els to his subiectes T. It is for the prince to geue lawes for the subiectes to receaue obserue the same D. Well then if religion haue none other regard but to the honour seruice of the onely God and that his pleasure is that none shal haue power of the soules consciences of men but onely he himself and that he hath as great authoritie ouer the greatest Monarches Emperours Kings princes lordes as he hath ouer the meanest of their subiectes how great a presumption should this be of them to dare take in hand to geue lawes to their soueraigne prince I saye of those that are but his subiectes vassalles to coÌ„maund that men shall serue him according to their appoyntment not to his T. That were to be Lord not subiecte maister and not seruant D. Would they them selues endure this at the hands of the greatest of their subiectes And yet is there no suche comparison betwene God them as is betwene them their subiectes For they are mortall men as their subiectes are they maye erre as other men may And fall by the iuste iudgementes of God froÌ„ rule into seruitude subiection yea oftentimes into the subiection of their own subiectes as it hath ofteÌ„times happened to many for that they would not obey God but tooke in hand to be aboue him none of these thinges maye happen to God ¶ Of the office of good princes and good subiectes T. IT is not then the office of a good prince to abolishe the orders of religion which God hath geuen or to forbid his subiectes to followe the same eyther els to chaunge theÌ„ and to geue and establishe others at his pleasure D. This is easye to vnderstand but in the contrarye his office is to cause his subiectes to obserue them by all meanes possible and he himself to be the fyrst to geue good example that shoulde obserue those lawes which God hath geuen vnto him and to gouerne his people according to the same for he is ordeined of God to be a prince for none other purpose And therfore the Lord did coÌ„maund that the booke of the law should be red to the king euen as sone as he was chosen to the end Rom. 13. 1. Tim. 1. Deut. 1â— he should know how to gouerne both himself and the people coÌ„mitted to his charge according to the doctrine of the same If he be then such an one as he ought to be he will in no wise that his subiectes shal do him that honour which in no wyse appertayneth vnto him but will in any wise haue that reserued to God vnto whoÌ„ onely it is due He thinketh that his subiectes can do to him no greater honour then to honour God as they ought to do for his honour dependeth vpon the honour of God and he can not misse to be wol honoured and faythfullye serued of his subiectes if that both he and his subiects do truely faithfully serue God Wherfore his subiectes shoulde doe him the greatest wronge and the greatest dishonour that is possible to imagine in geuing to him the honour which is not due vnto him nor ought of him to be accepted for it should be to set him in the place of God and to make him an idole a verye deuill for that it is an honour which the deuill alwaye desireth to be estemed in the place of God D. He hath alway shewed it euen from the beginning ¶ Hovve those men obeye the deuill and not their princes vvhich obey any lavves by the vvhich it is forbidden men truely to serue God T. ANd if a maÌ„ should finde any prince of that vnspeakeable pryde as there haue beene heretofore amongest the Emperours Kinges and Heathen princes and as the Pope is at this day in Christendome folowyng their trace and example the subiectes were no more bouÌ„d to obey hym in that behalfe then to obey the deuill whiche is in dede a greater prince then all Tyrantes and all such as loke for lyke honors for he is called the God of this worlde the prince of this worlde and the master of all blindenes vnto whome all these litle tyrantes are but subiectes and vassals and as 2. Cori 1. Iohn 12 Ephe. 26 it were of his litle clawes And therfore when subiectes are brought to this extremitie they may lawfully vse not onely the same that the Apostles did who aunswered in the like Act. 5. case it is better to obey God then maÌ„ but they may alledge also in their defence these words it is better to obeye God then the Deuell For hee that obeyeth man agaynste the commaundemente of Godde hee obeyeth deuill by whoÌ„ he is possessed and therfore shall inherito the inheritance with the deuil and with the tyraunts of whom they did stande more in feare then of God ¶ Of the lavvfull lavves and statutes of Christian princes and vvhat men ought to consider in them T. I Do thinke that thy meaning in this is not but that it is lawfull for ChristiaÌ„ princes to gyue such lawes and ordinaunces to their subiectes as are agreable to the worde of God to leade them into true Religion D. Howe should I condempne that for so much as I say it is their onely office and duety for in so doyng they them selues preach the lawe of God but that wherof I spake before I meane of such lawes edictes as are made directly agaynst the worde of God either to abolishe or els to deface the true religion T. Such as do so are very tyrants not princes D. Doubt you not but Nabuchodnesar Darius and Cyrus these heathen Daniel 3. 4. Esâ—r â— Emperours Kynges that haue made so good lawes for the publishyng of the knowledge of God thorow out their whole Empires and dominioÌ„s and haue also so well ayded the true seruauntes of God but they shall ryse in the iudgement of the Lorde to accuse greuously those princes that haue ben renoumed in the nomber of Christians and haue after so great light of the Gospell letted hindered the preaching of the knowledge of God and his will in the aduauncemeÌ„t wherof the afore named haue trauayled ¶ Of such as are vnfaithfull seruauntes in princes Courtes and of their Councels agaynst God and of those princes that do rather fauour such seruauntes then those that are of coÌ„science vvhole and sounde T. IT maye bee that there are Christian princes whiche make lawes verye contrary to those that they woulde make if they had in their Courtes such Courtiers as was Daniel Esâ—ras and Nehemie whiche would procure and sturre them vp to glorifie the name of God as did these good seruauntes and holy Prophetes of God amonge the others But in the stede of such they haue oftentymes those that are cleane contrarye who as muche as they may do let them from the hearynge and vnderstandynge of the woorde of God whereby they myght learne trulye to vnderstande theyr office and duety and
moste vertuous personages that euer the earth dyd beare and that of so greate an accorde and perpetuall consente and all readye by so longe a tyme euen from the begynnyng of the worlde by continuall succession T. Thou alledgest here great matters of great weighte to approue that whiche thou haste declared D. Yea but I haue not yet touched the principall to witte that the verye Sonne of God whiche is the true woorde the Image the lyghte and bryghtnesse of the Iohn 1. Heb. i. glorye of God hath beene sente vnto vs from the bosome of the Father to declare and confyrme the same the more dwellyng amonge men in the true nature and shape of man Also we haue here no small testimonye that thys doctryne is of God in that the deuill dyd neuer make so longe and cruell warres agaynste any doctryne what so euer it was as hee hath agaynste thys and in that it hath beene alwayes so miraculouslye conserued by the singulare prouidence and power of God agaynste all the assaultes of the deuill and that God hath punyshed wyth horrible plagues those that haue stoode vppe agaynste the same As the examples of all ages doe ryghte well witnesse What shall we also saye in that it hath beene approued and ratifyed so myghtely by so manye signes and myracles which coulde in no wise bee done but by the onely power of God and also by the bloude death and confession of so manye Martyrs and confessours which are in number infinite T. If euer God dyd speake or if euer he dyd shewe himselfe to men to deliuer vnto them anye kinde of doctryne there is none other doctryne that we maye assuredlye beleue to bee of God but onely thys doctryne of the which thou haste nowe spoken And therefore we are fullye resolued that GOD hath shewed himselfe to men and that he hath reuealed vnto them the doctryne of saluation For if the kinges and princes of the earthe yea the moste barbarous brute and cruell men of the earth dyd well knowe that men coulde not lyue wythoute lawes but were constrayned to make lawes and to submitte them selues knowing the same to bee verye necessarye for the conseruation of mankynde and common policie doe wee thincke that GOD the soueraigne kynge and prince of euerye creature who is himselfe the lawe to all would leaue men withoute a lawe and hys people withoute geuyng them an order howe to lyue Hee that hath geuen a lawe to all hys other creatures woulde hee leaue man which is the chiefe of his workes among all the visible creatures and he whom he hath appoynted prince and ruler ouer them to be without lawe and direction D. Who can thinke the contrarye if he be not more beastlye then the very beastes T. Wherfore for my part I do conclude that this same whereof we haue spoken is the true lawe and doctrine of God and that there is none other but that all others must be gouerned by thys onely lawe and to reiecte all such as are not agreing with thys ¶ Of the moste deuely she peruersitie of the Epicurians and hovve they doe agree vvith the doctrine of Mahomet vvho is of opinion that all men shall bee saued in theyr ovvne lavve D. THou doest conclude very wel but the Epicurians of whom we speake will not so easely agree to our sayinges For it is harde to satisfye such as do delyte to mocke God and to make warres agaynst hym and to perswade in matters of religion such as desire to liue without religigion And in deede such swyne are not worthye to be disputed with in such a matter for so muche as in the same they declare them selues to be more beastly then the brute beastes and that they denie the foundation which the deuills them selues are compelled to confesse for they doubte not at all but that there is one God and one Lord Iesus Christ whoÌ„ they feare and stand in awe of And euen as those reasons which we haue alreadye alledged are sufficient for all such as feare God and are tractable and not contentions euen so are they sufficient to ouerthrowe and treade downe the errour of them that do affyrme that euery man shall be saued in hys owne lawe thys proposition shoulde be true if Iames. ii Met. 8 Mark v euery man dyd embrace the lawe of God this poynte is an article of the lawe of Mahomet because that he doth imagine that God hath geuen diuerse lawes vnto men in diuerse tymes and in diuerse places according to the diuersitie of the people and nations wherefore he doth conclude that euery nation shall bee saued in obseruyng that lawe and forme of religion that he hath receaued of God In the which although he do moste filthilye erre yet notwithstanding he hath more reason then these men of whom we speake whiche accepte for a lawe and religion all that euer any of them doth inuent and imagine of his own braynes ¶ Of mans traditions and of the rule vvhich is set before vs in the holy Scriptures of all religion and doctrine T. THey thinke also because they haue receaued these thinges of their fathers that the same which they followe is the lawe and religion which God hath ordeyned D. Yea but there are of them that doe well knowe the contrary and are well assured that they embrace many things which are inuented by men wherfore if they will attribute so great worthines to the traditions of men as to that law and doctrine which God himselfe hath geuen and reueled by his Patriarches Prophets and Apostles and chiefly by Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lord we shal neuer haue ende of geuing lawes nor shall we haue any thing whereunto we may assuredly trust There shal bee no difference betwene God and man betwene the maister and the seruaunt for euery man shall be a lawe maker And Sathan may continually by this meanes spread abroad what doctrine so euer shall please him and vouch it to be the doctrine of God And then in vayne hath God geuen hys lawe and word by his Patriarches Prophets and Apostles and especiallye by his owne sonne Iesus Christ In vayne should he haue forbidden to adde anye thing to it or to diminishe it Exod. 20 Heb. 1. Gal iii. Acte vii Deut 4 1â— Pâ—oâ—â— xxx or ells to receaue anye other doctrine no although it were brought in dede by the Aungels of heauen Wherefore if he will that we geue suche honour vnto that woorde which hath ben once reuealed by the Patriarches Prophets and Apostles and by Iesus Christe our onely Lorde that the verye doctrince of the Aungells shall bee examined by thys rule doe we then thinke that he will geue more power to man ouer hys worde then to Aungells To what ende doe all the admonitions serue whiche are geuen vs for to beware Deut. xiii Mat. 7. Actes xx Roma xvi i. Iohn iiii of false Prophets to shonne those that ar heretiques and to proue the
For if they were desirous to hear vnderstand the truth to bring into the rightway those which they hold for heretikes Scismatikes why do they not there admit thē and franckly safely receiue them to heare their reasons to shewe thē by the word of God if their cause haue good foūdation in the same their errors wherin they say that they are But they passe not for that for they wil not heare their iudges nor endure that the word of God shal iudge thē knowyng well that by it they are already condempned but will be iudges ouer it and condēpne it as their aduersary Truly their doings must nedes be good their conclusions good their condemnatiōs lawfull In so much as they are both iudges parties witnesses euen as their predecessors were against Iesus Christ they haue their hangemē executioners ready at hād to execute their sētences What differēce is there betwene such a Coūcell a conspiracie of theeues whiche sweare together to take in hand some enterprise to cut mens throtes What authoritie ought such a Coūcell to be of What prophets are there what doctors what Christiā princes how may then al christēdō lawfully receiue for resoluciō determinatiō of the christiā doctrine for a true reformatiō of the church the cōclusiō y◠shal be had in such a cōspiracie of the enemies of God of al Christianitie There is no man of sound iudgement that will agree to this for it is in a maner such a cōspiracie as was that which Salomon discribeth of those which said Let vs lay ambushes to shed blud and let vs lye in waite for that innocent without cause It is a cōspiracie like vnto that of the false Priests false Prophets Prou. i Iere. xviii enemies of Ieremie which sayd let vs go let vs woūde and smite with the toung for the Sacrificers shall neuer want wisedom It is much like to y◠which the Papistes say The Coūcels cā not erre And if it be lawfull to cōstrayne mē by force that feare God which great strokes of swordes by warres murders sheding of bloud with great store of fagotes mighty fiers as these worthy fathers do I leaue to thy iudgemēt what edificatiō what peace vnion such a Coūcell may bryng to the church of Iesus Christ to al christēdom ¶ VVhat Councell the true Christians ought to folovve in wayting for the generall Councell T. WHat shall we then do if this hope be taken from vs D. Though we haue no occasiō at al to cōceiue any good hope of the Coūcell of Trēt yet will I not therfore say that al hope is taken frō vs foreuer but I will onely say that we liuing in this hope should be occasioned to stay without any further inquiring of the wil of God without the assuring of our consciences in his worde And whē such matter hath bene in question I haue alwayes bene thus resolued in my selfe Either there shal be a Coūcel holdē or els there shal be none holdē Ff ther non holdē I am thē deceiued in my waityng for it if there shal be one holdē I know not whether I shall liue vnto that time or no or at the least to see the end conclusiō therof And in the mean time if I dye not being wel resolued in my cōscience of religion I shall dye in great disquetnes of conscience and in great perill of my saluation as thou mayest wel vnderstand by those matters whiche haue already ben debated sufficiently and at large betwene vs. Wherefore I had rather in the meane tyme to assure my selfe folowyng the admonition of our Lord Iesus Christ whiche sayth Be vpon your garde watche and praye and Mat. 24. 25. Luke 12. do like that good seruaunt that is alwayes ready looketh for hys master not knowyng what houre he shal come We are well assured that he shall come but we neither knowe the day ne yet the houre Wherefore let vs lyue alwaye in such estate as becommeth Christians to be when he shall come and then shall we neuer be sodenly taken ¶ Of those vvhiche vvould agree the doctrine of Iesus Christ and that of Antichrist together and of the forme of doctrine compounded to such an ende called Interum and of the vanitie of the authors of the same T. IN dede it is the most sure but in the meane tyme it is a harde matter to finde any kynde of Religion wherein a man may so well continue in wayting for the generall Councell as that whiche men call at this day the Interim D. Thou hast now put vs into a very large fielde I would gladly that these foregers of Interim should declare vnto me the very cause why they do call thys newe forme of Religion whiche they haue forged by the name of Interim T. Thou doest well vnderstand y◠Interim signifieth in the Latin toung in the meane tyme or whilest D. I do know that very wel yet notwithstanding I would gladly know what they meane by this worde in the meane time or whylest T. They meane as I thinke y◠that maner of lyfe hath ben set forth onely to that end that men should lyue according to the same in matter of Religion whilest they away◠for a Councell in the which more ample and more certaine determination in matter of Religion or els an other reformation more perfect shal be had D. Is not that a very wise Councell I would desire no more but the title of this worthy maner of reformation to declare the great vanitie of the authors of the same For either it is builded vpon the word of God or els it is agaynste it If it bee agreable to Gods worde there nedeth not eyther whylest or vntill for it shal be alwayes good and holy Yf it be agaynst it and if it endure but one hour it shal cōtinew ouer long for so much as what so euer thynge it be that is agaynste God the same ought to haue no place neither for shorte nor longe tyme. For it fareth not with gods kingdom as it doth with worldly kingdomes neither with Gods lawes ouer the whiche we haue no power as it doth with mans lawes For when a king is dead there is a certayne time betwene the decease of the dead kyng and the creation of the new kyng which is called enter raigne whiche is a tyme betwene both whiche is properly called neither raigne nor kingdome for so much as there is as yet no kyng chosen as head of the same and mē can not say that there is vtterly no raigne or kingdom for so much as the lawes and countrey stande in their full power and effecte sauyng onely that they haue not as yet their kyng appointed chosen And the like is when a cheife Magistrate dyeth in a Seigmorie Nowe this can haue no place in the kyngdome of God for the king thereof neuer dyeth Wherfore as he
they do not let by all meanes possible to procure them to persecute that doctrine whiche they oughte chiefely to aduaunce and mayntayne D. It is not greatly to be maruelled at for suche men often tymes deale with princes as doth the fowler with the byrdes that he setteth for hys stale For they establishe such Religion as pleaseth them and semeth vnto them best for theyr purpose to noryshe and mayntayne theyr ambition and theyr bellyes And bycause they want power to authorise their lawes and ordinaunces whereby to mayntayne their abuse they abuse the power and authoritie of the princes in that behalfe trayning them by their wicked and lend councell to do whatsoeuer pleaseth them And as these men do often tymes abuse the ignoraunces and negligences of princes euen so on the other part princes oftentimes abuse the malitious mindes of such men to serue their ambition tyrannics and wicked enterprises Wherfore they do more esteme them beyng such then if they were more honest for they could not endure them if they were honest and would giue them faythfull councell both for the honour of God and the health both of theyr owne soules and of theyr subiectes also bycause they haue a desire to obey God and to set his people in Christian libertie to serue hym nor yet to reforme the Churche according to his worde but rather to peruert the true religion and to make it serue to their purpose euen as Ieroboam did They had rather to haue such Prophetes Priestes as had Ieroboam Achab Iesabell and such as were the Magitiens of Pharao the more clenly therby to resist gods truth theÌ„ to haue the true seruants of God that folow the trace of the true Prophetes Apostles And for so much as both they their people desire such do well deserue to haue such God doth send them euen such as they wish for but it is in his wrath as he threatneth by hys Prophets to the end they may haue the more mete matter dayly to harden theyr hartes more more and more spedyly Esay 3. 29. Ose 5. 7. to hasten theyr destruction ¶ Of the Iudgement of the Christian doctrine and of those by vvhom it must be reported of the princes duety in that behalfe and of the faulte of those that in the same despise the Councell of the seruauntes of God T. I Do feare also that ther be many that trust to much in matters of Religion to those that falsely name themselues to be of the Churche as Prelates and Pastours of the Churche and that it fareth with theÌ„ eueÌ„ as it doth with those that commit wholly their soules and coÌ„sciences into the hands of their Curates and Prelats D. It is certain that in all states there are some that thincke of religion as they do of some scieÌ„ce or handy craft Wherfore when there happeneth any controuersie they think that the knowlege therof doth in no wise appartaine to theÌ„ but that it is ynough for theÌ„ to committe the decidyng of the matter into the handes of the masters of the occupation and theÌ„ to giue their senteÌ„ce accordyng to the reporte that those men shal make and to esteme done and concluded what soeuer they conclude T. It semeth to me that their opinioÌ„ is not very euill For who can better iudge of an art or occupation then the masters therof Wer it not a great presumptioÌ„ for any man to take vpon him to iudge of that whiche he neither vnderstandeth nor knoweth D. This that thou sayest is not all together voyde of apparance but here must we take good hede that no man be deceiued for syth that here is the question whether that men of occupation shall iudge of thinges appertaining to their occupation thou must theÌ„ vnderstand that â—p man can truly iudge of the Christian doctrine but such as are true Christians for no man can vnderstand the heauenly language and the language of God but onely the children of God and those that are heauenly and not earthly Wherfore I do more esteme the iudgement of a simple laborer being one of the elect of god and regenerate by his holy spirite then that of all the Popes Byshops Priestes Philosophers and Doctours whiche shal be infidels or hipocrites for such are not of the occupatioÌ„ wherof we speake And as touching that whiche thou sayest that I do not alowe the councell or acte of a prince if he take in hand to do any thyng of his owne head in matter of Religion without askyng at the mouth of the Lord and takyng aduise couÌ„cell of him by the helpe of those vnto whom he hath gyuen speciall charge to open and make manifeste his will vnto men and to declare his lawe vnto them And for this cause he hath don this honor to his Prophets and true Ministers of his Churche to call them his mouth promising that he will put hie word into their mouth And when the princes or people haue taken in hand any thynge that hath appertained to the honor of God and to their health without enquiring of the Lordes will at the handes of his Prophetes he hath rebuked them bycause they dyd not aske at hys Esay 1. 30. Ose 1. mouth that they haue weaued their cloth but not by his spirite he speaketh to the same purpose by Malachie The lyps of the Prieste do kepe knowledge men shall enquire of Malâ— i. the law at his mouth for he is the aungel and messenger of the Lord of hostes ¶ Of the causes vvhy the princes should enquire of the vvill of God at the mouth of his Ministers and of the giftes of God vvith the vvhiche he endueth his Ministers T. IT semeth vnto me that it is very commendable in a prince chiefly when there is question of the reformatioÌ„ of the Church to enquire in that behalfe of the will of God at the hands of those that are appointed by God to declare the same vnto hym D. The thyng is not onely honest but so necessarie as nothing is more necessarie For albeit the prince be of the wisest of his Realme yet notwithstanding he can not knowe all thyngs but may oftentymes deceaue him selfe euen in his owne deuises Wherefore if he will at any tyme vse the counsell of his counsellers in matters of lesse importauÌ„ce or at the least he is not thought to be wise if that he do contemne it howe much is it more requisite to do it in a matter of so great weight whiche toucheth the honor of God and the health or damnation of euery man and not onely of the person of the prince but also of all hys subiectes T. Suche a matter is well worthy to be considered D. Of the other side it is very lyke that a good Pastour whiche maketh speciall profession of the study of the holy Scriptures and hath commission from God to expouÌ„d them to others is more exercised then others whiche are lesse occupyed in
and when wee shall eyther take in oure handes the booke of the holye Scriptures thereby to vnderstand of the wyll of GOD or elles that we come together in the Church to heare hys voyce by the holy Ministery of hys worde or els to communicate and be partakers of hys holy sacraments and of the prayers which are there made we oughte to goe with no lesse reuerence ne yet to prepare oure selues in none other sorte then yf we shoulde heare Actes ii God wyth hys owne mouthe speake out of the cloude and out of the greate smoke whiche was in the Mounte of Synay and that we dyd heare the greate thunders and the lyghtninges that were then sene For euen the same God whiche then dyd there speake is euen he that speaketh at thys present daye in hys Churche and shall iudge vs accordyng to that lawe whiche he hathe published there And albeit that he speaketh vnto vs nowe more familiarly and more louynglye then he then dyd yet notwythstandyng let vs not thyncke that he is of lesse power and force then he then was But in that that he vseth such gentlenes and benignitie towarde vs the punishment shall be so muche the greater vppon vs yf we doo abuse the same Yf we wyll vnderstande howe wee oughte to guide and gouerne oure selues wee muste cleane to the resolution of thys Councell and to the decrees and ordinaunces whyche we haue receyued ¶ Of the Councell that vvas holden in the Mounte Syon and of the conference of the same vvyth that vvhyche vvas holden in the Mounte Synay and of Moyses and of Iesus Christe and of the Ministery of the lavve and of the Gospell T. THys is a goodlye Councell and of greate authoritie but thou saydst that there was yet an other in the lande of Chanaan and of Iudea and in especiall in the Mounte of Syon by the verye Sonne of GOD. I woulde bee verye gladde that thou wouldest declare vnto mee also what that was D. That Councell dothe euen so muche excell the other as Iesus Christ Heâ— iii dothe excell Moyses and the Master of the house the seruaunte For thoughe that GOD hym selfe dyd speake in proper person in bothe yet notwithstandyng he hathe shewed hym selfe this seconde tyme in a sorte muche more authentique and more excellent more amiable and agreable to the weakenesse of mans nature then euer he dyd synce the beginnyng of the worlde For when he shewed himselfe in the mounte Synay the people dyd not see his Deut. 4. Exod. xiâ— Hebr. ii face nor shape nor dyd see or heare anye thing but suche as were horrible and fearefull It was not lawfull for them to doo so muche as to come to the mountaine or to touche the vttermoste parte thereof wyth out daunger of deathe and to bee stoned or striken thorowe wyth arrowes were it man or beaste Therefore the people beynge greatlye amased and afrayde desired Moyses to be Exod. xx Eeu xxviii as a meane betwene GOD and them and to declare vnto them hys wyll and pleasure as hys Embassadour to that ende that they moughte heare no more that voyce of GOD so horrible and fearefull for they thought that they coulde not heare it agayne but that they shoulde all dye and dyd muche maruell that euer they coulde heare it with oute deathe Wherefore GOD knowyng the weakenesse of hys people dyd promise them to sende them a Prophet euen oute of the middest of their brethern lyke vnto Moyses into whose mouthe he woulde put his worde and by Deut. xviii the same he woulde cause them to heare his voyce This Prophete accordyng to the testimonye of Sainâ—t Peter is Iesus Christe oure Lorde of whome the Father hymselfe dyd saye This is my welbeloued sonne in whome I Actes iii. Math. 3. 1â— haue set my whole delighte heare hym And for that cause the Apostle saythe writyng to the Hebrewes that God hath Heb. i in tyme passed oftentymes and in sundrye sortes spoken to our Fathers by the Prophetes but in these latter dayes he hath spoken to vs by hys own Sonne and making comparison of thys manifestation whiche was made by oure Sauioure Iesus Christe wyth that of the mounte of Synay Truely sayth he you are not come to the mountayn whiche moughte bee touched nor to burnyng fyre nor yet Heb. xiâ— to darkenesse and myste and vnto tempest neyther vnto the sounde of a trompette and to the voyce of wordes the whiche those whiche dyd heare it refused that the communication should be addressed to theÌ„ any more for they could not endure that which was commaunded If a beast touch the mountayne he shall bee stoned or elles stricken thorow wyth a darte And so terrible was the sighte that appeared that Moyses sayde I feare and quake but you are come to the mounte Syon and to the Citie of the lyuyng God the heauenly Ierusalem and to the companye of manye thousandes of Aungels and to the congregation of the firste borne which are written in the heauens and to God which is iudge of all and to the spirites of iust and perfecte men and to Iesus Christ the mediatoure of the newe TestameÌ„t and to the sprinckled bloude of whiche declareth better things then the bloud of Abell See that you despyse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not whiche despysed hym that spake on earth much lesse shall we escape yf we turne away from hym that speaketh from heauen whose voyce then shooke the earth T. It semeth to me that these wordes conteyne a goodly conference of the Ministery of the lawe and of the Gospell and I haue a great desyre to heare it ¶ Of the manifestation of God in Christ D. THen where as the people saw nothing at that tyme but fyre and smoke and greate darcknes whiche letted them from seyng both the Sunne and the Moone Deut. 4. also the heauens God hath shewed himselfe to vs in Iesus Christe his sonne in mans shape in our owne fleshe For it is he that is the very Image of God and that very forme of hys substance the bryghtnes of hys glory It is he that is the true Iohn i â— Tim. iii Seb. i. Mal. iiii Iohn viii Sonne of Iustice and the onely lyghte of the worlde by whome all mystes and darckenesses are chased away euen those whiche let vs to see GOD. And where as then the people durste not come to the foote of the Mountayne howe perfecte and howe well prepared so euer they were to receyue the Lorde wee haue nowe accesse euen to the verye throne of hys Maiestye by Iesus Christ our Lord through whome it is geuen vs not onely to come vnto hym but also Heb. iiii to touche embrace hym for the sanctification which i. Cor. 6 Dan. ix wee haue receyued of hym that is the holye of holye ones is in deede of other vertue and efficacye then was that of Moyses towardes the Israelites In the
is eternal so are his lawes eternal and the order of lyfe whiche he hath gyuen to his subiectes T. For so much as it is so there needeth then nother other raygne nor other lawe nor yet Interim as these men woulde haue ¶ For vvhat cause and reason the doctrine of the Interim can not be reâ—eiued neither into the Churche of Christ ne yet into the Popes Churche D. THerefore let vs leaue of this Interim whiche doth so much confounde it selfe as euer did any thyng for it is made by such vnderstaÌ„dyng and iudgement that no maÌ„ may by reason approue it for so much as in euery respect it is but a very Papistrie somewhat disguised published and couered with a maske being finally different from the first And therfore no maÌ„ may folowe the doctrine therof vnlesse that he renounce the doctrine of Iesus Christe and make a new aliance with that of Antechrist T. Yea and it was not framed but to the end it myght by litle litle plucke backe from the Gospell suche as had already professed it and to bryng theÌ„ wholly in the end to Papistrie agayn D. In dede it is accepted of none but of such meÌ„ for the papistes wil none of it that not without cause for if they should receyue it they should condempne themselues for so much as the Interim doth permit things which they do vtterly condempne Wherfore as sone as they shal haue receiued allowed it their traditioÌ„s are cleane gone for they haue embraced this fouÌ„dation to build their kingdoÌ„ vpoÌ„ that their Church can not erre because it is alway gouerned by the holy gost Wherfore if it should once by theÌ„ be admitted which they haue coÌ„deÌ„ned behold al their doctrine scattred spilled coÌ„sequeÌ„tly their kingdoÌ„ ouerthroweÌ„ Afterward it wyl fare with theÌ„ as it doth which a piece of work made of wollen threde without any seame which being once brokeÌ„ in any place that there be one threde plucked out of it al the rest follow after in order easily For if that they once do that theÌ„ must they nedes coÌ„fesse the either their Churche hath not bene gouerned by the holye Ghost or els that they haue an holy Ghoste that maye erre Wherfore to auoide this inconueniencie they wyll leaue no kinde of thyng which they haue inueÌ„ted they wyll neuer acknowledge their faultes what or howe many soeuer they be notwithstaÌ„ding that they know theÌ„ apparantly that they be enforced to condeÌ„pn them in their own coÌ„science that they be so foule that the very beastes may iudge of them T. I haue often times meruailed at that which thou now sayest but now I do well see what it is that letteth them ¶ Of such Christians as be Nevvters and indifferent vvhiche folovv the doctrine of the Interim and of the mixture of the true false doctrine hovv much it displeaseth god D. FOr so much as it is so we haue no iuste occasion to dwel at al vpon these Interimists ne yet vpon their Interim which is a name whervnto meÌ„ may ioyn whatsoeuer they will It is a beast that hath a verye stronge and a mighty back which wyl beare what soeuer men wil lay on him It is a name made of an aduerbe whiche doth very wel agree with the GraÌ„mer of those Gramarianes whiche haue forged it For euen as their GraÌ„mer I meane theyr diuinitie is straunge and different from all other doctrines and especially froÌ„ the true diuinitie of the sacred Scriptures euen so hys language is very newe and straunge and hathe hys rules vtterly different The Greeke and Latine Gramer haue the Masculine Feminine and Newtre Gender the Hebrewe hath but the twoo firste and wanteth the Newter And contrarilye the Interim hathe neither Masculine nor Feminine for he is neither Masle nor Femasle but is Newtre or at the leaste compounded of Masle and Femasle and so muste needes by common and must nedes be Masle and Femasle both together or els he can be neyther the one ne yet the other T. Then shal he bee a Monster D. Yea in deede verye monstrous and so contrary to the woorde of God as nothynge more for hys Grammer is lyke to the Hebrewe Grammer It aloweth no Newter Deut. â—â—â— Gender and hardlye doth it any common It doth not permitte to couple the Oxe and the Asse together in the plowe no more doth it permit to sowe a fielde with sondry kindes of grayne ne yet to make a cloth of sondry stuffes and substaunces It condemneth also the confusion of seede of nature in beasts and other lyuyng creatures holdeth those beastes for vncleane that are engendred by beastes of sondry kindes as are Muletes and Mules and such other like In the whiche it is playne that the Lorde hath had a further regarde then to those thynges when he gaue suche laws that he would admonish his people by those same to obserue good order in al thyngs to eschewe auoide all confusion and disorder Then if the mixture and confusion of sondrye thynges doo displease hym it muste needes then displease him more when that the greater parte is the worste as it is in the Interim For there is very litle pure doctrine in it and that whiche is is so darckned and corrupted that nothyng is more Wherefore this common kynde by whiche he wil be as a meane betwene the doctrine of Iesus Christ and yâ— of Antichrist doth right wel be seeme hym For common in the Scripture is as much to say as polluted and defiled as witnesseth Saint Marcke in his 7. chap. and Saint Peter in the Actes of the Apostles the. 10. chapi And in our language a common woman is a whore This Interim in like maner maketh vs common Christians and Newters like vnto the Samaritanes For euen as the Samaritanes were properly neither Iewes ne Paganes but were made of them both euen so are these men properly neither Euangelique Christians ne yet Papistes but a certayne confusion and mingle mangle of both together T. Albeit that the doctrine of this Interim be not in all respectes so pure and perfect as we would haue it is it not yet better to haue it so then to haue it more corrupted and to be such as is the doctrine of the Papistes D. In dede in one thinge it is to be preferred before the Popish doctrine wherof thou speakest which is that the poison that therin is is more hidden Wherfore it is the more daungerous and the more to be feared and reiected T. It is very true ¶ For vvhat cause the Interim hath taken his name of an aduerbe and hovve in sondry vvise he may be applied D. WE may iudge of al those doctrines Religions which are so confounded and mingled as of the lawe Religion of Mahomet for is it any thynge better then that of the Iewes and Paganes for that it hath many thinges taken out of the Christian Religion mixed with that that