Ibid. f. 15. And a great protestant minister in a supplication sent to the last Queene said that shee was one of those Princes which made profession of the ghospell but opposed her selfe against the ghospell and that they are flatters that tell her the contrarie and if that shee could get the crowne without the ghospell it is doubtfull whether euer the ghospell would haue footing in England Stanchares said that Caluin iumped very well with Arrius and that both of them makes the Sonne of God to pray in the diuine nature that he is a minister a Bishopp and a mediator in that nature and that the ministers in Germany Hungarie Transiluania and Polonia haue celebrated many Councells and sinodes to take away our Catholique faith of the Trinitie and mediator Tiguri ep ad Polonos Anne 1560. and haue made many bookes full of Arrian blasphemies to that effect In Heluetia the ministers of the Church of Tigure do professe the Arrian faith Tiguri epist ad Polonos Anno 1560. And all those that are of the Chruch of Geneua and Tigurie are Arians thus fare the said Stancharus Many saith Iosias Simlerus in pref lib. de eterno dei that are brought vpp in Geneua are become Turckes for they came vnto Polonie and so they did ymbrace Mahometisme as Ochinus Alamanus Blandrata Paulus Alciatus and Gregor Paulus minister of the Church of Cracouia who hauing denied the Trinitie became a Turcke as Gonesius and Gribaldus and Franciscus Dauidis for this last was superintendent of Hungarie So did Adam Nimser the cheefe superinten of Heydelberge in Palatyne of Rhene with his fellowe Iohn Syluanus Stan li. de mediatora fol. 38. who of Caluinistes became Turckes and went to Constantinople where they made open profession theâ—eof and protested that the religion of Caluinistes tended directly to Turcisme and before these people went out of Palatyne they subuerted many great preachers who by their meanes became Turckes and taught publickly the Alcoran in Germanie Also Iohn Socius being brought vpp at Geneua did not only preach the Turkish religion but also published bookes confirminge the same So did Volanus beinge brought vpp in that place not only become Turcke himselfe but also set foorth bookes defendinge Turcisme and auoutched that he learned the groundes of his doctrine from Caluine and Beza Lucas Sternebergerus a minister of Morauia did the like for 1. he preached against the Trinity tooke away all inuocation thereof because saith he there is no mention thereof made in the Scripture 2. that Christ was not God but man but more excellent then all the prophetts 3. that the holy Ghoast is not God 4. that wee must not keepe holy dayes to Sainctes 5. that wee must keepe Saterday holie and not Sonday because saith he God so comaunded in the scripture and by the same argument he brought in Circumcision Prateolus in Elench Alphabetica lib. 10 c. 12. 7. And did not some of the familie of loue publishe these articles at London that Christ is not equall with his Father as by Caluine his interpretation they proue it and that Christ in no sort is God 3. That there is no Trinitie c such as calles God the Father God the sonne and God the holy Ghoast do speake blasphemouslie for say they this is to professe there are three Godes Did not Thomas Lyth Cartwrites companion for puritanisme in the weast part of England as the other in the North part being brought to Ireland by Sr. Iohn Dowdaâ—l to Yonghull a Towne in Mounster in Ireland say that the Angell Raphaell was a witch and that the blessed Virgin Marie was not blessed amoungest all woomen with many other such blasphemous spechees And lastlie did not this Turkish doctrine infect many Northern Prouinces by the infection of one Lastus which was a cheefe superintendent of England in king Edwardes dayes This man being a Disciple of Zuinglian did labour in Polonia to abolish the blessed Trinitie and the Deitie of Christ by whose instigation Nicholas Badzâ—dius the Duke of Olice and Palatine did of vilanie send one Martyne Secouitus with letters to Bullenger and Caluine to ioyne with them in this wicked doctrine of taking away the Trinitie and Deitie of IESVS Christ A further Confirmation that these new gospellers tende directly to Turcisme CHAPTER II. 1. THe first and cheefest of the Protestants did affirme the religion of the Turckes to be far better then that of the Papistes and when the Turcke inuaded Austria Luther writt bookes that the Germanes should not take part with the Emperor against him as Eras in epist. ad fratres Germaniae inferioris saying I had rather fight for a Turcke not baptized then for a Turcke baptized meaninge the Emperor Charles the fift The rebelles of Flanders in the begininge of their insurrection against their lawfull Prince Phillipp the 2 of Spaine in their standart gaue the ensignes and Armes of the Turck videlicet a siluer figure of the encrease of the Moone with this ensigne Plutost Turckes que Papaux Wee will rather be Turckes then Papists How many protestant Princes did sollicitt Amurate and other princes of the Ottoman howse to come to Hungarie Math. de â—annoy en la. repliq lib 2. c. 13 Austria and other places Also anno 1575. the Prince of CoÌ„de being broken with France and at Basill consulting with the ministers there what were best to be done to renewe the warres against his kinge and country they gaue him counsell to submitt himselfe to the Turckes and that by that meanes the warres would be reinflamed againe Did not in the second rebellion of France the Hugonotes by many messengers seeke to bring in the Turcke to the ruyne of France the rest of Christendome An. 1589. for said they our religion is neerest vnto your religion vnlesse that yow obserue more fastinge and praying vnto which our religion doth not tye vs also that wee haue giuen a great impediment by the Princes of Germany who followed our Councell against Charles the fift Ex literis Constanti ad VenetuÌ„ patrium in fine â—ibri de fucoribus Gallicis vide Surium 1568. also wee dissuaded our kinges of France not to giue helpe to his brother the kinge of Spayne in the warres of Millan seas against you for the kinge of Spaine had the possession of those landes which he had lost about that sea had not our Bretheren the gospellers of France dissuaded our kinge from helpinge him also wee promise vnto you whensoeuer it shall please you that wee will be redie to broach any stuâ— or insurrection in Germanie and in France Did not the English Ambassadour labor to putt away the Iesuittes out of Constantinople which are there for the releefe of poore christiÌ„as Resp ad iustaÌ„ Brittanicum pag. 167. Par. 1584. whisperinge into the Turckes eares that they would bringe his monarchie vnto great perill And that the said English Ambassadour sollicited the great Turcke to make warres vppon
and tremblinge at his wordes and speeches Whether euery man ought to be iudge of the scripture and to rely altogether vpon his owne iudgment touching the interpretation therof being inspired by the holly ghoast concerning the same CHAPTER V. 1. THis is the assersion of William Whitakers in his booke against Cardinall Bellarmin for that saith he councells fathers and popes be men And the scripture auerreth all men to be lyeares and so no man can be assured his faith to be certaine and infallible Wherto I answer that no priuat man can be assured of the certitude of an infallible faith and therfore nott of the good spiritt rather then of the badde by whose suggestiō many are intoxicated with dangerous and damnable opinions for according to the Apostle 2. Corint Sathan often times transfigureth himselfe into an Angell of light and the fore the holy scripture willeth vs 1. Ioh. 4. Th 4. to be very carefull in discerning of the spiritts and nott to beleue euery spiritt for it is the holy catholicke church that wee ought to beleue and obey 1. Tim. 3. which the scripture beareth wittnesse to be the piller and firmament of trueth but it giueth no certitude or euidence of any priuat spiritt or pecular iudgment of any one in particuler and therfore the holy councell saith It seemeth good to the holy ghost and to vs Act. 15. which holy ghoast is said to be nott with euerie particuler man but with the church in generall and with those that haue charge and direction therof Ero vobiscum vsque ad consummationem seculi euen to the consummatiō of the world Matt. 28. And vnto S. Peter his successors is said I haue praid for you that your faith may not fayle Luc. 22. and seeing this priuiledg is giuen to S. Peter for the good of the church as the first and cheefe pastor therof vnder Christ and to no other in particuler as long as the church shall continewe the praiers and intercession of Christ shal not be frustrated And therfore S. Cypriā affirmeth the fountaine of all heresies to haue proceeded for that one priest for the time being one iudg for the time being vnder Christ is not regarded For which way saith he can heresies be preuented that they spring nott or being sprong already that they be nott extended or encreased wher there are so many masters as disciples so many iudges as barristers And for this cause S. Hierom saith against Iouinian amoungest 12. one is chosen that a cheef being ordained occasion of scisme should be taken away 2. The tables of both the testaments referred vs ouer to no particuler iudgment but altogether to the small decree and arbitrement of the high priest Deut. 17. as it is saied If there be any hard or doubtfull iudgment amongest you goe to the priest of the Leuiticall stocke and to the iudge that shall be ordained for that time and he shall enforme you of the trueth Whose lippes according to Malachias Mal. 2. shall keepe wisdome because he is the angell of the Lord of hoastes if he will not hearken vnto the Church Matt. 18. lett him be vnto you an ethnick and a publican And in the newe testament our Sauiour appointed one pastor aboue the rest vnto which he hath committed the feeding of his flocke which should haue beene friuolous if the flocke would nott receaue food from him Ephes 4. Afterwards he ordained pastors and doctors in his church which should be also a friuolous ordinance if euerie one should be a proper pastor and doctor to him self And although councells fathers and popes are men so the testimonies of the scriptures may also be taxed with the imputation of humane errors so were the Apostles and prophets men also yett wee ought to beleue them because the holly ghost was not a lyar that spake in them And so the ecclesiasticall councells fathers and popes being lawfully assembled together and assisted by the holly ghoast Matt. 28. which in such a case is promised vnto them did not erre 3. Another obiection they bring Ioan. 14. saying S. Peter was nott promised vnto the Church to direct the same butt the holly Ghost which should direct and instruct all the Apostles and nott S Peeter I answer that God promised the holie ghoast as an inuisible and internall doctor and director S. Peter his visible and externall doctor he left in his church And therfore S. Augustine saith Aug. in Ioh. 14. after promising the holly ghoast lett no man thincke that he shall so giue the holly ghoast vnto his church in his owne place is though him self also would nott be with the same for he auowtched he would nott leaue them orphanes but would come vnto them 4. And althoughe the holy ghoast was promised to instruct the Church in all trueth yett not without the Father and the sonne for their externall worcks are indiuisible for there is but one indiuisible substance and because the Church is a visible body so it ought to haue a visible viccar vnder Christ the inuisible head therof And therfore he saide vnto S. Peter Ioh. 11. Simon of Iohn louest thou me more then these feed my lambes which he repeated thrise first commending vnto him his lambes afterwards his litle ones the third time his sheepe and so expoundeth S. Ambrose in cap. vlt. Luc. 5. Nowe the power and iurisdiction which was promised vnto S. Peter Math. 16. that the Church should be builded vpon him that the keyes of the kingdome of heauen should be also giuen vnto him is accomplished and performed in the 21. of S. Iohn feed my sheep of whom he is actually made the generall pastor and viccar 6. And although the rest of the Apostles were lightes and priests and had authoritie also in the 20. of S. Iohn yet theirs was extraordinary which should end with them selues and whatsoeuer authority they had was by the sacraments by which they remitted sinne S. Peter had authoritie to bind and loose immediatly and by him the the Apostles as depending vpon him as S. Thomas saith in 4. dist 19. q. 1. art 3. and so he maketh a distinction of the two powers videl of order and iurisdiction the first was equally giuen to all the Apostles Iohn 20. and consequently to all priests but the secōd power was principally giuē to S. Peeter and from him to be deriued vnto the rest of the Apostles How heretiques would faine take awaie all tradition alleadginge for their purpose that of S. Math. 15. In vaine you worshipp me teachinge for doctrine mens precepts CHAPTER III. 1. THis is it saith S. Augustine that all heretiques doe bragge of Lib contr Maximū if I should aunswere all such trifles I should neuer make an ende saith he soe as he would not aunswere to this place for he saith that the traditions of the Apostles ought to be of as great force as the holie scriptures
least they should be subiect to the viewe of the people by which Origines did signifie that the misterie of the sacrifice ought to be hidden from the common people and vnworthie persons Lib Ecclesiae Hierarch and soe Dionys saith when our holly princes did institute publiquely the holly sacrifice they haue neuerthelesse deliuered the same in secret manner 9. Were not the Bethsamites punished for beholding the Arcke curiouslie was not Oza alsoe punished by death for touching it Was not Balthazer plaged for prophaninge the holly vessels and for drinckinge out of them were not the sheapeeds cast downe with a thonder bolte in the fields for singing the holly wordes of consecration as Innocentius the 3. doth reporte therfore he comaunded that those wordes should be very secretly vsed in the church Therfore S. Basill saith Bas ibid. that many thinges are deliuered vnto the churche which are not writtē least the custome of such thinges should breede contempte and soe speaking of Moyses he said that he would not suffer euerie thinge that was sacred to be common to all for he knewe accordinge to his wisdome that the thinges common to euerie bodie are not in that request as thinges that are secrette therfore of these misticall things the Apostle S. Paule comaunded Timothy 2. Timot. that he should comend thē to men of faith and sanctity which are fitt for the same Tert. lib 1 Theologia Soe Tertulian saith non nimium est de Deo loqui neque omnibus neque omnia sunt propalanda it becomes not all men to dispute or reason of God and diuine thinges for all thinges are not to be made publicke to all men neither in all places Ignorare pleraque inquit ille nequum quod non debeas noris quia quod deberis nosti for it better saith he to be ignorante in those thinges which you ought not to knowe because it is sufficient to knowe what you are bound to knowe Soe Hilarius sayes Habet non tam veniam quā praemium ignorare quod credas quia maximum fidei stipendium est sperare quae nescias you shall not onlie haue pardon but a reward to be ignorant of that you beleue for it is a greate meritt of faith to hope that which you knowe nor Soe Clemens Alexandrinus saith not such as are wise accordinge to the word but such as are wise before God haue the possession of their faith which is learned without learninge the written booke of it is true charitie which is the diuine decree pertaininge to the simple and humble of harte Yea seuenty the two interpreters which were chosen of the best that could be sound aswell for their learning and vertue as also for knowledge in the scripture chosen by Eleazer the high priest at the request of Ptolomeus Philadelfus king of Egipt inspired by the holy ghoast to translate the scriptures yet in the misterie of the blessed Trinitie and the coming of the Messias for that they were misteries most profound they placed but a little marke without any other exposition for that they durst not interprett them Whether a man ought not to praie either by himselfe or by another but in a languadge he vnderstandeth CHAPTER VI. 1. ORigines doth aunswere to this point saying Non parum ex hoc ipso◠vtilitatis animae conferri c. he teacheth although the woordes of the scriptures be obscure which wee heare yet they penetratinge and pearcinge our hartes and mindes doe receaue great consolation therby if wee may beleeue that amoungest the gentiles some verses which they pronounce at their charminge and inchauntinge be of that force and efficacie when they be whispered into mens eares which those people themselues that doe repeate or saie them are ignorant of them and at the only voice or sounde of them the serpentes are either lulled a sleepe or driuen out of their hoales and caues how much more ought wee to beleue that the words of the holie scriptures and the prayers of the catholique church should be of greater force and vertue though they be pronounced in any languadge then any charminge whatsoeuer And as our Sauiour saith of the children of the church that their Angells doe assist thē before godes throne they doe offer our prayers and whatsoeuer appellation or inuocation wee make they exibitte and prefer it before his diuine maiestie And althoughe wee doe not vnderstand Kyrie eleison c. yet the Angells vnderstand it and not onlie manie vertues are aboute vs but they alsoe doe lodge and dwell in vs as the prophett said Benedic anima mea Dominum c. Let my soule prayse God and alsoe all my interior partes prayse him vid. all that is within me which are the angelicall vertues vnto whome the care of our soules and bodies are committed whoe are the more delighted if wee pray or vtter any verse of the scriptures if wee speake with our tounge though the sense be without fruicte yet the spiritt doth pray 1. Cor. 14. and soe S. Paule saith it to be a kind of misterie that somtymes the spiritt which is within vs doth praye yet the sense hath noe fruicte and soe he said that the spirits doth praye which are the blessed Angells resident in vs and are made joyfull and refreshed by our prayers though wee doe not ourselues vnderstand them and not onlie the Angells but God the Father God the sonne and God the holy ghoast accordinge to S. Iohn ad eum veniemus apud eum mansionem faciemus wee will come vnto him and dwell with him thus farre Origines and much more touchinge this subiect which were to longe to repeate 2. Yf a man ought not to pray or not to heare any thinge in the Church which he doth not vnderstand you will take awaye from her the vse of the psalmes which none though neuer soe learned can attaine to the full vnderstandinge of them in any knowen tounge whatsoeuer yea our Lords prayer which wee call the Pater noster though it be translated in to euerie language how many shall you finde that cannot vnderstand the same For amoungest the common sorte one of an hundred cannot comprehende the litterall meaninge of it much lesse the true sense of these wordes Giue vs this day our daylie bread c. which few amoungest your cheyfest ministers can expound as also these other wordes Et ne inducas in tentationem and leade vs not into tentation Wherein not three amoungest you all will agree in one and the selfe same exposition Soe as if you will neuer haue any prayers in the Church but what you vnderstand you shall haue but fewe or none at all 3. Our deuotion therfore doth not consist in the vnderstāding but in the will if the wil be furnished with charitie it skilleth not whether the vnderstandinge be replenished with great science or much knowledge It is charitie saith S. Paule that doth edifie but an heretique can neuer edifie
as God almightie comanded Moyses when he would deliuer his people from the seruile yoke of Aegipte Exod. 4. to take into his handes a peece of wood that is to say his rodd by which he was to worke all those miracles that he wrought Exod. 7.8.9 so when our Sauiour was to deliuer maÌ„kind from the thraldome of the deuill he tooke this wood which is his crosse of which Moyses rodde was a figure by which our Sauiour hath redeemed vs and by which both he and his spouse the Church doe worke miracles of which the spouse in the Canticles saith Cant. 7. Ascendam in altum apprehendam fructum eius I will climbe vpp into the toppe thereof and I will take some of the fruicte The fruit of this noble crosse is the mortifications of our passions the bridlinge of our filthie concupiscense the crucifieâ—gâ— of our luxurious carcase the restraint of our vnsatiable appetites The fruitt threâ—â—of are all the vertues both morall and supernaturall The fruicte thereof is a chast bodie a contrite hart an instant prayer a feruent spiritt a sounde religion a quiett conscience a perfect life a pure intention and a contemplatiue mind the foundatioÌ„ of all these vertues is true humilitie which was neuer knowen in the worlde before the crosse was exalted in worlde which as the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 1. as vnto the Iewes â—ertes a scandall vnto the gentiles foolishnes so now adayes vnto the heretiques of this tyme is Idolatrie but glorie and saluation vnto the vertuous catholiques who doe learne daily by this signe of the holy crosse the principall misteries of our faith which are two 12. First the misterie of the vnitie and trinitie of God secondlie the incarnation and passion of our Sauiour Wee make the signe of the crosse in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost and in this forme Puttinge the right hand vnder the foread when wee say in the name of the Father then vnder the breast when wee say and of the sonne lastly from the left shoulder vnto the right when wee say and of the holie ghoast And saying in the name and not in the names doth shew the vnitie of God and the diuine power and authoritie which is one onlie in all the three persons these woordes of the father of the sonne and of the holy Ghoast doe shewe vnto vs the trinitie of persons the signinge in forme of a crosse representeth vnto vs the passion and consequentlie the incarnation of the sonne of God the passinge from the left shoulder to the right signifieth that by that passion of our Sauiour wee were transferred from sinne vnto grace from transitorie thinges vnto eternall from death to life and wee that for our demeritts were to be placed with goates vpon the lefte hand he transferred vs with his sheepe vnto the right where wee may heare that blessed voice Matt. 15. Come yee blessed of my Father possesse the kingdome prepared for you c. 13. This signe also is made to shewe that wee are Christians to witt soldiors of Christ because this signe is as it were an ensigne or liuerie which distinguisheth the souldiors of Christ from all the enemies of the holie Church videl Gentiles Iewes Turckes and Heretiques besides this signe is made to call for Godes helpe in all our woorkes because with this signe the most holie Trinity is called to helpe by meanes of the passion of our Sauiour and therfore good Christians vse to make this signe when they arise from bed when they goe to sleepe and in the beginninge of all other thinges Finally this signe is made to arme vs against all temptations of the diuill because the diuill is afraide of this signe and flieth from it as malefactours doe when they see the signe of the Officers of iustice and many tymes by meanes of this signe of the holy crosse a man escapeth many dangers 14. S. Gregor Nazianzen Naz. in oratione priore quaÌ„ scripsit aduers Iulianum writeth of Iulian the Apostate Ad crucem confugit ac ob timoreâ—â— signatur adiutorem facit quem persequebatur c. He flieth vnto the crosse he signes himselfe therwith he doth aske his helpe whome he persecuted the signe of the crosse did preuaile the diuills are ouercome Theodoretus most famous amoungest the Grecians saith also of him Theod. li. 3. hist eccle Apparentibus demonibus c. When the diuills did appeare vnto him he was compelled to signe his fore-head with the signe of the crosse and presentlie the diuills at the sight of the signe of Christs ensigne remembringe their ouerthrowe they presentlie vanished away And Zozomenus saith of him thâ—s Ex consuetudine pristina symbolo se Christâ— clanculum obsignauit spectra illi subito euanuerunt Accordinge the old custome he did signe himselfe secrerlie with the badge of Christ and the ghoastes forthwith disappeared 15. Tertulian also wisheth euerie true soldiear of Christ Tert. de corona militis to defend and arme himselfe with the signe of the crosse Quamobrem ad omnem progressum c. Wherfore it was vsed that euerie one should make the signe of the crosse in his fore-head at his progresse and promotion at his goinge in and cominge forth in apparellinge himselfe in puttinge on his shoes in washinge himselfe at the table at the lightes at his goinge to bed at his rest in all his actions and conuersations Vnto which agreeth S. Chrisostome saying Neque sic regia corona ornatur caput Chrys in demonstr aduersus Gentiles quod Christus sit Deus to 3. vt Cruce subinde omnes ea se signant c. The crosse is a better ornament for the head of a Christian then the Diademe or crowne of a kinge when as all men do signe themselues therwith in their cheefest and principalest member which is the fore-head beinge the piller in which the same is engraued soe it is vsed in the Eucharist and in the holy Orders of priesthood likewise it shineth at Christs bodie at his misticall supper at home and abroade 〈◊〉 and in companie in your iourney at sea in the shipp in your apparell in your weapons and armes in the bodies of beastes ill at ease in the bodies of men possessed by the diuills so as all men ought to be greedie of this maruailous and pretious good of which they ought to be verie carfull thus fare S. Chrisostome of this noble crosse of which none that is a good Christian is ashamed but the Heretique is confounded therwith 16. The same also S. Augustine insinuated saying Aug. in Psal 141. Let him delude and tryumph ouer Christ crucified insultat ille Christo crucifixo c. I may behold the crosse of Christ in the fore-head of kinges that which he despiseth is a saluation to me none is so prowde as the diseased man that scornes his owne cure if he will not scorne it he should himselfe receaue
But to those wordes of our Sauiour S. Basill doth aunswere saying Nihil aliud ijs recepi verbis intelligi Bas in Ethicis quam quod humanis traditionibus ad mandatum Dei reprobandum obsequendum non sit that nothinge else is meante by those wordes then that wee ought not obey such traditions as are repugnant to Godes lawes as many obseruations of the Iewes and alsoe of the pharisies were then and the like traditions of heretiques are nowe yet we ought to obey the custome of the church otherwise wee should be counted by the wordes of Christe as Ethnicks and Publicans But the traditions deliuered to vs by the pastors and fathers thereof which are the foundation of our faith and which are not repugnant to Godes precepts nor to his lawes or scriptures but doe rather confirme the same are not meant by those wordes for Godes worde doth not consiste onlie of the scripture Vppon what occasion heraesie did growe but also of tradition for such as were old heretiques did not gainsaie the written word but because they did not beleue the tradition of the church and the definition thereof they were soe counted and accursed 2. That the sonne is of the same substance with the father the catholique fathers haue defined by godes word but because the heretiques did not finde the same written they would not beleue the church which did grant it was nor written but deliuered by tradition Soe as you may see the difference betwixt the heretique and the catholique Felix Pontifex writinge to Benignum 130. yeares before the councell of Nyce saith that it was an Apostolicall tradition that the sonne was of one substance with the father and that the holie Ghoast is to be adored as the father and the sonne and that he is of the same substance with the father and when the same heretiques did aske where it was written the church did answere them that it was deliuered vnto them by tradition which two pointes continued afterwardes by the 2. councell of Nyce and Constinople Articles of faith by traditions Also in the councell of Ephesus that the blessed Virgin Marie should be called the mother of God In the councell of chalcedon that there are two natures in Christe In the 3. councell of Constantinople that there are in him two wills and two operations In the second councell of Nyce against heretiques that the church should vse Images In the generall councell of florence that the holy ghoast proceedeth from the father and the sonne And when heretiques did relie all vpon the scripture the catholique fathers did conuince their interpretation of scriptures by tradition of the successiue doctors and fathers in all ages The tradition also that easter daye should be obserued vpon the sondaie next after vnto the 14. daie of the new Moone as some doe write S. Peter and S. Paule ordained so as in all pointes of doctrine wee recurr to the tradition of our ancestors and when you teache that all thinges are â—on by necessitie not by the free will of man wee recurr vnto the successiue age and wee find out that the first author was Symon magnus next vnto him was Marcion next vnto Marcion was Manichaeus next vnto him was Petrus Adelhardus Next vnto him was Iohn Wicklief Next after whome followed your great master Martyne Luther so that we find in all antiquitie of tymes that this doctrine was detested by the holy doctors that liued in those ages 3. Againe when you obiect vnto vs your tradition of your imputatiue iustice where you say that our faith is imputed vnto vs by the iustice of Christ as if it had bene our owne iustice as also that euery one vnder paine of damnation is bounde to beleue Tradition of protestantes and to be certaine that his sinnes be forgiuen him that he should not mistrust his proper infirmitie therein also that not any one is iustified but he that beleues for certaine that he is iustified and that his iustification and absolution of his sinnes is effected by faith onlie without any relation to the Sacraments and that euerie one is bound to beleue that he is in the number of those that are predestinated and that by all infallible certitude he hath the guifte of perseuerance to be the true seruante of God vnto the last gaspe of his life this and such like wee can not find in the scriptures nor in the fathers nor in the doctors of the churche but rather the contrarie and that which the holie catholique churche calles pennaunce All things peruerted by the protestants you call terror of conscience and that which she calles Sacraments and sacrifice you call it the Lords supper wee search the fathers and wee can finde noe such wordes and although somtimes they make mention of the supper yet more often doe they call the same a sacrifice Did not S. Paule wish Timothy to keepe his depositum to auoide the prophane nouelties of voices and oppositions of false tearmed knowledge For the scripture is not subiecte to loftie skill or arrogant or presumptuous mindes who I pray hath greater skill or knowledge and vnderstandinge of the scriptures then the deuilles and yet it auaileth them nothinge because their mindes are possessed with malice and their hartes are emptie of charitie soe as men doe not sinne so much by the ignorance of the vnderstanding as by the malice of the will Aug. de doctrina Christi an cap. 35. and accordinge to S. Augustine the summe scope of all the scriptures is charity whosoeuer saith he that seemes to vnderstaÌ„d the scripture or any parcell thereof soe that his vnderstandinge doth not edifie that knott I meane the loue of God and our neigbors he hath not as yet vnderstoode the scriptures 4. Now all your manner of administration and ministerie is your owne tradition and inuention without scripture or warrant of godes worde but the traditions of the Apostles and ancients and all the preceptes of holie churche were comauÌ„ded to be kepte and they are not prescribed by man only but are made by the holie ghoast ioyninge with our pastors in the regimente of the faithfull Luc. 2.37 Matt. 18. where Christe saith he that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me they are made by our mother the churche which whosouer obeieth not wee are warned to take him as a heathen 2. Cor. 3. S. Paule willed the people to keepe the decrees that were decreede by the Apostles and auncientes at Ierusalem he commaunded the people to keepe the precepts of the Apostles You are saith he written in our hartes not written with Incke but with the finger of the holy ghost S. Paule wrote many thinges not vttered in any epistle as some of the Apostles wrote the christian religion in the hartes of their hearers Wherfore Ireneus saith Iren. l. 3.4 what if the Apostles also had lefte noe scriptures ought wee not to followe
Cyprianus Clemens Alexandrinus Athanasius Eusebius Epiphanius Arnobius Hieronymus Ambrosius Augustinus Theodoretus Theophilactus Damascenus and others affirme For Christ offeringe himselfe vnto his Father nowe in heauen before vpon the Crosse cannot be saide that he is a prieste according the order of Melchisedec but rather accordinge to that of Arron as S. Thomas teacheth when he did offer himself in a bloody fashion vpon the Crosse whose oblation was but once and not foreuer as S. Paule saieth for besides that Christ instituted a churche and ordained sacramentes he offered two sacrifices the one on the crosse the other at his last supper both of them but one sacrifice in substance yet differ in forme and manner by that of the crosse Christe was a priest but not an eternall priest nor accordinge to Melchisedech because that was once only offered and being bloodie resembleth not the vnbloodie sacrifice of Melchisedech but by that he offered at his last supper for he by his priestes offeringe still that sacrifice in the Masse is a priest accordinge to Melchisedech whose sacrifice consisted of bread and wine And therfore euen as accordinge to S. Paule Melchisedech was a figure of Christe accordinge to his priest-hoode so was he a figure accordinge to his sacrifice for sacrifice and priest-hoode haue a speciall connexion and relation one with an other but his order can not be said to be in a bloodie manner For wee doe not read that euer Melchisedech did offer any bloodie sacrifice therfore this order must needes consist in an oblation of an vnbloodlie sacrifice And although wee shoulde graunt that he offred himselfe accordinge to both the oblation accordinge the order of Melchisedech and the oblation of the crosse yet the sense of the oblation of the crosse ought not to take awaie the sense of the oblation of the other 7. The third place to proue that it is a sacrifice is by the institution of the Euchariste for when he made an ende of the supper of the lambe that was to be sacrificed it is said our Lord tooke bread for this was the manner that the priest did vse in sacrifice and hauinge lifted vpp his eies as if he woulde offer vpp to his father that holie breade into which as Hierem. saith the Iewes did cast their wodde Hier. 2. and as the Masse or Liturgie of the Greekes hath Liturg. graecor in missa D. Iacobi Accipiens panem in sanctas immaculatas manus c. Takinge the breade into his holie vnspotted innocente immortall handes liftinge vpp his eies and shewinge vnto yow God the Father c. And in the Masse both of the Latines and Greekes it is said Gratias agens giuinge thanks for the redemption of the worlde offeringe therfore vnto his father a sacrifice of thanks giuinge benedixit he blessed neither did he sooner offer then he cōsecrated and consecratinge he offered himselfe willinge to be sacrificed He said also accipite c. Matt. 26. Luc. 22. 2. Cor. 11. Take and eate this is my bodie wherto S. Luke doth add Quod pro vobis datur which is giuen for yow or which is broken for yow as S. Paule hath Quod pro vobis offertur as S. Augustine doth interprete and also it is said of the bloode in the present tense of the four Euangelistes Funditur not because that presentlie out of hande he should be offered vpon the crosse takinge the tyme present for the tyme to come but at this instante he offered himselfe in that heauenlie misterie vnto his father for dare frangere tradere fundere and facere are wordes belonginge vnto a sacrifice for it is said Iohn 3. that God loued the worlde that he should giue his only begotten sonne vid. in sacrifice for vs he did not spare his only sonne sed tradidit but he deliuered him for vs. Rom. 8. Moreouer he was a prieste accordinge to the order of Melchisedech therfore he was to offer in bread and wine as he did 8. Againe he said I desire to eate this Pasche with yow for Pasche is a sacrifice and as euerie man is a liuinge creature so euerie Pasche is a sacrifice which is confirmed in the 6 of S. Iohn Argumentū à specie ad genus affirmatiuum valet Iohn 6. the bread that I shall giue is my fleash for the life of the worlde therfore the bread giuen in the supper doth conteine the fleash giuen for the life of the worlde vppon the crosse for sacrifice so that neither in the supper nor vppon the crosse was it a sacrifice or els in both it was a sacrifice for the worde giuen was repeted twise And although it should be once repeted yet it hath the force of a sacrifice Panis quem ego dabo caro mea est pro mundi vita the bread that I shall giue is my fleash for the life of the worlde For the Eucharist in asmuch as it is a Sacrament profiteth onlie him that receaues it but forasmuch as it is a sacrifice it is the soule of the church and the life of the worlde therfore the bread giuen by Christe and containinge his fleashe necessarily was immolated and sacrificed and also offered vnto his Father Moreouer our Lord saied when he deliuered this bread Rupert D. Thom. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11. Do this in remembrance of me by which wordes he shewed the nature of a sacrifice saying as it were hitherto yow haue offered the figuratiue and Paschall lambe nowe I doe not take away the oblation of a sacrifice but I doe transfer and change the same vnto a more worthie oblation of offeringe my bodie and bloode Therfore Pope Leo saieth lett the shadowe giue place to the bodie let Images giue place to the trewe patterne Antiqua obseruatio nouo tollitur Sacramento lett the old custome giue place to the newe sacrament hostia in hostiam transit sanguis sanguinem excludit legalis festiuitas vt mutatur expletur Lett one hoaste passe vnto another one blood doth expell another the accomplishinge of the legall festiuitie doth importe a change thereof 9. This is the cause that Christ that nighte did offer thrise first in a pure figure secondlie he offered his bodie and blood vnder both kindes of bread and wyne which was both the thinge it selfe and a figure last of all he offered himselfe beinge the thinge it selfe vnto death when he went vnto the place where he was taken This is declared in the forme of the cannon of the Masse which S. Ambr. vsed in the church of Millā vid. S. Ambr. Masse Qui sacrificij perennis formam instituens primus omnium hostiam Deo obtulit primus omnium illam docuit offerri who institutinge the forme of the euerlastinge sacrifice as the first of all that offred an hoste vnto God the first that taughte the same to offered The masse of Aethiopia The Church of Aethiopia hath these wordes in the Canon of the Masse related here by
Flanders made a protestatation at Mons that his drifte was not to disturbe or vexe any priest or religious person or to offend the Catholicke Church in any thing but to deliuer Flanders from the slauerie of the Spaniardes This verie oathe he made before Mathias Arch-Ducke of Austria vnto whome he was made lieutenante generall but this lewed companion neuer kepte his worde as the histories of Flanders doe relate but became a most cruell persecutor of all ecclesiasticall and religious persons spoiled Churches violated and abused sacred virgins destroyed Alters troad vnderfoote the holy sacrament of the alter tooke away all the ornamentes which he prophaned robbed all Churches and Monasteries of their Challices and other sacred implements dedicated to the seruice of almightie God embrewed his filthie murtheringe handes with the inocent blood of most vertuous priestes and religious men not sparinge any order of personnes though neuer soe holy whervpon many of the nobility beinge offended thereat with many Citties as Mastrick Mōs Douay Arras others forsooke him and yealded themselues to the Prince of Parma 5. Of the like falshoode deceite and periurie was the bastard of Scotland called Iames detected base brother to the last Queene of Scottes by whome also he was made Regent of Scotland and aduanced by her meanes to the greatest dignitie and wealth that Scotlād could yealde Notwithstanding for all these kindnes and obligations aswell by nature as by such singuler promotions benefittes and desertes yea his vowe and promise soe often iterated and solemlye confirmed with wicked oathes yet beinge infected by Iohn Knocks an Apostate Friar and afterwards a minister instrument of Caluine to enkendle the flames of that most wicked and damnable Heresie in that Countrie the Author and instrument of all the rebellion of Scotland he conspired againste that sacred soueraigne murthered her husbande and appeached her with the ymputation of that murther who beinge most innocent thereof plotted and stirred vp such stronge rebellions by her subiectes himselfe beinge the cheefe Captaine of this combustiō as she was taken and cast into a most filthie prison where her death was threatned vnles shee would resigne the gouernment of her kingdome vnto that ouglie monster And beinge deliuered out of that prison shee was faine to flye into England where by the procuremente of that bastard shee was cast into prison which shee suffred the space of xx yeares and at lenghte beinge Queene of France and Scotland notwithstanding was putt to death Hollens in hist scholast pag. 500. 6. This bastard and the rest of his Caluinian Confederates sought nothinge at the beginninge as they pretended but libertie of their conscience which beinge graunted they protested and swoare all dutifull allegance to the Queene and state Lib. 16. pag. 590. But after they obtained what they soughte for they tooke perforce the whole ciuil gouernment into their owne handes and by their faction and combination sodainlie grewe soe stronge and insolente that they denied the same libertie of conscience vnto her her husband And as Buchanan in his Scotish historie sayeth when vpon all sainctes day the Queene would in her Chapple haue had Masse after a solemne manner the ministers of the Ghospell saith this auctor encensed the nobility against her that by force and violence they should compell her to leaue off so that she was enforced to obey a crewe of Caluinian ministers which could doe more in Scotland at that time by their newe heresies neuer in any requeste in that Countrie before then their aunciente and Catholicke religion by which they were conuerted from gentyles to be Christians which they professed soe many hundreth yeares before or the dutie of subiectes to their Prince or the power of the Prince her selfe or any feare of God or respect of his lawes diuine naturall or any humaine honestie or Ciuill modestie Where yow may perceaue what libertie this wicked and licentious heresie giues how turbulente it is what garboyles it bringeth with it vnto which dissolute and wanton youthes are most enclined wherof a number of that Countrie being in France to trye their wittes or to raise their fortunes they brought with them from Caluine this poysoned doctrine that infected all that Countrie 7. Not vnlike vnto this hypocriticall pretence of Conscience Caluine Beza and his ministers vsed to gett footinge in France although not with the like successe After they had most solemly protested that they intended nothing but onlie libertie of their conscience And soe in the assembly of Poyse they did sweare obedience to Charles the nynth and his successors and vttered these wordes Wee sweare before God and your maiestie who are our soueraigne that if any of vs hereafter shall misbehaue himselfe in kindlinge any sturr in France that wee will ourselues persecute him with fire and sworde This protestation was made by Beza which not withstanding was the only author and fire-brand of all the miserie and calamities of France as Iohn Knockes and Buchanan in Scotland by whose plottes and pollices all France was in an vprore al the nobilitie deuided by faxions the ciuill gouernment and politicall lawes of the kingdom vtterly despised the ecclesiasticall lawes and Censures of the Church quite reiected all sacred thinges prophaned Churches and monasteries burned sacred Virgins defloured many preistes and religious persons with most vnusuall torments murthered and massacred the nobilitie destroied their howses ransaked by whose cruell handes most of the blood Royall of France was extinguished as the kinge of Nauare at the siege of Roane the Duke Monepenser Rosorgomus The Prince Dellphine The Duke Memorose the Duke of Longauile The Dukes Niuer the father the sonne and the sonne in lawe the Constable of France And manny Marshalls thereof Saincta Derane Mount Moransius Mattugon Dauillan Brisarus Touanus Byron Francis Duke of Ioys besides manny thowsandes in the battells of Drintts Saint Dennys Iernan and Mount Counter and at many other townes as Roane Rochell Saincte Angell soe as in one yeare more then a hundred thousande Frenchmen were slaine Beza in praefat noui testa menti ad Reginam Angliae An. 1564. yea Beza who made the said speach before the kinge said that such as were killed in these Battells beinge rebells were blessed Martyres because saith he they were the first that shedd their blood for the restoringe of the ghospell in France And yet he with his fellow ministers gaue a solemne oath as before is recited to be true to the King Crowne and Countrie How many thousand were also killed at other tymes in France in other Ciuill warres soe often renewed by these fellowes 8. Luther alsoe saith Luther tomo in ser f. 270 An. 1553. that in seauen weekes betwixt Easter and Whittsontyde were killed of the Peasants of Germanye more then one hundred thousand besides many millions of people in other warres of that Countrie especially when Albert the Marques of Bramdeburge did destroy with fire and sworde all thinges that
in them or by them but Christ which as he lodged in them when they were charged with their corporall lumpe Gal. 2. Ephes 3. soe much more nowe wheÌ„ they are exempted from it So as wee direct our prayers and petitions vnto Christ in his Saincts and by his Saincts whether they remayne with vs in earth or whether they Triumphe with him aboue in heauen vsinge the one as our intercessors and acknowledging the other the bountiful giuer for benefits are asked of Saints not as the authors and giuers thereof which wee reserue for God alone but as intercessours onlie as by our daylie Littanies wee say to God miserere nobis be mercifull vnto vs but vnto Sainctes we say pray for vs. 6. Secondarilie we say that Saincts are our intercessors vnto God but yet by Christe and by the meritts of his death and passion And so the Church in all her collects and prayers saith and concludeth without intermission Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum c. Dan. 3. The three children in the fornace of Babylon did praye vnto God propter Abraham dilectum tuum for the intercession of Abraham thy beloued and Isacke thy seruant Isayai 63. and Israell thy holie one So prayed Isayas saying Turne vnto vs O Lord by the intercessioÌ„ of thy seruants So prayed Hester by the intercession of Abraham Hester 13. Psal 131. Soe prayed Salomon by the merittes of his Father 1. Paral. 29. Memento Domine Dauid omnis mansuetudinis eius Soe prayed Dauid himselfe naminge Abraham Isaac and Iacob for his intercessors Elias 2. par 5. Deut. 9. Genes 48. so prayed Elias so prayed Moyses sayâ—ng Recordare Domine seruorum tuorum Abraham Isaac Iacob so prayed Iacob callinge and interposinge the name of his father Isaac when he did pray vnto the Angells to blesse his children meaninge noe doubte but he should obtaine godes blessing for them 7. Orig. lam l. 2. in Iob. This the ancient fathers doe likewise testifie sayinge O sancti Dei saith Origines vos lacrimis ac stetu plenis obtestor with sobbinge teares and mourninge eies I beseech you that you will prostrate your selues at Godes mercifull feete for me a wretched sinner Heu mihi pater Abraham deprecare prome ne definibus tuis aliener O blessed Abraham pray for vs miserable sinners S. Gregorie Nazianzen neuer writts all most of any Martyr or Saincte but praieth hartelie vnto them So writinge the life of S. Cyprian the Martyre before he was conuerted to Christianitie he first sheweth that the Martyr finding himselfe tempted with the beautie of Iustina the Virgin afterward martired with him prayed most humblie and deuoutlie to assist him in that combate against the flesh addinge moreouer that he did assist himselfe by fasting aflicting his bodye S. Gregorie Naz. did pray also vnto him sayinge Tu nos è Caelo benignè aspice behould vs from heauen most charitablie The verie like prayer maketh he to S. Athanasius and S. Basill deceased a little before him S. Eph. Sermo de sanctis martirib Nect orat de Saâ—t Theodoro S. Epiphanius writinge the life of certaine Martyres praied vnto them S. Nectarius Archbishoppe of Constantinople writinge an oration of Theodorus Martyr prayed vnto him Hom nat apollog c. 8. After these men liued S. Iohn Chrisostome who praied vnto S. Peter and S. Paule he praied vnto S. Peter also for the Emperor that then liued S. Chrisostome in his liturgie hath these woordes Apostles Martires Prophetts Priests Confessors iust men and woomen which haue ended your fight haue kept your faith and obserued your promise and fidelitie to our Sauiour Cyrill homil in die Iohn Concilij Ephe. 428 pray for vs. c. S. Cyrill Archbishopp of Alexandria did pray vnto S. Iohn the Euangelist in his sermon made in the festiual dayes of him in the councell of Ephesus The Generall councell of Calcedon did affirme that the holie Bishoppe S. Flamianus Archbishoppe of Constantinople and Martyr whose death was procured by Dioscorus Bishoppe of the same Sea Conc. Calci 17. Au. did pray for them vsing these woordes Flamianus post mortem viuit 453. Socrat lib. 7 histor cap 32. Martyr pro nobis orat S. Hierom wrote the lyues of S. Hillarius and Paule and others and prayed vnto them Paulinus Bishopp of Nola wrote the lyues of S. Celsus and S. Felix The same is confirmed by Prudentius in the Himnes S. Laurence that glorious Martyr of Spaine And by S. Hipolitus I pray read S. Gregorie Turonensis and S. Gregorie the great to this effect Can. 27. This is likewise auouched in the councell of Orleance in France held vpon the yeare 512. Cap. 3. Cap. 1. Cap. 9. the councell of Gerundia in Spaine held the next yeare after The fifte councell of Tolleto likewise in Spaine held vpon the yeare 640. the councell of Bracaren the second held two yeares after that Againe the councell of Ments in Germaine held vnder Pope Leo. 3. and Charles the great anno 613. All these councells I say ordaininge Littanies and inuocation of Saincts to be vsed in solemne procession vpon certaine dayes in the yeare as namely in the rogation weeke three dayes before the Ascention The Greeke Church in the yeare of Christ 663. cap. 7. doth sufficientlie sett downe the sense of both Churches in these woordes Soli Deo Creatori adoratio c. Let adoration be giuen to God alone but yet let a Christian inuocat the Sainctes that they may intercede the diuine Maiestie for him Of the heretiques called Albigenses S. Bernard saith Irrident nos hereticici quod sanctorum suffragia postulamus Heretiques scoffe at vs because we craue the suffrages of Saincts Ber. hom 6. in CaÌ„t. The said S. Bernard did pray holie S. Victor to helpe him 9. Next wee ought to knowe that amoungest all the Saincts there is none whose petition is sooner heard then the petition of the Blessed Virgin at whose intreatie our Sauiour did worcke his first miracle which is declared vnto vs by S. Bernarde O homo securum accessum habes apud Deum c. O man thou hast secure accesse vnto God thou hast the mother to the sonne and the sonne to the father the mother shewing her sonne her breast with her pappes the sonne shewing vnto his father his side and his woundes Againe did not the Angell saie vnto Tobias Tob. 12. I haue offred thy prayers vnto God Did not the Angell also saie vnto Daniell Daniel 7. from the tyme that thou purposedst to chastice thy body before God thy prayers were heard and I being moued by them came for thine assistance And your selues in the Comunion booke doe auouche the same hauinge translated the Collect which the whole Catholique Church in her masses doth vse vpon S. Michaell the Archangells day which Collect is sett downe by your selues in your booke of Common prayers the words are these Euerlastinge God
scriptures to our auncestors to aske knowledge of them Interroga patres tuos Deut. 32. Eccles 8. dicent tibi c. aske thy Fathers and they shall declare vnto thee and thy auncestors Eccles 8. and they will tell thee Non te praetereat narratio seniorum ipsi enim c. Omitt not to heare thine elders for they haue learned of their parents that of them you may learne vnderstandinge Prou. 2â— Non transgrediaris terminos antiquos quos posuerunt parentes Doe not you transgresse the old limittes which your pareÌ„ts haue prescribed Are not the Rechabites praised for followinge the tradition and preceptes of Ionadab Haec dicit Deus exercituuÌ„ Hier. 35.18 pro eo quod obedistis praecepto Ionadab patris vestri c. Thus saith the Lord of hoastes because that you haue obeyed the precepte of Ionadab your father and haue kepte all his commaundements therfore the Lord of hoastes the God of Israell saith there shall not faile one of the stirpe of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab that shall stande in my presence 7. In the dolfull and damnable debate and discorde that Martyne Luther Caluine and others haue raised vp by which they plunged themselues and the worlde into such an intricat laberinth of errors and heresies where shall the poore silly sheepe haue resolution of their doubts but of their parentes and pastors which God hath placed in his churche to gouerne and directe his flocke from all errors shall not the children beleeue their fathers and the sheepe their pastors Wee must not only flie vnto the scriptures as S. Vincentius Lyrinensis saith Vincent 9 â—eres c. 1. but vnto traditioÌ„ of the catholique church notwithstandinge saith he in that place that the scriptures are of themselues sufficient yet saith he because all men doe not conceaue the loftines of the scripture a like but accordinge to euery mans phantasticall censure and humorous passion as soe many heades soe many mindes for men as they be deuided in sects or factions soe they deuide the sense of the scriptures Nouatianus Photinus Sabellius Donatus Arrius Eunomius Macedonius Apollinaris Priscilianus Iouianus and Pellagius haue eche of them grounded their proper heresies vpon the scripture Nan videas eos volare per singula quaeque sanctae legis volumina sacrae scripturae You may see them flie ouer all the bookes of the holie lawe both in publique and priuate in their sermons in their bookes in their banquettes in tauernes in the streate nothinge did they euer produce which was not shadowed by the scriptures for they knewe verie well that their errors coulde neuer be pleasing vnto the people without the scriptures with which as with sweete water they sprinckle the same euen as soure drincke is teÌ„pered with sweet honny so as when children drincke therof hauinge once felte the sweetnes they haue noe loathsomnes of it though neuer soe bitter But the more scripture they bring the more wee ought to feare them saith S. Vincentius and to shunne them Magnopere curandum est in ipsa Ecclesia Catholica vt id teneamus quod vbique quod semper quod ab omnibus creditum est For in the catholique church wee must alwayes beware that wee keepe that which is beleeued alwayes euerie where and of euerie body haec est verè propriè Catholica which is properlie and trulie catholique And in the 9. chapter he saith Quo quisque religiosior est eò promptius nouellis adinuentionibus contrariatur the more vertuous that a man is the more prompte ready he opposeth himselfe against newe inuentions and soe he saith our maister S. Stephen in his epistles to the Bishoppes of Affricke touching rebaptisinge of infants that were baptized by heretiques nihil innouandum est nisi quod traditum est Apud Cypri li. 2. cap. 7. the good and religious man would haue vs children to inuente noe religion but what wee haue receaued of our fathers and whose steppes he would haue vs to followe in all thinges 8. This said author expoundinge 1. Timoth. depositum custodi keepe in depositum what I haue left in your custodie the religion and the obseruation thereof that I deliuered vnto you shunninge prophane noueltie of voices he doth not saye shunn antiquitie or ancientie or continuance but noueltie and innouation of thinges nam si vitanda est nouitas tenenda est antiquitas c. For if wee oughte to auoide noueltie wee shoulde imbrace antiquitie if noueltie be a prophane thinge antiquitie is a sacred thinge keepe the depositum saith he which is giuen vnto thee and to the whole church to be kepte from theeues and enemies least they should sowe cockell or darnell amouÌ„gest the cleane wheate The depositum which you haue receaued not which you haue inuented The deposituÌ„ which is not coyned by thy witt but deliuered by my doctrine Not any mans priuate vsurpation but the common and vniuersall tradition in which you are not the author but the keeper not the instituâ—or but the follower not the mayster but the disciple The depositum saith he Catholicae fidei talentum keepe the talent of the catholique religion vnspotted Exod. 36. inuiolable and vndefiled by you saith he the rosarie of the spirituall tabernacle Pretiosas diuini dogmatis geÌ„mas exculpe fideliter comptè VinceÌ„tius cap. 27. adoâ—â—a sapienter adijce splendorem gratiam venustatem do you garnish turne faithfully and adorne with the pretious Iewell of the diuine decree doe you add therunto splendor grace and beautie 6. All this I haue alleadged out of Vincentius Lyrinensis word by word for his whole booke against heresies hath noe other obiecte but the tradition of our auncestors by which he confuteth and conuinceth the prophane noueltie of heretiques and their arrogant insolent ostentation of scriptures vpon which they grounde all their hereticall cauillation which as all our forfathers before vs soe wee after them doe finde by experience that the interpretation and meaninge thereof as they doe produce them is of greater difficultie then the controuersie it selfe the fathers did vrge them with a shorter way by askinge Hil. 2. ad Const Aug. lib. â— de trinitate cap. 3. quid prius posterius what is first and laste for that heresie is grounded in noueltie and euer cometh after the Catholique trueth first planted And for that euerie heresie pretendeth his heresie to be auncient and from the Apostles the fathers doe alleadge that this trueth muste not onlye be eldeste but also must haue continewed from tyme to tyme at the leaste with the greatest parte of Christians Tertul. li. aduers prax c. 20 And therfore Tertulian saith lib. De praescriptione quod apud multos vnum inuenitur non est erratum sed traditum that wherin moste men doe agree vppon it is not an erronious opinion but a common tradition For the Church of God is a most liuely ghospell for with the Apostles there was the Church of
but forasmuch as they imbrace the wicked doctrine of Caluine Cal. lib. 1. instit cap. 28. that it is a sinne for a man not to sinne and in another place that to restraine any desire that comes vnto a man is to resist God and to sinne for that God is the efficient cause of all euill woorks this mortification and punishinge of the fleash cannot sounde well in their eares whose doctrine life is repugnant to mortification religion discipline all woorks of pennaunce Whether wee ought to confesse our sinnes to priests and whether that priests cannot remitt or for giue them CHAPTER IV. THe opinion of protestants is disproued by learned S. Augustine sayinge Let no man make doubt of the priestes right in remission of sinnes seinge the holie ghoast is purposely giuen them to doe the same it is not absurde saith S. Cyrill lib. 52. that they forgiue sinnes which haue the holie ghoaste Cyril lib. 52. c. 56. in Ioan. for when they remitt and retaine the holy ghoast remitteth and retaineth in them the which they doe two wayes first in baptisme and afterwardes in pennaunce I doe not wonder when Sathan by his members labours to destroie all religion that he should goe about also to abolish the cheefest piller therof which is this Sacrament of confession instituted by our Sauiour for the cheefest consolation of our troubled soules For when the Apostles were gathered together in one place after Christs resurrectioÌ„ he said vnto theÌ„ All power in heauen and earthe is giuen vnto me as my father did send me soe I send yow he breathed vppon them and he saied vnto them receaue yow the holie ghoaste whose sinnes you shall forgiue they are forgiuen them and whose you shall retaine they are retained And when our Lord gaue power and authoritie to priests to remitt and retaine sinnes it is manifest that he made them iudges of our soules as may appeare when Lazarus was raised from death to life Ioh. 11. Cyril li 7 cap. vlt. Aug. trac 49. in Ioannem Luc 17. Aug. de vera falsa poenit c. 19. ser 8. de verbis Domini and beinge tied hand and foote in the graue he said to his Apostles loose him and let him goe S. Cyrill and S. Augustine applie this to the Apostles and the priests authoritie of absoluinge sinners affirming Christ to receaue none into the churche but by the priests ministrie and soe he comaunded the lepers to shewe themselues to the priests and to submitt themselues vnto their iudgment 2 This is declared also by the actes of many of them that beleeued and came confessinge and declaringe their deeds Act. 19. Marci 1. also by S. Marcke when all the countrie of Iurie went vnto S. Iohn confessinge their sinnes which was not don by a generall confession but by a perticuler confession of them S. Iames also doth proue the same saying Is any man sicke amounge you let him bringe in the priestes of the church and if he be in sinnes they shal be forgiuen him Your owne comunion booke hath the plaine wordes of absolution the wordes be these Our Lord Iesus which hath left power to his church to absolue all sinners which trulie repent and beleue in him of his great mercie forgiue thee thine offences and by his authoritie comitted vnto me I absolue thee from all thy sinnes In the name of the father the sonne and the holy Ghost Aug lib. 2. de visitatione infirmoruÌ„ cap. 4. lib. 1. c. 2 S. Aug. saith Some thinckes that it is enough for them to confesse their sinnes only vnto God which knowes the secreattes of euerie ones harte because either for shame or for some other cause they would not vnfould their offeÌ„ces vnto the priestes vnto whome God haue giuen sufficient authoritie to discerne betwixt leper and leper but I would not haue yow be deceaued or confounded for confessinge thy sinnes before the viccar of our Lord. Aug. lib 50. homil 49. The same he confirmed further saying Let no man say I confesse before God secreatlie God knowes my harte who will pardone me if that be soe saith he in vaine it is said whose sinnes soeuer yow forgiue they shal be forgiuen in vaine also the keies of the kingdome of heauen are giuen to the churche Amb. li. 1. de poena cap. 2. S. Ambrose also refellinge the heresie of the Nouatians which taught that God neuer gaue power to any to remit sinnes saith God bid vs to obey his ministers and by doinge soe wee honour God c. Chrysost homil â—9 ad populum 3. This is also proued by S. Chrisostome who said that trewe pennaunce doth cause a poore sinner to suffer all thinges willinglie in his harte perfect contrition in his mouthe confession in his workes all humanitie for saith he this is a most fruictfull pennaunce for by what meanes wee haue offended God by that meanes also wee should be reconsiled vnto him vid. by our harte by contrition by our mouthe by confession by our acte throughe satisfaction Holy councells also as the councell of Florence haue determined this truth and all the fathers of the church as S. Cyprian Epistola 10. Epistola 15. Epistola 1.62 cap. 52. Hugo aduersus luciferanos Cyp. lib. de lapsis 15. Orig. in leuit homil 2. psal 32 Aug. Epistola 54. Socrates lib. 5. cap. 19. Zozo lib. 7. 4. Againe by takinge away from the christians the only bridle which is this sacramentall confession that should curbe and restraine them from their wickednes they giue occasioÌ„ that they runn headlong to all dissolution wanton exercise which the protestantes of Germanie perceauing by experience to be true they requested the Emperor Charles the 5. being then at Norâ—mberge in 4. d. 18. q. 1. ar 1. that by his imperiall authoritie he would cause coÌ„fession againe to be brought â—n wherat Sotus a learned diuine beinge with the Emperor did aunswere laughing and said if by the lawe of God men are not bound to vnfould their sinnes to a prieste â—or by that lawe the priest can absolue as they said how can they be compelled therunto by the precept of man for by humaine precept noe man will reueale his secreat sinnes to any man 5. Pacianus answereth the heretiques that say God only remitteth sinnes Sed quod per sacerdotes suos facit ipsius potestas est and a little after he saith that as not only the Apostles doe baptize but also their successors soe not only they remitt sinnes but also their successors Paulinus in vita Ambro. S. Ambrose hearinge confessions wept as the penitentes confessed their sinnes and by weepinge moued them to contrition Tertulian tells how the christians in his time kneeled to the priests for remission S. Hieronimus epist ad Heliodorum God forbid that that I should speake ill of priests who succeedinge to the Apostles by their holy mouth doe make the body of Christe by whome wee also
the sepulchers of sainctes to be reuerenced and worshipped and said moreouer that the praiers of the holy martyrs profitts nothinge after this life imitatinge herin wicked Porphiry and Eunomius by callinge them the sorcerie of diuills Aug. de ecclesiasticis dogma tibus c. 73. therfore S. Augustine did condemne VigilaÌ„tius Aerius did barcke against prayers and suffrages of the dead and maketh noe difference betwixt priestes and Bishopps The Peputians would haue women to be priestes vnto whome they haue attributed all principalitie August de haeres 27. as the Protestantes haue done to Queene Elizabeth Anno 1. Parl. c. 1. Luther tomo 2. li. de captiuit Baby Aug. Homil 50. de Socrat. hist l. 4. Cap. 23. Ambr. de penit li. 1. cap. 2. Of the same heresie also were condemned Eunomius as the said S. August de heresi heres 54. de haeres ad Luther Nouatus was condemned for an heretique by saint Augustine and saint Ambrose for denyinge poure of absoluinge sinnes vnto the priests and confirmation to Bishopps as saint Cyprian doth wittnes lib. 4. epist. 2. Theodoret. lib. 3. de haereticis The Pelagians denyed original sinne in infantes and taught that baptisme is not necessarie for them as saint Augustine writeth Aug. here 's 88. 3. S. Augustine and saint Optatus doe putt the Donatistes in the rancke of heretiques Aug. de heres 69. de vnitate eccle lib. contlitteras Petul. Opta lib. â— Cal. inst l. 4. cap. 15. Optat l. 2. Theod. Dra. 5. for sayinge that the churche fayled in the whole world and that it remayned amoungest themselues in Affrique the like Caluine saith of the Catholique churche Those Donatistes did cast the blessed Sacrament vnto doggs burne churches and breake alters tooke away all church ornamentes as you doe they abolished the sacrifice of the Masse as you doe of which kinde of people Ignatius sayeth there hath bene some that would not away with sacrifices and oblations because they confessed not the Euchariste to be the flesh of our Sauiour Iesu Christe Arrius Nestorius S. Aug. lib. contrâ— MaximuÌ„ Atha p. 488. ExempluÌ„ Synodale Dioscorus Eutiches as saint Augustine and saint Athanasius saye and as it is alleadged in the 7. generall councell act 1. denied all traditions and the wittnesses of the fathers they said alsoe they would allowe nothinge but the scriptures sayinge What scripture doth proue that the sonne is consubstantiall or coessentiall with the Father the same alsoe did Simon Magus saye 4. With Symon Magus Valentinus Aug. here 's 4.6 Clemens Alexandrinus li. 3 recognitionum Tertul. de prâ—script and Manicheus you denie free will With Flornius and with Symon Magus you affirme God to be author of all euill as S. Augustine Clemens Alexandrinus Tertulian saye of the said Symon Magus With Constantius you saye that euerie Ciuill Prince ought to be head of the churche accordinge to Euseb lib. 3. Atha epi. ad solitariam vitaÌ„ degentes Hilar. lib. ad ConstaÌ„tium ex li. qui incipit tempus est loquendi Wherfore S. Athanasius called him antechrist and the abhomination of desolation of whome alsoe S. Hillarie saith these woordes I tell you when I shall speake vnto you that I speake to Nero that Decius Maximianus shal heare me you fight against God you thunder against the church you persecute the Saincts you take awaye the Religion of Christe you are not onlye the Tyrant of men but of God you doe preuent antechrist and worcke his misteries you coyne faith liuing without faith thou of all men the most wicked this he spoake to him in his life time 5. With Marcius and Manicheus and other heretiques you condemne manny bookes of the scriptures which would not receaue the scriptures Nisi cum adiectionibus detractionibus factis but with cuttinge maÌ„glinge of them You take away Chrisme with Nouatus who denied the holye ghoaste With Iouinian as S. Augustine saith of him you take away pennaunce from the church who said also that all sinnes were equall Also with Pelagius yow take away the Sacrament of orders and priest-hoode with Petrus Abalardus Wicleffe and Hus all vocall prayers And with the Armenians you say that matrimonie is noe Sacrament You take away generall councells with the Arians that would not obey the councell of Nice With Nestorius that would not obey the councell of Ephesus with Eutiches and Dioscorus that would not obey the councell of Chalcedon Aug lib. de haeresibus With Iouinianus as saint Augustine wittnesseth you eate all meates euerie daye without any obseruation of dayes or difference of meate you doe the like obseruinge noe faste Caluine tooke away singinge from the church with the heretique Hillarus Aug. li. 11 retract Ambr. in quadam orat cont MaxentiuÌ„ de Basilicis tradeÌ„dis quae ponitur in lib 5. sententiaruÌ„ as saint Augustine and saint Ambrose say when Christe is praysed the Arrians are madd With Iouinian you say that all which be in heauen are equall in glorie because all iuste persons are equall in this life in merittes and all sinners are equall in sinnes With the Catharies you denie all sacraments With the heretiques called Lamprini you take away vowes and votaries With the Eustachians yow take away churches and alters dedicated to martirs 6. Againe Epist 75. with the Eutichian heretiques yow take away oblations sacrifice and chrisme as Leo the Pope complained by his letters to Martianus the Emperor epist 75. where he saith Intercepta est sacrificij oblatio desecit chrismatis sanctificatio The oblation of the sacrifice is intercepted and hallowinge of the chrisme faileth And as in the time of Antechriste as that auncient holy father and constant Martyr Hipolitus that liued in the yeare of our Lord 220. saith Ecclesiarum aedes sacrae tigurij instar erint praetâ—osum corpus sanguis Christi in diebus illis nâ—n extabit c the church shall be like cottadges the blessed body and blood of Christ shall not be seene the Masse shal be vtterly defaced soe as yow seeme to be the precursours of this beast For with the Donatists as Optatus writeth yow giue the blessed Sacrament to dogges the chrismatorie with the sacred chrisme yow violentlie cast vpon the grounde with them also yow breake alters with them also and with the Arrians of Affricke as Victor saith yow ouerthrowe churches monasteries and chappels and as they made shirtes and briches of the â—estimentes and alter cloathes burned bookes spoiled churches of their ornamentes as appeared in an epistle by the bishoppes of Egipte to Marcus the Pope and as Nazianzenus saith misteria verterunt 〈◊〉 commedias the misteries of our religioÌ„ they turned to playes and comedies euen soe doe you the like 7. Againe you refuse with these heretiques to come to the generall councells to giue an accompte of your doinges as saint Augustine saith of them With 〈◊〉 buchodonozer the kinge of Babilon and
vnto him the kingdome of heauen and that through our faith though neuer soe little notwithstandinge anie wickednes wee should be secure of heauen that there is no sinne before God but incredulitie That the tenn comaundements pertaine not to ChristiaÌ„s That accordinge to Caluine it is impossible to the Sainctes to obserue the comaundements Also that there is noe paines of damnation for man but to thincke that God is aduersarie to him Petrus Rycherus said who was it were the Idoll of Beza and who was sente by Caluine vnto the weaste Indies that Christe should not be prayde vnto Wherfore he tooke Gloria Patri Filio c. out of the Psalmes of Dauid Cart. in â— repl pa. 191. 13. Did not Cartwrith say I cannot be persuaded that saint Peter and saint Paule were soe foolish as to thincke that a pooâ— miserable man which they saw with theâ— eyes Beza in respoÌ„ ad arg BreÌ„tiâ— Epist 6. Fox in his Carelesti pag. 1534. Calu. in Hermo in Euange Calu. insti l. 1. c. 18. Peter martyr in 1. Sam. 2. Melancthon in c. Rom. 8. Calu. li. de eterna Dei praedest pag. 101. Zuin glius li. de prouidentia was their God Beza alsoe holdes the same and many others of that stampe yâ— some of them that were burnt in Queene Maries dayes and related by Fox for Martyrs houlde That Christ was in desperatioâ— when he was vppon the crosse accordingâ— to Caluine That God is the author and cause of sinne the procurer and intiser comaunder and worker and that the adulterie of Dauid and the treason of Iudas was as well the worke of God as the conuersion of saint Paule And that man hath noe free will with manny such horrible blasphemies to tedious for me to repeate and irksome for anny Christian to heare Soe as by these wicked paradoxes it must followe that God is turned to be a diuill and that he is most vniuste to condemne men for the offenses which they cannot shunne hauinge noe free will to auoide them nor noe force to resiste God the worker counceller and intiser to sinne That noe iott or sillable of Christian religion ought to be counted a thinge indifferent or of smale moment and that whosoeuer doth not agree with the Catholique Church in all pointes of beleefe cannot be saued CHAPTER III. 1. S Thomas saith that whosoeuer doth err in one article S. Thom. 2 2. q. 5.3 he hath noe faith of the rest for as saint Vincentius Ferar. saith vertue hath noe more fondations then one and the same is indiuisible which is the diuine trueth which cannot be deceaued nor deceaue and soe whosoeuer doubteth in one hath noe foundation of the reste For if a rocke should fall vppon which there should be 12. chambers all those chambers would fall also euen soe the protestants in the beginninge fell from the church which is the rocke vppon which Christe builded these 12. chambers I meane the twelue articles of our beleefe soe once they fallinge from the church they fell from these 12. articles and came vnto vs in spiritu erroris mendacij in the spirite of error and lienge This Martin Luther said of the Zuinglians Luth. dialog 6. c. 11 In vaine saith he they beleeue in God the father the sonne and the holie ghoast and all the rest because they denie this one article Hoc est corpus meum this is my bodiâ— 2. For this cause Iconoclasters or Imageâ— breakers are auncient heretiques becausâ— they denie that article of the catholique church of the reuerencinge of sacred images How many of al estates prelates nobles and common people suffred eyther death or banishmente in the time of the Emperors that were image breakers for they considered that whosoeuer obserueth all the lawe and offendeth in one is guilty of all the reste The trewe mother of the child would haue noe diuision thereof Nonne isti saith saint Augustine quos vâ—catis haeretici doe not these which you call heretiques confesse the same trinitie beleue also in Christe and yet they were called auncient heretiques whose heresies were knowen and nowe altogether extinguished through their absurdities Aug. lib. 2 de trinit cap. 17. Hoc qui credunt saith he lib. 2. nectu in catholica fide sed in schismate aliquo aut haeresi credunt whosoeuer beleeueth all articles of the creede and otherwise remaininge in any scisme and heresie cannot be in the catholique faith The Arrians denied but one letter in the creede Zozo li. 3. cap. 17. Theod. l. 2 cap. 18. 21. and yet saint Ierom saith that if the church had not resisted the Emperor Valenâ— which did fauour the Arrians touchinge that letter which was Omusion in steed of Omision Christendome saith he would haue bene in great danger 3. When the prefect of the Arrian Emperor Valens In vit Basil Naz. orat 20. in laudem Basilij dealt with saint Basil that he should not be soe obstinate or wilfull in his opinions but that he should conforme himselfe to the Emperor and liue in his fauour he answered that such as are fedd with the daintie feastes of holy scriptures they would suffer all kinde of tormentes rather then any iott sillable or letter should be chaunged And as for the Emperors frindshipp he did esteeme it well soe that it were not against pietie and religion Rom. 12. S. Chrisostome vppon that place of saint Paule Hauinge peace with euerie bodie Wee ought not to preferr saith he peace before godes trueth when the same is in danger but rather to offer our liues for the defence thereof Soe as yow see that the Arrians were condemned for heretiques for one letter beinge in all other pointes catholiques but the protestantes haue raised from hell all the heresies that euer were for noe heretiques almoste that euer were but kept ecclesiastical seruice and ceremonies like the catholiques but the protestants haue taken away all therfore they should not bragge that their religion is agreable to the word of God or the Romish church or that the Romish church or anny member thereof should ioyne with them therein That the newe Religion for that it takes away all religion is worse then that of the Turckes and Gentiles CHAPTER IV. Stur de rat concordiae inâ—undâ— 1. STurmius a protestant wryter sayeth that Lutherans and Caluinistes do destroye and take away the cheefeste articles of Christian religion and the fondation of our faith Which thus is proued to be true That religion is beste which thinckes of God most reuerentlie and of their neighbours most charitably but the Turcks and Gentiles doe farr excel the new religion in worshippinge God and helpinge their neighbors therfore it must needes be better then the new Cicero sayeth Cicero lib. 2. de diuinitate that God is a certaine excellent and eternall nature and that the order of ecclesiasticall thinges is the beawtie of the world who although they did speake of
manny godes Instit de monarchia Dei lib. 3. cap. 1. yet they affirme Iupiter to be the father of all the reste and saie that they did worshipp but one God and the reste of the godes as the ministers of one God as Iustinus martyr said and Plato saith Plato de repub dialogo 2. in fine Deus qui bonus est malorum causa nonest God which is good is not the cause of euills and in another place he saith God is not vniust but most iust But the new religion doth say in the chapter aboue recited that God is the cause of all mischeefe and wickednes by which wicked assertion they make him a deuill 2. All philosophers did referre all the inferior motions to a certaine supreame motiue by the consideration whereof they found a certaine supreame mouer and a certaine euerlastinge cause which is the center of begininge and principle of all thinges vnto whome all thinges are subordinated The Turcks saie that God is immutable mercifull pittifull one onlie who giues euerie man according to his worckes reward to the good and tormentes to the badde and soe they call God la Ila Mahomet resulaÌ„ God God aboue and Mahomet his prophet But the new religion doth say he giues noe reward to the good nor tormentes to the badd soe that he hath any iott of faith with him and the more wicked a man is Lutherus the neerer he is to Gods fauour The Turcks doe beleue that it is possible to keepe godes lawes but the newe religion doth say it is impossible and that heauen is giuen to those that haue any faith without anny respect to works or mans endeuour The Turcks also affirme that Christe ascended vnto heauen in his fleashe and sitteth in the presence of God The Turckes Alcoran saies that Iesus Christe was the sonne of the Virgin Marie was inspired by God that he was the worde the spiritte the wisdome and the minde of God the father and that he was the Messias and the Prince that was promised vnto the Iewes Thene l. 6. cap. 4. Alcoran Azoar 2.20 Azoar 31. Also they say that the spiritt of God did enter into Marie and that Iesus was begotten of her shee beinge a moste pure Virgine That God did indue her soule with greater grace and vertue then the soule of anny that was and that of all men and women shee was the best the purest and the godliest and that of all the children of Adam none was vnspotted and vndefiled by Sathan but Marie and her child Azoar 3.76 The new religion beleeues of her noe such matter and compares her with their owne mothers and some of them calle her a saffron bagg 3. Vnder the dominion of the Turcks the christians are permitted without anny restraint to exercise all the rites and exercises of christian religion not soe vnder princes of the new religion who are greater persecutors of the catholique christian religion then anny Turcks Iewes Gentiles or pagans that euer were In Constantinople there are many monasteries standing and replenished with religious people in Grecia and other of the Turcks Dominions are at this day many degrees orders and ecclesiasticall dignities of the church and christian pastors as Patriarches Metropilitans Archbishoppes Bishopps and Priests vnto all which it is lawfull to consecrate to say Masse and Mouncks Deacons and Subdeacons doe minister at the Alter There are all also other officers which they call Agnests which doe read vppon sondayes the epistles There are also Archimancritae that is to say the Fathers of Moncks These Patriarches are chosen by Metropolitans Archbishopps and Bishopps and are confirmed by the cheefe Bassa the kinges â—iccar the next vnto these are the Metropolitans the cheefest of them is the Metropolitan of Thessalonica which hath vnder him 10. Bishopps the Metropolitan of Athens hath vnder him 6. Bishopps In that cittie of Athens were seene in a publique profession together 250. priests there is a Metropolitan of Mitelin but he hath no Bishopps vnder him The Metropolitan of Chalcedon hath vnder him 60. priests There is a Metropolitan of Nyce but he hath noe Bishoppe The Metropolitan of Ephesus hath hnder him 50. churches The Metropolitan of Philipen hath 150. Antioch 40. Churches Smyrnensis 150. and Corinth with other Metropolitans 6. 4. All doe agree with the Catholique religion in euerie pointe exceptinge 3. or 4. errors of the Greeks This is knowen by the censure that Ieremie the Patriarche hath giuen of the protestant religion which was sent by him theÌ„ into Germanie who sought an vnion betwixt them and the Greeke church seeinge they forsooke the Latine church or rather God and the Latine haue forsaken them but the said Patriarche did abhor and refuse an vnion with them and said there was asmuch difference betwixt them as betwixt heauen and hell You may read more of this matter in Michell ab Iselt Anno 1580. Surius hist. ibid. Also the Patriarch of Philadelpha called Gabriell did write vnto Martinus Crusius a Lutheran of this matter requestinge him neuer to trouble him touchinge either vnion or confirmation of his doctrine 5. To coÌ„clud this matter if Turkes Iewes and Gentiles thincke more reuerently of God the Father D. Tho. 2.2 q. 10. art 6. Tit. 4. of Christ Iesus his sonne and of his blessed mother yea and do shew more fauor to christians then those of the new religion doe I must thincke and conceaue a better opinion of Turckes then of these new vpstarts for S. Thomas saith that heresie is a greater sinne theÌ„ paganisme and Iudaisme for althoughe infidels denye more articles of faith then heretiques yet because heretiques do persecute the church with greater malice then the other and the greater malice argueth the greater sinne therfore heretiques are the greater sinners For as saint Paule saith an hereticall man is damned by his owne proper iudgment therfore I leaue the conclusion to the consideration of the reader An answer vnto Protestants barkinge against the religious institutions of holy Orders saying that religious vocations were not instituted by our Sauiour CHAPTER I. 1. IF humane nature had continued in that blessed perfection of originall integrity in which it was created there would not be required that grace excepted which in the beginning was infused and superadded vnto it so many other graces and helpes preuenieÌ„t subsequent exciting her slacknes and brackwardnes and expelling her corrupt inclination and propension to sensuality to corruptible base and vile creatures Wherfore the creator and protector of man whose nature is goodnes whose proper worke is mercy as S. Leo saith doth neuer cease or desiste from giuinge of all helpes and meanes to repaire and redresse this humane imbecillitie by proposing and intimating all such sufficient motiues to worke our saluation withall conuincing our negligence and vnprouident carelesnes if wee will imbrace and put the same in due execution so as for curing and healing the contagious maladies and restles diseases
at Babilon and Memphis an inumerable multitude of Monkes which were endewed and adorned with sundry giftes of the holy ghoste this is the place where the Patriarche Iosephe kept in store prouision of wheate for seuen yeares scarcity He maketh mention of Amonius the father of 3000. Monkes dwellinge neere Thebes and Paconius which liued 400. yeares after Christe which had 7000. Monckes disioined the one from the other in diuers houses Also Serapion which had 10000. vnder his gouermente whose liues were so famous for their sanctity and eminent vertues that many went in pilgramage to the desart to see them amongst whome was that holy woman Paula Epitaph epist 27. as saint Hierom reporteth Who beinge astonished with their admirable vertues forgettinge her owne sex wished to dwell amongst so many thousand Monkes who neuer went to any of their cells but she prostrated her selfe vpon her knees before each of them beleeuing she saw Christe in euerie one of them 5. Many thousand virgins imbraced this religious perfection as the ecclesiasticall histories recorde especiallie Theodorus who writeth that there were an infinite number of Monasteries and conuents of Virgins in moste partes of the easte as in Palestine Aegipt Asia Pontus Siluia Siria and Europe from the time that Christ was borne of a Virgin the swarmes of Virgins were multiplied in all which multitude both of men and weomen no irreguler or disordered confusion was practised none was impeached with any imputation of shameles or irreligious misdeameanour the cheefest consideration of theire rules and institutions as saint Hierom saith was to obay their superiours in all thinges Religiosa histor except saith he the time of publique exercise of prayers and meditations The Monkes of Aegipt liued altogether by their owne labours and what euerie one could gett by his toile and industrious acquisition sauing a small portion which he reserued for his owne sustentation and liuelie-hood they brought it to their father generall to be distributed vpon the poore so they were wonte to send ships loden with corne and prouision vnto Alexandria for the releife of the poore prisoners and other needy distressed persons for in Egipt were not such number of poore people which could consume the Almes and bountifullnes of these saintes 6. But let no man carpe or take occasion of detractinge of the religiouse persons of this time for that they doe not so labour◠for those Monkes of Egipt and Palestine had no other purpose or imployment but to serue God and to labour for their owne proper perfection not respecting their neighbours and so for the moste parte they liued in remote places and it was also prouided by their institution to labour with their bodies but the Monkes and religious orders of our tymes they are bound by the institution of their order not only to helpe themselues spiritually but also their neighbours and so they are bounde to preach and teach and heare confessions For the accomplishing of which worke to doe it well they must needes study and labour very much which cannot be accomplished or well done if they should bestow their tymes in any seruile worke 7. Europe also is bewtified and famous with these religious orders and obseruations of Italy as saint Gregory the great maketh mention in his 4. dialogues which he composed for the moste parte of the liues and miracles of many religious sainctes of that country Trithemius doth write that in his owne tyme which was about anno 1470. there were of the order of S. Benedict in the prouince of Moguntia 124. abies besides 10. that were seperated from the rest and added that there were in other places 5000. compleat abies besides many small monasteries Other authors doe write as Caesararius Bruto and the author of the beginning of the order of Cisters Montaluo and Arnoldus Abion in ligno vitae that there were 37000. monasteries of the order of S. Benedict in the world 14000. Priories Nunries 15000. that there were canonized of that order 55000. that there were popes 46. Cardinalls 300. Parriarches and Archbishops 1600. Bishops 4000. Emperours 25. Empresses 29. Kinges 54. Queenes 53. sonnes and daughters of Emperours 54. sonnes of Kinges 49. daughters of Kinges 72. doctors that wrote bookes 15000. Martirs 5270. For the space of 300. yeares all the Popes were of that order for the space of 600 yeares all the vniuersities were gouerned and directed by that order and 33. kingdomes were conuerted by that order vnto the christian religion Tertullus father to Placido the Monke bestowed vpon saint Benedict 28. prouinces 98 cities and villages all the kinges of these partes of the world for the moste parte were buried in the monasteries of the said order the Kinges of France in the monastery of saintes Denis the kinges of Englande at Westminster the kinges of Naples at S. Seuerine the kinges of Cicily at Palermo the kinges of Arragon at Poblete the kinges of Nauarre at S. Saluador the kinges of Portugall at Alcobaco the Emperours in the Monastery of Fuldense The Abbay of Floriacense with the monasteries therunto belonginge is worth a million by the yeare Bernard in vita 8. Malachiae 8. S. Bernard writeth that in Ireland there was a monastery that brought forth many thousand Monkes was the head of many monasteries a place saith he truly holy fertile of sainctes and moste aboundantly fructifyinge vnto God so as one of the children of that most holy place called Luanus was the founder of an hundred monasteries Plati de bono statu religiosi lib. 2. c. 24 Ireland saith the same saint Bernard being so inriched by these blessed people may ioifully singe the verse of Dauid Visitasti terram inebriasti eam multiplicasti locupletare eius Thou hast visited the earth and thou hast ouerflowen and abundantly inriched the same with the swarmes of these holy people who made their excursions and cast forth their beames into other places out of which came holy Columbauns into Fraunce and builded the famous monastery of Luxouia where heauenly and deuine Alleluias surceased not any instant or moment by night or by day whose blessed quire is incessantlie supplied by religious Monkes thus farre Saint Bernard Of many great and eminent men who forsooke and contemned the world to become religious CHAPTER VI. 1. BEing to speake of many great and eminent persons who contemned the world to become religious and were the flower and ornament of the catholique church the number whereof are almost inumerable I wil endeuour to exēplifie them first in the grecians and next in the latines Of these in the first ranke I may put Serapion who in the yeare 193. beinge a younge man imbraced a monasticall life and was made the 8. Patriarche of Antioch after saint Peter none in his time being soe learned or soe eloquent as he who wrote manny learned bookes After him succeeded Pamphilus anno 240. being the learnedest of his time of whose great librarie saint Hierome made
great ioie of Petrocias Abbott thereof where he increased verie well in vertue and religion and especially in humilitie For beinge by the Abbott appointed to keepe sheepe which office he more willinglie accepted then the scepter when he was crowned at a certaine tyme when one of the sheepe was lame he brought her vpon his owne shouldiers vnto the feild he liued Anno 750. What shall I say of Trebellus kinge of the Bulgars who through the blessed endeuours of Pope Nicholas the first became a christian and bore such zeale to christian religion that he expelled presentlie Photinus the heretique and leauinge the kingdome to his sonne became a mouncke But vnderstandinge afterwardes that his said sonne caste off the yoke of Christ and returned to his former impietie he went out of the monasterie tooke his sonne prisoner whome he seuerlie punished by putting out his eyes perpetuall emprisonment and depriuation of his kingdome which he gaue to Albert his younger sonne and instructinge him with sound councells and blessed admonitions of Christian obseruations returned to his monasterie 7. Another memorable example is of Iohn Brena kinge of Hierusalem and Emperor of Constantinople who in his feruent praiers saw saint Fraunces offering vnto him his habitt and forthwith called his confessor and receaued the said habitt in which he liued but fewe dayes and though he came to the vieneyarde the 11. houre yet he receaued neuerthelesse his wages What kinge more famous for his great vertue and miracles then kinge Henrie of Cyprus who followed the same blessed course of life In this blessed rancke wee may enroll Iohn kinge of Armenia who resigninge his kingdome to Leo his nephew which was soe large and soe great that he had vnder him 24. kinges chose rather to be abiect and base in the house of God then to commaunde in the tabernacles of sinners But when the Turcks inuaded those kingdomes and Leo beinge not able to resiste them and seinge it was the quarrell of God he girded himselfe with the sworde leuied an armie resisted the enemies of Christ giuinge them a verie great ouerthrowe but persecutinge the course of his victorious battell he was slaine and made a blessed ende What shall I say of the sonnes of Emperours and kinges the 3. sonnes of Charles the great Emperor as Vgon Dagon and Pipine two of them became religious of their owne accorde the last was compelled to enter for that he aspired to the kingdome in his fathers life tyme but when he tasted the sweetnesse of Christe his yoke he imbraced the same willinglie they liued Anno 83. 8. Vbian kinge of Ireland had 3. sonnes all were Mouncks and great Sainctes vid. Furseus Follianus and Vltanus who leauinge their countrie came into Fraunce in the time of Clodoneus kinge of that countrie and builded the monasterie of Pontimacum which euersince was verie famous The emulation of the two sonnes of Brittaine should not be omitted for wheÌ„ Iudaellus who was next to succede in that kingdome told his brother Iodocus of his purpose in takinge vpon him a religious obseruation and that he should prepare himselfe for the gouernment thereof he craued 8. dayes to deliberate vppon the matter but when he entred in deepe discourse with himselfe what a heauie and daungerous burden he should take vppon him he preuented his brothers purpose and fled into the monasterie before he tooke any order to hinder his determination The kinge of England called Richard had two sonnes that were religious anno 802. the one was called Willebald in Mount Cassin the other Wiâ—ebad at Mardeburge in Saxonie The kinge of Fraunce called Charles had also two sonnes that were religious Clotarius and Charles the great who professed the same institution anno 841. In whose register wee ought to enroll Frederique the sonne of Lodouicke anno 962. Henry the sonne of another Lodouicke Anno 1150. Lodouicke alsoe the sonne of Charles the second Kinge of Fraunce and heire apparenâ— of the crowne thereof who beinge hostage in Spaine became a Franciscan Frier The like profession alsoe Iames the sonne of the kinge of Maiorca embraced which was the first of the royall blood that euer entred that order whose happie exaÌ„ple Peter the sonne of the kinge of Arragon followed who did not onlie proffit himselfe but was alsoe by his deuoute sermons a light to manny that walked in darcknes and in the shadowe of death 9. If I should register all the kinges Princes and Dukes which entred into religion it should require an infinitt labour although I ought not to omitt al as Algorius Duke of Aquitane with his sonne Amandus Anno 429. Also Anselmus Duke of Mantua anno 740. DiclaÌ„dus Arcigiadus Duks of Suethlande anno 815. Vigestus of Spoleta 820. Willian Duke of Guyne and Aquitane 411. another WilliaÌ„ also Duke of that place anno 912. who was soe humble that vppon a certaine time when the Abbott of Claima in which Abby the said Duke serued God bid him to bake some bread he went most willingly to the hoat furnace and hauinge not at that tyme wherwith to cleanse it he did sweepe the hoate furnace with his habit and receaued noe harme Not inferior vnto him in this religious zeale was another William Duke of Burgundie who entred into saint Frauncis his order Was there any maÌ„ found in the worlde these manny a hundreth yeares more triumphant and victorious in warre more prosperous and happie in peace then Charles the fifte Emperor who hauinge triumphed and ouercome all his mightie and potent enemies chased and draue away the great Turcke with his armie of three hundred thowsand soldiors from the dreadfull siege of the cittie of Vienna the capitall cittie of Austria and from the destruction of Christendome and supplantation of the catholique religion tooke the rebellious and seditious princes of Germanie prisoners in the oxen fielde hauinge but a handfull in respect of the great and mightie armie which he ouercame in in a sett battell which they pitched by the instigation of that fatall and ominous Apostate Luther beinge the onlie cause of all the miseries and callamities of the Christian world He tooke also Frauncis the first by his captaine generall before Pauia in Lumbardie who with 6000. soldiors came to besiege the said cittie where all his army beinge ouerthrowen was brought prisoner in his owne gallies to Madrill He tamed alsoe all Affrique with his victorious and inuincible Armies Wyone Tuins and Goleta ouerthrewe Barbarosa beinge a Pyratt and most infestuous to the Christians Extinguished that raginge and furious flame of the Spanish rebellion and all the citties and comons of the two kingdomes of Castile the kingdome of Arragon Valentia all which reuolted from him for that he placed in his owne absence a Viceroye which was not natiue of their owne countrie all the rebells although he ouercame them yet he pardoned them both in landes and goodes he tooke manny citties and fortresses in Affrique as Oran Tanges Zeita with many
put to death by them for their religion were damned in not obeying and conforming themselues vnto those Princes in matters of faith and in the doctrine of saluation The puritanes which are called the reformed and seuere Caluinistes doe grounde themselues vpon the election of the people and that the common and vulgar sorte should make appointe and elect cleargie or pastors to feede and gouerne them and alleadge the first and 6. chapter of the Actes of the Apostles Act. 1. 6. where it is said that it pleased the people to make choice of saint Mathias insteede of Iudas and saint Stephen Philipp Procherus 4. others to supplie the offices of Deacons and afterwardes in the primitiue church wee finde that the people did choose or nominate their Bishoppes But to this puritanticall foundations both the Catholiques and protestantes doe aunswere that those elections or nominations were permitted to the people by the Apostles for their comfort and that the parties so chosen receaued authoritie and spiritual iurisdiction from the Apostles and not from the people as wee see this daie that in manny places the people are permitted to make choice of their encombents but are inuested and consecrated of the Bishoppes of euerie diocesse where the parishioners are permitted to haue this priuilege That there are many excellencies and effectes which should allure euerie one to follow and imbrace the Catholique religion And contrariwise many enconueniences and blasphemies which the newe religion houldeth and teacheth The first excellencie CHAPTER II. 1. THe first and cheefest excellency is to beleeue that God is the first trueth and first cause from whome proceedeth all trueth and by whom all causes haue their operation and their influence The first goodnesse and sanctitie of whom all goodnesse and sanctitie doth depend And as it is the proprietie of the sunne to giue light of the fire to giue heate of the water to make colde so it is the nature essence and proprietie of God with farr greater excellency to do good and to communicat and impart the same vnto his creatures And so saint Augustin saith O God thow art perfect without deformitie great without quantitie good without qualitie eternall without time strong without infirmitie trew without fastshood thow art present euerie where with out ocupieng any place and thow art inward and intimat to euery thing being tyed or fastened to nothing 2. Butt the new religion maketh God crwell without mercy in that he doth encomber his people with lawes and preceptes which they cannott keep wicked without goodnesse in that they make him the cause of all the euill and wickednesse which the wicked doe comitt and for the which they are so seuerely punished The 2. excellencye is the pure and holly doctrine which it professeth CHAPTER III. 1. SVch is the perfection of catholique doctrine that it nether admitteth nor alloweth any thing against the light of reason godes glory or the good of our neghbors it teatcheth the law it comandeth vnder paine of damnation the perfourmance therof and the morall precepts of the tenn commaundeth which are certaine conclusions deriued from the same But Luther saith they pertaine nott to them and all the schoole of protestantes do teach that wee cannott keep or obserue them that God respecteth them nott and that the good woorckes of a christian do preiudice and derrogat from the merites of Christs passion And so they take away all the meritorious woorckes of the iust and all the force and industrie of mās proper merites and consequently al graces and inherent iustice of a sanctified soule by the extrinsicall and imputatiue iustice of Christ and saith that so they haue faith God regardeth nott their woorkes which is a wide gappe and dangerous gulfe to all wickednesse dishonestie loosnesse of life and dissolute behauiour a quite defacing dissanulling and abrogating nott only of the law of nature butt of all other lawes whatsoeuer and therfore most pernitious and dangerous doctrine 2. Besides these holy precepts it perswadeth though not commandeth the Euangelicall counselles of our Sauiour the cheefest wherof is perpetuall chastitie which is a celestiall vertue by which a man forgoeth many encombrances of worldly cares troubles and perturbations of minde 1. Cor. and affliction of his spirit as saint Paule saith The 2. counsell which our Sauiour gaue was to a certaine yong man sayeng vnto him if thou wil be perfect go and sell all that thow hast giue the same to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen follow me By this counsell a christian doth eschew many tentations and snarres of the diuill into which such as be rich do fall hedlong and ar deliuered from troubles vexations and anxietis of minde and of many contentious and litigious strifes and debates with his negboures which for the most part is incident to worldly people which blessed counsell was obserued of the christians at Hierusalem Acto 2. at Alexandria in Aegipt and at the lake Marian as Philo the Iew reporteth Matt. 5. The 3. counsell is to render good for euill and to pray for our persecutors The 4. counsell is to giue almesse and to pittie the poore to be mercifull to releeue the distressed no vertue is so often inculcated as this no vice so often discommended or with greater punishmentes threatned thē inhumanitie and crweltie The 5. counsell is to exercise our selues in continuall praiers Matt. 25. 1. Tim 2 Luc. 18. Luc 11. and so the Apostle wisheth vs alwaise to pray and our Sauiour also counselleth the same by 3. examples The first of a carnall father in respect of his sonne which yeldeth to his sonnes demande The 2. of a frind that was vrged at the earnest inintreatie of another frind to rise out of his bedd at night to giue vnto him what so earnestly he sought for The 3. of an inflexible iudge that neuer yelded to any mans desire yett at the earnest and importunat suite of a poore woman he was perswadeed to take comisseration of her 3. The religion of protestantes not only barketh all the obseruations of the precepts of the lawe but also forbiddeth and reiecteth all euangelicall counselles sayeng that no man ought to accomplish them As for virginitie they say it is impossible As for the poore they may starue for them for any relefe or comfort they receaue of them For they pull from them all that they haue As for mercy of all people none are so blouddy or so crwell yea the very first preachers of this new religion as you may read As for praiers they cannot abide any order of time or deuotion for performing them for they do nott only barcke as another Vigilantius against euensongs Masse and mattens and against any obseruation of times as att midnight morning and euening but also against the English comon praier booke as you see The 3. Excellencie most diuine Sacraments which confer grace CHAPTER IV. 1. THe 3. Excellencie be the sacramentes
not only of England but of all the world against the decree of all the generall counsells therof against all sacred doctors against common sense and honestie against all lawes both ciuill and cannon not only against catholiques but against protestants in all other countries yea against the puritans of England against these constant confessors and blessed martyrs aboue recited which acknowledged no such supremacy in spirituall or ecclesiasticall matters to any king or prince whatsoeuer that did putt them to death whose blessed blood was patiently shed for the defence of Catholique religion and lastly against the practise of all former ages and antiquitie For from Donaldus the first Christian king of the Scots according to saint Victor Anno 197. there were 84. Christian kinges from Ethelbert being made Christian according to saint Aug. an 600. vnto Edward the confessor 1006. there were 80. kings Christian in EnglaÌ„d after the coÌ„quest ther were 20. vnto king Henry the 8. so as none were euer called head of the church before king Henry after him Edward Elizabeth and king Iames. What shall I say of other holy and valiant martyrs that suffered in these later persecutions raysed vpp by Luther and Caluins heresie and by the Princes that embraced the same How many thousandes suffred confiscation of their goodes and landes effusion of their blood confusion of the world desolation and destruction of their wiues children woe and wreake and dissolution of all things such a masse of miserie and callamitie wherin their miserable and forlorne life was plunged withall as no man can rehearse without greefe nor none can see without teares How many thousand did rotâ— in vgly prisons die in banishments suffred patiently the crewelest tormentes and yrcâ—somest death that could be imagined rather then they would preferr the vaine fauor of man before the fauor of God antiquitie before noueltie to forgoe their auncient Catholique religion to become of the new to forgoe the firme Rocke of Christs church to build their faith vpon them that haue neither grownd or foundation of any supernaturall or theologicall faith at al no certitude in their doctrine no deuotion in their religion no honestie in the profession therof no vertue in their liues no pietie in their schooles or synagoges no charitie in their woorckes no mortification in their members or passions and consequentlie no conscience in their doings THE CONCLVSION 1. I Haue gentle reader exposed to thy vew the Theater of catholique and protestant religion where thou maist plainly behould and see the of-spring beginning growndes foundation practise mischeefe and inconuenience of the one and the excellency of the other Liu. 13. Math. 13. by which thou maist perceaue that the catholique religion ought to be compared to the wise husbandman which did sow the good side in his grownd or farme the protestant to resemble the enimie which sowed the badd cockle and darnell the one ought to be called positiue the other negatiue the one ecclesia malignantium the other militantium the one plantation of religion and deuotion the other supplantation or rooting vp of the same 2. The first subiect of corruptible and materiall things which the philosophers doe call Materia prima which neuer holdeth her selfe setled or contented in any certaine course of any forme or composition but is eueâ— more mutable and changeable by a certaine naturall reuolution from one forme and fashion to another for that shee being disgusted with the one euer more seeketh another is not so vncertaine and vnconstant as protestancy which by a certaine fatall reuolution and babilonicall confusion groweth from one errour to another from one mischeefe to another from one sect to another as appeareth by so many sectes forged and coined by this new religion within these 80. yeers which are 240. in number all in differrence and variance amongest themseluees not in ceremonies or things indifferent but in the cheefest articles and substance of their religion as many of themselues do auerre the one detesting condemning and pronouncing their cursed sentence of Anathema against the other as you may read aboue in the â—â— booke cap. 1. The same may be confirmed by a certaine Prince of Germany who being demaunded of what religion his bordering neighbours were he answered he could describe of what religion they were the last yeere but this yeere he could not well tell their religion in respect of the mutabilitie and in constancy therof see the preface and cap 1. lib 2. 3. But the catholique religion is alwaies one and the selfe same alwaise retaineth and holdeth the same continwance and vigour of trueth not in diuersitie of sectes but in simplicitie and vnitie of beleefe and profession without duplicitie or disparitie or contradiction of doctrine or without absurditie or dishonestie in her maners and customes because she hath the holy ghoast to assist and direct her in all trueth and to protect and to defend her from all errors misbeleefe and infidelitie For not only this new religion is changeable and variable in profession and doctrine but also in condition custome and behauiour for alteration in faith and religion procureth also a great alteration and inconstancy in mindes and affections in life and maners as wee may knowe by such nations who when they were catholiques were mercifull chast sober liberall temperat children were obedient to their parentes and people faithfull of their promisse But when they were turned protestantes as they selues do affirme they became most crwell bloody insolent lecherous riotuous couetuous barbarous luxurious and intemperat 4. For when protestancy laboreth to stoope and intercept all the channells and fountaines of Gods grace the enfluence of Christs passion all the inspiration of the holy ghoast from the soules of christians by which they should be inwardly and formally iustified to whome ought to be applied that which was spoken of the Iewes that they resisted the holy ghoast when it an â—ulleth all the excellencies vertues operations effectes of the blessed Sacramentes all the applications of the merites of Christes passion the vallour and vertue of his blood which the eternall and euerlasting father would haue to be religiously and deuoutly applied by religious meanes and our owne proper endeuours to our owne sanctificatioÌ„ when it destroieth reiecteth all the woorkes and merites of the iust as proceeding and hauing their force worth and valloure from that blessed passion and death of Christ and all the blessed rewardes correspondent and proportionable vnto those merites by vertue of the foresaid passion and blood which they deny to be of that force to abolish and blot out our sinnes wickednesse and punishmentes due vnto the same and so reiecting the force and vertue of Christs passion and transferring and building the same vppon another fundation which they call imputatiue iustice of Christ saying that Christ imputeth not vnto vs our offences and as it were couers them by that iustice by which he is iust himselfe nott by which he maketh vs iust when vppon a kind of an arrogant faith and presumptuous predestination without any relation or referrence to his owne endeuoures so as he beleue that Christ suffred for him or that he is predestinated to be saued he must be such When I say protestancy is blinded and nusled in this peruerse doctrine it being the only and cheefe article of their beleefe which is against scripture good life comon reason sense the definition of the catholique church honestie of a christian and the pietie of a catholique yea against operation of grace or instinct of nature it must run headlong vnto all desperat blasphemies and damnable mischeefe their vnbrideled concupiscence and crwell dispositions impelling them therunto For when the transgression of no lawe or the attempt and consummation of no acte though neuer so exorbitant or so abhominable is punished nor the good woorkes or merites or any execution or exercise of vertue or mortification of any their passions is not regarded for that as they say the merites of Christ his passion doe abrogat them nay such worckes or mortifications are iniurious to the same and doe as they say derogat from them Wee must thincke them to be no otherwise then they are taxeâ— with the imputation of all those cruell and vnchristian like Epithethes by their owne gospellers and when their religion is nothinge els then a path way to all dissolute libertie and licentiousnesse their liues and maners must be such for the corruption of the one engendreth the dissolution of the other 5. Finallie this is the cause that wee see many lawes decrees and dishonest plottes daylie deuised with their rigorous and cruell executions nott against transgressors of godes lawes the lawe of nature but against honest and vertuous people so as the reputation of an honest conscionable and well disposed person cannot be without the imputation of a dangerous traitour whose life goodes and landes must waite and lye open as a pray and bootie for euerie miscreant who as he exceedeth others in villanie and wickednesse must excell them also in promotion and authoritie cuius maledictione os plenum est amaritudine dolo sub lingua eius labor dolor Psal 9. whose tonge is full of malediction bitternesse and deceit Idem so as the decay and downefall of the good must be the raising vpp and aduancement of the badde Exurge Domine non confortetur homo Psal 9. iudicentur gentes in conspectu tuo Constitue Domine legislatorem super eos vt sciant gentes quoniam homines sunt Arise Lord let not man be strengthned let the Gentiles be iudged in thy sight Appoint Lord a law-giuer ouer them that the Gentiles may know that they be men FINIS