are they then baptized for dead To picke Purgatorie pickpurse out of this place passeth my skill Here is mention made of baptisme for the dead but neither of Purgatorie nor of prayer for the dead I am not ignorant that there be sundrie expositions of this place yet I doe not remember that euer I read it expounded of Purgatorie or applied vnto it And therefore I will write no more at this present of it but wil expect a syllogisme to be made of it for the proofes of Purgatorie and then I shall further consider what to say vnto it We doe beleeue that they onely be members of that bodie whereof Christ Iesus is the head which be either triumphing with him in heauen or be fighting for him against Satan sinne and the world here vpon earth Saint Paul saith that Christ came to make peace by the blood of his crosse and to reconcile the things which are in earth and the things which are in heauen That is to say his whole vniuersall Church whereof part was alreadie in heauen and part remained behinde vpon the earth They therefore that be in Purgatorie be no members of his bodie nor are to be deliuered by him but being the Popes creatures are either by him who can at his pleasure emptie and scoure Purgatorie to be deliuered or else still in that fained fire to be tormented Neither hath true Christian charitie so much as the cursed couetousnes of Priests been the bellowes to blow that forged fire for the heating of their kitchens Now that I haue answered your reasonlesse reasons of our denying this article of Christian faith the communion of Saints I will briefly shew what is our beleefe of it We beleeue that al the Saints of God and members of the holie Catholike Church haue communion and fellowship with Iesus Christ and are partakers of all his benefits Of this communion Christ speaketh I am the vine ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruite Of this speaketh S. Paul God is faithfull by whom ye are called vnto the fellowship of his sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. This communion or fellowship is wrought by faith by the which Christ dwelleth in the hearts of all his elect and faithfull people and by which wee be graffed into him to receiue all grace and goodnes from him as the branch doth from the vine or stocke And we beleeue that all the faithfull and godly be knit together in loue as the Apostle speaketh whereby they are to communicate those graces and gifts which God hath bestowed vpon them to the edifiyng and helping of others in such sort as God hath appointed Yea we beleeue that all the faithfull haue communion and fellowship together in that they haue all one heauenly father one Iesus Christ their redeemer and mediatour one holy Ghost their sanctifier are iustified by one faith common to all the elect dedicated to God by one baptisme called by one Gospell to be partakers of one kingdome of glorie This is the summe of our beleefe concerning this article wherein wee would know what fault you can finde But your communion and vnion consisteth in being vnder one Pope of Rome vnder whose obedience whosoeuer is not you think he cannot be saued as is before shewed neither will you haue communion with him And therefore whereas Christianitie hath continued as I said before in Greece Russia Aethiopia Armenia and other countries amongst whom no doubt but God hath had and now hath his elect and chosen people yet you haue no communion or fellowship with them because they be not vnder your owne Pope And much lesse haue you communion with the Saints in heauen because you haue not the faith of Gods elect For did the faithfull Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and others beleeue to be deliuered from the fire of hell by the merits of Nicholas or to ascend into heauen by the blood of Thomas Becket Nay Iesus Christ is the onely mercie seate into the which the two Cherubinis did looke that is as I take it both the faithfull before his comming in the flesh and they that be after doe looke onely vpon Christ in him onely to seeke and finde mercie Now let vs see the third article of our Creed which you say we denie which is Remission of sinnes Here I beseech the Christian reader to consider who they be that denie this article containing a principall point of Christian religion and saluation whether wee or this accuser with his partners Wee beleeue that whereas wee be children of wrath vnprofitable seruants and prodigall children that haue sinned against heauen and our heauenly father and are so deeply indebted to God that wee be neuer able to make payment for the which he might iustly throw vs into the dungeon of damnation for euer wee I say beleeue that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life by whom wee haue redemption through his blood euen the forgiuenes of sinnes according to his rich grace and that our sinnes are forgiuen vs for his names sake And we beleeue that God of his great mercie in Iesus Christ doth forgiue vs not onely our sinnes but also the punishment due vnto them and which wee haue deserued by them accepting vs for vessels of his mercie and heires of his glorie Now this accuser of vs and his companions doe first beleeue that they doe make satisfaction to Gods iustice for their sinnes which is a flat deniall of the forgiuenes of our sinnes For whereas our sinnes be called debts and satisfaction is a paiment it followeth that if we doe make satisfaction for them then we neither need nor can haue forgiuenes of them For our satisfaction and Gods forgiuenes cannot stand together For euen as if I owe a man a hundreth pounds and I pay him he doth not forgiue it and if he forgiue it I doe not pay it So if we by satisfaction make paiment to God for our sinnes then hee doth not forgiue them if hee forgiue them then wee doe not make satisfaction for them Now let vs see what is the doctrine of these men concerning this their satisfaction whereby they make paiment themselues to God for their debts Bishop Fisher whom I suppose the Pope hath sainted for standing so stifly in his cause writeth hereof thus Thirdly some there be which by grace in this life haue so punished themselues for their offences that they haue made a sufficient recompence for them Againe So doth heartie weeping for sinne expell sinne and is a sufficient and iust recompence for it And againe But whereas any creature haue made due satisfaction in this life he neuer after shall suffer more paine and also is cleane out of debt and nothing after that shall euer be claimed of him Againe They be called recti corde that haue made satisfaction
Church of England did hold himselfe to the matter and how vnlike he was to Doctor Harding in his long discourses and digressions who in his booke intituled A detection of lyes c. discoursed two hundred and sixe whole sides of paper onely in preambles and prefaces before he once stept into his matter as Maister Iewel truly told him let the vpright reader indifferently iudge The like I may say of that worthie man of famous memorie Doctor Whitakers who how briefely soundly and learnedly he hath answered Campion Saunders Duree Stapleton William Reynolds and Bellarmine any man that hath an incorrupt eye may see and discerne And if T. W. be the author of this pamphlet as I nothing doubt but he is he may remember that one which had conference with him did write a briefe epistle vnto him and did therein set downe short syllogismes concerning the controuersies of prayer to Saints and the sacrifice of the Masse and required to haue the like short syllogismes set downe of him for the defence of his assertions and could not receiue one but a long tedious discourse concerning prayer to Saints which was confuted and neuer defended But whether answers be briefe or long it maketh no matter so that they be learned sound and true to the effectuall confuting of the errour and satisfying of the reader Now as touching certaintie which you say but do not shew that our religon lacketh I answere and auonch that out Religion is farre more certaine consonant and agreeable to it selfe then the doctrine of the Church of Rome is the which if I do not effectually proue hereafter in place more conuenient I will not require any man to vse your owne words to accept or affect it But with what forehead can this man charge our doctrine with want of perspicuitie seeing he cannot be ignorant how obscure darke and intricate the popish religion and doctrine is as may appeere by their manisold both turious questions and intricate distinctions which be their chiefe shifts to elude the plaine truth And if any would see how darke the doctrine and writings of Papists are let him looke into the Schoolemen Tho Aquine Io. Scotus Alexander de Hales Gabriel Biel and many such other amongst whom he may finde as much certaintie vnitie and perspicuitie of doctrine as he may in holl But how we study for perspicuitie and seeke to make all matters plaine both in our preachings and in our writings auoyding all curious questions and intricate and needles distinctions we appeale to the consciences of all that reade and heare vs. As touching your method concerning errours in doctrine and inordinate affections in maners if you can prooue that our wits be inueigled with them and our liues stained with these more then we can prooue euen your holy Fathers the Popes forsooth Peters successors and Christes vicars haue been you shall winne the victorie You seeme to attribute too much to our very naturall faculties to the iudging and discerning of truth proposed not considering the corruption of our naturall faculties by sinne how both the minde is blinded and the will peruerted Our Sauiour Christ saith The light shineth in darknes and the darkenes comprehendeth it not Saint Paul saith that animalis homo the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnes vnto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discorned But of this I forbeare to speake any more and also will leaue the other wait words in your letter and do come vnto your articles of faith The Pamphlet The first article concerning knowledge and faith The Protestants haue no faith nor neligion THe Protestants haue no faith no hope no charitic no repentance no justification no Church no altar no sacrefice no Priest no Religion no Christ the reason is for if they haue then the world was without them for a thousand yeeres as they themselves must needs confesse vid elicet all the time their Church was eclipsed and 1500. as we will proue by all records of antiquitie as Histories Councels monuments of ancient Fathers Whereby it plainely appeaneth that the synagogue of the Iewes was more constant in continuance and more ample for place then the Church of Christ For they haue had their sâ—nagogue visible in diâ—ers countries eâ—en since Christ's death and passion euen vntill his day which is the very path to lead man into Atheisme as though Christ were not as yet come into the world whose admirable promises are not accomplisheds whose assistance hath failed in preseruing his Church vnto the worlds end whose presence 〈◊〉 absent many hundred years before the finall consummation and consequently they open the gap to all Machiuillians who say that our Sauiour was one of the deceiuere of the world promising so much concerning his Church and performing so little Answere LOoking in this first article to haue found a syllogisme which this worthie writer vseth in some articles following but heere for want of a good medium as it may seeme to frame one by hath omitted I found a false assertion and a foolish probation The assertion that we haue no faith Haue we no faith The Deuils haue some faith Saint Iames saith The Deuils beleeue and tremble and haue we no faith we are much beholden vnto you for your charitable opinion of vs. You are by the doctrine of Saint Paule not to thinke so euill but to hope the best of them that professe Iesus Christ and his holy Gospell But to this your false and slaunderous assertion I will oppose a true affirmation and confession We beleeue all that God hath deliuered to vs by Moses the Prophets and Apostles in the old and new Testament yea we beleeue the contents of the Creeds of the Apostles Nicene and Athanasius and yet haue we no faith We hope to passe hereafter from death vnto life and to be partakers of that kingdome of glory which God hath promised and Iesus Christ hath purchased for all those that truly beleeue in him We trust that we haue charitie and loue both towards God and man although we confesse not in such full and perfect measure as we ought to haue we with Saint Iohn say He that loueth not his brother abideth in death We acknowledge repentance to be one of those chiefe heads wherein the summe of Christianitie is comprised Saint Marke setting forth the summe and substance of Christes doctrine comprehendeth it in these two Repent and beleeue the Gospell so did Saint Paule witnessing both to the Iewes and to the Grecians the repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Iesus Christ We beleeue to be iustified not by our owne works of righteousnes which we vnprofitable seruants and prodigall children haue done nor by the merits of any Saints in heauen or in earth but by the mercies of God purchased vnto vs by the blessed and bloudy merits of Iesus
Chrysostom Omnibus vnum corpus proponitur poculum vnum One body and one Cuppe is propounded to all So saith Theophilactus Tremendus calix pari cunctis conditione traditus est The fearefull Cup is in like sort deliuered vnto all Yea this absurd exposition of theirs is contrarie to the practise of the Primitiue Church and to all antiquitie as might be shewed and of some Papists is confessed But to proceede and to shew how they handle other places I will ioyne two places together because they doe often alleage them together to proue the Popes supremacie ouer the whole Church of God dispersed ouer the whole world The one Hosea 1. 11. Then shall the Children of Iudah and the Children of Israel be gathered together and appoynt themselues one head The other place is Iohn 10. 16. There shall be one fold and one shepheard These places be alleaged by Pope Pius the second epist 288. by Iohannes de Parisijs by D. Harding c. expounding the same not of Christ but of the Pope to be this one head and one shepheard The which what a priuat and false exposition it is I neede not greatly to shew it is so plaine and apparant The first place of Hosea Saint Hierome expoundeth thus Haec omnia fient quia magnus est dies seminis Dei qui interpretatur Christus i. All these things shall come to passe because it is the great day of the seede of God which is expounded not the Pope but Christ so also doth Frier Lira Congregabuntur filij Iudae id est Apostoli c. There shall assemble together the Children of Iuda that is to say the Apostles and the Children of Israel that is to say the heathen conuerted together that is to say in one Church and shall appoynt vnto themselues one head that is to say one Christ So doth S. Augustine de ciuitate Dei lib. 18. cap. 28. Whose words for shortnes sake I omit The other place is so plaine that a Cobler by hearing or reading of it may perceiue that our Sauiour Christ spake it of himselfe and not of the Pope He saith I am the good shepheard and knowe mine and am knowne of mine I lay downe my life for my sheepe Other sheepe I haue also which are not of this fold them also must I bring and they shall heare my voyce and there shall be one sheepefolde and one shepheard Therefore doth my father loue me because I lay downe my life that I might take it againe Who is so blind as seeth not these words to be spoken of our Sauiour Christ himselfe and not of the Pope Yet that doughtie or rather doltish Doctor Iohannes de Parisijs is not ashamed to say that it is not to be vnderstoode of Christ but of some other Minister which should rule in his place His words be these Congregabuntur filij Iuda filij Israel vt ponant sibi caput vnum Ioan. 10. fiet vnum ouile vnus pastor Quod quidem de Christo intelligi non potest sed de alio aliquo ministro quipraesit loco eius i. The Children of Iuda and the Children of Israel shall be gathered together and shall appoynt themselues one head and Ioh. 10. There shall be one fold and one shepheard which cannot be vnderstoode of Christ but of some other minister that must rule in his place Behold the absurditie of this saying and exposition and let this cauiller who in his questions and challenge so disdainefully despiseth our learning consider what a blind ignorant and vnlearned Doctor and writer this was that so absurdly expoundeth this place and contrarily to the plaine words denieth them to be vnderstoode of our Sauiour Christ and blasphemously attributeth y t vnto the Pope which is only proper and peculiar to Iesus Christ Frier Lira was of better iudgement who writeth thus Fiet vnus pastor id est Christus i. There shall be one pastor that is to say Christ I will shew another place or two in like manner expounded for the proofe of the same matter In the booke of the ceremonies of the Church of Rome the which I wish were in English that our English Catholikes might see the goodly ceremonies and orders of that Church it is thus written Papa in nocte natiuitatis domini benedicit ensem quem postea donat alicui principi in signum infinitae potentiae pontifici collatae iuxta illud data est mihi omnis potestas in coelo in terra Item dominabitur à mari vsque ad mare à flùmine vsque ad terminos orbis terrarum i. The Pope in the night of the feast of Christs Natiuitie blesseth a sword for a signe of the infinit power giuen to him which hee afterward bestoweth vpon some Prince according to that saying All power is giuen to me both in heauen and in earth also He shall rule from the sea vnto the sea and from the stood vnto the ends of the world Are not these sayings thinke you finely expounded of the Pope whereof the one our Sauiour Christ himselfe spake and the other the Prophet Dauid prophesied of Iesus Christ himselfe And the former of these places Stephen the Archbishop of Patraca applied vnto Pope Leo the 10. in the Councell of Lateran in the audience of the Pope himselfe who thankefully accepted it and suffered it to be published and printed and so to this day was neuer by any Papist disliked By these places any man may discerne and iudge whether this Romish prelate be not that man of sinne and sonne of perdition an aduersarie that exalteth himselfe against or aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped sitting as God in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God of whom S. Paul before prophecied in taking these things vnto himselfe which Gods spirit spake properly and peculiarly of Iesus Christ The place of Saint Peter 1. chap. 4. Loue or charitie couereth the multitude of sinnes they expound in this sense that charitie maketh satisfaction for our sinnes and couereth and hideth our sinnes before God Iohn Fisher the Bishop of Rochester writeth hereof thus Tertius modus est per vehementis charitatis affectum Nam vehemens vtique charitatis affectus peccatorum etiam expurgat reliquias quum dicat diuus Petrus Charitas operit multitudinem peccatorum i. The third meanes to purge away sinne is by the affection of vehement charitie for surely the vehement affection of charitie doth also purge out the remnants of sinnes for S. Peter saith Charitie hideth the multitude of sinner That this is a priuate and false exposition a simple and meane man may see especially if he looke vpon the place in the Prouerbs chap. 10. 12. from the which Saint Peter doth alleage it and is commonly quoted in the margent Hatred stirreth vp contention but loue or charitie couereth all trespasses Where Salomon sheweth that
to beleeue must be vninersall for all time comprehending allages and vniuersall for place comprehending all nations but that Church which the Protestants beleeue was interrupted all the ages betwixt the Apostles and Luther which was 1400. yeares or in very deede was neuer seene before Luthers dayes therefore that Church they beleeue cannot be Catholike Neither is it vniuersall in place being contained within the narrow bounds of England which is accompted but as a corner of the world for the Lutherans in Germanie the Hugonites in Fraunce and the Guines in Flaunders detest their religion as much as the Catholikes neither will they ioyne issue with them in diuers essentiall points And therefore the Protestants Church which they beleeue can no more be called Catholike or vniuersall then England the vniuersall world or Kent the Kingdome of England or a pruned bough a wheate tree or a dead finger a man or a rotten tooth the whole head The second article is the communion of Saints the which they many wayes deny First by not beleeuing that Christ hath instituted seuen Sacraments wherein the Saints of his Church communicate and specially the true and real presence of our Sauiour Christ in the Eucharist by which all the faithfull receiuers participating of one and the selfe same bodie are made one bodie as all the parts of a mans bodie are made one liuing thing by participating one soule Secondly they denie the communion of the Church militant and triumphant by exclaming against inuocation of Saints by which holy exercise the blessed Saints in heauen and we in yearth communicate we by prayer glorifying them and they by meditation obtayning our request Thirdly they deny the communion of the Church militant and the soules in purgatorie bereauing them of that Christian charitie which charitable compassion and mercifull pitie requireth and by naturall affection the members of one bodie helpe one another The third article is remission of sinnes for they acknowledge no such effect in the Sacrament of Baptisme but onely count it as an externall signe or seale of a prereceiued grace or fauour of God by his eternall predestination against the expresse word of God which therefore calleth this Sacrament the lauer of regeneration for that in it the soule dead by sinne is newly regenerate by grace Moreouer they allow not the Sacrament of penance wherein all actuall sinnes committed after Baptisme are cancelled and that which exceedeth all in absurditie is to deny that our sinnes are all perfectly forgiuen but onely not imputed and as it were veiled or couered with the passion of Christ all the botches and biles the filth and abomination of sinne still remaining and as it were exhaling a most pestiferous sent in the sight of God For let them shift themselues as they list and scarfe their â—ores according to their fancies yet no veile nor mantell can couer their deformitie of sinne from the pearcing eyes of Gods perfit vnderstanding from which nothing can be concealed Fourthly the puritanes in effect deny that Christ is the sonne of God for they peremptorilie affirme that Christ is God of himselfe and not God of God So that he receiued not his diuinitie from his father The which position flatly taketh away the nature of a sonne for the nature of a sonne is to receiue his substance of his Father and it implyeth contradiction that the sonne receiueth his person of his Father and not his substance and essence for the substance of God is essentiall to euery person in trinitie Fiftly finally they deny the descension of Christ into hell and desperately defend that he suffered the paines of Hell vpon the Crosse whereby they blaspheme most horribly that sacred humanitie as if Christ had despaired of his saluation as if God had hated him and he had hated God as if he had been afflicted and tormented with anguish of minde for his offences for which he was depriued of the sight of God and eternally to be depriued all which horrible punishments are included in the paines of Hell and whosoeuer ascribeth them to Christ blasphemeth more horribly then Arius who denied him to be God for lesse absurditie it were to deny him to be God then to make God the enemie of God Answere IN this fourth article the syllogisme promised is not performed But in steede thereof here is an accusation that we know not what we beleeue nor why we beleeue Your proofe before I haue examined and what we beleeue I haue declared whereof the rule is not our owne fancie as you say and shew not as the rule of your faith and life is the Popes folly as hath been in part shewed You say we haue no rule whereby to know what is the matter of faith We haue the word of God contained in the canonicall Scriptures of the old and new Testament and is that no rule I pray you what doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie but a rule and why be the Scriptures called canonicall but because they be the rule of our faith and life Thomas Aquinas saith Doctrina enim Apostolorum prophetarum dicitur canonica quia est regula intellectus nostri that is The Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is called canonicall because they be the rule of our vnderstanding Dauid when he said Thy word is a light vnto my feete and a lanterne vnto my pathes what did he but make that same the rule direction and guide of his faith and life when Moses said Now therefore hearken O Israel vnto the ordinances and to the lawes which I teach you to doe that ye may liue and goe in and possesse the land which the Lord God of your Fathers giueth you ye shall put nothing to the word which I commaund you neither shall take ought therefrom that ye may keepe the commaundements of the Lord your God which I commaund you what did he but make Gods word declared to him and written by him the rule of their faith and life When God said to Iosua Let not this booke of the law depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day and night that thou maist obserue and doe according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou haue good successe What did he but make his written word the rule of his faith and whole life When Abraham said to the rich man condemned in Hell They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them what did he but shew that the writings of Moses the Prophets were the onely rule which his brethren should follow to auoyd damnation and consequently to attaine eternall saluation Chrysostom saith Ne igitur multorum opiniones habeamus sed resipsas inquiramus Quomodo autem non absurdum propter pecunias alijs non credere sed ipsas numerare supputare pro rebus autem amplioribus aliorum sententiam sequi
this disputation that our Lord Iesus Christ hath as he speaketh in the Gospell put vs vnder his easie yoke and light burthen whereupon he hath bound together the societie and communion of his people by Sacraments in nūber fewest in obseruation easiest in significatiō most excellent as is baptisme consecrated in y e name of the Trinity the cōmunion of his body bloud if there be any thing els commēded in the canonical scriptures The like he writeth in his 3. booke de doctr Christiana cap. 9. by the which it appeareth that he thought these two Sacraments to be sufficient for faithful Christians to communicate in And if he had acknowledged any mo it is maruell y t writing of purpose of thē he did not name them Yet S. Augustine did not deny this article of the cōmunion of Saints Bessarion a Cardinal of Rome a learned man dissenteth frō you saith Haec duo sola sacramēta in Euāgelio manifestè tradita legimus i. We read that these only 2. sacraments are plainly deliuered to vs in the Gospell yet did he not deny this article of faith Your own doctor Alexander de Hales flatly affirmeth that neither Christ nor his Apostles did institute ordain the Sacramēt of Cōfirmation but y t it was afterward ordained in the Councel called Meldense yet he denied not this Article And therfore you ouershot your self in saying that they which beleeue not y t Christ did institute 7. sacramēts deny this article of faith The cōmunion of Saints But to proceed with you concerning y e true real presence of Christ in the Eucharist we denie the same not to the faith of the godly worthy receiuer but to the mouth teeth of y e car nal eater We beleeue and say that Christs bodie bloud in as much as they were offred vpon the crosse for our redēption are the spirituall food of our soules without which we can neither liue vnto God here nor liue with God here after that y e same is offred to vs partly in the promises of the Gospel partly in y e sacramēts of Baptisme Christs supper and is in both apprehended of vs by faith without which neither the word nor Sacraments can profit vs. But here I must put you in mind that you corruptly alleage a place of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 10. 17. foisting in this word Bodie for Bread S. Paules words bethus We that are manie are one bread and one bodie because we are partakers of one bread This shifting of the words of the holy Ghost is too vsuall with your companions Bunderius a Louaine Frier alleaging the words of Saint Paul in the next chapter verse 27. Quicunque manducauerit panem hunc c. He that eateth this bread c. putteth out the word panem and foisteth in the word carnem flesh alleaging it thus Qui manducat carnem bibit calicem Domini indignè c. He that eateth the flesh drinketh the cup of the Lord vnworthily c. D. Harding in his Confutation of the Apology intreating of Purgatorie alleaging the words of S. Paul 2. Cor. 7. 1. to proue satisfaction for sinnes by that fained fire putteth out Sanctification and in place therof putteth Satisfaction alleaging it thus making perfect satisfaction in the feare of God Cardinall Hosius changeth the words of Saint Paul alleaging them thus Neque ferre possunt vt per verbum Dei signo crucis vlla creatura sanctificetur that is They cannot abide that anie creature should be sanctified by the word of God and signe of the crosse He putteth out prayer and putteth in the signe of the Crosse as a more holie thing The foresaid Bunderius doth most shamefully alleage a place of the Apostle in this sort Nam si cinis vitulae conspersus populum sanctificauit atque mundauit quantò magis aqua sale conspersa diuinis precibus sacrata populum sanctificat atque mundat that is If the ashes of an heifer sprinkled haue sanctified and cleansed the people how much more shall water sprinkled with salt being hallowed with diuine prayers sanctifie and cleanse the people c. The words of the Apostle be these If the bloud of bulles goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling them that are vncleane sanctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the bloud of Christ which through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without fault to God purge your conscience from dead works to serue the liuing God Is not this horrible handling of Gods word blasphemous attributing that to their salt water which is proper peculiar to the bloud of Christ I could shew in like maner how they haue clipped the coine of Gods word in leauing out words of purpose which serue not their turne but I wil omit them only this I say y t if they which counterfeit clip the kings coin deserue hāging what do they deserue y t counterfeit clip the word of the eternal God king of al Kings but corrupt doctrine cānot be maintained without corruptiō of Gods word But to returne to S. Pauls place he there disswadeth the Christians of Corinth from going to Idolatrous feasts by a reason taken from the Supper of our Sauiour Christ shewing that as the faithfull by eating that bread which there is broken drinking that Cup are made partakers of Christ Iesus so they that did eate those feasts ordained to the honoring of Idols were partakers of Idolatrie there committed or rather of the Diuell that was there serued And as the faithfull by being partakers of that bread haue communion together and be made one body to wit the mysticall body of Christ so they that receiue those Idol bankets haue communion together and shew themselues to be of one body videl of the Diuell Now as there needed no transubstantiation for the one no more there doth for the other Also this bread which S. Paul calleth the communiō of the body of Christ is broken yet I trust they wil not say that Christs body is broken although Pope Nicholas caused that excellent man Berengarius so to confesse But of the grosse and absurd doctrine of transubstantiation I will speake no more at this present You say moreouer that we deny the communion of the Church militant and triumphant by exclaming against inuocation of Saints by which holy exercise those blessed Saints in heauen and we in earth communicate we by prayer glorifying them and they by meditation I thinke it should be mediation obtayning our requests Hereunto I answere first that this inuocation of Saints is vnlawfull and cannot bee proued by the holy Scriptures And this offer I doe make you that if you can bring one plaine place out of all the holy Scriptures wherein it was euer commaunded or of any faithfull man or woman vsed I will yeeld vnto you not onely in this but also in all matters of Religion You quote
the mother of vs all which is the holy Catholike Church that we beleeue Hereunto I will adde a few sayings of the Fathers to them which I haue before alleaged Saint Augustine saith Corpus huius capitis Ecclesia est non quae hoc loco est sed quae hoc loco per totum orbem terrarum nec illa quae hoc tempore sed ab ipso Abel vsque ad eos qui nascituri sunt vsque in finem credituri in Christū totus populus sanctorum ad vnam ciuitatem pertinentium quae ciuitas corpus est Christi cui caputest Christus that is The bodie of this head is the Church not which is in this place onely but that which is in this place and through the whole world neither that Church which is at this time but that of them which from Abel shall be borne vnto the end and shall beleeue in Christ euen the whole companie of Saints pertaining to one citie which citie is the bodie of Christ whereof Christ is the head And in another place Ille caput est nos membra sumus tota ecclesia quae vbique diffusa est corpus ipsius est cuius est ipse caput Non solum autem fideles qui modo sunt sed qui fuerunt ante nos qui post nos futuri sunt vsque in finem seculi omnes ad corpus eius pertinent cuius corporis ipse caput est qui ascendit in coelum He is the head wee are his members the whole Church which is dispersed euery where is his bodie whereof he is the head And not onely the faithfull which be now but also they which haue been before vs and which shall be after vs vnto the end of the world all pertaine to his bodie of which bodie hee which hath ascended into heauen is the head Againe Caelestis Hierusalem ciues sunt omnes sanctificati homines qui fuet unt qui sunt qui futuri sunt that is All sanctified men which haue been which are and which shall be citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem Cyprian saith Ecclesia nunquam à Christo discedit ijsunt ecclesia qui in domo Dei permanent that is The Church neuer departeth from Christ and they be the Church which continue in the house of God Againe Adulterari non potest sponsa Christi incorrupta est pudica vnam domum nouit vnius cubiculi sanctitatem casto pudore custodit Haec nos Deo seruat haec filios regno quos generauit assignat that is The spouse cannot be defiled she is vncorrupt and chast she knoweth one house and keepeth with chast shamefastnes the holines of one chamber she keepeth vs to God she assigneth the children whom she hath borne vnto his kingdome Saint Hierome saith Ipsa ecclesia quae est Sanctorum omnium congregatio pro aeterna sibi in Domino stabilitate columna fundamentum dicitur veritatis The Church which is the congregation of all Saints by reason of her eternall stedfastnes in God is called the pillar and ground of truth Chrysostome saith Ecclesia est tabernaculū à Deo fixum non ab homine ab vno loco in aliū fugit sednon à pietate ad impietatē fugit that is The Church is the tabernacle which God hath pight and not man she flieth from one place to another but she neuer flieth from godlines to impietie and wickednes Ambrose Apostolus omnem ecclesiam dicens summatim totum comprebendit quod in coelo est interra that is The Apostle meaning all the Church briefly comprehendeth the whole which is both in heauen and in earth Bernard saith Electi Dei sunt ecclesia Dei The elect of God be the Church of God So saith Clemens Alexandrinus as I haue before alleaged Non nunc locum sed electorum congregationem appello ecclesiam I call not now the place the Church but the congregation of the elect Yea Frier Lyra saith Ex quo patet quod ecclesia non consistat in hominibus ratione potestatis vel dignitatis ecclesiasticae vel secularis quia multi principes summi pontifices alij inferiores inuenti sunt apostatasse à fide propter quod ecclesia consistit in illis personis in quibus est notitia vera confessio fides veritatis that is Whereby it appeareth that the Church consisteth not in men in respect of their ecclesiasticall or secular power or dignitie for many Princes and Popes and others of lower degree haue bin found to haue bin Apostates and to haue fallen away from the faith Wherefore the Church consisteth in those persons in whom is true knowledge and the confession of faith and truth This is that holy Catholike Church which we in the Creede confesse and beleeue euen the whole number of them whom God hath elected and chosen to eternall life whom God hath had in all ages and of all nations of which Church euery true and faithfull man and woman must beleeue himselfe to be a true and liuely member whereof he may be assured if he finde and feele that God hath lightened his minde with the knowledge of his truth hath wrought in his heart an vnfained faith to trust in his mercies and to beleeue that his sinnes be forgiuen him for Christs names sake and that God hath sanctified his soule and bodie to hate sinne and to haue a care and conscience to serue him in true holines and righteousnes all the daies of his life This being our confession and beliefe with what conscience and truth can this man say that the Church which the Protestants beleeue hath been interrupted all the ages betwixt the Apostles and Luther and in very deede was neuer seene before Luthers daies or that wee imagine the same to be comprehended within the narrow bounds of England I can say nomore but that a false witnes shall not be vnpunished and he that speaketh lyes shall not escape But now let vs see what this man and his fellowes hold beleeue and call the Catholike Church forsooth the companie of all them that receiue and professe the religion and doctrine of the Church of Rome and submit themselues to be ruled and gouerned by the Bishop and Pope of Rome They that doe not this be Heretikes Schismatikes out of Noahs Arke and out of the Catholike Church And hereupon it followeth that the Christians in Graecia Muscouia Armenia Aethiopia c. where Christianitie hath continued vnto this day and among whom no doubt but some haue been of Gods elect and chosen people yet be they no Catholikes nor of the Catholike Church nor in the state of salnation And why because they neither haue been nor be subiect to the Pope of Rome For so it is with many words solemnely defined and determined by that holy and vertuous Pope Boniface the 8. Subesse Romano pontifici omni humanae creaturae
the person of Christ and you denie the office of Christ in not acknowledging him to be our onely Prophet and teacher whose onely voyce wee must heare and obey nor the only King and head of his Church nor our onely high Priest with the sweete smelling sacrifice of himselfe once for euer offered to redeeme and reconcile vs to God nor our only mediatour to make intercession for vs. The Arians did cruelly persecute the true Christians and so do Papists when power is in their hand to do it The Arrians when they could not preuaile against that excellent man Athanasius fell to raile vpon him and to slaunder him accusing him of adulterie murther and sorcerie and euen so do you deale now with such as for their godlinesse and learning may well bee compared with Athanasius I meane especially Caluin whom the Authour of that vnlearned libell and beastly booke intituled A quartron of reasons of Catholike religion c. is not ashamed to call a seare backt priest for Sodomie O thou shamelesse man or rather monster art thou not ashamed to slaunder and belie such a man of whom they that knew him did truly write of him ipsa à quo potuit virtutem discere virtus that euen vertue it selfe might as it were haue learned vertue of him How doest thou know that Caluin was such a man I assure my selfe that thou didst neuer see him nor know him yea I nothing doubt but that thou wast scarsly borne whē he died And how doest thou know y t he was subiect to such a filthie sinne where was hee euer accused or conuicted of such a matter In that Citie adulteries be punished by death and would Sodomie haue bin winked at in the Preacher And if it were not knowne there how doest thou know it But I will not insist any longer in cōfuting this shamelesse slaunder For most true it is which Tully saith Nonne vt ignis in aquam coniectus continuò restinguitur refrigeratur sic referuens falsum crimen in purissimam castissimamque vitam collatum statim concidit extinguitur that is As fire being cast into water is straight waies quenched so a feruent false crime and slaunder being cast into a most pure and chast life such as Caluines was forthwith falleth downe and is extinguished And euen so let this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. slanderer and Bolsec the Apostata and all other raile and slaunder what they can yet Caluines memorie with God and all good men will be blessed for euer And this railer herein sheweth himselfe like not onely to the Arians but also to that ancient enemie to Christianitie Porphyrius who as Eusebius saith going about to reprehend and finde fault with the Scriptures and Preachers of the Word not being able to reproue their doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is wanting reasons he fell a railing and slaundering the Preachers But to returne to my matter let the reader also with indifferencie consider who be like to the Donatists Pelagians Nestorians and Euty chians we or the Papists The Donatists affirmed the Church to haue perished from the rest of the world and to haue remained onely with them in Africa Doe not the Papists in like manner affirme only them to be the Church of God which in a part of Europe be vnder the obedience of the Bishop of Rome vnlesse now they will adde the West Indians of whom as the Spaniards haue murthered many millions so peraduenture a few be either perswaded or coacted to professe Poperie and submit themselues to the Pope of Rome But the Christian Churches in Grecia Aethiopia Armenia Muscouia and other countries they acknowledge not for the Church of God because they doe not subiect themselues vnto the Church of Rome we acknowledge al them to be of the Church of God which in all the world hold the truth in the chiefe and fundamentall points of Christian religion The Pelagians held first that the grace of God whereby wee be deliuered is giuen according to our merits Secondly that the law of God may be fulfilled of vs. Thirdly that wee haue free will the Papists herein be so like to them that as they maintaine in effect the same matters so for the defence of them they alleage the same places of Scriptures now as the Pelagians of old time did as appeareth by the writings of S. Augustine and S. Hierome against them Nestorius did as Theodoretus writeth of him trouble and intangle the simple and plaine doctrine of Christian faith with Greekish Sophistications How the Papists haue herein ioyned with him and by their curious Questions and vaine Sophistications haue troubled and peruerted the pure simple and plaine faith of Christ by their Schoolemen it doth euidently appeare Entyches confounded the two natures in Christ and the properties peculiar to them So doe the Papists in making the bodie of Iesus Christ to be at one instant in heauen and earth and infinite places of the earth which is only proper vnto the Deitie This shall suffice to shew that the Papists be liker to these olde heretikes then wee are whose doctrine wee abhorre and be farre further from it then they be Yea I may not onely truly say but can also plainly proue Poperie to be an hotchpotch of old heresies long agoe condemned in the Church of God The which as I did once in publike place shew so I may if it be the will of God hereafter more plainly and plentifully proue Now this worthie writer or rather lewd libeller will proue and that by a syllogisme out of the principles of our religion that S. Paul exhorteth vs to infidelitie This subtile syllogisme is thus framed Whosoeuer exhorteth vs to doubt of that which we are bound to beleeue by faith exhorteth to infidelitie But Saint Paul doth exhort vs to doubt of our saluation which we are bound to beleeue by faith according to the Protestants religion Ergo Saint Paul exhorteth vs to infidelitie As the assumption or second proposition of this syllogisme as it now standeth is false so by a small alteration both it and all the rest may be very true that is by putting out the name of S. Paul and putting Papists in place thereof in this sort Whosoeuer exhorteth vs to doubt of that which we are bound to beleeue by faith exhorteth vs to infidelitie The Papists exhort or at leastwise teach vs to doubt of our saluation Ergo the Papists exhort vs to infidelitie The first proposition of this syllogisme is affirmed by this writer to be plaine The second is the doctrine of the Papists concluded and determined in that Tridentine Cōuenticle where it is said that they which be truly iustified cannot without all doubt account themselues to be iustified And againe that no man can know by certaintie of faith which is not subiect to error and falsehood that he hath obtained the grace of God And againe Siquis dixerit omni homini