veritie y t the Disciples of the Apostles had the trew vnderstanding of all the mysteries of the Scripture necessare to be knawin for ane Christiane maÌ„nis saluatioÌ„ speciallie of the profound mysterie of the Supper of the Lorde Quhareof is gathered the Sacrifice of the Masse Quharefor I am desyrus to knaw the sayingis of ye auld wryttars speciallie of thaim y e war Disciples to the Apostles of the Masse giue thay mak mention of it in thare workes Heretofore some releif had I of yow brother But now being becumin no les Inimie to this cause nor the Abbot hiÌ„self here ye must not be offeÌ„ded brother Iames if I shal renuÌ„ce forder amitie to your I trust ye speak not this of your owen head but as your Tutoure hath instructed you Here I must schew to you where ye chope to wit in this that ye do think the trew vnderstanding of the mysteries of the scripture to consiste in proximitie of tyme or in familiaritie with the Apostles foreclosing the graces of God and bynding them to a certane age and tyme meanyng that the familiaritie of the Apostles might make stedfastnes and constancie I wold not any man should think that I speak this in preiudice of the ancients Which I with al my hert reuereÌ„ce But I wold not that the foreconceaued opinion of there authoritie should preinge the action of veritie and that no man shoulde think this to be sufficient to establishe any doctryne to say the man who wes the familiare of Paule and this of Ihon the Disciple sayeth and so to conclude it to be allowed as godlie I am assured there be none of there Disciples of that they wer reached by them wyll establishe any other thing nor the Spirite of God approued in his Scriptures But we know there complaintes and the forewarnyng of the Apostles Ihon in his Canonick they haue passed furth of vs but they were not of vs and S. Paule exhorteth the ouersears of Ephesus to tak head and be vigilant for of them selues sayeth he shall ryse vp men speaking wicked thinges immediatlie efter my departing yea rauenus Wolffes hauing no pitie on the floke and so furth Whereby we may gather that it is not yneugh to haue bene familiare and familiarlie instructede by the Apostles no not by Iesus Christ him self vnles we considdre if they be of there Disciples in dede which is knowen by conference of there writtinges with the doctryne of the Apostles if they aggre not we may wel affirme with Ihon they passed furth frome them but they were not of them This mater is so plaine that it nedeth no forther probation in my iudgement Now cumeth our author and difâ—endeth to the sayinges of the Fathers Which he hath gathered out of there werkes as he thoght they myght serue to his mater and first he recyteth Testimony of Ignatius in his Epistle Ad smirninses It is not leiful to offre nor to mak Sacrifice nor say masse without the Byschops authoritie and consent These wordes of this Ancient doctor ye vnderstande and expone of your vnsauorie Sacrifice altogether prophane Which I am sure if he wer a lyue he should say he neuer knâ—w nor yet ment of any such impietie The sentence and the mynd of this author may be easalie gathered for there his cheif aÌ„d principall studie is that discorde may be auoyded in the assemblies and conuentions of the people The which cryme the Apostle Paule layeth scharply to the charge of the Corinthians Herefore sayeth he it shall not be leiful without any kynde of difference and ordour to all and euery one to conueyne the people to haue publique assemblies and there to offre vp Sacrifice that is to preache the doctryne of Saluation to offre vp prayer and action of thankes in name of the whole Conuention for these exercises according to the custome of the old testament yea the new ar called sacrifices by the fathers the Apostles and there disciples and such others that it should not be leifull to euery man to conueyne the people without a charge to the practeis of the Lordes Supper called there planelie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Conuention of them that shall practeis the Lordes Table I haue compleyned before of the ignorance of Greik Latine tounges the Ignoration whereof no doute hes moued vs a great part of this busines specialie hauing to do with men that vnderstandeth not the ê“prietie of them It is plaine that Epiphanius vnderstandeth by this miss â— the publique Conuentioun of the people to the seruice of God to here the Preaching the Prayers made thankes geuen and the Lordes Table and such other godlie exercises in which the primitiue Church did exercise them selues as we may be teached by Socrates in the Tripartite Historie recyting the ordour of the Church of Alexandria Where the Scripture wes rede exponed Prayers made the Communion distributed and oblatioÌ„ made that is a certane gathering for the poore and Iustinus in his Apologie for the Christians For as in the old TestameÌ„t the people conuened at certane tymes to offre vp the Sacrifices of Kiddes Lambes and suche others conforme to the commandement made in the law So now in the new Testament by the Superintendents Elders Ministers the people is conueyned for a certane ordoures cause and offreth vp vituios labiorum the Sacrifice of prayse thankes and Prayers Now followeth Clemens whom this author affirmeth to haue bene S. Peters Disciple if he wes I know not I haue recyted the IudgemeÌ„t of Clemens Alexandrinus of him damning him planelie and that out of Eusebius But I fynd not that the wordes of Clemens can any wayes hurte which are Nane of the Preistis sal say Masse in his Paroche nor Baptise nor do ony vther thing without permission of the Byschope thir sayingis the Apostles resauit of the Lorde and gaue tyll vs and we teache y â— sam and commandis zow to hade and teache to al men without reprehensioun These wordes may be euen so vnderstand as the sentence of Ignatius for all tendeth to a scope but this writter in dede because I fynd him full of superstitions ether is he by wicked men adulterate as we know the Papistes to haue interiected many wicked senteÌ„ces in the writtings of godlie and Catholique men or if he writeth of his owen head I dar bouldly affirme that he wes no Scoler of Peter but as Ihon speaketh he passed furthe frome him but wes not of his and this is the opinion of Clemens Alexandrinus Who planely condamned this your Clemens Epistles Followeth Alexander quha wes martyred for the faith of Christe fourtene houndreth 30. nyne zeris bypast wryttis on this maner our Lordis Passion is to be rehears it in all Solemnities of the Masse with sick Sacrifice the Lorde is delyted and pacifeit and wyll forgeue gret Sinnes for amang the Saccrifice thare can be na thing greater than
Tertius men replenished with al fraude and decepte Sonnes of the Deuill who expresly after that they haue impugned and defaced it by all good argumentes and authoritie against their own consciences and all godlines are rauished and caryed away to reuerence that wicked saite mother of al defection and apostasie from God rather then to declyne a iote from it with the manifest treuth Many other absurdities may be gathered enseuing and following hereof but in deid my purpose is not to werie my pen any more instantlie in this mater but wil reserue it ether to a particuler treatie when God shall send the tyme or then to the conclusion of this boke alwayes I darre promise that the sober Reader shall haue yneugh euen in this same worke to be satisfied with all for as the mater shall require the occasion serue we shall bring in such thinges as shal be in any wise necessarie For albeit this Author is euer at the body and blood conteined vnder bread and wyne so gnashing him as it were with his teith yet his principall purpose is not to establishe transubstantiation but to flatter cullor and trymme vp his Leprose doghter the stinking and filthy masse To returne to our purpose the sentences being thus boldie without any shame peruerted followeth consequentlie the innouation of the wordes with the sembladle rashnes and temeritie that be lyke they haue altogether conâ—pired to destroy the whole forme of Religion planted by our Maister and Sauiour For if Peter or Paule should now reuyue or go a Thort to se the maner and the ordor of those that brageth moste of the Apostles What should they find Any thing lyke that that they teached any thing aggreing with that ordour thay plaÌ„ted I am sure nothing For they should not onelie perceaue the forme of the whole Religion peruerted but lykewise the wordes changed Should they allow this empyre that is cruelly exerted vpon the consciences of men This importable burthen of dayes monethes tymes cerimonies rytes customes and suche vanities which they did vtterly damne This holy water and burning of Candles at noune dayes for euen as the inchanters and socerers can do nothing without Fyre so alwayes in your vanities Fyre is iudged necessarie this masking clothes inâ—ocacion of Sainctes Purgatorie your qâ—hispered and mâ—â—led masses in eâ—erie corner wold they approue I am assured that by the exemple of their Maister Christe they should wheip you out of the Temple in moste shamefull and ignominius maner Did they euer vse this word which thou continually hath in mouth of consecration ether yet the Euâ—ngelistes They do vse euer speaking of the mater of the holy Supper the wordes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in our tongue of benediction or thankes geuing Shall these wordes dyted by the holy Spirite of God be so broght in obliuion that I can not tell what other wordes shal be receaued in their place of the inuention of man whosoeuer is the inuenter of them all is a mater Of this rank we haue the ministers of God called preistes the holy communion called the masse or the Sacrament of the Alter and to be shorte the whole ordinances of our Sauioure not onely in the opinion and forme adulterated but the wordes changed and innouated This is the reuerence that these holy Fathers beareth to the worde and institutions of our Law maker the wisdome of the Eternal Father Now I ask of you what do ye vnderstand by this worde of consecration for there is no such worde found in the Scriptures at least God hath giuen no such power to wordes spoken by man that they may alter and change the substance of dead and insensible Creatures Trew it is that the worde passing or being ioyned to the Element the Sacrament is made but Augustie shaweth the reason saying not because the word is spoken â—ot because it is beleued and I pray you who beleueth the worde The Element or the faythfull I think ye wil not be so impudent as to affirme that the watter in baptisme beleueth the promise made in the same and no more shall ye proue the breade and the wyne do ether vnderstand or yet beleue the wordes whiche ye quhisper to them But to what end shal we dispute with you of consecration which we reid not in the wordes of our Sauioure nether yet geueth he any coÌ„mandement so to do to his Apostles and Church For in this that he commanded them to do that in remembrance of him as he assureth them of well doing when as they shall practise that action euen as they had sene him do so he bindes them strictly to the obseruation of euerie iote of that action he had practised in their presence for if thou shall transgres and break the commandement in any poynt be it neuer so smal in thy iudgemeÌ„t thou no dout shall peruert the whole action thou hath no promise which taken away there remaneth nothing of that that is here offered so now thy whole action turneth to a mere blasphemie We know and I truste it be not vnknowen to you that the ordinances of God consisteth in two pointes the commandement and the promise as in the mater of prayers cal vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I shal here thee the commandement is geuen to cal vpon God the promise is annexed I shall here thee if thou shall break this commandement darre thou or can thou assure thy self of the promise that is to be hard of God I think not In the action of the Lordes Table the coÌ„mandement is geuen to practise that action in remembrance of our Sauioure that is to say to take bread giue thankes break it make distribution of it the promise is subioyned This is my body which is broken for you Thou deuiseth here and inuenteth I can not tel what a consecration thou maketh no distribution and yet wil thou assure thy self of the promes How vainely euerie man may iudge But here thou will say pereuentur that this worde is vsed by some of the Ancien latine writers it is a receaued worde adding nothing vnto the action but onely declaring it that is ment by these wordes This is my body To this I haue already towardes the word declared my iudgement that in the action of God we oght with no les religion reteane the wordes of the Spirite of God nor the forme and ceremonies of the action it self In this I regarde not the authoritie of any what antiquitie and estimation soeuer shal be pretended But to ê“ceid to the mater I wold not that ye albeit ye will seme to aggre with them that vseth that word in the terme yet should altogether disagre with them in the mater For they of the moste ancient I speak not of the Scóole men in the great decay of the latine tongue and ignorance of the Greik did vse this word to expres
we decline not from the reule of Paule all be done sayeth the Apostle semely and in ordour But that thou hereupon interrest generally That quhasaeuer will vse ony vther ceremonies in the ministration of the Sacramentes nor the kirk hes euer obserued be ê‘petual succession of tyme sen the tyme of the Apostles till thir our dayes thay ar worthy to be cryed out vpon be all the godly Because hereby thou will establishe all these vnsemely beggerly and wicked customes that be vsed in the Papistrie to the great contempt of God and prophanation of his mysteries I answer thee that nether can thou proue so long antiquitie and succession of tyme as thou pretendest nether yet albeit so were wold I spaire to ê“pnounce Anathema an accurse vpon them yea and vpon the inueÌ„ters and manteaners of them lykewise For our God delyteth not in such vanitie Pompe and ostentation Our God reioceth not in beggerly ceremonies vaine appâ—treâ— and luxurius ryotnes but in simplicitie lawlines and humiliation of our hartes without hypocrisie He hath appointed Baptisme to be ministred in watter his merciful promise and see Adoption being before preached his Supper he hath appointed in breaking of bread thankes geuing and distrybution the same he hath commanded of the Cuppe This he hath commanded the cause the effect and fyne of it being first vttered and declared these thinges he hath appointed to be practised in all sobernes and simplicitie Bragge thou what thou liste of antiquitie yea I say if S. Paule him self should introduce or obstruse any other ceremonies such as you haue in the pestilent Papistrie which is nothing els but a verie masse of all heresie and error As the adoration of that bread the bearing about and closing vp of it as it were in a prisone and then to conuoye it to the feildes to take the aire Ether yet this Table that is commanded to be A commoun Table to make it to be a seuerall erecting here an Alter and there an otherr Then may I in deid moste iustly pronounce the wordes of S. Paule if any man be contentius we haue no such custome nether yet the Church of God For no dout all such conuentions are to the wors and not to the better to remoue that which God hath established to set vp the inuentions of men in the place of Gods holy ordinances and so to bring into the Church of God contention scisme diuision debate yea and herisie as the Apostle moste plainely teacheth the verie mynde of the Apostle being thus oppened vp in the wordes adduced by thee Now wil I trauel to shew how impertinently they are alledged by thee The argument of that Chap. is to shew the vices of the Corinthians First in their owen persones when as they conuened Secondly how horrible they had prophaned the Lordes Table haynusly declined from the institutioÌ„ therof First he willeth theÌ„ to follow him as he did Christ as he should say I propone nothing to you but that which I haue receaued of the Lorde Iesus yea in the least one iote that shal be commanded by me ye are assâ—red I haue the warrand of his Spirite I command you nothing but by his mouth no not of the couering of your womens heades nor yet the vncouering of your owen heades that be the men in your prayers and other godly exercises Thus he hauing prouen this by the verie plaine Text of Scripture by the verie ditement of nature here he concludeth saying if any of you wil be contentius seaking further satisfaction and so can not content you with the reasons adduced by me we haue no such custome nor yet the Church of God as he should say we are not appointed to satisfie and make answer to all cauillatioÌ„s that I know captius ingynes can diuise and inuent but to pacifie and quiet the troubled consciences of the humble and lawlie in mansuetude sweitnes and sobrietie And this conueneth moste properly to be laide against you seing your whole studie is to pull back the simple ones to deface the Euangell of Iesus Christe an to peruert his holy ordinances Whither then oght ye or we to be exploded Ye that troubleth all be the manteaning of superstition and Idolatrie with impius King Ahab Or we that are followers of Christe an vrgeth not but the puritie of the Religion with Elias ye that obtruseth to the people fond and wicked constitutions traditions imaginations and consuetudes or we that seaketh God to reigne by his worde and ministration of his Sacramentes in that perfection and simplicitie that he ordeined and left them to his Church Yea ye that braggeth of nothing but of a certane preteÌ„ded antiquitie but how iustly shal be after declared in the conuenient place or we that cleaueth to the trew infallible reule of all trew Religion the reuiled will of God in his moste holy worde I truste that ye by the iudgementes of all wil be exploded and exterminated as God he praised the experience teacheth vs how potently God hath foghten in the defence of his owen cause to the extermination and roting out of the bastard Religion not onely here in this cuntrie but in the moste parte of all Christendome And I dout not but he that hath begunne the worke potently wil continew and conduct it with an out streitched arme to a prosperus Issue and an blissed end Here Iames beginneth to grant him self vainquest in a maner As it is verie easy to ouerthrowe the man who maketh no defence Yet that this valiant warrior and proude Goliath shal not seme to take the victorie to him some cullor of defence is â—â—â—cribed to Iames confessing him neirby satisfied with his answers made towardes all argumentes moued against the masse but yet is not sufficiently suaded that our Sauiour offered vp his body and blude in Sacrifice To this dout of Iames moste iustlie conceaued and moued our dimne replyeth and willes him to haue recourse and marke the diffinition and declaration of the masse alreadie declared and than should he haue moste iuste occasion conforme to the Scriptures to be persuaded Not the les sayeth he to giue zow further suasion ze â—all consider that our Sauiour in the latter Supper institute a Sacrament quhilk ze call the communion and al 's the Sacrifice of the new Testament called the masse sa in the latter Supper he institute baith a Sacrament and a Sacrifice Iames in his answer to this acknowledgeth with all godly that our Sauiour did institute in the Supper the communion and vnderstandeth no such Sacrifice there to be ordeined and appointed For the vnderstanding hereof our blinde Abbote leadeth vs to the Sacrifices and preisthead of Aaron and willeth vs to consider that the preisthead and Sacrifice of Aaron quhilk wes bludy ceased by the bludy Sacrifice of Iesus Christe on the croice quha was the fyne of the Lawe Verie well spoken and we glaidly go with you all
thou doest it to abuse the Text and wreist the sense of it to confirme thy wicked opinion It is neidfull to shaw thee the absurditie that shall ensew Doutles if thou should vnderstand the wordes referre them to that oblation that wes a lytle after made vpon the croice then should I grant thy sayinges and go with thee moste willingly being assured of the approbation of the wholle Church and consent of the Godlie Fathers But thou that thou may seme to haue inuented somwhat of thy owen head confoundest these wordes to the ignominie of the Eternall Sonne of God spoiling him of his preisthead and intrusinge in his roume a pestilent harlote a shaueling after the ordour of Epicurus Sardanapalus This in deid can not be suffered for being demanded of Iames what thou will inferre of this thou answerest braggest that thou hast gotten thyne intent which is Our Lorde maid ane oblation of his body blude in the latter Supper and gaue his Apostles commaundement to do the same Thou subioynest the cause the gif our Sauiour in the latter Supper had onely institute the cōmunion and not the Sacrifice of the masse then he had said tak ze eat ze this is my bodie quhilk giuen to zow and not for zow because giuen to zow includes onely the communion and giuen for zow includes not onely the cōmunion but al 's ane Sacrifice as the phrase of the wordes plainely declares The horrible blasphemies that be here conteined in these few wordes nether can mynde think nor tongue sufficiently expresse For by these wordes not onely shal we find that he spoileth the Sonne of God the Eternal and onelie preist of his honour trodding him vnderfoote and al 's that he moste craftilie and inuiusly taketh from vs that great infinite treasure of the latter Supper of the Lorde Iesus which we are commanded to practise til his returning and in the which he hath so mercifully and aboundantly disployed his benefites giftes mercies towards man This I say this Author taketh from man for if giuen to you includeth the communion as this Author sayeth and our Sauiour hath pronounced no such thing but giuen for you it followeth well that here there is no such institutiō as the holy communion for by this Author giuen for you is offered for you Christe then offered him self there we be commanded to do the same then followeth that we are commanded to offer him and so to make Sacrifice of him where is there any place to the communion then whiche is no Sacrifice or els of necessitie thou shall grant that the communion and the Sacrifice are bothe one which repugneth manifestlie to thy doctrine but aggreeth in deid with the Ancientes For some of them we obserue to haue giuen this Name of Sacrifice to the Lordes Table but that improperlie because it is instituted and practised in memorie of that Sacrifice which onely is worthy of that name consider how thou art trapt in the same Snaire that thou prepared for others and how craftily to establishe thy impius Sacrifice of the masse thou fraudest the whole Congregation of that great and inestimable confort of the Lordes Table This belyke thou wolde meane howsoeuer thou sayest that in these wordes giuen for you is included not onely the cōmunion but al 's the Sacrifice of the masse for with what Brow can thou deny but I may collect of this thy doctrine that there is no communion at all for as thou sayest giuen to you includeth the communion so say I that giuen for you includeth only the masse It followeth well for giuen for you is asmuch as offered for you and so importeth a Sacrifice then it followeth well that we haue no communion but a Sacrifice onely for thou will not grant the communion and the Sacrifice to be one diuiding and separating the one from the other and collecting two diuers institutions in the latter Supper And so alwayes it is fals that thou assumest to proue that our Sauiour institute two thinges here the holy Table and the Sacrifice of the masse And lykewise it followeth euidently that ether we shal lacke the communion or els the masse This followeth moste necessarly of thy interpretation if thou will say that the communion is conteined in the former parte of the Table he tuke bread brake it gaue thankes and gaue it to his Disciples and in the latter part for so ye of your factiō distinguisheth the wordes this is my body which is giuen for you here he instituteth the Sacrifice the cōmandement apperteaneth equalie to bothe then muste it follow that there be two seuerall actions the former hauing as it were nothing to do with the latter the communion to wit and the masse Secondly hereby we shall collect that there shal be a Sacrament without a promes euerie man I truste wil grāt the Lordes Table to be a Sacrament which can not subsist without the promes For if giuen for you apperteaneth to the wordes preceading this is my body and shall altogether be referred to thy masse and now shal haue nothing to do with the former action of distribution of the bread this Sacrament shall lack the promes and so consequently shal be no Sacrament how vaine and fonde this is let euerie man iudge For I darre affirme that there is no man of iudgement that wil diuide and disseuet this action being all one and what Sacriledge doest thou think it to dissociat distract and put a shunder that which is ioyned by God And to answer you sire in your owen maner what wes the cause if the mynde of our Sauiour wes to institute here a Sacrifice and that such a Sacrifice as your masse that he doeth not take a peice or portion of bread a certane quantitie of wyne erect vp an Altare or at the least withdraw him self some space from the company vse the ceremonies that ye do vse and so to make and offer vp the Sacrifice We know that the wisedome of our God hath forget nothing vncommanded touching the offering vp of Sacrifices in the Law the garmentes and apperrell of the Preist the erecting of the Alter the beast that wes to be slaine and lykewyse of the rest of the circumstances ceremonies then to be vsed when as the preist approched to the practise of the oblation Should this haue bene pretermitted in this Sacrifice where the Sonne of God is offered vp the veritie and treuth of all Sacrifices preceading We obserue with what solicitude studie and cairfulnes the Spirit of God painteth furth the celebration of the Pasouer and with what diligence our Sauiour and maister Christe Iesus celebrated it according to the precept of the Law not passing by a ceremonie And requireth he not the same of vs in obseruation of his ordinances Will ye affirme that there is any obliuion forgetfulnes sleuth or negligence in our God Why doeth he not then say to his company in
Idolatrie till the tyme of Iosias who taken away without any further delay they returne to their fals Gods and still follow them till they wer lykewise exterminâ—â—â—â— Let vs rype the mater heigher Consider how easylie Adame created in all perfection and innocency is drawen from God consider the staite of the world from Adame to Noie where is the nomber of the godly when we read the Sonnes of God caried away by the doughters of men and the whole nomber of the godly redacted to a certane family and concluded in eight persones yea and of the which persones some were wicked What do ye iudge here of the permission of God stryking as it were the whole earth with blindnes and ignorance of his worde yea and haynus Idolatrie which ye shall finde to haue dured 1556. yeares what finde ye after the restitution finde ye not the posteritie of Noie to returne to the impietie of their Fathers and continew therein ill the calling of Abraham who out of the fyre of Idolatrie wes called to the knowledge of God and so the whole to haue continewed in impietie from the tyme of the Flood till Abrahames calling the space of 363. yeares Now will I pas by Abraham Isaac Iacob and the tyme of the Patriarches and of their being in Egypt and liue you to consider how Moyses and Aaron are troubled with the people in the Vildernes and after them Iosuah and will enter into the historie of the Iudges What defection read ye there from God that albeit he raised vp men from tyme to tyme to their defence yet they do rinne headlinges after fals Gods But here ye will obiect and reply Trew it is that they declined horribly but they were euer admonished of their defection and Idolatrie if thou meanest vniuersally that God admonished the whole world the Apostle doeth manifestly conuict thee saying God sufferred in the aiges before passed all the Gentiles to walk in their oweÌ„ wayes that is to be headlinges led in Idolatrie If thow sayest he admonished his owen so say I hath God done for 〈◊〉 tyme to tyme he hath stirred vp some to admoâ—ishâ— and rebuke the world of impietie or at least his owen being wrapped amongest Idolaters Trew it is that euer from the tyme of the Apostles iniquitie and corruption hath bene creaping and entering in as we may obserue by the workes of all the Ancients whose cheif studie and trauell wes against heresies so that the primitiue Church lacked not men that did admonishe all of defection and declining frome the former and original puritie of the worde and Religion in whose aiges as we haue already declared at large wes no masse nor this your masse neuer had place till the tyme of the vastation of Gotthes and Wandalles as we haue somwhat touched before when the people might or durste not conuene for feare and so did they chuse to them selues euerie one a Sacrificer at the exemple of Michah And thus wes the beginning of your masses alwayes the preistes findinge the Roste sappy large luces gaines auantage they beginne to deck vp the whore not vnlyke to Hesiodus Pandora setteth her furth a whoring with the Princes and no dout some godly men in these aiges hath espyed and tryed furth her impietie albeit there names be suppressed that the fore signification of Ioanne the diuine made in his ReuelatioÌ„ might haue place of the great silence should ensew the laying vp of Iesabell in bed which silence contineweth from the latter parte of the Second Chapiter til the .17 where the damnation of that whore is foresheweÌ„ and the cause of the same to haue bene her fornication and the shedding of the blood of the Sainctes with the which she hath bene drunken But wonder it is that ye can finde none that hath bene offeÌ„ded with the face regimeÌ„t opinion doctrine rytes and maners of your Churche before the dayes of Vickleafe and Ihon Hus. If ye be so well sene in the antiquities as ye bragge ye can not be ignorant that Anachdrite who separated them selues from the common societie of men are of long aige If there had bene nothing that offended them euen in the face and regiment of the Church it had not onely bene foly but also impietie to haue separate them from the company of the faithfull I do not allow their fact in all thinges but the separating of their selues is an euident argument that they were moued by some prick of conscience to auoide the publick corruption that then beganne to grow in the Church The diuers mutations and changes that we read in Monachatu or in your monkish Religion declareth the same for if they had bene fully content with the publick ordour they should neuer haue inuented an other It chansed to them I grant as did to sectes before the manifestation of Iesus Christe that is the forther they declyned from the common sociâ—â—ie of the people and of the accustomed Religion the deipper they fell in damnable errors But yet their first motion proceaded I say frome offence conceaued in the publick error so that all their defections and particulare Religions were complantes and as we may call them accusations of that Religion which wes commonly receaued If I should bring furth the complaintes and accusatioÌ„s of the moste learned amongest the Ancients of the confusion and insolency of there aiges and specially of these that sharply reprehended your mother Rome her pryde inuy iudgement and doctrine I should spend no small tyme. Your owen Hierome feared not to tearme her ofter then ones Babilon and Pupurata mereitrâ—x and affirme that the inuy of the clergie of that sait wes so intollerable that iâ—compelled Tertuliane to fall to the error of Montanus Augustine coÌ„pleaned that the Church wes burdined with superfluitie of ceremonies in his tyme how vehemently Gregorie Ambrose Bernard and others inuey against the insolent liues of the Clergie ye can not excepte ye wilfully will be ignorant and if ye obiect that these compleane of maners but impugne no doctrine publickly receaued we shall finde y â— on some â–ª we read of Bertraillus who in the tyme of Charlemagne and at his desyre confuteth the impius opinion of transubstantiation and after him Berengarins Vickleafe in deâ—d goeth neirer the quick oppenneth vp the whole poyson and vncouereth the whores head plainely pronouncing the masse to be Idolatrie to him succeadeth Ihon Hus and Hieronimê° Pragensis and others in that aige â—o from tyme to tyme the mater hath bene conducted so by the Spirite of God that there be none so deaf but they haue 〈…〉 her fornication none so blind but they haue sene it to the great coÌ„fusion and shame of all her pertakers Thus ye are coÌ„uicted of two manifest lies one of the Isralites and the people of God them I haue showen to haue bene giuen ouer in Idolatrie during the tyme of many Kinges and if we shall haue recurse to the beginning we shall finde thousaÌ„d years