worthy scholers whiche receiued it of thē and deliuered it ouer againe to others In a happie tyme came thei ouer to our Vniuersities to turne them which had been in tyme past as heathes dry groundes voide of the true knowledge of God into springs of water whose brookes might issue forth to the refreshyng and cōfort of all the land their desolatiō and liyng wast as Sodom and Gomorrha thei tourned through the grace of GOD into a fruitfull place like mount Carmell and the garden of Eden full of good fruite and medicinable to the soules of men Therefore blessed bee their noble memorie whosoeuer thei were that brought thē ouer But to saie that Religion stoode then in such termes here in England that if those two had been Anabaptistes our religion this day in England had been such and thei should aswel haue béen punished for not receiuing it as thei are for refusing that is now established is a malicious slaunder of a hatefull harte to the Gospell of Christe and the professors of the same seing that before their comming in as hath been declared religion was fully setled and established here as it continueth to this daie As for that he calleth them Caluinistes to passe by that for age Caluin might rather haue been named of them then thei of hym He is to vnderstande wee haue no suche custome nor the Churche of God to name our selues of any men Christ is not deuided with vs we all content our selues with that honourable name of Christians To be a Franciscane or a Dominicane a Thomist or a Scotist we leaue to them who haue deuided rent asunder both Christes coate and bodie We knowe by the grace of God how to respect the giftes of God in his holy Organes and Instrumentes of his glorie without derogatyng from God his honor to giue it to an other Thus it appeareth that Religion with vs had his beginnyng of the worde of God knowne to many and professed to the deathe by sondrie of this Nation afore the lawe whereby it was established Wherby it is manifest that Religion was not groūded vpon the Temporall lawe and the Magistrates authoritie but that the godly Magistrates and the wise men of all the lande assembled together in the high Courte of Parliament hauyng vnderstoode before by the worde of God and many expresse testimonies bothe here at home and els where abroade whereby God gaue witnesse vnto it that the Religion which of auncient tyme had been taught in this lande though for a tyme it had beene eclipsed and darckened and then beganne euery where through the power of GOD to bee renewed againe that that I saie was in deede the holy word and seruice of God and the true doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles thei agreed withall obedience vnto God so to acknowledge it and as Asa and Darius though not with any thing like seueritie of punishmēt commaunded it to bee receiued and embraced by all the Subiectes of this state and Kyngdome We depend not therfore vpon a Temporall lawe for matter of Religion but bothe the lawe and we vpon the eternall lawe and word of God but this iniury must be doen to the hye state of this noble lande that these men maie be admitted to dispute Therefore here he falleth in againe to the mention of a disputation and reneweth the petition of his fellowes for it promisyng largely that if suche indifferent triall maie bee graunted betweene the learned of bothe sides as thei demaunde for their instruction due reformatiō in iudgement if thei erre the matter perhappes maie sone bee ended 〈◊〉 they bee conuicted to erre he giueth vs hope that perhappes thei will be reformed Would to God thei desired it for their instruction and reformation in iudgement if thei did there is inough already written for their iuste cause of satisfaction or if not thei maie be satisfied by writyng But whē thei haue all graunted that thei desire though thei were conuicted to erre is there no more hope of their obedience to God and to her Maiestie but that Then perhaps they will be reformed If there were the feare of God in them thei ought without all peraduenture to yeeld them selues obedient to the voyce of God to bewaile with compunction of harte and remorse of conscience the Superstition and Idolatrie thei haue liued in hitherto and abused the worlde withall and blesse the daie wherein the Lorde of glorie maie appeare vnto them But suche is their wilful obstinacie that notwithstanding thei were as mightely conuicted and confounded as were the Iewes by Apollos and by the Apostle Againe of disputation yet perhappes thei would erre still and goe on in their wilfulnesse to their vtter confusion and ruine Acts. 18.28 If thei bee denyed disputation then thei remaine for their beleefe as before yet good and dutifull Subiectes But this implyeth a manifest and necessarie contradiction For if thei remaine stil obedient to the Pope who curseth them if thei acknowledge the Queene to bee the lawfull Prince by obedience of her lawes then is it not possible thei should bee good Subiectes For a good Subiect doeth willyngly obeye her Maiesties godly lawes acknowledge her lawfull authoritie ouer them Whiche thei deniyng to doe as thei are bound vpon the Popes curse it can in no sorte stande together that thei can kepe their Romishe faithe and their obedience to her Maiestie two such maisters as God and Mammon the Lieutenaunt of Christ and of Antechrist can no man serue but he must forsake the one Mat. 6. and follow the other he must cleaue to the one deny the other There followeth proofe for the equitie of their former demaunde whiche is that thei desire to bee satisfied in one onely point An issue demaunded that is when the articles of their difference from vs came into the churche and by whom thei were rebuked Whiche issue that he would so faine ioyne with vs he confirmeth to bee reasonable by the antiquitie of the true religion and the commyng in of the false Of the first he saieth that whiche is graunted on bothe partes that the religiō taught by Christ and his Apostles is the true religion Herevpō he inferreth that the false is later entred in since whiche I also graūt It remaineth therfore to be tried whether entred in since This saieth he is to be shewed by notyng the time of the entrāce and the author of it with the names of suche as did cōtrol it And this he would proue to be the onely argument and sufficient demonstration in these causes by twoo kindes of profe and first by reason Answere to his arguments proued necessary by reason Wherein he esteemeth it strong that there cannot rise a false Religion the churche standing possessed of a true one but that some companie or particuler man should rebuke it This reason I saie is not strong to prooue that he bryngeth it for that is that no false
and Massy crosses of siluer gold their Idols of finest mettals most exquisite workmanship the rather to deceiue the people as if they had been aliue Their other ordinarie charges of waxe incense Orgaines the plate and Iewels of their Abbeys Pryories other supersticious houses were of infinite valure and price as I think the court of augmentation might sufficiētly testifie Beside al these the extraordinary charges of appeals folowing sutes at R. the paimentes imposed by most tirannous oppression both of the king nobles al the people of this land to their most iust and gréeuous complaint as appereth by their letters drawn out of this other K. by names of Peter pence Palles collatiōs first fruits a 1000 such crafty and subtle titles most extreeme exactions did so impouerishe the state as both the K. the Nobles and all the people did often and greeuously cōplaine as finding in deed the Court of Rome to be the very leech that suckt the bloud of all the land and could neuer be satisfied Of this we haue sundry statutes testifying the popes proceedings here to haue beene to the defuming of the Kings person the derogatiō and minishing of the Kinges crowne and regalities the destruction of the law and all his realm the appayring confounding of the auncient lawes customs vsages franchises of the Realme Further that by them the nobilitie gentrie were impeached in their Patronages and other rightes The commons and subiectes trauailed in body and impouerished in their goods deuine seruice Hospitallity and Almesse deeds hindered the benefices of holy Church wasted and destroyed the riches and treasure of the Realme carryed away as also the leige Personnes of the Kinges councell with out his assent whereby the Realme was left destitute as well of councell as of substaunce to the destruction of the same Lyke complaint hath beene made in Fraunce also at sundry tymes and namely by Phillip le Bell in that famous act of his which was called Pragmatica sanctio Which paymentes are now greatly encreased Where accounting the Churches of the French tongue in the lowe Countries with them Le cabinet du Roy Des Finances the ordinary reuenue of the cleargie came to about a two hundred Millians of French Crownes Germany and the state of the Empyre helde at Norinberge made complaint of an hundred Greuaunces sent a note of them to the Pope with a request to be eased of suche exactions and practises of impouershing the people as the Pope and his cleargie did continually charge them with and that the people might be left in their auncient and lawfull freedome and libertie by his meanes or else they woulde aduise them selues how to helpe it because they coulde not nor woulde not anye longer beare suche theire intollerable burdens Whereby it may appeare howe contrarye this Romishe doctrine and practise is to all good estates and pollicies In deede in respect of their owne Antichristian kingdome I must needes confesse that for the establishment continuance security wealth and honour of it there coulde nothing haue beene deuised more politique or fit by anye Sathans meanes whose depthes their Popes and Prelates vnderstood then that which was deuised by them For what coulde be fitter for them then this doctrine of the Popes supremacie ouer all of his fulnesse of power of receiuing both the scriptures and their exposition of thē of obeying that hee commāded of not iudging him tho he carried ten thousand to hell of deuout ignorance of iudging heretickes who so euer spake against them of pursuing and persecuting them with fire and swoorde of purgatorie Auriculer confession priuiledges of his Cleargie the Pompe and idlenesse of his Hierarchie and of all their most subtle and Serpentlike contriued false worship The practises of Egipt toyling Israell with all base seruice and villanie and of killing their male children or of the barbarouse tyranny of wasting the West Indies was not nor is not more subtlely and diuelishly deuised to detaine those free Nations in perpetuall bondage and slauerie then their Romishe doctrine and practise was to haue established the kingdome of Antichrist and to haue detained the people of God in euerlasting seruitude and slauerie both of body and soule Thus then we see that for pietie and true religion the doctrin of the Church of Rome that is in effect of the Pope who is steare man of this shippe Concerning their power to make any writinges Canonicall scriptures to make new Articles of Christian fayth to appoynt God to be serued according to their owne deuises and imagination of men of ignoraunce to be the Mother of deuotion of worshipping of Idols and Sauiours of so many sortes Finally of all their false worship is a Pharisaicall leauen to be purged out of all Christian Churches and states the Cup of spirituall fornications that all Kinges and Princes are to take heede of to bee partakers of it that they bee not partakers of their plagues And for Christian honesty of lyfe and duetyes towardes men their doctrine of absolutions of dispensations of satisfactions and of Sanctuaries are for the impunitie or easie discharge of all malefactors so great causes of all abhominations and wickednesse and particulerly their sundry rules and orders of hypocrisie contention and idlenesse their constrayned abstinencie from marryage of all enormityes of vncleanenesse and infinite murders and such like other causes of speciall offences that the waters of Noe did not so high drowne all the olde worlde as those floudes of wickednesse which by such occasions had rysen did ouer flow all such kingdomes and Nations as this doctrine of theirs like a Sea of sinne mighte breake into For other thinges how much a doe haue our Pr. had to prouide by all the wysedome that was possible to be vsed to make lawes and statutes against the daungers that this their religion continually threatned against the state They sought to maintaine their lawfull and most iust authoritie by forbiding appeals from their courtes by premunire other such like seuere and rigorous lawes yet necessarie for the garding of their authoritie from the breaking in of these men whom yet no defence could hold out They sought to maintain the wealth of their people subiects by lawes of mortuaryes other such like necessarie lawes and statutes least these men shoulde draw all the riches of the land vnto them And yet neither coulde the premunire sufficiently represse their proud ambition nor the mortmaine their insatiable couetousnesse So that their wealth intelligence and power considered it appeareth to be the same mighty hand and stretched out arme of God that hath deliuered vs which freed Israell from the slauish subiection of Pharao and of the land of Egipt which being so no maruail the Christian princes whose eyes God hath opened to see the light of the Gospell doe not tollerate theire Religion and the practise of it For besides the impiety of it for which it is simply
subiectes of this lande and such as are naturalized and enfranchised amongst vs. Therefore if this proofe were good why they ought not to be dealt with according to law thē may al the prysons be discharged and euery malefactor hath by his birth a sealed pardon for all crimes that he may commit But he addeth they are not only Subiectes but also duetifull and honest This dependeth vpon the tryall of their cause which the law according to all righteous iustice hauing condemned as worthie such punishment as it layeth vpon them His priuate and vniust clearinge of them for good and obedient yea readie to die at her Maiesties feete and for your H. can not be sufficient Which testimonie would to God it might be truely geuen to them all Then surely there would be more hope to reclaim them to obedience vnto God and to her Highnesse But notwithstanding it be true that there are a number of those which are mis led in their ignorance to the lyking of superstition otherwise duetifull at the least in outward shew hetherto yet the vnsound and trayterous hearts of a number also haue bene discouered in the rebellions in the North and in Ireland yea further also by manifold practises both against the whole state and the Royall person of her M. and of sundry of your H. Whereof certaine profe hath bene made both heretofore and of late aswell in the K. Bench by the iust conuiction and condemnation of the traytors there arraigned al pretended Catholickes Iesuites and Priestes as also at Chensforde in Essex by like sentence against the priest Who should haue bene as Iudas was to the Romane bandes a Captaine a leader to a Company of Romanes altogether both in superstitious Faith and Infidel like disloyalty to so horrible an acte as any true Subiects hart cannot but abhorre euen to remember Whereunto adding the doubtful answeres and obstinate silence that commonly are made and vsed by such as haue had this interrogatory ministred vnto them Whether in case of the Popes commandement and the threatning of his excommunication to the contrary they woulde take armes with him or any sent by him against hir M. or with her H. agaynst the Pope we may worthely feare what affection of loyal duetie obedience may be in many of the rest which haue not yet beene demaunded that question And in deeede it can not be that such of them as haue the Roman faith not in ignorance but in some knowledge of the treasonnable grounds it resteth vpon without denial of the Pope to be Gods vicar and of all their holies should be faithful Subiectes to her H. and this state abyding as it doth by the grace of God in the true profession of the Gospel Therfore it is not inough to say it is onely their cōscience in religion they stand in to prooue them good and loyall subiects For though euery profession of religion doe not ouerthrowe the state they are vnder maintayning another Religion yet there are also some professions which can in no sort bee permitted by authoritie without the certaine ouerthrowe and ruine of the state where it is allowed The profession of the gospell may be tollerated by any prince or state in the world without any daunger to them For our doctrine holdeth nothing that may impugne their lawfull right and authoritie but contrariwise teacheth all due honour and obedience to be giuen to them and that for conscience sake Wherfore both they maye suffer the excercyse of it without daunger yea to the greate establishing of their states and thrones in assurance and consequently also such professors maye be faythfull and loyall subiectes yea euen to heathen princes as the Apostles and the fathers of the Primitiue Church were But an Anabaptist that holdeth there ought to bee no magistrate though he allege a thousād times he standeth but for his conscience religion yet bycause his conscience and religion is such as the principles and grounds of it are contrarie to all States and authority the magistrate cannot endure such a conscience and religion without the certaine daunger of hauing the mace and scepter wroong out of his hands Much like to this is the cause of our pretended catholickes For notwitstanding they allowe of Magistrates of authoritie in generall yet I say they hold a faith and doctrine the maximaes and rules whereof are as opposite to the present state of this lande in particuler as are the principles of the Anabaptists against all estate and dignitie The proofe whereof is manifest in these two pointes The first is that the state nowe established within this realme professeth by the gracious goodnes of almighty God the seruice of him according to the truth of the gospell and agreeably hereunto that the lawfull heyres of the crowne of this noble land are souerayne in their estate and dignitie to see all causes and persons within their kingdome and dominion both ecclesiasticall and ciuil ordred and gouerned according to the commandementes of God without subiection to any forren power of prince or priest whatsoeuer The second is that euerie one of the pretended catholique and Romaine faith vpon paine of damnation is to beleeue the B. of Roome who is a forreyne prince and Prelate to vs to haue supreame authoritie ouer all the church of Christ as his generall vicar vpon earth and consequentlie to beleeue that the K. and Q. of this noble land are to bee subiect vnto him to receiue that religion which he wil deliuer them to obey his censures that so far as that in case of his excommunicating depriuing of them they are to leaue their crowne to an other Yea further that as absolued from their othe and allegeance at his commaundement the naturall and sworne subiects ought to put such his sentence of depriuation in execution against their liege and naturall prince Which two points being so contrarie the one to the other how is it possible that any of these Romaine Catholickes knowing and beleeuing particularlye this point of their doctrine can be a true and a faithfull Subiect to our Soueraigne Ladye ELIZABETH against whom such most vnlawfull and wicked sentence hath bene already by two of their Popes pronounced and sought by all meanes to be put in execution Which things well considered I doubt not but your LL. see it to be great wisedome not to proue their fidelitie in a kingdome and so rare a iewell as hir maiesties person is for all their flattering speches of being ready to spend their life and their goods in hir quarrell but rather to keepe a vigilant and ielous eye open ouer them night and day that they may not bee able how willing soeuer they would be to do any thing to the annoyance of her royal person and of this noble state kingdome Wherfore as touching their persōs though they be the naturall subiectes of this state yet if they offend the godlie lawes thereof in refusing to serue God with vs
so much more if they shall also declare themselues vnnaturall Romaine both in allegeance and religion there is no cause by the word of God why in respect thereof they should not be dealt with by the lawfull Magistrat ordained of God for the punishment of all offenders according to the lawe prouided in this behalfe And thus much for the persons Now for the end He denyeth your LL. shall euer attaine to that you pretende 2 Reasons answered by this punishment that is to bring such Catholiques to conformitie in matters of religion but rather be further off The reason whereof he addeth that such constrainte to do against their conscience and iudgement whereby he saith they must be tryed at the latter day is the losse of their soules the memorie of which iniurie can not but breede a deepe greefe and detestation of the thing they may haue beene so forced vnto But his reason shall be after considered First let vs weigh that he determineth no good will to be done vpon them by any punishment Experience in deed hath declared it to bee too true in some yet no man can iustly say therefore that there is no vse of punishmēt For both many others hereby are kept in duety that they do not in like sorte fall away and who can tell what it may please God to worke euen in them hereafter by this meanes which haue not yet profited by it Sure I am it hath done good to many in times past who by this meanes haue beene recouered from their vnduetiful disobedience vnto a godly reformation And the authoritie amongst vs doing like duety vpon the same commandement of God to punish the obstinat Heritike and Idolater what reason is there why we should not hope of like effect and fruit of it now that hath come of it at other times To let former times passe vnder the K. of Iuda and Israell Austen acknowledgeth often and plainely that the Discipline of the Magistrate had bene profitable to many of the Donatistes And if saith he it haue not profited some Ep. 48. is the medicine to be neglected bicause the pestilent contagion of certaine is incurable So likewise some amongst vs thorow the goodnes of God haue receyued profit by this meanes But if other some for the obstinat hardnes of their heart that can not repent will neuer be reclaimed is the meanes therefore to be neglected which may be profitable to many As for the reason he addeth that to be constrayned to doe against their conscience doth make them further off and more detest that which they haue so cōmitted can not hold in such as receaue profit by the correction of their offence For they will thinke themselues most bounde to your H. all the dayes of their life whose meanes herein God hath vsed to bring thē out of the horrible darkenes and shadowe of death wherein they sate before into the Gospels most glorious and marueylous light To the rest if it be not profitable yet haue your H. done the worthie duetie of Christian Magistrates wherein you may quyetly rest and with great comfort For the Lord requireth nothing but obedience of vs and reserueth the blessing of all good meanes to him selfe to bestow in such measure as seemeth best to his heauenly will Thus I would leaue this reason but that there is a worde yet to be added to a speach of conscience which this Authour hath boldly set down here that is that at the latter day a man shall be tryed by his conscience and iudgement which he referreth to this end to obstinat such as haue apprehended a liking of the pretēded catholike faith and a dislike of ours as if they offended not by this recusance hauing their consciēce so perswaded the verie grounde of all libertinisme that authority should not compell them to do that which is against their conscience for feare of condēning their soules abusing to this end the places of the Apost in the 2. 14. to the Rom. for the 2. the Apostle there doth not affirme that a man shall be iudged in the daye by an erroneous conscience iudgement but by a conscience witnessing either to clearing or condēning agréeably to the law of God Which appeareth both by his word in that he calleth it the law of God written in their hart by the whole purpose of that place which is to shew al both Iewes Gentiles to stand condemned by the Lawe of God the Iewes by the law written in tables of stone the Gentiles euen wtout that by the same law written in their harts Wherfore it is vtterly vntrue to affirme that any man shal be iudged by his conscience or iudgement whatsoeuer it be True it is that whatsoeuer a man doth he ought to do it of an vndoubted faith grounded vpon the word of God that such his doing is pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ and whatsoeuer he doth otherwise is sinne because it is not of faith nor this true perswasion of doing wel which is the plaine meaning of the other place in the 14. But hereof followeth not that he that is mis-led by an erroneous conscience shal be iudged and cleared according to it or that the Christian Magistrate ought not to require any lawfull duetie of the subiect what conscience soeuer he haue of it that the doing of such a thing is good or euill For it is not the erroneous or good conscience whereby we shall be iudged otherwise then by all our deedes both good and euill but it is the lawe of God against which if any man transgres either ignorantly or wilfully he is made guilty of sin and subiect to the sentence of condemnatiō by the lawe Which lawe our recusantes are conuicted gréeuously to offend because they breake it in not giuing to God the honour which belongeth vnto him in refusing his holy worde and Sacramentes and with them Christ Iesus and his redemption offred thereby vnto them not keeping the Lordes Sabaothes and disobeyinge the good commaundement of authoritie requyring the performance of so many holy dueties of thē Which sins though they ignorantly commit as not knowing that they sinne in such recusance but rather being perswaded that their so doing is a high seruice of God acceptable vnto him yet shall not their ignorance excuse them for the Lord wil surely beat euery seruant that doth not his Masters will Luk. 12.18 yea though he know it not because his ignorance is not of the creation of God but of his owne corruption originally drawne from Adam Neyther shall this good entent excuse them any more then the Iewe which ignorantly crucifying Christ and persecuting the Apostles were perswaded they did God great seruice For it is obedience that the Lord requireth which who soeuer yealdeth not vpon what cause or pretence soeuer is giltie by the Law On the other parte if retayninge still that wicked perswasion that to ioyne with vs in the seruice of
Maiestie which is her speciall Honoure hath as the true daughter of Sara receyued vnder her protection such as were forced to trauaile from place to place and that for the true profession of the Gospell and gyuen succoure and comforte to the persecuted members of Christe Iesu And for these it hath pleased GOD to prosper her Maiestie and to gyue her a people hollye by profession in Religion peaceable in trāquilitie riche in Treasure stronge in forces faithfull and louyng to her Highnesse and her friendes but fearefull and terrible to her enemies And now to exalte her Throne euen as high as Salomons was exalted what remayneth to be done but that as Salomon furnished the Lordes Temple and established all the order of the house of GOD in euery point as the Lord had commaunded by the Law of Moses and by the Prophets So likewise that her Ma. woulde finish this far aduanced most holy honorable worke of the seruice of God amōgst vs. for the furtherāce wherof hir highnes renowmed father of famous memory made a statute wherby it was enacted that the Canon law being the Law of the Popes the auncient enemyes of this Land and the corrupt spring of infinit enormyties in the Churche shoulde be reuisited by a number of chosen men for the purpose and such an order set downe for the good direction and regiment of the Churche as might be most agréeable to the Commaundementes of almyghtie God and our Sauiour Christ Iesu This godly and honourable purpose was continued by hys noble Sonne the Iosiah of our tyme and no doubt but had bin perfourmed to the great seruice of God and edification of the Church yf the Lord had contynued hys happy raigne amongste vs. Thys so necessary act for the honor of God and comfort of hys people béeing after repealed hath bin reuiued agayne by her highnes Which being don so longe agoo and nothing remayninge but to appoynt fit men for the purpose the moste humble sute of all Israell of God in the land is that a seruice so holy so profitable and so necessarye may no longer be delayed For incourragemēt wherof I would to God the spéeche of Azariah worthy to be written in tables of Gold were ingrauen in the hartes of all that oughte and myght further thys holy cause that he spake vnto Kynge Asa vnto all Iuda Beniamin that is whyle ye haue bene wyth the Lord the Lorde hath bene wyth you and if ye will yet séeke hym he wyll be ready for you but if ye forsake him hee wyll forsake you as hee hath done the Isralites who of longe tyme haue bene without the true God without a teaching Priest and without the Law and the Lorde hath vexed them with al calamities accompaniyng ciuill warres and dissentions be yee therefore of good courage to procure the further aduauncement of GODS seruice and let not your handes bee feeble for there is a rewarde for your worke So Lykewise it may be truly and fytlye sayde to our moste noble Quéene Elizabeth which was sayde to Asa and to all her highnes nobilitye as to the royall seede of Iuda and to all the people as to Beniamin that surely the Lorde hath bene with you while you haue ben wyth him And no doubt but if ye shall yet goe forwardes to doe euery thing which the Lord hath commanded and seeke him wyth all your heart no doubt I say but he will yet more more enlarge him selfe towards you and encrease all your good estate excéedinglye so that al the world shal say what an honoarble and happy Nation is this whiche the Lorde tendereth so dearlye and aduaunceth aboue all the Kingdoms of the World So shall this Doctrine that I am now debating with the enemye bée made cleare and manyfest that true relygion can neuer bée daungerous to a Common Wealth but dooth alwayes cause it to prosper and to florish which the Lord our gracious God graunt may be confirmed more and more by our happye experience But the other part the Lorde turne from hir Maiestie from all the Nobles and People of the Land and teach it them by the wofull experience of their enimies which is that if you forsake the Lord you shal also be abandoned of him If Isarell bee suffered to bee without a teachinge Ministerie as it is yet in a great part of the dominiō without the ordinary preaching of the Gospell then the Lord will punish with lyke or greater punishment then Israel was punished withall Therfore the Lorde strengthen your hands that they be not féeble but that they may be strong to build vp that which remayneth for vndoubtedlye there is a rewarde for the woorke Thus returnyng to myne Aduersaryes most wicked and vngodly Paradoxe agayne I conclude that this Azaria and Shemaiah this Moses and Samuel this Dauid and Salomon with the rest of the Kinges of Israel and Iuda this also all the Prophets and Apostles teache vs that godlynesse and true Religion establisheth the seates of Princes prospereth the estate of all people whiche receiue it with that obedience they ought to doo and contrarywise impietie and false worship is the certayne ruyne and curse of the Nation which dooth imbrace it And except it were in Rome the Schoole of errour as one of their owne Poets dooth truly witnes against them and the Temple of heresie of suche as haue bene nufled and brought vp in her Seminaries of tares I think it was neuer hard of which our pretended Catho héere would presume that Catholicisme and Poperie tho it be false religion yet should be fit to make a common wealth to florishe or that the Gospell tho it bée true as it is yet should be cause of infinite hurts discommodities to the state where it is receiued But because this is so boldly auouched let vs examine the reasons of this his confident and erronious spéech His proofes are first generall and of this sort he hath two argumentes Whereof the first is the experience bothe of other Kingdomes and of our owne which haue beléeued and receiued this his Romaine Catholike Faith and haue florished by it whereunto I aunswer if it were true that he affirmeth that they had so prospered yet he faulteth much in affirming that to be the cause of their prosperitie which was no cause For that being true which I haue alreadie sufficiently confirmed that a false worship and heresie can neuer be profitable to any commō wealth and people it being no lesse true Moses and Christ himself being witnesses that this Romain faith is a false worship full of superstition and Idolatrie and full of errour and heresy thē notwithstanding it were so that Kingdomes entertaning this heresie had prospered for a time yet should it neuer follow thereof that their Idolatrie had béene the cause of their prosperitie No more then the wicked abhominations of the heathen were cause why some of them haue prospered for a season and that more for
was not Ieroboams Religion therefore the true Religion and the other false no nor more profitable for theim For whether was it more profite to enioye onely for a shorte tyme the ease in tariyng at home and to saue the trauaile and coste of goyng to Ierusalem then by obeiyng the Commaundement of God in yeeldyng to hym the seruice whiche he required to depende vpon hym and thereby to bee assured to haue safely kepte that whiche for the present thei enioyed and to dwell in the lande accordyng to the promise bothe thei and their posteritie for euer Or whether brought theim greater hurte in the ende true Religion whiche required their trauell and coste to worship at Ierusalem or Ieroboās Idoll whiche in the ende did caste them out of the lande and their children for euer leadyng them captiues into Assiria and makyng theim subiecte to the iuste punishement of euerlastyng death To haue tarried still in Egipt seemed to some to stande better with the wealthe and prosperitie of the people of Israell to enioye that thei had gotten there the space of fower hundred yeres thei had dwelte in it then with so many troubles carriages of their housholde stuffe and cattell into so huge a deserte to worship there But the seruice of GOD required it and in the ende it was farre more proffitable for them For in steede of beeyng slaues to the Egyptians who putt them into their Bricke houses of Claie and into their Furnace of Iron thei obtained a goodlie lande of their owne where thei dwelte as a free people euery one sitting vnder his owne Vine and drinkyng the water of his owne Well Abraham might haue thought it better to haue tarried still in Vr of the Chaldeans then to go thence he knewe not whether Yet the obedience of GOD required hym to leaue his owne Countrey whiche the Idolatrie of his Countrey did not exact of hym And in the ende not onely in regard of the life to come but euen of this life it fell out to his farre greater benefite then if he had not borne that harde condition as it seemed at the firste and tarried still For after and by this meanes GOD made Abraham a Father of many Nations his Seede as the Sande of the Sea and the Starres of heauen in multitude naie he gaue hym a sonne in whom bothe he and all Nations should bee blessed So the Apostles were cōmaunded to leaue all and followe Christ as in some sorte many other oftentymes are likewise to doe A hard Religion would this man saie and standeth nether with any reason or pollicie but is against their commoditie and best estate yet is not Christes Religion therefore to bee impugned For whatsoeuer it requireth yet is it the onely true Religion and therefore that whiche onely hath the promise of the blessyng of God annexed vnto it as the Apostles finally proued and all shall likewise proue whiche followe hym It semed good policie to some of the kinges of Iuda to be in league with the mightie kyng of Assiria and to confederate them selues with the people of the natiōs whiche true Religion did not suffer nor allowe yet was it not the lesse the onely true Religion no nor had not been in the ende lesse profitable for their state For if thei had obeyed God and depended vpon hym then had thei continewed the Kyngdome in their lande whereas euen by their pollicie thei were caste out of it and despersed abroade Thei had been better to haue contented them selues Esa 8. with the softe runnyng and shallowe water of Silo whiche thei so muche despised for then thei had not been carried awaie to Babell But Euphrates was a goodlie deepe water a swifte flood a noble streame therefore thei desired to drinke of it and to washe theim selues in it but to their owne destruction For this strong streame tooke their feete from them carried them awaie into captiuitie There are many whiche by suche wicked pollicies forslow yea neglect the reformation of Superstition of Idolatrie of Popishe abuses and enormities of the Churche within their Dominion Thei are afraied innouations should breede daunger to their estate and therefore thei choose rather with the indignation of God to let al alone and suffer a state once established so to continue then to alter abuses and disorders though GOD and true Religion require it Yet shall suche pollicies in the ende be founde to haue no sound wisedome in theim when GOD accordyng to his woorde shall visite suche a Nation and bee auenged of them for all their impieties By like reason a man that liketh not of christianitie because thei muste suffer persecution whiche will liue godlie in Christ Iesu and because the waie is straight and narrowe maie with as good colour pretende to haue iuste matter to refuse it But christian faithe and the narrowe waie in all holie and sound wisedome are notwithstandyng to bee chosen and the broade waie wherein a man seemeth to walke at his ease for a season to be refused For in the ende he shall proue it true whiche Salomon saieth that there is a waie whiche seemeth good vnto a man the ende whereof is destruction as there are lippes that still Honie but the feete of the same bodie leade into hell It is therefore meere profaunesse Atheisme to measure religiō by euery commoditie and so farre to receiue it and so ofte to chaunge it as in the vaine discourse of fleshe and blood it seemeth to stande or not to stand with our profite For this is the profane spirite of Esau to make but a pollicie of Religion and a seruaunt to our selues But true Religiō is to be receiued for it self because God hath cōmaunded it and so farre and in suche sorte as he hath prescribed what daungers or discommodities soeuer profane infidelitie and the foolishe discourse of the naturall man whiche as the Apostle Peter saieth is poore blinde and can not se farre of in these matters shall fancie and imagine Naie though in deede for triall of our faithe more precious then gold and for the honour of his name in our patience the Lorde should see it good to excercise his people with sundrie afflictions for how soeuer for suche secrete and yet alwaies iuste causes the Lorde shall see good to deale with any Nation yet in the ende if thei serue the Lorde thei shall finde it to bee moste for their comforte bothe in this life and in the life to come And therefore this remaineth alwaies firme that whatsoeuer the naturall man and carnall pollicie shall iudge yet true Religion in the groundes of the doctrine and in the exercise and practise of it is not contrary to the florishyng estate of a commonwealth but bothe in the nature of it and by meanes of the promise of blessyng annexed vnto it is the Religion by whiche alone Kyngdomes and Common-wealthes maie truely prosper and florishe Thus wishyng to bee vnderstoode of all men that Religion is to
vnlawfull to tollerate their abhominable prophanation of the seruice of God as appeareth by the commaundement of the Sabboth forbidding the breaking of the Sabboth day in euery Sonne and Daughter in euery Seruaunt and Mayde in Israell with out exception of any yea in euery stranger within their gates it can not in any sound reason or iudgement be borne with all euen for the very annoyaunces and hurts which it bringeth to the states which doe admit it Neither is his marginal note of the example of the great Turke and of the Byshop of Bungo sufficient to perswade the contrary For first they esteeme not the manifold dishonour where with their Romish faith dishonoreth god and our Sauioure Christe Then also I deny that eyther of both suffer that doctrine and practise of theire Religion as they teach and exercise it in these partes For is it likely that they are suffered to teach that it is of the necessity of Saluation for euerye humaine creature to bee Subiect to the Pope or that it shoulde bee in the Popes power to depose them at his pleasure Doe they suffer the Pope to challenge appeales to his Courte from them to deminishe suche multitudes of their people and to draw out the Treasure of theire Countryes No none of all this nor manye other suche like poyntes which they easily see to bee preiudiciall to theire states But beeing Heathen and prophane Princes not regarding wherein they prophane the Honour of God by theire 〈◊〉 worship It may be they permit such exercise of their superstitions to some fewe of these pretended Catholickes as are scattered amongst them as doth not in any sort indāger or hurt their kingdom But our cause beeing so farre diuerse as hath been declared there is no reason why the Turke or the Pagane king of Bungoes doing should be any president to a christian Princes making profession of the holy faith of Christ and the truth of the Gospell or why their tollerating with a few in some pointes nothing preiudiciall to their estates shoulde perswade a bearing of such pointes and practises as in the nature of thē ouerthrow the state peace authoritie strength and wealth of the kingdom that shal receiue it Therfore I conclude this point that the doctrine and practise of the Romish religion such as it is at this daie and hath beene some hundreth yeares past beeing against the Lorde God and his annoynted Sonne Christ Iesu againste his holy worde the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophetes beeing againste the good state of any nation Kingdome and P. that shall receiue it hauing infinite occasions of all wicked life taking from them their cheefest royalties and dignities oppressing the consciences soules and bodies of their people hearkning out by thousandes of intelligencers and spyes the greatest secretes of their K. diminishing by cunning practises the number of theire people and drawing oute the Treasure of the lande to theire intollerable hindraunce weakning and impouerishing of them and their Subiectes ought by the worde of God and in all sounde Wisedome reason or pollicye to bee esteemed and iudged contrarye to the honour glory of almightye God the holye and honest conuersation of Christian men contrary to the safetie assuraunce establishment honour peace strengthe and riches of euerye K. and common weale The second part of the whol epistle Thus farre this instrument of the pretended Catholikes hath mainteined their cause to bee worthye more fauoure then it findeth by the profite he would perswade vs that the K. faith woulde bring to this K. Now drawing neere to a conclusion His full heart breaketh out into scornefull patheticall speeches Wherein first he requireth a disputation and after seeketh to mooue some compassion with a pitifull complainte of imagyned tormentes suffered by his companions for theire Religion The reason of this request is pretended to be the want of the proceedinges that haue beene hitherto vsed towardes them which is noted both in the ministers and in the state To the ministers he obiecteth that they are alwayes solliciting your honors againste them and that they dare admit no lawfull tryall of the cause they moue question of vnto vs. For whom to aunswere as I am bound in the Lorde I take it to be a very surmise of his owne head that there shoulde be any neere your Honors continuallye stirring you vp to drawe out the swoord vpon them But if any eyther publiquely by preaching or priuatly beeing vouchsafed that fauour to haue speech with any of your honours do vpon iust cause put your Lordships in mynde of the greate and high calling you are called vnto that you beare the swoord of God a swoord of protection for the godly and of vengeaunce for all the wicked if they declare by the word of God that hereticks which séek to seduce the Ll. people to a false worship and to carry them from the seruice of the liuyng God to the adoration of Idolles that traitours whiche practise a withdrawyng of her Maiesties Subiectes from her obedience and reconcilyng of them to a forraine power are suche wicked Malefactors against whom this sword of iust execution is to be drawne Thei doe herein nothing vnlawfull but discharge the duetie of good and faithfull seruauntes to God and loyall subiectes to her Maiestie For thus we reade it to be written if a false Prophet arise vp amongest you saiyng let vs goe and seeke other Gods that Prophet shall bee slaine because he hath spoken to turne you awaie from the Lorde your God to thrust thee out of the waie wherein the Lord thy God commaunded thee to walke so shall you take the euill awaie forth of the middest of you Of whiche sorte thei are conuicted to bee who leade men to the worship of Images whiche is all one with other Gods and Idolles how soeuer thei labour in vaine to distinguishe them For if it were allowed them that Idolles were the Images of Heathen men and Images the conterfaites onely of Christian men whiche is nothing so for the wordes are indifferent to bothe yet is the matter one and the same in effect For whether a man giue the honour of God to the counterfect and resemblaunce of a Heathen or Christian or to the creatures them selues what soeuer it is all one The rule is generall that he is gealous and will not giue his honor vnto an other Therfore the exhortation to the iust execution of suche false Prophetes is a duetie well becomming a seruaunt of God The other the Apostle also teacheth affirmyng that those which resist the higher powers procure condemnation to them selues And doe these men thincke that thei maie compasse Sea and Lande to seduce mens soules into destruction and Subiectes from their lawfull obedience and no man should take héede to their doyng and oppose hym self to their wicked proceedynges Yes the same God who is the watchman of Israell and sleepeth not no nor slumbereth I hope will stirre vp the care of all men accordyng
whiche shall be alleadged Herevnto maie be added if there bee cause the testimonies of the Councelles Fathers Stories or other authorities of credite not to argue or proue any truthe or to cōuince or disproue any vntruthe for this appertaineth to God not to man to his infallible woorde and not to the writinges of men who are all liars but as witnesses to testifie what the doctrine of the Churche was in suche a question in the sondrie ages times of the church Which beyng doen by either partie then that either of them bothe aunswere the argumentes of the other and strengthen again his owne in suche place as the aduerse partie shall thinke to be weake Which passyng thus to and fro till bothe haue said what thei are able for thē selues will leaue suche a meanes for those whiche are willing to informe their cōsciences of the truthe as by gods grace it wil be easie to discerne His secōd reason wherby it maie appeare that their standyng in this cause is not without substanciall warrant is noted to be the vncertaintie of temporall fauor in matters of Religiō but that sectiō wherevpon it is noted conteineth no suche matter but onely this that it is not inough to perswade them that we saie we haue the Gospell because other also condemne vs and saie thei haue it we are not ignoraunte that euery one maketh claime to haue the Gospell and condemne those whiche ioyne not with them Amōgest whom that he reckeneth Luther and a Scholer of his I referre him to my answere where this is alledged of hym before which answere maie serue for his Scholer too As for the Trinitaries and Anabaptistes it is but his his malice and hatred against the Gospell to recken vs with theim whom wee are as vnlike in all their vngodly opiniōs as thei are vnlike the true Churche of Christ and her moste holy faith But this were an aunswere if we had nothing but the bare word and boastyng of the Gospell Wee haue made God be praised for it sufficient profe to all equall Iudges that it is bothe in woorde and in deede the true Gospell and pure woorde of GOD and the lawe of the lorde whiche is now the Religion through the goodnesse whiche hath visited vs from aboue established and preached emōgst vs. The twoo next sections haue some matter in them like this title for in the firste of thē he affirmeth the holie Religion whiche is now established to haue been brought in by an noble man after king Henries daies whiche he saieth could doe moste by bryngyng in twoo Caluinistes as he tearmeth them to read in the two Vniuersities here Whiche he so laieth out as if we had no other staie for Religion but that noble mannes pleasure who he saith if he would haue brought in twoo of any other secte might aswell haue established it whervpon he cōcludeth that seyng that seculer magistrate nor temporall law is no sufficiēt ground in religiō there is no cause but thei should be excused to continue stil in their opinion as thei doe And thus he retourneth againe to his request of disputation But first for this his second reason He maie remember hym self that their Dagon was fallen to the grounde though not with so greate hurte as after euen in the tyme and raigne of Kyng Henry the eight of noble memorie So that to speake in any reason he cannot laie the foundation of the Gospell now emongest vs vpon the onely meanes of the noble manne whom he noteth He might haue remembred that worthie thinges wer doen in K. H. tyme. For God had giuē that noble king besides his owne abilitie to discouer the ambitious pride and greedie couetousnesse of the Clergie the repugnance of the Popes supremacie with the souerantie of his roiall croune and dignitie the abhominations of the Dispensations of the Pope and sondrie suche like weightie and materiall poinctes of true Religion For GOD gaue vnto hym by sides some other meanes chiefe furtheraunce to the sight of these thynges by that moste vertuous and excellent Princes Ladie Anne Bulleyne the moste honourable mother of our dreade Soueraine Ladie now raignyng ouer vs whose eyes God hauyng opened to see the truthe her religious and zealous mynde louyng the wisedome that is greater then Salomon whiche the famous Queene of Saba was so delighted with and beeyng carefull for Gods people as Queene Hester was a worthy meanes to draw the noble kyng to better iudgement and knowledge in Religion then he had been of before whiche was also Godlie continued by the good and gracious Ladie Queene Katherine Par. Further also besides many other he had two as wise faithfull coūsailors as euer had Christian kyng before hym The one that reuerend and learned father Crāmer and the other the wise lord Cromwel counsellours worthie of eternall memorie for their Religious stout and wise dealyng against the misterie of iniquitie For hauing not to do onely with the Popes Consistory and Vestrie with his Cannon lawe beggerly wardrope with his discipline ceremonies but with his whole bodie with his whole house and tēple and that so rooted and groūded as if the foūdations of it had been layd in the centre of the earth yet God poured suche a Christian magnanimitie into their noble hartes to vndertake and such a sound iudgement to deuise the way to performe the ouerthrowe of it and to vndermine those deepe foundations as if the lord had giuen theim a pouder to rende vp those stately houses as Bulwerkes of Sathan and Castles of superstition and Idolatrie which seemed to haue been builded to continue to the ende of the worlde Further the Gospell was taught bothe in other places and also here in Englande and was receiued beleued and professed most constantly to the death by sondrie true professors of it and constaunt martyrs of Christe long before that tyme he speaketh of Wherefore there is no reason to make the entrance of those two readers the beginning of true religiō with vs. Moreouer also in the beginnyng of the raigne of that noble princely king Edward Who knoweth not that the state of religiō was established within this land by act of Parlament before the commyng in of those readers into the vniuersitees so that this reason is vtterly voide of all reason to make thē the beginnyng of religion emongst vs who came in twoo yeres after it had been throughly and quietly established as it is at this present daie After in deede by the worthie meanes of the noble Duke of Sommersett Lorde Protector and the right reuerend Cranmer twoo famous clearkes that then were of the moste renoumed for their vertue and learnyng in all these partes of Europe Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr wer procured ouer and placed the one in Cambridge the other in Oxford to the greate seruice of almightie God and of this his Churche For thei accordyng to the Apostles exhortatiō deliuered ouer a forme of sound doctrine to many