VVorcester 36. b. 37. a An Inuectiue against heresie that it openeth the truth 37. a A comparison of the ignoraunce of thâ—… greatest learned men among the Papists in king Henryes dayes and the cleare knowledge that the Louanists haue nâ—…we 38 a. b. Master Feckenham his repentaunce for confessing the Kings title of supremacie 38. b. A biâ—… quarell at the Bishop for calling this sentence of the Booke of Wisedome In 〈◊〉 ammam non introâ—…it sapientia A sentence of the holy ghost Whervpon he concludeth a discorde in the Protestants writing 39. a. Where he should replie 39. b. 40. a To the Bishops answere he aunswereth not a worde but séeketh starting holes out of another aunswere that he threapeth on the Bishop to haue made before to chalenge him thereby with falshood as being variable in his aunsweres and so aunswering nothing runneth quite from the matter In steade of aunswere in the Bishops argument out of Deut. 13. and. 17. he runneth to a néedelesse proufe that Heresie is a very Idoll And once againe that we haue no warrant by act of Parliament for mariage of ministers for oure doctrine of the Sacrament for our wrytinges and preachings 42. a. When he should aunswere in the ensample of Iosue he is in hand with M. D. Harding and the Apologie with M. Dorman and M. Nowell quarelling for ciphers in misquoting for 〈◊〉 maâ—…er Dâ—…rmans theâ—…tes for laye mens presumption to go before Priestes for altering religion at the conuocation 46. b. Challenging the Bishop for running at randon from the marke and willing the Reader to regarde the marke he setteth vp of purpose ix false markes nothing nere the issue in question betwene the Bishop and M. Feck and vnder pretence of those nine markes runneth himselfe at randon into aboue xix impertinent matters of the Iewes acknowledging one high Priest of altering religion of the auncientnesse of Poperie 53. b. of the Priests othe on their Priesthood of abandoning the Pope and general councels of the authoritie of the Scriptures of the determining heresies by them of foraigne authoritie of bestowing ecclesiastical liuings Of Bishops letters patents of restraining their iurisdiction of inhibiting from preaching of payment of tenthes and first fruites of the priuilege of the heathen priestes of Egypt of writing the Queenes title of Priestes receiuing the othe of exempting the nobilitie of a woman Prince and in the ende of all this of Robin Hood and little Iohn and bicause he shooteth at these markes he sayth he hath shot awrie like a blinde man. 54. a. b. 55. a. Where he shoulde directly aunswere to that wherewith master Feckenham is by the Bishop charged for refusing all the prooues of the olde Testament to play the part of a Donatist Master Stapleton snatcheth herevpon occasion to runne out from his matter and to gather togither first a great rabble partly of heresies partly of no heresies to charge vs withall and then trauayleth to heape vp a number of poynts labouring thereby to proue the Protestants to be Donatists medling by this occasion with euery matter that he thought he might enlarge his booke withall with sectes and diuisions with bragging of multitudes with viciousnesse of life of tying the Church to this or that place of corrupting the fathers of visions and myracles of vaunting of Councels of a generall Apostacie of beginning and continuance of doctrine and Bishops of complayning of good Princes and praysing of ill of defacing the Sacraments and incredible crueltie of the Emperours lawes and the holye Gospels of murthering others and themselues of false martyrs all which sauing his long discourse of thrée or foure pages agaynst master Foxes booke which I remitte to him to be answered is aunswered for his importunitie sake though much of it be more fullie aunswered by others and also quite extrauagant from the matter in hande 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. Fol. 65. He chalengeth vs to be blasphemers he is in hande with contempt of the number of the sacraments with prouinciall and generall Councels with another fling at M. Foxes booke of Martyrs about the articles of Sir Thomas Hitton priest 〈◊〉 Sir Iohn Oldcastle Knight the Lorde of Cobham for putting of heretikes to death for compelling to receyue the fayth for manslaughter 66. a. b. Once againe he is in hande with his olde quarell of Images Idols and the Crosse. 68. b. Where he should aunswere to the Bishops allegations out of Nicephorus he letteth them all alone and medleth with other matters nothing to the purpose as with Michael Paleologus Emperour of Greece with thalenging the Grecians for heresies with the heresie of the holy ghost to proceede onely from the father and not from the sonne with the Councell at Lions with the accordment betwene the Grecians and the Latine Church with their reuolt from the same with the spite of the Greeke Bishops From thence he runneth to other matters rayling on the Authour of the Homelie agaynst Idolatrie for calling Michael â–ª Theodorus about his depriuing and funerals that the question of Images was not mooued at the Councell of Lions of the setting vp and continuance of Images in the Greeke Church From hence he runneth to quarelling about the names of Valence and Valentinian and of his and Theodosius his lawe agaynst the picture of the Crosse. Against Bishop Iewel for citing it out of Crinitus simplie as the same Crinitus doth Hereon he entreth into a generall inuectiue agaynst the reading of the Homelies nowe â—…et forth and falleth in praysing of the Homelies in the Popish Church 76. b. 77. a. In steade of aunswering to the Bishops argument out of Saint Paule and Chrysostomes allegation thereon he is in hande againe with master Foxe for setting forth the doyngs of Doctour VVesalian with the Bishop to be but a poore Clearke with the aduauncing of Bishop VVhite and Bishop Gardiner with chalenging the Bishop to be of the Grecians opinion agaynst the proceeding of the holye Ghost from the father and the sonne with the decaye of the Empyre of Greece with a comparison betwéene the decay of Hierusalem besieged at Easter by the Romaynes and the Captiuitie of Constantinople besieged at VVhitsontide by the Turkes with the poynting of Gods â—…ynger wyth the Realmes of Fraunce Scotlande Germanie with the vaunting of his owne plaine and true going to woorke with Michaell and Andronicus once againe and none of all these things eyther aunswering the Bishop or perteyning to the question Last of al where he taketh on him to set downe the state of the question he setteth vp many newe questions neyther in hand betwéene the Bishop and master Feckenham nor any whit defended by vs but méere slaunders of the Papistes of the Princes preaching the woorde of God ministring the Sacraments binding and losing c. Thus handsomely hath he kept himselfe close to the matter and yet euer he crieth haue an eye to the marke and willeth vs still to call for the question and yet himselfe hath thus
commendations these vertues so highly coÌ„mended are both a goodly and godly president for all Princes to set before them Thus much therefore to the former winde of your counterblast Now to the later which after all these long discourses draweth somewhat néerer to the matter in admitting the authour Nicephorus his testimonies and the Emperours doings and answering to the Bishops allegations thereon The effect whereof is to improue all that is alleaged as insufficient to inferre this supremacie And it is quartred into foure partes Firste prâ—…supposing this Prince to be Andronicus all 〈◊〉 doing about to be the reuoking of Michâ—…els yelding to the Pope at the Councell at Lions he 〈◊〉 to proue that not 〈◊〉 but the Priestes though wicked had the chiefe â—…uperioritie Secondly he 〈◊〉 against the gathering and sorting of the Bishops 〈◊〉 Thirdly he entreth into the inualiditie of the allegacions And fourthly here vpon he maketh his triumph and 〈◊〉 thanks for the victorie In the first parcell sayeth M. Stapleton But now M. Horne what if these hereticall doyngs do nothing releeue your cause nor necessarily induce the chiefe superioritie in all causes and perchaunce in no cause Ecclesiasticall concerning the finall discussing and determination of the same verily without any perchaunce it is most plainly and certainely true it doth not For euen in this Schismaticall councell and hereticall fynagog the Bishops played the chiefe parte and they gaue the finall though a wrong and a wicked iudgement VVho also shewed their superioritie though vngodly vppon this mans Father in that they would not suffer him to be enterred Princelike them selues much more worthy to haue bene cast after their decease to the Dogges and Rauens vppon â—… durtie doonghill What those Priests were worthie we haue your worthie iudgement M. Stapleton whereby we perceiue your Priests can erre although they be Massemongers and by your former sayings Reuerent worshippers of Images too But all will not helpe they are adiudged to be cast on a dâ—…rtje doonghill to be deuoured of Dogges and Raues bicause they would not suffer â–ª Michael Paleologus their Emperour who notwithstanding intruded him selfe by violence to be enterred Prince like I pray you M. Stap. be an vpright iudge What then are those Priests much more worthy that would not suffer their liuing Princes to vse their princely authoritie what are those Popes more worthie â–ª that haue not onely not suffred their predecessours to be enâ—…orted Pope like but haue pulled them out of the ground againe and hacked and mangled them What are those prelates worthie that haue caused the Priestes and the people to renounce their obedience to their sworne Princes I thinke ye will not say these should be â–ª call out on durtie doonghils and yet their faulte is as much as the other it is to be feared least they shal be cast out into vtter darkenesse â–ª But ye do a little to much charge the Gréeke Priestes with the whole burden of this crime It was not onely they as Uolaterane saith but it was the whole nation as Baptist Egnatius writeth as is also noted in Laugus his margine Ex qua tuntam â—…nuidiam â–ª c. VVherevppon he gotte so great enuie of the Greeke notion that neither they performed the obsequies of the dead also denied him the place of his Sepulchre But you applie it onely vnto the Priestes that their superioritie might the more appeare For which purpose you direct all your tale to sette foorth their superioritie euen in such as ye call wicked and hereticall doings whereas the Princes claime is not for any such superioritie in wicked doings but onely in Godly and Christian causes Ye driue all the matter to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the holy Ghosts proceeding and to Andronicus cealing therein against the dealing of his Father In 〈◊〉 thus do the last editions of Nicephorus Printed at Paris 1562. and 1566. whether truely or no is doubtfull to say referre al to Andronicus and euer in the place of Emaâ—…el put Andronicus and for driâ—…ing away of the Turkes put in the anulling of the doings at Lions Councell Which sentence soeuer be the truer either the former which the Bishop followed or the later which you follow yet caÌ„ you not go so round away with the matter but that euen Michael which yéelded to the Pope mangre all his Priestes and made them perforce while he liued to acknowledge the Pope shewed therein a superioritie â—…uer them which I thinke ye will not call a tiranâ—…y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gaue it ouer to the Pope And his sonne in doing the contrarie euen in the Councell ye mention sheweth also a supreme dealing therein And that supreme dealing that you most stiffly denie to Princes to wâ—…te the calling of Councels the Patriarch did it not but the Prince 〈◊〉 as your selfe haâ—… confessed before that he after his Fathers death suâ—…moned a Councell of the Grecians And so sayeth Langus in the Margine of the Preface Imperatoriâ—… istius ductu c. By the guydance of this Emperour in the Councell the Easterne Bishops contrarie to the Westerne decreed that the holy Ghost proceeded onely from the Father But not long after by his Nephewe Iohn Paleologus being Emperour in the Synode at Florence holden in the yeere of the Lorde 1439. the Grecians accorded to the determination of the Latines in so much that they professed the holy Ghost to proceede from the Father and the Sonne when they were perswaded that the Latines beleeued God the Father to be the onely cause of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost and that they accursed the being of twoo beginnings or two causes in the consubstantiall Trinitie Which sentâ—…nce as it sheweth the 〈◊〉 to be called by the 〈◊〉 â–ª so it sheweth the cause of the Gréekes diâ—…ision 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 in this 〈◊〉 aboute which here and in your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…e make so much a do to haue bene rather of misunderstanding the one of the other than any such 〈◊〉 â–ª as ye here â—…o often charge them â—…aunder Niâ—…phorus reâ—…ite this Prince and afterwardes 〈◊〉 â—…o vs also And withall it sheweth that this controuâ—…rsie was not so much tho matter betweene them as was the reâ—…enting vnto the Popes obedience which the Greeke Church could neuer abide and to say the sooth they of all other had chiefe cause â–ª for the Pope was the chiefe ruine 〈◊〉 their Empirâ—… But to returne to my purpose In this Councell the Prince hath this point of supremacâ—…e that he sumâ—…oned and guided it â–ª which M â–ª Stapleton espying dareth not fully affirme â–ª that thiâ—… doing maketh â—…atly againste the Princes supremacie but he cometh fâ—…intly in with what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you 〈◊〉 And what if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shalt we 〈◊〉 haue larkes â–ª what 〈◊〉 â—…id â–ª phie on Deuill with his shifting if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou be the 〈◊〉 of God. And what if it do not necessarily enduce the chiefe supeâ—… in all causes
holy ghost that ye terme with an vnclean an impure mouth pure religion were in their chiefe citie of Constantinople in the time of Constantinus sonne to Iohn nephew to Andronicus your Emanuels father euen about VVhitfontide at which time the Catholike Church in true and syncere fayth concerning the holye ghost keepeth a solemne festiuall day of the holy ghost sodenlye by the wicked Turkes besieged and shortly after the Citie and the whole Greeke Empire came into the Turkes handes and possession VVherein God seemeth as before to the Iewes so afterwardes to the Grecians as it were with pointing and notifying it with his finger to shew and to notifie vnto all the worlde the cause of the finall destruction aswell of the one as of the other people What is all this to the purpose M. Stapleton what maketh this against the Bishoppes matter or to further yours except to lengthen your tale although it séemeth that your tale is false neyther you agrée with your selfe therein it is false bicause at that time the great Turke besieged and wonne the Empire of Gréece the Grecians had forsaken this heresie yea and that more is acknowledged the Popes supremacie wherein the question lyeth whether in so doing they fell into another or no for after their agréement at Lions councell by Michaell Paleologus and their reuolt agayne vnder Andronicus the elder Iohn the sonne of Emanuell nephewe to Andronicus the yonger whom before ye mentioned came to the councell at Florence that was called in spits of Basill councell and agréed with Pope Eugenius whome Basill Councell had deposed and so continued in agréement with the Pope till in Constantinus reigne brother to this Iohn the Turke besieged and ouercame them And so your tale is false that say they rested in this opinion till their captiuitie Whereas a good while before they had quite forsaken it after they fully vnderstoode the Latines opinion theron which before they did not Secondly ye agrée not with your owne tale for both in your Preface and hereafter in many places ye ascribe the captiuitie of them chiefly to their not acknowledging of the Pope and so doth Uolaterane which is as false as the other For at that time they were fully agréed with him And here as one that had forgotten his former tale you ascribe the chiefe cause of their captiuitie to the heresie against the holy ghost and so make your proportion betwéene the Iewes bondage at Easter and theirs at Whitsontide at what time is celebrated the solemne feast of the holy ghost And thereon ye take vppon you as though ye were of Gods secrete counsayle to tell vs howe God poynted out the matter wyth hys finger But where to is all this so farre fetched about how is it brought into the purpose For M. St. will haue nothing here that is nedelesse and farre from the matter forsooth this must be presupposed that the Grecians are the B â–ª dearlings â–ª and that the Bishop is of the same opinion bicause he alleged Nicephorus as is before said And her vpon he maketh his marginall note a good aduert sement for M. Horne to consider the cause of the destruction of Constantinople Where by this rule he may saye it is a good note for Langus for Lazius for the Sorbonistes of Paris for his owne Doctors and good maisters at Louaine where he professeth himselfe a student in Diuinitie to beware the same for they haue commended Nicephorus to all the worlde and they allowe his doctrine for pure religion in all pointes not excepting this and therforeal the Papists be belike the Grecians dearlings and denie the proceeding of the holye ghost from the father and the sonne so is it a fitter admonition for the Popish catholikes than for the B. or any other Protestant whose faith in this point and all other concerning the holy ghost the Papistes can not blemish And yet by your leaue M. St. the Papistes be not very sounde in all pointes concerning the holy ghost as I shall shewe you further when you require the same and therefore they had more néede of the twayne to beware of this ensample But since M. Stapl. will so faine haue this cause considered of the Grecians captiuitie I graunt him this their errour might worthily be noted a sufficient cause or any oter errour or naughtinesse of life might well deserue the heauy hande of God and the scourge of such a tyrant as the Turke But whatsoeuer they or we to whome God be mercifull at Gods handes doe deserue not entering into Gods iudgement but speaking of men the most likely and chiefest cause of this Empires decay is euen the verye Pope him selfe his ambitious treacherie first spoyled and diuided the Empire into twaine and made all the West part forsake their sworne obedience And hath also so spoyled this part of the Empyre in the west that besides the bare title of the Empire of Rome the Emperour God wote hath little or nothing the Pope in effect hath all And where the Emperor of Rome had wont to be Lorde to the Bishop of Rome and to other Bishops besides The Bishop of Rome is nowe Lorde to the Emperour of Rome and to all other Princes besides and to attaine to his triple diademe ouer all Princes he hath neuer ceased to stirre and moue such garboyles as all Christendome hath lost onely the Pope hath woon therby and the barbarous nations haue ouerrunne all Europe Asia and Affricke No maruayle then if at the length Christian Princes powers being diuided and weakened with continuall warre and chiefly set on or maintained by the Pope especially against the Grecians the Turks at the last haue ouercome the Empire being destitute of forrein ayde and of themselues giuen to wanton effeminatenesse Although thus much I may iustly note they euer well ynough defended and maintained them selues till they acknowledged obedience to the Pope who was the first cause of their ruine Which done they neuer throue after but were in short time besieged cleanâ—… ouercome When they had once giuen their soules captiue to the tirannie of the Pope their bodies not long after became thrall to the slauerie of the Turke Which séemeth rather to be Gods iust plague vnto them wherein to vse your owne wordes as it were with pointing and notifying with his finger he sheweth to all the worlde to beware of these two aduersaries the spirituall enimie the Pope and the bodilie enimie the Turke Thus M. Stapleton your néedlesse admonition toucheth your selfe and your Pope nearer than ye were a wist Neuerthelesse not so content making as though you had as in déede ye haue ouershotte your selfe you pretende to drawe nearer home But what speake I of Greece say you wee neede not to run to so farre yeares or countries the case toucheth vs much nearer the Realme of Boheme and of late yeares of Fraunce and Scotlande the noble Countrie of Germanie with some other that I
the disputation at VVest Anno regnâ—… Elizabeth 1. Which being so fresh in memorie all men can witnessâ—… agaynst him 12. a. b. He likeneth it to the Anabaptists disputations ibid. The fourth Chapter of 13. leaues togither besides that it is almost all impertinent talke is full of shamefull slaunders of many noble vertuâ—… and learned men the Duke of Saxonie the Laâ—…graue of Hesse the Loâ—…le Cobham sir Roger ActoÌ„ Luther Zuinglius Caluin Beza c. to deface them and the professors of Gods worde with tales of â—…umultes cruelties disobedience and rebellions 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. That the ciuil gouernmeÌ„t of Christian Princes stretcheth no further than the ciuil gouernment of heathen princes 29. b. That the O. Maiesties title is not competeÌ„t for hir highnesse and that the auouching of the othe is the eâ—…payring of hir worldly estate 27. a. That the othe bemyreth them which receyue it 30. That it is an vnlawfull oth like to wicked K. Herods 30. That the plague raigned at London to plague the straunge proceedings of the Parliament 33. b. That the Bishop of Winchester bicause he required the othe of dâ—…ctour Bonner therefore sought his bloud ibid. That our Bishops are no Church Bishops ibid. That the Quéenes Maiestie taketh on hir a pretensed regiment 42. That mariage in ministers is filthie 42. â—… That of late yeares lay men durst aduenture to take the guidiâ—…g of the arke and go before the Priestes and not suffer the priestes to go before them And durst alter the state of Christian religion agaynst the will and minde of the Bishops and the whole clergie 46. a. That we attribute to the Quéenes maiestie to alter religion 47. b. That lay men haue not onely put to their handes to sustaine the Arke as Oza did but haue also of their owne priuate authoritie altred chanÌ„ged the great and waightie points of Christes Catholike Religion and in a maner haue quite transformed ouerthrowne the same so haue as a man might say broken the verie Arke itselfe all to fitters 47. b. That wesay that Princes doe heaâ—… the suprâ—… gouernment in all ecclesiasticall matterâ—… to decide and determine â–ª what religion meere soueraigntie 48. b. That the Prince enacteth a new religion 50. a. That the decision of matters of religion aâ—… made Parliament matters ibid. That wâ—… labour to confounde the spirituall and secular power ibid. That the Quéenes Maiestle enacteth a newe religion by force of supreme authoritie contrarie to the commaundement of God. 53. a. That hir highnesse hath altered and abandoned the vsuall religion a thousande yeares and vpwarde customably from age to age receyued and embraced 53. b. That she hath abandoned generall Councels 54. a. That Princes nowe make Bishops by letters patents for such and so long time as please them for terme of yeares monethes or dayes ibid. b. That shee inhibiteth them to visitte their flockes and to preach ibid. For 4. or 5. leaues togither he doth nothing else but slauÌ„der the Protestants with â—…mbers of Heresies that he â—…aisly layeth to their charge But this is answered at large and those herestes with many other returned on the Papists That a thousande in Englande haue taken the othe to theyr great damnation 73. 2. That the Prince and his successors are made absolute gouernours without any limitation or exception 73 â–ª That the Bishop buildeth a newe supremacie on the wicked working of wretched Heretikes 77. b. That the Bishop is of the opinion that the Grecians were of denying the holy Ghost to proceede from the Father and the sonne Wherwith he â—…laundereth the Bishop only bicause hée cyteth â–ª Emanuell Paleologus the Emperour of Gréece out of Nicephorus by the name of a Christian Emperour â–ª where Nicephorus himselfe the Papists that set Nicephorus out cal this Emperour Christianissâ—… The most Christian Emperour ibid. He compareth the reaimes of Boheme Fraunce Scotland Germanie to lerusalem destroyed by the heathen Romaines and to Constantinople captiue to the Turkes 82. b. That the Quéene taketh vpon hir all maner of gouernment and authoritie in all things and causes ecclesiasticall 82. b. That the Quéene taketh vpon hir by hir owne supreme authoritie to enact matters of religion to approue and disproue articles of the faith to determine doctrine to excommunicate and absolue ibid. That the statute and the othe implyeth and concludeth all these particulars 83. a. That by the statute is flatlye excluded all the authoritie of the whole body of the catholike Church without the realme ibid. That the statute implyeth that if a Turke or any hereticke whatsoeuer shoulde come to the Crowne of England all maner superioritie in visiting and correcting Ecclesiasticall persons in all maner matters should be vnited vnto him ibid. That the Quéene taketh on hiâ—… to be a supreme gouernour ecclesiasticall ibid. That hir supreme gouernment giueth hir power in all doubts and controuersies to decide the truth and to make an ende of questioning ibid. That by vertue of this statute the Queenes Maiestie hath iudged determined and enacted a newe religion That she taketh on hir the preaching of the worde the administration of the sacraments binding and losing ibid. That the statute is thus generally conceyued 83. b. That the statute is generally conceyued and not generally meaned ibid. To all these slaunders we may aunswere in a 〈◊〉 with his owne wordes These besuch slaunderous reproches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the person son whome ye burthen them withall so farre from all suspition of any such foule matter c. that if you were sued hereof vpon an action of the case as you well deserue no lesse or rather in déede you deserue farre sharper punishment for reporting thus of your most gracious soueraigne and all the estates of the Reaime whome thus vnsubiectâ—…ke ye slaunder His owne obiection for scoffes I pray you call to remembraunce what a scoffing and wondring he maketh 407. His. 3. common place of scoffing and scorning In the Prefaces YOu woorke your matters so handsomly and so perswasiuely pag. 6. VVhat a newe Cicero or Demosthenes are you 7. A marueylous kinde of new and false arithmetike 8. Is not this I pray you an important and mighty argument 11. Your owne deare brother Bale the chiefe antiquarie of Englishe Protestants 13. Your hote spurred ministers 14. No newes for a man of your coate 14. VVhose bolde as blynde Bayarde 14. Ye tell your reader in great sadnesse 16. Ye bluster excedingly and are in a vehement rage 16. VVith the like felicitie your brother Iewell c. layde full stoutly and confidently c. with great brauery 81. It pittieth me in your behalfe 19. Maister Iewel hath led vs this daunce 19. Your faire peece of worke 23. Your poore honouâ—… should say honestie 23. The chiefe maisters of the religion 28. Parliament Bishoppes 32. In the aunswere to the Bishops Preface THe holy Brotherhoode of Geneua â—… b. This noble blast so
in heauen things that are in earth things visible things inuisible whether they be Maiestie or Lordship either rule or power al things are created by him and in him be is before all things and in him all things haue their being and he is the head of the bodie that is to wit of the congregation he is the beginning and first begotten that in all thinges he might haue the preheminence for it pleased the father that in him all fulnesse should dwell and by him to reconcile all things to him selfe and to set at peace by him through the bloud of his Crosse both things in heauen and things in earth Here is no mencion at all of hir but all of him master Stapleton for whome all things were made But euen these properties of Christ this blasphemous doctour applieth to hir and sayth your Church doth so For a little before he sayth Sed hoc loco c. But in this place is to be asked whether the blessed virgin were brought forth before all creatures For of hir sayth the Church that saying Eccle. 24. Ab initio ante secula creata sum From the beginning and before the worlde was I made and againe in the Epistle of this solemnitie the Virgine is brought in saying that sentence Prou. 8. The Lord hath possessed me from the beginning of his wayes before he made any thing euen from the beginning from euerlasting I was ordeyned and from of olde before the earth was made as yet the depthes were not and I was alreadie begotten as yet the fountaynes flowed not with water nor as yet the mountaynes in their great compasse were setled before all the hilles was I begotten VVhich wordes doe seeme so to sounde that she was brought forth before the bringing forth of any other thing Who is he that knoweth not that these wordes are spoken of the eternall sonne of God begotten before all ages and is euen one wyth that S. Iohn sayth In the beginning was the worde and yet bicause it is spoken in the feminine gender vnder the name of the eternall wisedome of God he most ignoranâ—…ly and Idolatrously transferreth it to the virgin Marie Neyther he alone but he sayth your Church doth so so that all your whole Church is a blasphentous Church And thus ye ascribe the promise of the blessed seede to the blessed virgine saying not it but shee shall tread downe the serpents heade So where Dauid sayth Non est qui se abscondat à â—…alore 〈◊〉 None can hide him from his heate ye say none can hide him from hir heate Likewise where the wisedome of God sayth In the welbeloued Citie gaue he me rest in Hierusalem was my power Iacobus de Udragine applieth it to hir saying Primo pater c. First the father hath made hir mightie to helpe Eccle. 24. in Hierusalem was my power for she is made so mightie that she can help vs in life in death and after death c. Againe where Christe sayth I am exalted like a Palme tree aboute the bankes and as a rose Palme in Hierico as a fayre Oliue tree in a pleasant fielde that ascribeth he to hir saying Sunt enim quidam c. There are some Saints who when they are prayed vnto follow the information of their conscience and therefore often tymes they will not pray to God for vs bicause they haue a conscience that they are not worthie to be heard Other Saintes there are that when they are prayed vnto they follow the streightnesse of Gods righteousnesse And therefore if they be desired and knowe that this is not fitte for Gods iustice they dare not aske but the blessed Virgin neither looketh to conscience nor to iustice but to mercie As who should say let them keepe their consciences to themselues that lust and let them that will loke to Gods iustice I will alwayes hold me to mercie and for this so excellent Modestie shee sayth of hir selfe Eccle. 24. I am as a fayre Oliue in the fieldes Yea you say shée hath such excéeding and excelling mercie that not onely it passeth all the Saints but that illud quod dicitur Eccl. 18. de Domino potest dici etiaÌ„ de Domina c. That the which is spoken Eccle. 18. of the Lorde may be spoken of the Ladie The mercie of a man is towarde his neighbour but the mercie of the Lorde is ouer all flesh Thus ye robbe God of his glory to adourne hir attributing all to hir And say that the father hath written in hir his power where Christ sayth contrarie all povver is giuen me of my father in heauen and earth c. that the sonne hath vvritten in hir his vvisedome that the holy ghost hath vvritten in hir his goodnesse and mercie Againe the father hath made hir his Treasorer vvhereby shee hath conquered the Deuill and povvreth into cur mindes diuine knovvledge The sonne hath made hir his Chamberlayne The holy ghost hath made hir his Cellerer The vvhole Trinitie hath made hir Almosiner of heauen Shee is Chauncellour to the holy ghost shee is Porter of Paradise Ipsa nanque est ostium c. For shee is the doore by the vvhich vve enter into Paradise vvhich by Eue vvas shutte and by hir is opened Ipsa enim est quae nos suis meritis in atrium principis introducit For it is shee that by hir merits bringeth vs into the porch of the Prince VVhervpoÌ„ Ioh. 18 it is sayde A Damsell that was the doore keeper the blessed virgine calleth hirselfe an handemayde or Damsell let in Peter into the Princes porche Ipsa nanque virgo For euen the virgin is the vvindovv vvherby God beholdeth vs vvith the eie of mercie Uirgo autem Maria. The Virgin Marie is the throne of mercy grace and glorie she is the Sunne to the iust the Moone to the Saints the faithful vvitnesse to sinners the aduocate of mankinde the drop that softneth all hardnesse There vvere three things that once vvere hard God that receyued none to mercie Death that svvalovved vp all to hell the Deuill that enraged vvith enmitie But the Virgin Marie so mollified God that he receiued all men to mercie She so trodde death vnder foote that novve he can not take avvay the Saints Shee ouercame the Deuill that he can novve â–ª deceyue none but him that lust to be deceyued that novv shee may say I forsake you not but as a drop I abyde vvith you bicause my odour abydeth vvith you vvherevvith I haue mollifyed God I haue troden dovvne death I haue ouercome the Deuill This is one droppe of hir grace master Stap. but what can ye ascribe more to al the droppes of the bloud of christ To conclude ye make hir all in all Shee â—…lenseth vs from our sinnes â–ª shee lightneth vs from ignorance she strengthneth vs from our infirmities Et per ipsam virg c. and by the blessed
the B. for saying an Ecclesiasticall writer commendeth him for a Christian Emperour but what will you say to the same writer if he will call him the most Christian Emperour is not this warraÌ„t inough for the B he calleth him an exaÌ„ple a glasse or a spectacle for others What if not onely Nicephorus say the same a great deale more but Langus your catholike Clerke say euen the same also and commend him like wise for a paterne and mirror to the Emperour Ferdinande But Lorde what a stirre is here for that the B. spake of reforming religion to the purenesse thereof Here is the Bishop and Maister Foxe chalenged both of them for heretikes more than any of their felowes Here is Maister Stapleton disposed to haue his tongue roll as though it had not walked and run at large before And then sayth he that I may a little roll in your rayling Rhetoricke wherein ye vniustly rore out against M. Feckenham may I not for much better cause and grounde say to you than you did to him to make him a Donatist M. Horne Let your friends now weigh with aduisement what was the erroneous opinion of the Grecians against the holy ghost and let them compare your opinion and guilefull defences thereof to theirs and they must needes clap you on the backe and say to you Patrisas if there be any vpright iudgement in them deeming you so like your great graundsiers the Grecians as though they had spyt you out of their mouth Howe iustly or vniustly the Bishop proued Master Feck of set purpose to followe the steps of the Donatistes is alreadie declared at large and also howe teatly you haue excused him and brought him and your selfe further into the selfe same briers But howe vnfâ—…tlye and vniustly here ye woulde returne the Bishops words vpon himselfe chalenging him to denie as the Grecians did the procéeding of the holy ghost from the father and the sonne is not only manifest to the contraryâ—… to all that knowe and often heare in publike place the profession of his faith to argue you to be a wilfull malicious lier Abhominatio est domino labia mendacia lying lips are abhominable to the Lorde but also the Bishops wordsminister no occasion to gather any such surmise vpon Which sheweth you to be a captious wrangling sophister for the Bishop doth not flatly say he was such an one as reformed religion to the purenesse therof which you make him here to say but he sayd Nicephorus in his Preface before his ecclesiasticall storie doth compare Emanuel Paleologus the Emperour to Constantine for that he did so nearely imitate his duetifulnesse in ruling procuring and reforming religion to the purenesse thereof in whiche wordes the Bishoppe sayeth that Nicephorus commendeth him for this And this haue I proued at large that Nicephorus doth so which is the Bishoppes full discharge How be it this you wil not sée but make it the bishoppes flatte assertion Which yet notwithstanding were it so no man except hée were sette on gogge of pure malyce woulde wrest this sentence of the Bishoppe to anye other matter than to the present controuersie of the Princes dutie and dealing in ecclesiasticall matters and not to euery other opinion or vice which was either in the Emperor or in Nicephorus or else in al the Gretians And woulde ye but limit your selfe to the boundes of the question as the bishop doth ye coulde not haue made this false extravagant chalenge And ye shoulde haue séene that not onely the bishop had discharged himself but that so farre forth as this controuersie stretcheth both the Emperour Nicephorus and also all the Gretians whatsoeuer they were in other pointes in this controuersie of the Princes supreme gouernement it appeareth they were of a sounde and true opinion although you call it schismaticall and hereticall whatsoeuer be against the Primacie of your Pope but till you prooue it so to be no wyse man will be moued with your bare so calling it If you nowe denie that Nicephorus was of this opinion besides the Bishops allegations that haue prooued it sufficiently The same Preface of Nicephorus is full of other proues First Nicephorus dedicateth his ecclesiasticall hystorie to this Emperour not onely to haue his publike protection but also to haue the Emperors censure and iudgemeÌ„t whether it were sounde doctrine agréeable to Gods worde and méete to be set out among Christian people or no. Inprimis vero si quid minus c. But chiefly sayeth he if anything shoulde not haue bene declared of mee in this woorke that your myldenesse woulde pardon mee and by the sharpenesse of your iudgement you woulde clense my historie eyther by adding to or taking therefrom For whatsoeuer your iudgement shall more exactlye correct that shall bee accounted both to mee and to all other thankefull and sure Forbicause that of all other which haue bene vnto thee it hath chiefly happened by the readynesse and quickenesse of nature through the gift of God to perceyue and finde out suche thynges And bycause thon knowest both to reason and dispute wyth a iust moderation and also hast skill to expound diuine matters with feare And bicause thou canst excellently conceiue in thy minde and with an eloquent mouth declare that which thou thinkest good And moreouer canst in a maner giue such iudgement thereon that one thing may bee throughly knowne from the other Neyther is there any founde so malapert or rash that after thy correction and iudgement will abyde to set his hande vnto thy writing â–ª c. And the like sentence he hath towardes the ende of the Preface Thus besides his authoritie such an excellent iudgement in determining and deciding diuine and ecclesiasticall matters Nicephorus ascribeth to this Prince and commendeth him for euen as you woulde do to the Pope or any of your most reuerend holy fathers All which you cleane denie to Princes to haue any medling knowledge iudgement or determination in them but rather commende Princes for ignorance and woulde haue them onely meddle with iudging mereâ—…cuill matters But Nicephorus euen where the Bishop left in citing his allegations which were sufficient to any man except to such a brabler as you sayth to the Emperour Moreouer thou hast with a feruent order made more sincere and purer than golde the priestly vnction which sounded of a certaine corruption And also both by setting out a law and thy letters thou hast taught a continencie of maners and contempt of money by meanes whereof the priestly ministery of the common weale is become holy the which in former tymes by little and little through a corruption of discipline and maners was defiled and depraued And here noteth Langus in the Margin Reformatiâ—… Ecclesiae The reformation of the Church And thou conceyuing alwayes some more notable matter hast adorned the forme and state and Image of the Church most beautifully polishing it vnto the primitiue example These things
vnderstande it for I thinke ye vnderstoode not the Byshops wordes your selfe which if ye had done ye wold neuer haue quoted it for an vnâ—…th for shame Ye knowe the Byshop before hauing for the vnderstanding of saint Paules wordes for the Princes ministerie alleaged the ensample of Constantine to shewe that his best ministerie consisteth in his carefull zeale direction of Gods glorie and truth and other matters of religion wherein Eusebius commendeth him being a famous ecclestastical writer and allowed amongst you sythe also Nycephorus another your late famous ecclesiasticall writer coÌ„parâ—…th moste expresly herein the Emperour of his time to Constantine the great what vntruth hath the Byshop committed to say For this cause Nycephorus compareth the one to the other for that he did so neerely imitate his duetifulnesse in ruling procuring and reforming religion to the purenesse thereof If Nycephorus haue not thus in these poynts compared them then a Gods name blame the Byshop that sayde for this cause alâ—…o Nicephorus c. but if Nicephorus haue so done then is the Bishop cleâ—…red of this vntruâ—… that said â—…e did so And if ye haue any quarrel to picke go picke it against Nicephorus that so did and not againste the Byshop that only sayde he did so Nowe whither Nicephorus haue done as the Byshop sayde 〈◊〉 did or no let the reader be vâ—…per The words of Nicephorus are long notwithstanding I will set downe some of them writing to the Emperoure he sayth thus Verily one shall suffice me as I mighte â—…aye for all with whome also perchaunce for that kinred and likelyhood whiche is betweene you and him you will gladly suffer your selfe to be compared and is this any other than that ConstaÌ„tine the great valoure and name among all men Constantine whose memorie ought to be as it were a certaine sprite in all menne VVho helped â—…s in oure moste necessitie and so mightely Constantine the greate in suche artes as belong to an Emperour in prudence incomparable but in feruencie towardes God and in great actes atchieued and contentions susteyned for the true godlynesse he is aboue all euen as the Sun is shining aboue the starres And art not thou O most excellent Prince the verie certain image of him here 〈◊〉 noteth in the margent coÌ„paratur c. The Emperor is coÌ„pared to Constantin the great and is conferred with him verily eueÌ„ so doth the glasse render the right shape of the Image as thou expressest the diuine shewe of his mynde and glisterest again being very like vnto him none otherwise than euen the naturall sonne doth represent his father and although I know well thou wilt disalowe my boldnesse which art chiefly wont to auoyde and beware of such prayses notwithstanding I will not doubte to saye this thing whiche I beeseech thee â—…o suffer me and consider my reason sith I chiefly knowe that thou art the sonne of God by grace and the Lords anointed aboue the reste that thou art the Image of him in all poyntes alyke which manifestly hast obtained the very godly form of him and the force and impression eyther of his liuing or imperial substance c. And so he runneth into particular poyntes wherin he compareth them togâ—…ther Is not all this enough master Sta. to proue the Bishops saying true for this cauâ—…e alâ—…o Nicephorus â–ª c. compareth these two Emperours togither but you 〈◊〉 this and shewing no cause in the world why ye chalenge the Bishop therefore runne to an other quarell about the Emperours name bycause the B. sayde as followeth For this cause also Nicephorus in his Preface before his ecclesiasticall hystorie dothe compare Emanuell Paleologus the Emperoure to Constantine The. 64. vntruth In putting Emanuel for Andronicus Ye are aunswered to this at large in the replye to your Counterblasting theron What soeuer his name were as it is called in question so the Byshop is cleared thereof following your owne principall auâ—…ors doctors that translâ—…ting and setting out this story named him euen as the 〈◊〉 â—…oth Emanuel Paleologus not once nâ—…r twice neyther â—…s the blinde man castes his â—…affe but as they say theÌ„selues on good considerations among them therevnâ—…o And so rehearsetâ—… his noble vertues The. 65. vntruth For this Emperour wâ—… a starke heretike So say you M. Stapleton and so ye reuile him in your Counterblaste for a wretched heretike also and a wicked dooer But your ecclesiasticall writer Nicephorus saith not so of him he reciteth 〈◊〉 many vertue â–ª and also 〈◊〉 and excellent vertues of this Emperour If he were not suche a one or had not such vâ—…rtues as Nicephorus rehearâ—…eth him to haue what is that to the Byshop who only sayth Nicephorus reciteth his noble vertues And to proue this true the whole preface of Nicephorus is manifest beeing for the most part nothing but the Princes coÌ„mendation of such noble vertues as Nicephorus sheweth he was endewed withall He calleth him principâ—…n omniuÌ„ Christi aâ—…antissimo atque humanissimo qui prorsus omnes virtutes complexus nihil rerum pulcâ—…errimarum excellentissimaâ—…um pretermisisti The Emperor most louing of Christ and most â—…teous who hauing throughly aâ—…tained all vertues haste let slip nothing that is moâ—…e faire and excellent It were tedious to râ—…cite al or the quarter of that he citeth in the prayse of this Emperours vertues The preface throughout is manyfest the Byshops allegations that ye can not denie the comparison aforesaide betweene him and Constantine do declare yea your self confesse that Nicephorus doth highly aduance and exâ—… this Emperour But as Nicephorus saith if wée may beléeue him on his credite beeing called of all your side scriptor per onmia verè catholicus a verye catholike writer in all poynts he flattreth him not nor forgeth but speaketh the truth in praysing of him al which dothe sufficiently acquite the Byshoppe for saying that Nicephorus rehearâ—…eth his noble vertues The Princes supremacie in repairing religion decayed The. 66. vntruth Fonde and foolishe as shall appeare This is onely a marginal note that the Bishop prâ—…fireth to all the allegations that he citeth out of Nicephorus to any one sentence of which allegations M. Stapleton answereth nothing But thus iustleth at the marginall note and sendeth vs to his Counterblaste thereon where it shall appeare how vntrue howe fonde and foolishe it is Which the reader shall iudge when he hath read his Counterblaste the answere thereto That by their rule ministerie and seruice not onely peace and tranquillitie but also godlynesse and religion should be furdered and continued amongst men The. 67. vntruth No such wordes in S. Paule Ye doe the Byshoppe manifest iniury M. Stapleton neyther haue ye any vauntage to pretende any of your former quarels at the printe of the letters it is euident the Byshop setteth not down those words as the bare words of the tâ—…rt of S. Paule whiche he cited the line before adverbum
examining of this matter hastneth to the full determination and solemnly sitteth downe like a Pope him selfe or Patriarth pronouÌ„ceth the definitiue sentence of this matter saying The premisses beeing true and of oure side abundantly proued and better to be proued as occasion shall serue as nothing can effectually be brought agaynst them so master Horne as ye shall euidently perceiue in the processe straggleth quite from all these poynts Ha sir howe Popelike ye haue handled all this matter But were it lawfull to appeale from your sentence or call it in question mightâ—… it not be asked whether the promisses were all true Yea might it not be doubted whether they were not all moste false mighte it not be thoughte that it were scarse abundantly proued of your side to say the Catholikes say so and I say so and masâ—…er Fecken vvill say so Might it not be suspected that ye still say ye haue proued it ye will proue it better â–ª ye shall hereafter shew it playnely â–ª we shall euidently perceiue in the processe and presently that we can perceiue ye proue nor shevve any thing at all and so sitte downe to sentence as though the matter were out of all doubte and controuersie determining solemnly that al these premisses be true and M Horne erreth in defending the contrarie This is an harde lawe M. Stap. presently to condemne and behead the man and then after to examine the facte But it is the dayly practise of your holy father and so lyke a good sonne ye follow his ensample But now sir whereto were all these sixe so vndoubted principles broughte foâ—…rthe They are say you the principall questions in variaunce betvveene the parties controuersed to fixe their eye vppon What are these but questions that were suche true and infallible principles righte nowe If they be but questions I see they bée still disputable for all master Stapletons definite sentence A man maye still doubte of them yea dispute of them And they may chaunce proue as false in the ende after diligent discussing them as master Stapleton without further doubt would haue them presupposed to be true But to saue all vprighte he sayth they are the principall questions controuersed betvveene them and yet master Horne dothe not once touche them he commeth not nighe them What doth he not man not once touch them nor come nighe them and yet M. Feck and he be most at variance about them What a variance is that belike he alloweth them go to go to M. Stap. leaue this fonde lying for shame Your selfe knoweth ech man may see that he toucheth and toucheth home as occasion serued him all those of them that were incident to his matter Some of them in déede he little medleth withall as questions principally sucked out of your owne fingers and deuised nowe by you to defeate all that he touched as though he touched other things and not the matter in question from the whiche ye say he straggleth quite But this is your doing M. Stap. ye bring in newe controuersies that were not the issue betwéene them on whiche you should haue fixed your eyes But the B. so touched the matter he had in variaunce and so touched you also that thus malapertly woulde varie with him and hitte you so full that your eyes stared belike in your head that ye coulde not or woulde not sée the question but quite straggled from it to other questions and those also which we must graunt ye for principles and theiâ—… no doubt but ye will conquere all alone These newe premisses béeing thus craftelie deuised and set vp by you as the principall questions in variaunce betvveene them that striued cleane about another matter as though neither the B. nor M. Feck sawe where aboutes they striued noâ—… fixed their eyes any thing néere their matter But fought more Andabatarum beating the ayre and them selues they wiste not about what and béeing nowe reuoked to their matter by you that neuer caste your eye so much as one glimpse aside therefrom these béeing also suche principall matters as muste withall of our liberalitie be graunted you for moste assured principles thinking nowe all is proued on your side M. Horne say you straggleth quite from al these poynts besetting him selfe all his studie and endeuour to proue that vvhich neither greatly hindreth our cause nor muche bettreth his and for the which neither M. Fek nor any other Catholike vvill greatly contende vvith him vvhich is vvhen all is done that Princes may meddle and deale in causes ecclesiasticall Ye do nowe like a liberall gentleman M. Stap. graunt vs more than some of your highest estates euer would allow Cardinall Hosiâ—…s durst not be so frée to Princes as to graunt them thus much as mouere sermonem to moue any talke of ecclesiasticall matters and dare you that are nothing like to come to so â—…ye promotion graunte that Princes may medle and deale with causes ecclesiastical What moued you hereto belike ye still dreamed of your former Papall sentence and that we had graunted or we must néedes graunt bicause you haue sayd so that these are the principall questions and these are also moste true principles â–ª and that nothing can effectually be brought agaynst them which when ye presupposed we must néedes graunt ye were content to graunt agayne to the B. that straggling as ye say from these poynts that whiche he proueth mayâ—… well be graunted him that Princes may medle and deale vvith causes ecclesiasticall But nowe sir put the case that this were but your owne fonde dreame that he graunteth you those to be his questions or those questions to be suche principles that eche man vtterly denieth that which you fancie eche man grauntâ—…th yea that M. Feck wil tell you that not one of these your sixe questions were any of his questions and that he dreamed not like you but saw well inough what be dyd when he stoode wholly on hys sayde issue of the dealing of Princes in ecclesiasticall matters yea and all your fellowes are ashamed that all the world should sée 〈◊〉 ye set vp wrong markes and fondly tooke for graunted that almoste eche man denies or doubteth of When your selfe béeing come to your selfe shall sée all this will ye not repent ye of your hastie liberalitie and saye your selfe sawe not so muche for if ye had ye would not haue graunted it so 〈◊〉 Which beeing in déede the thing in question and the thing wherein ye graunt the B. hath beset him selfe all his studie and endeuour to proue it not onely as you graunt agaynst yourselfe some what hindreth your cause somewhat bettreth his saying it neyther greatly hindreth our cause nor muche bettreth his but also it fully proueth the question in variaunce on his parte and cleane ouerthroweth M. Feck assertion therin And thus of your too muche prodigalitie as M. Feck may call it laboring to defende him ye haue quite foilde him and while ye would set vp new
that vve vvere baptised in Sée what a wicked slaunder to couer your disobediēce ye charge your most gratious prince withall as though she went about to make you renie that fayth ye vvere baptised in And this ye doe euen where ye pretende to kneele on your knees vvith moste humble and lowely submission Sée what cankred hearts ye beare for all your counterfayte crouching If ye knowe M. Stap. the fayth ye were baptised in at least if ye were rightely baptised and be a true Christian man it is not in the name fayth or obedience of the Pope but in the name fayth and obedience of the father the sonne and the holy ghost and this fayth the Q. maiestie goeth so little about to haue you abandon that hir Graces supreme gouernemēt is chiefly directed to this end to haue ye without any superstition error idolatrie or any other pollution therof kéepe maintein it inuiolate as in baptisme ye promised to do and therfore this is not subiect like though ye be on your knees neuer so muche to accuse hir highnesse as to cause ye to abandon the fayth ye were baptised in She requireth ye to kéepe it not abandon it neither on the soden nor at leisure And if this were all the cause of your refusall of obedience as hir Grace neuer denied you it ye doe but slaunder hir so néeded ye not haue runne away nor shew yet such disobedience to hir authoritie since she euer graunted and maynteined the thing ye séeme to craue Howbeit your counterfeite humilitie detecteth it selfe to be very stubborne disobedience And that while ye pretende to craue one thing ye entende another thing And that is ye would be borne with still to refuse her graces supreme authoritie ouer you in Ecclesiasticall causes this is the thing in deede ye meane and ye would the rather be borne withall bicause it is a matter that commeth vpon the sodaine therefore ye can not vpon the sodaine graunt it In déede M. St. ye pretende reason Weightie matters require not to be done on a sodeyne passion but with deliberation ▪ But is this so sodeyne a matter yet vnto you did ye neuer heare of this questiō before haue ye not had leasure to deliberate thereon but who seeth not that and ye had neuer so much leasure this matter would still come vpon the sodeyne to you and of reason ye must haue time to take aduisement vpō it which you will take all at your leasure and so for feare ye should become an obedient subiect vpon the sodeyne ye craue to remayne still vpon deliberation an obstinate enemie But M. St. pretēding this refusall to be for the abandoning of the faith that we were Christened in procéedeth And as we are assured all our auncetours and her Maiesties owne most noble progenitours yea her owne most noble father King Henrie the eight yea that faith which he in a clerkly booke hath most pithily defended and thereby atchieued to him and his and transported as by hereditarie succession the worthie title and stile yet remayning in her Highnesse of the Defendour of the Faith. As ye slaunder most wickedly the Quéenes Maiestie to cause ye to abandon the faith of your baptisme ▪ so ye slaunder not only al our auncestors but that most famouse Prince her highnesse Father K. Henrie the 8. as christened in the faith of the Popes obedience hereof ye say ye are assured when it is most assured most euident false For although our fathers the Q. Maiesties father also yea many of vs our selues the Q. Maiestie also her selfe were borne and baptised when all the errours of poperie or many of them did chiefly abounde yet can no more any one of these be said now to be baptised in those errours that they helde which baptised them if they kept the right formall words of baptisme I baptise thée in the name of the Father of the sonne of the holy Ghost thā in the old time any of their childrē or they themselues could be saide to be baptised in such errours as they helde that were Nouatians Donatists Rogatists Pelagians or any other Heretikes that notwithstāding kept the right element formal words of baptisme Neither can any Papist say now to any that dissuadeth him from his popish errours that he goeth about to will him to abandon the faith wherein he was baptized any more thā a Pelagian or any such Heretike being moued to forsake his heresie could pretēd he were moued to forsake the faith he was baptised in bicause they that baptised him yea his auncesters before him were Pelagians c. Ye should therefore M. St. make your distinction betwene the faith of your baptisme and the faith that your popish Church putteth in diuers erronious pointes of doctrine As for the faith that K. Henrie the 8 ▪ the Q. Maiesties most noble Father set out in the Booke that ye mencion therby labour to stayne the Q. Maiestie as setting out a contrarie faith to her father as you for your parte M. St. shew your extreme malice nothing subiectlike to blemish her highnesse with the famous renown of her father which notwithstanding ye cā not do so for the King her father I answere you howbeit his booke were clerkly yet clerklines is one thing truth is an other what maruel if he thē wrote in defence of your doctrines whē your popish prelates hid the very truth frō him bore him in hand that your falshoodes were truth till it pleased God not to suffer so noble a Prince to be any longer deluded by such false prelates but first in this question after in other according to the measure of his merciful riches reueled the truth vnto him how chance ye speake not of his faith then what clerkly sincere doctrine he set out thē against your Pope And as for the Q. Maiestie herein which is the proper questiō now in hād followeth most zealously the steppes of her highnesse father not wherein he was abused as many other princes were by false teachers but in that he forsooke those errours he abolished those false teachers their captaines vsurped authoritie in that he obeyed the truth reueled to him before all his own clerkly bookes before all worldly glory securitie aduentured himselfe his kingdome against all his enemies in setting forth the truth gouerning his subiects after the word of god Which though it were not so plentifully set forth then nor all wéedes so thoroughly rooted vp by reason of some false Gardiners whom he trusted ouer much howbeit at lēgth thanks be to God he espied them also had procéeded furder if God had lent him furder life yet is he rather to be commended for that he did than to be euil spoken or euell thought of for that he could not throughly bring to passe in his time but left his most vertuouse Sonne King Edwarde to bring to more perfection
cut halfe away of the Bishops definition which within eight lines after though nipping and wresting the woordes yet some what more truly than before he expresseth saying in those actions that may any way properly belong to the subiecte or thing gouerned Wherein he séemeth vnskilfully or as one astonnied to make no difference betwixt the subiect which is the person and the obiect which is the matter and action or not to vnderstande that properly the gouernour is not said to order and direct the obiect but the subiect in or about the obiect In which point as the Bishops definition is distinct and cleere so M. Stap. finding fault therewith but not able to saie here lieth the faulte nor to amende it and yet going about to amende it either in conclusion maketh one nothing differing in matter or farre worsse so much as it differeth from it A supreme gouernour saith M. Stapl. is he that hath the chiefe gouernment of the thing gouerned not in those actiōs that may in any wise belong to the subiect or thing gouerned as M. Horne saith but in those actions that belong to the ende whereunto the gouernour tendeth This is your perfect definition M. St. which either is Idē per Idem a gouernour is he that gouerneth in those actions wherein he is a gouernour and so your fautles definition is very faultie it selfe or els it is in effect and matter all one with the Bishops definition that ye reprehende though ye would in wordes séeme to make some difference so againe it is the more vitious the more obscure it is But this may well be say you to confirme your definitiō although he haue not the chiefe gouernment in al the actions of the thing gouerned but in such actions as properly appertaine to him as a subiect to that gouernour M. St. we stande not now in question what may well be but what is of necessarie consequence But ye séeke out corners and darke speaches to wrappe the truth in such obscuritie after the Popishe manner that your readers might rather meruayle at ye than vnderstand ye Which if they did they should sée your folly and contradictions and that your selfe scarce vnderstād your owne wordes if they were your owne for if ye vnderstoode your selfe when ye say he hath chiefe gouernment in such actions as properly pertayne to him as a subiect to that gouernour then would ye also sée how it followeth that being a subiect to him as M. Feckenham hath confessed as well in that he is an Ecclesiasticall person as Temporall he is also a subiect to him in such actions as are so well Ecclesiasticall as Temporall The argument is euident He that is subiect to the Princes supreme gouernment is vnder him in all such actions as appertaine to him as a subiect to that gouernour But euery manner person so well Ecclesiasticall as Temporal borne in the Princes dominiōs is subiect to the Princes supreme gouernment Ergo The Prince hath the supreme gouernment ouer euery manner person borne in his dominions in all such actions as are Ecclesiasticall so well as Temporal And thus his owne darke speaches being brought to light make flatte agaynst him selfe But to make the Reader vnderstande his meaning better and to vnwrappe him selfe out of this obscuritie in the which he hath rather hindred than bettered his cause he setteth out the same with sundrie ensamples of a Master and his Seruaunt a Father and his Sonne a Mayor and a Citizen the Prince and his subiect a Schoolemaster and his scholers the Shipmaster and the Mariners For in one man saith he many rulers may and do dayly concurre which in some sense may euery one be called his supreme gouernour As if he be a seruant the Maister and if he be a sonne in that respect the father and if his father and Master dwell in a citie the Mayor also is the fathers maisters so his chiefe gouernour to for things concerning the chiefe gouernment of the citie and of all these the Prince chiefe and supreme gouernour as they be subiects Otherwise the Prince doth not intermeddle with the fathers office in duetifulnesse dewe to him by his sonne nor the Master for that gouernmēt he hath vpō his seruant no more than with the scholemaster for the gouernment of his schollers and their actions or the maister of the ship for the actions doings of the mariners otherwise than any of these offende the positiue lawes of the realme and so hath the Prince to do with him as his subiect or when he shal haue neede to vse them for the cōmon welth wherein as subiects and members of the said common welth they must to him obey Much like is it with the spiritual men which be also members of the said common welth and therefore in that respect subiect to the Prince and his lawes and so is it true that the Prince is supreme gouernour of all persons as well spirituall as temporall But that therefore he should also be supreme gouernour in al their actions will no more follow than of the actions of thē before rehersed yea much lesse M. St. thinketh he hath now clered the coast that by all these ensamples the matter goeth cléere with him Shewyng first how euery one of these rulers master father mayor and Prince may in some sense be called supreme gouernours But yet either he doth not or wil not sée withal how in the sense now in controuersie all these ensamples are also flat against him For as the father in all causes that haue respect from the father as father to the sonne as sonne ▪ is the sonnes supreme gouernour as he saith and as the master in all causes that haue respect from the master as master to the seruant as seruant is likewise the seruants supreme gouernour and as the mayor in all causes that haue respect frō the mayor in that he is mayor to the citizen in that he is a citizen is also the citizens supreme gouernour so the supreme gouernour of ecclesiasticall persons in all causes that haue respect from him in that he is a supreme gouernour to ecclesiasticall persons in that they be ecclesiasticall persons is in all those causes their supreme gouernour but the causes in respecte whereof they be called ecclesiasticall persons beyng no other than ecclesiasticall causes it followeth that he is not onely supreme gouernour of the persons but also in the causes belonging to the persons as the father or master is not onely supreme gouernour of the sonnes or seruaunts persons but also in those causes in respect whereof he is the sonne or seruant Yea but saith M. St. though the Prince be supreme gouernour to these and all other persons in the realme yet as he entermedleth not with father schoolemaster shipmaster c. in their seuerall actions of their offices or vocations so though the Prince be supreme gouernour of all persons ecclesiasticall yet is he not supreme gouernour in
commaunded and prescribed vnto the chiefe priests what fourme and order they should obserue in ecclesiasticall causes and controuersies of religion Is not this then your own abhomination and contradiction â—…atly to say here is no fourme or order prescribed and that the Bishop belieth Gods holy woorde which in one that goeth for a student of Diuinitie to sclaunder one that goeth for a Bishop what can be done more malapertly But as ye thus sawfely misuse your better so full fondly and malitionsly do yâ—… gather that thereon then the which the Bishop minded nothing lesse nor can instly be gathered thereupon Yâ—… say the Bishop writeth thus to make folke weene that religion proceded then by way of commission from the Prince onely This is your owne spitefull sclander M. Stapl. not onely on the Bishop but on the Quéenes Maiestie your argument is this He prescribed them a fourme and order to obserue in coÌ„trouersies of Religion Ergo He attempted to make Religion proceede by way of commission from the Prince onely This is a false and maâ—…itions collection M. Stapl. from the fourme and order of athing to the thing it selfe It is your holy father the Pope to whom ye may obiect this conclusion he maâ—…eth religion to depende on him and to proceede from him onely â–ª by his Commissions and Legacies â—… latere We-acknowledge all true religion to procéede onely from God the father through Iesus Christ his sonne by the insâ—…ctioÌ„ of the holy ghost in the mouth of the Patriarches Prophets and Apostles And from the Prince to procéede onely such godly orders and formes of directing and setting foorth that true religion as he by the notable examples of these godly Kinges shall finde out paterns most expedient for him and his people to gouerne and order them of what â—…state soeuer they be in that true religion and all other ecclesiastical causes belonging thereto So did Iosaphat then so doth the Quéenes Maiestie now FroÌ„ whose authoritie next â—…nder â–ª God the order direction procéeded though the religioÌ„ procéeded not from them but altogither from God. Nay say you king â–ª Iosaphats dealings were rather with 〈◊〉 persoâ—… thâ—…n with matters ecclesiasticall This was M. FeckeÌ„hams former shifte and many proper ensamples and similitudes you also vsed thereon to dally about the 〈◊〉 of the ecclesiasticall person but not in ecclesiastical matters But those were but séely shifts and euer turned against your selfe in the ende And therefore ye darâ—… not abide by this shifte but within a litle while after yea euen in this Chapter ye recant and denie the obedience of the persons and all And what hath bene your practise any other than cleane to ridde your selues out of al obedience from the Princes authoritie ye knowe your Pope hath bene vnder the Emperour ere now but vnder what Princes obedience euen for his person will ye confesse your Pope at this day to be And do not all the packe of the popishe Priestes as his chickens clâ—…cke vnder his winges and exempt euen their persons also from the dutifull obedience they owe to their naturall soueraignes in so much that where the Popes primacie is admitted Princes can not by any of their laweâ—… â–ª fasten any condigne punishement vppon any ecclesiasticall persons â–ª what mischiefe soeuer they committe and all bicause the ecclesiasticall persons were priuileged and exempted from their Princes authoritie Wherein your generation dealt surely for themselues that hauing graunted them an inche got an elle For seing that if they should graunt againe the obedience of the person the cause and all would at last returne to his old master the Prince as it did before but you thinke your selfe sure inough if ye graunt that Iosaphat dealed with ecclesiasticall persons but not with their matters As ye shifted of the matter before that the Prince dealeth with a Bishop for his homage baronie and temporalties but not otherwise Thinke ye M. Stapl. and tell me on your fidelitie did Iosaphat meddle with the high Priestes and all other of the Clergie so well as his temporaltie onely in respecte of their persons or in respecte of their reuenues and linings vnder him or chiefly in any of these respectes did he thus commaunde them and deale with them or not rather and most of all in respect of refourming abuses in religion and setting in order all ecclesiasticall causes he appointed not onely the persons but the places where the persons shoulde execute their offices and what matters these and those persons shoulde entreate vppon and how they shoulde do them as your selfe haue confessed the manner And least we should thinke he â—…ubbered ouer the matter as ye say many good and godly princes among the Christians also haue charged their Bishops and clergie to see diligently vnto their flockes and charges Ye say true M. Stapleton many godly Princes haue thus done to your further confutation in this issue But you meane they haue onely giuen them a generall exhortation and yet neuerthelesse lefte the matter wholly in their Clergies hands not medling themselues therewith Least ye should thinke that Iosaphat did it thus sclenderly not that his chiefe charge of ouersight lay thereon not onely of them all generally but particulerly in euery kinde of matter the holy ghost hath penned out how precisely he went to worke that rather hauing his care about the matters then the persons For this was his principal marke care not so much that the person might sit in authoritie as that the matter might wisely and truly be iudged and discerned and therfore saith the text In Hierusalem quoque constituit Iosaphat Leuitas sacerdotes principes familiaruÌ„ ex Israel vt iudicium causam domini Iudicarent habitatoribus eius c. Praecepitque eis c. And Iosaphat appointed in Ierusalem Leuites and Priests and families of Israell that they might giue iudgement and iudge the cause of the Lorde to the inhabitants thereof c. And he coÌ„maunded them saying Thus shall ye do in the feare of the Lord faithfully and with a perfecte harte and in euery cause that shall come vnto you of your brethren that dwell in their Cities betweene bloud and bloud betweene lawe and precepte statutes and iudgements ye shall iudge them and admonish them c. Whervpon saith Lyra Hic ordinatur regimeâ—â— populi in arduis causis c. Here is ordeyned the gouernment of the people in difficult causes which could not well be cutte of without recourse had to Ierusalem according to that which is coÌ„maunded Deuter. 17. Where it is saide if thou shalt perceyue the iudgement before thee to be difficult and doubtfull arise and get thee vp to the place which the Lord shall choose c. And therefore Iosaphat appointed iudges there to determine such difficult matters Wherefore it followeth euery cause which commeth vnto you c. VVheresoeuer the question is if it be of the lawe so
therfore he was neyther the Priestes nor the Prophets executioner in them If ye say God had determined that they should so be done ye say true and we denie not but that the Princes power and authoritie did execute Gods determination yea it was readie and seruiceable as ye say thereto And so it ought to be in all princes But what conclude you herevppon Bicause the princes power and authoritie is ready and seruiceable to execute Gods determinate purpose yea or his open commaundement either and that by the mouth of any Priest or Prophete Ergo he is not supreme gouernour vnder God therein In déede ye might well conclude he is not an absolute supreme gouernour ouer God whose determination he doth execute so seruiceably but this ye might conclude agaynst your Pope that exalteth him selfe aboue all that is called God and despiseth to execute seruiceably Gods open determination and maketh all Princes to bee seruiceable executioners of his own determinations Thus doth not the Quéenes Maiestie nor any Godly Prince but obeyeth and executeth Gods determination with all hir power and authoritie most readie and seruiceable therevnto and yet is neyther hir supreme power nor authoritie vnder God any whitte empayred thereby And if this be an argument to abase the Princes supreme power and authoritie how shall it not also abase the Priests ought they to doe any other things then execute Gods determinations ought not their power authoritie be ready and seruiceable herevnto Ergo â–ª they can be no supreme gouernors neyther But ye will say the Prince is yet inferiour to them bycause they executed Gods commaundement immediately and the Prince theirs What now if it fall out quite contrary that Ezechias executed seruiceably Gods commaundement they againe executed although their seruice was not ouer readie such was their corruption yet tandem at the length they executed the Princes commaundement doth it not then followe that they were therein inferiour to the Prince But that he commaunded and appointed them and that they executed in these spirituall things his commaundement and appoyntment the scripture is most apparant He brought in the Priestes and gathered them togither in atrium sacerdotum sayth Lyra into the porche of the priests The Priests called not him and his nobilitie togither And therefore sayth Lyra vnder him was made Primo expiatio legalis c. First the clensing of the lawes sacrifice Secondly the celebration of the benefite of the passeouer Thirdly the repayring of the Priestly ministerie He as a commaunder sayde vnto the Priestes séeing them sâ—…owly deâ—…ed Audite me Leuitae sanctificamint c. Heare me O you Leuites and be ye sanctified clense the house of the God of your fathers and take away all vnciennesse from the sanctuarie Which are not wordes of entreatie but flatte commaundements as Lyra sayth Ezechias cupiens renouare foedâ—… cum domino primo pracepit c. Ezechias desirous to renew the couenant with the Lorde First did commaund the Leuites to be sanctified Secondly by them being sanctified the temple to be clensed Thirdly by those which were clensed sacrifice to be made for the offence of the people Fourthly by sacrificing God to be praysed Fiftly by clensing the holy burnt-offrings to be offred vp Thus were all these thinges done by his commaundement by his constitution and at his pleasure Nunc igitur placet mihi vt 〈◊〉 foedus cum domino It is now therefore my pleasure sayth he that we enter into a couenant with the Lorde And in this doing euen in the place where he putteth them in minde of their high office he calleth them not his fathers which worde hereafter ye stande much vpon but calleth them being the Priestes Leuites his sonnes Filij meâ—… sayth he nolite negligere O my sonnes be not negligent being him selfe in yeares but a childe in respect of them of the age of xx yeares sauing that in respect of hys royall power and estate he considered he was the father of all Gods people so well the clergie as the laitie and so the clergie tooke him and obeyed him Et ingressi sunt iuxta mandatum regis imperiâ—… domini And they entred in according to the Kings commaundement and the commaundement of the Lorde Iuxta mandatum regis sayth Lyra ad purgandum templum domini To clense the temple of the Lorde according to the Kings commaundement And Lyra praysing all these doings sayth Et sic Ezechias in dâ—… coronationis c. And so Ezechias in the day of his coronation opened the doores of the temple of the Lorde and euen there gathering the Priestes and the Leuites togither he enioyned vnto them the sayde purging Lo here is againe the kings owne iniunction whereat ye quarreled in the former Chapter And on the morrow after they began it and in this appeareth the great prayse of Ezechias that euen foorthwyth from the first day of his coronation he commaunded the renuing of the diuine worship that was destroied by his father Lyra shewing further of the pollution of the temple telleth out of the Hebrue glosse that there were many Images of Idolatrie fastened in the walles of the Temple with such strong and great nailes that they were hardly pulled away A liuely patterne of your popish Temples Master Stapleton decked vp euen so with Images in the walles and withall it confuteth your fonde distinction of Image and Idoll since as well ye may haue Idolatrie of Images as of Idolles If ye thinke to escape by distinguishing of the Images of holy Saintes and the Images of the wicked heathen that they onely be Idolles not the other I pray you what was the brasen serpent was it the Image of any prophane thing or not rather a representer of Christ and yet it became an Idoll and this godly King not the Priestes destroyed it and called it in contempt a péece of brasse as a man might call your Images or Idolles whether ye will a stocke or stone Thus did this notable Prince which I tell by the way not onely to shewe his supreme authoritie in the doing but besides to aunswere your ordinarie cauillation in defence of your manifest Idolatrie The Temple being clensed from these Images the Priestes offered first for the King Pro Regno for the Kingdome that is sayth Lyra pro Rege Principibus for the King and the Princes and after for themselues the people The King â—…ad them offer on the aultar of the Lord and they obeyed offred sayth Lyra pro peccatis Regis Principum Sacerdotum Leuitarum communis populi For the sinnes of the King of the Princes and of the Priestes and of the Leuites and of the common people Thus in their degrée reckoning euery sort Hée appoynted also the singers Againe he commaunded the Priestes to offer the burnt offrings and he and his Princes commaunded them to sing Psalmes When they had
me in bringing euerlasting comforte Do ye not pray to the virgin Mary Exaudi me salua me custodi me Heare me saue me keepe me Do not ye pray to the Apostles O blessed Apostles of God loose me from my sinnes defende me from the paynes of hell and deliuer me from the power of darknesse and bring me to the euerlasting kingdome Do ye not pray to all the virgins I beseech you all holy virgins helpe me that I may haue of hart good will of body health humilitie chastitie and after the course of this lyfe the felowshippe of euerlasting blisse Do ye not pray to all the hée saincts and she saincts euen where ye mention their intercession O all you hee and shee sainctes of God I beseeche you and make supplication to you succour me haue mercy vpon me mercifully and pray for me instantly that by your intercession a pure conscience a compunction of harte and a laudable consummation of euerlasting lyfe may be giuen me of God that throughe your merites I may come to the countrey of euerlasting blisse Dyd ye neuer say this prayer in your Primer O moste noble moste excellent and euer glorious Virgin c. O Lady my Queene and Lady of all creatures whiche forsakest none dyspysest none nor leauest anye desolate that wyth a good and pure hearte humbly and deuoutly runneth to thee despise me not for my moste greeuous sinnes forsake me not for myne innumerable iniquities nor for the hardnesse and vnclennesse of my harte caste me not away from the face of thy grace and loue but for thy moste greate mercie and moste sweete pitie heare mee putting firme confidence in thy mercy and succour mee most holy and most glorious virgin Marie in all my tribulations griefes and necessities and also giue me councell and helpe in all my woorkes and deliuer mee from all mine enimies visible and inuisible giue me vertue strength agaynst the temptations and deuises of the worlde the fleshe and the deuill c. And in my last dayes be vnto me my helper and comforter and deliuer my soule and the soule of my Father and of my mother of my brothers and my sisters of my parentes my friendes and my benâ—…factours and of all faithfull both liuing and dead from the mist of eternall death he helping thee whom thou hast borne Iesus Christ thy sonne Prayed ye not to S. Erasmus Receyue me S. Erasmus into thy holy fayth and grace and conserue me from all euill by these eight dayes and giue vnto me that I may passe them ouer with a right fayth and with all prosperitie vnto the ende of my life and that ought of mine enimies will preuaile not agaynst me to thee to thy prayse and honour to me to my consolation and grace to thee S. Erasmus I doe commende my body and my soule all that are ioyned vnto â—…in confession and prayer or consanguinitie and all my doiâ—… that I may liue with all prosperitie peace and ioy now and for euer Ye haue in the Primer a notable prayer to the blessed virgin Aue domina sancta Maria c. Haile Lady S. Marie mother of God Queene of heauen port of Paradise Ladie of the world eternall light Empresse of hell c. Ouer the head of this prayer is set in red letters Quicunque orationeÌ„ sequeÌ„tem deuotè dixerit promeretur quadraginta millia annorum indulgentiarum per tot dies videbit beatam virginem ante dieÌ„ exitus sui per quot annos continuauerit VVhosoeuer sayth this prayer following deuoutly shall haue fortie thousand yeares of pardon and for so many dayes as he hath continued yeres he shall see the blessed virgin before the day of his departure Likewise ouer the head of the prayer to the virgin Marie called Aue rosa sine spiâ—…is c. Haile rose without thornes c. is printed in red letters in English This prayer shewed our Ladie to a deuoute person saying that this golden prayer is the most swetest and acceptablest to me And in hir appearing she had this salutation and prayer written with letters of gold in hir brest How say ye to these prayers inuacatioÌ„s M. St. is here nothing but Ora pro nobis do they make saints only intercessours as ye now would beare the simple in hande the prayers to them were nothing els but to desire them to be our intercessours is this the comming betwene vs God not rather the placing them in Gods seat what left they out that they fully ascribed not vnto them â–ª could they do any greater blasphemie to God and defacing to his Saints than this but perhaps ye wil say this was done in the time of too grosse ignorance and idolatrie Now things are more opened the people pray not after so grosse a maÌ„ner Who were they M. St. that taught them thus to pray was it we or you whose plackardes pardons of sinnes are prefixed to entise tickle the people to say these prayers ours or yours Ha M. St. for shame yet at the length blushe at the reading of them All godly will tremble with horrour to heare and sée how they blasphemed God vnwittingly being deceiued by such blinde leaders of the blinde the thick rymine of whose ignorance is not yet taken away froÌ„ the eies of a great many I promise you M. St. this Primer since I tooke in hande to answere you I sounde deuoutly occupied in the Church of a priuy friend of yours I dare say had you séene it in his hands ye would not haue taken it from him but haue commended his Idolatrie And shall we thinke that in your late time of Quéene Maries raigne your selfe vsed any better Primer Haue ye not in your English Latine primer printed An. Dom. 1557. by the assignes of Iohn Waylande all other primers forbidden to be printed in your Mattins to the virgin Marie Thou art the dore of the heauenly king And the gate of life replenishing Since a virgin life doth bring ye redeemed people reioyse and sing And againe O gloriouse mother c. we besech thee of thy pitie to haue vs in remembrance and to make meanes for vs vnto Christ that we being supported by thy help may deserue to obtaine the kingdome of heauen Hereâ—…e pretende hir to be but a meane maker yet ye ascribe supporting and helpe of saluation to hir and to your selues most arrogantly deserte of heauen Do ye not pray to S. Michael O Archangel Michael come for to succour the people of God and I shall giue thee prayse in the presence of Angels Versicle In thy holy temple I shall to thee pray Answere And thy blessed name confesse alway and yet who knoweth not that Dauid ascribeth those wordes onely to God Do ye not say in the prime Wee do praise thee and do pray thee mother of God most mercifull that thou entend vs to defend from death that is most sorowfull In
despiâ—…e not vs that put our trust in thee VVee trust in thee and thee our aide we inuocate c. In the 4. prayer Thou with Christ possessest the imperiall honor c. Cast thy godly eies on vs and search the inwarde partes of our harts c. In the fifth prayer VVithout thee euery soule is as an vnfruitfull tree worthy to be rooted vp and to be cast into the wasting fire Our soule lusteth after thee thou noble mother of God when wilt thou visit it come lady and sometimes visite thy seruants least our vertue â—…aint c. Our soule is wiâ—…hered and made baren bicause we haue not deserued to haue thy grace Come O mother come and moysten it that it may somtimes bring forth fruit that it may be fruitful being bedewed with thy grace and bring forth pleasant fruite to thee In the. 6. prayer VVhom God and thou the inuincible mother of God wilt vouchsafe to help they shall endure O Ladie heare the sighes of thy seruants and hasten to help them that trust in thee In the 7. prayer Looke downe from thy high trone of heauen where thou raignest with thy soÌ„ne c. Of al wretches he is most wretch that neglecteth to get thy grace c. he is iust indeede and worthy the felowship of the iust that deserueth in his seruice to please thee he shall not be confounded in the last iudgement when he shall see his Lady the iudges mother and shall see thee with him iudging him He shall cast his eyes on thee and he shall not treÌ„ble for thou wilt not forget him c. In all our grieues let vs runne to the loue of thee c. In the 8. prayer Haile prayse of the continent vertue and strength of the maried mother of the fatherlesse succour of widdowes haile firme and vnmoueable hope of all the faithful hayle myrth and ioy of Christians c. behold we coÌ„mend body and soule to thee yea all the gouernance of our whole life we coÌ„mende into thy holy haÌ„ds we offer our selues to serue thee dispise not our oblations c. In the. 10. prayer Be present with vs O lady as we trust in thee that art the remedie of all euill c. that thou being our guide we may come streight to heauen Now M. St. is all this neither nothing els but Ora pro nobis well I could yet bring more more horrible stuffe thaÌ„ this Yea it were infinite to tedious to rake out those most blasphâ—…mous prayers that all your other bookes haue Your self could neuer abide the reading for shame nor the godly susteyne y hearing for horrour to see God so blasphemed spoiled of al his honor of that which he is a ielouse God wil coÌ„municate no part therof to other Only to swéeten your lips withal ye shal heare a few stories out of your legende other your holy bookes what ye ascribe to saints And first to begin euen at the intercession that ye say the Saints make for vs chiefly the virgine Marie whom ye make farre more mercifull than christ To proue this ye tell vs That a certaine wicked sinner going about his sinne by the way as his manner was to salute hir Image with an Aue beholding the Image of the virgin and hir sonne in hir armes he saw that the bloud distilled from the childe as it did from his woundes on the Crosse. VVhich when he saw being astonied thereat he said O ladie who hath done this to whome the virgin answered Thou and such sinners do Crucifie my Sonne againe And she would haue wiped and stanched the bloud but she could not To whom ê™ the sinner O mother of mercie make intercession for me She answered to him You sinners call mee the mother of mercie ye make me the mother of miserie and sorow And he said not so most godly ladie â–ª but remember that thou art the aduocate of sinners and make intercession for me And the mother said O most godly sonne for the loue of me be merciful to this sinner And hir sonne said to hir No mother nor thou oughtest to be grieued in that I heare thee not For I prayed once my father if it were possible to saue maÌ„kind some other way and take from me the cup of my passion and he would not heare me And she sayd O my son remember that I cherished thee with motherly loue and fed thee with my papps forgiue then this sinner O mother ê™ the sonne I will shew that by good right I am not bound to heare thee VVe plead not right ê™ the mother but flie to mercie and therefore for thy mercies sake be mercifull to this sinner To whom hir sonne said I prayde my father twice that if it were possible the cup should parte from me and he heard me not To whom his mother answered O my sonne remember my trauailes and paines that I haue susteyned with thee and giue me this sinner O Mother quoth the Sonne be not vexed bicause I will not heare thee but remember that I prayed thrice and was not hearde VVith that the mother set downe hir Sonne and would haue fallen downe to his feete VVhich hir Sonne seing saide vnto hir what is that ye will doe Mother I will quoth she lie before thy feete with this sinner so long till thou graunt him pardon God forbid this mother quoth the sonne for it is ordayned in the diuine lawe that the sonne ought to honour his mother and iustice concludeth that the lawgiuer fulfill himself the law Then sith I am thy sonne and thou my mother I will honour thee in this sinner and for thy sake forgiue him al his sinnes and in tokeÌ„ of peace betwene him and me let him come and kysse my wounds and so the sinner healed all the wounds of Chryst with his kisse How say you M. Stapleton was not this propre stuffe to be printed euen for information to Preachers to instruct the people with almost so manie blasphemies as there bee lines besides the ridiculousnesse of the whole tale But I tell it for your conceytes of hir intercession making hir a great deale more mercifull than Chryst. The like tale within a Sermon or two after or rather a more fonde tale he telleth of an vnthrift that hauing wasted his goods gaue himselfe to the diuell for riches Of whome the diuell required that he should renie the highest and so he did To whom the diuell aunswered that his worke was yet vnperfecte excepte he renounced the mother of the highest for it is she that doth vs most harme For looke whome the sonne by iustice destroyeth the mother by mercie and pardon doth saue VVhiche the yong man hearing he was sore adrad and troubled aboue measure and answered he woulde neuer doe it To whome the Coniurer sayde you haue denied the Creator stick not man to denie the Creature
c. In deede sayth he the bodie of Marie was holye but God it was not The Virgin was a Virgin in deede and honorable but she was not giuen to vs to be worshipped but hir selfe worshipped him that was borne of hir who came to hir from heauen out of his fathers bosome And for this cause dothe the Gospell arme vs telling that whiche the Lorde spake woman what haue I to do with thee mine houre is not yet come least any should thinke the holy virgin to be more excellent he calleth hir woman as it were prophecying suche thinges as by reason of sectes shoulde come to passe on the earth Least that any bodye maruelling too muche at the holy Virgin slippe into this heresie and these dotages For all the handling of thys heresie is but a mockerie and as a man maye saye an olde wyues tale For what Scripture hathe euer declared whiche of the Prophetes commaunded man to be worshipped muche lesse a woman shee is in deede an excellent vessell but a woman and nothing chaunged from hir nature Shee is honorable in honoure bothe in vnderstanding and sense euen as are the bodies of the Sainctes And if to hir glorifying I should haue sayde somewhat more euen as Helias a virgin from his mother and so still remayning was translated and sawe not deathe euen as Iohn that leaned on the Lordes breast whome Iesus loued euen as sainct Thecla Yea Marie is yet more honorable for the dispensation of the mysterie wherewith shee was made woorthie But neither Helias is to be worshipped althoughe he be yet alyue neither is Iohn to be worshipped althoughe by his prayers he obtayned his wonderfull sleepe or rather hee obtayned grace of God Nor yet Thecla neyther any Saynct is worshipped For the auncient errour shall not master vs that leauing the lyuing God wee shoulde worshippe those thinges that are made of hym For they worshipped and honoured the Creature more than the Creator and became fooles If he wyll not haue Angels to be adored howe muche more will he not haue hir whiche was engendred of Anne which was giuen to Anne of Ioachim which by their prayers and all their diligence according to the promise to hir father and mother was giuen yet was she not engendred beyonde the nature of men but as all are of the seede of a man and the wombe of a woman c. For it is vnpossible for any to bee engendred on earth beyonde the nature of man Only it was sitting for him nature gaue place to him alone he as the work master and hauing powre of the matter fourmed him self of the Virgin as it were of the earth VVho beeing God the word discended froÌ„ heauen â–ª and put on flesh of the Virgin Mary but not that the Virgin shoulde be worshipped not that he would make hir a God nor that we should offer in the name of hir c. he suffred hir not to giue baptisme nor to blesse the disciples he bad hir not rule in the earthe but onely that she shoulde haue hir sanctification and bee made worthy of his kingdome From wheÌ„ce then commeth agayne to vs the round Dragon that wrappeth him self on a heape fro wheÌ„ce are these Councels renewed for any cause Let Mary be had in honor let be worshipped the father the sonne and the holy ghost let no man worship Mary I say not a woman no not a man This mysterie is due to God the Angels receiue not suche glorifying Let the thinges euill written he rased cleane oute of the hearte of those that are deceyued let the luste of the tree be taken out of their eyes let it tourne to the Lorde that framed it let Eue vvith Adam feare God that shee maye vvorshippe him onely least shee be ledde by the Serpentes voyce But let hir abyde stedfast in Gods commaundement eate not of the tree Let no body eate of the errour that is for sainct Mary For thoughe the tree bee fayre yet it is not to be eaten althoughe Mary bee moste fayre and holy and honorable yet is she not to be adored But these Arabicke women worshipping Mary do renue again the mixture to Fortune and prepare a table to the Diuell not to God as it is written they are fedde with the meat of wickednesse And agayne And their women do boult flowre and their children gather stickes to make cakes kneaded with oyle to the Q. of heaueÌ„ Let suche women be put to silence by Hieremie and let them not trouble the worlde let them not saye wee honour the queene of heauen c. Thus sayth Epiphanius and muche more neither for hir only though chiefly for hir but in generall for all the Saintes Non conuenit colere sanctos c. It is not mete to woorshippe the Sainctes beyonde comelynesse but it is meete to honour the Lorde of them let the errour therfore ceasse of those that be seduced Nowe if ye say vnto me all this is spoken againste the worship of offring to hir and sacrifising to hir not for inuocation of hir first this shift is false M. Sta. for Inuocation in déede is the chiefest worship that we can giue not of the lips so much as of the heart farre aboue any outwarde sacrifice of the bodie and therefore to be muche more giuen to God alone as S. Aug. reasoneth Sicut orantes c. Euen as when wee praye and prayse wee directe signifying vowes vnto God when we offer the verie thinges in our heart the whiche we signifie so sacrifycing we know that no visible sacrifice ought to be offred to any other than to him to whom we our selues ought to be an inuisible sacrifice As therfore no bodily sacrifice may be directed to any but to God so knew Epiphanius that all spirituall sacrifice is onely due to god And therefore he so little ascribeth it to hir or any other that bothe in the beginning of his treaiise and in the ende he maketh his inuocations onely to god Saying in the beginning Nunc autem clarè c. But let vs now clearely speake of the heresie it selfe and inuocating God as we will adioyne confutation agaynst it c. And in the ende thereof Ad vnam illam c. Let vs proceede to that onely heresie which is yet vntouched inuocating God that he would helpe vs c. Thus ye sée to whome he ascribeth inuocation not to hir of whom he writeth or to any other saincte but alonely to god This shifte fayleth therefore in saying he writeth onely agaynst offring and sacrificing to hir But setting all this aside haue not you I beséeche you offred and sacrificed to hir I pray you turne back agayne to those your prayers whiche I haue cited that playnely confesse the facts and glorie therein Neither coulde they tell by what meanes they shoulde worshippe hir inoughe But if it yrke ye to turne to that whiche was so yrkesome to reade before I will shâ—…we you yet once more so playne a
Pigghius who might for his writing be called Hogghius wel inough one of your chiefest porkelings in his defence of the inuocatioÌ„ of Saincts against the worde of God He groyneth out this saying Ego certè maiore ratione c. Truly I will with greater reason denie thee the authoritie of all the Scriptures than that thou shalt call me into doubte the beliefe and authoritie of the catholike Church since that vnto me the Scriptures haue no authoritie but all onely of the Churche What a wicked and swynish saying is this of a proude Popish borepigge against the euerlasting worde of God that it hath no authoritie at all from God the author of it but all from man all from the Churche of Rome for that is the Catholike Church that he meaneth the Pope his College of Cardinals and his assemblies of Priests for this they call the oecumenicall and representatiue Church All the authoritie that the worde of God hath it hath it from them alone Which if it were true then indéede as he saithe by better reason he may denie all the Scriptures than so much as call into doubt the beléefe and authoritie of the popish Bishops and Priests Why may they not then adde too and take from and make what and as many Ceremonies as they please and good reason to But since it is no reason that the worde of God should be thus trod vnder the foote of man that Gods worde should giue place to mans worde that Gods worde should haue all his authoritie of the worde of Priests and none at all of God that the Wiues worde should controll checke mate and châ—…ks vp hir husbandes worde that the wife may speake and appointe as much as she thinkes good and the husbande which hath but a few wordes to say can not be heard that the wiues worde should beare the streake and giue authoritie to the husbandes worde according to the common saying As the good man saith so say we but as the goodwife saith so it must be if this be no good reason nor any reason but cleane against all reason then may we replie to Pigghius and you M. St. that with better reason â–ª all your Churches authoritie and beleefe ought net onely to be called in doubte â–ª whether it agrée to Gods worde or no but also ought to depend wholy and onely on the authoritie of Gods worde And rather than the authoritie of the worde of God should be called into doubte much lesse denied as wickedly he presumeth to speake it were much better reason that he were cast into the sea as Christ saith and in sléede of a milstone that all his ceremonies were hanged aboute his necke all such blasphemous swine as this Pigghius were caried hedloÌ„g into the sea with him Yea saith Christ Heauen and earth shall passe but my worde shall not passe If your Catholike Church M. St. were the true wife and spouse of the Sonne of God she would with all lowlinesse humilitie reuerence here regarde obey Christ hir husbandes worde And be content to be commaunded by it not to countermaunde it not to thinke it were not of force vnlesse she gaue authoritie thereunto not to adde or diminishe to or from it not to commaunde one thing when he commaundes another not to compell the children and houshold of the faith to obserue hir worde more than hir husbandes not to haue twentie commaundements for hir husbandes tenne not to vse other fashions and customes than hir husband bids hir yea such as he forbids hir not to haue all the wordes and hir husbande not one worde yea to shut vp his mouthe and not to heare his worde these are impudent whores and bolde strumpets fashions a godly Christian matrone a vertuouse and faithfull spouse would neuer do thus But since your Church doth thus call hir catholike so fast as ye lust she is nothing else but a common catholike queane and not the humble and faithfull spouse of christ And your selues that defende hir haue good reason indéede to defende your Mother but such Mother such children that to holde with their mother dispise their Father and make hir worde to giue authoritie to his and say that with better reason they may denie the authoritie of their Fathers worde than so much as make a doubte of the beleefe and authoritie of their mother Yea that is a good ladde I warrant him and a well taught childe that will helpe the Mother to beate the Father is he not worthie his Mothers blessing for his labour but suche bastarde rebelles shal be sure of the Fathers curse For indéede they are not his Children Ues ex patre vestro Diabolo estis You are of your Father the Diuell Qui ex Deo est verba Dei audit propterea vos non auditis quia ex Deo non estis He that is of God heareth the worde of God therefore you heare it not bicause yeare not of God. The true children of God aboue all other thinges yea more than Father mother wife children fréendes yea than their owne life loue God and the hearing of his woorde Otherwise they were not worthie of god Thus do all the shéepe of Christ 〈◊〉 meae vâ—…cem meam audiunt My sheepe heare my voice As the Father hath bidden them Hunc audite c. This is my welbeloued Sonne in whom I am delighted heare him that is to say Leuell all your faith and life by the onely authoritie of his worde Who onely knoweth the Fathers will and in whom all the treasures of his fathers glorie are couched Who is the wisedome of God the truth the way the life and the worde it selfe The Sonne which is in the fathers bosome he hath declared it Heare him Auditus autem per verbum Dei But hearing commeth not by the Mothers authoritie but by the worde of God. Thus did the godly children vnto God whome we call Fathers vnto vs both before in Uigilantius time Nullum imitemur c. Let vs follow none saith Origen and if we will follow any Iesus Christ is set forth vnto vs to follow the Actes of the Apostles are described and we acknowledge the doyngs of the Prophets out of the holy volumes that is the firme example that is the â—…ounde purpose which who so desireth to follow goeth safe Thus also saith Cyprian both for Gods worde for your Mothers ceremonies The Heretike saith let nothing be deuised of newe besides that which is by tradition deliuered From whence came this tradition came it from the authoritie of the Lorde and of his Gospell or came it from the commandements of the Apostles and their Epistles for indeede that those things which are written ought to be done God witnesseth and setteth forth to Iesus of Nauee saying let not the booke of this law departe out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou obserue all things
his free mercie not of our freewill workes So that what we haue now either in will or worke to do any thing acceptable to his most blessed will and pleasure the same in déede is in vs bicause his spirite is in vs but not of vs but of him bringing forth in vs Uelle perficere Both to will and to worke as fruites of his holy spirite within vs And if this agrée with the pestiferous Fables and lies of Simon Magus Marcion and Manes then ye haue mounted faire and well If not had ye mounted farre higher than they write Simon Magus did yea than euer Lucifer did yet as Simon Magus fell downe and brake his necke as Lucifer was throwen downe to hell fire so must you M. Stapleton with shame come downe againe for feare ye be hurled downe with them Now if as ye rashly mounted vp ye will orderly come downe through out all ages as it were by steppes ye may descende by this doctrine euen to your owne time againe But I pray you M. Stapleton in your comming downe let Pelagius be your host What maÌ„ drinke with him at least one free draught of his erroneous doctrine He is a free companion and will let ye drinke at will freely and he hath pleasannt licour well swéetned with pure naturall drugges and brewed with strong spices of your owne habilitie perfection and merites delectable to the palace of mans selfeloue But swéete soppes must haue sowre sawce they say â–ª This pleasaunt errour is but a sugred poyson and as ill on the other parte as Sâ—…noÌ„ Magus fatall necessitie was if not a great deale worse But ye will come neere vs and touche ye say the very foundation and well spring of this your newe Gospell which altogither is grounded vpon Iustification without good workes In that also ye drawe very nighe to the sayde Simon Magus Do we drawe nighe him M. St God sende grace you draw not with him and that many of your works yea euen of your good works and suche as ye ascribe iustification vnto be not suche as Simon Magus and his disciples workes were We grounde not vpon iustification without good workes you grounde vpon lyes without good consciences that thus do slaunder vs Iustification in déede may well be without your good workes yea it can not be with them The good workes that God commaundeth iustification bringeth foorth and therfore it can not be without them bicause they be the necessarie fruites of Iustification we seuer not them therfore from Iustification but discerne them from the Acte of God in iustifying Not to make our selues our owne iustifiers in whole or in parte We discerne theÌ„ from the causes of our iustification and ascribe the causes to the loue fauor and mercies of God the father for Christ his sonnes sake by the sanctification of his holy spirite We discerne our workes from the merite and deserte of iustification muche more from the merite of our saluation and say it is onely wrought by his merites and giuen to vs gratis freely All haue sinned sayth S. Paule and wante the glory of God but they are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Iesu Christ whom God hath appoynted to be the reconciliatioÌ„ through fayth by his bloud comming betweene Which worde freely is contrary to merite and excludeth it as S. Paule reasoneth Sâ—… ex gratia iam non ex operibus alioquin gratia non est gratia If it come of grace then commeth it not of workes otherwyse grace is not grace That is to say it is not frée fauour but bound fauour as deserued or bought As Barnard said NoÌ„ est quo gratia intreâ—… vbi iam merituÌ„ occupauit VVhere merite hath taken vp the rowme there is no place for grace to enter And so S. Aug Haec est electio gratia c. This is the electioÌ„ of grace bicause all good merites of man are preuented For if it were giuen by any good merites then were it not giuen free but rendred as ought And by this meanes it is not by a true name called grace where reward is As the same Apostle sayth it is not imputed according to grace but according to duetie but if that it be true grace that is to saye freely giuen it findeth nought in man to whom it may be worthily owing Infinite are the places that may be cited out of the fathers and many are by others at large collected in this behalfe yea I haue shewed you Thomas his iudgement alredy therin who is the prince of al your scholemeÌ„ For merite of works therfore in iustification we are of S. Paules minde Arbitramur hominem iustificari fide absque operibus legis we suppose that man is iustified by fayth without the works of the law Thus in the poynt of iustification workes are excluded as he sayde immediately before VVhere is then thy boasting it is excluded By what lawe of workes no but by the lawe of fayth Althoughe our workes are not at all excluded in respect of the fruites of those that are already iustified For they are ipsius factura c. His workemanshippe created in Iesu Christ in good workes which God hath prepared that we shoulde walke in them But before this workemanshippe of Iustification we were but very enimies And therefore as sainct Augustine saith Quae merita bona tuÌ„c habere poter amus quando Deum non diligebamus VVhat good merites could we then haue when as yet we loued not God VVithout fayth it is impossible to please god And what soeuer is not of fayth is sinne Nowe this fayth which lykewise is not of vs but is the gifte of God we discerne from workes bicause it hath relation to the onely mercies of God promised in Christ vnto vs Which promises fayth catching holde vpon is the only meanes and instrumeÌ„t that God hath giuen vs to receiue the frée offer of his grace and to applie to vs forgiuenesse of our sinnes And so stedfastly beléening the same we are iustified by God onely as the efficient and actiue worker by Christ onely as the formall cause in whome our righteousnesse consisteth and by faythe onely as the instrument giuen of God vnto vs wherby we receiue the same And this sayth S Paule exemplifying it by Abraham Quid enim dicit scriptura For what sayth the scripture Abraham beleeued God and it vvas imputed to hym for righteousnesse But to him that worketh rewarde is not imputed according to grace but according to duetie But vnto him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vvycked his faythe is imputed to righteousnesse according to the purpose of the grace of God. And this is that we say fayth onely iustifieth that is fayth is the onely eye that séeth the onely hande that catcheth holde vpon the onely meanes whereby we receiue the onely instrument wherewith we applye to our selues
his writinges condemned them Is not this I pray you the vsuall practise of your Apostles Luther and Caluine of M. Iewell and your owne too in this booke as I trust we haue and shal make it most euident And heere let M Dawes beare you companie too in the craftie and false handling of his own deare brothers Sleidans story where he leaueth out Alexander Farnesius Oration to the Emperour wherin he sheweth the Protestants dissentions If this be an argument to proue a Donatist belike your Popes Boniface and Innocent learned it of them so impudently in the publique conference and Councel at Carthage to alleage lay foorthe and presse muche vpon the Nicene Councell as making for their superioritie though all the true Copies therof condemned them as impudent corrupters of the fathers Decrées What fathers bookes and Councels haue these Popes successors spared since to falsefie chalenging authoritie ouer all fathers and Councels to do with theÌ„ as they please And as the Popes own sonnes this is not onely the vsuall but the chiefe and almoste the onely practise of all Popish writers in the alleaging of the fathers euen as the diuel alleaged the Psalmes to christ Neither do you onely corrupte the fathers bookes but father on them whole bookes of your owne deuisings falsified in the fathers names as Erasmus exactly obseruing hath founde out many suche euident corruptions As for vs thankes be to God ye name not one father corrupted by Luther Caluine the Bishop of Sarum or of Wint. nor of any other as yet Onely ye finde faulte with M. Dawes for omitting an Oration in Sleydan no auncient father but a late Hystoriographer I knowe not his consideration in good sooth M. St. if I did I would answere you But he is a liues man and can answere you him selfe Your argument is very fond to inferre a Donatist herevpon yea be it that we were culpable in this behalfe as it is but your flaunderous lye and yet be it further that it were any argument to proue a Donatist not onely the parties whome ye name haue proued your good masters Donatistes but your selfe would proue your selfe to be as great a Donatist as the best Sixthly ye say The Donatistes to get some credit to their doctrine preteÌ„ded many false visions and miracles and they thought that God spake to Donatus from heauen and doth not M. Foxe in his dunghill of stinking martyrs pretily followe them therein trowe you So clenly M. St. your thethorike procéedeth from those swéete lippes of yours Ye chaleÌ„ge M. Foxe with vnsauery termes ye proue or improue nothing agaynst him Onely ye scoffe at Luthers visions and tell vs a tale of a man in Hungarie I can not tell where nor whome feigning him selfe to be dead and pretending to be raysed agayne to life to confirme the doctrine of the Gospell but in conclusion was found to be dead in déede Hath not say you the like practise ben attempted of late in Hungarie to authorise the new Gospel by pretending to restore life to an holy brother feigning him selfe to be dead and by the greate prouidence of God founde to be deade in deede What witnesse of this M. St Forsooth aske your fellow if ye lie I warrant ye he wil say all is true and who shall proue him a lyer that the partie would so haue faigned him selfe to be dead or would by such toyes go about to coÌ„firme the Gospell of Chryst whome whispered he in the care while he was on liue that he ment any such matter Wel the partie is dead ye say then say I it is easie for a false varlet thereby to deface the Gospell to deuise a lie by a dead body or so suborite or bribe another to witnesse a lye For the partie ye say is dead â—…us Leâ—… 〈◊〉 mordeâ—… a dead Lion they say bytes not But if he be dead presupposing there were any such thing in déede God sende grace there were no false packing to murther him amoÌ„g you then to say so by him I haue heard of such Popish shifts ere now But howe soeuer the matter were yea graunt it had bene so that some noughtie fellowe had attempted suche a wickednesse is the same to be obiected to the Protestantes or the Gospell of Christe to be defaced therby or not rather the more to be confirmed therby that God abhorreth suche false meanes to set out his truth and destroyeth suche dissemblers as he did Ananias and Saphira and wil haue his truth simply and playnely set foorth as thankes be to God therfore it is in many places and with good successe and encrease he blesseth it No no M. St. and that ye know full wel we vse no such false visions or feigned miracles to further Gods truth no we seeke no visions or miracles at all but séeke the truth it selfe It is the practise of your Church to coÌ„meÌ„de your false doctrine vnto the simple by pretending many false visions and miracles What haue ye else for purgatorie but a number of reuelations that were shewed forsooth to such or such a Monke or Frier what else for deuising all the sectes of Friers and Nonnes but such and such a reuelation What haue ye for your Ladies Psalter for hir Rosarie for hir feast dayes for the inuocation of Saincts for the most of al your truÌ„perie in the Masse Diriges for Reliques shrines and pilgrimages for worshipping this or that sainct departed but your feigned reuelations your false visions and miracles â–ª Looke your Legends who shall your paltry Friers postils your Louanian scholemen looke who shall on Marulus reuelatioÌ„s on Tundalus visions on S. Bridgets reuelations on the miracles of the blessed Uirgin set out in Latine and Englishe c. He shall finde for this poynt such stuffe that both his eares will glowe to reade it And these practises are not deuised by vs agaynst you in the name of a dead man but they are set out in print and published by your selues in good sad earnest to deceiue the simple withall If therefore this be an argument to proue Donatistes by then as it cleareth vs that seeke no suche meanes so it proueth you to be Donatistes that in thus many poyntes of your religion stande so muche thereon Seuenthly say you Did not the Donatistes preferre and more esteeme one National erronious Councel in Aphrica than the great and generall Councell at Nice keepe not ye also this trade preferring your forged conuocation libell before the generall Councell of Trident. And this is set out with a Marginall note They preferre a Nationall Councell before the Generall As for forged Libels is but your forged lye master Sta. if we preferre a Nationall Councell before your Generall no maruell the legge of a larke is to be preferred before the body of a Kyte If ye crake of Generalitie for the multitude once agayne you make your selfe a craking Donatiste althoughe in déede there were no suche
fowly therin who findeth a péeuish fault with Thapologie euen for this that it reciteth not the common creede But can ye say your common creede M. St For it may be to conster it to the best that this your errour is rather of ignorance I thinke ye say your common Creede in Latin oftner than in Englishe for in Englishe ye reâ—…ke not howe fewe can say it and yet ye hitte it truer in Englishe than in Latin. But you that reprehende the byshop and other for Grammer in englishing of wordes so exactly I pray you by what newe founde figure of Grammer do ye englishe Incarnatus est de spiritu sancto He was conceyued by the holy Ghost In good sooth M. Stap. ye were héere somewhat coÌ„ceyued amisse your selfe And this was a greater ouershotte than any of your common petit quarels besides this foyle most of all that ye can not perfectly say the common Creede nor write it rightly in your booke that almost eche plow boy can say without the booke Ye tell vs Thapologie reciting the common Créede omitteth Incarnatus est de spiritu sancto whereas those wordes are not in the common Creede The wordes of the common Creede are these Qui conceptus est de spiritu sancto with whiche agréeth Damasus Creede and not Qui incarnatus est de spiritu sancto Thus haue all the bookes that I haue séene and yet I haue looked a good many to see if any write it as you do whereby I mighte the rather holde you excused The wordes that you recite are the words of the Nicene creede which ye haue put in your Masse But belike ye sing Masse oftner than ye say the coÌ„mon Créede so tooke that which ye commonly vsed to be the common creede Well say you howsoeuer it be ye haue héere omitted both incarnatus and conceptus too â–ª And therfore by your own rule and example heere might we crie out vpon you all as Apollinarians and Eutichians In déede M. Sta â–ª no man can let ye to crie out and crow out that we be what soeuer it please you to crie out vpon vs But howe well and truely ye may crie it out that is another matter For by the same rule and example you might crie out also vppon Ireneus that omitteth this article in his Créede Ye might crie out of Tertullian that likewise omitteth it Ye might crie out vppon S. Ambrose and S. Augustine that are said to haue compiled the himne Te ' Deum Ye might crie out vppon Athanasius Creede Quicunque vult And vppon diuerse other that omitte this Article of the conception of Christ by the holy ghost And yet are they neither Apollinarians nor Eutichians But looke you to it whether any of their Heresies touch your or no euen in maintenance of their hereticall doctrine You stretch the rule to farre and to generally M. Stap. euery forflowne omission by chaunce as your selfe say where no speciall occasion is giuen is not a subtile refusall Nor so M. Feckenham is charged your selfe haue shewed he did it wittingly yea wisely as you say and he thought to omitte that that he is chiefly charged withall bicause it made against him If the fathers and the Apologie did thus in their omission then hardly lay it to their charges and therein ye shall do but well For otherwise as you would retorte this on vs see how sone and how sore it might be retorned on you yea and that in the selfe same place where of very purpose ye say the common creede and say to the Bishop in your foâ—…rth booke about the number of the articles that ye will bring him to his Catechisme which vnlesse ye thought your selfe a cumming student in Diuinitie and specially well traueled in your abâ—…e ye woulde not else take vpon you to teache a Bishop In déede your Bishops were verie blinde but thankes be to God our Bishops are no such blinde guides that they should néede to learne their Catechisme of you But let vs sée how do ye teache him when ye come euen to the common creede how ye number the Articles although concerning your quarell at the number of the articles I wil answere God willing in his proper place The first article then is say you I beleue in god The second I beleue in God the father The. 3. I beleue that he is omnipotent The. 4. That he is the creator of heauen and earth The. 5. I beleue in Iesus Christ. And here proceding to other Articles ye leaue quite out these wordes his onely sonne our Lorde Why do ye thus M. Stapleton do ye not beléeue that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God and that he is the onely sonne of God and that he is our Lorde Looke well to this geare M. St. here is first after the manner of your accounting thrée articles omitted and one of them such a speciall point as we charge you with that ye take away his Lordship now ye take away his sonneship too Will ye say this was ouerhipped by chaunce or forslowne well be it-so although euen in saying the common Creede suche a forslowne scape might deserue a yerking in a yong scholler but more shamefull it is in a Diuine yea in such a Diuine as will take vpon him to teach a Bishop But why not would not the sow take vppon hir to teach Minerua but let vs sée your furder teaching The sixte I beleeue that he was conceyued of the holy ghost The seuenth that he was borne of the virgine Mary The eight that he suffered vnder Pontius Pilaâ—…us Here once againe ye omitte these wordes crucified dead and buried conteyning also after your reckening thrée other articles and ye leaue them cleane out Whether it be that ye cannot say the Créede perfectly which were a foule blotte or which is worse that ye purposely leaue them out like the wise men that vse not greatly to shewe that that maketh against them For the popishe doctrine is so flatte diuerse wayes against the death of Christ that it quite taketh away the vertue and effect therof And therefore the Papistes séeke to be saued by so many meanes besides But whether ye leaue it out for this or any other priuier cause or open I remitte it to your owne purgation and to other mens coniectures You procéede and say And the ninth that he descended into hell The tenth that he arose from death The eleuenth that he ascended into heauen And the twelfth that he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade Thus againe haue ye left out an other Article that hee sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie Which is also materiall in the controuersie betwene vs of your transubstantiation whiche errour as it cleane confuteth so it argueth you to be the very Eutichians your selues as is alreadie proued out of Theodoretus More things are to be noted about this your dealing in in the
supreme charge ouersight and gouernment to sée that the Priest do not abuse this so excellent and spiritual ministerie but exercise rightly the same according to Gods worde Who so doing the Prince so well as any other Christian obeyeth his preaching ministerie submitteth his head as Chrysosâ—…ome saith vnder the ministers handes as to Gods messenger steward and dispenser of his heauenly mysteries But if the Priest be not such an one as Chrysostome describeth if he do not denounce Gods promises threaâ—…es nor his worde at all but as Christ saith of the naughtie seruant striketh his fellow seruants and subtracâ—…eth their spirituall foode of Gods worde from them would poyson theÌ„ with such erroniouse foode as he would giue them besides and contrarie to the worde of God if he will not be centent with his owne boundes but will vsurpe also the dignitie that is not due vnto him but belongeth to the Prince shall the Prince suffer this at his handes him selfe to be spoyled of his authoritie and royall estate and his subiectes pilled of their goods yea both he and al his subiects by such a false vsurper tirant Priest to be robbed and spoiled of their soules foode saluation Here hath the Prince authoritie to suppresse such wicked Balamites such counterfaites such Antichrists what soeuer they be and to place in their places true and godly ministers such as Chrysostome here speakes of FroÌ„ which kinde of ministerie your Pope M. St who is your great high Priest all the inferiour rable of Priests that depende on him are so farre different that Chrysostoms senteÌ„ce not only maketh nothing for you but is cleane against you For first take your owne words that you cite out of Chrysostome lay them to your Pope Prelates and sée how they agrée togither This king saith Chrysâ—…stome of the minister or Priest is not knowne by visible things neither hath his estimatioÌ„ for preciouse stones he glistereth with all or for his gay golden ghstering apparell Contrarywise your Pope and his prelates to get the more estimation thereby of the people are not onely knowen by visible things but set out them selues and all their ceremonies to the vttermost in gay golden glistering apparell with most gorgeous ouches of siluer of golde of pearles and precious stones Againe this Prieste saith to the King I haue not vsurped thy purple contrarywise the Pope hath vsurped Emperours purple the Emperours Diademe the Emperours throne the Emperours Empire and all Againe ye tell vs out of Chrysostome that the bodies are committed to the King the soules to the Priest the King pardoneth the faultes of the bodie the Priest pardoneth the faultes of the soule the King forceth the Priest exhorteth the one by necessitie the other by giuing counsell the one hath visible armour the other spirituall he warreth against the barbarous I warre against the Diuell Contrarywise the Pope warreth against Christ and with the Diuell as his generall vicar and Licuetenant and taketh not onely vppon him the Emperours parte by warring against the barbarous Turkes and Saracens but also the Diuels parte by warring against the Saincts truth of God and that with more horrible treasons murders and villanies than euer was practised among the barbarous And entermedleth with faultes of the bodie as whoredome and fornication not onely bodily to punish them but also beastly for filthie lucre to maintaine them and condemneth in Gods ministers godly and honorable wedlocke which besides the other is a manifest argument that he is a Priest of no such kinde as Chrysostome here coÌ„mendeth For had you M. St. looked better euen in the same Homelie but the leafe before ye should haue seene what a notable commendation he maketh of the mariage of Priestes vppon the prophetes wordes Vidi dominum c. I saw the Lorde sitting in an high I hrone c. Quis hac loquitur c. VVho saith he spake these thinges Esay that beholdet of the celestiall Scraphins which had to deale with mariage and yet extinguished not grace You haue harkened to the Prophet and you haue heard the Prophet this day Go thou out and lasuph thy sonne neyther must we ouerpasse these thinges Go thou out and thy sonne Yea had the Prophet a sonne if he had a sonne he had a wife also that thou mayst vnderstande that mariages are not euill but whooredome is euill But so often as we talke with any of the vulgare people saying why liuest thou not well wherefore expressest thou not perfect manners how can I say they except I should go from my wife except I should bid my children farewell except I should bidde my businesse adieu VVherfore canst thou not doth matrimonie hinder thee a wife is giuen thee for an helper not to lay a snare for thee Had not the Prophet a wife neither did wedlocke hinder the grace of the spirite and yet he kepte companie togither with his wife and was a Prophet neuerthelesse Had not Moses a wife and yet he brake the rocke he changed the ayre he talked with God he stayde the diuine wrathe Had not Abraham a wife and yet he was made a father of Nations and of the Churche for he got his sonne Isaac and he was to him a matter of notable affayres Did he not offer his Sonne the fruit of his mariage was he not a father and withall a louer of God might not he see him selfe a sacrificer to be made of his owne bowels a sacrificer I say and a father withall nature to be ouercome godlinesse to ouercome his bowels to be troden downe his godly deedes to surmount the father to be cast downe and the louer of God to be crowned hast thou not seene the whole maÌ„ both a louer of his son and of God was matrimonie here an hindraÌ„ce but what saist thou to the mother of the Machabees Was she not a wife added she not seuen sonnes to the felowship of the saincts did she not see them crowned with martyrdom â–ª did she not stand by as a looker vppon and not â—…aint in hir minde stoode she not by exhorting euery one of them and being the mother of the martyrs suffred hâ—… selfe seuen martirdoms for while they were tormented she receyued the stroke Neither yet without affections beheld she â—…he things that were done She was the mother and the violence done to nature declared hir proper vertue But she was not ouercome c. But what say we to Peter the maine piller of the Church that vehemeÌ„t louer of Christ he that in speach was vnlearned conquerour of RhethoritiaÌ„s he that was vnskilfull stopped the philosophers mouthes he that dissolued the Greeke wisdome no otherwise thaÌ„ the webbe of spiders he that trauailed through the world cast the net into the sea and fished the world but what saith the Gospell Iesus entred vnto Peters wiues mother being sicke of a feuer VVhere a wiues mother is there is a wife and
the royall power hath done it submitteth it selfe to the true power ecclesiasticall as not hauing a superioritie of all ecclesiasticall matters to exercise or doe them but hauing a superioritie in all ecclesiastical matters to ouersée them rightly don and exercised And this distinction of of and In M. Sanders him selfe vsed immediatly before and vseth againe in the fourth chapter folowing which also is a common distinction and therfore I maye well vse it bycause it not onely expresseth the manner of the Princes Supremacie but also detecteth the Papistes common fallatiâ—…n as thoughe by the name of Supreme gouernour the Queenes Maiestie tooke vppon hir the gouernement Ecclesiasticall when shée onely taketh vpon hir that is due vnto hir a gouernement in causes ecclesiasticall Secondly I answere that although there be no comparison betwene these two powers yet is the royall power farre aboue that which here he makes it that nothing belonging to this power hath bâ—…n reuealed from heauen pertaining to eternal saluation hid in Christ but only to matters that conserue peace among men springing of the seedes of nature either for profite or necessitie Herein he saith in dede as St. doth but this is no lesse manifest vntruth than shamefull slauÌ„der to all christian princes estates The Scripture is euident to the contrarie as well in Gods institution of the royall power as in all the examples of godly Princes commended in the Scripture not so much for their worldly policie Iustice peace and naturall giftes as for matters pertaining to eternall saluation both hidde in Christe and reuealed in Christe also And let these things sayth he be spoken for the originall of either power The seconde point of difference he maketh in the vse and office saying But so farre as belongeth to the vse and office of those thynges wee knovve that distinction to bee obserued in them that he which had the full power ecclesiasticall might also haue had in gouernyng the people of God vvithoute any especiall consecration as happened in Noe in Melchizedech in Abraham in Moyses in Helie and in Samuel and in the Machabees Howebeit it was not onlyke sorte true that hee vvhiche eyther by the Lawe of Nations oâ—… the Ciuil was kyng whiche is the firste degree of honour in this kynde shoulde streightway haue also the power Ecclesiasticall except that right had ben giuen vnto him by especiall consecration Yée confonnde your owne tale Maister Saunders and speake contraries Before ye sayde speakyng of the Ciuil power of faythfull Kinges Christus talem in sui regni Ministris esse noluerit Christe in the Ministers of his his kingdome woulde haue no suche power Now ye say He that hadde the one power had vvithout any especiall consecration the other also And hereto yée â—…ite these holye Fathers Noe Melchizedech Abraham Moyses Hâ—…lie Samuel and the Machabees Were none of these Ministers in the kingdome of Chryste Besydes this ye confoâ—…nde your distinction heaping vp confusedly these wytnesses of the whych but one serueth proprely to the purpose of the former part of youre distinction for the Priestes to haue had the Ciuil power â—…nd that is Helie to whome proprely the Ecclesiasticall power belonged being the high Priest and likewise had the Ciuil power béeing the Iudge also But yet this was not without some especiall consecration or appoyntment of God thervnto For else eyther it had ben ordinarie to his predecessours or he had vsurped it sithe none was Iudge among the Israelites all the whyle that the Ciuil power was directed by that kinde of gouernement but those that were by especiall calling appointed of God thereto As for the other were of dyuerse tymes and sortes The holye Patriarkes Noe Melchizedech and Abraham hadde I graunte also bothe powers Ecclesiasticall and Ciuil But at that tyme before the lawe when bothe estates pertayned to them by their birthrighte And this maketh rather for the Ciuill magistrate to haue had the ecclesiastical power than for the Ecclesiastical magistrate to haue had the ciuill power For the gouernment descending to them by reason of their birthright was a naturall or ciuill gouernment as your selfe before confessed saying Eâ—…enim vt pater infilium c. For as the father hath a certain power ouer his sonne the grandsier ouer his nephew and so foorth the elder ouer the yonger this verily god hath wrought by the lawe naturall while by the maner and order of my birth he declareth him to be my superiour which either ministred the cause why I should be borne or else is ioyned in some kindred with him by whome I was borne And so these Patriarkes by birthright hauing the ciuil power by the law of Nature as ye confesse had not the ciuil power bycause they had the Ecclesiasticall but rather had the Ecclesiasticall power bycause they had Ciuile power by natural righte till these two offices were by the Lawe of Moyses seuered As for Moyses and the Machabees were indeed of the tribe of Leui. Moyses had power in bothe estates but béeing before the Ecclesiasticall power was lotted to the tribe of Leui and béeing the lawemaker in appoynting it to the race of his brother Aaron his example maketh agayne for the Ciuile Magistrate rather to haue hadde the gouernement in Ecclesiasticall matters than the Ecclesiasticall in the Ciuill The Machabees by an extraordinarie vocation had the Ciuile power As for Samuell was also of the tribe of Leui but yeÌ„t no Prieue althoughe a Prophet and the Iudge also but by especiall calling of God thereto Nowe all these estates béeyng thus diuers bothe in sortes and tymes hee confoundeth together to enforce his obseruation that the Priestes ordinarylye maye deale in the Princes office but in no case the Prince maye deale with any thing belonging to the Priests and yet his owne examples make agaynst him But he addeth without some especiall consecration But what especiall consecration had Dauid had Salomon had Ezechias c. to gouerne the Priests in their ecclesiasticall matters We reade of no especiall consecration other than the dutie of their royall power But wherto tendeth all this forsooth priests may deale with Princes and take the Ciuil power vpon them ordinarily but Princes in no case may deale with Priests Herevpon say you when Ozias woulde haue offred incense vpon the altar of incense Azarias the Priest wente in after him and with him the Priestes of the Lorde resisted the king and sayde It is not thy office Ozia to offer incense to the Lorde but it is the office of the Priests that is to say of the sonnes of Aaron that are consecrated to suche mysterie The example of Ozias is often â—…rged of himselfe and al his fellowes howbeit it is méere impertinent flaundederous The Prince taketh not vpon hir as Ozias woulde haue done the power nor office nor administration ecclesiasticall But suche power as Ozias did well take vpon him while
wife or any other mans wife daughter or mayde in things perteyning to their duties and offices can and ought to doe Especially sithe your selfe in prosecuting this argument vrge the example of a woman All the women in his kingdome are his subiects so well as the men He hath a supreme gouernment ouer all persons in all causes can he therfore do their duties and yet he can haue the supreme gouernment to maynteine all lawes of matrimonie and to punishe all whordomes and yet not like euery somoner or other executioner of their punishements If ye say a woman may be no inferiour gouernour That is false a wife hath inferiour gouernment in hir housholde and many women haue had inferiour gouernments vnder kings in common weales as the Lady regentes in Flaunders c. But what if she were not an vndergouernour yet if she be a subiect gouerned the words of your definition coÌ„prehend hir saying A chiefe gouernour hath of necessitie the power of doing all those thinges which may be wrought of the inferiours to the magistrates of that congregation by their office or by any charge belonging properly to the same congregation But you will say perhaps that women are of an other kinde so that the king can not do al their offices As likewise for the ecclesiastical gouernment the Apostles might not lawfully do all those things that the widdowes chosen to serue in the congregation mighte and ought to do nor the ciuill magistrate of those congregations might or ought to do them Then will M. Feckenham presse you that your definition is false a gouernour can not do all things that belongeth to a subiect If ye say a woman is not a subiecte that is false If ye say she is not a subiect in respect she is a woman that is false also for both men and women are subiectes to their gouernours If ye say she is not a subiecte in respect she is a wife although I graunt the worde wife hath an other relation than to the king to wife vnto hir husbande yet what auayleth this sithe many offices haue many other relations also the sonne to his father the seruant to his master the scholler to his scholemaster and yet all these be subiects to the Prince although the Prince can not deale in all their seuerall offices But you thinke to salue all the matter with this exception I say not that he which is endowed with chiefest power should straight wayes haue the knowledge of euery lesser office for this perteyneth to the fact and not to the right Neither say I it is alwayes comely that he should execute the inferiour offyce by him selfe but I say there is no lawe to let him no power wants whereby the chiefe magistrate shoulde not do those things which the inferiours in the same common weale are wonte to doe Go to go to M. Saunders ye will still be like the gentleman that would fayne haue eaten his worde if he durst for shame Ye come in pretily and beginne to make some exceptions already you admitte he may wante knowledge of many things perteyning not to his office yea and that it is vncomely he should do them And in déede M. Saunders if you be thinke ye of euery subiectes doings ye shall finde many vncomely and vnreuerent things for so highe an estate to do and many things that he knowes no more howe to do them him selfe than that Cooke that would put mustarde into his milke to season it What and may the Prince do those things him self that are so vile and wherof he hath no knowledge He may say you and he will what righte or lawe may let him If ye talke M. Saunders of a wilfull foole that will caste him selfe and his kingdome away if ye talke of a tyraunt whose will is lawe that sayth as the Pope doth Sic volo sic iubeo stet pro ratione voluntas that is another matter But if ye talke of a king and of a lawfull power then I say his will and power oughte to be restrayned by lawe to do nothing vnskilfully nor vncomely for his estate I graunt he may abase him selfe to some inferiour kinde of offices to do them but not to all no not by the right of his royall estate And yet by his gouernment all those thinges are done that are orderly done Although he him selfe may not do them though he would Do ye not remember S. Paules similitude so ofteÌ„ vsed by your selfe M. Saunders of a coÌ„mon weale resembled to our body The head ye say often gouerneth all the parts and meÌ„bers but the head it selfe doth not nor can not do al that al the parts members do We stande not we go not we sit not on our heads our head reacheth not nor caÌ„ reach euery thing that our hande can reache doth Nor the head doth or can do the office of the shouloers back or belly yet ye graunt the head hath supreme gouernment ouer al these parts deuiseth lawes orders diets prouisioÌ„s helpes for all the parts and actions in the parts of all the body Thus ye sée not only by similitudes examples in which I might be infinite agaynst your thâ—… exaÌ„ples but also by good reason your definition of a supreme gouernour faileth he may be a lawful supreme gouernour yet can not do al the offices of his inferiours Yea it were vnlawful for him to attempt many such things and yet his lawfull supreme gouernmeÌ„t euen ouer all those things that he him selfe can not do nor ought to do is no whit therby empayred And therfore this is a false principle to builde as ye do thereon Nowe this béeing thus playnly proued a false groundeworke let vs sée howe ye procéede to frame your argument on it VVhich things beeing thus foretouched I adde vnto them that the supreme head or gouernour of any Church is the supreme magistrate of that coÌ„mon weale which no man hauing his right minde will denie Therfore if the king may rightly and worthily be named the supreme head or gouernour of that Churche as nowe this good whyle is done in Englande the same king shall also necessarily haue the facultie of working all those things which of that magistrate of that Churche may be wrought otherwyse he is not the gouernour of that Church in respecte it is a Church But in euery christian kingdome there are and ought to be many that shoulde preache the worde of God to the faythfull that shoulde baptise in the name of the father and of the sonne of the holy ghost the nations coÌ„uerted that should remitte sinnes that shoulde make the sacrament of thanksgiuing distribute it therfore he that is the supreme gouernour of any Church ought to be endowed with such power that no law should let wherby he might the lesse fulfil do al these things But a secular king although he be a christian can not do these things by the
in his personal exercise of the ecclesiasticall functioÌ„ wherto a mature age is requisite But the kings Supremacie requireth no such personall exercise of ecclesiasticall function but is cleane another matter therfore this example of Christes age is impertinent Secondly we grauÌ„t the Churche shoulde not be gouerned of a childe in that respecte he is a childe in which consideration he is no king as you distinguished before betwene a man and a christiaÌ„ maÌ„ and ye must so againe distinguishe betwéene his nature and his person or his person and his office Nowe in regarde of his office the defecte of his nature is supplyed by those that represent him in his office and they béeing men of graue yeares and knowledge you can not iustly say the gouernement is committed to a childe The second argument is taken from S. Paule 4. Gal. Moreouer a childe so long as hee is a little one liueth vnder Tutors and gouernours and so the Supreme Heade of the Churche needeth another superior Head to gouerne and rule him and that not so muche by chaunce or fortune as by imbecillitie of his proper nature and the necessitie of the thing it selfe Howe can he therefore be the Supreme Head of the Church that liueth vnder an other head Ercept M. Saunders were bent pienishly to warble he would not reason thus knowing well inough that those of riâ—…er yeres which gouerne the kings person in his nonage be not his head and he a member or subiecte vnder them but they representing him he and they are but one in office and their gouernemente is not properly theirs but is the kings owne gouernemente And so the head hath no head ouer him but onely Iesus Christ. But M. Saunders foreseeing that by this reason he might make the childe no king at all of his kingdome which he before confessed that king Edwarde was as full king as his father he preuenteth the obiection and séeketh a scape to shifte it For if ye say by the same reason he is not king of his kingdome neither bicause he is compelled to gouerne that also by others the answere is easie it is no maruell if the lawe of man which placeth children ouer kingdomes by force of succession be founde imperfecte But it were greatly to be marueled if the lawe of Christ also whereby he placeth pastors ouer his Church coulde be accused in anie parte of imperfection For as Moses lawe brought nothing to perfection so on the contrarie the lawe of Christ lefte nothing vnperfect as whome it became to fulfill all righteousnesse Therefore there shall bee none much lesse anie chiefe head in the Churche of Christe the which by nature can not doe the office of an ecclesiastical head But a childe can neither teach nor baptize nor by anie meanes assoile the harder questions of the Gospell The answere M. Saunders as ye say is easie but is it a good answere it were an easie matter to answere if such easie answeres may serue that ye may say what ye will and contrarie your selfe too when ye finde an inconuenience And such an inconuenience as wipes away all your former reasons Neither can ye sufficiently aunswere it that if your reason hold of the defecte of the kings nonage while he is a chylde he may then be no gouernor at all no not in Temporall matters neither bycause therein he is gouerned of others also in that he is but yet a chylde and so in his kingdome shoulde become no gouernour at all But for an easie answere to this ye saye this is a defecte in the lawe of man. Why M. Saunders do ye nowe make this the lawe of man that a chylde myght be a King sayde ye not before and that more truely it was gods lawe Numeri 27. and Gal. 4. and cited for examples Ioas and Iosias and againe doe ye saye this is an imperfection in the lawe that is an imperfection in the person nay Maister Saunders the lawe of succession was good and perfecte Neither your sentence that ye cite of S. Paule the lawe brought nothing to perfection serues to this purpose Neither was the fault in the law but in the defecte of the obseruer But saint Paule speakes there of the morall law and of iustification which the lawe of God giuen by Moyses could not bring to perfection confuting an other error which the Phariseis the Pelagians and the Papistes holde But what is this to the present purpose Saint Paule complaineth not of the imperfection of the politike lâ—…w of the Iewes therfore this is manifestly wrested Ye obiect that Christs law is perfect as though S. Paules law Gal. 4. cited by your selfe for the kingdome of a child be not also the law of Christ and as for Christs law for the pastors of his Church â–ª we accuse it not to be imperfecte and yet in the pastors themselues there is no perfection althoughe Christes law for them be most perfect But what answereth this the purpose The Prince takes not the pastorall office on him nor to doe the office of an ecclesiasticall head as ye terme it nor to teache or baptise or astoyle the hard questions of the Gospell either in his noneage or in his full age either childe or man These are but your surmised sclaunders on the Prince But to deuise sclaunders is with you an easie answere Nowe vpon these argumentes against the supremacie of king Edward he knits vp his conclusion of the euent saying therefore sith God after not the best man calling him selfe the heade of the Churche did substitute a childe euen by the things themselues he admonished vs that that honour did not rightly agree to the father that was so euill applied to his sonne The more ye dâ—… still vnreuerently carpe at king Henry calling him not the best maÌ„ the more ye shew your cankred stomak M. Saunders that your selfe are one of the worst kind of meÌ„ whose malice no not death caÌ„ satiate But the more it redoundeth to the praise of that moste noble and vertuous king being holdeÌ„ for so much the better man of all good men how much the worse man such wicked men as you esteeme him ab illaudatis vituperari laudabile est it is commendable to be dscommended of discommendable men Your interpretatioÌ„ of a child succéeding him hath neither charitie nor truth neither can you frame anye good argumente on it but rather on the contrarie Where God so blessed the raigne of the childe that in so shorte a time so long rooted superstitions Idolatries were abolished and the word of God so truely and fréely set forth it argueth that God not onely liked the title of the father but also confirmed it in the sonne shewed well that the childhood of his person was no impediment to the authoritie of his office as you maliciously woulde wrest it After Kyng Edwarde ye come to Queene Marie saying Moreouer when men neither thus awaked
more auncient If you your selfe Maister Saunders had béene auncient many woulde haue thoughte you had doated but nowe they will thinke you were to yong a diuine when you made this reason of antiquitie But let goe your reason is your matter true is Priesthoode of more antiquitie you say it is euen from the beginning vnder the lawe of nature Were it so M. Saunders said you not in the first Chap. of this seconde booke that the Ciuil power sprang euen of the law of nature also wherby the father is superior to his sonne the vncle to the cosin the senior to the Iunior is not this as auncient as Priesthode yea we read of no creation of Priesthoode so auncient But you saye there were no Kings as thoughe we contended on the name were he called king Prince Duke c â–ª so he were a gouernor As for the gouernors for certaine ages after Moyses before the kings trow you they were al priests Nay you shall finde but one priest among them all â–ª And yet you carie awaye the matter so smooth as thoughe they were all priests and saye the creation of priesthood according to the law of Moyses You meane I know the common cited place for the Iudges determination in litigious doubts Deut. 17. referring it onely to the priest But Moyses there expressely nameth the Iudge besides the high priest And to make you see how ye confute your owne error in taking this iudge to haue onely or chiefely béen the high priest marke your owne saying that the state of gouernement from Moyses to the kings was according to Moyses lawe But all that while of so many Iudges there was but one priest therefore eyther it was not according to Moyses lawe or else Moyses law ment not onely nor chiefely the Priests And trow you Moyses law was broken of discerning difficulties all this while and after the kings beganne to gouerne I thinke you dare not say it was nor accuse for the breach of Moyses law so many godly Princes If not then the discerning of those difficulties is impertinently alleaged against the Princes superioritie And thus not onely your reason from Antiquitie â—…ut also your matter for antiquitie against the state of Princes faileth Now to your other reasons Moreouer saye you the Priesthoode was altogether necessarie that the fygure shoulde at no time fayle VVhereby we shoulde be admonished of Christs eternall priesthood VVhen notwithstandyng the same people of God myght so haue waÌ„ted a king that God complayned that he himself was cast off when Samuel his Leuite beyng neglected an earthly king was demaunded Priesthood you say at no time could be spared so well as a kings estate And why so bicause it prefigured and admonished Christes eternall priesthoode True in déede Maister Saunders so it did But was there nothing to be prefigured and admonished concerning Christe but his eternall Priesthood hath he not an eternall kingdome too or was not it 〈◊〉 necessarie to be prefigured admonished as his priesthood So that by this rule Kings or that is all one in effect wiâ—…e kings Princes ouer gods people were euen as necessarie as priests But say you gods people might so well haue wanted kings that God complained he was cast off when Samuel his leuite neglected an earthly king was demanded Here is nothing left out the may seme to make for the defacing of the state of kings And yet that which he bringeth against it as is alreadie shewed doth the more commend the state therof and although they might haue wanted the state of a king yet could they neuer want the state of a Ciuil gouernor no more than they coulde haue wanted priesthoode Howbeit we say not they might haue wanted priesthood or did want it For they alwayes had priests among them good or bad But they alwayes had not priests their gouernors but very seldome and that extraordinarily till the Priest Hircanus was king and priest together Besides this saith M. Saunders the king was graunted of God at the peoples petition to goe out before the people to warre but not to administer ecclesiasticall matters for God had prouided for them alreadie by his leuites and priests Is there nothing maye be reckoned vp M. Saunders besides these twaine goyng out to warre before the people and administring ecclesiasticall matters in déede these two are not very agréeable although your Popes Prelats iumble them together As for the administring eccl. matters was and is the Priests office not the Princes But besides this there are manie moe things appointed to the Prince than to go out before the people to warre For if there were no more what should he do at home in time of peace breake peace and still go out to warre Ha M. Saunders there are other things than warfare for a Prince in peace to loke vnto and ye could hit them Moreouer saith he the Iewes might ascribe to the power of the king the diuision of the people the Apostacie of the kingdome of Samaria and the Captiuitie of Babilon VVhervpon they beyng returned from the captiuitie did not againe chose vnto them a king that shoulde be counted greater than the Bishoppe but a Captaine that shoulde rule no lesse in prophane matters than in holy things the Bishop shoulde be are the principalitie To ascribe the diuision of the people the Apostacie of Samaria and the Captiuitie of Babilon to the kingly power if it be not of wilfull malice is of great lacke eyther of skill or consideration and is a fallacion ab accidenti By the like reason we might accuse the Iewes priesthood bicause some of them were loyterers some of them Idolaters some of them ambitious yea the most of them in Christs time and his Apostles the extremest enemies of the Gospell What shall we ascribe all this to the priesthood No nor to any parte therof but to the naughtinesse of the Priests that abused their priesthood euen as much if not muche more than did those kings abuse their kingly power The kingdome was lightly neuer worse gouerned thaÌ„ wheÌ„ Helie being a Priest had the gouernance of it And although Samuel himselfe were good and holy yet his sonnes were wicked whome he made gouernours But in the stocke of the Machabées when the priests ruled all or the moste till the approching of Iesus Christ and so till the dissolution of that state what a number of wicked Imps were there you can scarce fet the lyke paterns excepte you rake hell or serche the Popes bedroll and his Cardinals for wicked gouernment But saith M. Saunders the Iewes after their retâ—…re from Captiuitie did no more chose a king that shuld be counted greater than the Bishop Ha go to then M. SauÌ„ders the king was counted greater than the Byshop before their Captiuitie Yea but say you they chose no more kings ofter their returne As thoughe M. Saunders after their returne the matter
accorde appeale and come to them as before whome to pleade sithe they haue them selues a better power giuen them heereto of God. Thus by the iudgement of your owne side this place serueth nothing for refusing the obedience of Princes although they were Infidels Apostataes or Heretikes as thankes be giuen to God the protestant Princes are not agaynst whome ye shoote these trayterous bookes but are true christians faithful christian Princes As for the other sentence maketh lesse to your purpose â–ª For he speaketh not there of princes but of false teachers â–ª as for princes by S. Paules doctrine â–ª aforesayde wiâ—… whome S. Iohn agréeth they should bothe be saluted worshipped and prayed for that God would spéede and prâ—… per them in their gouernementes And this as ye say iâ—… more then to salute them But sithe we are bounde to 〈◊〉 the greater to vse your owne reason muche lesse may 〈◊〉 debarre the lesser from them and not so muche as say 〈◊〉 speeds them or giue them â—…nce God morrowe Which as â–ª is besides all ciuilitie that you say Christ taketh not awaâ—… so were it wilfully to prouoke the Princes indignation â–ª Abimelech was but an Heathen prince and yet Abraâ—… dwelte with him made a league with him and gaue him a present and toke a present of him Pharao was an heathen Prince and yet Ioseph behaued himselfe most reuerently vnto him and became a moste faithfull stewarde ouer his countrey Ahasuerus was a heathen Prince and yet both Mardocheus honored him and preserued his life from traiters and Hester was maried vnto him Benadad the king of Syria was an heathen Prince and yet Naaman his captaine after he was clensed from his leprie and was become a faithfull beleuer in God forsoke not his obedience to his heatheÌ„ Prince and where he moued a scruple of suffring his Idolatrous Prince to leane vpoÌ„ him the Prophet had him depart in peace he had him not reuolt froÌ„ his Princes obedience Darius was an heathen Prince yet Daniel sayde vnto him O king God saue thy life for euer Agrippa was an heathen Prince and yet S. Paule both saluted him and wished him euen as himselfe except his bondes This therfore is not to be stretched vnto Princes but to be takeÌ„ as it is spoken against false teachers as both the text is plaine euen the Popish writers to so vnderstand it althoughe they misvnderstand who the false teachers be But who they be S. Ihon describeth by this note Euery one that goeth from abideth not in the doctrin of Christ hath not god He that abideth in the doctrine he hath the father and the sonne if any come vnto you bring not this doctrine receiue him not into the house neither say God spede vnto him For â—…e that saith God spede communicateth with his euill workes But this is apparant that the Papists haue made the doctrine of Christ insufficient and brought in other doctrine besides the scripture of God they therfore are these false teachers that S. Iohn so straightly forbiddeth vs to communicate withall If then God spede may not be saide vnto the false teachers that is to say we may not approue their doctrine nor be familiar with them theÌ„ must the Popish teachers companie be auoided that are here so plain described And it were to be wished â–ª this were some what more straightly loked vnto thaÌ„ it is â–ª God graunt that bearing to much with Papists bearing theÌ„ company yea and bearing theÌ„ out also do not only spice vs with their false doctrin he that toucheth pitch saith the wise maÌ„ shal be defiled with it make vs partakers of their euill workes but also prouoke the heauie wrath of God vpon vs make the Papists whom we beare so much withall become the very cutters of our throates For I tell you their faith will serue them they haue a ruled case for it Nulla sides teneÌ„da haereticis no faith must be kept with heretiks as they accouÌ„t vs to be But I learned once this rule in mine Accidence â—…oelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautuÌ„ Happie is he whoÌ„ other mens harms do make to beware Let vs not thinke but they can loke as faire thinke as foule in England as in Fraunce deale as horribly if as God forbid they could get their oportunitie Which to compasse the sooner this good teacher M. Saunders setteth forth this doctrine to sturre the people to rebel depose their soueraigne hereto wresteth these places of the scripture to make them seme to serue his purpose where both being better considered make cleane against it Howbeit thinking he hath fully proued it The matter saith he is nowe brought to this point that an hereticall king must be remoued from his kingdome that he obteyneth ouer Christians But how he hath brought the matter to this point with what proues not worth a point I doubt not but euery reader wil easilie sée nor any subiect be moued to remoue his naturall Prince for any thing yet alleaged yea although as he surmiseth his Prince were in déede an heretike But M. Saund. presupposing that he hath cléerely proued the Prince must nedes be deposed will now proue that the deposing of him belongeth to the Bishop And bicause saith he the crime for the which he must be remoued is coÌ„mitted against the faith a little before it is abundantly proued that those causes shuld not be iudged of the people which is gouerned like sheepe but of the pastors whose dutie is to discerne betwen the cleane vncleane and whose lippes do therfore kepe knowledge that the people should require the lawe of the Lorde out of their mouth verily it belongeth chiefely to the Bishops both to pronounce euen the king himself an heretike or otherwise an Apostata also to declare that his subiects froÌ„ thence forth are free froÌ„ giuing all obedience vnto him that they ought to endeuor themselues that another out of hand be chosen in his roome Like lippes like lettyse they say Euen a fit sentence for so fit Bishops to pronounce Finde you me this in the law of the Lord M. Saunders that the priests should kepe this know ledge and yet better kepe it than vtter it to make the Proclamation of rebellion Is this the law the people must fetch from the priests mouth well this lawe made some of them be hanged at Durham not long ago as all such lawlesse and rebell Priests deserue No M. Saunders ye finde not this fraiteroâ—…s office appointed to the Priests in gods lawe Out of their mouth in deede the law of God must procéede their lippes must kepe it they must discerne betwene the cleane and vncleane Although this be but here spokeÌ„ Metaphorically for that was a bodily cleanneste vncleannesse discerning who was a Leper who was none But stretch it hardily to the
of his humaine nature but trowe you he gaue this prerogatiue to his Apostles you alledge Iohn 20. As my father hath sent me so sende I you But trowe you this is to be stretched to the visible ministerie of al things belonging to his humaine nature His mediation belongeth to the ministerie of his humanitie so wel as to his Diuinitie hath he giuen theÌ„ the office of his mediatioÌ„ The propiciatorie sacrifice of his owne bodie belonged to the visible ministerie of his humaine nature gaue he this power to the Disciples that their bodies also in suffering deathe shoulde be propiciatoris sacrifices The ordeining of Sacraments was in the visible ministerie belonging not only to Christes Diuinitie but also to his humanitie gaue he this power to his Disciples to make Sacramentes Christe therefore gaue not his Ministers all the povver in the visible ministerie necessarie to saluation that belonged to him in his humaine nature but reserued many things peculiar to himselfe Althoughe all the power they haue he gaue it theÌ„ yet all the power he hath â–ª he gaue them not He gaue them power in preaching the worde in binding and losing in administring the Sacramentes And yet is there a great difference betwéene that power that is proper of ones owne and that whiche is legantine and representeth but an others betwéene that that is simple and absolute and that that is bounded and conditionall betwéene that that is principall that that is but ministeriall All whiche distinctions are your owne Scholemens and therefore these powers are nothing like and yet are they so farre vnlike from such princely power of earthly honor as you imagine that they are rather cleane against it both in Christ and in his ministers too And this your own glosse out of your own Pope Gregorie might haue taught you Sicut misit me paâ—…er Idest ad passiones c As my father sent me that is to say to troubles and afflictioÌ„s so send I you to suffer persecution not to raigne like Kings rule kingdomes And therfore sith this sentence of Christ is true that he sent them as he was sent he was not sente in his humaine nature to depose kings nor to dispose of their kingdomes nor to gouerne them therefore his Disciples were not sent thereto But the Pope saith he is sent therto and takes it vpon him therefore he is neither minister of Christ nor successor of his Disciples but his Disciple that hath offered him worldly kingdomes if he would fal downe and worship him as he hath done and so hath gotten his kingdomes As for the sentence of Epiphaniâ—… writing againste the Nazarei although as he hath culled it out it séemeth to giue the Priestes the power of Kings yet this is neither the meaning nor the wordes of Epiphanius Epiphanius whole sentence is this Our Lorde Iesus Christe is therefore a Prieste for euer according to the order of Melchizedech and also a King according to the order from aboue that hee mighte translate the Priesthoode togither vvith the lavve He is of the seede of Dauid bycause he came of Marie sitting in the throne for euer and of his kingdome thereis no ende For novve it behoued him to translate the order bothe of the Priesthoode and of the kingdome For his kingdome is not of the vvorld as hee saide in the Gospell to Pontius Pilate my kingdome is not of this vvorld For sith Christe by hidde speaches fulfilleth all things â–ª the matters declared of him came to a certaine full measure For he vvhich alvvays raigneth came not to receiue the encrease of a kingdome but he gaue a kingdome to those that he hath appointed vnder him that it should not be said he proceeded from smal things to greater For his throne abideth and thereis no ende of his kingdome And hee sitteth vpon the throne of Dauid So that he hath translated the kingdome of Dauid togither vvith the Priesthoode and giuen it to his seruantes that is to the Bishops of the Church Wherby it appeareth playn Epiphanius meaneth not that Christ hath giuen them an earthly kingdome which he toke not vpon himselfe and he flat debarreth from them nor he euer gaue to his Disciples nor they euer exercised But he meaneth of a spirituall kingdome which he himself kéepeth euer and yet he euer communicateth to all his faithfull but in especiall to the Ministers of the Church that set forth the mysteries of this heauenly and not of an earthly kingdome This sentence therefore of Epiphanius maketh nothing for Byshops to be depesers of Kings or disposers and rulers of earthly kingdomes which is the present question VVherefore saithâ—… Saunders sithe there is a double povver in the Churche the one spirituall of vvhich â—…orte is that of the ministers of Christ to whom is commaunded that they should teach baptise all nations but the other is mixt that is to say by the beginning thereof secular howebeit to be now referred to a spirituall end although in the originall in the vse in a certaine middle end they differ as is before declared yet doe they bothe concurre in one bodie of the Church and are caryed to one ende of eternall saluation for the vvhich thinges they are to be counted one certaine vnder povver ordeined For as in Christe there is neither Ievve nor Greeke neither bonde nor free neither male nor female but they ar al one in christ So in the kingdoÌ„e of god the powers are not as it were altogither distinguished either of the father ouer the sonne or of the husbande ouer the vvife or of the master ouer the seruaÌ„t or of the Prince ouer his subiect or of the Pastor ouer his sheepe but al these powers are one in the Church of god And among all men I take this to be agreed vpon that all these povvers shall besvvallovved vp of that infinite glorie that in the life to come shall be poured on the sonnes of adoption in so much that there shall be no secular thing in the kingdoÌ„e of god And sith the Church of Christ is a certaine liuely Image of the life to come although there remaine by reason of the mixte condition of this life certain differences of these povvers yet notvvithstanding they are so among themselues disposed and placed in their orders that euen as euery one of them dravveth neare vnto the life to come so it ought more and moreto gouerne all the residue But it is manifest that euerie kingly or ciuill povver is also among them that are not the meÌ„bers of christ Neither any vvhit lesse appeareth it that the povver of the Pastors and teachers is placed and appointed in the only Church of God for the edifying thereof in Iesu Christe VVherevpon it is euicted that the spiritual power of the pastors of the church dravveth nearer to the state of the life to come than any other povver or familie or earthly coÌ„mon wealth For
〈◊〉 the Pope taketh vpon him to pronouÌ„ce they be no Kings are no longer Kings except he will make him selfe God yea and aboue God too For althoughe God say They â—…gne not by me â–ª yet he calleth them kinges But the Pope calleth them vâ—…urpers that raygne not by him Secondly he alleageth the acknowledging of Ionathas Saules sonne the peoples gathering vnto Dauid For Io nathas it is true that he acknowledged the kingdome shold be deuolued vnto Dauid after his fathers deathe â–ª And so he saith Tu regnabis super Israel Thou shalt raigne ouer Israell I shall be next to thee and this my father knoweth But this inferreth not that he tooke Dauid then presently to be king and his faâ—…her from that day forwarde no longer to be king neither reuolted he from the obedience of his father to Dauids obedience neither could his father lay this treason to his charge that he forsooke his due subiection although most bitterly 〈◊〉 rated him and sayde Thou sonne of the wicked rebellious woman do not I knowe that thou haste chosen the sonne of Isai to thy confusion to the confusion and shame of thy mother For as long as the sonne of Isai liueth vpon the earth thou shalt not be established nor thy kingdome Whereon sayth Caietane the cause is made manyfest bicause he was an impediment to the succession of the kingdome and verily Saule had a true iudgement as the euent of the matter proued And thus the acknowledging of Ionathas proued not Dauids kingdome to be in esse as they say but in futuro not that he was King but that he should be King. Nor the confederacie betwéene Dauid and Ionathas was any conspiracie to depose Saule or to set vp Dauid but a confirming of the loue betwéene them and their houses when God should make him king Nowe for the peoples gathering vnto Dauid about the number of 400. this was not to assemble a rebellious multitude to inuade king Saule to depose him froÌ„ the crowne to set vp him selfe For neither they came for any such purpose but for their succor béeing in debt trouble or otherwise vexed neither did Dauid send for them nor incite any to take his part not proclaimed him selfe to be king or published the Lords anoynting of him or euer vsed that multitude that came vnto him for any suche purposes And yet the question is moued bothe by Caietanus and Lyranus héerevpon The question saythe Caietanus atiseth whether it were lawfull for Dauid to receiue these debters in the preiudice of the creditors that had lent them The solution is that if these men had house field or vineyard they are vnderstoode to haue lefte their goodes vnto them But if they were vtterly vnable to pay their debts they were excused for their vnhabilitie vntill their better habilitie For that Dauid excellently instructed all them that came vnto him while he â—…aried in that caue the Psalme restifieth I will prayse the Lorde at all time Conteyning according to the letter a doctrine giuen there of Dauid vnto the souldiors Therfore Dauid receiued not these men in preiudice of their creditors And thus as he did not receiue them to the preiudice of any priuate man so he receiued them not to the preiudice of the king and publike state Wheron Lyra moneth the other questioÌ„ saying In that he became their captain it seemeth he sinned in receiuing suche as Abimelech receiued the needie and vagabounds assembling theÌ„ vnto him as is contayned Iud. 9. VVe muste say that he gathered them not to slay the innocent as did Abimelech to slay his brethren neither to spoyle the faythfull For we reade not that he spoyled the people of Israell But rather kepte their goodes as is contayned afterwarde 1. Keg 25. of Naball But he gathered them to persecute the Infidels as is contayned afterwarde in many cases And to keepe his owne body from the ambushementes of Saule The which he mighte do in suche a necessitie chiefly when he was nowe anoynted king By reason whereof in suche a case he might prolong the payment of the debtes and in many the forfeyture is released in the case aforesayde Thus sée it was not for that the people tooke Dauid actually to be king but for their owne refuge that they fled to him But whatsoeuer their intent was good or ill Dauid assembled them not to hinder or hurte any priuate or publike person And althoughe he receiued them and vsed them for his defence whiche he mighte do béeing in the state he was yet woulde he neuer suffer them to enter medle in the quarell of his righte to the kingdome nor yet he him selfe woulde euer take it vpon him and impugne king Saule no not when he had him in hys daunger vntyll the Lorde by other meanes tooke Saule away and gaue the kingdome in reall possession vnto Dauid Before whiche time Dauid neuer called him selfe king nor the time of his raygne is reckoned but Saule counted and called and his raigne reckoned as king till his death and neuer shortned disturbed nor once gayne sayd by Dauid for all these folkes assemblies For example When God sent king Saule as it were of purpose euen into Dauids handes and the souldiers moued Dauid to kill him he would neither him selfe hurt him nor suffer any other to do it nor yet take him prisoner so depose him or cause him to resigne But only cut off priuily a flap of his garment for a testimonie howe he spared him yet his heart throbbed that he had done so muche agaynst him His conscience reproued him sayth Lyra in that he had done vnreuerently to Saule who was to be honored so long as he was of God suffred in the kingdome A certaine remorce of conscience sayth Caietane is described in Dauid in that he had cutoff the skirte of Saules cloake For it is the propertie of good mindes euen there to feare a fault where faulte is not found The reason of his remorce was bicause the cutting of the cloake was in his proper kinde iniurious Howbeit it was without fault both bicause it was giuen vnto him by Gods authoritie to do with Saule that whiche seemed good in Dauids owne eies and also good reason moued that Dauid mighte shewe a signe of his beneuolence towardes Saule by a most euident testimonie conuicting Saule that yet at the least Saule might leaue off from so wicked persecution But a better testimony he could not shewe than the skirte of his garment there cut off the action therfore naturally iniurious was not done in the forme of an iniurie but of a necessarie signe to witnesse the truthe of Dauids right mind to Saule â–ª And this good minde Dauid him selfe expresseth The Lorde keepe me from doing this thing vnto my Lorde the Lords anoynted to lay mine hande on him for he is the Lords anoynted And héere Caietanus giueth this note