diligentlye and saue their sheepe God hais pronouÌ„ced sentens of death against them by his Prophet I made thee a watche man to the house of Israel sais the Lord thou shall heare the word of my mouth and declare it them from me If I say to the wicked thou wicked thou shalt die and thou wilte not warne hym to take hede to his way he shall die in his wickednes but his bloude I will require of thee But I thinke the holy Byshops he crakes so much of haue their callynge of the Dutche name that signifies byts shepe rather than of the Greke that teaches to saue sheepe by his painefull diligence If they were not to muche blinded in their owne folyshnes they might see in the last subsidye graunted in the tyme of their owne raygne that they graunt those to be their betters aboue theym from whence they receyue their autority The Parliament geues theym and their Collectours power to suspend depryue and interdite
and Princes nor to that blasphemous name to be called the vniuersall Byshop of the whole Church than this Gregory was as fully appeares in sundrye places of his workes In hys time beganne this ambitious desire to crepe into the minde of Ioan Archebisshop of Constantinople to be called the head byshop of the world because Maurice then Emperoure and heade aboue many Prynces lay than at Constantinople and not at Rome as his auncetoures did for the most parte while the Emperour lay at Rome the Byshoppe there was more reuerenced than other Byshoppes were as it is in all commen welthes where so euer the Prince lies therfore he thought that like as whan â—heÌ„perour lay at Rome y â— Bishop was preferred aboue other because comenly Princes will haue the learneder sorte here him so he thought that the Emperoure nowe lyinge at Constantinople that that Byshoppe should likewise be estemed and therfore he caused Themperour to write to Gregorye Byshop of Ro. in this behalfe and that he shoulde submit himselfe to the Byshop of Constantinople Gregory aunsweres diuers of Themperours letrers sharplye godlily wisely and learnedly sayinge that neyther he at Ro. nor the other at Constantinople nor no other in anye place shuld chalenge to him that proud name nor autority aboue other None of my predecessors sais Gregory wold vse this cursed name to be called the vniversall Byshoppe of all for if one Patriarche shoulde bee called vniuersall than the name of Patriarches shoulde be taken from other but God kepe this far from a Christian mind that any man should chalenge that to himselfe whereby he might anye thinge at all diminishe the honour of his brether Note that he sais none of his predecessours vsed this cursed name Than in hys tyme it began to be desired than also they lie sayinâ— that Christ gaue this autority of being aboue other to Peter and his successorâ— from time to time he calles it also 〈…〉 wicked and cursed name wherein theâ— glory and so muche desire wicked and cursed therfore is he that hais it or desires it be sais further they doe theiâ— brether wronge in takyng that honour from them that is due to them whiche is to bee of like power and autoritye with theym If any manne now a days shuld write thus he wold be cald a railer a foole a prater c. But seing this good Pope sais so to theÌ„ let them take it among them and beleue their Pope for it is true Againe he saies I saye boldlye that whosoeuer calles himselfe or desires to be called the vniuersall Priest in his pride he runnes afore Antichrist bycause in being proud he preferres himselfe aboue other This is their partes than that they playe to be Antichristes forerunners or rather to be Antichrist himself Much good doe it them with their Popes that so rewards their folowers and seinge their maister geues theym that name they maye bee glad of it and neyther refuse it nor be angry with them that so call theym It were an easy thinge to take many such like sayinges oute of other Doctoures but because be cries oute so ofte of this holys fathers religion I kepe me with in his comepasse and alledge his writinges onelye Gregorye in his Epistle to Maurice Themperour amonge manye other wordes sais thus Who is this that against the ordinaunce of the Gospell and agaynste the decrees of the canons presumes to take this newe name lette this blasphemous name be farre from christen mennes hartes to be called the vniuersal Byshoppe by whiche the honoure of all Priestes is taken away whan it is folishly clamed of one manne This name was offered in the Synode of Chalcedome to the Romyshe Byshoppe but none of them did take this name of singularitye nor dyd agree to vse it least while anye priuate thinge shoulde be geuen to one manne all Priestes shoulde bee robbed of their due honour He is to be bridled which does wronge to the vniuersall Church which by this priuate name settes him selfe aboue the honour of your Empire c. thus much Gregory I maruail that the later Popes scraped not these sayinges out of Gregories woorkes or els condemned not his bookes for heresye seing he does so plainly condemne their proude Prelacy But surelye as God hais preserued the true texte of the Bible by the Iewes that are his enemies to the comforte of his people So for the glorye of his name he hais saued the writinges of good Popes to condemne the foolishnes of the late presumptuous tyrannye of Popes after their times Remember that he calles it a blasphemous name and that it is againste the gospell and Canons that it was neuer vsed and is a wronge to all the rest Thus many yeares it was vi Cv. afore the pope hadde anye supremacy graunted him but streight after his death whan Phocas hadde murdered Themperour Maurice his maister and made himself Emperour Pope Boniface the iii. iiii obteined at his hand that Ro. the byshop there should be the head of other churches and Byshoppes A mete manne to set vp a Byshop like himself the one murdered his maister and thother killâ—s soules Whan they haue aunswered this Pope that denies anye of his predecessours to haue hadde this name and autority than thei may crake that they haue had it M. D. sins Saint Peters time And where he sais in the latter ende that whan the people feâ—le from this relygion that Gregory send and Austin brought in they felt greate calamites by the conquest of the Danes and the Normans if he had aduised him selfe well he would not haue said thus But as Caiphas prophecied truly saying that it was necessary that one man Christ should die for the people and not all perishe not vnderstanding what he saide so this vnlearned Proctour hais spoken more truely than he wotes of For God in deede plaged this Realme for fallinge from true religion taught in his holy word rather than by Austin submittinge them selfes to the Pope who as ye heard refused that name and autoritye The conquest of the Danes was not longe nor greate but than folowed the Normans D. yeare sins saue fiue And if ye marke euen about that tyme was Hildebrande commenly cald Gregorye the. vii Pope who with his felowes brought more wicked super sticion into the church of God than euer was afore Afore his time there was no swarme of idle munkes and Freers in Englande nor in the worlde but they wroughte for their liuynge no suche gaddinge of Pilgrimages sellynge of Masses c. And therefore God iustlye plaged the world for falling from him and defilynge theym selues so filthilye with the dregges of Poperye I speake not this bicause I thinke all was well afore or that all the doinges of Gregorye and Austin were perfecte but to lette you see that oure Papystes leaue the beste and pyke oute the worst to folowe as metest for their purpose Now whether the people
worde and therfore we can not beleue theym For we read that Christ tooke the substance of his fleshe of the virgin Mary but neuer of breade Onelye the Romishe prelates haue made this marchaundise put in that article taught this doctrine and beleue this contrarie to the whole churche of Christ beside theymselues Than it is they that disobey the Churche and not wee I spake sufficientlye for theyr masse and Sacramentes afore yet for their sacramentes nowe a litle more He sais here that there be vii Sacramentes necessarye to saluation and yet wythin fewe wordes folowinge he denyes maryage to Priestes and that is as much to saye as eyther that mariage is no Sacrament or that Priestes shall not be saued There is but one waye of saluation for al men than Priests must eyther be saued that way or els condemned But it is to foolyshe to saye that anye manne shall be condemned except he be maried Shall none be saued but maried folkes whan he lookes at him selfe beinge vnmaried and yet not so chaste he will saye naye Than vii sacramentes are not necessarye for saluation to euerye man for many haue bene saued without manye of theym as mariage extreme vnction order of Priesthode shriuinge Byshoppinge and the Lordes supper Who is so ignoraunt but he knowes that many children neuer yea and olde folke to neuer receiued all those his Sacramentes whiche God forbidde should all be condemned No learninge can beare this saiynge to be true that there be vii sacramentes necessarye to saluation therfore by this iudge the rest of his sayinges And least he shoulde thinke the generall order of the Churche to be thus thoughe manye particulars neuer receiue theym yet in searching he shal find that tobe vntrue to Socrat. lib. v. cap. xix Sozo lib. vii ca. xvi in their Ecclesiasticall histories wryte teach that shriuing to a Priest was not cōmaunded by god but inuented by man and therfore whan they see it abused they toke it awaye and vsed it not any more In y e time of Theodosius Themperor iiii c. yere after Christ and Nectarius being Byshop of Constantinople as they write there a Diacone of the churche get a Gentel woman wyth chylde in the Churche that came to be shreuen while she was there doing the appointed penaunce by her ghostlye father The hole churche was so offended at it that not onlye there but manye other Bishoppes beside in their churches left of afterwarde that order of shriuing and lefte euerye manne free to the examination of his owne conscience for his sinnes There hays bene nothynge more profytable to the Pope than thys care shriuinge hais besyde manye suche lyke fylthynesse done by it as thys Diacon didde for no time was fitter to woe or worke their feate in wythoute suspicion than shriuing time No prince coulde enterprise or purpose anye great thing but his confessour wold by some meanes learne it vnder confession and declare it to the Pope or his chaplains Eliseus by the spirit of God neuer told more secret thinges what the kinge of Siria did in his priuy chamber than the Pope coulde learne by these his confessours the secret pourposes of all Princes Than if confession might be taken away as here appeares it was it is not so necessary to saluacion nor the vniuersall Churche hais vsed it euer as he sais nor we disobey not the Churche in leauinge it of seing so many holy men haue done it afore vs. Ioan Dominus writing on the. iiii booke of the sentences distinc xvii and serching out where this their sacrament shoulde be bilded writes thus If we saye it is grounded on the saying of Saint Iames confesse you one to an other manye inconueniences wil folow for so euerye man might heare an others confession howe should Saint Iames Byshop of Ierusalem commaund Peter the highest and the Romyshe Church If it be grounded on Saint Ihons sayinge whose sinnes ye doe forgeue they are forgeuen yet there is no mention to do it in his eare If that will not serue than saye that it comes from Thapostles yf that serue not because y ◠Grecians vse it not than saye it comes from Ro. as does the Cōmunion in vnleuend bread thus ye see what harde shiftes they are driuen to in triynge out the autoritye and auncientye of this their sacrament and howe small it is whan it comes to profe But if ye wil iudiffrently iudge whether the newe Bishops or the olde obeye their Prince and Goddes Church better read the othe of them both and than iudge The Pope firste deuised an othe for hys Byshoppes to sweare at their creation and whan that was not thought straite inoughe he deuysed this afterwarde I N. Byshoppe of N. from this houre forwarde shalbe true to Saint Peter and the holye Romishe Churche and to my Lorde Pope N. and to his successours entrynge canonicallye I shall not be in counsell consent nor at dede that he may loose his life or that anye member maye be taken from him by deceyte or violent handes layde on him or wrong done to him by anye meanes That counsell that shall be declared to me by him selfe letters or messengers I shall not disclose to anye manne wittingly to his harme I shall helpe to defende the Popedome of the Romishe churche and the rules of holy fathers and the rialtes of Saint Peter againste all menne sauinge my order I shall not be at anye councell or dede where anye euil is deuised against the honour and power of them but to my power I shal stoppe it and so shortly as I can signify it to our lorde Pope or some other that will tell it his holiner Hereticks schismatickes and rebelles to oure lorde Pope to my power I shal pursue c. Loke how well our holy prelates kepe their othe to the Pope deny it to their lawful Prince The othe of the newe Byshoppes is in print in Englyshe and so knowen of al that lust to learn that I nede not to write it and although the Popishe prelates refuse to take that othe because it makes the Prince the chyefe gouernonr ouer them whiche they can not abide herafter in his proper place where he falles into that question I shal entreat of it Secondly where he charges vs that where the Churche commaundes to faste we commaunde to eate and haue eaten fleshe in Lente and other forbidden dayes we speake plaine Englyshe and saye he lies Under the name of the Churche he euer vnderstandes Rome yea and not whan it continued in anye pure religion but euen in these latter dayes whan it is euer whelmed wyth infinite supersticious Fasting dayes be appointed commenlye by euerye particular churche and countrye rather than by the uniuersall Churche but yf anye kynde of fasting be generall I say they breake that order rather than we Ambro writes on the. xvii cha of Luc. that for the space of l. dayes betwixt Easter and
might be fytter to godlynes but for abhomination forgettynge that all that God hais made is good and that he made both male and female lette him be correct or deposed The thirde Councell of Cartage sayes thus Let not Pryestes children make anye playes and gammes If any says the Popes canon law shuld teache that a Pryest for religyon sake should despise his wife accursed be he Distinct. xxviii Againe the next cha folowinge If any make a difference of a maried Priest as though he should not minister by occasiō of his mariage and therfore forbeare from his ministration accursed be he Whan this foolysh vnlearned Papiste hais scraped these and such like sayinges out of the Popes testament commonly called his decrees than he may say the Popes lawe hais vtterly condemned mariage of Priestes in the Latin Church But what nedes these proofes whan Saint Paule saies playne a Byshop must be the husbande of one wife and Ambrose writinge on the same place sais that he is not forbidden to haue a seconde Pope Pius ii wrytes that there were great causes why Priests were forbidden wiues but there were greater causes why they shoulde be restored Ierom grauntes that in his time manye Priestes were maried cōtr Ioui And on the vi cha of the Epistle He writes thus Let Bysshoppes and Priestes reade these which teache their children worldly learning and make them to reade Comedes and singe bawdy songes of ministrelles c. Nauclerus part vii generat xxxvii wri tes thus Gregorye vii decreed in the yeare M. lxxiii that from thencefoorth Priestes shoulde not haue wyues and they that had shoulde leaue them or be deposed He wrote to the Byshops of France and Germany that they should procure it so to be with them The hole clergy cried out against this decree callinge him hereticke who hadde forgotten the worde of the Lord who said al receiue not this sayinge and he that can not refrayne let him mary and it is better to marye than to burne Howe violent a thinge is this to compell that menne shoulde liue like Aungelles and whan he denyes the accustomed course of nature he shoulde giue lybertye to horedome If he continued to confirme this decree they had rather leaue their Priesthode than mariage Gregory not withstandinge was instaunt and rebukes the Byshops of slouthfulnesse that these thynges were not done amonge theim Tharchbyshop of Mentz perceyninge howe harde a thynge it was to breake so longe a rooted custome and to reforme the worlde in his olde age appointed his Priestes vi monethes to do that in which they must necessarily doe they purposed than to laye violent handes on the Byshoppe except he chaunged his purpose The yeare folowinge Gregorye attempted that diuorcinge of them by his legate which he coulde not bringe to passe by the Byshoppe The Priestes were so moued against the legate that they had almost torne him in peces except he had gone away and left the matter vndone A horrible plage he sais further did folow this contention of the west Churche in so much that lay men didde christen and minister sacramentes because the Priestes had rather forsake their Priesthode than their wines and would not minister c. thus far the history Marke whan thys was done the trouble in doynge it the plague that folowed and that mariage as he says was longe used afore him To the Lorde and father Nycholas the dyligent prouyder for the holye Romysh church Huldrich Bishop of Angsburgh in name only wyshes loue as a sun and scare as a seruaunt WHere I founde O father and lord your decrees for the cōtinentie of clerks which ye send me of late to be without discretion a certaine feare and heauines both troubled me fear because the iudgement of the shepeherd whither it be right or wrong is to be feared for I was afraid lest the weake hearers of the scripture whiche wil scarce obey a righteous iudgement not regarding this of yours as wrongful should boldly break this so heauy a cōmandement of the sheperd that it may not be borne Sorow or rather pity troubled me whā I douted by what meanes the members myght escape wher their head was so sore sick What can be more greuous or more to be pitied of the hole church thā that you y ◠bishop of the chefest see shuld swarue but a litle from a holy discretion Thou swarued muche from thys whan thou would that clerkes whom thou shoulde warne for the continentie of mariage shoulde be compelled to it by a certaine imperious violence Is not this worthily to be coūted a violence by the cōmen iudgment of al wise men whā any man is cōpelled to execute priuat decrees cōtrarye to the doctrine of the gospel and decree of the holy gost Therfore where there be many examples of the old testament new teachinge discretion as ye know I besech your fatherhode be content y ◠some few amōg many may be put in this writing Our lord apoynted mariage to priestes in the old law which is not redde to be forbydden theym afterwarde But he sais in the Gospel there be Euunches whiche haue geldet themselues for the kyngdome of heauen but all men receiue not this worde he that can take it let him take it Therefore Thappostle sais for Uirgins I haue no Commaundement of the Lorde but I geue counsell Ye see that al men can not take this counsell accordinge to the sayinge of the Lord. And ye see also manye flatterers of the same counsell willing to please menne and not god with this false shewe of continentie to doe more haynous thinges as to prouoke their fathers wiues not abhore to lye by beastes and menne But least the state of the whole churche should be decayed by the great mischeues of this filthines he said For fornication let euerye man haue his owne wife Yet these hipocrites falsy saye that this same belonges speciallye to laye menne whiche hipocrites althoughe they be in a moste holy order yet they doubt not to misuse other mens wyues These men vnderstode not the scripture rightlye and because they wrunge the pappe to soore they souked bloude in stede of milke For that saynge of Thapostle Let euely manne haue his owne wife exceptes no man in dede but him that professes conrotinentye or him that determines to continue his virginitye in the Lord. c. And that ye may know that they which haue not made this vowe ought not to be compelled Here Thappostle to Timothe saying It becomes a Byshoppe to be blameles the husband of one wife and least anye manne should turne this sayinge to the Churche onely he addes he that canne not rule his owne house howe can he rule the Churche of God Likewise he sais Diacons muste be the husbande of one wife whiche can well rule their children and houses I know that ye haue taught by the decrees of holye Syluester Pope that this
as in them lay c. Here appeares how harde it was to diuorse the maried Priestes and howe some wolde not obey though they were excomunicate I marke also how the Bishop calles these mariages vncleanesse and sais they defile the ministerye but to an indifferent iudge the Priestes haue better reasons out of the Scriptures for theym selues than the Byshop had Let al them therfore that haue the feare of Godde afore theym consyder the great plages that God layd on thys Realme at that time The Realme was conquered by straungers Willyam Conquerour and his felowes the Popes Chaplains Lanfranc Bis. of Cantorb vnder kinge Willyam the. ii brought in transubstantiation Ansel. vnder Henry y e. i. next kinge folowinge brought in vnmaried priestes diuorced the maried the doctrine of trāsubstātiacion is so holy y ◠a maried priest may not handel it the one can not stand without the other the one necessarily bringes in y e other The late popes were better then they for in the time of pope Paule the. iii. kepynge hys Counsell at Trident a. xvii yeare synce came forth that woorthye booke Interim wherein is entreated the mariages of Priestes and concludet that those which be maried shoulde not be deuorced but whither any mo shoulde mary it should be referred and differred to a generall counsell These men were more reasonable modest and wise than oure late brutish Papistes for in the late daies of their raging madnes contrarye to this decree of the Pope made not xvi yere a fore they deuorsed here w t vs al Priests that afore were maried But whā these olde Popes see howe harde it was to driue Priestes from their wiues that Helbrande Gregorye vii decreed that none shoulde heare his masse that was maried and by this politie he brought more to passe than by excommunication or anye other waye Suche practises the Popes prelates are ful of for whan the Priestes perceiued their ministerye was despised it made them some thing to relent and at length altogether to quale At the same tyme and streight after the conqueste were swarmes of munkes brought almost into all the Cathedrall churches of the Realme As at Duresme in the yere M. lxxxiii the Priests which than were maried were brought from Duresme and had the prebendes of Aucland Darnton and Norton and munkes were placed in their stedes at Durram in the xviii yeare of Willyam the conquerour and these prebendes were than first founded appointed for these secular maried priestes O gētil Papists of old time that wold not displace maried priests but prouide liuings for them where our Edomites persecute theym wythout mercye Mariage Gods holye ordinaunce in Paradise blessed is punished of poperye in the world suche is their wickednesse In other places as Winchester Worceter and els where this bringinge in of Munkes and dryuinge out maried Priestes beganne a litle afore the conquest vnder kyng Edgarus but no great differens in the yeares Dunstan and Oswalde Byshops of Worcetor first and after of Cantorband Yorke were greate helpers in thys matter Oswald thrast all the clarkes out of worceter Church whych woulde not be made munkes Ethelwoldus Byshop of Wynchester thrast oute hys maried priestes likewise if they woulde not forsake their Wyues and become Munkes and placed Munkes in their stede but they so hated the Munkish life that they were cōtent to leaue al rather than become munks euery one of them saue iii. But after y ◠death of Edgarus Aelfer kinge of Mercia whiche was the middle aud chefe part of England and many other nobles of the realme droue out the munkes and brought in the maried Priestes againe These and suche like are written in the recordes of these churches and were done many of them about the yeare of our lorde ix C. lxiii and after Polychroni also in his vi booke touches manye of these thinges These things I haue spoken more large lye because he charges vs with disobeying all lawes as though these were neuer done in Englande afore and good men shoulde not suffer theym and also that the worlde maye see howe lewde vnlearned a Proctour hays taken theyr case in hande If he were not to farre paste shame he woulde not denye the lawes of the Realme to suffer Priestes mariage seynge the. xxix Iniunction whiche the Queenes hignesse set forth entreates of their mariage onelye But thys is their obedyence that they shewe to their Prynces in deniynge their lawes and it is their olde opinion that Iuiunctions be not lawes nor Princes haue that autoritye ouer them to make suche lawes God gyue theym better myndes or graunte the Prynce better subiectes It were to long to write all that may be said in this behalfe and it is not my meaninge onelye I woulde let theym see whiche woulde learne how wrongfullye Priestes mariage is accused For the frowarde obstinate that wyll not learne but contemne and condemne all that gayne saye it afore they heare theym speake I saye wyth oure Sauioure Chryste in a lyke case lette theym alone they be blynde and guydes of the blynde They are not to be passed on doe as trueth Goddes worde and a good conscience teaches you nothyng regardinge their ralynge blasphemies Austin in his booke de bono coniug ali Ca. xxi comparyng the chastitie of mariage and slngle life together sais thus The vertue of continentie muste be alwayes in the power of the mynde but in dede if must be shewed as things and tymes chaunge For as there was not a dyuerse meryte of sufferynge Martyrdome in Peter that suffered cruell death and in Ioan that suffered not So there is not a dyuerse meryte of Chastytye in Ioan whych was not maryed and in Abraham whyche gate chyldren For bothe hys syngle lyfe and thys mannes maryage serued Chryste as the tyme chaunged but Ioan hadde Chastytye bothe in power and dede Abraham onely in power Again ca. xxii euill menne saye to him that is chaste Art thou better than Abraham but whan he heares it lette him not be afraide but saye I am not better but the chastitie of single men is better than the chastitie of mariage Again ca. xxiii If we compare the things them selues together it is sure that the chastitie of continentie is better than the chastitie of mariage and yet bothe good but whan we compare the men to gether he is the better that hais a greater goodnes and vertue in him than the other hais Thus ferre Austin Marke the difference that he puttes betwix the goodnes of thinges themselues and the goodnes of the menne that haue theim I am sure many wil iudge that I speak this to please my wyfe but we reade that Paphuntius vnmaried whan some in the counsell would haue determined that Priests shoulde leaue their wiues perswaded the contrarye Spiridion being maried as he writes also and hauinge children was neuer the worse or hindred to minister the sacramentes Chriso in his homily
on the mariage in Cana Galilea writes thê° Thou reproâ—â—s mariage that they be a let to godlynes but wilt thou know that it hurtes not to haue wyfe and children Had not Moyses wife and children was not Helias a virgin Moses brought Manna from heauen and Helias fire god spake to Moyses and was conuersaunt with Helias Did not Moyses make Duales to come and Helias shut vppe heauen from raine with a word Did not Moyses deuide the sea and brought through the people Was not Helias taken into heauen in a firie charet Did virginitye hurte the one or was wife and children a hindraunce to the other hais thou marked Helias in his charet in the aer and Moyses goynge on foote in the sea Marke Peter also a piller of the church that he had a wife for it is written that Iesus wente into Peters mother in lawe beinge sicke touched her and the feuer left her Where there is a mother in lawe there must nedes be a wife and daughter in lawe Sees thou not than that Peter had a wife blame not mariage than c. thus ferre Chrisostome I coulde shew you like examples of maried ministers at these daies whiche are not hindered in their duty doing therby nor in any part of godlynes but rather forthered in that houshold cares be taken from them therby and in sikenes they better cherished These be inough for them that wil be perswaded or more will not serue It is not hard to bringe diuerse moe autorities out ot the Popes distinc xxviii and xxxi to proue this withall but he that is father of all filthines is not worthye to beare witnes in so honest a matter In Moises law where euery one should marie with in his owne tribe the priestes had thys priuilege that they might marye wyth the kinges stocke but oure menne abhore Priestes mariage lest they should get gentilwomen and so possibly might enherite their landes God was not so wise to foresee these thinges as we be and that which Gods wisdome thought good and commendable we with oure polities thinke hurtfull and vnprofitable God make vs wise in him For the foolyshe writhinge and rackynge of the scriptures folowinge because they be so vnaptlye applied that a blind manne maye sce them I will not stande to set out his folye for they conteyne no matter of weight against vs. They haue inuented a newe waye to make Bishoppes and Priestes and a maner of seruice and ministracion that Saint Austin neuer knewe Saint Edmond Lanfranc S. Anselme noâ— neuer one Bishop of Cantorb sauing only Crammer who for soke his professyon as Apostata so that they must nâ—â—es condemne all the Bishoppes in Cantor but CraÌ„mer and he that now is all the Byshoppes of yorke sauyâ—â— Holgate and he that nowe is althoughe Saint Wilfride S. Willyam haue bene taken for Saintes and were Byshoppes in yorke In Couentre and Lichfyelde S. Chad was Byshop and many blessed Byshops and he that now to Bishop can fynde not anye one that euer was made as he is nor of his religion Therefore he must proue all Biâ—shops 〈◊〉 Lichfâ—loe were deceyued walked in blindnes and ignoraunce or els he that nowe is must nedes be deceyued and be in blyndnes In Duresiue haut bene many good fathers but he that now is Bishop can not fynde any one predecessour in that see that was of his relygion and made bishop after such fort as he was so that he that no we is muste take in bande to condemne all the Bisshops afore him that they were in ignorance and blindnes or they wil come to hys condemnation at the daye of indgement And this in all Bishoprickes in EnglaÌ„d some can find one some none that euer was of their religion What arrogancy may be thought in those men that will take in hande to condemne so many blessed fathers al to be in blindnes Here this proud Papist triumphes as thoughe nothinge coulde be said to the contrary For our churche seruice I said inough afore now marke what weight his raginge railynge wordes haue He sais Saint Edmonde Lanfranc Ansel. neuer knewe such an orderyng of Priestes and Bishopes how proues he that I thinke they dyd for they liued in that age whan religion beganne to decaye blyndnes and supersticion to crepe into the worlde and therefore coulde not be ignoraunt of suche good order as hadde bene afore them althoughe they theym selues than beganne to chaunge bring in the contrary wherof I declared part afore as mariage of priestes church seruyce c. To graunt that so manye Bisshops of Cantorb yorke Lichfield and Duresme were in blindnes he thinkes it such an inconuenience as no manne will doe it and therfore these that now be Byshops must nedes be deceyued I am not of that oppinion to thynke it a shame to graunt that Byshoppes be deceyued eyther in that age or other for there hais bene no man so holye except Christ Iesus but he hais bene deceiued and ignoraunt in manye thinges euen in religion Did not Paule rebuke Peter for dissemblynge in meates with the Iewes Only Christ hais the ful truth That is the proude principle of Popery to think that they can not be deceyued yet in that sayinge they are most fowly deceyued The Scribes and Pharases vsed the same reasons agaynst Christe oure Lorde and the false Prophetes against the true sayinge that they kepte the olde true learninge and the other brought in a new deceiued the people But in grauntinge these olde Byshops to be made after another sort than these be nowe what harme maye followe What auncienty be they of al sins the conquest and not past v. C. yeare sins Than it is but newe in comparison of of M. D. l. And if oure order agree wyth Christes doinges and his Apostles writings better thaÌ„ theirs are we to blame in forsakyng them folowing Christ his Apostles or are we to be counted deuisers of a new way when we folow that which is M. ycre elder than theirs Naye surely their deuyses be new and we restore the old religion again practised and taught by Christ and his Appostles which they haue defaced wyth their newe deuysed supersticyon and Popery Whither is it more to conteÌ„ne or correct these Byshoppes of Cantorb York Lichfielde and Duresme that he names rather than Christ oure Lorde Peter Paul Timothe Titê° c. Whether is to bee iudged elder wyser and godlyer these Byshoppes that he names which are not v. C. yeare old or Christe and his Appostles whiche be M. D. yeare old and more In the Actes of Thappostles where Matthias was chosen in stede of Iudas the traitour Where the. vii Deacons were chosen and whan Paule and Barnabas were seÌ„t forth to preach how few ceremonies were vsed in comparison of that multitude which the Papistes vse nowe and howe much does it agree with our kind of orderinge ministers better than with theirs Whan Paule taught
they haue bene not regarded of old time also that they had another facion of making priests and bishops than our papistes of these daies haue and more agreing with the order that the new bisshops vse Fabian writes part iii. ca. ix that the Byshoppe of Saint Dauyds hadde no Palle from Rome at all from the time that Samson was Byshoppe there vnto the time of kynge Henrye i. in whiche space were there xxi Bisshops Polychro writes lib. v. cap. xii that Northumberlande was withoute Bishop xxx yere without Palle C. xxv yeare nor had anye altar at all vnto the vi C. xxiii yeare of our Lord than these thynges are neyther so auncient nor so necessary as Papistes would make men beleue seinge they had no altars than they hadde no Popishe masses for they may not be said but on a halowed altar or superaltare The Pope decreed that all Abbotes and Bishops beinge chosen to their dignities shoulde come to Ro. to be confirmed and blessed by whiche meanes he and the Cardinalles made them to paye suche summes of money to be spedelye dispatched as our vnder officers do nowe for expedicion that they impouerished many Realmes by it and enriched themselues by reason whereof kinge Edwarde i. perceiuynge the Bisshoppe of Elye and Thabbot of S. Edmons berye being than chosen to their dignities to haue spent so much money was ashamed of it and forbade any mo to go thither afterwarde theym selues For they beggerde their Churches or they coulde paye their dettes as Matth Parisien writes all this at large more speaking against this decree of y â— popes The Byshops of Colen and MentÊ’ pay either to the Pope for their palle 24000 Ducats The same man sais also that Thurstan archbyshoppe of yorke going to a counsell holden at Remis by Pope Calixtus was forbydden of the king to be consecrate of the Pope and sworns also but he notwithstandinge as a wicked manne obteyned of the wicked Romanes by rewardes to be consecrate there of the Pope Which thinge whan the kinge hearde tell of he forbade him all places of his dominion Thomas Hatfeld Byshop of Duresme chosen an M. iii. C. xlv and the. xix yeare of Edwarde the. iii. payed to Pope Clement the. vi ix thousande florence of golde for his commen seruice besyde fyue accustomed seruices which were xliii florence yearelye whiche appeares by the Popes acquittance made to him The Bishop of Lions declared in the counsel of Basil that the Pope had ix Millions of Crownes yearlye out of Fraunce of the Bishops A million conteynes ten hundreth thousand If these be not hys griefes perauenture because they haue not the cruche and miter as the old bisshops had displeases him Surely suche horned beasts be fitter for the pope than the Gospell For as the Latin prouerb sayes of vnruly beastes that they were wont to be knowen by hanginge haye on their hornes Fenum habet in cornu So these vnruly popishe cattel haue their marke that they might be knowen by their horned miters or els because they were of the generatyon of the horned beast that Daniell in the vii cha and S. Iohn writes of in his reuelation xiii and xvii Reade the latter ende of Gildas our country manne in his chronicle and chidinge exhortacion to the Priestes and ye shall finde that in hys time which is a M. yere sins there were diuers other parts of the scriptures appointed to be red out of the Actes of the apostles and Peters Epistle whan they were appointed ministers and made Priestes which the Popish prelates vse not in orderinge their chaplens nowe Whereby it maye be gathered that the ceremonies differd also But the barbarousnes of the time hais bene suche sins that scars anye perfect memoriall of their doinges remaine The rude Sarons ouer ranne this Realme and destroied al learning and religion with helpe of the Pope and his creatures the Munkes and Freers so that vnto nowe of late yeares verye lytle good learning â—ais bene heard of Dionisiuâ— Ariâ—pagita as he is commenly cald and whom they saye was Paules scholer and of whom Saint Luk. writes Act. xvii sais in his booke if it be his booke as they saye it is that in makyng their priestes and Byshoppes in his time they vsed no moe ceremonies than to bringe him that was to be calde a Byshop to knele afore the altar to laye the Byble on his head and the Byshop his handes also with certaine prayers and salutations Thys symple facyon was vsed of olde time without anye further adoe The priests Diacons had not all these ceremonies in their creatinge and yet ours Byshops which folowe this aunciente simplicitye are blamed that they haue deuised new facions of their own whiche neuer were hearde of afore But by these fewe thinges that I haue resited it maye well be sene howe malice hais blynded their Popishe hartes falsly to accuse the Protestantes of those things which are not true And to put aways all doubtes that maye be moued for the auncientie and autoritye of their order and facion of makynge Priestes and Byshops Polychro writes lib. v. ca. xii that Pope Honorius sent to Honorius bishop of Cantor the Palle the order how to make bishops this was about y â— yere of our Lord. M. C. xxvii Loke how auncient it is and they cris M. D. years olde where it is not past iiii C. And as Dyonise in this orderinge of Priestes declares howe farre they differed in his time from all these Popishe toyes that this beast woulde burthen the Churche and simple soules withall so shal ye finde in him also how muche they differed in his age in ministring y e Communion in duriynge the dead and other such seruyce and ceremonies from the Popes synagoge in our dayes In so muche that it may be truly saide of this our religion that Freer mantuan said Hec nouitas non est nouitas sed vera vetustas The Popes supersticion maye well be called newe as I haue proued by many particulars afore but this of oures is bothe olde and true as it maye be more fullye proued than I haue yet spoken Therfore let them set better clarkes to speake for theim and proue it by the scriptures or elles for shame holde their peace But a scalled horse is good inoughe for a scabbed esquier and for so false a doctrine so foolyshe vnlearned a dronken dotel is a mete scholemaister They knowe well ynoughe that they be not able to stande in defence of it and therefore they set vp such a dolt that whan he takes a foyle no man wil meruaile and yet they shall thinke that the stoute champions are behind which can binde beares and confute all men But surely this rude asse is the mouthe of them all to vtter what they thinke and they haue no better ware than he hais vttered let them put their helping hands to and bring better stuffe if they haue it but if they run
consent of the nobles and Prelates to Rome after him to declare the matter and accuse him of disobeying the kinge troublinge the Realme and the Clergye and of periurye in not kepinge the lawes whiche he sware to first The Embassadours ware Roger Archebysshoppe of Yorke Gilbert Byshoppe of London Roger Byshoppe of Worceter Hilary Byshop of Chichester Baâ—tholmewe Byshoppe of Eretor the erle of Arundel with many other noble men and clerkes Their orations wherein they accuse this holye traitour be there in print seuerallye and somewhat long to recite but iudge indifferentlie whan so many Byshops and the Erle accuse Thom. Becket afore the Pope so earnestly whither we be to blame to accuse him nowe Theffect of the Byshop of Londons oration to the Pope and Cardinals was this and the other byshops â—rations are like Fathers the care of the Churche belonges to you that they whiche be wise might be cherished by you and they that be vnwise might be corrected that they might be wise but he is not thoughte wise to youre wisedomes that trustes in hys owne wysedome and goes about to trouble the peace of his brether the king Of late there fell a debate in England betwiâ—t the Kynge and the Clergye for a light cause whyche myght haue bene easelye buryed yf a gentyll medicyne had bene ministred but the Byshoppe of Eantorb vsynge hys owne will and not oures was to earnest not consyderinge what harme might come by suche headines And bicause he could not get our consent he wente aboute to cast the faute of his rashnes on oure Lorde the Kynge and the Realme and that he might deface oure brotherlye loue he flees awaye no man compellinge him as it is writen in the Psal. The wicked flees wheÌ„ no man persecutes him The other Byshoppe and Erle folowe with like or more vehement wordes Whan kinge Egfride had maried Etheldrede and shee had rather liue a virgin than do the dutie of a wyfe the kinge desyred Saint Wilfride to counsell his wife to do her duty the Byshoppe woulde not but rather encoraged her diuorced her made her a Nunne and the kinge maried another whiche counsell of Wilfride was plaine contrarye to S. Paule sayinge The woman hais not power of her owne bodye but the manne for she can not depart from her husbande without licens and but for a time God kepe vs from suche holy Byshops Polychro lib. v. ca. xxii declares a knot of these his holye fathers Aldelme firste Priest than abbot and lastly a Byshop whan he â–ª was tempted in the flesh toke a faire wenche into bed with him while he might saye the Psalter and yet wold not mary lib. vii ca. ii Walter Byshop of Ertford was slain by a woman whiche goored him in the coddes with her sheares because he woulde haue rauyshed her Ca. xi Walter Byshoppe of Durram made women to serue him the munks at the table with their hear hanginge downe where fewe scaped their handes ca. xii Giraldus Byshop of Yorke was sais he a lecherous man and a witche O holye fathers I trust who so euer considers these things wel wil iudge the holynes of these good bisshoppes on whom he glories so muche The rest of the Byshoppes whyche he names be such like and bicause he speakes not muche of them I will let theim passe for they be no better and oute of the same worshipful history ye shal read of them because no learned manne hais thought mete to loose his time in commendinge suche They lyued all sins the conquest not v. C. yeare sins all made Saintes and promoted by the Pope and he by theym therefore they must neede maintaine his doinges and he theirs I woulde not haue blotted so muche paper with so muche wickednes nor filled your eares and eyes with such filthines but that he prouoked me to it and cals that good which is euil and light darknes The rest be no better In euery Bishopricke ye shal finde some byshoppes that were ennemies to the Pope and his doinges in that blind age In Lincolne Robert grosshead appealed from the Pope to Iesus Christ and wrote diuers good bookes against manye his doinges Ranolde Pecocke of Chichester was condemned in the xxvi yeare of Henrye vi for this newe learninge and specially for saying that a generall counsell and the church may erre in religion In the late dayes of poperye were burned fiue byshops and fiue bannished let them shewe so many byshops that sufferd within this thousand yeare for their God the Pope and they might haue some shewe of honesty for theÌ„ It is a rare thing to see a byshop die for religion and specially a Papist Seynge they reforme religion so swell as they saye it were mete â–ª as they forsake the religion that their predecessours vsed as masse matins ministracion of sacraments tht they shuld also forsake houses parks lands and reuenewes that their predecessours hadde and go from place to place for gods sake and preach If nothinge els this one sayinge will proue him a dissembinge liynge Hipocrite All the worlde knowes that the greatest faute and readiest that they haue to lay against the Gospel time is that Churche landes and liuinges are taken from spirituall menne and bestowed on other and of this thing he complaines hymselfe in manifest woordes hereafter Therfore it is manifest that he woulde not haue the byshops to giue away their landes seing he complaines of the takynge it awaye but he woulde so faine finde a faute in the newe bysshoppes that rather than he find none he wil shew him self a foole in blaming them wherein they deserue it not and which be thinkes to be no faut in dede Why they forsake their masse and mattins is sufficiently declared afore For their houses parkes and landes why some few that haue any such do not forsake them that be left there is good reason but why other some haue them not that they might forsake theym if they shoulde I feare their popishe predecessours haue prouided to wel for them against reason They keepe house and such lands as they can get because they be not Anabaptistes nor heretyckes thinkynge it not to be lawfull for them so to doe for Goddes good creatures are ordeined to serue Gods good ministers and also because they bee not so supersticious as the obseruants freers which thought themselues so holye that they might not handle money They remember also that Godde commaundes them to kepe hospitalitie to their power bicause by this meanes it may the better be done they do not refuse it althoughe gredilye they doe not desire it The Prince also and commen welth desires a seruice of them whiche they can not so wel performe without these but chefely for the maintenance of learning which is so decayed almost remedilesse and so litle hope to recouer it if these helpes be cleane taken away that extreme blind ignoraunce is like to folow this age Looke into the
after godlye Ezechias reigned wicked Manasses and after Iesus the son of Iosedeâ— folowed not long after Annas and Caiphas and many wicked ones afore them Contrary wise of sinful auncetors came the innocent Lambe of God Christ Iesus and after the traitour Iudas folowed y â— good Apostle Matthias So that both in king doms and Priesthode the good hais folowed the bad the bad the good The Gospell sais that in Moyses cheare the Scribes Pharises sit if after Moyses followed the wicked scribes and Pharises what priuilege haue our bishops or Popes more than Moises that their successoures shoulde continue in purenesse of religyon and not fall awaye as the Pharises didde Are they better than Moyses â—r where is thys their promise writen in Goddes booke â–ª the gloriynge of this succession is lyke the proude bragges of the Iewes for their genealogies and pety gres saiyng we haue Abraham for oure father but our Sauiour Christ saide ye are of the deuill your father and his workes will ye do So it maye be said to these which crake that they haue Thappostles for their fathers that they haue the Pope their father for his works and doctrine they folowe and not Thapostles As Christ our lord therfore proued the Iewes to be of y â— deuil because they filled his desires and therfore not the children of Abraham so it is easye to see whose children these be whan they folowe the Pope and not Thappostles Succession in doctrine makes theym the sonnes of the Prophetes and Apostles and not sittinge in the same seate nor beynge byshop of the same place There is one of his holy byshoppes that he crakes so much of a litle wiser and subtiller than he in wordes althoughe in sense they agres He sais that in euerye see there hais bene a succession but for example he takes Cantor sais in a litle scrolle that he wrote for the autorytye of the churche and sent it priuely to his frendes to comfort and confirme them with that they shoulde sticke fast thus UUe can recken al the byshops there sins S. Austin that was the first and from him goe to Gregorye byshop of Rome who sent Austin hither and from Gregorye vppe to Peter and so proue that all our religion came from Rome by succession and therefore we must heng on Ro. stil. He sais y e like may be done in euery see and whan it is proued I will beleue it But I am content to stand with him in triall of this If Austin was the first as he sais than Cantorb hais not hadde a continuall succession sins Thappostles time It is since Austin liued a vii C lx yere but since Thapostles it is M. D. lx Howe is there than a continuall succession in Cantorb sins Thapostles time if they wanted bishops the space of viii C. yeare The same reason is against other byshoprickes to and there can not bee proued a succession of their byshops in anye one place of thys Realme since Thapostles And for a succession of agrement in one doctryne relygion and other their doinges they can not find it in Rome neyther afore Gregory nor after Clemens in the booke that goes in his name sais that wyues ought to bee comen whych God forbiddes And here of I thinke the Papists are so bold with other mennes wyues and wyll none of their owne Alexander made holy water as they saye to driue awaye diuels and heale diseases as thoughe it were more holye than Christ himself for the deuill temted him and yet runnes away from their coniured water as they wold make fooles to beleue But what papist was euer so mad to forsake the Phisicions helpe in his sicknes and say he was healed by the Popes holye water If that were true phisicions might put vppe their pipes Pope Pius bade kepe Ester in the full mone what daye in the weke so euer it light on and not alwaies to kepe it on the sonday as we do nowe Marcellinus in persecution sacrificed idols Liberius Felix and Anastasius Popes were Arrians and great heretickes deniynge Chryst to be God equall with his father Pope Leo cut of his hande because a woman kissed it and he felt himselfe some thinge tempted Ioan. i. was send to Themperour as Embassadour from the king of Gâ—thes to counsell him to restore the Churches to Tharrians heretickes Sergius Pope set forthe yearely a piece of a crosse whiche he said was Christs to be worshipt and kissed Gregorye iii. graunted licence to marye hys uncles wyfe plaine against the scripture Zachar i. Pope absolued the Frenche men from obeyinge their king deposed him and confirmed Pipine for their kinge and so did Pope Steuen to Leo. iii. alowed the bloude of Christ at Mantua suche a one as was the swete bloude of Halis here Ioan viii a harlot wearing mannes apparell was made Pope and gote with childe and delyuered as she went in procession solemly Nicholas i. was so proude that he said it was not lawful to reproue the Popes iudgementes Syluester ii and Benet ix gaue themselues to the deuill and offered sacrifice to hym that he woulde make theym Popes and promised after their death wholy to be his they entised women to naughtines with them by witch craft Innocent iii. dispensed with the Emperor Otho to mary his Nese plain contrary to Gods worde Ioan. xxiii denied the soules to lyue after this lyfe the Cardinalles finding no faute with him but the Frenche kinge compelled hym to recante Thys is the goodlye succession that he woulde haue vs to folowe of doctrine in Romyshe Popes written by Platina and suche like no Protestauntes these be the successours and fathers whom he woulde haue vs to be lyke vnto God defende all good folke from all suche doinges saiynges beleuynge liuyng louing or folowing Except god dwel and be tied in cheares seates and places he can not dwell in suche wycked men as these Popes be God dwelles not in houses made wyth mans handes nor in the mighty Prelates of the worlde but he dwelles in the pure mindes and consciences of his elect people of what Estate or degree so euer they be Compare the doings preachinges and troublesom life of Peter Thapostle from time to time with the wicked blasphemyes of these Romyshe prelates and with their lordly idlenes and mark in what thing he is lyke to them or they to him They are no more like than an apple and Oister than canne not he bee their Predecessour nor they his successours If they clame to be Iudas successoures I will not sticke with theym In temporall enheritaunce an euyll man maye succede as ryght heire to a good but in matters of pure religion an heretycke or he that dyffers from the trueth can not be a lawful folower in Goddes Church and defender of the same relygion and trueth from which he is fallen and becomen an enemy Therfore
as the succession of good kinges standes not onely in enioyinge the landes goodes possessions and pleasures of the Realme but in the painefull ministrynge of iustyce defendinge hys subiects from straungers maintaining the good and punishinge the euill by holsome and godly lawes so standes the succession of the Church not in miters palaces landes or lordships but in teachinge true doctrine and roting out the contrarye by sharpe discipline to correct thoffendours and godly exhortacion to stirre vp the slouthfull and encourage the good to raise them that be fallen by comfortable promises to strengthen them that stande and bring home them that runne astraye He that does these is the true successour of the Prophetes and Apostles though he liue in wildernes as Elias did Or be tied in cheanes as Peter and Paule He that does not is not their successour in dede but in name onlye though he haue the Popes blessinge cruche and miter landes and palaces halowinges and blessinges or all that the Pope hais deuised for hys Prelates To be a Byshop is to be an officer a ruler a guide a teacher of Gods flocke in Gods Church and to be a true successour in a Bishopricke is to succede in like paines care and diligent regarde of Gods people Is he an officer that does not his office nay surelye but onelye in name for he is a thefe in his office and an vsurrer that takes the profet and not the paine An office standes properlye in doynge the duty of it and not in talkinge of it settinge in deputies bearinge a shewe bragge and face of a Byshop Whan they can bring Thapostles doctrine or life for example to be like their life and teachinge they maye say they folowe Thapostles but because they seeke to be Lordes ouer the flocke contrary to Peters doctrine and be enemies to the Gospell and murtherers of the professours of it they be traitours to their lorde God What does Tertul. make for his pourpose If he walk not in his fathers steppes sais he he is a bastard Content who be the fathers surely Thapostles for in his time the Pope had no such autority nor ther were any such horned cattell of the Popes made Bishoppes Proue than that the Pope walkes in Thapostles steps and we will reuerence him Surelye he is like no Apostle except Iudas these Popish Prelates so as the father is suche is the sonne Iudas solde and betrayed his maister for xxx pieces of syluâ—r and our Papistes sel their purgatory for xxx grotes the price of a trental Or â—ls for their pleasure I will graunt theym some thing The Pope maye be like to Peter in suche case as christ our lord said to him go after me Satan for thou vnderstandes not the thynges of god Peter was ambitious and therfore our Lorde cald him deuill and bade him go backe so the Pope desiringe to be aboue all folowes the deuill his father and therefore we maye iustlye saye to them with Christ â–ª come after me thou deuill But I put case a manne shoulde graunt that the fathers which Tertul. speakes of be the popes in dede of Ro. what thaÌ„ what makes it for this mans purpose Tertul. liued within C. lxxvii yeres after christs death why thaÌ„ proue that any of these popes and their trashe whiche he esteames so highlye to be of that autoritie and auncientye that he woulde and than lette him beginne to crake some thing He is not able to do it XXX of the first popes which liued almost iii. C. yeres after Christ were persecuted sufferd death for their religion liued in caues and had none of the rialtie of the worlde but were subiectes to princes accordinge to their dutye than these latter proude popes that woulde rule bothe God and the world by Tertullians saying be bastardes and folow not their auncient fathers the first popes And thus he hais brought a good reason agaynst hym selfe Does Cyprian make anye more for his purpose Marke his woordes and iudge They that be made Byshoppes sayes he oute the order of the Churche and not by tradicion of Thappostles by succession are not Bishops but theues c. I am content to be iudged by these wordes I proued afore by Paule and Timothe by Dyonise c. that the order by whiche oure Byshops and Priestes are made nowe is more agreeing to the order of the churche in Ciprians time and tradition of Thapostles than that misorder wherby the Popish prelates order their clergy Let theÌ„ proue by good writers that their oiling shauing vowing sacrificinge apparel c. was vsed in the Churche in Cyprians time and I submitte my selfe Ciprian was liuinge more than ii C. l. yeare after Christ in whiche time was no suche proud Pope nor Popishe order vsed in the Churche as he requires of vs but onelye suche a simplicitye as I spake of afore Thus like a tolyshe boye he hais gotten a rod to beat him selfe withall God send him more wit Where the sayde Preacher does affyrme greater matters than the burnyng of Paules to haue chaunced in the time of supersticion and ignoraunce as the church of Paules was brent in the first yeare of Steuen and the steple of Paules sette on fyre by lighthing in the tyme of kynge Henrye the vi they that count that to be the time of superstycyon and ignoraunce whan god was serued deuoutly nyght day the people lyued in the feare of god euery one in his own vocation wythout reasonynge and contention of matters of relygion but referred all suche thynges to learned menne in generall counsels and vnyuersyties there to be disputed than was the commaundementes of god and vertue expressed in lyuyng now all is in talke and nothyng in liuing than was prayer now is praytyng than was vertue now is vice than was bildyng vp of Churches houses of religion Hospitals where prayer was had night and daye hospitalitye kept and the poore releued now is pullyng downe and destroyinge such houses where god shoulde be serued hospitality kept and the poore releued By meanes wherof gods glory is destroyed and the commen wealth impoueryshed than was plenty of all thinges nowe is scarcenes Therefore Operibus credite If I shoulde fall into a comparison of the plagues in the time of popecye and the Gospell although both were great yet in supersticious times were the greater Many did not beleue that these other brennynges of Paules were true which the Byshoppe declared whan he spake it openlye there but it was eyther for ignoraunce or malice or both for all these were true as appeares in recordes many mo In the yere of our lorde M. lxxxvii and the vii day of Iuly the Church of Paules and all that was in it with a great part of the City were burned Maurice than beinge byshop of London and the. xxi yeare of Willyam Conquerour In the yeare M. C. xxxii the moste parte of the Citye of London was burned by the fire of Gilbert Beket and in
vii deacons whē they put away the ceremonies of the old lawe Such decrees as the Apostles and clergye made at Ierusal without anye counsell of the laitie Saint Paule and other of the Apostles taught all Countries and Nations to obey and obserue and sith the Apostles time the clergye hais euer decreed matters of religion and fayth Nor it can not be proued that euer the laite in anye countrie or Nation afore the last parliament did presume to set forth a religion against the whole consent of the clergye Therefore this manner of ministration of sacramentes nowe vsed beinge against the consent and determinacyon of Christes Church which ought to be ruled and gouerned by Byshops it must nedes be schismaticall and they that vse this maner of ministration muste nedes be in schisme The blessed martir Saint Ciprian does declare what daunger they doe stand in that do vse this maner of ministration against the order of christes churche sayinge these wordes They be ennemies of the altar and rebelles against the sacrifice of christ contemninge the Bishoppes and forsakinge the Priestes of God they are bolde to sette vp an other Alter with vnlawfull voyces to make an other maner of prayer to prophane with false sacrifices the veritie of the blessed sacrament of the Alter nor they wyll not knowe theym that fare about to doe againste the ordinance of God For their bold rashnes by the punishment of god they shalbe punyshed as he punished Chore Dathan and Abiron which woulde offer vp Sacrifice againste the consente of Moyses and Aaron some were swalowed vp of the earth and the rest brent with fire to the terrible example of all others Hitherto be Saint Cyprians wordes Also almightye God by his holye Prophete Malachi does crye oute vpon suche Priestes as minister against the ordinaunce of Christes churche sayinge they dispise his name in offeringe vp poluted bread The Prophet Osee does call the sacrifyce of suche Priestes breade of mourninge and all that eate thereof shalbe defiled sayes the Prophet Almightye God does complaine by his Prophet Ezechiel sayinge the Priestes haue condemned my lawe and haue polluted my Sanctuarye woe bee vnto you that goo◠from the truth sayes our lorde by Esai Our lord sayes by his Prophete except suche Priestes will amende quicklye and geue glorye to his name they shall be brought into great necessitye and pouerty and he wyll curse their blessinges and bicause they haue made voyde the pact of Leui they shall be in contempt in all people The. v. aunswere UUhat if this order of ministringe and commen prayer was not agreed on by the vniuersall churche in generall councell Is it not good therefore Than is neyther their latin Portuis nor Missall and masse booke good for the generall churche neuer alowed them as I declared afore It is free for all countries to differ in outwarde order of prayer and ceremonies so that they agree in substaunce of doctrine with the scripture But the laite he sais hais nothinge ado with spirituall matters and religion and alledges Thactes of Apostles how wil he proue that none of the elders there were of the laite nor none of the multitude in the choisinge of the Deacons vnto it be wel proued it maye well be doubted on As in other things so in this he shewes him self how learned he is whan the lawe of God was neglect in the dayes of Saul Dauid commyng to be king and moued with loue of religion cals all the nobility and worshippe of the Realme together thirty thousande and also the leuites and Priestes to knowe their mindes whither they woulde bringe home the arke of God and restore the religion decaied or no and they aunswered al yea what a great parliament was this and full of the laite to determine for receyuynge of religion Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosias good kinges sent their visiters abroade throughe the Realme ioyninge in commission from the king noble menne of the laite to go in visitacion with the Leuites Legenda sanctorū telles howe king Dswi cald a synode at Whithy for takinge awaye that diuersitye of kepinge Easter which was here in the Realme whan some kepte it in the ful mone what daye of the weke so euer it fell on other onely on the sonday folowinge Wherein appeares thautoritye that the king iustly clames to him selfe in religion euen in that blinde age whan he cals the learned men together to dispute on it heares what they can saye and concludes so the matter himselfe that all other didde folowe his sentence Ioan Gerson and Panormitanus as I alleged afore no new protestantes but auncient catholicks and both being present in the last counsels at Constance and Basil said they woulde rather beleue a pore simple learned lay man that bringes and alleges the holy scripture than all the whole counsell hauinge no scripture for theym Gods trueth is not bound to miters Byshops and Priestes alone but lay menne may haue and oft haue better the true vnderstandinge of it than those that looke highest in the clergye and therfore they are to be beleued and hearde aswell as the Priestes Did not king Dauid no Priest set in order the leuites howe they shoulde resort in course to serue in y e tabernacle made the Psalmes appointed theym howe where and whan they shoulde be songe Ezechias and Iosias pulled downe the brasen serpent and other Images Did not Prescilia and Aquila teache Apollo the misteries of the scripture By these I trust it appeares that lay menne may doe some thing in religion If these may not serue looke the statutes of Queene Marie how she takes away one religion and bringes in an other and there is no more done now howe blynde be they in their owne causes and partiall to them selfes But it was neuer hard of he sais that the laite in any countrie presumed to set forth a religion agaynste the hole consent of the clergye afore the last parliament O proude bragge was all the clergy of the realme conteyned in a few horned popyshe Byshoppes Was there no Clergye in the vniuersitie nor other partes of the Realme beside those fewe Byshops did not manye in the vniuersitye and abrode in the Realme vse thys seruyce openlye and commenly in their churches afore it was receyued or enacted by parliament Bicause the rulers the Scribes and all the Priestes Act. iiii ▪ forbade Thappostles in their Parliament and counsel that they shoulde not preache Christ anye more were not the Apostles therfore of the clergye or was not their doctrine good because it was condēned in that wicked counsell Was there not a disputacion for religion appointed by the Quenes maiestie wherein youre Clergye was afraide to vtter their foolyshnes in defendinge their supersticion least they hadde taken more shame in aunsweringe than they did in holdinge their peace whiche well they coulde not I thinke the vniuersities with so manye places of the Realme recayuing
whiche is alreadye graunted him we confesse that no man ought to say masse at al much lesse they that say the communion should become masse mungers his autorities are fondlye brought to proue his pourpose and maye be turned against himselfe all for there is no sort of men that vse double dissemblynge so much as the Popes do other thinges that I proued afore I wil not repeat againe nowe but I wishe or god that as Dauid would not suffer his men that were shauen so to come in his sig ht so al christiaÌ„ princes wold banysh the Popes shauelinges for so the reason holdes in like of both The time for trial of gods people we do not greatly mislike onely this greues vs that so manye wythstande the manifest trueth whiche their conscience acknowledges to bee true and yet for feare of a chaunge or flattery of the worlde they be colde and will not or bare not openlye professe it and also that another sort of turnetipetâ—es for lacke of disciplyne occupie the place of pastours seruinge rather to fill their bely than for loue conscience or dutie where good order would that eyther such should be displaced or elles do great and worthye open penaunce solemnely afore they ministred the alledginge of these sundrye autorityes are vntrue and foolyshe Whether it is lawfull for the laite to receyue the communion as is now vsed IN receyuinge the Communion as now vled you break your profession made in baptisme and fall into schisme seperating youre selues from god and hys Church refusinge the Byshoppes youre true pastours so entringe into the malignaunt church of Sathan S. Paul dyes commaunde vs to obey the Byshoppes for they watche as to geue an accompt for oure soulde The Byshoppes be in prison readye to suffer death afore they willeyther minister or reseyue the communion like true pastours they put them selues walled and a sure defence for the people The catholicke church which we professed at our baptisme to beleue obey teacheth vs to receiue Christes bodye consecrato at inasse with prayers inuocations and benediction with the signe of the holy crosse and not bare bread and wine without consecration and benediction as is vsed in thys Communion beinge against the decrees and ordinaunce of Christes catholycke church Almightye God does commaunde vs to seperate our selues from such as take in hand a ministration of sa craments against the ordinance of Christs churche that ye touch nothing pertaining to them lest ye be lapped in their sin The Prophete O see boes say that al that receiue that bread of mourninge ouer the whiche wordes of blasphemye be spoken at the table shalbe defiled Therfore S. Ciprian says foramuch as we can exhort you by our letters that you come not to the cursed Communion with Priestes that be maculat for they be not worthye death that doe euill but all that consent to the doinge of ouill Nor let not the people perswade with theym selues that they can be free wythout spot of sinne communicating wyth a Priest in sinne No man can be well excused by ignoraunce be he neue so grosse of witte he maye perceyue it is not that whiche we haue professed to beleue but against it and if it were for a world lye gaine euery one woulde learne a longe matter and kepe it in memory The. x. aunswere IN receyuyng the communion now vsed the laite kepe their profession made in bapt where they promised like good shepe to beleue the Catholick Church which heares the voyce of their shepeherd only flees from straungers the Popishe churche and prelates haue deuised a facion of the Communion con trarye to Christes and his Apostles doinges and therefore they be worthelye abhorred Ye lie in sayinge that the catholicke Church teaches to receiue christes bodye consecrate at masse with the signe of the holy crosse or that we geue nothing but bare bread and wine now Proue where the Churche teaches so I proued afore howe many diuerse sortes of ministringe there was of olde tyme and all good therefore this youre one onelye popishe waye is not decreed by the vniuersall Churche nor neuer was generally receyued throughout all the worlde With what face can they saye we haue no consecration and geue nothinge but bare bread and wine If they haue any in their masse if the Euangelistes haue anye consecration or paul or if Thappostles we haue it also For if consecration stande in wordes we haue all the words that their masse the Gospell Saint Paul or Thapostles hadde Read Matth. Mark Luk. and the. xi to the Corinth what is written of the lordes supper and see whether oure Communion wante anye one worde that is in anye of them Than if we haue al as we haue in dede why is there no consecration with vs. Gregory sayes Thapostles consecrated only with the lordes prayer and that we vse as wel as they Ioan Duns sayes the wordes of consecratinge the bread be these This is my bodye and those wordes we haue to Further he sais Neyther Christ nor the Church hais defined which be the wordes of consecrating the cuppe and therfore he will not determine them What are we now worse than their owne doctours and why do ye lie in sayinge the Church hais defined it Duns knewe it not in his time nor the Church where is one so madde except Priestes to saye that consecration standes in crossinge or that Benedicete is to make a crosse proue it if ye can or els hold youre tong for shame Deceiue not the people Al ye workes of the lorde prayse ye the lord sais the psal Is blessing there to make a crosse or in anye other place ye canne finde I haue sene and heard many foolysh vnlearned papistes but a more asse than this I haue not he sais the people which communicate with a Priest that is in sin cannot be free from sin If the Priest be a drunkarde art thou a dronkard to in communicatynge with him if he be a hore hunter art thou one to I trust ye can iudge how false and foolish this is Saint Paule says he that eates and drinkes vnworthely eates drinkes his own damnation he sais not thy damnation or anye other mans but his owne Chrysost notes wel that he says sibijpsi non tibi He eates it and drinkes it damnation to himselfe and not to thee God forbid y e euilnes of the priest should defile theym that receiue with him for what Priest is so cleane that he hais no sinne in him If the sinne of the Priest shoulde defile the receiuer who woulde euer receyue at any priestes handes seynge all be sinners it is a generall rule and true in their owne bookes The vnworthines of the Priest hurtes not the goodnes of the sacrament God forbid that the euilnes of manne shoulde hurt or defile Gods holy ordinaunce or that the wickednes of the Priests shuld be imputed to them that receiue the sacrament at their hand
The father shal not beare the sinne of the sonne nor the sonne of the father but the soule that sinnes shall die it selfe as the Prophet sais Muche lesse shall the sinne of the Priest condemne the people but euerye one shall aunswere for himselfe Whether the people compelled wyth fear for losse of worldlye goods or temporall punishement maye receyue the Communion as breade and wine not consentinge to it in the hart SAint Paule sais it is requisite to oure saluation with oure mouthes to confesse the trueth also our Sauiour Christ sais â–ª he that denies hym afore men he will denye him afore his father in heauen And to kneie downe to receyue that cursed and polluted bread ye commit Idolatrye nor it is not lawfull to dissemble herein as we haue example Eleazarus whiche rather than he woulde dissemble to eate swynes fleshe forbidden by the law he was content to suffer a verye cruell death Also it is read in tripartita historia of a good woman one Olimpyas that rather then she would receiue the communion was content to haue her pappes writhen of or anie other punishment sayinge lay vpon me more punishment for it is not lawefull for me to do that which the good Priestes refuse to do Euen so at this time the Byshops and good priests refuse to medle wyth the Communion therfore it is euident it is not lawfull for anye of the laite to receyue it for any cause Also when Constantius the Emperour persecuted the church of god such as woulde not receyue the communion wyth the Aarians the byshoppe Macidonius put theim in prison and caused the communion to be brought vnto theym in prison and opened their mouthes wyth stickes and hote yrons Yet for no punishment the good catholick people would in any wise receyue with y â— Arrians much lesse ought we to receiue y â— comunion now vsed for any punishment For if we receyue it against our conscience we be traitours to god dissemblers with the Queene as Ustazadis did saye to the kinge of Persis lamenting that he did liue for he confessed after the Archbishoppe Symeon had rebuked him that he was worthy to haue a double death for he was a traytour to God in forsaking his profession in religion a dissembler with the kinge for to please the kinge and to auoide punishment he had done against his consciens but vtterlye he did protest that he woulde neuer dissemble againe offeringe his whole bodye to make a mendes and in conclusion had his heade stricken of woulde to God all that by dissimulation be traitours aud dissemblers with the Queene against their conscience woulde folowe the example of Ustazadis in earnest repentaunce Oure sauiour commaundes vs not to feare theym that can but onelye kill the bodye but feare him that can kill the body and after cast the soule into the fire of hell How shoulde the people do that can not haue the sacrament ministred to theym accordinge to the ordinaunce of Chrystes Church IN no wise they ought to receiue the Communion but to commend their mindes and good willes to God with deuout prayer firmely continuinge in that faith that they were christened in whych syth the Apostles time hais euer bene taught by blessed fathers in Christes catholick churche And so being in will to receiue y e blessed sacrament if he were in place where it is ministred according to the ordinance of christes church God wil accept your will good intent as if you did receiue it corporally And by that wil and intent ye be partakers of the sacramentes prayers of the vniuersall church of Christ in all christian countries and nations as well as if you were present bodilye But if you receyue this Communion ye seperate and deuide your selues from the sacramentes and prayers of all the vniuersall church of christ and so wander in the way of perdicion The aunswere to the .xi. and xii To receyue the Communion dissemblingly we graunt to be damnable as well as he and therfore we exhorte all men with an earnest faith and pure loue sorowfull repentance and ful purpose of a new life to resort vnto the lordes table deuoutly without all hipocritall dissimulation God will confounde such blasphemers as open their filthy mouthes to rail against his holy sacraments as this wicked Morian does here callynge it cursed breade Eleazarus did well in obeyinge Goddes lawe and Papistes be Goddes enemies in their doinges contrarye to Goddes lawe The Arrians were heretickes and ennemies to the trueth deniynge Christ our lorde to be God equall wyth his father and saying he was but a weake simple ruanne as we be So the Papistes be sayinge christes death is not a sufficient sacrifice for the whole worlde except their sacrifice be ioyned to They do both erre in the chefe article of our faith and saluation and surelye to communicate with such is to deny our faith and saluation therfore Olympias and other well abhorred them He that hais not a right faith of Iesus Christe that instituted the Sacrament he can not haue the true vse of the Sacramentes whiche Christ ordeyned It is well that he wyshes all dyssemblynge Papistes whiche haue tourned with euerye worlde to repent as Ustazadis did God graunt that they may If they will not if their rewarde were like his they had no wronge And thus as all dissemblinge Papistes receiuinge the communion against their consciences are worthely condemned so surelye are al dissemblinge protesrauntes resortinge to masse sor feare of worldlye losses God graunt vs all vprightlye to walke not feaning a conscience to oure selues of mannes deuise but folowinge the rule of scripture without haltinge what so euer the worlde saye of vs. If this Counsell that he geues for not receiuing the communion now vsed were turned and applied against their masse it were wel and truly applied We were neuer christened in anye faythe of the masse but in the name of the father and the sonne and the holye ghoste who in the holy scriptures condemne al sacrificing massers and surely to communicat with massemungers is to forsake gods institution and folowe the Pope to forsake Christ the head of his churche and ioyne himselfe to papistes and become a member of his synagoge robbinge Christ of his glorye and prefarringe mannes dreames and doctrine deuised of late yeares by Popes as was proued afore afore the infallyble trueth of the Gospell which Iesus Christ himselfe brought from heauen preached it and commaunded vs all diligentlye to folowe it To be partaker of prayers made in other Countryes is true that we maye and to be wished of God that it were diligentlye vsed but vnto he haue proued that we bee partakers of sacramentes wise men will not beleue it No man is christned one for another nor receyues the Communion one for another This doctrine comes from the Pope and fedde his chaplains fat whan they taught that it was sufficient to come and see the Pristes