substaūce of God what kynde of couplyng do ye desire to be had betwixt Reason and the will of God Who in deéde can will nothyng but that whiche is perfect sithe that nothyng is perfect but that which he willeth And whereupō then riseth this hauty crest of yours that can not be satisfied with the bare will of God beyng expressed in his playne word Neither seémeth it sufficiēt in your Iudgement that God should chuse any to saluation vnlesse his secret counsell herein may be made discernable by the deépe reach of your owne reason and that he should render an accoumpt and reason of his decreéd will herein vnto your Maistershyppe Albeit I doe not deny this to be true that the profounde wisedome of the Deuine Godhead can not be sundered from the knittyng together of his Reason and counsell that is to say from it selfe Yet out of what Schoole suckt you such Diuinitie O singuler Piller of the Romishe route so earnestly to require and to sift out the counsell and Reason of the Creatour euen in the very vnsearcheable wisedome of him that created you I suppose ye were thus schooled in your sacred confessions Surely you neuer learned it out of holy Scriptures If you neuer noted what aunswere the Lord made to Moyses in the Scriptures marke now somewhat more attentiuely I will haue mercy sayth he on whom I haue mercy and I will take compassion on whom I will take compassion c. Here you may seé a singuler Mercy of God in takyng compassion whereof you nor seé nor heare any other rendred in the whole Scriptures besides the onely will of God I will haue Mercy saith he will you know the causes and the persons the doth not say bycause I perceaue thē to be worthy of my benignitie whose foreseéne workes doe delight me now before I take Mercy but I do therfore take Mercy bycause I will take Mercy and I will take compassion on him of whom it pleaseth me to haue Mercy And therfore S. Paule addyng a very fitte conclusion Ergo sayth he God will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy and will harden whom he will harden With these wordes bridlyng our nyce curiositie as it were and withall geuyng vs to vnderstand that it is enough for vs to know that so is the will of the Lord although there be no manifest demonstration made vnto vs of the cause wherfore he would so do For of what soeuer it shall please the Lord to bryng to passe albeit we can not atteyne the Reason yet ought we to grounde our selues vpon this for sufficient and lawfull Reason bycause the Lord hath brought it so to passe we ought also to learne of Christ this lesson Bycause it hath so pleased thy good will O Father For as much as it is not lawfull for any creature to presume to enquire any reason beyond the will of God Right well therfore and very profoundly doth Augustine geue vs this lesson It is not meete sayth he to search for the causes of Gods vnsearcheable will it is not lawfull to know it for that the will of God is the principall and highest cause of all thinges that are and therefore if when it is asked why the Lord did it it is to be aūswered bycause he so willed it if thou go further in asking why he willed it thou askest some greater and higher thyng then the will of God is Which can not possibly be founde out And agayne the same Augustine in an other place writyng of Predestinatiō and grace God sayth he taketh mercy on whō he will haue mercy and of whom be will not haue mercy he will not take mercy He geueth to whom him listeth and requireth that whiche is due vnto him of whom he will Here agayne ye heare the Will of God named yea and that alone wherewith if you be not yet satisfied bycause it is named alone harken what is immediately annexed by the same Augustine for thus it followeth He that shall continue to say God is vnrighteous let him harken vnto the Apostle O man what art thou that contendest with God man with God earth with the Potter c. Doth he herein not note you excellently Osorius and as it were poynt at you with the finger as that no man could possibly haue noted any matter more notably Paule the Apostle doth render no causes at all of Gods Election but his will onely Augustine dare enquire after none All the whole Scripture is throughly satisfied with his will onely Onely Osorius can not be satisfied nor thinketh it lawfull enough for God to doe that him lyketh best vnlesse with sutteltie of Reasonyng as it were with cutted Sophismes and Sillogismes mā mainteyne Argument with his GOD earth with the Potter Which thing how horrible it is learne at the least out of Esay the Prophet Woe sayth he vnto him that will contend with his maker a brittle pottesharde of the outcast potteshardes of the earth shall the clay say vnto the Potter why doest thou make me thus did thy handes fayle thee in thy worke c. As though there were any of the Creatures of God that doth vnderstand the mynde of the Lord or were euer counsellours vnto him or as though it were not permitted him to will as him lysteth or as though what soeuer pleaseth him were not lawfull for him to do vnlesse he did geue vs a reason and orderly render vnto vs the causes that moued him thereunto And what if he will not discouer it Osorius Yea and what if he ought not what if when him lysteth to display it most manifestly your balde mazer and the blockyshnes of your nymble capacitie can not be able to pearce into the vnsearcheable depth of his glory wisedome and counsell Ieremy the Prophet beyng commaunded to go downe into the house of the Potter and there to behold throughly the workemanshyppe of the runnyng wheéle and the hand of the craftesman when he saw the Uessell that was newly made and was by and by broken agayne neither doth he require a reason thereof of the workeman nor yet doth the Lord beyng the workeman rēder any reason vnto him onely he declareth his power in makyng new and renewyng agayne of that which was broken in these wordes Am not I of power to do vnto you as this Potter doth to his claye O house of Israell sayth the Lord. Behold as the clay in the hand of the Potter so are you in my hand O ye house of Israell And will Osor. dare be so bold beyng a fashioned lumpe of the Potters wheéle neither reuerencyng the Maiestie of his maker nor contented with his onely will to require a reason of his creation besides the lawfull will of the Creator and will he not permit it to be sufficient for God to doe in his owne workes what it pleaseth him best For what do these wordes of Osorius emporte els Where beyng squeymish at Luthers speache He doth
like equitie and patience of minde to admitte our confutation thereof into your presence whereby eche partie beyng discouered according to truth your highnes may more certeinly determine of the cause There is a notable Law and an othe established in the Iudgementes of the auncient Athenians To heare with both eares that indifferent eares should be open to eche partie But what maner of custome is vsed now a dayes in this perplexitie and coÌ„bate of opinions where Byshops armed with the aucthoritie of Princes doe stand raunged in mayne battell agaynst the manifest veritie and doe so bende the whole coÌ„sent of their fayth to the one partie that all libertie once to mutter is vtterly cutte of from the other partie But here may some contrary doubtfullnes paradueÌ„ture trouble your Royall thought not so much proceedyng from your gracious nature as whyspered into your godly eares by the subtill and slaunderous practizes of glaueryng glosers who vnder the counterfaict vysour of this glorious couÌ„terfaict Church haue wonderfully bewitched the eyes and eares of many noble personadges vnder preteÌ„ce of succeeding course of many yeares do make glorious bragges that this new-fangled Church wherein the Romish Byshopp in enthronized is the onely Catholicke Church and the supremacy thereof to be onely obeyed alleadgyng the same Church to be the Empresse and gouernesse of all other Churches and which of right ought to be esteemed aboue all Kinges Emperours as ouer the which Christ hath substituted the Byshopp of Rome his sole Vicar and Vicegerent earth and therfore that all degrees ought and may safely submitt themselues to the aucthoritie and determination of that Churche as which beyng continually vpholden by the power and blessing of the holy Ghost was neuer seene hitherto to haue erred ne yet could by any meanes swarue one title from the right lyne and knowen trade of the true fayth taught in holy Scriptures And that all other persons whatsoeuer sequestering theÌ„selues froÌ„ the prescript Rules and Cannons of that Churche cann not chuse but runne headlong into wandryng errours amazed blindenes and extreme maddnes Wherefore those Lutheranes and Hugonoughtes are worthely to be expelled from the vnitie of that Church and deseruedly adiudged to fier and fagottes as most dampnable heretiques not worthy of any fauorable protection no not their writinges so much as to be touched with any maÌ„s handes bycause they dare presmouÌ„te once to quacke agaynst the supremacy of that Angelicke Ierarchy As touchyng which slaunderous surmises albeit nothyng cann be more falsely and shamefully imagined then those Sorcerous enchauÌ„tementes it is wonder how much this poysoned Dolldreanche hath betyppledd the sences of many great personadges and hath so long preuailed in great admiration with sundry estates through the onely ignoraunce of learnyng and ouermuch credulitie of godly Princes vntill of late by the incomprehensible prouidence of Almightie God the worthy Arte of Emprintyng was erected by meanes whereof good Letters and Bookes came to the Marte and Printers shoppes discouered the foggy and darkened cloudes of this olde mothe eaten barbarousnes Hereby it came to passe that the tedious deepe doungeons of lothesome ignoraunce beyng surprised with a certein new and cleare dawnyng day of purer doctrine as also of all other liberall Sciences beganne to shyne abroade nor will leaue I trust to ouerspread his brighte glisteryng beames dayly more and more vntill with the inaccessible brightenes thereof it do either thoroughly vanquishe the whole kyngdome of darkenes or at the least chauÌ„ge the same into some better countenaunce And to the ende we may conceaue assured hope of good successe herein two thynges do minister vnto vs especiall comfort Wherof the one consisteth in the mearcy of the Lord the other remayneth in your handes that be Kynges and Princes next vnder the God being the Lordes watchmen For the first we haue an infallible Argument which cann neuer deceaue the assured testimony of Iesus Christ who hath prophecied in his holy Scriptures that the same shal be brought to passe the greater part whereof we haue allready experimented to be accomplished in these our dayes That the Lord with the breath of his mouth shall confounde the pride of the Beast so arrogantly vaunting him selfe in his holy Temple For the next That other is of no small force I meane your vigilant wisedomes and singuler godlynes which causeth vs to coÌ„ceaue well of you that are Princes whom the Lord of his infinite mearcy hath ordeyned to exercize chief rule and gouernemeÌ„t next vnder him vpon the face of the earth especially whenas him selfe hath pronounced out of his owne mouth in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn That he will lende his helpyng handes hereunto saying And the tenne hornes sayth he which thou didst see vpon the Beast are those â—enne Kinges which shall abhorre the Babylonicall Strampett and shall make her desolate and naked and shall deuoure her fleshe and burne her Carkasse in flames of fire for the Lord hath inspired into their hartes to bring this to passe euen as it hath pleased him Apocal. 17. Wherfore awake you noble Princes and Christian Captaines march on in Gods name Atchieue an exployte worthy your noble Race and be no longer trayned with the trayterous sleightes of subtill sycophaÌ„tes but pursue with the power the godly guidyng of the Lord of hostes Emongest whom I most humbly call vpon your highnes most singuler Paterne of Princely Royaltie not to the ende to teaze you to exercize cruelty agaynst that viperous generation Onely my petition is that for the loue you beare to Iesus Christ and your owne soules health ye vouchsafe to deliuer simple innocentes from the bloudy iawes of those rauenyng Wolues and horrible blouddsuckers That enterchaunge of thynges beyng made the true and pure word of God may be heard what it teacheth And that ye lett lowse the reynes of their licentious insolency no longer so that they do not hereafter abuse you as the Iewes did handle our Lord Iesu Christ whose faceÌ„ when they had blindefolded they beate his body with whippes There hath bene to many broyles allreády emongest vs Christians to much Christian bloud hath bene spilte to much crueltie and horror hath bene exequuted whiles you in the meane space in whose power rested the staye of this outrage either wincked at their bootchery or at the least left poore innocentes succourlesse in their slaughter houses How long shall this Romishe Nymrod vaunt in his throne how long shall he make a scorne of your patience most excellent Princes when will your Royall hartes and noble courage daunte his pride when will you resume into your handes the whole sword of Iustice the better part whereof the Romishe Russian hath bereft you when will you surcease to be bondeslaues vnto them whom the mighty God hath made vassalles to your lawfull RegimeÌ„t how long will ye suffer your mouthes to be mooseled and your eyes muffeled with such blynde errours contrary to the manifest light of the Gospell If
AGAINST IEROME OSORIVS Byshopp of Siluane in Portingall and against his slaunderous Inuectiues An Aunswere Apologeticall For the necessary defence of the Euangelicall doctrine and veritie First taken in hand by M. Walter Haddon then vndertaken and continued by M. Iohn Foxe and now Englished by Iames Bell. Esay Cap. 11. 65. There shall no man hurte nor slay an other in all my holy hill sayth the Lord. IESUS CHRISTVS AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye dwellyng ouer Aldersgate Anno. 1581. To the Christian Reader EXperience hath taught me gentle Reader that it is very daungerous in this troublesome age to cōmitt any thyng to Printe for thy behoofe So farreforth hath that frettyng cāker of carping curiosity preuailed So busily pryeth in euery Printers shoppe that wayward churle Zoilus So diuers and variable are the wittes and dispositions of our age readyer to breake downe open roades thorough other mens hedges then to stoppe neuer so little a gappe with any frythe of their owne To such be it aunswered that the greatest barkers be not commonly the best byters and it falleth out for the more parte that such bytesheepe curres smell of the cudgell when the gentle houndes feede of the croomes And so I leaue them to them selues whose sinister Iudgement as I litle regarde so I groape not after their prayse Onely my purpose is to profitt the vnlettered English men Emongest whom the gentle natured will interprete the best and findyng ought amisse will with courtesie rather correct I trust then with carpyng condemne the course of my labours for whose onely behoofe and benefitt I aduentured vpon this translation and published the same in Printe Some bytternesse of speache will now and then occurre which at the first blushe may happely breede some offence But if we call to remembraunce the sharpenes of speach vttered by kyng Dauid by the Apostle Paule and by all the holy ones them selues almost in their feruencie of zeale agaynst the Enemies of God and aduersaries of the Crosse of Christ this offence will be lesse offensiue in respect of the opposed aduersary whose mouth ruffleth and runneth ouer euery where with more then Ruffianlike and rascallike tearmes agaynst our most dread Souereigne agaynst her highnesse Nobilitie agaynst her subiectes and the whole state of her most gracious Gouernemēt to the vtter defacing of the Gospell of Grace which no true harted Englishman can endure to Read without greeuous anguishe of mynde This licentious lauishenesse of rayling tounge sithence outraged so monstruously was conuenient to be mette withal with some libertie of free speache That so the gentle Prelate beyng otherwise squeymishe to heare shrewde wordes might hereafter learne to wryte more modestly and more beseemyng his Pastorall dignitie and functiō and geaue lesse occasion of iust reproche The rest I commende to thy gentle consideration requiryng none other guerdon at thy handes for my trauaile then thy frendly acceptaunce and some spare of thyne idle tyme to be employed in perusing for thy better instruction So shalt thou encourage me as knowledge shall increase and oportunitie serue to acquaynte the with the fruites of the rest of my labours Which I shall hereafter vndertake by the conduct of Gods holy Spirite who enlighten thyne hart with spirituall vnderstandyng to the glory of his name and the establishement of thy Fayth Farewell Thy fellow seruaunt in the Lord. Iames Bell. To the right honorable and my very good Lord Phillippe Earle of Arundell grace peace and spirituall consolation in Christ Iesu. IT might iustly be wondered right honorable that in this so bright a Sunneshyne of the Gospell of Grace so plentyfully ouerspreading this noble Island with such resplendisaūt beames so many Englishe Endimions could cōtinue so long so amazedly dazeled of sight as not to be able to lift vpp the eyes of their sleepy affections to conceaue much lesse to pearce into the amyable closettes thereof If the old auncient Enemy of mankynd and sworne aduersary of all true Religion were not more vigilaunt to lulle in securitie then those sluggardes are willyng to be awakened out of their lamentable blindnes For if we behold the most happy course of this our floorishing continuaunce in sincere Religiō if we ponder with vpright ballaunce of vnstayned affection the glorious manifestation of the auncient Apostolicke doctrine withall looke into the maruelous discouery of that counterfaict Synagogue of Rome who could not but wonder at so blockishe in sensibilitie in so manifest light A man would haue thought though Sathan hadd transformed him selfe into an Angell of light that yet he should not so long haue preuayled especially emongest so sharpe sighted Deuines so cunnyng caruers of Scriptures and profoūde Doctors of Schoole where a thorough Anatomy is vsually made of all manner of Artes discipline and doctrine A man would haue thought that of all other knowledge the heauenly doctrine of Christ beyng of all partes so forcible and mighty in operation so able of it selfe to drawe moue stirre renew and chaūge men to seà rch examine to cutt to the quicke to opē the filthy soares of sinne to launce the festered impostumes of our fowle affections to pearce the inward most secrett partes of the hart to sacke and subuerte the kingdome of Sathan and destroy his whole armye could with the authoritie and maiestie thereof haue stayed holden backe and crushed in peeces all the deuises attemptes and coūtermoyles of Sathans ministers in such sort as that either with admiration amazed they might be astonyed or with their mouthes stopped they might be vtterly confounded Such is the strength of the Gospell accordyng to that which we read Neuer man spake like vnto this man Iohn 7. Yet loe such is the carefull watchefullnesse of that Emperour of darkenesse as will not suffer the carelesse drowsinesse of our Scribes and Pharisees to acknowledge their promised Messiah though he come emongest his owne yea though with their eyes they see the blind restored to sight the dumme to speake the deafe to heare and the very man of Sinne to sitt in the chaire of pestilence moyling turmoyling peruertyng subuertyng razing defacyng reuelyng and ruffling in all maner of horrible abhominations But euen as the Iewes deluded by that fanaticall Spirite cōceaued a vayne and foolishe opinion of their Messiah as that he should come with worldly pompe in Princely magnificence after the maner of some earthly Potentate to make them Lordes of the earth Euen so our more then Iewishe Romanistes carryed with like phancie in their forged Vicar of Christ and bewitched with false persuasion of the stately Royalties of their visible glorious Synagogue haue their myndes busied about nothyng so much as about the magnifieng exaltyng and glorifieng thereof blazing abroad to the world the vayne glitteryng shewes of stagelike ceremonies friuolous traditions peltyng deuises drowsie dreames of their owne idle braynes which they deliuer ouer as so many Oracles from heauen contrary to the expresse word of the Testament of Grace which
Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. IF I hadd vndertaken this enterprise not beyng enduced more of earnest cōsideration of the cause I take in hand and present necessitie of the tyme then of any allurement of priuate commoditie or presumptuous oftentation or vayneglorious persuation of mynde most Renowmed and vertuous Prince kyng Sebastian I should not onely haue bene accoumpted blameworthy in the Iudgement of all the godly but also haue willfully plunged my selfe into deserued obloquy of all the world that beyng a poore despised abiect a seely wretched vnderlyng so meere a straunger and so farre seuered from you by distaunce of place without all maner of acquaintaunce either of name or of Title neither called nor cōmēded by any desert nor by any person cōmaūded hereunto dare so boldly presume to write vnto your highnesse beyng the mirrour of all Princely dignitie But as the occasion that moued me to attempt your Maiestie seemed of no small importaunce so the oportunitie of the matter it selfe yelded vnto me no lesse euident Argument of assured affiaunce and audacitie though in vtter apparaunce vnseemely yet pardonable I trust vpon due examination of the cause And yet besides this alleadged necessitie emplyeng reasonable excuse I wanted not many others as commendable aydes to defend my enterprise if like example applyed in like cause may be allowable For if Ierome Osorius beyng as then but a priuate man no lesse estraunged from the Societie of this common weale of ours then a professed Enemy to the Religiō which we embrace in Englād prouoked either of some vayne glorious oftentatiō or of greedy desire to maintayne his owne Religion and to deface ours vnder zeale of pretensed good will and affection borne durst be so bold not onely to write so long and tedious an Epistle to our most Royall excellent Queene Elizabeth but also so vnprouokedly to aduertize her highnes of matters inconuenient daungerous to her soules health why should I be condemned of insolency if inflamed with sincere inclinatiō of most humble dutie towardes the most valiaunt Prince Sebastian kyng of Portingall no lesse famous in Princely vertues then valiaūt in administration of power if allured by the notable Reporte of his incomparable bounty do send most humble greetyng in the Lord Iesu in two or three wordes to his Maiestie in recommendyng his highnesse to the gracious protection of the allmightie with no lesse increase of perfect peace and tranquillitie to him and his by Letter then inwardly I wishe to his Maiesty frō the bottome of my hart Neither do I see any reason to the contrary why I should be more embraced in cōceipte and driuē from my endeuour hauyng so many notable commendations vttered by euery godly personadge in the behalfe of the famous kyng Sebastian Renowmed in eche Coast for his excellencie in prowesse and Noblesse in dignitie sithence Osorius through the pleasaunt blast of the Trompe of fame hath presumed so farre vpon the vnspeakable clemency of our Queenes most excellent Maiestie whom he neuer sawe when as also her highnesse of her aboundaunt grace hath with so great lenitie entertayned the Letters of Osorius and so gently perused them though otherwise perhappes vnworthy so noble a personadge why should not I persuade my selfe to obteine as much yea more rather of your Princely magnificence and heroicall clemency especially sithence it cann not be credible that kyng Sebastian beyng a man cann any ioate be inferiour to Elizabeth a womā Queene in any Princely ornamētes or dutie of Humanitie But there will some peraduenture be founde not farre from emongest vs to whō this comparison which I do make betwixt vs two Osorius and me will seeme in no respect agreable for as much as he beyng a constaunt frend to the true and Catholicke Churche as they will alleadge doth take vpon him a most commēdable and necessary cause But my defence they will say of sett purpose proclaimyng opē warre agaynst the most aūcient Catholicke Church agaynst sincere Religion agaynst the approued supremacy of the Byshop of Rome hath bene allwayes hitherto atteinted by Iudgement of all Monarches and by consent of all degrees condemned and banished◠and ought not by any meanes be admitted into the Courtes and eares of Princes as matter exempt from all protection and priuiledge of godly Lawes This Obiection is no new thyng whereof I haue long agoe well aduisedly debated with my selfe yea the very selfe same thyng most Royall kyng wherein I am become at this presēt your Maiesties most humble Suppliaunt and whereof I determined to beseech your highnesse in the bowels of our Lord God whose aucthoritie and person you do represent in your Realme that ye would vouchsafe due consideration Ierome Osorius Byshop of Syluain bandyng and enforcing all his knowledge and skill agaynst the professed doctrine of our Religion publiquely receaued in England hath published in Printe three famous Libelles vnder the Title of an Aunswere to Maister Haddon for Reply wherof we haue framed accordyng to our slender capacitie this Apology how conueniently to the purpose I haue not to say to what successe it will come is in the handes of the Lord surely for the garnishment of phrase and Stile thereof I haue no great regard For this our contention tendeth not to the blazyng of excellency in eloquence neither treate we here of the delicacy and finesse of speach neither descant we lyke Minstrelles of warblyng of stringes ne yet tosse we our questions to and fro in vaunt of brauery of witte Sophisters vse to argue of moates in the Sunne in their triflyng and Dunsticall Schooles But we dispute as Deuines in matters of greatest importaunce of true righteousnes of the way to eternall saluation and euerlastyng damnation and of the true woshippyng of allmighty God This Apology or Aunswere to the quarrellsome and slaūderous reproches of Osorius how simple soeuer it appeare we haue thought for no man so meete to be presented as to your Maiestie most excellēt kyng Sebastian whom we most humbly craue and desire to be both a wittnes and a Iudge of the controuersie As for the questions wherewith Osorius doth inueigh agaynst vs we suppose are allready well knowen to your grace Now therefore the petition that we desire to obteyne of your highnesse is this in effect That for as much as Osorius hath vttered all his cunnyng and eloquence by all meanes he may possibly to depraue vs whō he vnhonestly reprocheth by the name of Lutheranes not onely vnto your Maiestie but to all other Princes of Christendome also thereby to bryng vs into vnappeasable hatred it may please the Royall Maiestie of all godly Princes not to conspire to geaue sentēce agaynst vs before the matter be heard and debated betwixt vs. And your highnesse especially most noble kyng of Portingall hauyng allready seene the clamours and brables of Osorius beyng the best and chiefest Arguments that he vseth to deface the orders and obseruation of our profession will vouchsafe also with
were at that tyme no nor deéme your selfe more holy theÌ„ Aaron Therfore where you seé so manifest Idolatry in them why make you so proude bragges of the innocencie of your Nation But you will happely say that those dayes are out of memory no such matter sticketh now in your fingers will ye therefore that I bryng you home and euidently disproue the ignorauÌ„ce and vnaduised follie of you your people by the testimonies of your owne fraternitie Truly I am contented so to doe and I will paint out your Idolatry so playnly in the sight of all men that can seé and be willyng to seé that no well disposed persons may doubt thereof hereafter Peraduduenture your eyes will dazell through corruption of dayly custome as it happened to Cerberus the dogge of hell sodenly drawen out of his darcke doungeon into the bright sunne shyne First you will graunt me this as I suppose which all your Papisticall Godmakers will yeld vnto that in that your transubstantiated white Wafers is inclosed a certeine Diuine essence and the onely substaunce of bread flowen quyte away I know not whither but that the accidents of bread remayne as at the first to witte the roundnes white colour and such like Hereof then followeth of necessitie euen by your owne Argument that who soeuer doth worshyp the white colour or any externall thyng therof subiect to the senses spectible view is a manifest Idolatour Aunswere me to this place my Lord I beseéch you if there be any sparckle oftene fayth in you Tell me when your simple vnlettered people cluster in heapes together to your Altares heaue vppe their handes knocke their brestes reuerently behold and humbly worshyp that your white rounde singyng Cake holden betwixt your fingers and lifted ouer your heades as if it were our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesu him selfe when I say this seély rude multitude doth so humble them selues and are moued in affection can they discerne betwixt the accidentes of the bread and the substaunce if they can surely your nation is deépely seéne in Logicke But if they cannot Then we may rightly conclude vpon the suppositions of your owne Deuines that they commit open Idolatry bycause they do worshyp not onely the essence of God farre hidden within wholy remoued from their senses but also the outward signes which they behold and seé with their eyes You are taken here Osorius neither can you escape me for either you must serape out your Decreés and CanoÌ„s which will procure you mortall hatred or els you must neédes coÌ„fesse the dayly Idolatry of your people except ye deny that the outwarde forme of bread is worshypped by them wherein they will witnes agaynst you if neéde shall require And therfore if your fayned God may euidently be founde culpable of euideÌ„t Idolatry Your errour is much more apparant in worshyppyng of Images I did set downe before the wordes of our Sauiour Iesu Christ vsed to the woman of Samaria touchyng the true worshyppyng of God Aboue alledged also the auncient custome of the Primitiue Church when as no grauen or paynted Images were permitted to be worshipped In this most assured testimonies and ordinaunces of our Religion this our great Deuine and Maister is altogether mumme but that hee cauilleth a litle I know not what about the Images of the Crosse to witte That the fame was deepely emprinted in the harts of meÌ„ in that auÌ„cient and florishing age of the primitiue Church but that pictures were needelesse sith that tyme. The same doe we also confesse franckly For there be two notable rules very true prescribed by God as Principles whereby the auncient vse and rule of Christian Religion and dueties of Christian lyfe may be dayly enured preserued The one is that we apply our myndes to read the holy Scriptures The other is that we yeld atteÌ„tiue eare vnto them For all Scripture sayth Paule is geuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teache to admonish to improue to amende and to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may be perfect and prepared vnto all good workes If we bee made absolute and perfect by the holy Scriptures what neéde we any helpe of your pictures In those holy Scriptures is the liuely Image of God the Father the liuely picture of Iesu Christ our Sauiour the true Crosse true worshippyng true Religion to bee founde But you are fouly fallen away from this auncient veritie you haue wickedly buryed in darkenesse the Testament of Iesu Christ you haue treacherously discredited the authoritie of holy Scriptures and in place of these pure and knowen founteines of our true Religion ye haue in your Churches planted a wonderfull rabble of woâ—meeaten pictures and portraictes of dead bodyes to be worshipped you haue instructed the rude and vnlettered people with mens traditious and haue vtterly drowned the holy Scriptures beyng the most pleasaunt and plentyfull foode of the soule with ouerflowyng puddles of stinckyng Ceremonies This is very true Osorius yea it is to true And you beyng a Byshop and a distributer of the holy misteries of God shall to your intollerable anguish of mynde feéle this to be true which you shal be sommoned before the dreadfull Iudgement seate of the Lord From whence you shal be throwen into euerlasting tormentes if ye amende not in tyme. But there is no droppe of sounde or sober witte in you for amyddes your disputation touchyng the worshyppyng of God you sodenly skippe from the matter and returne to your wonted shiftes and demaunde of vs. If wee haue founde our selues more inclinable to praye sith the abolishyng of Images then before First of all This concerneth not the controuersie anythyng at all Then who hath authorised you beyng a Portingall to be Iudge and Inquisitour ouer vs Englishmen Enquire ye for the demeanours of your owne people of Siluain and let vs alone with our owne Byshops It greéueth you much that the Reliques of Thomas of CauÌ„terbury are defaced whom it pleaseth you to call a most holy man beyng in very déede an exectable Traytour O goodly Doctour of the Church that require vs to worshyp the rotten stinckyng carkase of a pielde trayterous Priest Persuade that els where for in England women children and naturall fooles do detest the stincking Rames crauyne and Idolatrous Shryne of that Rebellious traytour Neither are you pleased bycause I rubbe your Schoolemen on the gall a very sacred societie if we credite you most pure pillers of Christian ReligioÌ„ agréeyng consentyng with the auncient Apostles but if they be tryed by their owne trinckettes they wil be founded a pestilent generation of Uipers full of vnsauory brabbles corrupt doctrine altogether boyde of witte addicted to all superstitioÌ„ And there is no discréet person amongest our aduersaries that hath any smatche of founde learnyng except a very fewe but doe vtterly detest and reiect this filthy puddle of SchoolemeÌ„ And yet you sir Ierome suppose to
heaueÌ„ly substaunce as you do imagine for Bread can not remaine materiall Bread without the substaunce of Bread no nor be surmised by thought to be Bread Paule doth sondry tymes call the Sacrament Bread But naturall Bread is not the body of Christ. Ergo. The Sacrament can not be the naturall body of Christ. I do speake here euen of the consecrated Bread as you call it or as Paule calleth it the Bread whiâ—h is blessed Whereof Paule hath an infallible sentence in his Epistle to the Corinthians The bread which we breake is it not the partaking of the body of Christ This Sacramentall Bread therfore after blessing when it is taken to be eaten is euen then Bread and brokeÌ„ as naturall Bread Ergo it loseth not his naturall substaunce nor is traÌ„substanciated into the naturall body of Christ as you vse to speake monstruously in a monstruous matter How then say you doth Paule call Bread the participation of the body of Christ For sooth in the same maner in the which a litle before he doth call Christ a spirituall Rocke They did all drinke sayth Paule of one spirituall Rocke which folowed them and the same Rocke was Christ and by and by after is set downe in the same Chapiter We many are one bread and one body In both which we do acknowledge the most wholesome and familiar speache of the holy Ghost but can not acknowledge your monstruous and newfangled TraÌ„substantiation To this purpose are the wordes of our Sauiour Christ to bee applyed This is my body whiche is deliuered for you doe ye this in remembraunce of me For the latter part doth explane the first part of the sencence most expressely For if the transubstantiated bread should conteine in it selfe the very naturall body of Christ hanged vpon the Crosse and thrust into the side for vs as you doe dreame what neéded then so often a rehearsall to be made vnto vs of the RemembrauÌ„ce of his body especially the body it selfe beyng presente and subiect to our senses and dayly handled in our handes But for as much as our Lord Iesus in the sight of the Apostles and the Angell declaryng the same did ascende vp into the heauens and sitteth there now at the right hand of his father of his infinite mercy hee hath left behynde him this most fruitefull and most healthfull Sacrament vnto our vse by the receauyng wherof we might be exceédyngly comforted and should emprinte deépely in our memory and reserue inuiolably the liuely and effectuall remembraunce of his most bitter death and Passion apperteinyng to the sauetie of our soules Now if any man doubt whether this bee so or no let him heare our Lord Iesus in the Gospell of S. Iohn so playne and perfect an interpretour of him selfe that nothyng can be added to make it appeare more manifest My fleshe sayth our Lord Iesus is meate is deede and my bloud is drinke in deede He that eateth my sleshe and drinketh my bloud the same dwelleth in me and I iâ— him Many therefore of his Disciples hearyng this sayd This is an hard saying who can abide it But Iesus knowing with in him selfe that his Disciples did murmure at this saying said vnto them Doth this offende you TheÌ„ what if you shall see the sonne of 〈◊〉 ascendyng where he was before it is the Spirite that geueth life the flesh profiteth nothing at all my wordes are spirite and life Your speach is a hard speach Osori it is a hard speach of traÌ„substantiating the bread into the naturall body of Christ. Touchyng the carnall and fleshly eatyng of Christes body your saying is hard yea as hard as yron who can heare or abide it Let vs here take our Lord Iesus to be the Expositour of his own wordes who doth so atteÌ„per mollifie this his speach beyng in outward apparaunce most hard of all other with a most sweéte interpretation as that nothyng caÌ„ be thought more mylde more apte for our coÌ„solation Be not offended at my wordes sayth our louyng Lord and most sweéte Sauiour Iesus for I must asceÌ„de vp vnto my father from whence I dyd deâ—ceÌ„d vnto you at the first And my body I must neédes take vp with me which you may not froÌ„ thenceforth haÌ„dle here on the earth Therfore in this case to witte to conceaue this mysticall eatyng of my flesh whiche I haue commended vnto you behoueth of very necessitie that you bee endued with a spirituall vnderstandyng For it is the Spirite that doth quicken the flesh proâ—iteth nothing at all That is to say the spirituall feédyng vpon my body which is geuen for you shall nourishe you to life euerlastyng But that fleshly eatyng which doth trouble you so much profiteth nothyng at all At the last our Lord Iesus coÌ„cludeth this place wholy vnto them in this wise The wordes that I do speake vnto you are spirite and life The wordes which Christ spake of the eatyng of his flesh are spirituall The flesh profiteth nothyng at all if we may beleue our Lord Iesus speaking of him selfe Let vs therefore take hold of that quickenyng spirite whiche may make vs partakers of euerlastyng lyfe beyng authorized hereunto by Christ him selfe and sithence you can not disgest this sweét and comfortable foode of the heauenly Table by fayth spirite we will leaue that other carnall and grosse banquet of the transubstantiated bread to you and to your Capernaites You seé now whereunto your testimonies that you trusted so much are come at the last whose authoritie I do not refuse but reuerence them and suppose that your transubstantiation is ouerthroweÌ„ and vtterly brought to naught by conferryng those two sentences with the other processe of the text Neither am I alone of this iudgement in the interpretatioÌ„ of these places For S. August writyng vpon Iohn alledgeth the same sentence in expresse maner of speach Tertul. also pronouÌ„ceth the same most euidently in his treatize vpon the distribution of the Sacramentall bread which two haue bene alwayes accoumpted learned and auncient Authours You presse me with a whole forest full of slauÌ„ders affirming that this SacrameÌ„t is fowly deformed by me the body and bloud of Christ is troden vnder feete the power and force of this wonderfull SacrameÌ„t is dusked and vtterly extinct by me I demaunde of you agayne what my wordes be where these botches doe lurcke in my bookes what I haue written what I haue done where and by what meanes I am ready either to repulse your errour or to coÌ„fesse mine own if I haue coÌ„mitted any such fault I craue no pardoÌ„ But if there be no such matter if it be rather all coÌ„trary if mine innoceÌ„cie be blameles herein I call to witnesse God men heauen and earth agaynst that most wicked toung whiche hath practized falsely to condemne the credite of your brother with so greéuous an accusation and so horrible a crime Fie fie Osorius what vnbridled licentiousnesse of Scorpionlike stinge
incredible inordinate desire of luciferlike superioritie as that he would onely and alone rule the roast and haue all others in subiection vnder hym how then could such vnmeasurable ambitione be possibly satisfied without infinite troubles vproares tumultes And therefore as touching that clamorous accusacions agaynst Luther to be a common Barrettor and disturbor of all Ciuill societie seémeth to me to be framed of Osori none otherwise then as though he would that Luther shoulde onely beare the name but that the Bishoppe of Roome shoulde winne the game Deale playnly therfore Osorius and poynt directly to the Butte that you ought to haue shotte at Name the person by his name if ye will be taken for a good Proctour at the Barre yea if ye be so carefull for the preseruation of the common weale of Christendome as ye are a curteous and Ciuill Gentleman let the force of your wrotte eloquēce be blowen directly agaynst those persons whiche are Enemyes to Christendome in deéde which treade Empyres vnder foote which doe writhe and wrest Scepters out of the handes of Princes which moue commotions styrre vpp the people agaynst the Nobilitie the Subiectes agaynst their Kynges which do mainteyne the Sonnes in armes agaynst the fathers which do cause the subiectes to abiure their sworne obedience due to their liege Lords teaze and prouoke the rude multitude to bende their force agaynst their naturall Princes which doe ouerthrow the peace and tranquilitie of the Church of Christ with their seditious Bulles open warres Ciuill discensions which do subuert all places of Iustice Iudiciall seates and Iudgementes rende lawes asunder are truce breakers and disturbours of peace are disseysours and disinheritors of lawfull discentes proprieties and possessiōs are pillers and pollers of all cōmon weales which do turne all thyngs vpsidowne choppyng and chaungyng and makyng a generall confusion of all thynges finally whiche doe neither render that vnto God that apperteyneth vnto God nor geue that vnto Caesar which is due vnto Caesar but rushe violently into both estates aswell Temporall as Spirituall makyng hauocke of all and appointyng one onely Iudiciall Consistory in this world to witte Gods and the Popes If these dealynges emporte not a generall ouerthrow of all Ciuill politicke gouernementes let the accuser hym self deny it But if he confesse it to be true now then may I be so bold to demaunde of Osorius that he will vouchsafe to aunswere me truely without parcialitie For as much as that Pōtificall Romish Seé is to to much polluted and defiled with all those enormities wherof I haue made mention before which one of these cā he pyke out at the length that may be duely truly layed to Luthers charge where was Luther at any tyme moued with such desire to beare rule as that he seémed willyng to beare full sway and be Lorde and Ruler of all others Where did he entrude vpon the right of any Prince or tooke vpō him selfe violently the authoritie of the Ciuill Magistrate where did he shew him selfe rebellious against the Superiour powers where did he disturbe the peace and quiet gouernement of any weale publique What Church or Congregatiō did he molest trouble where did he euer shake of the obedience of due allegeaunce or procured any Subiectes to rebellion agaynst their Gouernours What Empyres did he transpose what Kyngdomes did he trouble what warres was he the authour of what Kynges or Byshops did he euer minister poyson vnto either in the Communion bread or in the wyne within the Cōmunion Chalice or in the common drinkyng goblet as we read in the Hystories hath happened vnto the Emperour Henry vnto Victor and vnto Iohn kyng of England And I would to God there had neuer bene besides there any other poysoned after the same sort When or to whom did Luther euer offer his feéte to be kissed or vpon whose necke did he treade with his feéte any tyme Finally in what Natiō or Countrey was Luther euer knowen with his curses Excōmunications Bulles to haue vsurped vpon the Maiestie of any Prince or to haue abated the due obedience of the people or els to haue allured and drawen away the harts of the Subiectes which were by oathe obliged to their hygher power to rebell and pursue the destruction of their Rulers and Magistrates contrary to their othe contrary to all Religion contrary to all law reason and common course of nature it selfe Which inordinate outrage beyng neither to be found by report of any Chronographer amongest the Scythianes ne yet amongest the cruell Massigetes yet this do we read yea and haue seéne with our eyes to haue bene practized of late here in England by the treachery of Pope Pius the fift agaynst our most gracious Queéne Elizabeth yea and not long sithence agaynst the late renowmed Kyngs Henry the viij her Father and Edward her brother But it comes already to my mynde what aūswere Osorius will make to all this For all that I haue spoken touchyng the ouerthrow of the peace of the church and the scatteryng abroad of the possessions therof Osorius will forthwith take holdfast of and hurle violently with all the force of his eloquence agaynst Luther speakyng in this maner What assoone as these bookes of Luther were scattered abroad doe we not see how the quiet and peacible estate of the Churche is vexed and troubled euery where how Monckes are driuen out of their selles spoyled of their goodes Chanones thrust out of their Colledges Abbottes and Byshops throwen out from their rightfull possessiōs In deéde we seé this to be done in many places Osori Euē so also do we seé the darke cloudes to vanish away after the rysing of the Sunne in the mornyng we seé also the foggy mystes to be scattered abroad the darkened night to be driuen away the smaller starres to lose their brightnes and the heauens to waxe cleare beautifull fayre of hew and men that before seémed blynde with drousy sleépe to awaken and shake of their sluggishnes at the cleare shining of the glittering light Now cōcernyng your Obiection agaynst Luther in the behalfe of the Church of the Byshoppes and Monckes you shall then make partie colorable good whenas ye haue rightly defined First what the true Church is who be true Byshops and true Monckes When I do heare this word Peace named when I do heare mētion made of the Church of Byshoppes I can not chuse but acknowledge them to be honorable names cōmendable titles yea euen such as all men do most gladly ioyfully embrace but yet truely vnder these names lurke many tymes many crafty conspiracies I know that it is not vnfitly reported by the Poete That Peace is the most precious pearle of Dame Natures stoare And surely as euery man excelleth in vertue and pietie so for the more part is heé studious carefull most for the due preseruation of Peace and of concorde And therfore good men doe
onely begynnyng And that the pope of Rome onely if we may beleéue the Popes Parasites must now be Lord of Lordes and Kyng of Kynges to whoÌ„ is due the fulnes of all power more then Princely authoritie ouer all maner of subiectes All which beyng so vndoughtedly true ratified with the generall consent of all Historiographers that no man can be able to deny it I beseéch you Osorius by your beautyfull foreheaded if you haue not rubbed all shamefastnes away from it where is shame become where is fayth where is Catholicke obedience so many tymes bragged vpon by you wherewith you affirme boldly that you do not refuse the commauÌ„dement of any lawfull authoritie for the coÌ„futation of which wordes of yours what shall I say vnto you so much as the liues of them whoÌ„ you defend most do most of all bewray you to be a great lyar though I held my peace Chronicles and Hystories are full of examples complainyng of no one thyng more greéuously then of a certeine singular continuall and vnappeasable rebellion of this your holy order agaynst the lawfull Magistrates Call to remembraunce Osorius how discretly and humbly Pope Iohn the 12. of that name behaued him selfe who conspiryng first with Berengarius the 3. afterwardes agayne with his sonne most trayterously supported their treachery agaynst Otto the first beyng the lawfull Magistrate And how afterwardes beyng sommonned to the Councell by the Emperour he disobeyed his lawfull commaundement and refused to come And for that cause beyng deposed from his Ecclesiasticall function by the generall consent of the whole Councell did not yet so geue ouer his trayterous practizes agaynst the lawfull Maiesty Anno. 963. It would make a great Uolume to gather together all the seditions and contentions one after other that happened betwixt the Emperoures the Popes afterwardes I will here there touche and runne ouer some as many as shall suffice for the present purpose And first of all What shall I speake of Gregory the 7. of whom I can neuer speake sufficiently enough Who after that he had contrary to the auncient Decreés and receaued custome of the Elders wrested wroong out of the handes of the Emperour Henry the 4. all right of chusing the Pope of disposing the promotions of the Church of callyng Councels not satisfied as yet with this horrible treason agaynst the Imperiall Maiestie Rusheth moreouer most furiously like a brute sauadge Tyger agaynst the Emperour his own person thundereth out excommunications agaynst him dispencing with his subiectes for their Oathe of allegiance which they had sworne vnto him what shall I say that this most arrogaunt Mastigo would scarse after threé dayes admit to come within the walles of Canusium the Emperour him selfe with his Empresse and young Sonne threé dayes I say submittyng them selues bare-footed and barelegged in frost and snow at the gates of the Citie And yet beyng not herewith contented did notwithstanding not absolute him from his fault which was none at all without doing a whole yeares penauÌ„ce Besides all this the greédy Cormoraunt beyng not yet with all these reprochefull iniuries fully gorged became so monstruously madd as to prouoke by all meanes possible Rodolphe Duke of Sueâ—ia to driue him out of his Empire in the yeare 1074. Not long after this Gregory succeéded Vrbane 2. Pascalis wherof the one did teaze Conrade sonne heyre of the same Emperour by his first wife to wage warre agaynst his naturall Father the other after that Conrade was slayne enlured Henry the 5. his other sonne vnto like outrage agaynst his own Father the Emperour In the yeare 1300. O miraculous and Catholicke reuerence towardes the higher powers to speake nothyng in the meane tyme of the warres that Pascalis mainteyned agaynst Ptolome and Stephen Cursus a Romane Citizen of great power and agayne how the same Pope prouoked Anselme Archb. of Canterbury to pricke proudely and insolently agaynst Henry 1. Kyng of England After the death of the Emperour Henry the 4. succeéded in the Empire HeÌ„ry the 5. who beyng no more courteously entreated of Pascalis and Gelasius 2. and of Albert Arch. of Meniz through whose deadly practizes and infinite seditioÌ„s the Emperour beyng throughly worne out was driueÌ„ at the last to that extremitie that maugre his hart he must agreé to the Popes commaundement yeld to his will stand to his courtesie and deliueryng ouer the preéminence of the Imperiall scepter was coÌ„strained of necessitie to thrust his necke into the yoake of the Ponrificall tyranny 1122. By meanes of which submission and yeldyng of Henry 5. it is scarse credible to be spoken how monstruously these holy Fathers raysed their crestes what outragious atteÌ„ptes they practized afterwardes whereby they might bryng to passe to haue the Empire vtterly troden vnder their feéte which them selues had miserably wasted and taken out of the Emperours handes before and withall how they might reteigne vnto them selues the authoritie of the keyes of the whole Church wherof they had vnlawfully likewise dispoyled the Emperour preteÌ„ding an authoritie from aboue geuen vnto them by Christ him selfe whereby they were made Lordes my Iudges of all Churches Byshops Pastours Kyngs finally Lordes of whole ChristeÌ„dome in all causes aswell Ecclesiasticall as Temporall WhereupoÌ„ they enforced the Byshoppes to purchase their Election at the popes handestand to these keyes they annexed freé and absolute power to ordeyne dispence with and to coyne new lawes the breach and violatyng of the which must be taken for as haynous offence as if they had Sinned agaynst the holy Ghost according to the Decreé of Demasus For euen so they spake of them selues besides this also they armed them selues with those terrible gunneshottes of Excommunications of Decreés enioynyng of penaunce and cursinges and withall did rake vnto them selues a certeyne Heauenly power out of the very Heauens and exercized the same vpon the earth so that from thence forth no humane creature might be so hardy as once to mutter agaynst this new vpstart Peacocke whereupon the Decretalles of Gratian had bestowed no small plumes of gay glitteryng feathers euen now hatched and peépyng abroad at the first to establish an absolute monarchy power by the Decreés Councels of Byshops of let purpose as it were to ouerthrowe the Maiesty Imperiall Now these holy Fathers beyng thus throughly garded with this munition and engynes hauyng also subdued the highest power of the world do begyn to bende their force agaynst the Inferiour powers Potentates And first Innocent 2. choppes away at one blow the auncient order dignitie of Senatours of Rome and doth besiege Rogerius in the Castell of Gallucius in the yeare 1130. How execrable the insolency was of Alexander 3. the Cardinalles agaynst Fridericke Barbarossa agaynst whom beyng their liege Lord most worthy Emperour besides horrible thuÌ„derâ—rakes of curses they raysed all Italy and the Venetians is
but humble and prostrate Sinners onely truely and vnfaynedly repentaunt Sinners For otherwise such as raunge outragiously and willfully in their Sinnes nor are touched with any remorse of sorrowfull minde for their wickednes coÌ„mitted nor moued with any earnest desire to obtayne forgeuenesse vnto such I say Paule doth not bouchsafe to ascribe either Fayth or any righteousnesse at all no more doth Iames defraud the others which with repentauÌ„ce haue an earnest desire of Saluation of any part of IustificatioÌ„ No more do euen those which though be moued with neuer so great a remorse of Conscience obtayne any mercy at Goddes handes by any other meanes possibly then through onely fayth whiche is in Christ Iesu our Lord. Whereby you may perceaue sufficiently that in the Doctrine of Iustification all workes are excluded and Fayth onely weareth the gareland But that the meanyng of the Apostle may appeare more playnly to be so bold to vse schoole tearmes the predicatum must neédes agreé with his subiectum on this wise as where it is fayd that fayth onely doth iustifie this is true in deéde but whom Not the proud not the obstinate stubborne and outragious sinners but those sinners onely which stricken downe with an earnest acknowledgement of their sumes and entring into a serious meditation of amendement of lyfe doe most humbly flee vnto Christ through fayth euen with all their hartes Such that doe on this wise simply and vnfainedly repeÌ„t for Luther speaketh not a word of others if a man doe teach to be freely iustified through fayth onely agreéing herein with Paule with Iames and with Christ himselfe doth this man seéme in your eyes to teach a new Gospell or rather a most true and most most auncyent Gospell It were a tedious peéce of worke to runne ouer all the places of doctrine Let this be the summe to speake breefly Martine Luther did publishe many articles Iohn Caluine hath set forth his Institutions Melancthon hath made a collection of Common places the same also hath done Wolfg. Musculus Henry Bullenger hath written his Decades Peter Martyr hath made sundry commentaryes vpon the old Testament and the newe and discoursed notably vpon the Sacrament The same did before him Hulderick Zuinglius Iohn Oecolampadius Marine Bucer hath geuen vs many aunsweres and Apologies Emongest those may be placed the Apologie of Iohn Iuell no lesse famous and worthy Of Antichrist now openly and in good time discouered besides many other things hath Gaulter Rodulph compiled a treatise Of many other matters lykewise many writers haue treated largely Finally the professions and confessions of many natioÌ„s peoples prouinces Kingdomes Cities townes incorporate proclaymed published in writing through all their seuerall Churches by generall agreément conspiring and concluding all with one assent in one vndoughted trueth In all whose writinges monuments and confessions If you canne shew any thing new neuer heard of before or that is not auÌ„swerable and correspondent to the auncienty and doctrine of the Apostles I geue you here freé libertye to exclayme agaynst those doctours of the new Gospell as lowde and wyde as ye canne But if hitherto your selfe haue found no such matter nor euer shall be able to shew any such to what end raungeth this shamelesse vnbryveled impudency in matter so manifestly false You call it a new Gospell shamelesly enough yelding no reason that moueth you to call it newe Wherein you haue set before our eyes a very playn and euident demonsiration of your foolishe vanitye For if we should confesse the trueth in deéde to what purpose is all this brabble contentioÌ„ and discention emongest vs but for this onely matter because we do endeuonr to reclayme you that haue forsaken the true natiue simplicitye of the true and auncient Gospell roauing at randone after I can not tell what new-fangled straunge and imaginatiue deuises of mens traditions and are desirous to haue you come home to the auncient antiquitye of the true simple and pure Euangelick veritye agayne If any man shall doubt hereof and thinke this vntrue that I speake the apparant proofe is at hand Uouchsafe vs once this one petition that ye would be but willing to haue the Christian doctrine to recouer and returne to her auncient state and first institution euen the same state wherein it florished in those most auncient dayes of Christ and his Apostles weéding out by the rootes all that pilfe and baggage that hath ouergrowen the Churche since their departrue hence and wherewith they nor any of them were euer acquainted we will desire none other condicions or couenauntes of vnitie and attonement to be concluded vpon betwixt vs. Whereby the godly and indifferent reader may by this onely argument coniecture where those maisters doe lurke whome Osorius doth accuse of Noueltye Howbeit this nick-name of newe Gospellers wherewith the Catholickes doe obbrayd vs is no newe reproch For in lyke manner the Prophets in times past thapostles yea Christ himselfe were called New fellowes because they taught new doctrine Tertullian and Eusebius also do record that this nickname was vsually frequeÌ„ted eueÌ„ in the very swathling clowtes of the Church But they did easely deliuer themselues from that reproch of Nouelty Wherein albeit we haue not attayned so prosperous a successe as they did yet haue we yelded our endeuour in the same cause as farre forth as we trust the godly and indifferent reader will be satisfied and pleased withall I haue spoken now of our Antiquitie It remaineth that you aunswere lykewise Osorius as much as you may for your Antiquitye For it is agaynst all reason and iniuriously handled to exact a speciall accouÌ„pt of an others Antiquitye that can render no reason for your owne And therefore whereas this religion of yours which vnder visor of a true Church you do falsly call by the name of a Catholicke Church is ouâ—rwhelmed with infinite preceptes lawes and doctrines of men oppressed with innumerable decreés decretals extrauagantes Quintines Sixtines Ceremonies Traditions Rules Prescriptes Edictes Cannons and Synodalles Rites vowes and curses Let vs be certified therfore how much antiquitie is resiauÌ„t in the whole rabble of these your inuentions and deuises And to begyn at the very toppegallaunt of all your Religion that highe Prelate the Pope him selfe let vs first take a view of all his Titles by the which he is called to witte Uniuersall Byshop Prince of Priestes high and supreame head of the Church on earth Christes Uicare generall the onely Successour of Peter the most holy Father most Reuerend Byshop keépyng ioynte Consistory together with God the onely Monarche of the visible Church Byshop of Byshops These Titles and Additions of names I doe not enquire whether were euer named or heard of in the tyme of Christ or of his Apostles neither do I aske whether they were receaued into the Church in the tyme of Gregory sixe hundreth yeares after the AsceÌ„sion
of the dead I do commend you But will you heare me agaye If the death of Christ were vndertaken for them that are in Purgatotory in the maner as you before sayd then is it a good consequēt hereupon that either your Purgatory was vtterly abolished by the death of Christ or els that Christ himselfe suffered death in vayne Aunswere either of them which you list Moreouer if this be true that your Diuinity doth inferr that Paule and manye others did dye as you say a satisfactory death for the cleansing of the dead and for the saluation of the whole world what difference then will you make betwixt the death of Christ and the death of those others Nay rather what neéde haue we of the death of Christ at all if Paule and many other did dye a satisfactory death for the saluation of the world as you say how thys your reason and communicatiō delighteth you and your Catholickes I know not in my iudgement surely it seémeth none other then as if any Turke or Iew had taken penn in hand and of sett purpose deuised to write agaynst Christ he could not haue written any thing more despightfully agaynst Christ nor more horribly agaynst the Catholicke fayth The Lord of his mercye open your eyes and endue you once at the length with a better minde if it may so please his heauenly Maiesty But I returne agayne to the course of your disputation wherein albeit I seé nothing worth the refuting yet because you bragg here so shamelesly that we be vtterly ouerthrowne with your most manifest Testimonies and that your argumentes are not resolued I thinke it conuenient to make manifest what maner of argumentes you haue sett downe and of what force the substaunce of your argumentes may seéme to be First touching the testimony of Saynt Paule in the 1. to the Corinthians the 15. Chapter before mentioned where Saynt Paule treateth of Baptisme and Resurrection You thinke to haue a great aduaūtadge here to build your Purgatory vpō And why so Because Baptisme is many times vsed in the Scriptures for Sacrifices and offeringes Where finde you that Forsooth where the Lord doth demaunde of the two brethren that were at strife betwixt them selues for the chiefe and highest seat in the kingdome of heauen whether they were able to be partakers of the same Baptisme In deéd the scripture vseth many times peculiar Tropes figures and I am not ignoraūt that amongest the latter Deuines Baptisme is deuided into threé sortes to witte Baptisme of water of Fire of Bloud Howbeit these two latter kindes haue not in them any proper nature of a Sacrament if you haue regard to the naturall propertyes of Baptisme to wit Matter Forme as they call them And therfore howsoeuer it pleaseth the new Deuines to ascribe vnto thē the matter of a Sacrament yet doe they not attribute vnto them a Sacrament no nor so much as the name of a Sacrament but acquiuoce But what doth this concerne this place of Paule cited by you where it is out of all controuersy that the wordes of the Apostle ought to be vnderstanded not of Blood nor of Fier but simply of that kind of Baptisme onely wherewith all Christians in generall without exception are washed through the foūtayne of regeneration into hope of rising agayne to life euerlasting Therfore I do here appeale to the Iudgement of the Reader how blockishly Osorius doth wrest this discourse of Paule to Martirdome yea much more Doltishly to Purgatory There is besides this an other place cited out of the same chap. where Paule as appeareth purposing to sanctify himselfe not onely for the dead but for the liuing also hath these wordes Why do we vndertake daūger euery houre I do dayly dye through the reioysing that I haue of you in Christ Iesu our Lord. And these forsooth be those substaunciall Testimonies wherewith we are ouerwhelmed a Gods name accordaunt to the matter nowe in question as iumpe as Germaynes lippes It remayneth now that we discusse the substaunce and pith of the Argumentes likewise deriued from the prayers and oblations of the Church You do mayntayne stiffely that Sacrifices offred for the saluation of the dead be very effectuall which forasmuch as are auaileable to none but such as be in Purgatory hereupon therefore you doe conclude that there must be a Purgatory of very necessity But what if I would deny all this vnto you euen by the same law and order as you haue propounded them For what reason is there to the contrary but that I may aswell deny at a word as you affirme at a word First as touching Prayers which you affirme that the Church is enured vnto for saluation of the dead If you meane here the true Apostolicke Church You say most vntruly If you note the vsage of your owne Babylonicall Tēple it forceth not of a rush what you do there Neither do I enqurie what you haue in hādling there but what you ought to looke vnto what duety doth exact of you and what you ought to do according to the prescript rule of the scripture Moreouer whereas you annexe afterwardes that these Supplications and Prayers made for the saluation of the dead are altogether vneffectuall and vnprofitable vnlesse they be applyed onely vnto them which are afflcted in Purgatory We would fayne learne first how you proue this Forsooth say you because the soules that be drowned in the deepe doungeon and euerlasting darcknesse of hell can be redeemed from thence with no prayers This is true and what hereof Agayne you say the Soules that are in heauen haue no need of those prayers neither am I displeased with this Rhetorical partition Goe to what is it that this Orators pertition will conclude at the last Behold reader now a conclusion more then logicall wonderfully wrought and called frō out the very braines of capacity it selfe wherby you may forth with note a very disciple of Theophrast Damned Soules being in hell sayth he are not eased by the prayers of the liuing And agayne the soules that are in heauen haue no need of any supplications It followeth therefore that there is some middle place betwixt heauen and hell which we are wont to call Purgatory As if the Argument were on this wise If there be no Purgatory the supplicatiōs of the church for the saluation of Soules are voyde and vneffectuall But the Supplications for the deadd are not voyde and vneffectuall Ergo It is concluded that there must be a Purgatory of very Necessitie We are come backe agayne now ad Petitionem Principij as the Logicians do tearme it Where one vncerteintie is confirmed by an other vncerteintie in all respectes as vncertein For I am as farre to seéke whether Prayers and Supplications for soules departed be vnprofitable as when Osorius doth affirme that there must neédes be a Purgatory And therfore in my conceipt you shall do very discretly Osorius bicause
of this milde Phenix our most gracious Soueraigne a few yeares more in this life truely I doe nothing mistrust but that the whole generatiō of your Catholick Caterpillers loytering lozels shall be driuen shortlye not to the gallowes but to that howling outcries and gnashing of teéth described in the xviij Chapter of the Apocalipps which you may reade and peruse at your leysure and afterwardes aunswere vs when time and place wil serue for it But we must cōmitt all these as all other our actions successes els to the guidyng and conduct of him in whose handes are the hartes of Princes and Potentates and the order and disposition of tymes and of chaunces He is our Lord. Let him determine of vs as seémeth best in his sight whether his pleasure be of his infinite mercy to blesse vs with a continuaunce and settled stay of this quyett calme which he hath fauourably bestowed vpon vs or whether he will scourge our Sinnes with the cruell whippes of these Popish Philistines or whether he will vouchsafe accordyng to his promise after the long and greéuous afflictions of his tourmented Church to roote vpp the foundations of your Babylonicall Towres and ouerwhelme them in the deépe doungeon as it were a mylstoane in the Sea But whatsoeuer the successes shal be of our hope it can not be but most acceptable and commodious for his faythfull whatsoeuer his prouident Maiestie shall determine This one thyng I would wish from the bottom of my hart that our lyues and and conuersations were aunswerable to our publique profession and that our maners were so conformed as might no more prouoke his indignation and wrath then the doctrine that we embrace and professe doth moue him to displeasure which one Request if might preuayle with our Englishmen there were no cause then wherefore we should be afrayed of hundred Romes sixe hundred Osorianes and as many Portingall Dalmadaes Now the onely thyng of all other whereat I am dismayed most is not the force of your Argumentes not the brauery of your bookes not the crakes of your courage not the legion of your lyes Osorius but our home harmes onely our pestilent botches of pestiferous wickednesse and licentious insolency Wherein you seé Osorius how litle I doe beare with the maners of our people and how much I doe agreé with you in condemnyng their waiwardnesse whose maners you do gnawe vpon so fiercely whose Fayth and Religion neuerthelesse I can not choose but defēd agaynst your Sycophanticall barkyng with iust commendation as they do duely deserue But for as much as we haue treated largely of Queéne Elizabeth I will now come downe vnto others and will pursue the conclusion and end of your booke furious enough and full of indignation wherein you heape whole mounteynes of wordes brauely and behaue your selfe most exquisitely and artificially and besturre your stumpes lyke a sturdy pleader couragiously and launche out lyes as lustely yet herein not as Oratours vse orderly but after the Cretensian guise ouersauishely Of whom S. Paule maketh mention The men of Creete are common lyars For you say that Haddon dyd counsayle you that you should not meddle with the holy Scriptures Which coūsell as neuer entred into Haddones head so neuer raunged out of Haddons penne And out of this lye beyng as it were the coyne of the whole buildyng it is a wonder to seé how you shoulder out the matter what greéuous complaintes you doe lay to our charge which haue neither toppe nor tayle foote nor head I would wish you to peruse the place of Haddon once agayne whereat you cauill so much but with more deliberation For this was neuer any part of his meanyng to abbridge you the Readyng of one lyne so much of holy Scriptures Moreouer neither did he so couple you to the Colledge of Philosophers and Oratours as to exclude you from the noumber of Deuines as your cauillation doth sinisterly emporte without all cause of iust quarrell For what can be more conuenient for a Byshopp and a Deuine and an old man also then to be exercized in the mysteries of heauenly Philosophy night and day or what dyd Haddon euer imagine lesse then to rase your name out of the Roll and order of Deuines But when he perceaued as truth was that you did behaue your selfe much more plausibly in other causes and therefore highely commended many qualities in you to witte an excellency of style exquisite eloquence ioyned with ingenious capacitie stoare of Authours and many bookes of yours likewise and especially your booke De Nobilitate and withall did grauely consider by the conference of your bookes that you were by nature more enclined or by Arte better furnished to treate of other causes then to dispute of those controuersies of Religion wherein you seéme a meére straunger and goe groapyng lyke a blyndman wandryng altogether in Iudgement and withall a professed enemy to the Maiestie of the glorious Gospell takyng vpon him the part of an honest friendly man thought good to aduertize you friendly and louingly not that you should not employ any study or trauayle in this kynde of learnyng but surceasing that presumptuous boldnesse of rash writyng and vnaduised decyding of controuersies wherewith you were but meanely acquainted that you would with a more circumspect deliberation consider of the matters whereof you purposed to discourse and that you would not from thenceforth rush so rudely agaynst vs with such disordered Inuectiues which doe in deéde bewray nought els but your ignoraunce procure generall myslikyng and auayle nothyng at all to publique commoditie For hereunto tended the whole scope mynde and meanyng of Haddon Which you doe causelesly miscouster agaynst him euen as though he had debated with you as your Catholickes doe vsually accustome with old wemen poore badgers Carters Cobblers the meaner state of poore Christiās whom you doe prohibite with horrible manacings cruell prohibitiōs frō the reading of sacred Scriptures none otherwise then as from bookes of hygh Treason But in very deéde you doe interprete of the matter farre otherwise then euer Haddon did meane And therfore here was no place for your nyppyng Satyricall scoffe which you did pretily pyke out of Horace Uerses wherewithall he doth dally with his Damasippus and you beyng an old and meary conceited man resembling the old dottarde Silenus of Virgile do ridiculously and vnseasonably deride Haddō withall The Goddes and the Goddesses Rewarde you with a Barbour for your good counsell Nay rather keépe this Barbour in stoare for your selfe Osor and for the rascall rabble of your sinoath shauelynges who in respect of your first and second clippyng nypping shearing and shauing must neédes room dayly to the Barbours shoppes who also doe accompt it an haynous matter to weare a long bearde as is also especified in the same Satyre For you I say euen for you and those dishheaded dranes of that shauelyng and Cowled rowte who with bare scraped scalpes beyng a new fangled