YOVR BOKE wrytten at the com­maundement of the byshop of Rome, cō ­teynyng suche thyn­ges, as ye thynke make moste to the restauryng of re­ligion, beinge brought vnto vs this laste moneth, styred dyuers men to speake dyuersely of you. And all be it I thinke you ought lytel to passe, what euery man sayth of these your deuyses, yet excepte men wyse and lerned do allowe them, I canne not thynke, that in any assemble of men mete to sytte in a councill, ye canne obteyne that you go aboute, that is to restore the churche vnto her olde [Page] state and pristine dignitie. For al be it, all thynges are to be redressed by good counsell, whyche you, beinge men of suche prudencie, may, yf ye lyste, lyghtly inuent, yet excepte the lerned sorte do approue your inuen­cions, men woll not thynke, that ye haue founde suche ways as ar most mete for that pourpose. Wherfore for as moch as I am nowe in those places, and amonge suche men, as prudently iudge of your busynesse, & seing I wel perceyued, what men iuge of you, I thought it very con­uenient, brefely in writing, to shewe you their sentences, that ye thereby maye perceyue, what they allowe, what they myslyke, and what they wolde haue handled after other sort than ye haue done. Many hope wel bothe in your lernynge and iudge­ment, whom also this new deuise of [Page] the byshop of Rome, bryngeth into good opinion, that one day a better agrement may be made betwixt vs. For as longe as the bysshop of Ro­mes eares were shytte agaynste all trouthe, and open to all flatterers, there was no place for medycine to worke in. But nowe sythe there is a byshop of Rome, whiche sekethe men, amonges whom some ar such as are not wont to flatter, some su­che as woll not lye, many of greate lernynge: Certes eyther nowe re­medyes shall be founde, to heale the great and longe disease of the sycke churche, or els it being beaten thus on euery syde, weakened, & decaied, woll vndoubtedly shortly all togy­ther falle. Those that were in your places before, wold acknowlege no faute. They styffely defended all to be wel done, that bishops of Rome [Page] hadde ben authors of. This errour is nowe taken awey by you, whyche shewe, not onely moche hurt and o­pen ruine of the church, but also cō ­fesse and acknowlege byshoppes of Rome to haue ben thautours of it, whyche beleuing in the sayinges of flatterers, thought them selfes lor­des of lawes. This youre sentence was very pleasant vnto al our men here, bycause they hope, euen as ye do se, the calamities of religion, the ruine of honestie, and vtter distru­ction of the churche, except remedye be found, that so ye wol as moch as in you lieth, staye these grefes, that they go no furder. It is a rare thing and moch more than menne coulde hope for, that there shoulde come a bishop of Rome, whiche shulde re­quire his prelates, vpon theyr othe, to open trouthe, to shewe abuses, to [Page] seke remedies for thē: so that if any thing be otherwise agreed vpon by you, than right religion may beare, the faute shall be yours, the byshop of Rome hath lytell here to be char­ged withall. Wherfore you that are chosen to so godly and necessarie a thyng, ye ought with all mature di­ligence, to study & labour, that this that ye haue begonne, may come to a good ende. AND seing you haue the byshops assent and commande­ment also, ye ought in no case, to let so godly a thynge, to quayle at your handes. If this bishop continue a­liue, and be styll of this mynde, if it be trewe that you saye, ye lacke no­thinge, but your owne good wyl, to retourne many commodyties vnto all men of Christis relygion. If he shall chaunge his mynde, yet you se there is a waye opened for all men, [Page] to enter into your dispraises, if ye be founde thoccasion, that suche hope as men are in, be nowe quite taken from them. For that that shulde be so cōmodious, so holsome vnto the hole world, ones power gyuē to you to brynge it to passe, yf ye lyste, can nat be neglected of you, withoute your great shame. Wherfore whyle it is his wyll, whiche beareth great­test strooke amonge you, ye muste whyle he lyueth, take the tyme, and let not suche occasyons slyppe. By this your industrie, fydelitie, pru­dence, and vertue, relygion, that is almost fallen, may be set vp agayn. If for age he be taken from you, yet ye muste nowe make suche founda­tions, that they whiche shalbe crea­ted after hym, may not let slyppe a mattier of suche weyght, withoute their gret shame. You must prouide [Page] that as sone as it may be, good men and well lerned in dede, may studye for the redresse of the churche. In these your labours, ye shal haue many that wol be gladde to helpe you, many princis, many their subiectis, whiche may make a iuste conuoca­tion, many many woll be gladde to helpe suche as frankely shewe theyr iudgementes, moche rather than those, that bynde theym selfe to the seruitude of flatterie.

¶ THE auctoritie of councils is de­cayed longe sythens, bycause they haue ben rather callyd for the satis­fyeng of the bysshop of Romes ap­petites, auarice, and ambition, than for the setting forth of religion. And also suche men haue come to it, as wolde not plainly expresse such fau­tes as they knew, but rather serued his turne, vnto whom they aknow­lege [Page] them selfis greatly to be boūd. For howe can a byshoppe of Rome think to be corrected of them, whose lybertie he hath taken away? whose wylles and fauourable voyces, he hath wonne with greatte rewardes and promyses. Wherfore ye thinke as ye shulde, where ye say, that a bi­shop of Rome ought not to be law­les, vnder no law, neither that what him lusteth, is lawfulle, but rather that he shoulde luste those thynges that lawes allow. Here ye haue go­ten great praise amonge oure men, bicause ye are the fyrst of this your order, that durste pronounce it mete for a byshoppe of Rome, to kepe al suche lawes hym selfe, as he wolde haue obeyed of the churche.

¶ALSO that that you sayde nexte vnto this, was spoken of you very prudently, that no lordshyp is com­mitted [Page] to the bysshop of Rome, but rather a certayne cure, by the which he maye distrybute thynges in the churche, accordynge to good order: and so that he is rather a curate of suche thinges, than a lorde of them, and that men are committed to his faithfulnes and dilygence, he hym selfe hauynge neither dition ne po­wer aboue lawes, no domynation, ne reigne, whereby he maye eyther chaunge or violate any lawe. If ye admitte this to be trewe, and wolle vtterly graunt vs this, a great part of our controuersie is taken away, grantynge vs also this, that we did not dissente from you without great and iuste causes. For yf ye wylle graunte it, to be onely a ministrati­on, that the Bisshoppe of Rome is chargid with, must you not agree to this also, that all other magistrates [Page] in the churche, be none other thyng, but minysters of dyuine cures: soo that yf their ministration be good, and for the welth of the church, and accordyng to the lawes, they shulde continue styll: if it be vnprofitable, hurtful, if it be ful agaynst y^e lawes, such their honor shuld be takē away from them, lyke as it is cōmanded in many places of holy scripture.

¶ Wherfore ye added this vnto the other very wel, that lawes ought to contynue euer, and that they might not be takē away, either by any by­shop of Romes priuilege, wresting, or indulgence. For if this were lau­full, what shulde be lefte vntouched in any place, what shuld be safe and sure, if whan wyll wolde, luste may dyspense with lawe? We see, whyle bishops of Rome, now of late haue take vpon them such dispensations, [Page] what windowes they opened for ti­ranny to crepe in at, for religion to crepe out at. Nowe where lawes be kepte, this also shall remayne, that they be made bishops, and teachers of the people of god, which ar kno­wen to be lerned, to be of great in­nocencie of life, to be of faithe and diligence in doing their duetie. For if we wol haue the world amended, we must haue the people good, well instructed and taught, they must be as a felde well tilled. Man is welle tilled, whan he hathe a good prea­cher, in whom is great knowledge, study, and pure mynd, without whi­che prechers, neither the people can be well taught, nor the church flou­rishe, neither the teachers owne au­ctoritie be estemed.

¶Agayne, what a goodly thing is it, that ye write of suche as commit [Page] simonie? which are so many, that if your sentence may haue place, and they remoued, as the law wil, which by force of frēdship or money, haue gotten promotions, ye shall scrape out many blottes, that nowe defyle religion, ye shal also with your ease come to that, that you seke, that is, that mete ministers be made in the church, ministers laufully created, which shuld haue both lerning and honest life, always presēt with their flocke, there doinge that that saynt Paule and generall councils, wold a sheparde shoulde do to his flocke.

These be the thynges, that make many of vs hope well of you, and thinke that ye intend wel. It is ve­ry new & strange, a thing scase hard of, that mē of your order shuld iuge freely. In thassemble made at Nu­remberge Adrian, than bishoppe of [Page] Rome, dyd aknowlege many suche thinges as ye do now: and all be it they wolde his auctoritie shulde be highest, yet there were verye many of other astates, that coulde not a­bide, that he shulde aknowlege su­che thinges to be true. I praye you is not this euen to graunt byshops of Rome impunitie of all that they lust? and yet whan they haue doone worst, to make thē thinke it a shame bishops of Rome to say they haue done euyl? Wherfore I must speke vnto you Contarene, and you Sa­dolete, and you Federike Salerni­tane, and you also whiche ar chosen to do this thing, I muste call vpon you, that you applie this mattier, & thinke that at this time it is put in your handis, to restore to the church both her helth and dignitie agayne. If you diligently and faithfully do [Page] as it becommeth to you to doo, you shall see a flourysshynge common welthe of Christe. If contrary wise you do it negligentlye, and thynke rather vpon your owne gaynes, thā vppon the amendement of thinges amisse, men herafter wol neuer seke redresse of matters at your handes.

But for as moche as I haue she­wed you, wherin your boke pleseth many, nowe I woll alsoo telle you, what many thynke wanteth in it. And here I woll let certain thinges passe, whiche seme very nedefull to be decyded. yet seinge they are by noughty custome longe sythens re­ceiued, I wol not now moche touch them. I can not see by what reason you can call the bishop of Rome v­niuersall bysshop, for as moche as saynt Gregorie, a man vehement, and very desyrous to amplifie that [Page] dignytie, refused this name, as a voyce of Antichriste. Lyke reason moued thother .xx. bishops, whiche were before Gregorie, to refuse that name, all be it the councill of Calce­donie gaue it them. But let vs passe ouer this disputation, and gyue for a season hym that nowe is, so to be callyd, we recke not so moche what he be callyd, as that he do such thin­ges as become him, that is, that his power and all his studyes maye be conuerted to the setting forth of the glorie of Christ. Tyranny is moche ageynst the setlyng of thinges, this title vniuersal bishop bringeth vio­lēce with it, violēce bringeth distru­ction of honesti. Wherfore they that be of great wytte and honestie, and can foresee thynges, wolde this v­surped title, thoccasion of all these hurtis, were taken away, as a thing [Page] verye pestilent. This cause moued Pelagius and Gregorie to refuse this name, all be it many good men beinge deceiued, frankely offered it to them.

¶Many men are sorie, that in this your deuise no mencion is made, De doctrina religionis, whiche moste speci­ally ought to haue bene intreated of. For to speake somewhat of this, what people, what citie, what mul­titude of men, in especiall throughe your dominions, canne you fynde, that is welle instructed in poyntes of religion? God semeth neuer to be more alienate from vs, than whan we be ignoraunte in his gospelle, whyche ignoraunce hathe bene soo great, that not only the rude people haue not knowen, what is contei­ned in holye scripture, but also this ignorance hath bene founde in bys­shops [Page] and cardinals of your order. In soo moche that we in oure tyme haue sene bysshoppes of Rome vt­terly ignoraunt of holye scripture, and all togither vntaughte in rely­gion. For to let passe Innocentius octauus, and manye other lyke, I pray you Sadolete, what lernynge or studie in holye Scripture was in Clement the .vii. whome you won­derfully prayse? Can you make any man beleue, that knewe hym, that he had any knowledge in holye scri­pture, naye, that he euer thoughte theron, to the ende he wolde eyther rede those thynges, whervpon oure religion is grounded, or here them declared to hym by anye other? I thynke that neyther you, nor any o­ther of those, whyche knewe the fa­cion of his lyfe, can remember, that euer Clemente for his knowledge, [Page] caused at any tyme a boke of scrip­ture to be caried about with hym. Thus whyle we cloke ignoraunce, while we say menne haue that they haue not, while we studye to please, oft tymes we assente to their vyces, & gyue very euyll example, by prai­synge theym that deserue disprayse, and oft times cause those that folow their vices, to think, that their fau­tes maye be borne, bycause that by our lies and flatteringes, Clemen­tes vices and suche other are coue­red. I woll not name other of your order, bothe men of filthy lyfe, and vtterly vnlerned. These examples that you haue had before your eies, might haue exhorted you to speake somewhat of doctrine. I doubt not but you knowe, howe necessarye a thynge the knowledge of Christis doctrine is. For if the mind be stired [Page] vp with lyuely teachyng, to put ful confidence in Christe, and is after this confidence fulle inflamed with the loue of religion, honestie, and goodnes, it is almoste necessary all kyndes of vyces to reygne there, where no voice instructed with godly sentences is harde, Christe muste nedes be vnknowē there, where his benefites with all his actes lie vn­spoken of, whiche is euen in euerye place, where you haue power & rule. What can be more folisher, than to take Erasmus colloquies, and sco­lastical disputations away, leauing vnto wycked fowle and inueterate custome, the rule of religion, and for holy thinges to teache trifles. I say not this, that I moche allowe the maner of our disputations, or that I thinke studies can nat be mayn­teined without Erasmus dialoges. [Page] Scholes vse many thynges in our dayes, that are to be corrected, elo­quence, wysedome, and knowledge in diuinitie, maye well be attayned without suche wayes as men nowe vse: but yet it greueth me, that ye omytte thynges of moste weight, ye and most necessary, whyle you em­busy your selfes aboute smalle and tryfelynge matters. Howe be it we feare that Erasmus colloquies are not banysshed oute of the schoo­les by you, bycause they hurte good maners, but rather bycause they doo note manye thynges, whyche lawfullye maye be reprehended in you. As longe as Erasmus was alyue, ye coulde allowe his wry­tynges, or atte the leaste ye coulde keepe your selues frome reprehen­dynge theym. But to lette these thynges passe, we must here stycke [Page] with you, and saye that ye oughte, where as ye so ernestly touche suche trifles, somewhat to haue sayde of this, that in Fraunce and Italy the gospel is neglected, fansies and fa­bles are taughte, and ignoraunce of relygyon taken for beste excuse. Who seethe not, howe all thynges are tourned frome trewe to false, from godlynes to lucre, from beste to worste? For what thynge can be taught sincerely there, where super­stition is come into the place of re­lygion, mannes philosophie, into the place of diuine wisedome, So­crates for Christ, Aristotle and Pla­to in stede of holy wryters? And yet I wolde not these thynges so to be taken, as thowghe I dydde dys­prayse phylosophie: for this kynde of lerning hath many commodities in it, but yet the thing standeth thus [Page] that excepte mans minde be guided and ledde with diuine knowlege, it wandereth oute of the ryght waye, gadding hither and thither, vncer­taine where it maye stande. For as longe as the minde is not constant, whiche is while ignoraunce ruleth, howe can men do their duetie?

¶It was meete, ye shoulde haue thought somwhat vpon these thin­ges, and that an amendement of a­buses, is than lyke to be had, whan mens mindes are better instructed in religion. Blindnes of witte, and ignorance of goddis worde, hathe bothe brought in many euyll thyn­ges, and driuen awaye many good. I see not howe this your way maye be defended, except ye thinke thus, by good ministers, being ones lau­fully instituted, true doctrine maye be easily restored. Wherof ye coulde [Page] make no mēcion in this your deuise without great offence of thē, whom ye take for greattest. But if it be so, that you beinge sworne to vtter to the bishoppe suche thinges, as you thought metest to be reformed, can not without greate feare speake of thinges very necessarie, lest ye shuld alienate those frō you, which beare the greate stroke, what hope & trust may we haue, that the olde and true ecclesiasticall discipline shall be re­stored again by you? One of these thre thinges must be true, either ye hate the trouthe, and so doo dissem­ble, or els for feare ye dare nat vtter it, and so kepe it downe by your mi­nysters, or elles ye mynded not the trouthe. If ye woll say, ye mynded not the trouthe, ye condempne your selfe, yf ye lay feare for your excuse, we wol be sorie, that the trouth may [Page] not come into the lyght, for popishe power and cruell tyrannye. Certes eyther ye hate trouthe, or elles they be afrayde of it, whome ye haue in reuerence for their ample benefytes towardes you, and whome ye alsoo feare for the great power they may vse agaynst you. Ye can nat be ig­norant in this, the hole worlde kno­weth, that the gospelle of Christe is taken from your churches. Menne wolde this gospelle were restored a­gayn, and though ye saye nay, they woll haue it again. Your threttes a­uayle littell, your priuey watches ar not regarded, your turmentes, your fyre shall haue lyttel place herafter. The mischefes be openid on the one syde, the benefytes on the other, frō the whiche yf ye go aboute to kepe all men, ye must be at warre, not on­lye with menne, but with god and [Page] Christe also. Oure menne haue no greatter argument of your fal, than that they see, ye haue a vayne hope, vtterly to oppresse truthe: ye seke to doo youre lustes, by vyolence and strengthe, rather than by common counsell and lauful disceptation: ye seke to abuse kynges and their auc­toritie, rather thā to mayntein your owne, accordynge to the olde dysci­pline. Ye maye so stire vp mens sto­makes agaynst you, that except you vse lesse proteruite and stubbernes, than ye haue heretofore, they wol by force of armes seke to oppresse this your power. I pray god I be decei­ued in thus prophecienge. I praye god that concorde and conformitie of mindes may rather make a peas and tranquillitie, than men be dry­uen to amende thinges by strengthe and manslaughter.

[Page]¶I pray the Contareyn, the The­atine, the Sadolete, the Friderike, I beseche you for the lernynge, pru­dencie, industrie, and vertue that is in you, loke vppon the calamities, whiche do afflict the common welth of Chrystendome, brynge equitie with you, vse indifferencie, whiche is verye necessarie in thinges thus troublyd. You Sadolete doo laye many thinges to our charge falsely in your dialogues. Surely but that I thinke ye do it rather vpon igno­rance and fals persuasion, than by iudgement, I see not howe you can excuse this your facte, if good men be iudges betwixte you and vs. We do not aknowledge suche fautes to be in vs, as ye charge vs withal, we take all men to wytnes, that iudge truely. We doubt not but they wol say our doctrine lacketh suche fau­tes [Page] as ye fynde in it. If you come to iudge with this opinion in youre heed, condemnynge our writynges before you se them, we can not giue you the prayse of equitie, of good doctrine, of faythfull handlynge of thynges, of godlynes, which al we wyshed to be in you. The vnworthy handlynge of thinges carieth me a­way, sorowe troubleth me, doloure causeth me to write somewhat more sharpely than myn entent was: and yet who lusteth truely to iudge, shal finde this to be an admonition of one that coueteth to shewe him selfe a citesin of Christis common welth, ennemie to no man, ennemye to no­thing, vice only excepted. We striue not with you for any matter of our owne, We contende not with you for your possessions, whiche I and ours grant you without any enuie, [Page] we doo not contende ne desyre, that you be put downe. We seke not, that your power vtterlye be taken frome you: My desyre is, with all the reste of our sorte, that the congregations auctoritie maye stande faste, we la­bour, that if we shall leese all, that yet we may kepe the doctrine of the gospell, for the teachinge of goddis people, that they being heyres with Christ, may know their fathers wyl by Christe. euery man wold his last wyll were knowen to his heyre, lette Christe haue suche libertie with vs, let his testament and last wyll, con­teynynge in it nothyng but wordes of lyfe, sentēces declared by goddis own voice, left vnto vs as wytnes­ses of his assured promises, decla­rīg the iust title that we haue to our inheritaunce, let this be taught vn­to all men. Wherfore good men do [Page] require, that you take more hede of goddis doctrine, whiche as it hathe made them moche better than they were, or without it, coude haue ben, so they thynke it may and wol work lyke effecte in all other after this. If you woll kepe suche richesse, power, and possessions, as ye haue, our de­syre is, that you so kepe theym, that men may perceyue, ye haue them to the amplifieng of religion, & setting forth of the glorie of Christe.

¶Nowe what saye ye of the sacra­mentes and ceremonies of the churche? Is not the vse of them al won­derfully defyled? and yet ye thynke noo remedy is to be inuented for the abolysshynge of their fylthy abuse. Noo, noo, you holde youre peace, as thoughe this parte of Relygy­on were veray cleane, no faute to be founde in it. To speake somewhat [Page] de Eucharistia, haue you not peruerted the vse of this sacramēt, with y^e name also? For where as it was first instituted, as a thynge to lyft vppe mens hartes vnto hope and faythe, and profited none but suche as toke parte of it, you haue made it a soli­tarie and a priuate worke, or at the least ye haue yelded so moche to the couetousnes of priestes, that they haue of a franke and free commu­nion, made it a faire marchandyse, and their praiers very salable by it, in so moche that we be come to that poynte nowe, that a greate sorte of men thinke, the masse can doo more for vs than Christis deathe. This also is taken for truthe, that though men do not correcte their lyfe, ney­ther absteyn from their wickednes, yet these holy and annoynted mar­chauntes may obteyne forgyuenes [Page] of synnes for theym: And that the auctoritie of this institution shulde be counted the greatter, they thinke that euen the very heryng of masse is of greate momente to swage the anger of God, and to mitigate the peyne due for synne, not only paste, but also for those that they purpose in their mynde to do. And we bothe by holdynge our peace, and also in very dede do allow the same abuse, which is brought in against the in­stitution of Christ, the vse of the a­postels, contrarye to the custome of our forefathers, against the expresse wordes and mind also of the lawes. And that this abuse might cōtinue the longer, and not be perceyued, masse by the ennemie of god hathe ben brought into Italye, Fraunce, Germany, Spayne, to be said in la­tin, which ofte tymes is not vnder­stande [Page] of the priestes theym selfes, moche lesse of the poore menne that stande aboute it, beinge labourers, workemen, nothynge lesse than sene in latyn. Agayne the priestes eate alone that that many shulde eate of, the deathe of oure lorde, and verye lorde is not there declared nor she­wed to the people. They bryng men into a certayne feare and consterna­tion of mynde, they labour not, that men may haue a true confidence in Christis promyse, they studye not, that by the memorie of Christe, our hope shulde be encreased, oure cha­ritie and loue towarde god and our neyghboure augmented, but ende­uour theym selfe as though it were with certayne iugglynge castes, to brynge the people from ryghte Iu­gement.

¶Nowe as the solemne vse of this [Page] sacrament is defourmed, soo many other ceremonies are peruerted. Images whiche at the beynnynge were set vp onely for to make vs re­membre thynges absente, are nowe highly worshipped. At the fyrst men dyd but loke vpon them, nowe they fall vpon their knees before them, they pray to them, and are many so­lemne peticions of them, they trym vp theyr bones with golde, they set vp their sepulchres, they fynde stoc­kes, before the whiche mens myn­des, while they worshippe that they ought not to worshyp, are poluted. Scase the Egiptians were so folish in their religion, as we be in oures, whiche haue a certaine facyon pre­scribed vnto vs of god. We thinke god chaungethe his wylle, as the tyme is chaunged. We thynke we maye sette vp grauen Images, [Page] caste images, and painted stockes, we haue imagined saint Christofer, to be moche holyer than Abraham or Iosue. The Iewes coulde not worshyp Moyses as a god, we may bowe and knele to saint Damyans image. We thinke we honour them verye lyttell, excepte we giue vnto theym, parte of our goodes and in­heritaunce.

What shuld I say of your indul­gences and pardons? as their name is newe, so the thing is fainid, vain, and very foolyshe. What shal I say of your penance, that you are wont to enioyn such as confesse their fau­tes? are they not false, peruerse, in­uēted rather for lucre & tyranny, thā for thamendement of his lyfe, that seketh remedy? Ye thynke all suche as in dede seke for salues to cure the diseases of sycke soules, worthye to [Page] be hurlyd out of the church: ye con­demne them of heresie, whiche doo what they can, to bringe in pure re­ligion ageyne: ye saye they take a­way the lyghte of religion, whiche go aboute to purge ceremonies: ye say, that they ryfle thautoritie of the churche, which go about to cōfirme it. Wold god our intentes and your thoughtes, coulde be layde before mens eies: truly we shall not haue the assente of other nations, before your dedes be soo opened, that they may not only be perceiued, but also sene with mennes eies. For I pray you, what thinge els doo you, than vnder the colour of correctinge of a fewe thinges, go aboute to recouer your vsurped auctoritie, iustely ta­ken from you by certayne nations? what coueit you more, than that you maye distroy them, whose industrie, [Page] faith, constancie, and loue of religi­on hitherto withstand your appeti­tes. Certes you might lightly bring this to passe, yf you coulde calle su­che a councill, as the council of Cō ­stancie was. Men do not meruayl, that there be a fewe thinges in this your deliberation, whiche may seme to shewe a certayne simplicitie, and a good mynde towardes religion. For great myschiefes are to be sha­dowed, vnder the image of vertue: men that haue iudgementes be sory to se you so busye in maynteynynge vayne ceremonies, and to passe o­uer trewe doctrine, as a thynge not worthy to be regarded. I pray you, howe greatte a thynge is hit, or to what pourpose, that you speake of relygiouse mennes apparayle? Our forefathers toke it for a great shame, that religion shulde be tried [Page] by this cote, or that cote, by this co­lour or that coloure. Doo not those rules of monkes, whiche are ascri­bed to saynt Augustine, saint Fran­cis, saynt Benedicte, forbidde nota­ble facions of garmentes in a soli­tarie relygion, and counte religion to stande in good lyfe and honeste maners, nothyng lesse than in cou­les and kyrtelles? Your ceremonies be as acceptable vnto God, as the fastynges of the Iewes were vnto Christe. O cruel deuotions, in whi­che whan people ar ones intanglid, therto allured, either by fals super­stition or foly, there is noo hope to get out of that dungion, wherin bi­cause a man falleth without consy­deration or aduysement, he loseth all lybertie, and can nat retourne to the state and dignitie that nature [Page] set him in, to the whiche god calleth hym, where also he might doo more good to the common weale, than he nowe can, beynge in bondage and seruitude. What steppe of religion remayneth among monkes, sithens ye brought theym to certayne deuo­tions against their wyll, to certaine ceremonyes that can nat be ended, but whan lyfe departeth? How ma­ny of those poyntes shal ye fynde in monkes nowe adayes, that sayncte Augustine and Chrisostome doo re­quire in monkes? Those that God calleth to teache his people, ye shut vp within cloyster walles, amonge an ydel sort of men. they that might do good in the common assembles of their coūtreye, after ye haue ones made them religious, may haue nothing to do with the cōmon welthe. suche as nature hath giuen quicke­nes [Page] of wytte, loue towarde letters, study and time to attayn knowlege, those you ioyn with such as neither loue lernynge, nor them that be ler­ned. Our forefathers dyd institute this monkysshe lyfe, bycause they wolde haue men holy, lerned, fytte to serue their countrey, and not that they wolde them to tarie perpetual­ly in a corner sole, doinge good to no body. Wold god you could bring monasteris to their right vse agein. Howe many flourishynge common weales shulde you than see? What plentie of goodly wyttes? what co­pie of good and lerned men? You lacke nothinge to thestablysshinge of high tranquillitie and welth, but a good wyll to gyue honest counsel. But there be two thynges, whyche beare a great stroke in all mattiers, and they bothe are agaynste you in [Page] this contencion, Knowen trouthe, and Lyfe worthy commēdation, For the way that ye haue inuēted, in forbiddinge priestes mariages, can nat be com­mended in men that lyue so fleshly, as priestes nowe adayes doo. It is foolysshe, and moche agayne rea­son, that you wolde the decrees of a fewe later popes to be kepte, and the constitutions of the Apostelles, and also the decrees made in the coū cill at Nece to be broken. For all be it after this Councille, there were newe lawes made, whyche plucked frome the clergie their wyues: Yet were there some nacions that kepte theyr holde, and wolde not let thyn­ges be taken from theym, that they sawe nature requyred, and oure for­fathers allowed. At the last, Gre­gorie the .vii. came, whyche by vio­lence stirring vp moche contention, [Page] vtterly forbadde priestes to marye. But Pius the seconde spake moche more godly, whyche was wonte to say, that there were great causes to plucke wyues from priestes, but yet moch greatter causes to gyue them wyues agayne. If ye hadde folo­wed this mannes sayenge, as ye ought, ye shulde haue done moche better seruyce to the bysshoppe of Rome, than ye do now. For you se, what great hurte we haue thereby, & howe the churche is spotted with the wanton and fylthye pleasures of priestes: whych thynges we can not forgette, yet they maye, yf you woll, with the consent of good men, be taken away, and the old custome restored.

¶These be the thynges that make our men, whose special care is, to se religyon flourysshe, to thynke as [Page] they do of you. For where as ye say the bysshop of Rome is not a lorde of thynges, but a dispenser: where ye wolde the canons and decrees to be perpetuall, not ones to be made, and after broken: where you take a­way simonie, where ye require mete ministers, they highly allowe it, and moche desire y^t ye thinke as you say. For they that loke ernestely vppon your deuises, are affrayde, bycause they se you passe nothing of true do­ctrine, bycause you suffre the vse of sacramentis to be peruertid, bicause they see you occupyed in thynges partely lyghte, partly false, bycause they see you carefulle for relygiouse cotes, for priestes mariages, and li­telle or nothynge to studye by what meanes the great sores of the chur­che maye be healyd, but rather to serche ways to dispatche al suche as [Page] in any poynt go about to bryng you to the doinge of your duetie.

¶Furthermore as al these thingis that you write of, if they come oone by one, be either vayne, wycked, or fals, soo if they come all togyther, they be suche, as in our time can not be broughte to passe. For it can not be suffered, that ye most desire, that is, they may not be iudges, that are moste worthy to be accused. For se­ing you wol thauctorite to be theirs, that are nowe chiefe and principall in the churche, whiche if the ancient lawes might florishe & haue place, shulde haue littel or no power at al, what thinge shall we hope for, to be ryghtely decreed of you? There be many, which partly by succession of great inheritance, partly by the be­nefittes of kynges and princis, are so auaunced in welth and riches, so [Page] corrupted in maners and lyfe, that they can in noo wyse susteyne your correction: they may disanull your sentence verye well, forasmoche as you woll all iugement and auctori­tie to be in them. They wol not for­sake the trade of their lyfe, vsed now a longe season, auarice woll not let them, ambition wil not suffer them, their other fantasies and pleasures can not abyde an honest reformatiō whiche fansies no man liuynge can take from them, nor redresse, except it be by death or vyolence.

¶Wherfore except you graunt vs to haue mete and conuenient iuges, that may brynge with theym to the councill, trouthe, and lybertie, to say as they shall thynke, ye shall neue [...] amende thinges amisse in the chur­che. For lyke as CHRISTE dydde nat commytte the amendemente of [Page] the Synagoge to the Priestes and Pharisees thereof, but to the Apo­stelles and his mynisters, as oure forefathers dyd not commytte Re­lygyon to the collegyate priestes of Grece, or of Rome, but vnto them, which were confyrmed by the goodnes and myght of god: so ye ought to commytte the common welthe of Christe, to suche as can be contente to vse their dignitie to the settynge forthe of honestie and relygion, and not to suche as abuse theyr offyce, to the defacyng of trouth, Relygyon, & all godlynes. Ye caste those out of youre Churche, whyche note youre vyces, and those that haue mooste nede of all to be corrected, ye make arbytrours and iuges. Is this any other thyng, than to let olde rotten bowes growe stylle, and to plucke [Page] vppe the yonge plantes that nowe begyn to springe in groundes more fertile thā yours is? I say not this, that I wolde men shulde thinke, I iuged none amonges you to fauour the trouth, or that at leaste there be not some of your syde, whiche wold religion were redressed: but I speke it, bycause ye woll such to haue au­ctoritie, as shulde, if lawes myghte haue their places, if canons myght beare the stroke, if symonie were ta­ken away, if fytte and true miny­sters were ordeined in the churche, not onely change their maners, but also leaue their astate and kynde of lyuynge.

¶The bysshoppe of Lege, a man of the same place that ye are of, ve­ry couetous, verye cruelle, and no­thing lerned, is (as ye know) depar­ted: ye haue manye suche monsters [Page] with you at this present time, in the court of Rome. I wol not name thē that be alyue, I speake of that holy byshop, bycause it is well knowen, what he was: If ye gyue menne of his sorte lycence to iuge, and make suche decrees, as they wolde were made, you may be assured, they wol neuer admytte yours, neither any other, that shall be oughte worthe. Wherfore menne thynke, that you haue taken vppon you this consul­tation in vayne: They feare ye cast them in a vayne hope, you doo soo surely, except this kynde of iudges be reiected, and suche chosen as loue moche more the common welth, thā their priuate commodities.

¶But nowe lette vs come to this, that ye say of the byshop of Rome, you woll thre thinges to be in hym. First, that he be byshop vniuersall, [Page] secōde, that he be byshop of Rome, Third, that he be a prince and lord of certaine franke cities and common welthes. Of these thre we graunte hym but one, that is, to be byshop of Rome: for this is his function, this is his office, & this alone appertai­ned vnto hym as longe as Christis doctryne flouryshed: thother twain he hath & dothe vsurpe arrogantly, moche agaynste the worde of god, and farre contrary to the aunciente custome of the apostels. But where as many thynges oughte to be cor­rected amonges you in your owne consistorie, of what one I pray you, do you admonyshe the byshoppe of Rome? wherin do you rebuke him? Do you lay anything to his charge for the treadyng downe of Christis doctrine? Do you write any thinge of his ambition, any thynge of his [Page] corrupte and vicyous maners, any thynge of suche shamefull and ab­hominable crimes, as can not with­oute greatte greefe be named, nor thought vppon without moche of­fence of chaste myndes? ye speake of priestes garmentes, and of the horedome of Rome, here ye make a great complaynte, here ye be longe and very copious: but of the depra­uate vse of the Sacramente, you speake neuer a worde. If ye suffre these abuses in Rome, What shall suche nations doo, as oonely feare your name, and can not here youre voyces, beinge farre from you, nor be taught, your neglygence beinge so greatte as it is? What shall we think you wol do in other matters, whan in a thyng most weighty and necessarie ye be soo negligent? For where as that sacrament was insti­tuted [Page] by god, not inuented of men, taken from aboue, not giuen vs for a season, lefte with vs from the be­gynnynge, halowed, not boughte, sent vs from god, not gotten by fa­uour of men: a thynge not to be o­ther wise vsed, than it was fyrste or­deyned fore, a very gyft, and gyuen to a certayn ende: Do not we worse than yuel, by our craftes to change and conuerte it to disceytefull mar­chandise, to let no man be parttaker of it, but suche as pay, and such as beleue the spottes of the sowle, be washed away therwith, suche as be­leue the grefe of conscience is taken awaye by it? It hath chaunced in this thynge, as it lyghtlye dothe in all other, Those that are beste, are soonest brought out of order. This, bicause it cometh not vnder the eye of man, but is comprehended alone [Page] by thought and cogitation, may be lyghtly stayed, stopped, and altered, by false perswasion, whiche the rude multitude, dotynge age, and longe custome, ofte tymes bryng men vn­to. If the wyl of god, were as sone perceyued in a mans harte, as the fyre is, whan it is put vnto any part of the body, we myght care the lesse to seke the right knowledge of god. No man crieth, but whan he is pei­ned. But for as moche as we haue nede of quyckenesse of wytte, indu­strie, and diligence, we do very yuel to thynke no parte of the bodye of Christe diseased, where many par­tes are sore sycke: worse, to be negli­gent in redressynge and curynge of them, where good men haue openid their diseases vnto vs. In your coū sell ye disclose certayn lyttell soores, but the roote of them, whyche be in [Page] those membres, without the whiche lyfe can not contynue in the bodye, you speake nothynge of, neyther ye do marke, that the very bloudde of the churche and body of Christe, is corrupted, the liuer infectid, the hart and the brayne diseased, and the lū ­ges tendynge to putrifaction. For as the body of man can not conty­nue without bloudde, without the lyuer, without the harte & the loun­ges: so the relygion of Christe is by and by lost, where as true doctrine, good intente, good mynisters, and the right vse of religion is not. If ye wol restore agayne the ryght vse of suche ceremonies, as be not con­trary to Christis lawes, yf you woll suffre euery man to haue knowlege of the gospell, yf you woll graunt, that men may be laufully assembled togyther: yf you wolle make good [Page] rulers in the churche: we wol ioyne with you, ye shall fynde nothyng in vs that ought to greue you, we wol forget all olde grudges.

¶You deeme wrongefully of vs, where you thynke, that we wolde haue all ceremonies taken awaye: For whan we sawe the moste parte of them very naughte, we reteyned styl the necessarie, and threwe away the naughtye: and yet we are in de­uysinge, whiche of the reste we may kepe or amende. For this I knowe assuredly, more reuerence is borne among vs to the sacramentis of the Altare and Baptisme, thanne is in those places, where your customes are yet maynteined. Our holy days are so well appoynted, so bestowed in honest vacation, that they maye be more than comparid with yours. And seing that all these thynges be [Page] foule out of order, not only in other places, but also in Rome at the bys­shops nose, it were your dutie to set them forth to be amended.

But thus farre we haue spoken of the byshop of Rome, why do you speke nothing to proue him a prince as ye call hym? where hath he right to vsurpe states in cōmon welthes? By what ryght hath he Rome, Ra­uenna, and other cities, by whatte ryght hath he mynished the empe­rours power? It is a holy poynt to take the charge and rule ouer wy­dowes, and fatherles chyldren, and to maynteyne their goodes in safe­tie: and yet the lawe woll not, that men of the clergie meddell with the one or thother, though it be a thyng very necessarie. Nowe if the lawe wol not suffre them, to meddel with the orderynge of pryuate mennes [Page] goodes, wol you, that he take vpon him, to rule a hole comminalte, whi­che is expressly forbidden, as a thing not lauful for him that rulith y^e churche. And though it were not forbyd by the lawes: yet bycause it is not mete, that one manne shall rule in so many matters, in so many places so farre a sonder, you lyke prudente men shulde haue counsayled youre byshop, to haue imployed the most parte of his care, in the redressynge of Christis religyon amonges his people. It is yet freshe in memorie, what warres, what manslaughter, what ruine hath ensued, sithens bi­shops of Rome haue taken vppon theym, to be kinges and lordes of states. If ye wyll styll maynteyne and kepe his authoritie hoole and sounde, ye muste scrape oute these blottes, by holy gouernyng of god­dis [Page] people, and increasynge of true religion. It is not inoughe for you to haue kinges to fight in your quarel, that you may reigne continual­ly, and reteyne stylle your myghte, strengthe, and power: excepte you fulfylle those thynges, that ye pro­fesse, except ye restore agayne Chri­stis religion in those cities, where ye haue caste it out, except your lyfe be suche, as Christe requireth, excepte ye intende nothynge, but that that good menne allowe, excepte you can procure the fauour of god by o­ther meanes than ye haue done hy­therto, excepte ye do this, ye shall se shortly, that they, which now main­teyn you, wol endeuour them selues to plucke you downe to your confu­syon. Ye can neuer make the name of Luther so hated, but that whan your falshod is knowen, the trouth [Page] woll appere.

¶ Thus haue I brefely shewed, what men that can iudge of religi­on may allowe, and what they mis­lyke, in youre dyuysynge together: Now shal I shortly shew you, what men also se lackinge in you, to the gyuinge of good counsayle in thin­ges amysse. First to make a perfect worke, and to redresse that, that is amisse, the chiefe fundatiō and rote of all muste be, the true knowlege of scripture, of this ye shuld haue spo­ken and admonysshed the Bysshop of Rome. This knowlege is vtter­ly depraued and not had. For where so euer be no teachers of the gospel, there mans mynde can not be lyfte vp vnto God, nor haue no perfecte affiance in his promyses. And with­out this affiance, we haue no hope of saluation. Therfore for as moch [Page] as amonges you, sainctes merites are more estemed, then the voyce of Christ: priestes disceytfull ceremo­nyes more than true prayer, popes pardons and absolution more than the promyse of god: temporal peyne of the body, more then the amende­ment of the lyfe: it shal wel appere, that neyther true religion is taught in your churches, neyther stedfaste affiaunce in Christe is, where you teache, neyther knowen, which way helthe of soule maye be goten. Lernynge entreth into the harte by the eares, and some thynges are taught (as saincte Austen iudgeth) by ceremonies, as well as by wor­des. Bothe these are necessarie to be hadde in the churche: but where as your facion of teachyng is naught, and your ceremonies deprauate, ye shall neuer builde a stronge edifice [Page] vpon so yuell and weake a fundati­on. For though there be some cere­monies almooste as necessarye as teachynge, yet if they be not wel v­sed, they doo moche hurte, and ofte tymes hynder very moche trewe re­lygyon.

¶I see well inoughe, howe harde it were to make men of your syde to graunte this to be true, that I say. For whan the iudgemente is ones corrupted, & theyr maner of liuinge contrary to Christis teachyng: it is not possyble, that goddis doctryne and good lyuinge shulde be restored by theym, as longe as they loue to lyue as they do. They can not be in­treated to be so moche ageynst them selfes: and yet seinge Chryste woll haue it so, force must extort of them, that they ought frely to graunt vs. For it can not be denyed (the mooste [Page] part of men perceyue it al redy) that Christe neded not to haue come hy­ther and dyed for vs, if we myghte or may opteyne heuen by masses, by our good dedes, and other ceremo­nies. Adimantus, an hethen man, as PLATO recordeth, knewe well inoughe, that nothynge coulde op­teyne the fauour of god, but onelye iustice and good lyuynge: and that no man coulde lyue wel, but he that knewe, that god is, and that god ca­reth for vs, and is ryghtefull iudge ouer all our workes, and loketh not for Sacrifice, but for cleannesse of minde. And therfore, he refused and disalowed the opinion of them, that thought a man, whiche hadde done his neyghbour wronge, myghte by sacrifice apeise the wroth of god, no mendes made to the partie that had receyued the wronge.

[Page]¶In this ye se, that we, hauynge the lawes of god, perceyue scase so moche, as gentils dyd by the lyghte of nature: we scase se, that where as the harte is not truely fyxed in god, there is neither loue, ne reuerēce to­ward him: But truly where as these two be not, there auailith nother sa­cryfyce, ne none other ceremonye. Where as the knowledge of god is, there is loue, there god is honored, there the hart desyreth nothing con­trarye to goddis wyll, but referreth all his actes and dedes, to his plea­sure and commaundemente. For it can not be, that men be voyde of all affections, as the Stoikes mente, it can neuer be, excepte it be in a chry­sten man, whose mynde beynge in­spyred, and alwayes ruled by god, dothe nothynge, that may shew any affection to be in hym, nothing that [Page] maye hurte hym, or anye other his neyghbour. These phylosophers sawe, that a man oughte to mayster all affections: yet they theym selfe coulde neuer atteyne to it. Why? bi­cause they knewe not god. For seing all thynge is corrupted in vs by na­ture, we beinge naturally inclyned to all maner of Concupyscence, if Christe be not shewed and preached vnto vs, by whom we receyue helth from god, all our thoughtes muste nedes be troublesom, daungerous, and naughte, all our endeuour ten­deth to our own profyte, and seketh lyttell the knowlege and honour of god. Christ therfore must be taught, which giueth vs quietnesse of hart, and forgyuenesse of synne, whiche alone coud and hath delyuered man­kynde frome the peyne dewe for his trespases.

[Page]¶Wherfore firste and formost, the Byshop of Rome shulde haue bene put in remembraunce herof. Secō ­daryly, bycause there be fewe, that teache well, they wolde be diligent­ly sought oute, that are able to fake the office of a preacher vpon them. But nowe adayes, ye doo not onely not passe of them that preache well, and haue done so, longe sythens, ye do not onely not pulle them to you, but you flee frome them: ye do not onely not ayde theym, but you kepe them in chaynes: ye reteyne theym not in townes, but ye exile and ba­nysshe them: ye delyuer theym not out of danger, but ye most iniustlye and cruelly slee theym. What other thing is taught in our churchis, but that all writinges, all ceremonies, shoulde tende to teache men know­ledge, to shewe them, that all mens [Page] nature is corrupted, and that by the deathe of Christe we are delyuered, and by hym haue we opteyned for­gyuenes of synne and blysse euer­lastynge. It is falsely reported of vs, that we discourage men frome doing good workes, falsely feyned, that we intende to breake all good order and ceremonies. And what a crueltie is this of you, whyle we go aboute to put downe all those thyn­ges, that can not stande with Chri­stis teachynge, whyles we studye to reyse and set vp agayne the true ce­remonies, whiles we fetch in agein the true trade and olde fasshion of preachynge, what crueltie is it, to offer vs the galowes, burnyng, and suche other moste terrible peynes? Grekes of olde tyme were neuer so cruell (albe it they offered for sacri­fice, to their fals goddis, men aliue) [Page] as ye be to vs in your punishmētes. ¶This cruell maner of punysshe­ment causeth vs to thynke, that it is impossible for you to iudge vprightly of our matters. And all be it that after so many bokes made by vs, ye myghte haue ben well satisfied, in­structed, and taughte, what mynde we beare to Chrystis relygion: yet howe yuel so euer you thinke of vs, ye shoulde haue mynded a councill generall, and suche as good menne myghte haue ben called to, of whose good lyfe and good lernynge, there mighte appere sufficient testimony. And forasmoch as in a general con­cill, there ought to be no suspityon, eyther of cruelnes or of forcynge of any man, there wolde haue ben cho­sen suche a place, where as all men myght haue resorted to gether, and frely haue spoken their mindes, and [Page] also where suche myghte haue bene kepte out, suche I saye, as for theyr naughtye lyfe, and ignoraunce of scripture, for theyr symonye and o­ther vices, no lawe woll admytte to meddel with matters of the church. For if they maye not be suffered to speke in matters, that chaunce day­ly, moche lesse they ought to be hard in suche a solemne assemble, special­ly at this tyme, where as al thinges are ruffled in the churche, and very fewe thynges are in good order. Amonge so many bishops as are in Almain, there is not one, that ought to be harde there, if the olde canons myghte be restored to theyr olde vi­gour & strength. In Fraunce there be but fewe, and yet more than be in Almayne. Of Italy I can saye no­thynge. ENGLANDE is aloone perelesse, wonderfullye amended: [Page] ENGLANDE maye be a mirrour, a guyde, a teacher, an exaumple to all the reste.

¶There be manye amonges you, that crie and say, that no man ought to haue a voice in the generall coū ­cill, but they alone that are of the clergie: and of these ye take not the beste lerned, but woll that greattest in dignitie, haue the chiefe suffra­gies: whose sayinges if they be al­lowed, yf good lyuynge and good lerning be not regarded, what good can come of councils? Therfore in this poynte ye shulde haue moued the byshop of Rome, to opteyne of kynges, and of all nations, honest men, men well lerned, men of holy conuersation: that general councils therby might recouer agayne their olde auctoritie, in truely defyninge of matters, whiche thinge councils [Page] of late haue lost with a gret shame. And this mooste specially muste be forseene, that theyr iudgemente be not allowed, whiche saye, that men of Luthers secte oughte therfore to haue no audience in the councill, bi­cause they haue broken the decrees of councilles: For hitherto no man coude proue that sayinge true. And I say more, No councilles are of a­ny valure, or ought to be kepte, but they, wherin nothynge is decreed, contrary to the wrytynges of the a­postels. Theyr bokes, that you call Lutherans, beare sufficient recorde, that they haue written nothing con­trarye to the honour of Chryste, nor the mynde of thapostels, nor yet a­gainst auncient councilles: whiche oughte to be as a rule for vs, theyr after comers. If ye wolle, that the churche flouryshe, and the flocke of [Page] Christe prospere and encrease plen­tuousely, Take away all gay, high, and honorable titles, set lower yuel gotten honour, let fraudes and gy­les haue no place, let good lyuynge be preferred, haue respecte to ryght knowlege, put herevnto dilygence, thynges can nat but amende. Noo men may bringe this to passe better thā you, none shal haue more praise of wysedome, or greatter profytte therof, than ye. You shall than be in high reputation, if by your dili­gence and vertue, the worlde be broughte to lyue well and godlye. What honest life can there be, where as religion is distroyed, and where good ceremonies ar clean misvsed? What plesure, where as is so great debate and discorde? Here ones a­gayne Contarene, I beseche the for thy great lerninge, and so do I the [Page] Frederike, byshop of Salerne, for the honour that thou haste had by refusyng to be a cardynal. I beseche and pray the also Sadolete, for the honor that thou hast had by lerning I beseche you all, whiche are depu­ted to debate these thynges, that through you the olde maner of ler­nynge may be restored, the olde Ca­nons haue theyr place ageyne, and that the naughty & peruers vse of ceremonies by you may be amended. ¶You ought in no wyse to let this occasion slyp youre handes, if you be desirous to further Christis reli­gion. For it is nothynge so, as you feare that it is: you thinke it impos­sible, that we shuld agree with you: you thinke, that no communication betwene you and vs, can brynge vs to an vnitie and concorde: bycause men of a long tyme haue sayd, that [Page] we take awaye all ceremonies, and that we woll suffre you to haue no­thynge, whiche hath ben instituted syth the apostels tyme. This report as touchynge the ceremonies, we say, is a false lye, and so we proue it by our dede. For where as there be thre sortes of ceremonies: one, whi­che is necessarie, we mayntein most ernestly: an other, whiche is contra­rie to goddis lawes, we can not a­bide: as for the thirde, our mynd is to vse a moderation. For if there be any good order at all, which saynte Paule commaundeth vs to haue, for the mayntenance and confirma­tion of that feyth, whiche we ought to yeld to god and Christ, this same must nedes remayne in ceremonies necessarie, and in those that are mo­derated. Surelye they that wolle maynteyn those ceremonies, that ar [Page] falsely feyned, and contrary to god­dis lawe: either they do not vnder­stande, what the trouthe requireth, or els for their owne priuate weale, they wolle not suffre a necessarie re­formation to be hadde. And for by­cause Sadolete, ye do not perceyue the difference, that we put herein, ye accuse vs, and beare men in hande, that we wolde haue no man better than other, that we wolde no resorte of people shulde be to churches, no knelynge, no syngynge, no sensyng shuld be in the tēples, that we wold the vniuersall church were subuer­ted, so that if your authoritie were ones taken away, we myght do eue­ry thynge at our pleasure withoute any reproche. We be contente with all ceremonies, that in any wyse be conformable and agreinge to oure religion. Yea this also we permytte, [Page] that what soo euer dothe not defyle our religion, shoulde be lefte to the determination of a generall coun­cill: They be noo trifles, that make vs to refuse your authoritie, vsur­ped power, and naughty censures. Sadolete, I wold haue you shewe, what councils toke vppon theym to talke of this popish and priestly ap­parayle, that you write of.

¶For holy days Sabbatiꝰ a Iew did his part, he caused strife & trou­ble: and for the same matter there was variance betwene Policrates and Uictor: But you knowe, that Irineus greatly mysliked their dis­corde, bycause that diuersitie either in holy dayes or fastyng days brea­keth not the bonde of relygion, ne of Christis feithe. What dothe saynte Augustine in his letters to Ianua­rie? Doth he not euen the same that [Page] we require? He requireth a meane in ceremonies. Doth he not also la­ment, that the burdeyn of ceremo­nies be more heuye vnto vs, than e­uer were any to the Iewes? What wolde he do nowe, whan all thynge is done for the seruynge of mennes appetite, for ambition, and for de­sire of lucre?

¶Agaynste suche foolysshe trifles what I pray you saith Esaias, what Ieremias, what Amos the prophe­tes? Esaias forsawe these ceremo­nyes, and these yuell customes, he sawe, that vayne vanitie shulde fo­lowe the destruction of the Iewes, whiche he sheweth expresselye: and yet we make as though we redde of no suche thynge.

¶Herein I se not what you canne laye agaynste vs, more than the au­thoritie of the canons, & the church, [Page] whose auctoritie we wold were safe, and in ful strength. But this muste alwais be one special point in the lawes of the church, that prestes lyue wel and teache wel, that they be pre­sente & abyde vpon theyr benefices, & that all they be deposed, whiche haue goten any thynge in the chur­che by moneye. Neyther he shoulde haue any benefice with cure, whom the courte carieth from it, or he that leaueth his flocke, and foloweth an hauke, prickynge to the partrige in stede of preachynge to his parysshe. For as longe as these thynges are suffered vnpunished, howe is it pos­sible relygion to be kepte, and cere­monies vnabused? For let the leste parte be ones mysvsed, and the reste can not long continue safe. But you woll not touche the diseases, that ye were set to seke fore: nother ye woll [Page] suffre the partis soore greued, to be healed. Ye esteme more the smooke of the sensars, bowynges and crou­chynges, more the apparaylle that men go in, than ye do the knowlege of right religion, or the feare of god, or his honour: where as in deede, these thynges are of necessitie, and the other for the soule helth nothing at all. Neuer the lesse they maye in some case be suffered, and are tolle­rable: but these that I shal now re­herse, can nother be wynked at, no­ther defended, as not to aknowlege the abuse of the sacrament of the al­tare: and the abuse of ceremonyes, as that monkes and pristes haue li­bertye to lyue vnchaste and vnclen­ly: and those that endeuour theym selfes to amende it, to be troubled, ye and iuged of you vnworthy to be in the company of good menne. We [Page] ar careful and sory for this peruerse iugement: we go not about to breke the ceremonies, specially those, that may stande with Christis relygion, we promyse you to kepe them styll: onely do you this for your parte, see that those thniges be restored, with­out the whiche, neyther the dignitie of the churche, nother the auctoritie of Christis name can continue.

¶Nowe here I wol come vnto an other poynte, that moche letteth our agrement. Ye complayne greately, that we be ouer stubborne and rude, and that we intende to destroy al iu­risdiction, and to take awaye all ri­ches frome the churche. This you say, may not be suffred. For it is an aunciente custome, that noble men, that come of great stockes, be hono­rably promoted: from whom so gret cōmodities can not be taken away, [Page] without high displesure, and great daunger. If this be the worste, we shall lyghtly be deliuered from gret grefe and trouble, & shortely be ioy­ned with you. For seynge there be thre sortis of men in the church, that rule: one of them mete to teache: an other, mete to mainteyne the power and ryches of the churche: the third, whiche sometymes hathe bothe the thynges aforesayde, and yet is mete for ner nother. If you wyl be con­tent to reiecte the laste sorte, and suf­fer the other two to be seuered and diuided distinctly the one frome the other, I trust all stryfe and grudge betwene vs, shalbe by those meanes quite abolyshed, and cleane forgot­ten. For you requyre in the miny­sters of the churche good lyfe and lernynge. Let vs haue suche as be able bothe for theyr lernynge, and [Page] for their liuing, to gouerne the peo­ple, put a difference betwene them, and the other that haue in their go­uernance the goodes of the worlde, and of the cōmon weale: do this, & we trust sone to haue an ende of all matters, that we can nat now agree vpon, or at the least wise a greatter moderation of our grudges & stry­fes. There be som mē of gret blode, whiche woll be ashamed of the gos­pel: and there be some, that faithful­ly woll kepe the goodes of the chur­che. No man can make tyrantes be­leue, that it is more honour, to be lo­ued and honored of theyr subiectes, than to be feared of theym. But it were a shame for any christen mā to think, that it were a higher dignite, to haue great power and might, thā to professe the gospell, in suche wise as may stād best with godly liuing. [Page] We ar moued by authorite of many great wise men, to sette an order be­twene these two sortes. To let passe saint Augustin, [...]omil. 98 [...]n Matt. saint Ambrose, and other perfect bishops, did not Chri­sostom, before a multitude of an hū ­dred .M. mē, in a sermon, greuously lament, that bishops were taken frō the cure of their church, and ocupied in money matters? Thapostels also put a difference betwene the office of bishops and decons. These two sor­tes had neuer bē sondred, but y^t they inspired by god, did se before, that at one time or other, some wolde refuse to kepe these orders, taken by them. ¶But peraduenture some mē wol say, noble mē haue giuē gret riches to the church, it is conueniēt, y^t theyr posteritie be sonest p̄ferred vnto the same. First noble men ar not forbid, neither to professe the gospel, nother [Page] to haue the gouernance of money & cites. If there be of them, that be vnmete to haue y^e one or the other, there be lawes, that wol such to be regar­ded, as come of those auncestours, that fyrst enriched this or that chur­che. Fynally al riches wold be so di­sposed, that none lack, and an order taken after euery persons degree & sorte, whiche order must so longe be kept, as religion take no hurt by it: an equal and a conuenient distribu­tion shulde be made to men of euery degre. We may lacke riches in Christis churche, but if we be spoyled of true doctryne, than of necessytie we are destitute of all relygyon. Ther­fore we woll not stryue with you for riches: we require to haue Chrystis doctrine, we desyre to haue true mi­nisters, we wyshe ernestly to haue a free councille in a safe place, where [Page] mē may speke boldly, whither good men and wel lerned maye be called, where the naughty & ignorant per­sons shal not be admytted as iuges and chiefe doers. If you graunt vs these thinges, and wol also helpe vs in them, we woll not meddell with great men. And yet as we woll not willingely gyue them the ryches of the churche, that be of great power: so if they woll nedes haue them, we wol not gretly sticke therin. If they desyre to haue golde and riches, and the gouernance of common weales, we wol not stryue with them: for we seke not for suche thynges, noo no, whan al this that ye seke is taken a waye, the churche remaineth styl: so that Christis lernynge do remayne and the gospell florishe. Sacrilege is a shameful dede, and worthy gret punishement: and agaynst this ma­ny [Page] lawes be made: certainely it is a kynde of Sacrilege, not to dispense the goodes of the church to thē that be nedy. And they that do not distri­bute them in this wyse, doo veraye naughtily. Trewe it is, that at this houre the goodes of the churche be meruaylous great and aboundant, we wolde haue them well dysposed, but we wold in especial haue the dis­position & distribution of them com­mitted to the prechers of the gospel, & ministers of the churche. If they that be rulers, rule the churche well, we ought to reioice at the cōmon ꝓ­fite of christen men: but if they rule not wel, and can not be amended by power, we ought to be sorie. Neuer the lesse, we may not take the mat­ter so greuously, that men think, we wold rather haue our part of the ri­ches, than se the gospel go forward. [Page] Therfore let vs be at a point for the teaching of the gospel, for the sacra­mentes, and for the ceremonies: and we wol neuer striue with you for the riches, which we were better to lack than that for theym Christis glorie shuld be hindred. I se, there lacketh nothynge, to brynge vs to a perfect peace, if ye wol put a part al disple­sure and hatred. Ye, not redyng our bokes, haue withdrawen your har­tes from vs, ruled by the reporte of them, that loue vs not. And so you beleue, that we intende to distroy al good ordinances. And on the other syde, bicause we are put in feare by many examples, we can not yet, but suspect and thinke, that you intende not a true and an ernest reformatiō of the church. If that, that we mean and go about could synke into your heedes, if we had some certayn assu­rance, [Page] & good token of your diligēce & vnfeined faith, we shuld be, bothe out of moche trouble, and with one mynde we with you, wold endeuour our selues to do those thinges, that were best for the common welthe of Christendome.

¶I suppose ye be none of them, y^e trust, by force of armes, to maintein your power, and by violence to kepe vnder your aduersaries. I remem­bre, whan poore Luther was alone, and at warre with all the worlde, no man being more hatid than he was: all his enemies coulde not take his life from him. These studies ar now so encreased within fewe yeres, soo many folowing him, that now they feare lytle your thretnynges. They haue many and great tokens, that god fauorith them: so that if you in­tende any thing against them, they [Page] surely truste, that no battayle shall preuaylle, nor haue any successe a­geinst them, beinge in daunger on­ly for the loue they beare to Christis religion. Wherfore while you haue tyme, thynke vppon this mattier, loke well about you. If you wolle be ruled by reason, we shall easilye defende our parte, so that our iuges be indifferent and iuste. If the mat­ter muste be tried by force of armes, Fyrste this were a cruel waye, to put so many common weales of Cristendome in hasarde: Secondarylye, There is gret danger in this thing, by reson your aduersaries strength is waxen puissant and mighty: And it maye chaunce, that when menne shall se, that ye intende to vse cruel­tye, many moo woll take our parte, thanne yet are knowen to be of our syde. Fynally, admyt that ye might [Page] haue the vpper hande, and opteyne your pourpose, eyther by vniuste iudgemente, or elles by force and vyolence: yet where crueltye, vn­rightous dealynge, and grudge of conscience is, there can ye not leade your lyfe in honour, moche lesse in pleasure. Ye can neuer soo destroye vs, but the fundations and rootes woll remayne, wherof alwaye some shall sprynge, that woll be able to iuge truely of our matters. Againe, althoughe you shulde destroy vs all to gether: yet there is a GOD, that seeth all thynges, and is hable to reuenge oure quarell: there is a CHRISTE, in whose tuition and defence we are all, whyche as he was cause of helthe in the worlde, soo is he able, to restore agayne his religion, thoughe it were vtterlye distroyed.

[Page]¶I speake not this Contarene, by cause I iudge you by these your de­uises, to intende myschiefe, but by­cause there be many amonges you, which if they might haue their min­des, wold cause more mischiefes in Christis churche, than euer we sawe hitherto. But I iudge this of you, that god maye rule your hartes, I knowe that ye lacke neither lerning nor wysedom, it may be that ye wol loue his honour, and beare a zele to his trouthe, ye may forsee that, whi­che shall bothe please god, and be moche to your honour. You amon­ges all men ar chosen for great cau­ses, your honour is to restore Chri­stis doctrine, and to appoynt suche as woll and shall be able to teache the gospelle, to amende the ceremo­nies, and to put a differēce betwene the mynysters of the churche. By [Page] these meanes you may bring in vse ageyne the olde maner of lerninge, the olde disciplyne of the churche: without the which neyther your di­gnitie can be cōmendable, nor your authoritie continue any longer, nor religion flourishe at any time. For there is no honour, where as is noo good gouernāce: where gouernors liue not wel, they can haue but smal commendation. Men can neither be obedient, nother loue you that do not your dutie. men wold be taught & holpen out of ignorance, for ma­ny mens hartis be wonne this way, and authorititie lyghtly opteyned. But when subiectes be not set by, & officers doo not their duetyes, then authoritie wasteth a pase, noo man obeyeth them, but either for feare or flaterie. Whereby it foloweth, that with authoritie, honour decreaseth: [Page] and so religion is moche hyndered. ¶Wherfore I praye you, put your helpynge hande to the relygyon of Christe, nowe beinge in decaye and redye to falle: heale you those olde greate and almoste desperate disea­ses, with whiche the churche is sore vexed, and pyneth dayelye awaye. And for as moche as you your selfe acknowledge manye and greuous fautes to be in the churche, befydes many mo, that you speke nothynge of: be you content, that our men re­store the foundation and grounde of relygyon amonges them selfes, hyndre them not, suffre them to ac­complysshe the worke, whiche they fortunately haue begunne. If there be any thynge, as ye saye there is, that is not to be allowed amonge vs, let there be appoynted a coun­cille, where frely, and without feare [Page] of punysshemente, men maye saye theyr myndes, in all mattiers. Let all affections be layde aparte, which maye hyndre the trouthe: and vse suche as shall hurte no manne, as shall breake noo lawes, but rather reteyne equitie. For who canne ap­proue, excuse, or allowe any council, wherin mennes priuate commody­tyes are onelye regarded, where­in occasyons are soughte, for to put men to deathe, wherin cornars are serched, to couer and hyde vyce? All maner of generall Councilles oughte alonelye to be kepte, to the furtheraunce of common weales, and in them oughte to be vsed no crueltie. In them must reigne feith and dylygence, to cure all dysea­ses. Wherfore lette there be noo encrochynge couetousnes in you, [Page] put away al crueltie: let none come there, that fauour vice, or at the lest let them be no iuges there. Let them be sought out, which rather seke the welthe of the hole, than of a fewe, which are glad of iustice and equi­tie. If euer there were or can be any tyme, wherin it was, or can be nede­full to seke such remedies, to vse su­che industrie and dilygence, as we requyre in you, truly it is euen now in our tyme, wher in dede no medi­cine canne be ministred, to diseases, that haue of a longe season bene ro­ted in the churche without great pe­rill and danger. For where as vices haue their defense of longe custome▪ a cloker of errour and naughtynes▪ ayded by barbarous ignorāce, that hath ruled religion, and all other thinges, these many yeres, where as councils haue ben callyd, not for re­formation [Page] of thinges out of order, but rather to maynteyne ambityon and pride, where as there hath bene no man that wolde or coulde with­out perill open the diseases, & shew remedies for the same, thinke that it is nowe your parte, in this lyght of trouthe, you hauynge also power nowe in your handes, by the cōsent of your byshoppe, to swage and ap­pease all oure troubles, to make a peace and concorde betwene vs, to delyuer the worlde frome miserye, whiche dayly encreaseth, to plante and set forthe newe rotes of trewe religion, fansies remoued, and olde doctrine established agayn. Thinke that he is aboue you, that made this worlde and ruleth it. Remembre he seeth, and is iudge of al that you go aboute, and that you can not swage his ire, moche lesse haue his fauour, [Page] excepte ye do wel and meane truely. ¶Consider, that there haue benne and euer shal be men in this worlde, whiche can truely iuge of your lyfe and maners. If they disalowe your actes and deedes, they woll here after grudge to gyue you that au­ctoritie, whiche were necessarye for you to haue. Thus fare you wel.

At Argent. The .29. of Marche. Anno domini. 1538.