OUr Sauiour Christ whan the Deuill spake the truth plainly, did not con­fute or gayne saye it: but whan he did it frowardly, Christ rebuked hym sharpelye. As whan the deuill said: Iesus of Nazareth, what Luc. 4 haue we to do with thee, art thou comen to destroy vs? I knowe that thou art the holy one of god. He did not refuse nor de­nye that truth which he spake: but whan the deuill tempted him, to throw himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple, be rebuked him quickly, bicause he alled­ged y ^e true scripture maliciously. So it is Math. 4 Trueth must be truly vt­tred. not sufficient to do a good dede barely, or speake the trueth only, except it be done rightly, & with such circumstances, as be necessarily required to make it good: as that it be from the hart, and for Goddes cause willingly. &c. In like maner where [Page] this scauenger sweping the stretes with his bookes (as a fittē brome and officer therto) hais spoken the truth, not trulye (bicause it is for an euil purpose, and fro­wardly) I shal passe ouer it with silence: but where he followes his maister, the father of lies, in falsifiyng the trueth, or racking the Scripture subtilly, I shal by gods grace let the world see his iugling, and by truth trulye vttered, disclose his shameles lyinge. The firste examples that he bringes, declaring how god does iustlye plague the obstinate sinners, that will not repent after manye warninges giuen, are true all: but being alledged to bring vs backe to Poperye, and for ano­ther purpose then God oure Lorde hais taught them, they be craftelye misused, and ye see whose fotesteppes be folowed. And as he vses theym to perswade vs to supersticion: so they maye, and ought to be vsed specially, for maintainynge true religion. The Rhetoricians teach, that suche kinde of beginninges as maye be applied to two contrary partes, are fau­ty. Therefore seinge I maye vse the selfe same reasons and woordes, that he ha [...]s from the beginning hitherto, to train vs to loue and embrase oure godlye refour­med religion, he can not muche crake of his wyselye placed examples or rea­sons. But I wyll not stycke wyth hym in suche small poyntes as these, [Page] although they be fautes: but I wil ioine with him in matters of weight and those thefe pointes of religion whiche he hais touched, and we differ from him and hys sort in them.

THe first is concerning thau­tority and gouernment ge­uen to Bishops ouer Gods Church: wherin his wordes are not so vntrue, as they conteyne a false doctryne and meaning in them. Yf ye thinke that I to boldly enter to iudge his meaning, confer these wordes with such as folowe in his owne writing (wherin vntruly he claimes those priuileges to his Bishops whiche neyther he nor they are able to iustifie) and there at large ye shall easlye perceiue what he meanes by these fewe woordes here. But I will followe him where awaye he leades me, and because he does here but briefly touche it I shall likewise shortly passe ouer it, and more throughly search it, where he does more at large presse it. In the beginninge of their late reuyued tyrannye, and afore they had obtained their long desired au­toritie to ragne ouer Kinges and Prin­ces, [Page] it was my chaunce to talke with one of their stoutest Champions and of those that he calles the godly Bishops in pri­son. Among sundry thinges that were to be redressed in talke as he thoughte, he toke this selfe same matter first and said it was not fitte for any temporal officer to sit as iudge on any Priest or spiritual VVhat au­toritye Byshops haue o­uer the Church. manne, specially in any spirituall mat­ter. For the same cause began Tho. Be­ket to rebell against his Prince: not suf­feringe his Priestes to be punyshed for their murthers & roberyes and now like good childer they followe his steppes. I asked whye? for the lawes were then as they be nowe: and both verye well that Iustyces in their Sessyons and Assises might and shoulde enquire who than of­fended the ciuill lawes and the order of religion establyshed, whether he were Priest or other: he aunswered that in the xx. of the Actes of Thappostles it was plaine that God had set the Bishops to gouerne the Churche. I saide that was another kind of gouernment that Saint Paule there grauntes to Byshops, and differs from that which kinges or Prin­ces claime and ought to haue. No sais he marke the woordes, and it is ad regen­dum Ecclesiam & regere regum est, there­fore Byshops haue autoritie to rule as kynges. No said I, if ye wil be iudged [Page] by the worde, the Greke worde must be iudge in this case: For in Greke it was first written and spoken, & there wil ap­peare an other kind of gouernement, far diuers from that whyche belonges to Princes, the Greke worde in that place is [...]. Which signifies, to fede, as the sheperde fedes his sheepe, and yet not without all gouernment or autority, but only such a simple kinde of rule and au­toritye as shepeherdes haue ouer their flocke. If ye wil conferre one place of the scripture with another where this word is red or found (which is the best kinde of interpretinge the Scripture rightlye, as S. Austin teaches) and see what kind of gouernment it signifies there, than this place shall more easely be vnderstand.

Fede the flocke that is among you, sais i. Pet. 5. Saint Peter. Fede my shepe sais our sa­uiour Christ to Peter. Where, & in other Ioan. 21 like places also, the same Greke worde that is commenly translated in the Actes regere to rule, is put and signifies as ye [...]s to feede. The same word is aplied also to Math. 2. our sauiour Christ in the Gospel, where is declared plainly, what kind of autori­ty it signifies. Thou Bethleem in the land of Iuda, thou art not the lest of the Prynces of Iuda: for oute of thee, shal Ioan. 10 there come to mee a Prynce, that shall rule or feede my people Israel. Also I am [Page] the good shepeherd sais Chryste: where likewise is the same Greke word placed. Than if Christ our Lorde had any tem­porall iurisdiction, or these other places, vsing the same Greke worde conteine a­ny such thing: they might haue some ap­pearaunce to clame their vsurped auto­rity: elles it is not probable to giue the same word in that place alone that mea­ning contrarye to so manye other places hauing the selfe same word. Nay further to say: did not our Lord and Maister Ie­sus Christ refuse this wordlye autoritye himselfe when it was offered vnto him, and the one brother desired hym to de­uide the enheritaunce betwixt hym and his other brother: he would not but said: Luk. xii. who apointed me a deuider betwixt you: as though he shoulde saye. It is not my callinge nor belonges to me, his kyng­dome was not of this worlde: but he came to teache his fathers will, likewise he taught his Appostles not to chalenge this superiority, sayinge: the Princes of Luk [...]xii the people haue rule ouer theym, but it shall not be so amonge you: but he that woulde be the greatest, shalbe the least, that they might folow his steppes truly. But the manyfest place where the pro­per signification of this word appeares, Ephe. 4. is in Paule: Where he reckens what officers God hais set in his Church, and [Page] sais: Firste he sette some Apostles, other Prophetes, some Euangelystes, other shepeherdes and teachers. These shepe­herdes (whiche are noted there, by the same word that they clayme their auto­rity by) are placed by S. Paul, almost the lowest officers in Goddes Church: than much more they can not haue the highest rowme in the common welth and Chur­che both. I knowe the Greke Poetes at­tribute this word to kynges, but I trust they build not on heathen mennes wri­tinges, and yet that name there is geuen theym, for their fatherlye loue towarde their Subiectes: rather then their royall autority. But compare them with shepe­herdes that keepe oure sheepe in dede, of whom they haue their name, and easely their nature, property, office, and autori­ty shalbe spied, Gods people are cald oft in the Scripture, sheepe (as we thy peo­ple Psa. 79. & the shepe of thy pasture will praise thee) and their teachers are called shepe­herdes: because the one should in liuyng followe the simplicitye and obedience of shepe, and the other, the carefull paines and diligence of shepeherdes in fedynge, healynge, releuinge, guydynge, correc­tynge. &c. Looke than what temporall autoritye the sheepeherde hais ouer his sheepe: and the same spirituall power haue the Byshoppes ouer the Churche. [Page] The good shepeherde will not lette hys shepe feede in hurtful and roating pastu­res, but wil remoue them to good feding groūdes: No more wil Gods good shepe­herbes let Gods people and his brethren be poisoned wyth false doctrines, but by his autority roote out and confute them. The true shepeherd if he see the wolfe or foxe come to deuoure the flocke, he will watche and defende the folde: so shoulde the good Bishop by his office. The good shepeherde will saue the scabbed sheepe, bring home the stray, and fede the weaks and hungry: so wil the good Byshop ac­cording to his duty. The good shepe­herde if his shepe be vnrulye, wil set his dogge to pul him downe and tame him: yf any can not be healed, he will cutte it of, and kil it, for infecting the rest: so wil Gods good Byshop with the threatnin­ges of Gods vengeaunce, pul downe the vnbridled stomaches of the people, make them to tremble and quake at Gods iud­gementes, and if anye can not be reclay­med, he wil cut him of by excomunicati­on, seperate hym from the felowshyp of gods people, not suffer him to communi­cate the Lordes Supper, whyche is the bande of brotherly loue, and forbidde all good folke his company, y ^• through suche shame he may be brought to knowledge his faut & amend, that he may ioifully be [Page] receaued as a brother in the companye and felowship of Gods people agayne, and communicate with them in prayer, doctrine, discipline, and sacramentes as afore. In these pointes the autoritye of Byshops is so great, that it extendes to Prince, pope, & prelate, & none is exempt, but as they be subiect to Gods word, sa­craments and doctrine, so must they obey Gods true minister and discipline. As for example, the good Byshop Ambrose dyd sharplye correct and excommunicate the Emperour Theodosius for a rashe mur­ther done by his commaundement, and whether he is more praise worthye that would or durst rebuke and excommuni­cate so mightye a Prince: or the good Emperor that willingly submitted him self, and obeyed his correction, it may be doubted, the power and autority than of Bishoppes is spirituall, belonginge to mans soule as their office and ministery is, and it standes cheiflye in these twoo pointes: in doctrine and disciplyne. As the temporall officer in the comen welth hais not the swearde committed to hym in vaine, but to defend the good, and pu­nishe the euill: to smite the ennemy, and saue the subiect, to prison the frowarde, and loose the giltles: so hais gods mini­ster in his Church full power and autority to teache sound doctrine and confut [Page] the false, to beate downe hawty mindes, and raise the weake, to bind & loose the conscience by vertue of Gods worde, to throw into hell the obstinate, or lift into heauen the penitent, to cast out of Gods Church, and receiue agayne suche as he rightlye iudges by the Scriptures mete for mercy or iustice. And as Saint Peter calles Christ our lord the shepeherd and Bishop of oure soules: so those Bishops that folow Christ will chalenge no more autoritye to theym, than their Maister Christ had.

I am sure thys pleases hym well to heare, speciallye of my mouthe, that such spirituall autoritye is geuen to spiritual ministers to execute on all sortes of peo­ple: for as they belie vs in other thinges, saying: we teach false doctrine, and moue the people to sinne, so they saye that in deniyng them their vsurped autority, we take from theym, that whyche is due to them. Yet in graunting thus much vnto them, I meane as they teach (that Prie­stes and Byshoppes haue this power of theym selues, or whan they be greased wyth the Popes oyle, that they may ex­ecute it whan and on whome it pleases theym) but that God workes it by them, as his wisdom thinkes good, whan they vse them as he appointed them. For as the iudge or pursauant that bringes the [Page] kinges pardon to saue a thiefe on the ga­lowes, is but the Princes seruaunt, and not the chiefe Sauiour and delyuerer of the condemned, so in this absoluing and raysing vp the sinful clogged conscience, the chyefe praise and worke is gods, and the Bishop or minister is but Gods ser­uaunt, goinge his message by his worde and commaundement to saue and loose them whom it pleases God to offer this grace vnto.

But mee thinke I heare him saye: If Byshops in temporall causes haue not thys autority, why sit they so oft by com­mission now vnder y ^e gospel in temporal maters. In dede forsomuch as they sit by commission, it proues that it belonges not to their offyce, as appointed by god, but in y ^• they serue the Prince as they be bounden. Who wils and commaundes thē by Comission to serue in such place and tyme. The Byshops offyce is chiefly taught in the scripture by the holy ghost: and from him he receiues his Commissi­on, and is not inuented by Pope or man. Yf ye compare together Saint Paules Byshop described in Timothe and Ti­ [...]us, with such toyes as the Popes Pre­lates are ordeyned to play and feede the people withal: they are as lyke as blacke and white. Saint Paules Byshoppe is in the firste place licensed to marye, the [Page] Popes are forbidden wiues, and alowed hoores for money. Saint Paules Bishop must preache: the Popes thinke it shame to stand in the Pulpit. Saint Paul wils his Bishop to haue his children obedient with al reuerence: the Popyshe Priestes Children sit by other mennes fires, and brought vp most wantonly. The Pope hais commaūded his Bishops to christen belles and shippes, to halow Miters and staues, ringes, Churche yardes, Altars, Superaltares, albes, vestimentes, Cha­lices, corporas, Palmes, ashes, candels, water, fire, bread, oyle, creame, flowers, strippes, swordes, crownes, fingers. &c. This is their holle lyfe, and yet not one suche worde appointed theym by God in Scripture. What is this, but to forsake Gods ordinaunce, and folow their owne deuyses, to prefer man and his doinges, to the wisdom of the holye ghost. Whan he hais done all these thinges, he maye say, he hais serued bis maister the Pope, and done his commaundement, but not one thing that God biddes him.

Yet remaynes one doubt vnanswered in these few wordes whan he sayes, that the gouernemente of the Churche was commytted to Byshoppes, as thoughe they bad receyued a larger & higher com­mission from god, of doctrine & discipline thā other lawer priests or ministers haue [Page] and thereby might chalenge a greater prerogatiue. But this is to be vnder­stand that the Priuileges and superiori­tes which Byshoppes haue aboue other ministers, are rather graunted by manne for maintaining of better order and qui­etnesse in commen wealthes, then com­maunded by God in his word. Ministers haue better knowledge and vtteraunce some than other, but their ministerye is of equal dignitye. Gods commission and commaundement is like, and indifferent to all, Priest, Byshop, Archbyshop, Pre­late, by what name so euer he be called: goe and teach baptisinge in the name of Mar. xvi. Ioan xx. the father, the Son, and the holye ghost. And againe whose sinnes so euer ye for­geue, they are forgeuen, and what soe­euer ye loose in earth, it is loosed in Act. xx. heauen. &c. Likewise the Lordes supper by whom soeuer being lawfully called, it be ministred: it is of lyke strength, power and holines, Saint Paule calles the Elders of Ephesus together, and sais, the holy ghost made them Byshops to rule the Church of god, he writes also to the Byshops of Philippos, meaninge the Ministers: for neyther Ephesus nor Philippos were so great townes, but one lytle. Byshopricke is a greater compasse of ground, than they needed not manye Byshops, therefore this diuersitye of ab­soluing [Page] sinnes, inuented by idle braines, that a simple Priest maye absolue some small ones, other greater belonge to the Byshop, Tharchbyshop clames an other higher sort, the rest and fowlest sort, per­tein to Popes and Cardinals, as the fa­thers & maintainers of them: these I say are so foolish & childish to beleue, that I think it not nedeful to speake of thē, they Mynyster autoritye of like power, all are not grounded on Gods word, & ther­fore must nedes be vntrue, and not to be credited because our faith hangs only on the holy scripture, greadye couetousnes to enriche thēselues, hais inuented these as also the rest of their supersticion whi­che they tearme religion. Saint Ierom in his commentarye on the. i. Chapter ad Tit sais: that a Byshoppe and a Priest is all one, and in hys Epystle ad Euagri­um, he sayes: that the Byshop wher so e­uer he be, he is of the same power and Priesthoode. Rome makes him not bet­ter, nor Englande makes him worse. A Byshop is a name of office, labour, and paynes, rather then of dignytye, ease, welth, or ydlenes. The word Episcopus is Greke, and signifies a Scoutwatche, an ouerloker or Spie: because he shoulde e­uer be watching and warning, that the deuill our enemye do not enter to spoyle or destroy. And as in warre, the watche­men, Scoutes, or Spies, yf they fall on [Page] slepe or be negligent, they betraye their felowes, and deserue death? so in Gods Church, if the Byshops watch not dili­gentlye, and saue their sheepe, God hais pronoūced sentens of death against them by his Prophet. I made thee a watche man to the house of Israel sais the Lord: thou shall heare the word of my mouth, and declare it them from me. If I say to the wicked, thou wicked, thou shalt die, and thou wilte not warne hym to take Ezech. 33 hede to his way, he shall die in his wic­kednes, but his bloude I will require of thee. But I thinke the holy Byshops he crakes so much of, haue their callynge of the Dutche name, that signifies byts shepe: rather than of the Greke, that tea­ches to saue sheepe by his painefull dili­gence. If they were not to muche blin­ded in their owne folyshnes, they might see in the last subsidye graunted in the tyme of their owne raygne, that they graunt those to be their betters, & aboue theym, from whence they receyue their autority. The Parliament geues theym and their Collectours, power to suspend depryue, and interdite anye Priest that paies not the subsidy: In that doing they graūt the Parliament to be aboue them, & from it to receiue their power. Yea fur­ther to let them se how they be contrary to thēselfes, they giue a lay man (as most [Page] part of their Collecters were) power, to interdite, suspende and absolue a Priest: whiche both be contrarye to their owne doctrine. I had not thought to haue said so muche on these his fewe woordes, and yet muche more hanges on this their opinion of claming their vsurped power aboue Princes and other ministers. For if thys their opinyon were true, that god gaue them such autority ouer his Chur­che as they clame, it might be sayde on theym, as the Poete sais, Ouem lupo co­misisti: that God had appointed wolues to kepe his shepe.

ALas poore Masse that hais no better a ground work to be bylte on than false lies, and so vnlerned a Proctour to speake for it. I pray you who helpt Saint Iames at Masse, who halowed hys Corporas, Superaltare, Chalice, vestimentes, &c. Who was dea­con and Subdeacon to reade the Epistle and Gospel, who rang to the sacring and serued the pax: for I am as sure it was a solempne feast, and that these thinges were done, as he is that S. Iames saide [Page] masse. He that tolde you the one, could haue told you the other as well as this, if he had lust, and ye saye your Masse can not be saide without these trinkettes. I praye you what Masse was it? began it with a great R. of Requiem, or Scala coeli, or resurrexi: For the plague, or murrion of beastes? part of a trentall, or for all chri­sten soules? if ye wil haue vs to beleue it ye must tell vs some more. I praye you also which Saint Iames was it, for we reade of diuers of that name, both in the Scripture, and other histories liuyng at that time. It is not inoughe to saye, so it is: but ye must proue it, yf ye will be be­leued. I pray you whose masse as they terme it vsed he, and of whose makynge was it? Chrisostomes or Basils, Grego­ries or Ambrose, or that whiche beares hys owne name of Saynt Iames? what language spake he? Hebrewe, Greke, or Latin? these thynges must be proued a­fore your Latin popish patched Masse, by so many Popes in so manye yeares, or it was broughte to his perfection, canne be proued. Doe they thynke that beccaus [...] my Lord Bishop, Maister Docter, or such Scauingers, and corner crepers, as thi [...] Champion is, say it is so, and deceiue th [...] people with lies priuely in corners, tha [...] none dare saye against it openly, but al [...] their sayinges must be beleued: I do no [...] [Page] take them to be of that autoritye or cre­dit. But I will not stand with him in al these narrow pointes, although I could kepe him much play in so doing. I agree that Iames brother of oure Lorde, was Bisshop there at Ierusalem as the aun­cient writers testifye: but that he said or did anye thing lyke the Popyshe [...]louted Latin masse, that I vtterly deny. For that the church, alter, Superaltare, ves­stiments, Chalyce. &c. should be halowed afore they could haue masse said in thē, on theym, or with theym, it is playne written in their owne law, de consecra di­stincto .i when they haue proued that S. Iames had these halowed, howe and by whome they were halowed, than I will beleue he said their folish masse, and not afore: for their masse canne not be done without them. Also if they will be bele­ued, they muste declare what order of masse he vsed, was it Chrisostomes, Ba­sils, Iustines, [...]ertulians, Austins, Di­onisius, Isidorus, Gregories, Rabanus, the Romaines, or whose els? Surely all these were vnborne manye yeares after Saint Iames died, that it coulde not be theirs, whi (I am sure) some will say is there so many diuers sortes of so manye holy fathers to minister the Lordes sup­per, and our holye Bishops of late haue burned so many innocentes that would [Page] not vse their only one disordert order of massing, as though all other were here­ticall and schismatical (as they terme it) but that onely one which they haue de­uised, disguised and misused: yea surelye these diuersityes al be printed and to be had wyth manye moe godlye ones, and therefore they can not deny it: and bicause they be prynted, I will not stande to re­hearse them holly, for it were infinite. There is yet an other liturgie in Print, (which worde they cal and vnlearnedly [...] translate euer a Masse) bearing the name of Saint Iames, but euen in their late raging time of madnes, whan they had gotten certayne copies of these Greeke liturgies, or ministring the Lordes sup­per, thinking to haue printed them, and that it woulde haue stablyshed their do­inges: whan in triall and translatynge them they see it fall oute otherwais and to make against them, they let it alone, and suppressed it: like as the same holye father and Cardinall fyrste prynted hys booke that he wrote against king Henry the eyght, to please the Pope wythall, and to sturre Themperoure to warre a­gainst England, for falling from Pope­ry, and after his conscience accusing him to haue done amysse, he burned all the bookes he coulde come by, and yet nowe they be commonly solde to his shame as [Page] these Liturgies be to theirs. Al these or­ders of ministring the Communion dif­fer from their Pope holye relique, their Latin masse in the chiefest poyntes: that is that the Priest prayes not alone, nor in a straunge language, eates not, nor drinkes vp all alone, nor receyues it for other: sels it not for money, nor swepes the Popes scalding house, his purgatory with it: but the people pray with him in theyr mother tounge, receyue wyth him for the coumforte of their owne soules, and not for pockye pigges, scalled horse, nor scabbed shepe, neyther making tren­tals or marchandise of it, but in remem­braunce of Chrystes death, who dyed for theim.

But that Sainct Iames neuer sayde the Popysh masse (as they would father it on him) the Pope himselfe grauntes. Pope Gregorie the first (called the great for his greate holynes and learninge, in Epistula lib. 7. C [...] ▪ 63. comparison of the rest) sais that the Apo­stles consecrated the host onlye, with the Lordes prayer whan they minystred. Than Saint Iames if he ministred an [...]e thing at al there euen by the Popes con­fession neuer sayd their latin Masse, nor any thing like it. For that consecration in latin of theirs, hais many longe other prayers, crossinges and blessinges, and supersticious Ceremonies as all manne [Page] see beside the Lordes prayer. And in that same selfe Chapter of Gregorye, ye shal see other diuersites of Ceromonies and prayers there rehearsed, wherein the la­tin masse differs from the Greke and o­ther. Wherefore it was not thoughte of old time to so many holy fathers, a wic­ked thing to haue diuers orders in mini­string the communion, though our blou­dye butchers will not swarue an inche from their father of lyes: but burne all that gainsay them. Howe manye toyes, crossinges, blessinges, blowinges, knoc­kinges, knelinges. bowinges, liftinges, sighinges, houstinges, tournynges and halfe turninges, mockinges, mowings, slepynges, and apyshe playinges, softe whisperyngs, and loud speakinges haue we to consecrate our owne deuises with all, or it can be getten done? Morcouer if Saint Iames should haue vsed our la­tin canon and priuitye of the Masse (as they terme it) in hys consecration or any such like, he shoulde haue prayed to hym selfe, and worshipped himselfe beynge a­lyue, whyche were a greate absurdite to graunt. For the latin canon and preuity Saint Ia­mes ne­uer sayde Masse. of the Masse is full of praying to Sain­tes, and names them particularly: amōg whom Saint Iames is one himselfe. Than Sainct Iames vsynge the Lati [...] Masse as they say he did, he shoulde hau [...] [Page] prayed to himselfe: and worshipped him selfe beinge aliue: which I thinke whan they aduise themselues better, they will not graunt to be true, nor meete to be done: and wyth suche wicked foolyshnes I trust they wyll not burden Saint Ia­mes withal. Furthermore it skils much what language Saint Iames vsed: for our holy Byshops think it not mete that their holy relyques shoulde be vttered in our Englyshe tunge. Saint Paule sais, be had rather speake fiue wordes that he i. Cor. 14. vnderstandes, and to teache other, than tenne thousande in a straunge tongue, oure Prelates saye, nay. None will pre­pare himselfe to warre, e [...]cept he vnder­stand what the trumpet blowes: no more can any learne his duty to God, if he vn­derstand not the thinge that is taught, and the language. Oure Prelates sayes that blinde ignoraunce is the mother of deuocion: but Christ sayes: ye erre be­cause ye know not the Scripture, Than ignoraunce is the cause of errour. By like God eyther vnderstandes not Eng­lyshe, or els he is partiall, and loues not oure Englyshe tounge so well as the la­tin: and yet to speake or vnderstande dy­uers languages is the gifte of the bolye ghost. Surelye if the holye ghost, geue the grace to speake and vnderstande dy­uers languages, God can not bate them [Page] that vse anye of theim, nor disalowe the giftes of the holy ghost in any man. We rede (for they be tourned into latin and printed) that other Countries haue vsed of olde tinie, and yet do at this day their owne language in ministring the lordes supper. Why than may not England do the same? What faute haue we made more than other? Chrisostomes order of the Communion Basils, and that which beares the name of Saint Iames, were written in the Greke, whiche the people vnderstoode, and aunswered in the same language. The Sirians, Athiopians, Armenians, Moscouites, and the domi­nion of Prestor Ioan doe at this day and euer did vse their owne language whan they ministred, and out of them are tur­ned latin that easily it may be sene how we differ. The good Christian Emperor Iustinian commaundes plainelye in hys ciuill lawes. Nouell constitut 124. and. 126. that all thynges shoulde bee done in the Churches in those languages whyche were knowen in the Countries, and also that the wordes of baptisme and the lor­des supper shoulde bee spoken in a loude voyce, that thereby the deuotion of the hearers might be stirred vp: which al (al­thoughe they were written a thousande yeares sins) our holy Papistes deny and saye it was neuer done, nor ought to be [Page] done, nor that Princes haue anye suche autoritye to commaunde or medell in. Pope Pius the seconde beares witnesse aeneas syl­uius Pisto [...] Boeica. Ca. 13. that the Sclauons whan they made sute to minister in their owne tunge, and the Pope made curtsie to graunt it, a voyce was hearde from heauen, that euery spi­rite and language shoulde prayse God, and so it was graunted them to vse their owne language. The Popyshe kinde of mariage althoughe the rest was latin, yet the best part was English. I N. take thee N. to my wedded wife. &c. I N. take thee N. to my wedded husbād. &c. If this was well, why not the rest also. Yf in making promises we vse that language whiche we vnderstand, why shoulde we not do it to vnderstand what God com­maundes vs? Is a promise to man more to be considered than that which is made to God? Yf these thinges shoulde be de­nied, they be in Print, that euerye man may reade, and therefore I wil not stand longe in rehearsinge of theym: Are these tongues more holye than oures, that the holye misteryes maye bee vsed in theym and not in oures: I leaue oute the Boemians and Waldenses, which haue [...]sed to communicate in their owne lan­guage many (though not al) these. C C C yeres. The Germans, the Italians, and the French I passe ouer because it is not [Page] olde. But these Countries they wil say, are in the East parte of the worlde, and partes of the Greke Churche, whiche neuer was subiecte to their holye father the Pope, and in these thinges they doe erre, but the west Church (worshippinge the Pope) would neuer suffer anye suche thing. In thus sayinge they proue the Pope to be worse than the Turke, Pres­ster Ioan, the Sophi, or anye Heathen Prince that will not suffer Gods people to worship their God in their owne lan­guage as they doe. It is great maruaile to me why oure holye Prelates will not haue the people to praye in Englishe seing the common rude sort and altoge­ther vnlearned in all the farre Northe partes of the Realme, euen the borders: haue euer vsed the lordes prayer, the ar­ticles of our faith, and tenne commaun­dementes, and yet do in Englysh meter differing nothing from the true sense of the scripture. They neuer learned them in latin, and can not nor wil not learne that they vnderstand not. Surelye Gods wisedome in their rude simplicitye, does confound these proude Prelates wicked Poperye.

Yet is there remaining one of y ^e foulest lyes that is commenlye red or writen in the Popes testament, the decrees wher­on they bylde their faith: whiche if thys [Page] proctour and all his partakers can proue to be true, I will saye with theym: It is writen de consecra distincto. i. ca. Iacobus that Saint Iames y ^• brother of our lord, Bys­shop of Ierusalem, and Eusebius Bys­shop of Cesaria made their masse. If this haue any likenes of a truth in it, let the world iudge. Saint Iames was Bys­shop of Ierusalem and there liued conti­nually, not wandringe into other coun­tryes, as other Apostles didde, but there suffered martirdome: beynge throwne downe from the pynacle of the Temple, where a Fuller smote oute his braines, with a clubbe. In Ierusalem then their naturall speache was Hebrewe, and the prayers that they vsed in the Temple were onelye the Scriptures, and in the Hebrew tounge, as the Iewes do to this day, in their Synagoges: (wherein they proue themselues better than y ^• Papists, which in their Churches haue few prai­ers of the Scripture, but manye foolishe ones deuised of their own braine, and in a language that the people vnderstande not.) Therefore whan they haue proued that the Latin toung was vsed in Ieru­salem, or that Sainct Iames prayed in Latin (although I doubt not but he had the gift of tounges as well as other A­postles had) I shall than beleue theim. [Page] The order of the Communion whiche is abrode in the name of saint Iames is in Greeke: but that he wrote or spake latin in Hierusalem, there is no probability in it. And if he made oure latin masse than, that should be vsed now through out the world, why woulde he make another in Greke so far vnlike to it? both can not be true that he made one in Greke, and an­other in latin, so farre vnlyke one to the other. Afterward the gloose vpon this text of the Popes decree, afore rehearsed de consecra distincto. i. sayes: that Sainct Iames made the Canon of the masse, and Eusebius added other peces to it af­terwarde: but beside that inconueni­ence whiche I spake of afore (that Saint Iames than shoulde praye to himselfe, yf that were true) a greater vntrueth wold folowe, that is to pray to Saints, that were vnborne, some C. some CC. some. CCC. yeare after and more: as to Cipriane, Cornelius, Laurence, Chriso­gonus, Damianus, which and such like women as Luce, Agnes, Cecili. &c. are put in their Canon, or priuitye of their latin masse. Is this lyke that Saint Ia­mes a saint himselfe woulde praye to a saint (if they were saintes) that was yet vnborne so many yeares after his death. But it may be thought that they knewe these thinges to be so foolish that if they [Page] were openly redde and vnderstand, they would be laughed at & despised, & there­fore they inioyne their [...]haplaynes to speake softly whan they [...]ay these things that none should heare theim what they say. If it were good, it were no daunger in letting it be heard, for it would make them good that heard it (for faith comes by hearinge) thoughe their opinyon is that it would be despysed. But surelye hearynge is the waye to make menne good.

Yet folowes a greater inconuenience if this Popes decree were true. For as the glose there sais, that Saint Iames made their Canon, so it sais that Euse­bius whiche liued (as he sais) vnder the Emperour Iulianus Apostata, shoulde make the rest. How can their great re­lique the masse than be. M. D. yeare old, as they crake it to be. This counsell of of the Apostles where Saint Iames said masse (as this Proctour sais) was aboute l. yeare after Christ our lord was borne, and not full. xx. yeares after he was cru­cified (as manye histories doe testifie) but Eusebius lyued vnder Iulian Thempe­rour CCCix. yeare after the birth of our sauiour Christ: & now sins Christs birth, it is. M. D. lxii. Thā take CCClx. out of M. D. lxii. and so remaines but. M. CCii [Page] So by their owne accoumpte they lie CCClx. yeare in the auncientye of their masse.

But yet a greeter lie, Eusebius was a Grecian and neuer wrote in Latin, that any history makes mention of: how than wrote he their latin masse? Yea where Gregory Bishop of Ro. in the Epistle a­fore alledged sais: that one Scholasticus made the prayers of their Canon, howe can this be true that Saint Iames made Lib. Epi­stula. 7, Ca. 63. it? darre they deny that whyche the ho­lyest of the Popes their fathers, sais is so.

But bicause they charge vs with con­trarietes and diuersites of opinions, and are most in that faute themselues. I wil yet let them see more where in they dyf­fer among themselfes: Isidorus lib. i. de ori­gine officiorum Ca v. as Faber alleges him, Ioan Fa­ber de missa ver [...]ger. sais that Saint Peter ordeyned first the order of the Masse or prayers, with whi­che the consecration is made, and that the holle world folowed the same order, and this was done by Peter at Antioche as the same Ioan Faber sais Than how is that true that saint Iames and Euse­bius made it at Ierusalem? nay how can any of these sayings agree with Platina one of y ^• Popes sworne men which affir­mes, that Pope Sixtus appoynted the Sanctus to be songe. Gregory the Kirie­eleeson: [Page] Telesphorus, Gloria in excelsis: Ierom the Epistle and Gospell. Leo the censing: Innocentius. i. the pax. Sergius the Agnus. &c whiche all lyued a greate sort of yeares a sunder, and from the first to the last, afore it could be patched toge­ther, it was six hundreth yere. For Gre­gory was Pope six hundreth yeare after Christ was borne. Other sortes of recke­ning there be, which Pope added whiche parte to the Masse, and they agree not on the names, but in the number of yeares there is no great difference: For it was seuen hundreth yeare after Christ afore they had perfectly patched it toge­ther, and brought it in estimacion as ap­peares by these reckninges. Where is now their. M. D. yeare they crake so mu­che on? whan they haue lerned to speake the truth, and agree among themselues: they maye better blame other that dooe not. I wil not lay all their lyes and disa­greeinges to their charge, for it were to longe, but whan they haue aunswered these, then they shall haue moe. In the meane tyme these are sufficient to lette them see that haue eyes, and be not wil­fully blinde, how vaine their bragginge lies be whan they crake that their super­sticion whiche they terme their religion, is so old: & that the contrary was neuer heards of vnto nowe a few yeares past.

[Page]There is another sutteller sort of Pa­pistes, and whan they see these thynges to be so foolyshe, that they haue no good grounde worke, nor able to be defended, they say, that Christ himself said the first masse: and yet that is as vntrue as the rest. For the reasons that I made a­gainst the canon of S. Iames (as they cal it) y ^e same may more iustly be applied for our Sauiour Christ. I am sure they will not say that he eate all alone, nor prayed to any saintes, nor what kind of masse it was, they are not able to shewe, and proue it so to be. I graunte, and most true it is: that our Sauiour Christ insti­tuted the holy communion, or the lordes supper (as sainct Paule calles it) but for anye thinge done by him to proue their masse I vtterly deny. In hys lasse supper be sacryficed not for the quicke and the dead as they doe in their masse: but that sacrifice was offred bi himself in his own body & bloudshed on the crosse, on good Fridaye, the next day after that he insti­tuted his holye supper, the night afore, and bad theym do that in remembraunce of him vnto his cominge againe. This is that whiche we desire all to folowe: this is that, whyche condemnes their masse: this is that, which we would haue all to eate and drinke of that bread and cuppe with the mynister, as he dydde wyth hys [Page] Apostles, and as Saint Paule willes the Corinthians to doe: and not one Priest to stande liftinge it ouer his heade to be worshipped, & the people to stand gasing at it, and be content with loking at it: & whan they receiue to take both the bread and the cuppe, and not to rob Gods peo­ple of the one halfe of his supper, y ^e bloud of our Sauiour Christ, which he shed for the laye people, as well as for Priestes: and badde theym drinke it, as well as the Priestes: for he loued theym, and dyed for theym as well as for the Prie­stes. And Priestes can no more saue them selues, than they can, but haue the same sauiour that they haue, and must goe to heauen the same waye that they doe.

And because they crake so proudly of the auncientye of their masse, let me see in what auncient writer they reade of it or finde the worde writen. I know they woulde faine haue the woorde to be He­brewe: but if it be so, it rather makes a­gainst them, than with them. For if it Masse. be a sacrifice of the Iewes, than it is ta­ken awaye by oure Sauyour Christ, and fulfilled by hym, as all other sacryfices of Moyses be▪ or els they be Iewes vsing those sacrifices, whych god forbad to vse at these dayes after the coming of christ▪ [Page] Thappostle to the Ebrewes sais, that if the Priesthode be taken away and trans­late to another sort, than the law is ta­ken Hebre. 7. away to: but the Priesthoode of Aa­ron is taken awaye and all his sacrifices (or elles Christe is comen in vaine) why than the lawe of sacrificing must be ta­ken away to, as Thapostle there sais. If they consider the nature of the He­brewe worde, they woulde not stryue so much about it. They glory muche that the name of their masse is Missah in E­brew, and shoulde be written deutero 16 & thereof should Missa come in latin, or els the Ebrew name to remaine still. The word Missah signifies a free will gift that a man offers willinglye vnto the lorde: and not only that which the Priestes of­fer of themselues, but also which any o­ther manne frelye bringes to be offered, Therfore if this word or place make for them, it proues that all maner of menne may say Masse: For euery manne maye willinglye bringe what he lust to offer: and than Priestes haue spunne a faire threde in alledginge this against theym selfes, and prouing that euery man may say their masse. But the word signifies also a lyftyng vp, as some do take it, and therfore they proue their eleuation by it. Thus they be driuen to hard shifts, that they can not well tell what to make of [Page] it. They are well content with eyther signification or both, if they might kepe it, for the one biddes menne bringe, and they would gladly take: the other to lyft vp as a sacryfice, and that maynetaynes their state. Reade the place, and than iudge the meaning. Thou shalt kepe the holye daye of wekes, sais Moises (that is Witsonday. vii. wekes after Easter) and Deut. 1 [...]. thou shalt bring a gift of thine own fre [...] wil, according to thy power as the lorde hais blessed thee with much or little.

This free gifte is called Missah, and the people must geue it: than if it make any thinge for masse, it makes also that the people should say masse: for they bring e­ [...]ery one this gift as they be able. The Priestes say not masse frelye but for mo­ney, and therefore it can not be called a [...]rewil gift on their part. But because they are delited with giftes, and wil not saye masse freelye, they rather grounde them selues hereon, that they maye not onely sel, but raise the price of them, and [...]ift it high ouer their heades, They may speake well of the Gospel if they would [...]r had any good natures in them. For their Masse was neuer so honoured, nor [...]t so great a price as the gospellers haue made it, at a hūdreth marks, where they will sell it for a grote, and God forbyd that euer it be better chepe. Surely if it [Page] be so good (as they report it to be) it is to good cheape yet, and they with sellynge so good cheape, haue brought it oute of estimation. A good thynge can not be to deare: and surely he that wil lie broi­lynge in purgatorye for sparinge. i. d. a grote, or x. s. for a trentall, he hais few frendes: & if he be able, to pay it and wil not, I wil neuer be sory for him, though he ly there stil. There is an other Ebrew word called Mas, that signifies a tribute, which may wel be applyed to it (because they be delited with auncient names, I shal helpe them) for it is the greatest taxe that euer was laid on y ^• world. Al princes heathen & christened laid together, neuer tooke such a tribute of the people, as the Pope and his collectours do by masse. For masse Princes haue geuen wholle countries, noble men their land, and the people their goods, they haue disherited their children, and impoueryshed theym selues to fede the Popes chaplains & bye masses. Alas deare penny worthes, forse vile a thing. The Ducthe word Messe helpes theym well to, whiche signifies a fre marte, or fare for al people to resorte to with all wares to bie and sell, and wyth suche lybertye, that those euyll menne whiche darre not, nor maye not come neare at other tymes wythoute daunger, than may frelye goe and come [Page] wythout harm, after that the market be [...] be ronge, as they vse. So is their masse. What ware so euer is brought for it, it is welcome, they refuse none, wolle, ba­con, chese, Freers neuer refused, and be he neuer so wicked, it is not denied him, It is a salue for all sores, and heales all wickednes and sorowes that fall eyther on manne or beast. They would faine haue it auncyent, and therefore they seke the olde Autours where the worde Missa may be founde. They allege Igna­tius, Clemens, Dionisius, Sozomenus. &c. where they woulde make menne be­leue it were red. In dede in translating these oute of Greeke, they vse the same worde, but he that hais redde his Greks grammer can sone vnderstand that there is no such worde in Greke. Therefore as Thinterpretour does foolyshlye vse the worde: so foolyshlye they folowe and beleue him: The woorde is latin, and is vsed in no latin wryter commenlye a­fore Gregorye the firste, who liued sixe hundreth yeare after Christe, saue twise or thryse onelye in Ambrose in hys E­pystle, and yet he lyued. CCCC. yeare Lib. 5 Epi­stula. 33. after Christe. Than they haue not so greate cause to crake of auncientye of the thinge, nor of the woorde, seynge neyther Ebrewe, Greeke, nor Latin, [Page] can be proued to haue such a word in su­che a signification, the space of four hun­dreth yere after Christ, no nor than ney­ther, for thoughe Ambrose vse the worde yet it signifies farre otherwaies, as Am­brose order of communion wel declares. I wil not stand to rehearse the manifold interpretacion of the latin woorde, and what the meaning of it is, least ye wold [...] laughe, herafter if occasion be geuen by them, I shal more fully entreat of it.

One thinge I woulde demaunde o [...] maister Proctour, and if his aunswere b [...] not ready, I am content he aske counsel, so that he aunswere substancially, that i [...] may abide triall. Good fridaye masse, why does it differ from all the yeare be­side? one of these iii. must nedes folowe▪ eyther that one masse only is good, & th [...] rest noughte, or the reste good, and tha [...] nought, or els (as I am sure he will saye [...] [...]oth are good. If bothe be good, tha [...] there may be diuers sortes of theym: I Good Fri­dayes Masse. there may be two diuers sortes, and bot [...] good, why may there not be a thirde or fourth as good? Why than maye not th [...] order now apointed in English be goo [...] to? On good friday there is neyther E­pistle, nor Gospel, Gloria in exelsis, n [...] Crede, Sanctus, nor Agnus, Canon n [...] priuity, crossing, toying, nor blowynge nor their woordes of consecration, pa [...] [Page] [...]or Ite missa est, not so much as Dominus v [...] ­bis cuna: but streight after confiteor, he leapes post haist ouer all, to the Pater noster. Surely if this be good one daye it maye be vsed oftner: and this agrees best with that that Gregory sais: Tha­p [...]stles consecrated onelye wyth the Lordes prayer: and therefore it seemes that if anye of their masses shoulde be good, that thys goes nexte to the best and simpliest sort, without all curiosi­tie. If they may doe all perfectlye this daye, without their canon, than their canon & priuitie is not of so great force as they make it to be For sure if this be well on this day, it maye be well on other dayes to, for God is no chaunge­lynge, nor he commaundes not one sort of communicatinge his supper to daye and another to morow, but alwaies su­che a one which agrees with his word. Their commen aunswere & solution is knowen, but it wil not serue: they must prouide better stucte, or els theyr doings be foolysh. But to make an ende of this great controuersye for thauncientye of their masse, ye shall heare it determined by a miracle from heauen. Whan there were diuers sortes of masses, as they be called, vsed in latin in diuers places, as at Millane and euery where almost ge­nerally there was vsed, Saint Ambrose [Page] order of Communion which there con­tinues to this daye, and Gregories or­der was vsed also in other places: the Pope to determine the matter, woulde trie whether should be alowed through his Dominion (For Gregories was not vsed at all in Fraunce) and it was thought shame that Ambroses order be­ing but a Bishop should be preferred to the Popes. Therfore he tooke eyther of their masse bookes as they terme them, in an Euening [...]aid them on the Altar, locked the Churche dodres, and desired god to declare by some miracle whether boke should be vsed generally of all sor­tes. In the morninge Gregories booke leaues were found scattred al y ^• Church ouer: and Ambroses lay stil: the doores be [...]nge fast locked all night (as he sais:) but wise men may doubt. This miracle maister Pope like a wise expounder of dreames sais, that as the leaues were forne and blowen abrode all the Chur­che ouer: so should Gregories booke b [...] vsed through out the world. For this was done by God, as well their greate God Bell, did eate vppe all the meat [...] that was set afore him al night as Da­niell writes. But that a man may no [...] be wiser than Mounser Pope, I woul [...] int [...]rprete this greate miracle thus: That God was angry with Gregories [Page] boke, and therefore rent it in pieces, and scattered it abrode: & the other as good, lay sound vntouched, and at the least so to be preferred. This was done by pope Adrian the first more than vii. C. lxxvii. yeares after Christ, and thus long their holy masse was in controuersy afore it was determined. Than it lackes much of M. D. as they vntruly and proudlye crake. These thinges are not writen by any new menne or heretikes as it plea­ses theym to terme theym, but by their own catholicke fathers: Durandus and Nauclerus. Yea Polychronic. lib. vii. ca x. writes that the white obseruāt mun­kes vse by their profession Sainct Am­brose order, and not Gregories euen at these dayes: wherefore their masse is not generall. I woulde they did make [...]n en [...] of liynge, that we myght [...]ake an ende of reprou [...]nge theym: and [...]oth ioyne together in worshipping the [...]uing God only, and beleuing his holy [...]ord afore al other. Saint Austin in [...] lyke controuersye of religion betwixt [...]m & y ^• Maniches praies thus. O great [...]nd almighty god & god of al goodnes, [...]hom we ought to thinke & beleue that [...]ou art inuiolable, incorr [...]ptible, and Retract. i. cap. xv. [...]mutable: O triple vnity which al the [...]urch does worshippe, I hauing expe­ [...]ence of thy mercye to warde me, praye [...]ee humblye, that thou w [...]te not suf­fer [Page] theym to dyffer from mee in thy religion, and worshippe of thee, with whom syns I was a childe I haue had a most speciall agrement in felowship of menne. Amen. God graunte vs all this to pray and diligentlye endeuoure our selues to seke this vnity of religion in worshipping the liuinge God onelye as he hais taught vs in his holy word, and no other waies, for his sonnes sake, our lord and christ, So be it.

As the rest of al their doctrine is foun­ded on the Pope so is this. This is their subtility to make men belcue that Eng­land hais euer receyued y ^• christian fait [...] & religion frō Rome: & therfore we mu [...] fetch it from thence still: which are bot [...] most vntrue. If nothing els would, this one saying proues him to be vnlearned that thus sais: Gildas our country man in his history sayes, that Britane recei­ued the Gospel in the tyme of Tiberius the Emperour vnder whom Christ suf­fred. Does not Tertulian who lyued [...] the same time of this Pope write in h [...] [Page] booke against the Iewes thus: Thapo­stles Englande receiued no the fayth first from Ro. bu [...]n Thapostles tyme. are declared in Dauids Psal. to be the Preachers of Christ. Their sounde he sais went oute in all the earth, and their woordes vnto the roastes of the earth. In whom els haue all people be­leued but in christ which is now comen. Whom haue other people beleued: the Parthians, the Medes, the Persians, they that dwell in Mesopotania, Iurie, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrigia, Pamphilia, Egipt, and the parts of Li­bia about Cyrene, the straungers of R▪ y ^• Iewes, Proselites, men of Crete & A­rabia: and other people, as now the di­uerse sortes of the Getes, and manye coastes of the Murrians, al the boūders of Spaine, diuerse nations of Fraunce, and the places of the Britanes, whiche the Romaines coulde neuer attaine to, nowe are subiect to Christ, and the pla­ces of Sarmatia, of the Danes, the Germanes, the S [...]ithians, and of many other hid people and prouinces, & ma­nye Iles vnknowen to vs▪ and whiche now we can not recken. In all which places reanes the name of Christ which is now comen: Thus ferre Tertullian. Marke in how many countries, he sais the name of Christe reaned, it was so commenly and well beleued: and howe amonge theym, he reckens the wildest [Page] places of the Britaines to be of the nū ­ber: and these were chrystened in hys time, who liued in the same Pope Elu­therius time. Than it was not Pope Elutherius that first sende the christian faith hither, but they had receyued the Gospell afore he was borne? does not some Chronicles tell that Ioseph of A­rimathia, came hither & preached here? no doubt eyther he or some Apostle, or scholer of theirs hadde preached Christ here, and he was receyued and beleued afore this Pope was borne. Beda wri­tes that in his time & almost a thousand yeare after Christ, here in Britaine Ester was kept in the full moone what daye in the weeke so euer it fell on, and not on the sonday after as we do now Wherfore it appeares that these Preachers Polychronic. lib. 5. ca. 17. came from the Easte parte of the world where it was so vsed, rather than from Ro. whiche condemned that vse Parauenture Elutherius helpt to encrease it, and sende some Preachers hyther, but that he was the firste, can not be proued: yet woulde to God the [...] woulde folowe that Gospell, religion Lawes, and Counsell that Elutherius gaue kynge Lucius. But letts it [...] graunted theym, that Elutherius esta­blyshed relygion in Englande: will [...] make any thinge for their purpose: red [...] [Page] the Popes Epystle to the Kynge, and than iudge. There is greate contro­uersye what time thys kynge lyued (as appeares in Fabians table) and there­fore a frowarde manne myght doubt, whether anye suche thinge were or not: but I will not deale so preciselye wyth him.

In the yeare from Christes passion. Clxix. the Lorde Elutherius Pope wrote thus to Kynge Lucius Kinge of Elutherius Epistle to kyng Lu­cius. Britaine, for the correction of the kinge and his nobles of the Realme of Bri­taine.

Ye requyred of vs the Romane lawes and the Emperours, to be sent ouer to you, the whiche ye woulde practyse and put in vre within your Realme. The Romane lawes and the Emperoures, we maye euer reproue, but the lawe of God, we maye not. Ye haue recey­ued of late throughe Goddes mercye in the Realme of Brytaine, the lawe, and sayth of Chryste: ye haue wyth you in the Realme, bothe the partes of the Scryptures: oute of theym by Goddes grace, wyth the Counsell of youre Realme, take ye a lawe, and by that lawe (throughe Goddes sufferance rule youre Kyngedome of Brytaine. For ye [...]ee Goddes Uycarre in youre [Page] kingdome, accordinge to the sayinge of the Psalme. &c. O God geue thy iudge­ment to the king, and thy righteousnes to the kinges sonne. He saide not the iudgement and righteousnes of Them­perour, but thy iudgement and iustice, that is to saye of God. The kynges sonnes be the christian people, and folke of the Reame, which be vnder your go­uernement, and liue and contine we in peace within your kingdom as the gos­pell sais: Like as the henne gathers her chickins vnder her winges, so does the kyng his people. The people and folke of the Realme of Britaine be youres, whome if they be deuyded, ye ought to gather to concord and peace, to cal them to the fayth, and lawe of christe, and to the holye churche, to cherish and main­taine them, to rule and gouerne them, and to defend them alwais from theym that wold doe them wrong, from mali­cious men and enemies. &c. A king hais his name of ruling, and not of hauinge a Realme. Thou shalt be a kyng while Rex a re­gendo, non a regno. thou rulest well: but if thou do not, the name of a king shall not remaine with thee, and thou shalt loose it, which god forbid. Thalmighty God graunt you so to rule the Rea [...]me of Britaine, that ye may raigne with him for euer, whose [Page] vicar ye be in the Realme, thus far the Epistle. Marke I praye you what thys good Pope grauntes, and whether he be of this peuishe Proctours opinion or of his holye Byshops that he crakes so much on. First he wils him not to take the Romaines lawes to rule his realme by, for they maye euer be reproued, but to make lawes accordinge to the scrip­ture, which neuer can iustlye be gaine, said, and by them to rule. Further he cals the kinge Gods vicar twise in this letter: thirdlye he sais the kinge ought to call the people to the faith of christ. How can Papistes than be disobedient to kings, whan they see the Pope graūt so much to kinges? the Pope calles the king gods vicar: and our Papistes deny it, and say the Pope is Gods vicar. The Pope biddes rule by the Scripture, and refuses his owne lawes: but oure holye Byshoppes saye Scriptures make her­retikes, and will be subiect to no lawes but the Romaines. Lastly he charges kinges to bring the people to the faith: but oure spiritualitye saye, kinges haue nothing adoe in Ecclesiastical matters, nor religion. They sticke much on aun­cientie, and the Popes autority: and yet those godly thinges which godly aunci­ent Popes haue sayde and decreed, they can not abyde, because it takes a waye [Page] their autority and pride. Platina and Polychronicon wryte that this Pope decreed that no manne shoulde refuse anye meate that manne eates: yf thys Pope say true, why haue we than com­maunded vppon paine of deadlye sinne by Papists, so many supersticious kinds of fastinges & forbearing meates at cer­tayn times. If they be not supersticious (because they wolde bind the conscience with them and make it sinne to breake theim) let theym proue it by the Scrip­ture to be godly. If they be catholickes that beleue and folowe the Pope, why are we called heretikes in beleuing and teachynge that whyche the Pope hais written? yf they wil be called the Popes darlynges, why doe they denye the Po­pes writynges: If true religion was stablyshed here by this Pope, why than does this scauinger sweepe the stretes wyth contrarye doctrine to this Pope, and with false lyes. If they would haue vs beleue and honoure the Pope, they must first beginne theyw selfes. Who will thinke that he geues good counsell & would haue men to folow him, which will be y ^e first y ^• wil do & teach contrary to his own sayings: these holy Byshops of oures, honoure their Pope in suffe­ringe for him, that neuer will thanke theym, and saye, they woulde haue all [Page] to doe the same: yet they themselfes are the firste that teache and dooe contrary to this Pope, and many other of the el­dest forte, in all suche thinges as please them: and so they wyll correct hym ra­ther than folowe the auncienst and best of theym.

As I noted afore, they deryue al their religion from Ro. to make men beleue that place (whiche is a sinke of all sinne and esteamed of none, but theym that knowes it not) to be the fountaine of all godlynesse. But as I declared afore, that they forsake all the auncient good­nes in Rome, so shall I by thys Popes doinges to, lette the worlde see if they will, that in mainetaynynge the Pope in wordes, by outward apperance they [Page] vtterly denye him in their dedes: & they onely pike out of the filthiest of theym, that which may maintaine their super­sticion, pride and tyrannye. That the Saxons inuaded and obteyned thys Realme for the sinnes of the countrye, it is to plain, but whether Austin plan­ted true religion the Doctors may dout, and his dedes will proue. It were to longe to write all that Galfridus Bri­tanicus in his historie wrote about the yeare of our lord. M. C. L. in the latter ende of his viii. booke. ca. iiii. Howe the holye learned Byshops withstoode the teachinge of Austin at his coming into the Realme, and the Popes autoritye that send him: but these few woordes of his are sufficient to declare their mind. In the meane while was Austin sende of Gregorye, he sais, into Britayne to preache the word of God, to Thenglysh menne, which almost had driuen out all christian religion of that part of the I le where they dwelt in Kent: but amonge some of the Britains, the faith of christ did yet florish, and there were. vii. Bys­shoppes, and an Archbyshop, and many holy Prelates and Abbayes remaining whiche taught their flocke the right or­der. At Bangor in one churche were MM. C. munkes, whiche gets their ly­ninge wyth their handes: their Abbot [Page] was called Dineth. Whan Austin re­quired of the Byshops subiection, Di­noth proued by diuers argumentes that they ought him none. Than Edelbert King of Kent perceiuing that the Brit­tans disdained to submit them selues to Austin he sturred vp the other Saxons kings to fight against Dinoth and hys clarkes. They gathered a great armye, and came to Westchester where Bre­mael was Maior. The munkes and He­remites met him there to praye for the safegarde of their people. Eldefridus The best witstoode Austin the Popes le­gate. king of Northumberlande, faught with Bremael, and slewe. M. CC. Munkes, and had manye of his owne men slaine. Than the Dukes of Britaine hearing of his cruelty: Blederic Duke of Corn­wal, Margadu [...] Duke of Southwales. Caduane Duke of Northwales came and fought with him, and slewe tenne thousande of his men, and about. lrvi. mo: and Blederic that was the graund captaine was slaine there. Thus farre sais he. First marke here that the chris­stened Britains wold not submit them selues to Austin the Popes Legate, as they that had fallen from religion did: Secondly that so many Munkes lyued not idle, but wrought for their lyuinge: Thirdly note the olde practyse of Papi­stes, to shede bloud cruelly if their supe­riority [...] [Page] be denied theim. Polychronicon lib. v. cap. ix. and Fabian ca. Cxix. write all this same in effect, and also further that Austin called a counsell for stabli­shing his religion, and whan the Bys­shoppes asked Dinoth whether they should go to it or no: he said, they should go and obey him, if he behaued himselfe lowly like a disciple of Christ. His low­lines they should trie, if he woulde rise and reuerence them whan they come in to the counsell. But whan Austin gaue no reuerence to them at their cominge, they were angrye, and wente their wayes. Amonge other thinges marke also the pride of the Ro. Legates, that would not as much as make any kynde of curtesy to so many byshops cominge to the counsel. Gildas which writing lamentes this miserable destruction of Britaine by bringinge in the Sarons, and complaines as muche of the decay and neglectinge of religion as of wic­ked liuinge, in al sortes of menne from the highest to the lowest, to be the cause of this plage of God, and ouerthrow of the Realme. He sharplye rebukes the Kinges, but Priestes and Byshoppes rather more, than anye other sorte of menne: so that it seames to be a double plage, both in bringinge straungers to [Page] rule, and straunge religion to blinde vs wythall. And because they crake so much of y ^• religion that Austin brought in, ye shall see what he vsed. There be [...]. xi. questions written in the latter ende of Gregories woorkes in latin whyche Austin beinge in England desired Gre­gory Pope of Rome, to wryte hym his minde and opinion in them. The. iii. question is this, whiche Polichronicon also touches. Lib. v. Ca. ix. Why seyng there is but one faith, there be diuerse customs of Masses in the Churches: and one custome is in Fraunce, and another in Rome. To this Gregory aunsweres that Austin shoulde pike out of the Ro­myshe Church or the French Church or any other, the best, & vse them in Eng­lande. Marke here I pray you the be­ginninge and auncienty of their masse here in Englande, and the pat [...]inge it together, and beggerly piking it out of al countries, & also that the pope did not condemne those diuers kindes of masses as our butchers haue, and burned them that gain said it: and than aske my mai­sters that so shamefullye lie and proud­ [...]ye crake their masse to be M. D. yeare olde, whither these sainges be truely al­ledged or no. But beleeue neyther mee nor theym, looke youre booke [Page] of Gregory, and iudge youre selfe who Austyn [...] christening lies. Fabian also writes cap. C. xix. and Cxxx that this Austin christned the peo­ple in the riuer called Swale, in Swal­dale not far from yorke: and that Pau­linus, in steede of fontes, at the same time (who was one of those whom Gre­gorye sente from Ro. hither to preache here) baptised manye also both in the same riuer and in another cald Gweni: in Gwensedale in yorke shire to, was it lawfull than to christen without halo­winge of fontes, yea withoute fontes, wythout crossinge, blowinge, censinge, saltinge, spittinge, oyle and chreame. & [...] and nowe is not, who hais made it vn­lawfull sins? Are we heretikes in doing it withoute coniured water, as Austin did, whom they so much commend. Nay we doe it not, nor wishe it to be done in the Riuer as they did, but in the Chur­che. Are they worthy to be called Papi­stes, and glorie so much in it, which will not folow the Popes legate, nor alow his doinges, and dispraise them that d [...] as he did. I speake not this because [...] woulde be called a Papist, or make the Pope my schole maister, but that w [...] would not vntrulye be called forsaker [...] of true religion and auncient custome of the churche, whan we haue the old [...] Popes and auncient Romishe Church [Page] to teache and alow that which we do.

And because this scauinger crakes so muche of his holye Byshoppes that suf­fer so great paines for disobeyinge their Prince, and cleauinge to their holy fa­ther the Pope, they that be not wilfully blinde, shall see here that there is none more enemye to that vsurped power of the Pope, claimynge to be aboue other Byshops and Princes, nor to that blas­phemous name to be called the vniuer­sall Byshop of the whole Church, than this Gregory was as fully appeares in sundrye places of his workes. In hys time beganne this ambitious desire to crepe into the minde of Ioan Archebis­shop of Constantinople, to be called the head byshop of the world, because Mau­rice then Emperoure, and heade aboue many Prynces, lay than at Constanti­nople, and not at Rome, as his aunce­toures did for the most parte: while the Emperour lay at Rome, the Byshoppe there was more reuerenced, than other Byshoppes were as it is in all commen welthes where so euer the Prince lies: therfore he thought that like as whan [...]hēperour lay at Rome y ^• Bishop was preferred aboue other (because comenly Princes will haue the learneder sorte here him) so he thought that the Empe­roure Neyther Pope no [...] other ought [...] be called [...]he vniuersal [...]or head bis­hop of all. nowe lyinge at Constantinople, [Page] that that Byshoppe should likewise be estemed, and therfore he caused Them­perour to write to Gregorye Byshop of Ro. in this behalfe and that he shoulde submit himselfe to the Byshop of Con­stantinople. Gregory aunsweres diuers of Themperours letrers sharplye, god­lily, wisely, and learnedly, sayinge that neyther he at Ro. nor the other at Con­stantinople, nor no other in anye place shuld chalenge to him that proud name nor autority aboue other. None of my predecessors sais Gregory wold vse this cursed name (to be called the vniversall Byshoppe of all) for if one Patriarche Lib. 4. epi­sto [...]. [...]. shoulde bee called vniuersall, than the name of Patriarches shoulde be taken from other: but God kepe this far from a Christian mind, that any man should chalenge that to himselfe, whereby he might anye thinge at all diminishe the honour of his brether. Note that he sais none of his predecessours vsed this cur­sed name: Than in hys tyme it began to be desired: than also they lie, sayin [...] that Christ gaue this autority of being aboue other, to Peter and his successor [...] from time to time, he calles it also [...] wicked and cursed name, wherein the [...] glory, and so muche desire, wicked and cursed therfore is he that hais it or de­sires it, be sais further, they doe thei [...] [Page] brether wronge in takyng that honour from them that is due to them, whiche is to bee of like power and autoritye with theym: If any manne now a days shuld write thus, he wold be cald a rai­ler a foole, a prater, &c. But seing this good Pope, sais so to thē, let them take it among them, and beleue their Pope Lib. 7. E [...] 30. C [...] ▪ 19▪ for it is true. Againe he saies: I saye boldlye that whosoeuer calles himselfe or desires to be called the vniuersall Priest, in his pride he runnes afore An­tichrist: bycause in being proud he pre­ferres himselfe aboue other. This is their partes than that they playe, to be Antichristes forerunners, or rather to be Antichrist himself. Much good doe it them with their Popes that so rewards their folowers: and seinge their maister geues theym that name, they maye bee glad of it, and neyther refuse it, nor be angry with them that so call theym. It were an easy thinge to take many such like sayinges oute of other Doctoures, but because be cries oute so ofte of this holys fathers religion. I kepe me with in his comepasse, and alledge his wri­tinges Lib. 4. E [...] ­stola. 76. onelye Gregorye in his Epistle to Maurice Themperour amonge ma­nye other wordes sais thus. Who is this that against the ordinaunce of the Gospell, and agaynste the decrees of [Page] the canons presumes to take this newe name: lette this blasphemous name be farre from christen mennes hartes to be called the vniuersal Byshoppe, by whi­che the honoure of all Priestes is taken away, whan it is folishly clamed of one manne. This name was offered in the Synode of Chalcedome to the Ro­myshe Byshoppe, but none of them did take this name of singularitye, nor dyd agree to vse it: least while anye priuate thinge shoulde be geuen to one manne, all Priestes shoulde bee robbed of their due honour. He is to be bridled which does wronge to the vniuersall Church, which by this priuate name settes him selfe aboue the honour of your Empire &c. thus much Gregory. I maruail that the later Popes scraped not these say­inges out of Gregories woorkes, or els condemned not his bookes for heresye, seing he does so plainly condemne their proude Prelacy. But surelye as God hais preserued the true texte of the Bi­ble by the Iewes that are his enemies to the comforte of his people. So for the glorye of his name, he hais saued the writinges of good Popes, to condemne the foolishnes of the late presumptuous tyrannye of Popes after their times.

Remember that he calles it a blasphe­mous name, and that it is againste the [Page] gospell and Canons, that it was neuer vsed, and is a wronge to all the rest. Thus many yeares it was vi. Cv. afore the pope hadde anye supremacy graun­ted him? but streight after his death, whan Phocas hadde murdered Them­perour Maurice his maister, and made himself Emperour, Pope Boniface the iii. & iiii. obteined at his hand that Ro. & the byshop there should be the head of other churches and Byshoppes. A mete manne to set vp a Byshop like himself: the one murdered his maister, and tho­ther kill [...]s soules. Whan they haue aunswered this Pope that denies anye of his predecessours to haue hadde this name and autority than thei may crake that they haue had it. M. D. sins Saint Peters time. ‘And where he sais in the latter ende that whan the people fe [...]le from this relygion that Gregory send, and Austin brought in,’ they felt greate calamites by the conquest of the Danes and the Normans: if he had aduised him selfe well he would not haue said thus. But as Caiphas prophecied truly, say­ing: that it was necessary that one man Christ should die for the people, and not all perishe, not vnderstanding what he saide: so this vnlearned Proctour hais spoken more truely than he wotes of.

For God in deede plaged this Realme [Page] for fallinge from true religion taught in his holy word, rather than by Austin & submittinge them selfes to the Pope, who as ye heard, refused that name and autoritye. The conquest of the Danes was not longe nor greate, but than fo­lowed the Normans. D. yeare sins saue fiue. And if ye marke euen about that tyme was Hildebrande, commenly cald Gregorye the. vii. Pope, who with his felowes brought more wicked super sticion into the church of God than euer was afore. Afore his time there was no swarme of idle munkes and Freers in Englande, nor in the worlde, but they wroughte for their liuynge, no suche gaddinge of Pilgrimages, sellynge of Masses. &c. And therefore God iustlye plaged the world for falling from him, and defilynge theym selues so filthilye with the dregges of Poperye. I speake not this bicause I thinke all was well afore, or that all the doinges of Grego­rye and Austin were perfecte, but to lette you see that oure Papystes leaue the beste, and pyke oute the worst to folowe, as metest for their purpose.

‘Now whether the people of thys Reame be declyned from the steppes of Sainct 5 [Page] Austin and other blessed fathers and Sauntes, whych hadde Masse and vii. Sacramentes in the Churche, and God was honoured night and daye in the Churche wyth deuyne seruyce, I thynke there is no man so simple, but he maye easelye perceyue, except ma­lyce haue blynded hys hearte’ As in Saint Paules Churche in London, by the decrees of blessed Fathers eue­rye nyght at Mydnyght, they hadde Matty [...]s, all the fore none Masses in the Churche, wyth other deuyne ser­uyce and contiuuall prayer, and in the Steple antimes and prayers were ha [...] certayne tymes.

That the people of this Realme be swarued from the steppes of Austin I wyll not greatlye stycke wyth hym to graunte: but how? not in fallynge from anye goodnesse that he vsed (for that they eyther keepe styll or the better in stede of it) but in refusynge suche abu­ses as he fyrste beganne, and synce hys tyme the Churche of Goode hays bene ouer loden by the Popes oppressi­on withall. And because he says that we swarue from Austin and other bles­sed Fathers and Saintes which hadde masse, and vii. sacramentes, who those Fathers and Saintes be, I woulde he [...]adde named theym, that it myghte [Page] be sene how truly he sais. I thinke he durst not, nor yet can, least he be taken with a lowd lie. I thinke he meanes that Austin which is called thapostle of Englande, and not that other Austin, which is taken for one of the iiii. Doc­tors of the Churche. There is great dif­ference betwixt them two, both in aun­cientye of time, in learninge and god­lynesse. Thenglysh Austin lyued here vi. C. yeare after Christe, the other in Aphric. CCCC. and that the elder Au­stin and blessed fathers afore him agree better with our reformed religion than with their Popery. I boldlye affirme and if hee or his partakers haue or can saye anye thinge to the contrarye, they shoulde proue it better, than they haue done hitherto, or elles the worlde maye iudge that they more proudlye brag (as Golias did Gods people) than can tru­ly i. kyng. 17 proue it. But as Dauid wyth his slinge and stone ouercome that mighty Giaunt, so I doubt not, but they shall finde many, that with the simplicitye of Gods trueth shall be able to confounde their wicked subtilitye. I am sure he meanes chefelye the doctrine of the sa­crament of Christes bodye and bloude▪ but in that he is already ouer matched. I remember in the time of that blessed kinge Edwarde the. vi. D. Kidlay late [Page] Bishop of London came in visitacion to Camebridge, and because that doctrine of the Sacrament semed straunge than to manye, he propounded this proposi­cion to the hole vniuersitye to dispute on. That it could not be proued by any auncient writer, Greke or latin, which liued a thousande yeare sins, or within D. yeare after Christ that the substance of the bread was chaunged in the sacra­ment to the substaunce of Christes bo­dye. There was the eldest and stoutest champions of the bole vuiuersitye, and the pertest lustye yonge princockes also that coulde be pyked out, to saye what they coulde. ii. or iii. dayes together: and one while they hadde liberty to speake what they could in defence of it, and an other whyle to speak against them that w ^tstode it with what reasons or autori­ties they could deuise. But the pithy so­lutions of that godlye learned Byshop were so strōg than, that vnto the world chaunged, his enemies praised him, and wondert at his learnyng, and liked the doctrine so well that their lusty yonker would haue turned Bishop Crammers boke into latin, yea & maried to (as was nedefull) if the good Kinge had liued a while longer. If this be true in the che­fest point of their religion (as it is most true in deede) that they haue not one [Page] auncient writer without wraistinge to seme to make for them, it is much more true in the rest. There is another confe­rence of late betwix the reuerēd Bishop of Sarum, and D. Coole wherein that learned father laies to their charge that for the rest of their trashe (whiche they reuerence as bolye reliques) they haue neyther Scripture, auncient writer, Doctor, nor generall counsell, to defend their doinges. The writinges of good Crammer, and these learned Byshops are in print, and yet vnconfuted, and in strength, althoughe one attemted with small praise of late to defende D. Coles parte, but if they coulde haue gainstand it, no manne doubtes of their good wil. They neede not to feare their recogni­sans, fire nor fagot, nor anye punnyshe­ment accordinge as they deserue, theyr bloudy lawes are laid on slepe, though their hartes be bloudy still.

And because he but onely names par­ticularly masse and. vii. Sacramentes, and proues it not to bee so, I will not vse many wayes in desprouing it, for he is not a man of that autority, learning nor credite, that because he sais it is so, therefore streight it must be so & be be­leued: For I maye saye it is not so wyth as good reason as he, yf sayinge wythoute proofe were sufficient. For [Page] their masse I saide inoughe afore, and proued of what auncienty it was. I de­clared afore how Gregories masse boke was allowed vii. C. lxxvii. yeares after Christ: and also how Austin by Grego­ries commaundement oute of suche dy­uerse orders of massinge as ye see in o­ther Countries patched their order of masse together, that they vsed here in Englande. Seing than by their owne Doctours confession it is manifest to be so many yeares after Christ afore their masse tooke place here or els where. I may boldlye saye that neuer one holye father afore Gregory knew nor alowed anye suche kinde of massinge: for than was no suche thinge made nor vsed. These vnto they be aunswered are suf­ficient.

For their vii. sacramentes I wil not saye muche at thys tyme, because he standes not anye thynge in the proofe of theym The question is meter for the learned sorte than the people to try out such narow points. The controuersy is more about the woorde and name than the thynge it selfe, and vse of it.

Wee vse vi. of theym that he calles Sacramentes as well as they, thoughe not without great reason, we forbeare to call theym all Sacramentes, and differ muche in the doctrine, the order [Page] and vsinge of theym, with other cere­monies and language than they do. Baptisme, the lordes supper, confirma­tion of Children, mariage, orderinge of ministers, we vse thē al as wel as they, thoughe not in the same sort that they, and teache the people to haue theym in reuerence better than they. Confession is left free to all that fele theym selues burdened in conscience, and wante ey­ther counsell or comfort, and the weake and ignoraunt, are moued to resorte to a learned minister to receyue the com­fortable promises of absolution and for­geuenes of sinne by the liuely worde of God applied to so troubled a minde as a souerain salue for al such grefes. The only controuersye in number than be­twix vs is for extreme vnction whether that be so necessary to be obserued con­tinually in the churche. The cheife rea­son whereon they ground it, is the sai­ynge of Saint Iames. If any be sicke Iam, v. let him call the elders of the congrega­cion and let them pray for him, annoin­tinge him with oyle in the name of the lord. &c. The other place of saint Marke Mar. vi. where the Apostles vsed oile in healing the sicke, thoughe they allege it, it pro­ues not their purpose, euen as their owne Doctours teache. Than was a time of miracles, and God gaue that [Page] power of healynge diseases to confirme VVhether extreme vnction be a sacrament or no. his gospell withall: now it is not law­full to looke for suche miracles. If they wey the wordes of Saint Iames well, they wil not so much glory in that their sacrament. Saint Iames biddes theym annoint hym wyth oyle. I aske them with what oyle? I meane not whether with oile Oliue, or lampe oile, or other kinde of oile (althoughe that question can not be aunswered out of the text of the scripture, & yet according to the ge­neral rule) I graunt that where oile a­lone is named, there is ment oile oliue) but whither it be halowed & consecrate oile, or commen and vnhalowed? I trust they will not saye vnhalowed: for than their holy sacrament should stand on an vnhalowed thinge, which is a great in­conuenience, than if it muste be conse­crated. I aske with what wordes, and after what sort must it be done? there is no wordes of consecration for the oile in Saint Iames, nor in anye place of the Scripture. If there be, let them shew them: but their owne Doctours say that there is none. Than it must be halowed with woordes of their owne deuisinge: why than folowes it consequently, that man is better than God which is blas­phemy to graunt. It is a greater might and power to make a holy thinge than [Page] to make the vnholy and bare thinge it selfe, as the baker makes the bread, but Christes holy ordinaunce sanctifies the breade in his holye supper, but in thys their sacrament, God shoulde make the oile, and the Byshoppe shoulde make it holye. And because they stycke so stif­lye that all consecrations stand in spea­kinge certayne woordes. I aske what those wordes be, where they be taught in the Scriptures, and whether manne haue power of hys owne head, to make a thinge holyer than God haies done, and to deuise the woordes himselfe, al­so wherewith it shalbe consecrated and made so holye? the Scripture hays no suche wordes, and that manne shoulde deuyse those holye wordes, is great ab­surditie. Whan these are aunswered▪ more maye be replyed against them. A­gaine I demaund what Scripture they haue to proue that Byshoppes onelye must halow this oile: for those that be sacramentes in dede, as Baptisme and the L. supper euerye Priest hais autori­tye to vse, minister, and consecrate them accordynge to their holye institutyon, and dooe all that belonges thereto as well as the Byshoppe. Is this they Sacramente of an oylinge more holy than the other, because Byshoppes a [...] more holye menne are put to the doing [Page] and consecratynge of the oile? Yet one doubte more. They haue. ii. sortes of Oile to annoint withall, differinge in holynesse, consecration, and vse of them, and yet both halowed by the bis­shoppe. One is of Oyle and Balsam blend together, whiche is called com­menlye oile and Chreame wherewyth Byshoppes and Priestes in their conse­cratinge, and Children are anointed in Christenynge: and that is more holy, than thys for sycke persons is, for this is Oyle alone withoute other thinges blend thereto, as their maister teaches. Ma. sen­tentiar. li. 4 disti. 23. What scripture is there for these toies, and the consecratinge of them. Saynct Paule sais that our meate is sanctified by the word and prayer: but I trust they will graunt a better consecration than this, and more holines in that oile than in our daily meate. But howe wil they proue it? Further euery sacrament hais a promise anexed of god working some spiritual grace by thē, in the receyuer: bere is none such, but S. Iam. sais the faithful prayer shal heale the sicke man. The promyse here named is corporall, bodily health, and is attributed to prai­er, and not to their sacrament. Than as the promise is corporall, so was this Oyle a corporall medicyne and Salue [Page] for diseased bodies: althoughe I doubte not but than by such godly prayers and exhortacions god wrought a spirituall grace inwardly. Nothinge was more commenly vsed for weake and wearye bodies than oile in all those countries, and nothinge does more ease the paines of the sicke bodye than these supplinge oiles: therefore partlye for the custome of the Countrye, partly for the holsome strength and medicinable nature of oile and partly for an outwarde signe of an inward grace wrought by God (while that gift of healinge diseases did conti­nue in Christes Churche) Saint Iames biddes them call the elders, anoint him with oile in the name of the lorde, and the faithful prayer shall heale the sycke person, but what does that belonge or howe is it to bee applied to oure dayes where no suche gift is: I woulde faine make an ende of their foolishnesse if it had any ende. Their owne Doctors teache further that this annointing ta­kes not away mortall sinne, but venial onelye, and that it must not be vsed as longe as there is hope of life in the sicke Ioan d [...] Sco [...]us. 4 sen­ten. di­stic. 23. person, than by their own doctrine it is not so holye a Sacrament nor a Sacra­ment at all: Their opinion holdes that Sacramentes doe both gene grace and forgeue sin, and should be geuen onelye [Page] to theym that haue vse of reason to re­pent for their sinnes, and call on God for his mercye, beynge not children, but comen to full age, this does not so, nor is so vsed by their owne doctrine, and therefore no sacramente.

The Popes holy water is as good, or better, as this their sacrament by this doctrine: for he sais that his coniured water canne forgeue veniall sinne, and driue away deuils to. Than after their owne teachinge this their sacrament is not so good as the Popes holye water, for it can driue away deuils, beside for­geuinge veniall sinne, whiche this oy­linge can not. But thus to teache is to blaspheme God in makinge Goddes Sacramentes woorse than the Popes dregges. To conclude thautority and auncienty of this their sacrament from whence it comes, and what it is, Poly­chroni. teaches lib. v. Ca. v. that Pope Felir. iiii. Graundsir to Pope Gregori­es father (marke whether he was mari­ed or no) ordeined the sycke to be anoin­ted with oile. If ye loke for greater au­tours Uolaterram teaches the same: but I had rather proue it by their own doc­tours, because they call other, newe fe­lowes: thā christ taught it not. Forther where he charges vs with declynynge from the steppes of blessed fathers whi­ [...]he [Page] ordeyned in Paules, mattins to be had at midnight, all forenoone Masses and in the steple antems: these thinges we do not onely not deny, for we do not count suche supersticious Idolaters to be oure fathers in religion, but we re­ioise and praise God for our deliuerance from such supersticion. They crake mu­che of blessed fathers, and yet name not who they be, but much it shall not skill for their dedes wil proue their holines: what great holynes was thys, to haue mattins at midnight, when folke were on slepe in their beds. Is not commen praier to be had at such houres whā the people might resort commenly vnto it Midnyghte Mattins. cōueniently: if midnyght be such a time most conuenient, let the world indge. I graunt in the primatiue church gods people hadde their prayers earlye afore day, because at other tymes, they were not suffred, but in those assembles were not onelye munkes or Priestes, but all sortes and degrees of men were gathe­red to pray, here Sermons, and receiue the Sacramentes: for at other times of the day, they durst not for the great­nes of persecution. In Paules and Ab­bayes at their midnight prayers were none commenlye, but a fewe ballynge Priestes, yonge queristers and nouyces whyche vnderstode not what they said, [Page] the elder sort kept their beddes, or were woorse occupyed. A prayer not vnder­stande in the hart, but spoken with the lippes, is rather to be counted praiting and ballyng, than prayinge wyth good deuotiō. The elder sort both in Cathe­drall Churches and Abbaies almost ne­uer came at their midnyghte prayer: it was thought inough to knolle the bel­les, and make menne beleue that they rose to praye: therefore they haue not so much to crake of this their doinge. The Papistes haue a rule of their owne ma­kynge, to say their mattins in, which I thinke was a great cause of these early mattins, and also of saying theym ouer night, Ante tempus meritum, in tempore debitum, post tempus peccatum. To saye Mattins, afore the tyme due is a merit, to saye them in due time it is duty: but after the appoincted time is sinne. But as all their religion is of their own de­uysynge, so is their rewarde: God hais made them no suche promise, and ther­fore they can clayme nothynge at hys handes.

For their continuall massynge afore noone, we prayse Godde that hais de­lyuered vs from it, as a thynge con­trarye to hys holye wyll and ordy­nance: Saint Paule sayes, that whan [Page] they came together to eate the Lordes supper, they shoulde tarye one for ano­ther, but these shorne shaueling shame­les priestes: woulde neyther receyue to­gether one of theym with another, nor yet let the people haue anye part with oore none masses. them. Enery one wold crepe into a cor­ner to an aultar alone, there lifte vppe on highe, eate and drinke vp all alone, sell good penyworthes, and blesse them with the emptye Chalice. Than all was well as they thought, and Godde well serued, but to breake Gods Com­maundemente of receiuinge together, they passed not of it, so that thei might folowe their owne deuyse. I know their shift in writhyng this text to their pur­pose, and sayinge that Saint Paule spake this of that feast whych they vsed than to haue: whan they receiued the communyon: but that wrasting wil not serue for both for that feast and al other kind of eating, to fil theyr belly, s. Paul gaue that Commaundemente that fo­lowes: If any man be an hungred, lette him eate at home: haue ye not houses i. corint ii. to eat and drinke in? or do ye despise the congregacion of God: seynge that Paul speakes there but of twoo sortes of ea­tynge, the one for hunger to fille their belies, the other fedynge the soule with the spirituall foode of Chrystes bodye [Page] and bloude: for nouryshinge and feding our weake bodyes, he byddes vs eat at home: but for the liuelye foode of oure soules, in the sacrament of his body and bloud, he biddes vs tary one for another for it is the seale and band of brotherlye loue as well as the sacrament of Chri­stes bodye and bloud. Euery piller in the Churche commenlye had his altar, euerye altar his priest, and his God, to whome the Altars were dedicate: thus like menne, not regarding Gods com­maundement, they folowed their owne deuises, and yet hauing the truth reue­led, they harden their heartes, and stop their cares, that they will not learne.

For climbing vp to the top of the ste­ple Antems in the steple. to sing their antimes. I demaund of them, to shew a reason if there be any, why it is done there, rather than on the ground? and why on such saint dais ra­ther than on other? & why that tyme of the yere rather then other? Whan Ba­als priests were assēbled against y ^• Pro­phet Elias to trie whether of them ser­ued the liuyng God, and Baals priestes 3. kin 18. beganne to praye, and cal on their god, but he woulde not heare theym, Elias said crie louder, perauenture your God is busy, he is chasing his enemies, from home, or on slepe: so vnto ye finde a bet­ter aunswere I am contente freelye to [Page] lende you this, wythout payinge anye peny for it, that ye maye francklye saye ye goe vp to the top of the steple, to call on your god that he may the more ease­lye heare you: standing so highe rather than on the grounde so farre of, and at night whan other suters take their rest: for al the day long perauenture he hais bene otherwaies occupied, and nowe waringe olde his hearinge decayes so muche that if ye stande not nere hande and crye loude, he can not helpe you. These and such other are mete for them that serue straunge Gods: but he that calles on the liuinge Lord knowes him to be present in all places, and there­fore makes no suche difference of them. Againe if according to their owne doc­trine, a praier made in a halowed place be better than that which is made in an vnhalowed: than better it is to stand on the grounde than to climbe on height, for the top of the steple was neuer ha­lowed as the church was beneth. Whā suche folishnes is wisely proued we shal streight waies beleue it.

In that he denies this faith and reli­gion euer to be heard tel of vnto within these xl. yeares and bids trie the recor­des, whither it be true that he sais, and semes to charge vs with forsakinge the olde faith and fathers, alledginge the Epistle to the Ebrewes, that be that II. Ebrew. comes to Godde muste beleue: and that without faith it is not possible to please God: and Iere. that we shoulde searche Iere. 6. out the olde way and walke in it, I am well content to stand with him in these pointes, and proue that this fayth and religion was taught in Christs church, continuallye from the beginning, and that this seruice nowe vsed goes nearer the order appoynted in the Scripture, than any that euer they haue receyued from the Pope. If we had not this faith spoken of to the Ebrewes, we durst not so boldlye come to the throne of grace, wythoute makynge anye moe medya­toures than one onelye Iesus Chryst: Where as they in makynge so [Page] manye meanes and intercessoures for thē (as though God were a cruel iudge, and not a mercifull father) declare them selues to want this faith, in that they dare not so boldly come to the throne of grace, without suche spokes men as we vse none, for faith onely makes vs bolde to come into Gods presence, and begge of his grace. But accordinge to their desire, let vs searche oute the olde waye whiche is good that we maye walke in it. The faith of a Christian manne is generallye conteined in the Crede, and particularly declared in the scripture at large, and whether we kepe that better then they, let wise men iudge. We do esteame these articles of the Christian faith, so much with the Lordes prayer, and the tenne commaundements of al­mightye God, that by commen order it is appoynted, and good ministers prac­tise it, that Children shall learne theim not in a tonge that they vnderstand not as the Pope would haue theim, but in their mother tong, w ^e such a short declaratiō on it by a Catechisme, that now a yong child of a ten year old can tel more of his duty towarde God and manne, than an olde manne of their bringinge vp can doe of. lx. or. lxxx. yeare olde, all the canonycall Scryptures we do so re­nerently receiue, and faithfully beleue, [Page] that we stande in contention with the Papistes, that nothing is to be beleued as necessary to saluation, but onely the old testament and the new: where their faith is neuer certayne, but whan it pleases the Pope or his Councell to make theym a newe artycle of their faith, or condemne or chaunge any that they haue, they receiue it willingly, be­leue it faithfully, and folow it earnest­lye with fire and fagor. It is not longe sins that by commen autoritye (where oure Creede hais but xii. articles) they added. vi. mo articles and with no lesse daunger of wythstandynge theym, than of life. This six stringed whippe did vere Gods people sore, vnto God of his vndeserued mercy, prouided a reme­dye.

And where they thincke no faith nor Councels. religion to be good, alowed or receiued, but that whiche is confirmed by gene­rall counsels or written by the doctors: for that, I say, their religious supersti­cion cannot be proued by general coun­sell, nor Doctour, as the reuerend Bys­shop of Sarum, laies against D. Coole, But so farre as eyther generall counsel or the Doctoures writinges doe agree with the body of the holy scriptures, we do not onelye reuerentlye and willing­ly receiue them, but diligently so farre [Page] furth as we maye practise theym: They crake much of the autoritye of a gene­rall counsel, and bleare the peoples eies with so glorious a name and also with the reuerende name of the fathers, Doctoures, and auncientye, where in deede they make more for vs than theym.

If they considert what Gerson and Panormitanus write, which were aun­cient fathers, and not new protestants, and were at the counsel of Basil, where it was disputed what autoritye a coun­sell hais, they woulde not so stifly sticke to so weake a staffe, we must rather be­leue one symple lay manne saye they, alledginge the scripture, than the hole counsell to the contrarye. De Elect. Ca. significasti This thinge was well proued true in the greate Nicene coun­cell, where manye would haue forbid­den Priestes mariage, and onelye Pa­phnutius beinge vnmaried, and alled­ginge the Scriptures which alow ma­riage in all menne, did stoppe it, Gre­gory Nazainzene sais that he neuer see good ende of a counsell.

They alledge muche generall Coun­selles, whan in dede very fewe of them be generall: If it be but a prouinciall [Page] Counsell they themselues graunt that it maye erre. Nowe than looke bow manye maye be called, or are called ge­nerall in their owne bookes, and ye shall fynde verye fewe. Take heede therefore of these Fores (ye that will not bee deceyued) whan they alledge a Counsell, and trye euen by their owne booke of counselles, whither it bee generall or no? Ye shall fynde that euerye tenth that they alledge, is not generall: than beynge a par­ticuler and prouinciall, they geue vs leaue to deny it, and so they condemne their owne doinge whan they alledge nothinge but prouinciall Counselles. There is no Crede made at anye gene­rall counselles, nor Athanasius Crede, but we willingly embrase it, receyue it, and beleue it. Seinge than we open­ly professe and teache all thynges con­teined in the holye Scriptures: and all the artycles of anye Crede determined in generall Counsell, or written by A­thanasius, or anye Catholycke father, howe can it bee that we be oute of the fayth, and howe canne it be, but thys sclaunderous Proctour of the Pope hays blasphemed Godde, belyed hys Minysters, Gods people▪ and his truth. [Page] Thus much I haue spoken particular­lye to purge vs from his liynge lyppes, where he speakes generallye naminge▪ nothinge, but meaninge all, that we should forsake both faith and religion, and deuyse a newe one of oure owne, where they themselues are gilty in this as more plainly shall appeare.

This shalbe sufficient I trust to them that will be satisfied to declare that we be not oute of the faith, seinge we pro­fesse our faith: now to trie whether we be fallen from the olde wayes of holye fathers, and whether auncient recordes do testifie this maner of Church seruice to be godly, and haue bene heard tell of afore Luthers time, and whether it be elder than theirs, I am content to wine with him in triall thereof. I trust they will be content to call Moyses, Dauid, and the Prophetes, auncient fathers: whye than looke what order of prayer, was in the Tabernacle of god, and Sa­lomons temple in their time, and see whether it go nerer our seruice, or the [...]ur Church [...]ruice agre­ [...]s wyth the [...]uncient Church. Popes Portuis? Rede Dauids Psalme, and marke howe manye of theym haue their title directed to the Chauntor, or chefe singer and plaier on thinstrumen­tes to Asaph, Hemā Dithum. &c. to be songe in the Temple, and ye shall finde a great sorte suche. Rede the xxv. chap. [Page] of the first booke of the Chronicles, and there it appeares whom Dauid appoin­tes to be singers of the Psalmes in the Temple with their posteritye. Rede the xiii. Chap. of the art. of Thapostles, and there it appeares that the lawe and the Prophetes were redde in the temple e­uerye Sabboth daye, for their seruyce, with a Sermon. After the reading (sais Saint Luke) of the lawe and the Pro­phetes, the rulers of the Synagoge sent to Paule and Barnabas saiyng: ye men and brether, if ye haue any exhortacion to the people, speake. Againe in the. xv. Chap. he sais: Moyses hais of old time them that preache him in euery citye in the Sinagoges, where he is red euery Sabboth daye. Marke what prayers or kinde of seruice as we terme it, Saint Luke sais here, was than vsed in the temple of Salomon: the lawe and the Prophetes he sais were redde. In the Ebrewe bible appeares the diuision in the bookes of Moyses howe farre was redde wekely and monethly. So that as they had than the law and the Pro­phetes redde in their Temple for their commen prayer and seruice: so haue we nowe the Psalter of Dauid, monethly red ouer▪ and one Chapter of the olde testament and another of the newe red dailye, in oure Churches, in oure owne [Page] tonge, as they had than in theirs. The new testament was not than written, so that it coulde not be redde: but as the newe Testament nowe does more plainlye sette oute to vs the office and mediation of oure Sauioure Christe, so did than the Prophetes more plainlye speake of the cominge of Chryste, than the lawe of Moyses didde signifie him. And therefore was orderlye redde with Moyses, the lawe as a fuller declarer thereof: so that in effect our Church ser­uice disagrees not from theirs, in this readinge together of the olde testament and the new in our commen prayer, as they redde the lawe and the Prophets together: this order is three thousande yeare old, whan they haue proued their popishe Portuis to be much aboue. iii. C. yeare olde, than they maye begin to trie auncientye. Their Mattins and Euens [...]nge are appointed theym out of their Portuis: and whan any old record of autority teaches them that so manye false miracles, fained lies and tales as be there written, with seruynge suche saintes, as no scripture does alow, nor good Historye makes Mentyon of (but onely the Popes kalender and his scho­lers) were vsed in the Churche for com­men prayer, and Goddes seruice, than let theym crake of the blessed Fathers [Page] steppes, that they followe. Lette theym trye their: aunciente Portuis of Sarum, Yorkes vse, Bangor, or the greate diuersytye of Freers, Munkes, Channons Nunnes, whiche for euerye order of theym, hadde their diuers sor­tes of Mattins, and Euensonge, and if they be proued. iii. hundred yeare olde, they haue muche to reioyse in, and yet farre short of iii. thousand. But of al o­ther Blasphemies the Psalter of Bri­git where euery worde and prayer that The Por [...]uds antiquity [...]. Dauid names God in, is turned to oure Ladye, is moste horryble to peruert the scripture to mans fantasy. Pope Paule the. iii. but. xx. yeare agoe, was so asha­med of his Portuis, that he printed a newe one putting out many of the blas­phemous lies that were in the olde, yet this Popish pricker thinkes all in it to be so good, that it can not nor shuld not be amended. The English Priests Por­tuis, and order of seruyce that he cra­kes so muche of, for auncyentye, is full of memoryes daylye, and seruyce of Thomas Becket twyse in the yeare: aud yet it is not longe sins he was bis­shoppe of Canterburye, he lyued vnder Kynge Henrye the seconde, foure hun­dreth yeare sins. The feast of Corpus Christi, and the Seruyce of that daye, [Page] was inuented by Pope Urbane the. iiii scarce CCC. yere sins. The feast of the visitacion of our ladye commenly called, the newe founde Lady day, and the ser­uice for that daye is not. CC. yeare olde and decreed by Pope Urbane the syxt. What auncientye than is theyr Portu­is and masse booke of, whiche receyued these solemne feastes, and their seruyce of so late yeres▪ and yet he would [...]ake menne beleue that it hais bene from the begining, and that olde recordes make mention of them. Many such other may be found in their Popish seruice, wher­by it may easely be sene how falslye he bragges of their auncienty. The aunci­enst beginning of their Portuis of Sa­rum was vnder Willyam Conquerour not v. C. yeare sins, by Osmundus the second Byshop of Sarum as Polychro. writes, lib. vii. ca. iii. but it hais bene encreased sins, with many a lowde lye, as though they shuld striue who should tell the greatest for the best game, oure seruice hais nothing in it but it is wri­ten in Goddes booke the holye Byble (where no lie can be founde) sauing Te▪ deum and a fewe Collettes or prayers, which although they be not conteined in the scripture, yet differing in wordes they agree in sense and meaning, with [Page] the articles of the faith and the hole bo­dye of the scripture. Their Portuis and missall hais manye vntrue fables, and fained miracles for their lessons, writ­ten neyther in the scripture, olde hi [...]o­rye, nor auncient recorde of autoritye, manye inuocations of suche as bee no Saints, and wickedly callyng on sain­tes of their owne makynge, in stede of the liuinge God, as Thomas Becket and many Popes, some charmes, as S. Agathes letters for burning of houses, some witchcraftes, as holye wa [...]er for castinge out deuils, holy breade in stede of the Communion, ringinge the halo­wed belle in greate tempestes or light­ninges, and all in an vnknowen tonge (contrary to Goddes commaundement) yet craftely deuised to deceyue the peo­ple, least in hearynge theym in their owne tonge, and prouynge them false, they woulde laughe theym to scorne. Dusegisus. lib. i. ca. rix. and l [...]vi. wry­tes that Charles the great Emperoure decreed that nothinge shoulde be redde in the Churches, but onely the Scrip­tures, nor anye thinge taught, but out of the Scriptures, but none is so igno­raunt, but he sees the Popishe seruice and doctrine to agre litle with y ^e scrip­tures, and oures to conteine nothinge els but the scriptures. Nowe compare [Page] these together, and iudge whither that be the elder and more to be alowed that hais nothing in it but y ^• scripture it self and that whiche is drawen onte of it, or that which is deuised of mannes branes alone, beside and contrarye to Goddes word. Is that new fangled and schis­maticall that conteines nothynge but the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apo­stles, and is that auncient, that can not be proued good at all?

This text of [...]re. that biddes theym search out the olde waye, and walke in it, does not meane all olde wayes, but he sais search of the olde wayes whiche of theym is good, and walke in it, as thoughe he shoulde saye all olde wayes are not good. If all olde wayes were good, he would not bid trie which were good: therefore it is not inough to haue it old but to haue it good also, and than to cleaue to it. If bare wordes would serue, there is manifest saiynges for the contrarye. Ezech. sais xx. Ca. walke not in the commaundementes of youre fa­thers, nor kepe not their iudgementes. I might as well beat in this text as he the other and of like strength, therefore it is not sufficient to saye it is old, or to folow fathers: but to try that it be good and that godly fathers vsed it, and than be bolde to folowe it. Euill hais bene [Page] [...]

YOur worship complaynes of the sacramentes of the Church, that they are not ministred euery where af­ter one sort, but are hand­led in dyuerse places after diuers sortes. Truly if they were mi­nistred after one sorte, and agreinglye through the whole church it were good and laudable: notwithstanding because there be manye diuersities which differ not in the summe of the sacrament, nor in the strength of it, or in the faith: nor all can be gathered into one custome I thinke that they are rather to be borne with agrement in peace than to be con­demned with offence. For we haue this from the holy fathers that if the vnytye of charity be kept in the catholike faith, the diuerse custome hurtes nothing. If it be demaunded wherof these diuersiti­es of customes do springe I perceiue no­thinge elles than the diuersities of wit­tes, which althoughe they dyffer not in the strength, and truth of the thing, yet they agree not in the fitnesse and come­lines of the mynistring. For that which one iudges to [...]e meter oftentimes o­ther think it lesse mete. And not to agre [Page] in suche diuersities I think it not mete to swarue from the truth of the thinge.

We both doe agree the Churche of Paules to be abused and therfore iustly plaged. God graunt that hencefoorth it may be amended, that worse doe not fo­lowe. Whan Iosue had conquered Ie­rico so marua [...]ouslye with cariynge the [...]. 6 arcke of God about it, the priestes blo­wing their trumpettes, and the people show [...]ing, by the might of God rather [Page] [...] [Page] house: Goddes house must be a house of prayer, and not the proud towre of Ba­bilon, nor the Popes market place, nor a stewes for bawdes and Ruffians, nor a horse faire for brokers, no nor yet a burse for marchauntes, nor a metinge Paules. place for walkinge and talkynge. If a conuenient place to mete for honest as­sembles can not be founde nor had con­uenientlye other where: a particion might be had to close vppe and shit the praters from prayers, the walkers and ianglers, from well disposed persones, that they should not trouble the deuout hearers of Gods worde, so that the one should not heare nor see the other. God hais once againe wyth the trumpet of his worde, and the gladde receiuinge of the people, throwen downe the walles of Iericho, and the Popes bulwarke there by his owne might, without the power of manne, if man woulde so con­sider it, and feare the Lorde. No place hais bene more abused than Pauls hais bene, nor more against the receyuing of Christes Gospell: Wherfore it is more maruaile that God spared it so longe, rather than that hee ouerthrewe it nowe.

From the toppe of the steple downe within the grounde no place hais bene [Page] free from the toppe of the spire at C [...] ­ronations, or other solemne triumphes, some for v [...]in glory vsed to throw themselues downe by a rope, and so killed themselues vainly to please other mens eyes. At the Battlementes of the ste­ple sundrye times were vsed their Po­pishe ant [...]ms to call vpon their Goddes with torch & taper in the Euenings. In the top of one of the pinacles, is lollers towre, where manye an innocent soule hais bene by theym cruellye tormented and murthered. In the middest alley was their longe Censer reachinge from y ^• ro [...]e to the ground, as though the ho­ly Ghost came in their cen [...]ing down in liknes of a Doue. On y ^• arches though cōmenly men complaine of wrong and decayed iudgemente in Ecclesiasticall causes, yet because I wyll not iudge by here saye I passe ouer it, sauinge onely for such as haue bene condemned there by Annas & Caiphas for christes cause, as innocently as any Christians coulde be. For their images hanged on euery walle, piller, and doore with their pil­grimages and worshippinge of them, I will not stand to rehearse them, because they can not be vnknowen to all men that haue seene Lon [...]on, or hearde of them. Their massing and many altars wyth the rest of their Popyshe seruyce [Page] which he so much ertolles, I passe ouer because I aunswered them afore. The south alley for vsurye and Poperye, the north for Simony, and the Horse faire in the middest for all kind of bargains, metinges, brawlinges, murthers, con­spiracies, and the font for ordinary pai­mentes of money, are so well knowen to all menne as the begger knowes his dishe. The Popishe clergy began and mayntained these, and Godles world­linges defende theym: where the poore protestant lamentes and would amend them. Iudas chappell vnder the ground with Thapostles masse so early in the morninge, was counted by report as fit a place to worke a feat in as the stewes or tauerne. So that without and with­in, aboue the grounde and vnder, ouer the roofe and beneath, on the toppe of the steple and spire downe to the lowe flore, not one spot was free from wyc­kednes, as the said Byshop did than in his Sermon declare, so that we should praise God for his mercy in sparinge it so longe, and nowe tremble at his fear­ful iudgement in iustly reuenging such filthines, god for his mercy sake graunt it may now be amended.

Secondlye, where it pleases hym to tearme this Churche seruice nowe vsed schismaticall, it is as true, as afore whā [Page] he saide that no auncient recorde made [...] [...] the [...] fat [...]rs [...]nd the apists be [...]. mention of anye suche af [...]re. xl. yea­res past. Why dooc [...]ye call it a schis­maticall? Because it differs from the Popes pertu [...]s? That it differs we deny not, but reioyce and prayse God for it: but if it agree with the holye Scriptu­res, and the auncient fathers as I haue proued afore, than be ye schismatickes in swaruinge from them, and not we. In one Morning and Eueninge prayer [...] [...]rayer. [...]. we agree with the olde prayers of Sa­lomons temple as I proued afore: In Baptisme we folowe Christ Iesus hys▪ App [...]stles, Austin and Paulme whome Pope Gregory sente into England, in the chiefe pointes, whiche al christened▪ [...] [...]oniured water without salt, spit­ [...], oyle and chrisme. &c.

In the Lordes supper we receiue to­gether as S. Paule commaunded: and [...]pe Gelasius teaches either to receiue [...]the partes, or to refraine from both: for▪ it is sacrilegs to [...]euide theym. De cons [...]. distinc. ii. We geue the people the [...]uppe of Christes bloude as well as [...] the Priestes, as Ciprian teaches, sai­yng [...]: [...] how do we teach or prouoke them to she [...]e their bloude in confessinge his name, if we deny them that shalbe chri­stes [...]. soudiers, the bloud of christ? or how doe we make them mete to the cuppe of [Page] [...]

[Page]In burials we do not assemble a num­ber of Priestes to swepe purgatorye, or bye forgiuenes of synnes, of them whi­che haue no autoritye to sell, but accor­dinge to Saint Ieroms example we fo­lowe. At the death of Fabiola sais he: Epitaph Fabiola. the people of Ro. were gathered to the solemnite of the buriall. Psalmes were songe, and Alleluia soundinge oute on height, did shake the gildet celinges of the Temple. Here was one company of yonge menne, and there another which Burials. did singe the prayses and worthy dedes of the woman. And no meruaile if men reioyce of her saluation, of whose con­uersion Thangelles in heauen be glad, thus Ierom vsed burialls likewise Gre­gory Nazanzene hais his funerall Ser­mons and Orations in the commenda­cion of the party departed: so hais Am­brose for Theodosius and Ualentinian the Emperours: for his brother Satirus &c. Their Dirige grotes, masses, and trentalles, tapers, and ringinges, haue no foundation on the Scripture, nor good auncientye to maintaine theym. Ierom sais that Alleluia was songe so loude that it made the Churche roofe to shake: and our Papes wil not sing Al­leluia at all, neither at buriall, in lent, nor Aduent, and saye they folowe aun­cientye. Alleluia is as much in Eng­lyshe [Page] as praise ye the lorde: as thoughe they shoulde saye, praise the lorde that hais called his seruaunt out of this mi­serie to himselfe in heauen: But the des­perat Papes saye wepe, reioyse not for the dead, but mistrust of their saluation thinke that they bee gone from one so­rowe to another, and therfore bie mas­ses apase, the Popes proctoures for mo­ney inoughe, will sel that whiche God can not, or will not geue freely as they thinke. God is wearye as they saye of wel doing, and turned ouer the matter to these the Popes Proctours. But Sa­lomon Eccle. 11. teaches, that in death the bodie tournes to earth from whence it came, and the soule to him that gaue it. Loke how both bodye and soule is bestowed, whatsoeuer gredy gaping Cormoraun­tes, do say to get money withall. Bles­sed be the dead that die in the lorde sais Saint Ihon. For they rest from their labours, the Papes saye the dead be ac­cursed and goe into purgatory from so­rowes here to greater there, chose whe­ther ye beleue. In mariage as in other thinges beside, we are but to much like vnto them, that is our fault generally: that we differ not more from them in al our ministery. We haue all in Eng­lysh where they haue but I N. take thee M. &c. And here I would aske Maister Mariage. [Page] [...]

[Page] schismaticks commenlye, and not Pro­testantes. Fascic. tempor. a booke made by one Munke of their owne sect, reher­ses. xxiii. schismes betwyr Popes, and their partakers: whan they fynde the thirde part of to manye amonge the Protestantes, than they may haue some face of apparens to cal vs schismatikes. At the counseil of Constance were. iii. Popes in. iii. diuerse Countryes, Italy Fraunce, and Spayne, all claymynge to be chiefe, and some Countryes folo­wed one, some another, but all were deposed, and a iiii. chosen litle more th [...] a C. l. yeare sins. It were to longe to rehearse al the schismes spoken of, who so lust, there maye reade. This schisme that I named last, and the other whan there was one Pope at Rome, and ano­ther at Auinion in Fraunce. rl. yeares together are the notablest, and troubled the worlde most, in striuing who should haue the most folowers and partakers, the other I passe ouer for shortnes sake, vnto these be considered better of them how they maye defend them selues that they be not proued schismatikes, if that be schismaticall seruice whan one dif­fers from another, than be all orders of Freers, Munkes, Chanons, Nunnes, yorks vse, Sarum, Bangor. &c. schisma­tical: for they differ euery one frō other.

[Page]Now for pullinge downe Altars, and ministring the Communion on tables, a fewe woordes to trie whether we doe this without reason or example. First The Com­munion table. our sauiour Christ ministred it sittinge at a table: Than it is not wicked but but best to folow his doinges, for he did all thinges well. Saint Luk. sais that the hand of the traitour was with him Luke. 22. at the table. Saint Paul for the vse of it in his time sais: ye can not be parta­kers 1. Cor [...]. 10. of the Lordes table, and the table of Deuils: where it appeares plain that both Idolaters at their Sacrifices, and the Christyans also in their holye my­steries vsed tables. Theodor. writes that after Ambrose had excommunica­ted Themperour Theodosius, and re­ceyued him againe to the Churche, the Lib. 5. Ca. 18. Emperour [...]ynge flat on the grounde, wepinge and tearinge the heare of hys head for sorowe and shame of his offen­ses he rose vppe and offred (at such time sais he as the giftes were offered at the holy table. Sozo writes lib. viii. ca. vii. howe Eutropius fled to the Churche as a Sanctuary for succour, because he had offended Themperoure: and whan Ihon Byshoppe of Constantinople see him lye afore the holye Communion table, he preached vnto him, and rebu­ked him of his pryde, whan he was in [Page] autoritye. The Canon of the great Ni­cene counsel sais thus. In the godly ta­ble wee muste not lowlye cleaue to the bread and cuppe set afore vs, but lifting vppe oure minde on height by faith, we must consider the lambe of God to be set afore vs in that holy table. Wherein I note that they all call it a table and not an altar, where they ministred the com­munion. This was. iiii. C. yeare after Christ, aboue a thousaunde yeare sins: why than Alters were not contynued from the beginninge as they saye, and we are not the first that vsed tables, but we would gladly restore these olde cus­stomes againe. If Ambrose lawfullye and well vsed tables at the Communi­on at Millan and the Byshop at Con­stantinople in Grece and elles where. I see no reason why wee shoulde be rebu­ked for folowinge them, except they can proue that they did it against the Scrip­ture. I knowe that the Scripture and olde writers also, make mention of al­tares: but that is because Moises in the lawe commaunded theym to offer their sacryfices vppon Aultars, because the sacrifices than commenlye vsed were heauye, as Oxen, calues, sheepe. &c. and tables were not able to stand and beare suche weyghtes contynuallye. These sacrifices were a figure and shadowe of [Page] that onlye pure sacrifice whiche Christe shoulde offer on the crosse for vs all: for as those innocent beasts were killed for other mennes fautes: so Christ without sinne shoulde die for the sinnes of the worlde: For this cause the crosse wher­on Christ our lorde died, is called an al­tar also: because the sacrifice for the sins of the whole worlde was thereon offred as those were on an altar. Where so e­uer therfore the newe testament or olde writers vse this word altar, they allude to that Sacrifice of christ, fygured by Altars. Moyses, and vse the word stil that Mos­ses vsed to signyfye the same sacrifice withall, and rather it is a figuratiu [...], than a proper kinde of speache in all su­che places. And because altars were euer vsed for sacrifices, to signifie that sacrifice whiche was to come, seing our sauioure christ is comen alreadye, hais fulfilled and finyshed all sacrifices, we thinke it best to take away all occasions of that Popyshe sacrificinge masse (for maintaynnige whereof they haue cru­elly sacrificed manie innocent soules) to minister on tables, accordinge to these examples.

It greeues him that the Bishops set their tales (as it pleases hym to speake) whan they sytte in iudgemente, where the Altars were, but if they were hand­led [Page] as did Baals Priestes and his 4 king. 10. Altars, God did them no wrong. It is a commen true sayinge: he that wil do no yl, must do nothinge that longes there til, so surely if we wil warely audid the wickednes of Popery, we must f [...]e from suche thinges as maintaine their doin­ges. There is nothinge more profita­ble vnto them than massinge sacrifices: therefore because Altars importe and maintaine their gainefull sacrificynge, it is necessary they be remoued.

For their sacrifice of the Masse, that he so muche lamentes to be defaced, and all good conscyences reioyse, that God of hys vndeserued goodnesse hays ouerthrowen it: I referre all menne to the fyft and laste booke that the blessed soules now lyuinge with god, Bishop­pes Crammer aud Ridley wrote of the Sacramente, whose bodyes they cruel­lye tormented therfore. There who so euer lust, maye reade, and with indiffe­rencye wey the reasons of both parties and iudge wyth the trueth Stout Ste­uen woulde gladlye haue ouerthrowen that booke: but God confounded hym, and their names lyue for euer. So longe as that booke standes vnconfu­ted, they maye barke agaynste the trueth, as the Dogge does agaynst the [Page] mone, and not preuaile.

And if ye will call but a litle to your remembrance howe many diuers sortes of masses there were vsed in diuers coū ­tries as appeares in the words afore re­hersed ye shal se how lowd he lies in sai­ing [...]e is not Catholycke. here that their masse was according to the order of christes catholike church. That is catholicke as the Greke word signifies, which is vniuersall and gene­ral both in time, person and place: ther­fore he must proue if he will be beleued that this Popish latin patched masking masse hais bene vsed at al times, of all menne and in all Countryes. But I haue declared afore both many sundrye sortes of ministringe the lordes supper in seuerall countries and also howe of late yeares this his order hais bene vi­olently and blinde ignoraunce brought in: therfore it can not be catholicke.

None that be counted learned can be ignoraunt of the general pointes wher­in the Greke East churche differs from [...]he diffe­rence be­ [...]yx the [...]reke Ghur­ [...]he and the [...]atin. the west latin Romish churche. The Grecians neuer receyued the Pope for their head nor the doctrine of purgatory their Priestes were euer free to mary, they ministred the Lords supper alwais in their owne language with leauened bread in bothe kindes to the lay people both the bred and the cup seuerally, the [Page] Priestes neuer receiued alone withoute other to receyue wyth him, they neuer made trentals of it, nor knew transsub­stantiation, they neuer vsed pardons y­mages with manye other moe thinges lyke as auricular shriuinge to a Priest. &c, which all the latin Romish Church defendes, and does contrary, and their these religion standes in theym: there­fore none of these opinions can be cald catholicke, because the Greke Churche which is the greater part of the worlde neuer receiued, beleued, nor vsed them. Thus many lyes than this maister D. hais made in one word callynge it ca­tholicke, as there be thynges wherein their Romishe masse dyffers frome the the Greke liturgies and orders of mini­stringe the Lordes supper: as I haue declared moste of theym. If I shoulde particul [...]rly and throughly handell all his folysh saiynges, it would growe to to great a woorke: therefore brefelye I touche the chefest.

He charges vs with a faith and reli­gion that hais no foundacion layde by generall counsels, which sayinge whan he better considers, I truste he will be content to be reckned in the same num­ber with vs. Was not the first general counsel, vnder Constantine the Empe­ror at Nice, aboue. iiii. c. xxx. yeres after [Page] Christ was borne? Shall I say than, or Our reli­gion is elder than Counsels. is he so shameles to thinke that there was no religion nor faith in the world so manye yeares together after Christ. because there was not of so many yea­res a generall counsell to bilde vppon. No and because we say and proue oure faithe and relygion to bee the best and auncienst, we bylde not on counsels as they doe, but on Goddds worde, which is aboue the counsel, and rules al being not ruled of any, hais bene from the be­ginning, and shall continue to the end: and we say with Paule that we be byl­ded Ephe. 2. on the foundacion of the Apostles and Prophetes, Christ himselfe beynge the head corner stone. The Prophetes whereon we buyld lyued many of them a thousaunde yeare afore anye generall counsell was heard of, and the Apostles liued. iiii. C. yere afore them. Wherfore our foundacion and religion is much el­der than theirs. Councels are lyke to Parliamentes, that that pleases one Pope in his Counsell, pleases not ano­ther, as the bokes do easely declare: and that whiche one thinkes good, & makes a law one yere, an other condēnes & dis­anulles. What a vayn thing is it than to bild on so vncertain a groundworke? Heauen and earth shall passe, chaunge, and decaye, but the worde of the Lorde [Page] our God, from whence comes our reli­gion, remaines for euer, as the Prophet Isai. 40. sais. Therfore the wise builder wil fo­lowe that which will not fade.

Lastlye where he charges vs that we agree not one wyth another, nor wyth oure selues, I maye say to him with the Luk. 6. Gospell Thou Hypocryte first plucke the mote out of thine own eye, and than thou shalte better see to take the beame oute of thy brothers eye. There is no sorte of people more giltye in this be­halfe than the Papystes be. The hea­then Philosophers hadde not so manye sundrye sectes and oppinions amonge them selues in their scholes, as the Pa­pistes haue in their doynges. D. Po­net late Byshoppe of Winton in his answere to the booke that beares Mar­tins name for mariage of Priestes, pro­ues wel that Poperye is a monster pat­ched of al kynds of heresy, & worse than they al. Where such thinges are fullye taught & proued. I had rather refer you to y ^e reding of them there, than to write one thynge oft. I declared to you afore also where ye shal find. xxiii. schismes a­mong the popes themselues. These holy Bishops y ^• he craks so much on for their imprisonment, and other that in losing their liuings, liue more welthily and at ease than euer they didde afore, or the Protestantes doe in their liberty nowe. [Page] Marke howe like them selues they be, and agreing with themselues. As long as kinge Henry liued, and all the time of blessed kinge Edwarde, they taught, they preached, they subscribed, they sware and beleued all thys, that they now deny. As oft as they had anye li­uinge The Papi­stes tourne with the world, and dyffer one from ano­ther. in anye College of the vniuersi­ties, as oft as they tooke degree in the scholes, as oft as they tooke any bene­fice, and whan they were made Priests or Byshoppes, so ofte they sweare and forsweare all that nowe they denye. Periurye in other menne is punished with bearinge papers, losse of their eares, and other worldlye shame: but these menne abusinge the gentilnes of the Prince, beyng thus oft forsworne are counted holye in the worlde. The Papistes in their religyous monsters haue [...]o kind of munkes, Freers, Cha­nons, Nunnes, differing in their coates than anye people haue, some be white, some blacke, some graye: differinge in their shoes, some hauinge whole, some halfe, some nothinge but sooles vnder the foote: differinge in shauinge their heades, some more, some lesse: differing in meates, some eatinge fish only, some flesh and fishe at their dayes and times appointed, differinge in places for some neuer go abroade, but are kept stil with [Page] in the compasse of the house, some walk abroode at their pleasure, and some loc­ked vp in stone walles: diffring in their seruice, for euery order had his diuerse order of masse and Mattins, in manye pointes: differinge in their Saintes, or rather their Goddes whose names they beare, whom they worshippe, and stry­uinge which of them shoulde be the ho­liest. Some holde of Francis, some of Benet, some of Dominic, some of Bri­gitte, and others of other as they lust to deuise. In their schole menne is founde more diuersity of opinions, than among any sort of Philosophers. Some hold of Thomas, some of Dominus, some of Albertus, some of other as they like, for there be so manye that almost they can not be reckened. Which thinges being all considered, and knowen of all men to be true, except they be wilfully blind howe can they saye that they agree in one vnitye of the trueth. Pilate and Herode agreed to crucifie christ, so these in mischeues agree to set vp superstici­on, but in their priuate opinions none are more contrary and diuers. In their pilgrimages, pardons, reliques, fastin­ges, what diuersities and striuing whi­che shoulde be the greatest. Amonge so manye Ladies and Roodes, what stri­uinge in euery countrye which shoulde [Page] be the holiest, and worke most miracles. Amonge pardons, Boston beare the name, and yet other would compare a­mong reliques, the bloud of Hales pas­sed other, vnto their iugling was kno­wen. Fastinges were mo than I know. Some vsed Saint Rinians, some oure ladies, some the golden Fridayes, some euerye Wednesdaye, some halfe Lent, some whole: some with fishe only, other as they luste. What reason is it that they whyche fasted oure Ladyes faste, some fastinge to bread & water ended it in. iii. yeares space, other in eatynge fishe had. vii. and why shoulde they fo­lowe the Ladye daye in lent more than other Ladie dayes? and why yearelye doe they chaunge theyr daye. &c. Whan these and such other their doinges are proued to agree in one, and good reason shewed for their doynges, they maye better charge other menne wyth disa­greinge: but they maye thynke it shame to burthen other wyth that wherein they be most gilty themselues.

O God howe manye lyes, in so fewe lynes. The vnyuersall Churche of Chryste agrees in the necessarye Arty­cles of oure Saluation, but in certayne outwarde orders and Ceremonies, eue­rye Countrie differs from other, wyth­out anye dyshonoure to Godde. [Page] I declared afore how we agree with the vniuersall churche and confesse the ne­cessarye Christian articles of our fayth, religion, & saluation better than they, & also I touched some diuersities of out warde orders in the Churche, whereof many or all were tollerable: and nowe by occasion of these matters mynistred by him, I shall touche some moe. He layes to our charge, that we disobey the vniuersall churche, if he meane in those thinges which afterwarde folow, I am content to trie with him. Where vnder y ^• name of masse, he vnderstands the Romish latin masse, it appeares afore how many sundry good sortes of ministring the Lordes supper be in other countries at this day, and haue bene of olde time: Therefore he makes a loude lie in say­inge Masse. or thinking, that who so euer disa­grees from their Popish masse disobeies the vniuersal Church: for the most part of Christendome, neyther does at this daye, nor at any time hais vsed it. In the substaunce and doctrine of the holye Communion, we agree with the scrip­ture and the catholicke Church, though we differ in some peice of the outwarde order of it from other countries: but we prosesse an open disagreeinge from the Romish sinagoge both in the order and substaunce thereof. The Churche of [Page] God, accordinge to the scriptures, does professe and beleue that all faythfull Christians worthely coming to the lor­des table, receiue by faith in those holy misteries, the body and bloude of Christ whiche was giuen, broken and shed for the sinnes of the whole world: this we teache, beleue and folow, aud exhort all men often to prepare them selues wor­thelie thus to receiue. The Popish Sy­nagoge contrary to Saint Paule teach practise, beleue (and persecute with fire and fagot all gainsayers) that in the sa­crifice of their bread and wine, the crea­tures be chāged from their natural sub­staunce, and are made a God to be wor­shipt, whan they lifte it ouer their hea­des, hange it in a corde ouer the Altar, or carye it aboute the fieldes, and if the people will bie trentals or masses of it, at their handes, they can swepe purga­tory cleane, and make soules flie to hea­uen as thicke as duste. These haue no ground woorke on Goddes worde, and therfore we can not beleue theym: For we read that Christ tooke the substance of his fleshe of the virgin Mary, but ne­uer of breade. Onelye the Romishe pre­lates haue made this marchaundise put in that article taught this doctrine, and beleue this contrarie to the whole chur­che of Christ beside theymselues. Than [Page] it is they that disobey the Churche, and not wee. I spake sufficientlye for theyr masse and Sacramentes afore, yet for their sacramentes nowe a litle more.

He sais here that there be. vii. Sacra­mentes necessarye to saluation, and yet wythin fewe wordes folowinge, he de­nyes maryage to Priestes, and that is as much to saye as eyther that mariage is no Sacrament, or that Priestes shall not be saued. There is but one waye of saluation for al men, than Priests must eyther be saued that way or els condem­ned. But it is to foolyshe to saye that anye manne shall be condemned, except he be maried. Shall none be saued but maried folkes? whan he lookes at him selfe beinge vnmaried, and yet not so chaste, he will saye naye. Than. vii. sa­cramentes are not necessarye for salua­tion to euerye man: for many haue bene saued without manye of theym: as ma­riage, extreme vnction, order of Priest­hode, shriuinge, Byshoppinge, and the Lordes supper. Who is so ignoraunt but he knowes that many children ne­uer, yea, and olde folke to, neuer recei­ued all those his Sacramentes: whiche God forbidde should all be condemned. No learninge can beare this saiynge to be true, that there be. vii. sacramentes [Page] necessarye to saluation: therfore by this iudge the rest of his sayinges. And least he shoulde thinke the generall order of the Churche to be thus, thoughe manye particulars neuer receiue theym, yet in searching, he shal find that tobe vntrue to. Socrat. lib. v. cap. xix. & Sozo lib. vii. ca. xvi. in their Ecclesiasticall histories wryte & teach that shriuing to a Priest was not cōmaunded by god, but inuen­ted Confession. by man: and therfore whan they see it abused they toke it awaye, and vsed it not any more. In y ^e time of Theodosius Themperor iiii. c. yere after Christ, and Nectarius being Byshop of Constanti­nople as they write there, a Diacone of the churche, get a Gentel woman wyth chylde in the Churche, that came to be shreuen, while she was there doing the appointed penaunce by her ghostlye fa­ther. The hole churche was so offended at it that not onlye there, but manye o­ther Bishoppes beside in their churches left of afterwarde that order of shriuing and lefte euerye manne free to the exa­mination of his owne conscience for his sinnes. There hays bene nothynge more profytable to the Pope than thys care shriuinge hais, besyde manye su­che lyke fylthynesse done by it, as thys Diacon didde, for no time was fitter to woe or worke their feate in, wythoute [Page] suspicion than shriuing time. No prince coulde enterprise or purpose anye great thing, but his confessour wold by some meanes learne it vnder confession, and declare it to the Pope or his chaplains. Eliseus by the spirit of God neuer told more secret thinges what the kinge of Siria did in his priuy chamber, than the Pope coulde learne by these his confes­sours, the secret pourposes of all Prin­ces. Than if confession might be taken 4. kin. 6. away as here appeares it was, it is not so necessary to saluacion: nor the vni­uersall Churche hais vsed it euer as he sais: nor we disobey not the Churche in leauinge it of, seing so many holy men haue done it afore vs. Ioan Dominus writing on the. iiii. booke of the senten­ces distinc. xvii. and serching out where this their sacrament shoulde be bilded, writes thus. If we saye it is groun­ded on the saying of Saint Iames, con­fesse you one to an other, manye incon­ueniences wil folow, for so euerye man might heare an others confession howe should Saint Iames Byshop of Ieru­salem commaund Peter the highest and the Romyshe Church. If it be grounded on Saint Ihons sayinge, whose sinnes ye doe forgeue, they are forgeuen: yet there is no mention to do it in his eare. If that will not serue than, saye that it [Page] comes from Thapostles: yf that serue not, because y ^• Grecians vse it not, than saye it comes from Ro. as does the Cō ­munion in vnleuend bread, thus ye see what harde shiftes they are driuen to, in triynge out the autoritye and aunci­entye of this their sacrament and howe small it is whan it comes to profe. But if ye wil iudiffrently iudge whether the newe Bishops or the olde, obeye their Prince and Goddes Church better, read the othe of them both and than iudge. The Pope firste deuised an othe for hys Byshoppes to sweare at their creation and whan that was not thought straite inoughe, he deuysed this afterwarde. I N. Byshoppe of N. from this houre for­warde, The Pre­lates othe to the Pope shalbe true to Saint Peter, and the holye Romishe Churche, and to my Lorde Pope N. and to his successours, entrynge canonicallye: I shall not be in counsell, consent, nor at dede, that he may loose his life, or that anye member maye be taken from him by deceyte, or violent handes layde on him or wrong done to him, by anye meanes. That counsell that shall be declared to me by him selfe, letters, or messengers. I shall not disclose to anye manne wittingly to his harme. I shall helpe to defende the Popedome of the Romishe churche, and the rules of holy fathers, and the rialtes [Page] of Saint Peter againste all menne sa­uinge my order. I shall not be at anye councell or dede where anye euil is de­uised against the honour and power of them, but to my power I shal stoppe it, and so shortly as I can signify it to our lorde Pope or some other that will tell it his holiner, Hereticks, schismatickes and rebelles to oure lorde Pope, to my power I shal pursue. &c. Loke how well our holy prelates kepe their othe to the Pope, & deny it to their lawful Prince. The othe of the newe Byshoppes is in print in Englyshe, and so knowen of al (that lust to learn) that I nede not to write it, and although the Popishe pre­lates refuse to take that othe, because it makes the Prince, the chyefe gouer­nonr ouer them (whiche they can not a­bide) herafter in his proper place where he falles into that question, I shal en­treat of it.

Secondly where he charges vs, that where the Churche commaundes to faste, we commaunde to eate, and haue eaten fleshe in Lente, and other forbid­den dayes, we speake plaine Englyshe, and saye he lies. Under the name of the Churche, he euer vnderstandes Rome, yea and not whan it continued in anye pure religion, but euen in these latter dayes whan it is euer whelmed wyth [Page] infinite supersticious. Fasting dayes be Fastynge. appointed commenlye by euerye parti­cular churche and countrye, rather than by the uniuersall Churche, but yf anye kynde of fasting be generall, I say they Ambrose. breake that order rather than we. Am­bro. writes on the. xvii. cha. of Luc. that for the space of. l. dayes betwixt Easter and whitsondaye, the Churche knowes no fastinge daye. Marke what the chur­che vsed in his time, and what it is gro­wen to since. Howe many fasting dayes in that space haue Popes broughte in synce? from whence came all the gang dayes to bee fasted in the crosse weke? was it from the church or no? if the churche didde it, than the latter churche and Popes were contrarye to the old church in Ambro. time, or els the church is free in all ages to disanull that whiche was done afore them. If it be free: why than may not the churche nowe disanull that whiche was done afore oure tyme, as well as they brake the custome of the chuch in Ambrose time afore them, hais not the Churche lyke power in all ages to decree or dysanulle what they luste? Are we more bounde that wee shall not breake olde customes than they were? What is the reason that wee shoulde bee so, or where is it so wryt­ten. [Page] If the Churche bee ruled by ge­nerall counselles where is that coun­sell that decreed so many fasting dayes to be betwix Easter and Whitsunday: & Ambrose says none was afore hys time. Is counsell so contrarye to counsell, or does one counsell deface that whiche an other determined? Than is that true, where I saide afore that their counsels were like oure Parliamentes, and they are no longer to be obserued than other coūsels folowing shal think mete. Whiche being true & graunted who wilbe so mad to bild his faith vpon coūcels, whi­che haue so often chaunged, and one sort beleue contrarye to another? And althoughe Ambrose saye that the chur­che knewe no fastinge day betwix Ester and whitsonday, yet beside these manye fastes in the Rogation weke, oure wise Popes of late yeares, haue deuysed a monstrous fast on Saint Markes daye. All other fastinge daies, are on the holy day even, only Saint Marke must haue his day fasted. Tell vs a reason why so that wil not be laughen at. We knowe wel ynough your reasō of Tho. Beket, and thinke you are ashamed of it: tell vs where it was decreed, by the churche or generall counsell. Tell vs also if ye can, why the one side of the strete in [Page] Cheapeside fastes that daye beinge in London diocesse, and the other side be­inge of Canturbury diocesse fastes not? and so in other townes moe? Could not Beckets holynes reache ouer the strete, or woulde he not. If he coulde not, he is not so mighty a saint as ye make hym: if he would not, he was malicious that woulde not doe so muche for the Citye wherin he was borne. This is his great auncient holy churche that he crakes so much. Becket was liuinge sins the con­quest vnder king Henry the second, not [...]iii. C. yeares sins: and yet all as they thynke that wyll not beleue their trumpry to be M. D. yere old, and ought not to be broken, is an hereticke, diso­beyes the vniuersall Churche, and not mete to liue. Monica Saint Austins mo­ther seing them fast at Rome on the sa­turday, and coming to Millan see them August P. p [...] 06. not fast there, ma [...]uailed at it, and as­ked Austin her sonne, the cause of suche diuersity of fastinge, thinking that both didde not well. Austin beinge yet but a yonge scholer in Christes schole, asked Ambro. the cause. Ambro. said: Fastinge was free, and therfore whan he came to Rome he fasted, and dyd as they done: Whan he was at Millan, be fasted not but did as they did. Afterwarde Austin beinge better learned, gaue this lesson [Page] in the same Epistle, and sayde: that he found written in the newe testament, that we ought to fast: but he neuer foūd it there writen, what dayes we should faste. Therfore the time is free to all christians by the scripture to eat or not eat: but they must eat so soberly euerye day, as though they fasted, and see that they surfet not. Montanus an hereticke was the first that made lawes for fa­sting, and they like good children make it heresy to breake their dayes, or fast o­therwayes than they appoint. There be. ii. sortes of fasting, from meat, whi­che we be bound vnto. The one volun­tary whan we fele our selues by to mu­che eatinge giuen to anye kinde of sin, than the fleshe must be bridled by absti­nence, that it rebell not against the spi­rit, but the minde may more frely serue the lorde: The other is by commaunde­ment on suche dayes as be appointed by commen order of the countrye, wherein we must beware that we be not brea­kers of polities. These kindes of fasting stande in outwarde disciplyne, and are to be obserued with fredom of consciens so farre as the helthe of the bodye maye beare, and supersticion be not maintay­ned. 58. There is a. iii. sort whiche Esai speakes of, that standes not in forbea­rynge meates onely, but in exercisinge [Page] the workes of mercy. Is this the fast that I choose sais the Lorde that a man shoulde punishe him selfe, pynche hys belye, and pull downe himselfe, so that for hunger and paine he crie out, or fall into sickenes, that he wrythe and lappe hys heade in huddes and Kercheffes. No says the Lorde: but thys is the fast that I haue chosen: bring the poore and straungers to thy house, feede the hun­grye, clothe the naked. &c. God is not delyted with a hungrye belly for meat, but wyth the soule that hungers for his righteousnesse. Furthermore this ge­nerall kinde of fastinge whiche standes in forbearynge fleshe, and eatynge but one meale a daye, to many it is no grefe nor a bridelinge to the lust of the flesh. Some loue fyshe so well that they had rather feede of that than of other meat, and some haue so weake stomackes or lyue so ydle lyues, that they can scarce dygest one meale a daye. Agayne other some haue so costlye and greate dinners that they eat more at that one dynner, than the poore man can get at three scamlinges on a day. Therefore I can not say that he punishes his bodye by abstinence that eates fyshe whyche he loues, nor that for weakenes of sto­macke, can not eat more althoughe his [Page] appetite desire it, nor he that gorges himselfe so ful at one meale that he can not be hungry of a whole daye after. Hard it is therfore to appoint to euerye particuler manne, what, whan, or how seldome he shal eate when he fastes: but bicause generally euery man loues flesh better than fishe, and eates twise a daye at the least, generallye it was well ap­pointed in fasting to forbeare flesh, and eate but ones a daye, thoughe it faile in many particulers. Therfore whan anye is to be charged with breaking his fast the person is to be considerd whither he may doe it with the health of his body: the kinde of fastynge, whether it be su­persticious, to bye forgeuenes of sinnes and righteousnesse, the time that it be not wyth Iewyshe obseruatyon of daies, and the meate it selfe, that it be not thought vnclean by nature, and vn­lawfull: and the cause that it be for ta­minge the fleshe, and not to compound with God or bargaine that for so many dayes fastinge, God shall rewarde hym with suche worldly blessinges as please him to appoint. In Flaunders euerye saturdaye betwixt Christmas and Can­delmas they eate flesh for ioy, and haue pardon for it bicause our Ladye laye so longe in child bedde saye they: we here may not eat so: the Pope is not so good [Page] to vs, yet surely it were as good reason that we should eat fleshe with them all that while that our lady lay in child bed as that we shuld beare our candel at her churchinge at Candelmas with theym as they doe. It is seldome sene that men offer candels at womens churchinges, sauinge at oure ladies: but reason it is, that she haue some preferrement, if the Pope woulde be so good maister to vs as let vs fleshe with theym. Euery one euen by the Popes lawe is not bounde to faste as children, olde folkes, women with child, pilgrimes, poore prisoners, labouringe or iorneynge menne: and by the consent of the Phisicion and gostlye father euen in the midst of blynd Pope­rye all sicke persons might eat fleshe at all times: And those that be bounde to fast maye bee dispensed with for a litle money. That is good holinesse that is bought for so litle money. Our sauioure christ seing the Pharases offended with eating meat, said to them. That which enters in at the mouthe, defiles not the manne, and whan they woulde not be so satisfied he saide: let them alone they Math, 15. be blinde, and guides of the blind. So surely to such obstinate blinde Papistes as will not learne the fredome of con­science taught in the Scriptures, and serue the lorde in singlenes of hart, but [Page] put their hole deuocion in outward ob­seruation of mans traditions, it maye well be saide, lette theym alone they be blinde and guides of the blynde. It is the weake conscience that is to be born with, as Saint Paul teaches, sayinge, I had rather neuer eat flesh, than offend my brother, and not the obstinate wil­full blindnesse of the supersticious that maye learne and will not. Whan he hais proued that the protestantes vpon their wilfull lustes and not for such ne­cessary considerations (as is here reher­sed) haue contemptuouslye broken the fasting dayes appointed by commen or­der, he may well rebuke them: but there be to manye witnes whiche haue heard manye of them sundry times oute of the solemst places and pulpites in y ^e realme teache the contrarye: therefore none can beleue these hys liynge woordes to be true. Breakinge thy faste standes not so muche in eatynge anye kinde of meat, as in the quantitye of it, or doynge it with contempt of the higher powers, and commen order appoynted, or elles in offending the weake conscience whi­che hais not learned his libertye geuen by god in his holy worde.

Where he castes in our teeth the brea­kinge of lent, as though that were com­maunded by Goddes owne mouth, and [Page] shoulde be obserued without all excuse, they that lust shall see how great diuer­sities of fastinge Lent haue bene in olde time before, and than iudge whither this their one kinde of fastinge Lent be so necssarye. Socrat. lib. v. ca. xxii. of his Lent. ecclesiastical history writes of the diuer­sites of sundry thinges in the church as kepinge of Easter, baptising, mariage, and the Communion. &c. Amonge whi­che he touches the diuersity of lent fast, and sais: that the Romanes fasted. iii. whole Wekes afore Easter, excepte Satturdaye and Sondaye, some Greci­ans fast. vi. Wekes, some begynne. vii. Wekes afore, and fast but. xv. dayes in that space, and those not all together. They differed also in meates, for some woulde eate nothing that had life: some woulde eate no liuelye thinge but fish: some woulde eat both fishe and fowle, other forbeare Beryes and Egges, o­ther forbeare all thyngs saue dry bread, and other wold not eat that, some wold not eate afore the. ix. houre, but than woulde fede of diuers meates. Some at one houre of the daye, some at ano­ther. &c. If all these christian men ser­ued God, and yet hadde such dyuersites of fastynge their Lente, why shoulde they be counted euill menne that do no worse than they dydde, or swarue but a littel from thys theyr vsed Lent fast. [Page] Is this so well, that nothinge is well but this? And bicause they sticke so mu­che to the Ro. Church, note that he sais the Romanes fasted but. iii. wekes why should we than fast sir? or how hais Ro­chaunged this olde custome? or maye it be chaunged? If it maye not why haue they done it, and if it maye, why blame they them that do it? Polychronic. lib. v [...]a. ir. writes that Pope Gregory the. i. ordeined fastinge of all Lent, who liued vi. C. yeare after Christ, than it lackes much of their autoritye and auncientye that they crake so muche of. We reade that our Sauiour Christ eate fleshe at his last supper on maūdy thursday (whi­che day of all in lent is one of the holy­est) if Christ than fasted Lent. I speake not this because I woulde haue menne to breake the commen appointed order of fastinge without lawefull cause: but that I woulde euery man should know the libertye of consciens, that Christe hais geuen and taught vs in his word. Let euerye manne obey the ordinaunce of the rulers, whiche commaunde not anye thinge contrarye to God, and let them knowe also the fredom of consci­ence, that they be not boundmen to the creatures which God of loue hais made to serue, and not to rule vs. Surelye these people were christened, and holye [Page] members of the church of christ: and yet so shamelesly he crakes so muche of the whole church to maintein their doings. Spiridion Byshoppe of a towne in Cy­prus Sozo lib. [...]. ca. [...]. whan his fryende came to him on the fasting daye after dinner, bade his daughter Irene dresse a piece of bacon, because he hadde no other meate in the house, naye sais the manne I am a chri­sten man I eat no fleshe on the fastinge daye, why sais Spiridion because thou art a christen manne thou shoulde eate. O worthy lesson teaching both the ma­riage of Byshops, and also libertye of meates.

Thirdlye where he belies vs, saiynge that we call praier, supersticion, reade the bookes of prayers, whiche the pro­testauntes haue made, the order that they teach to pray in, marke their prai­ers openly in their sermons, with what seruent zeale it is done, and iudge than how falsly he misreportes them. But if he meane the praiers of munks, Freers Bunnes. &c. we will not greatlye sticke Prayer. to graunte them to be so in dede: and good reasons we haue out of their owne [...]o [...]tours, why to say so. Saint Thō in his scdā scde quest. xcii. writes that it is supersticion whan a manne is to holye. As whan he is so Pope holy that he be­leues thinges not to be beleued, feares [Page] thinges not to be feared, worships thin­ges not to be worshipped, or does thin­ges as holy: which be not holy in dede. Conferre these sayinges with munkish prayers, and suche like, and see whether we saye true. Thinges necessary to be beleued are writen onelye in the scrip­tures: so be thinges to be worshipt, to be feared as godly, or counted holy, are Supersti­cion. taught there onlye. Than he that bele­ues more than the holy Byble teaches, or worshyppes, feares other Gods than the onely liuing God, or does any thing for the seruice of God, or countes holye that which is not taught there general­lye, he is supersticious and the vse of the thynge it selfe is supersticion. The Englyshe worde is the harder because we vse the Latin worde supersticion, and makes it Englishe: But the Greke woorde makes the nature of it, and the things afore rehersed playner by much. There be. ii. Greke wordes signifyinge this supersticion. Ethelothresceia and dei­sidaemonia, Ethelo­thresceia the further word signifies as the interpretacion of it declares, all su­che relygyous woorshyppinge of God, as manne dcuises on hys owne heade, and is not taught in the holye Scryp­ture. So sais the glosse Colloss. ii. whan mannes tradicion is taken for re­ligion than it is supersticion. As ey­ther [Page] to worshyppe anye other God than the onelye true liuinge God, or to wor­shyppe the onelye Godde other wayes than he hais appointed vs in his word: as with Ladye Psaltars: trentals, pil­grimages. &c. And because the chefe part Supersti­cions. of godly worshippe standes in prayinge to God, and callynge on him in our ne­cessities with a stedstast beliefe of hys holye worde and promise: He that cals on anye creature but Godde alone for helpe, or beleues other doctrine necessa­ry to saluation than Gods boke alone, Deisid [...]: moni [...]. he is well called supersticious. The latter word signifies that godly feare in their opinion whiche is due to Godde a­lone: whiche who so euer gyues to anye other creature besyde the true God, he is supersticious also. As they that to knowe thynges to come wyll counsell wyth spirits, or in their sicknes or trou­ble seke helpe at their hands, hang vpon the sterres for lucky or unlucky dates, or feare any creature more then the lord & creator. Al the popes creatures therfore be supersticious puttinge their holines and religion in their [...]owles, cloisters, order inuēted of men, and fearing more to breake the rule of Austin Dominie, Benet, than of anye Appostle, Euan­gelyste, or Chryste hymselfe. They also be superstycious that put holinesse [Page] in meates, dayes, times, places, beades, holy water, palme, crosse, pardons. S. Agathes letters for burninge houses, thorne bushes for lightnings. &c. Lerne therfore to put difference betwix religi­on and supersticion, and than ye shall easely knowe how we disalow no pray­er but the supersticious. The Scribes and Pharises prayed at euery corner of the stretes, and fasted oft: yet our Saui­oure Christ rebuked them, not condem­ninge prayer, but their misusinge of it. So we will euery manne to praye in e­uery Prayer. time and place: yet supersticion we abhorre in all sortes of menne, prayer, time and place. What wicked blinde­nes is this than, to thinke that bearing prayers written in rolles aboute wyth theym, as S. Iohns Gospell, the length of our lord, the measure of our Lady, or other like, thei shal die no sodain death, [...]ot he hanged, or yf he be hanged, he shall not die. There is to manye suche, though ye laugh, and beleue it not, and not hard to shewe them with a wet fin­ger. Prayer than is of. ii. sorts, either in begging that that we want, or geuing thankes for that which we haue recey­ued: and it is the earnest liftinge vp of a mans minde to God or a familiar and reuerent talke and complainte to oure heauenly father of oure miseries with a [Page] [...]rauinge of his mercies, and trusting t [...] obtayne of his mercye that whiche shall be necessarye: or els an humble thankes geuinge for hys liberall benefytes so plenteouslye bestowed on vs vndeser­ued. These stande in depe sighes and groninges, wyth a ful consideration of our miserable state, and Goddes maie­stye: in the heart, and not in ynke or pa­per: not in hangyng written scrolles a­bout the necke, but lamentinge vnfey­nedlye oure sinnes from the hart, accu­singe aud condemninge our selues, and beggynge pardon for them: not in spea­kynge a number of woordes wyth the lippes vnconsideratlye, be they neuer so holy, but with bitter teares weiyng frō the heart euery syllable that he thinkes or speakes. Thus prayed Anna to haue a son. i. kin. i. so sorowfullye pouringe out her grefes afore God in her mynde, that the Priest seinge her lyppes moue and hearynge not her wordes, thought she had bene dronken. Thus earnestlye called Moyses on Godde, in his sorow­full meditacion. That the Lorde sayde to him, why cries thou so to me? and yet we reade not that he spake anye worde at all. The other is lyplabour in spea­kynge much, or saying a great number of their owne deuised prayers (or elles a charminge) thinkinge that in certayne [Page] wordes speaking they could make thin­ges come to passe as they lust. These with suche other as popery is ful (of we say be supersticious.)

Lastlye be burdens vs with breaking al lawes, of the church, ciuil, canon, and Maryage of priestes, the Realme, in that we say, mariage of Priestes is lawfull. This is that which may not be borne: this is thought so ha­n [...]us that Christen men should not suf­fer it. If he were learned he could ne­uer haue heaped so many lyes together. Al writers confesse that the greke chur­che in the east part of the worlde (which is the greater part of christendome) ne­uer forbade their Priestes mariage, nor doe at this daye. For the west and La­tin Churche nowe will I trie a little, whether anye suche haue bene borne by lawe or no. Hildebrand commenlye cal­led Gregorye. vii. (who for his deedes might be turned and cald a hell brand) was the first that euer brought aboute (but with muche a doe,) that Priestes Polid. lib 5. ca. 4. de inuen­ [...]or. should not marye, and the maried shuld lose eyther their wiues or liuinges: but the Priestes of Spane withstode him by their Byshop. Some afore attemted it, but neuer one coulde compasse it. This Pope lyued aboute the conquest. v. C. yeare sins: and syns the begynnynge of the worlde vnto hys tyme, it was not [Page] brought to passe. There is a great diffe­rence in continuaunce of time, than that mariage was alowed, and a small that they were forbidden. In Moyses law it was not forbidden, two thousand yeare afore Christ: Peter Thapostle and Phi­lip Theuangelist were maried, and had Act. 21. Roiff. lib. 2. Ca. 9 daughters. Gregory Bishop of Na [...]an­ [...]um was Byshoppe there as hys father was afore him. Polychrates Byshop of Ephesus says that vii. of his cosins and auncetours had bene Byshoppes afore him. Whan Phileas Bishop of Chinn [...] Euseb. lib 5. ca. 26 was ledde to martirdome, the greatest reason they had to perswade him to re­cant, was that he woulde haue pitye on his wife. Eustathius and his scholers are blamed bicause they despised maried priestes. These amonge the Grecians Sozo lib. 3 Ca. 14. I trust proue that the Church hais had maried Priestes of olde time. The. l. Canon of The Appostles says: If anye Byshoppe, Priest, Diacon, or any of the Clergye forbeare mariage, fleshe and wyne, not for that his mynde might be fytter to godlynes, but for abhominati­on, forgettynge that all that God hais made is good, and that he made both male and female: lette him be correct or deposed The thirde Councell of Car­tage sayes thus: Let not Pryestes chil­dren make anye playes and gammes. [Page] If any says the Popes canon law, shuld teache that a Pryest for religyon sake, should despise his wife accursed be he. Distinct. xxviii. Againe the next cha. fo­lowinge: If any make a difference of a maried Priest, as though he should not minister by occasiō of his mariage, and therfore forbeare from his ministration accursed be he. Whan this foolysh vn­learned Papiste hais scraped these and such like sayinges out of the Popes te­stament (commonly called his decrees) than he may say the Popes lawe, hais vtterly condemned mariage of Priestes in the Latin Church. But what nedes [...]. Paule. these proofes whan Saint Paule saies playne a Byshop must be the husbande of one wife: and Ambrose writinge on Ambrose. the same place, sais that he is not for­bidden to haue a seconde. Pope Pius Platina. ii. wrytes that there were great causes why Priests were forbidden wiues, but there were greater causes why they shoulde be restored. Ierom grauntes that in his time manye Priestes were Ierom. maried. cōtr. Ioui. And on the vi. cha. of the Epistle. He writes thus. Let Bys­shoppes and Priestes reade these, which teache their children worldly learning, and make them to reade Comedes, and singe bawdy songes of ministrelles. &c. Nauclerus part. vii. generat. xxxvii. wri [Page] tes thus Gregorye. vii. decreed in the Gregor [...] ­ [...]. [...]ii. yeare. M. lxxiii. that from thencefoorth Priestes shoulde not haue wyues: and they that had shoulde leaue them or be deposed. He wrote to the Byshops of France, and Germany, that they should procure it so to be with them. The hole clergy cried out against this decree, cal­linge Math. 19. 1. Co [...]. 7. him hereticke: who hadde forgot­ten the worde of the Lord (who said) al receiue not this sayinge: and he that can not refrayne let him mary: and it is better to marye, than to burne. Howe violent a thinge is this to compell that menne shoulde liue like Aungelles: and whan he denyes the accustomed course of nature, he shoulde giue lybertye to horedome: If he continued to confirme this decree, they had rather leaue their Priesthode than mariage. Gregory not Gregorie. withstandinge was instaunt and rebu­kes the Byshops of slouthfulnesse, that these thynges were not done amonge theim. Tharchbyshop of Mentz percey­ninge howe harde a thynge it was, to breake so longe a rooted custome, and to reforme the worlde in his olde age, ap­pointed his Priestes. vi. monethes to do that in which they must necessarily doe: they purposed than to laye violent han­des on the Byshoppe, except he chaun­ged his purpose. The yeare folowinge [Page] Gregorye attempted that diuorcinge of them by his legate which he coulde not bringe to passe by the Byshoppe. The Priestes were so moued against the le­gate, that they had almost torne him in peces except he had gone away, and left the matter vndone. A horrible plage he sais further did folow this contenti­on of the west Churche, in so much that lay men didde christen and minister sa­cramentes because the Priestes had ra­ther forsake their Priesthode than their wines, and would not minister. &c. thus far the history. Marke whan thys was done, the trouble in doynge it, the plague that folowed, and that mariage as he says was longe used afore him.

WHere I founde (O father and lord) your decrees for the cōtinentie of clerks, which ye send me of late, to be without discretion, a certaine feare and hea­uines [Page] both troubled me, fear because the iudgement of the shepeherd whither it be right or wrong, is to be feared: for I was afraid lest the weake hearers of the scripture whiche wil scarce obey a righ­teous iudgement, not regarding this of yours as wrongful, should boldly break this so heauy a cōmandement of the she­perd that it may not be borne. Sorow or rather pity troubled me, whā I douted by what meanes the members myght escape, wher their head was so sore sick. What can be more greuous, or more to be pitied of the hole church, thā that you y ^• bishop of the chefest see, shuld swarue but a litle from a holy discretion? Thou swarued muche from thys, whan thou would that clerkes (whom thou shoulde warne for the continentie of mariage) shoulde be compelled to it by a certaine imperious violence. Is not this worthi­ly to be coūted a violence, by the cōmen iudgment of al wise men, whā any man is cōpelled to execute priuat decrees, cō ­trarye to the doctrine of the gospel, and decree of the holy gost? Therfore where there be many examples of the old testa­ment & new, teachinge discretion, as ye know: I besech your fatherhode be con­tent y ^• some few amōg many may be put in this writing. Our lord apoynted ma­riage to priestes in the old law, which is [Page] not redde to be forbydden theym after­warde. But he sais in the Gospel: there be Euunches whiche haue geldet them­selues for the kyngdome of heauen: but all men receiue not this worde, he that can take it, let him take it. Therefore Thappostle sais: for Uirgins I haue no Commaundement of the Lorde, but I geue counsell. Ye see that al men can not take this counsell accordinge to the sayinge of the Lord. And ye see also ma­nye flatterers of the same counsell, wil­ling to please menne and not god, with this false shewe of continentie, to doe more haynous thinges: as to prouoke their fathers wiues, not abhore to lye by beastes, and menne. But least the state of the whole churche should be de­cayed by the great mischeues of this fil­thines, he said: For fornication let eue­rye man haue his owne wife. Yet these hipocrites falsy saye, that this same be­longes speciallye to laye menne: whiche hipocrites, althoughe they be in a moste holy order: yet they doubt not to misuse other mens wyues. These men vnder­stode not the scripture rightlye, and be­cause they wrunge the pappe to soore, they souked bloude in stede of milke. For that saynge of Thapostle: Let eue­ly manne haue his owne wife, exceptes no man in dede, but him that professes [Page] conrotinentye, or him that determines to continue his virginitye in the Lord. &c. And that ye may know that they which haue not made this vowe, ought not to be compelled: Here Thappostle to Ti­mothe, saying: It becomes a Byshoppe to be blameles, the husband of one wife: and least anye manne should turne this sayinge to the Churche onely, he addes: he that canne not rule his owne house, howe can he rule the Churche of God? Likewise he sais Diacons muste be the husbande of one wife, whiche can well rule their children and houses. I know that ye haue taught by the decrees of holye Syluester Pope, that this wife must be blessed of the Priest. The wri­ter of the rule of clerkes liues, agreing wyth these, and suche sentences of the scripture sais: A clerke must be chast, or els bounde with the bande of one mari­age. Of all whiche sayinges he gethers trulye that a Bishoppe and Diacon, are to be blamed, if they be deuyded into manye women: but if eyther Bishoppe, or Diacon, forsake one woman for reli­gion sake, the canonicall sentence here condemnes theym without respecte of their degrees, sayinge. A Byshop vn­der pretense of religion must not put a­waye his owne wife: if he put her away let him be excommunicat: but if he con­tinue, [Page] let him be deposed, & postea. There be some which take S. Gregory for a help of this opinion: whose folysh­nes I laughe at, and am sorye for their ignoraunce: they know not that the pe­rillous decree of this heresy made by S. Gregory, was purged afterward of him by worthy fruite of repentance. For on a time when he sende to his pounde for fyshe and see mo than six thousand chil­drens heades brought, he sight, moued with inwarde sorowe, and confessinge that decree whiche he made for forbea­ringe of mariage to haue bene the cause of so greate a slaughter, did purge it with worthy frute of repentaunce, and condemninge his owne decree, praysed that counseel of the Apostle: It is better to mary than to burne, addinge for hys part this: It is better to marye, than giue occasion of murther. Thus muche among many other reasons concerning this matter, this Byshop wrote a. vii. c. yeare sins. Frere Mantuan says that Hilary the learned writer & Byshop of Poiters in Fraunce was maried. The counsell Gangrēse about a iii. C. yeare after Christ says. If anye man thinke that it is not lawful for a maried priest to vse his ministery, or abhorre him for that cause, cursed be he. The Priestes of Spane did earnestlye defend their ma­riage [Page] againste Pope Syricius, beynge angrye wyth them. Thus ferre ye see of howe late yeares, and howe trouble­some a beginninge this forbiddinge of priests mariage had in other countries, now let vs see a little howe and whan it began here in Englande, that this proude prycker and vnlearned papist, may see his owne folyshnes. If I should begin at Wales, the reliques of the old Britans whiche haue at all times suf­fred their Priestes to marye in al pope­rye, parauenture some would call them concubines for a shifte rather then wi­ues, as they be in dede, but surely if pa­pistes will suffer fathers so to bestowe their daughters, and their chaplains to keepe vnlawfull women, rather than their lawfull wiues, (as Pigius their great patrone sais it is better for a priest to keepe a whore than haue a wife) they declare whose children they be. Mariage is of God, whoredome is of the Deuill, therfore I come to more certayn things. In the time of Kinge Henrye the first, Paschall beinge Pope and Ansel. Bis­shoppe of Cantorb. about. iiii. C. yeares sins, this diuorcynge of Priestes began chefely here with vs. The Pope willed Ansel. to do it, he attemted to do it, and the kinge withstode it, as appeares by sūdry Epistles of Ansel concerning the same matter. Epi. lxxvii. &. iii. c. lxxvi [Page] Ansel. to his brether & sunnes, the lord Prior Ernulph & other seruing god vn­der Ernulph. him in Christes church in Cantorb. gretinge and his blessinge.

As concerning Priestes of whom the kinge gaue commaundement that they shoulde haue both their Churches, and their wyues, as they had in the tyme of his father, and of Lanfranc late arche­bishop: yet both because the kinge hais reuested and reseased me of the whole archbishopricke, and also because so cur­sed a mariage was forbidden in a coun­sell in the time of his father, and the same Archbishop, boldly by that autori­tye which I haue by tharchbishopricke, I commaunde not onlye within tharch­bishopricke: but also through oute Eng­land, that all Priestes which kepe their wiues, shalbe depriued of their churches and ecclestasticall benefice. Marke the thinges conteined in these few wordes: the kinges commaundement for Prie­stes to kepe their benefices and wyues both, contrarye to Pope Gregories de­cree afore, and yet not contrarye to the custome in his fathers tyme and Bys­shop Lanfranc. And where Ansel. de­maunded Ansel. the Popes aduise what was best to doe, seinge it was so harde to di­uorse theim, note the Popes aunswere. Epist. iii. C. xxxi. Paschal Byshop, ser­uaunt Paschall. [Page] of Gods seruauntes, to his reue­rende brother Anselme Byshop of Can­torb. gretyng and Apostolicall blessing.

We beleue youre brotherhode is not ignorāt, what is decreed in the Romish churche concerninge Priestes chyldren: but because ther is so great a multitude of such within the Realm of England, that almost the greater and better part of the clarkes are reckened to be on this side: we commit the order here into your charge: For we graunt those to be pro­moted to holye offices (by reason of the nede at this time, and for the profet of the church) whom learning and life shal commende amonge you: and yet not­withstandinge the preiudice of the Ec­clesiastical decree be taken hede to here­after. Here I note the Popes confessi­on that almost the greater and better part of the Clergye here in Englande were maried than, and that he suffers theym to be promoted to benefices, and afterwarde as time would suffer to exe­cute the Popes deuorcing decre. Whan the Bishops coulde not wel bring those diuorces to passe, the Pope sende Ioan his Cardinall to doe it: and he as Poly­chro. Polychro. writes lib. vii. ca. xvi. was taken the same night in bedde with a doore in the time of Henrye the first. O holy sin­gle life that the Pope went about: The [Page] same Polychro. sais also lib. vii. ca. xxxi. that Fuico a Frenche Prieste came to kinge Richard the. i. and bad him mary his. iii. daughters, the kinge said he had none, yes says he: Pride, couetous, & le­cherye, than the king said: pryde I giue to Templers, couetous to white mun­kes, and lecherye to Prelates, this ma­riage was so knytte than that it coulde not be broken sins, and this was the kinges opinion of them. But not onely this hardnesse was in beginning of this diuorce, but after that they were sepera­ted dyuerse came together again, as ap­peares in the Epistle that Ansel. wrote to Willyam his Archdiacon in this be­halfe. Ansel. Archebyshoppe to the reuerende Gundulph Bish. and to Er­nulph Prior, and to Willyam Archdi­acon of Cantorb. and to all in his dio­cesse gretinge. Epi. iii. C. lxxiii. Wil­lyam our Archdiacon hais writen to me that some Priestes whiche be vnder his custodye, takinge againe their Wyues that were forbidden theym, haue fallen into vncleanesse from whiche they were drawen by holsome Counsell and com­maundement, whan Tharchdiacon woulde amende thys thynge, they vt­terlye despised his warninge, and wor­thye Commaundement with a wycked pryde. Than he callyng together many [Page] religious menne and obedient Priests, excommunicated worthelye the proude and dysobedient, which beastlie despised his curse, and defyled the holy ministery as much as in them lay. &c. Here appea­res how harde it was to diuorse the ma­ried Priestes, and howe some wolde not obey though they were excomunicate. I marke also how the Bishop calles these mariages vncleanesse, and sais: they de­file the ministerye: but to an indifferent iudge the Priestes haue better reasons out of the Scriptures for theym selues, than the Byshop had. Let al them ther­fore that haue the feare of Godde afore theym, consyder the great plages that God layd on thys Realme at that time. The Realme was conquered by straun­gers. Willyam Conquerour and his fe­lowes: the Popes Chaplains. Lanfranc Bis. of Cantorb. vnder kinge Willyam the. ii. brought in transubstantiation, & Ansel. vnder Henry y ^e. i. next kinge folo­winge, brought in vnmaried priestes, & diuorced the maried, the doctrine of trā ­substātiacion is so holy y ^• a maried priest may not handel it, the one can not stand without the other, & the one necessarily bringes in y ^e other. The late popes were better then they, for in the time of pope Paule the. iii. kepynge hys Counsell at Trident a. xvii. yeare synce, came forth that woorthye booke Interim, [Page] wherein is entreated the mariages of Priestes and concludet that those which be maried, shoulde not be deuorced, but whither any mo shoulde mary, it should be referred and differred to a generall counsell. These men were more reaso­nable, modest, and wise than oure late brutish Papistes: for in the late daies of their raging madnes contrarye to this decree of the Pope made not. xvi. yere a fore, they deuorsed here w ^t vs al Priests that afore were maried. But whā these olde Popes see howe harde it was to driue Priestes from their wiues, that Helbrande Gregorye. vii. decreed that none shoulde heare his masse that was maried: and by this politie, he brought more to passe than by excommunication or anye other waye. Suche practises the Popes prelates are ful of: for whan the Priestes perceiued their ministerye was despised, it made them some thing to re­lent, and at length altogether to quale. At the same tyme, and streight after the conqueste were swarmes of munkes, brought almost into all the Cathedrall churches of the Realme. As at Duresme in the yere. M. lxxxiii. the Priests (which than were maried) were brought from Duresme, and had the prebendes of Au­cland, Duresme. Darnton and Norton: and mun­kes were placed in their stedes, at Dur­ram [Page] in the xviii. yeare of Willyam the conquerour: and these prebendes were than first founded & appointed for these secular maried priestes. O gētil Papists of old time that wold not displace mari­ed priests, but prouide liuings for them, where our Edomites persecute theym wythout mercye. Mariage Gods holye ordinaunce in Paradise, & blessed is pu­nished of poperye in the world, suche is their wickednesse. In other places as Winchester, Worceter and els where, this bringinge in of Munkes, and dry­uinge out maried Priestes, beganne a litle afore the conquest vnder kyng Ed­garus but no great differens in the yea­res. Dunstan and Oswalde Byshops of Worcetor first and after of Cantorb­and Yorke, were greate helpers in thys matter. Oswald thrast all the clarkes out of worceter Church whych woulde not be made munkes. Ethelwoldus Byshop of Wynchester thrast oute hys maried priestes likewise, if they woulde not forsake their Wyues, and become Munkes, and placed Munkes in their stede, but they so hated the Munkish life that they were cōtent to leaue al rather than become munks, euery one of them saue iii. But after y ^• death of Edgarus, Aelfer kinge of Mercia (whiche was the middle aud chefe part of England) and [Page] many other nobles of the realme, droue out the munkes and brought in the ma­ried Priestes againe. These and suche like are written in the recordes of these churches, and were done many of them about the yeare of our lorde. ix. C. lxiii. and after. Polychroni. also in his. vi. booke touches manye of these thinges: These things I haue spoken more large lye because he charges vs with disobey­ing all lawes, as though these were ne­uer done in Englande afore, and good men shoulde not suffer theym: and also that the worlde maye see howe lewde, vnlearned a Proctour hays taken theyr case in hande, If he were not to farre paste shame, he woulde not denye the lawes of the Realme to suffer Priestes mariage, seynge the. xxix. Iniunction whiche the Queenes hignesse set forth, entreates of their mariage onelye. But thys is their obedyence, that they shewe to their Prynces, in deniynge their lawes: and it is their olde opinion that Iuiunctions be not lawes, nor Princes haue that autoritye ouer them to make suche lawes. God gyue theym better myndes, or graunte the Prynce better subiectes.

It were to long to write all that may [Page] be said in this behalfe, and it is not my meaninge: onelye I woulde let theym see whiche woulde learne how wrong­fullye Priestes mariage is accused. For the frowarde obstinate, that wyll not learne, but contemne and condemne all that gayne saye it, afore they heare theym speake, I saye wyth oure Saui­oure Chryste in a lyke case: lette theym alone, they be blynde, and guydes of Math. 15. the blynde: They are not to be passed on, doe as trueth, Goddes worde, and a good conscience teaches, you nothyng regardinge their ralynge blasphemies. Austin in his booke de bono coniug ali. Ca. xxi. comparyng the chastitie of ma­riage and slngle life together sais thus. The vertue of continentie muste be al­wayes in the power of the mynde, but in dede if must be shewed as things and tymes chaunge. For as there was not a dyuerse meryte of sufferynge Martyr­dome in Peter that suffered cruell death, and in Ioan that suffered not: So there is not a dyuerse meryte of Chastytye in Ioan whych was not ma­ryed, and in Abraham whyche gate chyldren. For bothe hys syngle lyfe and thys mannes maryage, serued Chryste as the tyme chaunged, but Ioan hadde Chastytye bothe in [Page] power and dede, Abraham onely in po­wer. Again. ca. xxii. euill menne saye to him that is chaste: Art thou better than Abraham? but whan he heares it lette him not be afraide, but saye, I am not better, but the chastitie of single men is better than the chastitie of mariage. A­gain ca. xxiii. If we compare the things them selues together, it is sure that the chastitie of continentie, is better than the chastitie of mariage, and yet bothe good: but whan we compare the men to gether, he is the better that hais a grea­ter goodnes and vertue in him than the other hais. Thus ferre Austin. Marke the difference that he puttes betwix the goodnes of thinges themselues, and the goodnes of the menne that haue theim. I am sure many wil iudge that I speak this to please my wyfe: but we reade that Paphuntius vnmaried (whan some in the counsell would haue determined Sozo. lib. 1 Ca. 23. that Priests shoulde leaue their wiues) perswaded the contrarye. Spiridion being maried as he writes also, and ha­uinge children was neuer the worse, or [...]i. Ca. 11. hindred to minister the sacramentes. Chriso. in his homily on the mariage in Cana Galilea writes thꝰ. Thou repro­ [...]s mariage that they be a let to godly­nes: but wilt thou know that it hurtes not to haue wyfe and children. Had not [Page] Moyses wife and children? was not He­lias a virgin? Moses brought Manna from heauen, and Helias fire: god spake to Moyses, and was conuersaunt with Helias. Did not Moyses make Duales to come: and Helias shut vppe heauen from raine with a word? Did not Moy­ses deuide the sea, and brought through the people? Was not Helias taken into heauen in a firie charet. Did virginitye hurte the one, or was wife and children a hindraunce to the other? hais thou marked Helias in his charet in the aer, and Moyses goynge on foote in the sea? Marke Peter also a piller of the church that he had a wife: for it is writ­ten that Iesus wente into Peters mo­ther Math. 8. in lawe, beinge sicke, touched her and the feuer left her. Where there is a mother in lawe, there must nedes be a wife, and daughter in lawe. Sees thou not than that Peter had a wife? blame not mariage than. &c. thus ferre Chriso­stome. I coulde shew you like examples of maried ministers at these daies, whi­che are not hindered in their duty doing therby, nor in any part of godlynes: but rather forthered in that houshold cares be taken from them therby: and in sike­nes, they better cherished These be i­nough for them that wil be perswaded, or more will not serue. It is not hard [Page] to bringe diuerse moe autorities out ot the Popes distinc. xxviii. and xxxi. to proue this withall: but he that is father of all filthines is not worthye to beare witnes in so honest a matter. In Moises law where euery one should marie with in his owne tribe, the priestes had thys priuilege that they might marye wyth the kinges stocke: but oure menne ab­hore Priestes mariage, lest they should get gentilwomen, and so possibly might enherite their landes. God was not so wise to foresee these thinges as we be, and that which Gods wisdome thought good and commendable, we with oure polities thinke hurtfull and vnprofita­ble. God make vs wise in him. For the foolyshe writhinge and rackynge of the scriptures folowinge, because they be so vnaptlye applied that a blind manne maye sce them, I will not stande to set out his folye: for they conteyne no mat­ter of weight against vs.

Here this proud Papist triumphes as thoughe nothinge coulde be said to the contrary. For our churche seruice I said inough afore, now marke what weight his raginge railynge wordes haue. He sais Saint Edmonde Lanfranc, Ansel. neuer knewe such an orderyng of Prie­stes, and Bishopes, how proues he that? I thinke they dyd: for they liued in that [Page] age whan religion beganne to decaye, blyndnes and supersticion to crepe into the worlde, and therefore coulde not be ignoraunt of suche good order as hadde bene afore them, althoughe they theym selues than beganne to chaunge & bring in the contrary, wherof I declared part afore as mariage of priestes, church ser­uyce. &c. To graunt that so manye Bis­shops of Cantorb. yorke, Lichfield, and Duresme were in blindnes, he thinkes it such an inconuenience, as no manne will doe it: and therfore these that now be Byshops must nedes be deceyued. I am not of that oppinion to thynke it a shame to graunt that Byshoppes be de­ceyued eyther in that age or other: for there hais bene no man so holye (except Christ Iesus) but he hais bene deceiued and ignoraunt in manye thinges, euen in religion. Did not Paule rebuke Pe­ter for dissemblynge in meates with the Iewes? Only Christ hais the ful truth. That is the proude principle of Popery to, think that they can not be deceyued: yet in that sayinge they are most fowly deceyued. The Scribes and Pharases vsed the same reasons agaynst Christe oure Lorde, and the false Prophetes a­gainst the true, sayinge that they kepte the olde true learninge, and the other brought in a new, & deceiued the people. [Page] But in grauntinge these olde Byshops to be made after another sort than these be nowe, what harme maye followe? What auncienty be they of? al sins the conquest, and not past v. C. yeare sins. Than it is but newe in comparison of of M. D. l. And if oure order agree wyth Christes doinges and his Apostles wri­tings better thā theirs, are we to blame in forsakyng them, & folowing Christ & his Apostles: or are we to be counted deuisers of a new way, when we folow that which is M. ycre elder than theirs. Naye surely their deuyses be new, and we restore the old religion again, prac­tised and taught by Christ and his Ap­postles: which they haue defaced wyth their newe deuysed supersticyon and Popery. Whither is it more to contēne or correct these Byshoppes of Cantorb. York, Lichfielde, and Duresme that he names, rather than Christ oure Lorde, Peter, Paul, Timothe, Titꝰ. &c. Whe­ther is to bee iudged elder, wyser, and godlyer, these Byshoppes that he names which are not v. C. yeare old, or Christe and his Appostles whiche be M. D. yeare old and more? In the Actes of Thappostles where Matthias was chosen in stede of Iudas the traitour. Where the. vii. Deacons were chosen, and whan Paule and Barnabas were [Page] sēt forth to preach, how few ceremonies were vsed in comparison of that multi­tude which the Papistes vse nowe? and The orde­ [...]ng of my­ [...]ysters. howe much does it agree with our kind of orderinge ministers better than with theirs: Whan Paule taught Timothe and Titus to appointe mynisters and Byshops in euery towne how ferre dif­fers it from the Popes oiled shauelin­ges? Act. i. Peter calles the disciples to­gether, preaches vnto them: they fall to prayer, and those Matthias in stede of Iudas. In the vi. of the act. the Apostles assemble y ^e people declare to them how they themselfes shuld folow preaching, & willes them therfore to pike out men of honestye and godlinesse to serue the poore, they praye together, laye their handes on them, and made theim Dia­cons to prouide for the pore. In sending forth Paule and Barnabas whan they Act. 13. were assembled to their ministery, they fasted, prayed, laid their hands on them and send them forth. In the. viiii. Paule and Barnabas ordeyned in euery chur­che ministers, requirynge the consent of the people (by holdynge vppe their han­des, as the Greke word there signifies) In y ^e. i. Epistle to Timoth. ca. v. he bid­des him that he lay not his hands rash­lye on anye manne, where afore he had taught him sufficientlye what manner [Page] of menne, and with what qualities be shoulde call and thinke theym me [...]e for the ministery. But because he findes not so great faute with the menne that be calde nowe a dayes (althoughe other doe grudge at theym, as with the order and maner of their callynge. I wil one­lye answere to that point which he tou­ches. In these places of the scripture afore rehearsed there be these thinges to be noted, in sending forth ministers. First an assemblye of the Clergye, and people to beare testimonie of their ho­nestie and aptnes that be calde: for it must not be done in corners, least suche be admitted as be vnworthye, and with whom some could or would haue found faut, if it hadde bene knowen and done openly. The ministery is so godly a vo­cation that none ought to be admitted to it hauing anye notable faut in them, or if they maye not abide the triall and judgemet of the multitude, yea, though they be heathens. For Saint Paul sais they must haue good testimonie of their honesty, euen of them that be out of the churche. Secondly I note they vsed ex­hortacions, wyth fastinge, prayer, and layinge on of handes. These Cere­monies we be sure are good and godly, because Thappostles vsed them so oft: & these except some great cause to the con­trary are to be vsed of al in calling of y ^• ministers. [Page] Al these thinges the order now appoin­ted obserues and no more: all the popish ceremonies be cut of as vain & superflu­ous. The time of geuing orders now is the holy day, whan the people be assem­bled that they may see who be cald: and if they knowe anie notable faute in any of theym that are there to be appointed ministers, or Byshoppes, they maye de­clare it, that they may be reiected as vn­worthy. The Popishe Prelates giue their orders on the Saturdaye, whan the people is not present, and commenly at home in their chappelles where fewe resort to see. The Byshops nowe vse in giuyng their orders, an exhortacion, commen prayer, the Communion, and laying on of handes, which Thapostles vsed. The Pope and his Prelates haue deuised of them selues, clippinges, sha­uinge their crownes, an vnlawful com­pelled vowe to lyue vnmaried, oile for an [...]intinge their fingers, and power to sacrifice for quicke and dead, their dou­ble latin matins, and Euensonge daily with suche a kinde of apparell that they be more like to Aaron and Moyses prie­stes of the olde law, than a simple prea­cher of Christes Gospell, or minister of his sacraments of the new Testament. Whan we do that which Christ & hys Apostles did & vsed, we may be sure it is [Page] good lawfull and necessarye, whan we adde any thing of our owne, it may be doubted on, and if it be commaunded as necessarye, or as the true worshippe of Godde it ought to he refused, chaunged, yea condemned. For Christe sais. They worship me in vain teaching doctrines, the commaundementes of men. There­fore Math. 15. as he reasons here, that it should be to great an inconuenience to saye that these Byshops whiche he names were blynde and ignoraunt in their doings, and that they would come at the iudge­ment to the condemnation of these new Bishops which folow not their wayes. I had rather tourne hys argument a­gainst him selfe on his owne heade, and saye: that it is a greater inconuenience yea blasphemy, to say that Peter, Paul Timothe, Titus. &c. were in blindnesse and had not the right order of appoin­tinge their ministers, but that these lat­ter Popishe Prelates haue inuented of late yeres a perfecter way to do it than they knew or vsed. Let them proue that eyther Thapostles themselues, or anye of their scholers vsed clippinge, shauing their crownes, the vowe of single life, sacrificinge for the deade, oilinge their fingers or crown, their Iewysh apparel their halowinges, crossings, blessinges, or suche trashe as their order is full of, [Page] and than blame this new order: but be­cause they can not (the Scrypture tea­chinge no suche thynge) I saye they be Hypocrites, layinge heauye loodes on mens backes and consciences, yea grea­ter than anye maye beare, not tou­chinge theym with their finger, to ease them, but rather to presse theym downe lower in preferringe mans dreames be­fore the symple truthe of the Gospell, Christ and his Apostles with their scho­lers shall come in iudgemente to their condemnatiō: For that they haue main­tained their owne deuises afore the in­fallyble truth of the Scripture, the per­fect rule and onelye example of all oure doinges and religion. Than if our Bis­shops nowe vse all such order as Thap­postles theymselues vsed (as in compa­ringe them together it will easelye ap­peare) why shoulde anye proude Papist be so bolde to correct magnificat, to re­proue theym, and saye that the Pope hays deuysed a better way than Thap­postles vsed? or why shoulde any weake conscience hanginge on manne rather than on Godde be offended to see suche vaine superfluous and wicked toies left of and not vsed. If they left out anye thing that Thapostles vsed they might wel be blamed: but seing thei had rather folow them as their schole masters, and [Page] not the Pope, they were to be praysed. Are Papes wiser than Thappostles [...] or shall Papists for folowinge their father of lies be preferred to Protestauntes, whiche haue Gods worde and his truth with the doings of Thapostles for their defence to alledge for them. God forbid. But I thinke this good Proctour of the Pope is offended, because the new Bis­shops runne not to Ro. theymselues, or by their deputye to doe their homage to their holye father, and sweare an vn­lawful and traitorous oth against their lawfull and naturall Prince, and bring home y ^t holy relique their Palle, which many haue bought so deare, that in ga­thering money for it, they beggerd their bole diocesse. Yet that the blind may see that these ragged Popishe cloutes whi­che they thinke so holye relyques and necessarye are not of suche worthinesse nor to be regarded so highly, it is easye to see euen in this realme, & others that both they haue bene not regarded of old time & also that they had another facion of making priests and bishops, than our papistes of these daies haue, and more a­greing with the order that the new bis­shops vse. Fabian writes. part iii. ca. ix. Palle. that the Byshoppe of Saint Dauyds hadde no Palle from Rome at all, from the time that Samson was Byshoppe [Page] there vnto the time of kynge Henrye. i. in whiche space were there. xxi. Bis­shops. Polychro. writes lib. v. cap. xii. that Northumberlande was withoute Bishop. xxx. yere: without Palle. C. xxv yeare: nor had anye altar at all vnto the vi. C. xxiii. yeare of our Lord, than these thynges are neyther so auncient nor so necessary as Papistes would make men beleue, seinge they had no altars, than they hadde no Popishe masses: for they may not be said but on a halowed altar or superaltare. The Pope decreed that all Abbotes and Bishops beinge chosen to their dignities shoulde come to Ro. to be confirmed and blessed: by whiche meanes, he and the Cardinalles, made them to paye suche summes of money to be spedelye dispatched (as our vnder of­ficers do nowe for expedicion) that they impouerished many Realmes by it, and enriched themselues, by reason whereof kinge Edwarde. i. perceiuynge the Bis­shoppe of Elye, and Thabbot of S. Ed­mons berye, being than chosen to their dignities to haue spent so much money, was ashamed of it, and forbade any mo to go thither afterwarde theym selues. For they beggerde their Churches, or they coulde paye their dettes, as Matth Parisien writes all this at large & more speaking against this decree of y ^• popes. [Page] The Byshops of Colen and Mentʒ pay either to the Pope for their palle. 24000 Ducats. The same man sais also that Thurstan archbyshoppe of yorke going to a counsell holden at Remis by Pope Calixtus was forbydden of the king to be consecrate of the Pope, and sworns also: but he notwithstandinge as a wic­ked manne obteyned of the wicked Ro­manes by rewardes, to be consecrate there of the Pope: Which thinge whan the kinge hearde tell of, he forbade him all places of his dominion. Thomas Hatfeld Byshop of Duresme chosen an. M. iii. C. xlv. and the. xix. yeare of Ed­warde the. iii. payed to Pope Clement. the. vi. ix. thousande florence of golde, for his commen seruice, besyde fyue ac­customed seruices, which were. xliii. flo­rence yearelye: whiche appeares by the Popes acquittance made to him. The Bishop of Lions declared in the counsel of Basil that the Pope had. ix. Millions of Crownes yearlye out of Fraunce of the Bishops. A million conteynes ten hundreth thousand. If these be not hys griefes perauenture because they haue not the cruche and miter as the old bis­shops had, displeases him: Surely suche horned beasts be fitter for the pope than the Gospell: For as the Latin prouerb. sayes of vnruly beastes that they were [Page] wont to be knowen by hanginge haye on their hornes. Fenum habet in cornu: So these vnruly popishe cattel, haue their marke that they might be knowen by, their horned miters: or els because they were of the generatyon of the horned beast, that Daniell in the vii. cha. and S. Iohn writes of in his reuelation. xiii. and xvii. Reade the latter ende of Gildas our country manne, in his chro­nicle and chidinge exhortacion to the Priestes, and ye shall finde, that in hys time which is a M. yere sins, there were diuers other parts of the scriptures ap­pointed to be red out of the Actes of the apostles, and Peters Epistle whan they were appointed ministers, and made Priestes, which the Popish prelates vse not in orderinge their chaplens nowe. Whereby it maye be gathered that the ceremonies differd also. But the bar­barousnes of the time hais bene suche sins, that scars anye perfect memoriall of their doinges remaine. The rude Sarons ouer ranne this Realme, and destroied al learning and religion, with helpe of the Pope and his creatures, the Munkes and Freers: so that vnto nowe of late yeares verye lytle good learning [...]ais bene heard of. Dionisiu [...] Ari [...]pa­gita as he is commenly cald, and whom [Page] they saye was Paules scholer, and of whom Saint Luk. writes. Act. xvii. sais in his booke (if it be his booke) as they saye it is, that in makyng their priestes and Byshoppes in his time, they vsed no moe ceremonies, than to bringe him Ecclesiast. Hiera [...]ch. that was to be calde a Byshop, to knele afore the altar, to laye the Byble on his head, and the Byshop his handes also, with certaine prayers and salutations. Thys symple facyon was vsed of olde time, without anye further adoe. The priests & Diacons had not all these cere­monies in their creatinge: and yet ours Byshops which folowe this aunciente simplicitye, are blamed that they haue deuised new facions of their own, whi­che neuer were hearde of afore. But by these fewe thinges that I haue resited, it maye well be sene howe malice hais blynded their Popishe hartes, falsly to accuse the Protestantes of those things which are not true. And to put aways all doubtes, that maye be moued for the auncientie and autoritye of their order and facion of makynge Priestes and Byshops, Polychro. writes lib. v. ca. xii. that Pope Honorius sent to Honorius bishop of Cantor. the Palle & the order how to make bishops, this was about y ^• yere of our Lord. M. C. xxvii. Loke how auncient it is, and they cris M. D. years [Page] olde, where it is not past. iiii. C.

And as Dyonise in this orderinge of Priestes declares, howe farre they dif­fered in his time from all these Popishe toyes that this beast woulde burthen the Churche and simple soules withall: so shal ye finde in him also, how muche they differed in his age, in ministring y ^e Communion, in duriynge the dead, and other such seruyce and ceremonies from the Popes synagoge in our dayes. In so muche that it may be truly saide of this our religion that Freer mantuan said: Hec nouitas non est nouitas sed vera vetustas.

The Popes supersticion maye well be called newe as I haue proued by many particulars afore: but this of oures is bothe olde and true, as it maye be more fullye proued than I haue yet spoken. Therfore let them set better clarkes to speake for theim, and proue it by the scriptures, or elles for shame holde their peace. But a scalled horse is good inoughe for a scabbed esquier: and for so false a doctrine, so foolyshe vnlearned a dronken dotel is a mete scholemai­ster. They knowe well ynoughe that they be not able to stande in defence of it, and therefore they set vp such a dolt, that whan he takes a foyle no man wil meruaile: and yet they shall thinke that [Page] the stoute champions are behind, which can binde beares and confute all men. But surely this rude asse is the mouthe of them all to vtter what they thinke, and they haue no better ware, than he hais vttered, let them put their helping hands to, and bring better stuffe if they haue it, but if they run to the later con­stitutions of Gregory and Clemens or such like we know what auncienty and autority they be of, and our answere is readye: for they them selues kepe them not.

What religion the old Bishops haue bene of from the beginning in these sees whiche he names, or howe they were made I thinke no good record declares. The rudenesse of the times haue bene such, and such destruction of old monu­mentes, both by inward and outwarde warre, that none or fewe remaynes. I will note onlye therefore suche thinges as were done in oure dayes that euerye man knowes, or els such as be in print. In Duresme I graunt the Byshop that nowe is and his predecessour were not of one religion in dyuers pointes, nor made Byshops after one facion. Thys hais neither cruche nor miter, neuer sweare against his Prince, his allegi­ans to the Pope: this hais neyther po­wer to christen belles, nor halowe cha­lices [Page] and superaltares. &c. as the other had, and with gladnesse, prayses God that kepes him from suche filthinesse: his predecessour wrote, preached, and sware against the Pope, was iustly de­priued afterward for disobedience to his prince: and yet being restored, submitted himselfe to the Pope again. Stout Ste­uen and bloudye Bonner with other champions yet liuing, be in the like case: God defende al good people from such religion, and bishops.

For these other holye Byshops that be reckens and calles saintes, if I shuld speake all that I know, & they deserue, it were to longe a booke, and to wise menne it wold be thought a scorne, ra­ther than a praise. There is no good auncient history that makes mention of them, for they them selues are not auncient, nor long it is sins they liued here. There is no better history than y ^• popes Portuis and Legenda Sanctorum, with such like that speakes of them, & to read those Miracles would make a horse to laugh: yet some thing will I saye. In the time of that famous Prince Henry the. viii. Whan Goddes ennemye, and the ouer­thrower of all Princes, the Pope, was bannyshed thys Realme, it was decreed wel, that all Doctoures, Deanes, and other heads menne of the Clergye, [Page] should declare to the people in their ser­mons, the vsurped power of the Pope, diuers times in the yeare. Amonge o­ther, one D. Str. preachynge at Yorke, and inueying against thabuses of Pope­rye (although in many thinges a Papist himselfe) and namelye against his cano­nizinge and making of saintes: amonge other he fel in talke of Saint Willyam of yorke, & said, that Saint Willyams horse was more woorthye to be made a Saint, than saint Willyam himselfe. The reason was this: Saint Wil­lyam on a time whā he was made new Bishop, riding in his rialty ouer Owes S. VVyllya of Yorke. bridge, within Yorke (as he was wont to do oft, very gloriously, and as stout­lye as Thomas Becket, in whose time he liued also) the bridge brake, and ma­nye that folowed were drowned. Saint Willyams horse, as full of courage as hys maister, wyth wrastlynge and spar­ringe vppe, saued himselfe and his ma­ster from drowninge. The horse dyd the notable deede, and deserued the prayse: but the Maister wanne the re­warde, and was made a Saint by the pope. This and such other, is inough wyth the Pope, to make his seruauntes Sayntes: but thys Byshoppes lyfe and doinges, other wayes afore Godde and godly menne, are in wickednes as euil as Tho. Beckets. He was so vn­happy [Page] a manne that whan he was first chosen Byshop of yorke, the pope Eu­genius woulde not confirme him, but made Henrye Murda [...]h Byshoppe there in his stede. Whan both that Pope and Bishop were dead, than he was chosen againe, and made Byshop of yorke, and cominge so gloriously into the citye, as I spake of, the brydge brake for the weight of menne that folowed as Legen­da no [...]a sanctorum sais in his life. S. Ed­mond was so holy, as the same worthy history says, that whan diuers women came to his chamber to him, he would Edmond. not touch thē. If ye beleue him, he euer set great store by women, for honour of our lady, the same writer sais also, and whan one of his friendes rebuked hym bicause he talked so oft with a certaine wife, he saide? sees thou not howe faire she is, and oft sate by me and yet I was neuer temted with her. Polychronicon also tels the same tale lib. vii. Further whan one of his clerkes, sitting at din­ner, did eate nothinge bycause that day was ordinarye to haue his fit of a quar­tan, he asked why he did not eat: bicause I looke for my fitte sais he. I wil make a crosse on this lamprey in my dish sais Edmond, and put in thy mouthe in the name of the Trinitye, and thou shalte [Page] be holle. But that such holy men may doe what they lust, and haue it for wel, yet if poore soules should haue done it, it would haue bene laughed at, & coun­ted a charminge, for lampery is very e­uill for a quartaine. Lanfranc brougt Lanfranc. Ansel. in the heresy of transubstantiation. An­selme diuorsed maried priestes, and sais also further that Lucus was the firste Byshop of Rome writinge in the latter ende of his commentaries on the. ii. E­pistle to Timoth. Let the Papistes loke their bokes, and see whether I say true, and than iudge howe trulye they crake that Peter was the first Pope at Rome and that all the rest haue their autority from him. If this foole had looked, he should finde some Byshops of Cantor. euen Papistes as Austin and Ansel, to haue bene of oure religion in some opi­nion of the greatest matters, moe than Crammer: whose writinges and doin­ges because they be in print, and so fresh memory, like a berking cur in the night at the mone shine, he maye declare hys owne malyce rather than deface the godly memory of that holy martir, and therfore I will not speake of him. But that the worlde maye see how [...]ewdlye he lies whan he says that no Byshops haue bene of oure religion, the same [Page] Legenda sanctorum telles: that Anselme Byshoppe of Cantorb. came to Kynge Henrye the. i. to desire licens to goe to Ro. to Pope Urban to fetche his palle. The kinge said, he knewe him not for Pope, nor it was not lawfull for anye to name any Pope without his licence. The Prelates and noble menne were called together, and Ansel. accused, and all the Byshops there, said it was not lawefull for hym to take Urbane for Pope in his Realme, and kepe his oth [...] that he made to the kinge: and so al the Bishoppes (except Rochester) forsaked him, and woulde not obey him as their archbyshoppe. Iudge now whether any Bishoppes in this Realme, haue refu­sed the Pope afore these our dayes. And bicause I haue entered to entreate of these holy fathers that he crakes so mu­che on, I will shewe you what is writ­ten in the life and historye of Tho. Bec­ket byshoppe of Cantorb. their stinking martir, & traitour to his Prince. Whan the Bishop was fled out of the Realme the Kinge sent Embassadours by the Tho. Bec­ket. consent of the nobles and Prelates to Rome after him, to declare the matter, and accuse him of disobeying the kinge, troublinge the Realme and the Cler­gye, and of periurye, in not kepinge the lawes whiche he sware to first. The [Page] Embassadours ware, Roger Archebys­shoppe of Yorke, Gilbert Byshoppe of London, Roger Byshoppe of Worce­ter, Hilary Byshop of Chichester, Ba [...] ­tholmewe Byshoppe of Eretor, the erle of Arundel, with many other noble men and clerkes. Their orations wherein they accuse this holye traitour be there in print seuerallye, and somewhat long to recite: but iudge indifferentlie whan so many Byshops and the Erle accuse Thom. Becket afore the Pope so ear­nestly, whither we be to blame to accuse him nowe. Theffect of the Byshop of Londons oration to the Pope and Car­dinals was this: and the other byshops [...]rations are like. Fathers, the care of the Churche belonges to you, that they whiche be wise, might be cherished by you, and they that be vnwise, might be corrected that they might be wise: but he is not thoughte wise to youre wise­domes that trustes in hys owne wyse­dome, and goes about to trouble the peace of his brether, & the king. Of late there fell a debate in England betwi [...]t the Kynge and the Clergye, for a light cause, whyche myght haue bene ease­lye buryed, yf a gentyll medicyne had bene ministred: but the Byshoppe of [Page] Eantorb. vsynge hys owne will, and not oures, was to earnest not consyde­ringe what harme might come by suche headines. And bicause he could not get our consent, he wente aboute to cast the faute of his rashnes on oure Lorde the Kynge, and the Realme: and that he might deface oure brotherlye loue, he flees awaye no man compellinge him, as it is writen in the Psal. The wicked flees whē no man persecutes him. The other Byshoppe and Erle folowe with like or more vehement wordes. Whan kinge Egfride had maried Etheldrede, and shee had rather liue a virgin, than do the dutie of a wyfe, the kinge desyred Saint Wilfride to counsell his wife to do her duty: the Byshoppe woulde not but rather encoraged her, diuorced her, VVilfride. made her a Nunne, and the kinge ma­ried another, whiche counsell of Wil­fride was plaine contrarye to S. Paule sayinge. The woman hais not power of her owne bodye, but the manne, for egenda no­a Sancto­rm in hys fe. she can not depart from her husbande, without licens, and but for a time. God kepe vs from suche holy Byshops. Po­lychro. lib. v. ca. xxii. declares a knot of these his holye fathers. Aldelme firste Priest, than abbot, and lastly a Byshop whan he▪ was tempted in the flesh, toke [Page] a faire wenche into bed with him while he might saye the Psalter: and yet wold not mary, lib. vii. ca. ii. Walter Byshop of Ertford was slain by a woman whi­che goored him in the coddes, with her sheares, because he woulde haue rauy­shed her. Ca. xi. Walter Byshoppe of Durram made women to serue him, & the munks at the table, with their hear hanginge downe, where fewe scaped their handes, ca. xii. Giraldus Byshop of Yorke, was sais he a lecherous man and a witche. O holye fathers. I trust who so euer considers these things wel, wil iudge the holynes of these good bis­shoppes on whom he glories so muche. The rest of the Byshoppes whyche he names be such like, and bicause he spea­kes not muche of them I will let theim passe, for they be no better: and oute of the same worshipful history ye shal read of them, because no learned manne hais thought mete to loose his time in com­mendinge suche. They lyued all sins the conquest, not. v. C. yeare sins: all made Saintes, and promoted by the Pope, and he by theym: therefore they must neede maintaine his doinges, and he theirs. I woulde not haue blotted so muche paper with so muche wicked­nes, nor filled your eares and eyes with [Page] such filthines, but that he prouoked me to it, and cals that good, which is euil, and light, darknes: The rest be no bet­ter. In euery Bishopricke ye shal finde some byshoppes that were ennemies to the Pope and his doinges in that blind age. In Lincolne, Robert grosshead ap­pealed from the Pope to Iesus Christ, and wrote diuers good bookes against manye his doinges. Ranolde Pecocke of Chichester was condemned in the xxvi. yeare of Henrye. vi. for this newe learninge, and specially for saying that a generall counsell and the church may erre in religion. In the late dayes of poperye were burned fiue byshops, and fiue bannished: let them shewe so many byshops that sufferd within this thou­sand yeare for their God the Pope, and they might haue some shewe of honesty for thē. It is a rare thing to see a byshop die for religion, and specially a Papist.

If nothinge els, this one sayinge will [Page] proue him a dissembinge liynge Hipo­crite. All the worlde knowes, that the greatest faute and readiest that they haue to lay against the Gospel time, is: that Churche landes and liuinges are taken from spirituall menne, and besto­wed on other: and of this thing he com­plaines hymselfe in manifest woordes hereafter. Therfore it is manifest, that he woulde not haue the byshops to giue away their landes, seing he complaines of the takynge it awaye: but he woulde so faine finde a faute in the newe bys­shoppes, that rather than he find none, he wil shew him self a foole in blaming them wherein they deserue it not, and which be thinkes to be no faut in dede. Why they forsake their masse and mat­tins, is sufficiently declared afore. For their houses, parkes and landes, why some few that haue any such do not for­sake them that be left, there is good rea­son: but why other some haue them not (that they might forsake theym if they shoulde) I feare their popishe predeces­sours haue prouided to wel for them a­gainst reason. They keepe house, and such lands as they can get, because they be not Anabaptistes, nor heretyckes, thinkynge it not to be lawfull for them so to doe (for Goddes good creatures are ordeined to serue Gods good ministers) [Page] and also because they bee not so super­sticious as the obseruants freers, which thought themselues so holye that they might not handle money. They remember also that Godde commaundes them to kepe hospitalitie to their power: & bi­cause by this meanes it may the better be done, they do not refuse it althoughe gredilye they doe not desire it. The Spirituall mens lan­des. Prince also and commen welth desires a seruice of them whiche they can not so wel performe without these: but chefely for the maintenance of learning which is so decayed almost remedilesse, and so litle hope to recouer it, if these helpes be cleane taken away, that extreme blind ignoraunce is like to folow this age.

Looke into the Uniuersities, and spie what auncient learned menne ye finde there, either Papist or Protestant. I am ashamed to tel, and it is to be lamented to see that there is so few, and it is ear­nestlye to bee begged at Goddes hande that it maye be amended: but I feare it is rather to be wished than hoped for.

This plage is ouer our heads not regarded, and cannot be auoided how so euer the world go. These few that now liue both Papist and protestant must nedes die. Where is there than any learned nūber to supplye their rowmes? There be fewe schooles abroade to bringe vppe [Page] youthe: but so manye benefices so small that no man wil take them, and so the parishes be vnserued, & the people waxe without feare of God. The Uniuersites haue many goodly fresh wittes in them but so yonge, and wythout a sufficyent number of aunciente guydes to teache and rule them, that manye mens dayes shalbe spent afore any number come to ripenes, although for their yong yeares many can do wel. But fathers and mo­thers must answere this questiō (& they) if they be asked why, they kepe not their children at schole, wil say there is more profet to be had in makyng hys sonne a lawer, a Phisicion, or anye thynge ex­cept a minister: for whan they haue be­stowed all they can get on one childe in the Uniuersitye, he shall not be able to liue hym selfe, nor helpe any fryende he hais, where the lawer will become a Gentylman, a purchaser, wythin fewe yeares. They will doe anye thing wyth him, rather than make him a Priest. S. Paule biddes: he that is taught, let him Gala. 6. giue part of all hys goodes to him that teaches him: and the next wordes folo­wing be. God is not mocked, as though be should say: If ye deale not lyberallye with your teachers, and thynk nothing so precious, but they shoulde haue their part of it in theyr nede, ye but mocke [Page] God in so mockinge his ministers, but he that dwelles in heauen will mocke you againe sais Dauid. Let them wey Psal. 2. these woordes well whiche in paiynge their tythes yf they fynde one sheafe, lambe, or flese, worse than another cast it out in scorne, & say it is good ynough for a priest or with worse words as they be ful of such. If they sow spiritual thin 1. Cor. 9: ges, is it much if they reape your carnal thinges? No sure: ye haue nothing good inough to recompense their labour with all. In the primitiue churche it was not vnlawfull to haue landes, though ma­nye solde their landes for to releue the poore Christians withall. It is no more vnlawfull to kepe landes, than to kepe the money for whiche he sould the lan­des: Act. 5. and Peter saide to Ananias that solde his land: Didde it not remaine to thee, and whan thou had sold it, was it not in thine owne power to do with it what thou woulde. So Peter grauntes that it was lawful for him both to kepe the landes, & to kepe the money to, that he receyued whan he had solde it: & yet I doubt not but the newe Byshops if case so shoulde require, could be content to forgoe all and liue as God woulde, as their dedes of late well declared, so that they might serue God or his peo­ple the better, and rather than they de­file [Page] themselues with popery. We reade that diuers of the holy fathers and bys­shoppes had lands with their churches­but it is folye to aunswere so curious a foole in a matter of no doubt, but inuen ted of an idle scoffinge brane. If ye de­maunde why some byshoppes haue so litle landes, few houses and parkes, the reasons also be sundrye: but sure lie few or none haue so muche as to kepe theim out of dette, or to maintaine that hospi­tality which is loked for at their hands. Some of their lands and parkes against their willes bee exchaunged by order of lawe: but the most parte, the malicious Popishe prelates that were their prede­cessours seinge their kyngedome decay, and that professours of Goddes gospell shoulde followe in their places, woulde rather giue it women, children, horske­pers (I say no worse) by lease, patentes, anuites [...], than any that loues god shuld enioye it. This is the greatest reason why they haue not lands, and that can not be auoyded, more is the pitye. How many byshoprickes in the Realme haue they impoueryshed by these meanes: so that they whyche nowe succede are not able to releue them selues nor the poore as they would & should. The multitude [...]ry out on the protestātes that they kepe [Page] not howses like the Papists, nor such a number of idle seruauntes., they consi­der not how barelye they came to their liuinges: what pensions they paye, and a [...]ites whyche their predecessours graunted, howe all commodites be lea­sed awaye from them. What charges they beare for first frutes, subsides and tenthes, howe they lacke all housholde stuffe and furniture at their entring: so that for. iii. yeres space they be not able to liue out of dette, and get them neces­saries. The popishe prelates afore they were Byshoppes had diuers fat benefi­ces and prebendes, which they kept still for a commendum: they were stoored of all necessaries of householde afore they entred, they paid no first frutes, so that they may do on the first daye more than the other can doe in vii. yeare. If ye were of the worlde sais our Lorde, the worlde woulde loue you, but because ye Ioan. 15. be not of the worlde, therfore the world hates you. The world loues the papists therfore they be worldlinges and not of god, the poore protestant because he wil not lie, not flatter, is despised of the worlde. The worlde geues to the papist honour, castels, towres, and all that it hais: to the protestaunt if he geue anye thinge it is thought to muche, and of those thinges that it geues, it giues the [Page] worste that can be piked oute, and yet thinkes it to good. Therefore surelye the one hais his rewarde in this world: the other must loke for it at gods hand. For the proude papist there is nothinge good inoughe: for the poore protestant euery thinge is to good. What can the professours of Gods truth therfore loke to haue here, but to folow thexample of Thapostles whose doctrine they teach, to suffer wrongs, sclaunders, contempt, to be counted as out casts, and shepe ap­pointed to the slaughter. UUhan the Popes butchers are alofte, they broile and brenne, they prison, hange and tor­ment the selye gospeller at their plea­sure: UUhan the Protestaunt is at the best, and the worlde semes to laughe on him, he is scars able to liue, runnes in contempt and sclaunder of the worlde, and the lurking papist lookinge for his daye whan he maye runne loose again, gapes to satisfy his bloudy hart & hāds, which neuer wilbe satisfied with bloud. Diuers of these holy prelats that he cra­kes so muche of, had so leased oute their houses, landes and parkes, that some of the new Bishops had scars a corner of a house to lie in, and diuers not so mu­che ground as to grese a goose or shepe. So that some were compelled to tether their horse in their Orcharde: and yet [Page] haue these holy fathers prouided that if they be restored (as they loke for) as ma­nye thinke, that they shall haue al their commodities againe. O notable chari­tye, and mete for the children of suche a father. The Lorde God for his mercy a­mend this at his good wil and pleasure. The people are so blinde that they ra­ther beleue him that fils their bely, than him that teaches theym Christe: so rude that they care more for y ^• bodye than for the soule. Euen as christ whan he filled v. M. with fiue loues they woulde haue made him a king: but within few dayes after they would haue stoned him. Paul [...]. thessa. 3 wrought for his owne liuynge, and would not be a burthen to any congre­gacion: yet he sais that it was lawfull for him to take all hys necessaries of them whom he taught. Chrisost. in the lxxxvi. Homil. on Matth. writynge en­treates the like question and tels cau­ses why he and others had landes be­longing to their Churches. He sais: the vnthankfulnes of the people was such, that if they had not such prouision they shoulde goe a begginge. So surelye I thinke nowe, if the Byshops and mi­nisters hadde not that prouisyon, they might sterue for hunger. Loue and du­tye to Godde, his worde, and ministers, is so decayed that to gette awaye from [Page] them is thought godlynes, pastime and profet. Surely God will not haue his seruauntes so mocked: God turne from vs for Christes sake that whiche we de­serue and prouoke him to, in these oure doinges. Iulianus apostata Thempe­rour that forsaked hys fayth, hearinge that the Gospell taught the Christians to liue in pouertye, and suffer persecu­tion, toke their goods from theym, and punyshed them sayinge, he would helpe theym to heauen, bycause their Gospell taught theym to lyue poore and suffer: so oure papistes hearing the Protestan­tes preach pouerty, and condemne their proude prelatie, haue leased, graunted, and giuen awaye their lyuynges, that now the pore gospeller hais scars wher­on to lyue through their malice.

A succession of Byshops or ministers [Page] [...]e graunt hais bene in the worlde, ra­ther than in any one see or countre sins christ: which succession we say we haue and folow better than they, but not af­ter such sort as he sais and meanes. God is neuer withoute hys Churche in the worlde, although some countries falle, and his churche, neuer wantes his Mi­nisters and true teachers at the lest pri­ [...]elye, althoughe in some ages it hais theym more plenteouslye than in other some, and some times the outward face of the Churche wantes not his errours and blottes. But where he sais, there hais bene Byshoppes in euerye see sins Thapostles time, it must nedes be false: For here with vs vnto the time of king Lucius almost ii. C. yeare after Christ, there were no Byshops in this Realme at al but Flamines as Fabian & Poly­chronic. Polychro. lib. 5. saye, and heathen Priestes: and sundrye times sins dyuers sees in thys Realme manye yeares together had no Byshops at all, whan the vnchristened Saxons were here, and diuers Bishop­prickes, here are not halfe so olde as Thapostles time. Yet in all these ages were some that both knew, taught pri­uatlye and folowed the truth, thoughe they were not horned and mitred bishop pes, nor oyled and sworne shauelinges to the Pope. Such popishe Bishoppes [Page] I am sure no manne is able to proue to haue bene in euerye see of this Realme continuallye sins the Apostles time, nor els where: whan he hais proued it I wil say as he does. Does the see make the bishop and his doctrine good or badde? Does the place make him good or bad? If his sayinge bee true that they haue such a succession, the manne must nedes be good bicause he is Bishop of suche a place or suche (for he meanes to haue a continuall succession of good byshoppes euery where without interruption:) but whether they succede in agreement of one true doctrine as they doe of one se [...] or place he cares not. If succedinge in place be sufficient to proue theym good byshoppes, than the Iewes and Turks haue their good bishops and religiō stil at Ierusalem, Constantinople, and els where, for there they dwel where Tha­postles did, and haue their sinagoges, leuites, Priestes and bishops after their sort. UUe do esteme and reuerence the continuall succession of good byshops in anye place if they can be founde: if they can not we runne not from Godde, but rather sticke fast to his worde. I thinke ther is no place where euil bishops haue not bene. If Corinth, Galatia, Ephe­sus, Philippos, Colossa, Thessalonica, Macedonia, where Paule preached, & to [Page] whome he wrote his seuerall Epistles, might fall, and haue turkysh prelates: why maye not Rome fall to? the same maye bee sai [...]e of Ierusalem where S. [...]a. was, and of Aphricke where Cipri­an and Austin were, and of other places where Thapostles preached, & now be fallen awaye. Succession of good Bys­shoppes is a great blessinge of God: but bicause God and his trueth henges not on manne nor place, we rather heng on the vndeceiuable trueth of Gods worde in all doubtes, than on any Byshoppes place, or manne: For all men are liers, and may be deceyued: onely god and his word is true, and neyther deceyues, nor is deceyued. In the. x. tribes of Israel where Iereboam made him Priestes a­gainst Gods lawe, and the greater part of their religion was defaced with ido­latry [...], yet were there euer some good Prophetes amonge, that taughte Gods people their duetye, thoughe not of the higher sort of Priestes and in autoritye as there be some fewe among the Tur­kes at this daye also. Elias complaines that he was left alone: Of all the true folowers of Gods lawe he knewe none that feared God beside hym selfe: but Succession god said he had reserued. vii. M. that ne­uer bend their knee to Baal. So surely though the great number of priests and [Page] bishops hauing autority haue bene these many yeres the Popes deriyngs, rather seruing Baall than God, yet our good God, pit [...]inge his people hais in al ages reserued some few that taught the truth and feared him. God hais not promised that euerye Byshoprycke, no nor anye one Bishopricke shoulde haue alwayes good Bishoppes one after an other, no more than one good father should haue alwaies good children borne of him, nor a good king shoulde haue good Princes to reign after him. After wise Salomon reigned foolyshe Roboam: after godlye Ezechias reigned wicked Manasses: and after Iesus the son of Iosede [...] folowed not long after Annas and Caiphas, and many wicked ones afore them. Contra­ry wise of sinful auncetors came the in­nocent Lambe of God Christ Iesus, and after the traitour Iudas folowed y ^• good Apostle Matthias. So that both in king doms and Priesthode, the good hais fo­lowed the bad, & the bad the good. The Gospell sais, that in Moyses cheare the Math. 23. Scribes & Pharises sit: if after Moyses followed the wicked scribes and Phari­ses, what priuilege haue our bishops or Popes more than Moises that their suc­cessoures shoulde continue in purenesse of religyon, and not fall awaye as the Pharises didde? Are they better than Moyses? [...]r where is thys [Page] their promise writen in Goddes booke▪ the gloriynge of this succession is lyke the proude bragges of the Iewes for their genealogies and pety gres, saiyng we haue Abraham for oure father, but our Sauiour Christ saide: ye are of the deuill your father and his workes will Ioan. 8. ye do. So it maye be said to these which crake that they haue Thappostles for their fathers, that they haue the Pope their father: for his works and doctrine they folowe and not Thapostles. As Christ our lord, therfore proued the Ie­wes to be of y ^• deuil, because they filled his desires: and therfore not the children of Abraham: so it is easye to see whose children these be whan they folowe the Pope and not Thappostles. Succession in doctrine makes theym the sonnes of the Prophetes and Apostles, and not sittinge in the same seate, nor beynge byshop of the same place. There is one of his holy byshoppes that he crakes so much of, a litle wiser and subtiller than he in wordes althoughe in sense they a­gres. He sais that in euerye see there hais bene a succession, but for example he takes Cantor. & sais in a litle scrolle that he wrote for the autorytye of the churche, and sent it priuely to his fren­des to comfort and confirme them with that they shoulde sticke fast, thus. UUe [Page] can recken al the byshops there sins S. Austin that was the first, and from him goe to Gregorye byshop of Rome who sent Austin hither, and from Gregorye vppe to Peter, and so proue that all our religion came from Rome by succession and therefore we must heng on Ro. stil. He sais y ^e like may be done in euery see: and whan it is proued I will beleue it. But I am content to stand with him in triall of this If Austin was the first, as he sais, than Cantorb. hais not hadde a continuall succession sins Thappostles time. It is since Austin liued a vii. C lx. yere, but since Thapostles it is M. D. lx Howe is there than a continuall succes­sion in Cantorb. sins Thapostles time, if they wanted bishops the space of viii. C. yeare. The same reason is against other byshoprickes to: and there can not bee proued a succession of their byshops in anye one place of thys Realme since Thapostles. And for a succession of a­grement in one doctryne, relygion, and other their doinges: they can not find it in Rome neyther afore Gregory nor af­ter: Clemens in the booke that goes in Clemens. his name: sais that wyues ought to bee comen, whych God forbiddes: And here of I thinke the Papists are so bold with other mennes wyues, and wyll none of [Page] their owne. Alexander made holy wa­ter Alexander as they saye, to driue awaye diuels and heale diseases, as thoughe it were more holye than Christ himself: for the deuill temted him, and yet runnes a­way from their coniured water as they wold make fooles to beleue. But what papist was euer so mad to forsake the Phisicions helpe in his sicknes, and say he was healed by the Popes holye wa­ter. If that were true, phisicions might Pius. put vppe their pipes. Pope Pius bade kepe Ester in the full mone what daye in the weke so euer it light on: and not alwaies to kepe it on the sonday, as we Marcelli­nus, Libe­rius, Felix, Anastasius do nowe. Marcellinus in persecution sacrificed idols. Liberius, Felix, and Anastasius Popes, were Arrians and great heretickes deniynge Chryst to be God equall with his father. Pope Leo cut of his hande, because a woman kis­sed Leo. it, and he felt himselfe some thinge tempted. Ioan. i. was send to Thempe­rour Ioan. as Embassadour from the king of G [...]thes, to counsell him to restore the Churches to Tharrians heretickes. Sergius. Sergius Pope set forthe yearely a piece of a crosse (whiche he said was Christs) Gregory. 3 to be worshipt and kissed. Gregorye. iii. graunted licence to marye hys uncles wyfe, plaine against the scripture. Za­char. Zachary. i. Pope absolued the Frenche men [Page] from obeyinge their king, deposed him, and confirmed Pipine for their kinge, and so did Pope Steuen to. Leo. iii. a­lowed Steuen. Leo. 3. Ioan. 8. the bloude of Christ at Mantua, suche a one as was the swete bloude of Halis here. Ioan viii. a harlot wearing mannes apparell, was made Pope, and gote with childe, and delyuered as she went in procession solemly. Nicholas. i. Nicholas was so proude that he said it was not lawful to reproue the Popes iudgemen­tes. Syluester. ii. and Benet. ix. gaue themselues to the deuill, and offered sa­crifice Syluester. 2 Benet. 9. to hym, that he woulde make theym Popes, and promised after their death wholy to be his, they entised wo­men to naughtines with them by witch craft. Innocent. iii. dispensed with the Innocent 3. Emperor Otho to mary his Nese plain contrary to Gods worde. Ioan. xxiii. Ioan. 23. denied the soules to lyue after this lyfe, the Cardinalles finding no faute with him: but the Frenche kinge compelled hym to recante. Thys is the goodlye succession that he woulde haue vs to fo­lowe, of doctrine in Romyshe Popes written by Platina, and suche like no Protestauntes: these be the successours and fathers whom he woulde haue vs to be lyke vnto. God defende all good folke from all suche doinges, saiynges, beleuynge, liuyng, louing or folowing. [Page] Except god dwel and be tied in cheares seates, and places he can not dwell in suche wycked men as these Popes be. God dwelles not in houses made wyth mans handes, nor in the mighty Prela­tes of the worlde: but he dwelles in the pure mindes and consciences of his elect people of what Estate or degree so euer they be. Compare the doings, preachin­ges, and troublesom life of Peter Tha­postle from time to time, with the wic­ked blasphemyes of these Romyshe pre­lates, and with their lordly idlenes, and mark in what thing he is lyke to them, or they to him. They are no more like than an apple and Oister: than canne not he bee their Predecessour, nor they his successours. If they clame to be Iu­das successoures I will not sticke with theym. In temporall enheritaunce an euyll man maye succede as ryght heire to a good: but in matters of pure religi­on an heretycke or he that dyffers from the trueth, can not be a lawful folower in Goddes Church, and defender of the same relygion, and trueth, from which he is fallen, and becomen an enemy. Therfore as the succession of good kin­ges standes not onely in enioyinge the landes, goodes, possessions, and pleasu­res of the Realme, but in the painefull ministrynge of iustyce, defendinge hys [Page] subiects from straungers, maintaining the good, and punishinge the euill, by holsome and godly lawes: so standes the succession of the Church not in miters, palaces, landes, or lordships, but in tea­chinge true doctrine, and roting out the contrarye: by sharpe discipline to correct thoffendours, and godly exhortacion to stirre vp the slouthfull, and encourage the good, to raise them that be fallen by comfortable promises, to strengthen them that stande, and bring home them that runne astraye. He that does these is the true successour of the Prophetes and Apostles, though he liue in wilder­nes as Elias did. Or be tied in cheanes as Peter and Paule: He that does not, is not their successour in dede, but in name onlye, though he haue the Popes blessinge, cruche and miter, landes, and palaces, halowinges and blessinges, or all that the Pope hais deuised for hys Prelates. To be a Byshop is to be an officer, a ruler, a guide, a teacher of Gods flocke in Gods Church: and to be a true successour in a Bishopricke, is to succede in like paines, care, and diligent regarde of Gods people. Is he an offi­cer that does not his office? nay surelye but onelye in name, for he is a thefe in his office, and an vsurrer, that takes the profet and not the paine. An office stan­des [Page] properlye in doynge the duty of it, and not in talkinge of it, settinge in deputies, bearinge a shewe, bragge and face of a Byshop. Whan they can bring Thapostles doctrine or life for example to be like their life and teachinge, they maye say they folowe Thapostles: but because they seeke to be Lordes ouer the flocke, contrary to Peters doctrine, and be enemies to the Gospell, and murthe­rers of the professours of it, they be trai­tours to their lorde God. What does Tertul. make for his pourpose? If he walk not in his fathers steppes sais he, he is a bastard. Content, who be the fa­thers? surely Thapostles, for in his time the Pope had no such autority, nor ther were any such horned cattell of the Po­pes made Bishoppes. Proue than that the Pope walkes in Thapostles steps, and we will reuerence him. Surelye he is like no Apostle, except Iudas: & these Popish Prelates, so as the father is, su­che is the sonne. Iudas solde and be­trayed his maister for. xxx. pieces of syl­u [...]r: and our Papistes sel their purgato­ry for. xxx. grotes, the price of a trental. Or [...]ls for their pleasure, I will graunt theym some thing. The Pope maye be like to Peter in suche case as christ our lord said to him: go after me Satan, for thou vnderstandes not the thynges of [Page] god. Peter was ambitious, and therfore our Lorde cald him deuill, and bade him go backe: so the Pope desiringe to be a­boue all, folowes the deuill his father, and therefore we maye iustlye saye to them with Christ▪, come after me thou deuill. But I put case a manne shoulde Math. 16. graunt that the fathers which Tertul. speakes of, be the popes in dede of Ro. what thā? what makes it for this mans purpose? Tertul. liued within C. lxxvii yeres after christs death: why thā, proue that any of these popes and their trashe whiche he esteames so highlye to be of that autoritie and auncientye, that he woulde, and than lette him beginne to crake some thing. He is not able to do it. XXX. of the first popes which liued al­most iii. C. yeres after Christ, were per­secuted, sufferd death for their religion, liued in caues, and had none of the rial­tie of the worlde, but were subiectes to princes accordinge to their dutye: than these latter proude popes that woulde rule bothe God and the world, by Ter­tullians saying, be bastardes, and folow not their auncient fathers, the first po­pes. And thus he hais brought a good reason agaynst hym selfe. Does Cy­prian make anye more for his purpose? Marke his woordes, and iudge. They that be made Byshoppes (sayes he) oute [Page] the order of the Churche, and not by tradicion of Thappostles by suc­cession, are not Bishops but theues. &c. I am content to be iudged by these wordes. I proued afore by Paule and Ti­mothe, by Dyonise. &c. that the order by whiche oure Byshops and Priestes are made nowe, is more agreeing to the or­der of the churche in Ciprians time and tradition of Thapostles than that mis­order wherby the Popish prelates order their clergy. Let thē proue by good wri­ters that their oiling, shauing, vowing, sacrificinge, apparel. &c. was vsed in the Churche in Cyprians time, and I sub­mitte my selfe. Ciprian was liuinge more than. ii. C. l. yeare after Christ, in whiche time was no suche proud Pope nor Popishe order vsed in the Churche as he requires of vs, but onelye suche a simplicitye as I spake of afore. Thus like a tolyshe boye he hais gotten a rod to beat him selfe withall: God send him more wit.

If I shoulde fall into a comparison of the plagues in the time of popecye and the Gospell, although both were great: yet in supersticious times were the greater. Many did not beleue that these o­ther brennynges of Paules were true, which the Byshoppe declared whan he spake it openlye there, but it was ey­ther for ignoraunce or malice, or both, for all these were true, as appeares in recordes, & many mo. In the yere of our lorde. M. lxxxvii. and the vii. day of Iuly [Page] the Church of Paules and all that was in it, with a great part of the City were burned. Maurice than beinge byshop of London, and the. xxi. yeare of Willyam Conquerour. In the yeare M. C. xxxii. the moste parte of the Citye of London was burned by the fire of Gilbert Be­ket, and in the xxxii. yeare of king Hen­rye the first. Of this kinred came that goodlye impe Tho. Beket. In the yeare M. C. xxxvii. and the first yeare of kynge Steuen, began a fire at London bridge, and burned all the Citye and Churche of Paules vnto ye come out at Temple barre to Saint Clementes church, whi­che was than called the Danes chur­che. In the yeare. M. iii. lxxxii. and the Moe and greater plagues in popery than the Gospel. xxi. daye of Maye: with a greate earth quake through the Realme, the crosse in Paules Church yard was ouerthrowen in the. vi. yere of Richard the. ii. To the bylding of that crosse againe, Willyam than Byshoppe of Cantorb. gathered greate summes of money, and enriched him selfe. And because menne should be more willinge and liberal to giue, he & the rest of such holy Byshops, graunted manye dayes of pardon to theym that would frely geue money, to the bilding of that crosse again. Cantor. graūted. xl days. London, Ely, Bathe, Chichester, Carleil, Lādaff. Bangor, euery one. xl. [Page] dayes: the summe in all iii. C. rr. dayes of pardon, but not one dodkin of money came out of their purse. All which thin­ges and more, the Deane of Paules de­clared wel at the crosse out of the recor­des of their church and Citye. iii. yeare afore Lanfranc was made Byshoppe of Cantorb. as Legenda sanctorum writes, the hole city of Cantor. almost, and Christs church there was burned vp with fire in the beginninge of Willyam conque­rours days. Polychr. tels. lib. vii. ca. iiii that a great piece of London, and Pau­les Churche with the principall Cities of Englande were burned. Ca. vii. he sais a whirle winde threw downe a. C. houses in London, and many churches also lib. viii. ca. i. Basil a great Citie with many towres fel with earthquake in Edward the. iii. days, and in Naples xl. thousande were killed. Ca. x [...]viii. on Candelmas euen in mid winter Pau­les steple was burned wyth lyghtninge in the tyme of Henrye. vi. Ca. xxii. the church of Durrā likewise about. xl. yere sins, w ^t many other like. But why shuld I stand to proue that which euerye man knowes to be true, if he be of any lerning & knowledge as thoughe it were a doubt or straunge thing? What great town or church can ye recken within the realme or w ^tout almost, that hais not sufferd the lyke? why shuld we thā meruail of this? [Page] cal to remembrans y ^e late dais of popery here w ^e vs (not vii. yere sins) & see what horrible stormes, thunders, and light­ninges, was here by Notingam, where houses, Churches, belles, woodes, and loden cartes were ouerthrowen and ca­ried awaye. But he sais these chaunced some in time of Ciuill warre, and not all with fire from heauen. What than? what helpes that his case? all were in the time of poperye, and many mo like. And thoughe all these were not wyth fire from heauen, yet it is as great a to­ken of Goddes anger as well as the o­ther, or more. Sais not Dauid? Fire, haile, snowe, yse, and windy stormes do Psal. 148. his cōmaundement. If they do his com­maundement than the one is his doing aswell as the other. Does not god rule the earth as well as the heauen? These fires from heauen, chaunce more seldom than the other, and therefore more fear­full, whan they come: yet these on earth obey his word as well as the other, and are not done withoute him. And not without a cause, it maye be a token of gods greater anger to punish vs rather with those thinges that be daily among vs, and were ordeyned to serue vs for our helth, than to corect vs with those that fall so seldome, and are made to feare vs, and declare Gods great feare­full maiestie.

[Page] ‘But this greues him to call that the time of supersticion & ignoraunce whan God was serued night and daye, so de­uoutly as he thinkes,’ and euery one li­ued quietly without reasoning of y ^e scripture, and beleued what so euer the pope sent them, & serued god after their owne diuise, & not as god himselfe taught the: & so that the belly were ful, al was wel, thoughe they maintained ideli lubbers which was no more almes afore god thā their praitinge was praying. For their munkishe night prayer, how vain lippe labour it was, and mumbled vp of an vnlearned sort, I said inough afore, and declared how farre it differed from true prayer, but this is that maye not be borne, whan the people haue the scrip­ture in their owne tonge, for than they are able to tell the Priestes their dutye and correcte their supersticious Idola­try. It skilles not muche thoughe the Papistes would haue the people to liue in blyndnesse still: for in that the Pope and the Turke agrees well, that their people shalbe vnlerned, and vnderstand The people shoulde learne the scriptures. nothing but what so euer it pleases the Priestes to teach them, which is neither much nor good: but God in his word & the auncient fathers in their writinges do teache christian people otherwaies. Psal. 73. Dauid sais: the father shoulde declare his truth to their children. Moyses sais: [Page] Aske thy father and he will tel thee, de­maunde of the elders, and they will de­clare vnto thee. Paul sais: wiues if they Deut. 32. woulde know any thing, let them aske their husbandes at home. If fathers must teache their children, and children learne of their fathers, and wyues of their husbandes: howe shoulde eyther party be ignoraunt? Ierom. sais, men are wont, women are wont, and Mun­kes are wont to striue amonge themsel­ues Psal. 133. who should learne most scriptures, and thinks them best that learnes most, but he learned most, that does most. Chriso. in his xxxi. Homily on S. Ioan, rebukes the people that were so vnwil­linge to learne the scriptures, seing the woman of Samaria, of whom there he writes, was so desirous: & that at home in their houses, they hadde Tables and Chesses, rather than bookes: and if they had anye bookes, they were not occupi­ed. &c. In his ii. Homilie on Matth. In declaringe howe the scriptures refresh the minde, as a holesome aer does the bodye, he moues them to the readinge of it, and rebukes theym that saye it be­longes to munkes and Priestes to read it, and studie it, and not to the people. Thus in corners these ennemyes of god [Page] and hys woorde woulde drawe the peo­ple from their saluation, and woulde make them beleue that it were not their duty to learne. What blindnes is this, to thinke ignoraunce better than lear­ninge? and blindnes than sight? Saint Ro. 1. Paul sais, the Gospel of God, is the po­wer of god, to saue them that beleue. Saint Ia. sais, the worde of god is able Ia. 1. to saue oure soules. Than surelye those theues that woulde robbe Gods people of Gods worde, woulde robbe theym of their saluation by christ and sell theym such filthye salues, as the Pope woulde heale his scabbed shepe withall, whiche stinkes in Gods sight. Christ oure lorde sais: if the blinde leade the blinde, bothe fall into the ditch: than it is not inough Math. 15. to saye, Sir Iohn our Priest taught me thus. For surely if he be as bold asblind baierd, to leade the wrong, and thou be so madde to folowe hym, thou shalt bee condemned as well as he. If he a­lone might fall in the ditch, thou might more boldlye folowe him: but now thou art warned, learn and take hede, for ig­noraunce will not excuse thee.

The Hospitalitye and almes of Ab­bayes, is not altogether to be ey­ther allowed or dyspraysed. [Page] The most of that which they did bestow Hospita­litye. was on the riche, and not the poore in dede, as halt, lame, blinde, sicke, or im­potent, but lither lubbers that might worke and would not. In so much that it came into a commen prouerbe to call him an abbay lubber, that was idle, wel fed, a long lewd lither loiterer that might worke, and would not. On these and the richer sorte was the most part of their liberalitie bestowed that I nede not to speake of any worse: the smallest portion was on theim that neded most, not according to their foundation. Poly chro. sais. lib. v. ca. xxxii. that Abbaies wasted their goodes in glotony and out rage lib. vii. ca. vi. that munks vsed hau­kinge, būtinge, disinge, drinkinge, and therfore vnder kinge Richard. i. munks were put from Couentrye, and clerkes brought in. lib. vii. ca. xxv. & Baldwin a munke, and Byshoppe of Cantorb. did the like with his munkes the same time ca. xxviii. But whether y ^• new munkes with their short coates, & almost wyth­oute all religion, kepinge a shepeherde and a dog, where all thys good cheare was afore be worse than the munkyshe Idolatrous Popish creatures which de­uised a religion of their owne, shewing their holynesse in their longe coates, I leaue it to the disputacion of the lear­ned. [Page] Looke into London, and see what hospitals be there founded in the Gos­pell time, and the poore in dede releued, youth godly brought vppe, and the idls set to worke. Poperye would some time fede the hungry, but seldome correct the vnprofitable drones that sucked the ho­nye from the labouring bees, nor bring vp children in the feare of God, but to fill the bellye, and not to teache vertue is to encrease vice. Wel worth Bride­well therfore, for it is a good schole.

The rest of his railyng is not worthy aunsweringe for there is as muche and more vertue and kepinge Goddes com­maundementes vsed nowe as was than and more? though both sortes be bad y­nough, and the best may be amended. Aske an olde Papist of the commen sort howe many commaundementes of god, and what they be, and he can not tell. Aske a Protestauntes childe of vii. yere olde that hais learned his Catechisme, and he can tell his duety to God & man, how to liue and die, what to loue, and what to flee, better then all their popish Priestes Is it like that he kepes gods commaundementes which knowes not what they be? how manye of the people were taught than woulde learne, or were moued to learne their commaun­dementes? no: fewe suche at these dayes [Page] are willinge to heare theym, or learne them: how much lesse to practise them? What a wicked opiniō is this, to think that ignorance is better than learning? or that a manne shall better serue God without knowledge of god, his duetye and his word, rather than by knowing, feling, and vnderstandinge gods good­nes, and mannes frailnes, gods mercy, and mans misery, oure wretched world­lye state, and Gods euerlasting blessed felicitye, God giue vs grace to thinke and thanke.

The last reason that he lais for main­tayning his supersticion, declares what religion and opinion he is of. Than was plenty he sais, and nowe is scarse­nes of all thinges: whiche howe true it is, let the worlde iudge. Looke at the late dayes of poperye, and see what dearth, death, and scarsenes was than, and compare it with these dayes, and the plentye of gods vndeserued blessing powred on so vnthankefull a people. Then akecornes were good to make Dearth. bread of, and vnder Henry [...]i. they made breade offerne rootes, as Polychro sais lib. viii. ca. xxi. now commenly the porer sort almost haue disdained with brown bread. Then scholers of the vniuersitys brake by their houses, went and liued a­broade with their frendes, being not a­ble [Page] to continue at their study: than was such dearth and scarsity as the like hais not oft bene red of: than a Bishoppe of Mentz was so pursued with rattes in a time of derth, that he was compelled to flee to his towre standinge in the mids of the riuer Rhene, a myle from anye land, yet the rats folowed him & deuou­red him there, for his vnmercifulnes, & therfore is called the rats towre to thys daye, this Byshop was no protestaunt. UUhether the like be nowe, the blinde maye see. UUho feles it? God giues his blessing plentifully, if man coulde con­sider it thankfully, and vse it liberally. Who hais cause to complaine, or where is it sene? I think England had not the like plenteous time so commenlye these many yeres, although this yeare corne be deare, and somwhat [...]ars. But I put the case that there were scarsenes and dearth of all things, plagues & war. &c. UUere thys a suffycyent cause to con­demne our religion? No sure: no world­lye thinge good or euill, wil moue gods people to iudge gods truth, by any other thinge than by gods holye booke.

Should we condemne Saint Austin, because the city where he was Byshop, was besieged and wun by gods enemi­es, Austin himself beinge within it, and died a littell before the wynnynge of it▪ [Page] Shoulde Elias and Eliseus haue for­saken Gods lawe because there was so great dearth and scarsenes in their ty­mes? Shoulde Daniel for the Lions denne, or Paul for his chaines haue for­saken their God? In the dayes of Elias it rained not the space of. iii. yeare and a half: vnder Eliseus in the sege of Sa­maria, women eate their Children, and Doues dung was good meate. Onely the worldlynges iudge by their bellye, their religyon. The Godles people said to Ier [...]. We will not heare the word of Iere. 44. God of thee: for while we worshipt the mone and sterres, we had plentye of all thinges: but sins we harde the worde of Godde of thee we haue hadde scarsenes of all thinges. This is the reason that led the Iewes, and by the same is this Iewishe Papist moued to iudge of gods trueth. Therefore I can not iudge him to be of another religion than those, whose belye is their God. Let vs praise God for our health, welth, and libertye that he bestowes on vs vndeserued so plenteouslye, lest in not thankfullye re­cetuing his word, & murmuring against his blessinges, we prouoke him to plage vs worse than afore. If wealth maye moue, consider what great thinges the Lord hais wrought by the Quenes ma­iestie, & than iudge. Whan the Realme [Page] was in daunger to be giuen into straungers handes, and none coulde tell howe to deliuer them selfes, god of his vnde­serued goodnes set vp the Queene ours maistres, who quietlye contrarye to all mennes expectacion auoyded theym all. UUhat daunger was Scotlande in: yet so god blessed the Quenes maiestye that she not onelye delyuered vs, but theym from their enemies handes, what relese in France, the poore oppressed haue had at her highnes handes, the blynde sce, all her louinge subiectes reioise, though the enuious Papist murmure & grudge. God graunt her hyghnesse grace to be thankefull to gods maiestye, who does so past all mannes expectacion prosper her doinges: that he onelye maye haue the praise. UUhat cause we haue to prayse god for restoring religiō through the Quenes trauaile, all menne of god do see & praise him for it, thoughe blind papists be sory therfore. UUhat [...]ost her highnes hais susteined in restoringe vs a fine coine from so base, wise men re­ioise though this malicious foole say we be in great pouerty. Looke howe fewe taxes she hais taken to doe this withal, and howe manye and howe great were leuied afore. Howe was this Realme pesterd with straunge rulers, straunge [Page] Goddes, straunge languages, straunge religion, straunge coines, and howe is it nowe peaceablye ridde of theym all, to the greate glorye of God that hais wroughte so manye wonderful, straunge, greate thinges in so shorte a time in a weake vessell, which he neuer did by anye her noble progenitors whi­che haue bene so manye and so worthy. Coulde anye be so blinde, but that ma­lyce hays bewytched, to not see, or not praise Godde for these worthye dedes▪ I woulde haue wanted the suspicyon of flatterye in rehearsinge these thinges, but that I would the vnthankful world shoulde see the disdainefull blinde ma­lice of popery which can not say well by Gods good blessinges.

The foolishe lynking and clouting of y ^• scriptures together which folowes de­clares what wit he hais. They may be applied all against himselfe, and such as he is, rather than against the professors of Gods trueth: what blasphemye is it to lay all kinde of wickednes on Gods worde? what euil so euer raignes in the world it is to be imputed to man, & not to God, to mans frailnes, & not to gods trueth and goodnes. God and his ho­lye worde punish and condemne al false doctrine and filthines: therfore God wil confounde all suche filthye mouthes as [Page] blaspheme hym or his holye woorde, to be the cause of anye kynde of naughti­nesse.

All liberty is now vsed he sais, where in dede iustyce was not better ministred these manye yeares, euen as the wiser and indifferenter sorte of Papistes doe graunte. Call to remembraunce howe Iustice. sharplye buggerye, coniuringe, witch­craftes, sorcery. &c. were punished wyth death by lawe, in the Gospell tyme of blessed king Edw. Whan were these lawes repealed, but in the late dayes of Popery, than iudge whether there was greater liberty to sinne vnder the chri­stian kinge, or vnder supersticious pope­rye. But the sodomiticall papistes, thinke these to be no sinnes, and there­fore beastly doe misuse them selues, de­filinge theym selues bothe with spiri­tual and Sodomitical vncleanes, whe­ther is there more libertye gyuen to sin whan such sinnes be made deathe by or­der of lawe, or whan the lawes apoint no punishment for theym? Surelye the­gospel is vniustly blamed in geuing car­nal liberty, & popery rightfully condem­ned in taking away the pain, & opening a doore to al mischefe. Who liues more licentiously than the pope himself w ^tout al feare of god, good order, & gods law, doing what he wil? so be al his scholers [Page] folowing their owne fathers steps.

In these my sayinges I go not about to proue vs Aungels, yet surely not suche deuilles as he woulde make vs, but in comparison of them we be saintes: ther­fore let vs both amend, that God maye be mercifull to bothe, and glorified in both. And as thexamples in his begin­ninge were good, if they had bene well applied, so is his conclusion. I wil con­clude with him therefore in the ryght sense and meaninge of it, saiynge with him. Returne to the steppes of the good fathers the Prophets and Apostles, fra­minge your selues to folowe their doc­trine: be not caried away with straunge and diuerse doctrine of Popes, contrary to Gods holy worde, and inuented of late by men. Imbrace the religion and faith taught from the beginninge, in christes Church, from time to time con­tinually: Flee this new fangled Popish supersticion, whiche hais crept into the Church of late yeares, and beleue that onelye whiche Christ hais taught, and his Appostles and Martirs haue confir­med, and frame your liues accordingly, or elles Goddes vengeaunce hanges o­uer your heades, ready sodenlye to fall vppon you: and let this token of bren­ninge of Paules, be an example and token of a greater plague to folowe, ex­cept [Page] ye amend, whiche god graunt vs al to doe.

Amen.