Selected quad for the lemma: tradition_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
tradition_n	church_n	find_v	scripture_n	3,607	5	6.0436	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18440	An answeare for the time, vnto that foule, and wicked Defence of the censure, that was giuen vpon M. Charkes booke, and Meredith Hanmers Contayning a maintenance of the credite and persons of all those woorthie men: namely, of M. Luther, Caluin, Bucer, Beza, and the rest of those godlie ministers of Gods worde, whom he, with a shamelesse penne most slanderously hath sought to deface: finished sometime sithence: and now published for the stay of the Christian reader till Maister Charkes booke come foorth.	Charke, William, d. 1617.	1583 (1583)	STC 5008; ESTC S107734	216,784	212

we openly protest that we receaue it as the word of God Concerning that which Duraey the Scot hath farther obiected cōcerning this matter I refer the Reader to M. Whittakers answere which I hope shal shortlye come forth But this you say you haue added to shew the impudencie of M Charke and his fellowes in the Tower against Campion because he could not presently shew it out of our bookes and especialy of M. Whittakers who to the admiration and laughter of al other nations hath set forth that Luther neuer called that Epistle so c. Surely first for Campion it must needes be a great impudencie to aduouch such a thing charging our whole Church of England also with it that for his life he knew not where to finde in the Aucthour which he had neuer read himself but as your maner is had by a lying traditiō receaued it frō others He y t was so impudent to chaleng a whole Church was able to say no more whē he should haue auouched his places must needes be suspected as you are Again what hath M. Whitaker set forth that is not true For if those words be to be found in Luther yet are they not spoken simply but as hath bene sayd by way of comparison therfore that resolute desperatnes to defend error is to be turned ouer to your selues that are wont to defend whatsoeuer your Romish Church holdeth be it neuer so 〈◊〉 or contrary to the word of God As for not hauing read it but measuring M. Whitakers by him self it is liker that he had read them 〈◊〉 then they who indeede although they haue often alleadged it yet they haue done it vpon no other ground then hath beene shewed and it is a very lye becōming Frier Parsons or his aduocat y t he vtterly denieth it but he saith that they reporte absolutely 〈◊〉 hath no such wordes As for the Dutch Testament it was also there offred to Campyon and if hee had taken it from thence it is lyke that hee woulde haue remembred it which if he had done there were there that vnderstoode it and could haue interpreted it vnto him Concerning that he saith to auowe his exercise and iudgement in Scripture twiting M. Chark with pride and ignorance alleadging three or foure places farre from the purpose in steed of stopping that hole he hath made it wyder and slylie passing by Maister Charks reason yet in the ende he graunteth that which was in question For if Iohns Gospel was written by the same spirite that the rest were and S. Iohn hath largely intreated of loue which is the fulfilling of the lawe it must needes follow that he hath also intreated with as great specialtie of good woorks And therfore it is a slaunderous surmise that Luther shoulde praise S. Iohns Gospel and beare a tooth as he speaketh against the other either in respect that S. Iohn speaketh lesse of workes or the other more But what will not Papistes surmise As though forsooth we thought more basely of good works then they who teach the doctrin of the more truly then they and yet giue that glory to God that they cannot saue vs but that is onely from his meere mercie freely offered and apprehended by faith in Christ. Concerning the fourth charge of Luthers doctrine whiche he likewise hath taken word for word out of Staphilus and whiche he citeth out of the answeare of George the Duke of Saxonie triumphing ouer M. Charkes ouersight in not reading that which followeth calling it extreame impudency of a lying minister and wilful and shamelesse dishonestie and I cannot tel what as if the man were in the moone I aunswear that euery opinion of euery man is not to be defended by vs. Why should Luthers opinion in some one point or other not of so great importance be laide to our charge to the discredite of the mightie trueth of God I haue saide before that men had their errours and as it pleased God to blesse them with a measure of faith so they executed their ministery And though Luther were now by the grace of God returned from Babylon and from your whoorish church of Abhomination yet he might both in this poynt of Diuorse and in others be to seeke what councell to giue you hauing not onely taught a diuorse to be lawfull for that thing but also for many others contrary to the doctrine of Christe so that that poyson was sucked from your owne breastes and therefore you haue no cause so much to triumph against Luther for that poynt or agaynst M. Chark who is ready I am sure wherein he hath fayled to be louingly admonished But this is your propertie to leape at gnattes and to catche 〈◊〉 in other men but Elephantes in your selues are motes and your fight is so dimme you cannot see them If your eye had beene cleare you might haue seene set downe in redde and great Letters in your owne popish decrees that for impotencie of body marriage is to bee dissolued yea for many lesser causes a great deale when our Sauiour hath set downe the onely cause to be fornication yet by the Popes lawe your Gossips might not marrie nor the women that had beene once marryed might not marry againe Neither doth that helpe that you will permitte them not to marry after suche diuorse but rather it doubleth and encreaseth your sinne that first you dissolue where you ought not and hauing dissolued them you suffer them not to enioye that remedie which Christe hath left them as it were leading them by the hande into the stewes to leade a filthy and loose life euer afterwardes This is that you might blushe at if there were any mite of shamefastnes in you You that haue therefore such gaps in your selues and such fowle botches you might haue pardoned this scarre and warte in Martin Luther who was otherwise so sincere sounde and painefull in the substaunce of Gods trueth and religion at whose honour though you swell and burst your selues for anger to deface it and bring it out of credite yet it shall stand and remaine till it receaue that ful fyning that shall cleare it from all humaine corruption That which followeth you borrowed not beecause you concealed the Lender but you stole it out of Staphilus and it is confessed to bee Luthers errour and meete to fall without maintenaunce beecause it hath no foundation in the worde of GOD. As for your knauishe coniecture that Luther belike had some kinsmen in whose wiues he would haue had interest it fitteth rather a popishe Iesuite and a vowed Votarie that hath not the gifte of continencie and therefore needeth such filthy shiftes Luther was knowne where hee lyued after GOD called him to that holy state of matrymonie to lyue chastly in the feare of God what soeuer your Romish Priestes Friars and Moonkes doe who were woont to bee the common Bulles of all the countrey whereabout they

reason of his high place gay apparrell great wordes assistance of friendes c. It is but a stale lying 〈◊〉 to fill vp the booke for 〈◊〉 man is sufficiently knowen to stand vpon none of these things If God strengthened his ministerie to daunt suche an aduersarie which is the thing that most stingeth you wee praise God for it Whether his dealing be false or true for which by your assignement hee may weare the garland hee will sufficiently declare in his answere Hee is olde enough to answere for himselfe and when these examples come wee shall consider of them I loue not to bring sod Colewortes twise that is a propertie belonging to the papists and fittest for them that will receiue no answere That question allo concerning concupiscence which is the greatest bulk of your booke shal at this time be omitted of mee as being often handeled in other places As for his other trickes which you say proceed not of negligence simplicitie or ignorance but must needes bee of set malice as for example the repeating of diuers vntruths out of Gotuisus concerning the lesuites you say in the first booke hee concealed the authours name whiche is most false For he nameth him often in that booke Now you say necessitie compelling him he confesseth Wherein you discredite your selfe and bring credite to him that hee doth not conceale them but yet you say finding in his owne conscience the things to bee false which he reporteth whereas his authour citeth alwayes two bookes Censura Coloniensis and Canisius great Catechisme he citeth but one and that not to bee had which is another lye and omitteth the other whiche sheweth the falshood both of M. Chark and of his authour Yea which is more when Gotuisus did not belie the Iesuites sufficiently M. Charke without blushing will falsifie his wordes to make them more odious Is not heere a merueilous long threed drawen out of a little flaxe and no bottome What a fine spinster is this that can make so much of a little of concealing the one and aduouching the other As though men were alwayes bounde to alleadge all and in the very wordes of their authours also might not choose amongest store which to alleadge or as though one authour were not to be cited vpon the credit of another but all the rest must bee discredited whye doeth not sir Robert confute Gotuisus and so make way to confute master Charke But as he vseth in other thinges so in this hee leapeth ouer hilles and dales and when hee shoulde ouercome the formost he striketh at the the hindmost and when hee cannot touche the hearte hee hitteth the heele But what are the matters forsooth that Gotuisus saith the Iesuites holde The Scripture is as it were a nose of waxe and master Charke saith theyr wordes are the Scriptures are a nose of waxe What els O infinite such things in the treatise whiche sheweth master Chark to bee a man of no sinceritie Is not heere wonderfull a doe about nothing But I pray you what difference is there doth not hee say that the scripture is a nose of waxe that saith it is as a nose of waxe that may bee turned and wrested which way a man will Is not their doctrine generall to derogate from the authoritie of the scripture that it is a dead letter a matter of strife dark maymed vncertaine a nose of waxe a leaden rule a lesbeian building an occasion of all heresies which comprehendeth not all thinges necessary to saluation Is not this doctrine as full in abhomination as that allegation And therefore Cardinall Hosius worse then any Anabaptist saith That it is a vaine labour that is bestowed vppon the Scripture whiche is bestowed as vppon a dead and beggerly element that rather wee must looke for voyces from heauen that must instructe vs. This is the foundation of all their vnwritten verities of man his traditious which they preferre before the worde of God because as Andradius saith It often times commeth to passe that hee is wrapped in a greater wickednesse that breaketh the Ecclesiasticall traditions then those that are Goddes adding that example of the Sacrament in one kinde c. And yet who knoweth not that the holy Scripture commendeth the Scripture vnto vs as a light shining in a darke place vntill the day breake foorth And Christe himselfe though they woulde haue vs to shunne them 〈◊〉 vs to search them as those that witnesse vnto his both his nature and his will Abraham also signifieth to the ritche man that was in hell that his brethren were to bee taught out of Moses and the 〈◊〉 to the ende they might bee deliuered and obtaine euerlasting saluation So Paule affirmeth to Timothie that all Scripture is inspired from aboue and comprehendeth all thinges necessarie to the perfection of saluation Nowe hee wrote this Epistle when in a manner all the Apostolicall writings were committed to writing as may appeare out of the fourth Chapter And concerning your traditions Christ saith They worship me in vaine with the precepts of men and Paul plainely condemneth that will worship in the second to the Collossians For his behauiour towards Campion in the Tower whome you so highly aduaunce for singuler learning those that were present can tell the vanitie of this accusation Hee gaue him no vncomely wordes but such as became both his owne person and his to whom he spake The one being a godly man standing for the truth and the other an enemie traitour both against god and it There was not any one word vttered of barbarous threat onely hee might when hee was insolent bee put in minde of his place and condition Of the like vanitie is it that you tell of his turning and speaking to the people that they shoulde prayse God for his good argument and of shutting the dores to keepe the people in to heare his prayer Hee might perhaps now and then as reason was admonish the people to beware of suche a runnagate Fryer who hauing challenged our whole churche shewed himselfe so insufficient to maintaine his owne cause As for hatred in his hart putting it in execution it is too malitious to be suspected of master Charke or any such of his profession You are the blood suckers the malicious men whose furie could neuer yet be otherwise quéched then with the effusion of christian blood If I lye thē let all the places and countries where euer you ruled witnes against mee If master Charke had had such malice as you say yet how could hee put it in execution being a priuate man To whome did he euer complaine What inditement did hee euer drawe or cause to bee drawne against him Where did he euer goe or intermeddle in any these matters but when and wherein hee was called But you may lye by authoritie For here are no lesse then fiue together one that he dealt inciuilie Another that hee commended his argument

in the worlde They are therefore in deede those theeues of the Scriptures that Origene mentioneth that haue not right vnto them being not the Churche of God because they renounce obedience to the will of God and heare not his voice And thus much for this point The third thing you charge him with is that in his eleuenth Assertion hee should charge the Iesuites to holde that there bee many things more greeuous and more damnable then those that repugne the lawe of God and yet the lawe condemneth them not namely traditions mans lawes and precepts of the Church Here also you play with a fethar and woulde catche the winde in a net For you say the Iesuites doe teache the quite contrarie to wit that what souer is sin is condemned by the law of God which none but wicked men past shame can denie but you dare not say that whatsoeuer is contrary to the lawe of God is sinne least concupiscence which you defend and some haue not beene ashamed to maintaine as a vertue 〈◊〉 assuming that if God shoulde commaund the 〈◊〉 not to lust it were as if he should commaunde the Sun and Moone not to shine the fire not to 〈◊〉 muche like as Campion in the disputations at the Towre 〈◊〉 that it was a speciall vertue that beeing in the Queenes Iewell house and being suggested to steale did yet abstaine from it abusing that place of Saint Iames Blessed is hee that is tempted But say you whatsoeuer offendeth the lawe of God if it bee done wittingly and with consent of hearte for otherwise it offendeth not the lawe it is sinne whereby you establishe that whatsoeuer sinne is committed if he that committeth it knoweth it not to bee sinne or if hee doe not approue it by 〈◊〉 his seale of consent vnto it it is no sinne And heere also you shut out originall sinne in infants who are notwithstanding sinners by reason of their corrupt nature that is in them and subiect to condemnation without Christe But if Gods lawe bee a perfect lawe that reacheth not only to the outwarde man but to the inwarde and to the very thoughts of man and therefore your venial sinnes whereof you make no accounte and teach that in respect of themselues we need not to repent of them but as they make way to daunger if those I say bee called sinnes for that they are against the lawe of God it must needes bee that they which are committed against the first table though they bee onely conceaued by lust though the hearte and will haue not subscribed yet they are to bee condemned This is but a ciuill righteousnesse before men but cannot stande before God whose lawe is plaine Cursed is 〈◊〉 one that abideth not in all thinges which are written in the booke of the lawe to doe them Whatsoeuer therefore resisteth the lawe of God in it selfe and by nature it deserueth the curse of God But sinne in it selfe and in it owne nature kindleth the wrath of God in him that transgresseth in one there is giltinesse in all and the 〈◊〉 of the least iote of Gods lawe setteth a man giltie before God in all And what a beastly shame is this in all your Iebusiticall sort that dare to lessen the breach of the lawe of God and will aggrauate the transgression of such traditions as your selues deuise vnto your selues vnder the name of the traditions of Christe and his Apostles But how shall wee knowe them so to be either they muste bee written or vn written If they be written shew vs the word if they be vn written and haue been deliuered from hand to hand let vs see howe they agree with the written tradition which is called the doctrine of the Apostles But if we can shew you when they were hatched who were the deuisers of them that they are against the puritie of Christs doctrine seruing neither for comelinesse nor edification being besides impious in them selues because you aduaunce them in equalitie with 〈◊〉 commaundements of God 〈◊〉 aboue them then M. Hanmer hath iustly collected both in this and other poyntes noted also by other learned 〈◊〉 before him that you make those sinnes which the law of God hath made no sinnes and whiche the lawe hath condemned for sinnes those you make vertues But say you if they be traditions or precepts of the church then the breach thereof as also of our superiors commaundementes are offences against men but yet consequently also against God for he hath commaunded men to obey their superiors which rule them and foole wisely that they must doe it of conscience as Saynt Paule proueth Rom. 13. But here first we denie that they are preceptes of the Churche for though you boast the church of Rome to be the Churche of Christe 〈◊〉 that is the question and we haue and doe still for good causes denie it But to giue you somewhat to plaie withall admitte it were yet wee saye that the church may commaund nothing either contrarie or besides the worde of God If it doe we are not to obey it The place of the Apostle is euen vnderstood of you as all the rest of the scriptures are which you 〈◊〉 to your owne destruction and yet your new Maisters of Rhemes tell vs that this place is to be vnderstood of remporall rulers which you wil haue to be vnderstoode of the Churche And though Chrisostome and others shew you that whether hee bee a Bishoppe or of any other calling yet he must be subiect you wil not be subiect to your naturall princes no not in thinges concerning God that are commanded according to his worde but to mainteine a forreigne 〈◊〉 tyrannie in a countrey and church where he hath nothing to doe You care not what treasons you committe that you may yet haue the name of Martyres and may be chronacled in his Chronicles and haue your names in his Kalenders Of the traditions commaundements of the churche whiche without the promise commandement of God you faine to be necessarie to saluation reade before The fourth falshood you charge him with is that hee saith That the Iesuites say that there is no other iustification then the seeking or searching of righteousnesse or to speake philosophically a motion vnto righteousnesse This you say is follie besides malice shewing that hee knoweth not what he speaketh himselfe and therefore out of Canisius you set downe another description as though the other had bin sucked out of his owne fingers But it is playne what soeuer Canisius say that Censura Celoniensis hath the same words Dialogo 〈◊〉 in the very beginning sol 141. and this they say is the Catholike doctrine that is the doctrine of the papists of whom I coulde aduouch a number besides if I studied not to be short The 〈◊〉 charge is gathered out of the 19. and twentieth assertions first that the Iesuites holde a twofold iustification whiche you confesse to be true and therfore needed

they be As for other thinges without that compasse we refuse not such trials as are 〈◊〉 for them also But he sayeth This is a shifte common to all 〈◊〉 suche as Maister Charke is And the cause thereof Augustine doth testifie of the Heretikes of his time But first he should haue prooued vs Heretikes and then haue giuen vs that name August testifieth truely that al Heretikes abuse the letter of the Scriptures as doe the Papistes Anabaptists Familie of loue and such others But is not this a good 〈◊〉 Heretikes catche at the letter and wordes of the Scriptures to mainteine their errors Ergo the scriptures are not the touch stone to try al spirits by yea but 〈◊〉 are other thinges to trie the meaning of the scriptures by what are they Forsooth the sense of the Churche Of what churche Forsooth of that Synagogue of Rome of her Doctours of her generall councelles and such like conspiracies and I cannot tell what As though the scripture written by Gods spirite shoulde bee expounded by the spirites of men and of such Erroneous men as from time to time by the scriptures haue been founde to 〈◊〉 the sonne of God as though there should bee vncertaintie in GOD and certaintie in these men Emptinesse in 〈◊〉 writings of the Apostles and 〈◊〉 in their balde and absurde 〈◊〉 especially when they haue deliuered That the Scriptures are to be fitted to the tyme and to be vnderstood 〈◊〉 so that at one time they are to be expounded according to the vniuersal currant rite or ceremonie But if that ceremonie be changed then the sentence is to be changed Againe if the Churches iudgement be changed why then Gods iudgemēt is also changed Farther the scripture as touching the letter is not of the essēce of the church which may be vtterly destroyed by a Tyrant but it is the spirit that quickeneth 〈◊〉 Prierias Eckius Hogstratus holde that the Pope alone may determine all matters of faith and that the Pope may expounde the scripture as he wil. Habet authoritatem interpretandi sacram Scripturam authoritatinè pro suo sensu Therefore what may we hope for concerning the Synagogue of Rome that challengeth to be iudge ouer all seeyng it is prooued by the practise of it that sometime they interprete the scripture one waye and somtime another as afterwardes may appeare by their contradictory doctrines But here M Defender putteth downe three causes why these newe Teachers appeale 〈◊〉 to Scripture Wee must by the way endure 〈◊〉 names without anie proofe when it is euident that they are the newe Teachers and we the old teaching the same doctrine that Moses the Prophetes Christ his Apostles and all holie Martyrs haue taught and professed according to that worde 〈◊〉 the beginning of the world and they resisting it and persecuting it But what are these three Forsooth the first is to gette credite with the people The seconde because we woulde exclude Counselles Fathers and Auncetours of the Churche who from time to time haue declared the true sense of scripture vnto vs that wee might haue libertie and authoritie to make what meaning wee list and thereby giue colour to euerie fansie wee list to teache The thirde because wee woulde deliuer our selues from all ordinaunces or doctrines lefte vnto vs by the first pillers of Christe his Churche not expressely set downe c. For the first whether it bee a way to get credite to cleaue to the worde of GOD with the common people let them iudge that knowe howe contrarye it is to mans corruption onelye to relye vppon it Indeede it deserueth credite with all when they shall see that wee iustifie God in his woorde and forsake our owne testimonies and the testimonies of 〈◊〉 and blood 〈◊〉 who made him a God to knowe our purpose and to enter into our heartes We leaue it to all the worlde to iudge whether they hunt not more for the prayse of the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 of men then we doe who like proude Pharisies doe whatsoeuer they doe to be seene of men and to be praysed of them And therefore bring the scriptures of God into captiuitie vnder men and vnder their interpretation to flatter them withall And so in other thinges they fast and praye openly at euery piller and euery streete they giue their almes like 〈◊〉 blase their vainglorious good woorkes to all men c which also sheweth the purpose of their heart For the second touching Councels Fathers 〈◊〉 c. Wee indeede exclude them from being eyther aboue or equall with the worde of God we make them not Iudges though some tymes in matters of storie to shewe the practise of the Churche wee admitte them for witnesses The 〈◊〉 is because Generall councelles haue erred and haue beene one agaynst another one Doctour agaynst another and diuers tymes against them selues The seconde Councell of Ephesus was agaynst the Councell of Chalcedon the one condemning and the other absoluing Eutiches The second of Nice 〈◊〉 that of Franckford about images The first of Nice and those of 〈◊〉 Mentz and of Carthage about the marriage of Ministers Those of Constance and Basill against those of Florence and Trent about your holy fathers vsurped Supremacy and so of diuers others Concerning Fathers and Doctors whether you meane the former or the later it is so also of them For if councels gathered together in the name of God hearing eche others reasons and debating matters for finding out of truth haue yet thus iarred to the end we should not rest vpon them as iudges but onelie vpon the Scriptures what are wee like to finde amōgst men yea amongst the eldest and what then amongest the latest If in the eldest as in Irenae the errour of the Chiliastes in Cyprian Anabaptisme in Tertullian the heresie of Montanus that there should come a new holie Ghost a new Prophesie also condemning seconde marriages and denying it to be lawful to flie in time of persecution In Origene in finite which Hierom writing to 〈◊〉 hath noted before vs and so in all the rest howe may wee bee iudged by them we speake not of those that you count errours but suche as are errours indeede both with you and vs. What shal we say then of Thomas and Scotus and your other schoole men foole men What shal wee say of your other late writers of your Popes of their Canons in al times It would fil a whole volume to declare al their errours and dissentions O But we cleaue to onely scripture that we might deliuer our selues from traditions which you call ordinaunces and doctrines of men and surely we haue also good cause so to do For as they are infinite variable so also they are impious and ridiculous neither fitte nor possible to be kept If any can be proued out of the word of God as deriued from those first pillers of his Church containing in

them no impiety nor bynding the conscience as equall with the worde of God but are proued necessary to order and edification why these we receiue and allowe and follow thē as patterns to directe vs by But as God and men are to be discerned so are those traditions of God and the traditions of men farre vnlike and differing in authoritie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therefore those wicked traditions whiche you haue forged and fayned as necessary to saluation which want both a commaundement and a promise of God we vtterly detest them to wit of your sundrie sortes of masses applied to al diseases and danngers your Vigilles yeeres mynds and moneths mynds your processions churches dedicated to Saintes your counterfaite fastes from Butter flesh cheese and egges your faigned Reliques of Saintes your holie bread and holy water your Rosaries blessings exorcismes of salt ashes hearbes trees palme leaues flowers oyles flesh grease wine and cheese for the health both of bodie and soule Should we not I praye you vpon the credite of your Synagogue receiue all these Is it not a good ease by cleauing to the Scriptures onely to vnburthen and acquite our selues of all these abhominations If you may obtayne euery deuise without Scripture then wee must yeelde a woorshippe to the Asse vppon palme sunday we must carrie about the Sacrament like Idolaters 〈◊〉 worship the bread we must haue a Letanie of Saintes wee muste haue your Popishe confirmation and many iestes in it we must haue creame and spettlein Baptisme sensing swinging to euery idol we must haue an infinite number of Monkes Nunnes and Friers and euery one tugging for his order like caterpillers of the earth eating vs vp deuouring vs and together by the eares amongst themselues for their sundrye ceremonies kindes of seruice and a thousand such like wickednesses As for Martine Luthers opinion denying seuen Sacramentes and acknowledging 3. and then properly confessing but one and the confession of Auspurge that followed him teaching 3. and Melancthon 4. and Caluine but two and I cannot tel what because these make nothing for the proofe of that you haue in hande they shal receiue their answere in another place Though men haue their sundry opinions yet the Scripture is one and certaine we stande not to iustifie any mans priuate and particuler opinion but would haue al mens opinions brought to the triall of the worde of God Wherein though men doe double many times in their knowledge in respect of their ignorance time and grouth whiche maketh against you yet the trueth is one and hath certainely discussed that there are but two Sacraments which we onely follow and allow of But for these places alleaged by you I adde further that you might haue considered that Luther wrote that booke De captiuitate not the laste For if you had looked either into his great Catechisme or the little one that was the abridgement of the other you shoulde haue founde but two As for Melancthon who holdeth as you say 4 It appeareth you tooke them not by an euen tale For in his last common places where hee aunsweareth those wicked articles Báuaricae Inquisitionis he holdeth that there are properly but two Sacramentes howsoeuer more generally the name Sacrament was common to moe c. Now whereas you bring in M Caluine for the title of King Henrie calling himselfe head of the Churche and the Magdeburgens for holding that opinion stil as M. 〈◊〉 and they vnderstood it it was and is according to the Scripture that none cā be head of the Churche but Iesus Christ who is the onely king thereof We disclaime not one Pope and allow another But as God hath erected Princes in their seueral dominions to gouerne the people committed to their charge so wee hold that they professing the Gospell haue a soueraigne power and are heads of their dominions next and immediatly vnder God and therfore also are chiefe members of the Church and haue to doe as appoynted by God to see his lawes receiued and obserued and iustice administred amongest al states and persons according to the worde of God your cancred malice therefore shal not prouoke that mischiefe you ayme at Princes that are taught of God are wise to consideral circumstaunces both what mooued M. Caluin so to write and in what sense that title for a time was retayned As for that you write of the opinion of burning Heretikes and of bookes being written too or fro it helpeth your cause little It is enough that we haue testified by our example that Heretikes are to be put to death and if some Anabaptist or Heretike that woulde liue as they list haue started out such books out of their owne dēnes what is that to vs seeing we haue both answeared them are ready to aunsweare whatsoeuer they or you can obiect against the truth thereof Neyther doeth this helpe your crueltie that put not Heretikes to death but Christians and such as professe the Gospel of Iesus Christ against your cursed Idolatries Concerning Luthers heate against those that he called Sacramentaries in regard of those other excellent giftes that God bestowed vppon him for the benefite of so many we doe easily pardon We thanke God that crawling out of 〈◊〉 Dunghil of Poperie he was no more infected then he 〈◊〉 We doubt not but if he had liued til these dayes of light and knowledge he would haue had better iudgement both in that and some other poyntes of doctrine which hee did some what too toughly mainteyne You haue little cause therefore to condemne our Christian modestie and holye perswasion of his and suche like brethrens saluation who though they iumpe not with vs in all thinges yet holding the foundation are not to be condemned as desperate Heretikes And as for Maister Whitgift and M. Cartwright howsoeuer they haue differed and striued about the gouernment of the Church you shal finde that they both agree against your false Religion and wicked Abhominations and as the Lorde shal make them wise by his woorde they shall set them selues against euerye thing that is not according to it But must all the differences and disagreementes of men that professe 〈◊〉 worde of God be attributed to the word of God Is not this a fine conclusion There are amongest men that professe one God and one woorde of GOD greate differences some are too farre and some are too shorte some are wyse to discerne and some see but a little some haue a sounder knowledge and some a weaker Ergo to appeale to the Scripture onely is an vncertaine thing All pretende the authority of the Scripture Ergo all haue it Ergo the Scripture is a nose of waxe to serue to all purposes because men abuse it Muche like as if you shoulde reason the Spyder draweth matter of Venome from the Rose therefore the Bee must sucke no honye from it But to stay vppon Scripture onely you say It