nto the Name of God. For although other wrongs, yea
oftentimes great, may be borne and dissembled of a mild and Christian
man, yet he that goeth smoothly away, and dissembleth the matter when he
is noted of heresy, Ruffinus was wont to deny that man to be a Christian.
We therefore will do the same thing, which all laws, which nature's own
voice doth command to be done, and which Christ Himself did in like case,
when He was checked and reviled: to the intent we may put off from us
these men's slanderous accusations, and may defend soberly and truly our
own cause and innocency. For Christ verily, when the Pharisees charged
Him with sorcery, as one that had some familiar spirits, and wrought many
things by their help: "I," said He, "have not the devil, but do glorify
my Father: but it is you that have dishonoured me, and put me to rebuke
and shame." And St. Paul, when Festus the lieutenant scorned him as a
madman: "I," said he, "most dear Festus, am not mad, as thou thinkest,
but I speak the words of truth and soberness." And the ancient
Christians, when they were slandered to the people for mankillers, for
adulterers, for committers of incest, for disturbers of the commonweals,
and did perceive that by such slanderous accusations the religion which
they professed might be brought in question, namely, if they should seem
to hold their peace, and in manner to confess the fault; lest this might
hinder the free course of the Gospel, they made orations, they put up
supplications, and made means to emperors and princes, that they might
defend themselves and their fellows in open audience.

But we truly, seeing that so many thousands of our brethren in these last
twenty years have borne witness unto the truth, in the midst of most
painful torments that could be devised; and when princes, desirous to
restrain the Gospel, sought many ways, but prevailed nothing; and that
now almost the whole world doth begin to open their eyes to behold the
light; we take it that our cause hath already been sufficiently declared
and defended, and think it not needful to make many words, seeing the
matter saith enough for itself. For if the popes would, or else if they
could weigh with their own selves the whole matter, and also the
beginnings and proceedings of our religion, how in a manner all their
travail hath come to nought, nobody driving it forward; and how on the
other side, our cause, against the will of emperors from the beginning,
ag