that euery one of them had he saide licence to vse the iudgement of his libertie and power Which worde pro licentia M. Nowel mangleth S. Cipriā yow guilefully lefte oute of youre translation showing youre selfe thereby to be no simple translatour but a crafty falsefier Now if they had licence in that councell of theirs euery man to saie frelye his minde if S. Cyprian saide that notwithstanding he was their archebishop and bishop off them all yeat for the present time he did renounce that auctoritie as in this sense his wordes are to be taken what maketh that against the auctoritie of the B. of Rome Dothe not the B. of Rome saye asmuch to all his fellow bishoppes in all general councelles Had not you the same offer made vnto you in the laste councell of Trent to haue bene quietly harde and no man by tirannie to haue bene compelled In saluo cōductu cōcilij Trident. to the necessitie of obeing If this answere satisfie you not let S. Augustine teache you the true vnderstanding of this place Who expounding August li. 3. ca. 3. cōtra Donat. these wordes of S. Cyprian Seing euery bishop hath according to the licence c. against the Donatistes writeth thus Opinor vtique in his quaestionibus quae nondum eliquatissima perspectione S. Cypriā expoūded by S. Austen discussae sunt Nouerat enim quantam sacramenti profunditatem tunc omnis ecclesia varia disputatione versabat liberum que faciebat quaerendi arbitrium vt examinata veritas panderetur I thinke verilie that is to saie that S. Cyprian meaneth in those questions which be not yeat by manifest examination discussed For he knewe what a depe misterie it was that was then tossed in the whole churche with ambiguouse disputations and made it free for euery one to searche and enquire that the truthe being examined might be reuealed Thus you see M. Nowell that youre falsehoode in leauing out in youre translation the worde pro licentia wil not helpe you S. Augustine by this worde liberum faciebat VVherein one bisshop cannot be iudged of another he gaue them licence expounding the meaning of S. Ciprian and telling vs beside that this place of bishoppes libertie whereby euerie one maye thinke what he will and can be iudged of no other is while thinges be not decided but remaine in doubte And therefore if you haue no other doctours or councelles to present to the pope but these yow did like a wise man to tarie at home That you saie that neither the texte of the scriptures nor the fol. 27. b. 7. interpretation of doctours nor iudgementes of councelles can haue any credite against the pope and bring Pighius to proue it that is a manifest lye For when Pighius saieth that for the A lye 22. moste parte there is nothing done in generall councelles but that the bishoppes comming together giue their consent to that which the Apostolike See decreed before he saieth not that it is so allwaies that it can be no otherwise As though the time of deliberation during the Apostolike See vpon the reasons of the councell might not be moued to decree that which otherwise it hath not determined he saieth not that against the pope neither the texte of the scriptures nor the interpretation of doctours nor iudgementes of councelles b. 24. can haue any credite And therefore moste impudently againe I tell yow yow haue belyed Pighius The councell is no councell if it lacke the auctoritie of the heade No generall councell without a head the B. of Rome And therefore you haue Pighius at no such aduantage because he saieth that the onely iudgement of the See of Rome is more sure then the iudgement of an vniuersall councell of the whole worlde which if it be true VVhy councelles be called then were it you saye for bishoppes to come to councelles a vaine thing Not so M. Nowell For although before God and with good men the iudgement arrested vpon by the see of Rome be certeinly true and can not deceiue yeat because men ignorant in the scriptures and lawes of the churche some of thē sometimes because heretikes for the repressing of whome councelles be most cōmonly called for the moste parte be not thus persuaded the pope vseth to communicate with the generall councell concerning decrees to be made The which being with generall consent approued and confirmed by the pope bothe the weake or vnlearned catholike maie be fully persuaded and the stubborne heretike with his owne weightes quite ouer weighed while bothe to the one and the other suche vniforme consent can not but argue the merueilouse grace and assistence off the holie gost An other cause maie be for that the pope by this meanes will be certified by the bishoppes off euery countrie what circumstances what maners of people in eache place maie require the decrees according to the nature of diuerse diseases to be losed slacker or streined harder For although he be so priuileaged that in making lawes for the churche he can not erre yeat hath he not the spirit of prophecie to knowe being absent all the offenses and imperfections in the churche Beside this where as otherwise it might euer be doubted whether the pope made any suche decrees or no in places farre distant from Rome hereby all suche occasion is taken awaie the bishoppes off euery countrie being present who be able to make faithe hereof to their subiectes Last of all this calling together of councelles is not in vaine while Christian princes being present and hearing all thinges debated promise the rather their assistance for the execution of suche thinges as shal be concluded And thus is this pelting obiection of youres answered Now to the next Pighius yow saye teacheth that to the see of Rome the ordering Nowell fo 28. a. 7. defining and determining of all questions and controuersies is giuen by Christe c. And the same dothe M. Dorman to teache in the 62. leafe b. out off pope Innocentius epistle That which I haue there affirmed I haue by the auctoritie Dorman not of Innocentius alone which yeat to anie reasonable Apud August epist. 90. 91. 92 93. man might seme inough considering that they were no babes to whome he wrote but euen by the auctoritie also of those fathers of the two councelles of Carthage and Mileuite especially of S. Austen expressely affirming that he answered them to all their questions euen as was right and for the bishop of the apostolicall See mete sufficiently proued Answere yow to it when yow shall be hable In the meane season it is true that I saide that the auctoritie of the B. of Rome is the fundation of all true religion the comfort and staye of the catholikes c. Against the whiche fewe wordes couched in lesse roome then fiue lynes yow haue not in fower leaues and more brought truly so muche as one worde but in the whole
this doe they for that they are not ignorant that suche Nowell though moste false sclaunders being yeat so importunely and cōtinually laied to oure charge are of muche effect to offende the weake and simple and to stirre vp their hatred against vs. And therefore they vse suche constant asseuerations for argumentes as in their schooles they are taught to doe when they are destitute of due prouffes c. If we sclaunder yow how easy a matter had it bene for Dorman yow to haue recouered youre good name by saing There be not so manie sectes sprong out of Luther as the table saieth there are and then haue named some suche as had bene falsely noted in the same The which because yowe haue not done not for lacke of good will as appeareth yow haue verie muche confirmed the truthe of the table Whereas yow stande vpon the bare deniall against manifest proufe yow make vs in deede remembre a saing of the schooles plus potest asinus negare quà m Aristoteles probare But because this table offendith yow so muche yow maie perchaunce shortly haue an other of allmoste 90. diuerse sectes gathered together by the reuerent father WILLIAM In Dubitantio suo LINDAN Bishop of RVREMVND But perhappes yow count this a sclaunder because yow acknowledge but one religion of Iesus Christ how manie sectes so euer there be emongest yow For so it foloweth For we as we haue no religion but onelye Christes so desire we Nowell to be called after the name of none but his c. Whiche we M. Nowell For so saieth euerye secte Dorman in the table aswell as yowe sacramentaries doe It is not inough for you to saye that you haue no religion but the religion of Christ the contrarie whereof neuer heretike durst yeat in wordes professe Proue it first then saie it afterwardes Begin from the Apostles and come to oure time and shewe youre religion in euery age as oures hathe A reasonable chalenge to the protestāts of late bene learnedly shewed and then bragge that you haue none but Christes religion We offer you faire refuse vs not in goddes name and in the behalfe of his church I saie refuse vs not If you dare and mistrust not your cause procure vs libertie freely to sende in oure bookes and to other indemnitie for hauing and reading thē It is the thing that if you meane as you pretende the planting of true religion in the hartes of all men you shoulde most earnestly haue desired refuse it not therfore being frely offered It is the thing that on youre knees ioyntely together with vs you ought to become humble petitioners to the Quenes moste excellent maiestie to voutchesaufe to graunte and to remoue all suche occasions as might stoppe or hinder in anie wise the course of so necessarie an attempt It is the waie to ende all controuersies to ceasse all striffes to restore vnitie to betraye schismatikes to make manifest the true catholikes and so consequently to make it appeare whether you haue no religion but only Christes The whiche saing of youres till you proue by this meanes wil be counted no better then a bragge common to all heretikes Thinke they that if we list and had leisor as they haue we coulde Nowell not frame an arbor or tree twise as greate as they haue deuised c. Now let this pleasant deuise of youres come furth when Dorman you wyll M. Nowell What shall you proue or wyn thereby No schisme no secte no cōtrarietie of opinions in doctrine of the faith cā ye proue or shew there No blasphemy against the blessed Trinite no heresy against the Sacramēts of Christes church against the godhead of Christ against our blessed lady no article of our Crede denied shal you finde in that your deuised arbor as in the table of your petigrue M. Nowel all such thinges are to be founde But thinke you againe that if we list and had leasure to be euil occupied we coulde not deuise as fonde foolish toyes as your sharpe wit hath imagined touching your ministres and their wiues your ronnagatfriers and mōckes with their strompets your late skirmish vpō square cappes and copes your diuersites of apparell of hattes and clokes of beardes and such like trifling toyes more mete for children in a Christmas playe or for laddes of the countrie in a whitson game then for a preacher and pretended deane in his printed workes Wherefore I conclude omitting all other not necessary trifles in this your trifling processe that the crime of schismes and sectes most truly laied to youre charge hath most falsely vniustly and barrenly ben reuersed vpon vs and do rebounde directly and truly vpon you and your felowes in such sorte that while you liue M. Nowell nor in many yeres after the storme of your heresies be calmed this your horrible diuision and multitude of schismes in so fewe yeres spronge vp shall at any time be forgottten or blotted out of eternall memory to the perpetuall ignominie of protestants and great glory of God and his church That the place brought out of the. 17. Chapitre of Deuter. is well and to the purpose alleaged The 18. Chapitre YOW saye M. Nowell that the circunstances of this place Nowell fol. 59. a. 27. B 26. of Deuteronomium being well considered they maie easelie informe the reader that the popes tirannie to saye and doe what he liste can not be grounded vpon this place and that if the pope or anie creature doe commaunde against goddes worde he maie and ought to be disobeied therein And that therfore bothe Pighius and I haue in vaine alleaged this place for suche supremacie as the pope claimeth The circunstances to be cōsidered are the A 27. place which God hath chosen the prieste which must be Leuitical Thirdlie the place to be doubtefull whether the whole determination B 1. doe perteine to one or to many c. Fourthly that it is requisite that the saide priestes or prieste doe teach according to the lawe of God and not at his owne pleasure To youre texte M. Nowell for shame will you euer be Dorman thus raunging at randon It was not my purpose here to proue by this place of Deuteron the bishop of Rome his supremacie ouer Christes whole churche no more then it is Pighius his in the place by you alleaged The matter that I haue here in hande is to proue that there must be one heade to gouerne the churche now as there was to gouerne the same in the olde lawe before Whether it be at Rome at Hierusalem or in anie place elles I dispute not here And therfore youre first * The place consideration and * The prieste secōde came without all consideration out of season But I maie beare with you the better because I haue bene vsed to this maner of dealing of youres before as the reader I doubte not can beare me witnes One thing yeat I can
not by the waye but merueile at why in chalenging the pope to be no Leuiticall prieste you did not aswell except against Rome because it is not in Iudea For why shoulde not the place be all one as well as the prieste Well it shall suffise for this tyme M. Nowel that as when it is not impertinent it shal be proued that Rome is the place which God hathe chosen so in the meane season it is not nedeful that the prieste shoulde be of the Leuiticall ordre whiche now is abrogate but of that onely which Christe hauing Hebreo 7. planted in his churche to continue for euer hathe succeded in place of the other * VVhether the place be to be vnderstande of one prieste or many Youre thirde consideration commeth nearer and is in dede to oure purpose of one heade in the churche or manie yeat that also if it had bene so well considered as it ought iff yow had as depelye weighed the wordes that folowe nolens obedire Sacerdotis imperio that will not obeye the prieste his commaundement as yow lightlye and gladly snatched at those that went before Thow shalt come to the priestes of the Leuiticall sorte You shoulde easelye haue sene that the plurall numbre doth note rather the continuaunce of the commaundement from prieste to prieste in succession then that it should be ment of many priestes at one time The iudge of the nation ioyned with the prieste maketh for the seculer sworde executing the lawe off the prieste * Of iudging according to the lawe The fourth consideration brainsicke Brentius considered before you To the which I answere that whereas nowe you flee to the olde translation who at other tymes call vs to the fountaines to the Greke and to the Hebrue veritie as semeth best to serue for your aduauntage that I not with M. Stapleton but with the late learned and godlye councell of Trent affirming the olde translation to be specially folowed in the correction of maners or determination of faithe doe auouche the same and that yeat you are thereby neuer the nearer to youre purpose the common translation as well ouerthrowing you as dothe the Hebrue veritye For the wordes whereupon you grounde youre selfe And thow shalt doe what so euer they shall saye vnto the who gouerne the place that oure Lorde hathe chosen and what so euer they shall teache the according to his Lawe as though saie you the prieste might teache otherwise and then he shoulde not be obeyed be not conditionall but enunciatiue that is to saye wordes that expresse what he shall doe in dede to assure the rather the ignoraunt man to obeye his commaundement This interpretation maye manye wayes be proued First because it ought to be presumed and all men are bounde as muche as maye be to indeuour that the olde translation and the fountaines maye agree together Which because by this meanes is brought to passe and by that sense whiche you giue in no wise it can it foloweth that this meaning is rather to be receiued then youres An other cause is the circumstance of the place it selfe which telleth vs that the people was bidden goe to the priestes and to the iudge whiche shoulde be for the tyme to aske hys iudgement of harde and doubtefull questions If euery one of the people had bene hable to finde out in the question that he shoulde propose to the iudge what were agreable to Gods lawe and what were not when the iudge tolde him truthe and when he failed Neither coulde there anye question haue bene doubtefull neither shoulde there consequentlye haue bene anye nede to haue had suche a iudge When shoulde those wordes haue bene euer put in execution that folowe He that off pride refuseth to obeye the priestes commaundement shall dye if this had bene the meaning that you dreame of Might not anye man haue wrangled as ofte as he had listed that the sentence was not according to the lawe And therfore to put the matter out of al doubte the Scripture saieth in this verye place indicabunt tibi indicij veritatem they shall tell truthe and giue thee right iudgement To conclude there is one place in the scripture off all other moste plaine to couince this sense that the catholike doctrine mainteineth Reade Malachias the prophete the second chapitre and you shall finde that it was a couenaunt made by God with Leui that his priestes shoulde Malath 2. obserue in iudgementes truthe and equitye He pronounceth that the lippes of the prieste shoulde kepe knowledge that the lawe shoulde be required at his mouthe because he is Goddes angell Can there be anie thing that might more assure vs off the meaning of that place then this As for that that you obiect of S. Paule threatening vengeaunce fol. 59. b. 14. to the high prieste and of S. Peter also and S. Iohn the Apostles who woulde not obeye him because the last condition off commaunding after Goddes lawe was lacking for S. Paule Actor 23. I might answere yow that he repented him afterwarde and pleadid ignoraunce although I doubte not but that bothe by him he was iustlie reprehended and by S. Peter and S. Iohn lawfullie disobeied And yeat will it not folowe that therefore in this place of Deuter whiche we handle the prieste might erre in his iudgementes Will yow knowe why Forsothe because as saieth S. Cyprian oure Lorde Lib. 1. epist. 3. being now crucified the priestes began to be sacrilegouse wicked and bloudie and reteined nothing of priestly honour and auctoritie Lo M. Nowell why yow maie not conclude as yow doe because the priestes had nowe lost their auctoritie that before they had The high prieste yow saie charged them not B. 24. as guyltie of deathe for this disobediēce The texte hathe that Act. 4. they sent the apostles awaie non inuenientes quomodo punirent eos propter populum c. Not knowing howe to punishe them because of the people Are yow able to saie that yff they had not stoode in this feare of the people that they did that the apostles shoulde haue escaped so Thus far I haue thought good to ioyne with you concerning this place from the which crauing helpe of Bucer and Brentius yow thought to scape by wrangling about the wordes iuxta legem eius according to his lawe Whiche wordes toe when all is done if they were conditionall as yow woulde make men beleue they are be to the vttermoste fulfilled in the pope Of whose predecessours being in nombre 235 yowe are not able to name anie one that euer deliuered to the churche anie wrong faithe or false opinion to be beleued If anie of them erred as men yeat were they priuileaged as the successours of Peter and either spedelie forsoke the same or keping it within their owne breastes were neuer by goddes prouidence suffred to vtter it to the hurte of the churche For a notable example whereof Vigilius the pope maie serue vs.
proue that Maximus and his fellowes called not Cornelius bishopp of the catholike churche in this place here brought by me Cyprian saye yow called not Cornelius bisshop Li. 3. ep 13 of the Catholike churche but bishop Cornelius ordeined in the catholike churche Ergo Maximus and his two companions called not Cornelius bishop of the Catholike churche Is not this a goodly kinde of reasoning Wil you see the like M. Nowell preached not at Poules crosse that there was no scripture no councelles no doctours no allowed examples of the primitiue churche to proue the supremacye of the B. of Rome ergo M. Iuell did not I thinke M. Iuell woulde giue you a good flice out of his benefice vpon the condition that you coulde proue this consequent to be good And that thus you reason can you not denie For the Lib. 3. epistol 11. wordes alleaged by me here out of S. Cyprian be not Saint Cyprian his but the verie wordes by his owne confession of the pore penitentes And therefore to bring a phrase out of S. Cyprian to proue that because he did not so saye therefore an other did not if this were all were a greate faulte in reasoning But now if the wordes had bene in bothe the places S. Cyprians owne then had youre reason bene like to this M. Nowell preaching before the Quenes highnes at the courte saide not that it woulde do him good to rase his buckler vpon a papistes face ergo he saied not so at Powles crosse You obiect againe against this place to be ment of one chiefe bishop ouer the whole churche that then as there is one Nowell fol. 20. b. 12. onely God and none but he so there shoulde be but one onely bishop and no more but he That were true M. Nowell if as God is the name off a Dorman moste simple nature and excellencie so the name of a bisshop were suche as woulde admitte no degree of dignitie When it is saide that there is one bishop in the catholike churche it is ment one chiefe bishop For it is not necessarie that in all pointes this similitude of one God and one bishop shoulde agree It ought to suffise you that the similitude standeth vpright in that wherein the comparison is made which is here of gouernement that as one God gouerneth heauen and earthe so there shoulde be one chiefe bishop to gouerne vnder him the churche in earthe Thus forasmuche as there be degrees in bishoppes though in God there be naturally none for by abuse of Idolatres and by participation of name there be also manie Goddes and manie lordes as witnesseth S. Paule it is sufficient that as 1. Cor. 8. there is one God so there ought to be one chiefe bishop not excluding the reste but referring them to their heade by meanes whereof and in which sense there is one bishoprike and one bishop And so consequently it foloweth that my marginall note of one God one bishoppe meaning as you saye I did was not in vaine The next obiection of youres why in this place these wordes one bishop in the catholike churche shoulde not be vnderstand of one especiall bishoppe ouer all you confirme by S. Cypriā in diuerse places First by that which he hath of one Nowell fol. 21. a. 6 Lib. 4. Epist. 9 Bishop in the firste booke the 3. epistle then by a sentence taken out of his epistle to Pupianus afterwardes by certaine wordes of his to Antonius and last of all by that which he hath in his boke de simplicitate praelator or de vnitate Ecclesiae not farre from the beginning To the first two places youre selfe seme not muche Dorman to trust although folowing the preceptes of youre arte you are content to vse them to make a shewe of store either because youre conscience telleth you that the reason foloweth not He saieth so in this place therefore he must nedes saye so in the other either elles because youre selfe perceiued that there is a greate difference betwene these places by reason of the worde catholike For in the place here alleaged the schismatikes returning to the churche confessed that there must be one bishop in the catholike churche in these two places auouched by you S. Cyprian saieth that heresies doo spring or arise by contempt of the bishop whiche gouerneth the churche and is one Now as the latter wordes maye according to the circumstances of the place and here are I doubte not taken for the seuerall heade of euery bishoprike so the firste can not well otherwise be taken then to exclude all particuler churches by reason of the worde catholike which signifieth vniuersall addid thereto especially the wordes being translated the catholike churche and not a catholike churche as by youre owne so turning of them and otherlike to them it appeareth they must Off the thirde place out of the epistle to Antonius you conclude nothing neither but turne the matter ouer to the laste auctoritie of S. Cypriā in his boke De simplicitate praelat where moste plainely you saye he declareth his minde of this one bishoprike wholly and equally possessed of all and ouerie bishop Well then at the length M. Nowell from post to piller you be come thither where you will cast ancre Wherewith I also for my parte am well contented and desire no better then to be in this controuersie tried by S. Cyprian Now showe how S. Cyprian maketh for you that is nothing for the B. of Rome his supremacie but directly against it For those be the wordes that yow conclude Nowell fo 21. b. 25. Lib. de Simplicitat praelator Dorman withall vpon this place That doe yow after this maner S. Cyprian saieth that there is one bishoprike which euery bishop hath wholy for his parte Ergo consequently all bishoppes be equall and no one can be aboue an other I denie the cōsequent M. Nowell Will yow knowe why This worde episcopatus comprehendeth here by S. Cyprian his minde the whole nature of that kinde of gouernement which bishoppes haue as if in like wise a man shoulde saie Vnum est sacerdotium there is one priestehode in the churche which euery prieste hath wholly for his parte woulde yow now thinke that vpon this proposition it were well done to conclude of priestes as yow doe of bishoppes that therefore because in nature off priestehode they be all equall the meanest as trulye and wholly participating the nature thereof as the chiefe there shoulde be no one priest in dignitie of gouernement aboue the other and so ouerthrowe the office of archipresbiteri chiefe priestes whereof the councell Can. 15. itē Concil Carthag 4. can 17. of Toures in Fraunce aboute the time off Pelagius the first aboue a thousand yeares past maketh mention But what speke I of priesthode will yow condemne the whole churche of Christe for making of Archebishoppes I thinke yow wil not And what signifieth this worde Archebishoppe but a chiefe bishop If there
vrge these wordes as you bring me in at youre pleasure M. Nowell To the moste blessed Lorde c. to proue thereby the popes supremacy but I will here note to the reader in this comparison the familier kinde of writing to the one calling him brother and the reuerent maner of writing to the other where of reuerēce they absteined from that worde To Athanasius they called them selues bishoppes To Iulius they vsed their propre names without all titles And will yow knowe the cause why VVhy Vrsitius and Valēs called not Iulius the Pope brother Forsoth whē they wrote to Iulius they knewe them selues to stande at his mercye as men that were oute of the churche therefore neither durst they call him brother being a catholike bishop and chiefe of all other neither them selues bishoppes hauing made them selues vnworthy that name But as sone as they were pardoned of the pope in their lettres sent to Athanasius they vsed boldly the titles of brother and bishop Whereby maye easelie be gathered that it was no recantation that they sent to Athanasius In the recantation offred to Iulius they professe to desire to be in communion with Athanasius This request saye they to him we trust you will not denie praecipuè quum pietas tua pro insita sibi integritate gratiā nobis erroris facere est dignata Nicephor li. 9. ca. 27. especially seing that youre godlines according to that naturall vprightnes which is in you hath pardoned vs allready oure faulte They adde furder that if these of the Easte churche woulde wickedly yea if Athanasius him selfe Note woulde call them into the lawe touching these matters that without his consent they woulde not goe Finally they abiure Arrius the heretike with all his fautours In the letters to Athanasius there is no renouncing of the Arrians heresie there is no mention of pardon neither of anie thing elles but that he might vnderstande that they were nowe reconciled Whereas if they had conteined a recantation the matters shoulde no doubte in as ample maner haue bene specified as in that to Iulius they were The Tripartite historie saieth that these men offered to Iulius libellum poenitentiae their recantation in writing and that to Lib. 4. cap. 34. Athanasius miserunt literas seqùe ei deinceps communicare professi sunt they sent lettres and professed that they woulde communicate with him hereafter Of all other Epiphanius writeth of this matter moste plainely His wordes are these Vrsatius ac Valens vnà cum libellis profecti ad B. Iulium Ro. Lib. 2. haeresi 68. episcopum pro ratione reddenda de suo errore ac delicto qúod calumnias struxissent papae Athanasio At suscipe inquiunt nos ad communitatem ac ad poenitentiam Sed ad ipsum Athanasium ijsdem conscriptis confirmationibus vsi sunt propter poenitentiam that is to saie Vrsatius and Valens going together with their libelles to Iulius the B. of Rome to giue account of their errour and faulte for that that they had gone about to entrappe Athanasius But receiue vs saie they to the communion and to penaunce Yea and to Athanasius him selfe they vsed the same confirmations for penaunce Lo M. Nowell one of the places that I of set purpose B. 31. woulde not note least my fraude might be perceiued in alleaging that which made nothing to the matter Maketh it not to the matter that these two being bishoppes of the East churche shoulde vpon the forsaking of their heresies take on them so long a iorney offre them selues to suche daungers by sea and by lande to their no small costes and charges to make their submission in writing which they might haue sente and auoided all those difficulties by tarieng them selues as they did in writing to Athanasius at home if the B. of Rome had bene but equall to Athanasius and had had no more to doe in the matter then he Is it impertinent that they confesse of the pope that he hath pardoned them their faulte whereas of Athanasius there is no such worde Or is it lightly to be estemed that they promise to doe nothing in those matters of their faithe not at the calling of the bishoppes of the Easte or Athanasius him selfe without the popes consent Is it not to the purpose that they went to the pope to giue an accompt of their errour and fault committed against Athanasius that they desired of the pope to be receiued to penaunce and wrote to Athanasius for their penaunce Well by this I trust it appeareth that as I had no cause to cōceale these places as though as you saie I feared lest thereby it would fal out that the world should vnderstand my guile in alleaging that which made not to the purpose so that it is you who in saing that Vrsatius and Valēs offred vp their recantation aswell to Athanasius as to Iulius haue to furder youre heresie made an impudent lye and fathered Li. 9. ca. 27. that vpon Nicephorus which is not in him and thought to dor vs and out face vs to with a carde of tē Beside this I say as I saied before that if it had bene true that they had made their recantation to Athanasius also that yeat the consequent foloweth not that then the B. of Alexandria shoulde haue bene by this meanes aswell heade of the churche as Iulius For what letteth why the pope might not enioine them after their recantation made at Rome to make the same againe to the propre bishop of that place where their heresies were moste notoriouse Or how is this any diminishing of his auctoritie The force of this example consisteth VVherin the force of the example of Vrsitius and Valēs dothe consiste in this that being bishoppes so farre from Rome they should skippe Alexandria and come to Rome why they were reconciled at Rome first and then in Alexandria afterward So that what letteth now to conclude as I did By this meanes returned they to the church c. What letteth me to reply to youre I toke my harp into my hande and twang quoth A twang of M. Nowelles harpe my stringe a Youre stringe is broken betwene youre handes and where is now youre twang a O M. Nowell when you thought with suche a seely twang of youre harpe as this is to shift youre hādes of this graue and weighty testimonie you thought belike withal so to bring all the worlde a slepe with that sweete melodie or rather as Orpheus is reported by the poetes to haue by the musike of his harpe moued wooddes mountaines and rockes to appease the furye of wilde beastes so contrary wise by that sweete noise off youres to make wise men suche tame fooles by a strange metamorphosis so to turne them into blockes and stones as that they shoulde not be hable to perceiue youre vneuen dealing Surely in my pore conceite yow littell regarded youre calling yow muche empaired your name in answering thus lewdely Was this
secte or elles be compelled to recant youre wordes Nowe for answere to youre scripture moste vntruly applied I saye that in that sense which Christe forbiddeth vs to call men oure fathers that is as oure chiefe and speciall fathers either carnall or spirituall the Benedictines Cistertians Carmelites c. neuer called anie man their father acknowledging allwaies and confessing that that father is but one god him selfe which is in heauen M. Nowell marching on lustely in his lies and vntrue application of scripture addeth And continuing and accōplishing the schisme first begonne in Nowell fol. 55. a. 1. 1. Cor. 1. S. Paules time after the example of those who saied I am off Paule I of Cephas I of Apollo saing I am of Dominicke I of Benedicte I of Frauncis who also maie directly answere S. Paule asking was Paule or anie other sauing only Christe crucified for yow Yea maie the franciscanes saie S. Frauncis was crucified for vs of his familie and beholde the woundes in his side handes and feete It lotheth me to see howe shamefully yow abuse the Dorman moste holie and sacred scriptures The schisme that was emongest the Corinthians was in a most necessary pointe of doctrine to witte about the grace conferred in the sacrament of baptisme eache of them thinking that the vertue thereof depended vpon the excellencie of the ministre that ministred it as bothe by the texte it selfe and the iudgement of S. Austen thereupon is moste euidently to be seene Nowe is this diuersitie of professions in religiouse De praedes Sanctorum cap. 5. lib. 3. contra Crescon Grammat cap. 1◠men not in doctrine or faithe as was theirs but in maner and trade of life which all though it be in some streighter in other some looser yeat because all tende to one ende that is to the perfection of the ghospell allthough not by one meanes and agree beside in the three substantiall pointes of their profession chastirie pouertie and obedience yow can by no meanes call them schismes It is a fowle lye therefore M. Nowell that yow labour here to colour with the pretense of goddes worde to saie that religiouse men doe folowe the example of those who saide I am of Paule I of Cephas c. Who agreing all in one faithe and doctrine how euer they differ in certeine outewarde obseruations saye not neither as yow also vntruly reporte I am of Dominike I off Benedicte c. But I am of that ordre that S. Dominike was that is to saie I haue professed to serue God in suche sorte as S. Dominike while he liued did and so of the rest none of them in the meane season preferring their patrones the one before the other or iudging them selues to be the better for folowing this rule or that but leauing the iudgement thereof to him who in the daye of the reuelation of his iust iudgement shall giue to Rom. 2. Six lies in 8. lynes euery one according to his worckes To conclude therfore you haue here in eight lines made no fewer thē six lies The first is in calling the diuerse orders of religion that are in the churche popishe schismes The seconde in saing that the professours therof haue forsaken Christes religiō The. 3. that they haue forsaken his name The 4. that they haue chosen to be called religiouse The 5. that they haue chosen to be so called by a speciall name of a seuerall religion is a lye if you meane as it is to be thought you doe for otherwise it is no schisme by the worde religion religion in faithe ot in maners or trade of life The sixte that you charge thē to folowe the exāple of the schismatikes of S. Paules time betwene whome there is no maner of resemblaunce at al as hathe bene declared So that now hauing quit your selfe like a propre man in these fewe lines you will take a conscience to lye anie more for a while and therfore you dare not precisely affirme that the franciscanes doe saye that S. Frauncis was crucified for them but saie that they maie saie so Blessed be God you can not charge them M. Nowell that anie suche thing they doe saie whiche seing you can not how holdeth the argument I praie you whereby you proue them schismatikes suche as were in S. Paules time because they maie so saye Nowe M. Nowel what maie not you saye and so proue yourselfe not only a schismatike but also an heretike if all thinges whiche you maie saye you should be also charged in dede to saye You maie saye for some of your schoolefelowes haue saide so much Lucas Sternberger of omuluke in Morauia Staphil in Englishe fol. 112. a. Instit li. 3. cap. 23. before you that to worship the name of the blessed Trinitie is to imagine falsely three Goddes you maye saie and must saye if you will folowe your Maister Caluin that God is the auctor of their damnation that are damned woulde you nowe be contented because you maye saie thus and yeat woorse toe if worse maye be that one shoulde conclude against you that you be a schismatike or an heretike And yeat who seeth not that suche a conclusion were muche more liker to be true youre felowes and Maister hauing taught suche opinions before then this wherewith you burden these pore Franciscanes of whome there was neuer yeat anie I beleue that had so idle a braine as to imagine so vainely of S. Frauncis and wickedly bothe as you haue done You procede in your pastime and saye If S. Paule aske againe is Iesus Christe diuided Yea maie a false Nowell Hypocrite one of the secte of the Iesuites saye for we haue the one parte of Iesus therof called Iesuites and haue left the other parte Christe to the seely soules abroade to holde them selues cōtented therewith and with the name of Christians therof deriued When you speake off a secte of Iesuites I knowe not Dorman what you meane I maie gesse that you meane those religiouse men that are called of suche as knowe them The cōpanie or societie of Iesus If that be your meaning what haue you to saye to them Mary saie you one of that secte maie saye Iesus Christe is diuided And you maie not you also saye so if you list M. Nowell Who doubteth but that you are in as good possibilite to saye so as they or anie other Why then because bothe you and they and all other maie saye so are you therfore and they and all other schismatikes hipocrites and so furthe But why maye they saie so more then anie other For so the because they are called Iesuites For so the they be not so called truly Loke in the decrees of the The profession of the clerkes of the societie of Iesus Late councell holden at Trent and there you maie learne how they be called They beare the name as I saide of a companie gathered together in the name of Iesus to serue him wholly and
one seuerall churche it is like to their fantasie who woulde haue manie equall goddes to rule the worlde But one seuerall ruler in one seuerall dominion one seueral bishop in one seuerall diocesse doe resemble one God ruling one whole worlde I take you at youre worde M. Nowell that if many magistrates Dorman haue equall rule in one common wealthe it is like to their fantasie who woulde haue manie equall goddes to rule the worlde But the churche of Christe saye I is but one An argument against M. Nowell vpon his owne graunte christian common wealthe therefore it foloweth by youre owne confessiō that if manie doe equally rule without relation to one head it is like to their fantasie who woulde haue manie equall goddes to rule the worlde One seuerall bishop in one seuerall diocesse dothe not fo 62. b. 4. resemble one God ruling one worlde as you dreame but one chiefe bishop in the catholike churche whiche in your crede you professe to be but one he M. Nowell resembleth trulie one God without anie presumption at all seing goddes pleasure is it shal be so It was no presumption in the apostles to sit still and suffer Christe to washe their Ioan. 3. feete You knowe what Peter had saide vnto him for streining curtosye as he did That you saie it is a thing vnheard of but in the pope of Rome there you made your bargaine somewhat wiselie We graunt the same and adde beside that it were intollerable presumption for anie other to lay claime to that auctoritie And yeat we trust because S. Peter Homil. vlt. in Ioan. was pope and as Chrisostome saieth maister of the whole worlde and thereto out of the compasse of the last nine hundred yeares and had this auctoritie by Christe and not from Phocas you wil be the better for his sake to all the rest Now foloweth youre conclusion VVherefore M. Dorman and D. Harding maie as well saye that Nowell b. 19. the worlde is seditiously gouerned by diuerse Princes as the churche by seuerall bishoppes But as Nazianzene neuer dreamed of one Emperour ouer all the worlde to auoide sedition though he teacheth there is one God no more did he though he teache one Christe yeat euer dreame of one only heade bishop or pope c. I haue oftentimes shewed here before that the regiment Dorman of the churche is farre different from that of the worlde It shal be nedelesse to repeate it here againe Yow can not therefore reason from the one to the other Whereof Nazianzene dreamed I knowe not of this I am suer that to applye by drift of reasoning the sentence of an Auctor to that which he neuer ment or intēded so that to his meaning and intent it be in no wise repugnant or contrarye is not onely no dreame but the vsage also and practise off learned men And therefore in the lawe manye a case is decided by wordes which the lawier neuer dreamed peraduenture that they euer shoulde be so applyed The better and more excellent the Author is the more ample sense maye be gathered in his writinges As in the Scripture especially the infinite variety of commentaries doth declare Wherefore I doe the more meruell that you a man traded and brought vp in good lettres and a professour off the same shoulde raue rather waking then talke after suche a sorte in yowre slepe dreaming But I knowe the cause youre parte is here altogether to reproue not to proue as by the title of youre boke you warned vs before He speaketh further in his sleape and sayeth Howe shall we Nowell fol. 63 a. 1. Psalm 86 then saie oure lord loueth Syon aboue al the tabernacles of Iacob What this dothe meane or to what purpose it is I knowe not Nor I beleue M. Dorman when he waketh if euer he wake can tel him selfe I am glad that my name ministreth you so muche Dorman matter of scoffing mirthe and sorie that so excellent inuention shoulde be more then halfe loste for that that the gretest parte of youre ministres thorough lacke off the Latine tongue can not perceiue that swete allusion that is betwene dormire in Latin and Dorman in Englishe But thinke you thus to passe ouer the scripture with a sleepish scoffe Thinketh youre noddis nowlle I might saye M. Nowell if I listed to contende with you in this kinde of eloquence so to delude the worde of God that yow maye call it a dreame and so let it slepe No M. Nowell truthe will ouercome when it shal be with you as it was in the beginning And therefore I repeate againe if the Sinagoge of the Iues had one heade to rule them and the churche more ample and therefore in more daunger of schisme and consequently standing in more nede of one heade haue yeat no suche heade then I saye M. Nowell howe dothe God tendre Syon the churche of Christe aboue the Synagoge of the Iues By Syon is ment therefore in this place the churche which oure Lorde loueth more then the Synagoge as Saint Augustine vpon this place dothe in these wordes well declare Diligit illam spiritualem ciuitatem super In. psalm 86. omnia figurata quibus intimabatur illa ciuitas semper manens He loueth that spirituall citie aboue all the figuratiue thinges by the which that citie which euer shall continue was signified This being therefore true it foloweth that he hathe left to vs aswell one heade to rule vs and directe vs in one vniforme faithe as he gaue to the Synagoge Nowe am I awake M. Nowell yow see and can tell you and haue tolde yow what I meane by these wordes Iff yow coulde as well tell what you meant by that musicall twang of youre harpe you should take out of many mennes heades manie odde crachettes You nede not now to be carefull for Pighius waking or to make any combate with his spirite for the matter who slepeth not excepte you will defende the heresie of them that beleue so of all soules but is in perfect rest I trust or in assured hope to be Howe God hathe prouided better for the churche then for the Synagoge and of the strength of my reason drawen from the Synagoge to the churche The 20. Chapter God hath prouided for the churche you saye as well as he Nowell fol. 63. a. 24. did for the Iues and better too Here you graunte all that I saied and more too But let Dorman vs marcke youre mightie reasoning howe you proue it I praye you For whereas they had but one chiefe bisshop for their whole Nowell nation he hath prouided for the churche in euery diocesse one that they may be the better gouerned and lesse pained to trauaile far for the decision of their doubtes and controuersies To this saye we if God had done no otherwise he had Dorman done lesse for the church then for the Iues. For better it is to haue one heade