To the godly Reader.

IT WERE BVT A NEEDLESSE
labour to make any particular recitall of those
poyntes of doctrine which this Church of Englande
at this day dothe holde and maynteyne, for
they be at large set out in sundry English bookes,
and especially in the Apologie of the Churche of
Englande, and the Defense of the same: summarily
also collected togither in the boke of Articles
agreed vpon in the Conuocation at London Anno.
1562. &c. this I dare boldly affyrme, that all
poyntes of Religion necessarie to saluation, and
touching eyther the mysterie of our redemption
in Christ, or the right vse of the Sacraments, and true manner of worshipping
God, are as purely and perfectly taught, and by publike authoritie established
in this Church of England at this day, as euer they were in any church
sithence the Apostles time, or now be in any reformed Church in the world:
the which to be true, those that be learned euen among the myslikers of this
present state can not, nor will not denie.
Likewise, that all Heresies, all corrupt doctrines, all superstitious and Papisticall
opinions, haue beene, and be by the Prince and the Realme banished, by
the learned Byshops and Preachers in word and in writing confuted, who is
so blynded with malice, that he can not see, or so frowarde and wilfull that
he will not confesse?
What shall we then think of those men, that are so farre from acknowledging
this singular and vnspeakeable benefite proceeding from the meere mercy
of God, so farre from beeing thankful for the same, from desiring the continuance
of it with harty prayers, that by all meanes possible they seeke rather to
obscure it, and to deface it, bicause in certayne accidentall poynts they haue not
their fantasies and proper deuises. If this be not to set themselues agaynst God,
and to trouble the peace of the Church for externall things which is schismaticall
let the quiet and godly Christian, iudge. How much better had it beene
for them to haue proceeded in teaching necessarie poynts of doctrine, and exhorting
to obedience, to concorde, to godly lyfe and conuersation, than thus
with no small reioycing of the wicked, great offence of the weake Gospellers,
maruellous grief of the Queenes Maiestie, and other that haue the care of gouernment,
frowardly to disquiet and disturbe the Church, trouble the happy
peace of the co~mon weale, and hazarde the whole state of Religion, they shall
one day if not to late well vnderstande.
Furthermore it behoueth all godly mynds, that wyll not be caryed away
wih rash and ouerhasty iudgement in this co~trouersie, to co~sider not only that
that I haue before spoken of the truth of doctrine publikely receyued and co~firmed:
but also circumspectly to weigh the circumstances of time, place, person,
and the whole state of things, nowe in this Church and Realme of Englande:
The regarde whereof in mine opinion, must needes cause in all discrete
heades a staye of iudgement, in comparison that the things themselues barely
considered, would doe. The state of this Church of Englande at this day God
be thanked, is not Heathenish, Turkish, or Papisticall, in which co~dition many
things might be done, that otherwise are not to be attempted: but it is the

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state of a Church reformed, and by authoritie and consent setled, not onely in
truthe of doctrine, as before is noted, but also in order of things externall touching
the gouernment of the Church, and administration of the Sacraments.
Wherefore the controuersie is not whether many of the things mentioned
by the platformers, were fitly vsed in the Apostles time, or may now be well
vsed in some places, yea or be co~ueniently vsed in sundry reformed Churches
at this day. For none of these braunches are denyed, neyther do we take vpon
vs as we are slaundered eyther to blame or to condemne other Churches for
such orders as they haue receiued most fit for their estates. But this is the whole
state of our controuersie, when we of this Church, in these perillous days, do
see that we haue a great number of hollowe hearts within this Realme that
dayly gape for alteration of Religion, and many mightie and great enimies abroade,
busily deuising & working to bring the same to passe, & to ouerthrow
the state both of Religion and the Realme: whether seeing we haue a setled
order in doctrine and gouernment receyued and confirmed by lawe, it maye
stande with godly and Christian wisdome with disobedience to the Prince
and law, and with the vnquietnesse of the Church, and offence of many consciences
to attempt so great alteration as this platforme must needes bring, and
that for matters externall onely, and with suche egernesse and bitternesse, that
they deface & discredite the whole state of this Church with al the Preachers
and Ecclesiasticall gouernours of the same, as remayning in horrible corruptions
and Antichristian deformities, and thereby fill the mouthes of the aduersaries
with greater matter of obloquie to deface the Gospell, than euer of them
selues they had beene able to deuise.
Surely I could neuer reade, but that they that should so doe, were rather
to be esteemed troublesome and schismaticall defacers, than zealous and godly
reformers.
I know that no Church can be so perfect in all poynts if externall gouernment
and ceremonies, but that suche as be disposed, may picke some occasion
of quarelling thereat, thoughe vniustly: therefore the true members of the
Church must not be too light of credite, not too ready to follow contentious
captaynes: For S. Paule sayth: Si quis sit contentiosus inter vos. &c. If any be contentious
among you, we haue no suche custome, neyther the Churches of God. &c.
Agayne when any thing is amisse, it must be considered whether the faults
be in the things themselues, or in the persons: for we may not with partiall
and corrupt iudgement impute the faultes of the persons to the things, whether
they be offices or ceremonies, for then should we continually be altering
the state, and neuer stande stedfast in any kynde of gouernment: therfore in
such cases we must seeke to reforme abuses in men, we must not pull away
the states and offices, or the things them selues, bicause they be abused by
some men.
But to let this passe and come to the purpose: this Replie of T.C. which is
of some counted so notable a peece of work consisteth of two false principles
and rotten pillers: whereof the one is, that we must of necessitie haue the
same kynde of gouernment that was in the Apostles tyme, and is expressed in
the Scriptures, and no other: the other is, that we may not in any wyse, or in
any co~sideration, reteyne in the Church any thing that hath bin abused vnder
the Pope: if these two postes be weake, yea rotten as I haue proued them to
be in this my Defense then must the buylding of necessitie fall. Touching the
first, it is to be vnderstanded, that there is a double gouernment of the Church,
the one spirituall, the other externall: Christ onely and none other by the operation
of his spirite & directio~ of his word spiritually gouerneth his Church,
and reignyng in the consciences of the faithfull, guydeth their myndes in all
matters of deuotion, fayth and holynesse: and this is the spirituall kingdome
of Christ, so much spoken of in the Scriptures, and specially in the Prophets:
of this kynde of gouernment I meane not. The externall gouernment hath
both a substance and a matter aboute which it is occupied, and also a forme to
atteyne the same, consisting in certaine offices and functions, and in the names
and titles of them: the substance and matter of gouernment, muste in deede be
taken out of the worde of God, & consisteth in these points, that the worde be
truely taught, the Sacramentes rightly administred, vertue furthered, vice repressed,
and the Church kept in quietnes and order. The offices in the Church
whereby this gouernment is wrought, be not namely and particularely expressed
in the Scriptures, but in some pointes left to the discretion and libertie
of the Church, to be disposed according to the state of tymes, places & persons,
as I haue further declared in my Answere and Defense following. Of the second
principle I haue also spoken at large there, so that I shall not neede to
trouble the Reader any further in these matters.
The proofes that T.C. vseth in this his Replie are grounded only vpon vntrue
allegations and interpretations of the Scriptures, vaine and childishe reasons,
falsifying the authorities of Doctors and other writers, vntruly ascribing
that vnto them, which they wrote not, as shall be euide~tly declared in this Defense,
by the grace of God: and surely I haue not redde many bookes wherein
so many grosse vntruthes are to be found, or wherein there is so many manifest
argumentes vttered, to proue the ignoraunce of the Author, and lacke of
reading auncient and learned wryters.
Touching his manner of writing I shall not neede to say much, for any man
of iudgeme~t, that readeth his boke may easily perceyue, with what hautines of
minde, what contempt and disdayne of others, in what sclaundrous and opprobrious
manner it is written. how oft doth he repeate M. Doctor, in contempt
either of the degree, or of the person? 370. times is the leaste: what other speaches
of disdaine and reproch doth he vtter? but I do nothing at all maruayle at
it, for I consider it hath benethe vsuall practise of sectaries and disquieters of
the Church. It is true that S. Augustine sayeth, Lib. 1. contra Donatist. cap. 11.
Nulli
schismata facerent si fraterno odio non excaecarentur.
None would make schismes, if the were not
blinded with hatred of their brethren. And againe:
An non est in schismate odium fraternum?
quis hoc dixerit, cum & origo & pertinacia schismatis nulla sit alia, nisi odium fraternum.
Is there not
hatred of brethren in schismes? who would say so? seeing that the beginning and continuaunce
of Schismes proceedeth from no other cause, than from hatred of our brethren.
I must therefore saye with M. Zuinglius: Scio quibus conuitijs & quantis furoribus illorum
hic me exponam. I knowe to what reproches and to howe great rages of theirs I make my
self subiect. And I wil conclude with him. Quamuis miris co~uitijs nos perstringere, & nouis
quotidie clamoribus mordere non definant &c. Although they maruelously slau~der vs, and dayly
with newe clamors, reuile and backbite vs, yet will I neuer leaue of the defense of the truth
before their contumacie be made knowne to all men. Who so peruseth suche learned
authors as had greate experience of the like kinde of men, he shall finde that
their especiall grace both in speaking and writing, hath bene in bitter inuectiues
agaynst other whom they haue enuyed and hated for some speciall causes.
M. Zuinglius in an Epistle that he writeth before his booke de Baptismo, speaking

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of the Anabaptistes sayeth thus: Hypocritica illorum humilitas illis satis nota & perspecta
est: qui cum his aliquando sermones contulerunt, quam scilicet sit illoru~ oratio omni felle amarulentior.
Their hypocriticall humilitie is very well knowne to those whiche haue had conference with
them: how that their talke is more bitter than their gaule. And in his boke de Baptismo, he earnestly
protesteth that he neuer found any thing in them, quam saturninam quandem
& melancholicam ingeniorum contumatiam. &c. and in his booke against Baltasar he sayth
that by dispraysing and reuyling others, they seeke to wynne credite vnto themselues. How
this qualitie agreeth with some of our men, and especially with the author of
this Replie, I am content that other men iudge. If I my selfe haue in wryting,
and in this Defense spoken something more sharpely, it muste be imputed to
myne infirmitie, and yet am I therevnto greatly prouoked: but herein as in
many other matters, I submit my selfe to the iudgement of those that haue authoritie
to iudge, and of those that be learned: for I am content still to make
this the foote of my song: Errare possum, haereticus esse nolo.
To those that be in authoritie I only speake as M. Zuinglius did to the magistrates
in his time, vpon the like occasion: Quod si hoc cuiuis hominu~ impune facere licebit,
vt que priuato suae rationis consilio adinuenit, in vulgus spergat, inconsulta, imo resistente etiam vniuersa
totius ecclesiae authoritate, breui plus errorum, quam fidelium & Christianorum in ecclesia erit
cernere. If it be lawfull for euery man to publish abroade among the people those things which
he hath deuised of his owne head, before he hath consulted with the Churche, nay agaynst the
authoritie of the whole church, in short time we shall see moe errors in the Churche, than there
be faythfull men and Christians. And againe, Si enim hoc permittamus vt capitosus quisque &
male feriatus homo, mox vt nouum aliquid & insolens animo suo concepit. &c. If wee suffer euery
headie and braynelesse fellow so sone as he hath conceiued any new thing in his mind, to publish
it abroade, gather disciples, and make a new secte, in short time we shal haue so many sectes
and factions, that Christe whiche scarce with great payne and labour, is brought to vnitie in euery
church. should be deuided agayne into many partes. Wherfore as you haue singularely
and with great wisedome and labour, already restored the true religion
of Christe, and banished all superstition and erroneous doctrine: So likewise as
the same Zuinglius sayeth in those perillous tymes, wherein Satan seeketh so busilie to
entrap vs so that with new contentions about externall things, he goeth about to trouble those
whome the sworde of persecutio~ eyther moued not, or terrified not looke wel about you, note
the craftes and subtilties of them: take hede of the pestilent windes of diuers doctrine, let none
trouble the gospell amongst you, or set you at strife and variaunce. And remember that as
the streame that commeth downe from the highe mountaynes beyng caused
by much rayne and snowe, taking euery thing that it meteth with, before it,
the further it goeth the greater strength, and the more aboundance of water
it gathereth, and first remoueth out of their places small stones, after with greater
violence, casteth downe strong bridges, yea huge and mightie rockes, and
encreaseth to that strength, that nothing, be it of neuer so greate force, can resist
or withstand it: and in the end leaueth nothing else behinde it quam inutilem luctum,
quarelas inanes, & miseram vastatorum agrorum & segetum formam: but vnprofitable mourning,
vaine complaintes, and a miserable forme of the spoyled fieldes: euen so, contentionum
pestis, & impia baeresis, eodem modo progrediens, non quicquam aliud quam turpem & calamitosam rerum
faciem, in florentissimo ante ecclesiae agro, post se relinquit. The plague of contention, and wicked
heresie proceding in like manner, leaueth nothing after it but a miserable and pitifull face
and shew of thinges in that place, which was before the flourishing fielde of the church. Consider
what the wiseman sayeth Prouerb. 17. the beginning of stryfe is as one that openeth
the waters. It had bene well if the beginning had bene withstanded: but
seing that was neglected, & rather by some furthered than stopped: yet now
it is tyme to make vp the breache. This is sufficie~t to you, whose wisdome and
carefulnesse is well knowne to all those that be not with sinister affection
blinded.
Those that be in the Ecclesiasticall state and desirous to kepe the peace of
the Churche I haue onlie to admonishe, that they be not discouraged from
doing their duties, bicause of the slaunderous reportes, and vnchristian tauntes
and contumelies, that our vnquiet brethren lade them with, knowing that it
hath bene the vsuall practise of all sectaries and especiallie of Anabaptistes,
who counte them all as wicked, and vngodlie, as worldlinges, and men pleasers,
as idle and slouthfull, that conspire not with them in their confused
platforme. I maye vse the same exhortation to you that M. Zuinglius vsed
in the like time, Nec quicquam vos moueant, atroces illae calumniae. &c. Let not those bitter reproches
and cauilling speaches, wherewith the Anabaptistes and others, studious of contention
and discorde, oppresse you moue you any thing at all, bicause you rather followe Christ,
than them: for although they cal you wicked, and infidels, yet your selues best know what your
co~fidence in God is, and what is your meaning and purpose, so that so often as they accuse you
of impietie, or of infidelitie, so ofte do they minister, manifest proofes vnto you, that their spirite
procedeth from the father of lyes. And marueile not at those bitter contentions:
you knowe it to be true, that the same Zuinglius also sayeth: Nec enim aliud est
communis illius hostis nostri ingenium. &c This is the subtilitie of our common enimie, this is his
manner, herevnto doth he bend him selfe whollie, and sleepeth not: that as sone as the lord hath
reuealed the light of his worde, he also by and by soweth darnell: this do almost all the Epistles
of S. Paule teach vs, wherein it is manifestlie declared that there hath bene alwayes some men
Pietatis simulatores potius quam cultores, rather feyners of holynesse than embracers of it, who for
certaine externall and vnprofitable things, doubt not to laye as it were greeuous stumbling
blockes, to the doctrine of the gospell. Onlie let vs be diligent in our vocation: earnest
against all kinde of enimies: feruent in prayers for the preseruation of the
Queenes maiestie, and for the peace of the Church, with the good successe of
the Gospell: and vigilant that errors be not published without controlement:
and, God will ere it be long, if our sinnes deserue not the contrarie giue
peace to this Church, as he hath done to other disturbed in like manner. To
conclude, I do charge all men before God and his Angells, as they wil answere
at the daye of iudgement, that vnder the pretence of zeale, they seeke not the
spoyle of the Church: vnder the colour of perfection they worke not confusion:
vnder the cloake of simplicitie they couer not pride, ambition, vayneglorie,
arrogancie, vnder the outwarde shewe of godlinesse, they nourish not contempt
of magistrates, popularitie, Anabaptistrie and sundrie other pernicious
and pestilent errors. The Lord make vs thankfull for his infinite mercies and
singular goodnesse bestowed vpon vs in thus long continuing his gospell:
preseruing our most gracious and louing Queene: and
ouerthrowing all the conspiracies and deuises that
the diuell hath hitherto inuented to
molest this state and
Church.