Io. Whitgifte.
Thanks be vnto God, there is no cause why you should feare. But wherefore do you then beate any such suspition into the peoples heads? or why do you beast of that that you know is nothing néere you? and whiche no man once goeth about to offer vnto you? what meane you in the. 59. page of the second Admonition to say that there is a persecution of poore Christians, and the professours of the Gospell, suffered, not farre vnlike* 1.1 to the sixe articles, which crafty heads deuised, and brought the king hir noble father vnto, as they would do hir maiestie now? Can any thing be spoken more vntruly, more suspiciously, nay I may rightly say, more seditiously?
If there be such things in controuersie betwixt vs, that require defense euen vnto* 1.2 death, yea and that if euery heare of our head wer a life, we ought to afoord them for the defense of the same, then truly is there greater matters in hand, than euery body doth consider of. Hitherto it hath bin the common opinion, that our contention was but about tri∣fles, about externall things, such as might admit alteration, and were not of the sub∣stance of religion: but if this be true that you here set downe, belike a great sort haue bin hitherto deceiued. Truly if the matters be of such weight that they require de∣fense of life, you are much to blame that haue not hitherto made them better kno∣wen. I trust we shall in this booke vnderstand what they are. In the meane time the stout bragges that are vsed by some, might well be spared: but we haue oftentimes séene greate cloudes and small rayne, and heard great crackes of thunder, and (thanks be vnto God) small harme done. Neither are you more to be credited for these boa∣stings, than were the Anabaptists for vsing the like.