The B. of Sarisburie.
It is no newe practise, ye saie, to kille Heretiques. I graunte you. Neither is it a newe practise, to condemne godly menne by the name of Heretiques. Youre Fathers sommetime cried out againste Christe the Sonne of God, Wee haue a Lawe:* 1.1 and by the Lawe he ought to die. And Christe him selfe saide sommetime to Hierusalem the Cittie of bloude,* 1.2 O Hierusalem, Hierusalem, that killest the Prophetes, and stoanest them to death, that he sent vnto thee. But S. Augustine saithe, Nullis bonis in Catholica hoc placet,* 1.3 si vs{que} ad Mortem in quenquam, licet Haereticum, saeuiatur: It seemeth good vnto no good man in the Catholique Churche, that crueltie vnto death be shewed vnto any man, no though he be an Heretique.
Notwithstanding, it agreeth wel with youre Religion, M. Hardinge, though your mouthes now be mousled, yet to rampe, and gape stil after bloude. Fulfil ye the measure of youre Fathers. Let it not greeue you, to heare, what Salomon saithe,* 1.4 Viscera impiorum crudelia: The very bowelles of the wicked are ful of cruel∣tie. When youre Fables, and folies be espied, then ye flee to Swerde, and Fire. Whiche beeinge once wreasted from you, youre whole Religion muste needes comme to grounde. S. Hierome saithe of other youre peeres, Pugnant Epichere∣matis ex carnificum officinis: They fighte with Argumentes taken from the Bouchers shoppes.
Ye haue wreakte youre angre longe yenough vpon innocente bloude. Beginne once to knowe the hande of God. It is harde for you, to kike stil against the pricke. Wee maie truely saie vnto you with S. Cyprian, Sacerdos Dei Euangelium tenens, & Christi Praecepta custodiens,* 1.5 Occidi potest, Vinci non potest. The Prieste of God, holding the Gospel, and keeping the Commoundementes of Christe, maie wel be killed: But conquered he cannot be.* 1.6 Wee maie saie with Tertullian, Crudelitas vestra, Gloria no∣stra est: Plures efficimur, quoties metimur à vobis: Youre Crueltie is oure Glorie. When ye comme to recken vs ye finde vs moe, and moe. Truethe aboue al thinges vvil pre∣uaile. There is no Counsel againste the Lorde.
As for oure parts, wee were neuer yet guilty to one droppe of youre bloude. Wee seeke no aide at Fire, or Swerde. Wee wil rather saie with S. Hierome, Vtiuam filios Haereucorum, & omnium qui decepti sunt, interficiamus Sagittis Spiritua∣libus, id est, Testimonijs Scripturarum. Woulde God wee maie rather kille the Children of Heretiques, and of al them, that be deceiued, with Spiritual Arrowes, that is to saie, with the Testimonies of the Scriptures: And with S. Augustine, O fi occidas eos de gladio bis