him selfe vnto his creatures but that some tymes extraordinarilie he vvorketh by him selfe vvithout any concurrence of them as he did vvhen vvith a vvorde or touche he restored health vvhich ordinarilie he doth by phisitions and secoÌ„d causes so likvvise ordinarilie god sendeth pastours and preachers and giueth theÌ„ authoritie by others yet sometymes also extraordinarilie he sendeth them immediatlie from him selfe As for example Moyses and Aaron in the olde lavve vvere sent immediatlie froÌ„ god to recall his people out of Aegipt and to rule and gouerne them in matters of religion but the highe preestes vvhich succeded Aaron and vvere consecrated by him and his successours vvere sent by an ordinarie mission In like manner in the nevve lavve saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles vvere called and sent extraordinarilie immediatlie from Christ but they vvhich succeded the Apostles and vvere ordained by them by imposition of haÌ„des and other ceremonies vvere sent by an ordinarie mission bicause oure sauiour Christe vvhem he instituted his Apostles did also appointe a coÌ„tinuall order by vvhich others should succeed them in their offices vvhich vvas imposition of haÌ„des by a Bishop lavvfullie consecrated and so the Bishops vvhich novv are maie trulie affirme that they are sent from Christe to rule gouerne his churche bicause they are consecrated instituted by the order vvhich Christe hath appointed and they succeded the Apostles vvhom Christe immediatlie sent to preach teach and minister sacramentes Novv betvvixte these tvvoe missions this amongest others is one difference that an extraordinarie mission must be proued by miracles or plaine prophecies els euerie one maie bragge that he is sent extraordinarilie and noe man shall controlle him but an ordinarie mission needeth noe such proofe and therfore he vvhoe is sent by an ordinarie mission if he can shevve that he vvas instituted by the ordinarie meanes vvhich Christe hath lefte in his church and that he succedeth them vvhoe vvere counted lavvfull pastours and preachers he giueth sufficient testimonie of his ordinarie mission commission If then oure nevv preachers be sent by an ordinarie mission leâ—t them shevv their succession tell vs the pedegree of their predecessours that vve maie see vvhoe vvere bishops before them and vvhoe consecrated and instituted them and vvhoe gaue them commission and authoritie to entermeddle in the rule and gouerment of the church for so Christe ordinarilie sendeth preachers pastours to his churche â— prescr c. 38. Thus Turtullian vrged the heretikes of his tyme. Let them saieth he shevve vs the origen of their churches let them vnfolde the order of their bishopes vvhich by successours so ronneth on from the beginning that the first bishop haue for his autour and predecessour some one of the Apostles or apostolicall men vvhich liued in the Apostles tyme c. As the churche of the Smyrneans doth register Polycarpe placed by â—hon as the churche of the Romaines hathe Clement ordained by Peter c. To this proofe S. Augustine putteth the heretikes of his age eâ—n partem â—Donati nomber saieth he the preestes euen from Peters seate and looke vvhich to vvhich succeeded in the order of those ffathers And in an other place he saieth that this succession of preestes is the thing cont ep fundamenti c. 4. vvhich holdeth him in the catholike church bicause he knevve that there is the true Churche vvhere is true religion there true religioÌ„ vvhere true pastours to teach it and there true pastours vvhere one succedeth to another by an ordinarie succession And thus vve must vrge our nevve reformers to declare vnto vs the pedegres of their ancetours to shevve vvho be the predecessours to vvhom they bee successours if they vvill haue vs to admitte them as the ministers of God sent by an ordinarie mission But this they can never doe for vvhoe I praye yon vvas the immediate predecessour of Luther and Caluin or vvhoe vvas hee that made the first superintendent in Inglande I am sure and all the vvorlde yea they them selues vvill vvitnesse that they are noe successours to the catholike bislopes and pastours bicause they degenerate froÌ„ them altoge-ther and they vvere faine to contemne disobey them before they could open their mouthes in pulpites Yea our pastours vvere so farre from ordayning them or instituting them giuing them authoritie that they cried out against theÌ„ as nevve startuppes coÌ„demned them for heretikes Antipastours and nevve yea false Apostles Nether can they deriue theÌ„ selues from any other lavvfull pastours for before they them selues tooke vppon them the name and office of pastours there vvere none at the tyme of their rising but oure catholike pastours Yea as in the next booke is proued they cannot deâ—iue their descente from ancient heretikes bicause in all poyntes they agree not vvith anie of them and if they could yet vvere not that sufficiet for they vvere counted condeÌ„ned for arraÌ„t heretikes and intruded them selues as these men doe into the true pastours offices vvere theÌ„ selues as these men are the first of their familie succeding to noe predecessours Here they fynde theÌ„ selues much pressed knovve not I dare saie vvhat to ansvvere but yet they vvill playe smalle playe rather then sirte out and vvill make harde shifte rather then noe shifte and shape a mishapen ansvvere rather then noe ansvvere And vvhat is that They saie that the Apostles vvhich vvere the first bishops pastours had for a tyme â—heir lavvfull successours but at the lengthe the Churche failed and the pastours vvith it vvith them the succession decaied but yet aftervvard Luther Caluin reuiued this dead Churche againe restored the pastours And so saie they vve succeed the Apostles and their immediate successours but by interruption of manie hundred yeares But this God knovves is a poore shifte a stale shifte For this vvas the ansvvere of the heretikes of Tertullians tyme against vvhome he vseth noe other argumeÌ„t then the absurditie vvhich follovveth so absurde an ansvvere l. prese Then saieth he truth vvhich vvas imprisoned expected Marcionites her redeemers and in the meane tyme pastouts preached falsly and the christians belecued erroniouslie manie thousandes vvere vvronglie baptized so manie vvorkes of faithe ministred a misse so manie chrismes evillie vvrought so manie preest-hoodes and ministeres not rightlie done so manie martyrdoomes all invayne The like maie be saied against Luther Zuinglins Caluine and other nevve Apostles of this tyme If the Church failed before youre comming then she expected manie hundred yeares for you in particular then all ministerie in the Churche vvas all this vvhile vvronge preaching teaching vvas false they vvhoe boare the name of true pastours vvere not so that societie vvhich vvas dispersed throughout the vvorlde vvas counted the only christiaÌ„ Churche and vvas persecuted for the same by the deuill his ministers vvas a synagogue of the deuil established and vpholdeÌ„ by the deuill so one deuill psecuted another all martyrdomes in that
after his resurrection he appointed saint Peter his vice-gerent in earth that still the Churche might haue a visible iudge to vvhom she might repayer in all her difficulties Io. 21. For after his resurrection he appeareth to his Apostles and singling out sainct Peter from the rest he demaundeth of him three tymes not only vvhether he loued him but also vvhether more then the rest and finding in deed that he did so and that consequeÌ„tly he vvas the fittest for the cheefest thing in a pastour is loue he maketh choise of him before the rest and comitetth vnto him the charge of his sheep in so ample manner that he excepteth none but giueth him authoritie ouer all both lambes and sheepe that is lesser and greater Christianes euen Apostles Bishops vvho all must acknovvledge Peter for their pastour if they vvill be the sheep of Christ For as sainct Bernard noteth l. de consid vvhere ther is no distinction there is no exception And seing that after sainct Peters death the Church hath noe lesse need of a visible pastour then before it had as Christe left him for his vicegerent soe in him did he appoint a coÌ„tinuall succession of his successours that the Church might allvvayes be prouided of a visible pastour And therfore as bishops are the successours of the other Apostles so some one must succeed sainct Peter and must haue that superioritie ouer other Bishops vvhich sainct Peter had ouer the Apostles And truly to omitt other proofes noe man more likely to be this man then the Bishop of Rome For in the Sea of Rome saint Peter did last of all reside there he dyed and there before his death he appointed Clemens vvho refusing Linus succeeded and after him Cletus after him Anacletus after him Clemens and so forth euen vnto ClemeÌ„t the eight vvho novv in Rome residing ruleth the Churche not only of Rome but of all the christian vvorld Vverfore the Bishops of this Sea vvere euer called the vicars of Christ and successours of sainct Peter they haue euer called generall Councells and confirmed the same they made generall lavves to vvhich all bishopsyea all Christians acknovvledged themselues bounde and obliged they haue excommunicated Bishops and Emperours vvhersoeuer they liued thinking none that are Christianes to bee out of their iurisdiction they haue taken appellations from all partes and shevved them selues in all these actioÌ„s supreme pastours not of Rome only but of all the vvorld and yet vvere neuer counted vsurpers and therfore sithence that saint Peter must haue a successour and that needs ther must be one visible Iudge vnder Christe to vvhom in all doubtes vve must repayr the Pope of Rome is likest to be hee or else if any one be more like then let the aduersarie name him And if they name any other but him I vvill auouch that the Church hathe been vvithout an head these 1600. yeares for all this vvhile neuer any executed that office but hee S. Hierom I ame suer tooke the Bishop of Rome to be the man for he in a doubte and controuersie of the highe mystery of the Trinity flyeth vnto Damasus Bishop of Rome Epistolâ— ad Dam. not that he vvas learneder then sainct Hierom but bicause he Knevv that for sainct Peter consequently for his successours Christe prayed that he might not erre Luc. 22. but rather confirm his bretheru A pastore sayeth he praesidium ouis flagito Of my pastour I demaund the helpe devv to a sheep Novv then let our nevv Christianes if they be the Church of Christ vvhich euer had a visible head tell vs vvho is their supreme Iudge and pastour They vvill saye peradueâ—tur that Christ him self is their Iudge and pastour and that they need no other bicause as he planted his Church so still he ruleth the same But this shifte vvill not serue the turne for Christe novve conuerseth not visibly amongest vs and so beside him the visible Church must haue a visible head as hether to she hath euerhad And altoughe Christe still remayneth our highe preest Io. 10. doctour and pastour yet he offerreth not sacrifices immediatly but only by his vnderpreestes nether doth he teach vs by his ovvne voice Ephes 4. or reuelations but by doctours vvhom Sainct Paule sayeth hee hath appointed nether doth he feed vs by his ovvne hand but by the hande of inferiour pastours vvho minister his Sacramentes vnto vs and deliuer his vvorde in the true meaning by vvhich the soule liueth Mat. 4. Vvherfore besids him the Church being a visible body must haue a visible head else vve may say of it as once Epaminondas sayed of a great armie vv ch vvanted a Generall Video pulcherimam bestiam sed sine capite I see a very fayre beast but vvithout a head And the reason herof is bicause a head and Iudge in the Church is necessary to decide controuersies in religion vvhich arise all most euery age yea â—ome tymes often tymes in the same age sith then vve can not novv haue accesse to Christ beside him vve must haue a visible Iudge vvhich Christe him selfe vvell knovveing presently after he had left vs appointed S. Peter as his vicegerent as is all ready proued I demaund then of all the professours of this nevv religion especially of them in Ingland vvho is their Iudge in controuerlies of religion They can not say that Scripture is this Iudge bicause scripture is but a vvritteÌ„ lavv vv ch can not speak nor interpret her selfe and therfore if the controuersie bee vvhich is scripture or vvhat is the meaning of it scripture can giue noe senteÌ„ce yea I haue demonstrated in the second Chapter that bare scripture is no sufficient Iudge in any matter of religion Suprâ— They can not alleage the spirit to bee this Iudge as is euidently proued in the third Chapter nether vvill they confess that the Pope fathers or councels are this Iudge and if they vvould all they vvould condemne them as is declared in the fourth Chapter Peraduenture they vvil be Iudged by their founders Luther Caluin and such others But first these aggreed not nether one vvith another nether vvith them selues for vvhat one affirmeth another denyeth and vvhat one of them taught one yeare he corrected the next but and if they had aggreed yet vvere they no sufficient Iudges bicause they can not proue their mission as is proued in the first Chapter and so are not to be admitted for lavvfull Iudges vnlesse vve vvill admitt also all false prophets Vvho theÌ„ is this Iudge to vvhom in controuersies they repayr and by vvhose iudgement they square out theyr religion They vvil say percâ—â—â—nce that the Prince is this Iudge But this is as vnlikely and as flatte against scripture and practise of the Churche as any thing can be And although her Maiestie of late memorie and her Father before her did chaleng as devv vnto them authoritie in cause Ecclesiasticall of vvhich I dispute not at this tyme
able to hide or vvipe avvay this marke vntill they abiure and renounce euery one of the old heresies vvhich they haue renevved and imbrace vvholly and intierly the Catholike fay the vvhich they haue forsaken The fifth Chapter handleth another marke of an heretike vvhich is vvante of succession OVr aduersaries nether can nor vvill deny but that our Sauiour Christe and his Apostles once planted true religion and established a true Churche in the vvorld Ephes 4. in vvhich Pastours and Doctours vvere appointed to minister Sacraments to preach the vvord of God and to gouerne and rule in the Churche The Actes of the Apostles vvitness no less Act. Apost vvhich set before our eyes the beginning and progress of the primatiue Churche the beginning in Hierusalem the progress amongest the Gentils For vvhen Christ dyed the principall foundatioÌ„ and corner stone vvas layed vvheÌ„ the Apostles vvere created the building vvent on and vvhen they by preaching miracles augmeÌ„ted the nomber of the first Christianes then vvas the building of this Church perfited and brought to that splendour and perfection that the Scribes and Pharisies emulated and enuied the glorie therof and sought the meanes to ruine this vvorke of God Act. â— but in vayne for as Gamaliel told them the vvork of God no povver can dissolue Act 7. â— Against this Church the deuil raysed a tempest vvhich began vvith a storme of stones amongest the Ievves but by the Emperours and heretikes hathe continued vnto this day In this Churche vvas called a Councell in Ierusalem vvhere sainct Peter as the head pronounceth the sentence Act. 15. and sainct sames subscribeth The first pastours of this Church vvere the Apostles sainct Iames vvas Bishop of Ierusalem sainct Ihon of Ephesus sainct Marke of Alexandria Eus l. 2. â— 1â— saint Peter first of Antioche then of Rome vv ch vvere his particulers seates for he vvas supreme Bishop also of all the Christian vvorld Io. 21. And in Antioche Euodius succeeded to sainct Peter ep ad Antiâ— after him Ignatius In Rome after that he had exercised the function of a supreme pastour for the space of tvventie and fiue yeares departing not vvithstanding some tymes as busines or persecution enforced him before his deathe he appointed Clemens for his successour but he refusing Act. 1â— Gal. 2. Linus and Cletus sainct Peters coadiutours Epiph. har 27. succeeded him and after them sainct Clemens accepted of the charge Sand. pag. 256. The other Apostles in other places lefte their schollers to succeed them yea and placed others in other places vvhere them selues could not reside as sainct Ihon appointed Policarp at Smyrna Tert. l. praes â— 3â— To be breefe Ecclesiasticall histories from the Apostles deriuâ— a Christian Church and succession of pastours vnto these dayes So that a true Christian Church vvas once planted and established Vvhich if it be true then vndoubtedly that novv is the true Church they the true Christians those the true pastours that the true fay the vvhich from the first and primatiue Church by a continuall succession can be deduced for the Church is called apostolicall not only bicause is vvas once planted by the apostles but also bicause it is descended from them by succession And they must be heretikes and bastard Christians degenerating from their first institution vvho can not shevv this succession and their Church shall bee l. pras c. 20. not apostolicall but apostaticall This argument hand leth Tertulian in his booke of prescriptioÌ„s vvher he shevveth hovv all particuler Churches vvere first planted by the apostles and hovv other Churches from them re ceiued fayth and religion and say eth he if novv you vvill knovve vvhat religion is the true Christiane religion you must conferre it vvith some former Churche from vvhich it is descended bicause say ethe hee Omne genus ad suam originem censeatur necesse est It is necessary that euery kinde be valued and esteemed according vnto his source and origine If you vvill Iudge of vvater marke the fountain if you vvill knovv a maÌ„s gentrie looke hovv he descendeth from the first of his familie if you vvill informe your selfe of any mans title vnto a lord ship you must consider hovve the first lord entered in to possession and hovv he is descended from him And so if vve vvill discerne the true Christian from the heretike vvee must haue an eye vnto the roote and stock from vvhich he descendeth for so vvee shall knovv vvhether he be legitimate or bafe-borne For if he fetch his pedegree from any other then the Apostles or those vvhich by succession descended from them then is hee a bastard-Christian and caryeth the marke of an heretike The Romaine and Catholike Churche vvhich novv is can deriue her pastours religion and gouernement euen from the Apostles and those vvhoÌ„ they appointed Bishops and successours For if you ronne ouer Ecclesiasticall histories you shall finde our Church and the practise of our religion to haue florished from the begiÌ„ning vnto these dayes for they treat almost of nothing else but of the progresse of our Church of the persecution vvher vvith it vvas assayled of the heretikes by vvhom it vvas molested of our Bishops prelates â—â—artys virgins doctours of our general and prouinciall Councelles of the miracles vvhich vvere vvrought in confirmation of our fayth in so much that if our matters vvere not the historiographers should haue had no subiecte to vvorke or vvrite on â— â— c. 1. l. 2. cont Donatistas op 363. Ireneus reckeneth the Popes of Rome from sainct Peter vnto Eleutherius Optatus vnto Damasus sainct Austin vnto Anastasius Sand li de vi sib mon. others goe farther and doctour Sanders our countriman bringeth the succession of our Popes Bishops Ceremonies and religion vnto Pius Quintus tyme Genebrard hath doone the like vnto Gregorie the thirtenth his tyme Gen. in Chronol Baron in Annal. and Cardinal Baronius in nine tomes all-ready set forthe hathe most exactly set dovvne the practise of our religion vnto Ludouicus Pius of Fraunce And if our Church aggree vvith the primatiue Churche if our faythe vary not from the ancient faythe if our pastours be descended from the Apostles and their schollers as all histories and monuments do beare vvitnesse then must our Church needs be the true Church bicause it aggreeth vvith the originall and is conformable to the primatiue Church vvhich as it vvas neerest vnto Christe his disciples and vvas persequuted and honoured for the true Churche so vvas it likest to bee the true Churche vnlesse vve vvill saye that Christ and his Apostles neuer planted a true Church This succession vvas counted allvvayes a marke of the true Churche vvhich in our Creed vve profess Symb. 〈…〉 vvhen vve beleeue in the Apostolicall Churche to vvit that vvhich is by succession deriued from the Apostles plaÌ„ted by them and the vvant of it vvas allvvayes esteemed a note to knovve
an heretike by Vvherfore Ireneus sayeth that by succession vve confound all heretikes Supra Sainct Austine sayeth that it is the thing Lib. cont ep fund c. 4 l. dâ— vtilit cred c. 17. vvhich holdeth him in the Catholike Church bicause sayeth he that Church in vvhich is this successioÌ„ is the rock against vvhich the gates of hell can not preuail If therfore our nevv Christianes vvill discharge them selues of this marke of an heretike vvhich is vvante of succession let them shevv vs as Tertulian demaunded of the heretikes of his tyme the catalogue of their Bishops and the origen of their Churche that if in the same vve finde them to be descended from the Apostles vve may acknovvledg them as true Christians if vve finde that they are not descended from so noble a race vve may hisse them out of the Church for heretikes But I ame sure they caÌ„ shevv noâ— succession bicause they are the first them selues and can as soone name their predecessours as they can finde out Lutheranes before Luther caluinistes before caluin I vvill not deny but that they can deriue some pointes of their doctrine froÌ„ Simon Magus and other ancient heretikes but this succession proueth them also to be heretikes as is before demonstrated but a succession from that Church vvhichvvas commonly counted Christian they can not shevv yea they can not shevv vs a succession of their doctrine from any ancient heretikes but are them selues the first of their familie succeeding to none but sent and ordayned by them selues See the first booke first chap. borne prodigiously of theÌ„ selues ChildreÌ„ vvith out fathers and schollers vvith out masters for although they borovv their heresies of other heretikes yet they iumpe vvith no heretikes in all points but ether adde or detracte so succeed in all poincts to none Vverfore though sometymes they vaunte that they succeed the Apostles and the primatiue Church yet some tymes the truthe breaketh from theÌ„ against their vvills as it doth from the deuil vvhen by coniuration he is compelled to tell the truth and then they confess them selues to be the first of their familie but this confession hangeth them Oecolampadius they call the first bishop of Basil and Caluin the first of Geneua Latimer the first Apostle of Ingland and knokes of Scotland And Martin Luther the most ancient of them all is not afrayed to saye that he vvas the first man that manifested the ghospell and the truthe vnto the vvorld In prafaâ— disp Lypsiâ— Audemus dicere sayeth hee à nobis primo diuulgatum esse Christum Vve dare saye that Christ vvas first by vs made knovvn vnto the vvorld He hathe piggs in his belly therfore he speakes in the plurall nuÌ„ber but he hath noe braynes in his head nor blood in his face to blush vvith all and therfore he dares be bold to say that he is the first man that promulgated the christian lavve Art thou the first thou vaunting compagnion modestie vvould yeeld at least to the Apostles So he vvill peraduenture but at least sayeth he I ame the first after them O monstrouse and Luciferian pride and novv not Luther but Lucifer Art thou the first after the Apostles Vvhere then vvas the Churche all this vvhile Vvhere vver ethe Pastours and Doctours of the same Vvhere vvere the Austines Ambroses Gregories Hieromes Vvas ther none all this vvhile to haue been imployed but God must needs expecte till an Apostata fryar leaped out of a Cloister and maryed vvith a Nonne notvvithstanding that bothe had promised chastitie before god and man by a solemne vovve But they haue a shifte or tvvoe by vvhich they thinke to auoyd this argument of succession The first is this our doctrine say they is Apostolicall and vve are the Apostles successours bicause vve preach conformable to that doctrine vvhich they haue left in the ghospells epistles by them vvritten But this shifte vvill not serue See the second chap. bicause this is to make bare scripture Iudge of their doctrine as all heretikes haue euer doon vv ch not notvvithstanding as is in the first booke demonstrated is noe certain rule to square fayth religion by Vvherfore they haue yet another ansvveare in store vv ch is this They graunte that the Apostles once plaÌ„ted a true church true religioÌ„ and established true pastours but soone after this Churche fayled degenerated froÌ„ that it vvas into the Synagogue of the deuil vv ch they call the Papisticall Churche and possessed the vvorld for many hundred yeares till at length Luther the man of god builded this Church agayne renevved the religion and appointed nevv pastours so say they vve succeed to that Church vvhich the Apostles founded not by a continuall succession but by an interruption of many hundred yeares But aske them vvhat yeare of our lord vnder vvhat Emperour or Pope vppon vvhat occasion this Church fayled then they can not giue you a resolute ansvver Luther in the Assembly at Wormatia publikely auouched that the Church fell in the tyme of the Councel of ConstaÌ„ce in vvhich Vvicleph vvas condeÌ„ned Tom. 9. l cont Papatum The same Martin not allvvayes myndfull of euery vvord vvhich he hath spoken in his book vvhich he vvrote against Papacie sayeth that this Church fayled a thousand yeares after Christe and his reason is biccause the Apocalips sayeth that Satan for a thousand yeares shal be tyed and so for six hundred years he hath been loose l. de Capt. Babyl In another place he sayeth that saint Gregorie vvas the last good pope and that since that tyme the Church and pastours are degenerated Yet the same man perceiuing hovv litle aggreemeÌ„t is betvvixte his religion and that vvhich vvas practised euen in the first age and tyme of the Apostles hovv vnlike his ministers are to those ancient preestes and fathers Act 15. he sayeth that the Apostles them selues erred in their Councel holdeÌ„ at Hierusalem or else sayeth he vve all sinne novv in eating blood-puddings vvhich they forbad not knovving absurde companion as he vvas or not acknovv-ledging that the precept vvas but for a tyme to coÌ„tent the Ievves As for the Councell of Nice vvhich vvas vvith in 300 yeares after Christe he auoucheth that the canons and articles of the same are but Stravv and Stubble â—â—prâ— vvhich epithetons he giues also vnto saint Iames his epistle Ep. â—d Sadol Caluin sayeth that Bonifacius the Pope vvas the first that vvas made suprem head of the Churche by Phocas the Emperour and so he thinketh that then the Churche first degenerated yet the same man in his preface to the king of Fraunce Prafat Inst. ad Regem Galliâ— in locis postreâ—â—â—â—ditu sayeth that the Church fell not till the tyme of the Councel of Basil Melancthon sayeth that Pope Zozimus vvas the first Anti-christ and that since ther vvas neuer any true Bishop of Rome But first this disagreement of the tyme
Churche vvere in vaine all actes of religioÌ„ vvere superstitious all conncells vvhich vvere gathered in this Churche all pastours that ruled in it all doctours that vvrote tanght in it and for it deceiued vvere deceiued Happie then vvas the daie in vvhich Luther leaped out of his Monasterie disobeied the Pope Churche and hauing gotten a yoke fellovv out of a cloy ster of professed and vovved virgins deuised a nevve religion to cloake his villanie And could not Christe all that vvhile fynde out a man fitte to restore his Churche froÌ„ death to life vvas there noc Ambrose noe Austine noe Hierome noe Gregorie fitte for such a purpose and vvas Luther the only man vvhoe for learninge vertue thonghe he vvere an apostata vvas according to God his harte and likinge vvhome God vvished for expected so longe But if I demonstrate that the true Churche caÌ„not die nor decaie theÌ„ is their Churche a bastarde synagogue vvhich as they saie once florishing in the Apostles tyme and after their tyme also for some smalle tyme and astervvardes died for noe litle tyme but rather for some hundred yeares or elfe they must of necessitie shevve a succession of their Churche and Religion from age to age of their pastours from pastour to pastour and if they canot they are not sent by an ordinaire mission bicause they succeed to noe predecessours but are the first of their familie Chap. 5. This I haue demonstrated in the secoÌ„d booke as the reader maie see if he please to tourne oner a fevve leaues so heare I maie suppose it supposinge conclude that they are not seÌ„t by an ordinary missioÌ„ bicause they succeed to none But if this ansvverre vvill not serue as a blinde man maie see that iâ— doth not then they haue another in store and vvhat is that they saie forsooth that they are true successours to the Apostles and that they haue their predecessours vvhoe beleeued as they doe ruled the Church ministred receaued sacramentes but secretly inuisibly bicause their Churche it selfe vvas all that tyme inuisible And so if you demaunde of them vvhoe vvere their predecessours they vvill ansvverre that they had predecessours but they vvere inuisible This is another blinde shifte of theirs vvhich I shall refute in the next booke at large Heare onlie I demaunde vvhether this inuisible Churche vvas inuisible to them selues Chap 5. or to papistes only and paganes vvhoe vvere not of their religion If it vvere inuisible to them selues hovv canne they tell that ther vvas anie religion like to theirs before their tyme or that there vvere anie pastours of their kinde for that vvhich vvas inuisible vnto them coulde not be seene of them and so vvee are noe more to be leeue them in sayinge that they had a Churche pastours before Luthers tyme then a blynde man that vvill determine of coulours If they saie it vvas inuisible only to papistes pagaÌ„nes others vvhich vvere not of their Churche then as it is like Luther and Caluine vvhoe vvere members of that Churche knevv vvell the pastours to vvhome they succeeded of vvhome they receaued authoritie Lett them telle vs then vvhoe they vvere else vve cannot receiue them as ministers of God sent by an ordinarie mission bicause they can not shevve vs their predecessours to vvhom they succeeded Thus I haue plainlie proued that these men are not sent by an ordinarie missioÌ„ bicause they succeed to none vvhoe vvere their predecessours Vvhat novv can they saie vvhy vvee should not reiecte them as false prophetes vvhoe roÌ„ne before they be sent preache before they be called to that function They vvill saie as osten tymes they doe that they vvere sent immediatly from Christe by an extraordinarie missioÌ„ But then vve must put them also to the proofe of this their mission And first of all in sayinge that they are sent extraordinarilie they bevvraie theÌ„ selues to be those Apostles vvhich ronne vnsent bicause it is manifest in scripture that Christe appointing Apostles Ephes 4. ordained a succession of pastours to the ende For as he instituted a visible Churche vvhich is neuer to faile or falle as shall be in the next booke demonstrated so did he appoynte ê‘petuall gouernours pastours to gouerne rule this Church in a visible manner as there also shall be proued Chap 5. else should that visible goodlie misticall bodie of Christe haue bene lefte headlesse vvith out a visible head and bicause the same pastours could not alvvaies lyue to gouerne the Churche visiblie it follovveth that Christe instituted a succession of them consequently that Christe sendeth none to rule it his Churche but by succession to some others by vvhome they vvere ordained instituted therefore he that enters into the gouerment of the Churche and not by this entrie and dore of succession he is a theefe that seeketh vvindovves corners by-vvaies as them selues doe vvho bicause they meane noe good dare not enter into the house as honest men doe by the ordinarie vvaie Let not then the reformers bragge of their extraordinarie mission bicause Christe hauinge instituted a perpetuall succession of ordinarie pastours meaneth not to sende any extraordinarie preachers rather they maie be ashamed of their monstrouse natiuities for they are like vnto those heretikes of vvhom Optatus speaketh qui de se prodigiosè nasci voluerunt l 1. cont Paâ— Vvhich vvould be borne of them selues prodigiously vvithout any ffather or mother They are like to Victor the Donatiste vvhoe as Optatus affirmeth vvas a soÌ„ne vvithout a father l. 2. cont Par. a disciple vvithout a master They are not vnlike the Nouatianes vvhoe as saint Cipriane auerreth l. 1. ep â— Nemini succedentes à seipsis episcopiordinati sunt Succeding to noe man they vvere ordained bishops of them selues But lett vs giue them leaue to saie at least that they vvere sent extraordinarilie that so vve maie see better hovve they canne proue their extraordinarie mission and hovve vve can disproue the same First I demaunde of them vvhere they read in scripture that after Christe had established a succession of pastours to gouerne his Churche to the ende Ephes â— he vvould sende somtymes extraordinarie ministers to put them out of office to enter into the gouerment of the Churche to reforme all absurde abusesâ— for if they can not bring scripture for this they are not to be credited that by their ovvne confession But I knovve they can not alleage anie one lyne of scripture for that purpose and I am sure they are not ignorant Mat. â—â— that Christe saied he builded his Churche vppon a rocke so that it should not need the repairinge of these nevve masons established a kingdome and consequenly gouernours vvhich should continevv for euer and so should need noe innouation Second booke vvhich pointe hear after shall be more amplie proued chap 5. But suppose that our sauiour had foretolde the fall
infant from his mothers pappes shall delight disport him self ouer the Aspes hole vvithout receiuing harme That is such peace shall be in the Church that the children of Christes Church shall liue quietly vvith those vvho before they receiued Christian fayeth by heresies infidelitie or poysoning manners â— 2. like serpents infected others For as in the Arke of Noe those beasts vvhich vvere by nature sauage so long as they vvere in the Arke forgot all crueltie and liued vvith the rest most quietly so hovv soeuer men before their incorporation and admission into the Church of Christe vvere barbarouse in manners and mutinouse in opinions yet vvhen they are once made members of the peaceble kingdoÌ„ of Christs Church they lay a side all sectes and factions and liue quietly together at least in matters of fayth and religion Vvherby it plainly appeareth that in the Church of Christe is peace and vnitie in religion Vvhich the Apostle also insinuateth in those vvords 〈…〉 Being carrefall to keep vnitie of fayth in the band of peace as you are called in one hope of your vocation one body and one spirit one fayth one baptisme one god father of all By vvhich wordes vve are taught that as there is one God one heaueÌ„ one baptisme so is there but one faithe that they are the true chri stianes vv ch conspire in the same And the reason herof is bicause the truthe is one neuer disagreeing froÌ„ it selfe lyes are many mutable and contrarie and therfore seing that the Churche is the piller of truth 1. Tim. 3. it must needs follovv that vvhere the Church is ther is vnitie bicause the truth in vvhich the members of the Churche aggree is but one I vvill not deny but that the Church consisteth of diuers nations but yet they are so liÌ„ked in one fayth that in Christ Iesu there is no distinction betvvixte the Barbarous and Grecian Rom 10. nor betvvene Ievv and Gentile and although these diuers nations speake diuers languages yet as Ireneus noteth these diuers tongues profess one fayth l. 1. câ—nt her c. 3. I graunt also that in the Church there are diuers functions and dignities for there are Popes Patriarchs Primates Archbishops Bishops Eph. 4. and so forthe and from them the state of the laitie is distincte and subiect to them but these diuers orders make one Hierarchie I confess like vvise that in the Church there are diuers states and orders of religiouse as of Benedictins Dominicanes Austins Bernardins Franciscanes Iesuits yet these diuers members make one body all linked vnder one head Christ Iesus by one fayth and religion This vnitie peace and aggreement in one fayth and religion vvhich is to be seen in the Church militaunt in earth seemeth to me more admirable then that of the Church triumphaunt in heauen And the reason is bicause the inhabitaunts of that happy kingdome behold God face to face and see most euideÌ„tly that vvhich vvee beleeue only and see not at all and so their aggreement in vnderstanding is not so straunge bicause the euidence of the verities vvhich they see enclines them to one assent For as the philosopher sayeth the vnderstanding of it selfe is prone to giue asseÌ„t vnto veritie and truth vvhen it is euidently proposed vvhich is the cause vvhy in things vvhich are euident all men are of the same opinion and therfore to this propositioÌ„ The vvholle is greater then the halfe all men aggree but about the creation of the vvorld the immortalitie of the soule the felicitie of man the substaunce of the heauens and such like things vvhich are not so euideÌ„t there haue beene great disputes and contentions vvhence hath risen that diuersitie also of the sectes of Platonists Peripateticks Stoicks Epicureans and such like Vvherfore seing that the happy inhabitaunts of heauen doe see euidently the diuine nature all the mysteries vvhich vvee only beleeue I meruayle not that they all aggree in one opinion bicause the euidence of these things moues them to to one assent But that so many Christians of so diuerse countries and tymes so diuersly affected and disposed should aggree in one fayth and opinioÌ„ and thinke and beleeue the same of all the mysteries of Christian religion vvhich they see not this seemeth to me most admirable and so straung that I must needs saye Exod â— digitus Des hic The finger of God is in this matter and he it is that is the cause of this peace vnitie Scotus q. 2. prologi and aggreement For seing that the euidence of our mysteries causeth not this aggreement and that it can not be the deuill vvho thus linketh their vnderstandings bicause this religion in all points is repugnant to him and his designements it must needs be God vvho inspiring into these diuerse nations and natures one light of faythe makes them all to conspire in one beleef and opinion And therfore sayeth Tertulian Nullus inter multos euentus vnus est exitus l. praesc 28. errare non possunt qui ita in vnum conspirant Ther is not one end emongest many chaunces they can not erre vvho thus aggree in one Thus vve proue the translatioÌ„ of the septuagint to be of God Iustinus oraet paraen ad geÌ„t bicause those diuers vvriters being placed in diuers Celles and forbidden to conferr could neuer haue so aggreed in the translation of the Bible out of Hebrevv into Greeke as if all their translations had been copied out of one had nor God directed their vnderstandings and inspired them a like Sithe then amongest the Catholikes only this vnitie is to be found they only are the true Churche to vvhich Christe hath bequeathed this peace and vnitie and they only are conformable to the primatiue Churche planted by Christe and his Apostles Act. 4. for then the Christian vvorld vvas of one hart and mynde And for as much as amoÌ„gest the nevv Christians of this age there is nothing but vvrangling and dissension and that in principal matters of religion their Church is the Synagogue of Satan and they no members of Christs Church but heretikes apostataes and members cut of for by this marke of dissension the ancient heretikes vvere euer knovven and discried to be heretikes Simon Magus the first famous Arch-heretike beganne a secte but it remained not one for any tyme but by and by degenerated into many and from the Simonians proceeded the Menandrians Saturninians Basilidians CarpocratiaÌ„s and from them vvere descended the Gnosticks From Cerinthus spronge the vnappy branches of the Ebionits Marcionits Cerdonists and such like The Arians vvere no soner hatched but they vvere by and by diuided into Aetians Eudoxians EunomiaÌ„â— and diuers others So variable they vvere l. 2. c 12. that Socrates reporteth that they changed their Creed and forme of beleef noe less then nine tymes The Donatistes likevvise vvere by and by parted into Rogatists Maximinianists and CircumcellioÌ„s The Nestorians vvere seuered into
canons of the Apostles Canon Apo. Cone Nâ—ic and the councel of Nice And Ignatius bishop of Antioch and scholler of sainct Paule in in diuerse of his Epistles speaketh of the same Ignat. cp ad Eph. In his Epistles to the Ephesians this is his admonition Endeuour my dearest to be subiecte to the bishop cp ad Tral Preests and deacons bicause he that obeyeth them obeyeth Christe vvho appointed them And again in another Epistle he giues the reason vvhy vve should obey them For vvhat sayeth he is a bishop but one vvho is aboue all principalitie and is as much as a man can be an imitatour of Christe Vvhat is Preesthood but an holy company counsaylours and assistents to the bishop Vvhat are Deacons but imitatours of Angells vvho exhibit a pure and harmeless ministery as sainct Stephen did to sainct Iames Timothie and Line vnto Paule Anacletus and Clemens vnto Peter Ep. ad Antioch And in another place he reckeneth allmost all the inferiour orders of the Clergie I salute Subdeacons Lectors Singers Ianitours Exorcistes And so forthe By vvhich it is plaine that in the Churche of Christe euen from the beginning there vvas a Clergie of Bishops Preests and inferiour ministers and that the Churche and they euen from the beginning vvent together and by later vvriters and histories it is most manifest that preesthood vvas an order vvhich euer florished in the Church of Christe ruled also in it and vpholded it And truly religion and preesthood are so inseparately vnited that the very paganes as they practised superstition and idolatrie insteed of religion so did they deuise a kinde of Clergie and order of Preests to rule their Church in spirituall maters to offer their sacrifices and to minister their Sacraments as in the pagane writers is mostmanifest to be seene Novv that there is noe true Preesthood amoÌ„gest the ghospellers they them selues doe confesse and I shall also proue it but first let vs take their ovvne confession L. de abrog Missa l. ad Pragenses de Instit ministris Luther sayeth plainly that all are preests a like and that Christians are not ordained but borne Preests in baptisme Only sayeth he this is the difference that to auoid confusion the execution of preestly authoritie is committed to some only And this is the opinion of all the reformers euen in England vvho as they acknovvledge noe proper and true sacrifices but only improper such as prayer is and a contrite harte so they acknovvledge noâ— other Preests theÌ„ those vvho offer prayer and thankes-giuing and such like improper sacrifices vnto God And bicause all may offer such sacrifices all vvith them are preests a like And so the minister is no more Preest then the minstrell only the minister by election or by the Princes lettre hathe the execution of this preestly function committed vnto him vvhence it follovveth that ther is noe Hierarchie by their opinioÌ„ amoÌ„gest them nor distinction of the state of Clergie and laitie in order dignitie and povver but only in executioÌ„ Vvherfore seing that all are not true and proper Preests ther is no true Preesthod amongest them This they graunte and by their proofe argument by vvhich they proue all to bee Preests alike they declare their meaning for their principall profe is taken out of sainct Peter and sainct Ihon 〈◊〉 Pat. 2. Apâ—s 〈◊〉 vvho say that Christ hathe made vs all a holy nation a Royall Preesthood and preests to God his father vvhich vvordes argue only that vvee are metaphoricall and improper Preests vvho in that vvee are to offer vnto God vppon the Altare of our soule prayse thankesgiuing prayer contrition and such like vertues doe in some forte resemble true Preests vvho offer true sacrifices vppon true altars but as our soules are not true Altars nor our vertues true sacrifices so are not all true preestes And therfore S. Peter as he calles vs Preests so he calles vs Kings liuing stones and spirituall hovvses and therfore as vvee are not all proper and true Kinges as vve are not all true stones and hovvses so are vvee not all true Preests And seing that by this their opinion vve are all Preests a like ther is noe true preâ—sâ—hood amongest them by their opinion and so noe Churthe nor religion For all though ther is in Christs Church true presthood distincte from the state of the laitie in caracter order consecration and povver as I haue allready proued yet in their opinion ther is none and so amongest them by their ovvne confession is noe religion Bicause to vphold religion not only improper Preests such as euer vvere all the faythfull are required but also proper Preests such as differed in state from the rest of the multitude and offered true sacrifices vvere euer in euery lavve necessarie and true Preestes and true religion as yet euer vvent together And truly as they teach so it is amoÌ„gest theÌ„ for in their Church ther caÌ„ bee noe true preests nor preesthood as I vvill in a vvorde or tvvoe demonstrate And first of all if they haue any true preestes amongest them let them shevve vs a succession of them from the Apostles else can they not proue them to bee true preests Ephes 4. for if Christe ordained his Apostles preestes and in them began the goodly order and ranke of preests vvhich by succession he vvould alvvayes haue to coÌ„tinevv in his Churche for the vpholding of religion in the same then certes they are no true preests vvho can not deriue their pedegree fron the Apostles as Catholike preests can doe but bastard and apish ministers vvho cary the name and coate of Preests and arrogate vnto them selues that office but are no more Preests in deed then are their minstrells and coblers Secondly vvho in gods name layed hands vppon them Vvhat Bishops ordained them not Catholike bishops I ame sure and they them selues vvill think it noe credit to retch their pedegree froÌ„ them not their ovvn bishops bicause before Luther and Caluin vvho vvere no bishops them selues neuer any Superintendente of their secte vvas seene felte or hard of and before Luther and caluin ther could bee noe lutheranes nor Caluinists much less Lutherane and Caluinisticall Superintendents Vvherfore in the beginning of their nevv religioÌ„ they vvere enforced to make Superintendentes and ministers of our Apostating Preests such as Parker Grindal Sands Horne and many others vvere vvho vvere thought paste fitte to make such superintendents and ministers on vvithout any other moulding or knedding And vvhere they vvanted Apostataes vvho vver consecrated after the Catholike manner they tooke lay men of their ovvne of vvhich some vvere base artificers and vvithout any other consecration or ordination then the Princes or the superintendents letters vvho them selues vvere no bishops they made them ministers and Bit-sheeps vvith as fevv ceremonies and less solennitie then they make their Aldermen yea constables and cryers of the market And from this stocke procedeth all the
Epist â— ad Mâ—r ellinuÌ„ such souldiours such subiectes as our Religion requireth and Princes shall raigne securely and their kingdomes shall flouriâ—h more happilie then Platoes common vvelth And bicause ReligioÌ„ good or badde beareth a great svvay in the rule of mans life the Professours of the nevve Religion must needes be more prone to disobedience and rebellion then vvee bicause Religion vvhich serueth for a bridle to vs is a Spurre to them Vvherfore by Catholikes all your Predecessours haue been serued vvith great fidelitie both in vvarre and peace and your glorious Mother if she vvere liuing in Earth as she is better liuiÌ„g in Heauen vvould not lette to vvitness vvhat affectioÌ„ she hath found amongest the English Catholiques and vvould vvarraunt your Grace that they vvill neuer bee false to the Sonne vvho haue been so true to the Mother But if your Highnes doubte of our fidelitie vve vvill bynde our selues by corporall oathe to obey your lavves in all temporal causes and to defend your Roial Person your Deare Spouse our Gracious Queene and your tovvardlie Children our Noble Lordes vvith the laste droppe of our bloud and this our oathe vve shall be contented to diuulge to all the Princes of Europe yea all the Christian vvorlde And as your Grace may accounte of vs as of your surest so not of your fevvest nor vveakest subiectes for notvvithstanding this longe persequution vvee are so many Apalog c. 37. that as Tertulian sayed to the Paganes of the Christianes of his tyme vve fill your Courtes your Vniuersities your Cities your Tovvnes your Villages yea your prisons not for theftes or murders but for Religion only vvee haue lefte the Churches to the Ministers bicause in them is practised and preached a Religion vvhich our consciences can not brooke Yea a greater parte are vvee then any particuler secte in your Maiesties Realme and vvee are linked in Religion to all Catholique Princes and countries about you vvho vvill bee more louing neighbours if they see that vvee their bretherne synde this desired fauour at your Graces handes and the noblest and mightiest of them vvilbe more desirous to ioyne in mariadge vvith your Royall posteritie vvherby hovve your Kingdome shal be strengthned and your Dominions enlarged your Princely vvisdome easilie perceueth and you haue an example in the noble Hovvse of Austria Your Noble Brother of Fraunce that novv raigneth may be a president in this matter vvho though he vvas once an enemie to the Catholique Religion yet findeth more faythfull correspondence in his Catholique subiectes then in all the rest and by permitting bothe is serued of bothe and serueth him selfe of bothe Thirdly moste Gracious Soueraigne to admit the Catholique Religion or at least to permit it is your greatest safetie for your conscience For as you are a Prince so are you a Christian Prince and therefore a champion cap. 4.9 and as the Prophet Esaie sayeth a Foster-father of the Church and as the Kinges of Fraunce euen from Clodoueus the first Christian Kinge of that Realme haue beene called Christianissimi for their good offices tovvardes the Catholique Church Genebrar l s. Chron. Baron to 9. Annal. and the kinges of Spaine From Ferdinande yea from Alphonsus yea as some thinke from Recaredus for extirpating Arianisme and propagating the Christian faythe Geneb l. 4. Chron. Sleid l 3. Georg. Lilius in Chr. Angl. are surnamed Catholike so the Kinges of England froÌ„ King Henrie the Eight your Graces great vncle for his Catholike lerned booke writteÌ„ agaiÌ„st Luther other his most honourable seruices vvhich he perfourmed for the Catholike Church are called Defendours of the Faithe that is the Catholike faith Wherfore your Maiestie first bicause you are a Christian King Secondly bicause youâ— are a Defendour of the faithe are to see that the right vvorship of God and the true Christiane religion be practised in your Realme This the honour of God vnder vvhom you raigne this the good of his Church vvhose Champion you are this the saluation of your people vvhose King you are this the spiritual health of the body of your Realme vvhose head you are requireth For if in any couÌ„trie it be true that the inconstaunte people changeth vvithe the King in England it is moste true as vve haue seene by diuerse changes of religion in this Vnhappie age and so in your Maiestie it lyeth to saue or not to saue your people vvhich so admireth your authoritie and Princely vertues that your vvill is their lavve and your lavv their rule of religion And vvhere can your Grace finde a securer hauen for the Saluation of your selfe and your subiectes then the Catholike Church In vvhich soe many Martyrs haue dyed so many Doctours haue taught and preached so many virgins haue liued in flesh like Angells and so many sainctes haue vvrought so straunge and vvonderfull miracles by vvhich so many heresies haue been condemned so many Councels called so many Ecclesiasticall lavves enacted and such goodly order and discipline established For vv ch so many monasteries Churches Colledges Vniuersities and hospitalles haue beene builded fouÌ„ded In vv ch so many Emperours Kinges and Princes haue liued raigned dyed and as it is to bee hoped also haue beene saued and against vvhich so many cruel persequutours in vaine haue raysed forces and vsed tormeÌ„tes and so many heretikes haue raged and railed vvhich is descended froÌ„ the Apostles can proue a continuall succession of her pastours and religion from them vnto this daye Vvheras the nevv Church began but yesterdaye and her Preachers vvith her vvho also can not proue their mission nor distinguish them selues from false Prophets vvhose doctrine hath all the markes of heresie and is rather Antichristian then ChristiaÌ„ plucking at Christes Diuinitie spoiling him of many Honourable Titles to vvit Redeemer Spiritual Phifitian Lavv-giuer Aeternall Preest Iudge of the quicke and dead equalizing euery Christian vvith him making him an ignoraunt desperate and damned man vvhich hath nether Preest nor sacrifice nor in effect any sacrameÌ„t no prayer not so much as our Lords prayer no nor a sermon according to their doctrine nor any of the essential partes of Religion vvhich is blasphemous in many pointes against God iniurious to State and Authoritie fauourable to vice and bending to Atheisme all vvhich pointeâ— I haue proued in this booke But if youâ— Maiesties pleasure or leisure be not such as by perusing this booke to informe your selfe vvhich is moste likely to be the true Christian religion if it shall please your Highnes to commaund a conference or disputation vvhich hathe euer beeâ— the vsual meanes to determine coÌ„troueâ—sies as appeareth by the disputation oâ— Helias vvith Baals Prophetes â— Reg 18.10 8. Act. 7.9 17. 18 19. 20. Aug ep 47. Ruf. l. hist of Christ vvith the Ievves of Sainct Paule vvith levves and Gentils and of the ancieâ— doctours in Councels and out of Councels vvith Ethinkes and heretiques youâ— Maiestie shall finde diuers of your
liued I vvas thy plague and dying Pope I le be thy death But yet Popes liue and maie treade vppoÌ„ Luthers graue still Popes raigne thoughe they be excluded from InglaÌ„de Germanie Scotlande and some fevv other places yet doe they exercise their authoritie still and as muche as euer in Italie Spayne France and other countryes and haue by the Benedictins Dominicanes Iesuites Lopes l. r. c. a. Gen. l. 4. â—ron â—nno Christi 1492 GoÌ„zal 2. p hist de la Chine c. 24. l. 3. hist gen c. 28. â— careâ— Regem Angl. Augustines and Franciscanes meanes and industrious laboures extended their iurisdiction to the Indies and other nevve-founde landes countreys Likevvise the same Luther in his railing booke againste kinge Henry the eight thus againe prophecieth Dogmata mea stabunt Papa cadet viderit Deus vter prÃmo fessus defecerit Papa an Lutherus My opinions saieth he shall stande and the Pope shall falle lette God looke to it vvhether the Pope vvearied out or Luther shall first fayle And yet vve see that Popes liue and raigne Luther is deade descended to hell and his doctrine decaieth more and more and manie are novve vvearie of it and see more and more into his absurdities On a tyme also this man of God this greate patriarchâ— and fifte Euangeliste this secoÌ„de Elias and eight vvise man to gette him self a name Stephilus â—pol 2. Genebr chroÌ„â— 4. ann Christi 166. assaied vvhat he coulde doe in dispossessing of a deuill but it vvoulde not be the reason I thinke vvas bicause one deuill vvill not or caÌ„ not cast out an other yea the deuill so scarred Luther for attemptinge so greate a matter that the dores beinge shutte by the deuil the man of God vvas fayne to breake the vvindovves least thedeuill should teare him in peeces But peraduenture he vvill bragge of his natiuitie in deed that vvas straunge for althoughe he vvas not borne by miracle as saint Ihon Baptiste vvas yet some are of opinion that he is descended either by father or mother from the deuill him self vvho vvas incubus to his mother Fout in tract sacr de statâ— rel or succubus to his ffather Ihon Caluine also an other patriarche of the nevve Church made the like attemptes but they had the like successe Bolsec â— 13. He aggreed on a tyme for a peece of money vvith a man to fayne him self first sicke after deade and he coniured his vvife to vveepe and lament the deathe of her husbande that by her teares and lamentations the iest might seeme more probable The sicke man vvas commended at euerie preache to be praied for after vvarde the man fayned him selfe to be dead his vvife crieth out Caluine goeth a vvalkinge vvhich a great troupe and passinge by the sicke mans house demaunded as one altogeather ignorante of the matter vvhat vvas the cause of those cryes and lamentations and ansvverre beinge made that one vvas deade he entreth in falleth dovvne on his knees praieth to God to shevve his povver in raising the deade to life and their in to glorifie his seruaunte Caluine that the vvorld might knovve that he vvas the maÌ„ vvhom God had culled out to be the only man vvhoe should reforme repaire the Churche of Christe And haiunge ended his praier he takes the man by the hande commaundes him in God his name to a rise But the man after muche callinge not a risinge his vvife calleth on him also rubbes him on the side to signifie that novve vvas the tyme to rise but he neither could ansvvere nor moue but by God his inste indgment vvho neither vvill nor can vvorke a miracle to maintaine a falshoode vvas stone-deade and as colde as claye so the ieste vvas tourned into good earnest and the comedie into a tragedie vvhich his vvife perceauinge cried out on Caluine and called him a cooseninge knaue and murderer of her husbande but Caluine departeth vvith a flea in his eare saying that ouer much greef had operessed the vvife depriued her of her vvittes Vvherfore since that the nouellers can vvorke noe miracles rayse noe deade men dispossesse noe deuills foretell noe future thinges heale noe diseased not so much as a lame dogge to proue their authoritie vvhat reason haue vve to harken vnto them And if vve giue eare vnto them vvhoe maie not chalenge audience at our handes For suppose some branisicke Brovvniste some brother of the ffamilie of loue or some other if it maie be more phantasticall should preache the dreames of his drovvsic head vayne conceiptes of his idle brayne calling them nevve points of religion and reformations of the olde might he not alleage some scripture for euery fancie of his thoughe neuer so vayne and make a shevve also of proofe if he expounde it as he please might he not discannon bookes of scripture vvhich seeme to stande in his vvaie being demaunded by vvhat authoritie he taketh all this vppon him might he not saie that he is sent from Christe immediatlie And being further requested to shevve some miracles as extraordinarie signes to proue an extraordinary mission might he not easilie ansvvere and that out of scripture also that miracles are for insidells and that Luther Caluine are accepted of vvho neuer coulde so much as heale a haltinge dogge and therfore that he his preachinge cannot be refused if they theirs be admitted And so vve see that if vve accept of the reformers of this tyme as the true Apostles ministers messengers of God not vvith standinge that they can nether shevve succession for their ordinary nor miracles for their extraordinary mission vve open the gappe to all false-apostles and heretikes vvhatsoeuer the dore is open for them they maie enter in thicke threefolde into the ministerie and can not be excluded if these nevve reformers be receiued vvithout playne and palpable partialitie And so thon seest geÌ„tle reader that in Inglande and other places vvhere this nevv doctrine hath taken roote that they haue noe probable assurance of their religion by the authority of their preachers bicause they can saie noe more for proofe of their authoritie then can the false Apostles Sithence therfore thou art vvarranted that the Churche and succession of her pastours shall neuer fall nor fayle and arte forevvarned also that false prophetes shall come and saie they are sent vvhen God neuer sent them at all hovve canste thou hange thy saluation on these nevve ministers vvhome thou canst not distinguishe from false prophetes bicause they can shevve noe more probabilitie of their ordinarie or extraordinarie mission then they did and to vvhoÌ„ thou canst not giue care but thou must harken also by the same reason vnto all false propheter vvhoe canne saie as muche for them selues as thy preachers can do therfore can not be reiected if these be receiued vvith out playne partialitie The second Chapter shevveth hovv the Reformers grounding their Religion on bare scripture
of scripture the iudge must needes giue senteÌ„ce for the Catholike par tie vvhich vvas the first possessour possessour euen from the Apostles of holy scripture Yea the Reformers of this age Luther and Caluin vvhen they began to preach receiued not the Bible of any of their praedicessours bicause before Luther ther vvere no Lutheranes nether vvere there Caluinists before Caluine but they found the Bible in the Catholike Romain Churche vvhich euer had the custodie of this treasure and out of this Churche they tooke the Bible else had they neuer come to the knovvledge of it and seing that they tooke it vvith out the lavvfull ovvners leaue it must needs follovv that they are theeues and noe lavvful possessours and consequently haue no right to vse it especially against the right ovvner Vvherfore if they vvill fight vvith vs vvith noe other vveapons then scriptures vve must first put them to the proofe of their title least vve admitte theÌ„ to scriptures vvho haue no right vnto them and permit them to vse our ovvn vveapon to cut our ovvn throats And seing that they can not proue them selues lavvfull possessours of scripture nether are vve bounde to dispute vvith them by scripture nether haue they any right or reason to alleage scripture against vs. But yet as I haue declared heretikes fingers itche and are neuer vvell but vvhen they are fingring of Scripturs and their tongues are neuer so glibbe as vvhen they are fauced vvith textes of scripture And vvhy thinke you do they so vvillingly alleage scripture and decide all by the bare letter of scripture Many reasons there are vvhy they do soe For first their guiltie conscience vrgeth them therevnto For as the fovvle and beautilesse mayde perceuing her defect and vvante of natural beautie is fayne to vse extrinsecal colours to make a shevv of beautie vvher in deed is none so the heretikes ether doubting in conscience of the veritie of their opinions or at least not able othervvise to defende theÌ„ from errour are coÌ„strained to vse scriptures as colours to make at least a shovve of veritie vvher in deed no veritie is to be soound Amb in â— vlt. ad Tit Fos as S. Ambrose sayeth impietie seeing authoritie to be esteemed couereth her selfe vvith the veale of scripture that vvheras by her selfe she is not acceptable byscripture she may seeme most coÌ„meÌ„dable Vvherfore Vincentius LyrineÌ„sis sayeth Supra â— 17. that heretikes herin are like to sluttes vvho perfume vvith svvet odours and pouders those things vvhich of theÌ„ selues are stinking or to those nurses vvho anointe the cuppe brimmes vvith hony to make heedles children to drinke dovvn the bitter potion or to those Apothecaries vvho vppon the boxes vvhich coÌ„tein poison vvrite the names of soueraine restauratiues for so heretikes vvith the svveet odours of scriptures perfume the ordurs of their heresies vvith the svveet hony of Gods vvord vvhich tasted to Dauidlik the hony combe Psal 11â— deceue the vnheedy and make them drinke poison in their golden cupps applying scripture to their poisonfull doctrine they make the simple to buy of them deadly poison in steed of holsome medicins that is heresies insteed of true faith and religion Let not then our Reformers bragge so much of scripture nether let them thinke to cary avvay the bucklers bicause they alleage scripture for euery thing and let not the simple people thinke them selues secure bicause their minister proueth vvhat he preacheth by scripture bicause euery heretike doth the same the deuil him selfe hathe alleaged scripture Mat. â— and vvould haue proued that Christe must cast him selfe headlong from the pinnacle if he might haue had that libertie vvhich all heretikes do take Li praescrip c. 19. that is to expound scripture as he pleaseth Vvherfore Tertulian refuseth flatly to dispute vvith heretikes by bare scripture and countes it but lippe labour And good reason had he bicause ether they vvill deny scripture vvheÌ„ they can not dravve it to their byas or they vvill expound it as they liste if it may abide glossing and so they shape not their doctrine according to scripture but rather scripture according to their doctrine yea it is so vsual a thing amongest them to discanon bookes of scripture or to dismember and may me them if they stande in their vvay that ther is almost no part of scripture vvhich by one heretike or other hathe not beene reiected or mangled Cast no 〈◊〉 Scriptura Siâ—tâ—â— l â— â— Bibl. Marcion vvas so coning in this point that Tertulian calleth him mus Ponticus the moâ—â—se of Pontus Li. â— contra Marcionem for gnavving of scriptures Cerdon denyed saint Matthevves Ghospel bicause it settes dovvn the Genealogie of Christe vvhich could not staÌ„d vvith his heresie that avouched that Christe had no true flesh Ters l praescr c. â—1 and that he vvas not truly borne Iron l. 1. c. 28. Epiph. ser â—0 The Ebionits refused saint Paules Epistles bicause they reiecte the Ievvish ceremonies vvhich those heretikes allovv ed of Prefat in Euang Cocl in vitae And vvhy did Martin Luther the Archeretike of this age disallovv of S. lames epistle but bicause it is so opposite to his solafidian iustice othervvise vvhat more certaintie hath he of saint Paules epistles then of that of sainct Iames especially he hauing noe knovvledge nether of the one nor the other but by the Romain and Catholike Church vvhich esteemeth of both alike Saint Austine vvas so farre froÌ„ doubting of the veritie of this epistle of Sainct lames that he affirmeth it to haue beene vvritten of purpose against certain heretikes vvho misconstred Saint Paules epistles V. de operibus â— 14. Infra l. vltio c. 3. as Luther and Caluin doe Vvhy dothe Luther discanon Iob Vvhy iesteth he at Ecclesiastes Vvhy contemneth he all the Glospells but saint Ihons the epistle to the Hebrevves and that of Iudas Vvhy dothe not Caluin like of Ecclesiasticus Iudith and the Machabees but bicause that these bookes are opposite to some pointe or other of their doctrine Vvhat merueil then if vve refuse to decide controuersies vvith them by bare scripture vvho if vve bring a place of scripture against them vvill deny it to be scripture though all the vvorld saye contrarie And although they admit some bookes of scripture yet those they so admitte that they vvill haue the bare letter or ioined vvith their voluntarie exposition to bee the iudge of controuersies that so they may make scriptures to speake as they liste and to giue that sentence vvhich pleaseth them For bare scripture is of a vvaxie nature and is as plyable to admit diuers expositions as vvaxe is to take diuers impressions Vvhich is the cause vvhy heretikes out of scripture so easilie can excogitate and deuise euen contrarie heresies Li â— contrae Brent Luther therfore calleth scripture the booke of heretikes and Hosius relateth hovvone compared scripture to Aesops fables bicause you may
vvhich he also did verilie think to bee of God If these meÌ„ thought verily that they had the spirit of God and yet vvere deceiued vvhy may not Caluin vvhy may not euerie brother begin to doubt of his spirit Yea vvhy should vve beleeue him on his bare vvord to haue the true spirit vnless he can proue it by miracles or the authoritie of the Churche to vvhom Christ promised this spirit vvhich he can neuer do For as for miracles heneuer could rayse a dead lovvse froÌ„ death to life and to proue his spirit by the authoritie of the Church vvere to proue it conformable to the coÌ„mon spirit of the Christian Church vvhich he nether can nor vvill do bicause be vvill be singuler If he proue his spirit by the scripture he vvindes him self in a circle out of vv ch he can neuer get him selfe out vvith honour or honestie For euen novve he proued scripture and the meaning therof by his spirit and novv he proueth his spirit by the scripture and if you aske again hovv he knovves this to be scripture he vvill ansvver by his spirit and so vvill neuer get out of this circle but vvill still proue scripture by his spirit his spirit by seripture for vvhich kinde of argument the Logicians vvill deride him and hisse him out of the schoole For to proue scripture by the spirit and the spirit by scripture vvhich scripture according to Caluin is not knovven but by the spirit is to proue the spirit by the spirit and idem per idem But behold I pray you to vvhat the deuill can persuade man vvhen he hath blinded his eyes by depriuing him of the light of fayth Ther is nothing so secret vnto man as is this spirit bicause the harte of man is a bottomless pitt vvhose depth a mans ovvn self can not sound it is a labyrinth into vvhich vvheÌ„ you enter you can hardly finde the vvayto get out spirites also are diuerse vvant not in mans â—arte places to shrovvd means to traÌ„sformâ— them selues They vvill osten times make a shevv of the spirit of God vvheÌ„ indeed they ar the spirite of the deuill vvho long since promised that he vvould be a lying spirit in the mouths of all false prophets and yet every brother of the nevv religioÌ„ vvaranted nether by miracle nor euident reuclatioÌ„ nor Churche nor councell vvill needs be persuaded yea and assured also that his spirit is of God Fourthly God had been vnreasonable if he had giuen vs no other iudge to interpret his lavves then this secret spirit For he hath bound vs to a religion vvhich is aboue reason and often tymes against sence and sensualitie and this he hath deliuered vnto vs in a booke very obscure and harde to vnderstand and vvith all he hath obliged vs to the beleef and obseruarion of this lavv and religion vnder paine of aeternall damnation Novv if he hath giuen vs no other interpretour of this lavve but our ovvn priuat spirit vvhich is to secret and subiect to errour he should seem to haue intended and desired our damnation and to haue giuen vs a lavve not for a rule to direct vs but for a snare to catch vs and a pitfall to ruinate vs by cause vve can not keep this lavve vnless vve vnderstand it and not keeping it vve shal be damned Truly better had princes prouided for their subiectes then God for his bicause princes make plain lavves and yet least the subiectes shousld plead ignoraunce or complain that they are punished for not keeping a lavve vvhich they vnderstand not they haue prouided interpretours vvhose glosses are playne and yet Christ our lavvegiver according vnto Caluins opinion hath giuen vs an obscure lavve and a more obscure interpretour to vvit the secret and vncertain spirit and vvith all exacteth hell paines of vs if vve obserue not his lavve in the right sence meaning Fiftly if this priuate spirit be admitted for an vmpier in matters of religion all Hierarchie and order in the Church falleth for then all are heades none are feet all are eyes to directe none are inferiour members to be directed all are pastours noe sheep all are masters noe schollers Avvay then vvith Bishops yea and superinteÌ„deÌ„ts also avaunte preachers vve are not tyed to any mens spirit in perticuler no not to the Churches spirit in generall bieause euery man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught of God immediatly by his priuat spirit It is not true vvhich S. Paule sayeth that Christ gaue vs some pastours some doctours Ephes â—â— bicause all ar pastours It is not true vvhich the scripture affirmeth in many places vvhich shall herafter be alleaged that the gouernment of the Church is monarchicall no nor Aristocraticall but rather Democraticall and populare bicause euery one of the people by his priuate spirit is supreme iudg and a supreme head in matters of religion euery cobler or tinker if he be a faithfull beleeuer iudgeth all acknovv ledgeth no superiour bicause vvhilest his spirit iudgeth vvhich is scripture vvhat is the meaning of scripture to vvhich all are subiect he sumoneth all to stande to his iudgemeÌ„t and he vvill be adiudged by none so vvhilest all are superiours none are inferiours yea none are superiours bicause a superiour can not be vvith out an inferiour and vvhere is noe superiour nor inferiour there is noe subordination vvhere is noe subordination ther is noe order vvhere noe order ther is confusion and so vvhere the spirit ruleth ther can not be the Church bicause it is compared to a citie yea vnto a kingdome allso in both vvhich is a seemly order Lastly this spirit openeth the gapp vnto all heretikes and heresies vvhich according to my promise I shall proue euidently and laye open manifestly For if that be true sense of scripture vvhich the priuat spirit suggesteth if the reformed nevv religion bee the sincer religion bicause it is squared and ruled by scriptur or rather by scripture interpreted by the priuat spirit then certainly by the same vvay that this pretended religion is entered in to the vvorld for currant by the same vvay may all heretikes and heresies al false prophetes and false apostles claime free passage also and by no equitie can be excluded if Luther Caluin and their brotherhood bee admitted For euery lying prophet can alleage scripture as vvell as they he can bragge of his spirit as vvell as they he can say and svvear that he hath the right spirit vvhich assureth him also that he expouÌ„des scripture rightly and preacheth truly and seing that the reformers of this age can saye noe more for they haue nether miracles nor other authoritie to proue their spirit as all ready is proued it follovveth euidently that if they bee admitted and receiued noe false prophete though neuer so phantasticall can bee reiected The fourth Chapter demonstrateth that in reiecting fathers and councels vvhich consisted of fathers the pretended reformers open the gapp and gate to all heretikes
and heresies PArricide and murder of parents in old tyme vvas deemed so hainous an offence so vnvvorthy a facte as being not only contrarie to reason but also repugnaunt vnto nature that Solon the famouse lavv-maker decreed no lavve against it not for that he thought it not vvorthy punishment but bicause â—ee counted it more barbarouse and inhumain then could be by man comitted And in deed mans nature so much abhorred this vn naturall fact that vntill six hundred yeares after Rome vvas built no man euer is read of so vnkiÌ„de as vvho could finde in his hart to imbrevv his haÌ„des in his pareÌ„tes bloud Cic. pro Roscio Lucius Ostius as some do think vvas the first vvho laying aside all humanitie against natures propension and naturall affection layed violent hands vppon his father depriued him of being of vvhom he had receiued being Vvhich facte vvas no sooner committed but nature abhorred it the Romaines then the most ciuill people to represent the enormitie of the offence diuised a punishmeÌ„t vvhich should not only be a iust payne but also an embleme of the fault Cic supra Iuuen Saâ—yr â— Plut. in vi â—a Ostij They decreed first of all that the murderer should be sevved vp in a lether sack SecoÌ„dly that sacked he should be cast into the vvater thirdly vvith him vvere included a cock a viper an ape and a dogge to acompanie him at his death vvhose natures he had imitated in his life he vvas inclosed in a sack and so cast into the riuer that so at one tyme he should lose the light of the sonne vvhich he could not see of the fyer vv ch he could not feele of the aire in vv ch he vvas not permitted to breath of the vvater in vv ch he svvimming vvas not refreshed of the earth vv ch he touched not and so he vvas depriued at one tyme of the benefit of the sonne and the fovvre elemeÌ„tes of vvhich all vvere produced bicause he had been vnkind and vnnaturall to him of vvhom he vvas begotten His companions at his death vvere a Cocke bicause as this byrd fighteth vvith his fire and treadeth the heÌ„ne vvhich hatched him so he hath been iniuriouse to him that begotte him A viper bicause as this beast eateth him selfe out of his damnes belly so he ruineth him vvho gaue him being an ape bicause as he imitateth man in his actions and some vvhat resembles him in forme of body yet is in deed no man but a beast so this vnnaturall murderer caryeth the shape of a man but in conditions is noe man bicause he hath cast of all humanitie And lastly a dogg that this creaturs faythfull seruice to his master vvho only feeds him may confound this monster and coÌ„demne his treacherie vvho hath been so false to his pareÌ„t vvho hath not only fedd him but begotten him This kinde of death in myne opinion vvere a punishment not vnfitly to be layed on heretikes especially the most mallicious for vvith theÌ„ vvho erre not of mallice I vvishe more geÌ„tle dealiÌ„g vvho are so vnnaturall children to Christ their father as shall appear in the third booke vvho so reuile miscall the ancieÌ„t fathers of vvhom they receiued fayth and religion and are so vnkind vnto the Catholique Church their mother vvhich by the Sacrament of Baptisme regenerated them and gaue them their spiritual being For they deserue to be depriued at one tyme of the heauens and elemeÌ„tes of vvhich all thiÌ„gs are in some sorte produced vvho coÌ„temne the Churche the councells the fathers and cheef pastours of vvhom and by vvhome they receiued their supernaturall being by vvhich they are Christianes They deserue a cock at their death bicause as the cocke fighteth often tymes vvith his sire and abuseth the henne that hatched him so they contend vvith ancient fathers and as much as in them lyeth deflovver their mother the Churche vv ch bare them spiritually a viper also ought to dye vvith them bicause like vipers by schismes and heresies they eare them selues out of the vvombe of the Church an ape must also suffer vvith them bicause as he resembleth man but is in deede a beast so they like apes imitate true Christians bearing the name of Christe as they do admitting certayne scriptures and Sacramentes as they do deuising superintendeÌ„tes for the bishops of the Church ministers for preestes tables for aultars a prophane Cene and supper for the sacred Eucharist and yet in deed are no true christianes but monstrouse infidells and vvorse then Ievves and Paganes Th. â— 2 q. 〈◊〉 ar 6. a dogge also to make vp the number they vvorthily deserue to put them in mynd that dogges may teach them fidelitie for dogges though they receiue some tymes blovves and neuer any greater benefit then crustes and bones yet are so faythfull to their masters that they vvill not leaue theÌ„ todeath vvheras the heretike is so vngratefull and vnfaythfull to Christe and his spouse the Churche that for no other cause then an itching humour of pride and self love hee vvill ronne after euery sectmaster that can only dropp a fevv textes of scripture interpreted by his ovvne spirit leauing the Churche ancieÌ„t fathers and consequently Christ him selfe bicause they ever vvent together and vvho heareth one heareth the other But least I condemne them to the punishmeÌ„t of parricides for conteÌ„pt of ancieÌ„t fathers before I proue them to bee guiltie of the fault I vvill sett dovvne vvord by voord their ovvne sayings and assertions by vvhich shall appear vvhat respect they beare and vvhat kindnes they shevv tovvards their ancient forfathers Ex Epiph. her Basilides an infamous heretike vaunted that he and his only knevve the truth and that all his forfathers vvere sues canes hogges and dogges not vvorthy of the margarites of his doctrine Lib. s.c. â—0 The Valentinians sayeth Ireneus if you vrge them vvith scriptures vvhich they can not ansvver vvill denye them if you prouoke them to be tryed by tradition deliuered vnto vs by a succession of preestes and fathers aduersantur traditioni dicentes se non solum presbyteris sed etiam apostolis existentes sapientiores sinceram inuenisse veritatem they oppose against tradition saying that they being vviser then the preests and apostles 〈◊〉 3. haue found out the sincere veritie Arius as before I haue rehearsed thought none of the fathers comparable vnto him Nestorius disdained to read their vvorks and our reformers of this age shevv by their vnreuerent and rayling speeches against the fathers that they are descended of the same race of parricides and reuilers of their ancient fathers To beginne therfore vvith the first patriarch of this nevv religion Martin Luther that man of God although by his ovvne confession he vvas so familiar vvith the deuill that he hathe eateÌ„ a bushell of salte vvith him in his book against the king of England hauing called him blokhead l. â— cont Reg. Axgl. fol. 348 beetlehead grossehead
doth and all the Luthers in the vvorld can not proue that all the fathers held any one opinion against scripture but the question must be vvhether Luther or all the fathers did best vnderstand the scripture and therfore if Luther hold against the fathers in exposition of scripture he preferreth him selfe before them all As for example Luther alleageth scripture to disproue free vvill all the fathers alleage scripture to proue it and Luther expoundes scripture one vvay they another else they could not both alleage scripture for contrarie doctrine Vvherfore if Luther sayeth that he expoundeth scripture truly and therfor cares not for all the fathers he preferreth his ovvne iudgment before them all and so can not ansvvere that argument grounded in the fathers authoritie nor comfort him selfe vvith this that he forsooth hath the vvord of God vvhich is aboue theÌ„ all And so Luther must giue vs leaue to come vppon him vvith his ovvn argument vvhich he shall neuer ansvver The Church from the begiÌ„ning hathe taught and expounded scripture other vvise then thou doest so many Austines Ambroses Ciprianes Councells and ages haue preached other vvise Are they all deceiued hast thou only found out the truth What if thou rather arte deluded Thou art but one they are many thon art of late they of ancient standing thou a sinner they saintes thou some scholler but they vvere learned doctours thou hast a vvitte but all their vvittes vvere of a greater reach thou seest some thing but so many eyes must needs haue a greater insight Thou hast studyed scripture but they more thou hast vvatched at thy booke but they in night-studie haue spent more oyle then thou though thou peraduenture more vvine theÌ„ they thou alleagest scripture for thy doctrine they for the coÌ„trarie And so their iudgemeÌ„t must be preferred before thine coÌ„sequeÌ„ly theirs shal be the true doctrine they the true Pastours theirs the true Churche so ours novv is the true Christiane religion vvee the right Christianes vvho aggree vvith those fathers and the Church of vvhich they vvere pastours and preachers and Luther and the reformers vvho vvill haue noe parte vvith the fathers are no members of the true Churche bicause the ancient fathers and the true Churche vvere neuer yet separated but alvvayes vvent together The first point being proued vve vvill come to the secoÌ„d in vvhich I shall proue that in reiecting fathers they open the gapp to all heretiques vvho may say vvhat they vvill as the reformers do if that authoritie be contemned But first it shall not be amisse to declare vvhat authoritie the fathers haue vvhether they haue infaillible assistaunce of God to expound scriptures righthly for if they haue not nether are Catholiques assured of their fayth by their authoritie nether do the heretiques open the gappe to heresies by reiecting their authoritie vvhich if it be not infallible may it self also authorise and countenaunce heresie Ephes â— Sainct Paule sayeth that God hathe prouided vs of some Apostles some Prophets others Euangelists others Doctours Pastours to the consummation of saintes to the vvorke of the ministerie vnto the edifying of the body of Christ that if for the instruction of his Church Vvhere the first place is giuâ—n to Prophets Apostles and EuaÌ„gelistes vvho vvrote the scripture in the second place follovv doctours and pastours bicause their office is not to vvrite scripture but to interpret it And the reason is yeelded vvhy these doctours are giuen vnto vs least that vvee should vvauer like childrem and be caryed about vvith euery vvind of the doctrine of men Ibidem Novv if all the pastours and doctours vv ch vve call fathers should of could erre then vvere they not appointed to keepe their sheep from vvaÌ„dering rather should they be the cause of their errour for the sheepe must here the voice of their pastours and so if the pastours erre the sheepe must erre vvith them if they vvander the sheepe vvho knovv nothing but by their pastours can not keepe the right vvaye And if thou saye that in case of errour the people must leaue the pastours I demaund of thee hovv they shall knovv vvheÌ„ the pastours erre vvho knovve nothing but by the voice of their pastours And suppose they should leaue their pastours then is the frame of the body of Christes Church dissolued and the members are separated from the head and the Church is a headless body then do they leaue the salte by vvhich they should be salted and preserued from corruption in religion Mat. 5. Then do they leaue the ligt by vvhich they should be illuminated Mat. 2â— And hovv then is that true vppon Moyses chear sit the Scribes and Pharisies do those thinges vvhich they saye are the pastours of the Church of lesse authoritie then the pastours of the synagogue If they can erre then is it not true vvhich Christe sayed vvhoe heareth you heareth me vnless you vvill say that Christe allso may erre in them and vvith them But our heretiques vvill say that all the fathers are men I graunte it but they are men directed by the holy ghost and Christ vvas a man and yet not only as God but as man also he could not erre and the vvriters of scripture as Moyses and Salomon and the prophetes of the olde lavve and the Apostles and Euangelistes in the nevv lavve vvere men and yet they erred not nor could not erre vnlesse vve vvill call scripture in question But vvhere saye they read you that the fathers haue the infallible affistaunce in exposition of scripture Vvhere I read that they are light that they are salte that they are pastours to vvhom vvhen vvee harken vve harken to Christ Mat. â—â— Io. 21. Vvher I read that vve must doe vvhat they say vvhere I read that the Church caÌ„ not erre vvhich must follovve her pastours vvhere I read that the Church vvhich learneth all of her pastours is a piller of truthe 2. Tim. â— But some fathers haue erred I graunte it but neuer all aggreed in one errour together neuer all the fathers of all ages yea not all of one age for to these also vve must harken haue conspired in an vntrutrh And I demauÌ„de of our reformers Vvhether they bee not men also And I thinke they vvill not denye it If they be men I aske vvhether they can not erre in expounding scripture If they can then haue nether they nor others by them any assuraunce If they can not erre bicause euery one of them hathe the spirit Then say I that more probable it is that so many spirits of the fathers conspiring in one can not erre then that noe particuler and priuate spirit can erre especially seing that these priuate spirites are diuerse and contrarie and vve haue noe more assuraunce of one then another Iudge novv gentle reader vvhether that the Catholiques religion vvhich is conformable vnto the fathers and pastours of the Churche be the sincere christian religion or
amply Truth allso is the daughter of tyme vv ch in tyme bringes the truth to light and therfore vve are most prone to beleene olde men to vvhome longe tyme brings great experience and vvee vvell imagin that to bee true vvhich for a longe tyme hath been holden for true And bicause many men see more they one alone vve count the voice of many men the voice of God and vve reuerence that for a veritie vvhich most men haue auerred Rom. 1â— and lastly bicause all authoritie is of God and men in office are appointed by him to gouerne vve are ready to thinke that God especially directeth theÌ„ vvho haue charge not only of them selues but of others also vvhich is the very cause vvhy vve vse to reuereÌ„ce superiours decrees vnless vve see a manifest absurditie in them If then the reformers vvill haue vs to forsake old pastours and to harken vnto nevv if they vvill haue vs abiure old religion and imbrace a nevv let them shevv vs greater authoritie then that of the ancient fathers else vve haue no reason to preferr them and their doctrine before old doctours and old religion But this they can neuer doe and so they can neuer bynde vs in reason to accept of their religion For if vve compare them vvith the olde and ancient fathers in all the meanes alleaged by vvhich credit and authoritie is gotten vve shall finde them to come shorte by many furlongs in euery one of theÌ„ And first for vvitt and learning I think nether Luther nor Caluine nor any of them all vnless theyr faces be brasen haue the face to compare vvith the ancient fathers For they vvere Gregories Austins Ambroses Basilles Hieromes Cirilles and such like vvho vvrote more then euer they read and studied more then euer they loytered and vvere in all literature so learned that the reformers vvere scarse vvorthy to cary their bookes after them And allthough Luther and Caluin vvanted not altogether learning yet they came short of these men And as for their follovvers vv ch vvere neuer trayned vp in our schooles vvell may they prattle in Greeke and florish in a fevve vayne latin phrases yet solid learning ether in diuinitie or philosophie they haue not Let the vniuersities of Oxford and Cambridge of Basill and other places let the confraternitie of Geneua shevv vs a Bellarmine Baronius Molin Suares Vasques Bannes Gregorie of Valence an Allene Hatding Bristovve Gregory Martin Stapleton if they can Vvhat vvorkes haue they set out coÌ„parable to the bookes of these Catholique vvriters Let an in different reader pervse the learnedest booke of these reformers Ievvel Plessis he shall see in them false allegations of fathers corruptions of scriptures fathers and councells lyes impostures affirmations vvithout proofes vvordes vvithout matter praeterea nihil and nothing else As for vertue if they haue any modestie remayning they vvil not being guiltie of so vicious liues make any comparison vvith the former fathers vvho by the common report of all vvere saintes and their vvritinges miracles almesdeedes fastinges austere penaunce prayer chastitie mortification contempte of the vvorld and such like vvill testifie no lesse And althoughe they may obiect that many amoÌ„gest vs also haue liued viciously yet vvee can giue theÌ„ herin a ma nifest differeÌ„ce For first the first founders of our religioÌ„ vvere meÌ„ of great perfectioÌ„ as the Apostles their successours in the primitiue Churche yea as the planters of religion in euery countrie vvere l. 1. c. 23. 26. Read sainct Bede and you shall see that the benedictines vvhome S. Gregorie sent into our country to recall vs from idolatrie vvere Sainctes moued mâ—â—e the kinge by their holy coÌ„uersatioÌ„ theÌ„ by their preaching and miracles And yet euen the first of these nevve families the first preachers of this reformation euen Luther and Caluin then selues vvere notorious and infamous for euil life Luther vvas an Apostata he maried a Nonne he liued beast-like dyed accordingly for after a merry and a moyst supper he vvas found dead the next morning in his bedde vvith his tongue hanging out Caluin liued like an epicure serued his belly for his God he vvas a man giuen to reuenge puffed vp vvith pride and ambition True it is hee caryed markes on his backe but not such as saint Paule caryed but such as the minister of iustice noted him vvith all for his abominable lethery â—â—lsec in vita qius Gen. l. 4. an Christi â—â—66 and as he liued so hee dyed an Herodes death bicause lise vvere his executioners Secondly although many be badde amongest vs yet I thinke moe amongest them Thirdly euill life amongest vs is a fault of our ovvne peruerse vvill and nature but amongest them it is the frute of their doctrine vvhich as by many arguments I shall proue hereafter leadeth and induceth vnto all dishonestie In the seuenth booke Lastly they vvhich amongest vs lead a viciouse life are neuer amended by comming vnto you vvhich experience hath taught proued in some loose Catholiques vvho partely for feare partely for libertie haue repayred vnto you For they vvere soe farre from being reformed by you that so long as they conuersed vvith you they fell dayly from one vice to another and neuer stayed till they came to the depthe of iniquitie And yet vve haue seeÌ„ many vvilde GallauÌ„tes loose in life and rioutouse in coÌ„uersation vvho after that they bee admitted into our Church ad societie and instructed in our fayth and religion do cast of all euil customes become modest in behauiour temperat sober and vvho before feared nether sinne nor God nor the deuill vvaxe scrpulous and fearfull of conscience and vvho before could not spare one halfe hovver in a day for prayer thiÌ„ke novve vvholle dayes to short a tyme. Yea you seem to giue good life vnto vs. For you vvill trust our vvord more then an obligation of one of your ovvn secte and if you see a man milde modest chaste temperate giueÌ„ to prayer fasting almesdeeds vpright in all his actions and exemplair in conuersation you suspect him for a papiste Yea vvhen our preests vvould the better escape your Pursiuauntes they must fayne then selues in out vvard shevv and habit to be roistours ruffions and dissolute companions as though vice vvere the badge of your religion As for number vvee exceed them by many countries and ages in vvhich they neuer liued and for one nevv minister vvee haue hundredâ— of ancient pastours and learned fathers For antiquitie although they fayne an inuisible Church before Martin Luther yet as I haue proued in the first chapter and shall again herafter their preacher are vp startes theyr doctrine is as younge and vvheras vve can shevv a succession of our religion and pastours for the space of sixteen hundred years euen from the A postles they can deriue their pedegree noe higher then from Martin Luther Lastly our doctours vvere pastours and boare great offices in
against so many violent persequutions for so longe a tyme haue endured vnless some potent and prudent gouuernour by his lavves vvisdome and authoritie had vpholden guided and directed it And the reason is bicause in a societie and especially that of the Church are diuerse men yea diuerse nations and diuerse men haue diuerse natures and diuerses natures haue diuerse dispositions and diuerse dispositions cause diuerse opinions and diuerse opinions moue cōtradictions and contradictions ende in factions and factions make an end of all societies vnlesse ther be a moderatour to preuent them by his vvisdom or appease them by his authoritie A head then is necessary in all societies and not only necessary but also principalle For although the obedient complying nature of the subiect doth help much to the maintenaunce of peace and order yet the head and Superiour most of all preuaileth For as the head is the principall part so doth it beare most svvay in the gouernment of the body vvich is the cause vvhy the body is affected according to the head and vvhy the subiect follovveth the princes humour Yea euen as vvhen the head in mans body is intoxicated the vvholle body reeleth and if the head vvant eyes the body tumbleth into ditches and falleth into daunger so if the head of a societie be inconstaunte the vvholle societie vvauereth if the superiour vvant eyes of circumspection the subiectes are in daunger Vvherfore Philip King of Macedo and father to Alexander the great vvas vvonte to say that he had rather haue an armie of fearfull harts gouerned by a Lion then of lions ruled and commaunded by a harte insinuating ther by that as the head in a societie is the principall mēber so is it the most necessary If then the Church of Christe be a peaceble and vvell ordered body it hath a head to guide and rule it And if vve looke into the gouernment of the same euen from the beginning vve shall finde that this goodly common vvelth neuer vvanted a Prince and gouernour In the lavve of nature first of all Adam our first parent as he vvas our common father according vnto flesh so vvas he a preest and pastour of the soules of all those vvhoe liued in his tyme and a gouernour of his familie vvhich vvas descended of him not only in domesticall ciuill or temporall but allso in spirituall matters concerning fayth and religion For this cause he vvas indevved vvith all knovvledg and science that as the first doctour he might instruct and direct his posteritie and although by his falle he lost all infused knovvledg yet did he still so longe as he liued remain pastour and supreme head of the Church Vvherfore Theophilus Bishop of Antioche sayeth l. 2. ad Autol. that God for no other cause framed Eue out of Adams side but to demonstrate vnto vs a mysterie and figure of the monarchie of his Church that as Adam vvas head of the same in his tyme so euer after ther vvas one pastour the cheef of all Ho 34.1 Cor. And sainct Chrisostom sayeth plainly that Adam vvas one head giuen vnto all and his reason is bicause sayeth hee God Knevv that aemulation could not be auoided amongest aequalls vvherfor he vvould haue no popular gouernment but a kingdom After Adams death Seth and others succeeded him in the like pastorall authoritie euen vnto Noe. Noe dying Sem his eldest sonne vndertooke the same charge and euen vnto Aaron the first high preest of the Leuiticall lavve all the heires males of euery familie if vve beleeue sainct Hierom vvere preests q. heb q. 7. vvho ministred sacramentes and offered sacrifices euery one in his familie And amongest all the preests of diuers families one vvas the supreme pastour and Iudge of the rest to vvhom belonged the finall sentence in matters of religion and this supreme authoritie as it seemeth belonged allvvayes vnto the most ancient to vvhom all the rest as they vvere in age inferiour so vvere they subiect in authoritie As for example Abrahame and Sem vvere preests at one tyme bicause Abraham vvas the eldest sonne of Thare Sem of Noe yet bicause Sem vvas the moste ancient he vvas the higher preest Gen. 11. and therfore to him for the Hebrevves as sainct Hierom vvitnesseth affirm that Sem and Melchisedech vvere all one Abraham offered tithes and vvas blessed of him as of his superiour Yea it seemeth probable that Melchisedech in his tyme vvas the highe preest and supreme head of the Church Vvherfor Theophilus speakig of Melchisedech Supra vttereth these vvords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This man vvas a preest the first of all the preestes of God the highest Vvhere he can not mean that Melchisedech vvas the first in tyme yeares bicause Adam Abel and Noe vvere before him and therfore his meaning must bee that Melchisedech vvas the first preest in dignitie the highest of all the preests of his tyme. So that euen in the lavv of nature that is from Adam to Moyses ther vvas allvvayes an highe preest to rule the Church and to compose controuersies that might arise in matters of religiō After that in the lavve vvriten the high preest ruled all in ecclesiasticall affayres as is playn in the books of Exodus and Leuiticus In Exodus vve read hovv Moyses like a spirituall Iudge giueth sentence in causes ecclesiasticall and ansvvereth all doubtes and questions vvhich arose concerning the obseruation and interpretation of the lavv Exod. 1◠and although to ease him selfe he vvas persuaded to lay part of his charge burden vppō others shoulders yet still he reserueth to him selfe the iudgment of all marters concerning the lavv and ceremonies c. 17. And in Deuteronomie vve finde that the people vvere commaūded in all difficulties of religion to haue recourse vnto the preest of the Leuiticall lavv vvho ruled at that tyme and God threatneth that if any bee so proud and stubborn as to refuse to obey his sentence he shall suffer death by the decree of the Iudge Vvhere a blind man may see that the synagogue had her Iudge to decide all cōtrouersies in religion And shall vve imagin that the Church and spouse of Christe vvanteth a head to direct her and a Iudg to giue her satisfaction in all doubts of religion No no in the lavve of grace as God hath bestovved more grace on his Church then on his Synagogue so hathe he prouided her of a Iudge and gouernour vvhom for his Churches sake he assisteth more particulerly And first of all Christe him selfe vvhilest he liued gouerned this Church him selfe and in all points played the parte of a supreme head high preest and pastour For he instituted a nevv lavv a nevv sacrifice nevv sacramentes he ordayned preestes and ministers and gaue them authoritie to preach to minister and to gouern in the Churche vnder him And after that he had vvithdravven his visible presence from vs he lefte vs not vvith out an vnder-pastour but presently
yet I am sure they vvould not entermeddle in matters of religion to giue sentence vvhat is the meaning of scripture vvhich bookes are canonicall and vvhat opinions are hereticall and contrary vnto god his vvord no more then they vvould entermedle in ministring of Sacramēts or preachīg of Gods vvord For they knevve full vvell vvhat Iosaphat that good king sayed ◠par 19. to vvit that Amarias the high preest vvas to rule in matters of religion and Captain Zabadias to menage matters belonging to the Kings office And ozias may be a sufficient example vnto all princes ◠par 26. vvho vvas stricken vvith a leprie for vsurping the preests office in incensing Vve read in deed that Christ commaunded Saint Peter to feed his sheepe and to gouerne his Church Io. 21. Act. 2◠Ephes 4. preests also and pastours haue the same charge committed vnto them yea the prophet Isaie sayeth that Princes are Nurces furtherers and fauourers and defenders of the Church Is 49.38.60 but he neuer calles them rulers of the Church nor Iudges in religion Vvherfore saint Ambrose Bishop of Milā vvriting to his sister sayeth that he told Valentinian the Emperour vvhat belonged to his office in these vvordles Ep. 13. Trouble not they self O Emperour as to thinke that thou hast any Imperiall right to meddle in diuine matters Extolle not they felf but if thou vvilt raygne longe be thou subiect to god It is vvriten giue to god vvhich is belonging to god and to Caesar vvhich belongeth to Caesar Vnto the Emperour pallaces appertain vnto the preest Churches The charge of the publique vvalles is commited to thee but not of sacred and holy things A sentence vvorthy to be set in a tablet of gold and to hange about a Princes neck And truly if Princes vvere Iudges of religion vve must chaunge religion at their pleasures and so vve should haue allmost as many religions as Princes Much lesse can the parlament be Iudge in religion for that cōsisteth of temporall men and although in Englād the lordes spirituall are ioyned vvith the temporall yet are they all ruled by the prince And vvher I pray you doth scripture vvarraunt vs that the parlament is our Iudge in matters of religion yea vve see that parlamentes varye in religion and so they can giue noe certain sentence for religion In Fraunce the Parlament is Catholike and is content to be subiect to the Pope and in no vvise vvill meddle vvith matters of religion In King Henries tyme the eight of that name the parlament enacted six Catholike articles In King Edvvards tyme the parlament allovved of another religion in Queen Maries tyme of another and in Queen Elizabethes tyme of another If then the same man had liued in all these princes tyme as many haue doone then if the Parlament be Iudge he must in cōscience thoughe religion be but one haue chaunged fovvre tymes his religiō else had he been fovvre tymes an heretike and as often traytour Yea I thinke if the parlament vvere demaunded to define vvhich bookes of scripture are canonicall and vvhich is the true meaning they vvould ansvvere that such matters belonge not vnto them But they vvill ansvver that the parlament is Iudge vvhen it is conformable to scripture as it is at this present but vvas not in Queen Maries tyme. Thus they may ansvver but vvith hovve litle reason it vvill easily appeare For ether the parlament precisely or the parlamēt aggreeing vvith scripture is this Iudge If they graūt me the first then must vve in conscience chaunge religion as often as the parlamēt chaungeth decrees If they graunt only the second then is the parlament noe infallible Iudge yea no Iudge at all for yet vve must haue a Iudge to Iudge the parlament and to determine vvhen the parlament follovveth the vvord of God else shall vve neuer be satisfyed And vvho I pray you is this Iudge Novve I see not vvhom they can name vnless it be my lord of Canterbury or the ministerie of England or of all countries vvhere their religion florisheth But then I demaund of them first vvhere they read in Scripture that their Clergie is an infallible Iudge in matters of religion They vvill say that the scripture commaundes vs to giue credit to our pastours True but if I deny that they are true pastours they can not proue them selues to be soe bicause they can not proue their mission as in the first chapter is proued most euidently Secondly the Clergie of England since King Henry the eight hathe chaunged religion diuers tymes and this nevve Clergie vvas neuer yet constant in fayth for one vvholle year together yea they aggree not amongest them selues and so can be no assured and infallible Iudge Thirdly ether the Clergie of England is Iudge in matters of religion bicause it is the Clergie of Englād or bicause it is the Clergie of a vvholle countrie or bicause it conspireth vvith the vniuersall Clergie of their religion If they graunt me the first then doth it folvvith vve must haue a Iudge to Iudge the parlament and to determine vvhen the parlament follovveth the vvord of God else shall vve neuer be satisfyed And vvho I pray you is this Iudge Novve I see not vvhom they can name vnless it be my lord of Canterbury or the ministerie of England or of all countries vvhere their religion florisheth But then I demaund of them first vvhere they read in Scripture that their Clergie is an infallible Iudge in matters of religion They vvill say that the scripture commaundes vs to giue credit to our pastours True but if I deny that they are true pastours they can not proue them selues to be soe bicause they can not proue their mission as in the first chapter is proued most euidently Secondly the Clergie of England since King Henry the eight hathe chaunged religion diuers tymes and this nevve Clergie vvas neuer yet constant in fayth for one vvholle year together yea they aggree not amongest them selues and so can be no assured and infallible Iudge Thirdly ether the Clergie of England is Iudge in matters of religion bicause it is the Clergie of Englād or bicause it is the Clergie of a vvholle countrie or bicause it conspireth vvith the vniuersall Clergie of their religion If they graunt me the first then doth it follovv that only the Clergie of England is this Iudge and so all other countries must be subiecte to the Inglish Clergie to vv ch they vvill neuer aggree If they graunte the secōd then euery Clergie of a vvholle countrie is iudge and so vve shall haue as many religions al most as countries and although the nevv Clergies of Ingland Germany Scotland Holland Geneue are cōtrarie the one to the other yet the people of euery country must acknovvlege them as Iudges in religion and so must imbrace cōtrarie opinions If they graunt the third I must desire them to aggree all amongest themselues before vve stande to their iudgement
for if this nevv Clergie be deuided into many sects as all the vvorld seeth that it is then seing that vve haue noe more assuraunce of one Secte then another vve may refuse to be iudged by any of them especially they them selues refusing to be iudged by one a nother Yea not all this nevv Clergie nor any sect of the same can proue their mission and therfore are not to be admitted for true pastours and iudges in religion vnless vve vvill receiue all false prophets also false Apostles Is ther no iudge then nether in Ingland nor in all the nevv Church of the ghospellers If ther be let them name him if they can if ther be none as it seemeth that ther is not for I haue named and teiected by good reason all vvhom I thinke they can name then is not their Churche the Churche of Christ in vvhich as is before proued is alvvayes resident a visible iudge to compose controuersies yea then the Churche vvhich as I shall proue in the next booke is a peaceble kingdom shall be a commoÌ„ vvelth the vvorst prouided for that euer vvas it shall be a body vvithout a head a kingdom vvithout a king or Prince to commaund a conuenticle of vvranglers the vvorst ordered and the most disseÌ„tious societie that euer vvas to be breef the Church militaunt in earth shall more resemble that mutinouse route of the damned in hell then the peaceable societie of the Church triumphant in heauen yea then shall that follovv vvhich I intented to proue to vvit that in the nevv Churche of the ghospellers there are noe meanes to compose determine coÌ„trouersies bicause vvhere there is no visible Iudge there euery man may beleeue and preach vvhat he lift and no man can controlle him and if diuers preach contrarie doctrine they may go together by the eares and noe man shall be to part the fraye bicause ther is noe iudge to take vp the matter betvvixte them and so the gappe is open to all false prophetes vvhose doctrine must goe for currant be it neuer so absurd bicause ther is no Iudge to giue sentence of the truthe or falshood of the same And to make the matter more plaine suppose that novv in Ingland some nevv preacher should preach a nevv heresie yea that many at once should preach contrary opinions and so fall together by the eares ther vvould be no meanes to compose these controuersies bicause ther is no Iudge to take vp the matter nether is ther any vvay to preuent them bicause vvher there is no Iudge to define euery man may teach vvhat he list and vvhere euery one may teach vvhat he vvill there arise iarres and discords and vvhere no meanes are to appease them the societie is ruined 〈◊〉 11. Bicause euery kingdom diuided vvith in it selfe shall be made desolate But in this case peraduenture they vvould call a Prouinciall or generall Councel and so compose matters by common coÌ„sent Bee it so that they could call such a councell and could also all or the most parte aggree yet I see not hovve vve are vvarraÌ„ted to assure our selues that they all can not erre and that therfore vve may rely vppon their sentence for if they say that vve are vvaranted bicause they are the true pastours I caÌ„ tell them that this is not so sure bicause they can not proue their mission I demaund of them vvhether the Catholike Clergie vvhich is farre greater and vvhich for fifteen hundred yeares before Luther vvas hard of vvas counted the only Clergie may not haue their voice and if they may certainly their voice vvil be negatiue and opposit to their affirmatiue But this is spoken vppon supposition that they could calle a councell and aggree also in the same for I haue good cause to doubte that they nether can call a councell nor aggree in a councell For if ther bee no visible supreme Iudge nor Pastour in their Church as I haue proued that ther is not vvho should calle this councell suÌ„mone all the Clergie to appear Lut l cont â—â— Calu. â—i â— Inst 6.7 Luther and Caluin say that this belongeth to the Emperour but seing that this is an Ecclesiasticall office concerning religion it can not appertain vnto a temporall Prince and novv that the Emperour is a Catholike and a Papist as they terme him I thinke they vvould not obey him if he should summone them to apeare especially bicause he vvould call Catholike bishops vvould giue the preeminence to them But I haue proued all ready that the Emperour though in the name of the Pope as an assistauÌ„te he may by the Churches permission call a councell yet of him selfe he can not meddle in spirituall matters Act. â—â— Vvherfore the Councell vvhich the Apostles called vvas called vvithout the Emperours authoritie vvhere theÌ„ there is noe Suprem Pastour as I haue proued that amongest them is none vvhosoeuer should take vppon him to call a councell should vsurpe and the others might refuse to obey his calle Peraduenture they vvould choose one by common consent and so vvould all stande to his arbitermeÌ„t But in this also is difficultie for vvhere ther is none to commaund vvho shall call them together to aggree in the election of this one man Yet let vs suppose that they should meet by chaunce as crovves do in the Pease-feeld vvhen they are met it is not so easie to aggree vppon one vvhen they haue aggreed it is not so easie to aggree vnto his sentence For if he pronounce sentence for the Protestaunte the Puritane vvill repine and may say that he hath noe vvarraunte of his sentence vvho is but a man constituted by men and can shevv noe scripture to proueth at he can not erre But truly I can not thinke that in this matter they vvould euer proceed so farre For as yet they neuer called a Councell together out of all partes of their Churche and those that vvere called together for vvant of a Iudge to determine could neuer aggree in any one point of religion Anno 1554. Surius relateth hovv on a tyme tvvelue Catholique Doctours and tvvelue Ministers met at Vvormatia to make some attonement betvvixte the Confessionistes Gen. Cron. but after a litle disputation fiue of the tvvelue ministers vvere excommunicated by the rest Stapl l 4. de prim fed c. 13. and cast out for vvranglers and so nothing vvas concluded Diuerse other assemblies and meetings they haue attempted but all ended in thundering excommunications bitter taunts and infamous libels and as yet they neuer could aggree in any councell vppon any controuersie in religion and all for vvant of a visible Iudge and pastour to vvhom all the rest are subiect And this they haue gotten by leauing the ancient Catholike Churche vvhich acknovvledgethe the bishope of Rome as Sainct Peters successour and Christes Vicaire and relyeth vppon his sentence as infallible Luc. 22. bicause Christ in fainct Peter prayed for him
forsake the assembly and that some going out from vs Act. 1â— doe trouble others vvith vvords â—o 6. So the first Sacramentaries I meane the Capharnaites vvho vvould not beleeue that Christ could giue his body to be eaten left Christ and his Apostles and vvould vvalke noe more vvith theÌ„ So that going out or breakinge forthe of the Church is a note and marke of an heretike Vvherfore Tertulian sayeth l. praesc c. 8. that vve must not meruaile nor thinke the vvorse of our Church vvheÌ„ some doe leaue vs bicause sayeth he this shevveth vs to bee of the true Christian company according vnto that they vvent out from vs Ibid. â— 10. but they vvere not of vs Yea he sayeth that all heretikes vvere once Romaines in religion and therfore novve are heretikes bicause they separate them selues as Marcion and ValeÌ„tinus did of vvhom sayeth he it is certain that they beleeued once in the Romain Churche vntill vnder Pope Eleutherius they vvere cast out of the same And this note is so certaine that if you roÌ„ne ouer the catalogue of all the ancient heretikes you shall fynde that they all vvere once members of that societie vvhich vvas coÌ„monly called and counted Christiane and vvhen they left the same they vvere by by noted for rebels runne gates and Apostatates as the scripture noteth the tyme and occasion 3. Reg. 18. vvhen the Samaritanes left the TeÌ„ple of Hierusalem and vvould vvvorship God no more in that place as the Ievves euer had doone so haue Ecclesiasticall histories noted the tyme occasion of the breach of euery arch-heretike from the Churche and as yet vve vvell remember it is not so longe the tyme and occasion of Luthers reuolte from the Catholike and Romain Churche Yea him selfe confesseth that once he vvas a Papist and that in the highest degree for these vvords he once vttered in his commentaries vppon the first Epistle to the Galarhians â—n t. cp Gal. Si quisquam alius certè ego ante lucem â—uangelij pie sensi Zelaui pro Papisticis legibus patrum traditionibus easque magno serto vt sanctus earum obseruationem tanquam necessariam ad salutem vâ—si defendi If euer any truly I befoee the light of the ghospell be meanes his ovvn ghospell thought holily and vvas Zealons For the Papisticall lavves and the fathers traditions and I vrged and defended them Ibidem and their obseruation as necessarie to saluation Yea he confesseth hovv he vvatched fasted prayed and tamed his body vvhen he vvas a friar yea sayeth he Tanta erat authoritas Papae apud me vt vel in minimo dissentire ab ipso putarem crimen aeterna damnatione dignum So great vvas the Popes authoritie vvith me that I thought it a crime vvorthy eternall damnation to dissent from him in the least pointe Ibid. Yea once sayeth hee I vvas so zealous for the Pope that I thought Ihon Husse a vvicked heretike and vvould haue burnt him vvith myne ovvne handes And as Luther vvas so vvere all the packe of their first fathers children of our mother the Catholike Churche and sithence they are gone out they vveare the badge and cognisaunce of an heretike They vvil ansvvere peraduenture that vve vvere not the true Church but vvereloÌ„ge before metamorphized and chaunged into the synagogue of the deuill that therfore it vvas tyme for them to leaue vs. But if vvee vvere degenerated I demaund of them vvhen vnder vvhat Pope or Emperour and in vvhat age and from vvhat Church did vvee degenerate out of vvhat Churche did vvee make a breache for as nothing degenerateth but from that vvhich it vvas before And if they can not tell vs vvhen vvee begone to degenerate nor noÌ„ vvhat Churche then caÌ„ they not put this marke vppon vs. Yea I shall in this booke proue that our Churche vvhich novv is aggreeth vvith the Churche vvhich in all ages euen from the Apostles vvas counted the only Christian Church Nether is it sufficient to saie that vvee vvere not the true Churche for so Arrius Nestorius Eutiches and euery heretike vvas accustomed to say vvho notvvithstanding bicause they vvent forth of that Churche vvhich vvas commonly called and counted the Christian Church vvere counted heretikes Sithe therfore Luther Caluin and the rest haue departed froÌ„ our Churche vvhich vvas and still is called the Christian Churche ether they are heretikes or else Arrius Nestorius yea Simon Magus Cerinthus and Ebion vvere noe heretiks Nether caÌ„ they bragge that many haue lefte them also and seuered them selues from their company for that vvas allvvayes the manner of heretikes not longe to continevve in one religion but to diuide them selues into many sectes And if they counte those heretikes vvho goe from theÌ„ make nevv sectes then are they all euen the first of them heretikes bicause the first of theÌ„ vvent out froÌ„ vs. Vvherfore in fevve vvords to coÌ„ prise all and to conclude vvhich I intended They can not name the Churche from vvhich vvee departed nor the tyme nor the occasion vve can tell vvhen they departed and from vvhat Churche that is the Romaine Churche vvhich vvas and is still commonly counted the true Christian Churche vvherfore it follovveth euidently that vve are still in the right Churche bicause there vvas neuer any other out of vv ch vvee could breake forth they are ronne out vve vveare the badge of true Christianes vvhich is neuer to goe out neuer to forsake that vvhich once vve haue professed they are noted vvith the marke of heretikes vvhich is to goe out and to forsake the common receiued Churche and so if euer there vvere any heretikes so called and counted for breaking forth and going out then are they heretikes and neuer shall be able to hide this marke goe they neuer so disguisedly The second Chapter discouereth the second marke of an heretike vvhich is later standing noueltie vvhich also is proued to agree as fitly to the ghospellers of this tyme as to any heretikes of former tymes GOod goeth before badd truth before falshood the currant before the counterfet and art before nature bicause euill is but a priuation of the good and falshood is that vvhich svverueth from the truth and the counterfet is but a resemblaunce of the currant and arte is but an imitation of nature and so these come after those of necessitie must goo before No meruayle then if religioÌ„ take the precedence of superstition and Christian fayth of heresie vvhich is but a priuation of that good a falsitie svveruing from that truth a counterfet resemblaunce of that currant and an artificiall imitation of ChristiaÌ„ sinceritie Religion vvas plaÌ„ted before superstitioÌ„ tooke roote ver tue vvas rooted before vice vvas sovved Mat. 18. and the seed of true fayth vvas sovved before the enemie scattered the euill cockle of heresie and as the true Apostles liued and preached before Simon Magus and other false-prophetes his successours so true fay the
vvas sovved rooted come to some height and ripenes before euer the false Apostles scattered the nettleseed and hempseed of their heresies Yea not only by the Apostles generally in the vvorld but also by their successours particulerly in euery particuler country fay the grevv and florished before heresie vvas sovved â—i â— for as Bozius in his fourth booke of the signes of the Churche learnedly proueth the first conuersion of euery country froÌ„ paganisme vnto Christianitie vvas not to heresie but to the true fayth Romain religion and vvhen that vvas receiued then heresie being but a corruption of true fayth as vineger is of vvine begane to take place then the cockle spronge vp after the good corne And therfore Sainct Paule giues vs this marke to knovv an heretike and for heresie that they arise after the true religioÌ„ Act. 80 I knovve saieth he that rauening vvolues that is heretikes after my departure shall enter amongest you not sparinge the flocke So that after sainct Paule had preached and persuaded true fayth the false prophetes entered to ruine the spirituall building vv ch he had framed In like maÌ„ner the ancient fathers haue euer noted heretikes their heresies of later standing and noueltie l. praesc c 2â— In all things sayeth Tertulian the veritie goeth before the image and last of all cometh the similitude Yea sayeth he it is a folly to thinke that heresie in doctrine is the first especially seing that the true religion fortelleth heresies And in another place ll 4. aduersus Marcionens thus hee concludeth Insumma si constatid verius quod prius id prius quod est ab initio ab initio quod ab Apostolis pariter vtique constabit idesse ab Apostolis traditum quod apud Ecclesias Apostolicas fuerit sacro-sanctum In breef if it be manifest that that is truest vvhich is first that first vvhich is from the begining that froÌ„ ye. begining vv ch is from the Apostles it shall likevvise be manifest that that is deliuered by the Apostles vv ch hath been inuiolably holdeÌ„ in the apostolicall Churches And in his booke against Praxeas he sayeth that it is adiudged against all heresies that that is true vv ch is first that is couÌ„terfet vv ch is later And this he shevveth by a similitude for sayeth he as the vvilde oliue springeth out often tymes out of the svveet oliue nutte l. praesc c 36. and the vvilde figtree out of the good figge so heresies haue grovvne out of our ground vvhich yet are not ours degenerating from the true graine of fayth Ireneus also subscribeth to Tertulians opinion in these vvords l 5. circa mâ—dium Omnes illi valde posteriores sunt quam Episcopi quibus Apostoli tradiderunt Ecclesias All they he meaneth heretikes are of much later standing then the Bishops to vvhome the Apostles deliuered and comitted the Churches And as heretikes are noted of later standing so is their doctrine counted to sauour of noueltie Vvherfore Zozomenus sayeth l. 1. c. 1â— that Arrius vvas not a frayed to affirme that vvhich neuer any durst auouch to vvit that God the sonne vvas created of nothing And Vincentius Lyrinensis vvriting a booke against heresies intitleth it against prophane nouelties and vvisely obserueth that the Catholike Churche Keepeth the olde and deuiseth noe nevv doctrine to vvhich sense he explicateth those vvordes of saint Paule O Timothee depositum custodi c. 2. ô Timothee keep that vvhich vvas deposed vvith thee and committed to thy custodie Depositum custodi sayeth he non quod à te inuentum sed quod tibi creditum est quod accepisti non quod excogitasti rem non ingenij sed doctrinae non vsurpationis priuatae sed piâ—blicae traditionis in qua non author esse debes sed custos non institutor sed sectator aurum accepisti aurum redde nolo mihi pro alijs alia subijcias Keep that vvhich is deposed not vvhich is inuented by thee but vvhich is committed to thee vvhich thou hast receiued not vvhich tho hast deuised a thing not of vvit but of doctrine not of priuate vsurpation but of publique tradition in vvhich thou oughtest not to bee an autour but a keeper not an institut our but a follovver thou receiuedst gould restore gould I will not haue thee put in one thiÌ„g for another Vvherin he putteth a playn difference bettvvixt Catholikes and heretikes that they sticke to the olde these are euer deuising nevve doctrine For although the Churche by nevv councells and definitions addeth greater explication of her religion and although by the labours and endeuours of the Doctours of the Church vvhich in no age are vvanting many points of our fayth are more illustrated and dilated yet in substaunce our fayth is still one and the same And therfore diuines saye that fayth neuer from the beginning hathe increased in substaunce but only in explication and that the Churche since the tyme of the Apostles neuer had nevv reuelations in the articles of beleef and that in general Councells she defineth noe nevv things but rather those things vvhich before vvere extaunte in scriptures fathers or tradition shee by her definition declareth more certainly and proposeth more plainly to the vevve of the vvorld So that as Vincentius Lyrinensis sayeth 〈◊〉 29.30 euen as mans body increaseth by nutrition and augmentation yet gayneth no nevv limmes and members but only getteth more quantitie and strength in the former so christian fayth by noe increase did euer yet gaine nevv articles but only hath gotten greater and clearer explication of the former Vvherfore the same doctour counsayleth euery preacher and teacher so to explicate thinges after a nevv manner that he preach not nevv doctrine Eadem quae accepisti say eth hee ita doce c. 〈◊〉 vt cùm dicas nouè noÌ„ dicas noua The same things vvhich thou hast receiued so doe thou teach that vvhen thou speakest after a nevv maÌ„ner thou speake noe nevv things And the reason vvhy faythe admitteth no noueltie is this bicause God speaketh once and neuer recalls or ameÌ„ds his vvorde Iob 33. Psal 6â— and in him that prouerb takes no place Secunda consilia meliora second counsayls are the best For God is as vvise and circumspect at the first as at the last therfore he hauing once reuealed and planted fayth that must stand for good and he that seeks to chaunge declares him selfe a corrupter not a correctour and in that he coÌ„meth after vvith his diuising vvit to adde ordetract froÌ„ the olde receiued faith he bevvrayes him selfe to be of later standing so an heretike and his doctrine to sauour of noueltie so an heresie Vvherfore to coÌ„clude sithe that it is certain that Catholikes vvhom they call papists are of noelate staÌ„ding nor noe vpstarts for I demaund vvhen they beganne and after vvhom they arose they caÌ„ be noe heretikes seing that it is noe lesse certain that the reformers of this
of this fall is a sufficient argument that the Churche neuer fell for if it had falleÌ„ it hauing been once so famous so glorious so coÌ„spicuous the fall therof vvith the tyme occasioÌ„ and other circuÌ„stauÌ„ces could not haue been coÌ„cealed as sone may the sonnes fall from heauen be vnknovven vnto the vvorld as the fall of the Churche Mat. 3. vvhich is sometymes called a citie on an hill Psal 1â— some tymes a tabernacle placed in the some Secondly if the Church fell then certes it vvas not builded vppon a rocke but on the sands Mat. 16. 2. Tim. 3. then is it not â— piller of truth Luâ— 22. then did Christ pray that Peters fayth might not fayle that his father vvould send his holy spirit to remain vvith the Apostles for euer that is in their successoures for vvith them in person he could not remain for euer and yet vvas not hard Mat. 28. Then did Christ promise that he vvould stay vvith them for euer but performed not vvhat he promised TheÌ„ vvas Christ an vnfaythfull spouse vvho betrothed him self to his Churche but separated him self froÌ„ her many hundred yeares c. 2. And then did Daniel foolishly coÌ„pare Christes Church vnto a Kingdom vvhich should neuer be ruined Ser. 2 in Psal 107. But as S. Austin vvel noteth it is the propertie of theÌ„ vvho are out of the Church to say that the Churche is not Sed illa Ecclesia sayth he in the person of the Donatists quae fuit omnium gentium iam non est perijt Hoâ— dicunt qui in illa non sunt O impudentem vocem illa non est quia tu in illa non es vide ne tu ideo non sis nam illa erit etiamsi tu non sis But that Churche vvhich consisted of all nations novv is not it is perished So they say vvho are not in it O impudent voice Is not that extant bicause thou art not in it Looke least thou therfore beest not for the Churche vvill be although thou be not Ser. â—â— in Cant. Vvherfor sainct Bernard vvho vvas one of this Church doubted not but that she should perseuer to the end Ita est tunc deinceps noÌ„ deficiet genus Christianum nec fides de terra nec charitas de Ecclesia venerunt flumina flauerunt venti impegerunt in eam non cecidit co quod fundata erat supra petram petra autem erat Christus So it is both then after vvard the ChristiaÌ„ race shall not fayle nether fayth froÌ„ the vvorld nor charitie froÌ„ the Churche fludds haue come vvindes haue blovvn haue beaten vppon her but the Churche fell not bicause it vvas founded vppon a rock vvhich rock vvas Christ Hom. 1. de Pent. The vvords of Christ must be verified sayth sainct Chrysostome bicause heauen and earth shall fayle before Christs vvords and vvhat are those vvords sayeth he euen those and no other Mat. 16. Thou art Peter and vppon this rock vvill I build my Churche This Churche sayeth he vvas impugned but could not be ouercome dartes vvere shotte against it but could not pearse engines of vvarre vvere vsed to ouerthrovv it but this tovver could not be beaten dovvn Consider sayeth he the tyraunts beasts svvords deaths dartes vvhich the deuil prepared against this Churche but all in vayne for the deuil hathe emptied his quiuer and shott all his arrovves but the Churche hath no hurte The persecutours are novv dead rotten and forgotten but the Churche florisheth Vvhere is novv Claudius vvhere is Augustus vvhere are Nero and Tiberius these are novv naked names for them selues are not extaunt Ser. post exilium And thinkest thou ô deuil sayth he that thou canst ouer throvv the Churche that art not able to encounter vvith a younge Agnes and tender Christian mayd vvho hath proued stronger then all thy force and instruments of tormeÌ„ts And if sayeth he thou couldest not ouercome the Church vvhen she vvas younge and had the Ievves and Gentils Kinges and Emperours against her thinkest thou novv to giue her the foyle or falle And truly he that sayeth that the Churche hath fayled must consequently say vvith the Atheists that it vvas the vvorke of men not of God deuised by men to Keepe fooles in avve for if the Church vvas established by God then by Gamaliel his rule Act. â— it could not by any force of man be dissolued This argument so presseth them that they dare not stand to this ansvver yet they vvill play small play rather theÌ„ staÌ„d out l. de notis Ecclesiae Luther therfore in his book of the notes of the Churche graunteth that the Church neuer quite decayed but only for the most parte and so sayeth he it decayed euen in the apostles tyme for as Christe sayeth he from the beginning had his Church so the deuil had his chappel vvhich vvas bigger then the Church so there hath been euer a succession of both but the chappel as it vvas euer bigger so vvas it most famouse And this chappell saieth he is the Church of the Papists vvhich is so famouse in Ecclesiasticall histories But this shifte is poore and ridiculouse For if the Church of the Papists degenerated from the beginning as Simon Magus did vvhy vver not vvee called by particuler names as all heretikes are Vvhy vvas not our autour named Vvhy is not the tyme and occasion registred If our Church vvas euer the greater then vvas theirs the chappel for it is against the nature of a chappel to be greater then the Church If our Church vvas the greater and most famouse then vvas ours that societie vvhich vvas commonly called the Christian Church then vvas our societie that vvhich condemned heresies and called Councels vvhich vvas persecuted by the persecutours and consequently vvas not the deuils chappel for he persecuteth not his ovvn and fauoured by Constantine and other Christian Emperours Kings Princes for vvhich monasteries vvere erected Churches builded in vvhich all the ancient doctours ministred sacrameÌ„tes preached teached ruled and gouerned And vvhere vvas then Luthers litle flock Vvhat Historiographer vvrote the progress of it Vvhat Emperours persecuted it Vvhat heretikes rayled against it Vvhat Churches vvere builded for it Vvhat ministers ruled it And vvhat vvas the manner of gouermeÌ„t in it If ther vver no such societâ—e noe other counted Christian but ours theÌ„ ether ours vvas the true Church or else the Church quite fayled so they must retourn to their first shifte vv ch yet vvill not serue their turne as is allready proued Vvherfore if all other fayle they haue yet another shifte and that is this Vve graunt say they that the Church neuer decayed but still stood immoueable vppon the rock vppon vvhich Christ founded it Mat. 16. but soone after the Apostles tyme or peraduenture before they vver all dead this Church became inuisible and appeared noe more openly but vvas preserued secretly in obscure
corners till at the length Luther vvhom God and his Church all that vvhile expected brought it to light again And all this vvhile bicause Ecclesiasticall histories conuince them they confess that ther vvas a Church commonly called Christian in vvhich Popes ruled and Kings and Princes vvere baptized but that say they vvas not the Church of Christ but the conuenticle of Papists and chappell of the deuill Io. â— and thus these euildoers fly the light This shifte serues them for tvvo purposes for first thus they vvill free them selues from all iudgemeÌ„t-seats for if you conuent them before Ecclesiasticall Iudges or the vvholle Church they vvill say that they are not lavvfull Iudges and that it is not the true Church vvhich summoneth them to appear and therfore they are not bound to stand to their sentence vvho haue all authoritie on their ovvn side And if you aske them from vvhome they had authoritie they vvill say that they had their predecessours to vvhom they succeed and their Church vvhose fayth they preach and that from them they haue authoritie if you then bid theÌ„ shevv some historie or ancieÌ„t monument of their Church they vvill ansvvere that it vvas inuisible and soe vvill say vvhat they liste and by noe Church paste or present shall you be able to controlle them for they haue a Gygas ring to goe inuisible by Secondly if the Church vvas inuisible you can not vrge them to shevv any continuall succession of it from the Apostles For they vvill say that their Church succeeded the Apostles and is the same vvhich they planted but after the Apostles tyme vvas neuer seen till Luther pulled avvay the bushell vvhich couered this light And truly I vvill easilie graunt that their Church before Luther vvas inuisible For that vvhich vvas not could not be seen but that the true Churche vvas at any tyme inuisible is altogegether improbable For vvhen hapned this darkeness I pray you Mat. 30 Psal â—â— The Church vvas once a citie vppon an hill and a tabernacle placed in the sonne hovv then could it on a sodain come to bee inuisible and noe man in the vvorld to note it Historiographers vvrite of earth-quakes and darknesses and all the vvorld noted the darkness vvhich hapned at Christes death and vvas ther no man to note this darkeness vvhich couered the vvholle face of the earth and hapned after so conspicuous a light Aristotle sayeth that the same sense iudgeth of the obiect and priuation as for example the eye vvhich beholdeth colours and light perceiueth also or at least giues occasion to the invvard sence called sensus communis to perceiue darkeness vvhen the light is gone vvhy then could not they vvhich had seen the Churche florish and shine conspicuously perceiue also vvhen first she lost her light And if they perceiued it hovve chaunceth it that none euer vvrote of so straung an accident But vvhat should I aske so many questioÌ„s vvhere I ame sure to finde noe reasonable ansvveres I vvill novv vvith one argument make all this darkeness of this erronious doctrine giue place to the light of the truth to vvit that the true Church can not be inuisible For Christ bidds vs vvhen our brother vvill not harken vnto our admonitions Mat. 18. to coÌ„playn on him to the Church Suppose theÌ„ that some heretike should preach false doctrine and being admonished to correct his errour vvould yet remain obstinate ther is no other remedie but to coÌ„playn on him to the Church and hovve shall this complaint be made if the Churche can not be found out as it can not if it bee inuisible Suppose again some Christian or infidell should beginne to doubt of his fayth and vvould fayne be instructed noe doubt his only remedie is to repayr vnto the Church for a resolution vvhere only truthe is taught and saluation is found but if the Churche be inuisible or decayed hovv shall he haue access to this Churche vvhich ether is not as they saye or at least is inuisible Truly if the Churche ether decayed or vvas inuisible then vvas the vvorld vvithout meanes of saluation for many hundred yeares But let me demaund of them hovv their Churche vvas inuisible vvhich consisteth of men and is gouerned by men and mainteined by visible gouerment visible Sacraments and audible preaching They liued not allvvayes in holes some tymes they came abroad and comming abroad and carying the name of Christians they vvere by Papists allvvayes enforced to frequent Masse and sacramentes and to professe their religion else had they been excommunicated and deliuered to seculare povver vvhence it must needs follovv that ether Luthers and Caluines Churche vvas neuer before them selues beganne to preach or that their Churche dissembled against conscience for fifteen hundred yeares But vvhat do I fight against shadovves and that vvhich neuer vvas or neuer vvas seen Let mee conclude novv that vv ch I intended The ghospellers can not deny but that the true Churche vvas once plaÌ„ted and that therfore novve that is the true Church vvhich can by succession be deriued from it for to say that the Church fayled or vvas inuisible is but a vayne imagination and seing that Catholikes can by all Histories and monuments shevv that their Church is descended from that vvhich vvas in the tyme of the Apostles theirs is the Church and they are the true Christians and seing that the reformers can not thus deriue their Church from the Apostles bicause before Luthers preaching it vvas neuer seen hard nor felt it follovveth that their Church is not Apostolicall but rather apostaticall and hereticall and they noe true Christianes but heretikes The sixt chapter handleth the sixt marke of an heretike vvhich is dissension in doctrine in vvhich chapter is proued that peace is a marke of the true Church and that the dissentious ghosppellers are heretikes if euer any vvere CIcero that famous oratour and Merchaunt of vvords Philippica 13. speaking of peace giues it this vvorthy commendation Pacis nomen dulce est res vero ipsa cum iucunda tum salutaris The name of peace is svveet but the thing it selfe is bothe pleasaunt and soueraine To vvhich opinion of his all men vvill easilie subscribe if they enter into consideratioÌ„ of the nature of peace For vvhat is more pleasaunt then that vvhich all things desire and vvhat more healthfull and souerayne then that vvhich preserueth all things So pleasaunt is peace that euen senseles creaturs seem vvholly to desire it The heauens moue all from the east to the vvest caryed vvith the svvay of the first heauen called primum mobile and yet by their proper motions at the same tyme they moue also from the vvest to the East some svviftly some slovvly yet vvith such vniformitie aggrement as though they desired nothing more then peace and feared nothing more then iarring and disagreeing in their motions The ElemeÌ„tes vvhen they are out of their naturall places do moue speedily and make great hast to get
called Ievv and gentile the Grecian and the barbarous and all natioÌ„s vnder the sonne vnto his faith Churche and religion Vvherfore this Church almost from the beginning euen vvhen it vvas confined vvith in Hierusalem Act. 2. coÌ„teined Parthians Medes Persians Mesopotamians and as the scripture sayeth allmost all nations vnder the sonne And vvhen the holy Spirit descended vppon the Apostles and Disciples in firie tongues Ibidem and gaue them the guifte also to speake all languages that vvas to signifie that the Church of Christ vvas not to speake Englishe only or Scotishe and Flemishe only but all languages Vvherfore God promised our Sauiour Christ that he vvould giue him not England only not Scotland Flanders and Germany only Psal 2. but all nations for his inheritaunce Psal 71. Psal 81. And he auoucheth that his Church shall rule from Sea to Sea and that all nations hall haue access vnto it Mat. 28. And so accordingly Christ gaue authoritie to his Apostles to preach vnto all nations Vvherby I gather that the Church of Christ is not to bee a particuler sect confined vvith in any straites and corners of the vvorld but rather an ample Kingdome reaching ouer all the vvorld Symb. Apost Niceph. And this vvee professe in our Creed vvhen vve say that vve beleeue the holy Catholike Church For Catholike is as much to say as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vniuersall l cont ep fundamenti c. â— Vvhich name sayeth S. Austin holdeth me in the Churche And vvhy bicause he knevv it to bee a signe of the true Christian Churche vvhich neuer yet aggreed to any hereticall sect Ibidem li de verae rel c â— l de vtil credendi c. 7. ether of the Manichies of vvhich once he vvas one or of the Donatistes or Pelagians or any other And this sayeth saint Austine is so manifest a marke of the true Churche that heretikes them selues ambitiously affecte the same but yet if you aske for the Catholike Churche they point to ours knovving in their conscience that ours only is in deed Catholike â—â— â— 2. l. 2. And so saint Austin and Optatus refuted the Churche of the Donatists by this argument especially bicause it vvas confined vvith in the limites of Africa And Pacianus saieth that so soone as certain singuler Sect-masters deuised nevve religions Ep. â— ad So. phr and vvere called by particuler names the true Christians to distinguishe them selues from particuler sectes tooke the name Catholique euen from the beginninge as appeareth by the Creed vv ch the Apostles made vvhich name soundeth nether of Marcion nor Cerdon nor Apelles nor ValeÌ„tinus nor Neâ—torius nor Arrius l. cont Iudeos c. 1â— nor Luther nor Caluin And Tertulian so longe as he remained Catholike him self confessed that the true Churche vvas that vvhich vvas diffused throughe out all the vvorld Yea he sayeth that in his tyme the true Christians not vvithstanding the violence of persecution filled the Paganes Cities Apol. c. 37. Ilands Castles Courts Senats and only lefte their temples to them selues but noe soner vvas this man become an heretike but he affirmed most absurdly that the Churche might consiste of three persons though they vvere of the laitie li de exhor cast c. 7 l. de pudic c. 21. Vvhich he did partely bicause he vvould make vp a Churche of Montanus Prisca and Maximilla to vvhom he had vnited him selfe partlie to deliuer in him selfe froÌ„ the name of an heretike to vvhich hee savve him selfe subiect bicause he vvas novve of a particuler sect So that it is sufficiently proued that the Churche of Christe is Catholike that is a Societie professing one fayth in all countries yea and ages also cap. â— according to that of Vincentius Lirinensis In Ecclesia Catholica tenenduÌ„ quod vbique quod semper quod ab omnibus creditum In the Catholike Churche that is to be holden vvhich euery vvhere alvvayes and of all hath been beleeued For that sayeth hee the name Catholique importeth Novve let vs see vvhether the Romain Church faythe or rather the Church of the reformers be the Catholike consequently the Christian Churche for these tvvoe Catholike ChristiaÌ„ euer vveÌ„t together And here I require noe diuines nor Philosophers to be Iudges in this matter only let me haue meÌ„ that haue eares or eyes I desire noe more For the eye vvill easilie Iudge vvhether of these tvvo Churches bee most like to bee Catholike The Romaine Churche vvhich the aduersary calleth Papisticall hath florished in all ages and in the most parte of the vvorld as all histories vvill testifie And novve at this daye our faythe and Churche one and the same is diffused throughe out Spaine Fraunce Italie Portugall and a great parte of Flanders and Germanie yea it reacheth euen to the Indianes and other nevv found countries conuerted by the Benedictines See the first booke first chap. Iesuites and other religious men And so it is Catholique bicause being one and the same it hathe euer possessed all ages countries and still dothe euen to this daye As for the reformers Church and faythe I see noe signe of a Catholike Church in it For first it began not an hundred yeares since In the fifte chapter as before is demonstrated Secondly it neuer yet possessed the vvholle vvorld nor any great part of it as the eye vvill beare vvitnesse only it hathe gotten entertaynmeÌ„t in certayne partes of the vvorld as England Scotland Holland and some Cantons of Germanie Thirdly it is not one Church nor faythe that possesseth all these places but many yea scarce one religion filleth one shire or citie Vvherfore allthoughe England vvere all the vvorld and this age all ages yet vvere not their religion Catholike bicause it is not one faythe and religion in all the shyres of England nor all the yeares of this age for in Englande are many sectes and religions and they also different from the nevve faythes of other countries for there is great difference betvvixte them and the Lutheranes in Germanie Hugonots in Fraunce and Gues in Flanders Nether is it sufficient for any of them to say that their faythe is Catholike bicause all are inuited to it and coÌ„maunded to accept of it for so euerie sectmaster may saye of his religion and I haue proued that the true Christian faythe Church and religion is Catholike in that it being one possesseth all ages and countries Vvherfore to conclude seing that the Church or rather Churches of the reformers neuer possessed all ages and countries yea neuer one and the same filled any one countrie it follovveth that their Church is not Catholike and consequently not the true Christian Church and so they are no true Christians but heretiques and singuler sectmasters if euer there vvere any bicause in that they are of particuler sectes they vveare the same Badge vvhich Donatistes Arians Nestorians and such like haue vvorne before them and for vvhich they
vvere euer counted and called heretikes The eight Chapter discourseth vppon the eight marke of an heretike vvhich is to be condemned for an heretike by that Church vvhich vvas commonly counted the true Christian Church AS vvhen the subiectes beginne to make rebellion the prince suppresseth them or cutteth them of and vvhen any sheep of the flocke are infected the good shepheard separateth them from the rest least they infect the vvholl flocke as the surgeon cutteth of the rotten member least it corrupt the vvholle body and the carefull Husbandman pluckes vp the vveedes least that they ouergrovv the good corne so the supreme pastour of the Church vvhen any rebellious heretikes rose vp in armes against the Church to vvhom they ought of right to be subiect assembled allvvayes his forces together that is called Generall Councels of his Bishops and by the censure of excommunication suppressed these rebelles least that by their ciuil vvarres they should molest the peace of Christe his Church and endeuoured to separate these infected sheepe least that they should infect the vvholle folde of Christ and to cut of these rotten and rotting members least they should corrupt the vvholl body to pluck vp these noysome vveeds least they might peraduenture ouergrovv the good corne of the Catholike Christians And although in the beginning by reason of persequution and vvant of habilitie the Church could not haue her Generall Councels yet euen then the pastours of the Church assembled them selues together in vvriting by vvhich they refuted their heresies and made the autours Knovvn that others might the better auoid them But after that the Church had gotten a Constantine for her champion and temporall princes for her Protectours then against Arius she gathered a Councell at Nice consisting of three hundred and eighteen Bishops Aâ—han ep ad Iou disp con Arian Socr l. 1. c. â— Gen. 14. by vv ch number as Abraham once subdevved fiue Kings so our Sauiour Christ by Pope Siluester his Vicare at Nice the citie of Victorie for so much the Greek vvord impotteth by Victor also and Vincentius vvhose names are victorious gotte the victorie of Arius and the Quartadecimanes and defined against the Arrians that the sonne vvas consubstantiall to the father and against the Quartadecimanes vvhat day Easter should be kept and obserued Vvhich being done the excommunication condemnation curses and anathems vvere thundred our against them and a Synodicall Epistle vvas vvritten to Pope Siluester vvho confirmed the Councels sentence in another Councel at Rome The Emperour Constantine reuerencing this sentence as the sentence of Christes church banished Arius commaunded his bookes to be burned and him and his to be taken for accursed heretikes and after a banquet to vvhich he inuited the holy Bishops he conueighed them home as honourably as he called them together So against Macedonius vvas gathered the second Synode at Constantinople by the authoritie of Pope Damasus for the defence of the holy ghosts diuinitie Against Nestorius a generall Councell vvas called at Ephesus by Pope Celestinê° vvherin vvas defined that in Christ is but one person At Chalcedon by the authoritie of Pope Leo the first in a generall Councell Eutyches vvas condemned for affirming but one nature in Christe And the like generall consent of the Church in condemnation of the Pelagians Berengarians Vviclephistes and such others I could easily alleage out of Ecclesiasticall histories and the Councells them selues But this may suffice to shevve that vvhensoeuer any preached nevv doctrine the Christian vvorld vvondered at theÌ„ the Churche admonished them and if they refused to obey her shee in Generall Councelles condemned them and the Emperours and Catholike Princes executed their lavves vppon them vvhich vvere enacted against heretikes and then all good Christians shunned them as infected and infecting persons l. con proph haeresum nouitates c. 1â— For as Vincentius Lyrinensis sayeth Annunciare aliquid Christianis Catholicis praeterid quod acceperunt nusquam licet nunquam licebit anathematizare eos qui annunciant aliquid praeterquam quod semel acceptum est nunquam non oportuit nusquam non oportet nunquam non oportebit To preach vnto Christians other doctrine then that vvhich they haue allready receiued noe vvhere is lavvfull and neuer shall be lavvfull and to accurse as heretikes those vvhich preach other doctrine then vvhich before hathe been accepted it vvas euer behoueable it is euery vvhere behoueable and euer shal be behoueable And vvhosoeuer readeth the Ecclesiasticall histories shall see hovv allvvayes they vvere taken for heretikes vvho vvere coÌ„demned by Generall Councells and holden so by that Church vvhich commonly vvas called Christian And good reason for he that vvill not obey the Churche muste be by Christes commaundement eschevved as an Ethnike and Publicane Mat. 18. Let novv the indifferent reader be Iudge vvhether this note and marke aggreeth not as properly to Luther Caluin their follovvers as euer it did to Arrius Macedonius Nestorius Eutiches and suche like vvho by their ovvn confession vvere infamous heretikes They taught strauÌ„ge doctrines neuer allovved by that Church vvhich vvas coÌ„monly counted Christian so did Luther and Caluin At them vvhen they began to preach the ChristiaÌ„ vvorld vvondered so did it vvhen these men began Vvhen they by the Churches admonition could not be reclaimed the Churche by a generall Councell in vvhich the Pope ruled by his Legates condemned them as heretikes so vvhen Luther begane to preach Leo the tenth Pope of that name vvarned him of it and sent Cardinall Caietane a larned and famouse diuine to conferre vvith him but he being protected by the Duke of Saxonie though some tymes he fayned that he vvould submit him self remained obstinate vvherfore a generall Councell vvas called at Trent vvherby the sentence of the learnedst grauest and vvisest Prelates of the vvorld for ther vvere present six Cardinalls fovve Legates three Patriarches thirty and tvvo Arch-bishops tvvo hundred and eight Bishops and fiue Abbors seuen Generalls of religions and Proâ—utatours of religions and other learned men very many Luther and all the heretikes and heresies of this age vvere condemned euen as Arrius and other heretikes in other Councels before had been But they say that it vvas not the true Churche vvhich condemned them And might not Arrius haue sayed the same And vvhen I pray you did the true Churche that once vvas and vvhich condemned Arrius degenerate Vnder vvhat Pope and Emperour In vvhat age in vvhat year of our Lord vppon vvhat occasion But this miserable refuge of theirs is already reiected At least that Churche vvhich vvhen Luther began to preach vvas commonly counted the only true Christian Church condemned them and so if euer ther vvere any heretikes these men also must be counted so else Arrius sentence vvhich that societie vvhich vvas coÌ„monly counted Christian pronounced against him must be reuersed or at least again examined To these markes may be added others as vvante of mission allegation of bare scripture bragging
free as they vvhoe are Lordlesse and subiecte to none The sixt Chapter shevveth hovv they despoile Christ of the title of an eternall preest according to the order of Melchisedech ALmighty God being highly offended iustly displeased that so meane a creature as maÌ„ should coÌ„temne his commaundement and not care for his displeasure it vvas necessary that a preest should be found out vvho by some pleasing sacrifie should appease this his indignation so iustly conceiued And many preestes in deed haue assaied by diuerse sacrifices to pacifie this angry God but haue all fayled of their intended purpose For nether vvere they of that authoritie as to bee Mediatours betvvixt God and man for such a reconciliation nether vvere their Sacrifices of that vvorthe as to make amends for so great a faulte Vvherfore God by his Prophetes complayneth of their insufficiencie saying that hee is full cloyed vvith the multitud of theyr sacrifices Isa 1. and telleth them plainly that if they offer vnto him Holocaustes and vovves of Fatlinges he vvill not looke at them Auioâ— 5. Psal 10. Bicause sayeth Dauid God is not delighted in such sacrifices Yea so insufficient vvere all the preestes of the old lavve that God by his prophet Ezechiel threatneth that hee vvill put then out of office c. 34. and in steed of so many he vvill giue vs one Preest and Pastour Christe Iesus vvhom hee calleth his seruaunt Dauid bicause as man hee descended lineally from Dauid and in respect of his humaine nature Phiilp â— he vvas gods seruauÌ„t and inferiour This preest Christe Iesus is the high preest and the only highe preest of the nevv lavve For althoughe in the lavv of Moyses it vvas necessary to haue many highe preestes bicause Hsâ— â— as sainct Paule sayeth their mortalitie vvould not permitte them to liue and remayne allvvayes and bicause death put them out of office it vvas necessarie that others should succeed them in the same authoritie And so the first of this ranke and line of preestes vvas Aaron for Moyses vvas extraordinary to vvhom Eleazarus and others succeeded to the number of fovvrscore and odde Ioseph h. l. 22. Aut. c. 2. yet in the nevv lavve one christ Iesus is sufficient vvho thoughe hee hathe many vicegerentes vvhich are bishops and preestes of the nevv lavve yet hathe he noe successours For noe man succeedeth to another vnless the other ether dye or giue ouer his office vvherfor seing that our Sauiour Christe though he dyed yet rose again neuer to dy agayne and neuer surrendred or gaue ouer his office but still offereth sacrifice still baptiseth still ministreth Sacramentes and ruleth gouerneth his Church by his vicars and ministres he hathe noe highe preest that succeedeth him but is the sole and only high preest of the nevv lavve farie exceeding all the Popes bishops and preests that euer vvere For his preestly authoritie as diuines saye vvas not grounded vppon a caracter vvhich other Preestes receue in the SacrameÌ„t of order but vppon hypostaticall vnion by vvhich he vvas the sonne of God his authoritie exteÌ„ded not it selfe to Christianes only or them that are baptised â— Cor. 5. as the Popes and Churches authoritie dothe vvho haue no iurisdiction ouer them that are out of the Churche and vvho neuer vvere baptized but also eueÌ„ vnto infidels vvhome hee commandeth to receue fay the and the SacrameÌ„t of Baptisme by his preestly povver he instituted Sacraments established a Church pastours and prescribed a monarchicall gouernment vvhich ordonaÌ„ces the Church obeyeth but caÌ„ not alterd by his authoritie he could giue grace vvith out Sacraments as he did to sainct Mathevve Mat. 9. Luâ— 7. Marie Magdalen and others vvheras the Pope bishops and preests of the Church giue noe grace infaillibly but by Sacraments And this is the preest vvho for the dignitie of his person and the valevve of his sacrifice vvas the only preest vvho could appease gods vvrath and indignation 〈…〉 This preest must needs be harde bicause the dignitie of his person suffereth noe repulse and the vvorthe of his sacrifice vvas vnspeakable and hee the same that offered the sacrifice vvas the God vvho vvas angry to vvhoÌ„ vvas offred the sacrifice The preest vvas holyer then the sinner for vvhome the sacrifice vvas offered vvas malicious the sacrifice vvas more pleasing to god Rom. â— then the sinne displeasing So pretiouse vvas the sacrifice that if Christ had put the sacrifice in one ballauÌ„ce the sinne in the other it vvould haue ouer vvayed sinne as a thing of noe vveight vvhich notvvithstanding is so heauy that it vveyeth dovvn to Hell Iâ—b 6. For if euery operation of Christ bee it neuer so litle bicause it vvas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the operation of God and man vvas of infinite valevve by reason of the dignitie of the person vvhat shall vvee say of that heroicall operation of Christs passion vvhich vvas an acte of singuler charitie Io. 1â— Phil. 2. couragiouse fortitude inuincible patience perfecte obedieÌ„ce and sacred religioÌ„ for it vvas a sacrifice This preest offered tvvo sacrifices the one at his last supper vnbloudy the other vppon the crosse bloody or rather one and the same sacrifice in respect of the thing vvhich vvas offered after diuers manners and vnder diuers formes For in his last supper he offered his sacred body and blood after an vnbloudy manner on the crosse he offereÌ„d the same after a bloudy manner at his last supper he offered his body and blood vnder another forme that is vnder the formes of bread and vvine on the crosse he offered the same in their ovvn forme and likenes The bloody sacrifice vvas but once to be offered Heb. 7.9 bicause it vvas so precious that one oblation vvas sufficient But bicause it vvas offered only as a generall cause of all grace price of our redeÌ„ption it vvas coÌ„uenient that this generall cause should be determined by more particuler causes and that this price should be more determinately applyed as by sacrameÌ„tes fayth and good vvorks so by the vnbloody sacrifice of the Masse Yea bicause the sacrifice of the crosse being bloudy could not bee repeated after Christs resurrection he then being impassible and immortall it vvas coÌ„uenient that an vnbloudy sacrifice should also be offered continually in the Church for the vvorship of God and exercise of religioÌ„ vvhich as I shall proue in the fourth booke can not stand vvithout a sacrifice See the fourth booke By the bloody sacrifice Christ vvas a preest and highe preest but nether according vnto the order of Aaron bicause that preest hood by Christs passion vvas abrogated and vvas confined vvhithin the Tribe of Leuie of vvhich Christ vvas not nether according to Melchisedech bicause there vvas noe similitude nor aggreement in their sacrifices Vvherfore seing that our Sauiour vvas a preest according to the order of Melchisedech for God affirmeth it vvith an othe
contempte of Saintes Images and Reliques though vve laye aside Scriptures fathers tradition historie and all monumentes is an argumente sufficient for the proofe of the vvorship and respecte vvhich is devv vnto them And to make it more manifest I vvill propose an example vvhich shall lay open vnto the vevv of any reasonable man the absurditie vvhich follovveth contempte of these thinges and the traiterouse meaning vnto Christe vvhich it implyeth Put the case that some one in Ingland of his Maiesties subiects should profess great loyaltie loue and honour vnto him yet could not abide to hear a good vvord of his gloriouse mother yea vvould reuile her and miscall her but vnder this pretence that his Maiestie is novv to haue all the honour and that noe honour can be giuen to the mother but so much is taken from the sonne Suppose he should passe by his lorde chauncelour and Treasurer vvithout mouinge capp and appear before his honourable counsaill vvithout bovving of body or bending of knee and being demaunded vvhether his capp vvet not nayled to his head or vvhether his knee vvanted not a iointe he should ansvver them that his cappe is nayled to all but his Maiestie his knee is stiffe to all but his ovvn good selfe Suppose also he should despise his fauourites and hate them as much as hee affecteth them protesting that he only loueth his Maiestie to vvhoÌ„ he giueth so much of his affection that he hath none lefte for his freinds or vvelvvillers Suppose that vvhen he enteteth into the chamber of presence he should make no more reuerence to his Chaire theÌ„ to an alehovvse benche Suppose that vvhensoeuer he meeteth vvith his Graces picture he should deface and defile it and should caste into the fier vvhat soeuer he findeth that hathe been vsed by him and all vnder this pretence that he giueth all respecte vnto his ovvn person and vvill not giue any at all to any thinge else bee it neuer so neare or so deare vnto him least he should seem to parte stakes and not to giue all honour and affection to his Highnes Suppose also that he should stopp all sutes vvhich are made vnto his Chauncelour Treasurer Counsailours and other offices avouching that such suters are traytours to his Maiestie vvho in that they goe not to him immediately doe seem not to put that confidence in him vvhich his goodness requireth but rather do imagine that ether he is not able of him selfe or else not so vvilling as able vvould you take this man to bee a loyall subiect or vvold you not not vvith standing all these his goodly pretences and solemne protestatious suspecte his sinceritie and might you not iustly feare least after contempte of all that are beloÌ„ging vnto his Maiestie he vvould laye violent hands vppon his ovvn person Truly I doubt not but that such a one vvould quickly be arested and apprehended for a traytour The like case is betvvixte Christe Iesus and these nevv reformers and zelatours They professe all honour dutie and affection to Christe but they reuile his mother and vvill haue no honour giuen vnto her least that in honouring the mother they should dishonour the sonne They beare noe respect vnto Christes cheefest officers the Apostles to vvhom he committed his Church at his departure They fauour not at all the freinds and fauorits of Christe the saincts and angells and this they saye they doe for feare least they should incurre Christs disfauour in fauouring them vvhom he him selfe did fauoure Vvhen they meete vvith the image of Christe or of his mother or frendes they deface and defile it Vvhen they see the crosse of Christe they svvell at the very sight of it as if they vvere possessed and can noe more abide it then can the deuill vvho bicause he hateth Christe can not brooke his crosse If they should hit vppon any bone of Christes frendes they vvould spurne at it and if any relique of Christe or his mother or his Apostles and other saints should be in their vvaye if a dunghil vver not nere hand they vvould caste it into the fier All sutes and requestes vvhich are made to the Mother of God or any sainte officer or freind of Christe they forbid and condemne as iniuriouse to Christe as though say they Christ vvere not able or vvilling enough of him selfe but that the vvay must be made by mediatours and intercessours These are their goodly pretences but vvhat litle signe of true meaning tovvards Christe therby is shevved the lavv of frendship shall determine vvhich telleth vs that it vve loue our freinde vve must loue his alliaunce frends and all appertaining vnto him euen vnto his dogge And if in the other case of that bragging subiecte vvho preteÌ„ds great honour to his Maiestie sentence vvould be pronounced against him as against a traytour bicause although he professe great loue and honour tovvards him yet he declares the contrarie in the contempte of his mother frends and officers I see not bovv any indifferent Iudge can condemne him for a traytour to his Maiestie vnless he pronounce these men also traytours vnto Christe his person bicause vvhere the case is like and the cause the same and only the persons different if the sentence be not the same the iudge is partiall and an accepter of persons THE FOVRTH BOOKE CONTEINETH A GENErall suruey of their Religion and vvorship of God in vvhich it is proued that they haue ether noe Religion at all or a graceless religion The first Capter shevveth hovv Preestes and religion euer vvent together and that the reformers haue noe Preestes and consequently no religion THE olde lavv being abrogated as able only to shevv the vvay but not to giue force to vvalke in the same to coÌ„maunde but not to giue grace to obeye the olde Sacraments being antiquated and abolishep as signes only vvhich represented grace but could not effectuate it the old Preestes also by good consequence vvere turned out of office as able only to iudge betvvixte corporall lepresies and to absolue from legall irregularities bicause the lavve sacraments and sacrifices being abolished ther vvas noe vse of the Preests vvho vvere ordayned only for one of these three offices that is to preach and interprete the lavv to minister sacrameÌ„ts or to offer sacrifice And in lieu of the old lavv a nevv lavv by Christe being established vvhich vvas vvritten not vvith the fingers of an Angell as the old vvas Exod. â—â— but of the holy ghoste not in stones as that vvas but in the hartes of men nevv sacraments also being instituted not only to signifie grace but also to sanctifie nevve Preests of necessitie vvere to bee appointed to interprete this lavve and to minister these sacraments bicause lavv religion and Preestes euer vvent together Heb. 9. and therfore as sainct Paule sayeth the one beeing altered the other vvas to be chaunged Three lavves there are by vvhich God hathe ruled his people to vvit the lavve of nature the lavv vvritten
rable of their ministers vvho are no more Preests then they vvere that made them l. â—raesâ— Vltra med The like ordination and institution of ministers Tertulian recordeth to haue beene practised by the heretikes of his tyme Their ordinations sayeth he are light rashe inconstaunte one vvhile they make ministers of Neophits another vvhile of lay men and those vvho are tyed to the vvorld another vvhile of our Apostataes that they may bynde them vnto them by glorie vvhom they can not by veritie Vvherfore one Bishop they haue to daye another to morâ—vv to day he is made a Deacon vvho to morovve is Reader to day he is a preest vvho to morovv is a lay-man for to lay men they inioyne preestly functioÌ„s If then they haue noe Preests they haue none vvho hathe authoritie to minister sacraments to offer sacrifice and to preach vnto the people and so can haue noe religion bicause Preests and religion must euer go together Thus sainct Hierom reiecteth refuteth the sect of Luciferians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lucif Hilarius sayeth he vvho vvas the head of the Luciferians vvhen being a Deacon he departed from the Churche and he alone vvich his companions as he thinketh became the only company and Churche of the vvorld can nether consecrate the Euchariste hauing nether Bishops nor preests nether can he giue baptisme vvithout the Euchariste For then Baptisme the Euchariste Confirmation vvere giuen together and novv he being dead his secte and Church is dead vvith him bicause he being but a Deacon could ordanie noe Clerke to succeed him and that is noe Churche vvhich hath noe preest Thus he argued against the Luciferians and the same argument do I make against all the nevv sects of this age you haue noe true preests by your ovvne doctrine nether in deed can you haue any bicause all your ministers vvere ordayned vvithout order that is vvithout consecration and imposition of Bishops hands and they haue their authoritie from them vvho being lay men could nether haue it them selues nor giue it to others and seing that religion and preests of necessitie did euer go together as is all ready proued you hauing noe true Preests can haue noe true religion and so your preachings bishopping and supping or coÌ„municating and your administrations of other sacraments Baptisme only excepted vvhich in necessitie lay men yea vvoemen may minister are noe more actes of religion then if the same vvere doone by players vppoÌ„ the stage bicause you haue noe more preestly authoritie then they haue so haue noe true religioÌ„amoÌ„gest you but only an apish imitation and a Stage-play of religion The second Chapter proueth that religion can not stande vvithout a true sacrifice and that the reformers haue no true religion bicause they haue noe Sacrifice MAN being composed of soule and body is to serue his Creatour vvth bothe therfore must not only beleeue vvith harte but must professe also his beleefe vvith touÌ„gue must not only prayse god in spirit but must vse his mouth also as a troÌ„pet to souÌ„d out this prayse nether must he pray vvith soule oÌ„lie butvvith lip pes also he ought not only to huÌ„ble his mynd in prayer but to bovve and bende his knee and body also and he is not only to mynde and meane vvell but he must also doe vvell Mas. â— to glorifie his father vvhich is in heauen to edifie his brother in earth Vvhich thing is soe deeply imprinted in the mynds of men that ther vvere neuer any ether religious or superstitious vvhose invvard deuotion did not breake forthe into some outvvarde signes or ceremonies by vvhich vvas manifested outvvardly and by some action or gesture of the body vvhat vvas in vvardly coÌ„ceiued and concealed in the mynde And amongest all the externall vvorshipps and outvvard signes of invvard deuotioÌ„ and religion sacrifice vvas euer counted the principal vvhich therfore as Sainct Austine noteth l. 10. cin â— 4. vvas neuer offered but ether vnto God or to some creature vv ch vvas esteemed of as God And therfore all nations of vvhat religion soeuer they vvere haue euer vsed to offer sacrifice as thoughe they thought that they gaue not vnto their God his right honour and vvorship vnless they should offer vnto him one sacrifice or other l. 〈…〉 Plinie reporteth that the people of Sabea offered as sacrifices vnto their Gods all maner of spices but myrhe vvher vvith that countrie aboundeth others haue offered fruites and hearbes of the earth others brute beasts others haue sacrificed childreÌ„ men vnto their Gods vvherin thoughe many superstitions and abominable idolatries vvere committed yet thereby appeareth that noesooner the harte of man is possessed vvith religion true or false but it thinketh of one sacrifice or other aduersâ—â— Colotem In so much that Plutarke sayeth that a man shall sooner hitte vppon cities vvithout vvalles hovvses Kings lavves coynes Schooles and Theaters then vvithout TeÌ„ples and Sacrifices l. quod non patest suauiter viui secunduÌ„ Epis. and therfore sayeth he Epicure vvho in deed serued noe other god theÌ„ his belly and consequently had no other Church then his Kitching noe other Preests then his cookes and no other sacrifices then his dishes offered notvvithstanding sacrifice vnto the Gods for feat of the multitude And as these bicause they had the light of nature offered sacrifices but bicause they vvaÌ„ted light of faithe offered them to false Gods and vvith much superstition so the true vvorshippers of God vvho vvere indevved vvith the true light of faith offered sacrifice vnto the true God In the first booke and last chap. Adam as I haue allready proued vvas a preest therfore did noe doubt offer sacrifice to appease Gods vvrath conceiued against his faulte although the Scripture maketh no meÌ„tion of it Gen. 4. Abelâ—â—s the Scripture vvitnesseth being a Pâ—â—â—st vvas not content to bear a harte full of reuerence vnto God but to make manifest the invvard religion of his mynde he killed the first borne and fattest of his flocke offered them to God as a sacrifice and God respected Abel and his oblatioÌ„s Noê also so soone as the Fludde vvas fallen builded an Altar vnto God and vppon it he sacrificed and offered holocausts and burnt-offerings of the cleane beasts Gen. 8.17 and fovvles vvhich he had preserued from the furiouse vvaues of that vniuersall deluge See the first booke last chap. The like did Abrahame Melchisedech Iob and many other Patriarches and true seruaunts of God vvho liued vnder the lavve of nature as is also in the place alleaged proued and de-declared In the lavve vvritten the vse of offering sacrifice vvas more frequent and the sacrifices and the ceremonies vvhervvith they vvere to bee offered vvere determined by Gods ovvn mouth as appeareth by the booke of Leuiticus and other parts of scripture And for this purpose especially God commaunded Salomon to build that stately Temple and vvould haue noe sacrifice offered
sacrifice as they confesse that they haue not and in deed they haue not if sacrifice as being the principall office of religion and proper vnto God as is proued is so necessarily required that vvithout it regilgioÌ„ can in no vvise bee supported the coÌ„clusion to vvâ—hich my former discourse driueth must needs follovve to vvit that tâ—e reformers haue noe religion bicause noe sacrifice noe reilgioÌ„ And seing that in the Catholike and Romain Churche only is founde a sacrifice like to Melchisedechs and correspondent to that of vvhich Daniel and Malachie haue fortold as the Sacrifice of the nevv lavve and the same vvhich Christe offered at his laste supper and commaunded to bee offered by his Apostles and their successours it follovvethe that the Catholike Churche is the true Church of Christe and that in it only is practised true faithe and true religion The third Chapter shevveth hovv the reformers amongest them haue reiected all the SacrameÌ„ts and so can haue noe religion bicause SacrameÌ„ts and religion euer goe to together IT is a common opinion amongest the holy fathers and diuines that since the falle of Adam SacrameÌ„tes vvere alvvayes necessary partely to declare mans dutye tovvards God and partely for maÌ„s ovvne instruction For first man being composed of soule and body vvas to serue God not only vvith invvard affectioÌ„s but allso by outvvard and visible signes Secondly bicause he vvas to receiue grace from Christe against the maladie of sinne into vvhich he vvas fallen he vvas also to professe his faythe in Christe from vvhome this grace proceedeth and to acknovvledge it as desceÌ„ding from his passion by visible signes and figures such as Abels sacrifice and Circumcision vvere in the lavv of nature and such as the Paschal lambe and other sacraments vvere in the lavve of Moyses and such as baptisme and the sacrament of the Altare are in the lavve of grace Thirdly bicause he had offeÌ„ded God by vse of corporall thinges it vvas conuenient that by corporall and sensible Sacramentes and by the religious vse of the same he should restore God his honour vvhich sinne had taken from him and make him satisfaction by such thinges as he had done him iniurie For mans behalfe also Sacraments since Adames sinne vvere alvvayes requisite Gen. 3. For first bicause mannes sinne proceeded of pride and a desire to bee like to God in knovvledge of good and euill it vvas conuenient for mans humiliation that hee should be set to Schole Prou. 6. to learne not only of the Ante diligence and of other brute beastes other vertues but also of these senseles creatures such as SacrameÌ„ts are his faithe and religion Vvherfore as the Paschall lambe brought the Ievves into a gratefull remeÌ„braunce of their deliuerie and passage from Egipte and Circumcision did put theÌ„ in mynde of a spirituall Circumcision Rom. 6. So Baptisme setteth before our eyes the buriall and Resurrection of Christe For vvhen the infante is dipped into the vvater vvee thinke of Christes buriall and vvhen hee is lifted vp a nevv creature regenerated to a nevve life vvee call to mynde the resurrection by vvhich Christe is risen to a nevv and an immortall life And in the Sacred Euchariste vvhich by the formes of bread representeth the body of Christe and by the accidentes of vvine the bloud of Christe aparte Mat. 26. vve commemorate the deathe and Passion of Christe Secondly as man by sinne had preferred the creature before the Creatour so vvas it meet and conuenient that he should as it vvere begge grace and seeke his saluation by the meanes of these sensibles signes and Sacraments vvhich are farre inferiour vnto him in nature Lastly as by abuse of corporall creatures he had vvounded his soule by sinne so vvas it expediente that by vse of the same his diseases and spirituall sores should be recured And so it vvas moste requisite that Christe in the nevv lavve should institute seÌ„sible signes and Sacraments â—i 19. cont â—eust c. 10. And therfore sainct Austine sayeth that as yet neuer any societie could ioyne in one religion and vvorship of God but by the vse of the same Sacramentes In vvhich pointe the reformers aggree vvhith vs for they all avouch Suenkfeldius only excepted and some other Libertines that Sacramentes are necessarie but in the number they vary not only from the Catholikes but also from one another The Catholike Churche hathe euer vsed seauen sacramentes vvhich are Baptisme Confirmation the Sacramen-of the Altare Penaunce Order Mariadge and Extreme vnction â— p q. 65. a. â— Vvhich number sainct Thomas the diuine proueth by a very pregnaunte reason or rather similitude vvhich is betvvixte the corporall spirituall life of man For in our corporall life seuen thinges are required to vvhich are correspoÌ„dent seuen sacraments in the spirituall life of man In a corporall life first is necessary generatioÌ„ vvhich giueth the first being and essence and to this is ansvverable Baptisme vvhich regenerateth vs again vnto a nevv life and spirituall being of a Christian by vvhich vvee are nevv creatures borne of vvater the Spirit vnto a nevv life Io 1. l. de Bapt. Vvherfore Tertulian callethe Christians spirituall fishes bicause though they haue their corporal life from earthe by carnall generation yet their spirituall life and being like fishes they receiue from the vvater by spirituall regeneration Secondly in a corporall life is necessarie augmentation by vvhich the litle infante for all beginnings are litle vvaxeth grovveth and gaineth devv proportion quantitie and strengh by vvhich he is able to exercise operations and actions belonging to corporall life as to eate drinke talke vvalke laboure to defend him selfe and to assaulte his enemie And to this is correspondent the Sacrament of Confirmation vvhich perfiteth vs in the spirituall life receiued in Baptisme vv ch is the cause vvhy some fathers say that before this Sacrament vve are not perfecte Christians and giues vs force to defende this our spirituall life by confessing our faythe before the persequutor vvhich faithe is the ground of spirituall life Thirdly bicause this corporall life of ours fadeth diminishethe continuaily for euery hovver vve lose some parte of our substauÌ„ce partely by reason of the conflicte of the contrarie elements vvhich consume vs vvhilest in vs they striue one against another partely by reason of the continuall combate vvhich is betvvixte naturall heate and moysture vvhich is as it vvere the tallovve of our light and life vve stand in need of nurriture and nutrition vvhich restores that substaunce vvhich is dayly loste and so prolongeth our life And to this in our spirituall life ansvvereth the Sacrament of the Altare Ioh 6. vvhich conteining in it the body and bloud of Christe vvhoe calles him selfe liuing bread and sayeth that his flesh his truly meate his blood truly driÌ„ke nourishethe the soule spiritually and conserueth our spirituall life here Io. 6. and prepareth vs to an immortall life in heauen Fourthly man hauing
liue by begging praying And vvell he maye so obteine those thinges vvhich he vvanteth For if any Prince vvould promise his subiect that vvhat soeuer he asketh he should obtein might not that subiect thinke that Prince very bountifull and him selfe a moste happie subiecte Thus God dealeth vvith vs Mat. 7. he biddes vs aske and vve shall haue and seing that God is soe faithfull that he can as soone deny him selfe as goe from his vvorde bicause his vvorde is him selfe he can not not perfourme vvhat soeuer he promiseth and seing that prayer is the thinge by vvhich man obteineth at God his hande vvhat soeuer he iustly desirethe vvhat an inestimable gemme and preciouse pearle is prayer vvhich procureth our hartes desires in all thinges bicause it is the price of all And if vve some tymes praye and obteine not ether it is bicause our prayer is not such as it ought to be or that the thing vvhich vve praye for is not conuenient for vs. For if he that prayeth beleeueth that God can helpe him and hopethe also that he vvill helpe him if hee him selfe vvho prayethe or he for vvhome he prayeth be not odiouse to god by reason of sinne If he praye vvith humilitie and vvithout a doubting mynde if he adioine to his prayer attention to his attention deuotion and to bothe perseueraunce and if the thing for vvhich hee prayeth be necessarie or expediente for other vvise God is a greater benefactour in denying then graunting our petition theÌ„ certainly such is the vertue of prayer that vvhat vve aske vve haue and vvhat vve praye for vve obteine Prayer certs is better then the Philosophers stone althoughe that vvere of that vertue vvhich it is fayned to bee of for that as fooles haue fained vvas able to turne all into gold but prayer turneth all to our good be it gold orsiluer ritches or pouertie healthe or sicknes grace or glorie Yea it is better then Fortunatus hatte is fained to haue beene bicause that procured all vvishes good or badde indifferently but prayer then only obteineth vvhat vve vvishe for vvhen our vvishes are expedient or conuenient for vs. Besides this vnspeakable vertue vvhich prayer hath to obteine vvhat vve aske for it satisfieth for sinne also especially vvhen it is ioined vvith almes deedes and fasting Toâ— 1â— vvhich are the vvinges of prayer by vvhich it soreth speedily euen to the throne of God it meriteth glorie as other good vvorkes doe and that more especially also in that it is a prayer it giueth vs great confidence also if it be frequent and vsuall bicause as before I haue sayed prayer causethe familiaritie and familiaritie imboldenethe boldnesse breedeth coÌ„fidence It is a great motiue also vnto humilitie and peraduenture you shall not fynde a greater bicause it puts vs allvvayes in mynde that vvee are but beggars And lastly if I may saye so of prayers coÌ„modities vvhich are vvithout ende it makes vs to fall out of loue vvith this deceitefull vvorld bicause it makes vs to conuerse in heauen and admitteth vs to familiaritie vvith God and his Angells In the Church triumphaunt prayer is vsed bicause the Sainctes and Angells pray to God for vs In the Church militaunte prayer also is practised as shal be proued only in hell and hellish Synagogues prayer is abandoned Vvherfore in the lavv of nature as they vsed sacrifice so did they also practise prayer and although Enos be called the first of them vvho by prayer moste especially and frequently called vppon God yet no doubte Adame and Eue amongest other actes of penaunce omitted not prayer as one of the best dispositions vnto reconciliation vvith allmighnie God Abel their sonne also as he vvas religious in his Sacrifices so vvas he not sloth-full in prayer Noê also taught his posteritie prayer Gen. 2â— Abrahame vvas much giuen to prayer Isaac his sonne in his diligence in prayer and meditation also declared him selfe vvhorthilie to haue been the sonne of such a father Psal 11â— Dauid prayed seuen tymes a day and rose at mid night ofteÌ„ tymes shortning his sleepe to lengthen his prayer Dan. â— and Daniel three tymes a day called vppon his God By prayer Moyses made the Sea to deuide it selfe and procured victorie to the Israelits so long as in prayer he held vp his handes Exod. 1â— yea by prayer he obteined pardon often tymes for the people and bound as it vvere the hands of the omnipotent 1. Reg. 1. By prayer Anne the vvife of Helcane obteined Samuel 4. Reg. 2â— Tâ—b 12. 1. Reg. 1â— Ezechias by prayer prolonged his life fifteen yeares Tobias by the same exercise vvas restored to his sight Elias after a great drought by prayer obteined raine Mat. 1â— Luc. â— In the nevv lavve Christe our highe Preest prayed oftentymes all the night longe Mat. 2â— and a litle before his departure out of this vvorld he prayed three tymes in the garden yea he him selfe taught vs the prayer vvhich in Inglish vve call our lords prayer Mat. 6. And no soener vvas Christe departed but his Apostles and disciples assembled them selues together in prayer atteÌ„ded the holy ghostes descension Act. â—â— Sainct Peter and sainct Ihon ascended into the temple to praye Act 1. Clem. Rom. Sainct Peter furrovved his face vvith the â—â—reames of teares vvhich trickled yea streamed from his eyes in prayer Sainct Bartholomevv is sayed to haue prayed on his knees an hundred tymes in the day and as often in the night Sainct Iames his knees by prayer became as hard as camels knees Vvhose examples the first Christians after the Apostles Bar to 2. an 100. l. 10 ep 97â— Tert Apol. c. 2. follovving met together dayly at prayer euen before they had Churches in so much that Traiane the Emperour vvas faine to forbid such flocking together And Plinie Prefect of this Emperour informed him of the assemblies of Christianes to prayer before daye To be breefe the Ecclesiasticall histories are full of the Churches and monasteries vvhich haue been builded for prayer and speake almost of nothing else but of Christianes prayer Hiero. ep ad Eustoch Athan. l. de virg Basi 37 Clâ—m l. â— Const c. 4. Masses liturgies canonicall hovvers as nocturnes lauds the prime hovver of prayer third sixte ninthe hovver Euensong and complete yea so is prayer diuided in diuers Churches and monasteries Tho. Vvald to â— desacraâ—â—ntal c. 24. that in euery vigill of the night in one place or other pravers and prayses aresonge vnto God yea seing that our Church is dispersed through out the vvorld that the hovver vvhich is to one couÌ„trie one to another is tvvoe to another is three a clocke and so forthe ther is noe hovver in the daye or night in vvhich prayer is not exercised publickely in the Church So that vvell may the Catholike Church be called the hovvse of God Isa 16. Luc 1â— bicause it is the hovvse prayer Novv let vs see
to euery magistrate and teÌ„porall superiour vvhom he callethhumaine creatures bicause their authoritie is in teÌ„porall and humain thinges And therfore he addeth as it vvere to specifie vvhat he meaneth by the humain creature vvhether it be to the King as excelling or to Rulers sent from him c. Yea hee bids vs obey not only gentle and courteouse masters but euen those also vvhich are harde to please And this obedieÌ„ce these Apostles commaund vs to giue to Princesalthough they be infidels if othervvise they be lavvfull for vvhen the Apostles vvrote there vvere noe Christian Princes and faithe is not necessarie to iurisdiction nether is authoritie lost by the only losse of faithe But yet this must be vnderstood vvhen Princes commaund vvith in the limits and sphere of their iurisdiction for othervvise if they coÌ„maund vs any thing against God or conscience vve must ansvvere them as the Apostles ansvvered the Ievves Act. 4. vve must obey God before men Bicause Princes are appointed by God and so can coÌ„maund nothing vvhich is against God or if they do vve must obey the supreme Prince before the inâ—eriour and the King before his viceroy Eâ— Eâ—sâ—â— Vvherfore sainct Policarpe although he refused to obey the Proconsul vvho commaunded him to do that vvhich vvas against God religioÌ„ and conscience yet he sayed Vvee are taught to giue to principalities and Potestates ordained by God that honour vvhich is devv to them and not hurtefull to vs. This being so theÌ„ that Princes haue authoritie to commaund and to bynde also in conscience to obedience and that from God vvhose ministers they are and by vvhome as the vviseman sayeth Kinges do raigne and the lavv makers decerne vvhat is iuste Prâ—◠〈◊〉 it remaineth that vvee examine our aduersaries doctrine in this point that vve may see vvhat they giue to superioritie authoritie higher povvers But peraduenture some vvill thinke that this is a vaine examination bicause they are so farre from suspicion of detracting from Princes authoritie that rather they seem to graunte them to much Luther affirmeth that Bishops and Prelates are subiect to the Emperour euen in Ecclesiasticall causes A◠〈◊〉 and that Ecclesiasticall iurisdictioÌ„ is deriued from the temporall And vvhen Catholikes in Ingland refuse to go to the Churche bicause profession is made there of a religion contrarie to theirs the reformers vrge nothing so much as that vve must obey Princes and their iniunctions But this they doe only vvhen Ecclesiasticall povver calleth them to an accounte or vvheÌ„ the Princes lavves doe fauorize their doctrine for then they flatter Princes and preferre their authoritie before the Church not bicause in hatte they reuerence their authoritie but bicause by their povver they vvould establish their heresie Soe Arius by the meanes of Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia first in sinuated him selfe to CoÌ„stantia the Sifter of ConstaÌ„tine the great Ruff. l. 1. â— 11. and by him he getteth audience of Constantine him selfe and by flattery and dissimulation be procureth a commaundement from the Emperour to Athanasius to receue him againe into the Church And aftervvards he crept by this meanes into credit vvith Constantius the Ariane Emperour and sonne to Constantine by vvhome he banished Catholike bishops called many councels and propagated his heresie in so much that saint Hierome sayeth Ariâ—â— vt orbem deciperet Ep. ad Ctesiph forerem principis ante decepit Arius that he might deceue the vvorld first deceiued the fister of the Prince They curried fauour also vvith luliaÌ„ th' Apostata and they offered their seruice â—heod l. 4. c. 3. to Iouinian the Emperour but he vvould none of their proferd seruice knovving that they vsed to â—latter Princes for promotion of their heresies So that one Themistius a Philosoâ—her vvas vvont to say that heretikes adore the Purple not God are as mutable as Euripus Luther backed also by the Duke of Saxonie contemned the Popes legate vvho sought to reclaime him and preached confidently those heresies vv ch othervvise he durst not haue doone and perseuered obstinately in theÌ„ also vvhich other vvise peraduenture he vvould not haue doone Prafat Inâ—â— ad Reg. Gaâ— Caluin sought by a flattering epistle to procure fauour and credit vvith the king of Fraunce and our Inglish Protestauntes by the fauour of our late Prince vvhose guiftes of nature they abused gotte credit amongest the people graced heresie vvith her roiall crovvne And to vvinne this fauour they vvill not sticke to flatter Princes yea to adore them and to giue them higher Titles and greater povver then euer God bestovved vppon them In king Edvvards tyme vvhen the state fauoured them they acknovvledged him Supreme head not only in temporall but also in Ecclesiasticall causes In Queene Maries tyme bicause that Princesl vvas not for them theÌ„ vvoemen could not gouerne but in Queene Elizabeths tyme bicause they had insinuated them selues into her Protection then vvoemen might gouerne as vvel as men and so they are the beste temporizers in the vvorld But if you marke their proceedings or dectâ—â—ne you shall see that they honour not authoritie but loue their heresies vvhich if Princes vvill not like then they conteÌ„ne and despise all authoritie and vvill not let to make a mutinie and stirie vp the subiects to rebellion to â— p st duâ— Edista Caesarea Luther exhorteth the Germaines not to take armes against the Turke bicause the Turke for pollicie consaâ—le integritie and moderation excelleth all 〈◊〉 Princes And in the same place he called the Emperour Charles the fifâ—e a roâ—â—â— and fraile carcase And in his booke againâ— the king of Ingland he calleth him all â—â—naught l. cont Reg. Angl. l de potestaâ—â— seculari by the name of blocke heade sâ—â—le and so forthe In another booke he not only inueigheth agaiust Princely aâ—thoritie but hee also calleth them fooleâ— knaues tyrauntes In another bookevv hee vvrote against the tvvoe edicts of 〈◊〉 Emperour he calles the Princes of thâ— Empire fooles madmen furiouse teâ—â— tymes vvorse then the Turke Sur. an 1â—2â— Of vvhâ—â— doctrine and example Thomas Munsâ—â— taking holde vvith an hundred thousaâ— Rustickes troubled all Germaine and one Franconie he destroied tvvoe hâ—dred nyntie three monasteries The lâ— therane Princes also armed vvith this 〈◊〉 ample of Luther tooke armes against the Emperour therby vvere the cause that the Turke surprised many holdes Sur 1530. â—â—66 and stronge fortes of the ChristiaÌ„s And vvhat stirres the Caluinistes and other sectes haue made in Fraunce Scotland and the lovve countries all the vvorld knovveth and Flaunders to this day â—eeleth And truly this contempte of lavvfull Princes this disloyaltie and rebellâ—on is altogether according to their doctrine o. â— Luther in his commente vppon the first Epistle of saint Peter sayeth plainly that he vvill not be copelled nor bound to obey any prophane magistrate bicause he vvill not loose his libertie vvhich is to bee freed in conscience from all Princes
demonstrated See the third booke They assure their Schollers also that the iustifying faith is a full assuraâ—nce of iustice saluation and election as may appear by their ovvn vvords vvhich I haue in this seuenth booke allready set dovvn vvhich also giues great occasion of an insolent pride For if vvhen vve persuade our selues as Catholikes doe that vvee are nether sure vvhat novv vve are before God nor vvhat shall become of vs hereafter vve haue occasion to humiliate our selues Phil. 2. and to vvorke our saluation in feare then certes he that persuadethe him selfe that hee is cocke-sure of his saluation hathe great occasion to become carelesse arrogaunte hautie and high-mynded Greg l. 6. Reg c. 186. Vve haue an example of a noble vvoeman called Gregoria mayd of honour to the Emperess vvâ—oe hauing conceiued highly of saint Gregories sanctitie vvrote vnto him to imparte vnto her a secret to vvit vvhether her sinnes vvere forgiuen or noe but sainct Gregorie ansvvered her that she demaunded of him a harde and vnprofitable questioÌ„ harde bicause his sanct tie vvas not such as to deserue a reuelation from God of so secret a matter vnprofitable bicause sayeth he such a reuelation vnto you vvere not expedient better it is that you should be ignoraunte of that till the laste daye vvhich must allvvayes be feared suspected that in the meane tyme you may vvash avvay your sinnes by teares of contrition See the first booke â—hap â— They affirme also that euery man hath a priuate spirite by vvhich hee is sure vvhich is true scripture and vvhat is the true meaning therof vvho therfore bee hee man or vvoman clarke or cobler is supreme Iudge of religion and is to rely nether on Pope nor Churche nor Councell for faithe and religion Vvhich doctrine hovve highe it is able to enhaunce the spirites of men that are so persuaded a blinde man may see and this is the very cause vvhy Luther vvill iudge both of Churches and Councells and preferre his ovvn iudgemeÌ„t before them all See the first booke chap. 3. For althoughe hee sayeth only that by scripture hee vvill iudge Fathers Churches Apostles Angelles also yet seing that the controuersie is not vvhether fathers or scriptures are to beleeued bicause they vvere neuer contrarie but rather vvhether Luther or they better vnderstood the scriptures hee maketh him selfe in effecte Iudge of Churche Pope Councelles Fathers and Angells vvherin hovv brauely he playeth the parte of Lucifer it is as euident as that Luther and Lucifer begin vvith a letter The thirteenth Chapter shevveth hovv theyr doctrine induceth men to idlenes yea hovv idlenes according their doctrine is the perfection of a Christian life ALl creaturs are created to vvorke labour and so they must attaine vnto their ende and perfection bicause God and nature hathe so ordained it The angelicall spirits like byrds in the spring-tyme for heauen is a continuall spring-tyde sing prayses vnto their Creatour and attend continually vppon the diuine maiestie on highe yet so that they haue also an eye vnto our affayres and necessities in this lovver vvorld For the suprem Angells receue illuminations from God vvhich they imparte vnto the inferiour vvhich are allvvayes occupied in garding and defending vs and menaging our affaires and so ether mediately or immediately they are administratorij Spiritus Heb. â— administring spirits The heauens moue continually for the better and more equal bestovving of their light and influences vppon this inferiour vvorld The Sonne leaues our hemisphere at night not to sleep or to rest him selfe but to ronne another course in the other Hemisphere for the illuminating of those that are Antipodes vnto vs vvhich course being ronne he retournes to vs in the morning so is neuer idle The moone euery monethe endes her course euery starre and planet hathe his taske appointed him vvhich in a certain tyme he must accomplish The earthe vvheÌ„ he is out of his place moueth dovvn vvard to the Center and vvhen by force hee is deteined hee shevveth by his vvaite vvhat an inclination hee hathe vnto his proper motion The fier mounteth aboue all tovvardes the Concauitie of the Moone vvhich is his naturall place the vvater and ayre take vp the middle roomes vvhere and vvhether they moue continually Trees plantes and hearbes seeme in vvinter to take their rest after theyr former labours and in the spring tyme they fall to vvorke again and first they bringe forthe leaues then bloomes and blossomes and lastly the svveete frutes of their labours Brute beastes besides the labours to vvhich by man they are appointed haue their ovvn proper exercises in vvhich they occupie them selues The bee is not soe bigge in body as busie in operation in so much that vvhen vve vvill describe a laborious maÌ„ vvee say that he is as busie as a bee These litle creaturs vvhat paynes take they in gathering their hony in making their combes in disposing and vvorking their hony and vvhilest some are vvorking abroad to bringe home the matter of hony some staye at home to order it some vvatche for the securitie of them that labour and all are incensed against the idle drones and do not only expelle them out of theyr company but punishe them also seuerly euen vnto death it selfe Prou 6. The Ante also of vvhome the scripture biddeth the idle parson to learne his lesson laboureth in the sommer to make prouision for that on vvhich he is to liue in vvinter So laborious are these litle creaturs that many tymes they cary burdens bigger then them selues Plin l. â—â— c. 1. Horat. l. 1. Satyr 1. and that vvith such diligence that vvith passing often times one vvay their litle feete doe make a pathe to appeare euen in the flinte And vvhen amongest other prouision they haue brought home their corne to their barnes they are not idle after haruest is doone but sometymes they are occupied in nibling vppon the endes of the corne and graines least they should grovve a freshe and least that the moysture of the earthe corrupte their corne they bring it forthe in a sonnie daye to drying and aftervvardes they cary it againe into their granaries Byrdes builde their ovvne nestes and flye farre and often for the tymber and morter vvhich is belonging vnto the making of such a pallace Conyes vvorke their burrovves out of the grouÌ„d and there is noe creature vvhich is not deputed to vvorke in one kind or other And shall vve thinke that mans felicitie consisteth in idlenes Noe noe as the birde is bread to flye so man is borne to vvorke and labour Iob. â— in so much that God appointed Adam his taske in Paradise vvhich vvas to labour till the grounde vvhich labour notvvithstanding should haue been noe paine but rather a pleasure and recreatioÌ„ vnto him For if Cirus king of the Persians tooke such delight in gardening in so much that he caste the beddes and knottes of his ovvne gardeÌ„s sette his
intended conclusion vvhich I maye doe vvith as muche breuitie as facilitie For if God bee the autour of all sinne then if vvee maye gather vvhat the tree is by the frute hee is of a malitious nature as is before proued and if hee commaund vs impossibilities and punishe vs vvith Hell fyer for not fullfilling them then is hee vnreasonable cruel and barbarous And if vvee once make this conceit of God as vvee must needes if vvee beleeue the aduersaries opinioÌ„ then must our hartes of necessitie bee cold in religion and vvorship of God For vvho can bee induced to vvorship loue and honour such a God in vvhome is nothing vvhich is amiable nothing vvorthy honour vvel may vvee feare him for his crueltie but loue him and honour him from the harte vve can not And so religion fallethe The third Chapter shevveth that in contempte of the Churches authoritie they bring all religion in contempte IT is a maxime and almost an article of faithe receued amoÌ„gest the reformers that the true Churche vvhich once vvas hathe erred grosselye in no lesser matters then faithe iustification merit freevvil vvorkes satisfaction purgatorie prayer to Sainctes vvorship of images nuÌ„ber and vertue of Sacramentes Sacrifice such like Yea they confess that the Romain Church vvas once the true Church but thy adde vvith all that aftervvardes it erred grossely and fell sovvlye novv of the Church of Christ is become the Synagogue of the deuil This is the cause vvhy vvhen vvee vrge the authoritie of the ancient and present Churche for the proofe of the reall presence free vvill prayer to saintes sacrifice of the Masse they ansvvere vs that the Church vvas but a congregation of men vvhich hathe erred in these and other matters And therfore Luther careth not for a thousand Churches and Caluin Beza and others despise all the Councelles and ancient fathers as appearethe by their vvordes vvhich are related in the first booke and the third and fourth chapter So that vppon the bare authoritie of the Churche they vvill not hange their faithe as they saye least they hange their soules bicause the Churche as it maye bee deceued so it maye deceue I demaund of theÌ„ therfore vvhat assuraunce they haue of scripture and by vvhat meanes they come to the knovvledge of it A Catholique vvould say that he beleeuethe these bookes to bee the vvorde of god bicause the Catholike Church vvhich is it the piller of truthe vvhich by the sonne of God vvas promised a spirit vvhich should teach her all veritie 10.14.15 l. on t epist fund c. â— hath cuer so beleened and defined Vvherfore saint Austine sayeth that hee vvould not beleeue the ghospel vnlesse the Churches authoritie mâ—ued him not that the Church maketh scriptures or giueth them their truthe and veritie for that they haue of God vvho vvas the indighter of them but bicause vvee can not knovv vvhich is Scripture vvhich is not but by the voice of the Church to vvhich only in this matter the ancient fathers vvere vvont to harken as Ireneus l. 2 c 2 3. 4. l prâ—esc de expos Symb. l. 2 c 1. 46. l. 4. c 11. Tertulian sainct Hierom Leo the first and dâ—uers others of vvhom Nicephorus maketh mention Vvherfore the first Toletane Councel in the one and tvventith canoÌ„ accurseth theÌ„ vvho accept of any other Scriptures theÌ„ those vvhich the Catholique Churche receiueth Hee vvould alleage for an argumeÌ„t that Christemade Peter his successour the Pope supreme pastour of the Church and commaunded him to feed his sheep lo. 2. and seing that a principal office of the shepheard is to shevv them suche pasturs as are most holsom for them it perteineth to the â—uprem Pastoure of the Churche to tell vs infallibly vvhich are the true scriptures for vvhen hee declareth vv ch are the true Scripturs he shevves vs our pasture the place vvher vvee are to graze and vvhen hee expoundethe them hee feedethe vs. And seing that the Pope of Rome is this Pastour as is proued in the last chapter of the first booke it follovveth that vvee must receue that for scripture vvhich hee allovveth of as scripture He vvould alleage also the antiquitie of scriptures for a profe of their sinceritie l. 2. cont Ap. 〈…〉 prabar Euangel in Apolog c 19. 20. 24. bicause Moyses vvhoe vvas the vvriter of a great part of the old testament as Iosephus Tertulian and Eusebius affirme by many handred yeares vvas more ancieÌ„t then all the vvritâ—rs of the Romains and Grecians also vv ch therfore deserue great credit reuerence 1 Tuse bicause as Cicero sayeth in his Tusculane questions to Antiquitie noe lesse is devve Hee vvould confirme this argument by another of no lesse efficacie to vvit that these bookes haue beene conserued so many thousand yeares not vvithstaÌ„ding so many captiuities of the Ievves and persecutions of the Christians vvhich argueth that God vvho vvas the Authour of them had a speciall care of them and a vigilant eye vnto them as vnto his ovvn vvord and vvriting Hee might alleage also the coÌ„formitie of those booke vvhich vvere indighted of diuers at diuers tymes and yet haue in them no contrarieties and vvere translated out of Hebrevv into Latin by 70 Interpretours â—nstin orat paroen ad geÌ„â—â—â— diuersely disposed vvho yet not vvithstanding soe aggreed as if all their traÌ„slations had been copied out of one For vvhich causes euen the Gentils Paganes them selues haue borne great respect vnto these vvritinges not daring to mingle them vvith their ê“phane vvritinges bicause as Iosephus and Eusebius affirme some that haue atteÌ„pted it l â—â— Aut. c. 1. â— l. â— praeparâ— â— by the diuine and secret povver haue beene very sharpely and seuerly punished all vv ch is vvarraÌ„ted by historie traditioÌ„ This a Catholike vvould saye vvith great applause and no lesse probabilitie for the authoritie of scripture But vvhat vvould or vvhat could our reformers saye vvould they saye vvith the Catholike that they beleeue them to bee holy scripture bicause the Church sayeth so â—â— Hostâ— l. 3. â—â—nt Brent Luther in deed sayeth that hee in this point beleeuethe the Churche and Pope and good reason hathe hee bicause of vvhoÌ„ did hee receue the scriptures vvhen hee began first to preach his nevv doctrine but of the Romaine Churche vvho cuer had the custody of them euen since the tyme of the Apostles And hovve could he knovve that the ghospel of the Nazarens of sainct Barnabas Euseb l. â— c. 25. and sainct Thomas vvere not as rrue scripture as the ghospel of sainct Matthevve and other Euangelistes but that the Romain Churche allovved of these and not of those For this cause some of them do saye that in this point they must needs beleeue the Pope Romain Church bicause they caÌ„ not in deed haue any probable knovvledge of Scripture but by this meanes as shall appeare by the refutatioÌ„ of all other meanes vvhich they
sayethe so they must beleeue that ther are so many bookes of scriptures bicause shee also sayeth soe her vvord being as good for the one as for the other But as they are lyers so are they forgetfull therfore so contrarie in their tale that they vvill saye that they beleeue her in that but not in this vvher as rather it follovvethe that they beleeue her nether in the one nor in the other but onlye do giue credit to their priuate spirite imaginations affirming that to be scripture vvhich they imagin those bookes only to bee scripture vvhich their spirit liketh of Vvherfore Luther affirmeth that the booke of Iob is but a tale in ser con tit de libris vet noui test deuised to set forthe an example of patience before our eyes hee iesteth at the autour of Ecclesiastes saying that he vvanteth bootes and spurres and therfore rideth in his sockes as he did vvhen he vvas a fryar Praef. in nouum Test Yea he spareth not the nevve testament affirming that he liketh not of the common opinion vvhich allovveth of fovvre ghospelles and hee addeth that sainct Ihons is the onlye true and principal ghospel vvhence it follovveth that the other three are not authenticall For if they vvere then vvere all fovver of equall authoritie Prafat in Heb. and so saint Ihons ghospel vvere not the principal hee denyes that the epistle to the Hebrevves is Apostolical the like is his ceÌ„sure of the epistle of Iude and Iames. Praefat. li. 1. Inst c. 11. §. 8 l 2 c. 5. §. 18. l. â— c. 5. §. 8. Ant. sâ—ss 1â— Caluin reiecteth the bookes of vvisdom of Ecclesiasticus of Iudith of the machabees of Tobie And vvhy trulye for no other reason then that these bookes seem most coÌ„trarie to diuers points of their doctrine For other vvise seing that they can not discerne scripture from other vvritings but by the ceÌ„sure of the Romain Church as is proued in the last Chapter they haue noe reasoÌ„ to receue some bookes on her vvord and not all seing that she giueth the same testimonie of all But giue an Atheist this aduaÌ„tage and vvhat vvill hee say hee vvill tell the Reformers that hee seethe no other vvarraunt vvhich they haue for the epistle to the Romains then for the epistle to the Hebrevves and the epistle of saint Iames nor for saint Ihons ghospel more then for the other threeâ— nor for Genesis more then the first and second booke of the Machabies Tobie Iudith and Iob and that therfore if the reformers denye these hee vvill deny all the other bicause if the Romain Churches vvarrant for they haue no other vvarrant as in the former Chapter is proued bee not sufficient for some of these bookes it can bee no sufficieÌ„t vvarraÌ„t for any And so he vvill saye that you maye as vvell denye all scripture as some bookes of scripture or if you vvillnot he vvill denye it for you and ground him selfe in your ovvn doctrine And hee vvill yet goe farther auouche that if hee maye doubte of Scripture as vvhy not bicause ther is no other vvarraunt for it but the Romaine Churches vvord hee vvill doubte also of the contentes of Scripture and so hee vvill call in questioÌ„ Moyses Christe the Apostles the Trinitie the Incarnation the Passion of Christe and ResurrectioÌ„ and all the mysteries of Christian religion Vvherfore as you credit the Romain Church for scripture so giue her credit for the nuÌ„ber of the bookes esscripture bicause her vvord vvarraunt is as good for this as for that or if you vvill not beleeue her in this you can haue no assuraunce of any parte of Scripture and so you maye bringe all into question vvhence follovveth contempte of all religion as is before proued The fifte Chapter proueth that their dissension in religion openeth the gap to contempt of all religion NOthing is of more force theÌ„ religioÌ„ vvhich keepeth vs in avve bridleth our appetites ruleth our actions gouerneth our life and inculcateth vnto vs our dutie tovvards God and man And if there vvere noe other argument then the example of so many thousand martyrs vvho haue endured so exquisite tormeÌ„ts and so horrible deathes rather then they vvould denye their religion it vvere sufficient to beare vvitnesse for religion that it is of greater force then all the violence of the tyrauntes then all their engiues and instrumentes of crueltie yea then death it selfe But so the force of a riuer is great and so great that sometymes it ouer-throvveth hovvses and bridges and beateth dovvne all vvhich staÌ„dethe in the vvaye of his streame but yet diuide it into many litle brookes and a childe vvill resiste his force Euen so religion is of great force and efficacie and beareth a great svvaye in the life of man but yet if it bee diuided into diuers sectes it looseth force and vigour and vvheras vvhilest it remaineth vnited See the second booke chap. 6. it vvill not bee resisted vvhen it is diuided it is easilic coÌ„temned I haue already described the iarres and dissensions of the Reformers in matters of religion and by this marke I haue descried them to bee heretikes novv let vs see vvhat an aduantage this their dissention giueth to an Atheist and vvhat a vvide gap it openeth vnto Atheisme An Atheist out of these their diuersities of opinions maye easilie dravv this discourse I see sayeth hee or at least hee maye saye diuers sects and opinions diuers Synagogues and religions diuers conuenticles and congregations amongest you vvhich as they haue diuersnames so professe they diuers doctrines and follovve diuers Authours And some of them are called Lutheranes some Caluinistes vvhich are by a subdiuision parted into softe and rigorous Lutheranes and into Protestantes Puritans others are called Zuinglians others Bezites others Anabaptistes others Libertines others Brovvnistes others Martinistes others are of the familie of loue others of the daÌ„ned crevve And althoughe all these aggree against the Romaine Catholike and Apostolike Churche yet they disagree amongest them selues and althoughe they hold many and those also contrarie opinions yet they all vse one argumeÌ„t to proue their opinions to vvit Scripture sensed by their priuate spirit And so vvill this Atheist saye if I beleeue one of these sectes I must beleeue all bicause they alleage one proofe for their religion but seing that I can not beleeue all bicause they teache contrarieties least I do any partial vvronge in preferring one before another all hauing the same reason I vvill beleeue none of of them all nor none of their opinions And seing that they condemne the Catholike and Romain religion for a fardell of superstitions vvhich not vvithstaÌ„ding vvas euer counted the true Christian religion euen by the Paganes them selues vvho therfore persequuted it and haue noe reason to bynde mee to any of their religions vnlesse I vvill be bound to an impossibilitie that is to bee of all their religions and nether can nether
Sacrament as vve haue for the blessed Trinitie and vvee are as sure of the real meaning of the textes vvhich are alleaged for the real presence as of them vvhich vvere vsed for proofe of the Trinitie or Incarnation bicause the texte is as plaine and the Interpretours as many and as plain also the circunstances also of the texte make as much for the real presence as for those other tvoe mysteries The real presence is no more impossible nor incredible to mans conceite then those mysteries are yea those are of greater difficultie Vvhy then do the reformers deny the Real presence rather then the Trinitie or Incarnation If vvee haue as good proofes for this as for those verities vve can not beleeue those but vvee must beleeue this or if these testimonies bee not sufficient for the reale presence they are not sufficient for those verities and so if not vvith standing plaine texte circunstances of the texte Interpretours of the texte and practise of the Church vve deny the real presence or doubte of it vvee must necessarily doubte of the Trinitie and Incarnation and call them and all the other mysteries of Christian faithe in question for vvhich vve haue no greater nor no other proofe bicause one proofe is for all and as good for the Euchariste as for any And if all the mysteries of christian faith be called in questioÌ„ then seing that vve haue no reason to ioyne vvith Turck or Ievv in their Religion vvee may bid adevv to all Religion and sorte our selues vvith Atheistes vvho are of no Religion FINIS Errours in Printing Imyliethe for implyeth page 3. line 25. hie for hee pa. 3. lin 29. to for do pa. 10. li. 9. oner for ouer pa. 24. li 12. veary for verye pa. 18. li. 28. branisicke for braynsicke pa. 27. li. 6. shovve for shevve pa 36 li. 4. veale for veile pag. 36. li. 8. thy for they pa. 61. li. 6. Hugo for Richardus pag. 114 in the marg they for then pag. 129. li. 9. they for thy pag. 247. l. 4. it is selfe for it selfe 155. li. 31. biourrouinge for borrovvinge pa. 175. lin 8. some for sonne pa. 198. li. 29. larned for learned 240. li. 19. fovv for foure pa. 240 li. 28. fellovved for follovved pa. 252. li. 23. ruled reason for ruled by reason pa. 253. li. 15. bodely for boldlye pa. 259. li. 31. vvoo for tvvo 294. li. 17. demoÌ„strate for bee demoÌ„strated pa 299 li. 27. this for his 337. li. 20. ther for other pa. 354. li. 13. as it vvell for as vvell pa. 355. li. 20 havv for lavv pag. 382. li. 10. is not for it is not pa. 422. li. 29. prauers for prayers pa. 436. li. 28. am for and pa. 346. li. 16. I me for I am pa. 546. li. 22 they for then pag. 588. lin 18. boidled for bridled 606. li. 29. farthe for faythe pag. 607. lin 20. staunge for straunge pag. 632. li. 16. this for his pa. 635 li. 4. greate for greeke pa. 727. li 23. laue for haue pa. 728. li. 6. vvordes omitted page 158. line 2. vvhich come in after the second vvord of the same line Feind So it hapneth to the Heretike the THE TABLE A SAint Peter and the rest of the Apostles sent extraordinarily pag 8. they proue theire mission by theire vvorkes pag. 22. Antiquitie in all kyndes of artes allvvayes reuerenced p. 91. The Arrogancie of heretikes in this age p. 92. An admonition to Atheists p. 112. S. Ambrose his vvords to Valentinian the Emperour concerning his office p. 147. Infallible arguments to proue the stabilitie of the Catholike or Romaine Church p. 198. 202. The agreement and consent in opinions that is in the Catholike Church p. 214. that the same can not but proceede of God p. 218. Arius condemned for an heretike by the councell of Nice consisting of three hundred and 18. Bishops p 237. The tvvo aduents of Christ p. 294. Adame endevved vvith all naturall scieÌ„ces 308. The diuers affections of the superiour and inferiour patte of the soule in respect of the same thinge p. 328. hovv they vveare bothe in Christe in respect of his passion vvithout sinne ibid. The reason of the abrogation of the olde sacrifices and sacraments p. 382. No morall or probable assuraunce of any sacraments at all amongest the reformers p. 409. The Arian heresie 32. No probable assuraunce of scriptures if the Romaine Churche bee reiected 679. vsq 688. Tvvo kyndes of Atheistes 640. Authoritie hovv it is gotten 118. Authoritie of the Fathers and the nevv preachers compared 93. The Sacrament of the Aultare 223. 703. B BAptisme is of no force and to noe purpose according to Caluins doctrine 422. The prodigious beginning of heretikes 17. Nothing in our beleife against reason allthoughe aboue reason p. 276. Vvhat manner of beleife or confidence is required in prayer p. 440. Beza his presumption in correctinge an Euangelist 720. Diuers bitter blasphemies vvhere vvith most spitefully Luther Caluin and a rabble of other miscreants barke at the blessed virgin 343. That the Catholike Churche neuer made breache out of any other Churche as allvvayes heretikes haue 163. C THe successe Caluin had in his pretended miracle p. 25. his smalle accounte of fathers 88. marked in the backe not for his goodnes 121. his herodian deathe ibid. his assertions iniurious to Christ to vvhich in some sorte suscribe vvhytaker and Ievvell p. 249. his levvde distinction betvvixte the olde and nevve lavve 281. his absurde blasphemie 304. his execrable doctrine concerning God 303. hee take the from Christ the title of a Iudge 300. hee makethe him a desperate man 325. hee bringethe him to hell and make the him a compagnion of the damned 332. his miserable end 338. hee make the God a greater Patron of sinne then the deuill is 450. His iustifyinge faythe taketh avvaye prayer vnder penaltye of becominge an infidell 439. His opinions of iustifyinge faythe 442. of sinne ibid. of good vvorkes 442. of free vvill ibid. vvhich makes the Pater noster or our lordes prayer to bee needles yea pernicious to fayth 443. His opinion of the number of Sacramentes 408. of vvhat smalle importauÌ„ce hee maketh them 413. The good alteration that Catholike religion vvorketh in those vvhich sincerely embrace it â—23 That in sondry perfections Catholikes excell the reformers p. 120 vsq ad 124. The effecte of true Charitie 341. Christ him selfe sent p 4. hee prouethe his mission by his vvorkes 22. the reason vvhy hee instituted a succession of Pastors in his Churche 16. in vvhat sence hee is sayed to haue been the Preist the sacrifice and the God to vvhom the sacrifice vvas offred pa. 251. hovv hee is sayed to haue satisfied for our sinnes notvvithstanding that sanctification is required at our haÌ„des pag. 261. that he played all the partes of a spirituall Phisitian q 271. hee hathe no successour allthoughe many vicegerentes pag. 285. 364. Hovv his sole supreme authoritie ouer the Churche consistethe vvith the necessitie of a
rather the religion of the heretiques vvhich is aggreeable to noe common but only to a priuat spirit especially seing that vvee haue such vvarraunt for the common consent of fathers but non at all for the priuate spirit of euery priuate man Novve let vs see in a vvord hovv by reiecting this infallible authoritie of fathers they leaue noe certain rule for exposition of scripture and so open the gapp to all heretiques and heresies For lay avvay fathers vvhich vvere in all ages counted the only pastours of the Church the authoritie of Councells is nothing vvorth for they consisted of fathers the authoritie of the Church is of as litle esteeme bicause she all vvayes beleeued as her pastours did yea she could not tell vvhat to beleeue but by their instruction scripture therfor is only lefte and the priuate spirit seing those tvvoe bare authorities as before is proued open the gappe to all heresies the denyall of the fathers authoritie must needs do the same For suppose a nevv heretique yea a deuill from hell in the likeness of a man should preach a nevve heresie contrarie to all the heresies that euer vvhere might he not alleage scripture for it expounding it as he pleaseth And if you demaund of him hovv he knovveth that he expoundeth it aright might he not say that his spirit telles him so And if you alleage that all that euer taught before him vvere of another opinion and gaue another exposition of scripture might hee not say as casilie as Luther and Caluin do that they vvere men erred all the packe of them And so if authoritie of fathers be reiected he or any other might say vvhat he vvould and noe man could controle him Vvherfore to conclude if vve giue eare vnto the ghospellers of this tyme vvho haue reiected the authoritie of fathers vvill consequently iudge all by scripture sensed by the priuate spirit vve must harken to all heretiques and open the gappe yea the dore to all false apostles vvhoe can not vvithout manifest partialitie bee excluded and repelled if these men bee admitted The fifte Chapter shevveth that they haue noe probable meanes to induce a reasonable man vnto their religion and that therfore if vve giue credit vnto them vve must giue credit to all heretikes preach they neuer so absurd phantasticall paradoxes IT is a common opinion amongest the ancient fathers and diuines that our fay the being supernaturall can not be demonstrated by reason as opinions of Philosophers may bee bicause it aymeth at thinges a boue reason Philosophie soares no higher then reason giues her leaue and so in Christian religion vve ought more to rely on fayth and authoritie then reason and vve can not shevv our selues more reasonable then to leaue of reasoning in thinges aboue reason But all though it be so that vve can not proue our religion by reason yet vve may set it forth vvith such testimonie of miracles antiquitie common coÌ„sent and such like motiues as shall conuince a man of reason that this religion inuolueth noe euident absurditie against reason but rather is very probable and most credibly to be belceued 2.2 〈…〉 ar 〈◊〉 For although as sainct Thomas sayeth our religion be not euideÌ„tely true yet is it euÃdenter credibilis euidently credible bicause though in it self it be obscure yet hath it been so credibly deliuered vnto vs by credible signes and tokens that no man can vith reason thinke it othervvise then very credible if he vvell consider vvhat testimonies maye be alleaged for it vvhich as Dauid sayed are credibilia nimis Psal 〈◊〉 â—o to credible that is so credible as vve caÌ„ not vvith reason desire greater testimonie for things aboue reason In the beginning God cathechised man in this religion by Angells vvhom he sent and by Patriarches Prophetes vvhom he inspired by vvhome he taught the people vvhat sacramentes to vse vvhat sacrifices to offer and other pointes of religion such as then men vvere capable of In the lavv vvritten he deliuered his vvill and meaning concerning lavv and religion and the ceremonies and sacraments belonging ther vnto by his seruaunt Moyses â—uâ—d 〈◊〉 to vvhome he appeared by an angell in thundering and other such signes and by vvhom he vvrougth in Aegipt and in the desert so many miracles for proofe and confirmation of this religion After vvards in the lavv of grace and fullnes of tyme and tyme of spirituall plenty and ritches as in more ample manner so vvith greater testimonies and signes this fayth vvas deliuered vnto vs. For first our Sauiour proued his mission by all the ancient prophetes vvho had fortold his coming and the manner of his coming his office the place and circunstances of his natiuitie life and death vvhich all aggreing to him concluded him to be the Messias Secondly by infinite miracles he proued his authoritie doctrine in so much that he sayed 〈◊〉 10. â— that the vvorkes vvhich he did gaue testimonie of him yea the Ievves confessed that he could not haue doone so straung thinges if he had not been of God And seing that he vvrought these miracles to proue him selfe to be the Messias his doctrine to be of God it could not be othervvise bicause as God can not deceue being prima veritaâ— the first veritie nor be deceiued being vvisdom it selfe so caÌ„ he not giue testimonie of an vntruth by miracles for so should he be bothe a lyer a deceiuer Act. 2. The apostles in like maner after that in Pentecost they had receiued the holy ghoste in a visible forme and manner receiued povver also to giue this holy spirit visibly to others and to vvorke miracles also to proue their mission and doctrine Mar. viâ— in so much that sainct Mark sayeth that they preached and God confirmed their doctrine by miracles and signes that follovved Vvherfore allthough the doctrine vvhich they preached vvas out of reasons kenning yet it vvas made euident by testimonie and so vvas euidently credible bicause if God can not giue testimonie to an vntruth then in that he gaue testimonie by miracle of their doctrine it must needs follovv that it vvas of God Secondly the straunge conquest vvhich the Apostles made of Idolatrie in despite of all the Philosophers and Tyraunts of the vvorld and the miraculouse planting of the Christian fayth is an argument to proue our religion to be of God most pregnaunt a motiue to persuade any reasonable man most forcible For as once the Israelites by making a procession about the vvalles of Hierico Iosus â— and sounding of their trompetes an vnlikely stratagem to surprise such a citie dismantled the tovvn leueled the vvalles vvith the ground so Christ Iesus by the circuit of a fevv Apostles and disciples about the vvorld and by the blastes of their mouthes vvhich vvere the golden trompetes vvhich promulgated the nevv lavve ransaked the citie of idolatrie vvhich then vvas as great all most as the vvorld made the
Romain Empire subiect to Christes Churche and caused the Scepter to yeeld to Christes crosse and made Philosophie as an handmayd to serue and attend â—ppoÌ„ the fayth of Christe A straunge conquest certes vvhether you coÌ„sider the vvarryers or the manner of fight or the force of the enemie against vvhoÌ„ they vvaged battayle And as concerning the souldiours good lord hovv vnlikely meÌ„ to atcheue such a victorie Vvarriers should bee men of force and strenght to make the assault and to giue the onsett to defend or offende These vvere feeble fisher men 1. Cor. 1. Infirma mundi elegit Deus God chose the vveakelings of the vvorld Vvarryers especially the kiÌ„g or generall should haue ritches and treasures good store bicause armies can nether be releeued nor leuied vvithout mony vv ch therfore is called neruus belli the sinevv or streÌ„gth of vvarre These meÌ„ vvere poore fishers vvho had no other treasur then ragged nettes their Generall Christe Iesus vvas as poore as they liuing on almes not hauing sometymes that vvhich vvolues and vvilde beastes haue a chamber to lodge in Lus â— Vvarriers especially if they be the leaders must be of noble birth and parentage for souldious are hardly ledd by them vvho are base and not easilie commaunded by them vvho are as meane in qualitie and condition as them selues These men vvere fisher men the basest kinde of People if vve beleeue Plutarche that are to be found vvho therfore by their trade are banished humain societie and coÌ„uerse more vvith fishes then men and liue more on the vvater then on the lande ignobilia contemptibilia huius mundi elegit Deus 1. Cor. â—â— God hath chosen the ignoble and coÌ„temptible of this vvorld Vvarriers should be vvise and ingeniouse to lay plottes to deuise stratagemes and to vse force of vvit vvher force of armes vvill not serue These vvere simple Fishermen neuer trayned vp in scholes and more coning vvith a hooke then vvith a booke Stulta huius mundi elegit Deus â— Cor. â— God chose the foolish of this vvorld Souldiours should be many in nuÌ„ber least the grosse troupes of the aduersarie terrifie them vvith the sight of the multitude These vvere a small army and a silly flocke Luc. 1â— only tvvelue Capitaines the tvvelue Apostles and 72. priuat souldiours I meane seauentie tvvo disciples And yet these vveakelings vvere to vvrastle vvith the might of the Romain Empire These poore beggers vvere to deale vvith them that had the vvelth of the vvorld These base fishers vvere to coÌ„tende vvith the nobilitie of the vvorld These simple soules vvere to encounter vvith the Vvisest Philosophers and these fevv vvaged battayle against all nationes vppon earthe yea all the deuills in hell vvho also opposed against them all their hellish forces And as touching the manner of the fight that made the victorie more incredible For the enemies came vvith the florish of eloquence these vvith halfe barbarouse simplicitie they came armed vvith povver these vvith infirmitie in vvhich vertue is perfited 〈◊〉 Cor. 1â— they vvith pride these vvith humilitie they shot maledictions these benedictions They layed on blovves these boare them patieÌ„tly they cried kill kill these cryed suffer suffer A strange manner of fight vvhere the souldiours ouercame by putting vp iniuries not by reuenging by bearing not by giuing blovves by laying the body open to the enemyes vveapon not by close vvarding or defending But if these fevv souldiours so ill armed might haue kept together they had been more stronge bicause force vnited is greater then the same dispersed but these fevve souldiours diuided forces and one man single vvent against a vvholle countrey yea somety mes many Countries Sainct Peter setts vppon Pontus Bithinia Galatia and Rome it self sainct Paule goeth against Illiricus Cappadocia Ciprus sainct Iames the elder encounters vvith all Spain sainct Iames the younger vvith Iurie sainct Thomas vvith India sainct Matthevv vvith Aethiopia others vvith other countries and in fine thus they conquered the greatest parte of the vvorld Novve if vve consider in vvhat consisted the victorie it vvill yet appeare more admirable This victorie consisted not in surprising of a citie in vndermining a castle in burning of villages in gayning of rauelings in maymiÌ„g and killing bodyes but in extinguishing of idolaâ—rie in extirpating vice in subdevving mens vnderstanding in ouercomming their vvilles in curbing bridling their affections in planting a nevv religioÌ„ neuer hard of before vvhich commaundeth men to beleeue firmely thiÌ„gs aboue reason and to obserue lavves contrarie to sensualitie vice and pleasure vvhich by longe custome vvere become all most narurall vnto men And to this they persuaded not a fevv but all the vvorld nor fooles but philosophers such as Dionisius Areopagita Iustinus martyr and others vvere not poore men but Kings yea and Emperours such as Philip and Constantine vvere and that in despite of all the tyraunts in earth and maugre all the deuills in hell Yea so firmely they persuaded mâ— vnto this nevv religion and nevv life that thousandes by and by vvere ready to suffer all torments rather then to deny the least article of this nevv beleefe Let not any therfore obiect vnto vs that our religion is obscure and that it teacheth thinges aboue reason for all though vvee can not by reason see the truthe nor proue the truth of this religion yet it can not but bee true and of God bicause such men as the apostles vvere to such as all thevvorld but they vvere that is nusled and persuaded in a contrarie religion and after so straunge a manner could neuer haue plaÌ„ted so hard a religion and that in despite of the tyraunts in earth and deuills in hell vnless God had seconded and assisted theÌ„ Let not theÌ„ the A theiste of this godless tyme call in questioÌ„ the miracles of Christe and his saintes vvrought by them in confirmation of this religion and related in the scripture and ecclesiasticall histories as though they vvere but olde vviues tales vvhich they tell amongest their mayds spinning by the candle Let them not say that neuer miracle vvas vvrought for this religion by this they shall gaine nothing I vvil come vppon them vvith that of sainct Austine that such a religion by such and in such a maÌ„ner should be planted in the vvorld vvithout miracles is the greatest miracle of all and so in denying miracles vvill they nill they they graunt a miracle Deny if thou vvilt our miracles for vvhich not vvith standing vve haue as good better histories then thou hast for the Romain Emperours Captaynes legions vvarres and victories thou canst not deny but that a fevv fishermen obscure base vnlearned haue turned all the vvorld vpside dovvne for this thou seest Thou canst not deny but that the vvorld is dissuaded from idolatrie vnto Christian religion from sensualitie to chastitie from gluttony to fasting from ritches to voluntarie prouertie from vsuall vice to vnacquainted vertue from the broad and easy
that his fayth might not fayle and bicause he hathe suprem authoritie vvhich all Catholike Bishops haue euer acknovvledged he hathe called many Councells and determined many controuersies and vvhilest the Church euer standeth to his Iudgement vvhich neuer yet vvas contrary to it is selfe she enuoyethe great peace and vnitie in faythe and religion vvher as the ghospellers bicause they haue noe visible head could neuer call Councells neuer aggree vppon any one point of religion vvhich vvas before in controuersie and neuer shall hereafter bicause matters of religiō are hard and therfore vvher ther-are many heads there are many opinions vvhere are many opiniōs there are many cōtradictions so no peace nor vnitie bicause noe one supreme visible iudge to determine And as for vvant of a visible Iudge they can not appease dissensiōs after they are arisen so can they not preuēt them For if ther be noe visible Iudge euerie Cock-brain may preach his ovvne fancies for true fayth and religion and no man shall controlle him nor condemne his doctrine nor forbid his preaching bicause if ther bee no visible Iudge no man hath the authoritie so the gapp is open to all false prophetes vvho may enter into the nevve Church thicke and three fold bicause noe man therin is of authoritie to forbid them vvhence it follovveth that if vve accept of the nevv religiō and incorporate our selues to the nevv Church vve expose our selues to all false prophetes vvho may preach vvhat they please bicause no man hath authoritie to controlle them THE SECOND BOOK CONTEYNETH A SVRuey of the Markes of heretikes vvhich are proued to aggree so fitly vnto the professours of the nevv religion that if euer ther vvere any heretikes they are heretikes The first chapter handleth the first marke of an heretike vvhich is his breach vvhich he maketh out of that Church vvhich is commonly counted the true Christian Church THEY say commonly that although the deuill disguise him self neuer so much yet by one marke or other he bevvrayeth him selfe For although sometymes hee inueste him selfe in the habit of a younge gallaunte or of a mortifyed religiouse man yea although in out vvard shovve he transforme him selfe into an angell of light yet so it happeneth and I think bicause God vvill haue it so that by one marke or other he is discouered For ether his staring eyes or stinking sauour or horned head or forked feet or base voice discryeth this gallaunt creature to be not as he seemeth but as he is indeed a fovvle and deformed mēber of the deuill vvho though he shrovvd him selfe vnder the goodly name of a christian and vvrapp lapp him selfe from top to toe in the innocent habit of a pastour Vincent Lytin ◠contra proph heres nouit c 36. vvhich is scripture and the vvord of God yet by one marke or other yea not by one only but by many he descrieth him selfe to be as he is an heretike And the reason is bicause the counterfet neuer attayneth vnto the perfection of the currant and arte though she may imitate nature yet shall she allvvayes be vvanting in one thing or other The counterfet gold of the Alchimistes hath a great resemblaunce vvith the true gold but ether the sound or vvayte or operation vvill proue the old prouerbe to be true that all is not gold that glisters Appelles paīted grapes on a boyes head so liuelie that the byrds pecked at them but yet arte came short of nature for if the boye had been painted as vvell as nature frameth her vvorkes the byrds vvould not haue been so imboldned yea the grapes vvanted some thing for at least by pecking the byrds perceiued that all is not grapes that seemeth so Lysippus could in marble stone make so goodly a portrait of a man that he vvould shevv euery bone vaine and vvrincle vvith all proportion but the vvant of life and motion vvell declared vvhere in arte vvas enforced to yeeld to nature Vvherfore let the heretike counterfett neuer so coningly let him vse all the arte possible to shevv him selfe a sincere and true Christian yet the counterfet must come shorte of the currant and arte must yeeld to nature and hee in one point or other vvill bevvray him self to bee no true christian vvhich he professeth him selfe to bee but a faythless heretike vvhich he vvould not seem to bee And the first mark by vvhich he is bevvrayed is his breach vvhich he maketh out of the Church and Christian societie For as the vvandring sheep vvas once of the fold and the rebell vvas once a subiect and the bovve cut of once liued and florished in the tree so heretikes especially Arch-heretikes vvere at least for the most part once sheep of Christes fold subiectes of his kingdome and members of his body the Church Vvherfore sainct Ihon giues vs this mark to knovv an heretike by Ex nobis prodierunt l. Io. 8. sed non erant ex nobis They vvent out from vs but they vvere not of vs. That is they liued amongest vs for else they could not haue gone out yet so that they vvere not vvorthy our company and therfor as rotten bovves are soone broken of so they vver soone shaken of and took occasion to go from vs vvho before for their euill life in desert vvere none of vs. Or else to follovv another exposition Aug tract 3. in cp 10. they vvere emongest vs in out vvard shevve bicause they frequented sacraments vvith vs but they vvere heretikes in mynde and so none of vs and therfore they vvēt out from vs. They vvere in the Church but as euill humours in mans body and therfor vvere to be expelled bicause they vvere hurtfull to the body and no part of the substaunce For commonly heretikes liue some tyme secret befor they open and disguise them selues and so before they vvēt out from vs openly they vvere none of vs secretly Or else according to another interpretation they vvere once amongest vs and like true Christianes liued vvith vs Aug tract ◠〈◊〉 10. but euen then vvhen they vvere by present fayth and iustice mēbers of our Church God forsavv by his diuine foresigt that they vvould not continevv amongest vs and therfor they vvent out from vs bicause euen then vvhen they vvere amongest vs they vvere none of vs finally to perseuer vvith vs not that God his presciēce vvas the cause but bicause he forsavv vvhich vvas to be that is that they vvhich vvere as yet of our societie vvere of their ovvn free vvill to leaue vs and so in God his foresight vvere finally none of our company So that one euident marke of an heretike is that he makes a breache out of the body of the Churche of vvhich hee ether vvas or seemed to bee a member The same marke sainct Paule giueth vs also to knovve an heretike vvhen he sayeth that Some shall depart from the fayeth 1. Tim. 〈◊〉 Heb. 10. and that some are accoustumed to