A04482:599
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.
The reply. Sarum.
When ye shall bring me any such authority as I have required of you, wherefore ye should dissent from us in these points, then will I grant ye dissent not only for affection. If ye be able to bring nothing, I trust ye will pardon me to say, as I say. This argument, ye say, would serve me in rhetoric, & no where else. Thus ye writ to make your reader bel•e (as ye have reported in places) that the ground of my Sermons is rhetoric, and not divinity. Wherein ye were somewhat to blame for your so light credit. For if ye had heard me your self, as ye never did, I think ye ⟨image 106⟩might have hard somewhat else than rhetoric. But it appeareth ye hunt very narrowly for faults that account learning for a fault. If I were skill full in rhetoric, as ye would have me appear, only to discredit me with the people, yet can I not understand wherefore that thing should be so faulty in me, that was sometimes commendable in S. Augustin, in saint Chrysostom, in saint Hierom, in Arnobius, in Lactantius, in Cyprian, in Tertullian, and in many other old godly fathers: for all these, as ye know, were great rhetoricians. But as in the book of the kings, the Assyrians, when they were overthrown by the Jews, cried out, Dii montium sunt dii illorum, the gods of the hills, be their gods as though Silvanus, or Pan, or ⟨p. 104⟩Faunus, had conquered them, and not the true living God of Israel, Even so ye at this time after the see your self scattered, and put to flight, cry out, it is rhetoric and eloquence, that hath overthrown you, and not the force of the gospel of Jesus Christ,
WHen ye shal bring me any such authority as I haue required of you, wherfore ye should dissent from vs in these pointes, then wil I graunt ye dissent not only for affection. If ye be able to bring norhing, I truste ye will pardon me to saye, as I saye. This argument, ye saye, woulde serue me in rethorike, & no where els. Thus ye wryt to make youre reader bele (as ye haue reported in places) that the grounde of my Sermons is rhethorike, and not diuinitye. Wherein ye were sumwhat to blame for your so light cre dit. For if ye had heard me youre selfe, as ye neuer did, I thynke ye