priestes whereof it foloweth also that there is an equaliti◠emongest all bishops by Gods lawe as the equall successours of the Apostles And that this is S. Hieromes minde in that place all learned menne who haue redde the saied epistle doo well knowe Nowe to that plac◠whiche M. Dorman allegeth out of this epistle Quòd autem postea vnus electus est qui caeteris praeponeretur in schismatis remedium factum est ne vnusquisque ad se trahens ecclesiam rumperet That is to saie That one was afterwarde chosen to rule the reste that was doen for a remedie againste schismes least while euery man would chalenge to hymself the churche by suche halyng and pullyng thei might breake the same Thus farre hath M. Dorman alleged but S. Hierome proceedeth further to declare the same matter by these woordes Nam Alexandriae à Marco Euangelista vsque ad Heraclam Dionysium episcopos praesbyteri semper vnum ex se electum in excelsiori gradu collocatum episcopum nominabant quomodo si exercitus imperatorem faciat aut Diaconi eligant de se quem industrium nouerint archidiaconum vocent Quid enim facit excepta ordinatione episcopus quod praesbyter non faciat That is to saie For at Alexandria from Marke the Euangeliste vnto Heracla and Dionysius beyng bishops there the priestes did euer place one chosen of their companie in the higher roume and named him bishop as if an armie should make a capitaine or deacons should choose one of their owne companie whom thei knowe to be actiue and diligent and call hym Archedeacon For what doth the bishop onely orderyng excepted that a priest maie not doo These are saincte Hieromes woordes Whereby it appeareth plainlie that the woordes of sainct Hierome One chosen afterward emongest them to rule the rest for a remedie of schismes doo appertaine to euery Bishop as head ruler of the Cleargie of his owne Diocesse For saieth S. Hierome suche an heade ruler was chosen at Alexandria in Aegipte where S. Marke the Euangelist Heracla and Dionysius were bishops to gouerne the priestes and cleargie there And withall whatsoeuer was doen afterward was not doen de iure diuino vpō the grounde of Gods lawe as you would haue the Popes supremacie to stande but of an ecclesiastical order and pollicie For that whiche was doen by Goddes lawe was not dooen afterwarde but first this whiche was thus doen afterward saieth sainct Hierome was doen rather for the honour of the priesthood then for the necessitie of the law For by the lawe of God which is first the priest as S. Hierome saieth maie doo asmuche exceptyng orderyng onelie as maie the bishop but afterwarde for order one was placed in the highest place for the auoidyng of schismes And if a prieste by saincte Hieromes minde maie doo asmuche as a Bishoppe I thinke one bishop also may by Gods lawe doo asmuche as an other bishop Further seyng this one afterwarde chosen to rule the reste was chosen aswell at Alexandria as at Rome or elswhere and the Bishop of Alexandria was that rular of the reste of his Cleargie as well as was the bishop of Rome of his owne cleargie it must nedes fall out that these woordes one chosen afterwarde to rule the reste either make for no supremacie of any one bishop ouer all the churche as apperteinyng to euery Bishop in his owne diocesse or if M. Dorman will needes inforce a supremacie by the saied woordes he shal be inforced to confesse the saied supremacie to be commō to the bishop of Alexandria where S. Hierome saith this one was chosen to rule the rest with the bishop of Rome as by the other place laste before alleged by M. Dorman out of S. Cyprian the said supremacie should appertaine to the Bishoppe of Carthage But bothe Carthage and Alexandria are nowe in the handes of Infideles and therefore can there bee no supremacie of the church there and yet aswel there as at Rome where Christ is as muche blasphemed as he is either at Alexandria or Carthage But it is in deede moste plaine by that epistle of S. Hierome that he doeth not meane that one bishoppe should be aboue an other muche lesse one heade ouer all other For he expresly saieth that all bishops be equall and none superiour nor inferiour to an other by Gods lawe Neither doeth it hurte our cause in case that wée graunt to M. Dorman that this place doeth appertaine to the Apostles and that one was chosen emongst the Apostles themselues to haue the chiefe place that is to speake firste to moderate other to staie contention and to remedie schismes Naie it maketh with vs directlie who doo graunt that as emongest those .xij. one was so chosen to bee ruler so it is good that in euery competente number of priests and cleargie one be chosen likewise to be ruler And if M. Dorman vpō this graunt would inferre suche a supremacie of one ouer the rest of the Apostles as the Pope claimeth ouer the churche Saincte Paule reprouyng Peter more sharplie to his face then is lawfull now for any bishop to deale with the Pope dooeth proue that Peter had no suche supremacie For though the Pope by his abominable dooynges dooe damne hymselfe and innumerable other yet maie no man be so bolde as to blame him therefore but let him goe vncontrouled to the deuill of hel Neither foloweth it though one man bee chosen so to bee ruler emongest xij therefore maie one also bee chosen to bee ruler ouer all the Cleargie of the worlde of all nations and languages and to farre of also to be well ruled No more dooeth it folowe for that S. Hierome dooeth saie that one was chosen of the companie of the Priestes of euery one Churche or diocesse to rule the reste as namelie was dooen at Alexandria the whiche ruler was called the bishoppe therefore ought there to bee one chosen to rule all bishops of all diocesses namelie at Rome the said one ruler to be called Pope or head of the vntuersall Churche For this kinde of collection vsuall to M. Dorman I haue by his owne former reasons and similitudes of seuerall gouernours or Princes necessarie to bee ouer euery citie countrey or kyngdome and that none can be ouer the whole worlde proued to be a vaine and leude collectiō And I haue also by his owne witnesses S. Cyprian and S. Hierome and by the verie places of them by him guilefullie wrested at large declared the same And I shall yet hereafter more plainlie declare that S. Cyprian and S. Hierome whom he hath alleged for the supremacie of one that is to wit the Bishoppe of Rome are of all other writers moste cleare against him and that in the verie same places by hym for his purpose alleged so that it maie bee iustlie meruelled whether M. Dorman were so ignoraunte that he should bring those for his witnesses who dootestifie moste against hym or so
hym alleged moste euidentlie againste hym and that moste falsly vsurped supremacie of the pope You haue heard how contrary his witnesses be twoo against one and that one either not so writyng as is alleged by M. Dorman but falsified or forged as so writyng by the Popes commen corrupters and falsaries of al writers and writynges or if so writyng yet vnworthie credite euen by his owne lawe as partiall in his owne cause and otherwise to be suspected for that his testimonie is in diuers copies found not onely diuers but cleane coÌ„trarie vnlesse M. DormaÌ„ thought he might put in and out this woorde non not as a little sillable and nothyng materiall at his pleasure And further the saied witnesse who so euer he be beyng but one is confuted as you haue hearde by the veredicte of twoo witnesses moste worthie of creadite brought in with hym for testimonie of the same matter You se therfore not onely no necessitie but an impossibilitie of such an one onely head aswell of the churche dispersed throughout all the worlde as of one onely king or prince of all the worlde it self You sée there was no suche opinion muche lesse knowledge of any suche head emoÌ„gest the Apostles or in the primitiue churche but that it is a newe deuilishe deuise of the late ambitious Bishoppes of Rome who when thei were neuer able yet hitherto well to rule the churche of Rome one citie as by all histories and experience is euidente would yet of the worlde vsurpe the superioritie supremacie And if S. Paule didthinke he was not méete to haue charge of one Churche who could not well gouerne his owne house of what monstrous ambitioÌ„ and presumption is he trowe you who neuer yet able to gouerne one peculiar churche dooeth claime and would take vpon him the regiment of all churches throughout the whole worlde Wheras he is not able were he thereto required to tell the onely names of a small parte of the saied churches neither knoweth in what part of the world a great many of theÌ„ be Dorman fol. 6. I can not heare staie to examine curioussie euery worde in these auncient fathers but leauing that good readers to your discreatioÌ„ and not doubtyng but that in these graue witnesses in a matter of suche weight importaunce as wherevpon dependeth the healthe of the whole Churche you will be no lesse diligente then you would bee in examinyng the depositions of your owne witnesses or your aduersaries in a triall of landes or other temporall commoditie Nowell M. Dorman is in haste and lacketh leisure for the examination of these matters there is some plaie belike towardes and his parâ—e therein the busieste of all other and therefore you must examine these witnesses your selues and that with more diligence then you would dooe in controuersies about landes or worldie matters Now surely M. Dorman a little examinatioÌ„ will serue to trie out that you and all your felowe collectours and ouersears of this booke were either of hast shamefully ouerséene or so ignoraunte that you could not sée though you had had good leisure or moste impudeÌ„t and shamelesse so that you cared nothyng what or how you did write so it were some thyng or els all three together And had you doen well you should all haue bestowed your leisure and cunnyng together in some one piththie booke if any thyng can be piththilie written of suche leude and trifelyng matters as you take in hande to maintaine rather then by launcyng out suche hauocke of bookes like to this yours and moste méete for you in poste pase as though all speede were in the haste onelie to gette for the tyme the commendation of celeritie and readinesse either of your fanourers altogether blinded with partialitie or of such vndiscreate readers as delite moste in moste trifles and withall to obteine a perpetuall note and blotte of greate ignoraunce mixed with more shamelessenesse and impudencie in the opinions of all wise and learned men For it will fall out M. Dorman that you alone shall bee more able to write and sende vs ouer a doosen suche bookes at this is by the leisure and facultie that you haue sufficiente enough thereto then D. Hardyng and you with all your adherentes shall bee able to maintaine one little paâ—cell of this your or his booke as truelie and sincerely written So mucke harder it is either to write a little well and truelie or to defende a little of muche written lightlie and falselie then to write neuer so many and so greate bookes bothe lightly leudely and falsely too suche as I trust it shall appeare to the worlde this booke named woorthily yours is in deede M. Dorman Dorman fol. 6. I shall procede to the consideration of the seconde reason whiche before I touched of the people of Isâ—ael if I firste warne you to consider but this by the waie that ye maie truste those aunciente fathers by their woorde the better an other tyme how many schismes bee burste in apon vs in our countrey of Englande for one common receiued truth in the daies of our fathers when we remained in the obedieÌ„ce of one chief priest and iudge whiche shake nowe so miserablie the same how quietlie in one loue in one truth in one doctrine in one Churche in one heade thereof God almightie and his minister vnder hym appoincted ouer the same weliued then and other in other places dooe now Nowell Yet for all the haste M. Dorman hath he will by the waie warne you to credite the aunciente fathers by hym alleged The same dooe wee also desire of the discreate readers that thei will creadit those auncient fathers who though alleged by M. Dorman beyng directlie against hym doo declare that he is woorthy of no creadite at all And he doeth vniustlie charge England specially with so many schismes where it is well knowen that there is as muche consente in true doctrine in the churche of Englande at this tyme as euer was in any realme at any time And though there were not a perfecte consent of all men in all poinctes what marueile yet were it if that should happen emongeste vs whiche was not altogether lackyng emongeste the Apostles themselues Let the conteÌ„tion betwéene Paule and Peter and betwéene Paule againe Barnabas be a proofe thereof What woonder if that were emongest vs touching some poinctes that was not wanting in the primitiue churche emoÌ„gest the olde fathers Let the variaunce emongeste the bishops assembled at Nicene councell let the contention betwene the bishops of the Easte and of the Weste churche aboute the keepyng of Easter daie a matter not woorthie of suche variaunce bée a witnesse thereof Let the sharpe conteÌ„tion betwéene S. Chrysostome and Theophilus bishop of AlexaÌ„dria and Epiphanius bishop of Cyprus the bitter strief betwéene S. Hierome and S. Augugustine and betwéene the saied S. Hierome againe and Rufine and like contentions betweene the beste men of all
a proude and slaunderous toungue Emongest other places he allegeth this texte He that saieth thou foole to his brother c. is guiltie of hell fire whereof he inferreth how can thei then escape the iudgemeÌ„t of God the aueÌ„ger who spake suche thinges not onelie to brethren but also to Priestes And so procedyng alledgeth out of the Scriptures againste those heretikes whiche had so railed on him as out of Deuteronomium the 17 chapiter and out of the first booke of Kinges out of the 8. of Mathewe and the 10. of Luke the 23. of the Actes of the obedieÌ„ce and reuerence due to the high priestes and to the Apostles And all this he writeth speciallie to confirme his owne autthoritie beyng so vnwoorthilie railed on behinde his backe as is moste euidente by the continuauÌ„ce of the processe After whiche foloweth the place by M. Dorman alledged of the priest of God who is not obeied and of one prieste and one iudge in the churche in Christes steede not regarded Whiche woordes he speaketh of hymself so abused by those heretikes so railyng on hym behinde his backe as by all that goeth before from the firste entrie of speakyng of hymself and his owne wronges and still continuyng the treatie of hymself and his owne matters and also by these woordes folowyng it doeth moste plainly appere Caeterum dico dico enim prouocatus c. But I saie saieth sainct Cyprian for I saie beyng prouoked to witte by suche railers vpon him as he began firste to speake of I saie beyng sorowfull I saie beyng coÌ„pelled when a bishop is placed in the roume of his predecessour beyng deade when he is chosen peaceably by the voice of all the people beyng in persecution defended by Gods helpe ioigned faithfullie to all his felowe bishops tried and allowed of his people in his bishoprike foure yeres sufferyng so many persecutions euen at this verie time in the whiche I doo write to you these letters cried for to be throwen to the Lions when such a brother is assaulted of certaine desperate and wicked persones it appeareth that thei whiche doo so assaulte him be the enemies of Christe Thus farre saincte Cyprian whereby it appeareth that he hath continued and doeth still continue to write of hymself by the verie woordes prouocatus dico I saie being prouoked c. and by the circumstances of his complaintes to Cornelius for suche vnworthie despisyng of him and railing vpon hym by suche his disobedient inferiours and by the circumstance of the matter time where he saieth that he who was of his people allowed foure yeres in his Bishoprike is the broother so assaulted beyng the Priest of God is so despised beyng the iudge in Christes steede for the tyme is not regarded as he saied before Whereby it is moste manifest that sainct CypriaÌ„ meaneth himself and not Cornelius who was bishop of Rome but thrée yeres or as Platina and others saie but twoo yeres So that these woordes of one priest one Iudge in the Churche for the tyme in steede of Christe whiche M. Dorman hath alledged for the supremacie of one heade of the vniuersall Churche can not possiblie be taken as spoken of Cornelius Bishop of Rome but are directlie spoken of S. Cyprian hymself Bishop of Carthage in Afrike as I doubt not but all learned and discreate men readyng the epistie will iudge Wherefore it falleth out by M. Dormans diligence that Carthage whiche is in Afrike and in the possession of the Infideles should bee the see of the supreme heade of the Churche and not Rome Now the truthe in deede is that as this place is here alledged by sainct Cyprian with a number of scriptures there like wise rehearsed for the mainteinaunce of his owne authoritie in his Bishoprike so doo thei likewise apperteine to the authoritie of euery other bishop in his own diocesse who is there th' one priest and the one iudge in the churche in Christes stéede for the tyme. And neither these nether any other suche places were euer alleged by S. Cyprian for the supremacie of any one Bishop ouer al the churche Let S. Cyprians woordes next before the very place by M. Dorman alleged proue this that I haue saied Cum haec tanta talia multa alia exempla praecedant c. That is to saie where as these suche and so greate examples with many other doâ—e goe before by the whiche the sacerdotal authoritie and power is by Goddes goodnesse established what maner of men thinke you bee thei whiche beyng the enemies of Priestes and rebelles againste the catholike Churche are feared neither by the threatnynges of the Lorde forewarnyng nor with the vengeaunce of the indgement to come For hereof rise heresies and schismes that the prieste of God is not obeied c. as maister Dorman hath alleged out of this place of S. Cyprian You maie see that where S. CypriaÌ„ saieth now The priest of God as speaking of one immediatly before he said The priestes as of many as it is all one to saie Obeie thy superiour and Obeie thy superiours Whiche also declareth that the woordes nexte folowyng of one Prieste and one Iudge in the Churche in Christes steede doo apperteine to all Bishops that is to euery one in his owne diocesse and not one to be ouer all the churche Concernyng the Apologie maister Dorman his owne example of ciuile gouernemente â— little before alledged plainlie declareth that he dooeth vniustlie finde fault with it For as the Apologie with vs denieth not but that euery king in his own realme euery meaner magistrate in his office is in Goddes steede or place a Iudge for the tyme so doeth it not denie but that euery Bishop in his diocesse is in Christes steede or place iudge for the time But as the Apologiâ— denieth that euery one Kyng is or can bee in Goddes place iudge ouer all the worlde to rule it but euery kyng is in Gods steede Iudge in his owne kyngdome or kingdomes as God doeth appoinct for he geueth to diuers kynges many kyngdomes but to none all so doeth it deny that any one bishop is or can be in Goddes place iudge in the vniuersall churche or in al churches throughout the worlde Wherefore the Apologie is herein vniustlie blamed of you M. Dorman neither dooeth S. Cyprian who died an holie martyr and is no doubt a sainct in heauen holde with you against the Apologie but with it against you most plainly in this and all other places whiche you haue vntruelie alleged and all reasons that you haue vnreasonablie gathered and violently wrested against it out of S. Cyprian And I trust that of this suche like vndiscreate allegations it will appeare to the wise reader how little cause M. Dorman had to triumphe as though S. Cyprian were of his side altogether and withall so insolentlie to raile vpon vs saiyng that it were better with S. Cyprian to liue and die in the obedieÌ„ce of this Priest
in the scriptures declared to be so by God appoincted so is there no disorder that seuerall churches haue seuerall bishoppes to their heades but is moste necessarie for all good order so to bee And so is that sentence of Nazianzene generally takeÌ„ nothyng against the gouernance of seuerall bishops in seuerall diocesses no more then it is againste the ciuill regiment of seuerall gouernours in seueral countreis For as it is apperteinyng to God onely to our sauior Christ his sonne by their almightie power wisedome to gouerne all y e world all the church so is it enough and to muche for any one man well to gouerne a little parcell therof And so to returne to Nazianzene his saiyng VVhere is no rule there is no order Truthe it is but where one Bishop as one head is in euery diocesse there is some rule therefore there is some order VVhere many rule there is seditioÌ„ It is true if many magistrates haue equall rule in one coÌ„mon wealth or if many ecclesiasticall persones haue equall authoritie in one seuerall Churche wee confesse it is like to their phantasie who would haue many equall Goddes to rule the worlde But one seuerall ruler in one seuerall dominion one seuerall bishop in one seuerall diocesse dooe resemble one God rulyng one whole worlde and one Christ ruling one whole churche so well as earthly creatures maie resemble the heaueÌ„lie creatour But one earthlic man by gouernyng all the whole worlde or the whole churche throughout the worlde to resemble God or Christe is a presumption vnhearde of but onelie in the Pope of Rome Let therefore seuerall rulers and Bishoppes holde themselues contented with seuerall dominions and diocesses accordyng to Gods ordinaunce For it is false that suche seuerall rulers in seuerall places doo cause sedition and it is prooued false by the ciuile gouernemente of diuers rulers in diuers couÌ„treis for so it staÌ„deth for the moste part throughout the worlde at this daie Wherefore M. Dorman and D. Hardyng maie as well saie that the worlde is seditiously gouerned by diuers princes as the Churche by seuerall Bishoppes But as Nazianzene euer dreamed of one Emperour ouer all the worlde to auoide seditioÌ„ though he teacheth there is one God no more did he though he teache one Christe yet euer dreame of one onely head bishoppe or Pope ouer the whole Churche throughout the worlde to auoide schismes as dreamyng M. Dorman phantasieth and thinketh all men that bee awake to dreame too as he dooeth He speaketh further in his sleape and saâ—eth Howe shall wee then saie Our Lorde loueth Syon aboue all the tabernacles of Iacob What this dooeth meane or to what purpose it is I knowe not And I beléeue M. Dorman when he waketh if euer he wake can not tell hymself For Pighius out of whoÌ„ he borowed it is a sleape and neuer will wake to tell his dreame Dorman fol. 7. There is no doubt therefore but that Christe hath prouided for his churche whiche he redemed so dearely as with the expence of his owne moste precious bloud a iudge and chiefe ruler to ende and determine so many controuersies as he knewe should molest and infest the same Thei caÌ„ not saie that are aduersaries kicke againste this truthe that this whiche I allege was in the olde lawe and in a shadowe that these daies and this tyme requier other maners For that argumente hath their Englishe apologie soluted and pronounced that so to saie were Plusquam ridiculum seeyng there was then idem deus idem spiritus idem Christus eadem fides eadem doctrina eadem spes eadem haeredit as ideÌ„ foedus cadem vis verbi dei the same God the same holy ghost the same Christ the same faithe the same doctrine the same hope the same heritage the same couenaunte the same strength of Goddes woorde Nowell M. Dorman is so mightie in reasonyng and hath so many and so good groundes that he is full of conclusions as you sée We graunt Christe hath prouided for his churche so dearely bought and beloued of hym as well as he did for the Iues better too For wheras thei had but one chief bishop for their whole nation he hath by the ministerie of his Apostles prouided euery greate citie euery Diocesse of suche a one that thei maie bee the better gouerned and lesse pained to traueill farre for the decision of their doubtes and controuersies Wherefore in these poinctes wee make no exception to your olde shadowe nor require no new maners But as thei and we haue one God one spirite one Christe one faithe one doctrine one inheritaunce and so foorthe that so in like maner there bee one like ecclesiasticall â—egâ—ment that euery one diocesse countrey or nation haue in like wise one bishop to bee their iudge and determiner of doubtes as had the nation of the Iewes But M. Dorman dealeth not truely with the Apologie The Apologie declareth that the church of God was muche obscured and broughte to a small number emongeste the Iewes and it shâ—weth thaâ— it hath in like wise also been obscured and broughte to a small number emongest Christians The aduersaries of the Gospell who are the corrupters thereof and would haue no corruption nor decaie of the Churche now noted or knowen saie although the Churche of God was obscured and brought to a little number in the old lawe and in the shadowe and figure when nothing was perfite yet can it not be so in the time of the Gospell the tyme of grace and perfection c. The Apologie replieth That defence can not serue for there was the same God the same spirit the same Christ c. then as is now and therefore as the Churche decaied then so maie it and hath it decaied now M. Dorman handleth the matter as though he could prooue by the Apologie that because there was the same God the same Christ the same holy ghost c. in y e Iuishe church as is now therfore must there be one head bishop ouer all the christian churche dispersed throughout y e world as there was one head bishop ouer all y t Iues. Whiche foloweth no more then that we must haue circumcision now for that the Iues had it then Vnlesse M. Dorman thinke he may mingle In lente vnguentum thinges moste impertinent together and prooue quidlibet ex quolibet all thinges of euery thing at his pleasure Dorman Fol. 7. But yet this I proteste that apon the auctoritie of ther Apologie whiche with me is in that conceit that it is with all honest and learned men that is to saie taken as in deede it is for a fardle of lies I am no whitte the bolder to reason thus Nowell Here is at once a protestation and also a confutation of the Apologie For other confutation or answere to it then this and suche like as you shall heare hereafter haue thei not hetherto made Wherefore as iustlie might we chaleÌ„ge all the
innocent sheepe of Christes folde men and wâ—men yea yonge striplinges and maydes those little lambes shead by these rauening and bloudthristie woulfes testifie the same moste aboundantly in our Phariseis Scribes and high priestes the successours and children of those their olde Iuish forefathers of whoÌ„ with their saide forefathers as this sentence was spoken so dooth it moste expressely represent and depainte them moste liuely in their naturall colours that ye maye well know them by their fruictes For that they spoile poore wydowes houses vnder y t pretence of their longe prayers their diriges Masses of Requiem Trentalles c. is but a trifle with them but the greatter shal be their damnation as our Sauiour saith Now concerning the schisme which M. DormaÌ„ shooteth at chieflie We answere we haue made none other schisme from you than did S. Paule make from the saide high priestes Scribes and Phariseis your predecessours from whom though he were from his childehood brought vp emongst theÌ„ he did wel vpon good grounde departe for that they had before departed made a schisme from God and his most holy lawe to the traditions of the mother churche of their Pharisaicall fathers as haue likewise you Papistes departed made a schisme from Christe and his Apostles doctrine and from the auncient churches founded by the Apostles labour to your mother the Romishe Sinagoge and haue by your poysoned Popishe traditions slayne moe soules than you haue by your crueltie murdred bodies of Christian men and wemen as we haue prooued and wyll dayly prooue more and more most euidently vnto the world vntill all godly in the worlde knowyng you by your fruictes dooe forsake you as did the godly before forsake the olde Phariseis Scribes and highe Priestes and folowed Christe and his holy Apostles as we haue partely already brought to a good forwardnesse Thus you may sée why we haue departed from you and returned to Christe and his holy Apostles and the churches by them founded from whom you haue departed Returne you to them and we will not swarue from you take away the schisme that you haue made from Christ our sauiour his holy Apostles and the churches founded vpon their doctrine and we wyll ioygne with you Otherwise as long as you shall thus swarue from Christe and his Apostles and their doctrine cry you out against schismatikes neuer so much we will neuer ioygne with you beinge the very schismatikes in déede And thus muche I thought to saye to the sentence of S. Augustine against Petilian by M. Dorman alleaged in the fyrst front of his booke as against vs but in déede moste directlie detectinge the schismaticall secte of all Papistes our aduersaries that I might leaue no one sentence of any olde doctour by M. Dorman though colourably and falsely alleaged vnanswered To the Reader I Doo vnderstande sith the first printinge of this booke that muche mutteringe and whisperinge is made by certaine Papistes about certaine places of my booke as false or faultie and namely that place of S. Cyprian De simplicitate Praelatorum as by me guilefully alleaged by omittinge that whiche maketh as they say for them and their Popes Supremacie This Popishe practise by mutteringe whisperinge poinctinge quarellinge and liynge to attempte the defacinge of the simple and plaine truthe and to the maintenaunce of their owne vntruthe is no new practise neither happeneth it to me vnloosed for at this time whiche they faile not to doo to al men and in all matters at all times But as I can not certainely answearevncertaine corner mutteringes so as soone as I shall see any certaine thinge set foorth in Printe to the worlde againste my booke I will God willinge not leaue it longevnanswered as well to the aduouchinge of my true dealinge as to the declaration of theirvniustquarellinge and consequently as I trust to the more full satisfaction of all reasonable Readers that doo looue truthe and sinceritie A. Nowell Dorman Fol. 1. A PRAEFACE OR INTRODVCtion to the first Proposition THE blessed Martyr of God S. Cyprian writyng to one Rogatianus a Bishop of his prouince hath thiese woordes Initia haereticorum ortus atque conatus schismaticorum malè cogitant ium haec sunt vt sibi placeant vt praepositum supèrbo tumore contemnant Sic de occlesia receditur sic alâ—are prophanum for is collocatur sic contra pacem Christi ordinationem atque vnitatem Dei rebellatur VVhiche is in Englishe thus muche to say The beginning of heretikes the first springyng vp and enterprise of schismatikes thinkyng a misse in matters of faithe groweth of pleasure that thei take in themselues of that that beyng puffed vp with pride thei contemne their head and gouernour appointed ouer theÌ„ By this meanes straie thei from the Churche Thus is a prophane altar placed without the doores and thus rebell thei against Christes peace gods ordinauÌ„ce and vnitie Nowell Saincte Cyprian writyng this Epistle to Rogatian one of his felowe bishoppes in Afrike who had a disobedieÌ„t deacon hath in the beginnyng of his letter these woordes Grauiter dolenter c. I and my felowe bishoppes here present were sore moued moste deare brother saieth saincte Cyprian when wee had redde your letters wherein you complaine of your deacon that he forgettyng your priestly place and his owne ministerie hath greeued you with his reproches and wronges Thus farre S. Cyprian By whiche wordes it appereth that the mattier was betwene Rogatian a bishop in Afrike and his deacon disobediente to hym and therefore nothing apperteinyng to the bishoppe of Romes supremacie at all Whiche might well haue appeared to the reader had maister Dorman written but the iiij lines next before the place by him alledged whiche are these Ideo oportet diaconum c. That is to saie Therefore it is mete that the Deacon of whom you doe write doe penaunce for his boldenesse that he acknowledge the honour of the priest and doo satisfie the bishop his superiour with full humilitie For the beginnyng of heretikes the springyng vp enterprise of schismatikes beyng euill minded are these that thei doo stand in their owne coÌ„ceite that thei despise their gouernour through swellyng pride c. As Maister Dorman hath out of saincte Cyprian alledged This declareth moste euidently that the sentence of S. Cyprian alledged by M. Dorman apperteineth to Rogatian and his deacon beyng Africanes and so generally to all other bishoppes their inferiours of what countrey soeuer thei bee and maketh nothyng for the Bishoppe of Romes supremacie at all If M. Dorman would proue hereby y t euery inferiour minister ought to be obedient to his owne bishop as his superiour or that the disobedience of suche is cause of schismes and heresies for so doeth S. Cyprian meane wee graunte the same But if he would haue it apperteine to the bishop of Rome or to make any thyng for the Popes supremacie as by that M. Dorman calleth this
he declareth in many places that euery Bishop in his owne diocesse hath the full possession of y e bishoprike whiche is one throughout all the worlde therfore is the onely bishop and head of that his owne Catholike church as namely in his epistle to Antonianus where he hath these woordes Vna est Ecclesia à Christo per totum mundum in multa membra diuisa item episcopatus vnus episcoporum multorum concordi numerositate diffusus c. That is to saie there is one churche from Christ throughout the whole worlde diuided likewise one bishoprike spread abroade in the agreable multitude of many Bishops But S. Cyprian declareth his minde moste plainly of this one bishoprike wholy and equally possessed of all and euery bishop in his booke De simplicitate praelatorum not farre from the beginnyng writyng thus Vnum corpus vnus spiritus vna spes vocationis vestrÄ™ vnus dominus vna fides vnum Baptisma vnus deus Quam vnitatem firmiter tenere vindicare debemus maximè episcopi qui iÌ„ ecclesia praesidemus vt episcopatum quoque ipsum vnum atque indiuisum probemus Nemo fraternitatem mendacio fallat nemo fidei veritateÌ„ perfida preuaricatione corrumpat Episcopatus vnus est cuius à singulis in solidum pars tenetur Ecclesia vna est quae in multitudineÌ„ latiùs incremento foecunditatis extenditur quomodo solis multi radij sed lumen vnum rami arboris multi sed robur vnum tenaci radice fundatuÌ„ c. Whiche is to saie There is one bodie and one spirit one hope of your vocation one Lorde one Faithe one Baptisme one God The whiche vnitie we must firmely hold and mainteine speciallie wee Bishoppes whiche doo gouerne in the Churche that we maie proue the bishoprike it self also to bee one and vndeuided Let no man by liyng deceiue the brotherhodde let no man corrupte the veritie of faith by false preuarication There is one Bishoprike parte whereof euery man hath wholie or more plainely there is one Bishoprike whiche euery bishop hath wholie for his part There is one churche whiche is spread abroade by increase of fruictefulnesse into a multitude as there be many beames of the suÌ„ne but one light many braunches of the tree but one bodie of it staied vpon a sure roote c. Thus farre saincte Cyprian with muche more processe to proue the vnitie of the churche and the vnitie of one bishoprike whiche euery Bishop wholie hath for his parte and so consequentlie all Bishops to be equall Wherefore maister Dorman hath in vain noted in the margeÌ„t of his booke in this place One God one Christe one holie Ghost one Bishoppe as though the Bishoppe of Rome were that one Bishop and none but he as there is one onely God and none but he Where as that place of sainct Cyprian as by conference with this place appeareth proueth that though there be one bishoprike throughout all the worlde yet are there many bishops and that euery one in his owne Diocesse hath the whole possession of that one Bishoprike and that therefore there is an equalitie of all Bishops and so consequently no superioritie of any one ouer all as M. Dorman would haue it For if euery Bishop haue in solidum that is to saie fullie and wholie that one Bishoprike or bishoplie function and office as S. Cyprian saieth no one caÌ„ haue more then the whole and therefore no one can be aboue all other Whiche maie appeare more plainlie by the comparisons of one faithe and one Baptisme whiche saincte Cyprian in the same place vseth For as there is but one faithe though there be many faithfull persones one Baptisme though many Baptised so there is by sainct Cyprian his iudgement but one Bishoprike yet be there many Bishops whiche one Bishoprike is equallie and wholie diuided emongeste all the said Bishops as faithe and Baptisme are equally and wholie diuided emongeste the faithfull Baptised and yet remaineth still but one Bishoprike as there doeth but one faithe and one Baptisme for that euery bishoppe hath that one bishoprike wholie as euery true faithfull hath the one christian faithe wholie and euery one that is duely Baptised hath that one Baptisme wholie And consequently it foloweth that as no one man hath any superioritie in Baptisme or faithe aboue other truely faithfull and Baptised so hath no one bishoppe any superioritie ouer other bishoppes for that euery bishop hath that one bishoprike wholie and therfore none hath it more then other but be all equall in office and authoritie This is S. Cyprian his minde of one Bishopricke whiche euery bishop hath wholie and equallie and is therfore in his owne Diocesse the one onely bishop in the catholike Churche to gouerne the same Whereby any manne but of meane vnderstandyng maie well perceiue that this saiyng of one bishoppe vsed by sainct Cyprian maketh nothyng for the bishoppe of Rome his supremacie but directlie againste it makyng all other bishops equall with hym as thei whiche haue in solidum wholie that one Bishoprike as well as he And therefore when sainct Cyprian nameth one bishop in the catholike church or of a catholike churche he meaneth the bishop of that speciall diocesse which he entreateth of of what countrey so euer it be as here he meaneth Cornelius and by the like wordes in other places he meaneth other bishops and of other diocesses Whiche is moste euident by the like wordes of one Bishop who gouerneth the church vsed by the same saincte Cyprian in this epistle to Pupianus His woordes be these Episcopus qui vnus eâ—â— ecclesiae praeest coÌ„temnitur c. The Bishop which is one and gouerneth the Churche is contemned and sette at nought c. Where it is moste euident that by that one Bishop who gouerneth the Churche and is contemned he meaneth himself beyng bishop of Carthage and by the saied Pupian despised as is at large alreadie declared Whiche place yet M. Dorman alittle before alledged for the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome as leudelie as he doeth this place here To conclude Maximus and his felowes had a controuersie with Cornelius altogether diuers from our coÌ„trouersies with the Popes of Rome and therefore their exaÌ„ple apperteineth nothyng to this case of the Popes supremacie then neither mooued nor knowen And it is no meruaile if that Maximus Vrbanus and Sidonius beyng priestes of Rome there hauyng with Nouatus beyng hymself Priest of Rome also made so great stirre and businesse against Cornelius recoÌ„ciled themselues to Cornelius the Romaine bishop beyng their own bishop whiche apperteineth nothyng at all to vs who haue nothing to doo with the bishop of Rome Dorman fol. 3. So did Vrsatius and Valens forsakyng the heresie of Arius offer vp their recantation to Iulius then Bishoppe of Rome By this meaneâ— good Christian readers retourned thei to the Churche by this muste you retourne that haue straied what
witnesses sainct Cyprian and sainct Hierome brought in by hymself for the proofe of his parte and that whiche is more I will prooue it by the verie same places of sainct Cyprian and sainct Hierome whiche are by Doctour Hardyng and maister Dorman here alleged that is to saie by the thirde epistle of the firste booke of the epistles of sainct Cyprian and by the epistle of sainct Hierome to Euagrius And I doubte not but as of his three witnesses brought for hym one is no witnesse but suche as if one would saie aske my self whether I bee a theefe or no so the other twoo witnesses who bee moste woorthie credite shall proue my cause true I truste and maister Dorman a verie liar Wherein I doo thus proceade First I will putte the reader in remembraunce yet once againe of Saincte Cyprians owne woordes before touched written in the same epistle by maister Dorman alleged whiche are these Cum statutum sit omnibus nobis c. whiche maie bee thus translated whereas an order is taken or statute made emongeste vs all and it is also reasonable and right that euery mannes cause be there hearde where the faulte was committed and whereas a portion of the flocke is assigned to euery bishoppe by himself whiche euery one ought to rule and gouerne and must geue an accompte of his doynges to the Lorde these whiche bee vnder our gouernaunce ought not therefore to runne about to witte from one Bishoppe to an other neither to breake the agreable concorde of Bishoppes by their guilefull temeritie or rashnesse but ought there to make answere in their causes where thei maie haue accusers witnesses of their crimes excepte it seeme to a fewe desperate and caste awaie persones that the authoritie of the bishoppes that bee in Afrike is lesse then the authoritie of others whiche Bishoppes haue alreadie geuen iudgement of them their cause is alreadie heard sentence is alreadie pronounced against them neither dooeth it agree to the graue iudgemente of Bishoppes to be blamed of the leuitie of a mouable and inconstant mynde whereas our Lorde dooeth saie Let your speache bee yea yea no no. Thus farre saincte Cyprian M. Dormans owne witnesse euen in the same epistle by hymself alleged And this sentence of saincte Cyprian touchyng the determinyng of controuersies in the places where thei dooe rise and that no appellations shal bee made to any bishop of an other Prouince yea and that namely not to the Bishop of Rome nor that he shall sende any Legates Laterall to heare or determine foraine matters dooeth the whole Carthaginense councell approue and allowe wherein was saincte Augustine Drosius and Prosper with 217. moe learned and godlie Bishoppes assembled as I haue before noted The same sainct Cyprian euer agreyng with hym self in this veritie of the equalitie of al bishops which is the ouerthrowe of the supremacie of one dooeth applie many suche places of the scriptures as are customarelie but moste falsely alleged now a daies by this authour and other aduersaries for the proufe of the popes supremacie ouer all Bishoppes to the declaration of the equall authoritie of euery Bishoppe in his own diocesse as the place of Deuteronomium concernyng the obedience due to the high Prieste out of Numerie of the disobedience of Chore Dathan and Abyron against Aaron out of the Actes of the Apostles touching Saincte Paules woordes I wiste not that he was the high Bishoppe for it is written thou shalt not speake euill to the prince of thy people All these places I saie doeth saincte Cyprian allege for the authoritie of Rogatian an Africane Bishop and againste the disobedience of the saied Rogatians oeacon against his bishop And the same places dooeth sainct Cyprian likewise againe in an other place allege for his owne authoritie beeyng Bishop of Carthage and against the stubbornesse of Pupianus towardes hymself So that saincte Cyprian doeth in all places maintaine the equalitie of bishops and withal ouerthrowe the supremacie of one ouer all directlie againste this place by you as out of Pope Leo alleged But in no place is sainct Cyprian more effectuous and piaine concernyng this matter then in his booke intituled De simplicitate praelatorū where he hath these woordes Dn̄sapostolis oībus post resurrectionem suam parem potestatē tribuit mox Hoc erant vtique caeteri apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari consortio praediti honoris potestatis That is to saie The Lorde after his resurrectiō did geue like orequall power to al his Apostles The other Apostles were the veric same that Peter was beeyng indued with like felowship both of honour and power Thus farre saincte Cyprian who beyng in so many places so directlie againste this vsurped supremacie of one and for the equalitie of all Bishoppes it is to be wondered with what face M. Dorman hath been so bold and busie with S. Cyprian in this his treatie of the popes supremacie Now let vs heare S. Hierome M. Dorman his second witnesse and euen in the same epistle by M. Dorman alleged also Where Saincte Hierome speakyng of the authoritie of Churches and Bishops and makyng thē all equall and none aboue an other hath these woordes Nec altera Romanae vrbis ecclesia altera totius orbis estimanda est c. Wée maie not thinke that the Churche of the citie of Rome is one and the Churche of the whole worlde an other Bothe Fraūce and Britaine now called Englāde Afrike and Persie lande the East countreis and Indie and al barbarous nations woorship one Christe and obserue one rule of truth If you seke for authoritie the worlde is greater then the citie of Rome wheresoeuer any bishoppe is whether he be at Rome or Eugubium at Constantinople or at Rhegium at Alexādria or Tanis he is of the same merite of the same priesthoode The power of riches or basenesse of pouertie maketh not a bishope either higher or lower But thei be al the successors of the Apostles But thou wilte saie how dooe thei at Rome a◠the testimonie of the deacon ordein the priest What dooest thou allege to me the custome of one citie what dooest thou chalenge for the lawes of the Churche the vsage of a fewe whereof presumptiō hath risen Thus farre sainct Hierome Vpon the which place Erasmus in his Scholies noteth that Eugubium Rhegium and Tanis were base and little tounes and that sainct Hierome matcheth in paires and couples a poore simple little toune with a noble citie to she we therby that the dignitie of the Bishop is not estéemed by the greatnesse of his diocesse or citie but that all bishops bee equall in office Now let vs compare these twoo sainct Cyprian I saie and saincte Hierome bearyng witnesse with the truthe with Leo onely bearyng witnesse to hymself Leo saieth In the holie Apostles themselues there was a differēce of power and that it was geuen to one to be aboue all the reste On
the contrary parte S. Cyprian saith The Lorde gaue like and equall authoritie to all his Apostles all the Apostles bee indued with like felowship bothe of honour and power Thus saieth S. Cyprian in his booke intitled De simplicitate praelatorum Of the simplicitis of priestes noting them as double faced prelates that teache or attempt the coÌ„trary Againe Leo saieth Out of this forme is taken our difference of Bishoppes that in euery Prouince one bee chief and of moste authoritie and the bishop of greater cities to haue greater care and consequeÌ„tly that he who sitteth in Peters chaire should haue charge be heade of the vniuersall Churche Thus saieth Leo and thus he saieth because he hymself would be Lorde and head ouer all the churche S. Cyprian saieth Euery bishop hath his seuerall portioÌ„ of Christes flocke to rule and gouerne for the which he must geue an accoÌ„pt vnto the Lorde And that those who are vnder the charge of the bishop of one countrey maie not appeale to a bishop of an other nor the cause determined by one Bishop maie be called in question before an other for that the authoritie of one Bishop is not inferiour to an other nor the authoritie of the bishop of Afrike is lesse then the authoritie of the bishops of Italie or Rome it self for his woordes haue euidentlie that relation and that none thinke the authoritie of one bishop to be lesse then the authoritie of an other bishop but a fewe wicked and desperate men Thus you see how your owne witnesses are at square and there is yea and naie betwéene this your Leo and S. CypriaÌ„ in these matters S Hierome agreing with S. Cyprian saith All churches worshippyng one Christ and obseruyng one rule of truthe are equall with the churche of Rome all bishoppes bee the successours of the Apostles and of one priesthoode and of the same merite and dignitie Thus saieth S. Hierome But Leo saith contrary that it was geuen to one to be aboue all the rest that thei who be appoincted in greater diocesses or cities haue more care and authoritie and that th' onely see of Peter hath charge of the vniuersall Churche is heade therof Thus saith Leo. S. Hierome saith The lesse diocesse or toune or the poorer estate maketh not the bishop lower or lesse in authoritie the greater prouince the greater citie the greater riches make not a Bishop greater in authoritie And though Leo doo make neuer so muche of Rome and set it aboue the vniuersall Churche S. Hierome saith Th' authoritie of the vniuersall churche is greater then the authoritie of the churche of Rome as the worlde is greater then the citie of Rome And he saith further What dooest thou allege me the vse of the one citie of Rome for a lawe of the churche wherof riseth presumption of a fewe against all men I thinke y e fire and water are not of more contrary nature then are S. Cyprian and S. Hierome contrarie to that epistle alleged by M. Dorman as Leo the Popes epistle nor that any witnesses brought againste a man by his aduersarie euer haue more directlie testified againste him then these twoo witnesses S. Cyprian and sainct Hierome brought in by D. Hardyng and M. Dorman for them dooe testifie againste them euen in the verie places by themselues alleged besides their consonancie with themselues in al other places and the consent of S. Augustine and twoo hundreth and moe Bishops agrecyng with them againste this Leo. What should one iudge of these meÌ„ bringyng in together three witnesses of the whiche twoo are moste directlie againste them and againste the thirde also who alone seemeth to make with them that thirde as in his owne cause to bee suspected and further to bee doubted also whether it bee he in deede or an other vnder his name and suche as he is the woordes of his testimonie either manifestlie falsified or els at the least in diuers copies beyng not onely diuers but cleane contrarie as hauyng in one copie it is so in an other if M. Dorman slepte not it is not so And yet bothe these impossible bothe to bee true bee one mannes testimonie of one and the same matter and in one and the same place also Were these menne so blinde that thei did not see this or so shamelesse that seyng and knowyng thei durst yet allege suche witnesses for them So blind bussardes thei tooke all menne in the worlde sauyng themselues to bee Surelie me thinketh it to bee an harde case and a silie shamelesse shifte for menne to bee driuen to allege those authours and to bring those witnesses for them whose testimonies dooe thus conuicte them and quite ouerthrowe their cause and withall shame them vtterlie And verie miserable is the Pope and Poperie being driuen now at the laste to the patrocinie of suche proctours who openyng and bewraiyng the weakenesse of the groundes and foundations thereof so long tyme heretofore by ignoraunce of the worlde iudged sure will themselues bryng all Poperie beyng alreadie of it self ruinous to speedie and vtter destruction For the whiche also all godlie and suche as loue the truthe haue greate cause to geue God greate and hartie thankes for that these causes as desperate beyng forsaken of almoste all learned graue men M. Dorman with suche other as he is haue thus taken them in hande and that suche leude matters haue founde at the proctours and patrons moste méete for them Dorman Fol. 6. Hetherto haue you harde good readers beside the experience that we haue of ciuile policie and worldlie gouernemente the opinions also of saincte Cyprian sainct Hierome and holie Leo all three agreing in one that there must nedes be one iudge in Christes church in his steede that the health of the churche dependeth vpon the authoritie of the chief Prieste that if his authoritie bee not aboue all the reste there will so many Schismes breake in vpon vs as there bee Priestes that for the auoidyng of that mischiefe there was one chosen euen amongest the Apostles to gouerne the reste Last of all that that vsage in Chrisâ—es churche to haue one head is no newe inuention as some men falslie report but taken from the example of the Apostles theÌ„selues Nowell Hetherto haue you heard good readers how of the experience of ciuile policie and worldlie gouernment wherein euery seuerall countrey citie and companie haue their seuerall Princes rulers and heades maister Dorman would moste lâ—udely gather that al churches dispersed in all countries cities tounes villages nations peoples and laÌ„guages impossible to be knoweÌ„ and more impossible to be gouerned but of Christ onely the onely head of that vniuersalitie should haue one onely heade here in earth You haue hearde also how ignorantlie if he did not vnderstand how shamelesly if he did vnderstande he hath alleged S. Cyprian and S. Hierome for him beyng bothe in all other places vniuersallie and in the verie speciall places also by
ages testifie the same What nedeth muche repetitiō of antiquities As though it were vnknowen what contentions haue euer been emongest the Papistes themselues as betwene the Canonistes and schole doctours betwene Scotus and Thomas betwene Alliacensis and Occam and of late tyme betwene Catetanus and Pighius and as though at this presente tyme all Papistes agreed emongest themselues in the principall poinctes of their religion where thei as shal in place conueniente be declared dooe exceadingly not onely varie but repugne one againste an other And what bee these names Thomistes Scotistes Nominalles and Realles but names of schismes What be these Benedictines Cistertians Carmelites Chartusians Dominicans Franciscans with others like an huge number but names of Popishe schismes sectes Who all forsakyng the religion and name of Christe common to all true christians haue chosen to be called religious as by a speciall name of a seuerall religion and to bee named after men their fathers on earth forsakyng the heauenlie father and continuyng and accomplishyng the schisme firste begunne in S. Paules time after the exāple of those who said I am of Paule I of Cephas I of Apollo saiyng I am of Dominike I of Benedicte I of Francise who also maie directly answere S. Paule askyng was Paule or any other sauyng onely Christe crucified for you Yea maie the Franciscanes saie S. Francise was crucified for vs of his familie and beholde the woundes in his side handes and feete If S. Paule aske againe is Iesus Christ diuided Yea maie a false hypocrite one of the secte of the Iesuites say for we haue th' one part of Iesus therof called Iesuites and haue left the other part Christe to the seelie soules abroade to holde them selues contēted therewith and with the name of christians thereof deriued Why is Iesus one then and Christ an other Be there twoo Christes then or one diuided into twoo One of these must needes be els if Iesus Christ be not twoo but one as he is moste certainly one and beyng not diuided as he moste certainelie is whole then are you Iesuites were your religion good nothing els but Christians then are all Christians Iesuites also then do◠you in vaine bragge of a seuerall name of religiō if your and our religion bee one But if your religion be hypocrisie as it is in déede then haue you stirred vp an horrible schisme diuiding and cutting the glorious name of Iesus Christ in the whiche onely is saluatiō yea tearyng Christe hymself in pieces infinitely more wickedly and cruelly then euer did the wicked souldiars that crucified Christ who had a remorse to cut his coate asonder And leaste all these sectes of hypocrites should not bee knowen sufficiently by onely diuersitie of names thei haue by other infinite waies and meanes iraueiled to seuer their sectes asunder studiyng for diuisiō as for the beste and fliyng all shewe of vnitie as the worste of all thinges Wherefore to their diuersitie of names thei haue ioigned diuersitie of fashions and diuersitie of colours in their apparell diuersitie of girdles hose and shooes diuersitie of shauyng diuersitie of goyng beckyng and bowyng diuersitie of diete and meates diuersitie of readyng syngyng and tunyng diuersitie of Churche seruice and diuersitie of rules of life All tymes would faile me if I should or could rehearse all their diuersities whiche is the verie propertie of schismes and sectes These be those schismatikes and sectaries with an infinite multitude whereof of late Englande was repleanished of the whiche now thankes bee to God the realme is well ridde so that if you mete a thousande men and wemen one after an other seuerally and aske of them of what religion bee you Thei shall all and euery one answere you I am a christian we bée all christians there shall not one answere to you as was wonte vnder your head I am of the religion of S. Francisce a Franciscane an other I am a Dominicane the thirde I am a Carmelite Et sic de singulis One woman shal not answere you I am a Brigittine an other I am a Clarane the third I am a Beguine whiche are all names of abominable sectes and schismes not onely diuidyng but deniyng but forgettyng but reiectyng the religion and name of Iesus Christ and choosyng the names and religion of sinfull synners and counterfaite hypocrites moste wicked and so muche the more wicked for that thei cloked their wickednes vnder names of holinesse religion These so diuers sectes of false religion being well abandoned now out of Englande and the one true religion of our sauiour Iesus Christe onely here remainyng I marueill with what face you can charge vs with schismes and sectes which is your own speciall sore And where you warne the readers vpon experience of the multitude of schismes lately risen sithen the forsakyng of that one Popishe head to creadite the auncient fathers as witnessyng with you against vs you might as iustly warne them to creadite the aunciente Phariseis rather then Christe and his Apostles bothe for that the first heresie as S. Augustine saieth sprange emongest the disciples of Christe many of them departyng from hym vpon the occasion of his preachyng seemyng to them to be heard and also for that in the Apostles time some vsed suche schismaticall saiynges as these Wee holde of Paule some other wee holde of Cephas the thirde sorte we holde of Apollo whereas there was no suche dissention emongest the high priestes and Phariseis but greate vnitie and concorde emongest them againste Christes Apostles and againe for that diuers greater schismes of the Nicolaites the Symoniās the Cerinthians the Menandrians the Saturninians the Carpocratians the Basilidians with an huge number moe did rise with and shortly after the firste preachyng of the Gospell as Darnell secreatlie sowen by the enemie springeth vp with the good corne sowen by the husbandeman and specially for that great schisme whiche Christe and his Apostles made from the highe Priestes and their Churche whiche S. Paule made against the Phariseis whō he beyng brought vp from his childhood emongest them did so schismatically forsake and cleaue vnto Christ their aduersarie Wherevpon in steede of greate quietnesse in one doctrine and traditions of their fathers of great looue emongest all Priestes and Phariseis throughout all Iurie and the whole Iewishe churche before did folowe greate diuisions trubles did arise not onely in Iurie but shortly after ouer al the worlde Wherof our sauour Christ himself was accused as appeareth in the historie of the Gospell and S. Paule with other the Apostles were likewise accused as is to be seen in the Acttes of the Apostles and in like maner the whole christian religion was in the primitiue Churche of all enemies bothe derided as diuided into many schismes and sectes as doeth by histories ecclesiasticall appeare and also charged as the cause of all mischieues and troubles that ouerwhelmed the worlde as by Origen saincte Augustine S.
whole companie of Papistâ—s beeyng at so good leisure as thei are that thei haue not hitherto answered the Apologie so loÌ„g abroade in their handes as we are blamed of many for that your bookes lately set foorth are not foorthwith answered It is a pleasure for M. Dorman to shoote at rouers to range as he liste in railyng here and there and to call the Apologie a fardle of lies But it is not so easy for maister Dorman nor D. Hardyng to answere it piththilie to the satisfiyng of the learned readers Whiche neither thei bothe nor their whole Romishe cleargie shal euer be able to answere to any purpose But I maie iustlie replie to M. Dorman as the truth is that this his booke is nothing els but a fardell of lies ragyng railinges packed together as I truste I haue in deede notified to the discreate reader for that is passed ouer of it hetherto doubte not of like successe in the rest And I thinke that all honest and learned men in déede will so muche more like the saied Apologie when thei shall vnderstande that it so muche mistiketh M. Dorman and other of like honestie and learnyng as he is Dorman fol. 7. But because I haue perceiued that God in that people in their lawe and priesthoode shadowed out vnto vs like a cunning workeman the whole forme and proportion of his churche as witnesseth saincte Paule Lex vmbram habet futuroruÌ„ bonoâ—â— non ipsam imag inem rerum The lawe conteineth a shadowe of the good thynges to come but expresseth not manifestly the truth of thinges therefore I thought I might well reason from the shadow to the bodie from the resemblaunce image to the truthe thereto answering FroÌ„ the whiche kinde of reasonyng saincte Paule sometymes absteined not as when he laboured to proue that the lawe of the gospell would beare that thei whiche preached the gospell should liue thereby he reasoned after this sort Nunquid secundum hominem haec dico â–ª Speake I this as a man That is to saie proue I this by worldly reasons An lex haec non dicit Saieth not the lawe so toe And so goeth he forewarde and proueth yet by this texte of the olde lawe Thou shalt not moosell or binde vp the mouth of the labouryng Oxe as though he should haue saied it was so in the shadowe therefore it must be so in the bodie and in the truth signified by that shadowe Thus ye se good readers that I maie saie with saincte Paule haue I proued onely by reasons fetched from the dooynges of men by examples of all common wealthes and societies well gouerned that in Christes common weale there must be also one to rule Haue I affirmed this because sainct Cyprian saincte Hierom blessed and holy Leo so saied VVho yet were while thei liued here but men although now sainctes in heauen Nunquid non lex haec dicit Saieth not the lawe so toe Nowell You take to muche pain M. Dorman to prooue y t you may lawfully with S. Paule allege out of th' old testament for the proofe of good causes as he did We blame you not for that you allege out of th' old testament but for your guilefull vntrue application of places of the old testament of the doctors to suche purposes as thei apperteine nothyng vnto at all naie are moste contrary to the same I would you and all other aduersaries of the truth would as you saie with sainct Paule reason from the shadowes of the olde lawe to the truthe therby figured but you haue dooen otherwise For you dooe not with sainct Paule but with Pighius and Hosius vse this place not bringing vs by shadowes to the truthe as did S. Paule but by your shadowes of Ceremonies you haue darkened the truthe brought vs quite awaie from it You haue by this your reason so was it in the shadowe therfore it must be so in the bodie in the truthe signified by that shadowe not onely placed your Romishe head ouer the whóle Christian Churche but also of Christians you haue made vs Iewes and your selues of ministers of the Gospell haue you made Iewishe Aaronicall Leuites You haue on Aarons robes you vse his gestures you haue brought in his incense his censers his altars his candelles his candlestickes his belles and his banners his gold and his siluer into the seruice and Temple of God Of the whiche then beginning S. Hierome in his time muche coÌ„plained And would to God you had doen no woorse then thus made vs and your selues altogether Iuishe by your shadowes imitatyng and counterfaityng the olde lawe I would ye had not also by bringyng in of Idols by inuocations of dead menne by your charmes and witchecraftes contrary to all Gods lawe both old and newe made vs altogether moste wicked Ethnishe Idolaters and withall made a marte and set a sale all this your religion thereby to robbe séelie Christians both of their witte and money yea and of their soules health too whiche is moste of all as it is euidente to all the worlde you haue dooen But now to proceede with M. Dormans reason from the shadowe to the bodie from the figure to the truthe from the Iuishe churche to ours In the Iuishe churche all the people menne wemen and children had the Scripture in a language that thei did well vnderstande the Leuites and priestes in the Iuishe churche had wiues and children in the Iuishe churche there were no Images ergo it must be so now in our churche For God like a cunnyng workeman in that people in their lawe and priesthoode shadowed out vnto vs the whole forme and proportion of his churche now it was so in the shadowe therefore it must be so in the bodie and in the truthe These bee your owne woordes M. Dorman To proceede Maie it be proued by reason onely that thei who are bounden to obeie Goddes lawe oughte to vnderstande and knowe Goddes lawe Dooeth not the lawe saie so too Maie it bee proued by reason onely that ministers of the Churche maie haue wiues Maie not one reason with S. Paule Vnusquisque propter vitandam fornieationem habeat vxorem suam Et qui se non continent nubant Nam melius est nubere quà mvri That is to saie Let euery man for the auoiding of fornication haue his wife And suche as caÌ„not conteine let theÌ„ marie for it is better to marie then to burne Dooeth not the lawe saie so too Maie it bee proued by reason onely that Images ought not to bee in the temples and that men whiche haue life and reason ought not to boow and scoupe to insensible blockes or stones Dooeth not the lawe forbidde it to If you will denie my argumentes and thinke these reasons vnreasonable as I thinke you will yet I trust you doo against your own woords and forme of reasoning And good M. Dorman asâ—oile me of
reader meruaile not that I answere this merie manne thus rufflyng in his maskes after this maner but weighe I praie thee his writyng from this place forwardes where he praieth that he be not holden and marke what a shreude shakyng he maketh speciallie for a whole leafe more next after folowyng Where you say M. DormaÌ„ that we blind the people with glitteryng shewes you dooe obiecte to vs your owne crimes It is you Papistes who by your glitteryng glorious maskyng garmentes and other costlie and fine furniture as copes vestimentes gilted crosses candlestickes dead mennes and often dead beastes boones burnished ouer with burnyng gold by your Ceremonies your minstrelsie your belles banners and other bables haue bewitched and striken not onely the simple but a greate many of the wiser sorte also starke blind and deaffe too that neither thei can sée any thing of Christ their sauiour nor heare and vnderstand ought of his moste holie woorde And you haue compelled theÌ„ in the steed of sincere and spirituall woorship of the true God with you to put all religion in outward dumbe ceremonies the seelie weake and wretched elementes of this worlde and not to regarde the God of their fathers but in stéede of him to honour the God Maozim and to woorshippe a God whom their fathers did not knowe with glitteryng golde siluer precious stone and other precious thynges in place of true vnfaigned faithe and a pure harte With what securitie we dooe vtter the truth forbidden vs by you as it was to Christes Apostles by the high Priestes and Phariseis your forefathers all prisons in EnglaÌ„de replenished of late with our captiue bodies all markette places and other more viler sprinkeled with our bloud shed by the crueleste kinde of death that the Deuill the homicide your greate graundfather could diuise dooeth plentifully testifie to the whole worlde And the moste part of vs losyng our liues together with all worldelie hope by death more dreadfull then is vsuall either to Felons murtherers or to moste sauage noisome wilde beastes might geue you to vnderstande if you would consider that it is no newe fangled appetite or luste of vtteryng errours or hope of worldlie gaine that dooeth moue vs to preache against your heresies and superstitions but euen the same méere necessitie of conscience whiche in like case inforced the Apostles likewise forbidden vpon paine of death to preache who made answere that it was more reason to obeie God then maÌ„ and that thei could not choose but teache those thinges whiche thei did knowe certainlie to be moste true And the same answere dooe we make to you for the whiche you will suffer vs to haue no securitie in this life Concernyng the scripture and the sense thereof the reader maie in a like case coÌ„sider Whereas there was a controuersie betwene the Apostles and the high priestes Scribes and Phariseis aboute the interpretation of the Scriptures touchyng the true Messias by the whiche Scriptures the Apostles prooued that Christe our Sauiour whom thei had crucified was he but the high Priestes and Phariseis by their interpretations attempted the contrarie and would not haue suche a poore and abiect man as to them and the worlde it séemed that Christ was to be their Messias Now had the Apostles as M. Dorman me thinke thinketh it reason leauyng the Scriptures in this case moste plaine referred the matter to the interpretation and determination of the high priest his consistorie wée might at this daie with the Iewes haue looked yet for a Messias to come and should with them haue lacked to our vtter damnation the sauiour of the worlde Iesus Christ the sonne of God who is at this daâ—e to them by reason of suche their interpretations the stone of stumbâ—yng and the rocke of ruine but to vs who doo beleue in him he is become wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and saluation And as there was then a coÌ„tronersie betweene the Apostles and the high Priestes whether thei had vniustlie or iustlie slaine that righteous one and innocent Lambe of God and no reason it was that the murtherers themselues should be iudges beyng not onelie accessaries but the principall parties to the murther so there being now risen a controuersie betwene vs and you about the true religioÌ„ of the same our Saniour whiche how shamefullie you haue with your traditioÌ„s corrupted euen as had your forefathers the Phariseis before corrupted the law of God he that hath but halfe an eye maie well seâ— you thinke it reason yet that you who are the corrupters and therefore parties should bee iudges therein also and speciallie your chief and moste high Prieste the Pope the poodle and sinke of all these abominations therefore moste guiltie of all other and consequently moste vnmeete to be the Iudge therein And yet M. Dorman will néedes haue hym the Iudge and the woorde of God so indifferent to all men and partiall to none reiected And why reiected I praâ—e you Forsoothe for that we maie by the Scriptures defende as you saie what errour wée liste as though that you maie not by the iudgemente of the Pope and by your own iudgementes vnder the name of the churche farre more easilie as you haue brought in so also mainteine and defende all errours and superstitions Is not the Pope more partiall to hymself and you his Papistes then are the Scriptures to vs Wherefore it were as good reason that Annas and Caiphas should bee Iudges whether thei themselues had dooen iustlie and righteouslie or wickedlie and murderouslie in sleayng Christe as that your Pope or you the corrupters of true Religion should be iudges whether in so dooyng you haue dooen well or no. If it be no reason as the prouerbe goeth to aske whether one bee a theefe or no of his felowe muche lesse reason is it to aske the same question of hymself seyng it is certaine that he will not bewraie hymself But the aduersaries of the Gospell deale thus with vs the Pope and all his eleargie beeyng guiltie of many heresies corruptions of religion and false superstitions and thereof accused dooe assemble themselues together in a councell in the whiche nothyng maie bée moued muche lesse determined but suche as pleaseth the Pope hymself there is enquirie made of vs who dooe accuse them thereof and offer to prooue it and there vnhearde and vnseene wee are condemned of our aduersaries who will needes bee our Iudges as false accusers schismatikes and heretikes also for that wee are againste them who are as thei saie the Churche You will saie wee might bee heard if wee would for thei call certain of all Christian realmes to their councelles How we are called and how we maie be heard let Ihon Husse called by the Emperour Sigismunde his saulfe conducte vnder his greate Imperiall seale to the Councell of Constance with Hierome of Prague who bothe were contrary to the faith geuen them by the greatest Christian prince in
the world condemned and burned to ashes bee an eternall witnesse Yea let their owne decree made in the saied Councell whiche was That no faithe nor promise is to bee kepte to any heretike nor that any manne by any promise standeth bound to an heretike for so thei call all those that dare speake against them bee a perpetuall testimonie of the same Thei saie wee are heretikes wee dooe deny it if our naie maie not defende vs why should their yea coÌ„demne vs Thei saie because thei bee the churche but wee deny the same shall here their yea secue for theÌ„ as it did before against vs and our naie neither touch theÌ„ nor helpe vs In some countreis if the partie accused pleade not guiltie and saie naie to the crime obiected if he by diuers tormentes enforced to confesse doo still maintaine his naie and passe through the appoincted tormentes constanly mainteinyng his naie he is discharged and let goe But it caÌ„ not healp vs accused as heretikes to denie the false accusation to mainteine our deniall in all tormentes and moste cruell deathes neither to bring good testimonie of our innocencie out of Gods woorde all these can helpe vs nothyng against their onelie bare saiyng that we bee heretikes for that is all their proofe In what case are we then How easily maie thei then bothe defende themselues coÌ„demne vs and maintaine what thei list be it right or wrong truthe or falshoode beyng accusers witnesses examiners and iudges theÌ„selues in the causes wherein thei bée parties and parties accused also Wherefore what can we dooe els but as did Christ our sauiour and his holie Apostles against the high Priestes against the Phariseis and Scribes appeale to God not absent not dumbe as M. Dorman deuiseth and saiyng nothyng at all for vs as he would haue it seme but to God yea and to our Sauiour Christe his soonne speakyng his minde moste largelie and plainly in the scriptures and beyng no partie but moste indifferent iudge betwéene them and vs. For if the controuersie be about true Religion and scruice of God what better triall can there be then Goddes woorde God hymself commaundyng vs that in his seruice we shall dooe that whiche he coÌ„maundeth vs that wee shall neither adde thereto nor take any thyng therefrom What better Iudge can there be in this worlde betwene vs then Gods woorde whiche as our sauiour Christ saieth shall iudge vs in the worlde to come If the controuersie bee aboute the true churche what better iudge can there bee then the Scripture writen by the Prophetes and the Apostles seyng it is testified to vs by the spirite of GOD moste plainelie that the true churche is builded and staied vpon the foundation of the Prophetes of the Apostles And though this dooe not like M. Dorman and suche as he is yet you shall heare that it did not misâ—â—ke the old and holie fathers of the auncient and true churche that suche controuersies should bee so quietted by the scriptures Sainct Augustine coÌ„tendyng against those who doo attribute Gods grace and giftes to the woorthinesse of mennes merites coÌ„cludeth thus Cedamus consentiamus autoritati scripturae sancte quae nescit falli nec fallere That is to say Let vs geue place and aagrée to th'autoritie of the holy scripture whiche caÌ„ not bee deceiued nor deceiue others The same S. Augustine contending with the Donatistes hath these woordes Nos nullam Cypriano facimus iniuriam cum eius quaslibet literas à canonica Diuinarum scripturaruÌ„ autoritate distinguimus neque sine causa tam salubri vigilantia Canon ecclesiasticus constitutus est ad queÌ„ certi prophetaruÌ„ ApostoloruÌ„ libri pertineÌ„t quos omnino iudicare noÌ„ audemus secundum quos de caeteris fideliuÌ„ infideliuÌ„ iudicamus mox ca. 32. Ego huius epistolÄ™ autoritate noÌ„ teneor quia literas Cypriani noÌ„ vt canonicas habeo sed eius ex canonicis considero quod iÌ„ eis diuinaruÌ„ scripturatuÌ„ autoritati coÌ„gruit cum laude eius accipio quod auteÌ„ noÌ„ congruit cuÌ„ pace eius respuo Whiche is to saie We doo Cyprian no wrong when we make a difference betweene euery letter and writing of his and the Canonicall autoritie of the holy scriptures Neither without cause thecclesiasticall Canon with so holsome care hath béen appoincted to the whiche the certain assured bookes of the Prophetes Apostles pertaine the which in no wise we presume to iudge and according to the which we iudge of all other bookes writinges both of the faithfull and of the infidels And straight waies after in the 32. chapiter I am not bound to the autoritie of this epistle because I hold not Cyprians letters and writynges for Canonicall but consider his writynges by the Canonicall what accordeth in them to the auctoritie of the diuine Scriptures I allowe with his praise and what disagreeth froÌ„ them by his leaue I refuse These are the woordes of S. Augustine You maie sée here how S. Augustine preferreth the scriptures before the doctours yea before S. Cyprian so often by you M. Dorman alleged who was in deede a blessed martyr is no doubt a sainct in beauen and who also is mosse against you euen where he is alleged by you You see S. Augustine will haue sainct Cyprians writynges and all other doctours and mennes saiynges and writynges examined and Iudged by the scriptures whiche you yet reiecte as no coÌ„uenient iudges and that the scriptures maie be iudged by no man Yea S. Cyprian hymself agreyng hereto sheweth the causes why heresies schismes corruption of the truthe and breache of vnitie dooe come into the Churche and why so many are deceiued by the deuill transformyng hymself into an angell of light by these woordes Hoc eò fit fratres dilectissimi dum ad veritatis originem non reditur nec caput quaeritur nec magistri coelestis doctrina seruatur Quae si quis consideret examinet tractatu longo at que argumentis opus noÌ„ est That is to saie This coÌ„meth to passe hereof moste beloued brethren for that wée dooe not retourne to the origene â—â— beginnyng of the truthe neither is the head sought nor the doctrine of the heauenlie maistor kepte The whiche thynges if a man dooe consider and examine it shall not neede any long treatiâ— orargumentes Thus farre saincte Cyprian Who calleth Christe originem veritatis caput vnum caput originem vnam magistrum coelestem c. To saie The beginnyng of the truthe the head the onelie head the onely beginnyng the heaueÌ„lie schole maister whose doctrine if we would obserue we should not saith S. Cyprian neede any longe treatie or argumenâ—es But for that this beginnyng of the truthe is not returned vnto this heade is not soughte for the doctrine of this hâ—auenlie schoolemaister is not kepte he affirmeth it to bee the cause of all heresies schismes endlesse contentions illusions
of the deuill other mischieues in the churchâ— in his tyme as we likewise prooue it now to bee in our tyme. And therefore thei that seeke other beginnynges beside this onelie beginnyng other heades besides this onelie heade other doctrines besides this doctrine of this onelie heauenlie schoole maister are the verie authours of the saied schismes heresies endlesse contentions and all other mischieues whiche trouble the Churche of God Now lette vs heare S. Augustine concernyng the scriptures and Councelles who contendyng with the Artians allegyng the Ariminense concilium for them hath these woordes Sed nunc nec ego Nicenum nec tu debes Ariminense tanquam prÄ™iudicaturus proferre concilium nec ego huius autoritate nec tuillius detineris scripturarum autoritatibus non quorumque proprijs sed vtrisque communibus testibus res cum re causa cu causa ratio cum ratione coÌ„feratur c. That is to say But neither I ought to bring foorth the councell of Nice nor thou the Councell of Ariminum as one thereby to preiudice the othâ—r neither am I bounde to th' authoritie of the one nor thou of the other By the authoritie of the scriptures not peculiar witnesses vnto either of vs but common and indifferent to bothe let matter with matter cause with cause reason bee coÌ„pared with reason Thus farre S. Augustine You sée that your Councelles by S. Augustines iudgemeÌ„t ought not to preiudice vs beyng at controuersie with you you se how your councelles are partiall to you as was the Ariminense councell to the Arrians yea and muche more too you see that S. Augustine would not in this case vse the authoritie of the Nicene councell whiche yet of all other had and hath the greatest authoritie and that therefore the authoritie of the Scriptures partiall to none but common and indifferent to all is to bee vsed of all and aboue all as iudge Sainct Chrysostome coÌ„cernyng the same writeth thus Grauior est scripturarum ac prophetaruÌ„ doctrina quaÌ„ siquid à mortuis resuscitati renuÌ„cient quà m si angelus è coelo descendat quae illi dicunt serui sunt qui loquuntur quae verò scripture loquuntur loquutus est Dominus Docet ergo nos DnÌ„s vt scripturis potiùs credendum existimemus quà m caeteris omnibus Whiche is to saie More weightie is the doctrine of the Scripture and the Prophetes then if suche as bee raised from the dead dooe reporte any thyng or if an Angell dooe descende from heauen as for the thinges that thei talke thei bee but seruauntes that speake them but whatsoeuer the Scripture vttereth the Lorde hath spoken it The Lorde therefore dooeth teache vs that wee should thinke creadite should be rather geuen vnto the scriptures then to all other thynges These are the woordes of Chrysostome in that place And in an other he saith Nemo vult ad scripturas attendere si enim aduerteremus non solum noÌ„ incideremus in fallaciam sed etiam alios deceptos inde liberaremus periculo abstraheremus That is to saie No man will geue heede vnto the scriptures for if wee did consider them wee should not onelie not fall into errour our owne selues but also therof deliuer other that are deceiued and pull them from perill So muche affirmeth Chrysostome Sainct Hierome also agreeth to the same who speakyng of a matter conteined in the writynges called Apocrypha saieth Hoc quia de scripturis non habet autoritatem eadem facilitate contemnitur qua probatur That is to saie This because it hath not the authoritie of scripture for it is as easely conteÌ„ned as proued The same saincte Hierome euen in an other place alleged also in the Popes owne Canonnes hath these woordes Non adferamus stateras dolosas vbi appendamus quod volumus pro arbitrio nostro dicentes hoc graue est hoc leue est sed adferamus diuinam stateram de scripturis sacris tanquam de thesauris dominicis in illa quid sit grauius appendamus Whiche is to saie Let vs not bryng deceiptfull balances wherein wee maie weigh whatsoeuer wee luste at our owne discreation saiyng this is heauie this is light but lette vs bryng the heauenlie balaunce of the holie Scriptures as from the treasure of the Lorde and therein lette vs weigh what is of more weight Thus muche concernyng the soueraintie of the Scripture I thought good to bryng out of the Doctours Nowe touchyng the expoundyng and sense of the Scriptures S. Augustine hath these woordes Vbi apertius ponuntur in scripturis sacris ibi discenduÌ„ est quomodo iÌ„ locis intelligantur obscuris c. Where thynges are more plainlie vttered in the scriptures there must we learne how thei are to bee vnderstanded in darke places These bee saincte Augustines woordes who dooth often in sundrie places of his woorkes inculcate and repeate the same Saincte Chrysostome agreeyng with saincte Augustine concernyng the same hath these woordes Ad ipsum diuinae scripturae scopum accedamus quae seipsam interpretatur mox Sacra scriptura seipsam exponit auditorem errare non sinit Whiche is to saie Let vs come to the leuell and marke of the holie scripture whiche dooeth expounde it self And by and by after The sacred scripture expoundeth it self and suffereth not the hearer for to erre Hitherto Chrysostome Now concernyng the authoritie of the scriptures and the Churche there is a moste notable and true declaration thereof in the auncient authour printed with Chrysostome and of long tyme taken for hym who vpon these woordes of our sauiour in the Gospell of sainct Mathewe Qui sunt in IudÄ™a fugiant ad montes That is to saie Thei that be in Iewrie let them flie to the mountaines saith thus Id est qui sunt in Christianitate conferant se ad scripturas Et quare in hoc tempore omnes Christiani conferre se ad scripturas debent Quia in tempore hoc ex quo obtinuit haeresis illas ecclesias nulla probatio potest esse verae Christianitatis neque refugium potest esse Christianorum aliud volentium cognoscere fidei veritatem nisi scripturae diuinae Antea enim multis modis ostendebatur quae esset ecclesia Christi quae gentilitas nunc autem nullo modo cognoscitur volentibus cognoscere quae sit vera ecclesia Christi nisi tantummodo per scripturas Quare Quia omnia hÄ™c quae sunt propriè Christi in veritate habet heresis illa in schismate Similiter ecclesias similiter ipsas scripturas diuinas similiter episcopos caeterosque ordines clericorum similiter baptismum similiter Eucharistiam cÄ™tera omnia denique ipsum ChristuÌ„ Volens ergo cognoscere quÄ™ sit vera ecclesia Christi vnde cognoscat iÌ„ taÌ„ta coÌ„fusione similitudinis nisi tantuÌ„modo per scripturas IteÌ„ ex moribus ipsis priùs iÌ„telligebatur ecclesia Christi quando coÌ„uersatio ChristianoruÌ„ aut omniuÌ„ aut multorum
erat sancta quę apud impios non erat Nunc autē aut tales aut peiores facti sunt Christiani quales sūt hęretici aut gentiles adhuc autem maior continētia apud illos inuenitur quamuis in schismate sint quà m apud Christianos Qui ergo vult cognoscere quae sit vera ecclesia Christi vnde cognoscat nisi tantummodo per scripturas Sciens ergo Dominus tantam confusionem rerum in nouissimis diebus esse futuram ideo mandat vt Christiani qui sunt ī Christianitate volentes firmitatem accipere verae fidei ad nullam rem fugiant nisi ad scripturas Alioqui si ad alia respexerint scandalizabūtur peribunt non intelligentes quae sit vera ecclesia That is to saie Let them that bee in Christianitie flie to the scriptures And wherfore ought al Christians at this time to flie to the scriptures Because in this time sith heresies possessed those Churches there can bee no proofe of true christianitie neither can there be any other refuge of Christians desiryng to knowe the true faithe but the diuine scriptures For before it was declared by many meanes whiche was the true churche and whiche was Gentilitie but now thei who would knowe whiche is the true churche can knowe it by no meanes but onelie by the scriptures Why so For all these thinges whiche are properly Christes in y e truth the same hath heresie also in schisme Heresie hath churches likewise and the diuine Scriptures likewise Bishops likewise and other orders of clearkes Baptisme likewise the sacramente of thankes geuyng likewise and all other thinges to conclude euen Christ himself He therefore that would knowe whiche is the true churche of Christ how can he knowe it in so greate cōfusion of likelihoode but onely by the scriptures Further the churche of Christ might be knowen before by the maners of it when the conuersation either of all or of the moste parte of Christians was holie whiche was not so emongest the wicked But now Christians are become either suche or woorse then be the heretikes or Gentiles yea there is greater continencie emongeste them though thei bee in schisme then is emongest the Christians He therefore that would knowe whiche is the true Churche of Christe how can he knowe it but onelie by the scriptures The Lorde therefore knowyng that in the last daies there would be so greate confusion of thinges dooeth commaunde that Christians whiche be in Christianitie willyng to haue the suertie of true faithe dooe flie to no other thing but to the scriptures Els if thei haue respecte to other thynges thei shall stumble or faile of the truthe and perishe not vnderstāding whiche is the true churche Thus farre that aunciente author whose sentence and verie woordes though for auoidyng of prolixitie alittle intermitted I haue truely rehearsed You maie see that this auncient writer will not allowe that you beeyng the one partie should claime to your self the name of Christians the name of the churche the names of bishops and the names of the cleargie and so to take vpon you as iudges to condemne the other partie but that bothe you and wee must be iudged and tried whether we be in Christianitie and in the true church by the scriptures You see the names of the churche of Bishops and cleargie whiche are common to heretikes with Christians can not prooue you to bee catholikes for that heretikes vse the same names but that bothe you and wee muste knowe by the Scriptures whether wee bee in the true faithe or no for that as he saieth in this confusion of thinges bothe the true churche and the true faith must bee knowen by the Scriptures onelie and by no other thyng and that whosoeuer goeth aboute otherwise to knowe them shall stumble and perishe Wherein this author dooeth agree with S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Chrysostome and with all the olde Doctours of the auncient churche Whereby al men maie well vnderstande that it is not our newe opinion as M. Dorman would haue it seme but the olde true perswasion of all the auncient doctors and godly fathers of the primitiue churche that the Scriptures as moste indifferent and certaine ought to be iudges in controuersies in religion rather then Doctours then Councelles then your Churche then dead menne then angelles yea that the scriptures should bee iudge and not thei And that the true sense of scriptures if doubte rise thereof maie bee and must be gathered by the conference of the scriptures who doo clearly expounde themselues For the declaration whereof the said doctors doo so often and largely write that the rehersall thereof would fil an huge volume but I did thinke that this much would suffice But you Papistes will neuer allowe the Scripture as iudge nor the sense thereof to be certaine vntill it come to the exposition of the Churche and you will bee that churche that must so expounde it your self that is you will graūt no sense to be true but your own sense But wee deny that you are the true Churche that hath this autoritie of determinyng of the sense of the scriptures And if you will saie still your are the churche neither will nor can proue it but onely by so saiyng we be not so voide of all sense and vnderstāding but that we perceiue you will haue no sense but your owne and that you will be still bothe parties and iudges in your own causes againste vs as the Iuishe high Prieste Phariseis and Scribes would needes be against Christ and his Apostles who did by your iudgemēt as it semeth allege the scriptures for themselues againste the saied high Prieste Scribes and Phariseis in vaine for that thei being the churche as you now be were the iudges of the sense of the saied scriptures by Christ and his Apostles alleged And I am sure that the high Prieste with his Iuishe churche was able to saie as muche for the ordinarie succession of the high Priestes his predecessours euen from Aaron vntil his time for antiquitie for consente and for vniuersalitie againste Christe and his Apostles so fewe in comparison and as it seemed latelie starte vp as you are able to saie for your churche or against vs. But yet we doo thinke that the woorde of God as it was alleged by Christe and his Apostles against the saied high priest and his churche so maie it and ought also to be alleged by vs against your high priest and your churche and that the same woords of God whiche shal iudge bothe you vs in the worlde to come as is saied ought also to be iudge betwéen you and vs here in this transitorie worlde for so dooeth our sauiour Christ teache so doo S. Chrysostome S. Augustine and S. Hierome with all the auncient doctors of the Churche teache also as hath been partely besore specified crie you neuer so muche to the contrarie and make you neuer so many exceptions to the scriptures and claime
after whiche sorte any meane man may bee counted learned This I am hable to prooue as true as I haue hithertoo I trust prooued you M. Dorman a lier in all you haue hitherto written and doubt nothing so to procéede with you to th ende of your leude lies laden in this your Lighter of false fables Wherfore Hosius deserueth the name of the Compilator rather than the author of that great booke wrytten against Brentius litle booke intitled Prolegomena for that he hath stolen all his authorities and reasons out of the sayde Pighius his Hierachie and Alphonsus de Haeresibus as all learned reading the sayde bookes shall most easely and plainly perceiue Yea and in compilyng them together it is iudged vpon probable coniectures by the style and poeticall phrases and verses vnmeete for Hosius age and vocation that as he hath borowed the mater of his bookes so hath he had the helpe of other in penning of the same and yet may he well call the bookes his owne as bought with his owne money and large rewardes bestowed vpon his style wrightes Concerninge his great vertue though I know not his life yet I iudge it a woorthie mattier for M. Dorman his commendation and him selfe woorthie of the court of Rome But I can saye litle herein onely this can I say that his neighbours dwelling néerer him than I dooe a good sorte of hundreth miles doo in printed bookes obiect to him that his Cardinalles hatte I would say head will be nowe and then ouerladen with Polonishe pottes I knowe not trulie or otherwise but as his neighbours doo say Dorman fol. 11. For gods sake good Christian readers for your ovvne soules sake and the loue that you beare therto geue eare to no suche sedicious voices hovve euer they be cloked vvith the name of Christ vvhiche the diuell then dooth most inculcat vvhen he vvould driue vs sonest frō him Novvell I trust that all good Christian readers for that loue that they beare to God who is the truthe will geue no eare to suche false fables as M. Dorman and other aduersaries of the truthe doo publishe in suche leude liynge bookes as this is and that vpon respect◠of the health of their soules they will flie farre from the blouddie Butcher of Rome who vsinge the cloke of Christes name onely denieth him in déede and placing in his place his piuishe pardons and other popishe pelfrie destroyeth as well Christian mens soules by his poysoned doctrine as he dooeth murder their bodies by the most cruell kinde of death that the Diuell his father and he can deuise And by the way note that to speake truely of a foraigne false Polonish Papiste is with M. Dorman accōpted sedition as though because he is a Cardinall he were therefore our laufull magistrate whiche wist I were true I would geue more reuerence to our Cardinalles in Paules churche then I hitherto haue done And sure I am they deserue for their Cardinalshippe as muche honour as dooeth Hosius yea and more too were false opiniō banished thinges truely as they are in déede weighed and estéemed For they yet according to their origine minister the sacraments visite the sicke as is the propre office of Curates to doo wherunto Christian princes once at the last I trust awaking will bring these personate visered Romaine parishe priestes from their vsurped worldly pompe and dominion and that the said Princes will reduce the Pope himselfe likewyse from his phantasied supremacie ouer the vniuersall churche to his peculiar cure of the churche of Rome And thus I lette this Hosius one of the greatest estates both for learnyng and vertue that this daye Christendome hath for so M. Dorman saieth for this time alone with his Cardinals scarlet hatte and his moile trapped according for his estate Dorman fol. 11. VVhat other thing did their forefathers Chore Dathan and Abyron in rebelling against Moses and Aaron the ministers of almightie God VVhat other persvvasion vsed they to the people vvhat other reason broughte they to allure from their obedience to rebellion from quiet rest to seditious vvandering vvithout a head the flocke of God then the very same that these miserable men of our time dooe Their apologie saieth that there nedeth here in the churche no head to gouerne it because Christe is alvvayes vvith it And did not those vvicked men in their rebellion against Moses and Aaron vse the same reason vvhen they tolde theim to their face Sufficiat vobis quia omnis multitudo sanctorum est in ipsis est dominus Let it suffice you that all the multitude is holy and they haue God present vvith them Cur eleuamini super populum domini And vvhy then take you vpon your selues the rule ouer the people of our lorde As vvho vvould saye hauyng no neede of any other ruler God being vvith them But as almyghty God vvas then emongest his people and vsed yet neuerthelesse the ministery of men so is Christe no doubt our sauiour novve present alvvayes vvith his churche and chiefe head and gouernour therof and yet gouerneth he the same by man And as Chore Dathan and Abiron be gone before svvalovved aliue by hell there to taste of those revvardes vvhiche for suche rebellious vvretches are prepared so must our Chore and his companions follovve their trace onlesse by their repentaunce they mollifie and assvvage the iust vvrath of God Novvell This historie is by many aduersaries alleaged against vs as vnlawfully rebellyng against the Pope specially by Cardinall Poole against kinge Henry the eight Concernyng the matter it selfe séeyng Chore Dathan and Abiron were so horribly punished for rebellion against Moses and Aaron and certein it is that of these twoo Aaron was the hyghe prieste and that yet Moses was his superiour it foloweth therefore that Moises to saye the prince of the people is aboue the bishop or highe priest whiche you can not abide or els to auoyde that mattier you must saye as you some where dooe that Moises was priest also whiche if it be true inforceth that there were two highe priestes at once ouer the people of God and so is your assertion of the supremacie of one onely high priest ouer the whole churche quite ouerthrowen For you say M. Dorman That you haue perceiued that God in that people in their lavve and priesthood shadovved out vnto vs like a cunning vvorkeman the vvhole forme and proportion of his churche Wherfore M. Dorman I praye you marre not gods proportion and forme of his churche but as you will néedes haue an Aaron or high priest in the saide churche so let vs also haue a Moises to be his superior in the same For which way soeuer you turne you sure I am that by the scriptures the title of priesthoode may as well apperteine to a christian Prince as it did to Moises so that there is no let nor lacke therin but that a christian Prince may as wel be superiour to
by saincte Augustine that Christe is that rocke whereon the Churche is builded and not Peter nor Peters chaire vnlesse you take Peters confession made before be came at Rome to be his Chaire and then ye make with S. Augustine and vs against the Pope for Rome was not his chaire before he was bishop there You see that Peter is here the figure of the whole Churche in makyng his confessiō not of the churche of Rome onely you see that as Christe is the rocke so representeth Peter the christian people and not the people of Rome onely muche lesse the Pope onely you see that Petrus to saie the Churche is builded vpon Petra Christ and not Petra Christe builded vpon Petrus Peter you see that suche as will haue Peter beyng a man to be their rocke to builde vpon bee sectaries and heretikes diuidyng them selues from Christe despisyng hym and choosyng men and that thei onely be true Christians whiche wil not builde vpon Peter nor vpon any other man but vpon the rocke onely whiche is Christ hymself you see thei that builde vpon Peter maie saie I holde of Cephas whiche is Peter but thei that builde vpon the rocke maie saie I holde or I am of Christe Wherefore I conclude that all that builde vpon the Pope or his chaire as it were vpon the rocke as thei bée called so bee thei in deede Papistes not Christians as were all those false orders of hypocrites who forsakyng to builde vpon the rocke Christ and buildyng vpon men woorse then Peter Paule or Apollo a thousande tymes forsooke to saie Ego sum Christi I am of Christ I am a Christian and saied Ego Franciscanus ego Dominicanus c. I am of Francisce I am of Dominike a Franciscane a Dominicane a Bernardine yea an Augustinian cōtrary to this doctrine of S. Augustine whiche argueth that those hypocrites were neuer of his institution as thei falsely feigned thē selues to be And as S. Augustine witnesseth with Erasmus that Christe is Petra and not Peter nor Rome Peters chaire or see so hath Erasmus felowe witnesses enough of the auncient doctours of the churche yea and generall Councelles too that Popes were heretikes and therefore their chaire was not the rocke but waueryng and vncertaine sande the buildyng whereon did runne to the ruine of heresie Nowe you maie see good readers the cause why M. Dorman hath thus alleged vnto you sainct Hieromes sentence headlesse leauyng out the mention of Christ whom onely S. Hierome acknowledgeth for the head that the wordes of the rocke nexte folowyng might seme to be spoken of Peters rotten chaire or of ruinous Rome and not of our Sauiour Iesus Christe who liueth and reigneth for euer With like fraude did M. Dormā leaue also that whiche nexte foloweth in S. Hierome of the house without the whiche he that eateth the Pascall lambe is a prophane or vnholie man and the arke of Noe without the whiche all that bee perishe by the floudde For though that place might seeme to make for M. Dormans purpose concernyng the supremacie of the bishop of Rome as Erasmus hath noted yet he knowyng or some manne warnyng hym that it is in deede nothyng to his purpose for that the house without the whiche the Pascall lambe maie not bee eaten the Arke without the whiche no man can bée saued frō the floude by all olde doctours is interpreted to bee the one vniuersall churche of Christ and by none to be the churche of Rome and therefore like a wise man orels a false Fore hath he let that folowyng alone also as he cutte of Christe the head goyng and ioigned nexte before and so he hath tolde you a tale bothe without head and taile thereby to proue the Pope who is Antichriste to be the head of Christes churche Dorman Fol. 14. Saie vnto them as saincte Hierome saied vnto the Ibidem heretikes Vitalis and Miletus because thei are aduersaries to this seate that you knowe them not that thei scatter are schismatikes altogether out of the churche that gather not with Peters successour Nowell By your leaue sir you saie vntruelie that saincte Hierome saieth he knoweth not Vitalis and Meletius whom you call Miletus because thei were aduersaries to the seate of Rome but because thei were aduersaries to the true doctrine of the moste blessed Trinitie which Damasus did defende Saincte Hieromes woordes are these Non noui Vitalem Meletium respuo ignoro Paulinum Quicunque tecum non colligit spargit hoc est qui Christi non est est Antichristi That is to saie I knowe not Vitalis I refuse Meletius Paulinus I knowe not Whosoeuer dooeth not gather with thee he scattereth that is he that is not of Christe is of Antichriste Thus farre sainct Hierome I praie you maister Dorman what is in these woordes but thei maie as well bee spoken to saincte Augustine bishoppe of Hippo in Afrike or to saincte Ambrose Bishoppe of Milane or to any other godlie Bishoppe holdyng the truthe of the blessed Trinitie againste Vitalis Meletius and Paulinuus teachyng erronious doctrine and vsyng vnfitte termes thereof Here is neither mention made of this seate or that or the aduersaries thereto as causes why sainct Hierome should not knowe these menne but because thei taught false doctrine and Damasus taught true and therefore gathered not with hym but scattered and were not of Christe but of Antichriste therefore did saincte Hierome not knowe thē he beeyng a Romaine would not acknowledge their errours cloked vnder a straunge and newe inuented Greeke ternie But beeyng a Romaine prieste he well knewe Damasus the Romaine Bishoppe and so consequentlie his owne bishoppe as euery man is bounde to knowe his owne godlie Bishop he knewe his true doctrine and plaine Latine termes whereby he vttered the plaine truthe plainelie and therefore so knowyng hym and his doctrine he ioigned with hym in communion not for the seates sake or for that he was Peters successour therein but for the truthes sake whiche he beeyng Peters successour in truthe of doctrine more then in seate or Chaire did professe Againe the cause why saincte Hierome did not knowe but reiected Vitalis Meletius and Paulinus was not for that thei did not submitte them selues to Damasus as to the supreme head of the Churche or for that cause tooke them to bee enemies as maister Dorman would haue it seeme for there was no suche matter then in question but because thei did not agree with Damasus in the truthe but taughte falselie of the greateste poinctes of our religion and would haue wrapped the same in obscure and strange termes therby to deceiue the more therefore did sainct Hierome not knowe thē This is the true sense of this place good readers as al learned that wil reade it shall easily perceiue Wherfore maister Dorman thus corruptyng and falsifiyng Saincte Hierome by takyng awaie from hym and addyng to hym what he liste and drawyng the woordes of sainct Hierome concernyng the doctrine of
the moste blessed Trinitie to the Popes vsurped supremacie minglyng vs in lente vnguentum to witte matters moste impertinente together might moste iustlie bee blamed in this place therefore sauyng that he dooeth so in all places Finallie I would haue thee good reader to note that as S. Hierome would not knowe Vitalis and Meletius for that thei were forainers and not his owne bishops for that they taught false doctrine and therefore were not of Christ but of Antichrist and for that they were of a straunge language so haue we the same causes altogether not to knowe but to refuse the bishop of Rome and moe too as this specially that he being a forainer would vsurpe suche a supreame authoritie or rather cruell tyranny ouer vs with whom of right he hath nothing to doo Dorman fol. 14. Tell them boldely vvith S. Austen that yovv vvill ovve neither sute nor seruice to their chaire of pestilēce nor be a member of that body that either lacketh a head and is a dead tronke or hath many and is a liue monstre Novvell Be bolde and blushe not M. Dormā as boldly to belie S. Augustine as ye streight before haue dealt with S. Hierome For neither be the woords you doo reherse S. Augustines neither are the greatest part of them to be found in the place by you noted nor y e woordes which be in that place whiche you haue noted whose so euer they bee make ought for your purpose or against vs. You should haue done more simply had you alleaged a proufe for your headles trunke or liue monstre out of Pighius Hosius Pope Boniface his Extrauagants there shall you in déede finde for your purpose for much adoo is made there to saue the Popishe churche as hauing two heades one in heauen an other in earth as they say from being a liue monstre Erasmus being no simple iudge of the true and counterfeite writinges of the olde doctours in his preface before the booke De quaestionibus veteris noui testamēti intitled vntruly to S. Augustine doth by diuersitie of S. Augustines phrase and the phrase of that book probably and by very barbarous and false Latine vsuall in that booke vnaccustomed to S. Augustine certainly and by sundry doctrines in that booke most contrary to S. Augustines doctrine in his bookes vndoubtedly prooue that it is not S. Augustines worke so that it were to muche impudencie for any man but onely Hosius and M. Dorman to alleage it for S. Augustines The woordes of that authour who so euer he was a little more largely rehearsed by Hosius than by you M. Dorman leaste it myght appeare you had followed him to neere are these Eorum qui extra ecclesiam vel contra ecclesiam sedes suas instituerunt Cathedram pestilentiae dicimus Qui enim inconcessa praesumit c. We saye that the chaire of them whiche haue made them sees without or against the churche is the chaire of Pestilence He that presumeth vpon vnlawfull thinges is guiltie howe muche more if he also corrupte the tradition of him whose seate he vsurpeth For they trouble the order begunne of Peter the Apostle and kept to this tyme by the continuance of Bishoppes succeedyng chalenginge to themselues ordre without origine that is to saye professinge a bodye without an head Wherefore it is agreable their seate also to appeere to be the chayre of Pestilence Thus farre that incerteine author alleged by Hosius and nowe by M. Dorman for S. Augustine First if you woulde haue this place to make for you against vs you must proue your selues to be the true churche of Christe which you shall neuer be hable to dooe being in deede the Synagoge of Antichriste Further it appeareth by these woordes vvhose seate he vsurpeth meaninge Peters seate that this was writen in later times against some Antipope wrongfully chosen and intruding himselfe into the Bishoprike of Rome For it hath been no noueltie for these .iii. or .iiii. hundreth yeres to haue .ii. or .iii. Popes at once one chosen at Rome by some Cardinalles an other at Auinion by other some Cardinalles the thirde in a thirde place appointed by the Emperour and one to keepe his Papal see at Rome an other at Auinion in Fraunce the third at Rauenna in Italie or some where els And so some writer in fauour of him by like that was chosen and kept residence at Rome hath written this against some other that vsurped Peters seate and so they beynge many at one time troubled the order of the succession of one after an other begunne at Peter and so continued till such discorde came in by those who settinge vp an other chaire and so not sitting in Peters chaire sate as he saieth in the chaire of pestilence Howsoeuer it be the mater can not be applied to vs who doo not vsurpe Peters chaire Further what woord is there here to proue y e chayre of Rome to be the head of y e vniuersall church but rather to be the head of that peculiar church of Rome onely where Peters successours haue cōtinued Such kinde of head gouernour as we doo not denie euery bishop to be in his own diocesse so yet subiect to his prince as y e bishop of Rome ought to be to y e Emperour his lord To proceede we hauing Christ to be our head our church is no dead trunke as lacking an head and hauing him our head onely other his ministers our gouernours vnder him our churche is no liue monster as hauing many heades no more than our cōmon wealth hauing God the only head in heauen our prince his seruant our head gouernour in earth is therefore a liue monstre or the whole worlde hauing God to his head is therefore a dead truncke because it hath no one onely earthly head nor can haue any such no more can the vniuersall churche throughout the whole worlde haue any suche one earthly head Wherefore as M. Dormā would gather our church to be a dead truncke for that we will not graunt one onely head in earth ouer all the churche though we graunt Christe to be the onely head therof as in déede he is so let him gather in like wise that the whole world is a dead trūcke for that it hath no one onely head in earth though it haue God for his head in heauen and so he may cōclude that god and Christ the authours of life be no heades or no such heades as can saue the bodies whereof they be heades from being dead trunckes except the saide bodies haue a false vsurper from Rome to be their head besides and to geue them life And had M. Dorman had so muche leasure from his diuinitie matters as to haue looked better vpon his notes of the Canon lawe his peculiar studie he would haue bene better aduised than to haue called vs Acephalos headles and therfore dead trunckes who doo obey our owne Prelates seing Acephali as is there