their owne kyngedome strayght way is at a pointe yf the scripture once haue the vpper hande and that lyke as men say the Idolles of diuells in times past of whom menne in doubtfull matters were then wont to receiue auÌ„swers were sodâ—nly striken domme at the sight of Christ when he was borne and came into the world euen so they see that now al their suttle practises wil sone fal down hedlong vpon the sight of the Gospell For Antichrist is not ouerthrowen but with the brightnes of Christes coÌ„ming As for vs we runne not for succour to the fyer as these mennes guyse is but we runne to the scriptures neyther doe we reason with the sworde but with y e worde of God and therewith as saythe Tertullian do we feed our fayth by it do we styr vp our hope and strengthen our confidence For wee knowe that the Gospell of IESV CHRIST is the power of God vnto saluation and that therein consisteth eternall lyfe And as Paule warneth vs wee do not heare no not an Aungel of God coming from heauen yf he go about to pull vs from any parte of this doctrine Yea more then this as the holy martyr Iustine spekith of hym selfe we would giue no credence to God him selfe yf he should teache vs any other Gospell For where these menne byd the holie Scriptures away as domme and frutles and procure vs to come to God him selfe rather who speaketh in the Church and in Councelles whiche is to saye to beleue their fansies and opinions This waye of fynding out the truth is verye vncertaine and exceding daungerous in maÌ„ner a Fantastical a mad way and by no meanes allowed of the holye Fathers Chrysostom saith there be many oftentymes whiche boast themselues of the holye Ghoste but truelye who so speake of their owne head doe falselye boast they haue the spirite of God For like as saith he Christ denied he spake of him selfe when he spake out of the lawe and Prophets euen so now yf any thing be preassed vpon vs in the name of the holy Ghoste saue the Gospell we ought not to beleue it For as Christ is the fulfilling of the lawe and the Prophetes so is the holye Ghoste the fulfyllinge of the Gospell Thus farre goeth Chrysostom But here I looke thei wil say though they haue not the Scriptures yet maye chaunce they haue the Auncient Doctours and the holy Fathers with them For this is a high bragge they haue euer made how that al antiquity and a continuall consent of all ages dothe make on their side and that all our cases be but new yester dayes worke vntill these fewe laste yeares neuer heard of Questionlesse there can nothing be more spitfully spoken against the religion of God theÌ„ to acuse it of noueltie as a new comeÌ„ vp matter For as ther can be no chauÌ„ge in God him selfe no more ought there to be in his religion Yet neuertheles we wote not by what meanes but we haue euer seene it come so to passe from the first beginning of al that as often as God did giue but some light and did open his truth vnto men though y e truth wer not only of greatest antiquitie but also from euerlasting yet of wicked men of the aduersaries was it called NewfaÌ„gled and of late deuised That vngracious and bloud thristâ— Haman when he sought to procure the king Assueruses displeasure against y e Iewes this was his accusation to him Thou hast here saith he a kinde of people that vseth certaine new lawes of their owne but stifnecked rebellious against al thy lawes When Paule also began first to preach expouÌ„d y e Gospel at Athenes he was called A tidinges bringer of newe Gods as muche to saye as of new religion for said the Athenians maye wee not knowe of thee what newe doctrine this is Celsus likewise when he of set purpose wrote against Christ to thende he might more scornefully scoffe out the Gospel by the name of noueltye What saith he hath God after so many ages nowe at last and so late bethought himselfe Eusebius also wryteth that Christian religion from the beginning for very spite was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say New strange After like sorte these men coÌ„demne all our matters as strange newe but they will haue their owne whatsoeuer thei are to be praised as thinges of long coÌ„tinuaÌ„ce Doing much like to yÌ„e enchauÌ„ters sorcerers now a daies which working w t diuels vse to say thei haue their bokes and al their holy hidd mysteries from Athanasius Cyprian Moses Abell Adam from the Archaungell Raphael because y t their connig comming from suche patrones founders might be iudged the more high and holy After the same fasshion these men bicause they would haue their owne religion whiche they themselues and that not longe since haue brought forth into the world to be the eaâ—â—lier and rather accepted of foolishe persons or of suche as caste little whereabouts thei or other do go thei are wont to say they had it from Augustine Hierome Chrysostome froÌ„ the Apostles and from Christe himselfe Ful wel knowe thei y t nothinge is more in the peoples fauour or better liketh the common sorte then these names But how if the thinges whiche these men are so desirous to haue seeme newe be found of greatest antiquitie Contrariwise howe if all the thinges well nye whiche they so greatly set out with the name of antiquitie hauing been wel and throughly examined be at length founde to be but new and deuised of verye late Southly to say no man that had a true and right coÌ„sideracion would think the Iewes lawes and cerimonies to be new for all Hammans accusation for they were grauen in very auncient Tables of most antiquitie And although many did take Christ to haue swarued from Abraham the old fathers to haue brought in a certaine newe religion in his owne name yet aunswered hee them directly Yf ye beleeued Moyses ye woulde beleeue mee also for my doctrine is not so new as you make yt For Moses an author of greatest antiquitie and one to whome ye geue al honor hath spoken of me Paule likewise though the Gospell of Iesus Christe be of many counted to be but new yet hath it saith he the testimonie most old both of the law and prophetes As for our doctrine whiche wee may rightlier cal Christes catholik doctrine it is so farre of from newe that God who is aboue all most auncient the father of our Lorde Iesus Christe hath left the same vnto vs in y e Gospel in y e prophets Apostles woorkes beinge monuments of greatest age So that no man can nowe thinke oure doctrine to be newe onlesse the same thinke either the prophetes faithe or the Gospell or els Christe himselfe to be newe And as for their religion if it be of so longe continuance as thei woulde haue men weene it is
of the furnesse and to say trouth we haue ben cast out by these menn beyng cursed of them as they vse to saye with boke bel and candell rather then haue gon awaye from them of our selues And wee are come to that Churche wherein they themselues cannot denye if thei wil say truely and as thei thinke in their owne conscience but all thinges be gouerned purely and reuerently and asmuch as we possibly could very neere to the order vsed in the olde time Let them compare our Churches and theirs togither and they shall see that themselues haue moste shamefully gon from the Apostles and we moste iustely haue gon from them For we folowinge the exaumple of Christ of the Apostles and the holy fatherâ— giue the people the holye Communion whole and perfite But these men contrary to all y e fathers to all the Apostles and contrarye to Christ himself do seuer the sacraments and plucke away the one parte from the people and that with moste notorious sacriledge as Gelasius termeth yt Wee haue broughte againe the Lords supper vnto Christes institution and will haue it to be a Communion in very deede common and indifferent to a great number accordinge to the name But these men haue chaunged al things contrarie to Christes institution haue made a priuate Masse of the holy Communion and so it commeth to passe that we giue the Lordes supper vnto the people and they giue them a vaine pagent to gase on We affirme togither with the auncient fathers that the body of Christe is not eaten but of the good and faithfull and of those that are endued with the spirit of Christe Their doctrine is that Christes very bodie effectually as they speake really and substantially may not only be eaten of the wicked and vnfaithful men but also which is monstrous to be spoken of myse and dogges Wee vse to praye in Churches after that fashion as accordinge to Paules lesson the people maye knowe what wee pray and may answere Amen with a general consent These men like soundinge mettall yelle out in the churches vnknowen and straunge wordes w tout vnderstanding without knowledge and w tout deuotioÌ„ yea doe it of purpose bicause y e people should vnderstand nothing at all But not to tarry about rehearsing all poyntes wherein we and thei differ for they haue wel nye no end we tourne the scriptures into al tongues they scant suffer them to be had abroad in any tongue we allure y e people to reade and to heare Gods word thei driue the people froÌ„ it We desire to haue our cause knowen to al y e world they flee to come to any trial We leane vnto knowlege they vnto ignoraunce We trust vnto light thei vnto darkenes We reuerence as it becoÌ„meth vs the writings of y e Apostles and Prophetes they burne them Finally wee in Gods cause desire to stand to Goddes onely iudgement they wil stand only to their owne Wherfore if they wil waye â—ll these thinges with a quiet mind and fullye bente to heare and to learne they wil not only alow this determinatioÌ„ of oures who haue forsaken errours and folowed Christe and his Apostles butte themselues also will forsake their owne selues and ioyne of their owne accorde to oure side But peraduenture they will saye it was treason to attempt these matters without a sacred generall Councell for in that consisteth the whole force of the Churche there CHRIST hath promised he will euer bee a present assistant Yet they themselues without tarrienge for anye generall Councell haue broken the commaundementes of Godde and the decrees of the Apostles and as wee sayde a little aboue they haue spoyled and disanulled almoste all not onelye ordinaunces but euen the doctrine of the primatiue Churche And where they saye it is not laufull to make a chaunge without a Councell wâ—aâ— was he that made vs these lawes or from whence hadde they this Iniunction Kinge Agesilaus truelye didde butte fondelye whoe when hee hadde a determinate aunswere made him of the opinion and will of myghtye Iupiter woulde afterwarde bringe the whole matter before Apollo to knowe whether hee alowed thereof as his father Iupiter didde or no But yet shoulde wee dooe muche more fondelye when wee maye heare Godde him selfe plainelye speake to vs in the moste holye scriptures and maye understande by them his will and meaninge yf wee woulde afterwarde as thoughe this were of none effecte bringe oure whole cause to be tryed by a Councell which were nothinge els but to aske whether menne would allowé as God did whether meÌ„ would confirme Gods commaundement by their authority Why I besech you except a Councell wil coÌ„maund shal not truth be truth or God be God Yf Christ 〈…〉 to do so from y e beginning as that he would preache or teache nothing without the Bysshops consent but refer all his doctrine ouer to Annas and Caiphas where should nowe haue been the christian faith or who at any time should haue hearde the Gospell taught Peter verily whome the Pope hath oftener in his mouth and more reuerently vseth to speake of then he dothe of Iesu Christ did boldly stand against the holy Councel saieng It is better to obey God then men And after Paule had once intirely embraced the Gospel and had receiued it not froÌ„ men nor by man but by the only will of God he did not take aduise therin of fleshe and bloud nor brought y e case before his kinsemen brethren but went furth with into Arabia to preache Gods diuine mysteries by Goddes onelye authoritie Yet truely wee doe not despise Councelles assemblies conferences of Bysshops and learned men neyther haue we done y t wee haue done altogether â—boue Byshops or without a Councell The matter hath ben treated in open Parliament with long consultation and before a notable Synode and Conuocation But touchyng this Councell whiche is now soÌ„moned by y e Pope Pius wherin men so lightly are condemned whiche haue ben neither called hearde nor seene yt is easie to gesse what we maye looke for or hope of yt In times paste when Nazianzene sawe in his daies how men in suche assemblies were so blynde and wilfull that they were caried with affections and laboured more to get the victory then y e trueth he pronounced openly that he neuer had sene a good ende of any Councell what woulde he say now yf he were â— liue at this daye and vnderâ—â—ode the heauing and shoving of these men For at that time though the matter were laboured on all sydes yet the controuersies were wel heard and open errours were put cleane awaye by the generall voice of all partes But these men wil neyther haue the case to be freely disputed nor yet how many errours soeuer there be suffer they any to be chaunged For it is a coÌ„mon custome of theirs often and shameleslye to boast that their Churche cannot erre that in it there is no faulte
wherein nothing was in good frame or once like to the Churche of God and whiche them selfes coÌ„fessed had erred many weies eueÌ„ as Lott in times paste gat hym out of Sodom or Abraham out of Caldie not vpoÌ„ a desire of contention but by y e warninge of God him selfe And y t we haue searched out of y e holy Bible whiche we are sure cannot deceiue one sure fourme of Religion and haue retorned againe vnto the Primatiue Churche of the auncient Fathers and Apostles that is to say to the first ground and beginning of thinges as vnto the very foundations head springes of Christes church And in very troth we haue not carried for in this matter the auctoritie or consent of the Trident Councell wherein we sawe nothing don vprightly nor by good ordre where also euery body was sworne to the maintenaunce of one man where our Princes Embassadours were contemned where not one of oure diuines could be heard and where partes taking and ambition was openly and earnestlye procured and wrought but as the holy Fathers in former time and as our predecessours haue commonly don wee haue restored our Churches by a Prouinciall Conuocation and haue cleane shaken of as our dewtie was the yoke and tyrannye of the Byshop of Rome to whome we were not bounde who also had no manner of thying lyke neyther to Christ nor to Peter nor to an Apostle nor yet like to any Byshopp at all Finally we saye that wee agree amongest our selues touching the whole iudgemeÌ„t and chiefe substaunce of Christian Religion and with one mouth and with one spirite do woorshipp God and the Father of our Lord Iesu Christ. Wherefore O Christian and godlye Reader forsomuche as thow seest the reasons and causes both whye wee haue restored Religion and whye wee haue forsaken these men thou oughtest not to maruaile though wee haue chosen to obeye our Maister Christe rather then menne Paule hath giuen vs warning how we shoulde not suffer our selues to be carried away with suche sundry learninges and to fly their companies in especiall whiche woulde sowe debate and variaunces cleane contrarie to the Doctrine whithe they had receiued of Christ and the Apostls Longe synce haue these mennes craftes and treacheries decaied and vanished and fled away at the sight and light of y e Gospell euen as the owle doth at the sunne rysing And albeit their trumperye be builte vp and reared as highe as the Skye yet euen in a momeÌ„t and as yt were of the owne selue fallyth yt downe againe to the ground and coÌ„meth to naught For you must not think y t al these things haue com to passe rashly or at adueÌ„ture It hath ben gods pleasure y t against al mennes willes wel nye the Gospell of Iesu Christe shoulde be spread abroad thorough out the whole worlde at these dayes And therfore men folowing godds biddings haue of their owne free will resorted vnto the Doctrine of Iesus Christ. And for our parts truely wee haue sought hereby neyther glorie nor welthe nor pleasure nor ease For there is plentie of all these thinges with our aduersaryes And when wee wer of their side we enioyed such worldlye commodyties muche more liberallie and bountefullye then wee doe nowe Neyther doe wee eschew concorde and peace but to haue peace with man wee will not be at warre with God The name of peace is a swete and pleasaunte thinge saith Hilarius But yet beware sayth he peace is one thinge and boundage is an other For yf it shoulde so be as they seeke to haue it that Christe shoulde be commaunded to keepe silence that the truth of the Gospell should be betraied that horrible errours should be cloked that Christian mennes eyes shold be bleared that they might be suffred to conspire openlye against God this were not a peace but a moste vngodlye couenaunt of seruitude There is a peace saith Nazianzene that is vnprofitable againe there is a discorde saith he that is profitable For we muste conditionallye desire peace so farre as is laufull before God so farre as we may conuenieÌ„tly For otherwise Christ him self broughte not peace into the worlde but a sworde Wherefore yf the Pope will haue vs reâ—onciled to hym his dewty is first to be reconciled to God for from thence saith Cyprian spring schysmes and sectes bycause menne seeke not the head and haue not their recourse to the Fountaine of y e Scriptures and kepe not the Rules gyuen by the heauenly teacher for saith he â—hat is not peace but warre neyther is he ioyned vnto the Churche which is seuered from the Gospel As for these men â—hey vse to make a marchaundize of the name of peace For that peace whiche they so faine would haue is onely a rest of idle bellies They and we might easily be brought to atonement touchyng all theâ—e matters were it not that ambitioÌ„ glutony and excesse did let it Hence commeth their whyenyng their hearte is on their Halfepennye Out of doubt their claymours and styrres be to none other ende but to maynteâ—ne more shamefully and naughtely yll gotten thinges Nowe a dayes the Pardoners complaine of vs the Dataries the Popes Collectours the Bawdes and others which take Gayne to be godlynesse and serue not Iesu Christe but their owne â—ellyes Many a day a go and in the old worlde a wonderfull great aduantage grew hereby to these kinde of people but now they recken all is losse vnto them that Christ gaigneth The Pope hym selfe maketh greate complaynere at this present that Charitie in people is waxen coulde And why so trow ye Forsooth because his profittes decaye more and more And for this cause doth he hale vs into hatred all that euer he maye laieng lode vpon vs with dispitetfull raylings and condemning vs for Heretiques to thende they that vnderstande not the matter maye thinke there be no woorse menne vpon earth then we be Notwithstanding we in the meane season are neuer the more ashamed for all this neyther ought we to be ashamed of y e Gospell for wee sett more by the glorie of God then wee doe by the estimation of menne Wee are suere all is true that we teach and we may not either go against our owne conscience or beare any witnes against God For yf we denye any part of the Gospel of Iesu Christ before menne he on the other side wil denye vs before his Father And yf there be anye that will still be offended and cannot endure Christes doctrine suche saye wee be blynd leaders of y e blynde the truth neuertheles must be preached and preferred aboue all and wee muste with patience wayte for Goddes iudgement Lett these folke in the meane tyme take good heed what they do and let them be well aduised of their owne Saluation and cease to hate and persecute the Gospell of the sonne of God for feare least they feele hym once a redresser and reueÌ„ger of his owne cause God will not suffer him selfe to be
woulde be muche more vncertaine but specially for so muche as we were moste ascerteined of Goddes will and counted it a wickednes to be to careful and ouer-cumbred about the iudgementes of mortall menne we could no longer stand takyng aduise with fleshe and bloud but rather thought good to do y e same thing that doth might rightlye be don hath also many a time ben don aswel of good men as of many catholique Byshopes that is to remedie our own Churches by a Prouinciall Synode For thus know we the ould Fathers vsed to putt in experience before they came to the publique vniuersal CouÌ„cel There remaine yet al this daye Canons writen in CouÌ„celles of free Cities as of Carthage vnder CypriaÌ„ as of Ancyra of Neocesaria and of Gangra also whiche is in Daphlagonia as some thinke before that y e name of the generall Councel at Nice was euer heard of After this fashion in olde time did they spedely meet with and cut short those Heretiques y e Pelagians the Donatistes at home with priuate disputation without any general Councell Thus also when the Emperour Constantius euideÌ„tly and earnestly toke part with Auxentius the Byshop of the Aerians faction Ambrose the Byshopp of the Christians appealed not vnto a generall Councel where he saue no good could be donâ—by reason of y e Emperours might and great labour but appealed to his owne Cleargie and people that is to say to a Prouinciaâ— Synode And thus it was decreed in the Councell at Nice that the Byshopâ— should assemble twise euery yeare And in the Councel at Carthage it was decreed that the Bysshops shoulde meete togeather in eche of their prouinces at least once in the year which was done as saith the Councel at Chalâ—eâ—ne of purpose that if any errours and abuses had happened to springe vp any where they might immediatelye at the first enterie be destroyed where they firste begonne So likewise when Seâ—undus and Palladius reiected the CouÌ„cell at Aquila bicause it was not a generall and a common Councell Ambrose Bysshoppe of Millaine made aunswere that no man ought to take it for a newe or straunge matter that the Bysshops of the weste parte of the worlde didde call togeather Synodes and make priuate assemblies in their Prouinces for that it was a thing before then vsed by the west Bysshoppes no fewe times and by the Bysshoppes of Grecia vsed oftentymes and coÌ„monly to be done And so Charles the great being Emperour held a prouinciall Councell in Germanie for puttinge awaye Images contrary to the seconde Councell at Nice Neither pardy euen amongest vs is this so very a straunge and newe a trade for we haue hadde ere nowe in Englande prouinciall Synods and gouerned oure Churches by home made lawes What shoulde one saye more of a truthe euen those greatest Councelles and where moste assemblie of people euer was wherof these menne vse to make suche an exceedinge reckeninge compare them with all the Churches whiche throughout the worlde acknoweledge and professe the name of Christe and what els I praye you can they seeme to bee butte certaine priuate Councelles of Bysshoppes and prouinciall Synodes For admitte peraduenture Italie Fraunce Spaine England Germanie Denmarke and Scotlande meete togithers yf there want Asia Grecia Armenia Persia Media Mesopotamia Egypt Ethiopia India and Mauritania in all whiche places there bee bothe manye Christian menne and also Bysshoppes howe canne anye man beinge in his right mynde thinke suche a Councel to bee a generall Councell or where so manye partes of the worlde doe lacke howe canne they truelye saye they haue the consente of the whole worlde Or what manner of Councell weene you was the same last at Trident Or howe might it bee tearmed a generall Councell when out of all Christian kyngedomes and Nations there came vnto it butte onelye fourtye Bysshoppes and of those some so cunninge that they might be thought meete to bee sente home againe to learne their Grammar and so well learned that thei had neuer studied Diuinitie What so euer it bee the truthe of the Gospell of IESVS CHRIST dependeth not vpon Councelles nor as S. Pawle saithe vpon mortall creatures iudgementes And if they whiche ought to be carefull for Gods Churche will not be wyse but slacke their duety and harden their heartes against Godde and his Christe goinge on still to peruert the right wayes of the Lorde God will stirre vp the very stones and make children and babes cunninge whereby there may euer be some to confute these mennes lyes For God is able not onely without Councelles butt also will the Councelles nill the Councelles to maintaine and auaunce his owne kingedom Full manye bee the thoughtes of mans heart saith Salomon but the counsell of the Lorde abydeth stedfast There is no wisedome there is no knowledge there is no counsell against the Lorde Thinges endure not saithe Hilarius that be set vp with mennes workemanship By an other manner of meanes must the Churche of God be builded and preserued for that Churche is grounded vpon the foundacion of the Apostles and Prophets and is holden fast togeather by one corner stone which is Christ Iesu. But merueilous notable and to very good purpose for these dayes bee Niecomes wordes Whosoeuer sayth hee the Diuell hathe deceiued and enticed to fall a sleepe as it were with the sweete deathly enchauÌ„tments of y e marmaids the Sirenes those persones doth Gods worde awake vp sayinge vnto them Arise thou that sleepest lifte vp thy selfe and Christ shall giue the light Therfore at the comminge of Christe of Goddes worde of the ecclesiasticall doctrine and as the full destruction of Niniue and of that moste be witfull harlot then shall the people whiche heretofore hadde been caâ—t in a traunce vnder their maisters bee raysed vp and shall make haste to go to the Mountaines of the Scripture 〈◊〉 shall they finde hilles Moses â—â—reey and Iosua the sonne of Nun other â—â—les also which aâ— the Prophetes 〈…〉 of the newe testament whiche 〈◊〉 the Apostles and the Euangelistes And when the people shall flee for succour to suche hilles and shall bee exercised in the reading of those kind of mountaynes though they finde not one to teache them for the haruest shall bee greate butte the labourers fewe yet shall the good desire of the people bee well accepted in that they haue gotten them to suche hilles and the neglygence of their maisters shall bee openly reproued These bee Hieromes sayenges and that so playne as there needeth no Interpretour For they agree so iuste with the thinges wee nowe see wyth oure eyes haue already come to passe y t wee maye verelye thinke hee mente to foretell as it were by the spirite of prophesie and to paincte before oure face the vniuersall state of oure tyme the fall of the moste gorgeous harlotte Babylon the repairinge againe of Goddes Churche the blyndenesse and slewthe of the Bysshoppes and the good will and forwardenesse of the people For
who is so blinde that hee seeth not these menne bee the maisters by whome the people as saythe Hierome hathe been ledde into errour and lulled a sleepe Or who seeth not Rome that is their Niniue whiche sometime was paineted w t fairest colours but now her vizer being pulled of is both better seen and lesse sette by Or who seeth not that good menne beinge a waked as it were out of their deade sleepe at the lighte of the Gospell and at the voyce of God haue resorted to the hilles of the Scriptures waiting not at all for the Councelles of suche maisters Butte by your fauoure some will saye These thinges ought not to haue been attempted without the Bysshoppe of Romes commaundement forsomuche as hee onely is the knotte and bande of Christian societie he onely is that priest of Leuies order whom God signified in the Deuteronomy from whom counsell in matters of weight and true iudgemeÌ„t ought to be fetched and who so obeyeth not his iudgement the same man ought to bee killed in the sight of his brethren and that no mortall creature hathe authoritie to bee iudge ouer him whatsoeuer hee dooe that Christe reigneth in heauen and hee in earthe that hee alone canne dooe as muche as Christe or God hym selfe canne dooe bicause Christ and hee haue but one Councell house That without him is no faythe no hope no churche and who so goeth from him quite casteth awaye and renounceth his owne saluation Suche talke haue the Canonistes the Popes parasites surely but with small discretion or sobrenesse for they coulde stant saye more at leaste they coulde not speake more highlye of Christe him selfe As for vs truely we haue fallen from the Byshoppe of Rome vpon no maner of worldlye respect or commoditie and woulde to Christe hee so behaued himselfe as this falling away neded not but so the case stoode that oules we left him wee could not come to Christ. Neyther will he now make any other league w t vs then suche a one as Nahas the kyng of the Ammonites would haue made in tymes past with theÌ„ of the citie of Jabes whiche was to put out the right eye of eche one of the Inhabitantes Euen so will the Pope pluck from vs the holye Scripture the Gospell of our saluation and all the confidence which we haue in Christ Iesu. And vpon other condition can he not agree vpon peace with vs. For wheras som vse to make so great a vaunte that the Pope is onely Peters Successour as though therby he carried the holy Ghost in his bosome cannot erre this is but a matter of nothing and a very trieflyng tale Gods grace is promised to a good mynde and to one that fearith God not vnto Sees and SuccessioÌ„s Riches saith Ierome may make a Byshop to be of more might then the rest but all the Byshoppes whosoeuer they be are the Successours of the Apostles Yf so be the place and consecrating onely be sufficient why then Manasses succeded Dauid and Caiphas succeded Aaron And it hath ben often seene that an Idoll hath stand in the Temple of God In old tyme Archidamus the Lacedemonian boasted muche of hym selfe how he came of the bloud of Hercules but one Nicostratus in thys wise abated his prydes Nay quod he y u semest not to descende from Hercules for Hercules destroied yll men but thou makest good men euill And when the Pharises bragged of their linage how they wereof y e kynred and bloud of Abraham Ye saith Christ seeke to kyll me a manne whiche haue toulde you the trouth as I heard it from God thus Abraham neuer did Ye are of your Father the dyuel and wil nedes obey his will Yet notwithstandyng bycause wee will graunt somewhat to succession tell vs hath the Pope alone succeded Peter â–ª and wherein I praye you in what Religion in what Office in what peece of his lyfe hath he succeded hym What one thing tel me had Peter euer like vnto the Pope or the pope lyke unto Peter excepte paraduenture they will saye thus that Peter when he was at Rome neuer taught the Gospell neuer fedde y e flock toke away the keyes of the kingedom of heaueÌ„ hyd the treasures of his Lorde satte him downe onely in his Castle in S. Iohn Laterane poincted out with his finger al the places of Purgatorie and kyndes of punyshementes coÌ„mittyng some poore soules to be tormented and other some againe sodenlye â—â—leasing thence at his owne pleasure taking money for so doing or that he gaue order to say priuate Masses in euery cornere or that be mumbled vp the holy seruice with a lowe voice and in an vnknowen language or that he haÌ„ged vp y e Sacrament in euery TeÌ„ple and on euerie Aulter and caryed y e same about before hym whether soeuer he went vpon an ambling Iennett with lightes and belles or that he consecrated with hys holy breath oyle war wulle belles chalices churches aultres or that he solde Iubilees graces liberties aduousons preuentions first fruits Palles the wearing of Palles bulles Indulgences and pardons or that he called hym self by the name of the head of the Churche The highest Byshop Byshop of Byshopps alone Most holy or that by vsurping he tooke vpon hym selfe the right and aucthoritie ouer other folkes Churches or that he exempted him selfe froÌ„ the power of anye civilie gouernement or that he mainteined warrâ— set Princes together at variaunce or that he sytting in his Chaire with his triple Crowne full of labelles with sumptuous Persianlike gorgiousnes with his Royall scepter with his Diademe of goulde and glittering with stones was caried about not upon Paâ—lfrâ—ie but upon the shoulders of noble menne These things no doubt did Peter at Rome in times past and left them in charge to his Successours as you would say from hand to hande for these thinges be now a dayes donne at Rome by the Popes and be so done as though nothing els ought to be don Or contrarie wise paraduenture they had rather saye thus that the Pope doth now all the same thinges whyche wee knowe Peter did many a daye a goe that is that he rounneth vp and downe into euerye Countreye to Preache the Gospell not onelye openlye abroad but also priuatelye from house to house that hee is diligente and applyeth that busines in seasone and out of seasone in dewe tyme out of dew time that he doth the part of an Euangelist that he fulfilleth the worke and ministerie of Christ that he is y e watcheman of the house of Israel receaueth answeares and wordes at Goddes mouth and euen as hereceiueth them so deliuereth them ouer to the people That he is the salte of the earth That he ys the light of the world that he doth not feed his owne selfe but his flock that he doth not entangle him selfe with the worldlie eares of this lyfe that he doth not vse a soueraintye ouer the Lordes people that he seeketh not to haue