authority from the Churches of Romes decrees or from the Pope That the Pope should bee an infallible Interpretor of Scripture and supreame Moderator of Religion S. Austine neuer heard Nay disaduowing all the Popes decretals and other mens writings he signifieth that hee oweth his consent without all exception onely to canonicall Scriptures In quorumlibet hominum scriptis saith he lib. de natur grat Liber sum quia solis canonicis scripturis debeo sine vlla recusatione consensum S. Austine neuer prayed to the Virgin Mary nor call vpon her and other Saints and Angels or teach that they were to be worshipped with Dulia If he had dedicated his Confessions to the Virgin Mary as doth the Apostate his absurd translation I should beleeue that he had learned somewhat from that holy Father He neuer beleeued that the Virgin Mary was conceiued without sinne or that she was the mediatrix or redemptrix of Mankind together with her Sonne or that her body is already assumed into heauen as this Apostate her deuout slaue and others hold Nor did hee euer teach that Saints in heauen heard the prayers and vnderstood the thoughts of all men and in all places here on earth or that they could helpe them giue them grace and deliuer them Hee might make a commemoration of the names of the faithfull hence departed and commend his Mother to God But neuer taught or beleeued that his mothers and other faithfull mens soules which he mentioned at the Lords table were tormented in Purgatory Hee was no Masse-priest nor euer offered Christs body really for quicke and dead nor said Masse for sicke horses as Masse Priests doe That Christs body and blood should bee contained vnder the accidents of Bread and Wine and that seuerally is so extrauagant a Paradoxe that it could neuer be found in the holy Fathers writings Nor could he beleeue that either reprobates or brute beasts did eat Christs flesh and drinke his blood The Sacrament hee neither adored nor carried it about nor put it into a Pixe neither did he allow any such thing done by others He neuer confessed his sinnes to the Virgin Mary or to Angels or Saints or pray them to intercede for him as doe Masse-Priests Much lesse did hee pray for Christs body that it might bee graciously accepted as was the Sacrifice of Abell and Melchisedech and carried into heauen as doe the Apostates consorts This Apostate cannot demonstrate that St. Austine euer thought that Salt and Water consecrated would cause Thunder to cease and driue away Diuels Let him bring forth the testimony of any man or Diuell to proue this and then his deuoted followers may perchance beleeue him That Christians should be burned for holding that flesh may be eaten on Frydayes or Saints Vigils as this vncharitable Apostate and his Teachers beleeue he cannot prooue that so holy a Father as S. Austine eyther taught or allowed The Precepts of the Romish Church concerning Holy-dayes Fasts Masses auricular Confession and prohibition of Marriage were neuer knowne to S. Augustine nor could be being brought in by diuers Popes that liued since his time Neyther did he teach or beleeue that Treasons against Princes and States heard by Priests in Confession were not to be reuealed or that the seale of Confession of which the Masse-Priests talke as of a diuine Mysterie was ordained by God Of the cases reserued to the Pope which are a principall bulwarke of the Papall authoritie S. Austine neuer heard newes Neyther was hee acquainted with the Popes Penitentiarie Taxe or the rules of his Chancerie nor thought it fit that Periurie Incest Murder and all irregularities should bedispensed withall or pardoned for Money Finally all those Heresies and Nouelties which the Romanists now hold and maintaine with all sraud and force were eyther reiected by S. Austine or vtterly vnknowne vnto him CHAP. II. That those principall points of Romish Religion which we reiect are also reiected and contradicted by S. AVSTINE NEyther doth S. Austine onely passe ouer in silence the new-forged Religion of Papists maintained by this Apostate but also directly oppugne the same They euery where vilifie holy Scriptures as imperfect difficult ambiguous calling them a Nose of Wax a Delphian Sword a dead Letter Matter of Contention S. Austine contrariwise extolleth them as placed in a sublime place of authoritie and from them he would haue none to depart Extat authoritas sacrae Scripturae vnde mens nostra deuiare non debet saith he Lib. 3. de Trinit cap. 11. They admit Traditions and the Popes Definitions for a Rule of Faith but this holy Father admitteth no Rule but holy Scripture Canon Ecclesiasticus saith he constitutus est ad quem certi Apostolorum Prophetarum libri pertinent The words are extant Lib. 2. contr cresc gram c. 31. In the same place he would not haue any to iudge of Scripture but to iudge according to it but the Pope taketh vpon him to taxe and iudge of Scripture yea to pronounce without it and against it The Apostate and his Consorts esteeme the Scriptures to be hard and ambiguous S. Austine lib. 2. de Doct. Christ c. 9. saith That whatsoeuer is necessarie to saeluation is contained in plaine places of Scripture The Iesuits muster against vs Traditions Decretals Fathers and such like testimonies but S. Austine reiecting all the rest would haue all proofes deriued out of Scriptures Lib. de vnit Eccles c. 3. Auferantur saith he ille de medio quae aduersus nos inuicem non ex Diuims Canonicis Libris sed aliunde recitamus They goe about to marke out a Church by Vnitie Vniuersalitie Antiquitie and Succession but S. Austine de vnit Eccles c. 1. would haue the question of the Church to be decided by Scriptures Inter nos Donatistas quaestio est vbi sit Ecclesia quid ergo facturi sumus saith he in verbis nostris eam quaesituri an in verbis capitis sui Domini nostri Iesu Christi These presumptuous fellowes preferre themselues before Scripture determining according to the Popes Decretals what Bookes are Canonicall and what the meaning is of euery Text but S. Austine lib. 2. contr Cresc c. 21. sheweth that neyther any particular man nor the Church it selfe is to preferre it selfe before Christ Now who knoweth not that Christ speaketh to vs in Scriptures Ecclesia saith he non debet se Christo praeponere And Confess 13. c. 23. he would not haue any to iudge of the sublime authoritie of the Booke of God They receiue not holy Scriptures vnlesse the Church that is the Pope propose them and declare them to be Canonicall S. Austine lib. 6. Confess c. 5. blameth such as are not by Scriptures perswaded to accept them They hold the old Latine vulgar Translation to be authenticall but contrarie to S. Augustines iudgement Bellarmine Leo Castrius Lindaue and diuers other Papists taxe holy Scriptures in the Originals of Impuritie and Corruption but contrarie to S. Augustines iudgement
when he wrote his Booke A high point of the Translators learning as if old men could not write the storie of their younger yeeres the Translator himselfe if he please may write what he did in the Brothels of France Italy and Spaine when he was younger then now Further he chargeth vs as if we should say that S. Austine was but a young man when he wrote his Confessions and that afterward he grew wiser As if any of vs did taxe S. Augustine of indiscretion for writing this Booke if he know any such why doth he-not name them if he name none himselfe seemeth to be a false accuser who albeit growne in yeeres is neyther more honest nor wise then when he was young He in his Retractations sayth he confessed his sinnes and good deeds An example which the Aduertiser meaneth not to follow for his enormious sinnes he will not confesse and good deeds I know none he hath to relate He addeth that his Confessions much pleased many of his Brethren Yet we heare of no Confession that this prodigall and Popish Apostate hath made nor doth he greatly care to please his Parents Brethren and Friends neyther doth his Translation please any man but himselfe S. Austine in his fourth Booke of Confessions saith Hee made rather a light Declamation then a serious Confession But the aduertiser although hee make both idle Declamations and friuolous and false Annotations yet neyther in jest nor earnest doth hee confesse his faults but rather proudly and vaine-gloriously boast of his doings In the end the Aduertiser beseecheth his discreet Reader to admire the humility and exactnesse of the Saint A request that concerneth himselfe nothing that is neither Saint nor humble nor exact nor discreet nay foolishly hee admireth himselfe and his doings albeit his Prefaces Notes and Aduertisements containe nothing but foolery vanity and lyes S. Austine saith the Aduertiser beleeued what hee taught But neyther did hee teach any thing in fauour of his Popish Heresies nor preiudiciall to the Faith of the Church of England Vainely hee boasteth that the moderne Faith of Rome is Catholike But we haue conuinced it to be neither Catholike nor Apostolike nor true Let him answer to our arguments and hee shall be forced to confesse so much himselfe This aduertisement therefore howsoeuer it pleased the Translator therein to mention S. Austines Retractations maketh nothing for his owne glory and commendation He should haue shewed more wisedome if hee had retracted both his Preface and Aduertisement After his Aduitisement he confesseth that his Copie was euill written and that many errours escaped in Printing But this should easily haue beene pardoned if that his whole labour had beene well performed and grosse Errours had not been committed in his Preface Annotations and Translations Now then wee come to speake of his Annotations and Translations reserued for the last Chapter CHAP. VII Of the false wicked and absurd Annotations of the Apostate vpon S. AVGVSTINES Confessions and how euill-fauouredly they and hee answere the Text. SAint Augustine in the first Booke of his Confessions Cap. 2. Doth inuocate his Lord and God which made Heauen and Earth and which notwithstanding was not contayned in them But this Apostate and his fellowes doth inuocate and call vpon Angels and Saints yea vpon their God of the Altar that neither made Heauen nor Earth nor any thing else but as themselues say was made by a Priest and is contayned vnder the accidents of Bread and Wine and shut vp in a Pixe and hanged ouer the Altar This the Apostate did well perceiue made not for his profit and therefore hee was content to passe by this Chapter in sad silence Chap. 4. S. Augustine saith Supererogatur tibi vti debeas which the Apostate translateth thus By our Supererogation thou becommest our debtor and noteth that God maketh vs able to doe workes of Supererogation But neyther doth that holy Father say or thinke that God was made our debtor for our Workes but onely for his Promise nor account Monkish vowes to be workes of Supererogation nor teach that man was able to performe the whole Law and more Chap. 5. lib. 1. the Translator noteth That S. Austine did oblige God to bee good vnto him A patch stitched to the Text and not in one word signified by that holy Father and most false For by what obligation can God that is aboue all be obliged to a sinfull man that is so farre vnderneath him Nay in this very Chapter hee declareth his sinnes against himselfe and confessing the impietie of his heart and disclaiming his Merites and Workes saith Hee will not stand in judgement with God In the Margent Chap. 10. the Translator noteth that there are Sectaries who blasphemously affirme that God appointeth men to sinne But he durst not name any party least touching M. Caluin he should be deprehended in a manifest Lye and conuinced of his ordinarie Crime of Calumniation Howbeit if men should appoint men to worship the Pope and to embrace his Heresies to worship Saints and Images after the practise of Rome to rebell against Princes excommunicated by the Pope which the Apostaticall Faction of Rome sayth he doth then by their Doctrine he should appoint men indeed to sinne Wee say onely God forbiddeth all sinnes and directeth all mens actions Chap. 11. he obserueth the vse of signing with the Crosse but S. Austine there speaketh of signing and salting Infants newly come out of their Mothers Wombe and sometime before Baptisme Ceremonies not now vsed in the Romish Church Hee talketh therefore of no matters of Faith nor helpeth the Translator who so often and superstitiously abuseth that signe S. Austine Chap. 13. toucheth the buyers and sellers of Grammar but the Translator addeth Rules as if Rules of Grammar were sold so that a man might haue licence to speake false Latine In Rome the Pope selleth Rules Lawes and Dispensations but the Translator careth for none of that nor doth the Pope care for Grammar Rules or good Latine Lib. 1. Chap. 16. S. Austine speaketh of a Floud but the Translator turneth it into a Torrent and noteth in the Margent A noble Discourse as if it were a noble thing to talke of Torrents of Custome and drying vp of Flouds Afterward he talketh of learning these words the Golden Shower the Lap the Ornament and the Temple of Heauen and the Translator noteth an extreme abuse still on foot but sheweth not what it is nor wherein it consisteth These words Qui templa Coeli summo sonitu conculit he translateth thus which shakes the whole Vault of Heauen with his soueraigne Voyce as if the Heauen were like a Vault of a Cellar and euery great noyse were a soueraigne Voyce O the soueraigne dizardrie of a transcendent Translator whose words soare aboue all vnderstanding and reason God is the Centre of all true sweetnesse sayth the Apostate in a Marginall Note vpon the first Chapter of the second Booke of Confessions But in the Text
the entire Rule They forbid holy Scriptures to be read in vulgar Tongues to the people being afraid belike least the light thereof should discouer their false errors and foule deeds Contrarie to the Doctrine of the Fathers they make the Bookes of Tobia Iudith Wisdome Ecclesiasticus the Machabees and those peeces of Bookes that are in the old vulgar Latine Translation and not in the Originals to be Canonicall Scriptures equall to the Law and Prophets The old Latine vulgar Translation they make authenticall and neyther the Hebrew nor Greeke Originals of the Old and New Testament They forbid all interpretations of Scriptures contrarie to the sence of the Pope and Roman Church and might as well forbid all Scriptures They teach that the worship of Dulia is due to Saints and Hyperdulia to the Virgin Mary They worship Images of Gold and Siluer and fall downe before the workes of their owne hands Before a Stock they say Pater noster and before Images of Stone and Mettall they say Mater nostra praying helpe of them that neyther heare nor see nor walke nor speake They desire the Picture of Christs Face giuen as is said to Veromca to blot out their sinnes and to bring them to the societie of Saints They call vpon Angels and Saints in all places as if they were euery where present and could heare their prayers and vnderstand their thoughts and could helpe Praying to the Crosse they say Aue spes vnica and desire it to encrease instice in them and to pardon their sinnes They giue diuine honor to the Crosse and to the Images of Christ and the Trinitie which is vnexcusable Idolatrie Consecrating a Crosse they desire it may be to them a Foundation of Faith and a Defence in Aduersitie They beleeue that the Image of the Virgin Mary can helpe the faithfull and that the Image of S. Iohn the Euangelist hath power to driue away Diuels as appeareth by their prayers in the Pontificall when they consecrate them They pray without vnderstanding in a strange Tongue and call vpon Saints and Angels that neyther are present nor heare them They make the Images of the Trinitie and not onely of Angels but mens soules in Heauen The Apostle sayth there is but one Mediator betwixt God and man they employ all Angels and Saints as Mediators Yea they call vpon S. George S. Katherine S. Christopher and XI M. Virgins yet are not assured that there are any such Saints in Heauen or euer were in the World In the Masse the Priest presumptuously taketh vpon him to be a Mediator for Christ Jesus beseeching the Father to looke vpon his Sonne with a serene countenance and to send Angels to carrie vp his Bodie into Heauen Masse-Priests beleeue that they are Priests according to the Order of Melchisedech but the Apostle Hebr. 5. 7. sheweth how that Office belongeth only to Christ They beleeue that Christ is by them continually offered to God but the Apostle sayth he was but once offered and that by that one Oblation he persited all that are sanctified They offer Masses for the redemption of their Soules as if men were redeemed by Masse-Priests as well as by Christ They say Masses also for Hogges and sick Horses which is an intollerable impietie presuming that Christ dyed for brute Beasts They hold the Masse to be a Sacrifice propitiatorie as if sinnes could be remitted without bloud which the Apostle denyeth Hebr. 9. S. Iohn 1. Epist 1. sayth Christs bloud doth cleanse vs from all sinnes quite contrarie to the Doctrine of the Romanists holding that sinnes are cleansed by Purgatorie fire and by our owne and the Saints sufferings They whip themselues thinking by their owne Penance to purge away sinnes like Baals Priests not considering that we are healed by Christs wounds The Apostle Ephes 2. sayth we are saued by grace they beleeue they are saued by the merits of their workes Hee sayth God called vs not according to our workes but according to his purpose and grace They hold that God doth predestinate and call such as by free-will admit that calling and iustifie men that first prepare themselues to iustification Rom. 9. he sheweth That it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth They teach that euery one that will may be saued if he run well They doe also teach that God giueth sufficient grace to all to be saued as if euery one were chosen and called and had grace giuen him to beleeue The Apostle Rom. 3. sayth We are iustified freely by grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus They beleeue they are iustified by their workes and merits Christ breaking Bread sayd This is my Body These denie that he gaue Bread or called it his Body Christ distributed the Cup to all that had receiued the Bread They suffer not any but Priests to drinke of the Cup. They say Christ did eate himselfe and offer himselfe at his last Supper but for a man to eate himselfe it is absurd and for Christ to offer two Sacrifices was superfluous In priuate Masses the Priest doth eate and drinke all alone but that is contrarie to Christs Institution Christ bad his Disciples preach the Gospel The Popes Emissaries preach Traditions and Doctrine contrarie to the Gospel Among Papists Women baptize and sometime preach as Katherine of Siena and Joane of the Crosse did They thinke it is sufficient to beleeue implicitely Christ sayd eternall life consisted in knowing God and Christ Jesus They beleeue in a God that neyther made Heauen nor Earth and in Christ made of Bread contrarie to the words of the Creed Priests take vpon them to be creators of their Creator as if they had power ouer God They beleeue that Christs Body is in many places at once as if euery body were not circumscribed by place and continued to it selfe now what is this but to destroy Christs humane Nature Christs true Body in the Sacrament they say neyther seeth nor feeleth nor moueth How is that Body then a true humane Body that hath no sence nor motion The Masse they say is an externall Sacrifice How then is Christ offered in the Masse which is not externally seene Christ in the Capernaites condemned the reall eating of his flesh yet doe Papists beleeue they really eate his flesh and drinke his bloud with their mouthes Christ sayth they liue for euer that eate his fiesh Yet Papists say Reprobates eate his flesh which cannot attaine eternall life The Faith of Papists being founded on the Pope and his Decretals is meerely an humane Faith and therefore not true Christian Faith The Cardinals hauing elected a new Pope place him on the Altar and adore him Great Princes also kisse his feet and common people esteeme him as a God They forbid certaine Meates and prohibite their Votaries to Marrie which the Apostle 1. Tim. 4. calleth no better then Doctrines of Diuels They teach rebellion against Princes excommunicated contrary to the Apostle Rom. 13. that teacheth
words of any such matter in the Text. Nay S. Austine sheweth he was possessed with inward feeling and delight which haue no place when a man is depriued of his sences All sinfull pleasure sayth the Apostate apostilling the 41. chapter is a Lye yet his Author affirmeth no such thing neyther is it a Lye that the Apostate taketh sinfull pleasure in lying and rayling No Angel sayth S. Austine Lib. 10. Conf. c. 42. could reconcile vs to God To salue this sore the Translator in the Margent forgeth this euasion that he speaketh not of intercession but of redemption But S. Austine in plaine words reiecteth intercession of Angels as well as Redemption Was I sayth he to resort to Angels By what Prayers By what Sacraments Cap. 43. he sayth he thought to flye into the Desart but God for bad him Yet this ignorant Gull and his brutish Consorts doe giue out that he was the Patron and Founder of Heremiticall and Hypocriticall Fryars and a Preacher to Monks in the Wildernesse and haue forged a number of Sermons in his name ad fratres in Eremo This Postiller sayth The Hermites life is a holy state but his braine when he so wrote was not in right state S. Austine his Leader said no such thing Lib. 11. Confess c. 2. the holy Doctor sheweth how he was drawne by Gods exhortations terrors consolations and guidance to preach his Word and dispense his Sacraments to the people And are they then lawfully called that being ordained Bishops by Antichrist preach not And being made Priests offer for quicke and dead and preach Fables in stead of Gods Word That dispence not the Sacraments to the people but eate and drinke all alone There also he desireth that the holy Scriptures may be made his chast delight But the Translator and his Teachers care little for Chastitie and lesse for holy Scriptures being more occupyed about vnwritten Traditions Schoole subtleties and the Popes Decretals The words of Scriptures sayth S. Austine haue deere retyring into them walking feeding and lying in them by deere vnderstanding all sorts of Christians and not greasie Priests and graduated Doctors as the Apostate would haue it for deere translating Stagges and vnderstanding the stalion Priests as if they onely were to reade and studie Scriptures In the Margent the Translator noteth that Priests and Doctors by a most choise and noble Metaphor are called Stagges and thereby would exclude Lay men and women from reading Scriptures But were his Priests and Monkes Stagges and Stalions to yet S. Austine doth not appropriate the reading of Scriptures to them nor debarre others from reading them The Apostles wrote as well to people as to Priests And Hiero'me in Psal 86. calling them Scripturas populorum sheweth they belong to the people as well as Priests But sayth the Apostate It is an easie thing by reading of Scripture to bedeceiued and to deceiue others But quite beside that holy Fathers meaning that misliked not the reading but the mis-vnderstanding of them and therefore prayed that he might not be deceiued in them by mistaking them as the Popes Factors doe In the end teaching that Christ intercedes for vs he oueithroweth the Popish intercession of Saints Lib. 11. c. 3. He confesseth if Moses spoke in Hebrew hee should not vnderstand him But the Apostate contradicting his Author saith he had some skill in Hebrew Declaring himselfe to be a Contradictor and no Translator S. Austine Lib. 11. c. 8. doth call Christ speaking to vs in his holy Gospell his good and only Master But the Apostate and his Confreres hold the Pope to be their only and chiefe and good Master neyther regarding Christ nor his Gospell vnlesse the Pope be pleased to propose it Lib. 11. c. 31. the Translator talketh idely of Habits and Customes where S. Austine nameth only the Consequences of sinnes which follow euill Customes and actions Lib. 12. c. 1. The holy Father doth not speake one word of the dissiculty of holy Scripture See then the audacious boldnesse of the Translator that maketh that the title of the Chapter S. Austine contrary proueth the facility out of Christs promise saying seeke and you shall find knocke and it shall bee opened vnto you In the same Booke Cap. 5. 6. the foolish Translator talketh much of Materia prima which is not so much as once named there by S. Austine And Cap. 8. hee speaketh of an Imperiall Heauen opposed to a Corporiall Heauen It may be he meaneth to giue the Dominion of the Heauen to the Emperor and afterward to subiect both the Emperor and Heauen to the Pope Where note I pray you the Ideots ignorance who writeth Imperial for Empyreal or fiery and supposeth Fire and the Heauen to be no bodies In a marginall Note vpon the 12. Bocke 11. Chap. the Translator mentioneth Quires of Angels where S. Austine neyther mentioneth Quires nor Orders of Angels So saucy he is as to change S. Austines words meaning to establish his own foolish Popish conceits Et per inania cordis sui cum suis phantasmatibus vagatur voluitur and by the vanities of his heart with his phantasies hee wandreth and tumbleth as S. Austine sayth in that place Cap. 13. The Translator by Heauen and Earth will needs vnderstand the Angels and Materia prima But S. Austine whom he should follow hath no such wordes And absurdly Earth is called Materia prima and Angels confounded with Heauen Hereof we may better inferre that the Translators Materia prima is foolery and confusion and his Heauen his owne vayne imagination and the Popes consistory Vpon euery Woman that readeth Scripture hee rayleth calling her Saucy and simple Lib. 12. c. 14. not sparing his owne Mother As if English women reading Scriptures without the Popes licence were more saucy then Jtalian French and Spanish women reading Legends and liuing in Brothels by whom they say he hath beene euil-fauouredly dressed and sauced S. Austine Lib. 12. c. 15. doth plainly declare that men are not justified by their Workes or qualities inherent Nos dicti sumus saith he justitia tua ait enim quidam seruus tuus vt nos simus justitia Dei in ipso We are called thy justice for a Seruant of thine saith that wee may be made the righteousnesse of God in him Was not the Postiller then blind and shamelesse that out of the Fathers words inferred that there is inherent Iustice in men For how can Gods justice that is in him be inherent in vs or our inherent Iustice be the perfect Iustice of God Angels may haue true light in themselues because they fell not but Man being fallen can neyther haue perfect Light nor Iustice in him but must be justified by Faith in CHRIST In culmine sequendae aut horitatis nobiscum constituentis illam per Sanctam Moysem editam sanctam Scripturam tuam saith S. Austine Lib. 12. Confes c. 16. that is placing holy Scriptures written by holy Moses on the top of Authority
Scriptures but the Pope challengeth a power to authorize Scriptures which this Apostate also would auow if he durst but S. Austine doth beat downe both the Apostates and the Popes blasphemous pride Fish he sayth is sometimes a figure of Christ in the Sacrament a proper deuice For so the Priests by their Transubstantiation make of Bread Flesh and this Apostiller by a new figure will make it Fish that they may haue in the same Feast both Fish and Flesh Matters neuer though of by S. Austine Neyther doth he in this place by blessing and calling vpon God vnderstand crossing or sprinkling of holy Water such as Masse-Priests vse but blessing and praysing the Name of God In his Notes vpon the 13. Booke of Confessions c. 25. he would be glad to know as he sayth what Benedictions haue come vnto vs from our Ministers and whether their sound be gone ouer all the Earth And I to giue him satisfaction answere That these Blessings we receiue from them We learne to know God and whom he hath sent Christ Iesus and to discerne Antichrist and to flye from him We learne the true Faith and Gods true worship We vnderstand that we are to auoid the Heresies of the Romish Church and her abominable Idolatry and Superstition We learne how to reforme our liues and walke worthie our profession But of him and his Masse-Priests Monkes and Fryars ignorant people receiue nothing but an implicite Faith Crosses Beades holy Water Masses Agnus Dei Indulgences and such Toyes neyther doe they learne any thing except that which we teach but Heresie Superstition Idolatry Rebellion ignorance of Scripture and corruption of manners nor receiue any thing but shame Bishops made by the Pope preach not Masse-Priests teach little Monkes and Fryars teach without authoritie hauing no power but from Antichrist and if they teach any Truth it is mixed with many Errors and Corruptions That which we teach is the Apostles Doctrine the sound of whose Doctrine is gone ouer the whole Earth the Papists Heresies and false Doctrine is onely receiued in the Popes Iurisdiction Our Sauiour Christ promiseth to him that receiueth a Prophet in his name the reward of a Prophet as S. Austine sayth Confess lib. 13. c. 26. But absurdly is this applyed to Masse-Priests and such false Prophets for such destroy Soules vndermine the State corrupt the Manners of their Disciples and seeke onely to vnderprop the ruinous Kingdome of Antichrist Lib. 13. c. 34. S. Austine sayth God hath solidely built the authoritie of his Booke of Scriptures betweene superiors which should learne of God and inferiors which should be subiect vnto them Solidasti authoritatem libri tui inter superiors qui tibi docibiles essent inferiores qui eis subderentur So he giueth authoritie to Scriptures and would haue all men subiect vnto them which is contrarie to this Apostates mind And therefore by his false Notes he goeth about to corrupt the place not willing to denie the Popes authoritie in making Scriptures Canonicall to vs by that authoritie contrarie to S. austines iudgement which would haue Superiors to learne of God He addeth also that the Scripture is subiect to the exposition of Doctors which is contrarie to that holy Fathers meaning Finally S. Austine lib. 13. Conf. c. 38. hopeth to rest in Gods holy place which he calleth his great sanctificaton not for his merites but by Gods grace and mercie And this doe all good Catholikes hope and beleeue not doubting of their saluation grounded on his holy Word that is most certaine and his sweet Promises that are most comfortable But this Apostate and his peruerse companions neyther beleeuing that Gods Word concerneth them nor trusting to his Promises made to all that beleeue and liue according to their holy profession nor hauing good conscience nor feeling of the holy Ghost but measure all by their owne workes and merites are neyther Catholikes nor Christs Disciples And this I trust will suffice to vindicate the holy Father Saint Austine from the violence and wrong offered to him by this impure Apostate As for the wrong that he hath offered to Religion and the Church of England I trust our Superiors will in time vindicate and albeit they neglect it or cannot redresse it I doubt not but God will reuenge his owne Cause his owne selfe Deo vni trino laus honor gloria in sempiterna secula Amen FINIS