And therefore Madame we are not willing to enter therein, for fear to offend any body, nor to make any revenge, but only to show you Madame that if we should briefly answer, this is the desire that we have, not to offend any body. And as touching the article of the holy Supper of our Lord, we would not of late speak any further of it, but having a respect to many of this company, which have not been accustomed, to hear speak thereof any thing so forwardly, but that they will be easily offended, when they hear any thing that seemeth new unto them. And therefore we had rather that they should hear the sayings of the ancient doctors of the Church, th• ⟨image 42⟩ours: considering that my Lord Cardinal of Lorraine haeth bound him self by his promise openly to instruct us in this article with the words of the doctors,1 that wrote the first five hundred years, so that we were prepared to receive the light, if it had been showed unto us that which hitherto haeth been hid from us. Now to satisfy us and also a great part of Christendom in that, that we desired & looked for, there was propounded to us the article of the holy Sacrament cut of, and mingled,2 i• the principal and most necessary points, & therewith it was said unto us, sign this, if not, we will go no further. And if we were presented prisoners unto you to be accused, yet should ye not say, sign this, if not, I condemn you, your estate bindeth you to speak otherwayes, ⟨image 42⟩and commandeth you to show us, our errors, if we had any, and willeth that ye should be sufficient to exhort in wholesome doctrine, them that have need of doctrine, and that be ready to render a reason of their faith by the Scriptures. And although the manner to condemn us is new, yet the means which have been therein used be more strange as I shall shortly show.
And therefore Madame we are not willīg to ētre therein, for feare to offēd any body, nor to make any reuenge, but onely to shew you Madame yt if we should briefly answer, this is the desire that we haue, not to offend any body. And as touchīg the article of ye holy Supper of oure Lorde, we wold not of late speak any further of it, but hauing a respect to many of this cō pany, whiche haue not bene accustomed, to heare speak thereof any thing so forwardly, but yt they wilbe easily offēded, when they heare any thing that semeth new vnto them. And therefore we had rather that they should heare the sayings of the an•ient doctors of the Churche, th• ⟨image 42⟩ours: considering yt my Lorde Cardinall of Lorrain haeth bound him self by his promes openly to īstruct vs in this article with the wordes of the doctors,1 that wrote the firste fyve hundreth yeres, so yt we were prepared to receiue the light, if it had bene shewed vnto vs that whiche hitherto haeth bene hidde frome vs. Now to saitisfie vs and also a great part of Christendome in that, that we desyred & looked for, there was propounded to vs the article of the holie Sacrament cut of, and mingled,2 i• the principale and moste necessarie pointes, & therewith it was said vnto vs, signe this, if not, we will go no further. And if we were presented prisoners vnto you to be accused, yet should ye not say, signe this, if not, I condemne you, youre estate bindeth you to speake otherwayes, ⟨image 42⟩and cōmandeth you to shew vs, oure errors, if we had any, and willeth that ye should be sufficient to exhort in holsome doctrine, them that haue nede of doctrine, and that be redy to rendre a reasone of their faith by the Scriptures. And althogh the manner to condemne vs is new, yet the means whiche haue bene therein vsed be more strange as I shall shortly shew.
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