A04482:51
The true copies of the letters between the reverend father in God John Bishop…The true copies of the letters betwene the reuerend father in God Iohn Bisshop…
The true copies of the letters between the reverend father in God John Bishop of Sarum and D. Cole upon occasion of a sermon that the said Bishop preached before the Queens Majesty, and her most honourable Counsel. 1560. Set forth and allowed, according to the order appointed in the Queens Maiesties iniunctions. Cum gratia & privilegio Regiæ Maiestatis per septennium.The true copies of the letters betwene the reuerend father in God Iohn Bisshop of Sarum and D. Cole vpon occasion of a sermon that the said Bishop preached before the Quenes Maiestie, and hir most honorable Counsel. 1560. Set forthe and allowed, according to the order appointed in the Quenes Maiesties iniunctions. Cum gratia & priuilegio Regiæ Maiestatis per septennium.
London: printed by John Day, 1560
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
By law upon good grounds no man should be put to reason where matters are once agreed on. I and my fellows are in bands to avoid such kind of reasoning as ye would put me to. Wherein wise men see, when ye openly provoke us to disprove that ye teach, ye fare as if you should say to one that is bound hand and foot, come strike me & thou darest. We are as I said in place of learners, & ye in place to teach. We are defendants, and ye y• plaintiffs. We continue in the faith we professed sith our Baptism, ye pretend a change in the same. We have with us an Apostolical church, ye have none yet approved. We make no innovation, for, In rebus novis constituendis, sayeth y• law, evidens debet esse utilitas: and all new attempts are to be suspected.
By lawe vpon good groundes no manne shoulde be put to reason where matters are once agreed on. I and my felowes are in bandes to auoide sutche kinde of reasoning as ye woulde put me to. Wherein wise men se, when ye opē ly prouoke vs to disproue that ye teach, ye fare as if you should saye to one that is bounde hande and foote, come strike me & thou darest. We are as I sayde in place of learners, & ye in place to teache. We are defendauntes, and ye y• plaintifes. We continew in the faith we professed sithe our Baptisme, ye pretende a chaunge in the same. We haue with vs an Aposticall churche, ye haue none yet approued. We make no innouation, for, In rebus nouis constituendis, saieth y• law, euidens debet esse vtilitas: and all new attemptes are to be suspected.
Ye seem to mislike in manner all y• hitherto hath ben received. But ye say ye bring us again to the Primitive Church. It is a foul fall in reasoning, to bring that for proof, which lieth yet in question or plainly denied. We are in possession, ye come to put us from it. ⟨image 12⟩Ye mean to draw us to you, we desire to know caut why. What rea […] addeth you to put a negative in qun thereby to grieve your adversary (yet have you none of me, for I seek on you to be taught) where in Law a person […] a ted can be put to no more but to defend. Where a negative implieth in it a yea or affirmation, there the plaintiff is put to his proof. But I protest once again, I come not to dispute, but to learn.