WHen I do remember, dearly belouyd, the great charge inioynyd vnto vs of almyghtie God, & the strayghte ac∣counte that we shall haue to make, for the ryghte vse and dispensacion of his myste∣ries, I fynde no comparison myght iustly moue any Christyan to doubt of the bet∣ter of those two choyses, only that whych makythe a shewe for the mayntenaunce of popishe apparel is the opynion of indiffe∣rency,* whych thynge he y^t wyll perswade, must fyrst proue that it tendythe to Go∣des glory. Concurrythe wythe his worde, edefyeth his churche, mayntaynyth Chri∣styan lyberte: whych condycions & circun∣stances if they wante, The thynge whych otherwyse by nature is indifferent, dothe degenerat and become hurtfull. but howe can Godes glory be auaunced by those po∣pishe garmētes whych supersticyous men & Antychrist haue inuentyd for the mayn∣teyninge & beuty fyinge of Idolatry, what Page  [unnumbered] agrement can mans supersticious inuen∣cyons haue wythe the eternall worde of God, what edifycacion can there be wher the spirit of god is greuyd, Christes lytill∣ous discoragyd, y^• weake brethren brought* into doubt of relygyon, the wyckyd pa∣pists confyrmyd in their errour, And ado∣re new set open to all Popish tradycions and Antychristian impietie: nether can any man call this Christian lybertie, where a yoke is layd vpon the dysciples neckes, where the consciens is cloggyd, true prea∣chers thretenyd, the curse of Godes worde stayed, the congregacyons spoylyd of god∣lye and learnyd pastors, the Sacramentes brought vnder subieccyon of Idolators & supersticious vestiments, therefore where either the formar condycion wante or this latter be annexsyd, yt can not be callyd a thynge mere indifferent. Augustine vpon indifferent thyngs say the, Those thynges that are not contrarye to faythe, nether yet contrarye to good manners, and haue somwhat to exhorte to the amendemēt of lyfe, whersoeuer we se such thynges com∣maundyd, or do know to be institutid, we do not only alowe, but also we will folow them in praysynge and imytatinge them: yf the infyrmyte of some do not let that yt Page  [unnumbered] shuld be a further detrimente or damage, here Augustine requiryth two poynts in thyngs indifferent. First that they induce to a better lyfe, & do serue to edyfycacion, next that we beware lest any offence come therbye, or any weake consciens be hynde∣ryd* in y^• curse of religion, Christ hym selfe geuyth a good warning saynge, wo be to offences, there myght be brought dyuers examples and testymonies to proue, that thynges whych of them selues haue byne or are indifferēt, by circunstāce & abusinge becom euel, what thynge is more requirid for sondry causis in this lyfe, then fastinge, and for the dayes & tymes, what thynges can be more indifferent. yet yf by y^• obser∣uacion of dayes and appoyntinge of tyme* we shuld confirme the opinion of the wyc∣kyd, & so gyue consente to them we were worthely to be blamyd & reprouyd, as Au∣gustine wytnessith wryting after this sort, To faste on the Sonday is a great offen∣ce, cheflye after y^• detestable heresye of the Manichees, whych is planlye contrary to the Catholyke fayth of manye, & the scrip∣tures of God dyd shew it selfe, whych cō∣stitutyd to their hearers, to fast on y^e Son∣day, was a most mete daye. Tertulian in his boke De corona militis, defendyth the Page  [unnumbered] cause of a soudyar that was zelous for the glory of god, & wold not weare a garlonde on his heade as y^• rest of his felowes dyd, lest he shuld seame to consent with y^e Idola¦tors,* & so bringe true relygion into doubt, & wheras many of the Christiās myslyhid of this soudyars facte, which for so smal a try fill wolde hasarde the Emperors fauor and so auenture his lyfe, seinge to weare the garlonde was not agaynste y^• scriptu∣res. Tertullian who iustifyed this zelous acte answerethe on this soudiars behalfe sayinge: Yf for this cause it may be sayd y^• he myght lawfully be crownyd, because the scriptures do not forbyd it, by this sa∣me reason it shalbe answered, that therfor he ought not to be crounyd, because y^e scrip¦tures doth not commande it. The Coun∣sel of Toletane ordenyd that in Baptymse shulde be vsyd but one dyppynge, lest they shuld seame to consente with the heretiks whiche vsed to dypp the child thryse, & sen∣dynge to Gregory for his counsell herein, they receuyd this answere, for the eschew∣inge of the sclaunder of scisme and trady∣cion of the heritikes, let vs hold the sym∣ple vse of Baptisme, les• they whiche amō∣gest vs do vse to dypp thry se to allowe the assercyon of the heretykes, whyle y^• folow their Page  [unnumbered] not onlye to holde the Idoll as accursyd, but also that we vtterlye abhorre and ac∣counte moste abhominable thynges that apperteyne ther vnto, and haue nothynge to do with it, least we be snaryd with it, rede we not in the Machabees, howe the Lorde distroyd all those that had any stuff* of the Idolls, and howe was Achan pla∣gyd for reseruynge those thynges, whych the Lorde wold haue dystroyd and accut∣syd,* we reade that Juliamis the aposta∣ta causyd the heathen to accomodat them selues to the maners of the Christyans, and theyr vsages thynkyng by this mea∣nes to entice them to Paganisme, and yf we compell the godlye to conforme them¦selues to the Papistes, I greatlye feare, least we fall into Papisme: alas, that such compulsyon shuld be vsyd toward vs, and so great lenite towards the Papistes, how many Papistes inioye lyberte & lyuyngs, whyche neyther haue sworne obedyene to the Quenes maiestie, nether do yet anye parte of deutye towardes theyr miserable stlockes, those mysers laughe, and trium∣phe to se vs thus delt wythe, not ashamyd here vpon to bragg, that they truste that the rest of theyr thynges wyll folow. But he that sittyth in the heauens, shal laughe Page  [unnumbered] them to thorne, and at leangthe shal geue an end to oure depe syghinges, and dely∣uer vs from all heuynes sorowes and my∣seris, wherfore let vs neuer yealde to this tryumphe of the Pope agaynst Christe, Lorde Jesus be mercyfull vnto vs, and let thy wrathe be pouryd vpon them that call not on the name of the Lorde, yf true re∣formacyon can not be had. Yet lett Chri∣styan lybertie preuayle agaynst compul∣sion to euell, lett not the Papistes abuse vs as the Jewys dyd the Christyans, when they had the temporall sworde on theyr syde, pytey y^e dyssolate churches heare the cryes and gronyns of so manye thousan∣des of godes pore children that hunger and thyrst for sprituall fode, we neade not to apealle to godes worde, to the prymati∣ue church to the iust plages whyche hath byne pouryd and is pouryd contynuallye, vpon the wordle for lacke of true refor∣macyon of relygyon, but let your owne conscience iudge betwene oure cause and oure enemyes, and yf we seke nothynge but godes glorye craue equitie and ryght desyre Christyan lybertie, labor to ouer∣throwe Idolatry and to wyne soulys vn∣to Christe, why shulde we not be harde, why are we so vncharitably dealt with all Page  [unnumbered] the Lorde moue youre hartes and open your eies, that we may all prayse gloryfy his holy name, that when the end of oure pylgrymage shalbe endyd most ioyfullye we maye rest with hym in his euerlastinge glory through Christ oure sauyour, to whome wyth the Father and the Holygost be all prayse glorye and honor, for euer.