amongest these kinde of mē or to their fathers before them any thinge newe or strange that in case there were any y t wolde complayne of their errors and desire the restitution of true religiō suche by and by as inuentors of new thyngs as factious persons to be condemned for Heretiks For Christ was called for none other cause a Samaritane thē for that he was supposed to haue declined vnto a certayne new religion and vnto Heresy And Paule the Apostle of Christe was called before the Iudge aunswer for himselfe vpon Heresy I saith he do worship the God of my fathers accordinge to this waie whiche they cal Heresy beleuing al things that are written in the lawe and the Prophets To be short this whole religiō which Cristiā mē do professe at this daie in the first beginnings therof was called of Heathen men a sette an Heresye thei w t these voyces alwaies filled the eares of Princes to the entēte that thei being ones broughte vpon an opinion conceiued before hande to hate vs to take whatsoeuer shold be said on our behalfe to be factious and Heresy might be caryed from the matter it selfe and from hearinge of the cause But the greater and y e horribler the faulte is so muche ought it to be proued wyth greater and more euident arguments specially in these daies nowe that men haue begonne to giue lesse credite vnto these mens dreames and more diligently to examine their doctrine then afore thei were accustomed For the people of God is otherwyse instructed now then they were when all thinges that were set forth by the Popes of Rome wer taken for the Gospell al religion depended onely vpon their authoritie The holy scriptures are now abroade the writings of the Apostles and Prophets ar abroad out of the which bothe all truth and catholike doctrine may be proued and all Heresye confuted But wheras of all these authorities these men bring not a worde against vs neuerthelesse to be called Heretikes that haue not declined nother from Christe nor frō the Apostles nor from the Prophets it is very iniuriouse and to to greuous With this sword Christ repulsed the Deuill when he was tempted of him with these weapons all loftynesse that auaunceth it selfe agaīst god must be ouerthrowē vāquished For al scripture saith Paul inspired of God is profitable to teach to confute to instruct to reproue y t the mā of God may be perfecte furnished vnto all good workes Thus alwais y e godly fathers fought against Heretiks w t none other weapons but out of y e holy scriptures Augustine when he disputed againste Petylyan the Donatiste heretike Suffer not saith he to be hearde these words amongst vs I saie or y u saiest rather let vs speake thus This saith the Lorde ther let vs leke the Churche there let vs trie out our cause And Ierome saith All those thinges whyche withoute the testimonie of the Scriptures are affirmed as thoe thei were deliuered from the Apostles are beaten downe with the swordde of God Ambrose also vnto Gratian Let the Scriptures saith he be asked the questiō let the Apostles be asked let the Prophets be asked let Christe be asked for the Catholike fathers Byshops in those daies doubted nothing that oure religion myght be sufficiently proued oute of the Scriptures of God Nor at any tyme durste they accounte any man for an Heretike whose errore they coulde not plainely and euidently reproue out of y e selfe same scriptures We therefore do saye for to answer w t S. Paule that according vnto this waye whiche they call Heresy we do worship God the father of our Lorde Iesu Christ we receiue al things y t are writē other in y e law or in the Prophets or in the bokes of y e Apostles Wherefore if we be Heretikes if these men be as they will be called Catholikes why do thei not that thynge whiche thei se the Fathers trew Catholike men in dede alwaies did Why do thei not conuince vs out of the holy scriptures Why do thei not cal vs to be tried by thē Why doe thei not make it appeare that we haue seuered oure selues from Christe from the Prophets from the Apostles frō the holy Fathers Why stagger they why flee thei it is Gods cause Why doubt thei to commit it to Gods worde But if we be Heretikes whiche referre all oure controuersies vnto the holy Scriptures and make oure appeale vnto the selfe same wordes whiche we knowe are sealed by God him selfe and doe preferre them before all thinges that may be deuised by manne what shall we saye to these men what manner of men or by what name were it conuenient to cal these that ar afraide to stand to the trial of the sacred scriptures that is to saie the iudgment of God himselfe and preferre before them their owne dreames and moste colde inuentions and for their owne traditions sake nowe manye yeares haue broken the ordinances of Christ and of the Apostles Sophocles the Poet when he was accused beinge an olde man to the Iudges of his sonnes for a dotarde and a foole and as one that fondely consumed his goodes and therefore seemed to haue neede of a tutor for to purge himselfe of this slaunder came into the courte after he had reade Oedipus Coloneus a tragedie which euen in the selfe same time that he was accused in he had writen wyth great diligence and very elegantly by and by he asked of the Iudges whether that verse seemed to be the verse of a dotinge man Euen so we bicause that vnto these men wee seeme to be madd and are slaundered of them as Heretiks as who woulde say we hadde now nothinge to do nother with Christe nor w t the Churche of God haue thought it shoulde not be vnconuenient nor vnprofytable if wee did plainely and freely declare vnto the worlde that faith wherin wee stande and all oure hope whiche wee haue in Iesus Christ that al men may see what we do holde touchinge euery parte of Christian religion and maye iudge with themselues whether that faith whiche they shall see confirmed with the wordes of Christ with the writinges of the Apostles with the testimonies of the Catholike fathers with the examples of many ages be only a raginge of madde menne and a conspiracie of Heretikes WEe beleue therfore that ther is one diuine nature power which we do cal GOD the same is distincted into thre equa persōs the Father the Sonne the holy Ghoste al of one power of one maiesty of one eternitie of one diuinitie of one substance And all be yt those three persons bee so distincted that nother the father is the sonne nother the sonne is the holy ghoste or the father yet that there is but one God and the same onely to haue created heauen and earthe and all things that are contained within the compasse
holynes at all yet they do not only liue but also launch out riotouslye of other mens goodes The olde councel of Rome ordained that no man should be present at ani seruice of God y t were said by y t minister of whō it was certainly knowne y t he kept a Concubine These mē for money doe bothe lett out to hyer Concubines to their priestes also driue men perforce to be present against their willes at their blasphemouse seruing of y e Deuil The olde Canones of the Apostles doe commaunde y t Byshop that will take vpon him to execute the offyce both of a cyuill gouerner and of an Ecclesiasticall minister to be remoued from his Bishopricke These men both doe take vpon them and will take vpon them both the regiments whosoeuer say nay or rather the one which they ought most chiefly to execute that they doe not once touch yet is there no man that commaundeth them out of office The olde Coūsell called Gangrense commaundeth that no man shall make any such difference betwene a maried and an vnmaried priest as for his wiuelesse estate he should think the one holyer thē the other These mē doe make such difference betwene them that they ymagine al their holy misteries if they come in the handes of any godly honest mā y t hath maried a wife to be by by vnhalowed polluted That auncient Emperor Iustinian commaunded y t al things in the holy administratiō of the Church should be pronounced w t a clere a loude and an opē voice that some fruite might come therof to the people These men least the people should vnderstande somewhat doe whysper al their holy misteries not only with an vncertaine a lowe voice but also in a strāge and a barbarouse tong The olde Councell of Carthage forbiddeth that any thing should be read in the holi cōgregation other then the Canonicall Scriptures These men reade those things in their Churches which thei themselues doubt not but they be manifest lyes and vaine fables But if there be any man that doth thinke these thinges to bee weake of smale aucthorite bicause they were decreed by Emperors and certain meane Byshops Councels assembled in no great numbre and that doth better allow the aucthoritie name of the Pope Pope Iulius doth expresly forbid the priest in the administration of the holy misteries to dippe the bread in the cuppe these men contrary to the decree of Pope Iulius breake the breade and dipp it into the wyne Pope Clement denyeth it to be lawfull for a Bysshop to exercise both the Swordes saying If thou wilt haue both thou shalt both deceaue thy selfe and them that harken vnto the. Now the Pope chalengeth bothe the swordes and exerciseth them bothe wherefore it ought to seeme lesse maruaile if that hath folowed sithens which Clement spake of that he hath both deceiued himselfe and them that haue giuen eare vnto hym Leo the Pope sayth y t in one Churche and vpon one day it is lawfull to say but one Masse These men in one Churche doe saye sometymes ten sometimes twenty sometime thirtye Masses and ofte times moe in one day in so much that the vnhappy man that standeth by and is the looker on can scantly tell which way it is best to turne himselfe Pope Gelasius saith that if anye man deuide the Sacrament so that when he taketh the one parte he leaueth the other he doth lewdely and committeth sacrilege These men both contrarye to gods worde and contrary to Pope Gelasius commaunde that the one parte of the Sacrament onely be gyuen to the people and in so doyng they make al their Priestes gilty of sacrilege But in case they will say that all these matters are nowe worne out of vre become vtterly deade so that vnto these daies they appertaine nothing at al yet to the intent that all men may vnderstand what credit is to be gyuen vnto these manner of men and what good is to be looked for of those Councels which they assemble together let vs see a little what regarde they haue to those things which now in these latter yeares whils thei be yet in fresh remēberāce thei haue decreed in opē Coūcel lawfully called to be inuiolably obserued In the last Councel of Trente yet scantly fortene yeares paste it was decreed with the generall consent of all degrees that no one man shoulde haue two benefices at one time Where is thys decree now become ▪ Is this also so sone worne out of vre become starke dead For as for these men thei giue not only two benefices but also many times diuers Abbais Bysshoprickes sometimes two somtimes three somtimes fowre vnto one mā such a one as is not only vnlearned but also oftimes a mā of warr It was decreed in the same Councel y t al Byshops should teache the Gospel These men neither teache nor neuer come in pulpit nor think y t this matter pertaineth any thing to their office Thē I pray you what a wōderful ostentation of Antiquity is this Why doe they bragge of the olde fathers Why doe they glory in the names of the newe and olde Coūcels Why will they seme to grounde themselues vpon the authoritie of those which when they liste they contemne at their pleasure But it doth mee good to deale rather w t the Pope himselfe to talke of these matters presently to his face Tell vs therefore O holy Pope y t crakest altogether of Antiquitie vauntest thy self y t all men are appointed to obey thee alone Amongest all the anciēt fathers which of them euer did cal the other chiefe Bisshopp or vniuersall Bishop or head of the Church Which euer said that both the swordes were committed vnto the Which that thou haste aucthorite and right to call Councelles Which that the whole worlde was thy diocesse Which that of thy fulnesse all Bisshops receiued their portion Which that all powre was gyuen vnto the aswell in heauen as in earthe Which that thou couldest be iudged neither of kinges nor of the whole Clergy nor of all the people togither Which y t all kings Emperors by the cōmandemēt ordināce of Christ receiued their authoritie at thy hāde whiche that thou after so exquisite iuste a reckening warte seuenty times seuen folde greater then the greatest kinges Whiche that a more ample authoritie was gyuen vnto thee then to the reste of the Patriarches whiche that thou warte Lorde and God or that thou warte not simply a bare man or that thou warte a certeyne thyng cōclowted growen together of God and man whiche that thou alone warte the well heade of al lawes whiche that thou haddest dominiō ouer purgatory whiche that thou mightest at thy pleasure cōmaunde the Angels of God which of thē did euer say that thou warte king ouer kinges Lord ouer lordes We can appose
slaunderousely agaynste vs yet thys one thynge they can not saye that wee haue aparted our selues either from the word of God or from the Apostels of Christ or from the primityue Churche But we haue alwayes estemed the firste age of the Church to be catholyke y e which was in tune of Christ and of the Apostles and of the holy fathers Nor wee doubt not to call y t Church the arke of Noe the spouse of Christ the piller and perfect stay of the truth or vpō the same to repose the whole course of our saluation It is doutles an odyous thing for any man to forsake y t felowship whereunto he hath accustomed himselfe but specially of those men which although they be not yet at the least seeme to be are called Christiās And to say truth concerning their Church euen for the names sake bicause y t in time paste of what sorte so euer it be now the Gospell of Iesus Christ was truly purely set forth in it we doe not so greatly contemne it nor would not haue forsaken it but only of very necessitie and y t very much against our willes But what if an Idole be raised vp in the Church of God that same desolation whereof Christ did prophecy shoulde stande openly in the holy place What if a strong theefe or a pyrate get the possessiō of y e Arke of Noe Doubtles these mē as often as they preach vnto vs y e Church they make themselfes onely to be the Church and all those tytles they chalenge to themselfes and so they triumphe euen as they did in tymes paste that cryed The temple of the Lord The temple of the Lord or as the Pharasies and Scribes did when they boasted themselfes to be the sonnes of Abraham Thus they deceiue the simple w t a vaine apparance of gay thinges and seke vtterly to oppresse vs with y e very name of the Church euen lyke as if a theefe when that he had entered vpō an other mans house and had other violētly thrust out or murdered y e owner therof should afterwardes chalenge it for his owne and keepe out of possession the right heire or if Antichrist after y e he had goten himselfe into possession of the temple of God should say afterwardes that it were his owne that it appertained nothing vnto Christ. For these mē wheras in the Church of God they haue left nothing lyke to gods Churche yet they will seeme to be maintainers and defenders of the Church euen altogether as Gracchus in tymes paste defended the treasure of Rome what time as with launching out of large gifts and vndiscreat expenses he vtterlye consumed cast it away There was neuer nothing so wicked or so farre against reason that vnder the name of y e Church might not easily be couered and defēded For euen the waspes also doe make honycombes and the wicked haue theyr assembles and fellowshyppes together lyke vnto the Church of God But not whosoeuer are called the people of God are by and by the people of God Nor all that are descēded from their father Israell ar all Israelytes The Arryans y t were Heretiks boasted themselues that they only were Catholykes for the reste they called them al sometyme Ambrosyans sometime Athanasians sometyme Iohannites Nestoriās as Theodoret saith although he wer an Heritike yet he couered himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y t is to say with a certain apparance cloke of the right faith Ebion although he agreed in opiniō with the Samaritanes yet as Epiphanius saith he would be called a Christian. And the Mahometans although it be euident out of all hystories and can not deny themselfes but that they came of Agar the bondwoman yet they had rather as though they were descended out of the stocke of Sara a free woman and the wife of Abraham be called Sarracens for the reputation of the name and of the stocke Thus the false Prophetes of all ages which did withstand the Prophets of God as Esay as Hieremy as Christ as y e Apostles had nothing more rife in their mouthes then the name of the Church Nether for any other cause did they so bitterly turmoile them or call them runnawaies and forsakers of their profession thē bicause they had gone from their fellowship and obserued not the ordiānces of the elders And in case we wil folow the iudgement of those men onely by whom the Church was gouerned at that time haue no respect other to God or to his woorde or to any other thinge doubtles it cā not be denied but that the Apostles in as much as they declined away from the high Byshops priestes that is to say from the catholyke Church and contrary to their willes cried they neuer so much brought in an innouation a change of many thinges in religion were rightly condemned and according to law Wherfore like as thei writ of Hercules y t in wrastling with Anteus the Gyaunt he was faine to hoist him vp from the earthe his mother before he could ouercome him so our aduersaries must be lifted vp frō this mother of theirs that is to say from this counterfait shape and shadow of the Church which they mass themselues w tall for otherwise they can not giue place to y e word of God Wherfore Ieremye saith Boast not your selues so much that the temple of God is amongst you that is but a vaine confidence for these be saith he y e words of lies And y e Angel in the reuelatiō Thei say saith he thei be Iewes but thei be the Synagoge of Satan And Christ what time the Pharasies bosted themselues of the stock and kinred of Abraham You sayth he are of your father the Deuill for you doe nothing resemble your father Abraham As thoughe he shoulde saye thus You are not the men which you desire so much to be taken for you deceiue the people w t counterfait tytles and abuse the name of y e Church to the ouerthrowing of the Church Wherfore this they ought first euidently and truely to haue proued that the Church of Rome is y e true and the right beleuing Church of God and that the same according as it is gouerned by them at this day doth agree with the primitiue Church of Christ of the Apostles and of the holy fathers which no mā doubted to bee the Catholike Church True it is in deede in case we could haue beleued that ignorāce error superstition worshipping of Idols mans inuentions such as many times are contrary to the holy Scriptures either pleased God or were sufficiēt to the obtaining of euerlasting saluation or if we coulde haue perswaded our selues that the worde of God was writē only for a fewe yeares and then to be put out of all authoritie or that at any time the saiynges and ordinances of God shoulde stande at the discretion of the will of mā that whatsoeuer God sayde or commaunded
of heauen We do beleue that Iesus Christe the onely sonne of the eternall father accordinge as it was decreed longe sythens before all beginninges when the fulnesse of time was come toke fleshe and the whole nature of man of that same blessed and pure Uirgine to the entēt to declare vnto men the secret and hidde will of his father whyche was hydden from all ages and generations and to the entente that in the bodye and nature of man he myght accomplish the mistery of oure redemption naylinge oure Sinnes and y t same Handewriting whiche was written againste vs vnto the Crosse. We beleue that for oure sakes he dyed and was buried descended into Hell the thyrde day by diuine power retourned vnto lyfe and rose agayne after forty dayes in the sighte of his disciples he ascended into heauen for to fulfill all thinges and the very same bodye wherein he was borne wherein hee was conuersaunte vpon earthe wherein he was mocked wherein hee suffered moste greeuous tormentes and cruell kynde of deathe wherein he rose againe wherein he ascended vnto the ryghte hande of the father hee hathe placed in maiestie and glorie aboue all princely dignitie and power and vertue and rule and all names that are named not onely in this worlde but also in the worlde to come and that nowe he sitteth there and shal sitte vntill al things be perfectly fynyshed And albeit that the maiestie and diuinitie of Christe bee spred ouer all yet his bodie as Augustine saithe muste bee in one place Christe gaue vnto his bodie maiestie but the nature of his bodie hee toke not awaie Nor we muste not affirme Christe in suche sorte to be God that we shal deny him to be man And as Uygill y e martyre saithe Christ in his humaine nature did leaue vs but in his diuinitie he did not leaue vs thoughe he be absent from vs touching the forme 〈◊〉 a seruant yet he is alwaies w t vs in y e forme of God From that place wee beleue that Christe shall come agayne for to execute that same publike and vniuersall Iudgemente as well ouer those whiche hee shall finde yet remayninge a liue in their bodies as those that be deade We beleue that the holy ghoste whoe is the thyrde person in the holie trinitie is very God not made not created not begotten but proceedinge from boothe the father and the sonne by a certaine waie whiche is vnknowen to menne and not able wyth wordes to be expressed that yt is hys worke to make tender the hardnesse of manes harte what tyme as other by the holsome preachynge of the Gospell or by any other meanes hee is receaued into mans harte and that he lightneth them and leadeth them into the knowledg of God and into all way of truthe and into a newnesse of their whole life and perpetuall hope of saluacion We do beleue that ther is onely one Churche of God and that the same is not shut vp as in time past among the Iewes into any one corner of kingedome butte is Catholike and vniuersall dispersed into al the world so that nowe there is no nacion that maye truely complaine that thei be excluded and can haue no parte with the Churche and people of God He doe beleue that the same Church is the kingdome is the body is the spouse of Christe and of this kingdome that Christe is the only Prince of this body that Christe is the onely heade of this spouse that Christe is the onely bridgrome and that there be in the Churche diuers ordres of ministers some be Deacons some Elders some Byshoppes vnto whom the instruction of the people and the charge and prouision for thinges appertaininge to religion is committed and yet that there is noe one man nor that any one can be superioure and ruler ouer all for wee beleue bothe that Christe is alwaies present with his Church and that he needeth no Uicare that shoulde supplie hys roume in all pointes and that it is vnpossible for anye mortall man so muche as to comprehende in his minde muche more to set in ordre and rightly and profytablye to gouern the whole vniuersall Churche that is to say all partes of the worlde that the Apostles as Cypriane saithe were all of lyke authoritie and that the rest were in the very same degree that Peter was That it was spoken indifferently to them al Feede to them all Go in to the whole worlde to them all Teache the Gospell And as S. Ierome saithe that all Byshops in what place so euer thei be other at Rome or at Eugubin or at Constantinople or at Rhegium be al of like desert of like Preesthoode And as Cyprian saith that ther is but one Bishoperike and euery one holdyng a part therof dothe administer the whole and accordinge to the sentence of the Councel of Nice that the Romaine Byshoppe hathe no more right ouer the Churche of God then the other Patriarks of Alexandria of Antioche as for the byshop of Rome who at this day chalengeth all thinges to himselfe alone vnlesse he do his office vnlesse he administer the Sacraments vnlesse he instructe the people vnlesse he admonishe vnles he teache ought not of right to be accompted a Byshoppe or so much as an Elder in the Churche for a Byshoppe as Augustine saith is the name of a worke and not of honore so that he may know assure himself to be no Bishop that coueteth to beare rule and not to profite as for to be heade of the whole Churche or an vniuersall Byshop it is no more possible for him or any other mortall man then to be the bridegrome the light the saluacion the life of the Church for these be the priuileges and names of Christ onely and vnto him alone proprely and only thei do appertaine Nother before Phoeas the Emperours tyme whoe wee knowe well inoughe by a moste detestable murder in killinge the Emperoure Maurice his Lorde master aspired vnto the Empire that is to say before sixe hūdreth thirtene yeares after the byrth of Christ was there euer any Bishop of Rome that euer suffered himself to be called by so proude a name The Councell also of Carthage did expresly forbid that any Byshop shoulde be called other the highest Byshop or the chiefe preest And for the bishoppe of Rome in asmuche as he wil be called at this day after this sorte and chalengeth to hymfelfe an authoritye not due vnto hym besydes that openlye hee doothe contrarye to the olde Councels and contrary to the fathers if hee will beleue hys predecessor Gregory he taketh to himself an arrogant prophane sacrilegious Antichristian name he is the kinge of all pride he is Lucifer in asmuche as he preferreth himselfe before his brothren he hath cast away faith he is the fore runner of Antichriste We say also y t ministers