as scandalum acceptum but so geuen as scandalum datum of my parte And wher as it hath been often tymes obiected vnto me how that it is but a very small matter to sticke or staie at for to come to the Church and heare the saied seruice beyng set at libertie secretly and priuily to praie with my self whatsoeuer I shall thinke mete for he aunswere I doe reade in the Scriptures howe Eleazarus the Preest is in the same commended because he would not dissemble the eatyng of swynes fleshe wheras he might haue escaped the paynes of death therby Tertulliane writeth a booke in the praise of a Souldiar and entituleth his boke de corona militis because that Souldiar refused in natali die Seueri imperatoris to weare but a Garlande of flowers vpōn his heade because he should therin then haue followed the maner of the gentiles and heathen people And rather or he would do so small a mattet as to weare but a Garland of flowers he did suffer inprisonment and therfore is commended of so greate a clerke as Tertullian was Theodoritus in hys second booke of the historie Ecclesiastike in Cap. 24. doth note Leontius Bishoppe of Antioche of greate dissimulation for as much as he beyng present in the quire at Antioche and in the hearing of christian men there to sing Gloria patri filio c. and the Arians Gloria patri in filio c. Contrariwise he did there openly take nether partie but priuily at the ende of euery psalme did sing Gloria pari in saecula saeculorum Amen And so he mumbled it vp to hym selfe vt ab instantibus vix audiri posset whose example therfore beyng so manifest and so well admonished therof I purpose not to followe God willyng VVhen to dissemble with a mā I hold it no honestly to dissemble with my Prince it is the iuste deserte of perpetuall discredite and infamie but to dissemble with God it is most impietie from the whiche detestable sinne I am vtterly resolued by the word god spoken by the mouth of Helias saiyng Vsquequo claudicatis in duas partes How long will you halte or limpe on both sides And S. Ihon in his reuelation saieth Because thou arte neither whot nor colde therfore I shall beginne now to vomit and cast thee out of my mouth The premisses well waighed it cannot be iustly saied that I sticke at a trifling or small matter but a matter of greate importance and conscience moueth me therunto and forceth me that I shoulde not vnaduisedly without greate cause seperate my self from the vnity of the Churche neither to condēne the vniuersal church vnheard hauing no iust or weightie cause why I should so doe For I haue alwaies and doe thus waigh the matter with my selfe that the poinctes and matters of religion which this boke of seruice hath condemned or taken awaie ether thei were thought matters of smal importāce and did no harme but being rightly vnderstanded might haue doen good or els thei were to be taken for matters of impietie and intollerable to be borne withal In case thei were of the firste sorte whiche thei haue condemned and abolished Then in my iudgement they should haue been tolerated and borne withall for charities sake and for the continuance and encrease of vnitie betwixte vs and the vniuersall Church of christendom On the other side in case thei had been taken for matters intollerable and could in no wise haue been borne with all for their impietie as it hath been pretended then yet in my cōscience we ought to haue been better aduised then by our priuate condemnation of theim to haue shewed our selfe to condemne thereby al the whole vniuersall church of impietie vnheard which thinges the vniuersall church hath vsed from the Apostles time and doe to this daie As touching matters of right faieth and godly maners the churche of Christe beyng the spouse of Christ was neuer destitute of the holy ghost neither could nor woulde in all this tyme haue borne or dissembled any impietie like as S. Augustine writeth hereof The Church of God beyng placed and put among muche chaffe and many Cockles and wedes the same church doth suffer and beare with many thinges yet that notwithstandyng touchyng the thinges whiche are against faithe and against good life the Churche doth neither approue theim nor yet lette theim escape vnspoken against The aunswere In that you will not dissemble against your conscience if you doe not dissemble but speake as you thinke you are to bee commended but if your conscience as you saie is not yet perswaded you are by no meanes to bée excused for in this so cleare light of the Gospell you could not bee so blind if you did not obstinately close your iyes from receiuyng the Sunne beames into theim And whereas you thinke it not reason to departe from the vnitie of the churche nor to condemne the vniuersall Churche vnheard you stande vpon a false grounde as you dooe alwaies that the Popishe Churche is that vniuersall Churche but that you shall neuer be able to proue For was the Popishe churche at any tyme or is it nowe vniuersalle But the Romishe churche you will saie is alwaies vniuersall though it haue neuer so many enemies But I can shewe you by saincte Augustines iudgemente that the vniuersall Churche maie bee without the Romishe churche For writyng to Casulane Epi. 86. he hath these woordes speakyng of one that defended the Ceremonies custome of the Romishe churche against the whole catholike Churche Quod vtinam sic quaereret aut sic affirmaret vt toto terrarum orbe diffusam exceptis Romanis adhuc paucis occidentalibus apertissimè nō blasphemaret ecclesiam that is to saie whiche thyng I would he did seeke in suche maner or so affirme that he did not moste manifestly thereby blaspheme the churche dispersed through out the whole worlde excepte the Romanes and a fewe other Westerne Churches Doe you not here see that when the Romishe churche with a fewe other that agréed with her are exempted the vniuersall churche of Christe still remaineth by sainct Augustines iudgemente and that if the Romishe Churche departe from the whole Catholike Churche the Romishe Churche is a Schismatike as it is at this daie and hath been a long time euen since Antichriste sette vp his seate there and made a generall departyng from the faith of Christ which sainct Paule prophesieth should come to passe ij Thessal ij All the whiche tyme though there were but few that continued in true faithe and honouryng of God yet those fewe wheresoeuer thei were scattered in all the worlde wer the true catholike Churche of Christ and were alwaies ioigned together in Christe their heade by vnitie of true religion And whereas you saie your Churche is vnhearde I maruaile what you meane for what can the Pope or any of her proctours saie in her defence but it hath been hearde and confuted by the scriptures Whiche thing hath caused the most part
of the regions of Europe this daie to forsake your Hereticall Schismaticall and Antichristian Churche of Rome and to ioigne them selues to the true Catholike and Apostolike churche of Christ whiche approueth all her doctrine out of the holie Scriptures and by the same reproueth all your heresies and erronious opinions the iudgement and triall of whiche holy Canonicall scriptures you neuer yet durst abide It is not therefore any priuate condemnation whiche is pronounced out of Gods woorde against heresies whose aucthoritie in all thynges is highest and of al menne to bee obeied Finally where you affirme that the churche of Christe was not destitute of the holy Ghoste I agree with you but that your Churche is the Churche of Christe I maie in no wise acknowledge And truthe it is that the true Churche did alwaies reclaime against the heresies of your church as thei sprong vp and increased in the worlde and receiued that reward whiche true Prophetes haue accustomed to receiue of wicked tyrantes namely persecution imprisonmente and cruell death as appeared in Bertramus Marsilius of Padua Pauperes de Lugduno Iohannes de Gandauo Bruno Andegauensis Iohannes Wickleue Iohannes Hus Hieronimus de Praga c. all whiche with many other in seuerall times places reproued and confuted your false Churche and the errours thereof some in Italie some in Fraunce some in Flaunders some in Germanie some in Bohemia and some in Englande and for the moste part were either murthered or otherwise cruelly persecuted for their labours But yet the heresies of your church did not escape vnspoken against and confuted by them The Papiste The sixte and laste consideration that I come not to their churche is because I am not of their Churche S. Augustine in putting difference of churches saieth how vnto them whiche haue not all one Sacramētes there can not be one religion nor consequently one Churche And the cause why I am not of their Churche but refuse to communicate with theym in religion besides this saiyng of S. Augustine that we should not Communicate in sacramentes with those men whose doctrine we can not aproue and allow I do refuse to be of their church because I cannot learne nor vnderstande of what church they are of For thei beyng first Baptized in the catholike churche and in the very self faieth and religion wherin I do at this present time beleue and remaine thei are departed therefro some to the Lutheranes Church some to the Zwinglians and comyng last of al to the church Geneua they are in maner fled from that church also and by attributing the chief supreme gouernment of this their English churche vnto the Quenes highnes thei are in doctrine directly against their old maister Caluine being the chief Apostle of the Church of Geneua whiche Caluine in the eight Chapter of the boke of his institutions doth directlie reason against Kynges and Princes for takyng vpon theim spirituall gouernment in the Church of Christ and in the same Chapiter he doeth muche commende the holy Bishop S. Ambrose and the noble Emperour Theodosius Ambrose for his greate stoutnes and resistance made against the Emperour And Theodosius for his greate submission and obediens shewed vnto the Bishop The history whereof is at large expressed in Ecclesiastica historia And the saide Caluine in hys exposition vppon the fowerth Chapiter of the prophete Amos doth taxe King Henry the eight by name because he alone of all other Princes was the first that toke vpon hym in the Church of Christ spirituall gouernmēt whose example in that poinct there was neuer one Prince in all Germanie nor yet in any place els where of the whole world that woulde followe the same but his owne naturall sonne Kyng Edward the sixte beyng then in his minoritie and againe the Queenes highnes that nowe is If therfore I shall departe from the comon knowen catholike Church wherin I stand I would gladly knowe of theim vnto what Church I shoulde repaire to be instructed with out errours wherin vnitie charitie and veritie doe dwel what forme of a churche are thei able to shew wherupon a christian man may be bolde to assure himselfe And if peraduenture they cease not ro pretende that the Primitiue Churche is that plat forme of the Churche wherunto they would reduce vs I answere that there be so many poinctes wherein they doe dissent from the Primitiue Churche like as I shall make sufficient proofe thereof that it can not be so it is onely pretended but it shall neuer be proued The Anabaptistes the Libertines and the Arians doe pretende gods worde and the Primitiue Churche as well as thei And because they are so bolde to name the primitiue church I aske of theim but this one questiō whether that this daie 50. or 60. yeres laste paste was their Church here in this realme or in any other parte of christendome VVhat particuler Church either here in Englande in the laste yere of Kyng Henry the eight his raigne or any other realme els can thei name that taught or receiued vniuersally throughout in all poinctes the doctrine that this presente Churche of Englande doeth now teache or from that daie a thousande yeres before that or from thence vnto the tyme of Christe and his Apostles If thei can not shewe any one suche Churche as I am well assured thei shall neuer be able to doe then it muste nedes followe that either Christe had no Church in the worlde al that tyme till now their commyng or elles it muste needes follow that their Churche is a new inuented and vpstert Church whiche with christes Primitiue church hath no agreans like as it shall moste plainly appeare vnto you by these profes followyng The aunswere In your laste consideration you doe inconsiderately alledge that you are not of our Churche but shewe no sufficient reason why you ought not to bee one of our Churche You saie we are departed from the churche in whiche we were baptised as though if a manne were Baptised in a Churche of heretikes he is bounde to remaine in the same Churche and heretical faithe of that Churche in whiche he was baptised so that if a manne were baptised in the Churche of Arrianes Nouatianes Donatistes Pelagians he might not forsake the faithe and Churche in whiche he was baptised to become a true Christian catholike A childe of seuen yere old maie see how slender a reason it is for a manne to continue in any Churche or Religion because he receiued baptisme therin For if a Papist maie not become a Protestāt because he was Baptised in the Popishe churche by the same reason a Protestant must not become a Papist if he were baptised in the Protestantes Churche which you your self by no meanes will graunte The seconde reason you bryng is of the diuersitye of churches the Lutherane the Zwingliane the Geneuian As though the diuersitie of some opinions not of the greatest importāce maketh diuers churches The churche of Salisburie the churche
vniuersally and haue been alwaies vsed in the Churche Secondely that thei bee not contrary to the doctrine of the Apostles conteined in the holie scriptures for then it is moste certaine thei are no Traditions of the Apostles for thei did not deliuer one thyng in writyng and a contrary thyng in Tradition Thirdly that whatsoeuer Tradition of the Apostles is not conteined in the scriptures although wee knewe it came from the Apostles it is lawfull vpon good consideration to alter it For seyng that all necessarie matters are conteigned in the scriptures whatsouer thei deliuered whiche is not conteined in the scriptures was but temporall might be chaunged aswell as the decree De sanguine et suffocato of blood strangled And that we ought not to receiue whatsoeuer is commended to vs as a Traditiō of the Apostles maie appere by these exāples Irenaeus was a manne that liued nere to the age of the Apostles for he sawe as he hymself doeth testifie Polycarpus the disciple of sainct Ihon. And he declareth that it was a Tradition commonly receiued in Asia as of sainct Ihon the Apostle and of other of the Apostles that our sauiour Christe liued fiftie yeres whiche is contrary to the truthe of the Gospell Irenaeus libri 2. Cap. xxxv If suche a fable could bee credited for an Apostolike Tradition so sone after the Apostles departure what maie bee iudged of those that in two hundreth three hundreth fiue hundreth sixe hundreth eight hundreth yeres after the Apostles were not heard of but sodainlie were sette out in the worlde as Traditions of the Apostles Eusebius also reporteth libri v. Cap. xviii that it was alledged as a Traditiō of the Apostles that Christ commaunded theim not to departe from Hierusalem twelue yeres after his ascension whiche is manifestly contrary to the the historie of the Actes of the Apostles Tertuliane after he was fallen into the errour of the Montanistes voucheth the Tradition of the Apostles against the Catholikes whom he calleth Psychicos that is animales naturall men and not spirituall Ieronime in Euangel Math. libr. 4. Cap. xxv declareth that it was a Tradition emong the Iewes that Christ should come at midnight whervpon he gathereth that the Tradition of the Apostles was deriued that on Easter eue the people should not depart out of the churche before midnight but tary there for the commyng of christ A likely matter that the Apostles would make a Tradition of the erroure of the Iewes The same Ieronyme vpon the firste Chapiter of Agge saieth verie well of the Apostolicall Traditions Sed alia quae absque auctoritate testimonijs scripturarum quasi Apostolica traditione sponte reperiunt atque confingunt percutit gladius dei But other thinges also speakyng of heretikes whiche thei finde out and feigne of them selues without the aucthoritie and testimonies of the scriptures as it were by Tradition of the Apostles the sworde of God dooeth strike By these examples and testimonies it is manifeste that wée must not by and by receiue what soeuer is saied to be a Tradition of the Apostles The Papiste Fowerth saincte Augustine in his thirde Epistle ad Ianuarium in speakyng of these thinges whiche in diuerse partes are obserued in christes Churche diuersely he geueth that certeine and sure rule that if thei be not against the professed faieth of christes churche nor against the good liuyng and maners of men but haue in theim some maner of encouragement of a better life wheresoeuer saieth he we dooe knowe anie such thing diuersely to be vsed we shal not only not disalow theim but also folow thē with praise and innouation of life So that the infirmitie and weakenes of some men be not let therunto when otherwise if more profette maie come therby vnto the good then hurte vnto the weake offended therby sine dubitatione faciēda sunt without doubte saieth he al suche although thei be diuerse and in diuerse places diuersely obserued yet they ought to be continued and kepte The aunswere Wée agree with sainct Augustine that suche Ceremonies as are instituted for order and comelinesse sake beyng diuers in diuerse churches if thei be not contrary to the Scriptures are to bée obserued of suche as remaine in those Churches And what this should make either for you or againste vs I dooe not sée at all For your Ceremonies are voide of edifiyng vnorderly vndecent for the churche of Christ and then the opinion of merite and satisfaction that you ioigne vnto them beyng contrary to the Christian faithe and the aucthoritie of the Scriptures maketh thē to be vtterly abhominable Furthermore when you make them essentiall partes of the religion and worshippe of GOD our sauiour Christe hym self out of the Prophete Esaie doeth vtterly condemne thē For GOD will not be worshipped with the doctrine Traditions and preceptes of menne Matth. xv Thus neither your ten reasōs out of the scriptures nor your ten argumentes out of the doctours nor your fower bulwarkes out of S. Augustine are able to defende your Popishe churche from ouerthrowe whiche if she take vpon her to encounter with the truthe muste needes bée discomfited and come to vtter destruction The Papiste Besides that this refourmed Englishe churche hath no agreaunce with the catholike churche of christe the religion thereof doeth onely stande of negatiues like as it shall appeare in the processe followyng The aunswere Besides that your Rhetorike in railyng on our Churche is verie vnreasonable your Sophistrie it self in quarellyng againste vs is voide of sufficient subtiltie not onely to defende it self but at leaste wise to hide it self For what impudente kinde of arguing call you this by enumeration of a fewe particulers to conclude any vniuersall proposition These newe reformators deny twentie thynges whiche the Papistes affirme ergo their religion standeth onely of negatiues Maie not I likewise reason the Papistes denie fourtie thynges that the Protestauntes affirme Ergo the Religion of Papistes standeth onely vpon negatiues Furthermore whē euery affirmatiue proposition implieth a negation of his contradictorie and euery negatiue propositiō importeth an affirmation of his contradictorie you maie as well saie that it standeth altogether vpon affirmatiues as you dooe vpon negatiues Like as in the tenne commaūdementes of GOD onely twoo are affirmatiue and eight are negatiue wherein all the duetie of a Christian manne consisteth you might reason that Gods commaundementes stande almoste all of negatiues as though God did onely tell vs what we should not doe and did not teach vs what wée should dooe like as you conclude afterward vpō the sale of Clare the Butchers horse but that right reason telleth vs that the prohibitiue Commaūdementes are also preceptiue and the preceptiue commaundementes are also prohibitiue for he whiche forbiddeth adulteterie commaundeth a chaste life and he whiche commaundeth to honour our parentes forbiddeth vs to disobey the same But because faithe whiche is the foundation of religion is an affirmation of those thinges whiche are beleued
called Especially whē you pretend to geue it the name whiche commonly it beareth for you are not ignorante that it is called the booke of Common praier and not the Common booke of praier But a man maie easely and peraduenture truely gesse why you refused to cal it the boke of common praier leaste any man should conceiue by the onely name that common praier which is so necessarie for the Churche of Christe a forme whereof that booke conteineth is altogether wantyng in your Popishe Churche where in your Missalles Processionalles Hymnalles Grailes Antiphonalls and Pontificalls are not conteined common praiers to the edification of all the churche but idle and vnprofitable ceremonies to the mainteinaunce of ignoraunce and superstition The Papiste The first consideration is because the saide seruis booke was condemned as hereticall and schismaticall Anno domini 1553. both by the clergie and cōuocation of this realme and by the nobilitie and commons of the same by al whose consentes ther passed an acte of Parliament for the repeale therof Beside that Cranmer Ridley and Latimer the chief aucthours and composers of the saied boke were therfore openly condemned by the Churche and Lawes of this realme suffered the paines of death in Oxforde S. Paule in his Epistle willed the hebrues to haue in remembrance their Bishoppes which preached vnto them the woorde of God and diligently to obserue and looke vpon the ende of their liues and conuersation The aunswere The first consideration cōteineth two causes of your refusal the one because the booke of Seruice was repealed by Acte of Parliament the other for that Cranmer Ridley and Latimer were burned at Oxforde for it To the first I aunswere that if you accompt the aucthoritie of the Parliament of force to condempne it why doe you not acknowledge th'aucthoritie of the same in establishyng it for anno 1551. by all the states of the realme that boke was allowed and appoincted to bee vsed Also by diuerse Actes of Parliamente in the tyme of our soueraigne Ladies reigne established and cōfirmed But it is no hard matter to gather your traiterous meanyng whiche is common to you with all them of your religion You accoumpte no actes of Parliament passed in the tyme of kyng Edward or Quéene Elizabeth to be of any aucthoritie beyng confirmed by the roiall assent of those whom you esteme to be no lawfull Princes seyng your father the Pope hath pronounced sentence of depriuation against them Your seconde reason I will tourne vpon your owne necke Seyng Cranmer Ridley and Latimer did so constauntly suffer death for the confirmation of that doctrine whiche thei hadde taught it is a good argumente that thei dissembled not with vs but vttered that truthe vnto vs wherein as thei liued so thei were content to dye The text of the Apostle to the Hebres 13. you applie verie straungely as though wee should thincke well of none that suffreth death by martyrdom wheras the Apostle meaneth cleane contrary and exhorteth the Iewes to followe the faithe of them the ende of whose conuersation thei had séen to be agreable to their doctrine who as thei had preached diligētly so did thei ende their liues by tormentes in the same confession constauntely and patiently The Papiste The seconde consideration is that the saied booke so vniuersally condemned by all degrees of men here in this realme was receiued and brought in againe only by the nobilitie and cōmons of this realme cleane contrary to the whole mindes of our Clergie no one person in the Parliamente did giue his consente thereunto Besides that the whole conuocation did exhibite their boke to the contrarie VVherin the shepe taking vpon theim to establishe this boke contrarie to the learnyng and conscience of their shepherdes thei haue doen against the expresse wordes of our sauiour Christ who in describing the office of good shepherde and the duetie of good shepe saied that a good shepherde muste knowe his sheepe and his sheepe muste knowe hym heare his voice and followe hym And the Apostle S. Paule in his Epistle Cap. 13. willed the Hebrues to obey their shepherdes and spirituall gouernours and to submitte themselues vnto theim for thei doe watch euen as men whiche muste geue accompte for their soules Obey them therfore saieth S. Paule that they maie do it with ioie and not with grief The aunswere Your seconde consideration is determinable by suche as are skilfull in the lawes of this realme what persones muste concurre in the Parliament that it may be an Acte of Parliamente and I doubte not but the matter was so ordered by the iudgemente of them that had knowledge as was for the honour and wealthe of the realme But if any errour had been committed at that tyme you speake of it was since by all three estates in Parliament redressed the same booke of seruice by their aucthoritie being confirmed But whereas you complaine that the Shepe in that firste Parliament tooke vpon thē against their shepherdes I aunswer naie but the Shepherdes againste the Shepebiters for your Cleargie consisted all of Wolues and not of Shepherdes wherefore it was the duetie of the Prince with the nobles and senatours of that Parliamente to deliuer the Shepe out of their cruell tyrānie and to banishe and remoue all suche raueinous beastes frō the flocke And touchyng the booke you saie thei exhibited of what credite would you haue it to bee when thei so shamefully refused conference before the moste parte of the Parliamente vpon a friuolous pretence in Westminster churche At whiche time al wise menne sawe that their cause was naught whiche durste not abide the triall in the open light The Papiste The thirde consideration is that it is prohibited by the Canons of the apostles and by the generall caunselles also that a christian man shoulde not communicate neither in Sacramentes nor yet in commō praiers with Heritikes and Schismatikes As it appeareth in the tenth Canon and in the seconde Canon of the counsell holden at Antioche It was decreed there that it was not lawful to communicate with excōmunicate persones nor to enter into any house nor to praie with thē nor lawfull to receiue them that are excommunicate out of one churche into another churche And in the coūsel holdē at Laodicea it was prohibited there that the christiā men should enter into the churches or churche yerdes of the heretikes there to praie with them and in the 33. Canon of the same counsell the like prohibition is there expressed for praier with Schismatikes And in the 4. counsell holden at Carthage Canon 73. it was decreed that christian men should nether praie nor singe with Heretikes And who so euer did praie singe or communicate with any excōmunicate person whether he were of the Clergie or of the Laitie shoulde be thereby excommunicated An example we reade therefore how the christian men at Constantinople would not cōmunicate with the Arianes neither in Sacramentes nor yet in commō praiers notwithstādyng that
of Yorke and the churche of Bangor had some diuersitie in their maner of seruing God and yet you will saie thei were all one Popishe Churche But to the purpose you recite more names then there be diuersities of opinions For Zwinglius and Caluine in the matter of the Sacrament whiche you shoote at are all one and Luther differeth from them And yet the difference is not so great but that thei bee all of one Catholike Churche because thei agree in the onely foundation Iesus Christe and in all opinions that are necessary to Saluation although Luther in his opinion of the Sacramente as a man was deceiued And that diuersities of opinions so longe as the principall groundes of faithe bee obserued vncorrupted doeth not make diuersitie of churches you maie easily see by this example S. Cypriā and all the Churches of Affrica were in this error that such as were baptised by heretikes should be baptised again which was a very perilous errour Cornelius Stephanus the Bishops of Rome with the Churches of Europe were in the contrary opinion And yet no man euer refused S. Cypriane to bee a member of the Catholike churche nor iudged the churches of Affrica that followed his errour to bee of any other thē of the vniuersall church of Christ emong whom were many martyres and godly men which liued died in the same error Now cōpare Cypriane Luther the one erring in the Sacrament of Baptisme the other in the Sacramente of the Supper if the errour of th' one did not separate hym from the communiō of the catholike church no more cā the error of the other Whiche thing if it were well weighed would remoue that stōblyng blocke that troubleth many weake persones but can hinder no learned man cōcernyng the controuersie of Luther and Zwinglius The third reason is that we are departed from the Churche of Geneua because we ascribe supreme gouernement in Ecclesiasticall matters to the Quéenes highnes Firste we must bee bolde to tell you that as we reuerence and honour all particulare Churches where true religion is established so we doe not grounde our self vpon either the opinion or custome of any one but onely vpon the worde of God and so farre foorthe to followe euery one as thei come neare to the same rule But whereas you would sette that excellente godly Churche of Geneua at variaunce with vs aboute the supremacie your childishe quarrellyng shall easily appeare to all menne You alledge Caluine againste vs in twoo places one in his Institutions an other in his Comentarie of the Prophet Amos. A man in deede from whom we would bee lothe to dissente excepte it were for a greate cause A manne of suche godlie learnyng and profounde knoweledge in diuinitie as all the Papistes that euer were are not worthie to carrie his bookes after hym But before I aunswer you I muste admonishe you that either your copies whiche came to my handes were verie muche corrupted or els you haue recited those places by hearesaie rather then by your owne obseruatiō Your copies sendeth me to the viij Chapiter of his Institutions namyng no booke and to the fowerth Chapiter of Amos whereas that you speake of the one place is in the fowerth boke and twelue Chapiter of his Institutions the other in the seuen Chapiter of Amos. So that in deede it was more labour to seeke your places then to make aunswere to them Concerning the firste I meruaile you were not ashamed to alledge Caluine againste vs where he saieth that Kynges and Princes are subiecte to the discipline of the Churche as Theodosius was content to be excommunicated by saincte Ambrose for the murther he had committed in Thessalonica which none of vs denieth and doe not remember how substauncially he proueth that godlie Princes haue aucthoritie and ought to maintain true religion by lawes decrees and iudgementes whiche is all the supreme gouernemente that wee ascribe to the Quéenes highnes And as for the place of Caluine vpon Amos the truthe is this Caluine findeth fault not with kyng Hēry but with those that did ascribe that title vnto hym and sheweth for what reason he misliked the same Not that he denied his lawfull aucthoritie whiche was meant by that title of all his godly and true subiectes but because Steuen Gardener bishop of Winchester by false vnderstandyng thereof declared that he vnderstode nothing therby but the tyrannie whiche the Pope vsurpeth ouer the churche to be translated vnto the kyng And therfore at a solemne cōference at Ratisbone in Germanie after the Popes aucthoritie by acte of Parliament was abolished out of the realme he defended all Popishe religion whiche remained vnreformed to bee good and godlie because it was established by the kings aucthoritie who was supreme head of the churche He disputed not by reasons neither cared he for the testimonies of scriptures but saied it was in the kynges power to abrogate all Lawes and establishe what he thought good in the churche as to forbidde Priestes marriage to forbidde laie menne the vse of the Cuppe in the Churche and all other suche matters he saied were in the kynges aucthoritie This he saied of the Kynges power abroade and howe he abused that noble Prince at home to make the Acte of sixe Articles and other thynges of like effect there be many yet aliue that can remember But seeyng this title of supremacie dooeth so muche offende you I praie you lette me demaunde one question of you Who did first inuent it here in England Or who did first ascribe it to kyng Henry Was it not the whole Popishe Cleargie of Englande when thei were caste in the Premunire for mainteinyng the power Legantine of Cardinall Wolsey and submittyng theim selues vnto the Kynge they flattered hym with that title and offered hym a greate somme of money for their pardon as witnesseth Halle and Grafton in their histories and ther be yet aliue many that can remēber it So that if there were any faulte in it you should blame them and not vs for it For so farforthe as beyng rightly vnderstoode it declareth the lawfull power of the Prince wee did and doe yelde vnto it but not in Steuen Gardiners sence whiche Caluin in the place by you alledged doeth cōfute After this you require vs to shewe you a Churche where vnto you maie resorte whiche hath continued euen since Christ whiche if it can not bee shewed you conclude in th' ende that Christ had no churche or els our Churche is not Christes Churche Againe where our Church was fiftie or sixtie yeres agon If a manne had asked of Elias where the churche of God was in his tyme he could not haue made aunswere and yet God had his Churche in Elias tyme The Churche is not alwayes apparaunte to the iyes of the blynde worlde in whiche she is a straunger but is compelled sometymes to flie into the wildernesse out of the sight of men by the persecutiō of the deuill and his members as
exhorteth them to breake it But suche as are not able to performe honestly that whiche thei haue vowed rashely we teach accordyng to the doctrine of sainct Paule that it is better for them repentyng of their rashe vowes to marie then to burne in concupiscens then to committe fornication and vncleanes And this we doe not without the consent of olde writers as partly I haue shewed and more coulde shewe if neede required The Papiste Seuenth in the primitiue churche Images of Christe his Crosse and of his sainctes were vsed as in Cęsarea was the Image of Christ sette vppe by the woman whiche Christe cured of the fluxe of blood as witnesseth Eusebius and Basilius magnus and the generall Counsell holden at Nice of three hundred and tenne Bishoppes doeth constantly affirme and vouche that the Image of Christe and of his Sanctes in the churche were of the tradition of the Apostles And saincte Gregorie Nyssen doeth write howe he did beholde the Image of Christes passion and that oftentymes not without teares and weapyng Chrisostome saieth that he that dooeth any iniurie or valiny to the Image of Caesar he doth cōmitte the same against Caesar hymselfe S. Beade writeth how sainct Aug. entered into this Realme with a Crosse of Siluer and an Image of Christe painted in a table in procession wise singyng the Letanie to whiche notwithstandyng what violence and dishonour hath been doen by our reformatours herein this Realme to the Image of our sauiour Christ and of his sainctes it is not vnknowen The Aunswere It is a proper Primitiue Churche whiche you alledge of the seconde Counsaile of Nice whiche was seuen hundred eightie and one yeres after Christe holden by a multitude of Idolatrous flatteryng and vnlearned Prelates whiche to feede the humor of that wicked Empresse Irene were gathered together not in the name of Christ but against Christ whose expresse commaundemente thei did impugne And with suche leude and vnsensible reasons and wrestynges of the scriptures that if a manne of purpose to mocke the Idolaters woud inuente argumentes to laugh at hee coulde not diuise more ridiculous matters God made manne after his owne Image ergo wee muste make Images God is meruailous in his sainctes ergo we must make Images Theodofius of Amorie reasoneth whatsoeuer is written is written for our learnyng ergo wee must haue Images to teache vs No manne lighteth a candell and putteth it vnder a Bushell ergo Images must bee sette on the Alters with a hundreth suche substanciall proofes And to make the matter mooste manifeste Theodorus bishop of Myre proueth that Images must be worshiped by his Archedeacons dreames and so dooeth other by dreames and miracles and at laste Tharasius Archebishoppe of Constantinople with the whole Synode concludeth that Angelles haue bodies and mennes soules also be bodily and therefore thei maie bee paincted Againste this Idolatrous vnlearned and blasphemous Counsaile Carolus Magnus wrote a booke whiche is extante in whiche he confuteth the grosse heresie of adoration of Images As for the primatiue churche of Christ regardyng the seconde commaundement of God did make no kinde of Images to bee had in any vse of religion but vtterly forbad them As for the Image of Christ whereof Eusebius speaketh if it were true was onely a monumente of the historie sette vp in the streate in remembraunce of the miracle not in the churche to bee had in veneration or worshipped Neither was there any Image receiued into the Churche for three hundreth yeres after Christe The Epistle of Epiphanius translated by saincte Hierome is a notable testimonie Cum venissem ad villam quae dicitur Anablatha vidissemque ibi praeteriens lucernam c. When I came to a village whiche is called Anablatha and sawe there as I passed by a candell burnyng and inquiryng what place it was and vnderstandyng that it was a Churche I entered in to praie and founde there a vaile or linnen clothe hangyng at the doore of the saied churche stained and painted and hauyng an Image as it were of Christ or of some saincte For I dooe not well remember whose Image it was Therefore when I sawe this thing that the Image of a man was hanged vp in the Churche contrary to the aucthoritie of the Scriptures I did rende it in péeces and gaue counsaile to the kepers of that place rather to wrappe it about some poore bodie that was deade to burie hym with all Contrariwise thei murmured and saied If he would néedes rende it it were reason he should giue vs an other vaile for it and so chaunge it Whiche thing when I heard I promised that I would giue theim one aad sende it shortlie There passed not long tyme but that I sought to sende theim a verie good vaile for it For I thought that one shoulde haue been sente me out of Cypres And nowe I haue sente suche a one as I could gette And I praie you to commaunde the Elders of that place to receiue that Vaile of this bearer whiche is sente by vs And to giue theim charge that hereafter in the Churche of Christe suche vailes bee not hanged vp whiche are contrary to our Religion This writeth Epiphanius to Ihon bishoppe of Hierusalem by whiche it is euidente what was thought of Images at that tyme when a painted vaile might not bée hanged before a Churche doore to keepe out the winde or for some suche purpose and not in any respect of religion or worshipping The same Epiphanius emong the heresies of Carpocrates rehearseth that he made priuilie the Image of Iesu Paule Homer and Pithagoras and worshipped them Also he inueigheth sharply against the Antidicomarians and Collyridians for vsyng and worshippyng the Image of Marie the Virgine As for your testimonies out of Gregorie Nyssene and Chrysostome serue nothyng to the purpose for Gregorie speaketh not of the historie of Christes passion as you vntruely report but of the oblation of Isaac by his father Abraham Conc. Nicen. 2. actione iiij But this picture was in some priuate place not in the Churche and place of worshippyng And Chrysostome in his saiyng concludeth not that therefore we must haue Images of GOD and of Christe in the Churche but he that doeth iniurie to any manne that is made after the Image of god or disobeieth a Magistrate which representeth the persone of god c. He doth iniurie to god For he that maketh any Image of God doeth God greate iniurie transformyng the glorie of the inuisible GOD into the shape of any corruptible creature Rom. j. But what Chrysostome and diuers other godlie fathers thought of the vse of Images in the churche is exdressed in the counsaile of Ephesus which condemned Images before the Counsaile of Nice whiche restored theim And the Counsaile Elibertinum fower hundreth yeres before that vnder Constantine the greate made this decree Capt. xxxvi Placuit picturas in ecclesia esse non debere ne quod colitur aut adoratur in parietibus depingatur That is It is thought
to proue that our Religion standeth not all vpon negatiues but chiefly vppon affirmatiues it shall bée sufficiente to declare that we beleue and affirme all the articles of the Christian faithe and what soeuer is affirmed in the woorde of God as truthe like as wee denie all falshode and vntruthe We beleue and affirme that there is but one GOD wée affirme that in this God-heade there are three persones distincte but not diuided Wee affirme that the sonne of God was conceiued by the holie Ghoste borne of the virgine Marie and so foorthe as it followeth in the Crede by whiche it is manifeste that our Religion standeth not all in negatiues The Papiste Saincte Augustine doth define religion to be cultus diuinus a diuine seruice dew vnto God wherby as Isidore saieth wee dooe binde our selues to the worshipyng of God with a full purpose and intente to serue god True religion beyng in this wise put in a dewe worshippe and seruice to be doen vnto GOD the late begonne religion of this reformed Churche can not bee the true religion of GOD for as muche as it doeth not consiste in any action or seruice more now vnto God then was before but onely this religion standeth as I suppose by negatiues by an ouerthrowe and subuersiō makyng of all thinges before appoincted for the gouernement of his people both in the olde Testament and newe some preceptes whiche were morall some iudiciall some ceremoniall also sacrifice and sacramentes the doctrine of this newe religion and reformed Churche whiche as I saied dooeth stande onely or wholy by negatiues doeth denie The aunswere I will not stande in argumente with you whether this be a full difinition of religion whiche you alledge out of Saincte Augustine It is not by and by a diffinitiō of Religion whiche maie bee truely saied of Religion But what should moue you to thinke that our Religion teacheth not menne to worshippe God When we onely teache the right kinde of Gods seruice sette forthe in his woorde whereas you and all other heretikes worshippe God after the preceptes of menne which is no religion but superstition You saie our religion doth not consist in any action or seruice more nowe vnto God then was before but howe true this is let euery man iudge when we ascribe all religious seruice obedience honour faieth inuocation and thankes geuyng onely to God by our sauiour christe wheras you giue the greatest parte thereof to creatures some to Images some to sainctes departed some to your owne merites some to your beggerlie Ceremonies Let euery man therefore iudge whether our religion giue not more to God in Christ then you when we giue all to God the onely aucthour of all goodnes and Christe our only mediatour of all benefites to bee receiued of God and you giue him but parte of al the seruice that is due to hym and make so many mediatours beside our sauiour Christe Finally wher as you charge vs with the subuersiō of the preceptes moral ceremonial and iudiciall of Gods lawe it is a straunge matter to see your boldnes What morall preceptes of God doe we gainsaie doe wee not teache menne to obserue all the tenne Commaundementes And what Ceremonial lawes remaine there to vs which were not vtterly abrogated by Christ As for the iudiciall preceptes of the Iewishe lawe who euer required the christians to be bounde vnto theim The onely propiciatorie sacrifice of Christes Passion wee embrace al Sacramentes of christes institution Wherfore we neither stande al vppon negatiues neither denie we anie thing that we ought to affirme as true The Papiste First it denieth that the morall preceptes are possible to be kepte of man. The aunswere It shal not be néedefull our doctrine beyng so commonly knowen to the worlde to make a large discourse vpon euery one of these negatiues but onely to declare briefly how we denie them and to shewe a reason of our deniall We denie in deede that it is possible for any manne excepte Christe onely to keepe the morall preceptes of god Which is not suche a straunge paradoxe to any man that is not a starke hypocrite but his owne conscience will testifie the same vnto hym The morall preceptes are conteined in these twoo poinctes as our sauiour testifieth Thou shalte loue the Lorde thy GOD with all thy harte with all thy soule with all thy strengthe and thy neighbour as thy self Who is so paste all feare of God that he dare affirme that he is able to performe this Againe what is the cause that the scripture dooeth so often pronounce that no man can be iustified by the woorkes of the lawe but because no manne can fulfill the lawe Whiche if a man could performe he should liue therein and haue eternall saluation without Christe but no man can bee saued without Christ therefore no manne can fulfill the lawe For the lawe was giuē to shewe vs our weakenesse and so to bring vs to Christ. The Papiste Seconde it denieth that any iudgement in spirituall causes or in the high courte of conscience is to be geuen to the Prieste The aunswere The high courte of conscience is Gods owne iurisdiction the iudgement whereof perteineth neither to Prieste nor laie manne but to God alone But in causes spirituall to iudge according to the worde of God wee dooe not deny but it pertaineth to Ecclesiasticall persones from whiche rule of iustice if any of theim departe he is subiecte to the correction and punishemente of the Ciuile Magistrate As Aaron had his aucthoritie of iudgemēt in Spirituall causes yet was he reproued by Moises And Abiathar the high Priest was deposed by Salomon and Sadoc sett vp in his place And should not Ahaz if he had been a godlie Prince haue deposed Vriah for makyng the prophane alter The Papiste Thirde it dooeth denie all kinde of Ceremonies The aunswere Wee denie all kinde of Ceremonies that are of mannes inuention to worship God or to merite saluation by them For in the worshippe of God wee muste dooe onely that he commaundeth vs Other Ceremonies that are onely for order and decencie ordeined in the Churche wée receiue as I haue often shewed before The Papiste Fowerth it doeth denie the sacrifice of christes Testamente The aunswere The Sacrifice propitiatorie that onely taketh awaie the synnes of the worlde is the Sacrifice whiche Christe offered ones for all vpon the aulter of the crosse and thereby makyng perfecte for euer those that are sanctified can not be repeated without horrible iniurie dooen vnto the Passion of Christe and the merites thereof Hebr. vij ix x. and almost through out the whole Epistle In deede the Sacrifice of the Masse ▪ if it bee the Sacrifice ye meane wée vtterly deteste as blasphemous and abhominable For whiche you haue neither commaundemente nor example of Christe what soeuer you pretende by these woordes of our Sauiour Dooe this in remembraunce of me For besides that to celebrate the remēbraunce of Christe in the Sacramente hath
honour due vnto sainctes The aunswere Howe shall wee call vppon theim in whom we dooe not beleue Roma x. We beleue onely in God therefore wee call vpon God onely We acknowledge no mediatour of God and men but onely Iesus Christe j. Timoth. ij Neither of redemption nor intercession For the Apostle in that place speaketh purposely of intercession saiyng I besech you therfore brethrē that praiers supplications c. bée made for all men And as for honour that should be due to sainctes we acknowledge none beyng taught by so many places of Scripture that al honour and glorie belongeth onely to God who is a ielous GOD and will not giue his honour to any other Wherefore as Augustine saieth honoramus eos charitate non seruitute wee honour theim with loue and not with seruice by whiche testimonie of that godlie manne your blinde distinction of latria and doulia is ouerthrowen for what is doulia but seruitus Whiche kinde of honour sainct Augustine doeth vtterly deny to be giuen to sainctes August De vera religione Capi. 55. The same Augustine dooeth also declare wherein their honour doeth consist namely in followyng of their example Honorandi sunt propter imitationem non adorandi propter religionem Thei are to be honoured for imitations sake not to bée whorshipped for religions sake And you your self diffined religion before to be cultus diuinus the seruice due vnto GOD howe would you then that true Religion should dooe any seruice to menne or Angelles whiche are but creatures of God. The Papiste Sixtene it dooeth denie oblations and praiers for the soules departed The aunswere We affirme accordyng to the scripture that the deade whiche die in the lorde are blessed for they reste from their labours and therefore to praie for theim that are happy were superfluous And as for those that die not in the lorde thei are accursed and therefore no praier is to bee made for theim and al that die doe either die in the lord or not in the lord for betwene cōtradictories ther is no meane Apo. 14. Our sauiour christe testifieth of theim that beleue in God that sent hym that thei haue life euerlastyng and come not into iudgement but passe from death to life Iohn 5. And if any hadde neede to bee pourged for satisfaction as you teache that men must be in purgatorie the holy theef that was crucified with Christe shoulde haue béen one especially but our sauiour christ made him assurance of felicity immediatly this daie saieth he thou shalte bee with me in Paradise Luke 23. And séeyng the Scripture neither commaundeth nor commendeth Praier for the deade it is vntollerable presumptiō for any man to vse it And as for oblations wee finde none in Gods woorde apoincted for the deade that wee shoulde offer no not in the oulde lawe where there was so manie diuerse kindes of Sacrifice no one was appoincted for the deade Wherefore the example of Iudas rehearsed by the aucthour of the seconde booke of Machabées is neither to bee allowed nor followed because he hadde no warrant of Gods lawe to offer any suche Sacrifice The seuententh negation was altogether lefte out in the copie which came first to my handes I suppose by negligence of the writer but in another copie I finde it thus The Papiste Seuententh it doth denie Images and the crosse of Christe The Aunswere Accordyng to the worde of God and the consente of the primitiue churche wée denie the vse of Images in the Churche whiche are the doctrine of vanities and lies as the Prophet witnesseth Abac. 2. The Papiste Eightene it doeth denie the buriall of the deade bodies in the Churche yeardes The aunswere Wee are not so carefull for the buriall of our deade bodies to dispute where they muste bee laied so that dewe reuerence without superstition be vsed in their Sepulture nether dooe wee refuse to burie theim in the Churche yerdes and places of comon buriall although we thinke no holines to bee more in one place then in an other The Papiste Nintene it doeth denie the hallowyng of the Fonte Oile Palmes and Asshes The aunswere Of hallowyng the water of baptisme I haue spoken sufficiently before as for oile Palmes Asshes and suche other beggerly Elementes of the worlde that haue no woorde of GOD to comende them wee haue no vse of theim in our religion but in their Ciuile vse all the creatures of god are hallowed to vs by the woorde of God and praier Gal. 4. Coll. 2.1 Tim. 4. The Papiste Twentie it doth denie holy breade holy water Vestimentes Chalices Copes Tunicles Candlestickes lightes Sensors Orgaines in the church singing in the quere reliques of sainctes pardones and pilgrimages wherby it doeth appeare that the religion of this newe reformed Church doth stande wholy of negatiues by destroiyng subuertyng and deniyng of all thinges before vsed in the Catholike Churche of Christe The aunswere As this twentieth differeth from the ninetenth only in wordes so one answere shall serue bothe These weake and beggerly Elementes of the worlde christian religion needeth not hauyng Christe in whom dwelleth all fulnes and perfection wisedome iustificatien sanctification And generally of all Ceremonies as is often saied before wée admitte none as parte of Gods whorshippe whiche are instituted of menne onely suche as bee accidentall and mutable if they be ordeined for edificatiō order and decencie and be voide of superstition we obserue theim But so that no mannes conscience bee bounde to theim And that when soeuer occasion serueth for better edification and more comely order it is lawfull to abrogate them and to institute newe in their places The Papiste Wherein the aucthors composers and deuisers of this newe religion haue dealed muche like as one maister Molande Vicar of sainct Peters in Oxforde did with Clare the Butcher a neare neighbour and parishner of his vnto whom by the waie of a merie ieste he made sale of an horse all by negatiues on this wise saiyng vnto hym how that his horse had not a great heade his horse hadde not a paire of Asse eares his horse had not one touth in his heade longer then an other his horse had not a sadle backe no Splent Spauen or Ringbone hys horse was not pincromped sicle hought nor broke winded and so forth all by negatiues he soulde his horse to Clare the Butcher not expressyng what his horse hadde but what his horse had not Dealyng therin with muche like faieth and truthe as our Preachers dooe with the people of this Realme which goe aboute to plante a new religion amongest theim which standeth as I haue here expressed wholy by negatiues in affirmyng nothyng and deniynge all thinges The aunswere You conclude your matter as it is verie mete with a merie tale I had almoste saied of Robin Hoode and little Ihon but I should saie of maister Molande and Clare the Butcher of Oxforde Whereby a manne may perceiue you were pleasauntely disposed that in so shorte a treatise wold
néedes thruste in so long a tale and the same to dilate with all the circumstaunces whereas you had no leasure to note the places of your Doctours that ye alledge in good earneste But now sir sauyng your tale and to applie it to the purpose If maister Molande as he rehersed some faultes of whiche perhappes his horse was free so he had recited all the faultes that maie be in any horse and denied theim all to bee in his horse might not Clare the Butcher haue boughte a good horse of him by negatiues But maister Molande like a subtile Sophister repeateth a many of his defaultes and suppresseth as many or more and so he begileth poore Clare the Butcher And this Sophistrie of maister Molande is youre Logike throughout all your treatise of a fewe particulars to inferre an vniuersal And this your Iade belike you thoughte to sell vnto some as simple as Clare the Butcher that could no more discerne of your diuinitie then Clare the Butcher could sée of maister Molandes Sophistrie Or els if you mente good faithe as you do pretende I must nedes saie to quitte your tale that if Clare wer not a better Butcher then you shewe your self to be a Logicien or diuine you might bothe procede in one facultie and maister Molande bee your presenter For as he solde his horse by negatiues so you haue proued that all our Religion standeth wholie vppon negatiues that we denie all thinges and affirme nothyng The Papiste Dewe obiections made againste the premisses For wheras ye haue saiede the religion of this newe reformed Churche to stande wholy by negatiues in affirmynge no one thyng more then was before vsed in the Catholike churche of Christe howe vntrue this is who seeth not when the religion of this newe reformed Church doth affirme and hath brought in many thinges as good godly and lawfull whiche before were straightly denied The aunswere It must néedes be a clerkely disputatiō wher you maie be both opponent respōdent your self wher you maie make argumētes for vs and make answere for your self But as he that aunswereth if he gett the victorie ouerthroweth him that opposeth so you taking vpon you to oppose and aunswere your self you can ouerthrowe none other but your owne self But neuer a one of these fiue obiections is holden of vs in maner and forme as it is propounded of you And therfore I would desire you henceforwarde to defende youre owne matters aswell as you can for you shall gette neither money nor thankes to plaie the Proctor for vs. The Papiste Firste it dooeth affirme that it is lawfull and bothe good and godly that Priestes shoulde take wiues and beyng firste made Priestes it is lawfull to marie The aunswere We affirme that it is vnlawfull that any manne should bee bounde to sole life whiche hath not the gifte of continence And that marriage is as honourable in ecclesiasticall ministers as in al other men whether thei were married before thei were called to that office or to whether thei marrie afterwarde Hebre. xiij j. Timoth. iij. and Tite j. The Papiste Seconde it dooeth affirme that Freers Monkes and Nonnes after their vowes made solemnely vnto God of their chaste and cōtinent life that it is lawful for theim to mary together and holde the same to be good and lawfull wedlocke The aunswere Wee affirme that who soeuer hath made a rashe and vnaduised vowe of continence whiche he is not able to keepe ought to repente him of his rashenes and rather to marrie then to burne j. Cor. 7. The Papiste Thirde it doeth affirme that a man beyng deuorced from his wise for fornicatiō may therupon marie againe and take another and so it is lawfull for hym to haue twoo wiues a liue the one in the bedde the other diuorced The aunswere Wee affirme that thei whiche are lawfully deuorced for adulterie are no more housebande and wife For the knot of marriage by lawfull deuorsemente is cleane dissolued and therefore a manne so deuorsed maie marrie and not haue twoo wiues at ones accordyng to the doctrine and right vnderstandyng of our Sauiour Christes wordes Math. v. and xix The Papiste Fowerth it doeth affirme Breade ad wine to bee the whole substaunce of the Eucharistie after the consecration The aunswere Wee affirme accordyng to the scriptures and faithe of the Churche for a thousande yeres after Christe that breade and wine remaine in the Sacrament and are necessarie there to remaine that it maie bée a Sacramente for the woorde muste come to the Elemente and so make it a Sacrament But we doe not affirme that breade and wine is the whole substaunce of the Sacrament but the bodie and blood of Christe receiued by faithe is the principall parte thereof as in Baptisme the outward Element is water but the principall part thereof is the pourgyng of our sinnes by the secrete and wōderfull workyng of the holie ghoste the Papiste Fifte it doth affirme that onely faieth iustifieth and that faieth alone is sufficient to procure and purchase for vs gods grace and mercie for the time of this present life and at the ende and terme therof life euerlastyng Beside many other like diuerse thinges that the religion of this newe reformed churche doth affirme as thinges lawfull and haue brought theim into this realme as thinges good and godly The aunswere Wee affirme that the free mercie of God in Christ is the efficient cause of our iustification whiche mercie we apprehēde by none other hande or instrumente but by faithe But that either faithe dooeth procure or purchase Gods grace or mercie by any whorthinesse of it wee vtterly denie as also that onely faithe is sufficiēte for a christian man when we teache that this faith by which we are iustified is not a solitarie faith but of necessitie accompanied with many vertues good workes although by receiuyng Goddes mercie no workes but onely faithe doeth iustifie vs. The Papiste An answere against the obiections For aunswere beside that there is no one of their affirmatiōs now by theim brought that maketh any thing ad cultum diuinum to the seruice and honouryng of god wherin true religion doth consiste as it is before proued by the diffinition therof geuen by Augustine al their affirmations doe include some negatiōs of a farre more better thing then is brought in by their affirmations The aunswere But euen nowe in the latter ende of the firste obiection you confesse that wee affirme many other thynges beside these fiue whiche you haue rehersed And now as though we had no other affirmations you conclude as your maner is that no one of our affirmatiōs maketh any thyng ad cultum diuinum to gods seruice and that all our affirmations doe include a negation of a farre better thing then is brought in by them So that when wee affirme all the articles of the Crede none of theim perteineth to Goddes seruice but rather include a negation of a farre better thing When we affirme