Answer to John De Albines, Answer to discourse · Chapter 18
The XVIII. Chapter.
YOuaAnd ſo we may ſtill, for any reaſon that you doe ſhew to the contrary. doe anſwer vsus, as the Iewes were anſwered by Chriſt, when they did demande him to ſhew ſome miracles.*Mat. 12. The generation adulterous & peruerſe doeth demaund ſignes, but no ſigne ſhalbe giuen them &c. But this compariſon cannot bee applied vntounto vsus, for we are not ſo hard of beliefe as the Iewes, nor you ſuch faithfull meſſengers of God, as Chriſt was, of whom the Iewes did demande ſome ſignes of obſtinate hatred, after they had ſeene ſo manie lame healed, ſo manie blinde receiue their ſight, ſo manie deafe heare, and ſo manie diſpoſſeſt that had ſpirites: but as for you,bThe power of our commiſſion hath ſtretched ſo farre, as to the harts griefe of al your Synagogue, your Romiſh Babylon is ſo falne, that ye euē deſpaire of euer recouering the glorious pompe, of your Babyloniſh harlot againe. we hauehave ſeene your cōmiſſion not to hauehave extended ſo far, as to reſtore a flie to life againe, or to heale a lame gooſe, although that greater matters are required to confirme ſo ſtrange and ſo new a reformed Goſpell. Theſe wordes doe make you mad, crying out and preaching in euerie place, that your church oughtcWe ſay and preach thus, and we are well able to ſtand to it. not to be called newe, but rather, that it is olde & Apoſtolicall, & that your doctrine is the very ſame, that S. Peter & S. Paul did preach. And to drawe the ſimple people to beleeue that, that you ſay, you doe declare your faith, ſaying that you doe beleeue, & doe preach, that there is one God in Trinitie of perſons, and the ſecond, which is our ſauiour became man from the wombe of the virgin, and that he ſuffered and did riſe againe, & to be briefe, you ſhew, that you hauehave profited in your Religion, for you hauehave beene but fortie yeares (which is the time ſince it began) in learning the great creede, & the Pater noſter, the which you could not learne in a thouſand and fiue hūdred of ours. But in all this you ſay nothing to the purpoſe: for we doe not demāde of you, whether you can well your Catechiſme,dIf we had had no better catechiſers then you, we ſhould neuer aright hauehave vnderſtoode, either Creed, the Lords praier, or the cōmandements. the which you hauing learned of vsus, you teach to others. And as Sampſon ſaied: Iud. 15. If you had not laboured with my cowe, ye would neuer hauehave hit my riddle. That is to ſaie, that if that our Church had not nurſed or taught you, which are her rebellious children, you would hauehave knowen nothing: for it is of our Church, that you hauehave learned the principles of your faith.eHowſoeuer theſe had t…ir bringing vp and maintenance for a time amongſt you, they had their learning & true knowledge no more frō you, then Paul had of the Phariſes. She is the Cowe that hath nouriſhed Caluin in a Canonrie of Noyon, & Theodore de Beza in the Priorie of Louinnam hard by Paris: and conſequentlie all the other miniſters, which hauehave learned all that they know, at the conuent of S. Francis, S. Dominick, S. Auguſtine, and of S. Bennet, where ye were nouriſhed ſpirituallie, as touching your doctrine: and temporallie, as touching the mainteining of your ſtudie, at the charge of that church, againſt the which ye doe now ſo ſtriue,fTheſe & others hauehave ſought to be thankful to you for theſe things, as Paul ſought to be thankfull for the like, to the Phariſees and Iews, in ſeeking their reformation and conuerſion. as the camels, which ſometime reward their maſters for their good keeping with yerking & biting: ſo that colour it how you liſt, ye cannot deny, but that ye ſet forth new deuiſes. For although it is ſo, that your hereſies (which to pleaſe the eares of the vnlearned, yee call the reformed Goſpell & pure word of God) hauehave beene in times paſt,gThis is but your ſpitefull vaine of popiſh railing, without either trueth, honeſty or reaſō. yet they were buried in the verie depth of hell, & you hauehave raiſed them againe, cloked with new colours. But although it were ſo, that your doctrine were not new, but verie olde,hIf either our office or errand were extraordinary, you ſay ſomewhat, but both being ordidinary, there is no like reaſon, that miracles ſhould bee wrought by vsus as by them. yet ought not you to be more priuiledged then Moſes and the Prophets, whoſe ſimple and plaine wordes the world would not beleeue, although they preached no new doctrine, no more then you ſaie that you doe. Moſes did ſhew manie miracles in Egypt, and why? was the principall cauſe to deliuer the children of Iſraell out of the captiuitie of Pharao? No ſurelie: for to what purpoſe, I praie you, ſhould God ſhew ſuch great power and might againſt a ſimple worme of earth? Is it like to be true, that he ſhould mooue the whole heauens with ſuch great darkeneſſe,*i Exod. 19. to ſende ſo manie notable plagues, to bring him to yeelde, which had confeſſed his wickedneſſe, for the torment that he ſuffered with the flies, the frogs, and Graſhoppers? Surelie no, he himſelfe doeth ſhew the cauſe, it is to the end, that my name be knowen ouer all the earth: that is to ſaie, that men ſhould know, that he is God. If we come to the Apoſtles, wee ſhall finde likewiſe, that their doctrine was not new: for whē they begā to preach vntounto the gentils & Idolaters,iFor the 9. they did not at the firſt preach Ieſus Chriſt, but they did ſeeke to blot out of the minds of the ſimple people, the fooliſh opinion that they had in the multitude of Gods, & to teach them, that there was but one God, who had created the heauē & earth, who ſendeth raine in time of neede, & all things els that are required for the ſuſtenāce of mā.kThis he preacht but this was not al, & therefore he preaching ſomewhat that was new, both to Iewe and Gentile, namely, that Ieſus was the Chriſt: therefore in that reſpect he & his fellows had need to confirme their doctrine, by ſignes and wonders. This is the doctrin that S. Paul did preach, as we read in the*Act. 14. Acts. This doctrine was not new amōg men, although it were ſo, that they were Painims: lAnd therefore you beſtow much needeleſſe coſt, to proue this point, no new doctrine, touching the vnity of the Godheade, and the verity thereof.for not onlie in Moſes lawe, nor in the law of Grace, but euen by the lawe of Nature, God hath beene knowen, euen of thoſe which were not of the familie of Abraham, Iſaac, & Iacob, vntounto whom the promiſe of the incarnation of Chriſt was made. Of this doeth Abimilech the King of Gerar beare witneſſe, who did excuſe himſelfe before God, for the wife of Abraham: hee could neuer hauehave knowen, how to talke thus with God, if he had not knowen him.*Gen. 20. Beſides this, he made Abraham to ſwear by the inuocatiō of the ſaied God, that neither he, nor his heires ſhould ſuffer anie dammage by his poſterity.*Gen. 24. Bathuel did likewiſe know God, whē he cōfeſſed, that he was the authour of the mariage of his daughter with Abrahams ſon: euen ſo Abimilech the king of the Paleſtines, & Phicol & Ochoſath ſaied vntounto Iſaac: We heare that God is with thee, & therfore we are come to make alliance togither.*m Judg. 2. Adonibezeth, although he were a Gentile, did not he confeſſe one God,mIudg. the firſt you would ſay. when he ſaied, that he had giuen him the ſelfeſame puniſhment, that he had giuen the .70. kings? Iob & al his frends, although they were Gentiles, hauehave auouched one God to be the Creatour of heauē & earth, euen aſwell as the Iſraelites, as it doeth appeare by the diſcourſe of the ſaid Iob. If we read the hiſtories of the Paynims, we ſhal finde, that they beare witnes of one God among themſelues. Diogenes Laertius, … the liues of the Philoſophers, doeth write, that the Emperour Adrian did demaunde of a Philoſopher celled Secundus, what God was? He anſwered: God is an immortall ſpirit, incomprehenſible, containing al the world, a light, and a ſoueraigne goodnes. True it is, that this Secundus was bolder to ſpeake of God, then another Philoſopher called Simonides; of whom Tullie doeth write in his firſt booke De naturâ deorum, vntounto whom, when the tyrant Hiero did demaunde of him, what God was, & that he had giuen him diuers daies of reſpuit to anſwer him, at the laſt he ſaied, that he did acknowledge in him an infinite of al things. Cicero himſelfe in the firſt queſtion of his Tuſculanes, doeth gouerne & giuegive the being to all things. And in diuers places of that worke he doeth wel expreſſe, that he knew wel, that there was one God, and that the Gods that the Gentiles did worſhip, were but mortall men. And in the ſaied booke he ſaieth, that we know God by his works, in the which hee doeth not much differ from Dauid, ſaying:*Pſal. 18. That the heauens declare the glory of God, and the firmament doeth anounce his workes. And in the 40. Chapter of Eſay, when God did talke with the Gentiles, he did cal his works to beare witnes of his greatnes. Lift vp your eies (ſaieth he) and beholde who hath made this. And the*Sap. 13: Sage doeth ſay, that men through their vanity hauehave not knowen God by his works. And*Rom. 1. Saint Paul doeth abſolutely condemne them, ſaying, that they can procure no excuſe of ignorance, for the inuiſible things (ſuch as is the diuinitie of God) maie be knowen by the viſible thinges. And therefore they are vnexcuſable, hauing hidden the trueth of God to vniuſtice: for after that they hauehave knowen him, they hauehave not giuen him that thankes and honour, that they ſhould hauehave done, but they hauehave beene deceiued through their owne ſubtilitie, & making a profeſſion of knowledge, they hauehave beene founde fooliſh and ignoraunt. S. Auguſtine. 8. lib. de Ciu. dei. cap. 24. doeth reckon Mercurius, called Hermes Trimegiſtus, among theſe, foraſmuch as he did continue in his owne errour, although he knewe by that (that one maie ſee in his owne writinges) that his auncetours did err greatlie in the making and worſhipping of ſo manie Gods.
The XVIII. Chapter.
INdeede euen as you ſuppoſe, in this caſe, we further aunſwere you, as the Iewes were anſwered by Chriſt, telling you that you are an adulterous and peruerſe generation, in thus demaunding ſignes to confirme a doctrine, already of ancient time ſufficiently confirmed. But this anſwere (you ſay) cannot be iuſtly made to you, becauſe neither we are faithful meſſengers from God as Chriſt was, nor you ſo hard harted as theſe Iewes were. Trueth it is, we dare not compare in faithfulnes with Chriſt, for ſuch compariſon were odious, but with S. Paul we proteſt, that in ſeruing the God of our fathers, according to that Religion which you count hereſie, beleeuing all that is writen in the law & the Prophets, we hauehave alwaies endeuoured to keepe a good conſcience both before God and mā Act. 24. and as for you, we ſee no cauſe to the contrary, but that you may both for malice againſt the trueth, and hard hartednes, be compared with the Iewes. For though we worke no miracles, and they then had ſeene Chriſt to worke many, yet our doctrine beeing the ſame that he taught and no other (as we are alwaies ready and willing to proue it to be by the ſcriptures) it hath beene confirmed not only by all the miracles that then Chriſt had wrought, but alſo by all them that ſince were wrought by him or his Apoſtles, to confirme the ſame: and therefore you yet refuſing to beleeue it, ſhew as great hardnes of hart, as they did & rather more. Indeed if we took vponupon vsus, either any callings not warrāted by the Lord in his word, or to preach any doctrine which we could not warrant by the canonicall ſcriptures, you might with ſome reaſon call for ſome miracles of vsus: but ſeeing you cā proue neither of theſe againſt vsus, you may with more reaſon giuegive ouer this obiection, then to purſue it any further. Indeede we are not aſhamed to confeſſe, that theſe are two principall reaſons, which are here remēbred by you, wherby we proue our Religiō to be the true & ancient Catholicke faith, taught by the Apoſtles, and euer ſince continued in Chriſtes true Church: namely firſt, for that by the Canonicall ſcriptures, we can proue it to be the ſame that they preached, ſeeing it cānot be denied, but their preaching and writing agreed; and ſecondly, becauſe our Religion in all points agreeth with the ancient groundes of the Catechiſme, the ten cōmandemēts, the articles of the faith, the Lords praier &c. And for theſe cauſes indeede, we moſt confidently ſay and aduouch, that you doe vsus extreame wrong, the trueth & ſoundnes of theſe two reaſons notwithſtanding, either to call our Church or Religiō new, or thus to call for miracles to confirme it now, as though it had neuer beene confirmed thereby before. But in all this, with you we ſay nothing to the purpoſe: yet with the indifferent Reader (I hope) it is to good and great purpoſe, ſeeing hereby we labour to proue, that our church and Religion is not new, and but of 40. yeares continuance, as here moſt vntruly you charge it: but olde & ancient, becauſe it agreeth in eueryevery point with the principles of the ancient Chriſtian Catechiſme. All you ſay to confute this argument of ours, is, that we hauehave learned our Catechiſme of you, & otherwiſe we ſhould not or could not hauehave come by it. Whereunto I anſwere, that if wee had had no better Catechiſers then you, we had yet beene but badly Catechiſed: and this further you may be ſure of, your credit was by your long and manifold lewd dealing ſo crackt wt vsus, if we had not found theſe parts of the Catechiſme, either flatly expreſſed or ſufficiently confirmed, and grounded in the Canonicall ſcriptures, vponupon your credit we had not receiued them: beſides, as I hauehave plentifully ſhewed in the 4. Chapter, we hauehave had in all ages, from Chriſt downe to our owne, very manie of our owne Religion, that hauehave continued, and from hand to hand deliuered vntounto vsus, theſe partes of the Catechiſme, more ſoundly and faithfully then you hauehave done, ſo that, if you had neuer beene, we ſhould farre better and ſooner hauehave learned theſe things. But in the moſt wiſe prouidence of God, theſe were in ſome ſort alſo continued amongſt you, that ſo you might be the more without excuſe, in that, notwithſtanding the light that migh hauehave ſhined vntounto you thereby, you yet chuſed rather to walke in groſſe and palpable darkneſſe, then in the light thereof. And therefore ſathan the Prince of darkneſſe, in your Synagogues, through the helpe of his vicar generall your Pope, and his Chaplaines, neuer ceaſed vntill by one blinde and helliſh perſwaſion or other (whatſoeuer Paul had taught to the contrarie 1 Corint. 14.) he brought to paſſe, not onelyonly, that all your Lyturgie and ſeruice ſhould bee in Latin, and rather lying legends permitted to be read, in the Churches publickly in the mother tongue, then the Scriptures of God: but alſo that theſe portions of the Catechiſme ſhould, either not bee learned at all, or elſe onelyonly in the Latin and vnknowen tongue, which he knew was all one in effect. Otherwiſe then thus, by your good wils (how little ſoeuer we had vnderſtoode the latin tongue) wee ſhould not, nor could not bee ſuffered to learne them, and therefore this learning being altogether wt out edification, neither is there any cauſe why you ſhould brag yt we hauehave learned our Catechiſmes of you, nor why we ſhould accoūt our ſelues any thing in your debte for the ſame. Further to make it yet more appeare, how little beholden we are to you, for teaching vsus the Catechiſme, let vsus but a little conſider euen your moſt diligent Catechiſing of men in theſe three partes thereof, here named by you, the ten commandements, the creede, and the Lordes prayer. Firſt, concerning the ten commandements, in ſteede of one God, which there we are commanded to hauehave, you in teaching vsus to worſhippe Saints, Angels, your breaden God, and your Pope, as you doe, hauehave taught vsus to worſhip ſo many more Gods then one; and ſecondly, yt your images and idols might ſtād to the enritching of your cleargy wt the idolatrous offrings vntounto thē, it was and is a common trick wt you, in ſetting down the commandements in your Catechiſmes and elſewhere, to leaue the ſecond commandement quite out, which is directly both againſt the making and worſhipping of them, and yet leaſt you ſhould of eueryevery one be ſpied, in finding them but 9. you deuide the tenth into two. And as for the other 2. cōmandements of the firſt table, by your ordinary & moſt cōmon practiſe, the people were taught (whatſoeuer is there to the cōtrary) that it very well becommeth them of your ſchoole, vſually to ſweare by a number of things that are no Gods, and to ſeaſon all their common talke, with oathes of all ſortes: and to turne the day which ſhould bee kept holy to the Lorde, to a daie of the greateſt vanitie and impiety of al the daies of the weeke. And to proceede to the ſecond table, neuer did the Iewes more make the 5. commandement of none effect, for louelove of their Corban, then you hauehave done to maintaine your infinit orders of monks, friers & nuns, in all contempt and neglect of duety to their parēts, if once you could entiſe them into thoſe cloiſters. How pretious ſoeuer bloud be, yet ſo ſmall a matter hath it bene with you, that your Synagogue is drunke with the bloud of Gods ſaints, and eueryevery varlet is not only eaſily diſpenſed withall with you, but alſo often much commended if hee can, though neuer ſo traiterouſly embrue his hāds, for the furtherance of your kingdome in the bloud of ſubiect or Prince, brother, or of whō ſoeuer elſe. And as for adulterie or fornication, yea for ſinnes againſt nature not to be named, your great Catechiſers neuer hauehave ſeemed to make reckoning of; in that notwithſtanding they know, that theſe hauehave followed in ſuch infinite meaſure vponupon their inforced ſingle life, in euerie corner, that ye ſtench thereof hath long ago reached vp vntounto heauen to pul downe Gods fearce vengeance againſt you, yet rather then they would let go this tricke of hypocriſie, they are contented that this …ench increaſe ſtil. Your infinite and open ſacriledges, in building & founding your cloiſters and Prelacies, in ſp…ing the ſeuerall pariſhes of their ordinarie maintenance for their miniſters, & other your innumerable & vnſatiable pillings & polings of Gods Church: your decree and practiſe in not keeping any faith with thoſe whom you coūt heretiques, and your ordinary doctrine, that bare concupiſcence, …s no ſinne, ſhew, what Catechiſers you are for the reſt. And whereas in the creede, we be taught indeede to beleeue onelyonly in the Trinitie, in that you vſually teach vsus to truſt, yea in the matter of ſaluation, to a number of things beſides, and to praie vntounto ſaints and Angels, it being plainly taught vsus in the word that beſide God, there is not ſauiour Eſa. 43. and that Chriſts name is the onelyonly name of ſaluation Act. 4. and that none are to be called vponupon, in whom we beleeue, not) Rom. 10. you teach vsus to beleeue in many thinges and perſons beſides the Trinity, & ſo to be apoſtataes from our creede & forme of baptiſm. And beſides, whiles you teach vsus this doctrine of inuocatiō of ſaints and Angels, cōtrary both to the beginning and ende of the Lords praier: you alſo teach vsus to pray vntounto them, to whō we may neither begin nor ende our praier, as thereby we are taught. And therefore you dealing with vsus in theſe pointes and diuerſe others, being ſo groſſe as it is, and was (if we had had no better warrant to receiue theſe partes of the Catechiſme, then your worde) we ſhould hauehave had ſmall courage, to hauehave receiued them as from you. But Caluin, Beza, and other of our famous miniſters in the teeth, with hauing their education and maintenance at their bookes firſt with you, comparing them in that now they ſet themſelues againſt your corruptions vntounto Camels, wt reward their maſters for their good keeping, with yerking and biting. Whereas in trueth (if you had grace to ſee it) they could no way ſhew themſelues more thankefull vntounto you for the ſame; then by carefull and diligent labouring your conuerſion, and reformation, as they hauehave done. S. Paul (you know) was brought vp at the feete of Gamaliel, a notable Phariſee, & was himſelfe at the firſt by profeſſion a Phariſee, and ſo had his educatiō and maintenance at the firſt, amongſt ſuch: what then? will you reſemble him to your yerking Camels, becauſe after, when it pleaſed God to open his eies, and to conuert him to Chriſt, hee preached and wrote againſt the errours of the Phariſes, & laboured their reformation? why ſhould you then euen for imitating of S. Paul, thus vnmanerly compare theſe men, or any other, whom it ſhall pleaſe God to ſtirre vp in like maner to ſeeke your good.
Still you call our Religiō new deuiſes, & now further you adde, that though it hauehave beene in times paſt, yet it was buried in the very depth of hell, & we hauehave raiſed it vp againe, & giuen it new colours. All this cannot make vsus aſhamed of the Goſpell of Chriſt, which we know to be the power of God to ſaluatiō, to eueryevery one that beleeueth, to the Iewe firſt, & alſo to the Greciā: Rom. 1.16. For theſe are but bare words, how ſpitefull & malitious ſoeuer, and we know that when it was preached by Chriſt himſelfe, and his Apoſtles, it had as hard ſentence oft giuen of it, by the ſuperſtitious and blind Scribes and Phariſes; and yet for all that, it mightily preuailed then, and ſo doeth and will now. Yet it is well, yt in ſome ſorte now you will confeſſe, it hath beene before: for very confidētly before in your 4. chapter you ſet downe, that none of vsus cā deny, but ye Luther 1517. began it firſt: but as you did well in this, and ſpoke truely, ſo in adding, that it was yet buried &c. you ſpeake not onelyonly malitiouſly and blaſphemouſly, as one day (though I feare to late) you ſhall be driuē to ſee; but alſo vntruely. For you cannot be ignorant, but as it was before Luthers time profeſſed and taught by Petrus Valdus, Iohn Wickliffe, & Iohn Hus; ſo therein they had their followers, in Bohemia, Calabria, Angronia & diuers other places, and that in great nūbers euen vntounto Luthers time, and lōg after. And as for colours, we vſe none to countenance this trueth, but ye natiue & naturall colours, which ye ſcriptures allow it: for we thinke it moſt ſincerely preached, when it is moſt ſimply ſet forth onelyonly in theſe colours: other colours we leaue to you, to decke vp the gariſh whore of Babylō withall. At laſt (ſo earneſt a procter, or crier are you for miracles) yt you are contented to ioine wt vsus vponupon this point, yt though our doctrine were not new, but very old, yet we muſt & ought to confirme it by miracles, And this you labour to proue, becauſe ye doctrine that Moſes & the Apoſtles were ſent to preach, was not new, but old, & yet they were furniſhed wt power to worke miracles, to cōfirme that old & ancient doctrine. For Moſes wrought his miracles (you ſay) eſpecially to this ende, ye Gods name might be knowen ouer all ye earth, that is to ſay, yt men ſhould know, yt he is God: & the Apoſtles (as you ſay) at their firſt preaching, preached not Ieſus Chriſt vntounto ye Gētils, but that there was but one God: which by a number of teſtimonies you labour to proue was no new doctrin to the heathen & Painims; but a thing, which by the light of nature left in them, and by the view of Gods works, many of them atteined vntounto, & all might in ſuch ſort, as that they are without excuſe, for that they worſhipped not God, as God. This is (I confeſſe) directly to the matter, and ſome ſhew theſe things cary (I graunt) of proofe of that, which you toke in hande thereby to proue. But if we examine well thoſe things, and weigh the weight of this argument, wee ſhall finde ſmall, or rather no force at all therein, to proue indeede the thing intended thereby. For though God ſaie Exod. 9. not 19. (as your quotation is) that for this cauſe hee had ſet Pharaoh vp, to ſhew his power in him, and to declare his name throughout the whole world (as in working of all miracles at all times, that is an eſpeciall ende that the Lord hath.) And though that bee no newe doctrine, that hee is God, and but one, and that both Moſes and the Apoſtles taught this: yet this proueth not, but that otherwiſe both Moſes and they had newe and ſtrange matters giuen them in commiſſion, for confirmation and effecting whereof, it was neceſſarie for them to worke miracles. For Moſes eſpecially was called, and appointed by God (as it appeareth Exod. 3.4. and 5. Chapters) to this ende, to ſignifie vntounto Pharaoh, that it was the pleaſure of God, that he ſhould diſmiſſe his people. Which becauſe the Lord had purpoſed (notwithſtanding the harde heart of Pharaoh) to bring to paſſe, therefore Moſes was by his direction to worke the miracles, hee wrought. So that the next ende of working of them, was to confirme this his newe and ſtrange meſſage to Pharaoh, and to cauſe it to take place, though therein the Lord had another further ende, namely thereby to get himſelfe a name for euer. So in like maner, though the Apoſtles preached the God that made heauen & earth, to be the only true God (as it appeareth they did, Act. 14. & 17.) which was no new doctrine indeede in it ſelfe conſidered, yet it appeareth in the ſame places, that it was newe there. For in the one place, they worſhipped Iupiter and Mercurie for Gods; and in the other, an vnknowen God. And beſides it is euident, that not onelyonly their office was extraordinarie, in that immediately they had their calling frō God, and their charge without limitation: but alſo yt within ye compaſſe of their cō miſſion they had to doe many new and ſtrāge things; namely, to call the Gentils to ye fellowſhip of the Church, to preach the abrogation of Moſes ceremonies, to adminiſter new ſacramēts, to ordeine new officers in the Church, as Euangeliſts, paſtours, and doctours, and eſpecially, to preach Ieſus Chriſt to be the perſon of the Meſsias, god and man, the onelyonly and ſole Sauiour of the world: for which things ſake, it was needfull for them to worke miracles, howſoeuer it was needeles in reſpect of the other old doctrine concerning the one true God. And therefore to make it appeare, that their miracles were wrought eſpecially for ye confirmation of this point, that Ieſus was the Chriſt, & the perſon of the Meſsias, alwaies they worke their miracles in his name, whereas wee doe not preach ſome one point of olde doctrine onelyonly, but altogether from point to point our doctrine is olde, and hath beene ſufficiently by Chriſt and his Apoſtles already confirmed by miracles: neither hauehave we any newe, but the olde ordinary offices of paſtours and doctours to publiſh it: and indeede, wee take vponupon vsus no newe or ſtrange thing, but labour as nigh, as poſſibly we can, to conforme our ſelues euerie waie to the patterne ſhewed vsus of ancient time, by Chriſt and his Apoſtles. Wherefore, vnleſſe as you hauehave ſhewed, that Moſes and the Apoſtles taught this one olde leſſon, that there is but one God, and yt he is he yt made heauen & earth: ſo ye could hauehave ſhewed alſo yt they wrought al their miracles to confirme that, & that otherwiſe beſides yt they had no new & ſtrange things to doe & teach, for confirmation whereof, miracles were needeful, & therefore done by thē, this yt you ſay of thē is nothing to binde vsus to worke miracles, doing nothing, or teaching nothing otherwiſe then was done and taught 1500. yeares ago and more, by Chriſt and his Apoſtles: and ſo you might hauehave ſpared all that you hauehave ſaied, or can ſay, to proue, that this is an old, and no new doctrine, that there is a God, & that he is but one.