the power of God, vnder the forme of visible thinges, doth worke secretly saluation. MarginaliaGods word and promise going with an outward ceremony, maketh a Sacrament.And the Mayster of the Sentences doth describe a Sacrament no otherwyse. MarginaliaA definition of a Sacrament.A Sacrament (sayth he) is an inuisible grace, and hath a visible forme: and by this inuisible grace, I meane (sayth he) remission of sinnes. MarginaliaNo man hath power to make any Sacrament.Finally Saynt Thomas denyeth that any man hath authority to institute a Sacrament. Now if ye agree vnto this definition of a Sacrament, it is an easye thing to iudge of the number of those Sacraments which haue the manifest word of God, and be institute by Christ to signify vnto vs the remission of our sinnes.

S. Augustine sayth, that there be but two such Sacramentes, in the cxviij. Epistle to Ianuarius.MarginaliaAugust. ad ianuarium Epist. 118. His wordes be these: First, I would haue thee to vnderstand the summe and effect of this disputation, which is this: that our Lord Iesus Christ (as he he himselfe sayth in the Gospell) hath ladē vs, but with a light and easy yoke or burden.MarginaliaChristes Church charged but with few & easie Sacramentes. Wherefore he hath knit together the felowship of his new people with Sacraments, very few in nūber, very easy to be kept, & very excellent in signification, which be Baptisme, and the Supper of the Lord, and such other, if there be any moe commaunded in the holye Scripture, those excepte which were burdens for the seruitude of the people in the olde law, for the hardnes of theyr hartes. &c. And agayne in the iij. book of the learning of a Christian man, he sayth: MarginaliaAugust. de Doctrina Christiana. lib. 3.The Scripture hath taught vs but few signes, as be the Sacrament of Baptisme, and the solemne celebration and remembraunce of the body and bloud of the Lord. &c.

MarginaliaStokesly replyeth agaynst Alesius.Then the Bishop of London which could scarsly restrayne himselfe all this while, and now could forbeare no longer, brake out in this maner. First of al (saith he) where you alledge, that all the Sacramēts which are in þ^e church instituted by Christ himselfe, haue eyther some manyfest ground in the Scriptures, or ought to shew forth some signification of remission of sinnes, it is false and not to be allowed.

Then sayd Alesius, that he would proue it, not only by manifest authority of scriptures, but also by euident testimonies of auncient Doctors and scholewriters.

MarginaliaFoxe Bishop of Hereford speaketh.But the Bishop of Herford which was then lately returned out of Germany (where he had bene Ambassadour for the king to the Protestantes) being moued with the bishop of Londons frowardnes, turning himselfe first to Alexander Alesius, MarginaliaDoctours not to be stickt vnto in matters of faith. for that they vary in thē selues.willed him not to contend with the Byshop in such maner, by the testimonies of Doctors & scholemen, forsomuch as they doe not all agree in like matters, neither are they stedfast among themselues in all poyntes, but do vary and in many poyntes are vtterly repugnant. Wherfore if this disputation shalbe decided by their minds and verdites, there shalbe nothing established, neither shal appeare any way of agrement to follow. Furthermore we be cōmaunded by the king that these controuersies should be determined onely by the rule and iudgement of þ^e scripture. This he spake vnto Alesius. Then he turning himselfe vnto the Bishops, likewise admonished them with a graue and sharpe Oration, which we thought not good to omit in this place.

MarginaliaThe Oratiō of Foxe Bishop of Herford, vnto the BishopsThinke ye not (sayd he) that we can by any Sophisticall subtilties steale out of the world agayne, the light which euery man doth see. Christ hath so lightned the worlde at this time, that the light of the Gospell hath put to flight all misty darckenesse, MarginaliaThe Gospell shyning in all places.and it wil shortly haue the higher hand of all clouds, though we resist in vayn neuer so much. The lay people do now know the holy scripture better then many of vs. MarginaliaThe faithful diligence of the Germaines in translating the Bible.And the Germanes haue made the text of the Bible so playne and easye by the Hebrue and Greeke tongue that now many thinges may be better vnderstand without any gloses at all, then by all the commentaries of the Doctours. And moreouer they haue so opened these controuersyes by theyr writinges, that women and children may wonder at the blindnesse and falsehood that hath bene hitherto. MarginaliaThe world now able to iudge vpon errours.Wherefore ye must consider earnestly, what ye will determine of these controuersies, that ye make not your selues to be mocked and laughed to scorne of al the world, and that ye bring them not to haue this opinion of you, to thinke euer more hereafter, that ye haue neyther one sparke of learning, nor yet of godlines in you. And thus shall ye loose all your estimation and authority with them, which before tooke you for learned men, and profitable members vnto the common wealth of Christendome. MarginaliaIt is a vaine hope to trust vpon the Popes authoritye.For that whiche you doe hope vpon, that there was neuer heresy in the Church so great, but that processe of time with the power and authority of the Pope hath quenched it, it is nothing to the purpose. But ye must turne your opinion, and thinke this surely, that there is nothing so feeble and weake, so that it be true, but it shall finde place, and be able to stand agaynst all falshood.

MarginaliaTruth will come out at last.Truth is the daughter of time, & time is the mother of trueth. And whatsoeuer is besieged of truth, cannot long continue, and vpon whose side truth doth stand, that ought not to be thoughtstrāsitory, or that it will euer fall.MarginaliaTruth daughter of time. All things cōsist not in paynted eloquence and strength or authority.MarginaliaThe nature of truth. For the trueth is of so great power, strength & efficacy, that it can neither be defended wyth wordes, nor to be ouercome with any strength, but after she hath hidden her selfe long, at length she putteth vp her head and appeareth, as it is written in Esdras: Marginalia3. Esd. 4.A king is strong, wine is stronger, yet women be more strong, but truth excelleth all.

To this effect in a maner, & much more, did he speake and vtter in that conuocation, both copiously and descretly. Through whose Oration, Alesius being encouraged, proceded further, to vrge the Bishop with this argument.

The Argument in forme.  

Commentary     Close

This syllogism is Foxe's addition to the account.

The first part of this reason is S. Paules owne saying, the fourth to the Romanes, where he sayth: MarginaliaRom. 4.That circumcision is a token and a seale of the righteousnes of fayth. Ergo, it requireth faith to certify mans hart of the will of god. But the word of God is the foundation of faythMarginaliaThe word is the ground of faith. as Saint Paule witnesseth. Rom. 10. MarginaliaRom. 10.Fayth commeth by hearing, and hearing commeth by the worde of God. For the minde must be taught & instructed to þ^e will of God by the word, like as the eye is taught and instructed by the outward ceremony. And so Paule by that saying confuteth this opinion, that the Sacramentes should make men righteous & iust before God, for þ^e very outward work,MarginaliaEx opere operato. without faith of them that receiue them.

And after this manner doth Paule speake vnto the Ephesians: MarginaliaEph. 5.that Christ doth sanctify his church through the bath of water in the word of life. And for as much as he ioyneth the word vnto the ceremony, and declareth the vertue and power of the word of God, that it bringeth with it life, he doth manifestly teach that the word of GodMarginaliaSacramentes onely to be gathered out of the word of God. is the principall thing, and euen as it were the very substaunce & body of the Sacrament: and the outward ceremony to be nothing els then a token of that liuely inflamation whych we receiue through fayth in the word and promise. Saint Paule also in ministring the sacrament of the Lordes supper, doth manifestly adde the woordes of Christ: He tooke bread (sayth he) and when he had geuen thankes, he brake it and sayd, take ye this, and eate ye this, for it is my body. Item, Do ye this in my remembrance. Beside this he teacheth euidently þ^t onely Christ and none but he had power to institute a sacrament: MarginaliaThe institution of Christ ought not to be altered& that neither the Apostles, nor the Church hath any authority to alter or to adde any thing vnto his ordynaunce, whereas he saith: Marginalia1. Cor. 11.For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I deliuered vnto you. &c. To what purpose shoulde he go about to mooue the people to beleue him and to winne theyr hartes with this protestation, if it had bene lawefull for him to haue made any sacramentes, or to haue altered the forme and maner of ministring this sacramēt, as some men both wickedly and shamelesly do affirme, that the Apostles did alter the forme of Baptisme.

MarginaliaThe aunswere of the Bishop of London agaynst Alesius.When he had spoken thus much, the B. of Londō dyd interrupt him, and sayd: Let vs graūt that the sacraments may be gathered out of the word of God, yet are you farre deceiued, if ye think that there is none other word of God, but that which euery sowter and cobler doe reade in theyr mother tongue. And if ye thinke that nothing pertayneth vnto the Christian fayth, but that onely that is written in the Bible, then erre ye playnely with the Lutherans. For S. Iohn sayth: MarginaliaIohn. 21.that Iesus did many thinges which be not written. And S. Paul commaundeth the Thess. to obserue and keepe certeine vnwritten traditions & ceremonies.Marginalia2. Thess. 3.2. Thes. 2. Moreouer he himselfe did preach not the scripture onely but euen also the traditions of the Elders.MarginaliaActes. 16.Act. xvj. MarginaliaVnwritten verities and traditions of fathers in equall force with Gods written word.Finally we haue receiued many things of the Doctors & Councels by times, which although they be not written in the Bible, yet for as much as the olde Doctors of the Churche do make mention of them, we ought to graunt that we receiued them of the Apostles, and that they be of like authority with the Scripture, and finally that they may worthily be called MarginaliaThe vnwritten word of God.the word of God vnwritten.

MarginaliaStokesly laughed to scorne.Now when the right noble Lord Cromwell, the Archbishop, with the other Bishops, which did defend the pure doctrine of the gospel, heard this, they smiled a litle one vpō another, forasmuch as they saw him flee euen in þ^e very beginning of the disputation, vnto his old rusty sophistry and vnwritten verities. Then Alesius would haue proceded further with the Bishop to haue confuted this blasphemous lye, but the Lord Cromwell bade him be cōtent, for