A Wholesome Antidote Against Anabaptists, Title page – Dedication
¶ AN HOLSOME
Antidotus or counterpoyſen, agaynſt the peſtylent hereſye and ſecte of the Anabaptiſtes newly tranſlated out of latī into Englyſh by Iohn Veron, Senonoys.
Prīcipiis obſta, ſero medicina para tur
Cū mala per lōgas, inualuere moras
Vidiego quod fuerat, primo ſana bile vulnus,
Dilatum longae, damna tu…ſſe mora▪
TO THE MOST REDOVBTED, prynce Edwarde, by the grace of god, Duke of Somer…et, Lorde Protector, of all the Kynges maieſtes realmes ſubiectes, and dominions and gouernor of his moſt totall perſō health, proſperite, ēcreaſe of honor & heauenly knowleg frome god y• father, through out lorde and ſauiour Ieſu Chriſt So bett.
THE bleſed apoſttle ſaynte Paule, in y• xx. chapiter of the actys, callynge together all the ſenyours or preſtes, at a place and towne called Myletum, dyd ſpeake vntounto thē after this maner Take ye hede to your ſelfs, & to a… the flock, ouer the which, the holly goſt hath put you ouer ſeers to feade the congregation of god, which he purchaſyd with his owne blood for I know this wel, that after my departynge, ſhall enter in greuous wolfes a monge you, which ſhall not ſpare the flock. And euen of your ſelfes, ſhall a ryſe mē ſpeakyng peruerſe thin ges, to drawe dyſcyples after them etc. Here, moſt myghtye prynce, dyd that choſē & elected veſſell of god, deſcribe moſt liuely, the wicked and peruerſe nature, of falſe & ſeditious herytyckes, that ſtudye for nowght elles, but to deuid and ſeperate the churche, to gette vntounto them diſciples, to ſcater & diſſipate the flocke of y• moſt bountuous ſheaperde Ieſu chriſte, to ſowe diſcorde, & teach peruerſe thinges, etc. Which thynge truely, dyd chaunce in the primatyue churche, euen in the tymes of y• a poſtelles, to the great hynderance, and let of the goſſpell of Chriſte, for where ſo euer, the apoſtells and dyſciples of oure ſauyour, had preachyd y• kyngdome of god, and with greate peane and labour, had brough: the people, from theyr ſuperſtytious, and vngodly wayes, in to the waye of the truthe: there dyd breake in certayne falſe prophetes, and falſe a poſtelles alſo, with there peruerſe and hypocriticall doctryne, ſubuertynge the myndes of them, that wt ioyfull hartes, had receyued the glade tidynges of ſaluatin̄ & delyueraunce. Theſe ar they y• for their bealies ſake, dyd, as a ſtormy & wyndy tēpeſt, trouble y• peace & vnite of y• church ſekīg their owne glori and promotiō, imagynyng alwaies myſcheffe, in their hartes, how thei coulde gette vntounto them ſelfs, by theyr peſtiferous blandiloquēce, and venymed flatterynge tonges, moſte ſhamefully and vntruly, preferryng them ſelfs, vntounto the true a poſtlles and diſcyples of our lorde) a perpetuall name & memorye, Agaynſt them dyd y• apoſtelles, and ſpeacially ſaynt Paule (whome we maye right well call the ſtandard bearer, of our Chryſten religion) wrytte very erneſtly, callyng them antichriſtes, falſe prophetes and pſeudoapoſtills, callyng them euell workmen, enemyes of the croſſe and paſſion of chriſt, as it appereth more euydently in the actys and in the epyſtylls, that they hauehave wrytten and ſent to ſondrye and many churches, to arme and fenſe y• flock of chriſt, agaynſt ſuch rauenyng wolfs. Yet not wtſtondynge after the departyng of the a poſtells, that is to ſaye, after y• god had done hys bleſſed wyll wt them accordynge to the commen courſe of nature: theſe falſe prophetes, dyd ſo preualle agaynſt the true doctryne of chriſt, y• in a maner theſe xii. hunderd yeares, fewe or none durſt ſpeake the truthe. For as ſoone as any man, by y• inſpiration and gyft of the holy goſt, dyd begyne in thoſe dayes, to preache the goſſpell, purely & ſincerely, to the great glorye of god and edyfyeng of the church, defending with the ſwerd of the ſpiritee, that libertee and fryedome, that chriſt with hys precyous bloode hath purchaſſyd vntounto vsus (dyd not theſe hypocrites, bryng all the world in to thraldome, puttyng vpō chriſtē menes neckes heauear …urdēs of humayne traditious and ceremoniall dreames, thā euer dyd the Iues beare? whiche as ſaynt Auguſtyne ſayth, though they knew not the tyme of liber tye, yet not wtſtandyng war lodid and burdoned not with mēs preſumptions, but with ye burdens of the law onelyonly?) by and by was he, as a falſe heriticke, or as he that hath kyllyd bothe father, and mother, moſt cruely put to death. In ſo muche that the yearthly prynces, whome, with theyr abhomynabyll dyſſcimulation, they had gotten on theyr ſede, blyndynge and poyſeynynge them moſt ſubtillye & craftely, with the golden cuppe of ye purplyd hore of Babylone, thought, that they dyd a greate ſacryfyce vntounto god, whan, with all the tirannye that coulde be, for theſe belys ſake, murthered, and perſequuted them, whome god had choſē and ſent, to ſhewe vntounto them, the waye of truthe & ſaluation. But bleſſed be that bontuous lorde, which hath not ſuffered the prynces, whome by hys diuine prouidence, he hath made & ordoned, to be ſupreme gouernors of hys church, immedyatly vnderunder hym (though by y• tyrannicall power of thoſe falſe prophetes, & antichriſtes, they ware put, by that ſuperyorytye a greate whyle) to erre and bee deceued any lōger, but dyd moſt mercyfull opē their eyes to loke vponupon that comfortable ſonne of ryghtuoſnes, and lyght of the truthe, y• they myghte, in theſe thyk darkeneſſys of thys wretched worlde, be gydes vntounto hys people, to bryng them out of the egypte of ignorannycye, and ſo leade them through y• parylous deſertes, into y• land of promiſcion. For the which thynges, we are all greatly bounde, to gyue dayly, and hourley, immortall thāckes vntounto god, and ſpecially that, of hys bountuous, & mere goodnes he hath gyuen vntounto vsus ſuch of noble & coragious prince which now in his tender years, is ſo delegentli brought vp, ī all godlynes & vertuous learning, that he hereafter, as a nobyll Salomon, ſhall wt all prudence and godly wyſdome, not onelyonly ſhed the blode of them that dyd ſhede the innocent bloode, but alſo, buylde vp, myghtely, the temple of the liuing god. Which thyng, as dauyd in y• olde lawe, ſo nowe oure moſte vyctoryus prynce. Henrye the eyghte, the father of this, oure ſofuerayne lorde kyng Edwarde the ſyxte, wolde had done, if god had not dyſpoſed otherwyſe, with hym. But thanckes be to god, that he hath ſo well, prepared all thynges, before hys death, and that he hath wt y• tow edgged ſworde of the ſpiritee, cutted a waye alredy, the buſhes, thornes and brembles, that ſhuld had letted the buyldyng of the temple, makyng the ground euen, by abbatynge the pryde of theſe falſe a poſteles, and puttyng awaye, by litell and litell the rubbyſhe, of vngodly traditions and vayne ceremonis. Which thyng wyl be no, ſmal ſpurre, vntounto our moſt ſofuerayne lord, kyng Edward the ſyxt, to performe and bryng to proſperous, and ioyfull ende, that, which hys louyng father, hath begonne, ſo godly. And I doubte not, but now (god wyllynge, who neuer for ſaketh hys true, and faythfull ſeruantes, though, to trye theyr fayth, for a tyme and ſeaſon, ſuffereth thē to be perſequuted) all thynges ſhall be done to y•, glory of god, and greate conforte of ye louing ſubiectes, of thys noble and floryſhyng realme. Among whom (as we may, eaſely pr…ceyue, by theyr dylygent and greadye comyng to the churches, whan they heare of any ſermon, and preachyng) is fallē now a great hunger and thriſt, not of thys materyall breaed, and drincke, but of the lyuely worde of god. But alas in ſtede, of y• heauēly breade, y• feadeth to euerlaſting lyfe, they be deluded wt blind & dome ceremones. Which thing, I truſt, not lōg ſhal cōtynew in chriſtes churche, where ye word of god, onelyonly ſhould reygne, and wtout y• which, purely & ſincerly preached, is no church but a dē of theues. Excepte I ſaye theſe, vanytes, and peſtyferous inuetions of men: be vtterly bānyſhed a waye it is more lyke the carnall temple of the Iues (in whoſe Synagoges Moyſes, & the prophetes war reade eueryevery Sabothe daye, without fayle) than the church of chriſte. But now, ſith that it hath pleaſed god (whoe lokynge mercyfully vponupon the affliction of his people hath ſent the … myghtye deliuerer) to enhaunce, and make your grace, not onelyonly hygh protector & defendour of this noble contrey of England, but alſo a faithfull ouerſeer, of y• buylding of this ſpirituall temple, which is the church of the lyuyng god, that, with hys precious bloode, he dyd waſhe, from all ſpote, blote, and macule, to tryūphe with hym euerlaſtyng lyfe, in hys heauenly kyngdome, and y• towarde the ſame buyldyng, as in the olde lawe, towarde the ſettyng vp of y• tabernacle ſome men dyd offer gold, ſome ſyluer, ſome precyous ſtones, ſome a gayne dyd offer purple, ſcarlet, and ſylkes: I thoughte accordyng, to my pouer abylytye, be cauſe I coulde, offer none, of y• aboue reherced thyngs to offer at leſt, either ſome vyle gotes: ſkynes, or ſome ledde, to couer thys ſpirituall temple, and to keape, the rayne, and foule weather, frome that gorgyous and goodly ornamentes, that other men, accordyng to their ryche, & pregnant wytts hauehave abundantly offered. It is ſo, that otherwhyles, for lacke of good couerture, many fayre, & goodli places, well & gorgyouſly trym med wtin, and decked pleſantly, with gold, aſure, and precious ſtones, doo fall in ſhorte ſpace, in to great dekaye, by reaſon of the rayne y• falleth in. Lykwyſe yf a remydye, be not prouyded, that the churche of god, and celeſtyall Ieruſalem (whiche is now almoſt buyldyd vp agayn, and through reparated, by our godly Nehemias) may be fēſed, againſt y• tempeſtuous hereſis of the Anabaptiſtes (whyche, where ſoeuer the truthe dothe ſpryng, and begynneth to come a brode, do breake in, infectyng the myndes, of ye rude and ſymple people, with pernitious & deteſtable opiniōs) ſurely therof, as afore of the doctryne of ye papiſtes great cōueniētes muſt neades folow. Many townes & cytyes, in Germany and in the Suſſynres lande, where, the word of god dyd floriſh goodly affore, ware cleane ſubuertyd by thys abhomynable ſecte. of ye Catababtiſtys (for they ware called anabaptiſtys, becauſe yt they ware autors of rebaptization, or babtizyng agayne, and Catabaptiſtys, becauſe, yt they dyd ſpeake and hold oppynyon, agaynſt the baptime of childrē) in ſo muche, yt they had almoſte extynguyſſhed the goſſpell ther as it is more euydently ſhewed, in ye workes of certain famous clerkes of Germanie & Heluetia Whiche incomoditie and hurte, that it maye not chan̄ce hereafter, in this illuſtre & victorius realme of England: I hauehave accordyng to my ſmall learnyng, enterpriſed, to tranſlate out of latin, in to englyſhe a litell treatie, that ye famous clerke Henry Bullinger, hathe afore wrytten in the Germanyſh tongue, and after, was tranſlatid into latin by Leo Inde, byſhope of Tigure agaynſte the peſtiferous venime of the Anababtiſtes. Wherein the falſe and pernicious oppinions of theſe antichriſtes, are ſo clerkely both by ſcriptures, and alſo good learnynge, confuted▪ that it is impoſſible, where ſuch bokes, ſhallbe dilygently per… ſyd, and reade, that this curſyd hereſie ſhulde take any place. This ſhallbe therfore an holſōe Antidotus or conterpoyſon agaynſt ſuche peſtilent doctrines Which I dooe, moſt humbly offer & dedicate vntounto your grace, as vntounto hym, that wyll, with all his myght, and godly power, ſee that the worde of god, ſhallbe euerie where, pureiy and ſincerly preachyd, & that, as a tender father, wolde be full lothe alſo, yt any ſuche erronious doctryne, ſhoulde creepe in, to infecte the louinge, and faithfull ſubiectes of thys realme, deſyrynge, and moſte mekely beſichynge youre grace, to accepte this my rude labour, which I hauehave beſtowed in tranſlating this fyrſte boke, beinge alwayes readie, at your graces commandement, to tranſlate the other .iii. as ſone, as god will gyue me grace, who of his infinite bountuouſeneſſe, preſerue your grace, and al the noble counſeil of England, long to continue, in louelove, welth, & proſperitee, in our lorde and ſauiour Ieſu Chriſte, to whō be praiſe, honour and glory, world without ende.
AMEN.
By your humble and poore oratour Iohn Verone.