Answer to Epistle by Renat Benedict

D. Feargussones answer.

IT would appear at the first sight to i •… of small judgment and learning, that the cause that hes moved you to write, were verray godly and charitable. Forasmuch as ye say that the love of Christ, and the salvation of us all hes contrined you thereto: but when the mater is tried with truth, the contrary will sone appear. It will please you therefore to give us leave a little to try what kind of love this is that hath moved you, and what fruit it bringeth forth, and then I trust both ye and vthers (if ye have eyes to se) shall easylie perceive this love to be preposterus and carnal: I will say no worse til I have better opportunity, and list that ye should think that we deal to austeirlie with you at the first: I would ye vnderstude that the Spirit of our God hath c •… manded us in his Scriptures (verray stratelie) to be war of deceauers and not to hearken to falls Prophets, but rather to try the Spirites whither they be of God or not, yea, and suppose the Prophet show a wonder or a myrackle, if his doctrine be falls we are forbidden to credeit him. If then we aught not to believe him to be of God that works mirackles If his doctrine persuade us to Idolatry how much les ought we to believe that this is the true love of God that moveth you to write, when as your doctrine and admonition tendis to nothing else through out this Epistle, but to draw us from the true worshipping of our God in Spirit and verity to serve him according to manns invention by Idols and Idolatry. And although that I would grant unto you, that this your love were even to Christ & god ward without any hipocrysie, yet I dar boldly say that it is als preposterous as Peters love wes to Christ whene as he exhorted him to favor himself & not to suffer the death of the Trose. For the which Christ calleth him Satan, nether fear I to affirm that Peters love to Christ (which ye do se hear damned) wes als true love as it that moved you to write which suppose it be vnfeinzeit, is nottheles als void of knowledge as the zeal of Paul's brethren, for whom he praycth moste effectuously in his Epistle to the Romans. This much I have spoken of the nature of your love to Christ, to the end that the truth may appear, and that ignorants be not deceived with the name of love, for true love indeid which proceadis of faith and knowledge. It is dangerous in deed to give haistie credeit to all such as have the name of Christ hipocriticallie in their mouths: for he himself affirmeth in the Euangle of Matthew that their shall come many and abuise his name and that so craftelie, that if it were possible they should deceive the verray elect. These men are we expressedly sorbidden to believe. The desire that ye bear to our Salvation is no better nor your love, but in all pointes is like unto the desire that the Pharisees had unto the cō uersion of the Bentiles, for the which the Lord Jesus pronunces an extreme woe against them in these words. Woe be unto you Scribes and Pharisees, Hipocrites, for ye compass sea and land, to make one of your profession, and when he is made ye make him the child of hell twofold more then yourselves. Your admonition in desyring us not to intruse an strange doctrine, we verray gladely admit. For as yet we have taught nothing (nether are in time cuming minded to teach) that hes not agreed, and shall fully and i all pointes agre with the infallible truth of God's eternal verity, to the more evident manifestation whereof we have set out in prent a general confession of our Faith and doctrine, with the which who so is not contented, let them show the cause out of the word of God, and it shall be amended. Ye name generally all wise and good men to be against our doctrine, & that also it disagreeth with God's word, and yet in the mean time ye bring forth no man for your prufe nor any sentence out of God's word for your defense. The next time therefore that ye write let us hear these good mennis names that agreeth not with us, and the sentences of Scripture that be against us (for we cannot answer to nameless mē and word les sentences) and then I trust by the grace of God that ye shall be answered accordingly, for preased be God we be rea •… ie to give a reckoning of that hope that is 〈◊〉 us, to all men that demandeth it.

There he twa thing •… that ye charge us •… ith, the first is, that we hunt for the fa •… r of the people, the next that we study 〈◊〉 gather riches, the which accusations •… od knoweth are manifest falls. That the •… rst is falls, all men may se that are not •… ilfully blind, for he that hunteth for the •… or of the people must bear with their •… ce, the contrary whereof the verray •… eid itself testifies in us. What person 〈◊〉 persons have we spared to reboke op •… enly, of what estate soever they were of, •… we knew thē to be vicious. And where •… e Magistrate is godly we procure at his •… nd the punishment of whoredom, drō •… ennes, blasphemy, I dolatrie, morther, •… ift, and all other vices as the word of •… od prescribes. For we know as saith •… e Apostle, that the Law is good, being •… ughfully used, so that suppose the Law •… th nothing to do with the just man, yet 〈◊〉 serveth well to punish the lawles and •… issobedient, the ungodly & the sinners, •… he unholy and profane, the murderers •… f Fathers and mothers, the horemongers and buggerers, the liars and perjured persons, or to the punishment of any other vice that is contrary to wholesome doctrine, which is according to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, cōmieted unto us. And where their is no magistrate that obeyth the voice of God (as to few there be the more to be lamented) we use to expel such {per}sones as are above written, by excommunication out of our Congregations and from the communion of the faithful. This is not the mean to win the favor of the people, I am assured except they be altogether godly, for then the rebuker of their vice is the more belo ued of them, as saith Solomon. Reboke the wise and he will love thee, and be the contrary he that reboked the wicked purchaseth his hatred, nether fear I to affirm that the greatest number of carnal Gospellers in Scotland this day hateth the Ministers of the Euangle, for no other cause thē for their seueir reboking of vice, for the which I for one, that writeth this answer, am hated to the death, but God is with me, and therefore I fear not who be against me. The second whereof ye accuse us (I mean the gathering of riches) is so impudent a lie, that all men •… ay perceive it to have proceaded of the •… evil, the author of lies. Thou art never •… le to prove that ever any Minister in •… cotland had a brybe of any man in the •… rth for any cause, yea, and I dar say for 〈◊〉 own part (and am assured my brethrē •… ay say no les for their parts) with Sa •… uel whose Ox, whose Ass, have I taken 〈◊〉 whom have I done wrong to, or whom •… ue I hurt, or of whose hand have I re •… aued a brybe to blind mine eyes there •… ith, tell me and I will restore it? but so •… r absent are we from gathering of rich •… , that the greatest number of us have •… ed in great penury, without all stipēd •… e tuelf month, some eight, and some •… lf a year, having nothing in the mean •… me to susteane our selves and our fami •… es, but that which friends have given •… s, and that which we have borrowed of •… eritable persons until God send it us 〈◊〉 repay them. Ye strife fast to shift this •… ut from yourselves to us, but I must •… alken you up because herein ye appear •… o me to be fast a sleep. Have ye forget the •… saciable gredines of your Popes the Antichrists of Rome & of you his chapmen. Remember yourself (omitting the rest for tediousness) of Pope John the 23. of that name, called before Jacobus Caturcensis, and of Clement the. 5. of that name called before, Bertrandus •… ottho. The one of these I mean John left behīd him in his treasure more abundance of gold as saith Baptista Platyna nor any that ever wes Bischop of Rome did before him, some saith 25. mylzeon but I will write the least, which is. 25. M. pecis of gold, the other I mean Clement at his coronation, which wes at Lions in France (for then wes the court of Rome translated to France by this same Clement) lost of his attire stricken from his hors by a certain fall of the town wall by which also John the Duke of Bertanzie and diverse others were slain. In this tumult I say your holy father Clement lost a Carbunkle, worth, as saith the same Platyna, sex thousand crounes.

Remember yourself who are gatherers of riches, Christ and his Apostles who had not so much as to rest their head vpō to pay their tribute: nor gold nor silver in possession, & we his ministers that suffereth affliction and penury, and whither this faute of covetousness may justly be •… de to our charge or yours, I bid you •… ember yourself again, yea, and more •… er I dar be bold to say that these same •… o forenamed Popes had more riches 〈◊〉 all the Ministers of the Evangel in •… tland and Ingland both are valze •… of in temporal gear at this hour. •… ither wes it Aristippus or Diogenes •… t hunted for riches, Diogenes that •… d on erbes or Aristippus that wai •… on the Court of Dionisius? So whi •… r is it we Ministers of God's word •… t liveth in penury, as I have said, ta •… upon us the indignation of Princes •… ether with the hatrede of the People, •… speaking of the verity, & ar nothing else 〈◊〉 as sheep appointed to the slaughter, •… yring nothing for all these foresaides, 〈◊〉 that we may be suffered to reteane the •… w worshipping of our God and his •… ist, as we are taught in the Scriptu •… , whither is it we or ye impudent and •… meles shauillinges that hunteth for •… hes, we that speaketh the truth frelie •… ithout respect of persons, or ye falls •… tterers who for the mantenāce of your •… lleis careth not to go to everlasting dā nation. It wes more like that baallcs chaplanis (that eat at Iesabels table) served Mammō, then Elijah and the hundredth Prophets that for the tyrranny of this cruel Queen durst not walk abroad, but were fed in caves (by Obadiah Ahabes stewart) under the ground. But ye do well to charge us with lies, because ye have nothing justly to accuse us of. Ye ask of us what we attempt to do, we assure you (by the grace of God) to rute out superstitious and pestilent Papistry, and in place thereof to plant sincere and whole some verity, contained in the book of God. Ye desire us to look to our beginning, God be preased we have laid our compt long ago, what this laubour will cost us or ever we begouth to put out hands to it, nether commoned we with flesh nor blood in this case. Ye affirm that this is a great boldness of us to profess a new doctrine, contrary to antiqui tie, consent and universality of Religion, having for us nether Scriptures nor ancient Authors, if this your affirmation were true, certanly our boldness were to great. It is an easy mater to you to speak so, but ye will not find it so easy to prove. It hath been the wonted and ac •… stomed use of Satan, from time to •… me, to sclander the truth with noual •… e, and deck falshead with antiquity & •… nsuetude, persuading men that the doc •… ine of Salvation is such newfangled •… tasie, as never hath been hard before •… ny place. Thus did the wise and cun •… ng Philosophers of Athenis call, Pan •… s doctrine. May we not know (said •… ey) what this new doctrine is, where •… thou speakest? And certanly the rude •… ultitude are easylie persuaded that it is 〈◊〉 , for as saith Tertuliane. Ueritas pe •… rina est in terris. that is to say the veri •… is a stranger upon the earth, & it is no •… nder although a stranger be misknow 〈◊〉 , so although the truth appear unto you 〈◊〉 be new doctrine (that so long hath been •… ssaled up in falshead) I meruell not. •… ut I would ye knew that we teache no •… her doctrine then is contained in the •… w, the Psalms, the Prophets, and the •… uangel, yea, even that same that. S. •… ohn testifieth to have been, Ab initio. •… hat is, from the beginning. Moreover •… e offer unto you with the aforesaid Ter •… liane, that the oldest religione (whither ours or yours) preuale. Ye boast •… uch of antiquity, but when the mater is tried it will appear that ye have little for you, yea, your moste precious gear & oldest constitutions will appear, to be that thing that they are in veray deed, to wit, beggarly cerimonies invented by the foolhardy and rash conceat of man, without the warrand of God's word, or any example of that first or primative Church moste happily planted by the Apostles & reuled by the holy Ghoste, for long after the primative Church, and many hundred years after that the word wes preached in Rome, yea, of poor preachers of the Gospel, or Bishops call them as ye list, and then Archebishopes, and last Patriarc •… es (for be these degries they ascended to the beasts saite) there wes in Rome •… st. 66. in number, or ever there wes a word that any man durst clame to himself the name of universal Bishop or head of the Church, after so many Boniface the thread of that name, obt •… ed of Phocas the traitor, that slew his master, Maurice the Emperor together with his wife and children, of this bloody Judas, the ambitious beast, Boniface obtained (I say) to be called the head of all Bishops and the Church of Rome the mother of all Churches, and this wes done in the year of God, sex hundredth and seven, or thereby. This long the Church of God •… ked this monstrous head from whom 〈◊〉 the rest of his successors and you Papi •… s their members, all poysone descen •… ed, as frō the natural head of man's bo •… y ather good nutrimēt or evil humors •… scendeht to the rest of the members. •… he visible head of your kingdom is no •… der, judge ye then of the menbers there •… , and incres of the body. For after that with great contention (as saith Plati •… ) this mater wes granted by the afore •… d traterous usurper of the impyre, yet •… d very few for a long time acknowledge •… his title of the head of the Church to ap •… rteane to any one earthly mā, but rather •… ithstude it to the uttermost of their now •… s, and this chiefly did for the most part •… l the Churches of Grecia, and of the •… ast, likewise did money other Churches •… ntill that the strength of this beast wes •… uch as at lenth compelled them tirranni •… ally to commit fornication with her, after •… hat she had shaken of the zock of lawful obedience to Kings and Empreours (as their proud Decries which afterward I will inter shall prove) and had exalted herself above all that wes called God, and so sat as one that promised unto herself nether sorrow nor wedowhead, but rather cō •… innal prosperity, and might do whatso ever she lyketh, as these words followig Taken out of your own law shall testify. •… apa dicitur habere celeste arbitrium et ideo c •… am naturam rerū immutat substānalia vnius re •… applicando ali •… / et de nihilo potest aliquid facere / et sententiam que nulla est aliquam facere / quia in his que vult ei est pro ration voluntas / nec est qu •… e •… dicat cut ita facis / ipse enim potest supra •… us dispensare / et de iniusti •… a facere iusticiam corrigendo iur •… et mutando nam pleitudinem obtinet potestatis.

•… hese words are written in the first boke of that •… laiphemo{us} wolome gather ed by one Raymond, and called the decree talis of Gregory the 9. in the 7. title and 〈◊〉 . chapiter there o •… , the title is called, De translatione Episcopy. the chapiter begin 〈◊〉 ▪ with this word, Quanto. These wor •… es I did find in deed in many notable writers that writeth against your Pope, but because I delight not to make report (much les to commit to writ) anything by here say, and also, that first when I red them, it appeared an incredible mat •… r to me that ever the Devil culled so far •… ind any man that he would break forth in this plain blasphemy, so grossie that all men may perceive it) I therefore deserred the writing of them until I did find out these same decretales wherein I 〈◊〉 these words before writ̄ and there •… toke boldness to affirm that which I •… d se and reid, the inglish whereof is this, 〈◊〉 neir as I could translate it. It is said that the Pope hath a heavenly judgment, 〈◊〉 therefore changeth the nature of things, applying the substance of one thing to another, and of nothing he can make something, and of the sentence which w •… s noght •… he can make it somewhat worth, for in •… ose things that he list, his will standeth •… r reason, nether is there any man that •… ay say unto him, why doeth thou so? 〈◊〉 he may dispence with the Law, and of •… ustice, may make justice, in amending 〈◊〉 changing the Laws, for he hath gotten the fullness of power. which of you •… re so shameless as to stand in the defense •… f these words? or rather who seeth not •… hat this is that same mouthe that the •… rophet Daniel affirmeth, should speak presumptions things, this is the plesand doctrine that proceedeth from this monster, whose beginnig ye have hard, whose incres and growth to the hight I could declare, out of their own Histories (if it were not tedious) whereout of ye might easylie perceive how falls •… ie antiquity, by them, is applied to their new forged reti gion in the deap dongeon of Satan's workehous, and practiced by them, his members and Luftennēts, hear in earth. But when they find in our Congregations that thing used which God's word hath not taught us, then boldly accuse us of noualtie, and unto that time, best it is to hold their peace list they be found ini •… st accusers. As to the Doctors I nether contemp them, nor yet do I build my faith upon them, because they were but men, and in their writings many things a •… is to be found, as Augustine (indeid the very best of them in my judge meant) testifieth in diverse places & chiefly in his retractations, in these words •… re non possum nec deb •… o 〈◊〉 •… ut in ipsis inato •… s 〈◊〉 ita multa esse in tam multis opus •… lis meis que posiunt iusto iudic •… o et nulla te meritate culpare. Behold freinde that Augustine doeth not deny that there be many things in his volonies that may by just judgment, and without all temerite be found faut with. Finally because of all that hitherto ye have written, and I have answered, ye have inferred no •… rufe of Scripture but naked words of •… our own. In this case I say with 〈◊〉 . •… uod de Scriptures nō habet auctor •… •… adem facilitate contempn •… tur qua probatur. That is to say that thing which hath not his authority out of the Scriptures, als easylie as it is prouen, als easylie may it be rejected.

D. Feargussones answer.

ALl mist of affection set aside, ye require us by the mercy of God and Christ Jesus love towards us all, to show you, where the mass is called abhominatione or Idolatry, in the Old Testament or new? whereunto we answer, that when ye find this word mass ather in the old or New Testament, then shall we prove it to be Idolatry. This might serve you right well for an answer, 〈◊〉 should be also unto you such a desire 〈◊〉 am assured ye were never able to ac •… plish. But in the mean time until •… d it, list this might appear rather to 〈◊〉 •… hift nor an answer: we say and 〈◊〉 affirm, that wheresoever the •… ture (or the thing that is made) is •… shipped (in the place of the Creator, •… maker of all) that there is Idolatry •… mitted contrary to the cōmandiment •… od, who hath said, thou shall worship •… ord thy God, & hi only shalt thow 〈◊〉 . But in the mass there is worship •… read and wine, corruptible Creatu •… the place of God the Father, and •… te his Son, as ye cannot deny, •… refore it followeth that the mass is •… latrie, this argument (which I have •… f God's word als well old Testa •… s new) whē ye have refelled which •… e (ad grecas calendas) then shall ye 〈◊〉 others. Ye call your abhominable •… e the conswete or wonted Sacrifice •… oly Church, the wonted Sacrifice of •… r Malignant Synagogue of Satan, •… onfesse it to have been ever since the •… es of your Pope Agattho the first, whose orator John the Bishop of Portu ens to have been the first that ever song or said a latin mass, Platina the Popes own Gnato in his book, •… e vi •… Pontificum. affirmeth in these words, the Counsel being ended (this wes the 6. general Consel holden in the year of God 681.) that thanks might be given unto God, that of the two Churches had made one (meaning the Greak and the Latin Church) the octane of Pashe John the Bishop of Portuens in the presence of the Prence and Patriarck, and people of Cōstantinopol celebrated a latin mass •… all that were present for the time allowing it (so easylie are men deceived) this long to wit 681. year wes the Church without this Sacrifice which yet differed far from it that wes in our days, for it wes almost 7. hundredth years after this or ever the people were commanded to worship it, for that wes done by Honorious the 3, who wes Pope the year from our Redemption. 1216. thereafter, when it wes worshipped as a God, the Devil did find the means that this new Idole should be carried Solempnitlie, throughout all tounes, upon a peculyar day dedicat to that Histrionicall gyse, cal 〈◊〉 Corpuschristies day. The instruments •… t the Devil useth to this labor, were •… banus Pope of Rome the 4. of that •… e, and a certain Religious woman •… d Eve, and it came to pas as ye shall 〈◊〉 The aforesaid Urbanus (Pope in •… ear from our Redemption 1261.) had 〈◊〉 aforesaid superstitious Eve in fami •… acquentance▪ before he came to the •… tes saite, who feinzeed herself to have •… a revelation from heaven, concerning •… edication of a Festual day •… o the Po 〈◊〉 God of bread in the mass, the manner 〈◊〉 Circumstances of this revelation, she 〈◊〉 to Urban{us} at length, desyring him •… rforme her vision, which he did with •… elay, confirming it with a Bul which •… enth I omit. The Church wes a •… sand two hundredth three scoir and one 〈◊〉 without this Idolatrous gyse, this •… yte, and much more could, out of •… own Histories (if it were not over •… some) to show that all their braging •… tiquitie is nothing else but •… falls for •… lies. Their corrupted knavery piece 〈◊〉 piece crope into the Church by the 〈◊〉 of Satan their Father, who •… urste not show himself at ones, list he should have been known, and so resisted. But rather transfiguring himself in an Angel of light, as the slackness of Pastors begouth to incres, wrought spedylie as a bissie Bishop, under their hands til at length he had fully brought to pas, the whole mystery of his iniquity, which the Apostle affirmeth to have been a working in his days, But what needeth Circumloquution when few words directly spoken, may speedily end this strife. What if I should say with Ambrose. Quicquid non ab Apostolis traditū est Sceleribus plenū est. that is, whatsoever is not given unto us by the Apostles, is full of iniquity, or as he saith in an other place. Nos nou •… omnia que Christus non docuit iure damnamus quia fidelibus via Christus est. Siigitur Christus non docuit quod docemus •… etiam nos id detestabile iudicamus. that is, we justly damp all new things that Christ hath not taught, because Christ is the way to the faithful. If therefore Christ hath not taught that thing which we teache, yea, even we our selves do judge it detestable. First therefore because your •… se wes never given nor ordained unto us by the Apostles I with Ambrose affirm it to be 〈◊〉 of iniquity. Secondly, because it is a 〈◊〉 doctrine which Christ never taught, •… stly damp it, that Christ never taught 〈◊〉 subsequentes s •… all declare? where •… ever Christ or any of his Apostles •… o a man? when they Elected and ad •… ed him to the ministry of the church •… pe potestatem celebrandi vel sacrificandi •… iuis et mortuis. as your Idole Bis •… s saith to you, their shawelinges, •… n ye receive the beasts mark with •… er to by and sell the marchandrise of 〈◊〉 great hoore of Babylon. These word •… ey say whē the Chalice is given you, •… there with the Paiene, the bread and •… ine, take thou authority or power •… lebrate or say mass for the quick and •… ead, yea, so heighly are these words •… ed of your Doctors, that if the Bis •… omit the saying of them for his part •… e prosering of the aforesaid things, •… he that is to be ordained omit the •… hing of the things proffered, that all •… r noght, where commanded Christ •… t ye should deuore all alone, standing •… n alter with your back to the p •… ple? •… ere are ye commanded to lift the bread your heads that the people may commit Idolatry with it. Where are ye commanded to dissagyse yourselves like players or fools with shavē crowns, long wide sarkes above your clothing, and short peies like cotes of Armoure above all▪ Where are ye commanded at the ministra •… i on of the Sacrament, some times to i •… ke and some times to nod, to sleep a while and walk another, now to cry out with a loud voice, and thē to whisper that you •… taill may not hear you, to put both your hands to your ears and then to streiche them out as the Daw doeth whē she raxeth her in the morning. Why speak ye in a strange langage (contrar to the mind o •… the holy Ghoste) that the people understandeth not? when ye have told me who learned you these juggling castes, thē will I assay what reckoning ye can give of the rest. Finally I would ask at you, if the three thousand persons that Peter by the word of God converted (of whom we read in the Second Chapiter of the Acts) were of the Church of God or not ye dar not deny but that they were of the Church. If then the mass be the wonted Sacrifice of holy Church (as ye would make men believe) I wonder that they •… itted it. For the holy Ghoste for our •… rning by the •… en of Lucas hath moste •… gently registrat their excercise which •… at after they had received the word, 〈◊〉 were baptized continued in the Apo •… doctrine, sele wship breakig of bread •… yers, to be short get me one word •… tion of a Sacrifice offered for sins, 〈◊〉 the death of Christ) in all the Acts •… he Apostles or in any part of the new •… ament by God's people, and I will •… t your argument true, but unto the •… e that ye prove your arguments out 〈◊〉 word of god, ye must apardone me 〈◊〉 cannot believe you, no, not suppose •… ere ane Angel as ye are but a man. 〈◊〉 to your general Counsels, my faith •… ot built upon them, nether am I •… nd to believe one jot of them, further •… hey aggre with God's word, for they •… believeth or taketh any counsel but of 〈◊〉 , hath an extreme woe pronounced •… nst them. by the Spirit of God in •… e words. Woe to the rebellions chil •… , saith the Lord, that take counsel, 〈◊〉 not of me, and cover with a covering, 〈◊〉 not by my Spirit that they may lay sin upon sin. And in few words except these four, to wit, the first Counsel Nicene holden against Arius, and gathered by the Empreoure Constantine, and by no Pope, for many hundredth years after the Bishops of Rome, were but Prechers of the word of God, having no further dominion then their own diosies did streich. The next general Coūsel wes gathered by the Empreoure Graciane, against the Herisie of Macidonins and Endo •… us, and wes holden in Constantinopol. The thread wes hold̄ in Ephesus▪ under the Empreour Theodorie{us} against the Herisie of Nestorius. The fourth in Chalchedō under the Empreour, Martiane against the Herisie of Eutiches, except these four, all the rest for the moste part are suspect to me, because your Popes were judges in them their selves. Therefore seeing the wise man hath counseled me otherwise, namely, not to go to Law with the Judge forasmuch as he will give sentence according to his own honor, it were but Foly then to subject my Faith to the judgment of these counseles whereof Antichrists have been he des and Judges. The controversy then being betwix us Christians, & you papi •… es, ye striving for the tyrannical domi •… ion and vainglorie of your Pope, and •… e certitude of his Counsels, and we for •… e eternal heavenly glory of our Christ, •… d the verity of his holy Euangle. Let 〈◊〉 men judge whither it be right to ad •… t the Pope Arbiter in his own cause, 〈◊〉 whither he ought to be judged by the •… ord of God, and Gospel of his Christ, 〈◊〉 whom all power is given in heaven, •… d in earth whose word that he hath spo •… n, shall judge us all in the last day. I •… re not to affirm that the mater ought •… e tried by the Scriptures, howsoever •… tichrist brag of his own authority, •… t moste •… justly he usurpeth over mē as 〈◊〉 Law doeth witness, in these words. •… nes Christi fideles de necessitate Salutis 〈◊〉 sunt Romano pontifica qui vtrū{que} gladium •… et et omnes iudicat a n •… mine •… utē iudicatur •… t is, all that be faithful Christianis 〈◊〉 the necessity of Salvation are subject 〈◊〉 the Bishop of Rome, which hath both •… e swords (that is spiritual and tempo 〈◊〉 ) and judgeth all men, and to be judge •… of no man: what I beseech you may •… e loke for at those Counsels▪ whereof this tyrant is judge, even this (in my judgment) that when all the adulterers and hooremongers of Scotland and all other Countries giveth their general cōseut to put down all •… ordales and villainy, that then a general Counsel whereof the •… ope is head and judge (with his Creatures, the carnal Caroinalles and their a •… s, for •… e slaves and monstrous •… ytiar Bishops) shall aboli •… e and put down all superstitiō & Idolatry. Meruell nor therefore why we affirm this doctrine or ours, I mean the Euangle, with so great clamoure and labor, not to our own perdition and others, as ye suppose, but rather to our Salvation, yea, we •… we that damnation abideth us, if that we preach not the Euangle, which also we are commanded to cry and not to ce •… s from speaking and bearing witness to the truth, which we have both hard and •… ene, nether do •… th our doctrine repugn (as ye would make men believe) to all good and cunning men, as I trust the vnaffec •… onat Reader shall perceive, but we •… e nor upon men, but upon the truth of God, con •… nge eure •… elues to k •… w nothing but Jesus Christ (not him that hingeth in a cord or halter over your altars sometime til he be woormeatten and not worth the holding adjudged to the fire) no, but him we confess that wes made (not of white corn) but of the •… ede of David, according to the flesh, yea, even him that wes crucified, and declared •… ightylie to be the Son of God touch •… g the Spirit of Sanctification by the Resurrection from the dead. ye brag much of Doctors and learned men to be •… pon your side, but hitherto we have ne •… her hard their names, nor yet any autho cities out of their writings for your prufe And that it may appear how falls this •… our accusation is, although I have no •… ede of Doctors, yet do I infer some, and •… all godwilling infer mo hereafter, as that occasion shall be offered. As to your •… clandring with noualtie our faith and •… octrine, I have already in the first Sec •… on answered, and partly by occasiō also 〈◊〉 this. The doctrine that we profess & •… ach, to have been from the beginning, 〈◊〉 have already provē, and that the scope thereof is only to teache men to know the Eternal the Father of our Lord Jesus, to be the very only true God, and that he whom he sent, is the Sauioure of the world. In this doctrine alone consisteth life everlasting, as witnesseth the Lord IIesus, and this is life eternal that they know thee to be only very God, and whom thow hath sent, Jesus Christ, this doctrine we have professed at this present doeth, and shall by God's grace, confess unto the end in dispyte of Satan and his Uickar your Pope & Antichrist.

D. Feargussones answer.

IF that we did depend ather on men or men's doctrine, whither it were our own or other men's, then no dout, we were very able to be deceived, and to deceive others. But forasmuch as the doctrine that we are grounded vpō, come ne uer be the will of man (as saith Peter) but by the will of God, we are assured not to deceive our selves, for he is no deceauer in whom we trust, but rather the way the verity and the life, and him we follow certeanely believing that then we cannot walk in darkness, for we know as saith S. John in his first general Epistle that we are of God, although the whole world l •… eth in wickedness. we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given •… s a mind to know him that is true, and we are in him, that is in his Son Jesus Christ, the same is very God and eternal life. This doctrine we have lear •… ed of God, in it we trust, being assured that the gates of Hell shall not preuale against us.

Trew it is, that the Scriptures plain •… y affirmeth in diverse and syndrie places, •… hat the latter days shall be full of dangers, •… nd therefore moste carefully doeth the Spirit of our God, not only warn us of the dangers, but also the mean to a •… oyde them is manifestly-proponed to us •… n these words. He that {per}seuereth unto •… he end shall be saved. But as all shall be •… ll of perrel everywhere, so shall not the Church lack her part, being assalted with •… als Christ's and falls Prophets, who shall show such lying wonders, signs, and myrackles, that if it were possible •… he very chosen should be deceived. But •… lissed be God that hath not left these his moste necessar admonitions in so obscure •… arables that hardly may the mater be decerned, no but rather hath by his Apostles and diligent watchmen, painted out moste lively, the manners and doctrine of these falls {pro}phetes, Peter saith. They shall deny the Lord that boght them, and through covetousness make merchandrise of the people. Wes Christ Jesus alōe (i the Popes Church) granted to be the Lord that boght us with his blood? or were we not teached to be boght out of purgatory by masses, which of these gredie beasts wes boght for money, with money other such damnable ways, whereby the way of truth wes evil spoken of, which I omit for tediousness, this remembering only as the fontane whereout of the rest sprāg. These men that thus deminisheth the power of the Son of God, to be vterlie ignorant of the Father, and with him to have no society. S. John plainly affirmeth. Judas the servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, calleth them clouds without water, and trees without fruit, that is such mē as are called Bishops and Pastors, and when it cometh to the watering of Christ's sheep with the water of life, they ather suffer them to die for thrist or else compel them to do two euiles, that is to forsake the eternal who is the only fontane of living water and drink of rotten pools made by men that can hold no water, when Christ's chosen are to be fed with the fruit of that tree that •… andeth in the midst of the Paradise of God, ather get they no fruit, or else sti •… •… g Dnzeons and Barlyk of Egypt, that 〈◊〉 to say massing, •… inking, ringing, sing •… g, playing, sensing, crossing, •… king, •… dding, and processions: wherein the •… preaching prelat (with his shameless •… auelinges, no better preachers then the •… m dog their master) he I say (lacking •… e mystery of Salvation in his heart, and •… e Sermon of exhortatiō banished from •… s mouth) is decked like a player in mi •… all aparel with Crose and myter, glo •… s and ringes, caip and cowl, to the •… at contempt and mockage of God, and •… ruction of his people, forgetting in •… e mean time that their triumpth is the •… gining of their sorrow, having the black •… rcknes reserved to them forever.

•… ule the moste vigilant watcheman of •… hristes Church, not only for his own •… me, but also careful for the posterity, •… eth no les diligently, not these men •… r the rest of his nyghboures in office •… moste in all his Episties, but chiefly to •… imothie, in these words. The Spirit •… eaketh evidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, and shall give head unto Spirites of erro •… , and doctrines of Deuilles which speak l •… es through Ipocrycie, and have their cons •… ence burnt with an ho •… e yrne, forbidding to marie, and commanding to abst •… ane sco •… meats which God hath created to be received with gi •… ig of thankes of thē which bele •… and know the t •… euth, who doeth not se (out such as be willfully blind) the doctrine papistical moste lively discriued and handsomely set forth in this prophecy, for who in these latter and dangerous days hath forbidden Marriage, and hath commanded distinction of meats, persecutig the violaters of these precepts with Fire and sword, esteaming his own traditions above the commandments of God who I say hath done this but the Pope and his clargie the Antichrist & his menbers. It will auale you nothing to ascriue and apply the accōplishing of this prophecy to Montanus, to the •… erityques called Tatiani, and the Encratikes, seeing ye are found in the like faut, and so gilty of the same damnation, no more then it will auale a murderer that now killeth a man, to think that the curse of God pro nounced against Cain, streacheth not •… er him.

Wherefore friend in my iudgdement, it •… eth with you as •… sope in his Fables, •… zeed to have happened to a Paddock, 〈◊〉 gave herself forth for a Physician, & 〈◊〉 of others, who when she came to 〈◊〉 her Counsel and minister her Phi •… , wes rejected of the seicke persons •… cause she herself appeared to be all o •… goine with the gulsogh) with this an •… r, •… dice cura teipsum. So say I to 〈◊〉 , ye give yourself forth for a spiritual •… tion, a professor of God's word, 〈◊〉 to be a warner of others, to be ware •… rrours, whē as in the mean time ye •… r self had moste neid of spiritual Phi •… k, and wholesome Counsel of all others, •… d that because I se you •… longed in ex •… me error and vehementlie deceived •… th falls doctrine, therefore I say to you 〈◊〉 Paul the Apostle said to his brethren •… he Pharisees) as concerning the flesh, •… ho were to zeaious for the mantenance their own ryghteuosnes which they •… ght they had by the works of the law 〈◊〉 therefore utterly spoiled them selves 〈◊〉 the righteousness of God, that came by Faith in Jesus Christ. Thou preaches that a man should not steal, and in the mean time thou robbist God of his glo rie. If then ye would that we should admit you to take the mote out of our Eiecast first out the balk that is in your own If ye would that we should obey your admonitions, let them bring forth some fruit in yourself, or else ye are like to be repulsed with this sentence. Pihsition hail thyself. And although we do reject you for just causes, principally for your intoxicat doc trine, think not therefor that these Scriptures (whereof your admonitions are taken, concerning the latter days) are of us carelessly passed over, no, God forbid, for they be warninges betwix our •… eyes. The Apostle Peter hath moste carefully warned us, of Satan's •… yght and fury, not forgetting also to istruct us how to withstand him, in these words. Be sober and watch for your adversary, the Devil, as a roaring lyon, walketh about feking whom he may beuore, whom (saith the Apostle) ye shall resist, being steadfast in Faith, ye say that Satan can not take Christ's name from us, no, certainly, nor steare a hair of our heads, forther then God doeth appoint him.

•… e are not affrayed that that Serpent •… all ather spoil us of thrist or of his na •… e, for we know our selves to be Christ's •… epe, to whom he hath not only pmised •… ernal life, but also that they shall never •… rishe, nor be plucked out of his hand by •… y. This certanetie of our Salvation, •… ocedeth not of our own merits and •… orthynes (which God did foresie to be 〈◊〉 us, as ye blasphemous Papists do •… irme) nor yet of the worthiness of the •… works that follow after our external •… ocation, no, but the beginning, the mid •… est, and the end of our Saluatiō, cometh 〈◊〉 the mear mercy of our God alone, in •… hriste Jesus his Son, to whom he •… lie & liberally gave us, before all worl •… es, as that he himself witnesseth in the •… uangle of John, saying. My Father •… hich gave them me, is greater then all, •… nd none is able to take them out of my •… athers hand, I and my Father are one. •… pon these promises we rest, and shall •… od willing unto the end, nether fear we •… s promises nor the fidelity of them, for •… ppose we be fragel, yet will he not deny 〈◊〉 self, but how cometh it to pas that ye perceive not the craft of this Serpent yourself, whereof ye admonish others so earnestly. For Satan hath not one •… e spoiled you of christ himself (given you a white tepertane God to play you with) but also hath spoiled a great number of your masters men, even of the very name of Christ. For they think it to base a name to be called Christians wherewith enerie man is termed that is Baptized. And therefore are some of them called Frasiscans, so •… e Benedictinis, some Don •… nicans & Agustmians, some Car •… elites and Cartusians, some Heremites and Iacobins, and some with one name and some with other, which I irke to rehers. Hereby plainly witnessing that they are ashamed of the name of Christ before men that he may deny them before his Father in any wise to apertean to him, but to be of the number of those filthy locusts that S. John remembereth in his Revelation, to have come out of the bottomless pit.

Ye desire us to remember where and by what manner we have Christ treuly, then ye labor to persuade us that he is enclosed in the Sacrament, & knet to the Church, unto the which in deed he is cup led and married by an everlasting covenant but not to your adulterus Church, which ye would make men believe, were the true Church of God, and so ye conclude that 〈◊〉 have dispysed the Church sittuat vpō the montane, and hath intrused a figure for Christ's body in the Sacrament.

This I trust be your meaning and the •… one of your argument, whereunto we •… er. That the Lord Jesus being rea •… to leave the world and go to his Father, seeing his Disciples (who at that present were carnal minded) sorry for •… s bodylie departing, made unto them 〈◊〉 solempned promise, that he would not •… aue them confortles, but if they would •… pe his commandments and teache his people also to observe all, & whatsoever 〈◊〉 had commanded them, that then but •… out he would be present with them unto •… e end of the world, not catnally nor ma •… cally enclosed in a bit of conjured bread 〈◊〉 which is now and then offered for seicke 〈◊〉 wine and Fearsy horses) but by his ho •… e Spirit effectually working i their har 〈◊〉 that thing which his bodylie presence •… uld not do, whose departing from them •… es utterly necessary and expedient, as he himself doeth witness, in these words I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away the conforter which is the holy Ghoste, will not come unto you, but if I depart I will send him unto you. Marck these words ye carnal Capernaites (that would pluck Christ's flesh from the right hand of the Father) that if ye have his flesh yet still with you, ye lack his Spirit, for he affirmeth in plain words that the Spirit will not come except he depart and be absent in body. Now choose yow, whither ye will want his body or his Spirit? or rather whither think ye it better to imagine that ye have his body? for otherwise ye have it nor, and so for your falls imagi nation, lack his Spirit, or to grant that thing to be absent, which is absent in deed and cannot come til the latter day, to the end ye may be participant of that holy Spirit that God poureth in the hearts of his chosen, evē here in this life, whereby we cry Abba, Father. But the questiō is soue answered on your part, I am assured ye had rather play you with your myrrie conceats, contenting yourselves with that presence of Christ that you think ye have, nor to have his Spirit, except that ye might win money thereby, as Simon Magus your predicessoure would have done. For ye have win more by the Magicall and merualous lying myrackle of transubstantiation, whereby ye would make men believe that a piece of bread not worth a quarter of a farthing, were changed in your masses, to the body of Christ God and man, the same lenth & brede that he hang on the crose, by this juggling I say ye have win more then ever ye did by his Spirit. But to the purpose, we conclude that Christ is here present with his Church always (according to his promise) by his holy Ghoste, which who so hath not aperteined not to Christ with what gifts soever he be endued beside. ye make our selves judges whither that we have lighlyed the treu Church or not, sittuat upon the montane, if ye mean hereby the Church of Rome (as I dout not but ye do) we deny simply that it is the true Church, but rather that spiritual Babylon, whereout of the Lord hath commanded his people to come, that they •… e not partaker of her plagues. whither ye mean by this montane, that great hill of ambitiō that Satan carried Christ to, when that he promised him the whole Kingdoms of the earth, if he would worship hi, which Christ refused, & your Pope hath received, or if ye mean hereby the hills that are sittuat about Rome (which S. John saith. are 7. in number, which also Baptista Mantuanus affirmeth, for he calleth your Rome, Se •… ollem vrbem) I cannot well tell. An other hill or hills whereon your harlot sitteth, I know none, and thoght your meaning be not hid from me concerning this mater, yet for the vanity of it, I leave it to be interpreted by yourself.

Ye affirm that we intruse an only figure for the truth of Christ's body in the Sacrament. They must have leave to lie that cannot speak the truth. whoever hard any of us ather say priuatlie or s •… ak openly in our preachings that the Sacrament is but a bare figure of Christ's body. I am assured there is no man able to prove it. But rather this is our doctrine of that moste sacrete and holy Sacrament, that as we agree not with you Papists that would make men believe that the bread were changed in Christ's carnal and manly flesh by transubstantiation (which flesh the heavē must hold unto the time that all things be restored which God hath spokē by the mouths of his holy Prophets since the world begouth as witnesseth S. Peter) So do we not agree with them that judgeth the Sa cramentall bread and wine to be but bare signs or figures only, constantly affirming and undoubtedly believing that als verily as our teith eateth the bread and our mouths drinketh the wine (whereby our bodies, as saith David, is strēthened, and our hearts made glade) so verily are we partakers of Christ's body by Faith, whereby we are nourished to life everlasting, and this partaking requireth nether transubstantiation, inpanation, nor carnal present, but requireth the eleuatiō of our Spirites by faith to heaven, there to be partakers of Christ not with carnal teith, but with faith affectual. This manner of partakig were the people taught in the primative Church, as witnesseth this sentence. Sursum cord▪ which wes used at the ministration of the Lord's Supper whereby the people we moved to lift up their hearts above all earthly and sensyble things, whose answer wes, habemus ad Dominum we have them lifted up to the Lord, which words moste shamefullie were abused in your mischiuous mass, to your shame and confusion.

And that Christ's body is a true natu rall body in deed, like unto ours in all things sin except, & no fantasy which may be enclosed in a piece of bread, and so in 10. thousand places at ones, and that the Sacramental bread is not changed in Christ's flesh and blood, as the Papist dreameth, not only the whole Scrip ture, but all godly and faithful writers do testify. And first S. Augustine whose moste plain and evident sentences (for the prufe of this purpose) if I should infer this lytie work should grow to a greater volome then ather I am minded now to write, or yet time will permit, being otherwaves occupied, principally in the fe ding of that flock whereof the holy Ghoste hath made me ouersear. Sum yet I will produce to give the readers a teast of the r •… st. In his commentary vpō the Psalms he hath these words. Non hoc corpu •… est t •… 〈◊〉 quod videtis et bibituri illum Sanguinem quem fusuri sunt qui me crucifigent. Sed Sacramentum •… liquod commendo vobis quod Spiritualiter intellectum viuific •… bit vos that is ye shall not eat this body which ye se, nor drink that blood that they shall shed which shall Crucify me, but I commend unto you a certain Sacrament (or mystery) which being spiritually understanded, shall quick̄ you. And in another place. Corpus Christi in quo resurre •… it in vno loco esse oportet: veritas autem •… us vbique diffusa est. That is the body of Christ wherein he arose must be, on forse in one place, but his verity is spread abroad everywhere. His tractat upon John is full of such sentences, and many other of his works also, as his Epistle to Dardan{us}, his boke of Christiane doctrine, the notable work of the City of God, all which I omit for lenth. And because that the latin sentences occupyeth room, and also that every man understandeth them not, let it be sufficient to recite them in Inglish, the truth of the Allegatiōs & translating of them, who so doutes of, let him examine the places alleged.

Tertuliane writing against Martione hath these words. Christ taking bread & distributing it to his Disciples made it his body, saying. This is my body, that is to say the figure of my body, but this bread could not have been a figure of it except Christ hath had a true body, for a vain or fātastical thing cā take no figure. Ambrose upon the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians and 11. chapiter, hath these words (upon this sentence) Shew the Lord's death. Because (saith he) that we were delivered by the death of the Lord, we in eating and drinking of this thing (he meaneth the Sacrament) do signify the flesh and blood which were offered for us. &c.

Origen in his 7. homily upon Leviticus, hath these words, not only is there a letter that killeth in the old Testa meant to be found, but also in the New Testament a letter which killeth him that doeth not understand the things spiritu ally, for if thou do follow after the letter, this that is spoken. Except ye eat my flesh, and drink my blood, this letter killeth, therefor it is spiritually to be understand. S. John Chrysostom, in one of his homilies upon the 26, of Matthew hath these words. He also drank of it lest whē they hard his words they should say,. why do we then drink blood and eat flesh? And so should be troubled, for whē he spak before of those things they were offended with his words, and that the same should not now also come to pas, he himself drank first of it, that they also without grudging or trubil might cōmu nicat of the mysteries. These same words in affect shortlyer somewhat collected hath Thomas Aquino in his book called cathena aurea upon the four Evangelists where also he alleges the same Chrysostom upon the same place. S. Jerome ī his commentary upon mathew the. 26. chapiter, hath these words. After the mystical Easter Lamb wes fulfilled, and he had eaten the Lambis flesh with his Apostles, he passeth through unto the Sa crament of the true Easter Lamb that when Melchizedek the priest of the heigh God in prefiguration of him brought forth bread and wine, he might also represent the truth of his body. Althogh that Jerome have not so clerly, as the mater required, mad the conference betwix Christ and Melchizedek yet hath he treuly judged in this place of the Sacrament, if I should rehears all such sentences as maketh for this purpose out of the ancient Doctors writings (as I have said before) this small treaty would grow to a great volome, that I be not to tedious, therefore let these inferred serve at this present, rea die hereafter to collect mo, if these ends not the strife.

Ye say that they which have red Scriptures and Doctors writings, knoweth that we propone but the words of the Law, and not the Law itself, nor yet have we (say ye) God's word for us, & so ye conclude, very magistraliter, as your manner is, that we reteane only Christ's Name and not himself. There is no mā I am assured that hath red the Scriptures and Doctors writings with judgment, which doeth not know this affirmative of yours to be rash railing, linked full of lies. &c.

And then ye labor to show how we have expelled Christ, first ye say in his images, and Secondly in the Euchariste and mass, and Thirdly in exponing the Scripture according to man's invention. Hitherto it might have appeared to men of sklender judgment (as I have said in the beginning of this answer) that the love of God had moved you to this mater, but blessed be God, evē the Father of our lord Jesus Christ, that now ye have detected yourself, bewraying that which before ye covered with an exceading wyde cloke of Hipocrycie. Let an Ass be als well decked as may be with a Lions skin and yet will his long ears declare what he is. Let a Uoulfe be never so well •… led with a •… hepes skin, yet occasion being offered, he will show hi self to be a ravening & blood •… hristie deuorer of those poor beasts, whose skin he wes clothed with. So all •… hogh that hitherto ye have most craftily •… ouered yourself with Christ's name, yet •… ow thou doest show thyself to be a filthy •… dolater, and falls worshipper of God, •… nd that the love to thy Idols and Ido •… atrous mass (which thou cōplanes that •… e have expelled) hath moved thee to •… rite, and not the love of God and Sal •… ation of thy brethrē as thou pretendeth. •… hou fayest that we have expelled Christ 〈◊〉 his images, it became thee first to •… ue prouen that he wes present in yma •… s, and then thy argument had been the stronger. But that images are forbidden of God, & that his people shall abhor them and flee from them, as from snares that catcheth the souls of ignorants in the miserable captivity of Idolatry, and deuorcement frō God, the whole Scriptures do testify. First the Lord our God expressly forbiddeth in the Second commandment of the Decaloge, that we shall make any images, similitudes or lycknesses of any kind of thing in the heavē above, the earth beneth, or in the water under the earth. Secondly that if it shall come to pas that Satan shall fill any mans heart with vanity to make images, then are we forbidden to render any kind of reverence ather in outward gestur or in inuard mind. In these words thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worshep them. Thirdly he promiseth to punish the transgressors of this commandment, unto the thread & fourt Generatiō. This is the immutable decrie of the most highest, concerning images, whereupon we rest, not caring what men of how great authority, nor the wicked world, be cankered custom hath ather done or used to the contrary. How grievously Idolaters are punished, the severe and rigorus executiō used by Moses against them (who yet wes the meakest man on earth) evidently witnesseth, read the 32. of Exodus The intysers to Idolatry must be killed although they appear to be holy, how neir so ever they be of kin, friendship or alliance. The miserable (and unto this hour endless) captivity of the whole 10. Tribes of Israel (whom Jeroboam the son of Nebat caused to sin) sufficiently doeth declare unto us, both how sore God hateth Idolatry and punisheth Idolaters, how detestable they have always been in the sight of all God's Prophets, David in his Psalms, Esayas in his Prophecy, and the wise man in his wisdom testifieth, Jeremiah calleth them the doctrine of vanity, and yet ye are not affray ed by your Theology to affirm that they ar lay mens books, whereby Christ presēteth himself to his people, as if he delited to teache his people with vanity, God send you better knowledge, if that of ignorance and not of malice ye write.

Seeing therefore that as the wise man saith, they were not from the beginning, nether shall continue forever, with him I conclude that they are miserable, and among the dead is their ho •… e that worshippeth and calleth them God's, that are the works of men's hands. Finally whither we that dependeth vpō God allone to receive our doctrine of his mouth or ye that stablisheth your doctrine by the authority of the Church, of Coūsels and Doctors, which of us exponeth the Scrip tuce according to man's invention. Let all mē judge as they will answer to God.

D. Feargussones answer.

HOw the aforsaides are by us weighed and considered, let the indifferent •… ader judge, what zeil it is that hither •… o hath, and yet still doeth burn you, I •… aue already noted. Ye ask of us why we •… eiect the mass, which ye call the Chri •… tiane people's Sacrifice, we answer. Be •… ause it is not that thing in deed which •… e call it in word, as at lenth before I •… aue prouen, nether are ye able to prove 〈◊〉 God's word that ever Christ appoin •… ed his ministers to offer the Sacramen •… all bread and wine, in Sacrifice for their •… wn sins, and the sins of the people, •… swell dead as alive. Cry out, and affirm •… his mater with als many words as ye •… st, ye •… may ye not be believed until ye •… roue it by the Scriptures, other Sacri •… ces then God's word teacheth us, we may not with saif conscience admit, except we willfully provoke God to punish and consume us in his wrath, as he did Nadab and Abihu, and vterlie reject us, as he did Saul. S. Paul writing to the Romans exhorteth us to give up our bo dies, a lyning Sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which he affirmeth to be our reasonable serving of God. The Apostle writing to the Hebreues, also exhorteth us to offer the Sacrifice of thanks giving always to God, through Christ, which (he saith) is the fruit of our lips which confess his name, willing us also not to forget to do good, and to distribute (he meaneth our substance to them that •… edeth) for (saith he) with such Sacrifices God is pleased, other Sacrifices appertening to Christiane people, we know none commanded in the New Testament.

Ye boast much of Moses, of the Law of nature, the Prophets & the Evangel, but out of none of thē bring ye any prufe for your purpose. Ye affirm that your mass wes authorised in the Primatiue Church, and always used of God's chosen, and yet ye infer none of their excersices for your example, but the bare names of two men, whose authority and strenth is to weak to withstand God's word.

As to Dionisius Areopagita, I will set his master S. Paul against him, writing to the Corinthians, who having occasiō to treat of the verity of the Lord's Supper (abused in that Church) rehearseth the words of Christ's institution, which of him he had received, faithfully without adding to, or diminishing, which words and whole action there by him recyted, how like they are to your mischievous mass, I make yourself judge. Then whi there •… ght we to creadit the Elect veshell of God S. Paul that spak not his own words but Christ's, or to Dionisse that hath added unto them (if it be treu that ye allege on him) judge also. Ye will never be able to prove that, that Dionisse of whō ye mean, wes that Dionisius Areopagita that believed Paul's doctrine, in the Acts of the Apostoles, and although it were, yet is he of no such authority as an Angel of heaven, whom yet we are forbidden to creadit, teachīg any other doctrine then Paul hath taught, but rather to hold him accursed. But that ever Paul taught ather to Timothy, Titus, or any other Minister that he did appoint over any Church, the merualus craft of massing, the Scripture maketh no mention. Acursed therefore be the teachers of it as the Apostle hath commanded us to hold them. As to Ignatius and the rest of your holy Fathers, I have spoken my judgment of them already, that is, that I nether contempne them nor build my Faith upon them, seeing that they were but men and so might be deceived, and also deceive others. As to your requeist, wherein ye exhort us to follow them obsolutlie in exponing the Scriptures, it is more then any Christiane may admit, seeing that we may follow no man, further then they follow Christ, nether in this case cal any man Father or Master upon earth, having one Father the Eternal God, and one Master Christ Jesus in the heaven, yea, and although that Paul wes the Elect and moste worthy veshell to bear the name of Christ, to Nations, Kings, and the Childrene of Israel, and taught of God in the thride Heaven, the moste wonderful and unspeakable Mysteries of God, yet durst he not be so bold as precisly to desire men to follow him, no, but ever rebuked their depending upon men moste severely, exhorting them to follow him as he followed Christ affirming that nether he that plan •… ed nor he that watereth, is anything but God that giveth the incres, is all in all. &c. Moreover the Lord by his Prophet accur seth all such as dependeth upon men, in these words. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and withdraueth his heart from the Lord. These and the like cōminations will not suffer us to trust in mā, or make him the Paterne of our salvation, lest we be accursed of God. As to the •… nggishnes of your Pastors we leave them to be stirred up of you, as ye think good, for in our judgments they are so fast a sleep that they cannot be walkned so vnsauere that they cannot be salted, & so blind that they cannot be lyghtned, we have therefore long ago determined by the word of God to give none of our holy things to your dogs, nor cast any mo of our precious Pearls before your filthy Swyne. Lift up your voice & cry als loud as eve •… ye can, yet shall it come to pas that when Baal heareth his Chaplanes and sendeth them Fire to consume their Sacrifice, that then your ignorant Idole Bishops (who for the moste part knoweth nether new nor old) shall preach the Evangel, yea, your holy Father S. Frances, shall als sone make good Christians of the fou les that he preached to, as that ye beig an Idolater shall cause an ignorant Idole to do the deutie of a painful Pastor. There did never one of them enter in as the dure of the shepefolde, but clam up another •… ay, by Sy •… onie, by Uiolence, by requeis •… s of great men, by Popes Bulls, and dispēsations, by Sorcerie and witchecraft, wherefore we understand (that as Christ hath said of them) they be thieves and murderers, let the dead therefore 〈◊〉 there dead. Seeing that we are commanded to preach the Gospel to Christ's dispersed flock. I am assured ye mean not (when as ye speak of •… uggish Pastors) of our Pastors and preachers, for in your conscience (I dout not) but ye think them to vigilant, and would wish that they were a •… s s •… ack as your own, for then should ye not have needed to have written this letter. I pray God of his infinite mercy to deliver his people from falls doc trine, and give them grace to hear his voice only, as becometh his sheep, a •… ding in him by true Faith and vnfenied love, imprenting his true fear in their hearts that they presume not to understand above that which is mete to be understanded, but according to sobriety, as God hath dealt to every man the measur of Faith. we know that God hath blessed the meak, but there is a difference betwix meaknes and ignorant error, God give us his grace therefore to imbraice Jesus Christ, freely now offered unto us with humilytie and meaknes, giving a bold confession of his name before this froward generatiō, that he may confess us before his Father in heaven. Amen.

Now ye bid us fair well, and thereafter ye require us to declare unto you manifestly (as the Minister of God's word ought to do) what we think of the mass, which ye throughout this letter have called the Christiane people's Sacrifice. This your requeist we dar not put back, not for that we judge that ye will believe the truth whē it is told you, but because we are bound to give a reconing of the hope that is in us, to everyone that demandeth it.

I have already declared unto you what Sacrifices are appointed for Christiane people, to offer, out of the 12. Chap. of S. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, and 13. to the Hebreues. But as to a Sacrifice for our sins daily to be offered (as wer the Sacrifices and oblations of the old Testament) appointed of God unto the time of reformation, we understand that not only have we no neide so to do (being now already purged by the blood of Christ) but also whosoever he be that so doeth, estemeth the Sacrifice of Christ insufficient, which the Apostle affirmeth, he offered ones for all on the Cross. And as it is (saith he) appointed unto mē that they shall ones die, and after that cometh the judgment, so Christ wes ones offered to take away the sins of many, and unto them that loke for him shall appear the Second time without sin, unto Salvation. From the 7. Chapiter unto the midst of the 10. Chapiter, he travaileth at lenth in this mater, finding no other faute with the Levitical Sacrifices, but that they were daily offered, because they had not strenth to expel sin at ones, and therefore inferreth that Christ's Sacrifice wes the consumation and end of them, and all other Sacrifices for sins. Forasmuche as he by one oblatiō hath done that thing (to wit, consecrated forever them that are Sanctified) which they be so often offerring & Sacrificing, could not do, concluding, that where remission of sin is, there resteth no more offerring for sin. Cursed be he thē, that offereth for sin anymore, seeing the holy Ghoste hath concluded the contrary.

As to your mass ye shall have our judgment of it in few words, and what we do mislyke in it. Firste we mislyke the person that saith it, and judgeth him to be a blasphemer of Christ's death, because he taketh upon him the office of Christ, namely, he undertaketh by that Sacrifice which he offered, to pacify the wrath of God the Father, conceived against as well his own sins, as the sins of them for whom he offereth, whither they be alive or dead. But this can no man do, but Christ alone, for of him and to him, alone were these words spoken out of the heaven, by the mouth of his Father. This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear him. wherefore your priest in his mass taking the aforesaid office upon him, doeth all that in him lieth to spoil Christ of his dignity, & therefor worthy to be judged a falls Christ, and a traitor to man's Salvation, for if Christ pronounceth in the Evangel, all such as came before him (vsurpinge the name of Messiah, or title of Sauioures) to be thieves and murderers. How much more worthy are they of that name, that dare presume to be Sauioures, ather of them sellues or others now when he is come and parfited the work of our Redemption. Secondly, we mislyke the whole action of your mass, which from the beginning to the end, is nothing else but als plain an Antithesis or cōtraposition to the Lord's Supper, as light is to darck nes, or truth to falshead. First the Lord Jesus when he institute this Sacrament and did minister it (I dout not moste sincerely) to his Apostles, wes no other ways clothed then his common custom wes. And your priests, after whose ordoure I cannot tell, for Arons priests they will not grant them selves to be, and according to Melchisedeces order there wes never one but Christ, then must they be Baals chaplanes, they I say dissagysed like players (every piece of their cote containing a mystery) proceedeth to their mass. The Lord Jesus sat down with the 12. Apostles. They stand at an alter alone, he gave thanks unto the Father before the Ministration, and they before their mass rehearseth there blasphemous Confiteor, wherein every S. in heaven is made equal (or as we say) Iakfellow like, unto the Eternal God. He preached the comfortable promises of Salvation mixed with exhortations to mutual love and amity. &c. In that language that they all might understand, they nether preach nor exhort, but occupyeth the time with speaking to the wall, and now & then for the manersakes, one word or two (turning them to the people) in a strange language that nether the people nor the grea test part of those god makers them selves understandeth. In giving the Apostles the bread, the Lord Jesus declared unto them in plain words, what it signifieth namely his body, which should be brokē for them. In these words, take eat, this is my body which is broken for you. They round and whisper their words, with a certain magical susurration, as if it were treason to speak them that the people might hear, saying, hoc est enim corpus meum adding this word enim at their own hand, but this is not done without a mystery, for to this end say they do we it, that as the Virgin conceived Christ, with these five words, Fiat michi secundū verbum tuum so we may make Christ of bread by other five words distinctly under one breath, without respiratiō, brought forth, these profound mysteries every soul priest knoweth not, but only the great Rabbin's. All that were present with Christ were partakers of the Sacra meant, and no mā is partaker with them, for they deuore all alone. But some of thē will say, we debar no mā if any would take part, the contrary is true, it wes never seen that ever a priest would parte, with a quarter of his God to another priest, no not with a lyck of his dishe, and that is les, this I say they never did to their own brethrē of craft, much les to a lay man, as they did call them, I never knew anything that ever they might or did forbear to any man at that dosoned disione except it were a kiss of the Patene, & that only to him that lifted their tail or else to some gentilmē that sat by, whom they would gratify. If temporal men had been als evil fellows of their carnal brekfasts as ye were of your fantastical Feasts, some of you had not worn so fat necks as ye did. Christ gave unto his Apostles the fruit of the wine tree without any mixture, but your mass is not ryghtly said, except there be commixtion of water and wine together. In the Lord's Supper both true bread and true wine is ministrat to the communicants, & in the mass the papist affirmeth that there remaneth nether bread nor wine, after their Incan tation, but accidents, as whytnes, roūdnes, and color. &c. when the Lord Jesus had finished his ministration, the Evangelist saith. They praised God with a Hymn or Psalm of thanksgiving. Bot when mass is done, there is nothing bot •… te •… issa est ather said or sung, whereunto is added a latin blissing, with the aers of an empty cup. Now loke what ye think of your mass, for in my answer to the second Section of your Epistle I have prouen it to be abhominable Idolatry because that bread and wine corruptable Creatures, are in it worshipped in place of God the Father and Christ his Sōne, that it spoileth Christ of his Preisthead, & so of his Sacrifice, ī that ye that offer it usurpeth his office upon you, I have pro •… ē also. The wicked opiniō of it, to wit, that it is Satisfactory for sins, in this argument also is included, and that the whole action of it in all pointes dissagreeth with the institutiō of the Lord's S •… per, the conferring of the one action with the other above written sufficiently proveth. wherefore we judge that your papistical invention, the Idolatrous Sacri fice of the mass, is to be rejected and abhorred of all true worshippers of God as that, that is co •… nelious and blasphemous to God the Father, and Derogatiō to the honor and dignity of the Lord Jesus his Son. This is it that we think of your mass, and this doctrine we teach to the people out of the infallible word of God, that endureth forever, nether have we respect to Doctors cōsuetude, or bare name of the Church, acknowledging only that to be the true Church in deed which rendereth humble obedience unto her housband. Christ Jesus.

This letter ye say wes written in the Queens majesties palaice at Edinburgh, I am the more sorry in deed, that such as ye are hath any interteniment in the palaices of Princes, but it is no new thing to se falls Prophets more familiar in the Court, thē the true sernādes of God, Amazias the Idolatrous priest of Bethel, wes in greater estimation with Ieroboā King of Israel, then wes Amos the true prophet of God, as the Imperious braging of that Idolater witnesseth. O thou Scar (saith Amazias) go flee thou •… way into the land of Judah, and there eat thy bread and prophecy there, but prophecy no more at Bethel, for it is the Kings Chapel and the Kings Court. Iesabels Idolatrous priests were better bele ned of A •… hab King of Israel although they prophecieth lies to his destruction, then the Prophet of God Micah that told him the truth to his Salvation.

God of his great mercy, purge the heart of our native Princesse frō all leaven Papistical, and plant in place thereof his •… rew fear, and love to his eternal verity.

Ye desire us to prent into our minds that in the latter days the continual and daily Sacrifice shall be taken away, understand ye this of your mass? if ye do, thē certainly, Master Doctor, your Theology is not only rude, but also repugnant to the mind of the Prophet in this place, if ye mean of that sentence that Daniel rehearseth in the end of his 12. & last Ca. (as I think ye do) for I know no place where this sentence (that ye have throw̄ for your purpose) is written but in that place, if ye mean of that sentence, I trust the Readers shall easylie perceive both your ignorance (if of ignorance ye have inferred it) and other ways your malice in throwing of this Text. Daniel (as he himself confesseth in the beginning of his 9. Chapiter) vnderstude by books, name lie of Jeremiah's Prophecy, that the Lord had appointed his people to endure banishment out of their own cūtry, & to abyd captives in Babilō 70. years which years drawing neir an end, Daniel (as an cairful for his people & their returning ho me) euerted hī self unto God by ardent & earnest prayer, desyring him not to differ the time of their deliverance any longer, but for his own names •… aike (although they were not worthy) to restore them to their liberty, while he wes yet speaking, praying and confessing his own sin, and the sins of his people unto God. The Angel of the Lord is sent unto him, to otter unto him the years determinat of their captivity, their returninge home, the reedifying of the city, the coming of Christ, his slaughter, and destruction of the city Jerusalem. By a vision is declared unto him in the 10. Chap. the cause of •… he hinderante or defferring of their deli •… rance, which come by the means of •… ambises Prence of Persia. The king •… omes of the earth and Monarchs, with their Kings (as of Persia, Grecia, Egypt Syria and the Romans, one striuinge with another and all against God) are •… t lenth wonderful mystically recited in •… he 11. Chap. Finally in the 12. Chap. is •… eclared how the Church being evē scattered and dispersed, shall be delivered by Christ's death, which should abolish the •… aylie Sacrifice, which being done, he Prophecies that the temple, and the city •… atbe distroyed by the abhominable de •… ation, which is the Hoste of the Romans, mysticallie also signifeing. By the thousand, two hundred and nynety days and by the thousand three hundredth & five and threttie days, the time from the devastation of Jerusalem to Christ's second coming in the Clouds, the Prophet also in the mean time is certified that although he depart out of this life, yet shall he stand up at the end of the days, in the general resurrection, to ring with God in glory. Let all men now judge whither that this prophecy appertaineth to the abolishing of the Iudaical Sacrifices or not, and then shall it appear how falsely and ignorantly ye throw this place, as I have said, contrary to the Prophets mind, adding of your own, that this Sacrifice shall be taken away in the last days, where as there is no such word in the Prophecy, •… id it who so list, but with such lies & additions hath your kingdom (that now bosteth to fall) been holden up.

To conclude ye say that Laws and statutes shall be abrogate by Antichrist and his adherents, we are very well contented that the name of Antichrist be ascribed vn to that man, or those men that ever hath abrogate, or now doeth abolish any Law, statute or ordinance, that ever God in his

•… tlie rage passeth the bounds of all modesty. The first wes Stephanus the sext, this made tyrant soun after that he wes made Pope, first of all abrogate all the Acts of his predecessor Formosus, and gathering a Counsel they concluded to take the body of the dead mā out of the grave, and beside some other superstitions used toward hi, Stiuē, caused the two fingers of his right hand to be stricken of, these two namely that he used to consecrate his priests with, and thereafter caused the fingers to be cast in Tiber. The other, to wit, Sergius the thread, thoght it not yneugh to abrogate, yet ones again, the Acts of the same Formosus, and to put all out of authority that he had authorised, but caused the Second time the dead Cor •… s to be taken out of the grave and the head to be stricken from it, as if he had been leuing, and the body as not worthy of Sepulcher, to be casten in tyber •… lood. Great wes this controversy (saith Platyna) and a moste wicked example, specially this consuetud being afterward still almost observed of such as were Popes, that ather they brak or utterly abrogate the constitutions and Acts of their 〈◊〉 decessors. Hitherto platyna, yet I am compelled to recite an example mo of your holy Fathers, written also by the same Platyna, and so conclude. Paul the Second of that name, before he wes Pope, called Petrus barbo an venetiane borne, he succeeded to Pius the Second, and immediately after he wes established in his dignity, did bear such hatred and inuy to all that ever his predecessor had done, that straight way he abrogate all his acts & statutes, and put out of office, all the learned men that the other had gathered together, to be his abbreuiatoures, among whom Platina wes one, who somwhates more boldly then the rest, exhorted the Pope that their cause might be suffered to come to trial and examination before the Judges. When the Pope had frowardly looked on him a while, he brusteth forth his answer in these words. Ita nos (inquit) ad iudices renoc •… s / ac si nescires omnia •… ra in Scrinio pectorie nostri collocat •… esse. Sic stat sententia (inquit) loco cedant omnes / c •… nt quo velunt / nihil eos moror / pontifex suin mihi •… licet pro arbitrio animi / •… orum acta et •… ere et approbare. Hitherto Platyna that is to say, and doest thou so (saith 〈◊〉 ) call us back unto the Judges, as if thou knew not that all Laws were placed within the chist of our breist. Thus (saith he) standeth the sentence. Let all men give place, let them go where they list, I regard them nothing, I am heigh Bishop, and it is lesome to me according to the arbitriment of my mind, ather to break, or allow the Acts of others. The Lord open your eyes, ears and mind, to se, to hear and consider the truth, & considering it, to imbraice it. For if this be not Antichrists voice, then shall it never be hard. To the lord our god be praise forever more, that thus hath Illuminat our eyes to se and espy the enemy to all righteousness, to the end we may avoid him, and so the plagues that God hath prepared to pour out upon that beastly kingdom, and the partakers therewith. Thus have I answered (according to my knowledge) this foresaid Epistle, although not so learnedly as some other of my brethren could have done, yet (I dout not) treuly, and according to the Scriptures of our God, whose power is sufficient to beat down all imaginations and heigh things, that do exault them selves against the knowledge of God, yea, and able to bring into captivity every thoght to the obedience of Christ, who is God over all, to whom be praise forever and ever. So be it.