worthy scholers whiche receiued it of thē and deliuered it ouer againe to others In a happie tyme came thei ouer to our Vniuersities to turne them which had been in tyme past as heathes dry groundes voide of the true knowledge of God into springs of water whose brookes might issue forth to the refreshyng and cōfort of all the land their desolatiō and liyng wast as Sodom and Gomorrha thei tourned through the grace of GOD into a fruitfull place like mount Carmell and the garden of Eden full of good fruite and medicinable to the soules of men Therefore blessed bee their noble memorie whosoeuer thei were that brought thē ouer But to saie that Religion stoode then in such termes here in England that if those two had been Anabaptistes our religion this day in England had been such and thei should aswel haue béen punished for not receiuing it as thei are for refusing that is now established is a malicious slaunder of a hatefull harte to the Gospell of Christe and the professors of the same seing that before their comming in as hath been declared religion was fully setled and established here as it continueth to this daie As for that he calleth them Caluinistes to passe by that for age Caluin might rather haue been named of them then thei of hym He is to vnderstande wee haue no suche custome nor the Churche of God to name our selues of any men Christ is not deuided with vs we all content our selues with that honourable name of Christians To be a Franciscane or a Dominicane a Thomist or a Scotist we leaue to them who haue deuided rent asunder both Christes coate and bodie We knowe by the grace of God how to respect the giftes of God in his holy Organes and Instrumentes of his glorie without derogatyng from God his honor to giue it to an other Thus it appeareth that Religion with vs had his beginnyng of the worde of God knowne to many and professed to the deathe by sondrie of this Nation afore the lawe whereby it was established Wherby it is manifest that Religion was not groūded vpon the Temporall lawe and the Magistrates authoritie but that the godly Magistrates and the wise men of all the lande assembled together in the high Courte of Parliament hauyng vnderstoode before by the worde of God and many expresse testimonies bothe here at home and els where abroade whereby God gaue witnesse vnto it that the Religion which of auncient tyme had been taught in this lande though for a tyme it had beene eclipsed and darckened and then beganne euery where through the power of GOD to bee renewed againe that that I saie was in deede the holy word and seruice of God and the true doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles thei agreed withall obedience vnto God so to acknowledge it and as Asa and Darius though not with any thing like seueritie of punishmēt commaunded it to bee receiued and embraced by all the Subiectes of this state and Kyngdome We depend not therfore vpon a Temporall lawe for matter of Religion but bothe the lawe and we vpon the eternall lawe and word of God but this iniury must be doen to the hye state of this noble lande that these men maie be admitted to dispute Therefore here he falleth in againe to the mention of a disputation and reneweth the petition of his fellowes for it promisyng largely that if suche indifferent triall maie bee graunted betweene the learned of bothe sides as thei demaunde for their instruction due reformatiō in iudgement if thei erre the matter perhappes maie sone bee ended 〈◊〉 they bee conuicted to erre he giueth vs hope that perhappes thei will be reformed Would to God thei desired it for their instruction and reformation in iudgement if thei did there is inough already written for their iuste cause of satisfaction or if not thei maie be satisfied by writyng But whē thei haue all graunted that thei desire though thei were conuicted to erre is there no more hope of their obedience to God and to her Maiestie but that Then perhaps they will be reformed If there were the feare of God in them thei ought without all peraduenture to yeeld them selues obedient to the voyce of God to bewaile with compunction of harte and remorse of conscience the Superstition and Idolatrie thei haue liued in hitherto and abused the worlde withall and blesse the daie wherein the Lorde of glorie maie appeare vnto them But suche is their wilful obstinacie that notwithstanding thei were as mightely conuicted and confounded as were the Iewes by Apollos and by the Apostle Againe of disputation yet perhappes thei would erre still and goe on in their wilfulnesse to their vtter confusion and ruine Acts. 18.28 If thei bee denyed disputation then thei remaine for their beleefe as before yet good and dutifull Subiectes But this implyeth a manifest and necessarie contradiction For if thei remaine stil obedient to the Pope who curseth them if thei acknowledge the Queene to bee the lawfull Prince by obedience of her lawes then is it not possible thei should bee good Subiectes For a good Subiect doeth willyngly obeye her Maiesties godly lawes acknowledge her lawfull authoritie ouer them Whiche thei deniyng to doe as thei are bound vpon the Popes curse it can in no sorte stande together that thei can kepe their Romishe faithe and their obedience to her Maiestie two such maisters as God and Mammon the Lieutenaunt of Christ and of Antechrist can no man serue but he must forsake the one Mat. 6. and follow the other he must cleaue to the one deny the other There followeth proofe for the equitie of their former demaunde whiche is that thei desire to bee satisfied in one onely point An issue demaunded that is when the articles of their difference from vs came into the churche and by whom thei were rebuked Whiche issue that he would so faine ioyne with vs he confirmeth to bee reasonable by the antiquitie of the true religion and the commyng in of the false Of the first he saieth that whiche is graunted on bothe partes that the religiō taught by Christ and his Apostles is the true religion Herevpō he inferreth that the false is later entred in since whiche I also graūt It remaineth therfore to be tried whether entred in since This saieth he is to be shewed by notyng the time of the entrāce and the author of it with the names of suche as did cōtrol it And this he would proue to be the onely argument and sufficient demonstration in these causes by twoo kindes of profe and first by reason Answere to his arguments proued necessary by reason Wherein he esteemeth it strong that there cannot rise a false Religion the churche standing possessed of a true one but that some companie or particuler man should rebuke it This reason I saie is not strong to prooue that he bryngeth it for that is that no false
conuicted so to withdraw the subiectes from our natural Prince to any forren subiection should be held giltie of hye treason against her Ma. state and dignitie executed accordingly Whereupon you HH keeping a vigilant and a carefull eye ouer those men and finding some of them giltie of treason both by that and other auncient lawes of this lande haue in deede caused iustice notwithstanding their pretence of holy conscience and religion according to all law and equitie to be done vpon them For as other malefactors escape not the seueritie of the lawe whatsoeuer they may be or pretended to be whether Catholikes or of our owne profession if they be iustly conuicted to bee fellons or murderers so likewise who soeuer by due tryall of the law hath beene found to be guiltie of treason notwithstāding they haue bene pretended Catholikes and some of them annoynted Priestes and father Iesuites which they haue boasted could not be touched yet haue they béene condemned and executed according to their demerites This then being the estate of the pretended Catholikes this day amongst vs what hoat persecution is this that he complaineth of what numbers are these that are persecuted except all the Catholike Rebels and Traytors as Saunders doth make his reakoning and other malefactors be comprehended in this number And so in deede I graunt some of these Catholikes after the qualitie and condition of their offence haue beene dealt with according to the auncient lawes and customes of this lande But this is an accounte voyde of all reason to esteeme that which is the punishment of treason of murder of felony and other such like offences to bée laide vpon them for their religion and conscience only Which hath béene hetherto so spared as some of them being founde guiltie of treason and condemned for it vpō declaring thē selues to stande so affected towardes her highnes touching their obeeience as they would neyther with the Pope nor any other take armes against her notwithstanding they remaine stil such as they were for their conscience and religion yet thorow her Maiesties exceeding clemency haue obtayned pardon after their conuiction of high treason Wherefore seing for conscience of popery onely no man hath beene touched in life nor member but onely punished by fine and imprisonment and that the iust execution of Traytors Rebels Murderers Fellons be they pretended Catholiques or whatsoeuer they be can in no reason be termed persecution I worthily conclude that the complaint of this accuser is without all cause and reason and his charge and accusation of the state most vndutifull slaunderous and vniust Now because hee will needes call to the remembrance of God and men the bloudy sinnes of their fathers sinnes as redde as crimsin and scarlet that is the fearefull and horrible persecution of the professors of the Gospell and compare the proceeding of their Catholiques against vs with ours against them both generally in other places and at other times and perticularly in England in Q. Maries daies and taketh vpon him to iustifie that our dealinges against them doe farre surmount their persecuting of vs and is incomperable more grieuous I must needes here stand a litle to compare them though it bee in deede a thing in it selfe as shall appeare voyde of all reason once to enter into the comparison of them togither What hath bene done in England against them since the time of her Maiesties raigne I haue already declared namely that no one hath yet beene touched in his body for matter of his conscience onely being neyther Rebell nor Traytor nor Murderer nor otherwise giltie of crymes capitall and worthie of death by all good Lawes The same is iustly to be affirmed of the dayes of that most noble Prince of famous memory for his rare pietie in so tender yeares King Edwarde the sixt her Maiesties worthie Brother that in the fewe yeares of his happie raigne there was not one of these Romaine Catholiques for onely matter of religion put to death or any torment of body Nor before him in the dayes of their renoumed Father King Henry the eight were any of their Catholiques put to death except a fewe which were executed for the supremacie being a matter of State and not of religion as hauing no maner of grounde for it in the worde of God and giuing a dangerous interest for the Kinges Quéenes of this Land to a forreine power As for other Kingdomes and States professing the Gospell this Authour him selfe doth acknowledge their proceedinges against them not to haue béene vnto bloude Now then let vs in the other part consider the generall and perticuler proceeding of these pretended Catholikes against our brethren not for any crime of iust desert of death but onely for their most holy faith Which though I can not here lay out at large being the argument of so many great bookes and volumes as are written of them yet I may giue the gentle Reader a generall viewe of their bloudy actes of perpetuall infamie to their pretended Catholike profession The townes of Merindall and Cabrieres with 22. other Townes and Villages were most tiranously destroyed without respect of men women or children In Cabrieres a thousand persons were slaine whereby some estimat may be made of the number which might be murdered in the rest Of which so horrible waste and so much innocent bloud most cruelly shedde there was vtterly no other cause but that the godly people of that Countrie had seperated themselues from the abhominations of the Church of Roome and sought to serue the Lorde according to his worde Likewise the people of the valleyes of Lucerne Angrogne S. Mart. Perous others were pursued with hoat persecution and cruell warres by the instigation of the Pope for many yeares Both these being faithfull and duetifull to their Princes onely for the godly faith which they professed were in most sauage and vnnaturall manner persecuted and destroyed by them Besides those who were slaine in the bloudie warres which they made for the maintenance of theire Romane superstitions in Germanie and in Scotland the Stories of those countries report sundrie cruell executions to haue beene done vpon many faithfull seruantes of God onely for the testimonie of the truth In our owne countrie since the beginning of the restoring of the knowledg of the Gospel amongst vs especially in Q. M. daies what hath bene the state of our Church what hath the enimy laid to our charge surely we were neuer charged with any treason but the only cause of our persecutiō was the refusing al cōfidēce in our selues or any other creature we belieued to be saued only by the pretious death of our Sauiour Christ and that we refused to bowe downe before their Idols and to worship them These and such like matters merely concerning religion and the true faith of the Gospell were the thinges which were laide to our charge and no other And for these causes how cruelly they haue vsed vs all the
an obedience to God and to the King Deut. 13. ◠c Deut. 17.5 Likewise the authoritie of the lawe of Moses commaunding to put to death the false Prophet and the Idolater Asa made a statute in his time that whosoeuer did not seeke the Lord vnderstanding therby a renouncing of Idolatrie and a worshipping of the only true God according to his lawe should dy the death Which as it was lawfull then and in them yea duetifull and necessarie euen so vpon like ground is it as lawful duetifull for all Christian Princes now to make like statuts vpō the same warrant for the gouernement of the Nation and people committed to them There is no cause then why hee should make so light of our nationall statuts being the true and liuely vse of the lawe of God by this meanes renewed and recouering his force againe by such proceedinges It appeareth therefore by these reasons that the authoritie is sufficient and strong whereby they are punished yea and such as may well warrant a further proceeding against so many of thē as may be iustly condemned for heretikes that part of the Cannon lawe standing now as well in force as it did in the time of their tirannie and giuing vs that power against them which they neuer could haue of it lawfully against vs whom they could neuer conuict of any error And thus much for answere to the authoritie whereupon both our proceedings are grounded being the first of the two reasons he alledgeth Now come we to the other argumēt which is of the difference of the cause betwene them vs the principall poynt of all this treatise Foure Reasons of the aduersary for their cause The difference hee noteth is in foure poyntes whereof two which are the antiquitie and vniuersallitie of their faith he doth but lightly touch by the way the other two of vnitie and pollicie he discourseth off more at larg Whose steps because I haue bound my selfe to follow somewhat I must answere to the former before I proceede to the other two wherein hee seemeth to haue more confidence Our faith saith he is the only Religion of our forefathers Answere to the 1. which is Antiquity in England To this I answere First it is not true and then if it were yet it can be no suffycient reason for thē nor against our cause For the first it appeareth by the resistāce which the auncyent Britons made to Austen the Monke the Pope of Romes Messenger or Nuntio hither and the whole discourse of that Story Which sheweth that they which were before the Conquest receaued neither his Supremacy nor his faith that frō the beginning of Christianity in the lande to that time the religion had bene free from most of their corruptions Their trāsubstantiatiō the Saxons which after preuailed belieued not as appeareth by a sermon found written in the Saxon tongue appointed in their time to be vttred vnto the people at Easter before the Communion and published now in print by authority to all the world for proofe thereof But I put the case our Forefathers had neuer had other Religion in England were this a suffycient reason to prooue it good If it be then many supersticious abhominations of the Heathen may be iustified and acknowledged good Religion The cursed false worship of Mahomet in Asia hath contynued as long as the Idolatrous superstition of the Church of Roome yet were it vtterly impertinent for the posteritie liuing this day in those partes to alleadge this reason that it is the onely religion of their forefathers in Asia When the Apostles came preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles they had bene a people in the ages generations before that time in respect of the true knowledge of religiō neglected not regarded of God Act. 17.30 hauing in a maner frō the beginning of the world which was 4000. yeares continued in their Idolatrie Yet was this no sufficient cause to continue in it still and despise the Gospell as a newe faith Which though it had not beene vouchsafed thē before yet was more auncient then their wicked superstitions Contrariwise it was fit for them the longer they had lyen in darkenesse and in the vale of the shadowe of death with so much more ioy to see and beholde the Sunne when it beganne to rise in their countries Euen so notwithstanding it were true that darkenes had couered this lande in all the time of our forefathers yet now that we their children haue the fauour to see this glorious Sunne to rise in our horizon and to see his comming forth like the comming forth of a Bridegrome out of his chamber Psa 19.5 or of some worthy knight and Champion setting out to runne his course Should we loue darkenes more thē light refuse the riches of gods mercy most fréely bountifully bestowed vpō vs. Nay we ought rather to celebrate the goodnes of god towardes vs with euerlasting prayses for that he hath reuealed to vs the misterie hidden from so many ages and vnknowne so long to the world as it is nowe reuealed and our owne happinesse whose eyes doe see the light of the Gentiles the glory of Israell whose eares do heare the wisedome that is greater then Salamons Thinges which in deede many of our forefathers especially in some late hundred yeares haue not sene nor heard and wee nowe by the grace of God doe see and heare them The same may be saide of their generallitie namely that first it is not true Answere to the 2. generallitie that this their faith was left vs by the generall consent of all Christendome and then that generality in it selfe sufficeth not to proue religion good For the first it is manifest by the holy scriptures that the Apostles who as it appeareth by their writinges preached the doctrine which wee professe neuer taught their superstition hauing left vs no one poynt of all that which is properly their faith and wherein they differ from vs. The auncient fathers testify I speake of the most auncient of them such partes of Christendome as they liued and taught in to haue belieued no such faith The Stories of the Church make mention of Christian Churches in Asia and in Afrike and some partes of Europe also which neuer receyued the faith of the Church of Roome that is that which is properly the Romish faith and wherein it dissenteth from vs as neyther their supremacie nor Idolatrie nor sundrie such other poyntes which are the beautie and crowne of popery Therefore it is vntrue that they haue it left them by a general cōsent Further all generalitie in it selfe is not sufficient to iustify a matter of faith What hath bene and yet is more generall in the world then Mahometisme and Paganisme which yet Christian men for all the generalitie of it do worthily according to Gods worde detest and abhorre The general consent of the whole Church I meane of all the holy assemblies
which at the same time in all the worlde professe by publike ministerie Christian religion as a most graue reuerent testimony ought worthily to be regarded by all her modest and humble children Yet because it may bee subiect to error in some poynt yea most substantiall and materiall poyntes as the experience of the apostasie which the Apostle prophecied off doth sufficiētly declare euen that can be no sufficient warrant of the truth Only the written word of God is sufficient which alone hath this prerogatiue aboue all creatures to certifie assure our consciences in matters of religiō Whereby we being taught the faith which wee haue belieued as wee are readie thorowe the grace of God to make good at all times before all men our faith can not be any newe or perticuler opinion as he wrongfully chargeth it but is the auncient and generall faith of the Church which hath testimony giuen vnto it by the lawe and by al the Prophets which spake from Moses to Samuell Rom. 3.22 Act. 3.24 and those which folowed after These are auncient Fathers in deede whose heades are all white as woll In comparison of whom the fathers they boast off haue neuer a one of them a graye haire vpon his heade they may seeme to haue beene borne but yesterdaye In which respect according to the Lawe Leuit. 19.32 they are to rise vp and giue place and doe their duetie to these who are aged Fathers in deede For where as simply there is nothing auncient but that which is euerlasting and all other thinges are auncient in respect and in comparison of that which is yonger Wee most truly affirme our faith to be so farre more auncient then theirs as that for euery hundreth yeares their doctrine is olde which at this day the Church of Roome teacheth that which our Churches professe is auncient 1000. as being the faith of the righteousnes of God witnessed vnto by the lawe and by the Prophetes Therefore if it had neuer bene heard of in England before and though it haue beene condemned by that vngodly Pius Quintus and his successor of like impietie Rom. 3.21 and their folowers as Christ was by Caiphas and the Apostles by Annas and his whole consistory yet remaineth it still and shall remaine for euer no newe nor perticuler opinion but the auncient and generall faith of the Church the Apostolicall and propheticall doctrine whereby in all partes of the world haue beene and shall be saued whosoeuer were appoynted to euerlasting life For which cause godly hath it beene procured by your HH and established by her highnesse authoritie amongst vs as was the obedience of the lawe by Iosias when it was founde after that it had beene lost by negligence of the priestes for certaine yeares In like sort the true Gospell being found againe which had beene lost by the negligence of their Priestes if not also by their malice and for the furtherance of their pompe and riches which it serued not for hath beene in deed aduised by the right Reuerend Synod of the ministerie of this our whole Nation and restored to his former auncient authoritie by the high Court of Parliament enacting ordeyning by statute the approbation and allowance of it Which if it haue bene done as here he cōplayneth without tryall or disputation and confuting of the aduersary openly the blame is to be laide vpon none but themselues For who can make a coward to fight he may be challenged hee may haue his day appoynted and by some meanes be brought into the fielde but if his heart shall faile him when he seeth his enimie in the face and that the euill quarrell he commeth in doth take away his courage so that he yeeld himselfe to the pleasure of his aduersary without striking of any stroke hath he after any reason to complayne that he was not fought withall Euen so it is not vnknowne to your HH and to this whole state that our aduersaries were called to disputation and the day appoynted at which also they came as if they would haue disputed but belike considering there is no wisedome against the Lord nor power that can preuaile against his truth they began to picke quarrels to auoyde the brunt of the battell and forsooke the fielde refusing to dispute Our reuerend Fathers of worthie memory Cranmer Ridley Latimer c. dealt not so with them in Q. Maries dayes but encountred with them both in the conuocation house also at Oxford to their shamefull foyle and iust reproch howsoeuer after they hauing the lawe in their owne handes did most vniust and cruell execution vpon them by burning them in the fire An argument voyde of all reason and full of vyolence and wrong which yet by the grace of God they fully answered receyuing vertue from aboue and being fortified with an heroicall magnanimitie and a most christian and noble spirit whereby they endured the cruell torment of the flaming fire with great patience and comfort reioycing they were vouchsafed not onely to belieue but also to suffer and that vnto death and so cruel a death for the testimony of the Lord Iesu and the witnesse of his truth And yet these men according to the Prouerbe that he that flyeth may fight againe not being ashamed that men should remember the foyle of that day when they were not able to stand with those who were appoynted to dispute with them now as if they had gotten new hart of grace some good armor of proofe which euen the verie word of God the spiritual sword wherby we fight against these men were not able to pearce haue nothing in their mouthes nor in their pennes but disputation whereof if they came to it againe as their late chāplan did I doubt not but they would haue soone inough But of this I haue ocasion to speak more herafter Now let vs proceede to his other reasons The other two reasons which are debated by him more at large are of vnity and pollicie both which he affirmeth to bee in their religion denyeth to be in ours For vnitie I say as in the other that neyther if they had that vnitie agreement amongst themselues wherof they boast that they were thereby sufficiently warranted and then that they haue it not Of the other part that in ours is the true vnitie which is in veritie For the first that al agreemēt is no sufficient proofe of the goodnesse of the matter wherein they agree it may easily appeare for that al malefactors haue a kinde of agréement So likewise haue the enimies of the Gospel of Christ as the Apostles out of the 2. Psal declare that the Iewes the Romaines the auncient enimies of Christ that the Gentiles the people of Israel the state ciuil ecclesiasticall did al agrée cōspire together against God against his annointed Therfore except he can proue that faith wherein they agree to be the true ancient faith of Gods
more enrich your Noble harts with the true and holy feare of him with the zealous loue of his Gospell with magnanimitie and courage and all other princely and heroicall vertues fitte for Christian Counsellors to so Christian a Quéene professing the Gospell and namely with that true wisedome which is from aboue which as the Apostle Iames teacheth is first pure Iam. 3.17 then peaceable moderat easie to be perswaded ful of mercy of good fruits without disputing and without hipocrisie For as the Prophet Ieremy saide to the false Prophets and lying Priestes of his time so may it bee truly said vnto this whole Church of theirs Ier. 8.9 How doe ye say we are wise and the Lawe of the Lorde is with vs for certenly the pen worketh falshood the expert in the Lawe worke for falshood Haue their wise men caused them to blush haue they beene cast downe and taken Behold they dispise the worde of the Lorde Can any manner of wisedome then bee in them Surely there can bee no true wisedome in them which is as S. Iames saith from aboue spirituall of god but that which is falsly so named and is carnall as the Apostle saith Which true wisedome howsoeuer this Authour boasteth to bee in their Romaine religion by a sweete enchantment of great pollicie to entice whome hee may to a liking of it yet being well considered it will be found to bee to those that tast it nothing but as the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of good euil wherewith Sathan in the beginning deceaued Eue as S. Ia. saith earthly natural diuelish Earthly because it is not from Heauen Natural because it is not spirituall but onely the vaine and foolish discourse of flesh and bloud and of a naturall man who can not conceyue the things which are of God Deuilish which followeth next to carnal wisedome and sheweth that they which are ledde by their naturall and humaine vnderstanding are straight abused by the subtilties of Sathan because it is not of God but of the diuill that olde and sutle serpent It is not pure as S. Iames declareth the heauenly wisedome to bee which is pure as the gold that is seauen times refyned but base and vile because it is allaied and imbased with all earthly and vile respectes of their owne gaine and ambition whereunto they pretend in their Hierarchie pilgrimages pardons purgatorie and all other cunning inuentions and politike deuyses of their religion No more can it bee saide to bee as true wisedome is by the same Apostle peaceable moderate tractable full of mercy and of good fruits because it is full of Emulation of bitternesse of contentions quarrels reuenges not to be pacifyed and hates neuer to be reconciled full of bloudy crueltie and of euery euill worke It is not humble and voyde of dispute and contradiction as is the wisedome which is from aboue but is full of oppositions and replyes encountring the wisedome of God with vaine discourses of flesh and bloude Where our Sauiour Christ hath appoynted the word of his Crosse to bee set forth in a sort like it selfe and the State of his Ministers to be agreeable thereunto their wisedome controlling this for great simplicitie haue deuised as they suppose a wiser and a more politike way whereby it might obtaine more fauour and credit which is to make it sweete to the outward senses gorgeous for rich apparrel sumpteous for all costly furniture statly and princely for pompe as representing in it the image of a kingdome last of all it is not sincere but rather full of hipocrisie because vnder an outwarde appearance of humblenesse and not sparing of the body Widowes Orphanes houses were deuoured Idlenesse Pride Superstition Idolatrie and all impietie was hidden and couered Thus a faire coulor was cast vpon a fowle Sepulchre of deade and stinking bones and in a cup of golde the Kings and Princes of the earth were presented with a poysoned wyne of all fornication Which the stories of their filthinesse of their warres of their pursuing one another to the death yea and after death aboundantly testifie Therefore it came neuer howsoeuer hee vaunteth from our Sauiour Christ the wisedome of God nor from his Apostles which true wisedome onely maketh Commonweales to florish but from vnpure carnal profane and diuelish wits Neyther hath it at any time or can by any meanes soundly vphold establish a Christian Commonwealth but alwayes hath beene and both thorow the iustice of God and by the very nature of it must needes be the certaine ruin distruction of all estates which doe receyue it But ere I enter any further into the debating of this matter with him I will first set downe the state of the question betwene vs in this poynt as he himselfe hath done That is saith he that the practise of our doctrine as we hold it Pag. 27. of our aduersaries as they teach it whether it be true or false which at other times places is to be discussed of ours I say do follow infinit vtilities to a Christian Common wealth which do not frō the doctrine of our aduersaries but rather the cleane contrary hurts damages and this is the state of our question in this place In which wordes it appeareth that hée vndertaketh to proue that their Romaine fayth be it true or false bringeth infinite commodities to a cōmon weale and ours on the other parte be it true or false the cleane contrarye discommodities This is a straunge point in diuinitie and such as scarse one woulde haue looked to haue heard of a Ievve or a Turke acknowledging any God and trueth in religion much lesse of one pretending to be a Christian and a Catholique and a solliciter as hee would seeme for persecuted Catholiques either that a false fayth can make a wise and flourishing common weale or that true religion should bee but folly and the ruine of the state wher it is embraced For the Prophets and Apostles teache vs that no kingdōe nor state can prosper no Prince no potētate or people can be wise or blessed in their gouernment but by honoring obeying almighty God in such sort as he hath appointed Which doctrine oftentymes is repeated in the lawe wherein it is declared vnto the people of God that this should be their wisedome with all nations which shoulde saye surelye this onely is a wise and a politike people if they kept without adding or diminishing all the precepts which God cōmaunded Likewise that this obedience shoulde bee their blessing that it should be well with them yf they kéepe hys cōmaundements that the Lord would hate such as hated them and afflict such as afflicted them that the angell of the Lord should cutte downe the Cananites before them and bring them into the promised lande that they should abide in it and multiplye and be blessed in all that they shoulde putte their handes vnto aboue all other people Blessed in the
Tennaunte at wyll hath no better pollicye then to please hys Lorde of whome hee holdeth so the greateste pollicye and soundest wysedome that maye bée vsed by Kynges and Prynces is to please the Lorde oure GOD in all obedience and namelye in the zealous aduauncemente of hys true religyon and seruice Therefore wycked and deuilyshe is thys rule and not to bee patyentlye hearde of Christyan Prynces that false Relygyon or anye dysobedyence vnto GOD Idolatry Hipocrisie Tyrannye or anye such lyke canne establyshe the seate of any Kinge or bring securitie wealth and honoure to anye state or people or that true religion and godlines that iustice and equitie shoulde diminishe any of these and make the state weaker or lesse assured To longe hath this moste false and wicked doctrine abused Princes of weake iudgement to the turninge of theire golde into drosse and their honor into dishonor for what can be more vnwise vnhonorable and vnprofitable in the ende then Idolatry dissimulation Iniustice and tyrannye Or what can be more vnwise and vnhonorable then a state whose wisedome is nothinge but déepe hipocrisie periury and licence of all impietie On the other parte what canne bee more wyse or honourable then a P and state by whome true relygion is zealouslye and sincerelye aduaunced iustyce vprightlye admynistred the royall othe woorde and promise of a P inviolablye obserued vertue rewarded vice punished good lawes wiselye made ryghtly construed and duelye executed and so good a course of gouernment with all christian and noble magnanimitie maintayned and auoued For surelye these two which conteyne all the rest religion and iustice pietie and equitie are the moste precious Pearles that may annorne the crownes of Princes they are Pillers stronge as Iacin and Boos which were erected in the Temple and are named of theyr stabilitye and strengthe wherby theyr state is vpholden Salomon the royall Patron of all true state and honoure by wysedome and vnderstandynge by counsell and magnanimitye by knowledge and the feare of the Lorde as by the sixe steppes of hys regall throne which were made for that purpose ascended into that glorious seate as it was noted by the Lyons at hys féete on eyther side aboue all Kynges of the earthe and satte hym downe as a Kyng of Kyngs and Lorde of Lordes Whose glorye so sittynge was suche as he séemed to bée a newe Adam reentred into the Paradyse of God or as the sonne of God whose glorye in a sorte was represented in him In which example the Lorde hath sealed vnto vs the assuraunce of the promise hée hath made to honor Princes which honoure him and to cause the states to prosper and to flourishe which builde vpp the Temple of the Lorde and neglecte not anye thynge which hee hath commaunded for the furtheraunce and aduauncement of it And as in olde tyme these promises were confirmed in the glorious and happy kyngdome of Salomon So may wée truely acknowledge to the greate glorye of GOD a notable testimonie of the fulfillynge of them in the blessed kyngedome of our moost noble Queene whome the Lorde hath so wonderfully blest to haue as it séemeth some notable example also in these dayes to seale agayne vnto all the worlde the certayne trueth of thys doctrine That happie is the King Prince vvhose God is the Lord For howe richlye hath the Lorde blessed her highnes and her people in comparison of all the Kinges and nations rounde aboute vs wyth peace and aboundaunce accordinge to the prayer of the Psalme for Ierusalem are in all the walles and Palaces of Englande Psal 122 Such a peace and such a plentye as our Fathers neuer knewe nor our Chronicles reporte to haue beene in the dayes of anye of her Maiesties moste noble Auncestors before her Our owne Countrye yéeldeth vs aboundance of all thinges that growe at home and forreine Nations serue vs wyth plentye of all commodities abroade So that what soeuer is in the Easte or West what soeuer in a manner is vnder the Poles or betweene them wée haue it brought vnto vs. Which continuinge so manye yeares in so calme a peace must néedes haue excéedingly enriched the land with wealth and treasure The peace of it is miraculous in so greate and longe troubles of all our neighbours about vs and in so manye Plots and practises layd and vndertakē by the Church of Roome and the rebellious Children thereof for the disturbaunce of our peace Further also the Lorde hath gyuen her highnes that honoure and glorye that neuer anye of her noble progenitours attayned vnto whych is in her owne so happye estate to sitte as iudge and honourable arbitratoure of the causes and controuersies of the greatest Kynges of Europe and of all her neyghbours weyinge the Ballaunce as it pleaseth her And what is the cause of all these so calme a peace so rich a treasure and so exceedinge greate honoure Surely the cause is the same for which the noble Kynge Ezechias was blessed likewise with ritches and honor Ezechias opened the doore of the temple of the Lorde which Ahaz his Father hadde shutte vppe Hée caste out the Sirian Aulters and sette vppe agayne the Aulter of the Lorde in hys place hee purged the Temple from the Idoles and abhominations wherewith it hadde bene polluted hee caused the presence Breade to be sette vppon the presence Table before the Lorde the Lampes of the golden Candlesticke to shyne and gyue lyghte in the Temple of the Lorde hee called home againe the Priestes and Leuites whiche were scattered abroade and appointed liberall prouision and mayntenance for them 2. Chr. 31 21 Finallye in all the worke which hée beganne for the seruice of the house of GOD in séeking his God bothe in the Lawe and in the cōmaundements hée exercised him selfe with all his soule and was prospered In lyke manner it hath pleased God that her highnes shoulde caste out of hys Temple amongste vs theyr Roomishe Aulters they re Idoles of Golde and Siluer of Woode and of Stone Legendes and lyinge Fables the abhominations of the Masse and all the wycked and heriticall doctrine of the Churche of Roome seruice in straunge and vnknowne tongue wyth a thousande superstitions vsed in it In steede whereof her Maiestie hath broughte in prayers in our owne tongue the holye woorde of God to be reade and truelye expounded vnto vs. The Sacramentes which are the seales of the Gospell duely administred the pure cleane and vndefiled Water of Baptisme the Lordes Table furnished as the royall Table of a Kynge at the marryage of hys Sonne wyth the swéete breade of the finest of the Wheate and wyth Wyne of a Grape of mooste noble kynde that is wyth the precious bodye and bloode of our Sauioure Christ Iesu Her highnes hath calde backe agayne the Ministers of the Gospell sled as Elias sometime dyd into the Wildernesse so to sundrye places where they mighte finde the Lorde as hee sawe hym in the Rocke in Mounte Horeb. Further also her
Maiestie which is her speciall Honoure hath as the true daughter of Sara receyued vnder her protection such as were forced to trauaile from place to place and that for the true profession of the Gospell and gyuen succoure and comforte to the persecuted members of Christe Iesu And for these it hath pleased GOD to prosper her Maiestie and to gyue her a people hollye by profession in Religion peaceable in trāquilitie riche in Treasure stronge in forces faithfull and louyng to her Highnesse and her friendes but fearefull and terrible to her enemies And now to exalte her Throne euen as high as Salomons was exalted what remayneth to be done but that as Salomon furnished the Lordes Temple and established all the order of the house of GOD in euery point as the Lord had commaunded by the Law of Moses and by the Prophets So likewise that her Ma. woulde finish this far aduanced most holy honorable worke of the seruice of God amōgst vs. for the furtherāce wherof hir highnes renowmed father of famous memory made a statute wherby it was enacted that the Canon law being the Law of the Popes the auncient enemyes of this Land and the corrupt spring of infinit enormyties in the Churche shoulde be reuisited by a number of chosen men for the purpose and such an order set downe for the good direction and regiment of the Churche as might be most agréeable to the Commaundementes of almyghtie God and our Sauiour Christ Iesu This godly and honourable purpose was continued by hys noble Sonne the Iosiah of our tyme and no doubt but had bin perfourmed to the great seruice of God and edification of the Church yf the Lord had contynued hys happy raigne amongste vs. Thys so necessary act for the honor of God and comfort of hys people béeing after repealed hath bin reuiued agayne by her highnes Which being don so longe agoo and nothing remayninge but to appoynt fit men for the purpose the moste humble sute of all Israell of God in the land is that a seruice so holy so profitable and so necessarye may no longer be delayed For incourragemēt wherof I would to God the spéeche of Azariah worthy to be written in tables of Gold were ingrauen in the hartes of all that oughte and myght further thys holy cause that he spake vnto Kynge Asa vnto all Iuda Beniamin that is whyle ye haue bene wyth the Lord the Lorde hath bene wyth you and if ye will yet séeke hym he wyll be ready for you but if ye forsake him hee wyll forsake you as hee hath done the Isralites who of longe tyme haue bene without the true God without a teaching Priest and without the Law and the Lorde hath vexed them with al calamities accompaniyng ciuill warres and dissentions be yee therefore of good courage to procure the further aduauncement of GODS seruice and let not your handes bee feeble for there is a rewarde for your worke So Lykewise it may be truly and fytlye sayde to our moste noble Quéene Elizabeth which was sayde to Asa and to all her highnes nobilitye as to the royall seede of Iuda and to all the people as to Beniamin that surely the Lorde hath bene with you while you haue ben wyth him And no doubt but if ye shall yet goe forwardes to doe euery thing which the Lord hath commanded and seeke him wyth all your heart no doubt I say but he will yet more more enlarge him selfe towards you and encrease all your good estate excéedinglye so that al the world shal say what an honoarble and happy Nation is this whiche the Lorde tendereth so dearlye and aduaunceth aboue all the Kingdoms of the World So shall this Doctrine that I am now debating with the enemye bée made cleare and manyfest that true relygion can neuer bée daungerous to a Common Wealth but dooth alwayes cause it to prosper and to florish which the Lord our gracious God graunt may be confirmed more and more by our happye experience But the other part the Lorde turne from hir Maiestie from all the Nobles and People of the Land and teach it them by the wofull experience of their enimies which is that if you forsake the Lord you shal also be abandoned of him If Isarell bee suffered to bee without a teachinge Ministerie as it is yet in a great part of the dominiō without the ordinary preaching of the Gospell then the Lord will punish with lyke or greater punishment then Israel was punished withall Therfore the Lorde strengthen your hands that they be not féeble but that they may be strong to build vp that which remayneth for vndoubtedlye there is a rewarde for the woorke Thus returnyng to myne Aduersaryes most wicked and vngodly Paradoxe agayne I conclude that this Azaria and Shemaiah this Moses and Samuel this Dauid and Salomon with the rest of the Kinges of Israel and Iuda this also all the Prophets and Apostles teache vs that godlynesse and true Religion establisheth the seates of Princes prospereth the estate of all people whiche receiue it with that obedience they ought to doo and contrarywise impietie and false worship is the certayne ruyne and curse of the Nation which dooth imbrace it And except it were in Rome the Schoole of errour as one of their owne Poets dooth truly witnes against them and the Temple of heresie of suche as haue bene nufled and brought vp in her Seminaries of tares I think it was neuer hard of which our pretended Catho héere would presume that Catholicisme and Poperie tho it be false religion yet should be fit to make a common wealth to florishe or that the Gospell tho it bée true as it is yet should be cause of infinite hurts discommodities to the state where it is receiued But because this is so boldly auouched let vs examine the reasons of this his confident and erronious spéech His proofes are first generall and of this sort he hath two argumentes Whereof the first is the experience bothe of other Kingdomes and of our owne which haue beléeued and receiued this his Romaine Catholike Faith and haue florished by it whereunto I aunswer if it were true that he affirmeth that they had so prospered yet he faulteth much in affirming that to be the cause of their prosperitie which was no cause For that being true which I haue alreadie sufficiently confirmed that a false worship and heresie can neuer be profitable to any commō wealth and people it being no lesse true Moses and Christ himself being witnesses that this Romain faith is a false worship full of superstition and Idolatrie and full of errour and heresy thē notwithstanding it were so that Kingdomes entertaning this heresie had prospered for a time yet should it neuer follow thereof that their Idolatrie had béene the cause of their prosperitie No more then the wicked abhominations of the heathen were cause why some of them haue prospered for a season and that more for
exhorting herevnto gathering to this end al the chief reasons which ought to ioyne vnite the faithful one with an other as one God one Lorde Iesu Eph. 4 4.5.6 one faith one baptisme one body one spirite one hope of their calling wold neuer haue forgotten this whervpon it seemeth by theÌ„ that al this vnity should depend of one supreme pastor whom all ought to obey As this reason of vnity is alleaged for the pope so is it for all the rest of his hierarchie the very image of the beast that is of the RomaÌ„e empire some shadow of the glory wherof this Antichrist would haue expressed in his Prelates after him to whom it hath as much reason as in himself Pity it is that in so faire and cleare a lighte of the day and in this fulnesse of the brightnesse of the sunne any state shoulde not sée that as not beeing appointed of God to be any meanes of the intertaining of good agreement in the Church so contrarywise thorow his wrath and iust iudgment for the peruerting of his lawfull and holy ordinances which onely should rule the church in these cases that it hath been and yet is the most effectuall instrument of Satan to hinder the prosperous and flourishing estate of the gospel For hereby in his supreame Vicar vppon earth he sitteth as the strong man of whome we reade in the Gospel harnesed and armed in the middest of his hall and Pallaice possessing al his house in peace till his weapons wherin he trusteth most whereof this is chiefe be taken from him by our sauiour Christe who is stronger then he and so cast out of his possession The ambition of P. and of the people hath béen one cause to vphold it so long who as the prophet coÌ„plaineth delight in it and take pleasure to haue it so that their priestes should exercise authoritie by their pomp increase the state honor of theÌ„ both An other the weakenes of iudgement euen in those which were wise who seeing worldly states thus gouerned and not knowing the ordinaunces of our sauiour Christe in this case thought it a thing conuenâ—ent And it is to be feared that the allowaunce of this popishe hierarchie springeth in some pretending to be Catholicke from a most bitter roote as seeing hereby that thorow the giftes they receiue of them they shall alwayes haue them at commaundement to apply religion as may be fittest to serue their turn But wheÌ„ the Lorde shall of his goodnes vouchsafe to weâ—de out this roote of wormewood out of their harts and to lighten their eies with true knowledge they shall see both that to be true which hath been in this matter declared and further that this supremacy and whole hierarchy as it is no meanes of vnity in trueth so is it the very cause of keeping out the truth in so many places and detaining the knowledge of God vniustly and in captiuitie For whereas the fathers in their couÌ„cels bind themselues by a solemne oth to do nothing against the present state of the Pope and his Church and that the greatest parte of the abuses which are to be reformed in the Church of Rome are such as their supreme pastor his Hierarchy are guilty of if they call neuer so manye counsels for the purpose Vrspergensis yet if they be sworne vowed one to another to maintaine al their abhominatioÌ„s stil and yet all men be to follow the determination of the pope his prelats what hope is ther that euer they shold condemne them selues their gainful errors what losse soeuer it be to the world For as if things were reformed according to the truth of the Gospel his fatherhood shold part with his triple crown and leaue his riding vpoÌ„ mens shoulders so euery member of his body for his place in it must make lesse of more theÌ„ they would be willing to parte withall Wherefore their couÌ„cels are but for the establishing of their own kingdoÌ„ in the world And as are their general councels such are their national lesser synodes of like men for like purposes To consult of the best way for the reformation of abuses of furthering the seruice of God and of his people not a worde is amongst them For the chiefe abuses are in themselues It were to be wished therfore that all Christian P. or if suche as pretend to bee catholique wil not yet at the least they which make holy profession of the trueth of the Gospell as farre as this aduise may be necessary for them regarded the reformation of so great abuses and established the onely lawfull discipline in the Church which is the meane that Christ hath appointed for the kéeping of the vnity of the spirite in the bonde of peace Further where he blameth vs to receiue no mans exposition but our owne and to despise councelles he is to vnderstande that wee receiue the exposition of anye man bee he neuer so simple whiche is agreeable to the word of God We allow desire we hold expedient and necessarye lawfull holy méetings of conferences of synodes councels would most willingly that our cause might be debated in a free lawful and generall Councell Which woulde to God we might see if it be the Lordes good pleasure so assembled and ordered by the meane of Christian Princes as the worde of God preuailing and all our controuersies taken awaye there might be but one flocke and one solde as there is but one shepheard Christe Iesu And if this cannot be obtained wtout most vnequal conditions of appointing him to be iudg of our cause whoÌ„ we are to charge before God his whol parliment of saints and the reuerend assembly of such a generall and frée counsel as we according to Gods word do desire to be the very same Antichrist whom the scriptures foretold shold come for iust punishmeÌ„t of the wicked by hauing power to seduce into errors apostasie suche as had not the loue of the truth and the very head of that harlot whom S. Iohn painteth out in her colours in the reuelatioÌ„ which hath made al kingdoms drunk with the cup of her fornicatioÌ„s we must for that remit ourselues to the gret day of trial wheÌ„ Christ shal come with thousands of his mighty angels to iudg the quick the dead and before men angels before heaueÌ„ earth al creatures bearing witnes of his iustice giue sentence with vs against our aduersaries But if this so greatly to be desired throw their vnreasonable demaÌ„ds to be iudges in their own cause being to stand arraigned endited of high treason against God al the states of christendom theÌ„ wold to God yet it might be obteined of such christian P. as profes the gospel that there might be a general free councel of al the churches wtin their dominions The benefit wherof thorow the blessing of god must néeds be inestimable both to the preseÌ„t state of the church
make the Temporall Prince heade of all whiche is oftentymes a child and maie easely bee driuen as the windes shall blowe hym Wherein he doeth vs as greate wrōg as in the former For as he vniustly charged vs there with not obeiyng any Pastour not receiuyng the expositions of the Fathers nor determinations of Councels who teache obedience to all lawfull Pastors and bothe receiue and vse all other good meanes to the vnderstandyng of the holie Scriptures as farre as thei maie so helpe vs and especially of the lawful Councelles and learned Fathers though wee giue no Pastour the place of Christ nor any Councel or Father that which is due onely to the word of God So likewise he doeth in this place chargyng vs to giue to Caesar that whiche is due to GOD. True it is we acknowledge the lawfull Kinges Queenes of this land in respect of any earthly power to be next and immediatly vnder God and our Sauiour Christ ouer all persons and in al causes as well Ecclesiasticall as ciuill supreme heads and gouernours that by their authoritie all the will and cōmaundements of GOD maie bee executed and obeyed Wherein nothyng lesse is ment then to derogate from our Sauiour Christ any parte of the hye honour and prerogatiue that appertaineth to the Kyng of Heauen whiche is to subdue our spirituall enemies vnder our feete to animate and quicken the whole body with his most holy Spirite giuyng life and strength to euery parte and member of the bodie to doe that worke for which it is placed in it or to rule it otherwise then he hath appointed But the meanyng is to acknowledge in them that iust and lawfull authoritie whiche the Churche of Roome taketh from them and whiche GOD hath giuen vnto them and all the noble Kynges of Israell and Iuda did with good right and interest exercise and inioye Wee are farre frō perswadyng our Princes to take the holy Censures into their handes a presumption for whiche Vzza the Kyng was striken with Leaprosie by the hande of God But yet wee acknowledge as wee ought notwithstanding thei doe not exercise nor maie not exercise the office of the Ministerie in their owne persones yet are thei the Lieutenauntes of God to see hym worshipped and obeyed by all persones as thei ought to obeye hym and by punishment to force the Transgressours to the doyng of suche duttie as belongeth vnto their places and callyng And thus we read that Dauid and Sulomon Ezekia Iosius and other worthie Kynges did Who reformyng the state of Religion whiche had been polluted and defiled before with shamefull Idolatries appoincted the Priestes and Leuites euery one to doe his office accordyng to his function and charge Agreeably whereunto the Apostle teacheth that euery soule ought to bee subiect to the hyer powers Whereby it is manifest that he comprehendeth the Ministers of what name soeuer thei bee as well as others And our Sauiour Christ submittyng hymself vnto them what professour is it that should not obeye them but suche a Seruaunt as will be better then his Lorde and suche a Scholler as will bee aboue his Maister Herein therefore we giue nothyng vnto them but theirs whiche God the Lorde of all hath bestowed vpon them And therefore if a Childe as Iosias was be Kyng wee acknowledge and reuerence the authoritie in hym aswell as in Dauid or Salomon Wherein wee yeelding our obedience to God and to that authoritie which GOD hath sett ouer vs can giue hereby no cause of innouations as he blameth vs or daungerous hazardes to a Common-wealth nor hinder any good meanes of keepyng the Churche in a holie vnitie But monsterous in deede is the heade whiche thei make appoinctyng one man sometymes who often were vnfitte for any little charge to bee heade and gouernour of all the worlde and that in all causes bothe Temporall and Spirituall A thyng without all comparison more vnfitt and absurde then if a Sculler should bee taken from the Thames to be made Admirall of all the Ocean Sea Nay a thyng vtterly impossible for the infinite varietie of tongues and of causes and the great distaunce of places And what power doe thei attribute to this monstrous head of the worlde surely that which thei can not giue without beyng giltie of blasphemie and high Treason against our Sauiour Christe in makyng common his regalities and honors of giuyng Lawes to the Church ruling the conscience and sittyng in the middest of the Temple of God with the Vicar of Rome whiche maie not be attributed neither to any man of what giftes soeuer nor to any Angell or creature in the worlde Moreouer thei offende also against the state of worldlie Princes withdrawyng their alleagiaunce from thē as a nomber of them doe now from her Maiestie to giue it to this head and raising for it many Insurrections Rebellions and Treasons in the state and many quarrelles contentions and Scismes in the Churche Wherefore seyng that the true causes of all holie vnitie and agreement are with vs and not with them that is the obediēce to God and his holy word and a desire of free Christian and lawful cōferences Sinodes and Councelles and that the promises of blessyng are giuen to the precious faith we holde and not to their wicked false worshippe I conclude that these his general reasons are vtterly insufficient to proue that benefite by meanes of vnitie to bee in their Romishe faith for a Commonwealth whiche he pretendeth or to disproue it to be in the Gospell of our Sauiour Christe which through his grace we professe Now he proceedeth to particuler commodities of a Chistian state Particuler commondities alleadged to growe to a Common wealth by Poperie which he saith their Religion bryngeth vnto it and ours the contrary inconueniences makyng the comparison in our owne Countrey Which if I graunted all yet were not his generall position true that their Religion doeth make a Commonwealth to prosper and ours doth hinder it sufficiently proued For Idolatrie and Paganisme maie in some respect bryng a commoditie whiche true Religion will not yeelde Shall wee then esteeme Religion by that whiche in some one regarde is best for our ease profite and peace Ieroboam perswaded the tenne Tribes by suche a like reason to leaue the true Religion whiche GOD had deliuered vnto them by Moses and the Prophetes and to receiue the worshippe of the Idolles whiche he had errected because his Idolatrous Religion brought them this particuler commoditie that thei might tarie at home in their houses and auoyde greate charge cost and expenses in goyng from Dan or Bethel the vttermost partes of the lande of Israell to worshippe in Ierusalem whereas the other required of them at certaine tymes in the yeare to leaue all they had with greate perrill and daunger of beyng spoyled of all in their absence as he would haue had them to think and to take a greate and costly iourney to their so greate expenses and trauaile Yet
was not Ieroboams Religion therefore the true Religion and the other false no nor more profitable for theim For whether was it more profite to enioye onely for a shorte tyme the ease in tariyng at home and to saue the trauaile and coste of goyng to Ierusalem then by obeiyng the Commaundement of God in yeeldyng to hym the seruice whiche he required to depende vpon hym and thereby to bee assured to haue safely kepte that whiche for the present thei enioyed and to dwell in the lande accordyng to the promise bothe thei and their posteritie for euer Or whether brought theim greater hurte in the ende true Religion whiche required their trauell and coste to worship at Ierusalem or Ieroboās Idoll whiche in the ende did caste them out of the lande and their children for euer leadyng them captiues into Assiria and makyng theim subiecte to the iuste punishement of euerlastyng death To haue tarried still in Egipt seemed to some to stande better with the wealthe and prosperitie of the people of Israell to enioye that thei had gotten there the space of fower hundred yeres thei had dwelte in it then with so many troubles carriages of their housholde stuffe and cattell into so huge a deserte to worship there But the seruice of GOD required it and in the ende it was farre more proffitable for them For in steede of beeyng slaues to the Egyptians who putt them into their Bricke houses of Claie and into their Furnace of Iron thei obtained a goodlie lande of their owne where thei dwelte as a free people euery one sitting vnder his owne Vine and drinkyng the water of his owne Well Abraham might haue thought it better to haue tarried still in Vr of the Chaldeans then to go thence he knewe not whether Yet the obedience of GOD required hym to leaue his owne Countrey whiche the Idolatrie of his Countrey did not exact of hym And in the ende not onely in regard of the life to come but euen of this life it fell out to his farre greater benefite then if he had not borne that harde condition as it seemed at the firste and tarried still For after and by this meanes GOD made Abraham a Father of many Nations his Seede as the Sande of the Sea and the Starres of heauen in multitude naie he gaue hym a sonne in whom bothe he and all Nations should bee blessed So the Apostles were cōmaunded to leaue all and followe Christ as in some sorte many other oftentymes are likewise to doe A hard Religion would this man saie and standeth nether with any reason or pollicie but is against their commoditie and best estate yet is not Christes Religion therefore to bee impugned For whatsoeuer it requireth yet is it the onely true Religion and therefore that whiche onely hath the promise of the blessyng of God annexed vnto it as the Apostles finally proued and all shall likewise proue whiche followe hym It semed good policie to some of the kinges of Iuda to be in league with the mightie kyng of Assiria and to confederate them selues with the people of the natiōs whiche true Religion did not suffer nor allowe yet was it not the lesse the onely true Religion no nor had not been in the ende lesse profitable for their state For if thei had obeyed God and depended vpon hym then had thei continewed the Kyngdome in their lande whereas euen by their pollicie thei were caste out of it and despersed abroade Thei had been better to haue contented them selues Esa 8. with the softe runnyng and shallowe water of Silo whiche thei so muche despised for then thei had not been carried awaie to Babell But Euphrates was a goodlie deepe water a swifte flood a noble streame therefore thei desired to drinke of it and to washe theim selues in it but to their owne destruction For this strong streame tooke their feete from them carried them awaie into captiuitie There are many whiche by suche wicked pollicies forslow yea neglect the reformation of Superstition of Idolatrie of Popishe abuses and enormities of the Churche within their Dominion Thei are afraied innouations should breede daunger to their estate and therefore thei choose rather with the indignation of God to let al alone and suffer a state once established so to continue then to alter abuses and disorders though GOD and true Religion require it Yet shall suche pollicies in the ende be founde to haue no sound wisedome in theim when GOD accordyng to his woorde shall visite suche a Nation and bee auenged of them for all their impieties By like reason a man that liketh not of christianitie because thei muste suffer persecution whiche will liue godlie in Christ Iesu and because the waie is straight and narrowe maie with as good colour pretende to haue iuste matter to refuse it But christian faithe and the narrowe waie in all holie and sound wisedome are notwithstandyng to bee chosen and the broade waie wherein a man seemeth to walke at his ease for a season to be refused For in the ende he shall proue it true whiche Salomon saieth that there is a waie whiche seemeth good vnto a man the ende whereof is destruction as there are lippes that still Honie but the feete of the same bodie leade into hell It is therefore meere profaunesse Atheisme to measure religiō by euery commoditie and so farre to receiue it and so ofte to chaunge it as in the vaine discourse of fleshe and blood it seemeth to stande or not to stand with our profite For this is the profane spirite of Esau to make but a pollicie of Religion and a seruaunt to our selues But true Religiō is to be receiued for it self because God hath cōmaunded it and so farre and in suche sorte as he hath prescribed what daungers or discommodities soeuer profane infidelitie and the foolishe discourse of the naturall man whiche as the Apostle Peter saieth is poore blinde and can not se farre of in these matters shall fancie and imagine Naie though in deede for triall of our faithe more precious then gold and for the honour of his name in our patience the Lorde should see it good to excercise his people with sundrie afflictions for how soeuer for suche secrete and yet alwaies iuste causes the Lorde shall see good to deale with any Nation yet in the ende if thei serue the Lorde thei shall finde it to bee moste for their comforte bothe in this life and in the life to come And therefore this remaineth alwaies firme that whatsoeuer the naturall man and carnall pollicie shall iudge yet true Religion in the groundes of the doctrine and in the exercise and practise of it is not contrary to the florishyng estate of a commonwealth but bothe in the nature of it and by meanes of the promise of blessyng annexed vnto it is the Religion by whiche alone Kyngdomes and Common-wealthes maie truely prosper and florishe Thus wishyng to bee vnderstoode of all men that Religion is to
bee imbraced for Religions sake and not for policie and that therefore how soeuer it please GOD to deale with those whiche shall receiue it in this life thei are notwithstandyng to abide by that truthe whereby onely their soules maie bee saued to euerlastyng life and also that the doctrine and practise of true Religion bothe by the nature thereof and by reason of the promise of blessyng annexed to it aboue is the only religion which may prosper a K. or common wealth therefore no false worship what shewe so euer it may haue of some particuler cōmodity for a season can in trueth and in the end proue commodious to it I proceede further to answeare that he obiecteth of certayne particular commodities and discommodities of our holy faith and their Idolatrous superstition The first point he dealeth with is of restitution of goodes wrongfully gotten An answeare to the first point of the aduersaries profitable doctrine for a common weale which their Churche he saith teacheth so precisely as neither by absolution nor dispensation of any Prelate hee may bee pardoned without will of restitution but dying so is esteemed a reprobate and not prayed for in their Churche And this faith hee is their doctrine the commodities whereof hee adioyneth but first let vs examyne both our doctrines That their doctrine and practise is such as hee here affirmeth I deny for they haue sundry waies to hinder the actuall restitution of goodes wrongfully gotten Whereof that is chiefe and principall whiche hee heere denieth of the dispensations of the chiefe Prelate for if his Fatherhoode may dispense with the sinnes to be committed in time to come and giue a sealed pardon afore the offence as it is notoriously knowen to all the worlde he taketh vpon him to doe if neede be the buls thē selues may bee shewed other most sufficient and strong proofes of it are to be made then in case of any wrōg extortion theft vsury brybery Symony or such like after committed he hath his pardon afore hand and is dispensed with for it many yeares before hee haue done the deede Further he that may dispense with the greater may surely pardō the lesse but his Fatherhoode taketh vpon him to dispense with greater sinnes then these for proofe wherof all the world is wittnesse of his dispensation with marriage of the neece and that he gaue leaue to the brother to marry with his brothers wife can not hee then dispence wiih a petilarcin or a bribe What power they affirme hee hath herein appeareth by theyr shamelesse Flatterers that attribute vnto him power to dispense with al things and that what soeuer GOD maye geue pardon of that may hee As for his owne prophane holinesse it is as the Canons say a Sacriledge to dispute of his doynges whose offences sayeth the Canon are to be excused as the thefte of the Hebrewes the murders of Sampson and the incest of Lot If the Pope bee a Theefe or an Extortioner and yet to be excused as the Israelites then if he dispense with all he maye not bee accused And if his murder and incest bee not to bee iudged who shal iudge him for giuing pardon for extortion Their Canons teache that hee hath full power of God to dispense aboue right and lawe and make iustice of iniustice in chaunging and correcting of rightes He alone hath the right to take from one and giue to another all the worlde is his Dioces he is the ordinary of all hauing full and entyre power in thinges spirituall and temporall For he is L. of L. and K. of K. hauing the right of K. ouer his Subiectes Hee is all and aboue all and it is necessarye to Saluation to bee Subiect to the Pope of Rome seeyng that God the Pope haue but one consistory I am loth to turne vp this dunghill and such lyke the odyous noysome stinke whereof may infect the worlde but that as the Prophete saith their owne dung is to be caste in their faces What a shamefull and Diuelishe presumption is this to take vppon him these things and yet this man woulde make vs beleeue that no Prelate can dispense for goodes vniustly gottē True it is that they cannot indeede but that he taketh vppon him to be able to doe it is too too manifest For besides that hath beene alleadged out of the Canons if wee regard either his dealing in this age or in former times we shal find he hath not onely giuen pardon for the doing of it but expresly commanded committed such violent wrongful oppressiōs what part of Europe hath not the Pope oppressed with as grieuous exactions as euer Roboam did Israel His little finger hath been heauier to the people which admitted his tyrannie then the whole bodie of any other tyrant For they haue beaten their people with rods but he hath scourged them with whippes of wyre Oftentimes both this noble Island other greate states kingdoms of the West haue groned vnder these his burdēs as the Israelites did vnder the exactions of Pharao the Egyptians grieuously complained of thē besides many vniust paimēts which he hath imposed vpon the people he hath not spared to do wrōg to Princes thēselues that in their regal crownes dignities taking thē from whom he liked to spoyle bestowing them vpon whō it pleased him as sundry exāples of the K. of Englād of France yea of the Emperours doe aboundantly testifie yet he wil seeme an enemy to thefte and himselfe cōmit spoiles robberies like those which the pirate obiected to Alexander The warre for recouery of the holy land the Pope hath bin Author incourager of with giuing for that purpose pardons of sins to al that would fight in the quarrell of what an infinitie of warres vniust oppressions haue they beene causes both in other places in the West Indies wherby their own story since the inuasiō of such as he hath sent thither hath bin partly by warres partly by cunning and crafty dealing toyling the people with extreame labor to the death wasted cōsumed of that poore and harmles people 1500000. But these warres they will say were lawfull tēding to the inlarging of the faith of Christ which is cleane contrary For besides that if they receaue that faith he bringeth they shal be litle the better if it were indeed the true faith of Christ which they would plant there yet for that reason it were not lawfull to inuade a people with whom there is no cause of any other iust quarrell For God hath as wel determined the dominions of Princes as he hath the possessions of priuate mē without which parke wherin they are impaled by him they may not walk without iust cause of their necessarye defence Wherefore this was very bolde that hee durste affirme no Prelate to haue power to forgiue it Nay not onelye the Pope taketh this vppon him but euerye hedge Priest will vsurpe a
the blessing of God be sufficiently prouided to attende their studies for the seruice of the people in the ministerie of the gospel it is a most necessarie dutie which the people owe to them againe to see that they suche as depēd vpon them may sufficiently honestly liue in theyr seruice as may be seemly for the good credit of the worthie calling which God hath called them vnto The contrary whereof as I haue said wee haue from thē who by impropriating the liuings of the Ministers from the places where vnto they appertein haue left the ministery so marueylously vnprouided as that in some places there are to be found many parishes together whereof all the liuings that now remaine to thē for such vse are not sufficiēt for the compitent maintenance of one man his family which lamentable estate of our ministery must needs be an infinite hinderance to the Gospel both in the iustice of GOD who will punishe so great a contempt of his worde and so carelesse a negligence of the saluation of the people and also in the nature of the thing it selfe For by this occasion such as are in some acceptable measure able to doe good seruice in the ministery withdrawe themselues from it For perceyuyng it to bee suche a calling as besides the manifolde burdens lying vpon all faithfull ministers dooing their duties is subiect to beggerie also and the discredit and other inconueniences that followe it they bestowe them selues in some other lawefull calling wherein doeing their dueties they may be able to liue both in wealth and credite by which meanes this insufficient and vnlearned ministerie whiche nowe so pestereth the land is entred into the possession of the Churche to the infinite hinderance of the Gospel and the losse of thousandes of the soules whiche Christ Iesu hath redeemed with his precious blood Which spoyle of the Church notwithstanding it to be so sore a wound as yet since the beginning of the restoring of the gospel amongest vs could not bee healed yet our hope and most humble prayer to God is that her maiestie by your HH mediation vnto her highnesse may so relieue it with her precious balme so binde it vp with her gracious handes as in time it may bee cured healed againe I am bolde to speake of your H H. mediation in this cause as in other places of such like because the dutie I owe to Almightie God and to the Lorde Iesu his only begotten sonne whom I am called to serue doth necessarily inforce me to it But it doth greatly comfort incourage mee in the performance of so necessary a duetye that I doubt not but your godly wisedomes doe consider the seruice of GOD to bee the right ende and vse of the high and honourable seates wherein hys owne right hande hath placed you Which the Lord ingrauing in your noble and Christian mindes surely hauing of God this honorable fauour to be so neere her highnesse your HH will godly and faithfully aduise her grace both of the necessary cause of the redresse of suche other matters and namely of this that all the people vnder her H. Dominions may haue the meanes by a godly sufficient learned ministerie planted amongest them to come to the knowledge and faith whereby they may the better obey God and her Ma. and saue their soules for euer to euerlasting life Whiche so necessarie seruice of Almightie GOD of her Excellente Maiestie and of the Churche of Christe amongest vs as it is nowe attended and looked for of your HH into whose handes not next vnder her Highnes God hath committed the managing guiding of this noble state and kingdome so no doubt but in that day it will be required when the Lord shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead Wherefore my good LL. as before in the behalfe of the whole Church professing the Gospel so now agayne for the Churche within her Ma. moste noble dominions of Eng. and Irel. I moste humbly vpon my knees beseech your HH to take so to hart this estate of the Church and ministery amongest vs that all abuses beyng remoued good order established all duetifull subiects may besides all other blessinges whiche nowe they enioy by your LL. meanes haue this so woorthy a cause also to prayse GOD for hauing sette so Godlye and H. Gouernours ouer them It hath a promyse to breake the Bread vnto the hungrye and to make the thrysty drinke and not to turne away the eare from him that cryeth for reliefe in his necessity Nowe so it is that this Churche in manye of her children cryeth for bread euen for the bread of life and there is no man that breaketh it vnto thē the tongues of many cleaue to their roofe for thirst whiche they are in daunger to perish in and no man giueth them the pure water of life to quicken their soules And as our Churche heretofore by other meanes hath cryed oftentimes euen till shee haue almost lost her voyce so now agayne she cryeth by this most humble supplication to your Honours to regarde her necessitie if wealth peace wisdome authoritie or any other thing be needeful for this worke the Lorde hath bountifully furnished the lād with al that needeth Some reasonable way without the iniurie of any might by your wisdomes be found whereby euery parishe might recouer againe their own to the maintenaunce of a worthy ministerie amongste them Alas that for anye cause so manye soules of the people committed to your charge should perishe Wherfore my good Lords turne your eares I beseech you to heare the humble suite of this Church that the Lord your redeemer may turn his eares vnto you in the day when you shall call vppon him So shall the saued soules of thousandes prayse God for you so shall the Lord blesse you and your noble posteritie and so both all this and suche other slaunderous mouthes shall be stopped which are now so wide open against vs. To the aunswering to whome I returne againe for my moste humble request relying vpō the godly zeale and wisdomes of your Honours 6. of raysing of rents The sixt Article is of raysing rentes which hee saieth their religion prohibiteth except vpon some great cause and with great moderation euen to the solemne cursing of them and woulde insinuate that ours alloweth it The cōmoditie of which not raysing of rentes aboue measure and to the extreame vsing of the Tenauntes he saieth is manifest to bee great in a common wealth For the commoditie that commeth of it I graunt but for the doctrine I affirm that ours doeth in no sorte more fauour any extreame raysing of rents then theirs A moderate rysing of them in the raysing of the pryces of all other thinges wee allowe as they doe when it is necessarye and moderate for otherwise it shoulde bee better with the Tenante then with the Lord. And them selues when they let their farmes of the old rent were wont to binde