The Cohabitation of the Faithful with the Unfaithful, Treatise (3 of 3)

The Cohabitation of the Faithful with the Unfaithful · Treatise (3 of 3)

The fourth is / that these princes take Godd hede / that by this dwellinge and cōuersation which they p. 45do graunte vntounto the vnfaithfull / they do not infecte the poeple cōmitted to their cure and chardge with their sc…bbe of vnbelefe ād errour. Charytie is to be shewed vntostraungiers indede / but yet not so that they muste hurte the poeple amōg whom they lyue. And this shal the princes remedie very wel / if that they do not alwais beare with the corrupt blindnes of the vnbela^euers / but after sufficient teachinge do compell them to embrace true religion. I say that when they hauehave prouided that these vnfaithfull hauehave bene taughte a good whyle and truly instructed / they must then enforce and compell them vntounto those holye and pure rytes and worshippinges of Godd which are commaunded in the scriptures: for princes and rulers must not alwayes / nor yet to longe suffer theyr cytyzens and subiectes / to lyue without exercise of godlynes and vertue. The ende of politicall gouernemente is / that the subiecte both shold lyue in felycytie / ād also in the practyse of godlynes / because that godlines and the true worshipp of God is the chefest of all vertues.

But some man will obiecte against me / and say / yf so be that the vnfaithfull be not yet persuaded / they shall then embrace truthe against theyr conscience / which thinge yf the prince compell them to do / then he compelleth them to synne. Here must we make a difference betwene the thinge that of it selfe is synne / and that which is so by chaunce / by some fortune / or some other thinge that happeneth / per accidens, as the Logicians do saye: for whē the Ma gistrate / in the matter which now we hauehave in hād / dothe propounde vntounto these his subiectes / the thing that is right / goode / iuste / and cōmaunded of God / prouidinge to hauehave them taughte therin / and they will not be taughte / yf then he enforceth them owtwardlye to vse none other order in religion then is commaunded of Godd / and to forsake, all other / he doth that which is iuste and appertayninge to his office. But that synne is entermingled in this matter / truly it is not throughe the faulte of the prince / but it is of the vnbeleif of these men / of whiche the prince can not be iustly accused / when he hath diligētly done his part / that they shold be well instructed. Morouer let them which do obiecte this consider / that by the same reason that they accuse these princes we may accuse God: for he doth propounde his lawe / which is moste perfyte to be obserued of all men. Shuld men saye? we are weake / our nature is corrupte and infected / neither can we do these thinges as thou dost commaunde them / And why dost thou then enforce this lawe vponupon vsus? If we do cō tarie to that which thou doest commaunde / verely we synne / and yf we go not about to do it we synne / we shall synne also yf we go aboute to do that which thou commaundest / for we want of perfection / neyther do we obey as we sholde do: wherfore do what we will / we shall not auoyde synne: vntounto this the Lorde wolde aunswer. The thinges that I do propounde to be obserued of you are iuste and perfect / no man can accuse them of wickednes / But in that p. 46ye are weake and do fall / and faile in fulfilling of my lawe / the faulte muste not be layed vntounto me / for it is of your own malice and corruptiō / and not through my faulte / for the which I maye not withdrawe my holy commaūdements / Yet thus I hauehave prouided helpe for you / Beleue in mi only dearly beloued sonne / and loke what so euer ye wante / wherin soeuer ye do fayle / and do not fulfyll my commaundementes / it shall not be imputed / nor laid to your chardge vntounto euerlastinge deathe: yea your endeuoyrs and your doinges / although they be not fully perfect ād absolute / yet will I accepte thē well / they shall please me / and I will allowe thē. Euen so shall the good prince and Magistrate saye: The thinges which are conteyned in Goddes worde / suche thinges as are comlye and do edifie / do I require of you / yf your mynde and conscience do go agaynst them / ye can not impute it vntounto me / I hauehave laboured and done my parte that ye sholde not be ignoraunt / and miserablie perish in ignoraūce. I hauehave caused you to be sufficiently instructed / and nowe will I procede exhorting / admonishinge / and demaundinge of you obedience in these thinges: do you reade the holye scriptures / heare the teachers and pastours / ād pray the Lorde to open the eyes of your harte and mynde. Thus in aunswering to this obiectiō I shew what a goode prince in this case may and must do. That thinge also is not to be passed ouer of which Augustyne maketh mencion / that he hymselfe was somtyme of this opinion / that nothing sholde be violētlye done agaynst heretiques / but that they shold only be taughte / But his mynde altered after that he was admonished by some wyse Bishoppes / howe certeyn cities / which somtyme were altogether corrupted with the errour of the Donatistes / were cō pelled by the violence of the lawes of good Emperours to receyue the catholike faith / ād these at lēgth were so syncerelie tourned vntounto the truthe / that they dyd gyue to God moste hartye thāckes for that violent enforcement / sayinge that nowe thoughe they might safelye / yet by no meanes wolde they retorne any more to suche pernicious and hurtfull opiniōs. The prince therfore / after that he hath gyuen them sufficient instruction / yf he shall enforce these men vntounto the embracing of such rites and ceremonies as are good and godlye indede / he shall do no hurte at all / but muche good. I do meane that this sholde be practysed only vponupon suche as be cityzens / and naturall borne subiectes / or suche as beinge straungers borne / do as denizens dwell in theyr dominiōs / ād so by priuiledge hauehave the benefite of theyr coūtrithe: Otherwyse yf they be but straūgiers which do passe thorough their countrithe / or such as do come either to bye or to sell marchaundize / there is no suche violēce to be shewed towardes thē. And yet this thing they must take heade of euen in thē / that they do not seduce their people ād subiectes which are of a good iudgement / that they do not infect them with vice and errour. The Israelites / as I thincke / ar in this pointe to be folowed. They did admitt no straunger p. 47to be as a Iue / or proselyte / neyther did they gyue vntounto any the libertie of their countrith / except he did fyrst circūcise himself / admitt Moses lawe / did cō municate / and became partaker with them in theyr Sacrifices / submitting himself to their discipline: Which thinge / seing it was well and diligently obserued of them / why shuld not our princes do euen the same? That they shuld suffer no Citezen / nor subiect / eyther naturall / or straūger born / but that they shuld compell and enforce hym / to receyue such religion / and obserue such rites and ceremonies / agreing with Godds worde / as they by common autoritie hauehave establyshed. Now will I speake of those princes and Rulers / which ar vnderunder these chief Rulers. Whome I do deuide into two sortes. Eyther they are such as hauehave Iurisdiction / poure / and auctoritie / which commeth to them by discent frō theyr Auncetours / or els committed vntounto them of Emperours / Kinges / and common welthes: Eyther els they hauehave no Iurisdiction nor Rule ouer others / neyther by discent from theyr auncetours / nor by commission from other higher princes / but only are taken and estemed as men of worshipp / for the auncientnes of theyr house and blud / or for their riches. This laste sorte do not differ at all in a maner from priuate men / of whome I hauehave spoken before / for these are mere subiectes as they are. Therfor (I do suppose) that the former Rules / appointed vntounto priuate men and subiectes are to be committed vntounto thē / to be obserued of thē / in such maner as I hauehave before declared. But of this other sorte of Princes and Rulers / of which some by right of inherita…ce / some by vertue of office committed vntounto them / are Rulars and gouernours of countrithes / cities and places. Of these I do saye and pronoūce this / That in matters which do belong to Godd and true Religion / they ought to do no other things / but those / which I hauehave already shewed that they muste do / which are meere / absolute / and the hygher princes and Rulars. For it is not lawfull for them / no not at the commaundement of theyr hygher Princes and Lordes / to compell those subiectes ouer whom they hauehave rule / to receyue wicked Religion and supersticion / neyther to permitt the vnfaithfull in the places where they do beare Rule / to hauehave theyr vngodly Idolatries and supersticions. This must thei not do / no thoughe they were (I saye) therunto cō maunded by theyr hygher princes and Lordes / of whom / and vnderunder whome / they hauehave theyr auctoritie. But yf thou wilt saye / that they must obey theyr hygher poures / I will graunt that / but (as the sayinge is) vsus que ad Aras, that is vntill they do come to matters of Religion / and vntill they do commaunde in Religion thinges contrarie to Goddes worde and truthe. For when they shall commaunde that which is against Godd / and is hurtefull to the conscience of mā / these magistrates must not obey thē. For these vnderunder Rulars are called into a parte of the cure and charge of the goode gouernemente of the countrie / by the force of theyr dignitie and office: p. 48They must not therfor putt those thinges in execution / whiche are agaynst Godd / and are hurtefull to theyr countrye: Yea they ought both to persuade by reason / and to defende by poure the contrary. The Lacedemonians / when they whiche hadd ouercomme them / did demaunde of them such thinges as were against the ciuile lawes and libertie of their citie / They answered / If ye do commaunde vsus to do thinges which ar more weightie and greuous then death / we wyll rather dye then do them: Thus ought these vnderunder Rulars answer theyr higher Lordes / when they do commaunde them to do thinges which are to the defacing of Godds glorie ād truth / and to the wounding and vnquieting of the consciences of their subiectes / whiche thinges are more weyghtie and greuous then death indeede. In Cyuile thinges they may gyue place to the vniust commaundementes and decrees of theyr hygher Lordes / but that ought they not to do in the cause of Godd / and pure Religion. The Machabees at such tyme as the Iues were vnderunder the Rule of the Macedonians (Antiochus / Demetrius / and Alexāder / I meane) which princes did leade the people awaye from the true worship of God / and from the seruice taught in hys worde / wolde not obeye them. But that house and tribe of the prestes' called Asmonei, whiche in dignitie were nexte vntounto the house and stocke of the Kinges / and bare the chief Rule nexte vntounto it / les that the true worshippe of Godd commaunded and taught in the lawe / and which hadd bene retayned a…d vsed in theyr countrye / shul… be thus leafte and forsaken / they did Rebell against thos kinges as the historie doth witnes. But if this historie for the insufficiencie of the auctoritie of the bocke (which yet is a …rue historie / as Iosephus also doth witnes) will not suffice to proue this matier: Then let vsus consider what Ioiada the bishopp did in the dayes of Athalia: She hadd by violence obtayned the kingdomme / ād so was she the supreame 4. Reg. 11.ordinarie poure: But yet he sturred vpp a commotion agaynst her / And he brought the Sonne of Asa / Kinge Ioas / I meane (who was saued by hym frō her bluddy sworde) into the kingdome: For he knew that by Goddes worde the kingdome was gyuen to the house of Iuda / He perceyued also that she went about to hauehave all good Religiō / and true godlynes / vtterly ouerthrowen. Therfor as she had vniustly shedd innocēt bludd / euē so he most iustlye cō maunded that she shuld be slayne. Kinge Ezechias also / was in subiection to the King of the Assyriās / 4. Reg. 18.for Achaz his father hadd submitted hym selfe vntounto hym / and did not only paye hym tribute / but also for his plea…ure did chaunge Godds Religion: for whē he wente to Damasco to meete this Kinge / he commaunded that an altar shuld be made at Hierusalē / after the patrone and fashion of that which he hadd seene at Damasco. This Kinge Achaz his sonne / godly Ezechias / perceyuinge that these thinges whiche his father hadd done / were repugnant and contrarye vntounto Godds worde / hurtefull also to the consciences of his subiects / he (I say) did fall away p. 49frō the Kinge of the Assyrians / which yet was now his superior and hygher poure. Indeede he soughte fyrst to pacifie hym with gyftes / which thing when he coulde not do / then to the vttermost of hys poure he dyd defende hym self / and his people agaynst hym. Neuertheles in this matter sedicion muste be auoyded so much as may be / and these princes must not vnderunder the colour and cloke of Religion / seeke theyr own gayne and honor: but here only let thē resiste / that nothing be done contrary to Godds worde / and not for those thinges which are done to hinder theyr ambicion. Of this corrupt affection yf thei be cleare / and onlye for Religions sake do resiste the wicked proceadinges of theyr hygher princes and Lordes / let them not thincke that they do herin anye vnrighteousnes at all. But yf one will obiecte and saye: Thys maye not be / for all men are commaūded to obeye the hygher poures. I aunswer / It is true Rom. 13.Rom 13indeede that the holy scriptures do commaūde / that euerye soule shulde obeye the hygher poures / but so farr as by Godds word it is lawfull to obey / and no further. For the holy scriptures do likewyse say / that the Rular is not any feare to them that doth good / but to them that do euell. Wherfor seyng these princes / in this case by theyr endeuoir and laboure / do promote that which is goode / they do well and not euell: and so ought they for this doinge to be without fear of the hygher poure / because that herin they do not resiste agaynst them / with that Resistaunce which is forbidden. Wilt thou (saith he) be without feare of the poure? do well then / and so shalt thou be praysed of the same: If these princes and rulars do defende godlynes and religion / they do good / then by the iudgement of Goddes worde they are without feare of the poure / and do deserue prayse of theyr hygher poures ād lords. But yf thou do euell (saith Paule) then feare the poure / for he beareth not the sworde for nought / but is the minister of Godd to take vengeaūce on them which do euell. Thus doth this place arme the myndes and cōsciences of these inferior princes of whom I speake / that they shulde not feare theyr hygher poures / when for the defence of Goddes religion / they do resiste and not obeye theyr wicked commaundementes. Yf any will now thus saye agaynst me. He that hath the kinglye and supreame auctoritie / vntounto whom by othe I do owe obedience / commaundeth these thinges / and therfore I must obey. I answer that thou arte not boūd herin to keape any such othe or promis. For when he commaundeth those thinges whiche are agaynste God / he doth not the office of Goddes minister / to him thē therin thou dost owe neyther faith nor obedience. Agayne yf thou wilt aske / By what righte may these vnderunder rulars and inferiour magistrates / thus sett them selues agaynst the hygher princes / which hauehave the verye supreame right and poure to defende pure and godlye Religion / and the true faithe. I aunswere. That the electours of the Empire / and the Princes of Germanie / and the fre cityes / do it by the Imperiall poure and righte / whiche p. 50is committed vntounto them: And that the Magistrates and Rulars whiche are in kingdoms / they do and darre do it / by the Kinglye poure and right lykewyse committed vntounto them. For Emperours and Kinges / and such hygher poures / hauehave therfor chosen and taken these vnderunder Rulars and officers / as it were into a parte of theyr Rule / to be theyr helpers / in administringe and ordering theyr businesses and charge / to the ende that Iustice might florishe so muche the more. And euen so from the begynninge poure and Rule was gyuen vntounto these / that they shulde rule the common wealthe / for that part therof / whiche was committed vntounto them / iustlye / vprightlye / and godlye. Whereof the Emprour in the Code doth saye / that yf he shulde commaunde anye thinge agaynste righte / he wolde not that any suche decree of his shulde auayle in iudgementes. The very same thinge is to be sayde / where a kinge or suche which do retayne the supreame auctoritie / do commaunde or determyne anye thinge againste right. Not vnworthily is Traianus the Emperour therfore commended / who when he delyuered the sworde to a Rular in his Empire / sayde: If I do cō maunde Iuste thinges / vse this for me / but yf I do require vniust things / vse it against me. But on the contrary part / Gregorie the great / Byshopp of Rome / can not in this behalfe be praysed / but dispraysed / and accused: Who seinge that the lawe whiche Mauritius the Emperour had made was vniuste / which was / That no man entangled with the matters of the common wealth / or which was appointed to the warrs / might be made a priest or a mōck / he wrote to the Emperour / That after that he hadd seene hys lawe / he was wonderfullye afrayed and astonied / And therfor he desireth hym to diminishe somwhat of the rigour of the lawe / or els to chaūge it altogether: But yet he added / That as touchinge hymself / after that he hath now done his office in admonishing hym / now for the obedience which he doth owe vntounto him / he wolde publishe his lawe / as he hadd commaunded. Thys acte surely can not, but be reproued in this Busshopp. Agayn here thou wilt happily saye. What yf the hygher Prince will not allowe me to do myne office / or doth reuokethis parte of myne office? Truly no man cā take that frō thyne office / which God hath cōmaunded the to do in it. No mā can discharge the of that dutye / wherewith God chargeth the in thyne office / wherfore so longe as thou bearest thyne office / do thou the dutye that longeth to it. Many there are which do thincke / that when this dealinge and doinge of the inferior magistrate agaynste the hygher Rulars is thus straitly required / That Godds Religiō is not to be promoted after this manier by thē / but rather / that they do sufficientlye the thinge which belōgeth vntounto them / yf they do forsake theyr office / and gyue ouer their Rule and auctoritie. So do not I thincke / Thy dignitie and office is not so lightly to be gyuen ouer. Thou dost gyue ouer thyne office / because thou w…t not strayne thy self therin to promote the p. 51glorie of Godd: And this is to depart and fall from thy vocacion: which thou oughtest not to do / especially whē thou dost playnly see / that thy roume and place / shalbe bestowed vponupon those / which ar wicked and both do / ād will oppresse the kingdom of God. These men must abyde therfor in theyr offices / so lōg as they be not putt out of them by the higher poures / and strōgly must they defend the glorie of God in them.

Now when I on this maner do entreate of these thinges / I do not make or shewe an easye waye to sturre vpp sedicions. But this onlye I do seke / and care for / That those thinges which do belonge vntounto Matt. 22.Matt 22Godd / shuld be gyuen vntounto Godd: and those thinges which are belonging vntounto Cesar / shulde be gyuen vntounto Cesar. If the wordly substaūce and ritches of men were required and asked by the hygher poures / I wold councell to gyue thē. But in those thinges which do belonge vntounto the worshipp of Godd / I say / that thei must not yealde to the wicked requestes of theyr hygher Rulars and lordes: here is no place to be gyuen to thē / but in our owne ciuile matters we must yealde / yf to yealde in them be not agaynst Goddes lawe. In which case Naboth is to 3. Reg. 21.1 Kgs 21be excused / which wolde not graunte hys vy…eyard to the Kinge: He dyd it not of couetousnes / or of to great a desyre which he dyd beare to the thinges of the world / but because he dyd knowe that in gyuing awaye of his vineyarde so / Goddes lawe shulde be broken / by which he hadd appointed / that the feeldes and possessions amonge the people of Israell / shuld remayn in theyr tribes and kindreds / as they Num. 33.Num 33were iustly distributed at the beginning. This lawe of God wolde Kinge Achab hauehave broken / and therto required he the cōsent of Naboth / which he with a good and a safe conscience could not do / and therfor wold not. But halas / sorow it is to behold / how that there are many Dukes / Earles / and such princes / from whome yf an Emperour or a Kinge wold take their dominions / landes / lordshipps and inheritaunce / they wold leaue nothing vndone / yea they wold do all that they could do / to defend their own / and to resiste their vnrighteous doinge: But when the kingdom of God is assaulted by tyrauntes, and the gospell and bequest of the bludd of Christe taken violently and wretchedly away from them / and frō the children of Godd which are committed to theyr tuition and defence / they will do nothing at all. Yea when they are required of theyr hygher poures / as ministers of theyr furie / to destroye and ouerthrow the gospell / then they neyther sturre nor speake anye thing at all / but do as they are biddē. In theyr own cause they can fight / and rebell / but in Goddes cause / they are as it were no princes nor Rulers. Wherby we can not thincke any other thing of them / then this / That they do not at the hart esteme the gospell of Christe.

Nowe this is remayning / that I sholde answer A confuta …ion of the …laces alledged.vntounto those reasons which were put forthe at the begynning to proue that the dwelling together of the p. 52faithfull with the vnfaithfull is lawfull / and confute them. Firste / the example of Christ is set against vsus / which dyd eate and drinke familiarlye with scribes / pharisees / publicanes / and synners. We muste remembre that Christe was not onlye stronge / but the chiefe heade of all them which be stronge. He coulde so profyte them which were euell / that theyr euill shuld not hurte him / and therfore might vse familiaritie with the wicked. Euen so there is no cause to the contrarie / but that they whiche be learned and constante in the truthe / suche as can prof…t the vnfaithfull by their cōuersation and familiar being with them / and not be hurt by it them selues (as we hauehave admonished before) may be conuersaunt with the vnbeleauers and wicked.

The seconde place is / Paule wolde not that the faithfull maried vntounto an vnbeleuer sholde departe / 1. Cor. 7.1 Cor 7yf the vnbeleuer will dwell together with the other. This I do also acknowledge / as befor I hauehave said: for vntounto thē / al necessary businesses / especially those which are ordeyned of God / are to be done. And yet in that place which is here alledged / Paule is not so to be vnderstanded without exception / as these mē do iudge: for yf the vnbeleuig maried parson / shold cōtinually moue the faithfull to Idolatrie / or sholde not cease to blaspheme Christ / and prouoke the other to cōmit like blasphemie / so lōg as thei did liue toge ther / this ioynt life in mariadge were not to be cōtinued: for this were not to dwell together / but to cō spire together against Christ: Paule therfor speaketh of suche cohabitacion as is laufull without suche soliciting or mouinge to euell and blasphemye.

An other sentence of Paule is broughte which he writeth to the Corinthians / where he teacheth that 2. Cor. 5.2 Cor 5all couetous parsons / euill speakers / dronckardes / whoremūgars / and such lyke / are not to be auoided / for then sholde they hauehave gone out of the worlde. But he wold / that we sholde kepe our selues frō thē / which being called brethren / are infected with these vices. As concerninge this place / we must consider the mynde and purpose of Paule. Firste he dyd perceyue that for the necessitie of lyfe it coulde not be that the faithfull shulde auoyde the companie of all which at that tyme were vnbeleuers / for the greater part of men at that ceason was without Christ / and they beinge auoided of our men / coulde not therby hauehave bene made the better / But into thē which before were bretheren / bothe sorowe and shame was dryuen / when they dyd see that they wer now shonned of the godlye / to whome as they were before righte deare / so with them they were familiar. And by this meanes the church was not euill reported / neither for clokinge of euill among themselues / nor for to seuere separatinge themselues from them which were not yet conuerted: seing that they lyued with the vnbeleuers / partly for the necessitie of lyfe / partlye to turne them to the gospell of Christ: wherfore this sentence doth make nothing at all agaynst those thinges which we hauehave alreadye spoken.

Moche lesse maketh that for them which they do bringe in / that Abraham did becomme a straungier amōg the heathē and Idolatrours: first that which Gene. 12.Gen 12Abraham dyd / euen by the callinge and commaundemente of God he dyd it. Againe he was of suche knowledge and constācie in the truithe that he coul de be conuersaūte whith the vnbeleauers with out hurtinge of him selfe / and wyth moche profyting of thē. For he caryed aboute with him the name of god ād his holy ād true worship / whither so euer he wēt. And the very same thing / maie we answer of Lot.

For if Lot went to Sodome / with a Good mynde Gene. 13.Gen 13to teache thē true faithe and godlie life / he owght not to be accused therfore / for it was well done / yea it was the prouidence of God towards the Sodomyts / that they mighte be better taughte / and ernestly called vntounto repētance. So dothe God admonishe before he destroieth. So Abraham was sent amonge the Cananites. On this sorte to go amōge the wicked / and vnbeleuers is lawfull and laudable. But if Lot went to Sodō only because the pleasaunte commodytie of the place pleased him / he dyd not wel. Neither indede dyd his going thither happen luckelie / for he was led awaye captiue / so that he was in nede to be rescued again by Abraham. Gene. 14.Gen 14And likewise when God burned the Cytie / he was compelled euen against his will to forsake it.

Of Naaman I shall not nede to speake nowe / for 6of him I hauehave spokē inough before. I suppose lykewise 7that the ca…se is opē and plaine inoughe / wher fore manye of them which were healed of Christe were sent frō him to their own coūtrie / and kindred / to publishe and declare amōge thē / what hade happened vntounto thē. This nowe remayneth / that I sholde peculiarlie speake of the Iues / and heretikes. For these too kindes of mē do in all places this daye liue amonge / and do dwell togither wyth the Christiās.

As concerninge the Iues / there be certayn reasons Of the Iueswhy they are to be borne withall and suffered. Of which Augustine / amonge others / doth make mencion in many places. Firste / they aboue all other sortes and nations of men hadde the promise made vntounto them. Neither are they all yet vtterly to be despayred of / for the roote remaynethe into the which they maye be ingrafted agayne / and nowe and thē some of them / thoughe not many in Nombre / do come vntounto Christe. Paule saithe to the Romains / that partly blindnes is happened in Israel / as if he Rom. 11.Rom 11wolde saie / not vponupon all / nor for euer. And afterwarde he saieth / when the fulnes of the gentyles ys comme / thē all Israell shalbe saued: vntounto that ende therfore the lorde saueth / and preseruith them vntounto this daye. And that thou sholdest not thincke that this place is to be vnderstanded allegorically of the spirituall Israel / Paule teacheth it as a mysterie / ād dothe recite the prophecie of Esaie / in which it is Esa. 59.Isa 59sayd: That then all the iniquite of Iacob shal be taken awaie. Besids this they are called ennemies / Quest. Euāg. lib. 2. quest. 33. Luc. 15.Luke 15but yet beloued for the fathers. And Augustine expoūdinge the historie of the prodigall sonne / saieth / that he dothe represent the gentiles / for as he went p. 54into a farre countrie / so the gentyles dyd departe so farre frome God / that they worshipped Idolls as by a publike order and custome cōmenlye receyued: But the elder sonne / by whō the people of the Iues is signified / went not farre awaie / but was in the felde / not in his fathers house verylie / which is the church / but in the fielde / for the Iues are occupied / and cōuersaunte aboute the letter of the scriptures / they vnderstāde them whith an earthly and fleshly mynde. And therfore it is sayde / that he was in the felde: At the begynning he wēte not into the house / but at the last he shall entre / and be called also: And alwaies Augustine bringith this sentence to persuade Lib. de fide rerū inuisib. cap. 6 Psal. …59Ps 59men to suffer the Iues / which is writē in the 58. psal. as he nōbred the Psalmes. …ley them not / lest my poeple do forget / but scater thē abroade. &c. The sonne of God praieth the father / that the Iues mighte not be vtterlie slayne and destroyed but scatered abroad throughe the worlde. Other countries and nacyōs / being subdued of the Romaynes receyued their lawes and rytes / and so became Romains / but the Iues although that they also were ouercomme of the Romaines / yet were they neuer made Romaīs / neither ī ordinaūces / lawes / nor religiō. They do kepe their own lawe (so farre as they cā) euē vntounto this daye: They wander aboute dispersed and scattered abrode / neither do they forget the lawe of Godd / they hauehave it / not to obserue it indeede / but only they do reade yt / ād they do also reteyne certeyn signes / as Circūcisiō and other ordinaūces / by which they are knowē from others. But they offer no sacrifices / for to sacrifice was lawfull only at Hierusalē. And thus it semeth that the lorde hathe sett vppon them a signe / as he dyd vppon Cain / which slewe his brother Abell.

Neither is this their dispersion amonge all the nacions of the worlde vnprofitable for vsus. They are braunches brokē of / and we are grafted in their place / which thinge whilest we do beholde / we must acknowledg the iustice of God towards them / and his grace towards vsus: And we muste take hede / that we be notlykwise cutt of through vnbelefe / for the which they were broken awaie. Ther is another cōmoditie besydes this that commith of this their dispersiō which is / that they do kepe our bokes / the holy byble I do meane. These they do carye aboute with them / they reade them / and thoughe they beleue not / because they are blinded / yet do they cōfesse that these wrytinges are true. And so though they be our enemies in their mynde / yet the bokes which they hauehave and do reuerēce / are our witnesses. wherfore I cā not maruayle ynoughe at those mē which do persequute and hate the tonge of the Hebrewes / and the Hebrewe bibels / and do burne them / whē as Augustine in his boke / De doctrina Christiana, dothe bidde / that we sholde go to the truithe of the lib. 2. ca. 11.Hebrue tonge / if we do doubte in any place of our translations. The selfe same thinge dothe Hierome teache in manye places. But they saie that these bokes are corrupted of the Iues. Heare I thinke good p. 55to answer with Hierome. Either saithe he they dyd this before the comminge of Christe / and the preachinge of the Apostles / or after: if before / it is maruell that when Christ / the Apostles / and Paule / dyd reproue moste shāfull faultes in the Iues / that they wolde hauehave kepte in silence so greate and haynous a sacriledge as this: surelie if it hade bene so / they wolde hauehave reproued yt. But if it was done after Christes ascēsiō / they wolde thē chieflie hauehave corrup ted those places which do make mēciō of Christ / and those which Christe / and his Apostles did alledge. But those remayne safe and vncorrupte / the same sense and meaninge of thē is in their bible in which they were recyted of Christe / and his Apostles (for aboute the wordes they were not so curious) wherfore it is not lyke / that they hauehave corrupted any other places at all in the holy bokes of the scripture. Yea if a mā dothe iustly beholde thē / he shall see that they hauehave many moo testimonies and sentences for vsus / more plaine / I saye / then our cōmen translatiō hathe / as in the. 2. Psal. kisse the sonne / where ours hathe / laie holde of knowledg. In like maner the whole. 53. of Esaie / which dothe moste plainlie prophecie of Christ / remaynith vncorrupt. The bokes therfore are not corrupted. Yea they coulde not hauehave corrupted those bokes thoughe they wolde / but it shuld be easyly espied: for ther be of them manye moste awn cient in wryten hande / which hauehave bene kepte moste diligentlie of Christians. But let vsus retourne to the profyt that Augustine speaketh of. Many might…e thinke / that those thinges which are spokē of the olde people were vayne and fayned / and likwise those thinges which we do tell owte of the prophettes / excepte they dyd see the Iues thēselues yet liuinge / and remayninge / with their bokes / which do beare witnesse to the thinges that we do speake: wherfore though the Iues be blinded in mynde / and in harte are our enemyes / yet euen them and their bokes we hauehave moste plaine witnesses of our faithe. Aske thē of the prophettes whom Christ dothe alledge / they graunte theym to be true. Aske them of the vnderstandinge of thē / in yt they are ignoraunte / because they are blinded. And amonge all other witnessinges / that witnesse which is gyuen of a mās enemie is of greatest weight / and makith most for him: Of suche witnesses truly the lorde hathe prouided good stoore for his churche. For we hauehave not only the bokes of the Hebrues to make for vsus / but also the verses or rydles of the Sibylles / which were of an heathē poeple. It is not to be thought / that our elders fayned thos verses: for Sibylles bokes were euen commune / in all mens hands / in the tyme of Eusebius the bishoppe of Cesarea / of Lactantius / and of Augustine. All which do vse / and alledg them. But if they hade alledged false and counterfett verses / the heathen mē which then excelled in knowledge / and were very many also in numbre / they wolde ha ue reproued theym as vayn men and lyars. If then men wyll gyue this vntounto the verses of the Sibylles that they be vncorrupte / moche more is it to be giuen p. 56to the bokes of the Hebrues. Thus hath it pleased the lorde to defende and arme his churche / yea euē with the testimonies of his aduersaires. Wherfor let the Iues be suffred amonge the Christians / both for the promis which they hauehave of the saluaciō to comme to their stocke / and also for the commodities which they do carie with them / such as I hauehave rehearsed. And for this cause / they be not only by lawes suffered / but also they hauehave their Synagoges graunted vntounto them: As in the Nouellis Constitutionibus of Iustinian / and in the Decrees / it doth appere: But this is permitted vnderunder such condicion that they shuld not hauehave moo Synagoges then they hadd before / nor greater: Yet maye they repaire them that fall into decaye: This was graū ted to them / bicause that in their cōgregacions / ther is no impiete / nor wickednes committed: They do but reade only the bookes of the holy scripture / and do publiquely praye. In which thinge yet the Magistrates and Bushopps / do euell / which do not diligētly serche / take heede / and prouide / that they do nothinge els in their congregations indeede / then that I hauehave spoken of: for they shuld by al meanes take heede / that in their publique and cōmon prayers / exhortations and readinges they do not speake euell of Christe our lorde and Godd. Which thynge seing they do not / both the Magistrates and the Bushopps are in greate fault. VntoUnto Turcks this ought not to be graunted / that they shuld gather them selues together in congregations to do their Godd seruice / bicause that in the same they reade neither the old Testament / nor the newe / but only their own blasphemus and filthie Alcorane. Morouer the Iues shuld be forbidden the practise of their exchaūges / and their vsuries. For not without mutch dishonesti and shame / do they afflicte many poore Christians therwith. But Christian Princes and Rulars do take tributes / and gret taxes for these gaynes of vsurie and shamefull couetusnes of the Iues / so farr ar they from forbidding them these wicked practises. Agayne Christian princes do not prouide to hauehave the Iues which do dwell vnderunder their dominions taught in Goddes truithe: which indeede is an euill negligēce in them: for truly they ought to compell the Iues to comme vntounto the godly sermons of the Christians / and that often tymes. Els if they be left in this point neglected / they do wa…e dayly wors and wors / and lytill yea no hope at all is ther to be hadd of their conuercion. Theise princes are likewise bownd to take heade that the Iues do not corrupt the Christiās / which ar vnderunder their Rule / that they do not seduce them and bringe them into Iuishnes. Neither shuld the weaker sort of Christians hauehave ony familiaritie with them / but only such Christians as be learned / and constant in the truithe. And that for such causes / as I hauehave alledged before. Last of all it is meete and conueniēt / that they shuld be known from the Christians by their araye / or som suche outwarde signe / les ony man at vnwares shuld be conuersaunt with them / p. 57as though they wer Christians. And thus mutch of the Iues shall suffice. Now will I entreate of Heretikes.

This worde Haeresis, is deriued of the Greke worde / foreign, which signifieth to chose / to pick / or to cull out. For heretikes do chose out / vntounto thēselues sum doctrine which is contrarye to the holy scriptures / and do obstinatly defend the same. VntoUnto this euell they are brought / either bicause they do not know the holy scriptures / either bicause that though they do knowe them yet they do contemne and despise them either els bicause they do applye thēselues to get sum honor or riches by this meane. Wherfor Augustine saith. He is an heretike which either enuentith / Lib. de vtilit. credē.or folowith fals and new opinions for ony worldly commoditie / and cheifly to gett himself glorie ād autorite. But of Heresie I will make this definicion. Heresie / is a choise and obstinate defence / Vvhat he resie is.of certeyn doctrynes which are contrary vntto Godds worde / springinge / either of the ignoraunce / or of the contempt of the holy scriptures / to gett therby aduaūtag / or honors. Ther are foure kyndes of causes in this definicion. The formall cause is / chosinge and defending of picked doctrynes. The materiall parte or cause is picked doctryns contrary to Godds worde. For he that beleauith no doctryne at all / is godles / and not an Heretike. The cause efficient by which they are moued to Heresie is / ignoraunce and contempt of the holy scripture / and lust or couetus desire. The end whi men fall to Heresie is / to obtayne honors / ād riches: For they do abhorre the Crosse which folowith the preachinge of the gospell / ād as Paule saith / Theyr belly / is their god. Phil. 3. Quest. in Matth. quest. 11.Phil 3Augustine hath also this diuisiō. Euell catholiques are they / which do lyue otherwise thē they saie that they do beleaue. Schismatiques are they / which for diuersitie in opiniō do diuide ād separat the church / for foreign, is to deuide. Heretikes are they / which perseuere / and cōtinue in that schisme. But in an other Lib. 2. contra Cresco. cap. 7.place he saith. That Heresie / doth differ frō schisme. For a Schisme / is a stryfe which risith vppon diuersitie of sentēces. Neither can a dyuiding or a schisme be / onles they which do make it do thinke and holde cōtrarie thinges. But Heresie is / an inueterat schisme. Saint Paule obseruith no such diuersitie / for he vsith theise too wordes for one thinge. Nowe that 1. Cor. 11.1 Cor 11ye se what Heresie is / consider well wether that the papistes be heretikes / or no? They themselues do stoutly saye that they be none. Yea ād sum other ther are / which dare affirme / that the papistes do differ from vsus only in certayn abuses of ceremonies / and not in the doctrine of faithe. But how farr theise mē do err from the truithe / it shall forthwithe appeare. For I will playnly proue / that the papists are Heretikes / and do mayntayne Heresie againste certayn principall doctrines of our faithe.

Furst in the Article of Iustification / the papistes do picke out vntounto themselues this doctrine: That a 1 The Papistes are heretiquesman is not iustified by faithe only / but by goode p. 58worcks also. Which doctrine is contrary to the holy scriptures. Paule teachith thus. We holde that a mā is Iustified by faithe / without the deedes of the Rom. 3. Gal. 2.Rom 3Gal 2Lawe. Agayn he saith. We do knowe that a man is not Iustified by the deedes of the lawe / but by the faithe of Iesu Christe. And Peter / whom Paule did thē withstōd / did not speake agaynst this doctrine. Of the Iues / also he writith thus. For being ignorant Rom. 10.Rom 10of Gods righteousnes / and goinge about to establishe their own righteousnes / they were not obediēt to the righteousnes of God. In which place he settith theise two righteousnesses / the one / against the other / the righteousnes of faith / against the righteousnes of worckes / so that the one excludith the other. The same thinge he doth where speaking Rom. 11.Rom 11of Iustificatiō he saith. If it be of grace / thē is it not of worcks / if it be of worcks / thē is it no more Phil. 3.Phil 3grace. To the Philippians he playnly saith / that the worcks which are wrought before Regeneracion / can not iustifie / for he doth counte them to be but losse and dunge / which truly he wold not hauehave done / if they hadd such poure and vertue / that they could iustifie. This is most playne / that men before regeneraciō are euell / and then must this sentēce of Christes stōde true. An euell tree cā not bringe forth goode fruite. For how can it be / that they wich are Mat. 7.Matt 7deade as cōcerning righteousnes / can of thē selues go ony thinge forward vntounto their new birthe: And we all wer such / euē deade throughe synne / and the children of wrathe. The Epistle writon to the Hebrues Ephes. 2.Eph 2doth witnes / That without faith it is impossible to please God: And to the Romayns Paule Hebre. 11.saith. That what soeuer is not of faithe is Synne. This is the doctrine of the scripture cōcerning this Rom. 14.Rom 14matier. The papistes (as I sayde) do teache cleane contrarie doctrine / ānd do obstinatly defēd it / notwithstōding that they be admonished of their error by the holy scriptures / by the aunciente fathers / as Hierom / Augustin / and others / by the godly Coū cels / as Africanum / Mileuitanum / Arausicanum / And now also being admonished therof by vsus / yet will they not leaue their errour: Wherfor by the former definitiō of Heresie / they are proued heretikes.

An other doctryne also they do hold which is this. That the worcks which men do after regeneracion / are meritorius of their own worthines vntounto euerlasting lyfe / And that they do fulfill the lawe of God. Yea they be not content to saye this only / but they adde. That men can do more goode worcks thē the lawe of Godd requirith. For (saye they) to lyue a syngle lyfe / to preache the gospell frely / mē are not commaunded by ony expres cōmaundement of Godd. This they do teache / and obstinatly defend. But we do lern out of the holy scriptures / that The afflictiōs of this lyfe / are not worthie of the glorie / which Rom. 8.Rom 8shalbe shewed vppon vsus. He speakith heare of the best kind of worcks / euen of sufferinge martyrdom. Besides this eiche man dothe fele him selfe bounde betwene / and giltie of the breaking of theis two comaundementes. p. 59Thou shalt louelove the lorde thy God whith all thy harte / with all thy soule / and with all Deut. 5.Deut 5thy mighte: lykewise of that same other commaundemente. Thou shalte not luste / Theris none amōg Exod. 20.Exod 20mortall mē / that dyd euer fulfill those commaundementes. For the prophet saythe: that our rightuousnesses / are as the clothe stayned withe the floures of Esa. 64.Isa 64a woman. And Christe wolde hauehave vsus all / yea euen the blessed virgin / and the Apostles themselues to praye / forgyue vsus our trespasses. Iames addeth / in many thinges we all do synne. Iohn saythe. And if Mat. 6. Iacob. 3. 1. Ioan. ….Matt 6we saie we hauehave no synne / we do deceyue our selues. This do we learne in the holie scripture / of our continuall synnynge: they teache not then that we can do any thing more then we sholde. But here the papistes do seke startinge hooles / and saie that they which liue a sole life / they which do preach the gospell frelie / do more thē the lawe cōmaundeth / as I sayde-But this is not true / for they which hauehave the powre to liue a sole and chaste lyfe / ād do know that in this kinde of lyfe they shall more paynfully and profitably labor in the preachinge of the gospell of Christe thē otherwise. They are bownde to take it on thē ād to lyue in it. For if they do yt not / it is certeyne that they louelove not God with all their harte / by cause they sholde then leaue vndone somewhat that they mighte do / to… the glorie of his name / and wolde not. Like is to be saide of thē / which mighte preache the gospell frelye / and do se that it shalbe for the increase of the kingdō of Godd / and do it not. Wherfore seinge the papistes do bothe thincke and teache otherwise in this matier then the holie scripture dothe teache / and do defend their errour with an obstinate mynde they are heretikes.

They do chose vntounto them selues also an other doctrine / which is / that they which be regenerat / muste …alwaies doubte of their saluatiō. But Christ / the Apostles / and the whole scripture / do teache cleane contrarie / he that beleuithe in me (saith Christe) hathe euerlasting life. If he hath it / howe cā he doubte Ioan. 6.John 6of yt then? And it is writen in the Actes. To him giuegive all the Prophetes witnesse / that all they which Act. 10.Acts 10beleue throughe his name / shall receyue remissiō of synnes. And to the Romains / whō he hath called / Rom. 8.Rom 8them also he iustified / whom he iustified / thē he also glorified: But here the papistes hauehave this shifte / A mā muste not doubte of Gods promises (they saye) but he muste doubte of the infirmitie of his fleshe / that he can not do those thinges which are to be done / to obtayne the promises of Godd. Butt we be admonished by Abrahās example / that we sholde Rom. 4.Rom 4not in beholding of our imbecyllitie / fainte in faith / nor fall from beleauinge certainly the truithe of the promises: he considered not the barren wombe of Sara / nor his own old and effoebled bodie / he stackered not at the promise of God through vnbelefe / but became strōge in faithe / and dyd giuegive glory vntounto God / knowinge that he was sufficientlie able to performe those thīges which he promised. 2c. Therfor by faithe is the enheritaunce gyuē that it might p. 60come of grace / that the promise mighte be certaine Rom. 4.Rom 4and sure: for if the certayntie of our saluaciō did hā ge on our merytes ād worthines of our worckes / it sholde alwaies stumble / and be in daūgier of ouerthrowe. Thus the papistes do spoile men of healthfull hope / ād make mē doubt / if not despaire / which is not to be done: For that nature of hope maie not be inuerted which Paule teacheth to be suche / that it dothe not make a man ashamed: if then we do certaynlye Rom. 5.Rom 5hope and loke for life euerlastinge / we shall not be deceyued: and seīg it is the holye ghoste that bearithe witnes vntounto our spret / that we are the children Rom. 8.Rom 8of Godd / surly his witnes we may not reiect / without cōmitting gret offence. I am sayth Godd / The lorde thy Godd / this will he hauehave them that be Exod. 20.Exod 20his to beleaue: And who soeuer beleauith this / hath the quiet peace of a iustified consciēce / and knowith Roma. 5.hymself to be in safetie / for Godd is his iustifier / ād who shall condēne hym / whom Godd doth iustifie. Against al theise manifest testimonies of the holy Roma. 8.scriptures / theise men do teache their contrary doctrine / and do obstinatly defend it / wherfor they are heretiques.

Moreouer they do teache that eueryevery mā must satisfice for hys synnes in this lyfe / which if he do not / then must he go to purgatorie: And that by the poure of the Keyes committed vntounto them / they can turn the euerlastinge punishment in to a temporall. If therfor satisfaction be not made whilest a man is in this lyfe / he shall do it / when he is goone out this lyfe. But against this / the holy scriptures do Psal. 32. Rom. 4.Ps 32Rom 4teache. Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnesses are forgyuen / and whos synnes are couered. What blessednes / I praye you shuld this be / if they which be reconciled vntounto Godd / shuld be bownde to sustayne such paynes and punishmentes. When a Synner doth repent (saith Godd by the Prophet) The synnes that he hath done / shall not be thought vppon. But Godd will thincke vppon them / if it be Ezech. 18.Ezek 18true that either a man must satisfice / or go to purgatorie / if Godd wil so sharply punishe them by such paynes as they saye are in purgatorie. It is writon in the reuelacion. Blessed are the deade which do Apoc. 14.Rev 14dye in the lorde / euē so saieth the spret / that they rest from their labours. They which do dye in the lorde / that is the beleauers / how do they rest frō their labours / if it be so that they must yeat be vexed in purgatorie? Christe our Sauiour when he did forgyue synnes sayed. Thy faithe hath made the safe: go thy Luc: 7. Ioan. s. Lnc. 23. Phil. 1.Phil 1wayes / synne no more. To the theif he saied. This daye thow shalt be with me in paradise. Paule desired to be loosed / and to be with Christ. How chauncith it that here is no mencion made of purgatorie▪ In the old lawe / ther wer sacrifices ordeigned / for princes / prests / for the Nazarites / for the lepars / for gelousie / for the synne of ignoraūce / and many such lyke. How happeneth it that ther was no sacrifice appoīted for the dead? The church truly (as we also do graunte) hath keyes cōmitted vntounto it. And theise are / the preachinge of the gospell / that is the forgyuenes p. 61of synnes to thē which do beleaue in Christe Mar. 16.Mark 16and the threateninge of condemnaciō / through which heauen is shutt againste the vnbeleauers. One key is the promis / an other key is faith / by theise two keyes heauē is opened to the penitēt. Theise keyes Christ did delyure whē he sayed: goo in to the whol world / ād preach the gospell to eueryevery creature / he that beleaueth ād is baptised / shalbe saued. Those ministers do occupie these keyes which do preach the gospell. But here is no menciō made of altering of Goddes iudgements / nor of turninge of punishmentes. Christe our sauiour / by that one sacrifice of his bodye / ones offered for all euer / did worcke perfect saluaciō / and made a perfect and consummate ende of sacrificing for synne: where then is their enuented satisfactiō for synne? Yea who doth not see / that this theyr doctryne doth withdrawe frō Christ / the fulnes of that his satisfactiō with which he satisficed for vsus? when they do saye that it is not sufficient / except we do adde ours also. And this theyr wicked errour they go about to colour / because the olde fathers vsed oftē times this worde / satisfaction. But they will not see / that the fathers mēt therby / to satisfice the churche / when they were receyued publiquely to repentaunce / and not to satisfice to Godd. Except thow wilt saye that to satisfice is nothing els / but when one doth make himself approued vntounto an other man. For euen so are we saide to satisfice to Godd / when as after our cōuercion and turning to his grace / we do lyue godly for his pleasure / to aproue our selues vntounto hym / as his childrē. Thus satisfactions / are signes of the forgyuenes of synnes and of true repētaūce. But (as I sayde) theise mē do both thincke / and teache otherwyse / and do defēde obstinatly theyr error / they will not be satisficed by the word of God / wherfor they are heretikes.

They do teache furthermore / that it is lawfull in the congregacion to do the holy seruice / in a tongue that is not vnderstōded. And this they do indeede / and defende theyr misdoinge / neither being admonished will they amende it. Paule doth forbidde the … Cor. …4.christians the vse of those tongues in the congregacions / which euen by miracle were bestowed vponupon them / except they did interpretate and expoūde that which they shuld speake in them. And all Paules reasons are grounded vponupon the edifying of the cōgregacion / whiche aboue all thinges we ought to seeke in the holy meetinges and cōgregacions. But there shalbe no edificacion at all / when that thing which is spoken / is not vnderstonded of the people. Paule saith. My brethren yf I do come vntounto you speaking with tongues / what shall I profite you / excepte I speake to you / eyther by reuelaciō / or by knowledge / or by prophecying / or by doctryne. But these sacrificers / lyke men that can do mutch more then Paule / they do come with a straunge tong / which the congregacion vnderstondeth not / and yet neuertheles they bragge that they do muche profite the congregaciō. Paule will rather speake fyue wordes / to the enformacion of others / then ten thousand wordes p. 62with tongues: Our sacrificers cleane contrary / will rather speake a thousand / yea an infinite number of wordes in a straūge tongue / then a very feawe / the meaning of which maye be vnderstonded. Paule proueth his sentence and minde / euen by thinges that hauehave no lyfe / as by a trompe / and harp / and les we shulde be one to an other as barbarus / and aliauntes / but this is of no force / nor auctoritie with the papistes. For our purpose we hauehave the example of Godd himself / which dyd speake vntounto the Iuishe people in their naturall tongue. The greke churche did receyue the doctryne of the gospell of the Apostles (whiche were Hebrues) in their naturall greke tongue. And as from the beginninge the Hebrues in theyr congregacions hauehave vsed their naturall He brue tongue / so hauehave the Grecians their greke tongue / and so at the begynning the latin churche vsed their naturall latine tongue also: Only these heretiques (the papistes I meane) are delighted with a In nouell. Constitu.straūge tongue. Iustiniane the Emprour determineth / that all thinges shulde be spoken openlye and plainlye in the Temples / that they mighte bothe be hearde and vnderstonded / But this the papistes regarde not. Wherfor seing they cā not / nor will not / be moued from this their opinion / whiche is so absurde and repugnant to the holye scriptures / to the order of the catholique churche / to the lawes of the Emproure / without all doubt they are heretiques.

They do teache that the sacrament of the Lordes body and bludd / shuld be ministred in one kinde only / when it is gyuen to the people. It is most manifest and playne / that Christe our Sauiour did otherwyse institute it / euen to be mynistred in bothe kindes to all communicauntes. These sacrificers therfore in taking awaye of the cupp frō the people they do committ most shamefull sacriledge. We bring in agaynst them the Institucion of Christe: But that can they not abyde to heare of. Yeat les they shulde seame to saye nothing / They saye / That the Lord did delyuer it in bothe kindes vntounto prestes onlye / that is to his Apostles. And yet when they themselues do mynister it vntounto prestes whiche do not saye Masse / they do gyue but the one kinde only. But they hauehave nothinge to aunswer vntounto Paule (who writinge to the hole churche of the Corinthians / which were not …. Cor. 11.prestes only (as the papistes call them) but a cōgregacion bothe of men and women) dothe delyuer the holy supper vntounto them in bothe kindes / as he receyued it of the Lorde / heere hauehave they nothing to saye. And vntounto this madnes some of these massers do come at lenghth / That they saye that the holy communion is not to be called the Lordes supper / for wher is it (saye they) called the supper of the Lorde? Forsothe Dotor Vveston.Paule / the scoler of the holy ghost / calleth it so. 1. Cor. 11. Yea they aske farther / where the scripture teacheth / that this holy sacrament shulde be gyuen vntounto women / as thoughe they wolde be counted of fauour and of their liberalitie / to gyue a communiō Lyberall … Vvomēvntounto women / and not because Godd in his worde hath appointed the sacramēt of hys bodye and blud p. 631. Cor. 11.1 Cor 11to be delyuered vntounto women as well as to men. In the holy scripture it is writen / Let a man proue hym selfe. In this worde man is man and woman comprehended. No saith a Doctor the greke worde is / foreign which signifieth the mankinde only: Thys Maister Latymers ansvver therfor is true. 1. Cor. 10.1 Cor 10Doctor lyeth lowdly / for the greke worde / in that place is / foreign which signifieth bothe man and woman. The scriptures also do teache / that the holy communion doth partayne vntounto all them / which ar one breade / and one cupp: wherfor except they wyll exclude women out of the bodye of Christ / and shew that they be not of the churche of Christe / how shall / or can this papist / depryue them of the holy commu nion? Especially seinge it is playnly taught / that in Christe there is neyther man / nor woman / neyther bonde / nor fre / but all are one in Christe. But to returne Gal. 3.Gal 3to their sacriledge / in which thei do take away one parte of the sacrament. Of this thefte the institution of the Lorde / the Epistle of Paule / the custome ād manier of the primatiue churche / which was to mynister this holy supper in both kindes / dothe accuse them / which dyd continue euen vntill the tyme of Thomas Aquinas / and vntounto this daye it continueth in all the Easte church / wherfore seing that in this thinge also they are so obstinate / they can be none otherwyse estemed but as heretykes.

They hauehave also another most pernicious and hurtefull doctryne / of the calling vponupon the deade sainctes / and worshippe / and adoration / to be gyuen to theyr Images. The holy scripture sayth / Thou shalt Deut. 6.Deut 6worshipp the Lorde thy God / and hym onlye shalte thou serue. But they denye that they do worshippe the Images: They maye denye it in wordes / but in theyr dedes they do testifie cleane contrarye. They fall downe before them / they praye to them / thei crie and call on them / they cense them / they light vp cā dels before them / what do they more to God hym selfe? They leaue no peculiar thinge vntounto Christe / to aske of him / which they do not aske of some saincte / They do gyue titles / and names vntounto the sainctes / especiallie to the blessed virgin Marie / which do belonge vntounto Christe alone. Thou quene (saye they) of merciemercy / our aduocate / our lyfe / our sweetnes / ād our hope. Certaynlie these thinges do belonge to Christe onlye / vntounto him therfore alone shoulde thei leaue these thinges vntouched / and withowt diminutiō. I speake not this / as though I dyd not thinke / that the moste holie virgin were worthy of singuler praises / but euen she her selfe will not be made equall with Christe. They do furthermore crie owt of all corners at all their altars vntounto their sainctes / as thoughe they were present euerie where. But this presence belongithe to god onlie / neither is it communicated to any creature. Again it is writē in the Acto. 4.holye scripture: That ther is none other name vnderunder heauen / but the name of Christe onlye / wherin we 1. Ioan. 2.1 John 2muste be saued. And Iohn doth saie: If we synne / we hauehave an aduocate wyth the father / Iesus Christe the rightuous / and he is the propiciation for our synnes. But theis heretikes make many aduocates. p. 64Esaie confessith and saieth. Abraham hathe not Esa. 63.Isa 63knowen vsus / And Israel hathe forgotten vsus. And therfore (saith he) these are not to be called vponupon / we must not truste in them / but in God onlye / and that vntounto him wee muste flye. We are commaūded also in moste plain wordes / that what so euer we aske / we sholde aske it in the name of Iesus Christe / and Ioan. 16.John 16not in the name of other sainctes / as theise men do. But contrary to this true doctryne they do stifflie maynteyne their wicked error / therfor are they verylye heretikes. Here I do let passe their masse / in whi… they make their mishapen Godd of breade / throughe their art of transubstantiation. They sett vpp their sacrifice for the quicke and deade / the verie abhomination and God Maozim: which thinges they do defēde wyth moste peruerse obstinacie. But howe contrarie they are to the worde of Godd is not nowe again to be repeted / seinge that a lytell before / in this matter I hauehave sayde sufficiētlie. But if I wolde spēde more tyme here / I mighte reherce many other doctrines of the papistes in which they do shāfully swarue frō the truithe of Godds worde. And of their errours they will not chaūg any thing at all which prouith them to be obstinate heretikes. But this that I hauehave writō is inough / and inough againe to proue that thei are heritikes. Now let thē saie that we dissent but in ceremonies. But I saie that we dissēt in doctrines. Let the papistes saie that we shold not hauehave departed frō thē / but I saie / they shoulde not then hauehave departed frō the truithe. Augustine wolde not graūte vntounto Cresconius / that the Aduersus Crescon. lib. 2.controuersie betwene the Catholikes and the donatistes / was a lighte and small contention / and schisme: But he saieth that they defended an heresie / and that moste horrible / euen this that they did rebaptize. And yet baptisme reiterated dothe nomore differ from the worde of God / then these errours of the pa pistes / which I hauehave repeted.

Wherfore Christian princes / whilest they do suffer them in their dominions / they owghte no otherwise to suffer them / then vponupon suche condicyons as are aboue rehersed. That is / that they do compell no man to partake their wicked Idolatries. That they do not permitt them to hauehave their rites and supersticious ceremonies. That they take hede / that they do not corrupte others which do beleaue truly / and be of good iudgemēte. And last of al / after that they hauehave bene cōpetentlie taughte / to enforce them outwardly to embrace sownde / and holye rites / and ceremonies agreinge with Godds worde. Thou wilte saie happelie / if it shoulde be so / their condition sholde be more miserable then the condicion of the Iewes / and Turckes / whom we do not compell to receyue our Religiō. I graunte / but yet this sholde be iustlie done. And that for theis causes. Firste bycause the Iewes are not Citizens in our common welthes / but receyued vnderunder this condicion / that it is lawfull for them to vse their owne lawes / so lōge as they will: wherfore if they do not behaue thēselues well / or they do not please vsus / they be turned p. 65awaie and caste owte / as oftē tymes they hauehave beene handeled. And not without iuste cause / when their conuersation hathe beene hurtfull. But these papistes are our citizēs / therfore they must be otherwise handeled / and seinge they do confesse Christe / they are to be enforced to his pure and true religiō. Again the Iues can not do so moche hurte as these Iebuzites maie / for all men / for themoste parte / do shonne and deteste the Iue / but these are subtile sorcerers / which vnderunder the cloke of the name of Christ / and ciuile familiaritie / maye deceyue many: furthermore there is a promise of the saluatiō of the Iues / to be shewed ī the latter age / The lyke peculiar promise of papistes ther is not. And yet I do not speake this / as though I dyd condemne the counsell of many good prīces / which hauehave caste the Iues owt of their countrye / for good iuste and laufull causes. Their acte I do allowe. But to returne vntounto theise heretiques the papistes / we are bounde to praie for them / and seinge they do dwell amonge vsus / we mu ste obserue the aforenamed rules / In vsinge or not vsinge familiaritie / and beinge conuersaunte with thē / which I dyd giuegive / of being conuersaunt with the vnfaithfull and wicked / in which sorte I do place them. And if any of them do returne to the truith / and will embrace the true Religion of Christ / they are not to rebaptized. For though a Christian ought not to demaunde baptisme in the popishe churche / yet the baptisme which they hauehave hetherto vsed we acknowledge it to be such that it is not to be reiterated of them whō they do baptise. Augustine writinge Cōtra donat. lib. 5. cap. 23.of baptisme / againste the donatistes / sayeth that when they retorne / the hādes only are to be layde on them: and that les it sholde apeare / that they were before without fault. Also that the holye ghost maye by praier be begged to cōme vpō them / whose singular gifte the vnitie of the true churche is. This ceremonie trulye is laudable / but yet seinge it is not appointed to this purpose in the holye scripture / it maie be omitted: because we do se that the cheifest vse of it (as the apostles vsed it) was in the institution of the ministers of the churche. Suche of them as hauehave bene by shopps / and elders / maie be receyued / into their degrees / and offices / if they do retur ne vntounto the truithe: but this must be done / so as shall seme moste profitable to the flocke / and churche of the lorde. If they hauehave suche giftes as maie serue for the edyfying of the churche / And if by their ministerie / the truithe of the gospell and the saluation of the people which was committed vntounto them maye be promoted more then by the ministerie of other / and aptelie / and as profitabli, They maie be restored to their place / ād degree. The order of which matter is lefte vntounto the iudgement of the churche of God. But if they remayne obstinate in their euill / and do continue peruerters of the godlye doinges of the magistrates / and pestilent corruptors of the people: Then the magistrates maie / and owghte to vse the sworde againste thē: for hebearith the sworde to take vengeaunce on them that do euill / and therto is he the minister of God.