See heere the fface of Romes renowned ffoe Graue larned Fulk whose worth his works best show T. STAPLETON and Martiall two Popish Heretikes confuted and of their particular heresies detected By. D. Fulke Master of Pembrooke hall in Cambridge Done and directed to all those that loue the truth and hate superstitious vanities Seene and allowed AT LONDON Printed by Henrie Middleton for George Bishop ANNO. 1580. A CATALOGVE OF ALL SVCH Popish Bookes either answered or to be aunswered which haue bene written in the Englishe tongue from beyond the Seas or secretly dispersed here in England haue come to our handes since the beginning of the Queenes Maiesties reigne 1 HArding against the Apology of the Englishe Church answered by M. Iewel Bishop of Sarum 2 Harding against M. Iewels challenge aunswered by M. Iewel 3 Hardings reioynder to M. Iewel answered by M. Edward Deering 4 Coles quarels against M. Iewell answered by M. Iewell 5 Rastels returne of vntruthes answered by M. Iewel 6 Rastell against M. Iewels challenge answered by William Fulke 7 Dorman against M. Iewel answered by M. Nowel 8 Dormans disproofe of M. Nowels reproofe answered by M. Nowel 9 The man of Chester aunswered by M. Pilkington Bishop of Duresme 10 Sanders on the Sacrament in part aunswered by M. Nowell 11 Fecknams Scruples answered by M. Horne B. of Winchester 12 Fecknams Apologie answered by W. Fulke 13 Fecknams obiections against M. Goughes sermon answered by M. Gough and M. Lawrence Tomson 14 Stapletons counterblast answered by M. Bridges 15 Marshall his defence of the crosse answered by M. Caulfehill 16 Fowlers Psalter aunswered by M. Sampson 17 An infamous libell or letter incerto authore against the teachers of Gods diuine prouidence and predestination answered by Maister Robert Crowley 18 Allens defence of Purgatory answered by W. Fulke 19 Heskins parleâ—â—ent repealed by W. Fulke 20 Ristons challâ—ng answered by W Fulke Oliuer Carter 21 Hosius of Gods expresse worde translated into English answered by W. Fulke 22 Sanders rocke of the Church vndermined by W. Fulke 23 Sanders defence of images answered by W. Fulke 24 Shaclockes Pearle answered by M. Hartwell 25 The hatchet of heresies answered by M. Bartlet 26 Maister Euans answered by himselfe 27 A defence of the priuate Masse answered by coniecture by M. Cooper Bishop of Lincolne 28 Certeine assertions tending to mainteine the Church of Rome to be the true and catholike church confuted by Iohn Knewstub 29. Sander vpon the Lordes supper fully answered by D. Fulke 30 Bristowes motiues demaâ—des answered by D. Fulk 31 Stapletons Differences Fortresse of the faith answered by D. Fulke 32 Allens defence of Priestes authoritie to remit sinnes of the Popish Churches meaning concerning Indulgences answered by D. Fulke 33 Martials Reply to M. Calfehill answered by D. Fulke 34 Frariâ—s rayling declamation answered by D. Fulke These Popish treatises ensuing are in answering If the Papistes know any not here reckoned let them be brought to light they shall be examined 1 Stapletons returne of vntrruthes 2 Rastels replye 3 Vaux his Catchisme 4 Canifius his Catechisme translated AN OVERTHROW BY W. Fulke Doctor of Diuinitie and Master of Pembroke hall in Cambridge to the feeble Fortresse of Popish faith receiued from ROME and lately aduaunced by THOMAS STAPLETON Student in Diuinitie THOMAS STAPLETON student in Diuinitie translated the 5. Bookes of Bedes historie of y â— English Church into the English toung before which historie it pleased him to set a table of 45. differences betweene the Primitiue faith of England continued almost a thousand yeares and the late pretended faith of the Protestants all which we will consider in order First are fiue Apostolicall markes found in their preachers and wanting as he saith in ours 1 Augustine whome he calleth their Apostle shewed the token of his Apostleship in all patience signes and wonders Bed 2. lib. 1. c. 30. 31. l. 2. c. 2. Miracles in confirmation of their doctrine Protestantes haue yet wrought none I aunswere Peter Paul Matthewe Iames Iohn c. are Apostles to vs sent not from Gregorie of Rome but by Christ him selfe out of Iewrie y â— signe of whose Apostleship being shewed in all patience signes and wonders and our doctrine being the same which we haue receiued of their writings needeth no other confirmation of miracles to be wrought by vs. If Augustine sent from Gregorie a man haue planted any humane traditions and confirmed them by liâ—ing signes and miracles as a forerunner of Antichrist which was euen immediatly after his time to be openly shewed or if by subtill practice miracles haue bene feigned to haue bene done by him and reported by a credulous man Bede it hurteth not our cause seeing other writers report him to haue bene both a proud and a cruell man And yet we receiue all that doctrine which he taught agreeable to the doctrine of the Apostles of Christ what so euer he taught beside we are not to receiue it of an Angell from heauen much lesse of Augustine from Rome 2 Their Apostles tendered vnitie labouring to reduce the Britaines to the vnitie of Christes Church Nothing is more notorious in Protestantes then their infamous dissention Augustine in deede laboured to bring the Britons in subiection to himselfe and to the Church of Rome which argueth no desire to Christian vnitie but fauoureth of Antichristian ambition and tyrannie as his cruell threatening executed vpon them did shewe sufficiently The dissention of the Protestants is not in articles of faith nor such but that they are all brethren that vnfeignedly professe the doctrine of saluation although they dissent in the matter of the sacrament in orders rytes and ceremonies 3 Their Apostles were sent by an ordinarie vocation Protestantes haue preached without vocation or sending at all such as the Church of Christ requireth They were sent by Pope Gregorie who had none ordinarie authoritie to send Apostles or preachers into foreigne countries Wherfore if they had any sending it was extraordinarie of charitie and not of office The Protestants that first preached in these last dayes had likewise extraordinaire calling But if the calling of the Papistes may be counted a lawfull calling they were called of the Popish Church to be preachers and teachers before they knewe or preached the trueth of the Gospell 4 Their preaching was of God by Gamaliels reason bicause their doctrine continued 900. yeares whereas the Protestantes faith is already chaunged from Lutherane to Sacramentarie in lesse then 20. yeares This reason of Gamaliel would proue Mahometes enterprise to be of God bicause it hath likewise continued 900. yeares yet it is false that the Popish faith hath had so long continuance For the Papistes are departed as from many other points of doctrine so euen from that of the Lords supper which Augustine planted among the Saxons vnto carnall presence and transubstantiation the contrarie of which were taught by Augustine as appeareth by the publique Saxon
Christ these many hundreth yeares he alledgeth the sayinges of some Protestants miserably wrested from their meaning that Latimer was our Apostle that Luther begat trueth that the Gospel doth arise in the first appearing of the Gospel c or as though by these sayings such like they should deny that euer there had ben any Churche in the worlde before these times whereas euery childe may vnderstand they speake of the restitution of the truth of the Gospel into the open sight of the world in these latter days Likewise where some haue written that the Pope hath blinded the world these many hundreth yeares some say a thousand yeres some 1200. some 900. some 500. c. And the Apologie affirmeth that Christ hath saide the Church should erre he cauilleth that all the Church for so many yeares is condemned of all error Whereas it is euident to them that will vnderstande that although some erronious opinions haue preuailed in processe of time haue increased in the greatest part of the Church for many hundreth yeares yet so long as the only foundation of saluatioÌ„ was reteined the vniuersall Church of Christe so many hundreth yeares is not condemned But when Antichrist the mysterie of whose iniquitie wrought in the Apostles time 2. Thess. 2. was openly shewed and that apostasy which the Apostle foresheweth was fulfilled then and from that time whensoeuer it was not the vniuersall Church of Christ is condemned but the general apopasie of Antichrist is detected THE ARGVMENT WHEREVP-on this first part of the vawmure of this Fortresse is builded is thus framed by the builder himselfe The knowen Church of Christ doth continew and shall continue alwayes without interruption in the true and vpright faith But papistrie was the onely knowne Church of Christ all these nine hundreth yeares Ergo papistrie all these nine hundreth yeares hath continued and shal continue alwayes euen to the worldes end without interruption in the true and vpright faith This argument hath neuer a legge to stande vpon for vnderstanding as he doeth the knowen Church to be that which is knowne to the world to continue without interruption so knowne to the worlde the maior is false For although the Church shall continue alwayes without interruption yet it shall not continue alwayes so knowne but as in the dayes of Elias be hid from the outward viewe of men Againe the minor that Papistrie was the only knowen Church vnderstanding as he doth that it was only reputed taken and acknowledged so to be it is vtterly false For the Greeke Orientall Church which is not the Popish Church hath beene reputed taken and acknowledged to be the Church of Christ by as great a nomber of professors of Christianitie as haue acknowledged the Popish Church So that where he thinketh and saith al his labour remaineth to proue y e maior you see that if he could proue it yet al his labor is lost But to follow him in his maior he deuydeth it into two partes The one that the Church doeth alwayes continue in a right faith The other that this is a known Church Both these he promiseth to proue by Scripture And the first truely he shall not neede but yet it followeth not but that the church may erre in some particuler points not necessary to saluation although it continue in a right faith concerning all principall and necessarie articles CAP. III. Euident proofes cleare demonstrations out of the Psalms that the Church of Christ must continue for euer without interruption sounde vpright He is plentifull in prouing that which needeth no proofe that the Church of Christ shall continue alwayes and first out of the 88 Psalme which he rehearseth and interpreteth of the Church out of Augustine lest he should trust his owne iudgement as he fantasieth that our preachers do altogether refusing to read interpreters Wee affirme that the Church of Christ hath and shall continue to the worldes ende but we deny that the Popish Church is that which could not be before there was a Pope before their heresies were brought out of the bottomlesse pit which were not breathed vp all in 600. yeares after Christ no not in 1000 yeares after Christ and some not almost in 14. hundreth yeares after Christ I meane the sacrilegious taking away of the communion of the blood of Christ from the people in the councell of Constance What impudencie is it of Papistes to vrge the perpetuall continuance of Christes Churche without interruption and then to begin at 600. yeres after Christ and not to be able to shewe a perpetuall course of all their doctrine from Christ his Apostles and the primitiue Church But to proue that the church of Christ cannot possibly as Protestants wickedly do fable haue fayled and perished these many hundreth yeares he citeth the 61. Psalme with Augustines exposition thereupon But what Protestant so fableth M. Stapleton you had neede to make men of paper to fight against the paper walles of your fantasticall fortresse The Papistes when they cannot confute that we say they wil beate downe that we say not How saye the Protestantes that these 900. yeares and vpward the Church hath perished it hath beene ouerwhelmed with Idolatrie and superstition The Protestants neuer sayde so M. Stapl. The Church hath not perished though the greatest part of the worlde hath beene ouerwhelmed with idolatrie and superstition God can prouide for his chosen that they shall not be drowned when all the worlde beside is ouerwhelmed Another testimonie to the like effect and with the like conclusion he bringeth out of y e psal 104 thereupon a pithy syllogisme We proue the Catholike Church by the continuance of Christianitie The continuance of Christianitie only in Papistry is cleare ergo Papistry is only the true Church of Christ. Nego tibi minorem M. Stepl When will you proue the continuance of Christianitie only in Papistrie when Papistrie began since Christ his Apostles and if you meane Christianitie for the externall profession of Christes religion then will you proue the Orientall Churches to be papistrie which defye the authoritie of your Pope Last of all out of the Psalm 101. and Augustines application of the same against the Donatistes which sayde that the church was perished out of al the worâ—d except Affrica where they were he would compare the Protestants to them whereas in deede the Papistes are more like to them For they holding that there is no Church of Christ but the Romish church affirme in effect as the Donatistes that the Church of Christ for many hundreth yeares hath perished out of all partes of the world beside Europa where onely yet not in all partes thereof they haue borne the sway Whatsoeuer therefore Augustine writeth against the Donatistes for shutting vp the Church of Christ onely in Affrica may be rightly applyed to the Papistes for restraining it onely to a part of Europa But contrary to the Papistes and
the Greeke and Easterne Churches from him which they count to be a schisme and heresie The third reason No heresie can continue and ouergrowe the true Church Papistrie hath continued Ergo Papistrie is no heresie The minor of this syllogisme is false for Papistrie hath not continued from the time of Christe but hath had her beginning long since and was not growne to a ripenesse of all her heresies in more then a thousand yeares after Christ as I haue shewed in the table of differences Therefore what so euer he saith to proue the maior is to no purpose when the minor is manifestly false CAP. XX. The third reason of the former chapter is fortified out of the aunicient and learned Fathers Nowe he taketh in hand a goodly piece of fortification and like a worthie surueior of the Popes buildings he bestoweth great cost out of Hilarius Chrysostome and Clemens Alexandrinus for defence of such a point as none of his aduersaries would euer offer to assaile Nameley the continuance of the Church and true religion which can not be ouercome not kept downe by any tyrannie or heresie but the more it is persecuted and oppressed the more it will flourish and increase And for this cause the true Church and faith of Christ although it haue bene long troden downe and afflicted by the tyrannie of Antichrist euen to such time as God had appointed that Antichrist shuld rage in the world for the sinnes thereof and especially for the contempt of the trueth 2. Thess. 2. yet hath it in the end preuailed encreased and flourished and by no craft or crueltie of Antichrist could any longer be suppressed or kept vnder Let not Papistes therefore bragge that they haue preuailed so long but let them nowe behold their ouerthrow by the increase of Gods Church and looke for their finall destruction at the glorious appearing of our Sauiour Christ. We doubt not therefore but determine with Augustine De vtilitate credendi to rest in y e bosome of that Church which from the seate of the Apostle by consent of mankind hath continued by succession of Bishops and hath obtained the height of authoritie all heretikes barking about it which partly by the iudgement of the people partly by the grauitie of Councels partly by the maiestie of miracles haue bene condemned But we vtterly denie the Popish Church to be this Church which hath had no continuance of succession from the Apostles seate in faith and doctrine though it claime neuer so much the succession of persons and places with the Donatistes Symon Magus Martion Eunomius and other heretikes we haue nothing to doe If trueth in Aerius and Vigilantius was condemned for errour not by the scriptures but by the tradition of men such condemnation can be no preiudice to them or their opinion when being called againe into iudgement they are found by sentence of Gods word the iudgement of the more ancient Fathers to haue ben wrongfully condemned To conclude Papistrie hath not preuailed against the church of God which hauing sought by all meanes so long time to roote her out of the earth yet was neuer able to bring to passe her wicked deuice but that the Church of Christ and the true religion thereof hath at last in the sight of al men gotten the vpper hand in despight of the Pope and Papistrie and all Papistes THE SECOND part of the Fortresse CAP. I. CErtaine demaundes to Protestantes putting the case that Papistes these many hundreth yeres haue liued in a wrong faith all which the case so put they ought of necessitie to satisfie WHat so euer the Protestantes can say for them selues as their credite is not great with him except they can proue one of his two demaūds he thinketh no godly or wise man will regard any thing they can say The first demaund is where or vnder what Pope or Emperour Papistrie beganne I aunswere Papistrie being antichristianitie the mysterie of that iniquitie began euen in the time of the Apostles 2. Thess. 2. Claudius being Emperour of Rome and so contiuned increasing in Apostasie vntill the time of Sigismund the Emperour who procured the Councel of Constance in which the lay people were robbed of the cup of the Lordes bloud Stapleton must beare with me if I can not name the Pope bicause at that time there were no lesse then three Popes at once and no man then liuing but as he was affectionate to one of those three could determine which of them was Pope This Stapleton though he haue a brasen face will not denie He requireth vs further to shewe the complaint of other Churches against Papistrie First for the beginning of the mysterie of iniquitie S. Paul complaineth 2. Thess. 2. And for the proceeding of that which was y e chiefe point therof namely the tyrannie of y e Bishop of Rome alwayes as it shewed it selfe some there were which complained of it Victor is the first Bishop of Rome which discouered the hid mysterie of iniquitie in vsurping against his fellowe Bishops in the time of the Emperour Seuerus against whome complained sharply reproued him Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons Polycrates and many other Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 25. Afterward in the dayes of Theodosius Honorius and Arcadius the Emperours when the Bishops of Rome Innocentius Bonifacius Zosimus Anastasius and Celestinus vsurped more openly in so much that they forged among them a decree of the Councel of Nice whereby they claimed their authoritie they were complained of by the Bishops and Church of Africa in open Councel the forgerie detected and decrees made that none in Africa should appeale to any Bishop ouer the Sea And that the Bishop of the first See should not be called prince of Priestes nor by any such name of pride but onely Bishop of the first See Conc Mileuit c. 22. Conc. Carth. 6. cap. 4. Conc. African c. 92. Ep. Concil ad Bonifac. Caelestinum Afterward in the dayes of the Emperour Mauritius when Iohn of Constantinople vsurped the title of vniuersall Bishop as the forerunner of Antichrist Gregorie him selfe Bishop of Rome complained of him and pronounced that he was the forerunner of Antichrist Wherefore Stapleton lyeth shamefully when he saith we make him the first Antichrist for as I haue testified before although there was in him a superstitious affection vnto ceremonies and that he was infected with certaine olde errours that had preuailed before his time yet bicause he helde the foundation of saluation by Christ onely and detested the vsurpation of that Antichristian title we account him for a member of the true Church of Christ. But after him when in the dayes of Phocas Bonifacius by pride and symonie had vsurped the same Antichristian authoritie and procured that the Church of Rome should be counted head of all Churches he was complayned of by the Church of Rauenna in Italie which would not acknowledge that Antichristian title neyther would submitte her selfe vnto the whore of
Apostles haue preached vnto vs be he accursed Here the quarreling lawyer findeth fault with his translation because Euangelizauimus may be referred as well to the Disciples as to y e Apostles so that y e Disciples preachings are to be credited as well as y e Apostles No doubt if they preach the doctrine of the Apostles of which the controuersie is and not of the persons that preach it But these quarels sir Bacheler are more meete for the bomme courtes where perhaps you are a prating proctor then for the schooles of diuinitie Wee are gone out you say and that we confesse in our apologie Yea wee are gone out of Babylon but not out of the church of God but abyde in the doctrine of Christ. And you are gone out of the Church of God which remaine in the synke of Rome that is departed frō that which was heard from the beginning and was sacrosanctum apud Apostolorum Ecclesias moste holy in the Apostles Churches You cannot abyde to be charged with the saying of Christ. They worship mee in vaine that teache the doctrine and precepts of men First you saye the Apostles were men whose traditions the Church must receiue yea sir but they deliuered no doctrine of their owne Secondly Christ speaketh of the Scribes Pharisees and their fonde traditions and not of the Church and her Catholike traditions and customes And they be Scribes and Pharisees which euen in the Church teach a false worshipping of God according to the doctrines and traditions of men disanulling the commaundements of God as the Popish teachers in their doctrine of Images communion in one kind priuate Masse c. That Augustine framing a perfect preacher willeth him to conferre the places of Scripture together you say it is a profounde conclusion to inferre that he sendeth him not to doctours distinctions censure of the Church Canons of the Popes nor traditions of the fathers but onely to quyet and content him selfe with the worde of God And these last wordes you saye are not found in Augustine de doct Chr. Cap. 9. sequentibus as though Master Calfhil recited the words not the sense for which he referreth you not only to that Chapter but to the rest following in al which there is no mention of doctors distinctions Popes Canons c. But this is an argument ab authoritate negatiuè Make as much and as little as you will of Augustines authoritie Master Calfhill hath rightly inferred vppon Augustines iudgement that if conference of Scriptures wil make a perfect preacher which you graunt he needeth neyther doctors distinctions nor Church censures c. but may quyet and content him selfe with the onely worde of God But it would make an horse to breake his halter to see howe Martiall prooueth out of Augustine that God teacheth vs by men and not by Angels and that knowledge of the tongues and instructions of men is profitable for a preacher yea the consent of moste of the Catholike Churches and the interpretations of learned men as though all those were not to be referred to the dewe conference of scriptures where onely resteth the substance of doctrine and the authoritie of faith and not in doctours distinctions Church censures Popes Canons c. which haue no grounde in the Scriptures or else be contrary to them Where Master Calfhill sheweth that as before the newe testament was written all things were examined according to the wordes and Sermons of the Apostles so after the newe testament was written all thinges ought to be examined according to their writings because there is none other testimonie of credite extant of their sermons writings Martiall replyeth out of Saint Augustine that wee haue many thinges by tradition which are not writen which being vniuersally obserued it were madnesse to breake Ep. 118. But Augustine speaketh not of doctrine but of ceremonyes or obseruations Out of Hierom ad Pam. he obiecteth that our Creede is not written in the Scriptures which is vtterly false although the fourme of the symbole be not set downe as wee rehearse it Thirdly out of Epiphanius contra Apostolic li. 2. Heres 61. that wee must vse tradition because all thinges cannot be taken out of the holy Scriptures Therefore the holy Apostles deliuered certeine things in writing and certeine things in tradition c. But they deliuered nothing in tradition contrary to their writinges neyther omitted they to write any thing that was necessarie for our saluation The matter whereof Epiphanius speaketh is that it is a tradition of the Apostles that it is sinne to marry after virginitie decreed and yet he holdeth that it is better to marrye after virginitie decreed then to burne contrary to the doctrine of the Papistes But Martiall frankely graunteth that no doctour is to be credited against the Scripture and the content of the whole Church Yet where Master Calfhill sayde that no man in any age was so perfect that a certeine trueth was to be buylded on him bringing examples of Aaron and Peter the one the high Priest of the Iewes the other affirmed by the Papistes to be the same of the Christians He quarreleth at his induction because he sayeth not sic de singulis where as his argument followeth not of the fourme of induction but of the place a maiore ad minus After this as he doeth nothing but cauill hee chargeth Master Calfhill for corrupting Saint Augustine saying Truth mee not nor credite my writings c. Proem lib. 3. de Trinit For Saint Augustine sayeth not trust mee not But he confesseth that he sayeth Do not addict thy selfe to my writings as to the Canonicall Scriptures See what a corruption here is when Master Calfhill rendereth not the words but the meaning of Augustine Againe saint Basil he sayeth is vilely abused because Master Calfhill sayeth Saint Basil setteth forth by a proper similitude with what iudgement the fathers of the Church should be read Conc. ad Adol wheras Basil speaketh of prophane writers As though Basils similitude may not serue to shewe howe both should bee read because he speaketh but of one sorte Likewise he cryeth out that Saint Hierome is not truely alledged because the Printer in the English translation of Hieroms words hath omitted this word not which he hath set downe in the Latine The 4. pretie persons he putteth vppon Master Calfhill as foolishe and childishe I omitt onely the slaunderers persons I will touche In saying that the fathers declyned all from the simplicitie of the Gospell in ceremonies He chargeth M. Calfhill to be a slaunderer Because God hath not suffered all the fathers to declyne lest hell gates should haue preuailed against his Church Although M. Calfhill speake of those fathers onely whose writings are extant yet the gates of hell in ydle ceremonies did but assault they did not preuaile against the Church And these fathers departed not from the Gospell but declined from the simplicitie thereof But you Papistes haue departed
Homely lately translated into English and imprinted The diuersitie of opinions concerning the sacrament maketh no alteration of faith in them that agree in al other necessarie articles Besides that it is most false which he saith that Luther of the Protestants is counted a very Papist 5 Their Apostles taught such a faith as putteth thinges by the beleefe and practise whereof we may be saued The faith of the Protestants is a deniall of Popish faith and hath no affirmaâ—iue doctrine but that which Papistes had before The Protestantes faith affirmeth that a man is iustified by it only That the sacrifice of Christes death is our onely propitiatorie sacrifice That Christ is our onely mediatour of redemption and intercession c. Generally it affirmeth what so euer the Scripture teacheth and denieth the contrarie Then followe 39. differences in doctrine 6 Their Apostles saide Masse which the Protestantes abhorre The Popish Masse was not then all made therefore they could not say it They ministred y â— communion which Bede and other writers called Missa they saide no priuate Masse such as the Papistes nowe defend 7 In the Masse is an externall sacrifice offered to GOD the father the blessed body and bloud of Christ him selfe lib. 5. cap. 22. This doctrine is expresly reported This seemeth blasphemie to the Protestantes The wordes of Bede according to M. Stapletons owne translation are these out of the Epislte of Ceolfride to Naitan king of the Pictes All Christian Churches throughout the whole world which al ioyned together make but one Catholike Church should prepare bread and wine for the mysterie of the flesh precious bloud of that immaculat lambe which tooke away the sinnes of the world when all lessons prayers rytes and ceremonies vsed in the solemne feast of Easter were done should offer the same to God the father in hope of their redemption to come Here is no sacrifice of the body and bloud of Christ but of bread and wine for the mysterie thereof no sacrifice propitiatorie for sinnes but of thankesgiuing and remembrance of the propitiation made by the lambe himselfe in hope of eternall redemption No oblation by by the priest only but by the whole Church and euery member thereof as was the oblation of the Paschall lambe wherevnto he compareth this sacrifice interpreting those wordes of Exod. 12. Euery man shal take a lambe according to their families and housholdes offer him in sacrifice at the euening That is to say saith Ceolfride all Christian Churches c. as before By which wordes it is manifest that the Papistes nowe adayes are departed euen from that faith of the sacrament and sacrifice thereof that Augustine brought from Rome 8 This sacrifice is taught to be propitiatorie lib. 4. c. 22. which Protestants abhorre There is no mention of propitiatorie sacrifice in that chapter but there is told a tale of a prisoner that was loosed from his bonds so oft as his brother which was a Priest saide Masse for his soule supposing he had bene slaine in battel by which many were persuaded that the wholesome blessed sacrifice was effectuous to the euerlasting redemption and ransoming both of soul and body So were they worthie to be deceiued that would build a doctrine without the word of God vpon the vncertaine report of men who either deuised this tale as being false or else if it were so could not discerne the illusions of Sathan seeking to mainteine an errour contrarie to the glorie of Christ. 9 Confession of sinnes made to the priest lib. 4. cap. 25. 27. This sacrament of the Protestantes is abolished In neither of these chapters is mentioned the Popish auricular confession as a sacrament necessarie to saluation In the 25. mention is made of one which being troubled with conscience of an haynous sinne came to a learned priest to aske counsell of remedie and shewed what his offence was In the 27. chapter it is expresly saide that all the people did openly declare vnto S. Cutbert in confession the things that they had done Such confession as either of both these were the Protestants haue not abolished although they number not confession among the sacraments 10 Satisfaction and penance for sinne enioyned appeareth lib. 4. cap. 25. which the Protestants court admitteth not There is no word of satisfaction for his sinnes but of fasting and prayers as fruites of repentance wherevnto he was first exhorted by the priest according to his power and abilitie but he not content herewith vrged the priest to appoint him a certaine time of fasting for a whole weeke together to whose infirmitie the priest somwhat yelding willed him to fast two or three dayes in a weeke vntill he returned to giue him farther aduice Euery man may see broad difference betwixt this counsel and Popish satisfaction and penance 11 Merite of good workes in this storie is eftsoones iustified lib. 4. cap. 14. 15. which the Protestants count preiudidiciall to Gods glorie In the 14. chapter there is no mention of the merite of good workes but that after the brethren had fasted and prayed God deliuered them of the pestilence We neuer denied but that God regardeth our praier and fasting though not as meritorious but as our obedience which he requireth of vs and saueth vs onely for his mercy sake The 15. chapter scarse toucheth any matter of religion and therefore I knowe not what he meaneth to quote it except it be a error of y â— Printer 12 Intercession of Saints Protectants abhorre the practise whereof appeareth lib. 1. cap. 20. lib. 4. cop 14. In the former place Beda supposeth that God gaue the Britaines victorie at the intercession of S. Albane but where learned he this kinde of intercession out of the holy scriptures In the latter place a boy being sicke of the plague reporteth that God would cease the plague at the intercession of S. Oswald as the Apostles Peter and Paul declared to him in a vision But seeing the Apostles haue taught no such doctrine in their writings they haue admonished vs to beware of such fantasticall visions Gal. 1. 2 Thessa. 2. 13 The Clergie of their primitiue Church after holy orders taken doe not marrie lib. 1. cap. 27. Nowe after holy orders and vowe to the contrarie priestes doe marrie The Counsell of Gregorie to Augustine is this If there be any among the Cleargie out of holy orders which can not liue chast they shall take wiues These wordes coÌ„maund some of the Cleargie to take wiues they forbid not the rest to marrie For what shall they that are in holy orders doe if they can not liue chast Againe the histories are plentifull that Priestes were married in England three or foure hundreth yeares after Augustine 14 In their primitiue Church the vow of chastitie was thought godly and practised now they are counted damnable broken Such vowes as were made without consideration of mens abilitie to performe them are iustly accounted rash and presumptuous Such
the Latine and learned tongue lib. 1. cap. 29. lib. 4. cap. 18. which the Protestants haue altered There is no such thing to be proued in the first place nor any thing sounding the way but only this that Gregorie sent into England to Augustine many bookes of which it is a Popish consequence to gather that they were bookes of Latine seruice In the latter it is declared that Iohn y e Chaunter of Rome brought from thence the order of singing and reading and put many things in writing which pertained to the celebration of high feastes and holidayes for the whole compasse of the yeare But this being almost an hundreth yeres after the cōming of Augustine it appeareth the Church of England had no such Latine seruice before For Gregorie willed Augustine to gather out of euery Church what ceremonies he thought expedient for the English Church and bound him not to the orders or seruice of the Church of Rome And it may be gathered that long after there was no certain forme of administration of the sacramentes put in writing generally receiued but that the priestes which then were learned ordered the same according to their discretion for their chiefe labour was in preaching and instructing For Beda reporteth vpon the credite of one which liued in his time and was Abbot of Wye Herebald by name that he being in great extremitie and daunger of death by falling from an horse S. Iohn of Beuerlaye the Bishop that was his master asked him whether he knewe without all scruple or doubt that he was baptized or no to whome hee aunswered that he certainely knewe that he was baptized and tolde the priestes name that baptized him To whome the Bishop replied saying If you were baptized of him doubtlesse you were not well baptized for I knowe him well and am right well assured that when he was made priest he could not for his dulheaded wit learn neither to instruct nor to baptize And for that cause I haue streightly charged him not to presume to that ministerie which he could not do accordingly By this it may be gathered that the forme of baptisme was not set downe in writing which euery dulheaded dogbolt priest can reade but that it was referred to the learning of the minister which did instruct them that were of age and came to receiue baptisme But this ignorant priest whome S. Iohn of Beuerlay depriued of his ministerie could neither cathechise nor baptize for which cause the yong man being cathechised againe and after he recouered of his fall was baptized a newe as one that was not rightly baptized before Moreouer lib. 4. cap. 24. Beda sheweth of one Cednom in the Abbay of Hilda to whome was giuen miraculously the gift of Singing and making Hymnes for religion in his mother tongue of the creation of the world and all histories of the olde Testament of the incarnation passion resurrection and ascention of Christ c. which by all likelihoode were vsed in the Churches And when Latine seruice was first vsed it is not incredible but that the people did meetely well vnderstand it for the Latine tongue was in those days vnderstood in most places of the Westerne Church And Beda noteth some especially which vnderstoode no language but the Saxon. The interpreters which Augustine brought out of Fraunce do confirme this coniecture For the rude Latine tongue spoken in France was better vnderstood of the vulgar people then that was spoken at Rome and in Italie for which cause there was a Canon made in the third Councel at Toures that the Homilies should be turned in rusticam Romanam linguam into the rude Latin tongue that they might more easily be vnderstoode of all men Againe the Britaines and Pictes which conuerted the greatest part of the Saxons howe could they haue been vnderstood preaching in Welsh but that the vulgare Latine tongue was a common language to them both Finally the manifolde vses of diuers Churches as Sarum Yorke c. declare that the Latine seruice was but lately in comparison set downe when knowledge decayed both in the Priestes and the people 27 Protestants haue plucked downe altars which they had of olde time They had altars but standing in the middest of the Church as y ◠tables stood in the Primitiue Church 28 Altar clothes and vestments vsed of them Protestants admit not A sorie ceremonie in which no part of Christianitie consisteth The like I say of the 29. holy vessels 30. holy water and 31. Ecclesiasticall censure about which there was no small adoe 32 Their primitiue Church was gouerned by Synodes of the Clergie only in determining controuersies of religion which Protestants haue called from thence vnto the Lay court onely The latter part is a slaunder vpon the Protestantes the former part a lye vpon the auncient Saxons for at the Synode holden at Strenshalch not only the kings Oswine Alfride were present but also king Oswine did order the Synode and in the end concluded the matter in controuersie lib. 3. cap. 25. 33 The spirituall rulers of the primitiue Church were Bishops and pastours duely consecrated protestants haue no consecration no true Bishops at all This is an other lewd slander against y e Protestants for they haue true Bishops though not cōsecrated after the Popish manner Laurence the second Archbishop of Canterburie acknowledgeth the Ministers of y e Scots and Britaines for Bishops although they were not subiect to the Church and See of Rome lib. 2. cap. 4. Aidanus Finanus Colmanus are iudged of Beda for true Bishops although they were deuided from the Church of Rome and so are such Bishops as were ordeined by them for they conuerted the greatest part of the Saxons vnto Christian faith As Northumbrians Mertians and East Saxons 34 Protestants haue brought the supreme gouernement of the Church to the Lay authoritie in the primitiue faith of our countrie the Lay was subiect to the Bishop in spirituall causes And so are they nowe in suche causes as they were subiecte then But that the supreame authoritie was in the ciuill Magistrate at that time it may appeare by these reasons First Pope Gregorie him self calleth the Emperour Mauritius his souereigne Lord lib. 1. cap. 23. 28. 29. 30. and after him Pope Honorius called Heraclius his souereigne Lord lib. 2. 18. King Sonwalch Preferred Agilbert and Wini to be Bishops afterward he deposed Wini which for mony bought for Wulfher king of Mercia the See of London lib. 3. cap. 7. Earcombert king of Kent of his princely authoritie purged his realme of idolatrie and commaunded that the fast of 40. dayes should be kept lib. 3. cap. 8. King Oswine ordered the Synod at Strenshalch li. 3. cap. 25. Oswine and Ecgbert kings deliberate touching the peacable gouernement of the Church and by the choice and consent of the Cleargie did nominate Wighard Archbishop of Canturburie lib. 3. cap. 29. King Ecgfride deposed Bishop Wilfride li. 4. ca. 12. Ost for
at y e cōmandemēt of king Edilred was cōsecrated by Wilfrid Bish. of y e Victians li. 4. ca. 23. These places of the historie shewe that kings had chiefe authoritie both ouer persons and causes Ecclesiasticall such as we nowe acknowledge our Princes to haue 35 The finall determination of spiritual causes rested in the See Apostolike of Rome which is nowe detested of protestantes Although the See of Rome vsurped much in those dayes yet was not the authoritie thereof acknowledged by the Churches of the Britaines Irish and Scots The Britaines before Augustines time sent not to Rome but vnto Fraunce for ayde against the Pelagian heretikes At Augustines comming and long after they refused to yelde obedience to the See of Rome yea among the Saxons them selues Wilfrid deposed by the king and absolued by the Pope could not be restored but by a Synod of his own countrie li. 5. c. 20. 36 Their faith and Apostles came from the See of Rome the protestant departeth there fro The Protestantes are returned to the auncient faith which was in this land before Augustine came from Rome which did not so much good in planting faith where it was not as in corrupting y ◠sinceritie of faith where it was before he came 37 Their faith was first preached with crosse and procession Heresies first raged by throwing downe the crosse and altering the procession therewith The Popish faith beganne with superstition which the Christian Catholikes haue iustly abolished 38 Their first Apostles were Monkes The first preachers of the protestants haue bene apostataes as Luther Oecolampadius Martyr c. Nay they haue returned from apostasie to the true faith and religion of Christ. Augustine and the rest of the Monkes of that time differed much from the Popish Monkes of the latter dayes For they were learned preachers lib. 3. cap. 26. these idle loyterers they laboured with their handes lib. 5. cap. 19. these liued of the sweat of other mens browes They made no such vow but they might serue the common wealth if they were called thereto Sigbard of a Monke was made King lib. 4. cap. 11. these professed them selues dead to all honest trauell either in the Church or common wealth 39 The first impes of their faith and schollers of the Apostles were holy mē Luther confesseth his schollers to be worse then they were vnder the Pope There were hypocrits in those daies also there were incontinent Nunnes lib. 4. cap. 25. And Beda confesseth that Aidane which was no slaue of the Romish See was more holy then y ◠Cleargie of his time whose deuotion was key colde If Luther flattered not his scholers he is more to be commended yet can not Stapleton proue that he speaketh so of all but of some carnall professours only 40 Their first preacher liued apostolically in voluntarie pouertie This Apostolicall perfection protestants that beare them selues for the Apostles of England neither practise them selues nor can abide in other First it is a slaunder that any Protestantes beare thē selues for Apostles of England secondly let the world iudge whether the preachers of the Gospel come nearer to the pouertie of the Apostles then the Pope their great Apostle of the Romish Church with the rest of the pillers of the same the Cardinals c. 41 Their faith builded vp Monasteries and Churches protestants haue throwne downe many erected none The first Monasteries were Colledges of learned preachers and builded for that end King Edilwald builded a Monasterie wherein he his people might resort to heare the word of God to pray and to burie their dead lib. 3. cap. 23. The like practise was in the Abbay of Hilda lib. 4. Ca. 23. From which vse seeing they were of late degenerated into idlenesse and filthie lustes they were lawfully suppressed And as for building of Churches where they lacke Protestants haue and do imploy their indeuour 42 By the first Christians of their faith God was serued day and night protestants haue abolished all seruice of God by night and done to the diuell a most acceptable sacrifice Protestants haue abolished no seruice of GOD by night but such as was either impious or superstitious for they also serue God both day and night euen with publique praier and exercise of hearing the word of God preached 43 By the deuotion of the people first imbracing their faith much voluntarie oblations were made to the Church by the rechlesse religion of the Protestantes due oblations are denied to the Church Of them that be true professours of the Gospell both due oblations are paide and much voluntarie oblations also for the maintenance of the preachers for reliefe of the poore the straunges and captiues c. 44 Princes endued the Church with possessions and reuenues The lewde loosenesse of the Protestants hath stirred princes to take from the Churches possessions so giuen Nay the pride couetousnesse and luxuriousnesse of Popish Cleargie haue moued them to do that is done in that behalfe 45 Last of all their faith reduced the Scottishmen liuing in schisme to the vnitie of the Catholike Church This late alteration hath moued them from vnitie to schisme Nay their superstition at length corrupted the sinceritie of faith in the Britaines and Scots and from the vnitie of y e Catholike Church of Christ brought them vnder the schismaticall faction of the See of Rome from which they are nowe againe returned with vs God be thanked to the vnitie of Christes true Catholike and Apostolike Church These differences which he hath either falsely obserued or else craftily collected out of the drosse and dregges of that time he promiseth to proue to concurre with the beliefe practise of the first 600. yeres in the second part of his feeble fortresse which is easily blowne ouer with one word Although some of these corruptions haue bene receiued within the first 600. yeares yet is he not able to proue that they haue bene from the beginning and so continued all that time wherefore his Fortresse will doe them small pleasure to establish them for Christian truthes which haue had a later beginning then our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles But for as much as he hath gathered differences of the first Church of the Saxons from ours I haue also gathered differences of the same from theirs at this time and let the readers iudge of both indifferently 1 The Church of English Saxons for 300. yeares after Augustine did beleeue bread and wine to remain in the sacrament after consecration which the Papists denie proued by a Sermon extant in the Saxon tong translated out of Latine by Aelfrike Archbishop of Canturburie or Abbot of S. Albones appointed to be read vnto the people at Easter before they receiued the Communion also by two Epistles of y e same Aelfrike 2 The Church of English Saxons beleeued the sacrament to be the body and bloud of Christe not carnally but spiritually expressely denying as wel the carnall presence as transubstantiation which the Papistes
Monkes are most vnlearned and fewe preachers out of their dens 35 In those dayes euery Priest and Clearke was a preacher so that when any came to any towne y e people would resort to them to be taught of them Bed lib. 4. cap. 16. The greatest number of Popish Priestes in these latter dayes are most ignorant Asses and void of all spirituall vnderstanding 36 Vnlearned Priestes were forbidden to serue in the Church Bed lib. 5. cap. 6. in so much that S. Iohn of Beuerley baptized againe a young man which was baptized of an vnlearned Priest The Papistes allowe vnlearned Priestes to baptise and say Masse that can not cathechise and instruct their hearers 37 Songes and Hymnes out of the holy Scriptures were made meete for religion in the mother tongue Bed lib. 4. cap. 24. Papistes can abide no songs of scripture in the English tongue 38 Anchorets of that time laboured with their handes Bed lib. 4. cap. 28. Popish Anchorets liue idly and labour not with their hands 39 Dirige and Masse was saide for Saint Oswaldes soule by which it is manifest that they esteemed the Masse to be a sacrifice of thankesgiuing lib. 3. cap. 2. 40 Bega a Nunne after she sawe the soule of the Abbesse Hilda carried into heauen exhorted her sisters to be occupied in prayers and Psalmes for her soule Whereby it appeareth that the doctrine of purgatory was not yet confirmed among them Lib. 4. ca. 23. Nothing is so certainly defended among Papistes as purgatorie 41 Holy men fasted then with eating of milke as Egbert Bed lib. 3. ca. 27. and Cedda fasted lent with egges and milk lib. 3. ca. 23. Papists of later times haue vtterly forbidden all white meates in Lent and fasting dayes 42 There was a Church of Christ in Britaine before the comming of Augustine not subiect to the see of Rome which continued long after his comming lib. 2. cap. 4. The Papistes account none Christians but such as be bondslaues to the see of Rome 43 Laurence the 2. Archbishop of Canter accompteth the Bishops of the Scottes and Britaines for Bishops although they were not subiect to the see nor Church of Rome Bed lib. 3 cap. 4. The Papistes take none for Bishops that be not vnder the see of Rome 44 The Churches of the Britaines were builded after another forme then the Churches of the Romish obedience Bed lib. 3. cap. 4. The Papistes affirme there were no Churches euer builded but in fashion and vse of poperie 45 The Schottish Churche instructed from Ireland obserued all such workes of deuotion as they could finde in the Prophetes Gospels and Apostles writings and therefore of Bede and the Englishe Church were acknowledged for Christians although they would not become members of the Churche of Rome Bed li. 3. ca. 4. The Papistes hold that there is no saluation out of the Church of Rome which is a newe Church in England in comparison of the elder that was before Augustines time 46 Aidanus a preaching Bishop hauing no possessions labouring to fulfill all that was written in the holy scriptures the prophets and Apostles shining in miracles both in his life time and after his death was neuer subiect to the Church of Rome yet accounted a Saint of the Church in those dayes Bed lib. 3. cap. 16. The Papistes allowe no saintes but canonized by their Pope 47 The exercise of Aidanus company both shorne and lay men was reading of the Scriptures and learning of the Psalmes Bed lib. 3. cap. 5. The exercise of Popish Bishops servants is nothing lesse 48 The greatest parte of the English Saxons were converted to Christianitie by the Britaines Scottes that were no members of the Church of Rome As all the kingdome of Northumberland both Bernicians Deires were conuerted by Aidanus except a fewe persons whom Paulmus the Romaine in long time had gained The whole kingdome of Mercia which was the greatest part of England receiued the faith and baptisme of Finanus the Scot the successour of Aidanus Bed lib. 3. cap. 21. The East Saxons by Cedda that was also of the Scottishe ordering lib. 3. cap. 22. The Papistes affirme that all our religion came from Rome 49 Ceadda was consecrated by Wini bishop of the West Saxons assisted by two Britain Bishops that were not subiect to the see of Rome was neuerthelesse accompted for a lawfull bishop Bed lib 3. 28. 50 Beda accounted Gregorie for the Apostle of the Englishmen lib. 2. cap. 1. The Papistes nowe take Augustine for their Apostle I omit many other opinions and ordinances of that age as Augustine would haue none forced to religion that Wednesday should be fasting day The bishop of London should haue a pall as well as Yorke c. wherein the Papistes differ from them that bragge of nothing but antiquity vniuersalitie and consent AN OVERTHROW of Stapletons Fortresse or as he calleth it himselfe the piller of Papistrie The first Booke CAP. I. AN introduction declaring the necessitie of the matter to be treated vpon and the order which the auothour wil take in treating thereof OMitting the necessitie of the mater his order which he promiseth to keepe is this First he wil proue if he can that Papistrie is the only true Christianitie This proposition he will followe by two principall partes In the former he will proue by authority of Scriptures and answering of the aduersaries obiections that the Church cannot possibly erre Secondly that this Church must be a knowne Church that no malignant Church can preuaile against it that Papistrie can be no schisme nor heresie In the latter part after a fewe reasonable demandes that protestantes must not refuse to answere putting the case that the knowne Church of 900. yeares is a kinde of papistry he will proue that the faith of protestants is differing from that was first planted among Englishe men in more then fortie pointes and that in all those pointes of difference he wil shew they agree with the first 600. yeares which he saith but falsely that protestants offer to be tried by For although the Bishop of Sarum made challenge of many articles nowe holden of the Papistes not to be founde within the compasse of the first 600. yeares and therefore to be newe and false doctrines yet neither he nor any protestant liuing or dead did euer agree to receiue what doctrine so euer was taught within the first sixe hundreth yeares But this I dare avowe that what article of doctrine so euer we do affirme that same hath bene affirmed of the godly fathers of the primitiue Church what so euer we denie the same can not be proued to haue ben vniuersally affirmed and receiued of all the godly fathers by the space of the 600. yeares together CAP. II. That protestantes doe condemne the vuiuersal Church of Christ of these many hundreth yeares and the reason of the whole disputation following grounded therevpon To prooue that the Protestants condemne the uniuersall Church of
Donatistes we affirme that the Catholike church of Christ is and hath beene euen in the most darke times of Antichristes kingdome dispersed throughout the whole world nothing doubting but God which preserued 7000. in one corner of Israel not much greater then some shyere of England hath preserued seuen thousand thousande in all partes of the wyde world which neuer bowed their knees to the Romish Baal nor kissed him with their mouth CAP. IIII. Proofes and testimonies one of the Prophet Esay that the Church of the Messias continueth for euer vnto the worlds end assisted alwayes by God himselfe The testimonies of the perpetuitie of the Church out of the Prophet Esay with the exposition of Hieronyme vpon them maketh nothing against vs which willingly acknowledge the same But denye that they perteine to the Popish Church which had her beginning long after Christe and his Apostles and her full tyranny confirmed more than 1000. yeares after Christe The same Hierome disputeth against the custome of the particular Church of Rome and appealeth to the Church of all the worlde Si auctoritas quaeritur orbis maior est vrbe c. If authoritie be sought the world is greater then a citie And againe Quid mihi profers vnius vrbis consuetudinem What bringest thou forth to mee the costome of one citie Euagr. We stand for the Catholike Church of Christ dispersed ouer all the world against the particular schismaticall hereticall and Antichristian church of Rome which though shee haue inuaded by tyranny ouer a great part of Europe yet neuer did shee preuaile ouer the whole Church throughout the world not yet ouer all Europe CAP. V. The doctrine of Caluine touching the Church is examined to the touchstone of the holy Scriptures alledged Wherein also is treated and disputed by what markes the Church may be known First he confesseth that Caluine hath learnedly largely and truely treated of the vnitie authoritie and obedience of the Church He affirmeth also that he acknowledgeth a visible Church in the worlde whose communion we ought to keepe and of her to receiue the spirituall foode of doctrine and sacraments which ought not to be forsaken for the euil life of the members thereof All this he commendeth and alloweth But herein he sheweth his malicious cauilling stomak that he supposeth Caluine to affirme that the vniuersall Church of Christ is visible where he speaketh but of particular congregations members of the whole which are visible not to the world always but to the members of the same The markes of the Church which Caluine sayeth to be true preaching of the worde of God and due administration of the sacraments although he confesseth them to be in the Church yet he denyeth them to be the markes of the Church For the marke must be better knowne then the thing whereof it is a marke but the Church is more euident then those markes ergo they be no true markes The minor he proueth by that which Caluine teacheth that wee must learne of the Church the true meaning of the Scripture But hereof it followeth not that y e Church is better known then these markes For there is a farther tryal which ought to be better known by which both are to be knowne namely the worde of God whereunto wee must haue recourse to trye whether those things that are preached are euen so in deede as the Thessalonians did by the preaching of Paul Barnabas Act. 17. ver 11. The vnmouable trueth is to be sought in the Scriptures what preaching or Church agreeth with that trueth is to be receiued none other And whereas he sayeth that Heretikes challenge these markes as well as Catholiks I grant they do so but no more do they challenge these markes then they challenge the Church to be on their side for there was neuer heresie but they bragged as much of the Church as of the trueth Therefore the Church is not more cleare then these markes but these marks tryed by y e worde of God are more cleare then the Church which is therefore the Church because it maintaineth true doctrin The doctrine is not true because the Church maintaineth it The cause is better known then the effect for knowledge is to vnderstand by causes But M. Stapl. hath two better markes then Caluine describeth To wit the vniuersalitie and communion of all nations The continuance and euer-remaining thereof among Christians These markes by no Logyke can be causes of the Church but adiuncts vnto it and therefore the worst arguments that can be to knowe it by euen such as the foolish mans argument was that knew his horse by the brydle But admitt these to be proper adiuncts of the Church yet shall not the popish Church be able to prooue those to be her markes For Popery neither doth neither euer did possesse all the worlde except a peece of Europe be all the world The Church of Christ is Catholike although there were but three of foure persons in all the worlde that mainteined true doctrine as there was not many when Christ his Apostles and a fewe other were the onely Church in all the world and the Catholike Church before they were dispersed into many nations For y e Church is called Catholike or vniuersall not because all men or most men do pertaine vno it but because all that be members of Christ howe many or howe fewe so euer they be and wheresoeuer they be are members of that Church But M. Stapl. sayth The vniuersalitie of the Church is a matter euident to the eye therefore the Catholike Church is alwayes visible To this I answer that if the Catholike Church or the vniuersalitie thereof were alwayes visible or at any time visible or the vniuersalitie thereof euident to the eye it should be no article of faith for faith is of such things as are not seen with the eye but beleued with the heart Heb. 11. ver 1. We agree with Augustine against the Donatists that no heresie was in all countreys in all ages For Papistrie which is the greatest heresie apostasye was neuer in all countryes all ages But if an heresie were in all countries and ages yet proueth it not it self to be a Catholike trueth Idolatrie hath beene in all countries and ages yet is it not thereby prooued to be a Catholike trueth The Church of Christe whereof we are members hath bene in al partes of the world and in all ages though not alwayes not euer receiued of the greatest part of men And if this be a most cleare and euident marke as he saith that no heretike can pretende to be ioyned in communion with all Christian countries The Popish Church hath not this marke which is not ioyned in communion with the Greekes Armenians Chaldeans Aethiopians and so many nations as at this day and since the Apostles times haue bene Christened Countries But nowe wee come to the seconde marke of the Church The continuance thereof
only condemned in Aerius and Eunomius August Haer. 54. Epiph. Haer. 76. which is a very shamelesse slaunder for there is no such iustification by faith onely condemned in them as we holde which no man of the auncient Fathers more copiously defendeth then Augustine him selfe The second is also a most impudent lye that to condemne free will in man to worke well as we meane it is an heresie of y e Manichees Marcionistes for both which opinions as we holde them Augustine him selfe shall speake Ep. 105. Sixto Restat igitur vt ipsam fidem vnde omnis iustitia sumit initium propter quod dicitur ad ecclesiam in Cantico canticorum Venies pertransies ab initio fidei non humano quo isti extolluntur tribuamus arbitrio nec villis praecedentibus meritis quoniaÌ„ inde incipiunt bona quaecunque sunt merita sed gratituÌ„ donum Dei esse fateamur si gratiam veram id est sine meritis cogitemus Therefore it remaineth that we ascribe not faith it selfe from whence all righteousnesse taketh beginning for which it is said vnto the Church in the Balat of Balats Thou shalt come passe through from the beginning of faith vnto mans free will whereof they are proude nor to any merites going before for all good merites what so euer they are beginne from thence but that we confesse it to be the freely giuen gift of God if we thinke oâ— true grace which is without merites Thus writeth Augustine against the Pelagians which mainteined free will to do wel and were counted heretikes therefore the contrarâ—e whereof Stapleton doth nowe count to be heresie in vs. The third heresie imputed to Aerius was the deniall of praier for the dead which neither Augustine nor Epiphanius that count it for an errour can by the word of God conuince to be so The fourth is Iouiniaans opinion making marriage equall with virginitie which we doe not hold but that in some respect virginitie is preferred as the Apostle teacheth 1. Cor. 7. But y t we exhort them to marrie which can not keepe their vowe of continence which rashly and presumptuously they made we are warranted by Epiphanius Contra Apostolicos Haer. 61. Hieronym Ad Demetriadem The fift that is the contempt of fasting daies appointed by the Church we holde not with Aerius and Eustachius but coÌ„trariwise that they are to be obserued although we make none account of the fasting daies appointed and superstitiously kept by the Popish Church The sixt the superstition of Christians vsed at the tombes of Martyrs we condemne with Vigilantius and Augustine De moribus ecclesiae Catholicae lib. 1. cap. 34. Neither is Vigilantius condemned of any man in his time but by the priuate iudgement of Hieronyme only Nowe in howe many heresies the Papistes communicate with the olde heretikes I haue shewed before in other treatises which it were needlesse here to repeate CAP. X. Obiections of Protestants to proue the Church may erre by the example and similitude of the olde lawe aunswered and confuted The obiection is onely this out of the Defence of the trueth fol. 94. as he saith The Church of the Iewes lacked not Gods promises succession of Bishops and priestes opinion of holynesse and austeritie of life knowledge of the lawe of God And yet they erred why may we not thinke the like may be in this our time Both maior minor of this argument he saith is false for first they had not such promises as the Church of Christ hath of perpetuall continuance in the trueth bicause they were not appointed to continue alwayes wherein he bewraieth his grosse beastly ignorance that can not discerne betweene the nation of the Iewes and the Church of God among the Iewes which hath euen the same promises of euerlasting continuance that the Church of the Gentiles hath which is not an other Church from the Church of the Iewes but an accession and an addition vnto it Howe many promises of eternall continuance be made in the Prophetes to Israel to Zion to Ierusalem Reade Esa. ca. 60. 62. 63. among a number The accoÌ„plishment whereof although it be seene in the Church gathered of the Gentiles yet who would be so impudent to denie that they pertaine principally to the Church of Israel as to the elder brother But what striue we further when the Apostle to the Romanes cap. 9. vers 3. expresly affirmeth that the promises pertaine to Israel euen as the adoption the glorie the couenants the giuing of the lawe c. yet M. Stapleton thinketh him selfe a sharpe disputer when he obiecteth out of the Epistle to the Hebrues Heb. 8. that the testament of Messias is established in more excellent promises bicause of y e new couenant out of Ieremie 31. as though both the testaments did not pertaine to the Catholike Church of Christ as wel that of the Iewes as this of y e Gentiles The newe Testament promises are better then that was made in Sinai but the new testament of Messias pertaineth as much to the Church of y e Iewes as to the Church of y e Gentiles Or els the Apostle had laboured in vaine writing to the Iewes to drawe theÌ„ from the ceremonies of the olde testament to the couenant of Messias established onely in mercie and forgiuenesse of their sinnes Christ was the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world whose redemption pertained as much vnto the fathers that liued before his incarnation as vnto them that are borne sincer therfore the promise of the eternitie of the Church beginneth not at the natiuitie of Christ but at the beginning of the world So that for continuance and perpetuity of Gods spirite with his Churche without the which it can not be the Church of God the promises from the beginning haue bene the same that are now although according to Gods moste wise dispensation they haue bene more clearely reuealed in the latter times most clearely of all by Christ himselfe and his Apostles Now remaineth the minor to be proued That the Church of the Iewes hath erred Which he denieth because the high priestes answered truely of the natiuitie of Christ because Caiphas prophecied vnwittingly of the vertue of Christes death then the which nothing can be more blockish They erred not in one article ergo they erred not at all One of them spake the trueth against his will in one point ergo the synagogue of the Iewes neuer erred Againe he saith the whole synagogue before the law of Christ took place in necessary knowledge of the lawe of Moyses did neuer erre For proofe whereof more like a blocke then a man he bringeth such places of Scripture as either shew what the Priestes duty should be but not affirme what their knowledge was or else prophesie a reformation of the corrupt state of the Cleargie from ignorance to knowledge As Ez. 44. The Priestes Leuites shall teach my people And Mal. 2. The lippes of
the Priest should kepe knowledge and men should require the law of his mouth Agg. 2. Aske the priest the Lawe But what dronken Flemming of Douaie would reason thus The Scribes and the Pharisees sate in Moses chaire therefore the Synagogue did either neuer or not then erre Our Sauiour Christ willed thē to be heard while they spake out of Moses chaire not while they taught to worship God in vaine preferring their traditions before the commandement of God But who would spend any more time in reasoning against such a one as defendeth that the Scribes and the Pharises did not erre whose false doctrine cōcerning adulterie murther swearing the worship of God not onely the person but also the qualitie of Messias and his kingdome our sauiour Christ him selfe so often so sharply doth reproue But the whole synagogue saith he in necessary knowledge of the lawe of Moses did neuer erre If he vnderstand the whole synagogue for euerie man we confesse the same and so we say that the whole Church that is all the elect neither in the first sixe hundreth nor in the latter nine hundreth yeares did neuer erre in necessary knowledge of the Gospel But if you take the whole synagogue for the whole multitude that had the ordinary authority and did beare the outward face and countenance of the Church they haue erred before the comming of Christ Example in the whole synagogue in the dayes of Iosias when the very booke of the lawe was vnknowen vnto the Priestes vntill it was found by occasion of taking out of mony out of the temple by Hilchiah the priest So that from the beginning of the reigne of Manasse vntill the 18. yeare of the reigne of Iosias which was almost 80. yeares Idolatry openly preuailed in the temple of God the whole synagogue that is all in authority and countenance embracing the same except a fewe poore Prophetes that were slaine for crying out against it 2. King 22. 2. Chro. 34. And such was the state of the Church in the most corrupt times continuing as then but yet in persecution aduersity and beeing vnknowen vnto the worlde except now and then God stirred vp some witnesse to testifie his truth which was slaine of the beast Apoc. 11. Now concerning the childish sophisme that although it was not possible that the Church could erre yet it is not proued that it hath erred what shold I speake When the defender directly oppugneth that paradoxe which the Papistes holde namely that the Churche cannot erre To conclude while he walketh vnder a cloude of the Church sanctified and assisted by the holy Ghost defended by the presence of Christ c. He playeth bo peepe vnder a coverlet For what so euer promises are made to the faithfull spouse of Christe pertaine nothing at al to the Popish Church of Antichrist which is departed from the faith carrying the brandmarks of hypocrisie in prohibition of marriage and meates so euident that all the water in the sea can not wash them out CAP. XI Obiections out of the News Testament moued and assoyled The first obiection is the abhomination of desolation standing in the holy place that is the Church Matth. 24. He asketh where the defender hath learned to expound this holy place of the Church Forsooth where M. Stapleton learned that it may be vnderstood of the temple at Ierusalem where Pilate placed Caesars image or of the Image of Adriane Namely in Hierome vpon this text Matth. 24. which vnderstandeth the abhomination of desolation to be Antichrist of whom Saint Paule speaketh whom he denieth not but that he shal sit in the Church his wordes are these De hoc Apostolus loquitur quòd homo iniquitatis aduersarius eleuandus sit contra omne quod dicitur Deus colitur ita ut audeat stare in templo Dei ostendere quòd ipse sit Deus cuius aduentus secundum operationem satanae destruat eos ad Dei solitudinem redigat qui se susceperint Potest autem simpliciter aut de Anti christo accipi aut de imagine Caesaris c. Of this abhomination of desolation the Apostle also speaketh that the man of sinne and the aduersary shalbe lifted vp against all that is called God or worshipped so that he dare stand in the temple of God and shewe himselfe as God whose comming according to the working of Satan may destroy them bring them to solitarines frō God which shal receiue him and it may either be taken simply of Antichriste or of the image of Caesar c. Let him now reason with Hieronyme howe the sacrifice should ceasse after the ende of 62. weekes Although for my part I thinke the pollution of the temple whiche was a token of the desolation imminent was a figure of the corruption of the Church by AntiChriste The 2. obiection S. Paul witnesseth that Antichrist should sit in the temple of God that is in the Church What of this saith he will it followe that he hath sitten there these 900. yeares As though the defender were to proue how long Antichrist should sit and not rather that the visible and outwarde multitude of the Church should erre Like madnes shal I say or impudence he sheweth where he saith the protestantes commonly name S. Gregorie to be that Antichrist Which I am sure he neuer read nor heard any protestant affirme But the Pope cānot be Antichrist saith he because Antichrist should then labour to extirpe the faith of Christe for the Pope hath called people from infidelitie to Christianitie That letteth not but that he is Antichrist for the Pope calleth none but vnto the name of Christianitie vnder colour of which he exerciseth tyranny otherwise he laboureth to extirpe the faith of Christ and to preferre himself before Christ whose redemption he teacheth to take away onely the guilt of sinne whereas his pardon taketh away both the paine and the guilt of sinne The thirde obiection is out of S. Peter that in the Church should be many masters and teachers of lyes But these sayth he shall not tarie 900. yeares for their destruction sleepeth not A wise shift as though the Apostle gaue not a generall admonition for the Church in all ages euen in that wherein he liued himselfe The last is out of 1. Tim. 4. that in the latter dayes such should come which shall giue eare to the doctrine of deuils forbidding to marrie and eate suche meates as God hath created to be receiued with thanksgiuing In this matter he professeth to be short as he hath no lust to tarrie being in that wherein his cauterized conscience is so galled But he aunswereth briefly it was fulfilled in the Manichees what then doth it followe that it is not fulfilled in the Papistes Doth the spirite speak euidently of the Manichees an obscure heresie and not rather of the Apostasie of Antichrist whose hypocrisie should be cloaked by fained chastity and fasting No no Master Stapleton your conscience
point at it with his finger Let him I say point out with his finger what Kinges in euery age for the space of the first three hundreth yeares did walke in the brightnesse of the Churches arising It will not serue him to name Algarus of Edessa or Lucius of Britaine But he must shewe a continuall succession of Kinges for all that time or if he can not let him confesse that the externall glorie and brightnesse of the Church is not in all ages to be seene as the spirituall magnificence and light thereof is euerlasting His nexte reason is of the continuance of Pastours and teachers in the Churche which he imagineth to haue fayled in our Church for nine hundreth yeares but he is altogether deceiued For when the state of the Romishe Churche was growen to be such a confuse Babylon that it was necessary for GODS people to goe out of it Apoc. Chap. 18. verse 4. Which came not to the full ripenesse of iniquitie vntill a thousande yeares after Christe GOD sent Pastours and teachers to his Churche so departed out of Babylon in these partes of Europe which continued by succession euen vntill GOD restored his Gospell into open light of the worlde againe Beside that a great number of Easterne Churches haue continued euen from the Apostles time vnto this day though not in soundnesse of all opinions yet in open profession of Christianitie among whome doubtlesse some reteyned the foundation alwayes which were neuer obedient to the see of Rome neither partakers of a greate nomber of her horrible heresies so that if it were graunted that the Churche must alwayes be visible yet the Papistes are neuer the neare to proue their faction to be the Church because the Greeke Church for outward shewe of a Churche hath bene alwayes as notorious in the East as the Latine Church in the West Finally where Augustine sayeth although vpon a text wrongly interpreted that the Churche is placed in the sunne that is a manifest place of the worlde not in a corner like the conuenticles of heretikes He meaneth not that the Church is alwayes seene of all men but that it seeketh no corners or couerture of darkenesse as heretikes doe to shrowd their falshoode in although in the time of persecution it be driuen into streightes and is content to be hidden from the aduersaries thereof except in some cases where the glorie of CHRISTE requireth an open confession The same Augustine would haue the Churche to be known onely by the Scriptures De vnitate Ecclesiae Cap. 16. Sed utrum ipst Ecclesiam teneant non nisi divinarum scripturarrum Canonicis libris ostendunt But whether they holde the Church let them shewe by none otherwayes but by the Canonicall bookes of the holy Scriptures If the Papistes were able to proue their doctrine by the scriptures they would not labour so muche for the title of the Church which of necessitie would followe them if they taught nothing but that and all that which the holy Scriptures doe teache CAP. XIIII Three reasons why the Church of Christ ought of necessitie alwayes to be a cleare euident visible and knowen Church In the seconde of which reasons a sensible disputation is made to trie whether our countrie among other might possiblie haue attayned to the right Faith without the helpe of a knowne Church in all this pretensed time of Papistrie The first reason is that except the Church and true pastors thereof might be openly knowne the infidell seeking for Christianitie shall come from paganisme to heresie c. the grace and gift of Christ shoulde bee vnprofitable as a riche treasure fast locked vp c. which were inconuenient in many respects c. therefore the Church must be openly knowne and euident c. I aunswere this reason sauoreth of Pelagianisme which is enimie to the grace of God presupposing that Infidels of their owne good motion without the grace of God may seeke Christianitie But if wee remember what our Sauiour Christ saith No man commeth vnto me except my father drawe him Ioan. 6. ver 44. Wee must acknowledge that as it is the onely grace of God that moueth in infidels a desire to seeke Christ so the same grace and no outward appearance to be iudged by carnall reason shall directe them whom he hath chosen to eternall life among so many sectes in the worlde to finde see and acknowledge the onely true Church and piller of trueth out of which there is no saluation Wherefore this reason hath no grounde but vppon a supposition of Pelagianisme that GOD hath onely reuealed his trueth vnto men of the worlde and lefte men to their owne reason to find it out by external notes such as Infidels not lightened by Gods grace by the light of naturall reason may descerne The seconde reason is that it hath pleased God that because The seconde reason is that it hath pleased God that because faith leaneth vpon authoritie and authoritie is strong in a multitude although in the primitiue Church by miracles euident giftes of the holy ghost the authoritie of a fewe drewe whole countryes to the faith yet miracles ceasing to keepe the Church alwayes in a knowen multitude whose authoritie might drawe the simple persuade the learned and keepe out the heretikes If this carnal reason were good there were smal or no vse of the scriptures at all The authoritie of the Church and that alwayes knowne might suffice for all matters But Augustine saith hee in his booke de vxilitate credendi ad Honoratum Cap. 14. vseth this reason to bring Honoratus from the Manichees to the Catholikes out of whome he citeth a long discourse to this effect That as the common multitude and fame moueth a man to beleeue that there was such a one as Christ and that his writings and scriptures are to be credited so of the head rulers of that multitude and not of any priuie and newe sect such as the Manichees was he must learne the vnderstanding of this booke and scriptures This he taketh vppon him to exemplifie by the state of our countrey at the firste conuersion thereof by Augustine Although this carnal reason might haue some shew with Honoratê° a straunger from the Church and one not lightened with the spirite of God yet howe vaine it is being applyed to the Papistes you may easily see by this that since the Church of Rome hath been the Church of Antichrist as great a multitude which might and hath moued many infidels to receuie the profession of Christianitie hath beene seperated from it as hath cleaued to it Put the case then of an infidell in the East which moued by the fame and consent of many nations hath thought well of Christ hath giuen credite to the Scriptures to what head rulers shoulde be resort for instruction in the Scriptures to the rulers of that multitude by which he was first moued to beleeue then shoulde he neuer become a Papist For all the Patriarches
denye that you Papistes can bring such recordes witnesse and possession of 900. yeares And secondly I affirme that wee can bring good recordes euidences and witnesse to the contrary Wherefore this case helpeth you nothing at all as it is false that the religion nowe called Papistry hath beene professed these 900. yeares which I haue proued by more then 40. differences gathered out of the historie of Bede and other monuments of antiquitie CAP. XVI A note of countries and prouinces brought to the faith of Christ from Paganisme within the compasse of those latter 900 yeares He beginneth with the conuersion of the English Saxons and Britanie and so proceedeth to the conuersion of diuers small nations in Germanie and other partes last of all he commeth to the conuersion of many thousands in the Isle of Goa testified by letters of the Iesuites al which he maketh to be conuerted into one faith and religion of Papistrie But that is false for I haue proued by many differences that although the first beginning of these 900. yeares was corrupt in many thinges yet was it not so corrupt as Papistrie nor agreeing with Papistes in many of their chiefe heresies for 300. or 400. yeares after Now touching such as haue bene conuerted to plaine Poperie since y t time or by y e Iesuites in this time if their monstrous reports be credible it proueth not y t they are of an Apostolike spirit The Scribes and Pharisees were zealous to make Proselites to Iudaisme The great and mightie nations of the Gothes Vandales Hunnes c. that ouerranne the greatest part of the Romaine Empire were conuerted from Gentilitie by the Arrians whose heresie along time they helde as all histories doe record The Nestorians conuerted great nations that yet continued in their heresie Photius the heretike conuerted the Bulgarians Finally the Greeke Church hath conuerted as many nations vnto their profession of Christianitie as the Romaines haue done to their Papistrie wherefore this argument of conuersion of nations doeth no more proue Papistrie to be true Christianitie then it doth iustifie Iudaisme Arrianisme Nestorianisme Grecisme which the Papistes count to be an heresie as well as the other CAP. XVII Whether at any time the religion of Protestants haue conuerted any infidels to the faith The religion which we holde whome he calleth Protestantes being the same which was deliuered by Christ him selfe and his Apostles hath conuerted all nations of the world that euer were coÌ„uerted from infidelitie to y e true faith and religion of Christ. Wherefore it is a folish fantasie that he requireth vs to shew one countrie citie or man conuerted within these 900. yeres If Protestants could brag as well as the Iesuites they might boast of many thousands conuerted by them in the new found lands of Gallia Antarctica and India beside many Iewes that are knowne to be turned to the Christian faith in this part of the world If in the time of persecution when they had much ado to saue their owne faith from deceiuing and their liues from crueltie they had no leasure to trauell into Heathen countries to seeke the conuersion of infidels no wise man will maruell The slaunderous reportes of Villegagnon and the Iesuites are of as good credite as their persons are of honestie and soundnes of religion CAP. XVIII The argument of continuance of the knowne Church is fortified out of the most auncient and learned Fathers The auncient and learned Fathers neuer allowed any continuance of the Catholike Church and faith but such as had their beginning at Christ his Apostles and not such as beganne fiue or sixe hundreth yeares after Christ as all the testimonies which he cyteth do plainely proue vnto vs. First Augustine Ep. 166. reproueth the Donatistes For that they would not acknowledge the Church which Christ him selfe had planted and which had continued euen vntill that time But it pleaseth this man greatly which Augustine writeth Cont. Ep. Parm. lib. 3. cap. 5. That there is no securitie of vnitie except the Church be declared out of the promises of God which as it is saide being set vpon an hill can not be hid and therefore it is necessarie that it be knowne to all parts of the earth The knowne Church that Augustine speaketh of is not the peculiar Church of Rome but the vniuersall Church of Christ dispersed ouer all the world which is in such sort knowne seene as the mountaine whereon it is builded is knowen and seene But that mountaine is Christ spoken of in Daniel which is not knowne or seene but by faith no more is the vniuersall Church of Christ knowne or seene but by faith And thus he writeth against the Donatistes which challenged the societie of the iust to be only in Africa whereon as also that the mountaine in y e which y e Church is set is Christ August writeth in y e same chapter Qui ergo noÌ„ vult sedere in concilio vanitatis non euanescat typho superbiae quaerens conuenticula iustorum totius orbis vnitate separata quae non potest inuenire Iusti autem sunt per vniuersam ciuitatem quae abscondi non potest quia supra montem constituta est Montem illum dico Daniâ—lis in quâ— lapis ille praecisus sine manibus creuit impleuit vniuersam terram Per totam igitur istam ciuitatem toto orbe diffusam iusti gemunt moerent ob iniquitates quae sunt in medio eorum He therefore that will not sit in the councel of vanitie let him not vanish away in swelling of pride seeking the conuenticles of the iust separated from the vnitie of all the world which he can not finde Now the iust are throughout the whole citie which can not be hid bicause it is set vpon an hill I meane that hill of Daniell in which that stone being cut off without handes increased and filled the whole earth Therfore in al this citie dispersed ouer all the world the iust doe grone and mourne for the iniquities which are in the middest of them Thus Augustine being rightly vnderstoode maketh altogether against the schismaticall Church of Rome which is not set vpon that mountaine which is inuisible to the eye of the flesh but seeketh the vtter ruine of that citie which being builded on Christ is known in all partes of the world by faith But Hieronyme saith much for the matter Contra Luciferianos I could drie vp all the streames of thy propositions with the fame of the Church And who douteth but where the Church is acknowledgeth to be the cleare doctrine thereof may stoppe the mouth of any heretike which acknowledgeth it for the Church The same Hieronyme Ad Dam. mach Oceanum de error Orig. cur post c. writeth thus Why after 400. yeares labourest thou to teach vs which we knewe not before Why doest thou bring foorth that which Peter and Paul would neuer teach Euen vntill this day the Christian
world was without thes doctrine I wil hold that faith an olde man in which I was borne a childe A worthie saying of Hierome which may be rightly applied against the Papistes which teach such doctrine as neither Peter nor Paul would euer teach nor the Christian world knewe for 600. yeares after Christe yea for almost a thousand yeares after Christ in many pointes The like force is in the saying of Gregorie Nazianzen against the Arrian Ep. 2. ad Clidon Si ante hos triginti c. If our faith beganne but 30. yeares agoe when there are almost 400. yeares since Christe was shewed and the Gospell hath for so long space bene in vaine our faith also hath bene in vaine and they which haue giuen witnesse thereto haue testifid in vaine so many and so worthie prelates in vaine haue gouerned the people This saying is verified of Christian faith which had cōtinued in the world sixe seuen or eight hundreth yeares before Papistrie in many pointes began Christ hath bene preached and yet Papistrie neuer heard of yea what so euer doctrine had a latter beginning then Christ and his Apostles this father condemneth of error Euen as the same man writeth in the other place by M. Stapl. cited De Theod. li. 2. Vt haec praesidia omittam c. To omit these helpes yet it should satisfie vs that none of those which haue bene inspired with the spirite of God hath hitherto either pronounced this sentence or allowed it being vttered by any other and the doctrine of our church doth abhor it He braggeth not vpon the present opinion of y e Church but as the same hath alwayes bene allowed of al the Apostles and their successors and y e contrarie neuer receiued Therfore wheras Theodoret reporteth y t that confession of the faith was admitted in y e Councel of Nice which preuailed was published throughout y e world he meaneth not y t the Fathers folowed either y e multitude or the cōmon opinion of men which were reputed for the Church in that time but bicause y e same confession had alwaies euen from the beginning bene receiued and continued in y e Church as consonant agreeable to y e word of God by which the Church must be tried to be y e true Church wheras articles of faith are not proued true bicause they be helde by thē y ◠are commonly taken to be of y e Church To conclude The prescription of Tertullian against Hermogenes we do willingly admit offer to be tried therby y t whether of our religion or theirs is y e more auncient y t vndoubtedly must be truth But thē y e prescriptiō of 900. yeres wherof Stapl. so often so much doth cackle will not serue y e Papists as they cannot prescribe scarse halfe so long for many of their opinions For except we be able to proue our religion as auncient as the time of Christ and his Apostles we refuse not to be accounted heretikes If we teach nothing but that we can iustifie by manifest demonstration out of the holy Scriptures y ◠same also in the most principall points being confirmed with the testimonie of the auncient fathers of the primitiue Church the Papistes which accuse vs of heresie shall be found not onely to be heretikes but blasphemers of God and slaunderers of his Saints CAP. XIX It is proued by three reasons or arguments deducted out of holy Scripture that all the time of Papistrie can be no schisme on heresie and therefore was true Christianitie The first reason is this No heresie or schisme is vniuersall The faith of England these 900. yeares was vniuersall ergo it was no schisme or heresie The minor which is false he would proue by this reason The faith of England was the faith of France Spaine Italie Germanie and of all other Christian countries therefore it was vniuersall This antecedent is false for beside y t in England Fraunce Spaine Italie c. since the Church of Rome ceased to be the Church of Christ there were alwayes true Christians which yelded not to Papistrie as many regions as he hath named of the East countrie helde not the faith which was then openly receiued in England in many principall articles namely in that which they make to be y e chiefe of all y e article of the Popes supremacie and subiection to the Church of Rome therfore al Christened coūtries were not of y e same faith of Papistrie these 900. yeres He laboreth like a wise man to proue y t no sect is vniuersal but that Poperie was vniuersall it is sufficient for Papistes to say bicause they are neuer able to proue it The second reason is that no heresie is of long continuance to preuaile ouer true beleeuers to oppresse the trueth c. Papistrie hath continued these 900. yeares therefore Papistrie is no heresie Although the minor be not simply true yet y e maior is vtterly false But he would proue the maior out of S. Paul 2. Tim. 3. saying of such as should withstand the trueth like Iannes and Iambres that they should not further preuaile for their foolishnesse shall be made knowne to all men euen as theirs was Admit that this were spoken of those which should forbid marriage and meates which he would haue to be the Manichees 1. Tim. 4. as it is spoken of hypocrites which shall be in the Church to the end of the world yet here is no shortnesse of time prescribed for the continuance of their errour for he saide before 2. Tim. 2. vers 16. That they shall increase vnto more vngodlinesse and their word shall fret as a canker He meaneth therefore that they shall not long continue vnknowne not to all men but to all faithfull and godly men as the follie of Iannes and Iambres was not made manifest to all the Egyptians but vnto the Israelites Likewise whereas Peter saith 2 Peter 2. That the destruction of false Prophetes sleepeth not he meaneth not but that they may haue by succession a long continuance in the world for he him selfe admonisheth vs that we may not count the Lordes delaying of iudgement to be slacknesse as Stapleton doth if it should be deferred 900. yeares for one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day Heretikes therfore shal haue a quicke iudgement heresie shall shortly haue an end for that neither of both shal cōtinue alway vncondemned But that his maior proposition is vtterly false which is No heresie is of long continuance I shewe by these instances The heresie of them that ioyned Circumcision with the Gospell is more then 1500. yeares olde and yet it continueth in Affrica among Aethiopians as witnesseth Munster and other writers of Geographie as also the heresie of the Nestorians which is 1200. yeares olde and yet continueth among the Georgians Finally so auncient as the full tyrannie of the Pope is so auncient is the departure of
Babylon before the time of Donus the Pope which was almoste seuentie yeres after that Maister Stapleton misnameth Martianus in steede of Mauritius I will impute it to no ignorance although if such a faulte escape any of vs we are by and by cried out vpon to be ignorant in all antiquity c. Thus haue I aunswered Maister Stapletons demaunde concerning the principall foundation and rocke of Papistrie although no necessitie suche as hee supposeth doeth moue mee For albeit the precise time of the entring of any heresie can not be named yet it followeth not that the same heresie is a trueth therefore The second demaunde is when and by whome Luther was called when he begunne to preache the Gospell I aunswere if calling of the Popishe Churche be lawfull as the Papistes will not denye Luther had suche ordinary calling as the Churche where he liued did allowe for he was called to be a publike teacher before the Popes pardoner came into Saxony against whose moste impudent blasphemies and shamelesse errours he first inueyghed in his publike sermons Wherefore concerning his vocation the mouthes of Papistes ought to be stopped But Stapleton will not be so satisfied for he sayeth that the Popish Churche would neuer call him to preache against her selfe that is not materiall the Popishe Churche gaue him such authority as she had to preache whiche he vsed first to seeke her reformation if she had bene reformable but when he sawe her oppose her selfe against the manifest trueth he had iust cause to departe from her vnto the Catholike Churche of CHRISTE It sufficeth not Stapleton that hee learned by the Scriptures that the Churche erred bycause all heretikes abuse the Scriptures as thoughe there were no certainty of trueth to be founde in the Scriptures which blasphemie derogateth all authoritie from the holy Scriptures inspired of GOD whiche the Apostle sayeth to bee able to reprooue all errours that the man of GOD may be perfecte prepared to all good workes 2. Tim. 3. ver 16. Againe where hee affirmeth that he had the interpretation of the Scriptures from heauen Stapleton vrgeth that then he must shewe some miracle as if the ordinary inspiration of Gods spirite without the which no man can vnderstand any of Gods mysteries of necessitie requireth confirmation of miracles But Luther him selfe he sayeth requireth miracles of Muncer whiche boasted of Reuelation and so ought we to doe of Luther No sir Muncer boasted of an extraordinary Reuelation and taught a doctrine directly contrary to the worde of GOD written and therefore the case is nothing lyke After this hee telleth a slaunderous fable out of that runnagate Baldwine of the conference at Poissie that Beza and Martyr could not agree whether their calling was ordinary or extraordinary the conclusion whereof was this that Beza was ordeined of Caluine and Caluine as Beza sayde of none Which how impudent and shamelesse a lye it is that Beza should reprote of Caluine it is manifest to all men that knowe the storie of that Churche and citie of Geneua that Caluine was called and ordeyned by the Churche there when he was altogether vnwilling to remaine in that Citie but in a manner compelled by the earnest obtestation of Farellus Cal. in Praefa in Psalm Beza in vita Caluini And yet more monstruous is that lye that Beza should grant the rebellion that followed to be a signe of his vocation when the worlde knoweth that the beginning of these ciuill warres came altogether from the Papistes the Duke of Guise giuing the occasion by the Diuelishe slaughter and buchery of Vassie But to the principall matter in question that Luther and some other hauing an extraordinary calling from God to teach and reforme the Church need not to conâ—irme their calling by miracles when they teach nothing but that is confirmed by manifest authoritie of holy Scriptures in the consciences of all men that wilfully oppose not themselues against the trueth either y â— they will not knowe it or that they will not obey it It is euident by so many prophets as God stirred vp in the olde time which had no extraordinary calling of the Church being not of the tribe of Leui yet being only interpreters of the lawe needed no signes or miracle to confirme their calling Our Sauiour Christ himselfe confirmeth the extraordinary calling of the Scribes and Pharisees when he willeth them to be heard sitting in Moses chaire of which yet a great number and almost all were no Leuites nor Priestes therefore had no ordinary calling Yet Gregory himselfe in the history of Bede at the first planting of the particular Church in Englande alloweth extraordinary ordeyning of Bishops Lib. 1. Cap. 27. Wherefore if Luthers calling were altogether extraordinary as Papistes can not say except they deny the calling of their owne Churche he is not bound to approue his calling by miracles when his doctrine and all things in which hee departeth from the Church of Rome is proued true and agreeable to the word of God The third demaunde is that we must shewe a succession from the Apostles as the Scripture witnesseth the Churche to haue and the auncient fathers exacted of Heretikes The Scripture requireth no succession of names persons or places but of faith and doctrine and that wee prooue when we approue our faith and doctrine by the doctrine of the Apostles Neither had the fathers any other meaning in calling vpon newe vpstart heresies for their succession but of a succession of doctrine as well as of persons Which is manifest by Tertullian De praescript Ita per successiones c. So comming downe by successions from the beginning that their first bishop haue for his authors and antecessours one of the Apostles or Apostolike men but yet such a one as hath continued with the Apostles These wordes of Tertullian are manifest that succession of Bishoppes euen to the Apostles helpeth not excepte there be a continuance in the doctrine of the Apostles whiche when the Papistes can shewe we will gladly yeld vnto them In the meane time it is not the continual succession of persons in any place which teach contrary to their antecessours which haue taught in that place that can carry away the credite of the whole doctrine and religion of Christe CAP. II. An Introduction to the proofes which followe in the seconde part of this fortresse Repeating what he fantasieth he hath fortified before which howe weake it is I haue sufficiently discouered in this Chapter hee promiseth first to declare by diuerse sure and necessary tokens whiche protestantes doe lacke that the faith then planted was a right faith which in many principall pointes we doe not denye but that it was a right faith Secondly repeating the difference in doctrine gouernement ceremonies course and consequence of both the religions he will prooue all that they had differring from vs partly by Scripture and partly by the faith of the first sixe hundreth yeares To which I replye
First that what so euer was then taught contrary to that we teache for matter of faith can not be prooued by Scripture Secondly that although some errours which then were taught may be prooued to haue bene helde within the sixe hundreth yeares yet they can not bee prooued to haue bene helde alwayes especially in the oldest times and therefore can make no preiudice against our cause which take not vppon vs to allowe all thinges that were helde in sixe hundreth yeares no more then the Papistes themselues doe Finally I haue shewed as many differences of that time from the Papistes as he is able to shewe of vs from them and yet some of his differences are impudent forgeries CAP. III. Fiue apostolicall markes found in our Apostles and wanting in Protestantes who must be our Apostles if the other were not The Protestantes take not vppon them to be Apostles but professours and teachers of the Apostolike doctrine And therefore they boast of no miracles which is with him the first note of Augustines Apostleship which miracles if they were testified to vs by an Euangelist we might well beleeue them but seeing they are written by a credulous man y t recordeth euery fable that was tolde him we haue small cause to credite them Bedes history is no Gospell Beside that y e bryttish histories vtterly deny those supposed miracles reporting Augustine to be a minister of Sathan rather then of God But admit that he did some of those things as are reported of him it might please GOD in respecte of Christian faith which he planted among the English nation to woorke some miracles by him and yet not to allowe all thinges that he taught Shall not the very workers of iniquitie saye in that daye Lorde wee haue wrought miracles in thy name Matth. 7. vers 22. As for the miracle supposed to bee done by Master Lane of Westchester whiche hee scorneth at I see not but it is as good as the best done by Augustine and yet for mine owne parte I thinke it was no miracle but a naturall worke the mayde perhaps being affected with the mother or some such like disease The lyes he telleth of Luther and Caluine out of that vngodly rascall Staphylus I thinke not worthy to be spoken of although he make him selfe witnesse of the one and the other is a monstrous inuention of Sathan which being reported to be done in a noble citie and before so manye witnesses can finde none that had the brasen face like Staphylus to saye he sawe it Which making and louing of lyes sheweth Papistes to be the right begotten children of the diuell the father of lyes The miracles reported by Master Foxe the shamelesse beast when he cannot denye being testified by witnesses aboue all exception he can make affirmeth to be esteemed of his owne fellowes but as ciuile things and such as may happen by course of reason I saye not this as though I woulde haue our doctrine the rather to be credited one iotte more for anye such miracle but to shewe the shamelesse dogged stomacke of this Popishe slaunderer which when hee had none other aunswere to make as concerning such miracles forgeth that wee our selues denye all such to haue beene miracles which he is not able to prooue although he woulde burst for malice against the trueth The seconde marke and difference is that there was one heart of the beleeuers Augustine his company neuer disagreed The Protestants are at great variance among them selues not for learnings sake as the Concurrents in Italye nor vppon quirkes and subtilties in matters indifferent as the schoolemen that holde positions but vpon the weightiest articles of our beleefe as heretikes are wont to holde opinions I answere among them that haue departed from y e Church of Rome vnto y ◠Church of Christ there hath beene some variance about the Lordes supper but yet in no greater matters then hath beene betweene two godly martyrs of the primitiue Church Cornelius of Rome and Cyprian of Carthage about baptisme although not handled with like modestie on the one part as was then of both yea no greater then as yet remaineth vndecided among the Papistes touching y ◠authoritie of the Pope and the Popish generall Councell although they all like Pilate and Herode the Pharisees Saducees can agree together to put Christ to death and to persecute the trueth Finally if in the first restoring of the truth some matters to some men were not so apparant what marueile when your Augustine and ours also as farre as he was Christes was doubtfull and ignorant euen in very small trifling matters which argued some dissention of opinion in him and his monkes or else those questions might haue beene determined without sending to Rome li. 1. Cap. 27. c. The thirde marke is an ordinarie vocation which Luther lacked I denye that Augustine had an ordinarie vocation to preach in Englande or that the Bishop of Rome hath any ordinary authoritie to sende Apostles into the countries of any Infidels which if he had they should be the Bishop of Romes apostles and not the Apostles of Christ. For they be his apostles which hath authoritie to send them But if Augustine had ordinary vocation by the Bishop of Rome why had not Luther ordinary vocatiō of that church which authorized him to preach If you say he could haue no ordinarye vocation because he was an heretike I aunswere It followeth not for euen heretikes haue had ordinary vocatiō namely so many bishops and priestes of Rome Alexandria and other places as after their calling haue fallen into heresies Wherfore leaue his vocation which against you is good ynough and trye his doctrine If his doctrine be found true and agreeable to the worde of God who hath stirred him vp to discouer openly the heresies of Antichrist let not his doctrine be refused for his extraordinarie calling The slaunders and vnlearned conclusions against Luther I omit as vnworthie any aunswer being either false lyes of Staphylus or inconsequent collections of Stapleton The fourth Apostolicall marke is the continuance of 900. yeares whereas the Protestants doctrine hath continued but 30. yeares or as the blockheaded Papist scorneth at M. Haddon 30. yeeres except 6. with Gamaliels counsell vpon the matter which with this Popish priest is good diuinitie If this Councell or worke be of men it will come to nought c. whose antecedent being true the conclusion is stark naught To this I aunswere I haue shewed by many differences that the religion brought in by Augustine hath not continued without alteration in many pointes these 900. yeares And albeit it had yet it is not therby proued true because diuerse heresies haue continued much longer time which are not thereby iustified as of the circumcisers Nestorians c. yea Mahometisme hath continued 900. yeares begon with fained miracles commended by Sergius a monke which had ordinary vocation to teache continued with great cōsent these 900. yeres which
a sacrifice but of thanks giuing as the same Augustine writeth De fide ad Pet. Cap. 19 Cont. aduers. leg Proph. lib. 1. Cap. 20. Wherefore his Popish bragg notwithstanding here is neuer an ancient father within the 600. yeares that acknowledgeth the propitiatorie sacrifice of the Masse The eight difference is intercession of saints which Protestants abhorre There is no man denyeth but that this errour preuailed within the time of the first 600. yeares and namely in the later 300. years For in the first 300. there is nothing to be found whereby it may be gathered Epiphanius accompteth inuocation of Angels an heresie of the Caiani Tom. 3. H. 38. And although some shewe of inuocation of saints in the later time may be excused by rethorical exornation as M. Grindall truely sayd some prayers for the dead as y t of Ambrose for Theodosius whome both he calleth a perfect seruant of god yet prayth fos his rest which agreeth not with popish prayers for them in Purgatory yet it is confessed y t this was one of y â— spots of that time which being not proued by scripture can be nothing else but a superstition of men What said I can it not be proued by scripture beholde the learned clerke M. Stapl. proueth it out of S. Peter Ep. 2. Ca. 1. I thinke it right as long as I am in this tabernacle to stirre you vp and admonish you being certeine that I shall shortly leaue this tabernacle according as our Lord Iesus Christ hath signified vnto me But I will endeuour also to haue you often after my death that you may remember these things Here is a strange kind of translation of these wordes of his owne Latine texte Dabo autem operam frequenter habere vos post obituÌ„ meuÌ„ vt horum memoriam faciatis But I will endeuour also y t you may haue after my departure whereby to make remembrance of these things For I wil neither trouble him with the Greeke text which perhaps he regardeth not nor with Erasmus translation which are without all ambiguitie But I apeale to GraÌ„marians whether habere vos in this place may be reasonably construed to haue you or else be resolued by vt habeatis vos that you may haue His collection is more monstrous then his construction for thus he addeth immediatly after his translation I aske here How will S. Petter after his death endeuour and procure that the people may remember his sayings They will not I dare say say that he will come in a vision or by reuelation vnto them What remaineth then but that he will further them with his good prayers And so doe the auncient Greeke Scholies expound this place And I aske here Howe prooue you that S. Peter after his death will endeuor procure for them O shamelesse corruption S. Peter saith that bicause he hath not long to liue he will not only put them in remembrance liuing but also leaue his Epistle that it may be a perpetuall admonition of them euen after he is deade But the auncient Greeke Scholies as he saith doe so expound it Why are not those Scholies set downe and their antiquitie shewed to be within the compasse of the first sixe hundreth yeares In deede Occumenius which liued about fiue hundreth yeres last past reporteth that some did wrest that text vnto such a sense but they which did simplie handle y â— words of S. Peter did expound it as I haue done before The 9. difference is commemoration of Saintes at Masse time If you meane commemoration onely as I haue shewed before we make it in our Communion and therefore this is no difference but a lye of Master Stapleton for we say Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all the holy companie of heauen we laude and magnifie c. Likewise in the Collectes mention is made of the Apostles whose memorie our Church doth keepe In deede we vse no inuocation of Saints which was vsed within the latter 300. yeares but not to be proued in the first 300 yeares Neither do we thinke the honour of Saintes to be a dishonour to God but such honour as robbeth God of his glorie which he will not communicate with any creature But Augustine sheweth the memorie of Martyrs to be kept of the Christian people Ad excitandam imitationem vt merius eorum consocietur atque orationibus adiâ—uetur To stirre vp imitation and that they may be ioyned in fellowship of their merites and helped with their praiers The fellowship of their merites he meaneth to be made like them in good workes For he acknowledged no desert of our good workes but onely the mercy of God It is pitie that Iulian the Apostata had so great occasion to charge the Christians with superstition of sepulchres whereof they had no ground in the Scriptures Although Cyrillus defendeth no superstition but only a reuerent estimation of the tombes of the Martyrs for their vertues sake after the example of the heathen Againe he saith that the reliques of the dead were not seene bare and negligently cast vpon the earth but well laide vp and hidden in the bosome of their mother in the deapth of the earth wherein they differred not a little from the vsage of Papistes about their reliques Cyrill Contr. Iulian lib. 10. The pride of Eustachius in contemning the publike Churches ministring in corners we condemne with the Councel of Gangra Concerning the reading of the passions of Martyrs in the Church which he cauilleth that Master Iewell left out in his replie to Doctor Harding out of the seuen and fourtie Canon of the Councel of Carthage 3. Bartholmewe Garizon confesseth that it is an addition and without all such addition the same that M. Iewell requireth that nothing be read in the Church but the canonicall bookes as the 59. Canon of the Councel of Laodicea The 10. difference is of confession and penance in which he maketh two kinds open confession priuate for the open confession vsed in the primitiue Church he bringeth many proofes out of Actes 19. Augustine Tertullian Cyprian the councel of Nice Which need not for we graunt that it was vsed we our selues according to such discipline as our Church of England hath doe vse it that publique and notorious offenders make publique confession of their faultes for satisfaction of the congregation But when this publique confession was abused he saith that this practise of the Church and the counsel of S. Iames willing Christians to confesse one before an other was restrained to the auricular confessioÌ„ of y â— priest only But neither he sheweth when nor by what authoritie the counsel of y â— the Apostle and practise of the Church was thus altered He citeth an Epistle of Innocentius ad Decentium cap. 7. to proue That particular confession was not first instituted in the Councel of Latarane as Caluine babbleth but that if a man were diseased he should not tarrie for the time
knewe that he were a Iewe. So wise he is to compare the superstition of the wicked Turkes with the obseruation of the lawe by the godly Iewes Nay hee is yet more eloquent and sheweth that the Protestantes are like the Turkes in condemning of images in allowing marriage after deuorce c. as though we might not acknowledge one God lest we should be like the Turkes and Iewes nor honour vertue nor dispraise vice because they do so nor obey magistrates nor eat and drinke because the Turkes and Iewes doe so O deepe learning of a lawyer diuine That Images do not teach he sayeth it is a position more boldly aduouched then wisely proued then quoteth Gregorie Ep. 9. lib. 9. c. but he is deceiued if he thinke we holde that images teach not for we affirme with the Prophet Abacuc that they teache lyes Cap. 2. ver 18. vanitie Ier. 10. ver 8. As for the story of Amadis the Goldsmith and the Epistle of Eleutherius fetched out of the guild hall in London as M. Calfhill maketh no great accompt of them so I passe them ouer although Martiall would haue men thinke they be the strongest arguments the Protestants haue against the superstition of the crosse and the vsurped tyrannie of the Pope Finally the excuse he maketh of his railing by M. Calfhils example how honest it is I referre to wise men to consider If M. Calfhill had passed the bondes of modestie it were small praise in Martiall to follow him yea to passe him But if M. Calfhill as indifferent menâ—â—ay thinke hath not greatly exceeded in termes of â—eate against Martials person whatsoeuer he hath spoken against his heresies the continuall scorning both of M. Calfhils name and his person vsed so often in euery leafe of his reply in the iudgement of all reasonable persons will cause Martiall to be taken for a lawlesse wrangler rather then a sober and Christian lawyer The first Article This article hath no title and in effect it hath no matter For 13. leaues are spent about a needelesse impertinent controuersie of the Authoritie of y e holy Scriptures and of the Church of God whereof the one is the rule of faith the other is the thing ruled and directed thereby Nowe whether ought to bee y e Iudge the rule or the thing ruled is the question The rule say wee as the lawe the Church sayeth he as the Iusticier And then we are at as great controuersie what or where the Church is In effect the coÌ„trouersie commeth to this issue whether he be a Iusticier or an iniusticier which pronounceth sentence contrary to the lawe I would think that common reason might decide these questions That he which giueth sentence against the lawe may haue the name and occupy the place of a Iusticier but a true Iusticier he cannot be in deede Right so the Popish Church which condemneth the trueth for heresie hath vsurped as the Iudge but in deede is a cruell tyrant But the controuersie is not of the worde but of the meaning and where shall that be founde but in the mouth of the Iudge sayeth he if this were true I woulde neuer be a Bachiler of lawe if I were as Martiall nor yet a doctor thereof except it were to deceiue poore clyantes for their money if there were not a sence or meaning of the lawe which other men might vnderstande as well as he that occupyeth the place of the Iudge that I might appeale when I sawe he gaue wrong sentence But let vs briefely runne ouer his Achillean arguments The Eunomians Arrians Eutychians and Maximus the heretike reiected the testimonies of the fathers and the authoritie of the Church and appealed to Scriptures So doeth manye â— wrangling lawyer to continue his fee from his clyant appeale when he hath no cause but receyued right sentence according to the lawe ergo no appeale is to be admitted This is Martials lawe or logyke I knowe not whether But what was this Maximus you name so often Master Martial that S. Augustine writ against Could you reade your note booke no better Against Maximinus the Arrian he writeth that neither of them both was to be holden by the authoritie of Councels the Nicen or the Ariminense but by the authorities of the Scripture lib. 3. Cap. 4. But Tertullian would haue heretikes conuinced by the authoritie of the Church and not of the Scriptures Yea verely but such heretikes as denyed certeine scriptures and peruerteth the rest by their false interpretations Such are the Protestantes sayeth Martial for Luther denyeth the Epistle to the Hebrues the Apocalipse the Epistle of S. Iames and S. Iude. But Luther is not all Protestants neyther did Luther alwayes or altogether denye them Neither do the Protestantes affirme anye thing in matters of controuersie in their interpretations but the same is affirmed by writers of the most auncient and pure Church Martiall obiecteth that Christe sent not his disciples alwayes to the Scriptures but sometimes to the figge tree to the flowers of the fielde to the fowles of the ayre c. Paul alledgeth the heathen Poet also customs tradition And we also vse similitudes of Gods creatures and alledge custome and condition but so that the scripture be the onely rule of trueth whereto whatsoeuer in the worlde agreeth is true whatsoeuer disagreeth from it is false The traditions of the Apostles which by their writings wee knowe to be theirs we reuerently receiue not as mens traditions but as the doctrine of God for wee heare them euen as God Also we heare the voice of the Church admonishing vs if we giue offence Finally y e Patriarks Prophets Apostles EuaÌ„gelists Pastors and doctors we all reuerence and heare as the messengers of God but so that they approue vnto vs their sayings out of the worde of God and doctrine of Christ. Likewise we admit the writings of the fathers so farre as they agree with the writings of God and further to be credited they them selues required not The sayings of the doctors that Martiall citeth for the credite of old writers you shall finde satisfied in mine answere to Hoskins almost in order as they be here set downe for one Papist boroweth of another and fewe of them haue any thing of their owne reading The saying of Clemens is aunswered lib. 1. Cap. 8. Eusebius concerning Pâ—â— and Gregory and Hieronime Cap. 7. The sayâ—â—â— of Irenaeus and Athanasius that we ought to hauâ—â—course to the Apostolike Churches which reteine the doctrine of the Apostles against newe heresies as also of Tertullian to the like effect we acknowledge to be true but seeing the Church of Rome reteineth not the Apostolike doctrine at this day we deny it to be an Apostolike Church Therefore as many as build vppon it or vpon any auncient writers wordes which hath not the holy scriptures for his warrant as M. Cal. sayde buyldeth vpon an euill ground For if an Angell from heauen teach otherwise then the
men without authoritie of the Pope and for priuate men he counteth the bishoppes of Spaine and Fraunce in their prouincial councels these binde not generally except the Pope allowe them some things are receiued by tradition custome generally receyued vnaltred such is the crosse some are brought in by tradition and custome but not generally receyued as that infantes should receyue the communion c such the crosse is not But seeing he hath not concluded the contradiction of Maister Calfhils sixte rule it standeth still vnmoueable That some things are brought in of a good intent whiche are not allowable The seconde rule is what so euer hath bene vpon good occasion receiued once must not necessarily be reteyned still but by aduice of Stephanus bishop of Rome if it be turned to superstition be altered by them that come after These aftercōmers saith Martiall are none other but the bishops of Rome his successours who as they made the lawe so they must repeale it But Stephanus sayeth Si nonnulli ex praedecessoribus maioribus nostris fecerunt aliqua Naming not onely his praedecessours but also his Elders wherefore he meaneth y t not onely his successours but also his after commers in euery particular Church as well as his successours in the Church of Rome ought to abolish with good authoritie such abused customs But Martiall wil not acknowledge that crossing hath bred such inconueniences y t the inward faith hath bene vntaught that the vertue hath ben giuen to y t signe which onely proceedeth from him which is signified For crossing was not the cause but the negligence of the Cleargie As though there may not be many causes of one thing And if crossing were but an occasion of such inconueniences there were good cause to take it away Also he denyeth that they attribute the vertue of the signe without relation to the merites of Christes passion whereas M. Calfhil speaketh not of suche shiftes as craftie Lawiers can make for their excuses but of the opinion of the ignorant people who haue thought without any further relation that the signe of the crosse was an holy blessed and wholesome thing And what do they that vse the example of Iulian who crossing himself of custome and not with any relation to Christe whome he despised prooue what vertue the signe of the crosse hath when the diuels immediately auoyded do they not manifestly ascribe vertue to the signe without relation of the maker Yea sayth Martial but Christe gaue such vertue to that signe by his death and passion Shewe that out of the Scriptures and the controuersie is at an end But Martial the Lawier for the vertue of the crosse citeth Martiall the Apostle for so he will be called was as his cosin Martial the Lawier affirmeth one of of the 72. Disciples of Christ. But seeing hee and his epistles haue slept seuen or eight hundreth yeares in a corner y t they were neuer heard of by Eusebius Hierome Gennadius nor any other of those times he commeth to late nowe to challenge the name of an Apostle or Disciple of Christe whose name or writinges in so many hundreth yeares no man hath registred But this argument is of authoritie negatiue quod Martiall But what argument haue you so good to prooue him authenticall as this is probable to proue him counterfet Nay if we beleeue Martial Maister Calfhil hath falsified the Scripture in saying that no man dare come neare nor resist Leuiathan and Behemoth the deuils for beside the quotation is false cap. 40. for 41. The Popishe translation hath not so and Christe his Apostles and faithfull doe resist the Diuel Yea sir but not with sworde nor speare whereof he speaketh nor with your crosse but with spirituall armour As for the errour of the quotation your translation euery childe may see how fonde a quarrel it is The excuse that Maister Calfhill maketh for Damascen seeing Martial doth not allow let him make a better himselfe for some of Damascens errours were such as Martial himselfe and the Papistes will not allowe But Lactantius maketh the bloud of the pascal Lambe sprinkled on the dore post a figure of the crosse on mens foreheads That is false in your sense Maister Martiall for he speaketh allegorically of the spirituall impression of of the bloud of Christe by faith and that his wordes declare where he saith that Christ is saluation To all which haue written the signe of bloud that is the signe of the crosse vpon which he shed his bloud on their foreheades But Christ is not saluation to all that haue your signe of the crosse on their bodily foreheades But whereas Lactantius in the next Chapter saith that deuils are chased away both by the name of Christ and by the signe of his passion if it pleased God in those times by such outward signes to confound his aduersaries what is that to defend the superstitious and erronious abuse of those signes at this time And here Martiall falleth into another brabble for mistaking his argument which is not worth a strawe the end is the crosse is like a sacrament although that it be not as good as a sacrament But wherein it is like it hath neither institutiō nor element nor promise nor effect of a sacrament then it is as like as an apple is like an oyster You say it is instituted by tradition Proue y t tradition to haue come from Christ and his Apostles I haue shewed it came from heretiks Again God said to Costantine In hoc signo vince I haue shewed that God spake neither of a crosse nor of a signe And yet if he had it was but a particular vision authorizing no generall obseruation You say it may be a sacrament as well as bread and wine whiche hath no promise you lie like an arrogant hypocrite For bread and wine in the vse of the Lordes Supper hath as good promise as water in baptisme Concerning the effect of the sacramentes and howe they be causes of grace not as principall efficients but as instrumental meanes by which God vseth to worke in the faithfull it were to begin a newe matter to stand in argument with you which doe nothing but wrangle scoffe and rayle in this argument as you doe in all the rest Wherefore to returne to the crosse Maister Calfhil saith that if there were such necessitie in the crosse to fight against Sathan the Apostles dealt not wisely to omit such a necessary weapon Martiall aunswereth that neither he nor the Fathers defende it as necessary Well then we haue gayned thus much that the crosse is a needelesse weapon against the diuel But if it had ben necessary he saith it had bene none ouersight in the Apostles which haue in some epistles omitted more needefull matters As though they were bound to speake of all matters in euery Epistle But of the vse of the crosse they neuer speake no not where they instruct a Christian man to fight against the
of their Emperour in the consecration of their dead Emperours images whom they worshipped as Gods For which causes Iustinus thought it vnreasonable that they should contemne Christ for his crosses sake But of vsing the signe of the crosse in all sacramentes there is no mention in Iustinus That in Chrysostomes time other more ancient fathers y e signe of y e crosse was vsed at the celebration of the sacramentes M. Calfhil granteth as a ceremonie you confesse It is but a ceremonie and that our sacramentes lacking the signe of the crosse and that vsual ceremonie be perfect notwithstanding And yet you exclaime against vs for omitting a needelesse ceremonie where we see it hath bene turned from that indifferent vsage of the forefathers into an idolatrous custome opinioÌ„ of necessitie The credite of Dionysiê° for so ancient a scholler of S. Paul as you would make him it too much cracked by Erasmus to be cured by Martial Where M. Calfhil truly faith you can not deny but he hath as good authoritie for honie mike wine to be restored in baptisme and the communion to be giuen to children as you haue for the crosse you aunswere these were altered by the Church of Rome which hath authoritie so to do y e crosse stil remaineth but marke what you say were these traditions of the Apostles if you say no y e like wil I say of the crosse for y e same authoritie coÌ„mendeth theÌ„ al a like for traditions of the Apostles Wel if they were traditions of y e Apostles by the holy Ghost which you hold to be of equal authoritie w t y t scriptures y e Church of Rome hath abolished the one why may she not abolish the other so y t your answer conteineth manifest blasphemie To fortifie your traditions you alledge y t Iesus did many thinges which are not written c. but you leaue of y t which foloweth but these are written y t you might be leeue in beleeuing haue eternal life Io. 20. yet S. Iohn speketh of miracles not of ceremonies to be vsed in baptisme wherunto you apply it But Iesus himself saith he hath many things to say that y e apostles could not then beare c. Ioan. 16. And you would know in what worke of the Apostles those thinges are written yea you would haue the Chapter noted Pleaseth it you to looke your selfe in the Actes of the Apostles and in their Epistles c. And you shall finde that the scriptures will instruct the man of God vnto all good works make him wise vnto saluation if these wil not serue your turn seeke where you wil find y e deuil eternal damnatioÌ„ But I pray you could not y e apostles beare y t hearing of the signe of the crosse of salt oyle spittle in baptisme were these such harde lessons to learn or heauy to beare if you think they were I enuy not vnto you so wise a thought But you will teach vs how we shal know y t these are traditions of y e apostles to this inquire you answer euen as we know y e gospels epistles to be y e Canonical scriptures by authoritie of y e church which you think sufficient for y t purpose But so do not we for although we receiue the testimony of y e Church yet we haue greater authoritie out of y e scriptures of y e old TestameÌ„t y t spirit by which they were writeÌ„ being alwais y e same by which we are perswaded y t y e gospels epistles are the holy scriptures Againe y e vniuersal Church of all times places giueth witnes to those writings so doeth it not to these traditions Therefore we are neuer the neare to knowe Apostolical traditions by authoritie of the Popish church whiche ascribeth thinges manifestly contrary to the worde of God and writinges of the Apostles to Apostolike traditions as Images halfe communion priuate Masse c. After this brabbling of traditions followeth a long brawle about numbers which the Papistes do superstitiously obserue and of the authoritie of the seuentie interpreters whose translation if it were extant no doubt but it were worthie of great reuerence but seeing these questions are fruitelesse and impertinent vnto the article I wil clearely omit them Martial returning to proue that the signe of the crosse was vsed in consecrating the body and bloud of Christ findeth himselfe greatly greeued that M. Calfhil calleth the Masse the sacrifice of the deuil wherein be so many good things as the Collets Gospel epistle Gloria in Excelsis c. by which reasoÌ„ I might proue a diuelish coniuration in which be so many names of God and good words to be an holy peece of worke Therfore it is not many good parts abused to make a wicked thing good that can iustifie the Masse which is an hurrible blasphemie against the death and onely sacrifice of Christ. But M. Calfhil doth not satisfie him where he citing out of Albertus Magnus That Christ did blesse the sacrament with a certeine signe of his hand as Iacob laide his hands on Iosephs sons and Christ laid his hands vpon the children lifted vp his hands blessed his Apostles c. asketh why we might not say Christ made a signe of y e crosse considering that Chrisostome Augustine and Euthymus testifie that in their time the signe of y e crosse was vsed in consecration this question he saith is not soluted This is sone answered because laying on of hands and lifting vp of handes which be sometime vsed in blessing doth not proue a crossing with the finger of ones hand as the Papistes vse and because the Euangelistes which describe all that he then saide or did for vs to followe make no mention of any such signe of hand made by him in blessing The long discourse that followeth of blessing and giuing of thankes is needelesse for we know and confesse that as they somtimes signifie all one thing so they differ sometimes we confesse that the bread and wine in the Lords supper were blessed that is to say sanctified and consecrated but not with any signe of hand which is the mater in question but with the worde of God and with prayer not onely as bodily meates but as heauenly and spirituall mysteries to feede the soule But it is a sport to see how Martiall when he hath prooued that which was not in question that the bread wine were blessed sanctified by Christ that they must nowe be so consecrated by the Church he runneth away with the signe of the Crosse whereof he hath brought no proofe of the vse by Christ saying There must be consecration by honouring the wordes of Christ and calling vpon his name making the signe of the crosse which maner of coÌ„secration the Church learned of Christ hath continued euer since so that we may boldly say with Albertus He blest it with a certeine signe of his
hand But I pray you sir where learned you this signe vsed by Christ How proue you that it hath bene vsed ever since It is inough for Martiall to say that all the learning in English Doctours will neuer be able to proue this assertion of his to be friuolous But seeing he is so Greekish to teach M. Calfhil to conster Saint Paules wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and findeth fault with him for giuing the aoristes the signification of the present temps let him looke in his lexicon where I weene al his Greeke is how he will abide by this saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Saint Matthew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Saint Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Saint Paule haue relation to the bread and wine and answere to the question whom or what seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no verbe transitiue although the Christian writers as Iustinus Martir hath fayned a passiue vnto it Again in the saying of Chrysostom Ho. 24. in 1. Cor. Cap. 10. where Martiall will haue vs marke that the body of Christ is seeene vpon the altar let him his felowes marke that if it be none otherwise there then as it is seene it is present onely to the faith by whose eye it is seene After this tedious treatise of bleassing and thankesgiuing he commeth to his olde petition or principle that the signing with the crosse is a tradition of the Apostles and angry he is that he should be called on to proue y t it is a tradition of the Apostles whereof he can finde no mention in Ecclesiastical writers before y e Valentinian heretikes And wheras Cyprian Ad Panpeium calleth all traditions to the writings commandement of the Apostles he crieth out y t Cyprian is slandered because he him selfe alledgeth the tradition of Christ for mingling of water with y e wine If Cyprian breake his own rule who can excuse him But if he had ben vrged as much for the necessitie of water as he was for the necessitie of wine in y e sacrament he wold haue better considered of the matter FroÌ„ this matter he descendeth to proue the number of sacramentes to be seuen because matrimony is of some olde writers called a sacrament when they meane not a sacrament in y t sense that baptisme is a sacrament but generally a mistery And because M. Calfhil saith that sacramentes were signes ordeined of God to confirme our faith he wil proue y t we haue no sacraments at all because baptisme if it be ministred to men of yeares confirmeth not their faith for they must haue their faith coÌ„firmed before they be baptised so must they that receiue y e communion But when infantes be baptised they haue no faith but the faith of the Church therefore their faith can not be confirmed Did you euer heare such a filthy hogge grunt so beastly of the holy sacraments that they shold be no helps of our father We beleue y t infants although they haue no faith wheÌ„ they are baptised yet haue their faith coÌ„firmed by their baptisme eueÌ„ to their liues end And y t they which come to y e Lordes â—able w t a true faith in Gods promises haue y e same coÌ„firmed by the seale of his word which is that holy sacrament Martial calleth for scriptures Among a thousand texts this one shal serue AbrahaÌ„ receiued y t signe of circumcision a seale of the righteousnes of faith which he had being vncircumcised Rom. 4. v. 11. Tell vs Martiall by thy lawe wherefore a seale serueth if not for confirmation But what should I talke with them of faith which as they haue none in the promises of God so they knowe not what in meaneth To that reason of Master Calfhill that Matrimonie bath no promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes he answereth denying that euery sacrament hath a promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes annexed and afterward he asketh where hath the supper of our Lorde a promise of remission of sinnes for sinnes are forgiuen before the sacrament be receiued Is this y e diuinitie of Louaine is the holy supper auayleable neither for confirmation of faith nor to forgiuenesse of sinnes Wherfore saith Christ of the cupp This is my bloud of the newe Testament which is shed for many vnto forgiuenesse of sinnes Nay sayth Martiall if there be a remission of sines then is it a sacrament propitiatorie contrary to your owne doctrine Nothing the sooner so long as remission of sinnes be not tyed to the work wrought according to your heresie but sealed vnto the faith of the worthie receiuer Likewise he quarrelleth against that reason that Matrimonie conferreth no grace which is easily proued by this that Matrimony is good being contracted among Gentyles heathen persons And whereas he bringeth in the blessing of God to married persons either they be such as pertein to all men in general so proue no grace of mariage in y e church or else to y e faithful only so pertaine to faith not to marriage as y t the faithful woman shall be saued by bringing forth of children The questioÌ„ of marriage after deuorcement because it pertaineth not to y e Crosse I wil not meddle with it M. Calfhill hath sayd more then Martial can answere Touching the popish sacrament of penance which Martiall and not S. Hierome calleth the second table after shipwracke M. Calfhil hath likewise proued effectually that it is no sacrament of Christs Church Against which Martiall bringeth nothing but certein sentences of scripture to proue how necessary repentance is after men haue sinned to obteine remission of sinnes Whereof S. Hierome speaketh and not of Popish penance consisting of contrition confession and satisfaction with their blasphemous absolution Concerning extreme vnction that it is no perpetual sacrament of the Church it is plaine by scripture because the gift of healing which was annexed vnto y e annoynting of oyle spoken of in S. Iames hath long agoe ceased Wherefore it followeth that the same ceremonie of annoynting was temporall euen as the promise of bodily health that was ioyned to it was temporall Finally touching the Councel of Trent that hath allowed all these for sacraments how lawfull it was wheÌ„ he that was accused for heresie should be the onely Iudge I thinke Martiall by his lawe could discusse if he list And as for the saueconduit graunted to the Protestants they haue learned by the case of I. Hus and Hierom of Prage to trust the faith of Papistes as much as they like their religion To conclude there is nothing prooued in this article which pretended that the crosse was alwayes vsed in the sacraments And it is confessed that when it is vsed it is but a ceremonie and such as the want therof taketh not away the effect of the sacraments wherfore seeing the sacraments are perfect without it they are not to be condemned which vpon good grounde and sufficient authoritie haue refused it The fifth Article That the
onely begotten sonne of God and not he in deede Againe he sayeth Cùm fecisset quasi flagellum when he had made as it were a scourge master Vsher will conster it so that was not a scourge in deede because he sayeth as it were a scourge But Martiall will still vrge the fact of Paula in worshipping the crosse of Christ vntill it be shewed out of Epiphanius by better euidence then yet is shewed that he woulde haue no crosse no crucifixe nor image in the Church A mā would thinke this were sufficient euidence when hee sayeth Cùm ergo hoc vidissem in ecclesia Christi contra authoritatem scripturarum hominis pendere imaginem c. Wherefore when I sawe this that in the Church of Christe did hang an image of a man contrary to the authoritie of the scriptures I rent it c. Further euidence out of Epiphanius you may see in the place before cited Martiall would haue vs make a Kalender of Christian men that refused to blesse them selues with the crosse which were 〈◊〉 infinite matter seeing from the Apostles vnto the Valentinian heretikes it is not read that any such estimation was of the crosse y t it should be any blessing or confirmation Master Calfhils rule that we must liue not after examples but after lawes meaning not followe what soeuer hath beene done by good men but whatsoeuer was well done according to the lawe of God Martiall reiecteth vpō vaine foolish and friuolous reasons as that some examples are to be followed that the lawe serueth not for a iust man that custome must be followed where lawe faileth c. Beside that he slaundereth Luther as one that would haue all lawes and orders of Princes put awaye Againe whereas M. Calfhill sheweth that the fathers taught other things more oft more earnestly then the vse of the crosse As that it was a wickednesse to fast on Sonday or to pray on our knees beside the oblations on birthdayes milke and hony with the communion giuen to infants c. Martiall answereth these are abrogated by the church this is not But seing none of them hath ben in worse abuse then this custome of crossing this ought to be abrogated of euery church as well as those But whereas Martiall compareth the doctrine of S. Paul 1. Cor. 11. for couering or vncouering of men womens heads and the decree of y e Apostles for bloud and strangled Act. 15. with those abrogated customes he doth verye lewdly for beside y t the authoritie of y e one is certeine the other vncerteine of some forged the doctrine of S. Paul as he there deliuereth it is perpetuall the decree of the Apostles was neuer ment of them but to be temporall for auoiding offence of the Iewes As touching the credit of the olde writers who had all their errors we like well y e councell of Vincentius Lyrinensis y t we should stil haue recourse for triall to y e most ancient in which we must needes accompt y e writings of the Apostles both of moste antiquitie and of greatest authoritie Wherefore seeing the manner of blessing with the crosse is not found either in the writings of the Apostles or in the most auncient fathers Iustinus Irenaeus Clemens Alexandrinus by Vincentius councel we may iustly accompt it for a corrupt custome crept into the church either by aemulation of heretikes or in contention against the Paganes But Martiall slaundereth vs and the Apollogie of the church of England that the chiefe cause of our seperation from the Church of Rome was the euill life of the gouernours thereof and vainly spendeth time to proue out of Ciprian Augustine and Caluine that for that cause wee ought not to separate our selues whereas we are departed out of Babylon not so much for the abhominable life thereof as for the corrupt false doctrine taught therein by which it is shewed to be y e Synagogue of sathan not the church of Christ. And here Martiall hudleth vp a nomber of quotations for the authoritie of the Pope and of the church of Rome which seeing they haue beene all often times answered and by mee also in aunswere to D. Saunders rocke it were folly here to stand vpon thē But he will not be counted a falsifier of Tertullian when of diuerse copyes and impressions he wilfully chooseth the worst that he might wring it to his purpose although the matter be not worth the strife about it For Tertullians iudgement of tradition without scripture in that place is corrupt for Martiall him selfe confesseth that a tradition vnwritten should be reasonable and agreable to the scriptures and so he saith the tradition of blessing with y e crosse is because the Apostles by the holy ghoste deliuered it But who shall assure vs thereof Tertullian Basil are not sufficient warrant for so worthie a matter seeing S. Paul leaueth it out of the vniuersall armour of God But where M. Calfhill distinguisheth traditions into some necessary as necessarily inferred of the scripture some contrary to the worde and some indifferent Martial like an impudent Asse calleth on him to shewe in what scripture doctor or councell he findeth this distinction of traditions As though a man might not make a true distinction in disputation but the same must be founde in so many wordes in scripture doctor or councell when he him selfe cannot deny but y e distinction is true euery part to be founde in y e scriptures doctors councels But the examples please him not for the couering of women and their silence in the church are taught in expresse words of scripture and therfore are not necessarily inferred of scripture Therefore there is one lye quod Martiall Who would think such a block worthie of answere which thinketh a trueth may not be inferred of the expresse words of scripture when of nothing it can be better in ferred Againe he calleth it another lye y t S. Paul proueth his tradition by y e scripture for he bringeth no text nor sentence of scripture to proue y t women shuld be couered in the church But Martiall doth not onely belye M. Calfhill but also slaunder S. Paul seeing he alledgeth out of Genesis both y t the man is the image glory of God y t the woman was made for man The examples of the second sort as Latine seruice worshipping of images c. Martiall will not allowe but the scripture is plaine to them that haue eyes and be not like the images whome they worship Againe he liketh not that there should be any limitation in obseruing traditions of the church in things indifferent as if cases of necessitie of offence might not make a limitation without contempt of the churches authoritie But he will learne in which kinde of traditions we place the signing with y e crosse y e rest named by Basil. I aunswere y t marking with the crosse in some respect as it was first vsed of y e old
is the vowe of virginitie in a great many which our sauiour Christ affirmeth to be a rare gift not in euery mans power As for the vowe of chastitie if any were made by Popishe priestes it was oftener broken before the restoring of true knowledge then since Whose incontinencie hath infected the world with whoredome and vncleannesse 15 Such Monkes and virgines liued in cloysters in obedience and pouertie which are ouerthrowne of Protestants as a damnable estate The horrible abuse of Cloystrall life hath caused the subuersion of them beside their errours superstition and idolatrie 16 Prayer for the dead Dirige ouer night and Requiem Masse in the morning was an accustomed manner lib. 3. cap. 2. lib. 4 cap. 21. which the Protestants count to be abhomination Praier for the dead is an older errour then Popish religion But Dirige and Requiem Masse had an other meaning lib. 3. cap. 2. then the Papistes haue now for there it is saide In the selfe same place the religious men of Hagustalden Church haue nowe of long time bene accustomed to come euery yeare the eue and the day that the same king Oswald was afterward slaine to keepe Diriges there for his soule and in the morning after Psalmes being saide solemnely to offer for him the sacrifice of holy oblation You must vnderstand that this Oswald was of them that so did taken for an holy martyr and therfore these Psalmodies and sacrifices were of thanksgiuing for the rest of his soul not of propitiation for his sinnes as the Papistes account them lib. 4. cap. 21. there is nothing to the matter in hand but in the next chapter following is the tale of him that was loosed from his fetters by saying of Masse by the relation whereof and not by the word of God many beganne to thinke the sacrifice of the Masse profitable for the dead 17 Reseruation of the sacrament thought no superstition lib. 4. cap. 24. nowe counted prophanation of the sacrament Reseruation was an older errour then Poperie yet contrarie to the commaundement of Christ Take ye and eate ye 18 Houseling before death vsed as necessarie for all true Christians lib. 4. cap. 3. 24. Protestants vnder pretence of a Communion doe nowe wickedly bereaue Christian folke of it These chapters shewe that it was vsed but not that it was vsed as necessarie The Communion of the ficke is also vsed of vs. Neither can M. Stapleton proue that it was then ministred to the sicke person alone as is vsed among them But in the 24. chapter of the 4. booke it may be gathered that as many as were present with the partie receiued with him bicause there was a mutuall demaund of his being in charitie with them and they with him 19 Consecrating of Monkes and Nunnes by the handes of the Bishop a practised solemnitie in their primitiue Church lib. 4. cap. 19. 23. which Protestantes by the libertie of their Gospell laugh and scorne at Chap. 19. it is saide that Wilfride gaue to Ethelrede the vaile and habite of a Nunne and cap. 23. that one Hein tooke the vowe habite of a Nunne being blessed and consecrated by Bishop Aidan In those elder times no virgine was suffered to professe virginitie but by the iudgement of the Bishop who was not onely a minister of the ceremonie of profession but also a iudge of the expedience and lawfulnesse of the vowe so that the vowe of virginitie was moderated and kept within more tollerable boūds then is vsed of the Papistes 20. Commemoration of Saints at Masse time lib. 4. cap. 14 18. such commemorations in the Protestants Communion are excluded as superstitious and vnlawfull Chap. 14. it it saide vpon the report of a boyes vision And therefore let them say Masses and giue thanks that their praier is heard and also for the memorie of the same king Oswald which somtime gouerned their nation Admitting this vision to be true here is but Masse and memorie of thankesgiuing in the 18. chap. is nothing to any such purpose In the Communion of our Church is a thankesgiuing with Angels Archangels and all the glorious companie of heauen although we make no speciall mention of any one Saint by name 21 Pilgrimage to holy places especially to Rome a much waitie matter of all estates lib. 4. cap. 3. 23. lib. 5. cap. 7. Nothing soundeth more prophane and barbarous in the eares of Protestants In the first of these places there is mention of pilgrimage into Ireland not for y ◠holinesse of the place but for the wholsome instruction that then was there For it seemeth by the storie in many places that Ireland although not subiect to y ◠See of Rome was thē replenished with godly learned men of whome men sought out of Britaine to be informed in religion Peregrination to Rome was vsed of superstition and opinion of great learning to be had from thence Yet was there no pilgrimage to images nor to Rome so filthie a sinke of all abhominations as it hath bene since those dayes 22 Of the reliques of holy men of reuerence vsed towards them and miracles wrought by them the historie is ful Nothing is more vile in the sight of Protestantes then such deuotion of Christians Such superstition and credulitie of the former age is iustly misliked of vs but the idolatrie and forging of reliques which is too common among the Papists is rightly detested of vs. 23 Blessing with the signe of the Crosse accounted no superstition lib. 4. cap. 24. lib. 5. cap. 2. In the deuotion of the Protestants is esteemed magike Signing with the signe of the Crosse which sometime against the Gentiles was an indifferent ceremonie vsed of the Papistes for an ordinarie forme of blessing is both superstitious and idolatrous 24 Solemnitie of buriall Protestantes despise whereas it was the deuotion of their primitiue Church to be buried in monasteries Churches and chappels Honourable buriall of the Saintes bodies which were the temples of the holy Ghost and are laide vp in hope of a glorious resurrection Protestantes despise not Yet were the first Archbishops of Canturburie buried in a Porch beside the Church lib. 2. cap. 3. There was no buriall place appointed in the Monasterie of Berking vntil by a light it was reuealed as the historie saith lib. 4. cap. 7. but with time superstition on of buriall grewe yet nothing comparable in that age to the superstition of Papists of these latter times There was no buriall in S. Frances Coule nor after the Popish solemnitie 25 Benediction of the Bishop as superiour to the people was vsed which Protestants scorne at lib. 4. cap. 11. The Protestantes allowe benediction of the Bishop in the name of God as the superiour although they iustly deride the Popish maner of blessing by cutting the aire with crosses neither is there any such blessing spoken of in the chapter by him cited 26 The seruice of the Church was at the first planting of their faith in
holde Aelf Serm. Pasc Ep. 3 The Church of English Saxons did giue the communion vnder both kinds vnto the people which the Papistes doe not Aelf Serm. Pasc Beda lib 1. cap. 27. lib. 5. cap. 22. 4 The Priestes of that time said no priuate Masse on working dayes but onely on holy dayes which therefore were called Masse dayes Aelfr Ser. Pasc. Popish priestes euery day 5 The people did then communicate with the priest Beda lib. 2. cap. 5. The Popish priest eateth and drinketh all alone 6 The English Saxon Church did celebrate Easter with the olde Iewes in one faith although they differ from them in the kind of external sacraments whereby they affirmed the substance of the sacraments of both the testaments to be all one which the Papistes denie Aelfr Serm. Pasc. Epist. Bed lib. 5. ca. 22. 7 The sacrament of the Lordes Supper was not then hanged vp to be worshipped nos caried in procession bicause they had not the opinion of carnal presence which the Papistes haue c. 8 The English Saxons Church denied that wicked men receiued the body and bloud of Christ. Aelfr Serm. Pasc. The Papistes holde that not onely wicked men but also brute beasts eate the body of Christ if they eate the externall sacrament thereof 9 The English Saxons allowed the Scriptures to be read of the people in the Saxon tong whereof Canutus made a lawe that all Christian men should diligently search the lawe of God The Papistes denie the search of Gods lawe to all Christian men that are not of the Cleargie or learned in the Latine tong 10 The English Saxons decreed in Synode after Latine seruice preuailed and the knowledge of Latine decaied that the priestes shuld say vnto the people on Sundayes and holy dayes the interpretation of that Gospel in English Aelfr lib. Can. which the Papistes neither do nor will suffer to be done 11 The English Saxons commaunded that al men should be instructed by the Priestes to say the Lordes praier the Creede the ten Commaundements in the English tong Will. Mal. li. 1. de part Aelfr in lib. Can. Canut in leg which the Papistes haue taught to be hereticall 12 The English Saxons decreed in Synode and king Canutus made a lawe that the priestes should instruct the people in the vnderstanding of the Lordes praier the Creede c. vbi supra which the Papistes altogether neglect affirming ignorance to be the mother of deuotion 13 The worshipping of images and the second Councel of Nice that decreed the same was accursed of the Church of God in England and France written against by Alcuinus in the name of the Church of England and Fraunce Math. West Symeon Dunel Rog. Houed c. The Papistes defend both that idolatrous Councel and their wicked decree 14 The Priestes in the primitiue Saxon Church were married for three or foure hundreth yeares witnesse all histories of England which the Papistes doe not allowe 15 The vowe of chastitie was not exacted of them that were made Priests for the space of more then 400. yeares after the ariuall of Augustine into Kent which decree was made by Lanfrancus in a Synode at Winchester Anno 1076. 16 Notwithstanding this decree and many other both Priestes refused to make that vow and kept their wiues by the kings leaue Gerard. Ebor Ep. ad Anselm Histor. Petroburg Papistes permit neither of both 17 Lanfrancus decreed that such priestes as had wiues should not be compelled to put them away the Papistes enforce Priestes to put away their wiues 18 The Popes y t were founders of y e English Saxon church acknowledged the Emperors to be their souereigne Lordes Bed li. 1. cap. 23. lib. 2. cap. 18 19 Pope Honorius toke order y t the Archb. of Canturb might be cōsecrated in England w tout trauelling to Rome Bed l. 2. ca. 18. The latter Popes denied this 20 Pope Gregorie exhorteth king Ethelbert to set forth the faith of Christ to his subiectes to forbid the worship of idols c. Bed lib. 1. cap 32. The Papistes would not haue the ciuill magistrate gouerne in Ecclesiasticall causes 21 And least you should say as M. Sander doth that the king was herein the Bishops Commissarie Earcombert king of Kent of his princely authoritie purged his realme of idolatrie and commaunded the fast of 40. dayes to be kept Bed lib. 3. cap. 8. The Papistes denie that a king may doe such things of his princely authoritie 22 Kings in those times preferred men to Bishoprikes Bed lib. 3 cap. 7. which the Papistes affirme to be vnlawfull 23 Kings in those dayes deposed Bishops as Senwalch did Wini Bed li. 3. cap. 7. Ecgfrid deposed Wilfride lib. 4. ca. 12. which the Papists do not admit 24 King Ecgfride would not receiue Wilfrid being restored by the Pope Bed lib. 4. cap. 13. lib. 5. cap. 10. The Papistes count it blasphemie not to obey the Popes decree 25 The same Wilfride being againe depriued by means of king Aldfride and being the second time absolued by y e Pope could not be restored to his Bishoprike but by a Synode of his owne Cleargie Bed lib. 5. cap. 20. By which it appeareth the Cleargie were not then in perfect slauerie to the Pope 26 Kings in those dayes were present at Synodes and ordered them and concluded in them as Oswine did at Strenshalch lib. 3. cap. 25. 27 Archbishops were commaunded by Kings to consecrate Bishops as Wilfride was to consecrate Ostfor at the commaundement of king Edilred Bed li. 4. cap. 23. Papistes denie Kings to haue souereigne authoritie in ecclesiasticall causes 28 Priuileges of Monasteries sought at Rome had first the consent of the king vnto them Bed lib. 4. cap. 18. Papistes of later times seeke priuileges against the kings will 29 Monkes in y t time were called to serue y e Cōmon wealth as Sighard a Monke was made king of y e East Saxons lib. 4. ca. 11. Papistes call such Apostataes 30 Monasteries were thē Colleges of learned mē to furnish the Church with Ministers and Bishops li. 4 ca. 23. Among Papists they be stals to feed idle bellies y t serue neither the Church nor the Common wealth 31 Studie of the Scriptures and hand labour was the exercise of Monkes in those first and better times Bed lib. 4. cap. 3. Idlenesse and vaine ceremonies is the exercise of Popish Monkes 32 Monasteries were founded that men might in them heare the word of God and pray Bed li. 3. ca. 23. Popish Monasteries in latter times were builded only to pray for mens soules and to say Masses in them c. 33 Vpon Sundayes the people vsed ordinarily to flocke to Churches and Monasteries to heare the word of God Bed lib. 3. cap. 26. In popish Monasteries there neither was nor is any ordinarie resort to heare the word of God nor any ordinarie preaching 34 The Monkes of that time were all learned preachers Bed lib. 3. cap. 26. The Popish
from the beginning to the ende of the worlde which is in deede a proper adiunct of the Church of Christe not to be found in any heresie nor in papistry the greatest of all heresies But M. Stapleton which cannot proue that Papistrie hath continued alwayes will argue vppon that it hath continued a certeine time The Church saith he hath continued a certeine hundred yeares in that faith and doctrine onely which Papistes do teache But in those very hundreth yeares the Church neither could lacke neither coulde haue a wrong faith or be seduced with damnable doctrine Therefore Papistes had all that time the true faith and their faith and doctrine is true sound and vpright The maior of this argument he affirmeth to be our confession which is nothing else but an impudent lye of his owne confiction For which of the Protestantes euer confessed that the Church hath continued so many hundreth yeares in that faith and doctrin onely which the Papistes teache If he haue the wit to drawe such confessions from vs he may proue what he list against vs. But he promiseth to proue abundantly the continuance of Popish doctrine from the beginning which wee so stoutly denye In the meane time he returneth to Caluine whome he chargeth to haue learned his opinion and doctrine of the Donatistes concerning the markes of the Church Taking to witnesse the Ep. 48. of Augustine ad Vincentium where the Donatistes answered the argument of vniuersalitie that the Church was called Catholike Not because it did communicate with the whole worlde but because it obserued all Gods commaundementes all his sacraments But what a vaine quarell this is he him selfe doth sufficiently declare when he bringeth in Augustine immediatly confessing the Church to be called Catholike because it holdeth that veritie wholly and throughly whereof euery heresie holdeth a parte or peece onely and addeth thereunto the coÌ„munication with all nations videlicet that holde that veritie wholly and throughly And lest this might seeme to be borrowed of the Donatistes onely Augustine him selfe affirmeth as much de Genesi ad literam imperfect Cap. 1. Constitutam ab eo matrem ecclesiam 〈◊〉 Catholica dicitur ex eo quia vniuersaliter perfecta est in nullo claudicat per totum orbem diffusa est That by him the Church is appointed our mother which is called Catholike for that it is vniuersally perfect halteth in nothing and is dispersed throughout the whole worlde Whereas Augustine requireth vniuersall perfection in all true doctrine and administration of the sacramentes with vniuersalitie the Papistes take vniuersalitie alone which Augustine neuer sayde nor taught to be a sufficient note of the Church After this he chargeth Caluine to denye the perpetuall continuance of the Church because he sayde that the pure preaching of the worde hath vanished away in certeine ages past by which he meaneth not as this foolish cauiller taketh him or rather mistaketh him that true preaching had vtterly perished out of the whole worlde but out of the Popish Synagog which in Europe boasted it selfe to be the onely Church of Christe when in the chiefe articles of Christianitie it derogated from the glorye of Christ and was subiect to the doctrine of the man of sinne the aduersary and enemy of Christ. And if malice had not blinded him he woulde haue so vnderstoode Caluine alledging his saying immediatly after wherein he confesseth that the Church of Christ neuer fayled out of the worlde Whereupon he demaundeth whether the Church of the Protestants is that which hath neuer fayled If wee saye it is he demaundeth further where those markes of preaching and ministring of the sacraments haue beene these many hundreth yeares which question he hopeth some disciple of Caluine will assoile him I aunswere those markes were to be seene in such places where the Churches were gathered that had separated them selues from the Church of Rome If he vrge mee further to shewe him the particuler places let him resort to the booke of Actes and monumentes which it seemeth he hath read ouer If that will not satisfye him by example of our Sauiour Christ I will refell his vaine question with another question Where did those 7000. that GOD preserued in the dayes of Elias assemble for prayers preaching and sacrifice If he cannot tell no more am I bounde to shewe him in what particuler places they preached and ministred the Sacramentes And therefore neither neede the Apologie to recant nor the Harborough be reuoked nor M. Foxe call in his booke nor M. Nowell his reproofe It will not suffice a wrangling cauiller an hundreth times to affirme that the Church hath alwayes continued euen when Papistrie moste preuailed and euen vnder the tyrannie and persecution of Papistrie like as the Church was among the idolatrous Baalites in the dayes of Elyas or among the wicked Iewes that persecuted the Prophets But hereto he replyeth that though the assemblies of the Iewes were no Churches yet their temple sacrifices ceremonies lawe and doctrine was good I aunswere so much of these as they reteyned according to Gods lawe was good and so I confesse of the doctrine and sacramentes of the Papistes As Baptisme concerning the substance of the sacrament the historicall faith of the Trinitie of the incarnation passion resurrection of Christ c. But if these and many more pieces of trueth might be sufficient to make them the Church of Christ many heretikes might challenge the Church which haue confessed practised a great number of truthes more then they which erre but in one article as the Arrians Pelagians c. Where as the Papistes erre in many yea in the whole doctrine of iustification by faith and the worship of God And therefore Papistrie is not onely a schisme errour or heresie But as Caluine out of Daniel 9. and Paul 2. Thessal 2. rightly concludeth an apostasie defection and antechristianitie not abolishing but reteining the names of Christe of the Gospell of the Church but the true vertue power and strength of the same vtterly forsaking denying and persecuting CAP. VI. Other prophecyes alledged and discussed for the continuance of Christes Churche in a sounde and vpright faith Diuerse textes of Scripture are cited some rightly some strangely applyed to proue that wee deny not namely the perpetuall continuance of the Church of Christ in a sounde and right faith in all matters necessary to saluation Vppon euery one of which he inferreth howe could Christe forsake his Church these â—00 yeares as though wee saide that Christe hath had no Church in the space of nine hundreth yeares which we neuer doubted of CAP. VII Proofes out of the Gospell for the continuance of Christes Church in pure and vnspotted doctrine When M. Stapleton commeth to proue that which wee denye his proofes will be neither so plentifull nor so sufficient His counterfait painted Fort must haue puppets made to assaile it The Church of Christ concerning the substance of
doctrine necessary to saluation shall continue pure and vnspotted although in other matters shee may be deceiued euen as euery one of Gods elect for whome our Sauiour Christ prayeth Iohn 17. which text M. Stapleton citeth to proue the continuance of the Church Wee will neuer say that hell gates haue preuailed against the vniuersall Church of Christ though they haue preuailed against the see of Rome Yet must wee say as the Scripture teacheth vs that Antichrist shal prevaile in the worlde 2. Thessal 2. One Scripture is neuer contrary to another Wee are challenged to reade you out of the Scriptures the breach interruption and fayling of the Church of Christ so manye hundreth yeares As you vnderstand the breach and fayling for an vtter abolishing of the Church of Christ out of the worlde such breache and fayling as wee do not read it so wee do not affirme it But that wee affirme wee reade that in the latter dayes some shall depart from the faith attending to spirites of errour in hypocrisie c. whose markes are to forbid marryage and to abstaine from meates which God hath created c. 1. Tim. 4. Wee read that before the comming of Christe shall be an apostasie and the man of sinne shalbee openly shewed which shall deceiue a great parte of the worlde 2. Thess. 2. We reade that the whore of Babylon which all auncient writers expound to be Rome shall with her sorcerie enchaunt make dronke all nations c. Apoc. This and much more we reade to shewe what your vniuersalitie is and to take away the obiection of our paucitie and not appearing to the greatest part of the worlde at such time as it pleased God for the vnthankfulnesse of men to send them the efficacie of errour to be deceiued because they woulde not receiue the trueth CAP. VIII To denye the continuance of the Church in a sound vpright faith is to defect the mysterie of Christes incarnation This man hath great leasure with store of ynke paper that filleth so many chapters which proofe of that which none of his aduersaries will denie Who al with one mouth confesse and cry out against him so loud that if he were not either deafe or dead he might heare that as Christe the head continueth for euer so doeth the Church his bodye but that the Popishe Church at this time and many hundreth yeares before this time is the body of Christe the spouse of Christe the flocke of Christes sheepe which is deuided from Christ which is an adulteresse from Christ which heareth not the voice of Christ this we all denie and this you shal neuer be able to proue while the world standeth babble and scrible as long as you will CAP. IX That Protestants doe condemne the practise and beliefe of the first 600. yeares in many thinges no lesse then of this latter age If Papistes doe allowe the practise and beleefe of the first 600. yeares in all thinges they may iustly reproue vs for refusing the same in some things But if they refuse the practise and beleefe of that age in many things bicause their Church their iudge doth now practise and holde the contrarie why should they require vs to be bound to the practise and opinion of those times in all things when by Scriptures the only rule of trueth with vs we finde that they haue erred in some things But to leaue his impudent rayling and lying that we or any of vs did euer offer to iustifie what so euer was done or helde by godly men of the first 600. yeares let vs see what practise and beleefe he chargeth vs to condemne First saith he they not onely reproue certaine Fathers for certaine errours but in many pointes they condemne all the Fathers for common errours as inuocation of Saintes and praier for the dead And doe not you Papistes reproue the practise of al the Fathers Pope Innocent with them not onely for ministring the Communion to infants but also for holding that they be damned except they receiue the Communion Augustim Cont. duas ep Pelag. ad Bonifac. lib. 2. cap. 4. Doe you not reproue y e practise opinion of all y â— Fathers for allowing mariage in the ministers of the Church which you vtterly condemne What shall I say of the Communion in both kindes giuen to the lay people by consent of all antiquitie of communicating with the Priest and many such like thinges the practise and beleefe whereof you vtterly refuse But to returne to the examples of inuocation of Saintes which Stapleton saith are cleare by all writers of the first 600. yeares rayling like a saucie marchant at M. Iewell and M. Grindall men whose learning and godlinesse he may enuie but will neuer attaine vnto What a bolde bayard is this to affirme that innocation of Saints is cleare by all writers of the first 600. yeares when no writer of 300. yeares after Christ hath any one iot either of practise or beleefe to alow it Epiphanius among the heresies of y â— Caianes counteth inuocation of Angels Tom. 3. Haer. 3. The other errour of praying for the dead is more auncient but yet it sprang first from the heresie of Montanus neither is there any writer auncienter then Tertullian a Montanist in whome any steppes of praier for the dead are to be found To these he adioyneth a slaunder of Caluine whome he affirmeth to teach that God is the cause and authour of euill which how impudent a lye it is all they that haue read Caluine of Predestination can testifie The reseruation of the Sacrament of the Lordes supper Caluine confesseth to haue bene an erronious practise of the ancient Church And what say you Papistes was it not erronious to reserue that which Christ commaunded to be eaten and dronken But you make no bones of Christes commaundement If it were not erronious why was it forbidden in diuers Councels If you care not for that yet thinke not to mocke y e world with the auncient practise of reseruation which you your selues condemne Will you suffer men and women to carie home the sacrament and locke it in their chestes to hang it about their neckes to receiue it in their houses when they list If you allowe not these thinges which was the reseruation of auncient times you are twice impudent to charge vs for reprouing that practise which you your selues doe not admit to be lawfull But yet againe he chargeth Caluine to condemne the whole primitiue Church of Iewish superstition for saying the Fathers folowed rather the Iewish manner of sacrificing then the ordinance of Christ in the Gospell What a shamelesse beast is this to slander Caluine to condemne the whole primitiue Church when he speaketh only of the later and more corrupt times in which he sheweth their errour but condemneth not the Church But nowe he will proue that Protestantes hold sixe heresies condemned within the first 500. yeares The first is iustification by faith
although marked with a whot iron yet can not but inwardly confesse that this prophesie perteyneth especially to Papistrie the greatest heresie that euer was CAP. XII Other common obiections of protestantes taken out of the law discussed and assoyled The obiections are these where was the outwarde face of the Church in the time of Noe in the time of the departing of the tenne tribes in the dayes of Elias He aunswereth out of Augustine De vnitate ecclesiae against the Donatistes cap. 12. which made the same obiections that as these examples of fewnesse of the Church are read in the Scriptures so the Church to be dispersed ouer all the world is read in the same Scriptures and therfore it can not be restrained to the communion of Donatus in Affirica The like say we how of euer it pleaseth his malice to slaunder vs that the Church is and was these 1500. yeares dispersed ouer the whole worlde and therefore can not be restrained to the faction or communion of the Pope in a parte of Europe Concerning the apostasie of the 10. tribes he answereth that the Cleargie vide licet the Priests and Leuites remained in sound religion and many of the people so God hath his Church alwayes which we denie not Yet in the dayes of Manasse where can he shewe me any Cleargie of the Iewes that continued in sound religion And yet I doubt not but there were some particular persons for GOD had his Churche among them euen then But the outward face of the Church was all turned into idolatrie and false worshipping of God Where he saith except the Church had remained in Europe these 900. yeares protestantes should not haue had from whence to departe I answere protestantes are not departed out of the Church of Christ but out of Babylon And yet I acknowledge that there were members of Christes Church dispersed yea and Churches gathered also in the time of deepest ignorance in moste regions of Europe though not regarded or condemned for heretikes in Calabria in France in England in Bohemia Finally whereas he would seeme to repaire the Popes losse in Europe with the recouery of large countries in the East wise men may easily see and fooles also may laugh at it howe vaine a bragge it is to boast of matters so farre of as none can beare witnesse of but himselfe and such as he is CAP. XIII That the true Church of Christ which continueth for euer is a visible and known Church no priuie or secrete congregation His name is Thomas forsooth and therefore he saith he will neuer beleeue that there was any other Church but the Church of Rome except he may so see it that he may point to it with his finger But gentle Thomas our Sauiour Christ saith blessed are they that beleeue see not If the catholike Church of Christ might be seene at any time it should be no article of our faith which is an euidence of thinges that are not seene Heb. 11. The members thereof as seuerall congregations are seene sometimes of many of all sortes of men sometimes of them onely that are true members of them but Ierusalem which is aboue and is the mother of all the faithful is not seene but with the eyes of faith Therefore Thomas if you wil neuer beleeue the Catholike Church except you see it with your bodily eyes you can neuer be any member thereof You alledge out of Esay 2. The hill of the house of the Lord shal be prepared in the toppe of all hilles c. This is fulfilled in the calling of the Gentiles which haue not ceased to walke in the light of our God since they were first called though not alwayes in like numbers not always in fauour with the powers of the worlde nor alwayes in sight of the blinde worldlinges And Christ is the light of the Gentiles vnto the vttermost partes of the earth therefore not vnto one part of Europe only as you Popish Donatistes do affirme And the Apostles were the light of the worlde to carrie the light of saluation vnto the furthermost partes of the earth And their seede shalbe knowen among the Gentiles and their buddes among the people All that see them shall know them that they are the seede which the Lord hath blessed The Church of the Gentiles confesseth the seede of Abraham which sometimes was obscure and knowen to fewe to be the blessed seede and reioyceth that by faith she is engraffed into the stocke of Abraham to be partaker of the same blessing All this prooueth no light sight or knowledge of a Church to be pointed at with vnfaithfull Thomas his finger but heauenly spiritual and to be discerned by faith Againe when Esay sayeth God hath prepared his arme in the eyes of all nations and all the endes of the earth shal see the saluation of our God he meaneth to the electe and chosen of all nations to the predestinate people Not onely so sir Protestant Why so syr Papist The Prophet sayeth further Quibus non est narratum viderunt qui non audiuerunt contemplati sunt Such as the Messias hath not beene preached vnto yet they haue seene And such as haue not heard haue yet beholden Ergo not the Electe onely What then syr Papiste tagge and ragge all the reprobate of al times is this your interpretation But Thomas I pray you giue vs leaue to beleeue the interpretation of S. Paule before you who expoundeth it cleane contrary to you Romanes 15. ver 20. Yea I enforced my selfe to preach the Gospel not where Christe was named least I should haue built on an other mans foundation But as it is written To whome he was not spoken of they shal see and they that hearde not shall vnderstande Loe Thomas Saint Paule expoundeth this text of them which had seene Christe and knowen the Gospel first by his preaching and not of such as the Messias hath not bene preached to Therefore be no more vnfaithfull but beleeue the Catholike Church though it can not be seene Yet will he not leaue the matter so for Esay prophecyeth That the Lorde would be a perpetuall light and glory of his Church That the sunne of the Churche shal not goe downe any more nor the moone vade because the Lord shal be her euerlasting light Nations shal walk in their light and kings in the brightnesse of her arising Verily Thomas though our bodily eyes can not see this yet doe wee moste constantly beleeue that it is fulfilled in the Churche as it was promised But that the externall brightnesse of the Church is ☜ not promised to bee in all ages alike wee may clearely see by this that he saith Kinges shal walke in the brightnesse of thy rising vppe For euerye age of the Churche hath not had kinges to walke in the brightnesse of her light Let Thomas which will not beleeue the continuance of our Churche except it be so shewed that hee may
of the East Church haue been and are stil at vtter defyance with the Pope of Rome You see therefore by plaine demonstration that this reason holdeth no further then Augustines authoritie extendeth who in other places appealeth onely to the Scriptures and euen against the Manichees confesseth that the playne demonstration of the trueth which is to be founde in the holye Scriptures is to be preferred before the consent of nations authoritie of miracles succession of Bishops vniuersalitie consent name of the Catholike Church and whatsoeuer can be taught beside Contra Epist. Manich. quam vocant fundamenti Cap. 4. The thirde reason why the Church must alwayes be a known multitude is for keeping out of wolues and heretikes which must be y t they which are tryed may be made manifest which cannot bee in a secrete congregation Yes M. Stapleton very well The Church was neuer so secrete but it was knowne to the members of it which might vse the authoritie thereof for trying auoyding and excommunicating of heretikes according to the holye scriptures But euermore you do wilfully deceiue your selfe when you affirme that there was no Christians knowen in the worlde by the space of 900. yeares but Papistes You cannot denye but Brytannie Scotlande Irelande had Christians at and since the comming of Augustine which were no Papistes as by the history of Beda is manifest What should I here name so many nations of Europe Asia and Africa which yet to this day continue in profession of Christianitie neuer were subiect to the tyrannye of the Romishe byshop and from whome the Romish byshop with his sect of Papistes hath clearely departed many hundreth yeares agoe Wherefore according to Augustines sentence the Catholike church is not a particuler sect in Europe but an vniuersall gathering of y e dispersed ouer all the world where God hath his elect in all places Or if you vnderstande the Church for a visible multitude professing Christ there is no reason why the churches of the East so many so large so ancient should be excluded and the multitude of Papists holding of one citie in Italy only to be receiued CAP. XV. A number of shamelesse shiftes and seely surmises which Protestants haue inuented to establish their variable doctrine and to confounde the authoritie of the Church In deede a number of these which he rehearseth as shamelesse shiftes are shamelesse lies and impudent slaunders deuised by the diuell to bring the trueth in disdaine but yet so openly proued to be false that they neede no confutation First he sayeth that Luther condemned all councels and fathers yea al learning of Philosophy and humanitie so that bookes were burned and common schooles ceased for certein yeares in Germany with other like monstrous lyes alledging for his author that beastly Apostata Staphylus This slaunder deserueth no aunswere being raysed by one shamelesse lyer against an hundreth thousand witnesses The seconde shift is that Luther did afterwarde receiue Philosophy and bookes of humanitie yea diuines of 500. or 600. yeares and some Councels also with this perilous condition so farre as they repugned not to holy Scripture This seemeth an vnreasonable condition to Stapleton who belike would haue all gentylitie and many heresies absolutely receyed The thirde The fathers should not be admitted when they taught any thing beside the expresse scripture As worshipping of Images praying to Saints c. which they had by tradition If such things came from the Apostles why were they not written by them as well as such fathers of later time yea why did the Apostles write that which is contrary to such traditions The fourth The first 600. yeares they did admit because they knewe there was litle in them against them cleare open because fewe bookes were writen in that time and many lost that were written And yet there remaine more writen in that time then a man can well reade ouer in seuen yeares Agayne cities being stuffed with heathen Iewes and heretikes euery mystery was not opened in pulpit nor committed to writing These belike were greater mysteries then the Apostles and Euangelistes haue committed to writing But I marueile howe they were taught if neither in pulpit nor in writing belike in secrete confession but our Sauiour Christe woulde haue his mysteries preached in the house toppes Last of all for that many controuersies nowe in hand were neuer heard of in those dayes Therefore M. Iewell made his challenge of the first 600. yeres which Stapleton thinketh he was not able to abyde by and that M. Nowel suspected no lesse because he accounted it a very large scope But howe he hath abyden by it is sufficiently proued to the glory of the trueth and the confusion of Papistrie The fifth They reiect the latter 900. yeares because Paynims yelding to the faith and heretikes to the Church the mysteries of our faith were more openly published in Pulpits writings It appeareth and that in recordes of the latter 900. yeares that many old heretiks still remained in the cities beside the Iewes remaining vntil this day of which he made the fathers of the first 600 years so much afraide for vttering the mysteries a◠of Paynims and heretikes The sixt Some holde that all the Church might erre for a time None euer helde that all the Church might erre so farre as that they fell away from Christ. The seuenth Other said there was a Church all this 900 yeares but oppressed by the miscreants being priuie and vnknowen This he sayth is vaine blasphemous being against holy Scripture and good reason as he hath proued What he hath proued you haue seene and howe the Scripture must be fulfilled which prophecyeth of the comming of Antichrist and the apostasie of men from the faith which cannot be if the Church should alwayes florish in multitude externall appearing of visible glory The eyght That Protestants bookes haue beene lost The ninth Bookes of holy fathers haue beene corrupted The tenth False writings haue beene deuised and fathered vpon the first Popes of Rome All these he compteth to be but suspitions surmises which are yet so manifest truthes that euen Thomas the vnbeleeuing Apostle without the iudgement of his senses might feale them with both his hands and be satisfyed although Thomas the Apostata from God and traytour to his Prince countrey will neither see nor handle them But all these surmises he will ouerthrow with supposing one case If a man haue continued in possession and coulde bring recordes of his right from William the Conquerour and all his neighbours to say for his quiet possession without checke or nay as the Papistes can deduct the possession of their religiō from 800. yeares c. were it a good plee against such a man to say his recordes are false his euidences forged his possession iniurious c. without bringing in any affirmatiue proofes recordes euidence or witnesse c. I answere it were no good plee But firste I
de Britannia aequaliter patet aula coelestis The court of heauen is open equally from Ierusalem and from Britain Againe Beatus Hilarion cùm Palestinus esset in Palestina viueret vno tantùm die vidit Hierosolimam vt nec contemnere loca sancta propter vicinitatem nec rursus dominum loco claudere videretur Blessed Hilarion when he was a Palestine borne and liued in Palestine sawe Ierusalem but one day only that neither he might seeme to contemne the holy places because of neerenesse nor againe to shut vp the Lorde in a place And because Master Stapleton maketh pilgrimage a matter of faith he sayth further After hee hath shewed how many excellent men neuer came at Ierusalem c. Quorsum inquies haec tam longo repetita principio Videlicet ne quicquam fidei tuae deesse putes quia Hierosolymam non vidisti Thou wilt say to what ende are these thinges fetched from so long a beginning verely that thou shouldest not thinke any thing to be wanting to thy faith because thou hast not seene Ierusalem Thus Hierome albeit it was much vsed yet iudged peregrination vnto Ierusalem to be a matter of small importance By Chrysostom sayeth Hom. 5. de beato Iob that if strength of body did serue that he were not letted with the charge of his Church he would haue trauelled to Rome to see the cheines wherewith Saint Paul was bound And this Stapleton wil warrant to haue beene done without superstition I would faine knowe howe he will discharge this saying of his in the same homely eyther of superstition or of an excessiue commendation Si quis me coelo condonet omni vel ea qua pauli manus vinciebatur catena illam ego honore praeponerem If any man coulde giue mee all heauen or else that chayne wherewith Saint Paules hande was bounde I woulde preferre that chaine in honour Excuse this if you can so it be not with a rethoricall exornation for y e you cannot abyde Neuerthelesse the same Chrisostom sheweth y t it was not needefull for obtaining remissiō of finnes to take in hande any pilgrimage In Epist. ad Phil. Hom. Non opus est in longinqua peregrinando transire nec ad remotissimas ire nationes non pericula non labores tolerare sed velle tantummodo There is no neede to go a pilgrimage into farre countryes nor to go to the furthest nations nor to suffer perils nor trauels but onely to be willing Now let the wisedome of the Papistes take heede as he admonisheth the wisdome of the Protestantes that they charge not Chrysostome with the heresie of sola fides or licentious libertie more then wee checke him for superstition The like of remission of sinnes without pilgrimage he sayeth Hom. de Anima educatione Samuelis which is as contrary to y ◠draffe of popish pilgrimage as the peregrination vsed in this day is out of vse with vs. For Papists were wont to make pilgrimage a meritorious worke and many had it in penance persuaded by their ghostly father they could not otherwise haue remission of their sinnes except perhaps by a Popes pardon with a commutation of penance Concerning the place of Augustine which he citeth Ep. 137. It proueth no ordinary pilgrimage then in vse but onely sheweth Augustines deuise in a case of such doubt as he coulde not finde out the trueth betweene one that was accused and his accuser that it was not amisse they shuld both trauell to some such place where miracles are sayed to be wrought if happely there in such place the trueth might be reuealed by miracle And yet I confesse not vrged by any thing Stapleton sayth that Augustine else where speaketh of peregrination to Rome in Psal. 85. Quales isti principes venerunt de Babylone Principes credentes de saeculo principes venerunt ad vrbem Roman quasi caput Babylonis non ierunt ad templum imperatoris sed ad memoriam piscatoris What are these princes that came from Babylon Princes of the world that beleeue the princes came to Rome as to the head of Babylon they went not to the temple of the Emperour but to the memorie of a Fisher To conclude as there was vsed Peregrination to Ierusalem and other places to the memories of Martyrs so was there neuer any pilgrimage to images which is the greatest pilgrimage of Papistes within the 600. yeres mentioned wherein Papists differ as much from their practise as we and more also The 23. difference is the reuerence of reliques vsed within the 600. yeres as witnesseth Basil Chrysostome and other The reliques or bodyes of the Saints we reuerence so farre as we haue any warrant out of the holy Scriptures Neither did those auncient fathers although immoderate in that kinde of reuerence yet make idols of them nor set them bare to be seene or handled and worshipped but laide vp in the earth as I haue before shewed out of Cyrillus Lib. 10. Contra Iulianum But what inconuenience grewe by that excessiue esteeming of the dead bodyes of the Saints Sozomenus sheweth Li. 7. ca. 10. Pauli Constantinopolitani Episcopi corpus in Ecclesia repositum est id quod multos veritatis ignaros praesertim mulieres ac plures è plebe in eam opinionem induxit vt Apostolum Paulum ibi conditum esse putent The body of Paul Bishop of Constantinople was buried in the Church which thing brought many ignorant of the trueth especially women and many of the common people into this opinion that they thinke the Apostle Paul to be buried there But whereas in the end he wold haue vs restore so many holy reliques of Abbeyes and Churches as haue bene spoiled and prophaned it is needlesse seeing the Papistes can make as many when they list Euen by the same cunning that they make some of the Apostles to haue two or three bodyes a piece beside heades armes ribbes and other partes in infinite places whereof he that will heare more let him reade Caluines booke of reliques and credite him but as a reporter of that which all the world is able to reproue him of if he would wilfully feigne any thing The 24. difference is Alters for proofe whereof he bringeth Chrysostome and Augustine which speake of Alters whome also he confesseth to call the same tables but that neither in matter nor fourme they were like Popish Alters but tables in deede made of boordes and remoueable and standing in the middest of the Church I haue shewed sufficiently in mine aunswere to Doctor Heskins lib. 3. cap. 31. by which it is proued that the Papistes and not we differ from the primitiue Church in this point The 25. difference is Latine seruice which he would proue out of Bede by the bookes that Gregorie sent to Augustine which could be none other but Latine But howe proue you that those bookes were seruice bookes or that if they were seruice bookes thei were not translated into the vulgare tongue As for the
from the Gospell and doctrin of saluation in setting vp a newe sacrifice in seeking iustification by workes in ouerthrowing the true and spiritual worship of God As for the two Iudges the worde and the spirite he denyeth them finding manye defectes in the worde As that it is sencelesse dombe deafe not able to prooue it selfe to be the worde of God hauing no more power to be Iudge and decide controuersies then the booke of statutes to put on my lorde chiefe Iustices robes and to come to the Kings bench and giue sentence I thinke there is no Christian man but abhorreth to reade these blasphemies But let vs see whether the booke of statutes although it put on no robes is not iudge even ouer my lorde chiefe Iustice him selfe who is a minister seruing to pronounce the lawe not a King to alter the lawe for he him selfe must be obedient to the lawe Nowe in all controuersies that be de iure either the lawe is plaine to be vnderstoode or it is obscure If it be plane as that a felone must be hanged or the sonne must inherite his father c. the Iudge pronouncing the lawe with authoritie and execution following his sentence brydleth the obstinate person that will not obey the lawe which he knoweth as well as the Iudge If the lawe be hard to be vnderstoode the Iudge must seeke the interpretation thereof according to the minde of the law-maker and not according to the his owne fantasie So that in all cases the Iudge hath no authoritie ouer the lawe but vnder the lawe so that if the giue wrong sentence both he and his sentence are to bee iudged by lawe Or else why doe you Martiall in your ciuill lawe courtes so often crye out sit liber iudex let the booke be Iudge If you will not allow the booke of Gods law to be Iudge euen ouer them which haue authoritie as Iustices haue in the common lawe to pronounce it and to declare it The Spirite he refuseth to be Iudge because it is inuisible secreate vnknowen vnable to be gone to but in the Church therefore the Church is the Iudge and neyther the worde nor the Spirite But the Spirite by his owne substance incomprehensible is by his effects in the holy Scriptures visible reuealed knowen and able to be gone vnto therefore a sufficient Iudge taking witnesse of the Scriptures and bearing witnesse vnto them For that maiestie of trueth that power of working that vniforme consent which is in all the Scriptures inspired of God maketh a wonderfull difference of them from all writings of men of all sortes But let vs see Martials arguments against the Spirite of God to be iudge of the interpretation of the Scriptures Paul and Barnabas in the controuersie of circumcision went not to the word and Spirit but to the Apostles and Elders at Ierusalem O blocke-head and shamelesse asse Paul and Barnabas doubted not of the question but sought the generally quiet of the whole Church by consent of Councell But whether went the Apostles and Elders for decision of the question but to the worde and Spirite Reade Act. 15. Againe he citeth Deuteronom 17. that the people in controuersies should resort to the priestes for iudgement but where should they fetche their iudgement but of the lawe of God as it is in the same place Againe Christ hath appointed Apostles Euangelistes c. therefore it is not a generall precept for all men to trie all men to iudge what doctrine they receiue bicause all be not Apostles Euangelistes c. Then in vaine saide Christ to all men search the scriptures in vaine the Apostles trie the spirites neither did the Boerheans well that daily sought the Scriptures to see if those things were so as the Apostles taught Martiall is to be pitied if he knowe no difference betweene authoritie of publike teaching and the triall and examination of doctrine whereof this pertaineth to all men the other to such onely as are called thereto But Martiall proceedeth to shewe that as GOD appointed one high Priest to the Iewes to avoide schismes so he appointed Peter among the Christians and for this purpose he citeth diuers sentences of the auncient Fathers which all in order almost the reader shall finde cited and satisfied in myne aunswere to Doctor Sanders booke of the rocke of the Church Cap. 5. except one place of Tertullian De pudicitia which I maruell this Popish Lawyer would alledge being so contrarie to his purpose but that the poore man vnderstoode it not Qualis es c. What art thou ouerthrowing and changing the intention of our Lorde giuing this personally to Peter Vpon thee saide he I will builde my Church If it were personally saide to Peter Syr Bacheler counsel with Baldus and Bertholdus whether it goe by succession to the Pope or no Which Tertullian denyeth to pertaine to euery Elder of the Church bicause it was spoken personally to Peter And nowe at the length beginneth he to come to the argument of his booke the signe of the crosse Which he saide was the fourth signification of the word Crosse in Scripture and calleth it the materiall and mysticall signe of the crosse which Master Calfhill denieth to be once mentioned in Scripture in that sense that Martiall taketh it Martiall repeateth that which he had saide before that Esaye cap. 49. saith I will set out myne signe on high to the people which Hierome vpon that place expoundeth to be the standard of the crosse that it may be fulfilled which is written the earth is full of his praise Et iterum c. And againe In all the earth his name is wonderfull Which wordes following immediately Martiall craftily suppresseth and falleth into a brabbling matter that preaching which Master Calfhill saide was this standard is not the onely standard or signe lifted vp by GOD for conuersion of the Gentiles but miracles and good examples of life c. Whereas the question is whether the Popish signe of the crosse be the signe spoken by Esay and Hierome And the exposition added by Hierome sheweth plainely that he meaneth not a red or blue crosse banner but the preaching of Christe crucified whereby the earth is filled with the praise of GOD and his name is wonderfull in all the earth But Martiall in the end concludeth that it hath pleased the auncient Fathers to appoint and ordeine the signe of the crosse to he one meane among many by which the praise of GOD is set foorth Where he should haue proued that the signe of the crosse as he taketh it is mentioned in the scriptures Other cauils and slaunders not more false then foolish I will clearely omit as I purposed in the beginning and followe onely such matter as is proper to the question in controuersie namely the signe of the crosse The second text to proue that the signe of the crosse is mentioned in the scripture he citeth out of Iere. 4. Lift vp a signe in Sion which
prefigured in the law of nature foreshewen by the figures of Moses lawe denounced by the prophetes and shewed from heauen in the time of grace Maister Calfhil saide that the signe of the crosse was neither prefigured in the lawe of nature nor foreshewed by the figures of Moses law nor denounced by the prophetes nor shewed from heauen in the time of grace but the passion of Christ manner of his death Against whom commeth forth Martiall and offereth to prooue that the crosse whereon Christe died was prefigured c. which is no contradiction of M. Calfhils assertion Although the fathers rather dallie in trifling allegories then soundly to prooue that the crosse was prefigured in those places which he alledgeth as August Contra Faust. lib. 12. cap. 34. that the two stickes which the widowe of Sarepta gathered did prefigure the crosse whereon Christ died not only by the name of wood but by the number of the stickes Et de 5. heres ad quod vult de cap. 2. that Moses lifting vp his handes to heauen did prefigure the crosse whereby Christ should redeeme the worlde So saith Tertullian and Augustine in diuers places All which proue not that the image or signe of the crosse but that y e crosse it selfe whereon Christ died was prefigured whereof we make no question but it might be seeing it was in Gods determination that Christe should die on the crosse although we would wish sounder proofes then these for such prefiguration Here would Martiall excuse his ridiculous argument because it is not in mode and figure but in deede it fayleth both in forme and matter for his minor is false y t the signe of y e crosse was prefigured by y e hands of Moses As though there were no difference between the crosse on which Christ suffered a superstitious signe of the crosse y t a Papist maketh Concerning the signe Thau in Ezechiel cap. 9. I haue spoken sufficiently in the first article that it was not the figure of any letter like a crosse but a marke vnnamed or described as Apo. 7. And wheras Hierome saith that the Samaritanes had a letter somewhat like a crosse it is not to be throught y t the Samaritanes had the true forme of letters and the Iewes lost it Chrysostome draweth it to the Greeke letter and trifleth of the number which the letter Tau signifieth Tertulliā is indifferent betweene the Latine latter and y e Greeke setteth this T for the marke of his forehead differing somewhat from our Popishe ✚ for which cause Martiall calleth the character of the Latine letter Tau saying Our Tau is a signe of the crosse But of this marke more Art 1. and in my answere to D. Sanders booke of Images Cap. 13. or 12. Concerning the figure of y e crosse that was in the olde time in the idol Serapis wherunto he thinketh scorne to be sent for the antiquity of that signe he answereth out of Socrates that it was there set by the prouidence of God as the inscription of the altar in Athens and among the Hyeroglyphical letters of the Aegyptian priestes signified life to come But this proueth no more y e superstitious vse therof then y e alter in Athens proueth that we should set vp such altars and dedicate them to the vnknowen God Next followeth the brawle about the story of Constantines crosse which should be the figure of the crosse shewed from heauen in the time of grace wherein Martial noteth no lesse then sixe contradictions foure lyes in in M. Calfhil but of them let the reader iudge The signe shewed I haue prooued before not to haue bene Martials crosse but the Character of the name of Christ and so doth Constantinus himselfe cal it speaking to Christe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Holding forth thy Character I haue ouercome c. meaning the standerd in which that Character was imbrodered But of this I haue spoken sufficient Art 1. and against D. Sanders booke of images cap. 13. Ar. or after the errour of his print After much wrangling and brabbling about M. Calfhils principles wherein it were easie to displaye Martials follie but that I haue professed to omit such by matters he cōmeth to the signe of the crosse shewed to Iulian marked in his souldiers apparell which if it were true as Sozomenus reporteth it yet proueth it not y t the signe of the crosse was shewed from heauen that it should be vsed of Christians and the lesse because it was shewed to none but Iewes and forsakers of Christian religion as Maister Calfhill noteth which might probably be thought to be the marke of persecuters rather then of Christians But seeing the Signe of the crosse hath very often times appeared not onely in cloudes but also on mennes apparell with diuers other sightes as Conradus Lycosthenes in his booke De Prodigijs obserueth whether the cause of those apparitions be naturall or supernaturall or sometime perhaps artificiall the appearing of that signe from heauen doeth no more argue an allowance of the Popish ceremonie of crossing in religion then the appearing of other shapes and sightes in heauen doe teache vs to frame ceremonies of armour of horsemen of beastes of trees of pillers of circles and such like because the figures of them haue ben shewed from heauē So that hitherto the signe of the crosse hath not bene prooued to haue bene prefigured in the lawe of nature nor of Moses neither denounced by the prophetes nor vsed by the Apostles nor shewed from heauen to be a pattern of y e allowance of superstitious crossing among y e Papistes The thirde Article That euery Church Chappell and Oratorie erected to the honour and seruice of God should haue the signe of the crosse First it is to be remembred that for this position he hath no shewe of the authoritie of the holy scriptures nor yet the testimony of any auncient writer that any Church Chappell or Oratory should haue any crosse grauen or painted within it or vpon it for 500. yeares after Christ. Eusebius describing diuerse Churches builded in his time sheweth no such necessary furniture of a Christian Church although he set foorth euen the fashion of the stalles or stooles where the ministers should sit lib. 10. cap. 4. But Martial to haue shewe of antiquitie beginneth with a newe found olde doctour called Abdias whose authoritie seeing Maister Calfhill reiecteth as a meere countefet Martial spendeth certaine leaues in quarrelling at some of his reasons and the rest he passeth ouer because he can say nothing against them But touching the credite of this Abdias if any man be not satisfied with M. Calfhils reasons I referre him further to the Bishop of Sarums booke against Harding Art 1. Diu. 5. p. 8. To speake of the vowe of virginitie supposed to be made by the virgine Marie it is impertinent to the cause It commeth somewhat nearer that he defendeth building of Churches
Caue of an Island by Rhodes and a rode there where no anchor nor cable will holde the ship vnlesse the mariner make the signe of the crosse ouer y e place where he casteth anchor It may be he reported it as a fond persuasion of superstitious people but I thinke no that he gaue any credit to it Poperie is full of such tales But why doe you charge M. Calfhil with a lye for saying that in the Popish catholike time the churche of Pauls was twise burned within 50. yeares space Marie bicause it was not on Corpus Christie eue nor the Communion table was burned with al the foure yles within the compasse of three or foure houres therefore it was no the like plague But howe often hath the sacrament of the alter your God bene burned when Churches were fiered Moe thinges in which there is any diuersitie shall be like by Martials logike or lawe I can not tell whether it is by which he condemneth M. Calfhil for a lyer Touching Lactantius he reasoneth to and fro of his authoritie him selfe and yet chargeth M. Calfhil for so doing Our iudgement of Lactantius as of all olde writers is this that what so euer they speake contrarie to the trueth of the holy Scriptures we may boldly reiect it what so euer they say agreeable vnto them we doe willingly admit it The chiefe matter touching this article is this that certaine verses are ascribed to Lactantius exhorting men to worship the crosse which verses M. Calfhil denieth to haue bene written by Lactantius First bicause S. Hierome in the Catalogue of his works maketh no mention of them but they might be vnknowne to Hierome saith Martiall It is not like they could be vnknowne to Hierome and knowne to Martial Secondly bicause he speaketh of Churches that were scarsly builded in Lactantius time but Martial proueth that Christians had churches euen in the Apostles time and euer since as though any man doth doubt of y t but of such churches as this versifier speaketh of Thirdly bicause the doctrine of these verses cōcerning images is contrarie to y t Lactantius taught and was generally receiued in his dayes Martiall replyeth that all which Lactantius did write against images was against the false images of the heathen and not against the holy images of the Christians But Christians in his time had no images as holy in any vse of religion and his argumēts are generall against all images in religion Finally it is also manifest that his versifier making a Poeticall prosopopeia induceth Christe hanging vpon the crosse and speaking to him that commeth into the Church and therfore no argument of crosse or image may be rightly gathered out of the poeme who so euer was the author For immediatly after this verse Flecte genu lignúmque crucis venerabile adora followeth Flebilis innocuo terrámque cruore madentem Ore petens humilis lachrymis suffunde subortis Bowe thy knee worship the venerable wood of y e crosse And lamentably kissing with humble mouth the earth which is moyst with myne innocent bloud wash it ouer with teares flowing out By these verses then Martial may as wel proue that the Church floore was moyst with the bloud of Christe as that there was a crosse in the Church To Lactantius he ioineth Augustine De Sanctis Hom. 19. saying that Churches are dedicated with the signe of the crosse where he not onely chaunged the worde charactere into mysterio but also translated the worde mysterio by the signe where he confesseth his fault he may be pardoned but where he iustifieth mysterio and sign◠to be all one he sheweth him selfe as he is But howe will he persuade vs that those Homilies de tempore and de Sanctis of which some one is ascribed to so many authours were either written by Augustine or by any of those times the stile is so dissonant that any man learned and of indifferent iudgement will confesse Although it is not to be denyed but the signe of the crosse was superstitiously abused even in the dayes of Augustine and long before Whereas Augustine reporteth of a woman called Innocentia which had a canker healed in her brest by the signe of the crosse if it were a miracle it proueth not that euery Church Chappell and Oratorie should haue a crosse Great miracles were done by imposition of handes yet it followeth not therefore that euery Church must haue imposition of handes Againe not onely Cankers but also Fistulaes tooth ache and many other diseases haue bene healed by charmes And yet these charmes are not iustifiable thereby much lesse to be brought into the Church as wholesome ceremonies and prayers But albeit the crosse be no ordinarie meane whereby God vseth to conserue health saith Martial yet may you not conclude that he hath not ordained it to remaine in the Church for any remembrance of his death and passion For thinke you saith he he hath left no more meanes but the preaching of his worde which euery one can heare Yes it hath pleased his maiestie to ordaine by general Councels the signe of the crosse and images to be a meane to put vs in remembrance of Christes death c. But seeing y e Church flourished 300. yeares without a general Councel and neither that general Councel which was first holden not three other which folowed make mention of any such matter where was the ordinance of God by generall Councels for the crosse He will say it had the appointment of the prelates of the Church Which and when euery idle ceremonie and vngodly heresie that preuailed had y e prelates of the Church either for the authors or for the approuers But Christ committed to the prelates saith Martial the charge and gouernment of his Church Yea syr to feede them with his word and not with dombe signes and dead images which things he hath forbidden Now come we to Paulinus Bish. of Nola by whom it appeareth that y e signe of the crosse was set vp 1100. yeres agoe in some churches but the title of the Article is that it should be set vp in al Churches But Martial wil proue that it was wel done by Paulinus to set vp the signe of the crosse in his Church bicause he was an holy and learned Bishop and no Catholike Bishop or generall councel did find fault with him for whatsoeuer any holy learned father did at any time and was not controlled of any Catholike father for his doing was well done and must be so taken I denye this maior For Augustine was an holy and learned Bishop which did giue the Communion to infants and thought it necessarie for their euerlasting saluation neither was he controlled therefore yet did he not well neither was his opinion true And where Martial taketh vpon him the defence of Paulinus in commending a woman that separated her selfe from her husband vnder pretence of religion he playeth the prattling proctor picking of quarels against M. Calfhil without all
honestie or shame For he feigneth that the fault is alledged for want of consent of her husband whereas such separation as he coÌ„mendeth w tout consent is directly contrarie to the doctrine of y e holy Ghost 1. Cor. 7. v. 5. Likewise where M. Calfhil nameth a booke that the Apostles wrote Martial saith it was but of Pauls Epistles where he saith it was laide vnto diseases M. Martial saith it saued a man from drowning but of these quarels too much Martiall coÌ„fesseth that were a Doctor swarueth froÌ„ scripture no man ought to followe him But if Paulinus swerued not from Scripture when he brought images into the Church we neede not doubt that any man swerued from Scripture seeing nothing is more plaine in all the Scriptures then forbidding of images and similitudes of any thing to be made or had in any vse of religion Where M. Chlfhil aunswereth to the decree of Iustinian that no Church should be builded before the place were consecrated and a crosse set vp by the Bishop that this was a constitution of the externall pollicie Martial laboureth to proue that it was religious and yet at length graunteth that it was a matter of externall policie wherevpon I inferre that it was not of necessitie and so the article is not proued thereby that euery church should c. But it commeth of great wisdome that he will defend the time of Iustinian from ignorance and barbaritie bicause the ciuill lawe was then gathered and a fewe learned men were found in the whole world All this notwithstanding the Barbarians had ouercome a great part of the Empire and filled the world with ignorance and barbarousnesse Against the decree of Valentinian and Theodosius cited out of Crinitus he hath many quarells First against Petrus Crinitus who was as good a cleark as Martial Then at the Homily against images where the Printer calleth him Petrus Erinilus yet againe y e Valentinian not being writteÌ„ at large is mistakeÌ„ for Valens where it should be Valentinianus And if Valens and Theodosius had made such a lâ—â—e what an ouersight was it of Eusebius to suppresse it When Eusebius was deade before any of them were borne it was a great ouerfight in Martials iudgement to suppresse in his storie a lawe made by them which liued neare an hundreth yeare after him so that belike he would haue Eusebius to write stories of thinges to come But concerning that lawe of Valentinianus and Theodosius you shall see more in mine aunswere to D. Sanders booke of images cap. 13. or 12. The rest of this chapter is spent in commending the Church of Rome whose custome it hath bene saith Martial these twelue hundreth yeares to set the signe of the crosse in the Church and Pope Pius the fourth did it him selfe of late c. Concerning the Church of Rome so long as she continued in true religion and so far foorth as she mainteined the trueth as she was greatly commended of auncient writers whome Martiall nameth so nowe it is to her greater reproch and shame earum laudum gloriae degenerem esse that she is growen out of kinde and desert of all such prayses as the Cleargie of Rome writing to Cyprian lib. 2. Epist. 7. To conclude therefore there is nothing shewed to proue that euery Church Chappel or Oratorie should haue a crosse although in the latter and more corrupt times of the Church it is declared that some Churches had a crosse and at length grewe to a custome in those parts of the world that euerie church had one and was thought necessarie that it should haue one The fourth Article That the signe of the crosse was vsed in all sacraments c. That it hath bene vsed in the later declining times we will not stande with Martiall but that in the best and purest age of the Church by the Apostles and their imediate successors it was vsed or allowed before the Valentinian heretikes I affirme that Martiall can not proue by any auncient authenticall writer betweene the Apostles and Irenaeus Wherefore Master Calfhil aunswereth well that the ceremonie once taken vppe of good intent being growen into so horrible abuse is iustly refused of vs. Martiall will knowe what our vocation is as though we were not able to proue our calling both before God and men Our Synodes he refuseth bicause no Councel can be kept without the consent of the Bishop of Rome in which point as many of Papistes are against him which holde that euen a generall Councel may be kept to depose an euill Pope against his will so he mistaketh the Tripartite historie and Iulian Bishop of Rome where they speake of generall Councels and Synodes to determine of matters of faith from which the Bishop of Rome while he was a Bishop was not to be excluded bicause those cases touch all Bishops dreaming that they speake of all Councels But long after their times it was practised as lawfull for Kinges and Bishops of seuerall prouinces to gather and holde prouincial synods for the state of their seueral Churches without the consent or knowledge of the Bishop of Rome In which some things haue bene determined against the will of the Bishop of Rome as in the councels of Carthage and Affrike and in generall Councels also as in that of Calcedon Constantinople the 5. 6. the Councels of Constans and Basil. But signing with the crosse is a tradition of the Apostles and so accounted by S. Basil therefore we ought not to forsake it for any abuse saith Martial But howe will S. Basil persuade vs of that when we finde it not in their writings it is more safe therefore to followe his counsell in his short definitioÌ„s q. 1. where he affirmeth y t it is not lawfull for any man to permit him selfe to doe or say any thing without the testimonie of the holy scriptures And this we will hold euen with Basils good leaue against all pretended traditions of the Apostles what so euer We Knowe the Apostle willeth vs to hold the traditions either learned by his Epistles or by his SermoÌ„s But what he deliuered in his sermons we can not tell but by his Epistles Yes saith Martial the church telleth you of y e signe of the crosse but seeing y e church telleth vs of other things which are left and forsaken auouching them likewise to be traditions of the Apostles which ought not to haue ben so giueÌ„ ouer if they had ben Apostolike traditions in deed we see no cause why we may not refuse these aswel as those hauing no ground of certaintie for apostolike traditions but only y e Apostolike writings Tertullian couÌ„teth y e tasting of milke hony after baptisme for an Apostolike tradition bicause it was a ceremonie in his time as wel as crossing y e one was left long ago why may not y e other be forsakeÌ„ y t hath no better ground hath ben worse abused Concerning the tale of Probianus which foloweth next
Apostles fathers of the primitiue Church blessed them selues with the signe of the crosse councelled all Christian men to do the same and that in those dayes a crosse was set vp in euery place conuenient for it The first controuersie is of the signification of this worde benedicere which with Martiall is all one with signare For although he finde not in the olde writers benedicebant se signo crucis they did blesse them selues with the signe of the crosse yet he findeth signabant se signo crucis they marked them selues with the signe of the crosse which is all one with him But not so with vs for there was another vse of marking at the firste then for blessing The Christians among the Pagans marked them selues with the signe of the crosse in token that they professed him that was crucified Afterward to put them selues in minde of the death of Christ. These were tollerable vses of an indifferent ceremonie The opinion of blessing with the crosse as M. Calfhil sayeth was taken as the terme from superstitious olde women And Martiall cannot denye but the terme of blessing in that sence is a newe signification of the worde and therefore not vsed of the auncient fathers which that he might obscure with brabling as his custome is he repeateth his former iangling of the significations of this worde benedicere and howe it sometime signifieth to blesse with the handes as when Christe blessed his Apostles and the children As though to vse a ceremonie of lifting vp or laying on of hands when he blesseth is to blesse with a bare ceremonie of the handes as they do with their crosse Nay he sayeth to blesse with the crosse is as olde as Iacob who with his handes acrosse blessed Iosephs children The Papistes are wise in their generation when they would not haue vnlearned meÌ„ to reade the scriptures For euerye childe of seuen yeares age reading the storie of Iacobs blessing will easely perceiue y t his laying of his hands ouerthwart was not for any blessing with the crosse but because he was to lay his right hand vpon the yonger and his left vpon the elder contrary to their fathers placing of them which would haue had his elder sonne preferred But seeing Martiall maketh himselfe so cunning in the significations of benedicere to blesse which he will not haue to say well or pray for only c. but to sanctifie Let him remember that in his own sence the Apostle sayeth to the Hebrues cap. 7. ver 7. y t which is lesse or inferior is blessed of the superior by which argument he proueth Melchisedech to be greater then Abraham If then the Apostles and fathers did blesse them selues with the signe of the crosse to sanctifie themselues I demaunde whether the signe of y e crosse was greater then the Apostles For no man wil saye that the Apostles were greater then themselues If it were not greater then surely they were not blessed by it Wherein also the fable of Abdias is conuinced which sayth of S. Paul muniens se signo crucis arming himselfe with the signe of the crosse was the signe of the crosse stronger then S. Paul for men arm them selues with harnesse of defence which is stronger then them selues Was not that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that vniuersal armour or complete harnes which he exhorteth other men to put on as sufficient to withstande all the assaultes of the diuell sufficient for him selfe without the signe of the crosse But seing y e Apostle there describeth y e whole armor of God whereof the signe of y e crosse is not piece It is certaine that it is no armour meete for the defence of a Christian man wherefore your fabling Abdias and counterfait Clement can carry no credit with wise learned Christians Nor yet the examples of Antony Martin Donatus Paula reported of credible writers yet no Euangelists which armed themselues with the signe of the crosse doeth either force or moue vs to imitatioÌ„ further then they had warrant for their doing out of the holy scriptures Where M. Calfhill sayeth that the diuel delighted in the signe of the crosse fayned him selfe to be afrayd of it that the heremit might runne to that sory succour and men put more affiance in it He meaneth that the diuel delighted in the superstitious opinion of it for otherwise he doth neither feare nor loue the signe of the crosse of it selfe for if it had beene so terrible to the diuell as Martial and others do thinke Saint Paul would not haue left it out of the complet harnes of God whereby all the deceites fiery darts of the diuell are withstood And although the elder and better age vsed and receiued that signe tolerably yet considering the shamfull abuse thereof it ought now of right conscience to be condemned as M. Calfhill sayeth But Martiall wil none of that for things good of their own nature must not be taken away not condemned for y e abuse Very true but who will graunt him that the signe of the crosse is good of it selfe It is as much as may be borne to grant it to be a thing indifferent And wheras Martial wil acknowledge none abuse of that signe what else should we say but who is so blind as he y t wil not see Concerning the authoritie of the Epistle of Epiphanius translated by S. Hierome his fact in rending a vaile wherein was painted an image as it were of Christ or some saint c. I will referre y e reader to mine answere to D. Sanders booke of images Cap. 4. or according to the error of his print Cap. 3. where he shal see all Martials cauils shaken of except one which I thinke no man euer espyed before this wylye lawyer and that is of the words quasi hauing an image as it were of Christ or some saint but not an image of Christ or of some saint in deede for then he woulde not haue rent it but perhaps in was an image of Iupiter or Hercules c. But vnder correction of Master Vsher this is but a quasy argument that is grounded vpon quasi as though it should signifie always a thing y t is not true but as it were so yet not so For Cicero y t knew y e nature of y e word quasi as wel as Martial vseth it otherwise Illos qui oiÌ„a incerâ—â— dicunt quasi desperatos aliquos relinquamus As for them that saye all things are vncerteine let vs leaue as meÌ„ past hope Wil Martiall say they were not past hope in deede S. Marke sayeth that Christ did teache quasi potestatem habens as one that had authoritie wil he say he had not authoritie in deede S. Iohn saith of Christ who haue seene his glory quasi vnigeniti as the glorye of the onely begotten sonne of God Let Martiall saye with the Arrians he was but quasi vnigenitus as it were the
say the figure thereof was vsed Wherfore here is no lye proued Touching the saying cited out of Augustine Serm. 130. de tempore although the authoritie is not greatly to be regarded of those Sermons yet admit it were Augustines in deede M. Calfhil saith truly that he speaketh neither of Martials materiall nor mysticall crosse but of the death of Christ and the crosse whereon he suffered as al the discourse of that Sermon declareth Before the crosse was a name of condemnation nowe it is made a matter of honour before is stoode in damnation of a curse nowe it is set vp in occasion of saluation This nowe Martiall would either craftily or impudently referre to Augustines time which is spoken of the time of Christes passion when the crosse was set vp in occasion of saluation and not an idol therof in Augustines time He complaineth that to an other place of Augustine wherein mention is made of the signe of y e crosse nothing is saide where nothing needeth when it is coÌ„fessed that the signe of the crosse was vsed in his time And concerning Constantines crosse we haue spoken alreadie sufficiently To conclude therefore here is nothing replied in this article to proue that the Apostles and Fathers of the first Church did blesse them selues with the signe of the crosse although the Fathers of latter time vsed to marke them selues with that signe and counselled others so to doe Neither is there any thing but the forged newe found Martiales Epistle which is worse then nothing to proue that the signe of the crosse in the first age of the Church was vsed by the Apostles or their immediate successors before the dayes of Valentinus the heretike The sixt Article That diuers holy men and women got them little pieces of the crosse and inclosed them in gold c. It is confessed that diuers made great account to haue little pieces of the crosse to inclose them in gold and hang them about them but their superstition is reproued both by Hieronyme and Chrysostome To Hierome Martial aunswereth that he reproued not the hauing of those pieces but the confidence put in them as the Pharisees did in their Phylacteries hanged vpon their bodies and not printing the lawe in their harts Be it so but what accounteth he the hauing of them euen the strayning of a Gnat Culicem liquantes cameluÌ„ degluâ—ientes lib. 4. cap. 23. But in other places saith Martial he wisheth him selfe to kisse the wood of the crosse Apol. 3. cont Ruff. This was a small matter and yet it was more then hauing a little piece of the crosse for he speaketh of his visiting the places of the death buriall and birth of Christ in which he might take more occasion of meditation vpon the mysteries of our redemption To Chrysostome which counted it impietie in certaine priestes that hanged Gospells about them and pieces of the coat and haire of Christ he maketh like answere alledging out of his Demostr ad Gentiles that all the world desired to haue y e crosse and euery man coueted to haue a litle piece of it to inclose it in golde c. and whereas M. Calfhil aunswereth that this was no praise of the parties but a practise of the time Martial replyeth that it was a praise of the parties repeating what Chrysostome doth write in commendation of the signe of the crosse c. whereas in deed Chrysostome speaking of the matter in question onely sheweth what was the affection of Christians to the crosse which was sometime the wood of condemnation Which affection although in some it were immoderate yet Chrysostomes reason against y e Gentiles should not turne him to perpetuall shame as Martial saith for he proueth that Christ was God in that he had wrought so great a conuersion vnto the faith that no man was nowe ashamed of the signe of the crosse which before was a token of condemnation To conclude where Martiall abuseth the wordes of Christ Haec oportet facere c. These things ought to be done the other not omtted to proue that the fact of hauing these pieces of the crosse and inclosing them in golde was good he must either bring the lawe of God as the Pharisees did for tything of Mynt and Anise or else we can not be persuaded that such estimation of pieces of wood is good and godly The seuenth Article That a crosse was borne at the singing or saying of the Letanie c. That processions came not from Gentilitie to Christians Martial will proue bicause processions came from tradition of y e Apostles and that he proueth by a saying of Leo What so euer is retained of the Church into custome of deuotion commeth of the tradition of the Apostles and doctrine of the holy Ghost So is procession c. but the minor is false for the Church of Christ for many hundreth yeares after Christe knewe no processions But if processions came from the Gentiles saith Martial shal we therefore condemne them Haue we not y e liberal sciences many politike lawes from the Gentiles as though there were one reason of religion and politike laws or liberal artes the one we are forbiddeÌ„ to learne of the Gentiles the other being the giftes of God we may take them euen from the Gentiles Neither doth Augustine against the Manichees whome Martial citeth lib. 20. cap. 23. Con. Faust. speake of any heathenish ceremonies receiued in Christian religion but of such thinges as we must haue common with them like the sunne and the ayre as meate drinke apparel houses c. Whether processions came from the Montanistes or Arrians certaine it is they came not from Christe nor his Apostles Tertullian a Montanist maketh meÌ„tion of certaine stations but I suppose they were no processions but standings The miracle of water turned into oyle to serue for light in the Church reported by Eusebius I maruell to what end Martial bringeth foorth and counteth that it was an hundreth yeares before the heresie of Arrius The Letanie or supplication prescribed by the Councel of Ments Martial saith the Papistes do obserue for they ride not in the Rogationweeke nor weare their copes But how obserue they that the Canon commaundeth them to goe barefooted in sackcloth and ashes The Councel of Orleans anno 515. calleth these Letanies rogations but of processioÌ„ or going abroad it speaketh nothing S. Ambrose in deed is ancienter then this Councel but whether that Commentarie vpon the Epistles that goeth vnder his name were of his writing it is not agreed among learned men at least wise there be diuers additions and the written copies varie Besides that the worde wherevpon he buildeth dies prâ—cessiâ—nis both in written and printed copies is dies purgationis the days of a womans purification or if algates he wil haue it processionis as some printed bookes haue yet the very circumstance of the place wil proue that it is the dayes of a womans going