I Haue perused your e­pistle, mayster Hiero­nimus, whiche is di­rected principally vn­to the Quenes most excellent Maiestie, but (in that it is in prynte and walketh cōmon­ly in euery mans hand) towcheth all vniuersally. You are (I con­fesse) in wordes and sentences a lykely workeman, and thervpon haue presumed accordyngly, that you a pryuate man, disneighbou­red from vs by sea and lande, & in our affayres vnacqueynted, haue so homelily opened your mouthe [Page] vnto the Quenes highnes, strey­ned the aucthoritie of our lawes, & charged our whole realme with a certaine vngodly & lothed new­nes. Wherfore you must of reason pardon mee, that I an Englishe man borne, one of the quenes maiesties suppliauntes, & enfourmed in my countrie fashions, do make you aunswere, and vse my penne somwhat franckely, not so muche vpon an angry pange, or a bytter contentious harte, as to correcte this your mistakīg of the englishe state, sprōge of false surmises, and to restore the truethe vnto them, whō peraduenture this your let­ter hath peruerted. And to geue you plaine vnderstanding that I am not blowen vppe with anger, but of duetie moued, I confesse [Page] your kynd of writing worthy sin­gular cōmendation, and besydes gyue you thankes that (beyng so well endewed) you haue extolled our renowmed Quene, whose ex­cellencie althoughe it farre sur­mount the heapes of your praise, yet a forraine testymonie beauty­fied with eloquence, no doubte is very plausible. Of thestate of a Monarchie you play the Phylo­sopher handsomly within the bā ­des of knowledge, & reason deepe­ly of the choyse of Religion, but sir, in both you haue a foule fault, that is, ouercharging & beatinge our eares with thynges vulgare­ly knowne, and plentie of proofes where no doubt is. This waye fyrst taken, your penne by stealthe crepeth on to the purpose, name­ly [Page] to rifle such religion as (by your saying) we haue receyued. And, lo, howe in the very entrance you wittingely trippe, or rather take a cleane fall throughe grosse ig­norance of our English customes, fatherynge vpon the multitude & common people the ratefyinge of our Religion authorised by pub­like decree, and feyning the exclu­sion of the Royall estate from af­fayres of the Churche. Where as with vs it is an vnfallyble cus­tome, that no lawe come forthe wherevnto the whole common wealthe shall stande bounde, bu [...] the people fyrst geue their voyces therevnto, secondely as well the temporall nobilitie as the clergie do subscribe, & last of al the prince confyrmeth it. The contrarye if [Page] any man haue whispered in your eare, then are you both in faulte, he for his lowde lye, and you for swift credit. But if you haue builded this out of your own braine, to disfygure our lawes as rawe & halting, inuented of peasauntes, I may saye it was doone of small curtesie, before you haue geuen vs halfe a tast of your matter, to blow out vpon our englishe law­es so heynous a slaunder. Then followeth a weyghty and strong supplication to the quenes grace, that if you can by sounde reason and open profe lay before hereies in religion what is pure & vnlea­uened, that then her grace wolde not be so stif and vnmoueable, but yelde her selfe, acknowledge the blasing light of the trueth, and be [Page] contented of you to be guided out of the wyndinge by walkes of er­rour. Herein you speake reason, and therfore I require the lyke of you, that if I trie this your accu­sacion to cōteine more wrangling then good argument, lesse trueth then stomacke, double malice for syngle reason, no fryndely confe­rence grounded on religion, but a plaine taunt cōpounded of slan­derous wordes, hereof when I haue made a solemne proofe, that then I may geue free sentence of you, that you are too busie a ser­uitour in a forrein Realme, vnad­uisedly carpynge, where no man knoweth lesse then you. You step in with a deadly complaint, exag­gerate with most select and preci­ous wordes, how certaine routes [Page] of men (God knoweth who, and where they be) haue reuolted frō the apostolike trueth, and fetched in a newe fayth, a straunger vnto vs, craking of lybertie, yea suche a one, as is moste pestilente, swel­ling with the waues of mischifes out of all number. Then fall you vppon the authours therof, ouer whom you thunder and lyghten with suche thicke flasshes & taun­ting terrible clappes, as though they were in earthe of all other most detestable. Where are these your monstrous babes of Religi­on? whiche be they? howe longe haue they contynued? or howe might I come to the knowledge of them: where are such wonders to be founde vnder the shape of mē? what do they, how do they? [Page] howe did you fyrst knowe them? Certifie vs of the thinges, pointe to the persons, subscribe the time leaue not out one circūstance, that we maye haue some sure grounde to pitche vpon, and so to susteine your encountringe. You hallowe as loude as you can againste reli­giō, with her capitaines you will fyghte, you speake bitterly vnto both, and are content to shew vs neither of them, what it is, wher it is. This your accusation is to be pitied, which if I dashe in the teethe with one contrary worde, must nedes commend it felfe vnto silence. You crye, naye you make an outcrie, and that ful ruthfully, that there is a fourine of religion newely admitted, accursable, de­testable, abhominable, whose au­thours [Page] are vnhallowed persons, ruffyans, sorcerers, vndoers of common wealthes, and professed enemyes of mankynde. I on tho­ther syde do depose that there is nothinge lesse, I credite you not, I demaunde your proofe. Nowe what saye you? what proue you? You crye with open mouth, there is no wyckednes but you haue y ^e termes of it, which (I smell) you had gathered together, therwith to deface your imagined Religiō, and to wounde suche persons as no man knowethe but your selfe. Nowe surely, to disquiete with suche chaunge of tauntes, euen to the princes face, the most famous Isle in Christendome, to you vn­knowne, vpon the false ianglyng either of our ilwillers or your pa­rasites, [Page] and not to determine ey­ther the cryme or persons, argu­eth in a man small aduisemente, & foule mispending of time in bely­inge of other. But to go further: you terme this our Secte by the name of a people pleaser, cauilling that they do not subdue vices, but set men on fyre with sensualitie, yea with madnes, and that there are examples enough of their sor­cerie and treason against princes. A horrible allegation, yea a dete­stable kinde of men, if there be a­ny suche liuinge. If there be no such at all, then great is the rash­nes of thaccuser, in an estate wholsomly setled, to rayse suche vppe­rores. Mary (to speake a trueth) now that you haue vncouered vnto mee this platte of poysoninge [Page] and conspiracies, looking a lyttle backe vnto the recordes and hy­stories of our predecessours, I be­ginne to call to mynde Henry the fourth of that name, Emperour, vnto whom a Moncke of mon­strous and wicked monckysh cru­eltie, euen in their late godefyed Eucharist ministred poison, whervpon he died, and whose counsell was intermedled herein, the hy­stories do tell. By the lyke accur­sed enterpryse of the like ghostlye person, was king Iohn of Eng­lande murthered, as our Crony­cles do testifie. But to sticke in the recitall of particulers, especiallye vnto you, is nedeles, who borde­rynge nearer vpon such practises then I, maye of likelyhod, with more speede learne out of the Re­gisters [Page] of your neere neighbours, what poysoned drafts haue wal­ked too and fro, betwene the su­pernatural demigods and proude patrones of the Romish churche, and howe or by whom the pryn­cypall seede of warres haue bene sowen throughout all Realmes christened. But I wil not procede in accusatiōs as you doe, nor vrge you with suspicions, but in moste humble sort wyll lift vp my han­des vnto the euerliuing god, soū ­dinge out vnto hym all thankes possible, that hath vouchesafed to putte a side the depe mistes of the former tymes, with the sonn­lyght of hys gospell rysen vppe e­mong vs, through thignoraunce whereof, and former affiaunce in blinde superstition we wallowed [Page] in the syncke of synne wythout any remorse, thinkynge all to be raunsomed, what so euer we did in our lyfe wickedlye, by a leaden charter of popish pardon, and the muttringe of prayers whiche we vnderstoode not. Then came the authoritye of the holy scriptures, thundrynge at the doore of oure eares, and sente into our conscien­ces such shiuering and feare, that nowe we fixe our whole trust and ankerholde in the free mercye of God, all humaine inuentions re­iected and set a part, alwaies ha­uinge an eye to the counsell of the Prophete, to fashyon & shape our conuersation vnto holynesse and righteousnes. Whiche being so, I meruaile what should be thende of your tedious discourse vnto the [Page] Queene wherein you wyshe all Prynces to prouide and to bee in continuall watche, least throughe this newe borne secte (not yet by you well expressed) they treade a­wry. Doubt you not but that our Royall Queene is surely enough planted in al prosperity, & louyng her people is eftsones loued, fe­linge not one breath of these stor­mes which you harp vpō. Other cōmon welthes haue taken their rest, and presentlye I truste are in quiet. I knowe nothing vnto the contrary, vnlesse you obiecte the late broyle in Fraunce, whiche now is appeased, and whence the firste blaste thereof came it is a thinge sone toulde. but sithe you name nothing, let it goe. There ensueth in your treatise a vulgare [Page] and olde beaten quarrell of the frailetie of this present lyfe, whi­che your aduise is to contempne, & to make a way vp into heauen, to set the world farre from vs, to thende we may attaine vnto euerlasting felicitie. Then fall you in­to admiratiō, that herein we wil cleaue vnto newe shepeheardes, where as in your mynd, the olde may suffice. yet are you contente to suspende your verdicte, & that inquiraunce be made of our grene Pastors newely chopped in, whi­che wil in no wise be coūted new­fangled, taking vppon them (the schoolemēs drowsy dregges wy­ped away) to scoure & clense the Churche, and to trymme it vppe according to thinstitutiō of the a­postles, so to represente vnto all [Page] Christendom the veritie founded in the gospel of Iesus Christ, this longe tyme ouermaistered by co­uetise and ambitiō, to blase with the starry brightnes of holy scripture gods glory so darkned with mannes dreames and fansies, to vndoe the yoke of superstition, & fynally to reedifie the sincere worshyp of god after thauncient rule & discipline of y ^e primitiue church. These mennes profession you so well lyke, that you loute & scorne their enterpryse: these be they whom you vex and tosse at wyll, one while scoffing, another while fuming, nowe cryinge, and then yellyng out. Very well. Now at length I see what new secte you meane, againste whom you haue so busylye discharged and let flye [Page] all this eloquence. I haue nowe espied your aduersaries, whō you must needes haue pruned of, and cast on the dounghill, as the very poyson of a common wealth. Me thinckes on the cōtrary side, that these preachers of the gospell are the seruantes of the hyghest god, sent euen of God him self, to quic­ken our assedlike slouth in these slyppery tymes and latter cast of the world, to spurre our loytring, to refute our falshode, & to checke and taunte our wickednes. And therfore such men ought to be ser­ched out of the prynce, and had in estimation througheout the com­mon wealth. Se what differēce is betwene your opinion & myne. Wherfore we must march on, and consyder what you, (a graunde [Page] doctour for a prynce forsothe) can eyther alledge truely, or vntruely forge against gods reuerende mi­nisters and seruauntes. And al­though (as it may be,) this slaun­der procede of some other: yet shal you beare double blame for rashe credite, and more rash puttyng of the same in wrytyng. I wyll not trauise all the corners of your ac­cusation, which almost powreth out nothinge but an vnfruitefull ringing in peinted wordes. One­ly I wyll runne ouer your chiefe pointes, and, if I be able, shake the verie pillers of this your accu­sation. Fyrst you say there muste be note taken of the persones, by­cause they promise franckely, and tryall made what their habilitie is, what pith they haue, what is [Page] their vertue and integritie of ly­uinge. Then you demaund whe­ther in godly life they be more ab­solute then Athanasius, Basill, Ambrose, Hierome, & Augustin weare. I wis there are many of them of incomparable learnynge and most godly demeanour, and I see nothynge you brynge, why they may not be equal with these auncient sages. But to bring you out of your odyous comparisons, me thincke you moue an vnreaso­nable question in an vnfyt place. For I auouch that these our preachers whollie agree with those reuerende fathers, treade in the same pathe, and exhibite all one tenour of Religion. If this be so, then make you a vaine compary­son betweene them that be fren­des, [Page] if it be otherwise, enfourme vs wherin they disagree. S. Au­stine lamēteth that his time was so drowned with flouddes of ceremonies, that christians were thē in worse case thē were the iewes before them. Saincte Hierome wyssheth that the sacred scriptu­res, whiche were in your churche so locked vp & smoothered, should be learned by harte both of weo­men and children. S. Basill em­ployed all possible leysure vppon that good worke of learning and also teachinge the gospell. And if the pampered Monckes of oure tyme had lyued in sainct Basiles order, they had not ben once tou­ched. Athanasius his creede stan­deth in ful estimation, & betwene hym and our men no squarynge. [Page] But I thincke I maye be boulde to kepe these our auncients in re­uerence, vntyll you brynge contrary euidence. Of those auncient fa­thers of the churche, seinge your selfe able to bringe nothinge but their naked names, remembryng your self, you passe ouer vnto the men of our age, and leaping firste vpon Luther, you teare the dead man in pieces, firste callyng hym blinde hassard, then a people pleaser, & last (for your pleasure) starck staring madde. This man of god whom you so falselie charge with frenseie, in open auditorie and in presence of Charles themperour, exhibited a sober & discrete soome of his faithe. This franticke fel­lowe in spite of all the wyseste of your Churche, stoode all salfe and [Page] haile the space of .xxx. yeere, they notwithstanding all raginge and cauing for his deathe. Erasmus giueth this lunatike man no base record of innocencie in these wor­des: Luthers doctrine many doe defame, his life al men extol with one consent. You say moreouer he was popular. How expound ye that? If you call hym popular that carketh & careth for the peo­ples health, then no man is more. If you meane a prycker of rashe lightnes amonge the communal­tie, reade his booke wherein he controuleth and taunteth the vp­rores in Germanie, & leaue your slaundering. And that men may not thincke you haue played this naughtie parte onely in Luther, you recite other as though, after [Page] you haue spoken the worde, they were straighte way transformed out of pereles godly mē into most vyle vyllaines. Emong other I wil name you two principall pro­fessours of the gospell, Martine Bucer, and Peter Martyr, which of goddes good gyfte, arryued in this Ilande: Let all our cankerd enemies laye together their hea­des. Let se what one thing euen malice it selfe can note in these re­uerend graues amisse. O golden couple of greyheadded fathers of most happye memorie, of whose learninge right good witnes we haue, euen the bookes by them compiled. whose pure conuersa­tion so many commende, as euer happened into their company. Wherfore (if you be wise) temper [Page] your tongue, and stay your style, and take heede of inconuenience. Deeme not them so largely to be presumptuous persons, vnaduy­sed, and lofty, sithe there is a nū ­ber of theim well knowne, then whom nothing can be foūd, more milde, sober, and aduised. Two I haue named, the like testimony mighte I geue of whole hundre­thes. But the sobre conuersation of two persons, bruted farre and nere, maye plentifullye refell one particular mans rash and shame­les cauillation. Then againe you make transition vnto our mens doctrine, mislykinge therein that they vrge nothing but scripture, they call to counsaile nothing but the holy ghost, reiectynge and a­bandoning all humaine authory­tie. [Page] who if they dyd as you saye, they shoulde therin treade in the very steps of our sauiour Christe, thapostels, and olde fathers that were in the infancy of the church. But it is farre otherwise. They do sorte and chuse out the asserti­ons of al approued interpretours of all ages, as declare their boo­kes, whiche are able vnto all the worlde to detecte this your false­hood. You scoffe graciousely, and (in your own fansie) prosecute an inuincible reason against such perfectnes of liuing, as our men take vpon them selues, which you say by their abhominatiō is hourely reproued. Vntrue it is that they presume any iote beyonde manns strengthe, and thother is an olde slaunderous cast, to defame men, [Page] not opening any one spot of theyr vncleannes. Name it if you can, what so euer it be, worthy this your stormie and vehemēt replie. If you can not, leaue for shame, so pestilently to tatle against the re­putation of moste graue persons. You require to haue it specifyed, in what one pointe our men haue refourmed thestate of the church. I neede not tell you▪ you name enough your selfe, sauing that we differ in meaning. You laye vnto our charge that Nunnes & Mon­kes cloystered to attende the ser­uice of God, & to continue in cha­stitie, are now let out and fully li­cenced to all wyll: that their pa­laices are openly cried to sale, and howe lawes are come forth, that vnto luste there be no let in Reli­gion. [Page] O hoorishe impudencie in lyeng, and wyll lawles beyonde measure. We graunte, and that freelie, that vpon aduertisement of our pastors, we let fal vnto the ground those dennes of stincking poyson, wherin were pestered vp young wenches and syllie boyes, to suche ruine of vertue in theim, as for shame I can not discouer. What was there in those shame­full shoppes of synne, but onely a pharisaicall length of seruyce in a straūge tongue? as for other their misteries they most liuelily resem­bled vnto vs the droncken hollie daies of Bacchus. Wherevppon God (no doubte) stirred vppe the mindes of our countrymen, that these infynite routes & swarmes shrowdynge in secrete corners of [Page] abhomination should be rowsed, by their exhortations, from slepe to worcke, from vice to vertue, & from their horryble practyses of fornication vnto lawful wedlock. Not that we enioin any cōstraint of maryage, but plucking our consience out of the yoke of mannes traditions, we restore the lyber­tie of y ^e gospel, wherin the autho­ritie of Iesus christ hath planted vs, by the warrant of his worde. Of their howses there were be­stowed to good and godlye vse of scholes, vniuersities & hospitals. with the reste lawfull order was taken, leste the swynishe genera­tion shoulde once agayne tumble in their durtie dunghilles. This was a worthy & singular blessing of god, wherby there is more ab­bridged [Page] of the hellishe tyranny of Sathan, then by al your canons, layinge them all together. You weepe ouer the pluckinge downe of ymagerie and tableworke, whiche monumentes once displaced, you affirme that ther is nothing lefte to enflame our spirites vnto the contemplacion of heauenlye thinges. We on thother syde re­membring the grosse ignoraunce euen of late tymes, sorely mistrust dotage in idolatrie, agaynste the whiche there are playne textes, yea the gospel geueth vs a watch worde concerning ymages. Whi­che were it not to be passed vpō, yet among Christians ought the written worde of our lord Iesus Christ, to beare great sway, whi­che pronounceth that God is a [Page] spirite, and that they stand in the right way of praier that worship in spirite and trwethe, and suche beadmen the Lord loueth. This is the moste wholesome waye of praying, if we consider eyther the originall or ende of it, which nee­deth not thundersettinge of these outwarde ceremonial thinges, so to clime vppe vnto the throne of God the father. Nay while our outward Adam is to much occu­pied, about these superficial stuffe, the inward mā waxeth keiecold, drincketh in the venemous ioice of a basterdlie Religion, forgoeth the sounde fruite of heauenly me­ditation. Let vs bind vp al with examples: The former auncient churche of apostles and martirs had none of these your costly iew­elles, [Page] & yet was there most whot zeale burnynge in their breastes. In baser times of religiō, by fote and foote in stepped peintrie, and so died in the former loue of gods seruice y ^t was so kendled in mens harts. At last rushed in the schole­mens diuinitie by whole cartloa­des, a birde of an other nest, oug­lie mishapen with superstition: a­non all places were stuffed with peinted stockes and idolls, which being euery where risely worshipped, the true & spirituall honour of God was troden vnder foote. Nowe powre out your Philoso­phie concerning the weakenes of oure capacitie, extoll youre holy blockes vntil you sweate withal, yet is this deepely groūded in the scriptures, that the vndoubted [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] knowledge of god is in his worde, and sincere worshyppinge in spyrite. As for your pyctures, where the spyrite is present they neede not, where that wanteth they auayle not. It were a tedious matter for you to make of euery thyng a seuerall discourse, and therefore with one breath you say that all holly seruice, ceremonies, and sa­cramentes ar by vs cleane sacked and destroyed. What is it that I heare? Is there lyuing any such broode of diuynes, that spoyleth and destroyeth all holly seruice, al ceremonies, all sacramentes? Ei­ther it is so, orels muste this bee, as it is in deed, a shameful excesse in lying. For forreine Churches I can gage nothinge, but I haue a good opinion of them? Of our [Page] orders in diuine affayres I wyll make you a briefe accōpt, not suf­fring you eyther to be ignoraunt youre selfe, or to bewytche other. First (bycause fayth commeth by hearing) we send into al coastes of the Realme Preachers to edifye the people in their duties toward God, and to enstructe them in the true worshipping of y ^e same. Thē haue we an order of commō pray­er collected out of Scriptures, by Parliament (for so we terme the consent of the three estates of our Realme) authorised, frō the whi­che we suffer no man to wander, forseing (wyth all diligence) two pointes, fyrst the holy ghost to be obeyed, warning that whosoeuer open his mouth in the congrega­cion, speake the worde of God, se­condly [Page] that in al things be found an vnity wythout dyscorde. The sacramentes we cause to be mini­stred very precisely after the pre­script of holy writ, and the liuely paterne of the former Churche, wherin the Lorde Iesus Christe first in his own person instituted them with his Apostles. And all these are propoūded in y ^e vulgare toung, for that it is a brutish folly and plainly excepted in the testa­ment, in the presence of God to clatter out that wee vnderstande not our selues. The geuing of or­ders, hallowing of wedlock, chur­ching of childwiues, visitynge of the feble, and burying of the dead corses, we execute with solemne and publike rites according to y ^e veritye in the Gospell, whych we [Page] spice with ceremonies so far forth as al things may procede in order and decently within oure Chur­ches, as we are certainly aduerti­sed out of the gospel. Of y ^e times, places, dayes & other circumstan­ces, we haue made no alteration, neither in the whole body of reli­gion innouated anye thing, but y ^t eyther abhorred from all reason, or was stayned wyth open impie­tie. Thus haue I rypped vp vnto you the rites and manners of our Churche, whych you see is cleane strypped neyther of holy seruice, sacraments nor traditions, but of eche sort hath reserued so muche, that who so chargeth vs to bee voyde of all, wantinge in dede no parcell requisite vnto the peculier anauncement of Gods honor, shal [Page] shal offer vs vnreasonable iniury. You saye we haue shyfted of the yoke of the imperial Bishop, and you saye well. It was to heauy and broosyng, for either vs or our fathers before vs, any lōger to sus­teine. Neither acknowledge we any one high superintendent, but only our lord Iesus Christ, which honor the scriptures assigne vnto him alone. And herein do we not part Christs coate (as you gesse) but wee touse and hale the Po­pes gaberdine, neyther vnlocke we the doore vnto sedicion, but stoppe the hyghe waye, wherein vpon his lawlesse bulles of leade we rode stepe downe into perdici­on. You rake together many vni­ties, and therof packe vp an argu­ment, that in any wise there must [Page] be in the Church one spiritual so­uereigne or hyghe regent. What nedes that? sith euen in the soun­dest age of the Church there was one God, one fayth, and yet not­withstanding had Peter one prouince, Paul another, and Iames another, and diuers other had se­uerall charge, whereas the seue­ring of the persōs was no breach to the vnity in fayth. In sequele of time, diuerse prelates of Rome were holy Martirs, put to death by heathen Princes, vsurping no other crowne but the crowne of martirdome. As for this extraor­dinary popish regalty, they knew it not, and S. Gregorye by name doth defie it. Wherfore if the most floryshinge tyme of the Churche were voyde of thys your Monar­chy, [Page] we also may wesleaue if out, nay we ought so to do, not onely for the streight charge of y ^e scrip­ture, but also the suggestion of all good reason. We cannot abide to haue the head so far distant from the body, especially hauinge thys souereigne power (for the which you labor so harde) here at home in England, that no nede it is to seke any abrode. We haue the full authority of a regall power, con­teyning the whole vertue of king lye iurisdiction ouer the whole Realme. But thys, this is it that you cry away withall, thys hath set you in such a glowinge, that vnto Princes you impute sacri­lege, bicause they extend their au­thoritye ouer the Ecclesiasticall lawes, & dare auenture to touche [Page] things consecrate. What I praye you, M. Hieronimus, come out of thys traunce, fie vpon this impa­cience, in a professed wyse man, let in a littell breath, & chere vp your spirites, you shall se al things in a cleare case. The Quenes maiesty reygneth ouer all her subiectes of Englande. And reason it is. So haue the Frēchmen theyr French king, and the Scottes their scot­tish souereigne. Yea, but she pres­seth in vnto church matters. Not a whytte. Al politike affayres, ar gouerned by ciuill magistrates, & spiritual matters by bishops. In spirituall exploites if any publike order be to be taken, the diuines determine the same, whose deter­mination is by the Quenes Ma­iesty authorised. Now what mis­lyke [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] you? vnder these ordinaunces did the kinges of Israel (in those daies) gouern the proper and pe­culier people of God. Then ensu­ed the gospel, which also making in powers a distinction, fyrst hoy­seth vp the Regal estate, and sub­dueth thervnto al other degrees, by the mouth of Peter & Paule, whose names and titles by false vsurpaciō you deriue vnto thesta­blishing of your Romishe Seig­nory. As for you, you bidde battel not only in behalf of the Romish Scepter, but also for the holy ho­ly decretalles, whose abolishinge you think hath bene the vtter de­cay of godly feare within mennes heartes. Certes I alwayes dee­med that the feare of GOD had sprong by y ^e vertue of holy scrip­tures, [Page] and not by the Romish de­crees, by whose Canons I heare say whole routes haue bene enri­ched, but a sclēder sort trayned to dread God rightlye. Wel, to yelde you so muche, that diuers of your Canons teache reasonable good and wholsome moral doctrine (as I confesse they do) what vaūtage you thereby? we admit bothe de­crees and decretals in our Eccle­siastical consistories and courtes, and of neither sorte disanull anye poinct sauing thauthor, and hym reiect we not as bishop of Rome, but as King of Bishops, and su­preme hed of our church. We yeld vnto no supreme hed within England, but vnto the Quenes high­nes, and out of forrein monumen­tes, we borrow whatsoeuer may [Page] serue for the enhauncing of godli­nes and vertue, yea whēce soeuer it be. Not knowing thys our cu­stome, you bewayle the ruine and decay of the decrees, which (so far forth as they varie not frō Gods worde) stand with vs in full ver­tue and force. You vpbrayde oure preachers as the very fountaines of vnbrideled and wanton liber­tye, and father vpon them such a dissolute and wilfull kind of talk, as the like neuer was in Epicurus or Diagoras. Whom being thus disguised in new colors of your inuention, you lout & flout al at pleasure. Cal to minde, I besech you, how your good master Cicero (he y ^t lent you al your eloquence) saith it is il dealing of iestes with god, whether it bee in sporte or good [Page] sooth. If verye nature did teache the gentilles thys, then had you nede beinge a Christian, to looke with both eyes, what it is like a sycophant with scoffinge to try­umph agaynst Chryst. But to the purpose, we are contente (wyth Sainct Paule) to build vpō that liberty wherin Christ hath plan­ted vs. And this libertye of the spirite we qualifye in suche sorte, that we make exception agaynste the libertye of the fleshe, as S. Paule againe teacheth. We be­leue in y ^e gospell, that euerlasting death is farre from them whych are graffed in Christe Iesus (ad­dinge also that foloweth in the same treatise) whose walkinge is not after the fleshe, but after the spirite. I do not roue out of the [Page] very letter, to take away al suspi­tion of treachery or iuglinge. S. Paul after lōg & serious disputa­tions, concludeth y ^t we are iustifi­ed by faith, without the workes of y ^e law. Let vs subscribe here­vnto, and in no wyse let vs dero­gate from the gospell one iot: ma­ry this is to be learned out of the same leafe, by a lyuely and chary­table fayth. These two thus lin­ked together if we doe holde and maintaine, (as no doubte we do) you ought not to diuorse them, & reply vppon a maisterles errour, which hath no Patrone except it be your selfe. It is no gentlemans practise (that I may vse the ter­mes of the Ciuill lawe) to catche thone ende of a statute, and there by to iudge the whole matter.

[Page]Mangle not our doctrine thus, but repete it as it is. Which done, there shall ye see good worckes standing in their due reputation, & store or graue exhortacions vn­to penitence, and laste of all proue that (for lacke of an aduersarye) you haue made a verye wyse con­flicte with your owne shadowe. Forthe ye goe in your lycencyous stile, horriblye cryinge out, that through this dulnes, nai madnes of our men, all mannes reason is clogged and tied vp, free wil hath no scope nor liberty, and all man­kinde made so bare and so blynd, that there is lyttle dyfference be­tweene a man and a stone, that they make god thauthour of sinn, and bring al thinges to confusion and distemperaunce. Finally that [Page] it argueth iniustice in god, to take vengeaunce of thē whom he hym selfe hath depraued. Suerelie I doe not commonly yelde to any pange: But this once I must ne­des be bolde with you. You haue vttred not onely a dissardlye and vnskilful cauillation, but blasphe­mous withall, and suche one, as the very stones wherof you talk, if they coulde speake, woulde not cast out agaynste our preachers. Dippe your witt and vnderstan­dinge in a little scripture, and re­claim your error. God the father chose vs in Christ before the foun­dations of the worlde were laid, that we might be hollie & blame­les in his sight. You heare recy­ted out of the gospell this diuyne election, which you in wordes so [Page] greuousely detest, and you heare the time also. Neither is that a­ny necessary fruite of thelectiō, to breake downe the pale vnto all lustes and abhomination (as you scoffe most vnreuerently) but to make vs appeare hollye and irre­prehensible before the face of god by charitie, as is worde by worde expressed in the gospell. God it is that worketh in vs bothe y ^e good will and the worke of good wyll. In fewe wordes hath S. Paule clogged and captyuated all our strength and power. How now? is there no difference betwene vs and stones or stockes. O headde made of a blocke that so woulde gather. S. Paule againe calleth vs ioynct workers with Chryste, and commaundeth vs to labour [Page] about our owne sowles health in feare and tremblynge. Howe can that bee (wyll you saye) sithe we leaue all in gods handes: Learne howe in .iii. wordes. I can do all things in Christ which doth for­tifie me. And S. Austine in other wordes compriseth the selfe same sentence very eloquentely. God crowneth in vs his own workes. Now sir. Marck ye well the hol­ly and twise holly purpose of god, surely fensed with the bulwarkes and rampiers of the Scripture? And can ye yet conceiue how we make the prouydence of God not the mother of synn, but the nurce of all obedience? Let vs haue re­course vnto the very fountaynes, whiche not withstandynge that they flowe w ^t streames as sweete [Page] as honny, yet are your hart strin­ges so intoxicate, that you haue sucked therout the blacke poyson of adders and vypers. And that I may haue ineuitable processe a­gainst you, I will recite the very worde of the gospell. The chyl­dren being yet vnborn, when they had done neyther good nor euyll, that the purpose of god by electy­on might stande, not by reason of their workes but by grace of the caller, it was saide, the elder shal serue the younger, as it is writtē. Iacob haue I loued, Esau haue I hated. What sayes your wys­dome vnto this? Beholde once a­gaine the purpose of god, whiche is by election: note the tyme, that is, the children being yet vnborn. What shal we say in this case? Is [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] there any vnrightuousenes with god? that doth S. Paule defye, Hieronimus Ossorius will abyde by it. God by his owne mouthe saide vnto Moises: I wyll haue pitie vpon whosoeuer I take py­tie, and wyll haue compassion v­pon whom so euer I take compassiō. Wherunto S. Paule addeth that it is neyther in mannes will nor cunning, but in the free mercy of God. and this doth he stablish with the example of Pharao, and maketh finall euidence, that god where he wyll taketh pitie, and whom he wyll he maketh harde harted. What saye we hereunto? forsothe we let downe the saile of our owne iudgement, and bowe vnto theternall prouidence of god lying so open in the scripture, and [Page] taking S. Paules counsell by the way, remember that we are crea­tures. Neyther doe we chop lo­gique with our creator, but walke in our vocation, betake our selues vnto our bounden duetie, day by daye craue with submission the grace of the hollie ghost, permytt the residue vnto y ^e botomles mer­cie of god, & in his misteries wade no further, then we haue placket. What saies Hieronimus Ossori­us? Suerly (saith he) if humaine reason be so clasped vp, al free de­liberation forspoken, and our wil hath from euerlasting bene gods prysoner, it must needes followe that the whole mā is cleane shri­uen of all iudgemente, yea of hys senses, that he is no better then a stone, yea god is made the author [Page] of synn. and that against all good reason it is, that we shuld be pu­nyshed for that synne which wyl­lingly we neuer cōmitted. Do I belie one sillable of your wordes, do I misalleage one heare? do ye recognise the words of your own lippes, other starke false orelles blasphemous? you are he, that proude pecocke, checkemate with god, whose sollen stomacke sainct Paule bitterly taunteth and bea­teth down, you being but an ear­then vessell lately purtraited out of moulde and claye, wyll knowe of the potter to what vse he hath tempered you. Downe, I saye downe with this presumption (if ye wil be wiser then erst ye were) lesse of this arrogancie, remem­ber ye are the handye worcke of [Page] your GOD, as we are all, leaue at home your owne awarde, and cast down before the footestole of god your selfe & all that is yours in poorenes of spirite. Or if you haue purchased at gods hande a­ny priuie seale, or extraordinarye facultie, which ye can by no mea­nes geue ouer, kepe it to your self to haue & to holde, suffer vs with quietnes whyning wretches and pulyng soules swathed in sinnes, vnburdened of all humayne affy­aunce, or hope of drowsie deser­uinges, wholie to clinge vnto the immortall prouidence and free of­fred mercie of our good god. At length after a volume of raylynge & vncharitable checkes, you knyt vp a kynde of conclusion, makyng a collection of those thinges, whi­che [Page] our men haue toppled down, the remembraunce whereof ma­keth you to yerne, demaundynge what is set vppe in their place. Both whiche thinges I haue al­readie vnwrapped vnto you, but I will not sticke for a worde, In steed of leysie loytringe of miscre­ant hippocrytes vnder the mistie cloke of superstition, is substitute the dutiful labouryng in christian profession: for raunging lecherye, the honourable state of wedlocke: for the dreaming driftes of mans braine, the written wil of god the father, and our Sauiour Iesus christ, & y ^e therein comprised trea­sures of christian perfection. Here I woulde you had dated your re­prochefull and loueles letter. For although you are neuer weried in [Page] darting out whole quiuers full of sleueles slaundering and hedlesse hatred, yet yrketh it me to recyte them. To what ende or purpose is it, thus without proofe, pythe, or likelyhode to iterate in the ea­res of the Queenes highnes, nay in the face of all Christendome to auouche so importune and so hed­les errours. But I perceyue you are inspired with that poynte of raging Retorique wherof Tullie maketh mention, that is, after one shamelesse shyfte to be cleane shifte of all shame. Wherefore see­ynge you so myldelye mynded, I wil hereafter tread in your owne steps, and as I haue alreadye set my foote agaynst your mysrepor­tes, so will I fight against theym vnto the ende. You geue fierse as­sault [Page] with freshe wordes, but all your puissaūce leaneth vnto olde & stale vices, such as be common vnto all sortes of men. You chyde their pryde, you bid auaunt with their impudencie, you finde them giltie of robberies, poysonynges, high treason, you bring vpon thē so long rowles of enditement as neuer did Cicero vpon Verres, & in thend you frame a reason, that the good vertue of their doctrine sheweth it selfe vnto all mennes eyes in their execrable conuersa­tion. For (say you) of wholsome doctrine buddeth out amendmēt of manners, whiche rule because now it faileth, this fruitles & dry diuinitie of right shoulde be roo­ted out. False is this your pre­sumption of their loose liuynge, [Page] whiche if it were true, yet should it neuer be gathered of your pre­misses. There hath euer ben dar­nel mingled with the wheate, ne­uer was there seede sowen but it hath had dyuerse successe, some choked vppe with thornes, some parched with the heate of y ^e son. The Prophetes were gaine saide by false prophetes. Our sauyour Iesus Christ founde a cruel Cay­phas. the apostles were neuer free frō the tyranny of Nero, no more were the Martyrs of latter yeres salf from deuilishe Decians. But these proofes are too auncyente. Com home I pray you vnto your owne church. In your own chur­che is there not trippinge cōmon­ly? Nay is there not frailtie open­lie? yes, (saye you,) then, say I, [Page] repeate your owne reasons, whi­ch are either as weake as water, orels preiudiciall vnto your selfe, and your pretensed church. This thus agreed on, if you aske where is the perfection of Aungelles, if you exact innocencie as white as snowe, in vaine seeke you in this vale of myserie, the spirite with­out fleshe. But if you wyll stand to the cōparison of the lyuinge of our men and yours, or way their learning and knowledg in equall ballances, wee are at your becke, go too, compare theim from the toppe vnto the toe. And for a breathing while charme your taūting tongue, so like a wanton lauyshe­inge braineles brawles, dumme & mum in graue argument, nothing tastinge of Scriptures, not ones [Page] smellyng of doctours, onely run­ninge in mayne streames of reaso­nable good wordes, but of sentē ­tious pithines welnigh destitute. Of the same stampe is that coun­terpoīt of yours, which you haue so curiously framed. On the one side wherof you recken vppe in a rancke thapostles, whose renow­med vertue and doctrine (as rea­son is) you haue garnyshed with pretie pearles of wordes and sen­tences. On the other syde haue you placed our spiritualtie, whose outragious naughtines you curse as lowe as hell pitt. Which pein­ted pageauntes of your eloquence (had you ben as wyse as you are taken) you shoulde haue hurded vpp vntill some other seasonable weather, for at this presente you [Page] haue lost a fayre long tale. As for vs althoughe we maye without pricke of conscience affirme that the doctrine of our churche com­meth lineally from the apostles, and also the scryptures beare re­corde that thapostles them selues sometimes stombled, and shewed theim selues to be but men, yet graunte we that in eche respecte they farre ouerwent the common frailtie of mannes nature. They were scholemasters picked out by gods owne wysedome, they had our sauiour Christ amonge them euen in their dayly conuersation, they were first possessed of the ho­ly ghoste, and therefore are theyr names vnto vs as names of dig­nitie and reputation. Come vnto latter tymes, one degree lower. [Page] Let your churche shewe her face, and there let truthe trye whether of bothe is neerer cosyn vnto the apostles churche, be it for integri­tie of lyfe or doctrine. This bar­gaine made, we wyll forthwith, sewe our processe w ^t you, & ther­in geue you a large licēs to make the rewes of your comparisons (if ye will) one hundreth folde. But I auaile not, I find you nothing reasonable, you die if you be bar­red bytyng and backbityng, out­ragiously stretching your wynde­pipe against our gospellynge, and therein settinge abroche all your sower eloquence. Storme vntyll you stare, crie out while your iawes wyll holde, yet shal you not by importunitie proue any other sede sowen by our preachers, saue one­ly [Page] the liuely auncient and syncere gospell. In the whiche poynt ex­cept your Romishe See bethinke it selfe, by calamitie and fatall de­solation it shall once learne, at the time when we shal all appeare at the dreadful assise of gods iudge­ment, & in our owne person geue an heauie accompte of our fayth, not out of decrees or decretalles, which be your owne sweete dar­linges, neyther oute of Iulius or Bonifacius his popishe pedlerye, (whose autoritie so pleaseth you) but euen oute of this golden gos­pell, which you so sawcely deride, whiche you so longe whyle peste­red in your darke dungeons, whi­che is by gods good inspiration, & the chiualrie of our souldiours restored againe vnto all Chrysten [Page] Realmes. At that dolefull daye what wil betide you, which haue set your teeth so deepe in vs, whi­che haue laide violent holde vpon the Prophet Ieremie, & by force of armes, after much strugglynge and kicking, brought him to geue euidence against our men. Let vs here that man of god whom you haue cyted, and vpon his prophe­cie examine the truethe: beware, saith he, how you geue care vnto Prophetes preaching pleasaunte thinges and beguiling you, vtte­ring the fansie of their own hart, and not brynginge their message from goddes mouthe, for so they speake which dyshonor me, peace shalbe with you, and vnto those which walke after their own hartes lusts, they haue said, no harm [Page] shall befall you. Here you triūph like a conqueroure, here you crye we are taken halfe oute halfe in. And I crye againe as loude that herein your visardes are pulled of your faces, and how it may so be, I will discrie it to all the worlde. In your temples reignethe this reastie peace, in your synagoges, and in none elles, encampeth and kepeth sleeping holliday this de­uelishe drowsynge, wherein you haue so hushed and rocked vp all other, and then layde your selues downe by them, that neyther you see the poynt of the sword leueled at your owne harte, neyther crye vnto other to eschewe the deadly stroke. The office of publike preachinge, so straightly requyred in the gospell, you haue wholly be­queathed [Page] to certaine silly & fruit­les fryers, who on prescript daies declaime within their compasse, further forth they speake not one word. In their exhortatiōs they vse suche a lengthe, with so small suite and chaūge, that they much sooner seale vp their eyes whiche be wakinge, then styrre theim vp that are on sleepe. O how quyet they be at their seruice and sacra­mentes. Firste the people muste stand without the rayles of their roodeloftes, then syr priest whip­peth vppe all in a tongue that no man vnderstandeth. Howe shall the people knowe to addresse thē selues to battaile, when no man knoweth the sound of the trump. These are the wordes of s. Paul. Looke vnto the masse, that natu­rall [Page] & sweete marrowe of all your hollines. No man hath any part in that playe but the priest, as for the poore people they may see for their loue. The Scripture doth not there ouercharge any manne wyth hearynge, but husheth on sleepe all hir exhortations. Ones in a yeare is the lordes supper ce­lebrated, wel censed with ceremo­nies, God knoweth wyth what troubled conscience. And there lacketh one chyefe point which chri­stes institution requireth, namely that hys death shoulde be had in remembraunce vntill his cōming▪ What maladyes of synne soeuer haue poysoned your foldes, you apply no open soul sa [...]e Priuate satisfaction is made by whispe­ringe in the priestes eare, and if it [Page] be more then a veniall trespasse, the popes leadē bul must be way­ed downe with siluer. Of ceremo­nies there are so many, so sutable, so pompouse shewes, that to the outwarde manne there can be no suche paradise, but for the sowles slender edefyinge, nay nothinge but staruinge cheare. Thus are your hollye orders displayed and layed open. Nowe may it please you to heare ours. Fyrste haue we according to the very veine of the gospell dayly preachinges, whose authority eyther with the threa­tes and menacynges of the lawe breaketh our stubburne synnefull harts, or for the precious treasure of gods promises, doth allure vs vnto vertue. Which if any lewde personnes more rechles then the [Page] rest, do cōtemne or set light by, thē doth the Magistrate by cōstraint driue vnto diuine seruice, there to attend, not vnto mannes glosses, but vnto the certein voyce of god the father & our Sauiour Christ, one whyle terrefying vs and put­ting in feare the vyle leprousye of our synfull fleshe, another whyle spreading vpen vnto vs the wide gates of mercy. Here vnto are ad­ded so many Psalmes & Himnes, and such variety of readinges out of both Testamentes, that who­soeuer among so heauenly peales of solace & comfort, cannot conuey awaye one lyne for his owne lear­ning, is to be thought of all other most vnhappy. Thē followeth the last supper of our lord, of most worthy & vnspeakeable reuerence, frō [Page] no festiuall daye excluded. There doth the minister wyth an audy­ble voice cal forth al such as haue deuoutlye prepared theym selues vnto so heauenly a Table. Forth come the therunto minded, hum­blinge them selues on their knees seuerally, in the face of the congre­gation, and at a moment by pub­licke confession renownce all vn­godlie wayes, & in vnity of praier betake theim selues vnto goddes mercy. The minister pronounceth vnto them certeine principall and chosen sentences of scrypture, ey­ther shootinge at them the thun­derboltes of goddes vengeaunce for their polluted wayes, or ope­ning the flowinge fountaynes of goddes clemencye, that the com­municantes of that heauenlye ta­ble [Page] maye oftentymes quake and tremble, and at the laste refreshed againe with hope of pardon, re­ceyue a sweete comforte. If there be any whose defamed lyfe maye shewe a perilous example of par­cialitye, or whose wickednes may no longer be borne, those doe we excommunicate, that shame and destitution maye reclayme theym vnto their duetye. Here haue I good occasion to frame a counter­point, as you did before, which if I wold do, I could haue as good store of wordes to polishe and ad­ourne the same. Lastlye I wolde moue a question whether of both diuine seruices more pricketh and galleth all wickednesse. Where is that husshinge at open impietye, y ^t the prophet speaketh of, where [Page] is that depe silence & mumming? and on thother side what galling is to be seene of polluted conscien­ces? with what nippinge wordes are they wounded vnto the hart? what percing sentences are there to stirre vp their slowe blouddes? But I wyll leaue all vndone, I haue profered a tast of the matter, let him be iudge that wyll. This (to conclude) I wyll be bolde to say, that in one assemble at the holy Communion, there are deeper syghes & sobbes, then in sixe hun­dreth of your riotous Massinges. Wherfore it was labor more then neded, out of the Prophet once a­gaine to inculcate, that no earth­ly man hath bene of gods counsel, that no man hath seene or harde hym open his mouth. But thys [Page] pryde is a birde of your owne bo­some, as I declared before. you it is y ^t laboureth to be one of god­des pryuie councellours. As for this controuersie, whether tel­leth his tale out of goddes booke, you or we, the lykelyhood surely enclineth to vs warde, which be cōtinually serching and tourning the scrptures. Your champions waueringe with the wyndes vp­pon the wyde seas of glosses and interpretacions, and totterynge as it were in a slyppery grounde, walk in the wide deserts in great perill of loosing their way. Well ones againe you make bold with Ieremy, not permitting the reue­rende prophet to rest. First you al­leage these words of his: If they had walked in my wayes or had [Page] declared my wil vnto my people, surely they had reuoked them frō theyr euyll waies, and from their wicked ymaginatiōs. Very wel. Let vs begin with Ieremy, who was a famous Prophete, and no man wyll say the contrarye. Did he scare all the Iewes from their vyces: did he bowe theyr backes, and winne them all vnto vertue? wey and consider the whole time of his prophecienge, and ponder wythal the mourneful gronings and wailing of his lamentaciōs. with the forechosē people of god, this man of god easely preuailed, (for my shepe here my voyce saith the gospel) as for the residue they were hardened. Dyd not Paule proue the like in the Romains & the Corinthians? Peter in the [Page] churches of Asia, and our Sauy­our Chryst in infynite numbers of the Iewes, and namely in the Capernaites? Wherfore let Iere­my goe, and leaue youre trifling. Paul planteth, Apollo watreth, but God geueth thencrease. And (as s. Paul witnesseth) this shal be an infallyble rule: God kno­weth hys owne. We must labour wyth all intent, but what good gyfte so euer befalleth vs, it com­meth from aboue, and descēdeth downe vnto vs, from the father and god of light. But you still fo­lowe the chase, inculcating the lewdnesse vnmeasurable of oure men, that is, you inculcate youre owne cankred charitye, and that whyche hath done you so muche good seruice in this Epistle, a sin­guler [Page] sprite of slaundering. I say slaundering, sythe the most part of our men walketh in most per­fect wayes, and associateth vnto the true worshypping of god ma­ny thousādes, & as much abhor­reth that accursed conuersatiō of you pretended, as thys your talk is void of all shame and modesty. And if you wyl do that is chiefly to be done, conferre w ^t the light of our gospell the palpable mistes of your times, and consider what difference there is. Youre last be­neuolence is, y ^t our whole cōfede­racy swimmeth in sectes, & hath made vnlawfull conspiracies to pull in peces all due worshipping of God. But notwythstandinge your cauil, they are linked in per­fect vnity, whych if you doubt, I [Page] betake you vnto thapologie set foorth in the face of all Christen­dome, as an open and vndoubted pledge of our Religion, disgrace it if you can. But you can not for your lyfe, nor any of all your com­plices and adherents, howsoeuer within these few daies one good man hath made hys barkynge brags. Our men (God wotteth) entend no ouerthrow of religiō, beleuing certainly in thimmorta­lytie of our soules. If there be a­ny realme christiā not throughly persuaded therin, turne your tale vnto them: and if ye be not thus satysfied, call to minde that oure men haue geuen earneste of their profession, not alonely with their tongues and pens, but wyth ex­yle, nakednesse, pyning, yea wyth [Page] spēding their bloud & life. Which suerly they wold not haue done, if the grim terrors of this present lyfe could haue foyled theym, or crased their constancye in maine­teining the knowen trueth. But you say you haue made lōger dis­course thē you minded. Yea truly much longer then beseemed you, especially in the hearīg of a most learned and prudent Pryncesse. Whose subtilitye in iudgement might haue put you in some ho­nest feare if you had considered y ^e ground of her good gifts. Whose highnes continually is addict vnto the reading of scriptures, the comparyng of the most approued expositors, & drawyng out of the opinions of y ^e best deuines, whose grace hath atteyned an excellen­cy [Page] in the tounges, ioygned wyth readines and quicknes of reason, & all thys she so gouerneth with Princely wisdom, as in a womā vneth is credible. She gladly frequenteth publique sermons & by continual reading & hearing is so wel applied, that her grace is no lesse able to instructe you then she nedeth your instructiō. Were you euer in hope that such a princesse, of al other most godly & prudent, might by your smooth tale be corrupted, or with sugred words be­guiled? It is nothing so, it is far otherwise, & they haue fowly abused this your kindnes, whosoeuer sēt you in for an opē accuser, espe­cially vnto the queenes presens. But now haue at your conclusiō, wherin I thinke you wyll neuer [Page] conclude anye thing. One flinge more you must haue at the fruits of our doctrine. As for the persōs themselues, those you require to be loked on, and bi them must the religion be valued. What fruites (in Goddes name) misseth youre church in vs, that sinagoge of all other most fruitelesse. But we re­fuse no chalēge, your wil be done. Compare England in what case it nowe is, feeding on the sweete Mannah of Gods worde, wyth that whych was so monstruous to behold before, wyth ougly de­formityes of humain tradicions. Let vs serch the chronicles, let vs discusse y ^e Chronographie of our times, let the Quenes hyghnesse sit in iudgement, and, conferring both tymes, geue sentence accor­dinglye. [Page] This offer if you refuse, then learne at my handes the present estate of Englande, and here after seale vppe your eares at the vnhonest babling of our enemies. A Princesse we haue of absolute power royal, in al pointes incomparable. Whose court is destitute of no ornament, touchinge either the honor of thestate souereigne, or the saulfegarde of the common wealth. The Archbishops & Bi­shops in their owne persons per­fourme the offyce of preaching, & laye theyr owne handes vnto the gouernement of their Churches, alway residēt in them. No vari­ance is ther among the nobility, no breache of dutye in subiectes, peace and tranquillitye through out the whole Realme. In these [Page] things perchaunce you haue ben misenfourmed. But your frēd Ci­cero putteth you in minde, that e­uery man speaketh hys pleasure, but nedeles it is to credit euerye man. These our fell frendes loue well to blowe out not that they knowe to bee true, but that they wish to be true, bicause our good successe and felicity is vnto them a grieuous eyesore. Therfore syr, cheare your selfe, and set a parte thys sorrow so depely prynted in you brest for our sake. Take hede you stryde not out of all pacience, cast not your selfe down I say. If all be well in Portugall, care not for Englād. But it is no meruail that you take these paines, syth we are of alyaunce and kynred. Surelye what knot of kinred so [Page] euer is betwene oure kingdome and yours we gladly embrace it, and desier hartilye to be nearer cosins, knit euen in an heauenlye league. But (I pray you sir) if we be so deare friendes, as you saye, and I beleue you, what toye of frendship is it, thus vnto the ve­ry crowne to heape vs vp with accusatiōs. How dare ye say that through vs men are diuorced frō that ryght auncient & pure religi­on which was ratifyed by christs bloudeshed & euer sence hath con­tinued vntill these dayes, and led aside vnto an other kinde of rely­gion both execrable and horrible. Do you thinke as you say? wyth­out doubte you doe not. For in those auncient and flourishing ti­mes their was no Papacy or Po­pes [Page] holynes, no leaden graces, no purgatory martes, no worshippīg of Images, no gadding pilgrimages, no sacrifyces for the quicke & the dead in Masses, nor any such trumpery. These misshapes of re­ligion what tyme they spronge, & who begat them you cannot but knowe, but that you dissemble & speake to please. Therefore not­withstandinge the terrours that you thūder in the Quenes eares, wyth commemorations of Gods maiestye & the latter iudgement, your long tale so inflammed with fierye wordes, hath not thautho­ritye that followeth truth and ef­ficacye. For why? into a malicious harte entreth no wisdome. As for your malice how sauage it is and hartbent, it is euident not onelye [Page] in euery leafe of your libell, but in one place beyonde shame, wheras in pestilent wordes you denounce sedicion & vprore, you cry to wea­pons, & blow vp the bloudy trum­pet to Ciuill warre. You requyre of the Queenes highnes in post­hast, to tumble downe the religiō by common consente erected, and to make place for yours. The way therunto (you say) is easye & redy troden, for that the greater num­ber enclineth vnto you, y ^t she shall purchase euerlasting renowne, & all the world will clap their han­des for ioy. This is your exhorta­tion vnto the Queene, a wicked & witles exhortation. What? no re­medy, but forth w ^t must we throw from vs the heauenly doctryne of the gospell, wherin, sauing one six [Page] yeares tēpestuous rage, we haue continued aboue xxx yeres, wher­in the Queenes grace hath led all her life, wherein god hath geuen her a blisfull & peasible reygne of fiue yeres, which was by consent of all estates publyshed, whereof haue ishued decrees and lawes of inestimable policy? This inculpa­ble state of religion, y ^e true paterne of gods due honour, on euery side so circumspectly fensed & trenched by the Quenes maiestie, shal one worde euen of one Portugall riue in peeces? shal the epistle of Hiero­nimus Osorius breake the rancke of it? were you euer in this hope your self, or they that craued your helping hand? beleue me you were vnwise when you setled your selfe vnto this enterprise, & they were [Page] not well prouided in wyt y ^t fyrst moued you to so high mattiers. Write as manye thousande inuec­tiues as you please, call to counsel al our aduersaries and yl willers, whō (as it seemes) you haue lear­ned by hart. God wil preserue our Quene out of their mouthes, euē that God that hathe before often times bene her deliuerer. God wil strengthen her in the verity of the gospell, euen god that geueth her hourely strēgth, & for the auauncemente of the testamente and laste will of his son our sauiour christ, wil endew her with honour that shall neuer perishe. As for thys your costly garded theatre, wyth vaūting wordes piled vp as high as heauen, neyther is it so precy­ous a pearle for a prince, or so wel [Page] tuned a songe as to moue her to turne away from the truth euan­gelicall, reuealed vnto her and hir kingedome, and to sette vp newe stages for your Popishe brauery. Therefore you doe like a naturall orator, in the latter wing to place a whyning conclusion, fetched frō the depth of your faculty, wherin for the loue of all holynes, and all halowed thinges, you cry out and adiure our Quene to exterminate these newe Apostles, and to retire vnto your mother church, where­in you painte and set out the bles­sed beauye of vertues, with all fine and farre fetched elegancy of speach, and yet (the more pity) all is not worth one halfe peny. For­soth y ^t you tearme vpstert errour, the Queene certeinelye knoweth [Page] it to be olde furrowfaced veritye, and for the same offereth vppe in humble wyse her orysons & pray­ers, fullye mynded not to forsake it vntil death, no not at the houre of death, perfectlye knowing that she shall out of the holy gospell of our sauiour christ, render streight accompt of her gouernment. And you she deemeth but a smatterer in gods worde, if these thinges bee straunge vnto you, or (if you will not knowe them) a deepe dis­sembler, which faulte was wont to bee farre from a Philosopher. Wherfore in my mind (good may­ster Hierome) you may do muche better in these religious matters, to see what diuynes can doe, and to take vppe your place againe a­monge Philosophers & oratours, [Page] whose misteryes you haue better tasted of. Your stile runneth in a good veine, & (to all appearaunce) nature hath done her part in you. Hereunto is added arte, whiche hath set forwarde the dexteritee of nature. These good aydes of your studies emploied vpon your vsuall and acquaynted matters, wonderful may be your commen­dation. I haue sene your booke entituled of nobilitye, fyne wyth the fynest. God graunt you to re­serue your self vnto such monumē tes, whiche breede none offence openlye, but commoditie and pro­fyte vniuersally. Hereafter if you fall vnto bostinge, and minde too geue freshe assaulte, take it as a forewarninge, to come better fen­sed. What mortalitye so euer be­tyde [Page] me, you shall fynde a num­ber in Englande not alonelye in the churches and vniuersities, but also in the Quenes ma­iestyes Courte, farre sur­mountynge me in scy­ence and knowe­ledge, with you in all thinges cōparable.

(❀)

God be glorifyed in all thynges.