doctours argued of theirs The oldedoctors would committe the same to the censure and iudgement of the churche But the newe doctours woulde preferre theyr woorkes vpon theyr owne iudgementes Pride the mother of heresie begatte these her chyldren to resist their predecessors But god from time to time hath resisted the proude and hath endewed the meke with his grace The prophet Esaye saieth Woe be vnto you which seme wyse in your owne eies and prudent before your selues Therefore God requireth suche to be ministers interpreters of his worde which are humble and meke Suche I saye whiche wyll mistruste theyr owne wittes and crye with the prophete Dauid Giue me vnder standing O lord and I wyl serche thy lawe to thintente I may learne thy commaundementes Doubtles the showers of that heauenlye wysedome haue not their discourse vpon hyghe mouÌ„taynes but into the lowe valleys Therfore they that wyll be partakers of the true vnderstanding of goddes misteries ought not to contempne the godly expositions of the auncient fathers but with all humilitie to submit themselfes as scholars glad too learne willing to embrace such holsome doctrine as is taught in the churche of God And not to play the partes of vnthriftie and proude scholars as the moste part of our hereticall preachers were who went about to correct their maisters but with attentife eares to heare reade peruse and then to receiue as God shall put in minde CVrsed speakers also in vsing their tongues after a most vile sort not only agaist y â— church the spouse of Christe but also against our princes the Kyng and Quenes maiesties and other magistrates appointed by God too the rule and gouernemeÌ„t of this realme And howe abhominablie they haue from tyme to tyme yll sayd of the kynges maiestie reuerence and shame constrayneth silence vnto whome they oughte to beare al obedience considering it hath pleased the Quenes maiestie to ioyne her selfe with hym in marriage being as nowe one body so that any iniurie or slauÌ„der doone or spoken against hys grace thesame is doone to them both I can not chose but wonder to consider what cause shuld prouoke them to malice his persone What vice haue thei harde wherin his grace is speciallye noted â–ª Unles temperaÌ„ce sobrietie and deuocion be counted for vices What ill proportioÌ„ of body or deformitie of vysage vnlesse they wil seme to correcte nature â–ª Wel fieth the note of any special vice or lacke of natures dutie hathe not moued them what should be the cause then With what vertue are they offended Not with temperance I am sure for that is a decent qualitie in a king and as Tully sayeth It is the ornament of mannes lyfe and the appeasemeÌ„t of the passions of the mynde Nor with sobrietie I dare saye for that garnisheth all other qualities And if deuocion be the cause of offences they muste or oughte to be angrye with themselfes For what man is there that lyueth but he hath a certeÌ„ zeale or sparcle of feare towardes the power diuine Then the kinges maiestie being a vertuous prince of himselfe a noble personage let vs cease of all sclaunder if not for his owne sake yet for the Queenes maiesties sake his true and laufull wyfe and our vertuous and godlye soueraygne But as the protestauntes haue vttered their vncharitable stomakes vpon the temporall magistrates so haue thei vsed the like vpon the spiritual But these are they mencioned in sainte Iude whiche despyse Rulers speake yll of those whiche are in authoritie Yet Michael tharchaungell sayeth he when he stroue against the deuel about the body of Moyses durst not geue a railing sentence but sayde our lorde rebuke the. A wonder it is to se these cursed speakers triumphe vpon their knowledge of the scriptures and yet haue no power to followe the same I praye God they may be lesse bablers and make both theÌ„ and all meÌ„ better followers For we se manifestlye the plagues of God imminent for misusing his grace blaspheming his name Yet many especially the proteuÌ„aÌ„tes haue no grace to impute it to impietie of lyfe But they obiecte the sayde plagues of God to the cause of religion as though their owne synnes were free and vnworthye punyshement and as though the catholike religioÌ„ now vsed were a thinge of late inuented whiche religion hathe continued firme and stedfast sithe the raigne of kynge Ethelbert who was conuerted to embrace christianitie by saint Augustine in the yere of our Lorde after the computation of Beda D. lxxx vi tyll within these .xxi. yeres And also long before the time of Ethelbert the faith of Christ was yet receiued by one Lucius kynge of this realme who sent Ambassadours to Rome too Pope Eleutherius that it might please him to sende some of his learned men to preache the name of Christe and too minister Baptisme Who moste willingly accoÌ„plyshed the kinges desire in the yeare of our lorde a hundred fiftie syxe Soo that it appereth the religion nowe restored by the Quenes maiestie is not of newe inuencion but of great antiquitie And so longe as this Realme was in vnitie thereof vndiuided it continued in inspeakeable welth and prosperitie in marueylous loue and amitie in true dealing and honest simplicitie and in al kinde of god lines and pietie But since it fell from vnitie of religioÌ„ it hath fallen from the grace of God into al kyndes of wickednes skarcitie falshode deceyt and other abhominable vices and from the accustomed valiaunce in feates of armes into effeminate myndes coÌ„taminated with horrible leâ—herie The experieÌ„ce of which vices piteously we dayly fele as a iust rewarde of GOD for breache of the vnitie of his religion DIsobedient to fathers mothers whiche vice our lord knoweth is vniuersally frequented For what childe for the most parte doth honour his parentes according to his dutie What reuereÌ„ce doth he vse towardes theÌ„ whiche of their owne fleshe and bloud hath brought him forth in to the world A dere collope it is â—hat is cut from the owne fleshe yet that degenerate collope I meane the childe vnnaturally resisteth disobeieth the parentes But hereof the parentes maye thanke them selues whiche for wante of good education nosel them vp with wantonnes suffring the raynes of youthe to bee let go and vnbridled not considering the heate of youth too be prone and redy to al vices as He rodiane sayeth The myndes of youth from good and honest discipline are prone and apt to vanitie pleasures The auncient trade of this Realme in education of youthe before the late tyme replenyshed with all myschief was to yoke the same with the feare of God in teachyng the same to vse prayer mornyng and euening to be reuereÌ„t in the church at their first enteraunce into the same too make the sygne of the crosse in their foreheades too make beysaunce to the magistrates to discouer their heades when they mete with men
bee burnte or otherwyse persecuted and not in christendome where Christ is sufficieÌ„tly knowen to all men if they wyll nedes dye to be renowmed after their death let them do as many notable menne among the Romaynes other haue done fight for their common welthes sake and for the cause of their princes Brutus the fyrst consull of Rome with suche a zeale sought to defende the libertie of his countre that hee encountred so fiercely with Aruns sonne to Tarquinius the proude whiche was banished for the rape of Lucrece that in the cloase with their launces they both perished Mutius Sceuola a worthy gentleman emonges the Romaines to deliuer his countrie from the siege of Porsenna king of Hetrurie boldly entred into his caÌ„pe thinking to kyll the kyng but when he came into the pauilion where the souldiours were wont to be paâ—ed he discouered his dagger stroke at the kynges secretarie supposing it had been the kyng because their apparail was much like But being taken demaunded what he was why he toke vpoÌ„ him such an enterprise with a sterne countenance answered I am a citizen of Rome quod he my name is Mutius and I beyng an enemie would faine haue kylled myne enemy my stomake is no lesse to dye for the cause then it was ready to do the slaughter For it is the parte of a Romaine both to do to suffre valiantly with other y â— like wordes Wherwith the king beyng moued said vnto him that vnlesse he would disclose vnto him what treason was imagined against his person he should with fyre bee tormented to death Then beholdâ— O kyng quod he what a smale matter the fyre is to them which seke to be renowmed with glory and immediatly thrust his hand into the fyre and burnte it quite of By whiche facte his countre was deliuered from the extremitie of that siege Moreouer Codrus kyng of Athenes at suche tyme as the citie was in great distresse by reason of the siege layde to the same repared to Appollo by Oracle to know what should become of the citie The answere was that vnlesse he himselfe shuld be slain the citie should be wonne Codrus therfore bearing a natural pietie to his countree rather contented to geue his owne life then the citie shuld be geuen into the haÌ„des of his enemies put on a beggers apparel and conueyed himselfe into the campe of his enemies and there gaue an occasion to one of the souldiors to strike him and so was slaine with a byll Wherby the siege not longe after brake vp These examples are sufficient to spurre these wylfull men forwardes rather to geue their liues for the defence of the coÌ„mon welth Princes against the enemies then with suche obstinacie to consume it in the fyre and no cause why They might in spendynge their lyues in the cause of their Princes or els in defence of Gods religion deserue bothe rewarde at the handes of God and also immortall fame in merityng well of their coÌ„mon wealth This is the death wherin a man ought to triumphe In this death a man heapeth vp in heauen treasures inspeakable in erth fame immortal a worthy death and worthy a christen maÌ„ For this cause it is that the feast of S. Stephens martyrdome is yerely celebrated For this cause it is that the blessed feastes of the Apostles haue their yerely recourse For this cause it is that the memories of Martyrs be registred in the Churche of God For this cause it is that the annual celebracions of all the saintes of Christ are hadde in yerely remembrance Then all men which entende to embrace the benefites of Christ and seke meanes therby to attaine to saluation let theÌ„ rather by this kynde of deathe that is to say either to fight and suffer death for the defenâ— of the name of Christ or els in the quarell of his Princes and other magistrates But it is thoughte of many of these protâ—stantes that no man ought to suffer death for his coÌ„science And they lerned the same of Luther who in dede is of that opinion In Turkey saye they a man may liue with his coÌ„science why then should a christeÌ„ man amonges christians be punyshed for his conscience Then may I aske them the like questioÌ„ if a Turke or heretike maye vse his conscience Why did they punishe Ioane Butcher the Flemming whiche were of the secte of the Arrians For their conscience led them so to beleue Why maye not the Turkes vse Mahomeâ—es lawe amonges vs Why did Peter in â—â—e Actes of the Apostles destroye Ananias and Saphyra for makyng a ley For their conscience conceiled the portioÌ„ which they kepte bâ—â—ke If it be not laufull for a man to dye for his conscience than they did ill too punyshe heresye by death in the like tyme of procedinges wherevnto I am sure they wyll not graunt For in any wyse they must be no lyers although it be proued manifestlye to their faces Tushe saye they suffre the Cockell too growe with the good corne tyll the haruest come Then the lorde of the haruest shall deuide theÌ„ shall put the good corne in to his barne and cast the cockle into the fyre But this parable GOD wote maketh nomore for their purpose than it doth against the hangyng of theues and other offenders For if the offenders and breakers of the lawe I meane such as coÌ„cerne treason murdre or fellony should liue how should a kyng or ruler gouerne his common wealth wherin the honor maistie of a kyng consisteth And like as if such malefactors shuld â—ee suffred to continue in a common wealth withoute anye restrainte of punishement the same comon wealth with the gouernor thereof were lyke to fall too ruine Euen so in the state of the churche if heresie should be mainteined the fautours thereof escake vnpunyshed it woulde not onely brynge the iuste plague of God vpon the sufferers but also it woulde vtterly consume all faieth good orders so bringe the soule of man to euerlastynge confusion And that a kyng may punyshe suche malefactours by death aswell such as offende the churche as suche as noye the coÌ„mon welth it doth appere by S. Paules wordes to Timothe Vve know saith he the lawe is good if a man vse it laufully knowing this howe that the lawe is not giuen vnto a rightuous man but to the vnrightuous and disobedient to wicked men and synners to vnreuereÌ„t and prophane with suche other And then concludeth that if ther be any other thinge contrary too holsome doctrine of the Gospell the glorie of the blessed GOD which gospel is committed vnto me Now note here that he saith the law is not geuen vnto rightuous men whose wicked dedes rehersing to the Romaines aswell as he doth in this place he sayth is worthye of death May not a kyng iustly put them to death by the lawe whiche lawe he saith is good if a man vseth it
laufullye Then to execute it vpon the vnrightuous which committed any falte against the Gospell whiche reproueth true religioÌ„ is a thing moste laufull whiche fautes are adiudged by the churche worthy excommunication that is to say to cut them of whiche are obstinate as s Paule wysheth Titus Nowe if the lawe be good to cut them of as rotteÌ„ branches which either be authors of sectes or offenders otherwise the lawe iudging them worthy death then it is a thing perswaded by scriptur to burne suche braunches which are dampned by their owne iudgemeÌ„t no iniurie done to th one or thotheâ— but charitie in cuttig them of that thei should sinne no more in y â— like faultes to encresse their own daÌ„pnation VVe wold not saith saynt Augustine haue them cut of meaning heretikes from the other ioyntes and meÌ„bers of the body but forasmuche as the wounde by cutting away the dead flesh may soner be healed then if it were suffered to remaine stil Therfore a more holsom remedy is foùd with a short paine to ease the grief then to suffer it to fester and rankcâ—e the other membres So it appereth that it is a most pestilent error to thinke that noone for any opinion or conscience oughte too be put to death But peraduenture they wyll alledge agayne saying why doth God say which is the lorde of the haruest suffre the cockle and the good corne to growe together till the haruesâ— leste you pull vp the good corne therwith â–ª Doutles euen for this cause We se by experience when seedes good and bad are throweÌ„ vpon the earth together whyle they be yonge it is daungerous to plucke vp the one leste the other be plucked vp also But iâ— they be suffered to growe till the good corne haue a stronge roote then the cockle growing vp therwith may be easely discerned without daunger of hurtyng the good corne the cockle may be roted out Euen so in the infancie of the churche at suche tyme as the fayth was not throughly roted in the hartes of men muche lenite and genlenes was vsed in ouercommynge the stubburnes of heretikes least the weake christians not fully instructed in the fayth might haue falleÌ„ therby So that there was no sharpnes shewed vpoÌ„ any till the time of Maximus theÌ„perour by whose authorite heretikes began to bee odible and were cut of by the teÌ„porall swoorde After whome Theodosius Valentinianus Martianus the like Emperours raigned in whose times also lawes were made for the punyshyng of heretikes and such as were authors of euill doctrine the cause was for that the fayeth of Iesus began firmely to take holde aswell in Emperoures Kynges and Princes as also in others And the churche as it is nowe soo growen that it hathe soo stronge roote that hell gates shall not preuayle againste it that is too saye neyther the persecution of tyrantes nor the peruersite of heretikes can ouerthrowe it the churche I saye nowe beyng in this state that heretikes maye easly be discerned as cockle is in haruest which is then weded for ouergrowing the good corne doth by by excommunication cut them of as scripture commaundeth For euery peruerse doctrine is as saint Hierome saith LeaueÌ„ And leanen oughte to bee taken from the doughe A sparckle as soone as is doth appeare ought to be quenched rotten flesh ought to be cut awaye a skabby shepe ought too be repealed from the flocke least the house the doughthe body the flocke be throughly corrupted do burne do putrifie and marre Arrius in Alexandria was but one sparcle but because it was not immediatly put out y â— flame therof destroyed the hole worlde What mercy is this to fauour â—â— to bryng all other in peril of their liues Meaning heretikes who if they myght bee suffered too reigne would bryng all thynges to ruine as is aforesayd Of that mynde is Chrisostome that eloquent Atlas one of the pillers of goddes veritie saying Haue you not hearde saieth he that he whiche in the olde testament gathered styckes vpoÌ„ the Sabboth daye for that he offended that one commaundement was destroyed with extreame death Haue you not heard also that Ozi whiche did but staye vp the Arke from falling was immediatly stroken starke dead because he toke vpon hym an vnfit ministerie Therefore dothe the violacion of the Saboth and the touchyng of the Arke so muche offende God that the offendours could obtayne no pardon What Pardon and excuse shall he haue then that doth corrupte holsome doctrine and in place thereof soweth wycked opinions Thus Chrysostome and the other Doctours of Christes churche iudge them whiche by their euell suggestions corrupte the symple membres of the churche worthy temporall deathe and punyshement Then that opinion whiche the Protestantes conceyue of their owne brayne vpon the aforesayde parable of the gospell and also that no man oughte too suffer death for his conscience is quite frustrate of none effecte And because our heretikes wil nedes haue their men to be taken for martyrs some of them counterfayting the trade of the auncient state of the true churche gather together the burnt bones of these stynking martyrs entendyng thereby by lyke to shryne the same or to preserue them for relykes that at suche a tyme as wheÌ„ an heretike is burnt ye shal see a route enclosing the fyer for that purpose And when the fyer is done they lye wallowyng like pygges in a stie to scrape in that hereticall dongehill for the sayde bones Yea and as it is reported some gossyps and fellowe disciples of these wicked apostles vse the same nexte to their hartes in the mornyng beyng grated in a cuppe of Ale too preserue them from the chyncoughe and suche other maladies incident to suche hoote burning stomakes A prety medicine apte for such brainesicke pacientes Thei may be well compared to Artemisia of whome we rede in Aulus Gellius which was wife to Mausolê° king of Caria who when her husbande was dead she was of such an affectioÌ„ being beyond al measure rapt w t his loue that after the funeralles was done she gathered together all the bones and ashes of her husbande and minglinge the same with perfumes and other swete odours she dranke them vp declaring by suche outwarde tokens her immesurable affection Many of our gosseps taken with the same spirite in loue not with their owne husbandes whose lyke examples I neuer herd of but with their mery martyrs that for their sakes they care not to quaffe vppe the poudet of their durtye bones too declare their burning affections A pityfull case and wyth teares too be lamented that the innumerable relyques of Christes true martirs were so wyckedlye neglected as they haue bene in the late malicious tyme. But thei were theÌ„ rediculous to these sortes of menne who cryed oute with al wehemence to what purpose are the reseruacion of the dead bones and so contempning the reliques of thapostles Iohn Baptist and
of auncient yeres and of hore heares accordyng to Ouides verses Age in tyme past was had in great price And to a hore head eche chylde did aryse But now cleane contrary nothyng is lesse vsed then morning and euening praier more vnreuerence in the churche neuer more frequented nor disobedience too magistrates and aged men at no tyme more practised And as for repairing to the churche is counted a thing of no importance For howe can the chylde put that in practyse which the parentes theÌ„selues neglecte The parentes beinge infected with heresie the childe must folowe the same and must do as the yonge Crab dyd where of we reade a prety tale in Esopes fables who beyng commauÌ„ded of his dame not to go so croked but to go more strayght O mother ê™ he go thou before and I wyl folowe In lyke maner if the parentes wold walke more duely in their vocation and dutie the children would doo the same But as the fathers are so are the chyldren The ill lyfe and hereticall trade of the parentes maketh suche vnhappy and disobedient chyldren who in the ende except thei be loked vnto in time wyll be the fathers bane For the chylde if his father be a catholike man will not be ashamed to say he hath a papiste to his father or an old doting fole to his mother A pitifull hearyng that heresye the regent of mischiefe shoulde beare suche rule without correction to cause suche enormities in youth to rayle vpoÌ„ the parentes wherfore to redresse the commoÌ„vice in chyldren of disobedience let them with godly perswasioÌ„s bryng them vp and chiefly in the feare of God and reuerence too his religion Let them followe the example of Tobias who brynging vp his sonne Tobie after a godly sorte had his sonne to proue according to his education lyued infinit yeares too the ioye of his parentes The parentes of Susanne bringing vp their doughter in the feare of God had their ioyes doubled by y â— marueylous deliuerie of their doughter out of the handes of the cruell iudges Contrary wise if thei suffer their chyldren to persist in wycked and wanton life without due correction they shall fele the sorowe of Hely the priest whome for wycked education of his childreÌ„ God did greatly punishe Here also were worthye of remembraunce the correction whiche ought too be doone too apprentises and other seruauntes who beinge noselled in libertie are not onelye odiouse to the worlde but also vnthryftye towardes their maisters and in maner become maisters theÌ„selfes Whose brynging vp is so leude that they be growen to suche insolencie that no good maÌ„ or priest passing by theÌ„ in the stretes can escape without mockes But let their maisters take hede for I beleue when thei see their tyme they wyll mocke them to in th end hoping one day to haue the spoile of their goodes Besides this their dissolute lyues are suche that no regarde they haue at all to repayre to the churche vpon the holy dayes but flocke in clusters vpon stalles either skorning the passers by or with their testameÌ„tes vtter some wyse stuffe of their owne deuise So that prayer is seldome seene to procede out of their graceles mouthes Therefore let all maisters take hede vnto their seruaÌ„tes and bringe them vp bothe in the feare of God and of themselues lest they wyshe in tyme too come that they had refrayned theÌ„ with due correction VNthankefull vngodly and vnkynde thei be in sparing from thankesgeuing chiefly too God the authour of all goodnes and next to the Quenes maiestie our naturall soueraigne lady for the restitucion of thancient and true religioÌ„ of this realme which of late was putte to exile and in stede of the same a straunge and base woman called Heresye intertaigned who hathe so polluted this countrey with bastardes misbegotten children that onles it had pleased the diuyne maiestie to haue ioyned in mariage the moste excellente and vertuouse Phylip our Kyng and seueraign nowe with the true inheritour and moste Godly matrone Mary oure sayde Quene the bloud of the sayde basebegotten children had vnnethes bene abolyshed And yet the ingratitude of vs their subiectes is such especially the Protestantes that almoste it is intollerable The vnkindenesse of vs in this so ample benefite is extended soo farre that in maner we deny any benefite receyued at all Yea and for the moste parte in recompence of that benefite alredy receyued we rendre vnthankefulnes But I feare me as Salomon sayeth He that doeth render an euyll turne for a good euyll shall not departe his house I praye God to spare that plague from thys realme whiche for vnthankefulnes it iustly deserued I feare me a great many in these dayes for that they see not the deuyses of theyr vnthankeful heartes come forwardes which daily they imagine againste the Magistrates plaie Achitophels part who seing that his practyses was not executed against kyng Dauid according to his cancred stomake weÌ„t home to his house hanged hym selfe But in these oure ingrate doinges we are much worse then the poore beastes of the yearth which would remeÌ„bre a benefite long after they haue receiued it And no marueil For as our creacion farre excedeth y e brute beast so is our liuyng in some thynges to theirs inferior What murmuring grudging slauÌ„ders rumors lyes bookes tales are in these daies caried abroad in the world against all sortes of magistrates whom we ought to obey for conscience sake according to the admonition of saint Paule But if stay might be made here to touch the particuler abhominations vsed of these loitring lubbers this volume would growe to an infinite bignes May not the kyng Quenes maiesties saye to these murmurers as the valiant Themistocles sayde to the Atheniens whiche murmured againste his laudable feates done for the libertie of the citie Why make you these tumultes and rumours against them of whoÌ„ by manifolde waies you haue receiued so many coÌ„modities May not oure Byshoppes and other ecclesiasticall gouernors say the like to this carelesse multitude that Pompeius sayd too Marcellinus whoo receiuyng many benefytes at his handes forsoke him and ranne to Caesar that afterwardes he was not ashamed to reuile Pompeius openly in the Senate house at Rome But with a connenient moderate taunt PoÌ„peius said these wordes Art thou not ashamed Marcellê° to speake euil of him by whose benefite of a domme and spechelesse man thou art made eloquent and of an hungry sterueling thou art now so well satisfied that thou canst skarce refraine vomite What shal I say more of this their ingratitude whiche in ciuile lyfe is a thing moste odious But exhorte al men to take a new purgacion and to purge their stomakes of this their malancolike grudginges least the matter do growe to suche abundance that no purgacion wyll serue Let them coÌ„sider the plague which redounded vpon the murmuring stomakes of Chore Dathan
with teares too lament the same yea if it were as harde as the stony Caucasus or as sauage is the Tigres of Hircania And whereof sprange this miserie Doubtles by the similitudes of godlines which then was pretended to the kynges maiestie by certen yonge whelpes newely crept oute of the stable who too bryng the same to passe inuented a similitude of godlynes too banyshe the popes authoritie which with all meanes possible withstode the same But here I know certen good fellowes wil obiecte sayinge Sir you begyn to rage to far vpoÌ„ vs poore protestantes lay al this geare to our charge as though none but we and oure skolemaisters were the doers hereof But sir I pray you did you neuer reade a booke made by the bishop of Winchester deceased entituled of true obedience whiche boke inueyeth against the authoritie of the Pope Yes in deede goodman protestaÌ„t I haue read the sayde booke in latyn and of late I reade the same also in englyshe but howe faithfully translated I leaue that to the iudgement of him which wyl compare them bothe together before the whiche is annexed a dronken prologue made by some hote spreted brother no doubt of as fine matter as the maker coulde deuyse But forasmuche as it is obiected that the author of that boke and others also inueyed against the sayd Popes authoritie that they were not only protestantes which sought the abandoning of the same Wel then I wold wyshe that the protestaÌ„tes which were then the originalles of the same would do as the sayde byshop of Wynchester and other good byshoppes haue done synce seke all meanes possible to restore the same agayne and to reduce that to the olde state whiche the protestantes for ambicion and the other for feare did then seke meanes to displace And as it is well knowen that it hath pleased god to call thautor of that boke to his mercy since who with a repentant harte with sainte Peter lamented the denial of gods truth so I wold it were as wel knoweÌ„ that the other I meane Cranmere had repented in semblable maner and would haue acknowledged goddes truthe to th ende For the one hath ended his lyfe after natures direction thother hath shortened his lyfe contrarie to nature The one in his bedde the other in the fier the one in the vnitie of the churche the other in the discord of heretikes the one honorably the other miserably the one as a catholyke the other as an heretike the one a true maÌ„ to God and the crowne the other a false man to God the realme Therfore I appeale to al mennes iudgementes herein to consider whether partie sought y â— destructioÌ„ of this realme or whether partie more worthy to be blamed The one worthy of blame but y â— other worthy condemnacioÌ„ And therefore pretented accordyng to their dispositions similitudes of godlines but denied the poower therof TheÌ„ folowed subuersioÌ„s of abbaies being another similitude of godlines perswaded by the sayd protestantes by whose pytifull spoyle procedeth the decaye of our common wealth For it was thought before their subuersion that all thynges woulde be better cheape but they became as good cheape as thinges did in Rome after the makyng of the lawe called Agraria For whyles the Senatours and other rulers of the citie were striuing for thassignementes of their porcions the hoale publike state was brought to ruyne by dissension and ciuile warres The landes and possessions belonging to the sayde abbaies beyng let slyp at liberttie from the sure bandes wherewith thei were before duely kept to the coÌ„modite of the realme and relief of the poore are nowe neyther so profitable to the owners al thinges considered nor yet comodious to the common welth It is to be thought that some whiche wer appointed doers about these possessions played the parte of a Romaine called Quintus Fabius Labeo who beynge appointed a daiesman betwene the Nolanes Neapolitanes about the boundes of their laÌ„des did debate the matter with either of them a parte wheÌ„ thei were come to the place and to thintent they shoulde not encâ—oche vpoÌ„ eche other the same was staked oute indifferentlye Nowe in the middes there remained a parcel of grouÌ„d vntouched which parcel of ryght also ought to haue bene staked out to thuse of either partes but he adiudged the same to the people of Rome In lyke maner whyle some were in debating the abbaie possessioÌ„s and stakinge the same oute to the kinges vse some remained in the middes mete for their owne vses Thus these similitudes of goodlines in reprouyng the abbaiemen of their ill lyues haue brought both the abbaies and all to vtter ruyne And whiles they were tickling the kynges maiest in the eare with the abuses vsed in the same they theÌ„selfes sought meanes to aspire vnto honoure not caring for the miserie whiche myght ensue nor yet seking reformatioÌ„s of the sayd abuses What a shewe of godlines was it trowye to induce so many straunge alteracions of Religion after the death of kyng Henry the eyghte but only to deny the power therof Did not men crye alwayes vpon goddes booke the worde of the lorde the heauenly fode the spirite of truthe and suche lyke But howe contrarye their dedes were too these their outcries let theÌ„selfes be iudges Many other similitudes of godlines haue thei brought forth to the shew of the worlde but the power of al godlines they vtterly denye with the effecets And to come to some particuler pointes haue they not denied the power of goddes word to worke any thyng too the iustifying of manne by the water of baptisme Haue they not also denied the moste manifest woordes of god spoken touching the consecration of his reall body in the sacrameÌ„t of thaltar and say that those wordes be spokeÌ„ tropically and figuratiuely and that they can woorke no suche effecte as bread to be transsubstanciated in to his body although Christe by his Euangelistes Apostles Prophetes Doctors Martyrs doth moste playnely affirme the same Haue they not also denyed the power of God in the wordes spokeÌ„ by the priest at the tyme of confession beyng so playnly commaunded by Christe saying Whose synnes you forgiue the same shal be forgeuen Haue they not also denied the power of gods worde in the rest of the seuen sacramentes abolishyng fyue quite out of their coÌ„pany as vnworthy therof yea and the other twayne remaining as they handled theÌ„ skarce worthy the name of a sacrameÌ„t And as they haue denyed the power of godlynes in these Sacramentes so haue they also denyed the same in the workes of GOD wrought by his grace in all godly men to be any meanes too attayne to iustification contrary to the wordes of S. Iohn saying To as manye as receyued hym meanyng Christe he gaue them power to bee made the sonnes of God euen them that beleued in his holy name some peradueÌ„ture wyll saye here that fayth onely includeth so this