A Reply to a Censure, Tract · Part 4
Touching Chriſtian Franken.
TOuching Chriſtian Franken, which The fourth parte.is the laſt of your foure partes, it appeareth he hath vſed a true reporte agaynſt the Ieſuites, becauſe (as hee aſſured him ſelfe before hande) yet no man hath denyed the idolatries, the ſuperſtitious and heatheniſh exerciſes, wherewith he doth ſo plainly charge them. As for the firſt part of your anſwere hereunto, it ſtandeth altogether vponupon falſe argumentes, as that, He departeth from the ſect of Ieſuites, therfore he is an apoſtata: He diſcouereth their wicked ſuperſtition, therefore he reuileth al catholike religion: Auſten confeſſeth that hee Aug. ep. 137.knew none worſe then they that fel in Monaſtical life, while he liued, therfore Frankē muſt be one of them. All theſe concluſions are barely affirmed without proofe: & therefore may be truely denied without any further anſwere. Notwithſtanding, it is to bee noted, that againe you find no fitter taunt againſt M. Luther and Iohn Bale, then to call them Friers: and therefore you repeate the matter. True it is they were Friers, but forgiue them that fault, ſeeing they did caſt away their habit, and kept a better courſe. An other reproch followeth in charging vsus plainely with coyning the newes of Rome, and with ſuſpition to hauehave coyned Frankens Dialogue: whereunto I anſwere if we hauehave not coyned, you hauehave, And as for Auſtēs place, it maketh for him againſt whome it is alleadged, and againſt them in whoſe defence you bring it. For if in Auſtens time with ſome good, this Monaſticall life brought forth others ſo euill that none were worſe, and hath declined euer ſince, it was time for Franken to come out from the middeſt of you. If ſo long ago, & in ſuch puritie of the Church, as was in Auſtens time, the Monaſteries did bring forth y• worſt men of all others, what did y• Cloyſters foſter afterwardes: Your other place of Auſten to proue it a great fault, to reproch many for one or two, I graunt to be true, but for your purpoſe falſely alleadged, becauſe it is not one or two of you, or ſo fewe as one or two hundred which are accuſed of ſuperſtition & hypocriſie, but y• accuſation is againſt you all, for you apparell idolatrie with the name of deuotion, you nouriſh ambitiō vnderunder a Friers weed, and ſeeke an empire vnderunder a Prieſtes gaberdine, you exerciſe a Wolues rauening crueltie vnderunder Sheepes clothing, Treaſon is conſcience among you, and a iuſt execution is made a glorious martyrdome. Sander. de viſib. Monarch. lib. 7.Theſe are the diſeaſes that hauehave infected the hearte, and ſpread them ſelues as a leproſie, throughout all the bodie of your vnholy orders and irreligious men. So that we blame not many for a fewe, but cannot finde a few to hope wel of, in ſo great & diuers ſwarmes. This is not my complaint as you knowe, or of this time alone, but the complaint of many and long agoe. Therefore in drawing Saint Auſtens wordes to condemne mee as inſulting againſt Chriſt and his religion, for the fall of ſome one religious man, is to drawe him againſt his will, to condemne one for another, as was noted before.
Your ſeconde exception to Frankens dialogue is taken, becauſe in your opinion, he applieth good thinges in the ſocietie to euill purpoſes, by which practiſe you hauehave well noted that any good thing in religion or policie may be depraued. This practiſe you ſhoulde hauehave prooued in Franken, ſo y• exception had bene good: but you affirme it onelyonly, as a man whoſe word muſt be taken for a proofe, & his opinion for an oracle. What Franken hath written you ſee, what he can write to a further accuſation of the Ieſuites life I knowe not: I thinke it was his minde to paſſe by perſonal matters, and to note onelyonly the corruptions and ſuperſtitions of their orders and doctrine: for which cauſe alſo he was alleaged. Your bitter taunts againſt our miniſterie as looſe, are accuſations reaching to him that wil not be pacified for the ſin, with all your vnbloodie ſacrifices. The ignorant and vnfit miniſters we defende not, or any that may among ſo many be iuſtly accuſed of looſenes: but the godly preachers receiue the teſtimonie of learning and godly life, euen their enemies being made iudges. Whereas you finde a place in the dialogue to commende Ieſuites for great labour, diuine meditations, chaſtiſing of the fleſh and ſuch like, I anſwere there is an vſe and abuſe in ſome of theſe actions: you are charged with the abuſe. The reſt, as your whippe and voluntarie abandoning of Gods bleſſings, both are ſuperſtitions, as was noted before in a fitter place. You remember who complayneth, that of all iniuſt men, they are moſt iniuſt, which when they doe moſt deceiue, Cic. off. lib. 1.and greateſt harme, they do it notwithſtanding that they may be eſteemed good men. Againe, wherin you hauehave a ſingular grace, you taunt vsus as that we can not well bee charged with ſuch faultes as you count vertues in the Ieſuites. True it is we wiſh not to be charged with the righteouſnes of Mat. 5. 20.Scribes and Phariſees, but ſeeke a righteouſnes that may exceede it, ſuch as ſtandeth in the ſynceritie of a good conſcience 1. Tim. 1. 5. & 19.according to godlines.
The thirde and laſt exception is againſt Frankens conuerſion, as not ſtrong to prooue any thing, ſeeing you can preſſe vsus with many examples for one, which is your franke and bould aſſertion. But if you cannot truely alleadge a man for a citie, or a towne for a kingdome, this is a note who it is that in deede dare venture vponupon any aſſertion, though all the worlde ſee the vanitie and vntrueth thereof. In place of manye, two examples are brought in with their pretended reaſons. But firſt you giuegive ſentence before the triall, that Franken departed from vsus vponupon a fancie, and your fellowes vponupon great reaſons and inuincible proofes. For Franken I anſwere, though I knowe he be not throwly cleanſed from the dregges of Poperie, but carieth ſome corruption that hath infected the hearte, (which you hauehave not at all blamed him for) yet his reaſons of departure were ſuch as enforced him therunto, being otherwiſe ſuperſtitiouſly addicted and deſirous to continue. Of your two men I can ſaie nothing, I knowe not what roote they had takē, that were ſo ſoone withered. But you that condemned me without cauſe, as blaming al your Catholiques for the fault of one, abuſing a ſentence out of Auſten againſt Aug. ep. 137.mee for that purpoſe, what is it that your ſelfe now bring in two runnagates to the ſlaunder of all, that conſtantly remaine in the trueth: muſt it bee no fault in you that was made ſo haynous in mee: There are belike ſome indulgēces from the pope, that what you do ſhalbe no fault, and what you ſay ſhalbe no lye.
To come to your two rumiagates Xilander and Flaſchius, albeit you auowe their proofes of running out, to be great and inuincible: yet they are in deede ſo inſufficient, that they hauehave plainely condemned thē ſelues by y• apologie, wherein they ſeeke to be iuſtified: & may ſoone finde better arguments why to returne, if their true repentance did opē a doore for their reentrie.
1 For what reaſon is the firſt, that Xilander giueth? The Catholiques hauehave endured theſe fifteene hundred yeeres in concorde of one doctrine, and 16▪ ſectes hauehave ſprong of Luther within theſe ſixtie yeres, therefore he departeth to you: Firſt this reaſon ſtandeth vponupon two falſe, and often confuted aſſumptions: For neither hath the Popiſh Church endured ſo long, nor ſo many ſects ſo lately growne vp of Luther. Secondly, though the aſſumptions were true, yet the argument doth not followe. For if antiquitie might prooue a Church, the Iewes would make a great clayme to the title: If ſects ſpringing vp, prooue no Church, what ſhal we ſay to the Churches of God at Corinth and in Galatia: Xilander did but ſalute our religion as paſſing by, that had no better reaſon of his falling away then this, ſo often and ſo many wayes confuced.
His ſeconde reaſon that moued him to leaue our religion for Poperie, is ſucceſsion of Biſhops in the Popiſh Church, from Chriſt till now, which ſome Fathers make a great reaſon. Surely thoſe fathers knew ſome good by the biſhops that had bene before their time, but they could not iudge of the Apoſtacie of theſe that came after to occupie that Chaire. Againe thoſe fathers eſteemed not ſo much a Succeſſion of perſons, as the ſucceſſion of doctrine, which is farre from the biſhops of Rome, that teach many things againſt the word, and againſt the practiſe of the Primatiue and true Apoſtol… Church, as hath beene declared. But … Xilander that maketh this. S…cceſſion Plat. in vita Ioh. 14. &c. Onuph. Pan in Com.a … able motiue (as you ſpeake) mouing him to roca…, did he conſider the xxvi. graunted. Schiſmes when one Pope curſed and p…oſecuted an other, to the horrible ſta…ght… of all ſortes of people in that Citie▪ Did he note your two Popes, & two P…s together at … time, yea ſomtime three, ſomtime foure Popes, who … the Chatre ſometime at Rome, ſometime at …, ſometime in other places. Did hee euer conſider, that they which … the ſtorie of theſe men, can not agree either in the number, nor in the ſucceſſion of theſe your Popes: Any one of all theſe, or of many other matters written by your ſelues, being well cōſidered, might hauehave bene a weightie cauſe to keepe him from that fall. For theſe biſhops, many of them ſucceeded with ſuch wicked conditions, and for ſo wicked purpoſes, that their ſucceſſion may ſhewe out matter to proue them rather the race of Antichriſt, and the ſpirit of fornications, which long agoe beganne to worke the myſterie of iniquitie: Hoſ. 4. 12. 2. Theſſ. 2. 4.but hath nowe made vp all the meaſures thereof, ſo that the propheſie is fulfilled, that Antichriſt in the ſucceſſion of his miniſters exalteth him ſelfe againſt all that is called God, or is worſhipped, and ſitteth in the Temple boaſting him ſelfe that he i… God. This is that ſucceſſion of Antichriſt, which is glorious in the eyes of fleſh and bloud, and therefore made Woodeman depart from Chriſt, whom whoſoeuer wil folowe, Luke 9. 23.muſt eueryevery day take vp his Croſſe and folow him.
3 As for his third reaſon of miracles in the Popiſhe Church, I leaue it as very falſe & inſufficient. Notwithſtanding ſome I graunt wil beleeue if a man come from Luke 16. 30.the dead which wil not beleeue Moſes and the Prophets. The kingdome and Church of Chriſt was planted in the power of doctrine and miracles, and alſo by the power of the holy Ghoſt, while Chriſt and his Apoſtles liued. Now it is againſt faith, if any looke for miracles to confirme the Goſpell againe, which is already ſo confirmed, that an Angel from heauen or any miracle worker Gal. 1. 8.perſwading otherwiſe, muſt bee accürſed. By miracles it is an eaſie thing to deceiue and bee deceiued, ſeeing Satan to that purpoſe changeth himſelfe into an Angell of light. Such were many of the lying miracles not onelyonly printed from Rome, but receiued and regiſtred at Rome, and thruſt vponupon mens conſciences to beleeue, being matters that might eaſely drawe them headlonges into all error and idolatrie, as was propheſied of this kingdome of Apoc. 13. 1….Antichriſt, and hath no we appeared by the lamentable effect. Therefore his third reaſon was to weake to hauehave drawen him frō the Church of Chriſt, if he had bene tied to it but with one bande of louelove, to the trueth and power of doctrine.
4 Xilanders fourth reaſon dath hu…e vp and confound many reaſons: As that he was moued with the authoritie of the vniuerſall, of the viſible, and of the Catholique Church: where like a good plaine dealer, he left out that which he founde not in the Romiſh Church, namely holineſſe. And what are all the reſt without this holineſſe: Againe of thoſe three notes that moued his falling off, two are all one in worde and ſenſe. For the worde vniuerſal, and the word Catholique, are as theſe two wordes, Wodeman and Xilander, which do not ſignifie two, but one and the ſame thing. That the Church of God muſt alwaies hauehave a viſible and glorious Maieſtie vponupon the earth, is not yet proued. Alſo that the Church of Rome was neuer Catholique or vniuerſall, as it pretendeth, the Churches of y• Eaſt, while they floriſhed, & the Greeke Churches, ſuch as remayne at this day, doe make ſufficient proofe. Againe we receiue the Scriptures from God, hee by inſpiration hath giuen them, and hath … Tim. 3. 16.alwayes kept them in his arke, and the Philiſtins could not keepe the Arke from …. Sam. 5. 10.vsus. The pretended victorie ouer hereſies muſt be proued, before it be admitted for a reaſon. I graunt the Romiſh Church hath had a victorie and a tryumph in outwarde ſhewe ouer many thouſand Saints, moſt cruelly murdered for the trueth. But ouer hereſies it tryumphed not, but in the time of her chaſtitie before the Lorde had giuen her a bill of diuorce: after which time ſhee embrewed her ſelfe in the bloud of the Saintes and became the mother of all fornications. Apoc. 17. 5.With his other reaſons hee linketh Saint Auguſtines ſaying, ſo Aug. contra …iſt. fundā. Manichaei. cap. 5.often miſalleadged to proue the authoritie of the Church aboue the Scriptures: that he woulde not beleeue the Goſpel, but onelyonly vponupon the Churches authoritie. By theſe wordes his minde was not to determine which had greater authoritie, the Church or the Scriptures: but to declare againſt the Maniches, in his owne practiſe what brought him firſt to eſteeme the worde at his conuerſion from in…de…tie. The authoritie and conſent of the Church, may in ſuch a caſe perſwade one to receyue the worde, which being receyued, is of it ſelfe founde to be greater then that which firſt per…ded. Thus of many reaſons heaped vp together in y• fourth place, there is not founde one good. The Romiſh Church was neuer vniuerfall or Catholike, but particular, and of …ne …erritorie though by vſurpatio…it enlarged her ſelfe by litle and little: and the viſiblenes therof is nothing, for the true Church of the elect is in…iſible. Moreouer (as I declared) it neuer triumphed ouer heretikes, it hath not any peculiar cuſtodie of the Scriptures, neyther dorth the authoritie of the Goſpel depende vponupon hir ratification, being authenticall of it ſelfe. Therefore al theſe reaſons and put them together, coulde not open the leaſt dore for his departure, if he had euer beene placed within the Church.
5 The fift reaſon is that the Romiſh Church is the true Church, becauſe many that liued there, are nowe Saintes in heauen, and namely Dominic and Frauncis, as Xilander doeth imagine. I ſay as before, there was a time when Ephraim ſpake, & Hoſ. 13. ….there was trembling, he exalted him ſelfe in Iſrael, but he hath ſinned in Baal and is dead. Neuertheleſſe▪ ſeeing Xilander went ſo farre for a fift reaſon, let vsus examine what he hath brought. There is no doubt ſaith he, but Domini…, Fra…ncis, and others are Saintes in heauen, therefore it cannot bee that they liued in errour. Who hath made it out of doubt to vsus that they are in heauen, ſeeing there are writte… many …dent lyes and blaſphemies of them▪ in the Legenda, and that moſt deteſtable Alcaron Ma…vrolog. Vſuardi. prid. Non. Aug.called the booke of confo…? who will beleeue that Dominic rayſed the dead which you teach: Who can heare or reade thoſe your blaſphemies in making Fryer Frauncis an other Ieſu in type and figure, matching him wt Chriſt frō poynt to poynt, and his miracles with Chriſts Lib. Confor mitat. in i… tio.myracles. If the Cenſurer had not men…ioned Frauncis the Fryer among his ſaints, it myght hauehave beene hoped the Ieſuites would refourme that booke, or rather condemne it to the pit of hell. But to returne to Xilanders argument, it is a very bad one, prouing the leſſer doubt by the greater. For it is not ſo great a doubt, what thoſe famous Fryers taught, as whether they be in heauen. Neuertheleſſe if it were out of doubt they are in heauen, yet the argument doeth not neceſſarily followe. For many are in heauen that hauehave liued in errour, becauſe the rich merciemercy of God doth aſwell pardon errour to him that repenteth, as other iniquities. No man will take this for a good argument: one …f the two that were crucified with Chriſt is nowe in heauen, therfore he was no thiefe, therefore he liued not in error: yet ſuch altogether is the fifth motiue that moued Xilander to go to Rome in hope perhappes to be a Saint.
6 To the ſixt reaſon which maketh the Papiſtes reuerent in their wordes, and the other ſyde rayling, blaſphemous and diſhoneſt in their ſpeaches and writinges, I anſwere with Salomons woordes: he that iuſtifieth the wicked, and he that coudemueth Prou. 17. 15.the innocent, are both an abhomination before the Lorde. This reaſon is repeated in the next, and is there further anſwered.
7 The ſeuenth reaſon hath nothing in prayſe of the Papiſtes as the former had: but is altogether a repetition of that which was ſaid againſt the godly, as railing and miſreporting their aduerſaries. Wherein for proofe againſt this ſlaunder, I appeale to the places of the Cenſure alleaged againſt Martin Luther, and charging him with moſt foule opinions, ſuch as after his conuerſion he neuer mainteined in worde or deede, which his practiſe prooued while he yet liued: and his writings doe teſtifie now after his death. Doctor Watſon alſo may make a triall of this matter againſt you, who in a ſermon before Queene Marie, D. Watſon in the former of the 2. ſermons printed anno. 1554.charged no ſmall men as he ſaith, but our great biſhops, to ſay that eueryevery man and woman, might at the Lordes table, take bread and bleſſe it (which he calleth tonſecration) and ſpeake the woordes of the inſtitution, aſwell as the miniſter. Notwithſtanding here I am to aduertiſe the reader, that Papiſtes miſreport thē ſelues now ſaying and at an other time denying the ſame, as appeared in many of the XIII. articles by y• Cenſurers own practiſe. For when the Ieſuites are truely charged, he will not graunt that which is truely auouched againſt them, but changing the queſtion will ſeeme to ſay leſſe then they teach. For one example they are charged to commit idolatrie in worſhipping images: the Cenſurer will ſeeme to denie this, ſaying, they giuegive no worſhip to the image but to God: this diſtinction is not good: and further more the aſſertion is falſe. For it hath been prooued that they giuegive worſhip to the very image of Chriſt: and, which is more, that they giuegive y• greateſt worſhip of Chriſt him ſelfe to his picture. Therefore al men are to conſider this both for our defence, & to auoyde the errour that may come by their deceites. For in the fielde, where they ſtand in feare of the aduerſarie, and in their perſwaſions, when they would win a proſelyte, the pretended Catholiques will not lie open, but cloke a great part of their ſhamefull doctrine: which is their ſubtiltie to drawe away diſciples, and to leaue leſſe aduantage to their enemies. Therefore to a man not acquainted with their double dealing wee may ſeeme to report them otherwiſe, then they holde in diſputation, when notwithſtanding we report them no other wiſe then they openly teache in their kingdome, and publiſhe in their writings. Wherefore I may conclude that this reaſon was groūded vponupon a manifeſt vntruth: Xilander iudged of Iudas by the kiſſe, not Luke. 22. 48.by the treaſon.
8 Laſtly for a reaſon we are falſely charged to eſteeme all our aunceſters damned: to breake their willes, and conuert to prophane vſes, that which they gaue to mainteine idle Monkes and Friers, and to redeeme them by maſſes out of purgatory. Whatſoeuer he thought in him ſelfe, or imagined in others, wee thinke not our anceſters damned: but leaue iudgement to Iam. 4. 12.the Lorde, to whom the iudgement of life and death doth belong: not ſearching out his ſecret coūſels which are vnſearchable. As for the ornamēts which they beſtowed, not vponupon the ſeruice of God, to the inſtruction of their ſoules, by the preaching and miniſterie of the Goſpell, but vponupon the great harlot and to the inlargement of her kingdome, they are brought home agayne to better vſes: and I thinke many of your beſt friendes will holde and enioy them as better beſtowed.
Your ſeconde man, commeth ready Sebaſtian Flaſchius.furniſhed to your hande out of the former booke of Lindan. But becauſe you promiſe not to deliuer the ſame reaſons that were touched before, let vsus ſee how faithfully you keepe art and promiſe. Flaſchius firſt reaſon is the ſame that Xilanders ſeuenth: where they ſay we report the papiſts to teach that they teach not. Alſo his thirde is but a particular of that which the other man did generally auouch in y• ſixt againſt ye godly as vſing diſhoneſt ſpeach.
To ſpeake of them particularly, Flaſchius his firſt reaſon is, that your Catholiques teach cleane contrary to that which we report of them. We report them to teach, that the Pope is ſupreame head of the Church, doe they teach the cleane contrary? we charge them to aſcribe ſome merit to workes, do they teach cleane contrary? Againe we charge them that they auowe tranſubſtantiation, do they teach no ſuch thing: Wee moreouer chalenge them for giuing worſhippe to images, do they teach the contrary doctrine? wee accuſe them for denying the ſufficiencie of ſcriptures, do they make them ſufficient? page missing I might bring infinite ſuch examples, but theſe may be ſufficiēt to ſhew how Flaſchius ſtūbled at his firſt going out at the gace.
2 The ſecond reaſon is drawen from Luthers mind in writing againſt yt Romiſh Church, of en…y, as the rūnagate doth ſuppoſe. How is this prooued out of any place quoted for a ſhewe of proofe: Agayne, if it were proued that enuie made M. Luther write againſt Popery, how doth the runnagates reaſon followe: The preacher preacheth of enuie, therfore his doctrine is to be forſaken: The Phiſition vſeth his arte for couetouſnes, therfore his coūſel is to be deſpiſed. If Flaſchius had learned what the place of S. Paul ment where he ſaith, he was glad & reioyced that Chriſt was preached, eyther vponupon enuie or contention, eyther Phil. 1. 1….for faſhion ſake, or in ſynceritie howſoeuer, it might hauehave bin a counterpoyſon, againſt y• diſeaſe of this ſecond imaginatiō.
3 His third reaſon againſt M. Luther for great diſhoneſtie & ſcurrilitie of ſpeach in his writings, is another …launder in effect all one wt the ſeconde, and there anſwered. You ſay this bad fellowe was a …reacher, ſurely thē he came in by a wrong way, & went out by a right dore, yt neuer had any ſound knowledge of the trueth, or if he had any, he firſt put back a good cōſcience, & thē made ſhippe wracke of faith & knowledge.1. Tim. 19. 1.
4 Fourthly, it is but …laūderouſly laid to our charge yt we do eaſily reiect any booke or peece of Scripture: for we admit as the word of God, all y• bookes & partes conteyned in yt auncient & autenticall Canon of y• Iewes, & with our aduerſaries all the new Teſtament, neither doe we vſe or ſuffer the leaſt corruption of yt Scripture, knowing what a curſe is pronoūced againſt ſuch blaſphemous Apoc. 22. 19.auda…ity. But you hauehave added the Apocrypha bookes, although they neither agree in ſome pointes with y• ſcripture, nor yet one with another as hath bene declared. Touching Fathers and Councils, it is too foule an accuſation to charge vsus, y• wee eſteeme no more of them thē of y• Turkes Alcoran. Flaſchi…s appeareth to be ſome corrupt hypocrite, who meaſured other men, by y• vanity & wickednes of his own heart. So farre doe wee honour the councils as they can well aſke, or doe deſerue honour. For (that I may bee ſuffered to repeate with the Cenſurer) we receiue from them ioyfully and with reuerence whatſoeuer they deliuer vntounto vsus with ſufficient warrant out of the worde of God: acknowledging them not only to hauehave brought great profit to the church in their time, but alſo to their poſteritie. This honour we giuegive not to the deuiliſh Alcaron: what the Apoſtata did or will do, I can not report.
5 The fifth reaſon is a ſlaūder againſt y• truth, blaſphemouſly caſt out againſt it and the profeſſers thereof. It is that our newe opinions (as Flaſchius & our enemies wil needes call them) are olde hereſies, condē ned by name in the primitiue Church. Whereunto I anſwere, that if Saunders moſt traiterous booke quoted for proofe in the margent, or Lindane with his roule of hereſies, or the runnagate by any good trial can proue, that either we pull olde hereſies out of the graue, or breed newe that ſhould be buried, though it be no good reaſon why Sebaſtian ſhould flie to them, yet wee will graūt it a full ſufficiēt reaſō, why he ſhould take the wings of the morning & flie from vsus. But if this runnagate in the malice and error of his heart, hath ſpoken good of euil, Eſa. 5. 20.and euill of good; if he hauehave forſaken darknes for light, and light for darknes, then he hath eſcaped a bleſſing, and made haſte to finde a curſe.
6. 7. The next two reaſons are of y• ſame forge with all the reſt, they prooue nothing but the malice and blindnes of your conuert. The ſixt chargeth Luther with contrarietie of doctrine, the ſeuenth with a ſpeache of intollerable in…quitie againſt faith in God. But his godly writings doe ſufficiently iuſtifie him againſt theſe open ſlaunder…as was declared before againſt y• Cenſurers like ſlaūderous reports. Out of his large volumes of talke at tables, wee know not ſo much what Luther ſaid, or vponupon what cauſes, as what thoſe men remē bred or added, which did collect the bookes.
8 The laſt reaſon of Flaſchius, was cunningly choſen out to make a fit concluſion of your taūting and ſlaunderous Cenſure, hauing nothing but the venim of the aſpe, that laie vnderunder the runnagates tongue. It ſtandeth vponupon many points ſhuffeled together: as that we are partiall, that we exaggerate eueryevery litle fault in our aduerſaries, and liue our ſelues moſt vitiouſly in fornication, and chaunge of wiues, according to Luthers doctrine: the proofe whereof is alledged in one preacher vponupon the runnagates credit, with other thinges that this ſhameleſſe man is aſhamed to vtter. What an heape of reproches is this without any proofe? Againſt this I hauehave proued that M. Luther taught no libertie offornicatiō, but the contrarie, as appeareth at large by many his learned and godly treatiſes, Alſ… the knowne doctrine and diſcipline of our Church free vsus frō the ſlaunder, who ſeeke a ſharper puniſhment for ſuch enormities, then your petie penaunce. If Flaſchius euer met with a mate like him ſelfe, that would hauehave made a match wt him in chaunging of wiues, he was to blame, except the moſt fault was in himſelfe, that he did not bring it before the Magiſtrate: vponupon complaint and proofes it woulde hauehave appeared, that y• religion ſuffereth no ſuch wickedneſſe to goe unpuniſhed. This may be a particular ſlaunder like the reſt, but if it were true in Flaſchius and one of his companions, both fitte to hauehave bene thruſt out of the Church before eyther departed, what is this to all:
Theſe are your two falſe witneſſes, wel able to diſcredit euen a true matter comming from their report, as they themſelues are diſcredited by the teſtimonies they hauehave giuen in agaynſt the Goſpell, being reportes ſo full of manifeſt reproch and vntrueth. It is verie like they omitted the true reaſon of their departure. Perhappes they went out becauſe they woulde not or coulde not any longer abide within, as it fell out with Demas 2. Tim. 4. 12.and Alexander. Nowe for a recompence 1. Tim. 1. 2… ▪of your two runnagates, the preſent example not of a ſtraunger unknowen, but of one home borne, toucheth the quicke. He in your faces rendered good reaſons of his conuerſion from among them, where wickedneſſe of life, and abhomination of doctrine ſtriue, which may cal downe the greateſt vengeaunce. But this needeth not my repetition, and I labour not to preſſe you with examples or corruptions of men: it is beſide the queſtion we hauehave in hande. My prayer and labour is for the defence of his trueth, from the which we receiue life, and 1. Cor. 9. 16.are to ſtriue for it vntounto death. The Lord requireth this ſeruice at our hands, & he will at his good time bleſſe it with manifolde bleſſings, the fruit whereof it may be ſome of vsus ſhal not ſee, but our poſteritie ſhal behold it, notwithſtanding all the wiſedome Pro. 21. 30.and power and counſell of man to the contrary. For the Lord hath reuealed the man of ſin by the preaching of the worde, & hath ſhaken his chaire with a mightie arme, hee wil not withdraw his hand, til he hath vtterly cōſumed Antichriſt with the ſpirit of his 2. Theſſ. …mouth, & aboliſhed him wt the brightneſſe of his comming. In the meane time his little …locke may bee ſomewhat ſcattered for a time of trial, but they ſhal be gathered together againe & increaſed to ſhewe the Lords power and merciemercy: they may ſ…w … teares, Pſal. 106. 6.but they ſhal reape with gladneſſe. This is the hardeſt account the godly can make. But it may be that the Lord will himſelfe Ier. 10. 24.correct vsus in mercy, and not deliuer vsus into the hands of our enemies to be puniſhed by them: It may be the mother of Siſera ſhall Iudg. 5. 28.looke out at the window, and cry out at the caſement, why is his chariot ſo long a cō ming? why tary the wheeles of his charet? So let thine enemies periſh O Lorde, but let them that louelove thee and thy trueth, continue as the Sunne when he riſeth in Pſal. 32. 10.his might, and as Oliue plants in the houſe of God that flouriſh for euer.
Amen.
FINIS.
Imprinted at London by Chriſtopher Barker, Printer to the Queenes moſt excellent Maieſtie.
End of the text · William Charke, A Reply to a Censure (1581)