WHeras (Right Honorable) the reformation of those which refuse to serue God with vs in such holy exer­cises of religion as for this purpose are established a­mongest vs, hath bene carefully sought by some punishment of their obstinacie accor­ding to the good lawes prouided in this be­halfe: there are which complaine of this moderate seueritie, and both vnfitly & vn­duetifully terme it by the hatefull and o­dious name of persecution. Of which sort one hath written a whole treatise of this matter by way of an Epistle to his friende which he intitleth of the persecution of Catholiques in England. In which dis­course the Authour is not afraide to offer most shamefull wrong to many faithfull officers of her Maiesties iustice, charging them with rigorous and cruell dealing [Page 2] who haue soberly and temperatly caried themselues, in the execution of such lawes vpon them, as their ill merit had wor­thily made them subiect vnto. By which bold slaunders, he giueth himselfe occasion, so to complaine and cry out of the persecu­tion of Catholiques in England: as if God had not set ouer vs and them, a gratious Ladie, of famous renoume for milde­nes and clemencie, who seeketh onely by a reasonable correction to winne them to o­bedience: first to almightie God, and then to her lawfull authoritie: but rather some cruell Nero or persecuting Diocletian that desired nothing but their destruction and their bloud. Which notwithstanding it can not be vnknowne to any that liue in this state to be a complaint most vniust, and vntrue: yet hath there stept vp an o­ther (as he would seeme to be) an abetter & a voucher of that most slaunderous libel: yea a translator a printer & a publisher of it vnto others: who herein hath worse proui­ded for the credit of their vntruth then his authour had done before him. For he first had cunningly put his large speach into the bosome of his fellow, as ready, as it sée­meth to be abused as he was willing to de­ceiue him, hauing y ^e credulity of his friend & [Page 3] the secrecy of his writing to conceale some part of his offence. But this translator by printing and publishing of it, and name­ly in our English tongue hath laide them both open to the iust reproofe and con­demnation of all the lande: For what En­glish man will not now condemne them both for false witnesses against the church of God and their own countrie, when they shall reade or heare them in so many things to be so fowly defamed contrary to the knowledge of all the lande: but especi­ally I maruell with what face hee coulde once offer to present it, to y ^e reuerend senate of your most honourable chamber. For howsoeuer he might flatter himselfe to bee able to make some of the people affected to his cause, and dwelling farre from these parts, to beleue some peece of his slanders: yet coulde hee neuer be in anye hope, so to abuse your H. who of your owne knoledge & vnderstanding are able to conuict him of so many vntruthes. Which notwithstan­ding this Author fearing no rebuke nor shame for it (as speking out of a vaut or frō vnder a maske by concealing of his name) hath imboldned him selfe to offer it euen vnto your Honors, with an other discourse of his owne, which he entituleth an Epi­stle [Page 4] to the Councell. The substance of which his treatise is, that the cause of our pretended Catholiques is such, as it de­serueth not the extremities which (vpon the credit by like of his Author) hee com­plaineth to be vsed against thē, but rather is worthy to be well intreated, if for the tyme it may not haue all the honour hee esteemeth to belong vnto it. Of which two epistles, the one being written in la­tine to a friend, concerning this pretended persecution of Catholiques in Englande, hath beene alreadie sufficiently answered by that reuerend Father Maister Doctor Humfrey in his late booke of Iesuitisme, or of the practises of the church of Roome. The other remaining yet vnanswered, I was moued by some of my Friendes to the cause to take paines to make answere to it. Which at the first I confesse I was loath to take vpon me, notwithstanding I sawe the great aduantage I should haue of mine aduersary in the maintenance of a most holy and honourable quarrell. For considering so many excellent wittes, and so well able to deale in these causes, to sit quyetly at their bookes, or peaceably to e­difie the Church by preaching of the gospel, whether it be that they feare the diuers e­uents [Page 5] of writing, by reason of the exquisite iudgements of the learned, and the bitter malice of the enimy: or that they esteeme it vnprofitable for the Church to leaue or slack their other worthy labours, to striue with a contentious aduersary that will neuer be satisfied: me thought their exāple was a good president for him to follow, that commeth so farre behinde so many of them in al sufficiency for this purpose. But especially I was willing to haue w ^tdrawen my selfe, for the reuerence I most worthily haue of the graue sentences of your H. which I saw I could not escape, dealing in a matter wherewith your H. table is sea­zed alreadie. For knowing mine owne weakenes, I iustly feared to beginne my simple practise of this kinde of pleadinge in so high and honourable a Court, and be­fore such Iudges, whose wisedomes can so easily discouer any want of those which come before them. But when on the other side I set before me the price of the cause which we striue for, the qualitie of my vo­cation & calling, the most vnworthy slaunders wherew ^t the enimy chargeth y ^e sacred truth of God, and the lawful authoritie of this land: I could not see y ^t any of y ^e former [Page 6] reasons ought so farre to preuaile with me as to withdrawe me from a seruice so holy, so duetifull, and so necessarie as I iudged this to be. For, as for the examples of such as like not to deale in these publike causes, I sawe there were also many contrarye presidents, and that of many worthy men, who in like times had stoode in the gap and in the breach against the enemie. Moreo­uer, Neh. 4.16.17 I considered this our time to be like that, wherof we read in the booke of Nee­mie, wherein because of the often and hot charges of these Samaritanes, enuying the raysing vp againe of the new Ierusa­lem, out of the ruines wherin they had ioy to see it, we are constrayned so to buylde it as we may stand also redy armed to make head against the enemie, and to beate him backe when he shal assayle vs. Which be­cause the learned will see to be no matter of game and striuing for the golden pen, but a necessarye seruice of God and his church, I hope they will be satisfied better with that which may bee sure for defence then faire for shewe. But chieflye this is my hope of all your H. both for the graue wisdome God hath endued you with, and for the accustomed fauour you are wont to shewe to all such as to their power doe en­deuour [Page 7] faithfully to serue the Lord. As for the enemie, I know in deede his malice is bitter, and his pen foule and shameful. For so both others of them, and especially the defendant of the late censure hath notori­ously testified in his wicked slaunders of as worthie men as the sunne hath seene anye in this age of their profession. But seing it lieth not in vs to make them modest and that we are called in good and il report: yea in life and death to serue God & his church: I willingly commit any iniurie that may be done me by them for his cause, to him to whome the punishment thereof apper­taineth, Iude Epist. and who (as Enoch prophecied long agoe) commeth with thousands of his Saintes to doe iustice vpon them all, and to reprooue those which are wicked a­mongst them, of all the deedes which they haue wickedly committed, and all the hard speaches which wicked sinners haue spoken against him. Wherefore being sa­tisfied for these doubtes, and knowing no other sufficient cause to the contrary, I haue thought this defence to be my most boun­den duetie to almightie God, to her most excellent M. to your H. and to this whole state and church. Therefore I haue resol­ued by your LL. good fauour (seeing no [Page 8] man els so long time had vndertaken to deale with this Plaintife) to maintaine a­gainst him to my small power, the glory of God in the iust defence of his trueth, & the honor of y ^e authority I haue named, in their most lawfull proceedings against such as vntruely are called Catholiques. Thus ha­uing before your H. most humbly rendred some reson of this my doing, I come now to ioyne with mine aduersarie.

The effecte of this Authours purpose, is (as he himselfe declareth in the beginning of his booke, The an­swere. and hath béene touched be­fore) in presenting your LL. with the Epistle intituled of the persecution in En­glande: & with this treatise of his own, is to complaine of intollerable extremities v­sed agaynst the pretended Catholiques, for their only conscience sake as he affirmeth: and also to become suter to your Honors in behalfe of their cause, that if for the time it may not be receyued as he thinketh it worthy: yet at the least it may not be so hardly intreated, as hee woulde make the world beleue it hath beene hetherto. Which their cause being not of the thinges of this life wherin reason and discourse may trie and discerne, but of religion: he ought to haue taken his reasons to perswade the [Page 9] religion he would maintaine to bee good, out of the holy and sacred bookes of the ca­nonicall scriptures. 2. Tim. 3.17. For of these we reade that they are able to make vs wise vnto saluation thorow the faith that is in Christ Iesus: & as the Apostle addeth in the same place they are giuen by inspiration from God to furnish vs, and to make vs fully able, to instruct in that which is truth, and to conuict whatsoeuer agreeth not with it. Therefore as in question of mettall the touch stone is called, for to shew the good, and to discouer the badde: so should he haue touched with this true & onely touch, both our mettall and his, that that which is base or fine in eyther religion, might haue bene discerned. In doubtful controuersies in the law, they were commanded to repaire vn­to the hie priest, into whose brest the Lorde had put Vrim and Thummim, Exod. 28.30. whereby he was able to giue aunswere in all causes. Christ is our hie Priest, and the holy scrip­tures as being that wisedome of God to be reuealed to vs, the Ʋrim and Thummim whereby we are answered as by Oracle from God in al our controuersies. There­fore in this most weightie cause, counsell ought to haue bene sought for there, where the brest of Christ is open vnto vs, and where a perfecter light then that of Vrim & [Page 10] Thummim shineth to our most safe directi­on. Esay. 8.9.10. But this Author that we may know by the testimony of the Prophet Esay, that there is no sparke of true light in him, lea­ueth the lawe & the testimony, and seeketh to humane reason, as to a cunning enchan­tres: and as Saul to seeke answere, hee goeth from the liuing vnto the deade: Heb. 4.12. Ephe. 2.1. for the worde of God is liuing, and the sonnes of men are borne deade in their sins. But let vs see his reasons such as they are, and howsoeuer he would flie y ^e saymasters fur­nace & the subtile weight, yet bycause we know there is no other certain way to try what goodnes it may be of that hee brin­geth, we must make a say of it by the fire of the Lords altar, and weigh euery thing by the weightes of his sanctuarie.

The reasons he bringeth are principally two, Reasons v­sed to per­swade fauor towardes the Romane catholiques whereof the one is of the punishment laide vpon them, and the other of the cause wherin they stand. He toucheth briefly two other reasons which are of lesse moment & rather of complemēt & circumstance, thē of any great weighte or substance in this question, which are of the person & of the ende. For if it fall out (as by Gods grace I vndertake to show) that the punishment and the cause is such as that these falsly na­med [Page 11] Catholiques are dealt with in iustice, and that mitigated with great moderation and clemencie: then do these with all re­ceaue their answere. Yet something I will answere perticularly to these reasons, and first to that which is taken of the per­sons of those who are punished. In this he alleadgeth that they are of our owne bloude and Nation, The first reason answe­red. and borne subiects of the lande. Wherein what doth hee pleade for them that may not be with as good reason brought for all malefactors which the lawe doth punish. And to whom els doth the lawe extende but to the borne subiectes of this lande, and such as are na­turalized and enfranchised amongst vs. Therefore if this proofe were good why they ought not to be dealt with according to law, thē may al the prysons be dischar­ged, and euery malefactor hath by his birth a sealed pardon for all crimes that he may commit. But he addeth they are not only Subiectes but also duetifull and honest. This dependeth vpon the tryall of their cause, which the law according to all righ­teous iustice hauing condemned as wor­thie such punishment as it layeth vpon them: His priuate and vniust clea­ringe of them for good and obedient, [Page 12] yea (readie to die at her Maiesties feete, and for your H.) can not be sufficient. Which testimonie, would to God it might be truely geuen to them all. Then surely there would be more hope to reclaim them to obedience vnto God, and to her High­nesse. But notwithstanding it be true, that there are a number of those which are mis led in their ignorance to the lyking of superstition, otherwise duetifull, at the least in outward shew hetherto: yet the vnsound and trayterous hearts of a number also, haue bene discouered in the rebellions in the North and in Ireland: yea further also by manifold practises both against the whole state, and the Royall person of her M. and of sundry of your H. Whereof cer­taine profe hath bene made both heretofore and of late, aswell in the K. Bench, by the iust conuiction and condemnation of the traytors there arraigned, al pretended Ca­tholickes, Iesuites and Priestes: as also at Chensforde in Essex by like sentence a­gainst y ^e priest. Who should haue bene (as Iudas was to the Romane bandes) a Cap­taine & a leader to a Company of Romanes altogether both in superstitious Faith and Infidel like disloyalty, to so horrible an acte as any true Subiects hart cannot but ab­horre [Page 13] euen to remember. Whereunto ad­ding the doubtful answeres and obstinate silence that commonly are made and vsed by such as haue had this interrogatory mi­nistred vnto them: Whether in case of the Popes commandement, and the threatning of his excommunication to the contrary, they woulde take armes with him, or any sent by him against hir M. or with her H. agaynst the Pope: we may worthely feare what affection of loyal duetie & obedience may be in many of the rest which haue not yet beene demaunded that question. And in deeede it can not be that such of them as haue the Roman faith not in ignorance but in some knowledge of the treasonnable grounds it resteth vp­on, without denial of the Pope to be Gods vicar, and of all their holies, should be faithful Subiectes to her H. and this state, a­byding as it doth by the grace of God, in the true profession of the Gospel. Therfore it is not inough to say, it is onely their cō ­science in religion they stand in, to prooue them good and loyall subiects. For though euery profession of religion doe not ouer­throwe the state they are vnder, maintay­ning another Religion, yet there are also some professions which can in no sort bee [Page 14] permitted by authoritie, without the cer­taine ouerthrowe and ruine of the state where it is allowed. The profession of the gospell may be tollerated by any prince or state in the world without any daunger to them. For our doctrine holdeth nothing that may impugne their lawfull right and authoritie, but contrariwise teacheth all due honour and obedience to be giuen to them, and that for conscience sake. Wher­fore both they maye suffer the excercyse of it without daunger, yea to the greate establishing of their states and thrones in assurance, and consequently also such pro­fessors maye be faythfull and loyall sub­iectes, yea euen to heathen princes: as the Apostles and the fathers of the Pri­mitiue Church were. But an Anabaptist that holdeth there ought to bee no magi­strate, though he allege a thousād times he standeth but for his conscience & religion: yet bycause his conscience and religion is such, as the principles and grounds of it are contrarie to all States and authority, the magistrate cannot endure such a con­science and religion without the certaine daunger of hauing the mace and scepter wroong out of his hands. Much like to this is the cause of our pretended catholickes. [Page 15] For notwitstanding they allowe of Ma­gistrates & of authoritie in generall, yet I say they hold a faith and doctrine the maxi­maes and rules whereof are as opposite to the present state of this lande in particu­ler, as are the principles of the Anabaptists against all estate and dignitie. The proofe whereof is manifest in these two pointes. The first is that the state nowe establi­shed within this realme, professeth by the gracious goodnes of almighty God the ser­uice of him according to the truth of the gospell, and agreeably hereunto, that the lawfull heyres of the crowne of this noble land are souerayne in their estate and dig­nitie, to see all causes and persons within their kingdome and dominion both eccle­siasticall and ciuil ordred and gouerned ac­cording to the commandementes of God without subiection to any forren power of prince or priest whatsoeuer. The second is that euerie one of the pretended catholique and Romaine faith vpon paine of damna­tion is to beleeue the B. of Roome (who is a forreyne prince and Prelate to vs) to haue supreame authoritie ouer all the church of Christ as his generall vicar vp­on earth, and consequentlie to beleeue, that the K. and Q. of this noble land are to bee [Page 16] subiect vnto him, to receiue that religion which he wil deliuer them, to obey his cen­sures & y ^t so far as that in case of his excom­municating & depriuing of them, they are to leaue their crowne to an other. Yea fur­ther, that (as absolued from their othe and allegeance) at his commaundement the naturall and sworne subiects ought to put such his sentence of depriuation in executi­on against their liege and naturall prince. Which two points being so contrarie the one to the other, how is it possible that any of these Romaine Catholickes knowing and beleeuing particularlye this point of their doctrine, can be a true and a faith­full Subiect to our Soueraigne Ladye ELIZABETH, against whom such most vnlawfull and wicked sentence hath bene already by two of their Popes pronounced and sought by all meanes to be put in ex­ecution. Which things well considered, I doubt not but your LL. see it to be great wisedome not to proue their fidelitie in a kingdome, and so rare a iewell as hir ma­iesties person is, for all their flattering spe­ches of being ready to spend their life and their goods in hir quarrell: but rather to keepe a vigilant and ielous eye open ouer them night and day, that they may not bee [Page 17] able (how willing soeuer they would be) to do any thing to the annoyance of her royal person, and of this noble state & kingdome. Wherfore as touching their persōs though they be the naturall subiectes of this state, yet if they offend the godlie lawes thereof in refusing to serue God with vs, & so much more if they shall also declare themselues vnnaturall & Romaine both in allegeance and religion, there is no cause by the word of God why in respect thereof they should not be dealt with by the lawfull Magistrat ordained of God for the punishment of all offenders, according to the lawe prouided in this behalfe. And thus much for the persons.

Now for the end. He denyeth your LL. shall euer attaine to that you pretende, 2 Reasons answered. by this punishment, (that is to bring such Catholiques to conformitie in matters of religion) but rather be further off. The reason whereof he addeth, that such con­strainte to do against their conscience and iudgement (whereby he saith they must be tryed at the latter day) is the losse of their soules, the memorie of which in­iurie can not but breede a deepe greefe and detestation of the thing they may haue beene so forced vnto. But his [Page 18] reason shall be after considered. First let vs weigh, that he determineth no good will to be done vpon them by any punishment. Experience in deed hath declared it to bee too true in some, yet no man can iustly say therefore, that there is no vse of punishmēt. For both many others hereby are kept in duety, that they do not in like sorte fall a­way, and who can tell what it may please God to worke euen in them hereafter by this meanes, which haue not yet profited by it. Sure I am it hath done good to ma­ny in times past, who by this meanes haue beene recouered from their vnduetiful dis­obedience, vnto a godly reformation. And the authoritie amongst vs, doing like duety vpon the same commandement of God, to punish the obstinat Heritike and Idolater: what reason is there, why we should not hope of like effect and fruit of it now, that hath come of it at other times. To let for­mer times passe vnder the K. of Iuda and Israell, Austen acknowledgeth often and plainely, that the Discipline of the Magi­strate, had bene profitable to many of y ^e Donatistes. And if saith he, it haue not pro­fited some, Ep. 48. is the medicine to be negle­cted, bicause the pestilent contagion of certaine is incurable? So likewise some [Page 19] amongst vs, thorow the goodnes of God, haue receyued profit by this meanes. But if other some for the obstinat hardnes of their heart that can not repent, will neuer be reclaimed, is the meanes therefore to be neglected which may be profitable to ma­ny? As for the reason he addeth, that to be constrayned to doe against their consci­ence, doth make them further off, and more detest that which they haue so cō ­mitted, can not hold in such as receaue profit by the correction of their offence. For they will thinke themselues most bounde to your H. all the dayes of their life, whose meanes herein God hath vsed, to bring thē out of the horrible darkenes and shadowe of death, wherein they sate before, into the Gospels most glorious and marueylous light. To the rest if it be not profitable, yet haue your H. done the worthie duetie of Christian Magistrates, wherein you may quyetly rest, and with great comfort. For the Lord requireth nothing but obe­dience of vs, and reserueth the blessing of all good meanes to him selfe, to bestow in such measure as seemeth best to his heauenly will. Thus I would leaue this reason, but that there is a worde yet to be added to a speach of conscience, which this Authour [Page 20] hath boldly set down here, that is, that at the latter day a man shall be tryed by his conscience and iudgement, which he refer­reth to this end, to obstinat such as haue ap­prehended a liking of y ^e pretēded catholike faith, and a dislike of ours, as if they offen­ded not by this recusance, hauing their con­sciēce so perswaded (the verie grounde of all libertinisme) & that authority should not compell them to do y ^t which is against their conscience, for feare of condēning their soules, abusing to this end the places of the Apost. in the 2. & 14. to the Rom. for the 2. the Apostle there doth not affirme y ^t a man shall be iudged in y ^e daye by an erroneous conscience & iudgement, but by a conscience witnessing either to clearing or condēning agréeably to the law of God. Which appea­reth both by his word in y ^t he calleth it the law of God written in their hart, & by the whole purpose of y ^t place, which is, to shew al both Iewes & Gentiles to stand condem­ned by the Lawe of God, the Iewes by the law written in tables of stone: the Gentiles euen w ^tout that, by y ^e same law written in their harts. Wherfore it is vtterly vntrue to affirme y ^t any man shal be iudged by his conscience or iudgement whatsoeuer it be True it is that whatsoeuer a man doth, he ought to do it of an vndoubted faith groun­ded [Page 21] vpon the word of God, that such his do­ing is pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ: and whatsoeuer he doth otherwise is sinne, because it is not of faith, nor this true perswasion of doing wel, which is the plaine meaning of the other place in the 14. But hereof followeth not, that he that is mis-led by an erroneous conscience shal be iudged and cleared according to it: or that the Christian Magistrate ought not to require any lawfull duetie of the subiect what conscience soeuer he haue of it, that the doing of such a thing is good or euill. For it is not the erroneous or good con­science whereby we shall be iudged other­wise then by all our deedes both good and euill, but it is the lawe of God, against which if any man transgres, either igno­rantly or wilfully, he is made guilty of sin and subiect to the sentence of condemnatiō by the lawe. Which lawe our recusantes are conuicted gréeuously to offend, because they breake it, in not giuing to God the honour which belongeth vnto him, in re­fusing his holy worde and Sacramentes, and with them Christ Iesus and his re­demption offred thereby vnto them, not keeping the Lordes Sabaothes, and diso­beyinge the good commaundement of authoritie, requyring the performance [Page 22] of so many holy dueties of thē. Which sins though they ignorantly commit, as not knowing that they sinne in such recusance, but rather being perswaded that their so doing, is a high seruice of God & acceptable vnto him, yet shall not their ignorance ex­cuse them. for the Lord wil surely beat eue­ry seruant that doth not his Masters will, Luk. 12.18. yea though he know it not: because his ig­norance is not of the creation of God, but of his owne corruption originally drawne from Adam. Neyther shall this good en­tent excuse them any more then the Iewe, which ignorantly crucifying Christ, and persecuting the Apostles, were perswaded they did God great seruice. For it is obe­dience that the Lord requireth, which who soeuer yealdeth not, vpon what cause or pretence soeuer, is giltie by the Law. On the other parte, if retayninge still that wicked perswasion, that to ioyne with vs in y ^e seruice of God (as it is now established amongst vs) is a wicked & a sinful act, yet notwithstanding for feare of punishment, they conforme themselues, they offend, and are guilty (though not of sin against y ^e holy ghost, Howlet. as some late Puritan Seminarist doth affirme) yet of sinne great and grieuous, not in doing the thing which is lawfull and [Page 23] good, but because they do it not well and Christianly, that is in faith and true per­swasion, that such their doing is pleasing to God, but contrariwise condemning it in their heart as vnlawfull, & them selues of hipocrisie: so that while they dwell in that perswasion, they can do nothing that may be acceptable vnto God. Therefore such as are desirous to please him, are with prayer to examine this their perswasion by the holy scriptures: whereby finding (as vndoubtedly they shall in due time, whom the Lord will saue) that it is not according to god, they ought to chaunge their mindes by true repentance, and then doing the dueties requyred of them in faith, and cer­taine knowledge of pleasing God in them, their doings shalbe godly and acceptable in Christ Iesus. But if they cōtinew obsti­nat still, yet is not authority to be blamed for compelling them, as y ^e noble Kings A­sa and Iosia did commaund and compel the people by seueritie of their lawes and pu­nishments to serue the Lord: what igno­rant and vngodly perswasion so euer they haue to the contrary. For this duety God requireth at y ^e Magistrates hand to whom hee hath not committed his sword in vaine and in it selfe it is so necessarie, that if this [Page 24] pretence were sufficient cause why men should be respected: not onely the Magi­strate, should become gilty of not doing the duetie which God requireth of them: but also no Christian estate or pollicie coulde stand. For this would soone bee euery mans answere in case of being enioyned any thing concerning God or men, howe holy or iust so euer it were that did dislike him, that his cōscience is against it. There­fore it can be no cause by the word of God, after y ^e procuring of such meanes for their instruction by y ^e Gospell sincerely & duely preached vnto thē, as our Sauiour Christ hath appointed for the calling of men from their errors to the knowledge of the truth, why your H. should forbeare eyther to re­quire so godly a duety of them, or to punish the disobediēt as their offence may deserue. At their own peril be it if thorow ignorāce or wilfulnes they take darkenes for light, and light for darkenes. Such commande­ment, & punishment for disobedience is not of it selfe hurtfull vnto them, but rather greatly profitable: both by telling them what they ought to do, and by threatning and punishing the obstinat: whereby some may be wakened more seriously to exa­mine their conscience, & so come to yeald [Page 25] obedience vnto God and to the law. And thus far haue I dealt w ^t his circumstances. Now remayn his two other reasōs, which are of substance and weight in deede in this matter, if he were able to make them good. For the one is a iustification of their cause, the other a chalenge of the punish­ment layd vpon them. But first hee bla­meth her M. iustice as extreeme, and kee­ping no proportiō with the offence, where­with they are charged, and secondarily, mayntayneth their cause not onely to de­serue no such punishment, but to be wor­thy of all fauor. First therefore, I am to examine what he sayeth agaynst her M. iustice: You persecute heauely (saith hee vnto your H.) and that in such measure, as the like hath scarce been mentioned in Christianitie before, albeit in some poynts more couertly then some other did. This persecution he setteth out after by comparyson of the discipline (as hee wryteth) of the Catholicke church, & name­ly in the time of Queene Mary, affirming this persecutiō in all respects, far to sur­mount & ouerreach that, & to be both greater & incōparably more greeuous. To the same effect he addeth many other like speeches in the end of his epistle which [Page 26] there shal receiue their answere. By which complaint a man would thinke that might worthely be thought so, if it exceede so far as he affyrmeth that most cruell and blou­die persecution of the true Catholicks, and constant Martirs of God in Queen Ma­ries time. But of this he geueth occasion to speake more fully hereafter. Now to an­swere his most vniust and slaunderous ac­cusatiō of the iustice done vpon them, I de­ny this to be tru, wherw ^t he would charge the present State. which I deny, not only because they are no Catholiques, and ther­fore no punishment of them can be properly called persecution, but a iust execution of obstinate heretickes: but also, because y ^t for meere conscience, and matter of Religion, no such thing is done, or hath been done to any man since her M. most peaceable and happy Raigne. Hee complayneth of the rackinges, and stretching of their ioyntes, the renting and dispersing of their bowels, the dismembring of the partes of their bo­dies, and maketh many such like greeuous complaints. What may be done to such of them as are wilfull and obstinate seducers I leaue to your wisdomes to consider. This being true that such are Heretickes. seducing and deceiuing in as dangerous [Page 27] matters for men to be abused in, as euer did any Heretickes before them: which both hath beene often heretofore, and may at any time b [...] sufficient argumentes, and vnanswerable of their part, be prooued a­gainst thē. But yet I say further, that not­withstanding that it is so far of that these tragicall complaints should be true, that no one of all their Catholickes, for cause of his conscience and religion onely, being no otherwise an offēder against the lawes hath lost either life or limme, since the hap­pie day of her M. coronation, vntill this time. All which gracious time there hath not beene for recusance, nor for being at masse, nor yet for saying masse, how often soeuer they so offend, neither by former Statutes nor those of the last Parliamēt, which they most complaine off, any further punishment appointed, then of los of libertie and goods. True it is, that her Maiestye by the Sage aduise of youre Honours, and of her whole Nobility and Commons, hath prouyded by lawe for the punishmēt of such pretended Catholiques as shalbe found gilty of any treasonnable practise against her H. estate, and person: being forced by most vrgent causes, and many dangerous attempts of theirs, day­ly [Page 28] pressing her thereunto. For considering first the bloudy resolution of the Councell of Trent & the dayly attempts to put it in execution: there was great and most wor­thy cause why your H. should seeke by all godly prouision to preuent their intended mischiefe. The secret and detestable decrée of that Tridentine conspiracy against God, and against his annointed, was to make a League amongst all the Princes whom they had made drunck with the golden cup of their fornicatiō, Buch. rerum Scot. lib. 17. to confer their meanes and ioyne all their forces together, to roote out the true profession of the Gospell, if it were possible, out of the earth. The ex­ecution whereof hath not beene forgotten from time to time in all places professing the trueth, nor is not neglected euen to this day, as meanes and occasions may serue them to bring their most vngodly & blou­dy purpose to passe. To which their ende they haue hetherto run with so vyolent a course, as it appeareth neither the feare of God, nor any respect of men, which wor­thely holdeth others from such extremities, could restrayne them from most desperate actes, and full of all tragicall imma­nitie. Christian and Catholique Kinges and States in Stile and Title haue byn [Page 29] stirred vp against their naturall Sub­iectes, to persecute them with fire and sworde, to the hazarde of their owne E­states. Such hath beene the furye and vyolence wherewith this cause hath been carryed. Ciuill warres haue beene kind­led in all partes where the Gospell hath beene by any number professed, thorowe their false accusations of most duetifull Subiectes, as enemies to the State of their Rulers, to alienate their fauor from them: so as there is none of these parts of Europe, which are next about vs, which hath not beene afire, and some are yet wa­sting and consuming in this flame. By meanes wherof haue been infinite confu­sions, and moste barbarous crueltyes committed: the Brother not sparinge his naturall Brother, nor the Father the bloud of his owne Sonne. Calami­tie and destruction haue beene in their wayes, as it is in the Prophet, Esay. 59.7. and the way of peace they haue not knowen. The base by their occasion hath despy­sed the Noble: and the vyle him that was honorable: yea the refuse and swéep of the worlde, haue been set vp by their practyses to procure in most trayterous manner [Page 30] the death of the worthies of the earth. Ma­ny a noble Prince by these Catholique practisers, & Executioners of the Coun­sell of Trent, haue beene shot with dag­ges, pistoles, and other shot, and most cru­elly slaine. Thus they dealt with the reli­gious and courteous Earle of Morray, Buch. rerum Scot. lib. 19. Regent of Scotland, whose death was per­swaded and counselled by the Pope and the Cardinall of Lorrayne, and who after was trayterously slayne by the Archbi­shop of S. Andrewes Neuew, by whom he was shot out of a windowe as he tooke his horse, ouer against the place where he lodged. Thus also dealt they with the godly & wise Admyrall of Fraunce, who in like manner ryding in the streete, was shot out of a windowe, and after in tyme of peace, nay of a Royall mariage of a K. most cruelly slaine, and so shamefully out­raged: after hee was murthered, as sel­dome or neuer was any enemy in time of most deadly warre. I might adde here the destroying of a noble Prince of great hope, by consent of his own father, & poy­soning of the vertuous Q. of Nauarra with many practises against the K. her son, & o­ther Princes. Here also I might worthely mention the most horrible and barbarous [Page 31] slaughters which they haue committed in the pursuing of their wicked and diuelish resolution against the gospel. But to leaue at this time the tragedies which they haue played in other partes by the treasonnable assaultes, and deathes of many famous Princes, and the cruell massacrees and butcheries of many thousandes of the peo­ple: I will remember the reader chiefly of such things as haue beene done by them here at home, and are best knowen vnto vs. Wherin, to let passe the imprisonment and hard vsage which sometime they vsed her most excellent M. with in the time of her sister, (and now repent them of no­thing more then that it was no worse) and the fires they made in those dayes with the flesh and bones of their owne Coun­treymen for the truethes sake, (whereof I shall speake by occasion more fully hereaf­ter) and sundry other matters not so com­monly knowen, of plats and attempts a­gainst the Royall person of her M. and al­so of some of your H: I will onely mention certaine euydent and notorious actes, whereby, the deposition of her H. from her estate and dignitie (which from God by her iust right and title, and to the great ioy of al her good Subiects, her Grace doth most [Page 32] lawfully enioy, hath beene attempted to be put in execution against her. Whereof was a solemne instrumēt & writing called the Popes Bul, which was first certified by his messenger, being an English priest, and after set vp here in London by an English Catholick traytor. By which Bull her M. is declared excommunicated, Sand. l. 7. de ris. Mo. & deposed by him from her Royall state, Crowne and dignitie: her Subiectes are absolued from their oth and allegiance vnto her: the land interdited and left to him that could put this sentence in execution, and seaze vpon it. Which whē the neighbour Princes ei­ther occupyed at home, or cōsidering y ^e con­sequence of making war with so mighty a Princes, haue not aduaunced thēselues to put in execution, the Pope hath from time to time laboured to stir vp some of her M. own Subiects against her, to execute this wicked sentence vpon her. Hereof arose the rebellion in the North, which by the grace of God, and by the meanes of your H. wisdome was disappoynted, and iust execution done vpon some of the Rebels. After this another Pope succéeding in im­piety his predecessor, raysed of late a new rebellion in Ireland, bearing name of his falsly named Holynes, hauing leaders and [Page 33] companies at the Popes wages, and Pe­ters keyes for their ensigne and vpon their forte, against which also the sword of the Lord and of Gedeon preuailed. For a third to be raised euen in the bowels and hart of this noble land sundry English fugitues haue bene entertained of the pope: Wher­of some haue iustified these insurections, Sand. L. 7. de v. sib. Monar. Bristow. and accounted all the Rebels executed for Martires in their printed bookes, yea themselues as it is saide, haue beene in Campe against her Maiestie with them as trum­pets of sedition. Others are bestowed in Seminaries, some to teach and some to learne to serue the Pope against God, a­gainst our Souerraigne, and against their owne Countrie. For which purpose, so soone as they are readie, they are sent ouer hither to withdraw her Maiesties subiectes from the duety they owe to their naturall Prince, and to confesse and reconcile them as they terme it, to the obedience of a for­raine power. Which practise of confessing and reconciling to the Pope in secret, your HH. for the excellent wisedome God hath endued you with, for the preseruation of her highnes & our whole Church from the mouth of the Lyon that would deuour vs, do euidently see to be as dangerous a [Page 34] practise for the laying of a newe plat of re­bellion as may be deuysed. Therefore lately vpon these and such like greate and necessarie causes enforcing, it was enacted that such Priestes and Catholikes or any other, pretending whatsoeuer they may pretend, as shall be conuicted so to with­draw y ^e subiectes from our natural Prince, to any forren subiection, should be held gil­tie of hye treason against her Ma. state and dignitie, & executed accordingly. Where­upon you HH. keeping a vigilant and a carefull eye ouer those men, and finding some of them giltie of treason, both by that and other auncient lawes of this lande, haue in deede caused iustice notwithstan­ding their pretence, of holy conscience and religion, according to all law and equitie to be done vpon them. For as other male­factors escape not the seueritie of the lawe, whatsoeuer they may be, or pretended to be, whether Catholikes or of our owne profession, if they be iustly conuicted to bee fellons or murderers: so likewise who soeuer by due tryall of the law, hath beene found to be guiltie of treason, notwithstā ­ding they haue bene pretended Catholikes, and some of them annoynted Priestes, and father Iesuites which they haue boasted [Page 35] could not be touched, yet haue they béene condemned and executed according to their demerites. This then being the estate of the pretended Catholikes this day a­mongst vs, what hoat persecution is this that he complaineth of, & what numbers are these that are persecuted except all the Catholike Rebels and Traytors, (as Saunders doth make his reakoning) and o­ther malefactors be comprehended in this number? And so in deede I graunt, some of these Catholikes after the qualitie and condition of their offence haue beene dealt with, according to the auncient lawes and customes of this lande. But this is an accounte voyde of all reason, to esteeme that which is the punishment of treason, of murder, of felony, and other such like offences to bée laide vpon them, for their religion and conscience only. Which hath béene hetherto so spared, as some of them being founde guiltie of treason and condemned for it, vpō declaring thē selues to stande so affected towardes her highnes touching their obeeience, as they would neyther with the Pope, nor any other take armes against her, notwithstanding they remaine stil such as they were for their [Page 36] conscience and religion, yet thorow her Maiesties exceeding clemency haue obtay­ned pardon after their conuiction of high treason. Wherefore seing for conscience of popery onely, no man hath beene touched in life nor member, but onely punished by fine and imprisonment, and that the iust execution of Traytors, Rebels, Murde­rers, Fellons, be they pretended Catho­liques or whatsoeuer they be, can in no reason be termed persecution: I worthily conclude that the complaint of this accuser is without all cause and reason, and his charge and accusation of the state most vn­dutifull, slaunderous, and vniust.

Now because hee will needes call to the remembrance of God and men the bloudy sinnes of their fathers, sinnes as redde as crimsin and scarlet, that is the fearefull and horrible persecution of the professors of the Gospell, and compare the proceeding of their Catholiques against vs, with ours against them, both generally in o­ther places, and at other times, and per­ticularly in England, in Q. Maries daies and taketh vpon him to iustifie that our dealinges against them doe farre sur­mount their persecuting of vs, and is incomperable more grieuous: I must [Page 37] needes here stand a litle to compare them, though it bee in deede a thing in it selfe as shall appeare, voyde of all reason once to enter into the comparison of them togi­ther. What hath bene done in England a­gainst them since the time of her Maiesties raigne, I haue already declared, namely that no one hath yet beene touched in his body for matter of his conscience onely, being neyther Rebell nor Traytor nor Murderer, nor otherwise giltie of crymes capitall and worthie of death by all good Lawes. The same is iustly to be affirmed of the dayes of that most noble Prince of famous memory, for his rare pietie in so tender yeares King Edwarde the sixt: her Maiesties worthie Brother, that in the fewe yeares of his happie raigne there was not one of these Romaine Catho­liques for onely matter of religion, put to death or any torment of body. Nor before him in the dayes of their renou­med Father, King Henry the eight, were any of their Catholiques put to death, ex­cept a fewe, which were executed for the supremacie, being a matter of State and not of religion, as hauing no ma­ner of grounde for it, in the worde of God, and giuing a dangerous interest [Page 38] for the Kinges & Quéenes of this Land, to a forreine power. As for other King­domes and States professing the Gospell, this Authour him selfe doth acknowledge their proceedinges against them, not to haue béene vnto bloude. Now then let vs in the other part consider the generall and perticuler proceeding of these preten­ded Catholikes against our brethren, not for any crime of iust desert of death, but onely for their most holy faith. Which though I can not here lay out at large, be­ing the argument of so many great bookes and volumes as are written of them, yet I may giue the gentle Reader a ge­nerall viewe of their bloudy actes, of per­petuall infamie to their pretended Catho­like profession. The townes of Me­rindall and Cabrieres with 22. other Townes and Villages, were most tira­nously destroyed, without respect of men, women, or children. In Cabrieres, a thousand persons were slaine, whereby some estimat may be made of the number which might be murdered in the rest. Of which so horrible waste, and so much in­nocent bloud most cruelly shedde, there was vtterly no other cause, but that the godly people of that Countrie had sepe­rated [Page 39] themselues from the abhominations of the Church of Roome, and sought to serue the Lorde according to his worde. Likewise y ^e people of y ^e valleyes of Lucerne Angrogne, S. Mart. Perous & others, were pursued with hoat persecution and cruell warres by the instigation of the Pope, for many yeares. Both these being faithfull and duetifull to their Princes, onely for the godly faith which they professed, were in most sauage and vnnaturall manner persecuted, and destroyed by them. Be­sides those who were slaine in the bloudie warres which they made for the mainte­nance of theire Romane superstitions in Germanie and in Scotland, the Stories of those countries report sundrie cruell exe­cutions, to haue beene done vpon many faithfull seruantes of God, onely for the testimonie of the truth. In our owne countrie, since the beginning of y ^e restoring of the knowledg of y ^e Gospel amongst vs, & especially in Q. M. daies: what hath bene the state of our Church, & what hath y ^e enimy laid to our charge? surely we were neuer charged with any treason, but y ^e only cause of our persecutiō was y ^e refusing al cō fidēce in our selues, or any other creature, we belieued to be saued only by y ^e pretious [Page 40] death of our Sauiour Christ and that we refused to bowe downe before their Idols and to worship them. These and such like matters merely concerning religion, and the true faith of the Gospell were the thinges which were laide to our charge, and no other. And for these causes how cruelly they haue vsed vs, all the world can testify. For what part of the world hath not hard of our Sufferings, and the furi­ous and fiery wrath wherewith the eni­mie persecuted vs for no other cause then for the Gospels sake. Some in deed fled as Iacob from the wrath of his brother E­sau, and thorow the goodnes of God esca­ped their bloudy handes. But they which remayned were slaine for Gods sake, as saith the Prophet, all the day long, and counted as sheepe appointed for the slaugh­ter. Psal. 44.22. In Spaine and Italie the chéefe seates of y ^e bloudy inquisition, besides many which were openly murdered: poysons, stran­gling in prisons, drowning in riuers, and sondrie other secret executions which came not to so open knowledge of the world (according to the depth & most sut­tle practises of Satan), are reasonably thought to haue destroyed many more then haue beene consumed by the light [Page 41] fires of England. Fraunce, and Flaunders, haue had also as hot a Furnace amongst them, as that of Nebucad-nezers was, whereinto they haue cast a great multi­tude of those which would not fall downe before their golden Image. But besides those which they haue burned, who can number the thousands and ten thousands which their bloudy sword, in their so long and cruell warres, haue deuoured. The slaughters of Fraunce especially & their cru­ell masacrees, (for of whome we haue so strang a thing, we must haue also the name wherby they terme it) haue beene so barbarous & so many, that I know not how to expresse the sauage cruelties, and tragicall immanities committed in them: except I should here leaue my paper all in bloud, as the Paynters & workers of tapestry do their table and their Tapistry, when they come to paynte and worke so strange and horrible cruelties as no arte nor Instru­mēt, no pencill nor néedle is able to expres. Thus being prouoked by mine aduersary, I haue briefly touched and in generall, the tyrannous and bloudy actes of this cruell generation. For the more full declaration whereof, I must referre the gentle Reader to the stories of the seuerall Countreys, [Page 42] where these horrible persecutions haue beene exercised, and especially to the wor­thy worke of the Actes and Monumentes of Martyrs, written by the reuerend and learned M. Fox, in our own language for the purpose I haue now in hand, it may suffice thus generally to haue poynted, as it were to the opening of the fift Seale, and to haue shewed some view of the infinite number of the soules which lye behind the Altar, and cry night and day vnto God, with the voice of the bloud of Abel, that the Lorde woulde require all this bloud which they haue so cruelly and vnnatu­rally shed at the handes of this posterity of Cain. Wherby seeing it appeareth that for the onely cause of Religion they haue mur­thered so many, that they haue made all Europe to runne with the bloud of the Prophets, as Manasses did the streetes of Ie­rusalem: and that of the other part, there hath beene hetherto no proceeding against them for like cause, to the shedding of one drop of their bloud, all indifferent Iudges may see the bold vanity of this Plaintife in affirming our dealings towards them to ouerreach any their persecution of vs, and to be incomparably more grieuous. And yet this notwith­standing, [Page 43] the aduersary hauing receaued all good for all euill done to vs, cannot be ignorant off: yet their Aduocate is bold to make comparison not only generally, but also perticulerly concerning the persons, in the number and quallitie of such as haue suffered, and the maner of their vsage both in their imprisonment and in the executi­on. Wherein first he alledgeth that manye were tollerated by them. This was not any charitie in them, but it was the graci­ous goodnes of God our most merciful fa­ther who would not suffer thē so to shake our Oliue tree but that there shoulde re­maine some still vpon the tree: nor so to vintage and gather the grapes of his vine­yeard, but that there should still be hidden here a cluster and there an other, some few grapes vnder the leaues that shoulde not be gathered. But what tolleration vpon hope of their repentance hath bene exten­ded and is dayly towards them, I report me to the conscience of euerie one who vn­derstandeth how many there are that need this fauour, and hath compared the num­ber of thē with the number of such as haue bene called to question for these matters. The second point of his comparyson of the persons, is of men with men, whereby he [Page 44] meaneth the condition and estate of such as haue suffered: wherin he may remem­ber the imprisonment of her Ma. vnder whose shadowe thorowe the goodnesse of God, we are now refreshed from the bur­ning heates wherw ^t they consumed vs. In which estate her highnes had so many lyōs mouthes opened against her, as except the Lord had shut them in time, we had neuer seene these happy dayes. He may remem­ber also the departure out of the land, both of some other of the Nobilitie, and of the Duches Grace of Suffolke. Likewise, the right reuerend Cranmer, and his compa­nions, which were not so vsed in pryson, that they coulde boast as some of theirs haue done, that they neuer fared better, nor liued more at their ease: but after a hard imprysonment, were burned in the fire for the testimony of the Gospell. We boast not of any but of the Lord, [...]. Cor. 1. as kno­wing what our calling is, yet doe we re­ioyce & glorifie God with speciall thankes­geuing, when he geueth so rare a blessing to those which are of great power and au­thority, that they not onely do beleeue, but also suffer for his names sake. In which respect I haue thought good to answere thus much to this second point of his com­paryson.

Further, touching the vsage of such as came in troble for religiō in their time, he affirmeth it to haue beene ciuil, for the prisons they were committed vnto, the conferēces vsed with thē, the relie­uing and not tormenting of them in tyme of their imprisonment, and last of all in their execution, with all fauor. But if such vsage as we haue had at their handes, in all these respects be their ciui­litie, how great neede had we to pray, and to prouyde that we haue not experience of their cruelty. The prysons whereinto they cast those whom they had bond as Paul with chaines for the Gospell, Lollordes Tower, Colehouse, &c. were the cō ­mon Gaoyles, and prysons of all male­factors: nay some of them, such as for the horror and annoyance of them, they were not wont to sende the most guil­ty offenders into. But now they (I speake of such as are called to question for re­ligion) haue conuenient & holesome roomes, yea large houses and faire gardens for their pleasure, & as they vse it, for their pastyme. Their conferences were either threate­nings, or snares of death: whereby they sought to extort a denyall of the trueth by terror, or by deceitfull wordes to drawe [Page 46] out some free speach against some of their abhominations, for which after they might condemne them to the fire. But we confer w ^t them, as desirous to delyuer their soules from the wrath to come, and their present estate from such punishment as the law doth lay vpon them. Releeuing of the prisoners of Christ was thorowe their extreme dealing an occasion to sundrie of great troubles. But who hath heard of a­ny, Act. and Mo. who for this onely cause hath fallen in­to any trouble amongst vs. They killed fiue prisoners for the Gospell at Canterbury with famine, and miserably relieued the rest for any torment. As in time of impry­sonment, not one of theirs hath bene offe­red any for religions sake. In deed, if vnder color of conscience, they haue intermedled so far in matters of State, as y ^t they haue bene to be tainted of treason, it may be such haue beene examined vpon the Rack, ac­cording to the auncient order, both of this and other States in like cases: that therby they might be constrayned to confesse that to the safety of many, which otherwise they would obstinately conceale to the ouer­throwe of their Countrey. Whereof not hauing vs in suspicion at any time, but persecuting vs only for the Gospels sake, [Page 47] yet some with Ioseph, haue had the yron en­ter into their soule, and other with Paul and Silas, haue beene layd in the dungeons and there also had their feete put into the stockes, Act. 16.25. singing to God as if they had byn in heauen. Act. 5. I might name also a great nū ­ber, who with Peter and Iohn, were whip­ped and scourged, and reioyced that they were vouchsafed to suffer for the word of the Lord Iesu: whereof as there were many, so a young child amongst the rest, was so sore beaten, that he dyed of it, who before his death was sent to his father, whom they had put in the stockes in Lol­lards Tower, Actes and Mo. setting a dish of water by him with a stone in it (not much vnlike that of the Iewes, which as they read) said of Ieremie, let vs put wood into his bread) to torment the poore man with the pittiful sight of his child so shamefully beaten: and many other such foule extremities I could remember them off. How they dealt with Hun, & as it is like with some other which dyed in pryson, is partly vnderstoode to their iust reproch, and will be plainly dis­couered in the day when all secretes shalbe reuealed. It were to long to examine their like dealings in other countreys: therfore I referre the Reader to their stories, and [Page 48] namely to the 6. and 9. Chapters of the Spanish Inquisition, where he shall see what close prysons, what spare and loth­some dyet, what strange and barbarous extremities are vsed by them. The last poynt of the comparyson of vsage, is in the execution of death, which hee sayth hath beene done of their part in all fauor: for iust reproofe wherof, let the gentle Reader looke ouer the Storie of D. Tayler, who being cruelly vsed all the way he went to execution, there being ready for it, was stroken a great stroke vpon the head with a waster, and hurt againe with a fagot cast at him, which light vpon his head, & brake his face that the bloud ran downe, after stricken vpon the lips, and last of all so smitten with a Halbard, that hys braynes fell out.

But of all other, horrible was the exe­cution of the Garnesey woman Perotine, both in her own person, in y ^t she was exe­cuted being great w ^t child, & also in her child which being taken vp out of y ^e fire, & view­ed by the offycers, was to the perpetual re­proach of their most barbarous cruelty, cast againe to his mother into y ^e fire, In el­der time also terible was y ^e executiō & death of Sir Iohn Oldcastle y ^e worthie L. Cobham, [Page 49] is a witnesse to all ages, of their barbarous executions. It were to long to rehearse the stories of their most cruell executions in o­ther Countries, in all ages. Therefore I referre the reader to the bookes themselues, namely to the 12. chap. of the Spanish Inqui­sition. Only two examples I will set down for a shewe, one of more auncient time and the other of verie late. In the low Countries at Tourney, Bertram a zea­lous professor of the Gospell, found such fa­uour, as this man speaketh in his executi­on: that after many rackings and tor­mentes before, he had his right hande and foot pressed and mishapen with hot irons, his tongue cut of, his mouth stopt with a ball of iron, his body let vp and downe to the fire till it was burned to ashes, which were cast into the riuer. Of late in the yeare 1581. at Roome, Atkines an English man, a zealous professor of the Gospell for a like matter as Bertrames was before, (which was the taking of their masse Idol from their altar and throwing it vpon the ground) had this fauour shewed him in his execution, that al the way he went to it (as it is reported by such as saw it) there were foure did nothing but thrust at his naked body with burning Torches, and by a [Page 50] deuise for the purpose was burned, so as his legges were burned first that the Ty­rantes might feede their eyes with a hor­rible spectacle of so strange tormentes of the constant Martyr & witnesse of Christ, this hath bene their execution w ^t al fauour. Thus we see the chastisement layd vpon them, is the rod of a tender & most louing mother, correcting her obstinate sonnes to bring thē to her obediēce & duety: but they haue beaten the true church of God with Scorpions, & as the Sirians did to y ^e Isra­elites in Galaad, they haue threshed it with flayles of yron. Their greatest restraint is such (I speak of those which are restrai­ned for matter of religiō) y ^t they haue cōue­nient roomes & houses w ^t gardēs to walke in, but they thrust our poore brethren into their darkest dungeōs, into y ^e caues & holes of the earth, as into the dens of Dragons. Their dyet is liberall and such as pleaseth them selues to haue, but they so fedde the true Church of God in their time, and yet doe where their authoritie may serue that she might, and yet may, in such places renewe the complaint of the olde church of Israell, and of her cheefe heade and cap­taine Christ Iesus. I haue eaten ashes as breade, and mingled my drinke with weeping. [Page 51] They gaue me gall and wormewoode to eate, Psal. 22. and vineger for to drinke, they opened their mouthes vpon me as roaring Lyons, they made me so spare that I might tell my bones, my heart melted in me like waxe, my tongue did cleaue to the roofe of my mouth for drought, and I sate me downe vpon the earth, Psal. 2 [...]. and in the dust. But the Lorde whose right hand worketh such changes and alte­rations hath had compassion of our estate in this land, his name be praysed for it, and hath opened the prison doores, he hath deli­uered those which were vowed to death, when his appoynted time was come hee hath shewed mercy to his Sion, he hath rai­sed her out of the dust, he hath anoynted her with oyle, and furnished her table, euen in the fight of all her enimies. And nowe that the Lorde hath giuen her enimies in­to her power, to require at their hand, al y ^e bloud of her deare children which they haue shed so many yeares, and to recom­pence them double for all that she hath re­ceyued of them, yet hetherto she hath pa­tiently wayted if the Lord may giue them repentance, and forborne to vse any like extremitie towardes them. Therefore all these former poynts well considered, whe­ther he compare y ^e persons or vsage, it will [Page 52] be founde in deede there is no comparison but for this reason, because the numbers of such of ours as haue suffered, haue bene a thousand to one of theirs, the persons of greater state both for birth and calling, the vsage, so farre diuers, both in the time of imprisonment, and in the execution, that we in our most iust & lawful punishmēt of thē, haue contayned our selues within the bondes of Christian lenitie and mekenes, nay I may truly say, that in some obsti­nate and buysie seducers wee haue beene short of duty. But they in their most wrōg ful and tyrannical persecution of vs, haue matched if not exceeded the most sauage cruelties, that euer were heard off amōgst the Barbarians and the Heathen. And thus much for answere to the comparison, wherein I doubt not but it easily appea­reth to all indifferent readers, howe farre vnlike their doings are to ours.

It followeth now to examine whether of vs can render better reason of such our proceedinge. This Aduocate iustifieth theirs by two speciall arguments, wher­of the first is the authoritie whereby they proceeded against vs, which he saith, was an ancient generall law, meaning there­by the lawe of putting Heretikes to death, [Page 35] wheras we haue only new nationall sta­tuts as hee saith, to punish them by. For the lawe of putting heretikes to death, I graunt it to haue beene a generall and ancient law amongst Gods people, when the Magistrates haue béene of the faith of the Church. And as it is auncient and generall, so hath it good warrant of the word of God. For the Magistrate beareth not the sworde in vaine, but is the Mini­ster of Gods iustice and vengeance vpon all offendors according to the qualitie of their offence. Further also heretikes aboue all other offenders, most grieuously trans­gresse, both against God, whose holy seruice and honour they prophane, and also against men, whom they by poysoning of the heauenly doctrine doe destroy with death euerlasting. Both which being so cleare as they need no further proofe: it must needes followe that the Magistrate ought to put an Heritike to death. And thus was it expresly commaunded in the lawe of Moses, Deut. 13.5. 2. reg. 23.20. 2. Chro. 15.13 and executed by Asa & Iosia the noble and zealous Kings of Iuda. Against which iudgmēnt in vaine do some alledge the parable of Tares to be suffered to growe till the latter day. For the tares there, are not onely Heretikes, but as our Sauiour there doth expound it, all the wic­ked [Page 54] who are called children of the deuil, the seruantes not Magistrates but Angels: the pulling vp, not the execution of perti­culer euill doers by temporall death, but the destruction of all the wicked children of the deuil vnto death euerlasting. Which points are so plaine to any y ^t will consider the parable w ^t iudgment, as they can not be denied. No stronger are y ^e rest of the proofes y ^t are by the fauorers of this cause brought in out of Celsus a principall writer for the maintenance of it, Mat. 13.40.4 [...] nor which this new ad­uocate for heretickes would insinuate for this purpose, though for the authority of the cannon law to y ^e cōtrary he dare not plain­ly discouer this to be his opinion, saying faith is the gift of god. For this cōcludeth not that no man by compulsion & correctiō may so profite, that he maye be occasioned to vse such meanes whereby after he may beleeue. Nor that such as are obstinate he­retickes ought not to be executed by death. For by like reasō no malefactors should dy for feare of destroying them euerlastingly: repentance being the gifte of God aswell as faith. Of this therefore wee are agreed, but who is to be iudged an hereticke is all the question betweene vs. They by their Cannon law iudge al heretickes that hold [Page 55] not the faith which at this day is professed in the church of Roome. But we deny their Cannon lawe to be any competent iudge of heresie, a great part of which law is the sinke of all error and abhomination, or a­ny other cannons, decrees, and authorities of men whatsoeuer: and affirme the onely worde of God left written in the bookes of the holy and canonicall scriptures, to bee able to iudge of these matters, as partly was declared in the beginning of this an­swere. Further we affirme and that agrée­ably to the same holy scripture (whereunto we referre our selues for tryall) that the faith now taught & receyued by y ^e Church of Roome in such poynts as it differeth from vs, to be nothing but a new and late super­stition and heresie. The cause then falling out thus betwen vs, that their doctrine dif­fering from ours, is error & heresie, & ours wherin it differeth frō them, as in al y ^e other parts therof, is the pure word of god, Psal. 1 [...] swéet as the swéet bread of the Passouer without any leauen, & fine as the siluer tryed & re­fyned seauen times in the furnace: we are certainelie assured by the same worde, (whereby wee shall bee iudged in that day when the truth shall shine as the Sunne, and they shall see it, which doe not repent of this their contradiction of Core,) [Page 56] to their euerlasting confusion) that y ^e aun­cient generall lawe whereof he speaketh, can make nothing at all with them, or a­gainst vs. Of the other parte whereas he would shew vs to haue small or no autho­ritie to proceede against them as wee doe, as hauing in his opinion onely, certaine national statuts wherby our proceedings are warranted, hee is to vnderstand that vpon such reasons as hath bene shewed of their doctrine and ours, the same aun­cient and generall lawe, which chargeth Magistrates with the keeping of al things written in the law, and with the ciuill pu­nishment of al offenders, Deut. 17.19. Rom. 13. is a most sufficiēt warrant for the authority which God hath now set ouer vs, to compel all the subiectes within this Dominion to serue the Lorde our God, according to that right order of his seruice which he himselfe hath appoyn­ted, and to correct their errours and ob­stinacie which shall be disobedient, as the qualitie of their offence shall deserue. Vp­on the warrant of this auncient lawe, Io­sia in his time constrayned all Israell to serue the Lord their God, which can not otherwise be vnderstood then of compelling them thereunto by new national statutes, the seueritie whereof enforced an obedience [Page 57] to God and to the King. Deut. 13. [...]. &c Deut. 17.5. Likewise the au­thoritie of the lawe of Moses commaun­ding to put to death the false Prophet and the Idolater, Asa made a statute in his time, that whosoeuer did not seeke the Lord (vnderstanding therby a renouncing of Idolatrie, and a worshipping of the only true God according to his lawe) should dy the death. Which as it was lawfull then and in them, yea duetifull and necessarie, euen so vpon like ground, is it as lawful & duetifull for all Christian Princes now to make like statuts vpō y ^e same warrant, for the gouernement of the Nation and people committed to them. There is no cause then why hee should make so light of our nationall statuts, being the true and liue­ly vse of the lawe of God, by this meanes renewed, and recouering his force againe by such proceedinges. It appeareth there­fore by these reasons, that the authoritie is sufficient and strong whereby they are pu­nished, yea and such as may well warrant a further proceeding against so many of thē as may be iustly condemned for heretikes, that part of the Cannon lawe, standing now as well in force, as it did in the time of their tirannie and giuing vs that power against them which they neuer could haue [Page 58] of it lawfully against vs, whom they could neuer conuict of any error. And thus much for answere to the authoritie whereupon both our proceedings are grounded being y ^e first of the two reasons he alledgeth. Now come we to the other argumēt, which is of the difference of the cause betwene them & vs, the principall poynt of all this treatise.

Foure Rea­sons of the aduersary for their cause.The difference hee noteth is in foure poyntes, whereof two, which are the an­tiquitie and vniuersallitie of their faith, he doth but lightly touch by the way, the o­ther two of vnitie and pollicie, he discour­seth off more at larg. Whose steps because I haue bound my selfe to follow, some­what I must answere to the former, be­fore I proceede to the other two where­in hee seemeth to haue more confidence. Our faith (saith he) is the only Religion of our forefathers, Answere to the 1. which is Antiquity in England. To this I answere: First it is not true, and then if it were, yet it can be no suffycient reason for thē, nor against our cause. For the first, it appeareth by the resistāce which the auncyent Britons made to Austen the Monke, the Pope of Romes Messenger or Nuntio hither, and the whole discourse of that Story. Which sheweth y ^t they which were before the Conquest, receaued nei­ther [Page 59] his Supremacy nor his faith: that frō the beginning of Christianity in the lande, to that time the religion had bene free from most of their corruptions. Their trā ­substantiatiō y ^e Saxons which after preuai­led belieued not, as appeareth by a sermon found written in the Saxon tongue, ap­pointed in their time to be vttred vnto the people at Easter before the Communion: and published now in print by authority to all the world for proofe thereof. But I put the case our Forefathers had neuer had other Religion in England, were this a suffycient reason to prooue it good? If it be, then many supersticious abhominati­ons of the Heathen may be iustified and acknowledged good Religion. The cursed false worship of Mahomet in Asia, hath contynued as long as the Idolatrous su­perstition of the Church of Roome: yet were it vtterly impertinent for the poste­ritie liuing this day in those partes to al­leadge this reason, that it is the onely reli­gion of their forefathers in Asia. When the Apostles came preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles, they had bene a people in the ages & generations before that time in respect of y ^e true knowledge of religiō neglected & not regarded of God, Act. 17.30. hauing in a maner frō y ^e [Page 60] beginning of the world, which was 4000. yeares continued in their Idolatrie. Yet was this no sufficient cause to continue in it still, and despise the Gospell as a newe faith. Which though it had not beene vouchsafed thē before, yet was more aun­cient then their wicked superstitions. Contrariwise it was fit for them, the lon­ger they had lyen in darkenesse and in the vale of the shadowe of death, with so much more ioy to see and beholde the Sunne, when it beganne to rise in their countries. Euen so notwithstanding it were true that darkenes had couered this lande in all the time of our forefathers, yet now that we their children haue the fauour to see this glorious Sunne to rise in our horizon, and to see his comming forth like the com­ming forth of a Bridegrome out of his chamber, Psa. 19.5. or of some worthy knight and Champion setting out to runne his course. Should we loue darkenes more thē light, & refuse the riches of gods mercy most frée­ly & bountifully bestowed vpō vs. Nay we ought rather to celebrate y ^e goodnes of god towardes vs with euerlasting prayses, for that he hath reuealed to vs the misterie hid­den from so many ages, and vnknowne so long to the world, as it is nowe reuealed: [Page 61] and our owne happinesse, whose eyes doe see the light of the Gentiles, the glory of Is­raell, & whose eares do heare the wisedome y ^t is greater then Salamons. Thinges which in deede many of our forefathers especially in some late hundred yeares, haue not sene nor heard, and wee nowe by the grace of God, doe see and heare them.

The same may be saide of their gene­rallitie, namely that first it is not true, Answere to the 2. gene­rallitie. that this their faith was left vs by the generall consent of all Christendome, and then that generality in it selfe sufficeth not to proue religion good. For the first it is manifest by the holy scriptures, that the Apostles who as it appeareth by their writinges, preached the doctrine which wee professe, neuer taught their superstition, hauing left vs no one poynt of all that which is pro­perly their faith, and wherein they differ from vs. The auncient fathers testify (I speake of the most auncient of them) such partes of Christendome as they liued and taught in, to haue belieued no such faith. The Stories of the Church make mention of Christian Churches in Asia, and in Afrike, and some partes of Europe also, which neuer receyued the faith of the Church of Roome that is, that which is [Page 62] properly the Romish faith and wherein it dissenteth from vs: as neyther their su­premacie nor Idolatrie, nor sundrie such other poyntes which are the beautie and crowne of popery. Therefore it is vntrue that they haue it left them by a general cō ­sent. Further all generalitie in it selfe, is not sufficient to iustify a matter of faith. What hath bene, and yet is more ge­nerall in the world, then Mahometisme and Paganisme which yet Christian men for all y ^e generalitie of it, do worthily according to Gods worde detest and abhorre. The ge­neral consent of y ^e whole Church, I meane of all the holy assemblies which at the same time in all the worlde professe by publike ministerie Christian religion, as a most graue & reuerent testimony, ought wor­thily to be regarded by all her modest and humble children: Yet because it may bee subiect to error in some poynt, yea most substantiall and materiall poyntes (as the experience of the apostasie which the Apo­stle prophecied off doth sufficiētly declare) euen y ^t can be no sufficient warrant of the truth. Only y ^e written word of God, is suf­ficient, which alone hath this prerogatiue aboue all creatures, to certifie & assure our consciences in matters of religiō. Where­by [Page 63] we being taught the faith which wee haue belieued (as wee are readie thorowe the grace of God to make good at all times before all men,) our faith can not be any newe or perticuler opinion, as he wrongfully chargeth it, but is the auncient and generall faith of the Church, which hath testimony giuen vnto it by the lawe, and by al the Prophets which spake from Moses to Samuell, Rom. 3.22. Act. 3.24. and those which folowed after. These are auncient Fathers in deede, whose heades are all white as woll. In comparison of whom the fathers they boast off haue neuer a one of them a graye haire vpon his heade, they may seeme to haue beene borne but yesterdaye. In which respect according to the Lawe, Leuit. 19.32 they are to rise vp and giue place and doe their duetie to these who are aged Fathers in deede. For where as simply there is nothing aun­cient but that which is euerlasting, and all other thinges are auncient in re­spect and in comparison of that which is yonger: Wee most truly affirme our faith to be so farre more auncient then theirs, as that for euery hundreth yeares their doctrine is olde, which at this day the [Page 64] Church of Roome teacheth, that which our Churches professe is auncient, 1000. as being the faith of the righteousnes of God witnessed vnto by the lawe and by the Prophetes. Therefore if it had neuer bene heard of in England before, and though it haue beene condemned by that vngodly Pius Quintus and his successor of like im­pietie, Rom. 3.21 and their folowers, as Christ was by Caiphas, and the Apostles by Annas and his whole consistory, yet remaineth it still, and shall remaine for euer, no newe nor perticuler opinion, but the auncient and generall faith of the Church, the Apo­stolicall and propheticall doctrine whereby in all partes of the world haue beene and shall be saued whosoeuer were appoynted to euerlasting life. For which cause god­ly hath it beene procured by your HH. and established by her highnesse authoritie a­mongst vs, as was the obedience of the lawe by Iosias, when it was founde after that it had beene lost by negligence of the priestes for certaine yeares. In like sort the true Gospell being found againe which had beene lost by the negligence of their Priestes, (if not also by their malice and for the furtherance of their pompe [Page 65] and riches which it serued not for) hath beene in deed aduised by the right Reue­rend Synod of the ministerie of this our whole Nation, and restored to his former & auncient authoritie, by the high Court of Parliament, enacting & ordeyning by sta­tute the approbation and allowance of it. Which if it haue bene done as here he cō ­playneth without tryall or disputation, and confuting of the aduersary openly, the blame is to be laide vpon none but them­selues. For who can make a coward to fight: he may be challenged, hee may haue his day appoynted, and by some meanes be brought into the fielde: but if his heart shall faile him when he seeth his enimie in the face, and that the euill quarrell he com­meth in, doth take away his courage, so that he yeeld himselfe to the pleasure of his aduersary without striking of any stroke: hath he after any reason to complayne that he was not fought withall? Euen so it is not vnknowne to your HH. and to this whole state, that our aduersaries were cal­led to disputation, and the day appoynted, at which also they came, as if they would haue disputed: but belike considering there is no wisedome against the Lord, nor po­wer that can preuaile against his truth, [Page 66] they began to picke quarrels to auoyde the brunt of the battell and forsooke the fielde refusing to dispute. Our reuerend Fathers of worthie memory Cranmer, Ridley, Lati­mer &c. dealt not so with them in Q. Ma­ries dayes, but encountred with them, both in y ^e conuocation house, & also at Oxford to their shamefull foyle, and iust reproch, howsoeuer after they hauing the lawe in their owne handes, did most vniust and cruell execution vpon them, by burning them in the fire. An argument voyde of all reason and full of vyolence and wrong, which yet by the grace of God, they fully answered, receyuing vertue from aboue, and being fortified with an heroicall mag­nanimitie and a most christian and noble spirit, whereby they endured the cruell tor­ment of the flaming fire with great pati­ence and comfort reioycing, they were vouchsafed not onely to belieue, but also to suffer and that vnto death, and so cruel a death for the testimony of the Lord Iesu, and the witnesse of his truth. And yet these men (according to the Prouerbe that he y ^t flyeth may fight againe) not being asha­med that men should remember the foyle of y ^t day, when they were not able to stand with those who were appoynted to dispute [Page 67] with them: now as if they had gotten new hart of grace & some good armor of proofe, which euen the verie word of God, the spi­ritual sword, wherby we fight against these men, were not able to pearce; haue nothing in their mouthes nor in their pennes, but disputation, whereof if they came to it a­gaine as their late chāplan did, I doubt not but they would haue soone inough. But of this I haue ocasion to speak more herafter. Now let vs proceede to his other reasons.

The other two reasons which are deba­ted by him more at large, are of vnity and pollicie, both which he affirmeth to bee in their religion, & denyeth to be in ours. For vnitie I say, as in the other, that neyther if they had y ^t vnitie & agreement amongst themselues, wherof they boast, y ^t they were thereby sufficiently warranted, and then y ^t they haue it not. Of the other part, that in ours, is the true vnitie which is in veritie. For the first, y ^t al agreemēt is no sufficient proofe, of the goodnesse of y ^e matter wherein they agree, it may easily appeare, for that al malefactors haue a kinde of agréement. So likewise haue the enimies of the Gospel of Christ, as the Apostles out of the 2. Psal. declare y ^t the Iewes & the Romaines y ^e aunci­ent enimies of Christ, that y ^e Gentiles & the [Page 68] people of Israel y ^e state ciuil & ecclesiasticall did al agrée & cōspire together against God & against his annointed. Therfore except he can proue that faith wherein they agree, to be y ^e true & ancient faith of Gods Church, his vnity is nothing but a conspiracie, and their hye consistory as y ^e cōsistory of the hie priests, cōfederat together against Christ, and against his Apostles, or as y ^e agreemēt betwene Core, Dathan & Abiram with their rebellious companies, against Moses and Aaron. Further I say, their Church is so farre off from that vnitie and agreement which he boasteth off, that contrarywise it hath beene, and is full of contentions and controuersies. Which if we consider, in the publike state of their Church, is most manifest in the infinit varietie & difference of Saintes, & meanes of saluation chosen to worship and to trust vnto, by sundry Na­tions, Townes, companies, and persons, as it liked them best. Likewise by the di­uers Missales, Breuiaries, and Ceremo­nies vsed amongst them. Further also by their sundry sectes of Monkes & Nunnes, which they haue so multiplied of late, whereas not many hundred yeares agoe, they had onely the order of Bennet. But especially in the Popes counsels, vni­uersities, [Page 69] and brotherhoodes of Monkes and Freers, it appeareth that the Lorde burst their Church as a vessell of claye, and an earthen pot stricken with a barre of yron into so many peeces and fitters, that there scarse remayneth whole any one potsheard so big as might serue to fetch fire withall. The agreement of the Popes was such about Formosus, y ^t for some yeares eue­ry Pope disanulled his predecessors actes: they condemned one another, yea they fol­lowed their cause with such bitter mallice ( Platina their owne writer reporting it) that Formosus was takē vp after his death, and burned, and his ashes cast into the riuer. The scisme of two or three Popes at once, which continued so many yeares and occupyed all Christian Princes, to the perpetuall infamie of their malitious dis­cordes, doth witnesse to all posteritie, how farre their Church is from this vnitie they would boast off. Further their booke of decrees though Gratiā would force them to agree, declareth what contrarie and re­pugnant sentences haue beene pronoun­ced by them in sundry causes and poynts of great importance. And this hath beene the vnitie of the Popes amongst themselues: with others they haue agreed thus. [Page 70] They haue moued and mainteyned wars both with Kinges and Kesars, and those both Greeke, French, and Germans. Ma­ny counsels haue beene excomunicated by them, and they againe by the coun­sels. Most famous and noble Churches haue likewise had experience, what bit­ter spirit of contention and discorde hath possessed them. They haue alienated and cleane cut off, the renoumed Churches of Asia, whereof a great manie were plan­ted, with the Apostles owne handes. In like manner haue they contended and stri­uen with the Churches of Africa. And in Europe the seate of their impietie, ney­ther the Churches of Germanye, Fraunce, England, Denmarke, nor sondrie other, but haue beene deuided and rent a sun­der with their quarrels, and in a manner brought to waste, by meanes of the con­trouersies they haue had with them, and others raysed and nourished by them. But especially their owne Italy, as o­ther monumentes, and the pertiali­ties and factions of the Guelphes, and Gibellines and their present estate doth witnesse.

Moreouer Clement the fift maintayned a great contention with the famous v­niuersitie [Page 71] of Paris about his indulgen­ces. And other of them had a great quarrell with the begging Fryers con­cerning the order of Monkery. And this hath beene the vnitie which the Popes haue had amongst themselues, and with others. Their Councels also, as being the vnquiet bodie, of so rest­lesse and contentious a head, haue beene at variance one with annother: as those of Basile and Constance, and sondrie o­thers. Their Monkes and Fryers haue had greate warres, both amongst them­selues and with others, both with the Popes themselues, with the vniuer­sities, and with their cheefe Prelates, as that which they had with Gad, with Clement the fift, with the vniuersitie of Paris, and the Archb. of Arnach: with whome they agreed litle better then the Popes Nuntie at Paris this last yeare agreed with the Dominicans, to the most shamefull reproch of their whole Church.

The Canonistes and the Scholemen, byte one another, according to the Apostle, till they be consumed one of another. The Scholemen, they are also diuided amongst themselues into Reales and Nominals and [Page 72] acording to their captaines, vnder whose auncient & bāner they fight: some are Tho­mists, some Scotists, some hold of Occam. This is not according to him y ^t said, Ioh. 14.27 My peace I leaue w ^t you, my peace I giue vnto you. Is Christ diuided. According to these publike examples, 1. Cor. 1.13. their priuat Doctors & writers haue behaued thēselues euē of late yeares in writing one against another, as Catharinus an Archb. and one of the Popes Minions, Dominicus de Soto, confessor to Charles the fift: Caietanus, Tapperus, Pighi­us, with sundrie other, and the Fathers of the Councell of Trent, all which so agreed, that according as it is saide of Ismaell, their handes were euery one against all others, and all others against them. Their a­greement was like y ^t which was amongst the Babilonians after the Lorde had striken them with the confusion of their tongues, that one vnderstoode not another: and like the discorde of the Madianites, who thrust euery man his sworde into the side of his owne Countryman. Which their contentions and debates were of no small matters, but of originall sinne, of iustification by faith, of the certayntie of hope, of the vertue of y ^e death of Christ, of the vertue of Baptisme, of the supre­macie, [Page 73] of the higher authoritie, of the Pope, or of the Counsels, of the Church, or of the Scripture, of the residence of Bishoppes, and such like. I might here also shewe howe their doctrine disagreeth with it selfe, one poynt ouerthrowing an­other, but this may suffice to rebuke the vanitie of the boast of their a­greement, and to laye out some part of the euidences which I am to shew against them, to proue that their Church is not that friend, that Doue, that Spouse of Christ, which is but one, whereof they so often vaunt: but a contentious and quarrellous company at continuall warres with others and a­monst themselues, as the posteritie of Ismael, and as the host and tents of Madian. Nowe let vs see with what dissention hee can charge our Church in Englād. Wherin if he would haue procee­ded soundly to the iust charging of vs, he ought if he had bene able, to haue brought out the publike confession and articles of faith agreed vnto in King Edwardes time, and haue shewed any in England that professing the Gospell dissenteth from them. Or if he would haue vs to answere for all that professe our faith in all the [Page 74] world, yet ought he to haue sought out the ancient recordes and authentike con­fessions of faith, which the professors in the seuerall Countries where they are, haue exhibited by common consent and agreement vnto their Princes: But be­ing not able so to doe, as shall appeare af­ter in the particulers that hee alleadgeth, he seeketh some fewe places out of the in­finite works and bookes, written by some of our profession, which may seeme to haue a shew of repugnance betwene themselues.

If a man should deale thus, not onely with their wrangling writers, which are full of quarrels & controuersies: but euen with the ancient and learned fathers, it were an easie matter to note, a multitude of differences and contrarieties in them, in matters of greater importance, then any hee chargeth vs withall. He hath made choyse especially of three, in whose workes hee will shew a difference in some poynts. These three are the famous and wor­thie Clarkes of blessed memorie in the Church of God, M. Luther, P. Me­lancthon, [...]. Sam. 23.8.9.10.11. and Iohn Caluin. Three such worthies in the Campe and Tentes of the Lorde God of Hostes, as Ioshab, [Page 75] Eleazer, and Shammah, are reported to haue beene in the Hoast of Dauid. For though many haue done worthily, and therefore may iustly bee accounted in the honorable places of the thirtie of Dauids worthie Soldiers, and some of them of y ^e second thrée, yet hardly haue they attayned to these three. Of which three Luther and Melancton, were the burning Lampes and the shining lights of Germa­ny. Luther cleare as the light, shined first as in a darke place, and as the appearing of the day, to those which sate in y ^e shadow of death. He was endued of God with a spirit of power, as Elias: so as he stoode not onely against 400. false Prophets of Baal: but against almost 400000. The Lorde had made him as he had done Ieremy, a defen­sed Citie, and as a piller of yron, and wall of brasse to al the Kings, Princes, Priests, and people of Europe. He was a chosen in­strument in the Lordes hande, an elect vessell, euen a vessell of gold, made of God, to beare his name before Princes and ru­lers, and to present the truth of the Gospell to Kinges and Kesars, as he did at Wormes in the imperiall assemblie, to Charles the fift, to the Princes Electors, and other the great States [Page 76] and Princes of Germanie. If hee were rude in speach as he truly wrote to Eras­mus, yet was hee not so in knowledge. Nay both his skill in diuinitie was pro­found, and his tongue was eloquent to vt­ter it. Notwithstanding as the elect ves­sell so first called, [...] Cor. 12.7. and the Doctor of the Gentiles, least hee should bee lif­ted vp with the Reuelations which had beene shewed vnto him in Paradise, being rapt into the third heauens, receyued some blowes and buffets of the Aungell of Sa­than: so no maruell if the Lorde suffered Luther likewise some other way to take a blowe of Sathan, and in some respect to be foiled, that he might humble him, and teach vs to trust in God and not in men. Iacob hauing seene the face of God in Pe­niell, Gen. 32.24. and wrastled with him all the night, yea preuayled against him (by which vic­torie he got that new and honorable name of Israell, whereby to this day he is more renoumed in the Church, then all the Af­fricani & Germanici which had their praise of men) yet caried not away such a victory and so great glory without such a blowe that he halted of after all the dayes of his life. In like maner this worthie Israelite so sawe God, and so wrastled to his euer­lasting [Page 77] prayse before God and man, as yet he halted and was blemished in some part al the dayes of his life. Which was for the humbling of him, that the sight which hee had seene, as in Peniel, that the Reuelati­ons which he had, as if he had beene taken to the third Heauen and Paradise of God, should not lift him vp aboue measure: and that the Church hereby shuld be instructed, to depend vpon no mortall creature, but onely vpon the Lorde. Therefore if hee fayled in a poynt or two, this is not so much to be obiected against him, much lesse against vs: as his name is to be esteemed, for the fauour he was vouchsafed of God, to be his chosen instrument vnto vs, to dis­couer so farre as he did, the truth which our aduersaries had drowned in the bot­tom of the sea. His spirit indéed was vehe­ment and hote as fire, his style and pen as a sharpe two edged sworde in his hand, and cut like a Rasor, which was giuen him of God to cut in sunder the Troupes and companies of the enimies of the Gospell. Which if he were not alwaies able so to wealde and handle, but that sometime also the sworde fell vpon those, whome hee ought not onely not to haue hurt, but to haue defended, it was his [Page 78] weakenesse and infirmitie: yet such as ought not to preiudice his other honorable seruice, done to God and to his Church, against their enimies. And so much the lesse ought it to bee preiudiciall, be­cause sometimes hee founde his vehe­mency that waye, not very wel bestowed, and sought to heale againe the woundes, which he had made. Which hee did both at other times, subscribing to the same poynts he had oppugned: as appeareth by sundrie letters of diuers men, and by the sollemne agréement, made with the Chur­ches of Helu [...]tia and Suenia, and by his owne confession to Melancton, as it is sufficiently testifyed at his last farewell from him before his death.

Melancton the second light of Ger­many, was giuen of God as a great blessing, and helpe to Luther in all his battailes, who was faithfull to him, as was Ionathan to Dauid. He was excellently learned, not onely in Di­uinitie, but also in the tongues and sciences, and generally in all good learning, as appeareth by his worthie labours in them vnto this day.

For what arte or science was not po­lished with his learned hand. He fyled the [Page 79] tongue with his precepts of rhetorike. He made reason more reasonable, by his skilfull rules of logike. He lift vp our heads to behold the Starres, & taught vs to looke backe into the times that are past. Final­ly, all good learning receyued helpe of his excellent wit.

God gaue him a soffter and a milder spirit, a nature more easie to be dealt with, louely and amiable, gratious and curte­ous to all men. Whereby the Lord, ioy­ning those two excellent wittes, of con­trarie nature together, so tempered them both, as they might bee fittest for his seruice.

Luthers fierie nature needefull for him, being to stande in the Front of all the battell, least it should haue beene too hot, was mittigated with a gratious aspect of this sweete nature of the other, and a fitte cast of his temperat beames, for the purpose: Whereby hee so increased the light, and aswaged the heate of Luther, that the Church of God receyued great be­nefit by their happy coniunction. 2. Re. 3.19. For when Luthers vehement spirit was mo­ued, as was the spirit of Elizeus, when Iehoram came to aske counsell of him, then Melanctons company and [Page 80] conuersation mittigated his extreme heats and hye displeasures, euen as the musike which pacifyed Elizeus, and quyeted his minde that was sore offended. So of the other part, wheras Melanctons méeke­nesse was in daunger to bee turned in­to coldnesse of zeale, Psal. 6 and feare to professe the truth which God had made knowne vnto him: Luther was to him as the Aungel was to the Prophet Esay, Es. 6. which by the burning coales of the Lordes Al­tar kindled and inflamed his zeale. For by his noble spirit of magnanimitie, he strengthned and fortifyed the other against the feare of flesh and bloud. Such was the comfort and benefit which they receyued of their mutuall giftes, to the great edification of the Church. And this is the golden payre, of two of the worthiest Ministers of y ^e Gospel that Germany hath brought forth in any age. Out of whose large volumes the pretended differences obiected vnto vs, are taken and gathe­red. The third is Iohn Caluin one of the soundest Diuines and of deepest iudgement in matters of religion, both of doctrine and of discipline, that God gaue to his Church this thousand yeares: whose good name is in déed as y ^e wise man [Page 81] saith, a most sweete and excellent oynt­ment. Eccle. 7.3. For howsoeuer Bolsec and the slaunderous defender of the late Censure, haue rayled in y ^e spirit of Semei against him, and sought to their power to spoyle and marre this pretious oyntment: yet all that are of the Church in these partes of Europe smell the sauour of it as the Apo­stles did the narde of Marie, Iohn. 2.3. which she powred vpon the heade of our Sauiour Christ: and as they that were in y ^e Temple did the sweete and fragrant odor of the holy oyntment when it was powred out vpon Aarons heade, Ex. 30.23.24 25.30. Psal. 133.2. and trickled downe to the hemme of his garment. This wor­thie man of God, like a goodly Starre rising first in Fraunce, and after ascending to Geneua (where also it went downe) so shined in his time in the middes of the Church, as if all the Firmament thereof, had beene but one Starre, and as if in all the Cope of Heauen, there had shined none other. And these three worthies of all the Lordes hoste, at once this weake Au­thour hath specially chosen to encounter and to deface with contrarietie to themselues, and one with another, putting his trust as it seemeth in this: that [Page 82] his surmysed contrarieties should neuer come to be examined.

The poyntes wherein hee chargeth them with contrarietie, are of the Sacra­mentes, and first in generall, of the num­ber of them: whereof hee affirmeth that Luther acknowledged but one, Caluin two, Melancton three or foure. For Caluin I confesse, hee saith there are but two, and in deede there are neyther more nor lesse. For a Sacrament being a seale of our Communion with Christ, Rom. 4.11. it can not bee shewed that our Sauiour Christ appoynted any more or lesse Seales of the righteousnesse that is by faith, and our coniunction with him, then onely two, namely Baptisme and the Supper of the Lorde. Which without any manner of question or difference, is manifestly de­clared to bee the generall iudgement of the Churches professing the Gospell by the booke of the harmony of the confessions of their faith. Which hauing beene long a­goe exhibited to the seuerall Princes of the Countries, states, and kingdomes where these Churches are, are nowe of late very profitably published, to the iust con­uiction of all such as slaunder the reformed [Page 83] Churches to be variably distracted & rent in sonder, with infinit differences of faith. For it appeareth by that most profitable labor that the Lorde hath knit and vnited them together, with a holy vnitie both sweete as the oyntment of Aaron and al­so profitable and rich as the due of Sion, Psal. 133. and of Hermon. By which pleasant her­mony of the confessions both of this Church and many others, it appeareth that the generall iudgement and faith of our Churches, acknowledgeth onely two Sacraments. Wherein the Churches of God agreeing so well together, the diuers opinion of a particular man or two, if it were so, culd not preiudice their holy vnitie in y ^e faith. But how vntrue it is, y ^t is here obiected to Luther & Melancton, will plain­ly be discouered. For Luther that hee euer helde or taught that there should bee but one Sacrament as the Authour chargeth. I say is an vniust & slaunderous accusatiō. In the places hee alleadgeth for his proofe in the beginning of his booke, of the Babilonicall captiuitie, after the denying of the seauen Sacraments, and graun­ting of three, which he there expresly na­meth, Baptisme, the Lords Supper, [Page 84] and Penance. His wordes are these. Although saith hee, if I would speake af­ter the vse of the scripture, I should haue but one Sacrament, and three Sacra­mentall signes, whereof more largely in his time. By which wordes it is e­uident that Luther ment nothing lesse, then to teach but one Sacrament in that sense wee here speake of a Sacrament, which conteyneth in it, both the signe of the Sacrament, or holy thing signifyed by it, and also the Sacrament or holy thing it selfe: for such hee playnely con­fesseth three: Baptisme, the Lords Sup­per, and Penance. But by one Sacra­crament, vnderstandeth the matter and substance of the sacramentall signs, which is in deede but one, namely our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Which manife­stly discouereth the simplicitie of this Au­thour, if not hauing redde nor eonsidered the place himselfe, he vouched it vpon con­fidence of the collection of some other, or his verie euill conscience: if knowing this to bee Luthers meaning, hee haue so wrongfully and vniustly slaundered him. Thus for one Sacrament, hee hath his answere.

Nowe to that hee obiecteth of three or foure. For foure hee cyteth Melanctons common places, where Melancton hauing named three, Baptisme, the Lords Sup­per, and Penance. hee addeth after these wordes. It liketh mee most, that or­dinacion also bee added, whereunto he an­nexeth this reason: that it is commaun­ded of God, and that great promise is made to the ministry and preaching of the word. For answere whereunto it is to be noted, that first in the place alledged, hee nameth onely three, then after adioyneth this, that he could like also the ordinance of the mi­nisteries (for the commaundement of God, to ordayne Ministers, and the pro­mise of God to assist and blesse the Mi­nistery of such as are lawfully called) were also named a Sacrament. Which impor­teth as if hee had said, that in some sense, or­dination also may be called a Sacrament. Further the confession of Ausb. and the Apologie of it, as he truly alledgeth, both endyted by Melancton, maketh mention onely of three. Whereby it appeareth, that Melancton taught not simply foure, but onely three, and that the name of a Sa­crament in some sense, might bee attribu­ted [Page 86] to the fourth: and for teaching sake, as he speaketh in his Apologie, in the title of the number, & vse of Sacraments. Where handling this matter, expresly hee vseth these words, wee doe not thinke it any great matter although some for teaching doe otherwise number, so that they duely keepe the things which are deliuered in the Scriptures, neyther did the auncient Fathers number alwayes the same. By which place it appeareth, that Melancton (so that the holy things, which are left by the scripture to bee vsed by vs, bee obser­ued,) esteemed it not greatly materiall, for the name of a Sacrament, to how ma­ny or how fewe of these things it were at­tributed, wherein hee leaneth vpon the iudgment of the ancient Fathers, who all agreed not of the certaine number of those things, which shoulde bee called by this name.

It appeareth then that Melancton, in this place did not properly call, Ordi­nation of the Ministers a Sacrament, but in this freedome and libertie whereof hee speaketh, not binding himselfe straightly to the sense of the worde, but vsing it as hee thought good, for more plainenesse of [Page 87] teaching that which hee would haue vn­derstood. But yet hee will say it remay­neth, that there are three, by Luther and Melancton.

To this I answere, that it is true that this is the ordinarie speach of them both, when they speake of the number of sacra­ments to reakon three, namely Baptisme, Luth. de cap. Boh. the Lords Supper, and Penance: but in such sense, as being well considered, it shal appeare they swerue nothing at all from the generall iudgement, of the faith of all our Churches. This I shewe by a place of Luther, in the ende of his booke of the Captiuitie. Where hauing saide before of Babilon, that in some sense, there are many things which may be called Sacra­mēts, he addeth these words, yet properly it hath bene thought good, to call those only Sacramentes which haue promises, with signes annexed vnto them. The rest bi­cause they are not tyed vnto signes, are naked promises. Whereby it commeth to passe, that if wee will speake exactly, there are onely two Sacramentes in the Church of God. Baptisme, and the Bread: Seeing that in these onely, wee see both the Signes ordeyned of God, and the pro­mise [Page 88] of forgiuenesse of sinnes, for the Sa­crament of Penance, which I haue rea­koned with these two, wanteth a Signe visible and instituted of God, and so go­eth forward, to proue against the Scoole­men by their owne difinition of a Sacra­ment, which requireth such a visible signe, that Penance can bee no Sacrament. Whereby it appeareth, that when Lu­ther and Melancton name any more then two, they speake it in a more generall and improper signification of the worde. But when they teach exactly, and attri­bute the name to no more then the true difinition of a Sacrament doth agree vn­to, that then they hold and teach onely two, that is Baptisme, and the Lords Supper as Caluin doth, & as all the refor­med Churches doe holde and beleeue. Which may suffise for an answere to his cauell of difference in our Churches, and amongst these learned writers concerning the number of the Sacraments. The se­cond obiection of difference, is of certaine Sacraments in perticuler, and that of two, of Penance, and of orders. Concerning which two, that Luther and Melancton sometime call thē Sacraments, and some­times [Page 89] not, hee hath his answere alreadie, that it is in such sense as they differ not from the vniuersall iudgement and faith of the Church, or one of them from ano­ther, which may be his sufficient answere to all the places which to his purpose hee alledgeth out of them. As for Caluin, 4.14.18.19.20. that hee should call orders, an vnordinarie Sacrament, it is so farre off to proue that he pretendeth, that it confirmeth my an­swere. For Caluin speaking of Sacra­ments, sheweth that in a generall signi­fication, this name may comprehend all manner of Signes, giuen of God for bet­ter assurance of his promise, of which sort he nameth the Rainebowe, the Fleece of Gedeon and such like, but (saith hee) I speake here onely of those which are the ordinarie Sacraments of y ^e whole church. And a litle after, the Sacraments of the Iewes being abolished, two Sacraments are instituted in the Church, namely Baptisme and the Lords Supper, I speake (saith hee) of those which are ap­poynted for the vse of y ^e whole Church. For as for laying on of handes, whereby the Ministers are ordayned, as I doe not vn­willingly suffer it to bee called a Sacra­ment, [Page 90] so doe I not number it among the ordinarie Sacraments. Wherin it is ma­nifest, that Melancton and Caluin a­gree betweene themselues, and both of them with the faith of the Church. Thus all men may see that we are not as sheepe broken out of the fold, scattered vpon the Mountaines, and wandering euery one a seuerall way in our opinions, nor giddy as it liketh this writer slaunderously to terme vs: but wee are in the Folde kept carefully vnder one sheepeheard, vnited in one God, one Lorde, one faith, one Baptisme, and the same hope of life e­uerlasting: For further proofe whereof, I beseech the learned reader, y ^t would be satis­fyed to reade y ^e Hermony, of the Confessi­ons of all the Churches which this day make profession of the Gospell in Europe. And thus much for the vnitie amongst vs, and their bitter, yea and bloudy dis­sention, contrary to that hee boasteth of themselues, and slaundereth vs.

Now remayneth the second argu­ment of this sorte, and the last of all his proofes of the good policie that is in Po­pery. Which though it bee so much more largely laide out then any of the other, as [Page 91] it seemeth to be the principall, and the rest to haue serued but to make the way before it, and to helpe him to vtter this his falsly named wisedome and pollicie, yet hee will fondly seeme to fall into it, by occasion of hauing named policie once a litle before. But in deed his true reason is, that if it were possible hee may deceaue your HH. with a name of pollicie and wisedome: because your HH. being wise, haue a spe­ciall eye, and as hee speaketh perticuler re­gard vnto pollicie. But the graue and deepe iudgement that God hath giuen your HH. wil easily discouer his pretended policie, to be but a vaine fancy, & cause your wisdoms to abide stil immouable in y ^e loue of y ^e true, lawfull, & holy wisedome, which your HH. most worthely regard. For who can better prise and esteeme so ex­ceeding gifts more then your LL. who by the vse thereof, all this happie time of her Ma. raigne, haue found it to bee a most necessarie and profitable gift, for the main­tenance of a Christian Commonwealth. Which as this Authour & his friends, haue found to their smal reioycing, so y ^e duetiful subiects acknowledge it to y ^e glory of God, to y ^e worthy prayse of your HH. to al poste­ritie, [Page 92] and to our singular comfort. For except the Lorde had saued vs and made your HH. carefull & wise to preuent and disapoynt their wicked & malicious prac­tises against vs, this State and Church may iustly say with the Church of Israell, that now long agoe they had deuoured and swallowed vs vp quicke. Therefore as wee haue tasted the sweet fruit of this principall spirit of gouernement, where­with the Lorde hath furnished you from aboue: so our dayly prayers to God for all your HH. are that hee may dayly more and more enrich your Noble harts, with the true and holy feare of him, with the zealous loue of his Gospell, with magna­nimitie and courage, and all other princely and heroicall vertues, fitte for Christian Counsellors, to so Christian a Quéene professing the Gospell, and namely with that true wisedome which is from aboue, which as the Apostle Iames teacheth, is first pure, Iam. 3.17. then peaceable, moderat, easie to be perswaded, ful of mercy, & of good fruits, without disputing and without hipocrisie. For as the Prophet Ieremy saide to the false Prophets and lying Priestes of his time, so may it bee truly said vnto this [Page 93] whole Church of theirs. Ier. 8.9. How doe ye say we are wise, and the Lawe of the Lorde is with vs, for certenly the pen worketh falshood, the expert in the Lawe, worke for falshood. Haue their wise men caused them to blush, haue they beene cast downe and taken. Behold they dispise the worde of the Lorde. Can any manner of wise­dome then bee in them? Surely there can bee no true wisedome in them, which is as S. Iames saith from aboue, spirituall & of god, but that which is falsly so named, and is carnall as the Apostle saith. Which true wisedome howsoeuer this Authour boasteth to bee in their Romaine reli­gion (by a sweete enchantment of great pollicie to entice whome hee may to a liking of it) yet being well considered, it will be found to bee to those that tast it, nothing but as the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of good & euil, wherewith Sa­than in y ^e beginning deceaued Eue, & as S. Ia. saith, earthly, natural, & diuelish. Earthly because it is not from Heauen. Natural because it is not spirituall, but onely the vaine and foolish discourse of flesh and bloud, and of a naturall man, who can not conceyue the things which are of God. [Page 94] Deuilish (which followeth next to carnal wisedome, and sheweth that they which are ledde by their naturall and humaine vnderstanding are straight abused by the subtilties of Sathan) because it is not of God, but of the diuill that olde and sutle serpent.

It is not pure as S. Iames declareth the heauenly wisedome to bee, which is pure as the gold that is seauen times re­fyned, but base and vile, because it is al­laied and imbased with all earthly and vile respectes of their owne gaine and ambiti­on whereunto they pretend in their Hie­rarchie, pilgrimages, pardons, purgato­rie, and all other cunning inuentions and politike deuyses of their religion. No more can it bee saide to bee as true wisedome is by the same Apostle peaceable, moderate, tractable, full of mercy, and of good fruits, because it is full of Emulation, of bitter­nesse, of contentions, quarrels, reuen­ges not to be pacifyed, and hates neuer to be reconciled, full of bloudy crueltie, and of euery euill worke. It is not humble and voyde of dispute and contradiction, as is the wisedome which is from aboue, but is full of oppositions, and replyes, encoun­tring [Page 95] the wisedome of God, with vaine discourses of flesh and bloude. Where our Sauiour Christ hath appoynted the word of his Crosse to bee set forth in a sort like it selfe, and the State of his Ministers to be agreeable thereunto: their wisedome controlling this for great simplicitie haue deuised as they suppose, a wiser and a more politike way whereby it might ob­taine more fauour and credit, which is to make it sweete to the outward senses, gorgeous for rich apparrel, sumpteous for all costly furniture, statly and princely for pompe, as representing in it, the image of a kingdome, last of all it is not sincere, but rather full of hipocrisie, because vnder an outwarde appearance of humblenesse, and not sparing of the body: Widowes & Or­phanes houses were deuoured, Idlenesse, Pride, Superstition, Idolatrie, and all im­pietie, was hidden and couered.

Thus a faire coulor was cast vpon a fowle Sepulchre of deade and stinking bones, and in a cup of golde, the Kings and Princes of the earth were presented with a poysoned wyne of all fornication. Which the stories of their filthinesse, of their warres, of their pursuing one another [Page 96] to the death, yea and after death aboun­dantly testifie. Therefore it came neuer (howsoeuer hee vaunteth) from our Sa­uiour Christ the wisedome of God, nor from his Apostles (which true wisedome onely maketh Commonweales to florish) but from vnpure, carnal, profane, and diue­lish wits. Neyther hath it at any time, or can by any meanes soundly vphold & esta­blish a Christian Commonwealth, but al­wayes hath beene, and both thorow the iu­stice of God, and by the very nature of it, must needes be the certaine ruin & distru­ction of all estates which doe receyue it.

But ere I enter any further into the debating of this matter with him, I will first set downe the state of the question be­twene vs in this poynt, as he himselfe hath done. That is (saith he) that the practise of our doctrine as we hold it, Pag. 27. & of our aduersaries as they teach it, whether it be true or false (which at other times & places is to be discussed:) of ours (I say) do follow infinit vtilities to a Christian Common wealth, which do not frō the doctrine of our aduersaries, but rather the cleane contrary hurts & damages, and this is the state of our question in this place.

In which wordes it appeareth that hée vndertaketh to proue that their Ro­maine fayth be it true or false bringeth infinite commodities to a cōmon weale, and ours on the other parte, be it true or false, the cleane contrarye discommo­dities.

This is a straunge point in diuinitie, and such as scarse one woulde haue loo­ked to haue heard, of a Ievve or a Turke, acknowledging any God and trueth in religion, much lesse of one pretending to be a Christian and a Catholique and a solliciter as hee would seeme for, perse­cuted Catholiques, either y ^t a false fayth can make a wise and flourishing com­mon weale, or that true religion should bee but folly, and the ruine of the state wher it is embraced. For the Prophets and Apostles teache vs, that no king­dōe, nor state can prosper, no Prince, no potētate or people can be wise or blessed in their gouernment, but by honoring & obeying almighty God in such sort as he hath appointed. Which doctrine often­tymes is repeated in the lawe, wherein it is declared vnto the people of God, that this should be their wisedome with [Page 103] all nations which shoulde saye surelye, this onely is a wise and a politike peo­ple, if they kept without adding or diminishing all the precepts which God cō ­maunded. Likewise that this obedi­ence shoulde bee their blessing, that it should be well with them yf they kéepe hys cōmaundements y ^t the Lord would hate such as hated them, and afflict such as afflicted them, that the angell of the Lord should cutte downe the Cananites before them and bring them into y ^e pro­mised lande, that they should abide in it and multiplye and be blessed in all that they shoulde putte their handes vnto, aboue all other people. Blessed in the fruite of them selues, of the earth, and of their cattell, and that they should en­large their dominion from sea to sea, and from one floud to an other. Of the other parte, Deu. 28. if they did not kéepe the law of the Lorde their God, his iudgements and his statutes which he had commaunded them, then the Lord threatned to bring vpon them the plagues of Egipt, to cursse them in all that they should deale with­all to cast them out of the land, which he had caused their Fathers to possesse, and [Page 104] making wast their citties yea their sanctuaries and their countrye, to bring vp­pon them famine and hunger, naked­nesse, and pouertie, dissolution and captiuitie.

These and such like sayinges of the lawe, so vehemently vttered vnto al Israell with taking heauen and earth to witnesse, Deu. 30.19, that thus they shoulde finde it in the ende: doe plainely testifie that such religion must néedes be good for the establishing and prospering a common weale, which the Lorde him selfe hath left vnto vs, with promise of blessinge to those that kéepe it. and contrarywise that no false seruice of him can bée good for any state, but that it continually prouoketh the curse & indignation of God against it. Therefore was the K. com­maunded to take a copye of the lawe, to haue it by him, and to reade in it all the dayes of hys lyfe, that he might learne to feare the Lord his God to obserue all his wordes and statutes by dooing of thē that his mind might not be lift vp aboue his brethren, nor he departe frō it to the right hande or to the left, that he might prolonge his dayes in his kingdome, [Page 105] and hys Sonnes in the middest of Is­raell. Deu. 17.18 19.20

Iosua, 1.8To lyke effecte was it sayde vnto Iosua lette not the booke of thys Lawe departe out of thy mouthe, but medi­tate in it night & day, that thou mayest diligentlye obserue as it is written in it. For then thou shalte prosper in thy wayes, and haue successe in thy af­fayres. Whereby lykewise it is euident that the blessyng of Kynges and Prin­ces dependeth hereupon, so that they onely which worshyppe the Lorde a­ryght accordynge to hys woorde, Psal. 2.10 11.12, haue promise of blessynge for it, bothe of thys lyfe and of the life to come.

For this cause the Prophet exhor­teth Kynges to bée wyse, and Counsel­lers to bée well aduysed, that they worshyppe GOD and hys annoin­ted: denouncyng vnto the Enne­mies the almightye power of Christe, to the confusion of all that sette them­selues agaynste hym, whereby hée shoulde bee able as easelye to breake them, as a Manne wyth a barre of Y­ron dooth dashe in peeces a Potte of [Page 106] earth.

To thys purpose notable is the speeche of Asaria the Prophet, 2. Chro. 15 vnto Kynge Asa and to all Iuda and Benia­min when the Lorde hadde miraculous­lye foyled the innumerable multitude of theyr ennemyes.

The LORDE (sayeth hée) hath beene wyth you while yee haue béene wyth hym, 1 Sam, 2, 30, and yf yee wyll yett seeke hym, hée wyll bée readye for you, but yf yée forsake him, hée will forsake you. Accordynge to that whych the Manne of God had sayde hereof be­fore. 1. Sam. 15, 23, 26.28. Psal [...]8. 2. Sam. 22 I wyll honour those which ho­nour mée, and dispise those which di­spise me.

Thys was sealed in the castinge a­way of Saule, and the choosing and pros­perous successe of Dauid as he often ac­knowledgeth. Lykewise in Salomon the moste wise and Politique Prynce that euer sat in the seate of Dauid. 1. Reg. 10 or ru­led anye people in the woorlde, who because hée fullye established the seruice of GOD accordynge to all that hadde bene commaunded by the Prophets. [Page 107] The Lorde also established his seate & increased his glory aboue all the kinges of the earth, till hee beganne to decline from the Lord his God, and broughte the abhominable Idoles of the straunge women whom hée looued into his owne kingdome & houses and worshipped thē, for then the Lorde raysed vppe hys ser­uaunte against him, who also in the dayes of hys Sonne so rente awaye tenne Tribes of Israell from the house of Dauid, 2. Chr. 12, 5, that they neuer returned vn­to it agayne.

Thys was the spéeche of the Prophet Shemaiah, to Roboam & hys counsellers and the people of Iudah: thus sayeth the Lorde, you haue forsaken mée, there­fore wyll I also abandon you and giue you into the hande of Senacherib. which was perfourmed, but in mercye vppon their repentaunce.

2, Chr. 13, Abiah obiected againste Jeroboam, that he coulde not prosper because hée hadde erected Idoles in hys kingdome and had made hym Priestes contrarye to the lawe, and assureth hym selfe of Gods assistaunce agaynste hym for [Page 108] thys reason, because they had the Lorde for theyr God, who was theyr Cap­tayne, and his lawfull Priestes the sonnes of Aaron sounding the Lordes Trumpettes in the fielde before them.

Therefore sayeth hée, yée chyldren of Israell, fighte not agaynst the Lorde the God of your Fathers, for ye can not prosper.

And accordinglye it is added, that the Isralites were ouerthrowne hauinge 50000. chosen men of warre slayne, and the Iewes were strengthned, because as sayth the storye they rested vpon the Lorde God of their Fathers. Diuerse was the estate of the affayres of Asa, accordinge as hee walked with God: prosperinge when hee trusted in God, and decayinge when hee followed the vayne dyscourse of fleshe and bloode, and soughte to the Asserians for helpe.

The same is alwayes dylygentlye noted, in the lyues of the reste of the Kinges. Amazia, Azaria, Ioas, Ezechia, Iehosophat. Manasses and the reste, euen to the deportation and caryinge awaye into captiuitie of bothe the houses of [Page 109] Israell and Iuda wyth theyr Kynges for false worshyppe, 2. Reg. 17 2. Chr. 36 and dysobedyence vnto the woorde of the Lorde theyr GOD, as it is notablye declared in manye places of the holye storye and of the Prophets.

These and infinite suche lyke ex­amples which are in the Bookes of Kynges: (For which woulde to God all Chrystian Princes and theyre Counsellers dyd dyligentlye reade them, and cause them to bee reade and expounded vnto them) do declare true pyetye to bée the verye base and foundatyon of all sounde Wyse­dome and Pollicye, and Impyetye, what shewe soeuer it haue of out­warde profitte and commoditye for a season, yett indeede and in the ende to bée the verye cause of ruine and ouerthrowe to all estates and king­domes.

The reason whereof is manifeste because all Kynges and Princes hold theyr Crownes and Scepters at the wyll and pleasure of GOD, who is Kynge of Kynges, and Lorde of Lords, [Page 110] as it is wrytten by mée Kynges doo raigne, Pro. 8 15. Dan. 4.32 and as Nebuchadnezer by proofe and the iuste chastisement of hys pryde, in beeinge caste oute seauen yeares from hys kyngdome, to lyue wyth the Beastes of the fielde, con­fesseth that GOD dysposeth of the Crownes and Kyngdomes of the world gyuynge and takynge them to and from when it pleaseth him.

As therefore the Tennaunte at wyll, hath no better pollicye then to please hys Lorde of whome hee holdeth, so the greateste pollicye and soundest wysedome that maye bée vsed by Kynges and Prynces, is to please the Lorde oure GOD, in all obedience, and namelye in the zealous aduauncemente of hys true religyon and seruice.

Therefore wycked and deuilyshe is thys rule, and not to bee pa­tyentlye hearde of Christyan Pryn­ces, that false Relygyon, or anye dysobedyence vnto GOD, Idola­try, Hipocrisie, Tyrannye or anye such lyke, canne establyshe the seate [Page 111] of any Kinge or bring securitie, wealth, and honoure to anye state or people, or that true religion and godlines, that iustice and equitie shoulde diminishe a­ny of these and make the state weaker or lesse assured.

To longe hath this moste false and wicked doctrine abused Princes of weake iudgement, to the turninge of theire golde into drosse, and their honor into dishonor. for, what can be more vn­wise, vnhonorable, and vnprofitable in the ende then Idolatry, dissimulation, Iniustice and tyrannye. Or what can be more vnwise and vnhonorable then a state whose wisedome is nothinge but déepe hipocrisie, periury, and licence of all impietie

On the other parte what canne bee more wyse, or honourable, then a P: and state by whome true relygion is zealouslye and sincerelye aduaunced, iustyce vprightlye admynistred, the royall othe, woorde, and promise of a P: inviolablye obserued, vertue rewar­ded, vice punished, good lawes wiselye made, ryghtly construed, and duelye [Page 112] executed, and so good a course of gouern­ment with all christian and noble mag­nanimitie maintayned and auoued.

For surelye these two (which con­teyne all the rest) religion and iustice, pietie and equitie, are the moste pre­cious Pearles that may annorne the crownes of Princes: they are Pillers, stronge as Iacin and Boos, which were erected in the Temple, and are named of theyr stabilitye and strengthe, wher­by theyr state is vpholden.

Salomon, the royall Patron of all true state and honoure, by wysedome and vnderstandynge, by counsell and mag­nanimitye, by knowledge and the feare of the Lorde, as by the sixe steppes of hys regall throne which were made for that purpose, ascended into that glorious seate, (as it was noted by the Lyons at hys féete on eyther side) aboue all Kynges of the earthe, and satte hym downe as a Kyng of Kyngs, and Lorde of Lordes. Whose glorye so sittynge was suche, as he séemed to bée a newe Adam, reentred into the Paradyse of God, or as the sonne of [Page 113] God whose glorye in a sorte was repre­sented in him.

In which example, the Lorde hath sealed vnto vs the assuraunce of the promise hée hath made to honor Prin­ces which honoure him, and to cause the states to prosper and to flourishe which builde vpp the Temple of the Lorde, and neglecte not anye thynge which hee hath commaunded, for the furtheraunce and aduauncement of it.

And as in olde tyme these promi­ses were confirmed in the glorious and happy kyngdome of Salomon: So may wée truely acknowledge to the greate glorye of GOD, a notable testimonie of the fulfillynge of them in the blessed kyngedome of our moost noble Queene. whome the Lorde hath so wonderfully blest to haue as it séemeth some notable example also in these dayes to seale a­gayne vnto all the worlde the certayne trueth of thys doctrine: That happie is the King & Prince vvhose God is the Lord

For howe richlye hath the Lorde blessed her highnes and her people in [Page 114] comparison of all the Kinges and na­tions rounde aboute vs, wyth peace and aboundaunce accordinge to the prayer of the Psalme for Ierusalem are in all the walles and Palaces of Englande. Psal. 122

Such a peace, and such a plentye, as our Fathers neuer knewe, nor our Chronicles reporte to haue beene in the dayes of anye of her Maiesties moste noble Auncestors before her. Our owne Countrye yéeldeth vs aboundance of all thinges that growe at home: and forreine Nations serue vs wyth plentye of all commodities abroade. So that what soeuer is in the Easte, or West, what soeuer in a manner is vnder the Poles or betweene them, wée haue it brought vnto vs. Which conti­nuinge so manye yeares in so calme a peace must néedes haue excéedingly enriched the land with wealth and treasure.

The peace of it is miraculous, in so greate and longe troubles of all our neighbours about vs, and in so manye Plots and practises, layd and vndertakē by the Church of Roome, and the rebel­lious Children thereof, for the distur­baunce of our peace.

Further also the Lorde hath gyuen her highnes that honoure and glorye that neuer anye of her noble proge­nitours attayned vnto: whych is in her owne so happye estate, to sitte as iudge and honourable arbitratoure of the causes and controuersies of the greatest Kynges of Europe, and of all her neyghbours, weyinge the Ballaunce as it pleaseth her.

And what is the cause of all these, so calme a peace, so rich a treasure and so exceedinge greate honoure. Surely the cause is the same for which the no­ble Kynge Ezechias was blessed like­wise with ritches and honor.

Ezechias opened the doore of the tem­ple of the Lorde which Ahaz his Fa­ther, hadde shutte vppe: Hée caste out the Sirian Aulters, and sette vppe a­gayne the Aulter of the Lorde in hys place, hee purged the Temple from the Idoles and abhominations where­with it hadde bene polluted, hee caused the presence Breade to be sette vppon the presence Table before the Lorde, the Lampes of the golden Candlesticke to shyne and gyue lyghte in the Tem­ple [Page 116] of the Lorde: hee called home a­gaine the Priestes and Leuites whiche were scattered abroade, and appoin­ted liberall prouision and mayntenance for them. 2. Chr. 31, 21 Finallye in all the worke which hée beganne for the seruice of the house of GOD, in séeking his God, bothe in the Lawe and in the cōmaundements, hée exercised him selfe with all his soule and was prospered.

In lyke manner it hath pleased God, that her highnes shoulde caste out of hys Temple amongste vs, theyr Roomishe Aulters, theyre Idoles of Golde and Siluer, of Woode and of Stone, Legendes and lyinge Fables, the abhominations of the Masse, and all the wycked and heriticall doctrine of the Churche of Roome, seruice in straunge and vnknowne tongue, wyth a thousande superstitions vsed in it.

In steede whereof, her Maiestie hath broughte in, prayers in our owne tongue, the holye woorde of God to be reade, and truelye expounded vnto vs. The Sacramentes, which are the seales of the Gospell duely administred, [Page 117] the pure, cleane and vndefiled Water of Baptisme, the Lordes Table furni­shed as the royall Table of a Kynge, at the marryage of hys Sonne, wyth the swéete breade of the finest of the Wheate, and wyth Wyne of a Grape of mooste noble kynde, that is, wyth the precious bodye and bloode of our Sa­uioure Christ Iesu.

Her highnes hath calde backe a­gayne the Ministers of the Gospell, sled as Elias sometime dyd into the Wildernesse, so to sundrye places where they mighte finde the Lorde, as hee sawe hym in the Rocke, in Mounte Horeb.

Further also her Maiestie (which is her speciall Honoure) hath as the true daughter of Sara receyued vnder her protection, such as were forced to trauaile from place to place, and that for the true profession of the Gospell, and gyuen succoure and comforte to the persecuted members of Christe Iesu. And for these it hath pleased GOD to prosper her Maiestie and to gyue her a people hollye by pro­fession [Page 118] in Religion, peaceable in trā ­quilitie, riche in Treasure, stronge in forces, faithfull and louyng to her High­nesse and her friendes: but fearefull and terrible to her enemies. And now, to ex­alte her Throne, euen as high as Salo­mons was exalted, what remayneth to be done, but that as Salomon furnished the Lordes Temple, and established all the order of the house of GOD in euery point, as the Lord had commaunded by the Law of Moses and by the Prophets: So likewise, that her Ma. woulde finish this far aduanced most holy & honorable worke of y ^e seruice of God amōgst vs. for y ^e furtherāce wherof, hir highnes renowmed father, of famous memory, made a statute, wherby it was enacted, that the Canon law, being y ^e Law of the Popes, the auncient enemyes of this Land, and the corrupt spring of infinit enormyties in the Churche, shoulde be reuisited by a number of chosen men for the purpose, and such an order set downe, for the good direction and regiment of the Churche, as might be most agréeable, to the Com­maundementes of almyghtie God, and [Page 119] our Sauiour Christ Iesu. This godly and honourable purpose, was continued by hys noble Sonne, the Iosiah of our tyme, and no doubt but had bin perfour­med, to the great seruice of God, and edification of the Church, yf the Lord had contynued hys happy raigne amongste vs. Thys so necessary act, for the honor of God, and comfort of hys people, bée­ing after repealed, hath bin reuiued a­gayne by her highnes. Which being don so longe agoo, and nothing remayninge but to appoynt fit men for the purpose: the moste humble sute of all Israell of God in the land is, that a seruice so holy, so profitable, and so necessarye, may no longer be delayed.

For incourragemēt wherof, I would to God the spéeche of Azariah, worthy to be written in tables of Gold, were in­grauen in the hartes of all, that oughte and myght further thys holy cause that he spake vnto Kynge Asa & vnto all Iu­da & Beniamin: y ^t is, whyle ye haue bene wyth the Lord, the Lorde hath bene wyth you, and if ye will yet séeke hym, he wyll be ready for you, but if ye for­sake [Page 120] him, hee wyll forsake you, as hee hath done the Isralites, who of longe tyme haue bene without the true God, without a teaching Priest, and with­out the Law, and the Lorde hath vexed them with al calamities accompaniyng ciuill warres and dissentions, be yee therefore of good courage to procure the further aduauncement of GODS seruice, and let not your handes bee feeble, for there is a rewarde for your worke: So Lykewise it may be truly and fytlye sayde, to our moste noble Quéene Elizabeth which was sayde to Asa, and to all her highnes nobilitye, as to the royall seede of Iuda, and to all the people, as to Beniamin, that surely the Lorde hath bene with you, while you haue ben wyth him. And no doubt but if ye shall yet goe forwardes to doe euery thing which the Lord hath commanded, and seeke him wyth all your heart, no doubt I say but he will yet more & more enlarge him selfe towards you, and en­crease all your good estate excéedinglye, so y ^t al the world shal say, what an hono­arble and happy Nation is this whiche [Page 121] the Lorde tendereth so dearlye, and ad­uaunceth aboue all the Kingdoms of the World. So shall this Doctrine that I am now debating with the enemye, bée made cleare and manyfest, that true re­lygion, can neuer bée daungerous to a Common Wealth, but dooth alwayes cause it to prosper and to florish, which the Lord our gracious God graunt may be confirmed more and more by our happye experience. But the other part, the Lorde turne from hir Maiestie, from all the Nobles and People of the Land, and teach it them, by the wofull experience of their enimies: w ^c is y ^t if you forsake y ^e Lord you shal also be abandoned of him, If Isarell bee suffered to bee without a teachinge Ministerie, as it is yet in a great part of the dominiō, & without the ordinary preaching of the Gospell, then the Lord will punish with lyke or grea­ter punishment then Israel was punish­ed withall. Therfore the Lorde streng­then your hands, that they be not féeble, but that they may be strong to build vp that which remayneth, for vndoubted­lye there is a rewarde for the woorke. [Page 122] Thus returnyng to myne Aduersaryes most wicked and vngodly Paradoxe a­gayne, I conclude, that this Azaria and Shemaiah, this Moses and Samuel, this Dauid and Salomon, with the rest of the Kinges of Israel and Iuda. this also, all the Prophets and Apostles teache vs: that godlynesse and true Religion esta­blisheth the seates of Princes, & prospe­reth the estate of all people whiche re­ceiue it with that obedience they ought to doo: and contrarywise, impietie, and false worship is the certayne ruyne and curse of the Nation which dooth imbrace it. And except it were in Rome, the Schoole of errour (as one of their owne Poets dooth truly witnes against them) and the Temple of heresie, & of suche as haue bene nufled and brought vp in her Seminaries of tares, I think it was ne­uer hard of, which our pretended Catho. héere would presume: that Catholicisme and Poperie tho it be false religion, yet should be fit to make a common wealth to florishe, or that the Gospell, tho it bée true (as it is) yet should be cause of infi­nite hurts & discommodities to the state [Page 123] where it is receiued.

But because this is so boldly auou­ched let vs examine the reasons of this his confident and erronious spéech. His proofes are first generall, and of this sort he hath two argumentes. Whereof the first is the experience bothe of other Kingdomes and of our owne, which haue beléeued and receiued, this his Romaine Catholike Faith, and haue florished by it. whereunto I aunswer if it were true that he affirmeth that they had so prospered, yet he faulteth much in affirming that to be the cause of their prosperitie which was no cause. For that being true which I haue al­readie sufficiently confirmed, that a false worship and heresie can neuer be profi­table to any commō wealth and people: it being no lesse true ( Moses, and Christ himself being witnesses) y ^t this Romain faith is a false worship full of supersti­tion and Idolatrie and full of errour and heresy. thē notwithstanding it were so that Kingdomes entertaning this he­resie had prospered for a time, yet should it neuer follow thereof that their Ido­latrie [Page 124] had béene the cause of their pros­peritie.

No more then the wicked abhomina­tions of the heathen were cause why some of them haue prospered for a sea­son, and that more for honour of a large dominion then euer the Kinge of Iuda did. The Assirians the firste Monarchie of the world ruled in a manner all Na­cions for many yeares, many Kinges succéedinge one an other in the royall seate of Assiria. After them arose the Persians who subduing the Assirians, ob­tained the Monarchie, and raigned like­wise a space succéeding one an other. Then came y ^e Grecians who preuayling against the Persians, made themselues maisters of thē, and almost of y ^e world. Last of all the Romaine Empire aboli­shing the former, succéeded in the soue­rantie, & possessed it, first in Roome and after in Constantinople & againe in the West to that decayed estate which now remaineth of it, whē y ^e great Turke had seased vpon Constantinople, and all the East part of the Empire. So Tamerlan the Tartarian had a time, as also many [Page 125] other horrible Tirantes wherein they prospered.

That these prospered for a season, he cannot deny, as he accounteth prospe­ritie, but I think hee wyll not say, that the detestable profession of Mahomet, or the Pagan & Heathen abhominations of the Monarches vnto Constantine in the Roman Empyre, were the cause of their prosperitie. It is manyfest they were not, but rather the cause of their finall ruyne and ouerthrow, as not ceasing to call for vengeance to God, vntil he with his Thunderbolt from Heauen had stri­ken thē. What was y ^e cause then? Sure­lye this, the goodnesse of God who dooth good euen to the vnthankfull and vngodly, who letteth his Rayne to fall-vppon the Féeld of the iust and vniust, and cau­seth his Sonne to shine vpon the Chri­stian and vpon y ^e Heathē. An other may be, that the Lorde purposing to execute his iust Iudgements vppon the Kinges of the earth, for their Idolatries, oppres­sions, violences, murders, adulteries, and all such lyke their impieties, raysed vp from time to time (as hee dooth also [Page 126] euen vnto this daye) some to serue him in the execution of his high Iustice vp­on thē. For which cause the Lorde doth make some Nation to growe stronge and mightie as the Okes of the Forest, that hee may vse it for a Staffe in his hande to chastice the Nations, Whiche when it hath perfourmed, hee casteth it into the fire and rayseth vp another for the consuming of them. These are the true reasons, the Lordes mercy and Iu­stice, which caused them for a time to florish as the Ceder in Libanus, which af­ter he cut downe, and so grubbed by the Rootes, that the place of many of them is no more to be knowne: and not their wicked Idolatries which the Lorde al­wayes abhorred. euen so doo I say of all the Kinges that haue receiued Poperie, and haue prospered for a season, that not their Idolatrie and Heresie, but that the goodnesse of God, dooing well vnto his enemies, that his Iustice to punish those that loue not the trueth, was the cause of any prosperitie that euer they enioyed. Againe (I saye) that if the Bookes bee well looked it wyll easily bée [Page 127] founde, that their pretended Catholike Faith and Roman Religion hath beene pernicious to most noble states, and in the verye nature of the doctrine, and the practise of it is contrarye to the wealth liberty, honour, and authoritye, of any state or kingdome. The Romaine Em­pyre may sufficiently beare witnes of it. For the Empyre hauinge pitty to see that Church créepinge, as it did in the begynning vpon the ground, suffered it to growe vp by it and to embrace it: (as the Yuie doth vpon the Oake. as some haue well compared it) whereof the Empyre being amighty trée indede, felt not at first any annoyance, but now hath declared y ^t it hath sucked it in such sorte, as it hath drawne out all the iuyce and vygure of it, and broughte it nowe to a withered stocke, scarce able to beare the barren braunches that are vpon it. For by meanes of excōmunicating and cursing the Emporors, by gyuing the Empyre to whome it pleased them, by forcing warres betweene the house of Fraunce and the Empire, and other the noble houses of Europe, the Pope hath [Page 128] broughte to passe that nowe there is no Emperor at all at Roome but him selfe.

As for other kingdomes in Europe, that haue prospered, & nowe séeme most to florish: I say thereto, it rose, and ry­seth from other causes▪ for it is manifest by all storyes, that the Popes haue bene the very firebrands to set them afyre, sowing causes of warres betwene thē, They haue bene the very insatiable lea­ches of theyr treasure, which could ne­uer be satisfyed. Tyrants that haue op­pressed not onely the lawfull libertye of the people, but also the royall power and aucthority of their Princes, yea of Kinges and Emperors. Wherefore nei­ther Asia, Greece, Egypt, Africk, Hun­garie nor anye other haue bene ouer­throwne for abandoning that supersti­tion, neither is it to be feared of any Country that in these dayes haue alte­red and reformed themselues herein, but the admitting and receiuing of this su­perstition with other wicked Heresies, or the chaunging it not for better, but for the worse, the contempt of the worde of God and of his holye doctrine of the [Page 129] Gospell which euery where impugneth this (as it appeareth by S. Iohn) hath indeede remoued the Candlesticke and the true light from amongst them, and wyll doe likewise from euerye nation y ^t shall not bringe forth the worthy fruits thereof.

And thus as many other Nations héer­tofore, so it may well bee that both the Countries néere vnto vs, for refusing to haue Christ to raigne ouer them, yea, and al the worlde for the lyke contempt may be plagued with horrible calamy­ties. These may iustlye bringe wrath vppon any Nations, not the reforming of Popish superstitions, accordynge to the trueth and sinceritie of the Gospell. And thus muche for his experiences of this imagyned prosperitie of Popishe States, his fyrste proofe in this Que­stion. Nowe let vs examine his se­conde reason.

This Argument, is from the cause which may make any State to florishe whiche hee aleadgeth to bee vnitie, and affirmeth the Churche of Rome to haue the meanes to kéepe it, and the profes­sors [Page 130] of the Gospell to want both it and the meanes therof.

Whereunto I answer, as to the same Argument alleadged before, that not e­uery agréement and consent is pleasing to God, or profitable to men: For there are agréements in Idolatrie, in adulte­rie, in robberie, in conspiracie, in mur­ders, and in all iniquitie, which are all odious to God and hatefull to men. and of this sort is the vnitie that is amongst them which is no better then a conspy­racie against GOD and his Poeple to mayntaine Heresie and all iniquitie. but let him shew vs a vnitie amongst them of Brethren not of Freres so falselye called, but of Brethren that are the Sonnes of one heauenlye Father, the heyres annexed with Christ, yea and by him alone of that same fayth and church pertakers of the same Holy worde, doc­trine, and Sacraments, and then I will confesse that vnytie to bée both pleasant and profitable, as it is in 133. Psalme:

And that the Lorde hath commaunded his blessinge to bée amongst them euen [Page 131] lyfe for euer.

But the meanes of this vnitie, he af­firmeth theyr Romaine Churche to haue, and denyeth to bee in the Chur­ches that professe the Gospell. The meanes and causes of vnitie he appoin­teth to be these 2. vnderstanding scrip­tures accordinge to the expossitions of their forefathers, and obeying the de­termination of one supreme Pastor, with the generall councels of Christan Prelates which kéepeth their Church in vnitie: and the contrary causes to bée amongst vs and to rend vs into infinit varitie of oppinions. How it is with vs I will after shewe, but first how it is with them. The two meanes which he nameth in effect are but one. For if there arise question of any exposition of the fathers who shall deciude the mat­ter, shall not this supreme Pastor of theirs with his generall councell deter­mine aswell of the sence of the fathers as they referre to them th'exposition of the scriptures. No doubt he meaneth (as their scholemen write of the Pope) to [Page 132] put all thinges vnder the féete of him that is supreme, that he myght be little lesse, then the Angels crowned with glorye and honoure. Nay they make Angels also subiect vnto him that at his commaundement they should come downe from heauen to fet soules out of Purgatorie and to carrie them vp with them to heauen againe: as if this su­preme Pastor stoode at the toppe of Ia­cobs ladder, (one of the speciall honours and regalities of our Sauiour Christ:) and had the Angels of God discendinge downe and ascendinge vp vnto him and at his commaundement. For the exposi­tion of the fathers vnderstandinge by this name such as liued before y ^e Apos­tasie, we receiue them as farre as either the aucthoritie of the holy scriptures or of the fathers themselues will suffer vs. And further, neither wée nor any o­ther ought to receiue them. To admit euery exposition made by any father for good and sound, or euery point of doctrine deliuered by them for Christi­an and Orthodoxe I thinke, the ad­uersarie [Page 133] himselfe wilbe ashamed to doo it. For there are not a fewe matters in them euen the verye best of them contrarie to the expresse word of God, euen the Church of Roome giuing sen­tence. And the fathers themselues re­tractinge in their latter yeares that they wrote afore, and such as succéeded correcting, (and y ^t many times iustlye) that had beene written by those which were before them. What vnitye may this be, that should reste vppon authors not agréeing neyther with them selues, nor one of them with an other.

It were needels here to repeate the sentences of the Fathers so often alled­ged on our part, wherein they testifye that they profite wryting, and wryte styll profiting, that they woulde haue e­uery man to reade theyr works as they reade other mens, where they agree wyth the holye Canonicall Scriptures to receiue them, where they disagrée to leaue them. The reason whereof is such as neither the fathers coulde take more neither wee giue more vnto them. [Page 129] For y ^e holy scripture as it is not of priuate inspiration, but of the inspiration of y ^e ho­ly Ghost, & deliuered by holy personages, qualified with lawfull calling frō God, to be his authenticall witnesses of his truth vnto vs: so likewise as S. Peter declareth, it is not of priuate exposition. 2. Pet. 1.20.21 This place I know is depraued by thē against vs, as if our expositiōs were al priuate & theirs on­ly publick, which are made by the Pope and his coūcel. But y ^e Apostles meaning there, is plaine to oppose priuate, to y ^e inspirati­on of y ^e holy ghost and to y ^e persons of such as were qualified by a calling immediatly frō God, to be the publik instruments and Ministers of it vnto vs. Which as it is plaine to be y ^e sence of priuate, in y ^e mentiō y ^t is made there, of deliuering y ^e scriptures, so likewise is it to be vnderstood in y ^e expo­sition of them. Whereby appeareth that y ^e exposition and no other, is of publicke au­thoritie and to be receaued, which procee­deth from the holy Ghost, and is giuen by the Prophetes and Apostles, tho it be so a­uowed to be but by one man: and contrari­wise, the sense that is repugnant or not a­gréeing to this, is a méere priuat sense, tho made by as great Godly and learned a ge­neral [Page 230] councell as euer was, which appea­reth by the memorable story of Paphuntius and y ^e most famous councell of Nice, alte­ring their determination, concerning the forbidding of the mariage of ministers at his speech discouering their error and lea­uing it free, according to the true sence of the scriptures, whereof Paphuntius did ad­monish them. Therfore I affirme y ^e sence of the scriptures only to be receiued, which may be shewed to be of the spirit of God, & is grounded vpon y ^e writings of y ^e holy cannonical scriptures. Now y ^e way to attaine to this sence, is by earnest praier to God, & diligent study, especially of the text it self, and then also of al other helpes which may further to the attaining of the true vnder­standing of it. Of which sort are the tongs and the arts. Grammer, wherby the Etimo­ligie and proprietie of euery seuerall word may be known, and y ^e Syntaxis, y ^t is the cō ­iunction and disposition of one with an o­ther: wherby the natural sence as far as y ^e art may helpe, may be vnderstood. Rheto­ricke to discern the tropes, of seueral words which with great grace besides their first significatiō are applied to note some other thing, and the figures wherewith the sen­tences [Page 131] are many times made sharpe to re­buke, power ful to perswade, & fitly appli­ed to bend and bow the mind to y ^t which is intreated: without the knowledge wherof many times the ful meaning of y ^e sentence cannot be vnderstood. Logicke to know how euery thing is affected to an other in a se­ueral regard: or in the disposition of thē to­gether, to discerne of thē acording to their placing, as if in a sentence, of truth or vn­truth of it, if in profe of a thing, whether it be forcible & strong to proue or no, or if in a longer discourse of y ^e confusiō or the good order & sute of y ^e treatise. Thus all these arts are great helpes to him y ^t wil labor hapely & with any great fruit of knowlege, either in this or any other study. Further also al other good sciences whatsoeuer bring a furtherāce herevnto. For as when y ^e scripture speaketh of y ^e creatures, he that hath skil in natural philosophie, shal be better able to vnderstād y ^t which is spokē then another, & the discriptiō of sundry places shalbe better conceiued by him y ^t hath sight in Cos­mogrophie, so is it of al other good sciences & skils in y ^e world, y ^e knowledge wherof doth bring his gift vnto vs, to further vs in this study, so furnished ought he to be that shold [Page 132] be an interpreter of the scriptures. And as he is to vse those helpes of tongues and hu­mane sciences, so especially to labour the learned workes of suche good writers as haue profitably trauailed in that study. A­mongst whom the ancient fathers are worthely accounted, who no doubt by their earnest praier to God, by help of the tongs and many artes and sciences, and especial­ly study and exercise in the worde of God, haue left vs great helpe and furtheraunce in many things. Which age was surely a happie and golden age, in respect of many excellent wits, which the Lord gaue to his church in those daies much about one time in an age or two togeather. For both their mutual examples greatly furthered their diligence, and the daungers of many sub­tle and cunning heretickes, with whome they were to deale, for the mainte­nance of the truth. By which and such like meanes it pleased God singularly to blesse the moste of them, with greate skill and iudgement in the scriptures, especially in such points as their wits were most exer­cised in by occasion of aduersaries. For which as they shyned in their time, like burning lamps in the golden candlestick, [Page 133] and as faire and bright stars in the firma­ment of the Church, so we both reuerence their worthy memory, and read diligently their learned writings. Wherin if we find that by al the meanes God gaue vnto thē, they shewe vs by conference of the scrip­tures, the true meaning of them, and help to teache vs where an Apostle plainly ex­poundeth a Prophet, or where a Prophet giueth light to vnderstand that which is obscure in an Apostle: We receiue it with their iust cōmendation and praise, and w ^t thanksgiuing to God, and vse it to y ^e edifi­cation of the church. But if at any time for want of leasure and diligence, or for some humane affectiō, or because it pleased God they shold be cōtented with such a measure of his giftes, who bestoweth his spirite as pleaseth him, we find any thing mistaken in some place of scripture, not vnderstood or wrested from his sence, some pointe of faith not agreable to y ^e body of doctrine de­liuered vnto vs by y ^e prophets & Apostles: thē without their reproch & with acknow­ledgement of y ^e infirmitie y ^t is in man, we leaue them and rest vpon the authority of those who are fathers both to them and vs. More then this, what he can giue to the fa­thers [Page 134] I doe not see, if he will binde vs al­waies to their exposition, thē let him shew vs to what fathers, and to what points of thē, séeing want hath bin found in the best of thē. If to the consent, then let him shew whō and how many he wil consort, & suffi­cient ground why the doctrine of religion shold be ruled by thē. For our sauior Christ & his Apostles neuer left vs any such rule. And yet if it were lawful for vs to leaue y ^e trial of the word, & to argue it by their au­thority, we are neuer a whit the nerer for any end of our controuersies. For if y ^e wri­tings of y ^e holy scriptures endited thorow­out by the spirit of truth, & euery where cō ­sorant to it self, be subiecte to this to be di­uersly expounded: how much more shal the writings of mē not only by possibility sub­iect to erre, & to dissent frō them selues, but which indéed haue erred & forgotten them selues, so far as in one place to contrary y ^t which they haue set down in another, how much more I say shal such writings be di­uersly drawn into sundry expositions. And thē who shal determine of y ^e true meaning of y ^e fathers. If it might be iuged according to truth, we doubt not but euen by them to proue against our aduersaries, most of the [Page 135] things which are in questiō betweene vs, he apointeth a way, which is y ^e secōd cause he assigneth of y ^e vniō of their churh, y ^t is y ^e determinatiō of y ^e suprem pastor, meaning y ^t B. of R. wherby he maketh cōmon y ^e roi­al stile & title of christ, with euery Boniface & Gregory, euery vnlearned monk & vngod­ly priest, which shal come to be B. of R. w ^t y ^e general coūcel of christiā prelats. But I put y ^e case y ^t prelates & their suprem pastor do not agrée Which is a possible case, for it hath fallen out more thā once or twise, thē wold I know whether y ^e pope should be a­boue y ^e coūcel, or y ^e councel aboue y ^t P. I see both by y ^t generally, our english papists ar more giuē to hold w ^t the P. by this authors setting this down, y ^t y ^e pope w ^t thē is to bear the bel away. And so y ^e truth of God which is not to be ouer ruled by al mē, shalbe cō ­trolled by one many times an ignorāt frier of litle learning & an ambitious prelate of great presumptiō & folly. But if they shold agrée, yet is y ^t no sufficiēt warrant for vs. For daily is it fulfilled in y ^e doctrine of the gospel, y ^t which once was performed in the person of our sau. Christ y ^t the Mr. builders of y ^e house of god reiect y ^e chiefe corner stone The hie priests, y ^e Scribes, Pharises, Elders, & [Page 136] the hie consistory of y ^e whole visible church thē vpō earth cōdemned y ^e holy one of god: Mat. 26.65.66. Es. 53.7. they pulled & fléece frō the lamb, and droue y ^e sheepe before thē to y ^e slaughter who ope­ned not his mouth. Likewise Annas & high priest & Chaiphas (high priests) at y ^e cōdem­natiō of Christ w ^t Iohn & Alexander, & all y ^e rest of y ^e house & stock of y ^e high priest, with & Scribes & Elders of the people condemned the doctrine of the gospel, Acts. 4.5.6.17.18. and forbad the A­postles with straight charge & comminati­ons, to preach any more in the name of Ie­su. These (whatsoeuer our aduersaries vainely apply to this purpose, which is o­therwise true of y ^e greter grace of y ^e gospel) had more lawfull calling, & larger promi­ses thē their B. of Rome can pretend any, & yet they erred not only in a mattter of fact but of faith, not as priuate men, but as hie priestes, and y ^t in their iudicial sentences, sitting in the midst of the consistory. How much more then may he who hath no such calling of supreme iurisdiction in y ^e church, nor any more by the word of God, thē any minister of the gospel, tho he were lawful B. be deceiued and erre euen in matters of faith, and that in his iudgements pronoū ­ced from his seat of pride. And if then he be [Page 137] subiect to error being y ^e head, it must needs follow y ^t the inferior members must needs be in danger of the same. For which cause this can by no means be sufficient to keep the church in the vnity of one true & holy faith. If it had béen so fit and necessary for this purpose, surely our Sauiour Christ wold neuer haue forgotten to haue menci­oned it, & exhorted vs to obedience vnto it, Ioh 13.34.14.27. who was so careful that his disciples shold cōtinue after him in the same peace which he gaue & left vnto thē, and the same loue wherewith he loued thē. Now the Apostle so earnestly exhorting herevnto, & gathe­ring to this end, al the chief reasons which ought to ioyne & vnite y ^e faithful, one with an other, as one God, one Lorde Iesu, Eph. 4 4.5.6. one faith, one baptisme, one body, one spirite, one hope of their calling, wold neuer haue forgotten this: whervpon it seemeth by thē that al this vnity should depend of one su­preme pastor, whom all ought to obey. As this reason of vnity is alleaged for y ^e pope, so is it for all the rest of his hierarchie, the very image of the beast, that is of the Ro­māe empire some shadow of y ^e glory wherof this Antichrist would haue expressed in his Prelates after him, to whom it hath [Page 138] as much reason as in himself. Pity it is, that in so faire and cleare a lighte of the day, and in this fulnesse of the brightnesse of the sunne, any state shoulde not sée that as not beeing appointed of God to be any meanes of the intertaining of good agree­ment in the Church: so contrarywise tho­row his wrath and iust iudgment, for the peruerting of his lawfull and holy ordi­nances which onely should rule y ^e church in these cases, that it hath been and yet is the most effectuall instrument of Satan to hinder the prosperous and flourishing estate of the gospel. For hereby in his su­preame Vicar vppon earth, he sitteth as the strong man of whome we reade in the Gospel, harnesed and armed in the middest of his hall and Pallaice, possessing al his house in peace, till his weapons wher­in he trusteth most, whereof this is chiefe, be taken from him by our sauiour Christe, who is stronger then he, and so cast out of his possession. The ambition of P. and of the people, hath béen one cause to vphold it so long, who as the prophet cōplaineth, de­light in it and take pleasure to haue it so, y ^t their priestes should exercise authoritie, & by their pomp increase the state & honor of [Page 139] thē both. An other the weakenes of iudge­ment euen in those which were wise, who seeing worldly states thus gouerned, and not knowing the ordinaunces of our saui­our Christe in this case, thought it a thing conuen [...]ent. And it is to be feared, that the allowaunce of this popishe hierarchie springeth in some: pretending to be Ca­tholicke from a most bitter roote, as seeing hereby that thorow the giftes they receiue of them, they shall alwayes haue them at commaundement, to apply religion as may be fittest to serue their turn. But whē the Lorde shall of his goodnes vouchsafe to we [...]de out this roote of wormewood out of their harts, and to lighten their eies with true knowledge, they shall see both that to be true, which hath been in this mat­ter declared, and further y ^t this supremacy and whole hierarchy, as it is no meanes of vnity in trueth, so is it the very cause of keeping out the truth, in so many places and detaining the knowledge of God vniustly and in captiuitie. For whereas y ^e fathers in their coūcels bind themselues by a solemne oth to do nothing against the present state of the Pope and his Church, and that the greatest parte of the abuses [Page 124] which are to be reformed in the Church of Rome, are such as their supreme pastor, & his Hierarchy are guilty of, if they call ne­uer so manye counsels for y ^e purpose, Vrspergensis yet if they be sworne & vowed one to another, to maintaine al their abhominatiōs stil, and yet all men be to follow the determination of the pope & his prelats: what hope is ther y ^t euer they shold condemne them selues & their gainful errors, what losse soeuer it be to y ^e world. For as if things were reformed according to the truth of the Gospel, his fa­therhood shold part w ^t his triple crown and leaue his riding vpō mens shoulders, so e­uery member of his body for his place in it must make lesse of more thē they would be willing to parte withall. Wherefore their coūcels are but for the establishing of their own kingdō in the world. And as are their general councels, such are their national & lesser synodes of like men, & for like purpo­ses. To consult of the best way for the reformation of abuses, & of furthering y ^e seruice of God, and of his people, not a worde is a­mongst them. For the chiefe abuses are in themselues It were to be wished therfore that all Christian P. or if suche as pre­tend to bee catholique wil not, yet at the [Page 141] least, they which make holy profession of y ^e trueth of the Gospell, as farre as this ad­uise may be necessary for them, regarded the reformation of so great abuses, and e­stablished the onely lawfull discipline in the Church, which is the meane that Christ hath appointed, for y ^e kéeping of the vnity of the spirite in the bonde of peace. Further where he blameth vs to receiue no mans exposition, but our owne, and to despise councelles: he is to vnderstande that wee receiue the exposition of anye man, bee he neuer so simple, whiche is a­greeable to the word of God. We allow & desire, we hold expedient and necessarye, lawfull & holy méetings, of conferences, of synodes & councels, & would most willing­ly y ^t our cause might be debated in a free lawful and generall Councell. Which woulde to God we might see, (if it be the Lordes good pleasure) so assembled and or­dered by the meane of Christian Princes: as the worde of God preuailing, and all our controuersies taken awaye, there might be but one flocke and one solde, as there is but one shepheard Christe Iesu. And if this cannot be obtained w ^tout most vnequal conditions, of appointing him to [Page 142] be iudg of our cause, whō we are to charge before God & his whol parliment of saints and y ^e reuerend assembly of such a generall and frée counsel, as we according to Gods word do desire, to be y ^e very same Antichrist whom y ^e scriptures foretold shold come for iust punishmēt of y ^e wicked, (by hauing po­wer to seduce into errors & apostasie, suche as had not the loue of y ^e truth) and the very head of y ^t harlot whom S. Iohn painteth out in her colours in the reuelatiō, which hath made al kingdoms drunk w ^t the cup of her fornicatiōs: we must for y ^t remit ourselues to y ^e gret day of trial, whē Christ shal come w ^t thousands of his mighty angels, to iudg the quick & the dead, and before men & an­gels, before heauē & earth, al creatures bearing witnes of his iustice, giue sentence w ^t vs & against our aduersaries. But if this so greatly to be desired throw their vnrea­sonable demāds, to be iudges in their own cause, being to stand arraigned & endited of high treason against God, & al the states of christendom, thē wold to God yet it might be obteined of such christian P. as profes the gospel, y ^t there might be a general & free councel of al the churches w ^tin their domi­nions. The benefit wherof, thorow y ^e bles­sing [Page 143] of god must néeds be inestimable, both to the presēt state of y ^e church, in redressing whatsoeuer may be amis in y ^e churches of the gospel, & by such reformatiō, recouering thousands of our pore brethren, (who now sitting in y ^e darknes of y ^t spiritual Egipt, as in the vale & shadow of death, by such occasiō might haue their eies opened to discern where y ^e body is, whervnto as Egles they might resort: & also to all posteritie, who hauing y ^e holy faith of Christ, according to y ^e truth of y ^e gospel, as an enestimable trea­sure, left & cōmitted to their trust to be de­liuered ouer frō age to age, to y ^e end of the world: shold haue infinite cause to glorify & praise God for so vnspeakable a benefite, & reuerently to kéep with al honor y ^e famous names of their so christian & noble P. & predecessors in euerlasting memory. Which so honourable an enterprise for the seruice of God, & y ^e infinit cōmodity of y ^e church, tho I be not worthy vpō my knées to make any such motion vnto your H. yet apprehēding y ^e seruice to be as I haue declared, w ^t your Ll fauors, as knéeling before your most noble court in al humility & reuerēce, I most hūbly beseech your H. for the zeal you beare to God & to his only Son Christ Iesu, for y ^e [Page 144] loue to y ^e faith of the Gospel, wherby in a blessed hope you wait & attēd for y ^e saluati­on of your soules, for y ^e pity you must néeds haue, to see the renting of Christendom in­to so many sundry sects, and partial opini­ons, to the certen perill of the euerlasting destruction of many: & finally for the hap­py direction not onely of your owne noble children & childrens childrē, & of your own country, but of al the posterity of Christendom, yea of al the world, to whom the kno­wledge hereof may come: y ^t it may please your good Lordships to become the honou­rable means & mediators, to her moste ex­cellent maiesty, to vndertake this so chri­stian and famous an enterprise, & to see it performed to the great glory of almightye God, & the saluation of all such as he hath appointed to euerlasting life. It hath pleased God to giue her maiestye a royall K. with the treasure & peace y ^t neuer anye of her noble progenitors in such sort enioied before her: wherby of all y ^e princes profes­sing the gospell, her maiesty is most able to vndertake and perfourm so worthy an enterprise. Besides her highnes honor for her moste worthye desertes, is suche with them all, as no doubt but the rather if her [Page 145] Maiestie enter into this action, thei will al­so most gladly and willingly imbarke them selues into it, and sende the chiefe of the ministerie within their dominiōs for excel­lent giftes of God, requisite for so greate a businesse into her noble Realme, to further that holie fruitfull and famous worke, with all the meanes whiche God hath giuen thē. This shall make her grace of all Princes next vnto Solomō in honor, for the buildyng of the Lordes house, and vnto Constantine surnamed the Great: not onely for the glory of his great victories, but also for his great zeale to aduaunce the Gospell. When the Church was greeuously molested with the moste wicked Secte of Arrians, this Con­stātine the great, one of her Maiesties most noble Auncestors, called a Generall Coun­sell of all Christian Kynges and Prouinces, euen that most auncient, famous, and reue­rende Counsell of Nice: whereby the dete­stable heresie of Arrius was condemned: that most true & holy doctrine of our sauior Christ to bee God, was notably confirmed, and the daungerous troubles of the churche were in tyme happely appeased. This holie and memorable example of so mightie a prince, and one of her Maiesties most noble [Page 146] Progenitors, maie bee a worthie president for her Highnesse to followe, beyng a thing whiche GOD hath implanted in all noble Natures, if a House, Nation or Kingdome, haue been honourable for any special vertue whiche hath shined in them, to bee carefull to maintaine that honour wonne vnto it. But there was neuer any more noble acte, vertue, nor honour: neither in this nor in a­ny other Kingdome or Prince whatsoeuer, that maie be more glorious to the posteritie that shall maintaine it. And no waie so fitly can it be maintained, as it maie if it would please her Maiestie to vse her treasure, her honour and creditt, with all good Princes, professyng the Gospell (whiche GOD no doubt hath giuen her, for suche vse as he did to Salomon, for the buildyng of his spiri­tuall house, whiche is his Churche) to so hie a seruice of immortall fame with all poste­ritie. Wherefore, beyng a matter so full of true honour to performe, and so worthie for your HH. to procure: I hope and wish with all my harte, euen for your HH. sake, that it may please GOD to moue and dispose your noble myndes, to take in hande the sol­licitation of so greate a seruice to God and his Churche, and that the Lorde would [Page 147] vouchsafe your HH. so greate fauour, as to be his Speakers in suche a cause. I would gladly dwell still in this my moste humble sute, or the sute rather of the whole Church of Christ, offered to your Lorshippes by my vnworthie hande: and particulerly callyng vppon you, by the names of the honourable places, which vnder her highnesse you most worthely occupie: moste humbly beseeche suche of you my good Lordes, whiche haue fauour with her Maiestis in suites, to im­ploye that fauour which GOD hath giuen you with her highnesse, in this as worthie a suite as euer was vndertaken, and suche as diffray her roiall charges for the Common seruice of the publicke state of the Churche and Kyngdome, or write and seale her high­nesse royall Letters and Pattentes, cheere­fully to incourage her Maiestie to the im­ploiyng of some parte of her riche treasure in so holy and noble an acte, & to offer chere­fully your owne seruice to the furtheraunce of it. Whiche maie be accoumpted to you of GOD, as the noble giftes bestowed by the Princes of the Tribes, at the settyng vp of the Tabernacle: and againe at the buildyng of the Temple in the tyme of Dauid. But because I rather wishe your Lordshippes [Page 148] giftes should be free cheerefull and volunta­rie, as beyng giuen to the Tabernacle and Temple of God, then strained by importu­nacie of suite. Therefore, most humblie and earnestly praiyng God to direct your HH. I leaue and conclude this cause, wherevnto by occasion I haue a little disgressed with this onely woorde, that if you shall become the lordes spokesmen in this, the Lorde Ie­su shall aboundantly reward you for it, by being your Mediator for the forgiuenesse of your sinnes, and the saluatiō of your soules with God his Father. Thus leauyng this moste humble suite: not of one, nor of a fewe but of the whole Churche of Christe vnto your Lordshipps godly wisedomes: I now returne againe to make aunswere to myne aduersarie. To his former reasons, without any sufficient reason, that there must needes be infinite varieties of sondrie Sectes and opinions amongest vs: He addeth this, that wee make the Temporall Prince heade of all, whiche is oftentymes a child, and maie easely bee driuen as the windes shall blowe hym. Wherein he doeth vs as greate wrōg as in the former. For as he vniustly char­ged vs there, with not obeiyng any Pa­stour, [Page 149] not receiuyng the expositions of the Fathers, nor determinations of Councels, who teache obedience to all lawfull Pastors, and bothe receiue and vse all other good meanes to the vnderstandyng of the holie Scriptures, as farre as thei maie so helpe vs, and especially of the lawful Councelles and learned Fathers, though wee giue no Pastour the place of Christ, nor any Coun­cel or Father, that which is due onely to the word of God. So likewise he doeth in this place, chargyng vs to giue to Caesar that whiche is due to GOD. True it is, we ac­knowledge the lawfull Kinges & Queenes of this land, in respect of any earthly power, to be next and immediatly vnder God, and our Sauiour Christ ouer all persons, and in al causes as well Ecclesiasticall as ciuill su­preme heads and gouernours: that by their authoritie all the will and cōmaundements of GOD maie bee executed and obeyed. Wherein nothyng lesse is ment then to de­rogate from our Sauiour Christ any parte of the hye honour and prerogatiue that ap­pertaineth to the Kyng of Heauen: whiche is, to subdue our spirituall enemies vnder our feete, to animate and quicken the whole [Page 150] body with his most holy Spirite, giuyng life and strength to euery parte and mem­ber of the bodie, to doe that worke for which it is placed in it, or to rule it otherwise then he hath appointed. But the meanyng is to acknowledge in them that iust and lawfull authoritie, whiche the Churche of Roome taketh from them, and whiche GOD hath giuen vnto them: and all the noble Kynges of Israell and Iuda did with good right and interest exercise and inioye. Wee are farre frō perswadyng our Princes to take the ho­ly Censures into their handes, a presumpti­on for whiche Vzza the Kyng was striken with Leaprosie by the hande of God. But yet wee acknowledge as wee ought, not­withstanding, thei doe not exercise, nor maie not exercise the office of the Ministerie in their owne persones, yet are thei the Lieu­tenauntes of God to see hym worshipped and obeyed by all persones, as thei ought to obeye hym, and by punishment to force the Transgressours to the doyng of suche duttie as belongeth vnto their places and callyng. And thus we read that Dauid and Sulomon Ezekia, Iosius, and other worthie Kynges did. Who reformyng the state of Religion, whiche had been polluted and de­filed [Page 151] before with shamefull Idolatries, ap­poincted the Priestes and Leuites euery one to doe his office, accordyng to his func­tion and charge. Agreeably whereunto the Apostle teacheth, that euery soule ought to bee subiect to the hyer powers. Whereby it is manifest, that he comprehendeth the Ministers, of what name soeuer thei bee as well as others. And our Sauiour Christ submittyng hymself vnto them, what pro­fessour is it that should not obeye them: but suche a Seruaunt as will be better then his Lorde, and suche a Scholler as will bee a­boue his Maister. Herein therefore we giue nothyng vnto them but theirs, whiche God the Lorde of all hath bestowed vpon them. And therefore, if a Childe as Iosias was be Kyng, wee acknowledge and reuerence the authoritie in hym, aswell as in Dauid or Salomon. Wherein wee yeelding our obe­dience to God, and to that authoritie which GOD hath sett ouer vs, can giue hereby no cause of innouations, as he blameth vs, or daungerous hazardes to a Common­wealth, nor hinder any good meanes of kee­pyng the Churche in a holie vnitie. But monsterous in deede is the heade, whiche thei make, appoinctyng one man somety­mes [Page 152] (who often were vnfitte for any little charge) to bee heade and gouernour of all the worlde, and that in all causes, bothe Temporall and Spirituall. A thyng with­out all comparison, more vnfitt and absurde then if a Sculler should bee taken from the Thames, to be made Admirall of all the O­cean Sea. Nay, a thyng vtterly impossi­ble, for the infinite varietie of tongues and of causes, and the great distaunce of places: And what power doe thei attribute to this monstrous head of the worlde: surely, that which thei can not giue without beyng gil­tie of blasphemie and high Treason against our Sauiour Christe, in makyng common his regalities and honors of giuyng Lawes to the Church, ruling the conscience, and sit­tyng in the middest of the Temple of God, with the Vicar of Rome, whiche maie not be attributed neither to any man, of what giftes soeuer, nor to any Angell, or crea­ture in the worlde. Moreouer, thei offende also against the state of worldlie Princes, withdrawyng their alleagiaunce from thē, as a nomber of them doe now from her Ma­iestie to giue it to this head, and raising for it many Insurrections, Rebellions, and Treasons in the state, and many quar­relles, [Page 153] contentions, and Scismes in the Churche. Wherefore, seyng that the true causes of all holie vnitie and agreement are with vs, and not with them: that is, the o­bediēce to God and his holy word, and a de­sire of free Christian and lawful cōferences, Sinodes and Councelles, and that the pro­mises of blessyng are giuen to the precious faith we holde, and not to their wicked false worshippe: I conclude, that these his gene­ral reasons are vtterly insufficient, to proue that benefite by meanes of vnitie to bee in their Romishe faith for a Commonwealth, whiche he pretendeth, or to disproue it to be in the Gospell of our Sauiour Christe, which through his grace we professe.

Now, he proceedeth to particuler com­modities of a Chistian state, Particuler commondi­ties allead­ged to growe to a Common wealth by Poperie. which he saith their Religion bryngeth vnto it, and ours the contrary inconueniences, makyng the comparison in our owne Countrey. Which if I graunted all, yet were not his generall position true, that their Religion doeth make a Commonwealth to prosper, and ours doth hinder it, sufficiently proued. For Idolatrie and Paganisme maie in some re­spect bryng a commoditie, whiche true Re­ligion will not yeelde. Shall wee then e­steeme [Page 154] Religion by that, whiche in some one regarde is best for our ease, profite and peace. Ieroboam perswaded the tenne Tri­bes by suche a like reason, to leaue the true Religion whiche GOD had deliuered vnto them by Moses and the Prophetes, and to receiue the worshippe of the Idolles whiche he had errected, because his Idola­trous Religion brought them this parti­culer commoditie, that thei might tarie at home in their houses, and auoyde greate charge, cost, and expenses, in goyng from Dan or Bethel, the vttermost partes of the lande of Israell, to worshippe in Ierusalem: whereas the other required of them at cer­taine tymes in the yeare, to leaue all they had with greate perrill and daunger of be­yng spoyled of all in their absence, as he would haue had them to think, and to take a greate and costly iourney to their so greate expenses and trauaile. Yet was not Iero­boams Religion therefore the true Reli­gion and the other false, no, nor more profitable for theim. For whether was it more profite to enioye onely for a shorte tyme, the ease in tariyng at home, and to saue the trauaile and coste of goyng to Ierusalem, then by obeiyng the Com­maundement [Page 155] of God, in yeeldyng to hym the seruice whiche he required to depende v­pon hym, and thereby to bee assured to haue safely kepte, that whiche for the present thei enioyed, and to dwell in the lande, accor­dyng to the promise, bothe thei and their posteritie for euer. Or whether brought theim greater hurte in the ende, true Reli­gion, whiche required their trauell and coste to worship at Ierusalem, or Ieroboās Idoll, whiche in the ende did caste them out of the lande, and their children for euer, leadyng them captiues into Assiria, and makyng theim subiecte to the iuste punishement of euerlastyng death. To haue tarried still in Egipt, seemed to some to stande better with the wealthe and prosperitie of the people of Israell, to enioye that thei had gotten there, the space of fower hundred yeres thei had dwelte in it, then with so many troubles, carriages of their housholde stuffe, and cat­tell into so huge a deserte to worship there. But the seruice of GOD required it, and in the ende it was farre more proffitable for them. For, in steede of beeyng slaues to the Egyptians, who putt them into their Bricke houses of Claie, and into their Furnace of [Page 156] Iron, thei obtained a goodlie lande of their owne, where thei dwelte as a free people, euery one sitting vnder his owne Vine, and drinkyng the water of his owne Well.

Abraham might haue thought it bet­ter, to haue tarried still in Ʋr of the Chal­deans, then to go thence he knewe not whe­ther. Yet the obedience of GOD required hym to leaue his owne Countrey, whiche the Idolatrie of his Countrey did not exact of hym. And in the ende not onely in regard of the life to come, but euen of this life it fell out to his farre greater benefite, then if he had not borne that harde condition as it see­med at the firste, and tarried still. For, after and by this meanes, GOD made Abraham a Father of many Nations, his Seede as the Sande of the Sea, and the Starres of heauen in multitude, naie he gaue hym a sonne, in whom bothe he and all Nations should bee blessed. So the Apostles were cōmaunded to leaue all and followe Christ, as in some sorte many other oftentymes are likewise to doe. A hard Re­ligion would this man saie, and standeth ne­ther with any reason or pollicie, but is a­gainst their commoditie and best estate: yet [Page 157] is not Christes Religion therefore to bee impugned. For whatsoeuer it requireth, yet is it the onely true Religion, and therefore that whiche onely hath the promise of the blessyng of God annexed vnto it, as the A­postles finally proued, and all shall likewise proue whiche followe hym.

It semed good policie to some of the kin­ges of Iuda, to be in league with the migh­tie kyng of Assiria, and to confederate them selues with the people of the natiōs, whiche true Religion did not suffer, nor allowe: yet was it not the lesse the onely true Religion, no, nor had not been in the ende lesse profi­table for their state. For if thei had obeyed God, and depended vpon hym, then had thei continewed the Kyngdome in their lande, whereas euen by their pollicie thei were caste out of it, and despersed abroade. Thei had been better to haue contented them sel­ues, Esa. 8. with the softe runnyng and shallowe water of Silo, whiche thei so muche despi­sed: for then thei had not been carried awaie to Babell. But Euphrates was a goodlie deepe water, a swifte flood, a noble streame therefore thei desired to drinke of it, and to washe theim selues in it, but to their owne [Page 158] destruction: For this strong streame tooke their feete from them, & carried them awaie into captiuitie. There are many whiche by suche wicked pollicies forslow, yea, neglect the reformation of Superstition, of Idola­trie, of Popishe abuses, and enormities of the Churche within their Dominion. Thei are afraied innouations should breede daun­ger to their estate, and therefore thei choose rather with the indignation of God, to let al alone, and suffer a state once established so to continue, then to alter abuses and disor­ders, though GOD and true Religion re­quire it. Yet shall suche pollicies in the ende, be founde to haue no sound wisedome in theim, when GOD accordyng to his woorde, shall visite suche a Nation, and bee auenged of them for all their impieties. By like reason a man that liketh not of christia­nitie because thei muste suffer persecution, whiche will liue godlie in Christ Iesu, and because the waie is straight and narrowe, maie with as good colour pretende to haue iuste matter to refuse it. But christian faithe and the narrowe waie in all holie and sound wisedome, are notwithstandyng to bee cho­sen, and the broade waie wherein a man see­meth [Page 159] to walke at his ease for a season, to be refused. For in the ende he shall proue it true whiche Salomon saieth, that there is a waie whiche seemeth good vnto a man, the ende whereof is destruction, as there are lippes that still Honie, but the feete of the same bo­die leade into hell. It is therefore meere profaunesse & Atheisme, to measure religiō by euery commoditie, and so farre to receiue it, and so ofte to chaunge it, as in the vaine discourse of fleshe and blood it seemeth to stande, or not to stand with our profite. For this is the profane spirite of Esau, to make but a pollicie of Religion, and a seruaunt to our selues. But true Religiō is to be recei­ued for it self, because God hath cōmaunded it, and so farre and in suche sorte, as he hath prescribed, what daungers or discommodi­ties soeuer profane infidelitie, and the foo­lishe discourse of the naturall man, whiche as the Apostle Peter saieth, is poore blinde and can not se farre of in these matters, shall fancie and imagine. Naie, though in deede for triall of our faithe (more precious then gold) and for the honour of his name in our patience, the Lorde should see it good, to ex­cercise his people with sundrie afflictions, [Page 160] for how soeuer for suche secrete, and yet al­waies iuste causes the Lorde shall see good to deale with any Nation, yet in the ende if thei serue the Lorde, thei shall finde it to bee moste for their comforte, bothe in this life, and in the life to come. And therefore this remaineth alwaies firme, that whatsoeuer the naturall man, and carnall pollicie shall iudge, yet true Religion in the groundes of the doctrine, and in the exercise and practise of it, is not contrary to the florishyng estate of a commonwealth, but bothe in the nature of it, and by meanes of the promise of bles­syng annexed vnto it, is the Religion, by whiche alone Kyngdomes and Common­wealthes maie truely prosper and florishe. Thus wishyng to bee vnderstoode of all men, that Religion is to bee imbraced for Religions sake, and not for policie, and that therefore, how soeuer it please GOD to deale with those, whiche shall receiue it in this life, thei are notwithstandyng to abide by that truthe, whereby onely their soules maie bee saued to euerlastyng life, and also that the doctrine and practise of true Re­ligion, bothe by the nature thereof, and by reason of the promise of blessyng annexed [Page 177] to it aboue, is the only religion which may prosper a K. or common wealth, & there­fore no false worship, what shewe so euer it may haue of some particuler cōmodity for a season, can in trueth and in the end proue commodious to it. I proceede further to an­sweare that he obiecteth of certayne parti­cular commodities and discommodities of our holy faith and their Idolatrous super­stition.

The first point he dealeth with is of re­stitution of goodes wrongfully gotten, An answeare to the first point of the aduersaries profitable do­ctrine for a common weale. which their Churche he saith, teacheth so precisely, as neither by absolution nor dis­pensation of any Prelate, hee may bee par­doned without will of restitution: but dying so, is esteemed a reprobate and not prayed for in their Churche. And this faith hee is their doctrine, the commodi­ties whereof hee adioyneth, but first let vs examyne both our doctrines. That their doctrine and practise is such as hee here affirmeth, I deny, for they haue sundry waies to hinder the actuall restitution of goodes wrongfully gotten. Whereof, that is chiefe and principall whiche hee heere denieth of the dispensations of the chiefe Prelate, for if his Fatherhoode [Page 178] may dispense with the sinnes to be commit­ted in time to come, and giue a sealed par­don afore the offence (as it is notoriously knowen to all the worlde, he taketh vpon him to doe, & if neede be the buls thē selues may bee shewed, & other most sufficient and strong proofes of it are to be made) then in case of any wrōg extortion, theft, vsury, bry­bery, Symony, or such like after commit­ted, he hath his pardon afore hand, and is dis­pensed with for it many yeares before hee haue done the deede. Further, he that may dispense with the greater, may surely pardō the lesse: but his Fatherhoode taketh vpon him to dispense with greater sinnes then these. for proofe wherof all the world is wit­tnesse of his dispensation with marriage of the neece, and that he gaue leaue to the brother to marry with his brothers wife. can not hee then dispence wiih a petilarcin or a bribe? What power they affirme, hee hath herein, appeareth by theyr shamelesse Flatterers, that attribute vnto him pow­er to dispense with al things, and that what soeuer GOD maye geue pardon of, that may hee. As for his owne prophane holi­nesse, it is, as the Canons say, a Sacri­ledge to dispute of his doynges, whose [Page 179] offences sayeth the Canon, are to be excu­sed as the thefte of the Hebrewes, the murders of Sampson, and the incest of Lot. If the Pope bee a Theefe or an Ex­tortioner, and yet to be excused as the Israe­lites: then if he dispense with all he maye not bee accused. And if his murder and incest bee not to bee iudged, who shal iudge him for giuing pardon for extortion? Their Canons teache that hee hath full power of God to dispense aboue right and lawe, and make iustice of iniustice, in chaunging and correcting of rightes. He alone hath the right to take from one, and giue to another, all the worlde is his Dioces, he is the ordi­nary of all, hauing full and entyre power in thinges spirituall and temporall. For he is L. of L. and K. of K. hauing the right of K. ouer his Subiectes. Hee is all, and aboue all, and it is necessarye to Salua­tion to bee Subiect to the Pope of Rome, seeyng y ^t God & the Pope haue but one con­sistory. I am loth to turne vp this dunghill, and such lyke, the odyous & noysome stinke whereof may infect the worlde, but that as the Prophete saith, their owne dung is to be caste in their faces. What a shame­full and Diuelishe presumption is this, [Page 180] to take vppon him these things, and yet this man woulde make vs beleeue that no Pre­late can dispense for goodes vniustly gottē. True it is, that they cannot indeede, but that he taketh vppon him to be able to doe it, is too too manifest. For besides that hath beene alleadged out of the Canons, if wee regard either his dealing in this age or in former times, we shal find he hath not onely giuen pardon for the doing of it, but expres­ly commanded & committed such violent & wrongful oppressiōs. what part of Europe hath not the Pope oppressed with as grie­uous exactions, as euer Roboam did Isra­el? His little finger hath been heauier to the people which admitted his tyrannie then y ^e whole bodie of any other tyrant. For they haue beaten their people with rods, but he hath scourged them with whippes of wyre. Oftentimes both this noble Island & other greate states & kingdoms of the West haue groned vnder these his burdēs as the Israe­lites did vnder the exactions of Pharao & y ^e Egyptians, & grieuously complained of thē. besides many vniust paimēts which he hath imposed vpon the people, he hath not spared to do wrōg to Princes thēselues, & y ^t in their regal crownes & dignities, taking thē from [Page 181] whom he liked to spoyle, & bestowing them vpon whō it pleased him: as sundry exāples of the K. of Englād & of France, yea, & of y ^e Emperours doe aboundantly testifie. yet he wil seeme an enemy to thefte, and himselfe cōmit spoiles & robberies, like those which y ^e pirate obiected to Alexander. The warre for recouery of the holy land, the Pope hath bin Author & incourager of with giuing for y ^t purpose pardons of sins to al y ^t would fight in y ^e quarrell, of what an infinitie of warres & vniust oppressions haue they beene causes both in other places & in the West Indies wherby their own story, since the inuasiō of such as he hath sent thither, hath bin partly by warres, & partly by cunning, and crafty dealing, toyling the people with extreame labor to the death, wasted & cōsumed of that poore and harmles people 1500000. But these warres they will say were lawfull, tēding to the inlarging of y ^e faith of Christ: which is cleane contrary. For besides that if they receaue that faith he bringeth, they shal­be litle y ^e better, if it were indeed y ^e true faith of Christ, which they would plant there, yet for that reason it were not lawfull to in­uade a people, with whom there is no cause of any other iust quarrell.

For God hath as wel determined the domi­nions of Princes: as he hath the possessions of priuate mē, without which parke wherin they are impaled by him, they may not walk without iust cause of their necessarye de­fence. Wherefore this was very bolde that hee durste affirme no Prelate to haue power to forgiue it. Nay not onelye the Pope taketh this vppon him, but euerye hedge Priest will vsurpe a power to doe greater matters then this.

As for example, the wicked Priest that confessing that infamous Iauregui, As the Abbot here in Eng. did the Mōke that poyso­ned K. Iohn. absol­ued him aforehande for the murther hee should haue committed in kylling the most Noble and wise Prince of Orange. And if they doe this, and the life bee more woorth then the goodes, surely they will not doubte to take vppon them to doe the other. Whereby it appeareth not onelye y ^t their doctrine hyndereth by this meanes the restitution of goods vnlawfully gotten, but also how pernitious it is in generall to al states and common wealths, & what an e­nemy it is to all holines & vertue. For what greater incouragement may there be to sin thē impunity, & what more vnassurance to a state thē y ^t al mischief euē to the murders & [Page 183] execrable attempts against K. and P. and may be not onely forgiuen, but also encouraged with inriching and ennobling of the executioners of such desperate and dyuelish actes in this life, and promise of the kyng­dome of heauen for thē & all their fathers house in the world to come. Whereof I doubt not but your HH. will haue especial regard, seeing not onely this & such like horrible acts haue been attempted and done by thē vpō many worthie princes round about vs, & neere vnto vs, but also by that late dis­couery of like most mischiuous & detestable purpose against her most excellent maiestie, (whom God alwayes preserue from theyr blooddy hands) by a priest of theyrs for that cause arraigned, endyghted, adiudged, and executed according to the lawe in that be­halfe. Besides all these, what are their cloy­sters & sāctuaries, but euen dens of theeues whereunto whosoeuer flyeth though he be a bankrupt or felon, a murderer, a traitour, or any malefactor whatsoeuer, yet are they protected there so as no iustice may proceede against them.

The alter of the Lord could not protect Ioab, for wise K. Salomō well vnderstood y ^t god protecteth not offendours from iustice, [Page 184] and the sworde of the magistrate: Yet they arrogate this vnto the abhominable alter of their Idoll of bread, yea and to their Cloy­sters and other such priuileged places. But this may suffice to shew the doctrine or prac­tise of the church of Rome, touching goods wrongfully gotten & the restitution of thē.

If I should speake of their simonie, their pluralities, and non residences, and all other their practises of spoyling the people vniustly of their goods: It might easily bee shewed, that from the Pope to the pardo­ner, from the B. of Rome, to the begging Fryer, and the soule Priest, not one but is guiltie of the crime which hee woulde make vs here to beleeue they so earnestly detest.

One the other part our doctrine is that true repentance (without which no offendor is saued) doth requyre a hatred of the wic­kednesse committed, whiche can neuer bee in him who deteineth still the vniust Mam­mon. For if he hated it, hee would as the Prophet exhorteth the Idolaters repenting, to say to the garments of theyr Idols, Get thee hence: If they haue the repentance of Dauid in acknowledging their sinne, and hauing it alwayes as a heauie spectacle be­fore them: If they heard the noyse and crie which the beames of the houses builte [Page 185] with oppression and blood, doe make one to another, & both of them in the eares of the Lord, they must needs be carefull to amend themselues, & to take out such a beame as may pull downe al the building. And if Za­chee restore again fourefold according to y ^e law, surely the same must needs be restored, if it be possible, or at the least there must bee a will of restitution. As for not praying for thē when they are dead, which he maketh a great note and boast of, wee esteeme, and agreeably to y ^e Scripture, y ^t to pray for the dead, is an abuse of y ^e name of god, & a profa­natiō of y ^e sacred part of his holy seruice & therfore do not this only for no theeues, but not for the Saints of God being departed out of this life, as hauing neither precept, promise, nor example of it. The commo­dities he pre­tendeth that they reape of their practise in this behalf, are 2. wherof the first is the staying of these people frō al iniustice Our practise moreouer is such as y ^t we haue no dispen­satiōs, nor multitude of sanctuaries to protect the wrong doer. Nowe, therefore cōcerning this first point, this being our doctrin & practise w ^c hath bin declared, be y ^e cō ­modities of it neuer so many, those states are to hope in y ^e goodnes of god, they shall inioy thē which receiue the gospel, & cōtrariwise the K. & cōmon W. which receiueth the R. superstition, & with it y ^e dispensations, abso­lutions & santuaries authorised by it, cā haue [Page 186] no cause to expect y ^t the like blessing shoulde bee bestowed vpon them. For whereas it is due punishmente y ^t maketh men slower to offend, It appeareth that this not beeing w ^t them they cannot reape the fruite whereof he speaketh: that is, to haue their people stayed from extortion, theft, brybery, vsury, simony, and such like. And indeed what stay there is amongst thē is manifest vnto al y ^t ei­ther cōsider out of y ^e story theyr deeds in for­mer ages or take heed to their doings in this present time. For wher was ther euer grea­ter extortiō then was vsed by the pope & his Dataries, Nuncios, Legates, & other mini­sters of his extortions. And what els doth al this hierachie, but extort without all reason & order both of y ^e people & one vpon another the inferiour alwayes contributing to the maintenance of the pomp & pryde of the su­periour, & the greater of them according to the life of fishes, as the prophet speaketh, fee­ding thēselues with the little ones against whō they may preuaile. For brybery where was euer the like corruptiō, and to this day who haue fouler hands in all callings then such as receiue their R. fayth.

As for theyr vsury, and symony the Iewes are not so great vsurers as they that [Page 187] professe theyr Idolatry, and the chiefest a­mongest them. Theyr Symony is notory­ously knowne to be such, as scarce one of an thousand of them entereth into his Benefice according to the Canons, but by bargening with the patrone or some appointed for him to make the match betweene them: whiche theyr wicked example hath so poysoned the world, as hardly will it bee possible thorowe out to recouer the world from this detestable corruption.

The seconde commoditie that many by this meanes haue receiued theyr own again is that which riseth from our doctrine and practise (whereof I haue knowen some me­morable examples) & not frō theirs. though possibly sometimes euen theyr most igno­rant people may haue some conscience to bee no theeues. Whiche in vaine doeth hee labour to prooue to bee otherwise, because wee want auriculer confession. For it is not that can effectually moue the conscience but y ^e liuing word of God which is amongst vs, which pearceth as a two edged sword to the diuision of the soule and of the spirit, of the ioynts, and of the marrowe, of the thoughts and cogitations of the hart.

For there is no creature hidden in his sight, but all things naked and as cut vp in anato­my before him w ^t whō we haue to deale. His confirmation is a fond & lewd tale of a priest y ^t was cōmitted not for any such matter as he pretendeth, but for being discouered to be suspicious of beeing a dealer in the popishe practises against y ^e state. And thus much for his first point. The second point of vowes. The second is, their doctrine of the obseruation of vowes made to god, which they teach being made of thingss lawful honest & possible, ought to be kept, If this were their doctrine, thē shoulde our doctrine in this point agree, and consequēt­ly y ^e benefit of it to be reaped aswell by vs as by thē. but their doctrine accounteth the vowes of pilgrimages, of offering to Idols which they call saints, & a thousande suche like abhominations, honest & lawful vowes, being in deed wicked prophanations of the name & seruice of God in this behalf. Like­wise they hold y ^t a vow of perpetual single life, is an honest, lawfull, & possible vow. but in al such as in their single life cānot cōtein it is neither honest nor lawful. The commā ­demēt of god by the apstole is contrary to it, if they conteine not let them mary, speaking in y ^e forme where in commaundements are vttered.

But he will say it is possible by spiritu­all exercise so to preuaile against the lust of the fleshe, as the single lyfe may be both honest and lawfull. I graunt in some, to whome God shall vouchsafe it, it may beso, but God hath made no promise to giue anye man that gifte, what exercise soeuer he vse to obtaine it.

Therefore such vowes as hauing beene vn­godly and vndiscreetely made of perpetuall sole lyfe by any, not hauing the gift of con­tinēce, & if for a time not hauing it al his life and bynding him to continue in restlesse burning and vnquietnesse, distracting him from all his businesse, and disabling him from do­ing any acceptable seruice to God or men, but flaming in his lustes, and defyling con­tinually his soule and his bodye with disho­nourable thoughtes and deedes: We af­firme in deede that such vowes hauing been rashly vnaduisedly and vngodly made, ought discreetly and godly to be broken, that the lawefull remedy appoynted of God being vsed, he may possesse his soule and bodye in cleannesse and honour, in the honourable and vndefiled estate of marriage, who in his single life was not able to doe it.

And all this we teach most agreeably to the [Page 190] scriptures: Contrariwise they teach that such a vow is neuer for any cause to be bro­ken, casting a snare vpon the conscience, which the Apostle would not doe, and for­cing a state of life contrary to Gods com­mandement. The consequēce wherof what it hath beene, heauen and earth can witnesse against them: whether the spirituall forni­cations of this whore of Babilō: as s. Iohn speaketh in his Reuelation, or the fornica­tions of her body committed by this occasiō of vowes of single lyfe were more, may wel be doubted: but in both she hath iustified her two elder Sisters, Egypt, for Idolatry, and Sodome for the vile and shamefull abuses of the body. I am loth to discouer y ^e filthy na­kednesse and shame of this harlot, La polygamie le cabinet du Roy. Balesvotaries in suche sorte as she deserueth: and therefore referre the Reader to such Writers as haue not spared to stripppe her, and laye open her iust confusion to all the worlde: As the Authours of the polygamie of the Popish Churches, and of the Cabinete, and Bale our countreimanne in his votaries haue done. For which causes worthilye saide a Bishop of their owne, that there was greater reason to allow them againe to ma­rye, [Page 191] then euer there was to forbid them. For which, and the like causes we also say, that such vowes as binde men to liue in a wicked and vncleane life, not onely lawfully maye, but in duetie ought no lesse to bee broken, then the wicked vowes of Herode, and of the 40. men which had vowed the killing of Paule the Apostle. As for other vowes y ^t are lawefully made, & may be kept in the feare of god, we teach they ought inuiolably to be obserued, denouncing to those which shall not keepe them, that the Lorde will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine.

And this, touching vowes is the doc­trine of both our Churches. The commo­dities of their doctrine saieth hee is iuste and true dealing with men, who wil reason thus with them selues, that if a vowe to GOD be to be kept, then also a promyse (whiche is a kinde of vowe that byndeth more then any obligation) to a man is to be obserued. The benefit of not their, but of our doctrine, I graunt by an exer­cise of the feare of God in keeping lawefull vowes, maye bee a meanes to woorke faythfull and iust dealinges amongst men, [Page 192] Which, if the professours of the Gospell should not vse, their blame & offence should be exceeding great to lie in darkenesse after the day be broken, and the Sunne bee vpp: But yet the doctrine remayneth still with­out reproofe, which teacheth faithfulnesse both to God and man.

But this kinde of reasoning (affirma­tiuely from the greater to the lesse) that if they will keepe promise to God, they will keepe also to men, is such as cannot deserue the logicke Lecture in either of their Se­minarie Colledges. And that a word, and as we commonly speake, a bare word and promise shoulde binde more then a solemned instrument and obligation, as he writeth, is neither good diuinitie, nor humanitie. And this is my aunswere to the seconde poynte.

The third and fourth he pretendeth to be great common welth poyntes, as hee tear­meth them, but let vs see what they are.

The 3. is of abstinence, whereof they teach, that 106. dayes in the yeare flesh is to bee abstayned from, and the vse there­of forborne, for punishing the bodye, for the more feruent seruing of God, bee­sids the religious obseruances & perticu­ler deuotions, the commoditie whereof, hee [Page 193] saieth is inestimable to a common wealth. For aunswer to this I saye, y ^t let the cōmo­ditie of it be what it may be, we haue as ma­ny: besides euery Wedensday thorowe out the yeare, (wherin a certeine rate is appoin­ted to be obserued of fishe) which wee haue more then they to counterpease their obser­uaunces and deuotions.

But whereas he saieth they abstain from fleshe, to punish the bodye for more feruent seruing of God.

This is a new deuice of this old learning, that when men will more seuerelye serue God at certeine tymes then other, they should then abstain from flesh. For that purpose, of fasting we read to haue bin cōmāded at such times, but of abstinence from flesh in no place. This neither our Sauiour Christ, nor his Apostles, nor anye other of the holy Priestes or Prophets before them, did comaund.

The Nazarites in deede for the time of their vowe, abstayned from wine and strong drinke, by the expresse commaundement of God: But yet their profession beeing to serue God more exactlye at such tymes were not commanded to abstain from flesh: Neyther was this generally commanded at [Page 194] any time to al the Iewes, but a rule for such particulars as should take this vow of y ^e Narite vppon them, these contrariwise, when they will giue them selues the more to pu­nishe their bodyes, and to serue God, abstain from fleshe, and leaue free the vse of wyne and of all fishe (wherof many are more dein­tie then anye fleshe for which cause the Grecians called their dayntiest and finest feeding men eaters of fishe) and all other iunkettes of infinite varietie.

And as they left them free, so they for­gate not for the most part to vse their lyber­tie, no not their obseruaunces: whereas a temperate and sober dyet of Beefe and Mutton breade at home, would neuer haue coste halfe so much as the forreine commo­dities of wines and delicates of al sorte, nor pamper the bodye, or make it so vnfitte for any good seruice. Which abstinence how it punished their bodyes appeared well in them: for their Abbotes and Monkes, and other such like, were commonlye not the worst fead, nor in worst lyking.

By which kinde of punishing the bodye, and abstayning from flesh, many times they grew so proude, as that they coulde not abstaine from other flesh, which God in deed had [Page 195] forbidden them. This was but a meere hypocrisie, vnder coulour of a straite lyfe, to vse a diet, that the Epicure and Philox­enus culd not haue wshied a better, nor dain­tier for their own mouth. The excesse and daintinesse of which diet being taken out of that hee reckoneth the sauing of flesh woulde come to: I suppose that whiche woulde remayne ouer and aboue that, woulde proue but a small matter of benefit to a common Wealth. As for their obser­uing of this and other pollitike and Eccle­siasticall lawes, for conscience sake, is after in the eight article vpon more expresse and full occasion to be answered.

His vnreuerent speeches of the Nobles and Iudges of the Lande, and of Ecclesia­sticall personnes is not anye theirs, but his owne iust reproche, to touch all degrees and States of the Lande, without anye cause. For in the myddenyght of Pope­rye, and the verye deepest blindenesse, it was lawefull to haue a lycense vppon such dayes to eate fleshe: whiche beeing had, it was no offence. What reason then, why they that haue lycense, and take heede of offence, shoulde nowe bee thought for [Page 196] to transgresse? for to God in it selfe, and without contempte of the authoritie of the Magistrate it is no sinne, as after is more fully to be declared. Concerning fasting, which is the 4. article it is to bed vnderstood, that the Church of God alwayes kept it by abstaining from all manner of meate and drinke vnto the euening. which was in deed a fast, when as theirs is onely the forbea­ring of their Supper, when they haue well dined, or rather the eating at one glutton meale, the sober diet of 2. ordinary meales. By which account nothing is gayned to y ^e common Wealth: but sinne and the puny­shment due vnto it. But if it were not so, yet for so little a gaine, nay, for no gaine the right order of true fasting, were to bee altered into a superstitious faste of certeine dayes and tymes, which of necessitie, and vppon payne of euerlasting death shoulde be obserued. And of this there is vtterlye no neede in the common Wealth, GOD hauing so abundauntlye blessed the Lande with all store of all victuall necessary for the vse of our life.

This were an necessarye pollycie in tyme of famyne, good counsell for a shipp [Page 197] that had spent her victualles, or a besieged Citie, to wey euery man his meat, & to share him at his pittaunce, for one meale a daye. But to lay this vpon a free people, whom GOD hath blessed with a land of Ryuers of Mylke and Honny, to eate but one meale a daye, for almoste halfe the yeare is no necessarye pollicye for this lande and peo­ple. Naye, neyther necessarye nor fitte, but in cause of distresse, as I sayde before, neyther for this nor for anye other. For with what reason or conscience, shoulde the labouring man, that hath helde the plough by the end all the daye, or traueiled faith­fullye in anye other good calling, for the seruice of the Common Wealth, and to prouide for his owne necessities, and those which depende vppon him, com­ming weary and trauayled home at nyght, so great a parte of the yeare bee sent fainte and feeble to his reste, and not accor­ding to the blessing of GOD eate the fruit of his labour?

Whye shoulde hee not strengthen his hearte with a sober relyefe, and gyue the due portion to his houshold, to his wife, the moste precious parte of his possession, [Page 198] & as the vine of his house, & his children stā ­ding like Oliue planttes rounde aboute his Table, and his seruauntes, after they haue wayted on him, and after he haue eaten and dronk y ^t they also eate for the refreshing of their faynt & weary bodyes, & so cōfort him self after his wearie trauail w ^t his houshold.

This sauing is no husbandry at al, where there is meate enough, to withdrawe from the people that, which in al lawe of God, of nature, and of nations is due vnto them, and necessary for the intertainment of their bodyes in health and strength, to be able for the seruice of such calling, as they are called to in the Common Wealth.

This was neuer thought anye needefull pollycie in Israel, as populous as it should seeme by the Stories, and more then Eng­lande, and hauing infinite more cause, without comparison of spendinge the pro­uision of the Lande by so manye Sacrifi­ces and oblations, as they were bounde to offer, then we haue, which are bounde to none of those things: whereof if an estimate were made, I think it wold fal out, y ^t such sacrifices & offrings spēt more of their victual thē their 160. dais of abstinence saued al the yeare. And besides this, that there is no ne­cessarye [Page 199] nor lawefull pollycie in it: expe­reince hath taught vs, that it hath beene cause of damnable superstition, houldinge men in that captiuitie, that they thought it a greater offence to eate flesh in any of those dayes, or to eate any thinge at night, then eyther to commit adultery, or murder, or to break any of Gods commaundements.

Wherefore the superstitious fast, which this good husbande, for a Common W. woulde perswade, is vtterly needelesse in regarde of the great store of the Land, thorowe the blessing of GOD, and vn­lawefull, as beeing contrarye to al law, and example of anye well pollycied state and gouernement that euer was in the worlde, to take from him that laboureth, without anye cause so ordinarylye his necessarye foode. It is also vngodlye for the snare it casteth vppon mennes consci­ences, and for the effecte whiche followed it, of not esteeming of the commaunde­mentes of GOD, in comparyson of this moste vile and beggarlye tradition, whereby it was againe fulfilled in that yee transgresse the commandements of God, to keepe your own traditions. Last of all for the damnable opinion of meryting [Page 200] by it the forgiuenesse of their sinne, I con­clude it to be neither godlinesse, pollycye, nor good reason to allowe it. As for the true and right fasting commaunded by precepte, and cōmended by examples in y ^e sciptures vnto vs, it were to be wished, that as at som­times, namely in the great plague in Lon­don, and at the earthquake, there was a godlye entrance made by authoritie to the restoring of it vnto vs, so it might bee fullye reestablished amōgst vs. The vse wherof in y ^e auncient & primitiue Chur. was eyther for supplication to turne away some present or imminent danger of war, pestilence, famine or any other great calamitie: or for suite to obteine some great & perticular blessing, as gratious direction in the calling of such as should serue the church, & specially in the mi­nistery & preaching of the word, or any such waightie & extraordinarye requestes greatly concerning the good estate of the Churche. Which occasions to seeke to GOD in this most humble & earnest maner, we see by ex­periēce do remain stil & shal continue to the end of the world. For both other great gra­ces may vpon sundry occasions fal out to be so necessarye for the state of the Churche, that this way were to bee taken to obtayne [Page 221] them, & oftentimes in respect of y ^e ministe­ry this would be requisite. And for y ^e other cause seeing we oftentimes so multiply our prouocations against God, that in iustice he threatneth to poure out his plagues euen v­pon his owne people, so offending against him: it were most necessary that the church had the right vse of this holie order restored to it againe, that hereby the hot wrath, and high displeasure of GOD against vs, might be pacified. Wherefore, it were to be wished, by all good meanes of all men to bee sought for, that by the authoritie of the magistrate, and aduise of the preachers of Gods worde: vpon any such reasons ey­ther generally in the whole Lande, if the cause be generall, or particularly in the place where the occasion may bee, that the people were aduised and commaunded vp­pon some day fitte for the purpose, to sur­cease their worldly affayres, as they doe vppon a Sabbaoth or holie day, to fast vn­to the euening: to the ende that they may assemble them selues at the houres accusto­med vppon suche daies to the Churche, to heare the worde of God fitly for the time, & zealously preached: and also to make their earnest prayers to God for the fauour they [Page 222] would obtayne, and their most humble sup­plication with rent and contrite heartes in teares & strong crying in the spirit, to turne away such his heauy indignatiō from vs, as we may lye vnder or feare to fall vppon vs. To take one example of many in the scrip­tures, Io. 2. we reade in the prophecy of Ioel, y ^t the L. threatning a famine, exhorteth y ^e people hereunto vpon hope, that if they sought him earnestly, they shoulde finde him gracious and mercifull, long suffering, and of greate goodnes. In the same place declaring y ^t he beyng angry, no flesh could be able to beare it, he giueth thē cōmandemēt therof in these words. Wherefore euē now saith y ^e L. be ye turned vnto me with al your hart in fasting, weaping, & lamentatiō: & a litle after, soūd y ^e trūpet in Sion, appoint a fast, proclaim a holiday, gather y ^e people, ordaine an assēbly, call together y ^e aged & the litle ones, euen those which such y ^e brests, let y ^e bridegrome come out of his chamber, & the bride out of her chāber. Let the pristes the ministers of the Lord weepe betweene the altar & the porch, & say, O Lorde spare thy people, and geue not ouer thy possession to reproche, that the Gentiles should rule ouer thē, why shold they say amongest the nations, where is [Page 223] their God? Thus farre y ^e prophet in y ^e name of God, whiche I haue thought good to set down here y ^t in cōsideratiō therof, it may be vnderstood to be a cōmādemēt of God, giuē to y ^e magistrates & preachers of Gods word, y ^t both of thē according to the duties of their seueral calling, should vpō like occasion ad­uise & appoint such a day of fast, wherein y ^e people shold humble themselues in true re­pētance, & seeke with mighty prayers deli­uerance frō the punishment threatned, or ly­ing vpon them. Which is so much y ^e more necessary at this time to be knowē, for y ^t we see that the wrath of God hath broken out vpon vs of late as a flaming fire, in visiting vs with the grieuous visitatiō of y ^t pestilēce both in this citie of London, and sundry o­ther places of this land. Which visitation since the great plague hath cōtinued in this Citie, wasting the Inhabitants as a small fire now the space of 15. yeares cōtinually, and sometimes raging more fiercely as it did of late. And surely there are many iuste causes to feare, least the L. may commaunde this furnace to be heated yet seuen tymes more, and that the Angell of GOD which hath stoode ouer this Citie, with his drawen swoorde, to strike it not onely [Page 204] a fewe daies as hee did in the time of Dauid ouer Ierusalem, but so manye yeares may stil pursue his execution, if all holie and lawfull meanes bee not vsed to mittigate the Lords displeasure towards vs. wherefore most humbly I beseech your Honours as one who by your LL. Honou­rable fauour haue a parte and lotte in the ministerie within this Citie, that by your Godly meanes suche order may bee taken, that both at all tymes heereafter vppon like occasion signified before vnto your HH. and namely at this present vpon so vrgent & necessary cause as we are now pressed withall, suche dayes of faste and holy assemblies may be appointed. Where­in the people thorowe the blessing of God vppon the woorde zealously preached vnto them, humbling their soules in true repen­tance, as in sackloth & ashes before y ^e Lord, and the Lords seruants in the midst of them praying for thē as it is in Ioel: O Lord spare thy people &c. It is to be hoped y ^t such re­pentance & prayers may stand, as Aaron w ^t his holy censors did in like case of plague in the gap and in the breach betweene the li­uing and the dead, that the Angell of the Lorde strike no more of vs downe with [Page 205] this fearefull hande and sword wherewith wee haue seene alreadie so manie slaine and fall downe on euery side round aboute vs. A wise K. sayth our Sauiour in the go­spell, seeing a mightier King then himselfe comming against him with so many thou­sands, as he is not able in any sort to meete him in the filde, while hee is yet a farre off, sendeth an ambassage vnto him for peace. Therefore seeing the Lorde of Hostes is al­ready come out against vs with his armies, which we are in no sort able to encounter, it were wisedome for vs while it is yet time to sēd out an ambassage of praiers, of teares, and of true repentance, to make our peace and reconciliation with him, & to restore vs to his gracious and accustomed fauour a­gaine. Why shoulde we carry till the firste begotten in euery house bee slaine, as it came to passe in the day of the vnrepentance of Egypt, or til the Angel of Zennacharib be sent amongest vs, and that thousands fall down besides vs at our right hand and at our left? Thus I am bold as in y ^e dutie of my calling to god & to his church, But yet with al humilitie, an reuerence as speaking to thē of whō it is writtē, You are Gods, to stirre vp your godly wisedomes [Page 206] to the remembrance of the duety which at this time the Lord God requireth of vs.

Now I returne to my answere againe, wherein I haue alreadie shewed the R. fast not only to want commandement, promise, or exāple in the word of God to approue it, but also to be ful of damnable and pharysai­call hypocrisie and pride: & further briefly proued (referring the good Reader that is desirous to be more fully instructed herein, to a godly and learned treatise written ex­presly of this matter in our own language) both commandement, promise, & example, for the true and right order of fast. Wherby it is euident, that the one prouoketh venge­ance against a superstitious people, and the other mercy & y ^e blessing of God (wherupō dependeth the good estate of euery common wealth) to those which are truely humbled. Therefore I will proceed now forward to the fift article of his comparison. The fift point of sole life. The fift is, that their doctrine commandeth sole life to all cleargie men, and religious people as he speketh, meaning priests cloi­sterers, & such of y ^e Laitie as were officers amōgst them, wherof he noteth a double cō ­modity. But first for their doctrine, I say it is expresly contrary to the woorde of God, [Page 207] which doth declare the gifte of continencie to be giuen but to a few, & therfore not to so very great a number as he speaketh of, & ac­coūteth of Priestes, Monks, Friers, Nuns, & other officers attendant vpon thē. Wher­upon I conclude this doctrine to be flat con­trary to the rule of the apostle, who saith for auoyding of fornication, let euery man haue his owne wife, and euery woman her owne husband. And againe, If they do not contein let thē marry.

Nowe let him tell mee what may come of disobeying the commandement of God, despising his holy ordenance graciously prouided for remedie of incontinēcie. Surely euē y ^t which experiēce hath declared w ^t was such as it is maruel y ^e L. hath not iudged that filthie and whorishe Churche, with the iudgement of an adultres many yeres ago. But he supposing thē all to haue liued chast contrary to the doctrine of our Sauiour Christ, as hath ben daclared, sheweth a great commoditie of it, in y ^t the multitude of the people by such meanes was greatly dimini­shed. But Sal. commended by y ^e holy ghoste for a wise & pollitike prince, saith, the honor of a king is in the multitude of his subiects: And common reason doeth sufficientlye [Page 208] teache it, that the strength and power of a prince is in the great number of his people: as the experience of al ages and stories of al times doth plainely testifie. Therfore being so very great a number as he saith, and as they were in deede, what high point of poli­cie this may be I think few can vnderstand. Now of the other part our doctrine is such as we leaue it free to all men according as they shall finde them selues to bee called of God, and beste able to serue him and his people in that place they ar appointed vnto, either to marry or to abstaine. If any man haue that rare gift of continencie, while the Lorde continueth that fauour towards him he may vse his blessing.

Againe, they that finde themselues to neede the help of marryiage that they may liue in holines and in honour as the Lorde hath commanded: wee teach according to the doctrine of the Apostle, that it is a diue­lishe doctrine to forbid them marriage, and affirme it to bee honorable amongst al men, without any exception of degree, or cal­ling.

And surely if this commandement, thou shalt not commit adultrie, be giuen vnto all men: If all bee to possesse by the comman­dement [Page 209] of God their vessels in honour, then they which without marriage cannot liue chaste and holy, not onely lawfully may but of necessarie duetie ought to marry. In whiche estate to feare the increase of the L. people, is to feare the blessing of the Lord. For as a blessing was it promised to Abra­ham, that his seede should bee as the sande of the Sea in multitude, and as the Starres of heauen, which is oftentimes also noted as a greate fauour bestowed vppon the people of Israel, both by Moses and by the Pro­phets. Which being as it is a blessing to the land in any of the people, so is it especially to the ministers of the word, 1. Tim. 3. if according to their duetie & the exhortation of the Apostle, they bring vp their children in awe and feare of God, free from any iust charge of ryot & intemperance, with all grace, comelinesse and decent honestie, who otherwyse are vn­worthie to haue charge of the Church and house of God.

For then the common wealth shall bee happie not onely for that the people thereof are mnny, but that they are both many, and those both wise and godly. And what grea­ter strength can any state or P. inioy then then such a people.

As for his feare, that there shoulde want prouision for them all, if it were so, no god­linesse nor wisedome, coulde cast this in­conuenience vpon them rather then others. But this feare as it is voide of all reason, so is it full of infidelitie, and conuicted by the present experience. For thorow the bles­sing of God, the abundance of all store is heere so exceeding great, notwithstanding both this increase of people nowe so many yeeres, against which he disputeth, and a greate multitude of godly strangers, that our neyghbours also taste of the comfort of it. Whereas in the late time of their fastes and sole life, notwithstanding al their pollicies of sauing the prouision by their dayes of abstinence and fasting, and forbid­ding the marriage of so great a number of the people: yet y ^e land was sore visited with famine. And this for answere to his first commoditie.

The second commodity he presumeth to rise to the common Wealth of the single life of their cleargie, is, y ^t they are able to keepe hospitalitie to spare the offalles of their liuings, as leases, copie holdes, and suche like, and to builde Colledges, Churches and other Monumentes of [Page 211] pietie, the contrarye inconuenience he sayeth the married life of our ministers bringeth, who haue enough to do to pro­uide for themselues and their children, as many times for all their care, they are so little able to do, as they leaue a nūber of poore orphanes behynd thē at the charge of the parish. Touching thē I graunt it in part to be true, y ^t he saith of their hospitality, offals, & buyldings, but I deny their single life to haue bin the only cause or any greate cause of it. For if they had contented them­selues with such conuenient maintenance, as had beene fit for their calling, notwith­standing their single life they should neuer haue bin able to haue kept y ^e houses he spea­keth of, & haue builded churches w ^t y ^e sur­plussage of their liuings. But this it was y ^t made thē rich, they woorshipped him y ^t pro­mised our sauiour Christ vpō like conditiō, to giue him al the K. & glory of the worlde. They were neuer satisfied like the graue, but heaped liuing vpon liuing, office vppon office, and that with the iniury and wrong of all the worlde. They impropriated be­nefices and annexed them to their Abbeyes, monasteries, & other places, & to their prela­cies & dignities, a thing vtterly vnlawfull. [Page 212] For how should it be lawful when the poore parish (as he saith) giueth y ^e tithe of al they haue to the end they may haue a mā of God amongest them, who may teache them the right way to serue and honour God, and to saue their soules, that this tithe should be taken from them, and giuen to an idle cloy­ster of Friers, or other that doe no duetie for it, and leaue the poore people spoyled of their goodes, and vnfurnished of one that should be their guide to euerlasting life. By which prophane couetousnesse they made them selues guiltie, not onely of their rob­bery of the goodes of the people which they enioyed without any iust title, but also of the destruction of their soules, in taking from them the meanes wherby they might be taught vnto saluation. And shall wee then esteeme it a great liberalitie, that if a­nie of the poore parishe had occasion to tra­uell by them that way to make him drinke or to giue him a meales meate? Euen as one that had robbed a man shoulde giue him a pennie when hee mette him in the high way: These are the cuppes and dishes, for whiche our Sauiour Christ thun­dereth in the Gospell.

Yee Scribes, Pharisies, and Hypo­crites, [Page 213] you make cleane the outside of the cups and dishes, but within they are full of robbery and wrong, for indeede those theyr cuppes and dishes so filled, were full of spoyle, nay of bloud, and that of the soules of menne whiche is one of the commodities they occupie, as it is in the Reuelation. Apoc. 18.3. with like impietie they annexed benefices vnto their Abbeyes and other houses, and dignities by Popish dispensations, of com­mendamus non residences, Pluralities, tot quots, & other more the like abhomina­tions. And not content herewith they had a thousande other cunning shiftes howe to drawe y ^e riches of the people, yea the wealth of all the lande into their handes, as it well appeared at the putting of them downe in the late raigne of the renowmed K. Henry the eight. It was signified to the King, in a supplication, how those iolly idle beggers as they are called there had robbed all the poore of the lande, al the hospitalles and o­ther almes houses, and that they had drawn more then the third part of the whole lande into their possession. With this manie times the common Wealth founde it selfe agreeued, and prouided diuers and sundrie good lawes, as of mortmayne, mortua­ries, [Page 214] and sundry others against their coue­tousnesse, because they gathered all to them as if they woulde haue dwelt alone in the lande, and yet exempted themselues from the burdēs & charges of the Common W. Therefore, in this excesse, couetousnesse and insatiable spoyle, if for pollicy to keepe the more quietly the possession of so greate riches in their handes, they spared some meales and offalles to the poore people or buylded Colledges and Abbayes, they cannot bee esteemed to haue increased the wealth and riches of the people, whom so diuersly they spoyled and impouerished. It had beene as it is nowe without com­parison more profitable for the common wealth: that euery man had enioyed his propriety in suche a portion, as the Lord by any good title shall blesse him with, by tylling and manuring whereof hee might haue beene able to maynteyne the estate GOD hath called him vnto, and not to stande wayting for offalles. But this was indeede a politike poynt for theyr owne gayne. For heereby they assured theyr estate by such benefits and pleasures, and bound men the more to depende vpon them, and to fauour their wicked superstiti­on [Page 215] for the gayne sake.

Nowe if married ministers doe not the like, what hinderance is this to the common wealth: which hath in a great parte reco­uered agayne into her owne handes the landes and liuinges, whereby that Hospi­tality was kept, and these houses buylded, whiche in all good reason must needes bee both more profitable and more honourable for the common wealth. For, that euery man sitteth at home in his owne house, and eateth the fruite of his owne ground, and drinketh his owne water: is it not a thousand tymes more profitable, and more to his iust con­tentation, yea, and more honourable then to seeke it els where, and to haue it at an other mās doore? Further, if of that liuing they lawfully inioy, the ministers prouide competently for their house & childrē: Doth not the lawe of God, and of all nations al­lowe them so to doe? Yea, bynde them to it. For he that prouideth not for his house (say­eth the Apostle) hath denyed the fayth, and is woorse then an Infidell. As for y ^e pouer­tie of our ministery whereby hee obiecteth that many times they leaue a number of poore orphanes at the Parishes charges, [Page 216] notwithstanding in the ministery a number be sufficiētly prouided. Yet is it indeed to be acknowledge y ^t our ministerie in many places is greatly vnprouided, contrary to y ^e cōmandemēt of God, & to the iust cause of feare of his indignation against vs for it, if it bee not some way in tyme relie­ued. But this especially ariseth of the spoile, which they made by impropri­ating the liuing of so many particular chur­ches, to the maintenance of their cloisters, & nests of their superstitious corruptions. for remedie wherof, we are most hūmble & cō ­tinuall suters to god & the authority he hath set ouer vs, as indeed it must be acknowled­ged y ^t in all christiā dutie y ^e minister ought to be mainteined. For y ^e Lord hath expresly cō ­māded both in y ^e law, & in the gospel, y ^t the Preachers of the Gospell should to liue of their holy labours. To which duetie often­times the people are exhorted & encouraged with promise of increase of blessing, if they bee carefull y ^t the Leuite w ^c is amōgst thē be not forsaken. And surely seeing they leaue as they ought all other trades where­in occupying thēselues they might thorow the blessing of God be sufficiently prouided to attende their studies for the seruice of [Page 217] the people in the ministerie of the gospel, it is a most necessarie dutie which the people owe to them againe, to see that they & suche as depēd vpon them, may sufficiently & honestly liue in theyr seruice, as may be seem­ly for the good credit of the worthie calling which God hath called them vnto. The contrary whereof as I haue said, wee haue from thē who by impropriating the liuings of the Ministers from the places where vn­to they appertein, haue left the ministery so marueylously vnprouided, as that in some places there are to be found many parishes together, whereof all the liuings y ^t now re­maine to thē for such vse, are not sufficiēt for y ^e compitent maintenance of one man & his family. which lamentable estate of our mi­nistery must needs be an infinite hinderance to the Gospel, both in the iustice of GOD who will punishe so great a contempt of his worde, and so carelesse a negligence of the saluation of the people, and also in the na­ture of the thing it selfe: For by this oc­casion. such as are in some acceptable mea­sure able to doe good seruice in the ministe­ry, withdrawe themselues from it. For perceyuyng it to bee suche a calling, as be­sides the manifolde burdens lying vpon all [Page 218] faithfull ministers dooing their duties, is subiect to beggerie also, and the discredit and other inconueniences that followe it, they bestowe them selues in some o­ther lawefull calling, wherein doeing their dueties, they may be able to liue both in wealth and credite, by which meanes this insufficient, and vnlearned ministerie whiche nowe so pestereth the land, is entred into the possession of the Churche, to the infinite hinderance of the Gospel, and the losse of thousandes of the soules, whiche Christ Iesu hath redeemed with his preci­ous blood.

Which spoyle of the Church notwith­standing it to be so sore a wound, as yet since the beginning of the restoring of the gospel amongest vs could not bee healed, yet our hope and most humble prayer to God is, that her maiestie by your HH. mediation vnto her highnesse, may so relieue it w ^t her pre­cious balme, & so binde it vp with her gra­cious handes, as in time it may bee cured & healed againe. I am bolde to speake of your H H. mediation in this cause (as in o­ther places of such like) because the dutie I owe to Almightie God, and to the Lorde [Page 219] Iesu his only begotten sonne whom I am called to serue, doth necessarily inforce me to it. But it doth greatly comfort & incou­rage mee in the performance of so necessa­ry a duetye, that I doubt not but your godly wisedomes doe consider the seruice of GOD, to bee the right ende and vse of the high and honourable seates, where­in hys owne right hande hath placed you. Which the Lord ingrauing in your noble and Christian mindes, surely hauing of God this honorable fauour to be so neere her highnesse, your HH. will godly and faithfully aduise her grace both of the necessary cause of the redresse of suche other matters, and namely of this, that all the people vnder her H. Dominions may haue the meanes by a godly, sufficient learned ministerie planted amongest them, to come to the knowledge and faith whereby they may the better obey God and her Ma. and saue their soules for euer to euerlasting life. Whiche so necessarie seruice of Almightie GOD, of her Excellente Maiestie, and of the Churche of Christe amongest vs, as it is nowe attended and looked for of your HH. into whose handes not [Page 220] next vnder her Highnes, God hath commit­ted the managing & guiding of this noble state and kingdome: so no doubt but in that day it will be required, when the Lord shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead. Wherefore my good LL. as before in y ^e be­halfe of the whole Church professing y ^e Go­spel, so now agayne for the Churche within her Ma. moste noble dominions of Eng. and Irel. I moste humbly vpon my knees beseech your HH. to take so to hart this e­state of the Church and ministery amongest vs, that all abuses beyng remoued, & good order established, all duetifull subiects may besides all other blessinges, whiche nowe they enioy by your LL. meanes, haue this so woorthy a cause also to prayse GOD for hauing sette so Godlye and H. Gouer­nours ouer them. It hath a promyse to breake the Bread vnto the hungrye, and to make the thrysty drinke, and not to turne away the eare from him y ^t cryeth for reliefe in his necessity. Nowe so it is that this Churche in manye of her children cry­eth for bread, euen for the bread of life, and there is no man that breaketh it vn­to thē, the tongues of many cleaue to their roofe for thirst, whiche they are in daunger [Page 221] to perish in, and no man giueth them the pure water of life, to quicken their soules.

And as our Churche heretofore by other meanes hath cryed oftentimes, euen till shee haue almost lost her voyce: so now agayne she cryeth by this most humble supplication to your Honours, to regarde her necessitie. if wealth, peace, wisdome, authoritie, or any other thing be needeful for this worke, the Lorde hath bountifully furnished the lād with al that needeth. Some reasonable way without the iniurie of any might by your wisdomes be found, whereby euery parishe might recouer againe their own, to y ^e main­tenaunce of a worthy ministerie amongste them. Alas that for anye cause so manye soules of the people committed to your charge, should perishe. Wherfore, my good Lords, turne your eares, I beseech you, to heare the humble suite of this Church, that the Lord your redeemer may turn his eares vnto you in the day when you shall call vp­pon him. So shall the saued soules of thou­sandes prayse God for you, so shall the Lord blesse you, and your noble posteritie: and so both all this and suche other slaunderous mouthes shall be stopped, which are now so wide open against vs. To the aunswering [Page 222] to whome I returne againe, for my moste humble request, relying vpō the godly zeale and wisdomes of your Honours.

6. of raysing of rents.The sixt Article is of raysing rentes, which hee saieth their religion prohibiteth (except vpon some great cause, and with great moderation) euen to the solemne cursing of them, and woulde insinuate that ours alloweth it. The cōmoditie of which not raysing of rentes aboue measure, and to the extreame vsing of the Tenauntes, he saieth is manifest to bee great in a common wealth. For the commoditie that commeth of it I graunt, but for the doctrine. I affirm that ours doeth in no sorte more fauour any extreame raysing of rents then theirs. A moderate rysing of them in the raysing of the pryces of all other thinges, wee allowe, as they doe, when it is necessarye and mo­derate: for otherwise it shoulde bee better with the Tenante, then with the Lord. And them selues, when they let their farmes of the old rent, were wont to binde their Te­nants also, to deliuer their corne and victu­alles at an old price: But any oppression, iniustice, extremitie, extortion, we neuer al­lowed, but as often as good occasiō serueth, not only once a yeare, as he saieth, they doe [Page 223] declare such offenders accursed, according to y ^e scripturs, to more iust cause of feare and terrour then their bull canne strike into them, by denouncing vnto them, that y ^e gree­dy rauenours and vniuste persons shall not inherite the kingdome of heauen. Therfore, whatsoeuer the commoditie of it may be to a cōmon W. it reapeth no lesse from our doc­trine & pracise then theirs, nay so much more from vs then them, as there is more prea­ching against all iniury with vs, then e­euer was with them.

Seauenthly, The 7. of di­uorcement. hee compareth vs for di­uorcements, concerning which, their Church holdeth, that after lawefull marry­age, there maye be cause of separation from comming together: yet saith he, ther can be none graunted to the breaking of the marri­age, and giuing leaue to marrye againe.

The benefit whereof is a restraint, saith hee, of many mischiefes. Of the other part, he affyrmeth our Churche to practise the contrary: wherof y ^e cōtrary inconueniences of vniuste diuorces and adulteries follow. I answer, that our Church, yet hath herein no other practcie in our courts, thē they left us in their [Page 224] cannon lawe, being after such diuorce mari­ed againe, excepte the prouision of a statute of Henry the 8. maye helpe the innocent, which is of not making voyd any marriage, but for the causes allowed by y ^e word of god, which I take to be so equall and godlye, as I think they them selues nor any other can iustly blame it, otherwise our law & practise in this matter differeth not from theirs.

And therefore if there bee anye com­moditie of it, our Church may enioye it.

In deede I graunt, that we teach agreeably to the Scriptures, that in case of adulterie committed, the partie innocent is at lyber­tie (as touching his conscience) to bee de­uorced and marryed to another: but to the guiltie we giue no such libertie, but leaue the partie to the iustice of the Magistrate: whereof no manner of inconuenience can arise. The 8. of obedience to ma­gistrates. Now followeth a point in the eight place about obedience to Magistrates: wher vnto their doctrine hee saith is very profita­ble, and ours very hurtefull. Howe their doctrine and practise dealeth with Magi­strates, is of longe time by the light of the Gospell so discouered, as they shalbee hardly able to make the world beleeue now that Magistrates are beholding vnto them. [Page 225] euen as the Corinthes were to the false A­postles, of whom the Apostle saieth: ye suf­fer euen if a man bryng you into bondage, if a man deceiue you, if a man take your goodes, if a man exalt hym self aboue you, if a man smite your vpon the face. For as for takyng, thei not onely tooke whatsoeuer Princes offered, but extorted of them and their subiectes withall importunacie and ex­tremitie. And for bryngyng into bondage, thei estemed all kynges to be but their vas­salles, and the Pope to be Kyng of Kynges and Lorde of lordes, as muche greater then the Emperour, as the Sonne exceedeth the Moone. Therfore the Pope hath vsed them thereafter as Pages and footmen, to waite and attende vppon hym, for meanest serui­ces while he rode in his Pontificalibus.

He hath made theim kisse his feete and an Emperour to stande three daies bare­foote at his gates before he could be admit­ted, and then trode vpon his necke when he humbled hymself vnto hym, abusing that Scripture to his pride: thou shalt tread vp­pon the Basiliscke, and stampe the Dragon vnder thy feete. He hath plaied at Tennis with their Crounes, tossing them from one to an other as it pleased hym: accordyng as [Page 226] it appeareth in our Stories and the Croni­cles of Fraunce. And in like maner with the sacred imperiall Croune, taking it from the Grecians and giuyng it to the Lum­bards, then taking it from them and giuing it to the Frenche, and from them againe to the Germaines, and from one house of the Lordes of Germany to an other. He hath vsed them in all respectes as pleased hym, and as if thei had helde their Crounes of his kayes: he hath made them fight his warres at their owne cost and charges.

Wherefore, hauyng thus abused the sa­cred and supreme authoritie of soueraigne Magistrates: how should this Sollicitor of the Pope perswade that their Religion is profitable for Princes: or how can he think to make them beleeue, the Gospel to be con­trarie vnto them, whereby thei are Princes in deede subiect to no forreine power within their owne Dominion, but the immediate Liutenaunts of almightie God. Which ha­uyng in deede set their Crounes with great honour vpon their head, assured their Scep­tors in their handes, and established their royall Seates vnderneath them: It can not be but godly Magistrates must needes ac­knowledge thankfully to GOD and to his [Page 227] truthe the benefite receiued. And therefore not onely not admitt any Popishe enchant­ment to the cōtrarie, but to glorifie almigh­tie God in the zealous aduauncement of the Gospell, whereby thei are aduaunced again to the hye Seates from whiche thei were deposed by the Romishe faithe, to bee the footestoole of a Priest. But lett vs heare what cunnnyng charme he hath prepared for this purpose. We teache saieth he that al Lawes of Magistrates whiche are of thyn­ges good or indifferent, yea, or not expresly contrary to Gods commaundement, are to bee obeyed with that conscience that a man, that willyngly breaketh theim openly or se­cretely, should think he sinneth against God because he is Gods Minister. I acknow­ledge their doctrine, but I require their grounde. But he will saie: whether the doc­trine bee true or false, yet is it profitable for Princes and States. I aunswere hym as before, that it is an infallible rule, and to bee cōstantly and inuiolably obserued by all that are not Atheistes, that there is no doctrine profitable to a Common wealth that is not godly and sound, what shewe of profite soe­uer it may séeme to haue for a season. Ther­fore, bothe in this and in the rest, if he would [Page 228] haue perswaded their doctrine to bee for a Common wealth, he should first haue pro­ued it true, otherwise he might offer vs vn­der this pretēce the wicked doctrine of Ma­homet. If he haue no other rule but this, it is for the obedience of Kynges and Prin­ces, whether the doctrine be true or false: I saie that there is no obedience good nor pro­fitable for Magistrates to bee giuen vnto them. (If wee will iudge of goodnesse and profite by the worde of God, as wee ought to doe) but onely that whiche God hath ap­poincted that subiectes should giue to their Princes. Therefore, before it can be iudged whither of our doctrines be more profitable, we must bebate the matter whither of them is better warranted by the woorde of God.

Our doctrine concernyng the duetie and obedience of subiectes vnto their law­full Magistrates, as it appeareth by the Harmonie of our confessions is this. That subiectes are bounde, to be subiect vnto all lawfull Magistrates, hye or lowe, good or euill, and that not onely for angre, that is for feare of the punishement, whiche the Magistrate maie punishe the Rebellious with, but also for conscience sake. Whiche woordes of the Apostle, for conscience sake [Page 229] we thus vnderstande. Magistrates are mi­nisters of God, appoincted and ordeined by hym, for defence and praise of the good, and for iuste punishement and execution of the wicked: Therefore, he that shall resiste the Magistrate, shalbee giltie in conscience of makyng resistance againste God. Further also, God in his moste holy Lawe of the ten Commaundementes, vnder the precept of honoryng our Parentes, doeth commaūde vs as to do to other all suche duties, whiche for any perticuler respect we owe vnto thē (as the Apostle expoundeth it in the same place) so chiefly to yeeld vnto Magistrates all dueties belōgyng vnto them: emongest whiche, subiection and obedience is the principall. By whiche commaundment (as by all the preceptes of the Morall Lawe of God) our conscience standeth bound before hym, to giue to Magistrates, (whiche are the Ministers of his Iustice in punishmen­tes, or rewarders properly cōcernyng this life) suche duetie as by the right of their place, ministerie and seruice, vnder hym, doeth appertaine vnto theim: Of whiche sorte are subiection, obedience, loue, honor, paimentes, seruice, praiers, and suche like declared by the worde of God, to belong to [Page 230] their hye and honourable callyng. And all suche we affirme, Subiectes ought not a­gainst their willes and for feare, but harte­ly and chearfully to giue vnto them for conscience sake, as knowyng theim to bee ap­poincted of GOD, and for conscience of Gods Commaundement, whiche bindeth vs vnto it. For, God because he is our crea­tour and reedemer, bothe of our soules and bodies, hath iuste aucthoritie to giue lawes whiche should binde them bothe, and as he hath right to commaund our soules and bodies, so is he able to punishe bothe for the breache and transgression of his lawe.

Therefore, worthely Saincte Iames saieth, that there is one Lawgiuer, who cā saue and destroye that is euerlastyngly and that but one onely. For this conscience of the Commaundement of God all the Pro­phetes and Apostles, yea, our Sauior hym self was subiecte vnto Magistrates, and so taught al men to giue to Cesar that which is his. By whose doctrine and example we must willyngly, euen for conscience of the ordinaunce and commaundement of God, of what callyng soeuer we be y ^t professe the Gospell, submit our selues in all humilitie and reuerence vnto them and their lawes, [Page 231] whatsoeuer not repugnaunte to the Com­maundementes of almightie GOD. We seke not by any maner of pretēce, to exēpt our selues from their Courtes and auctho­ritie, nor from bearing the burden and charges, whiche thei lawfully laye vpō all their Subiectes, for the necessarie seruice of the Commonwealthe. We hold Princes not­withstandyng any censure of the Churche, to remaine our lawfull Princes still, in the possession and right of their Croune, state, and dignities, as before: and the subiectes bounde in conscience of the ordenance and commaundement of God, to obeie them as their lawfull Princes, yea, though thei bee Heathen men, and to performe al the good dueties of Subiectes vnto them, bothe in their goodes and bodies. And this by the grace of GOD is bothe our doctrine and practise, well and soundly grounded vpon the holie worde of God: contrary to which no churche professing the Gospell, no good writer, neither Caluine whom he noteth, nor any other haue taught, or mainteined any doctrine. Now let vs compare the doc­trine and practise of the pretended Catho­likes, with ours. Their Cleargie howsoe­uer (as this man goeth about) thei would [Page 232] binde heauie burdens (like the Pharisies,) vpon other mennes shoulders, yet would thei not touche theim with one of their fin­gers. Thei would in deede haue other men beleue, thei ought to haue a conscience, not onely of the Lawe of God, but of humaine Lawes, whiche muste holde onely till the Pope doe discharge theim: for then thei teache, thei maie depose euen the highest from their places and that by force of Ar­mes. But their Cleargie that binde other men thus, exempte theim selues from the Courtes of ciuill Magistrates, from paie­mentes and other seruices due vnto them: and giue all suche dueties to a forrain Ec­clesiastical Court, and to the Popes cham­ber. Thei content not theim selues with suche Priuiledges as their lawfull Prince and Countrie, shall see cause to bestowe v­pon theim, but challenge of right and du­tie freedome from all Ciuill burdens, by vertue of their Cleargie. Thei compound with the Popes Chamber, for suche thyn­ges as thei paie, and in all respectes carrie theim selues as subiectes to the Pope, and to none other. And thus thei vse the Ciuill Magistrate, euen whē thei deale best with them, and whiles thei are ministers of their [Page 233] superstition and crueltie. But if thei once displease theim a little, and that the Pope begin to Thunder and Excommunicate, then thei depose kynges, and Emperours from their Regall seates, and Imperiall thrones, thei holde theim no more for law­full Princes, thei absolue and sette free all their Subiectes from their othe and obe­dience due vnto them: thei Excomunicate and curse all suche as shall obeye any their lawes, or by any acte yeelde the duetie of a subiect vnto them. Finally, thei cōmaunde the subiectes to take Armes against suche their Princes, and by force and violence to take their Crounes from their heddes, and sette them vpon some other. And thus as other heretofore haue dealte with the twoo Henries and Frederickes Empe­rours, with Philip le Bell and other the Frenche kynges, and with sondrie kinges of this noble lande: So also he that of late did sitt, and he that now sitteth in the chaire of Pestilence, haue dealte with our Soue­raigne Ladie and Queene Elizabeth.

This then being their doctrine and prac­tise, and ours so contrarie to it: whereby ac­cording to the right due vnto Princes from God, wee honour and obeye them: and thei [Page 234] to the hye offence of God and men dishonor and depose euen at their pleasure? How can any man touche vs in any respecte as wan­tyng duetie in this behalfe, or excuse these Catholique Traitors and Heritickes from beeyng giltie of hye Treason against the Croune and dignitie of all lawful Princes, as thei are also against the honour of God and his sonne Christ Iesus. But this Au­thor chargeth vs that Caluin saieth: No law of man can binde the conscience. Where­of (saith he) it must needes followe that the obedience wee yeeld, is onely for pollicie and feare. For aunswere whereunto I de­nie the consequent, and affirme the first, not to proue or inferre the second. For the first, if bothe Caluin and we saie that there is but one Lawgiuer: Saint Iames hath taught it before vs, and giueth an euident reason of it: whiche is, that there is but one who (euer­lastyngly) is able to saue and to destroye. For his law onely can binde the soule, who hath authoritie to punishe the soule for brea­kyng of his lawe. But God onely is able to doe this, as Sainct Iames here teacheth, and our Sauiour Christe in the Gospell: Therfore the soule and conscience can haue no other Lawgiuer but God alone. Like­wise [Page 235] his lawes onely can binde the consci­ence, who can not erre in makyng Lawes, which being the peculier honor of God, his Lawes onely can binde vs in that respect. Whiche if it were otherwise, we should be as deepely bounde to keepe, studie, vnder­stand, and teach the Canons of the church, the Statutes and Lawes of the lande, as we are the Lawe of God. Whiche if thei did in deede beleeue, it is a maruell how e­uer these men that breake so ordinarily the the lawes of God and of man, bothe of the Churche and commonwealth, should hope to be saued by their workes, and dreame of workes of superogation, for the relief of o­thers. But though wee acknowledge no o­ther bond of conscience, to obserue any hu­maine Lawes whatsoeuer, then the Lawe of the ten Commaundementes doeth laye vpō vs: yet doeth it not hereof followe, that our conscience is free from keepyng any Lawe of man. For wee are bounde by the Lawe of God to yeeld vnto all men, suche duetie as belongeth to theim, and namely to suche as are in aucthoritie, either in the Commonwealth, or in the Churche, honor, loue, dutie, obedience, subiection, and suche like. Therfore, though the lawe of man do [Page 236] not binde our conscience to bee subiecte to princes & their lawes: yet doe we acknow­ledge the lawe of God doeth binde vs to all obedience, whiche he hath commaunded to be giuen vnto theim. For further clearyng of this matter, it is to bee vnderstoode, that all lawes are either simply good or euill, or thei are suche in respect. The lawes which are simply good, are onely the tenne com­maundementes of the morall lawe of God, whiche binde the soule and conscience sim­ply to obedience, and so straitly without al exception, that no circumstance or occasion maie make that lawfull, whiche is there forbidden, or vnlawfull whiche is there cō ­maunded. Now, humaine lawes and ordi­naunces of men, whiche commaunde or for­bidde the same, whiche are commaunded or forbiddē by the lawe of God: As thou shalt not murther, commit whoredome, steale, or suche like are also simply good, and binde the conscience: yet not in any regard of the commaundement of men, for suche reason as is before alledged, but onely because thei are the same, whiche were before com­maunded by the liuyng God. Of the other parte, suche are simply euill Lawes, as in commaundyng or forbiddyng, are opposite [Page 237] and contrarie to the Lawe of the ten com­maundementes. And these, as touching the keepyng of theim, it is so farre of that thei should binde vs, that contrariwise we stand bounde by the lawe of God, to doe the con­trarie. There remaineth the seconde kinde of humaine Lawes, whiche are not good simply alwaies, and to all men, but in a ge­neralitie for a time, and some good respect: beyonde whiche boundes, the weakenesse of man can not reache. For that whiche is now good for the Commonwealthe, maie fall out at an other tyme, and in an other respecte (whiche peraduenture was not thought of) to be hurtful, not onely to some perticuler man, but euen to the Common­wealthe it self. Further, though thei be ne­uer so good for the tyme, and neuer so wise­ly made, yet euen for that tyme that thei appeare to bee beste, are thei not of the same sorte with the Lawes of GOD and suche as are simplie good in theim selues that thei should binde the conscience. For though menne haue sought to make suche Lawes, moste agreeable to the generall e­quitie of the woorde of GOD, yet haue thei no assuraunce to haue attained vnto it, neither in deede can haue any warraunte, [Page 238] that thei haue erred in no circumstaunce belongyng therevnto, because of the weak­nesse of man, bothe in iudgement and in affection: but that whiche maie binde the conscience, is suche as proceadeth from an other, that cannot erre in commaundyng.

I adde further herevnto, that the Ciuill and Ceremoniall Lawe of the Iewes, though thei were bothe expressely com­maunded of GOD, who could not faile in any poincte, yet did thei not simplie binde the conscience. For in case of antinomie and repugnaunce with the Morall Lawe, (as our Sauiour argueth by the example of Dauid, in eatyng of the presence bread, whiche otherwise it had not been lawfull for hym to haue eaten, but in case of neces­sitie for sauing his life, commaunded in the Morall Lawe) a man was not guiltie of hauyng sinned, by suche breakyng of the policie of the Churche. And if these lawes notwithstandyng GOD were aucthour of theim who could not erre, yet did not simplie binde the conscience: muche lesse can those whiche are of men, either in the Churche or Commonwealthe. Whereby it appeareth, wee are bounde to the kee­pyng of those kinde of Lawes, that is, to o­beye [Page 239] theim with a Ciuill obedience, with­out conscience of synne for any breache of theim, whiche is proper to the Lawe of GOD, excepte wee breake theim in suche sorte as wee make our selues thereby also guiltie of transgressyng the Lawe of God, doyng it with hatred resistaunce, con­tempt, or other offence against aucthoritie, whiche GOD hym self hath forbidden. Which plainlie sheweth our Aduersaries argument, that is, Excepte wee beleeue the Lawes of men to binde our conscience, wee haue nothyng to hinder vs from rebellion, to bee rather a slaunderous surmise of his owne, then any good consequent of reason. For by the grace of GOD wee are staied from suche wicked and vnlawfull attemp­tes (whiche are proper to our pretensed Catholikes, whose mouthes are full of o­bedience, and who vtter woordes as it is in the Psalme, soft as Butter, and smothe as Oile, but their hartes are sharpe as twoo edged swordes, and their deedes moste full of Rebellion and disobedience) by consci­ence of the Commaundement of GOD, who hath expressely forbidden theim. But their perpetuall Rebellious practises a­gainst Princes, dooe plainly shewe that [Page 240] this doctrine was deuised.

But all stories make mention, that thei haue allowed them selues any thing to the dishonor of pinces, kynges and Emperors haue been abused by them, as their vassalls and seruaūtes, and that to as base seruices, as to leade the Popes horse, and to hold his Stirruppe: thei haue not vouchsaufed for a long tyme to admitte theim to their pre­sence, but kepte them at their gates. Thei haue troden in their neckes, and taken of and put on their Crounes with their foote. Further, thei haue taken vpon theim to de­pose theim from their Regall seates and Imperiall Thrones, and place in theim, whom it liked them. The soonne hath been stirred vp by theim against his Father, and the subiect and seruaunt against his Lorde and maister, to take the Empire from him. Thei haue made thē after a sorte, to sue out their Liuerie, as if thei had been his War­des, and forced them to paie full dearely for it, ere thei could obtaine it.

Finallie, thei haue freed the Subiecte, from their othe and obedience to their lawfull Prince, and filled their Countries with insurrection and rebellions againste them. I neede not to vouche many authors [Page 241] for their so notorious actes, whiche cannot bee forgotten, whiles the famous memorie of the Henries and Frederickes Empe­rours, and also sundrie Kynges, bothe in Fraunce, and in this noble lande so disho­noured and iniuried by theim, shall conti­nue. But if all monumentes of tymes past were forgotten, this present age doeth fur­nishe so many examples of their vnfaithful disobedience to Princes both in other par­tes, and here at home: as I can want no e­uidence againste hym in this matter. For their continual practises of rebellion, their procuryng of Bulles from Roome against her Maiestie: their writyng of Libells and infamous bookes, to the dishonour of her highnesse renowned Father, and many o­ther suche dealynges of theirs, maie suffi­ciently beare witnesse hereof. Therefore, it is to late now for them to plaie the Hy­pocrites, and pretende to aduaunce the ho­nour and state of Princes: whereas their Religion hath so intreated other Princes a­broade, as hath beene declared: and so of­fended their owne naturall Prince at home as her Maiestie hath beene constrained to make straight lawes for her moste neces­sarie and iust defence against them. They [Page 242] should now cūningly perswade they sought to aduaunce the ciuill authoritie of Princes, whereas Kinges and Emperours haue had almost continuall warres with thē to keepe thetr own. For through their ambition, thei neuer contented themselues with their own place, but would affect bothe the swordes, seekyng and bearyng the honourable char­ges of the ciuill estate, & their Consistories vsurpyng the lawfull iurisdiction of Prin­ces, so as the Kynges of this lande haue been constrained to prouide for their autho­ritie by lawes of Premunire, and suche like to bridle their intollerable and ambicious v­surpation. Therefore, of all other he might best haue left out this Article. For it is ma­nifest, thei were neuer longer freendes to Princes, thē thei might abuse them as their vassalles, to bee the Ministers of their wic­kednesse. And so muche for aunswere to this point.

Of sinnes veniall and mortall and of concu­piscence.The nineth Article is the differences of sinne, and of concupiscences, whiche he saith is of no smal importaunce to a Christian cō ­monwealth: whose ende saieth he, is to kepe men within the limites of vertue and hone­stie. All this I graunt with this addition, that the duetie of the Magistrate, is not one­ly [Page 243] to regard that the life of his subiectes bee ciuill and honest, but also that it be religious and godly. Therfore we are taught to praie for theim, that wee maie liue vnder theim a peaceable life, not onely in all honestie, but also in all godlinesse, or true worshippe of GOD, as the woorde vsed by the Apostle doeth signifie. And to the Roma. the Magi­strate is declared to be the Minister of God, for the praise and punishement of those that doe well and ill, without restraint. Where­by the Apostle sheweth it to be the duetie of the Magistrate, to protecte and incourage, not onely quiet and ciuill men, but also and that chiefly, those, whiche most endeuour to liue in the feare of God, in his true worshipp and obedience. Whiche duetie what Magi­strate soeuer shall not performe, but moste dislike with, and discourage the godlie, whiche shine as lights afore a wicked gene­ration, standeth giltie and aunswerable be­fore God, for the abuse of the aucthoritie he hath receiued of GOD, especially for this purpose, to bee a comfort to suche as moste zealously and sincerely, seeke to serue him. On the other part for y ^e punishment of euil, the Magistrate is boūd to punish transgres­sors, accordyng to the qualitie of their of­fence, [Page 244] not onely Theeues and Murderers, and disturbers of the Common peace: but also profane Atheistes, & contemners of all that is holy, al Heretickes, and obstinate re­cusantes to serue hym in the holie and pub­lique excercises of true religion & stubborne Idolaters: whiche what Magistrate soeuer shall not do, is guiltie of absoluyng the wic­ked, whiche the Lorde will require at their hands. Therefore the king was cōmaunded to take a copie of the whole lawe, and not of the second Table onely, that he should looke to the execution as well of the firste Table, yea, and that in the firste place, as to the se­conde. Which we see in the holie Storie to haue beene executed by the zealous & noble Kynges of Israell and Iuda, commaunding by their authoritie, the purgyng of the lande of Idolatrie, the settyng vp and resto­ryng Gods true Religion and seruice, and the iust execution of the Priestes of Baall. And of Asa it is written, that he made a lawe after he had restored the state of Reli­gion, that whosoeuer should not seeke the Lorde God of their fathers: that is, worship him in suche order as by the lawe of Moises was commaunded, that he should dye for it.

Thus muche I haue thought necessarie [Page 245] by the waie, to set doune touching this mat­ter, vpon occasion of the Magistrates office vnder God restrained by this author, to the procuryng of a Ciuill life onely emongest their Subiectes, referryng all abuses of the Churche, and of the seruice of God to their supreme Pastour, as thei call hym. Now let vs see the diuerse doctrine of theim, and vs, touchyng bothe these poinctes. Of sinne he saieth, thei teache some are mortall and some veniall: and we teach y ^t al are mortall. I graunt this to be their and our doctrine, but the exposition of it, and the conclusion he inferreth would bee well obserued. If by mortall and veniall sinnes, thei vnderstood onely that there is greate difference of sin­nes, and that some are more greeuous, and therefore with greater seueritie to be puni­shed then others, some againe are lesse, and not to bee punished with like horrible tor­mentes as the other, we were well agreed. For this appeareth to bee our doctrine, by the confession of our Churches, and all our good writers, and that agreably to the holy scriptures. For so our sauiour teacheth vs, that the firste Table whiche is of dueties, immediatly respectyng God, is the greatest and cheefest commaundement, and that the [Page 246] ignoraunt seruaunt, is to be beaten but with fewe stripes, but he that knoweth, and yet doeth not his maisters will, is to be beaten with many stripes. Likewise of suche peo­ple and Cities as shall contemne and refuse the holie doctrine of the Gospell, our saui­our saieth, it shall bee easier in that daie for Tyre and Sidon, for Sodom and Gomor­rha, then for that Citie. Whereby it appea­reth, that there is a greate difference of sin­nes. Which we so acknowledge, as that we graunt euery pretept to bee greater then o­ther, accordyng to the place it hath in the twoo Tables, and consequently the trans­gression of it to bee greater, then the breach of any that follow it. Yet if the cōparison be made of sinnes in like degree and proportiō offendyng against both, as of thought with thought, acte with acte, and these in their di­uers kindes, as the greatest transgression of the one, with the greatest breache of the other, and so likewise in the reste, keepyng a due rate and equalitie of sinnes, that are matched together. Therefore notwithstan­dyng, wee esteeme not sinne light, but all in their natures mortall and deadly, yet wee make a great difference of sinnes. Where­fore, if thei vnderstoode by this distinction, [Page 247] no other matter, but to make a difference that some should bee greater then others, thei haue no cause to striue with vs. And for this, what commoditie it maie bryng to a cōmon weale, we are in the blessing of God to looke for it, this beyng our doctrine. But thei vnderstande it farre otherwise, as ap­peareth by the Counsell of Trent, and by this aucthour. For, bothe determine mortal to be suche, as by their natures and in iustice deserue euerlastyng death, wherein we also agree. But the poinct of variaunce is in this that thei saie, all sinnes are not mortall, but that there are sinnes, whiche in iustice are not to bee punished with euerlastyng death, whiche kinde of sinne thei call veniall. Not vnderstandyng that God for Christes sake, doeth forgiue it those whiche beleeue, for so wee graunt that al are veniall. For to the beleeuer all shall be forgiuen, and there shall be no imputation of any sinne: but takyng it in this sense which I haue declared, in which I deny any sinne to be veniall, & affirme all to be mortall: whiche our doctrine is groū ­ded vpon the worde of God. For, this is ge­nerall of all sinne, whiche the Apostle with­out exception of any saieth, that the paine of sinne is death, meanyng euerlastyng, as it [Page 248] appeareth there by the mention of life euer­lastyng life in the same place. And thus the Apostle taught according to the lawe, wher­in it is saied expressely, cursed bee he that a­bideth not in all that is commaunded in this Lawe. But saieth he, though your doctrine bee true, yet doeth it not stande with good pollcie, whiche is to kepe men in vertue and honestie, as ours doth: Because if al be mor­tall, who will striue against sinne: whereas admittyng all not to bee mortall, though a man be caried into a veniall sinne, yet would he striue to refraine from mortall, conside­ryng it bringeth damnatiō. And though this Romane doctrine be false, yet doeth it more incourage men to striue against sinne. But I saie, this is to reason like an Atheiste. For as I haue often saied before, there can be no doctrine fit to procure the blessing of God to any state, (whervpon dependeth the wealth peace, and honour of euery people and com­mon wealth) but only that which is of God. And therfore whatsoeuer he maie suppose in our or their doctrine, to bee for or against a state, the truthe muste needes bee, that all thynges reckened, and in the ende, it can neuer proue a good doctrine for any state that God hath not taught, nor that vnproffi­table, [Page 249] whiche he hath deliuered vs. But I saie further, that our doctrine in the Nature of the doctrine it self, is more to restrainyng frō vice, then that of theirs. For, what grea­ter incouragement can there bee in all good reason and pollicie to sinne then impietie, & what stronger restraint then greeuous pu­nishement. Therfore, their doctrine whiche teacheth so many sinnes, negligences, and ignoraunces, not to bee in the iustice of the Lawe of God guiltie of death, must needes hereby giue incouragement to continue in ignoraunce, in negligences, and other suche like offences. But ours whiche truely tea­cheth the wrathe of God, and euerlastyng death to depende vpon it, muste needes bee more forceble to stirre vp all men, to be care­full to auoide to the vttermoste of the grace thei haue receiued, all maner of sinne, and if the lesse, muche more the greater, whiche haue more greeuous condemnation. But he and the rest of these Romanists, in faith & in allegiaunce, suppose by makyng all sinnes, to be punished with death, that all are taught to be equall, whiche is nothyng so. For that death is not like vnto this, whiche is of the naturall soule and bodie, and of the life of the naturall man: but it is a deadly castyng [Page 250] out of the presence and fauour of God, with whom onely is life (that which in deede and truth maie be so called for the comforte that is in it) whereas the other is suche a life, as some which liue in it, wishe rather for death and would digge for it: As Iob speaketh, if thei might finde it, and desire that the Moū ­taines might couer them, and the Hilles hide them from the wrath of God liyng vp­pon them. Therfore if it be possible for men in the naturall death of the bodie, to deuise greate difference of tormentes, so as not­withstandyng all suffer death, yet one maie endure (without comparison) greater tor­mentes in it then an other: How much more in this case both by y ^e natur of y ^e death which thei suffer, and by the almightie power of God, is it possible that notwithstandyng all sinnes bee punished with death, yet there should be sundrie kindes of that death, & the tormentes of the one to bee in comparison (in them selues alwaies horrible) more ea­sie and tollerable then an other. Which our Sauiour Christ expressely teacheth, spea­king of the punishment of Sodom, and suche as should with contempt refuse the Go­spell. Wherefore, that beyng an offence of their ignoraunce, & not of our doctrine it is [Page 251] not to bee imputed vnto it. And so notwith­standyng any thyng is saied by hym, or can bee saied by any to the contrary, our doc­trine in this point is most fit and strong for the restraint of sinne, and their impunitie moste daungerous by incouragement to smaller offences, to draw men also in tyme to the easier committyng of the greater. Besides in this their doctrine it is to be no­ted, that thei teache the sprincklyng with a little Holly water to be sufficient to take a­waie those sinnes: whereby the precious death of our Sauiour Christ is in this be­halfe made of none effect. For if thei bee not mortall sinnes, the punishment whereof in the iustice of God is death: then Christ dyed not for them: and if he did, then it followeth bothe that thei are mortall, and death the re­warde and stipende of them, and also that the guilt of them can not bee otherwise wa­shed out, but with the true Yssope sprinck­lyng vs with the most precious bloud of the sonne of God, whiche purgeth all our sin­nes. The second poinct in this nineth Arti­cle, is of the doctrine of cōcupiscence which he saieth that we affirme to be truely sinne, euen in the regenerate: and thei saie in the regenerate, that is, as this man affirmeth [Page 252] it in Christians after Baptisme (as if al that are washed with the water of Baptisme, are also borne againe, whiche is no more true, then that all receiuyng the Lordes Supper, should receiue also the Spirite of Christ, which the Apostle denyeth) to be no sinne, except that concupiscence bee consen­ted vnto. I acknowledge this to be our doc­trine, whiche to bee agreeable to the Scrip­tures it appeareth by this, that whatsoeuer the lawe forbiddeth is sinne, for of the lawe is the knowledge of sinne, but this concu­piscence is forbidden by the lawe. This the Aduersarie will not graunt, but I proue it thus. There are but two cōcupiscences for­bidden, one with consent, and an other with out, whereof that whiche is with consent is forbidden in the former commaundements. Which appeareth by the expositiō of the se­uenth Commaundement by our Sauiour Christ in the sixth of Matthewe, who she­weth the lustyng after a Woman in harte: that is with consent, to be Adultery and the breache of the seuenth Commaundement. Therefore it followeth, the other is for­bidden in the last. And in deede if the same concupiscence were forbidden in the former, and no other in this, then should [Page 253] there not bee tenne Preceptes and Com­maundementes but onely nine. This also the Apostle teacheth, who declareth how harde it was for hym to finde the height and depth, the length and breadth of the cor­ruption that is in the nature of man, till he rightly vnderstood this Commaundement. For thereby he plainely sheweth the moste secrete poyson of our nature to bee discoue­red by this. Which can be no other then the very continuall springyng and wellyng vp of vnlawfull lustes, euen before the harte resolutely agree vnto them. Otherwise ther might bee in vs a motion and a power not standyng with the loue of GOD nor of our Neighbour without offence to GOD. Whiche can not bee, the Lawe requiryng of vs that perfect holinesse of nature where­in we were created. And surely if the Apo­stle had not esteemed this rebellion in his nature to bee sinne and mortall sinne, he would neuer haue cōplained so greeuously of his estate in respect of it, both in other pla­ces as he doth, and especially in the seuenth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romaines in a greate parte of it, and in the ende criyng: Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death.

Their doctrine beyng contrarie, hath no maner of grounde in the Scripture. For as for the first of Iames, it is plaine he spea­keth of suche a sinne as sheweth it self in an open and outward act to be sinne. As for S. Austine, though his authoritie, nor any o­ther Fathers maie be sufficient to warrant any doctrine to be of God: yet takyng hym, alleadged not for any suche purpose, but as a witnesse of the doctrine taught and recei­ued in the Churche at his tyme: I graunt he so writeth of concupiscence, as except his writynges be well examined and conferred together, a man would thinke he were of the opinion of our Aduersarie. But beyng examined, it will be found that his iudgemēt is with vs: namely, that this concupiscence is truely sinne, and y ^t he so taught the church in his tyme, as it appeareth in sondrie pla­ces. What discommoditte then can it bee to a Commonwealth, to haue the people true­ly taught to knowe the greate corruption of our nature, or what benefitt can it bee that thei should not vnderstand their wretched e­state. Surely none, but this, that for wāt of this thei should bee puffed vp in a pride of their owne free will and good workes, and so not to regarde the inestimable benefitt [Page 255] and comforte of the death of Christ. The Aduersarie alleadgeth in deede, that if it be so that a man sinne euen without consent, that then a man is discouraged to make re­sistaunce: for that no man saith he wil striue against that whiche he can not auoyde: that is, about the resistaunce of mortall sinne whiche he can not auoyde, if concupiscence be sinne, and euery sinne be mortall. I aun­swere not withstandyng bothe these be true, as thei are most true, that yet the courage of resistaunce is not hereby taken awaie. For the Apostle that confessed and taught bothe, though he founde it a tedious combate, and sweate in a maner water and bloud vnder his Harnesse, so as he complained somety­mes, that he sawe a lawe in his members leading in captiuitie the lawe of his mynde, and in this regarde cried, O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death: desiryng hereby as it were the ende of his warfare: Yet did he not ther­fore giue ouer the fielde, and yeeld hym self to sinne. Naie, rather the newe or the yong man whiche God had begotten in hym by his spirite, valiauntly behaued himself in the battell, oftentymes puttyng his aduersarie to the flight, and by faithe assuryng hymself [Page 256] of the victorie in Christ Iesu. And euen as a worthie knight and Champiō is not discou­raged with the valure of his enemie, but ra­ther reioyceth in it, knowyng his victorie shall be the greater: So thei that are not co­wardes in this spirituall warre but valiant in Christ, their noble courage is so much the more stirred vp as thei see their enemie to be great and mightie, that the honor of their victorie and triumphe in Christ maie be the greater. Wherby it appeareth that our doc­trine can in no sorte bee any hinderaunce to vertue, or incouragemēt to vice. But theirs must needes bee a great breeder of vice and extinguisher of vertue, whiche perswadeth men that that is no sinne whiche is in deede sinne. For hereby thei neglect the first mo­tions and open the first doore and entraunce freely vnto sinne, which it were the best spi­rituall pollicie to resist in the beginnyng: whereof thei must needes be carefull which know it to be sinne, and the other secure and carelesse whiche take it to bee no synne. Therefore, not ours but their doctrine o­peneth a wide gate to synne: whiche is yet greatly enlarged by that he addeth in the ende of this Article, that no man will striue against that whiche he can not auoyde. For [Page 237] if this be so, and that it is most euident, that while we liue we can not amende this rebellion of our corrupt nature to the law of God: then his councell is, y ^t all mē giue ouer striuing any more against sinne, seeing they cannot with all their stryuing auoyd it. But we are otherwise taught, that tho we can not auoyde that sinne dwell in our mortall bodies, yet to striue that it doe not raigne nor exercise Dominion ouer vs, but that we striue a­gainste it euen to bloud, as the Apostle sayth, and euen vnto death.

In the tenth place, 10 Of reward of good and euill works in this life, & in the world to come. comparison is made betweene our doctrine and theirs in the punishment of sinne in this life, & in the world to come: and the reward of holines in heauen. For the first he affirmeth, that we say only faith in Christ, is necessary for the obtaining of the forgiuenesse of sinne, and this he sayth is an easie point. How easie it is, may appeare in the ex­ample of Abraham, who was to beleeue, that of his dead body there should spring children like y ^e starres of heauen for mul­titude, and that he should haue a seed in whome both he and al nations shoulde be blessed. What discourses would a natural [Page 238] man here make to hinder with himselfe the credite of this promise. Howe manye strong bulwarks and fortresses of fleshe and bloud, and how many hie and migh­ty conceites of the naturall man: as the Apostle saith, were to bee ouerthrowne and beaten downe to the ground, that A­bram should beleeue this. And how much more that by the death of Christ Iesu, we should haue life euerlasting, so many as beleeue in him, by his shame and disho­nour glory and praise, by his woundse, the cure & healing of ours, by his warres and agonies, quietnesse and euerlasting peace. Of all the things that God hath commanded, this most needeth the mighty hande of God to worke it and main­taine it, as in deede of all other it doth giue most glory vnto him. But faith be­ing so easy a matter with them, they wel shew how little they vnderstande it. For our doctrine y ^t by fayth only in Christe, al our sinns are forgiuen, I acknowledge it to be true, and glorifie God, who hath wrought in vs by the powerfull work of his grace so to beleeue. For this is our peace with him. That this doctrine is ho­ly and true, it appeareth in that the Apo­stle [Page 239] hauing confirmed that Abraham was iustified by fayth, inferreth vppon it that by the same, Dauid pronounceth men to be happy: namely because true happines is in hauing our sinnes forgiuen, which we attaine vnto by faith in Christ. Thus saieth the Apostle Peter to him al the pro­phets beare witnesse, that forgiuenesse of sinnes is giuen to euery one that belee­ueth in him. Therefore the doctrine is sound and holy, which when we teach we declare also, in case of repentaunce, what the fruites are of this faith, whereby in deede we repent, namely, a sorrow for hauing sinned against God, which stri­keth and woundeth the hart with a grief, & detestation of the wickednes committed and kindleth in it a loue and desire to doe those thinges which God hath comman­ded. Finally such are the effectes of this fayth in repentaunce, which the Apostle noteth to haue beene in those of Corinth. 2. Cor. 10. As for auriculer confession, which enfor­ceth men of necessitie to confesse their sinnes one by one in the Priestes eare, we teache it in deede, for no parte of re­pentaunce, because wee haue no com­mandement, promise, nor example for it. [Page 240] In deede, we bynde not men to this re­hearsal and discouerie of their sinne vn­to the minister, which we esteeme to bee but a very tiranny ouer the conscience, and exhort them onelye according to the example of Dauid, to make their wicked­nesse knowne vnto God which suffiseth. Yet if any bee so tempted as he standeth in need of councel & of comfort, and shall open his hart to the godly and faithfull minister they are not denied the comfort that may bee giuen them in this respect, but vppon discerning of theire true re­pentaunce. The minister is to assure his cōscience in his word of the forgiuenesse of their sinnes, declaring the promise of the Gospell, which is of grace and par­don to all that doe repent. And this is the vse of that, which Christe our Sauiour left vnto vs in the power of the keyes, in regarde of particuler comfort. A dege­nerate imitation wherof, only is in their absolution, which hee calleth a Sacra­ment, without al reason. For a sacramēt being a seale of the Gospell hath an out­ward creture applied to assure y ^e promise vnto vs, which shoulde haue some resem­blaunce [Page 241] to the promise which is sealed by it, as we see to be in the water of baptism and in the bread and wyne in the Lordes supper. Another part of repentaunce they make to be satisfaction. concerning which we teach that if it haue regard to y ^e partie inquired, be it eyther any priuate man, or the whole congregation offended by so notorious offence: then we teache I say that the discipline left vs by our Saui­our Christ doth require it. For in such case bindeth that of our Sauiour, tell the Church, and, leaue thy gift at the alter, and be firste reconciled to thy brother: much more therefore to the brotherhood, which is the church and the felowship of all the brethren. As for such a satisfaction as he mencioneth here of some temporall punishment in this lyfe, to satisfie the iu­stice of God for sinne, wee affirme and that moste truely according to the scrip­ture, that whatsoeuer is imagined of such satisfaction is highly derrogatory to the precious death of our Sauiour Christe, who onely is the satisfaction for our sins. which one point of their doctrine decla­reth, they little vnderstand what the iu­stice of God and what sinne is, that think [Page 242] it may so easely be satisfied for. He na­meth three satisfactory workes, of praier, almes, & affliction of the bodie, wherby he saith they satsfy for their sins, which are euen y ^e depths of satan in this Rom. saith. For what may be more derogatory to y ^e crosse of our sauiour Christ and his sacri­fice once offred vpon it for all, wherby he hath fully satisfied for the sinnes of al that shall be saued, and payed the vttermost farthing of their debt: then that a man should take that vpon him, which neither man nor Angell were able to beare, that is to satisfie for his sinnes. To whom it may be truely said which the prophet Ie­remie saide to the hipocrite people of his time, That is, colour thy synnes neuer so well, yet how shouldest thou say, I haue not defyled me, I haue not followed straunge Gods, beholde thy way in that valley, know what thou hast done: Washe thy selfe with Snow water, and make thee cleane with sope, or the fullers scouring Hearbe, yea gylt thy selfe ouer with Goulde. And as Iob when hee had another manner of feeling of sinne, and of the gilt of man in the sight of God, then they seem to haue when they haue done all their satis­factory, [Page 243] works, and haue sought to washe them selues cleane with al as with snow water, the Lord shal take and plunge thē into the ditch, hee will tumble them in the myre and filth of the streetes, that is discouer them to be most foule and vn­cleane Let S. Iohn teach suche men, Apoc. 3. that tho they thinke they are rich, yet that in­deed they are naked and beggerly, that they may seek to him, for fine gold, which shall indéede be able to enrich him with true riches y ^t possesseth it, and for a sute of apparel y ^t shal indéed couer their shame, & giue them a comely presence in the sighte of God. Prayer is a holy part of y ^e seruice of God, whereby we call vpon God accor­ding to his comandement, in certaine as­surance to be hearde of him: but that this should be any work which God in iustice should receiue for satisfaction, is a wic­ked fancy of the church of R. and from the beginning vnknowne in the Church of God. Almes is a duety which God hath commanded in thankfulnesse of the loue and fauour we haue receiued of him, to be mercifull to such as st [...]nd in need of our help, but by satisfiyng by them the iustice of God, is a thing which the prophetes of [Page 244] God & the Apostles of Christ neuer knew of. The affliction of the body is a bodily exercise, whereof the Apostle sayth it pro­fiteth little: yet being discreetly vsed, may bring some helpe and furtheraunce to the making of men fitter for y ^e seruice of God Not that the greater the affliction of the body is, there the mind doth alwais most serue him. For the priests of Baal and the priests in the West Indies, (as the holy storye of the Kinges, and the storyes of these Indies declare) exceede in the affliction of the bodye, yet bothe pro­phane and heathenishe Idolaters. So likewise the Iesuites and some other Po­pish orders of Friers (notwithstanding they be but al counterfeits to the priestes of Baal and to the Indians in afflicting thē selues) make some hipocriticall shewe hereof, and especiallye in the streetes where they may be seene of all men, and yet are supersticious idolaters. Therfore the seruice of God is nothing at al to be e­steemed to stande in these thinges. But there may be some exercise of the body, as fasting and watching at praiers and stu­dy, and such like exercises, which beeing vsed, with iudgement, not to hurte [Page 245] offence, or disabling of the bodye to serue God: in the calling he hath called vs vnto maye bee some helpe to the subduing of the flesh and the quickning of the spirite. Thus I saye, the exercise and affliction of the body, may be as the Apostle saithe, a little profitable for the subduing of our corruptions, and the stirring of vs vp the better, to the seruice of God. But to say that anye suche affliction, can release our sinnes, or satisfie the iustice of God, or preuent anye paines of the worlde to come, by hauing borne a parte of them in this life, as this pretended Catholique doth teach, is blasphemy against the sonn of God, degatory to the satisfaction made by him vpon the crosse, and full of pride, vanity, and hypocrisie. Therefore concer­ning these three works, as al others like vnto them. I graunte they are in Christe acceptable deeds, which the true and liuely faith worketh in those whiche doe be­leeue: but which in no sort cā satisfy God for our least offence. But when wee haue done them, we pray the L. with the Pro­phet, O Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant, Psal. 143. for no flesh may bee iustified in thy sight. When we haue al done, yet our [Page 244] [...] [Page 245] [...] [Page 246] prayer, is that the most holye and earnest prayers which our Sauiour Christ made vnto his Father beeing vppon the earth, may bee accounted vnto vs for oures, that his perfect loue wherewith hee lo­ued both God and man, may bee accoun­ted vnto vs, and that his woundes may be the healing of ours. Let them truste to theire owne praiers, Almes deedes, and patience, our trust is that the righ­teousnesse and obedience of Christ, that his moste holye Passion and suffering, which he suffered once for all vppon the crosse, shall be oures by fayth, and that by this faith, we shall bee bothe iust and liue for euer, And this is our hope, sea­led vp in oure heartes, by the spirite of grace to the daye of oure redemption: other confidence or meanes of satisfac­tion haue wee not. As for purgatorye wee doe not in deede acknowledge, as he obiecteth to vs, but hold it to be a méere fancy of their owne, hauing no one title of the scripture for ground thereof. But oure authoure wil saye, notwithstanding this doctrine bee false, yet must it néedes bee greatly profitable, to the restraining of men from sinne, when they shal thinke [Page 247] that sinne is not easily released, but must be satisfied so hardly for, euen in this life, and the rest of the satisfaction (as if they would pay al their owne debts to the vt­termost farthing) to be made in purgato­ry. Is not this at least a politique way to withholde men from iniquity. I answere there can be no way or meanes fit for the subduing of sinne in deede, but onely that which God hath appointed. The weapōs of our warfare, are not carnall, saith the a­postle. We striue not against sinne with such weapons, as the vaine discourse of a naturall man would thinke so to be fit for it. But wee repaire to the armory of the sanctuary, and temple of the Lorde and there what weapons wee finde the Lorde hath pre­pared to furnish vs with against it, with those we arme our selues, and striue a­gainst sinn and al our enemies. And ea­sie it is for all those whose eies God hath opened, to sée the truth that this deuise of theirs smally auailed. For with this they had another also, that these satisfac­tory pains of sinne, either in this life, or in their faigned Purgatorye, might by pardon from the Pope bee released, and likewise blasphemous to the crosse [Page 248] and sufferings of Christ, who taking vp­on him to command the angels of Para­dise to goe fet out of purgatory such soules as he would appoint, and being a matter but of smal cost, to obtain in their courts, so muche Lead and Wax as mighte safe­gard them, and exempt them from al these paines, What redier way might there be made for sinne then this? For if for mony a man may satisfye for sinne, whiche his owne life, nor the life of his onlie begot­ten sonne cannot redéem him from, as the Prophet saith, this coulde restraine none but beggars from sinn. for the rich few of them were so couetous, the popes pardōs being so cheap as they were, y ^t for bestow­ing so smal a peece of mony, they wold be in danger of y ^e fier or water of purgatory. For whether it be water or fire, or what kind of paines are in it their doctors are not yet resolued. It appeareth then that for restraint of sinne, it was no way pro­fitable, but rather a most subtle deuise of y ^e deuil to entice al men to wickednes. Ac­cording as y ^e experiēce hath declared. For as it appeareth by comparison of the sto­ries of al ages since Christ, there was ne­uer any more sinful, for ignorance of God [Page 249] for superstition & idolatrye, for ambicious and reuengeful warres, for treasons, murders, adultries, and a thousand villanies in this kind, and finally in al impiety, as y ^e age doth best witnes: wherin this doc­trin most raigned, of satisfactory works, & of purgatory. Which came to passe both by the iustice of God, reuealing his wrath frō heauen vpō al fals worship & vngodly deuises of mā in his seruice, giuing these who had not regard to keep his holy worship, pure in honor, & vndefiled, to pollute defile, & dishonor themselues, w ^t al vngodly & dishonourable lusts, to their iust con­fusion: and also by the nature of the doc­trine it selfe, which in effect, making the holy morral lawe of God, but as it were some penal statute made by man, opened the dore wide to al wickednes and abomination. Whereby it is euident howe con­trary this doctrin is to al christian states and common wealths whatsoeuer, whose end ought to be cheefly, that their subiects liue in al true religion and honesty. But how vnfit soeuer it be for christian K. and estates, I confes it was a very pollitique point of doctrine for the popes kingdome. For hereby he receiued a double commo­dity. [Page 250] First that casting by this means his feare vpon the simple and ignorant, he enioyed more quietly the possession of his ti­ranny ouer the Church, al men standing in neede of his fatherhood, and fearing to prouoke him that had suche a power, to keepe them in purgatory stil, or to release them. Another that by his pardons, and indulgences deliuering men frō this prison which he had painted in their heds, he filled his coffers with treasure. Where by he enioyed the more easely, al the con­tentmentes that he desired, and was the better able to maintaine his proud Anti­christiā kingdome, against al power that should rise against it. And thus in respect of the maintenaunce of their owne king­dome, I thinke there was neuer so poli­ticke a supersticion and false worship in the world as this of the Ro. faith: which whosoeuer try fro point to point, shal easelie discern to be most true. To the further consideration wherof, leauing the discreet Reader, I will procéed to the other point which remayneth, which is of the reward of good and euill in the worlde to come. Wherof our doctrine is sayth he, that all the paynes of hell are equall, and that the [Page 251] most wicked man that euer was, shal en­dure no greater torment, then he that is the least offender, which his report of our doctrine is vtterly vntrue. Wherefore let him eyther iustifie this to be true out of the confession of the faith of our Church, which he ought to doe if he chalenge vs for doctrine, and not to charge vs with e­uery thing which hath beene written by any y ^t professe the gospell, or by any wry­ter of ours of credite in the church: or let him feare with out repentance & satisfac­tion for it, by confessing his ignorance or malice, in thus slaundering the church of God, y ^e iust condemnation of lyars & false witnesses, whose porcion is with hypo­crites. He saith we teach further also that y ^e glory of al the redeemed & elect of God, shalbe equal, & that euery one shalbe in as great glory as Peter & Paule, which is not the general doctrine of our Church. Wee acknowledge that they which otherwise shal be beautifull as the firmament, and they which iustifie manye, shall shine is Daniel teacheth, like the starres of heauē. Our sauiour denied not that there should be a place at his right hande, and at his left, in his kingdome in the worlde to [Page 252] come, but in this worlde tolde his Disci­ples that the pompe of earthly states shold not be seene in him nor in his ministers. He promised vnto the Apostles seates to sit vpon, to iudge the 12. Tribes of Is­raell. And the Apostle reioyced in the hope hee had that the Thesalonians shoulde bee his Crowne in the daye of the Lorde. Whereby it appeareth, that as all the members are partakers of the power of the soul, and haue their place and ho­nour in the body, yet they receiue not all power to doe the same worke, nor are of like honour: so in the misticall bodye of Christ, al shal be as members of him, partakers of his spirit, and be filled with it, for the full worke and honour of that part which they shal be in the body: but not al inabled for the same worke nor of like ho­nour. But they wil say how can this be, except heauen be a rewarde due vnto the worke. I aunswere that according to the same grace, that god giueth a diuerse measure of faith, & according to the diuerse measure of it, the fruits thereof, many or few in this life: so also he disposeth of the degrees of glory in y ^e life to come. wherby it appeareth y ^t as we truely deny all men

Therefore, looke what profite a Christi­an Common wealthe maie receiue of the doctrine of the diffrence of glory and pain, in the worlde to come, it receiueth it of the doctrine whiche wee teache. Drawyng to­wardes an ende, our aucthour beginneth confusedlie to heape vp many thynges to­gether, by whiche order one point might haue serued hym as well as the whole do­sen. For in this tenth he hath dealt with the doctrines of Repentaunce, Confession, Satisfaction, Purgatorie, of Heauen and Helle.

In the eleuenth whiche followeth, Of workes, merite, freewill, and prede­stination. he in­treateth of Workes, Merite, Frewill, and Predestination. Concernyng the doctrine of Predestination wee teache saieth he, In the Churche of Rome, that all the Sainctes of God, are Predestinate before the founda­tions of the worlde were laied. And I saie, we teache the same. Therefore our doctrine herein beyng the same, it must needes be no lesse profitable to any state then theirs, and so no cause of this cōparison. Of Freewill we teache saieth he, That a man hath liber­tie and freedome of his will, whereby beeyng preuented and assisted by Grace, he maie at his pleasure doe any good Workes, or refuse [Page 274] to doe them. This doctrine in deede is nei­ther ours, nor the doctrine of Christe and his Apostles. For, accordyng to the truthe wee haue receiued of theim, we teache that the Nature of man through the sinne of A­dam is so wholy corrupted, that there is no good thyng in it, that of it self it cannot thinke a good thought, that it is solde vn­der sinne, Phil. 3. Rom. 7.8. Ephes. 2. and that it is enemy against God is not subiect to the lawe of GOD, nor in deede can be made subiect: finally, that we are borne dead in our sinnes. Whervpon it followeth, that the will of manne beeyng a principal power of his soule, it is subiect to the corruption of the whole, and therefore hath no will to do that whiche is good, wil­leth not of it self any good, is seruaunt vn­to sinne, willeth nothyng but sinne, and en­nemitie with God: willeth not that whiche the Law cōmaundeth, but is dead in sinne. Whereof it must needes followe, that wee are not free in our will, to will that whiche is good, for our will is seruaunte to synne, and therefore can not dooe the woorke of righteousnesse: Our will is deade in sinne, and therfore can not be a liue to righteous­nesse. For as a deade man can not dooe the actions of a man that liueth, no more can [Page 275] the man that is deade in synne, doe any ac­tion of will, or any other that he doeth that liueth to God. I meane not that our will is dead altogether, no more thē that a man deade in his synnes, should not liue the life of a naturall man, and of this worlde: but that whatsoeuer naturall power it hath, it is dead as touchyng the doyng or willyng of any thyng that God hath commaunded, in suche sorte as the lawe requireth. There remaineth still, notwithstandyng the pu­nishement of the synne of Adam, a will in man, whereby he is freely and willyngly carried to that he doeth, but this will I saie is of it self, carried willyngly to no good­nesse, but onely and alwaies to euill. Ther­fore beeyng deade, in respecte of any good, whē after the will chuseth well, this worke we teache not to bee of Grace, preuentyng and assistyng, but to bee wholie the woorke of grace. For, as if the spirite of life should reenter into a deade man, who after should rise and walke, and dooe other thynges a­greeyng to a liuyng man, it can not bee saied these actions proceade partely from the spirit, whiche is inspired into him, part­ly from the deade bodie. For, what helpe or furtheraunce can death bryng to an action [Page 276] of life. So also the Spirite of God reente­ryng into vs, who are borne dead in our synnes, and wee after liuyng in some mea­sure the life of GOD by the same spirite, it cannot bee saied that our will choosyng to doe that whiche is good, or any other na­turall facultie, dooyng in any measure the will of God, that it doeth it partly of it self, partly of the spirite inspired into vs, but the honor of suche actions is wholy due to that spirite. That wee will is of our nature, but that our will doeth will that whiche is ho­ly and good, is not partly of vs, and partly of the Grace assistyng, but it is wholie the woorke of Grace. Yet is it the goodnesse of God to call it ours, that is wrought in him by vs, because it is not wrought without vs, neither are we as an axe or deade instru­ment in the Lordes hande, but the powers of our naturall soule tendyng of theim sel­ues, wholy to that whiche is euill, are tour­ned by the grace and power of God, to that whiche is good. Whiche doctrine as it is moste true, so doeth it giue to God the ho­nour whiche belongeth vnto him. Neither is it a hinderaunce to good woorkes, that God be acknowledged the onely aucthour and woorker of theim. But saieth he more [Page 277] like a Philosopher and naturall man, then a Christian and a Diuine: except it bee in a mannes power to doe well, it must needes vtterly discourage hym from doyng good workes. The answere wherof is, that those whiche beleeue, cannot but bee fruitfull in good woorkes, notwithstandyng thei dooe not to the dishonour of GOD, arrogate to themselues the praise of thē. For as a man that is quickened with a liuyng soule, can not but doe the woorkes and actions of a li­uyng man, so also thei which haue receiued the spirite of Christe, whereby thei haue be­leeued, notwithstandyng thei bee not inco­raged by this reason vnto it, that of their former deade nature thei are able to heare, see, or vnderstande, yet of the nature of that spirite, thei cannot but dooe the actions of that life, whiche that spirite doeth quicken and animate thē withall. And as a branche of a wilde Oliue taken frō his owne stocke and implanted into a naturall Oliue, not­withstandyng that of it self, it bring no ma­ner of helpe to beare a right Oliue, but ra­ther whatsoeuer power is in it, is contra­rie therevnto: Yet of the nature of the right Oliue, it cannot beeyng a liuely braunche of it, but beare right Oliues. Euen so it fa­reth [Page 278] with vs. Rom. 11. For, wee are by nature wilde Oliues, and our Sauiour Christe is the true and naturall Oliue Tree, into whom beyng grafted by faithe, shall we saie it wil neuer beare any fruite, excepte the former wilde and sauage nature it had before in his owne stocke, maie bee furtheraunce to it? No, but that nature beyng mortified and altered by the power of the true Oliue, we cannot beyng liuely braunches in this O­liue of GOD, but we must beare right and kindly fruites, accordyng to the nature of the stock wee are receiued into. Further, as the nature of the spirite whiche wee are vouchsafed doeth leade vs to it, so our inde­uour is stirred vp herevnto in thākfulnesse vnto God for our saluation, whiche he hath assured vnto vs by the power of the spirite, giuen vs to the daie of our rededemption. Therfore, because we owe our selues who­lie vnto hym that hath so derely bought vs, and so graciously saued vs, we are to apply our selues to all good workes wherby God our redemer, may be glorified in vs. Whose glory if it be precious in our eyes, as it worthely ought to bee more then heauen and earth, wee cannot want prouocation to doe those thinges, which he hath commaunded.

Now for the laste poinct of this Article of merite, and the reward of heauen: we say in deede that the doctrine of Merite, and to teach that life euerlasting should be a re­ward deserued by our good works, is a doc­trine that maketh voyd in effect y ^e death of Christ. The benefite whereof by this mea­nes shalbe onely this, to procure vs this fa­uour with God, that vppon condition that we doe suche and suche woorkes, that then he will giue vs his Kyngdome for our woorkes sake: whiche is a doctrine that of al other doeth moste discouer Antechrist as it is moste opposite to the doctrine and honour of Christe. For, wee are taught by hym, that when wee haue doen all wee can doe, wee are to acknowledge that wee are but vnprofitable seruauntes: and thei teach that their seruice is worthie a reward, and what reward, of the kyngdome of heauen, the glorie of God, and of ioyes euerlastyng and vnspeakeable. Thei teache these thyn­ges to bee but a small purchase, a little mo­ney giuen to their Corban, the buildyng of a Monasterie or Abbey, for a sort of Idle and Supersticious Friers to abuse the world, and thynges many tymes of the iust desert of euerlastyng death, to bee the wor­thie [Page 280] price of Gods kyngdome: that is in ef­fect, that an Abbey, a Seminarie College, or suche like, should be as muche worthe as the precious bloud of the Soonne of God. Thus in deede we teache not, nor whatsoe­uer should become of all the states of the worlde, ought not to teache it, beeyng the proude doctrine of that presumpteous An­techriste, guiltie of hye treason against the Imperiall state croune and dignitie of the kyng of heauen and earth. Whose fauour and grace, if we should saie wee had deser­ued, we should account it little worthe, and should take from hym his moste due and high honour of our saluation, and be moste vnworthie his grace bestowed vpō vs. But saieth he, who will be zealous of good wor­kes, if there be no reward of them in heauē. I aunswere, if there were none, yet ought wee in thankfulnesse to GOD for our first Creation, diligently to applie our sel­ues to dooe his will, and obeye his Com­maundementes: As also all cteatures sett forthe his glory in their kinde, notwithstā ­dyng there bee no rewarde promised them in heauen. But I saie further, that wee doe not teache that there is no reward for good workes, but contrariwise, that the reward [Page 281] of them is so exceedyng greate in heauen, that no good deede shall bee loste, no not to the bestowyng of a Cupp of cold water, in the name of a Disciple. For as the sonne & heire of y ^e father for al his seruice, receiueth a most large recompēce of his inheritance: so muche more the inheritaunce of GOD must needes bee a moste bountifull recom­pence of all our seruice to hym. Yet not­withstandyng, the inheritaunce is not ac­counted due to the natural child frō his fa­ther, for any desert of his, but because he is his sonne. So likewise the inheritaunce of Gods kingdome, yea (muche lesse without all comparison) neuer can be earned by vs, or deserued by any workes we can doe, but shalbe giuen vs because we are sonnes, and heires to God by faithe in Christ Iesu. So the inheritaunce is bothe a gifte and a re­warde: a gifte because it is in euery re­specte vndeserued, and a rewarde be­cause he that hath dooen nothyng in deede, but endeuoured to doe some small parte of his duetie, and yet receiueth that whiche could not be due vnto hym: cannot saie that he is vnrewarded. And thus our Sauiour teacheth in the Gospell, that the penie was the reward, and the penie was giuen hym, [Page 282] that bare no heate and burden of the daie, but wrought onely one hower. An howers worke could not deserue the wages and re­ward appointed for hym, that should worke the whole daie: yet he receiuing it of meere gift, can not say but that his howers labour was moste bountifully rewarded. Euerla­styng life was promised to the doers of the Lawe, this worke wee doe not, yet it plea­seth God of his goodnesse, to giue as well to vs that haue not doen it, as if wee had doen it, can we saie then that any thyng we haue dooen is lefte vnrewarded? Thus it is plaine, that giuyng to God the honour, whiche is due vnto hym, wee acknowledge also the reward to be great in heauen. And therfore though we doe not incourage any mercinarie duetie, but exhorte to a thanke­full and cherefull obedience vnto God, yet the benefite that maie arise to any Com­monwealthe by this doctrine, that our la­bour shall not be loste in the Lorde, is to bee reaped of the doctrine that we teache.

Now followeth the twelueth and laste Article, whiche is of Eareshrifte, or Auri­cular Confession. 12. Of auriculer confession. Concernyng whiche thei teache it to bee necessarie for euerie Christian manne, once in the yere at the [Page 283] least to Confesse hymself to a Priest, tel­ling hym euery fault in perticuler that he hath committed: and this thei teache to bee so necessarie, as if a man conceale any he cā not receiue absolution for it, but that sinne remaineth still vpō hym. And this he saieth is the very hedge and wall of all vertuous and good life, whiche he pretendeth to proue by many particularities, but first for their doctrine: the vse and benefite of it shall bee after examined. And first I wishe them to agree amongest them selues, that it maie bee determined betweene them whether it be of the Commaundement of God or not: or rather howsoeuer thei agree or disagree I affirme it hath no maner of ground in the worde of God. Where we are onely taught to confesse our sinnes vnto GOD, and to poore out our hartes before him, that the Lorde maie bee mercifull vnto vs. Further also in the publique congregation bothe to­gether with the rest of the Church, and per­ticulerly vppon repentaunce of some noto­rious offence: and priuately one vnto ano­ther. And therein wee receiue and finde tho­rowe the good blessyng of God great com­forte and commoditie in vsing of them. But this confessiō that a man should rehearse in [Page 284] a Priestes eare all his sinnes once a yeare. Neither was it cōmaunded of our Sauiour Christe, nor vniuersally vsed in the West Church till about 300. yeares agoe. And if this be the very lock of all honestie and ver­tue as he saith, and the very hedge of wel do­yng, how could so many Churches & Chri­stian States haue wanted it so long? Was there no vertue nor honestie for 1200. yeres after Christ in such places as had not recei­ued it? It is not to be thought to come to his commodities, that thei wanted meanes for redresse, both of priuate and publique offen­ces all that while. Neither doth the Gospell whiche teacheth no suche matter as this is: Leaue the Church vnfurnished of meanes, to redresse all offences that come to know­ledge: which is by the godly exercise of that lawfull discipline, whiche our Sauiour Christ appointed to be vsed in his Church: whiche in deede is bothe the locke and keye of al good life next to the power of the word preached. Whereas therfore we are taught by the Gospell to preache saluation to those which beleeue and walke accordyng to that faithe: and contrariwise destruction to come vppon euery soule that shall not beleeue nor walke accordyng to the commaundement [Page 285] we haue receiued: and to denounce this to all Estates and Dignities, to those whiche are of priuate and publique calling, who can not but finde them selues to be summoned by it to the tribunall seate of God, and haue their hartes oft touched withall to true repen­taunce. It can not bee saied then (without this newe founde deuise of auriculer Con­fession) wee haue no meanes of good life a­mongest vs. Heb. 4. The liuyng worde of God that striketh deepe to the partyng betweene the soule and the spirite, shall it be esteemed no­thyng worth without this Confession. Pe­ter by this wrought through the grace of God, suche a compunction in the hartes of 3000. in one daie, that thei came and hum­bled them selues in true repentaunce, ac­knowledged their sinnes in hauyng cruci­fied the Sonne of GOD, and receiued the Faith and Baptisme, in the name of Christ. Many suche like examples might bee vou­ched out of the Scriptures of mightie and powerfull workes and effectes of the word preached. Whereby it appeareth, that the Churches wherein it is truely taught, as by the grace of God it is amongest vs, are not without not onely some, but not with out the cheefest and most principall meanes [Page 286] to keepe the people of God in due obedience of hym. For further meanes of discipline, as we acknowledge what the right order is whiche God hath commaunded, and bothe see and are hartily greeued to see in so noble a parte of the Churche as this is, and after so long continuance of the Gospell prea­ched amongest vs, greate abuses contrarie vnto it: So wee cease not to bee most hum­ble and continuall suters to God and to the authoritie he hath set ouer vs, that we maie enioy it. Which being in the vse thereof, and in the ordinaunce of our Sauiour Christ, so necessarie for the seruice of God, and the saluation of men, wee hope that the equitie and necessitie of that wee sue for beeyng throughly vnderstood, the Lord wil dispose the hartes of so Christian authoritie as wee are subiect vnto, most willyngly to graunt it. For want whereof, as your HH. see how wyde the enemies mouth is opened against vs, so the humble and dayly sute of all that feare GOD and vnderstande this matter within this lande is, that it maie please God to touche your HH. hartes with that zea­lous care of his glorie and loue of the salua­tion of the people, that by your HH. mea­nes to her moste excellent Maiestie, order [Page 287] maie bee taken for the establishyng hereof. In the meane season we haue to aunswere our Aduersarie in this case, that the prea­ching of the Gospell by the blessing of God, maie be of power to those in whō God shall worke by it, to keepe them in his feare. And for the regiment of the churche, y ^e abuses be­ing theirs, that thei of all other haue not to charge vs in this respect. As for their auri­culer Confession, the famous storie of aboli­shing of it by that worthie and reuerend Bi­shop of Constantinople Nectarius, vpon oc­casion of wicked companie betweene a Ma­trone of the Citie and one of the Churche, doeth sufficiently shewe for how iust cause it is to bee abolished in a Christian state and Cōmonwealth. So doth also the experience of these 300. yeares wherein it hath been so vniuersally commaūded & practised, which hath discouered it to haue been one of the fit­test instruments of Sathan, for nourishyng and maintainyng all the abhominations in these partes of the world, and the very seede of all priuate contentions & publique war­res of open violences and secrete treasons. So that when I thinke of the consequence of it: I maruaile how Christian states and people could indure it so long. By this mea­nes [Page 288] thei had the best intelligence of the grea­test secretes of the publique states in Chri­stendome, whiche thei traiterously vsed to the troublyng of the worlde and for their owne aduauntage. Thei searched and ga­ged by this meanes, bothe publique states and priuate houses, so as there was nothing in any Kyngdome, Citie, or Towne, no, nor in any house or familie but was knowne to them. Which was suche a politicke point in deede for thē to keepe the world in awe of them, and to holde them still in captiuitie, to sett vp and put doune whom thei listed, to make their freendes & to subdue their foes, as a stronger wall for y ^e maintenance of this Antichristian tyrannie could not be deuised.

And this is his dosen of pointes whiche he thinketh to bee worthe so many millions to a Common wealthe: whiche if he maie sell at his owne price wee shall buye them deare enough. But I hope I haue suffici­ently shewed them to be so little worthe, as no man but hymself and his fellowes, that esteeme their graines, relique pouders, and suche other pedlary as thei bryng in now into the lande for riche Marchaundrise, will make any great reckenyng of thē. Where­in I haue so dealt, as I thincke he can not [Page 269] iustly complayne that I haue followed impartiment matter, and left the state of his question, as he wrongfully chargeth the reuerend D. Fulke, whose learned wri­tings al the sort of them will neuer be a­ble with truth to aunswere. Because hee wold be answered to his mind, he is care­ful we should vnderstād his ful meaning: which is sayth hee, not whether doctrine be true or false, theirs or ours: but whi­ther bee more politicke or profitable to a cōmon wealth: Wherin he is to be admo­nished, that to prooue his doctrin fitter for the establishing of a K. and state in peace wealth and honour, to bring vppon it all good promises and blessinges of God: his next and readiest way had bene, to haue prooued the truth of it by the scriptures. For this is a most certain ground, y ^e true religion hath y ^e promises of this life, & the life to come: which are so farre in this life bestowed vpon vs as God seeth to be most expedient, and may be without the grea­ter losse and hinderaunce of the other. Therefore in leauing to prooue that, hee left the way he should haue followed, and hath takē a cleane contrary course, which is, that it bringeth greate commodities, [Page 270] which if it were so, yet could not suffice to prooue it true. For the Turk and other heathen which apply their religion as may be fittest for the maintenaunce and securitie of their state, they receiue no doubt by their detestable false worshippe, many benefites to the assuring of their e­states for a season: yet is it but an execra­ble false seruice of God, which is so com­modious vnto them. For whether com­modities be blessings from God or no, de­pendeth vpon this, whether the people be his people, and honor him as he hath ap­pointed. For to such we are sure, hauing warrant of the truth of religion, that all benefites are the effectes of the gracious promise of God to those which feare him, and are in deed blessings proceeding from the tender loue of God vnto his people, and seales of the euerlasting blessinges, promised vnto vs in his kingdome. But what blessing so euer is bestowed vpon a­ny other, is turned in th'end into a cursse, it is but feeding of the Oxe for the slaugh­ter, a lifting of them vp, that when they are cast downe they may fall with grea­ter violence, and more easely be dasht in pieces. Finally it maketh them the more [Page 271] giltie, and bringeth a heauier destruction vpon them. For how should they be bles­sed that feare not the Lorde, vpon whose fauour or displeasure dependeth the pro­sperity or hard estate of euery K: and peo­ple. Therfore to perswade that he preten­ded, he hath taken a clean contrary way. For if a man graunt him al that he affir­meth, yet is it easy to aunswere that this benefit in the end, must needes turne to a losse, and this shew of securitie to all vn­quietnesse, this setled estate to captiuitie & bondage. For how many exāples haue we of this frō the beginning, y ^t is, of K, & common weales that haue flourished for a season, and in the end haue been broken al too pieces. As the state of the K. of Tyre, which is described by the prophet, to haue been so exceeding prosperous, y ^t in respect thereof, the King of Tyre for his glory is compared with the morning Star: yea & sayd, to shyne as a Cherub from amōgst the stones of fire, yet euen he as the same prophet threatned him is now cast down from his high seat and from all his glory. And Tyre whose marchantes were as P. of the earth, and her chapmen as the No­bles of the worlde, is now become more [Page 272] like a poore fisher Towne, then that olde Citie, or greatly renoumed amongst the Ylands, and in al the world. We see the Ro. empire, and the K. of Italy, how not­withstanding the former honor, wealth, glorie of it, yet now, and that by the meanes of their Popedome, it is dasht in a maner all in pieces, & cut into so many little seingnories Dukedoms, L, and free cities, that they are as y ^e potsherds of the earthen vessell, which y ^e lord as he threat­neth in the Psalme, hath burst in fitters with his barre of yron. Whereby it ap­peareth to be y ^e right way to prooue anye doctrine profitable for a christian state, to be receiued, to shew it to be of God. Other wyse without consideration of the truth of it, to say how false so euer it be, yet is it good for the state, or how good so euer it be, yet is it ill for the state, and wil bring in­nouations troubles and pouertie, this is to reason like one that hath no God. And if he went to reason thus like an Atheist, hee were vtterly vnworthye any aun­swere, and hath offered your Hh. the grea­test wrong that a christian nobility could be offered, once to think, that the shew of his commodities to the state, should carry [Page 273] your H. to the liking of that false worship and superstitiō, that is against God & his holy truth. Therfore what soeuer he ima­gine to the contrary, the question whe­ther it bee good for a Christian common wealth and kingdome, I haue answered pertinently in shewing theire doctrine first to bee false and hereticall. Which ground beeing first laid, I haue ioyned in that issue he desired, declaring further, that as by the cursse and wrath of God, which must needes shake and ouerturne the seates of such mighty ones, as shall dare to haue wars with the almighty, in setting vp a false & idolat. worship which he hath forbidden: So also that their doc­trine it selfe and the practise of it in the very nature of them both is against all good pollicie of any Christian state, and onely fit for the establshment & securitie of their Antechristian kingdome. For further euidence wherof I haue thought good here to gather together (with some en­largement of lyke matters) that hath bin touched in seueral places concerning this matter already. That being to be vewed in one sight, it may the better be iudged and discerned. For better vnderstanding [Page 274] wherof it is to be considered, that the good estate of a Christian K. or common welth is to be holy in religion, and al duties im­mediately respecting God, honest in all conuersation amongst men, free for liber­tie, strong for forces, quyet for peace, and rich for treasure. All which points make a state honourable and happie. But the R. doctrine and practise, bringeth in a false worship of God, al wickednes & loosenesse of life, tyrannie, bondage, wars, trouble, weaknesse and vnhabilitie to re­sist the enemy, finally, néede and pouerty, all which must needes make any state vnhonourable and vnhappie. That their faith is vnholy, & therfore maketh their people such that doth receiue it, appereth by the worship of Idols, of bread, of wood, and of stone, by the ignorance of all sorts amongst them, and the maintayning of it to be mother of deuotion, by their iu­stifications thorow their owne workes, and so many other bye means, besids that only sweete sacrifice of Christ Iesu: & in a word by al their fals worship, which is wholly nothing but a seruice deuised by men, and not prescribed by the worde of God. And as in regard of God, it is an vn­holy [Page 275] and prophane worshippe, hauing no ground of his word, so is it the cause of al dishonesty and wicked conuersation a­mongst men. Which may appeare not onely in the iustice of God, with whom it is righteous, to giue ouer to all shame of iniquitie and abhomination, those which haue not helde his honour in any due re­spect, but haue made it common to Idols, and by experience which hath made proof of all vngodly and loose behauiour, to bee euen in their holiest Cloisters: but also by their very doctrine and practise of it. This may easely be discerned by any that shall compare with that holy discipline which is taught in the Gospel, their discipline, which is moste loose and desolute, except it be, in y ^t which may keepe still the consci­ence in bōdage and captiuity of ignorance superstition and Idolatry. For as the dis­cipline of Christ is the speciall meanes next to the true preaching of the word, of all godlinesse and honestie, both to be pre­serued amongst men, and also to be resto­red after a declination and decay, so that Antichristian disorder and confusion, in all the chiefe parts therof, is next to their false and hereticall doctrine, the greatest [Page 276] cause, that all impietie and wickednesse both first entred into the Church and yet can not be driuen out, that the ancient e­state of the Church may be recouered and restored againe. But I will leaue other points which were to long to enter into here, & note but one speciall corruption of their discipline, Wherby iudgement may be giuen of the rest. This is that Anti­christian supremacie wherby the man of sinne in the deuilishe pride of his seat, challengeth vnto himselfe fulnes of pow­er and soueraintie of iurisdiction, to doe what pleaseth him, and to dispense with what he list. For what greater encou­ragement can there be to sinne, then that a man may be sure for a little mony, and a very little in deed, to haue a sealed par­don, not onely for any wickednesse com­mitted, but also for all he shall commit al his life and many hundreth yeares after: so foolishly and absurdly wicked is their doctrine and practise. If a man by going a pilgrimage, or saying so many times o­uer his beades, or fasting so many dayes, or giuing so much to the priestes and se­minary men: If I say by these and such like meanes a man may satisfie for his [Page 277] sinnes, who will be restrayned from any wickednes, or be careful of the amending of his lyfe. Thus one point of the supre­macie is as a roote of wormewood and an original cause of an infinitie of trāsgressi­ons & sinns. Which being thorow the iu­stice of God and the very nature of sinne, enemy to al good pollices, whose end is to represse sinne, what neede we further proofe, that the practise of this Romishe religion must needes be the poyson of all such states which doe receiue it. But no maruaile tho so infinite a power of the Pope be so great a cause of sinne. For the very authoritie of absolucion whiche e­uery Prieste hath, is more fruitfull this way to encouragement and increase of wickednesse, then that any good state or policie may beare it. I speake not here of the daunger of dishonestie and vnclean­nesse, by reason of their secreet confessi­ons. For which that worthye Nectareus abolished the vse of it out of the Churche of Constantinople, but of the power that they take vpon them to absolue male­factors from sinne, wherby it must needs be greatly encouraged. That desperate and Deuelishe Iaureguy the Spanyarde [Page 278] purposed to haue done vppon the noble Prince of Oraunge. For if euery Priest haue such a power to absolue from sinne, any wicked limme of Sathan, that shall dare in his deuilish boldnesse to attempt the executiō of mischiefs against most H. personages, & most noble Princes: what wickednesse is there that these absoluers wil not dispence with, and what security for any P. or state where such priests and absoluters may be endured likewise their doctrin of satisfactory workes must néeds be a great emboldning vnto sinne. For if sinne which the prophet said could not be satisfied for, tho a man shold giue riuers, of Oyle, and thousands of shéepe, & Oxen, yea tho he shoulde giue his first begotten sonne, or his own life for the redemption of it: may so easely be redéemed, by giuing some part of the wicked mammon to building of Abbeis, or maintaining of Masses seminaries, and such like, which in deed greatly encreseth their sinn, by strength­ning such abominatiōs: Men must néeds bee hereby made more carelesse of their wickednesse, and more encouraged to of­fend. Whervnto also their sanctuaries & priuiledged places do greatly encourage. [Page 279] For if any malefactor may haue any such defence against all iustice and protection for his ill doing, how is it possible that all wickednes shoulde not be prouoked by it. Whereby it being plaine that impunitie is the cause of incouragement to offen­ders, and that the practise of the R. religi­on is thus discouered to be such, as it set­teth the transgressor free from all feare of the wrath of God, and the iudgement to come, by their dispensations, indulgences absolutions, and satisfactory workes: and from all ecclesiastical punishment for a li­tle mony, by making markets of their said Buls and pardons: and from the iu­stice of the ciuill magistrats, by sanctua­ries, and in al their clergy, by exemptiōs, imunitees, priuiledges, and appeals to y ^e seate of R It must needes be hereby most manifest, that the practise of their religi­on is as a breach that is made by the sea, wherby al maner of impietie and wickednes of life, doth so violently flow into the common wealth wher it is receiued, that it is not possible to make resistaunce a­gainst it. Whervpon I conclude, that see­ing by his owne confession, this Romish fayth, in the doctrine and discipline of it, [Page 280] both thorow the iustice of God, who can­not but from heauen reueale his wrath vppon so great vngodlinesse, and in the very nature and practise of their religion must néeds be the most certaine ruine and ouerthrowe of all K. and states where it is established. I might alledge here other particular causes of the breaches of some certain commaundement, as their disor­dered orders of Monkes & Fryars, their vnlawfull vowes and constrained single life, to be causes of hypocrisies, adultries, fornications, and a 1000. abhominati­ons of vncleannes. But I leaue these and such like to the consideration of the dis­creete reader, and proceede forwarde to o­ther points. Wherein I affirme the prac­tise of their religion, not to stand with a­ny good pollicie. Next to the honor of God & a vertuous conuersation, wherof haue beene spoken alreadye, nothing can or ought to be more regarded in a state, thē the souerainty of the state and freedome of the people. Which by the doctrin of the Gospell is maintained and established, For so we teach, according to the doctrine of the apostles, that euery soul and person be subiect to the ciuil magistrates: both to [Page 281] the K. as most excellent and souerain, and to those which are sent from him. Wher­by both the souerainty of y ^e state is main­tained, in directing & commanding, with in the Dominion which God hath giuen them without controulment of any for­raine power: & the lawful liberty of y ^e peo­ple. For the people obeying the authority which God hath made them subiect vnto, they neede not to be suters for any causes in the court of any straunge P. they are not to be taxed by them, but in euery their respect, are free from the bondage of anye forraine commaundement whatsoeuer. But the Romish religion, nether leaueth P. soueraine in their estates, nor the peo­ple frée in their liberty. For by the doctrin and practise of their religion, K. and prin­ces are but vassals, and as feodataryes to the pope in their K. and dominions, they are to receiue thē of him, and leaue them at his pleasure. Hee hath authority to dis­pense of all their Crownes and King­domes, to set vppe and put downe as it seemeth best to him. And as this is set downe for good lawe in their Canons, so haue they not failed to practise it, as hath appeared. Further also, they take from [Page 282] them y ^e dealing with al ecclesiastical cau­ses, drawing them all to y ^e Sea & court of R. euen to y ^e bestowing of ecclesiastical li­uings at his pleasure, by means wherof, both the emperors of y ^e R. empire, & other P. & y ^e K. of this lād, haue bin fain to plead such causes as they haue had with their subiects without their own land. further also, they took vpō thē to impose paimēts vpon their subiects (besids a thousand op­pressions of their soules, which they mi­serablie tyrannised, with lawes of absti­nence for conscience sake, from meates and from marriage, commaundemente of cōfessing their sins in shrift, & the rest of y ^e ordināces of their will worship) wherby the pore people were oppressed with great bondage and the P. were so manye and diuers waies impeached, in their crown and dignity. Further in a well pollicied estate it is required, that it bee maintai­ned in peace, and yet so, that in case of warre they may bee strong, bothe in men and treasure to defend and repulse the vi­olence of their enemies. This the Gospel teacheth, being the gospel of peace, wher­by men are not only reconciled vnto God, but also one to another, according to the [Page 283] worthy testimonies, which both the Pro­phets and Apostles beare vnto it in this behalfe. And as the Doctrine is peace, both with God, and amongst men, so the practise of it can not in any sort disturbe or hazard the peace of the state where it is receiued, but with al security establish it. Likewise hath it nothing in all y ^e doctrin & practise of it, contrary to the strength of a cōmon weale. For it teacheth marriage to be honourable amongest all men, and the honour of a P. to be in the multitude of his subiects, and exempteth none by a­ny pretended authority of forrain power, from the seruice of their country. Concer­ning riches & tresure, it doth not impoue­rish, requiring only a competent prouisiō for the pastors and doctors of the church. Which as it is necessary for their seruice, and most due by the expresse commaunde­ment of God, so riseth it to no great char­ges of a common weal. But the R. religi­on, & practise of it, is against al these. For if the stories euen of their own wickedest writers may bee credited, as they oughte most of al to be against thēselues, y ^t B. of R. haue bin y ^e cause of al the wars y ^t haue bin in Europe these 100 yeres. And indéed [Page 284] what estate cā be in security or quietnes, wherein a forraine P. shall haue intelli­gence of all the secretes of the lande. But wheresoeuer the R. religion is, euerye Prieste is an intelligencer and a spye for the pope, who both by other means, & especially by their auriculer confession come to vnderstand the deepest secrets of euery state and K. of euery City, and town, vil­lage, house, familye, & person within the land. Which kind of intelligence, being y ^e most certain, as vttered of conscience, and most priuy, as put only into a priests ear, & so manye imploied herein, bringeth to passe, y ^t no P. in y ^e world hath y ^e vnderstā ­ding by al the means he can possibly vse, of the affaires of the state next to him, or with whom he hath most to do, which the pope hath of al y ^e states & K. where his re­ligion is maintained. Which intelligēce as euery mean man may easily vnderstād being a matter of so great importance, in al causes publike & priuate, it is to be considered, howe easy a matter it is for him, by means herof to disturb y ^e quiet estate of any natiō or K. at his plesure. For which cause of late, he hath sent in new Confes­sors, shriuers and absoluers, who vnder [Page 285] pretence hereof, may both vnderstand the secrets of the land, and deliuer Agnus deis grains, & medalls to his reconciled, as to­kens of their conspiracie. Whereby they maye bee prepared for a daye to rise vp a­gainste the lande, & disturb the quietnesse of it. Which is so euident a meanes to dis­quiet a state, as I esteme that none which wil receiue their auriculer confession can bee longer quiet then it shall please the Pope. Herevnto if we adioyne the con­sideration of the infinite power, whiche most vngodly and iniuriously to al states this R. church giueth to their pope, it wil easely appeare, how contrary their doc­trine and practise is to the welfare of all K. & cōmon weales. For their doctrine is (as I haue partly touched before to shew the repugnance of popery, the hie autho­ritie and souerainetie of any state, and here repeate because the same is also a­gainst the peace and quietnes of all com­mons) y ^t in certain cases, the pope may de­pose P. frō their imperial seats & thrones of iustice, and giue their crownes and K. vnto others. Their doctrine is, y ^t hee may absolue al subiectes of such P. from their alleageance and oth made vnto them, yea [Page 286] that hee may excomminicate all such sub­iects as shall obey the authoritie lawes, and commaundements of such a Prince. And their practise agreeth w ^t their doctrin For thus they dealt both with diuers o­ther P. here to fore, and thus also of late the impietie of Pius the fift, brake forth to the excommunicating and depriuing her Ma▪ in his proud bul much like the blas­phemous letters of Rabs. sent to king E­zechias, (yea & to the accursing of all such her graces loyal subiects, as according to their most bounden duety obey her whol­some lawes and statutes, in these words. We charge and forbid all and euery the Nobles, and subiectes) and people, and o­thers afore said, that they be not so hardy as to obey her, or her will or commande­mentes, or Lawes, vppon paine of like cursse vppon them. Which clause of that presumptuous and wicked writ, is so im­portant in the cause we are now in hand withall, y ^t I desire all those that shal read this, to take good héede vnto it. For how can this author affirme that there should be cause to tollerate the rebellious practi­sers of this wicked forraine P. Seeing it cannot be in any reason that they can be [Page 287] faithful & dutiful subiects to her maiesty, which obey this execrable bull. For he can not be a liege man nor a dutiful subiect of her maiesty, that will not obey her lawes and statutes, and take her for his natural and lawful P. and much lesse he that shal perswade others herevnto. But none of those which are reconciled to this their R church may doe so, and their priestes and seminarie men perswade them there vn­to. Therefore no such reconciled papistes, much lesse they which reconcile them can be good and obedient subiectes of her Ma. That such as are recōciled to their church may not bee obedient to her H appeareth by the Popes bul curssing & excommuni­cating out of their church, al such as do o­bey her H. laws, where vpon it followeth that they which are reconciled are recon­ciled vpon that condition. For otherwyse in case of their obedience they are accur­sed, but the reconciled are not in case of excommunication, therefore they haue denied their obedience. Howe can it bee then that this doctrine may be tollerated, that her maiesties subiects by such means shoulde bee drawne from obedience of her lawes, and acknowledging her lawfull [Page 288] power ouer them without the certain ha­zard of the state. Christ and his Apostles neuer taught any such doctrine or practise as this is. The primatiue Church neuer heard of it. Ambrose that worthy bishop of Millayne, When hee for a cruell murder and massacre of the Citizens of Thessal. had excommunicated Theod. the Empe­rour, yet did he not take vppon him to de­pose him from his Emperiall Crowne and dignitye, but howsoeuer in the charge of his ministery, hee declared him to haue no right to the Lordes table, and suche other Spiritual diet and entertain­ment of Gods children: yet as touching the things of this life, hee reuerenced his authority, and was obedient to him in all thinges. But of this practise of the Ro­mish Churche, except it be of their owne doing, I suppose there is no president to be shewed from Christ to this day. Fur­ther as touching the strength of a Lande to resist her enemies, the practise of this Romish fayth, doth bothe weaken it for people, and impouerishe it for treasure where it is receyued. This may appeare if we cal to minde that which hee boast­eth of in this example, that is the greate [Page 289] number of Priestes, Professors, Vota­ries and other supersticious persons, whom he falsly calleth religious, which waited and attended vppon them. The number wherof aryseth by his owne ac­count to so many thousandes, and all ex­empted from the seruice of the P. warres. yea and from anye contribution and payment to maintaine them, could not be but a great infeebling to the state. Fur­ther they al being restrained from marri­age, wherby either if they had no childrē, or not daring to auow then most cruelly murdered them, the posteritie coulde not multiply any thing in such sort, as if it had beene lawful for them to marry. But this wise politicke esteemeth it a high point of wisdome, to diminish the multi­tude of Christ. people, & of the children of Abraham, which is promised as a blessing to be multiplied as the Starrs of heauen that cannot be numbred. Concerning the treasure of the land, it is not his eating of whit meat that can recōpence the great & infinite summes of treasure, which their pretended catholique religion by a thou­sand means drew from al the states & K. where it was receiued. For the ordinary [Page 290] reuenews and profits of their religious men, as he falsly calleth them, rose here, to one third of all the land, & more in the raigne of y ^e noble K. Henry the eight. The furniture of their churches with so many surplesses and Copes of all sortes of riche stuffe, such as no King or Prince coulde wear better then many of them were of. Their great and Massy crosses of siluer & gold, their Idols of finest mettals, & most exquisite workmanship, the rather to de­ceiue the people, as if they had been aliue. Their other ordinarie charges of waxe, incense, Orgaines, y ^e plate and Iewels of their Abbeys, Pryories, & other supersti­cious houses were of infinite valure and price, as I think y ^e court of augmentation might sufficiētly testifie. Beside al these, y ^e extraordinary charges of appeals & folowing sutes at R. the paimentes imposed by most tirannous oppression, both of y ^e king nobles, & al the people of this land to their most iust and gréeuous complaint, (as appereth by their letters) drawn out of this & other K. by names of Peter pence, Palles collatiōs, first fruits, & a 1000 such crafty and subtle titles & most extreeme exacti­ons, did so impouerishe the state, as both [Page 291] the K. the Nobles, and all the people did often and greeuously cōplaine, as finding in deed the Court of Rome to be the very leech that suckt the bloud of all the land, and could neuer be satisfied. Of this we haue sundry statutes testifying the popes proceedings here to haue beene to the de­fuming of the Kings person, the derogatiō and minishing of the Kinges crowne and regalities, the destruction of the law and all his realm, y ^e appayring & confounding of the auncient lawes, customs, vsages, & franchises of the Realme. Further, that by them the nobilitie & gentrie were im­peached in their Patronages and other rightes, The commons and subiectes tra­uailed in body, and impouerished in their goods, deuine seruice, Hospitallity and Al­messe deeds hindered, the benefices of ho­ly Church wasted and destroyed, the ri­ches and treasure of the Realme carryed away, as also the leige Personnes of the Kinges councell with out his assent, whereby the Realme was left destitute as well of councell as of substaunce, to the destruction of the same. Lyke com­plaint hath beene made in Fraunce also at sundry tymes, and namely by Phillip [Page 292] le Bell, in that famous act of his, which was called Pragmatica sanctio. Which paymentes are now greatly encreased. Where accounting the Churches of the French tongue in the lowe Countries with them, Le cabinet du Roy Des Fi­nances. the ordinary reuenue of the cleargie, came to about a two hundred Millians of French Crownes. Germany and the state of the Empyre helde at Norinberge, made complaint of an hun­dred Greuaunces, & sent a note of them to the Pope, with a request to be eased of suche exactions and practises of im­pouershing the people, as the Pope and his cleargie did continually charge them with, and that the people might be left in their auncient and lawfull freedome and libertie by his meanes, or else they woulde aduise them selues how to helpe it: because they coulde not nor woulde not anye longer beare suche theire in­tollerable burdens. Whereby it may ap­peare howe contrarye this Romishe doctrine and practise is, to all good e­states and pollicies. In deede in respect of their owne Antichristian kingdome, I must needes confesse that for the esta­blishment, continuance, security, wealth, [Page 293] and honour of it, there coulde nothing haue beene deuised more politique or fit, by anye Sathans meanes, (whose depthes, their Popes and Prelates vn­derstood) then that which was deuised by them. For what coulde be fitter for them then this doctrine of the Popes supre­macie ouer all, of his fulnesse of power, of receiuing both the scriptures, and their exposition of thē, of obeying that hee com­māded, of not iudging him tho he carried ten thousand to hell, of deuout ignorance, of iudging heretickes who so euer spake against them, of pursuing and persecu­ting them with fire and swoorde, of pur­gatorie, Auriculer confession, priuiled­ges of his Cleargie, the Pompe and idlenesse of his Hierarchie, and of all their most subtle and Serpentlike con­triued false worship. The practises of Egipt, toyling Israell with all base ser­uice and villanie, and of killing their male children, or of y ^e barbarouse tyran­ny, of wasting the West Indies: was not nor is not, more subtlely and diuelishly deuised to detaine those free Nations in perpetuall bondage and slauerie, then their Romishe doctrine and practise was [Page 394] to haue established the kingdome of An­tichrist, and to haue detained the people of God in euerlasting seruitude and sla­uerie both of body and soule. Thus then we see that for pietie and true religion, the doctrin of the Church of Rome (that is in effect of the Pope who is steare man of this shippe). Concerning their power to make any writinges, Cano­nicall scriptures, to make new Articles of Christian fayth, to appoynt God to be serued according to their owne deuises and imagination of men, of ignoraunce to be the Mother of deuotion, of worship­ping of Idols, and Sauiours of so many sortes, Finally of all their false wor­ship: is a Pharisaicall leauen to be pur­ged out of all Christian Churches, and states, the Cup of spirituall fornicati­ons, that all Kinges and Princes are to take heede of, to bee partakers of it, that they bee not partakers of their plagues. And for Christian honesty of lyfe, and duetyes towardes men, their doctrine of absolutions, of dispensations, of satis­factions, and of Sanctuaries are (for the impunitie or easie discharge of all ma­lefactors) so great causes of all abhomi­nations [Page 295] and wickednesse, and particu­lerly, their sundry rules and orders, of hypocrisie, contention and idlenesse, their constrayned abstinencie from marry­age, of all enormityes of vncleanenesse and infinite murders, and such like o­ther causes of speciall offences: that the waters of Noe did not so high drowne all the olde worlde, as those floudes of wickednesse which by such occasions had rysen, did ouer flow all such kingdomes and Nations, as this doctrine of theirs, like a Sea of sinne mighte breake in­to. For other thinges how much a doe haue our Pr. had to prouide by all the wysedome that was possible to be vsed, to make lawes and statutes against the daungers, that this their religion conti­nually threatned against the state. They sought to maintaine their lawfull and most iust authoritie, by forbiding appeals from their courtes by premunire & other such like seuere and rigorous lawes, yet necessarie for the garding of their autho­ritie from the breaking in of these men, whom yet no defence could hold out. They sought to maintain y ^e wealth of their peo­ple & subiects by lawes of mortuaryes & [Page 296] other such like necessarie lawes and sta­tutes, least these men shoulde draw all the riches of the land vnto them. And yet neither coulde the premunire suffi­ciently represse their proud ambition, nor the mortmaine their insatiable co­uetousnesse. So that their wealth, intel­ligence, and power considered, it appea­reth to be the same mighty hand and stretched out arme of God, that hath deliue­red vs: which freed Israell from the sla­uish subiection of Pharao and of the land of Egipt: which being so, no maruail the Christian princes, whose eyes God hath opened to see the light of the Gospell, doe not tollerate theire Religion and the practise of it. For besides the impiety of it: for which it is simply vnlawfull to tollerate their abhominable prophana­tion of the seruice of God, as appeareth by the commaundement of the Sabboth, forbidding the breaking of the Sabboth day, in euery Sonne and Daughter, in e­uery Seruaunt and Mayde in Israell, with out exception of any, yea in euery stranger within their gates: it can not in any sound reason or iudgement be borne with all, euen for the very annoyaunces [Page 297] and hurts, which it bringeth to the states which doe admit it. Neither is his margi­nal note of the example of y ^e great Turke, and of the Byshop of Bungo sufficient to perswade the contrary. For first they e­steeme not the manifold dishonour where with their Romish faith dishonoreth god and our Sauioure Christe. Then also I deny that eyther of both, suffer that doc­trine and practise of theire Religion, as they teach and exercise it in these partes. For is it likely that they are suffered to teach that it is of the necessity of Salua­tion, for euerye humaine creature to bee Subiect to the Pope, or that it shoulde bee in the Popes power to depose them at his pleasure? Doe they suffer the Pope to challenge appeales to his Courte from them, to deminishe suche multitudes of their people, and to draw out the Treasure of theire Countryes. No, none of all this, nor manye other suche like poyntes, which they easily see to bee preiudiciall to theire states. But beeing Heathen and prophane Princes not regarding wherein they prophane the Honour of God, by theire [...] wor­ship. It may be they permit such exercise [Page 298] of their superstitions to some fewe of these pretended Catholickes as are scat­tered amongst them, as doth not in any sort indāger or hurt their kingdom. But our cause beeing so farre diuerse as hath been declared, there is no reason why the Turke or the Pagane king of Bungoes do­ing should be any president to a christian Princes, making profession of the holy faith of Christ and the truth of the Gos­pell: or why their tollerating with a few in some pointes nothing preiudiciall to their estates, shoulde perswade a bearing of such pointes and practises, as in the nature of thē ouerthrow the state, peace, authoritie, strength, and wealth of the kingdom that shal receiue it. Therfore I conclude this point, that the doctrine and practise of the Romish religion, such as it is at this daie, and hath beene some hundreth yeares past, beeing against the Lorde God and his annoynted Sonne Christ Iesu, againste his holy worde, the doctrine of the Apostles and Pro­phetes, beeing againste the good state of any nation, Kingdome and P. that shall receiue it, hauing infinite occasions of all wicked life, taking from them their chee­fest [Page 299] royalties and dignities, oppressing the consciences, soules and bodies of their people, hearkning out by thousandes of intelligencers and spyes, the greatest se­cretes of their K. diminishing by cunning practises, the number of theire people, and drawing oute the Treasure of the lande to theire intollerable hindraunce, weakning and impouerishing of them, and their Subiectes, ought by the worde of God and in all sounde Wisedome, rea­son, or pollicye to bee esteemed, and iud­ged contrarye to the honour & glory of almightye God, the holye and honest conuersation of Christian men, contrary to the safetie, assuraunce, establishment, honour, peace, strengthe and riches of e­uerye K. and common weale. The se­cond part of the whol epistle, Thus farre this instrument of the pretended Catho­likes, hath mainteined their cause to bee worthye more fauoure then it findeth, by the profite he would perswade vs, that the K. faith woulde bring to this K. Now drawing neere to a conclusion, His full heart breaketh out into scornefull & pa­theticall speeches. Wherein first he re­quireth a disputation, and after seeketh to mooue some compassion with a pi­tifull [Page 300] complainte of imagyned tor­mentes, suffered by his companions for theire Religion. The reason of this re­quest is pretended to be the want of the proceedinges that haue beene hitherto v­sed towardes them, which is noted both in the ministers and in the state. To the ministers he obiecteth, that they are al­wayes solliciting your honors againste them, and that they dare admit no law­full tryall of the cause, they moue que­stion of vnto vs. For whom to aunswere as I am bound in the Lorde, I take it to be a very surmise of his owne head, that there shoulde be any neere your Honors, continuallye stirring you vp to drawe out the swoord vpon them. But if any ey­ther publiquely by preaching, or priuatly beeing vouchsafed that fauour to haue speech with any of your honours, do vpon iust cause put your Lordships in mynde of the greate and high calling you are called vnto, that you beare the swoord of God, a swoord of protection for the godly, and of vengeaunce for all the wicked, if they declare by the word of God, that hereticks which séek to seduce the Ll. people to a false worship, and to carry them from [Page 321] the seruice of the liuyng God to the adora­tion of Idolles, that traitours whiche prac­tise a withdrawyng of her Maiesties Sub­iectes from her obedience, and reconcilyng of them to a forraine power, are suche wic­ked Malefactors, against whom this sword of iust execution is to be drawne. Thei doe herein nothing vnlawfull, but discharge the duetie of good and faithfull seruauntes to God and loyall subiectes to her Maiestie. For thus we reade it to be written, if a false Prophet arise vp amongest you: saiyng, let vs goe and seeke other Gods, that Prophet shall bee slaine, because he hath spoken to turne you awaie from the Lorde your God, to thrust thee out of the waie wherein the Lord thy God commaunded thee to walke, so shall you take the euill awaie forth of the middest of you. Of whiche sorte thei are con­uicted to bee, who leade men to the worship of Images, whiche is all one with other Gods and Idolles, how soeuer thei labour in vaine to distinguishe them. For if it were allowed them that Idolles were the Ima­ges of Heathen men, and Images the con­terfaites onely of Christian men (whiche is nothing so, for the wordes are indifferent to bothe) yet is the matter one and the same in [Page 322] effect. For whether a man giue the honour of God to the counterfect and resemblaunce of a Heathen or Christian, or to the crea­tures them selues what soeuer, it is all one. The rule is generall that he is gealous and will not giue his honor vnto an other. Ther­fore, the exhortation to the iust execution of suche false Prophetes is a duetie well be­comming a seruaunt of God. The other the Apostle also teacheth, affirmyng that those which resist the higher powers procure con­demnation to them selues. And doe these men thincke that thei maie compasse Sea and Lande to seduce mens soules into de­struction, and Subiectes from their law­full obedience, and no man should take héede to their doyng, and oppose hym self to their wicked proceedynges? Yes the same God who is the watchman of Israell and slee­peth not, no nor slumbereth, I hope will stirre vp the care of all men accordyng to their callynges, to looke to the doynges of these busie and sedicious Seminaristes, and to further suche lawfull iustice against them as they maye by their vnlawfull deedes make them selues subiecte vnto: and that your HH. accordyng to the noble care you haue had hitherto of the maintenaunce of [Page 323] Gods true Religion, of the sacred person of her most excellent Maiestie and of all the people (against al which thei haue wickedly set them selues) will still holde your eyes o­pen night and daie ouer them to discouer the secrete practises of their enemies, and to bryng to knowledge and iustice their vn­godly and cruell deuises, whiche thei con­spire of vnder pretence of their confession. Concernyng triall of disputation he char­geth vs with two thynges, that wee refuse all triall by writyng, preachyng, or lawfull disputation: and that wee are readie onely when we haue the aduauntage. What triall he could make of any cause by preachyng I can not tell, except he haue a confidence in persuasible wordes of humaine learnyng, and supposeth that if it were as free for thē to preach as it is for vs, that then thei should worke miracles. For to trie y ^e truth of poin­tes of Religion by preachyng, I think was neuer taken for any waie of triall since the Gospell was first preached. Therefore, this part of their three waies he might well haue spared, except he hope of suche their abilitie. If he haue any suche confidence, he is to learne y ^t the Apostles preuailed not by prea­chyng in suche order, but that their speeche [Page 324] was such as caried with it an euidence read and vnderstoode in the hartes of the hearers that thei spake by y ^e spirite of God. For their doctrine, as also our sauiour Christs before, was with power, & not as that of the Scri­bes and Pharises. And therefore, if he haue hope in this, his hope is a Spiders webbe and as a brokē Reede that wil deceiue him.

There were many eloquent Oratours, many profounde Philosophers, and ma­ny wisemen accordyng to humaine reason, when the Apostles were sent to preache. And thei came against them, neither with persuasible woordes of mannes teachyng, nor with any depe Philosophicall skill, nor with any greate reachyng witte, but with the worde of the Crosse, as farre from any outwarde pompe of speeche, as the Crosse of Christ was frō any worldly honor. Yet by this woorde bare and naked in shewe, by this breathe of the Lordes mouthe, thei pre­uailed against all the enemies of the Gos­pel, and subdued the wise and deepe, the flo­wyng and eloquent men, to the obedience of the faithe of Christe. Therefore, hauyng not this worde for hym, but against hym: if he had the tongues of Angelles, yet should he no more preuaile to the subuertyng of [Page 325] the faithe of the electe of God, then either Tertullus the Oratour, or the false Apo­stles in the Churche of Corinth did against Paule the true seruaunt of Christe. If the armour we fight with against thē, were but carnall as theirs is, wherewith thei striue against vs, then might thei hope in deede to match learnyng with learnyng, skill with skill, knowledge with knowledge, Elo­quence with Eloquēce: finally, any of these giftes cōmon vnto all men, with as greate giftes to maintaine warre against vs. 2. Cor. 10. [...]. But the weapons of our warfare are spirituall, and through the might of him that worketh all thynges, of power to ouerthrowe euery high Tower, and euery strong Bulwark, that is exalted against it. To vs it is, who professe by the grace of God, and teach the Gospell, to whom is promised, Mat. 10. (and to whō it hath often been performed) a mouth and wisedome, against whiche all our ene­mies should not be able to stande. Wee are the weake ones, by whom the Lorde con­foundeth the strong, the base by whom the noble, the thinges of no accompt, by whom he ouerthroweth those of greatest recke­nyng in their opinion, that the glory maie be the lordes. Besides he must nedes think [Page 326] vs verie loose and dissolute, in the admini­stration and discipline of the Churche, that should thinke it a likely matter to persuade that thei should bee suffered to come emon­gest vs, to preache their wicked heresies of Idolatrie, and all abhominations. Where did the Apostles euer suffer this in any church established by thē? Where did euer christian prince hauyng receiued the truth, wittyngly and willyngly, admitte false A­postles, and erronious teachers emongest their people? If the woorde of God had not made vs thus wise, yet might wee haue learned this of all the worlde, and of theim selues. Thei themselues, doe thei suffer the true Preachers of the Gospell, freely and without restraint to preache emongest thē? Did thei euer offer this at Rome, or in any parte where their Idolatrie is established? If the children of darcknesse haue so muche vnderstandyng, to maintaine their Kyng­dome of blindnesse: muche more the childrē of light ought to be able to discerne, of that whiche appertaineth to the mainteinaunce of the kyngdome of Christe.

This then neuer hauyng been any waie of triall, nor in deede beyng not of that na­ture to trie a truthe, there remaineth to sa­tisfie [Page 327] hym for the reste. He requireth yet a triall by disputation, and that in twoo sor­tes, by writyng or speeche. For triall by di­sputation it hath been admitted alwaies, and many tymes offered by the professours of the Gospell vnto them, and that in bothe sortes of speaking, & writyng. Martin Lu­ther & Phililp Melancthon, Luthers wor­thie companion, with sondrie others of the learned & famous men of Germanie, main­tained the most holy and honorable cause of the Gospell by disputation, before ma­ny of the great states of Germanie, against as subtill & cunnyng Instruments of Sa­tan, as euer since haue risen vp, to oppugne the truthe of the Gospell. In Fraunce at Poyssie, Theodore Beze, & Peter Martir, men of rare excellencie of knowledge and vtteraunce, with sondrie other worthy lear­ned menne, so disputed this cause with the choise of Sorbone, and of all the Papistes of Fraunce, as y ^e Cardinal of Loraine hym self wished that Beza y ^t day had bin dombe, or some of his auditours (noting y ^e chiefest) had been deafe: meaning thereby that God by him that daie had so laied open the truth and disciphered their errours, as he feared least those that were in aucthoritie, should [Page 328] haue receiued it. I leaue to mention the di­sputation of Zwinglius, Oecolampadius, and others at Bearne, Basile, Strausbo­rough, and other free Citees. In all which the Lorde so assisted his seruauntes, the mi­nisters of the Gospell, as vpon suche triall the truthe was found to be with them. And to speake here of the like at home in Kyng Edwardes tyme, and also in Queene Ma­ries, when thei brought those worthy men, and constant Martyrs of Christ, Cranmer Ridley, and Latimer, and others to dispute at Oxford, with the most vnreasonable ine­qualitie that might be, yet thei so receiued and put out all the fierie dartes of the De­uill and his instrumentes cast against thē, and so foiled and wounded their enemies, that bothe all that were present, whose eyes the Lorde had vouchsafed to open to see the truthe, and whosoeuer shall yet reade it to this daie, maie easily see that the sheilde of faithe was their defence, & that thei fought valiauntly with the sworde of the spirite, to the confusion of those that stroue againste theim. And though their bodies were vsed afterward at the pleasure of their aduersa­ries, hauyng no regard of their callyng, no reuerence of their learnyng, no respecte of [Page 329] their age, yet after the example of Sam­son, and the true Samson Christ Iesus, by death thei obtained victorie against theim.

In the beginnyng of the happie raigne of her Maiestie, now sittyng in the Royall seate of her Fathers, their Bishoppes and greatest Clerkes were prouoked, and ap­poincted by aucthoritie to dispute, if thei were able to maintain their doctrine, with suche ministers of the Gospell as were cal­led, to deale with them in it. Which action as it appeareth by the storie, and testimonie of many that were present at it, was so fōd­ly and ridiculously handled on the parte of the greatest Pillers of their pretended Ca­tholike Churche, that al men maruell that the memorie of the confusion and shame of that daie, doeth not with hold them once to moue the matter of disputatiō with vs. For after a little impertinent speeche, thei gaue ouer their cause in the plain field. But thei saie, he that runneth awaie maie fight a­gaine, and so peraduenture these men haue now gotten more harte of grace, then thei had before, or els these Romistes and Re­mistes thinke peraduenture their Bishops were vnlearned, but that thei in so many yeres trauell and study abroad, haue better [Page 330] furnished theim selues for the battaill. But their weakenesse was notably discouered, in their greate Champion and Father Ie­suite, who offeryng defiaunce with Goliah to the hoste of Israell, as if the staffe of his Speare had been as a Weauers beame, he was bolde to caste vs his Gloue, and throw vs his Gauntlet, to prouoke vs to fight with hym, boastyng to maintaine his cause by Scripture, Councells, Fathers, by all Lawes, Common, Ciuill, and Canon, and all Stories. A man would thinke suche a Chāpion had been able to haue doen great matters, but whē he was after encountred with, his glorie was tourned to shame, and the Diuinitie he boasted of, was founde to bee but certaine of the boldest and moste vnreasonable asseuerations of the fondest and moste absurde distinctions that euer were heard of, wherby he supposed to haue been well armed againste all obiections. For a taste whereof I offer the gentle Rea­der some fewe, whiche I heard beeyng pre­sent at the disputation. In the matters of iu­stification of faithe onely, whereas he had falsly and slanderously charged vs of late to haue brought into the Church this new doc­trine of iustification by faith onely, and that [Page 331] there were places cited out of the Fathers Greeke and Latin, who liued aboue 1000. yeares agoe, expresly hauyng these words, that faithe onely iustifieth: He aunswered that it was to bee vnderstoode of the vngod­ly, wherein hauyng confessed a truthe (for so the Apostle saieth that God iustifieth the vngodly by faithe: that is, holdeth hym god­ly in Christ in whom he beleeueth, who in himself is vngodly) by suggestiō of his com­panion, he fought againe to ouerthrowe that he had saied by a fond distinction of two iustifications, a thyng meerely deuised in the braine of man. For who euer read in the Scriptures that a man is iustified before God any more then once: but that thei whō GOD had once reputed for iust he holdeth them so for euer. Otherwise the reason of the Apostles iustification by faithe were no­thyng, if the Iewes might haue aunswered thus, that when he was first conuerted from Idolatrie: Abraham was in deede iustified by faithe onely, but after he was circumci­sed and had offered vp his sonne, he was iu­stified againe, and that was by his workes, but this was a fancy not once dreamed of by them. Therefore the Apostle taketh it for a grounde, that beyng once iustified by faith [Page 332] onely he was alwaies iustified before God by faithe alone. An other folly of a suche like distinction was ioyned with this, that onely in the Fathers alleadged, shatteth out onely the workes goyng before his faith, (where­by he forgat that he ouerthrewe their wor­kes of congruitie, whiche thei pretende to confirme out of Cornelius exāple) but not the grace giuen together with faith, whiche is hope and charitie: whiche aunswere is as flat contrarie to the doctrine of the Apostle as darkenesse is to light. For if Abraham were iustified by faithe hope and charitie, then was he not iustified without the woor­kes of the lawe, for hope and charitie are workes of the lawe. It is contrarie also to their owne doctrine: for if the first iustifica­tion be by faithe hope and charitie, what se­cond iustification can there be, or what other thyng will thei require besides faithe hope and charitie, to iustifie with a seconde iustifi­cation. This seconde iustification he would haue confirmed by the helpe of their vul­gare Latine translation, whiche hath, Qui iustus est iustificetur adhuc, but very corruptly: for the Greeke is, he that doeth iustice let him doe iustice stil: as if he should saie, he that doth well let hym doe well still, [Page 333] and he that doeth ill lett hym doe ill still, whiche is as farre from the question of iu­stification as the East is from the West. In the question of transubstanciation to the place of Ireneus, that there is a spirituall thyng in the Sacrament and also a mate­riall, whiche he expresly speaketh of the ve­ry substaunce of bread: His aunswere was, that the materiall thing was the accidentes that appeared, the whitenesse, lightnesse, roundnesse, &c. To Oregen affirmyng that whiche is receiued at the mouthe to goe to the stomacke and to nourishe the bodie, and to bee cast into the draught: His aunswere was that the accidentes doe nourishe, and that the accidentes are voyded. Contrary to all lawe and order of nature whiche God hath appointed. For it is no more possible y ^t accidents being not in any substance should nourishe, as it is that darkenesse should at the same tyme bee bothe darkenesse and light. To Theodor affirmyng the nature and substaunce of the bread to remaine: He aunswered that Theodor vnderstoode it of the substaunce of the accidentes, and a gene­rall substaunce, whereby an accident hath a beyng, and not of the speciall substaunce of bread, whereas it is as cleare as the daie at [Page 334] noone: that Theodor meant plainly that the very substaunce of the bread remaineth still in the speciall substaunce of breade, and is not altered otherwise then in the vse where­to it is applied: that is, that beyng naturally appoincted of GOD for the feedyng of the bodie, it hath hereby the institution of that Sacrament a heauenly vse, whiche is to feede our soules. A nomber of these fonde and vnreasonable, absurde, and vnlearned distinctiōs of his I could alledge, but thei are now at large reported, and published to the world, and these may serue for a taste of the abilitie of these men, who would make the worlde beleeue, thei come now so furni­nished to the battaile, that if wee would meete them but once in the field, the victo­rie were their owne. Yet I remember whē one of theim alledged a place out of the E­phesians, there was sent to this Champion a Greke Testament, who ashamed to con­fesse his ignoraunce, excused himself by the smalnesse of the print. From whom beyng caried to the rest of them, & so from one to an other, al their chief men being there, not a man emongest them could be found, that durste take vpon hym, to render one poore sentence or twoo out of the Greeke Testa­ment [Page 335] into Englishe. Are not these bolde Champions to boaste so muche of learning to enter into a Countrie to conuerte them to the faithe, to take vpon them to controll all our translations of the holie Scriptu­res as erronious and false, and not one of so many of theim, to vnderstande the origi­nall tongues Hebrewe and Greke, where­in thei were firste written by the holie men of God, by whom thei were lefte vnto vs. How should thei bee able to disproue our translations, who them selues can not tell what is rightly translated, and what is not: as hauyng no skill in the learned tongues out of the whiche thei are translated. Are not these famous Clearkes greatly to bee feared in disputation, that can not vouche their aucthors in the tongues wherein thei wrote. Thei haue now founde a helpe for this, Gregorie Martine hath knowledge i­nough for them all, and the vulgare Latine is authenticall, so made by the Councell of Trent, that is by y ^e power wherby thei may doe all thynges. These helpes I doubt not but thei shal shortly se to be so poore shiftes, as thei were best not let al lie vpō Martins skill, least thei marre all, but bryng vp o­thers in the knowledge of the tongues, [Page 336] who maie begin to learne theim soner then Martin did: and to finde some better suc­cour to shroud thēselues vnder, then the au­thentike authoritie of their vulgare Latine text, for this wil not serue them, as I doubt not but thei shall vnderstand ere it be long.

But to retourne againe to this renewer of the challenge of disputation, their cause beyng so slender, as all the tongues of men and Aungelles are not able to make good, and yet the Captaines of this their newe and late inuasion, so vnfurnished of these meanes: what reason can he haue thus to vaunt, that we dare not admitte any triall, or what cause hath he thus to boaste, if he will consider that whiche I haue truely for this purpose afore, reported of their Champion, God beeyng witnesse and of myne owne knowledge. He would faine excuse this shamefull vanitie of an igno­raunt and vnskilfull man, in the matter he presumed to take vpon hym: by saiyng he had been racked, or il handled before, he had no warnyng to forethinke hym self, he was allowed no bookes, nor equall Notaries, nor suffered to oppose, but assaulted with greate wordes, sterne countenaunce, bigge voice, and vnciuill reuilyng. For his Rac­kyng [Page 337] was suche, as he was able after it to come and go of himself without any helpe. For warnyng me thinke he should not gre­atly neede muche warnyng, that made so proude a chalenge. Goliah yet was wiser then so, for he had about hym and with hym his weapons wherein he trusted, and requi­red not any warnyng, but was readie and appoincted in all partes to maintaine his chalenge. Yet this I can saie, that he had sometymes as muche warnyng as thei whiche disputed with hym, and this equitie vsed towardes hym, that he hym self na­med one of the questions to bee disputed, as the opponentes did the other. He was offered to haue what bookes he would, and desiryng none but Canisius Catechisme, had it prouided for hym. Whē any writing was, there was no answere of his set doune but allowed of hym, after that he had been demaūded, whether that were his answere or no. To oppose was not for hym that had chosen his place to stand as at the barriers, to aunswere all commers. For woordes he would take none at any mannes hande, so farre was he vnlike to hym that saied, I be­came as a dumbe man: and againe as the lambe before y ^e shearer, so opened he not his [Page 338] mouth. And yet me thinke a greate worde or sterne countenaunce, should not haue a­mased hym, if he had seen hym that is inui­sible. The Prophet Ieremie had a face gi­uen hym like the Adamant, that could not be daunted, he was as a Lion, whose coun­tenaunce the beastes of the Forests are not able to looke vpon. If he had come of the same message, the Lorde would haue forti­fied his harte with a spirite of power, that wordes and countenaūces should not haue daunted hym. Therefore, how soeuer he would excuse the matter, thei whiche were witnesses of the dealyng with their chiefe Champion, must needes in all indifference thinke, if these men vpon euery challenge or offer bee not disputed with, that there is some other reason in it, then either the fear of any abilitie that is in theim, or any wea­kenesse that is in vs. For it is the lorde that strengtheneth the weake, that sheweth his power in infirmitie, and calleth thynges that are not as if thei were. On the other part it is he that throweth doune y ^e mightie from their seates, that maketh warre with the proude, that breaketh the tallest Ships of the seas, and felleth doune the mightiest Cedre in Libane, and highest Okes in the [Page 339] Forrestes. It is he that saueth by fewe as well as by many, by those whom his ene­mies dispise, as well as by meanes that might make them to tremble. And seeyng as Abia saied to Ieroboam and all Israell, that it is thei whiche haue made theim Priestes not of the tribe of Leui, or of the Soonnes of Aaron, but of the basest of the people, that is not by any lawfull callyng, but contrary to the worde of God, and prie­stes not to GOD but to Idolles, whiche haue put out the light of the golden Can­dlesticke, in withholdyng the knowledge of the woorde, that haue taken awaie the sweete breade loaues from the presence ta­ble, and set leauened bread on for it, takyng awaie the sinceritie and truthe of incorrupt doctrine & life, and bringyng in the leauen of the Phariseis, naie thei that haue spoi­led the Churche of God, of the moste preci­ous Cupp of the blood of the newe Testa­ment, that haue made voide the Crosse of Christe by their merites, and profaned all that was holie in the Sanctuarie of the Lorde: how should we feare how weake so­euer we seem to thē, or be in deede to deale with them? For seeing by the grace of God we haue been vouchsafed the fauour, to kin­dle [Page 340] again the Lampe in the Temple of the Lorde, to set the sweete bread vpon his Ta­ble, to restore the blessed Cuppe of the pre­cious blood of Christ to the Church again: Finally, to caste out the filthe and polluti­ons, wherewith thei had defiled the Lordes Temple, and to reforme it, so as the primi­tiue and auncient beautie and holinesse of it, maie shine and appeare in it again: How should wee fall before them in the battaile, or feare the daie of encountryng with them in disputation? The Lord goeth out before our armies, his holie Arke dwelleth emon­gest vs, his siluer Trumpets sound conti­nually in our eares. Which are sure & vn­doubted arguments, that as heretofore we haue often preuailed against them, so now muche more that our enemie so oftentimes foiled bee he neuer so obstinate, yet can ne­uer be able to hurte vs: or if he doe, it shalbe onely thus, accordyng to the promise, he maie bruse our heele, but we shall burst his head in péeces. Thus much for his first way sf disputation, wherein I haue shewed that oftentymes by conference in speeche, thei haue fled before vs. Concerning disputatiō by writyng, al y ^e world is full of the learned workes of our worthy fathers and brethrē, [Page 341] wherein thei haue bothe taught the truthe, and worthely maintained it againste the wicked flaunders and obiection of the ad­uersarie, and conuicted theim of as notori­ous and pernicious heresies, as euer haue been since the misterie of Iniquitie began to woorke. What should I recken vp here whiche are infinite, the names (whiche are written in the booke of life) of our moste worthie fathers and brethren, who beyonde the Seas haue aunswered all their Chal­lengers, confuted their erronious and he­reticall writynges, and cōfirmed the truth to abide for euer. Our owne countriemen haue in like sort maintained y ^e Lords most iuste and honourable quarrell, againste all suche as from emongest our selues haue beene raised vp to blaspheme the truthe. Cranmer that moste reuerende and lear­ned Father, aunswered Gardener in the question of the Lordes Supper, to the iu­stifiyng of the truthe, and his owne euerla­sting praise with God and men, and the iust confusion of his aduersarie. For their bolde Hardyng in whom they trusted for a tyme, wee had a precious Iewell riche in spiritu­all graces of infinite more valewe without comparison. Their Marshalles, Rastalles, [Page 342] Dormans, and the rest of that olde rabble, and of this newe charge: their Allens, Bri­stowes, and Campions haue all found men to aunswere them, through the grace of God, of suche godly learnyng, sufficiencie, and blessyng vppon their labours, as by the Lordes mercie we maie saie with the Pro­phett: Thei came about vs like Bees, but are extinct as a fire of thornes: thei came in confidence of them selues, but in the name of the Lorde of Hostes we haue preuailed a­gainst them. Wherefore, hauyng thus been fought with at all the weapons wherein they supposed they had any skill, and their shieldes beaten to their heades so often and pearced through, what a wrangling conten­cious and obstinate Aduersarie is this, that will yet renewe more chalenges, and boast that we dare: Neither abroade with neuer so muche securitie, nor at home vppon our owne grounde shewe our selues in disputa­tiō against them? Whether would they haue vs to goe, to Roome, or to Rhemes, to di­spute with them there? What indifferent Iudges or witnesses maie wee haue to di­spute of the goodnesse of the finest Wheate, and the naughtinesse of weedes in a Semi­narie of tares? What securitie can we looke [Page 343] for at their handes, whose Religion it is to deale vnfaithfully with vs, and to breake a­ny faithe of a holy Priest as thei would bee thought, or the royall worde and faithe of Kynges and Princes to feede their cruell eyes to see vs burne in the middest of their flamyng fires. Their Cannons teache that faithe is not to bee kept with an Heriticke, and such they iudge vs as Tertulles did the Apostle. And this is no olde forgotten Can­non and worne out of vse, but reuiued by the wicked practise of the faithlesse councell of Constance, and the disloyall Emperour Si­gismund, constrained by them to y ^t dishonor cōtrary to his safe conduit, graūted to those constant Martirs of Christ faithful & plaine Ihon Hus, and the learned and eloquēt Ie­rome of Prage. If euer thei would keepe a­ny faithe w ^t vs, thei would surely haue kept that beyng giuen in the worde and solemne instrument of an Emperour. And if that were not sufficient, what securitie will they giue vs, or because wee can not safely rest vpon any warrant of theirs, who so traite­rously & disloyally haue falsified their owne deede, and therfore haue iustly lost their cre­ditte with vs, and are banckeruptes as tou­chyng their faithe? Will thei because we ne­uer [Page 344] brake with them come to suche places as we shall appoint them: If we shall wish thē to come to Geneua in Sauoy, to New­stade in Bauire, to Rochell in Fraunce, or such like places, wil thei not complaine that their audience can not bee indifferent? what remaineth then but to dispute in writyng: whiche as we haue doen hitherto to the iust defence of the truthe against them: so by the grace of God some of vs wilbe alwaies rea­die to doe hereafter. But if thei would haue their bookes to pas fréely without restraint, and all men to be allowed to reade them: let thē first assure vs, that thei will leaue it free for all suche as are abused by them to reade ours. For we are not ignorant of their disci­pline, though most dissolute where it should be straitest: yet herein applied to the keping of the poore and ignorant which depend vp­pon them, in that captiuitie, that thei maie not once dare to reade our writynges, least thei should be conuerted and repent that the Lorde might saue them. For except a fewe whom thei estéeme desperate of beyng tur­ned by any meanes to y ^e truth, thei restraine al with whom their discipline maie preuaile frō reading of our works. If thei so straightly prouide to hinder the truth, and to keepe [Page 345] captiue simple soules in their blind kyngdōe of darkenesse: Muche more reason haue our Magistrates to prouide that the children of light bee not lead into darkenesse by them. But if this discipline remainyng on bothe parties, thei bee yet disposed to dispute to informe them selues in the truth: if thei wil leaue this large maner of discoursing, bit­ter taunts, and other impertinent speeches not so fitt for tryall of a truthe, and come to the sharpe poinctes of naked argumentes, we are willyng to deale with them in suche order as maie be most indifferent for bothe, and fittest for the information in truthe of all suche as shall after examine what hath past on bothe partes. For whiche purpose, it would be fittest that in euery question the contradictorie beyng taken, the one parte for that whiche he holdeth in the question laied out his argumentes, taken onely out of the holy Scriptures (whiche is the one­ly competent Iudge in this cause) conclu­ded in good forme of Syllogisme, without any further deduction of the matter, then should be necessarie for the better vnderstan­ding of the termes which needes must be v­sed, & of the application of the places whiche shall be alleadged. Herevnto maie be added, [Page 346] if there bee cause, the testimonies of the Councelles, Fathers, Stories, or other au­thorities of credite, not to argue or proue a­ny truthe, or to cōuince or disproue any vn­truthe, (for this appertaineth to God, & not to man, to his infallible woorde, and not to the writinges of men who are all liars) but as witnesses to testifie what the doctrine of the Churche was in suche a question in the sondrie ages & times of the church. Which beyng doen by either partie, then that either of them bothe aunswere the argumentes of the other, and strengthen again his owne in suche place as the aduerse partie shall thinke to be weake. Which passyng thus to and fro till bothe haue said what thei are able for thē selues, will leaue suche a meanes for those whiche are willing to informe their cōscien­ces of the truthe, as by gods grace it wil be easie to discerne. His secōd reason, wherby it maie appeare, that their standyng in this cause is not without substanciall warrant, is noted to be the vncertaintie of temporall fauor in matters of Religiō: but that sectiō wherevpon it is noted, conteineth no suche matter, but onely this, that it is not inough to perswade them, that we saie we haue the Gospell, because other also condemne vs, [Page 347] and saie thei haue it: we are not ignoraunte that euery one maketh claime to haue the Gospell, and condemne those whiche ioyne not with them. Amōgest whom that he rec­keneth Luther, and a Scholer of his, I re­ferre him to my answere, where this is al­ledged of hym before, which answere maie serue for his Scholer too. As for the Tri­nitaries and Anabaptistes, it is but his his malice and hatred against the Gospell, to recken vs with theim, whom wee are as vnlike in all their vngodly opiniōs, as thei are vnlike the true Churche of Christ, and her moste holy faith. But this were an aun­swere, if we had nothing but the bare word and boastyng of the Gospell. Wee haue made, God be praised for it, sufficient profe to all equall Iudges, that it is bothe in woorde and in deede, the true Gospell and pure woorde of GOD, and the lawe of the lorde, whiche is now the Religion through the goodnesse, whiche hath visited vs from aboue, established and preached emōgst vs.

The twoo next sections haue some mat­ter in them like this title: for in the firste of thē he affirmeth the holie Religion, whiche is now established, to haue been brought in by an noble man after king Henries daies [Page 348] whiche he saieth could doe moste, by bryn­gyng in twoo Caluinistes, as he tearmeth them, to read in the two Vniuersities here. Whiche he so laieth out, as if we had no o­ther staie for Religion, but that noble man­nes pleasure, who he saith, if he would haue brought in twoo of any other secte, might aswell haue established it: whervpon he cō ­cludeth, that seyng that seculer magistrate nor temporall law is no sufficiēt ground in religiō, there is no cause but thei should be excused, to continue stil in their opinion as thei doe. And thus he retourneth againe to his request of disputation. But first for this his second reason. He maie remember hym self, that their Dagon was fallen to the grounde, though not with so greate hurte as after, euen in the tyme and raigne of Kyng Henry the eight of noble memorie. So that to speake in any reason, he cannot laie the foundation of the Gospell now e­mongest vs, vpon the onely meanes of the noble manne, whom he noteth. He might haue remembred that worthie thinges wer doen in K. H. tyme. For God had giuē that noble king, besides his owne abilitie, to di­scouer the ambitious pride, and greedie co­uetousnesse of the Clergie, the repugnance [Page 349] of the Popes supremacie, with the soueran­tie of his roiall croune and dignitie, the ab­hominations of the Dispensations of the Pope, and sondrie suche like weightie and materiall poinctes of true Religion. For, GOD gaue vnto hym by sides some other meanes, chiefe furtheraunce to the sight of these thynges, by that moste vertuous and excellent Princes Ladie Anne Bulleyne, the moste honourable mother of our dreade Soueraine Ladie, now raignyng ouer vs: whose eyes God hauyng opened to see the truthe, her religious and zealous mynde, louyng the wisedome that is greater then Salomon, whiche the famous Queene of Saba was so delighted with, and beeyng carefull for Gods people, as Queene He­ster, was a worthy meanes, to draw y ^e noble kyng to better iudgement and knowledge in Religion, then he had been of before: whiche was also Godlie continued by the good and gracious Ladie Queene Kathe­rine Par. Further also besides many other he had two as wise & faithfull coūsailors as euer had Christian kyng before hym. The one that reuerend and learned father Crā ­mer, and the other the wise lord Cromwel, counsellours worthie of eternall memorie, [Page 350] for their Religious stout and wise dealyng against y ^e misterie of iniquitie. For hauing not to do onely with the Popes Consistory and Vestrie, with his Cannon lawe & beg­gerly wardrope, with his discipline & cere­monies: but with his whole bodie, with his whole house and tēple, and y ^t so rooted and groūded, as if the foūdations of it had been layd in y ^e centre of the earth: yet God pou­red suche a Christian magnanimitie into their noble hartes to vndertake, and such a sound iudgement to deuise the way, to per­forme the ouerthrowe of it, and to vnder­mine those deepe foundations, as if the lord had giuen theim a pouder to rende vp those stately houses, as Bulwerkes of Sathan, and Castles of superstition and Idolatrie, which seemed to haue been builded to con­tinue to the ende of the worlde. Further the Gospell was taught bothe in other places, and also here in Englande, and was recei­ued, beleued, and professed most constantly to the death, by sondrie true professors of it, and constaunt martyrs of Christe, long be­fore that tyme he speaketh of. Wherefore, there is no reason to make the entrance of those two readers, the beginning of true religiō w ^t vs. Moreouer, also in y ^e beginnyng [Page 351] of the raigne of that noble & princely king Edward: Who knoweth not that the state of religiō was established within this land by act of Parlament, before the commyng in of those readers into the vniuersitees: so that this reason is vtterly voide of all rea­son, to make thē the beginnyng of religion emongst vs, who came in twoo yeres after it had been throughly and quietly establi­shed, as it is at this present daie. After in deede by the worthie meanes of the noble Duke of Sommersett Lorde Protector and the right reuerend Cranmer, twoo fa­mous clearkes that then were of the moste renoumed, for their vertue and learnyng in all these partes of Europe, Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr wer procured ouer, and placed the one in Cambridge, the other in Oxford, to the greate seruice of almightie God, and of this his Churche. For, thei ac­cordyng to the Apostles exhortatiō, deliue­red ouer a forme of sound doctrine to many worthy scholers, whiche receiued it of thē, and deliuered it ouer againe to others. In a happie tyme came thei ouer to our Vni­uersities, to turne them, which had been in tyme past as heathes & dry groundes, voide of the true knowledge of God, into springs [Page 352] of water, whose brookes might issue forth to the refreshyng and cōfort of all the land, their desolatiō and liyng wast as Sodom and Gomorrha, thei tourned through the grace of GOD into a fruitfull place, like mount Carmell and the garden of Eden, full of good fruite and medicinable to the soules of men. Therefore, blessed bee their noble memorie whosoeuer thei were that brought thē ouer. But to saie that Religion stoode then in such termes here in England, that if those two had been Anabaptistes our religion this day in England had been such, and thei should aswel haue béen punished for not receiuing it, as thei are for refusing that is now established, is a malicious slaunder of a hatefull harte to the Gospell of Christe and the professors of the same: seing y ^t before their comming in as hath been declared, re­ligion was fully setled and established here as it continueth to this daie. As for that he calleth them Caluinistes, to passe by that for age, Caluin might rather haue been na­med of them then thei of hym: He is to vn­derstande wee haue no suche custome, nor the Churche of God to name our selues of any men. Christ is not deuided with vs, we all content our selues with that honourable [Page 353] name of Christians. To be a Franciscane, or a Dominicane, a Thomist, or a Scotist we leaue to them, who haue deuided & rent asunder both Christes coate and bodie. We knowe by the grace of God how to respect the giftes of God in his holy Organes and Instrumentes of his glorie, without dero­gatyng from God his honor to giue it to an other. Thus it appeareth that Religion with vs had his beginnyng of the worde of God knowne to many, and professed to the deathe by sondrie of this Nation afore the lawe, whereby it was established. Wherby it is manifest that Religion was not groū ­ded vpon the Temporall lawe and the Ma­gistrates authoritie, but that the godly Ma­gistrates and the wise men of all the lande assembled together in the high Courte of Parliament, hauyng vnderstoode before by the worde of God, and many expresse te­stimonies bothe here at home and els where abroade, whereby God gaue witnesse vnto it, that the Religion which of auncient tyme had been taught in this lande, (though for a tyme it had beene eclipsed and darckened, and then beganne euery where through the power of GOD to bee renewed againe,) that that I saie was in deede the holy word [Page 354] and seruice of God, and the true doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles, thei agreed withall obedience vnto God so to acknow­ledge it, and as Asa and Darius (though not with any thing like seueritie of punishmēt) commaunded it to bee receiued and embra­ced by all the Subiectes of this state and Kyngdome. We depend not therfore vpon a Temporall lawe for matter of Religion, but bothe the lawe and we vpon the eternall lawe and word of God, but this iniury must be doen to the hye state of this noble lande, that these men maie be admitted to dispute. Therefore, here he falleth in againe to the mention of a disputation, and reneweth the petition of his fellowes, for it promisyng largely, that if suche indifferent triall maie bee graunted betweene the learned of bothe sides, as thei demaunde for their instruction & due reformatiō in iudgement, if thei erre the matter perhappes maie sone bee ended. [...] they bee conuicted to erre he giueth vs hope that perhappes thei will be reformed. Would to God thei desired it for their in­struction, and reformation in iudgement, if thei did, there is inough already written for their iuste cause of satisfaction, or if not thei maie be satisfied by writyng. But whē thei haue all graunted that thei desire, though thei were conuicted to erre, is there [Page 355] no more hope of their obedience to God and to her Maiestie: but that Then perhaps they will be reformed? If there were the feare of God in them, thei ought without all perad­uenture to yeeld them selues obedient to the voyce of God, to bewaile with compunction of harte and remorse of conscience the Su­perstition and Idolatrie thei haue liued in hitherto and abused the worlde withall, and blesse the daie wherein the Lorde of glorie maie appeare vnto them. But suche is their wilful obstinacie, that notwithstanding thei were as mightely conuicted and confoun­ded as were the Iewes by Apollos and by the Apostle, Againe of disputation yet perhappes thei would erre still, and goe on in their wilfulnesse to their vtter confusion and ruine. Acts. 18.28. If thei bee denyed disputation, then thei remaine for their be­leefe as before, yet good and dutifull Sub­iectes. But this implyeth a manifest and ne­cessarie contradiction. For if thei remaine stil obedient to the Pope, who curseth them if thei acknowledge the Queene to bee the lawfull Prince by obedience of her lawes, then is it not possible thei should bee good Subiectes. For a good Subiect doeth wil­lyngly obeye her Maiesties godly lawes, & acknowledge her lawfull authoritie ouer [Page 356] them. Whiche thei deniyng to doe (as thei are bound vpon the Popes curse) it can in no sorte stande together, that thei can kepe their Romishe faithe, and their obedience to her Maiestie: two such maisters as God and Mammon, the Lieutenaunt of Christ, and of Antechrist can no man serue, but he must forsake the one, Mat. 6. and follow the other, he must cleaue to the one, & deny the other. There followeth proofe for the equitie of their former demaunde, whiche is that thei desire to bee satisfied in one onely point, An issue de­maunded. that is when the articles of their difference from vs, came into the churche, and by whom thei were rebuked? Whiche issue that he would so faine ioyne with vs, he confirmeth to bee reasonable, by the antiquitie of the true re­ligion, and the commyng in of the false. Of the first he saieth, that whiche is graun­ted on bothe partes, that the religiō taught by Christ and his Apostles is the true reli­gion. Herevpō he inferreth that the false is later & entred in since, whiche I also graūt. It remaineth therfore to be tried, whether entred in since. This saieth he is to be she­wed by notyng the time of the entrāce, and the author of it, with the names of suche as did cōtrol it. And this he would proue to be [Page 357] the onely argument, and sufficient demon­stration in these causes, by twoo kindes of profe, and first by reason. Answere to his argu­ments pro­ued neces­sary by rea­son. Wherein he estee­meth it strong, that there cannot rise a false Religion, the churche standing possessed of a true one, but that some companie or par­ticuler man should rebuke it. This reason I saie is not strong to prooue that he bryn­geth it for, that is that no false doctrine can rise without cōtradiction of some. I graūt in open and apparaunte errours this maie hold, but not in al, namely in suche as crepe into the Churche by Hypocrisie, of whiche sorte is this hereticall false worship of Po­perie. For thus the Apostle teacheth, fore­warning that the mistery of iniquitie begā euen then to work. Whiche is therfore cal­led a mistery of iniquitie, because th'iniqui­ty of it was not manifest, but should be then discouered whē Antechrist should exalt him self to sit in the tēple of God, and boast him self as God. Whereby it appereth that the Apostle sheweth, that as a buildyng is not seen, while the worke is vnder ground, but onely whē it sheweth aboue the ground, so likewise there was a tyme when this Sy­nagog of Sathan was in building, but the stones of the foūdation of it beyng laied ve­ry [Page 358] deepe, it was long ere it appered or was to be discerned vpon the earth. Our sauiour Christe giueth warnyng, that there should come that falsly would chalenge the name of Christ and his Apostles vnto them, who should bee able by their liyng Signes and wonders, to deceiue if it wer possible, euen the elect. In the Parable of tares he saith, that the housebandman beyng a sleepe, the enemie came & sowed Tares in the night. Which notwithstandyng that no man dis­cerned in the night, nor could tell who had doen it, yet when the spring came forward, sure thei wer that was not of the good séede that was sowne in the field by their maister but Tares: therfore though thei could not discerne it, nor knewe not any enemy y ^t had entred into the field to sow Tares in it, yet whē thei were sprong vp thei knew the Tares to be Tares, & because their Maisters séede y ^t was sowne was good, the seruantes are assured y ^t the enemie which is satan had sowne them, though thei knew not by what hand and instrument, nor at what hower of y ^e night he sowed thē. Euen so in this case, while men feared no suche daunger, the E­nemie sowed these Heresies in the church, which for a time after were not to be discerned, [Page 359] till this euill seede was growne, and came to shew it self vpō the ground, which beyng now sprong vp, can we not bee sure that Tares are Tares, and heresies be he­resies, except we be able to tel who & when did sowe thē? It is inough for vs to knowe that our Maisters seede is perfect & good, whatsoeuer els commeth vp with it, that is not of the seede, we are sure it is a stinkyng weede, or a vile graine, sitter for beastes thē for men: and not the fine wheate, the fruite of the precious seede of our Maister. This doctrine of our Sauiour Christ was this precious seede, as he expoūdeth it. Whatsoeuer therefore groweth vp with it, though for a season it can not bee discouered, yet if after it discouereth it self not to bee agree­able to the sounde and wholsome doctrine of Christe, but a wicked heresie, and the cursed fruite of a naughtie seede, though wee can neither tell by whom, nor at what tyme the Enemie did sowe it, yet sure wee are it is hereticall, and hath beene sowne since the tyme that our Maister sowed his fielde with good Seede. Therefore, his reason can not proue the issue to bee reaso­nable. Muche lesse doeth his experience. His second profe herein, which is to be vn­derstood [Page 360] as the reason before of opē errors, which shew themselues at y ^e first, manifest­ly cōtrary to the holy doctrine of y ^e church. As for his examples, by hudlyng vp toge­ther the Protestāt, Puritane, and Family, as if thei wer all alike, it is but the heate of his cholerike stomacke. By expe­rience. For all the worlde knoweth how farr the true professors of the Gospell, are frō y ^t execrable heresies of the Family, which sprōg vp in the time of their deteinyng of the worlde in captiuitie, & yet whiche of them euer once rebuked or con­trolled it by word or writyng: but now the light hath discouered it, shal y ^e light be said to haue brought it forth, or shall it not now be rebuked, because none of the pretended Catholikes, haue rebuked it, let theim bee their Iudges. Cōcerning the Puritane, if he meane suche as thinke themselues pure and frée from sinne, thei are al one with the Family, and farre more like thē, who boast of their own iustice, then thei are to vs who deny our own righteousnesse, that we maie haue the righteousnesse of Christ, which is by faith. If he meane such as desire to haue the state of the church, yet fréer frō their dis­orders and confusions, & more nerely refor­med to the ordenance of our sauiour Christ, [Page 361] and the example of the Apostles, and other Churches so reformed in many other pla­ces, professyng the same Gospell with vs: Then I think euery good Protestant and Professour is a Puritane, and few that are otherwise minded, except it be such, to whō the corruptions they haue left behinde thē, and we haue not yet cast out after them be glorious and gainful. But for the purpose, thei are here alledged, these exāples make nothing for him. If thei reproued vs, it was not because thei were able iustly to charge vs, but because wee discouered their shame to y ^e worlde, because we detected their here­sies against God and their conspiracies a­gainst Princes and people. If any profes­sour of the Gospell haue reproued the Fa­milist, as thei in deede haue beene confu­ted by vs, when these men neglected the matter, he might easely doe it, the Gospell clerely discoueryng the error, & his reward is with GOD. And if any for seekyng a further reformation by orderly meanes haue been reproued, the reprouer, & the re­proued haue both their iudge, who will giue to euery one according to his deedes. Thus then it appeareth to bee no reasonable issue which thei offer, that except we can tell the [Page 362] tymes and Authors of their sondrie heresies that we should acknowledge them of the A­postles. It is enough for vs that we know heresie to bee heresie, and that by the worde of God. And if thei will ioyne a reasonable issue with vs, we offer them one farre more reasonable thē this: Let thē shew out of the authenticke writynges of Christ and his A­postles the poinctes thei varie from vs in (as wee vndertake and by Gods grace are able to performe of ours) that thei are con­tained and left in them. These writynges are perfect, exact and incorrupt? What doe thei seeke vncertaine Hystories, and de­maunde for recordes not to be had or found, and refuse these the onely sufficient and au­thenticall. He boasteth a Goliahes boaste to shewe all the poinctes wherein wee differ from them, their Parentes, their Cradle, the calculation of the tyme of their Birthe. Which I maruell not at, for our Sauiour Christe and his Apostles are Authours of them, thei were laied with hym in his Cra­dle, and published in his tyme by hym self, and then after by his Apostles. So that as of an noble childe borne of knowne and ho­nourable Parentes, it is no harde matter to poinct out bothe the Parentes and tyme of [Page 363] the natiuitie of it: But as of a base sonne of a common Harlott no man can tell the fa­ther: So their Romishe Superstition be­yng the base issue of the whore of Bablilon: no maruell though wee can not tell who it was that begot it. That Harlot hath had so many louers, as it is not easie for her selfe to tell who was father of her sondrie Ba­stards: But though neither their father nor tyme of birthe be knowne, is it therefore to bee concluded that thei are right and noble borne? nothyng lesse: But any other Pa­rentes and Authours of our faithe then our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles, neither he nor all the sonnes of Romulus at Roome, nor of Remus at Rhemes, shall euer bee able to shewe. Thei maie easily shewe by whose blessed ministerie the Lorde of late hath re­stored vnto vs this Gospell again, as it was easie in Iosias tyme to saie that the booke of the lawe was founde in Iosias tyme the 13. yeare of his reigne by Hilcia the Priest: whiche was no preiudice to the lawe. For if it had not been founde till of late when the Gospell (accordyng to the truthe of it) was found: yet had it been neuerthelesse the law of God, and that most holy and auncient law whiche had been giuen sometymes by the [Page 364] ministerie of Moses. So likewise thei may name in what Kynges daies, what yeare of his reigne Luther began to discouer the ab­homination of the Popes indulgences, & af­ter both he and others restored to vs againe after a lōg apostasie & time of darknesse the knowledge of y ^e truth: yet were thei no Au­thors of it, no more then Helcia of the law, but Moses of the law, and Christ of the Go­spell whiche thei preached, and other Au­thors shall thei neuer be able to shewe. But for their Romishe faithe we will ioyne this issue with them to shewe it is not of Christ nor of his Apostles. Further also notwith­standyng that thei and others who haue ru­led the worlde haue wasted all the recordes of many auncient Writers, that we can not haue the writynges of all that did controlle them: and that in some fewe 100. yeares in the beginnyng, their faithe crept in by little and little by soft and flowe paces, and that with greate hypocrisie that it could not bee well discouered, and therfore not easily con­trolled for suche tyme: yet will wee shewe that when the buildyng and seede appeared aboue the grounde, the seruauntes of God discouered Antichristes Sinagoge and his Tares, and haue freely complained to the [Page 365] Lorde against it. The reason why it is hard to discouer the Authors and tymes of the seuerall pointes of this Popishe heresie are these. First, it entered not into the Churche all at once, but in sondry ages declined from the truthe of the Gospell, till it came to this full apostasie, wherein it hath beene now some hundred yeres. The degrees of which declination were so small at the beginnyng that thei were not easily to be spied. Reasons why this issue is not to be ioyned. For as the grasse and wheate growe as wee reade in the Gospell, yet no man can discerne the growyng of it or see how muche of it shoo­teth vp in a daie: So likewise doe the Ta­res. A man maie well discerne them when thei are growne, but while thei are growing it is not easie to discerne. Secondly, the hy­pocriticall shewe that these beginnynges of declination caried with them was a greate meanes to deceiue the worlde. For if it bee not easie to know the Wolfe in a Sheepes skinne, nor the Beast in his shewe of two hornes like a Lambe, nor y ^e Angell of dark­nesse when he transformeth hymself like to an Aungell of light: so most of all this hath place in little and small beginninges of Su­perstition, couered and clothed with a shewe of good deuotion. For these and suche like [Page 366] causes, the auncient Fathers within y ^e first 4. or 500. yeares, tooke no greate heede to the little and small beginnynges, that were then laied of this misterie of iniquitie. Fur­ther also, those tymes were exercised grea­tly in striuing with maine Heretickes, see­kyng to ouerturne openly the groundes and foundations of our faithe, concernyng the twoo natures and vnitie of the persone of Christ Iesu. Thei had to striue w ^t Ebion Cerinthus, Arius, Eutiches, Eunomius Nestorius, and after with the Donasties, Pelagians, and many other, who eui­dently and manifestly sought the subuer­sion of the chiefe groundes of Christiani­tie. Wherfore, hauyng to deale with many open enemies, and of those some of greate abilitie to hurt the churche, for speciall gif­tes of knoledge and eloquēce, thei set them selues as there was great cause thei should to resist the forcible violence of those migh­tie enemies: whereby it was scarse possible for those worthie & learned fathers to take heede to those degrees of superstition, that by little and little so suttely and hypocriti­cally crept into the church. Besides this, if any of them did discerne the soft slidyng a­waie from true religion and deuotion into [Page 367] superstition, yet sure thei neuer feared the issue would haue been suche as experience hath taught vs. And if thei gaue any token of their dislike hereof the wastes and confu­sions of the world since that time haue been suche, as it maie be well enough, that some of them reproued more thē can now be she­wed by any workes that are extant. There were many worthie and famous mē which wrote infinite volumes, of whō now little remaineth, and some nothyng but their na­mes. Origen wrote exceedyng muche, yet there remaineth now little in comparison of that he wrote, and that which remaineth is so corrupted, that it nothing aunswereth the famous reporte of learnyng, which O­rigen had in y ^e church in his tyme. To this maie be added that the B. of R. by meanes of the R. Emperors whiche were Monar­ches of the worlde, with whom thei were in credit, had the meanes to deface & abolishe all writynges, rolles, and recordes, whiche might hinder the growyng of their super­stitions. And that this is no vaine surmise of a thyng that might bee, it appeareth that thei were so diligent to doe it as ther was nothyng so authentike and reuerende that for their purpose thei were not ready to corrupt [Page 368] and falsifie. What was more reuerēd in Austens tyme then the famous councell of Nice, and the Cannons agreed of by the Fathers, assembled together in that reue­rend Consistory & Senate: yet the B. of R. corrupted & falsified the 9. Cannon of that Councell, to lay the foūdations of the Pri­macy, whiche thei pretended vnto ouer all Churches. For so the Story reporteth that Faustine the B. of R. Legate or Deputie alledged that Cannon for the Supremacy, which being after diligently sought for by Austen & the rest of the Fathers, was found to bee corrupted, and so thei wrote vnto the B. whiche foule act to corrupt the Cannōs of so reuerende a Councell, and to seeke to abuse therby the cheefest and worthiest ser­uauntes of God in those daies and best able to discouer his falshoode, doeth euidently shew that in other writynges which should neuer come to like examination and tryall they would make small conscience of like corruptions so thei might serue their tur­nes. Further, the creditte they obtained in the Church by some good Bishoppes of Roome in the beginning and cōstant Mar­tirs of Christ, was a great meanes where­by these whiche succeeded in their places, [Page 363] but not in their pietie and holye profes­sion togeather with the power and au­thoritie which they had gotten of the Emperours, coulde not so easily and o­penly bee discouered, as that the tyme of their beginning to fall awaie, and theire secrete procéeding and growing forwarde shoulde bee openly controlled. Which we may see in the declinations and conuersions of common welths. For the lawfull gouernement of Kinges or of a senate of Princes, or of the states of a land, after an equall and iust regiment of some yeares, either of purpose, or tho­row the weaknes of mans nature, which is not able to maintaine thinges long in any perfect state, may decline in time to a tyranny or confusion. But if the whéele of such a state be not turned with any suddaine violent motion, but softly & in ma­ny yeres, & almost without any noyse, then I say that in a certaine periode of tyme the lawfull and iust gouernement will be chaunged in déed into an vnlaw­full tyranny or confusion. But yet while it is a turning, especially in the begin­ning when the motions are leaste, and hardest to be discerned, no man al­moste [Page 363] can bee able to saye when this wheele was firste moued, or whose hand first began to turne it. And this shal yet be harder if such as haue finest senses to discerne, euen of the most still and insen­sible motions, vppon their discouering of them be charged and condemned as trai­tours to the state. For by this meanes others which perceiue no sensible alte­ration are greatly hindred to discerne of their exact and exquisite iudgement, and thinke rather that they were deceiued, & worthely executed for some Treason a­gainst the state. Whereas notwithstan­ding after when the motions grow more forcible and violent, euerye meane wit will be able to discerne it, and in the ende no man so blind nor dull, but must needes perceiue it. And such hath beene the con­uersion of the Church of Rome. In the tyme of the Apostle Paules preaching in it (for of Peters beeing there we haue no certaine ground in the scriptures), The state of that Churche both for doctrine and discipline was perfect, and such as the Lorde Iesu him selfe had appoyn­ted. After his tyme it continued in good [Page 364] state while it was vnder persecution e­uen to Constantines time, yet so that e­uen then the whéele began to turne. And tho the motions were so easie & stil as all men perceiued them not, yet some of exquisite iudgement, did discerne in it a slyding forwardes to this supersticion and tyrannie. Amongest whome Ireneus noted Victor in the Question of the daye to bee kept for Easter daye, to haue beene to peremptory, and to take to much vppon him to excommunicate the East churches for it, the matter being in it selfe indiffe­rent, and Victor hauing no authoritie o­uer those Churches. After when it had peace and rest from persecution, the moti­ons grew faster and swifter. For then it began to seeke for wealth, & after wealth taking occasion by the honour of the place being then the seat of the Empyre, be­gan to affect some like preeminence in the church, and to draw as it were in the church the image of the Empyre. Where­of tho the rough draught was imper­fect, and a shadow of lyues not easie to be discerned, yet after the cole came the pensill, and then the colours, til at the last the whole image of the Empyre was to [Page 366] be seene in the state of the Church. In which tyme fell out the falsification of the Canons of the counsell of Nice, reprooued by Austen and all the fathers of that coū ­sell. Which liberty of theirs and the free estate of other churches as counterwholes so checked his course, that it could not goe fast forward, til by the authoritie of Pho­cas hee had obtained the name of vni­uersall Byshop. Which being once ob­tained, with in a while after it, grew to be such as all were declared Heretiques, which should speake against it. And then the wheele was violently carried to this apostasie from the trueth of the Gospell, and as the motions were more sensible so more there were which perceyued it and spake against it. But notwithstanding al the difficulties which might hinder this purpose, it appeareth for all the secresie, subtletie, hipocrisie, authoritie, force and cunning, whereby they sought to hide their wickednesse from the worlde, yet by the grace of God the beginners and au­thours of certaine of the degrees of this mysticall iniquitie are to bee discouered. Concerning the reste we vndertake to prooue that what time or by whom soeuer [Page 367] they were brought in, that they were not taught by Christ nor his Apostles, nor in their tyme, which is our immoueable ground where on we build, that at what time, or by whome so euer it began it is not to be alowed nor receiued. M. Iewell of reuerend memory, did vndertake and perfourme againste them that twenty nine points, Wherin they differ from vs & the primitiue church, Whensoeuer after they were brought in, yet were not knowne, nor taught in the church for sixe hundred yeres after Christ. Amōgst which this is one which he nameth of the real presence and consequently. Their masse, which is another, for their Masse can not stande without a real presence. And if neither in the time of Christ, nor sixe hundred yéers after, they can prooue them to haue beene receiued, to what purpose is it to aske when they began? let them rather shewe vs when they began, and prooue that so many points as haue beene offered them were receiued in so manye sundry ages and times of the Church. Which if they can not doe, then let them acknow­ledge their iuste cause of satisfaction and their wilfull ostinacy against the truth. [Page 367] but to satisfy him further in y ^e particulers he hath set down, I say first, touching the question of y ^e real presence, it began to be moued after the daies of Charles the great in y ^e raigne of Charles his neuew. At what time Bertram an excellent clarke wrote a large volume of it, and prooued the words of the Supper, were to be vnderstood in a mistery and figure and not really. After whom Paschasius began to write for the vnderstanding of the words of a real pre­sence. And after thē both Bertrams iudge­mēt was maintained by Berengarius, & y ^e French churches: and the opinion of Pas­casius by Lanfranc and others. Thus di­uersly was this controuersie handled, till the Laterane counsell defyned of it, which yet the French churches, especially of Aniou and Yours, for a long time yéelded not vnto. Of this errour thus established (as it commeth to passe, that one errour gi­ueth occasion of another) rose anew que­stion and controuersie of transubstantia­tion, which was maruailously increased by the Canonists & schoolemen, till at the last to make vp their impiety, Innocencius the third, made transubstatiatiō the thir­tenth article of the créed. As for y ^e authors [Page 368] of the sundry peeces of their Masse, I re­ferre him to Platina and their owne school­men, who name the authours of the Sanctus, Lutroitus, collects, & other the seue­ral parts & peeces of it. By whom he may see y ^t their masse was not brought to y ^e forme it hath now, till Gregories time, who gaue it in a manner that fashion and forme which it hath at this present. He reckoneth here six other pointes, and first these three, Purgatorie, prayer for the deade, and intercession of Saintes. Whereof it is a maruaile how the third can agrée with the two former. For if they be in purgatory and néed our pray­ers, why shoulde we pray for them and seeke for their intercession. But for the time of the beginning of those opinions I deny that any of them were vniuersally taught, beleeued and practised in the Church of any auncient time. I graunt indéed, some learned men following their owne peculier opinion wrote of these questions long agoe. Yet not so long as the aduersarie would haue vs beleeue. But such their particuler iudgement I deny to haue beene the general faith and practise of the Church at such time. Of Praier for [Page 370] the dead, we read not in the most ancient fathers. For the prayers which are men­cioned in thē, were ouer & not for y ^e dead, & were prayers of thankesgiuing for their faithfull departure, & not any request for helping of thē. Soone after in déed it crept in, but Aerius and some other reproouing of it, tho the corruption of the time pre­uailed against them. That the dead pray for vs, before Origens time, no mā taught & yet he reporteth it, not as the publique fayth of the church, But as an opinion of an auncient Master of his of whome he hearde it, whose authoritie drew some of the other fathers after into that opinion. But of inuocation of Saintes there is no example in Origine, Chrisostome, Athanasi­us, Tertulianus, Austen, nor Ierome. Nay four hundred & seuenty yeares after that, a bishop of Affrick was condemned for an heretique amongst other pointes, for this that hee maintayned the blessed Virgin was to be prayed vnto, as Nic. reporteth Therefore it appeareth that these opini­ons came not from Christ, nor so many hundred yeres after, as hath beene decla­red, which is more then we need to shew: it being sufficient y ^t they cā not be prooued [Page 371] to be of Christ. For purgatory it appereth to haue come from the Egyptians & the old Greeke poets, of whom Plato receiued it, and after Virgill, and diuers of the hea­then Philosophers and Poets. Whereof some after receiuing the faith of Christ, began to moue question of that which they had beleeued in Paganisme. As Cle­ment of Alexandria did, which after Ori­gine and Ierome sought by allegoricall ex­positions of the scriptures to confirme. But Austen examining y ^e seuerall points that Origine and his followers, had set downe of Purgatory, did plainly and tru­ly confute sundry of the braunches of that opinion, and so shaketh the credite of the other, as he sheweth they haue no certain foundation in the scripture. But this pur­gatorie of Origine was statly condemned by the fift generall counsel. Whereby it appeareth there were many y ^t controled this hethenish fancy. For the rest of their doctrine of saluation by works and grace inherent, it is the late diuinitie of their schoolemen, and vnknown to all antiqui­tie, which in such sense spake not of me­rite and of grace. For the number of Sa­craments, the auncients vsing the worde [Page 371] not in so straite a sence manye times as we doe now in this question diuersly rec­kon them, but none that keepeth precisely their account to reckon all their seuen for Sacraments, and neither more nor lesse. Thus thē he may vnderstād for his satis­faction in these pointes, (and the like might bee shewed in their worshipping of images, the Communion in one kinde, and of diuerse of the rest) that which hee required, at what time and by whom they were brought into the church Wherein also, hee maye see in sundrye of them, who opposed themselues to the pro­ceedings of their Churche. Whereof if he desire to see yet more, hee may reade that Iltiricas hath written expresly, and large­ly of this argument. Who sheweth that sometimes, all the Churches of France, somtime the Churches of the East, some­time the Churches of Asia, and in them diuerse reuerende Fathers and famous Clearks, as Policarpus, Ireneus, Austen, and sundry others, opposed themselues to this misterye of iniquitie, then working in the Church of Rome. To whose large discourse, leauing him for further satisfaction in this matter, I proceede nowe to [Page 372] that which remaineth.

Now to the rest, which because in effect it is nothing, but a complaint of extream dealing with them, which I haue answe­red before, and a request to your Hh. for a mittigation of it (which your H wise­domes are to cōsider of) I haue not much to answere to it: yet briefly I haue thoght good to touche the reasons. For which he would perswade their cause to be worthy more fauor: which I call God to witnes, I doe not here, nor in any part of this aunswere, of anye malice and hatred to them. For I acknowledge them for our Countrymen and brethren in the fleshe, and would be glad my life might be gi­uen for them, to bring them to the true knowledge of God in Christ, & to the sal­uation of their soules. But my purpose herein, is faithfullye to discharge some part of my duty to Almighty God, and to her excellent Maiestye, and your Hh. in maintening to my smal power this most holy & honourable quarrell of Gods a­ganst his enimies, & therby strēgthning as much as lyeth in mee the right hand of a holy iustice, armed of God with a pu­nishing swoord against all euil doers, and [Page 374] especially such as euen to the with draw­ing of their duetifull obedience from their gracious & naturall P. giue it to a forrai­ner, & obstinately refuse to worship God, and followe after Idols, and as drawē and seeke to seduce the simple with all their endeuour to fall into the same de­struction with them. He complayneth of great extremities with tragical speeches, as the like rigour had neuer beene heard of in the worlde, that they suffer onely as he sayth for their conscience sake. But I haue shewed a fore, and am agayn to put the gentle Reader in minde that for their Romishe faith, no one in all the time of her highnes happy raigne hath been tou­ched at all in his body. For Treason in deed, whereby they deny their obedience to her highnes, and acknowledge them­selues subiectes to the Bishop of Rome in many and most waighty cases, and for seducing other to like disobedience: Some of them haue beene executed according to the auncient lawes of this land, without any extraordinary extremitie, nay rather with fauor in case of high treasō. And yet of this sort the epistle of the persecution in England, Whervnto he referreth him [Page 375] selfe. For proofe wherof he mentioneth only pretended Catholiques, that haue been so executed. In deed since some more vp­on like reason, their cause being first iu­dicially heard at the K. bench, and orderly proceeded in according to the course of law and iustice in such case, beeing found guilty of hie treason, receiued like execu­tion. And this is the greatest extremety which they can complaine of to this day. But he denieth that any one act word or thought was founde in them of treason, wherin he is conuicted of manifest truth, both by so many as were officers of her maiesties iustice vpon them, and by their owne confessions, as well of other matter as also of reconciling of diuers her high­nesse subiects to the pope, as it appeareth by y ^t hath bin published hereof by authoritie. Whereby they acknowledge y ^e Popes most vniust sentēce against her H. as lawfull & draw her Ma. subiects from her o­bedience: which the law of this land hath declared to bee high treason againste her Highnes royall crowne and dignitie. Ne­ther is it heere inough to say that they do it in conscience of their religion, for in many good consciences they can not do it, [Page 375] the B. of Rome by y ^e worde of God hauing no more to do in England: then any mi­nister in Englād, hath to do in Rome. And if without the word of God they will be caried in such a course as cannot stand in any truth of religion or sound pollicie, with the safetie of the state, and securitie of oure moste lawfull Soueraigne oure whole common Wealth and Countrie, should they cry out as if extreame cruelty were executed vpon them, if their excuse of a pretensed conscience be not taken for a sufficient aunswer. These cries & com­plaints might worthely haue bene made by y ^e poore faithful people of Merindall & of the valley of Anagrogne & y ^e rest when the Popes executioners wasted & destroied 7. townes of theirs. Also by our brethren in Q. Maries daies, which were burnt by dosens together in a fire. Likewise, by our brethren cruelly without any forme or processe of iustice, murdred and slain in y ^e late butcheries and massacres of France. Then was it time to haue shewed com­passion, but the bowels of Christ were not in them. Then was a time to haue shewd pitty, but their merciles harts were void of grace & mercye. They were filled with [Page 376] gal, and bitternes, no fire was hot inough for them, no sworde was sharp ynough. The honourable and the common was all one to them, the learned and vnlear­ned, the reuerēd age and the comly youth the man and the woman, the father and y ^e sonne, the mother and the babe borne out of time, and murdered as soone as hee was born by their sauage and barbarous crueltie. These cry yet behinde the altar against them. O Lord, when wilt thou re­uenge our bloud, and the Lord will not re­fuse to hear them, and reuenge their cause vpon their bloudy enemies in the day of his wrath. Another reason is alleaged of the fauour they find in the Indies, and vn­der the Turke: which I haue aunswered before, and answere here again, that nei­ther do they suffer that doctrine and pra­ctise of their religion, which they holde in these parts, neither if they did, are Chri­stian P. to rule their Subiectes by the examples of Turks and heathen, but by the law of God. Who hath giuen to them this commandement to be obserued in all their dominion, that neither anye man, nor his children, nor seruaunts, that ney­ther home borne, or strangers be suffered [Page 378] to prophane his Sabboth: and to pollute his holy seruice, leest y ^e rest of the people of the lande learne of them, and so the wrath of God come suddenly vpon vs, for being accessaries to Idolatrie. As for the tolleration of the Iews, whosoeuer they be, that suffer the exercise of their religi­on, with the blasphemies they commonly vse against Christ, make themselues gil­tie of al their wickednes, which the Lord keepe this lande from, as well as from the abhomination of the masse, But they maye remember that their Holye Fa­ther can tollerate the Blasphemye of the Iews, and the filthinesse of all y ^e Curtesains and Stewes, and take a yeerely rent of them for it, and for no respect will allowe the exercise of our most holy religion, ey­ther in his own dominions or wheresoe­uer he may preuaile againste vs, but by all meanes seeke to burne all the profes­sors of it to ashes, and to shed their bloude as water to runne downe the Streetes. Further, if no protestāt Prince elswhere haue executed any of these Catholiks for religiō, as he cōfesseth: no more hath any for y ^e cause bin put to death with vs, as I haue shewed alredy. which being so y ^t ne­uer [Page 385] any professyng the Gospell put any of them to death for meere matter of their con­science, let the Lorde iudge the wicked ser­uaunt by his own mouth. Now, for the bar­barous crueltie and most sauage immanitie vsed by them against vs: we haue shewed a­gaine that pacience towardes thē hitherto, as we haue not touched the life of any one of them. But if the Catholiques had practised Rebellions and Treasons in the Domi­nions of other Princes professyng the Go­spel as thei haue doen here with vs, no doubt but thei should haue found the same reward of their wickednesse that thei haue doen here. For our doctrine it is vtterly vntrue, that any of the churches professyng the Go­spell, or this of England vnder persecution did euer thinke it vnlawfull to put to deathe a Rebell and a Traytour. Naie, it hath beene alwaies taught in all the reformed Churches, that bothe thei, and also obstinate Heretickes (amongest whom thei haue al­waies accounted and doe still account all obstinate and wilfull spreadors of the Ro­mishe faithe, sett doune by the Councell of Trent) are moste worthie of death: that as it is in the Lawe, the false Prophett and the seducyng Idolater, maie bee taken [Page 386] from amongest vs, that all Israell maie heere and feare and not dare to committ the like. Wee acknowledge in deede faithe to be the gift of God, whiche commeth by the preachyng of the Gospell by Ministers sent by the commaundement of God: but we do not therefore think it vnlawfull for the Ma­gistrate to execute the Lordes iust venge­aunce vppon the obstinate Heretickes and seducyng Idolaters. Repentaunce and ho­linesse of life is also the gift of GOD, and commeth by the same meanes, and yet the Magistrate not onely in a good conscience maie, but in duetie to God ought as he will answere it to him that shal iudge the quicke and the dead, drawe out the Lordes sworde of execution of iustice and of vengeaunce a­gainst all ill doers, to wounde and to kill ac­cordyng to the qualities of the offence. So likewise ought he in this case. And though conscience and Religion bee not putt in by tormentes, yet maie one as Austen also cō ­fesseth, hauyng his obstinacie chastened by the aucthoritie of the Magistrate, bee stir­red vpp to consider more seriously of the course he helde, and by suche occasion gro­wyng to a deeper exanimation of the cause, through the grace of GOD attaine to the [Page 387] true faithe. And if thei should not, yet is not the punishment in vaine. For by it many which otherwise by a dissolute lenity would be incouraged with impunitie, and followe the same wicked waies, are better aduised and kept from destruction: els were it in vaine saied whiche I haue alledged before, take awaie the euill one from amongst you, that al Israell maie heare and feare and not dare to doe the like. But stil he standeth vpō their cause, vrging it to be vnworthie suche extremitie: and why so, because our fathers haue beene as giltie herein as thei, hauyng professed the same auncient Religion that thei doe now. But what is here in this rea­son that might not serue all Heathen men before the preaching of the Apostles amon­gest them, & most of thē yet to this daye. If there were now any kingdome amongst thē reformed according to the Gospell, & some should still maintaine their auncient Ido­latrie, and pleade for them selues that they are no more giltie then their fathers and the fathers of their Magistrates had beene be­fore them? were this a sufficient cause why thei should be exempted from punishment? If our fathers were deceiued by theim, it standeth vs their children & posteritie muche [Page 388] the more in hand to take heede of their dam­nable waies and doctrine. It is more then we can aunswere that our fathers haue sin­ned: It were wisedome therefore that wee tooke heede we ad not sinne to sinne. Those were the tymes whiche the Lorde regar­ded not in respect of vouchsauing them this exceedyng fauour of the true knowledge of the Gospell, but now he hath visited vs from aboue, and called all men to Repen­tance. Whiche gracious goodnesse of God toward this tyme, it were fitter for them to acknowledge, and receiue with thanckes­giuing, then thus to obstinate themselues, to fill vp the measure of their Fathers ini­quitie: that all the Idolatrie that hath been since the worshippyng of the golden Calfe at mount Horeb, maie bee brought vppon theim. Haue thei forgotten that it is writ­ten, To daie if ye will heare his voice, har­den not your hartes as your fathers did in the wildernesse, who tempted and prouo­ked God, till he sware thei should not enter into his reste? Againe, he retourneth to the takyng awaie of that effecte, whiche this Iustice pretendeth to woorke, affirmyng vpon the woordes of Gamaliell, that those men whiche of meere zeale, as he saieth af­ter [Page 389] the Apostles maner, are come emongst vs, to endaunger them selues to maintaine the faithe, can not bee made desiste if their counsell be of God. But I saie their coun­sell cannot bee of God, because the Faithe thei seeke to maintaine is against God, as giuyng to Idolls the honor of him, of whō it is saied, thou shalt worship the Lorde thy God, and hym onely shalte thou serue: and againste his anointed, as settyng vp many Sauiours, & many Mediators, whereas it is said, there is saluation in no other: and if any man sinne, we haue an aduocate with God the Father, who is Iesu Christe the righteous, he is the propitiation for our sin­nes. Further I saie thei runne, and are not sent of GOD, who sendeth not any now a­daies after the Apostles maner to preache in all the worlde. Their ministerie was necessarie for a tyme, that the voice of the Lorde might bee heard in all coastes, and the sounde of it to the ende of the yearth. But now that the world hath heard it, their Ministerie is ceased, and the Lorde calleth by their doctrine, and the ministerie of Pa­stours and teachers of seuerall Congrega­tions. Therefore, well might an vnskilfull Souldier bee father to these Iesuites, that [Page 390] knewe not what he did. For, if he had vn­derstoode any thyng of the woorde of God, he should haue knowne that there is now no suche callyng, whiche thei maie professe without more special warrāt thē thei haue any. Therfore Gamaliell, that honourable Counsellour and Senatour beeyng their Iudge, thei must needes desist, and al their purposes come to naught, because thei are not of God. Your lordships honorable mea­nes, whiche hath releeued straūgers giueth hym hope that thei maye also finde some comfort of the same: whiche I doubt not but if thei were as neere in faithe, and the com­munion of Sainctes, as these straungers are, but thei should vndoubtedly finde at your honours handes. But if thei that are of Dauids counsell and sit at his table, lift vp their heeles againste hym, a straunger that feareth God, without all comparison, is more deepely to taste of your Lorshipps honourable, succour & comfort, then such a one though he were bred at home. Now a­gaine, what the effects of these your Lord­ships proceadynges maie bee, whiche for a farewell is diuersly exaggerated: Firste in this life, and then in the life to come. In this life thei must needes he saith to speake [Page 391] plainly, bee subiecte to horror, obloquie, grudge, hatred, diuers breaches and moste daungerous woundes, as all extremities are wont to doe, and after that it can woorke no estimation, loue, or securitie, to your poste­ritie. Is this a duetifull speeche of a sup­pliant vpon his knees, as he pretendeth to bee before your honourable assembly, or a­greeth this well with his often protestati­ons of reuerence and duetie? But the lorde that hath hetherto blessed your honors, not­withstandyng the curse of their chief cur­sers: I doubte not but if your honours shall yet further indeauor to serue the lorde in the sincere aduaūcyng of his truthe, and the iuste punishment of his enemies, accor­dyng to the greate and honourable seruice he hath called you vnto, but that the same: Lorde whom you shall so serue, will tourne awaie all these threates of hatred and woū des, in your owne persones, and your po­steritie, from your honours and your noble children, vpon an Idolatrous and bloudie generation that knowe hym not, nor feare his name. Therefore, as our Sauior Christ speaketh in a like case, when it was tolde hym, that Herod threatned to kil him, this Foxe is to remember that there are twelue [Page 392] howres in the daie, wherin who so walketh can take no hurte. Your honours & all that professe the truthe, walke vnder the sha­dowe and protection of the highest, who hath numbred the heares of your head, and without his will not one of theim shall fall vnto the ground. Thei whiche receiue the truthe, are to serue GOD in their sondrie callynges, to the mainteinaunce of it in ho­nour and dishonour, in wealthe and woe, in life and death. If there fall out any disho­nour, it can not bee like the shame of the crosse of Christe: If any woundes not like those precious woundes, whiche he offered his holy body vnto for your sakes. Suche dishonour shalbe exceedingly recompensed with a waightie Croune of glorie, suche woundes are the woundes of Christ, which the Apostle more boasteth of (with a holie boaste) then euer did soldiour of the woun­des he had in the field, for the defence of his Prince and Countrey, and suche woundes shalbe healed againe: yea, suche death shall be turned to a happie and euerlastyng life. Therefore, my humble praier to God for al your honourable Lordships is, that it maie please hym to fortifie, and strengthen your noble hartes to continue, and proceade for­warde [Page 393] in this moste holie course, to the ad­uauncyng daiely of the truthe of the Gos­pell, and the rootyng out of Antichristiani­tie, despisyng all the threates, plattes and practises of the aduersarie, with assurance that the watchman of Israll sleepeth not. If his eyes bee open ouer all Israell night and daie to turne awaie all daungers from them, how carefull and vigilant an eye doth he keepe ouer Ierusalem, and most of all watchfull and ielous is he ouer the house and freendes of Dauid. In the life to come he supposeth the Traytors worthely execu­ted, and other recusantes imprisoned, shall be made equall to these who haue doen this iustice vppon theim, and that then all their paines shall bee asswaged, their teares wy­ped awaie, their racked partes resetled, and thei receiued to euerlastyng peace and glo­rie. This I graunt shall in that daie be per­formed to those which suffer in Gods cause, and for bearyng witnesse to our Sauiour and the truthe of his Gospell. For so are we taught by our Sauiour himself, that he that leeseth his life for him, shall finde it, by recei­uyng in the world to come life euerlastyng. Therefore, I nothyng doubt, but through the grace of God doe stedfastly beleeue, that [Page 394] in that daie, all our worthy fathers and bre­thren the noble hoste of Martirs and true Souldiers of Christ Iesu, whiche haue suf­fered bothe in former tymes and in these lat­ter daies els where, and here in Englande in the tyme of their most cruell and bloudie raigne, bothe suffered for the true profession of the Gospell of Christ, and shall be raised againe in that daie to raigne with hym in glorie. Then vndoubtedly though thei were burnt to ashes or slaine with the murdring sworde, or howsoeuer openly or secretly de­stroyed, the Lorde will restore their bodies vnto them againe. Then the ashes whiche the bones were burnt vnto, and are careful­ly laied vp by the Lorde in his treasurie, by the power whereby he is able to doe al thin­ges, shall be restored to their former nature and be made bones again. Then according to the vision of Ezechiell, euery bone shall come and ioyne it self againe to the bone wherewith it is to bee ioyned, the sinewes shall come vppon the bones, the fleshe shall couer the sinewes, and the breath of life shal be breathed into them. So they whom they thought thei had confounded for euer, shall stande vppon their feete againe as a trium­phant and victorious hoste ouer all their e­nemies. [Page 395] With the least of which the saintes of God, in whom the Lorde will be maruei­lous at his cōmyng, not the proudest of the aduersaries of the Gospell shall be equall as he boasteth: but in tremblyng and in feare shall stande before them, who shall assist the great Iudge in his hye Courte, accordyng as it is saied, you shall iudge the Aungelles. Therfore, let them not boast them selues of a vaine hope, for certainly there is no peace for the wicked saith the lorde. To trauel and torment them as he obiecteth, there is no man taketh any pleasure in it. God forbidd we should feede our eyes with the miserable spectacle of their execution or our hartes in any their sufferinges. We are so farre from it by the grace of God, that if we enioye a­ny thyng that is good, wee wishe as good parte of it to them as to our selues. Especi­ally beeyng vouchsafed that high fauour of God to beleeue in Christe accordyng to the truth of the Gospell, and thereby to liue tho­row the same grace in the feare of his name, seruyng hym and our brethren with all our power in a happy assuraunce of the forgiue­nesse of our synnes, and a blessed hope and expectation of the glorie of God to be made manifest in vs, as in his sonnes at the glo­rious [Page 396] commyng of Christ, with thousandes of his mightie Aungelles: We wishe them the like precious faith together with vs, and the same vndoubted and vnmoueable hope of the life to come. Wherein as through the same gracious promise of God in Christe, we are assured by the Sacred truthe of his Gospell, to haue our parte of the hidden Manna, and of the Tree of life, whiche is in the middest of the Paradise of God, so we desire with all our hartes, (if it bee so good in his eyes who is onely wise, onely merci­full, and onely holie) that thei maie haue their part of that Manna, that Tree of life and newe wine of a heauenly grape, reioy­syng the harte of God and man, together with vs (as the Lord speaketh in the Gos­pell,) eating and drinkyng at the heauenly table, and that we maie altogether raigne with Christ in his kyngdome for euer. As for the benefites of this life, I would to God their offences hindered theim not, to enioye theim aswell as wee. If the Lorde haue giuen vs a good lande, as he hath in deede, & plentiful of all good commodities of this life, we wish thei were partakers of thē all together with vs. We take no plea­sure in their banishment abroad, our coūtry [Page 397] is their countrie, our peace is their peace, our libertie theirs. We can wel afforde thē and that with ioy roome emongest vs, yea, prefermentes and places of any good and honorable seruice in the churche or cōmon­wealth, accordyng to their worthinesse and abilitie to deale in them. Therefore, as Iuda somtimes exhorted Israel, so we exhort thē retourne ye children of Israell, Fight not against the Lorde God of your Fathers, for you can not prospere. When the Prodigall sonne had wasted his fathers goods, w ^t har­lots in a straunge countrey, & beyng in po­uertie and neede, longed after his fathers house again, he aduised to returne, to hūble himself to his father: and saie, father I haue sinned against heauen & against thee, & am no more worthy to be called thy sōne, make me but as one of thy hired seruants: and his father receiued hym with a greate feast at his own table, w ^t noise of Musick and with all ioye. So wee assure our selues vpon the merciful nature of our souerain Ladie, whō God hath made to be a mother in Israel, y ^t thei should be graciously & louyngly recei­ued, if thei would know their owne miserie and did lothe their spirituall Fornications with the whore of Babilon, vpon whō thei [Page 398] spend & wast what giftes so euer God hath bestowed vpon thē. Let them be ashamed of their féeding of y ^e draffe of mens inuentiōs, who may feede with their brethren at home of the woorde of God, as of the finest of the Wheate: let them at the last begin to long after the Lordes house and Table againe, which thei haue so despised. Let them come & fall doune before her excellent Maiestie, and say: We haue sinned against God, and against your highnesse, and are not worthie to be accounted as subiectes, make vs but as seruauntes in the lande. Then no doubt but her gracious hart will melt ouer them, and her highnesse will receiue them againe with ioy. And wheras thei lay al the blame vpon vs, whiche are their brethren, (if thei so returne) we wil be so farr from enuiyng it, that with the Aungelles of God we wil moste willyngly and chearfully reioyce at their conuersion, returning home again to God our heauenly father: when he whiche was loste shall bee founde, and the sonne which was ded shalbe restored to life again Loe the malice, that we whō thei call their aduersaries, and saie, to bee alwaies at the Magistrates elbowes, to stirre them vp a­gainst them, doe beare vnto them, God be­yng [Page 399] witnesse to our consciences, that wee wishe all this good vnto them. But to con­clude, if thei shal continue their wilfull ob­stinate course to subuerte the Gospell of God, and all the professors of it, as much as maie lie in them, euen to the Nobilitie and to Princes, to Kinges and Queenes, with­out respecte of any: If thei will needes be­stowe their wittes, their riches, their fa­uour with men, to aduaunce their execra­ble Idolatrie and false worshippe: If there be no remedie, but thei will haue their part in the sinnes of the Whore of Babilon, in her Idolatrie, and in the bloud of the sainc­tes which she hath shed, as if it had been but water, in all the partes of the worlde: then are thei to knowe, that the Lorde will con­founde all their deuises against his truthe, and his seruauntes that sincerely and zea­lously professe it: and make so many of thē as will needes haue their portion in the sin­nes of Babilon, to be also partakers of her plagues. Let thē assure them selues, as S. Ihon hath Prophesied in his Reuelation, y ^e Babilon shall fal and rise vp no more, there shalbee no more light seen in her, the voyce of ioye shalbee no more heard in her. The Aples whiche her soule lusted after, shal­be [Page 400] taken from her: all her fatt thinges, and al her pōpous thinges shalbe taken awaie, and found no more in her. And because the cupp of inchantmentes, wherwith she hath poisoned the worlde, and made dronke the dwellers of it, and inchanted the kynges of the yearth withall is in her hande, and be­ause the bloud of the Prophetes and Sain­tes of God is vppon her: therefore shal her bloud bee shed againe. The Beast with his false Prophett, whiche wrought wonders before hym shall bee cast into the lake of fire, and the rest shall bee slaine with the sworde whiche commeth out of the Lordes mouthe, and all the foules shall bee filled full with their flesh. Then shal they whiche haue washed their garmentes in the bloud of the Lambe, haue all teares wiped from their eyes, and be receiued to euerlastyng glorie. So Idolatrie and all the wicked maintainers of it shall perish, and the word of God with the true professours of it shall remaine for euer. Thē shal be fulfilled that whiche is written: the grasse withereth and the flower fadeth awaie, but the worde of the Lorde abideth for euer, whiche worde is this that is Preached vnto you.