The Image of Both Pastors Set Forth, History 2
¶ Of the metynge of Mayſter Iohn Hooper Byſſhop of Gloceter, & of Maieſter Doctoure Cole, quondā chaunceler of Londō, and now Wardeyn of the new college in Oxeforde.
HEre I am cōpelled, for the great zeale, that I beare vntounto ye truth, & vntounto the maintainers therof, to detect & bring to light, a moſt crafty & ſubtyll pollicye, which ye Papiſtes ar wont to vſe at this preſent: beyng in this poynt moſt lyke vntounto certayne warriours, which, whē they fele them ſelues, to be ouer weake for their enemyes, eyther cauſe an oure crye too bee made vppon theym, wythe theſe or like wordes: They flye, they flie: yt ſo they may encorage theyr mē of warre, whych afore were moſt lyke to forſake thee fyelde and …enne awaye, and alſo make the enemies that are wythin the hearynge of it, too bee dyſmayed and aſtonyed, and to thinke, that theyr companye, whome they ſe not, bee put too flyght, & hauehave vtterly forſaken theim: or elles beyng beaten and ouercomed. …o ſend tydinges about, that they hauehave gotten thee ouer hande or vyctorye thereby comfortyng theyr adherentes and frēdes, whych elles, yf their ouerthrow were knowen, wold hauehave ſwarued, from thē. A very lyke thynge dyd chaunce & happen in thys laſte, Iulye Anne. M.D.L. That moſt valyaunt ſoldiour of the lord, and ſtrong propugnatoure or defendoure of gods trueth Maiſter Iohn Hooper, as he returned frō my lorde Chauncelour, yt then was in the countie of Eſſex, did (whether it was by a chaunce, or of a ſet purpoſe, I know not) come vntounto & certayne manour or place of my good Mayſter, Syr Iohn Yorke Knight thē Shreue of London, whych place is caller Markes .ix. myle fre… the cytie: wher a certaine learned mā, named Maiſter Doctour Cole, quōdam Chaūcelour of London̄, & now Wardeyn of the new college in Oxeford, was aſſerua…ed & kept pryſoner (.Wherfore it is, all the worlde doth know) when theſe great clerkes were mette and come together, after a mutual congratulacion, they dyd, wtin a while, begyn to reaſō of ſōdry & many thinges ye belōg vntounto learnyng, but moſt eſpecyally of thoſe poyntes of religiō, yt now are in cōtrouerſy betwene the Orthodoxes, I meane the true and faythful Chriſtians and the Papiſtes. Thys was not ſo ſone begunne, but that is was by & by blowē abroade, among the ſymple & ygnouraunt people, that dwel, v, …. vi, myle of, ye Mayſter …ooper had not one word to anſwere, and that he was ſo handeled & beaten by the Doctoure that he was fayne, wt moch ſhame both to hym, & to al theſe newe hererykes, to graunt him the victory. Whych rumour wyth in two or thre dayes, was ſpred al abrode here in thys noble cytye of London, & euerye wher elles: So that in Cambrige ther is no ſmall reioyſynge, yet at thys houre, among them, that wyth al their hartes do fauour and mayntayne Popyſhneſſe: (Howebeit thankes be vntounto god, ther be very fewe ſoche in that floryſhyng vniuerſitie) How the moſt part of Oxeforde do tryumphe at the mattttr, all men that hauehave anye wytte or iudgement may iudge. Is not this, o Chryſtyan Reader, a maruayllous and a verye wonderfull Pollycye of thee Sapyſtes? They ſee that they are ouer weake to withſtand the truth of Goddes worde, and that it is impoſſyble for theym to recouer by open dyſputacyon or reaſonynge (yf onelye the pure and ſyncere worde of God, be as a moſte ſure and infallyble lyghte, brought and aledged, to decite or determyne al matters, their eſtate, that they hauehave loſt, by the bryght ſhinyng forth of the Euangelycal verytie. Therfore, they doo wythe all crafte and de…eate noyſe abroade, and that by theyr complyces and adherentes, that the defendours of thee trueth (whome they doo moſt ſhamefully cal peruitious heretikes, & ſedicious perſōs) dare not coope wt them, & yf perchaunce they hauehave cooped with thē, & manfullly wt the …erd of the ſpirit, which is gods word, ouer comed them: yet wyll theſe ranke Papictes, being thus ouerthrowē, by ſome ſubtyll meanes, make all thee whole world to beleue, and eſpecyally them, that are ygnoraunte and ſymple, that the Orthodoxes or faythful mere ouer throwen, and (as theyr commune termes be) made very fooles. Which thinge was well ſent at that dyſputacyon, that was kepte or hadde, at Oxeforde betwene thee Papyſtes, and that godly learned manne Peter Martyr, in the matter of the Lorde ſupper: but nowe moue euydentlye, in thys reaſonynge and communycatiō, that was betwene Mayſter Hooper, and Maiſter Cole (though the matters were not of like importaūce & weyght) For thou ſhalte knowe and vnderſtande, good Chriſtyan reader, that it is nothynge ſo, as thou arre informed, or as it is noyſed abroade and that thou mayeſt be ſure thereof: I (whyche was preſent at it, and departed neuer from theym, not as moche, as thee bredthe of a ſtrawe, ſo longe as they reaſoned, togeather) wyll ſhewe and declare and that by order, whereupon theyr dyſputacyon was, that thee thynge beynge well and truelye knowen. (For that whyche I wryte nowe, I wyll iuſtyfye before Mayſter Cole hym ſelfe, and all theym, that were there preſente) thou mayeſte now at lengthe perceaue and vnderſtande, how thou haſte ben: deceaued: and yf thou bee a true chryſtyan, howe thou haſte bene caſte into a vayne feare and dreade, or yf thou be a Papyſte (whyche thynge God for feude) howe thou haſte be…e broughte into a fooles paradyſe, by ſuche lyinge tales, that immedyatelye enſued vppon they, reaſonynge and talke. The fyrſte poynt of theyr dyſputacyon was thys: Mayſter Hooper dyd affyrme, that the Byſhoppe of Rome dyd by hypocrytycall wayes growe to that auctorytye, power, and Maieſtie, that he dyd choſe the Emprours, whych thinge Mayſter Cole dyd denye, and that ſtoutely. For, yf he had graunted the ſame, by and by it hadde folowed, that thee Emperour hadde bene ſo vnderunder thee ſubiection of that Antichriſte, that he durſte do none other thinge in matters of relygyon, but as that Antichriſte ſhould wyl him to do And therfore, ye myghte well go ſhoe the goes, that loked for any redreſſe in Relygyon at the Emperours handes. Another thynge alſo ſhoulde hauehave enſued, and that by good conſequence, that is to ſaye, that thee Byſſhoppe of Rome ſhoulde hauehave bene … very Antychriſte, ſyth that clene contrarye to thei precepte of Chriſt, he dyd take vppon hym to rule Emperous and Kynges: Where as Chryſte dyd ſaye: Thee Prynces of natyons ſhall rule theym, but ye ſhall not ſo doe. That coulde not thys greate Doctoure abyde, and therefore he denyed Mayſter Hoopers propoſytyon, whyche he dyd proue after thys maner: Thee Byſſhoppe of Rome, ſayde he, doeth by his Chanon lawe chooſe and appoynte out thee Electours. That doo I graunte, ſayde Mayſter Cole. Then ſayde Mayſter Hooper agayne: Alſo when the Electours hauehave chooſen oute the Emperour: thee Electyon doeth not ſtande, oneleſſe the Byſſhoppe of Rome doeth allowe and approue it. I doo not denye that, ſayde thee other. Ergo ſayd Mayſter Hooper, thee Byſhoppe of Rome chooſeth the Emperour. I denye thee argumente, ſayde thee other, is to ſaye, that thee Byſſhoppe of Rome doeth chooſe thee Emprour. Here thou ſeeſte, that thys Doctour coulde eſcape no waye. He dyd graunt (for he coulde doo none other) that the Byſhoppe of Rome, dyd by thee Chanon lawes, make thee Electours, and agayne that thee Electyon dyd not ſtande, oneleſſe the Byſſhoppe of Rome dyd auowe it. What other thynge. I praye you, caſt we conclude there vppon, but that the Byſſhoppe of Roome dydde electe and chooſe thee Emperoure. That ſome thinge alſo was well proued, by notable Hyſtoryes, whyche doo teache, declare, and ſette forth, howe thoſe Antichriſtes hauehave in tymes paſſed, handled the poore ſely Emperours. The ſecond poynte, that they reaſoned vponupon, was, that Gods worde doeth ſufficientlye, wythoute thee helpe of thee fathers or counſayls, expounde it ſelfe, that is to ſaye, that one place of thee Scripture, oughte too be expounded by another, whiche opinion Mayſter Hooper dyd holde. Thys thinge was reaſonned in the fieldes betwene theym bothe, in the latyn tongue, (onelyonly I beynge preſent wyth theym.) And when Mayſter Hooper dyd brynge innumerable teſtimonies and places of the ſcriptures, to proue thys trueth wyth all, the other reſyſted hym ſtoutelye. But ſurelye they were not bothe armed and weapened in lyke. For Maſter Hooper being armed with a very eloquent latyne tonge, (In dede I hauehave, thanckes be vntounto God, ſome knowledge in the latyn tōgue, and many hauehave I hearde ſpeake in my dayes: but yet I neuer heard an Eccleſiaſtical man ſpeake more …et and cleane latyn, then he dyd extempore) was alſo weaponed wyth ſtronge Scriptures, and word of god, wheras the other, beſydes hys haulte eloquence, hadde nothynge els but the fathers, counſayles, and I can not tell what church, or yf he broughte any ſcriptures, they were ſo wraſted oute of tune, that they ſerued nothinge leſſe, than for the pourpoſe, that they were alledged for. VponUpon this matter they were aboute three houres by thee clocke. At length, when Mayſter Hooper coulde gette nothinge of hym, but: The fathers, the fathers, the counſayls, the counſayls, and I can not tell what church (for the trew Church, why the is the ſpouſe of Chriſt, and is ruled by hys ſpyryt onelyonly, ſettinge forth nothynge beſydes or agaynſt gods worde, Mayſter Hooper dyd well allowe) they made an ende of that argument or matter. And as they were at dyuer, they beganne to talcke of thee counſayll that was lyke to be, by the appoyntmente of the Byſſhoppe of Rome, Whych Mayſter Hooper dyd thincke to be vnneceſſarye, becauſe that there nothynge could be redreſſed, or determyned, but as the Byſſhoppe of Rome woulde hauehave it. And who, I praye, woulde thinke, that the ſame Antythryſte woulde hauehave any thynge to paſſe agaynſte hys deteſtable pryde and deuylyſhe coueteouſnes? Nexte after that, they dyd conferre of thee offyce and duetye of a Kynge, whom Mayſter Cole wyll not hauehave too bee learned and ſene in Gods lawes. But that fonde and deuiliſhe opynyon dyd Maiſter Hooper confute wyth ſtronge and infallyble teſtymonyes of thee Scryptures, and woorde of God, ſhewynge that it was mooſte neceſſarye of all, that a Kynge ſhoulde hauehave a perfecte knowledge of Gods worde. How coulde he elles rule and gouerne hys people, accordynge too thee wyll and pleaſure of God? But Mayſter Hooper dyd in fewe woordes ſhewe, what was the cauſe, why he woulde not hauehave thee Kynges and Princes too hauehave learnynge. Trewely, becauſe that they woulde hauehave ſtyll the whole worlde vnderunder theyr iuriſdictiō. Becauſe that they woulde hauehave ſtyll Prynces and rulers too ſee thoroughe theyr ſpectacles, and too be blynded wythe thee myſtes of theyr tradytyons. Laſte of all at thee inſtaunce of my Good Mayſter, Syr Iohn Yorke, they ſhoulde hauehave reaſonned vppon thee Supper of thee LORDE, but Mayſter Cole woulde not meddle in it. Then dydde Mayſter Hooper offere too dyſpute wyth hym in Hebrewe, Greke, and Latyn, and wythall theym that be of hys facte or ſecte, vponupon al matters of Relygyon, that be nowe in controuerſye. Whom Maiſter Cole dyd anſwere, that, as for the Latyn and the Greke, he coulde well ſkyll in them bothe, but as for the Hebrewe, he was not ſene in it. And thoughe he were neuer ſo ſkylfull: yet ſayde he: that he wolde not put hys foote farther into the fyre. Then ſayde Mayſter Hooper vntounto hym: Ye depredicate and ſaye eueryevery where, that we are in errour, and not only that, but that ye be able to cōuince vsus of errour. Syth then that ye can confounde oure errour, that we are in: and wyll not do it. I ſaye vntounto you: that as many of vsus, as do, or ſhall peryſhe, thorough youre negligence or faynteneſſe of harte, thee bloude of all theym ſhalbe requyred at youre handes. Thus they ended theyr communycation. And then my good Maiſter Syr Iohn Yorke, dyd take the matter in hande, exhortinge Mayſter Cole, not to hyde his talente, but to employe or beſtow it diligently, accordyng to the wyll and pleaſure of god. Thys is the whole matter, good Chriſtian reader, trewely and faythfully ſette forth vntounto thee: whereby thou mayſte vnderſtande whether of theym two hadde the vyctorye. Weyghe and poudre the matter thyne owne ſelfe. Examine & trye it wyth that infallible touch ſtone, that can neuer fayle or deceaue, Suffer not thy ſelfe to be ſeduced, wyth thoſe reprochefull and opprobryous termes, wherwyth, ſome of theym moſt lying lye doo lode thee trewe meſſenger of God, ſayinge: Mayſter Hooper is but an aſſe, he is but a dyſhe cloute to Mayſter Cole, for trewely, though Mayſter Cole is exceadinglye well learned, in all lyberall Artes, in Philoſophie, and other of thee prophane ſciences, wherevnto ye maye annexe thee eloquence in bothe the tongues: Yet not wythſtandyng, Mayſter Hooper doth farre paſſe hym, in heauenly knowledge and vnderſtandynge, and beynge not inferior vntounto hym in the knowledge of both theſe tongues, he is well ſene in the Hebrew and Chaldeike tongue, whych thee other doeth lacke. Howe beit, I woulde that Mayſter Hooper, or anye of vsus, myghte be a dyſhe cloute vntounto hym, for then, we ſhoulde make thee inner parte of thee veſſell cleane, (for it is the propertye of dyſſhe clouttes ſo for to doo) but I am afrayed, that the inner parte of the veſſell is ſo cankered, wyth Popyſhe ſuperſtition, & deuyliſhe doctrine that it ſhall nede of a ſweard, to ſcrape it out clene. The Lord God of heauen, from whō al goodnes doth come, vouchſafe to bringe him & all other, that are yet in errour, into the ryght knowledge of his truth. That we may all together prayſe & laude his holy and bleſſed name. Amen.
¶Imprinted at Londō by Wylliam Seris & Rycharde Kele, dwelling in Lombard ſtrete, nere vntounto the ſtockes market, at thee ſygne of the Egle.
¶Cum gratia et priuilegio ad imprimendum Solum.