in daunger to bee turned into coldnesse of zeale Psal 6 and feare to professe the truth which God had made knowne vnto him Luther was to him as the Aungel was to the Prophet Esay Es 6. which by the burning coales of the Lordes Altar kindled and inflamed his zeale For by his noble spirit of magnanimitie he strengthned and fortifyed the other against the feare of flesh and bloud Such was the comfort and benefit which they receyued of their mutuall giftes to the great edification of the Church And this is the golden payre of two of the worthiest Ministers of the Gospel that Germany hath brought forth in any age Out of whose large volumes the pretended differences obiected vnto vs are taken and gathered The third is Iohn Caluin one of the soundest Diuines and of deepest iudgement in matters of religion both of doctrine and of discipline that God gaue to his Church this thousand yeares whose good name is in déed as the wise man saith a most sweete and excellent oyntment Eccle. 7.3 For howsoeuer Bolsec and the slaunderous defender of the late Censure haue rayled in the spirit of Semei against him and sought to their power to spoyle and marre this pretious oyntment yet all that are of the Church in these partes of Europe smell the sauour of it as the Apostles did the narde of Marie Iohn 2.3 which she powred vpon the heade of our Sauiour Christ and as they that were in the Temple did the sweete and fragrant odor of the holy oyntment when it was powred out vpon Aarons heade Ex. 30.23.24 25.30 Psal 133.2 and trickled downe to the hemme of his garment This worthie man of God like a goodly Starre rising first in Fraunce and after ascending to Geneua where also it went downe so shined in his time in the middes of the Church as if all the Firmament thereof had beene but one Starre and as if in all the Cope of Heauen there had shined none other And these three worthies of all the Lordes hoste at once this weake Authour hath specially chosen to encounter and to deface with contrarietie to themselues and one with another putting his trust as it seemeth in this that his surmysed contrarieties should neuer come to be examined The poyntes wherein hee chargeth them with contrarietie are of the Sacramentes and first in generall of the number of them whereof hee affirmeth that Luther acknowledged but one Caluin two Melancton three or foure For Caluin I confesse hee saith there are but two and in deede there are neyther more nor lesse For a Sacrament being a seale of our Communion with Christ Rom. 4.11 it can not bee shewed that our Sauiour Christ appoynted any more or lesse Seales of the righteousnesse that is by faith and our coniunction with him then onely two namely Baptisme and the Supper of the Lorde Which without any manner of question or difference is manifestly declared to bee the generall iudgement of the Churches professing the Gospell by the booke of the harmony of the confessions of their faith Which hauing beene long agoe exhibited to the seuerall Princes of the Countries states and kingdomes where these Churches are are nowe of late very profitably published to the iust conuiction of all such as slaunder the reformed Churches to be variably distracted rent in sonder with infinit differences of faith For it appeareth by that most profitable labor that the Lorde hath knit and vnited them together with a holy vnitie both sweete as the oyntment of Aaron and also profitable and rich as the due of Sion Psal 133. and of Hermon By which pleasant hermony of the confessions both of this Church and many others it appeareth that the generall iudgement and faith of our Churches acknowledgeth onely two Sacraments Wherein the Churches of God agreeing so well together the diuers opinion of a particular man or two if it were so culd not preiudice their holy vnitie in the faith But how vntrue it is that is here obiected to Luther Melancton will plainly be discouered For Luther that hee euer helde or taught that there should bee but one Sacrament as the Authour chargeth I say is an vniust slaunderous accusatiō In the places hee alleadgeth for his proofe in the beginning of his booke of the Babilonicall captiuitie after the denying of the seauen Sacraments and graunting of three which he there expresly nameth Baptisme the Lords Supper and Penance His wordes are these Although saith hee if I would speake after the vse of the scripture I should haue but one Sacrament and three Sacramentall signes whereof more largely in his time By which wordes it is euident that Luther ment nothing lesse then to teach but one Sacrament in that sense wee here speake of a Sacrament which conteyneth in it both the signe of the Sacrament or holy thing signifyed by it and also the Sacrament or holy thing it selfe for such hee playnely confesseth three Baptisme the Lords Supper and Penance But by one Sacracrament vnderstandeth the matter and substance of the sacramentall signs which is in deede but one namely our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ Which manifestly discouereth the simplicitie of this Authour if not hauing redde nor eonsidered the place himselfe he vouched it vpon confidence of the collection of some other or his verie euill conscience if knowing this to bee Luthers meaning hee haue so wrongfully and vniustly slaundered him Thus for one Sacrament hee hath his answere Nowe to that hee obiecteth of three or foure For foure hee cyteth Melanctons common places where Melancton hauing named three Baptisme the Lords Supper and Penance hee addeth after these wordes It liketh mee most that ordinacion also bee added whereunto he annexeth this reason that it is commaunded of God and that great promise is made to the ministry and preaching of the word For answere whereunto it is to be noted that first in the place alledged hee nameth onely three then after adioyneth this that he could like also the ordinance of the ministeries for the commaundement of God to ordayne Ministers and the promise of God to assist and blesse the Ministery of such as are lawfully called were also named a Sacrament Which importeth as if hee had said that in some sense ordination also may be called a Sacrament Further the confession of Ausb and the Apologie of it as he truly alledgeth both endyted by Melancton maketh mention onely of three Whereby it appeareth that Melancton taught not simply foure but onely three and that the name of a Sacrament in some sense might bee attributed to the fourth and for teaching sake as he speaketh in his Apologie in the title of the number vse of Sacraments Where handling this matter expresly hee vseth these words wee doe not thinke it any great matter although some for teaching doe otherwise number so that they duely keepe the things which are deliuered in the Scriptures neyther did the auncient Fathers number
subiectes of this lande and such as are naturalized and enfranchised amongst vs. Therefore if this proofe were good why they ought not to be dealt with according to law thē may al the prysons be discharged and euery malefactor hath by his birth a sealed pardon for all crimes that he may commit But he addeth they are not only Subiectes but also duetifull and honest This dependeth vpon the tryall of their cause which the law according to all righteous iustice hauing condemned as worthie such punishment as it layeth vpon them His priuate and vniust clearinge of them for good and obedient yea readie to die at her Maiesties feete and for your H. can not be sufficient Which testimonie would to God it might be truely geuen to them all Then surely there would be more hope to reclaim them to obedience vnto God and to her Highnesse But notwithstanding it be true that there are a number of those which are mis led in their ignorance to the lyking of superstition otherwise duetifull at the least in outward shew hetherto yet the vnsound and trayterous hearts of a number also haue bene discouered in the rebellions in the North and in Ireland yea further also by manifold practises both against the whole state and the Royall person of her M. and of sundry of your H. Whereof certaine profe hath bene made both heretofore and of late aswell in the K. Bench by the iust conuiction and condemnation of the traytors there arraigned al pretended Catholickes Iesuites and Priestes as also at Chensforde in Essex by like sentence against the priest Who should haue bene as Iudas was to the Romane bandes a Captaine a leader to a Company of Romanes altogether both in superstitious Faith and Infidel like disloyalty to so horrible an acte as any true Subiects hart cannot but abhorre euen to remember Whereunto adding the doubtful answeres and obstinate silence that commonly are made and vsed by such as haue had this interrogatory ministred vnto them Whether in case of the Popes commandement and the threatning of his excommunication to the contrary they woulde take armes with him or any sent by him against hir M. or with her H. agaynst the Pope we may worthely feare what affection of loyal duetie obedience may be in many of the rest which haue not yet beene demaunded that question And in deeede it can not be that such of them as haue the Roman faith not in ignorance but in some knowledge of the treasonnable grounds it resteth vpon without denial of the Pope to be Gods vicar and of all their holies should be faithful Subiectes to her H. and this state abyding as it doth by the grace of God in the true profession of the Gospel Therfore it is not inough to say it is onely their cōscience in religion they stand in to prooue them good and loyall subiects For though euery profession of religion doe not ouerthrowe the state they are vnder maintayning another Religion yet there are also some professions which can in no sort bee permitted by authoritie without the certaine ouerthrowe and ruine of the state where it is allowed The profession of the gospell may be tollerated by any prince or state in the world without any daunger to them For our doctrine holdeth nothing that may impugne their lawfull right and authoritie but contrariwise teacheth all due honour and obedience to be giuen to them and that for conscience sake Wherfore both they maye suffer the excercyse of it without daunger yea to the greate establishing of their states and thrones in assurance and consequently also such professors maye be faythfull and loyall subiectes yea euen to heathen princes as the Apostles and the fathers of the Primitiue Church were But an Anabaptist that holdeth there ought to bee no magistrate though he allege a thousād times he standeth but for his conscience religion yet bycause his conscience and religion is such as the principles and grounds of it are contrarie to all States and authority the magistrate cannot endure such a conscience and religion without the certaine daunger of hauing the mace and scepter wroong out of his hands Much like to this is the cause of our pretended catholickes For notwitstanding they allowe of Magistrates of authoritie in generall yet I say they hold a faith and doctrine the maximaes and rules whereof are as opposite to the present state of this lande in particuler as are the principles of the Anabaptists against all estate and dignitie The proofe whereof is manifest in these two pointes The first is that the state nowe established within this realme professeth by the gracious goodnes of almighty God the seruice of him according to the truth of the gospell and agreeably hereunto that the lawfull heyres of the crowne of this noble land are souerayne in their estate and dignitie to see all causes and persons within their kingdome and dominion both ecclesiasticall and ciuil ordred and gouerned according to the commandementes of God without subiection to any forren power of prince or priest whatsoeuer The second is that euerie one of the pretended catholique and Romaine faith vpon paine of damnation is to beleeue the B. of Roome who is a forreyne prince and Prelate to vs to haue supreame authoritie ouer all the church of Christ as his generall vicar vpon earth and consequentlie to beleeue that the K. and Q. of this noble land are to bee subiect vnto him to receiue that religion which he wil deliuer them to obey his censures that so far as that in case of his excommunicating depriuing of them they are to leaue their crowne to an other Yea further that as absolued from their othe and allegeance at his commaundement the naturall and sworne subiects ought to put such his sentence of depriuation in execution against their liege and naturall prince Which two points being so contrarie the one to the other how is it possible that any of these Romaine Catholickes knowing and beleeuing particularlye this point of their doctrine can be a true and a faithfull Subiect to our Soueraigne Ladye ELIZABETH against whom such most vnlawfull and wicked sentence hath bene already by two of their Popes pronounced and sought by all meanes to be put in execution Which things well considered I doubt not but your LL. see it to be great wisedome not to proue their fidelitie in a kingdome and so rare a iewell as hir maiesties person is for all their flattering speches of being ready to spend their life and their goods in hir quarrell but rather to keepe a vigilant and ielous eye open ouer them night and day that they may not bee able how willing soeuer they would be to do any thing to the annoyance of her royal person and of this noble state kingdome Wherfore as touching their persōs though they be the naturall subiectes of this state yet if they offend the godlie lawes thereof in refusing to serue God with vs
an obedience to God and to the King Deut. 13. ◠c Deut. 17.5 Likewise the authoritie of the lawe of Moses commaunding to put to death the false Prophet and the Idolater Asa made a statute in his time that whosoeuer did not seeke the Lord vnderstanding therby a renouncing of Idolatrie and a worshipping of the only true God according to his lawe should dy the death Which as it was lawfull then and in them yea duetifull and necessarie euen so vpon like ground is it as lawful duetifull for all Christian Princes now to make like statuts vpō the same warrant for the gouernement of the Nation and people committed to them There is no cause then why hee should make so light of our nationall statuts being the true and liuely vse of the lawe of God by this meanes renewed and recouering his force againe by such proceedinges It appeareth therefore by these reasons that the authoritie is sufficient and strong whereby they are punished yea and such as may well warrant a further proceeding against so many of thē as may be iustly condemned for heretikes that part of the Cannon lawe standing now as well in force as it did in the time of their tirannie and giuing vs that power against them which they neuer could haue of it lawfully against vs whom they could neuer conuict of any error And thus much for answere to the authoritie whereupon both our proceedings are grounded being the first of the two reasons he alledgeth Now come we to the other argumēt which is of the difference of the cause betwene them vs the principall poynt of all this treatise Foure Reasons of the aduersary for their cause The difference hee noteth is in foure poyntes whereof two which are the antiquitie and vniuersallitie of their faith he doth but lightly touch by the way the other two of vnitie and pollicie he discourseth off more at larg Whose steps because I haue bound my selfe to follow somewhat I must answere to the former before I proceede to the other two wherein hee seemeth to haue more confidence Our faith saith he is the only Religion of our forefathers Answere to the 1. which is Antiquity in England To this I answere First it is not true and then if it were yet it can be no suffycient reason for thē nor against our cause For the first it appeareth by the resistāce which the auncyent Britons made to Austen the Monke the Pope of Romes Messenger or Nuntio hither and the whole discourse of that Story Which sheweth that they which were before the Conquest receaued neither his Supremacy nor his faith that frō the beginning of Christianity in the lande to that time the religion had bene free from most of their corruptions Their trāsubstantiatiō the Saxons which after preuailed belieued not as appeareth by a sermon found written in the Saxon tongue appointed in their time to be vttred vnto the people at Easter before the Communion and published now in print by authority to all the world for proofe thereof But I put the case our Forefathers had neuer had other Religion in England were this a suffycient reason to prooue it good If it be then many supersticious abhominations of the Heathen may be iustified and acknowledged good Religion The cursed false worship of Mahomet in Asia hath contynued as long as the Idolatrous superstition of the Church of Roome yet were it vtterly impertinent for the posteritie liuing this day in those partes to alleadge this reason that it is the onely religion of their forefathers in Asia When the Apostles came preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles they had bene a people in the ages generations before that time in respect of the true knowledge of religiō neglected not regarded of God Act. 17.30 hauing in a maner frō the beginning of the world which was 4000. yeares continued in their Idolatrie Yet was this no sufficient cause to continue in it still and despise the Gospell as a newe faith Which though it had not beene vouchsafed thē before yet was more auncient then their wicked superstitions Contrariwise it was fit for them the longer they had lyen in darkenesse and in the vale of the shadowe of death with so much more ioy to see and beholde the Sunne when it beganne to rise in their countries Euen so notwithstanding it were true that darkenes had couered this lande in all the time of our forefathers yet now that we their children haue the fauour to see this glorious Sunne to rise in our horizon and to see his comming forth like the comming forth of a Bridegrome out of his chamber Psa 19.5 or of some worthy knight and Champion setting out to runne his course Should we loue darkenes more thē light refuse the riches of gods mercy most fréely bountifully bestowed vpō vs. Nay we ought rather to celebrate the goodnes of god towardes vs with euerlasting prayses for that he hath reuealed to vs the misterie hidden from so many ages and vnknowne so long to the world as it is nowe reuealed and our owne happinesse whose eyes doe see the light of the Gentiles the glory of Israell whose eares do heare the wisedome that is greater then Salamons Thinges which in deede many of our forefathers especially in some late hundred yeares haue not sene nor heard and wee nowe by the grace of God doe see and heare them The same may be saide of their generallitie namely that first it is not true Answere to the 2. generallitie that this their faith was left vs by the generall consent of all Christendome and then that generality in it selfe sufficeth not to proue religion good For the first it is manifest by the holy scriptures that the Apostles who as it appeareth by their writinges preached the doctrine which wee professe neuer taught their superstition hauing left vs no one poynt of all that which is properly their faith and wherein they differ from vs. The auncient fathers testify I speake of the most auncient of them such partes of Christendome as they liued and taught in to haue belieued no such faith The Stories of the Church make mention of Christian Churches in Asia and in Afrike and some partes of Europe also which neuer receyued the faith of the Church of Roome that is that which is properly the Romish faith and wherein it dissenteth from vs as neyther their supremacie nor Idolatrie nor sundrie such other poyntes which are the beautie and crowne of popery Therefore it is vntrue that they haue it left them by a general cōsent Further all generalitie in it selfe is not sufficient to iustify a matter of faith What hath bene and yet is more generall in the world then Mahometisme and Paganisme which yet Christian men for all the generalitie of it do worthily according to Gods worde detest and abhorre The general consent of the whole Church I meane of all the holy assemblies
was not Ieroboams Religion therefore the true Religion and the other false no nor more profitable for theim For whether was it more profite to enioye onely for a shorte tyme the ease in tariyng at home and to saue the trauaile and coste of goyng to Ierusalem then by obeiyng the Commaundement of God in yeeldyng to hym the seruice whiche he required to depende vpon hym and thereby to bee assured to haue safely kepte that whiche for the present thei enioyed and to dwell in the lande accordyng to the promise bothe thei and their posteritie for euer Or whether brought theim greater hurte in the ende true Religion whiche required their trauell and coste to worship at Ierusalem or Ieroboās Idoll whiche in the ende did caste them out of the lande and their children for euer leadyng them captiues into Assiria and makyng theim subiecte to the iuste punishement of euerlastyng death To haue tarried still in Egipt seemed to some to stande better with the wealthe and prosperitie of the people of Israell to enioye that thei had gotten there the space of fower hundred yeres thei had dwelte in it then with so many troubles carriages of their housholde stuffe and cattell into so huge a deserte to worship there But the seruice of GOD required it and in the ende it was farre more proffitable for them For in steede of beeyng slaues to the Egyptians who putt them into their Bricke houses of Claie and into their Furnace of Iron thei obtained a goodlie lande of their owne where thei dwelte as a free people euery one sitting vnder his owne Vine and drinkyng the water of his owne Well Abraham might haue thought it better to haue tarried still in Vr of the Chaldeans then to go thence he knewe not whether Yet the obedience of GOD required hym to leaue his owne Countrey whiche the Idolatrie of his Countrey did not exact of hym And in the ende not onely in regard of the life to come but euen of this life it fell out to his farre greater benefite then if he had not borne that harde condition as it seemed at the firste and tarried still For after and by this meanes GOD made Abraham a Father of many Nations his Seede as the Sande of the Sea and the Starres of heauen in multitude naie he gaue hym a sonne in whom bothe he and all Nations should bee blessed So the Apostles were cōmaunded to leaue all and followe Christ as in some sorte many other oftentymes are likewise to doe A hard Religion would this man saie and standeth nether with any reason or pollicie but is against their commoditie and best estate yet is not Christes Religion therefore to bee impugned For whatsoeuer it requireth yet is it the onely true Religion and therefore that whiche onely hath the promise of the blessyng of God annexed vnto it as the Apostles finally proued and all shall likewise proue whiche followe hym It semed good policie to some of the kinges of Iuda to be in league with the mightie kyng of Assiria and to confederate them selues with the people of the natiōs whiche true Religion did not suffer nor allowe yet was it not the lesse the onely true Religion no nor had not been in the ende lesse profitable for their state For if thei had obeyed God and depended vpon hym then had thei continewed the Kyngdome in their lande whereas euen by their pollicie thei were caste out of it and despersed abroade Thei had been better to haue contented them selues Esa 8. with the softe runnyng and shallowe water of Silo whiche thei so muche despised for then thei had not been carried awaie to Babell But Euphrates was a goodlie deepe water a swifte flood a noble streame therefore thei desired to drinke of it and to washe theim selues in it but to their owne destruction For this strong streame tooke their feete from them carried them awaie into captiuitie There are many whiche by suche wicked pollicies forslow yea neglect the reformation of Superstition of Idolatrie of Popishe abuses and enormities of the Churche within their Dominion Thei are afraied innouations should breede daunger to their estate and therefore thei choose rather with the indignation of God to let al alone and suffer a state once established so to continue then to alter abuses and disorders though GOD and true Religion require it Yet shall suche pollicies in the ende be founde to haue no sound wisedome in theim when GOD accordyng to his woorde shall visite suche a Nation and bee auenged of them for all their impieties By like reason a man that liketh not of christianitie because thei muste suffer persecution whiche will liue godlie in Christ Iesu and because the waie is straight and narrowe maie with as good colour pretende to haue iuste matter to refuse it But christian faithe and the narrowe waie in all holie and sound wisedome are notwithstandyng to bee chosen and the broade waie wherein a man seemeth to walke at his ease for a season to be refused For in the ende he shall proue it true whiche Salomon saieth that there is a waie whiche seemeth good vnto a man the ende whereof is destruction as there are lippes that still Honie but the feete of the same bodie leade into hell It is therefore meere profaunesse Atheisme to measure religiō by euery commoditie and so farre to receiue it and so ofte to chaunge it as in the vaine discourse of fleshe and blood it seemeth to stande or not to stand with our profite For this is the profane spirite of Esau to make but a pollicie of Religion and a seruaunt to our selues But true Religiō is to be receiued for it self because God hath cōmaunded it and so farre and in suche sorte as he hath prescribed what daungers or discommodities soeuer profane infidelitie and the foolishe discourse of the naturall man whiche as the Apostle Peter saieth is poore blinde and can not se farre of in these matters shall fancie and imagine Naie though in deede for triall of our faithe more precious then gold and for the honour of his name in our patience the Lorde should see it good to excercise his people with sundrie afflictions for how soeuer for suche secrete and yet alwaies iuste causes the Lorde shall see good to deale with any Nation yet in the ende if thei serue the Lorde thei shall finde it to bee moste for their comforte bothe in this life and in the life to come And therefore this remaineth alwaies firme that whatsoeuer the naturall man and carnall pollicie shall iudge yet true Religion in the groundes of the doctrine and in the exercise and practise of it is not contrary to the florishyng estate of a commonwealth but bothe in the nature of it and by meanes of the promise of blessyng annexed vnto it is the Religion by whiche alone Kyngdomes and Common-wealthes maie truely prosper and florishe Thus wishyng to bee vnderstoode of all men that Religion is to
sinne For if sinne which the prophet said could not be satisfied for tho a man shold giue riuers of Oyle and thousands of shéepe Oxen yea tho he shoulde giue his first begotten sonne or his own life for the redemption of it may so easely be redéemed by giuing some part of the wicked mammon to building of Abbeis or maintaining of Masses seminaries and such like which in deed greatly encreseth their sinn by strengthning such abominatiōs Men must néeds bee hereby made more carelesse of their wickednesse and more encouraged to offend Whervnto also their sanctuaries priuiledged places do greatly encourage For if any malefactor may haue any such defence against all iustice and protection for his ill doing how is it possible that all wickednes shoulde not be prouoked by it Whereby it being plaine that impunitie is the cause of incouragement to offenders and that the practise of the R. religion is thus discouered to be such as it setteth the transgressor free from all feare of the wrath of God and the iudgement to come by their dispensations indulgences absolutions and satisfactory workes and from all ecclesiastical punishment for a litle mony by making markets of their said Buls and pardons and from the iustice of the ciuill magistrats by sanctuaries and in al their clergy by exemptiōs imunitees priuiledges and appeals to the seate of R It must needes be hereby most manifest that the practise of their religion is as a breach that is made by the sea wherby al maner of impietie and wickednes of life doth so violently flow into the common wealth wher it is receiued that it is not possible to make resistaunce against it Whervpon I conclude that seeing by his owne confession this Romish fayth in the doctrine and discipline of it both thorow the iustice of God who cannot but from heauen reueale his wrath vppon so great vngodlinesse and in the very nature and practise of their religion must néeds be the most certaine ruine and ouerthrowe of all K. and states where it is established I might alledge here other particular causes of the breaches of some certain commaundement as their disordered orders of Monkes Fryars their vnlawfull vowes and constrained single life to be causes of hypocrisies adultries fornications and a 1000. abhominations of vncleannes But I leaue these and such like to the consideration of the discreete reader and proceede forwarde to other points Wherein I affirme the practise of their religion not to stand with any good pollicie Next to the honor of God a vertuous conuersation wherof haue beene spoken alreadye nothing can or ought to be more regarded in a state thē the souerainty of the state and freedome of the people Which by the doctrin of the Gospell is maintained and established For so we teach according to the doctrine of the apostles that euery soul and person be subiect to the ciuil magistrates both to the K. as most excellent and souerain and to those which are sent from him Wherby both the souerainty of the state is maintained in directing commanding with in the Dominion which God hath giuen them without controulment of any forraine power the lawful liberty of the people For the people obeying the authority which God hath made them subiect vnto they neede not to be suters for any causes in the court of any straunge P. they are not to be taxed by them but in euery their respect are free from the bondage of anye forraine commaundement whatsoeuer But the Romish religion nether leaueth P. soueraine in their estates nor the people frée in their liberty For by the doctrin and practise of their religion K. and princes are but vassals and as feodataryes to the pope in their K. and dominions they are to receiue thē of him and leaue them at his pleasure Hee hath authority to dispense of all their Crownes and Kingdomes to set vppe and put downe as it seemeth best to him And as this is set downe for good lawe in their Canons so haue they not failed to practise it as hath appeared Further also they take from them the dealing with al ecclesiastical causes drawing them all to the Sea court of R. euen to the bestowing of ecclesiastical liuings at his pleasure by means wherof both the emperors of the R. empire other P. the K. of this lād haue bin fain to plead such causes as they haue had with their subiects without their own land further also they took vpō thē to impose paimēts vpon their subiects besids a thousand oppressions of their soules which they miserablie tyrannised with lawes of abstinence for conscience sake from meates and from marriage commaundemente of cōfessing their sins in shrift the rest of the ordināces of their will worship wherby the pore people were oppressed with great bondage and the P. were so manye and diuers waies impeached in their crown and dignity Further in a well pollicied estate it is required that it bee maintained in peace and yet so that in case of warre they may bee strong bothe in men and treasure to defend and repulse the violence of their enemies This the Gospel teacheth being the gospel of peace wherby men are not only reconciled vnto God but also one to another according to the worthy testimonies which both the Prophets and Apostles beare vnto it in this behalfe And as the Doctrine is peace both with God and amongst men so the practise of it can not in any sort disturbe or hazard the peace of the state where it is receiued but with al security establish it Likewise hath it nothing in all the doctrin practise of it contrary to the strength of a cōmon weale For it teacheth marriage to be honourable amongest all men and the honour of a P. to be in the multitude of his subiects and exempteth none by any pretended authority of forrain power from the seruice of their country Concerning riches tresure it doth not impouerish requiring only a competent prouisiō for the pastors and doctors of the church Which as it is necessary for their seruice and most due by the expresse commaundement of God so riseth it to no great charges of a common weal. But the R. religion practise of it is against al these For if the stories euen of their own wickedest writers may bee credited as they oughte most of al to be against thēselues that B. of R. haue bin the cause of al the wars that haue bin in Europe these 100 yeres And indéed what estate cā be in security or quietnes wherein a forraine P. shall haue intelligence of all the secretes of the lande But wheresoeuer the R. religion is euerye Prieste is an intelligencer and a spye for the pope who both by other means especially by their auriculer confession come to vnderstand the deepest secrets of euery state and K. of euery City and town village house familye person within the land Which kind of
worthy scholers whiche receiued it of thē and deliuered it ouer againe to others In a happie tyme came thei ouer to our Vniuersities to turne them which had been in tyme past as heathes dry groundes voide of the true knowledge of God into springs of water whose brookes might issue forth to the refreshyng and cōfort of all the land their desolatiō and liyng wast as Sodom and Gomorrha thei tourned through the grace of GOD into a fruitfull place like mount Carmell and the garden of Eden full of good fruite and medicinable to the soules of men Therefore blessed bee their noble memorie whosoeuer thei were that brought thē ouer But to saie that Religion stoode then in such termes here in England that if those two had been Anabaptistes our religion this day in England had been such and thei should aswel haue béen punished for not receiuing it as thei are for refusing that is now established is a malicious slaunder of a hatefull harte to the Gospell of Christe and the professors of the same seing that before their comming in as hath been declared religion was fully setled and established here as it continueth to this daie As for that he calleth them Caluinistes to passe by that for age Caluin might rather haue been named of them then thei of hym He is to vnderstande wee haue no suche custome nor the Churche of God to name our selues of any men Christ is not deuided with vs we all content our selues with that honourable name of Christians To be a Franciscane or a Dominicane a Thomist or a Scotist we leaue to them who haue deuided rent asunder both Christes coate and bodie We knowe by the grace of God how to respect the giftes of God in his holy Organes and Instrumentes of his glorie without derogatyng from God his honor to giue it to an other Thus it appeareth that Religion with vs had his beginnyng of the worde of God knowne to many and professed to the deathe by sondrie of this Nation afore the lawe whereby it was established Wherby it is manifest that Religion was not groūded vpon the Temporall lawe and the Magistrates authoritie but that the godly Magistrates and the wise men of all the lande assembled together in the high Courte of Parliament hauyng vnderstoode before by the worde of God and many expresse testimonies bothe here at home and els where abroade whereby God gaue witnesse vnto it that the Religion which of auncient tyme had been taught in this lande though for a tyme it had beene eclipsed and darckened and then beganne euery where through the power of GOD to bee renewed againe that that I saie was in deede the holy word and seruice of God and the true doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles thei agreed withall obedience vnto God so to acknowledge it and as Asa and Darius though not with any thing like seueritie of punishmēt commaunded it to bee receiued and embraced by all the Subiectes of this state and Kyngdome We depend not therfore vpon a Temporall lawe for matter of Religion but bothe the lawe and we vpon the eternall lawe and word of God but this iniury must be doen to the hye state of this noble lande that these men maie be admitted to dispute Therefore here he falleth in againe to the mention of a disputation and reneweth the petition of his fellowes for it promisyng largely that if suche indifferent triall maie bee graunted betweene the learned of bothe sides as thei demaunde for their instruction due reformatiō in iudgement if thei erre the matter perhappes maie sone bee ended 〈◊〉 they bee conuicted to erre he giueth vs hope that perhappes thei will be reformed Would to God thei desired it for their instruction and reformation in iudgement if thei did there is inough already written for their iuste cause of satisfaction or if not thei maie be satisfied by writyng But whē thei haue all graunted that thei desire though thei were conuicted to erre is there no more hope of their obedience to God and to her Maiestie but that Then perhaps they will be reformed If there were the feare of God in them thei ought without all peraduenture to yeeld them selues obedient to the voyce of God to bewaile with compunction of harte and remorse of conscience the Superstition and Idolatrie thei haue liued in hitherto and abused the worlde withall and blesse the daie wherein the Lorde of glorie maie appeare vnto them But suche is their wilful obstinacie that notwithstanding thei were as mightely conuicted and confounded as were the Iewes by Apollos and by the Apostle Againe of disputation yet perhappes thei would erre still and goe on in their wilfulnesse to their vtter confusion and ruine Acts. 18.28 If thei bee denyed disputation then thei remaine for their beleefe as before yet good and dutifull Subiectes But this implyeth a manifest and necessarie contradiction For if thei remaine stil obedient to the Pope who curseth them if thei acknowledge the Queene to bee the lawfull Prince by obedience of her lawes then is it not possible thei should bee good Subiectes For a good Subiect doeth willyngly obeye her Maiesties godly lawes acknowledge her lawfull authoritie ouer them Whiche thei deniyng to doe as thei are bound vpon the Popes curse it can in no sorte stande together that thei can kepe their Romishe faithe and their obedience to her Maiestie two such maisters as God and Mammon the Lieutenaunt of Christ and of Antechrist can no man serue but he must forsake the one Mat. 6. and follow the other he must cleaue to the one deny the other There followeth proofe for the equitie of their former demaunde whiche is that thei desire to bee satisfied in one onely point An issue demaunded that is when the articles of their difference from vs came into the churche and by whom thei were rebuked Whiche issue that he would so faine ioyne with vs he confirmeth to bee reasonable by the antiquitie of the true religion and the commyng in of the false Of the first he saieth that whiche is graunted on bothe partes that the religiō taught by Christ and his Apostles is the true religion Herevpō he inferreth that the false is later entred in since whiche I also graūt It remaineth therfore to be tried whether entred in since This saieth he is to be shewed by notyng the time of the entrāce and the author of it with the names of suche as did cōtrol it And this he would proue to be the onely argument and sufficient demonstration in these causes by twoo kindes of profe and first by reason Answere to his arguments proued necessary by reason Wherein he esteemeth it strong that there cannot rise a false Religion the churche standing possessed of a true one but that some companie or particuler man should rebuke it This reason I saie is not strong to prooue that he bryngeth it for that is that no false
abhominations for which after they might condemne them to the fire But we confer with them as desirous to delyuer their soules from the wrath to come and their present estate from such punishment as the law doth lay vpon them Releeuing of the prisoners of Christ was thorowe their extreme dealing an occasion to sundrie of great troubles But who hath heard of any Act. and Mo. who for this onely cause hath fallen into any trouble amongst vs. They killed fiue prisoners for the Gospell at Canterbury with famine and miserably relieued the rest for any torment As in time of imprysonment not one of theirs hath bene offered any for religions sake In deed if vnder color of conscience they haue intermedled so far in matters of State as that they haue bene to be tainted of treason it may be such haue beene examined vpon the Rack according to the auncient order both of this and other States in like cases that therby they might be constrayned to confesse that to the safety of many which otherwise they would obstinately conceale to the ouerthrowe of their Countrey Whereof not hauing vs in suspicion at any time but persecuting vs only for the Gospels sake yet some with Ioseph haue had the yron enter into their soule and other with Paul and Silas haue beene layd in the dungeons and there also had their feete put into the stockes Act. 16.25 singing to God as if they had byn in heauen Act. 5. I might name also a great nūber who with Peter and Iohn were whipped and scourged and reioyced that they were vouchsafed to suffer for the word of the Lord Iesu whereof as there were many so a young child amongst the rest was so sore beaten that he dyed of it who before his death was sent to his father whom they had put in the stockes in Lollards Tower Actes and Mo. setting a dish of water by him with a stone in it not much vnlike that of the Iewes which as they read said of Ieremie let vs put wood into his bread to torment the poore man with the pittiful sight of his child so shamefully beaten and many other such foule extremities I could remember them off How they dealt with Hun as it is like with some other which dyed in pryson is partly vnderstoode to their iust reproch and will be plainly discouered in the day when all secretes shal be reuealed It were to long to examine their like dealings in other countreys therfore I referre the Reader to their stories and namely to the 6. and 9. Chapters of the Spanish Inquisition where he shall see what close prysons what spare and lothsome dyet what strange and barbarous extremities are vsed by them The last poynt of the comparyson of vsage is in the execution of death which hee sayth hath beene done of their part in all fauor for iust reproofe wherof let the gentle Reader looke ouer the Storie of D. Tayler who being cruelly vsed all the way he went to execution there being ready for it was stroken a great stroke vpon the head with a waster and hurt againe with a fagot cast at him which light vpon his head brake his face that the bloud ran downe after stricken vpon the lips and last of all so smitten with a Halbard that hys braynes fell out But of all other horrible was the execution of the Garnesey woman Perotine both in her own person in that she was executed being great with child also in her child which being taken vp out of the fire viewed by the offycers was to the perpetual reproach of their most barbarous cruelty cast againe to his mother into the fire In elder time also terible was the executiō death of Sir Iohn Oldcastle the worthie L. Cobham is a witnesse to all ages of their barbarous executions It were to long to rehearse the stories of their most cruell executions in other Countries in all ages Therefore I referre the reader to the bookes themselues namely to the 12. chap. of the Spanish Inquisition Only two examples I will set down for a shewe one of more auncient time and the other of verie late In the low Countries at Tourney Bertram a zealous professor of the Gospell found such fauour as this man speaketh in his execution that after many rackings and tormentes before he had his right hande and foot pressed and mishapen with hot irons his tongue cut of his mouth stopt with a ball of iron his body let vp and downe to the fire till it was burned to ashes which were cast into the riuer Of late in the yeare 1581. at Roome Atkines an English man a zealous professor of the Gospell for a like matter as Bertrames was before which was the taking of their masse Idol from their altar and throwing it vpon the ground had this fauour shewed him in his execution that al the way he went to it as it is reported by such as saw it there were foure did nothing but thrust at his naked body with burning Torches and by a deuise for the purpose was burned so as his legges were burned first that the Tyrantes might feede their eyes with a horrible spectacle of so strange tormentes of the constant Martyr witnesse of Christ this hath bene their execution with al fauour Thus we see the chastisement layd vpon them is the rod of a tender most louing mother correcting her obstinate sonnes to bring thē to her obediēce duety but they haue beaten the true church of God with Scorpions as the Sirians did to the Israelites in Galaad they haue threshed it with flayles of yron Their greatest restraint is such I speak of those which are restrained for matter of religiō that they haue cōuenient roomes houses with gardēs to walke in but they thrust our poore brethren into their darkest dungeōs into the caues holes of the earth as into the dens of Dragons Their dyet is liberall and such as pleaseth them selues to haue but they so fedde the true Church of God in their time and yet doe where their authoritie may serue that she might and yet may in such places renewe the complaint of the olde church of Israell and of her cheefe heade and captaine Christ Iesus I haue eaten ashes as breade and mingled my drinke with weeping They gaue me gall and wormewoode to eate Psal 22. and vineger for to drinke they opened their mouthes vpon me as roaring Lyons they made me so spare that I might tell my bones my heart melted in me like waxe my tongue did cleaue to the roofe of my mouth for drought and I sate me downe vpon the earth Psal 2◠and in the dust But the Lorde whose right hand worketh such changes and alterations hath had compassion of our estate in this land his name be praysed for it and hath opened the prison doores he hath deliuered those which were vowed to death when his appoynted time was come
Tennaunte at wyll hath no better pollicye then to please hys Lorde of whome hee holdeth so the greateste pollicye and soundest wysedome that maye bée vsed by Kynges and Prynces is to please the Lorde oure GOD in all obedience and namelye in the zealous aduauncemente of hys true religyon and seruice Therefore wycked and deuilyshe is thys rule and not to bee patyentlye hearde of Christyan Prynces that false Relygyon or anye dysobedyence vnto GOD Idolatry Hipocrisie Tyrannye or anye such lyke canne establyshe the seate of any Kinge or bring securitie wealth and honoure to anye state or people or that true religion and godlines that iustice and equitie shoulde diminishe any of these and make the state weaker or lesse assured To longe hath this moste false and wicked doctrine abused Princes of weake iudgement to the turninge of theire golde into drosse and their honor into dishonor for what can be more vnwise vnhonorable and vnprofitable in the ende then Idolatry dissimulation Iniustice and tyrannye Or what can be more vnwise and vnhonorable then a state whose wisedome is nothinge but déepe hipocrisie periury and licence of all impietie On the other parte what canne bee more wyse or honourable then a P and state by whome true relygion is zealouslye and sincerelye aduaunced iustyce vprightlye admynistred the royall othe woorde and promise of a P inviolablye obserued vertue rewarded vice punished good lawes wiselye made ryghtly construed and duelye executed and so good a course of gouernment with all christian and noble magnanimitie maintayned and auoued For surelye these two which conteyne all the rest religion and iustice pietie and equitie are the moste precious Pearles that may annorne the crownes of Princes they are Pillers stronge as Iacin and Boos which were erected in the Temple and are named of theyr stabilitye and strengthe wherby theyr state is vpholden Salomon the royall Patron of all true state and honoure by wysedome and vnderstandynge by counsell and magnanimitye by knowledge and the feare of the Lorde as by the sixe steppes of hys regall throne which were made for that purpose ascended into that glorious seate as it was noted by the Lyons at hys féete on eyther side aboue all Kynges of the earthe and satte hym downe as a Kyng of Kyngs and Lorde of Lordes Whose glorye so sittynge was suche as he séemed to bée a newe Adam reentred into the Paradyse of God or as the sonne of God whose glorye in a sorte was represented in him In which example the Lorde hath sealed vnto vs the assuraunce of the promise hée hath made to honor Princes which honoure him and to cause the states to prosper and to flourishe which builde vpp the Temple of the Lorde and neglecte not anye thynge which hee hath commaunded for the furtheraunce and aduauncement of it And as in olde tyme these promises were confirmed in the glorious and happy kyngdome of Salomon So may wée truely acknowledge to the greate glorye of GOD a notable testimonie of the fulfillynge of them in the blessed kyngedome of our moost noble Queene whome the Lorde hath so wonderfully blest to haue as it séemeth some notable example also in these dayes to seale agayne vnto all the worlde the certayne trueth of thys doctrine That happie is the King Prince vvhose God is the Lord For howe richlye hath the Lorde blessed her highnes and her people in comparison of all the Kinges and nations rounde aboute vs wyth peace and aboundaunce accordinge to the prayer of the Psalme for Ierusalem are in all the walles and Palaces of Englande Psal 122 Such a peace and such a plentye as our Fathers neuer knewe nor our Chronicles reporte to haue beene in the dayes of anye of her Maiesties moste noble Auncestors before her Our owne Countrye yéeldeth vs aboundance of all thinges that growe at home and forreine Nations serue vs wyth plentye of all commodities abroade So that what soeuer is in the Easte or West what soeuer in a manner is vnder the Poles or betweene them wée haue it brought vnto vs. Which continuinge so manye yeares in so calme a peace must néedes haue excéedingly enriched the land with wealth and treasure The peace of it is miraculous in so greate and longe troubles of all our neighbours about vs and in so manye Plots and practises layd and vndertakē by the Church of Roome and the rebellious Children thereof for the disturbaunce of our peace Further also the Lorde hath gyuen her highnes that honoure and glorye that neuer anye of her noble progenitours attayned vnto whych is in her owne so happye estate to sitte as iudge and honourable arbitratoure of the causes and controuersies of the greatest Kynges of Europe and of all her neyghbours weyinge the Ballaunce as it pleaseth her And what is the cause of all these so calme a peace so rich a treasure and so exceedinge greate honoure Surely the cause is the same for which the noble Kynge Ezechias was blessed likewise with ritches and honor Ezechias opened the doore of the temple of the Lorde which Ahaz his Father hadde shutte vppe Hée caste out the Sirian Aulters and sette vppe agayne the Aulter of the Lorde in hys place hee purged the Temple from the Idoles and abhominations wherewith it hadde bene polluted hee caused the presence Breade to be sette vppon the presence Table before the Lorde the Lampes of the golden Candlesticke to shyne and gyue lyghte in the Temple of the Lorde hee called home againe the Priestes and Leuites whiche were scattered abroade and appointed liberall prouision and mayntenance for them 2. Chr. 31 21 Finallye in all the worke which hée beganne for the seruice of the house of GOD in séeking his God bothe in the Lawe and in the cōmaundements hée exercised him selfe with all his soule and was prospered In lyke manner it hath pleased God that her highnes shoulde caste out of hys Temple amongste vs theyr Roomishe Aulters they re Idoles of Golde and Siluer of Woode and of Stone Legendes and lyinge Fables the abhominations of the Masse and all the wycked and heriticall doctrine of the Churche of Roome seruice in straunge and vnknowne tongue wyth a thousande superstitions vsed in it In steede whereof her Maiestie hath broughte in prayers in our owne tongue the holye woorde of God to be reade and truelye expounded vnto vs. The Sacramentes which are the seales of the Gospell duely administred the pure cleane and vndefiled Water of Baptisme the Lordes Table furnished as the royall Table of a Kynge at the marryage of hys Sonne wyth the swéete breade of the finest of the Wheate and wyth Wyne of a Grape of mooste noble kynde that is wyth the precious bodye and bloode of our Sauioure Christ Iesu Her highnes hath calde backe agayne the Ministers of the Gospell sled as Elias sometime dyd into the Wildernesse so to sundrye places where they mighte finde the Lorde as hee sawe hym in the Rocke in Mounte Horeb. Further also her
honour of a large dominion then euer the Kinge of Iuda did The Assirians the firste Monarchie of the world ruled in a manner all Nacions for many yeares many Kinges succéedinge one an other in the royall seate of Assiria After them arose the Persians who subduing the Assirians obtained the Monarchie and raigned likewise a space succéeding one an other Then came the Grecians who preuayling against the Persians made themselues maisters of thē and almost of the world Last of all the Romaine Empire abolishing the former succéeded in the souerantie possessed it first in Roome and after in Constantinople againe in the West to that decayed estate which now remaineth of it whē the great Turke had seased vpon Constantinople and all the East part of the Empire So Tamerlan the Tartarian had a time as also many other horrible Tirantes wherein they prospered That these prospered for a season he cannot deny as he accounteth prosperitie but I think hee wyll not say that the detestable profession of Mahomet or the Pagan Heathen abhominations of the Monarches vnto Constantine in the Roman Empyre were the cause of their prosperitie It is manyfest they were not but rather the cause of their finall ruyne and ouerthrow as not ceasing to call for vengeance to God vntil he with his Thunderbolt from Heauen had striken thē What was the cause then Surelye this the goodnesse of God who dooth good euen to the vnthankfull and vngodly who letteth his Rayne to fall-vppon the Féeld of the iust and vniust and causeth his Sonne to shine vpon the Christian and vpon the Heathē An other may be that the Lorde purposing to execute his iust Iudgements vppon the Kinges of the earth for their Idolatries oppressions violences murders adulteries and all such lyke their impieties raysed vp from time to time as hee dooth also euen vnto this daye some to serue him in the execution of his high Iustice vpon thē For which cause the Lorde doth make some Nation to growe stronge and mightie as the Okes of the Forest that hee may vse it for a Staffe in his hande to chastice the Nations Whiche when it hath perfourmed hee casteth it into the fire and rayseth vp another for the consuming of them These are the true reasons the Lordes mercy and Iustice which caused them for a time to florish as the Ceder in Libanus which after he cut downe and so grubbed by the Rootes that the place of many of them is no more to be knowne and not their wicked Idolatries which the Lorde alwayes abhorred euen so doo I say of all the Kinges that haue receiued Poperie and haue prospered for a season that not their Idolatrie and Heresie but that the goodnesse of God dooing well vnto his enemies that his Iustice to punish those that loue not the trueth was the cause of any prosperitie that euer they enioyed Againe I saye that if the Bookes bee well looked it wyll easily bée founde that their pretended Catholike Faith and Roman Religion hath beene pernicious to most noble states and in the verye nature of the doctrine and the practise of it is contrarye to the wealth liberty honour and authoritye of any state or kingdome The Romaine Empyre may sufficiently beare witnes of it For the Empyre hauinge pitty to see that Church créepinge as it did in the begynning vpon the ground suffered it to growe vp by it and to embrace it as the Yuie doth vpon the Oake as some haue well compared it whereof the Empyre being amighty trée indede felt not at first any annoyance but now hath declared that it hath sucked it in such sorte as it hath drawne out all the iuyce and vygure of it and broughte it nowe to a withered stocke scarce able to beare the barren braunches that are vpon it For by meanes of excōmunicating and cursing the Emporors by gyuing the Empyre to whome it pleased them by forcing warres betweene the house of Fraunce and the Empire and other the noble houses of Europe the Pope hath broughte to passe that nowe there is no Emperor at all at Roome but him selfe As for other kingdomes in Europe that haue prospered nowe séeme most to florish I say thereto it rose and ryseth from other causes for it is manifest by all storyes that the Popes haue bene the very firebrands to set them afyre sowing causes of warres betwene thē They haue bene the very insatiable leaches of theyr treasure which could neuer be satisfyed Tyrants that haue oppressed not onely the lawfull libertye of the people but also the royall power and aucthority of their Princes yea of Kinges and Emperors Wherefore neither Asia Greece Egypt Africk Hungarie nor anye other haue bene ouerthrowne for abandoning that superstition neither is it to be feared of any Country that in these dayes haue altered and reformed themselues herein but the admitting and receiuing of this superstition with other wicked Heresies or the chaunging it not for better but for the worse the contempt of the worde of God and of his holye doctrine of the Gospell which euery where impugneth this as it appeareth by S. Iohn hath indeede remoued the Candlesticke and the true light from amongst them and wyll doe likewise from euerye nation that shall not bringe forth the worthy fruits thereof And thus as many other Nations héertofore so it may well bee that both the Countries néere vnto vs for refusing to haue Christ to raigne ouer them yea and al the worlde for the lyke contempt may be plagued with horrible calamyties These may iustlye bringe wrath vppon any Nations not the reforming of Popish superstitions accordynge to the trueth and sinceritie of the Gospell And thus muche for his experiences of this imagyned prosperitie of Popishe States his fyrste proofe in this Question Nowe let vs examine his seconde reason This Argument is from the cause which may make any State to florishe whiche hee aleadgeth to bee vnitie and affirmeth the Churche of Rome to haue the meanes to kéepe it and the professors of the Gospell to want both it and the meanes therof Whereunto I answer as to the same Argument alleadged before that not euery agréement and consent is pleasing to God or profitable to men For there are agréements in Idolatrie in adulterie in robberie in conspiracie in murders and in all iniquitie which are all odious to God and hatefull to men and of this sort is the vnitie that is amongst them which is no better then a conspyracie against GOD and his Poeple to mayntaine Heresie and all iniquitie but let him shew vs a vnitie amongst them of Brethren not of Freres so falselye called but of Brethren that are the Sonnes of one heauenlye Father the heyres annexed with Christ yea and by him alone of that same fayth and church pertakers of the same Holy worde doctrine and Sacraments and then I will confesse that vnytie to bée both pleasant and profitable as it is in 133. Psalme And that the Lorde
bee imbraced for Religions sake and not for policie and that therefore how soeuer it please GOD to deale with those whiche shall receiue it in this life thei are notwithstandyng to abide by that truthe whereby onely their soules maie bee saued to euerlastyng life and also that the doctrine and practise of true Religion bothe by the nature thereof and by reason of the promise of blessyng annexed to it aboue is the only religion which may prosper a K. or common wealth therefore no false worship what shewe so euer it may haue of some particuler cōmodity for a season can in trueth and in the end proue commodious to it I proceede further to answeare that he obiecteth of certayne particular commodities and discommodities of our holy faith and their Idolatrous superstition The first point he dealeth with is of restitution of goodes wrongfully gotten An answeare to the first point of the aduersaries profitable doctrine for a common weale which their Churche he saith teacheth so precisely as neither by absolution nor dispensation of any Prelate hee may bee pardoned without will of restitution but dying so is esteemed a reprobate and not prayed for in their Churche And this faith hee is their doctrine the commodities whereof hee adioyneth but first let vs examyne both our doctrines That their doctrine and practise is such as hee here affirmeth I deny for they haue sundry waies to hinder the actuall restitution of goodes wrongfully gotten Whereof that is chiefe and principall whiche hee heere denieth of the dispensations of the chiefe Prelate for if his Fatherhoode may dispense with the sinnes to be committed in time to come and giue a sealed pardon afore the offence as it is notoriously knowen to all the worlde he taketh vpon him to doe if neede be the buls thē selues may bee shewed other most sufficient and strong proofes of it are to be made then in case of any wrōg extortion theft vsury brybery Symony or such like after committed he hath his pardon afore hand and is dispensed with for it many yeares before hee haue done the deede Further he that may dispense with the greater may surely pardō the lesse but his Fatherhoode taketh vpon him to dispense with greater sinnes then these for proofe wherof all the world is wittnesse of his dispensation with marriage of the neece and that he gaue leaue to the brother to marry with his brothers wife can not hee then dispence wiih a petilarcin or a bribe What power they affirme hee hath herein appeareth by theyr shamelesse Flatterers that attribute vnto him power to dispense with al things and that what soeuer GOD maye geue pardon of that may hee As for his owne prophane holinesse it is as the Canons say a Sacriledge to dispute of his doynges whose offences sayeth the Canon are to be excused as the thefte of the Hebrewes the murders of Sampson and the incest of Lot If the Pope bee a Theefe or an Extortioner and yet to be excused as the Israelites then if he dispense with all he maye not bee accused And if his murder and incest bee not to bee iudged who shal iudge him for giuing pardon for extortion Their Canons teache that hee hath full power of God to dispense aboue right and lawe and make iustice of iniustice in chaunging and correcting of rightes He alone hath the right to take from one and giue to another all the worlde is his Dioces he is the ordinary of all hauing full and entyre power in thinges spirituall and temporall For he is L. of L. and K. of K. hauing the right of K. ouer his Subiectes Hee is all and aboue all and it is necessarye to Saluation to bee Subiect to the Pope of Rome seeyng that God the Pope haue but one consistory I am loth to turne vp this dunghill and such lyke the odyous noysome stinke whereof may infect the worlde but that as the Prophete saith their owne dung is to be caste in their faces What a shamefull and Diuelishe presumption is this to take vppon him these things and yet this man woulde make vs beleeue that no Prelate can dispense for goodes vniustly gottē True it is that they cannot indeede but that he taketh vppon him to be able to doe it is too too manifest For besides that hath beene alleadged out of the Canons if wee regard either his dealing in this age or in former times we shal find he hath not onely giuen pardon for the doing of it but expresly commanded committed such violent wrongful oppressiōs what part of Europe hath not the Pope oppressed with as grieuous exactions as euer Roboam did Israel His little finger hath been heauier to the people which admitted his tyrannie then the whole bodie of any other tyrant For they haue beaten their people with rods but he hath scourged them with whippes of wyre Oftentimes both this noble Island other greate states kingdoms of the West haue groned vnder these his burdēs as the Israelites did vnder the exactions of Pharao the Egyptians grieuously complained of thē besides many vniust paimēts which he hath imposed vpon the people he hath not spared to do wrōg to Princes thēselues that in their regal crownes dignities taking thē from whom he liked to spoyle bestowing them vpon whō it pleased him as sundry exāples of the K. of Englād of France yea of the Emperours doe aboundantly testifie yet he wil seeme an enemy to thefte and himselfe cōmit spoiles robberies like those which the pirate obiected to Alexander The warre for recouery of the holy land the Pope hath bin Author incourager of with giuing for that purpose pardons of sins to al that would fight in the quarrell of what an infinitie of warres vniust oppressions haue they beene causes both in other places in the West Indies wherby their own story since the inuasiō of such as he hath sent thither hath bin partly by warres partly by cunning and crafty dealing toyling the people with extreame labor to the death wasted cōsumed of that poore and harmles people 1500000. But these warres they will say were lawfull tēding to the inlarging of the faith of Christ which is cleane contrary For besides that if they receaue that faith he bringeth they shal be litle the better if it were indeed the true faith of Christ which they would plant there yet for that reason it were not lawfull to inuade a people with whom there is no cause of any other iust quarrell For God hath as wel determined the dominions of Princes as he hath the possessions of priuate mē without which parke wherin they are impaled by him they may not walk without iust cause of their necessarye defence Wherefore this was very bolde that hee durste affirme no Prelate to haue power to forgiue it Nay not onelye the Pope taketh this vppon him but euerye hedge Priest will vsurpe a
contrary this doctrin is to al christian states and common wealths whatsoeuer whose end ought to be cheefly that their subiects liue in al true religion and honesty But how vnfit soeuer it be for christian K. and estates I confes it was a very pollitique point of doctrine for the popes kingdome For hereby he receiued a double commodity First that casting by this means his feare vpon the simple and ignorant he enioyed more quietly the possession of his tiranny ouer the Church al men standing in neede of his fatherhood and fearing to prouoke him that had suche a power to keepe them in purgatory stil or to release them Another that by his pardons and indulgences deliuering men frō this prison which he had painted in their heds he filled his coffers with treasure Where by he enioyed the more easely al the contentmentes that he desired and was the better able to maintaine his proud Antichristiā kingdome against al power that should rise against it And thus in respect of the maintenaunce of their owne kingdome I thinke there was neuer so politicke a supersticion and false worship in the world as this of the Ro. faith which whosoeuer try fro point to point shal easelie discern to be most true To the further consideration wherof leauing the discreet Reader I will procéed to the other point which remayneth which is of the reward of good and euill in the worlde to come Wherof our doctrine is sayth he that all the paynes of hell are equall and that the most wicked man that euer was shal endure no greater torment then he that is the least offender which his report of our doctrine is vtterly vntrue Wherefore let him eyther iustifie this to be true out of the confession of the faith of our Church which he ought to doe if he chalenge vs for doctrine and not to charge vs with euery thing which hath beene written by any that professe the gospell or by any wryter of ours of credite in the church or let him feare with out repentance satisfaction for it by confessing his ignorance or malice in thus slaundering the church of God the iust condemnation of lyars false witnesses whose porcion is with hypocrites He saith we teach further also that the glory of al the redeemed elect of God shal be equal that euery one shal be in as great glory as Peter Paule which is not the general doctrine of our Church Wee acknowledge that they which otherwise shal be beautifull as the firmament and they which iustifie manye shall shine is Daniel teacheth like the starres of heauē Our sauiour denied not that there should be a place at his right hande and at his left in his kingdome in the worlde to come but in this worlde tolde his Disciples that the pompe of earthly states shold not be seene in him nor in his ministers He promised vnto the Apostles seates to sit vpon to iudge the 12. Tribes of Israell And the Apostle reioyced in the hope hee had that the Thesalonians shoulde bee his Crowne in the daye of the Lorde Whereby it appeareth that as all the members are partakers of the power of the soul and haue their place and honour in the body yet they receiue not all power to doe the same worke nor are of like honour so in the misticall bodye of Christ al shal be as members of him partakers of his spirit and be filled with it for the full worke and honour of that part which they shal be in the body but not al inabled for the same worke nor of like honour But they wil say how can this be except heauen be a rewarde due vnto the worke I aunswere that according to the same grace that god giueth a diuerse measure of faith according to the diuerse measure of it the fruits thereof many or few in this life so also he disposeth of the degrees of glory in the life to come wherby it appeareth that as we truely deny all men Therefore looke what profite a Christian Common wealthe maie receiue of the doctrine of the diffrence of glory and pain in the worlde to come it receiueth it of the doctrine whiche wee teache Drawyng towardes an ende our aucthour beginneth confusedlie to heape vp many thynges together by whiche order one point might haue serued hym as well as the whole dosen For in this tenth he hath dealt with the doctrines of Repentaunce Confession Satisfaction Purgatorie of Heauen and Helle. In the eleuenth whiche followeth Of workes merite freewill and predestination he intreateth of Workes Merite Frewill and Predestination Concernyng the doctrine of Predestination wee teache saieth he In the Churche of Rome that all the Sainctes of God are Predestinate before the foundations of the worlde were laied And I saie we teache the same Therefore our doctrine herein beyng the same it must needes be no lesse profitable to any state then theirs and so no cause of this cōparison Of Freewill we teache saieth he That a man hath libertie and freedome of his will whereby beeyng preuented and assisted by Grace he maie at his pleasure doe any good Workes or refuse to doe them This doctrine in deede is neither ours nor the doctrine of Christe and his Apostles For accordyng to the truthe wee haue receiued of theim we teache that the Nature of man through the sinne of Adam is so wholy corrupted that there is no good thyng in it that of it self it cannot thinke a good thought that it is solde vnder sinne Phil. 3. Rom. 7.8 Ephes 2. and that it is enemy against God is not subiect to the lawe of GOD nor in deede can be made subiect finally that we are borne dead in our sinnes Whervpon it followeth that the will of manne beeyng a principal power of his soule it is subiect to the corruption of the whole and therefore hath no will to do that whiche is good willeth not of it self any good is seruaunt vnto sinne willeth nothyng but sinne and ennemitie with God willeth not that whiche the Law cōmaundeth but is dead in sinne Whereof it must needes followe that wee are not free in our will to will that whiche is good for our will is seruaunte to synne and therefore can not dooe the woorke of righteousnesse Our will is deade in sinne and therfore can not be a liue to righteousnesse For as a deade man can not dooe the actions of a man that liueth no more can the man that is deade in synne doe any action of will or any other that he doeth that liueth to God I meane not that our will is dead altogether no more thē that a man deade in his synnes should not liue the life of a naturall man and of this worlde but that whatsoeuer naturall power it hath it is dead as touchyng the doyng or willyng of any thyng that God hath commaunded in suche sorte as the lawe requireth There remaineth still notwithstandyng the punishement of
doctrine profitable for a christian state to be receiued to shew it to be of God Other wyse without consideration of the truth of it to say how false so euer it be yet is it good for the state or how good so euer it be yet is it ill for the state and wil bring innouations troubles and pouertie this is to reason like one that hath no God And if he went to reason thus like an Atheist hee were vtterly vnworthye any aunswere and hath offered your Hh. the greatest wrong that a christian nobility could be offered once to think that the shew of his commodities to the state should carry your H. to the liking of that false worship and superstitiō that is against God his holy truth Therfore what soeuer he imagine to the contrary the question whether it bee good for a Christian common wealth and kingdome I haue answered pertinently in shewing theire doctrine first to bee false and hereticall Which ground beeing first laid I haue ioyned in that issue he desired declaring further that as by the cursse and wrath of God which must needes shake and ouerturne the seates of such mighty ones as shall dare to haue wars with the almighty in setting vp a false idolat worship which he hath forbidden So also that their doctrine it selfe and the practise of it in the very nature of them both is against all good pollicie of any Christian state and onely fit for the establshment securitie of their Antechristian kingdome For further euidence wherof I haue thought good here to gather together with some enlargement of lyke matters that hath bin touched in seueral places concerning this matter already That being to be vewed in one sight it may the better be iudged and discerned For better vnderstanding wherof it is to be considered that the good estate of a Christian K. or common welth is to be holy in religion and al duties immediately respecting God honest in all conuersation amongst men free for libertie strong for forces quyet for peace and rich for treasure All which points make a state honourable and happie But the R. doctrine and practise bringeth in a false worship of God al wickednes loosenesse of life tyrannie bondage wars trouble weaknesse and vnhabilitie to resist the enemy finally néede and pouerty all which must needes make any state vnhonourable and vnhappie That their faith is vnholy therfore maketh their people such that doth receiue it appereth by the worship of Idols of bread of wood and of stone by the ignorance of all sorts amongst them and the maintayning of it to be mother of deuotion by their iustifications thorow their owne workes and so many other bye means besids that only sweete sacrifice of Christ Iesu in a word by al their fals worship which is wholly nothing but a seruice deuised by men and not prescribed by the worde of God And as in regard of God it is an vnholy and prophane worshippe hauing no ground of his word so is it the cause of al dishonesty and wicked conuersation amongst men Which may appeare not onely in the iustice of God with whom it is righteous to giue ouer to all shame of iniquitie and abhomination those which haue not helde his honour in any due respect but haue made it common to Idols and by experience which hath made proof of all vngodly and loose behauiour to bee euen in their holiest Cloisters but also by their very doctrine and practise of it This may easely be discerned by any that shall compare with that holy discipline which is taught in the Gospel their discipline which is moste loose and desolute except it be in that which may keepe still the conscience in bōdage and captiuity of ignorance superstition and Idolatry For as the discipline of Christ is the speciall meanes next to the true preaching of the word of all godlinesse and honestie both to be preserued amongst men and also to be restored after a declination and decay so that Antichristian disorder and confusion in all the chiefe parts therof is next to their false and hereticall doctrine the greatest cause that all impietie and wickednesse both first entred into the Church and yet can not be driuen out that the ancient estate of the Church may be recouered and restored againe But I will leaue other points which were to long to enter into here note but one speciall corruption of their discipline Wherby iudgement may be giuen of the rest This is that Antichristian supremacie wherby the man of sinne in the deuilishe pride of his seat challengeth vnto himselfe fulnes of power and soueraintie of iurisdiction to doe what pleaseth him and to dispense with what he list For what greater encouragement can there be to sinne then that a man may be sure for a little mony and a very little in deed to haue a sealed pardon not onely for any wickednesse committed but also for all he shall commit al his life and many hundreth yeares after so foolishly and absurdly wicked is their doctrine and practise If a man by going a pilgrimage or saying so many times ouer his beades or fasting so many dayes or giuing so much to the priestes and seminary men If I say by these and such like meanes a man may satisfie for his sinnes who will be restrayned from any wickednes or be careful of the amending of his lyfe Thus one point of the supremacie is as a roote of wormewood and an original cause of an infinitie of trāsgressions sinns Which being thorow the iustice of God and the very nature of sinne enemy to al good pollices whose end is to represse sinne what neede we further proofe that the practise of this Romishe religion must needes be the poyson of all such states which doe receiue it But no maruaile tho so infinite a power of the Pope be so great a cause of sinne For the very authoritie of absolucion whiche euery Prieste hath is more fruitfull this way to encouragement and increase of wickednesse then that any good state or policie may beare it I speake not here of the daunger of dishonestie and vncleannesse by reason of their secreet confessions For which that worthye Nectareus abolished the vse of it out of the Churche of Constantinople but of the power that they take vpon them to absolue malefactors from sinne wherby it must needs be greatly encouraged That desperate and Deuelishe Iaureguy the Spanyarde purposed to haue done vppon the noble Prince of Oraunge For if euery Priest haue such a power to absolue from sinne any wicked limme of Sathan that shall dare in his deuilish boldnesse to attempt the executiō of mischiefs against most H. personages most noble Princes what wickednesse is there that these absoluers wil not dispence with and what security for any P. or state where such priests and absoluters may be endured likewise their doctrin of satisfactory workes must néeds be a great emboldning vnto
and Massy crosses of siluer gold their Idols of finest mettals most exquisite workmanship the rather to deceiue the people as if they had been aliue Their other ordinarie charges of waxe incense Orgaines the plate and Iewels of their Abbeys Pryories other supersticious houses were of infinite valure and price as I think the court of augmentation might sufficiētly testifie Beside al these the extraordinary charges of appeals folowing sutes at R. the paimentes imposed by most tirannous oppression both of the king nobles al the people of this land to their most iust and gréeuous complaint as appereth by their letters drawn out of this other K. by names of Peter pence Palles collatiōs first fruits a 1000 such crafty and subtle titles most extreeme exactions did so impouerishe the state as both the K. the Nobles and all the people did often and greeuously cōplaine as finding in deed the Court of Rome to be the very leech that suckt the bloud of all the land and could neuer be satisfied Of this we haue sundry statutes testifying the popes proceedings here to haue beene to the defuming of the Kings person the derogatiō and minishing of the Kinges crowne and regalities the destruction of the law and all his realm the appayring confounding of the auncient lawes customs vsages franchises of the Realme Further that by them the nobilitie gentrie were impeached in their Patronages and other rightes The commons and subiectes trauailed in body and impouerished in their goods deuine seruice Hospitallity and Almesse deeds hindered the benefices of holy Church wasted and destroyed the riches and treasure of the Realme carryed away as also the leige Personnes of the Kinges councell with out his assent whereby the Realme was left destitute as well of councell as of substaunce to the destruction of the same Lyke complaint hath beene made in Fraunce also at sundry tymes and namely by Phillip le Bell in that famous act of his which was called Pragmatica sanctio Which paymentes are now greatly encreased Where accounting the Churches of the French tongue in the lowe Countries with them Le cabinet du Roy Des Finances the ordinary reuenue of the cleargie came to about a two hundred Millians of French Crownes Germany and the state of the Empyre helde at Norinberge made complaint of an hundred Greuaunces sent a note of them to the Pope with a request to be eased of suche exactions and practises of impouershing the people as the Pope and his cleargie did continually charge them with and that the people might be left in their auncient and lawfull freedome and libertie by his meanes or else they woulde aduise them selues how to helpe it because they coulde not nor woulde not anye longer beare suche theire intollerable burdens Whereby it may appeare howe contrarye this Romishe doctrine and practise is to all good estates and pollicies In deede in respect of their owne Antichristian kingdome I must needes confesse that for the establishment continuance security wealth and honour of it there coulde nothing haue beene deuised more politique or fit by anye Sathans meanes whose depthes their Popes and Prelates vnderstood then that which was deuised by them For what coulde be fitter for them then this doctrine of the Popes supremacie ouer all of his fulnesse of power of receiuing both the scriptures and their exposition of thē of obeying that hee commāded of not iudging him tho he carried ten thousand to hell of deuout ignorance of iudging heretickes who so euer spake against them of pursuing and persecuting them with fire and swoorde of purgatorie Auriculer confession priuiledges of his Cleargie the Pompe and idlenesse of his Hierarchie and of all their most subtle and Serpentlike contriued false worship The practises of Egipt toyling Israell with all base seruice and villanie and of killing their male children or of the barbarouse tyranny of wasting the West Indies was not nor is not more subtlely and diuelishly deuised to detaine those free Nations in perpetuall bondage and slauerie then their Romishe doctrine and practise was to haue established the kingdome of Antichrist and to haue detained the people of God in euerlasting seruitude and slauerie both of body and soule Thus then we see that for pietie and true religion the doctrin of the Church of Rome that is in effect of the Pope who is steare man of this shippe Concerning their power to make any writinges Canonicall scriptures to make new Articles of Christian fayth to appoynt God to be serued according to their owne deuises and imagination of men of ignoraunce to be the Mother of deuotion of worshipping of Idols and Sauiours of so many sortes Finally of all their false worship is a Pharisaicall leauen to be purged out of all Christian Churches and states the Cup of spirituall fornications that all Kinges and Princes are to take heede of to bee partakers of it that they bee not partakers of their plagues And for Christian honesty of lyfe and duetyes towardes men their doctrine of absolutions of dispensations of satisfactions and of Sanctuaries are for the impunitie or easie discharge of all malefactors so great causes of all abhominations and wickednesse and particulerly their sundry rules and orders of hypocrisie contention and idlenesse their constrayned abstinencie from marryage of all enormityes of vncleanenesse and infinite murders and such like other causes of speciall offences that the waters of Noe did not so high drowne all the olde worlde as those floudes of wickednesse which by such occasions had rysen did ouer flow all such kingdomes and Nations as this doctrine of theirs like a Sea of sinne mighte breake into For other thinges how much a doe haue our Pr. had to prouide by all the wysedome that was possible to be vsed to make lawes and statutes against the daungers that this their religion continually threatned against the state They sought to maintaine their lawfull and most iust authoritie by forbiding appeals from their courtes by premunire other such like seuere and rigorous lawes yet necessarie for the garding of their authoritie from the breaking in of these men whom yet no defence could hold out They sought to maintain the wealth of their people subiects by lawes of mortuaryes other such like necessarie lawes and statutes least these men shoulde draw all the riches of the land vnto them And yet neither coulde the premunire sufficiently represse their proud ambition nor the mortmaine their insatiable couetousnesse So that their wealth intelligence and power considered it appeareth to be the same mighty hand and stretched out arme of God that hath deliuered vs which freed Israell from the slauish subiection of Pharao and of the land of Egipt which being so no maruail the Christian princes whose eyes God hath opened to see the light of the Gospell doe not tollerate theire Religion and the practise of it For besides the impiety of it for which it is simply
vnlawfull to tollerate their abhominable prophanation of the seruice of God as appeareth by the commaundement of the Sabboth forbidding the breaking of the Sabboth day in euery Sonne and Daughter in euery Seruaunt and Mayde in Israell with out exception of any yea in euery stranger within their gates it can not in any sound reason or iudgement be borne with all euen for the very annoyaunces and hurts which it bringeth to the states which doe admit it Neither is his marginal note of the example of the great Turke and of the Byshop of Bungo sufficient to perswade the contrary For first they esteeme not the manifold dishonour where with their Romish faith dishonoreth god and our Sauioure Christe Then also I deny that eyther of both suffer that doctrine and practise of theire Religion as they teach and exercise it in these partes For is it likely that they are suffered to teach that it is of the necessity of Saluation for euerye humaine creature to bee Subiect to the Pope or that it shoulde bee in the Popes power to depose them at his pleasure Doe they suffer the Pope to challenge appeales to his Courte from them to deminishe suche multitudes of their people and to draw out the Treasure of theire Countryes No none of all this nor manye other suche like poyntes which they easily see to bee preiudiciall to theire states But beeing Heathen and prophane Princes not regarding wherein they prophane the Honour of God by theire 〈◊〉 worship It may be they permit such exercise of their superstitions to some fewe of these pretended Catholickes as are scattered amongst them as doth not in any sort indāger or hurt their kingdom But our cause beeing so farre diuerse as hath been declared there is no reason why the Turke or the Pagane king of Bungoes doing should be any president to a christian Princes making profession of the holy faith of Christ and the truth of the Gospell or why their tollerating with a few in some pointes nothing preiudiciall to their estates shoulde perswade a bearing of such pointes and practises as in the nature of thē ouerthrow the state peace authoritie strength and wealth of the kingdom that shal receiue it Therfore I conclude this point that the doctrine and practise of the Romish religion such as it is at this daie and hath beene some hundreth yeares past beeing against the Lorde God and his annoynted Sonne Christ Iesu againste his holy worde the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophetes beeing againste the good state of any nation Kingdome and P. that shall receiue it hauing infinite occasions of all wicked life taking from them their cheefest royalties and dignities oppressing the consciences soules and bodies of their people hearkning out by thousandes of intelligencers and spyes the greatest secretes of their K. diminishing by cunning practises the number of theire people and drawing oute the Treasure of the lande to theire intollerable hindraunce weakning and impouerishing of them and their Subiectes ought by the worde of God and in all sounde Wisedome reason or pollicye to bee esteemed and iudged contrarye to the honour glory of almightye God the holye and honest conuersation of Christian men contrary to the safetie assuraunce establishment honour peace strengthe and riches of euerye K. and common weale The second part of the whol epistle Thus farre this instrument of the pretended Catholikes hath mainteined their cause to bee worthye more fauoure then it findeth by the profite he would perswade vs that the K. faith woulde bring to this K. Now drawing neere to a conclusion His full heart breaketh out into scornefull patheticall speeches Wherein first he requireth a disputation and after seeketh to mooue some compassion with a pitifull complainte of imagyned tormentes suffered by his companions for theire Religion The reason of this request is pretended to be the want of the proceedinges that haue beene hitherto vsed towardes them which is noted both in the ministers and in the state To the ministers he obiecteth that they are alwayes solliciting your honors againste them and that they dare admit no lawfull tryall of the cause they moue question of vnto vs. For whom to aunswere as I am bound in the Lorde I take it to be a very surmise of his owne head that there shoulde be any neere your Honors continuallye stirring you vp to drawe out the swoord vpon them But if any eyther publiquely by preaching or priuatly beeing vouchsafed that fauour to haue speech with any of your honours do vpon iust cause put your Lordships in mynde of the greate and high calling you are called vnto that you beare the swoord of God a swoord of protection for the godly and of vengeaunce for all the wicked if they declare by the word of God that hereticks which séek to seduce the Ll. people to a false worship and to carry them from the seruice of the liuyng God to the adoration of Idolles that traitours whiche practise a withdrawyng of her Maiesties Subiectes from her obedience and reconcilyng of them to a forraine power are suche wicked Malefactors against whom this sword of iust execution is to be drawne Thei doe herein nothing vnlawfull but discharge the duetie of good and faithfull seruauntes to God and loyall subiectes to her Maiestie For thus we reade it to be written if a false Prophet arise vp amongest you saiyng let vs goe and seeke other Gods that Prophet shall bee slaine because he hath spoken to turne you awaie from the Lorde your God to thrust thee out of the waie wherein the Lord thy God commaunded thee to walke so shall you take the euill awaie forth of the middest of you Of whiche sorte thei are conuicted to bee who leade men to the worship of Images whiche is all one with other Gods and Idolles how soeuer thei labour in vaine to distinguishe them For if it were allowed them that Idolles were the Images of Heathen men and Images the conterfaites onely of Christian men whiche is nothing so for the wordes are indifferent to bothe yet is the matter one and the same in effect For whether a man giue the honour of God to the counterfect and resemblaunce of a Heathen or Christian or to the creatures them selues what soeuer it is all one The rule is generall that he is gealous and will not giue his honor vnto an other Therfore the exhortation to the iust execution of suche false Prophetes is a duetie well becomming a seruaunt of God The other the Apostle also teacheth affirmyng that those which resist the higher powers procure condemnation to them selues And doe these men thincke that thei maie compasse Sea and Lande to seduce mens soules into destruction and Subiectes from their lawfull obedience and no man should take héede to their doyng and oppose hym self to their wicked proceedynges Yes the same God who is the watchman of Israell and sleepeth not no nor slumbereth I hope will stirre vp the care of all men accordyng
and honourable Parentes it is no harde matter to poinct out bothe the Parentes and tyme of the natiuitie of it But as of a base sonne of a common Harlott no man can tell the father So their Romishe Superstition beyng the base issue of the whore of Bablilon no maruell though wee can not tell who it was that begot it That Harlot hath had so many louers as it is not easie for her selfe to tell who was father of her sondrie Bastards But though neither their father nor tyme of birthe be knowne is it therefore to bee concluded that thei are right and noble borne nothyng lesse But any other Parentes and Authours of our faithe then our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles neither he nor all the sonnes of Romulus at Roome nor of Remus at Rhemes shall euer bee able to shewe Thei maie easily shewe by whose blessed ministerie the Lorde of late hath restored vnto vs this Gospell again as it was easie in Iosias tyme to saie that the booke of the lawe was founde in Iosias tyme the 13. yeare of his reigne by Hilcia the Priest whiche was no preiudice to the lawe For if it had not been founde till of late when the Gospell accordyng to the truthe of it was found yet had it been neuerthelesse the law of God and that most holy and auncient law whiche had been giuen sometymes by the ministerie of Moses So likewise thei may name in what Kynges daies what yeare of his reigne Luther began to discouer the abhomination of the Popes indulgences after both he and others restored to vs againe after a lōg apostasie time of darknesse the knowledge of the truth yet were thei no Authors of it no more then Helcia of the law but Moses of the law and Christ of the Gospell whiche thei preached and other Authors shall thei neuer be able to shewe But for their Romishe faithe we will ioyne this issue with them to shewe it is not of Christ nor of his Apostles Further also notwithstandyng that thei and others who haue ruled the worlde haue wasted all the recordes of many auncient Writers that we can not haue the writynges of all that did controlle them and that in some fewe 100. yeares in the beginnyng their faithe crept in by little and little by soft and flowe paces and that with greate hypocrisie that it could not bee well discouered and therfore not easily controlled for suche tyme yet will wee shewe that when the buildyng and seede appeared aboue the grounde the seruauntes of God discouered Antichristes Sinagoge and his Tares and haue freely complained to the Lorde against it The reason why it is hard to discouer the Authors and tymes of the seuerall pointes of this Popishe heresie are these First it entered not into the Churche all at once but in sondry ages declined from the truthe of the Gospell till it came to this full apostasie wherein it hath beene now some hundred yeres The degrees of which declination were so small at the beginnyng that thei were not easily to be spied Reasons why this issue is not to be ioyned For as the grasse and wheate growe as wee reade in the Gospell yet no man can discerne the growyng of it or see how muche of it shooteth vp in a daie So likewise doe the Tares A man maie well discerne them when thei are growne but while thei are growing it is not easie to discerne Secondly the hypocriticall shewe that these beginnynges of declination caried with them was a greate meanes to deceiue the worlde For if it bee not easie to know the Wolfe in a Sheepes skinne nor the Beast in his shewe of two hornes like a Lambe nor the Angell of darknesse when he transformeth hymself like to an Aungell of light so most of all this hath place in little and small beginninges of Superstition couered and clothed with a shewe of good deuotion For these and suche like causes the auncient Fathers within the first 4. or 500. yeares tooke no greate heede to the little and small beginnynges that were then laied of this misterie of iniquitie Further also those tymes were exercised greatly in striuing with maine Heretickes seekyng to ouerturne openly the groundes and foundations of our faithe concernyng the twoo natures and vnitie of the persone of Christ Iesu Thei had to striue with Ebion Cerinthus Arius Eutiches Eunomius Nestorius and after with the Donasties Pelagians and many other who euidently and manifestly sought the subuersion of the chiefe groundes of Christianitie Wherfore hauyng to deale with many open enemies and of those some of greate abilitie to hurt the churche for speciall giftes of knoledge and eloquēce thei set them selues as there was great cause thei should to resist the forcible violence of those mightie enemies whereby it was scarse possible for those worthie learned fathers to take heede to those degrees of superstition that by little and little so suttely and hypocritically crept into the church Besides this if any of them did discerne the soft slidyng awaie from true religion and deuotion into superstition yet sure thei neuer feared the issue would haue been suche as experience hath taught vs. And if thei gaue any token of their dislike hereof the wastes and confusions of the world since that time haue been suche as it maie be well enough that some of them reproued more thē can now be shewed by any workes that are extant There were many worthie and famous mē which wrote infinite volumes of whō now little remaineth and some nothyng but their names Origen wrote exceedyng muche yet there remaineth now little in comparison of that he wrote and that which remaineth is so corrupted that it nothing aunswereth the famous reporte of learnyng which Origen had in the church in his tyme. To this maie be added that the B. of R. by meanes of the R. Emperors whiche were Monarches of the worlde with whom thei were in credit had the meanes to deface abolishe all writynges rolles and recordes whiche might hinder the growyng of their superstitions And that this is no vaine surmise of a thyng that might bee it appeareth that thei were so diligent to doe it as ther was nothyng so authentike and reuerende that for their purpose thei were not ready to corrupt and falsifie What was more reuerēd in Austens tyme then the famous councell of Nice and the Cannons agreed of by the Fathers assembled together in that reuerend Consistory Senate yet the B. of R. corrupted falsified the 9. Cannon of that Councell to lay the foūdations of the Primacy whiche thei pretended vnto ouer all Churches For so the Story reporteth that Faustine the B. of R. Legate or Deputie alledged that Cannon for the Supremacy which being after diligently sought for by Austen the rest of the Fathers was found to bee corrupted and so thei wrote vnto the B. whiche foule act to corrupt the Cannōs of so reuerende a Councell and to seeke to abuse
which at the same time in all the worlde professe by publike ministerie Christian religion as a most graue reuerent testimony ought worthily to be regarded by all her modest and humble children Yet because it may bee subiect to error in some poynt yea most substantiall and materiall poyntes as the experience of the apostasie which the Apostle prophecied off doth sufficiētly declare euen that can be no sufficient warrant of the truth Only the written word of God is sufficient which alone hath this prerogatiue aboue all creatures to certifie assure our consciences in matters of religiō Whereby we being taught the faith which wee haue belieued as wee are readie thorowe the grace of God to make good at all times before all men our faith can not be any newe or perticuler opinion as he wrongfully chargeth it but is the auncient and generall faith of the Church which hath testimony giuen vnto it by the lawe and by al the Prophets which spake from Moses to Samuell Rom. 3.22 Act. 3.24 and those which folowed after These are auncient Fathers in deede whose heades are all white as woll In comparison of whom the fathers they boast off haue neuer a one of them a graye haire vpon his heade they may seeme to haue beene borne but yesterdaye In which respect according to the Lawe Leuit. 19.32 they are to rise vp and giue place and doe their duetie to these who are aged Fathers in deede For where as simply there is nothing auncient but that which is euerlasting and all other thinges are auncient in respect and in comparison of that which is yonger Wee most truly affirme our faith to be so farre more auncient then theirs as that for euery hundreth yeares their doctrine is olde which at this day the Church of Roome teacheth that which our Churches professe is auncient 1000. as being the faith of the righteousnes of God witnessed vnto by the lawe and by the Prophetes Therefore if it had neuer bene heard of in England before and though it haue beene condemned by that vngodly Pius Quintus and his successor of like impietie Rom. 3.21 and their folowers as Christ was by Caiphas and the Apostles by Annas and his whole consistory yet remaineth it still and shall remaine for euer no newe nor perticuler opinion but the auncient and generall faith of the Church the Apostolicall and propheticall doctrine whereby in all partes of the world haue beene and shall be saued whosoeuer were appoynted to euerlasting life For which cause godly hath it beene procured by your HH and established by her highnesse authoritie amongst vs as was the obedience of the lawe by Iosias when it was founde after that it had beene lost by negligence of the priestes for certaine yeares In like sort the true Gospell being found againe which had beene lost by the negligence of their Priestes if not also by their malice and for the furtherance of their pompe and riches which it serued not for hath beene in deed aduised by the right Reuerend Synod of the ministerie of this our whole Nation and restored to his former auncient authoritie by the high Court of Parliament enacting ordeyning by statute the approbation and allowance of it Which if it haue bene done as here he cōplayneth without tryall or disputation and confuting of the aduersary openly the blame is to be laide vpon none but themselues For who can make a coward to fight he may be challenged hee may haue his day appoynted and by some meanes be brought into the fielde but if his heart shall faile him when he seeth his enimie in the face and that the euill quarrell he commeth in doth take away his courage so that he yeeld himselfe to the pleasure of his aduersary without striking of any stroke hath he after any reason to complayne that he was not fought withall Euen so it is not vnknowne to your HH and to this whole state that our aduersaries were called to disputation and the day appoynted at which also they came as if they would haue disputed but belike considering there is no wisedome against the Lord nor power that can preuaile against his truth they began to picke quarrels to auoyde the brunt of the battell and forsooke the fielde refusing to dispute Our reuerend Fathers of worthie memory Cranmer Ridley Latimer c. dealt not so with them in Q. Maries dayes but encountred with them both in the conuocation house also at Oxford to their shamefull foyle and iust reproch howsoeuer after they hauing the lawe in their owne handes did most vniust and cruell execution vpon them by burning them in the fire An argument voyde of all reason and full of vyolence and wrong which yet by the grace of God they fully answered receyuing vertue from aboue and being fortified with an heroicall magnanimitie and a most christian and noble spirit whereby they endured the cruell torment of the flaming fire with great patience and comfort reioycing they were vouchsafed not onely to belieue but also to suffer and that vnto death and so cruel a death for the testimony of the Lord Iesu and the witnesse of his truth And yet these men according to the Prouerbe that he that flyeth may fight againe not being ashamed that men should remember the foyle of that day when they were not able to stand with those who were appoynted to dispute with them now as if they had gotten new hart of grace some good armor of proofe which euen the verie word of God the spiritual sword wherby we fight against these men were not able to pearce haue nothing in their mouthes nor in their pennes but disputation whereof if they came to it againe as their late chāplan did I doubt not but they would haue soone inough But of this I haue ocasion to speak more herafter Now let vs proceede to his other reasons The other two reasons which are debated by him more at large are of vnity and pollicie both which he affirmeth to bee in their religion denyeth to be in ours For vnitie I say as in the other that neyther if they had that vnitie agreement amongst themselues wherof they boast that they were thereby sufficiently warranted and then that they haue it not Of the other part that in ours is the true vnitie which is in veritie For the first that al agreemēt is no sufficient proofe of the goodnesse of the matter wherein they agree it may easily appeare for that al malefactors haue a kinde of agréement So likewise haue the enimies of the Gospel of Christ as the Apostles out of the 2. Psal declare that the Iewes the Romaines the auncient enimies of Christ that the Gentiles the people of Israel the state ciuil ecclesiasticall did al agrée cōspire together against God against his annointed Therfore except he can proue that faith wherein they agree to be the true ancient faith of Gods
doctrine can rise without cōtradiction of some I graūt in open and apparaunte errours this maie hold but not in al namely in suche as crepe into the Churche by Hypocrisie of whiche sorte is this hereticall false worship of Poperie For thus the Apostle teacheth forewarning that the mistery of iniquitie begā euen then to work Whiche is therfore called a mistery of iniquitie because th'iniquity of it was not manifest but should be then discouered whē Antechrist should exalt him self to sit in the tēple of God and boast him self as God Whereby it appereth that the Apostle sheweth that as a buildyng is not seen while the worke is vnder ground but onely whē it sheweth aboue the ground so likewise there was a tyme when this Synagog of Sathan was in building but the stones of the foūdation of it beyng laied very deepe it was long ere it appered or was to be discerned vpon the earth Our sauiour Christe giueth warnyng that there should come that falsly would chalenge the name of Christ and his Apostles vnto them who should bee able by their liyng Signes and wonders to deceiue if it wer possible euen the elect In the Parable of tares he saith that the housebandman beyng a sleepe the enemie came sowed Tares in the night Which notwithstandyng that no man discerned in the night nor could tell who had doen it yet when the spring came forward sure thei wer that was not of the good séede that was sowne in the field by their maister but Tares therfore though thei could not discerne it nor knewe not any enemy that had entred into the field to sow Tares in it yet whē thei were sprong vp thei knew the Tares to be Tares because their Maisters séede that was sowne was good the seruantes are assured that the enemie which is satan had sowne them though thei knew not by what hand and instrument nor at what hower of the night he sowed thē Euen so in this case while men feared no suche daunger the Enemie sowed these Heresies in the church which for a time after were not to be discerned till this euill seede was growne and came to shew it self vpō the ground which beyng now sprong vp can we not bee sure that Tares are Tares and heresies be heresies except we be able to tel who when did sowe thē It is inough for vs to knowe that our Maisters seede is perfect good whatsoeuer els commeth vp with it that is not of the seede we are sure it is a stinkyng weede or a vile graine sitter for beastes thē for men and not the fine wheate the fruite of the precious seede of our Maister This doctrine of our Sauiour Christ was this precious seede as he expoūdeth it Whatsoeuer therefore groweth vp with it though for a season it can not bee discouered yet if after it discouereth it self not to bee agreeable to the sounde and wholsome doctrine of Christe but a wicked heresie and the cursed fruite of a naughtie seede though wee can neither tell by whom nor at what tyme the Enemie did sowe it yet sure wee are it is hereticall and hath beene sowne since the tyme that our Maister sowed his fielde with good Seede Therefore his reason can not proue the issue to bee reasonable Muche lesse doeth his experience His second profe herein which is to be vnderstood as the reason before of opē errors which shew themselues at the first manifestly cōtrary to the holy doctrine of the church As for his examples by hudlyng vp together the Protestāt Puritane and Family as if thei wer all alike it is but the heate of his cholerike stomacke By experience For all the worlde knoweth how farr the true professors of the Gospell are frō that execrable heresies of the Family which sprōg vp in the time of their deteinyng of the worlde in captiuitie yet whiche of them euer once rebuked or controlled it by word or writyng but now the light hath discouered it shal the light be said to haue brought it forth or shall it not now be rebuked because none of the pretended Catholikes haue rebuked it let theim bee their Iudges Cōcerning the Puritane if he meane suche as thinke themselues pure and frée from sinne thei are al one with the Family and farre more like thē who boast of their own iustice then thei are to vs who deny our own righteousnesse that we maie haue the righteousnesse of Christ which is by faith If he meane such as desire to haue the state of the church yet fréer frō their disorders and confusions more nerely reformed to the ordenance of our sauiour Christ and the example of the Apostles and other Churches so reformed in many other places professyng the same Gospell with vs Then I think euery good Protestant and Professour is a Puritane and few that are otherwise minded except it be such to whō the corruptions they haue left behinde thē and we haue not yet cast out after them be glorious and gainful But for the purpose thei are here alledged these exāples make nothing for him If thei reproued vs it was not because thei were able iustly to charge vs but because wee discouered their shame to the worlde because we detected their heresies against God and their conspiracies against Princes and people If any professour of the Gospell haue reproued the Familist as thei in deede haue beene confuted by vs when these men neglected the matter he might easely doe it the Gospell clerely discoueryng the error his reward is with GOD. And if any for seekyng a further reformation by orderly meanes haue been reproued the reprouer the reproued haue both their iudge who will giue to euery one according to his deedes Thus then it appeareth to bee no reasonable issue which thei offer that except we can tell the tymes and Authors of their sondrie heresies that we should acknowledge them of the Apostles It is enough for vs that we know heresie to bee heresie and that by the worde of God And if thei will ioyne a reasonable issue with vs we offer them one farre more reasonable thē this Let thē shew out of the authenticke writynges of Christ and his Apostles the poinctes thei varie from vs in as wee vndertake and by Gods grace are able to performe of ours that thei are contained and left in them These writynges are perfect exact and incorrupt What doe thei seeke vncertaine Hystories and demaunde for recordes not to be had or found and refuse these the onely sufficient and authenticall He boasteth a Goliahes boaste to shewe all the poinctes wherein wee differ from them their Parentes their Cradle the calculation of the tyme of their Birthe Which I maruell not at for our Sauiour Christe and his Apostles are Authours of them thei were laied with hym in his Cradle and published in his tyme by hym self and then after by his Apostles So that as of an noble childe borne of knowne