whether then was supersticion and ignoraunce or nowe in these dayes Forther where the true word of god is taught the holy ghost does so worke there with that vertue does encrease but as the Prophet sais sicut populus ita Sacerdos as the people be so God sendes them Priestes Apprehenderunt mendacium nolueruÌ„t reuerti the people haue apprehended a lye and will not come backe but trust in liyng Sermons whiche wil not profet them as almighty God says by his Prophet Hiere thinkinge they haue done wel because they haue done these abhominations says God by his Prophet Hieremi so as the Priestes be so be the people blynded in herisie as God sais by his Prophet Esai that their hartes do not vnderstande their eyes do not see their eares be stopped for hearinge the trueth so that this maye well be called the time of supersticion and ignoraunce calling darknes light and light darknes that whiche is euill good and good euill And for the brinning of Paules Church which he speakes of was in time of ciuil warre and not destroyed by thandes of God as it was at this time Whosoeuer reades the Chronicles shal perceyue that and this be not lyke Therfore beware of false Prophetes and Preachers which come with faire wordes in their mouthes of the Gospel but marke the frutes that comes of their preachinge howe they haue set the people in such case that no prayer is vsed no fasting litle almes dedes all liberty vsed What disobedience children be in against their parentes howe vntrusty seruauntes be what swearinge and blaspheming of God is vsed of all people what theft whoredome crafte subtiltye and deceipt these be frutes that come of this newe fanglet doctrine Therefore retourne backe againe to the steppes of good fathers afore vs be not caried away as S. Paule sais with a straunge and diuerse doctrine embrace the religion and faith taught in Christes Churche from time to time continually and frame your liuing accordingly or els Gods vengeance hanges ouer your heades readye sodenly to fall vpon you so sais the Scripture and let this token of brinninge of Paules be an example and token of a greater plage to folow excepte ye amende A CONFVTACION OF AN ADdicion vvyth an Appologye vvritten and east in the stretes of VVest Chester agaynst the causes of burnyug Paules Church in London vvhych causes the reuerend Byshop of Duresme declared at Paules Crosse â— Iunij 1561. OUr Sauiour Christ whan the Deuill spake the truth plainly did not confute or gayne saye it but whan he did it frowardly Christ rebuked hym sharpelye As whan the deuill said Iesus of Nazareth what haue we to do with thee art thou comen to destroy vs I knowe that thou art the holy one of god He did not refuse nor denye that truth which he spake but whan the deuill tempted him to throw himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple be rebuked him quickly bicause he alledged y e true scripture maliciously So it is not sufficient to do a good dede barely or speake the trueth only except it be done rightly with such circumstances as be necessarily required to make it good as that it be from the hart and for Goddes cause willingly c. In like maner where this scauenger sweping the stretes with his bookes as a fitteÌ„ brome and officer therto hais spoken the truth not trulye bicause it is for an euil purpose and frowardly I shal passe ouer it with silence but where he followes his maister the father of lies in falsifiyng the trueth or racking the Scripture subtilly I shal by gods grace let the world see his iugling and by truth trulye vttered disclose his shameles lyinge The firste examples that he bringes declaring how god does iustlye plague the obstinate sinners that will not repent after manye warninges giuen are true all but being alledged to bring vs backe to Poperye and for another purpose then God oure Lorde hais taught them they be craftelye misused and ye see whose fotesteppes be folowed And as he vses theym to perswade vs to supersticion so they maye and ought to be vsed specially for maintainynge true religion The Rhetoricians teach that suche kinde of beginninges as maye be applied to two contrary partes are fauty Therefore seinge I maye vse the selfe same reasons and woordes that he haâ—s from the beginning hitherto to train vs to loue and embrase oure godlye refourmed religion he can not muche crake of his wyselye placed examples or reasons But I wyll not stycke wyth hym in suche small poyntes as these although they be fautes but I wil ioine with him in matters of weight and those thefe pointes of religion whiche he hais touched and we differ from him and hys sort in them Committinge the rule and gouernement of hys Church to the Byshops c. THe first is concerning thautority and gouernment geuen to Bishops ouer Gods Church wherin his wordes are not so vntrue as they conteyne a false doctryne and meaning in them Yf ye thinke that I to boldly enter to iudge his meaning confer these wordes with such as folowe in his owne writing wherin vntruly he claimes those priuileges to his Bishops whiche neyther he nor they are able to iustifie and there at large ye shall easlye perceiue what he meanes by these fewe woordes here But I will followe him where awaye he leades me and because he does here but briefly touche it I shall likewise shortly passe ouer it and more throughly search it where he does more at large presse it In the beginninge of their late reuyued tyrannye and afore they had obtained their long desired autoritie to ragne ouer Kinges and Princes it was my chaunce to talke with one of their stoutest Champions and of those that he calles the godly Bishops in prison Among sundry thinges that were to be redressed in talke as he thoughte he toke this selfe same matter first and said it was not fitte for any temporal officer to sit as iudge on any Priest or spiritual manne specially in any spirituall matter For the same cause began Tho. Beket to rebell against his Prince not sufferinge his Priestes to be punyshed for their murthers roberyes and now like good childer they followe his steppes I asked whye for the lawes were then as they be nowe and both verye well that Iustyces in their Sessyons and Assises might and shoulde enquire who than offended the ciuill lawes and the order of religion establyshed whether he were Priest or other he aunswered that in the xx of the Actes of Thappostles it was plaine that God had set the Bishops to gouerne the Churche I saide that was another kind of gouernment that Saint Paule there grauntes to Byshops and differs from that which kinges or Princes claime and ought to haue No sais he marke the woordes and it is ad regendum Ecclesiam regere regum est therefore Byshops haue
deliuerance from such supersticion They crake muche of blessed fathers and yet name not who they be but much it shall not skill for their dedes wil proue their holines what great holynes was thys to haue mattins at midnight when folke were on slepe in their beds Is not commen praier to be had at such houres whā the people might resort commenly vnto it cōueniently if midnyght be such a time most conuenient let the world indge I graunt in the primatiue church gods people hadde their prayers earlye afore day because at other tymes they were not suffred but in those assembles were not onelye munkes or Priestes but all sortes and degrees of men were gathered to pray here Sermons and receiue the Sacramentes for at other times of the day they durst not for the greatnes of persecution In Paules and Abbayes at their midnight prayers were none commenlye but a fewe ballynge Priestes yonge queristers and nouyces whyche vnderstode not what they said the elder sort kept their beddes or were woorse occupyed A prayer not vnderstande in the hart but spoken with the lippes is rather to be counted praiting and ballyng than prayinge wyth good deuotiō The elder sort both in Cathedrall Churches and Abbaies almost neuer came at their midnyghte prayer it was thought inough to knolle the belles and make menne beleue that they rose to praye therefore they haue not so much to crake of this their doinge The Papistes haue a rule of their owne makynge to say their mattins in which I thinke was a great cause of these early mattins and also of saying theym ouer night Ante tempus meritum in tempore debitum post tempus peccatum To saye Mattins afore the tyme due is a merit to saye them in due time it is duty but after the appoincted time is sinne But as all their religion is of their own deuysynge so is their rewarde God hais made them no suche promise and therfore they can clayme nothynge at hys handes For their continuall massynge afore noone we prayse Godde that hais delyuered vs from it as a thynge contrarye to hys holye wyll and ordynance Saint Paule sayes that whan they came together to eate the Lordes supper they shoulde tarye one for another but these shorne shaueling shameles priestes woulde neyther receyue together one of theym with another nor yet let the people haue anye part with them Enery one wold crepe into a corner to an aultar alone there lifte vppe on highe eate and drinke vp all alone sell good penyworthes and blesse them with the emptye Chalice Than all was well as they thought and Godde well serued but to breake Gods Commaundemente of receiuinge together they passed not of it so that thei might folowe their owne deuyse I know their shift in writhyng this text to their purpose and sayinge that Saint Paule spake this of that feast whych they vsed than to haue whan they receiued the communyon but that wrasting wil not serue for both for that feast and al other kind of eating to fil theyr belly s. Paul gaue that Commaundemente that folowes If any man be an hungred lette him eate at home haue ye not houses to eat and drinke in or do ye despise the congregacion of God seynge that Paul speakes there but of twoo sortes of eatynge the one for hunger to fille their belies the other fedynge the soule with the spirituall foode of Chrystes bodye and bloude for nouryshinge and feding our weake bodyes he byddes vs eat at home but for the liuelye foode of oure soules in the sacrament of his body and bloud he biddes vs tary one for another for it is the seale and band of brotherlye loue as well as the sacrament of Christes bodye and bloud Euery piller in the Churche commenlye had his altar euerye altar his priest and his God to whome the Altars were dedicate thus like menne not regarding Gods commaundement they folowed their owne deuises and yet hauing the truth reueled they harden their heartes and stop their cares that they will not learne For climbing vp to the top of the steple to sing their antimes I demaund of them to shew a reason if there be any why it is done there rather than on the ground and why on such saint dais rather than on other why that tyme of the yere rather then other Whan Baals priests were assēbled against y ◠Prophet Elias to trie whether of them serued the liuyng God and Baals priestes beganne to praye and cal on their god but he woulde not heare theym Elias said crie louder perauenture your God is busy he is chasing his enemies from home or on slepe so vnto ye finde a better aunswere I am contente freelye to lende you this wythout payinge anye peny for it that ye maye francklye saye ye goe vp to the top of the steple to call on your god that he may the more easelye heare you standing so highe rather than on the grounde so farre of and at night whan other suters take their rest for al the day long perauenture he hais bene otherwaies occupied and nowe waringe olde his hearinge decayes so muche that if ye stande not nere hande and crye loude he can not helpe you These and such other are mete for them that serue straunge Gods but he that calles on the liuinge Lord knowes him to be present in all places and therefore makes no suche difference of them Againe if according to their owne doctrine a praier made in a halowed place be better than that which is made in an vnhalowed than better it is to stand on the grounde than to climbe on height for the top of the steple was neuer halowed as the church was beneth Whā suche folishnes is wisely proued we shal streight waies beleue it First searche whether the faith and religion nowe vsed was taught wyth the blessed fathers in Christes Churche in tymes paste ye shall proue by no recorde of autoritye or Chronicle tha◠this manner of seruyce nowe vsed in the Churche was euer harde tell of afore Luthers time whyche is not xl peare agoe therefore it is to be reiected and putte awaye as a newe fangled doctryne and schismaticall therefore come backe agayne into the olde blessed fathers stepes In that he denies this faith and religion euer to be heard tel of vnto within these xl yeares and bids trie the recordes whither it be true that he sais and semes to charge vs with forsakinge the olde faith and fathers alledginge the Epistle to the Ebrewes that be that comes to Godde muste beleue and that without faith it is not possible to please God and Iere. that we shoulde searche out the olde way and walke in it I am well content to stand with him in these pointes and proue that this fayth and religion was taught in Christs church continuallye from the beginning and that this seruice nowe vsed goes nearer the order appoynted in
these iii. must nedes folowe â–ª eyther that one masse only is good thâ— rest noughte or the reste good and thaâ— nought or els as I am sure he will sayeâ—â—oth are good If bothe be good thaâ— there may be diuers sortes of theym I there may be two diuers sortes and botâ— good why may there not be a thirde or fourth as good Why than maye not thâ— order now apointed in English be gooâ— to On good friday there is neyther Epistle nor Gospel Gloria in exelsis nâ— Crede Sanctus nor Agnus Canon nâ— priuity crossing toying nor blowynge nor their woordes of consecration paâ— â—or Ite missa est not so much as Dominus vâ—bis cuna but streight after confiteor he leapes post haist ouer all to the Pater noster Surely if this be good one daye it maye be vsed oftner and this agrees best with that that Gregory sais Thapâ—stles consecrated onelye wyth the Lordes prayer and therefore it seemes that if anye of their masses shoulde be good that thys goes nexte to the best and simpliest sort without all curiositie If they may doe all perfectlye this daye without their canon than their canon priuitie is not of so great force as they make it to be For sure if this be well on this day it maye be well on other dayes to for God is no chaungelynge nor he commaundes not one sort of communicatinge his supper to daye and another to morow but alwaies suche a one which agrees with his word Their commen aunswere solution is knowen but it wil not serue they must prouide better stucte or els theyr doings be foolysh But to make an ende of this great controuersye for thauncientye of their masse ye shall heare it determined by a miracle from heauen Whan there were diuers sortes of masses as they be called vsed in latin in diuers places as at Millane and euery where almost generally there was vsed Saint Ambrose order of Communion which there continues to this daye and Gregories order was vsed also in other places the Pope to determine the matter woulde trie whether should be alowed through his Dominion For Gregories was not vsed at all in Fraunce and it was thought shame that Ambroses order being but a Bishop should be preferred to the Popes Therfore he tooke eyther of their masse bookes as they terme them in an Euening â—aid them on the Altar locked the Churche dodres and desired god to declare by some miracle whether boke should be vsed generally of all sortes In the morninge Gregories booke leaues were found scattred al y â— Church ouer and Ambroses lay stil the doores beâ—nge fast locked all night as he sais but wise men may doubt This miracle maister Pope like a wise expounder of dreames sais that as the leaues were forne and blowen abrode all the Churche ouer so should Gregories booke bâ— vsed through out the world For this was done by God as well their greate God Bell did eate vppe all the meatâ— that was set afore him al night as Daniell writes But that a man may noâ— be wiser than Mounser Pope I woulâ— intâ—rprete this greate miracle thus That God was angry with Gregories boke and therefore rent it in pieces and scattered it abrode the other as good lay sound vntouched and at the least so to be preferred This was done by pope Adrian the first more than vii C. lxxvii yeares after Christ and thus long their holy masse was in controuersy afore it was determined Than it lackes much of M. D. as they vntruly and proudlye crake These thinges are not writen by any new menne or heretikes as it pleases theym to terme theym but by their own catholicke fathers Durandus and Nauclerus Yea Polychronic lib. vii ca x. writes that the white obseruaÌ„t munkes vse by their profession Sainct Ambrose order and not Gregories euen at these dayes wherefore their masse is not generall I woulde they did make â—n enâ—â— of liynge that we myght â—ake an ende of reprouâ—nge theym and â—oth ioyne together in worshipping the â—uing God only and beleuing his holy â—ord afore al other Saint Austin in â— lyke controuersye of religion betwixt â—m y â— Maniches praies thus O great â—nd almighty god god of al goodnes â—hom we ought to thinke beleue that â—ou art inuiolable incorrâ—ptible and â—â—mutable O triple vnity which al the â—â—urch does worshippe I hauing expeâ—ence of thy mercye to warde me praye â—ee humblye that thou wâ—â—te not suffer theym to dyffer from mee in thy religion and worshippe of thee with whom syns I was a childe I haue had a most speciall agrement in felowship of menne Amen God graunte vs all this to pray and diligentlye endeuoure our selues to seke this vnity of religion in worshipping the liuinge God onelye as he hais taught vs in his holy word and no other waies for his sonnes sake our lord and christ So be it In Englande where the faith of Chryste and true religion was planted aboute the yeare of our lorde C. lxxxii Elutherius Pope sendinge Legates to Lucius than kinge of Englande which conuerted this Realme to the faith and establyshed true religion in Englande whiche continued â–ª CC yeares As the rest of al their doctrine is founded on the Pope so is this This is their subtility to make men belcue that England hais euer receyued y â— christian faitâ— religion froÌ„ Rome therfore we muâ— fetch it from thence still which are botâ— most vntrue If nothing els would this one saying proues him to be vnlearned that thus sais Gildas our country man in his history sayes that Britane receiued the Gospel in the tyme of Tiberius the Emperour vnder whom Christ suffred Does not Tertulian who lyued â— the same time of this Pope write in hâ— booke against the Iewes thus Thapostles are declared in Dauids Psal. to be the Preachers of Christ. Their sounde he sais went oute in all the earth and their woordes vnto the roastes of the earth In whom els haue all people beleued but in christ which is now comen Whom haue other people beleued the Parthians the Medes the Persians they that dwell in Mesopotania Iurie Cappadocia Pontus Asia Phrigia Pamphilia Egipt and the parts of Libia about Cyrene the straungers of R â–ª y â— Iewes Proselites men of Crete Arabia and other people as now the diuerse sortes of the Getes and manye coastes of the Murrians al the bouÌ„ders of Spaine diuerse nations of Fraunce and the places of the Britanes whiche the Romaines coulde neuer attaine to nowe are subiect to Christ and the places of Sarmatia of the Danes the Germanes the Sâ—ithians and of many other hid people and prouinces manye Iles vnknowen to vs â–ª and whiche now we can not recken In all which places reanes the name of Christ which is now comen Thus ferre Tertullian Marke in how many countries he sais the name of Christe reaned it was so
commenly and well beleued and howe amonge theym he reckens the wildest places of the Britaines to be of the nuÌ„ber and these were chrystened in hys time who liued in the same Pope Elutherius time Than it was not Pope Elutherius that first sende the christian faith hither but they had receyued the Gospell afore he was borne does not some Chronicles tell that Ioseph of Arimathia came hither preached here no doubt eyther he or some Apostle or scholer of theirs hadde preached Christ here and he was receyued and beleued afore this Pope was borne Beda writes that in his time almost a thousand yeare after Christ here in Britaine Ester was kept in the full moone what daye in the weeke so euer it fell on and not on the sonday after as we do now Wherfore it appeares that these Preachers came from the Easte parte of the world where it was so vsed rather than from Ro. whiche condemned that vse Parauenture Elutherius helpt to encrease it and sende some Preachers hyther but that he was the firste can not be proued yet woulde to God the â— woulde folowe that Gospell religion Lawes and Counsell that Elutherius gaue kynge Lucius But letts it 〈◊〉 graunted theym that Elutherius establyshed relygion in Englande will 〈◊〉 make any thinge for their purpose redâ— the Popes Epystle to the Kynge and than iudge There is greate controuersye what time thys kynge lyued as appeares in Fabians table and therefore a frowarde manne myght doubt whether anye suche thinge were or not but I will not deale so preciselye wyth him In the yeare from Christes passion Clxix the Lorde Elutherius Pope wrote thus to Kynge Lucius Kinge of Britaine for the correction of the kinge and his nobles of the Realme of Britaine Ye requyred of vs the Romane lawes and the Emperours to be sent ouer to you the whiche ye woulde practyse and put in vre within your Realme The Romane lawes and the Emperoures we maye euer reproue but the lawe of God we maye not Ye haue receyued of late throughe Goddes mercye in the Realme of Brytaine the lawe and sayth of Chryste ye haue wyth you in the Realme bothe the partes of the Scryptures oute of theym by Goddes grace wyth the Counsell of youre Realme take ye a lawe and by that lawe throughe Goddes sufferance rule youre Kyngedome of Brytaine For ye â—ee Goddes Uycarre in youre kingdome accordinge to the sayinge of the Psalme c. O God geue thy iudgement to the king and thy righteousnes to the kinges sonne He saide not the iudgement and righteousnes of Themperour but thy iudgement and iustice that is to saye of God The kynges sonnes be the christian people and folke of the Reame which be vnder your gouernement and liue and contine we in peace within your kingdom as the gospell sais Like as the henne gathers her chickins vnder her winges so does the kyng his people The people and folke of the Realme of Britaine be youres whome if they be deuyded ye ought to gather to concord and peace to cal them to the fayth and lawe of christe and to the holye churche to cherish and maintaine them to rule and gouerne them and to defend them alwais from theym that wold doe them wrong from malicious men and enemies c. A king hais his name of ruling and not of hauinge a Realme Thou shalt be a kyng while thou rulest well but if thou do not the name of a king shall not remaine with thee and thou shalt loose it which god forbid Thalmighty God graunt you so to rule the Reaâ—me of Britaine that ye may raigne with him for euer whose vicar ye be in the Realme thus far the Epistle Marke I praye you what thys good Pope grauntes and whether he be of this peuishe Proctours opinion or of his holye Byshops that he crakes so much on First he wils him not to take the Romaines lawes to rule his realme by for they maye euer be reproued but to make lawes accordinge to the scripture which neuer can iustlye be gaine said and by them to rule Further he cals the kinge Gods vicar twise in this letter thirdlye he sais the kinge ought to call the people to the faith of christ How can Papistes than be disobedient to kings whan they see the Pope grauÌ„t so much to kinges the Pope calles the king gods vicar and our Papistes deny it and say the Pope is Gods vicar The Pope biddes rule by the Scripture and refuses his owne lawes but oure holye Byshoppes saye Scriptures make herretikes and will be subiect to no lawes but the Romaines Lastly he charges kinges to bring the people to the faith but oure spiritualitye saye kinges haue nothing adoe in Ecclesiastical matters nor religion They sticke much on auncientie and the Popes autority and yet those godly thinges which godly auncient Popes haue sayde and decreed they can not abyde because it takes a waye their autority and pride Platina and Polychronicon wryte that this Pope decreed that no manne shoulde refuse anye meate that manne eates yf thys Pope say true why haue we than commaunded vppon paine of deadlye sinne by Papists so many supersticious kinds of fastinges forbearing meates at certayn times If they be not supersticious because they wolde bind the conscience with them and make it sinne to breake theim let theym proue it by the Scripture to be godly If they be catholickes that beleue and folowe the Pope why are we called heretikes in beleuing and teachynge that whyche the Pope hais written yf they wil be called the Popes darlynges why doe they denye the Popes writynges If true religion was stablyshed here by this Pope why than does this scauinger sweepe the stretes wyth contrarye doctrine to this Pope and with false lyes If they would haue vs beleue and honoure the Pope they must first beginne theyw selfes Who will thinke that he geues good counsell would haue men to folow him which will be y e first y â— wil do teach contrary to his own sayings these holy Byshops of oures honoure their Pope in sufferinge for him that neuer will thanke theym and saye they woulde haue all to doe the same yet they themselfes are the firste that teache and dooe contrary to this Pope and many other of the eldest forte in all suche thinges as please them and so they wyll correct hym rather than folowe the auncienst and best of theym After that againe this lande beynge inhabited wyth Saxons beynge panims Saint Gregorye Pope of Rome aboute the yeare of oure Lorde God Dxcv. sent Saint Austin and his company who by their doctryne and vertuous liuing planted the fayth and so established a true religion in Englande the whych sayth and religion euer whan the people haue declined from it they haue felt great calamities as well by the hand of God as by the conquest of the Danes and after by the Normannes and sythe the conquest from time
lift vp their sacrament offer it for the deade and quicke and eate all vp whan they haue done whether is not euery one aswel the priestes as laite bounde to obey the Queene and her lawes BOth Priestes and the laite be bounden to obey the Queene and her lawes as farre as Goddes lawe will permit but no manne ought to obey the Queene and her lawes against God and his lawes For landes goodes and bodye euerye one is bounde to obey the Queene and her lawes and no man ought to disobey or resist her or her lawes for God in the scripture commaundes But for matters of faith and relygion pertaynyng to oure soule health she hath nothinge adoe to medle for Christe himselfe hath dearly bought our soules with his precious bloude shedinge and committed them to the rule and gouernement of the Byshoppes which watche as to gyue an accompt for our soules Therefore the Scripture commaundes vs to obey the Byshoppes in matters of faith and religion pertayninge to our soules health and the Queene in temporall causes concernynge landes and goods and body The. xiii answere FOr obeyinge the Queenes maiestie and her lawes or for disobeying we do not greatly differ from him but where he sais she hais nothing a doe with matters of faith and relygion we vtterly denye it For that is as much to say as that she were not a christian Prince no nor a Prince at all for Princes are charged by God to maintaine true religion and suppresse supersticion and Idolatry This is the marke that they shote at to be exempt from all correction of Princes that they might do what they lust bring in supersticion in stede of religion and nourish the people in bloude deuotion rule all other and be ruled of none no not of God him selfe So muche obedience the Turkes subiectes owe him and yet denie him not autority in their religion But this mater was more fully handled in the. v. aunswere King Richard the. ii proues wel in his Epistle to pope Boniface the ix that temporall rulers haue oftē from the beginnige bridled and ruled the spiritualtye euen the Popes Salomon sayes he putte downe the Priest Abiather and set vp Sadoc Otho Themperour deposed Pope Ioan. xii Henry the Emperour put downe Gratianus Otho deposed pope Benet the. i. The controuersy betwix Symmachus and Laurens who should be Pope was ended afore Theodoricus kinge of Italy Henry Themperor deposed ii striuing who shoulde be Pope and set vp a. iii. called Clement the. ii Frederick Themperor corrected iiii Popes By these and manye suche like he proues that Princes haue corrected and brought◠in order so many Popes therfore they haue lawful power so to do And shal not our Quene haue power to see whether the clergye here within her Realme do their duty in teachinge true doctrine pure ministringe of the sacramentes and an vpright godlye life In dede this was the beginninge of the controuersye betwix Tho. Becket and kinge Henrye ii and these lyke good scholers of the same schole folowe the same waye Certaine priestes were complayned on for their leud liuing whom the king would haue punished But Becket withstode him sayinge it belonged not to the kinge to handell such holy anointed spirituall men Austin in his boke contr liter petiliaī ii in vi and other sundry chapters proues that it belonges to Kynges to haue care and charge for religion bothe in maintaininge the good and pullinge downe the euill He alleages this of the ii psal Serue the lord in feare c. How shoulde kinges sais he serue the lord in feare but in forbiddinge and punishing those thinges that are done against the Lordes commaundement he serues in one sort in asmuch as he is a man and in another in so muche as he is a king he serues him as a manne in liuing trulye but as a kinge in makinge lawes whiche commaund iust thinges and forbid the contrary So serued kinge Ezechias in descriyng the groues and temples of idolles so serued Iosias so the kinge of Niniue in compellynge the whole citie to pacifie the lord Thus serued Nabucho in forbiddinge by a fearfull law that they should not blaspheme god Kings serue the Lord in this point whan they doe those thynges to serue him which none can doe but kinges c. Thus far Austin Constantine also the good Emperour commaunds the donatistes to come to Ro. to heare the Bysshops iudgement but afterward whan he had hard the matter debated he iudged the cause himselfe and made a law against them as Austin writes Epist. ix viii Thus Princes than callyng their clergye together bicause fewe of theym haue sufficient learninge of themselues and hearing the matters of religion debated and the trueth tried maye and ought by their law and roial power defende that trueth and punyshe the disobedient who so euer they be The Prophete sayes that God made kinges and Queenes to be nurces to hys Churche The Nurces duetye is to feede guyde and chearyshe the chylde yea to correct instruct and reforme him wha◠he does a faut She must not be a drie nurce but wyth the. ii Pappes of the newe Testament and olde feede her children she must teache him to goe whan he is fallen take him vp agayne and geue him suche holesome meat that she maye and dare taste and trie it herselfe God graunt Princes thus to be nurces and not stepmothers that Goddes children may serue their lord Godde maister and father quietlye vnder their winges The conclusion OUr Sauioure Christe whan they called him Samaritan a friende of Publycans and sinners a drunkard c. held his tunge and made no aunswere but whan they sayde he had a deuill he saide I haue no deuil It is written also in vitis prū of Agathō whom certaine woulde trie whether he could pacientlie beare sclaunders and called him proude aduoterer a these and bereticke Al other he let passe and said I am a sinner but I am not an heretick They asked him why he aunswered to that rather than to the other he said he learned of Christe his maister to suffer lies but not his doctrine to be touched for heresy separates a manne from god So amonge all sclaunderous tounges that goe about to deface gods truth by raning on the ministers of it many are borne of manye with gryefe of minde but to be charged wyth false doctrine no honest minde can beare nor good man shoulde suffer For as he teaches the good and holesome doctryns so he should confounde the contrarye to hys power and this was amonge other a great cause why I though not hurt by this his folish railing tooke in hand to aunswere this blynde Papist and bycause those learned fathers whome he woulde seme to touche thought it vnworthy any aunswere Whan I see this copye cast abroade by a malicious member of Antichryst to wythdrawe Gods people from his truth my spirie was stirred to the aunswerynge of the same but manye whan
the Scripture than any that euer they haue receyued from the Pope If we had not this faith spoken of to the Ebrewes we durst not so boldlye come to the throne of grace wythoute makynge anye moe medyatoures than one onelye Iesus Chryst Where as they in makynge so manye meanes and intercessoures for thē as though God were a cruel iudge and not a mercifull father declare them selues to want this faith in that they dare not so boldly come to the throne of grace without suche spokes men as we vse none for faith onely makes vs bolde to come into Gods presence and begge of his grace But accordinge to their desire let vs searche oute the olde waye whiche is good that we maye walke in it The faith of a Christian manne is generallye conteined in the Crede and particularly declared in the scripture at large and whether we kepe that better then they let wise men iudge We do esteame these articles of the Christian faith so much with the Lordes prayer and the tenne commaundements of almightye God that by commen order it is appoynted and good ministers practise it that Children shall learne theim not in a tonge that they vnderstand not as the Pope would haue theim but in their mother tong w e such a short declaratiō on it by a Catechisme that now a yong child of a ten year old can tel more of his duty towarde God and manne than an olde manne of their bringinge vp can doe of lx or lxxx yeare olde all the canonycall Scryptures we do so renerently receiue and faithfully beleue that we stande in contention with the Papistes that nothing is to be beleued as necessary to saluation but onely the old testament and the new where their faith is neuer certayne but whan it pleases the Pope or his Councell to make theym a newe artycle of their faith or condemne or chaunge any that they haue they receiue it willingly beleue it faithfully and folow it earnestlye with fire and fagor It is not longe sins that by commen autoritye where oure Creede hais but xii articles they added vi mo articles and with no lesse daunger of wythstandynge theym than of life This six stringed whippe did vere Gods people sore vnto God of his vndeserued mercy prouided a remedye And where they thincke no faith nor religion to be good alowed or receiued but that whiche is confirmed by generall counsels or written by the doctors for that I say their religious supersticion cannot be proued by general counsell nor Doctour as the reuerend Bysshop of Sarum laies against D. Coole But so farre as eyther generall counsel or the Doctoures writinges doe agree with the body of the holy scriptures we do not onelye reuerentlye and willingly receiue them but diligently so farre furth as we maye practise theym They crake much of the autoritye of a generall counsel and bleare the peoples eies with so glorious a name and also with the reuerende name of the fathers Doctoures and auncientye where in deede they make more for vs than theym If they considert what Gerson and Panormitanus write which were auncient fathers and not new protestants and were at the counsel of Basil where it was disputed what autoritye a counsell hais they woulde not so stifly sticke to so weake a staffe we must rather beleue one symple lay manne saye they alledginge the scripture than the hole counsell to the contrarye De Elect. Ca. significasti This thinge was well proued true in the greate Nicene councell where manye would haue forbidden Priestes mariage and onelye Paphnutius beinge vnmaried and alledginge the Scriptures which alow mariage in all menne did stoppe it Gregory Nazainzene sais that he neuer see good ende of a counsell They alledge muche generall Counselles whan in dede very fewe of them be generall If it be but a prouinciall Counsell they themselues graunt that it maye erre Nowe than looke bow manye maye be called or are called generall in their owne bookes and ye shall fynde verye fewe Take heede therefore of these Fores ye that will not bee deceyued whan they alledge a Counsell and trye euen by their owne booke of counselles whither it bee generall or no Ye shall fynde that euerye tenth that they alledge is not generall than beynge a particuler and prouinciall they geue vs leaue to deny it and so they condemne their owne doinge whan they alledge nothinge but prouinciall Counselles There is no Crede made at anye generall counselles nor Athanasius Crede but we willingly embrase it receyue it and beleue it Seinge than we openly professe and teache all thynges conteined in the holye Scriptures and all the artycles of anye Crede determined in generall Counsell or written by Athanasius or anye Catholycke father howe can it bee that we be oute of the fayth and howe canne it be but thys sclaunderous Proctour of the Pope hays blasphemed Godde belyed hys Minysters Gods people ▪ and his truth Thus much I haue spoken particularlye to purge vs from his liynge lyppes where he speakes generallye naminge ▪ nothinge but meaninge all that we should forsake both faith and religion and deuyse a newe one of oure owne where they themselues are gilty in this as more plainly shall appeare This shalbe sufficient I trust to them that will be satisfied to declare that we be not oute of the faith seinge we professe our faith now to trie whether we be fallen from the olde wayes of holye fathers and whether auncient recordes do testifie this maner of Church seruice to be godly and haue bene heard tell of afore Luthers time and whether it be elder than theirs I am content to wine with him in triall thereof I trust they will be content to call Moyses Dauid and the Prophetes auncient fathers whye than looke what order of prayer was in the Tabernacle of god and Salomons temple in their time and see whether it go nerer our seruice or the Popes Portuis Rede Dauids Psalme and marke howe manye of theym haue their title directed to the Chauntor or chefe singer and plaier on thinstrumentes to Asaph Hemā Dithum c. to be songe in the Temple and ye shall finde a great sorte suche Rede the xxv chap. of the first booke of the Chronicles and there it appeares whom Dauid appointes to be singers of the Psalmes in the Temple with their posteritye Rede the xiii Chap. of the art of Thapostles and there it appeares that the lawe and the Prophetes were redde in the temple euerye Sabboth daye for their seruyce with a Sermon After the reading sais Saint Luke of the lawe and the Prophetes the rulers of the Synagoge sent to Paule and Barnabas saiyng ye men and brether if ye haue any exhortacion to the people speake Againe in the. xv Chap. he sais Moyses hais of old time them that preache him in euery citye in the Sinagoges where he is red euery Sabboth daye Marke what prayers or kinde of seruice as