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 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
liuings liue more welthily and at ease than euer they didde afore or the Protestantes doe in their liberty nowe Marke howe like them selues they be and agreing with themselues As long as kinge Henry liued and all the time of blessed kinge Edwarde they taught they preached they subscribed they sware and beleued all thys that they now deny As oft as they had anye liuinge in anye College of the vniuersities as oft as they tooke degree in the scholes as oft as they tooke any benefice and whan they were made Priests or Byshoppes so ofte they sweare and forsweare all that nowe they denye Periurye in other menne is punished with bearinge papers losse of their eares and other worldlye shame but these menne abusinge the gentilnes of the Prince beyng thus oft forsworne are counted holye in the worlde The Papistes in their religyous monsters haue â—o kind of munkes Freers Chanons Nunnes differing in their coates than anye people haue some be white some blacke some graye differinge in their shoes some hauinge whole some halfe some nothinge but sooles vnder the foote differinge in shauinge their heades some more some lesse differing in meates some eatinge fish only some flesh and fishe at their dayes and times appointed differinge in places for some neuer go abroade but are kept stil with in the compasse of the house some walk abroode at their pleasure and some locked vp in stone walles diffring in their seruice for euery order had his diuerse order of masse and Mattins in manye pointes differinge in their Saintes or rather their Goddes whose names they beare whom they worshippe and stryuinge which of them shoulde be the holiest Some holde of Francis some of Benet some of Dominic some of Brigitte and others of other as they lust to deuise In their schole menne is founde more diuersity of opinions than among any sort of Philosophers Some hold of Thomas some of Dominus some of Albertus some of other as they like for there be so manye that almost they can not be reckened Which thinges being all considered and knowen of all men to be true except they be wilfully blind howe can they saye that they agree in one vnitye of the trueth Pilate and Herode agreed to crucifie christ so these in mischeues agree to set vp supersticion but in their priuate opinions none are more contrary and diuers In their pilgrimages pardons reliques fastinges what diuersities and striuing whiche shoulde be the greatest Amonge so manye Ladies and Roodes what striuinge in euery countrye which shoulde be the holiest and worke most miracles Amonge pardons Boston beare the name and yet other would compare among reliques the bloud of Hales passed other vnto their iugling was knowen Fastinges were mo than I know Some vsed Saint Rinians some oure ladies some the golden Fridayes some euerye Wednesdaye some halfe Lent some whole some with fishe only other as they luste What reason is it that they whyche fasted oure Ladyes faste some fastinge to bread water ended it in iii. yeares space other in eatynge fishe had vii and why shoulde they folowe the Ladye daye in lent more than other Ladie dayes and why yearelye doe they chaunge theyr daye c. Whan these and such other their doinges are proued to agree in one and good reason shewed for their doynges they maye better charge other menne wyth disagreinge but they maye thynke it shame to burthen other wyth that wherein they be most gilty themselues There is none more disobedient then the newe Byshops and Preachers now a dayes whyche disoveye the vniuersall church of Christ the whych Church who so euer wyll not obey oure sauyour in the Gospell commaundes vs to take theym as infydelles As where the vniuersall Churche of Chryst commaundes Masse and senen Sacramentes as necessary for our saluacion they call it abhomination with their blasphemous mouthes Where the â–ª Churche commaundes to faste they commaund to eat Where the Church coÌ„maunds coutynual prayer of the Clergy they cal it superslicyon blynd ignorance where the Church commaundes the clergie to liue in chastitye they commaunde and exhort the Clergy to mariage where the Churche and all lawes ciuyll and canon yea the lawes of the Realme do prohibit maryage of Pryestes they alowe maryage of Pryestes â—beyinge no lawe but folowe their owne carnall lustes Yea where the Queene hays geuen strayte commaundement to abstayne from fleshe in Lent and other dayes commaunded by the Churchâ— the newe Preachers and Protestants haue eaten flesh openly to the great sclaunder of other O God howe manye lyes in so fewe lynes The vnyuersall Churche of Chryste agrees in the necessarye Artycles of oure Saluation but in certayne outwarde orders and Ceremonies euerye Countrie differs from other wythout anye dyshonoure to Godde I declared afore how we agree with the vniuersall churche and confesse the necessarye Christian articles of our fayth religion saluation better than they also I touched some diuersities of out warde orders in the Churche whereof many or all were tollerable and nowe by occasion of these matters mynistred by him I shall touche some moe He layes to our charge that we disobey the vniuersall churche if he meane in those thinges which afterwarde folow I am content to trie with him Where vnder y â— name of masse he vnderstands the Romish latin masse it appeares afore how many sundry good sortes of ministring the Lordes supper be in other countries at this day and haue bene of olde time Therefore he makes a loude lie in sayinge or thinking that who so euer disagrees from their Popish masse disobeies the vniuersal Church for the most part of Christendome neyther does at this daye nor at any time hais vsed it In the substaunce and doctrine of the holye Communion we agree with the scripture and the catholicke Church though we differ in some peice of the outwarde order of it from other countries but we prosesse an open disagreeinge from the Romish sinagoge both in the order and substaunce thereof The Churche of God accordinge to the scriptures does professe and beleue that all faythfull Christians worthely coming to the lordes table receiue by faith in those holy misteries the body and bloude of Christ whiche was giuen broken and shed for the sinnes of the whole world this we teache beleue and folow aud exhort all men often to prepare them selues worthelie thus to receiue The Popish Synagoge contrary to Saint Paule teach practise beleue and persecute with fire and fagot all gainsayers that in the sacrifice of their bread and wine the creatures be chaÌ„ged from their natural substaunce and are made a God to be worshipt whan they lifte it ouer their heades hange it in a corde ouer the Altar or carye it aboute the fieldes and if the people will bie trentals or masses of it at their handes they can swepe purgatory cleane and make soules flie to heauen as thicke as duste These haue no ground woorke on Goddes
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
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
crossinges blessinges blowinges knockinges knelinges bowinges liftinges sighinges houstinges tournynges and halfe turninges mockinges mowings slepynges and apyshe playinges softe whisperyngs and loud speakinges haue we to consecrate our owne deuises with all or it can be getten done Morcouer if Saint Iames should haue vsed our latin canon and priuitye of the Masse as they terme it in hys consecration or any such like he shoulde haue prayed to hym selfe and worshipped himselfe beynge alyue whyche were a greate absurdite to graunt For the latin canon and preuity of the Masse is full of praying to Saintes and names them particularly amoÌ„g whom Saint Iames is one himselfe Than Sainct Iames vsynge the Latiâ— Masse as they say he did he shoulde hauâ— prayed to himselfe and worshipped him selfe beinge aliue which I thinke whan they aduise themselues better they will not graunt to be true nor meete to be done and wyth suche wicked foolyshnes I trust they wyll not burden Saint Iames withal Furthermore it skils much what language Saint Iames vsed for our holy Byshops think it not mete that their holy relyques shoulde be vttered in our Englyshe tunge Saint Paule sais be had rather speake fiue wordes that he vnderstandes and to teache other than tenne thousande in a straunge tongue oure Prelates saye nay None will prepare himselfe to warre eâ—cept he vnderstand what the trumpet blowes no more can any learne his duty to God if he vnderstand not the thinge that is taught and the language Oure Prelates sayes that blinde ignoraunce is the mother of deuocion but Christ sayes ye erre because ye know not the Scripture Than ignoraunce is the cause of errour By like God eyther vnderstandes not Englyshe or els he is partiall and loues not oure Englyshe tounge so well as the latin and yet to speake or vnderstande dyuers languages is the gifte of the bolye ghost Surelye if the holye ghost geue the grace to speake and vnderstande dyuers languages God can not bate them that vse anye of theim nor disalowe the giftes of the holy ghost in any man We rede for they be tourned into latin and printed that other Countries haue vsed of olde tinie and yet do at this day their owne language in ministring the lordes supper Why than may not England do the same What faute haue we made more than other Chrisostomes order of the Communion Basils and that which beares the name of Saint Iames were written in the Greke whiche the people vnderstoode and aunswered in the same language The Sirians Athiopians Armenians Moscouites and the dominion of Prestor Ioan doe at this day and euer did vse their owne language whan they ministred and out of them are turned latin that easily it may be sene how we differ The good Christian Emperor Iustinian commaundes plainelye in hys ciuill lawes Nouell constitut 124. and. 126. that all thynges shoulde bee done in the Churches in those languages whyche were knowen in the Countries and also that the wordes of baptisme and the lordes supper shoulde bee spoken in a loude voyce that thereby the deuotion of the hearers might be stirred vp which al althoughe they were written a thousande yeares sins our holy Papistes deny and saye it was neuer done nor ought to be done nor that Princes haue anye suche autoritye to commaunde or medell in Pope Pius the seconde beares witnesse that the Sclauons whan they made sute to minister in their owne tunge and the Pope made curtsie to graunt it a voyce was hearde from heauen that euery spirite and language shoulde prayse God and so it was graunted them to vse their owne language The Popyshe kinde of mariage althoughe the rest was latin yet the best part was English I N. take thee N. to my wedded wife c. I N. take thee N. to my wedded husbaÌ„d c. If this was well why not the rest also Yf in making promises we vse that language whiche we vnderstand why shoulde we not do it to vnderstand what God commaundes vs Is a promise to man more to be considered than that which is made to God Yf these thinges shoulde be denied they be in Print that euerye man may reade and therefore I wil not stand longe in rehearsinge of theym Are these tongues more holye than oures that the holye misteryes maye bee vsed in theym and not in oures I leaue oute the Boemians and Waldenses which haue â—sed to communicate in their owne language many though not al these C C C yeres The Germans the Italians and the French I passe ouer because it is not olde But these Countries they wil say are in the East parte of the worlde and partes of the Greke Churche whiche neuer was subiecte to their holye father the Pope and in these thinges they doe erre but the west Church worshippinge the Pope would neuer suffer anye suche thing In thus sayinge they proue the Pope to be worse than the Turke Presster Ioan the Sophi or anye Heathen Prince that will not suffer Gods people to worship their God in their owne language as they doe It is great maruaile to me why oure holye Prelates will not haue the people to praye in Englishe seing the common rude sort and altogether vnlearned in all the farre Northe partes of the Realme euen the borders haue euer vsed the lordes prayer the articles of our faith and tenne commaundementes and yet do in Englysh meter differing nothing from the true sense of the scripture They neuer learned them in latin and can not nor wil not learne that they vnderstand not Surelye Gods wisedome in their rude simplicitye does confound these proude Prelates wicked Poperye Yet is there remaining one of y e foulest lyes that is commenlye red or writen in the Popes testament the decrees wheron they bylde their faith whiche if thys proctour and all his partakers can proue to be true I will saye with theym It is writen de consecra distincto i. ca. Iacobus that Saint Iames y â— brother of our lord Bysshop of Ierusalem and Eusebius Bysshop of Cesaria made their masse If this haue any likenes of a truth in it let the world iudge Saint Iames was Bysshop of Ierusalem and there liued continually not wandringe into other countryes as other Apostles didde but there suffered martirdome beynge throwne downe from the pynacle of the Temple where a Fuller smote oute his braines with a clubbe In Ierusalem then their naturall speache was Hebrewe and the prayers that they vsed in the Temple were onelye the Scriptures and in the Hebrew tounge as the Iewes do to this day in their Synagoges wherein they proue themselues better than y â— Papists which in their Churches haue few praiers of the Scripture but manye foolishe ones deuised of their own braine and in a language that the people vnderstande not Therefore whan they haue proued that the Latin toung was vsed in Ierusalem or that Sainct Iames prayed in Latin although I doubt not but he had the gift
to time As I noted afore they deryue al their religion from Ro. to make men beleue that place whiche is a sinke of all sinne and esteamed of none but theym that knowes it not to be the fountaine of all godlynesse But as I declared afore that they forsake all the auncient goodnes in Rome so shall I by thys Popes doinges to lette the worlde see if they will that in mainetaynynge the Pope in wordes by outward apperance they vtterly denye him in their dedes they onely pike out of the filthiest of theym that which may maintaine their supersticion pride and tyrannye That the Saxons inuaded and obteyned thys Realme for the sinnes of the countrye it is to plain but whether Austin planted true religion the Doctors may dout and his dedes will proue It were to longe to write all that Galfridus Britanicus in his historie wrote about the yeare of our lord M. C. L. in the latter ende of his viii booke ca. iiii Howe the holye learned Byshops withstoode the teachinge of Austin at his coming into the Realme and the Popes autoritye that send him but these few woordes of his are sufficient to declare their mind In the meane while was Austin sende of Gregorye he sais into Britayne to preache the word of God to Thenglysh menne which almost had driuen out all christian religion of that part of the I le where they dwelt in Kent but amonge some of the Britains the faith of christ did yet florish and there were vii Bysshoppes and an Archbyshop and many holy Prelates and Abbayes remaining whiche taught their flocke the right order At Bangor in one churche were MM. C. munkes whiche gets their lyninge wyth their handes their Abbot was called Dineth Whan Austin required of the Byshops subiection Dinoth proued by diuers argumentes that they ought him none Than Edelbert King of Kent perceiuing that the Brittans disdained to submit them selues to Austin he sturred vp the other Saxons kings to fight against Dinoth and hys clarkes They gathered a great armye and came to Westchester where Bremael was Maior The munkes and Heremites met him there to praye for the safegarde of their people Eldefridus king of Northumberlande faught with Bremael and slewe M. CC. Munkes and had manye of his owne men slaine Than the Dukes of Britaine hearing of his cruelty Blederic Duke of Cornwal Margaduâ— Duke of Southwales Caduane Duke of Northwales came and fought with him and slewe tenne thousande of his men and about lrvi. mo and Blederic that was the graund captaine was slaine there Thus farre sais he First marke here that the chrisstened Britains wold not submit them selues to Austin the Popes Legate as they that had fallen from religion did Secondly that so many Munkes lyued not idle but wrought for their lyuinge Thirdly note the olde practyse of Papistes to shede bloud cruelly if their superiorityâ— be denied theim Polychronicon lib. v. cap. ix and Fabian ca. Cxix write all this same in effect and also further that Austin called a counsell for stablishing his religion and whan the Bysshoppes asked Dinoth whether they should go to it or no he said they should go and obey him if he behaued himselfe lowly like a disciple of Christ. His lowlines they should trie if he woulde rise and reuerence them whan they come in to the counsell But whan Austin gaue no reuerence to them at their cominge they were angrye and wente their wayes Amonge other thinges marke also the pride of the Ro. Legates that would not as much as make any kynde of curtesy to so many byshops cominge to the counsel Gildas which writing lamentes this miserable destruction of Britaine by bringinge in the Sarons and complaines as muche of the decay and neglectinge of religion as of wicked liuinge in al sortes of menne from the highest to the lowest to be the cause of this plage of God and ouerthrow of the Realme He sharplye rebukes the Kinges but Priestes and Byshoppes rather more than anye other sorte of menne so that it seames to be a double plage both in bringinge straungers to rule and straunge religion to blinde vs wythall And because they crake so much of y â— religion that Austin brought in ye shall see what he vsed There be â— xi questions written in the latter ende of Gregories woorkes in latin whyche Austin beinge in England desired Gregory Pope of Rome to wryte hym his minde and opinion in them The. iii. question is this whiche Polichronicon also touches Lib. v. Ca. ix Why seyng there is but one faith there be diuerse customs of Masses in the Churches and one custome is in Fraunce and another in Rome To this Gregory aunsweres that Austin shoulde pike out of the Romyshe Church or the French Church or any other the best vse them in Englande Marke here I pray you the beginninge and auncienty of their masse here in Englande and the patâ—â—inge it together and beggerly piking it out of al countries also that the pope did not condemne those diuers kindes of masses as our butchers haue and burned them that gain said it and than aske my maisters that so shamefullye lie and proudâ—ye crake their masse to be M. D. yeare olde whither these sainges be truely alledged or no. But beleeue neyther mee nor theym looke youre booke of Gregory and iudge youre selfe who lies Fabian also writes cap. C. xix and Cxxx that this Austin christned the people in the riuer called Swale in Swaldale not far from yorke and that Paulinus in steede of fontes at the same time who was one of those whom Gregorye sente from Ro. hither to preache here baptised manye also both in the same riuer and in another cald Gweni in Gwensedale in yorke shire to was it lawfull than to christen without halowinge of fontes yea withoute fontes wythout crossinge blowinge censinge saltinge spittinge oyle and chreame â— and nowe is not who hais made it vnlawfull sins Are we heretikes in doing it withoute coniured water as Austin did whom they so much commend Nay we doe it not nor wishe it to be done in the Riuer as they did but in the Churche Are they worthy to be called Papistes and glorie so much in it which will not folow the Popes legate nor alow his doinges and dispraise them that dâ— as he did I speake not this because â— woulde be called a Papist or make the Pope my schole maister but that wâ— would not vntrulye be called forsakerâ— of true religion and auncient custome of the churche whan we haue the oldâ— Popes and auncient Romishe Church to teache and alow that which we do And because this scauinger crakes so muche of his holye Byshoppes that suffer so great paines for disobeyinge their Prince and cleauinge to their holy father the Pope they that be not wilfully blinde shall see here that there is none more enemye to that vsurped power of the Pope claimynge to be aboue other Byshops
not ministred euery where after one sort but are handled in dyuerse places after diuers sortes Truly if they were ministred after one sorte and agreinglye through the whole church it were good and laudable notwithstanding because there be manye diuersities which differ not in the summe of the sacrament nor in the strength of it or in the faith nor all can be gathered into one custome I thinke that they are rather to be borne with agrement in peace than to be condemned with offence For we haue this from the holy fathers that if the vnytye of charity be kept in the catholike faith the diuerse custome hurtes nothing If it be demaunded wherof these diuersities of customes do springe I perceiue nothinge elles than the diuersities of wittes which althoughe they dyffer not in the strength and truth of the thing yet they agree not in the fitnesse and comelines of the mynistring For that which one iudges to â—e meter oftentimes other think it lesse mete And not to agre in suche diuersities I think it not mete to swarue from the truth of the thinge Also where the said Preacher does recite certain abuses of the said Church as talkinge biynge and sellinge feightinge and brawlinge although these be verye euill and worthie muche rebuke yet there be worse abuses as blaspheming God in lyinge Sermons pollutinge the Temple with Schismaticall seruice destroyinge and puâ—lynge downe holye aulters that were set vp by good blessed men there the sacryfice of the blessed masse ministred according to the order of Christes catholycke Churche yea where the alter of the holye Ghost stoode the newe Bisshoppes haue sette their tales vppon and theyr sit in iudgement of suche as be Catholycke and liue in the feare of God Some they depriue from their liuinges some they commit to prison excepte they wil forsake the Catholicke faith and embrase a fayth and religion that hais no foundacion layd by generall Counseil nor blessed fathers in times past but inuented by Heretikes that do not agre one with another nor them selues We both doe agree the Churche of Paules to be abused and therfore iustly plaged God graunt that hencefoorth it may be amended that worse doe not folowe Whan Iosue had conquered Ierico so maruaâ—â—ouslye with cariynge the arcke of God about it the priestes blowing their trumpettes and the people showâ—ing by the might of God rather house Goddes house must be a house of prayer and not the proud towre of Babilon nor the Popes market place nor a stewes for bawdes and Ruffians nor a horse faire for brokers no nor yet a burse for marchauntes nor a metinge place for walkinge and talkynge If a conuenient place to mete for honest assembles can not be founde nor had conuenientlye other where a particion might be had to close vppe and shit the praters from prayers the walkers and ianglers from well disposed persones that they should not trouble the deuout hearers of Gods worde so that the one should not heare nor see the other God hais once againe wyth the trumpet of his worde and the gladde receiuinge of the people throwen downe the walles of Iericho and the Popes bulwarke there by his owne might without the power of manne if man woulde so consider it and feare the Lorde No place hais bene more abused than Pauls hais bene nor more against the receyuing of Christes Gospell Wherfore it is more maruaile that God spared it so longe rather than that hee ouerthrewe it nowe From the toppe of the steple downe within the grounde no place hais bene free from the toppe of the spire at Câ—ronations or other solemne triumphes some for vâ—in glory vsed to throw themselues downe by a rope and so killed themselues vainly to please other mens eyes At the Battlementes of the steple sundrye times were vsed their Popishe antâ—ms to call vpon their Goddes with torch taper in the Euenings In the top of one of the pinacles is lollers towre where manye an innocent soule hais bene by theym cruellye tormented and murthered In the middest alley was their longe Censer reachinge from y â— roâ—e to the ground as though the holy Ghost came in their cenâ—ing down in liknes of a Doue On y â— arches though coÌ„menly men complaine of wrong and decayed iudgemente in Ecclesiasticall causes yet because I wyll not iudge by here saye I passe ouer it sauinge onely for such as haue bene condemned there by Annas Caiphas for christes cause as innocently as any Christians coulde be For their images hanged on euery walle piller and doore with their pilgrimages and worshippinge of them I will not stand to rehearse them because they can not be vnknowen to all men that haue seene Lonâ—on or hearde of them Their massing and many altars wyth the rest of their Popyshe seruyce which he so much ertolles I passe ouer because I aunswered them afore The south alley for vsurye and Poperye the north for Simony and the Horse faire in the middest for all kind of bargains metinges brawlinges murthers conspiracies and the font for ordinary paimentes of money are so well knowen to all menne as the begger knowes his dishe The Popishe clergy began and mayntained these and Godles worldlinges defende theym where the poore protestant lamentes and would amend them Iudas chappell vnder the ground with Thapostles masse so early in the morninge was counted by report as fit a place to worke a feat in as the stewes or tauerne So that without and within aboue the grounde and vnder ouer the roofe and beneath on the toppe of the steple and spire downe to the lowe flore not one spot was free from wyckednes as the said Byshop did than in his Sermon declare so that we should praise God for his mercy in sparinge it so longe and nowe tremble at his fearful iudgement in iustly reuenging such filthines god for his mercy sake graunt it may now be amended Secondlye where it pleases hym to tearme this Churche seruice nowe vsed schismaticall it is as true as afore whaÌ„ he saide that no auncient recorde made mention of anye suche afâ—re xl yeares past Why doocâ—ye call it a schismaticall Because it differs from the Popes pertuâ—s That it differs we deny not but reioyce and prayse God for it but if it agree with the holye Scriptures and the auncient fathers as I haue proued afore than be ye schismatickes in swaruinge from them and not we In one Morning and Eueninge prayer we agree with the olde prayers of Salomons temple as I proued afore In Baptisme we folowe Christ Iesus hys â–ª Appâ—stles Austin and Paulme whome Pope Gregory sente into England in the chiefe pointes whiche al christened â–ª 〈◊〉 â—â—â—oniured water without salt spit 〈…〉 oyle and chrisme c. In the Lordes supper we receiue together as S. Paule commaunded and â—â—pe Gelasius teaches either to receiue â—â—the partes or to refraine from both for â–ª it is sacrilegs to â—euide theym De
consâ—â—â— distinc ii We geue the people the â—uppe of Christes bloude as well as 〈◊〉 the Priestes as Ciprian teaches saiyngâ— how do we teach or prouoke them to sheâ—e their bloude in confessinge his name if we deny them that shalbe christes soudiers the bloud of christ or how doe we make them mete to the cuppe of In burials we do not assemble a number of Priestes to swepe purgatorye or bye forgiuenes of synnes of them whiche haue no autoritye to sell but accordinge to Saint Ieroms example we folowe At the death of Fabiola sais he the people of Ro. were gathered to the solemnite of the buriall Psalmes were songe and Alleluia soundinge oute on height did shake the gildet celinges of the Temple Here was one company of yonge menne and there another which did singe the prayses and worthy dedes of the woman And no meruaile if men reioyce of her saluation of whose conuersion Thangelles in heauen be glad thus Ierom vsed burialls likewise Gregory Nazanzene hais his funerall Sermons and Orations in the commendacion of the party departed so hais Ambrose for Theodosius and Ualentinian the Emperours for his brother Satirus c. Their Dirige grotes masses and trentalles tapers and ringinges haue no foundation on the Scripture nor good auncientye to maintaine theym Ierom sais that Alleluia was songe so loude that it made the Churche roofe to shake and our Papes wil not sing Alleluia at all neither at buriall in lent nor Aduent and saye they folowe auncientye Alleluia is as much in Englyshe as praise ye the lorde as thoughe they shoulde saye praise the lorde that hais called his seruaunt out of this miserie to himselfe in heauen But the desperat Papes saye wepe reioyse not for the dead but mistrust of their saluation thinke that they bee gone from one sorowe to another and therfore bie masses apase the Popes proctoures for money inoughe will sel that whiche God can not or will not geue freely as they thinke God is wearye as they saye of wel doing and turned ouer the matter to these the Popes Proctours But Salomon teaches that in death the bodie tournes to earth from whence it came and the soule to him that gaue it Loke how both bodye and soule is bestowed whatsoeuer gredy gaping Cormorauntes do say to get money withall Blessed be the dead that die in the lorde sais Saint Ihon. For they rest from their labours the Papes saye the dead be accursed and goe into purgatory from sorowes here to greater there chose whether ye beleue In mariage as in other thinges beside we are but to much like vnto them that is our fault generally that we differ not more from them in al our ministery We haue all in Englysh where they haue but I N. take thee M. c. And here I would aske Maister schismaticks commenlye and not Protestantes Fascic tempor a booke made by one Munke of their owne sect reherses xxiii schismes betwyr Popes and their partakers whan they fynde the thirde part of to manye amonge the Protestantes than they may haue some face of apparens to cal vs schismatikes At the counseil of Constance were iii. Popes in iii. diuerse Countryes Italy Fraunce and Spayne all claymynge to be chiefe and some Countryes folowed one some another but all were deposed and a iiii chosen litle more thâ— a C. l. yeare sins It were to longe to rehearse al the schismes spoken of who so lust there maye reade This schisme that I named last and the other whan there was one Pope at Rome and another at Auinion in Fraunce rl yeares together are the notablest and troubled the worlde most in striuing who should haue the most folowers and partakers the other I passe ouer for shortnes sake vnto these be considered better of them how they maye defend them selues that they be not proued schismatikes if that be schismaticall seruice whan one differs from another than be all orders of Freers Munkes Chanons Nunnes yorks vse Sarum Bangor c. schismatical for they differ euery one froÌ„ other Now for pullinge downe Altars and ministring the Communion on tables a fewe woordes to trie whether we doe this without reason or example First our sauiour Christ ministred it sittinge at a table Than it is not wicked but but best to folow his doinges for he did all thinges well Saint Luk. sais that the hand of the traitour was with him at the table Saint Paul for the vse of it in his time sais ye can not be partakers of the Lordes table and the table of Deuils where it appeares plain that both Idolaters at their Sacrifices and the Christyans also in their holye mysteries vsed tables Theodor. writes that after Ambrose had excommunicated Themperour Theodosius and receyued him againe to the Churche the Emperour â—ynge flat on the grounde wepinge and tearinge the heare of hys head for sorowe and shame of his offenses he rose vppe and offred at such time sais he as the giftes were offered at the holy table Sozo writes lib. viii ca. vii howe Eutropius fled to the Churche as a Sanctuary for succour because he had offended Themperoure and whan Ihon Byshoppe of Constantinople see him lye afore the holye Communion table he preached vnto him and rebuked him of his pryde whan he was in autoritye The Canon of the great Nicene counsel sais thus In the godly table wee muste not lowlye cleaue to the bread and cuppe set afore vs but lifting vppe oure minde on height by faith we must consider the lambe of God to be set afore vs in that holy table Wherein I note that they all call it a table and not an altar where they ministred the communion This was iiii C. yeare after Christ aboue a thousaunde yeare sins why than Alters were not contynued from the beginninge as they saye and we are not the first that vsed tables but we would gladly restore these olde cusstomes againe If Ambrose lawfullye and well vsed tables at the Communion at Millan and the Byshop at Constantinople in Grece and elles where I see no reason why wee shoulde be rebuked for folowinge them except they can proue that they did it against the Scripture I knowe that the Scripture and olde writers also make mention of altares but that is because Moises in the lawe commaunded theym to offer their sacryfices vppon Aultars because the sacrifices than commenlye vsed were heauye as Oxen calues sheepe c. and tables were not able to stand and beare suche weyghtes contynuallye These sacrifices were a figure and shadowe of that onlye pure sacrifice whiche Christe shoulde offer on the crosse for vs all for as those innocent beasts were killed for other mennes fautes so Christ without sinne shoulde die for the sinnes of the worlde For this cause the crosse wheron Christ our lorde died is called an altar also because the sacrifice for the sins of the whole worlde
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
whitsondaye the Churche knowes no fastinge daye Marke what the churche vsed in his time and what it is growen to since Howe many fasting dayes in that space haue Popes broughte in synce from whence came all the gang dayes to bee fasted in the crosse weke was it from the church or no if the churche didde it than the latter churche and Popes were contrarye to the old church in Ambro. time or els the church is free in all ages to disanull that whiche was done afore them If it be free why than may not the churche nowe disanull that whiche was done afore oure tyme as well as they brake the custome of the chuch in Ambrose time afore them hais not the Churche lyke power in all ages to decree or dysanulle what they luste Are we more bounde that wee shall not breake olde customes than they were What is the reason that wee shoulde bee so or where is it so wrytten If the Churche bee ruled by generall counselles where is that counsell that decreed so many fasting dayes to be betwix Easter and Whitsunday Ambrose says none was afore hys time Is counsell so contrarye to counsell or does one counsell deface that whiche an other determined Than is that true where I saide afore that their counsels were like oure Parliamentes and they are no longer to be obserued than other couÌ„sels folowing shal think mete Whiche being true graunted who wilbe so mad to bild his faith vpon couÌ„cels whiche haue so often chaunged and one sort beleue contrarye to another And althoughe Ambrose saye that the churche knewe no fastinge day betwix Ester and whitsonday yet beside these manye fastes in the Rogation weke oure wise Popes of late yeares haue deuysed a monstrous fast on Saint Markes daye All other fastinge daies are on the holy day even only Saint Marke must haue his day fasted Tell vs a reason why so that wil not be laughen at We knowe wel ynough your reasoÌ„ of Tho. Beket and thinke you are ashamed of it tell vs where it was decreed by the churche or generall counsell Tell vs also if ye can why the one side of the strete in Cheapeside fastes that daye beinge in London diocesse and the other side beinge of Canturbury diocesse fastes not and so in other townes moe Could not Beckets holynes reache ouer the strete or woulde he not If he coulde not he is not so mighty a saint as ye make hym if he would not he was malicious that woulde not doe so muche for the Citye wherin he was borne This is his great auncient holy churche that he crakes so much Becket was liuinge sins the conquest vnder king Henry the second not â—iii C. yeares sins and yet all as they thynke that wyll not beleue their trumpry to be M. D. yere old and ought not to be broken is an hereticke disobeyes the vniuersall Churche and not mete to liue Monica Saint Austins mother seing them fast at Rome on the saturday and coming to Millan see them not fast there maâ—uailed at it and asked Austin her sonne the cause of suche diuersity of fastinge thinking that both didde not well Austin beinge yet but a yonge scholer in Christes schole asked Ambro. the cause Ambro. said Fastinge was free and therfore whan he came to Rome he fasted and dyd as they done Whan he was at Millan be fasted not but did as they did Afterwarde Austin beinge better learned gaue this lesson in the same Epistle and sayde that he found written in the newe testament that we ought to fast but he neuer fouÌ„d it there writen what dayes we should faste Therfore the time is free to all christians by the scripture to eat or not eat but they must eat so soberly euerye day as though they fasted and see that they surfet not Montanus an hereticke was the first that made lawes for fasting and they like good children make it heresy to breake their dayes or fast otherwayes than they appoint There be ii sortes of fasting from meat whiche we be bound vnto The one voluntary whan we fele our selues by to muche eatinge giuen to anye kinde of sin than the fleshe must be bridled by abstinence that it rebell not against the spirit but the minde may more frely serue the lorde The other is by commaundement on suche dayes as be appointed by commen order of the countrye wherein we must beware that we be not breakers of polities These kindes of fasting stande in outwarde disciplyne and are to be obserued with fredom of consciens so farre as the helthe of the bodye maye beare and supersticion be not maintayned There is a. iii. sort whiche Esai speakes of that standes not in forbearynge meates onely but in exercisinge the workes of mercy Is this the fast that I choose sais the Lorde that a man shoulde punishe him selfe pynche hys belye and pull downe himselfe so that for hunger and paine he crie out or fall into sickenes that he wrythe and lappe hys heade in huddes and Kercheffes No says the Lorde but thys is the fast that I haue chosen bring the poore and straungers to thy house feede the hungrye clothe the naked c. God is not delyted with a hungrye belly for meat but wyth the soule that hungers for his righteousnesse Furthermore this generall kinde of fastinge whiche standes in forbearynge fleshe and eatynge but one meale a daye to many it is no grefe nor a bridelinge to the lust of the flesh Some loue fyshe so well that they had rather feede of that than of other meat and some haue so weake stomackes or lyue so ydle lyues that they can scarce dygest one meale a daye Agayne other some haue so costlye and greate dinners that they eat more at that one dynner than the poore man can get at three scamlinges on a day Therefore I can not say that he punishes his bodye by abstinence that eates fyshe whyche he loues nor that for weakenes of stomacke can not eat more althoughe his appetite desire it nor he that gorges himselfe so ful at one meale that he can not be hungry of a whole daye after Hard it is therfore to appoint to euerye particuler manne what whan or how seldome he shal eate when he fastes but bicause generally euery man loues flesh better than fishe and eates twise a daye at the least generallye it was well appointed in fasting to forbeare flesh and eate but ones a daye thoughe it faile in many particulers Therfore whan anye is to be charged with breaking his fast the person is to be considerd whither he may doe it with the health of his body the kinde of fastynge whether it be supersticious to bye forgeuenes of sinnes and righteousnesse the time that it be not wyth Iewyshe obseruatyon of daies and the meate it selfe that it be not thought vnclean by nature and vnlawfull and the cause that it be for taminge the fleshe and not to compound with God or bargaine that
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
wife must be blessed of the Priest The writer of the rule of clerkes liues agreing wyth these and suche sentences of the scripture sais A clerke must be chast or els bounde with the bande of one mariage Of all whiche sayinges he gethers trulye that a Bishoppe and Diacon are to be blamed if they be deuyded into manye women but if eyther Bishoppe or Diacon forsake one woman for religion sake the canonicall sentence here condemnes theym without respecte of their degrees sayinge A Byshop vnder pretense of religion must not put awaye his owne wife if he put her away let him be excommunicat but if he continue let him be deposed postea There be some which take S. Gregory for a help of this opinion whose folyshnes I laughe at and am sorye for their ignoraunce they know not that the perillous decree of this heresy made by S. Gregory was purged afterward of him by worthy fruite of repentance For on a time when he sende to his pounde for fyshe and see mo than six thousand childrens heades brought he sight moued with inwarde sorowe and confessinge that decree whiche he made for forbearinge of mariage to haue bene the cause of so greate a slaughter did purge it with worthy frute of repentaunce and condemninge his owne decree praysed that counseel of the Apostle It is better to mary than to burne addinge for hys part this It is better to marye than giue occasion of murther Thus muche among many other reasons concerning this matter this Byshop wrote a. vii c. yeare sins Frere Mantuan says that Hilary the learned writer Byshop of Poiters in Fraunce was maried The counsell Gangrēse about a iii. C. yeare after Christ says If anye man thinke that it is not lawful for a maried priest to vse his ministery or abhorre him for that cause cursed be he The Priestes of Spane did earnestlye defend their mariage againste Pope Syricius beynge angrye wyth them Thus ferre ye see of howe late yeares and howe troublesome a beginninge this forbiddinge of priests mariage had in other countries now let vs see a little howe and whan it began here in Englande that this proude prycker and vnlearned papist may see his owne folyshnes If I should begin at Wales the reliques of the old Britans whiche haue at all times suffred their Priestes to marye in al poperye parauenture some would call them concubines for a shifte rather then wiues as they be in dede but surely if papistes will suffer fathers so to bestowe their daughters and their chaplains to keepe vnlawfull women rather than their lawfull wiues as Pigius their great patrone sais it is better for a priest to keepe a whore than haue a wife they declare whose children they be Mariage is of God whoredome is of the Deuill therfore I come to more certayn things In the time of Kinge Henrye the first Paschall beinge Pope and Ansel. Bisshoppe of Cantorb about iiii C. yeares sins this diuorcynge of Priestes began chefely here with vs. The Pope willed Ansel. to do it he attemted to do it and the kinge withstode it as appeares by sūdry Epistles of Ansel concerning the same matter Epi. lxxvii iii. c. lxxvi Ansel. to his brether sunnes the lord Prior Ernulph other seruing god vnder him in Christes church in Cantorb gretinge and his blessinge As concerning Priestes of whom the kinge gaue commaundement that they shoulde haue both their Churches and their wyues as they had in the tyme of his father and of Lanfranc late archebishop yet both because the kinge hais reuested and reseased me of the whole archbishopricke and also because so cursed a mariage was forbidden in a counsell in the time of his father and the same Archbishop boldly by that autoritye which I haue by tharchbishopricke I commaunde not onlye within tharchbishopricke but also through oute England that all Priestes which kepe their wiues shalbe depriued of their churches and ecclestasticall benefice Marke the thinges conteined in these few wordes the kinges commaundement for Priestes to kepe their benefices and wyues both contrarye to Pope Gregories decree afore and yet not contrarye to the custome in his fathers tyme and Bysshop Lanfranc And where Ansel. demaunded the Popes aduise what was best to doe seinge it was so harde to diuorse theim note the Popes aunswere Epist. iii. C. xxxi Paschal Byshop seruaunt of Gods seruauntes to his reuerende brother Anselme Byshop of Cantorb gretyng and Apostolicall blessing We beleue youre brotherhode is not ignorāt what is decreed in the Romish churche concerninge Priestes chyldren but because ther is so great a multitude of such within the Realm of England that almost the greater and better part of the clarkes are reckened to be on this side we commit the order here into your charge For we graunt those to be promoted to holye offices by reason of the nede at this time and for the profet of the church whom learning and life shal commende amonge you and yet notwithstandinge the preiudice of the Ecclesiastical decree be taken hede to hereafter Here I note the Popes confession that almost the greater and better part of the Clergye here in Englande were maried than and that he suffers theym to be promoted to benefices and afterwarde as time would suffer to execute the Popes deuorcing decre Whan the Bishops coulde not wel bring those diuorces to passe the Pope sende Ioan his Cardinall to doe it and he as Polychro writes lib. vii ca. xvi was taken the same night in bedde with a doore in the time of Henrye the first O holy single life that the Pope went about The same Polychro sais also lib. vii ca. xxxi that Fuico a Frenche Prieste came to kinge Richard the. i. and bad him mary his iii. daughters the kinge said he had none yes says he Pride couetous lecherye than the king said pryde I giue to Templers couetous to white munkes and lecherye to Prelates this mariage was so knytte than that it coulde not be broken sins and this was the kinges opinion of them But not onely this hardnesse was in beginning of this diuorce but after that they were seperated dyuerse came together again as appeares in the Epistle that Ansel. wrote to Willyam his Archdiacon in this behalfe Ansel. Archebyshoppe to the reuerende Gundulph Bish. and to Ernulph Prior and to Willyam Archdiacon of Cantorb and to all in his diocesse gretinge Epi. iii. C. lxxiii Willyam our Archdiacon hais writen to me that some Priestes whiche be vnder his custodye takinge againe their Wyues that were forbidden theym haue fallen into vncleanesse from whiche they were drawen by holsome Counsell and commaundement whan Tharchdiacon woulde amende thys thynge they vtterlye despised his warninge and worthye Commaundement with a wycked pryde Than he callyng together many religious menne and obedient Priests excommunicated worthelye the proude and dysobedient which beastlie despised his curse and defyled the holy ministery as much
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
the xxxii yeare of king Henrye the first Of this kinred came that goodlye impe Tho. Beket In the yeare M. C. xxxvii and the first yeare of kynge Steuen began a fire at London bridge and burned all the Citye and Churche of Paules vnto ye come out at Temple barre to Saint Clementes church whiche was than called the Danes churche In the yeare M. iii. lxxxii and the xxi daye of Maye with a greate earth quake through the Realme the crosse in Paules Church yard was ouerthrowen in the. vi yere of Richard the. ii To the bylding of that crosse againe Willyam than Byshoppe of Cantorb gathered greate summes of money and enriched him selfe And because menne should be more willinge and liberal to giue he the rest of such holy Byshops graunted manye dayes of pardon to theym that would frely geue money to the bilding of that crosse again Cantor grauÌ„ted xl days London Ely Bathe Chichester Carleil LaÌ„daff Bangor euery one xl dayes the summe in all iii. C. rr dayes of pardon but not one dodkin of money came out of their purse All which thinges and more the Deane of Paules declared wel at the crosse out of the recordes of their church and Citye iii. yeare afore Lanfranc was made Byshoppe of Cantorb as Legenda sanctorum writes the hole city of Cantor almost and Christs church there was burned vp with fire in the beginninge of Willyam conquerours days Polychr tels lib. vii ca. iiii that a great piece of London and Paules Churche with the principall Cities of Englande were burned Ca. vii he sais a whirle winde threw downe a. C. houses in London and many churches also lib. viii ca. i. Basil a great Citie with many towres fel with earthquake in Edward the. iii. days and in Naples xl thousande were killed Ca. xâ—viii on Candelmas euen in mid winter Paules steple was burned wyth lyghtninge in the tyme of Henrye vi Ca. xxii the church of DurraÌ„ likewise about xl yere sins w t many other like But why shuld I stand to proue that which euerye man knowes to be true if he be of any lerning knowledge as thoughe it were a doubt or straunge thing What great town or church can ye recken within the realme or w tout almost that hais not sufferd the lyke why shuld we thaÌ„ meruail of this cal to remembrans y e late dais of popery here w e vs not vii yere sins see what horrible stormes thunders and lightninges was here by Notingam where houses Churches belles woodes and loden cartes were ouerthrowen and caried awaye But he sais these chaunced some in time of Ciuill warre and not all with fire from heauen What than what helpes that his case all were in the time of poperye and many mo like And thoughe all these were not wyth fire from heauen yet it is as great a token of Goddes anger as well as the other or more Sais not Dauid Fire haile snowe yse and windy stormes do his coÌ„maundement If they do his commaundement than the one is his doing aswell as the other Does not god rule the earth as well as the heauen These fires from heauen chaunce more seldom than the other and therefore more fearfull whan they come yet these on earth obey his word as well as the other and are not done withoute him And not without a cause it maye be a token of gods greater anger to punish vs rather with those thinges that be daily among vs and were ordeyned to serue vs for our helth than to corect vs with those that fall so seldome and are made to feare vs and declare Gods great fearefull maiestie But this greues him to call that the time of supersticion ignoraunce whan God was serued night and daye so deuoutly as he thinkes and euery one liued quietly without reasoning of y e scripture and beleued what so euer the pope sent them serued god after their owne diuise not as god himselfe taught the so that the belly were ful al was wel thoughe they maintained ideli lubbers which was no more almes afore god thaÌ„ their praitinge was praying For their munkishe night prayer how vain lippe labour it was and mumbled vp of an vnlearned sort I said inough afore and declared how farre it differed from true prayer but this is that maye not be borne whan the people haue the scripture in their owne tonge for than they are able to tell the Priestes their dutye and correcte their supersticious Idolatry It skilles not muche thoughe the Papistes would haue the people to liue in blyndnesse still for in that the Pope and the Turke agrees well that their people shalbe vnlerned and vnderstand nothing but what so euer it pleases the Priestes to teach them which is neither much nor good but God in his word the auncient fathers in their writinges do teache christian people otherwaies Dauid sais the father shoulde declare his truth to their children Moyses sais Aske thy father and he will tel thee demaunde of the elders and they will declare vnto thee Paul sais wiues if they woulde know any thing let them aske their husbandes at home If fathers must teache their children and children learne of their fathers and wyues of their husbandes howe shoulde eyther party be ignoraunt Ierom. sais men are wont women are wont and Munkes are wont to striue amonge themselues who should learne most scriptures and thinks them best that learnes most but he learned most that does most Chriso in his xxxi Homily on S. Ioan rebukes the people that were so vnwillinge to learne the scriptures seing the woman of Samaria of whom there he writes was so desirous that at home in their houses they hadde Tables and Chesses rather than bookes and if they had anye bookes they were not occupied c. In his ii Homilie on Matth. In declaringe howe the scriptures refresh the minde as a holesome aer does the bodye he moues them to the readinge of it and rebukes theym that saye it belonges to munkes and Priestes to read it and studie it and not to the people Thus in corners these ennemyes of god and hys woorde woulde drawe the people from their saluation and woulde make them beleue that it were not their duty to learne What blindnes is this to thinke ignoraunce better than learninge and blindnes than sight Saint Paul sais the Gospel of God is the power of god to saue them that beleue Saint Ia. sais the worde of god is able to saue oure soules Than surelye those theues that woulde robbe Gods people of Gods worde woulde robbe theym of their saluation by christ and sell theym such filthye salues as the Pope woulde heale his scabbed shepe withall whiche stinkes in Gods sight Christ oure lorde sais if the blinde leade the blinde bothe fall into the ditch than it is not inough to saye Sir Iohn our Priest taught me thus For
yet so god blessed the Quenes maiestye that she not onelye delyuered vs but theym from their enemies handes what relese in France the poore oppressed haue had at her highnes handes the blynde sce all her louinge subiectes reioise though the enuious Papist murmure grudge God graunt her hyghnesse grace to be thankefull to gods maiestye who does so past all mannes expectacion prosper her doinges that he onelye maye haue the praise UUhat cause we haue to prayse god for restoring religioÌ„ through the Quenes trauaile all menne of god do see praise him for it thoughe blind papists be sory therfore UUhat â—ost her highnes hais susteined in restoringe vs a fine coine from so base wise men reioise though this malicious foole say we be in great pouerty Looke howe fewe taxes she hais taken to doe this withal and howe manye and howe great were leuied afore Howe was this Realme pesterd with straunge rulers straunge Goddes straunge languages straunge religion straunge coines and howe is it nowe peaceablye ridde of theym all to the greate glorye of God that hais wroughte so manye wonderful straunge greate thinges in so shorte a time in a weake vessell which he neuer did by anye her noble progenitors whiche haue bene so manye and so worthy Coulde anye be so blinde but that malyce hays bewytched to not see or not praise Godde for these worthye dedes â–ª I woulde haue wanted the suspicyon of flatterye in rehearsinge these thinges but that I would the vnthankful world shoulde see the disdainefull blinde malice of popery which can not say well by Gods good blessinges The foolishe lynking and clouting of y â— scriptures together which folowes declares what wit he hais They may be applied all against himselfe and such as he is rather than against the professors of Gods trueth what blasphemye is it to lay all kinde of wickednes on Gods worde what euil so euer raignes in the world it is to be imputed to man not to God to mans frailnes not to gods trueth and goodnes God and his holye worde punish and condemne al false doctrine and filthines therfore God wil confounde all suche filthye mouthes as blaspheme hym or his holye woorde to be the cause of anye kynde of naughtinesse All liberty is now vsed he sais where in dede iustyce was not better ministred these manye yeares euen as the wiser and indifferenter sorte of Papistes doe graunte Call to remembraunce howe sharplye buggerye coniuringe witchcraftes sorcery c. were punished wyth death by lawe in the Gospell tyme of blessed king Edw. Whan were these lawes repealed but in the late dayes of Popery than iudge whether there was greater liberty to sinne vnder the christian kinge or vnder supersticious poperye But the sodomiticall papistes thinke these to be no sinnes and therefore beastly doe misuse them selues defilinge theym selues bothe with spiritual and Sodomitical vncleanes whether is there more libertye gyuen to sin whan such sinnes be made deathe by order of lawe or whan the lawes apoint no punishment for theym Surelye thegospel is vniustly blamed in geuing carnal liberty popery rightfully condemned in taking away the pain opening a doore to al mischefe Who liues more licentiously than the pope himself w tout al feare of god good order gods law doing what he wil so be al his scholers folowing their owne fathers steps In these my sayinges I go not about to proue vs Aungels yet surely not suche deuilles as he woulde make vs but in comparison of them we be saintes therfore let vs both amend that God maye be mercifull to bothe and glorified in both And as thexamples in his beginninge were good if they had bene well applied so is his conclusion I wil conclude with him therefore in the ryght sense and meaninge of it saiynge with him Returne to the steppes of the good fathers the Prophets and Apostles framinge your selues to folowe their doctrine be not caried away with straunge and diuerse doctrine of Popes contrary to Gods holy worde and inuented of late by men Imbrace the religion and faith taught from the beginninge in christes Church from time to time continually Flee this new fangled Popish supersticion whiche hais crept into the Church of late yeares and beleue that onelye whiche Christ hais taught and his Appostles and Martirs haue confirmed and frame your liues accordingly or elles Goddes vengeaunce hanges ouer your heades ready sodenlye to fall vppon you and let this token of brenninge of Paules be an example and token of a greater plague to folowe except ye amend whiche god graunt vs al to doe Amen A Prayer MOste ryghteouse and wise iudge eternall god and merciful father which of thy secret iudgement haste suffered false Prophetes in al ages to rise for the trial of thine elect that the worlde might knowe who woulde stedfastly sticke vnto thy vndoubted and infallible trueth and who woulde be caried awaye with euerye vayne doctrine and yet by the might of thy holye spirite hais confounded theym all to thy great glorye and comfort of thy people haue mercy vpon vs we besech thee and strengthen oure weakenes against all assaultes of our enemies confounde all Popery as thou did the doctrine of the Pharises strengthen y â— louers of thy truth to the confusion of all supersticioÌ„ and hipocrisy giue vs due loue and reuerence of thy holye worde defende vs from mannes tradicions encrease oure fayth graunte vs grace neuer to fall from thee but vprightlye to walke accordynge as thou hais taught vs swaruing neyther to the right hand nor the life neyther adding nor taking any thinge awaye from thy writen worde but submitting oure selues hollye to thy good wil and pleasure may so passe this transitorye life that through thy goodnes we may lyue euerlastinglye wyth thee in thy glory through Christ our lord who with thee and the holye Ghoste lyues and reignes one god and our Sauiour for euer and euer Haue not I hated theym O Lorde that hate thee and euen â—ined awaye because of thine ennemies Psal. Cxxxix I will giue you a mouth and wisdome whiche all your enemies can not gainsaye and wythstande Luke xxi FINIS ¶ Here folowe also certaine questions propounded by him whiche are fullye althoughe shortly aunswered whiche is the catholycke Church SAint Augustine and S. Hieroâ— do saye The Church is a visible companye of people gathered of christ our lord and the Apostles and continued vnto this day by a perpetual succession liuing in one faith Apostolicall vnder Christe the heade and his vicar in earth being the pastor and high Byshop Out of this catholicke and apostolicall church is no trust of saluation Saint Augustine sais who so euer shalbe out of this church althoughe his lyfe be esteamed to be very good and laudable by this only faut that he is disioyned and seperated from the vnitye of Christ and his Church he can haue no lyfe but the wrath of God
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
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