illis libitum licitum Whatsoeuer liketh them is lawull with them if it be to hoyse vp the Popes soueraigntie First this rule is against the practise of all the u Hierosolimit sub Iacobo â—cen Constantin Eph. Calced Sinod 5. 6. 7. 8. saepe Ancient and Primitiue Church which euer in occasion of controuersies recurred to the doctrine of the Scriptures declared by the generall voice and testimonie of the whole Church by her Bishops Priests and other learned men pronouncing defining out of Gods holy word which was alwaies laid before them being assembled in the general Councels so the eight first generall which the Popes themselues with oath professe to receiue although few of them keepe their oath yea the Apostles themselues who all had infallibility by vertue of their Apostleship of not erring in matters of faith to giue an example to succeeding ages would by common consent and authoritie of the Christian Church not otherwise by Peters sole authority decree and define out of the word of God for out of it x Act. 15 Peter himselfe bringeth allegations for his doctrine touching the controuersie then risen at Antioch about the obseruation of the legall lawes and ceremonies of the old Testament which their example was euer followed as necessary till of latter times when Popes haue presumed to define by themselues alone hauing before made some small Consistorian consultation with which this their prodigious position is in some sort by some y Some of the Ignatians doe idly bring the heresies of Pelagius and the Priscillianists to haue beene onely condemned by the Popes of Rome but this against all histories which mention the condemning of the same heresies by sundrie Councels throughout the whole Church Baron in his Annals Genebrard in Chrono few of themselues colored For scarce any hold it absolutely necessarie And here I aske the aduersarie whether that Axiome receiued by al reiected by none God and Nature doe nothing in vaine and that other In vaine are many things required to doe that which as well or better may be done by fewer may not take place in this question touching the infallible power of defining and decreeing I thinke none so impudent an idiote as to denie it Againe I demaund whether those most reuerend Fathers of the first foure generall Councels which Saint Gregorie equalleth with the Gospell although the manner of his speech be not herein to be imitated and of other later Councels did know these principles and Axiomes and did withall beleeue this Romane rule of faith to wit That the Pope alone had infallible authoritie to define and declare faith and that Christ prayed onely and was heard onely for Peter and his successors that they might neuer erre in faith as the z Rhemist annota in Luc. 22. Rhemists do most heretically teach if they did so why did they not send al their doubts which did so shake the whole Christian world with such horrible commotions and contentions to the Popes of those times Siluester Damasus Lco c. and receiue from themas from Iudges of faith the Oracles of Gods mouths so termed by a Coquae contra Premonit Reg. Coquaeus and Lessius his equiuocating b Recapitulater pa. 13. 32. 56. recapitulater and as the vnappellable determinations of all their doubts In so doing infinite charges many contentions would haue bene auoided and as for scandall none could haue followed because both all those Fathers and the whole Christian Church with them if it please you to beleeue the Pontificians who would so perswade vs did then beleeue and teach that the Popes were the infallible Oracles of God the onely inerrable Iudges in controuersies of Faith and al-though ancient Priests and Bishops perhaps reputed themselues his Senators and Counsellers yet they thought also that they could adde nothing to his infallibilitie But alas good Constantine Theodosius Martian and other Emperors knew not this faith who were at such great charges to summon and assemble those ancient and thrice reuerend Councels Nay Pope Leo himselfe who taketh inough to the Sea of Rome and ioyneth c Epist 89. Peter into the societie of the indiuiduall vnitie to wit of the blessed Trinitie held generall Councels necessary for determining of faith and setling of the peace of the Chtistian Church Read c Leo. epist 24. 23. 26. him Christian Reader in diuers of of his Epistles written to the Emperour Empresse and Cleargie of Constantinople and as thou shalt sinde so iudge Secondly thus I argue Three e Sinod 6. Act. 12. 13. 16. 17. 18 Sinod 7. Act. 7. Sinod 8. Act. 7. generall Councels with diuers Popes as Agatho f Leo. 2. in epist ad Constant Leo g Adrian in Sinad Romae congregata and Theod. Patriar with his councell at Hieru-salem Adrian did condemne yea the Councels accursed and execrated Honorius Pope for a dogmaticall and hereticall Epistle by which he laboured to infect the two Patriarkes of Constantinople and Alexandria with the heresie of Monothelites Can any one then be so frontlesse as to thinke that those Fathers and Popes did beleeue that the Bishoppes of Rome might not bee as they were Bishoppes of that See heretikes or teach hereticall doctrines in their decretall Epistles And the holy Ghost to be so infallibly chained to them that they could not endeuour to infect the whole Church who rather will not thus argue and thus inferre Three generall Councels the which with the fiue other ancienter all Popes at their entrances into the Papacie doe or ought to sweare inuiolably to keepe according to their owne Canons with diuers Popes all antiquitie all later best Pontifician Hâ—storians till h Pigh lib. 4. cap. 8. Hier. Pighius led Bellarmine and Baronius the way to call the matter in queston for which i Canus lib. 6. Canus and k Bannes in 2.2 Bannes scornefully reproue him did accurse or condemne Honorius for a Monothelite heretike Ergo Paule the fifth who is not fuller of Gods Spirit then his predecessor Honorius was in his late l Breue Paul 5. interpreted by the Recapitu later pag. 32. breefe ex Cathedra out of the chaire defining himselfe to haue power to depose Princes and to dispose of Kingdomes may erre and be an heretike as without all doubt he is because contrary to Christs m Matth. 22. institution he assumeth power to forbid Caesars due to be giuen vnto him For what is more due to a Caesar then fidelity and allegeance of subiects but the doctrine of Christ forsooth is expounded and the heresie cleared for he forbiddeth not obedience to Caesars so long as they are Caesars but because he can vncaesar them and vnking them therefore no longer Caesars no longer kings no longer obedience So answered * C. 8. 22. Bellarmine against Doctor Barkly so blundering Coquaeus against his Maiesties Apologie Thirdly was there euer any ancient true Christian Catholike who
being therevnto vrged by manifest truth and reason that it is not enough for them vpon their bare wordes to affirme this or that is a tradition Apostolicall or this or that is a doctrine Apostolicall because it is now generally obserued through out all those Churches which communicate with the Bishop of Rome no though at such times when there was no notorious or famous Church on earth to oppose against her and whereof no expresse beginning can bee shewed vnlesse they can withall for such their Traditions ascending vpwards euen vnto the Apostles times or the dayes of their immediate Successors and Schollers clearly and soundly deduct by graue testimonies of Ancient and Catholike authours that such thinges were euer more or lesse obserued and receiued as from the Apostles themselues throughout the Church of Christ if they will refuse this honorable triall of their Traditions and stand only vpon this idle answere and defence that the Church Romane now generally hath them and there is no beginning of them to bee shewed ergo they are Apostolicall they shall shew themselues to be meere wranglers wilfully wedded to most corrupt errours as I will most clearly demonstrate And herein I dare boldly challenge being most confident of this truth any Pontifician whatsoeuer be he Benedictine Fransciscan or Ignatian to shew me some ancient sufficient authority out of Councels or ancient Fathers that whatsoeuer might be obserued or should bee obserued in the later times of the Romane Church whereof no expresse beginning could be shewed should be therfore accounted Apostolicall because generally obserued in her g Epist 118. ad Ianuar. St. Austen indeede is vrged by the Aduersaries to affirme so much of some vnwritten Traditions in his time generally obserued throughout the whole Church but St. Austen is misvnderstood and his rule commonly cited not without corruption misvnderstood because his rule is of such Traditions whereof although nothing is written in holy Scripture yet they are mentioned in approued Authours and Historians more or lesse from the Apostles daies till his times besides great is the difference of 1200. yeares for so long is the time from St. Austens daies to vs for carrying downe of Traditions from the Apostles and in so many ages many thinges vnapostolicall h See Onuphr Genebrard and Platina supra pag. 3. might creepe into particular Churches and consequently into the whole whereof no certaine beginning might be shewed Againe St. Austens rule is commonly mis-cited For whereas that Father writeth thus in effect in his Epistle to i Epist 118. Ianuarius If the authority of diuine Scripture prescribe in any of these rites and ceremonies what is to bee done I I cite not the expresse words of the Father because editions are so different but all haue thus in effect answere there is no doubt to be made but that wee must doe as we reade the like I say if any of these rites which we obserue and the whole Church throughout the world at this present time obserueth for to dispure that we should doe otherwise were insolent madnesse but the Aduersaries commonly when they cite this place leaue out first what he writeth in the beginning of the sentence touching the authority of Scriptures Againe they leaue out commonly those words which restraine his meaning to his daies And in Saint Austens time it is manifest that the Christian Churches were not so diuided as since his times they haue beene and withall that a little before his time the generall Councels of Nice and Sardica had ordered most things and brought many things to light and yet notwithstanding this rule it is well knowne how Saint S. Aust in the same Epistle pronounceth that Christ instituted very few ceremonies Epist 118. Austen complained against multiplicitie of rites and ceremonies brought into diuers particular Churches in his daies wherewith the Christians were more heauily clogged then the ancient Iewes had beene vnder Moses which if it were euer true then it is now amongst the Pontificians most true who haue from their Popes some 1000 of rites and haue also innuerable lawes binding vnder the censure of their curses and heauiest excommunications and so frequently that a man may iustly suppose that there are few of that profession who are not more or lesse touched It is not credible to what number their Excommunications are growne since their tyranical vse of them See Nauar. Man cap. 27. num 50. by their lesser or greater excommunications his holinesse onely excepted who will be bound to no lawes no not to those which he sweareth inuiolably to keepe â—e being indeed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exlex iniqnus outlaw which Saint k 2. Thes 2. Paul hath prophecied should sit in the Temple of God as I will more fully declare hereafter But I will demonstrate that there are diuers practises and customes obserued throughout their Roman Church vniuersally wherof no beinning can be shewed which themselues wil not dare to affirme to be Apostolicall and so their rule by their owne confessions shall to the ground First is it not an vniuersall though impious practise throughout the Pontifician Church to paint God the Father in the forme of an old man and God the holy Ghost in the forme of a Doue by the same not onely to represent two persons of the most inenarrable and inexpressible Trinitie but also by the same and in the same to adore and worship those two infinite Persons what will they or can they shew me when this custome prâ—cisely began No I wis what must it therefore be a tradition Apostolicall it were impudencie or meere ignorance so to affirme and I thinke there is none of them as yet so shamelesse as to affirme it Nouell I am assured it is vtterly forbidden by the ancient Fathers of the sixt l Sinod 6. Cano. 82. generall Councell reputed an impudent thing by worthy Iohn m Damas Orthodox sid lib. 4. â—ap 17. Sinod Nicen. 2. act 4. 5. 6. 7. Damascene reputed a renowned Saint in their Church and a famous Patrone for the vse of other Images and by their Italian n Polid. lib. de inuentor Polidore Virgil accounted meere folly and which of their own men o Abulens Lira Alij commenting vpon the fourth of Exodus do not more or lesse condemne it and yet now the present Romane Church is so generally infected thereby with the leprosie of superstitious Idolatry that no man whose heart is zealous of Gods honour cannot seeing it but lament therefore Of this kinde also is the prostrate adoring of the Crucifixe it selfe vpon good Friday generally obserued throughout the Romane Church Can their best antiquarie amongst them shew me a beginning hereof no God wot what is it therefore a tradition Apostolicall shame will not suffer them to affirme it To this I adioyne their most Catholike and vaine custome of adorning their Images like as the old Paynims adorned Venus Iuno Ceres their vaine Gods
had beene an infallible assembly it selfe it must necessarily follow that all those who pertinaciously follow him heerein are to bee accounted pertinacious Heretikes Heretofore Christians were taught that holy Scriptures expounded by the Vniuersall and Generall voice of the Church were the rule of faith and accordingly all agreeing in this rule they were called Catholikes but this rule being left by Popes and the infallibility being giuen to them by their followers thereupon worthily of Popes the heads of their faith they haue beene and are called Pontificians and Papists I may iustly thinke that vpon beleefe of this rule some late Pontificians haue plainely graunted to me that the Christians of these times are bound to beleeue explicitly and expresly somewhat which the Apostles themselues and the Primitiue Christians did not expresly and in explicit termes beleeue An example at first was graunted in transubstantiation it selfe but vpon better consideration denyed againe but when I roundly vrged them to shew me where or how in explicit or equiualent termes transubstantiation was beleeued in the Apostles times because they faltered in their answeres and defences our conference ended to no small comfort of my soule so lately deliuered out of the Aegyptian seruitude The Aduersaries seeme to produce diuers authorities to proue infallibility of iudgement in the Pope but in truth they force not Ouerthrow two and the rest fall of themselues I will take a little paines with these two The first of them is taken out of ſ Math. 16. St. Mathew where the Euangelist bringeth in Christ thus speaking of St. Peter vpon his confessing of Christs diuinitie Tues Petrus super hanc petram c. Thou art a Rocke and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it There the aduersarie triumpheth saying it is cleare that Christ builded his Church vpon Peter for by those wordes this Rocke Peter is most expresly designed I will not now stand to confute this exposition by the authorities of Scriptures and testimonies of some ancient Fathers who with St. Austen expound those wordes this Rocke for Christ the Rocke whom Peter had confessed and from whom Peter had his name as t In sacro eloquio c. In holy Writ when the word Rock is put in the singular number who else is signified but Christ Paul witnessing but the Rocke was Christ but when rocks are so called in the plurall number then holy men are signified which are cōfirmed by his strength Greg. apud Pater in 1. ad Cor. Aug. tract vltim in Ioh in Retractationib ' Chrysoft homil 55. in Math. Greg. in Psal Paenit super illud initio tu Domine Isidor lib. 7. Etym c. 9. St. Gregorie and St. Austen expound it or else of Peters confession and faith Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God as u Theophil in Math. 16. Hilardo Trin. lib. 2. The Papists will not by any meanes in the words of consecration of the Sacrament this is my body admit the demonstratiue article this to demonstrate the bread which Christ taking into his handes giuing thankes broke and deliuered saying take eate this is my body the cause is because if the article this doe demonstrate Bread which cannot possibly be Christs true body no more then his body can bee true bread then they should be constrained to admit of a sacramentall presence only of Christs body in the Sacrament which they cannot abide but here the article this must needes demonstrate the person of Peter because it maketh for their Popes supremacies Theophilactus expoundeth it but I will only demand at this present how they can violently against the nature of the demonstratiue article this draw it vnto Peters person who in the same proposition of Christ to him was designed by the article demonstratiue thou as though thou and this in one proposition when one person is spoken vnto must needes both of them demonstrate the very same one person to whom the speech is made and not rather according to the nature of the pronounes demonstratiue one of them to wit thou demonstrate the person to whom the speech is made and the pronounce this to demonstrate the thing or person of whom the speech was made before I put a familiar example Iohn hath two sonnes Thomas and William he calleth his eldest sonne Thomas with his brother vnto him demanding a question or two of him and withall discourseth of his yonger brothers wit and capacitie for learning To which his eldest Sonne accordingly answereth that his brother is indeede witty and fit for the Vniuersitie To which his Father replying saith Thomas thou art my eldest sonne and shalt inherite my liuing and this sonne I will send to the Vniuersitie there to make profit in learning what might Thomas conceaue vpon this speech that hee should bee sent to the Vniuersitie and not rather his brother William many like comparisons might bee made by which it would appeare that the demonstratiue article this being vnderstood personally doth not demonstrate the person to whom but rather the person of whom the speech was made Againe manifest it is that Christ built his Church vpon that Rocke against which the gates of hell should neuer preuaile But if the wordes this Rocke bee applyed not only to Peter but also to his Successours themselues cannot denie but that the gates of hell haue often preuailed against many of those stones or rockes to the ruine and perdition of innumerable soules As against Boniface the 8. Siluester the 2. Iohn the 12. Stephen the 6. I am assured x Platina in vitis Platina will not sticke to auouch so much in effect of two Bonifaces the 7. and 8. and of Siluester the 2. and y Genebrard in Chronol lib 4. saeculo 10. ad ann 107. alias saepe Genebrard a most furious enemy against the reformed Churches doth boldly pronounce that diuers Popes were rather Apostaticall then Apostolicall and that they came not in the right way by election but through the backe-dore by intrusion What z Baron ann Baronius himselfe recounteth of the Monster Stephen 6. one of their Popes how he abused the body of his Predecessour Formosus arraining it condemning it cutting off his fingers and casting the body into Tiber and in a Synode gathered euen in Rome that See and Rocke which cannot erre as it pleaseth our Aduersaries he decreed all such as had beene ordained by Formosus to be reordained againe Of Iohn the 12. this Cardinall cannot write bitterly enough and yet he inueigheth against Otho the first renowned and worthy Emperour and the whole Clergie of Rome who in a Synode gathered in Rome the infallible Sea deposed that monster Iohn and placed in his steede Leo a worthy man But to make hast for of like examples of Apostaticall Popes much might be said I doe in good earnest aske of any of Baronius his profession whether the gates of hell preuailed
some great matter to be acted about the Powder time For when I was last beyond the seas a graue person reported in my hearing and in the hearing of a reuerend Priest that the l R. V. meeter-maker of their English hymnes spoke openly in Antwerpe at a table where diuers were drinking together some fiue or six weekes before the Powder-treasoÌ„ time that there was some great attempt in hand in England Perhaps the good man knew not the whole secret if he did then perchance for very shame he concealed it for I hardly thinke he would detest the fact who so eagerly commended the stinking Ignatian Queres or Pruritanus and the most villanous Polonian Exetasis against his Maiesties most excellent state and person which bookes also are most singularly esteemed by some beyond seas of which I thinke if the most excellent Arch-duke knew they should not be so dearly esteemed of by him But I surcease to write any more of this kind I haue perpaps discouered so much of the Ignatian spirit that some of them will attempt by some meanes or other to attenuat my spirit but I weigh it not for nothing more welcome to me then death it self so that I may be found prouided and ready to meet him and to be with him after whom my soule longeth and breatheth so much as this corruptible flesh of mine will permit me My redeemer hath numbred my daies and m Psal 138. hath put my imperfections in his sight and before he calleth me no man can thrust me hence his truth is witnesse to my soule that in this writing I seeke onely his glory in whom confiding I feare no man And I humbly wish the English Recusants to beware of such seducers as come vnder the garments of sheepe but inwardly are rauening wolues who plotting to bring to passe their conuersion of England seeke nothing but the subuersion thereof rather then their desires should not take effect And therefore as themselues well know are euer inculcating matters to the disgrace of the Church and state-gouernment of this Kingdome cannot well indure that any Priest in his Sermons should so much as commend and inculcate obedience to temporall magistrates I my selfe was at my first comming sixteene yeeres since into this Kingdome not a little reprehended by two Ignatian Priests because vpon that text a Matth. 22 Marke 12. Giue vnto God that which is Gods and to Caesar that which is Caesars I had said they too much insisted vpon the latter part thereof in perswading of obedience to the temporal magistrate and yet in that sermon which was not aboue an houre and halfe long I am assured I discoursed not twenty lines of that subiect To proceed I gather another tricke of naughty Spirits especially in the elder and latter Pontifician Monkes and Friers who haue set forth so many counterfet and comentitious treatises in the ancient Fathers names by that meanes to establish and confirme their doctrines of their transubstantiation their Popes supremacy their confiding in merits of Saints adoration of Images c. Wherein I do constantly affirme that the most pregnant and clearest proofes which they pretend for most of their Romane positions are taken out either of such counterfeit bookes as some of the learnedst Pontificians call in question or else out of such commentitious bookes and putatiue workes of ancient Fathers which by very sufficient proofe may bee shewed to bee not currant And when withall I obserue what order they haue taken with their * Indices expurgatorij Romanus Neapolitanus Hispanus Belgicus editià Povtificijs Expurgatory Indices not onely to giue annotations but further to corrupt the very texts of Authours so that none of later Pontifician Authors in short time such as Caietane Ferus Stella Ludouicus Granatensis Polidore Virgill Claudius Espex c. shall bee found sound and to speake like themselues yea they sticke not to corrupt the very texts of ancient Fathers whose editions they daylie innouate at Rome Paris Lions c. The industrious * His Treatise of corruption of Scriptures Fathers Councels by the Pontificians M. Thomas James hath produced many of such corruptions and promiseth much more one of them for a tast which I also obserued long agoe and proposed to a learned man but receiued no satisfaction I will heere giue to the Reader it is a corruption of a saying of S. Gregorie Nissene which is this Illam solummodo naturam quae increata est colere ac venerari didicimus were haue learned onely to worship and adore that nature which is increate but the Spanish Expurgatorie Indices say the word onelie must bee put out of the text a good cause why the reader cannot but obserue the mysterie therefore I passe it with silence Doubtlesse these men who are so impudent to set foorth their owne late Authours otherwise then themselues wrote and are not ashamed to corrupt the texts of ancient Fathers workes it is no maruell that they do so shamefully in their ranslations peruert the sacred word abhorring nothing more then in those places of controuersies in which they dissent from the reformed Churches to haue their translations reformed according to the originalls of sacred Scripture in which the word of God was first written by the Authours thereof Many shifts p Bellarm. lib. 2. de â—erbo Dei Bellarmine Stapleton Harding others deuise to wash away this dastardly tergiuersation of theirs in refusing trial by the originals of Gods Scripture but the imputation is iust and vnremooueable and will help to bring their Babell to her confusion together with her Expurgatory Indices of late and ancient Authours Further the naughty spirits of many Pontificians as Bellarmine Stapleton c. haue seemed manifest to me in that they doe most egregiously to bring the reformed Churches in hate and contempt calumniate them to teach such doctrines as they vtterly detest and disclaime from As first they accuse them that they giue iustification to faith onely meaning ostentimes such a naked faith as they teach void of charity that is faith informed as they speake a mere calumniation For who knoweth not that the resormed Churches make iustifying faith that which inseparably p Galat. 5. worketh by charitie as the Apostle speaketh againe they are accused to exclude necessity of good works to saluation and all reward also of good workes at saluation meere imputations For as they continually inculcate and commend necessity of good works in their pulpits more effectually then in many of the Pontifician Churches whose Preachers are much busied with extolling the merits of Saints the worth of indulgences c. So likewise they publikehe professe that God will not bee vnmindfull of the least good worke done as it ought for his sake to reward the same They are generally calumniated amongst the good English Pontificians who meane well that thy make Gods he Authour and impeller of and to sinne a meere calumniation There are
us free by your behests From all the sinnes that vs restraine To whose commaunding subiect are Infirmittes and healthes of all Our ill disposed customes cure And vnto vertue vs recall Whose eyes are not shut if here he doe not plainlie obserue how they haue taken the glory of onelie Redeemershippe and Aduocacy from Christ and haue transferred it vpon his Creature how plaine is it that they beg those things from the Apostles which Christ onely doth giue and from whose onely hands we are to expect them to wit peace and saluation Vouchsafe O Christ to open their eyes that seeing they may see and be conuerted and thou O God heale them thou O God restore them to all vertues I should here declare somewhat how the Romane Church trauaileth to make her Religion to seeme and appeare magnificent pompous glorious by deuised shewes a fitte deuise indeed to draw the simple but wiser trauailers and indicious persons obseruing such artificiall and stagelike representations * Diuerse both noble and very worthy Gentlemen haue taken great offence at the Spanish Fopperies in their processions and haue been greatly confirmed to continue still in the single and sincere integrity of the reformed Churches gather another conclusion thereout to wit that their Religion is humane not diuine not agreeing to the true ancient Christian simplicity of Christs Church Do they think that their sumptuous carrying their God vp and downe streetes their publike incensing and adoring of it their deuising of many rich representations to set forth their solemnities will draw the wiser people of such couÌ„tries as are auerted from the Romance Church no God wot there is nothing more auerteth them then such open and heathenish-like kind of worshippes which were neuer dreamed of in ancient Churches nor commended by any ancient institution of any Gouernours of the same The Conclusion But I will make haste towardes the Conclusion of these my motiues yet before I end I am constrained for the satisfaction of others to shew with what conscience and reason I dare aduenture to leaue communion with that Church which is so famous and so conspicuous and which hath beene euer visible for so much as concerneth externall succession an outward kind of profession of many pointes of Christian Doctrme since Christs time as like continuing of succession can be shewed in the Churches of Hierusalem Alexandria c. It cannot be denied but that the Romane Church in the Apostles time was a pure and sound part of the Christian Catholike Church although in her very infancy shee was sliding if you beleeue Onuphrius which moued S. Peter to hasten and returne vnto her and although Onuphrius in annotatan Platmam in vitam Petri. a Euseb lib. 3. hist cap. 31. Eusebius relateth Egesippus to affirme that whilest the Apostles liued the Church was an immaculate Virgine and pure from errour but they being dead there did presently arise those who did impugne the Apostolicall truth notwithstanding these things I doubt not to say that the Romane Church continued long time found in all substantiall matters of Christian doctrine vntill humane Traditions beganne to entermixe themselues with religion instituted by diuine authority which then most apparantlie began when the Church came to enioy temporall peace and prosperity presently after the dayes of Constantine the Emperour in whose time and by whose donation poyson was powred into the Church as the b Vita Silaestri approbata life of Siluester Pope deliuereth of a certain Angelical voice pronouncing as much the operation of which poison shewed it self partly in effect in the time of Damasus when by reason of the competency and contention which was betwixt him and c Ammian Marcellia lib 27. cap. 2 Ra on in Annal. Vrsisine for the Romane See so much bloud was shed that I hope if d I Cortil 2. Marcellin ibid. Sâ—crates l. 2. ca. 11 affirmeth how the Bishop of Rome exalting themselus aboue the limits of Priesthood into temporall dominion contended for the Primcay ouer all other Churches Saint Pauls argument bee true the Romane Church was then very carnall oppressed with such grieuous contentions and not being in vnity of spirite thinking the same thing but hauing such horrible schismes amongst them and I doubt not to affirme but that Damasus more or lesse as hee was delighted according to the fashion of Romane Bishops with sumptuous attendance in his person so also more or lesse brought in sumptuous seruice and pompous ceremonies into the Church and this the Pontificians cannot deny if diuers thinges that bee in Damasus his Pontificall bee truly attributed to that Popes institution and collection which in sundry thinges I beleeue not but this Bishoppe is made a Saint in the Romane calender the Lord knowes for what vertue or when he was first fainted perhappes for his tumultuous entrance or pompuous conuersation in the chaire of Rome in which respect hee may be reputed in some degree the Protoparent of many his Successors These beginnings and entrances of corruption vanity into the Church of Rome obserued which in succeeding times and in ages after ages grew into most horrible grieuous prophanations by the subtlety of Satan whilest the Gouernours of the Churches g Math. 13. were a sleepe that is were lulled with temporall peace and prosperity I seriously first consider those Propheticall wordes of our h Luc. 13. Sauiour in which hee hath foretold that when hee should come he should hardly find faith vpon earth which defection from faith as it was to bee and generally to ouerwhelme the whole world before Christs second comming so who coulde long agoe precisely say when it was to beginne onely after-experience hath demonstrated it and doth tell vs that according to another Propheticall prediction of the most blessed 2 ad Thes 2. Apostle who hath expresly deliuered that this defection and Apostacy should bee when that man should sitte in the temple that is the Church at whose comming the Romane Empire should be taken out of the way and who should extoll himselfe sitting in the Temple aboue all that is called or worshipped as God vpon earth who should also in himselfe and by his followers worke wonders and miraculous prodigies bosting and bragging therein who should also Apostatat from the charity of truth that is from the iustifying faith in Christ Iesus onely that iustifying faith in Christ Iesus onely which is so much and so often commended in sacred Scripture who also should Apostatate from most Articles of Christian doctrine For vaine is that exposition of the Remists who would faine interprete this Apostasie of which the Apostle speaketh to bee from the Pope and from his Primacie and particular Romane Church vaine I say for who will say that a man might not iustly haue departed from the communion of such Popes as k Genehrard lib. 4 Chronol sâ—â—ulo 10. Baron ad aun 900. anno 908. Plaim in vita sapissime in Bonifa
editions of the Septuaginta reading otherwise then these Popes do must be corrupt all the ancient Fathers Greeke and Latine two or three only excepted misexpound and misinterpret rather then e Sixtus and ClemeÌ„t in their editions Sixtus and Clement who haue some 1000. of other irreconciliable â—arres although they agree in this must be thought to haue done amisse And I demaund of the Romanists * Genes 3. why might not the Manuscribers in some of the copies change e into a and thereby make shee of hee as well as some late Romanists either wilfully or through the fault of Manuscribers haue changed in f Li. 4. Epist 38. S. Gregorie exercitus Sacerdotum an armie of Priests into exitus Sacerdotum the destructions or ends of Priests a manifest corruption it is and I hope Saint Boromeus would not with his coadiutours wilfully doe it because it most clearly sheweth that an armie of Priests was to serue and set vp the King of Pride some Bishop a great step indeede to shew that Bishop who now is serued with the whole armie of all the Priests of the Romane Church and who calleth himselfe the only vniuersall Bishop which is the ambitious and Antichristian title of the King of Pride against whom that Father inueigheth to be the very King of Pride prophetically delineated by that ancient Father and Pope Reade the Epistle courteous reader and passe thy iudgement as thou shalt see cause The second place of their corruption is in the g 2. Mach. 12. Machabees where to establish the Chymera of their Purgatorie fire both in their h Biblia Missalia edita Iussa Clement 8. Bibles and Missals they reade pro peccatis mortuorum for sinnes of the dead whereas they should reade thus only pro peccato for sinne and yet this in their owne knowledge is against i Edition Grec Venet. German Complut all the Editions in the Greeke yea and against an ancient Latin Vatican edition set out by Sixtus and also against some other ancient Latine Manuscripts and yet forsooth for Purgatory sake al those readings must be corrupt and Iudas Machabeus with the whole true Church of God with him be made so ignorant and superstitious as to make sinne-offerings for the dead whereas they full well knew that there was no such sacrifice appointed by God neither in the law of Nature nor in the law of Moses not no ceremonies nor rites ordained for the same neither doe the Iewes at this day practise or beleeue any such sinne sacrifice for the dead This their corruption in the wordes of sacred Scripture is by addition but by the patience of the courteous reader I will in this place somewhat fit for the purpose mention one of their corruptions by the figure of Subtraction In their k Breuiar edit Iussu Clement 8. last Editions of their Breuiâ—ries they haue pared out of the Praier of the Feast of St. Peters chaire at Antioch at Antioch I say for the feast of Peters chaire at Rome is a deuise of later Popes deuised by Paul the 4. as l Angelus Rocca Schol. in SacrameÌ„t Greg. prim Rocca affirmeth the word animas Soules least the same word should according to the faith of the ancient Church restraine the Popes omnipotency so called in late Neapolitane Theses to the spirituall bands and chaines of the soule only but that word and doctrine cannot agree with the Spirits of those men who challenge power to command and dispose of Kings and Kingdomes m Bellarm. against a certaine Venet. Doct. Bellarmine busily endeuoureth to defend this change the worke of his owne fingers But n Rocca annot in Sacrament Greg. 1. Rocca will tell him that the most principall and ancientest Manuscript in the Vatican had the word animas Soules and I must tell him that all the best readings haue it so and with iust cause I aske him why they haue not rather substracted the fabulous tale of Siluester consecrating Altar stones and the fabulous Legende of S. Catherine the Martyrs dispuâ—ing with 50. Philosophers and conuerting of the Empresse His brother o Baron in annot in Martyr Baronius turnes and windes himselfe not knowing how to defend the Historie p Brouiar reformata edita Iussu Pij Quint. some of their Breuiaries haue this Title ouer the Legend of Catherine Ex historia Ecclesiastica out of the Ecclesiasticall historie others haue Ex Eusebio lib. 7. cap. 26. out of Eusebius the 7. Booke and 26. Chapter and yet I suppose hee that shall finde this fable in any authenticall historie or in Eusebius himselfe shall bee a greater Historian then Baronius himselfe Fourthly against the infallibility of this their rule thus I argue That which maketh the Pope and all his followers therein heretikes cannot be the rule of Christian faith But the Popes proper and peculiar iudgement doth this Therefore The first Proposition I suppose the second or the assumption thus I proue Proper and peculiar choise and election to define in matter of faith in whomsoeuer it be is forbidden and q Ad Titum 3. 2. Pet. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haeresis heresie and apparent it is that choise and election to define and beleeue is alwaies taken for heresie when it is singular and alone in any one person vnlesse it be grounded vpon some speciall and immediate reuelation now that it is single Obis vera niex nostro arbitrio licet inducere sed nec eligere quod aliquis de arbitrio suo induxerit It is not lawfull for vs in matter of faith to bring in any thing out of our own choise neither to choose any thing which another by his choise shall bring in Tertul. lib. de Praeser and alone in the Pope I suppose it as the very proper and speciall position of the Aduersarie maintained by all Pontificians but impugned by all true Catholikes That the Pope ordinarily hath no new immediate reuelations from God I suppose as truth till any one shall be so impudent as to affirme the contrary The Pope then being an heretike because the rule of his faith to wit priuate choise and election in matters of faith is heresie r Ad Tit. 3. 2. Pet. 2. Heresies are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 electiones choises which taketh place in Popes also What meruaile if the Ignatians giue infallibility of not erring in faith to the Pope when they chalâ—enge the same to euery one of their owne Order as learned Caussabon proueth in his booke to Frontoduc pag 52. citing out of the Apologist for the Ignatians these wordes It night and day may be ioyned together in one and darknesse with light heat with cold health with sicknesse life with death then there may be some hope that heresie can fall into the head of a Iesuit thus he According to this if Clement with the two or three hundred Ignatians assembled in Rome had ioyned in Councell there
not against that Iohn call him the 10. or 11. whether you will for since the Papacie of the Papisse Ioane called by some Iohn the 7. by others Iohn the 8. the numbring of Pope Iohns hath beene different I say I aske whether the gates of hell preualled not against this Iohn who as a Baron anno 925. and 928. Baronius himselfe acknowledgeth was exalted into the Apostolicall chaire by the meanes of the impudent strumpet Theodora with whom also he liued most impurely in the time of his Papacie or shall I say rather her Papacie shee ruling the roast for which cause by the b Ibidem Cardinall himselfe this Iohn is worthily reputed for a false high Bishop an Apostata an Intruder and a most iniust possessour of the Apostolicall See Therefore it being most cleare that the gates of hell haue preuailed against these instable and impure stones being themselues with innumerable others who embraced their decrees and wicked customes cast downe into hell who can say that the most wise and powerfull Architect Christ Iesus did build his Church vpon them what will they bee so impudent as to affirme Christ kept not his promise or prophecied not truly rather then their rockes and stones must be found defectible Therefore to conclude it is cleare that vpon that Rocke Christ * Hilar. lib. 8. de Trin. built his Church which is c Psal 118. verbum Domini quod manet in aeternum the word of God remaining for all eternitie or else vpon that confession which exposition concurreth with the other d Math. 16. thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God which as yet soundeth throughout the world and shall vntill the sonne himselfe come to iudge both quicke and dead The second place is taken out of the 22. of St. Luke Ego Cardinall Aliaco lib. de Authorit Eccles Directly denieth this place to bee vnderstood of the personall faith of Peter but of the faith of the whole Church as diuers of the Sorbone Doctors now also doc rogaui pro te Petre c. I haue praied for thee Peter that thy faith faile not and thou being conuerted confirme thy brethren Here they triumph here they insult but God wot without cause for what coherence Peter thy faith shall not faile ergo Popes cannot erre Peter thou being conuerted confirme thy brethren ergo Popes being conuerted must confirme instruct and teach all Patriarks Primates Bishops Priests whatsoeuer Therefore his faith and his voice must bee receiued as the very oracle of God and be as such obeyed but let vs consider the holy text it selfe the which doth manifestly teach vs that Christ considering how Peter assaulted by Satan in the time of his taking would be drawne out of feare both to denie and forsweare him lest he by such a deniall should by Satans guiles be also swallowed vp into dispaire Christ comforting him foretelleth that he hath praied for him and that his faith should not faile that is according to the exposition of St. e Chrysost bom 83. in Math. Beda in Lucam Chrysostome should not vtterly perish and be extinguished as the Greeke and Latine words signifie but remaine firme in heart although it should faile in his mouth as if Christ should say Peter I know thou wilt through feare be drawen to denie and forsweare me with thy mouth yet thy heart shall be still firme to me yea and after thy fall thou shalt be so conuerted and so erected that thou shalt be enabled to encourage thy brethren that they may f What doubt is to be made for Peter Christ prayed did he nâ—t pray for Iames and Iohn not to mention the rest it is manifest all are contained in Peter Aug. q. 75. Quest Ex nouo Testam stand firme in confession of my name the which I admonish thee accordingly to do Christ not thereby meaning to pray for Peter alone or that the rest of the Apostles should so neede his instruction in faith confirmation in faith that without him they might either erre in faith or fal to deny their faith For after the f Act. 1. descension of the holy Ghost all the Apostles which were to be the g Ad Ephe. ca. 2. Apoc. cap. 21. foundation stones of the new IerusaleÌ„ were by vertue of their Apostleships as firmly roborated confirmed in faith as Peter himself therfore the Apostles Creed was made by them all h Leo. epist 13. ad Pulcer Aug. serm 115. Ruffin in explic Simbol iointly which coÌ„taineth 12. articles because euery Apostle put to his article wherein Peter had onely the priuiledge to make the first if their owne i Cathechismes speake truth Further I aske where those words i Cathechis Vaux Bellarm. and thou being conuerted confirme thy brethren did not containe a promise that Peter after conuersion should not faile againe and whether was the priuiledge to accompany all Bishops of Rome who so shameless as to affirme it doubltlesse it failed in k Baron in Annalibus Platina in vitis Marcelline offering incense to Idols in Iohn the 22. who l Gerso serm 4. de Pasch Adrian Pap. in 4 de sacrament confirmat aly taught and that very peremptorily that the Saints see not God till the generall iudgement in Iohn the 23. who in a m Platina in vita Ioh. Conc. Consta in sess 11. Councell of Constance had so many horrible accusations of blasphemie heresie impietie proued against him that he was the erefore iudicially deposed Many such examples might be produced but it greeueth my heart to discouer the ignominies of that See which was earst the spouse of Christ and where the tiumphs of the Apostles do seeme still to remaine but thus much I haue done onely for truth sake wishing with my whole heart there were no iust cause for any to write thus of the Popes but so it must and will be for God will doubtless vouchsafe euer still to raise some euen from the dust to oppose against them till they be fully reformed the which God mercifully grant it may be speedily accomplished I cannot heere omit to set down a peruicious error nay rather heresie of the Rhemists writing vpon this Rhemists writing vpon this place of S. Luke The which although I had often read heretofore and much misliked the same yet it wrought not effectually with me till by good chance I light vpon it at that time when God vouchsafed to begin to open my eyes Thus then they write vpon those words Simon Simon c. n Annotat. in Luc. 22. annot 31. Lastly to put them out of doubt he calleth Peter twice by name and telling him the diuels desire to sift and trie them all to the vttermost as he did that night saith that he had specially prayed for him to this end that his faith should neuer faile and that he being Note their words vphold establish the rest and
consider their goodly inferences thereupon once conuerted should after that for euer confirme establish or vphold the rest in their faith which is to say Peter is that man whom he would make Superiour ouer them and the whole Church whereby we may learne that it was fit in the prouidence of God that he who should be the head of the Church should haue a speciall priuiledge by Christs prayer and promise neuer to faile in faith that none other eyther Apostle Bishop or Priest may challenge any such singular and speciall prerogatiue eyther of his office or person otherwise then in ioyning in faith with Peter and by holding of him Thus they with much more to like purpose wherein the Christian Reader cannot but obserue how eagerly for the Popes sake they pursue Peters priuiledge and would most perniciously against the verie foundation of our Christian religion shew that Christ prayed onely for Peter and that neither the Apostles nor Euangelists by vertue of their Apostleship Offices or any other meanes had infallibility of not erring in faith but by ioyning with Peter and holding of Peter So that Saint Paul writing his fourteene Epistles whereof one was to the Romanes the onely infallible Sea the onely Catholike Apostolike one and holy Church if you beleeue the Pontificians espccially o Valentia in aualis lib. 6. in titulis cap. 9. 10 11. 12. 13. 14. Valentia Saint Iames Saint Iohn and Iude their Epistles Saint Iohn his Reuelation Saint Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn their Gospels had therein instruction from Peter and holding from him thereby they had infallibility that they could not erre otherwise they might haue erred in faith had not Peter to vse their owne phrases confirmed established and vpheld them in their faith If this be not pernicious doctrine subuerting the very bulwarks of Christian Religion what can be such for tell me I pray you all yee the Dowists their successors in often reprinting those corrupt annotations where did eyther the Apostles or Euangelists confesse this dependancie from Peter what record of Scripture or other authenticall Author doth deliuer vnto vs that Peter assisted the Euangelists when they wrote their Gospels Doth not Saint Paul p Galat. 2. expresly protest that he neither receiued the Gospell which he preached neque per hominem neque ab hominibus neither by man nor from men but from Iesus Christ his immediate reuelations doth not the same Apostle expresly say of Peter nihil mihi contulit he gaue me he furthered me nothing meaning of the Gospell of Christ nay rather did not the same Apostle giue somwhat to Peter q Ibidem Quia non ambulante sequndum veritatem Euangelij epist ad Galat. 2. Peter walked not according to the truth of the Gospell and after he was conuerted was heere once strengthened by his brother Paul when indewed with the holy Ghost he reprehended his humane spirit with which moued and misled he walked p not according to the truth of the Gospell What Christian did not euer as reueuerently and religiously embrace any part of Saint Lukes Actes of the Apostles because it was Saint Lukes as the whole Epistle of Saint Peter because it was Saint Peters But these men regard not how they weaken the very foundations of Christian religion so r Ad Ephcs cap. 2. Apocal cap. 21. termed in holy Scripture so that they may enhanse the Popes monarchicall supremacie which is the very life and soule of their religion whom they pretend to be Saint Peters successor in place and Sea and we grant it as the Bishops of Alexandria Antioch Hierusalem Ephesus at this day succeed S. Marke S. Peter S. Iames and Saint Iohn but heauen and earth will proclaime that in conuersation they doe nothing at all succeed Peter and as for doctrine and faith the sacred Scriptures and ancientest Churches prescribe against them Would God imitating Saint Peter they would Å¿ 1. Pet. 5. Pascere gregem verbo Feed their flocke with preaching of the word and holy example of life but alas by temporall possessions giuen by Constantine as it is writteÌ„ in the life of ancient Siluester Pope an Angell pronounced that poyson was cast into the church which more or lesse euer since hath Sanctitatem in pontificibus c. Sanctitie in Popes no man requireth in these times they are reputed best if they be but a little good or not so euill as other mortall men vse to be Papirius Masson in his booke of the Bishops of the Citie in â—ulius the third which booke he writeth notwithstanding to set forth the worthy actes of Popes infected the Bishops of Rome hauing put on for Peters pouertic tiphum seculi wordly pride and pompe not keeping themselues within their owne precincts and limites but thrusting their Sythes into the haruests of other dominering but not ruling the Cleargie and dominering ouer the Princes of the earth to whom they were first subiect both in fact and of right * Bellar. li. 2. de Rom. Pont. c. 29 as Bellarmine himselfe once confessed before his red hat and into what proud auaritious ambitious secular and worldly conuersation and vsurpations the Bishops of Rome haue degenerated the t Contaren Sadolet Poole alij Concil delect Cardin. alior Praelat tomo vltimo Conc. Cornelius Mus or at in Conc. Triden Espen in TituÌ„ Bernard li. 1. de considerat best of their Prelates and learned cannot denie and what maruaile then if they be found to degenerate in faith for the shipwracke of faith either sooner or later euer followeth the shipwracke of good consciences and life The See of the Popes to wit the Romane Particular Church was a branch inserted into the tree of the Iewes Iewish Church for so he is described by the Apostle in his u C. 11. ad Rom. Epistle to the Romanes and therefore she was carefully to looke to her selfe that she fell not for if she should grow proud she should saith the Apostle be shaked off as well as the tree it selfe was reiected and that her onely way to remaine stedfast and firme was to be x Ibidem permanent in goodnesse I wish with my whole heart that the Popes were so good and so religious that they might still deserue to haue the honour due vnto the chiefe Partriark of the West according as his most excellent Maiestie z In his kingly premonition to ChristiaÌ„ Princes professeth he would be willing to acknowledge them if they would returne to that faith and Apostolike beleefe of the Christian Church from which they are horribly degenerated Hauing thus traced the Rhemists with thy patience courteous Reader let me giue thee a taste of Bellarmines dealing for the same proiect to enhance the Popes supremacie In his Dictates at Rome not in his printed worke for they doe not alwaies print what they dictate he most egregiously depraued the sense of that sentence of the holy Ghost a Isai 28. Ecce
ego pono in Sion lapidem c. Behold I put in Sion an approued a corner stone and a precious one laid in the foundation This prophecy although S. Peter b 1. Peâ— 2. most expresly expoundeth it of Christ himselfe yet Bellarmine in his dictates would needs haue it to be vnderstood of Peter not of Christ His profound reason is forsooth because the c Isai 28. Prophet addeth of this stone that it must be in fundamento fundatus founded in the foundation that is laid in the foundation which may not be vnderstood of Christ but fitly of Peter founded vpon Christ So Bellarmine but in his d Bellar in praesat in lib. de pont Rom. printed Preface he hath somewhat mended the matter for he is content to vnderstand principally this prophecie of Christ secondarily of Peter so that Christ and Peter must still ranke together Christ principally but Peter secondarily Baronius in his Voto against the Venetians to Paul the 5. in Consistory publikely applied to him to be the stone vpon which e Matth. 21. whosoeuer falleth saith the holy Ghost shall be bruised and vpon whomsoeuer it falleth it shall breake them in peeces but alas the Cardinall failed the Pope in his Prophecie for by his sentences of excomcommunications interdicts c. he did so little bruise the Venetians who so constantly opposed against him that The manner of the Venetians reconcilement with the Pope for which the Ignatians euerywhere exclaim against that state onely they are warie before whom they could not by any meanes be brought to make any submission for any offence imputed to them or to acknowledge any fault so that at the last the Pope was contented to accept of a shew of submission made to him by some third persons and as it is reported suborned also by the court of Rome thereunto and so with his honour to be reconciled vnto them againe a notable example for posterity against the vsurpations of Popes I could here more enlarge my discourse to shew how Bellarmine Sanders Baronius Stapleton do all they can and labour earnestly though most vnsouÌ„dly to bring all ChristiaÌ„s to that pernicious perswasioÌ„ faith to wit that it is not inough according to f Decretal Bonifa 8. vnam sanctam Bonifaces decree for their saluations to be in communion with the Catholike Church dispersed through the world and with the head thereof Christ Iesus vnlesse they be in actual communion and blind obedience to the Bishop of Rome as the onely one and supreme head of the visible Church It is a sufficient assecurance for my conscience that according to the sense of ancient Church it is against S. g 1. Cor. cap. 1. Pauls expresse doctrine who in his Epistle to the CorinthiaÌ„s doth most grieuously reproue all such as went about to make a speciall ioyning either with Peter Paul or Apollo nothing herein differencing S. Peter from Apollo or himselfe doubtlesse he was nothing acquainted with the present necessary subiection and vnion to the Bishops of Rome the pretended onely successors of Saint Peter But rather he instructed and most earnestly h Jhidem commaunded all Christians to acknowledge Chrâ—st Iesus for their onely head of whom they were named in whose name they were baptised and who onely was for them crucified dead and buried risen againe to life Surely if Saint Paul did beleeue such a necessary headship in the Bishops of Rome doubtlesse his faith therein was onely implicit for his expresse doctrine is against it but I dare heere boldly saie that if per impossibile by an impossibilitie such a headship in the Popes had beene respected in the Primitiue Churches yet later Popes are now so degenerate from what their predecessors were into all most abhominable and tirannicall conuersations to the corruption of faith against the temporalty and spiritualty that Gods infinite mercy would excuse such who to giue them most iust cause and motiues to ranke themselues in their owne degrees should leaue their communion with them and adhere onely to Iesus Christ to whom vpon him onely resting with King i Psal 118. Dauid I humbly complaine tempus faciendi domine dissipauerunt legem tuam It is high time O Lord to doe for they haue dissipated and and broken thy law The second Motiue THus they hauing most egregiously erred in coÌ„stituting a false rule of their faith to support the present Roman profession to the same end they haue perniciously depraued the true rule of faith by adding to the sacred word of God such bookes as antiquity worthily reiected for Apocriphall that is of doubtfull vncertaine authority not fit to confirme and proue the dogmaticall doctrines and articles of Christian faith thereby distinguishing them from the Canonicall Scriptures Gods infallible word Such are k Hieron in Prolog Galeat Epiph. lib. de mensur August de ciuit dei lib. 18. cap. 36. Athanas in Sinop Epipha haere 8. 76. esteemed accounted the books of Iudith Wisdome Ecclesiasticus Toby the Machabies all such like doubtfull parts of Chapters of the old Testament as by neither the Iews before nor in Christs time nor in the Nicene Laodicenc Councels nor ancient Fathers purposely setting down and defining the Canons of holy Scripture were euer receiued into the Canon 1 Con. Nice Laodic in Cano. de Canonicis scripturis Hieron epist 10. 115. Joseph contra Appto lib. 1 Russin de Simbol Apost and rule of Christian Faith Against this their deuised rule it is most easily and manifestly shewed that considering the Iewish Synagogue when it was the true Church of God receiued not these bookes into their Canon wee ought not to receiue them hauing no new reuelations for them nor no better warrant then they had especially considering that the Septuaginta interpreters who tooke vpon them to interpret all the bookes of Gods word to Ptolomeus neglected them Christ and his Apostles neuer cited any thing out of any of them as they did out of the other Scriptures And further the thrice reuereÌ„d Fathers of the Nicene Councell and those worthies of the Councell of Laodicea both which Councells were celebrated in the East nearer the place and time where and when Christs Church might best informe her selfe which were the bookes of Sacred Scripture reiected and cashired them out of sacred Canon of holy Scripture Neither is there any new reuelation for them now nor any iust cause why the Pope and Pontificians should be so eager to put them into Canon of Scripture but for that they seeme in some places contrary to the vndoubted Scriptures to fauor some of their vaine and corrupt doctrines as of Purgatorie Praier for the Dead Merits of good workes c. As for * The contra dictioÌ„ betwixt the 5. châ—pter of Iudith and the 10. â—â—irreconcilable so manâ—â—est that the same euinceth the author of the same booke not to bee the holy Ghost who caÌ„not lie See
courteous Reader how Bellarmine tra uaileth to defend this booke from contradiction Bellar de verb. Dei lib 1. c. 12. Iudiths booke in particular I cannot but meruaile how any one can thinke that the holy Ghost would euer approue that decking and trimming vp of her selfe for such an impure and luxurious proiect thereby to draw m Iud. 10. 12 Holofernes into an vnlawfull burning lust and concupiscence of her if so they will teach and affirme may I not heere charge their doctrine with affirming God to bee the approuer and Authour of sinne more iustlie then they charge Caluin therewith Was not that of the holy Ghost in n Rom 3. St. Paul law and right in Iudiths daies Non sunt facienda mala vt eueniant bona Things that are euill are not to bee done that good may come thereby Besides it is too too apparent that in the story there are some vntruths and vnreconcilable contradictions which are clearelie against the other sacred Scriptures And therefore by euident consequence it is to bee affirmed that the booke is Apocriphall and not of that vndoubted and certaine authority which holy Canonicall Scriptures haue by which onely Dogmata fidei articles of Faith are to bee decreed and tried as the ancient Church euer beleft from whose faith because faith must euer be the same no Christian can without hazard of Saluation depart Against the books of Machabees many particular and vnanswerable doubts might be produced I will content my selfe with two or three Doth not the Author of them I should say the abbreuiatour of Iasons larger history as himselfe p 2. Mach. 2. professeth to be against the faith and doctrine of vndoubted Scriptures approue and admire the fact of q 2. Mach. 14. Razias murthering himselfe doth he not craue pardon of the Reader if he haue not answerably to the condition of a good r 2. Mach. vlt. Historian behaued himselfe belike the holy Ghost who is not accustomed nor cannot acknowledge himselfe nor his Scribes to bee subiect to any humane errour in writing thus here left him but not aboue in the 12. Chapter of this Å¿ 2. Mach. 12 booke where he mentioneth prayers and sacrifices for the dead and yet this by the helpe of false fingers also and therefore he here not there craued pardon if he had not arightly performed his office Doubtlesse hee who will thinke the holy Ghost can craue pardon of man as though he might be subiect to errour hath little of the holy Ghosts grace in him Which things considered with diuers other impossibilities against the truth of historie I cannot be perswaded that t Lib. de Ciuit. Dei 18. c. 36. St. Austin and the Fathers of the Councell of Carthage did otherwise approue them to be read then as a probable historie contayning some good morall matter if reade with u Cont. GaudeÌ„t sobriety to vse St. Austens owne phrase but not as to receiue them into the Canon of sacred Scripture of Gods word And if St. Austen may not bee thought to contradict himselfe within the compasse of halfe a dozen of lines some Manuscriber hath egregiously corrupted him for x Aug. lib. 18. de Ciuit. Dei cap. 36. first hee seemeth clearly and absolutely to affirme that they are not Canonicall and proueth thereupon a truth vpon which hee there discourseth and presently he is made to say thus that although the Iewes receiue not the Machabees into Canon yet the Church of Christ receiueth them but who smelleth not false fingers here especially if infinite like forgeries of Manuscribers be obserued Further I am more confirmed in my iudgement against these bookes because y Dist 15. cap. Sancta Romana Gelasius a Pope of Rome before any greater corruptions had deeply tainted that Church did with a whole Synode in Rome recounting a Canon of the Apostles for the same purpose exclude the Machabees out of the Canon of holy Scriptures and although the Canon beginning Sancta Romana c. in which this exclusion was be now so maymed and mangled that no man can iustly say this part or line of it is sound yet z Anton. 3. part summ l. 18. c. 6. Antonine Archbishop of Florence and a Saint in their Church confesseth that he himselfe had read the exclusion of these bookes out of Canon of Scripture in that decree of Gelasius and according to the Canon of the Apostles there mentioned All these things concurring out of Antiquitie and the vndoubted Churches of Christ with the authority also of some learned Pontificians their later Doctors and that of a Tertull. lib. de praescript Tertullian euer taking place in Christs Church Quod antiquissimum verissimum that which is most ancient is most true What may bee thought of that b Conc. Trident. Sess 4. congregation at Trent who hath giuen equal authority to them with the vndoubted word of God and haue accursed with their idle Anatheme all those who shall with the ancient Church of the Iewes the Nicene Councell which St. Gregorie esteemed as the Gospell with the I aodicene reuerend Fathers and almost all other ancient Fathers reiect them as Apocriphaâ—l Doubtlesse the curse of God against the idle curses of men may be iustly giuen vnto them who c Apocal. vlt. haue added the word of man to his word and haue made the word of man equall with his most infallible and inuiolable word d Iud. Epist Imperet illis Dominus The Lord God reproue them It is not possible if these men had esteemed of the vndoubted Scriptures as all the e Aug Epist 71 ad Marcell in prolog lib 3. de Trin. Epist 1â—1 Ep 166. ad Dâ—natist 〈◊〉 Epist 62 Basil 〈◊〉 de si de 〈◊〉 me Chrysost in opere imâ—â—rfect homâ—lia 49. ancient Fathers did who euer required the writings of all men to be examined and tryed by the certaine word of God they would neuer haue coupled humane authority with diuine and haue equalized them in one degree of truth but they may bee excused in dealing so warily and politikely herein for their desperate cause of Porgatorie fire praier for the dead c. otherwise would to the ground with many like of their superstitious trumperies The third Motiue BEsides the corrupting of the true rule of faith by adding the Apocriphall bookes they haue also depraued the same f Conc. Trident. Sess 4. rule by their vnwritten Traditions Anathematizing all who shall refuse or disesteeme the same Traditions and not hold them in equall reputation with Gods most vndoubted word This rule of Traditions they hold to bee an vnwritten Deposit left in the Romane Church and kept inuiolably by her vntill these times which if they can shew what good Christian is there who wil not with reuerenced esteeme receiue or commend whatsoeuer those most irreprehensible Founders of the Church haue deliuered either concerning faith or Church discipline But I must tell them
conclude these my Motiues about their idle rules of faith the Christian Reader who is carefull of his owne saluation and giueth obedient eare to that propheticall light of Gods sacred Scriptures expounded by the ancient Church which Scriptures Saint Peter n 2. Pet. 1. preferreth aboue that vision which he and his brethren had of Christ in mount Thabor he cannot but easily obserue what consequences are likely to follow out of three such corrupt Rules of faith as are in request amongst the Pontificians to wit infallibility solely and onely in the Popes definitiue iudgement authority of Apophricall Scriptures and the vaine authority of their traditions pretended to be Apostolicall where as they are nothing lesse The aduersary will for the validitie of these rules stand vpon the authority of their present Romane Church which hath receiued them of which their defence conformably to all antiquitie and ancient Fathers who taught otherwise we must also conformably to their proceedings search out of Gods word whether the Church of which they bragge so much be the true Church Succession in Sees onely will not suffice as by their owne confession is manifest in the Churches of Antioch Alexandria Constantinople c. but there is required also successioÌ„ in doctrine according to Gods word by which triall must be made of all Churches and of all doctrines and all after-traditions to which if they be not agreeable without perill of damnation they must not be receiued and this is the most expresse doctrine and faith of Saint Austen in o August lib. 1. de doctrina Christiana cap. 37. lib. de unitate Ecclesi cap. 2. but cap. 16. so clearly that I do suppose no Pontifician Priest dare scarce read that Chapter to his family sundrie places yea of Bellarmine p Bellarm. lib. 2. de verbo doi cap. 2. Basil serm de fide himselfe though as it may be thought he not very willingly confesseth this truth Other means saith he may deceiue but nothing is more certaine then the Scripture and therefore by confession of all both ancient and moderne writers the triall by Gods word is most firme and assured The fourth Motiue THe fourth Motiue and that very effectuall The fourth Motiue with me is that transcendent power both in all temporals and spirituals which later Popes contrary to Christs institution and practise of holy Primitiue Popes challenge and which the Romane Canonists and Cardinals ouer-liberal of that wherwith they haue nothing to doe doe flatteringly thrust vpon their Romane Monarches In spirituals he challengeth and they grant vnto him to be the onely supreme and immediate Pastor ouer Christs flocke so that looke how ample and immediate Christs iurisdiction for saluation of soules was so is his he glorieth in that title and they giue it him which q Greg lib. 4. epist 38. S. Gregory so much detested as the very badge of Antichrist he will in the gouernment of Christs flocke haue no Peere nor Colleage He is content to be honoured with that title yea and aboue that ambitious title the which Constantius the Arian required for he was content with numen nostrum our power or diuinitie but the Pope can willingly acept of supremum in terris numen the supreme and highest diuinitie or power vpon earth O ye heauens be astonished and euerlasting gates be desolated the pretended only Vicar of Christ the successor in some sort of that poore fisher who r Act 3. gloried in that he had neither gold nor siluer must heare and that from renowned * Proesat ad Grego 13. in principia doctri Stapletons mouth the Spanish kings professor in Louane the English Pontificians chiefe champion thus thy supreme diuinity vpon earth iust God how more iustly may we lament with those words of Saint Gregory against Iohn of Constantinople for his extraordinary fasting surnamed Ieiunator the faster f Grego lib. 4. â—p 38. O alasse all things that haue beene forespoken are come to passe the King of pride is at hand and that which is a wickednesse to be spoken a whole Army of priests is prepared for him because those serue the proud necke of elation and pride who haue beene set to giue example of meekenesse and humility Thus that Father in those times when the mysterie of iniquity began to worke most apparantly in the Patriarke of Constantinople but appeared more clearly in one of his next Successors to wit Boniface 3 who emulating the Constantinopolitan Patriarks for their pride obteined of Phocas that hatefull and traiterous vsurper rather then Emperour to decree by constitution that the title of Vniuersall Bishop should for euer after belong and be giuen only to the Bishops of Rome this is a matter vndoubted of by auncient t Sabel Aenead â— lib. 6. Platin. in Bonifac. 3. Otho lib. 5. Paulus de gostis Longobard Marianus anno Dom. 608. Duerenus de sacris Ecclesioe ministris lib. 1. cap 10 Abbas in Phoca poene emnis aly Sigebert Regino Luitpran Anasta Baron annal ad annum 606. Historians and yet perchance this Boniface did not assume by that title so much vnto him as these latter Popes doe to wit to be immediate pastors of all the whole Church comprehending all Partriarkes Bishops c or that there is no power nor iurisdiction in any Prelate or Pastor of the Church whatsoeuer which is not dependantly from them and of them so that they can and may peremptorily call to their court all causes greater or smaller and according to course of law or otherwise finally and * Iudicare c. to iudge and decree whether it be necessary to depose a Prince belongeth to the Pope of whose iudgement whether it be right or not no man may iudge Bellar. contra Barck ca. 12. vnappellably ende and determine them and if any either Emperour Prince Prelate or Vniuersity would offer to appeale from any of their sentences though most exorbitant and tirannicall they should thereby deserue to bee cursed with Bell Booke and Candle I cannot thinke that in Bonifaces time the Romane Bishops were growne to that height of Antichristian pride that was left for later times when the Diuell was to be let loose after the thousand yeeres of his binding Notwithstanding he challenged by Phocas his constitution to be only called vniuersall Bishop of the Church against which title Saint Gregory so vehemently and Christianly exclaimeth in u Greg lib 4. ep 32. 34. 38. 39. diuers Epistles testifying and demonstrating most plainly that that Antichristian title robbeth all Bishops of their honour and maketh that the Assumer thereof should bee reputed Antichrist This being so in this Auncient Father how durst D. Stapleton x Staple principi doctr lib. 6. cap. 7. that renowned Professour of diuinity endeuour to make Saint Gregory speake against himselfe in this very epistle and out of him labour to proue the present Romane supremacy and Monarchy which that Father so much
the many impertinences contradictions contrarieties which are in it downe it will For if Å¿ Introit ad altare the very first prayer almost which is this Oramus te Domine c. We beseech thee O Lord by the merits of those Saintes whose reliques are heere that thou vouchsafe to giue vs pardon of all our sinnes may take place and that by the merits of Saints sins are forgiuen and pardoned what neede to expect a further propitiatorie sacrifice in the Masse I proposed not long since to the t M. G. Bl. chiefe in this house how a certaine prayer in the portesse which hath thus vt merit is sanctorum aeternitatis gloriam consequamur that by the merites of Saints we may obtaine the glorie of eternitie was to be vnderstoode Considering and pausing a while he yealded this answere by their intercessions to which I replied out of their owne doctrine thus that intercessions of Saints in Heauen are not merits and u Rom. 8. that glorie being first due vnto vs by vertue of iustification in Christ Iesus through x Galat. 5. faith working by chatitie it was not in any sense to be giuen to vs for the merits of Saints some replies passed betwixt vs and in the end he came to affirme this proposition to be Catholike to wit Saluamur meritis sanctorum we are saued by the merits of Saints of which proposition demaunding the opinion of a y M. A. H. learned Priest sitting by his answere was that it was a sound proposition sano intellectu being well vnderstoode Thus they O Iesus onely Redeemer what vile wrong is done to thy infinite merits when thus they associate with thy merits the merits of Saintes to haue a reall and meritorious concurrence for remission of our sinnes And when ioyntly of thy merites and the merites of thy seruants is by them composed the treasure of the Pontisician Church by which they pretend to deliuer soules from Purgatorie But alas rather they delude many simple fooles and dispoyle them of their treasure and wealth To proceede whereas in the z Offertorium Prayer when the bread is offered vp to God vpon the Patten it is expresly called Haec immaculata hostia this immaculate host and is said to be offered pro innumerabilibus peccatis for innumerable sinnes pro viuis defunctis for the liuing and the dead vt illis proficiat ad salutem vitam aeternam that it may profite them to eternall life and saluation and likewise when the Chalice is offered vp with wine onely in it in their owne confession as being long before the time of their imagined transubstantiation it is thus said of the same Chalice of wine pro totius mundi salute in conspectu c. that it may ascend as a sweet smell before the sight of the diuine Maiestie for the saluation of the whole world by the two which oftertories it is euident what manner of sacrifice the Authors of them two beleeued to be in the masse truly the very same that a Finitis ab eo qui prefectus est saith Iustine Apolog. 2. Thankesgiuings praiers being ended by him who is the chiefe as prefect and acclamations being made by the whole people the Deatons whom we so call giue to euerie one present a part of the bread and of the water and wine consecrated and doe carie to those who are not present Origen in Leuit. hom 7. Irenae lib. 4. cap. 32. 34. Chryâ—ost in Psalm 22. Amhros de sacramentis lib. 4. cap. 5. August de doctrin Christian lib. 3. cap. 16. in Psalm 98 tract 59. in Iob. Hieron 26 in Math. Author operis imperfect in Matth. Homel 11. clarissime Bertram lib. de corp sangu Domin Theodoret. in cap. 8. ad Hebre. Fulgen. de fid ad Petrum cap. 19. Lyturgiae Ambros Basil Saint Iustine Irenaeus and other ancient Fathers deliuer to wit of thanksgiuing commemoratiue and of Gods creatures not of the verie bodie and bloud of Christ transubstantiated But obserue now commeth Clement the eight and he in his missals what misterie is in it God knoweth in that short prayer of offering which the people make being thereunto inuited by the Priests and in which they pray thus suscipiat Dominus hoc sacrificium de manibus tuis c. Our Lord receiue this sacrifice from thy hands to the glorie of his name for our profit and of all this holy Church he hath commaunded the article hoc this to be left out the misterie of which subtraction who may not coniecture because the demonstratiue article hoc this in this place doth most specially and peculiarly demonstrate the sacrifice offered vp to God for the honor of his name benefit of his holy Church therefore lest the people who pronouÌ„ce that prayer should by the same be brought to vnderstand what manner of sacrifice the ancient authors thereof deliuered the word hoc this must be rased and they left to expect another sacrifice truly propitiatorie forsooth in the Masse Such a Sacrifice as the Autours of this prayer and of many others that goe both before consecration and after neuer knew nor taught so that if a man will vnderstand them ingeniously and with an vnpartiall eye read them it will be morally impossible for him to thinke that they beleeued the Laterane transubstantiation as it is desended by the Pontificians I will herein onely except the authours of the rubrickes in the Masses which are almost contioually more or lesse changed as now of late in the last edition b Missa ClemeÌ„t 8. in rubric Clement forsooth marke a pretie tricke wil haue the Priest not loudly to the people and eleuating of the Chalice as the former * Clement also hath lately instituted that the Laicks must receiue at their LotioÌ„s wine mixed with water per haps to imitate that of S. Chrisostomes Lyturgy where it is appointed that after consecration sodden water is to be mixed with the wine consecrated that the people were to receiue Missa Chrisost edita â Plantino translata a leone Tusco custome was but secretly and at the setting downe of the Chalice to say those words of Christ hac quotie scunque c. as often as you shall doe these things you shall doe them in remembrance of me wherefore is this chaunge now made Doubtlesse for no other end if there be any other misterie let it be shewed but lest now in these times when the onely and infinitely inestimable sacrifice of Christs Crosse is so daily by the true Catholike Church and her Ministers extolled and set forth and the Lyturgie of our Lords Supper deliuered to be a liuely holy and expresse c Bellar. lib. recog pag. 85. To shew that in his first booke of the Masse last Chapter hee had iustly denied any true sacrifice of Christs body to bee offered vpon good Friday in their Church answereth thus an obiection that is made against him
errour and no Apostolicall tradition because not clearely knowne nor receiued in Saint Austens time who most expresly in the learnedst and perhaps the last booke he euer wrote except his Retractations affirmeth that y August lib. de ciuit dei 21 cap. 26. see also the 16. chapter perhaps it is true note the word perhaps that there is a purging fire after death by which it is most manifest according to other places of him that the Church in his time did not make Purgatorie sire a tradition Apostolicall or article of faith but of late the Pseudosinode and Schismaticall Councell vnder Eugenius the fourth gathered against that of Basil which had deposed Eugenius before and substituted Felix contrarie to the ancient faith of the Latine and Grecke Church determined Purgatotie pains for a point of faith But of these imaginarie and fatuous flames else where perhaps more largely The word of God as it is expounded of the ancient Fathers doth dispell condemne explode them for if there z Epist ad Rom. 8. 2. ad Corinth 5. ad Thes 1. cap. 4. Apoc. cap. 14. be no damnation to those who die in Christ Iesus beleeuing in him with faith working by charitier and if all those who die in him euen from that moment of death rest from their labors and that no sooner the earthly habitation is left off but an heauenly habitation is put on and those who beleeuing Christ loue Christ desiring to be dissolued and to be with him are with him and if generally the Apostle exhorteth and commaundeth that Christians should not be so much as contristated for those who die in Christ in Iesus and by Iesus by whom and in whom they sleepe with many such like sayings who that is not eyther seduced by his education in poperie or else for his ouercredulitie to their Priests misled will beleeue the imaginarie flames of Purgatorie And heere I constantly affirme and the contrarie cannot be shewed to wit that all those Fathers who alowed praier for the dead were more or lesse to be touched with some one of these errours either that the states of the faithfull departed could not be certaine vntill the day of iudgement and that they were to be kept in certaine receptacles till that time and that none of the departed were to see Gods face vntill the day of iudgement a Austen writeth doubt fully here of in his Enchirid cap. 109. where he affirmeth that sacrifice is offered for the dead either that they may haue full remission or else that their damnation may be more tolerable He teacheth the like lib. 1. de orig enime cap 9. 10. lib. de cura pro mortuiâ— cap. 1. Azor. lib. institut 10. cap. 22. affirmeth that it was the doctrine of certaine ancient that their Masse did profit and ease the soules damned in hell or else that the verie soules of the damned in hell might be holden by prayers as Iohn b Damascen erat de mortuis ciacon Aquinas alis Damascene approuingly relating the historie of Trajanes soule doliuered by Saint Gregorie seemeth to hold and all those who account the historie of Falconillas deliuerie by the prayers of Tecla to be authenticall seeme to affirme And as for the historie of Traians deliuerie by Saint Gregories prayers although it be impugned by some later authors yet the historie is to be seene painted in Saint Gregories Monasterie at Rome the which also the great Ignatian Salmeron acknowledgeth by which it is most manifest that the opinion teaching that damned soules in Hell might be holpen or eased by the prayers of some liuing seemed not so extrauagant and improbable in the Romane Church when time was by all which and much * Ciprian seemeth to shew how the commemoratâ—ue sacrifice was offered for martyrs in coÌ„memoration of them Cyprian epist 62. lib. 3. lib. 4. epist 5. in like sort Ciril speaketh in Cateches more that might be said to the same purpose the courteous Reader may obserue how one errour breedeth another to wit vncertaintie of estate of the soules departed vntill the day of iudgement prayers for them prayers for them Purgatorie fire Purgatorie fire requiem Masses and Purgatorie sacrifices for them and their fabulous Indulgences with such like errours There be many other things which I might iustly taxe in the Canon of their Masse as repugnant to all antiquitie and consequently not Apostolicall the dreadfull eleuation of the Sacrament not onely to be reuerenced as a Sacrament of God but to be adored and inuocated as the diuine Maiestie it selfe their carrying vp and downe the said Sacrament in their processions But as execrable rather then as inexcusable I doe abhominate that Papall custome and Nouell fashion of theirs by which they set the Sacrament vpon a white palfrey to be caried before their holinesses whithersoeuer they shall make their progresse to shew perhaps that they will be like the virginall Saints in heauen b Apoc. 14. who follow the Lambe wheresoe uer he goeth O mercifull Sauiour of mankind c Psal 118. tempus faciendi dissipauerunt legem tuam It is high time to doe they haue dissipated thy law in steede of thy diuine Maiestie they haue set vp a God dwelling in their tabernacles in their towers and call the same their God the God of fortitude the God of strength and insteed of that thy onely sacrifice of the Crosse daily honoured inuocated commemorated by thy faithfull Seruants the Chimericall and imaginarie reall carnall sacrifice of your selfe in bread and wine vpon their idolatrous Altars Open their eyes thou who art the onely Sacrifice oblation redemption and deliuerance of all mankinde by that oblation which thou diddest once make for vs all vpon the Crosse looke downe and consider how they abuse thy holy rite and institution which thy Maiestie appointed and all thy ancient Church receiued according as thy d Math. 28. Mark 14. Luke 22. 6. Paul 1 ad corinth 11. Euangelists and Apostle deliuered vnto them that all thy faithfull should receiue the Sacrament whole and intire in both kinds yet now c Conc. Trident. sess 21. comes the Tridentine Fathers and they do not only decree one kind to be enough but they also accurse and execrate they curse and thou wilt blesse all those who shall obserue and teach as necessarie thy institution and shall practise according as all the Prime and ancient Churches did and this their treacherie they will excuse by protesting take a Helen without an excuse so the TrideÌ„tine is named by Espencaus in his Commentarie vpon Titus that the ancient Church neuer vsed the Sacrament vnder both kinds out of opinion of necessity as though your holy institution your commandement deliuered and inculcated by the Apostles and Euangelists did not bind vnder necessitie But they will thus at their pleasures only like the f 2. Thess 2. Outlaw or lawlesse man by whom they were authorised for this described by your
Apostle in his Epistle to the Thessalonians change your law and dissipate the eternall league of the new and eternall testament It will here be expected perhaps that I deliuer my sense and Catholike beleefe touching this most venerable Sacrament It is truly the same with that of the ancient Fathers of the Church in whose words I will by and by expresse my faith the which I see also most clearely agreeing with the reformed Lyturgie of the English Church and the articles concluded and agreed vpon by publike consent in the conuocations of the English Church which Lyturgie and Articles when I lately most seriously perused considered I saw a vehement propension resolution in the authors of thē with all reuerence to embrace what was most agreeing to the word of God to that which the ancient Primitiue Church taught deliuered the which had I neuer read I could neuer so haue thoght of thē the english church Lyturgy therof both are in such vile obloquies with the Pontificiās But I now perceiue that the aduersaries g Isai 28. posuerūt spē fuā mendaciū they haue made not one ly but infinte lies and calumniations against the Church of England their hope for in their schooles and Seminaries they commonly make their aduersaries speake what they list and so to impugne and confute them and teach their young souldiers of Sanders his holy quarrell to doe the like But to returne to my purpose my Catholike faith concerning this dreadfull Sacrament I will deliuer in the words of some of the ancient and Catholike Fathers Saint Austen expounding that h Iob. 6. sentence and commandement of our Sauiour nisi mandus aueritis c. vnlesse you shall eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud you shall not haue life in you i August lib. 3. de doctr Christ cap. 16. saith thus he seemeth to commaund a crime and a wickednesse it is a figure therefore commanding vs to communicate with our Lords passion and that we profitably and sweetly lay vp in our memory that his flesh was wounded and crucified for vs. The same he confirmeth in his k Tractat. 27. in John Treatise vpon S. Iohn where he greatly taxeth the ignorance and mistaking of the Capharnaites who thought that Christ intended to giue them such flesh to eat as themselues were that is true flesh whereas saith Saint Austen Christ in those words couered a grace And in another place vpon the l Psal 98. Psalmes thus he writeth most perspicuously Spiritualiter intelligite c. vnderstand that which I haue spoken spiritually not this bodie which you see you shall eate neither shall you drinke that bloud which they who shall crucisie me will shead I haue commended vnto you a certaine Sacramēt which being spiritually vnderstood will quicken you And how this Diuine misterie being a Sacrament taketh the name of the thing whereof it is a Sacrament heare him clearely declaring the same to m Epist 23. ad Bonif. Bonifacius an Earle in Africke Sacraments saith he haue a certaine resemblance of the things whereof they are Sacraments * See Theodoret for this purpose in dialog impatib and for that resemblance they take the names commonly of the things themselues and therefore as the Sacrament of Christs bodie is after a sort Christs bodie and the Sacrament of Christ bloud his bloud so the Sacrament of faith to wit Baptisme is faith thus he like is the authoritie related in their n De consecrat dist 2. cap. hoc est quod Canon Law Sicut ergo celestis c. Therefore euen as the heauenly bread which is the flesh of Christ after this manner is called the bodie whereas it is truly a Sacrament of the bodie of Christ that which visible palpable mortall was put on the Crosse and the verie immolation which is done by the hands of the Priest is called the passion of Christ the death of Christ and the crucifying of Christ not in truth of the thing but in a signifying misterie so the Sacrament of faith which is Baptisme is vnderstood faith Againe f Contra adimāt cap. 13. Saint Austen non dubit auit c. Our Lord doubted not to say this is my bodie when he gaue a signe of his bodie and therefore vpon Saint c Tract 59. in Iohn Iohn although hee acknowledged Iudas to haue receiued buccellam dominicam the Lords morsell yet he receiued not saith hee bread the Lord but the bread of the Lord of which words what other meaning can there be But that bread of the Lord is onely the outward Sacrament which Iudas receiued but bread the Lord is the same Sacrament receiued by the religious and faithfull who withall beleeueth thinketh loueth and hopeth in and vpon Christ crucified as his Sauiour and so in soule by faith and loue eateth him and receiueth bread the Lord according to that of the same u August tract 25. in Ioh. Father beleeue and thou hast eaten and that of Saint x Bernard serm 3. in Psal qui habitat Bernard when they heard him say vnlesse you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud they said that this is an hard speech and departed from him and what is to eate his flesh and drinke his bloud but to communicate with his passion and to imitate that conuersation which he held To these Fathers for this purpose I adioyne Saint y Ephrem in Harding against the challenge of D. lewel Ephrem thus confessing Inspice diligenter c. Beholde diligently how taking bread into his hands hee blesseth and breaketh it in a figure of his immaculate bodie and in a figure of his precious bloud he blesseth and giueth the Cup to his disciples thus he z Lib. 4. contra Marcio cap 40. Tertullian when he was a sound Christian Catholike thus pronounced Iesus Christ when he tooke bread and distributed it to his disciples made it his bodie saying this is my bodie that is to say the figure of my bodie And a gaine in another a Lib. 3 cap. 19. contra Mar. place he speaketh thus to Marcion God in your Gospell called bread his bodie that by the same thou maist vnderstand that to bread he hath giuen to be a figure of his bodie but a figure it should not be if it were not a bodie of truth thus he I will adioyne two places out of Eusebius who liued then when the Pastours of the Church were most vigilant against all errours and heresies and therefore they would not haue suffered this doctrine in Eusebius touching the Sacrament if it had not beene agreeing to the Catholike faith of that time Christ hauing offered b Eusebius de demonst Euang. lib. 1. cap. 10. saith he himselfe for a soueraigne sacrifice to his Father ordained that we should offer a remembrance thereof vnto God in steede of a Sacrifice which remembrance we celebrate by the
signes or simboles of his bodie and bloud vpon his Table and pleasing God well we offer a Sacrifice without bloud and reasonable and acceptable vnto him thus he In which authoritie of Eusebius I note that the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be translated without bloud to wit a Sacrifice without bloud though not without the signes of bloud and the same Greeke word therfore in our English tongue is to be translated without bloud not vnbloudie for that word doth not sufficiently expresse the signification of the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly this Father constantly c Lib. 8. de demonstrat Euanliâ—a demonst 1. teacheth thus Iesus deliuered to his disciples the signes or simboles of his diuine dispensation commaunding them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to doe or celebrate the Image of his true bodie for since he hath no more receiued the Sacrifices of bloud and diuers creatures ordained by Moises he hath appointed to be serued with bread for a figure of his body thus he d Ambr. de sacram lib. 4. ca. 4. S. Ambrose did not beleeue Transubstantiation because many more woÌ„â—rous actioÌ„s should concur to TransubstaÌ„tiation then were in Creation and his argument is from a greater wonder to shew a lesse a maâ—ori ad minus as it is said Saint Ambrose thus If there be so great strength in the word of our Lord Iesus that all things began to be when they were not how much more shall it be of force that the elements should be the same they were before and yet be changed into another thing S. Ireneus is often cited by the Aduersary for a propitiatory sacrifice and transubstantiation but it is not possible for any one to write more effectually to ouerthrow their imagined propitiatory sacrifice transubstantiation then he doth and I desire the Christian Reader with patience and with an vnpartiall eye to read what I shall somwhat more largely deduce out of his expresse doctrine in two of his e Irenaus lib. 4. cap. 32. et 34. chapters of his fourth book against heresies For first he not so much as once mentioneth either propitiatory sacrifice or transubstantiation but rather hee expresly compareth the same sacrifice of bread and wine with the sacrifices of the olde testament and maketh that the same is no more needfull to God then those were He also most significantly auoucheth that it is a sacrifice of the things which are from vs and hauing made a generall asseueration that sacrifices doe not sanctifie the man but that the pure conscience wherewith the Sacrifice is offered doth sanctifie the Sacrifice hee presentlie addeth thus that therefore the gift of the Church is called a pure sacrifice because the Church with simplicity offereth it would he haue spoken thus if Christ the Author of all sanctity had beene really present further obserue those words of him This oblation the Church onely offereth pure to the maker offering to him with thankesgiuing of his Creature and in the two and thirtieth chapter hee calleth the oblation primitias ex suis creaturis the Primicies of his owne creatures and there hee further addeth that God who giueth vs his gifts for nourishments the Church offereth the first fruits of those gifts which saith hee is the very oblation of the new Testament which the Church receiued from the Apostles and of these gifts in the fiue and thirty Chapter he saith terrena quidem c. the earthly things which are disposed for vs it behooueth to be tipes of those things which are celestiall yet made of the same God and disputing against such Heretikes who offered of the same creatures of bread and wine with the Church to God the Father of Christ and yet denied God the Father of Christ to bee the Curteous Reader obserue all this discourse clearely and truly gathered out of that Ancient Father or for proofe hereof vouchsafe to reade him and for the same purpose see S. Chrisostome and Theodoret in Epist ad Haebr maker of them but another God he twiteth them thus that they make God who is the Father of Christ as it were needy and to bee desirous to be serued and honoured with the Creatures of another God would hee haue spoken thus if Christ himselfe really offered had beene the sacrifice And in his 32 and 34. hauing clearely shewed that God rather requireth innocency and integrity of conscience then sacrifice yet in respect of gratitude saith he not as though God had neede thereof sacrifice must bee offered vnto him and then addeth these words speaking of the Church offerre oportet igitur c. It behooueth therefore to offer to God the first fruits of his creatures euen as Moyses speaketh thou shalt not appeare empty handed before the sight of the Lord thy God that in those things in which maÌ„ hath been grateful to God in the same things being so deputed he may receiue that honor which is from him and it is not the kinde of oblatious which is refused oblations were there and oblations bee heere sacrifices in the people to wit the olde Testament and sacrifices in the Church but the speciall manner is onely changed because it is now offered not from seruants but from such as are free Thus he and also expressy in the first lines of this Chapter he saith that therefore the Church offereth a pure sacrifice not as though God had need of it but because he that offereth the gift is honoured in the gift that is offered if it bee accepted of Would hee haue spoken thus if he had beleeued that Christ himselfe were really present and really offered by the Priests hand nay expresly he addeth that the Church offereth by Christ and by the Word Christ a pure oblation By all these and many such like obseruations in that learned and holy father it is euident what maner of oblation he thought the Church had receiued to wit of Gods creatures of bread and wine But the aduersary notwithstanding all these euidences insisteth vpon these words of him Christ taking that which of a creature is bread said this is my body and the Chalice which is of that creature which is according to vs confessing it to be his blood these be the words vpon which they insist which may seeme to make some what for the Lutherans Consubstantiation but nothing at all for the transubstantiaters Tell me O Christian did Christ in verity make the creatures of bread and wine which are according to vs to be his body and bloud that implieth contradiction and is of those things which cannot be done as the Pontificians themselues will confesse but tell me O Christian did not Christ when he said bread was his body and wine was his blood did he not institute a Sacrament it is cleare Who wil not therefore thus inferre that bread must be his body and wine must be his blood in that manner in which Sacraments are called and said to be the very things
the diuine and publique seruice throughout all Churches of the West what else do they intend but that the Pope may reigne throughout all those Churches which more or lesse through his excommunications interdicts promotions presentations and through the imbecility of Princes and the blinde ignorance of Christian people he hath conquered to his tiranny Baptizing them after the name of his See of Rome Romane Catholikes not after the name of Christ Christian Catholikes for Christian is a name now out of vse vnlesse it bee in the reformed Churches of Christ where Christ is truly and only honoured and glorified but howsoeuer the Popes tiranny bee applauded in seruice of vnknowne tongues doubtlesse the u 1. Petr. 5. Roaring Lion laugheth thereat to see by his institution warres to bee proclaimed against Gods Scriptures and all Antiquity God to bee depriued of his Honour which consisteth in the vnderstanding seruice and religion of the heart for he being a spirit x Iohn 4. in spirit and truth hee must bee adored the Christian flocke to bee dispoiled of their spirituall deuotion and comfort which is not possibly to bee had without the conceiuing and vnderstanding of such things by which the spiritual comfort is to be brought and ingendred in their soules They pretend forsooth that the misteries of their Masse will bee had in greater admiration if they be not in a tongue vnderstood by the common people Alas how wisely for I hope their people must vnderstand the mysteries of the Masse and therein be instructed as their Tridentine Catechisme commaundeth and as the Rhemists glory in their preface to the new Testament and if they must bee instructed to vnderstand the Diuine rites and Ceremonies Why may they not bee permitted to haue the seruice in a tongue that they doe vnderstand Their goodly argument that some of the auncient Fathers carried the mysteries of the Church closely in the primitiue daies falleth of it selfe for was not that done in respect of the Infidels and Catechumens but as for the faithfull they all well knew that phrase norunt fideles the faithfull haue knowen and they vnderstood all the mysteries for the most part The primitiue Church practised faithfully that of Christ y Mat. 8. Luc. 12 quod in aure c that which you heare in the eare preach vpon the tops of houses but although you were iustly afraid to haue your Masse mysteries celebrated in known tongues in respect of infinite impertinencies and contradictions that are in it why should you not suffer so much as is read of holy Scriptures in your Liturgies to bee read and song in tongues known to the Church And what may bee thought that Christs Apostles would write their Gospels and Epistles in the Greeke tongue Saint Mathew in his Gospell and Saint Paul in his Epistle to his Countrimen writing in the Hebrew tongue onely excepted but for that the Greeke tongue was most common throughout the East part of the world where Christian Religion was first planted And in the Primitiue Church al * I desire the learned Pontificians to tell me whether the Apoâ—riphall Liturgies of Iames Basil Chrisostom Ambrose yea of S. Peter also which they falsly pretend were not written by them in the most vulgar tongues vsed then in their churches confesse your tiranny O yee Romans and abuse Gods Church no longer Church-seruice was in this part of the World of Europe and that of Asia for most part in the Hebrew Greeke or Latine tongues because the same were more or lesse common where Christianity was first planted as for other countries where the Gospell was preached as first in AEthiopia who is ignorant but that the Churches Liturgie was from the time of the Eunuch vntill this day in the AEthiopian tongue Sclauonians had the like Armenians the like Egiptians the like Grecians the like Latines the like Hebrews the like and what doubt can bee made but that the Indian Conuerts by Saint Thomas had the like And wheresoeuer the Apostles planted any Churches what question can be made but that they did obserue the rule and z 1. Corin. 14. commaundement of the Lord to his Apostles that euery thing should bee done to edification and that glorious prophecie should bee fulfilled euery a Philip. 2. tongue shall confesse to his name yea the very Formes of all Church-seruices doe clearely shew that the People and Clergie were answerablye to conioyne their prayers together and to answere each other as it is deliuered in the b Constitut Apostol Clementis Cirill in Catech. mistagog Iustin Apolog. 2. ad Antoâ—mum liturgiae Iacobi Chrisosto Ambro. Basil saepe constitutions of the Apostles the olde Liturgies and other Auncient Fathers and what else did the comming downe of the Holy Ghost in the formes of so many fiery tongues at Whitsontide else portend and signifie but that euery tongue should confesse the name of our Lorde IESVS and where this more meetely then in their publique assemblies where they were to honour GOD and yeelde to each other all spirituall Comforte and consolation which could not nor cannot bee performed in dumbe and barbarous shewes I cannot heere omit to set downe a point of simplicity of their great Doctor Doctor Harding who answering an obiection made by D. Iewel out of Saint c Basil Hexamer hom 4. Basil affirming that the people together men women and children made a sound in their answers in the Churches in the publike seruice to God like to the sound of a waue striking vpon the Seabanks This profound d Harding answere to Bishop Iewels challenge page 8. Doctor would haue Saint Basil vnderstood onely of the peoples sounding the word Amen wisely insooth Doubtlesse the Doctor was in a dreame or else forgot what Countryman Saint Basil was or of what countrey people that Father speaketh e August in Psal 16. expos 2 Harding supra if he had remembred Greece or euer read any of the Greeke Lyturgies or seene the Greeke publike seruice which vpon the day of Saint Athanasius the Grecians are permitted to celebrate in their owne tongue in Rome he would haue well vnderstood that the Grecian Christians make longer answers and responses in the publike Church seruice then Amen But his answere to an authoritie produced by that learned Bishop out of Saint Austen perhaps is wiser no insooth more fond heare it Quid hoc sit c. what this is saith Saint Austen after we haue prayed to God to make vs cleane from our priuate sinnes we must vnderstand that we ought to sing as with humane reason not with voice as birds doe for Owsels Popiniayes Rauens and Pyes and such like birds oftentimes be taught of men to sound they know not what thus Saint Austen Now it is manifest that these words are to be taken of vnderstanding what is sung but what answereth Doctor Harding to them marry thus These words are to be taken of the vnderstanding of the sense saith
same Church so Apostolicall so Christian that me thought I saw the very Primitiue faith and practise of the Apostles and the verie rites of their Church to be in it obserued And in these obseruations I began more inwardly to be moued because as my knowledge and inclination to allow of the Church of England and to abhorre the Romane heresies and abuses increased so also my soule increased in the loue of God detestation of sinne and auoiding the occasions of sinne the loathing of this life and an earnest desiring to be with Christ whom since my renouncing of Papistrie with the Father and holy Ghost as my soule euidently testifieth vnto me I do most sincerely loue and esteeme aboue all things in this world and so fully with my whole soule heart that me thought I could comfortably and confidently say vnto it with the words of the holy Prophet k Psal 114. conuertere c. my soule be couerted into thy rest for the Lord hath done well to thee And I could not me thought hinder the working of God within me nor refuse that testimony of S. Paul the holy l Ad Rom. 8. Ghost giueth testimonie vnto our soules that we are the children of God yet so if we suffer with Christ that we may also raigne with Christ The ninth Motiue I Should heere adde somewhat largely of their pernicious The ninth Motiue doctrine of equiâ—ocation which hath beene another no small Motiue with me for my conuersion which doctrine the Ignatians haue specialy set a foote at least in practise within this kingdome they forsooth who will not permit that the Scriptures of God should be promiscuously read by the vulgar people haue in their vulgar language in Pamphlets rather libels being without name dispersed throughout this kingdome the pestiferous doctrine of equiuocation with their strange and paradoxicall half propositions Amphibologies propositions forsooth out of their r Treatise of equiuocation written or published by Henry Garnet Ignatian Logicke halfe written halfe spoken halfe concealed and why bring they not in also as well propositions of a triple difference whereof one part may be spoken a second written a third concealed and not vttered and why not propositions of a quadruple difference as part written part spoken part by signes and part by concealment and so make mentall verball written and dum or silent propositioÌ„ all in one to set vp their vaine doctrine of equiuocation Some ingenious Pontificians of my acquaintance there are who do what you can yet you cannot driue this doctrine of equiuocation into their heads but such as haue beene brought vp vnder the Ignatians and are deuoted vnto them they haue their lesson at their fingers ends Not long since there was Å¿ Iohn Koome one of these Ignatian Priests who being examined by the Archibishop of Canterburie not long before his death did not onely denie himselfe to be a Priest but also by religious oath did forsweare the same being challenged for it he excused the same by the art of equiuocation stoutly auouching that he had beene so taught by his master a reader of the societie of Ignatius and indeed it is the doctrine almost of them all that any proposition whatsoeuer is or may be allowed by the art of equiuocation the same also may be confirmed and auerred true by religious oath and yet this equiuocating swearer so ready to forsweare and deny his Priesthood was a most bitter enemie against all such as would take or allow the taking of the oath of Alleageance in any sense whatsoever I could produce many such examples of equiuocating Ignatians one I will not omit of a friend of the Ignatians who wouldfaine haue beene an Ignatian before this but that Master Strange the Ignatian lately banished * R. C. the common collector for Recusants by the art of equiuocatioÌ„ protested to certaine Priests in the Clinke cóplaining of their wants the very day before the 1000 and certain 100 of pounds were taken from him that he knew not in the world where to fetch 20 shall this man had not sorgotten his Accidence rule huic habeo non tibi I dare auouch there is no day passeth in which he doth not religiously vse this art Some three daies since the 9. of Ianuary he hath sent in writing an equiuocating super sedeas that because he was thé sicke with an il stomack for the oath of allegeance he would provide for the Clinke prisoners no longer out of the towre told him that his imperfections should not be laid vpon their order being of such rare pharisaicall perfection forsooth This man is gracious with diuers worthie persons of the feminine sexe into whole fauours he hath wound himselfe so greatly that he can obtaine one of their fauours to weare next his skinne and ouer his whole bodie a whole weeke togither yea in the time of his holy imprisonment to comfort his imprisoned corps Freshly vpon the discouerie of the damnable powder-treason it was his chance to be taken to be brought before the honorable Lord Maior of London by whom being examined vpon suspition of his person and religion and asked whom he thought to be head of the Church of England without any difficulty he answereth thus the King which his answere might well haue deceiued that honorable person if he had not more narrowly obserued some other of his answers in which he found him faultering and thereupon committed him to the Counter where he staid not long he being afterward questioned withall by some zealous Romane Catholicks how he could without deniall of his faith concerning their article of the Popes supremacie acknowledge the King to be supreme head of the Church what replieth he peremptorily I meant not the King of England but the King of heauen the truest word he euer spoke for the King of heauen is indeed the onely supreme head of the Church of England and he added that he thought in respect of the dangers of the times that he might iustly vse such equiuocation Pardon me courteous Pontifician Readers that I thus particularize this man there is more in store I doe it onely that our English Ladies and some worthie persons of the deuout sexe may know what manner of men those are to whom they commit their secrets And if he hereafter deale with some of them as he hath alreadie dealt with a verie worthie Ladie too worthy for him or any other Pontifician Priest they will haue no great cause of Comfort in him or his like I could discipher the spirits of some other equiuocating and dicing westerne Priests to conceale the rest God turne their hearts to consider the states in which they stand and vouchsafe O mercifull Iesus in t 1. Pet. 2. whose mouth was found no guile nor deceit rather to confound them then suffer them to defend their equiuocating practise by your most sacred doctrine and immaculate examples of your purest conuersation The tenth Motive TO proceed
Anall Platin. in Adrian Irene caused the same by a Synod of Bishops to bee decreed in Nice And I pray you doe you thinke worse of your Iubilies because y Platina in Bonif 8. Walsing in Edward 1. Polychron lib. 7. cap. 40. Boniface the 8. who entred most ambiciously like a Foxe liued like a Lion and died like a Dogge brought them in beware of such mislikes it will not be for the profit of Romes purse Againe the Church of England is calumniated euery day by all the Ignatians as though she had no true orders or iurisdiction I dare affirme that in it there is as certaine and as assured a succession of orders spirituall iurisdiction as in the Church of Rome it selfe which hath so often tottered with so many schismes and hath bin pestered with so many Apostatical Popes as both Baronius and Genebrard deliuer I my selfe very lately searched for my own satisfaction the Records and I find clearly that Archbishop Parker was sufficiently truly and canonically ordered and consecrated by such Bishops as had receiued orders and consecration according to the Romane Church he swore not thou wilt perhaps obiect obedience to the Bishop of Rome a toy Where in all antiquity finde you the vse ofswearing subiection to the Bishop of Rome Romane Tyranny brought it in to the Church and Christian liberty hath exploded it It is indeede the soule of your Religion that subiection to the Bishop of Rome is a meane necessary to saluauation as necessary as Baptisme it selfe O prodigious Doctrin it is not enough say these men to saluation to be vnited with Christ and subiected to our immediate Pastors who are in vnion with the whole Catholike Church touching the Catholike faith vnlesse we be also vnited by immediate subiectiō vnto the Pope of Rome who may both be an Heretike and also contaminate the Church with his pernicious Lawes So that if a Pope Nerolike as Boniface the 8. would by pernicious Lawes draw you from Christ and like as a Heliogabalus as Iohn the 12. would draw you to all impurities and teach you to diuide the Church by opposing against the true Pope after his iust deposition by the whole Romane Clergy most Bishops of Italy assembled in a Synod or Ottomanlike as Paul the 5. will teach you against Christs institution not to yeelde temporall obedience to your lawfull Soueraigne if hee out of his throne take vpon him to dethrone him vnlesse forsooth you be subiect to such Vicars of Christ you cannot haue saluation in Christ O prodigious and vaine Doctrine of these times the holy Prophets O ye Britaine 's haue forewarned vs let vs beware of them What vile calumniation is that by which the reformed Churches of England are charged to deny the seeing of Gods face and glory vnto the Saints departed vntill the day of Iudgement What a slander that she respects no Holy daies of Christ or his Apostles I dare say that the memories of the Apostles are in many places of this Kingdome as religiously obserued as the Sundaies are with them but in the obseruation of the Sabbath our Lords day the Church of England doth so farre surpasse all Papistical Churches yea of Rome it selfe that it were a sinne to make any comparison therein betwixt them a Caluino Turcismo William Rainolds calumniateth Caluin that hee teacheth that Christ by his corporall death redeemed not mankinde A meere Calumnious imputation his doctrine is that Christ by his meere Corporal death had he not subiected himself to haue vndergone his fathers displeasure against mankinde and to haue clothed himselfe as it were with the deserts punishment and guilt of man he had not fully made that satisfactiō for mankind of which the Scripture so often speake of which doctrin who can be ignorant who is acquainted with holy writ Great is their spight against that man but notwithstanding all their malice against him he liued peaceably laboured faithfully and died Christianly leauing such a posterity of books behinde him which checketh the daily continual innouations of Rome Grieuous is the imputation to the English Church for condemning and contemning the ancient Fathers whereas the most it striueth for is to support that of b Tertull. lib. de prescriptio Tertullian Quod antiquissimum verissimum that which is most Ancient euen in the Fathers is most true At first when counterfeit Martials Abdias Clements Markes Dionises were produced the Prelats of the reformed Churches were more afrighted then hurt and to such Fathers they might iustly giue the Anatheme because such fathers had impugned and contradicted that Gospell of Christ the which whosoeuer though an Angell from heauen shall doe we are warranted by the c ad Galat. 1. Apostle to giue him the Anatheme But in and for true Fathers the Church of England reuerently and constantly auoucheth that of d Vincent Lirin contra Heres cap. 4. Tertull. de praescript Vincentius Lirinensis to take place Quicquid non unus aut duo c. Whatsoeuer not one or two but al together with one and the same consent openly frequently and constantly shall bee knowne to haue held written and taught that she also without any doubt knoweth must by her bee beleeued and this most iustly the English Church admitteth it being as cleare as the verie no one daies that all Fathers of the Ancient Church neuer taught helde nor wrot any thing in this sort which is not clearely agreeing to Gods word which is the onely Rule of Christian faith But iustly to retort vpon them who knoweth not that for most of their Roman nouel positions the Aduersaries haue no Ancient Fathers and therefore to defend themselues being vrged they do not produce Fathers but stand to their imagined Traditions written no where in Antiquity but only reserued in the Romane Bishops and Churches brests as they pretende this is their City of refuge as for example When a world of Fathers concurring with sacred Scripture is produced to shew that the Virgin Mary whose name bee euer blessed amongst and aboue all women was conceiued in Originall sinne yea some of them with S. Anselme auouching that shee was borne in sinne which I can hardly beleeue doe they heere sticke to the Fathers nothing lesse their imagined traditions must take place Againe when whole centuries of Fathers and those assembled in Synods bee produced to affirme that Popes haue beene and may bee Heretikes will they heare admit of the Fathers nothing lesse all records must be coūterfeit their own best Authors deceiued rather then the Fathers authorities admitted against their Popes infallibilies When irrefragable authorities of most ancient Fathers are produced to shew that the holy Scriptures are the onely inerrable rule of Christian Catholike faith and the square by which the writings and faith of all men and all Churches must be examined and tried will they heere allow the Fathers No alas they flye the field and seeke after some maimed sentences