question it When the Iesuites mainetaine that the Excommunication Consistorially given against her late Maiesty is a right and Papall sentence but the Seminarians their abetters avouch it to bee a matter of fact and not of faith and therefore the Pope may there in erre And is there one beleefe when you caÌ„not doctrinally agree whither the Pope or the Generall Councell be the greater When not long since m Pigh Eccles Hier. lib. 1. 2. Papists did mainetaine that the authority of the Church was aboue the Scriptures but the n Bellar. de Concil lib. 2. 12. Iesuites now deny it and the o In Gal. 2. 2. Rhemistes as moderatours cannot well tell what to make of it but in some sences rather bend to the prerogatiue of the Church And as you haue reformed many other things in Popery so is your service the same When your Breviaries or Porteises are so much altered since the time of the Councell of Trent and so many shamefull things put out which if they were impious or idolatrous your people before those daies were in a pretty pickle As Georgius Timotheus being more nasute then their predecessors did purge their p Socr. Eccles Hist. 7. 6. Arrianisme and cleared it of many the blasphemies of Arius retaining such as were more plausible so Pius the 5. cleansed the Breviary of many absurdities and helde only those things which he supposed were more defensible q Bellar de verbo Dei lib. 2. 11. In your new Missals also many texts are altered from that which was in the old Your LegeÌ„daries in former times were read in the midst of your Congregations accepted for good truth yet now you reiect your ancient books insomuch that r Motiv 5. Bristow himselfe disclaimeth vncertaine or false Miracles which they reade saith he in I know not what Legenda Aurea so contemptuously he speaketh of it and now that only must goe for currant which s De Vitiâ—… SanctoruÌ„ Surius Lippoman haue revised and allowed Nay hath the Church of Rome ever had one beleefe when the foundations of their faith in which vvill they nill they their soule and salvation must bee acknowledged to consist are and haue beene so and such among them that no man can well tell what to make or determine of them I meane the Scripture which is vnto them as a deade law and the Pope which is as the living Magistrate For first touching the Scriptures we know that with them the Latin Vulgar Edition is only authenticall and so the s Session 4. Councell of Trent hath defined it whereas the Originals of the Hebrew and Greeke which are the first and clearest fountaines are but basely esteemed by many of them insomuch that they t Prolog ad Lector ante li. 1. Esdr. who put out the Complutensian Bible say that they haue set the Latin there betweene the Greeke and Hebrew as Christ was vpon the Crosse betweene the tvvo theeves Now what can any man make of this their Latin Copy when besides the difference of it from the Originals against which we most except it is in it selfe so often altered and chopped and changed for besides the Castigations Corrections of the Lovanists and Coleinists and I cannot tell how many the Pope Sixtus 5. did cause it to be revewed 〈◊〉 professing that hee had amended very much of it he made it to be new printed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praefixa Biblijs Sixti quinti. prefixed a Bul before it testifying that he in his own person had gone through the whole Copie and iudged of it yea amended the faultes escaped in the Printers Presse with his owne hand therfore did give charge by that his ConstitutioÌ„ which was evermore to stand in force that it should never afterward bee altered or any other Copy of the Vulgar Edition bee vsed And if anâ—…e did attempte contrary to his Decree then hee shoulde incâ—…rre the displeasure of Almightie GOD and of the Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paule This vvas published but in the yeere 1589. and vvithin three yeeres after Anno 1592. commeth Pope Clement the 8. and vnder a coulour that his Predecessour Sixtus had inteÌ„ded torevise his Bible once againe but that hee dyed before hee could effect it hee putteth out another in many hundreds of textes differing from the former so that the diversities compared togither doe make a 〈◊〉 prettie booke and there is little more variety 〈◊〉 Bellum Papale Thomâ—… Iames. for materiall pointes betweene the translation vsed in the Church of England and the Rhemish Testament then is betweene these two And since the nexte Pope vvho succeedeth vvill thinke scorne but to have as much auctoritie as his Anteceslour it may bee chopped not onely once more but many times so that the Romish Church may bee saide to bee so farre of from Vnitie in Veritie that of certainty they have not the Scriptures vvhereon their faith must bee builte but they in former times and these in this present age have various groundes to rest themselves vpon Secondly as nowe it is with the Scriptures so it hath beene heeretofore vvith the Popes when they have had 23. severall Schismes Antipapes being erected the one against the other and those broyles sometimes continuing for scores of yeeres togither vvithout interruption so that all Christendome by partaking vvith them hath beene in an vprore and thousandes by that meanes have beene murthered Novve if it bee such an Article of faith that the Church must bee beleeved yea beleeved in and this Church is the Romane Church and is ministerially inspired by the heade and the heade is not onely like bifidus 〈◊〉 a hill vvith tvvo toppes but triplex Gerion or tricâ—…ps 〈◊〉 vvitlâ—… three partes as it was a little x Vide Câ—…cil Constantions before the Councel of Constance three Popes vsurping at one time and everie one of these doe eurse to the deepest bottome of the lovvest hell all that stande against them nay all vvho are not vvith them and in their Consistories if they bee Popes they cannot erre Will any man vvho hath his vvittes about him thinke that here is one Faith and one 〈◊〉 in the Romish Cocke-pit And especially when these Popes shall against the Antipapes proclaime Croisadoes that men are to marke themselves with the signe of the Crosse and fight against their adversaries as against Turkes Saracens and Infidels the knowne enemies of the Christian profession Heare this yee Papists blush when you mention your Vnity T. HILL BVT on the other side if you looke into the dâ—…ings of Protestants you shall see such dissensions such divisions such schisâ—…s such contraâ—…tie of opinions as the like was never among the Arrians among the Eutychians among the Donatists among the Nestorians among the Valentinians 〈◊〉 yet amâ—…ngest the most â—…arring Heretikes that ever were So as you may plainely beholde in Luther his seede the selfe same thing that the Poets faine of
and twenty bookes equal in nuÌ„ber to the Hebrew letters For among the Hebrewes the elemeÌ„ts of the letters are so many But besides these there be yet of the same old TestameÌ„t other books not Canonical which are read only to the Catechumeus Heere is a most manifest distinction betweene the Canonical and the Apocryphall and a signification that these inferiour volumes were only read to such as were novices in the faith but they were not accounted authentical vnquestionable Next I ioyne Epiphanius who lived in Cyprus he t Haetes 8 rehearseth for Canonical Scriptures of the old Testament the Iewes bookes the other not admitted by them he expungeth for Apocryphal And in a u Haeres 76 second place reckoning vp al the divine writings he shutteth out these Apocryphal fellows only after al the volumes of the old new TestameÌ„t rehearsed he nameth also the Wisedoms of SalomoÌ„ of the sonne of Sirach He nameth theÌ„ I say but after al the right ones yet least any man should take advaÌ„tage of the mencioning of those two heare him else-where u De mensuris poÌ„deribus Among the Hebrews there are two and twenty bookes For thâ—…se two bookes written in verse The Wisedome of Salomon which is called Panaretus of all kinde of vertue and the Wisedome of Iesus the sonne of Syrach the nephew of that Iesus vvho wrote that Wisedome in Hebrew so that his nephew interpreting it did vvrite it in Greeke are profitable and commâ—…dious but are not put into the number of those vvhich are received How corruptly theÌ„ doth x De verbo Dei l. 1 14 Bellarmine deale who citeth Epiphanius as an allower of these two bookes and denieth that hee spake against them otherwise then according to the opinion iudgement of the Iewes But infinite such base shiftes are to bee found in that Cardinall In the meane time we see that thus Epiphanius who was very wel skilled in the Hebrew keepeth close both with the Iewish Canon and the iudgement of the Easterne Church 13 Gregory Nazianzen hath a y De veris libris Scriptur little treatise in verse of purpose made to shew what are the books of the old new TestameÌ„t inspired froÌ„ God He in the old reckoneth vp two twenty books after the Iewish fashioÌ„ so oft aboue meÌ„tioned no more There he putteth al these whoÌ„ we acknowledge vouchsafeth not so much as to name Tobias or Iudith or any one of those whoÌ„ we seclude And so doth he againe z De recta educatione ad Selencum To all these so famous learned men of the East Greeke Church wil I adde for the conclusion the Councel of Laodicea which in the last a Canon 59 Canon recapitulateth all the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament but hath not one of those whom the Romanists vvould gladly thrust vpon vs. Nowe is it not a greate sinne thinke you for vs to ioyne in iudgement vvith so many learned and holie men with all the good and religious Hebrews who were before the time of Christ withal the Eastern Church without impeachment for ought that I can truely find Are not we worthy to be reviled and revelled at as renters tearers and clippers of the sacred Bible I doe marvaile why we should be Heretikes for not admitting of these Apocryphals since so many Fathers and reverend Doctors of the Primitiue Church did the same that wee do and yet heretiks they are none Yea but the Romanists doe loue to be tried by themselues And great reason The Westerne Churches they will say haue ever beene of another minde Wel yet here is but one against two and then by S. Austens rule before named the matter should go on our side But what if we find in the Latin Church as much against it as for it Are not our popish people in a prety case for railing vpon vs as if we were manglers deâ—…uÌ„catours of the Bible Hilary was a Bishop of FraÌ„ce and b Prolog su per 〈◊〉 he saith that there bee two and twenty bookes of the olde scripture See his own opinion consonant with that of the Greekish and Iewish Church vnto which number saith hee some doe adde Tobias and Iudith and so make foure and twenty Marke that they be but some who do adde more and these doe adde but two so that the Machabees and the rest are vndoubtedly gone in his iudgement nay I may say in his minde these two also But if any man be in this cause to be heard it is Hierome whom Lodovicus Vives some-where did truely call miraculum orbis the miracle of the worlde Hee lived a good while at Rome and thought highly of that Church and therefore would not hastily break from any thing vvhich generally or vvith good ground was there received Hee travailed into Palestina and there spent much of his time and by longe conference vvith a Ievve and other his extreame labour attained to the exact knovveledge of the Hebrevve tongue and there-vpon as some thinke translated the vvhole Bible into Latin as others suppose reformed and castigated that version vvhich is called the Vulgar and is now only currant among the Papists Also hee made those learned Commentaries on the Prophets which labour may truly be said to be the glory and beauty of all his vvorkes vvhich yet otherwise are renoumed sufficiently Then if any man bee to be heard in this Argument it is this Hierome and that deservedly Hee then speaking of Iudith bestovveth this ierke on it c Epist 10 UUee doe reade in Iudith notvvithstanding of it please any man to receiue that booke But aftervvarde hee goeth more generally to vvorke and d Epist â—…06 sheweth which are the Canonicall bookes even those whome vvee holde for Canonicall and vvhich are Apocryphall even the very same that wee reckon for Apocryphall Neither hath hee yet done but continuing in the same iudgement he sheweth how and in what manner the Church readeth and accepteth those inferiour bookes e Epist 115. As therefore the Church indeed doth read the bookes of Iudith of Tobias and the Machabees but doth not receiue them among the Canonical scriptures so it may read also these two volumes that is Ecclesiasticus and the booke of Wisdome to the edification of the people not to confirme the authority of Ecclesiasticall doctrines What would he haue said thinke you if he had seene our Papists bring these bookes as the chiefe pillers of praier for the dead and intercession of Saints and other such like Apocryphal trumpery 14 And that there were more learned men of the Westerne Church in the same minde with Hierome wee appeale to that treatise on the Creede of the Apostles vvhich some suppose to haue beene written by Cyprian and for that cause it is found among his workes but more generally it is thought to be of Ruffiuus his doing who very well might speake for the evidency
vvriting against u Contra 18 articul Wiolif VViclif maketh y In articulo 11. 12. tvvise mention of a booke of his ovvne sent to the Bishoppe of Hereford Dâ—…num Ersordenseâ—… he calleth him in confutation of the booke of VValter Britte 27 While I wrâ—…e these thinges I cannot but thinke vpon the audacious absurdnesse of my ignorant Doctour who blusheth not to vtter that is is y Ration 1. most manifest that all in England vvere Papistes vvithout exception from the first Christening thereof vntill this age of King Henry the eight Hee is doubtlesse an honest man and worthy to be trusted on his word It is not only manifest but most manifest not that the greatest part but all yea beâ—… shal not be scanted all wâ—…ut â—…ption were â—…apistes c. Were Iohn Wiclifâ—… bones burnt because he was a Papist were the Bulâ—… of the Pope against him for that cause and were the Archbishop Arondelâ—… Costâ—… against his followers so severe because they were Papists The man is hâ—… to be pittied for his simplicity A man may know by the lawes ProclamatioÌ„s letters proceedings by the State against some as against Heretickes As also by the Records of Bishops yet extant by the manifold executions burnings afterward that even in that deepe time of ignorance England did give most noble testimony of Christs truth against Popery eveÌ„ so farre as to the fiery trial If the Christian Reader peruse the Ecclesiastical History of M r. Foxe he shal find how z 〈◊〉 An. 1400. sub K. Henrie 4. before the Coâ—… William Saâ—… a Priest was burnt after him Iohn Baâ—…y and that because they were Wiclevists oâ—… Lâ—… as they the â—…ed them and not because they were Papists There are the reasons also and asseveratioÌ„s of Pâ—…y and Thorpe against Popery with diverse other matters And is it â—…ot to bee thought that the Heretikes increased when a â—…ynode a 〈◊〉 Sub Reg. Henric. 5. was assembled in Sâ—… Pâ—… Church at London into the vvhich â—…me 〈◊〉 Inquisitoâ—… who in a former Synode were appointed to 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 the vvâ—…gs of VVâ—… vvherein they found 24â—… Conclusions an vvhich they supposed to bee Iâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 â—…eere of K. Henry the 〈◊〉 dâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ward the L. 〈◊〉 was â—…ge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 had beene a â—…de of Traiâ—… but hee was then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ed Hâ—… So was oâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his 〈◊〉 consumed to 〈◊〉 Not longâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 besideâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sub 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Religion 〈◊〉 and VVâ—… tvvo 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 followed afterwardâ—… Neither â—…d â—…he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of King 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 escape 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of sundrie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHRISTâ—… 〈◊〉 sake 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 profession of the â—…hy the particular stories of vvhome may bâ—…â—…ounde in the Authour abouâ—… 〈◊〉 The Clergy of these times did beare much sway with their Princes and lefte no meanes vâ—…ught no stone vnâ—…ned to keepe vp the dignitie and preheminence of their Romish Hierarchy and the superstitions Idolatry vvhich then vvas in vse Novve â—…in the raignes of all these Princes so many were slaughtered for the testimonie of a good conscience hovve manie weake brethren vvere there vvho did not make open profession of their faith and hovve many did there lie hid diverse of them in probabilitie having confederates and some of them being Priestes and therefore not vnlikely to have learning both to confirme themselves in the truth and such other as hearde them Thus have I both in England and else-vvhere brought vp the doctrine of the Gospell vntill the time of Iohn VViclef who flourished in the yeere 1371. 28 Heere it may please the Reader to remember that the iudgment before cited of â—…vo c Gregor 11. Gregor 12. Popes vvas that VViclef taught the doctrine of Marsilius of Padua and of Iohn of 〈◊〉 Of the later of these there yet appeareth no monument vvritten But hee ioyned in d Catalog test verle lib. 18. opinion vvith the former But as for Marsilius Patavinus our Adversties cannot but acknovvledge him to bee a verie learned man after the measure of the age vvherein hee lived vvhich vvas in the yeere 1324. Hee vvrote a e Defensor pacis booke against the vsurped power of the Bishope of Rome vvhich argument hee entred into in behalfe of the Emperour Levvis of Bavâ—…e vvho vvas mightily laide at by three Popes successiuelie There the Authour avovveth as right and iust the supreme authoritie of the Emperour displaying the iniquitie of the Popes vsurpation over Christian Princes and Generall Councels The booke is vvoorth the reading to see vvhether all in times past did allowe of the Popes doctrine and proceedinges or not His opinions are these That the Pope is not superiour to other Bishoppes and much lâ—… the Emperour and civill Magistraâ—… That thing as are to bee decided by the â—…ure Thâ—… 〈◊〉 men of the laiâ—… 〈◊〉 in Councels That the Clergy and Pope himselfe are to bee subiect to Magistrates That the Church is the 〈◊〉 companie of the faithfull That CHRIST is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Church and appointed 〈◊〉 to bee 〈◊〉 Uiâ—… That Priestes may bee â—…ryed That Saint Peter was 〈◊〉 at Rome That the Popish Synagoge 〈◊〉 a dâ—… of theeves That the doctrine of the Pâ—… not to bee follovved because it leadeth to everlasting destructâ—… In the time of this Marsilius lived that noble Poet Danie vvho vvrote also a booke against the Pope f Petrus Messias in Ludovico Câ—… the Monarchie of the Emperour but for taking part vvith Lewes of Bavâ—…ere hee vvas condemned for an heretike and his booke â—…hereticall Then also vvrote g Catal. test verit lib. 18. Occam directly to the same purpose but for his labour therein and his large reproofe of the Papâ—…cie in other pointes hee was excommunicated by the romane Bishop vvhich he so much contemned that hee not vnwillingly dyed vnder that sentence Aboute that time vvere here and there dispersed sundry godly men who sawe more then the common sorte touching Religion As h Ibid. ex Hen. de Erford Hayâ—… a Minorite vvho frequently saide in his Sermons that the Church of Rome vvat the vvhere of Babylon and that the Pope and Cardinals vvere meere Aâ—… vvhich propositions were helde somevvhat before also by i Ibidem Gerâ—… and Dulcinus tvvo learned men This Duâ—… may be thought to haue had many followers since k Hist. Hussit lib. 2. Cochleus coulde say that Iohn Hus committed spirituall fornication with the Wâ—…sts and with the Dulâ—…nists The same opinions concerning the Pope and Rome did that rare man l Epist. 20. in Poesi Italica Franciscus Petrarche seeme fully to embrace as may appeare to any who will reade his vvorkes hovvsoever Cardinall
same assertions And if you will looke there farther you shall see that those Sorbonists were many times troubled with refuting and censuring diverse doctrines which were set abroach two or three hundred yeeres since and that diverse times in the depth of Popery That little Treatise alone will satifie any man that readeth it that in this your assertion of wonderfull consent you are wonderfully out Should not a man thinke that one of your learning had heard of Thomas Vias Caietanus once Cardinall of Rome how deepe a scholer hee was and howe many bookes hee wrote And did all your Popish learned men ioyne in vnity of doctrine and opinion with him How say you to Ambrosius Catharinus no babie among you who wrote purposedly against him I had leifer that Sixtus z Biblioth Sanct. lib. 4. Senensis should tell you the tale because you perhaps will better beleeve him Having then reconed vp the vvorkes of Cardinall Caietane hee thus subioyneth Ambrosius Catharinus Arch-bishop of Coâ—…psa of the order of the Preaching Friers did vvrite as vvell against the foresaid Commentaries of the Scriptures as against the other lesser workes of this man sixe very sharpe bookes of Annotations or Invectiues concerning which I leaue to everie man his owne free iudgement And what maine matters of great importaunce in Divinity these were hee vvho listeth to pervse the a Bibl. lib. 6. sixth booke of the same Authour shall see in particular I mentioned before that it is not agreed vpon betweene your schoole-men whither beastes eating the consecrated hoste do receiue the body of Christ or no. b Li 4. Dist. 13. Peter Lombarde saith No. Albeit if hee should be asked what then the mouse doth eate hee must aunswere God knoweth But c Part. 〈◊〉 quaest 80. art 3. Aquinas is resolute that solong as the sensible elementes doe remaine solong in the Eucharist it ceaseth not to bee the bodie of Christ although a mouse or a dogge doe devour it or it bee cast into the mire And d Part. 3. quaest â—…5 Alexander de Hales is of the same minde The maister of the Sentences following e Aug. Epist 28 lib. 4. Dist. 1. Saint Augustine vvho was but a harde father to Infants did teach that if a childe dyed vvithout Baptisme it vvente to hell The Divines of Paris in the Margente giue him a plaine checke for the same and our later Papistes vvill not haue the babe goe to hell but to the limbus infantum vvhere their paine is paena damni and not paena sâ—…sus a vvant of the ioyes of heaven but the feeling of no torment f Lib. 4. Dist. 11. Peter Lombarde sayeth that the Eucharist is to bee received of all in both kindes but the g Session 13 Councell of Constance sayeth that the people shall haue but onely the breade And yet Gerarduâ—… Loâ—…chius a greate Papist protesteth that they h De missa publica pro roganda are falseâ—… Catholikes hinderers of the reformation of the Church and blasphemers vvho denye the people the cuppe in the Eucharist You haue hearde of the difference of your Thomistes and Scotistes concerning the merite of Congruum and Condignum the difficultye arising out of that place of Saint Paule I i Rom 8 〈◊〉 count that the afflictions of this presente time are not vvorthy of the glorye vvhich shall bee revealed vnto vs. Can you vntill this day bringe your Dominicane and Franciscane Fryers agreed vvhither the Virgine k Iud Vives in Annot. in August de 〈◊〉 Dei li. 20. 26. Marye vvere conceived in Originall sinne or no The Dominicanes mooved by the authority of Aquinas repute her spotted the Franciscanes fighting vnder the banner of of Scotus maintaine her to bee free froÌ„ all which assertion of theirs when the Councel of l Seâ—… 3â—… Basils had ratifyed the Dominicanes except against that as against a Councell not lawfully called the distension continued still so great there about that Pope Sixtus was faine to interpose his authority in it by a solemne Decree commaunding that it should not be disputed of afterward but let the question yet be moved by any in their presence and they will be as hote in it as ever they were Can there be a mainer article of all your Romish faith theÌ„ the acceptation of the Concâ—…ble or CoÌ„venticle at Trent And yet the Popish Divines of m See the answ to the 〈◊〉 Reason Fraunce do not admit it to this day Did Pighins and Ferus accord with their fellow Romanists in so high a question as Iustification by faith alone If you know any thing of them you cannot bee ignorant that in that point they are Protestants Doth n De liber 〈◊〉 biâ—…r Contarenus the Cardinall agree with all his fellowes touching the doctrine of free will To conclude this Period your two great Champions for the Pope Bishop Fisher and Sir Thomas More could never accord vpon that question whether ther were water in Purgatory or no both perverting the text but the one alleaging that of the Psalme o â—…al 〈◊〉 11. UUee have gone through fire and water and thou hast brought vs out into a cooling place and therefore there must be water there the other citing that of 〈◊〉 Zachary I have loose thy prisoners out of the pitte wherein vvas no water which places to die for it they would not have vnderstood â—…chr 9. â—…1 Suppliâ—… of Soâ—… of any thing but Purgatory and that literally too So there was water in it and there was no water T. HILL AND lastly it is wonderfull to beholde howe all decrees of lawfull Councels and of Popes doe agree in all pointes of doctrine one with another although they were made by diverse men in diverse places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…es vpon diverse occasions and against Heresies not 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but oftentimes contrary one to another This no double 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God G. ABBOT YOu talke here of wonderfull and me thinketh that it is wonderfull that your Komish Rabbins will let such fellows as you are write and publish bookes of matters in controversie And it is almost as wonderfull that any English Papist will lay his soule vpon the credite of such fellowes as you are And it is a peece of a marveile whither you taking on you to be a Doctour without Divinity haue read nothing about this businesse or vnderstood nothing when you reade it or forgot it since or what you haue done with it Of Councels wee shall heare by themselues but the agreement of your Popes may make a harmony fit for hell and the Devill may daunce by it What meaneth that of q Hist. lib. 〈◊〉 Guicciardine who lived not far from Rome The Popes by law doe decree that 〈◊〉 shall bee lawfull for them to recall all promises and covenants although they were most firmely made by their Predecessours And may it be thought that they haue any such Decree Let that of
indeede was but like to haue beene Cardinall for being without a cause somewhat suspected of Lutheranisme hee to q Slcid. l. 21 purge himselfe thereof taketh penne in hand to write against Luther where labouring about the point of Iustification hee had his eies opened to behold the verity and embraced true Religion although hee lost his Cardinality for his labour There might many other bee named who by choosing want and imprisonment and al worldly miseries for the doctrine which wee professe did shewe that what they did was to serue no earthly turne but to saue their soules and in that they were in very good earnest These are idle obiections without matter or authority T. HILL IT is plaine therefore in my iudgement that the Catholikes are they who ever fished simply and sincerely with Saint Peters net and therein haue inclased miraculous multitudes of fishes and that the Protestants by their extraordinary and late angling haue caught â—…ore but such as were in a better and more sound manner taken before And although Freculphus writeth that the Arrian heretikes converted the whole nation In Chron tom 2 lib. 4. cap. 20. Socrat. li. 4 cap. 27. Sozom. l 6. cap. 37. Theod. l. 4. cap. vlt. of the Gothes from Paganisme to the faith in the time of Ualens the Emperour yet it appeareth by Socrates Sozomenus Theodoretus that the greatest part of those Gothes were Catholike Christian before afterward seduced by the Arrians for Heretikes cannot possibly convert any to such faith as may make the coÌ„verted better then they were before G. ABBOT When you say It is plaine in your iudgment it is the wisest word that you wrote a great while for your iudgmeÌ„t is a very weake one as by that which is gone before that which followeth after hath and will appeare If Catholikes be they who fish with Saint Peters net what is that to you who are not the one and doe not the other You are heretikes fallen from the sinceritie of Christes faith to humane fables and your fishing is not like Saint Peters to r Luk 5 101 catch men to GOD but to his Arche-enemye at Rome And vvhat store you haue taken with your Babylonish baites will in your next Reason appear Now whither the Protestants haue caught any or none let whole Christendome iudge nay the power and revenew of your Pope so much diminished will speake if all be silent But whither they were in better case before or no Christ shall pronounce at the day of the generall resurrection and his word in the meane time shall determine They who haue felte the servile yoke of your superstitions and inventions and nowe do truely taste the sweete promises of the Gospell will not leaue their passage to Canaan and turne backe into your Egypt to gaine all the world by the bargaine We can never yeeld sufficient praises vnto God who of his mercy hath freely vouchsafed vs that favour which he hath not afforded to many other And wee desire to stande s Galat. 5. 1. fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made vs free Heere you are a happy man that you chaunced to hit vpon the story of the Arrians for now you cite vs something wheras for three whole leaues together we haue had neither text of Scripture nor authority of any divine or humane writerâ—… but only your bare word and that is worth but a little Well Freculphus saith that the Arrians converted the whole Nation of the Gothes in the daies of the Emperour Valens from paganisme to the faith But there bee three Ecclesiasticall historiens vvho seeme to crosse that Let vs heare them speake s Socr. 4. 27 Socrates saith that vnder Valens or in his time many of the Gothes received the Christian faith and he addeth that to please the Emperour they addicted themselues to the Arrian sect Here then there is nothing which hindereth but that many of them might be new converted at the very first by those heretikes t Theod. 4 32. Theodoret indeede hath it that being formerly converted to Christ and beleeving aright yet when they were enforced to seeke friendship at the hand of Valens by the instigation of Eudoxius a great Arrian neere about him they were swayed by the Emperour to entertaine the Arrian heresie And Vlphilas their owne Bishop was a maine forwarder thereof 〈◊〉 Sozomen for the most part accordeth 〈◊〉 Soâ—… 6 37. with this that is to say that Vlphilas who before had been a means to bring them to the Christian faith was afterward won over to be an Arrian and by his incitement as also to satisfie Valens the Gothes became of that beleefe 21 But the errour whereinto these writers did run partly by living so far of and partly for lacke of distinct knowledge howe many divers people of the Gothes there were whom they especially the two later writers Theodoret and Sozomen do coÌ„found and put togither is explicated by Iornandes who of purpose writeth a u Iornandes de rebus Geticis story of the Gothes and lived among them now more then a thousand yeares agone even vnder the Emperour Iustian about the yeare of Christ 530. Hee then relateth it thus That there was a people called Ostrogothes another tearmed Vese-Gothes dwelling not far each from other the one of theÌ„ in ancient time descended from the other The Ostro-Gothes had formerly received the faith but being beaten and pitifully killed by the Hunnes a rude nation and not heard of before breaking in vpon them the Uese-Gothes then frighted by the example of their neighbours least the Hunnes should over-run them also agreed to flie vnto the Romanes for aide and the more to perswade Valens to releeue them they being infidels formerly desired him to send some teachers among them which might instruct them in the Christian saith Valens sendeth them Arrian preachers who taught them heretically to beleeue in Christ. These Uese Gothes thus converted being outragiously abused by some of the Emperours people tooke vp weapons against the Romanes which when Valens vnderstoode he goeth with an army against them Loosing the field he flieth and being glad to betake him to a Cotage he was so pursued by those Gothes that they set the house on fire and burnt both it and him in it By the iudgement of God saith x Ibidem Iornandes that he should be burnt with fire by them whom seeking the true faith he had turned aside to perfidiousnesse and had writhed aside the fire of charity to the fire of hell The Vese Gothes then being so great a nation were by the Arrians first coÌ„verted or perverted to beleeue falsly on Christ. And this is plaine also by Orosius albeit he vse the name Gothes in general and without any distinction The Gothes saith y Oros. li. 7. 33. he had by their legates humbly intreated that Bishops might be sent vnto them by whom they might learne the rule of the Christian
that he tooke on him to be a Prophet and they to bee Prophetisses and that when they would vtter any thing they were not like true Prophets soberly inspired and grauely demeaning themselues but as frantike folkes persons possessed with an evill spirit It is added that their behaviour otherwise was full of covetousnesse wantonnesse and vanity In breefe they and their doctrine came to naught which had beene the lesse to be pittied had not z Hier adv Helvidium Tertullian otherwise a worthy man and a great light in the Church sometimes beene over-taken by them 〈◊〉 Muncer whom you name was a ring-leader of the 〈◊〉 Sleid l 5 Anabaptists and he togither with one Phiferus his companion drew togither many thousands of people perswading them that by visions and dreames they were warned from God to doe as they did Among otherthings a litle before the ioyning of a battaile he would haue made them beleeue that a raine-bow which appeared was a signe from heaveÌ„ that they should prosper One of his doctrineâ—… was that we were to aske signes from God and that the Lord did much like that we should so demaunde them yea and eagerly expostulate with him if he did not grant them The end of this man was that the army which he had assembled of countrey-people was ruinated divers thousands of theÌ„ slaine he was put to flight being taken was executed by the sword This man could not endure Luther but publikely preached and inveighed against him and Luther on the other side detesting his vprores and rebellious sedition did write against him and his proceedings whiles he was aliue in his greatest strength And as Luther nothing respected thâ—… fained Visions and Prophecies of Muncer so did hee never assume any such gift vnto himselfe He would mâ—…y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truth which he did b Contra RegeÌ„ Anglâ—… teach should â—…sper which hâ—… vttered aâ—… grounding iâ—… on Gods generall proâ—… that the word like the 〈◊〉 raine from aboue should not returne in vaine and vpon the experience 〈◊〉 Isa 55 10 which he had of the dayly spreading of it more more in his owne sight but tâ—…t 〈◊〉 madâ—… shevv of any such Revelations as you woulde fasten vpon him the very authour whom at randon you igâ—…ntly 〈◊〉 shall cleare him for hee alleâ—…ging the speech of one whom he calleth Paulus Abbâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wâ—…ng against Luthâ—…â—…ngeth in these words of his I pray thâ—… 〈◊〉 thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 act Luther Aâ—… 1534 tâ—…gh all the 〈◊〉 of Lâ—…r Thâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in thâ—… wâ—…re Lâ—…her 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the spirite of God â—…t all his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all his 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉 pâ—…t he addeth perverting Luthers humble and Christâ—…â—…ssion that he was tempted by Sathan as all men are soâ—… more some lesse to vvickednessâ—… but can a man haue a more ample and genâ—…all testimony thâ—… this is out of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Luther never tooke on him the shew of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prophecies So that which you being against the 〈◊〉 maketh for the truth your owâ—… tongue or penne doth cause you to falâ—…by your own sword you do perish Luther knew that those were the iuggling trickes of your Romish Synagogue and therefore he both wisely religiously declined them T. HILL BVT the Câ—…ke 〈◊〉 Church 〈◊〉 had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all ages thâ—… which had trâ—… Visions and the gift of true Propâ—… as Agabus Act. 11. Gregory Thaumaturge so Basil. li. de spiritu sancto Cap. 29. Saint Anthony the Abbâ—… Iohn of whâ—… sâ—… Saint Aug. l. 5. de civit Cap. 26. Saint Monica sâ—… Aug. lib. 3. Confes. Cap. 11. Saint Benedict sâ—… Gregor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 15. S. Bernarde see in 〈◊〉 vita lib. 4 cap. 3. S. Frauâ—… sâ—… in eius vita Boâ—…ventura with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 vvâ—… there any vvâ—… had the gifte of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sâ—…y Pâ—… is 〈◊〉 you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…tedly wâ—…erfull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you â—…y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wiâ—… 〈◊〉 and irrâ—…gable tâ—…y G. Aâ—…T 4. IT were worth the while that you should exemplify your visioÌ„s throughout al ages as you did yoâ—… miracles before But to begin you do â—…ost discreetely sâ—… Agabus in the fore â—…ont who by the spirit foretold of a 〈◊〉 throughout all Actâ—… 〈◊〉 the world And what had he to do I pray you with your vn-Catholike Romish strumpet what doctrine did hee mainetaine which is now in your minte God knoweth your forge was not yet going when Agabus spike Heâ—… lived in the time of Visions and Prophecies and had significâ—…tion from the holy Ghost what he should say from vvhich your Seâ—… are most farre And the Scripture advoucheth this of him There is nothing his that may touch you vnlesse you vvâ—… applâ—… 〈◊〉 coâ—…porall famine fore-tolde by 〈◊〉 and veriâ—…d vndâ—… Claudius Caesar to note the spirituall famine vvhich afterward possessed a greate parte of the vvorlde while the Popes debarted Christians of the foode of their soules the breade of life the holy and Sacred Scriptures Of Gregorius Thaumaturgus Basile breefely 〈◊〉 De spiritu Sanctoâ—… cap 29 speaketh thus His predictions of future thingâ—… vvere such that he vvas nothing inferiour to the rest of the Prophetes vvhere observe that hâ—…e nameth no particular prediction no revelation And g Socrat. lib 4 22 Socrates speaking of him breefely toucheth his miracles but not a word of any Prophecie or Vision So that this may well be doubted of 〈◊〉 that so much the rather because Basile setteâ—…h his commendation so high as that nâ—…ither you nor any other man can iustify it if you wil vnderstand the coÌ„parison to be betweene him the Prophets meÌ„tioned in Gods booke who have for theÌ„ such sufficieÌ„t authority as may not be distrusted whereas without impiety this narratioÌ„ may wel 〈◊〉 questioned Yeâ—… if this were allowed you are stil as farre to seeke as before for how will you proâ—… that this man beleeved or maintained your now Romish fâ—…h Aâ—…y 〈◊〉 â—…d 〈◊〉 the Mâ—…ke the â—…ite but not otheâ—… And of 〈◊〉 it 〈◊〉 â—…oned that he saw in a visioÌ„ 〈◊〉 Soâ—… 6 5 somâ—… ovâ—…ing thâ—… holy 〈◊〉 and sacred table which was 〈◊〉 expoâ—…d of the 〈◊〉 But â—…ke I pray you 〈◊〉 that he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and devoide of all learning and Lib. 1. 13. therefore his 〈◊〉 are not mâ—…h to be builte vppon Secondly that he had little or nothing in him sâ—…ing with Popery for the monkish life of him and others in those daies was of a most different sort from these our belly gods who would never haue endured to liâ—… as those olde Heremites and their profession religion is much disagreeing Thirdly that although it bee saide of him that by the helpe of so greâ—… vertues hee had
Ecclesiasticus Wisdome into their Canon else where more theÌ„ i Deâ—…civita Dâ—…il 18. 36. contâ—… epist Gauden l. 2 once he coÌ„fesseth that they also seclude the books of the Ma chabees k In Synop. Athanasius also acknewledgeth that the books of the old TestameÌ„t are but 22. answering to the 22. Hebrew letters so saith Epiphanius in his treatise De mensuris ponderibus Hilary in his Prologe on the Psalmes hath the same Where it is to bee observed that the Iewish reckoning of these 22. bookes is some what different from that ordinary enumeration which we doe vse for they diverse times comprehende two bookes vnder one but yet so it is exactly that vvhatsoever vve containe within the compasse of the Canon they receaue the same and vvhat vvee doe reiecte they also refuse And that there is such a secluding of some bookes by the Ievves Thomas l Part 〈◊〉 qu 89 art 8 Aquinas maye bee a vvitnesse vvho maketh doubte vvhither Ecclesiasticus bee of authority or no saying The booke of Ecclesiasticus if it haue authority because among the Hebrews it is not received in the divine writingâ—… So that if vvee follovve the Church before Christ vnto whome most properly the Olde Testament did belong we must repute them as now we do Apocryphal hold their credit to be suspect Neither may this bee helped by saying that there was some later Synode vvhich made a larger Canon among the lewes â—…s m Chronog lib. 2. Genebrard would say if hee could tell what hee saide for that is a fable of his owne inventing directly crossing the Councel of Trent as formerly I haue shevved 10 Thirdly among the Christians there is much more against these writings theÌ„ there is for theÌ„ I wil briefely cite what I finde amoÌ„g some of the Ancient which may seeme to helpe theÌ„ n Lib. 3. Epist 9. ad 〈◊〉 Cyprian citeth somewhat out of Ecclesiasticus vnder the name of Salomon Truth but it is for the likenes of the sentences there to those in the Proverbes which also hath caused some other to take it for Salomons not looking exactly into the impossibility of the matter This therfore is but weake o Lib. 2. de principâ—…js OrigeÌ„ bringeth somewhat out of the story of the Machabees Wel but so he doth also in the same place ou of the Liber Pastoris which neverthelesse no wise Papist wil say to be Canonical Yet else-where he p Lib 10. c. 16 ad Rom. saith of that Hermes or Pastor that it seemed to him a very profitable booke and as he thinketh inspired from God No man therfore wil attribute much to Origens iudgement in that behalfe q Stromatâ—… Clemens Alexandrinus doth cite the story of Tobias But even so doth he meÌ„tioÌ„ the Gospel secunduÌ„ Aegypties but he nameth neither the one nor the other Canonical Yea but r De Tobia cap 1. Ambrose writiÌ„g vpoÌ„ Tobias nameth that a Prophetical book So he doth indeed that is of more force theÌ„ any yet meÌ„tioned But his iudgmeÌ„t in this is not to be warranted since s De bono mortis c. 11. else-where he citeth the fourth of Esdras as true Scripture And we are not ignorant that his skil was little or nothing in the Hebrew wherby he might best haue beene acquainted with the customes of the lewes In S. Austen I finde little concerning Tobias and Iudith onely in the enumeration s De doctr Christ. l 2 8 of the Canonical Scripture he citeth them once and there he hath the bookes of the Mâ—…chabees as also VVisedome and Ecclesiasticus which for a likely-hood to the bookes of Salomons are called as Salomons So t Serâ—… 131 de TeÌ„pore else-where according to the coâ—…on custome neere him he tearmeth Ecclesiasticus Salomons booke But deliberately he doth explicate that point where he saith u De civit Dei la 7 20. Custome hath obtained that Wisedome Ecclesiasticus should be said to be Salomons for some no small likenesse of the speech But the more learned doe not doubt that they are not his notwithstaÌ„ding the Church especially that of the West hath long agone received them into authority in the one of whom which is called the Wisdome of Salomon the passion of Christ is most openly prophecied It was written after the passion of Christ even in the daies of Caligula if Philo were the author of it TheÌ„ it is cleere by S. Austen that they were not Salomons workâ—… but yet he would haue theÌ„ to be Canonical And that he hath also in another place u Speculum Augustini The Church of our Saviour doth receive them yet the words of him immediately before are The Iewes doe reiect from the Canon the booke of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus TheÌ„ by the coÌ„fession of this renoumed maÌ„ the Iewes did repudiat theÌ„ Yea that he acknowledgeth els-where x De curo pro mort gerend c 15. The book of Ecclesiast is spokeÌ„ against out of the CanoÌ„ of the Hebrews because it is not in that And in his y Lib. 2 c. 20 RetractatioÌ„s The Iews doe not receive the booke of Wisedome into Canonicall authority Were it not then to be wished heere that S. AusteÌ„ had remeÌ„bred his own rule which is z De doctr Chr. l. 2. 8. that such bookes principally should bee esteemed Canonicall which are so accepted of al churches but of such as are in doubt that they are most to be approved whom most Churches do allow Then if the Iewish Church refused these and the Easterne Church wholy among the Christians great ones also in the Westerne provinces vpon whom he seemeth principally to rely S. Austen by his owne sentence is much oppâ—…gned and refuted And of these in the East West Church you shall heare anone 11 Touching the bookes of the Machabees as it is said before that S. Austen reckoned theÌ„ among the Canonical volumes so a De morib Cath Eccl cap. 23. elsewhere he calleth the secoÌ„d of them Scripture In his bookes b Lib. â—…8 36. Decivitate Dei he expoundeth it to be so among ChristiaÌ„s not in the lewish Synagogue Not the Iews but the Church doth account the bookes of the Machabees for Canonical by reason of the vehemeÌ„t woÌ„derful suffring of some Martyrs And yet the same father in another place speaketh muâ—…h more coldly faintly for theÌ„ c Contra secuÌ„â—… Gaudent Epist lib. 2. For the Scripture which is called the Machabees the Iews do not accouÌ„t as the Law the Prophets the Psalmes to whoÌ„ the Lord doth give testimony as to his witnesses saying It must needes bee that all thinges are fulfilled which are written concerning me in the Law in the Prophets in the Psalmes but it is received of the Church not vnprofitably if it soberly be readâ—…r beard This even by his owne extenuation carieth but smal comfort with it But
there is a worke vnder the name of S. Austen intituled d Lib 2 34 De mirabilibus sacrae Scripturae where by the Authour the book of Machabees is secluded from the Canon NotwithstaÌ„ding we do not vrge thâ—…t to be his but take it for a counterfeit rather yeeld that S. Austen framing his iudgment to some others opinion in the Westerne Church did repute these also Canonicall Yet here that is to be remembred which briefly before I touched concerning S. Ambrose that this mistaking in this worthy Father grew by his want of knowledge in that tongue wherein the old Testa was originally writteÌ„ by which means he was not acquatÌ„ed with many things appertaining to the Iewish church vnto whoÌ„ since al Scripture before Christs time was coÌ„mitted if these had bin Scripture they also should haue bin coÌ„mended then they should haue bin written in the tongue which they vnderstood that is to say in the Hebrew not in the Greek which was a laÌ„guage of the GeÌ„tiles as e Aut l 30. 9 Iosephus testifieth the Iews did not accoÌ„modate theÌ„selues to the learning of any tongue but their own which is to be interpreted of the ordinary sort of theÌ„ But all these controversed writings are only in the Greeke and not in the Hebrew which is a maine argument against them and ruinateth the very foundation of them Now that S. AusteÌ„ knew nothing of the Hebrew he in his own f â—…pist 131. modesty most ingenuously confesseth as also in another place he acknowledgeth that he had but little skil in the Greeke I g Cont. liter Petilian DO nat lib. 〈◊〉 truely haue attained vnto very little of the Greeke tongue and almost nothing And this made the iudgment of S. Austen the more defectiue in that behalfe Now as this great Doctour might bee overtaken partly by his ignorance of the Hebrew and many circumstances belonging to the Iews partly by leaning to the opinion of some other neere about him in the Westerne Churches of Italy Afrike so it is a matter very probable that the h CoÌ„c cart 3. can 471 CouÌ„cel of Carthage induced by the same reasons and most of all by the authority of S. Austen mighte exorbitate in their Censure vvhen they put all these Apocriphal bookes among the writingâ—… Canonical For there assembled none but such Prelates as were about Carthage which standeth toward the West of Africa in comparison of the East Churches The same causes doubtlesse moved i Decret Innocâ—…n CoÌ„câ—…js Innocentius the Bishop of Rome and therefore of the Westerne Church to put all these books into the Canon Tobias excepted of whoÌ„ he saith nothing An errour once begon goeth plentifully forward is not stayed vpon the suddaine WheÌ„ce it was that k Gelas. Epist. in Concilijs Gelasius coÌ„ ming after InnoceÌ„tius did in this case treade the steps of his Predecessor wheÌ„ himselfe togither with seveÌ„ty Bishops doth define al these writings to be sacred Scripture NotwithstaÌ„ding he who wil looke the Decree of Gelasius as l Part 1 Dist. 15. 4 Gratian citeth it about this matter shal see that the iudgmeÌ„t of Gelasius coÌ„cerning the CanoÌ„ is very weake little to be regarded And in those decrees of his which are found amoÌ„g the CouÌ„cels the same wil appeere wheÌ„ he maketh meaner things theÌ„ these coÌ„troversed books to be of irrefragable authority For in the very next Decree to that which I formerly mentioned he saith thus touching an Epistle of Leo one of his Antecessors in the Roman see The text of the Epistle of Pope Leo if any maÌ„ shal dispute of eveÌ„ to one iote shal not revereâ—…ly receive it in all things let him be accursed This heate doth shew that Gelasius was not too too much advised in his determinations of this nature but followed the tract of those that weÌ„t before him without farther ventilating or disquisitioÌ„ And this is the most of that which by mine own reading I find in Antiquity making for the iustification of these Apocryphal bookes And some such shewes there be for the story of Susanna of Bel with the Dragon which also are not in the Hebrew therfore togither with the fragmeÌ„ts of the booke of Esther some other of equal sort are by vs held to be no Scripture Hee who would behould what farther may be saide for these things let him looke m De verbâ—… Dci lib. 1. Cardinall Bellarmine where he shal finde a many weake citatioÌ„s agreeing in substance with those whom before I haue named Now if we looke what is against them we shal easily discover testimony of greater ponderosity to overturne them then is any to support vphold them 12 VVhat the Iewes did or doe esteeme of them you haue heard before Onely take this with you that n 〈◊〉 l. c. 10. Bellarmine can say out of S. o â—…n Prolog gelâ—…at Hierome that all these bookes togither are reiected by the Hebrewes Now let vs see what witnes the Easterne Church giveth of them p Eccl. Hist. lib 4 2â—… Eusebius hath an Epistle of Melito sometimes Bishop of Sardis in Asia the lesser where Melito himselfe saith that of purpose he travelled to Hierusalem into Palestina to know what were the Canonical Scriptures of the Church before Christ and there he setteth downe all those bookes which wee admit none other This was very soone after the age wherin the Apostles lived It is heere to be marked concerning this holy man as also of al the rest whom I shall name that they never had in this businesse reference to ought but to the course of the Iewes accepting their iudgement for the bookes of the olde Testament to be that wherevnto Christians also should cleaue Not long after that time came Clemens Alexandrinus of whom q Lib. 6 11 Eusebius writing saith that hee cited the bookes of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus in his vvorkes vvhich bookes saith Eusebius all men do not receiue And he addeth as it may seeme to prevent least any man vpon his example should attribute much to those two that he cited also the Epistle of Barnabas of Clement By the iudgement then of Eusebius Wisedome Ecclesiasticus at the least are books coÌ„troversed Soone after came r Cap 19 OrigeÌ„ who lived at AlexaÌ„dria in Aegypt And he reckoneth vp the CanoÌ„ of the Iews coÌ„prised in two tweÌ„ty voluÌ„es accepting all that which we accept not naming the other saving the Machabees which he saith to be reiected of the Iews That worke of OrigeÌ„ wherin that was coÌ„tained is now lost yet in those which remain he saith that the book of Wisdome s De principijâ—… lib 4. 3â—… is not accouÌ„ted of authority with al. Athanatius after his time lived also at Alexandria he sheweth what was held for Canonical what was refused s In Synopsi There be Canonicall of the old Testament two
of truth but is not to be imagined to say any thing in favour of Hierome with whom he had hote great f â—…nvect coÌ„tra Hieron controversies He there then enumerateth the volumes of Canonicall Scripture even in the same order as we do but disclaimeth Tobias Iudith their fellows then subioyneth this g â—…e symb Apostolor These are they whom the Fathers haue concluded within the Canon out of which they would haue the assertions of our faith to appeare The rest they would haue indeed to bee reade in the Churches yet not to bee produced to get from them the authoritie of faith And then These things haue wee said that thâ—…se vvho doe receiue the first elementes of faith may know from vvhat fountaines of the word of God their draughtes are to bee dravvne So that in these you see the sound substantial iudgment of the most learned in the West Church eveÌ„ in the most ancient daies of it this hath bin coÌ„tinued ever since vntil our time by meÌ„ of the greatest knowledge throughout all ages yea such as were lights in the Church of Rome it selfe Nay h Greg epi ad Leandr sup Iob 5 Gregory himselfe within 600. yeares after Christ accepted of Hieromes translatioÌ„ or Castigation vsing no other but sticking so close therevnto that as a learned man of i D Fulk in prefâ—… Rhem Testam 29. Greg in Evang Hom. 34. ours hath observed it being falsly in that copy DomuÌ„ evertit for domuÌ„ everrit he interpreted it after the erroneous putting And since that time in the Romane Churches that edition is â—…urrant where according to k In prolog Galeato Hieromes distinction there be no more to be found Canonical then those whom we so read I might adde the testimonies of l Prolog in lib Ios Tobiae Hugo of m In vltim â—…sth epist ad Clem y. Caretane after him both men of much learning both Cardinals of the See of Rome as also of the Ordinary Glosseâ—… who in the beginning of those bookes hath thus Here beginneth the booke of Tobias which is not of the CanoÌ„ Here beginneth the booke of Iudith which is not of the Canon and so of the rest Also of n De tradeÌ„ dis discipl 〈◊〉 Vives who secludeth Tobias Iudith some other In breefe I can here alleadge the witnes of many rare and worthy men even of the Popish writers and such as lived long before Luthers daies but I reserue them til some Romanist vrge me farther vnto theÌ„ But out of al this which hath bin said I conclude first that the Popes vassals in the CoÌ„veÌ„â—…cle of Trent were more then audacious incroching vpon God Almighty when they durst to vendicate that authority as to put into the Canon that which lieth open to so many iust exceptions and was repudiated by such so ancient and so many as well of their own as other And secondly that our Iesuits of late as Bellarmine CaÌ„pian our other more vnlearned Papistes as Bristow and the scribler of this Pamphlet with whom I haue to deale are very hard fore-headed when they exclaime vpon vs for doing that which they ought also to do and call vs heretikes for imitating the iudgement so mature and well grounded of such persons Churches But the pity of all pities is that their blinde and deafe disciples our country-men and brethren according to the flesh giue credit to such lies and accept that as the Gospell which when it iâ—… seaâ—…ed doth fly to ragges and fitters THE NINTH REASON Councels T. HILL THE Church of God hath ever beene accustomed when any heresie did spring vp therein to gather a Councell of Bishops Prelates and of other learned men in which the truth was approved the heresie condemned And whosoever were coÌ„demned by such Councels coÌ„firmed by the See Apostolike were ever deemed in very deed were heretikes and for such at length were taken of all men and in the end vanished away So were the Arrians condemned in the Nicene Councell the Macedonians in the Councell of Constantinople the Nestorians in the Ephesine the Eutychians in the Chalcedonian others in other Councels All which heretikes although they flourished for a time and drew manie people yea Emperours Kings States and Countreies after theÌ„ yet in time they came to nothing and the Councels which condemned them were vniversally embraced G. ABBOT THere are two things in the two first Periodes of this your Chapter which although not simplye in themselues yet proceeding â—…om you do deserue admiration For you who were wont to make such large propositioÌ„s as no Papist durst avouch filling your mouth pen with nothing els but All are growne in this Reason vnreasonably modest downe below a great many of your fellowes when first you allow other learned 〈◊〉 besides Bishops Prelates to be of your Councels and secondly you appoint these generall Assemblies not to be called by your Pope but it is inough that they bee confirmed by the See Apostolike But the later of these we ascribe to your good Maister Bristowes such like extenuation vvho hath your very wordes confirmed by the See Apostolike and from one of whose a Brist Motiâ—… 13â—… Motiues abbreviated you borrow the most of this your present Reason and the former we impute either vnto your ignoraunce who know not what your fellowes hold in this pointe or to the ticklenes of the matter it selfe wherin noÌ„e of you with the safety of Popery can define ought but it lyeth subiect to some exceptioÌ„ Some of your meÌ„ wil haue none to haue voice in CouÌ„cels but Bishops so b In enumeratione CocilioruÌ„ Possevinus saith A CouÌ„celis nothing else but a lawfull Congregation of Bishops And it is scant to be found in any of those whom you cite for Synodes that any are named but Bishops as the Nicene c In praesation Concili Nicenâ—… Councel consisted of three hundred eighteene Bishops the d In fine Concil Tridentin Tridentine if we wil take their owne account of two hundred and seventy Bishops vnlesse perhaps the Legates and Oratours of some Princes may bee numbred to be in the Councell who yet haue no voices to ratifie doctrine excepte they bee Bishoppes And yet this shoulde seeme secretly to go somewhat hard even in Campians mind who vseth first a generall word e Ration 4. the Senatours of the vvorld but aftervvard when he hath saide the choice of Bishops he addeth the piâ—…he of Divines Yea f Chronil 4. Genebrard himselfe magnifying the Councel of Laterane aboue all that ever were for number saith that it had in it for cheefe Bishoppe Innocentius the Pope then tvvo Patriarkes him of Constantinople and the other of Hierusalem Arch-bishops Greeke and Latin seventy Bishops 400. Abbots twelve Priours of Covents eight hundred which in all were Fathers 1285. Now whether â—…ese Priours had voices he doth
Scriptures And for disagreement and stifnes to yeeld if any be or haue bin of that minde it is vitium persâ—…na non rei that party is to be blamed and not his religionâ—… In all differences men are too much wedded to their opinions Yet we doubt not but when Christian Princes shall be pleased to call a Generall Councell in such sort and to such end as it should be convocated God who moveth the mindes of the superiours like good Constantines and Theodosians to do their parts will also moue the harts of inferiours to humility and conformity laying a side private spirits which is much to bee intreated of the Almighty Remember I pray you that there may bee câ—…rtaine rules set downe which may bridle refractary persons as it was s In colloquio Ratispon â—…601 lately at Ratispone Remember also that the Councell of Constance could proceede not only without a Pope to be their head but also against three Popes removing them and deposing them Farthermore you much deceiue your selues in your opinion of our discord for we do not so iarre as you imagine For certainly we al agree wel inough to lay your Pope on the grouÌ„d and the Churches of England and Scotland and France and Switzerland and the low Countries calling none of the Lutherans a good part of Germany with others iumping expreslie in the same faith are able inough to make a most renoumed and Christian Councell Do not thinke therefore that we are so farre from that as you speake of for if you leane too much on that coÌ„ceit it will proue vnto you but a broken reede which will both faile you and the splints of it also wil run into your hands Gods word shall be the line after the which we all will walke T. HILL LAstly I would haue you here to marke the dealing of beretikes vvho play by Generall Councels even as they play by the Scriptures for Conc. Flor. Sess. 5. 6. Magdebur Cent. 8. c. 9 Cent. 9. cap. â—…9 they take and leaue as they lust and as best serveth their turne There haue beene in all Generall Councels eighteene All gathered allowed and confirmed by one and the selfesame authority of which the Greeks receiue only seven The Lutheranes the first fixe The Eutyehians which are in Asia onely the first three The Nestorians which are yet in the East onely the first two The Trinitaries which are in Hungarie and Poleland receiue nâ—…ne at all behold the liberty of your Gospell G. ABBOT 9 VVHat heretikes doe in refusing of Scripture wee list not now to examine our iudgement and the reasons whervpon it is grounded you haue heard in the last Chapter Neither are we vnwilling to acquaint the Christian worlde what it is that we doe holde concerning Councels to wit that such as are rightly gathered togither and take the direction of their conclusions from the Angell of the great counsaile froÌ„ him who is called s 〈◊〉 9. 6. Counsailer such are to be much reverenced and esteemed but yet still as the words of men and not immediatly of God For it is one thing to be the word of God and another to be guided by it The former great Councels did take the sacred Oracle for the load starre of their direction the later t Mat. 26. 3. Annas-like assemblies and Cayphas-like Councels did least thinke of such matters And therefore it may rightly bee saide that not the holy Ghost but Sathan in the likenesse of such a u Nicol. de Clem super materia Concilior filthy bird as appeared at Rome in the Councel called by Iohn the foure tweÌ„tith was President there Yet we hold it worth the while to looke a little into your doctrine concerning Councels You make them of mighty authority as anone I shall shew and yet the chiefe Patriarkes among you who boast so much of your Vnity and Consent cannot agree which be the Councels whom you plead for to be authenticall It is no marvell if your scholers cannot ye eld account of their faith when you their Masters cannot You for your part allow vs eighteene Generall Councels but you doe not make vs so much beholding to you as to tel vs which they be u In initio Platinae Ounphrius who was held for a great Clerke among you reckoneth but sixteene the fowre first of Nice Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon then two other at ConstaÌ„tinople then the second at Nice then a fourth at Constantinople then one at Laterane the next at Lions then at Vienna one afterwards those of Constance Basile and Florence then another Laterane the last at Trent x In indice ConcilioruÌ„ Possevinus keepeth your number of eighteene but the Councels of Constance and Basile hee secludeth But whereas by this reckoning if he ioined with Ounphrius otherwise he should now haue â—…but fourteene he maketh fiue in all at Laterane and two at Lions and so they rise to be eighteene In this account his ' fellow Iesuite 〈◊〉 Bellarmine 〈◊〉 concil lib 1 cap. 5 precisely ioyneth with him And yet in substance they bee but thirteene for he acquainteth vs that the first and seconde at Laterane both those at Lions and that of Vienna be lost which by a consequent diminisheth fiue of the number y In Chronograph Genebrarde who at length grew to bee Archbishop of Aix thought himselfe as good a man as either of those or any who would defend thÄ› and therefore he will not take it after their tale For he reckoneth to vs twenty General CouÌ„cels wherof as the fiue which are missing are a part so he solemnely taketh in those of Constance and Basile for as good as the best Thus the greatest Rabbins cannot agree among themselues All the stirre is about those of Constance and Basile who indeed do touch the Popes freehold and therefore himselfe and all the Parasites who stand for him are not hastily to admit theÌ„ The CouÌ„cel of CoÌ„stance did dosse three Popes which were vp at once in a schisme subiected the Bish. of Rome to a CouÌ„cel which goeth hard especially when the Synode may be called without him as that was therefore he wil none of that The CouÌ„cel of Basil would not be at the lure of Eugenius the 4. but set vp z Aeâ—… Silvius deCoÌ„cil Bafil Amedeus the Duke of Savoy against him made him an Antipape this I tel you is dangerous doctrin This doth touch the triple crown therfore it is good looking before these things be ratified What shal we the think that the Pope did in this case a Vbi supra Onuphrius he goeth briefly to work saith that the CouÌ„cel of Basil was coÌ„firmed by Eugenius the 4. that of CoÌ„stance by Martin the 5. So the if hee say truth they haue al their coÌ„plemeÌ„ts must go for currant mony CoÌ„cerning the CouÌ„cel of CoÌ„staÌ„ce b Vt supra Genebrard â—…uÌ„peth with him
the Canonical Scripture Which albeit originally it be but the censure of one man yet knowe that he was Bishoppe of Rome and when it is prefixed before the Summe of Aquinas dedicated to another Pope it is intended to bee of credite and that more must be of that mind if they thēselues wil. And l Icon. vite Papar in Pio 5 since that time Pius the 5. hath placed the same Aquinas fifte among the Doctou◅ of the Church to the greate preiudice and dishonour of all the rest Secondly vvhat dishonour doe they to the renoumed company of those admirable men vvhen they ranke vvith them and as it vvere thrust vppon them base companions a bastardlye broode vvhich have no learning iudgement or anie other eminente parte to commend them Of their counterfeit Dionysius Areopagite I have spoken before But Maister Harding vvriting against Bishoppe lewel citeth in his greatest matters n L. Humfry in vita luelli Amphilochius Abdias Leontius Martialis Simon Metaphrastes Hippolitus Vincentius Clemens Cletus Anacletus counterfeit Athanasius and Basile and other authours of Decretall Epistles in steede of true Fathers And Bellarmine in his disputes beeing many times neere driven is glad to flye to such as for a stake to a hedge This is to extenuate the reputation of those greate starres and to make them to be meanely thought of because those vvith vvhomethey are sorted deserve no better It is the disgrace of the best when those of vvorst qualitye are coupled vvith them as their fellowes In the time of o Bodin de Rep l 5 4 Pope Iulius the thirde the Cardinals of Rome knevve this vvhen seeing the Pope to create Montanus Cardinall one vvhome for his pleasures sake he had taken out of a most beggerly estate brought him vp at home they ioyned in a request and motion in behalfe of the College of Cardinals that hee vvould not suffer that honourable degree to bee stayned by the presence of so contemtible a man vvho had neither vvealth nor vvisedome nor vertue nor parentage nor learning nor any thinge to commend him Indeed the Pope there had thē at the advātage for he was able to beate them with their own rodde therfore replyed vpon them VVhat vertues I pray you what learning vvhat parentage what good qualities vvas I famous for vvhen you made mee Pope His personall reproofe to them vvas iust othervvise their sute had beene reasonable for such a consort coulde no vvay honest their College as these silye Popishe authours doe no way adde estimation but manifold dis-reputation to the Fathers Thirdly howe shamefully did the predecessours of these late Papists in the time of darke ignorance foist in parts of tracts and whole treatises into the volumes of the Fathers so labouring that new writings might runne currant for old vpstarts for natural very draffe chaffe for good corne There is seāt any one of the Fathers which hath escaped free herein not Cyprian not Austen not Hierome out of whose works many bookes peeces may be pulled which for the matter or style doe no more refēble those authours thē Aesops Asse did a Liō whē he had got that Roial beasts skinne on his backe The Popish Censurers in their editiōs do cōfesse so much but Erasmus a mā who had the gift of p 1 Cor 12 10. discerning of spirits did go beyond them al and in his prefaces arguments or Censures vpon bookes doth yeelde the reasons of his opinion It is incredible to thinke how absurde things are fathered on these Doctours as by name that Adfratres in eremo before said to be intituled to Saint Austen where the absurde fellow sometimes plainly taketh vpō him the name of Austē Bishop of Hippon but to procure admiration saith q Serm 37. that he traveiled into Aethiopia saw there men without heades with their eies set in their brest and others he beheld which had onely one eye in the middle of their fore-head I wishe that either Sir Iohn r M Hac◅its ving Maundevile had beene with him or he with Sir Iohn Maundevile This tricke of iugling in such tractes is a daungerous matter to any who vvill rest himselfe too farre vppon the Fathers vvritinges and our Popishe people haue in their fraude greate advauntage vvhen out of such as they are they vvill confirme their Paradoxes But there is another pointe more tickle then this vvhen their Monkes and Cloister men vvould intersert into the true and proper workes of the best writers whole leafes or pages or sentences more or lesse to serve for their purpose Erasmus who laboured exceedingly in repairing and restoring antiquity to whose paines al learned men do owe much cōplaineth bitterly of this as in one of his s Lib de spirit sāct prefaces to a booke of S. Basile he with griefe saith that the same measure was affoorded to Basile which he had otherwise experimented in Athanasius Chrysostome Hierome and that vvas that in the middle of treatises many thinges vvere stuffed and forced in by other in the name of the Fathers Hēce the Romish generatiō might build even what pleased thēselves But besides all this as in other artes so in Divinity in the writings of the Doctours by the ignoraunce of the Novices in Monasteries sette to write out Copies of bookes yea of their s Vives de canis corrupr art lib 1. Nunnes so imployed diverse argumentes of bookes vvere put into the bookes themselves and Annotations in the Marge ◅t were erepte into the texte Concerning this depravation of learned mens vvorkes in all kindes Lodovicus Vives hath written diverse bookes intituled Of the causes hovve or vvhy the artes vvere corrupted and hath there many observations and complaintes that some ignorauntly some maliciously all audaciously did such thinges I thinke it not amisle to cite one sentence of his vvhich shevveth hovve diverse counterfeite bookes had the names of noble Authours put vppon them Among such as did vvrite out volumes t Libr 1 there vvere some vvho to procure authoritie to a booke did in writing put to it the name of some greate authour other that when in times past many bookes vvere put out vvithout names being mooved vvith some very light coniecture did adiudge it to one or to another other if they did not knowe the name of the title did not doubt to chaunge it and to transferre it to vvhome they thought good there were such as vvrote out bookes vvho looke vvhat name came first in their mind that they did sette before for the title There bee manie examples of all these thinges in those authours vvhome even novve I named Aristotle Plato Origen Cyprian Hierome Augustine Boetius Cicero Seneca and all these have beene received vvithout difference and no lesse authority and credite given to them then to those which were true and naturall This is a noble testimony of a very learned man who spent much traveile purposely in this argument and
Gospell and the irradiation of so many parts of Europe with the glorious beames thereof there haue risen vp many contradicting the verity of the same there haue beene diverse distractions by the whisperings of heretikes the intelligent Christian Reader may easily perceiue that this maketh not against vs but illustrateth the truth of that which we de fend First it hath ever so beene with the Church when God hath given somewhat more free passage of the Gospel then ordinary the o Mat. 13. 25 good seed is no sooner sowen but presently the evill man taketh opportunity to sow tares among it which Parable our Saviour in his divine wisedome did speake to this purpose Where it is not amisse to consider that the old veteratorious enemy Sathan who hath Mille nocendi artes a thousand devises to do hurt striveth to bring about his practises by manifold tricks stratagems Here his first chiefest purpose as best making way to his darke kingdome of hel is to keep all in ignorance If that cannot be but that he is over-mastred theÌ„ his next study is by the sword of violent persecution to destroy the professors of Gods truth If that will not succeede then he raiseth vp heresies distractions among theÌ„ who pretend the same verity Even vpoÌ„ the coÌ„ming of Christ into the world Sathan had almost al things at his owne will The Gentiles were not yet come to the light the Iewes were wel-neere past it but neither among the one nor the other was much faith to be fouÌ„d How did this Beelzebub struggle to keep the world in these termes wheÌ„ he would haue had p Mat. 2. 13. Christ to be murthered in his cradle afterward left him not till he brought him to his crosse Wel this would do no good but for one steÌ„me cut down their grew vp many young plants al taking their vital nourishmeÌ„t froÌ„ the first root The q Rom. 10. 1â—… sound of the Apostles doctrine went out through all the earth and their words into the ends of the world Here then Sathan being put to his shiftes turned over a nevve leafe If he could not stoppe the streame hee thought he woulde poison it and therefore sendeth in the Nicolaitanes Ebion and Cerinthus with their complices immediatly who shoulde mixe the good graine with cockle and darnell This was his manner of assaulting at the first Yet was he not so simple but to his best power hee helde his first grounde Better no Christians at all then some Christians true and some counterfeit A second time therfore he falleth on the well head with earnest desire either to dry it or to damme it vp By Decius and Ualerian and the rest of the bloudy Emperours he exciteth ten most terrible persecutions by the which vntil wel neere 300. yeeres after Christ he thought to have râ—…zed out from vnder the heaven the name of the embracers of the Gospell And in the intervalla or interstitia of these persecutions hee did not forget his feates of Heresie as may bee seene by the Novatians But after the time by his own counsaile appointed God was pleased to stey the fury rage of tyrants sending that his blessed servant Constantine and the other Emperours who openly professed for the ChristiaÌ„ faith And now the floud-gats of the Gospel being so wide set open through a great part of the world the Devill had his hands his head too ful to do some-thing which might serve for his purpose Then grewe immediately such a rabble of Heresies as is almost incredibles which as it appeareth by that which formerly hath bin cited out of Epiphaniâ—… and Austen so it is more confirmed by the words of Hierome saying thus q Lib. 2. contrâ—…â—…ovinianum It is almost foure hundred yeeres agone that the preaching of Christ doth shine in the world since which time â—…erable Heresies have reâ—…e his coate And yet as I noted before well neere three hundred yeeres were passed over in that continued time of persecution Now amidst these Heresies vvhat vvarres and dissentions vvere among the Christians it is not easie to reporte If the inferiour s Soâ—…om 6. 25. Clergy among themselues sell to disagree about any thing it grewe to that stomake that it ended in some Heresie And the Bishops when some s Socrat. 2. 19. schisme was once amongst theÌ„ they kept their bucharist apart would not come to the communion eâ—…he with other VVill you in this case heare the testimony of a heathen man who no doubt recounteth the story with great gladnes as pleasing him well in the endvseth almost the same wordes as the Romanistes doe of some other VVâ—… t Am. Marcillâ—… l. 22. 3. the Christians did disagree among themselves 〈◊〉 suâ—…y intending to deale vvith them did call the Prelates and the people intâ—… his Palace where he permitted to every one the vse of his Religion sâ—… meaning to increase betweene them so great discordes aâ—… that they might not be alaidâ—… knowing that beastes are not more deadly minded tovvards beastes then Christians are to Christians You may learne heere froÌ„ what schoole-master the u Commentar Relig Reip. in Gall. Lib 3. Cardinall of Lorraine did take his lesson when at the conference of Poissy to thwart M r Beza and Peter Martyr and other of that company he sent for some Lutheranes out of Germany who might in the matter of Sacrament have turned their disputations against those of the Religion when as both of them should rather have ioyned against the common enemy And in the auncient times before spoken of if we will thinke of private quarrels what u Hier Apolog contr Ruffin Ruffin in Invectiv rancour and bitternes was there betweene Hierome Ruffiâ—…s as also what stomakefulnesse betweene x Sozom. lib. 8. 15. Chrysostome Epiphaniâ—… when they parted and never saw eche other againe Yet to say that among any or all of these Christians there was no verity or solidity of faith or Religion had bin an absurde conclusion and such a one as our Romanists themselves would quickly deny There were many who walked in by-pathes and yet there vvere vvho kepte the right way also GOD had his Saintes and Sathan his schismatickes 16 The reason why such heresies did spring vp in the church was partly to be derived from Gods determinate counsaile and partly from the malice of our olde deadly enimy They had both their purposes in it but the one holy and good the other like himselfe full of improbity and impiety y 1 Cor 11. 19. There must bee Heresies among you saith Saint Paule that they which are approved among you might be knowne And z Contr. hoeres c. 15. Vincentius Lirinensis telleth vs that therefore there be herisies that the Lord our God may try vs whether we love him with all our hearte and all our soule or no. Whether by the authoritie or vvitte of any man vvee vvill
be drawne from the integritie and simplicitie of faith vvhich is proposed vnto vs in CHRIST Iesus And to this purpose speaketh Saint Augustine a Epistol 50. Heresies and scandals are foretolde shall bee that among our enimies vvee may bee instructed and so both our faith and our love may be the better proved And else-where he teacheth that a good vse may be made of Heretikes b De vera Religion cap. 8. Many that they may see the day of God c Deivel diei and reioycâ—… are by heretikes raysed out of their sleeps VVâ—… therefore may vse even Heretikes not that vvee shoulde approve their errours but that maintaining the Catholike discipline against their trecheries vvee may bee the more vvatchfull and vvâ—… although vvee cannot reduce them vnto salvation For these and the like instructions of his people God saffereth Heresies rentes and schismes to bee but Sathans proiect is by infection to destroy the soules of men and therefore hee is busie in stirring vp of them vvhich vvas vvell knovve to Cyprian vvhen he said d De simplicit praelator The Devill did invent Heresies and schismes vvhereby hee might subverâ—… the faith might corrupt veritiâ—… might teare in peeces vnitie This is the drifte of our auncient adversarie beeing put to his shiftes Saint Austen speaketh yet plainer e De vtilitate jejunij The Devill doth vnderstand that our life is charitie and our death is dissension hee sent strifes therefore among Christians because hee coulde not frame vnto the Christians diverse Gods hee multiplied sectes hee sovved errours hee erected Heresies but vvhatsoever hee did hee made of the Lordes chaffe And this did hee immediately after that Constantines raigning had brought peace to the Churches ' that good Emperour greeving much to see Arriâ—… and other so soone by the eares with the Orthodoxe But Sathan vvas vnvvilling to loose any time and therefore even at the first bestirred him Nowe in the darke time of Popery God having beene pleased to determine before that an f 2. Thes. 2. 3 Apostasie there should bee and the woman should bee with-drawne into the g Apoc. 12. 6 wildernesse and Antichristes kingdome should bee erected flourishe and dominere vvhat reason had Sathan to set men to contende about the foundations of his building Hee rather cryed Habâ—… quod â—…olo I have vvhat I desire As it is the the efes safety that all in the house should sleepe vvhen hee commeth to rifle and robbe so it was Sathans best contentmeÌ„t that the world should be at rest By his wil how many ages secula should have passed over ere the old heathens should have awaked out of sleepeâ—… And how many did there passe over the h Petr. Martyr Decad. 1. 〈◊〉 Americanes he never made any question or cast in any bone among them but let them go on in worshipping their Zemes those horrible spirits of darkenes I would but know of any man what Sathan should have gained to set them at variance about their Religion If ignorance would kill soules the daies abounded in ignorance if superstition would destroy they had it in great plenty if idolatrie would doe him any pleasure they wanted none of that if security would further him they had it and made much of it What could he wish more when the greatest sort of worldlings daunced after his pipe and were as glad to come in as he to open his dores Hee had doated as I thinke if he could not have kept his owne counsaile But in that fault you shall not take him The care therefore of him and his ministers was to keepe all vpright or at least to preserve the ground-worke of his building and if any of his children at their play did fall out he closed it vp againe aswell as he could had his officers for that purpose If any other did but baye or open against this his setled common-wealth he vvas not amicus Curiae a friende to the Courte either bring him to conformitie or Crucifige So you may behoulde the reason why in the deepe time of ignoraunce there was such a confederacy or conspiracy rather to have all vnder silence It was like the l Iustin. l. 5. Sacra Elâ—…sina where nothing might bee reveiled nothing might bee disturbed 17 But when God was once purposed to open the gate of his mercy and the dore of his truth the case was altered with the worlds olde maister As Basile therefore saith of vertue and vice so Sathan did with verity and errour k De vera virginitate Where a dore is of vertue saith he there on either side is set a dore of vice the entraunces of which are very like to the other of vertue By which likenesse it commeth to passe that many a one comming to enter at the right passage mistaketh the dore by a wrong opinion getteth him into the house of vice Thus did the Devill deale by truth Onely there is this difference that for one dore of verity hee made very many of errour and heresie and by the mist which he â—…steth before mens eyes they runne in at the wronge gate in steed of the right But this is an evideÌ„t Demonstration that the right dore is now open that he laboureth so to dâ—…sle it more theÌ„ formerly he hath done For why else would he trouble himselfe by raysing so many opinions And this is an excellent argumeÌ„t which was made sometimes by Chrysostome serveth fit for our purpose in these daies l Hom. 33. in Acta This is an argument that it is a notable doctrine if many dee couunterseit it and imitate it a for they would not counterseit it vnlesse it were good And that I will now make manifest vnto you The ointments which are fragrant haue many who will adulterate them but no man by counterfeiting will â—…bour to expresse him who doth wickedly but that person who is eminent for his singular life And this did that holy father vtter even in the very matter which I haue now in hand making answere touching the diversity of opinions and the manifold heresies which in his time were among the Christians He sheweth it to be an argument of excellencie and not of badnesse that many would shrowde their conceites vnder the name of true religion I would that our English Papists would weigh this answere of Saint Chrysostomes well and then they shall finde that if there haue beene many vp-startes since the time of Luther Calvine who vnder colour of their patronage would broach somewhat wheÌ„ in very deede they dissent froÌ„ them are coÌ„demned by them this doth magnify the verity of those holy mens doctrine and sheweth the Divels policie to set many to resemble them that so hee may disgrace the truth by a multitude of various independent lyes What mony coiner was ever so foolish as to couÌ„terfeit a couÌ„terfeit coine or that which of it selfe is base but the purest gold and
testimony and he saith that s Rom. 15. 19 from Hierusalem rounde about vnto Illyricum he caused the Gospell of Christ to abound And to take away all pretence of obiection he addeth that he preached the Gospell where s vers 20. Christ was not named least hee shoulde haue built on another mans foundation If these things be so plaine as no Christian can doubt of them blush and blush againe at such desperate audaciousnesse as maketh no conscience egregiously to faine T. HILL TRue it is that Heretikes have corrupted such as were Catholikes before but that they ever converted any Heathen Nation to Christianity can never bee shewed I know very well that Iohn Calvine to get glorie sent certaine of his Ministers into nevve-founde landes but I never coulde heare that any of them converted so much as one sily vvoman to their Gospell in those partes The trueth is their agreement in doctrine vvas so greate that one destroying anothers buildings they became laughing flockes to the Heathens and so vvere glad to depart with shame G. ABBOT 3 THAT Heretikes haue corrupted such as were weaklings or discontented persons is true and may well bee exemplified in your broode perverting diverse credulous and indiscreete folkes from their obedience to God and their Princes but they are not sounde Catholikes or vvell setled and grounded in the faith who will listen to you or any seducer And if there bee any heathen nation vvhich hath hearde of the name Christ by you and your polluted Christianity it is most certaine that it hath bin by Heretikes the servauntes and attendantes of the whore of Babylon beeing a hundred waies infected with heresie and the vvhole body of Popery where it differeth from vs being nothing else but a masse of abhominable heresie But vvhere-as you say that Calvine sent some of his Ministers into the nevve-founde lande if you vnderstoode your selfe in this which like a Parret you speake from other men and know not what it meaneth the t Io. Leriuâ—… in navigat in Brasil ca. 1 2 6. viage into Brasile in the yeare one thousand fiue hundred fifty fiue was the original worke of Villagagno a Knight of Malta who pretending himselfe to be religious seeing the persecution which at that time was vsed in France against Gods children vnder K. Henry the second gaue out in words that hee would search out a place in the newe-found VVesterne vvorld whither persecuted Christians might flie out of Fraunce Spaine and other countries And for this purpose hee had ayde of Chaâ—…llion that worthy Admirall of Fraunce who was afterward slâ—…ine at the u An. 1572. Massacre in Paris And whereas by his letter Uillagagno had made request to the Church of Geneva to send with him or vnto him diverse Ministers of the Gospell they at his entreary condescended therevnto and some went who as especially they desired to prepare a place for their afflicted country-men whereof at that time many were burnt for Religion so their next intendment was to vse their best meanes to convert the Barbarians vnto the faith of CHRIST And when diverse of the Ministerie leaving their countrie kinred and that estate which they had in Fraunce were come thither with those resolutions they never dissented in the least pointe of theâ—… doctrine But Uillagagno like a notable Hypocrite togither with a Popish Priest of his one Cointas who had before abiured Popery there as also the Generall voluntarilie had done relapsed to their vomite evill entreated their Ministers by all meanes that they could devise set the companie vpon a mutinie and forced such as lost not their lives there to returne to their country when they had scant spente one yeare in those partes and that full of vexation by reason of their Conductours perfidious falshood This was the reason wherefore that viage sorted to small purpose and not the discorde of the Ministers And this wicked practise did arise from the Cardinall of Lorraine who either in secret before the departure of Uillagagno or afterward by letters drewe him to Apostate from his faith â—…s Lerius who was there in presence and reporteth the specials of all that viage and their Generals vsage there doth amply remember And that this was the true cause of their returne wee neede not appeale to any of our men fince Costerus the Iesuite will tell it thus u The Calvinistes not many yeares agone Controver cap 2. did attempt to bring in their errours to the people of India and Peru but by the â—…ide of CHRIST and by the industrie of the Catholikes they were excluded Indeede the Cardinall of Lorraine be stirred himselfe in that businesse being so bitter an enimy to the Gospell of CHRIST that hee could not endure that the Frenchmen should have it at home or abroade least belike multitudes of them should have left their countrie and built Colonies elsewhere So he cared not what losse or dishonour the kingdome of Fraunce had so there might be no Sanctuary or refuge for those whome hee reputed heretikes dealing as honestly and faithfully therein as Steven Gardiner while hee lived and afterwardes other of the Cleargie did with Caleis in Queene Maries time which towne they vnderstanding to be the receptacle of many good Christians fled out of England for their conscience were so averse from regarding repayring and supplying it that the French discrying the weakenesse thereof by attempting it both sodeinely and subtilely afterward pursuing their enterprise fearcely did get it from the English Such was the blessed minde of that Machiavellian Cardinall whome GOD x Commentar Relig. Reip. in Gal. Lib. 13. remembred at the last suffering him by a colde which he had taken by going barefoote and whipping himselfe for his lascivious sinnes to grow first into a fever and then into a madnesse which sent him raving and foolishly speaking to receive his iudgement The Queene mother as ashamed that Ahitophel shoulde proove Nabal caused it to bee reported about the Courte that the man went to GOD in most sweete meditations but the other was so evident that every bodye laughed at the simplicitie of their devise who would have that covered which the Lorde had shewed of purpose that every ones y 1. Sam 3. 11. eares who heard of it might tingle T. HILL BVT who knoweth not that the Catholikes as they have converted all to Christianity that ever were Christians so in this age they have brought infinite numbers to the Christian faith in the East VVest Indies by the meanes and labours of the most happy and holy fathers of the holie Order of S t. Frauncis of S. Dominicke and of the blessed Society of Iesus which blessed Religious men in our owne Country there of England onely in regard of their sacred function are executed as Traitors And have not these I pray you their authority from Rome G. ABBOT 4 THE vanitie and vnwisenesse of this asseveration I haue plentifully shewed before
But heere I do adde that there is scant any Country whose Authenticall Recordes doe proove that your Romanistes for these you must meane as in your former speech brought first the faith vnto them Of Italye Fraunce and Germany I vvill say nothinge let them aunsvvere for themselves but vvee English men may best speake of England z Bristow Moâ—…v 17. Some Papistes haue saide it that Augustine the Monke vvas the first vvho brought the faith into England by Gregories meanes and therfore they doubte not to call him our Apostle Let it bee that some Saxons first receaved by him Baptisme yet who beholdeth not in Bedâ—… a Eccl. Hist. lib. 1. 7. 8. writing that storie that Christianitie had bin in Britaine long before There were then Brittish Bishops who well knewe the faith of CHRIST and liked b Lib 2. 2. not of Austen for the pride which they saw to bee in him But long before this was the name of Christ knowen in this Iland c Bed Hist. 1. 7. Albanus being heere martyred Helena the mother of Constantine the Great being d Huntingt Histor. lib. 1. borne heere as it is storied and Pelagius the heretike against whome Saint Austen the Bishop of Hippo wrote beeing of this country e Bed lib 1 10 So that it is but a toy that Gregories Monke was the first that ever brought Christianity hither The wiser sort of Papists having it out of f Lib 4. 19 Monumetensis who long since was branded for a g 〈◊〉 in proâ—…m Histâ—…r fabulous writer and froÌ„ h Lib 2 c 21 Freculphus who was one of some better credit say that King Lucius of Britanny about the yeare of our Lord 180. did send to Eleutherius the Bishop of Rome from him had some sent in who baptised him his people This so overthrowing that other opinion concerning Austen is ordinarily taken vp among our Romanists theÌ„selves in so much that M. Watson in his i Quodlib 814 Quodlibets nameth for preachers of Christ Fugatius Damianus supposed to be sent hither by k 〈◊〉 4 19 Eleutherius amoÌ„g the old Albion Britains Saint Austen amoÌ„gst the English Saxons of whoÌ„ we all came But as touching that of Elentherius the l 〈◊〉 Foâ—… in Hist Eccles letter â—…owe extant as sente from King Lucius vnto him is rather for a Copy of the civil and Imperial lawes of Rome to bee sent vnto him into England then for any thing else there meÌ„tioned I may not therefore heere forget that it is receaved for a veritie that yet long before the daies of Lucius and Eleutherius the seede of the Gospell was sowen in Britaine eveÌ„ in the prime age of the Apostles by Ioseph of Arimathea which by the Iesuite m Controv. cap. 2. Costerus is not concealed when he saith For men vvill have or they say that Ioseph of Arimathea in the Apostles time was in England and that Simon the Leaper didgovern the Church Cenomanensis in Fraunce And to manifest that this is verie probable it shall not be amisse brieflie to cite such reasons as Maister n Eccle. Histor. l. 2. Foxe hath collected to shewe that the Britaine 's had receaved CHRIST before the daies of Eleutherius and Lucius vvho lived about the yeare of our LORD 180. First hee citeth out of o De victor Aureâ—… Ambros Gildas that in the yeare 63. Philip the Apostle sent Ioseph of Arimathea hither out of Fraunce and he first laide the foundation of Christian Religion Secondly out of Tertullian that p Contr. Indaeos the places of the Britaines which were inaccessible by the Romans were subiect to Christ. Thirdly out of q Homil. 4. in Ezech. Origene specifying that since the comming of Christ Britaine did consent to the knowledge of the onely God and both Tertullian and Origene hee reputeth to bee before the time of Eleutherius a little Fourthly out of Bede r Histor. Eccl. l. 5. 22. signifieth that the Britaine 's in his time especially such as had not conformed themselues a little before to the Romane fashion did keepe their Easter after the manner of the East Church Fiftly out of Petrus 〈◊〉 writing to Saint Bernard and affirming that the Scots kept their Easter in the same manner which sheweth that all the partes of this Ilande were brought to CHRIST by some who came out of the East or else the ceremonies should have beene planted after the fashion of the VVesterne Church Sixtly out of s Lib. 2. 40 Nicephorus affirming that Simon Zelotes brought the Gospell into the Iles of Britaine Seaventhly s Epistol ad Eleuther from Lucius himselfe vvho plainely signifieth that hee had received CHRIST before the sending to Eleutherius for the Romane Lavves These reasons collected by Maister Foxe are more of force then the slight testimonies of such late vvriters as may mistake one thing for another the sending for of the Imperial lawes to be to call for the faith of Christ. But admit it were thus and we should yeeld to the conceipt of these later authors what maketh this for them or against vs Since the words of the Apostle Paule may be vsed in this behalfe t 1. Cor. 14. 36. Came the word of God out from you that is to say were you the first citty whence the Gospell was derived was it Rome it selfe that had it originally or was it not rather converted by that which came from Ierusalem That cittie in Iudea was the fountaine of all therefore if any place should be respected for that which is past Hierusalem shoulde bee renoumed and magnified even of Rome it selfe and of all other because from thense all primarilie albeit some mediately and some immediâ—…tely sucked the doctrine of the Christian faith But as our Papistes in this case make no account of Hierusalem since the glorie both inward and outward thereof is decayed so wee make as little reckoning of Rome which is so vtterly swarved from the puritie of that profession which it had not onely in the time of the Apostles but even of Eleutherius that vix u Terent. in Eunucho cognoscas candâ—…m esse VVee can in no sorte discerne it to bee the same 5 VVhat a harvest your Dominicane and Franciscane Friers have made in the Indies I deferre to recount till I come to the nexte Chapter Onely heere I tell you that vpon vncontroulable warrant wee finde not that almost any man of worth for learning wisedome warfare or government hath by his conversion given any testimony to Christendome of the good which your Friers have done among the Indians You please your selues with fancies and mulus mulum scabit one of you doth falsely trumpet the praises of another If you be such convetters why goe you not into Africa into the kingdomes of Marocco and Fez to Tunis or Argier From Spaine or Italie the distance is not much to these Or why do you not