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
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
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
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
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
manifest that all 〈◊〉 which ever beleeved in Christ were first converted to his 〈◊〉 by such 〈◊〉 either 〈◊〉 precisely sent or 〈◊〉 the least wise had their authority from the 〈◊〉 which lived in the time in which they were conâ—…rted 〈◊〉 thing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set dowâ—… in the History of the first convâ—…rsion of every countrey as no Protestâ—… vvere 〈◊〉 â—…ver so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 G. ABBOT 1 TO deale favourably with you and not to answere you as in this place you deserue is there any man of tolerable learning or any whit seene in the Ecclesiasticall story who doeth not heere thinke that you want some body who may not only exagitate you but excoâ—…te you also when as if you were become some Aquaviva or General of the Iesuits you so and aciously giue downe such generall propositions not onely farre from truth but much estraunged from the very shewe and semblance thereof I do lesse pity you because the farther I goe the more I perceiue you to be a sworne servant to Antichrist therfore there is nothing which may advance your masters credit but you aâ—… devoted to him must say it do it But in my very bowels I pity take compassioÌ„ of divers my bewitched couÌ„treymen sily women and young fondlings who receiving from you such stuffe so boldly asse verantly averred haue not the skill to discover you nor the grace to repaire vnto such as may lay open the Ambuscadoes and snares which you haue prepared for them Where there needeth no other proofe to descry this your dealing then to obserue that in this your so potent and puissant challenge you cite not one author you name not one particular you single not out the Pope you point not out the countrey you assigne not the preachers by whom it is done you mention not the time nor yeeld vs any reason wherefore you do say it but only this that you doe say it Wherein you over-lash beyond the most that ever wrote on your side for other assumed somewhat but you throw at all and losing haue nothing to pay The Iesuites whom afterward you commende in this Chapter doe not vse to extenuate their holy Fathers commendation but to set it as high as may be and a Controv. cap. 2. 〈◊〉 Wats Quodl 8. 4. Costerus among theÌ„ being one who had a 〈◊〉 deale more reading and learning and iudgment theÌ„ you seeme to haue pretermitting as he telleth vs the Churches of the East and of the South saith it is certaine that Germany and Fraunce were first converted by such as Peter sent And afterward he would bring in the kingdoms of England Scotland as brought to the faith by the successours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peter in the see of Rome and to those he addeth Africa meaning as 〈◊〉 should seeme some paâ—… thereof lying neere to Italy for hee himselfe alloâ—…h Aethiopia to Saint Matthew and Aegypt Libia the Africanes there about to Simon and Saint Marke the Evangelist But the conversion of Spaine he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S t. Iames of Thracia and Scythia Europâ—…â—…o Saint 〈◊〉 oâ—… Scythia Asiatica to Philip of Armenia and the hither part of India to Bartholomew of Parthia Media Persia 〈◊〉 the Brachâ—…ane Bactrians vnto Thomas as also the farther part of India which is yet beleeved in that couÌ„trey as b Osor. degest Eman. lib. 3. Maff Hist. Iudic. lib 2. appeareth by such as haue written the navigations of the Portingales into those partes And at these things are witnessed by some of the old writers so c Eccl Hist. lib. 3. 1. Eusebius hath this farther that Asia fel to Iohn the Evangelist meaning Asia the lesser or Natolis but that Peter as it seemeth did preach the word to the Iewes who were d 1. Pet. 1. 1. dispersed in Pontus Galâ—…tia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Asia 2 Thus in the time of the Apostles the greatest parte of the known world had heard of the faith of Christ in some good measure embraced it that being verified that e Rom. 10. 1â—… their sound that is the Apostles went out through all the earth and their wordes into the ends of the world and Christs Prophecie being fulfilled that f Mat. 24. 14 the Gospell of the kingdome should be preached through alâ—… 〈◊〉 world for a â—…nes vnto all nations and then should the end come which was done before the destruction of Hierusalem that g Vers 34. generatâ—… beeing not yet passed which lived in Christs time And this is so vndoubted a truth that Costerus saith The h Controv. cap 2. Catholike Church as first was propagated by the Apostles themselues almost through all knowne countreyes Now all this while there was no Pope and if it should bee obiected as no other shift there is in the world and that is but a simple one that Peter as Pope sent the rest of the Apostles some to this place some to that I require one text oâ—… scripture to bee shewed or one monument of antiquity to be produced which maye confirme so much It is not vnlikelye but that the Apostles in some assembly at Hierusalem did consent what regions each of them should betake themselues vnto but that any one did appoint to the rest their charges we no where find Nay plaine it is that Peter himselfe had his portion assigned him to preach to the i Gal. 2. 7. Iewes as Paule had to preach to the Gentiles which was the greater charge And whither this were appropriated to him by God as the text seemeth well to encline or whither by the consent also of the Apostles Paule had his Commission in the same manner which he so little thinketh inferiour to the others that he k Ibidem nameth it before Peters and standeth vpon l ver 8. 9. tearmes of equality in power and fellowship in action But that I may force the authour of this libell to say Penne thou writest vntruth Samaria received Christ by the preaching of m Act. 8. 5. 14. Philip before that Peter knew of it and the n 27. Eunuch of Aethiopia on the way was in like sort brought to religion by the same Philip and he went home immediately and planted the faith in his Countrey as o Eccl Hist. Lib. 2. 1. Eusebius sheweth which was done without Peters privity for a good space after that hee made doubt whither the Gentiles might haue the worde opened to them vntill that by a vision q Act. 10. 10. from heaven that scruple was removed And I pray you was there nothing done by Saint Paul whose authority was immediate from r Galat. 〈◊〉 1 God not froÌ„ man he beeing not set on worke from other but receiving his commission from Iesus Christ himselfe The history of whose labours in turning men to Christ although Saint Luke doth particularly relate in the Actes of the Apostles yet for brevity sake we will looke to one place only of his owne
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
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
censured out of the Scriptures to holde vntruths But such as your later Conventicles of Lateran Trent such like condeÌ„ned were the good servants of God were not nether are iustly to be reputed heretiks but by the Archâ—…heretiks of the world Antichrists men whose censure being drawn froÌ„ their own braine the Spirit of Sathan not froÌ„ the holy Ghost is to be esteemed for nothing The condeÌ„natioÌ„ of the Arrians Macedonians Nestorians Eutychians we allow of because they taught doctrin against Christ the word of God we are glad of their ruine And wee finde that after our Saviours speech q Mat 15. 13. Every plant which â—…y heavenly father hath not planted shal be rooted vp hereâ—…ks commonly are soone blowne away although Kings States Countries for the time do admit theÌ„ as the Arrian infection was widely entertained Yet we cannot certainely conclude that al heresies do in time come to nothing vnlesse we will vnderstand that time to be the end of time even the finall dissolution of all things The schisme of the r 〈◊〉 King 17 34. â—…oh 4 20. Samaritanes dissenting froÌ„ the Iews lasted long Your Papacy hath had a great coÌ„tinuance being the confluence of a whole sinke of heretical doctrine You haue long since condemned the Greeke Russian Church and yet they hold out The Iconomachi Image breakers were condeÌ„ned in the second Nicene Councel and yet the defenders of their faith in that point do stil remain Had not the Arrians sentence against them long agone in the first Synode at Nice yet there be said to be store of theÌ„ in s Bellar. lib. 1. 2 de Christo. Transylvania And for the Pelagians I do not remember that any Councell directly proceeded against theÌ„ yet they deserved to be so met with notwithstanding Papists do much ioine with them in the matter of free will â—…It is possible then that as the Divell indureth so may some of his Disciples successiuely the s Mat. 13 〈◊〉 tares which the envious man hath sowne may be let alone to the harvest that is to say heretiks to the last day But let them stand or fall slowly or quickly such as obstinatly maintaine false doctrine are heretikâ—… Councels which by warrant of the Scripture do condeÌ„ne theÌ„ are to be accepted well esteemed by all so that they mingle not drosse with their gold no water with their wine T. HILL ANd no doubt the late faâ—… Councell of Trent which by the same authority and order hath câ—…ned the Protestantes other sectaries for heretiks will in time bâ—… every where received these new felwes by it â—…ized will vâ—…terly vâ—…sh away For indeede â—…f a man consider the matter throughly he shall plainely perceiue that thâ—…se sectes haue no likelyhood of coÌ„tiâ—… by reason they haue no mâ—…s to gather a Councell and much lesse to 〈◊〉 matters therein if 〈◊〉 were gathered being without an head as they 〈◊〉 and every one â—…leaving â—…ly to his own privâ—… opiâ—… therefore â—…an â—…er all 〈◊〉 togither or if by any power they were compelled therâ—… they haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agree in one for that they will not yeeld 〈◊〉 any iudgement but what is framed of their 〈◊〉 brâ—… and therefore it â—…st needs 〈◊〉 amongst them as we see it to be Quot homines tot senteâ—…tiae So many men so many opinions G. ABBOT 5 THe famousnes of your Conventicle at Trent iâ—… famously to be laughed at It was eighteene yeare in acting from 1545. to the yeare 1563. nowe a peecâ—… and then a patch interrupted to it againe Three Popes one after another that is Paulus the 3. Iulius the 3. and Pius the 4. did beat all their wits and vsed their best imploiments to make somewhat of it yet most base and beggerly it prooved The most of the nations of Christendome had nothing to do with it neither did they send thither The Protestants vniversally refused and some gaue out the reason of it in t Sleid l. 16. printed tracts First because it was assembled by the Pope whose authority they should haue ratified if they had come at his call Secondly the Legats of the Pope were Presidents there therfore nothing was to be concluded or disputed against their maister Thirdly no man could come there but he must condescend to many things against his conscience there being first and principally required obedience to the Papacy presence at many Idolatrous Acts. Fourthly there was no freedome â—…o speake truth but that any man might haue bin served as u Cochl in Hist Hussit l 2 Iohn Hus was at the Councell of Constance who had a safe conduct froÌ„ Sigismund then king of the Romanes afterward Emperor and yet by a tricke that faith given to heretiks is not to bee kept or as our M. u Ration 4 Capian said Caesar sealed it but the ChristiaÌ„ world vnsealed it being greater theÌ„ Caesar the good man there lost his life Fiftly their Princes for reasons of state did not think fit to imploy theÌ„ thither Nay Popish Realms did not ioin with that CouÌ„cel as Q. Mary in all her time sent not thither which may appeare by this that in the Cataloge of Bishops ther is named but only one of England that was Th. Goldwel Bishop of S. Asaph who departed the Realm in Q. Elizabeths time was at TreÌ„t at a snatch of that assembly coÌ„ming before the final breaking vp of all but he was theÌ„ only a titulary Bish. without any Bishoprik Of which sort there were also divers other to help make vp a simple shew As Pope x Gentill in exam CoÌ„cil â—…riden Sel. 1. Sleâ—…dan lib. 17 Paulus the 3. made that Olaus which is called Magnus Archb of Vpsala a place said to be in Gothia one Robertus VenaÌ„tius Archbishop of Armath in Ireland He bestowed those titles on those two poore men while they lived at Rome had nothing in the world to doe with the places of their pretended Bishopriks but were without Church or Clergy or Diocesse or any revenue at all He might as well haue created theÌ„ Bishops of Antioch and Alexandria if he had pleased These two poore hungrye soules the Pope for a vvhile mainetained barely at Rome at last as men comming out of far parts of the world he sent theÌ„ to Trent allowing Olaus 15. crownes a month which as the Authour saieth vvas but a simple pittaunce for an Archbishop and especially for him who was called Magnus but to Venantius that pretended Armachanus he allowed lesse Was not this thinke you to goe a begging for Bishops to furnish vp this high and famous Councell when such simple shiftes vvere made He who put out the Councel of likelyhood was sore ashamed of it and therefore in his commemoration of the Bishoppes there assembled he mencioneth no such men but leaveth them both out as counterfeits 6 I returne to speake of Popish Princes
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
reverence and honour to those onely bookes of Scriptures which are called Canonicall that I doe most firmely beleeve that no authour of them did erre in writing any thing To other then hee taketh exception Hee speaketh elsewhere plainer b Epist. 48. The Fathers are not so reade as if a testimony might bee so drawne out of them that it were not lawfull to thinke contrariwise if they have otherwise suppoâ—…ed then the truth did require And againe c Epist. 113. I have put the opinions of so great men c. not that I doe thinke them to be followed as the Canonical Scripture And wheÌ„ he was hard pressed in the Controversie of Baptisme with the authority of Cyprian hee aunswereth Cresconius d Contr. Crescen GraÌ„matic lib 2â—… I esteeme the letters of Cyprian not as Canonicall but I consider them out of the Canonicall and looke vvhat agreeth in them to the authoritie of the Divine Scriptures vvith praise to him I receive vvhat doth not agree vvith his good leave I refuse And afterward Because that is not Canonical vvhich thou râ—…est vvith that libertie to vvhich GOD hath called vs I doe not receive that vvhich savoured amisse of that man vvhose praise I cannot attaine vnto to vvhose many letters I doe not compare my vvritinges vvhose vvitte I lone vvith vvhose speech I am delighted whose charity I doe admire whose martyrdome I hold venerable Can ought be delivered more significantly and to our purpose then this is And least that any man should suspect that hee was more strictly laced toward other men theÌ„ he would have other toward him he frequently writeth as modestly of himselfe as he doth wisely of those who went before him As to e Epistol 7 Marcellinus I therefore doe confesse my selfe to bee of the number of them vvhe in profiting doe vvrite and in vvriting doe profite VVherevpon if any thing bee set dovvne by mee either vnvvarily or vnlearnedly which not onely by other men vvho can see that may bee vvorthily reprehended but also of my selfe because even I at least aftervvard ought to see it if I doe profite it is neither to be wondered at nor to be grieved at but rather it is to be pardonned and to bee reioyced at not because there hath beene an errour but because it hath beene disliked For that man doth too perversely love himselfe vvho vvill have other men also to erre that his errour may lye hid And to Fortunatianus f Epist. 111. Neither are wee to account the disputations of any men though Catholikes and commendable persons as the Canonical Scriptures that saving the honour which is due vnto those men it is not lawfull for vs to dislike and reict some thing in their writings if perhaps we shal find that they haue otherwise thought then that truth hath which by the helpe of God hath either bin vnderstood by others or by vs. Such a one am I in the writings of other mens such would I have the vnderstaÌ„ders of mine to be And handling the high mysteries of the Trinity he saith g De Trinit at l. 1. 3 Whosoever readeth these things where he is alike sure let him go on with me where alike hee doubteth let him seeke vvith mee vvhere hee knovveth his errour let him returne to me vvhere hee spieth mine let him recall mee And in the same booke else-where h Lib. 〈◊〉 in pâ—…aefation Let the one not love mee more then the Catholike faith let the other not love himselfe more then the Catholike truth As I say to the one doe not attend on my writings as on the Canonical Scriptures c. This is the minde of Saint Augustine 27 Neither doth this renoumed servant of God heerein goe alone but he hath sufficient of others who in this be halfe do second him The great Dionysius not the supposed Areopagite but another worthy man since his time did long ago informe vs in this doubt Eusebius bringeth him in speaking thus i Eccles. Hist l 7 19 I do very much reverence Nepos yet truth is the neerest friend of all and ought deservedly to be preferred before all And if any thing be rightly spoken that is to be commended without envy but if any thing bee committed to writing not sincerely and soundly this with diligence is to bee sought out to be reprooved To this effect also are the words of S Hierome I k Epist 62 doe know that I my selfe doe esteeme of the Apostles in one sort and of other writers in another sort that the first do alwaies speake the truth and the latter as men doe in some things erre Adde to these that of Theodoret who saith that l Dialog 3. the Fathers of the Church by a veheâ—…ent contention against their adversaries doe many times exceede measure Thus they vse to do who plant trees For wheÌ„ they see a tree growne crooked they do not onely set him vp vpright but they doe bende him to the other side that by too much inclining to the contrarie parte they may cause it to bee straight This is the iudgement of the auncient vvriters themselves concerning the workes of one another that they go too farre that they do may erre that they are not to be ioyned in equal estimatioÌ„ with the Canonical Scriptures And therfore what reasoÌ„ have we not to vse our ChristiaÌ„ liberty in examinig of theÌ„ by the rule of truth so to embrace that which is right and to repudiate that which is of another nature I doe marveile then what advauntage our Papistes doe thinke they can gette by craking vppon the names of these since their authority even in their ovvne iudgement is not absolute and Dictatourlike but vvith a reference and meerely dependent vppon a higher commaunder In which case if they stoope to the scepter of the LORD wee willingly and readily admit of them vvith due honour and reverence othervvise we leaue them But the tryer of them we hold to be the Canonical Scripture of the olde and new Testament 28 On the other side how the Synagogue of Rome speake they of these Doctours never so faire doe deale vvith them it is good that every vveake Christian shoulde know For howsoever they in their vvordes pretende greate honour to them yet in truth they are the onely men in the vvorlde vvho offer notorious vvronge to them For first how are they debased when such lights of the Easterne and VVesterne Church men so fraughted vvith knowledge and adorned vvith eloquence shall not onely bee sette in comparison vvith but set after the Popes barbarous champion Thomas of Aquine Noble Hierome thou hast vvell studyed and renoumed Augustine thou hast wel laboured to come to such a preferment in thine old age For one of the Popes Aug HuÌ„naeus in praefat SuÌ„mm Aquinat ad Pium 5. Pontific Innocents did so much esteeme the learning of Aquinas that he doubted not to give vnto him the first place after
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