But here the learned perchaunce maie merueill , that I wold ioin with yowe in the scripturs considering the auncient counsell of Tertullian , who wolde not that anie catholique shoulde entre into disputacion with an heretique with the scripturs . Nihil proficit congressio scripturarum cum haereticis , nisi planè vt aut stomachi quis meat euersionem aut cerebri &c. To ioin ( saieth he ) in disputacion with heretiques with scripturs yt doeth nothing auaill , except a man will turne vppe side down either his stomacke or his brain . what shall thowe gain , thowe great learned man in the scripturs , when yf thowe defend anie thing yt shall be denied of the contrarie part : yf thowe denie anie thing , yt shall be defended &c. And after he concludeth thus : Ergo non ad scripturas prouocandum est &c. We maie not therfor appeall to the scripturs , neither maie we appoinct our disputacion in them , in the which ther ys either none or vnceten victorie , or not verie certen . For this cause , and for that S. Hierom saieth that Scripturae non in legendo consistunt , sed in intelligendo the scripturs consist not in reading but in vnderstanding : I haue trauailed by diligent scarching of the fathers from the Apostles to this our time , to trie oute by ther common consent howe the scripturs are to be vnderstanded , and so haue I ( as by a line drawen from hand to hand ) descended from age to age , that the true vnderstanding of them receaued and approued in all that diuersitie of ages and places , might be perceaued and knowen .

In this my doing I haue fulfilled the counseill of Vincentius lyrinen . who for remidies against errours among other willeth , that if anie errour hath ben committed in the olde time , either by certain men , or by anie one wholl citie , or by anie Prouince , to reforme that , the decrees of auncient generall Councells must be sought , and yf none soche can be founde ( as in these daies though they be fownd , they be not regarded ) then ( saieth he ) operam dabit , vt collatas inter se maiorum consulat , interrogetiue sententias &c. He shall geue diligence to seke and learn the iudgements of the elders , and conferr them together but of those elders onelie , which although they were in diuerse times and places abiding : yet in the Communion and faith of one catholique Churche , were allwaies allowed as masters , or men of autoritie . And what soeuer he shall knowe , what not one or two of them , but what alltogether with one consent haue holden , written , and taught openlie , commonlie , and continuallie , let him vnderstand , that that ys without all doubt to be beleued . Thus he . As this counseill ys on my part fulfilled in that I haue searched and conferred the iudgements of the fathers , and fownd them ( though they were in diuerse ages and places ) fullie and whollie agreeng in the matters of the presence of Chrysts bodie and blood in the blessed Sacrament , of the oblacion of the same , and of other articles apperteining ther to , whiche ( as in this worke yt maie be clerlie perceaued ) not one or two , but euery one of them haue , not obscurely but manifestlie , not in one place , or at one time , but commonlie and continuallie , holden , taught , and written : So wolde wolde I that yowe , M. Iuell , if yowe regarde the Fathers of the primitiue Churche in dede , as yowe bragge in woorde , that yowe ( I saie ) shoulde receaue and embrace these scripturs as expownded and deliuered to yowe by their hands , and their expositions to accept as a cleer and certen vndoubted trueth , whiche trueth so opened by them , I bring furth against your vntrueths , and not the bare scripture alone , as Tertullian wolde I shoulde not . This , I trust , yowe shall well perceaue , if leauing your corruted affection apart , yowe will with a cleer eie and vpright iudgement read this worke , wherin yowe shall see all the Fathers that commonlie haue , expownding the scripturs , written of these articles of the Sacrament , whiche yowe in your iolitie ( I will not saie more arrogantlie than as a chrystian preacher should , mekelie and lowlie , more rashlie , then wiselie or aduisedlie ) with so great bragge wttered in your sermon , all soche Fathers , I saie , shall yowe see , aswell grekes as latines , aswell auncient , as of later time , with one common consent and agreement , so expownding the scripturs as though they had ben in one time , and had conspired vpon one sense and understanding : all those shall yowe see impugning your negatiues , and by the scripturs affirming the catholike doctrine , and faith catholiquelie and vniuersallie professed , and thus shal the trueth of the scripturs ouerthrow the vntrueth of your heresies .

Nowe I haue in a generall maner shewed your offences , whiche moued me to write against yowe : in like generalitie I haue shewed howe I do procead against yowe : the specialitie of your offences and of the processe aunswerable to the same , yowe shall finde in this worke , though simplie without coolour , yet plainlie without craft , declared . Yf my trauaill herein obtein not his enrēded effect , namelie your conuersion and amendement , and to doo yowe that good that yow maie be staied from running to pertual damnacion : yet staing other that by your pestilent heresies might be brought to that wofull daunger , I shall not onelie do them that good I wish , but also helpe to make your damnacion the easier , whiche howe greuouse yt shall be , he knoweth best , that knoweth howe manie soules yowe haue brought to damnacion . Yf yowe being obdurated persist in your impietie , yt can not be auoided but yowe doe yt of malice , hauing ben aduertised and admonished of your wicked errours and heresies hertofore by doctour Harding and other , and nowe by me . Yowe knowe who saieth : Haereticum hominem &c. after one or two admonicions flie the companie of an heretique , knowing that soche one ys subuerted , forsomoche as he ys euen by his owne iudgement condemned . In dede being , as I saied , thus admonished , and seing with all your wicked doctrine by the whol multitude here alleaged , so plainlie and cleerly condemned , yt can not be but by your owne iudgement yowe must be condemned . For this ys so euidentlie true that yowe or any man can not denie yt , that no doctrine , nowe holden of the catholique Churche for a trueth , and impugned by the Sacramentaries , was euer yet at anie time by the churche , or by any catholique writer , reputed as heresie or errour . Again this ys as true that euerie doctrine holden of the Sacramentaries , and nowe impugned by the catholiques , hath ben before time of the catholique Church and wtiters reputed and adiudged erour and heresie , a fewe late inuencions onelie excepted , which also are now by catholikes impugned , and by plain testimonies of the auncient Church proued to be erours and heresies , and so condemned .

To make good the first saing , I will reherse certain catholique propositions : Chrysts bodie ys verilie in the blessed Sacrament . Chrysts bodie ys ossred in sacrifice in the Masse . The holie Sacrament ys to be reserued for the communion of the sicke . The blessed Sacrament maie be receaued vnder one kinde . The bodie of Chryste in the Sacrament ys to be adored . Saincts in glorie praie for vs and are to be praied vnto by vs . The dead receaue great benefitte by the sacrisice of the Masse . Praier and almose dedes doen for the dead doe auaill them . These and soche like the catholiques doe holde , the heretiques denie . I will not here proclame against yowe , but I will ioine this issue with yowe , that if yowe can bring anie catholique Councell or catholique doctour impugning these or anie of them , as hereticall or erroneous , I will subscribe vnto yowe and saie as yowe saie : yf yowe can not ( as I am sure yowe can not ) then will I saie , as I maie well , that your doctrine ys erroneous , hereticall , and deuelish . Nowe to saue your doctrine from this fowle reproache , proue by soche testimonie as I haue saied , that our doctrine ys erroneous , or ells the shame will be on your side that teach the contrarie

To make good my second assertion , I will also reherse certain propositions of your doctrine : Chrysts bodie ys not reallie in the Sacrament . The Sacrament ys onelie a figure of Chryste and not his bodie . The substance of bread ys not by due consecracion chaunged , turned , transmuted , nor transelementated into the substance of the bodie of Chryste . Ther ys no sacrifice of Chrystes bodie offred in the Masse . Praier and almose dedes nothing auaile the dead , neither the sacrifice of the Masse . These and soche like do yowe and your likes teache and defend , for the whiche I will ioin this issue with yowe , that if I haue not in this booke sufficientlie proued , or can not hereafter , if I be required , more fullie proue euerie of these to be erroneous and hereticall , and long agon for soche to haue ben condemned , I will subscribe to them , and consesse them to be good ? Yf I haue or can euidentlie proue them so to be , then confesse yowe them to be naught and deuelish . Yf yowe refuse thus to doo : yet for the defence of your doctrine , yf yt maie be defended , doo that to vs , that I haue doen to yowe . I haue doen to yowe in this booke three things . First , I haue shewed yowe the beginning of the doctrine of the bless . Sacrament , the progresse and continuance of yt , and the defence of yt . Secondlie , of the Masse which ys the solemne sacrifice of Chrysts Church , I haue shewed yowe good presidents , certen and assured practises , and these right auncient . Thirdlie , for the Sacramentaries doctrine , I haue shewed when yt began , by whom yt was inuented , when and wher yt was condemned , and so ce assed , and by whom yt was raised again in these our daies , in the whiche yt ys also laufullie again condemned . Nowe doo yowe the like , for your doctrine , and against ours , Shew the beginning , progresse , continuance and defence of your Sacramentaries doctrine . Shewe the originalls and auncient presidents of your Communion , which ys the kaie , and note of your religion , and conferre them as we haue done the Masse , with the auncient presidents of the primitiue Churche . Shew howe all your innouacions , whiche within these feweyears were in no place of the christian world vsed , were put down , howe and by whom that was compased : in what Popes time and Emperours reign they were suffred to be doen , yf anie suffred persecucion or exile for them , who stoode against these that ouerthrewe them , who wrote against them that banished your religion , and wher be the bookes , Yf your doctrine be so notablie good and ours so notablie wicked as yowe teache and preache yt to be , so great an alteracion and decaie of religion from so great a good to so grete an euell , coulde not be doen in the world withoute great note , without large testimonies of histores and cronicles of so lamentable a chaunge . Bring furth therfor yf yowe can the monimentes and testimonies of this chaunge : Yf yowe can not , wise man will thinke and beleue that ther was neuer none soche : Yf ther was none , them be your procedings but nouelties , inuented in these later daies , and neuer before in vse , and therfor well tearmed the newe religion , newe doctrine , newe faith , newe churche , newe Communion .

Two things , M Iuell , I doubt not , but yowe knowe . Thone , that in the primitiue and auncient church ther arose no notable heresie , but yt was spedelie impugned : Thother , that of the originall and progresse of euerie soch ther were notes made and moniments for memorie left . As concerning the first , yt ys certen , that euen in the beginning of Chrystes Church Ebion and Cerinthus sowing their heresie were streight impugded by S. Iohn , against whom he was moued to write his gospell and epistles . Against the same also with other , as Valentinus , Marcion , Cerdon , Symon Samarites Basilides , Carpocrates , and soch like , wrote the holie Father Irenaeus not long after , who , as in his workes yt maie be seen in diuerse places , vsed for an argument against those heretiques , the presence of Chrysts bodie in the Sacrament , and yet the same Irenaeus was neuer noted of errour for his so affirming and teaching . Origen his works being fownde inspersed with diuerse errours , was noted for them , but wher he testifieth the presence of Chrystes bodie in the bless . Sacrament , he was neuer blamed : Ciprian the holie martir was verie vehement against Nouatus the heretique , and his sect , he diligentlie laboured to cut of soche weedes . This holie man in the matter of the presence wrote so plainlie as no man more plainlie , he wrote also of baptisme . In the matter of the presence , the church hath allowed him , in the matter of Baptisme notwithstanding his holinesse they haue refused him . To be short Epiphanius and S. Augustine wrote bookes of the heresies of them that were before and in their times , and although manie besides the fore mencioned had spoken so plainlie of the blessed Sacr. that they cleerly confessed the presence of Chrysts bodie in the same , as Martialis , Ignatius , Iustinus , Tertullianus , Hilarius , and manie other : yet be none of all these nor none other for that doctrine nombred ther among heretiques , which vndoubtedlie they should haue ben , if the matter had so deserued . But trulie yt was neuer yet red in anie god writer , nor somoche as dreamed , that the confession of the presence of Chryste in the bless . Sacrament ys heresie or errour .

Nowe as touching histories witnessing the wicked beginning the miserable progresse , and open end and confusion of heresies , yt were superfluouse for me to write , sith ther hath ben no notable heresie or heretique , which are not recorded either by Eusebius , Teodoret , Sozomenus , Nicephorus , Aeneus Siluius , and soche other whose bookes be dailie in mens hands . By whom when your Sacramentaries heresie began we knowe , howe long yt continued openlie we knowe , who withstood yt and wrote against yt we knowe , in howe manie Councells yt hath be condemned we knowe . Furder who haue renewed the same in these later daies we knowe , when and howe Luther reigned we knowe : howe Oecolampadius folowed , though an other waie , we knowe , howe Caluine hath controled both catholiques and heretiques we knowe , what the doings of these and their complices haue ben and be , we knowe , and that they haue ben and be condemned for heretiques we know . To be short , ther hath ben no notable alteracion or molestacion in religion by heresie , but yt ys committed to memorie in histories . Yf then your doctrine and faith , your religion and profession , your notable Communion , or raither confusion , were once good and catholique , yt can not be but of so great an alteracion as to make catholique faith damnable heresie , or holie communion wicked diuision ther must be some notable mencion in histories or some auncient moniment in writing to declare yt . Yf yowe haue anie soche bring them furth , and then yowe shall doo fōwhat to allure wise men vnto yowe . For in this poinct I hold him nothing wise that will repute either your doctrine , faith , religion or communion to be good and catholique vntill yowe shewe good testimonies and presidents of the catholique vse of them , which I am certen yowe can neuer doo . As for soche euidences as your self nowe and your auncetours heretofore haue picked oute of the right and true euidences of the catholique Churche , I meen the holie scripturs , Councells , doctours , and approued histories , and with great boldnesse haue shewed them to the world and auouched them to be yours and to assure your cause , they are allreadie well knowen and tried not to be yours in dede , but to make all for the catholique faith and religion , and mightilie against your singular phansies and to ouer throw your wicked heresies , when they be plainlie opened , and deliuered from your craftie corruptions , as they haue ben by sondrie and manie famouse learned men as well in this age , as before our time . And I , to my power , haue in this booke , for soche matters as I handle , detected your forgerie , and corrupting of the euidences therto appertening , by your wresting , glosing , cutting , peicing , diminishing , adding , and other wise falsifieng the right , cleer , wholl , perfect , godlie and true testimonies of the scripturs , Councells and auncient doctours . And soch as be so flatte against your cause , as yowe can haue no aide of them , but be forced therfor either to depraue their authoritie with mocking and skorning , or flatlie to denie their workes , they are defended , and holden in their woorthie estimacions , and their denied works restored to the right authours . The first therfor , that ys the scripturs Councells and auncient doctours yowe can no more abuse for shame and chaleng to be on your side , when being sifted from your sleights , and clered from your falshead all men maie perceaue them not to be your right euidence , making , as thei do , so plainlie against yowe , and mightilie ouerthrowing your cause . The other , that ys , the later learned writers and holie fathers , yow maie no longer contemne being proued to agree , as they doe , with their elders and approued , as they be of the church , to be catholique and holie writers , your skoffesand mocks against them , will stand for no reason before wise men .

Nowe yowe vnderstand , M. Iuell , what I haue here doen , to the whiche yf either yowe or anie other for yowe shall by railing Rethorike make a pretensed answer , I do yowe to witte , that I will not vouchsafe to putt my penne to the papire for that kinde of answer . For I haue begonne with yowe in an other sort , and like a diuine , railing I haue left to ruffins and skoldes , and coolours of persuasions to rethoricians , directlie according to my profession with all plain trueth haue I proceaded . Yf answere therfor shall be made , let yt be either a direct answere or none . Direct answer ys soche as I make to yow , where yowe abuse the understanding of the scripture , or doctour , to proue the same vnto yowe : where yowe falsilie , to alleage the place truely : where yowe corrupt , to shewe the right saing : when yowe adde and put to , to declare what yowe adde and put to : when yowe leaue oute , to expresse the woordes so by yowe left oute . And finallie , by full , plain , and expresse testimonie of scripturs , Councells , or doctours , as the condicion of the matter requireth , to open and declare the trueth , and by like authoritie to proue and confirme the same . Thus haue I doen to yowe in plentifull maner , in euery matter here by me handled , so that the trueth of euerie thing ys so fullie opened , and by good authoritie so confirmed , that I trust , euerie man that will see maie see , and euerie man that will vnderstand , maie vnderstand , where the weight of the trueth ys .

Read therfor , M. Iuell , and diuorcing your self from vainglorie to the which ye haue hen a long time maried , let your understanding be captiuated vnto the seruice of Chryste , Let not your vain estimacion in errour and heresie detein yowe to come to the honorable estimacion , that ys gotten in the professing of Gods trueth . Let yt not be saied of yowe , as the holie father and Pope Leo saied of Eutiches : Noluit intelligere vt bene ageret . Iniquitatem meditatus est in cubili suo . My good will was that this mi doing should haue been in your hands a long timeer this , for yt was finished full three years past , but sicknesse , pouertie , and lacke of oportunitie to printe yt haue thus long staied yt . But sith nowe at the last yt ys by Gods helpe comed abroad , I heseche him of his great goodnesse to graunt that it maie be to his honour , and to the helpe of his people and that it maie be a medicine of health to yow , and all that by your false doctrine and sleight , haue been entrapped and deceaued . Yowe promised that yow wolde yelde to him that wolde bringfurth to yowe one scripture , or one doctour , or one Councell &c. as yow knowe : This being nowe doen by me and other I wish that yow maie yeld your self prisoner , not in warrelike maner to vs , but in lowlie maner to Christe , and his dere spouse the catholique Churche , by acknowleging their faith , and professing their religion to saue your soule , which we shal be most ioifull to vnderstand , and for your soch conuersion yelde to God most humble thanks . Yf yow doo not , yet let me wish yow for some better staie of your self hereafter , to haue this olde saing in minde : Ante victoriam ne canas triumphum .