I tell you Hilles Forestes Lakes Prisonnes and Whorlepooles seme more safe a great deale for in them the Prophetes eyther remayning of their own choyse or violently dryuen prophecyed wyth the spyrite of God Gregory euen as though he had seene and perceyued aforehand the ruine of things writing vnto Iohn the Byshopp of Constantinople who first of all men toke vpon hym to be called by a name that neuer was hearde of before the vniuersall Byshop of the whole Church of Christ said thus If y e Church shall depēde vpon one man the whole shall fall to grounde And who is it that hath not seene this thing done longe agoe It is now long agoe that the Bysshop of Rome hath brought to passe that the whole Church shoulde depend vpon him alone wherefore it is no maruaile if the same now longe agoe be wholy fallen to grounde Bernarde y e Abbot writing foure hundred yeares past There is nothing saith he pure and soūde in y e Clergy onely there remaineth that the man of sinne shoulde be discouered vnto the worlde The same man vpon S. Paules Conuersion It semeth saith he that persecution is now cessed no rather nowe beginneth persecution euen at their handes which beare chiefe rule in the Church Thy frendes thy neighbours hath drawen neere and stande vp against thee From the sole of the foote vnto the crowne of the head there is no soundnes at all Iniquitie hath issued out from the Elders Iudges thy vicares which seeme to gouerne thy people We can not now say As the people are so is the priest for the people are not in y e state as y e priest is Out alas O Lord God thei be in persecuting of thee the Cheefe that seme to loue y e cheefe preheminence in thy Church and to beare the cheefe rule The same vpon the song of Salomon All frendes are becomme all enemies al familiars all aduersaries the seruants of Christe serue Antichrist Beholde in my peace is my moste bitter bitternesse Roger Bacon a man of great fame after that w t a sharpe oration he had reproued the miserable state of his time These heapes of errors saith he do seeke after Antichrist Gerson complaineth that in his time al the fruite exercise of the sacred study of Diuinity was brought to an ambitious contention of wittes and to a mere Sophistrye The Friers of Lions which as touching the maner of their liuing were no euill men were wont boldly to affirme y t the Church of Rome from which onely at y t time the certen resolution of al doubtful matters were fetched was that same whore of Babylō wherof in the Reuelation of Iohn there be so many euident prophecies and the assemble of helhoundes I know well ynough that they make light of these mennes aucthorite but what if I bring them for witnesses whome they are wonte to haue in great honour What if I saye that Adrian the Bysshop of Rome hath francklye confessed that all these euilles beganne to fall hedlonge from the toppe of the Papall dignitie Pighius dothe confesse that in this point they haue erred bicause that in to the Masse which for all other respectes he woulde haue to be accounted holye many abuses are brought in Gerson also bicause y t through the multitude of trifling Ceremonies the whole vertue of the holy Ghoste which ought to be stronge in vs and true deuotiō is altogether quenched Al Grece and Asia lykewise bycause the Popes of Rome wyth the marchandise of theyr Purgatory and pardonnes both haue oppressed mennes consciences and robbed their purses Touching the tirannie of the Byshoppes of Rome and intollerable pryde to passe ouer such as they bycause they haue freely franckly reproued their vices account paraduenture as enemies euē thei which leade their life at Rome in the holy Citie vnder the nose of the most holy father and might se al his secrets neuer forsoke the Catholike Faith as Laurens Ualla Marril of Padoa Francis Petrarche Hieronymus Sauanorola Iochym Abbot Baptist of Mantua before thē al Bernarde the Abbot Al these I say haue greatly and often complained In so much that sometimes they declared the Pope himselfe to be Antichrist whether they spake truely or falsly we leaue it vnto others but doubtles they spake it plainely Neither is there any cause that any man should obiect that they were y e dysciples of Martin Luther or of Zuinglius For they were not onely manye yeares but also dyuers ages before these mennes names were hearde of Yea they did see also euen at that time that errours were crept into the Church and wished for y e amendment of them And what meruaile I pray you if the Church were lead away with errors specially in those dayes what tyme neither the Bishopp of Rome who had the whole rule in his owne handes nor any other mā in māner either did hys duty or did at al vnderstād what hys duety was For it is not easye to bee beleued that the Deuill whilest they were ydle and slept that in all y t tyme was alwaies either a sleepe or ydle For howe they in the meane time demeaned thēselues and with what vprightnesse they gouerned the house of God though wee say nothing let them be content at the least to heare Bernarde a man of theirs The Byshops sayth he vnto whome the Church is cōmitted at this daye ar not doctors but deceauers ar not shepeheardes but shepeweriers ar not Prelates but Pilates Thus sayd Bernard of the byshoppe that called him selfe the chiefe byshop and of the byshoppes whiche at that time helde the sterne He was no Lutherane he was no heretike he forsoke not the Church yet was he not afrayde to cal the byshops that liued in those dayes seducers deceauers and Pylates Now thē what time the people was opēly seduced and the eyes of Christian men manifestly deceaued and when Pylate sittyng in court of Iudgemēt adiugged Christ and his membres to sworde fier in what case o Lord was the Church in those dayes But of so many and so grosse errors what error haue these menne purged at any time Or what error at the leaste would these mē euer acknowledge or confesse But for asmuche as these men doe affirme that they doe stande in full possession of the catholike Churche and call vs bicause we doe dissent frō them heretikes marke I praye you what note or token this Churche hath of the Churche of God Neither is it so harde a matter in case thou wilt earnestly and diligently seeke it to finde out the Churche of God For it standeth vpō an highe and a stately place euen on the toppe of a hill that is to say it is buylded vpon the foundation of the Prophets the Apostels There sayth S. Augustine let vs seeke the Church there let vs trie oure cause and as he saythe in an other place The Churche ought to be tried
time For we haue ouerthrowne no kyngdome we haue deminished no mans rule or right of possessiō we haue disordered no cōmon welth They remayne yet in their place and in their auncient dignitie The kynges of our country of England of Scotlande of Denmarke of Suetia the Dukes of Saxonie the Erles of Palse the Marqueses of Brandeburgh the Lantgraues of Hess the common weales of the Heluetians and of the Grysonnes the free cities Strausborough Basile Francforde Ulme Anguste Norinberge all these I say remayne in the same right in the same state wherein they were before or rather by rayson that for the gospels sake they haue the people more obediēt in a much better estate Let them goe hardely into those places whereas nowe through the goodnes of God the gospell is hearde where is more Maiestie where is lesse ostentatiō and tiranny where is the prince more honored where doth the people lesse ryse into vprores and tumultes where was there euer anye common weale where any Churche more calme and quiet But you will say that at the beginning of this doctrine the husbande men of the country beganne to rage to make vprores in Germany Admit it were so But Martine Luther y e setter forthe of this doctrine wrote vehemently and sharply many thinges agaynst them and brought them againe to peace to dewe obediens Now as to that that is wonte to be sometimes obiected of men not well acquaynted with matters of the world touchyng the alteratiō of the state of Suycherlande and the killynge of Leopolde duke of Austria and restorynge of theyr countrye into libertie all this was done as it is euident ynoughe by all the Histories towe hondred and threscore yeres past vnder pope Boniface the eight at what tyme the Popes authoritie dyd chiefly florishe the whiche was aboute towe hūdred yeres before Hulderichus Zuinglius either begāne to teache the gospel or yet was borne From that time hetherto they haue euer kepte all thinges in reste and peace not only frō outward enemies but also frō ciuile warres and vprores at home But admit it were an offence to deliuer their coūtrie from the rule of straungers specially when they were arrogantly and tirannously ouerpressed yet were it agaynst all right and rayson eyther to burden vs with faultes that appertayne nothing vnto vs or thē with the offences of theyr forefathers But o merciful God will the Bysshop of Rome accuse vs of trayson wil he teache y e people to be obediēt subiect vnto magistrates or hath he any regarde to magistrates at al why thē doth he at this day y e which thyng none of the aūcient bysshops of Rome euer did suffer himself euē as though he would haue at Kinges and Princes whosoeuer or where so euer thei be to become his seruātes of his parasites and hierlinges to be called lord of lordes why doth he auaunt himselfe to be king of kinges and that he hath ouer them as his subiectes a kinges authoritie Why dothe he compell all Emperours and princes to promise by their othe true obedience vnto him why doth he boaste that the imperiall maiestie is a thousandfolde inferior to his estate grounding him self chiefly vpon this rayson that God made twoe lightes in Heauen and bicause heauen and earth were not in twoe beginninges but in one wherfore hath he and all of his marke like to the Anabaptistes and Libertines to the intent they might the more losely and safely range in al mischief shakē of the yoke of obedience and exempted themselues from vnder all ciuil authoritie wherefore hath he his legates that is to saye most crafty spies to lie as it were in a waite in the courtes in the councels in the chambers of all kinges Wherefore dothe he when it liketh him set christian princes together by the eares and to serue his owne luste turmoileth the whole wolrd with seditiōs why dothe he excommunicate and commaunde him to be takē for an Heathen mā and a Pagane if any Christian Prince doe refuse to obeye him and moreouer promiseth so liberalli his Purgatory pardones to any man that by any meanes dothe kill his enemie Doth he I pray you mainteine Empires and Kingdomes or hath he any desire at al that common weales shold be at reste and quiet Thou must pardon vs good reader if we shal seeme to vtter these thinges with more vehemencie and bitternes then should become diuines For the matter of it self is so shamefull and the desire of dominion is so great and outrageth so farre in the Pope that with other wordes it can not be vttered or after any more quiet maner For he was not afrayd to say in open Councell that the whole poure of all kinges depēded altogether vpō him He through ambition and desire of dominion hath plucked the Romane Empire in sondre and hath tossed and torne into peces al christendome he trayterously discharged the Romanes and the Italiās and also himself of that othe wherby he ought his allegiāce to the Emperour that remained in Grece and prouoked the subiectes vnto rebellion and called Charles Martel out of Frāce into Italy beginning a newe forme of regimēt made him Emperour He did caste out Chilperiche kyng of Fraunce beyng no euill prince from his kingedome onely bicause he liked hym not and made Pipine king in his place He decreed and iudged the kyngedome of Fraunce vnto Alberte the kynge of Romanes And that Philip should be caste out if his powre mighte haue serued hym thereto He brake the force of the moste florisshynge citie and common welth of Florence his owne coūtry and out of a free and quiet state he deliuered it vppe to be ruled after the luste of one mā He through his setting on brought to passe that all Sauoy on the one side by the Emperour Charles the fyft by Fraunces the Frenche king on the other was miserably torne in peeces so that the poore Duke had seātli one citie left him to repaire vnto I am weary of examples and it would be ouer tedious to reherse all the notable deedes of the Popes of Rome Of what religiō I pray you were thei that poisonned Henry the Emperour in the consecrated breade that poysonned Pope Uictor in the holy Chalyce that poysonned Ihon our king here in Englande in a drinking cuppe Sure I am who soeuer thei were and of what secte so euer thei were thei were nother Lutherans nor Zuinglians Who is it that is content at this daie to lette the greatest Kynges and Monarches of the worlde to come and kisse his blessed fete Who is he that commaundeth the Emperour to holde his horse by the bridel and the French kinge to holde his stirrope when he goeth to horsebak Who was he that toke Fraunces Dandalo Duke of Uenice kynge of Candy and of Cypres bounde him in chaines and threwe him vnder his table there to gnaw bones amongst the dogges Who
of truth from the whiche the holy scriptures receaue their authoritie The doctrine sayth he of the Churche of Rome is the vnfallible rule of fayth from the whiche the holy Scriptures fetcheth her strength And pardonnes sayeth he ar not come to our knowlege by the authoritie of the scriptures but thei ar knowne vnto vs by the authoritie of the Churche of Rome and of the Romane Popes the whiche is a greater authoritie Pighius also is not afrayde to saye that we ought not to beleue any texte of the scripture be it neuer so playne vnlesse we haue our warrant from the Churche of Rome Muche like as if any of these that can not speake good and pure Latine and yet can bable somwhat after the māner of Scholemens Latine very roundly and redily woulde needes maynteyne that all other mē also ought to speake such Latine now in these times as many yeres past Mammetrect or Catholicon did speake and suche as at this daye is vsed amongest themselues in their common scholes for so both that whiche is spoken maye be well inough vnderstanded and also mens mindes wel satisfied and that it were a mockery now after so longe cōtinuāce to trouble y e world with a new kinde of speach and to cal home againe the olde purenes and elegācy in speakyng whiche Cicero or Cesar vsed in their dayes Such is the duety forsoth that these men doe owe vnto the ignorance and darknes of the times paste Many thinges as a certaine man sayth ar ofte times in good estimatiō only bicause they had bene ones dedicated to the temples of Heathen Gods Euen so we see that these menne at this daye doe allowe many thinges and highly esteeme them not bicause they iudge them to be so much worthe but only bicause they haue bene receyued by coustume and dedicated after a certayne māner to the Churche of God But our Church saye they can not erre the whiche thing I suppose they speake much like as in time paste the Lacedemonians were wonte to say y t in the whole state of their common welth it was not possible to finde an aduouterer wheras in deede they were rather al aduouterers in asmuch as thei cupled thēself in vncertain mariages occupied their wifes together in cōmon Or as the Canonistes for their bealies sake ar wōte to speake nowe a dayes of the Pope That he in that he is lorde ouer all benefices although he doe sell for money Bysshoprickes Abbeys personages and suffereth nothing freely to departe from him neuerthelesse bicause he saythe that all is his thoe he would neuer so fayne he can not commit symonie But howe this argument should be good and how the wordes maye agree with reason we can not as yet surely perceiue except peraduenture like as the aūcient Romanes in time past dealt with Lady Victorie so these mē after that truth came fliyng vnto them they pulled of her winges that neuer after she should be able to flie from them But what if Ieremie say vnto them accordyng as we sayde before that these be the wordes of lies What if the same man saye agayne that euen they whiche ought to haue manured the vineyarde haue wasted and destroyed the Uineyarde of the Lorde What if Christ saye that they whiche chyeflye ought to haue bene carefull ouer the Temple of the Lordes temple haue made a denne of thieues But in case the Church of Rome can not erre then muste it needes be that the happynes thereof is greater then the wisedome of these menne For suche is their lyfe doctrine and diligence that the Churche maye full well for all them not onely erre but also perishe vtterly and come to nothyng Doubtles if that Churche maye erre whiche hath vtterly gone astraye from the worde of God from the commaundementes of Christe from the ordinances of the Apostles from the examples of the primitiue Church from the constitutions of the olde fathers and auncient Councels and from the verye decrees of theyr owne makynge and whiche will not be kepte in order with no lawes nother olde nor new nother of theyr owne nor of others nother of God nor of manne then is it moste certaine not onely that the Churche of Rome mighte erre but also that moste lewdely and shamefully it hath erred But you were ones saye they of our felowship but now you ar become Apostatas rūnegates haue separated your selfs frō vs. True it is y t we haue disseuered our selfs from thē and for that cause we bothe giue thankes to our moste mercyfull and mightie God and also on oure owne behalfes we doe moste hyghlye reioyce But we haue not departed at all from the primitiue Churche from the Apostles nor from Christe We can not denie but we were brought vp amongest them in darkenes and in the ignorance of God euen as Moyses was in the discipline and in the bosome of the Aegyptiās We were sayth Tertullian of your fellowshippe I cōfesse and no marueile for men ar made and not borne Christians But let these men tell me wherefore they ar come downe from these seuen hils wherupon afore time Rome did stande and haue chosen rather to dwel vpon the playne whiche is called the fielde of Mars They will say peraduēture bycause the conduytes of water that were in those hils without the whiche they could not wel liue ar now decayed dried vp Then lette them giue vs that same leaue touchyng the water of euerlastyng life whiche they will haue to be graunted vnto them in this case of material water Amongest thē this water fayled longe a goe the elders as Hieremy sayeth sent theyr yoūgelings to y e waters but they when thei could finde nothing brought home theyr empty vessels beyng in great miserie and vtterly loste for thirste The needy sayeth Esay and the poore sought after water but they founde none in no place theyr tongues were now euen dried for thyrst these mē had broken vp all their water courses and theyr conduytes these had choked all theyr springes and had filled with myre and durte the fountayne of the water of life And like as Caligula in time paste by closing vp of all mens barnes brought vpon the people a generall hunger and famine so these men in chokyng vp of all the foūtaynes of Gods worde haue brought the people into a miserable thyrste They brought as Amos the Prophete sayth hunger and thirst vpon men not a famine of bread not a thirste of water but of hearyng the worde of God The poore wretches wandered vp and downe sekyng after some litle sparke of that light of God wherwith they might chiere their consciences but it was cleane quenched out they coulde finde none at all Suche was the very state suche was the pytifull condition of the Church of God Moste miserably men liued therein without the gospell without lighte without all comforte Wherefore although our departyng be somewhat greuous vnto them yet ought
the Church of God wil not become wise but will abādon their dutie and harden their hartes agaynste God and his anoynted Christe and continew still in peruertyng the streyght wayes of the Lorde God will rayse vp the very stones and make litel babes eloquent that alwaies there may be some by whome the lies of these men maye be confuted For God is able not only without councels but also maugre the councels both to defende and to encrease his kyngdome There be saythe Salomō many deuises in mans hart but the councel of the Lorde abideth stable for there is no knowlege there is no wisedome there is no councell agaynste the Lorde Thinges sayth Hilary that ar buylded vp by mannes worke doe not endure The Churche of God muste be otherwise buylded and otherwise conserued For it is grounded vpon the foundation of the Apostls and Prophetes and ioynted together with one corner stone Iesus Christ. But S. Hierome of all other speaketh most plainely and most aptly for these times Whōsoeuer sayth he the Deuil hath deceiued and hath as it were with swete and impoysened enchauntment of the meremaydes entised to fall a slepe those the worde of God dothe awake and sayth Ryse thou that slepeste stande vp and Christe will giue the lighte Wherefore at the commyng of Christe and of Gods worde and of the doctrine of the Churche of the vtter ouerthrow of Niniue and of that moste beautifull harlot the people that before vnder sholemasters was rocked a slepe shall be raysed vp and with haste shal goe to the moūtaynes of the Scriptures there they shall finde mountaynes Moses Iesus the sonne of Naue mountaines the Prophetes mountaynes of the newe testamente the Apostles the Euangelistes And when they shall flee vnto suche mountaines and exercise themself in the readyng of these kinde of mountaynes yf they finde no manne to teache them for the haruest shall be greate and the workemen fewe neuerthelesse bothe the endeuour of the people bycause they flee vnto these kinde of mountaynes shall be allowed and the negligence of the scholemasters shal be cōtrolled These be the words of Hierome so playne that there needeth no interpreter so well applied to those thinges whiche we see now before our eyes that he semeth vnto vs to foreshewe as it were with the spirite of Prophecie and to entende to set before our eyes the whole state of our times and the fall of that moste sumptuously attiered harlot of Babylone and the reformatiō of the Church the blindenesse and loytering of the Byshoppes and the endeuour cherefulnesse of the people For who is so blinde that he seeth not these menne to be those sholemasters by whome the people as Hierome sayth hath bene ledde into error therein rocked a slepe or seeth not Niniue their Rome which sometime was counterfetly beautified w t most excellent colours nowe that her visar is taken away bothe to be better perceaued and lesse set by or the seeth hot howe godly menne beyng raysed vp as it were out of a deade slepe at the light of the gospel and at the sounde of Gods worde haue gone forthe without tariyng for y e assemblies of these kinde of doctors vnto the mountaynes of the Scriptures But at y e least some mā wil say these thinges ought not to be attempted without the Pope of Romes leaue for he only is y e buckle the bōd of Christiā felowship he only is that same Preest of the stoke of Leui which God did speake of in Deuteronomye that from him in matters of great difficultie men should fetche Councel and Iudgment of the truth and that if any man do not submit himselfe vnto his iudgment he should be slaine in the sight of his brethren he whatsoeuer he doth can not be iudged of any man Christe reigneth in heauen he vpon earth that he alone is able to do what soeuer Christ or God himself can do for he Christe haue but one consistory w tout him ther is no faithe no hope no Church that whosoeuer forsaketh him he casteth away abandoneth his own saluaciō These be y e flatteries of y e Canonists y e Popes belly seruāts wherin forsothe thei vse not ouer much sobrenes for scarsly could they ascribe moe thinges vnto Christ him self but sure I am that greater thinges they could not And to returne againe to our own doynges We truly haue not departed frō y e pope for any worldly pleasure or for profites sake And woulde God that he woulde so behaue himself that we had no neede to forsake him But suche was our case that vnlesse we wente from him we could not come vnto Christe Neyther will he yet at this day make any other league with vs then as Naas the kynge of the Ammonites would haue made with the men of Iabes that was to put out the right eye of euery one of them For he wil plucke away from vs the holy scriptures the gospell of our saluation and al that hope whiche we haue in Christe Iesu for with other conditions we can haue no peace For as to that whiche certayne menne ar wonte so muche to speake of that the Pope only is Peters successor as thoe that by reason thereof he carieth the holy ghoste in his bosome and can not erre it is a folishe and a triflying tale The grace of God is promised vnto a well disposed minde and to him that feareth God not vnto Chayres Successiōs Riches sayth S. Hierome may make a Byshoppe of greater powre but all Byshops what so euer they be ar the successors of the Apostels If the place and the enstalment alone be sufficient bothe Manasses succeded to Dauid Caiphas to Aaron and ofte times an idole hath stande vp in the tēple of God Archidamus a Lacedemonian was wōt to auante him selfe muche bicause he was come out of the stocke of Hercules whose arrogancie Nicostratus daunted in this wise As for thou saythe he semest not to be come of Hercules for he killed euill men whereas thou of good men makest men euil And what time the Pharisees boasted their succession and kinred bloud of Abraham you sayth Christ doe seke to kill me a mā that haue spoken that truth vnto you whiche I haue hearde of God Thus dyd Abraham neuer you ar of your father the Deuil his wil you will obey Neuerthelesse that we should graunt some thing vnto succession Doth the Pope onely succede Peter In what thing I praye you in what Religion in what vse of seruice in what parte of his life doth he succede him What thing had euer either Peter like the Pope or the Pope like Peter Except paraduenture they will say this that Peter whiles he was at Rome neuer taught the Gospell neuer fedde his flocke that he toke away the keys of the kingdome of heauē hid the treasures of his Lord only that he satt him down in Laterane and with his fynger
and of the ceremoniall bokes of Numa Pōpilius He thought it inough for him to set before his eyes and to follow the paterne of the olde temple which Salomon did rayse vp at the first according to the appointment of God and to beholde those olde orders ceremonies whiche God him self prescribed by name vnto Moses Aggeus the Prophete what time the temple was buylded vp agayne by Esdras and the people mighte seeme to haue a very good occasion offered them to reioyce at so great a benefit of the most mighty and mercifull God yet he constrayned the teeres to fall from all their eyes bicause that they whiche remaynyng yet aliue had seene the buyldinges of the first temple before it was razed by the Babylonians remembered that it lacked muche of that beauty that it had in times paste For then surely would they haue thought their temple throughly well restored if it had answered to the olde paterne and to the maiestie of the first Temple S. Paule for to purge the Supper of our Lorde whiche the Corinthians had begonne euen then to corrupt did set before them Christes institution for them to followe I haue saythe he deliuered vnto you that whiche I receyued of the Lord. And Christ for to confute the error of the Pharisees You must retorne saith he to the beginning from the beginning it was not so And to the intent he might the better rebuke the filthy gayne and couetousnesse of preestes and purge the temple Frō the beginning sayth he this was a house of prayer where al the people together should deuoutly and soberly cal vpon God and so ought you also to vse it at this day for it was not buylded to that intent for to become a denne of theeues So likewise all the godly Princes and such as were commended in the holye Scriptures were therefore chiefly cōmended bicause thei had walked in the wayes of Dauid their father that is to saye bicause they had resorted back to the first principles to the wel heades and restored religion to his first estate Therefore what time we sawe that these menne had vtterly throwen all thynges vnder fote and that in the Churche of God there remayned nothyng but miserable ruynes we thought it beste to sette before vs those Churches whiche we dyd know certainly bothe that they had not erred and also that they had nothing to doe nother with priuate Masses nor with prayers in an vnknowen and straunge tonge nother yet with this corruption of Sacramentes nor other folyshe toyes And wheras our desire was that the lordes Temple should be restored to his first estate we went not about to seke any other foundatiō then that which we knew was layde now long agoe by the Apostles the whiche is our sauiour Iesus Christ. And whereas we hearde God him selfe speakynge vnto vs in his worde and sawe euidente examples of the olde and primitiue Churche agayne whereas the hope of a generall councell was verye vncertaine and muche more vncertaine the successe thereof but chiefly whereas we were certayne of Gods will and therefore thought it a verye vnlawefull thynge to be ouermuch carefull and troubled aboute the iudgementes of menne we could no longer stande in deliberation with fleshe and bloud but rather we dyd that thyng whiche bothe mighte well be done and whiche had bene ofte times done of many godly menne and catholike Bysshoppes takyng in hande to prouide for our Churches by a prouinciall Councell For thus we knowe right well the olde Fathers were wonte to make a profe before they dyd come to councels assembled out of the whole worlde There be abrode at this daye Canones wryten in particuler counsels at Carthage vnder Cyprian at Ancyra at Neocesaria at Grangra also in Paphlagonia as some men thinke before the name of the vniuersall councell of Nice was euer hearde of After this māner in time past the Pelagians and Donatistes without a generall councell were by and by mette with all at home in a pryuate cōsultation Thus Ambrose a Christian Byshop what time Constantius themperour dyd euidently fauor Auxentius a Byshop of the Arrians faction appealed not vnto the generall coūcel wherin he saw by resō of themperours power of affection vnto partes nothyng could be done but vnto his own clergie people y t is to say vnto a Prouinciall assemblie Thus in the councell of Nice it was decreed that euery yeare twise in the councell of Carthage y t yerly ones at the least there should be in euery prouince assemblies of Byshoppes the whiche thynge the councell of Chalcedone saythe was done for this cause that if any errors or abuses should crepe out in any place they might by and by euen in the very place where thei sprange vp be destroyed So that whē Secundus and Palladius refused the councel of Aquileia bycause it was not a generall and a common councell Ambrose the Byshop of Millane answered It ought not to seme new or strange to any man if the Byshops of the weste called councels amongest them selues and made prouinciall assemblies for that hath bene done both of the Westerne Byshoppes not a fewe times and of the Grekes very oft Thus had Charles the great a prouinciall councell in Germany touchyng the taking away of images agaynst the seconde councell of Nice Neyther is this way of proceding vtterly vnhearde of or newe amongest vs. For we haue had in times paste here in Englande prouinciall assemblies and with our own lawes we haue ordered our Churches What needeth many wordes Truely euen those same councels that were the fullest and greatest and whereof these men ar wonte so much to make theyr auaunt if thei be compared with al the other Churches which through out the world doe acknowlege and confesse the name of Christe what other thyng I pray you they seeme to be then certaine priuate coūcels of a fewe Byshops prouincial assemblies For althoe peraduēture Italy Fraunce Spayne Englande Germany Denmarke and Scotlande should assemble thēselues together and yet all Asia Grece Armenia Persia Media Mesopotamia Egypte Ethiope Inde Mauritania should be absent in all which places there be both many Christiā men and also Byshoppes how might it appere to any sobre manne that suche a councell were generall Or when so many partes of the world ar absent how can they saye truely that they haue the cōsent of the whole worlde or what maner of councell was this laste holden at Trente or how might it be called general when that out of all Christian kingdomes and coūtries there came vnto it but forty Bysshoppes and of them some that were so eloquent that they seemed more mete to be sent to the Grāmer schole but so well learned that they neuer redde ouer the holy Scriptures Howe so euer it is the truthe of the gospell of Iesus Christe dothe not depende upō councels or as Paule sayth vpon the daye of man But in case they who ought to be careful ouer