disgracyng him with all vile wordes and histories of his lyfe paste that possiblye hee could deuise he semed euen openly before the kyng to make a coÌ„batte with his spirit For as Plinye sayeth they that speake euel of dead menne seme to contende and fyghte with their spirites So this Prophete then to proue that his stoute diyng made not his quarell good had the wordes ensuing O say thei the maÌ„ died very boldly he would not haue done so had he not been in a iuste quarell This is no good argumente my frendes a man semeth not to feare death therfore his cause is good This is a deceiuable argument he wente to death boldely ergo he standeth in a iuste quarel The Anabaptistes that were burnt here in Englande in diuerâ— townes as I haue hearde of credible men I sawe theÌ„ not my selfe weÌ„t to their death euen intrepride as ye will saye without any feare in the world cherefully wel let them go There were in the olde doctors tymes another kynde of poysoned heretikes that were called Donatistes And these heretikes went to their executioÌ„ as though they shold haue gone to some â—oly recreation or banquet to some belly chere or to a plaie And will you argue then he goeth to his death boldly or cherefully ergo he dieth in a iust cause Nay that sequele foloweth no more theÌ„ this A maÌ„ semes to be afrayd of death ergo he dieth euill And yet our sauiour Christe was afrayde of death himself TheÌ„ he afterwards warneth his audience not to iudge those which are in authorite but to praie for them It becommeth not saith he to iudge great magistrates nor condempne their doynges Vnles their dedes be openly and apparantly wicked Charitie requireth the same for charitie iudgeth no maÌ„ but well of euery body c. Thus Latymer proueth that stoute diyng is no sure token of a good quarell and proueth it a false surmyse if anye doo beleue the cause of death to be true because of sturdines in the tyme of the same Also to proue that it is not the death that maketh a martir but the cause The cronicles make mencion of one Iohn Oldecastell a knyght a valiaunt man although he were wicked who with one Roger Acton togethers with him fauouriug Wickleffes opinioÌ„s coÌ„spired against the kynges maiestie then Henry the fyft onely to sette forwardes their conceiued opinions with a desperate company assembled thynkyng to obtayne the cytie of London from the kyng But beyng preuented he was takeÌ„ and put into the towre of London The sayd Acton also who within a whyle after was worthely put to death but Olde castell escaped pryson not withstandyng within a shorte space he was taken agayne then hanged drawen and quartered But he weÌ„t to his death so stoutly as though he had nothyng deserued to dye But if heresie and treason be no iust causes then he dyed wrongfully as in the cronycles more at large appereth If the stoutnes of death be a iust cause to proue a martyr then many whiche haue denyed Christe to be equall with the father which was the Arrians opynion were martyrs Then Ioane Butcher is a martir TheÌ„ the Flemyng whiche was burnt in Smythfielde in the tyme of kyng Edward is a martyr who lyued in such continencie and holynes of lyfe that before his goyng to meate he woulde fall prostrate vpon the grounde geue thankes to God the father hys dyete was so moderate that in two dayes space he vsed but one meale at the tyme of his death he was so frollicke that he fared muche lyke our martyrs in embracyng the redes kyssyng the poaste syngyng and suche other toyes In lyke sorte the grosse martyr Ioane Butcher handled the matter And where as one Skorie then preached before the people in tyme of her death she reuyled and spytted at hym makyng the sygne of the gallowes towardes him boldly affirming that all they that were not of her opinion shuld be dampned Yea she was so bold to say that a. M. in LondoÌ„ were of her sect Such the like was y â— charitie of Anne Askewe so ofte by Bale lykened to Blandina that true martyr of Christes churche in his furious boke which he wrote of her death a noble pece of worke mete for such a champion to be thauthor The sayde Anne Askewe was of suche charitie that when pardon was offered she defied them all reuyling the offerers therof with suche opprobrious names that are not worthy rehersall makyng the lyke sygnes too the preacher at her death as her pue fellowe systcr in Christ Ioane Butcher dyd at Skorie aforesayde These arrogant and presumptuous martirs in the time of their deathes doo lytle esteme the woordes of sayncte Paule sayinge If I had the spirite of prophecie and knew al misteries and all maner of cunnyng Also if I had all fayth in so muche as I could traÌ„slate and cary awaye mouÌ„taynes yet were I nothyng if I lacked charitie Moreouer if I dyd distribute all my goodes in fedyng the poore people and although I gaue my body to bee burned hauing no charitie it nothynge auayleth me Thus yf they estemed the Godly exhortacioÌ„s of holy scriptures they wold not so vncharitably vse theÌ„selfes especiallye at the extremitie of death But the deuel whose martyrs they bee dothe alwayes instructe his darlinges to followe hys ragyng steppes True are the wordes of the wyseman saying A sturdy harte shall susteine damage and he that loueth peril therin shal perish Therfore sturdynes and selfe loue is the onely cause of the martirdomes of our martyrs wherof do spryng innumerable faultes as Cicero saith When men puffed vp with stoutenes of opinion be shamefully inuolued in folish error Doutles a great faulte it is and coÌ„trary to ciuile life so to be addicted to self loue and arrogaÌ„cie as to thinke our selues to bee so learned that no perswasioÌ„ or terror can beate the mynde from that folly A pitifull case it is to see not only the learned which for waÌ„te of grace do fall but also blynde bayarde who although he be vtterly blind and dull yet his corage is suche that he careth not to leape ouer hedge and dytche I meane the symple ignoraunt whiche only for wante of knowledge do erre and yet haue such audacitie that they care not to spend their liues in their folly And for that these blynde bayardes doo so stycke in their opinions to death it is woÌ„dered at of many not of learned or godly men but of braynesicke foles which like fethers wyll be caried about with euery blast of newe doctrine At the deathes of whiche you shall see more people in Smythfeilde flockyng together on heapes in one daye then you shall see at a good sermon or exhortacion made by some learned man in a whole weke Their glorie is suche vpon these glorious martyrs And why is this because their myndes are geuen wholy to
sententia decedere Vt ocius in caelo quemadmodum ipsi sperabant fruerentur aeuo What shall I nede to stande vpon the poore Monkes of the Charterhouse who were contented to suffer their bodies to be dismembred in peces and to be hanged vpon sondry gybbettes rather then thei would yelde to the depriuacion of the Popes authoritie Whose worthy names worthy perpetuall memory hereafter followe That is to saye Iohn Houghten Robert Laurēce Augustine Webster Humfrey Middelmore William Exmewe Sebastian Nedigate Wylliā Horn Iohn Rochester Iames Walwerke Rychard Bere Thomas Ionson Thomas Grene Iohn Dauye William Grenewoode Tho. Screuen Robert Salte Walter Pereson and Thomas Reding What nede I els to stay vpon the deathes of the good mē the Abbotes of Colchester Glastonbury and Redyng or els of Powel Fetherstone Abell Germayne Stone Forrest manye others to whome death was nothyng ferefull for the quarell of God and his churche These and a greate number mo died for the cause of the catholyke fayeth that fayeth whiche hath euer cōtinued from age to age with the consente of all kyngdomes christen euen from the begynnyng whose memory shall be magnified tyll the ende of the worlde But the deathes of oure cranke Heretykes lye dead and are buryed in the graue of cankred obliuion couered with perpetuall infamye excepte they be enrolled in a fewe threehalfepennye bookes whiche steale oute of Germanye replete aswell with treason against the Kyng Quenes maiesties as with other abhominable lyes Moreouer in the late kynges tyme Edwarde the syxte wherein heresie expressed her game there were many godly mē which for the defence of the moste honorable ▪ Sacramente of the Altar and the other sacramentes yelded their bodies to pryson As the late worthye Prelate Doctour Stephen Gardiner byshop of Wynchester with other Bysshoppes and men of greate learning Yea if their deathes had bene required they woulde with moste willing heartes haue suffered the same But the proceders then knewe well inoughe that that was not the waye too procede in their doynges leaste they should haue become odious to all sortes of people But they fared lyke VVyat the late rebell of Kent who went aboute to achyue his enterprise not with rapine and spoyle according to the nature of rebellion but with all lenite and gentlenes thereby too allure the peoples hartes the rather to embrace and aide his attemptes but as his cloake was then spanishe so was the others of late time Iewishe Then hauing all these not onely wel learned but also godly men whiche aswell haue suffred paynes of death for their religion as these protestātes haue for theirs what haue they gayned then by this obiection If the stoute death of a man doeth approue his cause good then what cause haue the protestantes to refell the religion nowe vsed But here to finyshe this matter to procede in further explication of the fantasticall feates and abuses of the protestantes let vs learne further of Saint Paule who saith these wordes Knowe this saith he that in the last daies shal come perillous tymes For men shal be louers of thē selues couetous boasters proude cursed speakers disobedient to fathers and mothers vnthankeful vngodly vnkinde truce breakers false accusers Riotors dispisers of them that be good Trayters heddy hygh minded gredy vpon voluptuousnes more thē the louers of God hauing a similitude of godlinesse but deniing the power therof and suche abhorre For of this sorte are they which enter into houses and bring into bondage women laden with sinne whiche women are led with diuers lustes euer lerning and neuer able to come to knowledge of the trut he Nowe lette euerye man weyghe these wordes of s Paule And note if we haue not had amonges vs the like false prophetes with the lyke cōdicions First he sayeth they shall be louers of themselues Christ saieth He that loueth himselfe more then me is not worthy of me Who be they whiche loue them selfes more thē they do Christe Doubtes they that prefer y ◠loue of this worlde before Christ geuing place to the worlde and the lustes thereof Which vice is commen to al men and vsed of to many especially to suche whereof mencion is made before whiche neglectynge the brynging of their affections into bondage liue as their owne sensualitie doth leade them not caringe for the holsome preceptes of goddes moste holy worde but disobeying the lawes of the magistrates constituted too a good purpose to yoke the heauye carcase to thyntent he maye the better obeye the preceptes diuine For if the appetites do rule with out resistance they will soone ouercome y ◠imbecillitie of nature A victory or fielde is soone won if there be none to resiste Then the protestantes beynge maryed priestes yeldynge the seruyce of their bodye to the fraylitie of the fleshe was thereof ouercommed But if they had bene good souldiours and had fought vnder the standerd of continencie no doubt but they had wonne the fielde Thinke you Alexander the great had he geuen his minde too serue his appefites in his first warres had proued so valiant a conquerour ▪ No truely For after his first victory agaynst Darius kyng of Persia hauing alwayes in his hoste the wyfe of thesame Darius whiche incomparably excelled all other women in beautie woulde neuer after he had once sene her haue her to come into his presence albeit that he caused her estate styll to be maynteyned and with asmuche honor as euer it was And to them whiche wondryng at the ladies beautie marueyled why Alexander did not desyre too company with her he answered saying It shoud be to him a reproche to be subdued by the wyfe of him whome he had vanquyshed This was a ryght conquerour worthy to wynne all the worlde whiche in this sorte could haue the victory ouer his owne lustes being a cruel fight for a faint harted souldior This fight fought Scipio surnamed Aphricanus whē he hadde wonne Carthage For emonges diuers women whiche were taken one most fairest emōges the rest was ▪ brought vnto him to do with her his pleasure But when he knew that she was affiaunced to another called Indibilis he caused him to be sent for and perceiuyng the louyng tokens betwene them he deliuered her to Indibilis paying for her raūsome and adding further an honourable porcion of his owne treasure This was another excellente victorye gotten of a famous souldior which would not thoughe he had libertie violate his mynde vpon the beautie of a woman But our protestantes and married preistes neglecting their first fayth cared not vpon whom they had bestowed themselues lytle waying the counsell of saint Paule that he can bee no good souldiour to God which enwrappeth himselfe with secular affaires These be thei which pretended godlynes and vnder the hypocrisie of marrying deceiued the simple begyled their owne selues For when they thought themselues surest of their fained wyues they did the soner
that rather then they would forsake their drossie diuinitie whiche they haue gathered by their curiositie they thoughte with fagotes to ende their lyues miserably And in this kynde of death they so arrogātly reioyce that they be so bolde to compare themselfes with the Martyrs of christes church But forasmuche as this is a cause whiche of some men is thought marueilous that men should die in the quarel of religion and therefore the quarell good It shall be worth the traueill to say somwhat therein rather for the ignorance of the vnskilful then for the matter itself As in the bodye of a common welth politike if anye malefactor these or murderer be founde giltie in the cryme or offēce wherin he is accused forthwith the lawe doth prosecute by the verdicte of the .xii. men and sentence of death is pronoūced for his deserte as a man not worthye too lyue being an enemie to y ◠weale publike Euen so in the church of Christe whiche is the spirituall kingdome suche malefactours and miscreantes as do trāsgresse the faith other holsome constitucions enacted first by the prouidence of the holye Ghoste and afterwarde diligently put in execution by the holy Patriarches Bysshops and other gouernors of the same are iustly by the censure of the same cōmitted to the politike magistrates to be punished either by death or els by some other meanes laufull for the same as enemies to God haters of his true religion and cōtemners of all good ordres The Heathen being noseled in their supersticions vaine veneration of their fained goddes yet bare suche reuerence to their religion that in no wyse thei could abide the despisers therof The Atheniens for that Alcibiades a stoute capteine in their warres was supposed to haue neglected the sacrifices of Ceres was in his absence by death cōdempned The iust Socrates lykewyse was condēpned for the like insomuch that Xenophon writing of him marueiled muche therof considering he bare himselfe so vpright If the Heathen had suche a regarde to their fayned religions what woulde they haue doone if they had knowen the true and liuing god our creator And what oughte we christians to doe touching the contemners of our true religion Christe himselfe commaundeth that if any man doth not geue attendance to the churches admonition he willeth him to be taken for an Heathen and publicane Therfore if that man be worthy to be taken for a Publicane or Heathē persone which wyll not here the churche Then the heretike whiche not onely is incorrigible but also a contemptuous persone against God and his churche is worthye the name of an Heathen man according to Christes owne sentence and not worthy to lyue or be conuersant amonges christians If not worthy too lyue then he is worthye death In the olde lawe we reade in Deuteronomie this sentence That man which is proude and will not obey the priestes cōmandement which that time doth minister to thy lorde thy God the iudgement of the iudge let hym die wherin thou shalt take away an euell out of Israell Also in another place it is wrytten The Prophete whiche beyng inflate with arrogance wyll speake those thinges in my name which I haue not commaūded him let him be put to death Forasmuche then as al proude mē cōtemning the churches anthoritie and the priest are by the manifest scriptures worthy to be slayne then it is not contrary to Gods woorde as the brethren affirme to punishe anye man for his opinions S. Paule admonisheth vs yea entreateth vs too take heede of thē which sowe sedicion amōges the people to eschewe their cōpanie for such as they be do not serue their lord Christ but their owne belly seducing the mindes of the innocent with swete talke and faire perswasiōs Suche are our martyrs in these dayes who in their lyfe tyme go aboute nothinge els but to sowe sedicion either conspiracie againste their prince and magistrates or els to peruerte the innocent with their vaine perswasiōs folishe talke I would to God saieth Paule that thei which trouble you wer cutte of from the congregacion The whiche wordes of s Paule semeth to bee an infallible rule touching the punishment of heretikes But our men not regarding the discommodities whiche myght ensue by meanes of their false perswasions crye out with one voyce saying VVhat crueltie is this to put to death the brethren in christ where do we reade in scriptures that christ or his Apostles sought the death of any man Therefore saie they it is mere tyrannie thus to persecute the litle flocke the chosen and elect vessels of God crying by the waie as they passe to deaah Be cōstant dere brethren be constante in the faith sticke to it it is not this temporall paine which you ought to regarde your brekefast is sharpe your supper shal be merye Therefore the lorde strengthen you With these suche like vayne woordes they brynge the poore men in suche foles paradise that thei with suche vaine arrogance and small Charitee sticke not to aduenture themselfes into the fiery flambes O ye folishe and blynde Galathiens who hath so bewytched you too thynke that that man whiche sticketh to hys opinion to death and sealeth the same with his bloude as you terme it therefore his opinion is good But to answere your fōde obiection touching Christe his Apostles whether they soughte the death of anye man or not ye shal be answered by s Augustine For the Donatistes in his tyme iustlye condempned for their heresies alleged the very lyke obiection whom he answered thus What Emperour thē did beleue in Christe The cause why the Apostles required not the death of heretikes was for that the sworde of Heathen Prynces dyd not serue the Gospel But assoue as Constantine the fyrst christian Emperour was baptized the catholykes then cried out agaynste heretikes For if Emperours do punishe theft murder rape adulterie and periurie why shuld thei not as well punyshe heresie and sacrilege Thus saint Augustine allegeth the cause whye heresye was not punyshed in the primatiue churche For if the Princes then had yelded to the Gospell not followed their supersticious Idolatrye doubtles the quarell of Goddes enemies had been reuenged aswell as nowe And yet wee reade that one thynge was obserued then aswell as nowe whiche was that all vayne and curious bokes wherof we want no stoore at thys presente were burned openlye before al menne and the summe which the bokes die amount vnto was fyue hundreth thousande pence as appereth in the Actes of thapostles But here to note whether it be the cause or els the death that maketh a martyr we will alledge the saying of the late Prophete ofte by the protestantes cōpared to the old Prophetes called Latymer in his booke of sermons made before the late kynges maiestie Edwarde the sixte where shamefully raylyng vpon a dead man syr Thomas Seamer lorde Admyrall
bee burnte or otherwyse persecuted and not in christendome where Christ is sufficieÌ„tly knowen to all men if they wyll nedes dye to be renowmed after their death let them do as many notable menne among the Romaynes other haue done fight for their common welthes sake and for the cause of their princes Brutus the fyrst consull of Rome with suche a zeale sought to defende the libertie of his countre that hee encountred so fiercely with Aruns sonne to Tarquinius the proude whiche was banished for the rape of Lucrece that in the cloase with their launces they both perished Mutius Sceuola a worthy gentleman emonges the Romaines to deliuer his countrie from the siege of Porsenna king of Hetrurie boldly entred into his caÌ„pe thinking to kyll the kyng but when he came into the pauilion where the souldiours were wont to be paâ—ed he discouered his dagger stroke at the kynges secretarie supposing it had been the kyng because their apparail was much like But being taken demaunded what he was why he toke vpoÌ„ him such an enterprise with a sterne countenance answered I am a citizen of Rome quod he my name is Mutius and I beyng an enemie would faine haue kylled myne enemy my stomake is no lesse to dye for the cause then it was ready to do the slaughter For it is the parte of a Romaine both to do to suffre valiantly with other y â— like wordes Wherwith the king beyng moued said vnto him that vnlesse he would disclose vnto him what treason was imagined against his person he should with fyre bee tormented to death Then beholdâ— O kyng quod he what a smale matter the fyre is to them which seke to be renowmed with glory and immediatly thrust his hand into the fyre and burnte it quite of By whiche facte his countre was deliuered from the extremitie of that siege Moreouer Codrus kyng of Athenes at suche tyme as the citie was in great distresse by reason of the siege layde to the same repared to Appollo by Oracle to know what should become of the citie The answere was that vnlesse he himselfe shuld be slain the citie should be wonne Codrus therfore bearing a natural pietie to his countree rather contented to geue his owne life then the citie shuld be geuen into the haÌ„des of his enemies put on a beggers apparel and conueyed himselfe into the campe of his enemies and there gaue an occasion to one of the souldiors to strike him and so was slaine with a byll Wherby the siege not longe after brake vp These examples are sufficient to spurre these wylfull men forwardes rather to geue their liues for the defence of the coÌ„mon welth Princes against the enemies then with suche obstinacie to consume it in the fyre and no cause why They might in spendynge their lyues in the cause of their Princes or els in defence of Gods religion deserue bothe rewarde at the handes of God and also immortall fame in merityng well of their coÌ„mon wealth This is the death wherin a man ought to triumphe In this death a man heapeth vp in heauen treasures inspeakable in erth fame immortal a worthy death and worthy a christen maÌ„ For this cause it is that the feast of S. Stephens martyrdome is yerely celebrated For this cause it is that the blessed feastes of the Apostles haue their yerely recourse For this cause it is that the memories of Martyrs be registred in the Churche of God For this cause it is that the annual celebracions of all the saintes of Christ are hadde in yerely remembrance Then all men which entende to embrace the benefites of Christ and seke meanes therby to attaine to saluation let theÌ„ rather by this kynde of deathe that is to say either to fight and suffer death for the defenâ— of the name of Christ or els in the quarell of his Princes and other magistrates But it is thoughte of many of these protâ—stantes that no man ought to suffer death for his coÌ„science And they lerned the same of Luther who in dede is of that opinion In Turkey saye they a man may liue with his coÌ„science why then should a christeÌ„ man amonges christians be punyshed for his conscience Then may I aske them the like questioÌ„ if a Turke or heretike maye vse his conscience Why did they punishe Ioane Butcher the Flemming whiche were of the secte of the Arrians For their conscience led them so to beleue Why maye not the Turkes vse Mahomeâ—es lawe amonges vs Why did Peter in â—â—e Actes of the Apostles destroye Ananias and Saphyra for makyng a ley For their conscience conceiled the portioÌ„ which they kepte bâ—â—ke If it be not laufull for a man to dye for his conscience than they did ill too punyshe heresye by death in the like tyme of procedinges wherevnto I am sure they wyll not graunt For in any wyse they must be no lyers although it be proued manifestlye to their faces Tushe saye they suffre the Cockell too growe with the good corne tyll the haruest come Then the lorde of the haruest shall deuide theÌ„ shall put the good corne in to his barne and cast the cockle into the fyre But this parable GOD wote maketh nomore for their purpose than it doth against the hangyng of theues and other offenders For if the offenders and breakers of the lawe I meane such as coÌ„cerne treason murdre or fellony should liue how should a kyng or ruler gouerne his common wealth wherin the honor maistie of a kyng consisteth And like as if such malefactors shuld â—ee suffred to continue in a common wealth withoute anye restrainte of punishement the same comon wealth with the gouernor thereof were lyke to fall too ruine Euen so in the state of the churche if heresie should be mainteined the fautours thereof escake vnpunyshed it woulde not onely brynge the iuste plague of God vpon the sufferers but also it woulde vtterly consume all faieth good orders so bringe the soule of man to euerlastynge confusion And that a kyng may punyshe suche malefactours by death aswell such as offende the churche as suche as noye the coÌ„mon welth it doth appere by S. Paules wordes to Timothe Vve know saith he the lawe is good if a man vse it laufully knowing this howe that the lawe is not giuen vnto a rightuous man but to the vnrightuous and disobedient to wicked men and synners to vnreuereÌ„t and prophane with suche other And then concludeth that if ther be any other thinge contrary too holsome doctrine of the Gospell the glorie of the blessed GOD which gospel is committed vnto me Now note here that he saith the law is not geuen vnto rightuous men whose wicked dedes rehersing to the Romaines aswell as he doth in this place he sayth is worthye of death May not a kyng iustly put them to death by the lawe whiche lawe he saith is good if a man vseth it
with teares too lament the same yea if it were as harde as the stony Caucasus or as sauage is the Tigres of Hircania And whereof sprange this miserie Doubtles by the similitudes of godlines which then was pretended to the kynges maiestie by certen yonge whelpes newely crept oute of the stable who too bryng the same to passe inuented a similitude of godlynes too banyshe the popes authoritie which with all meanes possible withstode the same But here I know certen good fellowes wil obiecte sayinge Sir you begyn to rage to far vpoÌ„ vs poore protestantes lay al this geare to our charge as though none but we and oure skolemaisters were the doers hereof But sir I pray you did you neuer reade a booke made by the bishop of Winchester deceased entituled of true obedience whiche boke inueyeth against the authoritie of the Pope Yes in deede goodman protestaÌ„t I haue read the sayde booke in latyn and of late I reade the same also in englyshe but howe faithfully translated I leaue that to the iudgement of him which wyl compare them bothe together before the whiche is annexed a dronken prologue made by some hote spreted brother no doubt of as fine matter as the maker coulde deuyse But forasmuche as it is obiected that the author of that boke and others also inueyed against the sayd Popes authoritie that they were not only protestantes which sought the abandoning of the same Wel then I wold wyshe that the protestaÌ„tes which were then the originalles of the same would do as the sayde byshop of Wynchester and other good byshoppes haue done synce seke all meanes possible to restore the same agayne and to reduce that to the olde state whiche the protestantes for ambicion and the other for feare did then seke meanes to displace And as it is well knowen that it hath pleased god to call thautor of that boke to his mercy since who with a repentant harte with sainte Peter lamented the denial of gods truth so I wold it were as wel knoweÌ„ that the other I meane Cranmere had repented in semblable maner and would haue acknowledged goddes truthe to th ende For the one hath ended his lyfe after natures direction thother hath shortened his lyfe contrarie to nature The one in his bedde the other in the fier the one in the vnitie of the churche the other in the discord of heretikes the one honorably the other miserably the one as a catholyke the other as an heretike the one a true maÌ„ to God and the crowne the other a false man to God the realme Therfore I appeale to al mennes iudgementes herein to consider whether partie sought y â— destructioÌ„ of this realme or whether partie more worthy to be blamed The one worthy of blame but y â— other worthy condemnacioÌ„ And therefore pretented accordyng to their dispositions similitudes of godlines but denied the poower therof TheÌ„ folowed subuersioÌ„s of abbaies being another similitude of godlines perswaded by the sayd protestantes by whose pytifull spoyle procedeth the decaye of our common wealth For it was thought before their subuersion that all thynges woulde be better cheape but they became as good cheape as thinges did in Rome after the makyng of the lawe called Agraria For whyles the Senatours and other rulers of the citie were striuing for thassignementes of their porcions the hoale publike state was brought to ruyne by dissension and ciuile warres The landes and possessions belonging to the sayde abbaies beyng let slyp at liberttie from the sure bandes wherewith thei were before duely kept to the coÌ„modite of the realme and relief of the poore are nowe neyther so profitable to the owners al thinges considered nor yet comodious to the common welth It is to be thought that some whiche wer appointed doers about these possessions played the parte of a Romaine called Quintus Fabius Labeo who beynge appointed a daiesman betwene the Nolanes Neapolitanes about the boundes of their laÌ„des did debate the matter with either of them a parte wheÌ„ thei were come to the place and to thintent they shoulde not encâ—oche vpoÌ„ eche other the same was staked oute indifferentlye Nowe in the middes there remained a parcel of grouÌ„d vntouched which parcel of ryght also ought to haue bene staked out to thuse of either partes but he adiudged the same to the people of Rome In lyke maner whyle some were in debating the abbaie possessioÌ„s and stakinge the same oute to the kinges vse some remained in the middes mete for their owne vses Thus these similitudes of goodlines in reprouyng the abbaiemen of their ill lyues haue brought both the abbaies and all to vtter ruyne And whiles they were tickling the kynges maiest in the eare with the abuses vsed in the same they theÌ„selfes sought meanes to aspire vnto honoure not caring for the miserie whiche myght ensue nor yet seking reformatioÌ„s of the sayd abuses What a shewe of godlines was it trowye to induce so many straunge alteracions of Religion after the death of kyng Henry the eyghte but only to deny the power therof Did not men crye alwayes vpon goddes booke the worde of the lorde the heauenly fode the spirite of truthe and suche lyke But howe contrarye their dedes were too these their outcries let theÌ„selfes be iudges Many other similitudes of godlines haue thei brought forth to the shew of the worlde but the power of al godlines they vtterly denye with the effecets And to come to some particuler pointes haue they not denied the power of goddes word to worke any thyng too the iustifying of manne by the water of baptisme Haue they not also denied the moste manifest woordes of god spoken touching the consecration of his reall body in the sacrameÌ„t of thaltar and say that those wordes be spokeÌ„ tropically and figuratiuely and that they can woorke no suche effecte as bread to be transsubstanciated in to his body although Christe by his Euangelistes Apostles Prophetes Doctors Martyrs doth moste playnely affirme the same Haue they not also denyed the power of God in the wordes spokeÌ„ by the priest at the tyme of confession beyng so playnly commaunded by Christe saying Whose synnes you forgiue the same shal be forgeuen Haue they not also denied the power of gods worde in the rest of the seuen sacramentes abolishyng fyue quite out of their coÌ„pany as vnworthy therof yea and the other twayne remaining as they handled theÌ„ skarce worthy the name of a sacrameÌ„t And as they haue denyed the power of godlynes in these Sacramentes so haue they also denyed the same in the workes of GOD wrought by his grace in all godly men to be any meanes too attayne to iustification contrary to the wordes of S. Iohn saying To as manye as receyued hym meanyng Christe he gaue them power to bee made the sonnes of God euen them that beleued in his holy name some peradueÌ„ture wyll saye here that fayth onely includeth so this
power that no kynde of mannes woorkes after faith receiued can helpe him to be made the sonne of God But this their saying will not stande with S. Iohns wordes For he sayth that to as many as receiued him and beleued in his holy name too suche people so receiuing so beleuing him he gaue to them power to be made the soÌ„nes of god Then if he gaue too them power to be made the sonnes God there be workes wrought after faythe so receiued wherby thei haue power in the merites of Christe to be made the sonnes of God And thus by fayth and not by faythe onely haue they this power too woorke the will of God whiche workes helpeth a man to iustificatioÌ„ as saint Iames affirmeth saying What auaileth it my brethren though a man saie he hath faith if he haue no dedes caÌ„ faith saue him How chaunceth it then that the protestantes with theyr onely faith beareth such swynge glorie so in the scriptures sithe saint Iames so manifestly saith that withoute workes a man can not be saued If a brother or a syster sayeth he be naked or destitute of daily fode and one of you saieth vnto them God sende you warmnes and fode notwithstaÌ„ding you geue theÌ„ not those thinges nedefull to the bodye what shal it helpe â–ª Euen so faith without workes is dead in it selfe He also saieth in another place that Abraham and Raab wer iustified by workes and coÌ„cludeth saying that of dedes not of fayth only a man is iustified What more plainer wordes can be wished for to proue that workes auayle too iustification But what shall we saie vnto you then o ye pestilent protestantes whiche with youre sugred talke and swete woordes haue begiled the poore people in suche sorte that thei beleue verely they shal be saued in a beleuing faith without any workes at al What shall we say vnto you O ye betrayers of your countreye for this your lastinious preaching of onely fayeth too exclude good workes the chief state wherfore we were borne O wicked men worse then the deuel your father of whose progeny ye are lyneally descended What ment you herein to robbe God of his glory and to bereue from his poore membres their reliefe and fode What glorious similitudes haue you vsed in these your practises to begile the poore men Hope in the bloud of Christe truste in his redemption he is our satisfaction his death only can iustifie vs and suche like ye were wont to vse to instil a zeale to the hartes of your herers the rather to credite your doctrine These be swete wordes doubtles and mete to be hadde in price of all men But howe as ye meane theÌ„ God forbidde I may aswell saye Doest thou beleue in the bloude of Christe Then do what thou liste his death is sufficient But let euery catholike man beware of this doctrine for it is a lying doctryne a deceitfull argument and a doctrine of deuels We knowe that our iustification procedeth of God only by the passioÌ„ of his derebeloued soÌ„ne Iesus Christe But this his passion beyng not to vs applied by folowing his steppes so farre as it lieth in our powers in doynge the dedes of charitie the same to vs is not auailable For although his death is sufficient enough to attaine to iustification yet if in the merites of the same we do not worke euerye man according to his vocation the same to vs yeldeth no comfort Saint Paule therefore sayeth that the hearers of the lawe are not iuste but the doers of the same shal be iustified Therfore accordyng to the saying of Saint Iohn let no man seduce you for he that doeth righteousnes is iustified The scriptures are full of these exhortacions in doing the woorkes of iustice the rather by Christ not by faith only to attayne to saluacion Therefore these odible perswasions of the protestantes touching this opinion ought too be from the harte of man clerely repelled And as Liuie rehersing the oracion of Menippus Embassadour to Antiochus spokeÌ„ to the Romaines saieth that faire perswasions in the beginning seme pleasant but in th eÌ„de they be sorrowfull euen soo the vnhappie sermons more vnhappy bokes made by these hedgecreping protestantes semed at the first show pleasant stuffe but thendes therof god wote are moste lamentable For besides the ill opinions beaten into the heades of the careles multitude libertie of lyfe hathe borne suche swynge that good life bereth no rule Libertie by meanes of these ruffians hath takeÌ„ such holde fast that it hath dashed good life quite out of couÌ„tenance Libertie is rooted so in mannes harte that to moste meÌ„ it is fraÌ„kely retayned Libertie a roister hath such interteignemeÌ„t that of many he receyueth a double welcome Libertie a parasite at euery mannes borde is choked with the fare of many daintie dishes Thus moste sortes of men glad too haue libertie care not what haste they make to the deuell O deuelysh libertie I wold to GOD Germany might haue kepte the styll so Englande had neuer bene troubled with the. I would to God thou haddest had all our Englyshe bier too drynke dronke with Hance and Yacob in Strasborowe vpon condicioÌ„ London had neuer reteyned the. I would to God thou haddest remayned in Switherlande a conquerour so that thou haddest neuer had conquest in Englande For sythe thy arriuall hether many poore men by thy vngracious marchaundise are vndoone Many a good Englyshe man at the first glad to entertaygne the for curtesie as a straunger wold now be rydde of their gueste but they cannot But I truste shortly to see the bankeroute and glad to flye the realme I heare saye thy poore companions nowe in Geneua Emden Frieslande Strasborough and other places of Gernye â—urse the time that euer they knewe the and thy haunte if credite may be geuen to the coiners froÌ„ thence Whose miserie is such that a chamber as bygge as a Swynecotte is of as good rente as the best marchauntes house in LondoÌ„ And no maruaile though our cornerkreapers be so frendely welcomed paying soe well for their welcome I heard saye of one in Grauesende Barge belyke some pilgryme of Goddes churche that the poore menne of that couÌ„trey which in dede were very poore before the repayre of our englishmen thether are now become iolye fellowes And by what meanes thinke you By lettyng out their cotages in the townes to our countreymeÌ„ Who because they be glad to haue theÌ„ vse no debating of the matter as we do but bidde them aske and haue And they strayning small curtesie are contented too take their offer O lameÌ„table cases of a sorte of thurstie soules whiche for the thurst of the lordes worde as they cal it do thurst after their owne destruction The Lordes woorde was taught here establyshed longe before your dayes and the hole laÌ„de beleued therin And wil you deuise a new lordes worde to cole your dronken stomakes Hath Germany a
not y â— outwarde formes of bread and wyne but the body of Christ inuisibly therin contained The churche teacheth all kyndes of lyuely and holsome doctrine as Fasting Prayer Charitie Almesdedes Amendement of lyfe Penaunce and all other good workes mete to be obserued of a christian man Therfore waye with your selues ones more what cause haue these gracelesse menne thus to misreport the church or to spende their lyues against the churche Then fynally consider whether those vices rehersed by saint Paule whiche should be moste frequented in the latter tyme were not moste practised of the saied Protestantes Whiche thynges duely considered I shall moste humbly exhorte all menne for the loue of God and in the Passion of his sonne Iesus Christe and in his name that ye al speake one thing and that there be no dissension emonges you accordyng to the counsaile of saint Paule to the Corinthians And that ye maye be a whole body of one mynde meanyng entreating you also in like maner as he doth in another place saying Whatsoeuer thinges are honest whatsoeuer thinges are iust whatsoeuer thinges are pure whatsoeuer thinges are conuenient whatsoeuer thynges are of honest reporte if there bee any vertue if there be any praise of learning those same haue you in your mynde whiche you haue bothe learned receiued heard and also seene in me the same thinges do and the God of peace shal be with you â–ª Whiche couÌ„saile if we followe doubtles we shal be the membres of one bodie not repugnant or obstinate but meke obedient Then shall we banishe all sectes and opinions and remayne in concorde vnitie TheÌ„ shall wee saye with the prophetâ— Dauid Beholde what a pleasant thing it is for brethren to lyue in vnitie Then shall we reedifie our auncient common wealthe whiche by discorde we haue lost Then shall the membres agree with the belly whiche with discorde in maner was coÌ„sumed for hunger as Menenius Agrippa telleth the histore when he went about to recoÌ„cile the commons to the obedieÌ„ce of the Senators TheÌ„ shall we be inuincible without feare of forein realmes The shall we be impregnable without feare of any nacioÌ„ And finally we shal be acceptable to hym that is the author of attonemente whiche is Iesus Christe the sonne of the the lyuing God To whome with the holy ghoste be all prayse and honor for euer ⸫ Amen An Index or Table mencioning suche speciall matter as is before conteigned in this present volume A. ABbotes of Reding Colchester and Glastonburye and of theyr death fol. 69 Abstinence how profitable a thing fo 27 Abstinence of the Persians fol. 29 Acton a traytor hereteâ— fol. 46. 103 Adoraciâ—Ì„ of the sacrameÌ„t of thalter fo 128 Aeneas verses to Dido fol. 32 AgÌ„amemnon and his sentence recited out of Seneca fol. 9 Albanus a true martir and died for the catholike fayth fol. 66 Alcibiades fol. 41 Alexander the great his coÌ„tineÌ„cie fo 72 Almesdedes fol. 34 Anabaptistes in Englande fol. 18 Anne Askewe with her stoâ—tnes and behauiour in the time of her death fo 47 Antonius an olde father fol. 28 Anncient ordres in this realme for bringing vp of youthe fo 93. Apelles the heretike fol. 75 Aunsweres of catholikes too obiections fol. 13. 108 Apostles purchasing fol. 84 Apostrophe to the vice of libertie our countreymen in Germany fol. 116 â—pohtheÌ„gma of Papinianus Bassianus fo 31 Apprentices their ill education fol. 9â— Aristotels rebuke to Calisthenes his scolleâ— folio 31 Arrius of Alexandria fol. 61. 75 Arrogancie and selfloue the causes why our couÌ„terfaite martirs do burn fo 48 Artemisia quene of Caria compared to our gosseps whiche are in loue with oure mery martyrs fol. 6â— S. Augustine for the burning of heretikes folio 43. 59 B. BAaras a rote medicinable against ill spirites fol. 11â— Bale the freer reuenged vpon a worshypfull man of Hampshere fol. 101 Bales boke called his vocation fol. 118 Beastes be not ingrate fol. 97 Bishops effeminate fol. 80 Blandina a virgine and true martir of Christe fol. 47 Blynde Bayarde and his corage fol. 48 Boasters fol. 8â— Bones of our supposed martirs of some of their confessors preserued for reliques fol. 6â— Bokes of the brethrâ— in Germany 〈…〉 A Bricâ—laier taking vpon him the â—â—â—ice of preaching fol â–ª 19 Browne the shepeheard commoÌ„ly called father browne fol. 〈…〉 Brownes mother fol. 123 Brownes mothers exposition vpon a place of scripture fol. 1â—3 Browne and his Iade fol. 1â—4 Brownes sermone ibideâ— Brutus the fyrst consul in â–ª Rome fol. 54 Burning of heretikes fol. 40 Byrde in the wall in Aldersgate â—â—â—ete fol. 120 C. CAius Pontius the Samnite fol. 14 Caluine fol. 17 Candaules kyng of Lydia fol. 6 Cranmere fol. 17 Cranmere late byshop of Cantorbury a traytor fol. 10â— The Catholiques how they auoyde the place of S. Paule to Timothe obiected by the heretikes and the ryghte sense therof fol. 23 Catholike churche in all thinges obserueth an ordre fol. 29 Catholike churche perswadeth good lyfe â–ª fol. 34 Catholike relegion in this realme how long it hath continued fol. 91 The Catte that was haÌ„ged vp in chepeâ—yde fol. 120 Catholike churche what it is fol. 12 Catholike church how to know it fo 12 Carolstadius and his 〈…〉 fol. 16 Causes of our myseriâ— fol. 10 Causes wherein men ought to spende their lyues fol. 54 Causes why the protestantes in kynge Edwardes tyme did not punyshe the catholikes by death fol. 70 Causes wherin women ought to spende their lyues fol. 78 Causes of Goddes plagues fol. 91 Causes why EnglyÌ„shmen be welcomed in Germany fol. 117 Centaurâ— certen monsters fol. 14 Chrisostome proueth that yonge wydowes did vowe fol. 25 Chrisostome for y e punishing of heretikes 6 The Champion of the fayth fo 118 Circes cuppes fol. â—â— Codrus kyng of Athenes fol. 55 Communion table procedinges about the same fol. 80 Confused ordres about the late communion fol. 83 Constancie wherin our martirs triumphe fol. 5â— Maister Christophersonnes booke against rebellion fol. 103 Couetonsnes â–ª fol. 84. 8â— Crumwell fol. â—0â— The croche of the lame man that was burned at Stratford fol. 12â— Curssed speakers fol. 89 D. THe death of quene Katherine fo 107 Demosthenes tale of an asses shadow 49 Despysers of the godly fol. 99 The difference betwene the catholike Scismaticall churche fol. 127 A discourse touching the burning of heretikes fol. 40 Disobedience to parentes fol. 92 The doctrine of the churche fol. 127 Donatus the heretike fol. 75 A duche man and his opinion fol. 19 A duche man and his hypocrysie fo 46. 57 The Duke of Northumberland fo 102 E. Elders and ministers and of their late wicked preceptes in the church fo 5. 6 Emden a cytie in Frieslande fol. 116 Englande the mother of vs all fol. 6 Essai and their abstinence fol. 28 A text of Esaie the prophet very mysused of the protestantes against fasting 37 Ethelbert fol. 9â— Example of