AFter that god had striken our head shepherd vndre Christe / that worthye king and confessour Edward the sixt / good Christian brethren / which he threatened by his faithfull seruantes long before / yf we wolde not turne from oure sinnes and wickednes j perceaued that it coulde not be auoyded god so disposing the mater / for oure vuthākfulnes but that the kingdom of God / at the leaste for a time / must be taken from vs / and the Christian flock dispersed . The whiche thinge beganne to appeare to me more plainly / when j sawe gods booke conteininge the worde of lyf taken forth of the churches in the byshoprick of duresme / and a foul sorte of jdoles called laye mennes bookes / brought in therfore : when the comon praier commaunded by publyke autoritie / set forth after . s . Paules rule to the edifienge of Christes congregation in the vulgare tonge / was against Gods lawe / and also against the lawes of the realme / bannishede / and in the place therof a kinde of praier vsed far dissonaunte from Gods lawe / and the example of the primitive churche / in a strange tonge / farced ful of superstition / jdolatrye / and false fables / having nothing tolerable in it saving that the people coulde not vndrestand it / and therfor were lesse harmed ther by ( although j suppose the popish prelates kepe it in a strange language / least that yf the common sorte of men shold here it in their owne tonge / thei wold perceav it to be vaine / false / lieng fables / and therfor credit their doinges moche worse in all other thinges ) but especially when j saw the lordes table / wher on was ministred the holy supper of the lorde / according to his owne institution and ordinaunce / was caried away / the communion abhorred as heresye / and for thes / Baals altares reared vp / and his prestes and monkish hypocrites / returned to their abhominable / blasphemouse / & jdolatrous masse as dogges to their vomit . Wherfor j beganne to recorde with my selff / and call to my remembraunce / not without earnest calling on gods name for the assistaunce of his spirit min owne state / and condition / and to examine mor depelye / both the doctrin which j had taught / wherof j ꝑceaved that of necessitie j must rendre an accompt and that within short time / and also my dutie of allegeance vnto the quenes highnes / wher in j found my selfe so cleare & blameles / that if the devel himselff and all myne enemies shold doo their worste / thei could not have accused me iustly / nother of worde nor dede perpetrated against her grace . And as concerning the doctrine which j had taught / the more diligently j did examine it / by the holye scriptures / and the testimonye of the aunciente fathers / the more syncere and pure it appeared / j was the more earnestly persuaded / & settled in the truthe therof / my conscience did more plainly laye to my charge / that j could not revoke / saye against / nor dissemble it / without blasphemous contempt of god / & most horrible denial of his sonne Iesus Christ . So that j found no fault in my selff as towching my preaching / but that as an vnprofitable servaunt / j did not so moche as j ought to have done / although j had done moche more then some thought j shold have thankes for . But what so ever menne thought or spake as towching thankful reward for my labour / j perswaded my selff that j sholde have all thinges waied after equitie / and therfor considering both mine owne integritie / that j had offended no lawe of the Realme / but lived like an obedient subiecte / & also that the same men bare the chefe rule vndre the quenes hyghnes / & shold be my judges as did knowe that the swerd was delivered them for the defence of the good & obedient subiect / so sone as j herd tell that j was exempted the quenes highnes pardon / j toke my journey towardes London with so much convenient spede as j might . Wher j found all thinges farre other waies then j wold have beleved yf j had not bene put in experience therof my selff . For j found in the place of equitie / preindice : for law / lust : for reason / will : & soche as shold have geven sentence accordinge as mater had bene obiected & justly proved / playe bothe the part of the accusare / of the witnesses and also of the judge : and gave this sentence immediatly / that j sholde other vndoo that j had doon / or ells : what that or ells ment j knew well jnough / for j had the exposition therof by his owne holy ghost . Then my good lord chanceloure / who is alwaies sure at a nede / perceiving that j stode to this that j had offended no law / to help at a pinch / obiected yea thre or foure times for failing a mater no less malitious thene false . And bycause nothing shold be lefte out that myght help forward the mater this good olde father of Duresme who had plaid thre partes befor right well / chargethe me with a mater not only malitious & falss but so folish / that j had moche to do to refraine my self from laughter / j could not chose but smile . At the last my l. chanceloure after certain talk had vnto me and myn answer made / concludeth that it was not only preaching wherwith j must be charged / the whiche he ꝑceived j sufficiently defended by the kinges law ( in dede j had asked counsall of them that wer wel learned in the lawes of the Realme ) but also materes to wching the quenes highnes / which were the same wherwith he and the bushope of duresme had charged me befor / as j lerned by thre or foure of the bushopes owne servantes / who had made no falss reporte of their master before in my materes / but as they wrote home to duresme to their companions what thinges j shold be charged withal & what shold be my judgement / so afterward j found it true . And therfor vpon the monday at after nonne which was the thirtyth of octobre / after it was tolde me by a frende of myne dwelling in London / who is familiar in the bushopes howse / and at that time frequented it the more to here somwhat as towching me / that he had learned and was credibly informed / both that all my goodes at du●●sme was sensed in the quenes graces name and that j my self shold on the morow be committed to the tower / bothe bycause j had contenned the quenes hyghnes lettres / and also for that j was a Scot. I saye after j herd thes things / considerig how many godli lerned preachers were imprisoned and commaunded to their howses for religion without all doubte / and yet an other pretence made / perceiving that abiding could not profet my self nor yet the congregation / my departure myght doo bothe / j committed my self in to the guiding of the lorde / and went my waies / not makig any man privey to my departure . Meeveill not good brethren though after that j was entered in to my journey / j were troubled with sondry cares / but che●ly with this lest that j shold now be apprehended by myn enemies / and so geve them that they wold have bene glad of / som honest colour wherfor they might have semed justly to have wrought on me their wil. For they that were not a shamed to invent false and feined accusationes / how wold they have reioysed / yea triumphed over me / when they might have laid to my charge flyeng the quenes realm / and that not only without her graces licence / but being convented befor her hyghnes honourable counsall / and commaunded to attend to they espied a time for me . You may be assured a laweres wit wanting nether conning nor yet good will / and having full autoritie to saye and do what he lust / could easely have amplified this crime / and haue formed of a small gnat a myghty elephant . But after that the lord had delivered me / at the least for this time / out of the mouth of the lyon / and saved me out of the handes of all myn enemies / which hated me / j beganne to studye with my self / and mor diligently considre / to what end God had wrought thus my deliveraunce / which was not that j sholde now lyve as one that had no regard of gods glorye / nor of myn owne dutye . But that as j was appoynted to be a workman in his vinyeard / & a watch man over the house of Israel / so j shold now most earnestly hunte thes wild swyne that destroieth the lordes vinyeard / gather together / so moche as in me liethe the lordes shepe / that now are dispersed thorow out montaynes / hilles / & groves / and to geve them warning of the fearfull swerd that hangeth over their heades .

Which thing j shall not cease to do / by the ayd of Gods most holy spirit .

But for so moche as j know ryght wel the pround papistes / whos mouthes ar full of bitternes and cursed speache wil not cease yea out of their pulpetes / with bosting & gloriouse wordes to carp & sclandre me for my sodein deꝑture / as though ther by they had vanquished & overcome gods truth whiche j had set forth : & my kinsfolkes & frendes will moche lament my state / taking this to vnkindnes that j wold not make them privey of my purpose / thinkinge that thei shold have turned my minde : and also whiche moveth me most of all / the weak flock of Christe whom j had fed with the true doctrin of the gospel / may by the subtill perswasions of the crafty hypocrites / be brought in doubt of the veritie therof as though j my selfs hold have forsaken jt & ther by be offended / and be brought from god : j say for thes causes / j thought it best to answer the malitious hypocrits whos mouthes although j could not stop / yet at the least they shold not herafter saye but that thei were warned if that thei wold not cease to speak that thei ought not they shold here that they wold not / & here by to satisfy my kisfolk & frendes / who j know of frendship and loving kindnes look vpon my mater with a wrong tie , and also to admonish the weak christian brethren both to beware of the leven of the dissembling hypocrites / whom although they be clothed in lames skinnes / yet by their fruites / they may know them to be ravening wolves / & also to confirme them selves in that doctrine which j have preached vnto them / whiche also they have receaved / & not to be easely caried away into any other contrarie / although an angel shold come from heven and preache it to them . Who so will advisedly behold / the manners & conditiones of the scribes and pharises whilest Christ walked here vpon earth / what shyftes & practises they vsed to maintain their cloked holines / their dirty traditiones / and vainglorious estimation / & therfor to deface Christe / & to suppress his holy word / and also will with judgement compare our papish prelates with the whole rablement of their chikens vnto them / shall plainly se ours so likein conditiones & practices / and so lyvely represent as it were the physnamie of their old auncetours the pharises / that he wold saye & affirm that they were even the self same risen from death to lyf againe . Yea yf bushop Caiphas were here in his owne person he wold for joye burst out & saye as Demea said by his sonne Ctesipho : Oh oh lachrumo gaudio , laudo , patrissat , saluos sit : spero , est similis maiorum suorum . For what was in the pharises of old time / wherin ours now do not excell them ? What pride / what vainglorie / hypocrisy / trust in their own righteousnes / glorie in their workes of devotion / covetousnes / traditiones / misconstruing of gods law / suꝑstition / hatred of the true religion / prosequutinge of the prophetes of Christe and of his apostles / sclandering of Christe : to be short / what wickednes ether in manners or in religion can be found in them but that the like and moche more doth plainly appear in ours ? yea ours have found out for vs an infinite rablement of jdolatries which they never herd of and wold have abhorred / as masses invocation of sainctes / worshipping of images & soche like . But they coulde never away with Christe nor his apostles but alwaies spak evel of them / & of the gospel by cause it rebuked their vices : & what is the cause that our bushopes & prestes may not now abide the self same doctrine nor the preachers therof but for that they disclose their hypocrisie and proude dissembling with god & the world ? What will they now say by the doctrine and the preachers therof ? What shall now be the talke in alhouses / tabernes / & bank quetes / what shall now a sort of lewd prestes jangle in their assembles at merketes when they have all their cuppes in / what shall now antichristes championes blouster and blow out at Paules cross and els where / but that soche preachers as had vsed that place now of late years were carnall and fleshly gospellours / soche as wold not lyve chast / set naught by fasting and praier / and preached carnally carnall libertie / soche as spak to please men for profet & promotion sake / last of all soche as were rank seditious heretiks / their doctrine was new / against the teaching of the catholik church / and at the last they beganne to suspect it themselves / and therfor durst not abide by it but ranne their waye out of the realme . Shall not this be the sum of their brawlinge divinitie ? But how moche ar we bound to our hevenly master Iesus Christ that both gave vs warning that they shold thus en treat vs / and also for our confort / that he shold tast of this kindnes before vs . Mat. x. Ther is no disciple better then his instructour / nor no servant above his master / it may suffice the scholer to be as his teacher and the servaunt as his master . Yf they have called the master of the houshold be elzebul / how moche more his houshold servauntes . But fear them not saith Christ . But when thes spirituall preachers call vs carnall gospelours what mean thei ther by ? Meane thei that we be sinners / & that our flesh is not so subdued / but that it will lust against the spirit ? Or mean they that we have pleasure in sinne and in sinners ? Or they call vs sinners because we could not lyve chast / that is / godlily without a wif ? If they mean after the first sorte / we confess with the publican / that we be sinners / and say with . s . Paul / that the fleshe striveth against the spirit / & that spirit against the fleshe / in so moch that we do not thos thinges the which we wold faine do . If thei vndrestand their carnall gospellars after the second sorte / we have to thank them ; that thei will both shew plainly whos children thei ar ( for here in thei resemble the old pharises ) & also that thei will serve vs here in as the pharises did Christ / for the self same thinge was in this wise laied to his charge of them / and hathe continued a common practice sence that time till now / and is not like to decaye in thes mennes handes / but if it be against ther will . After our saviour Christ had dimissed Ioannes disciples and preached to the people / thei praised god / but the pharises and the laweres dispised gods counsall / and said / tushe he is but a gloton / and a swil boull / a boulsterar of publicans and sinners . This was a common obiection and sclander that the pharises vsed to deface Christes preaching / & disswade the people from it / for he receiveth / saye thei / sinners / and eateth with them .

What were thes complaints and sclanderous accusationes wherwith thei went aboute to bringe Christe in hatred of the people / but the self same that now is obiected against vs ? Wherfor / saye thei / do not thy disciples fast ? Wherfor do thei the which is not leafull to do on the saboth ? We and Ioans disciples fast . No no even as he is him self / soche ar his disciples . He is wholy geven to serve the bealy / he fasteth not / he neglecteth the saboth / he setteth naught by praier / he is a carnall man wholy geven to carnall libertie and to preache the same / & soche ar all his disciples . But we fast / we pray / we chastice our selves / we ar not like thes men / we fast twise a weeke / we ar not so carnall as this man / and his disciples . Were not thes the goodly & holy perswasiones of the old Pharises against Christ and his doctrine ? Did thei not in defacing of Christ and his disciples avaunce & set vp them selves ? Did thei not by this colour of calling Christ soche a preacher of carnall libertie / crepe in to the consciences of the simple / ther to place them selves surely / vndre the pretence of a more perfect holynes ? And what meane our pharisaicall hypocrites by terming the preachers of Christes gospel carnall preachers of libertie but the self same thinge ? But this is to be noted of thes hypocrites in all their sermons / when thei thus raill against the preachers / it is to this end to diswade the people from the doctrine of only salvation by Christ / and to kepe this estimation of them selves / that thei be holy / pure and godly lyvers / and therfor men must here and folow them / al other ar but carnall sinners . In this wise the pharises perswaded the blinde man / whom Christ restored to his sight againe / saing / Geve God the praise as for this manne we know is but a sinner . Ioan. ix . As though thei shold have said / beleve vs / folow our doctrin / be our disciple / for we be holy / we serve god / we kepe the ordinaunce of our mother the holy church : and to maintaine this their hypocrisie with all / when other shyftes failed / thei tell a false lye on Christe to bring him in hatred / saing he is a sinner / and that thei know it so to be . You mai be sure thes honest men wold not ells have said it .

But if thei shold have hem examined what sinne thei knew by him / thei shold have had nothing to saye . And what j praye youe knoweth our religious pharises by the preachers whom thei call carnall / saving that which is confessed / that we be all sinners / and have nede of gods mercy ? Do thei know vs to be dronkerdes / theves / murtherours / whormongers common brawlers / or soche open offendours as the congregation toke offence by our living / if thei do let them openly rebuke it / that other may be afeard to do the like : i. Tim. v. let them prove it by two or thre witnesses after . s . Paules rule / & j for my parte shall not only make open confession / but also shall make open satisfaction as the ordre was in the church of auncient time . If thei have none of al thes things to charge vs with all ( if thei had we shold have herd tell of it or now ) thanks to god for his mercy to warde vs / for this was only his work in vs / & god graunt thes vnshame fast hypocrites true repentaunce / and amendment of their lyves / for a numbre of them be notorious tabernhaunters / comon brawlers / veray dronkerds / known sodomites / and manifestly proved whormongers . And if thei will say this is spoken of malice / j protest befor god that is not truly said / for j do not name them / bycause j love the men although j hate their conditiones . As to wching fasting / praier / and preaching libertie / when did ever any preacher speak against true praier / Christian fasting / or set men at libertie to sinne / but allwaies inveihed against abuses in popish praier and fasting / as Christe rebuked the praiers and fastings of the pharisaicall hypocrits / which in dede was all one with thes mennes praiers and fastings . And the libertie we preached was not to geve the flesh occasion to sinne / but to confort by the death of Christe the conscience overcharged & looden with sinne and soche bordens of pharisaicall traditions / as thei were not hable to beare . But this j know wel thei will charge me with all , and many others / that herin j shewed my self a carnall preacher / for that j did not lyve a fool lyf without mariage as thei do . If thei lyve chaste without mariage / let them geve god thanks therfore / j do not envye them that gyft of god . But surely god gave not me that gyft / that j could lyve a virginall chaste lyfe / but after the maner of hypocrites / and therfore did entre in to the holy state of matrimonye / which is honourable among all men / to the end j might serve god in pure chastitie of matrimony . Heb. xiij And wher as thei saye that although it be the gyft of god / yet may we attain it yf we will fast and praye for god hath made vs a promise that he will here oure praiers / and graunt our petitiones . I graunt he will so do yf we ask after his will / and if that the thing we crave appear to him that it be profitable for vs / for he knoweth before we aske what thing we have nede of . And j doubte whether all the prestes that saye / thei have chastitie / by this that thei praie and fast / as thei say / optaine and have it or no ? We rede in the scripture of many godly men / that earnestly & faithfully begged of god that thing which thei opteined not / and yet god herd them and loved them / but he knew that to graunt their petition was not so profitable for them . ij . Cor. xij . As. s . Paule testifieth of him self / how he was vexed with the prick of the fleshe / the devels messinger / he did desire the lord thrise to be delivered ther from / but he opteined not / but had the assistaunce of gods grace promised / wher withall he was bid den to be content . I wil not now entre in to the disputation of this mater / j may be so occasioned that j shal speak of it another time . But j wil herī purge myself of this crime wher of j & my felowpreachers ar accused as carnall / because we ar maried / and j will purge my self after the ordre of the canon law / as j saw it put in practise once in Cambrige for the purgation of an holy and learned virgin / if all vnmaried prestes be virgins . The ordre was that being accused of whordom / fower or five as honest as him self / and of no lower degre in the vniversitie / must after he hym self have taken an othe that he is no whormonger / swear that they think his othe to be true . Whiche done / the mater stan deth clear / and he may justly take an action of sclander against them that accused him .

Now do j affirme befor my judge Iesus Christ and his wholl church / that j have not sinned / bycaus j tok a wif / and therfor am falsly accused as a carnall or fleshly man for so doinge : & for my purgation herin and to prove my saing to be true in dede / and also to approve my doing herin / j take witness to the law of god / the law of nature / and the civil lawes till thre hundred years after Christes ascension / the example of Christes apostles / s . Paules counsall to the Corinthians and in many other places / the councell of Nice / and all the fathers of the church to the second Carthage councell / which was fowr hundred and twenty years after Christes ascension . Yf thes suffise not or ells may be excepted against / when j here it j shall answer it . Yf thes be allowable and sufficient then am j falsly accused / for all thes testifie plainly that it is lawful and godly and in no wise forbidden but that a preste may mary . Wherfor j end with this saing of . s . Augustin / quest . nou. & veter . test . quest. c. xxvij . Talis est enim quorūdam versutia , quia vt sanctitatis & castimoniae , amatores se simulent , nuptias esse dicunt damnandas , vt per hoc commendentur , & populum à veritate auertant . Soche is / saith . s . Austine / the subtiltie of som men / because thei wold faine them selves lovers of holines and chastitie / thei saye mariages ar to be damned / that by this meanes thei might be commended / and turne the people from the truthe . Mark that . s . August . noteth thes men of hypocrisie / subtiltie / of seking worldly praise / and deceiving the people . Considre also that the mariages of prestes were not forbidden in his time / but then this painted holines beganne as you may perceive by his wordes / and was confirmed by the second Carthage councel shortly after his death . When thes subtil hypocrites who condemne holy matrimony as carnalitie / and feine them selves chaste lyvers to be estemed in the world / and that thei may the rather deceive the simple people / have ronne to thei be wearye in this rase / then heape thei this on also to aggravate the mater / and make vs mor odious vnto the people / that all our preaching was but flatterye / to please the magistrates and the nobilitie / that we might therby avaunce our selves & clyme to promotion : but here must you note by the way : or ells their tale is not worth a fart / saving your reverence / that look what crimes soever thei lai to vs thei themselves be clear & free from them / & thei be replenished with the contrarie vertues . We ar carnall / thei ar spiritual / we can not lyve without wives / thei live chaste vergins our ladies husbandes / we doo no good works / all the world mai wondre of their good works / we preached to please men / thei spar no man / we sought to live jdlely & delicatly / they studye / they preache to their flok daylye / we sought for promotion / & wold heap vp living vpon living / thei wil none yf you wil geve it them / or at the moste thei wil have but one at once : if thei thought that you wold not thus esteme & judge of them / thei wold no more impute vnto vs thes faultes / for thei shold but loose their labour / & misse of the thing thei hunted after . I dare say their owne consciences doth accuse them of belieng vs when thei say we flattred the magistrates . The rulers themselves toke vs so mothe contrarye to flatterars & men pleasers / that thei did moche blame vs of to bold & plain rebuking their sinnes / in so moche thei wold not at the last here no moo sermones / whiche was a manifest token that gods plage was at hand / as indede it shortly folowed / vpon them & the wholl realme . And for the lordly loytering prelates with all their kennel of dumme dogs / j trust thei will bear vs witness we flattred them no deal . Who then did we go about to please / the poore sort ? Ther was no promotion nor profet to be won . God knoweth & let the world judge / whether we sought more to please men & to ꝓcureto our selves promotion / honour / estimation / ease / & ꝓfe●●or thei that now wipe their handes so clean . But let them wipe their handes so cleane as thei can / let them handle the mater never so coningly in charging other with their owne faultes / yet will they be wraye them selves when they goo most about to cover & hide their faultes . But her in do we reioyse that our case is at this present with thes as . s . Paules was with the Galathians and the Thessalonians . for after he had instructed them perfectly & truly in the doctrine of salvation / ther entred in among them falss teachers which did not only poison the good doctrine of the gospell which thei had received / with observationes of Moses law / & suꝑstitious ceremonies / but also the rather to bring their wicked purpose to pass / did sclandre . s . Paul of flattery and covetousnes : & therfor he writeth to both the congregations and purgeth him self of that falss accusation . Gal. j. saing to the Galathians now whether goo j about to please men or no ? j. Thess. ij . & to the Thessalonians we speak vnto you not as men pleasars / but to please god who trieth our hartes . Nether have j lived among you at any time with flattering wordes / as you know nother by occasion of covetousnes / god is witnese , nether sekinge praise of men / nother of you nor of others . We had instructed the people & taught the pure doctrine of gods worde / we had laid no other foundation but Iesus Christe / and in cometh a sort of falss teachers / and doth not only treade downe the doctrine of Christ / and fill alful of superstition / jdolatrie and falss religion / but to bring this the rather to pass / doo accuse vs of thos crimes thei them selves ar only giltie in . this hath bene the practise of all heretikes & false teachers / sence the beginning as doth wel appear to them that ar exersised in the histories of the church / whome thes hypocrites do folow so near / and have learned their conning so perfectly / that thow maist easely perceave the greke proverbe truly verefied in them / 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 / 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . But what mervaill is it / though thei now raill & rage against the ministers of gods worde / call them heretikes / seditious / & new fangled felowes / when their auncetours the pharises did the same against Christ and his apostles : wherin thes antichristes birds wold not be one foote behind them yf thei durst for the people / who wold not suffer Christ to be evel spoken of by name . But that thei dare not attempt against Christ by name / thei will doo against his holy worde vndre the name of new learning / & new preaching against the faith of our mother holy church . Doo thei name it new learning bycause thei have not be wonted vnto it / but now of late years ? So may Christ be called vnto them a new Christ / bycause thei were never acquaited with hime . Now many of them have this acquaintaunce with Christ / that thei know & confess him to be the only satisfaction for our sinnes / the only rede mer / the only mediatour / our only ryghteousnes the he offred vpon the cross ous for all / did mak by that one oblation / not to be iterated / a full & perfect sacrifice for all the sinnes of the wholl worlde . Thei will saye the thei have bene so trained vp in the knowlege of Christe that thei know & confess all this to be true . And thus farr were well content to folowe the late kings procedings . Yea thei folowed it as a currish dogge doth folow when he is drawen against his will : then he draweth bak with all his force to pull his neck out of the coller / & yf that will not be / he gooth on snatching & gnawing the bande & ceaseth not till he have gnawen it in sondre . Or doo thei name it new bycause their holy father the pope / thei & his wholl clargie / doth so judge it & can in no wise brook it . In this sence Christ him self called it new learning when he answered Ioans disciples their question of theirs & the pharises fast . For when thei misliked his doctrine bycause it was vtterly against them & thei could in no wise awai withal Christ sheweth this reason of their offence / olde rotten vessells can hold no new wine . This new wine of the gospel can not abide in a popish hart / replenished with superstition / jdolatrie / & falss religion but it must nedes bespued out again or ells the vessells will vtterly burst in sundre . But they call it new learning & therfor the teachers therof heretikes / bycause it is but a new kinde of heresies found out of late years by the germanes & had bene alwaies / & is condemned by the holy church . God hath blessed the germanes / his name be praised for it / wondrefully with the syncere knowlege of his truth / & thei doo continew ther in / & dayly encreace / although our english hypocrites brute abrode the contrarie . But yet they were not the first inventours therof / for thei her in have taught nothing ells but the thei received of Christ / & was the learning of the church tyll antichrist of Rome waxed so strong that he banished Christ & his gospel . And this doctrine which thei call heresie is not at any time condemned by the church of Christ / but by the church of antichrist / as shall plainlye be proded when thei have decreed against any particular parte ther of . But this must not be for gotten that youe vndrestand when thei speak of the church / although thei name it Christes church / that hath alwaies condemned this doctrine / thei mean in veray dede a congregation of hushopes / monkes & friers / sworne souldiours to antichrist the pope . And think youe this church will decree any thing against it self ? . And wher thei will defende them selves with the reason of long auncient custom / j answere with . s . august . lib. de baptis . paruul . & it is recited in the popes decrees for a decree of the church . dist. viii . can . qui contemp . Qui cōtēpta veritate praesumit consuetudinem sequi , aut circa fratres inuidus est et malignus , qui bus veritas reuelatur , aut in deum ingratus est , cuius inspiratione ecclesia eius instruitur Nam dominus in euangelio , ego sum , inquit veritas , non dixit ego sum consuetudo . Itaque veritate manifestata , cedat consuetudo verita ti. Reuelatione igitur facta veritatis , veritati cedat consuetudo , quia et Petrus qui circumcidebat , cessit Paulo veritatem praedicanti . Igitur cum Christus veritas sit , magis veritatem quam consuetudinem sequi debemus . He yecon temning the truth doth presume to folow custom is other envious & malignaunt to his brethren to whom the truth is revealed / or ells he is vnth ankfull to god by whos inspiration his church is istructed / for the lord in the gospel saith / jam the truth / & he said not / jam the custom . Therfor when the truth appeareth / let custom geve place to the truth / for Peter him self who did circumcise / did geve place to Paul preaching the truth . Therfore seing Christ is the truth / we ought rather to folowe the truth then the custom . Herin is to be marked this / that the holy father doth geve example of . s . Peter who forsoke custom to folow truth . Our prelates say thei be Peters successours / why will thei not then folow Peter herin . Thei be his folowers in title & name but nothing in dede . Saving that thei denie Christe & pluk out their swerds to persequut them that serve and beleve in Christ / as Peter did smite Malchus one of them that came to apprehend Christ . And yet thei differ from Peter / that wher he of blinde zeall drew out his swerd to defend Christ / thei of malitious purpose bend all their power with fier & swerd to destroy Christ . And is it ani merveill though we runne away from that cruell clawes of thes wilde beastes / in whos handes ther is no mercy ? We fled not bycause we did suspect our doctrine / but bycause we knew well their crueltie . We went not away bycause we could not abide bi our doctrine & prove it true / but for that truth could not be herd with indifferent judgment . j pray you mark this practise / & loke yf the like were ever founde in any historie ? Thei cast the chiefest learned men in prisone / or commaundeth them to kepe their houses & not to comm a brode / or banisheth them the realm as Peter martyr . I. alasco with others / & when thei be sure of them / that thei shall not meadle / for thei were not hable to abide their lerning / then to blinde the eies of the people / thei pretend a disputation / & call the matter in to question / when ther is no man to answer them as thei think & also when thei be already determined / let the truth apear never so plaine to the contrarye / what thei will decree . Then crieth a stoute champion at paulls crosse boldly / wherbe our new preachers now ? Why doo thei not now come forth & dispute . Think youe this lusty roysterkin doth not know full well that thei be fast j nough / they may not comm to answer him ? Yet by thos whom god hath delivered out of their handes / although thei be nothing to be compared in learning to them thei have lokked fast vpe / it shall plainly apeare to all indifferent men that their doctrine is true / & may easely be maintained by the scripture & testimonie of the auncient fathers of christes church . And that the contrarie can not be defended / nother by gods word / the auncient church / norby no honest way / and therfor thei ar driven with shame j nough to bolster & kepe it vp / with fier & swerd / with thus will we / & thus shall it be . And by cause thei wold seem in the face of the world to doo it by learnīng & the consent of most part of learned men of the realme / thei gather a sorte of blinde prestes to gether in to the convocation house whos lyvinges hangeth / as thei call it of making Christes bodye / & of pretensed chastitie / being for the most parte / vnlerned asses / & filthy whormongers / and thes with a showte of yea yeayea / or nay nay nay / must determine thes matters : Act. xiij . as yf the maisters of the pythonise / whiche had a spirit of pytho and ther by brought to them great profet and Demetrius the gold smith with the wholl congregation of the artificers / who had riche livings by jdolatrie / shold had bene appointed clerkes in the convocation house at philippos or at Ephesus and with their yea yea or nay nay have determined this question / whether Paull & Silas had bene seditiouse heretikes : wold not / trow youe / the more parte have cried with alowd voice yea yea yea ? oh / aurisacra fames quid non mortalia pectora cogis ? Whether this stand with reason that thos prestes whos living dependeth only of superstition / jdolatrie and fals religion / & ar for the most parte blind ignoraunt asses / shold be only judges in the waightye matters of our religion / j reporte me to the indifferent man . Another practise / whiche in veray dede was / that moved me most to save my self from them by flieng out of the realme / thei have / not latly invented / but derived frome their forfathers the jewish pharises / & yet not put in vre of many years . And that is / that thei will not leave a lyve one learned man in the realme whiche is not of their owne secte / no nor yet or thei have done one noble mane that now liveth / although thei wil not pretend religion to be the cause / but invent some other waighty matter . I must nedes here geve the noble men warning of that j herde / by cause j love them / and am sorye to here / straungers speak this dishonour of them that thei ar not hable to rule them selves and ther for must desier a pollshorne bushope to governe them & the wholl realme . At my last being at London waitinge at the parlament house of my lordes of the counsall as j was commaunded / j mett with a familiar acquaintaunce of mine / although not of my opinion in religion / but one that for the matters of religion dothe favour the popish bushopes / and is both familiar with the best of them / and also taken to be a wise man and of a great forsyght as he is in dede . He asked me of my state / saing thus vnto me / did not j tell youe that youre religion wold not continew ? And so wold have perswaded me to have geven place / & revoked myn opinion : wher in when he saw he prevailed not / he said frendly / he was sory for me / & wished that he were of power to doo me pleasure : to whome j said / it was sufficient to me that he wold continew his familiar frendship with me : & ther vpon j charged him as j was often wont of frendship to tell me what he thought of our bushoplike procedings . Wherto he answered / as in maters of religion veray well . But in other maters nothing so . For / saith he / j have entred talk with som that be most nygh of their counsall / and j perceav this by all their proceadings and purposes / that thei ar fullye bent to set vp the power of the clargie as hygh as ever thei were above the laytye / & j have good reasones that moveth me also to think this to be true . Whervnto j said / that can never be brought to pass . For although the noble men doo favoure their religion / yet will thei never suffer them to clyme so hygh again . Tush / saith he / thei shall first of al help them to bring to pass at this parliament / that thei wold / & then thei will have their hedes off one after an other . What / said j they will never so doo for the nobilitye favoureth them . Yea saith he / & thei favour som of them again . But thei love none of them all so well but thei love them selves better . Thei see that the wholl youth of the realme and especially of the noble and the worshipfull at infected with this heresie and new learning / and thei shall herafter vndoo againe all that thei now doo / and then the latter end shal be worse then the beginning / and therfore will thei chopp of the heads of the fathers and therby both their children ar disenhereted / and shall be hable to do no harm / & also thei may in their place make noble men of their owne kinred & frendes . What / said j it were to moche cruelty / whervnto saith he / yea yea thei think it is better an inconvenience than a mischieff . God deliver the noble bloud of england out of the daunger of thes dissembling wolves . But let the noble men considre how many of their owne frendes and most dear derlings / with whom they wer ioyned incōfederacye for the bushop of Rome / wretched winchester and develish drēmīg Duresme have brought to confusion / and they shall have sufficient warning how thei may trust thes bloudye butchers . If doctour ridley wer a lyve the bushop of Duresmes chaplein and one hand / he wold vouche it to his face / as he ded the last time that ever he spak to him / that he careth not whos bloud he shed to bring his purpose about And what wold this vnsatiable bloudsokīg hypocrite have cared to have wrought my destruction / whom he toke to be an enemie to his develish devises . He invented al the waies he could to bring me to revoke the truth : he caused two noble men to charge me with preaching / as he termed it heresie / he him self accused me that j had infected his wholl dioces with new lern̄ig / but when that wold not serve / by cause j had done nothing / but that was confirmed by the lawes of the realme / he was not ashamed to lay to my charge that j was not an englishe man borne : that j had exercised his office in his bushoprich / that j had brought in a wyfe of mine own in to that church wher never woman came be for . And then the .l. chauncelour chargeth me with contempt of the quenes highnes as though j shold have received thre letters of commaundment to repair & make myne appearaunce before the counsall and wold appear for none of them . If bothe thes butchers had bene so wel knowne to king Henry the eight for rank traitours to the crown of englond / as thei were indede / which now thei shew plainly as j am well knowen to be a mear naturall english man / they shold never have brought that noble realme now in daunger to be over runne & conquered with straungers : the which thing men that be half blinde may plainly see thei goo aboute . I never medled with his office / j was in daunger of muche displeasure as the honorable counsall did wel know / by cause j wold not take vpon me his office . And her in he vttereth his malitious hypocrisie / & what an vnshamefast bawd he hath bene / is / and wil be to the monkes of Duresme when he saith ther came never woman with in that house be fore my wyf came ther. For he knoweth right well that the church of Duresme was replenished with maried prestes be for bush . William by the helpe of lanfrank archbushope of Cantourburye did optaine lycence from pope Hildebrande to banishe the maried prestes & to bring monks from warmouth & jarrow . And also it is not vnknowen to hime nor to his chancellour nor to never one of his officers / that every monke of them all for the most parte hath a concubine in the towne / who hath come and doth come to their church & chambre / & no fault founde / but that honest men of the towne & also of the countrie ar offended therwith / but dare say nothing for fear of the great bawde ther patrone . Yea the bushope & his monks knew full well that j did knowe to moche of theyr jugling and ther for it was time to rid me out of the waye .