n, and why we have
forsaken these men, thou oughtest not to marvel, though we have chosen to
obey our Master Christ, rather than men. Paul hath given us warning how
we should not suffer ourselves to be carried away with such sundry
learnings, and to fly their companies, in especial, which would sow
debate and variances, clean contrary to the doctrine which they had
received of Christ and the Apostles. Long since have these men's crafts
and treacheries decayed, and vanished, and fled away at the sight and
light of the Gospel, even as the owl doth at the sun-rising. And albeit
their trumpery be built up, and reared as high as the sky, yea even, in a
moment, and as it were of the own self, falleth it down again to the
ground and cometh to nought. For you must not think that all these
things have come to pass rashly, or at adventure; it hath been God's
pleasure, that, against all men's wills well nigh, the Gospel of Jesu
Christ should be spread abroad throughout the whole world at these days.
And, therefore, men, following God's biddings, have of their own free
will resorted unto the doctrine of Jesus Christ. And for our parts,
truly we have sought hereby, neither glory, nor wealth, nor pleasure, nor
ease. For there is plenty of all these things with our adversaries. And
when we were of their side, we enjoyed such worldly commodities much more
liberally and bountifully than we do now. Neither do we eschew concord
and peace, but to have peace with man we will not be at war with God. The
name of peace is a sweet and pleasant thing, saith Hilarius; but yet
beware, saith he, "peace is one thing, and bondage is another." For if
it should so be, as they seek to have it, that Christ should be commanded
to keep silence, that the truth of the Gospel should be betrayed, that
horrible errors should be cloaked, that Christian men's eyes should be
bleared, and that they might be suffered to conspire openly against God;
this were not a peace, but a most ungodly covenant of servitude. There
is a peace, saith Nazianzen, that is unprofitable; again, there is a
discord, saith he, that is profitable. For we must conditionally desire
peace, so far as is lawful before God, and so far as we may conveniently.
For otherwise Christ Himself brought not peace into the world, but a
sword. Wherefore, if the pope will have us be reconciled to him, his
duty is first to be reconciled to God. For from thence, saith Cyprian,
spring schisms and s