IT ru●… 〈◊〉 I shall not need●… many wordes to make my entree with you . You hau●… made so large and gentill an offer , that my request beynge employed wyth●… the compasse of the same , shall haue an answere I hope to my comforte .

Where in these Articles you seeme very resolute , & as it is thought so well armed , that you haue wh●… withto persuade any reasonable man to be in them of 〈◊〉 opinion : may it therfore like you to sende me the chiefe places , in these ●…atters not written , ( for that were to mutche paines for you ) but noted , or , as they terme it , coted whiche & where they be . And I promise you by yt●…aith I beare to God , I shall yelde fo farre as you shall giue me cause .

I wold wishe it might please you to write herein againe , for talke will not so well further , that you should herein entende . Yf happely it shall lyke you to wryte any more then the places , whiche ye accompte will throughly proue your opinion , I pray you do it rather , dialecticè , then otherwise . For the weght of these matters , more requireth learning then wordes .

Yf the places that you haue in these Arti●…les , be but such as are already answeared by learued men on our side , or but suche as Caluine , Bueer , or other of the protestauntes haue laide for them selfe , then I trust you will laye more weght or reason to them . For suche as they be , in them , I haue already sene . I repute them percase somwat able to do with yonge folke , or the simple and vnlearned people , other , I wene , weigh them no better then they be worthy .

Yet one thing more I long muche to be answeared in , why ye rather offer ●…othe in your Sermon yesterday in the Courte , & at all other times at Powles Crosse , to dispute in these iiii . pointes , then in the chiefe matters that lye in question betwixte the Church of Rome and the Protestauntes . Yt semith to me farre the nearer way to compasse that you would so faine winne , if ye began not with suche matters which we deny not , but a generall Counsell might take order that they shoulde be practised as ye woulde haue it . Mary the Article of the presence of Christes Body & bludde in the Sacrament , the article of our Iustification , the valewe of a Christian mans good workes , whether the Masse ●…sed in the churche of Rome be tolerable yea or no , yea whether that the masse be not a verye sacrifice acceptable to God in dede , and good bothe for the quicke and the dead , whether any Scripture forbiddeth a manne to de●…re the blessed Apostles and Martyrs in heauen to pray for vs , whether it be lefull to honour them , and whether it be lefull for vs , and good for them , to pray●… for all christian Soules : I wene if ye ●…ad the vpper hande but in one of these questions , the world might wel thinke we were smally to be trusted in all the ●…est . For we make a platte and playne answere to them , without if , or and. So do we not , whether the Seruice ought to be in Englishe or not . Or whether the people ought to receaue in bothe kindes or no. Or whether any priuate ▪ Masse ought to be saide in the Churche or no.

I ha●…●…eoparded to wade this farre with you , for no worse purpose then I haue vttered at the beginning . For of trou●…h , if you shew me good cause why , I shal yelde as I haue promised .

M●… aduenture in this case syalbe so taken I trust , as no aduantage be sought against me , as for breache of any parte of my 〈◊〉 one way or other . Wherefore I pray you constrewe my doynges by the meaning I had in them .

I haue here set in writynge the 〈◊〉 that you haue so gentelly of●…d ●…o ●…e resonable , in suche sorte in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…y 〈◊〉 ported 〈◊〉 your mouth 〈◊〉 me .

I Perceyue by youre letters that ye were not present your selfe at my Sermon in the Court , but only herde of it by the reporte of others . And where you desire to be answered in certain pointes touchinge the same , considerynge both my calling and also the place where I spake , I stande in doubte whether I may safely wythoute further licence geue a rekening of my doctrine , being vttered before the Prince , the Counsell , and the whole state of the Realme , specially to a subiecte , and sutch a subiecte as mistiketh all Sermons , and yet will not vouchesaue to heare one . Notwithstandyng forasmuche as I am persuaded that you charitably desire to be resolued ▪ I can also charitably be contented , as a frende with a frende , or a scholar with a scholar , to conferre with you herein , reseruinge alway my former protestation .

Touching●… the quotations of the special points & groundes that I stand vpon , if you had herde the maner of my doctrine your selfe , I be leue , you would not haue required them . For your reporterhath altered the whole forme of my speakyng .

For I stoode only vpon the negatiue , which as you saide , when time was , in the disputation , that should haue ben at Westminster , is not possible to be proued .

My offer was this , that if any one of all those thinges that I then rehearsed , could be proued of you●… side by any sufficient authoritie other of the Scriptures , or of the olde Doctours , or of the auncient Councels , or by any one allowed example of the primitiue churche , that then I woulde be content to yelde vnto you .

I say you haue none of al those helpes , nor Scriptures , nor Councels , nor doctours , nor any other an●…iguitye , & this is the negatiue . Now it standeth you vpon to proue but one affirmatiue to the contrarie , and so to require my promisse .

The articles that I said could not be proued of your parte wer the●…e ▪

That it can not appeare by a●…y authoritie other of the olde Doctours , or of the auncient Councels that there was any priuate masse in the whole Churche of Christ , at that time .

Or that there was then any communion ministred in the church to the people vnder one kinde only .

Or that the commen prayers were then pronounced in a straunge tonge , that the people vnderstoode not .

Or that the Bishoppe of Rome was then called Vniuersalis Episcopus , or Caput Vniuersalis Ecclesiae an vniuersall Bishoppe of the whole world , or els the head of the vniuersall Churche ,

Or that the people was then taught to beleue that in the Sacrament after the consecration , the substaunce of Bread and wyne departeth awaye , and that there remayneth nothing els but only the accidentes of Bread and wine .

Or that then it was thoughte lawfull to say , x. xx . or . xxx . masses in one churche in one day .

Or that the people was then forbidden to praye , or to reade the scriptures in theyr mother tonge .

And other ●…o Articles a great number I rekened vp then at Poules Crosse , which it were long now to rehearse .

And if any one of all these articles can bee sufficiently proued by such authoritie as I haue said , & as ye haue borne the people in hande ye can proue them by : I am well content to stande to my promisse .

●…f you saye these are but smal matters in comparison of others , yet as small as ye wolde haue them seeme now ▪ sum men haue felte no small smarte for them ,

And where you merueile why I began not rather with the reall presence , with Justification , with the valew of good workes , with the sacrifice of the Masse , wyth praying vnto sainctes : with prayinge for the dead : althoughe in deede it maye seeme very mutche for me to be appointed by others what order I shoulde take in my preachinge , yet to answeare the truth , why I passed by these maters at the first , and rather began with other , the cause was , not for that I doubted in any of the premisses , but only for that I knewe the matters that you ●…ue question of , might at least haue sum colour or shadow of the doctours . But I thought it best to make my entree 〈◊〉 such thinges , as wherin I was well assured y●…●…lde be able to finde not so mutche as any colour at all . And if ye will firste graunt this to be trewe , as I beleue you will , notwithstandinge the people haue ben longe told the con●…rary , afterwarde I am well content to trauel with you father in the rest .

Further I merueile mutche ye write , that touching a priuate masse , or the receiuing vnder one kinde , or the comme●… prayers to be had in an vnknowen tongue or otherwise , ye are not resolued to answear precisely without , if , or and ▪ For where ye saye ye are content to be ordered herein by a generall Councell , first I woulde 〈◊〉 what general Councel of any antiquitie euer decreed any of those matters against vs , 〈◊〉 perhap ●…es ye wil say the councel of Coūstauce , that of late yeres pronounced o●…y against Christ himselfe ▪ and all the primit●… churche , that it shoulde be a 〈◊〉 disorder , if the people should comm●… cate vnder both kindes . And ha●…g no 〈◊〉 councel , that 〈◊〉 was to alledge , in these matters , I maru●… how ye can iustly say , ye are altogether ordered by councelles . And yet farther woulde I learne , what warrant any general Councel can haue to decree any thinge contrary to goddes word .

Where ye say , ye haue sene maister Caluines , and maister Bucers reasons , & haue founde them very weake , and not able to moue any other then yonge 〈◊〉 , and vnlearned people , me thinketh that answeare is so commen and so general , that it ma●…●…erue our tourne as well as yours . For we haue reade Coclaeus , Eckius , Pigghius , 〈◊〉 , and such others , & haue found such reasons and answeares in them , as I beleue you your selfe are not m●…che moued withall .

Where you saye that maister Calu●…es , an●… ma●…ster Buc●…rs reasons haue benne answeared , I graunt in deede they haue 〈◊〉 answeared , but not so mu●…che by learninge , as by other meanes , as you know●… . But your reasons haue 〈◊〉 answered by reason 〈◊〉 ▪ as now , God be thanked , the whole worlde knoweth .

But to conclude , as I began I answeare that in these articles I holde only the negatiue , and therfore I loke howe you will be able to affirme the contrarie , and that , as I said afore , by sufficient authoritie . Whiche if ye do not you shal cause me the more to be resolued , & others , to stande the more in doubt of the rest of your learning .

I Shall for this tyme pass●… ouer all other partes of your answeare , and renew my former suite vnto you , in most hartye and humble wise desiring you to giue eare vnto me in the same .

Remember ●…or goddes sake howe I began with you , not for other entent then to be instructed , why I shoulde be accompted obstinate for standing in contrary opinion with you . Nowe when I weighe your answere sent me lately in writinge , I thinke you do mistake my doyng , supposing that the same commeth not of such grounde as it doth . My letter sent to your declareth in my first entree with you , what my meaning was , and wherof it proceded . I hearde by reporte of manie that bothe at Powles & other where , ye openly wished that one man thinkinge otherwise then you do , would charitably talke with you , whom you would with like charitie answeare and ●…ndeuour to satisfye . And although yo●… had not so protest●…d , yet is it the parte of a common and publike preacher to performe no lesse when occasion is geuen . With whyche cause I was moued to write as I did , entendinge if I might to learne of you that I knew not , and that coulde by learning perswade a man not wholy vnl●…arned to yelde therunto , according to the wordes of my writinge , and ●…rotestation .

But I ●…nde not this meanynge in your writing sente vnto me , wherin you sh●…e your selfe ●…isposed only to defede your teaching as confessed and take f●…r trew , & n●… to giue any acc●…pte th●…rof , or to satisfye any that doubteth . And there you 〈◊〉 me all●…age to the contrarye and ●…proue your saying , which neither reason , nor lawe , can driue me to . R●…ason , ●…icause the doctrine being yet d●…btfull and standinge vpon proufe , the teacher shoulde firste approue it vnto suche as doubte . Which the custome of learning in all vniuersities proueth true . Where the oppen●…t , when ●…atter is ●…enied , as your doctrine is by vs , alleageth ●…or the parte which he would haue s●…me ●…rew . An●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ou to disproue that do●… 〈◊〉 which lon●…e time hath benne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more when any man professed a r●…formation of doctrine , as you d●… , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath euer alleaged causes wl●…y they so did , 〈◊〉 so take ●… hande ▪ to proue that they taught ▪ agai●…st such as did and woulde thinke otherwise .

But bicause you a●…e a●… Bishop and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…tche an 〈◊〉 , ye doubt 〈◊〉 ●…ou ought 〈◊〉 shewe cause of that you 〈◊〉 or no , and therfore ye spake by 〈◊〉 . Where at I do ●…utche 〈◊〉 for the person 〈◊〉 the place maketh ●…ereuce w●…o shoulde proue or disproue ▪ The greater personage you bea●…e , the lesse cause haue ye to be put to answeare . You haue not yet I wene all forgot the trade in ●…reforde which you and I were broughte vp in . In sc●…oles of philos●…phie a maister of arte is the highest degree , where the maister is rather put to oppose , than to answeare . And like wise in diuinitie in ordinarie disputation the doctour opposeth , the meaner man answeareth ▪ And what reason should leade you to to think that a Bishop should not rather shew cause of the he teacheth , the any other . Sa●…et Paul requireth in a Bishop that he be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a man before all other meete and able to teche . And it is a reule in Bishops that they be ●…eady to giue an accompte of theyr beleue . And ma●…ye reasons are there why it should be so .

You can not say I am an heretique , or obstinate , and therby put me of . For I offer to yelde in all that ye proue to me . I stand in place and case to learne , and you a man appoynted to teache . I come for no other purpose but to learne more then I knowe . I come to you for councell in those pointes ye seeme very resolute in , I meane you no harme nor guile . Cast me not of for Goddes loue , as men doe beggers , when they mynde to doe them no good .

Yf ye haue Scriptures , Councels . &c. with you , I desire to know them . Yf ye haue none , lette me & my felowes alone in your Sermons . We trouble you not , nor giue you cause to deale so vnmercifull with vs , as some of your side dothe , as thoughe we were the most vnreasonable men in the world .

IN your second letters I finde manye wordes to litle purpose . It had bene better for you to haue alleaged one sufficient authority wherby I mighte haue learned that I loked for .

For in my Sermon at Powles and els where , I required you to bring forthe on your parte eyther sum Scripture , or sum olde Doctour , or sum auncient Councell , or els sum alowed example of the Primatiue Church . For these are good groundes to buylde vpon . And I woulde haue merueiled that you brought nothing al this while , soning that I knew ye had nothyng to being .

But nowe for asmutche as you se●…e shiftes , and will not cum to answere , I count him vnwise that knoweth not your meaning .

Ye aske why ye shoulde be called obstinate . Doubtles I haue a better opinion of you , and trust ye be ●…ot so . But if a man withstand an open trueth , hauing nothinge wherwith to ●…efende him selfe , I remit him to your owne iudgement , whether he may be called obstinate or no ?

You put me in remembraunce of mine office , that forasmutch as I am a Bishoppe , I shoulde be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is ready to yelde accompte of suche thinges as I teach : I thanke God , so I doo and haue done hitherto to my power , bothe priuately and openly .

But if this be my dewtie , & required at my handes , what priueledge haue you , that you only may not alow one poore sentence to the confirmation of your learning .

●…ou wold haue men thinke I flie answearinge bycause I am a Bishop . This in logique is called Paralogismus , A non causa , vt causa .

I alleaged the place & audience where I spake , & not only mine office , for that I thought it might appeare sum want of discretion to call the doctrine into question , which I knew was grounded vpon goddes worde , and authorised and set forth by the ●…uenes Maiestye , & by the assent of the whole Realme .

But as touching my callyng , I am not only readie to answeare any man in any thing that I professe , but also vpon sufficient allegation , as I haue promised , very well content to yelde vnto you .

But I beseche you , what reason of your faith in these maters gaue you s●…time when ye were inplace ? Scriptures , doctours , councelles , ye had none , as it now appeareth by your silence .

Therfore the ground of your petswasion must then needes be , Nos habemus legem , & secundum legem . &c.

You knowe what foloweth , for as truely as god is god , if ye wold haue vouchsaued to folow either the scriptures , or the auncient doctours , & Councels , ye wolde neuer haue restored againe the Supremacye of Rome after it was once abolisshed , or the priuate Masse , or the Communion vnder one kinde ▪ & 〈◊〉 ▪

It geueth you that I shoulde rest vpon the negatiue , and 〈◊〉 put you to your proufes . Wherin notwithstanding ye alleage against me the custome of the Schooles , yet , ye know . Christ vsed the same kinde of reasoning in his schoole . As when he said to the Pharisees , Hoc Abraham non fecit , thys thyng Abraham neuer did . And agayne when he answeared them in the ●…ase of matrimonie , A p●…incipio non fuit sic , it was not so from the beginning : he stode only vpon the negatiue . ●…herein if the Pharisies had ben able to 〈◊〉 but one affir●…atiue , eyther that Abraham had donne so : or that the lawe of diuorse had bene so from the beginninge , Christ with hys negat●…ue might sone haue ben confounded .