Marginalia1556. March.Church of CHRIST? no no.

What is it then that doth let you? Glory of the world? nay, as for the vanitie of the world I for my part iudge not in you, beyng a man of learning and knowyng your estate.

And as for the losse of your estimatiō, it is ten to one that where you were Archbishop of Cāterbury and Metropolitane of Englād, it is ten to one (I say) that ye shal be as well still, yea and rather better.

And as for the winnyng of good mē, there is no doubt but all that be here present, and the whole congregation of CHRISTES Churche also will more reioyce of your returne, then they were sory for your fall. And as for the other, ye nede not to doubt, for they shal al come after: and to say the truth, if you should lose them for euer, it were no force, ye should haue no losse thereby. I do not here touch them which should confirme your estimation. For as S. Paule after his conuersion was receaued into the Church of CHRIST with wonderfull ioy to the whole congregatiō, euen so shall you be. The fame of your returne shalbe spread abroad throughout all Christēdome where your face was neuer knowen.

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But you will say perhappes, your conscience will not suffer you. My Lord, there is a good cōscience, and there is a bad conscience. MarginaliaA good conscience.The good conscience haue not they, as S. Paul declareth to Timothe concernyng Hymæneus and Alexander. This euill and bad conscience is (sayth S. Cyprian) well to be knowen by his marke. What marke? MarginaliaMarke of an euill conscience.This cōscience is marked with the print of heresie. This cōscience is a naughty, filthie, and a bronded conscience, which I trust is not in you. I haue conceaued a better hope of you then so, or els would I neuer go about to persuade or exhort you. But what conscience should stay you to returne to the Catholicke fayth and vniuersall Church of CHRIST? what conscience doth separate you to that deuilish & seuerall Church? to a libertie which neuer had ground in the holy Scriptures? If you iudge your libertie to be good, then iudge you all Christendome to do euill besides you.

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O what a presumptuous persuasion is this, vpō this vtterly to forsake the Church of CHRIST? Vnder what colour or pretence do you this? for the abuses? as though in your Church were no abuses: yes that there were. And if you forsake the vniuersall Church for the abuses, why do ye not then forsake your particular Church, and so be flitting from one to an other? That is not the next way, to slippe from the Church for the abuses: for if you had sene abuses, you should rather haue endeuoured for a reformation then for a defection.MarginaliaAbuses in the church require a reformation, and not a defection. He is a good Surgeō who for a litle paine in the toe wil cut of þ^e whole legge. He helpeth well the tooth ache, which cutteth away the head by the shoulders. It is mere folie to amend abuses by abuses. Ye are like Diogenes: for Diogenes on a tyme enuiyng the clenlines of Plato, said on this wise: Ecce calco fastum Platonis.  

Plato aūswered, Sed alio fastu.  

Latin/Greek Translations     Close

Diogenes? Plato?

Foxe text Latin

Diog:Ecce calco fastum Platonis.
Plat:Sed alio fastu.

Foxe text translation

Not translated.

Translation (Wade 2003)

Diog:See I am mocking Plato's arrogance.
Plat:But with another arrogance.(?)

[Nothing found in PHI#5]

So that Diogenes semed more faulty of the two.

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But when we haue sayd all that we can, peraduēture you wyll say, I wyll not returne. And to that I say, I wyll not aunswer. Neuertheles heare what CHRIST sayth to such obstinate and stifnecked people in the parable of the Supper. When he had sent out hys men to call them in that were appointed, and they woulde not come, he bad hys seruauntes going into the waies and streetes, to compell mē to come in: Cogite intrare.  

MarginaliaCogite intrare clarkely expounded. If then the Church wyll not leese any member that may be compelled to come in, ye must thinke it good to take the cōpulsion, lest you lose your part of the supper which the Lord hath prepared for you: and thys compulsion standeth well with charitye.

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But it may be perhaps, that some hath animated you to sticke to your tackle, & not to geue ouer, bearyng you in hand that your opinion is good, and that ye shall dye in a good quarell, and God shall accept your oblation. But here what CHRIST sayth of a meaner gyft: MarginaliaMath. 5.If thou come to the aultar to offer thy oblation, and knowest that thy brother hath somwhat to lay agaynst thee, leaue there thy gift, and go & be recōciled to thy brother, & then come & offer vp thy gift, or els thy brother wyll make thy offering vnsauerye before God. This he sayd vnto al þ^e world, to þ^e end they should know how their offeringes should be receaued, if they were not accordyng.

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Remember you therefore before you offer vp your offeryng, whether your gift be qualified or no. Remember the Church of Rome and also of Englād, where not one onely brother, but a number haue matter agaynst you, so iust, that they wyll make your burnt offeryng to stincke

before God, except you be reconciled. Yf you must nedes appoynt vpon a Sacrifice, make yet a meane fyrst to thē that haue to lay agaynst you. I say no more then the Church hath allowed me to say. For the sacrifice that is offered without the church, is not profitable. The premisses therefore considered, for Gods sake, I say, Memor esto vnde excideris, & age pœnitentiam, & prima opera fac. Sin minus. &c.  

Cast not your selfe away, spare your body, spare your soule, spare them also whom you haue seduced, spare the sheedyng of CHRISTES bloud for you in vaine. Harden not your hart, acknowledge the truth, yeld to the prescript word of God, to þ^e catholicke church of Rome, to the receaued veritye of all Christendome. Wed not your selfe to your owne selfwyll. MarginaliaMelle lita pernicies.Stande not to much in your own conceite, thinke not your selfe wyser then all Christendome is besides you. Leaue of this vniust cauil, How: leaue why: leaue Reason: leaue wonder: and beleue as the catholicke church doth beleue & teache you. Perswade with your selfe, that extra Ecclesiam non est salus. i.  

Latin/Greek Translations     Close

Brooks

Foxe text Latin

extra Ecclesiam non est salus.

[See above, page 2048, column 1, line 20]

without the Church there is no saluation. And thus much haue I sayd of charity. If this poore simple exhortation of myne may sinke into your head, and take effect wyth you, then haue I sayd as I would haue sayd, otherwyse not as I would, but as I could for this present.

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And thus bishop Brokes finishyng hys Oration, sat downe.  

After whom Doctor Martin takyng the matter in hand, begynneth thus.

MarginaliaOration of D. Martin.ALbeit there be two Gouermentes, the one spirituall and the other temporall, the one hauing the keyes, the other the sword, yet in all ages we read that for the honour and glorye of God both these powers haue bene adioyned together. MarginaliaTemporall gouernment ruly in spiriluall matters.For if we read the olde Testamēt, we shall find that so did Iosias & Ezechias. So did the kyng of the Niniuites compell a generall fast through all the whole City. So did Darius in breakyng the great Idoll Bell, and deliuering godly Daniell out of the denne of Lyons. So dyd Nabuchodonosor make and institute lawes against þ^e blasphemers of God. But to let passe these examples with a great number more, and to come to CHRISTES time, it is not vnknowen what great trauayle they toke to set forth Gods honour: and although the rule and gouernment of the Church did onely appertaine to the spiritualty, yet for the suppression of heresies and schismes, Kinges were admitted as ayders thereunto. Fyrst Constantinus the great called a Councell at Nyce for the suppression of the Arrians sect, where the same tyme was raysed a great contention among them. And after long disputation had, when the Fathers coulde not agree vpon the putting downe of the Arrians, they referred their iudgement to Constātine. God forbyd, quoth Constantine: you ought to rule me and not I you. MarginaliaTemporall Magistrates ayders, not rulers in spirituall causes.And as Constantine dyd, so dyd Theodosius agaynst the Nestorians, so dyd Martianus agaynst Manichæus. Iouinian made a law, that no mā should marry with a Nunne, that had wedded her selfe to the Church.

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So had kyng Henry the eyght the title of Defender of the fayth, because he wrote agaynst Luther and hys complices. So these. ix. hundred yeares the kynges of Spayne had that title of Catholicke, for the expulsion of the Arrians: and to say the truth, the Kyng and the Queenes Maiesties doe nothing degenerate frō theyr auncetrie, takyng vpon them to restore againe þ^e title to bee Defender of the fayth, to the ryght heyre therof the Popes holynes.

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Therefore these two Princes, perceuing thys noble realme, how it hath bene brought from the vnity of the true and catholicke church, the which you and your cōfederates do and haue renounced: perceauing also that ye do persist in your detestable errours, and wyll by no meanes be reuoked from the same, haue made theyr humble request and petition to the Popes holynes Paulus. 4. as supreme head of the church of CHRIST, declaring to him, that where you were Archbishop of Cāterbury and Metropolitane of England, and at your

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