14 That other hinderance that is of more special force with them al generally is that they have a certain persuasion that they can not join with us in our profession but that so they should depart from the catholik church Which thing indeed is of such importance that if it were tru it were not for any that loved his own salvation or the glorie of God to join with us in our religion For there is but one church as also there is but one faith and whosoever they are that depart from either of both they cannot be of sound religion whatsoever it is they do professe Therfore to examin this matter a little first we may do wel to search out what it is that maketh them to think that if they should reform their profession so far foorth as we have done they should then depart from the catholik church and so consequently deprive themselves of aeternal life then how the same opinion of theirs may be amended Concerning the former me think that the principal cause of this their persuasion is for that they do not rightly gather neither what the church it selfe is nor yet what it is to depart from the same And then if the groundwork it selfe be wrong it is no marvel if the building that be set therupon be awrie likewise The former of them is that in the aestimation of the church they take not unto them a right trial to teach them which is the church indeed For the levels that they commonly use are especially two one taken out of the first foundation of it the other the successe that since it hath had to this praesent time wherin we live Out of the foundation of their church they go about to establish the certaintie of it by two conveiances one from Christ unto Peter the other from Peter unto them For first they imagin that Christ made Peter the cheefe of al and his general substitute heer on earth that he should be under him the head of his church and have the feeding of al that are his Out of this they gather that those onlie are the church that acknowledge Peter next under Christ to be their cheefe principal head Then do they conceive that Peter was disposed to leave this primacy with the church of Rome and to those that should be the bishops therof and that for that cause he left other places and came unto Rome and was bishop there five and twentie yeers And therupon they think they may safely gather that whosoever is not under the church of Rome he also is none of the church of God These conveiances do we take to be of very little force and so consequently no matter of substance to assure us of the truth of this matter For first that Peter had any such praerogative or primacie we find it not set down by Christ himselfe or by any of his Apostles which notwithstanding must needs have been done without quaestion if it had been tru being as it was of such importance Then as touching any assigment over from him to the church of Rome and to those that should be the bishops therof neither do we find by undowted authoritie that he ever did it nor if he had at any time done it yet that he had libertie so to do and that God would ratifie his assigment But I mean not to enter into that discourse sufficiently handled by many others neither is it needful when as our adversaries themselves do of late so much mislike that part of their groundwork that none of them al of any account can finde in their harts to build so much as their own credit theron The other which standeth in the successe that their church hath had is indeed of greater force to such a purpose but yet notwithstanding such as being rightly considered yeeldeth no assurance to the matter that we have in hand The successe which the church of Rome hath had resteth in two principal points in continuance and consent of others By continuance I mean that it hath not fallen bak again to Paganism or heathenish vanitie neither yet stept aside to the sect of Mahomet as the Turks and manie others have done but ever continued after a sort in the profession of the faith since the time that by the Apostles it was delivered unto them Which surely is a very special blessing of God an evident work of the holie Ghost and a very good cause why al those that wish wel to the Gospel of Christ should have the ancient church of Rome so much the more in reverence for it So commeth it to passe that they have not onlie had after a sort a continual succession of bishops teachers but also have in some maner praeserved and hitherto maintained both the word and the sacraments that Christ himself did leave unto us The consent also that they have had hath been verie great yet not ever alike but somtime more than at some other So long as it kept the faith undefiled and was earnestly bent to advance the kingdom of Christ and would in no wise break but carefully maintained the unitie of the church so long they had the consent of al that dwelt about them or by any means could have any dealing with them And that not altogither for the antiquitie and dignitie of the citie bicause it had been of great continuance in a florishing estate and was now the imperial seat but also even for the sinceritie of the faith and for divers excellent gifts that God had powred upon that church in plentiful maner But after that the former zeal being abated it began to fal in love with earthly things and to break the peace of the church to advance it selfe then began manie to let down their former good liking of it al the East churches generally and manie of the better sort in the West likewise Nevertheles even then also the greatest part of al Europe and some others else-where besides did cleave unto it partly of themselves for the former dignitie of the place or for that they perceived not how they began to slide away from the sinceritie of their profession but especially bicause of the great power that the church of Rome did after obtain from which they saw not how to withdraw themselves without some praesent displeasure or danger Hence commeth it that they have had their doings allowed and their opinions confirmed not onlie by manie several persons of best account but also by Provincials abroad and by general Councels at home themselves or their frinds in these latter ages ever bearing the sway in them both So that indeed the church of Rome hath had such successe in these parts of the world among us that to our knowledge there hath not been the like for earthlie pomp any where else Yet notwithstanding this also is over weak wherupon to set that building of theirs needs must it have a faster ground else can it never be able to
stand Although therfore that in their own opinion their church hath had a special foundation and although it hath had indeed such successe since as themselves do stil imagin yet notwithstanding when they point us unto the church and undertake to shew us undowted tokens therof then we allow not that they should think to put us over onlie to this and shew us no better tokens than these We do not denie them to be of the church but we allow not the bounds of the church to be so taken in nor these things to stand for sufficient proofe that any such praeeminence belongeth to them 15 The other point that seemeth to yeeld some part of the groundwork of that persuasion is for bicause that they do conceive that to be a departure from the church which is none indeed after that once the truth is tried Concerning which matter it shal be good to consider these two things how this kind of persuasion doth grow and what inconvenience this one point of mistaking doth breed in the end This persuasion groweth most of al by the means of our adversaries then also by some of our selves too Those adversaries of ours by whom it commeth are lightly the most cunning and most learned of them who seeing themselves to have some advantage if they can win us to acknowledge or others to beleeve that we are simplie or in al things departed from them and make another peculiar church of our selves earnestly labor even at the first to obtain that advantage Hence commeth it that both they do so busily urge that point and would have neither us nor others to make at al any quaestion of it and so readily apply to that sense whatsoever they finde in our writings that doth import a division betwixt us Those on our part by whom it commeth are most of al those that are most zealous who being much mooved with the manifest corruption that the adversarie part maintaineth and with their unreasonable thirst of innocent blood in the quarrel of religion are by that occasion carried so far somtime that they do not ever speak and write in so sensed maner but that when they acknowledge that division that indeed is and ought to be betwixt them and us so long as they stand in such sort as they do they may seem to acknowledge that we are altogither divided that we are a distinct visible church from them and they but a synagog in no sense appertaining to the visible church Wheras notwithstanding by the whole course of al our writings it is cleer again that we do not sunder our selves from them nor them from us but only in those points that are in controversie betwixt us and for the rest agree togither and acknowledge likewise that in those we are one But bicause that whensoever we speak of the division that is betwixt us we do not therwithal shew how far we agree therupon it seemeth to them that we can easily be content to be altogither abandoned from them and to have no societie at al with such a people So commeth it to passe that as they upon the advantage disclame in us and bear us in hand that both they and we cannot be the members of any one and the selfesame church as indeed in some sense we cannot and in that sense is by us acknowledged so we likewise seem unto divers to be in that point of the selfesame mind with them and as fully to disclame in them as they do in us and as absolutely to hold that both sorts of us cannot in any sense or construction be members of one and the selfesame bodie especially of that which is ancient and tru and the catholik or apostolik church as notwithstanding we are generally The inconvenience that this mistaking dooth breed in the end is very great and hurtful to the cause of religion but some branches therof there be which are common to both parties and some that are proper to either Common to both are these two the inward hart burning and greefe of mind that is betwixt us one towards another and bitter contentions insuing theron whensoever occasion is offered And touching the former we need go no further than to appeal every one to his own conscience For there shal we finde both that we have an inward greefe one towards another and that we think we may and ought maintain the same in the cause of religion that we have in hand Our contentions are so apparant and known unto al that al Christendome is witnes of them Which also are for the most part so bitterly handled as if in religion we were utterly sundered one from another and had no point of faith at al that were common betwixt us to the increase of variance among our selves and to the great hinderance of many of those that are without and otherwise might be woon to the Christian faith Proper unto our adversaries it is that if it do fal out in the end as I trust it wil anon appeer that there was no such cause in us as deserved so to be abandoned from the church of God then abideth an heavie judgement for them that have been so bold as to set down that we are not of the church of Christ and therwithal for to power forth whatsoever curses they had against us And no marvel if they stand in such danger in the judgements of God when as being so they sin very greevously both against God and against their neighbor Against God for that they fight against his truth and abuse the place of justice that he hath given them against their neighbor for that so they discourage and terrifie many of the weak ones that are among us and among themselves are the only cause that many of the simpler sort that belong unto them are persuaded that we are none of the church and behave themselves accordingly towards us Then also if it should be so as we hope it wil appeer that we have a better title to be of the church than they thēselves have then would their subtiltie and fearcenes return to them again and conclude upon themselves that if we do not belong to the church much lesse do they Proper unto us are two others likewise if we at any time suffer them to make such an absolute division betwixt us For so commeth it to passe first that by consenting so far with them in this error we also must stand chargeable before God for whatsoever il fruits do spring of the same ratably at the least so far as the proportion of our fault requireth Then also we bring our selves to needles trouble for that it is great probabilitie with them that so we make our selves answerable for to finde out a distinct a several church from them from which we descend which hath continued frō the Apostles age to this praesent else that needs we must acknowledge that our church is sprong up of late or at least since theirs
in Christ alone for the whole work of our redemption seeking none other to be mediators or to help forth with the attonement betwixt God and us coveting none other doctrines than those that himselfe hath delivered unto us neither yet giving over our obedience to other observations than such as the written word doth teach us But the cheefe thing they charge us withal is for that we receive not more than Christ his Apostles in the written word hath delivered unto us as the supremacie of the church of Rome worshipping of images their miraculous praesence of Christ in the sacrament ordeining our service to the common people in a toong that they do not understand praier to saints and for the dead and many others such like as these Concerning which the truth is that we do not receive them and the reason is bicause they are not catholik but devised or crept in of latter time and not professed in al ages nor of al Christian churches generally In which one point they do unto us a very great and a double injurie both for that they denie us the name of catholiks that nevertheles receive the catholik faith both in the whole and in every point and for that they take that name to themselves who mingle with the catholik faith many inventions of their own devise and sufficiently hold not much of the truth that they do professe But when we do constantly hold al the holy scriptures without exception and al such sums of the Christian faith as have been gathered by the fathers of old and now are authentik in the church among us as that which is called the Apostles creed the Nicene likewise and that other of Athanasius and whatsoever the churches agreed on togither among themselves in the four first general councels and last of al whatsoever at any time since hath been ordeined by the church of Rome or whomsoever else that is not contrarie to the holy scriptures and they on the other side have mingled togither with the catholik faith with the truth and substance of religion which in al ages and in al churches hath been professed many other novelties besides utterly unknown not only to the scriptures but also to the fathers of old yet notwithstanding hold many of these as fast as they do any thing else let any indifferent man be judge whether they or we be better catholiks and then if it please him whether they are meet so resolutely to judge of others that are so far overshot themselves So for this matter we resolve our selves that we are no several church from them nor they from us and therfore that there is no departing at al out of the church for any to depart from them unto us nor from us unto them Al the difference that is betwixt us is concerning the truer members whether they or we may be found more woorthy of that account In which point of controversie we dowt not for to praevail against them and as for the other we allow no such quaestion to stand betwixt us 19 Wheras therfore the case so standeth betwixt us that it were no benefit or advantage to us in any respect to join with them in their profession but mo wais than one great inconvenience and they on the other side by joining with us should reap great benefits have no incōvenience withal wheras also such things as have hitherto hindered many by better advisement may soone be found to be of no such force to stay thē what could there be on behalfe of the common cause more seemly in respect of their own benefit more circūspectly done than so to tender the unitie peace of the church and their own salvation withal as that they would no longer stand out against the truth but lay down their affections now and willingly submit themselves to the kingdome of Christ The magicians of Aegypt being set on by the king willingly did for a certain time what they were able against Moses and Aaron to the discredit both of their persons and of the just cause that they had in hand but afterward being touched somwhat neerer they persisted not then but yeelded themselves and gave glorie to God If any of these have been set on to do as they do it wil not acquit the cost in the end if they have done it of their owne accord it is not like to scape unpunished if they see not unto it betime The Ephramites were of the people of God and yet revolted away from the law though stil they held after a sort the profession therof and having so done they so continued a long time after as a wanton untamed and unrulie heifer notwithstanding al the most earnest warnings that GOD by his prophets did give unto them But yet is it recorded of them that at the length they turned again smiting upon the thigh and acknowledging that they had committed very shameful things If with Ephraim they have so erred and stept aside pittie it were but they should be as readie with him to repent and turn again especially seeing that they have greater provocation now than ever had Ephraim before The Iewes that put their savior to death and utterly renounced whatsoever salvation was offered by him did notwithstanding yeeld from among them very shortly after three thousand persons at once that diligently inquired of the Apostles what they should do and immediately therupon were baptised likewise And it is not to be denied but that many thousands of these also are alreadie come in but yet is it pittie if it might be amended that any one of them al should so far have crucified the Lord again and yet be so long before that he do repent him of it S. Thomas an Apostle himselfe nevertheles dowted very much for a time of the resurrection of Iesus Christ and would in no wise beleeve the others affirming the same but upon very hard conditions and such as agreed not with the nature of his resurrection For needs would he find the badges of mortalitie in his glorified and immortal bodie or else he would in no wise beleeve But when Christ condescended therto and for the time by special dispensation allowed those badges of his mortal nature in his immortal bodie now reteining for the time his wounds he quikly forsooke his unbeleefe and foorthwith acknowledged him to be as he was his Lord God These also beleeve not that the Gospel of Christ is risen again they suppose it is either manifest haeresie or at least but some newfangled doctrine the ancient Christian and catholik faith they can in no wise think that it is The conditions also that they require are as hard as the others for manie of them such as are verie seldom found in the most glorious truth of Christ but commonly haunt the corruption of faith and those beggerly rudiments of the world the doctrines of men But wheras God hath so disposed and ordered this matter
that comfortable doctrine of Gods most gratious providence towards us In the performance of our dutie likewise we do not perceive but that we should be very far wide from that which in truth we ought to do For wheras God only hath made us redeemed us and given us whatsoever we have and therfore we owe al unto him and that by Iesus Christ our Lord their profession notwithstanding is to yeeld their thanks and service again in divers cases to some angel or saint as though that from them or by their good means they had received the things which they have Wheras notwithstanding to make any other mediators in such respect though it be not with Christ betwixt God and us but only under Christ betwixt him and us is either directly against or without the warrant of the word of God Then also although they do not direct our dutie nor any part therof to any other than God yet they teach us to do unto him divers things that we find not in the written word Wherin although they can assure us that the church hath so ordeined yet we see no sufficient warrant therin when as themselves wil not denie but that the greatest multitude of the people of God in al ages have been somtime deceived and the written word both precisely chargeth us to do nothing to God but what he appointeth and besides accurseth al those that set us a work in any thing else Those others that might be corrupted by us are al those that by our example should take occasion to do likewise either such as presently live besides us or the generation that after followeth For we know by experience of times that of those that live togither one doth cast his eie to another everie nation unto the people that doth dwel about them and make the doings of others a rule for them to walk by and the same in the service of God as much almost as in any thing else Children likewise and the race that succeedeth others do readily follow as their forefathers have gone before them for the most part little regarding whether it be right or wrong but sufficiently contenting themselves if they walk but so as their ancestors have done before If we therfore should give an il example to any of these either in leading them to do such things in the service of God as were offensive to him or else no more but teaching them in like sort to venture in so weightie a matter how should we be able to excuse our selves but that we have given them just cause of offence in laieng such a stumbling stone in the way that we see they are disposed to walk And though by the grace and goodnes of God they would be more warie and not stumble therat yet were our fault nothing the lesse for to be aesteemed no lesse than murder before him as Christ himself we know pronounceth an heavie sentence against al those byw hom there commeth offence to any that It were much better for him that a milstone were hanged about his nek he cast into the bottom of the sea than to offend the lest of thē al that beleve in him Those heavie burdens that I spake of which they lay on the consciences of many are of two sorts some that appertain generally to al and others that appertain properly to some Those that appertain generally to al are first those heaps of traditions and ceremonies which they have abundantly laid upon al men calling them the traditions of the church and teach that al are bound of conscience inviolably to keepe and observe them every one Of which sort though some be sorted unto certain principal feasts and times of the yeer yet others there are that so commonly hant every weeke and almost every day and are so plentifully powred out throughout our whole life almost in al things that we are to take in hand that it is not possible for any to walk uprightly therin nor ever sufficiently to attend the greater things of the law of God Then also it is an heavie burden that al men are bound so to confesse as they require both for that they must disclose unto them the very secrets of their harts and are bound to rekon up al their sins so far as possibly they can remember else that they are excluded from al hope of forgivenes Wherof the one is very greevous and abhorring the nature of the best men that are the other more then any man can at any time find that he hath done fully indeed both which are unknown to the word of God and therfore needles and yeeld no way of forgivenes at al but only a way to torment the parties and for themselves to practise upon These that are more proper to some are cast upon them diversly somtimes upon some special occasion somtimes by reason of that kind of life that the parties are entered into Of the first I note but one that is the burden that they lay upon those which have confessed their sins unto them Which commonly they cal poenance and ever lightly hath one of these faults either that the poenance it selfe is wrong being for the most part either rigorous or frivolous or else that the parties are taught to seeke out forgivenes therin Of that which is cast upon others by reason of the trade of life that they are entered into I note these two principal branches First those observances that they binde their regulars to then the vow of single life wherunto they binde their whole clergie and certain others neer to that order The former of which omitting to speak of the woorst of it yeeldeth nought else but a fruitlesse labor such as God never accepteth for any part of his service at al and yet oft times very tedious and painful in it selfe if they follow their rule indeed and coast not over some neerer way the other is ful of fowl pollutions without and intollerable burnings within such as al forced virginitie hath ever yeelded 3 But in matters of religion it may be the controversies seem so dowtful that we cannot charge them with any such inconvenience on their side but that in their judgement they think themselves able to turn it over to us again as easilie as we did lay it to their charge before And we also wil be content to set by religion for a season and al matters of faith whatsoever as if in that respect there were no inconvenience at al to be feared and now consider those things alone that do concern our civile estate heerin this life not persuading our selves to the contrarie but that divers there are that would be content to join with them in matters of religion if therby they should bring to themselves no inconvenience in this For divers indeed do not so much respect religion or looke not so narrowly to the diversitie of these professions but that they can be reasonably
certain by-matters concerning their profession yet that which is the very substance indeed have they ever professed togither so long as themselves abode in Christ therupon acknowledged ech other for catholiks notwithstanding the diversitie that in those other points they stil maintained As also we see in the law of arms that howsoever countries and kingdoms are divided among themselves yet therin do they agree togither notwithstanding the diversitie of government or laws and notwithstanding the mortal enmitie that otherwise may be betwixt them For even so is it in the church of God very much divided in many matters of lesse importance but in the substance of Christian religion which we term the catholik faith agreeing togither And as it is in men and al other creatures that God hath made that generally al are like unto the kind of which they are but otherwise varieng among themselves even so is it in this likewise al that are Christians holding togither that which is the common faith of al the material and essential points of Christian religion and yet very often greatly divided in other matters therunto appertaining but not of the very substance indeed Seeing therfore that the substance of Christian religion the very effect of the whole is to rest in Christ alone for the whole work of our redemption in his preesthood for our attonement in his doctrine for al our wisdome and in his kingdome for our obedience whosoever they are that hold the same they hold without quaestion the catholik faith whosoever they are that diminish of this or put to any other they dowtles do that which hath not ever been in the church of God nor whersoever it hath been spread and so conseqvently that which in neither of these respects nor in any other can truly be aesteemed catholik For whatsoever it is that is catholik indeed it must needs have the testimonie of al ages and of al Christian churches which only agreeth to that which is taught by the written word And whatsoever is not such that also to abide by is not catholik 18 Now to find out who they are that depart from the church but so that we incumber our selves no further than to the praesent busines that we have in hand doth appertain the quaestion standeth betwixt the adhaerents of the church of Rome on the one side us on the other they plainly affirming that we are departed from the church we denieng it and not only claiming to have a lawful interest therin but also pleading a continual possession that we never were nor yet are departed nor excluded from it For the plainer demonstration wherof we are to justifie that of departing from the church there ought to be no quaestion at al among us but only of the members therof who they are that more truly answer unto their calling For we both acknowledge the holy Trinitie and three persons therin of aequal glorie and those three to be but one and the selfesame God we both acknowledge Iesus Christ to be the onlie begotten son of God and to be man of the virgin Marie we both acknowledge him to be the promised savior that there is no redemption in any but only by him the canonical scriptures we both acknowledge to be the undowted word of God and likewise observe those two sacraments that God ordained to be in perpetual use among us we both acknowledge that it behooveth Christians to mortifie the flesh and to walk in holines of life that one day we shal be raised up again and stand at the judgement seat of Christ and so manie as have done wel shal go to fruition of everlasting joies but al the rest to everlasting pains So that as touching the profession of the faith generally both sorts of us do so far agree that neither of us may justly account the other to be none of the church of God And therfore as it was very il done of those that first urged such a separation so likewise those that seemed so easily to accept therof as though that both sorts of us could not be of one and the selfesame church generally did unadvisedly likewise For whersoever this cōmunitie of profession is there whosoever make such division they are not able to justifie their doings therin bicause that so they make an utter separation wheras notwithstanding in general profession they are reasonably wel united togither and are not sundered but in some special matters of controversie But now if we come to the consideration of the several members heerunto appertaining whether they be whole congregations as national churches or but ordinarie parishes or whether they be but particular persons therin may we be bold to determin that both are not right but that one part whosoever it light on must needs be wrong For though by their outward profession generally we are both sorts to be accounted of the church yet in such diversitie as is betwixt us we cannot both sorts be tru members of the same If they be right then we are wrong if we be right then they are wrong Such is the diversitie that is betwixt us and of so material and needful points though both sorts be of the catholik church yet is it not possible for both sorts to be catholik members of the same Whether of us therfore it is that is wrong is now to be seen Where first as touching them we cannot account them to be catholik members for two principal causes First bicause that they do professe maintain divers opinions that very directly go against the Christian faith that generally they do otherwise hold For they do not content themselves only with Christ nor with his word nor with his sacraments or at the least not so fully as we but set them up other mediators in heaven other doctrines sacraments on earth And though it may be they wil say that they have not done these things in such sort or not in such measure as we would seem to charge them withal yet can they not denie but that they have done it and do it stil more than we and then if the quaestion lie betwixt them and us whether are the truer members needs must we in that respect praevail against them The force and power of his annointing they impeach very much when as they do not content themselves with him alone whom the father appointed made able to serve our turn Then also bicause they do so earnestly impugn the truth of religion in divers points and so bitterly persecute the persons of those that either professe religion sincerely or join not with them in al their corruptions and usurpations For so doing we can make no other account of them but that they have suffered themselves to be made the members of antichrist or man of sin that sitteth in the church of God and insolently confoundeth al at his pleasure Concerning our selves they wil not charge us but that we rest
they do in althings agree with them Freedom of wil and merit of works were indeed jolly matters to puffe us up higher in our own aestimation but we can be prowd inough without them Sufficient for us it ought to be that we may be saved let us leave the glorie therof wholy to God and take no part therof to our selves Since the fal there is not in man any inclination at al unto good that is of that kinde saving only in those that are regenerate and that which is in them is not ever continual but somtimes very rare and weak likewise and ever is the special working of God in us And though our works that are done in faith and love have reward promised unto them and so consequently by promise du yet are the best of them on our parts or so much therof as is ours so unperfect and weak that by right they could otherwise than by merciful acceptance deserve nothing at al. And when we are sure we have most absolute redemption fully and wholy in the merits of Christ what need we trouble our selves further to search out whether that we may not think that our good works have in some sense merited also Traditions so far as they do not swarve from the written word or are to aedifieng we do not mislike otherwise we think we have alreadie so much to do that is expresly commanded unto us that we think they hinder us much in the service of God that incumber us with more The preesthood and sacrifice of Iesus Christ we account to be of that sufficiencie in themselves and so proper to him alone that we cannot yet be persuaded either that we need or that we may set up any other but that we must needs bewray either our great ignorance in the one or that we have a very slender and over-base an account of the other Otherwise if these wil not serve needs must we be more out of hope to get any good by those that are brought in by them Howbeit his preesthood continueth forever and his sacrifice once made is a ful satisfaction for al so that we need never be careful for any thing else to be joined withal As for their purgatorie and the sillie helps that they have allotted therunto we can neither stand in fear of the one nor if we should be distressed by it can hope of any releefe of the other Of their purgatorie we cannot stand in fear both bicause the scripture doth not tel us of any such place and besides that it lappeth up al forgivenes of sins and remembrance therof to al beleevers in the death and sufferings of Christ and that in so ful and comfortable maner that it leaveth to us no dread at al of any such torments to be afterward suffered for sin by any of us and bicause it is so evident to al the world that it was at the first an heathenish opinion among the gentils before they came to the knowledge of Christ and hath been since used in the church of Rome as a compendious way to get in monie and that beyond al measure and mean The helps that they use to releeve the souls that they suppose to be afflicted therin can do little good both bicause that nothing can be any satisfaction for sin to the justice of God but only the death and sufferings of Christ and bicause that those helps of theirs besides that they are verie weak in themselves are not ordeined of God to be the means to apply the same unto any but only the faith of the parties themselves wrought in them by the holie Ghost In their worshipping of saints and images there is some ods howbeit we cannot finde the better of them both their worshipping of saints I mean to be any better than plain idolatrie so oft at least as it goeth beyond that honor which in the second table and fift commandement is appointed to fathers mothers and reacheth unto the worship which in the first table and in the first second commandements is before taken up unto God As also we think themselves should perceive that if they do it as a dutie that they ow unto them or as a thing that saints do like of or to get some benefit at their hands in al these points they do but wast leese their labor for that they ow them no such dutie neither do they like that they should offer them any such nor yet can help them in those things that they crave at their hands And as for their images neither are they blessed of God to yeeld any such fruit as they require at their hands neither should we so maintain the dignitie of our creation being ordeined to repraesent the person of God to al these his creatures if we shuld so servilely abase our selves to stoks and stones when as the Lord hath made us the head over them not them over us Concerning the marriage of those that are of the clergie seeing that both the scripture alloweth of it in al estates and degrees whatsoever and that God in his wisdome ordeined the same and seeing that the practise of al antiquitie hath had it in continual use it is a thing we think more plain than that we may allow any controversie therof to be made If this wil not serve let them but turn bak their eies to themselves and but make an indifferent search how fowl and manifold pollution hath broken foorth among them since the time that they have abandoned marriage from their orders and that one thing we think wil be sufficient to teach them that heerin they were far overshot and have found it tru in themselves by experience that which before they might have learned at the mouth of the Lord that generally it is not good for any estate of men to live unmarried when as therby they so quikly brought al their orders so fowl out of order As for their inhaerent justice and that with some distempered affections as it seemeth they charge us to allow of none other but that which is putative and only faith the substance of this matter being before specially touched it is not needful heer to say any more therof So these are in effect those great matters for whose sakes we are charged to have translated so corruptly and so consequently in the judgement of some that we have not the word of God at al among us Wherunto would they ad but this little correction that for these matters we have it not to their good liking therunto could we be content to yeeld and therwithal think that we stil must want al authoritie of scripture for thē Otherwise they have sufficiently found even in the ruines of their own usurpation and doctrines that we have the scriptures among us as also not many of themselves do charge us but only for these and for a few such others besides of such like or lesse importance