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tradition_n	church_n	law_n	scripture_n	2,211	5	6.0049	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19566	A confutatio[n] of vnwritte[n] verities both bi the holye scriptures and moste auncient autors, and also probable arguments, and pithy reasons, with plaine aunswers to al (or at the least) to the moste part and strongest argumentes, which the aduersaries of gods truth, either haue, or can bryng forth for the profe and defence of the same vnwritten vanities, verities as they would haue them called: made up by Thomas Cranmer ... translated and set forth, by E.P. The contentes whereof, thou shalte find in the next side folowinge.	Cranmer, Thomas, 1489-1556.; E. P., fl. 1556.	1556 (1556)	STC 5996; ESTC S109030	77,248	224

to S. Paule afore And wheras they say that thīgs geuen by woorde of mouthe are as well to bee beleued as those that bee wrytten they meane that they are worthy of lyke credite wyth tradycyons written For neyther of both ar of necessite to saluacion but may be chaūged and taken awaye by common consent as it is afore sayd BAsile of the holy goste Cap. 27. Of those doctrines that ar preached in the churche we haue sōe deliuered vs by writing and agayne some we haue receiued by the tradicions of the Apostles in mysteri that is in secret both haue lyke strengthe to godlynes nother doth any mā speake against these whatsoeuer he be that hath but meane experience what the authorite of the churche is For if we lyke fooles goe about to reiecte the customes of the church which ar not written as thynges of small weyght we shall condemne those thyngs that be nedeful for our saluation in the gospell Yea we shall rather cut short the true preachyng of fayth to bare name and he rehearseth like tradicions as Tertullian did IErome againste the Luciferians Although there were no authorite of the scriptures at all yet the consent of the whole worlde in thys matter shold haue the force of a law For many other thynges whiche are obserued in the Churche by tradiciō haue obteyned the authorite of a law written as to dyppe the head thrise in baptisme and when they are chrystened to geue them first pappe made of milke with hony for a signification of their infancie on the Sondaye and all Whytsone weake not to knele at their prayers AVgustine vpon the wordes of Basile Some of the ecclesiasticall institucions we haue receued by writinges some through tradicions from the Apostles approued by successiosn and some vse hath alowed being strengthned by custōe Vnto all which lyke vsage and lyke affectyōs of godlines is due of which who wil doubt though he haue but small experiences in the scriptures For if we set out mynd to regard light lycustomes of the churche delyuered vs from our elders without the scriptures it shall easelye appeare to them that loke earnestly theron how great losse Christen religion shall suffer And he reciteth the same that Ierome doeth wyth diuerse other THese .iii. authors and all that make for the same purpose bee answered before in Tertullian For not one of those thyngs that they make mencion of are necessary for our saluacion and many of them are now taken away and the reste whiche yet remayne as to dippe the childe thrise wholly in the water to hallowe the water oyle and creame or to crosse it in the forthead are not of necessite to saluatiō For Iohn Baptised in Iordā and the Chāberlaine of the Quene of Ethiopia was Christened in the commō streame chrildrē in daūger of life are Christened of the midwife or sōe other womā without any of these ceremonies yet thei wil not deni that al these baptismes be good alowed of god In Spaine also thei dippe the child but once as it was decreed in the coūcell of Tollet And I am suer they wil not say that al the Spaniardes so many yeres haue wanted a thing necessary to saluatiō in their baptisme God also regardeth not our outward bodely gesture in oure praiers but he beholdeth the fayth earnest desier of the hart of him that prayeth wher soeuer he prayeth what soeuer hys outwarde bodely gesture be THe sāe agaīst Cresconi a gramariē li. 1. c. 33. to 7. Although we haue no certaine exāple of thys matter in the Canonical scripture yet neuertheles the truth of the sāe scriptures in this matter is retained of vs whē we do that that the hole church aloweth Which churche the authorite of the scriptures commend And for as muche as the holy scripture cā deceiue no man whoso feareth to be deceiued with any dark speaking of it let him aske counsel at the church ther in which withoute any doubt the holye scripture doeth shewe THe answere is easye Austen was more circumspecte thē to thīke that any doctryne might be proued by vse and custome without the scripture For baptysme of infātes he bringeth in this text except a man be borne agayne of water and the holy gost he cannot be my disciple And because the Donatists like as the Anabaptistes do nowe wrest this to them that be of ●eres of discretion against thys exposiciō he allegeth the maner of the churche in christenynge of Infantes By the which he proueth that the churche hath all waye taken this sentence except a man be borne againe to be spoken also of infantes What maner of argumente shoulde thys be of Austen● The exposition of the scrypture and the vse of the Sacraments may be iudged by the custome vsed in the holye churche alwaye ergo the church may make a newe sacrament and ordeine any newe Article of oure fayth without the scripture By the sētences before cited of Austē himself it may be easely iudged I also graunt that euery exposiciō of the scripture wherein soeuer the olde hole true churche dyd agree is necessarye to be beleued But oure controuersye here is whether any thynge ought to be be leued of necessite without the scripture THe same against the Epistle of Fundament Cap. 5. tomo 6. I would not beleue the gospel but that the authorite of the churche moueth me Ergo say they what soeuer the church saith we must nedes beleue them as wel as the gospell This argumente is naughte For the testimonye of the churche is but as a publicke office of a record as the exchequer the court of the rolles the office of a recorder or a regester of all Christendome in whiche office menne maye searche and haue of the keepers of such offices the true copies of such lands or other moueables as be due to them by the lawe And yet may nether the Regesters Recorders Stcwardes of courtes or towne clarkes put to or take awaye any thing from the firste originall writinges no nor the iudge himselfe But all thynges oughte to be iudged by those writings So likewise we beleue the holy Canon of the byble because that the Primitiue churche of the Apostles and eldest wryters nexte to their time approued them in their regester that is in their wrytinges whyche partlye sawe them partlye hearde them of the Apostles And more receue we not because these olde fathers of the firste churche testifie in their bokes that there was no more then these required to be beleued as the scripture of god And yet were these wrytynges no lesse true afore they were alowed by them thē sence Christe witnessing and saying I seke no witnesse of man AVstine to Cassulane In these thynges wherein the scripture of god hath determined nothīg the custome of the people and our elders ordinaunces oughte to be holden as a law and the trāsgressors of the customes of the churche at

this it is not written in this place or to those persons ergo it is not written in the scripture at al. For the shortnes of one Epistle or of one sermon cānot sufficiētly cōteine al thinges necessary for our saluaciō therfore be ther so many bokes of the scripture that what so is omitted and not spok● of in one place or els darkly spokē of mighte bee writtē plainly in another place And for this cause S. Paul writeth to the Colossiās ▪ sayīg whē thys leter is redde wyth you cause it also to bee redde to the Laodicians And reade you also the Epistle written frō Laodicia And Sainct Paul wryteth of himselfe suche as we are in our absence by leters such are we in dede being presēt Moreouer Paul speaketh not here of doctrynes of fayth and charite whiche euer continew wythout chaunging adding or minishyng but of certayne tradicions obseruacyous ceremonyes and outwarde rites and bodelye exercyces whiche as he sayeth is litell worth to god warde but to be vsed for comlines decent order and vniformite in the churche to auoyde schisme whych ceremonies euery good man is bounde to kepe lest he trouble the common order and so breake the order of charite in offendīg his weake brethren so long as they be approued receyued and vsed by the heades and cōmon consente But they and euery one of such ceremonyes as be neyther sacramentes nor commaūdementes of fayth and charite may be altered and chaunged and other set in their places or els vtterly takē away by the authorite of Prynces and other their rulers and subiectes in the church Yea also the tradycyōs made by the Apostles in ful counsel at Ierusalem may be and already are takē awaye as to abstayne from thynges offered vnto Images from blood and strangled ar no where kept And this of Paule that a man should neyther praye nor preache capped or with his head couered is also cleane abolyshed ¶ Doctors to the same purpose wyth theyr aunswers ¶ The .x. Chapter TErtullian of the croune of a soldier He reciting many tradicyons as to reneūce the deuil his pōpe and his Angels afore Baptisme to dip the childrē thrise in the foūt to geue it pappe of hony and milke first thing after baptime and not to wa●●e it in a whole weeke after to offer both at the day of the buriall and birth on the sōday neyther to fast neyther to praye knelyng nor also frō Easter to whitsontide crossinge of our foreheades with diuerse suche lyke saith If thou require a law of these and other suche disciplines there can be no pretence of a law for them out of the scriptures But thou shalt either perceaue by thy selfe or learne of some other that perceaueth it that custome being author confirmer conseruer and obseruer of fayth shal maintaine and defende the cause of this tradicion and custome of fayth BY the scriptures before alledged it is euidentlye proued that all thyngs requisite for out saluacion be set forth in the holye bokes of the bible and that it is not lawful to put any thyng therto vnder payne of euerlastying damnacyō The same Tertulliā also as it is afore rehersed saith that there is nothyng els that oughte to be beleued after Chrysts gospel ōce published Yea all the olde authors a thousande yere after Christ and lykewyse almost all the new affyrme the same and would not haue vs credyte their sayīgs without the profe of gods worde Why shoulde we then beleue Tertullian agaynst so playne Scripturs agaynst the old fathers of the church and also contrarye to his owne sayinges Yet here wyll I gentlye interprete hym so as he maye bothe agree wyth the Scriptures wyth the olde authors and also wyth himselfe Tertullyā speaketh here not of doctrines of fayth hope and charyte but of tradycions outward gestures rites ceremonies which he not necessary for our saluacyon but be ordayned for a decente order and conformite in the churche as is playnly shewed in the answere to Saint Paul in the Epystle to the Thessaloniās And that he speaketh of such rites and ceremonies it is euident For all those that he rehearseth be mere ceremonies and few of them kept at this day which nomā myghte haue altered or abolyshed if they had bene necessarilye to be kept vnder payne of damnacion CIprian to Pompeius agaynste Steuēs Epistle It is of no lesse authorite that the Apostles delyuered by the instructyon of the holy gost then that which Christe● himselfe delyuered CIprian speaketh not here of tradicions vnwritten but of such thynges as the Apostles delyuered in their writings as the gospels and Epistles like as Paule sayeth I deliuered you that I receiued of the Lorde● whiche thing he wrote to thē But if thei wil nedes vnderstand him of thynges delyuered by the Apostles wythout wrytyng then answere him as Tertullian ORigen In obseruaūces of the church there be diuerse thīgs which al men must nedes do and yet the reason of them is vnknowen to all men And he reciteth in maner the obseruaūces that Tertullyan doeth and after he concludeth Who can certenly tell the cause of all these thinges THe answer made to Tertullian wyll serue Origen here A Thanasius vpon the .2 Epistle to the Thessa. Cap. 2. vpon this place State et tenete Hereby it is playne that Paule delyuered many thynges wythoute the scripture not written in his Epistles but by worde of mouth only And these are worthy no lesse faith then the other Therfore I doe iudge the tradycion of the churche to be a thyng worthy to be credited so that if any thyng be deliuered by it make no farther searche● CHrisostomꝰ in the .2 Epistle to the Thessa. Cap. 2. Stande fast brethren and kepe the tradiciōs c. Hereof sayeth Chrysostome it is playne that Paule deliuered not all things in his Epistles but also many thynges without writing and as wel those as these ar worthi of like faith Wherefore we iudge the tradicion of the churche worthye of credite it is a tradicion searche no farther EPiphaniꝰ against heresyes li. 2 to mo .1 Agaynst those that call thēselfes Apostles .1 cor 11. 14. 15 We must saith he vse tradicions for all thynges can not bee perceyued by the holy scripture Wherfore the holi Apostles haue set furth vnto vs some thynges by the worde of god and sōe thynges by tradicions as the Apostle sayth as I haue deliuered vnto you thus I teache and thus I haue deliuered in all churches and thus you remēber by what meanes I haue preached vnto you except you haue beleued in vayne ANswere these .iii. authors lyke as Tertullyan is answered sauing that they alledge S. Paul for their purpose but clearly wrested from his true meaning as it shal easely appeare to euery indifferēt reader that is not blinded of malice to resyst the truth as they may plaīly perceue by the answere made

like wyse to be punished as the breakers of gods law Of which thinges if thou wylte dispute and reproue one custome by another there shal aryse an endlesse strife He repeteth also this sentence manye tymes that what so euer is vniuersally obserued not writtē in the scripture nor ordained by general coūcels is a tradiciō come from the Apostles ANswere him as Tertullyan yet of all other authors he is most playne that nothing is of necessite to saluacion besydes the Scriptures of God But let vs graunt for their pleasures that those customes whiche they speake of bee tradiciōs Apostolyke yet they bee no longer nor other waies to be obserued then the tradiciōs Apostolike writtē Which as is before fully proued mai and are already be both chaunged clearly taken awaye And as concernyng custome it is playnlye proued that it is not to be receaued agaynste the Scrypture trueth or reason THey sai moreouer that the perpetuall virginite of our Lady is to be beleued of necessite as Ciprian Chrisostome Ierome Ambrose Austen and all other speakyng therof say But this is not founde in the scripture ergo there is some thīg to be beleued that is not written in the Scripture THe minor that is to say that thys is not written in the scripture is false For firste none of the old authours that rehearce tradiciōs of the Apostles vnwrytten make mencion of the perpetual virginite of our ladye to be one of them but they rehearce only diuerse cerimonies or bodelye gestures and suche rites vsed in Baptisme prayers holy dayes and fastynges which as I haue manyfestly declared are not necessary to saluacyon But the most part of them are cleane taken away and the contrarye commaunded and vsed by the vniuersall churche Moreouer all the sayed authours proue her perpetuall virginite by thys texte of Scripture EZechiell 44. Thys doore shalbe styll shutte and not opened for any man to goe thorowe it but only for the Lord god of Israel yea he shall goe thorowe it els shal it be shut still For if these and suche other fathers had not iudged her perpetuall virginite to haue been wrytten in the scriptures they woulde neuer haue iudged it to haue bene a thing to be beleued vnder payne of damnacyon Sainct Ierome also calleth Heluidiū a rashe and an vngodly man because that he taught that our Ladye hadde other children by Ioseph after Christs birth which doctrine he coulde not proue by the scriptures of god In like maner we cal al them that preache a ny doctrine in the church without the Authorite of gods worde both vngodly rashe and wicked members of Antichrist ARgument Yet they bring forth to maintaine their errour the Baptisme of infantee which they say is not contained in the scriptures and yet this is to be obserued vpō paine of dānaciō of the said childrē Ergo there is sōe thyng to be done of necessite to our saluacion that is not contained in the scriptures ON what a gappe these men open both to the Donatistes to the Anabaptists that deny the baptising of infantes For if it were not writtē in the worde of god no manne ought to beleue it or vse it And so the Donatistes Anabaptistes doctryne were true outs false But in dede the baptisme of infaūtes is proued by the playne scriptures Firste by the figure of the old law which was circūcisiō Infātes in the olde law were circūcised Ergo in the newe lawe they ought to be baptised Againe Infātes pertaine to god as it is said to Abrahā I wil be thy god the god of thy sede after thee Christ saith also suffer children to come to me for of such is the kingdome of heauen And agayne see that ye despice not one of these lytle ones for their Aūgels in heauen alwayes behold the face of my father which is in heauē for the sōne of māiscōe to saue that that is lost And agaīe Paule sayth that youre children art holy nowe By these and many other playne wordes of Scripture it is euidente that the Baptysme of infantes is grounded vpon the holye scriptures FVrthermore the churche saye they hath chaunged the Sabboth daye into the Sondaye whych Sabboth was commaunded by God and neuer man found fault there at Seeyng thē that the church hath authorite to chaunge Goddes lawes muche more it hath authorite to make newe lawes necessarie to saluacion THere bee 2. partes of the Sabboth day One is the outward bodely reste from all maner of labour and worke and this is were ceremoniall and was taken awaye with other sacrifices and ceremonies by Christ at the preaching of the gospell The other part of the Sabboth day is the inwarde rest or ceassing frō sinne from our own wils and lusts and to do only gods wil and commaūdementes Of this part speaketh the Prophet Esai He that taketh hede that he vnhalow not the sabboth day is he that kepeth himselfe that he doe no euyl and they that hold greatly of the thing that pleaseth me and kepe my couenaūte vnto them wil I geue an euerlastyng name that shall not peryuse And moreouer the same Prophete sayeth If thou turne thy feete from the sabboth so that thou doe not the thing which pleaseth thy selfe in my holy daye Then shalte thou be called vnto the pleasaunt holy and gloryous sabboth of the Lorde where thou shalte be in honor so that thou do not after thine own imaginacions nether seke thine own wil nor speake thyne owne wordes Then shalt thou haue thy pleasure in the Lord whiche shall carry the hyghe aboue the earth and fede thee with the heritage of Iacob thy father for the Lords own mouth hath spoken it This spirituall Sabboth that is to abstayne from synne and to doe good are all men bounde to kepe all the dayes of their life and not only on the sabboth day And this spirituall sabboth may no man alter nor chaung no not the whole church That the vtter obseruinge of the sabboth is mere cerimonial sainct Paul writeth plainly as that the holy daies of the newe mone and of the sabboth daies are nothinge but shadowes of thinges to come And that the outwarde bodely rest is a mere cerimoniall precept S. Austine also affirmeth saying that amōg all the ten commaundements this only that is spoken of the sabboth is cōmaūded figuratiuely but al the other commaundements we must obserue playnly as they be cōmaunded with out any figuratyue speche IErome also to the Galathians 4. accordyng to the same sayeth leste the congregaciō of the people with out good order shoulde dimmishe the faith in Christ therfore certaine daies wer appointed wherin we should cōe together not that that daye is holyer then the other in whiche we come together but that what soeuer day we assemble in there might aryse greater ioye by the sight of one of vs to another But he that wil

and that in no smal trifles Exodus xxxii a. 2. Tim. 2. 3. Reg. 22. Hiere 20 This and such like is the rewarde of al true preachers and faithful seruauntes of god 1. 〈◊〉 vii et ii Machabeorum iiii Math. iii. b. xii c. xxiii d. Act. iiii d Actes vii g. Euse. ecc his lib. ii cap. xxii Acte ix Actes xxiii Ruffini lib. i. cap xvii Socratis Lib. 6. cap. 18. Marke well the fruites of this outwarde churche and by them ye shal knowe what they be the Pope maketh him selfe equall to God yea rather aboue him in this his promise This is one of the practises of prelates The spiritual man neuer persecuteth the carnal man but forgeueth him Hier. ad Gala. iiii Exo. xii i. Pet. ii d Eph. 1. d. Collos. 1. Iohn 10. Iohn 5. 2. Tim. 3. Psa. 116. c Goddes word only certifyeth a man whether his fayth be good or no. Trie euery spirite but alow none further then thei agree with the written scriptures Goddes word trieth all thynges whether they be good or badde Their cōsciences shal therfore cnodēne thē for so doing if they repent not in tyme. Math. 16 the witte and vertue of delicate gospellers is in their tongues Math. 23. ii Mach. vi b. Ebru xii ● Para. 13 The wil of a womā must be folowed or els al the 〈◊〉 is in the fier● 3 Re. 19. c 3. Re. 18. 4 Re. 18. 4. Re. 21. 4. Re. 23. 4. Re. 24. As princes wold so all thinges were done Math. 26 Math. 27 Theodoriti lib. 2 cap. 18. The priestes for the most part wer double faced turne tippettes and flatteres ▪ These be the Popes thunder bolts wherewith he feareth the people and maketh them to incline to his waies It was a smal matter at that tyme to be displesed with such mē and so much the more for that thei withstod priuate commodite Priuate commodite and Popishe sutte Itie ouercāe good publike policie and brought in tirannye Thei are al periured so many as gaue their consent to the bringing in of the Byshop of rome The Byshoppes I warrāte you were none of those for they can not erre these are wauer̄ig redes ct perfecte wether cockes that turne with euery winde By their dedes ye shall knowe thē what they be In his .3 boke of Christiā doctryne cap 28. In hys ● boke of Christiā do●trine cap 9. In his ● ▪ boke of m●●●es and forgeuenes of sinnes tom 7. cap. v●●i Vpon Genesis cap 14. hom 35. In his vnperfecte worke cap. 23. Iacob 1. ● Math. 22. Mark 12. Ioan. 10. ● Apo. 3. b Iohn 15. Ephe. 2. d 2. Iohn epistle c. Deu. 4. Deu. 12. Ibid● in fine Deu. 18. Pro. 30. lere 23. Math. 5. Math. 7. Math. 15. Math. 28 Mark 16. Iohn 5. Iohn 5. Iohn 20. Actes 20. Acte 26. Rom. 10. Rom. 14. 2. Cor. 1. Gala. 1. 2. Tim. 3. 1. Pete 4. 2. Iohn epistle Apo. 22. Doctrine in religion must be groūded vpō the scriptures only we maye not build our faith vpō mēs tradiciōs The Apostles taught nothing but that whyche they learned of Christe The first point of belefe is that after the gospell none other thīg is to be beleued There is no certēty in that the scripture defineth not The law the Prophetes and the gospell are the first doctrines ct therfore true Our wordes with out gods wordes are not to be beleued That which cā not be proued by the scripture leaue to god If Paul thought his aucthorite Al bokes which be not in the Canon of the Bible are called Apocrypha and are not sufficient to proue any Articles of our sayth No man can dispence with goddes law Things that be not commaūded be indifferent to be vsed or not vsed but yet as charite requireth Searche no further then the gospell In time of here●ie there is no meanes to trye the truth and the true church of Christe from Antichrists churche but only by the scripturs An heauy sayīg but ala● to true Prechers most neyther adde nor take 〈◊〉 frō gods lawe They that host thēselues of the holy goste with out scripture be voide of the holy goste Heretiks oughte first to be cōuinced by the scripturs and after by reasō To prech ani thing besydes goddes worde is to sow sediciō and heresie Al things may be determined by the scripture The holi scripture cōteineth all thinges nedefull for our saluaciō A preacher must speake nothyng but out of gods mouthe Beleue him not that speaketh without the scripture He that beleueth the gospel written nedeth beleue nomore Not mās wisdome but the holi gost is the true expositor of the scripture nothing is of lyke aucthoritie wyth the holy scripture Goddes word cutteth of al tradiciōs apostolik as they cal them which be beside the same worde we ought not to alowe ani mans doctryne wythout gods worde the Apostles groūded all their doctrine vpō the law and Prophetes To build vpon any doctours saying without scripture or reason agreing to scripture were to folow Pithagoras rather then Christe Be a mā neuer so holy and neuer so learned after the apostles yet his wordes without gods word are of none aucthorite To teach that as nedefull to saluacion which C●●yst ●ath not taught is dān●●le the soule liueth only by the worde of god nothing is to be added to the word of god althoughe it be for a good purpose As well who precheth beside the gospel as against it is accursed Euen the Apostles preching besides the gospel ar not to be beleued Christe made all to be written that he wold we should reade we are as wel boūd to beleue that which the Apostles wrote as thoughe Chryst had written it with hys own hād The church is knowen by the scripture Al that concerneth true relygion is contained in the scripture The worde written is inoughe for oure saluacion No man is bound to beleue farther then the holi scriptures teache The balance to trye the trueth is the holy scripture Thei that sit on moses seate and teach their own doctrine are not to be beleued Al euil is condemned by the scripture and all good thynges are there founde We may lawefulli dissēt frō all doctrine except the scryptures onlye al things that concerne fayth hope loue and good maners are cōtained in the scripture not what we say but what the lord that must be heard The church is knowen by the scriptures We may doubt of all mens doctrine but not of holye scripturs If gods scripturs can not discusse a matter in doubt let man neuer go about to discusse it Who fedeth with the scriptures fedeth safely Other therfore with vnwritten verites fede vntrulye In the scripture are all thinges necessary for faith and good lyfe which two suffice for saluacion If any mans saying or writinge cannot be proued by plaine scripture or good reason gathered of the sāe a mā mai alowe or refuse it as him liketh The olde writers are not of suche aucthoritie but

answere wittelye to the question propoūded affirmeth all the dayes to be lyke and not that Christ is crucified only on good fridai and riseth only on the sōday but that euery daye is the daye of the Lordes resurrectiō we eate his flesh alwaies But fastinges and comminges together wer ordeined of wise men for thē that geue thēselfes rather to the world then to God that cannot yea for thē that wil not come there at all there to make their sacrifice of praiers to god in the face of all the people Herby you may easely perceaue that the church hath not chaunged the speciall part of the sabboth whiche is to cease from vice and sinne but the cerimoniall part of the Sabboth only whiche was abrogate and taken away with other cerimonies of Moses law by Chryst at the full preachīg of the gospell In place whereof the churche hath ordayned the sonday for causes afore sayd ¶ The Papystes obiectyons with answers vnto them ¶ The .11 Chapter MOreouer they boast thēselfes of the certētie of their doctrīe and proue it to be true by the long continuance therof and luckye prosperite of their kyngdome and their aduersaries doctrine to be false by the persecucions plages myseries and afflictyons which they dayly suffer for their doctrines sake IF the trial of true religion shoulde rest vpon antiquite of tyme or vpō worldly prosperite thē should the gentyls and pagans haue a great aduauntage of vs Chrystians and their religion should be better then ours by the restimonies of our owne scriptures For idolatrye and wor●●ipping of false gods and their image●● was vsed long before the law of god writtē and geuen to Moses in which errors and idolatry the heathen continewe vnto thys day in great prosperite wealth vnder most victorious Emperours and Princes whereas the true churche of Chryst hath been most miserablie affllicted from tyme to time first vnder the Egiptiās after by the Philistines Cananites Pheresites c. then by the Babilonians Assirians Medes Persians Sirians and Romanes both subdued conquest and led awaye captyues And last of all by the turke and the pope the .ii. hornes of Antichrist the true church of christ hath been mostcruelly persecuted vnto death with prison famine water fier fagot and sworde these .vii. or viii yeares last past Which Turke Pope although they be mortall enemies the one to the other yet as Herode Pilate the Bishops Scribes Pharisees although they were vtter foes ech to other conspired agaīst iunocent Christ causeles condemning him to death on the crosse In lyke maner I say the Pope and the Turke do fully agree in this one poynt to persecute and murther Christ in hys faythfull members For as the sonne can not be withoute hys brightnesse nor the fier without his heat so cannot the true churche of God be long without the crosse of persecucyon as witnesseth S. Paule al they that wil liue godly in Iesus Chryste shal suffer persecucion And our sauiour Christ sayeth plainly that his kingdome is not of this world For if they persecute me sayeth he they shal also persecute you Chryste geueth not to his Apostles earthlye peace in this world but peace and quietnesse of conscience ioyned with persecucion For if the wicked persecuted Christ himselfe shal they not also persecute hys seruauntes And if they so handeled Christ being the liuely tre● what thinke you shall they doe to vs his withred braūches And as the true churche of Chryste can neuer be long wythout persecution in lyke maner can the false churche of Sathan and Antichriste neuer ceasse from persecutynge as it appeareth throughe oute the Historyes of the whole byble Of the tyrannye and crueltye of Antichrist in persecutyng of Chrystes true church prophesied Daniel lōg before speaking of the Empire and regiment of Rome The .4 beast saith he shalbe the .iiii. kyngdome whyche shal be greater then all other kyngdomes it shall deuoure treade downe and destroye all other landes he shal speake wordes agaynst the higheste of all ▪ he shal destroye the sainctes of the moste highest and thinke that he can chaūge tymes and lawes agayne he saieth of Antiochus which was a figure of Antichrist there shall aryse a king vn shamfast of face he shalbe wise in dark speakyng he shalbe mightie and strōg but not in his own strēgth he shal destroye aboue measure and all that he goeth aboute shall prosper in hys hande his hearte shall be proude he shal slaye the stronge and holy people and through his craftines falseheade shall prosper in his hande and manye one shall he put to death in his weal thynes he shall stande vp agaynst the Prince of Princes but he shalbe slain without hande Of the tyrannye and prosperous successe of antichrist in slaying of the sayuctes of god and the rewarde of them that bee slaine for the witnes of gods trueth speaketh also sainct Iohn in the .vi. Chapter of his Apocalips vnder the openyng of the iiii and .v. seales and in the .xvii. chapter he lyuely setteth foorth the Pope in his own colours vnder the person of the whore of Babilon being dronken with the bloud of saynctes pointyng as it were with his finger who thys whore of Babilon is and the place wher she shal reigne saying the woman whiche thou sawest is that greate citie which reigneth ouer the kyngs of the earth Now what other citie reigned at that tyme or at any tyme since vnder the Christian kings of the earth but only Rome Wherof it foloweth Rome to bee the seate of Antichrist and the Pope to be verye Antichrist himselfe I could proue the same by many other scriptures olde wryters strong reasons But for as muche as Rodulphe Gualter hath writtē herof a notable worke in Latē now of Laten translated into Englishe by I. O. I remit the reader to his boke wherin he may be fully satisfied herof Of the prosperite and securite that the false churche hath in worldlye pleasures vsynge the same with al gredines voluptuousnes of carnal lustes with the wicked deuices of tiranny against Christ and his true members wherwith the vngodly daily persecute and murther gods electe for his trueth wyth the rewarde also of them that suffer for the same truth sake it is most playnly wrytten in the ii and .iii. Chapters of the booke of wisdome By these scriptures now rehersed it appeareth most plainly that worldly prosperite of the Pope and his clargy proue not the trueth of their doctryne nor yet persecutyon of Goddes true preachers and other faythfull people argueth their doctrine to bee false But if thou wilt nedes knowe where the true churche of Chryst is where the false and not be deceyued herin take this for a plaine and ful answer that wheresoeuer the worde of god is truly preached without addiciō of mans doctrines and tradiciōs and the sacramentes duly ministred according to Christs institucion ther