MarginaliaAn. 1550.can abyde no old abuses to be reformed, but thinke euery reformation to be a capitall enterprise agaynst all Religion and good order, as there be on the contrary syde some to rash, who hauing no consideration what is to be done, headlyng will set vppon euery thyng. The Magistrates duetie is betwixt these, so in a meane to sit, and prouide that old dotyng should not take further or deper rust in þ^e cōmon wealth, neither aunciēt errour still ouercome the seene and tried truth, nor long abuse for the age and space of tyme onely, still be suffred: and yet all these with quietnes, gentilnes, and without all contenton, if it were possible, to be reformed. To the which your Lordship as a man to whom God hath geuen great qualities of witte, learnyng & peruasion, could bryng great helpe and furtheraunce, if it were your pleasure, with great thankes of men, and reward of God. The which thyng is our full desire and purpose, and our hartie and dayly prayer to God, that in the kynges Maiesties tyme, whose Maiesties reigne God preserue, al abuses with wisedom reformed, Christes Religion with good and pollitike order of the common wealth, without any contention and strife among the kynges subiectes, might florishe and dayly increase. And this to your Lordshyps letter sent to maister Vaughan of Portesmouth.

MarginaliaThe effecte & cōclusion of Winchesters long letters.This letter of Winchester aboue prefixed, with the aunswere of the Lord Protector to the same, I thought here for a tast to gyue the reder. Diuers other letters besides, the sayd Bishop wrote out of the Fleete, and from his owne house, some to the Lord Protector, some to the Archbyshop of Caunterbury, and otherwise to other moe: which beyng, as is sayd, before sufficiently expresed in our former edition, it shalbe superfluous here to repete the same, vnles the matter of thē were more to the purpose. Wherfore to cut shorte such nedeles superfluities, it shall for this presēt suffice only to grosse vp & abridge the principall summes therof, all whiche tendeth to this effect:

Marginalia1.1. First, as where hee rayleth and findeth fault with the Paraphrase of Erasmus, whiche hee calleth a booke of abomination.

Marginalia2.2. Secondly, where he cā in no case allow the Homely of Saluation, set out by the Archbyshop of Canterbury, especially for the doctrine of fayth onely iustifiyng: Whiche Article maruelously vexeth the spirite of Winchester.

Marginalia3.3. The thyrd purpose whereunto his letters chiefly driueth, is this, craftily to insinuate to þ^e Lorde Protectour, vnder pretense of giuyng counsel, to bring that to passe, which was for his purpose, that is, that no innouatiō or alteration should be made of religiō, duryng þ^e tyme of the kynges minoritie, but to let all thinges stād as kyng Henry lefte them. And that is the chiefest butte in al his letters wherunto he shooteth. The groūd of whose reasons, whereupon he standeth, we haue here reduced into playne forme of argument, with aunswere to the same, as consequently foloweth.

MarginaliaWinchesters argument.

MarginaliaThe aūswere.To aunswere first to the vocable innouation, which he stombleth so greatly vpon, this I say: MarginaliaInnouation.that innouatiō is properly vsed where a thyng is brought in a new, whiche was not before. For asmuch therfore as in this alteration there is no new Religion brought in, but only the old Religion of the primitiue Churche reuiued, MarginaliaRenouation.therfore here is to bee thought not so much as innoua-tion, as a renouation or reformation rather of Religion: whiche reformation is oft tymes so necessary to common weales, that without the same, al runneth to confusion.

MarginaliaFallacia accidentis.Secondly, I aūswere to þ^e argument, which I do denye as a fallax, for there is fallacia accidētis. Where it is sayd, that reformation of Religon gendreth daunger to the Protectour, and trouble to þ^e Realme. First what will come, that is vncertaine: and God bee thanked, yet no daunger hath come to England for the reformation of Religion. And though there did, yet the cause therof is not to be imputed to Religion reformed. For sincere and true doctrine of his owne nature worketh quyet, peace, and tranquilitie, with all good order. And if the contrary happen, that is incidēt by other causes, as by the malice of Sathan, and wicked aduersaries, not by reason of the doctrine and true Religion. So after the preachyng of Christ and his Apostles, dissension followed in cōmon weales betwixt father and sonne, brother and brother, & c. but that is not to bee ascribed to the doctrine, but to the malice of men.

MarginaliaQuiet and tranquilitie of realmes, ought not to stoppe reformation of religion.Briefly therfore, where he speaketh so much of quiet and tranquilitie, this I aunswere, that quyet and tranquilitie in weales publicke, so long as they are ioyned w^t truth of doctrine & right Religion, be much to be embraced. But whē it is otherwise, that is, where doctrine is corrupted, and true Religion lacketh his right, there let the second Table geue place to the first.

MarginaliaThe Paraphrase of Erasmus.As concernyng the faultes found in the Paraphrase of Erasmus, this I aunswere and say, that this Bishop belike had ouerwatched him selfe in this matter. For if it be true whiche he him selfe affirmeth in the booke of our former edition. fol 744. that he neuer read that booke before, and now he neuer slept till he read it: It happened peraduenture, that in the ouermuch watchyng of him selfe, and swift readyng of the booke, hys iudgement was a slepe whiles his eyes were open in readyng the same.

MarginaliaThe booke of Homelies.Likewise touchyng the booke of Homelies, especially the Homely of saluation, wherewith he findeth hym selfe so much greued with the Archbyshop, seyng hee bringeth forth no proufes, I haue nothing to aūswere. In the meane season this I haue to thinke, that if hee had bene so cunnyng in the knowledge of his owne saluation, as hee was in the destruction and vexation of Christes members, hee would neuer so haue raged agaynst that Homely.

MarginaliaThe examinatiō of Anne Askew set forth by Maister Bate.Touchyng the examination of Anne Askew, if it bee misreported by M. Bale, why doth not he note the places, which they be, and wherin? And if he had, or were able so to do: yet seyng the examination was of her owne pennyng, whiche M. Bale did folow, let euery Christian reader iudge, whether is more to be credited of these two, she that was persecuted, or he that was the persecuter.

MarginaliaPreachers Printers, & Players.Hee thwarteth also and wrangleth much agaynst Preachers, Printers, & Players. And no maruell why: For he seeth these three thyngs to be set vp of God, as a triple bulwarke agaynst the triple crown of the Pope, to bring him down, as God be praysed, they haue done meetely well already.

MarginaliaThe Article of Iustification. Read afore pag. 1114.As touchyng the Article of free Iustification by faith, which he cā not abyde, for asmuch as we haue sufficiētly discoursed the same in the places of Patrike Hambleton before, pag. 1114. It shall not neede here to make any great stay therupō. Briefly to say of his iudgement, what I thinke, hee seemed so much drowned in his worldly lawes, that hee nothyng perceaued what was the end of the law of God, nor what difference is betwene the law and the Gospell. Which by his blynd similitude, may well appeare: For as no law, sayth he, can take full life and effect without the consent chiefly