of that opinion that to despise the Sacramentes is a moste heinouse trespasse when you vnderstoode that there was a man in the worlde so lewde and wicked that he woulde goe aboute to take awaie and abolish this most worthie pleadge of the loue of God this most sure staie of all Christian Religion conteming in it all the graces and benefittes of God could you I saie speake familiarly vnto him could you salute him gentelly could you shewe him anie token of loue Haue you neuer reade in S. Iohn that he that saieth good morrowe to wicked menne is become partaker of their wickednesse But you haue not onely spoken familiarly to this Martyr but also commended him aboue the skies and you haue saied that that same golden couple of olde men were brought into your Iland by the prouidence of God to shine ouer you which had alreadie the goodly brightnesse of the newe sonne risen emongest you with a muche cleeter light Are you so sottish M Haddon that you vnderstande not howe muche you haue disteined your estimation by that countenaunce and shewe of gentlenesse towardes him For what can be more infamous then to be familiare with a fraÌ„tike and naughtie felowe But if you like his Doctrine also then is it plaine that you keepe not the Sacramentes at al for so much as you haue vppon an vnsetled pange without al order wisedome or discretion taken awaie the greatest Sacrament and that that is of al other most wonderfull Whie then say you that you wonder if there be any kind of professours in diuinitie in the worlde that despiseth and setteth at naught the Sacramentes But let vs now consider the description of your Church the which you set before our eyes to behold that we may vnderstand by it that you haue had none other maister in Religion but only the holy Ghost You say thus First of all bicause faith is by hearing we sende downe into all partes of our realme teachers of the holie Scriptures to instructe the people in all pointes of godlines and to infourme them in the true woorshipping of God Out of what fountaine sprang these Doctours If they came out of the schoole of Luther Bucer or Caluin they can teach the people no godlines being them selues open enemies to all godlinesse It were therefore muche more tolerable to haue no doctours at all then to be infected with the most corrupt Doctrine of wicked menne If they sprang out of any other heade then is it manifest that there is not emongest you any one and simple Doctrine but diuerse opinions fondly iarring within them selues It followeth Then haue we a common order of praier out of the holie Scriptures confirmed by the authoritie of a Parlament for so doe they terme the consent of the estates of our Realme from the which we suffer no man to depart By what order lawe or authoritie is this done that a Councel or as you cal it a Parlament should so impudently vsurpe the office of the Catholike Churche to make orders for praiers prescribe how religion ought to be vsed and not suffer any man to depart from the order which it hath decreed For in holie thinges it is not lawfull for these menne to geaue lawes but to take lawes For otherwise they shall disturbe the common weale if they wil not content them selues with their owne vocation but will thrust them selues into other mens doinges and they shal marre Religion if they will in matters apperteyninge to them onely that susteine the personne of the Churche take vppon them to meddle and transpose the dignitie of Priestes to them selues You say afterwarde Prouiding both in the one and in the other so muche as we coulde that the commaundement of the holie ghost be obeied the whiche willeth that such as speake in the Churche should vse the word of God and that there should be one common and agreable Doctrine emongest them all You doe verie wel vndowbtedly But wherehence riseth this so great debate and hourlie bourly for Religion in your Churches Wherefore are the confessions and Credes so often chopped and chaunged in places where Luther hath had a great name And we prouide saie you that the Sacramentes be ministred verie neere vnto the prescribed order of the holy scriptures and according to the example of the old Church in the whiche our Lorde Iesus Christ first ordeined them himselfe with his Apostles O valiant men worthie to be commended aboue the heauens O glorious attempte O liuelie courage of lustie blouddes the which thought yt not ynoughe to approche neere vnto the holines of the olde Church but they would presse euen at the verie hard heales of them It followeth All these thinges are set out in our owne mother tongue bicause it is a great madnes for a man to babble out before God he can not tell what and it is directely againste the most wholesome doctrine of S. Paule and all the auncient examples of the Apostolike Churches It is not you only that teache such as vnderstand not the Latine to praie in their owne tongue For we also doe not suffer such as are ignorant in the Latine speach to serue God but only in their own mother tongue and there are manie bookes of praiers and holy scriptures writen not by Parlament as you call it but by holie Priestes the whiche being firste examined by the prelates of the church are sent abroad euerie where and by them are children women and simple folkestrained in the knowledge of their dewtie towardes God And the thinges that are thus written they are not taken out of euerie mans fantasie but out of the holie Scriptures and out of the writinges and examples of holie men So that there lacketh not omongest vs anie discipline of manners nor example of vertue nor good bringing vp in true religion to al such as coulde not imploie them selues to the studie of learning We haue also manie sermoÌ„s by the whiche men are stirred vp to the loue of godlines and religion But in preaching we vse much discretion and warines that none of those questions be opened emongest women and ignorant folkes which are not verie necessarie vnto saluation and yet maie quickely intangle their mindes with verie troublesome dowbtes and scruples For as S. Gregorie of Nazianzene saieth verie wisely it is not conuenient to reason and dispute of God neither to al men neither in the presence of all men neither at all times neither of all matters neither without good discretioÌ„ For there is required to the doing of this thinge a meruâ—lous cleanes of sowl and body a veri calme and wel setled mind good time coÌ„uenient oportunitie earnest zeale much fearfulnes and exceding great moderarion For ther is no man so simple that he can not vnderstand the difficultie of euery question but there are few so witty that they caÌ„rid theÌ„ selues out of the briers when they are once fallen in And this is the cause whie
Waulter Haddon did excel in the knowledge of the ciuile law â–ª we did not in so saying geaue him authoritie to expounde the holie Scriptures wherein he is altogether ignorant I woulde now demaunde of you what matter was S. Peter about when he said that the king was the more excellent personage Was he about the gouernment of Churches or thinges apperteining to religioÌ„ No doubtles but abowte ciuile gouernement the which he would not haue to be disordered by anie sedition What goeth S. Paul about when he commaundeth vs to submit our selues to all powers The selfe same thing that S. Peter doth And to confirme that he sheweth that all power is ordeined and appointed by God And to teache vs that this is our bownden dewtie by the law of God he saieth Geaue therfore to al men their dewe Tribute to whome you owne tribute custume to whom you owe custume feare to whome feare is dewe and honour to whom honour apperteineth It liketh not the Apostles to haue anie sedition or broile in the coÌ„mon weale or anie thing that maie distourbe the peace and good order And therfore although Princes were at that time verie ill affected towardes the moste holie ordinauÌ„ces of Christ yet in matters apperteining to the ciuile gouernment they coÌ„maund al Christian men not only to obey their Princes but also to make their huÌ„ble praiers vnto God for their good estate S. Peter therfore gaue not vnto the king in calling him more excellent the supreme authoritie in the Church neither did anie man euer dreame of â–ª that besides you but he graunted vnto him the supreme power in the ciuile gouernment Tel me I praie you who helde the kingdome at that time when S. Peter wrote these thinges either it was Caius or Claudius or Nero. For Tiberius which was also a naughtie and vniust man as we maie coniecture was dead before Is this your iudgement then M. Haddon that Peter and Paul did commaunde that the President of the Churche shoulde doe nothing but by order of Caius or Claudius or Nero that he should reteine such Priestes onlie as they wuld haue and put away the rest if it liked the emperour that he should if there chaunced any difficultie or hard question in the Church referre it to Cesar or that to be short he should minister all the ceremonies and sacramentes of our religion according to Nero his pleasure If these thinges be voied of al wit and reason then is that your opinion whervpon these thinges doe necessaliy folowe suche that if you would studie for it you can not deuise anie thing more foolish and vnreasonable But you will saie that this sentence of S. Peter perteineth not to suche Princes as are enemies to the faith of Christ but only to Christian Princes If you saie so then are you of this mind that S. Peter gaue this coÌ„maundement to the Christians that so long as such men reigned as were not well affected towardes the name of Christ they shoulde not acknowledge their authority they should not regard their officers and magistrates they shoulde despise their lawes they shoulde like rebelles disorder the peace and tranquillitie of the common weale The which it were a verie great madnes to speake For then to what pourpose should S. Peter bring in this sentence afterward That you maie saieth he by well doing â–ª put the ignorance of foolish men to sileÌ„ce Doutlesse if they had not obeied vngodlie Princes no man would haue ben put to silence by them but euerie man would haue set vpon them and that for their desert as vpon peace breakers and enemies to al good order If then neither the signification of the word requireth it neither wil reason beare it neither the comely diuision of the orders ecclesiasticall and temporal by anie meanes in the world suffer it that kinges should beare anie swaie in the Church what a straunge kind of flatterie was this in you to yeld vnto kinges a full power and supreme authoritie in Churches But what a shameles part is that in you to affirme by the authoritie of S. Peter and Paul that the authoritie of kinges is aboue al other authorities I graunt you that kinges are by the authoritie of S. Peter set ouer al rulers and gouerners in the ciuile gouernemeÌ„t but not ouer things apperteining to religioÌ„ not ouer the holi ordinaÌ„ces of the church not ouer the sacramentes and seruice made to appease the wrath of God And whereas you saie that we doe abuse th' authority of S. Peter and Paul to set vp the kingdome of the sea of Rome it is false For we leane to the wordes of Christ when we defend the authoritie of the bishop of Rome and who so euer doth violently wrest the most plaine woordes of Christe we iudge him to be a presumptuous felow we take him for an vnreasonable naughtie and wicked persone But before I procede vnto other matters I thinke it expedient briefely to signifie these thinges vnto you Dathan and Abiron for vsing violence towardes the Priestes of God were with a terrible noise and sodeine earthquake deuowred with all the coÌ„panie of their wicked complices Core in like manner with the rest of his conspiracie for taking vpoÌ„ them impudeÌ„tly and wickedly the office of Priestes were coÌ„sumed with sodeine fier Oza by cause he presumed a litle to staie vp with his haÌ„d the Ark of promise being like to fall was sodeinly stryken dead Ozias the king by cause he wold haue vsurped the office of a Priest was dissigured with the lepry Balsesar the king of BabiloÌ„ bicause he tooke the vessels that were appointed to holie vses and did vse them to riot aÌ„d baÌ„ket in lost in one night his kingdome his riches and his life But you neither doe you feare the euerlasting goulfe of hell neither doe you tremble at the thunder and fier of Gods wrath neither are you afraied of any punishment dewe vnto your rash presumpteousnes neither do you regard the leprie of perpetual infamie neither doe you take anie care lest ye be robbed and spoiled of the riches of the euerlasting kingdome together with the losse of your wordlie dignitie and temporal life But all these thinges not withstanding you leaue not to raile at the Popes dignitie What a mischiefe hatred is this towardes the Pope so crewell and so bitter that you repete one thing so often You say thus But you contend not only for the Popes scâ—ptre but also for his holy ordinaunces and Decrees â–ª as you esteeme them by the decaie whereof you thinke that all feare is vanished awaie out of mens heartes This is true For being once agreed that the authoritie of the Pope is good and godly it foloweth that we must obey his ordinaunces and lawes For as Kinges to whome God hath coÌ„mitted the ciuile gouernement in the common weale not contenting them selues with the holie scriptures suche as concerne the state of the coÌ„mon weale for
These thinges being thus determined I wil aske you a question what came into your braines to be so desirous to take al the volumes of the holy Scripture and without anie necessity ye with no smal daÌ„ger of the vnlerned people to coÌ„mit them to euerie iackestraw to expounde did you it to restreyne the pride of such as are base No you haue rather puffed vp their hartes incredibly causing them to coÌ„ceiue a false opinion of wisedome in them selues Was it done to cause a more feruent charitie emongest them No you haue rather forced the weake mindes to fall out within them selues through your diuers yea and contrary expositions of the law of God Was it done to set all thinges in good order No you haue rather ouerthrowen all good and auncieÌ„t order For now euery man is a prophete euerie man is a shepeheard euery maÌ„ is a doctour euerie man will prate in euerie place very vnsemely of matters of diuinitie euery maÌ„ wil babble what him listeth of the highest Mysteries the lowest pointe whereof is farre aboue his capacitie This is by like your prouidence wherby you haue taken quite awaie that silence which was vsed of olde time in the churches that bashfulnes whiche became honest matroues meruelously wel that modesty which kept the simple people verie wel in their dewtie And so it is come to passe that wheras you pretend to folow the wordes of S. Paul you bend your selues ernestly against his meaning What lacked there I praie you in the olde time that was necessarie to keepe honest heartes in a sobre discicipline Were there not lerned Priests the which were able to choose out of the holie mysteries so muche as was needful to saluation and so muche as they might declare vnto the ignorant people without daâ—nger Were there none to supplie the place of the vnlerned man and to answere Amen Was the sownd and wordes of the Latine tongue so straunge that no man vnderstoode it in all your Churches Needed there the authoritie of the Apostle to breake vp that disordered confusion of many tongues together when there was heard in the commoÌ„ praiers of the churches but one kind of speach only and that by long custome verie well knowen and commonly vsed If the vse of one common tongue ioyneth the mindes of men in one then was there nothing more agreable to the rule of Christ then that the seruice of God should be openly saied in one only tongue the which was in all churches of the west part of the world learned in scholes and practised in the dailie affaires and nothing lesse conuenient then that the seruice is now saied in so manie tongues as there are nations emongest whome men without learning without witte without religion take vpon them the office of expounding the holie Scriptures Wherfore neither was our simplicity so vnprofitable as you wise men thought it was neither is your prouident warines so wholesome as your maisters imagined it would haue ben For out of it are risen errours and disorders and a false opiuioÌ„ of wisedome whiche is the greatest madnes in the worlde with manie other discommodities Then you goe forewarde in the declaration of the doctrine of your Church saying We vse at the laying on of handes the celebration of mariage the churching of women after child bearing the visiting of the sicke and the burying of the dead solemne and publike seruice set out according to the truth of the ghospell Al the rest you comprehend verie briefely in one sentence perswading your selfe that it is sufficiently declared that you are not destitute neither of Sacramentes neither of anie other thinges apperteyning to religion You confesse plainely after that that you haue shaken of from you the yoke of the high Bishop or Pope bicause it was heauier then that either you or your fathers could beare it Your fathers and auncetours I know did beare it verie well and with great commeÌ„dation but youâ— graunt were not able to beare it For how had it ben lawful for you to breake violently into the monasteries to disanull the rules of monkes to deflower the holy and chast Virgins to deface like vngodlie and furious men al orders of religion to laie your greedy and violent handes vpon the Churche goods appointed to holie vses to pul â—owne all monumentes of vertue and godlines to ouerthrow the auncient Churche and to botch vp an other at your plesure if this yoke had not ben first taken of from your neckes You bring in a litle after Neither doe we acknowledge anie Bisshop but onlie our Lord Iesus Christe to whom the holy scriptures appoint this peculiar honour O worthie saying full of wonderful godlines and conteyning in it a most euideÌ„t proufe of heauenlie life What shal we doe to these meÌ„ which are so holie so vtterly void of al care of this present life that for the desire and loue of the presence of Christ him selfe they can not abide to see any Vicare of Christ vpoÌ„ the earth But lette vs see a litle This name of Christ doth it import the dignitie and office of a bishop only or elles doth it comprehende also the authoritie and maiestie of a King Surely it can not be denied that by the worde and meaning of Christ in this name of Christ is conteined the power both of a bishop and of a King Whie then doe you acknowledge any other king beside our Lord Iesus Christ Whie are you not so free and earnest to shake of this yoke that remaineth Whie suffer you this freedome of your gospell to be hindered through the power and authoritie of a King Whie doe you not as it hath ben already attempted in other places whiche are infected with the selfe same religioÌ„ bend your selues earnestly to make away the maiestie of a King for as you acknwolege one only high bishop so is it necessarie to obei one only King If you thinke it mete to haue an other king in th' earth as Vicare of that high and almightie king what is the câ—use whie you wold not haue an other bishop as Vicare of that most high and holy bishoppe But you wil say We haue bishops but we wil haue no high bishop Whie then it is not the name of a bishop but of a high bishoppe that offendeth you Wherefore thinke you then that the authoritie of a Kinges power whiche dowbtles is the highest is to be borne in England Are there not magistrates emongest you Is there not a publike counsel Haue you not Princes and Lordes Then take awaie the controuersie of the name and ther are in England a great many as there are also emoÌ„gest vs the which haue the authority of kinges although thei be not called by the name of Kinges Ymaginâ— therfore that they were certaine litle kinges What needed it then being so many kinges emongest you that there shuld be any one high or supreme king to restraine by his authority the other inferiour kings For if you
puritie you vsed in the doing of it For it is like that such fine and deintie felowes as you are were offended with our ceremonies the which peradueÌ„ture might seeme vnto you very stale and old and therefore you deuised other much trimmer then oures the whyche you haue brought not neere but as you terme it exceding neere to the very paterne of the gospel You say afterward that the Church matters are ordered by the bishops but when there iâ— ought to be decreed the diuines do determine it It is euident that you cal theÌ„ diuines who were brought vp vnder Bucer or Caluin Why then haue you diminished the right of bisshops for it perteineth to the bishops to determine the diuines haue no more to doe but only to assist the bishoppes with their aduise But you in geauing ouer the right of the bishops to the diuines declare that your bishops are no diuines Your bishops therfore are as the common report is not only poore scrapers and base felowes but also vtterly ignorant in the holie Scriptures And menne say that the principall cause whie they are chosen is that they muste content them selues with some scantling of their reuenewes and leaue the rest to be rifled of you vnder pretence of the Queenes escheker If this be not true you muste not blame me a man as you say your selfe vnacqueinted in the affaires of EnglaÌ„d but the false report of your il willers Yet this I warne you that you and such as you are doe susteine the great dint of this infamie For when you choose suche Bishops you make menne suspecte that you are greedie and coueteous You conclude at the length that both the administratioÌ„ of the bishops and decrees of the diuines are authorised by the confirmation of the Quenes Maiestie Whie then if there shalbe anie thing done by the bishops or els determined by the diuines that is not for the Queenes profitte that shal not be ratified Here you speake darkely I can not tel what of the Kinges of Israel as though the Priestes in olde time had done al thinges that concerned religion after the prescribed ordre of kinges the which is false You say afterward Then the gospel succeding and diuiding these powers in the first place it setteth the authoritie of Kinges and vnder it other powers by the authoritie of Peter and Paule whose names you abuse to set vp the kingdom of the sea of Rome O what a plague and destruction of common weales what a whirle wind and tempest to your most flourishing IlaÌ„d what an vtter ruine and decaie of al kingdomes and peoples is this that is comprised vnder the naughtines audacitie crueltie and coueteousnes of flatterers What wild beast can anie man deuise in the worlde more horrible and crewel then it is For what so euer the pleasure of Kinges standeth vnto be it neuer so wicked heinouse and vngodly be it not only hurtful to the common weale but also coÌ„trarie to al good and godly ordre it is made forthwith by those clawbackes whome thei cal to their counsel to be dewtiful iust commeÌ„dable religious most wholesome to the coÌ„mon weale and most acceptable to God The which thing is wel knowen to haue chaunced vnto king Henry who was vntil that time both for his vertue wit and deedes a moste noble and renowmed Prince For when as the king had coÌ„ceiued an earnest loue and also an earnest displeasure and was desirous both to satisfie his loue and also to reueÌ„ge the displeasure taken of the Pope who forbad the new mariage he was brought by the persuasion and authoritie of a certaine wicked man to beleeue that he was suprem head of al the Churches that are within the realme of England This thing was the vndoing of the bishop of Rochester and More and of other holie meÌ„ that abid extreme punishments if a most honorable death constantly suffred for the glory of Christ and establishing of religion may be called an vndoing From hence as out of a flouâ—dgate issued so many pestilent opinioÌ„s such a broile of sectes and heresies suche outrages of lewd felowes into the state of the Church of EnglaÌ„d to the great decay of the auncient custome But what was the place the which that most vile corrupter would abuse to proue it Submit your selues saith S. Peter to euery wordly wight for gods sake whether it be to the King as to the more excelleÌ„t personage or els to the rulers as sent froÌ„ God for the punishment of malefactours and coÌ„mendation of good men â–ª what other thing doth S. Peter in these words but only cut of al occasion of disordre and outrage for he would not that by the pretensed name of the libertie of the gospel the coÌ„mon weale should be disordered or the society of men by ciuil policie gathered together be dissolued And therfore doth he bind al ChristiaÌ„ men to the lawes and ordinaunces of menne so that they be not against the lawe of God He commaundeth seruantes to obey their maisters be they neuer so crewel womeÌ„ to obey their husbandes husbandes to honour their wiues children to obei their parentes â–ª parentes to loue their children and to prouide for their bringing vppe and mayntenaunce Finally the holie Apostle commaundeth that ordre both in commaunding and obeying be kept whether it be publike or priuat without any grudging or pretending of excessiue libertie The which ordre was to be kept of Christian men with so much the more diligence as it was coÌ„uenient that their vertue should shine more then the vertue of other menne The selfe same thing doth S. Paule when he warneth vs to submitte our selues to the magistrates and to obey the lawful coÌ„maundementes of Princes He teacheth maisters and seruantes parents and childreÌ„ housbands and wiues the very same lessons I demaund now of you what goodly pregnant wit is this of yours or rather of them that brought you into so great an errour that they would picke such a meaning as you speake of out of these words of S. Peter Did this word More excellent moue you to doe â–ª it Surely that were a manifest token of a verie great folie and extreme madnes For so do we saie in common spâ—ach that that man doth excell in nobilitie or is More excellent whiche is in deede verie noble although he be not of all other moste noble So doe we saie also that a man excelleth or is More excellent then other in vertue or learning or authoritie the which passeth other in these qualities although he passe not al the worlde in them The selfe same signification and meaning hath the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and such is the vse of it Moreouer when we saie that anâ—â— man excelleth in some one thing we doe not by and by in so saying yeald that he doth excel in al thinges but in that thing only whereof we spake If mention were made of the ciuile law and we would saie that M.
but railinge for argument madnesse for reason impudencie for true exaumples you keepe such a raginge stirre as though you hadde alreadi◠wonne the fielde with greate honour But we on the other side are wont to declare by authoritie of the holie Scriptures by testimonies of the holy Fathers by fetching the Monumentes and Recordes of al the Antiquitie finally by reason by vse by experience by a number of examples that thys kinde of gouernement hath allwaies bene in the Churche and that who so euer goeth about to appaire it is a breaker of peace an ouerthrower of Religion a woorker of sedition a puller downe of the Churche whiche is one and a fettor vp of diuers and sundrie churches diuersly sundered and diuided within them selues a bringer in of infinite most filthie vices and trowblesome errours As for the mart of Purgatorie which you speake of we answere you that there is no such thing If at any time in so many hundred yeares ther hath ben any bying and selling of holie thinges vsed the holie Churche alloweth it not but banisheth it out of the bounds of the Christian common weale as a most pestilent and pernicious abuse Likewise of Images we say that al we that liue in the holy catholik faith are able to prooue both by reasons argumentes and examples that euen frō the primitiue church especially after it might be done for tyrannes there hath ben Images set vp in churches to the euerlasting remembraunce of vertue to moue men to godlines and religion to the glorie and honour of Christe the whiche is seene in the wonderfull vertue of holie men We saie moreouer that the errour of those men that threw downe Images was condemned by manie authorities of the holy Fathers by diuers decrees of generall councels the whiche thing your maisters be they neuer so shameles can not denie vnlesse they wil first burne al the writinges of holie fathers al histories and records all the decrees of general Councels What shoulde I here reason of the reuerence and honour which was of old time geauen vnto sainctes Could you neuer spare a litle time from the fine woorkes of Accursius to bestow in the reading of Gregorie Nazianzene Basile the Greate Hierome and Ambrose If you coulde doe it you shoulde see it in their bookes howe many times godlie personnes came together in the olde time what resortes and assemblies there were made what eloquent Orations were pronounced in the commendation of Sainctes how greate multitude of the common people pressed thither to heare them But nowe if I woulde shewe you with what feruente zeale and deuotion verie many men were wont to continue all night at the Tombes of Martyrs it were a hard matter to expresse it None of al the holy Bishops in those daies did once put backe the common people from hearing the cōmendation of Martyrs no man disswaded them from that moste earnest deuotion towardes the Saintes no they did rather exhort al such as were present to visit their Monumentes to praise and honour them to obserue and keepe such woorshippe as was dew vnto them For they sawe in those assemblies when the name of Martyrs was sette out with heauenlie prayses that not the nature of the bodie but the grace of God and the almightie power of Christe him selfe was dewlie honoured in them For if the Christian menne in those daies kept the signes of the holie Crosse and the Images of Sainctes whiche were of deuotion sette vppe in Churches with such reuerence if they were oftentimes put in minde by those signes to plucke vppe their heartes and to remember the vertue whiche those domme Images did represente was it not muche more conuenient that the liuely Images of Christe shoulde be honoured with greater feruencie and that all suche as serued God truely and heartilie to doe this honour the better should visite the Tombes of Martyrs and Churches builded in the honoure of them And is it not euidently sene that the Sainctes are by the operation of the holy Ghost shapen to the likenes of God and that they beare a very true and expresse Image of Christ As touching your pastime that you make with Purgatorie for you must needes haue a snatche at euery thing can there be broughte any grauer testimonie against you then that which the manne that was sent as you saie from heauen hath geuen openlie Who is that saye you It is that Luther whome you honoure and reuerence whome you make a God whome you affirme to haue ben borne for youre saluation Hee sayed more then once or twise and abidde by it that there was a Purgatorie and that he did not weene thinke or beleue it but certainely knowe it to be so For proufe whereof he constantlie alleaged that place of S. Mathew where Christe said that the synne of suche as did wilfully resist the testimonie of the holie Ghoste shoulde neuer be forgeauen neither in this worlde neither yet in the worlde to come by the which wordes it is signified that some hope of forgeuenes is mercifully shewed by God vnto many men euen in the worlde to come He alleged also that place out of the Machabees where Iudas made oblations for the synnes of such as were departed With these and other the like argumēts and allegatiōs he was earnest to proue that there was a Purgatorie How then If Luther saied there was a Purgatorie and you will warrant it that Luther was sent from God and if he were sent from God so long as he was in that embassage he coulde not lie it is manifestly prooued by his authoritie the whiche you maie not gainsaie that there is a purgatorie If there be no purgatorie Luther lied If Luther lied he was not sent from God but from him that is the father of lying Choose therefore whether you like better For either the authoritie of Luther shal cōfirme that there is a purgatorie or els the feined tale of purgatorie as you terme it shall conuince Luther of vanitie and madnes But he afterward denied purgatorie That is no wonder For not only he but all his ofspring saie nowe one thing and now an other they correct and alter manie thinges neither can they staie them selues in anie one degree but rather when they haue once begonne an errour they heape and increase it with a numbre of other errours But I would faine learne of you M. Haddon whether of these two opinions whiche are mainteined both by Luther think you to be the truer The later saie you Well then the former he receiued not of God Then was he not as yet sent from God But after he had disteined him selfe with incestuous wedlocke after he had allured his contrei men to rebellion after he had defied chastitie and all holines after he had stirred vp such broile and sedition in the common weale that he coulde not appeace it him selfe afterward when he had railed against the state of the church with most reprochfull and
haue ben verie well alleaged of diuers godly and holy men to confirme this matter but if there had ben no such thing yet the faith of the holie Churche which hath alwaies continewed vndefiled euen from the Apostles tyme till our daies might haue suffised vs abundantly But you when you see most euident testimonies when you are not able to shift our argumentes when you are conuinced by the autoritie of the holy Fathers when you may see the agreement of the whole Churche yet wil you of an vncredible stubbornesse continewe in the wicked opinion which you haue once taken What shal I here say of prayers and vowes made in Sacrifice for the liue and the dead Is there any tyme in the which it is not lawful for ChristiaÌ„ men to vse charitie the perfection of whose Religion resteth in charitie Can there be deuised any greater deede of charitie then that wherein we praie vnto God most seruently for the saluation of our brethern Is there any tyme more meete and conuenieÌ„t to doe this holy woorke then that is when we goe about to appeace the maiestie of God not with the Sacrifice of brute beastes but with the bodie and bloude of Christe Is there any thing more agreable to the ordre of our Religion which doe beleeue that suche as departe out of this mortall bodie with true faith doe not die but lyue then to ioyne them with suche as remayne in this lyfe and to praye vnto Christe whiche was offered vppe for vs both for the lyuing as also for them that are departed out of this life Cal you this godlie point of Religion this holy worke of most feruent charitie this wholesome Sacrifice offered vppe not onely for vs but also for our brethern vnto whome wee are knit with an euerlasting bande of loue call you this I say the dishonestie of Religion Is this no outrage Is this no madnesse Is this no impudencie To refuse lawefull authoritie to breake the auncieÌ„t ordre of the Churche to deflowre holy virgins to robbe good matrones of their chastitie to cancell the verie remembraunce of of vertue ReligioÌ„ and iustice to queÌ„ch the loue of honestie and gentlenes to prophane and robbe Churches to take holy men and some to murder some to spoile and put to all the villanie in the worlde some others to bannishe out of their countrey to awrecke the malice your beare towardes godlines vpon the relikes of Sainctes to vaunt your selues like helhoundes in the waste and sacke of holy thinges shal this be accompted as honest and gloriouse shall this be esteemed as a matter worthie of immortal commendation and praise And to be bound to obeie authoritie grounded vppon the commaundement and ordinaunce of Christ to conserue the band of peace and concord to honour and reuerence the iustice and mercie of God ioyned together in one to cal to remembraÌ„ce the goodly monumentes of holines to offer vp that most holy and noble Sacrifice the vertue whereof we caÌ„ neither expresse with woordes neither yet conceyue in heart for the liuing and the dead and for the good estate of the whole Christian coÌ„mon weale shal this be such a dishonestie as may not be borne And yet you are not afraied to cal al these thinges the dishonour of Religion and to say that I am not ignorant by whome these thinges are cropen in but that I dissemble it to serue the eares of my compagnions Of lyke Sir all these thinges whiche you mislike and call the dishonestie of Religion were deuised and brought in by brothels and bawdes or elles by suche felowes as serue the bellie luste or vnstedfastnesse of the people for their commodities sake and not by the spirite of Christe and by most continent and holy menne in whome was the spirite of Christe But you are neuer able to prooue that you say For both reason and the testimonie of all antiquitie as also the authoritie of holy Fathers doe vrge and presse you yea and conuince you of impudencie but wee haue putte backe the violent pusshe of this your vngodlynesse and malice with argumentes most sure with testimonies most graue with examples most true Whereas you say that I speake otherwyse then I thinke to serue the eares of my compagnions I see well you are wel acqueinted with my behauiour I am lyke to be suche a man as would spend my tyme with all diligence to learne to flatter and to write not what I thinke but what I imagine may be best liked of my compagnions I besech Christe the iudge of the liuing and of the dead if I write not in matters concerning Religion those thinges which I thinke whiche I iudge to be true whiche I beleeue assuredly that he suffer me not to enter into that most gloriouse and euerlasting Citie of heauen and that he let me not to haue the ioyfull fruition of his owne light and brightnes for euermore For what is the Popedome els but a ministration of an authoritie which is lawefull and ordeyned by God What is our beleefe of Purgatorie but a declaration of Gods iustice and mercie together What is the honouâ— geuen vnto Sainctes but a reuerent consideration of the worke of God in the which appeereth the almighty power and bountifulnes of God muche more then in the making of heauen yea or in al the works of nature What are the praiers made in our Sacrifice for the liuing and the dead but a work of moste perfecte holinesse of moste excellent Religion of moste seruent charitie These be dishonest points which you haue takeÌ„ a way There is good cause why you should glorie in it and haue your name recorded with honor to al the posterity for you haue brought in for obeying of holy and lawful authoritie rebellion for the feare of purgatorie a rash aâ—fiaunce of licentiousnesse vnpounished for dewe woorshipping of Sainctes the contempte of holinesse and iustice for the religious obseruation of the most holie sacrifice and charitable behauiour of men a despising of religion and forgetting of charitie yea moreouer and this you haue brought in a scornfull laughter exceding al modestie together with a sawcie talke passing all ciuilitie Are these thinges comelie M. Haddon Are these thinges honourable Are these thinges to be commended Are these thinges to mabe a shewe of But you saie that the Bishoppes of Rome keepe warres that in Rome is kept a market of purgatorie that holie thinges are there set out to sale that manie men are to muche incombred with superstition in the woorshipping of Sainctes that Priestes liue not very continently and that they abuse their sacrifices now and then to their luker and gaine First of all as towching warres you must thinke that we can not of reason and equitie condemne all warres For they are some times begonne for the defence of Religion and maintenance of a iust cause As for the buying and selling of holie thinges if in so manie hundred yeares some suche matter haue ben vsed it
And in this place you are so chaused that you laie Sacrilege vnto Princes charges bicause thei wil rule the lawes of the Church â–ª and vnreuerently handle holy thinges Anon after you counsell me like a sage and graue man that I shoulde tempre my choler saying vnto mee O Maister Ierome be not ouer much disquieted Such great choler and wrath is not seemely in a Philosopher In this place M. Waulter if you dally you dally very stalely If you speake in earnest it is nothing true that you saie Neither was it angre whiche is a sodaine rage stirred through the opinion conceiued of dishonestie that could haue moued me to write those my letters for so muche as I was neuer prouoked to displeasure with so much as one rough worde of any English man but it was the loue of most holy Religion and the good wil I beare towards the Quene that moued me to send those letters and to aduertise her to eschew the danger that hanged ouer her and her Realme Neither is there any token of anger to be seene in my talke excepte you will cal a iust and lamentable complaint of the state of our moste vnhappie time angre But that that foloweth howe pretily it was spoken Take breath a little As thoughe you had with this your wonderfull force of talke so disquieted me that I coulde not take my breath Then that other saying of yours what a pleasante grace it hath Come to your selfe againe This is a foule rebuke For it seemeth to M. Haddon a wise man whose iudgement was alwaies simple pure and vncorrupted that I am out of my wittes Or els he would neuer warne me to come to my selfe againe You saie afterwardes You shall see all shal be wel That do I loke for in dedâ— how be it I am sore afraid left you being an eloquence man and wonderfull in perswading â–ª may force me to beleue thinges that are not proued vnto me Yet I looke for your reason by the which you wil proue that it is lawfull for your Quene to meddle in Ecclesiastical matters and to laiâ— suche lawes vpon Churches as her listeth What saie you Sir The Kinges Maiestie saie you maistereth al persones in England What els So doth the French King the French men and the Scottish King the Scottes I commend your briefenes in reasoning For you conclude al in one worde as often as you list and that meruelouse wittily But yet you take such thinges as are neither true neither of force to conclude those thinges that you would proue For first of all the gouernement of a King is not violent neither tyrannical and suche as he hath taken vppon him to mainteine â–ª like a louing Father he doth not maister them like seruauÌ„ts neither doth he imploye his regimente to his owne commoditie but to the safety of his subiectes It is therefore false that he doth maister them except he wold rather be accounted a tyranne then a King Moreouer admit it were true yet doth it not folow that he doth gouerne them in al matters That therefore that you should haue proued you laiâ— for a ground as though it were alredy proued and grauÌ„ted the which is one of the gretest faults that mai be in a disputer Last of al neither doth the french King gouerne the french men in spiritual matters neither the Scotish Kinge the Scottes and if he doe the which is nothiÌ„g true then doth he not his owne office but vsurpeth an other mans Yet you say But the Quene putteth not her hand vnto holie thinges Why so I pray you M Haddon Is it bicause she thinketh it not lawful Or els bicause she wil not If she thinke that it is not lawfull then doth shee speake directely against you If she be occupied with other affairs and therfore committeth holie thinges to men of the basest sort shee doth otherwise then her estate requireth For she thinketh that there is some other thing to be preferred before holie things You say The ciuile affaires are coÌ„mitted to the ciuile magistrates the Church matters to the Bishops What Bishops meane you Are they those Bishops that you haue violeÌ„tly thrust out of their Bishopriks and cast into the iayles or els are they suche as you haue caught vppe in the streates and froÌ„ the alebeÌ„ches and haue placed theÌ„ in the roome of those most holibishops O what an honorable presence of Bishops is that for all subiects to reuerence and al il men to be afraid of But I would faine learne of you what goodly glosse of vertue was that that moued you to place those base felowes in this roome and dignitie Was it their meruelouse and chast life which you can not abide Was it the knowledge of holie Scriptures the which thei had learned in tauernes or in scholes where perhappes they had ben Maisters Was it their wonderful eloquence where with thei were able to withdrawe the coÌ„mon people from licentious liuing to continency which they them selues abhorre For it is to be thought that they that depriued those godlie and learned Bishoppes of al their dignities would not haue done such wrong vnto the vertuous men vnlesse they had meant to set other in their places that did very farre excede them in all godlines learning and eloquence But I wold demauÌ„d one thing of you if they be so holi so lerned and so eloqueÌ„t wherfore did you not coÌ„mit vnto them aboue all other this care and charge to write against me Wherfore would you betray to the worlde your owne ignoaaÌ„ce and babishnâ—sse Was there suche a scarcity of learned Bisshops that you must needes take vpon you a charge that was none of yours no nor seemely for you to medle in For to mainteine Religion apperteineth to a Bishop not to a man that is to urmoiled in the suites and questions of the ciuile Law If they did not excel in such vertues and qualities as are to be required in Bishops what a frowarde malice was that to thrust out the good Bishops and to put such base felowes in their roomes and dignities You politike wise man doe you not see that that common weale is neere to vtter ruine and decaie wherin such honours as are dewe to honestie and vertue are geauen to base varlettes But be it that they had ben promoted to this honour for their excellent qualities for I can not wel gesse the truth of the matter and it maie be that thei were before thei came to that dignitie put to schoole to Bucere or els to your Martyr but sir I demaunde of you by what right or iustice was it done Howbeit as touching iustice you haue already satisfied me when you affirmed that within the coÌ„passe of the Queenes Maiesties authoritie is conteined what so euer concerneth God or man But yet I pray you tell me with what ceremonie with what solemnitie with what Religion was it done Who laied handes on them who coÌ„secrated them I would know what holines and
by their most honourable death set out their faith excedingly manie haue abiden imprisonement reprochful woordes with diuers other incōmodities manie being loth to see suche a decaie of religion wander from place to place of their owne accord like banished men and outcastes and haue liefer to keepe a continual combat with miserie and needines then to beholde with their eies so heauy a sight The which thing verie manie other men would do also if you would suffer them Moreouer and this I heare that ther are certaine places within that Ilād vnto the which the infectiō of this morreine is not yet come and it is reported that there are manie noble men also which are vntowched A frind of myne an honest and credible person which hath some doinges in England tolde me this for certaine that there are moe in the realme that continue in their faith stil then there are of such as haue forsaken it howbeit they dare not professe it openly for feare of them that are in authoritie For it is lawful for them so long as they are not required to professe their faith openly to keepe it to them selues vntill such time as they must either maintaine their religiō by suffring death if they be put vnto it or els reserue them selues to a better worlde to the ende that all good men decaie not at once And as for them whose heartes are not blinded with pride which are caried awaie not so much of malice and naughtines as of simplicity of mind of the which there are verie manie maie verie easily be brought home againe Wherefore I saied not that al the Iland was geuen to suche vices neither haue I laied downe al hope of the recouerie of the whole no I trust to see within these few daies such an alteration of things that the verie remembrance of this most pestilent plague shalbe vtterlie abolished Furthermore I meant not in those my letters as I tolde you before to make anie enditement or accusation but to aduertise your Prince that she should not suffer her self to be infected with the pestilent sectes of desperate felowes the which thing that I might doe it the better I declared certaine tokēs by the which true religiō might be discerned from false religiō and true Prophetes frō false Prophetes In the doing wherof if I lacked discretion we shal see anon Thus much haue I spokē concerning my letters the which you saie were writen without good argument and without anie comely grace Wherin I find a great lacke of grauitie in you for it is not the part of a graue mā to be moued with a talke which is void of all good argumēt And yet you as a man maie wel cōiecture by your writinges after you had read my letters fell into such a pelting chafe such a rage and madnes that you betraied your griefe by reprochfull and railing talke yea you went so farre in it that you were not ashamed to bewraie to the worlde the verie stammering and stuttering of your tongue You confesse also that my letters were caried vp and down throughout al Christendome the whiche shoulde not haue ben done if they had ben written without anie good grownd But let vs see how you which saie that I had no argument to staie vpon will answere that myne argument by the whiche I prooued that the puritie of the Gospel was not restored by your maisters for so much as emongest the disciples of your Gospel there raigneth a numbre of most detestable vices Tushe saie you it is all false that you report of the dishonestie of the men of our side Such is your impudēcy M. Haddon that you will denie the thing which is knowen and commōly bruted yea which is sealed and cōfirmed by the testimoniall of the whole worlde Doe you not cōfesse the broiles and tumultes of Germany See you not with your eyes how volupteousnes flieth to and fro auancing her selfe how licentious liuing getteth vp and down vncōtrolled how the churches of religious men are prophaned with bloudshead how al places of deuotiō are rifled and robbed how treason and wilie practises are wrought againste Princes by your sectaries how al places where so euer your maisters set vp schoole are distourbed with hurly burlies How then dare you saie that that thing was neuer done which you not only heare of other men but also see it done daily with your owne eyes Admit say you that this were true yet could it neuer com of this cause which you gather I would faine learne of you how it should not come of this cause There was alwaies say you darnel somen emongest the good corne There was alwaies seedes of diuerse kindes of the which some were choked in the thornes and some were dried vp by the heate of the sonne The false Prophettes did alwaies bende them selues against the true Prophets our Lord Iesus Christ fownde Caiphasses the Apostles found Nerons the Martyrs that folowed them founde Decies But to omit these thinges as ouer stale I wil bring you home to your owne doores In your Churche is there not synne committed openly Do not men offend in the sight of the worlde You deny it not Wel then throwe away your argument the whiche either it is of no force or els if it be it is against your owne selfe firste and against your Churche By this talke you thinke that you haue tourned the eadge of our dagger But you see not howe manie faultes there are in it Firste of all I deny not that it was euer so as I said plainely in my letters that there were manie vices in euerie common weale and that the seades of naughtines were sowen emongest the good corne But I required and that instātly to vnderstand how these menne of god had discharged their duetie which tooke vpon them to purge the corne and to plucke vppe al such weedes are were noisome to the corne The which thing when I saw they performed not yea when I saw that through their diligence vice came vp a great deale ranker then it did before I gathered by that that their doctrine was nothing wholesome That the true Prophetes susteined the enmitie of false Prophetes Christe of Caiphas the Apostles of Nerons the Martyrs of Decies I graunt you but that maketh much more for the confirmation of myne argument For vertue was euer enuied of the wicked hatesull to viciouse assaulted by the vnfaithful And yet was it alwaies of suche puyssaunce that it preuailed against al crafte and policie against all subtile practises and priuie awaites against the force of wickednesse and vice and brought to the world a goodly and wholesome ordre For they that gaue eare to the Prophetes that folowed Christ that kept the faith of the Apostles that reuerenced the cōstancie of the Martyrs were not presumpteouse wicked disordered and vicious but they were wise modest gētle courteous decked and beutified with diuerse and sundry vertues For the vertue of holy mē the more
shamefull language when he had vttered most horrible and diuelish blasphemie when he had wasted spoiled and burned all holie thinges when he had committed all these outrages and villanies then was he thought a meete man to be taken into gods pricuie counsell and a persone woorthie to whome God besides all other secretes shoulde mercifully reuele that mysterie also of the deuising of purgatorie Then did this great wise man vnderstand at the length that S. Augustine which held that we should praie vnto God in our Sacrifices for the dead that S. Cyprian which laied this most grieuous punishment vpon such as appointed Priestes in their testamēt to be tutours or gouernours to their children that there should no sacrifice be offred vp for them in the churches that S. Chrysostome whiche referred this ordinaunce to the tradition of the Apostles that S. Denise to passe ouer a numbre of others which wrote very diligently of the care that is to be had for the departed in the faith and of praiers that are to be made vnto God for their deliueraunce Luther I saie vnderstood from heauen that al these men had ben in great errour and folie Trulie the capitaine of this your faction had a great commoditie of his naughtines and folie if after the reising of such broiles and troubles in the worlde he was deliuered by the benefite of God from that errour in the which those holie Fathers most Godlie and wise men excellently wel learned in the Scriptures linked vnto Christe with a most streight band of heauenlie loue were quite drowned If no man can thus perswade him selfe vnlesse he be peeuish frantike and starke mad void not only of al godlie religion but also of common sense who doth not see that this opinion of Luther is wicked ād detestable taught and set out by none other then by the enemie the diuell But this saie you is not witten in the scripture What then The thing which the Apostles taught by word of mowth which their schollers deliuered to the posteritie whiche hath ben most constantly holden and beleeued from the primitiue Churche till our times whiche hath ben approued by the beleefe and full agreement of the whole Church for so manie hnndred yeares shall Luther a seditious mad selowe after so manie ages garishly auowch it to be a feined matter Shall men whiche take vpon them to be both Godlie and religious folow him as a God of heauen that attempteth most desperatly to assault heauen For he maketh warre against heauē which taketh vp armour against the faith of the Church No no saie you you would not thinke what manner of man he was For he I tel you woulde allowe nothing vnlesse he fownde it written in the holie scriptures Well sir I will not nowe handle that matter whiche is by the holy Fathers discussed long a goe howe the gospell consisteth not only in thinges written but also in customes and ordinaunces receiued without any writing deliuered vnto the Churche by worde of mowth and order of the Apostles how much the sure and groūded authoritie of the Church which is the piller and staie of truth is to be esteemed of howe great value and importaunce the agreement of all holy men in one minde without anie varietie ought to be all these thinges I will nowe omit and aske you one question how Luther when he saied there was a purgatorie to prooue it alleaged the testimonies of the holie scripture if there were no testimonie in the scripture that proued that there was a purgatorie Then againe when he saied that there was no Purgatorie by what testimonie of the Scripture thought he that Purgatorie might be vtterly disprooued Brought he anie one place by the whiche he might conuince that there is no Purgatorie Dowbtlesse not one Such therefore was his presumption that what so euer came into his head that woulde he constantly affirme and againe the selfe same thing if it misliked him would he vtterly denie And yet his disciples for sooth find no fault at all neither with his inconstancie neither yet with his lewd fasshions but what so euer the drowsie blowbol draueled out ouer his pottes that toke they vp so griedily as though it had ben good gospell But lest you should saie that it can not be shewed by the testimonie of the scripture that there is a purgatory although it be not necessarie yet besides those places whiche are wont to be alleaged for the proofe thereof I thinke it good to bring a fewe of the whiche that is one of S. Marke where our Lorde when he had saied that hel into the which al such shalbe throwen downe as esteeme more their bodilie pleasure then their dewtie towardes God shoulde haue this propertie that the worme of them that shall be tombled down headlong into it should neuer die and their fyer neuer be quenched he brought in foorthwith these wordes for euerie man shalbe seasoned in fyer and euery sacrifice shalbe seasoned in salt In this place there are two thinges to be noted One is that there is a worme that is to saie a vexation or torment of cōscience gnawing and molesting the minde the whiche shal haue an ende and that there is a torment of fyer also the whiche in like manner shall haue and end in some men For otherwise our Lorde woulde neuer haue brought that place out of Esaie their worme dieth not and their fyer is not quenched By the whiche place we are taught that there is one torment euerlasting and an other that lasteth but for a time For so muche therefore as this worme and fyer is a torment or vexation of minde and of tormentes there is one whiche is appointed by the iudgement of God to last but a time and the other to continew for euermore is it not euidently prooued that there is a purgatorie for so is the place of punishment called in the whiche by the sentence of God the sowles are purged within a certaine time of suche spottes of venial offences as they had gathered in this life An other thing worthy to be noted is this that no synne shal escape vnpunished For euen as in the old lawe it was not lawful to offre vp any Sacrifice without salt so is it not lawful for our soules to approch vnto the throne of Gods maiestie vnlesse their vncleanes be before clensed by salt and fyer that is to say by the rigour of Goddes iudgement and by dewe punishment that when al the spottes of vncleane affection be put out and quite consumed the faithful sowles may come to haue such a puritie and cleerenes that thei may be able to receiue the brightnes of God in them selues and be likened and confourmed to the glory of God For although by the mercy of God synne is taken quite away in such as stay them selues vppon a liuelie saith yet are they for the most parte so bounde with some knot of the law that they must needes satisfie