that were present whose eyes the Lorde had vouchsafed to open to see the truthe and whosoeuer shall yet reade it to this daie maie easily see that the sheilde of faithe was their defence that thei fought valiauntly with the sworde of the spirite to the confusion of those that stroue againste theim And though their bodies were vsed afterward at the pleasure of their aduersaries hauyng no regard of their callyng no reuerence of their learnyng no respecte of their age yet after the example of Samson and the true Samson Christ Iesus by death thei obtained victorie against theim In the beginnyng of the happie raigne of her Maiestie now sittyng in the Royall seate of her Fathers their Bishoppes and greatest Clerkes were prouoked and appoincted by aucthoritie to dispute if thei were able to maintain their doctrine with suche ministers of the Gospell as were called to deale with them in it Which action as it appeareth by the storie and testimonie of many that were present at it was so fōdly and ridiculously handled on the parte of the greatest Pillers of their pretended Catholike Churche that al men maruell that the memorie of the confusion and shame of that daie doeth not with hold them once to moue the matter of disputatiō with vs. For after a little impertinent speeche thei gaue ouer their cause in the plain field But thei saie he that runneth awaie maie fight againe and so peraduenture these men haue now gotten more harte of grace then thei had before or els these Romistes and Remistes thinke peraduenture their Bishops were vnlearned but that thei in so many yeres trauell and study abroad haue better furnished theim selues for the battaill But their weakenesse was notably discouered in their greate Champion and Father Iesuite who offeryng defiaunce with Goliah to the hoste of Israell as if the staffe of his Speare had been as a Weauers beame he was bolde to caste vs his Gloue and throw vs his Gauntlet to prouoke vs to fight with hym boastyng to maintaine his cause by Scripture Councells Fathers by all Lawes Common Ciuill and Canon and all Stories A man would thinke suche a Chāpion had been able to haue doen great matters but whē he was after encountred with his glorie was tourned to shame and the Diuinitie he boasted of was founde to bee but certaine of the boldest and moste vnreasonable asseuerations of the fondest and moste absurde distinctions that euer were heard of wherby he supposed to haue been well armed againste all obiections For a taste whereof I offer the gentle Reader some fewe whiche I heard beeyng present at the disputation In the matters of iustification of faithe onely whereas he had falsly and slanderously charged vs of late to haue brought into the Church this new doctrine of iustification by faith onely and that there were places cited out of the Fathers Greeke and Latin who liued aboue 1000. yeares agoe expresly hauyng these words that faithe onely iustifieth He aunswered that it was to bee vnderstoode of the vngodly wherein hauyng confessed a truthe for so the Apostle saieth that God iustifieth the vngodly by faithe that is holdeth hym godly in Christ in whom he beleeueth who in himself is vngodly by suggestiō of his companion he fought againe to ouerthrowe that he had saied by a fond distinction of two iustifications a thyng meerely deuised in the braine of man For who euer read in the Scriptures that a man is iustified before God any more then once but that thei whō GOD had once reputed for iust he holdeth them so for euer Otherwise the reason of the Apostles iustification by faithe were nothyng if the Iewes might haue aunswered thus that when he was first conuerted from Idolatrie Abraham was in deede iustified by faithe onely but after he was circumcised and had offered vp his sonne he was iustified againe and that was by his workes but this was a fancy not once dreamed of by them Therefore the Apostle taketh it for a grounde that beyng once iustified by faith onely he was alwaies iustified before God by faithe alone An other folly of a suche like distinction was ioyned with this that onely in the Fathers alleadged shatteth out onely the workes goyng before his faith whereby he forgat that he ouerthrewe their workes of congruitie whiche thei pretende to confirme out of Cornelius exāple but not the grace giuen together with faith whiche is hope and charitie whiche aunswere is as flat contrarie to the doctrine of the Apostle as darkenesse is to light For if Abraham were iustified by faithe hope and charitie then was he not iustified without the woorkes of the lawe for hope and charitie are workes of the lawe It is contrarie also to their owne doctrine for if the first iustification be by faithe hope and charitie what second iustification can there be or what other thyng will thei require besides faithe hope and charitie to iustifie with a seconde iustification This seconde iustification he would haue confirmed by the helpe of their vulgare Latine translation whiche hath Qui iustus est iustificetur adhuc but very corruptly for the Greeke is he that doeth iustice let him doe iustice stil as if he should saie he that doth well let hym doe well still and he that doeth ill lett hym doe ill still whiche is as farre from the question of iustification as the East is from the West In the question of transubstanciation to the place of Ireneus that there is a spirituall thyng in the Sacrament and also a materiall whiche he expresly speaketh of the very substaunce of bread His aunswere was that the materiall thing was the accidentes that appeared the whitenesse lightnesse roundnesse c. To Oregen affirmyng that whiche is receiued at the mouthe to goe to the stomacke and to nourishe the bodie and to bee cast into the draught His aunswere was that the accidentes doe nourishe and that the accidentes are voyded Contrary to all lawe and order of nature whiche God hath appointed For it is no more possible that accidents being not in any substance should nourishe as it is that darkenesse should at the same tyme bee bothe darkenesse and light To Theodor affirmyng the nature and substaunce of the bread to remaine He aunswered that Theodor vnderstoode it of the substaunce of the accidentes and a generall substaunce whereby an accident hath a beyng and not of the speciall substaunce of bread whereas it is as cleare as the daie at noone that Theodor meant plainly that the very substaunce of the bread remaineth still in the speciall substaunce of breade and is not altered otherwise then in the vse whereto it is applied that is that beyng naturally appoincted of GOD for the feedyng of the bodie it hath hereby the institution of that Sacrament a heauenly vse whiche is to feede our soules A nomber of these fonde and vnreasonable absurde and vnlearned distinctiōs of his I could alledge but thei are now at large reported and published to
hee hath shewed mercy to his Sion he hath raised her out of the dust he hath anoynted her with oyle and furnished her table euen in the fight of all her enimies And nowe that the Lorde hath giuen her enimies into her power to require at their hand al the bloud of her deare children which they haue shed so many yeares and to recompence them double for all that she hath receyued of them yet hetherto she hath patiently wayted if the Lord may giue them repentance and forborne to vse any like extremitie towardes them Therefore all these former poynts well considered whether he compare the persons or vsage it will be founde in deede there is no comparison but for this reason because the numbers of such of ours as haue suffered haue bene a thousand to one of theirs the persons of greater state both for birth and calling the vsage so farre diuers both in the time of imprisonment and in the execution that we in our most iust lawful punishmēt of thē haue contayned our selues within the bondes of Christian lenitie and mekenes nay I may truly say that in some obstinate and buysie seducers wee haue beene short of duty But they in their most wrōg ful and tyrannical persecution of vs haue matched if not exceeded the most sauage cruelties that euer were heard off amōgst the Barbarians and the Heathen And thus much for answere to the comparison wherein I doubt not but it easily appeareth to all indifferent readers howe farre vnlike their doings are to ours It followeth now to examine whether of vs can render better reason of such our proceedinge This Aduocate iustifieth theirs by two speciall arguments wherof the first is the authoritie whereby they proceeded against vs which he saith was an ancient generall law meaning thereby the lawe of putting Heretikes to death wheras we haue only new nationall statuts as hee saith to punish them by For the lawe of putting heretikes to death I graunt it to haue beene a generall and ancient law amongst Gods people when the Magistrates haue béene of the faith of the Church And as it is auncient and generall so hath it good warrant of the word of God For the Magistrate beareth not the sworde in vaine but is the Minister of Gods iustice and vengeance vpon all offendors according to the qualitie of their offence Further also heretikes aboue all other offenders most grieuously transgresse both against God whose holy seruice and honour they prophane and also against men whom they by poysoning of the heauenly doctrine doe destroy with death euerlasting Both which being so cleare as they need no further proofe it must needes followe that the Magistrate ought to put an Heritike to death And thus was it expresly commaunded in the lawe of Moses Deut. 13.5 2. reg 23.20 2. Chro. 15.13 and executed by Asa Iosia the noble and zealous Kings of Iuda Against which iudgmēnt in vaine do some alledge the parable of Tares to be suffered to growe till the latter day For the tares there are not onely Heretikes but as our Sauiour there doth expound it all the wicked who are called children of the deuil the seruantes not Magistrates but Angels the pulling vp not the execution of perticuler euill doers by temporall death but the destruction of all the wicked children of the deuil vnto death euerlasting Which points are so plaine to any that will consider the parable with iudgment as they can not be denied No stronger are the rest of the proofes that are by the fauorers of this cause brought in out of Celsus a principall writer for the maintenance of it Mat. 13 40.4◠nor which this new aduocate for heretickes would insinuate for this purpose though for the authority of the cannon law to the cōtrary he dare not plainly discouer this to be his opinion saying faith is the gift of god For this cōcludeth not that no man by compulsion correctiō may so profite that he maye be occasioned to vse such meanes whereby after he may beleeue Nor that such as are obstinate heretickes ought not to be executed by death For by like reasō no malefactors should dy for feare of destroying them euerlastingly repentance being the gifte of God aswell as faith Of this therefore wee are agreed but who is to be iudged an hereticke is all the question betweene vs. They by their Cannon law iudge al heretickes that hold not the faith which at this day is professed in the church of Roome But we deny their Cannon lawe to be any competent iudge of heresie a great part of which law is the sinke of all error and abhomination or any other cannons decrees and authorities of men whatsoeuer and affirme the onely worde of God left written in the bookes of the holy and canonicall scriptures to bee able to iudge of these matters as partly was declared in the beginning of this answere Further we affirme and that agréeably to the same holy scripture whereunto we referre our selues for tryall that the faith now taught receyued by the Church of Roome in such poynts as it differeth from vs to be nothing but a new and late superstition and heresie The cause then falling out thus betwen vs that their doctrine differing from ours is error heresie ours wherin it differeth frō them as in al the other parts therof is the pure word of god Psal 1◠swéet as the swéet bread of the Passouer without any leauen fine as the siluer tryed refyned seauen times in the furnace we are certainelie assured by the same worde whereby wee shall bee iudged in that day when the truth shall shine as the Sunne and they shall see it which doe not repent of this their contradiction of Core to their euerlasting confusion that the auncient generall lawe whereof he speaketh can make nothing at all with them or against vs. Of the other parte whereas he would shew vs to haue small or no authoritie to proceede against them as wee doe as hauing in his opinion onely certaine national statuts wherby our proceedings are warranted hee is to vnderstand that vpon such reasons as hath bene shewed of their doctrine and ours the same auncient and generall lawe which chargeth Magistrates with the keeping of al things written in the law and with the ciuill punishment of al offenders Deut. 17.19 Rom. 13. is a most sufficiēt warrant for the authority which God hath now set ouer vs to compel all the subiectes within this Dominion to serue the Lorde our God according to that right order of his seruice which he himselfe hath appoynted and to correct their errours and obstinacie which shall be disobedient as the qualitie of their offence shall deserue Vpon the warrant of this auncient lawe Iosia in his time constrayned all Israell to serue the Lord their God which can not otherwise be vnderstood then of compelling them thereunto by new national statutes the seueritie whereof enforced
both he and al nations shoulde be blessed What discourses would a natural man here make to hinder with himselfe the credite of this promise Howe manye strong bulwarks and fortresses of fleshe and bloud and how many hie and mighty conceites of the naturall man as the Apostle saith were to bee ouerthrowne and beaten downe to the ground that Abram should beleeue this And how much more that by the death of Christ Iesu we should haue life euerlasting so many as beleeue in him by his shame and dishonour glory and praise by his woundse the cure healing of ours by his warres and agonies quietnesse and euerlasting peace Of all the things that God hath commanded this most needeth the mighty hande of God to worke it and maintaine it as in deede of all other it doth giue most glory vnto him But faith being so easy a matter with them they wel shew how little they vnderstande it For our doctrine that by fayth only in Christe al our sinns are forgiuen I acknowledge it to be true and glorifie God who hath wrought in vs by the powerfull work of his grace so to beleeue For this is our peace with him That this doctrine is holy and true it appeareth in that the Apostle hauing confirmed that Abraham was iustified by fayth inferreth vppon it that by the same Dauid pronounceth men to be happy namely because true happines is in hauing our sinnes forgiuen which we attaine vnto by faith in Christ Thus saieth the Apostle Peter to him al the prophets beare witnesse that forgiuenesse of sinnes is giuen to euery one that beleeueth in him Therefore the doctrine is sound and holy which when we teach we declare also in case of repentaunce what the fruites are of this faith whereby in deede we repent namely a sorrow for hauing sinned against God which striketh and woundeth the hart with a grief detestation of the wickednes committed and kindleth in it a loue and desire to doe those thinges which God hath commanded Finally such are the effectes of this fayth in repentaunce which the Apostle noteth to haue beene in those of Corinth 2. Cor. 10. As for auriculer confession which enforceth men of necessitie to confesse their sinnes one by one in the Priestes eare we teache it in deede for no parte of repentaunce because wee haue no commandement promise nor example for it In deede we bynde not men to this rehearsal and discouerie of their sinne vnto the minister which we esteeme to bee but a very tiranny ouer the conscience and exhort them onelye according to the example of Dauid to make their wickednesse knowne vnto God which suffiseth Yet if any bee so tempted as he standeth in need of councel of comfort and shall open his hart to the godly and faithfull minister they are not denied the comfort that may bee giuen them in this respect but vppon discerning of theire true repentaunce The minister is to assure his cōscience in his word of the forgiuenesse of their sinnes declaring the promise of the Gospell which is of grace and pardon to all that doe repent And this is the vse of that which Christe our Sauiour left vnto vs in the power of the keyes in regarde of particuler comfort A degenerate imitation wherof only is in their absolution which hee calleth a Sacrament without al reason For a sacramēt being a seale of the Gospell hath an outward creture applied to assure the promise vnto vs which shoulde haue some resemblaunce to the promise which is sealed by it as we see to be in the water of baptism and in the bread and wyne in the Lordes supper Another part of repentaunce they make to be satisfaction concerning which we teach that if it haue regard to the partie inquired be it eyther any priuate man or the whole congregation offended by so notorious offence then we teache I say that the discipline left vs by our Sauiour Christ doth require it For in such case bindeth that of our Sauiour tell the Church and leaue thy gift at the alter and be firste reconciled to thy brother much more therefore to the brotherhood which is the church and the felowship of all the brethren As for such a satisfaction as he mencioneth here of some temporall punishment in this lyfe to satisfie the iustice of God for sinne wee affirme and that moste truely according to the scripture that whatsoeuer is imagined of such satisfaction is highly derrogatory to the precious death of our Sauiour Christe who onely is the satisfaction for our sins which one point of their doctrine declareth they little vnderstand what the iustice of God and what sinne is that think it may so easely be satisfied for He nameth three satisfactory workes of praier almes affliction of the bodie wherby he saith they satsfy for their sins which are euen the depths of satan in this Rom. saith For what may be more derogatory to the crosse of our sauiour Christ and his sacrifice once offred vpon it for all wherby he hath fully satisfied for the sinnes of al that shall be saued and payed the vttermost farthing of their debt then that a man should take that vpon him which neither man nor Angell were able to beare that is to satisfie for his sinnes To whom it may be truely said which the prophet Ieremie saide to the hipocrite people of his time That is colour thy synnes neuer so well yet how shouldest thou say I haue not defyled me I haue not followed straunge Gods beholde thy way in that valley know what thou hast done Washe thy selfe with Snow water and make thee cleane with sope or the fullers scouring Hearbe yea gylt thy selfe ouer with Goulde And as Iob when hee had another manner of feeling of sinne and of the gilt of man in the sight of God then they seem to haue when they haue done all their satisfactory works and haue sought to washe them selues cleane with al as with snow water the Lord shal take and plunge thē into the ditch hee will tumble them in the myre and filth of the streetes that is discouer them to be most foule and vncleane Let S. Iohn teach suche men Apoc. 3. that tho they thinke they are rich yet that indeed they are naked and beggerly that they may seek to him for fine gold which shall indéede be able to enrich him with true riches that possesseth it and for a sute of apparel that shal indéed couer their shame giue them a comely presence in the sighte of God Prayer is a holy part of the seruice of God whereby we call vpon God according to his comandement in certaine assurance to be hearde of him but that this should be any work which God in iustice should receiue for satisfaction is a wicked fancy of the church of R. and from the beginning vnknowne in the Church of God Almes is a duety which God hath commanded in thankfulnesse of the loue and fauour we
sinne For if sinne which the prophet said could not be satisfied for tho a man shold giue riuers of Oyle and thousands of shéepe Oxen yea tho he shoulde giue his first begotten sonne or his own life for the redemption of it may so easely be redéemed by giuing some part of the wicked mammon to building of Abbeis or maintaining of Masses seminaries and such like which in deed greatly encreseth their sinn by strengthning such abominatiōs Men must néeds bee hereby made more carelesse of their wickednesse and more encouraged to offend Whervnto also their sanctuaries priuiledged places do greatly encourage For if any malefactor may haue any such defence against all iustice and protection for his ill doing how is it possible that all wickednes shoulde not be prouoked by it Whereby it being plaine that impunitie is the cause of incouragement to offenders and that the practise of the R. religion is thus discouered to be such as it setteth the transgressor free from all feare of the wrath of God and the iudgement to come by their dispensations indulgences absolutions and satisfactory workes and from all ecclesiastical punishment for a litle mony by making markets of their said Buls and pardons and from the iustice of the ciuill magistrats by sanctuaries and in al their clergy by exemptiōs imunitees priuiledges and appeals to the seate of R It must needes be hereby most manifest that the practise of their religion is as a breach that is made by the sea wherby al maner of impietie and wickednes of life doth so violently flow into the common wealth wher it is receiued that it is not possible to make resistaunce against it Whervpon I conclude that seeing by his owne confession this Romish fayth in the doctrine and discipline of it both thorow the iustice of God who cannot but from heauen reueale his wrath vppon so great vngodlinesse and in the very nature and practise of their religion must néeds be the most certaine ruine and ouerthrowe of all K. and states where it is established I might alledge here other particular causes of the breaches of some certain commaundement as their disordered orders of Monkes Fryars their vnlawfull vowes and constrained single life to be causes of hypocrisies adultries fornications and a 1000. abhominations of vncleannes But I leaue these and such like to the consideration of the discreete reader and proceede forwarde to other points Wherein I affirme the practise of their religion not to stand with any good pollicie Next to the honor of God a vertuous conuersation wherof haue beene spoken alreadye nothing can or ought to be more regarded in a state thē the souerainty of the state and freedome of the people Which by the doctrin of the Gospell is maintained and established For so we teach according to the doctrine of the apostles that euery soul and person be subiect to the ciuil magistrates both to the K. as most excellent and souerain and to those which are sent from him Wherby both the souerainty of the state is maintained in directing commanding with in the Dominion which God hath giuen them without controulment of any forraine power the lawful liberty of the people For the people obeying the authority which God hath made them subiect vnto they neede not to be suters for any causes in the court of any straunge P. they are not to be taxed by them but in euery their respect are free from the bondage of anye forraine commaundement whatsoeuer But the Romish religion nether leaueth P. soueraine in their estates nor the people frée in their liberty For by the doctrin and practise of their religion K. and princes are but vassals and as feodataryes to the pope in their K. and dominions they are to receiue thē of him and leaue them at his pleasure Hee hath authority to dispense of all their Crownes and Kingdomes to set vppe and put downe as it seemeth best to him And as this is set downe for good lawe in their Canons so haue they not failed to practise it as hath appeared Further also they take from them the dealing with al ecclesiastical causes drawing them all to the Sea court of R. euen to the bestowing of ecclesiastical liuings at his pleasure by means wherof both the emperors of the R. empire other P. the K. of this lād haue bin fain to plead such causes as they haue had with their subiects without their own land further also they took vpō thē to impose paimēts vpon their subiects besids a thousand oppressions of their soules which they miserablie tyrannised with lawes of abstinence for conscience sake from meates and from marriage commaundemente of cōfessing their sins in shrift the rest of the ordināces of their will worship wherby the pore people were oppressed with great bondage and the P. were so manye and diuers waies impeached in their crown and dignity Further in a well pollicied estate it is required that it bee maintained in peace and yet so that in case of warre they may bee strong bothe in men and treasure to defend and repulse the violence of their enemies This the Gospel teacheth being the gospel of peace wherby men are not only reconciled vnto God but also one to another according to the worthy testimonies which both the Prophets and Apostles beare vnto it in this behalfe And as the Doctrine is peace both with God and amongst men so the practise of it can not in any sort disturbe or hazard the peace of the state where it is receiued but with al security establish it Likewise hath it nothing in all the doctrin practise of it contrary to the strength of a cōmon weale For it teacheth marriage to be honourable amongest all men and the honour of a P. to be in the multitude of his subiects and exempteth none by any pretended authority of forrain power from the seruice of their country Concerning riches tresure it doth not impouerish requiring only a competent prouisiō for the pastors and doctors of the church Which as it is necessary for their seruice and most due by the expresse commaundement of God so riseth it to no great charges of a common weal. But the R. religion practise of it is against al these For if the stories euen of their own wickedest writers may bee credited as they oughte most of al to be against thēselues that B. of R. haue bin the cause of al the wars that haue bin in Europe these 100 yeres And indéed what estate cā be in security or quietnes wherein a forraine P. shall haue intelligence of all the secretes of the lande But wheresoeuer the R. religion is euerye Prieste is an intelligencer and a spye for the pope who both by other means especially by their auriculer confession come to vnderstand the deepest secrets of euery state and K. of euery City and town village house familye person within the land Which kind of